Esmeralda Illustration Image picture

19th century Illustration of Esmeralda

La Esmeralda’s name rather simply means Emerald in Spanish. Emerald in it of itself  originated from the Greek smaragdos meaning “green gem.”  In the book, Esmeralda’s name is an alias, she knows it’s not her real name but she thinks it’s pretty because  of it’s uniqueness. The reason she is known as La Esmeralda in the book is because of a green silk bag she wears around her neck that has a green glass gem on it that looks like an emerald. This bag is were she keeps her protective talisman, her baby shoe. Esmeralda could also have a connection to The Emerald Tablet, which is a hermetic Alchemist text. Frollo practiced hermetic.

Esmeralda’s true given name is Agnès.  Agnès means pure. Purity is an important facet of Esmeralda’s character as Phoebus is attracted to her innocence and Frollo is comforted by her purity. Agnès also is associated with lambs. This because it was the emblem  of Saint Agnes, who was young Roman virgin martyr. Lambs also the connotation for being sacrificial as well as being a tile for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John.

It is interesting to point out, that her green silk pouch, which her name Esmeralda comes from, protects her purity or her true name. The pouch also safeguards her only link to her true name, her baby shoe.

Every monday for a while, I will go behind the Hunchback character’s name to see hidden facets to their characters as indicated by their names or in some cases very apparent facets. Anyway, let’s start with Mr. Quasimodo.

Quasimodo Illustrtion Francois flameng

Illustration of Quasimodo

 

Quasimodo’s name is a sad pun within the book. Frollo found Quasimodo abandoned at Notre Dame on Low Sunday, the Sunday after Easter, also called Quasimodo Sunday.  The name Quasimodo for this Sunday comes from the Latin text of the traditional Intriot from this day. An Introit is part of the opening of the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist. The Intriot for Low Sunday begins with “Quasi modo geniti infantes…”  from 1 Peter 2:2.  It roughly translates to  “As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile…”  The “Quasi modo” part means “As if” in this instance.

Quasimodo in isolation roughly means “Almost merely” or “Merely Almost.” The name indicates Quasimodo’s deformity and that he almost looks like a human or is an approximation of human. The meaning “half-formed” isn’t correct but it’s  the right idea.

In the Disney version, in an effort to villainize Frollo, which considering he just kill a mother and almost committed infanticide wasn’t necessary, they claimed the name was cruel. It’s not a name that one should give to a child as the meaning isn’t all that nice but  it’s not cruelly given. Naming children for days was a common practice. Frollo didn’t mean it cruelly, it was the day and apt description of the child. It is a very brilliant pun.

Side Note – Low Sunday was also known as St Thomas Sunday, so I guess Quasimodo COULD have been called Thomas but that doesn’t have the pathos as Quasimodo.

I tend to go a bit mad when I decorate Christmas Cookies and here is my Cross-section of La Fidel from the stupid Hunchback Sequel to prove it.

La Fidel Cookie hunchback sequal

La Fidel Cookie

It’s an almond cookie for anyone who is curious.

Let us face facts, Disney is a super big company who likes making money and uses movies as commercial, and that is okay. What company isn’t out to make money? The real cash cow for Disney is the Princess Line. The Disney Princess line is really most known for dolls and dress up stuff. And while Disney Princess Baby Dolls are stupid, I do get where they logically come from as product. But what products outside the standard dolls and dress-up faire are the stupidest products that are available? (That rules out the blender.)  This is a list of 8 products from the Disney Princess line that I think are the most dumb in no order.

Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party Game

Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party Game picture image

Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party Game

Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party Game

Just say it the name of this out loud, Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party Game. There is  no hiding the dumbness here. It’s a cupcake game!

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Princess Royal Talking Camera

Disney Princess Royal Talking Camera picture image

Disney Princess Royal Talking Camera

Disney Princess Royal Talking Camera

A talking camera? Does Cinderella comment on  pictures of out of focus  flowers or does she remind you to turn the flash on?  Did mention that is  pearl necklace strap and the flash is a heart ……. no saving this concept from the dumb.

 

 

 

Disney Princess Enchanting Sing-Along Boombox

Disney Princess Enchanting Sing-Along Boombox  picture image

Disney Princess Enchanting Sing-Along Boombox

Disney Princess Enchanting Sing-Along Boombox

Oh this one. Hahahahahhaaa. It’s Boombox in the shape of a carriage. Who was high when they thought of this little gem of plastic?

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Princesses Dog Collar

Disney Princesses Dog Collar picture image

Disney Princesses Dog Collar

Disney Princesses Dog Collar

What? It’s bad enough they force this Princess crap on little girls now I have to force it on my dog. You’re Evil Disney, EVIL!

 

 

 

Disney Princess Garden Apron

Disney Princess Garden Apron  picture image

Disney Princess Garden Apron

Disney Princess Garden Apron

You gotta love how tacked on the Disney Princess is  on this apron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Disney Princess Waffle Maker

Pink Disney  Princess Waffle Maker picture image

Pink Disney Princess Waffle Maker

Pink Princess Waffle Maker

It doesn’t just make ordinary peasent waffles, no it makes enchanted Princess Waffles, which I’m sure taste batter. If you look at Cinderella they didn’t even fill in her skin. And why does the waffle look like a pancake?

 

 

 

Disney Princess Tiana Comfy Throw

Disney Princess Tiana Comfy Throw picture image

Disney Princess Tiana Comfy Throw

Disney Princess Tiana Comfy Throw

 

It’s a Disney Princess Snuggie……..  wow, Genius Disney.

 

 

 

 

Disney Step Stool

Disney Step Stool picture image

Disney Step Stool

Disney Princess Step Stool

It’s a Disney Princess Set Stool. A Step Stool! Who thinks of  these things. Why does a step stool need to princess-ify? Though there must be some pleasure on stepping on the Princess.

 

 

 

Which of these do you think is the dumbest Disney Princess Product?

Goya painting titled "Old Men"  picture image

Goya painting titled “Two Old Men Eating Soup”

This is a painting by Francisco Goya. It’s called “Two Old Men Eating Soup.” It’s one of Goya’s “Black Paintings” which is a series of paintings Goya painted between 1819 and 1823 while he lived at Quinta del Sordo (The House of the Deaf Man). It was originally painted on an interior wall of the house.

It’s a very unsettling painting but doesn’t it kind of remind you of Frollo and Quasimodo. Like Frollo is teaching Quasimodo about soup. I doubt that this painting and novel have any connection to each other, it’s just that figure on the right looks like it could be a dead-ringer for Quasimodo and  with a second old man that means Frollo.

It’s a creepy painting isn’t it?

 

 

Quasimodo’s Dream is a song from 1981 by  The Reels who were a Australian  New Wave band. This was cover by Gotye  and Perfect Tripod (SLAM) in March 2013. The song have been cover a few times. It’s considered a classic in Australia.

 

This is old news but it’s new to me, Emerald Green is the color of 2013, Esmeralda would be so happy. It also a very in color for fall.

So how you add this color in to your wardrobe and maintain some of the essences of Esmeralda? An Emerald Esmeralda so to speak.

here are a few nice options,

Tolani Women's Emerald Tunic Top pictue image

Tolani Women’s Emerald Tunic Top

 

 

Tolani Women’s Emerald Tunic Top I really love this tunic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pattern on this reminds me the Notre Dame de Paris Esmeralda costume.

 

Columbia Women's Arcadia Rain Jacket picture image

Columbia Women’s Arcadia Rain Jacket

 

 

 

Columbia Women’s Arcadia Rain Jacket

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mango Women's Embossed Belt Dress picture image

Mango Women’s Embossed Belt Dress

 

 

 

Mango Women’s Embossed Belt Dress

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus

Fall is the season for Renfaires

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Clopin in the 1982 version is a lot more ruthless, cut-throat, and practical than he is other versions.

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

He has no sense of merriment to him. Instead he is all about getting money by stealing methods and using his authority as king. He uses Esmeralda as distraction to steal and for all intended purposes threatens her when she refuses to dance. He also doesn’t like being question at all by anyone.

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

He has a protective streak in a practical way in that he wants to secure the longevity of the people of the Court of Miracles. He doesn’t want to save Esmeralda from Notre Dame at first because Esmeralda is protected there and fed so he counts her lucky. He does want to save when she being threaten from the suspension of sanctuary.

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

David Suchet as Clopin, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

He does all the usual Clopin tasks but he’s pragmatic and very joy-less in way he conduces himself.

Next 1982 article costumes

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

What Aspect of the Hunchback do you like?

Frollo stares at Esmeralda's chest for 15 seconds (Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Maureen O'Hara) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo stares at Esmeralda’s chest for 15 seconds, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Maureen O’Hara, 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

At first for me it was Frollo and how he responded to Esmeralda. His internal conflict about purity versus his baser instinct I thought was interesting and her being to shallow to really care.  But I also liked how Esmeralda impacts lots of different men and differently they react to her.

But what for you do you like from the story or do you find interesting about The Hunchback of Notre Dame?

Salad Fingers, picture image

Salad Fingers

A few weeks ago I had the displeasure of watching all nine episodes of Salad Fingers with a friend of mine. Salad Fingers is a post-apocalyptic psychological horror Flash cartoon series originally created by British cartoonist David Firth in July 2004. It  gain rapid popularity in 2005.  Watching all the episodes in a single sitting messes with your head so don’t watch if you haven’t already, don’t watch.

However, it is eerily addictive but what really struck me is that Salad Fingers seem to the sick amalgamation of Frollo and Quaismodo. Like he’s Frollo and Quasimodo’s love child.   I mean he has hunchback, one eye that is larger than the other and a weird naivity but also there is sick, sick weird sexual aspect to him and he’s just bat-shit insane.  All in all it’s a weird thing.