Thomas Disch's LJ (RSS Feed)
02-14-2008, 04:33 PM
As with its flags and battle-standards, each nation
known to history, has its distinctive style
of dream-soldiery. Bold fellows all of them,
in bizarre uniforms, whom, paradoxically,
no one has ever seen except in dreams
and the drawings of the mad. The Mayans
arrayed theirs in feathers so that they might
course more swiftly through jungle and swamp.
Their songs imitated the songs of toucans,
and they were much feared. The ancient Carthagineans
disguised themselves as armored elephants,
and were married to real infantrymen
at drunken revels and then (the infantrymen)
were tortured to death. But some say this was only
legend. Our only evidence are a few fractured
friezes in ruins along the Libyan coast.
The Celts wore garish sashes rather like
the obis geishas wear. On their night raids
into enemy encampments, they would unwind
these long "killing clothes" and perform
solemn sarabandes, which it was thought fatal
to have witnessed as a child, though among
the westernmost Celts such apparitions
were accounted omens of good luck.
In almost every case, sleep-warriors
were dreaded, their visits seen as harbingers
of madness. No one who encountered
their legions on the march would speak of them
on waking lest he be supposed
to have been recruited into that unlucky membership
unbeknownst to himself, a demon unawares.
(Original Post) (http://tomsdisch.livejournal.com/175169.html)
known to history, has its distinctive style
of dream-soldiery. Bold fellows all of them,
in bizarre uniforms, whom, paradoxically,
no one has ever seen except in dreams
and the drawings of the mad. The Mayans
arrayed theirs in feathers so that they might
course more swiftly through jungle and swamp.
Their songs imitated the songs of toucans,
and they were much feared. The ancient Carthagineans
disguised themselves as armored elephants,
and were married to real infantrymen
at drunken revels and then (the infantrymen)
were tortured to death. But some say this was only
legend. Our only evidence are a few fractured
friezes in ruins along the Libyan coast.
The Celts wore garish sashes rather like
the obis geishas wear. On their night raids
into enemy encampments, they would unwind
these long "killing clothes" and perform
solemn sarabandes, which it was thought fatal
to have witnessed as a child, though among
the westernmost Celts such apparitions
were accounted omens of good luck.
In almost every case, sleep-warriors
were dreaded, their visits seen as harbingers
of madness. No one who encountered
their legions on the march would speak of them
on waking lest he be supposed
to have been recruited into that unlucky membership
unbeknownst to himself, a demon unawares.
(Original Post) (http://tomsdisch.livejournal.com/175169.html)