This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------1FA0524C575C Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit An interesting post from GEN-MED about genealogical proof. Carole --------------1FA0524C575C Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Received: from bl-11.rootsweb.com (bl-11.rootsweb.com [204.212.38.27]) by mail.midohio.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id HAA09859 for <malisiak@midohio.net>; Sun, 28 Mar 1999 07:55:22 -0500 (EST) Received: (from slist@localhost) by bl-11.rootsweb.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id EAA16786; Sun, 28 Mar 1999 04:50:42 -0800 (PST) Resent-Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 04:50:42 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <3.0.1.16.19990328125628.37bf3eda@pop6.ibm.net> X-Sender: lerwill@pop6.ibm.net X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.1 (16) Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 12:56:28 Old-To: <GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@rootsweb.com> From: John Lerwill <lerwill@ibm.net> Subject: Re: Mythical genealogy continued Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Resent-Message-ID: <"jEI1oB.A.mFE.gWi_2"@bl-11.rootsweb.com> Resent-From: GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@rootsweb.com X-Mailing-List: <GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/21825 X-Loop: GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@rootsweb.com To: GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@rootsweb.com Precedence: list Errors-To: GEN-MEDIEVAL-L-request@rootsweb.com Resent-Sender: GEN-MEDIEVAL-L-request@rootsweb.com (To those reading this, I apologise for the "yawn factor", but I do think there is an important point of principle here....) At 06:30 28/3/99 GMT, you (Stewart Baldwin) wrote: (the original statement): > >>At 19:08 26/3/99 GMT, sbald@auburn.campus.mci.net (Stewart Baldwin) wrote: > >>>The alleged connections of Joseph of Arimathea and Britain are all >>>medieval romance. There is no genuine history in those claims. >>> >>>Stewart Baldwin >>> My first reply: > >>My argument is simply that in making the statements "only medieval romance" >>and "there is no genuine history...." all avenues of possibility are broken >>off by implication. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- >I disagree with so much of what you say that it is hard to know where >to begin. Let's start with an analogy using the movie "Braveheart". <snip> >....... Why should it be any different when >the piece of entertainment being used (i.e., the Grail legend) is FAR >less real than even "Braveheart". FICTIONAL works, such as >"Braveheart" or the stories of the Grail legend, are totally >unacceptable as historical sources. I stand by original statement. > >Stewart Baldwin > If your original statement were to include "(in my opinion)", then I would have no (could not have) objection. You keep referring to "romance" and "fictional" as though it has been proven these "stories" were so. ELEMENTS of the Grail and "visit to these shores" story may be so, but not necessarily the essence of the story. You must surely know of many traditions that were passed by word of mouth over eons (an old and proven way of transmitting events.....and, yes, of errors also). There's an old saying, "there's no smoke without fire". Don't forget that it is generally accepted that Phoenicians came to Britain's shores in ancient times, so a ticket was available!! I wish I were in the position of quoting from my library (which is in storage), but I have, for example, to hand the recent book by Andrew Sinclair, The Discovery of the Grail, pub'd 1998, ISBN 0 7126 7729 1. Now it is possible that you may not regard him as sufficiently qualified as a serious writer, but, on the contrary, I find his books well researched. Yet another reference to the "visit to these shores" event, a reference made in many well-researched books. O.K., none can offer hard fact - but I have never said that they can. .......Equally, you CANNOT state that the "visit to these shores" event was "all medieval romance" as a categorical fact until you can prove that that is the case.......With so many serious writers referring to the matter, the door of serious possibility should be left open to all enquirers until proven otherwise. (On that last point - I remember being laughed at by a teacher at school for having the temerity to suggest that the continents of America, Europe and Africa were once joined up!!! - that, combined with other matters, put me off serious learning for another 20 years!!!!). John Lerwill. --------------1FA0524C575C--