[Elfsea] Purple and red

[Marsh, Vicki]

Thank you for getting the literary reference!!!

Well, I do like to wear purple already, and I have this nifty red hat with
white fur and ermine spots on it that I get to wear.  I also bought some red
fezes at Gulf War that look pretty cool:)

There is also an oblique reference to wearing purple - actually a dark
reddish purple - that the nobility of Constantinople wore - made from the
murex shells.  The nobility were also said to be "born to the purple" or
Porphrygenitus.  The halls of the palace were made of a purplish marble
called poryphery (I think - no books handy to look it up).  I got to see an
urn made out of this beautiful marble when I went to Dumbarton Oaks
University in D.C. several years ago.

Mistress Xene.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jane Sitton [mailto:jane.sitton at radioshack.com]
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 10:26 AM
To: 'elfsea at ansteorra.org'
Subject: RE: [Elfsea] Happy Birthday


There are even clubs now of older ladies who wear purple and red hats... I
think I heard somewhere that if you are a junior member, you have to wear
blue and a pink hat, or some such.

And you are not so old, Padraig.  Logan is older than you.

Madelina

-----Original Message-----
From: Padraig O'Maolagain [mailto:padraig_ruad at irishbard.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 11:32 PM
To: elfsea at ansteorra.org
Subject: RE: [Elfsea] Happy Birthday


Maria wrote:

>Purple? I would love have a little history lesson here. Why purple?
>

How many others recognized (and smiled at) Xene's reference to the following
poem?

WARNING
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens . . .
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
--------------------------------------------------------

Xene, when you are twice your present age, I shall still be older than you.
:)  But I'll bet we will both still remember The Moose Song.

Happy Birthday and many happy returns of the day.

Padraig
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