Germanic News and Notes
YULE IN REVIEW
Yule in Germania has seen the birth of a new year but also a new marketplace in the city of
Winchester, Wessex. Many of our residents have set up shops, and among swords and manuscripts and Yule recipes we have been able to visit picturesque places of this corner of England while playing in a
Winter Wonderland. In the town square we have raised the
Dedication Tree to give tribute to the people who are closer to us in this time of peace and joy, and we have organized among us the
Klandestine Kris Kringle so that each could show their creativity and make a surprise for someone.
Carols have echoed in many homes, and even if our
King Alfred's Hunt did not find much participation, the fun is only postponed for when a new edition is prepared!
VALENTINE FUN AHEAD
We're celebrating St. Valentine's Day in Germania! Come join in the fun by playing: Reunited -- and on Holiday! This is a combination hunt and quiz which will reunite separated lovers and end with a tantalizing quiz. Watch the main Germanian page for further details -- which will be coming soon!
Germania will also feature a Singing Valentines board. You'll be able to copy the code and paste it to the message board of your choice. The songs will not start automatically, though. This saves those of you sneaky ones who log on at work from being fired. This may be Ancient Worlds, but most of us still have to work in the real world! There will be a wide variety of songs from which to choose -- watch the main Germania page for further details -- which are also coming soon!
Germanic Archaeology News and Fun
NORV'S LINKS
Count Dracula's Castle for Sale
New Viking Center in Stockholm
Icelandic Eruptions Led to Egyptian Famine
THE MYSTERIOUS NEBRA SKY DISC
Our tireless Germanic reporter,
Norvegicus Lupus, alerted us
not long ago about the
Sky Disc of Nebra being shown as the centerpiece of the Bronze Sky exhibition at the History Museum of Basel, Switzerland. The Sky Disc of Nebra is an artifact of bronze and gold, difficult to date (tentatively, 1600 bC) and to interpret. It might be the oldest known astronomical clock. It surfaced in Basel in 2001 during an illegal attempt at selling it; its origins were traced back to a Bronze Age site on a hill called Mittelberg near Nebra, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, where the sun seems to set every solstice behind the Brocken (the highest peak of the Harz mountains and a traditionally sacred place). The shady circumstances of its finding have led to disputing the authenticity of the artifact, but microanalyses seem to confirm its ancient origins. The
exhibition in Basel has been protracted until February 25, 2007.
Other links:
Historische Museum Basel
Landesmuseum (Halle, Saxony-Anhalt), where the Disc is usually kept. Contains
microphotographies.
Die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra, an alternative interpreation.
Wikipedia
Helpful 'Newbie' links
Need newbie help and advice in Germania? Try the Welcome to Germania thread!
Want to meet people, get involved, and have the best mead at AW? Join us at The Red Boar Tavern!
Need help? Ask one of your friendly Germanian scribes:
Eirikr Knudsson, Bree Burgundian , or Aelfwine Scylding.
ACTA Article Submissions
Anyone interested in submitting articles, group highlights, or other items of interest for our Germanian World page in the ACTA, please contact Anarane with the URL of your item. If you would prefer to e-mail items to me, please send them (or any other suggestions) to: this address. Thank you for helping us make Germania a great Place to Be!
