10 June ‘23 …
Weather is Summer. Sleeping with only a light sheet.
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ARCHAEOLOGY – March/April 2023 … Swords in Stones
STANDING SWORDS
While excavating a Viking cemetery near the Swedish town of Köping, archaeologists discovered a pair of sword hilts protruding curiously from the earth. After further investigation, they determined that the handles belonged to Viking swords that had been thrust into the earth above two burials and had remained upright for 1,200 years. “Viking Age graves containing swords are very rare.” says Anton Seiler, an archaeologist working with Sweden’s National Historical Museums. “Graves where swords were set in a vertical position are even rarer.”
Because it would have taken a great amount of force to hammer the weapons through the soil and large stones that covered the burials, researchers do not believe the blades were in this position by chance. “It was clearly a conscious action,” Seiler says, though he is not certain why the swords were arranged in this unusual way. Perhaps, he says, it was a gesture meant to aid the deceased warriors’ journey to Valhalla. It also may have been a way of commemorating the death. Family members visiting the graves would have been able to touch the sword handles, thereby maintaining a close connection with the departed. … Jason Urbanus
This artical triggered thoughts about the legends of King Arthur pulling a sword from a stone to identify him as the rightful King.
Myths and Legends often start as word of mouth repetition of real events lost in time. I believe this is one of those situations. in which truth for its time became legend.
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The Black iris is beautiful. It is velvety black with a touch of Burgundy or Claret at its heart.
The latest iris looked to be possibly white or light yellow iris. But as it has begun to open the first bud and it may be one of the light blue iris we are adding to our proposed iris garden.
I’ll get a picture as soon as I can.
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There are now two rhubarb plants in the front yard … one planted there when John planted the asparagus and the other a transplant from the yard where Steve, the Village gardener, grew up and he has to be in at least his 50s, maybe even his 60s, so it is almost a heritage plant.
The first was trimmed by the local doe but she hasn’t been back and the other rhubarb has really settled into its new space (I started to say “into its new digs” but decided that was too goofy for a Yank) so passed up the chance to go for the referral to my first lesson in Brit language which would then lead into the time I asked the young lady behind the bar in the first pub where we stopped and I asked for directions to the “restroom” and she responded “That depends on whether you’re a Brit who wants to rest or if you’re a Yank who wants to go to the toilet.”
And that story leads to later finding the real “bath” room which was a room containing only a 6-foot long bathtub shared by all the sleeping rooms in our section of the second floor.
There was a French movie several years ago in which a character was murdered by being pulled under the water in a tub like the one in the “bath” room I shared. The murder was achieved by using the victim’s feet to pull her head under the water.
I think the movie was Diabolik. The first film by that name was released in 1998.
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The sourdough focaccio was a dud. I followed the recipe to the T and wound up with a flat center in which was nothing but all the toppings were burnt as were the edges … burnt crackers.
Jenny suggested the oven needs to be recalibrated since the previous owner never used it.
Maybe … but maybe I just need to get an oven thermometer and set it around the oven in various spots and see what the temperature is in the different spots in the oven and learn to use it accordingly.
But that looks like a lot of trouble.
We shall see.
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To close the week …
Don’t wait for things to get simpler, easier, better. Life will always be complicated. Learn to be happy right now. Otherwise, you’ll run out of time.
So ‘til next week …