Enzian's top leutenants mentioned here are Christian and Mieczislav -- this hints to a much more heterogenous Otukungurura. he earlier mentioned that there were hereros who were converted by the missionaries, which explains Christian. Mieczislav is Polish, " and consists of two parts: miecz "sword", and sław "glory, famous". (Wikipedia). The Polish Schwarzkommando. Makes sense to me given the time and place we're talking about, here.
"the name, Enzian, a sound for chanting." Interesting.
Samuel Maherero is the name of the key political figure of the Herero story, you can read his article on Wikipedia -- the history of his revolt follows the same pattern we are seeing today with regards to what the Zionists are doing in Palestine: his initial revolt was successful, but then the German colonials used it as the impetus to start a wholesale genocide of the people. After Maherero's initial military defeat, well quote wikipedia: "Herero forces were defeated by colonial forces using breech-loading artillery and 14 Maxim belt-fed machine guns at the Battle of Waterberg on August 11, 1904, and the remaining Hereros (including women, children, and the elderly) were driven into the deserts of the Omaheke Region. Tens of thousands of the Herero died of thirst, starvation, or disease. Those who attempted surrender were shot. After the extermination order was countermanded by Berlin, captured survivors were sent to a concentration camp at Shark Island. Maharero succeeded in leading around 1000 of his people to the British Bechuanaland Protectorate (today Botswana). He remained leader of the exiled Herero, and became an important vassal of Sekgathôlê a Letsholathêbê, a chief in northern Bechuanaland."
Incredibly based historical figure -- in naming him in the text, Pynchon is citing one of the people who inspired Enzian and his whole story.
Rinderpest.
Burgerlichkeit = middle class mentality/culture
Half way through and life calls... i may make a second post on this one... I know you're almost done; I'll catch up some day. Slowly for me, no rush. but I'll likely keep commenting as I go...
"The Germans still remember the occupation of the Rhineland 20 years ago by French Colonial units, and the posters screaming SCHWARZE BESATZUNG AM RHEIN" which was a slogan for the Black Horror on the Rhine: The French used colonized soldiers from Senegal, Indochina, and Madagascar (the French empire) to occupy the Rhineland following World War I into the Weimar days. So the Weimar german government used racist fearmongering American-style (think Willie Horton) to froth up support for a war to retake the Rhineland. Again hit up wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Horror_on_the_Rhine
So these Senegalese men would have had a historically parallel journey to the Schwarzkommando, transposed from WWI onto WWII.
The Enzian sections are some of my favorite parts of the book.
This is where I put down the book for a while. I really appreciate the Herero glossary here. the old Pynchon wiki has these entries:
eanda: "origin" (organized according to maternal rights)
oruzo: "derivation" (organized according to paternal rights)
No idea where they got that from. https://gravitys-rainbow.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Herero_Translations
Enzian's top leutenants mentioned here are Christian and Mieczislav -- this hints to a much more heterogenous Otukungurura. he earlier mentioned that there were hereros who were converted by the missionaries, which explains Christian. Mieczislav is Polish, " and consists of two parts: miecz "sword", and sław "glory, famous". (Wikipedia). The Polish Schwarzkommando. Makes sense to me given the time and place we're talking about, here.
"the name, Enzian, a sound for chanting." Interesting.
Samuel Maherero is the name of the key political figure of the Herero story, you can read his article on Wikipedia -- the history of his revolt follows the same pattern we are seeing today with regards to what the Zionists are doing in Palestine: his initial revolt was successful, but then the German colonials used it as the impetus to start a wholesale genocide of the people. After Maherero's initial military defeat, well quote wikipedia: "Herero forces were defeated by colonial forces using breech-loading artillery and 14 Maxim belt-fed machine guns at the Battle of Waterberg on August 11, 1904, and the remaining Hereros (including women, children, and the elderly) were driven into the deserts of the Omaheke Region. Tens of thousands of the Herero died of thirst, starvation, or disease. Those who attempted surrender were shot. After the extermination order was countermanded by Berlin, captured survivors were sent to a concentration camp at Shark Island. Maharero succeeded in leading around 1000 of his people to the British Bechuanaland Protectorate (today Botswana). He remained leader of the exiled Herero, and became an important vassal of Sekgathôlê a Letsholathêbê, a chief in northern Bechuanaland."
Incredibly based historical figure -- in naming him in the text, Pynchon is citing one of the people who inspired Enzian and his whole story.
Rinderpest.
Burgerlichkeit = middle class mentality/culture
Half way through and life calls... i may make a second post on this one... I know you're almost done; I'll catch up some day. Slowly for me, no rush. but I'll likely keep commenting as I go...
Glad to have you back! Always have loved reading your comments so I'm glad they're still coming.
having a chance to finish the chapter;
"The Germans still remember the occupation of the Rhineland 20 years ago by French Colonial units, and the posters screaming SCHWARZE BESATZUNG AM RHEIN" which was a slogan for the Black Horror on the Rhine: The French used colonized soldiers from Senegal, Indochina, and Madagascar (the French empire) to occupy the Rhineland following World War I into the Weimar days. So the Weimar german government used racist fearmongering American-style (think Willie Horton) to froth up support for a war to retake the Rhineland. Again hit up wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Horror_on_the_Rhine
So these Senegalese men would have had a historically parallel journey to the Schwarzkommando, transposed from WWI onto WWII.
The Enzian sections are some of my favorite parts of the book.