Or, ‘redneck,’ like ‘good ol’ boy:’ anti-government, far right, sometimes anarchists or even proudly unaware of contemporary politics. Here’s what I learned: ‘Rednecks’ were coal miners in Harlan County, West Virginia who were on strike due to inhumane working conditions. In a sign of solidarity, they would wear red bandanas around their necks. As they marched down the dusty street, corrupt owners and politicians in cohesion with law enforcement and ‘strike busters’ with ax handles would shout, “here comes those ‘rednecks'”, meaning here comes Trouble!

How about “Hat trick” which originated in cricket in 1858, when bowler H. H. Stephenson took three wickets with three consecutive balls and was rewarded with a new hat purchased from a fan collection.

Then:

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The idiom warns against forming opinions based solely on appearances, with roots tracing back to 19th-century literature.

In past Britain, book thievery was immense and booksellers would place worn and scratchy book covers on expensive books to avoid their theft.

The term “raining cats and dogs” derive from Victorian times when street drainage was so poor that pets left on the streets would drown during rainstorms. After the rainfall, the dead cats and dogs strewn across the streets made it appear as though it had been raining cats and dogs.

“Knock on wood” most likely comes from 19th century British children’s game Tiggy Touchwood, though older theories link it to ancient Celtic/Germanic tree spirit beliefs and later Christian symbolism. A superstition used to avoid tempting fate.

Naval Sayings – The Ultimate List of Nautical Sayings & Sailing Terms.

List from Gary Evans via MODELERS CENTRAL
Slightly edited by Traveling Boy, due to special concerns.

For 200 years the British Empire ruled 25 percent of the world. Why? Because they ruled 25 percent of the world’s waterways with efficient vessels and experienced sailors.

So, many British nautical terms are used today, but in an entirely different context.

Even Keel: To maintain calm and steady progress. Courtesy of The Ultimate List of Nautical Sayings.

Above Board: Referring to anything in open and plain view.
History: On a naval vessel, items and equipment could either be stored on deck or below in the ship’s hold. An item stored or viewable from the deck was said to be kept above board.

Aloof: To be in a state of indifference.
History: Coming from the Old Dutch ‘loef’, meaning windward, this term was used when referring to a ship sailing higher to the wind and becoming separated from the rest of the fleet.

Another Day, Another Dollar: A turn of phrase used with resignation to refer to a repetitive and tedious activity, such as the working week.
History: This expression dates back to the early 19th century when American sailors were paid a dollar for a day’s work. It was used in a similar fashion to today, in that sailors worked long hours in tiring conditions for only an extra dollar to their name.
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At a Loose End: To finalize the details or requirements of an activity.
History: This term refers to the final task of the sailor to secure the loose ends to ensure the vessel is ready and shipshape.

Bottoms Up: To finish one’s drink, often quickly.
History: This term comes from the common practice of tricking English sailors into joining the Navy when they didn’t want to. The sailor would be manipulated into “accepting payment” for joining the Navy by dropping a coin into his drink. Once the trick became well known, people would remind each other with the phrase ‘bottoms up’ to check their glass for hidden “payment”.

Cut and Run: To run away, to abandon something, to leave something incomplete.
History: Often thought to refer to the severing of an anchor line, the phrase cut and run is much more likely to refer to the practice of tying down the sails of a square-rigged ship with ropes that could be cut, rather than untied, if sails needed to be hoisted with haste.

Foul Up: To make an error or mistake.
History: Many nautical terms used the term ‘foul’ to refer to unwanted situations. Foul itself meant to be tangled up, or impeded of progress. A foul anchor is one that is entangled and unusable for the time being. A foul berth describes another vessel that has positioned itself too close to another and there is a high risk that the two ships will collide.

Figurehead: A noted leader with no real power or authority.
History: On a ship, a figurehead was an ornamental figure used for religious protection, or for purely decorative purposes.

First Rate: To be the best, of the highest quality, of the most skill.
History: From the 1500s through to the advent of steam-powered naval vessels, British Naval ships were scored from 1 through to 6, with first-rate having 100 or more guns, down to 6th rate, being frigates with only 20 to 48 guns.

Footloose: To be free to do as you please.
History: If unsecured, the bottom portion of a sail, called the foot, is able to flap and move about in the wind.

Gripe: To complain or have a problem
History: A gripe is a nautical term used to describe a vessel that has been poorly designed and so the bow tends towards the wind, causing the sail to flap, impeding progress and making the ship difficult to maneuver.

Grog/Groggy: To describe alcohol, usually of poor quality.
History: In the 18th Century, Vice Admiral Sir Edward Vernon decreed that each sailor’s half pint of rum a day should be watered down with an equal amount of water. The sailors nicknamed the Vice Admiral “Old Groggy” as he wore a Grogam coat on deck. The mixture of watered-down rum became termed ‘grog’, and those who drank too much of it were referred to as ‘groggy.’

Hard Up: To be in a state of need.
History: In nautical terms, to put the ‘helm hard over’ means to position it as far as it can go in a particular direction. The full saying. ‘Hard up in a clinch and no knife to cut the seizing’ was used by sailors to refer to the coming of grief with no solution.

Haze: To celebrate the arrival of a new arrival to a group by means of embarrassment or humiliation in order to instate authority.
History: In the seafaring times, captains and other levels of authority would demand their crew to work long hours during the day and into the night, even when necessary, for no other reason than to make them miserable.

Hunky-Dory: To describe a situation as being pleasant, moving as expected, going ok.
History: This naval saying is thought to come from American Sailors who used the term to describe a popular street in Japan called Honcho-Dori which was frequented by lonely sailors.

Keel Over: To fall over or pass away.
History: Even today, the keel is a fundamental component of most types of sailing ships. It acts as a counterbalance for the mast and keeps the boat stable in conditions that would otherwise cause the boat to capsize. If a ship “keeled over” it had rolled over and began sinking, or on land, simply fallen over.

To Know the Ropes: To be familiar/competent in a particular task.
History: Tall ships sailed by the navy prior to the advent of steam-powered vessels were operated by a series of ropes that controlled the mechanisms and pulleys that operated the sails. These rope-based systems were complex, and so sailors were required to memorize the configurations, so they were used correctly. This obviously took time, so a less experienced sailor might not “know the ropes” as well as one who had been sailing for longer.

Son of a Gun: An exclamation of surprise, annoyance, aggression.
History: In the event that a child was born aboard the ship from the wife or temporary companion of one of the crew members, often on the gun deck. If no one knew who the father was, they were logged as being the “son of a gun.”

To Let the Cat Out of the Bag: To unveil what was previously unsecured or secret.
History: In the early days of sailors, the ‘cat o nine tails’ was the name for a whip constructed from rope with unbraided ends that left wounds on the back similar to the scratches of a cat.

Long Shot: A situation where the intended or preferred outcome is considered unlikely to occur.
History: Old naval warships used cannons as their main form of weaponry, which often were hit and miss in terms of accuracy. Different cannons also had varying maximum ranges which depended on their design, age and quality. If a vessel was to fire beyond its range and deliver a long shot, it was unlikely that it would hit its target.

Loose Cannon: Used to describe a person, object or situation that is unstable or likely to cause trouble if left unattended.
History: Due to their massive weight, cannons on a sailing ship were secured to prevent them from moving about with the waves of the sea, as a loose cannon would cause immense damage to the sailing vessel or crew.

Overbearing: To manipulate a state of power in a fashion that makes others uncomfortable
History: This term refers to the act of sailing downwind of another ship, blocking or ‘stealing’ their wind, slowing them down.

Overwhelm: To be in a state of emotional overload or to be taken over by something
History: This naval term is derived from the Old English for a boat that has capsized.

Poop: To be washed out, tired.
History: In terms of the actual structure and layout of the ship, the highest deck at the back of the vessel was called the poop deck. If a ship were to become breached by a large wave that flooded the vessel from the back, she was said to have been pooped.

Slush Fund: An amount of money assigned to the use of bribe or influence.
History: In the 1800’s, a mixture of fat would be sold ashore by the ships cook that would be gathered from boiling the salted beef for food at sea. This money was then used for the benefit of the crew or the cook himself and called the ‘slush fund.’

Scuttlebutt: Rumour or gossip.
History: In seafaring times, sailors would exchange gossip in a scuttlebutt. This was a water barrel with a hole in it that was used to dispense drinking water.

Shake a Leg: To get out of bed, to get moving.
History: It is believed that in the early naval days, this term was used as a command for crew members to step out of their hammocks and begin preparations for the day. It is also believed that the term may have come from the fact that women were allowed on board when the ship was in port, and thus the crew knew when a woman was still aboard and needed to be woken up and moved ashore before setting sail.

Square Meal: A good quality, nutritious meal.
History: This term was most likely derived from the fact that sailors were served their meals on square shaped plates. However, from the 1500s onwards, the word ‘square’ meant that something was upstanding, proper or straightforward.

Three Sheets to the Wind: To be in a state of intoxication.
History: On a ship, a rope is called a sheet. If the sheets on a three-masted rigged ship became loose on the three lower-course, the sails would begin to flap about and the ship would lose all purposeful direction.

Under the Weather: To be feeling ill, not yourself.
History: On an early naval vessel, various watches were assigned to crew members to keep an eye out for danger. Often considered the worst watch station one could be assigned, the ‘weather’ side of the bow was often subject to the pitching and rolling of the ship, as well as the numerous waves that would break over the bow. The crew member assigned this watch would end their shift drenched and described as having been ‘under the weather.

Turn a Blind Eye: To ignore, to pretend you did not see something.
History: This commonly used saying originates from the actions of Admiral Lord Nelson in the Battle of Copenhagen. In the battle, a signal was given to cease fighting and retreat. In response, the Admiral held his spyglass to his blind eye and later insisted he had not seen the signal.

Hey, that was fun.
With thanks to 116 Naval Sayings – The Ultimate List of Nautical Sayings

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There was not a hint of litter on the street. Mexican children frolicked on the beach. Los Pacenos (La Paz natives) offered gentle smiles as they jogged past me along the Malecón – La Paz’s bay-front boardwalk that stretches along the historic downtown. It was hard to take it all in with the sun setting on the glimmering Sea of Cortez, which Jacques Cousteau christened “the world’s aquarium,” with one of the planet’s most abundant ecosystems.

I had it all wrong. US Government warnings have repeatedly alerted us to watch our backs in Mexico. Yet La Paz (“The Peace”) experiences only a fraction of the robbery, rape, assault and murder found in most US cities, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. With ten universities, statistics also indicate that it is the most educated and affluent city per capita in all of Mexico.

Once a sleepy fishing village nestled along the protected waters of Southeast Baja Sur, La Paz was put on the radar when immortalized by John Steinbeck in his novella, “The Pearl” in 1947. Sportspeople journeyed from around the globe for the deep sea bounty of marlin, Dorado, roosterfish and yellowtail. This component of tourism is still very much alive today, and so are snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, and eco-tours. For lovers of sea life, it is the dream of all dreams.

The UNESCO-protected site, Isla Espiritu Santo, features 32 species of reptiles and 89 species of birds.

A day-long boat tour with Fun Baja was an experience that I will never forget. The day was spent snorkeling with sea lions and whales, just off Isla Espiritu Santo, followed by a catered picnic lunch of local seafood at Espiritu Santo Beach.

After an afternoon of kayaking and swimming, the boat tour continued for a look at native bird estuaries and historical attractions.

Despite the fact that La Paz is the capital city of Baja California Sur with a population of 220,000 it still maintains the charm of ‘Old Mexico,’ with quaint shops, museums, galleries, markets and restaurants serving indigenous food. But if you want action, there’s a dazzling nightlife with cafes, clubs and bars. Plus if you desire to take it to a higher party level, Los Cabos on the southern-most tip of Baja Sur, is just a scenic two-hour drive away.

I think, though, what I liked best was the openness and gentle spirit of the Los Pacenos. They seem genuinely happy you’re enjoying their city and seeing why they have chosen to live in La Paz.

What to Eat

The Baja is the birthplace of the fish taco, served with the above mentioned fresh seafood caught that very day by local boats. The chocolate clam gets its name from the shell’s brown color, and is eaten alive with a twist of lime. If the clam doesn’t flinch after a lime twist, it’s best to move on to the next one on your plate. Another treat is the ‘hotdogueros,’ a La Paz hot dog, wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions, jalapeno ketchup and peppers. This should be all washed down with a Baja-style cerveza – beer on ice with lime juice and a salt rimmed glass. The beer of choice? Baja California’s own Tecate.

Where I Stayed

CostaBaja Resort & Spa redefines luxury. The centerpiece of the 550-acre CostaBaja development, it is the first 5-star resort in La Paz. The resort is just ten minutes from downtown, set on the Sea of Cortez overlooking a 250-slip double-basin marina and a white sand beach. What was I doing there? The 115-room hotel offers a selection of ocean, mountain, marina and golf course views. Yes, golf course views.

Mexico’s only Gary Player-designed 18 hole golf course meanders from hilltops to sea level with stunning water views just steps from the resort. Built into the landscape, as opposed to the opposite, this very ‘green’ course only utilizes desalinated water. The resort is also home to Steinbeck´s restaurant, and the first spa in La Paz, which features locally-inspired treatments. A dip in one of the three luxurious pools is not a bad way to end a day of activities.

Retirees and Real Estate

By 2020 as many as two million foreign retirees will make Mexico their home, according to the Mexican Federal Tourism Ministry. CNN Money Magazine and the New York Times recently named La Paz one of the top ten places in the world to retire. Mainland Mexicans, Canadian and US tourist are visiting La Paz in droves, then buying second homes or becoming full-time residents. For American retirees, a Yankee pension goes a long way in Mexico. Come to think of it, maybe I should consider retiring there, too.

This article was originally published on 2009

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SNAPSHOT OF SLOVENIA

Located in Central Europe at the crossroads of where east meets west, the Balkan nation of Slovenia (pop: 2,007,711) was once part of the former Yugoslavia and now a member of the European Union. Bordering Italy, the Adriatic Sea, Croatia, Hungary and Austria, this little nation half the size of Switzerland seemingly offers the best of each of the surrounding countries. Three major geographic regions also meet in Slovenia — you can go hiking on forested alpine mountain trails, swimming in the warm Adriatic Sea or go vineyard hopping in the central plateau — all in one day. Of the seven nations of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia has the highest income economy and feels more Germanic than Slavic, yet its citizens are stylish, easy going and proponents of Italian la dolce vita.

LIVING LARGE IN LJUBLJANA

The capital city of Ljubljana (pronounced lyoob-lyee-AH-nah) is nestled in the middle of the country, and is the cultural, political and administrative center of Slovenia. With a population of 270,000 inhabitants, it maintains the friendliness of a small town, yet possesses all the characteristics of a metropolis with national museums, world-class architecture and historic center.

The 12th century Ljubljana Castle rests on top of a hill, towering over the old town, much like the layout in neighboring Salzburg. The summit of the hill was once a Roman army stronghold and has been continuously inhabited since 1200 BC. The Ljubljana River cuts through the historic center’s cobblestone streets, surrounded by the 20th century architecture of Jože Plenik, who placed his own Art Nouveau influenced signature on his native city. He designed the National Library, as well as several bridges, including the famous Triple Bridge, A popular local meeting place is Prešeren Square, named after France Prešeren (1800-1849), considered the Slovene national poet, whose works include the lyrics to the Slovenian national anthem.

Although there is much to see and do in the city center — and the Ljubljana Castle with its 360 cityscape vistas is the first place you must explore — this is a city where one can just stroll and bask in the ambiance. The city itself is a living museum. The Ljubljana River is lined with cafes, restaurants, little wine bars and a vibrant outdoor market. Sit back and let this sublime city take hold of your senses. Soon you will be as calm as the Ljubljana River.

BEYOND LJUBLJANA

Ljubljana makes an easy home base for exploring Slovenia’s other treasures. Lake Bled, home to The Church of the Assumption on the Island and the medieval Bled Castle, is Slovenia’s leading mountain resort. Marshal Tito himself had a resort villa built overlooking the lake. Vintgar Gorge is located a few minutes by car from Bled, and offers a mile long forested nature walk of boardwalks and bridges, crossing over several waterfalls. The Karst region, an hour from Ljubljana and close to the Italian border, features an amazing network of caves and underground rivers.

WHAT TO EAT

Italians lead the tourist pack to Slovenia, with the activity of choice being none other than sampling the regional cuisine. A third of Slovenia is forested, and wild game and mushrooms play significant roles at the table. So does prust, an air-cured ham similar to prosciutto. Ajvar, an eggplant and bell pepper condiment; and strukliji, dumplings stuffed with cheese or vegetables, are also staples. For desert try ptica, a rolled pastry with walnuts. And while in Bled, the Bled cream cake is an essential ending to any meal. Pizza, pasta, sausages, schnitzels, strudels and sauerkraut are also found in abundance, but prepared with a uniquely Slovenian interpretation.

Slovenia is a nation of wine. Ljubljana is in the center of the various Slovenian wine regions, and is known for being the ‘city of wine and vine.’ Grapevines were first planted on the slopes leading up to the Castle by the Romans. For a non-alcoholic refreshment, have a Cockta — a Slovenian version of a Coke, introduced during the communist era when the sought after American soft drink was unavailable.

HOW TO GET AROUND

Once on the continent, a smart (and green) way to travel is by obtaining a Eurail Pass. Formerly known as Eurorail, this convenient and cost effective way to travel is making a huge comeback due to the return popularity of train travel. You can meander throughout Europe in as many countries and amount of days that that you desire, with virtually no restrictions. Eurail.com

For further information about travel to Slovenia, Ljubljana and Bled, visit Slovenia.info; VisitLjubljana.si; Bled.si/en

This article was originally published in 2008

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― Ousmane Sembène

Ousmane Sembène, the son of a poor Senegalese fisherman and wife, taught himself to read and write in French. His maternal mother primarily reared and greatly influenced him.

Recurrent themes of Sembène’s films are the history of colonialism, the failings of religion, the critique of the new African bourgeoisie, and the strength of African women in French colonial Senegal.

Sembène’s knowledge of French and basic Arabic besides Wolof, his mother tongue, were based on many of his life experiences in menial labor jobs. Sembène stowed away to reach France, where he worked at a Citroën factory in Paris. He went south to work on the docks at Marseille, where he became active in the French trade union movement. Soon he joined the Communist party. During World War II he was drafted into the Senegalese Tirailleurs (a corps of the French Army).]His later World War II service was with the Free French Forces. After the war, he returned to his home country. In 1947 he participated in a long railroad strike, on which he later based his seminal novel God’s Bits of Wood (1960). In the narrative, the character, Diaw, writes a novel, which is later stolen by a white woman and published under her name. When he confronts her, he accidentally kills her. He is tried and executed.

His debut novel marked the beginning of Sembène’s literary reputation. The success of the novel provided enough financial return for him to continue writing his second novel, (1957) O Pays, mon beau peuple! (Oh country, my beautiful people!), which tells the story of Oumar, an ambitious black Senegalese farmer who returns to his native Casamance with a new white wife and ideas for modernizing the area’s agricultural practices. Oumar struggles against both the French colonial government and the village social order, and he is eventually murdered.

Sembène’s third and most famous novel is Les Bouts de Bois de Dieu (God’s Bits of Wood, 1960); which most critics consider his masterpiece. The novel is a fictional treatment of the railroad strike on the Dakar-Niger line, which lasted from 1947 to 1948. Although the charismatic and brilliant union spokesman, Ibrahima Bakayoko, is the most central figure, the novel has no true hero except the community itself. The people band together in the face of hardship and oppression to assert their rights.

Key Films

As an author concerned with social change, Sembène wished to touch a wider audience. He realized that his written works would reach only the cultural elites, but that films were “the people’s night school” and could reach a much broader African audience, many of whom were illiterate. He was often seen riding a bicycle which carried cans of film to small villages. Along the way he would attach movie posters to buildings.

In 1966 he produced his first feature film, La Noire de...(Black Girl),based on one of his own short stories; it was the first feature film ever released by a sub-Saharan African director. Though only 60 minutes long, the French-language film won the Prix Jean Vigo, bringing immediate international attention to African films. The story is where a Senegalese girl becomes a servant to a wealthy French family, where she is tricked in thinking she was a nanny, but really a maid and treated with little respect. Her suicide, complete with high heels and her most expensive gowns, in a bathtub is harrowing.

Sembène followed this success with the 1968 Mandabi, where a Senegalese man is forced to cope with a money order from Paris. This achieved Sembène’s dream of producing a film in his native Wolof language.

His later Wolof-language films include Xala (1975), a comedy about a corrupt politician with three wives, who is cursed with impotence. This takes place when the French depart from Senegal, where the politician only drinks French bottled water and wears expensive suits made in Paris. After the ‘Xala’ commences, he is finally reduced to ‘humiliating’ tribal customs, orchestrated by a village witch doctor.

Ceddo (1977). The story takes place in Senegal, sometime after the establishment of a European presence in the area but before the imposition of direct French colonial administration. The ‘Ceddo’ (the outsiders, or non-Muslims) try to preserve their animist traditional culture against Islam, Christianity, and the slave trade. The Senegalese release of Ceddo was heavily censored, ostensibly for a problem with Sembène’s paperwork, though some critics suggest that this censorship had more to do with the government’s interpretation of what could be considered anti-Muslim content in the film.

His final film, the 2004 feature Moolaadé, is set in a small African village in Burkina Faso, which explored the still controversial act of female mutilation.

Death

Ousmane Sembène died on 9 June 2007, at the age of 84. He had been ill since December 2006, and died at his home in Dakar, Senegal, where he was buried in a shroud adorned with Quranic verses. Sembène was survived by three sons from two marriages.

Seipati Bulane Hopa, Secretary General of the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI), described Sembène as “a luminary that lit the torch for ordinary people to walk the path of light…a voice that spoke without hesitation, a man with an impeccable talent who unwaveringly held on to his artistic principles and did that with great integrity and dignity.”

South Africa’s Pallo Jordan, Minister of Arts and Culture, went further in eulogizing Sembène as “a well-rounded intellectual and an exceptionally cultured humanist…an informed social critic [who] provided the world with an alternative knowledge of Africa.”

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New Zealand’s New Wave Cinema emerged in the late 1970s, with the help of the Zealand Film Commission and government tax incentives for film production. It was a movement which was spearheaded by local and international co-productions, with a focus on action, road movies, and politically charged dramas, dominated by open-space narratives, action, stunts, car chases and primarily isolated male protagonists, living on the edge.

I didn’t even know that such a period existed until the early 1980s when I first saw a screening of director Roger Donaldson’s Sleeping Dogs (1977), a gritty thriller starring Sam Neill. It became the first major New Zealand feature widely screened abroad, exploring authoritarianism, civil unrest, and the “man apart” archetype. The film received rave international reviews, including praise from film critic Pauline Kael, and helped pave the way for Donaldson’s Hollywood career. This was followed by Smash Palace (1982), also by Donaldson.

At this point I was a goner, and anxious to see more.

While the boom ended in the mid-1980s after tax incentives were phased out, the new wave laid the groundwork for later New Zealand cinema successes such as The Piano (1993, directed by Jane Campion), Heavenly Creatures (1994, directed by Peter Jackson ), and Once Were Warriors (1994, directed by Lee Tamahori (who is half Māori) which also characterized New Zealand’s reputation for distinctive, location-driven filmmaking.

Once Were Warriors became the highest-grossing film of all time in New Zealand. It tells the story of the Heke family, an urban Māori whānau (extended family) living in South Auckland, and their problems with poverty, gambling, drugs, alcoholism and domestic violence. It explores the effects of the colonization of New Zealand, suffered by Māori, and the survival of Māori culture.

Jane Campion, a prominent New Zealand female filmmaker in world cinema, is noted for themes of feminism, sexuality, and tension between independence and submission.

Campion’s directorial debut was Sweetie (1989). She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed film, The Piano (1993). Her other films include An Angel at My Table (1990), The Portrait of a Lady (1996 co-production), Holy Smoke! (1998), and Bright Star (2009). After a 10-year break, she returned with the international co-production, The Power of the Dog (2021).

For Peter Jackson, known more as an AI and special effects director, visit Peter Jackson – Wikipedia.

Somehow, I missed Goodbye Pork Pie (1981) written and directed by New Zealander Matt Murphy, the first New Zealand film to win a substantial local audience. But I plan on finding it soon.

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It all began with the French New Wave, which inspired the British New Wave’s Kitchen Sink Realism, New German Cinema, Japan’s New Wave, the Hollywood Renaissance; it seemed to be everywhere.

Background

The Australian film industry almost collapsed by the early 1960s, but The Gorton (1968-71) and Whitlam governments (1972-75) saved it from extinction with the funding of film production and the training of film makers through the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, which created a new generation of Australian filmmakers who were able to bring their visions to the screen. The 1970s saw a revival of the Australian film industry, producing almost 400 films between 1970 and 1985, altogether more than the entire backlog of Australian films.

The Australian New Wave was a period of resurgence, beginning in the early 1970s and lasted until the mid-late 1980s, which also led to Ozploitation, a film genre by the exploitation of colloquial Australian culture.

For me, as a young film student in Seattle, the precursor to the Australian New Wave began not with an Australian film director, but rather the English director, Nicholas Roeg. In his 1971 film Walkabout about two Anglo-Australian children, one a teenager and her much younger brother, who had lived a comfortable city life, but were abandoned by their father who had committed suicide on a road trip deep into the Outback. Struggling to survive in this unbearably hot and harsh terrain, they are saved by a young Aboriginal man, who is on a ‘walkabout,’ a rite of passage for Aboriginal males on the cusp of manhood. He teaches them to eat lizards, find water and hunt for lizards and wild game. The role is played by David Gulpilil, who at the time did not speak a word of English, which added to the film’s authenticity. The controversial nude swimming scene with Jenny Agutter still raises eyelids today. It is her rite of passage of emotional freedom.

KEY FILMS AND DIRECTORS

Peter Weir

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1975 Australian mystery directed by Peter Weir from a screenplay by Cliff Green, based on the 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay. The plot involves the disappearance of several schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic at Hanging Rock, Victoria on Valentine’s Day in 1900, and the subsequent effect on the local community. One of school girls is never found, and, the ones which were, are mystified, unable to explain what had happened.

The film stars Rachel Roberts, Dominic Guard, Helen Morse, Vivean Gray and Jacki Weaver, who reappears on screen decades later as a middle-aged crime boss in the Australian drama, Animal Kingdom, then in Hollywood’s Silver Lining Playbook.
Weir’s protagonists are generally outsiders in their own worlds, characters out of place, facing danger, uncertainty or betrayal. These figures often undergo a loss of innocence or spiritual awakening, where the camera captures their subjective states through oneiric compositions, distorted sound, slow motion, and unconventional lighting. His cinematography is atmospheric, almost bordering on surreal, creating a sense of place that becomes essential to the narrative.

Picnic at Hanging Rock was a commercial and critical success and helped draw international attention to the then-emerging Australian New Wave. It is considered one of the most iconic and defining films of the New Wave.

Other notable Peter Weir Australian films: The Last Wave (1977), The Plumber (1979), Gallipoli (1981).

Fred Schepisi

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is a 1978 Australian drama film directed, written and produced by Fred Schepisi, and starring Tom E. Lewis, Freddy Reynolds and Ray Barrett.The film also featured early appearances by Bryan Brown, Arthur Dignam, and John Jarratt. It is an adaptation of the 1972 novel The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Thomas Keneally.

The story is about an exploited Aboriginal Australian who commits murder and goes into hiding. It is based on actual events.
The cast, a mix of professional actors (most of them white actors) and amateurs (most of them Aboriginal actors), was described by Pauline Kael as “a triumph of casting and coaching.”

Schepisi frequently sets his plots in a historical or cultural context, with precise attention to period detail. This is evident in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1970s Australia), where he integrates authentic locations, costumes and social atmosphere to immerse the audience. His work often explores themes of redemption, isolation, and the human condition.

Bruce Beresford

Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian biographical war drama film directed by Bruce Beresford, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on Kenneth G. Ross’ 1978 play of the same name. It stars Edward Woodward as the title character, Lt. Harry Harbord Breaker Morant, along with Jack Thompson, John Waters and Bryan Brown.

It is about a 1902 court martial of lieutenants Morant, Peter Handcock and George Witton, one of the first war crime prosecutions in British military history. Morant, Handcock, and Witton, Australians serving in the British Army during the Second Anglo-Boer War, are accused of murdering captured enemy combatants and an unarmed civilian in the Northern Transvaal. The film covers the exploration of the Nuremberg Defense, the politics of the death penalty and the human cost of total war. As the trial unfolds, the events in question are shown in flashbacks.

The film won ten 1980 Australian Film Institute Awards including: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Leading Actor (for Jack Thompson) and Best Supporting Actor (Bryan Brown). It was also nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay.

Breaker Morant remains the movie with which Beresford is most identified and has “hoisted the images of the accused officers to the level of Australian icons and martyrs.” In a 1999 interview Beresford said Breaker Morant “never pretended for a moment” that the defendants were not guilty as charged. He had intended the film to explore how wartime atrocities can be “committed by people who appear to be quite normal.”

Beresford films showcase their ability to evoke empathy and provoke thought, often blending intimate personal stories with broader social or historical contexts. His camerawork is often unobtrusive, allowing performances and story to take center stage. This is particularly evident where music, setting or period detail enhances the emotional tone.

Other notable Beresford Australian films: Don’s Party (1976).

George Miller

Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller in his directorial debut, who co-wrote the screenplay with James McCausland, based on a story by Miller and Byron Kennedy. Mel Gibson stars as “Mad” Max Rockatansky, a police officer turned vigilante in a dystopian near-future Australia.

Filmed on a budget of $400,000, it earned more than $100 million worldwide in gross revenue and set a Guinness record for most profitable Australian film of the year. The success of Mad Max has been credited for further opening the global market to Australian New Wave films.

Mad Max became the first in the series, giving rise to three sequels: Mad Max 2 (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

In the original 1979 Australian version, Mel Gibson spoke with a thick Australian accent. But for the American release it was redubbed with American voices to make it easier for U.S. audiences to understand. The U.S. dub also replaced Australian slang with American equivalents (e.g., “Oi!” became “Hey!”, “very toey” became “super hot”) and altered some sound effects.

George Miller’s style is defined by spectacular, practical filmmaking, archetypal narratives, thematic duality, and genre flexibility, all underpinned by a consistent empathy for his characters and a belief in cinema as a universal storytelling medium.

Philip Noyce

Newsfront is a 1978 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce, and starring Bill Hunter, Wendy Hughes, Chris Haywood and Bryan Brown. The film is shot in both black and white and in color, incorporating actual newsreel footage.

Newsfront is about newsreel cameramen who are committed to finding compelling footage of newsworthy events. The film begins in 1948 and ends in 1956, when television was introduced to Australia, and follows the destinies of the cameramen’s quest within the context of sweeping social and political changes in their native Australia. I learned a lot.

Noyce often combines tight, tension-filled sequences with vivid environmental settings; urban landscapes, natural backdrops, or period-specific locales. He integrates action with deeper narrative exploration, ensuring that even the most spectacular scenes serve the story.

Gillian Armstrong

My Brilliant Career is a 1979 Australian period drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong, and starring Judy Davis, Sam Neill, and Wendy Hughes. Based on the 1901 novel of the same name by Miles Franklin, it follows a young woman in rural, late-19th-century Australia whose aspirations to become a writer are impeded first by her social circumstance, and later by an early romance. My Brilliant Career was released in Australia in August 1979 and later premiered in the United States at the New York Film Festival. It received significant critical acclaim, and was nominated for numerous AFI Awards, winning three, while Davis won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. In the United States, it received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.

The film is regarded as being part of the Australian New Wave, as well as a piece of feminist cinema.

Armstrong’s work consistently explores women’s inner lives, relationships and the choices that shape their identities. While often associated with feminist themes, she emphasizes portraying complex individuals rather than making intentional political statements. Her films are anchored in emotional truth and psychological depth, noted for sharp story sense, meticulous design, and a strong sense of rhythm. Armstrong often uses period authenticity in historical settings, grounding her work in real locations and authentic period detail. Her visual language brings attention to music, lighting, and mise-en-scène that enhances the narrative.

The Road to Hollywood

Due to their success in Australian cinema, this led to the road to Hollywood, for big money and budgets, and bigger screen goers, many unaware that the Australian New Wave even existed.

Here are a few American films directed by these Australians:

Peter Weir: The Year of Living Dangerously, Witness, The Mosquito Coast, Dead Poets Society, Green Card, Fearless, The Truman Show, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Fred Schepisi: Barbarosa, Iceman, Roxanne, A Cry in the Dark, Six Degrees of Separation

Bruce Beresford: Black Robe, Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies

George Miller: Lorenzo’s Oil, Babe, Witches of Eastwick

Gillian Armstrong: Little Women (1994), Starstruck, The Last Days of Chez Nous, Mrs. Soffel, Charlotte Gray

Phillip Noyce: Dead Calm, Clear Present Danger

Stay tuned for the New Zealand New Wave.

The post There was once a New Wave heard around the World: Australian Cinema appeared first on Traveling Boy.

I was lucky but didn’t know it. My high school years were spent at Queen Anne High School, nestled on top of one of Seattle’s seven hills. With views of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, downtown and Mount Rainer. We had a joke, if you could see this volcanic mountain, it meant it was about to rain. But we didn’t care, taking our lofty location for granted.

Mount Rainer was sacred to my family. It was where my parents had their first date, picnic prepared by mom’s mother. This time the joke was on my dad. He had thought that the elegant picnic basket, full of delectables, was made by my mom, later realizing she could barely boil an egg. Today, she can.

Mount Rainier National Park serves as an icon for Western and Central Washingtonians. The park is about 65 miles southeast of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area and 65 miles west of Yakima in the Cascade Range.

It’s an active volcano, strewn with glaciers, wildflowers, wildlife and well-designed hiking trails, ideal for seniors and children.

Mount Rainier National Park covers about 236,381.9 acres. This area includes all of Mount Rainier, a 14,410 foot stratovolcano (a tall, steep-sided composite volcanic cone built by alternating layers of hardened lava, ash, and rocks), along with surrounding valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and over 91,000 acres of old growth forests. Ninety seven percent of the park is designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The park spans a dramatic elevation range from roughly 1,600-1,700 feet at its lowest points to the summit of Mount Rainier, and it is home to more than 25 named glaciers, the largest glacier system in the contiguous United States.

Around 10,000 climbers come from around the world each year to attempt the summit.

Paradise, at 5,420 feet elevation, is my favorite. In August it is blessed with wildflowers, huckleberries and blueberries. Mount Rainier National Park was recognized by the United States Congress. This made it the fifth national park in the United States. The park was created to protect and preserve Mount Rainier, once again the tallest volcano in the contiguous U.S. outside Alaska, along with its natural and cultural resources.

Mount Rainier National Park was established by an act of Congress signed into law on March 2, 1899, by President William McKinley. While
McKinley signed the bill, the park’s creation was the result of sustained local advocacy in Washington state. Efforts began in 1893 when state lawmakers introduced multiple bills in successive
congressional sessions to set aside the area. The campaign drew support from local mountaineering clubs, newspaper editors, University of Washington faculty, and conservationists like John
Muir, who praised the region’s natural beauty.

Mount Rainier National Park is open all year, 24 hours a day. Visitation is at its peak in July and August, when the weather is warm and dry and the wildflowers are blooming. If you are planning a summer trip to Mount Rainier, consider visiting mid-week, which is generally less crowded..

For further information, visit Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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As recently as 1990 there was virtually no tourism to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. Located in the Arctic Ocean between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole, Svalbard (“cold edge”) was believed to be discovered by the Vikings in the 12th century. It became a base for many Arctic expeditions, then home to whalers and coal miners. Thanks to companies like Hurtigruten, it is now on the map for the world to see.

My adventure began with a flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen – the largest island in the archipelago. With a population of 1700, Longyearbyen has the distinction of being the most northern city in the world. Once a mining community, it is now a center for science and tourism. Only four land mammals can survive on this barren tundra: the Svalbard reindeer, the Svalbard mouse, the Arctic fox and the polar bear—which has become the symbol of Svalbard. Encounters with this species are rare, but their presence is felt everywhere. They are known to hunt humans on occasion, so people cannot leave settlements without a weapon or armed guide. Accommodations were at the Spitsbergen Hotel, where, like all the area’s hotels and restaurants, you must follow the tradition of removing your shoes before entering. Longyearbyen also offers shopping, galleries and the Svalbard Museum, an essential stop in preparation for the voyage.

The next day we boarded the 115 passenger MS Nordstjernen. The oldest ship in the Coastal fleet, it maintains the authenticity of a real Arctic expedition vessel. The ship has 54 cruise cabins, all with upper/lower berths. Creature comforts include café, lounge and dining room. Most of the adventure, though, was spent on the wooden deck – where no one wants to miss any of the attractions, clearly in view with 24 hours of sunlight in July.

Heading northwest on the coast of Spitsbergen, I experienced breathtaking fjords, calving glaciers, unique animal and plant life, and a midnight sun that refused to set. More than 60 percent of the archipelago consists of national parks, nature reserves, and bird or plant sanctuaries.

A large number of aquatic mammals inhabit the islands, including whales, seals and walruses. It is also a breeding ground for numerous seabirds. I found a remarkable variety of small flowering plants, which use the 24-hour daylight to produce colorful blossoms.

Landings on tenders were conducted by the highly-skilled Spitsbegen Travel guides – a passionate group and walking encyclopedias on all things Svalbard. They also carried rifles and acted as our protectors.

Highlights included a landing at Barentsburg (pop. 500), a Russian mining town and relic from the Soviet era. The group was treated to a Russian and Ukrainian folkloric show, and stopped for a taste of vodka at the settlement’s one hotel.

Magadalenefjorden is where Dutch whalers came to bury their dead in the 17th century. Stone gatherings and wooden coffins still remain, as well as blubber ovens. Ivory Gulls made nosedives on the group’s colorful hats when we got too close to their feeding area. Words of caution: don’t look up!.

Moffen is a flat island and protected reserve, located north of the 80th parallel. Known for its walrus colony, we spotted fifty of the creatures, many larger than two tons. Enroute we saw two polar bears on an iceberg, who seemed as curious to see us as we were to see them.

Calving glaciers was one of the many marvels of a stop at the Monaco Glacier. We did a tender cruise in front of the glacier and witnessed beluga whales swimming before us. Next was a tour of the former mining community of Ny-Alesund (pop 30), now an important research station.

On the voyage back to Longyearbyen, we assembled on the deck for the presentation of certificates for crossing the 80th parallel. There were also certificates for those crazy enough to go ice swimming in the fjords. Yes, I was one of them. If you are a lover of nature and history, this is an adventure of a lifetime with a landscape that is dramatically changing –so my advice is to book your trip now.

• Original article published April, 2017

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I fondly remember Lake Geneva (Matterhorn Region) when Switzerland Tourism blew into Los Angeles on January, 2017 with the most esteemed guest, Eugene Chaplin. A man of remarkable lineage, he is the fifth child of Oona O’Neill and Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin, the grandson of playwright Eugene O’Neill, the brother of Geraldine Chaplin and father of actress/model Kiera Chaplin.

Eugene Chaplin in Los Angeles. Courtesy Switzerland Tourism

An artist in his own rite, Eugene directed the documentary film Charlie Chaplin: A Family Tribute and created the musical ‘Smile,’ a narration of his father’s life through his music. He’s also a recording engineer, having worked with The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Queen. He was in town to promote Chaplin’s World, the first-ever museum dedicated to the life and work of Charles Chaplin in the filmmaker’s former home in Vevey, Switzerland.

Back Story

In 1952 Charles Chaplin was exiled from the U.S. as a result of the House Un-American Activities Committee’s witch hunts, a disturbing period in U.S. history where Cold War tensions fueled fears of widespread Communist subversion. The committee used various charges of communism, communist sympathies and disloyalty to attack a number of politicians and other individuals, many Hollywood personalities. Chaplin was considered dangerously progressive and amoral. It was also revealed that he had never bothered to become a U.S. citizen. When Chaplin and family were departing for a trip to England, Chaplin was informed that he would have to submit to an interview concerning his political views and moral behavior in order to re-enter the U.S. Rather than fight a pending investigation by Immigration Services, Chaplin decided not to return to Hollywood. The Chaplin family, though, needed a new address in Europe. His half-brother Sydney Chaplin, suggested they visit Switzerland. Chaplin was taken by the peace and quiet of the Lake Geneva region, with its stunning lake and countryside, not to mention the attractive tax laws.

Gardening was one of Chaplin’s passions at Manoir de Ban. Courtesy photo

He purchased the vacant Manoir de Ban, a neoclassical mansion in Corsier-sur-Vevey, a wine-growing region near the banks of Lake Geneva. This is where he chose to live his remaining years with his family, from 1952 until his death in 1977. According to the Chaplin family, his 25-years at Manoir de Ban constituted his “happy years,” where he would walk in the grounds, garden, play with his children and host friends from around the globe. He also spent a large percentage of his time working on the screenplays for his films A King in New York, A Countess from Hong Kong and The Freak (which was never filmed), as well as adding music to his silent films, which he composed at the family piano. There’s a version of the Gold Rush, where he eliminated the title cards of the silent film, speaking all of the parts instead. In1964 in wrote My Autobiography at the Manoir.

Courtesy Chaplin’s World

On April 17, 2016, Chaplin’s former home and expansive grounds were officially open for the whole world to see. Rechristened Chaplin’s World – Manoir de Ban was repurposed and expanded as a museum that showcases Chaplin’s work and life as a family man in Switzerland. The goal was to allow visitors to discover the man behind the movies. The centerpiece of the museum is the three story, richly decorated Manoir, and the newly constructed Studio.

The grand opening at Chaplin’s World. Courtesy Chaplin’s World

A reproduced Winston Churchill pays a visit to Manoir de Ban.
Courtesy Chaplin’s World

In the Manoir, visitors are introduced to the Chaplin family, which has been restaged with a number of its original furnishings, personal items, photographs and family mementos. Each room focuses on a particular period of Chaplin’s personal life, while the dining room pays homage to the family’s everyday routines as well as the many Hollywood celebrities who visited them.

The new interactive studio features the work of Chaplin the artist which commences with a montage of clips from his half-century of writing, directing, producing, scoring and acting in movies. He outdid himself in the 1928 film, The Circus, where he also wrote and sang the title song for a rerelease in 1969. Curiously, he doesn’t mention the film once in his autobiography. The interactive studio is followed by an exhibition of recreated scenes and sets from many of his most famous films, along with wax figures of Chaplin’s famous co-stars.

Courtesy photo

It’s almost like a theme park where guest can enter the iconic cabin from The Gold Rush, while in the middle of a simulated blizzard, sit in the famous barber’s chair from The Great Dictator (where Chaplin played two roles), or negotiating the cogs of the industrial revolution machine from the madcap scene in Modern Times.

A statue of Chaplin graces the shores of Lake Geneva in Vevey.
Courtesy My Switzerland

A stroll in the Manoir’s 10 acres of expansive green grounds is mandatory with the reward of stunning views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Geneva.

Chaplin fans can also enjoy the onsite restaurant, affectionately named The Tramp.

If you decide to spend additional time in the breathtaking Lake Geneva region, The Modern Times Hotel is conveniently located nearby.

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The Wall was not only intended as a defensive structure, protecting the civilized Roman world from the unconquered barbarians in the north, but stood as a testament of Rome’s will and might. It was a propaganda statement, but also served as a census bureau, for the Romans were meticulous record keepers, and wanted to know who was in and who was out. It was the equivalent of a modern-day protection racket, for each person who would pass through the wall was taxed; you were protected, but you would have to pay for it. And tax and trade were among the many things that defined the Roman Empire.

But now, my real education, an oral one, of the history of Hadrian’s Wall would begin by booking a personalized tour with the passionate tour guide extraordinaire, Mr. Peter Carney. My day commenced with Mr. Carney driving us 16 miles from North West England’s city of Carlisle, to a place where locals simply refer to as the Wall. His narration began almost immediately, explaining why Hadrian’s Wall was built, what it did and how it changed the course of human and technological history. But this piece of history does not begin or end with the Wall; it’s as much about the history of the Roman Empire as well as the world we live in today.

The Wall That Bears His Name

Caesar Traianus Hadrianus, Roman emperor from 117 to 138 ACE, was known for his travels throughout the empire, devoting much of his time to civil and military constructions. He was considered to be a benevolent dictator as his interventions generally went unchallenged. And this included building projects, in particular, building projects in which he had designed. Prior to the advent of Hadrian’s Wall, he constructed the Arch of Hadrian in Athens, the Temple of Venus and Roman Arch of Hadrian and rebuilt the Pantheon in Rome. Many of the world’s most famous structures and monuments may lay claim as an homage to others, but were also intended to be an homage unto oneself, where the wealthy have branded their buildings with their own names and logos, even more so today. No lists required.

Hadrian had drawn the design for his Wall without ever having visited the new Roman province of Britannia before. Prior to his arrival, the province had suffered a major rebellion (119 to 121 ACE), comprising some 3,000 soldiers. This might have had something to do about his arrival in Britannia in 122 ACE, but most sources have indicated that it was really more for him to see the early construction of his Wall and then to revise it, and perhaps revise it again.

It was a herculean task to construct the Wall, almost unimaginable in its day, where Roman masons and auxiliary were relentlessly challenged by harsh windswept fields, wide rivers and rolling hills that were not conducive to Hadrian’s initial plans. But Hadrian and his builders, like the Roman Empire itself, could not be stopped, making brilliant use of local geographical features. The well-known Central Sector ran 12 miles along the crags, with the east Wall placed on a long ridge running eastwards to Newcastle, while the west Wall was often located on shorter ridges, allowing views of the north to improve the mobility of the army in the event of Celtic attacks in the frontier.

There is still no conclusive evidence to determine when Hadrian’s Wall was actually completed. An inscription suggests that at least one part of Wall was finalized around 128 ACE, six years after Hadrian left Britannia. He never saw what is believed to be the finished Wall, the Wall that bears his name… but his name and Wall will always remain the same.

Julius Caesar and Britannia

The first direct Roman contact with Britannia began when Julius Caesar undertook two expeditions in 55 and 54 BCE, believing the Britannic people were helping the Gallic resistance in what is today’s France. The first expedition was more of a reconnaissance one than a full invasion, only gaining a foothold on the coast of Kent,a county in South East England, unable to advance further due to storm damage to his ships. Despite what he thought was a failure, it was a political success, with the Roman Senate declaring a 20-day public holiday in honor of Caesar’s achievement of obtaining hostages and pacifying small tribes. The second invasion involved a substantially larger force where Caesar coerced many of the tribes to pay tribute in return for peace. This concluded with the surrender of the warlord, Cassivellaunus, and the installation of the more Roman-friendly king, Mandubracius. Caesar conquered no territory and left no troops behind, but established new trade partners and brought Britannia into Rome’s sphere of influence.

Remember Vindolanda

The Vindolanda site today contains a modern world-class museum using the latest interpretation techniques which convey the mysteries of Roman life at the Wall. The Vindolanda Writing Tablets, thin slivers of wood covered in unique Latin scribble, were found in the oxygen-free deposits, buried beneath the wooden fort’s floor. They are the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain.

In 2018 the museum was extended with an underworld gallery, housing collections of 2,000-year-old artifacts, which included everything from a wooden toilet seat to a children’s toy sword.

It could be a cold and lonely life for a Roman soldier stationed at Vindolanda, where heavy rains and chilling winds would often be a daily occurrence. Many of the solders had arrived from the warm climate of the highy populated Italian Peninsula, and for new Roman commanders and their families, it was akin to a blunt slap in the face in comparison to their early life of luxury in the capital city of Rome.

Vindolanda has attracted archaeological attention for more than a century, but many mysteries still surround it. Students and amateur archeologists volunteer their time and money for digs and lodging during the summer, but often never make it in due to the long list applicant

Claudius, the last person considered to be an Emperor

Emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born August 10 BCE at Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France). He was the first Roman Emperor be born outside of Italy, and was ridiculed throughout his life by speaking a rustic form of Latin. His pedigree came from the Julio-Claudian dynasty; Claudius from his father’s side, Julian from his mother’s side of the family. The mocking Claudius received upon speaking rudimentary Latin was not unusual, for he had been ridiculed most of life. At a young age, due to sickness, he had a limp and slight deafness, and was ostracized by his family and kept hidden from the Roman aristocratic eye. In a sense, this was was good for him, for potential enemies did not see him as a serious threat, thus saving him from the fate of assassinations and purges of earlier powerful Romans. By the time of Claudius’ adolescent years, his physical symptoms seemed to subside, and Rome’s senators and patricians began to notice his intelligence and scholarly interests. Nevertheless, Claudius did he best to remain out of view, pleased that there was no hope for advancement, which was exactly what he did not want.

But the new emperor, Caligula, his relative, did recognize Claudius to be of some use as a historian, and appointed him as his co-consul in 37 ACE to inflate the memory of Caligula’s deceased father, Germanicus. After Caligula’s assassination, despite Claudius hiding as an act of survival, he was declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard, as the last adult male of his family.

As an emperor, Claudius was considered to be fair and and efficient. He constructed new roads, aqueducts and canals across the Roman empire, and restored its finances after the excesses of Caligula’s reign. He issued new reformations; ranging from the mandatory death of a slave owner who kills his own slave, to public flatulation, believing it will lead to a healthful life.

But the manifestations of Claudius’ new physical condition were difficult to ignore: his head shook and his body buckled under weak knees. He slobbered and stammered when under stress, making his speech almost incomprehensible. Historians assume his stress was from the fear of his own assassination. Several coup attempts had already been made during the first year of his realm, and he was aware that it could happen at any moment. And so he did everything in his power not to offend his armies; rewarding the Praetorian Guard with coins and tributes, and resorting to bribery to secure loyalty. One of the major themes of the Roman Empire was expansionism, and Claudius made an important calculated decision: keep the generals busy and hide them from the Roman capital by sending them off to distant lands to conquer. And one of those distant lands was an island off the western coast of Europe which Julius Caesar had named Britannia.

In 43 ACE, Claudius sent the general and politician, Aulus Plautius, with four legions to Britannia, under the guise of an appeal from an ousted tribal ally. Claudius himself traveled to the island after the completion of initial offensives, bringing with him a massive army and reinforcements, which also included elephants, an unknown beast that had a demoralizing effect on the enemy. Claudius knew that no people could ever withstand the might of the Romans with their highly trained centurions, legionaries and auxiliary who would march into battle with precision, as a unit in tortoise shell formations, using advanced technical warfare, so advanced that the Celts had never even seen such a force before. It was akin to a Martian landing for the local tribes, witnessing Roman legionaries jumping from their fleet of vessels into rough waters, and then swimming fully dressed in heavy steel armor, carrying swords and supplies, prepared to battle the second they walked on the shore.

Emperor Claudius, whose dominionship began in 41 ACE, was murdered by poison in year 54, perhaps due to a conspiracy between the senate and the Praetorian Guard, but some assumed it was by his 4th and final wife, Agrippina.

The Final Conquest

The Roman conquest of Britannia finally ended under the command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola in 84 ACE, with the Roman armies’ slaughter of the Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius. Celtic casualties were estimated to be upwards of 10,000 and about 360 on the Roman side. The battle ended the forty-year conquest of Britannia, a conquest that saw approximately 250,000 Celtic people killed. Thus, the new province of Romano-Britannia was officially born with Aulus Plautius as the first governor of the new province.

Things Change

From 43 to ACE 410, in the Roman province of Britannia, all people became Romanized and enjoyed the full rights of Roman citizenship. And Britannia’s former landscape, which had once consisted of broken paths, crumbling stick homes and savage Celtic warriors with only blue tattoos covering their bodies, became endowed with Romano-Britannic culture. Their world transitioned to a network of 1,500 Roman roads, some still used today, leading to well-planned city centers and forums with monumental architecture held together with the Roman invention of concrete. Fountains, bathhouses, arenas for music, plays and poetry flourished throughout the new province. Aqueducts fed new homes with running water for bathing, indoor sewage, and some with heated floors. And through trade, Rome’s new citizens would be introduced to unknown spices, unique tools and mechanics. People who lived in rural areas discovered new forms of agriculture, grains and advanced methods of farming. In times of famine, it was no longer necessary to raid a nearby tribe or neighbor to survive.

The new Romanized people were allowed to live and travel wherever they liked without any form of confliction, as did Roman citizens who settled in Roman Britannia, bringing new ideas and new cultures from the far corners of the empire. And they were all protected by the Wall which Hadrian had built.

Roman Emperor Constantine I: The Edict of Milan

In the year 313 ACE, Roman Emperor Constantine I, along with the Emperor Lininius, who controlled the Balkans, issued the Edict of Milan, a proclamation that promised religious tolerance and freedom to be a Christian to all of citizens of Rome. Constantine kept his word, where he himself converted to Christianity, and became known as the ‘First Christian Emperor,’ though many assumed he didn’t actually understand what it meant. Nevertheless, he is venerated as a saint in Eastern Christianity, and considered responsible for introducing this new religion to mainstream Roman culture, a culture who had once thought Christianity was just another new Jewish cult, this one dedicated to a man named Jesus who had once lived in an obscure part of the Roman world. Now, when new Christianized Roman legionaries arrived at the northen frontier, Christian Crosses were embedded on their shields, and the soldiers were morally shaken upon finding that the barbarity of druids, the high Celtic priests, actually preformed human sacrifices. As Rome transition Britannica to Christianity, as they had done to much of the known world, Constantine transitioned the Christian day of worship to Sunday.

Antonine’s Wall

Antonine’s Wall was a turf wall built on stones, initially intended to be Romano-Britannia’s furthest northern defense fortification and replace Hadrian’s Wall. But it was abandoned eight years after completion, when the Roman legions withdrew to Hadrian’s Wall in 162 ACE. The Caledonians north of the Wall were never fully defeated or occupied. The Roman sentiment was basically: ‘Why even bother with these savages, there’s really nothing up there anyway.’ Today tours are readily available to Antonine’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

And in the end…

The Romano-Britannic province all seemed to work until it didn’t, when most of the Roman army pulled out to deal with far more important matters, such as to curtail invasions in Germania from the Franks, the Alemanni, the Goths and the Sarmatians, who stood at Rome’s doorsteps. The Western Roman Empire, whose empire had once spread from the damp gray of Britannia to the deserts of Arabia and to the river banks of the Nile, would eventually fall and become another empire, the Holy Roman Empire, with the Frankish king, Charlemagne, as its emperor.

The Romano-Britannic citizens were left with a scattering of Roman military with little real form of real protection from which would soon come from the remaining barbaric Celts in the north, the war-like Vikings of Scandinavia, the conquering pagan Saxons and Angles from Germania, endless tribal wars, a new Germanic language and a new Germanic name for their island: Angland.

John Clayton: The Savior of Hadrian’s Wall

John Clayton (1792-1890) was a lawyer, an antiquarian and the town clerk of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. During Clayton’s youth, his father purchased an 18th-century country mansion in Humshaugh, Northumberland, adjacent to Hadrian’s Wall. The ruins of the 2,000-year-old Roman fort, Cilurnum, ran through its front garden. Clayton enjoyed exploring and digging around the fort to the point of becoming an amateur archeologist. But, he became annoyed upon seeing local people loading the Wall’s stones into wheelbarrows for reusage in constructing their own buildings. This was not unusual for much the world was built from reusage, which included the stones and marble from the Roman Forum that helped build the Rome and Vatican City of today. But for Clayton, when his own stones were taken from his own property, it was something he could not bare.

John Clayton, due to his successful lawyer-ship, had become wealthy and began purchasing large portions of the Wall and forts, and preserved them by placing sods of grass on their top. At the time of his passing, Clayton owned five forts as well as most of the Wall within 20-miles of his residence.  I was informed by Mr. Carney that when we see contemporary maps dotted with English city names that end with: ‘-caster,’ ‘-cester’ and ‘-chester,’ it is an indication that the city was once the site of a Roman military camp or fort. Another example how the Roman world still affect us today.

Perhaps this obituary about John Clayton says it best:

He strove to become the Wall’s possessor. By purchasing these sites, he brought them under his protection. He stopped quarrying near to the Wall, forbade the use of Roman stone for new buildings, and moved buildings away from the archaeology. Today, he’s remembered as ‘The Savior of Hadrian’s Wall.’

Hadrian’s Wall Guided Walks with Peter Carney

Below is not a paid sponsorship for a Peter Carney Hadrian’s Wall Tour. It is an important suggestion to join one of his tours, and your memory will be enhanced, just as mine has, where the memory of my own tour is carried with me each day.

Contact: pe*********@ha***************.com
Website: www.hadrianswall-walk.com

POST SCRIPTUM: A few things that Julius Caesar left to the world

July, the Julian Calendar, Czar / Kaiser/ Cezary in Polish / Cezar in Romanian / César in French and Spanish / Caesarism / HMS Caesar / Caesarsboom (Caesar’s Tree).

For the Caesar Salad, however, it’s best to swing down to Old Mexico and visit Caesar’s Restaurant in Tijuana, and you’ll see its birthplace and how it was created by the Italian immigrant, Mr. Cesare Cardini, ninety-nine years ago.Here’s the history of Caesar Cardini’s Iconic Caesar Salad by T-Boy Food Critic, Audrey Hart.

‘Hail Caesar’ is a phrase that was used in the Roman Empire as a greeting, a way of showing respect to Julius Caesar. But after the phrase traveled to Germany and transition to ‘Heil Hitler,’ it appears to be less popular today.

PPS: Barbarian

You might have noticed that I use the term, ‘Barbarian,’ a number of times in the text. I’m aware that once a new word or names goes out to the world, over time it takes on a new meaning with different people. I studied the etymology of ‘Barbarian’ within the context of the Roman Empire. It means, during the life of the Imperial Western Roman Empire, any person regardless of race, religion and ethnicity was branded a barbarian if they did not adhere to Greco-Roman culture. But, looking at the name within the context of the ancient Athenian world, it means: any person who did not speak Greek, spoke an incomprehensible language which sounded similar to a noise that a sheep makes: ‘bah bah, bar bar, barbarian.

To see the first three installments in the series, visit:

What’s New and Old in London, Part I
What’s New and Old in London, Part 2
What’s New & Old in England’s North

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