Monthly Archives: March 2011

The identity of the Prince of Denmark has fascinated scholars for centuries, with disputes about the name’s Jutish, Icelandic or Latin etymology jostling for academic pre-eminence.

Now Dr Lisa Collinson, a medieval Scandinavian expert at Aberdeen University, has published research which traces the unusual word to a little known Gaelic mystery tale from the dark ages.

Shakespeare is known to have borrowed the name Hamlet from a contemporary History of the Danes that had been translated into French. That version in turn was based upon Scandinavian sagas recorded by a 10th or 11th century Icelandic author known as Snow Bear; one verse even refers to a character called Amlothi.

But Collinson, whose work is published in Oxford University Press’s prestigious Review of English Studies, does not abandon her detective work at the conventional explanation adopted by most Shakespearean enthusiasts.

“We can take this further, and match Amlethus and Amlothi with the Gaelic name Admlithi (the “d” is silent) which is related to a Gaelic word for grinding,” she explained.

Collinson maintains that Snow Bear’s Amlothi was probably a corruption of this Gaelic name, used to describe part of the grinding sea – a motif underlying the text’s theme.

Exploring even earlier, she discovered the name Admlithi (the “d” is silent) in an Irish story entitled The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel thought to have been compiled in the 8th or 9th century. The tale recounts the story of a king who breaks social taboos and consequently meets a grisly end.

Was The Great Dane Irish? That Is The Question (Guardian)

The new FG TD went on The Last Word with Matt Cooper yesterday evening to explain why she drove up the plinth outside Leinster House.

Matt Cooper: “How are you and what happened to you please?”

Mary Mitchell O’Connor: “Oh sure I’m fine, listen. Talk about silliness. I drove down the plinth! Don’t ask me. I didn’t know the geography of Dáil Éireann. I expected to be learning, you know, inside the building. I didn’t realise that I’d need to know the geography outside the building.”

Cooper: “How many steps -”

Mitchell O’Connor: “I am. I apologise. My God, I mean, it’s so… I do feel silly now”

Cooper: “How many steps did you drive down off the plinth?”

Mitchell O’Connor: “Oh listen, I couldn’t tell you, I got such a fright and I mean of all the… Every press photographer every camera was outside, you know, photographing me? So I couldn’t tell you now to be honest.”

Cooper: “Are you all right? You didn’t injure yourself because it looks from the photograph there’s about four fairly large steps that you drove down, Italian job-style.”

Mitchell O’Connor: “I know it sounds like something you’d see in a film. I, honest to God, I don’t know how many steps but it didn’t feel like four steps. It felt like two.”

Cooper: And are you hurt in any way?

Mitchell O’Connor: No I’m not. Not a bit. My pride is hurt [laughs]

Cooper: “Was there any damage to the car?”

Mitchell O’Connor: “No, no, no, not as far as I know. I came home in it anyway and it’s fine.”

Cooper: “What about the rumour that this was being filmed as part of a new Specsavers ad?”

Mitchell O’Connor: “But come here, would you believe it, I have made an appointment with my optician tomorrow morning.”

Cooper: “I hope your insurance won’t go up because of this.”

Mitchell O’Connor: “I certainly hope my insurance company weren’t watching. Well, to be honest now, touch wood, I haven’t had an accident in 30 years’ driving so please God that’ll be the last mistake I’ll make in Dáil Éireann.”

(Photocall Ireland)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpwxG-VWONY

Well, it’s here (soon): the all new iPad2, launched at yesterday’s surprise event at San Francisco (with a special appearance by Steve Jobs).

It’s 33% thinner, 15% lighter, with a faster CPU, front and rear-facing cameras, a gyroscope and HDMI output. For now, though, Apple appears to be concentrating on marketing the design aspect of the new flippy-dippy, fruity, magnetic ‘smart cover’.

Here’s Jonathan Ive giving it the full Cupertino with the six minute introduction video.

Now’s your chance to really annoy iPad users by referring to their slates as ‘first generation’.

Stevepic source