In doing research for a story character, I am building a little boy, the heir of an Arab family, who was kidnapped from the UAE at age 4 and brought to the US, castrated, and raised as a girl slave by criminals. Her nanny, also kidnapped, but from Saudia, has raised her, teaching her Arabic, and the things expected of a woman. The child is very bright. This is still developing.
As her rescuer, I will use a man who was born of a Syrian Mother, and a Montana cowboy; veteran of service in an unnamed dark ops branch of the American military. He retired after his 20 with full pay benefits, treated PTSD and all that. In short he has the capability of being extremely effective, but these days lives a very mild life running Cattle just West of Augusta, Montana. The son served in the same "branch" as the father, but was furloughed when they ran out of wars due to a shortage of money.
The time must be around 2050, plus or minus because I want there to be sufficient medical and scientific advancements.
Much to my surprise, the American side of this family tree first developed in what we now call the UK. I know a few folk from there, and the most colorful one I have met is from Wales, but once called Briton! Another part of the country was once called Mercia so that makes me wonder if that is the origin of the word America? Research is such fun. :) In another part of the place, was the land of the Scotti! I doubt that it would be wise to address a Scott as a Scotti now days. It might get me a flailing.
I do so enjoy tweaking peoples' noses. It is such fun.
Gwen
Comments
My personal favorite is
the kingdom of the Hwicce. Can't say that I have met any true Hwiccian though.
Present day Wales?
On the map all I see near the "Cattery" is Hereford. I am up to half Cherokee, so have to be careful about throwing stones.
Gwen
Well, almost
Supposedly it more or less covered the territory of the Diocese of Worcester.
Not from Mercia
It is generally accepted that the Americas were named after Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci by the early map maker Martin Waldseemüller, who was apparently unaware of Christopher Columbus' earlier explorations. Wikipedia has a fairly through discussion of this.
Columbus as a Plonker
When I was in school in the 50's, he was seen as a hero. Now days, he is not highly thought of in America.
Paul Revere didn't actually ride
Though I do not know if this is a verified fact, it sounds true. :) I once read that he started the ride and got ill, so his girlfriend finished it for him. So, there.
Gwen
not ill
he didn't take ill. He was captured but escaped. He wasn't alone. Two others rode with him and all three were captured but escaped. Revere walked to Hancock's house and helped exfiltrate the Hancock family.
quidquid sum ego, et omnia mea semper; Ego me.
alecia Snowfall
Perhaps the most famous Mercian ...
... is Lady Godiva who, as legend has it, rode naked through the streets of Coventry and was spied on by Peeping Tom. Her husband was Leofric. The other famous Mercians are bicycles made in Derby. I have a few :)
Robi
English; the first party animals
In my reading, I have seen that at times, they were quite stuffy, burning poor souls at the stake, and rolling the heads of the hapless. Other times I have read about them being quite good natured. Just started reading "Tess of the d'Urbervilles", so I'll find out won't I. I had to find out about Thomas Hardy from reading the "50" books. :)
Gwen
Why the attachment to the Middle East?
Many or most of my stories have Middle Eastern influence in them and I can not say why. I am of Northern European, and Oklahoma blood, raised by an Amish man. I know that some of you here have had very harsh, and negative experiences with certain Arabs. Perhaps some of you view Arabs as all bad.
In 2005 I converted to Islam and absolutely lived it, though now I am not a good Muslim and mostly just use the cultural experience in my stories. These days I am more of a history of belief person.
Hmmm...
As an aside...which side I am not sure... If the Scot is from Edinburgh, we call them Brits. If the Scot is from Glasgow, we call them kinsmen. I learned that one from a dear soul when the vote for Scotland's independence was an issue. :)
May Your Words Flow...
Kelly
Actually
America was named for Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was a navigator that traveled to “the new world” in 1499 and 1502. Being a well educated man, he realized that this new world was not part of Asia, as some had initially thought. Vespucci chose to write about his travels and his books were published in 1502 and 1504. Being both entertaining and educational, his accounts of the new world were reprinted in almost every European language.
In 1507, a German cartographer, Martin Waldseemüller, chose to make a new map that included the new world. He and two scholarly partners were aware of Vespucci’s writings and were ignorant of Columbus’s expeditions. As such, they mistakenly thought Vespucci was the first to discover this new land and so named it after him, stating:
But now these parts (Europe, Asia and Africa, the three continents of the Ptolemaic geography) have been extensively explored and a fourth part has been discovered by Americus Vespuccius (the Latin form of Vespucci’s name), I do not see what right any one would have to object to calling this part after Americus, who discovered it and who is a man of intelligence, and so to name it Amerige, that is, the Land of Americus, or America: since both Europa and Asia got their names from women.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann