Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Magdalene

MAGDALENE, n. An inhabitant of Magdala. Popularly, a woman found out. This definition of the word has the authority of ignorance, Mary of Magdala being another person than the penitent woman mentioned by St. Luke. It has also the official sanction of the governments of Great Britain and the United States. In England the word is pronounced Maudlin, whence maudlin, adjective, unpleasantly sentimental. With their Maudlin for Magdalene, and their Bedlam for Bethlehem, the English may justly boast themselves the greatest of revisers.

2009 Update: The dubious woman whom two thousand years of Christianity has struggled and failed to keep from our LORD and neighbor.

16 comments:

the amoeba said...

The British were geniuses. By pronouncing it maudlin, they no longer had to worry about confused tourists asking whether Magda Lane was a who or a where, and why either one merits a betrothal.

Poached rabbit.

Jim said...

Rabbit, rabbit!

Ameoeba, a who, a where, or a wh*re?

Magdalane, I best know the one St. Luke mentioned whatever we want to call her. If she was good enough for Jesus she was good enough for me.
..

Anonymous said...

Ahhh the original trollop.

k. riggs gardner said...

The English have been consistently wrong for 2,000 years. The Church of England - what was that all about? King Henry VIII pretended Anne Boleyn was an adulteress and chopped off her head. The French, on other hand, have considered Mary Magdalene a venerated saint since approximately the 6th century.

Mo'a said...

Yes indeed...and it is rumored that she was at the last supper...Yes I read the book :)
Are you OK?

TLP said...

Rabbit rabbit.

All I know about Magdalene is that she hung aroung with JC and the boys. So, she's good to go.

k. riggs gardner said...

Are you asking me if I'm O.K., M'oa?
Other than the English sometimes getting on my very last nerve, I'm fine.
Thank you for asking.

javajazz said...

well, i dont know
all that much about English
or Mary Magdalene,
for that matter,
but i do know a bit about
Rabbit Rabbit,
and hope all is well
here in Dougland...xo

tsduff said...

Rabbit Rabbit and a toast to the other Mary. She had ovaries - and a whole lot of humanity.

I'm really feeling un-deep today.

Quilly said...

Dalene is the street I live on, so Mag must be one of my neighbors. I suppose I should make an effort to met her, but why bother since we'll be moving soon.

Anonymous said...

rabbit rabbit-
Holy Grail
Peace Be With You

Cooper said...

Magdalene, another women fictionalized by men as a man tantalizer, though there is no historical evidence to support her ability to tantalize over her ability to proselytize.

Ariel the Thief said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ariel the Thief said...

C'mon, Cooper, the wholy whore came to fashion a lot later, at the time she really was just a cockroach with nice, long hair drove the apostiles crazy, because Jesus looked at them funny when they offered to dry his feet with their beard.

k. riggs gardner said...

Nothing else!

Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark!

All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up. ...

Doug The Una said...

Amoeba, in Georgia they tell the story that General Sherman wasn't such a bad guy but that after taking Atlanta he got the entire army lost going from Peachtree St to Peachtree St until he had to burn the city just to find his way out.

Amen, Amen, Jim.

Jenn, that's my favorite comment.

Karen, I hadn't realized you were in the Albion delenda est camp.

Yeah, Mo'a, thanks for asking. I'm assuming you're asking about the fires. It's been pretty awesome and relatively close but neither my home or office were in immediate threat and the fire seems to be moving away from both. I have to say the firefighting has been spectacular.

Sure, TLP. Pretty good company for a fallen woman as she clearly was for rising saints.

We're all relieved, Karen. Stay well.

Yes, ma'am, JJ. And never the worse for having heard from you.

That was kinda deep, Terry.

Mata Hari Drive, your destination, Quilly?

And also with you, brother Bear.

Cooper, doesn't that then make her another woman fictionalized by men to proselytize?

That's funny, Ariel. I never realized before now that the disciples had locker room moments.

Karen, you do Norma Desmond well.