Carving runes into combs and stones is basically the same as spraying tags on subway cars and bicycle tunnels. Those who create runes or graffiti are called writers. More precisely, rune writers and graffiti writers. The word graffiti stems from the Italian word graffio, which means ‘scratch’ and invented in the context of the PompeiiContinue reading “Scratching runes was not much different from spraying tags”
Tag Archives: runes
To the end where it all began: ribbon Ribe
Let’s go to the omega, the end of the Frisia Coast Trail. To Ribe in southern Jutland, Denmark. The oldest town in Scandinavia. A town located on the banks of the River Ribe Å. A modest river that flows out into the Wadden Sea opposite the islands Fanø and Mandø. Ribe started as a seasonalContinue reading “To the end where it all began: ribbon Ribe”
Well, the Thing is…
The heart of Western democracies is the joint assembly of Parliament, Cabinet, and High Councils of State. Its Celtic-Germanic origin is the thing, also called ting, ding, ðing, or þing in other writings. Today, national assemblies in Scandinavian countries still refer to this ancient tradition. For example, the parliaments of the Faroes Løgting, of GreenlandContinue reading “Well, the Thing is…”
Weladu the flying blacksmith
Master blacksmith Wayland is well-known from mythology. The blacksmith was kept captive on a small island in the sea and escaped from it with self-made wings. The Saxons, Anglo-Saxons, Norwegians, Icelanders, in fact, all the old Germanic peoples had their own medieval stories or artifacts relating to Wayland. Even the Franks did. All, except one.Continue reading “Weladu the flying blacksmith”
Foreign Fighters returning from Viking warbands
From the year 2012, around 5,000 foreign fighters from European countries went to the Levant to fight. Six years later, an estimated fifteen percent have died in battle. Others are still in the Middle East, imprisoned or perhaps on the move to centers of conflict elsewhere in the world, now that the terrorist groups areContinue reading “Foreign Fighters returning from Viking warbands”
Porcupines bore U.S. bucks
On May 5th, 2018, it was exactly two centuries ago that Karl Marx was born. When in 1867 the good man published the first part of Das Kapital, Marx was actually 1,300 years too late to turn the tide. The ship had sailed. Ships of selfish and merciless Frisian merchants in pursuit of personal wealth,Continue reading “Porcupines bore U.S. bucks”
Frisia Coast Trail 