(urth) TSH: Rip van Winkle and John Duns Scotus

[Stephen Hoy]

Half-baked thoughts, thought I'd share them in case someone finds something useful thereby.

The philosopher/theologian John Duns Scotus is found by lining up three iterations of the Zwart Black line, 
- Ieuian, a representation of John in Welsh, which matches his brother Emlyn's Welsh name.
- the two Dunns, Baxter and George
- Alexander Skotus (presumably an alias used by Zwart)

'Alexander' heads round to Johannes Duns Scotus via Scotus' treatises elaborating the views of Aristotle. The Greek philosopher Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great. I'm not sure what more to make of this--I can't get past thoughts about Don Defore on the TV show Hazel.


As to Bax's familiar, Winker/Winkle suggests a link to the story of the Urashima Taro, a 
Japanese Rip van Winkle who went away to fairyland for a few days and 
returned home only to find years had passed.

Strengthening this 
supposition is the second half of the fox's name, Inari, which refers to a Japanese god of success & prosperity, often depicted as an old man 
riding a white fox.