Tursiops reckons he has cracked an ancient historical riddle; he his now wondering whether to go to all the faff of authoring and attempting to get published an academic paper, only to possibly be shot down in flames; or to take the secret to his grave, smug in the belief that he knows something no-one else does. Being a lazy git he will almost certainly do the latter.
I think you should start by telling us!
Or at least a hint.
It is of rather obscure academic interest. Ealdorman Aethelweard, in the introduction to his Latin translation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, claims to be the great-great-grandson of Alfred the Great's elder brother. A lot of ink has been spilt trying to reconstruct this line of descent, but I reckon I have nailed it.
I am fully aware that no-one here is going to share my excitement.
Quote: Tursiops @ May 26 2013, 12:04 PM BSTIt is of rather obscure academic interest. Ealdorman Aethelweard, in the introduction to his Latin translation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, claims to be the great-great-grandson of Alfred the Great's elder brother. A lot of ink has been spilt trying to reconstruct this line of descent, but I reckon I have nailed it.
I am fully aware that no-one here is going to share my excitement.
I think that sounds fascinating, you must continue your work, all history illuminates our future. The more clues to our past we find the more clues we have to our future 
I think that sounds pretty darn interesting.
You should carry on with it!
Quote: Tursiops @ May 26 2013, 12:04 PM BSTIt is of rather obscure academic interest. Ealdorman Aethelweard, in the introduction to his Latin translation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, claims to be the great-great-grandson of Alfred the Great's elder brother. A lot of ink has been spilt trying to reconstruct this line of descent, but I reckon I have nailed it.
I am fully aware that no-one here is going to share my excitement.
I haven't wet my pants yet. But I'm curious...let us know if you publish something on that.
I shall press on. Long evenings at the British Library beckon...
I've been working on a biography of Arthur Greenwood, Labour's deputy leader during the WW2 coalition government. He had an instrumental part in the decision not to parle with Hitler. I've been at it for fifteen years. A niche interest I know, but the whole process of research illuminates many dark and dusty corridors that time has forgotten or decided to forget. We backroom plodders often archive more in the end than the burning stars of academia.
That sounds well worth doing, and not necessarily niche. The history of the Labour movement and of WW2 can both shift copy.
Quote: Tursiops @ May 26 2013, 12:29 PM BSTThat sounds well worth doing, and not necessarily niche. The history of the Labour movement and of WW2 can both shift copy.
True but no one has heard of Greenwood now, although his 'Speak Up for England' speech was key in the removal of Chamberlain and instigation of the coalition government,and was a key part of The Wheatley Housing Act under Macdonald. I am droning on aren't I.....
Quote: Pingl @ May 26 2013, 12:19 PM BSTI've been working on a biography of Arthur Greenwood, Labour's deputy leader during the WW2 coalition government. He had an instrumental part in the decision not to parle with Hitler. I've been at it for fifteen years. A niche interest I know, but the whole process of research illuminates many dark and dusty corridors that time has forgotten or decided to forget. We backroom plodders often archive more in the end than the burning stars of academia.
On and off I dabble with a theme I call "The Myth of Methuselah" a theory that the apparent very long ages of the people mentioned early in Genesis in the Bible, is not real, but a result of a transcription of early verbal versions or early writings of the story, not taking into account that the number system had drastically changed since the early days of the Hebrews.
If my theory is true then at least two of the critical numbers referring to each person would have a zero in them (in decimal) and indeed that is the case for most of them.
Example Genesis 5:6
6.And Seth lived an hundred and five years and begat Enos.
7.and Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years and begat sons and daughters.
8.And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he died.
The 912 is derived from adding the 105 to the 807 and the 'arithmetic is correct, so my theory assumes that the original verbal version or early writings did not include that third paragraph, which was added by an enthusiastic scribe with mathematical tendencies, when the version was transcribed.
Check the maths of the other entries in Genesis if you like. In some you get the first type paragraph and the second with a zero in it and in some you get the first and third with a zero in it. I assume that the original verbal version was either in the form of Poetry or a Chant, with the words worked to be memorable (in Hebrew of course). So in some the verbal second paragraph was missing and in some the verbal third paragraph was missing.
Quote: Tursiops @ May 26 2013, 11:53 AM BSTTursiops reckons he has cracked an ancient historical riddle; he his now wondering whether to go to all the faff of authoring and attempting to get published an academic paper, only to possibly be shot down in flames; or to take the secret to his grave, smug in the belief that he knows something no-one else does. Being a lazy git he will almost certainly do the latter.
You must keep on with this (*she takes another slug of wine*). I well remember the halcyon days of studying Anglo-Saxon ... 'bleowen windas in heofona rices' etc., not to mention 'and the heid cried 'here, here, here' when some king's skull was found.
Quote: billwill @ May 26 2013, 1:54 PM BSTOn and off I dabble with a theme I call "The Myth of Methuselah" a theory that the apparent very long ages of the people mentioned early in Genesis in the Bible, is not real, but a result of a transcription of early verbal versions or early writings of the story, not taking into account that the number system had drastically changed since the early days of the Hebrews.
If my theory is true then at least two of the critical numbers referring to each person would have a zero in them (in decimal) and indeed that is the case for most of them.
Example Genesis 5:6
The 912 is derived from adding the 105 to the 807 and the 'arithmetic is correct, so my theory assumes that the original verbal version or early writings did not include that third paragraph, which was added by an enthusiastic scribe with mathematical tendencies, when the version was transcribed.
Check the maths of the other entries in Genesis if you like. In some you get the first type paragraph and the second with a zero in it and in some you get the first and third with a zero in it. I assume that the original verbal version was either in the form of Poetry or a Chant, with the words worked to be memorable (in Hebrew of course). So in some the verbal second paragraph was missing and in some the verbal third paragraph was missing.
You see Bill its us small enthusiasts that discover the most. Keep up the good work sounds like an interesting hypothesis. I often wish I had pursued the fully academic life after University, but went traveling around the world instead. now I tend to think dusty books are preferable to dusty roads,
Well, it's taken me sixty six and a half years but I finally made it.
I have hay fever.
Stinging eyes, sneezing, runny nose.
