Tag: scottishdrama

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Fun Fact: Melanin 

Anatomy Def: Melanin is a group of natural pigments found in animal skin, eyes, hair, feathers, scales or ink (the cephalopods). 

Outlander Def: That man – That hair! ‘Nuf said!

“Am I to wait all day?” 

As Jamie carefully cleans a horse’s hoof, Lords Ellesmere, spews rancor at the groom slowness. Adequate cleaning takes time –  the lad has a great work ethic.  Jamie, not Ellesmere! <G>

Ellesmere pouts and spouts:

“My god! If a child of mine had hair that color, I’d drown him before he drew a second breath.” 

Truer words! In a few short months, his Lordship very nearly slays his newborn son – a babe festooned with sprouts of golden-ginger hair!!!

Learn about melanin in Anatomy Lesson 6: Claire’s Hair – Jamie’s Mane or JHRC!

Melanin is the pigment of human skin, irises, hair and neurons. Three types are known: 

  • eumelanin  – brown, black pigment –  most common type
  • pheomelanin – golden yellow, red pigment –  the type in Jamie’s hair 
  • neuromelanin  – dark pigment – of some neurons, function unknown

Ergo, Jamie’s red hair receives its color by virtue of pheomelanin, a chemical variant of melanin! 

Less than 2% of the world’s population have red hair. More to the point, Scotland and Ireland enjoy the highest percentages of natural ginger heads in the world!

Read about Jamie’s hair in Voyager book. Clever Claire reflects on Jamie’s preparations for the governor’s ball in Jamaica. she quotes from a classic English scholar and poet:

“Oh who is that young sinner with the handcuffs on his wrists?

And what has he been after that they groan and shake their fists?

And wherefore is he wearing such a conscience-stricken air?

Oh they’re taking him to prison for the colour of his hair.”

Jamie put down the wig in his hand and raised one eyebrow at me in the mirror. I grinned at him and went on, declaiming with gestures:

“ ’Tis a shame to human nature, such a head of hair as his;

In the good old time ’twas hanging for the colour that it is;

Though hanging isn’t bad enough and flaying would be fair

For the nameless and abominable colour of his hair!”

“Did ye not tell me ye’d studied for a doctor, Sassenach?” he inquired. “Or was it a poet, after all?”

“Not me,” I assured him, coming to straighten his stock. “Those sentiments are by one A. E. Housman.”

Housman’s entire poem can be read here: https://www.poemtree.com/poems/OhWhoIsThat.htm  

See Ellesmere’s reprehensible behavior regarding the “abominable” color of Jamie’s hair in Outlander episode 304, Of Lost Things. At least, Lady Isobel seems displeased with the chortling auld men. Braw lassie!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credits: Sony/Starz

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Fun Fact: expectorate

A man, Angus Mhor, spitting.

Anatomy Def: Expectorate means to eject from the throat or lungs by coughing or hawking or spitting.

Outlander Def: Feisty Angus demonstrating “Great Expectorations” to his buds just before the Battle of Prestonpans!

Learn about expectoration or spitting in Anatomy Lesson #44,  “Terrific Tunnel – GI System, Part I.” In medicine, the term means to hawk up phlegm but general use also covers spitting.

Read about expectorating, hawking, and spitting in Dragonfly in Amber book:

Cold and miserable as the weather was outside, I found myself spending a good deal of time walking the grounds of Holyrood and the Canongate. A faceful of rain seemed preferable to lungfuls of woodsmoke and germ-filled air indoors. The sounds of coughing and sneezing rang through the Palace, though the constraint of His Highness’s genteel presence caused most hawking sufferers to spit into filthy handkerchiefs or the Delft-lined fireplaces, rather than on the polished Scotch oak floors.

See Angus expectorate in Starz episode 210, Prestonpans! The split-spitting is likely due to his missing two upper incisors! <G>

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist