A sampling of my mind
Would you always, maybe sometimes
Make it easy, take your time
Ah, so my final exam is tomorrow, you know what that means? Vaguely related procrastination!
I've been memorizing and reading Medieval history today. I think my most successful technique is the one where I envision the facts in absurd and cartoonish ways, it hasn't failed me yet. The Treaty of Jaffa? Richard Lionheart and Saladin having a tea party (complete with stuffed animals and tiny furniture), eating brand cookies. Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille conquer Granada? Two flamenco dancers (one looking vaguely like Viggo Mortensen) create havoc in a British TV studio.
I also like to cast different actors as historical figures in my head and play out little scenes as I read. These are often influenced by which movies I've seen recently.
You're dying to know which is which, don't you?
Liev Schreiber as Clovis, first king of the Franks
After having seen the otherwise lacklustre new X-Men movie, come and tell me this guy wouldn't be perfect as a cunning and brutal Barbarian king who's first step towards problem-solving is "KILL EVERYBODY" every time. Plus, you know, they both have girlish-sounding names, it's perfect. Only in Norway Clovis is kalled Klodvig to add insult to injury.
Patrick Troughton as Pepin the Short, king of the Franks and Charlemagne's father
When I first came to think of this I realized what a pity it was that Troughton is slightly too dead to play the part. 170 centimeters of pure coup-d'etating cunning, it would have been epic.
David Wenham as Einhard, chronicler and dedicated servant of Charlemagne (also as Ethelred the Unready, king of the English)
Okay, so this might have something to do with the unrivaled love I hold for Einhard. The student sitting next to me in the library seemed to be puzzled by how I draw a little heart around Einhard's name everytime he pops up in my notes. In my mind Wenham also plays the part of Ethelred, because when you're that pathetic you need to look cute to be interesting.
Hugh Jackman as Charlemagne, king of the Franks, the Lombards and emperor of the Romans
The way these actors pop into my head is usually an organic process that happens while I read, but that didn't happen with Charlemagne, so when I was annoyed with just having an indistinct blob in my mind where Karl's face should be, I thought to myself: "Now, I need a tall playboy who looks like he might hold his own in melée combat..." Ding! Hugh Jackman. I'm not quite sure if it fits, he might be replaced, but damn if the Charlemagne/Einhard scenes wouldn't be hot.
Ian McKellen as Henry Plantagenet, King of England and father of Richard Lionheart
For some reason the conflict and subsequent murder on Thomas Beckett plays out just like a scene from The Godfather in my mind.
So these faces pop into my head when I read my history books. It seems it only happens with characters I'm not overly familiar with from pop culture, because I never find the need to cast someone as Richard Lionheart or Richard III or the likes. Thomas Beckett I've seen a statue of in the local museum, so that is that.
Dick Cheney as Urban II, Pope and instigator of the Crusades
This just happened by itself. I found I was completely unable to read about Pope Urban's speech about how those heathen muslims were eating babies and things without envisioning Dick Cheney in the role.
Alfred Molina as Bernard of Clairvaux, theologician and instigator of the Crusades (also as Edward the Confessor, king of the English and son of Ethelred the Unready)
In my mind Bernard is sort of sleazy in the very religious way. I think Molina could nail that.
Brian Blessed as Frederic Barbarossa, king of Germany and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
I. Have. No. Idea. My mind just tells me it's the way it's got to be.
Make it easy, take your time
Ah, so my final exam is tomorrow, you know what that means? Vaguely related procrastination!
I've been memorizing and reading Medieval history today. I think my most successful technique is the one where I envision the facts in absurd and cartoonish ways, it hasn't failed me yet. The Treaty of Jaffa? Richard Lionheart and Saladin having a tea party (complete with stuffed animals and tiny furniture), eating brand cookies. Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille conquer Granada? Two flamenco dancers (one looking vaguely like Viggo Mortensen) create havoc in a British TV studio.
I also like to cast different actors as historical figures in my head and play out little scenes as I read. These are often influenced by which movies I've seen recently.
You're dying to know which is which, don't you?
Liev Schreiber as Clovis, first king of the Franks
After having seen the otherwise lacklustre new X-Men movie, come and tell me this guy wouldn't be perfect as a cunning and brutal Barbarian king who's first step towards problem-solving is "KILL EVERYBODY" every time. Plus, you know, they both have girlish-sounding names, it's perfect. Only in Norway Clovis is kalled Klodvig to add insult to injury.
Patrick Troughton as Pepin the Short, king of the Franks and Charlemagne's father
When I first came to think of this I realized what a pity it was that Troughton is slightly too dead to play the part. 170 centimeters of pure coup-d'etating cunning, it would have been epic.
David Wenham as Einhard, chronicler and dedicated servant of Charlemagne (also as Ethelred the Unready, king of the English)
Okay, so this might have something to do with the unrivaled love I hold for Einhard. The student sitting next to me in the library seemed to be puzzled by how I draw a little heart around Einhard's name everytime he pops up in my notes. In my mind Wenham also plays the part of Ethelred, because when you're that pathetic you need to look cute to be interesting.
Hugh Jackman as Charlemagne, king of the Franks, the Lombards and emperor of the Romans
The way these actors pop into my head is usually an organic process that happens while I read, but that didn't happen with Charlemagne, so when I was annoyed with just having an indistinct blob in my mind where Karl's face should be, I thought to myself: "Now, I need a tall playboy who looks like he might hold his own in melée combat..." Ding! Hugh Jackman. I'm not quite sure if it fits, he might be replaced, but damn if the Charlemagne/Einhard scenes wouldn't be hot.
Ian McKellen as Henry Plantagenet, King of England and father of Richard Lionheart
For some reason the conflict and subsequent murder on Thomas Beckett plays out just like a scene from The Godfather in my mind.
So these faces pop into my head when I read my history books. It seems it only happens with characters I'm not overly familiar with from pop culture, because I never find the need to cast someone as Richard Lionheart or Richard III or the likes. Thomas Beckett I've seen a statue of in the local museum, so that is that.
Dick Cheney as Urban II, Pope and instigator of the Crusades
This just happened by itself. I found I was completely unable to read about Pope Urban's speech about how those heathen muslims were eating babies and things without envisioning Dick Cheney in the role.
Alfred Molina as Bernard of Clairvaux, theologician and instigator of the Crusades (also as Edward the Confessor, king of the English and son of Ethelred the Unready)
In my mind Bernard is sort of sleazy in the very religious way. I think Molina could nail that.
Brian Blessed as Frederic Barbarossa, king of Germany and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
I. Have. No. Idea. My mind just tells me it's the way it's got to be.