Bards

[Drychnath]

Not talking about Dungeons and Dragons here.

Instead, I'm talking story-tellers in ancient barbarian societies - specifically those in Western European Celtic, Scandinavian, and German societies. I got to thinking about this after seeing 300 six times, and having a conversation with Ben about this band he found called Tyr.

I think there should be more in the way of telling old tales as examples for everyone to follow. The movie 300 brings to light how rare it is for glory to actually be broadcast at all in American culture. Whenever it is, it customarily is soaked in regret. Now in Sparta, they relied on parental training reinforced by harsh indoctrination in the city academy. This produced, very effectively, a city state of soldier-citizens. I am less keen on this eugenic and regimented society - instead, let us look to the north and west, where storytellers recounted tales of glory and greatness to generations of men who were not soldiers, but were all warriors.

They still have storytellers in modern Greece and Turkey. France, too. Now, America isn't totally devoid of stories worth telling: we have tales of certain presidents, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and the sort. Besides, there's nothing wrong with telling stories that are older than our own people. Beowulf is awesome.

I think we could use more in the way of deliberate, dramatic storytelling. Maybe we should give it a shot over a fire sometime this summer. We can bring beer and mead.

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

The correct term that you're looking for, I believe, is scop.

anyway, it sounds grand and all, but...do you suppose we know enough stories of glorified battle and death to last more than 10-15 minutes?

[PoeticInjustice]

someone said beer and mead? I'm game!

[Drychnath]

I left it general because I'm not so keen on limiting it to one presentational style or tradition; and I'm not looking to be the same sort of repository of my people's knowledge as an Irish Filidhe.

Besides, the point is drama, not telling the story just to get the point across. And it is summertime the next I'll be back, and that gives us some time.

Lastly, let's not overlook the fact it'll just be us sitting around telling stories - we aren't being graded on this. Leastways I wasn't planning on giving any out.

Unrelated note - Hail to the Hammer is a much cooler song when you pay less attention to the crappy video and more to the lyrics.

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

sounds great, actually, so long as there's beer and mead...that means shane, you and I need to get that beer we just made finished so we can get started on some mead!

*grins* I'm all for it.

[Drychnath]

Actually, you guys wanted to get started on Mead it'd be done by summer, wouldn't it? I understand Shane makes a fair home-brew of the stuff.

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

I've heard the same, problem is we've got the fermenting jug full of beer right now. I suppose I could drop some cash and get another one. hey shane! something to do this weekend, don't you think!? I'm for it.

[PoeticInjustice]

well, the beer is *probably* ready to bottle 2 or 3 days ago. Gotta check it with the hydrometer to be sure, but, I'm gonna have trouble knowing for sure, because the initial reading was too high by a fair bit.

I just have to get not sick, and then clean out 55 or so of my 12 oz bottles to put it in!
And the mead, well, if it's not a very high alcohol straight mead, it could likely be fine in *late* summer if started *soon*. I think 3 months is an *absolute* minumum for that sort of thing! Unless, it's a real low alcohol mead (more like a beer in strength) in which case it can be ready in several weeks, to a month.

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

that reminds me, I have 2 of your bottles at my place, don't let me forget to give them back.

and if we start now, we can have 3 months to middle to late June, which would work out great I think, even perhaps waiting 'til first week of July maybe? *shrugs* whatever, point remains, i want mead, blough wants stories, Shane has what it takes to make both, let's do this thing?

[PoeticInjustice]

Well, I'm not sure when I'm going to have the time, but I'm up to it. It's just a matter of determining just what kind of mead to brew!

As far as stories go, I'm a bit less creative, but I certainly will enjoy listening!

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

ahhhh, see, that's what the beer/mead is for! we'll get you talkin'!

[PoeticInjustice]

Desire/ability to talk is not the primary issue. Lack of interesting source material for discussion, however, is.

[PoeticInjustice]

Oh, and I just bottled 2 cases of beer, and cleaned out all the other stuff, so, I'm ready for another batch!

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

I wanted to help with that you bitch!

let's make new stuff this weekend! what are you doing friday afternoon?

[PoeticInjustice]

well, homework.
But, I could take out several hours to do the mead, but that still leaves 1 minor problem:
What kind of mead to make, and on what recipe?