Castara

Tom Kilburn · Post by **Tom Kilburn** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 4:46 pm

anyone know the meaning of the name Castara?

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:31 pm

Paradise

Regards

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:04 am

According to the Historyman,Job Goldsten,who has a unit on the esplanade it is "The waterfall by or into the sea".However I do prefer Paul's interpretation

David

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:34 am

Thank you David

The waterfall in Castara is not by the sea or falls in it ... it is about half a mile inland in the rainforest

According to Wikipedia ...

Definitions of Castara on the Web:

Castara is a picturesque seaside village on the Windward (northeast) coast of the island of Tobago, the smaller of the two islands in the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Castara's economy is dependent primarily on fishing and agriculture, with tourism playing an increasingly important role since the 1990s.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castara

Hope this helps

Regards

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:46 pm

But,Paul, I said according to the History man

my ps was more relevant.
When are you next in Castara?
Regards to you andd them indoors,
David

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:53 pm

Oh I see David.

So over millions of years, throughout which there have been many cataclysmic earthquakes and earth plate movements ... I guess the waterfall has gradually moved away from the sea and ... as a consequence ... the meaning of Castara 'Waterfall by the Sea' has just stuck !!

Wow !!

Regards

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:39 pm

Sorry to disappoint, guys, but it has absolutely nothing to do with waterfalls. It is derived from the Latin “casta” meaning “chaste”.

I think we can safely assume that the village was named by the first plantation owner in tribute to the poems of English poet William Habington, first published in 1634.

Castara was the lady addressed by Wm. Habington in his poems. She was Lucy Herbert (daughter of Wm. Herbert, first lord Powis), and became his wife.

If then, Castara, I in heaven nor move,
Nor earth, nor hell, where am I but in love?
—W. Habington: To Castara (died 1654).

William Habington was born at Hindlip, Worcestershire in 1605, and educated at Saint-Omer and Paris. He married Lucy, daughter of William Herbert, Baron Powis, and a year or two after his marriage, in 1634, issued his well-known "Castara" (see Arber's English Reprints, 1870), a series of poems addressed mainly to his wife.

In 1635 and 1640 second and third enlarged editions of the book appeared respectively. The poems are mostly short, many of them sonnets, and interspersed are several of the prose characters fashionable at the time. A few verses are addressed to friends, including Ben Jonson. The poetry of "Castara" has been said to show a peculiarly refined and pure imagination; skilful, melodious and containing many beautiful passages. It displays some of the so-called "metaphysical" qualities which pervaded most 'Caroline' verse.

In 1640, he published a romantic tragedy, the "Queen of Arragon", which attracted interest because of passages illustrating an independence of mind upon certain social and political questions. It was acted at Court, and after the revival of the Restoration. In the same year, Thomas a prose "History of Edward IV", reprinted in Kennet's "Complete History of England" (London, 1706) and stated to have been written and published at the desire of King Charles I.

In 1641 followed "Observations upon History", a series of prose pieces depicting great events in Europe, "such as" (he says) "impressed me in the reading and make the imagination stand amazed at the vicissitude of time and fortune". Professor Saintsbury remarks of Habington that "he is creditably distinguished from his contemporaries by a very strict and remarkable decency of thought and language". ..

To Roses in the bosome of Castara

YEE blushing Virgins happy are
In the chaste Nunn'ry of her brests,
For hee'd prophane so chaste a faire,
Who ere should call them Cupids nests.

Transplanted thus how bright yee grow;
How rich a perfume doe yee yeeld?
In some close garden, Cowslips so
Are sweeter then i' th' open field.

In those white cloysters live secure
From the rude blasts of wanton breath,
Each houre more innocent and pure,
Till you shall wither into death.

Then that which living gave you roome,
Your glorious sepulcher shall be,
There wants no marble for a tombe,
Whose brest hath marble beene to me.

William Habington

All in all, I think this is a far more romantic and charming explanation than suggested thus far.

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:13 pm

I say !

Think I will read that a few more times before coming to any conclusions

Regards

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:59 pm

Disbelieving sod!

I have found no basis of fact for my thesis - I am simply applying logic. Notes in a Renaissance Literature course at Royal Holloway College, London, referring to Habington's poems, state that "Castara is a typical poetic mistress-name". I can't find any earlier references to the name Castara, but I think we can safely say that whether in common usage or not, a series of poems about 'Castara' had been published by an English poet between 1634 and 1640. In fairness I believe this was a good hundred years before the first shipments of sugar from the island (1770 I believe). However, the area could have been named by one of the earlier expeditions that landed and the Habington poems were just the sort of reading matter that a ship's captain or senior officer might carry in memory of [the chastity] of his wife back home.

‘To CASTARA: What Lovers will say when she and he are dead’

I wonder when w'are dead, what men will say;
Will not poore Orphan Lovers weepe,
The parents of their Love’s decay;
And envy death the treasure of our sleepe?

Will not each trembling Virgin bring her feares
To th' holy silence of my Urne?
And chide the Marble with her teares,
'Cause she so soone faith's obsequie must mourne.

For had Fate spar'd but Araphill (she'le say)
He had the great example stood,
And forc't unconstant man obey
The law of Love’s Religion, not of blood.

And youth by female perjury betraid,
Will to Castara's shrine deplore
His injuries, and death upbrayd,
That woman lives more guilty, then before.

For while thy breathing purified the ayre
Thy Sex (hee'le say) did onely move
By the chaste influence of a faire,
Whose vertue shin'd in the bright orbe of love.

Now woman, like a Meteor vapor'd forth
From dunghills, doth amaze our eyes;
Not shining with a reall worth,
But subtile her blacke errors to disguise.

Thus will they talke, Castara, while our dust
In one darke vault shall mingled be.
The world will fall a prey to lust,
When Love is dead, which hath one fate with me.

Note: ‘Araphill’ is the author’s poetic name for himself, as ‘Castara’ is a typical poetic mistress-name.

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:05 pm

Yeah Steve.

These sea-faring chaps did get a little randy spending all those months/years away from their homes ...

... perhaps Castara could be linked to the earliest known form of pornography? (And don't tell me about the Romans !!!)

Phew ... I'm getting quite a sweat on now

Regards

Tom Kilburn · Post by **Tom Kilburn** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:26 pm

Tryin to find the real meaning as struggleing for a girls name for our soon to be born baby

Steve Pitts · Post by **Steve Pitts** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:14 pm

What an interesting thread

I've wrung all I can out of Wikipedia and googled 'till I'm blue in the face.

Loads of references including Steve's version of Castara's origin and another poem by Syndey, but also - and this is spooky Tom - Castara is an ancient Greek name meaning Girl
Cassy would make a nice abbreviation.

Castara also appears as a Hebrew place name in the Old Testement.

Steve

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:58 pm

I'm sticking ...

PARADISE

Regards

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:29 am

what a nice idea to call a girl castara, I suggested that to friends who conceived their baby here, but unfortunately it turned out to be a boy...
steph

by the way, the girls name explanation could be true, since most names on the island are left behind from colonies. a plantation owner might as well have called his grounds after hie daughter or so...
maybe the historian up at fort george knows something. who volounteers to go and ask?

Steve Pitts · Post by **Steve Pitts** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:43 am

Brian Taylor wrote:maybe the historian up at fort george knows something. who volounteers to go and ask?

You little tease Steph!
You know that most of us are stuck at home.

Castara Kilburn has a certain ring to it.
Middle name Charlotte by any chance?

What if it's a boy Tom?
Craig (Craig Hall)
Peter (King Peter's bay)
Dillon (Mount Dillon)
Giles (St Giles Island)
Louis (Louis D'or)

How about Buccoo? - anyone know the origin of the name?

Cheers
Steve

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:05 am

Tom,see what you,ve started? and what a beautiful name for a girl.But I agree with SteveP it is very interesting,more research needed,I think.
David(still like Paradise tho')

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:55 pm

tease? meeee?

unfortunately I only make it up there when friends visit me and we drive arround the island...

by the way...giles sounds nice and more interesting than peter or diullon (no offense to anyone with those names)...

steph

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:47 am

Searched high and low for a source of Castara,at the moment no luck,but I did find a reference to the fishing at Castaradownriver.Perhaps the original Castara was up hill somwhere?I also found a Castaras in Spain.
I did however find a more interesting(and probably correct)version of Bloody Bay.No battle I am afraid.At one time it was known as Rasphouse Bay because there was a saw mill there(and at Parlatuvier) where they used to cut logs of redwood tree and then 'rasp'it into chips for dye extraction.The result was that the waste and detritus coloured the stream water red and thence into the Bay.
David

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:55 am

Further to my earlier post referring to Castaras in Spain,I think it may well be the source of Castara as the Spanish one is in the region of Granada,to much of a coincidence?
David

Steve Pitts · Post by **Steve Pitts** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:17 am

Mmmm - not so sure David.

Don't think that Tobago has a heavy Spanish influence (if any).

I prefer Steve's homesick randy sailor theory.

Any thoughts on Buccoo, Sherlock?

Cheers
Steve