William Shakespeare - Charles Lamb - William Cowper - Strange Rituals TV - Extraordinary Rituals TV - Barneys, Books & Bust-Ups TV - In Search of … TV - Nelson: Britain’s Great Naval Hero TV -
Why, what is pomp, rule, reign, but earth and dust? William Shakespeare, Richard Duke of York V ii 27
Throw away respect, tradition, form and ceremonious duty. The Hollow Crown: Henry IV part I 2012 starring Jeremy Irons & Tom Hiddleston & Alun Armstrong & Joe Armstrong & John Ashton & Will Attenborough & Conrad Asquith & Simon Russell Beale & David Beames & Jim Bywater & Alexandra Clatworthy et al, director Richard Eyre
The imminent decay of wrested pomp. William Shakespeare, King John IV iii 155, Bastard to Hubert
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies. William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar II ii 13, Calpurnia to Caesar
When love begins to sicken and decay
It useth an enforced ceremony. ibid. IV ii 20-21, Brutus
No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp. William Shakespeare, Hamlet III i 56, Hamlet
Ceremony was but devised at first
To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, sorry ere ’tis shown. William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens I ii 14-16, Timon
Ceremony is an invention to take off the uneasy feeling which we derive from knowing ourselves to be less the object of love and esteem with a fellow-creature than some other person is. It endeavours to make up, by superior attentions in little points, for that invidious preference which it is forced to deny in the greater. Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia 1823
Ceremony leads her bigots forth, prepared to fight for shadows of no worth. While truths, on which eternal things depend, can hardly find a single friend. William Cowper
Rituals are thresholds from one stage of life to another. They can break open the mind. And reshape our bodies. Secret, sacred, transforming. The rites of passage. Strange Rituals: Rites of Passage, H2 2016
From earliest recorded history humans have used initiation rites to make different stages of life. Initiations are rituals design to permanently change a person’s role in society. Often they also change appearance. ibid.
All around the world we perform rituals from familiar customs to extreme initiations. Rituals help us mark the most important moments in our lives. Extraordinary Rituals: Circle of Life, BBC 2018
We’ll explore the extraordinary rituals that surround birth. ibid.
In the Amazon a family performs sacred rituals to protect its newborn child. ibid.
We still choose to come together for ceremonies in vast numbers. Extraordinary Rituals: Great Gatherings
In the mountains of Japan 2,000 men create a waterfall of fire in a ritual of spiritual renewal. ibid.
We’ll explore why we hang on to ancient rituals in a modern world. Extraordinary Rituals: Changing World
In Australia an ancient ceremony helps protect the oldest surviving culture on Earth. ibid.
Jainism: An act of self-sacrifice which is why in her ultimate test of faith every hair on her head will be plucked out by hand. ibid.
The Mann-Booker Prize is one of the most coveted literary awards in the world. Prize night is the most hotly anticipated event in the literary calendar. Winning is life changing. Barneys, Books & Bust-Ups, BBC 2018
The Booker has always been a magnet for scandal. ibid.
From humble beginnings in the late 1960s this prize revolutionised the sleepy world of literary fiction. This is a tale of fierce rivalries, bruised egos and most importantly of all countless brilliant books. ibid.
‘Posh bingo is what Julian Barnes called it.’ ibid. Peter Staus, literary agent
Why did this ancient people built such elaborate ceremonial complexes? In Search of s2e4 … Mayan Mysteries, 1978
The River Thames, January 1806: All of London has turned out to witness the most elaborate funeral procession in living memory. A broken body is being escorted home with the pomp and ceremony usually reserved for royalty. The man who three months ago gave his life in his hour of triumph at the Battle of Trafalgar is laid to rest with a state funeral at St Paul’s cathedral. And in this moment, Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson becomes a cult figure, representing for many victory and glory. Nelson: Britain’s Great Naval Hero, Channel 5 2020