The Man Who Would Be King!
I was listening to my previously mentioned Joy of Science CD set when I stumbled upon a curious idea. The speaker was talking about some science dude from the good old US of A, though of course this dude's name actually eludes me. The speaker commented that though this guy did a something great for science, he had given himself the title of Lord (US citizens are title free, normally). Everyone at that time made fun of him, even the speaker on the CD set poked fun at this guy for giving himself the title of Lord. I didn't quite understand.
What is a Lord? Who gives out these titles? Why can one not start calling oneself Lord SomethingOrOther? Is it in the blood? Are Lords a different species than human? How would you spot a Lord in public? If you exhumed a hundred random bodies and included a Lord or two's bodies in the mix, could someone find the Lord? If not, then what is a Lord but an imaginary title, something that only exists in ones mind.
If I started calling myself Lord, what would be wrong with that? Do I need someone else to tell me that I can call myself Lord? Who would that person be? Why do I need that person to tell me that I can use the title Lord? What if that person told me in private that I can call myself Lord, but no one else was around to hear it, could I still use the title, or would people call me out?
How can someone give out titles to other people? It assumes that the title giver is giving out a title that is less than theirs, or else anyone could just hand out one of these nifty titles. So there is a top dog, and this top dog can say "You people, you are now bigger dogs than before, and I will let everyone know this, but I am still the top dog."
I really do not understand where these titles come from - it really seems so unreal. I guess I use a title, I have The in front of my name. Though, this wasn't something I thought of myself, someone else gave it to me. This person giving me the title of The is just as valid as someone giving someone else the title of Lord. Why not go out and Lord someone today!
The Edward
PS I actually have the title of Pope as well. I heard someone on Art Bell's show one night many years ago. He had his own church, and he clearly stated that everyone listen right then was now officially a Pope in his church! So, with the title of Pope, which seems to be a pretty high and mighty title, I hereby give all of my readers the title of Lord. Enjoy! And tell me how your friends and acquaintances treat you now that you call yourself Lord.
1 comment:
Well, the nobility can usually be found orbiting around kings/queens and their titles are "usually" hereditary BUT if you do something(read:something nasty the majesties don't want to do for themselves coz if it turns out wrong, the peon will be blamed and not their majesties) for the king/queen you can be rewarded with a title and then you work your way up to other titles if you didn't lose your head in the process. Their majesties might even make up a new family tree for you in the process.
Essex (Elizabeth I's younger boy-toy) indiscriminately knighted a bunch of men when he was making a mess in Ireland. He didn't have the authority but he thought he did.
And there were a lot of con men who were and still are wandering the globe calling themselves some fancy ass title to sucker in people who are suckers for a title
Nowadays you can call yourself pretty much whatever you want. If you have the gumption, the chutzpah, and the confidence to pull it off, get on with your titled self!
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