Gabardine (pronounced gab-er-deen or gab-ah-deen)
(1) A firm, tightly woven fabric of worsted, cotton, polyester, or other fibre, with a twill (a diagonally ribbed texture) weave.
(2) In casual use, any of various other similar fabrics (historically woven with cotton) once associated especially with raincoats worn by children (now mostly archaic).
(3) An ankle-length loose coat or frock worn by men, the name an allusion to the garment much associated with Jews in the medieval period (and one which in England Jews were by statue compelled to wear so easily they could be identified). The general use to describe the long cloaks dates from circa 1525 and was an allusion to the Jewish-specific garment.
1510–1520: The spelling gabardine is a variant spelling of gaberdine, almost certainly from the Old French gauvardine & gallevardine (a long, loose outer garments much associated with pilgrims), from the Middle High German wallewart (pilgrimage (Wallfahrt in the German)), from the Spanish gabardina, possibly a conflation of gabán (from the Arabic qabā (men’s over-garment) and tabardina (diminutive of tabard or tabard (a sleeveless jerkin consisting only of front and back pieces with a hole for the head))). The construct of the German Walfahrt was the Proto-Germanic wal- (source also of Old High German wallon (to roam, wander, go on a pilgrimage) + the Proto-Germanic faran (to go), from the primitive Indo-European per- (to lead, pass over). The evolution of the word in Spanish was probably influenced by the Spanish gabán (overcoat) & tabardina (coarse coat) although the alternative etymology suggest it was an extended form of gabán and the Spanish word was borrowed and underwent alterations in Old French. Gaberdine was documented from the 1510s while gabardine in the sense of "dress, covering" dates from the 1590s. The meaning "closely woven cloth" dates from 1904 and the tightly woven fabric remains popular with designers for suits, pants, jackets, summer wear and especially overcoats. Originally made from worsted wool, the twill weave fabric is now often rendered with synthetic and cotton blends and is renowned for its versatility and durability. The alternative spelling garbardine is archaic. Gabardine is a noun; the noun plural is gabardines.
Pink & polka-dot combo by by Amiparism: Lindsay Lohan, in Ami three button jacket and flare-fit trousers in wool gabardine with Ami small Deja-Vu bag, Interview Magazine, November 2022. Jaguar first fitted the basketweave (or lattice and some Jaguar owners call them "starflake") wheels in 1984.
The car is a Jaguar XJS (1975-1996 and labeled XJ-S until mid-1991) convertible. Upon debut, the XJ-S was much criticized by those who regarded as a "replacement" for the slinky E-Type (although, belying appearances, the XJ-S was more aerodynamically efficient), but Jaguar had never thought of it like that, taking the view motoring conditions and the legislative environment had since 1961 changed so much the days of the classic roadsters were probably done except for a few low volume specialists. In truth, in its final years, the E-Type was no longer quite the sensuous shape which had wowed the crowed at the 1961 Geneva Salon but most critics though it still a more accomplished design. In the West, the 1970s were anyway a troubled and the XJ-S's notoriously thirsty 5.3 litre (326 cubic inch) V12 wasn't fashionable, especially after the second oil shock in 1979 and the factory for some months in 1981 ceased production, a stay of execution granted only when tests confirmed the re-designed cylinder head (with "swirl combustion chambers") delivered radically lower fuel consumption. That, some attention to build quality (which would remain a work-in-progress for the rest of the model's life) and improving economies of both sides of the Atlantic meant the machine survived (indeed often flourished) for a remarkable 21 years, the last not leaving the factory until 1996.
Jaguar didn't offer full convertible coachwork until 1988 but under contract, between 1986-1988, Ohio-based coachbuilders Hess & Eisenhardt converted some 2000 coupés. Unlike many out-sourced conversions, the Hess & Eisenhardt cars were in some ways more accomplished than the factory's own effort, the top folding completely into the body structure (al la the Mercedes-Benz R107 (1971-1989) or the Triumph Stag (1969-1977)). However, to achieve that, the single fuel tank had to replaced by a pair, this necessitating duplicated plumbing and pumps, something which proved occasionally troublesome; there were reports of fires but whether these are an internet myth isn't clear and tale Jaguar arranged buy-backs so they might be consigned to the crusher is fake news. The one with which Ms Lohan was photographed in Miami was manufactured by Jaguar, identifiable by the ,ore visible bulk of the soft-top's folding apparatus.
The diary (The Struggle for Survival 1940-1965) entry of Winston Churchill’s (1875-1965; UK prime-minister 1940-1945 & 1951-1955) physician (Sir Charles Wilson (Lord Moran); 1882-1977)) for 6 August 1942 records that in Cairo, there were some two-thousand, apparently unproductive, British Army officers who wore a very smart uniform called a gabardine and that in the slang of other units, they were called “the gabardine swine”. The play on words was based on the New Testament tale of the Miracle of the Gadarene Swine, referred to sometimes in academic writing as the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac. The miracle performed by Christ is the driving from a man demons which are allowed to take refuge in a herd of swine which then run down a slope into a lake where they drown. The miracle is recounted in the three Synoptic (Matthew, Mark & Luke) Gospels, but not in that of John. Matthew’s (8:28–34) account is short and differs in detail from Mark (5:1–20) & Luke (8:26–39), both of which include narrative descriptions which have informed the exorcism rites of the church ever since and the story has since Augustine attracted theologians and scholars who have found layers to interpret and it’s the origin too of the English proverbial word gadarene which describes or cautions against a “headlong or potentially disastrous rush to do something". The Biblical reference to Gadarene is geographical although it’s uncertain exactly where the events transpired.
In the annals of zoological behaviour, there are reports of “mass suicide” by groups of animals but most have been classified by animal behaviourists as examples of “herd mentality” rather than a desire, individually or collectively, among the beasts to kill themselves. In 2005, in what some press reports described as a “mass suicide jump”, more than 400 sheep perished while grazing close to the village of Topyildiz, in the Gürpinar prefecture of Türkiye’s eastern province of Van, the flock of 1,500 following one which had jumped from a 15 metre (50 feet) high cliff. Well over 1,000 survived because their fall was cushioned by them landing on the carcasses of those which earlier had leapt. What had happened was the first sheep had led the others to the Arebi-Krom plateau near the Yaprakli hamlet where it noticed the grass was greener on the other side and was thus inspired to leap across the chasm to the cliff edge opposite. Unfortunately for the creature (and 400-odd of the flock), ambition exceeded ability and the plunge to a grisly death trigged a chain reaction, the others following, quite normal behaviour for the species. Four year later, that was the fate also of 28 cows & bulls which, over three days, died after “throwing themselves off a cliff” in the Swiss Alps; while such fatalities are not unknown in the mountains it was untypical for so many in this way to perish over such a short span of time. Researchers accounted for the phenomenon by noting the series of violent thunderstorms in the area and this is what was thought to have “spooked” the animals.
There are in the zoological record a number of instances of animals appearing to “commit suicide” although there’s much doubt whether non-human animals have an abstract conception of “death” despite observational findings there may be instances of something like “mourning” when a death occurs. So whether an animal can “decide” to kill themselves is a controversial topic, the practical problem being it’s not possible to “interview” an animal and discover their thoughts; we can guess what an animal is “thinking” but we can never be certain. While cat owners will confirm it’s possible to deduce from behaviour things like their pet wanting a snack (never difficult with cats) or wants a door open, they cannot work out whether their pet likes the color of their new car or preferred the old. There were though reports from the 1960s of a dolphin which became “depressed” and “decided” not to take another breath (whales & dolphins are not involuntary air breathers like humans, every breath demanding conscious effort which means at any time they could end their lives if they so “choose”) and as long ago as 1845, the Illustrated London News ran the headline “Singular Case of Suicide” about a “fine, handsome and valuable black dog, of the Newfoundland species”. According to the owner, the dog for some days had been “less lively than usual” before being seen “to throw himself in the water and endeavor to sink by preserving perfect stillness of the legs and feet.” The dog was rescued but soon returned to the water, something repeated several times until eventually it drowned; various explanations have been offered.
Better known are the many cases of pods of whales, sometimes in the dozens, beaching themselves, often resulting in mass deaths and that’s been attributed both to “herd mentality” (ie one creature following another) and a variety of human-induced changes to the maritime environment. More convincing as possible “conscious” suicides are those instances of bears kept captive in small cages in Japan and Vietnam so their bile (a digestive juice stored in the gall bladder and much prized in traditional Chinese medicine) can be harvested. The bile is extracted through a catheter tube which sits in a permanent incision in the abdomen and gall bladder and the doubtlessly painful process usually is performed twice-daily. In 2012, animal rights activists reported bears were “starving themselves to death to escape the misery of their captivity”. Entomologists however have no doubts there are insects that sacrifice themselves to protect others of their species, a classic example being the sap-sucking (it’s not much but it’s a life) pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) which literally “explodes” itself (a benefit of all that sap) to protect others. Despite that trigging of what is a “natural suicide vest”, it’s thought to be pure instinctive behaviour and not the result of a conscious “life or death” decision.
In philosophy, the Gadarene Swine Fallacy (GSF) is the logical fallacy of supposing (1) because a group is in the right formation, it is therefore on the right course or (2) supposing that because an individual has strayed from the group and isn't in formation, that they are off course. The point of the GSF is that regardless of the vantage point from which a thing is viewed, mere appearances do not of necessity contain sufficient information accurately to convey what is right or wrong. Moral theologians, legal theorists and others have been both satisfied and troubled by the miracle. Saint Augustine's (354–430) immensely influential view was the story illustrated the special status God granted to man in the universe; that Christians have no obligations to God's other creatures, Jesus sacrificing two thousand swine to save the soul of one man and had it been a herd of ten-thousand he'd have seen them drowned too. Augustine didn’t discuss the supposed right of Jesus to send to their death a large herd of pigs presumably the property of another who may have relied on them to feed and care for his family but this has since been discussed.
The Christian position must be that Christ is a Divine Being and therefore sovereign over the entire creation; the world is his dominion: “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). That includes pigs and his actions gained the approbation (Mark 5:20) of those who watched the exorcism for they “marveled” (although they also asked him to leave town, the reasons for that a matter of theological dispute). Technically too, Jesus could have quoted the Old Testament prohibitions of Leviticus who, among his list of abominations condemned swine as “unclean” (Leviticus 11) and thus fit for little but death by demonic possession. Leviticus and Christ would also have agreed that whatever value some might place on the heads of two-thousand swine, it is nothing compared to the worth of one human soul. Even before animal rights activism became main-stream, the orthodox Augustinian view (and those of the neo-Augustinian apologists) had been criticized. The hardly impartial atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) discussed the miracle in Why I am Not a Christian (1927), finding it appalling a being omnipotent and therefore presumably able just to cast the demons into oblivion chose instead to kill two-thousand pigs, the creatures by any measure innocent of wrong-doing. Modern activists Like Tash Petersen would doubtless be harsher still in their judgement than Lord Russell.
In the centre of this miniature removed from a Gospel book, Jesus and his followers confront two men whose half-dressed, unkempt state suggest they are possessed by evil demons. Jesus performs an exorcism, transferring the demons into a herd of swine. Matthew wrote that the herd "ran violently down a steep place into the sea," where "they perished in the waters". The illuminator closely followed the story as Matthew described it, depicting the swine hurtling down the cliff into the sea at the bottom of the page. At the top right, shepherds run to the city to report the miracle. In the work, the events are arranged in three horizontal bands, the main focus on the middle figures whose emphatic gestures and tense body movements recount the vivid story.
No comments:
Post a Comment