The lives of the gods living on Mt. Olympus is starting to resemble a tawdry soap opera these days. Zeus in particular has fallen in stature as far as the English royal family did in Princess Diana's day. If that wasn't bad enough, the Norse equivalent of the Roman Vulcan is throwing temper tantrums in Iceland. A quick perusal of Wikipedia did not reveal the Indo-European god of debt. Whenever I read an article about Germany's response to the financial dysfunction of Mediterranean Europe, it brings a wry smile to my face. My goodness, the north-south split. How long has it been going on?
It is charming, and must explain much of the popularity of the movie, "A Room with a View," which I rewatched recently. In the movie English tourists were visiting Italy; full of primness, they were confused or offended by the chaos of Italy. As usual, the commentary track neglected to credit the mostly-Puccini soundtrack with the movie's popularity. One can't say that northern Europeans are unmusical --just look at Germany's output of composers-- but could the soggy, grim race of the North ever have written music like Puccini?
It is charming, and must explain much of the popularity of the movie, "A Room with a View," which I rewatched recently. In the movie English tourists were visiting Italy; full of primness, they were confused or offended by the chaos of Italy. As usual, the commentary track neglected to credit the mostly-Puccini soundtrack with the movie's popularity. One can't say that northern Europeans are unmusical --just look at Germany's output of composers-- but could the soggy, grim race of the North ever have written music like Puccini?
Perhaps the financial meltdown of Greece, et al., will pull the European peso down to a level that would make touring Europe affordable. Until then, those of us who haven't traveled to Europe must enjoy a replica of its north-south split by going to Mexico; there the rule-following robots of the north are amazed at how happy many Mexicans seem, even though they don't have as much money as the mighty Gringo. Then they see old Mexican men peeing against the side of a building.
But why did Europe's north-south develop? The Protestant Reformation is the usual response to this question. But could that be confusing cause and effect?
Sometimes I wonder if reading history is a waste of time. Historians are so limited in their raw materials. Can you understand the climate of an age by reading books or government records, which is about all that historians can do? Oh sure, they can supplement their book-dependence by looking at paintings and architecture.
But it would be so much more satisfying to jump in a time machine and experience an Age directly, rather than through the medium of books. Imagine going to a typical German city the day before Luther posted his Theses on the door. Let's say that you are visiting somebody's house. The haus-frau greets you, with a modicum of friendliness; but then she insists on you wiping your feet. And again and again. After wiping them 35 times the half-insane woman still isn't satisfied. You decide to take your shoes off, in order to have peace.
This banal experience expresses a profound difference between the north and the south: the north somehow got it into their head to take life seriously; to be psychological and pious about religion instead of ritualistic and superstitious; to be meticulous and relentless in their work; to become better organized and more affluent, and never have time to enjoy it. Then, in a few brief years, your earnestness is over and forgotten.
Sometimes I wonder if reading history is a waste of time. Historians are so limited in their raw materials. Can you understand the climate of an age by reading books or government records, which is about all that historians can do? Oh sure, they can supplement their book-dependence by looking at paintings and architecture.
But it would be so much more satisfying to jump in a time machine and experience an Age directly, rather than through the medium of books. Imagine going to a typical German city the day before Luther posted his Theses on the door. Let's say that you are visiting somebody's house. The haus-frau greets you, with a modicum of friendliness; but then she insists on you wiping your feet. And again and again. After wiping them 35 times the half-insane woman still isn't satisfied. You decide to take your shoes off, in order to have peace.
This banal experience expresses a profound difference between the north and the south: the north somehow got it into their head to take life seriously; to be psychological and pious about religion instead of ritualistic and superstitious; to be meticulous and relentless in their work; to become better organized and more affluent, and never have time to enjoy it. Then, in a few brief years, your earnestness is over and forgotten.
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