title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Subsequent models included the 211 (October 1958) which featured cosmetic changes, including twin taillights, a larger rear window, and chrome trim that extended to the rear fender. Power was increased somewhat, now up to at 4600 rpm. For export markets, mainly the United States and Australia, there was also a bigger engined version available. "P211" in internal parlance, it was marketed simply as the "Datsun 1200". It has the "E" engine which produces at 4800 rpm. There was also the 220-series of small trucks based on the 210.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The Datsun Bluebird which debuted in August 1959 was an all-new car, and was available in Japan at the dealership sales channel "Nissan Bluebird Store". The 310 series had a 1 L engine from the 210 model. The 310 was built from 1960 to 1963. There were three models built: 310 (1960), 311 (1961), and 312 (1962–1963). In Taiwan it also replaced the 701 and was known as "Yue Loong Bluebird 704". The Datsun 312 was also sold in Korea. The 310 series was also built in South Africa at a factory in Rosslyn Pretoria in CKD form during 1962 and 1963. The model was also sold in New Zealand and was one of the first Japanese models available there, beginning in May 1962.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In July 1960, a five-door station wagon was added (WP310). The P310 was powered by the 1.2 L Nissan E engine. A smaller-engine version (simply called "310") was powered by the 1.0 L Nissan C engine. The P311 and P312 (powered by the 60 hp 1.2 L Nissan E-1 engine) also had smaller-engined versions ("311" and "312") that were powered by the 45 hp 1.0 L Nissan C-1 engine. The 310 and 311 were equipped with a 3-speed manual transmission (fully synchronized for the 311 and 312). The station wagon was also available for the 311 and 312. The 312 was also available in a deluxe version (DP312). A trim model called the "Fancy Deluxe" (model code DP312-L) was marketed for the female driver; it featured a pale yellow exterior, pale yellow/grey interior, high heel shoe holder under the dash, a vanity mirror on the back of the driver's side sun visor, a turn signal relay that played music, curtains, automatic clutch, and bigger mirrors. By February 1961, a 1.2 L overhead-valve engine (codenamed E-1) became an option on a higher-trim DX model.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Styling tended to mimic larger American cars. A very small number did make it to the United States. This generation of Bluebird became one of the first Japanese cars to be sold in significant numbers in Europe, after Finland fully opened its doors to automobile imports in mid-1962. 700 were brought in, and by the time the 410-series had arrived, Datsun had passed SAAB and Triumph in registrations. Although not very fast, the sturdy Datsun was well-suited to the rugged Finnish roads of the time.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In September 1963, Nissan brought the Bluebird up-to-date with boxier styling (by Pininfarina), resembling European designs, particularly the Lancia Fulvia. The 410 was built from 1964 to 1967. The appearance appears to have had an influence on Nissan's first V8-powered Nissan President in 1965, and the Nissan Sunny in 1966.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: This generation Bluebird was introduced in time for the 1964 Summer Olympics as Nissan wanted to offer an all new, modern appearance in time for the games.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Two basic models were built: 410 (1964–1965) with a combination rear lamp set consisting of round and rectangular lenses, and 411 (1965–1967), which featured the same combination rear lamp set as the earlier 410 through 1966, changing to higher mounted rectangular tail light sets for 1967. On both, the rear direction indicators were red or amber, according to market – New Zealand, which allows either, took the 410 with both and the 411 with red only. This Bluebird was one of the first Japanese car lines assembled in New Zealand, initially imported under a tariff/duty arrangement allowing 300 cars a year (the so-called '300 Club') with CKD kits built up by Motor Holdings at Mount Wellington in Auckland. The 410 series sedan and station wagon plus a light delivery van was assembled in South Africa at a factory in Rosslyn Pretoria. These cars were all in CKD format.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: A sporting model, the Bluebird SS, was launched in Japan in March 1964, with a tuned 1.2 L engine. The SS was originally available only in a four-door configuration (MTK), but a two-door (RTK) joined about a year later. Two versions of the SS were built: the DP410-MTK/RTK and the DP411-MTK/RTK. The DP410 was powered by a version of the 1.2 L Nissan E-1 engine. The double-carburetted version of the J13 powered the DP411. All SS models were equipped with a four-speed manual transmission.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Initially, only a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon were in the range, but a two-door was added in September 1964. The two-door SS was launched in February 1965. The 410 and 411 were also available in a deluxe version (DP410 and DP411). A "Fancy Deluxe" version was also available in the home market. A DP411 SSS was entered in motor sport by the Datsun factory in South Africa and was used as test car for Nissan Japan. A Datsun DP411 SSS was also entered in the 1964 Monte Carlo rally, where it was driven by a South African, Ewold van Bergen.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: To minimize production costs for export, the windshield wipers used a pattern where the wipers started in the center and wiped towards the edge of the windshield, instead of from the passenger side towards the driver.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In May 1965 the base engine was enlarged to a downtuned version of the 1.3 L unit already used in the 411-series SS, now with a single (twin-barrel) carb and developing at 5,200 rpm. The transmission remained a three-speed. The SS was downtuned somewhat, now with but still with the four-speed unit. More excitingly, a twin-carb 1.6 L SSS model was launched the same month, with no less than . This began a line of famous Nissans in Japan, with the Bluebird SSS a mainstay of the range until its deletion in 2001.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: As usual, a pickup truck version was developed and sold in parallel. For some reason it broke with the earlier standard of simply changing the second digit of the chassis code to a "2", instead labelling it the 520. The commercial-use 520 further marked the divergence of Datsun's Bluebird and truck lines as it continued to be available until 1972. Later versions received a modernized front end, similar to the contemporary 510 Bluebird.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In the United States, only the four-door sedan and wagon were offered; the two-door was never available. The 1.6-litre, featuring the same R16 engine as the SP(L)311 Roadster, was only available in 1967. The 1.2 and 1.3 410 and 411 series' had a manual gearbox, while the 1.6-litre was available as either a manual or automatic. The cars were labeled "DATSUN", with no mention of Bluebird either on the car or in the owner's manual.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Launched in August 1967, it was one of the most comprehensive Bluebird ranges in terms of body styles: a two-door sedan, a four-door sedan, a five-door station wagon, and a two-door coupé (added in November 1968). The "510" still enjoys considerable fame in the U.S.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Like its predecessors, the 510 Bluebird line was imported into New Zealand, this time as a single 1.6-litre, four-speed manual Deluxe model, assembled from CKD kits by Campbell Industries (later Toyota New Zealand Thames assembly plant). Local content included glass, radiator, upholstery, carpet, paint, wiring and numerous other items. A few automatic and twin carburettor SSS versions were imported built-up from Japan, primarily for buyers who had access to funds overseas and could utilise the country's 'no remittance' new car purchase scheme to avoid lengthy waiting lists.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The trim designation "SS" was changed to "SSS" as General Motors was already using the term for performance branded Chevrolet products called the Super Sport starting in 1961.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The P510 sedan and coupé were built in South Africa [Pretoria] from 1969 to 1974 and had the L16 engine, available as 1600 SSS (twin carbs) and as the single carbed 1600 DeLuxe. An automatic gearbox model was also available for the DeLuxe range. The factory also made two versions of the two-door coupé. They were a 1600GL and a 1800GL. The 1600GL had a single carburetor or twin carbs and 1800 cc cars had twin carbs. The 1600 SSS was also used in motorsport as test cars for Nissan Japan. The cars were used in numerous motorsport rallies by Ewold van Bergen from Pretoria, South Africa, who was a test engineer for Nissan Japan.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The 610 series was launched in Japan in August 1971 and was badged as the Datsun Bluebird-U. The meaning behind the U suffix is "User Oriented", to signify the higher comfort levels than 510 predecessor could muster. A domestic advertising campaign used the catch-line "Bluebird U – Up You!", and was short-lived due to the innuendo. The 610 was one of the first Nissan products to adopt a popular styling appearance, called "coke bottle" which appeared internationally during the 1960s and 1970s, an appearance shared with the larger Nissan Cedric, as both vehicles were available at Japanese Nissan dealerships called "Nissan Bluebird Store". The SSS hardtop coupe was the first Nissan to adopt the new bodystyle, and subsequent Nissan products soon offered the appearance in both 2- and 4-door versions for several decades.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: For the Japanese domestic market, the 610 was pitted against the second generation Toyota Corona Mark II. Also in Japan, the 610 was initially sold alongside the 510 but eventually replaced the 510. 610s were available as a four-door, two-door hardtop, and a five-door wagon/light van. Trim levels in Japan were GL (Grand Luxe), SSS (Super Sports Sedan), DX (Deluxe) or STD (Standard). It borrowed its suspension and drive train from the outgoing 510, with some modifications. Likewise, the 610 four-door and two-door retained the class-leading, independent rear trailing arm design, while the wagon reused the rear live axle with leaf springs from the 510 wagon.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Whether four or six-cylinder models, all 610s were equipped with Nissan's L-series inline engines. In many export markets, including UK, Europe, and Australia, the 610 was badged as the 160B or 180B with respect to particular engine displacement. The Bluebird name also often appeared in advertising and in brochures. In the UK the popularity of the 160B/180B/180B SSS Coupe range further strengthened Datsun's position as the leading Japanese importer. As a result of Japanese Government passage of emission control regulations, Nissan introduced their emissions technology in 1975, using a badge that said "Nissan NAPS" (Nissan Anti Pollution System) on vehicles thus equipped. Most 610s worldwide came equipped with either a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission, but a five-speed manual transmission was available in the Japanese and Australian markets.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: As with the 510, the SSS trim included miscellaneous sport options and a higher output engine with twin-Hitachi carburetors. A Japan-only SSS-E model was equipped with Bosch-licensed electronic fuel injection, and so was one of the first, mass-produced Nissan vehicles to be sold without a carburetor. Another 610 never exported was the inline-six U-2000 GT and U-2000 GTX (nicknamed "shark-nose" in Japanese), which shows some visual similarities to the Pontiac GTO and Oldsmobile Cutlass. Called the G610, it came with a stretched front end to accommodate the longer engine and featured a different grill and other aesthetic modifications. This model was not available as a wagon. The most powerful GTX-E received fuel injection and .


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The 610 Bluebird received a facelift in 1974, with prominent turn signals mounted on the front corners and with a more squared off grille as well as new taillamps. The SSS models now had styled steel wheels without hubcaps. New equipment such as a remote trunk opener, interval wipers, a central handbrake (rather than the earlier "umbrella style" one), and new interior materials accompanied the external changes, while the engines were now capable of meeting the most recent emissions regulations, marketed as Nissan NAPS. This means that the 610 was available with three different front ends: original, facelift, and the "shark-nose" six-cylinder front. A minor upgrade to the front suspension (offset strut tops) for the 610 led to slightly improved handling before the introduction of the 810.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In Australia, Datsun released the locally produced 180B in October 1972 as a four-door sedan in Deluxe and GL trims, and a two-door SSS coupe. The engine fitted was the 1.8-liter "L18" engine paired to a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission; Datsun upgraded the SSS to a five-speed manual in 1975. Over the base Deluxe, GL models added: vinyl roof, radio with separate speaker, upgraded interior upholstery and trim, cut-pile interior carpeting, chrome exhaust extension, rear mounted GL badge, and whitewall tyres. In early 1974, wrap-around front indicators, new tail-lights and cabin trim changes heralded a range-wide facelift, while a fully imported (not locally manufactured) luxury GX sedan arrived in November 1974.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The GX model could only be differentiated on the exterior by its grille, wipers and badges, although the interior gained luxuries such as cloth inserts for the vinyl upholstery and a three-way adjustable driving seat (fore/aft, recline, thigh support). A GX wagon followed in June 1975, followed by a minor trim and grille facelift in 1976. The 180B proved popular right to its discontinuation in October 1977, when the P810 200B range arrived in Australia.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In the United States and Canada, the car was sold simply as the "Datsun 610". The four-door sedans, a two-door hardtop coupé, and a five-door station wagon were available, and were marketed as a more luxurious and larger product than the 510. For 1973 and 1974, North America was the only market outside Japan to have its 610 HT models equipped with the unique, six-bulb tail lights that covered the entire rear panel, requiring the license plate to be mounted below the rear bumper. The car originally received criticisms for elevated noise levels and engine drivability problems; Nissan responded with engine improvements during 1973 and a new engine for 1974, mounted on new engine mounts to lower noise and vibration. The window seals were also modified, to lower wind noise.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: While the original Datsun 610 had a 1770 cc L18 engine, 1974–1976 610s received the larger 2.0-liter L20B engine (as did the Datsun 710 from 1975), although with only (SAE Net). The federalized 2.0 thus produced less than what was claimed for a Japanese market 1.6. California-spec cars have . The federal/Canadian version took leaded fuel and depended on an EGR system for pollution control, while the California cars have a catalytic converter and require unleaded gasoline. Gross horsepower ratings are 110 and 107 respectively. The 1974s also received larger bumpers mounted on hydraulic cylinders to meet new safety standards, increasing weight by about and making the car longer. The additional weight meant performance still suffered moderately (while fuel consumption dropped by about ten percent) from the higher weight and additional emissions equipment.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Until the 1977 introduction of the six-cylinder 810, the 610 was Datsun's largest car sold in North America.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: New Zealand market cars initially were a single 1.8-litre 180B sedan, again with four-speed manual transmission and assembled from CKD kits under contract by Campbell's. A three-speed automatic – using a transmission made by Nissan Japan subsidiary JATCO – was later added as a factory option. Relaxed restrictions on car assembly kit imports and increasing affluence in NZ meant Campbell's, which also assembled Toyota, Renault, Rambler, Hino, Isuzu and Peugeot models over the years, could not meet demand so Nissan-Datsun (NZ) contracted Chrysler/Mitsubishi importer Todd Motors to assemble additional manual 180Bs at its Porirua factory alongside the Chrysler Valiant, Hunter, Avenger and Alpine model ranges and Mitsubishi Lancer sedan and Colt Galant coupe. The Todd-built cars gave Datsun dealers a new range of paint colours all different from those Campbell's offered.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: A 610 four-door participated in the 1972 and 1973 East African Safari Rally. Bob Sharp drove his 610 HT race car to second place overall in the American SCCA B Sedan Championship for 1973 and 1974. The same car achieved a first place for the 1976 SCCA B-Sedan Championship but with Elliot Forbes-Robinson driving.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Shortly after the introduction of the 610, Nissan launched a new line of slightly smaller cars January 1973 utilizing parts and styling cues from the 610. This new line of cars was sold in various markets as the Datsun 140J/160J, Datsun Violet, or Datsun 710. In Japan, it was exclusive to "Nissan Cherry Store" Japanese dealerships as a larger companion to the smaller Nissan Cherry, thereby giving Nissan the opportunity to sell a Bluebird-sized vehicle at a different sales channel. The use of the 710 name was a source of confusion because it implied that the model was either a larger, upscale version of the 610 (it was the opposite) or a newer model in the Bluebird line. This car was built at various international plants and was marketed under different names as local conditions required. As the Bluebirds traditional cross-town rival, the Toyota Corona split into a new model called the Toyota Carina, the Violet appeared just under three years after the Carina did.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The 810 was introduced in July 1976. Engine options were largely carried over, with all petrol engines offered in Japan meeting the 1976 emissions requirements thanks to Nissan's NAPS system. Styling was an evolution of the 610s, with slightly squared off features but retaining a slight "coke bottle" shape. No two-door sedan was available, but the four-door sedan, two-door hardtop coupé (SSS Coupé) and five-door station wagon were offered. As usual, the wagon was mainly sold as a "light van" in Japan, meaning that it was engineered with cargo in mind and had a live, leaf-sprung rear axle rather than the independent rear suspension of the saloons and coupés.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The Bluebird 810 was sold in export markets as the Datsun 160B/180B/200B and as the Datsun 810. Australian magazine "Wheels" called the 200B 'a 180B with 20 more mistakes.' The heavy-looking and rather outdated 810 did not sell very well and Nissan responded by accelerating work on the next generation Bluebird (910), leaving the 810 in production for only three years and four months.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In Japan the range gradually received upgraded motors which could pass the 1978 emissions standards; these models carry 811 series chassis numbers. Japanese market 811-series vehicles replaced the Bluebird badge on the rear decklid with a NAPS badge, identifying emission control technology as having been installed. The process of meeting the 1978 standards began in October 1977 and continued until August 1978 and meant replacing the earlier L-series engines with the new crossflow Z engines, based on the L. From March 1979 until the end of production in November that year, the NAPS badge was once again removed from passenger cars (although taxis featured a "NAPS-Z" badge as they were now equipped with the new Z engine).


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In Japan there continued to be a six-cylinder version of the Bluebird available. As before, this received a longer wheelbase and nose, while retaining the rear end of the regular Bluebird range. The Bluebird G6 used a carburetor for the base model and fuel injection for the sporty version. The 2.0 L engine was good for JIS depending on fuel feed. In August 1978 the Bluebird G4 was introduced (PD811), a 1.8-litre four-cylinder model fitted with the long-nose bodywork.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: At this time, with several UK auto-producers such as British Leyland losing market share, Datsun had grabbed the headlines as the UK's leading car importer. The magazine "Autocar" road tested a 180B Bluebird and recorded a top speed of along with a 0–60 mph (0 – 97 km/h) time of 13.6 seconds. The Datsun's overall fuel consumption for the test was 27.7 mpg (10.2 L/100 km). For all three of these performance measurements, it was marginally better than the Ford Cortina 1600 GL which continued to dominate this sector in the UK, but both cars were beaten for speed and acceleration (though not for fuel economy) by the relatively crude Morris Marina 1.8HL. It was probably more significant that the Bluebird had a manufacturer's recommended retail price, including sales taxes, of £2950 as against £3263 for the Ford and £3315 for the Morris. The testers found the car matched the competition in most respects, though the brakes were criticised for being "not up to current standards".


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In Europe, the 160B claimed , while the larger-engined 180B had to offer. The sporting SSS model had to make do with a very modest power increase; two more horsepower for .


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Introduced in October 1977 in Australia, the first 200Bs were all fully imported in sedan, station wagon and coupe forms, the latter retaining the SSS badge. In January 1978 local assembly began for the sedan, followed shortly by the wagon. The sedan trim levels were GL and GX. While the coupe remained a hardtop, Datsun added an opera window in the rear pillar. The coupe was discontinued in Australia in 1979. The engine used is a larger version of the L series engine from the preceding 180B. Dubbed the L20B its capacity was increased to 1952 cc, making it good for .


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Almost immediately the 200B became Australia's top selling four-cylinder car, a position it held until it was displaced by the Mitsubishi Sigma. Its popularity however remained strong right through the production run, family buyers appreciative of the plentiful interior room and standard features. It may have been somewhat conservatively styled, but the effort Nissan had put into the engineering of the car made it reliable and tough, qualities most Australians rated higher than a more advanced design.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Only the early fully imported 200B sedans and coupés retained the independent rear suspension from the 180B, locally assembled 200B sedans instead switched to coil springs with a live axle, while the wagon (imported from Japan) had a live axle in the rear with leaf springs. Seen as a giant step backwards, the reason for the change was certainly not a cost-cutting measure, but simply the need for Nissan to reach an 85% local content quota that the then Federal Government demanded of Australian car manufacturers. However, in practice the live rear axle, being an Australian development, proved to actually benefit the car's overall handling dynamics.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The 2-litre overhead cam engine could be loud at high revs, and there were drive line vibration issues. A correction programme was instituted by the parent company in Japan.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: A sportier version of the 200B sedan was released in June 1978. The new SX featured a revised grille, front spoiler, alloy wheels, revised door and seat trim (striped seat inserts) and tachometer, while the suspension was altered to improve handling. The colours available for this model were simply blue, white or red, and the only transmission available was a 4-speed floor shift. Significantly the SX was a unique model to Australia, the added input from Nissan's Australian design engineers signified a step away from just assembling cars. This in turn led to the locally built Datsuns, and later Nissans, being re-engineered to better suit Australian conditions, with many components being sourced locally a tradition that would continue right up until 1992, when Nissan ceased local manufacture.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In October 1979, the 200B was revised with a new grille, bumpers, seats, trim, and dashboard. The seats were a unique Australian design for the locally built cars. This facelift was penned by Paul Beranger, a former Holden designer – years later he would style the 2006 Toyota Aurion.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In 1980, a limited edition 200B Aspen GL sedan was released featuring distinctive shadow tone paint available in green, blue, or grey. The 200B was discontinued in May 1981, replaced by the Datsun Bluebird. Australian comedy band, Tripod, have written a song about the 200B, called "200B."


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: This model was also released to New Zealand in 1977, assembled CKD in 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon forms. A coupe model was also released, imported built-up from Japan. Unlike the Australian models the sedans used the independent rear suspension system of the Japanese specification models. This Bluebird was the first to be assembled in Nissan New Zealand's own brand-new assembly plant at Wiri, South Auckland. For the first two years of assembly the cars were fitted with a 1.8-litre unit, hence they used the "180B" nameplate. Automatic transmission was optional for both. Nissan also added its first luxury ZX version with this generation – features included velour upholstery, 'luxury' cut-pile carpet sourced locally and tinted glass. There was also, for the first time in Kiwi assembly, a wagon variant with mid-range trim and equipment.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: During 1979 a number of changes were made on the car, namely an engine enlargement to 2.0 (leading to a renaming of the car to "200B"), and a mild facelift, using new dual rectangular headlights and a new grille. Due to New Zealand's favour for smaller-engined models, a 1.6-litre "160B" variant was also introduced.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Production of the New Zealand 160/200B continued until late 1980, when it was replaced by the Datsun Bluebird (910).


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In North America, Datsun marketed the 810 series Bluebird sold as the Datsun 810 from February 1977 to 1980—the direct ancestor of the long running Datsun/Nissan Maxima range. The Datsun 810 model line began with the six-cylinder Nissan Bluebird 2000G6 sold in Japan. With a longer nose than the regular Bluebird, to accommodate a longer inline-six engine, it was powered by two versions of the SOHC "L-series" I6 engine: a 2.0 L displacement for the Japanese market and a 2.4 L24E unit for the US market. The bigger American engine could reach 125 hp SAE (93 kW). The sport version channeled power through a four-speed manual transmission for the sedan and wagon, five-speed transmission for the coupe. These cars were rear-wheel drive and had a semi-trailing arm rear suspension. The station wagon variant, only sold in North America, had a rear live axle to handle extra weight. Some fuel-injected versions had automatic transmissions.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The 2-door coupé version was introduced in North America in January 1979 for the 1979 model year. Around the same time, the 810 received an exterior refresh. The coupé version was never available in second generation 810/Maximas. The new Datsun 280ZX did not share much of the 810's chassis as thought, though the 810 was not available with that Z car's larger 2.8 L engine. The first use of the "Maxima" name happened on a domestic Japanese market luxury version of the Stanza, in August 1977.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The Bluebird 910, the last of the rear-wheel drive Bluebirds, featured simple clean-cut lines, unlike the "Coke Bottle" styling of its predecessor. It did however retain the same engine range, the same MacPherson strut suspension and the same wheelbase as the 810. Starting with this generation, in Japan the Bluebird returned to offering only four-cylinder vehicles, and the six-cylinder Bluebird was replaced by the Nissan Skyline based Nissan Leopard at "Nissan Bluebird Store" Japanese dealerships. Bluebirds of this generation were renowned for reliability but rusted away in salted areas long before the engine gave trouble. Nissan realigned with the Japanese Stanza/Auster/Violet sedans which were assigned to individual Japanese Nissan dealerships.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: This car was also assembled in Australia, in South Africa, in Taiwan, and in New Zealand. This generation was also the basis of the North American Datsun/Nissan 810 Maxima from 1980 onwards.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In Europe, the Bluebird was joined in 1981 by the similar-sized Stanza, which gave Nissan buyers the alternative option of front-wheel drive and a hatchback body style for the first time, as front-wheel drive hatchbacks were by now overtaking rear-wheel drive saloons in popularity.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The Bluebird was modified to front-wheel drive in October 1983, but retained the boxy styling of its predecessor. At the time, Nissan's design chief believed this method of styling would remain popular. Even though every panel was changed and most details were considerably smoother, the drag coefficient remained a fairly high 0.39.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The range was offered in four-door sedan, four-door hardtop, and five-door station wagon forms. The coupé was deleted, and the hardtop sedan is rarely seen outside Japan.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: This model was offered in Europe for only two years before Nissan began building the Auster as the Bluebird at its newly opened plant in the UK in 1986. Certain Bluebird models (diesels and station wagons) continued to be offered alongside the T12 "Bluebird" in some markets. As usual, the Bluebird received ample standard equipment in European markets. In some markets, the petrol 2.0 was only available coupled to an automatic gearbox.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Although the U11 sedans were replaced for the 1988 model year, the station wagon continued to be built until 1990. The six-cylinder Maxima also continued to be built (without the "Bluebird" portion of the name from May 1987) until October 1988, when an all-new Maxima appeared. Most of the wagons sold in Japan were to commercial vehicle specifications, but a plusher Wagon was also offered. The "Bluebird Wagon SSS Turbo Wingroad" had a 1.8-liter inline-four. It was the first car to receive the "Wingroad" name, in September 1987. The wagons/vans were built until May 1990, when they were replaced by the Nissan Avenir (Primera wagon in most export markets).


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The range was available with 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 L petrol engines, with the 1.8-litre four available with an optional turbocharger. The VG20ET V6 was offered for the first time in Japan in 1984, in a model with an extended front end, called the Bluebird Maxima. This 2-litre V6 was available naturally aspirated or as an intercooled turbo. The U11 Maxima featured a larger 3.0 L VG30E. There were also naturally aspirated or turbocharged 2-litre diesels. Counterintuitively, the turbodiesel had better gas mileage in standardized test cycles, presumably due to it being less stressed – as long as one did not take full advantage of its better performance.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Australia continued with the 910 series, which was facelifted in 1985. New Zealand marketing for the U11 proclaimed the vehicle as the 'Widetrack Bluebird', to differentiate it from its very similar-looking predecessor. Several Wiri-assembled models including a wagon were offered with 1.6 (base) or two-litre carburettor engines. The alloy head castings all had an unused location for a second spark plug per cylinder, as twin-plug, fuel-injected versions of the same engines were used in certain markets (US, Japan, Scandinavia) with stricter emission laws.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The T12 and the later T72 Nissan Bluebird, is a third-generation Auster, rebadged and sold in Europe. The T12 was introduced in Europe in 1985 as a replacement for the U11 Bluebird. From July 1986, the T12 was assembled from parts shipped in from Japan, at Washington, England. The saloon versions (four-door) were available first and the hatchback (five-door) became available in January 1987.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Nissan replaced the boxy U11 in September 1987 with the U12 series, offered in four-door sedan and four-door hardtop body types. It was designed to have a rounded appearance in comparison to the previous generation. The hardtop sedan was later fitted with a center "B" pillar structure to increase body stiffness. The top level car was the V6 VG20ET "Bluebird Maxima" station wagon from the previous generation U11 series and was still in production at the introduction of this generation.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The various grade configurations included the traditional "SSS" (SSS / twincam SSS / twincam SSS-X). In addition to the SSS series, the Bluebird wagon was replaced by the Nissan Avenir, and the sedans (LE / SE Saloon / XE Sedan / Super-select) were also available. The entry level 1600LE (five-speed manual transmission) started out at ¥1,198,000 to the top level Twin Cam Turbo 1800 cc offered on the SSS Attesa Limited (four-speed automatic) starting at ¥2,998,000 in sedan, and Hard Top bodystyles and boasted a wide variety of equipment and different combinations and grades. At the time of introduction, there was also the limited production SSS-R model, with lowered weight and a special high-power engine as well as oversized extra headlamps and racing livery.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Innovations for the U12 included the introduction of Nissan's mechanical four-wheel-drive system, called ATTESA and the ever-popular SR20DET engine which was introduced in the series 2 (HNU12) bluebirds (1989–1991). With the Maxima having been spun off into its own range, U12 Bluebirds were all four-cylinder models, with either a 1.6-, 1.8-, or 2.0-liter petrol engine and also the option of the LD20 2.0-liter diesel. The sports and luxury versions came with a factory viscous LSD. Nissan made a turbocharged Bluebird from 1987 to 1990 named the RNU12, using the 1809 cc DOHC CA18DET that was sold in Japan and New Zealand. It, too used the ATTESA system.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In October 1989 the U12 Bluebird was facelifted, receiving new rear lamps and other minor external changes. More importantly, the 1.8-liter engines were switched from the somewhat noisy old CA family to the new SR engines displacing 1.8 or 2.0 liters. The base 1.6 engine remained the carburetted CA16S. There was only a single 1.8, the single-point injected SR18Di with , a significant increase over the CA18i. This was also available with the ATTESA system, in either XE or SE trim. Beginning in November 1990, Nissan managed to fit an FE ATTESA trim level between the two existing ones.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In May 1991 the "Bluebird Aussie" went on sale, a rebadged Pintara Superhatch (see below for Australian production). It only remained on sale until the next generation Bluebird was introduced in August 1991, and so only 1,300 of these cars were sold in Japan. Unlike Australian-market cars, the Bluebird Aussie came equipped with a Japanese-spec SR20DE engine.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: This model was sold as the Nissan Pintara in Australia, replacing a larger Skyline-based model, from 1989 to 1993. There, it had been codenamed ‘Project Matilda’, leading the press to speculate it was a car developed uniquely for Australia — which was not the case. In Japan, a four-door sedan and four-door hardtop were offered, although Nissan of Australia did create a five-door Pintara 'Superhatch' model that was sold as the Bluebird in some export markets, including New Zealand. It was marketed as the 'Bluebird Aussie' in Japan, selling complete with a fluffy little koala, an Australian flag under the clock and other small touches.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Australian models came with the CA20E SOHC 2.0l EFI and KA24E SOHC 2.4l EFI motors. Sadly for Nissan Australia, Project Matilda was not the success it had hoped, even with a twin built for Ford Australia called the Corsair, which was even less successful. This led to the collapse of Nissan’s Australian manufacturing operations in the early 1990s. Most of the early Bluebirds of this generation sold in New Zealand were again assembled locally from CKD kits, as had been the case with almost all NZ-bound cars since the first generation in the early 1960s. The Japanese-made, NZ-assembled cars were replaced by Australian made U12 sedans at 'facelift' time though the Kiwi-built wagon, a body variant not made in Australia, carried on. NZ trim levels included SGS and ZX; like rival Toyota Australia, Nissan Australia, which ceased local manufacturing in 1994, was willing to build uniquely specified and badged models for its trans-Tasman customer.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: All models were available as a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatch, except the TRX, which was only available as a 4-door sedan. The Ford Corsair was available as a GL (CA20 engine) and Ghia (KA24, similar features as the Ti).


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Local assemblers Tan Chong were losing the low-cost market to local upstart Proton in the mid-1980s (by 1986, Nissan sales in Malaysia were down 90 percent from their peak a few years earlier). To revive their fortunes, Tan Chong attempted to reposition the brand as "upmarket standard," taking on brands such as Honda. As a result, the U12 Bluebird was priced much higher than the preceding generation, and was also available with more equipment and in a more powerful, fuel injected 2-litre Super Select model. The 1974 cc CA20E engine produces at 5600 rpm. There was also a carburetted 1.8 SE model available, equipped with the CA18NS engine.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In Chile the U12 Bluebird only arrived in 1990, as the U11 generation had remained available until then. It was available with the carburetted CA18NS or 2-liter CA20S with SE Saloon equipment, as well as the same fuel injected CA20E engine for the Super Select as used in Malaysia and other markets with minimal emissions regulations. Outputs are . A five-speed manual was standard, with a three-speed automatic available in the 1.8 and a four-speed auto for the 2-liter models.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The U13 series was launched in Japan in September 1991 as a four-door sedan and four-door pillared hardtop. The two models were visually distinct: the four-door sedan had curves where its U12 predecessor had edges, while the hardtop, called the Nissan Bluebird ARX, had more traditional styling. The Bluebird wagon was replaced by the new Nissan Avenir. This series replaced the Stanza/Auster/Violet platform expansion that enabled Nissan to sell a Bluebird-sized product at Nissan's Japanese dealership network, as the economic effects of the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble began to unfold in Japan. Projected production for 1992 was 15,000 cars per month, 13,000 of which were intended for the Japanese domestic market.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The new Bluebird was designed with comfort in mind. The more spacious cabin was the result of a longer wheelbase and a slightly taller design, in a package retaining the length and width of the previous model. Another piece of equipment for comfort was the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system available in domestic market Hardtop models. This was the first installation of such a system, although its effect was limited and it was to be another twenty years before it reached wider adoption.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Several Japanese models included an All Wheel Drive version (ATTESA). The engines used in the Japanese models ranged greatly in capacity and type. The SSS Attesa LTD model used a "redtop" SR20DET with . This was a similar engine/drivetrain package to the more powerful one used in the Pulsar GTi-R. It had only a single throttle body as opposed the GTi-R's multiple throttle body, smaller bearings, hydraulic rather than solid lifters, and a smaller turbo. The GTi-R had a large top mount intercooler, while the SSS ATTESA LTD had a smaller front mount intercooler. The Bluebird SSS was set apart from the North American Altima in that not only having the SR20DET and AWD Attesa as an option, it also had other details such as power folding retracting mirrors (some heated) and a rear wiper if equipped with a spoiler. US cars are also larger due to the fitment of bigger bumpers.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The Australian delivered U13 Bluebird was released in late 1993 and terminated in 1997. Series 1 ran from 1993 until 1995 while Series 2 ran from 1995 to 1997. Series 2 saw the addition of a driver's airbag, revised grille styling, and a seat belt warning light. The Series 1 LX model came equipped with cruise control standard but strangely it was an option on the Series 2.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The Australian U13 Bluebirds were available in three different models, LX—the base model but very well equipped, Ti—the luxury model, and the SSS—the sports model. Compared to the LX, the Ti had climate control, a sunroof, woodgrain styling, and gear selector display on the instrument cluster (automatic models only). while comparing the LX to the SSS, the SSS had a HUD (heads-up display—digital speedo on windscreen), climate control, fog lights, ski-port, woodgrain styling, and gear selector display on the instrument cluster (automatic models only). Despite there being a sports model (SSS), the LX was the fastest of the Australian models due to having the least weight. The engine used in the Australian and US U13 models was the KA24DE with and 210 Nm of torque).


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The U13 Bluebird was introduced in New Zealand in early 1993, and was produced at Nissan's assembly plant in South Auckland from CKD packs imported from Japan until 1997, when it was replaced by the Primera. The model received much praise for its handling roadholding, with some models benefitting from the Attesa's passively steered rear wheels. New Zealand models were; S (base model, not available until later), SE (mid-spec), SES (sport) and SEL (luxury). Several versions of the sedan, including the first local Bluebird to have standard factory-fitted air conditioning (automatic climate control in this case) and optional locally supplied leather upholstery. At launch, some local motoring writers criticised Nissan NZ's decision to fit luxury equipment items instead of airbags in top versions but the company insisted there was not yet sufficient retail or fleet buyer demand.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Nissan Motor signed an agreement with Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. of China, to build the Bluebird there in the early 2000s. It was the U13 model that was chosen, and is sold there as the Fengshen(Aeolus) Bluebird.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Yulon Motor, the Taiwan-based automaker, developed this variant of the U13, called the EQ7200-II series, in 2001. This featured a U13 central section but heavily revised front and rear ends with tail lamps and trunk lid design derived from the L30 Altima. However, the centre of the car remains the same, and the wheelbase is retained.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The EQ7200-I ,which basically kept the look and specs of facelifted Bluebird U13 SSS, commenced production in 1999 and lasted until 2002 being replaced by the EQ7200-II. The EQ7200-II was built from 2001 to 2003, when it was replaced by a revised EQ7200-III model. The EQ7200-III was sold from 2003 to 2007.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: The car is marginally longer at , as opposed to the original U13's . These Chinese models used a Chinese built SR20DE called EQ486.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Nissan switched to boxy styling for the final U14 Bluebird for January 1996. The American Altima developed into a completely separate line of cars, with new L-series chassis codes. But in its home market of Japan – also the only market it was sold new in – the Bluebird was targeted more at buyers who favoured the formality of larger Japanese sedans. To fit in with a lower bracket in Japanese taxation legislation, the U14 retained a sub- width.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Only a four-door sedan was offered. The hardtop and the option of a 1.6 L engine were removed. Engine choices were either the SR18(DE), SR20(DE) and the SR20(VE) with available all-wheel-drive (ATTESA) versions. The Nissan Hyper CVT automatic transmission was available in this generation along with standard four-speed automatic, five-speed manual, or as an all-wheel-drive with a five-speed manual. Some models had a 1973 cc diesel CD20E engine. Models offered include the standard LeGrand, luxury Eprise, sports-oriented SSS, and a limited run SSS-Z model. The SSS-Z model came with the variable valve lift-equipped SR20VE engine and featured special interior trim which was silver rather than the wood trim found in the Legrand, Eprise, and SSS models.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: In 2001, a final limited run of SSS models was produced. These cars have a special red and grey paint job, gold rather than the standard silver emblems, and red metal covers over the headlights.


title: Nissan Bluebird

text: Production of the Nissan Bluebird ended in Japan in 2001, and it was replaced by the mid-size Nissan Maxima, Nissan Teana, and Nissan Altima internationally, and the compact Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in Japan. It was a popular export to Russia, Africa,some parts of the Caribbean and New Zealand.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Captain Ahab is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick" (1851). He is the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship "Pequod". On a previous voyage, the white whale Moby Dick bit off Ahab's leg, and he now wears a prosthetic leg made out of whalebone. The whaling voyage of the "Pequod" ends up as a hunt for revenge on the whale, as Ahab forces the crew members to support his fanatical mission. When Moby Dick is finally sighted, Ahab's hatred robs him of all caution, and the whale drags him to his death beneath the sea and sinks the "Pequod".


title: Captain Ahab

text: Melville biographer Andrew Delbanco calls Ahab "a brilliant personification of the very essence of fanaticism". Scholar F. O. Matthiessen calls attention to the fact that Ahab is called an "ungodly god-like man". Ahab's "tragedy is that of an unregenerate will" whose "burning mind is barred out from the exuberance of love" and argues that he "remains damned". Writer D. H. Lawrence felt little sympathy for Ahab and found that the whale should have "torn off both his legs, and a bit more besides".


title: Captain Ahab

text: The character of Ahab was created under the influence of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's lecture on "Hamlet" and figures in biblical and classical literature such as Shakespeare and Milton. His prosthesis, for instance, has been taken for an allusion to the Oedipus myth.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab is firmly established in popular culture by cartoons, comic books, films and plays. Most famously, he provided J. M. Barrie with the model for his Captain Hook character, who is obsessed with not a whale but a crocodile.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab was named by his insane, widowed mother, who died when he was twelve months old. The etymology of the name Ahab derives from the Hebrew, meaning "father's brother" as cited in Strong's Concordance no. 256. At 18 years old, Ahab first took to sea as a boy-harpooner. Less than three voyages ago, Ahab married a sweet, resigned girl, with whom he has a young son. He has been in colleges and among the cannibals, and has seen deeper wonders than the waves. He has fixed his lance, the keenest and surest on the isle of Nantucket, in stranger foes than whales.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Years ago, Peleg, now the co-owner of "Pequod", sailed as mate under Ahab. During that voyage, a typhoon near Japan swung her three masts overboard. Every moment the crew thought the ship would sink, the sea breaking over the ship. Yet instead of thinking of death, Captain Ahab and Peleg thought of how to save all hands, and how to rig temporary masts in order to get into the nearest port and make repairs.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Before the ship sails from Nantucket, Ishmael encounters a man named Elijah who tells him about some of Ahab's past deeds. According to Elijah, Ahab once lay near death for three days and nights near Cape Horn, took part in a deadly battle against Spanish forces before an altar in Santa, and spat into its silver chalice. Ahab lost his leg during his most recent whaling voyage, leaving him with a grim disposition and a strong desire for revenge against Moby Dick.


title: Captain Ahab

text: In addition to the prosthetic leg, Ahab bears a mark that runs down one side of his face and neck: "“Threading its way out from among his grey hairs, and continuing right down one side of his tawny scorched face and neck, till it disappeared in his clothing, you saw a slender rod like mark, lividly whitish. It resembled that perpendicular seam sometimes made in the straight, lofty trunk of a great tree, when the upper lightning tearingly darts down it... leaving the tree still greenly alive, but branded.”" –("Moby-Dick", p. 129.) The mark and its origins – whether a birthmark, the scar from a wound, or otherwise – are rarely mentioned or discussed. Ahab's leg includes a small flat patch that he uses as a slate for making navigational calculations. The deck planks of "Pequod" have been bored with shallow holes, the same diameter as the lower end, to allow him to steady himself against the motion of the ship. While at sea, he turns to the ship's carpenter and blacksmith to fashion a replacement leg and fittings after damaging the one he wears.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab is 58 years old at the time of "Pequod"s last voyage. Peleg and Bildad pilot the ship out of the harbor, and Ahab first appears on deck when the ship is already at sea. Instead of embarking on a regular whaling voyage, Ahab declares he is out for revenge and nails a doubloon to the mast, as a reward for the crewmember who first sights Moby Dick. As the voyage proceeds, Ahab gradually abandons the physical comforts of his life, symbolized by such actions as throwing his pipe overboard and giving his shaving razors to the ship's blacksmith for use in forging a special harpoon he intends to use against Moby Dick. When the whale is eventually sighted, a disastrous three-day chase begins. Ahab throws his harpoon and hits Moby Dick, but its line wraps around his neck and drags him off his boat when the whale dives, drowning him.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Peleg refers to Ahab respectfully as a "grand, ungodly, god-like man" but he is also nicknamed "Old Thunder".


title: Captain Ahab

text: According to Melville biographer Leon Howard, "Ahab is a Shakespearean tragic hero, created according to the Coleridgean formula." The creation of Ahab, who apparently does not derive from any captain Melville sailed under, was heavily influenced by the observation in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's lecture on "Hamlet" that "one of Shakespeare's modes of creating characters is to conceive any one intellectual or moral faculty in "morbid" excess, and then to place himself ... thus "mutilated" or "diseased", under given circumstances." Whenever "Moby-Dick"s narrator comments on Captain Ahab as an artistic creation, the language of Coleridge's lecture appears: "at all detract from him, dramatically regarded, if either by birth or other circumstances, he have what seems a half-wilful "over-ruling morbidness" at the bottom of his nature." All men "tragically great," Ishmael says, "are made so through a certain "morbidness."" All mortal greatness "is but "disease"."


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab's speech combines Quaker archaism with Shakespeare's idiom to serve as "a homegrown analogue to blank verse."


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab's death seems to be based on an actual event. On May 18, 1843, Melville was aboard "The Star" which sailed for Honolulu. Aboard were two sailors from the ship "Nantucket" who could have told him that they had seen their second mate "taken out of a whaleboat by a foul line and drowned, as is Captain Ahab of "Moby-Dick"."


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab's character is shaped by mythic and literary patterns that overlap and reinforce each other in such a complementary way that "the apparent irony of one allusion is frequently the truth of another." For instance, allusions to Oedipus, which flesh out Ahab's ignorance and lack of self-knowledge, are complemented by references to Narcissus, which evoke the psychological causes for his ignorance. Ahab's use of a spade for a crutch in Chapter 70, "The Sphinx," reminds the reader that he is lame, like Oedipus, and also wounded, like Prometheus. However, Ahab should be considered both in relation to the allusions and in contrast to the other characters.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab is named for the biblical story of Ahab in the Books of Kings 16:28–22:40, the evil idol-worshipping ruler. This association prompts Ishmael to ask, after first hearing Ahab's name: "When that wicked king was slain, the dogs, did they not lick his blood?" He is rebuked by one of Ahab's colleagues, who points out that "He did not name himself."


title: Captain Ahab

text: For Melville's allegory the single most important thing was that Ahab "did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him" in 16:30–31. The biblical Ahab foreshadows the tragic end of Captain Ahab and the essential duality of his character. Both Ahabs are shrewd in their secular associations. The captain is successful in whaling, with a record of forty years. "The very evidence of this success," Nathalia Wright observes, "is fantastically like that in King Ahab's story: Captain Ahab, too, lives in an ivory house, 'the ivory "Pequod" as it is often called, tricked out in trophies of whale bones and teeth from profitable voyages." The ship's last voyage, however, is not entirely commercial: from the moment Ahab attaches the golden doubloon on the mast, it becomes a pursuit of a perceived enemy, under a captain unable to compromise. King Ahab, an able politician but a patron of foreign gods, offended Jehovah by introducing Baal as a god. Jehovah tolerated no other gods and contrived with false prophets to destroy King Ahab.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Like his eponym, Captain Ahab worships pagan gods, particularly the spirit of fire. Fedallah the Parsee, his harpooner, is a fire-worshipping Zoroastrian. Fedallah makes three prophecies regarding Ahab's death:


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab interprets these prophecies to mean that he cannot die on land or sea, but they prove to be accurate if cryptic predictions of his death. Fedallah is swept off Ahab's whaleboat during the final three-day chase, and Ahab later sees his corpse bound to Moby Dick with a harpoon line. The whale proves to be the first of the two hearses; the "Pequod" becomes the second when it sinks with the loss of all hands aboard. The line around Ahab's neck serves as the fatal hemp, and Moby Dick's final dive allows Fedallah to lead Ahab to his death.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Charles Olson mentions three modes of madness in "King Lear", the King's, the Fool's, and Edgar's, allegorized in the book, with Ahab taking the role of Lear and Pip the roles of both the Fool and Edgar. Melville makes his points by way of contrasts to Shakespeare. Olson identifies the typhoon in chapter 119, "The Candles," with the storm in "Lear". "Ahab, unlike Lear," Olson observes, "does not in this night of storm discover his love for his fellow wretches. On the contrary, this night Ahab uncovers his whole hate." Later, in chapter 125, "The Log and Line," Ahab says to Pip, in Lear's words to his Fool, "Thou touchest my inmost centre, boy; thou are tied to me by chords woven of my heart-strings." While Sweeney endorses Olson's identification, he finds exaggerated the claim that Ahab learns from his cabin-boy just as Lear does from the Fool. Ahab learns "little or nothing" throughout the book.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Milton's Satan is "not the least element of which Captain Ahab is compounded," says Nathalia Wright. The words with which Ishmael and Starbuck portray him—infidel, impious, diabolic, blasphemous—describe him as a towering rebel.


title: Captain Ahab

text: In "The Candles" (Ch 119) Ahab's harpoon is called a "fiery dart." The phrase is taken from book XII of John Milton's "Paradise Lost", as Henry F. Pommer recognized, where Michael promised Adam "spiritual armour, able to resist/ Satan's assaults, and quench his "fiery darts"" (XII, 491-2). Pommer argues that Milton's work was more immediate than Shakespeare, because while some of Melville's soliloquies appear to find their prototypes in Shakespeare, "there is a slight step from dramatic monologue to fictional thought," and Milton "had already taken that step, using, in his own extended narrative, soliloquies precisely like Melville's."


title: Captain Ahab

text: Further allusions identify Ahab with Satan. Milton's scene set in Hell includes the lines "Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit/Chew'd bitter ashes, which the offended taste/With spattering noise rejected" (X, 565–567), and" Moby-Dick" chapter 132, "The Symphony," has "like a blighted fruit-tree he [Ahab] shook, and cast his last, "cindered" apple to the soil." On the last day of the chase, Ahab evokes the Creation: ""What a lovely day again! were it a new-made world, and made for a summerhouse to the angels, and this morning the first of its throwing open to them, a fairer day could not dawn upon that world." Later that day Moby Dick, "seemed combinedly possessed by all the angels that fell from heaven," sinks the ship. Tashtego hammers a sky-hawk to the mast: "And so the bird of heaven, with archangelic shrieks, and his imperial beak thrust upward, and his whole captive form folded in the flag of Ahab, went down with his ship, which, like Satan, would not sink to hell till she had dragged a living part of heaven with her, and helmeted herself with it." Pommer finds "most impressive of all" the Latin in chapter 113, "The Forge," with which Ahab cries: "."("I baptize thee not in the name of the Father but in the name of the devil").


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab's scar may have been modeled on the description of Satan's face, which "Deep scars of thunder had intrench'd." (I, 600–601)


title: Captain Ahab

text: The greatness and woe of both Satan and Ahab lies in pride. "The proud person," Pommer explains, "believing that he deserves treatment appropriate to his self-inflated dignity, is quick to anger when he receives a less welcome treatment. At the exaltation of the Messiah, Satan 'could not bear/Through pride that sight, and thought himself impair'd.'" Satan's "sense of injur'd merit" is reported in his first speech in Hell. Ahab's story, caused by Moby Dick biting off his leg, follows the same psychological pattern of being spiritually and physically impaired.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Overlapping with "Lear", the typhoon scene in "The Candles" also seems to be Melville's recreation of the mythic theft of fire. Prometheus accomplished his theft by the stealthy hiding of the divine spark in a fennel stalk. In contrast, "Ahab's theft is a boldly defiant deed, set amidst elemental nature in furious eruption." The whole business of whaling is a theft of fire, for the sperm whale's oil is used as fuel for flames. The hunt for the White Whale, described by Ishmael as "the fiery hunt," thus represents a conflict with a deity—hence the references to Moby Dick as a god. Ahab waving the fiery harpoon is Melville's "modified equivalent of Prometheus's smuggling from heaven the fire-laden fennel stalk." Both Prometheus and Ahab try to alter or reverse "the supernatural design, and herein lies the acme of their tragic hubris." Prometheus, mistakenly convinced that Zeus planned the destruction of man, stole fire in order to contravene the will of the god; Ahab, thinking his mind can penetrate the mystery of evil, is convinced that killing Moby Dick will "expel evil from the cosmos."


title: Captain Ahab

text: In a tragedy a hero has a mad counterpart: "Prometheus" has Io, "Moby-Dick" has Pip. The madness of Io and Pip is caused by their unintentional contact with the primal elements or with the deity. "The Pip who dances and shakes his tambourine before Queequeg's coffin," Sweeney compares, "is clearly a maniac, completely detached from his former personality." Likewise, Io, tortured by the gadfly, "bursts upon the stage in a wild dance...While on the stage, Io speaks with a disjointed frenzy much the same as Pip's."


title: Captain Ahab

text: In "The Candles," Ahab is temporarily stricken by blindness, an allusion to the Oedipus myth. In the chapter "The Sphynx," Ahab stands before a sperm whale's head hanging from the side of his ship: "it seemed the Sphynx's in the desert." Ahab orders the head to "tell us the secret thing that is in thee." Here Ahab resembles Oedipus and the monster of Thebes, the more for his using a spade alternatively as both a crutch and as a tool with which to dissect the whale. Oedipus' staff, Sweeney notes, is both "a walking tool and the murder weapon with which he killed his father." The Promethean and Oedipean sides of Ahab connect in this chapter by way of the crutch. In addition to this, blindness is alluded to. Oedipus and Ahab are intelligent and ignorant at the same time, excessively proud, and both face a riddle (the mystery of evil).


title: Captain Ahab

text: The opening chapter contains an extended allusion to "that story of Narcissus, who because he could not grasp the tormenting, mild image he saw in the fountain, plunged into it and was drowned" (Ch. 1, "Loomings"). Ahab does not realize that the malice he sees in the White Whale is his own, "wildly projected." His Narcissistic self-delusion (he is unaware that he sees himself in the whale) complements "his Oedipean self-ignorance" (he does not know who he really is). The Narcissus myth also explains why Ahab, unlike Oedipus, remains self-ignorant. While two messengers enlight Oedipus and separate him from his obsession, Narcissus and Ahab are never interrupted from theirs. The contrast between Narcissus and Ahab is that the first contemplates a beautiful image which he loves, while Ahab projects an evil image which he hates, which Sweeney calls "an ironic reversal on Melville's part." In several ways Ahab and Moby Dick resemble each other:


title: Captain Ahab

text: A subtle connection between Ahab, Moby Dick and Fedallah is formed by the imagery of the brow and forehead. According to Sweeney, Fedallah is "clearly an external projection of Ahab's own depravity" and at the same time a double of what Ahab finds most evil in the whale. Fedallah is several times described using "phantom" imagery in the chapter "Ahab's Boat and Crew. Fedallah." In Ovid's myth Narcissus has an airy counterpart in the speech-deprived nymph Echo, who can only repeat the sounds she hears. Echo is an auditory complement to the visual reflection and a foreshadowing of Narcissus' death. In the same way Fedallah, who only says what Ahab wants to hear, is an auditory reflection of Ahab's evil, of which Moby Dick is the visual reflection. Fedallah foreshadows Ahab's death.


title: Captain Ahab

text: When the book was first published, reviewers mostly focused on Ahab and the whale. According to George Ripley in "Harper's New Monthly Magazine" for December 1851, Ahab "becomes the victim of a deep, cunning monomania; believes himself predestined to take a bloody revenge on his fearful enemy; pursues him with fierce demoniac energy of purpose." Ripley admires the creation of Ahab, who "opens upon us with wonderful power. He exercises a wild, bewildering fascination by his dark and mysterious nature."


title: Captain Ahab

text: During the onset of Melville's rediscovery there was no change of emphasis on Ahab and his struggle with the whale. During the 1950s and 1960s literary scholars shifted their attention to narrative technique and point of view, which for Melville studies meant that the spotlight switched from Ahab to Ishmael.


title: Captain Ahab

text: The first two film adaptations show "the radical surgery that Hollywood performed on Herman Melville's masterpiece." The first was a silent movie, "The Sea Beast", a romantic love story in which the character of Ahab (John Barrymore), is transformed into "a handsome young sailor" a New Bedford harpooner who has little in common with Ahab, not even his full name, which is extended to Ahab Ceeley. Though in the book Ahab has already lost his leg, in the film a "crude papier mache monster" bites it off. When the movie opened on Broadway it made $20,000 a week and ran longer than any Warner film up to that time.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Barrymore is also Ahab in the 1930 "Moby Dick", this time with his voice. Ahab is "shrieking in pain" as the ship's (called "Mary-Ann") blacksmith holds a fiery, hot-bladed tool against his stump. Again, the whale is just a means to separate lovers. In another diversion from the book, Ahab's sweetheart is the minister's daughter, Faith Mapple. Once again, it became a hit at the box office.


title: Captain Ahab

text: In 1955, Orson Welles played Ahab in a filmed production of his play "Moby Dick Rehearsed"; however, this film is considered "lost".


title: Captain Ahab

text: Warner Brothers' third effort was directed in 1956 by John Huston, with a script by Ray Bradbury, the first serious attempt to follow the book. Completion of the script took a year, filming another year, and editing and scoring a third year. Gregory Peck's Ahab is a "stern authoritarian Lincoln in black." The otherwise positive reviews agreed that Peck was unsuited for the part.


title: Captain Ahab

text: There have been two French film versions of "Moby Dick": "Capitaine Achab" (2004), starring Frédéric Bonpart and "Capitaine Achabin" (2007) starring Denis Lavant.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab has been portrayed on television, beginning with Victor Jory's portrayal in 1954 on the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and including portrayals by Patrick Stewart in the 1998 mini-series and William Hurt in the 2011 mini-series. In films that were released directly to video, Captain Ahab was played by Barry Bostwick in a 2010 modern-age re-imagining of "Moby Dick", and by Danny Glover in the 2011 film "Age of the Dragons", a fantasy-themed re-imagining.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Ahab appears quite frequently in humorous comic strips and cartoons. Without effort an entire anthology of this material (caricature, gag cartoons, editorial cartoons) could be assembled. The one strip that most often refers to Melville is "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz. The futuristic comic book supervillain Ahab uses harpoons.


title: Captain Ahab

text: An acclaimed version of "Moby Dick" and Ahab was made by the trio of Argentine artists consisting of Enrique Breccia, Leopoldo Durañona and Guillermo Saccomanno, which was released in a completed and collected graphic novel format in 1979.


title: Captain Ahab

text: In "", the story of Venom Snake (initially introduced as Ahab) also appears to be somewhat inspired by the fate Captain Ahab. In addition, the transport helicopter regularly used by the player is referred to as Pequod.


title: Captain Ahab

text: The song "Beneath These Waves" (in the 2005 album "Touched by the Crimson King" of the metal band Demons and Wizards) sings about Ahab's will of revenge.


title: Captain Ahab

text: The alternative metal band Mastodon and their album "Leviathan" references him in one of their songs, with the album being based on "Moby-Dick"


title: Captain Ahab

text: Singer Bob Dylan references the character in his 1965 song "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" from the album "Bringing It All Back Home".


title: Captain Ahab

text: Singer Tom Waits also references the character in his song "Shiver Me Timbers" on his 1974 album "The Heart of Saturday Night".


title: Captain Ahab

text: Elton John and Leon Russell’s 2010 album "The Union" contains a song called “Hey Ahab” based on the character.


title: Captain Ahab

text: Hip-hop duo Black Star mentions the sinking of Ahab's ship by Moby Dick on the song "Re:Definition" from their 1998 album "Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star".


title: Joker (playing card)

text: The Joker is a playing card found in most modern French-suited card decks, as an addition to the standard four suits (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades). From the second half of the 20th century, they have also been found in Spanish- and Italian-suited decks, excluding stripped decks. The Joker originated in the United States during the Civil War, and was created as a trump card for the game of Euchre. It has since been adopted into many other card games, where it often acts as a wild card, but may have other functions such as the top trump, a skip card (forcing another player to miss a turn), the lowest-ranking card, the highest-value card or a card of a different value from the rest of the pack (see e.g. Zwickern which has 6 Jokers with this function). By contrast, a wild card is any card that may be used to represent another card or cards; it need not be a Joker.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: The game of Euchre is credited with the introduction of the Joker into card games. However, Euchre began life with no Joker. In the earliest rules of 1844, 32 standard cards are used and the "Right Bower", the trump Jack, was the "commanding card" with the "Left Bower", the Jack of the same colour, as the second-highest card.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: According to card game historian, David Parlett, the Joker was added to a 32-card pack in the 1850s specifically for the game of Euchre and is first mentioned in a set of rules in 1868 where it turns out to be a blank specimen card not intended for actual play. This gave rise to a variant game called "Euchre with the Joker" in which the blank card ranked above all the rest. It must have been in use even earlier, however, since the term "Best Bower" appears in a satirical 1861 piece about the American Civil War, and in fact Samuel Hart is credited with printing the first illustrated "Best Bower" card in 1863 with his "Imperial Bower". Best Bower-type Jokers continued to be produced well into the 20th century. Cards labelled "Joker" began appearing around the late 1860s, with some depicting clowns and jesters.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: The idea behind the three top cards in Euchre appears to have originated from Germany where the games Juckerspiel and Bester Bube ("Best Bower") also used Jacks as best, right and left bowers. It is also believed that the term "Joker" comes from "Juckerspiel", which is also known as "Jucker", the original German spelling of Euchre. One British manufacturer, Charles Goodall, was manufacturing packs with Jokers for the American market in 1871. The first Joker for the domestic British market was sold in 1874. Italians call Jokers "Jolly", for many early cards were labelled "Jolly Joker".


title: Joker (playing card)

text: The notion of a Joker was later transferred to the game of Poker where it was initially called the Mistigris. This happened around 1875, where it functioned as a wild card. Packs with two Jokers started to become the norm during the late 1940s for the game of Canasta. Since the 1950s, German and Austrian packs have included three Jokers to play German Rummy. In Poland, the third Joker is known as the blue Joker because the KZWP monopoly during the Polish People's Republic printed all third Jokers blue. In Schleswig-Holstein, Zwickern packs come with six Jokers.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: Jokers do not have any standardized appearance across the card manufacturing industry. Each company produces their own depictions of the card. The publishers of playing cards trademark their Jokers, which have unique artwork that often reflect contemporary culture. Out of convention, Jokers tend to be illustrated as jesters. There are usually two Jokers per deck, often noticeably different. For instance, the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC) prints their company's guarantee claim on only one. At times, the Jokers will each be colored to match the colors used for suits; e.g., there will be a red Joker and a black Joker. In games where the Jokers may need to be compared, the red, full-color, or larger-graphic Joker usually outranks the black, monochrome, or smaller-graphic one. If the Joker colors are similar, the Joker without a guarantee will outrank the guaranteed one. With the red and black Jokers, the red one can alternately be counted as a Heart/Diamond and the black one can alternately be counted as a Club/Spade. The Unicode for playing cards provide symbols for three Jokers: red, black, and white.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: Many decks do not provide the Joker with a corner index symbol; of those that do, the most common is a solid star (as is the case with Bee cards). It is also common for decks to simply display the word "JOKER" in the corner. Bicycle cards use a "US" monogram as the Joker index.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: Joker collecting has been popular for an unknown amount of time, but with the advent of the Internet and social media, it has emerged as a hobby. Many unusual Jokers are available for purchase online, while other collectible Jokers are catalogued online for viewing. "Guinness World Records" has recognized Denoto de Santis, an Italian magician, as having the world's largest collection of Jokers.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: The Joker is often compared to "(the) Fool" in the Tarot or Tarock decks. They share many similarities both in appearance and play function. In central Europe, the Fool, or "Sküs", is the highest trump; elsewhere as an "excuse" ("L'Excuse") that can be played at any time to avoid following suit, but cannot win.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: Practitioners of cartomancy often include a Joker in the standard 52-card deck with a meaning similar to the Fool card of Tarot. Sometimes, the two Jokers are used. An approach is to identify the "black" Joker with a rank of zero with the Fool and the "red" Joker with "the Magician", also known as "the Juggler", which is a card with a rank of one that is somewhat similar in interpretation and is considered the first step in the "Fool's Journey".


title: Joker (playing card)

text: In a standard deck in the US or Britain, there are usually two Jokers. In other countries, such as Germany, there are usually three Jokers in a pack. The Joker's use varies greatly. Many card games omit the cards entirely; as a result, Jokers are sometimes used as informal replacements for lost or damaged cards in a deck by simply noting the lost card's rank and suit on the Joker. Other games, such as a 25-card variant of Euchre which uses the Joker as the highest trump, make it one of the most important in the game. Often, the Joker is a wild card, which allows it to represent other existing cards. The term "Joker's wild" originates from this practice. However, in Zwicker Jokers are higher value, matching and scoring cards while, in one variant, a normal suit card is the only one that is wild.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: The Joker can be a very beneficial card or a bad card to have. In Euchre it is often used to represent the highest trump. In Gin Rummy it is wild. However, in the children's game of Old Maid, a solitary Joker represents the Old Maid, the card to be avoided.


title: Joker (playing card)

text: Generally, the Joker is omitted from patience games as in many others of its type. However, there are variations of solitaire games where a Joker does take part, most often as a wild card.


title: Michael Parenti

text: Michael John Parenti (born September 30, 1933) is an American political scientist, academic historian and cultural critic who writes on scholarly and popular subjects. He has taught at universities as well as run for political office. Parenti is well known for his Marxist writings and lectures. He is a leading intellectual of the American Left.


title: Michael Parenti

text: Michael Parenti was raised by an Italian-American working-class family in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City. After graduating from high school, Parenti worked for several years. Upon returning to school, he received a BA from the City College of New York, an MA from Brown University and a PhD in political science from Yale University. Parenti is the father of Christian Parenti, an academic, author and journalist.


title: Michael Parenti

text: For many years Parenti taught political and social science at various institutions of higher learning. Eventually he devoted himself full-time to writing, public speaking, and political activism. He is the author of 20 books and over 300 articles. His works have been translated into at least 18 languages.


title: Michael Parenti

text: Parenti's writings cover a wide range of subjects: U.S. politics, culture, ideology, political economy, imperialism, fascism, communism, democratic socialism, free-market orthodoxies, conservative judicial activism, religion, ancient history, modern history, historiography, repression in academia, news and entertainment media, technology, environmentalism, sexism, racism, Venezuela, the wars in Iraq and Yugoslavia, ethnicity, and his own early life. His book "Democracy for the Few", now in its ninth edition, is a critical analysis of U.S. society,


title: Michael Parenti

text: economy, and political institutions and a college-level political science textbook published by Wadsworth Publishing. In recent years he has addressed such subjects as "Empires: Past and Present," "US Interventionism: the Case of Iraq," "Race, Gender, and Class Power," "Ideology and History," "The Overthrow of Communism," and "Terrorism and Globalization."


title: Michael Parenti

text: In 1974, Parenti ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Vermont as the candidate of the democratic socialist Liberty Union Party; he came in third place, with 7.1% of the vote. Parenti was once a friend of Bernie Sanders, but he later split with Sanders over Sanders's support for the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.


title: Michael Parenti

text: In the 1980s, he was a visiting fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. In 2003, the Caucus for a New Political Science gave him a Career Achievement Award.


title: Michael Parenti

text: In 2007, he received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Representative Barbara Lee.


title: Michael Parenti

text: He served for 12 years as a judge for Project Censored. He also is on the advisory boards of Independent Progressive Politics Network and Education Without Borders as well as the advisory editorial boards of "New Political Science" and "Nature, Society and Thought".


title: Michael Parenti

text: Apart from several recordings of some of his public speeches, Parenti has also appeared in the 1992 documentary "The Panama Deception", the 2004 Liberty Bound and 2013 Fall and Winter documentaries as an author and social commentator.


title: Michael Parenti

text: Parenti was interviewed in Boris Malagurski's documentary film "The Weight of Chains 2" (2014). He was also interviewed for two episodes of the Showtime series "", speaking briefly about the Dalai Lama (Episode 305 – Holier Than Thou) and patriotism (Episode 508 – Mount Rushmore).


title: Michael Parenti

text: New York City-based punk rock band Choking Victim use a number of samples from Michael Parenti's lectures in their album "No Gods, No Managers".


title: Michaelmas

text: Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in some Western liturgical calendars on 29 September, and on 8 November in the Eastern tradition. Michaelmas has been one of the four quarter days of the English and Irish financial, judicial, and academic year.


title: Michaelmas

text: In Christian angelology, the Archangel Michael is the greatest of all the angels; he is particularly honored for defeating Lucifer in the war in heaven.


title: Michaelmas

text: In the fifth century, a basilica near Rome was dedicated in honour of Saint Michael the Archangel on 30 September, beginning with celebrations on the eve of that day. 29 September is now kept in honour of Saint Michael and all Angels throughout some western churches. The name Michaelmas comes from a shortening of "Michael's Mass", in the same style as Christmas (Christ's Mass) and Candlemas (Candle Mass, the Mass where traditionally the candles to be used throughout the year would be blessed).


title: Michaelmas

text: During the Middle Ages, Michaelmas was celebrated as a Holy Day of Obligation, but this tradition was abolished in the 18th century. In medieval England, Michaelmas marked the ending and beginning of the husbandman's year, George C. Homans observes: "at that time harvest was over, and the bailiff or reeve of the manor would be making out the accounts for the year."


title: Michaelmas

text: Because it falls near the equinox, this holy day is associated in the northern hemisphere with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days. It was also one of the English, Welsh, and Irish quarter days, when accounts had to be settled. On manors, it was the day when a reeve was elected from the peasants. Michaelmas hiring fairs were held at the end of September or beginning of October. The day was also considered a "gale day" in Ireland when rent would be due, as well as a day for the issuing or settling of contracts or other legal transactions.


title: Michaelmas

text: On the Isle of Skye, Scotland, a procession was held. One of the few flowers left around at this time of year is the Michaelmas daisy (also known as asters). Hence the rhyme: "The Michaelmas daisies, among dead weeds, Bloom for St Michael's valorous deeds ..."


title: Michaelmas

text: In Ireland, (), pilgrimages to holy wells associated with St Michael took place, with pilgrims taking a drink from the holy water from the well. The greeting "May Michaelmas féinín on you" was traditional. Boys born on this day were often christened Michael or Micheál. In Tramore, County Waterford, a procession with an effigy of St Michael, called the Micilín, was brought through the town to the shore to mark the end of the fishing season. In Irish folklore, clear weather on Michaelmas was a portent of a long winter, "Michaelmas Day be bright and clear there will be two 'Winters' in the year."


title: Michaelmas

text: A traditional meal for the day includes goose known as a "stubble-goose" (one prepared around harvest time) also known as an "embling" or "rucklety" goose.


title: Michaelmas

text: The association of geese with Michaelmas comes from a legend in which the son of an Irish king choked on a goose bone he'd eaten, and was consequently brought back to life by St. Patrick. The king ordered the sacrifice of a goose every Michaelmas in honour of the saint. The Irish Michaelmas goose was slaughtered and eaten on the day; they were also presented as gifts or donated to the poor.


title: Michaelmas

text: In parts of Ireland sheep were also slaughtered with tradition of the "St. Michael's portion" donated to the poor. Poultry markets and fairs took place to sell geese as well as mutton pies. In Ulster, it was traditional for tenants to present their landlord with a couple of geese, a tradition dating back to Edward IV. There were differing methods across Ireland for cooking the goose, most generally using a heavy iron pot on an open hearth. In Blacklion, County Cavan, the goose was covered in local blue clay and placed at the centre of the fire until the clay broke, indicating the goose was cooked.


title: Michaelmas

text: The custom of baking a special bread or cake, called (), "St. Michael's bannock", or "Michaelmas bannock", on the eve of the Feast of Saint Michael, the Archangel, probably originated in the Hebrides. The bread was made from equal parts of barley, oats, and rye without using any metal implements.


title: Michaelmas

text: In remembrance of absent friends or those who had died, special "Struans", blessed at an early morning Mass, were given to the poor in their names.


title: Michaelmas

text: Folklore in the British Isles suggests that Michaelmas day is the last day that blackberries can be picked. It is said that when St. Michael expelled the devil, Lucifer, from heaven, he fell from the skies and landed in a prickly blackberry bush. Satan cursed the fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, stamped, spat, and urinated on them, so that they would be unfit for eating. As it is considered ill-advised to eat them after 11 October (Old Michaelmas Day according to the Julian Calendar), a Michaelmas pie is made from the last of the season. In Ireland, the soiling of blackberries is also attributed to a púca.


title: Michaelmas

text: In the Roman Catholic Church on 29 September only three Archangels are celebrated: Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael. Their feasts were unified in one common day during the second half of the 20th century. In the time before their feasts were: 29 September (only St Michael), 24 March for St Gabriel, and, lastly, 24 October for St Raphael.


title: Michaelmas

text: In Anglican and Episcopal tradition, there are three or four archangels in its calendar for 29 September feast for St. Michael and All Angels: namely Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and often, Uriel.


title: Michaelmas

text: Michaelmas is used in the extended sense of autumn, as the name of the first term of the academic year, which begins at this time, at various educational institutions in the United Kingdom, Ireland and those parts of the Commonwealth in the northern hemisphere. These include the universities of Cambridge, Durham, Lancaster, the London School of Economics, Oxford, Swansea, and Dublin. However, the ancient Scottish universities used the name Martinmas for their autumn term, following the old Scottish term days.


title: Michaelmas

text: The Inns of Court of the English Bar and the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland also have a Michaelmas term as one of their dining terms. It begins in September and ends towards the end of December.


title: Michaelmas

text: The term is also the name of the first of four terms into which the legal year is divided by the courts of Ireland and England and Wales.


title: Michaelmas

text: In the United Kingdom, the United States and Ireland, a Red Mass is traditionally convened on the Sunday closest to Michaelmas, in honor of and to bless lawyers and judges.


title: Michaelmas

text: While terms are not used by most courts in the United States, where court calendars are usually continuous and year-round, the U.S. Supreme Court operates on an annual term and roughly follows the English custom by beginning that term on the first Monday in October, a few days after Michaelmas.


title: Michaelmas

text: Because Saint Michael is the patron of police officers, Michaelmas may also see a Blue Mass. Lutheran Christians consider it a principal feast of Christ, and the Lutheran Confessor, Philip Melanchthon, wrote a hymn for the day that is still sung in Lutheran churches: "Lord God, We All to Thee Give Praise" (The Lutheran Hymnal 254), which shares its tune with the Old 100th hymn.


title: Michaelmas

text: Michaelmas is still celebrated in Waldorf schools. Rudolf Steiner considered it the second most important festival after Easter. The celebration of this holiday teaches the importance of facing fears and strengthening resolve. As the first festival of the new school year, it is celebrated with an all-school play, in which each class assumes a role, such as peasants, townspeople, nobles, etc. Students assume a new role as they pass from grade to grade, and it becomes something of a rite of passage.


title: Michaelmas

text: In the City of London, Michaelmas is the day when the new Lord Mayor of London is elected, in the "Common Hall".


title: Michaelmas

text: In Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, Michaelmas has been observed since 1786 as Goose Day. Local tradition holds that eating goose on 29 September will bring prosperity. The good-luck goose connection comes from Queen Elizabeth I, who was said to be eating goose on Michaelmas in 1588 when she received news that her royal navy defeated the Spanish Armada. The Juniata River Valley began celebrating this version of Michaelmas when a Pennsylvania Dutchman named Andrew Pontius moved his family to neighboring Snyder County to farm. When his farm prospered, he decided to hire a tenant farmer to help. On his way to Lancaster to hire a German immigrant, he stopped in Harrisburg for the night where he met a young Englishman named Archibald Hunter, who was offered the job. The contract that was drawn for employment contained a clause specifying their accounts were to be settled each year on the traditional day to do so, 29 September. When that day came, Hunter appeared at Pontius' door with his accounts and a goose, explaining that in England, eating a goose on 29 September brought good luck. The tradition spread to nearby Lewistown, Pennsylvania, where it is still honored today with many local restaurants and civics groups offering goose dinners, local festivals, and other county-wide activities. In honor of the holiday, painted fiberglass goose statues can be found throughout the county all year long.


title: Michaelmas

text: Old Michaelmas Day falls on 11 October (10 October according to some sources – the dates are the result of the shift from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar so the gap widens by a day every century except the current one). It is said that the Devil fell out of Heaven on this date, and fell into a blackberry bush, cursing the fruit as he fell. According to an old legend, blackberries should not be picked after this date (see above). In Yorkshire, it is said that the devil spat on them. According to Morrell (1977), this old legend is well known in all parts of Great Britain, even as far north as the Orkney Islands. In Cornwall, a similar legend prevails; however, the saying goes that the devil urinated on them.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: Fred and George Weasley are fictional characters in the "Harry Potter" book series written by J. K. Rowling. The characters are the identical twin brothers of the Weasley family, making them the older brothers to Ron and Ginny and friends of Harry Potter. They are initial members of Dumbledore's Army later joining the Order of the Phoenix after their departure from Hogwarts. They are also the founders of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley, a shop they opened post-graduation to sell their mischievous pranks. The twins were played by identical twin brothers James and Oliver Phelps.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: Fred (1 April 1978 – 2 May 1998) and George (b. 1 April 1978) are identical twin sons of Arthur and Molly Weasley, the younger brothers of Bill, Charlie, and Percy, and the older brothers of Ron and Ginny, who are both members of Harry Potter's close group of friends. The twins revel in practical jokes and pranks and are generally considered amusing by both the books' characters and readers. Their names mirror those of their deceased uncles Fabian and Gideon Prewett, brothers of their mother, Molly. Like their uncles, they join the fight against Voldemort.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: When Fred Weasley was five years old, he had a toy broomstick, which he probably liked to play on. Their younger brother Ron, who was three years old at the time, accidentally broke Fred's broomstick, which made Fred angry and turn Ron's teddy bear into a spider, which causes Ron's fear of spiders.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: While their best friend is Lee Jordan – their classmate, dormmate, and fellow prankster – the twins are also good friends with Harry, having played Quidditch with him for Gryffindor. In fact, they generally treat Harry better than they treat Ron. In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", they allow Harry to take anything from their joke shop for free while asking Ron to pay for the items in his arms (however, given that Harry gave them the money to start the shop, this can be seen as repaying a debt they feel they owe Harry). They love to torment Percy for being a model student and often their teasing of Ron is less than benign. They are close with Ginny (who closely resembles them both in appearance and personality) and vice versa. Like the other Weasleys, they have flaming red hair and are described as being on the shorter, stockier side like their second older brother Charlie. In the movies, they are both shown as tall, handsome, and thin. They seem to be quite popular among the Gryffindors, as well as with students in other Houses and with some teachers.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: The twins "do" appear to have "some" sense of what is morally right, at times. At the end of the fourth book, Harry gives them his Tri-Wizard winnings so they can start their joke shop. They argue with him about it, trying to convince him to keep his money, and in the end, he actually threatens to jinx them if they don't take it.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: In the film adaptations, Fred and George are played by real-life twins James and Oliver Phelps. Unlike the characters in the novels, the Phelps twins are quite tall and lanky. The actors are also not natural redheads and had to have their hair dyed for the films.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: Fred and George attend Hogwarts from 1989 to around springtime of the 1996 school year, and are two years ahead of Harry, Ron, and Hermione Granger. They are the school clowns and troublemakers, more interested in inventing new pranks than studying. Despite their unimpressive academic record, they show a high degree of knowledge and skill in creating magical jokes and tricks. Both play as Beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and are very talented players.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: Fred and George care little for Prefects or rules, which contributes in their eventual falling out with their older brother Percy. Their appearances and personalities are so indistinguishable that they can fool even their mother. Fred appears slightly more aggressive/take-charge than George, which is most apparent in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" where George is more cautious about blackmailing Ludo Bagman and, unlike Fred, is not mentioned as having a date at the Yule Ball. In "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," Fred's date was Angelina Johnson. Fred is also seen to speak a lot more often than George.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: In "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", Fred and George begin selling their own jokes by owl order, under the name "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes." They play a prank on Harry's first cousin, the fat, bullying Dudley Dursley by "accidentally" dropping a Ton Tongue Toffee – Dudley, a glutton on a forced diet, soon has a four-foot-long tongue protruding from his mouth. At the Quidditch World Cup they impress Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic, with their fake wands.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: Their ambition in life has always been to run their own joke shop. Harry makes this possible by giving them his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: The pair provide Harry with useful assistance throughout the series; in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" they and Ron help him escape his house arrest at Privet Drive. In "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" they give him the Marauder's Map. In "Goblet of Fire", they try to encourage Harry and Ron to find dates to the Yule Ball by letting them see Fred ask Angelina Johnson. They also help Harry in "Order of the Phoenix" when Harry wishes to talk with his godfather, Sirius Black, by creating a distraction, leaving Hogwarts in a state of chaos. They were also members of Dumbledore's Army, a group started by Harry, Ron, and Hermione to teach practical instruction in Defence Against the Dark Arts, which Umbridge had removed from that course's curriculum.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: Later that year, they are banned from Quidditch and decide to abandon formal education; before leaving, though, they pay tribute to Dumbledore by waging a prank war against the dictatorial Dolores Umbridge. Threatened with flogging for conjuring a swamp in a corridor, they depart on broomsticks, yelling to Peeves in the process, "Give her hell from us, Peeves."


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: It is stated by several characters, including Professor Flitwick and Hermione, that despite their poor grades and meager number of O.W.L.s, the Weasley twins are extremely proficient wizards, capable of sophisticated magic (such as spells for high-quality daydreams). This is evidenced by the large number of inventions they have created and by Fred's ability to transform Ron's teddy bear into a spider even before he had gone to and was old enough to attend Hogwarts.


title: Fred and George Weasley

text: As they leave, the twins inform their fellow students of their new shop in Diagon Alley and offer discounts to students who will likewise harass Umbridge. The swamp, meanwhile, remains for some time, since Umbridge is unable to remove it and no other teacher particularly wishes to. After Professor Umbridge is driven from the school, Professor Flitwick removes it, but leaves a small bit as a tribute to the Weasley twins.