Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2022 June 22

= June 22 =

Watercraft identification
Could someone help in identifying the type of this possible rusted watercraft in the woods (maybe fishing boat), and the geared part of it below? Thanks. Brandmeistertalk  10:14, 22 June 2022 (UTC)


 * The square bow suggests a ferry, perhaps a cable ferry which would explain the winch. Do we have a location? Google might solve the mystery if we knew where it was. Alansplodge (talk) 15:11, 22 June 2022 (UTC)


 * Hard to tell from these pictures. I can't rule out a ferry, although the superstructure in the centre makes it hard to load vehicles and a passenger-only ferry doesn't really need a square bow, as those are typically side-loaders (except the very small ones). Alternatively, it might be a pushboat. I could tell you more if I had a look around there, but I suppose it isn't in my area.
 * What on earth is a boat doing in the woods? Was it there before a lake was drained and somebody neglected to remove it? Was the lake suddenly and unexpectedly drained? Was it put there by tsunami? PiusImpavidus (talk) 16:00, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Is it in Colombia? Card Zero  (talk) 21:06, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
 * It's in Warsaw, but couldn't google it by reasonable search words and reverse image search turned out nothing. Image metadata from my smartphone should contain coordinates which would be displayed upon upload to Commons. Brandmeistertalk  08:04, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * That's about 1170km away from my place, so I hope you don't mind that I won't pay a visit. PiusImpavidus (talk) 10:30, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * I think it's this one. DuncanHill (talk) 12:42, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Here's a video about her. DuncanHill (talk) 12:52, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Many thanks. Brandmeistertalk  14:26, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * A machine translation of the text for the video says that she "once worked on the Vistula as a hydraulic aerator". Apparently, water aeration is used to oxygenate polluted waterways. Alansplodge (talk) 09:48, 24 June 2022 (UTC)

A corps that stood before the King
The song "She's My Daisy" by Harry Lauder, from 1913, starts with the following line: "I'm in a corps that stood before the King for half a day". I'm not sure what this means, exactly - it seems to be a special honor, maybe something Scotland-related given the rest of the song and Lauder's predilections, not just passing in a standard military review. Anyone know what the line is referring to (or is it just a reference to a parade?) 199.208.172.35 (talk) 22:01, 22 June 2022 (UTC)


 * The article says In 1912, he was top of the bill at Britain's first ever Royal Command Performance, in front of King George V, so I'm assuming he was proud enough of that to put it in the song. The corps was metaphorical corps of music hall entertainers (and the word happens to rhyme). There were 22 acts, so if we allow them 10 minutes each and an intermission that's 4 hours. (Actually that sounds a bit long, maybe it was more like 2 hours. Still probably felt like half a day.) Card Zero  (talk) 22:16, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Oh, interesting - the rest of the song is full of military references, but maybe that's just playing along with the fun conceit of being a "music hall corps". Thanks! 199.208.172.35 (talk) 22:36, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
 * I mean, I'm being supremely confident, so I'm probably wrong, second opinions welcome. He specifies what the regiment is: "Aye we're a lot of boys us chaps in the horse kelties [kilties? kelpies?]" ... Card Zero  (talk) 22:45, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
 * 1904? Maybe the 1913 date I saw was wrong. The earlier date would put it before either of the royal performances mentioned in the article. I haven't actually listened to Lauder's version yet, I should probably do that (I've only heard Greer Garson's). 199.208.172.35 (talk) 22:51, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Oh, I missed that. Hmm. Discogs says November 1907. So much for that Command Performance theory. I guess the Scottish Horse are the "horse kilties" (and I see Lauder was fond of ponies), but I don't know what event they had for half a day in front of the king, if any. Card Zero  (talk) 23:06, 22 June 2022 (UTC)


 * Not quite right for the Royal Volunteer Review, Edinburgh, 1905 either (my original theory had been a similar review by George V in 1911). Alansplodge (talk) 09:37, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Edward also visited Edinburgh in May 1903, so perhaps that is the one.  Alansplodge (talk) 09:51, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * That might be it - it seems the Scottish Horse was re-re-constituted on 1903.03.30, not long before Edward's visit, and maybe in anticipation of it. Probably a significant enough local event to warrant mention in song and kisses from lassies. Thank you! 199.208.172.35 (talk) 16:22, 23 June 2022 (UTC)


 * If the Scottish Horse hypothesis is correct, then our article says: "The newly raised Scottish Horse appeared in full dress uniform for the first time in May 1903, on the occasion of a visit by King Edward VII to Edinburgh". No kilts though, as I imagine that kilts and saddles are not a comfortable combination. However, an an inquiry at the MilHist talk page has only muddied the water further, apparently a "kiltie" is a "decorative piece of leather added behind shoe laces to protect the tongue of shoes and boots". Alansplodge (talk) 16:29, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Huh. That can't be the only meaning, since it seems that many marching bands are called the Kilties (for instance Carnegie Mellon's). 199.208.172.35 (talk) 16:59, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Highland soldiers in general were called kilties, it seems: here's another song about them. Maybe Lauder was the first to apply it to the Scottish Horse, though – maybe "horse kilties" was a gag. Card Zero  (talk) 17:00, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Old Scottish children’s rhyme, sung at anyone wearing a kilt: "Kiltie kiltie cauld bum..." Alansplodge (talk) 09:08, 24 June 2022 (UTC)
 * kiltie (-y) or K. A Highland soldier: coll: from the late 1840s, orig Scottish. from A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (P. 646) Alansplodge (talk) 09:23, 24 June 2022 (UTC)

Conquistador governors help
I'm cross-posting my request for assistance on conquistador governors in seeking guidance on some of these articles. The gist (see wl above for full explanation) is that until the first Royal Audiencia I can't find much about anyone other than Chris Columbus, Diego C., and Cortes being given some official legal title to govern, or by what means power was held and shared and transferred by the early governors. Replies can be here on the Ref Desk. Thanks all. SamuelRiv (talk) 22:58, 22 June 2022 (UTC)