Get your Outlands history in bardic poetry style!

It has been mentioned yet AGAIN that I should write a book. I replied 'that is why I blog, I'm too lazy to write a book.' Committing short thoughts to digital media is probably a thousand times easier than trying to hold down a plot anyway...

Then I thought about the time and words I've invested in this site, and yes, I could have written a book instead. Or maybe two, if they were short. Why not?

I thought about what to write. Now, a publisher isn't going to touch *NSTIW stories, or a detailed account of my life, however interesting it seems to be. Just not sellable. Good thing finding a source for printing or publishing isn't the nightmare it used to be, back in the dark ages before the internet arrived.

Now, there are 'online on demand' printing services like Lulu.com, where anyone can self-publish their own works. I have created a profile and then, I immediately turned to searching their catalog for relevant keywords, so that I would know the quality or existence of other works such as I would write.

Considering it would be poems, songs or anecdotal humor about the SCA, I didn't figure there would be much competition.

Lo and behold a mighty Bard has beat me to it:

Guernen Sang It: King Arthur’s Raid on Hell and other poems: A First Collection of Poems for the Current Middle Ages

and

Guernen Sang Again: Pryderi’s Pigs and other poems: A Second Collection of Poems from the Current – and Past – Middle Ages

are both available as a free PDF download, but you can also purchase them as a real paper BOOK for less than $8 each.

These are some of the greatest stories of the Outlands, and even if you know nothing of the Kingdom or its people, you can clearly see the glory rising off these poems like a heat-haze in the deserts of Atenveldt.

I am already outdone before I begin!! Sneaky bards.

*"No $#!T there I was", which is a common opening line to many SCA stories. This is much like "Once upon a Time..." so that you know you are about to hear a fairy-tale. There is usually some suspension of disbelief required for stories that start with NSTIW.

Rose and Chess

Just in time for Valentine's Day...two 13th century manuscripts are being reunited after a century apart! Makes my calligrapher's heart just flutter!

The University of Chicago has recently acquired Le Roman de la Rose (The Romance of the Rose), a courtly romance. This enables them to reunite it with a manuscript from their collection, Le Jeu des échecs moralisé (The Moralized Game of Chess). This one is a treatise on medieval society that uses the game of chess as its framework. They originate from France circa 1365, and were bound together for over 500 years, and parted around 1907.

If you can't get to Chicago for the exhibition, the Rose and Chess site offers fully zoom-able, high resolution digital copies of each. And when I say 'zoom' I'm not kidding. Scary good detail.

More information in the form of a press release by Ascribe may be found here.

I think I'm in love....


Image credit: From left to right: “The Queen conversing with a Doctor.”
Reproduced from: Jacobus de Cessolis. Le Jeu des échecs moralisé. Anonymous compilation of translations by Jean Ferron and Jean de Vigny. France, ca. 1365. 13 illuminations by the Master of Saint Voult. University of Chicago MS 392;
“How Openness and Pity face Resistance to reprimand him for his cruelty” and “How Openness rebukes Fair Welcoming for having left the Lover alone for too long.”
Reproduced from: Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. Le Roman de la Rose. France, ca. 1365. 40 illuminations by the Master of Saint Voult. University of Chicago Library MS 1380.

Steven Brust pens Firefly novel - free download!

When I first heard that Steven Brust had written a Firefly 'fanfiction' that took place between the TV series and the movie, I held my breath...

He sought a publisher, and of course there were legal issues and all...so I knew this might never see the light of day.

Sadly, he did not find a publisher, so he has decided to publish it for free online. SerenityStuff.com has more to say about this story.

I am off to read "My Own Kind of Freedom", as I hope all you hungry little Browncoats will do as well. And if you've never heard of Steven Brust before today, you might want to check out his other works.

50 volumes of Medieval Archaeology online - free!

Happy 50th Anniversary to the Society for Medieval Archaeology! In celebration of the last half-century of publishing, they have released those 50 volumes online for FREE, all in a convenient PDF format.

Of course there are terms of use which you should read...if you chose to fall down the rabbit hole for a whole weekend like I have.

In a library I used to go to long, long ago, a few of the real volumes inspired me as a child, but many of the words or concepts were beyond me. These were the types of reference books that could not be 'checked out' so I had to read them there.

When I pointed out to the librarian that some of the words were misspelled, such as colour, theatre, and catalogue, I learned that the curious way in which the text was written was the "Queen's English".

Being born in Britain, this was one of the earliest memories I have of discovering my ancestry, since we left before I have any real memories of the place.

I learned a lot about the history of Britain from these treasures, and now that I can go back and re-read, and finally understand, the body of work as a whole, I don't doubt I'll be re-inspired in a whole new way.

Maybe I'll buy a metal detector and take a trip to the homeland...

Digital Agrippa

Inigo Montoya: You are using Bonetti's Defense against me, ah?
Man in Black: I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.
Inigo Montoya: Naturally, you must suspect me to attack with Capo Ferro?
Man in Black: Naturally... but I find that Thibault cancels out Capo Ferro. Don't you?
Inigo Montoya: Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa... which I have!

You too can study your Agrippa, and be ready the next time some masked fencer scrambles up a cliff after you. Here's another period fencing manual made PDF by the glory of technology (and the efforts of William Wilson). Click the 'full screen' icon next to the print icon for the best view.

Digital Digrassi

Ever wanted to explore the original Digrassi documents? Well, now you can with Scribd, which allows users to upload and share documents that can then be embedded in websites...such as this reading pane below.

Simply click the 'fullscreen' icon (next to the print icon) for a better view. Or you can print your own!



More fencing manuals to come as I find the time...

RIP Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (October 17, 1948 – September 16, 2007), under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the name Reagan O'Neal. He died September 16, 2007 from complications from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (cardiac amyloidosis)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_jordan

The greatest digital manuscript site EVER

The British Library has gone and outdone itself. And every other digital manuscript website online, it seems. Turning the Pages is the greatest digital manuscript site I've ever seen!

If your computer meets the requirements (latest version of Shockwave, allow popups and high speed access) you will actually get the feeling that you are right there with the ancient tome that you are flipping through, page by page. And there are many, many the choose from: the personal notebook of Leonardo Da Vinci, The Lindisfarne Gospels, The Sherborne Missal, Mercators First Atlas of Europe, and so on...

The books take a while to load, but once ready, you can page through 'by hand', or use a slider bar or arrows to change pages. Paging by hand does take some practice, so use the arrows if you are having trouble.

The text button gives a description of the elements and text, but if you select the audio feature, it is narrated for you in a dignified English accent, of course. You'll need to click the audio button for each new page you turn. Use the magnify feature to check out all the amazing initials and illuminations while you learn about these great works of art, cartography and literature in a whole new way.

Serenity Graphic Novel and BrownQuote!!

It's been a while since I've posted anything of worth about Firefly or Serenity. Not that my interest is waning, mind you... I just got so much gorram work to do!

I have spread the Firefly sickness to my boss, though, and he just told me that he's hooked after watching "Out Of Gas." Good episode...

Anyway, I finally managed to find a copy of the Serenity graphic novel. The story takes place between the end of the series and the movie, and sets up the Operative's story quite nicely. There's a bit of a surprise (as in 'I thought he was DEAD') with a heavy helping of revenge.

You can't borrow my copy. Get your own here:



Also in the Serenity 'verse is a great new service called BrownQuote. It was originally crafted just for Google home pages, but I asked nicely, and you can see it over on the left side of this page, above the Google ads. Different funny quotes from the series and movie will appear, and change daily, so get your Firefly fix right here!

And because it has been specifically requested...I shall once again post the Fruity Oaty Bar video. Shiny!!

Bruce Campbell is a God

Bruce Campbell, you are a GOD. How could I have lived through my teen years without Evil Dead? I worship your wit and wisecracks.

You absolutely STOLE the scenes as Autolycus in Hercules and Brisco County was amazing. Do I even have to mention Bubba Ho-tep? You do the 'King' some serious justice. I have never heard a funnier opening line in my life.

I would LOVE to come down to the Mayan Theatre tonight between 6 and 9:30 to meet you and get your new book signed, and then sit through a 10pm or Midnight screening of "The Man with the Screaming Brain."

However, in order to get a pass into the signing, I've got to go to Tattered Cover and buy your new book (which I was going to buy anyway, but...) for $25, and THEN the movie costs $13. Ouchie. Kinda tough on the purse right now, with me being unemployed and all.

I mean I know you've got to support yourself and all, but I've already bought numerous DVD's, Fistfull of Boomstick, and your first book. Plus, I've turned loads of people onto your work. Let's just call it even, shall we?

I'm sure hordes of screaming deadites will show up, so you shouldn't notice my absence.

Dummies in the Dungeon

My god. I remember the cheesy pamphlet with bad drawings from the mid-1970's. Now we have this:



I guess it would be a good gift for a spouse or partner. I might have to buy one just on principle.

Imagine showing up at your next game with this, especially if you are the GM!

Project Gutenberg

Oh, man. As if I needed something else to suck up huge loads of my free time. Project Gutenberg has over 15,000 FREE e-books.

They are mostly public domain, but that means many period works have been translated into this shiny new electronic medium. You can read them now or download them for later.

Check out "The Art of Fencing - The Use of the Small Sword" by Monsieur L'Abbat! It has pictures!

Way past period for us SCA'ers, (but looks like it still has some great advice) is The Code of Honor, Or, Rules for the Government of Principals and Seconds in Duelling By John Lyde Wilson.

Maybe you'd prefer the Gustave Dore illustrated version of "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri?

Complete works of William Shakespeare? Yeah, they got that too.

Or, just search for whatever you want. HINT: Try the LoCC field.

Happy reading!!

Book review: The Eagle and the Raven by Pauline Gedge

Ten years ago, when I first read The Eagle and the Raven, I was awed by the scope and power of this story. Being a borrowed book, I vowed that someday I would find my own copy and read it again. At the time, I was fully entrenched in what I call 'my Celtic thing' back in the early 90's, and chewed through enough reference material to make your head burst from all the knotwork.

This book is 'historical fiction' about the Roman conquest of Britain, seen through the eyes of various chieftains, and ending with Boudicca, the Queen of the Iceni. Most of the dust jackets and press that has been written about this book focus completely on her, but in reality, only about a quarter of the book is from her point of view.

I will try not to spoil the ending, but the last climactic battle is worth the 900 pages of story. Makes me want to go beat some Romans. In fact, ten years ago, after the first read, I was so moved that I went out and bought Iceni coins to show my support for the Boudiccan Revolution.

The character development of the chieftains, warriors and tribes ( like the Catuvellauni and the Iceni ) along with the sprawling plot make this book a MUST READ for anyone interested in the roots of Celticism, British History or Roman influence.

Pauline Gedge certainly tweaks a few of the names and possibilities, but overall does a great job of telling this story. She makes the chieftains seem very real, and her good use of drama helps move the story along during the slower parts.

It appears to be back in print now, which is good. I had to scour used bookstores for ten years to find this copy. No, you can't borrow it. Get your own.