“I tend to think that what Fame has done is to replace The Sea as the element of choice of adventure for young people.
If you were a dashing young man in the 19th century you would probably have wanted to run away to sea, just as in the 20th century you might decide that you want to run away and form a pop band.
The difference is that in the 19th century, before running away to sea, you would have had at least some understanding of the element that you were dealing with and would have perhaps, say, learned to swim ...
The thing is that there is no manual for how to cope with fame.
So you'll get some, otherwise likeable young person, who has done ONE good comic book, ONE good film, ONE good record, suddenly told that they are a genius, who •believes• it and who runs out laughing and splashing into the billows of celebrity, and whose heroin-sodden corpse is washed up a few weeks later in the shallows of the tabloids.
- Alan Moore
“Now Melkor began the delving and building of a vast fortress, deep under Earth, beneath dark mountains where the beams of Illuin were cold and dim. That stronghold was named Utumno. And though the Valar knew naught of it as yet, nonetheless the evil of Melkor and the blight of his hatred flowed out thence, and the Spring of Arda was marred.
Green things fell sick and rotted, and rivers were choked with weeds and slime, and fens were made, rank and poisonous, the breeding place of flies; and forests grew dark and perilous, the haunts of fear; and beasts became monsters of horn and ivory and dyed the earth with blood.
Then the Valar knew indeed that Melkor was at work again, and they sought for his hiding place. But Melkor, trusting in the strength of Utumno and the might of his servants, came forth suddenly to war, and struck the first blow, ere the Valar were prepared; and he assailed the lights of Illuin and Ormal, and cast down their pillars and broke their lamps. In the overthrow of the mighty pillars lands were broken and seas arose in tumult; and when the lamps were spilled destroying flame was poured out over the Earth. And the shape of Arda and the symmetry of its waters and its lands was marred in that time, so that the first designs of the Valar were never after restored.
In the confusion and the darkness Melkor escaped, though fear fell upon him; for above the roaring of the seas he heard the voice of Manwë as a mighty wind, and the earth trembled beneath the feet of Tulkas. But he came to Utumno ere Tulkas could overtake him; and there he lay hid. And the Valar could not at that time overcome him, for the greater part of their strength was needed to restrain the tumults of the Earth, and to save from ruin all that could be saved of their labour; and afterwards they feared to rend the Earth again, until they knew where the Children of Ilúvatar were dwelling, who were yet to come in a time that was hidden from the Valar.”
We Play The Contest Again - Time Lord
Fenrir (Old Norse: "fen-dweller") or Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse: "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"), also referred to as Hróðvitnir ("fame-wolf") and Vánagandr ("monster of the [River] Ván"), or Vanargand, is a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology.
Fenrir, together with Hel and the World Serpent is a child of Loki and giantess Angrboða.
He is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.
In both the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Fenrir is the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson, is a son of Loki, and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök, but will in turn be killed by Odin's son Víðarr.
In the Prose Edda, additional information is given about Fenrir, including that, due to the gods' knowledge of prophecies foretelling great trouble from Fenrir and his rapid growth, the gods bound him, and as a result Fenrir bit off the right hand of the god Týr.
Depictions of Fenrir have been identified on various objects, and scholarly theories have been proposed regarding Fenrir's relation to other canine beings in Norse mythology. Fenrir has been the subject of artistic depictions, and he appears in literature.
Heatholaf :
Beowulf, there you are.
I was thinking about your father.
Great man.
He was fleeing the Wulfings and he'd killed one of them with his bare hands.
Beowulf :
Heatholaf.
Heatholaf :
That's it, yeah.
That's right.
Beowulf :
I paid the blood debt for your father, and he swore his oath to me.
Heatholaf :
So I saved his skin, and you're here to save ours, that right?
Unferth, son of Ecglaf.:
All hail the great Beowulf, come to save our pathetic Danish skins, eh?
And we are so damned grateful,
mighty Beowulf.
But can I ask a question, as a huge admirer of yours?
There was another Beowulf I heard tell of who challenged Brecca the Mighty to a swimming race out on the open sea.
Was that you?
Beowulf :
I swam against Brecca.
Unferth, son of Ecglaf.
Because I thought it had to be a different Beowulf, someone else of the same name.
Because, you see, the Beowulf I heard of swam against Brecca and lost.
He risked his life and Brecca's to serve his own vanity and pride.
A boastful fool.
And he lost!
So I thought it had to be someone else.
Beowulf :
I swam against Brecca.
Unferth, son of Ecglaf.
But victory was his, not yours.
A mighty warrior who cannot even
win a swimming match!
Speaking only for myself here, not only do I doubt that you will be
able to stand for a moment against Grendel, I doubt that you will even have the belly to stay in the hall all night.
Beowulf :
I find it difficult to argue with a drunk.
But it's true, I did not win the race.
We swam for five days, neck and neck.
l was conserving my strength
for the final stretch when this storm blew up and with it came sea monsters.
Again and again, the monsters attacked!
Dark things from the sea's depths.
I hacked and l lashed
at these foul beasts with my sword, spilling their guts into the sea.
Then one of them seized me by its jaws and dragged me to the bottom.
l killed the monster with my own blade and I plunged it into its heart.
Unferth, son of Ecglaf.
Yes, of course. The sea monsters.
And you killed, what was it? 20?
Beowulf :
Nine.
(Last time it were three.)
Beowulf :
But would you do me the honor
of telling me your name?
Unferth, son of Ecglaf.
I am Unferth, son of Ecglaf.
Beowulf :
Unferth, son of Ecglaf.
I know who you are.
They say you killed both your brothers when you witnessed them
having knowledge of your mother.
I have another true thing to tell you, Unferth Kinslayer.
If your strength and heart was as strong and fierce as your words, Grendel would not feel free to murder and gorge on your people without fear of retaliation.
Tonight will be different!
Tonight, he will find Geats waiting
for him, not frightened sheep like you.
No comments:
Post a Comment