Germanic News and Notes
SYMPOSION: BRYAN WARD-PERKINS
By Aelfwine Scylding
SYMPOSION WITH BRYAN WARD-PERKINS
This March, Germania has unceremoniously invaded - as usual - the preparations for the latest
Symposion. There was a good reason for this, since the guest was Bryan Ward-Perkins, author of the recent book "The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization", and we Germanics volunteered a joint hosting together with the Romans. But let's not talk of the attempts at conquering *cough* but of the success of the initiative. It was my first Symposion so I cannot make a comparison with the others, but I can say that questions flew like arrows and that Professor Ward-Perkins, under the guise of
Romulus Augustulus, faced them graciously, not to mention bravely. The topic of his book was controversial: did the Roman Empire really "fall", and if so, how hard? (his answers: "Yes", and "A lot".) It was a whole week of intellectual discussion culminated in a small party in
Ravenna. We all hope that Romulus will show up again someday in Ancient Worlds!
Germanic Archaeology News and Fun
TRIVIA FUN
Look at this cool trivia submitted by Elenwe Yngling
It is commonly thought that sausages were a German invention but that may not be true. In fact it may have been Gaius, Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar's cook around 64AD. But the first mention of a string of sausages comes from Leontius of Neapolis, Cyprus in the 7th century in his book "The life and Miracles of Symeon the fool", where he states the following:
" But he behaved otherwise before the crowd. For sometimes when Sunday came, he took a string of sausages and wore them as a (deacon's) stole. In his left hand he held a pot of mustard, and he dipped (the sausages in the mustard) and ate them from morning on. And he smeared mustard on the mouths of some of those who came to joke with him. Wherefore also a certain rustic, who had leucoma in his two eyes, came to make fun of him. Symeon anointed his eyes with mustard. The man was nearly burned to death, and Symeon said to him, "Go wash, idiot, with vinegar and garlic, and you will be healed immediately." As it seemed a better thing to do, he ran immediately to a doctor instead and was completely blinded. Finally, in a mad rage he swore in Syriac, "By the God of Heaven, even if my two eyes should suddenly leap (from their sockets), I will do whatever the Fool told me." And he washed himself as Symeon told him. Immediately his eyes were healed, clear as when he was born, so that he honored God. Then the Fool came upon him and said to him, "Behold, you are healed, idiot! Never again steal your neighbor's goats."
The webpage I found the information on is:
What's Cooking America
NORVEGICUS' LINKS
King Harald V's 70th Birthday
By Norvegicus Lupus
King Harald V of Norway celebrated his 70th birthday on February 21, 2007.
Aftenposten English has the article Bitter Cold Chills Royal Birthday Bash on King Harald's 70th birthday.
Aftenposten English has the article King get statue of his mother on a statue of the late Crown Princess Märtha (died 1954), who is the mother of King Harald. The statue is a birthday gift to the King from Norway's Parliament (Stortinget). King Harald unveiled the statue yesterday. A copy of the statue already stands outside Norway's Embassy in Washington D.C.
Aftenposten English has also published 57 photos of King Harald's life titled A Royal Life.
RUMORS
ASTONISHING DISCOVERY NEAR RAVENNA, ITALY
The answer to centuries of questions?
From our new reporter Foolish Ostrogoth.
Stunning news from Italy. Workers digging in the marshy terrains of the Po Valley to build a much-needed tract of railroad that will directly connect Ravenna to Bologna have unearthed something that could change the face of history. When the bulldozers hit hard stone the work was stopped and experts were called.
"I could not believe it at first," says Aprile Pesce, the renowned archaeologist who has taken charge of the digs. "And yet there it was, before my very eyes. Of course we're only the beginning, but we can already say this is the discovery of the millennium!"
The revelation was disclosed live on national daily newscast TG1 at 8 pm sharp, April 1st. With a certain flair for showmanship, Professor Pesce unveiled the first recognizable piece hauled from the digs: the base of a massive column.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he stated. "The Fall of Rome will not be a vague, debatable concept anymore. We can finally show you the authentic, original fragments of the Western Roman Empire itself after the crash!"
Historians all over the world are hurrying to Italy to catch a glimpse of the wondrous relics. Some already fear that a whole field of study will become obsolete, but others are more upbeat. "It's not the end," Pesce says confidently. "It will take decades to study the fragments and know exactly how the Empire did fall. Meanwhile, there are still a lot of books to be written – luckily."
Helpful 'Newbie' links
Need newbie help and advice in Germania? Try the Welcome to Germania thread!
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Need help? Ask one of your friendly Germanian scribes:
Freyja Scylding, Bree Burgundian , or Aelfwine Scylding.
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