History of the golem legend
Jan. 5th, 2014 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nancylebovAn extensive history of many versions-- includes labor relations, intellectual property, and exact measurement (possibly a bit of a novelty in 1200*), not the mention the many changes a basic idea can go through.
Contrary to modern tastes, while some golems were made to protect Jewish communities from anti-Semites, there are no descriptions of what the golems actually did.
And also the history of the Chelm stories, which I didn't realize were recycled German folk tales, nor that Chelm was an actual town.
*actually not yet standard practice worldwide-- Cooks Illustrated the Science of Good Cooking starts off with an explanation of why it's important to measure by weight, not volume. Volume is still standard in American recipes, but how you scoop your flour can affect how much is in a cup by 13%.
Contrary to modern tastes, while some golems were made to protect Jewish communities from anti-Semites, there are no descriptions of what the golems actually did.
And also the history of the Chelm stories, which I didn't realize were recycled German folk tales, nor that Chelm was an actual town.
*actually not yet standard practice worldwide-- Cooks Illustrated the Science of Good Cooking starts off with an explanation of why it's important to measure by weight, not volume. Volume is still standard in American recipes, but how you scoop your flour can affect how much is in a cup by 13%.
