From: Terry W. Colvin (fortean1@mindspring.com)
Date: Sun Dec 01 2002 - 16:45:17 MST
> Kelly Konfessed;
> Yep! But is there a dictionary-type definition anywhere [of "forteana"]?
> I can't find one (not in any dictionaries I have here).
> Is it in the OED?
Barbara babbles;
It is. The OED rather narrowly defines "forteana" as the noun of
"Fortean (adj) relating to or denoting paranormal phenomena".
Personally I define forteana as; the study of the anomalous - be it
phenomena, behaviour, animals, people, places, or things.
Once under the influence a dentist's morphine I defined it as "the Big
Picture printed on a mobius strip" - which seemed perfectly sensible at
the time ;-)
And while I admire the simplicity of Rachel's definition, I can be
somewhat more prudish, and would bowlderise it to "wierd stuff".
Barbara
--------------------
Going where others have gone before....some whom we may disagree with....
________
The study of weirdness - or at least, of 'anomalous phenomena' - is known as
Forteana after its grande dame, the late great Charles Fort. Fort's books,
published in the nineteenth century, covered a wide range of phenomena
including strange animals, weird science, freaks, lights in the sky, and all
the other bizarre stuff you can imagine.
Unlike many scientists (both then and now), Fort refused to theorise without
evidence. While Forteana is generally a poor-relation science, it still
remains (in my opinion) both an example of the Scientific Method at its
finest, and a marvellous breeding-ground for cranks and nutters.
The British magazine Fortean Times is one of the best Fortean publications
on the market; broad, impartial coverage and a funky layout make this
surprisingly intelligent magazine a joy to read.
http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/glossary.htm
___________
FORTEANA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question Reality. I became a Physicist out of a desire to understand what
the universe is all about. The world, I was to discover encompasses a wide
variety of bizarre and unexplained events. Forteans (named after Charles
Fort, a collector of oddities), tend to look at the anomalies with neither
the jaundiced eye of the skeptic nor the wide eyed acceptance of the true
believer. Writing between 1919 and 1932, Fort noted that people saw strange
objects in the sky and that there are many unexplained anomalies. My
personal take on Forteana is to enjoy the chaos and revel in the anomalous.
There may be some element of the Trixter hidden in the framework of reality,
and if that is so, perhaps we can engage it in creative play. The news group
alt.misc.forteana is devoted to discussion of Forteana. The International
Fortean Organization (INFO) which was founded in 1965, publishes a fine
journal and plays host to a yearly conference. Their web page is listed
among the Fortean links below along with a link to the video tape lecture
series that I have edited.
< http://members.tripod.com/~VideoDave/index-3.html >
--
Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1@mindspring.com >
Alternate: < fortean1@msn.com >
Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/8958/index.html >
Sites: * Fortean Times * Mystic's Haven * TLCB *
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