An entire folklore or mythology of over-the-top violence developed, full of stories, legends and even place-names (“Fighting Creek”, “Gouge Eye”) to commemorate particularly notable encounters. As this folklore developed, so the combat took on a more ritualised nature, which included elaborate verbal duels – the media press conferences of the day – where combatants would take it in turns to brag of their skills. Sometimes, these boasts were powerful enough to prevent combat. Take this electrifying boast from champion gouger Mike Fink, from well over a century before Muhammed Ali made verbal blows as much a part of the modern boxer’s repertoire as physical ones.
“I’m a salt River roarer! I’m a ring tailed squealer! I’m a regular screamer from the old Massassip! Whoop! I’m the very infant that refused his milk before its eyes were open and called out for a bottle of old Rye! I love the women and I’m chockful o’ fight! I’m half wild horse and half cock-eyed alligator and the rest o’ me is crooked snags an’ red-hot snappin’ turtle… I can out-run, out-jump, out-shoot, out-brag, out-drink, an’ out-fight, rough-an’-tumble, no holts barred, any man on both sides the river from Pittsburgh to New Orleans an’ back ag’in to St Louiee. Come on, you flatters, you bargers, you milk white mechanics, an’ see how tough I am to chaw! I ain’t had a fight for two days an' I’m spilein’ for exercise. Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
In Pokémon, there is a legend that after the consumption of Pokémon if you wash their bones in a river the flesh will return. Reminds me of that belief you mentioned of immortal animals
Back in early 90s on London Tube. African guy gets on. With a smile starts addressing the entire carriage in click language. Train stops, he raises his hat, nods to the audience, gets off again leaving everyone staring at each other.
"The development of music and song with animals is likely bi-directional, meaning that many northern pastoral musical traditions may have evolved out of the need to communicate with animals."
Never thought of that before - that the origins of particular languages, accents, sounds may be taken from nature, the geography and fauna of a region. Do some languages sound wolfy, while others sound liony? Some sound foresty, others sound savannahy? And if we consider visionary encounters with animal spirits who knows what linguistic impression that may make. It may be that only the growl of a wolf may express the intensity of such an encounter, and that stays with the shaman as a habit. Something deeper even than the sound acquired from one's parents. Things along those lines.
An entire folklore or mythology of over-the-top violence developed, full of stories, legends and even place-names (“Fighting Creek”, “Gouge Eye”) to commemorate particularly notable encounters. As this folklore developed, so the combat took on a more ritualised nature, which included elaborate verbal duels – the media press conferences of the day – where combatants would take it in turns to brag of their skills. Sometimes, these boasts were powerful enough to prevent combat. Take this electrifying boast from champion gouger Mike Fink, from well over a century before Muhammed Ali made verbal blows as much a part of the modern boxer’s repertoire as physical ones.
“I’m a salt River roarer! I’m a ring tailed squealer! I’m a regular screamer from the old Massassip! Whoop! I’m the very infant that refused his milk before its eyes were open and called out for a bottle of old Rye! I love the women and I’m chockful o’ fight! I’m half wild horse and half cock-eyed alligator and the rest o’ me is crooked snags an’ red-hot snappin’ turtle… I can out-run, out-jump, out-shoot, out-brag, out-drink, an’ out-fight, rough-an’-tumble, no holts barred, any man on both sides the river from Pittsburgh to New Orleans an’ back ag’in to St Louiee. Come on, you flatters, you bargers, you milk white mechanics, an’ see how tough I am to chaw! I ain’t had a fight for two days an' I’m spilein’ for exercise. Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Raw Egg Nationalist (Charlie Cornish-Dale) The Savage Art of Gouging https://www.raweggstack.com/p/essay-the-savage-art-of-gouging
Almost forgot this tho:
Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo,
Aureli pathice et cinaede Furi,
qui me ex versiculis meis putastis,
quod sunt molliculi, parum pudicum.
nam castum esse decet pium poetam
ipsum, versiculos nihil necesse est;
qui tum denique habent salem ac leporem,
si sunt molliculi ac parum pudici,
et quod pruriat incitare possunt,
non dico pueris, sed his pilosis
qui duros nequeunt movere lumbos.
vos, quod milia multa basiorum
legistis, male me marem putatis?
Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.
A lot better than dying fighting for Clodius.
This post sponsored by Nefarious Hexificus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVSjvh4vdpM
In Pokémon, there is a legend that after the consumption of Pokémon if you wash their bones in a river the flesh will return. Reminds me of that belief you mentioned of immortal animals
Back in early 90s on London Tube. African guy gets on. With a smile starts addressing the entire carriage in click language. Train stops, he raises his hat, nods to the audience, gets off again leaving everyone staring at each other.
"The development of music and song with animals is likely bi-directional, meaning that many northern pastoral musical traditions may have evolved out of the need to communicate with animals."
Never thought of that before - that the origins of particular languages, accents, sounds may be taken from nature, the geography and fauna of a region. Do some languages sound wolfy, while others sound liony? Some sound foresty, others sound savannahy? And if we consider visionary encounters with animal spirits who knows what linguistic impression that may make. It may be that only the growl of a wolf may express the intensity of such an encounter, and that stays with the shaman as a habit. Something deeper even than the sound acquired from one's parents. Things along those lines.