Sherlock Holmes and The Sword of Osman

Lexicon

Achates. The Sultan was displaying his considerable depth of reading in the Classics. In the Aeneid, Achates (“good, faithful Achates”, or fidus Achates as he was called) was a close friend of Aeneas; his name became a by-word for an intimate companion. He accompanied Aeneas throughout his adventures, reaching Carthage with him in disguise when the pair scouted the area.

Aconite. A powerful plant, used in the past as a medicinal herb, a poison and in potions for incantations. Until the 20th century it was the deadliest toxin known. The leaves and root yield its active ingredient, an alkaloid called Aconitine, frequently used to tip hunting darts or javelins. The poison takes effect quickly. In late-Victorian times the poison was made famous by its use in Oscar Wilde’s 1891 story Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime.

Abus gun is an early form of artillery created by the Ottoman Empire. They were small but heavy to carry. Many were equipped with a type of tripod.

Aristolochia. A genus of evergreen and deciduous woody vines and herbaceous perennials known to contain the lethal toxin aristolochic acid. The plants are aromatic. Their strong scent attracts insects.

Borsalini. Hat company known particularly for its fedoras. Founded by Giuseppe Borsalini in 1857, the felt hats were produced from Belgian rabbit fur at a factory in Alessandria, Italy. When Giuseppe Borsalini died in 1900 his son Teresio succeeded him.

British Empire. Like most Britons of his class and background, Watson was unquestioningly proud of an Empire which comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by Whitehall. The Empire originated with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and for over a century the foremost global power. By 1922, but by then overstretched, the British Empire held sway over about 458 million people, one-fifth of the world’s population at the time, covering more than 33,700,000 km2 (13,012,000 sq mi). This was almost a quarter of the Earth’s total land area.

Camarilla. A group of courtiers or favourites who surround a ruler. A word used more in Edwardian times than now. Usually, they do not hold any office or have any official authority at court but influence their ruler behind the scenes. Consequently, they also escape having to bear responsibility for the effects of their advice. The term derives from the Spanish word, camarilla (diminutive of cámara), meaning ‘little chamber’ or private cabinet of the king.

‘Chapeau!’ The French for hat. I.e. ‘Hats off to you!’

Crape (anglicized versions of the French crêpe). Silk, wool, or later polyester fabric of a gauzy texture, with a particular crimpy appearance. Silk crape is woven of hard spun silk yarn in the gum or natural condition. There are two distinct varieties of the textile: soft, Canton, or Oriental crape, and hard or crisped crape.

Dog-dung. The pavements of Constantinople were covered with dung from the hundreds, perhaps thousands of street dogs permitted to live by a quirk of the Sultan’s affections. This was very useful to the tanning trade which used dog-dung extensively, hence the many apprentice tanners walking around collecting it.

Dreadnought. HMS Dreadnought revolutionised naval power from the moment of her launch in Portsmouth on 10 February 1906 by King Edward VII at a construction cost in Sterling of £1,783,883 (over GBP£200 million in 2015 terms). She was christened with an Australian wine in a bottle that famously failed to break on its first brush with the ship’s stern. With this ritual, HMS Dreadnought was launched into the Solent, stirring up waves which would be felt around the world. Though Britain had intended to use Dreadnought to overawe potential rivals with her naval power, the revolutionary nature of its design immediately reduced Britain’s 25-ship superiority in battleships to 1. She was broken up for scrap in 1923.

East Wind. Harbinger of unfavourable events. An east wind is referred to in Bleak House by Charles Dickens. The character Mr Jarndyce uses it several times. Sherlock Holmes mentions the east wind in His Last Bow (published in 1917 but set on the eve of the First World War) where clearly Arthur Conan Doyle expresses his own feelings:

“There’s an east wind coming, Watson.”

“I think not, Holmes. It is very warm.”

“Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There’s an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it’s God’s own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.”

Emprise. An adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise.

Entari. Loose garment worn indoors.

Five jack. The old impressive ‘large white fiver’ - five pounds sterling banknote, equivalent to Sterling £600 in 2015.

Galata Bridge. Spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul. From the end of the 19th century in particular, the bridge has featured in Turkish literature, theatre, poetry and novels. The first recorded bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul was built during the reign of Justinian the Great in the 6th century, close to the area near the Theodosian Land Walls at the western end of the city. The fifth Galata bridge was built just a few meters away from the previous bridge, between Karaköy and Eminönü, and completed in December 1994.

Ghillie suit, also known as a yowie suit, or camo tent. Type of camouflage clothing designed to resemble heavy foliage, typically a net or cloth garment covered in loose strips of burlap, cloth or twine, sometimes made to look like leaves and twigs, and augmented with scraps of foliage from the area. Military snipers, hunters and nature photographers wear ghillie suits to blend into their surroundings. The suit gives the wearer’s outline a three-dimensional breakup, rather than a linear one. When manufactured correctly, the suit will move in the wind in the same way as surrounding foliage.

Gieves. Founded in 1771 and now owned by Hong Kong conglomerate Trinity Ltd. Gieves business was originally based on catering for the needs of the British Army and the Royal Navy, and hence by association the British Royal family. In their various incarnations and premises they made uniforms for Admiral Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. In 1974 Gieves Ltd acquired Hawkes and became Gieves & Hawkes. , but still informally known just as ‘Gieves’ (pronounced ‘Jeeves’).

Grisette (or grizette). A French working-class woman from the late 17th century. The term remained in common use through the Belle Époque era. From gris, (French for grey), referring to the cheap grey fabric of the dresses these women originally wore.

Guinguettes. Popular drinking establishments in Parisian suburbs. Guinguettes also served as restaurants and, often, as dance venues. From guinguet, a sour white light local wine.

Harem. ‘Forbidden place; sacrosanct, sanctum’ for female members of the family. The term originated with the Near East. Harems are the portion of households occupied by wives and often sex slaves known as concubines.

Haroony. The author’s partner Lesley Abdela is the grand-daughter of the Victorian/Edwardian ship-builders Abdela & Mitchell on the Manchester Ship Canal and Stroud. The real Haroony was a 14 tonne craft launched in 1903, destined for Turkey or a Turkish domain. She was delivered by Isaac Abdela and Sophie Moss on their honeymoon via the Riviera, Italy and Greece, back to where the Abdelas had originated before the 1860s.

Ikbal. The harem member with whom the Sultan had slept at least once. These women need not necessarily have given a child to the Sultan but simply have taken his fancy.

Junior United Services Club. Founded 1815, disbanded in 1978. Located in Pall Mall, members were princes of the blood royal, commissioned officers of the Navy, Army, Marines, Royal Indian Forces, and Regular Militia, Lieutenants of Counties, sub-lieutenants in the Army and midshipmen in the Navy. ‘No officer is eligible for admission to the club who is not on full, half or retired full-pay of the Navy, Army, Marines, or Royal Indian Forces; or who, if an officer of Militia, has not one year’s embodied service or attended three regular trainings, certified by the commanding officer, adjutant, or paymaster of the regiment.’ From Dickens’s Dictionary of London, 1879, by Charles Dickens Jr.

Kadin. Among the women of the Imperial Harem, the Kadın was a woman who was not an official wife but had borne the Sultan a child, preferably a son.

KCMG. Order of St. Michael and St. George. The Star and Badge of the Order feature the cross of St George, the Order’s motto, and a representation of the archangel St Michael holding in his right hand a flaming sword and trampling upon Satan. Unlike Sherlock, Mycroft Holmes had no hesitation in accepting a Knighthood albeit with a great sense of irony in this instance as he had intended to scupper Sherlock Holmes’s mission.

Keffiyeh. Traditional Middle Eastern headdress fashioned from a square scarf, usually made of cotton.

Kiosk (from Turkish köşk). A small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward.

L’illusion des sosies. Now often called the Capgras delusion or Capgras syndrome. Disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member (even pet) has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor.

Mackintosh, abbreviated as mac or mack, is a form of waterproof raincoat made out of rubberised fabric, first sold in 1824. It is named after its Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh, though many writers add a letter k (the spelling ‘Mackintosh’ is now widespread).

Mortuus. Deceased.

Ohne Hast, aber ohne Rast. Without haste, but without rest. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Opera seria. Italian musical term for the noble and “serious” style of Italian opera predominant in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770.

Politique de bascule. Used here to describe how a lesser power tries to trade off two or more Great Powers to gain an advantage. Bascule is a French term for seesaw and balance.

Puggried sun-hat. Broad brimmed felt hat with a muslin wrapped round it and trailing down the back.

Princes Islands: during the Byzantine period, princes and other royalty were exiled on the islands. Members of the Ottoman sultans’ family were later exiled there too, giving the islands their present name. The islands were captured by the Ottoman fleet during the siege of Constantinople in 1453. During the nineteenth century, the islands became a popular resort for Istanbul’s wealthier inhabitants.

Race-built ships. In 1570 with England threatened by Spain, Sir John Hawkins made important improvements in ship construction and rigging. They proved decisive against the Spanish Armada. The ships were ‘race-built’, longer and with fore- and aft-castle greatly reduced in size. They were described as having “the head of a cod and the tail of a mackerel”.

Rahat loukoum. Turkish Delight. See ‘Sherbet & Spice’ in ‘Publications’.

Raki. A traditional Turkish alcoholic drink produced from different fruits in differing regions, mainly grapes, figs and plums. In 1630, the famous Turkish traveller Evliya Çelebi listed the artisans of Istanbul in the first volume of his book on his voyages, recording the small wine shops and the kinds of wine they sold and also mentioned the taverns that sold raki, like raki wine, banana raki, mustard raki, linden raki, cinnomon raki, clove raki, pomegranate raki, aniseed raki.

Scatter-gun with S.S.G. Special Small Game. Archaic British designation for a size of buck shot. A potent, short range (40 yds extreme max.) hunting load for four-legged game.

Sherry Cobbler. The most popular drink in America around 1888, according to David Wondrich’s Imbibe!, but also a hit elsewhere in the world. The key to any cobbler is crushed ice, sugar, and a heaping of fresh fruit such as strawberries for the garnish. The cobbler style of cocktails can be made with any base, not just sherry, for example brandy or whiskey. The Cobbler spawned a number of similar wine cobblers made with a variety of wines of the time which are now for the most part extinct.

Silks. Heavy silks such as kemha (brocade), kadife (velvet), çatma (brocaded velvet), seraser (a precious silk fabric woven with threads of gold and silver), diba (a silk brocade), satin, and silk lampas, lighter silks such as taffeta, canfes (fine taffeta), and vala (a gauze like fabric). By the late 19th Century the Ottoman Empire was producing only inferior quality silks. Imports from Europe were preferred.

Simpson’s Grand Cigar Divan. After a modest start in 1828 as a smoking room and then a coffee house, Simpson’s Restaurant achieved fame around 1850 for its traditional English food, particularly roast meats.

Snipers. This particularly frightening element in warfare advanced as rifles, cartridges and telescopic sights develop in later Victorian times. By World War 11 and through the Korean War, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iraq etc. military snipers honed their ‘art’, delivering a single deadly shot from up to 11/2 miles (over 2.4 kilometres).

Spider phaeton. A carriage of American origin and made for gentlemen drivers, a very high carriage of light construction with a covered seat in front and a footman’s seat behind.

Stambouline. A rather unattractive frock coat for formal occasions worn by Turkish officials. Copied from Victorian era European fashions.

Syenite. Coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock. Somewhat like granite but with the quartz either absent or present in relatively small amounts.

Telegrams of support. The Sultan showed Holmes and Watson a pile of telegrams supportive of his rule. In 1916, one of Tsar Nicholas’s adulatory Ministers, Protopopoff, arranged for bogus telegrams to be dispatched in similar fashion to the German-born Empress, convincing her the Russian Army and peasantry were utterly loyal. Less than a year later the Romanov Dynasty fell.

Tigers. Either Holmes was being amusing or he did not know there are no tigers in Africa (except in the occasional zoo).

‘The toad beneath the harrow.’ A proverbial saying for a sufferer, dating back to the 13th Century. A harrow is a heavy frame with spikes dragged across a field by horses or a tractor to cultivate the soil. Clearly a toad beneath it would not survive very long.

Tophane. A neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, taking its name from the Gun Foundry. It has a coastline with the Bosphorus. In the Ottoman era it was the city’s oldest industrial zone.

Tussie-Mussie. From Queen Victoria’s time when the small bouquets became a popular fashion accessory. Tussie-mussies include well-known floral symbolism from the language of flowers (e.g. Acacia blossom = hidden love), and therefore could be used to send a message to the recipient.

Verd-antique. Serpentinite breccia, popular since ancient times as a decorative facing stone. Dark, dull green, white-mottled (or white-veined) serpentine, mixed with calcite, dolomite, or magnesite, which takes a high polish.

Wardian case. Early type of terrarium, a sealed protective glass container for plants. Used in in the 19th century in protecting plants imported to Europe from overseas, most of which previously died from exposure on long sea journeys. Invented by Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in about 1829.

Wideawake. A type of hat with a broad brim made of black or brown felt. Rembrandt wore a style of wideawake in his 1632 self-portrait. Also known as a Quaker hat.

Yataghan. Type of Ottoman knife or short sabre used from the mid-16th to late 19th centuries.