|
The "Sirens" episode takes place in the Ormond hotel (the Concert Room, and the bar where Miss Douce and Miss Kennedy are serving). The Linati scheme for the chapter includes the correspondences Sirens - Barmaids; Isle - Bar. Sirens are beautiful maidens who lure sailors to their deaths with song. This engraving (1886) shows the Sirens imploring Ulysses to stay. Notice the human bones next to them! |
|
"Bronze by gold, Miss Douce's head by Miss Kennedy's head, over the crossblind of the Ormond bar heard the viceregal hoofs go by, ringing steel." (U11.64) |
|
"- O greasy eyes! Imagine being married to a man like that, she cried. With his bit of beard!
Douce gave full vent to a splendid yell, a full yell of full woman, delight, joy, indignation. - Married to the greasy nose! she yelled." (U11.169) |
|
"Married to Bloom, to greaseabloom.
- O saints above! Miss Douce said, sighed above her jumping rose. I wished I hadn't laughed so much. I feel all wet. - O, Miss Douce! Miss Kennedy protested. You horrid thing! And flushed yet more (you horrid!), more goldenly." (U11.180) |
|
"By Cantwell's offices roved Greaseabloom, by Ceppi's virgins, bright of their oils. Nannetti's father hawked those things about, wheedling at doors as I. Religion pays. Must see him for that par. Eat first. I want. Not yet. At four, she said. Time ever passing. Clockhands turning. On. Where eat? The Clarence, Dolphin. On." (U11.185) |
|
"He fingered shreds of hair, her maidenhair, her mermaid's, into the bowl." (U11.222)
A mermaid, in a fantasy period PC from France. |
|
"Girlgold she read and did not glance. Take no notice. She took no notice while he read by rote a solfa fable for her, plappering flatly:
- Ah fox met ah stork. Said thee fox too thee stork: Will you put your bill down inn my troath and pull upp ah bone?" (U11.246) |
|
"Hair streaming: lovelorn. For some man. For Raoul." (U11.300) |
|
"He eyed and saw afar on Essex bridge a gay hat riding on a jauntingcar." (U11.302)
A Jaunting-car (or Outside Car) is a light two-wheeled carriage for a single horse. It usually seats four persons placed back to back, with the foot-boards projecting over the wheels. |
|
The Jaunting Car was a popular mode of transportation in 19c. Dublin. There are several songs celebrating 'The Irish Jaunting Car' such as reproduced on this PC. The oldest I came across was written in the 1850s by the American entertainer Valentine Vousden; its tune was later borrowed for the Confederate song 'Bonnie Blue Flag;' it is listed in 'Beadle's Dime Song Book' from 1860. |
|
"A duodene of birdnotes chirruped bright treble answer under sensitive hands. Brightly the keys, all twinkling, linked, all harpsichording, called to a voice to sing the strain of dewy morn, of youth, of love's leavetaking, life's, love's morn." (U11.323) |
|
"Lenehan still drank and grinned at his tilted ale and at Miss Douce's lips that all but hummed, not shut, the oceansong her lips had trilled. Idolores. The eastern seas." (U11.377) |
|
"Quavering the chords strayed from the air, found it again, lost chord, and lost and found it, faltering." (U11.407) |
|
"- Sonnez!
Smack. She let free sudden in rebound her nipped elastic garter smackwarm against her smackable woman's warmhosed thigh. - La cloche! cried gleeful Lenehan. Trained by owner. No sawdust there." (U11.412) Sawdust, as I learned from the Police Gazette (1880), was used to make paddings called 'symmetries'. They were worn mostly by stage performers, both female (legs) and male (shoulder and thighs), to enhance their figure. The smacking sound of Miss Douce's garter against her thigh is evidence that there is No sawdust there. |
|
"- How do you do, Mr Dollard?
- Eh? How do? How do? Ben Dollard's vague bass answered, turning an instant from Father Cowley's woe. He won't give you any trouble, Bob. Alf Bergan will speak to the long fellow. We'll put a barleystraw in that Judas Iscariot's ear this time." (U11.435) |