Sword in the Stone: Difference between revisions
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The original sword in the stone was accompanied by a plaque quoting the 14th-century alliterative poem ''Alliterative Morte Arthure'': | The original sword in the stone was accompanied by a plaque quoting the 14th-century alliterative poem ''Alliterative Morte Arthure'': | ||
"For he that is blemist with this brode brande blinne shall he never." | <blockquote>"For he that is blemist with this brode brande blinne shall he never."</blockquote> | ||
The quote is translated as "For he who is wounded with this broad sword shall never cease bleeding". | The quote is translated as "For he who is wounded with this broad sword shall never cease bleeding". | ||
For the second sword, the Sword Project that helped make the monument possible also sought input from supporters for the content of the new plaque. Suggestions included quotes relating to philosophy, society, science, and the profession of engineering. The final plaque | For the second sword, the Sword Project that helped make the monument possible also sought input from supporters for the content of the new plaque as well as the Faculty. Suggestions included quotes relating to philosophy, society, science, and the profession of engineering. The final plaque reads: | ||
"An Engineer's responsibility to Society is represented by the Sword of Damocles, which dangles precariously from the thread of Knowledge imparted by this institution. Mistakes cannot be covered, Failures cannot be buried and Obligation cannot be denied; to accept Bad Workmanship is to sever the Trust of our Calling and strike tragedy upon us all." | <blockquote>"An Engineer's responsibility to Society is represented by the Sword of Damocles, which dangles precariously from the thread of Knowledge imparted by this institution. Mistakes cannot be covered, Failures cannot be buried and Obligation cannot be denied; to accept Bad Workmanship is to sever the Trust of our Calling and strike tragedy upon us all."</blockquote> | ||
The plaque references the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damocles Sword of Damocles], a Greek legend in which a sword was hung precariously over Damocles (a courtier in the service of Dionysius II of Syracuse) as he sat on Dionysius' throne in order to demonstrate to him a sense of constant fear which accompanied the responsibilities and fortune of the king. | |||
This anecdote was favoured for its analogy to the engineering profession, which required constant attention from each engineer to avoid the inherent risks and to properly carry out the responsibilities of the profession. | |||
==Additional Information== | ==Additional Information== | ||