Friday, June 4, 2010

cleldes

(v. pl.) Annumpi.  To flee from a mortal threat.

(n.) A traditional dance marked by sweeping motions with the grapi. Each low sweep is accompanied by yells of "Grapi! Mantriti! Cleldes!"from the audience.  Ellsworth (Twenty Days with the Fierce Annumpi, 1625, London) translates the cry as "Here comes the grapi, mantriti. Flee!"

4 comments:

  1. Ellsworth hailed from the Clee Hills of Shropshire, the scion of an ancient war-like clan.

    Just as some clans would scream out things like "Loch Sloy!" when threatened, the peoples of the Clee Hills would cry "Cleldes" in such circumstances, meaning "We are descending upon you, you scum, your heads will be foosp upon the rock of Titterstone Clee."

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  2. "Loch Sloy?" What an odd battle cry.

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  3. Loch Sloy is also the name of a Scottish-American brand of chinese food products.

    Nice use of foosp KS.

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  4. Scottish and food in the same sentence is never a good thing.

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