ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

IN WHICH MISS DERMARK SHOWCASES THAT, IN SPITE OF HER PERFECTIONISM AND ADHERENCE TO SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY, SHE IS NO CURMUDGEON.

AND THAT BY EXPLORING THE THEME OF THE "GUARDS DRUGGED THROUGH ETHYL INTOXICATION" MOTIF IN FICTION.

Another of my obsessions (aside from internationalisms, the 30YW, self-expression values...) is the portrayal of intoxication in fiction, especially if it's used as a narcotic.
There is an exceedingly vast flora of stories where guards get wasted to knock them out -- Othello and The Master Thief, the two first ones I discovered, are only two of them: drugging guards seems to be a folk motif in its own right.
All right, so this snippet from a sacred text is not the only instance of the motif. The story itself comes from a culture of teetotalers, so do the maths.

The story is set at the Queen's parents' in the west, her relatives in the countryside, where her only son has learned the arts and sciences he needs for his future, and where he has developed all the skills necessary to become a king. So the prince has lived secretly with the Queen's parents. But there's a villainous tyrant in the realm, and he has the good old noble couple executed and guards posted at their scaffold.

What then? Get the freaking guards dead drunk!


Voilà a couple of versions to compare:


That night he bought wine and gave it to the guards, who soon became drunk. 

As the soldiers stood watch, he bought some strong wine. When night fell, he returned and walking up to the soldiers said, “You have put in a hard day’s work. You need something to relieve the strain of your labors,” and he handed them each a bottle. The soldiers gladly accepted and soon lay drunk and sound asleep on the ground.

As the soldiers stood watch, he bought some strong wine. When night fell, he returned and walking up to the soldiers said, “You have put in a hard day’s work. You need something to relieve the strain of your labors,” and he handed them each a bottle. The soldiers gladly accepted and soon lay drunk and sound asleep on the ground.

He bought strong wine in the marketplace and brought it to the guards. They took it gladly, and soon lay drunk and asleep.


He bought strong wine in the marketplace and brought it to the guards. They took it gladly, and
soon lay drunk and asleep.

NARRATOR 2:  He brought strong wine from the marketplace out to the guards. They took it gladly, and soon lay drunk and asleep.

Then the prince brought out some liquor and got the guards to drink it. When they had fallen down drunk, he collected sticks, made a pyre...

procured liquor, and gave it to the soldiers to drink. When they were drunk and had fallen, he gathered sticks of wood, built a pyre

their son bought strong wine and made the guards drunk.

bought strong wine and made the guards drunk.

comprò un vino molto forte e fece ubriacare le guardie. 

tomó una cantidad de licor fuerte y lo dio a tomar a las tropas. Cuando todos ellos cayeron embriagados, recogió las estacas, hizo una pira funeral...

riuscì a far bere alle guardie del liquore che aveva portato. Quando le guardie caddero a terra ubriache, riunì i resti dei suoi genitori, costruì una pira...

got strong drink there, and made those soldiers drink it. When they were drunk and had fallen down, he gathered the pieces (of the two bodies), made a funeral pile...

apareceu com uma bebida alcoólica e fez com que os guardas a tomassem. Quando eles caíram bêbados, ele juntou paus, fez uma pira...

... brought out some liquor and got the guards to drink it. When they had fallen down drunk, he
collected sticks, made a pyre...

Bet, Kinder, bet!

Morgen kommt der Schwed'!

Morgen kommt der Oxenstern,

der frisst die kleine Kinder gern!

Bet, Kinder, bet!

Traditional German 30YW lullaby