Doings of Doyle – The Arthur Conan Doyle Podcast
Episode #49 – The Pot of Caviare (1908)
Released 31 March 2024
This month, we look at a classic Conan Doyle short story, one the author felt was “gloomy but of [his] best” – ‘The Pot of Caviare’ from 1908.
You can read the story here: https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/The_Pot_of_Caviare
Or listen to an audio recording by Greg Wagland here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yah89KYMwr8
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Synopsis
During the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, the small European garrison of Ichau is barely holding out against a besieging Boxer army. A relief force is expected but its progress is uncertain. Hope and fears both run high, and the defenders begin to weigh up their options: relief, death or capture by a merciless foe.
Next time on Doings of Doyle
We reach out fiftieth episode (good heavens) and spend it in the company of ‘The Surgeon of Gaster Fell,’ which first appeared in Chambers’ Journal in 1890, and which Conan Doyle sought to suppress in later life…
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to our sponsor, Belanger Books (www.belangerbooks.com), and our supporters on Patreon and Paypal.
Image credits: Thanks to Alexis Barquin at The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia for permission to reproduce these images. Please support the encyclopaedia at www.arthur-conan-doyle.com.
Music credit: Sneaky Snitch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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One of his best stories, in my opinion.
Marvellous stuff as usual chaps, another fascinating background discussion on a short story that I’ve not read for at least 20 years, which, as is now the norm after listening to one of these podcasts, sent me down a few Doylean rabbit holes!
Thanks especially for the historical and political background… fascinating and well presented…
I really also enjoyed the exploration of the religious subtext but you perhaps missed mentioning the fact that the final scene could also be read as analogous to The Last Supper!
So is there perhaps further religious/Christian symbolism in the use of caviare – fish served with bread – both part of the LS menu?
I also noted ‘hot eggs’ and a ‘boiling kettle’ in the text whilst we’re on the supper subject!!!!
You do mention ACD being both subtle and clever in this story but does that cleverness run deeper?
And was it just chance that you put this episode up at Easter?
“"I was strapped to a stake with thorns in my eyelids to keep them open…”
I’m no religious expert but looking through the story it appears to be loaded with more religious subtext than you mentioned… here’s a few additional examples to those above…
“It was a joyous and noisy party, therefore, which met at the SUPPER-table, when the three bottles of Lachryma Christi were uncorked and the famous pot of caviare was finally opened…”
Note I’ve highlighted the Last Supper reference but interesting choice of wine surely…
Lachryma Christi!
Literally Christ’s tears – and there’s an interesting myth as origin to that…
Add to that…
“…Why, Professor," said he, "I have seen you more excited on the morning when you brought back Lepidus Mercerensis in your collecting box."
I think the ‘Lepidus Mercerensis’ is a fictional butterfly but just think why did ACD choose that if it ties in with religion – well insect specimens are pinned just like Christ on the cross but also, Lepidus was a Roman general I believe, but not only that – look up Mercerensis – Crataegus mercerensis is a species of hawthorn – stretching a point maybe but crown of thorns!!!
Found this online as well…
‘The supposition that the tree was the source of Jesus's crown of thorns doubtless gave rise around 1911 to the tradition among the French peasantry that it utters groans and cries on Good Friday, and probably also to the old popular superstition in Great Britain and Ireland that ill-luck attended the uprooting of hawthorns.’
It’s also interesting to speculate on ACD’s choice of name for the one survivor to ‘rise’ again from all the poisonous action around her!
Jessie Patterson!
The meaning of the name Jessie is suggestive too… To behold; the Lord exists!
And Pater – son! Hmmm! God / Jesus maybe?
And finally on the not-so-serious front, here’s the other Doylean rabbit hole I fell down after reading the story…
The word Boxer suggested to my mind Conan Doyle and sport… and his other sports interests around the time of his writing this story – I thought of billiards…
Where you POT spherical objects of different colours – in fact if they were minuscule then they’d be akin to the shape of Caviare!
Ended up doing a web search and weirdly came across a website with a billiards result against a Mr A McNicoll which I can’t see in Brian Pugh’s Chronology as well as a reprint of an article on ACD and billiards from the Daily Chronicle which again, I can’t find in Brian’s book or elsewhere? I might be wrong but my rabbit hole digging amused me and I thought it might do similar for you – anyhow check them both out at:
https://www.eaba.co.uk/?p=5896