Wikipedia Trail: From Odysseus to The Championships, Wimbledon

(Contemporary engraving of the first Wimbledon Championships at Worple Road, London, in 1877) 

(source: WikiMedia Commons) 

I began my Wikipedia Trail this week by visiting the page concerning the main character of my reading from the prior week, Odysseus the main protagonist of Homer's Odyssey. The information on the page provided me a more in depth presentation of Odysseus and the way his story varies due to the multiple retellings and sequels that have been written since the original epic poem began being translated into differing languages. The series of spin offs lead me to another page and novel that has been influenced by the original character of Odysseus, this was the British literary classic Ulysses. This is a piece of writing I had always heard mentioned in school and some areas of pop culture, without ever really discovering the actual material that is behind the poem. Delving into this British icon lead me down a consistent path for the remainder of my Wikipedia Trail, with my next click of the mouse leading me to the page displaying information of the Victorian Era. Architecture and literature are things I have been familiar with prior from this era, but learning the peculiar practices of the socialites and plebeians of the era was interesting to say the least, especially their rather archaic medical practices that seem downright insane by modern standards. An area in the article that drew my attention was the section of sport during the period, specifically how tennis came to be a popular pastime for British culture and the championship that would be the crown jewel of the sport, Wimbledon. I had prior interest in the event ever since my sister and her husband attended the 2011 championships and spoke of the amazing time they had at the event, even with no prior tennis knowledge it was stills something they enjoyed. The Wikipedia page provided me with the history of the event and the storied history behind why all participants wear white when competing and the origins of the championships. 

Odysseus 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus 

Ulysses (poem)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(poem) 

Victorian Era 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era 

The Championships, Wimbledon 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Championships,_Wimbledon