1.1.1-Needsmoreresearch



1.1.1 - The Wood of La Saudraie

So I panicked at looking up and writing a history of all the names and places in this chapter, and set myself a different task to start: let’s find a picture. This is a centuries-old oak from Plumelec (photo on Flickr by Julien Danielo), which granted is about 100 miles away from where this chapter takes place but is in the same general area. So it’s a tree, it’s a big tree, like we have people sleeping in in this chapter, and now I feel grounded enough to say some more minor things.

Now, funny thing about translations, the English copy I have—T. Nelson and Sons—calls this wood “Sandraie.” With an N.  Another funny thing about translations: the English copy I have kiiiind of fails to deliver an essential point of the conversation about “where are you from.”

—Quelle est ta patrie? is what the sergeant is asking. The woman doesn’t understand the question: her pays, though, that she understands: it’s Siscoignard, in the Azé parish, etc. That’s not a patrie, argues the sergeant; then it’s France and Brittany: not the same pays but, argues the sergeant, the same patrie.

So yes, Hugo, you are super subtle there, with your Patria vs. your local countryside. Also super subtle there with nursing mothers and babies and women connecting on a level of small-scale humanity that they finally bring to the men. But I’m not gonna be snide about that. I found the vivandière Totally Awesome, I think Hugo is pretty rad for writing about ~camp-follower women~, and I care about that baby. (That baby, by the way, is Problems. Look at that baby.  It is a moocher.  Getting herself hauled around the woods, still nursing.  That Baby Is No Good.)

Phew. Okay. Like a canteen-woman meeting strangers in a wood, I have broken the ice. Later I can make a useful post.

Commentary
Pilferingapples Thanks for clearing up my confusions about the SaNdriae/Saudriae thing, and the whole Pays/Patria issue! I think it’s kinda strange that T.Nelson tells us about the Flesh-hards/Flecherds Pun, but skips what’s pretty surely a more important bit of wordplay, but OH WELL everyone’s gotta pick their pun-battles with Hugo, I guess!

Unrelated: ooooh, pretty tree.

Fizzygingr (reply to Pilferingapples) From the Dole translation: “What do they fledge, these fledghards of yours?” Which I guess makes a little more sense, because it can mean rear/raise? Also Everything Is Bird.