GRGR (16): Enzian

[rj]

David Morris
> All this hoopla about child-abuse/pedophilia started with an examination of 
> Enzian's relationship w/ Weissman.  I don't think anyone's established that 
> child-abuse ever happened then.  How old was Enzian when they first coupled? 
>   Who was it that wanted to fuck whom?  What is the Herero "age of consent" 
> anyway?

Enzian was born 27 May 1905 (GR351.39). In *V.* Kurt Mondaugen is in
Sudwestafrika in May 1922 (V229), and Weissmann is already situated at
Foppl's, with Vera Meroving, when he takes shelter there soon after. 
Weissmann went to the Sudwest "20 years" after the "great Herero Rising"
(GR99.36-38), which I assumed was 1904 but perhaps not:

> The first Herero uprising on March 14 1897 failed, but
>         seven years later, Samuel Maherero, sobered by the
>         land-grabbing of the Germans, rose with his people at
>         Okahandja in May 1904, killing every German farmer and
>         trader they could and seizing 25 000 head of cattle. 
http://www.mg.co.za/mg/news/98mar1/13mar-herero.html

Weissmann seems to meet Enzian pretty soon after his initial arrival
there too, so their coupling would seem to precede Foppl's Siege Party
in V. Enzian's visa to enter Germany is "dated December 1926". Thus
either:

a) "20 years" is a rough estimate, an approximation to the nearest
decade

b) the "great Herero Rising" referred to occurred in 1902

c) Pynchon can't add

Enzian is probably 17 or younger, but possibly anywhere up to 21, when
he first meets Weissmann.

Summary of recently published book about the Herero history of this
period at
http://www.twisted.co.za/dpp/herero.htm

best