From catlady at catlady_de_los_angeles.yahoo.invalid Sun May 11 21:02:13 2008 From: catlady at catlady_de_los_angeles.yahoo.invalid (Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)) Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 21:02:13 -0000 Subject: What Hippogriffs are for Message-ID: I can never understand how Draco Malfoy (in PoA) was so very ignorant of the correct way to approach a hippogriff, considering that his grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, was such a notable Gribbo player, and owned such a notable string of hippogriffs. Gribbo, also called Grippo, Grappo, Griffgraff and Hippogriff Grab, is a wizard sport over one thousand years old. All players ride hippogriffs, with no saddle nor bridle, only a rope wrapped a couple of times around the beast's neck and torso, then tied, to which the rider may cling. The pitch is a large are with a tall pole at each end, usually adorned with colorful flags and streamers. There is an object called the "prize" and an official called the "honor". The honor holds the prize at the center of the pitch and the players form a ring around him. They wait tensely as the honor flies straight up, higher than the poles, and drops the prize. Only after the prize has left the honor's hands may the hippogriffs fly. The winner is the first player to fly a circle around both poles while holding the prize - that is called a 'prize circle'. The players try to grab the prize from each other with the wizard's hands and feet and the hippogriff's beak and clawed front feet, and try to protect it from the grabbers with evasive maneuvers, two hands, six feet, one beak, and even some teeth, but not with magic. It is strictly against the rules for a player even to carry a wand during a match. No armour is allowed, not even dragonhide clothing, so players wear very thickly quilted trousers and hooded tunics, which did not prevent Abraxas from losing an eye and gaining several dramatic scars, as is usual among Gribbo players. Collisions are another common cause of injury. In Abraxas's time, the prize was usually a live sheep or large dog - live when dropped by the honor, anyway. Tradition states that the sport originally used a captured Muggle as the prize. As the prize is likely to be torn into fragments during the struggle, official matches have rules about what part or weight of the prize qualifies a prize circle. In unofficial matches, this will be decided by friendly consensus or by duels. From katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid Tue May 13 01:57:46 2008 From: katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid (Kat Macfarlane) Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 18:57:46 -0700 Subject: The Beard Message-ID: <005001c8b49c$c6a29220$482fdcd1@...> Afraid I can't help you with the Hippogriffies, but I do have a question that has been puzzling me for some time: Where did the idea come from that Snape wore a beard? I have read and reread the original texts and searched the early depictions of Snape, including JKR's own drawing (http://www.katmac.cncdsl.com/Rowling_Snape.jpg), and nowhere do I find a trace of whiskers. (Quite a lot of hair in the case of the JKR drawing, but a well defined chin and as far as I can tell, no beard.) Yes, the American illustrator drew Snape with that silly little Fu Manchu beard, but I've always set that down to personal aberration, nothing to do with the Canon. I thought she missed the mark on quite a lot of things, not just Snape's facial fur. Certainly the film Snape is clean-shaven and affords us a pleasing view of Alan Rickman's manly jawline. Does anyone in TOC have inside information that I do not? I have the feeling that many of you are arguing from prior knowledge, and I'd love to know where it's prior from. Whiskery purrs, --Gatta [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] From heidi8 at heiditandy.yahoo.invalid Mon May 12 02:14:45 2008 From: heidi8 at heiditandy.yahoo.invalid (Heidi Tandy) Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 22:14:45 -0400 Subject: Who's planning to come to Portus? Message-ID: <5913e6f80805111914s1421b842u751fa23ff7b00074@...> I'm definitely going to be there on Friday and Saturday (and a bit of Sunday morning) - and in addition to the usual thrill that comes from hanging out with friends from fandom and meeting new people, I especially can't wait for the Jim Dale events on Saturday at Portus. In case anyone hadn't seen the posts about it, it's set to take place in Dallas - July 10 through the 13th. The website's having Issues (but Paul Kippes is fixing them) but lots of info is available on the LJ at http://community.livejournal.com/portus_2008/ - and there was a post today about expanded breakfasts in the mornings, and the newly-configured one-day passes ( http://community.livejournal.com/portus_2008/6570.html#cutid4 ) Is anyone else thinking of going, or already registered? I'm presenting along with Rachael from Snapecast on fanvids, I think Friday morning, too... - heidi From katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid Tue May 13 02:16:48 2008 From: katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid (Kat Macfarlane) Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 19:16:48 -0700 Subject: [the_old_crowd] What Hippogriffs are for References: Message-ID: <001d01c8b49f$6d1128e0$482fdcd1@...> I'm not sure that Hippogriffs would agree that Gribbo is what they are *for*. The ones I know have a very poor opinion of the game, pointing out that it brings out the worst in young Hippogriffs and teaches them to be violent and deficient in manners. I suspect Draco was only pretending to be ignorant of correct human-Hippogriff protocols. For which he got what he had coming to him, the little brat. Unflappable purrs, Gatta Quantum me cogitis omnes! I can never understand how Draco Malfoy (in PoA) was so very ignorant of the correct way to approach a hippogriff, considering that his grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, was such a notable Gribbo player, and owned such a notable string of hippogriffs. Gribbo, also called Grippo, Grappo, Griffgraff and Hippogriff Grab, is a wizard sport over one thousand years old. All players ride hippogriffs, with no saddle nor bridle, only a rope wrapped a couple of times around the beast's neck and torso, then tied, to which the rider may cling. The pitch is a large are with a tall pole at each end, usually adorned with colorful flags and streamers. There is an object called the "prize" and an official called the "honor". The honor holds the prize at the center of the pitch and the players form a ring around him. They wait tensely as the honor flies straight up, higher than the poles, and drops the prize. Only after the prize has left the honor's hands may the hippogriffs fly. The winner is the first player to fly a circle around both poles while holding the prize - that is called a 'prize circle'. The players try to grab the prize from each other with the wizard's hands and feet and the hippogriff's beak and clawed front feet, and try to protect it from the grabbers with evasive maneuvers, two hands, six feet, one beak, and even some teeth, but not with magic. It is strictly against the rules for a player even to carry a wand during a match. No armour is allowed, not even dragonhide clothing, so players wear very thickly quilted trousers and hooded tunics, which did not prevent Abraxas from losing an eye and gaining several dramatic scars, as is usual among Gribbo players. Collisions are another common cause of injury. In Abraxas's time, the prize was usually a live sheep or large dog - live when dropped by the honor, anyway. Tradition states that the sport originally used a captured Muggle as the prize. As the prize is likely to be torn into fragments during the struggle, official matches have rules about what part or weight of the prize qualifies a prize circle. In unofficial matches, this will be decided by friendly consensus or by duels. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] From catlady at catlady_de_los_angeles.yahoo.invalid Sun May 18 00:45:11 2008 From: catlady at catlady_de_los_angeles.yahoo.invalid (Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)) Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 00:45:11 -0000 Subject: What Hippogriffs are for In-Reply-To: <001d01c8b49f$6d1128e0$482fdcd1@...> Message-ID: --- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Kat Macfarlane" wrote: > > I'm not sure that Hippogriffs would agree that Gribbo is what they are *for*. The ones I know have a very poor opinion of the game, pointing out that it brings out the worst in young Hippogriffs and teaches them to be violent and deficient in manners. > What a co-incidence! It has that effect on wizards, too. I never knew the Hippogriffs disliked it. From katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid Mon May 19 02:51:04 2008 From: katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid (Kat Macfarlane) Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 19:51:04 -0700 Subject: [the_old_crowd] Re: What Hippogriffs are for References: Message-ID: <014f01c8b95b$33f33b00$482fdcd1@...> They mainly consider it undignified. (Picture a team of British blue-bloods being required to play professional rugby.) I'll bet young Draco had plenty of interactions with his grandfather's stable of Hippogriffs, which might explain their mutual dislike. Draco really is a git, when you come right down to it. Purrs! Gatta Quantum me cogitis omnes! --- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Kat Macfarlane" wrote: > > I'm not sure that Hippogriffs would agree that Gribbo is what they are *for*. The ones I know have a very poor opinion of the game, pointing out that it brings out the worst in young Hippogriffs and teaches them to be violent and deficient in manners. > What a co-incidence! It has that effect on wizards, too. I never knew the Hippogriffs disliked it. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] From dfrankiswork at davewitley.yahoo.invalid Mon May 19 14:26:18 2008 From: dfrankiswork at davewitley.yahoo.invalid (davewitley) Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 14:26:18 -0000 Subject: The Beard In-Reply-To: <005001c8b49c$c6a29220$482fdcd1@...> Message-ID: Gatta: > I have read and reread the original texts and searched the early depictions of Snape, including JKR's own drawing (http://www.katmac.cncdsl.com/Rowling_Snape.jpg), and nowhere do I find a trace of whiskers. (Quite a lot of hair in the case of the JKR drawing, but a well defined chin and as far as I can tell, no beard.) > > Yes, the American illustrator drew Snape with that silly little Fu Manchu beard, but I've always set that down to personal aberration, nothing to do with the Canon. I thought she missed the mark on quite a lot of things, not just Snape's facial fur. I remember a while ago (2003?) Grandpre did some sort of event in Salt Lake City and a bunch of HPFGUers went along and asked the hard questions. One of them (Foxydoxy? Dooda? Dicentra?) reported back on OT-Chatter, and as I recall Grandpre was totally nonplussed: she had just assumed all along he had a beard and was astonished to be picked up on it. I think the consensus has always been clean-shaven. David From dfrankiswork at davewitley.yahoo.invalid Mon May 19 14:29:53 2008 From: dfrankiswork at davewitley.yahoo.invalid (davewitley) Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 14:29:53 -0000 Subject: Michael Rosen Message-ID: FYI http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article3953657.ece Kind of amusing, considering how people have said "they're only children's books" in the past. Though Rosen's own comment seems pretty balanced. David From katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid Tue May 20 23:44:18 2008 From: katmac at lagattalucianese.yahoo.invalid (Kat Macfarlane) Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 16:44:18 -0700 Subject: [the_old_crowd] Re: The Beard References: Message-ID: <006901c8bad3$7e60d480$482fdcd1@...> Many thanks. That's what I thought. I certainly like him better without the chin rug. Purrs! Gatta Quantum me cogitis omnes! Gatta: > I have read and reread the original texts and searched the early depictions of Snape, including JKR's own drawing (http://www.katmac.cncdsl.com/Rowling_Snape.jpg), and nowhere do I find a trace of whiskers. (Quite a lot of hair in the case of the JKR drawing, but a well defined chin and as far as I can tell, no beard.) > > Yes, the American illustrator drew Snape with that silly little Fu Manchu beard, but I've always set that down to personal aberration, nothing to do with the Canon. I thought she missed the mark on quite a lot of things, not just Snape's facial fur. I remember a while ago (2003?) Grandpre did some sort of event in Salt Lake City and a bunch of HPFGUers went along and asked the hard questions. One of them (Foxydoxy? Dooda? Dicentra?) reported back on OT-Chatter, and as I recall Grandpre was totally nonplussed: she had just assumed all along he had a beard and was astonished to be picked up on it. I think the consensus has always been clean-shaven. David [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]