Guest guest Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 You see, trust those pesky English to be last yet arrogant enough to try and take the glory! Peter vv Peter <metalscarab Sent: Wednesday, 13 August, 2008 7:24:54 PMRe: Coffee... a history  Hi Peter Well, depends on which story you believe. Vespucci was actually a navigator on one of the early vessels that chanced upon the islands off the American continent... however, the idea that America was named after him was invented by a bunch of monks in the Alsace region of France in about 1525 (headed by "Mercator", the guy who drew all the maps) - they drew the "Mappa Mundi", and labelled the new continent "America". In a footnote, they suggested that it may have been named after Amerigo Vespucci, but they didn't seem very sure. I'm quite astonished, with your love of all things Welsh, that you haven't grabbed onto the suggestion that America was named after Richard Ap Merick, a Welshman who was the clerk of Bristol that handed Cabot the money to make his first voyage. Personally, I quite like the idea that it was named after the Manichean name for the Morning Star "Merica", which rose to the West, and marked the land to the West where souls go when people die. But who actually "discovered" America as far as Europeans were concerned... . ignoring those pesky "Native Americans", who seem to have come from Europe in about 10,000 BC, there's the Irish monks who claim to have found it in the 5th century, then the Vikings who discovered "Vinland" (and even had a bishop of Vinland recognised by the Vatican in the 11th century!), then Henry Sinclair discovered it for Scotland in 1398, then Cristobal Colon in the early 1490s discovered it for Italy (I gather that he later changed his name and became a film producer ;-)). John Cabot followed on a couple of years later, discovering it for England. I's amazing just how many times one place can be discovered!! !! BB Peter - Peter VV @gro ups.com Wednesday, August 13, 2008 6:29 PM Re: Coffee... a history We discovered America? I thought it was Mr Vespuci? I dont think he was from these shores? Peter vv Peter <metalscarab@ gmail.com>@gro ups.comWednesday, 13 August, 2008 8:42:11 AM Coffee... a history OK, I take it back - Coffee was around Europe long before we officially discovered America! http://www.teluspla net.net/public/ coffee/history. htm BB PeterSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger . Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008  Hi Peter LOL - although you'll notice that the Welsh never discovered America :-) And technically the English didn't either - John Cabot was actually Italian, born as Giovanni Cabotti, he moved to England and Anglicised his name! BB Peter - Peter VV Wednesday, August 13, 2008 7:39 PM Re: Cough me... a story You see, trust those pesky English to be last yet arrogant enough to try and take the glory! Peter vv Peter <metalscarab Sent: Wednesday, 13 August, 2008 7:24:54 PMRe: Coffee... a history  Hi Peter Well, depends on which story you believe. Vespucci was actually a navigator on one of the early vessels that chanced upon the islands off the American continent... however, the idea that America was named after him was invented by a bunch of monks in the Alsace region of France in about 1525 (headed by "Mercator", the guy who drew all the maps) - they drew the "Mappa Mundi", and labelled the new continent "America". In a footnote, they suggested that it may have been named after Amerigo Vespucci, but they didn't seem very sure. I'm quite astonished, with your love of all things Welsh, that you haven't grabbed onto the suggestion that America was named after Richard Ap Merick, a Welshman who was the clerk of Bristol that handed Cabot the money to make his first voyage. Personally, I quite like the idea that it was named after the Manichean name for the Morning Star "Merica", which rose to the West, and marked the land to the West where souls go when people die. But who actually "discovered" America as far as Europeans were concerned... . ignoring those pesky "Native Americans", who seem to have come from Europe in about 10,000 BC, there's the Irish monks who claim to have found it in the 5th century, then the Vikings who discovered "Vinland" (and even had a bishop of Vinland recognised by the Vatican in the 11th century!), then Henry Sinclair discovered it for Scotland in 1398, then Cristobal Colon in the early 1490s discovered it for Italy (I gather that he later changed his name and became a film producer ;-)). John Cabot followed on a couple of years later, discovering it for England. I's amazing just how many times one place can be discovered!! !! BB Peter - Peter VV @gro ups.com Wednesday, August 13, 2008 6:29 PM Re: Coffee... a history We discovered America? I thought it was Mr Vespuci? I dont think he was from these shores? Peter vv Peter <metalscarab@ gmail.com>@gro ups.comWednesday, 13 August, 2008 8:42:11 AM Coffee... a history OK, I take it back - Coffee was around Europe long before we officially discovered America! http://www.teluspla net.net/public/ coffee/history. htm BB PeterSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger . Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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