Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Wouldst He Be Pirate?

Here's a passage from Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens [The Little White Bird]:

If I were to point out all the notable places as we pass up the Broad Walk, it would be time to turn back before we reach them, and I simply wave my stick at Cecco Hewlett’s Tree, that memorable spot where a boy called Cecco lost his penny, and, looking for it, found twopence. There has beena good deal of excavation going on there ever since.


Suppose that said Cecco is the same Cecco of the Jolly Roger.
I'm not saying it is.  Since it's not actually relevant to my stories (as of yet, at least [and I have no plans to work with the pirates of Peter and Wendy beyond the snippet mentions in Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between]) I don't really want to spend the time to research the logistics of it... but I couldn't not mention it, either.  Could just be a "re-used" name from Barrie.  But it's intriguing nevertheless. 

Perhaps Ms. Jones (who does deal with the pirates of the Neverland) might have an idea about it?

6 comments:

Andrea Jones said...

Of course I've an idea! But like all my best ideas, it springs from Sir James himself.

The pirate Cecco, "his great arms bare, pieces of eight in his ears as ornaments...the handsome Italian Cecco, who cut his name on the back of the governor of the prison at Gao," was, indeed, named for the little boy Cecco Hewlett.

Cecco was the son of Barrie's friend, novelist Maurice Hewlett. One wonders at the exotic name for the little boy, our fictional Cecco being a Mediterranean hunk of man, and I enjoy the romance Barrie employs in his choice of characterizations for the little guy!

Cecco was another boy whom Barrie met in Kensington Gardens, a seemingly endless supply of inspirational youth.

An interesting fact: Cecco's mother Hilda was the first woman in the U.K. to obtain a pilot's license. No doubt so that she could fly away to the Neverland with her little boy.

Another tidbit: Cecco plays a major role in my next novel, Book Two of the "Hook & Jill" Saga, due for release in June. In "Other Oceans" you'll find Cecco's pirate character coming completely to life, and the grisly story of the governor's back fleshed out...so to speak.

For more information, join up with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/HookJill. If you'd like to be on our mailing list for notification of "Other Oceans" release, write to Info@ReginettaPress.com. Our website is www.HookandJill.com

Thank you, Peter, for bringing up this interesting question. I'll see you on the shores!

Andrea Jones, Author, "Hook & Jill"

Peter Von Brown said...

For the record, everyone, I had been aware of Cecco being named for someone Barrie knew. After all, everyone in 'Peter Pan' is! The exotic details of such, though, I must admit had gotten fogged out in my head.

It seems to me, Andrea, that you're saying it's just a recycling of the name, then? I figured as much... but I must always wonder at such tidbits! Is it even remotely possible that it's meant to be the same fellow, though?

Peter Von Brown said...

What I'm wanting to "read into it" is that lil' Cecco's windfall created a greed for more within him... sparking his pirate nature. ;)

Peter Von Brown said...

Also for the record, it's certainly true that Barrie did his share of name re-using throughout his works. Me? I try to avoid that.

Peter Von Brown said...

I might have to make Cecco Hewlett’s Tree show up in a future book of NeverWorld. Yes, some parts of those adventures will happen back on Earth as well - I know of quite a few of them, actually! ;]

Peter Von Brown said...

OK - last comment from me regarding this [not counting if I'm responding to another comment]

Chatted a wee bit with Andrea online about it... and as she pointed out there's the English/Italian hurdle of this. Yes, folks, I'd thought of that. But given my penchant to create, it could easily be written around. My primary concern had been the Timeline d' Pan.