06-06-2017, 05:15 PM
Oh interesting, I read the Claudian quote above in a grammatically different manner: I had it that the wind 'affected' the draco and serpens together (as being distinct from the Eagle) - "These raise standards adorned with flying eagles, or with embroidered dragons or writhing serpents, that in their thousands seem to be roused to angry life by the breath of the wind which, as it blows them this way and that, causes them to rustle with a sound like the hiss of a living snake."
Or the Latin: "hi volucres tollunt aquilas, hi picta draconum
colla levant, multusque tumet per nubila serpens
iratus stimulante Noto vivitque receptis
flatibus et vario mentitur sibila tractu."
But my Latin is poor to nothing when it comes to the faithfulness of the original wording. In other words, the wind effects both the dragons and serpents equally in terms of their visual and aural impact but these are still two differentiated standards. However, I take your point about the poetic imagery here - again a lack of Latin means that I can't tell if Claudian is inserting the 'serpens' to make the line scan while carrying on the imagery?
As for the sound itself, the Eboracum Roman Festival 2017 threw up some interesting discussions around 'Hovis', our own draco (named, I am told because the original one was going to be made out of a loaf tin . . .). Apparently Time Team used Chinese Whistles inserted not in the mouth or tube as these impeded the wind flow but instead within the pole itself. Someone suggested possibly using reeds inserted into the mouth as these would be too small to impact the flow of air - while Mark, one of our main members, theorised that if we used a hollow pole instead of a solid one, it would a) be lighter to carry on horseback and b) if it ended half-way up within the draco head then the passing air might travel over it giving off that eery hollow moan you get when you blow over the top of an open bottle. This latter suggestion from Mark seemed quite practical for those two reasons.
Or the Latin: "hi volucres tollunt aquilas, hi picta draconum
colla levant, multusque tumet per nubila serpens
iratus stimulante Noto vivitque receptis
flatibus et vario mentitur sibila tractu."
But my Latin is poor to nothing when it comes to the faithfulness of the original wording. In other words, the wind effects both the dragons and serpents equally in terms of their visual and aural impact but these are still two differentiated standards. However, I take your point about the poetic imagery here - again a lack of Latin means that I can't tell if Claudian is inserting the 'serpens' to make the line scan while carrying on the imagery?
As for the sound itself, the Eboracum Roman Festival 2017 threw up some interesting discussions around 'Hovis', our own draco (named, I am told because the original one was going to be made out of a loaf tin . . .). Apparently Time Team used Chinese Whistles inserted not in the mouth or tube as these impeded the wind flow but instead within the pole itself. Someone suggested possibly using reeds inserted into the mouth as these would be too small to impact the flow of air - while Mark, one of our main members, theorised that if we used a hollow pole instead of a solid one, it would a) be lighter to carry on horseback and b) if it ended half-way up within the draco head then the passing air might travel over it giving off that eery hollow moan you get when you blow over the top of an open bottle. This latter suggestion from Mark seemed quite practical for those two reasons.
Francis Hagan
The Barcarii
The Barcarii
