Chapter 1 - A New Beginning

I had this idea that in order to maintain some consistency and provide some basic insights regarding my male perspective during this "journey into the world of Outlander",  I would post my favorite quote, scene, and most surprising aspect for each chapter with a brief explanation and some additional comments.

Perhaps you would like to help create this blog's community and share your favorites in the comment section at the end of each post?

Favorite quote:

"You are not to play dolls with my Persian grave figurines. Anything else, but not that. Got it?" - Uncle Lamb

This is hilarious to me and just sounds like something that I would say to my inherited niece if I was unattached and focused on my work. To me it shows a professionally focused but tender way of "bonding" with his niece. I'll probably end up a grumpy old man (but hopefully with a good heart). It was cool to see him involve her in his work, and that she would become a well-traveled and knowledgeable woman.

Favorite scene:
When Frank related how he encountered the "ghost" outside Claire's window.

When I lived for a couple of years in England, I thought it would be cool to do some ghost hunting in some of the most historical places in the world. I had visited Borley Rectory in Essex, and when I was there, I coincidentally encountered some actual paranormal investigators who had permission to run tests on the nearby church building after hours. They shared stories of recorded voices and sounds of individuals walking about the church when it was locked at night, and alleged poltergeist vandalism of tossed Bibles and knocked over icons found the following morning.

There was also a local story of a murdered nun whose apparition on certain nights could supposedly could be seen on her routine vigil walking through the church yard. The strange thing is that she would appear to be walking about six inches off of the ground. It was explained that the level of the grade used to be at that height at the time she was alive. 

Those who had seen her said that it would appear that she was simply replaying the same events the same way, like a recording in time. She would have no influence from any observers or weather conditions, much like the Scotsman whom Frank sees outside Claire's window. Reading that just reminded me of the similarity of those descriptions. (And, no, I never personally witnessed any apparitions or ghostly events at Borley).

Most surprising elements:
1) I was amazed that the terms "outlander" and "sassenach" were introduced right here in the first chapter. No big deal, just surprising that these now-iconic terms show up so early in the story.

2) Frank describes the Druidic calendar, or "holy" days, which is essentially the Wiccan calendar still in use. (I just saw advertisements for a Beltane festival in recent weeks in my hometown).

3) Frank describes the practice of a sacrifice being killed when a home's foundation is laid, based on a local tradition "as old as the hills." This brought immediately to mind the quote, "He shall lay the foundations thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it," which is actually not from Gaelic tradition, but the Bible and while not as old as the hills, it does date back a very long way to about 3500 years ago and a specific event regarding the ancient Hebrews. It appears word-for-word in the King James Bible at Joshua 6:26 as a curse that Joshua pronounces on anyone who would take it upon themselves to rebuild the city of Jericho once God had destroyed it. This prophetic curse literally came to pass when Hiel the Bethelite did indeed rebuild Jericho, but it was at the expense of his firstborn son Abiram and his youngest son Segub in 1 Kings 16:34. It would not surprise me if, through the intervening ages, this truth morphed into the superstition described by Frank. Just goes to show how superstitions that run amok can affect whole cultures.

(Disclaimer: Double-check my "About" page for my background in Biblical studies; don't mean to come across too strong or freak anybody out...)

Do you have a favorite quote from the first chapter, or a favorite scene? Have any questions or comments based on my perspective above? Why not relate it and share in the comments below?