History of the Day: 11/11

On this day in 1215, the 4th Lateran Council defined the doctrine of transubstantiation (saying the bread and wine of the Eucharist literally are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ). This is in oposition to other theories, such as memorialism, consubstantiation, transignification, impanation and ationation. In other religious history, Anglican bishop John Atherton pressured the Irish House of Commons to pass An Act for the Punishment for the Vice of Buggery in 1634 which is really fun to say.

On this day in 1911, the 11/11/11 cold wave broke record highs and lows across the midwest. In Sprinfield, it went from 80 °F to 13 °F, a difference of 67 °F, in one day. One resident commented, "D'oh!"

Søren Kierkegaard died on this day in 1855. He was a proto-existentialist of sorts, saying that all humans (who are aware) face a kind of dread of the nameless unknown. The only solution, he thought, was to fling oneself from the cliff of despair, a blind leap of faith, in the hope that God would catch you. He also believed that Truth, while objectively true, is (for us) entirely subjective. I would go through some of his arguments, but his writing is sometimes obscure. Here is one of the opening passages from his Sickness Unto Death:

A human being is spirit. But, what is spirit?
Spirit is the self. But, what is the self?
The self is the relation that relates itself to itself
OR
Is the relation's relating itself to itself in the relation;
The self is not the relation
But is the relation's relating itself to itself.

Right on! Liliuokalani, last queen of Hawaii, died on this day in 1917. In a fit of humanity, Grover Cleveland tried to reinstate her to the throne after European and American business interests deposed her. But they ignored the command of the president and, eventually, we got our 5oth state and, eventually, 44th president. Liliuokalani, in addition to being queen, was an author and composer. You might recognize her song Aloha 'Oe. She also played guitar, piano, organ, 'ukulele and zither.

She didn't, however, play banjo. But David "Stringbean" Akeman, who died on this day in 1973, was.

Today is Veterans Day. It used to be Armistice Day, commemorating the end of WWI (with the war officially ending on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month), but was expanded to remember all those who have served this country in the armed forced. In an interesting twist, two other militarily significant events occured on this day. In 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman began his march to the sea by burning Atlanta, GA to the ground. It was immortalized in this poem by Melville and this song by Henry Clay Work, although Sherman hated it because they always played it at public appearances he attended. Kind of the Stairway to Heaven of Civil War songs (lyrics).

Hurrah! Hurrah! we bring the jubilee!
Hurrah! Hurrah! the flag that makes you free!
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea
While we were marching through Georgia.

Finally, today is the feastday of St. Martin of Tours and the beginning of St. Martin's Lent (an early version of Advent). Martin was a soldier during the reign of Julian. He was in the process of converting when he came upon a beggar. The beggar was cold, so he took his sword and sliced his cloak in two, giving half to the beggar. That night, he dreamed of Christ wearing half the cloak. He immediately rushed out to be baptized. This poem (which I did not write, but can't remember who did) regards this event:

Lesson for Beginners

Martin of Tours,
When he earned his shilling
Trooping the flags
Of the Roman Guard
Came on a poor
Aching and chilling
Beggar in rags
By the barracks yard.

Blind to his lack,
The Guard went riding.
But Martin a moment
Paused and drew
The coat from his back,
His sword from hiding,
And sabered his raiment
Into two.

Now some who muse
On the allegory
Affect to find
It a pious joke;
To the beggar what use,
For Martin what glory
In deed half-kind
And part of a cloak?

Still, it has charm
And a point worth seizing.
For all who move
In the mortal sun
Know halfway warm
Is better than freezing
As half a love
Is better than none.

Then, he quit the army, saying

I am a soldier of Christ and I cannot fight.

He was promptly jailed. He volunteered to go, unarmed, before the enemy, but they sued for peace before he was able to. The event is captured in this painting by Simone Martini. To the left, in the Roman camp with Emperor Julian, we see a group of soldiers and the treasurer distributing money to the mercenaries. To the right, waiting for the battle, behind the hill, we see the barbarian army with their armour and their spears. St. Martin (still a knight, but carrying a cross and shown in the act of blessing) is looking towards the Emperor but walking towards the enemy.

Interestingly, the word "chaplain" comes from "cape" and refers to the shrine where St. Martin's sliced cloak was kept.  When my brother, formerly a chaplain in the SC national guard, was sent to Afghanistan, I wrote this song for him based on the life of St. Martin.