Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2008 June 5

= June 5 =

Animal peace
Recently, I saw this on CNN. It was a video of a man walking with his dog, cat, and rat somewhere in Santa Barbara, California. On the video, I saw other people taking videos of everything. I had a feeling they'd be posted on YouTube. I hit the jackpot. In one video, there were two rats with the cat and dog. But on the rest of the other videos, there was only one rat. I'm confused. Are there two rats or just one? What kind of dog is the dog? Do all the animals have names?72.229.139.13 (talk) 02:40, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm pretty sure you're referring to this video. The dog looks like some sort of Rottweiler mix.  The face isn't really wide enough to be a full Rottie.  Dismas |(talk) 03:01, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Could you maybe post a link to the video with the two rats? Then it might be easier to see what's really going on here.  Maybe you could email the poster of this video and ask them what they really saw that fateful day. --Richardrj talkemail 07:34, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

I can't remember the video's title or the poster off the top of my head. How could that day be fateful? No one died.72.229.139.13 (talk) 22:52, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
 * True, 72.229! "Fateful" often does have bad notes, but it can be used like "fated" as destined to happen, turn out, or act in a particular way. This time, you happening to catch the unusual peace footage at that time. : ) Julia Rossi (talk) 02:41, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

I found the poster. He/she goes by the name wanderingwilson. In that poster's video, I saw two rats, a cat, and a dog.72.229.139.13 (talk) 23:17, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

Bernau, Germany
A photograph dated 1933 shows Adolf Hitler visiting a formation of uniformed SA holding swastika flags, at "...der Reichsführerschule in Bernau." How might I determine which Bernau this is? A look at their pages here and in the German Wikipedia (a language I don't read) hasn't yielded anything informative. -- Thanks, Deborahjay (talk) 07:04, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Since Bernau bei Berlin is the largest of the towns listed in the disambig page, and since it's close to Berlin, I would have thought it's likely to be that one. --Richardrj talkemail 07:29, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
 * And in fact the German Wikipedia confirms this, see here. --Richardrj talkemail 07:38, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I took an overlook at "http://de.wikipedia.org" (what good to BE a German!) and you're right. The "Reichsführerschule" (of the DAF) was located in Bernau so it is clear that Hitler was there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.177.189.93 (talk) 16:57, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Witch trials in Poland
Hello! I am interested in witch trials, and have contributed to some articles in the subject myself. I think there should be a coverage of cases from alla European countries here on wikipedia. Now to the question. I am stuck now that I have arived to more "unusal" countries (= countries which are less translated into English). Three of those are in particular interest to me now, and I'll divide it into three sections and hope that I'm doing this right.

Does anyone here no anything about the witch trials in Poland? To feel a country have ben "covered", i think there should be about; the first case; the last case; the largest case; and the most well known and famous case. I hope there is someone here who knows and are willing to answer. I have heard about a case in 1775, 1793, and 1811. Does anyone know more about those? Hoping --Aciram (talk) 13:10, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Witch trials in Portugal
Portugal, is, if my information is correct, a country with very few witch trials. but I have heard about the few that did excist; a case in Lissabon 1599, where a groupdof women where burned at Rossi square; a case just a few years after; and one woman burned in Evora in 1626. This is very hard to find anything on, and I would be most grateful if anyone was willing to give me a bit of information about these three cases, or direct me to an English link about these cases. What were the names of the executed, what were the specific charges? I would, of course, also be grateful to know if they were more cases than this! Hopefully--Aciram (talk) 13:17, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Witch- and Vampire trials in Hungary
I have heard, that the witch trials in Hungary often included accusations about vampyrism. I do not know if this is true, but I must admit that sounds very intruiging! There seems to be some information about this on the net, but unfortunately, I cant' speak Hungarian. I have heard, that they were a witch craze in Hungray in 1738. Does anyone here know anything about the Hungarian witch trials? The first time, the last time, the largest trial, and if it was combined vampire trials? I would be most grateful for an answer! I can't ask for anyone to creat an article, of course, but I anyone would wish to do so, i would appreciate the smalest stub! Regards--Aciram (talk) 13:24, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * We have a stub on the Szeged witch trials which mentions vampirism. But see Witchcraft and Magic in Europe, Vol. 5: The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, at p. 161: "Hungary, moreover, had to contend with vampires, as is apparent from various vampire cases which occurred on the periphery of the kingdom in the first half of the eighteenth century." The citation for this is to Gábor Klaniczay. Xn4  23:30, 6 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Thank you for your answer! I would like to know more about these vampire/witch trials. I can't ask for a description of a case, but perhaps someone can recomend an english speaking site on the net about this? It's hard to look if you have no specific words to google; for example names of the people involved, years and places. --Aciram (talk) 16:29, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

Recruitment of executioners in the United States
I made a question on Talk:Capital punishment in the United States. How do federal and state governments in the United States recruit executioners for capital punishment? Are they recruited from prison officers? Do they receive special training? /Yvwv (talk) 13:40, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
 * aside from the controversy involving those who have taken the Hypocratic oath participating, I don't know anything about how they are choosen. From here] I found a little detail: "Seventeen death penalty states require physician involvement and all practicing jurisdictions employ medical personnel...lethal injections are administered remotely..." Rmhermen (talk) 18:56, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Doesn't the Errol Morris documentary Mr Death detail how that executioner was recruited? --Major Bonkers (talk) 09:22, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

consequences of one party state.
over the year analyst have fear that Nigeria might become a one party state,what could be the consequences effect on the Nigeria comtemporary society? Riel. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.254.189.64 (talk) 13:51, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * If you phrased your question slightly less like it was direct from a homework/assignment you'd probably get a better response. Suffice to say consider the key words/phrases used in the question and focus on them. Nigeria itself isn't important because the overall themes would be expected to be the same regardless of the specific nation - though showing some understanding of historic political culture in Nigeria within your answer may help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:15, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Wikipedia articles to read: Nigeria (Nigeria article on Italian Wikipedia), Politics of Nigeria (English only) and Single-party state (English only). I disagree with 194.221.133.226 - I think the specifics of the Nigerian situation are going to have to be in your answer. Nigeria has had a lot of trouble getting democracy going and there have been corrupt and brutal regimes in recent memory; this probably affects (in both directions) how much people are willing to push for political changes and what kinds of compromises look good. Have a look at Ibrahim Babangida, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Sani Abacha and Olusegun Obasanjo as well as Human rights in Nigeria. WikiJedits (talk) 19:06, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Poem analysis?
Hello everyone. I asked this first at the Language desk and they told me to ask here: Would it be okay (and helpful to me :) if I put up a poem here for analysis? It's not homework or anything, I just want to know what it's about ^^. (If this is absolutely not the place for such a thing, please tell me where I can go to get some help!) Thanks in advance, Kreachure (talk) 21:48, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Is it possible you can post a web link to the poem? Inserting the text of the poem here might not be appropriate for a couple of reasons: copyright, and length. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:33, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, the poem is short, but it's probably copyrighted (not sure really). After looking a while for the page I got it from, the page doesn't exist anymore. The only place I could find it is in (oh boy...) a Harry Potter message board. (Well, that was depressing!) If you find that less cumbersome than posting it here, then be my guest (otherwise if someone wants me to post the poem please tell me!) Anyways, will you help me out? Kreachure (talk) 22:53, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * The only poem I could find at the Harry Potter link is a short exerpt from Wordsworth's "The White Doe of Rylstone". I don't have access to the full poem, and don't know it well enough to comment further. ៛ Bielle (talk) 01:10, 6 June 2008 (UTC)


 * (ec) The title, Phoenixology (Phoenixologie), is from the third film in Cocteau's Orpheus trilogy, Testament of Orpheus, according to one Anne-Michèle Fortin. It refers to the poet's multiple resurrections in the story. She says "Cocteau calls phoenixology the science which allows him who controls it to die and return to life at will."
 * As for the poem, it's pretty arcane. It's also in English, which means it's been translated from French, so for my money all bets are off when it comes to interpreting it. I was unable to find it in French on the Web. A wild stab at it as it stands: The first stanza is a mish-mash of images and references, the tight-lipped dream life and the rest its conversion in death, the mirror image of life. The second stanza is weird. I think he was having a go at somebody he knew, some actress, I'll bet. The twelve young soldiers surely refer to something specific that I'm unaware of. I really like the last stanza. He is trapped within corporeal existence, choices matter, a refutation of MacBeth's depressing dusty death, a stony one of his desiring in Les Baux. I'd sure like to see the original. --Milkbreath (talk) 01:14, 6 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I think Milkbreath and I were looking at different poems at the link. This is what I saw:
 * "I am no Traitor," Francis said,
 * "Though this unhappy freight I bear;
 * And must not part with. But beware;--
 * Err not by hasty zeal misled,
 * Nor do a suffering Spirit wrong,
 * Whose self-reproaches are too strong!"

"The White Doe of Rylstone" by W. Wordsworth ៛ Bielle (talk) 01:25, 6 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Right, same thing happened to me at first. The Cocteau thing is also here. --Milkbreath (talk) 01:40, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

That would be because I put it there (some time after). So yeah, it's Phoenixology (I warned you that link would be cumbersome!). And I, too, would love to see the original (especially after all the trouble I went through to find the poem at all). Kreachure (talk) 02:00, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, um... I guess I'll have to do with just one interpretation. :P Thanks. Kreachure (talk) 14:44, 6 June 2008 (UTC)