Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Galumphing is a VERB

colloquial: To stride along triumphantly
Etymology: 19c: coined by Lewis Carroll

"With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God." Acts 3:8

...some might even say "galumphing and praising God."

Here's the crazy poem that inspired it all... or at least, inspired me to call my blog "Galumphing".

"Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

1 comment:

Jeremy W. Johnston said...

My blog was inspired by the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll but I am currently exploring the life of C.S. Lewis. My students have often confuse C. S. Lewis with Lewis Carroll, so I feel the need to make a note distinguishing between them.

Lewis Carroll is the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the Jabberwocky poem, etc., whereas C.S. Lewis is the author of Narnia and Screwtape Letters, etc. Both men were scholars at Oxford and both men were associated with the Anglican Church. However, there are many notable distinctions. The first is that Lewis Carroll (Englishman) died in 1898 and C.S. Lewis (Irishman) was born in 1898. Also, Carroll was a contemporary of George Macdonald, whose writings had a significant impact of the later writings of both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Secondly, Lewis Carroll was a pen name for Charles Dodgson. If he went by Dodgson, there wouldn't be any mix-up! Lastly, Carroll's life and spiritual state is unclear; although I suspect much of the allegations associated with Carroll are mostly conjecture. On the contrary, I am personally, spiritually and intellectually intersted in the life of C. S. Lewis, whose spirituality is quite plain to any observer.