The funniest thing that I have seen in quite some time is a page from Thorshof called Choosing a Heathen Deity. It rather put me in mind of that childhood game - pre-Playstation - where little geometrically-regular paper toys with numbers and letters written upon them are manipulated until some divination or other is reached. Well, the page itself isn’t the funniest thing, actually. The funniest thing is the realisation that one of the people behind this site, Thorskegga Thorn, is also at the centre of Heathens For Progress and Pebble’s etymological scheme to turbo-charge a Heathen resurgence within Britain by persuading the Oxford English Dictionary that several hundred words and phrases, including Troll-woman, Weodmonath, Leechcraft, Runester, Hlaefmass, Blessing Twig, Helm of Awe and Nine Herbs Charm, be listed within their next edition. Many of the words given are actually already in the dictionary.
I assume this is the intention, anyway, and I look forward to learning of future Pebble projects which will perhaps include a letter-writing campaign to crossword composers insisting that they include words from this list in their puzzles, or perhaps they will picket Channel 4 until Carol Vorderman agrees to start using runic characters during the word rounds of Countdown. That’s the way to do it; indoctrinate the unsuspecting, blue-rinsed British public into pagan ways while they’re dozing over their tea and macaroons.
12 comments:
to be fair, this woman is a law unto herself.
Are you implying that there are times when I’m not fair? Why, I’m the very soul of faireness. A person more fair could not be found upon the Earth. Unless you looked, of course, but that would be cheating.
Occasionally I look in at the book shelf on your blog and I was wondering if you felt that you could recommend any other Fortey. I have read Trilobite and, although enjoyable and very interesting - as a book about these animals should be - I didn’t find it enthusing.
i would also recommend 'Life: an unauthorised biography'. i tried 'earth' but couldnt get inot it. havent made a start on 'Dry Store room No. 1'
Oh, bleeding hell. That explains why Emma Restall Orr got in touch with me to ask for a list of the etymologies of various Celtic words common used by druids: awen, imbas, nemeton, Alban Eilir, that kind of affair. Feeling faintly exploited, yet again.
Yes, I noticed the comments about The Druid Network at the foot of the page. I suppose that Emma is thinking of referencing you in support of this project. Considering that “I'm looking for people with the time, skill and eagerness to get involved” - “I” presumably being Emma - I would think it rather improper if you were not notified of the reason for her enquiries to you, the referencing of your name implying your support for this project.
Is it me or do the people at the centre of Pebble seem to be increasingly high-handed? Up with this sort of thing I simply would not put.
I wonder if the precise definitions provided by Emma’s “dedicated“ group will usurp those soundbites provided by The Druid Network in what they amusingly describe as definitions.
I don’t understand why the constituents of Pebble will act in one way within Pebble and yet will act in an entirely other way within their own organisation, although possibilities suggest themselves.
Interesting isn't it?
They are odd with regard to what they ask for sometimes. I was asked, politely, for a brief word about druids and human sacrifice, because some idiot had sent in the most unadulterated load of crap. But when my piece was put up, all the punctuation had been buggered up and no amount of my drawing attention to this fact has got it changed. The result is that I, plying a sensible historical position, look like a semi-literate half-wit. I've also been pressed into service to correct the Welsh pages all the time, and have been asked to translate half the tales in the Mabinogion, for nothing, as though this was not months of reasonably expert work.
The TDN hierachy can be somewhat highhanded, you're right. I was put under a lot of pressure at one point to lend a hand for HAD, without ever being asked what my own opinion might be (- that it's a crock.) The thought was clearly that a pet Oxbridge academic would look well. Short shrift from me, as you can imagine.
Crock is right. I have my position on this particular spittoon. I am glad that you resisted the pressure. It seems very clear to me that the emphasis which the Cabal of the Crock places upon scholarliness is on other people’s scholarliness. It surprises me the things with which some people feel they can run off if only they mangle the facts in a precise way - historical origami, if you like.
You could offer to provide professional consultation, but I doubt that these people would pay. A better move may be to do a Hutton, that way you may convey the facts and your analysis and be compensated for your art.
Bo, I wonder whether this might be of interest to you.
I am not sure how I would feel had I been asked to check Thorskegga's work but I don't think I would be best pleased.
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