Classical references and their significance in The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

Although Thomas Mann’s novel The Magic Mountain has been the object of innumerable studies, this paper suggests that so far none of these has given truly close attention to the significance of the classical references in this novel with regard to the search for a true humanism. This is probably owing to the generally held belief that the influence of the classical tradition is relatively inconsequential in relation to the ample conjunction of philosophical ideas on which the novel is based. This article takes a differing view and, through a close analysis and comment of the explicit and implicit classical notions in the text, concludes that these ideas are also a valuable key to a greater comprehension of the ideological design of the main character, Hans Castorp, and to a certain degree they also help to continue to reflect on the most enigmatic and controversial episode of the novel: the young protagonist’s descent to the plain from the magical mountain (Zauberberg) in order to take part in the great tragedy of World War I, alien as is any war to the prevalent but ultimately futile desire that love (Liebe) should in the end prevail in the life of humans.

Triterpenos e alcalóide tipo cantinona dos galhos de Simaba polyphylla (Cavalcante) W.W. Thomas (Simaroubaceae)

Simaba polyphylla is a small tree found in the Amazon region, known by the common names "marupazinho" or "serve para tudo". It is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of fevers. This work describes the phytochemical study of the hexane extract and chloroform fraction obtained by partitioning the methanol extract of stems, which led to isolation and identification of the triterpenes niloticin, dyhidroniloticin, taraxerone and of the cytotoxic alkaloid 9-methoxy-canthin-6-one. These compounds are described for the first time in S. polyphylla.

Valkoiset teloittajat 1918

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Vuoden 1918 sota herättää lisää keskustelua

Kommentti Marko Tikan arvosteluun Esko Salmisen teoksesta Päättymätön sota 1918. Historiallinen aikakauskirja 1/2008.

Dell'arcano del mare / Robert Dudley (junior) Earl of Warwick and Leicester, Duke of Northumberland

Sir Robert Dudleyn arvokas karttateos Dell´Arcano del Mare, osat I-III, on varhaisin koko maapallon kattava merikartasto. Se on myös ensimmäinen merikartasto, joka on laadittu Mercatorin projektion mukaan. Kartastoon on koottu yhteen kaikki silloinen tietämys merenkulusta. Se sisältää merenkulun ja navigoinnin teoriaa, laivanrakennusta ja astronomiaa käsittelevät tekstiosuudet, 145 merikarttaa sekä 180 kuvaliitettä, joiden tekijänä on tunnettu kaivertaja Antonio Francesco Lucini. Kaiverrukset, joiden tekemiseen Lucini oli käyttänyt 12 vuotta, ovat poikkeuksellisen hienolaatuisia, kuten teoksen muukin painotyö. Dudleyn kartasto kuuluu Kansalliskirjaston A. E. Nordenskiöldin karttojen ja kartografisen kirjallisuuden kokoelmaan, joka on liitetty ainoana suomalaisena kohteena Unescon Memory of the World –rekisteriin.