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librarygeek, technoshaman, and readera. It also fills the "Wise Men" square in my 7-1-21 card for the Winterfest in July Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by librarygeek. It belongs to the series Frankenstein's Family."A Place of Light, of Liberty, and of Learning"
Sometimes Victor and Igor
liked to gather of an evening
with the other men of letters.
Tonight they were clustered
in the castle drawing room
chatting about the village.
"I've a new shipment of books
due in next week," said Gregory.
"Oh, splendid," said Kahotep.
"What subjects do they cover?"
"Mostly history, this time,"
said Gregory. "A merchant
I know heard of an estate sale,
and I asked after the old books
that others are less likely to want."
Victor sighed. "That won't hold
Crina for long. She's more and
more into the sciences now."
"She's learned most of
what we can teach her here,"
Igor added. "It's no wonder
that she's starting to get bored."
"Surely we can find something else
to keep her attention," said Kahotep.
"She wants to go to university,"
Victor said, spreading his hands.
"She's thirteen!" Gregory exclaimed.
"I know, but with that in mind, it would
help if she had high school first -- and
the nearest is the Transylvania Lycaei
clear over in Zalău," said Victor.
"Then where is the difficulty?"
Kahotep said. "Crina is bright
enough. Pack her off in the fall
whenever the classes start up."
"Ah, well ... I had meant to do that,
we've been setting aside funds
for it," said Victor. "If she were
a boy, it would be that simple."
"What are the complications?"
said Gregory. "Perhaps we
can sort them out together."
"The school isn't set up for girls,
so she'd have to stay with a family
in town, which means finding and
paying someone -- not to mention
bribes for the dean to let a girl
study there," Victor explained.
"Well, there's the apothecary,
who has daughters," said Igor.
"We could try asking him."
"I know a bookseller who
lends to bookish girls,"
said Gregory. "He might
know someone else."
"There's a woman who
sells fine oils as well as
perfumes," said Kahotep.
"We can approach her too."
"All good ideas," Victor said.
He fetched pen and paper
to jot them down. "I can
certainly afford the first year.
Beyond that ... I would have
to lower some other things."
"Nonsense," said Kahotep.
"We are all learned men; it is
our responsibility to teach
the youth. I will contribute."
"I'm sure I can give a bit,"
Gregory with a nod. "We
should ask the werewolves too."
"Why?" Igor said. "None of
them are interested in school."
"Whyever not?" said Kahotep.
"They're werewolves," said Igor.
"They spend most of their time
taking care of the forest, and
they're not so fond of books."
"Well, Ena likes stories well enough,"
Victor said. "I wouldn't go so far
as to call her a bookworm, though."
"What is the world coming to?"
Kahotep said, shaking his head.
"I've known fine scholars who
were werewolves. Dacia was
a great kingdom, once."
"Fridrik has a good head
for numbers," Gregory said.
"Shandor's more into history."
"Mircea likes natural sciences,
and so do the men, with forestry,"
Igor said, thinking it through.
"Janika looks at the stars a lot.
She might go for astronomy."
"Well, I suppose some of
the younger cubs could be
interested in secondary school
later on," Victor mused. "Simza
is more interested in animals
and Alida in plants, so they
won't want to leave the forest."
The pack was growing,
slowly but surely, now that
they had a safe territory.
"Any of the younger children
could," said Gregory. "That is,
anyone Adam's age or younger.
Crina's the only one who was
already sharp before you got here,
but she's just the head of the class."
"Costin and Ruxandra's children
may well be interested," said Igor.
Most of those were actually
Igor and Ruxandra's, because
Costin's family had difficulty in
fathering children, and so it was
no surprise they came up smart.
"We shall set up a fund, then,"
said Kahotep. "Everyone can
put in what they can spare. If we
invest a bit of it in town, it will grow,
and that will help cover more students."
"Capital idea," Victor said. "I have
some small experience with such things."
"I have a great deal," said Kahotep.
"I would not mind managing it."
"Then by all means, go ahead,"
said Victor. "The rest of us can
reach out to people we know
in search of a family in town
willing to chaperone Crina."
"That's all well and good for
high school, but what about
university?" said Igor. "Will
they even accept a girl?"
"Some do," said Victor.
"I'lll make some inquiries at
the Universitas Claudiopolitana
in Cluj-Napoca when I can."
"A university should be a place
of light, of liberty, and of learning,"
said Kahotep. "We will make it so."
"I certainly hope we can," said Victor.
"When wise men gather, there is
very little we cannot do," said Gregory.
So it was that in the fall, Crina
put on a new gray dress with
just a bit of lace at the cuffs
and a bit more at the throat
to show that she had means.
Then she took her trunk and
mounted a wagon bound for
the Transylvania Lycaei in Zalău.
The village scholars turned it into
a bit of a coming-of-age ceremony,
one not relying on religion or marriage.
Crina waved farewell, glowing with happiness.
* * *
Notes:
This is the drawing room in the castle.
In this setting, the nearest secondary school is the Transylvania Lycaei (Transylvania High School) in Zalău. The lower level teaches ages 13-15 and the upper level teaches ages 16-18. The school's main language of instruction is Latin, but it also offers Romanian and Hungarian language lessons along with a few immersion classes in each. Subjects include grammar, rhetoric, logic, math, music, natural sciences, history, modern politics, and administration. Most students are the sons of minor nobles or well-to-do businessmen. Nothing in the school charter bans female students; most people just don't think of educating girls. So a few female students occasionally enter by means of bribery, favor-trading, or being related to the faculty. Compare with the Silvania National College in local-Romania.
Secondary school began as a way to teach classical subjects, mostly for religious or rulership purposes. Lyceum is a Latin term for it. Age ranges have varied a lot over time and different countries, mostly focusing on adolescents.
The nearest university is the Universitas Claudiopolitana in Cluj-Napoca. It teaches ages 17 and up, conveying the academic titles of baccalaureus, magister, and doctor. The school's main language of instruction is Latin, but it also offers Romanian and Hungarian language lessons along with generous immersion classes in each. A smaller number of classes are available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Subjects include advanced levels of grammar, rhetoric, logic, math, natural sciences, history, modern politics, and administration; along with literature, fine arts, and performance arts. There are three colleges within the university: one for liberal arts and sciences, one for medicine, and one for law. The sciences include research, the history includes archaeology, and the campus has multiple laboratories and libraries. Most students are the sons of nobles or rich businessmen. A few successful scientists have endowed scholarships for less wealthy students of exceptional intellect. Nothing in the school charter bans female students; most people just don't think of educating girls. So a few female students occasionally enter by means of bribery, favor-trading, or being related to the faculty. A handful of society members send their daughters there in search of husbands. Compare with the Babeș-Bolyai University in local-Romania.