h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

that's a good talking to you give here.

Thank you Delicia.

I wish I was wise enough to divine what you refer to, but hey a man of my small talents has to take compliments where he finds them .

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

I meant your personal space, of course. I found that i was doing quite well on honour (interesting how often outer indications of honour have been more important than personal integrity) and honesty (not brutally honest, thank goodness), but could do with a bit more humility, actually, lots more of humility.
Your summing up about love and trust wanged the nail over the crumpet. Mind you, i still won't trust men farther than i can throw 'em.

Hi Delicia .

Thanks again for the compliments.

"Mind you, i still won't trust men farther than i can throw 'em."

As a man, with two daughters, I do not blame you one little bit , but we do have our uses.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

oh men have their uses, absolutely. And some of them are almost human.
Sorry, couldn't resist, i won't even spare friends when it means missing out on a quip.

Matholwch,
did you ever read the books about early Brittain by Bernard Cornwell? He takes a, to my mind, very creditable stab at druidism, but i lack the specific knowledge to be able to judge. So I would be very curious to hear what you say about it.

And is it true the 13 was a good number in the pre-Christian religions?

Hi Delicia .

I read the first of the trilogy(?) but found the style difficult to get comfortable with (I had the same problem with his Sharpe books but I digress). I don't really feel qualified to comment on the little he covered in that first book, it was a work of fiction after all .

The number thirteen has been alternately a lucky and unlucky number since the dawn of numeracy. It is a prime number and that may lend it some mystique I suppose.

The number most appreciated by Druids, old and new, is three. It is the perfect number as it represents two ones balanced either side of a third one. Many of thew ancient 'laws' of the Celts in particular were arranged in triads (groups of three), as shown in the:
- Brehon Laws, and
- Trioedd Ynys Prydein (the Welsh Triads).
amongst others.

The unlucky nature of thirteen in Christian circles comes from the number of people at the Last Supper, a really odd reason to curse a number if you ask me. Why not two for Caiaphas and Annas, Jesus' accusers? Or perhaps ten for the plagues of Egypt?

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

Hello Matholwch,
yes i gree that the style of Cornwells books is difficult, i almost put it down the first time. Once i got used to it the concepts fascinated me. But i'll read only the novels about the early times for now, later ones like Napoleonic wars holding little interest for me. I want swordfights in everything.

I wonder if regards the 13 in the Last Supper it isn't the other way round, it was said to have been 13, because of the meaning of the number in other religions? Would have to look what significance 13 had in Egypt, maybe...
In the movie The 13th Warrior the number 13 was the number of the moons in a year, and the 13th had to be something odd out, because the 13th moon in a year is not full... is there something in that? The movie was none too accurate on historical details, but i rather like that idea, i rather liked the whole movie

Hi Delicia .

The 13th Warrior is indeed an excellent film, that is unfortunately often writtern off as an action-adventure movie. The concepts though that it covers with fair accuracy are excellent.

There are indeed 13 moon-cycles in a year and this is part of the natural cycle of the seasons, and thus is unlikely to have been seen as unlucky.

One of my favourite parts of the movie is the reciting of the prayer:

Lo, there do I see my father.
Lo, there do I see my mother.
Lo, there do I see my sisters
and my brothers.
I see the line of my people
back to the beginning.
They do call to me to take my place
in the halls of Valhalla
where the brave may live forever.

It is a real Norse prayer that shows the connection people of the time felt to their ancestors. Something we seemed to have mostly lost. Some of my Asartruar friends are trying to rekindle that fire and we in the Druid community are joining them in that effort.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

And then there is the Arab's prayer.
"Merciful Father...I have squadered my days with plans of many things. This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only to live the next few minutes well.
For all we ought to have thought, and have not thought, for all we ought to have said, and have not said, for all we ought to have done, and have not done, I pray thee, Lord, for forgiveness."

There are lots of little niggles one might observe in that movie, but like you say, taken as a whole it is simply RIGHT.
It also has a wealth of very tiny movements and expressions, like when Ibn says to Buliwyf "But you can't, you can't." And the king just looks down on him for a tiny moment. Doesn't need to say anything. Or in the cave, Herger's eyes when he realises that Buliwyf is going to die. Nobody needed to tell him.
And then the last scene when king Buliwyf comes staggering through the rain, dragging his sword, to take his stand in front of his people and straightens up and begins that prayer, that scene has the same effect on me after the 100th time of viewing. Heroism and pathos in the truest sense of the word, i never thought we'd see that in a Hollywood movie. Most likely we won't again.
Yes, it does tap into something in my core deep inside.

I got a book about runes by Geza von Neményi, i thought it was very comprehensive and even though some of his ideas were unusual, to say the least, i thought there was a lot of logic in it. For instance the parallels between Odin and Jesus (the tree, the hanging, the side wound and the connection with words.
I had always wondered, how Christianity could take over so thoroughly in Europe, and the only expalnation i had was that it happened by incorporating the pagan festivals and other customs. Geza von Neményi's ideas lend a continuity to European spirituality, that i was hitherto missing. Missing it very badly too, the figure of Jesus has always been dear to me, but i've also keenly mourned the loss of the old gods, and i had no idea how to reconcile the two.
Do you know that author? If so, I'd be interested to hear what you think.

I forgot to ask, you said the Viking's prayer in The 13th Warrior was a real Norse prayer. Does that mean what i understand, that it is genuine, historical? If so, is there a version in the Norse language?

Hi Delicia .

It is indeed a genuine Norse prayer and is still used by Asatru priests in Iceland to this day. I have not got a translation into Norse unfortunately.

The film's producers and director were keen to get as much historical accuracy into the film as possible. It is based, after all, on the real wanderings of an actual Arab scholar amongst the Russ and the Norse.

As far as I understand they hired a number of Norwegian and Swedish academics and had an Asatru priest on site during filming. Many of the lead actors are Scandinavian and insisted that it should be accurate wherever possible. They were fed up of the 'horned helmet pirate' view of one of history's most remarkable people.

Antonio Banderas said he was terrified of the huge Scandinavians at first, and later during the shooting of the battle scenes, because they took it so seriously. He's apparently never been so bruised and battered during a shoot because he would not use a stunt double when the others wouldn't (and they never did ).

All in all a remarkable film and one of my favourites.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

Yes Wagner has a lot to answer for.
13th Warrior is my favourite too, i just saw it again yesterday, for the umpteenth time. I have three copies of the video in different places, just in case...
Vladimir Kulich, the one who played Buliwyf, is from Prague, btw, and although he's been in Canada for a very long time, he still has something Eastern about him. I must know, because i'm East German.
I'm glad it is a genuine prayer, so i can have it on my gravestone without infringing copyright, what?

Having enjoyed the Norse prayer, you might also enjoy the 'parting shot' on my home page. Then again, you might not. Suck it and see!

What is this film "13th warrior"? I've never heard of it.

Matholwch: Could you please translate for me "Ynys" and "Prydein"? TIA

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

i think you talk good sense in your parting shot. Nice to meet you. The 13th Warrior is a movie based on Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton, and one of the rare instances when i like the movie better than the book. Reviews will say it's an Arab's meeting with the Vikings. It is that, but mainly, and most impressively, it is about aforementioned band of Vikings going to the aid of a Northern kingdom that is beset by a horde of monsters.

Actually, the sense is due to Tecumseh, not me, but thanks anyway!



Nice to meet you too, Delicia! Any friend of Matholwch's and all that.... And thanks for the mini-review of "13th warrior". I'll look out for it.

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

I would recommend The 13th Warrior to all and sundry. Sadly in my surroundings confidence in my cinematic tastes is somewhat lacking, mainly owing to my pronounced penchant for Arnie movies.
There is actually one Arnie movie that is a bit similar in atmosphere, namely intensity of the characters, also pitted against a mysterious and deadly monster, Predator. Incidentally it has been done by the same director, McTiernan, and one will find in The 13th Warrior a couple of sound effects from Predator.

Hi Delicia .

Prague you say, well you learn something new every day, thanks.

On my grvaestone I want the epitaph:

"I told you I was ill".

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

Hi P-C .

'Ynys' = Island,
'Prydein' = Britain.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.