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Re: Savages and howling barbarians...
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VBB wrote:
Littlestone wrote:
In her 1849 poem, Suggested by the opening made in Silbury Hill Emmeline Fisher describes the builders of Silbury as, “our wild forefathers” and that, “When in his toil the jealous Savage paused, Drew deep his chest, pushed back his yellow hair...” we should now ask forgiveness (for digging into Silbury). Well, Emmeline was only 24 when she wrote that (and it was over 160 years ago) so we might forgive her for the use of expressions such as ‘our wild forefathers’ and ‘jealous savages’.


I don't think it alters your point but versions of Emmie's poem circulating via the web are misleading, she wrote 'zealous savage' not jealous' [also 'warrior' not warriors, and being a student of such things you may want to note she did not terminate line 6 with a comma]. Hope that helps.


Just moving on from there, in BBC4's The Heart of the hill, Professor Atkinson says on film taken during the 1969/70 dig that:-

"I have a clear picture of the people who built Silbury. They sweated at it, they stank...no deodorants in those days...and they did a jolly good job".

But no mention of savages!


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Posted by Sanctuary
13th January 2011ce
14:06

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