Concepts

Poilu or Grognard?

Poilu (pronounced /pwaly/ in French) is a warmly informal term for a French World War I infantryman, meaning, literally, hairy one. The term came into popular usage in France during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte and his massive citizen armies, though the term grognard (grumbler) was also common. It is still widely used as a term of endearment for the French infantry of World War I. The word carries the twin sense of the infantryman’s typically rustic, agricultural background. Beards and bushy moustaches were often worn.

The image of the dogged, bearded French soldier was widely used in propaganda and war memorials. The stereotype of the Poilu was of bravery and endurance, but not always of unquestioning obedience. At the disastrous Chemin des Dames offensive of 1917 under General Robert Nivelle, they were said to have gone into no man’s land making baa’ing noises, parodying the idea that they were being sent as lambs to the slaughter. Outstanding for its mixture of horror and heroism, this spectacle proved a sobering one. As the news of it spread, the French high command soon found itself coping with a widespread mutiny. A minor revolution was only averted with the promise of an end to the costly offensive.

The last poilu from World War I was Pierre Picault. However, French authorities recognise Lazare Ponticelli as the dernier poilu, as he was the last veteran whose service met the strict official criteria.

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Saturday, January 24th, 2009 Concepts No Comments

The most interesting clock

Long Now Clock

Long Now Clock

I found this marvellous device a few years back and have been fascinated by it ever since.

There is something about it’s design that invokes the same kind of reaction in me that the Victorians would have had about the new technology of their day. It’s complexity (although much less than the average PC or space shuttle) is on display for all to see. Not hidden away by the matte black shell that had become the way of most technology these days.

I hope you like it as much as I do. Clockwork just speaks to me in a way that microprocessors could never do.

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Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 Concepts No Comments
 

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Date: 24/09/08Views: 26

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