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"Click, Ben" <[log in to unmask]>
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 13:52:17 -0400
text/plain (67 lines)
The Explanatory Notes from the MTP critical edition references Columbus,
suggesting that Hank was recalling Washington Irving's account of Columbus
exploiting the eclipse.  It also mentions Lou Budd's *Mark Twain Social
Philosopher *that references H. Rider Haggard's *King Solomon's Mines* as
the the source.  There's also a mention of Howard Baetzhold's *Mark Twain
and John Bull*

On Mon, Aug 14, 2017 at 9:37 AM, William Robison <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> There is a fairly well known story that the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh
> predicted both the solar eclipse of June 16, 1806 and the New Madrid
> Earthquake of December 16, 1811, and used this to convince the Shawnee the
> gods supported war against the white man. One version of the story says
> Tecumseh knew about the eclipse in advance because he had seen it forecast
> in an almanac.
>
> I have read speculation that Twain drew upon this story for the scene in *A
> Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court *in which Hank Morgan out-wizards
> Merlin by predicting a solar eclipse.
>
> Does anyone on the list know if there is evidence to support that?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Bill
>
> --=20
> William B. Robison, PhD
> Department Head / Professor of History
> Department of History and Political Science
> Southeastern Louisiana University
> SLU 10895
> Hammond LA 70402
> 985-549-2109 phone
> 985-549-2012 fax
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/depts/hist_ps/index.html
> http://www.tudorsonfilm.com/
> http://www.impairedfaculties.com/
>
> History teaches students to read intelligently, think analytically, write
> clearly, accurately assess past trends, rationally predict future
> developments, and understand the real world. Now *that* is workforce-ready!
>
> History does offer us very real lessons, but they are seldom simple and
> straightforward. To understand and benefit from them, you have to know your
> history very well. That is why history matters as much as math, science,
> technology, or any other subject.
>
> "A young horse is fast, but an old horse knows what's going on." =E2=80=93
> =
> Muddy
> Waters
>



-- 
Ben Click
Professor, English
Director, Writing & Speaking Center
Director, Twain Lecture Series on
American Humor and Culture
(240) 895-4253
St. Mary's College of Maryland

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