Facial scars: The original body mod
Michael Hartwell
Issue date: 2/13/06 Section: Style
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I have taken it upon myself to control the English language. Every two weeks or so, I am going to use this column space to direct the way people speak. I'm going to introduce and describe a somewhat-obscure subject and explain how it could be used as a metaphor. Then, for a grand finale, I'll have someone from the English department use it in a sentence. After that, the reins of UMaine's vernacular will fall into my hands.
Germany's Heidelberg University is credited with starting a bizarre fad around the beginning of the twentieth century. Fencing was a popular sport with the students and their equipment was different from ours. Fighters wielded sharp, heavy blades and wore metal armor on their chests and arms. The neck was wrapped with a thick cotton rope to protect the carotid artery and the eyes and ears were guarded by a pair of mesh goggles. However, as you may have guessed by the title, fencing wasn't the fad.
Thick, ghastly facial scars were the obvious consequence of this scenario. Students weren't put off by the disfigurements - they loved them. Pupils would tear open their fresh wounds and rub red wine into them to make them more noticeable.
Medical staff would be on hand at each duel, called a "mensur," and were instructed to do a poor job of sewing them back up. This became so popular that facial scars became a trademark of German aristocracy.
Look back to propaganda posters from the first World War and you'll find plenty of German faces with a slice missing. If you want to see a great example of a Heidelburg dueling scar, try Googling SS officer Otto Skorzeny. However, don't try to make an association between facial scars and the Third Reich. Hitler banned the duels when he came to power.
As for application as a metaphor, comparing something to a Heidelberg dueling scar is tricky. The ugly scar represented both academic prestige and a higher social order. Although the mark is hideous in nature, the scar becomes a badge of honor when viewed by someone who understands its context.
Frowning green faces on Rate My Professor are the Heidelberg dueling scars of the professorial set.-Prof. Steven Evans
Germany's Heidelberg University is credited with starting a bizarre fad around the beginning of the twentieth century. Fencing was a popular sport with the students and their equipment was different from ours. Fighters wielded sharp, heavy blades and wore metal armor on their chests and arms. The neck was wrapped with a thick cotton rope to protect the carotid artery and the eyes and ears were guarded by a pair of mesh goggles. However, as you may have guessed by the title, fencing wasn't the fad.
Thick, ghastly facial scars were the obvious consequence of this scenario. Students weren't put off by the disfigurements - they loved them. Pupils would tear open their fresh wounds and rub red wine into them to make them more noticeable.
Medical staff would be on hand at each duel, called a "mensur," and were instructed to do a poor job of sewing them back up. This became so popular that facial scars became a trademark of German aristocracy.
Look back to propaganda posters from the first World War and you'll find plenty of German faces with a slice missing. If you want to see a great example of a Heidelburg dueling scar, try Googling SS officer Otto Skorzeny. However, don't try to make an association between facial scars and the Third Reich. Hitler banned the duels when he came to power.
As for application as a metaphor, comparing something to a Heidelberg dueling scar is tricky. The ugly scar represented both academic prestige and a higher social order. Although the mark is hideous in nature, the scar becomes a badge of honor when viewed by someone who understands its context.
Frowning green faces on Rate My Professor are the Heidelberg dueling scars of the professorial set.-Prof. Steven Evans