Anybody ever wonder just exactly what the relationship was between Alister and Jebediah? Clearly, from Camber's assimilated memories and the scene where Camber has no choice but to engage Jebediah in rapport and forces upon him the hidden truth of Camber-Alister, they were quite close. There was a phrase, I can't remember where, mentioning Jebediah leaning against Alister's knee whilst they sat at a campfire, which seems to me to be a position of great familiarity.
On the one hand, in the world of medieval Europe, people touched each other more frequently than most modern peoples of the native English-speaking world. It was not at all uncommon for people to kiss each other's cheeks and exchange a hug upon meeting, and even in the circumstance of a subject meeting a ruling monarch, the monarch would offer a hand for a kiss either on the hand or at least on a ring. (What ordinary citizen would dare kiss President Obama or PM Brown, for example? Note the recent furor over Michelle Obama and Queen Elizabeth exchanging a one-armed hug.)
Also, at that time, physical contact with a friend of the same sex was more acceptable than now, as physical contact with members of the opposite sex was rather frowned upon unless the people were closely related by blood or marriage.
Furthermore, Alister and Jebediah appear to have been in a number of combat situations together, and that is, as I understand it (having never been in combat myself), quite the bonding experience, often rendering such people closer than siblings.
Camber never appears to suspect anything other than close friendship and deep personal loyalty between Alister and Jebediah, but it just makes me wonder if they were more intimately involved.
My thought on Jebediah's and Alister's relationship is an extremely strong friendship and brotherhood within the Michaeline Order and nothing more. Besides, you need to take into account that Alister's a priest -- there's the bothersome little vow of celibacy that priests take. I can't see him breaking those vows.
I had also wondered/assumed regarding these two (and also Charlan Kai Morgan and Javan) but had assumed that their vows (in the first case) and social pressure (some comments in the Codex imply a very "medieval" attitude) would preclude anything physical happening.
Same with Kelson and Dhugal. The bond of shared experiences can be a very powerful one. With Alister/Jeb and Dhugal/Kelson, they could have the psychic connection as well. With Javan/Charlan, I think a lot of it was living on the edge of death for so long--why bother with trivialities?
Plus, it used to be common and unquestioned for families, and even traveling strangers to share beds.
I believe that Morgan and Duncan could fit into this category as well. Not only are they cousins, they seem to me to be BFF's as well. Their mothers were sisters and Deryni (Full sisters of the blood as Vivienne said to them when Denis Arilan brought them to the Camberian Council). I'm sure they would lay down their life to save the other from harm. They always have each other's back in situations good and bad.
All of these pairings are good examples of a very deep friendship and platonic love.
With Kelson and Dhugal you also have the fact that they are blood brothers. Sharing of blood between them in an ancient ritual that doesn't happen to often in our modern world.
For Duncan and Morgan being cousins and growing up together almost but not fully they did form a very deep bond to one another. I have the same kind of bond with one of my own cousins. A deeper relationship that the one I share with my siblings. So I know exactly how those two are and how close they are together.
Quote from: Braniana on April 25, 2009, 09:10:18 PM
Same with Kelson and Dhugal. The bond of shared experiences can be a very powerful one. With Alister/Jeb and Dhugal/Kelson, they could have the psychic connection as well. With Javan/Charlan, I think a lot of it was living on the edge of death for so long--why bother with trivialities?
Plus, it used to be common and unquestioned for families, and even traveling strangers to share beds.
This is quite true. Up until maybe 50-75 years ago, the concept of everyone in a family having separate beds/bedrooms (except for married couples and sometimes siblings close in age) was only for the very wealthy.
Also, in medieval Europe, people had more physical contact with one another than is generally acceptable in the modern US. So maybe I'm just pervy. :D
QuoteWith Alister/Jeb and Dhugal/Kelson, they could have the psychic connection as well.
I think that applies generally to all Deryni who use their powers together on a regular basis. It isn't simply the stigma of being Deryni (though that is of course a factor), it is the use of the powers requiring mental concentration and frequently fostering a close, even intimate, mental connection. With MindSpeech in particular, and many of the powers generally, there is a communication that is really very intimate--remember how sometimes in MindSpeech, they don't even use words, but "sounds" of inquiry, and how emotions are also transmitted.