Richard Burton’s Dracula
The author of the novel Dracula had occasion to meet Sir Richard Burton. One gets the distinct impression from Bram Stroker’s metaphor-laced description that perhaps Burton enacted some sort of influence—whether conscious or not—over the later creation of his iconic vampire:
“The man riveted my attention. He was dark, and forceful, and masterful, and ruthless…. I never saw anyone like him. He is steel! He would go through you like a sword!”
“Sons of Ham”
For certain member of white society, the term “sons of Ham” is a reference to a meaningless story in the bible about an alleged flood of the entire planet for which there is absolutely no evidence but which they nevertheless have interpreted to justify the idea of their being the superior race. For everybody else, the term “Sons of Ham” is a metaphor for the insane lengths some will go to justify racism.
The Danger
The idea of trying to find the source of the Nile may not seem like a particularly dangerous undertaking apart from the obvious topographical ones. It was really more the geographical elements that came calling in the name of danger, however. As in the geological location of cultures who don’t really see people as naturally superior on account of their skin pigment nor share the same cultural values. The result of the ensuing swarm would eventually leave Burton with a javelin sticking out both sides of his face:
“The enemy swarmed like hornets with shouts and screams intending to terrify, and proving that overwhelming odds were against us.”
Burton and Mohammed
One cannot deny that Richard Burton the explorer was at least as good an actor as his namesake. He manages to fool a cadre of supremely knowledgeable Muslim men born to be suspicious of outsiders. He did manage at one point to come close to making a fatal mistake when his manservant Mohammed found sufficient reason to question the truth. Metaphor comes in handy for describing the treatment which saved his trust at the expense of Mohammed’s:
“To Mohammed’s surprise, instead of agreeing with him, the men leapt to their friend’s defense. One swore that the `light of Al-Islam was upon my countenance,’ Burton later learned…After that, the verbal blows rained down on the stunned young man. He was called `a pauper, a fakir, an owl, a cut-off one, a stranger…for daring to impugn the faith of a brother believer.’”
Burton the Prescient
In addition to being an adventurer, explorer, and something of a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones, Richard Burton was also a scientist, author, history, translator, and historian. In fact, he was so attuned to the forces of history that he could predict some historical moments decades before they actually became history:
“the English are not brave, nor clever, nor generous, nor civilised, nor anything but surpassing rogues…and look forward to the hour when enlightened Young India will arise and drive the ‘foul invader’ from the land.”
