Book Group Online - The Gathering Night

#16

3rd June 2009, 01:45 PM

tom.allison tom.allison is offline

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“Did you ever feel frustrated by the lack of concrete evidence as to how your characters lived and communicated or did you simply feel that, as an author, this allowed you more freedom to create a fictional world?”

and

But I was brought up short by the use of the word 'rape'. Despite being derived from the Latin rapere this seems to me to be a modern word. I wondered whether these peoples would have another way of describing it. Was the choice of language spoken by the peoples a major part of your considerations in the construction of the story?

I am sure this was one of the most difficult (if not THE) decisions for the author to make, along with actual "concepts" e.g. would the concept of rape exist in an early society? or the concept of other "humans" "gods or GOD"
"family". It is possible to extend the ideas such as Maternal Instinct and Survival Instinct from the animal kingdom, but how far will these have progressed /developed in the time period?

There are, indeed, a lot of challanges facing an author brave enough to try and actualise a period of which we have so little information. I must say that I think Margaret has succeeded remarkably well.
Bravo!

#17

3rd June 2009, 01:55 PM

canongatebooks canongatebooks is offline

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Hi all, I've passed on your questions to Margaret, so I'm sure she'll be in contact soon!

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#18

3rd June 2009, 02:11 PM

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Meg said she would highlight in Bold print all the questions. I notice that Kimberley's two questions have not be treated in this manner. Can we highlight them - or have you picked them up already Andrea? I would love to know the answers to both.

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#19

4th June 2009, 05:34 AM

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Just finished and ralise I am probably a little late with questions. However I would like to know why the "chapters" were headed with "xxxxx said" this rang very wrong with me and would have felt more comfortable with just a name or with the speaker introducing themselves at the beginning of each part of the story. eg "I, whoever, remember.......2

It is a minor point but it irritated me.
On the whole tho I enjoyed the book, it is the sort of thing I would read and found it easy to get into. I found echoes of later mythology such as Herne the hunter and the wild hunt in the scenes where the go betweens spoke to the animals and the hunting of Basajaun.
The question raised around rape didnt strike me particuarly in fact seemed to fit well, the importance of "family" and the continuation of names would mean that it would be important for a woman to know who fathered her child and any confusion over parenthood could lead to the child not being "recognized".

However I did feel that some modern concepts were being placed in a society that would not have had need for them.

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#20

4th June 2009, 07:51 AM

canongatebooks canongatebooks is offline

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Margaret's asked if I'd post her answers on her behalf, so here goes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barblue

I loved the way places are descriptively named and some of the activities explained in great detail. But I was brought up short by the use of the word 'rape'. Despite being derived from the Latin rapere this seems to me to be a modern word. I wondered whether these peoples would have another way of describing it. Was the choice of language spoken by the peoples a major part of your considerations in the construction of the story?

Margaret says:

Quote:

Yes, I thought a lot about language. We don’t have a clue what language Mesolithic people in Scotland (or, indeed, anywhere) spoke. There are no voices from that time at all. I aimed at a language that used short words rather than long (in English, usually Anglo-Saxon – but, as you have observed, not always - rather than Latinate) and short sentence structure, but I allowed my people to be rich in imagery. Most hunter gatherer peoples are great story tellers, and it’s likely that these Mesolithic people would have been sophisticated in simile and metaphor. I reckon they would have been pretty straight talkers too, not given to euphemism. If rape existed – and sad to say it’s not only a modern phenomenon - then I think they’d have a dead straight word for it – like ‘rape’. I don’t think the English language offers anything clearer than that.

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#21

4th June 2009, 07:54 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tagesmann

To answer your question Barblue I think it was because his name wasn't going to live on. Is that right Margaret?

Margaret says:

Quote:

Yes, that’s just about it. Basajaun, though not everyone’s cup of tea, has changed status through becoming part of the hunt. He has been hunted as if he were an animal – in fact he’s taken on the status of the animal that gives itself. So after his death he’s treated as an animal – with honour and respect. The death of Basajaun isn’t a murder in the eyes of the Auk people – his spirit lives on – just as the hunted animals’ spirit lives on – and as you say, his name will live among the Auk people. But the nameless cousin – the last thing the Auk men want is any part of him to remain to haunt them. They need to wash away every trace of him. It’s immaterial if he’s morally innocent; this isn’t about individual justice. It’s about keeping away bad spirits and protecting the people.

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#22

4th June 2009, 07:55 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimberley

My question concerns creating the time period. I'm curious about how much research the author did, and was it from visiting the areas she's writing about, or reading scientific evidence about stoneage Scotland?

Also, the blurb likens the story to a parable about contemporary climate change. Is that an aspect of the story that the author was conscious of as she was writing?

Margaret says:

Quote:

I wasn’t thinking about contemporary climate change when writing the story, but I was deeply interested in how hunter gatherer peoples relate to their environment. The further I got into it, the more I respected their way of doing things. Perhaps subliminally I was writing out of frustration about the mess we’re making in comparison to them, but I didn’t plan a parable. Probably the last person you should ask about authorial intention is the author!

Regarding your first question: yes, I did loads of research. I always find that a very satisfying part of the process. I read all I could about Mesolithic studies, and went on two Mesolithic digs in Scotland. I read other did reports, form England, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, for example, of Mesolithic discoveries far more extensive than any remains we have in Scotland. I’ve always enjoyed practical archaeology, though I’m not an archaeologist. I also went to all the places where my characters go – not so difficult as with some novels I’ve written, as it’s mainly located on the west coast of Scotland and the inner Hebrides, apart from the tsunami on the east coast and the journey west in Chapter 2. I studied lots of ethnographic parallels – other hunter gatherer societies in historical times. I drew on my own travels among the Inuit and Sami peoples. I also did quite a bit of hands-on research – making a coracle for example, and paddling it. I talked to hunters, stalkers, wildfowlers, bee keepers, basket makers, flint knappers etc etc. I really enjoy that part of it. I also read as much as I could about shamanistic religions, which are strongly associated with hunter gatherer societies.

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#23

4th June 2009, 07:57 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by blithe_spirit

Did you ever feel frustrated by the lack of concrete evidence as to how your characters lived and communicated or did you simply feel that, as an author, this allowed you more freedom to create a fictional world?

Margaret says:

Quote:

At first I was drawn to the great gap of silence that surrounds Mesolithic Scotland – no voices, no records, and precious little evidence. But as with all subjects, the more you look, the more you find out. Mesolithic experts have amassed much more evidence than most people guess. Having said that – yes, there are great gaps. And as a novelist you have to fill them in – you can’t say “There was a character but we have no idea what her name was. We don’t know who her family were, or where she lived, or what she ate for breakfast. I have no idea what she thought about.” You’ve got to commit yourself, but my aim is to make the made-up bits as likely as possible, and that’s what the research is all for.

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#24

4th June 2009, 07:59 AM

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Tagesman, I missed your question first time round (silly me), so I've sent it to Margaret this morning!

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#25

4th June 2009, 10:47 AM

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I'd like to thank Margaret on behalf of BGO for taking the time to provide these answers and to engage so positively with her readers. It is greatly appreciated and I have no doubt will encourage others who visit the site to try this book.

#26

5th June 2009, 11:51 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tagesmann

What was the resolution to Kemen's dilemma? Was is simply that all People are the same family?

Margaret says:

Quote:

I don’t think the issue was totally resolved, either by the Auk people or any people since… The way I see it, the people in my book have to balance identity against xenophobia; hospitality, and the need to intermarry, against maintaining their boundaries against threats from outside. In the end I guess the only answer is to keep on negotiating. Zigor realised he’d extracted an impossible promise from Kemen – Kemen couldn’t guarantee how or where Lynx names would live on. No individual can control that. Kemen’s fear is that he’ll be punished – cast out, perhaps – for promising the impossible. In the end he’s let off the hook. Lynx names will grow wherever they can, rather like ground elder (I’ve just been weeding the garden). The identity of different peoples merges and changes, either peacefully or violently. It would be nice if all People saw themselves as one family, but sadly I don’t think they do, and I doubt if they ever did.

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#27

28th June 2009, 07:01 PM

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I've now finished this book and although it did take me a while to get through it I think I did enjoy it. I did find it difficult to relate to any of the characters as obviously the world in which they live is totally different from anything I've ever known.

The go-betweens puzzled me for a while - I'm still not entirely sure I understand what they are. There were also parts that completely revolted me -

Spoiler:

I'm completely amazed that Margaret Elphinstone could write about something so unknown, she must have done a huge amount of research.

On the whole I think I enjoyed the book but I did find it difficult to battle with whilst reading it recuperating from surgery. Perhaps something more light hearted would have been more suitable. I would like to read it again under different circumstances and may well do so.

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