Glancing over the flap copy I paused at this bit in the writer's bio: The author Laurence Gardner is "a Knight Templar of St. Anthony and Prior of Sacred Kindred of St. Columba." Moreover, at least one of his books has been a bestseller. I'm thinking maybe there's a connection
SO WHY HAVE I BEEN IGNORING MY OWN ESOTERIC CREDENTIALS, since my novels are all mystical adventures?
Here is my tenuous connection--based on my internet research--and you may well see this info noted on my next dust jacket.
My name Payne is a variation on the name Payen, etc. It comes from the word "pagan" and originally referred not to a family group but to the people in the British Isles who hid out in the boondocks (le pays) when the Romans arrived. These were the folks who didn't like being taken over and organized. So it's no wonder that I and most of my relatives are bull-headed, given to flights of fancy, and self-employed.
NOW HERE'S THE HEADLINE ITEM: The first recorded use of the name for a particular individual was Hugh de Payen (sometimes written Payens or Pagen)who was FOUNDER OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
Not that I've tracked down any kinship to Sir Hugh.
Nonetheless, I mean to mention this name thing prominently when COBALT BLUE comes out. Seriously. I think the Knights Templar founder will CONNECT me with readers who would like my work.
5 comments:
Well I learned something today! Never knew the pagans were the original Britons who fled to the Celtic fringe when the Romans came calling. I'll look out for your book, Templar connection or no.
Well, that's what I've found in my not-very-scholarly on-line research. I hope it's true. I like the idea. I have some interest in the Celts in France as well, since I visited the ruin of a Celtic village that is in the immense dirt basement of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
I've started a novel set in Brittany, where most of those folks landed and left so many Stonehenge type structures. But another project has intervened and I won't get back to that story for a bit.
Thanks for visiting. Come again. I like your blog.
My office partner's 20-something son is a classical musician in Brussels, so I hear a bit about that part of the world.
Peggy, I'm just getting started reading this blog, can't wait to have you talk about some of this at the Spring Conference. My question is: TELL ME MORE ABOUT "the ruin of a Celtic village that is in the immense dirt basement of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. " I'm going to Paris in a few weeks. I wanna see that! It sounds like the underpinnings of some great tragedy, and reminds me of a church in Rome that is 3 layers deep, going back to bull worshippers.
Hi Marjorie, I'm looking forward to speaking at your conference.
About the Celtic site: Paris was named for this tribe called the Parisii. It's really more under the plaza of Notre Dame than the building itself. Bob and I scuffed around in the dust down there a few years ago. It sure felt different from Paris topside.
There's more info and at least one photo (of a later ruin on the site) at http://www.allthingsjacq.com/photography_essay_20050206.html and a slightly longer account at a site I'm going to leave in my next comment (because I need to leave this page to get the address.)
Okay, here's the other address:
http://www.economist.com/cities/findStory.cfm?city_id=PAR&folder=Facts-History
It's the website of The Economist magazine, not where I'd expect to find Celtic history. But I've certainly found other interesting tidbits in the print version.
If anybody finds a more extensive source on this ruin and its history, please do post it here. I'd like to know. Thanks.
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