MDDM Ch. 70 Tim Tox and the Golem

[jbor]

Yes, this is true, but the 1618 Defenestration of Prague was in fact
something of an anti-climax in that sense, in that "the two leading Roman
Catholic members of the Bohemian National Council were thrown out of the
window of the castle of Prague by the Protestant members. They landed in the
moat and sustained only minor injuries." (Brewer's)

It reminded me of the haiku in _GR_ (691):

    The lover leaps into the *volcano*!
    It's ten feet deep,
    And inactive--

I think that alternative histories which lay claim to the "truth" need to be
regarded with the same scepticism as the "official" versions in the
text-books. "The Establishment" doesn't hold the monopoly on dishonesty and
self-delusion.

best



on 19/8/02 11:30 AM, Otto at ottosell at yahoo.de wrote:

>> Otto wrote:
>> 
>>> Agreed, what do you think the possible defenestration Mason mentions
>>> (685.17) alludes to? Prague 1618?
>> 
>> Quite possible, although the Golem and 'The Rabbi of Prague' seem to refer
>> to a different, though nearly contemporary story from European Jewish
>> history. But Immanuel Ice did refer to the Peace of Westphalia (1648)
> which
>> ended the Thirty Years War, and which the Defenestration at Prague
> heralded.
>> 
>> Also, there's a reference to "the Defenestration of the Clothiers in '56"
>> (198.3) at Stroud, mentioned again at 503.17-8. (Not to mention Zoyd in
>> _Vineland_.)
>> 
>> Pynchon really seems to enjoy a good defenestration!
>> 
>> bvest
>> 
> 
> People get hanged, defenestrated, burned publicly (witches & the
> Rosenbergs), drowned & whatever -- but mostly not for the reasons the
> (history-) books tell us about, but for other reasons hidden behind what is
> being told to make a poor guy willing to give his life and what is told
> later generations -- like the history books that have told us the Thirty
> Years War has been a religious war or the Civil War has been fought to
> abolish slavery.
> 
> In Dutch history-books the Thirty Years War is only the "official" part of
> the Eighty Years War, but not as they claimed fought for religious &
> political freedom by the Provinces but for the freedom to make money without
> being taxed by some stupid sovereign far away. Same seems to be the case
> with the American Revolution and George III just as dumb as Phillip II.
> 
> If I'm not mistaken there's a line somewhere in GR that the real reason for
> the war (and I assume every war) is buying and selling.
> 
> Not to forget that the story of Mason & Dixon is told by Wicks in the house
> of the "Merchant of Purposeful Explosion" (105.15) who "made his Fortune
> years before the War, selling weapons" (31.3) to everyone who can pay the
> price.
> 
> It's good that novels have more freedom to tell another truth behind the
> disguise of an unreliable, even mad narrator. To play the King's Fool isn't
> the worst strategy to get your story through.