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“I don't think that anyone should come away from this conversation not wanting to use the name Fiona. I think this is a beautiful and rich history. It might not be quite the history that you imagined, but I think it's a beautiful history," says writer and performer Harry Josie Giles. She and PhD researcher Moll Heaton-Callaway investigate this complicated name with fascinating history.
This is part two of a pair of episodes about the name Fiona; listen to part one first for part two to make sense, and to get some useful links about the subject matter. theallusionist.org/fiona1
EXTRA MATERIALS:
Both Josie and I relied heavily on Sharon Krossa's research into the etymology of Fiona; read it here.
Fionn “grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon”.
Just look this fancy Fiona Macleod book cover!
You can also read Fiona Macleod’s Tragic Romance volumes.
Speaking of problematic ‘Scottish’ culture: over on my other podcast VMI, Jenny Owen Youngs and I recapped the fever dream that is the Gene Kelly/Cyd Charisse 1954 film of Brigadoon. And yes, the female lead is called Fiona. Although that’s far from the only discrepancy in this thing. Listen at vmipod.com/brigadoon and in the podplaces.
Otherlusionist: for a bit of background on Scots language and the overwriting of Scottish culture, listen to the Oot in the Open episode from the ongoing Survival series..
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The Allusionist live show Your Name Here is happening in Toronto 11 December 2022
💫 theallusionist.org/events 💫
The Allusionist live show Your Name Here is happening in Toronto 11 December 2022 💫 theallusionist.org/events 💫
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
hyperbaton, noun, rhetoric: an inversion of the normal order of words, especially for emphasis, as in, “This I must see.”
Origin 16th century via Latin from Greek huperbaton, ‘overstepping’.
CREDITS:
Harry Josie Giles is a writer and performer whose verse novel Deep Wheel Orcadia just won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for science fiction book of the year! Find their work at harryjosephine.com and they are raising funds for trans healthcare costs. Get tickets for their online fundraising event Ouch! Zines Cut My Tits Off.
Moll Heaton-Callaway is a scholar of book history and gender identity and has written a PhD thesis about Fiona Macleod and William Sharp.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with editorial assistance from Martin Austwick who also provides the original Allusionist music. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch.
Find the Allusionist at facebook.com/allusionistshow, youtube.com/allusionistshow, instagram.com/allusionistshow, and twitter.com/allusionistshow and twitter.com/helenzaltzman while those are still extant.
