The Midland Wars: The Oath Breakers

Sorry for the late Worldbuilding post this week, but better late than never!


The Dragon Guardians and Seekers are Betrayed
It is an unfortunate fact that one great downfall of fallen mortals is their greed. A greed for money, a greed for fame or a greed for power. After the Diminishing in Airthai, this greed became more and more apparent. For a time people were easily delineated into those who follow the Light and those who rather chose to follow the Shadow. Soon, however, this was no longer so. Betrayals to the Light could come from anywhere. Peoples drifted apart, became new nations, drenched the fields and plains of Airthai with blood and at last cried out for help. And so the Great Sundering of the Lands took place. But still some of those who followed the Shadow remained on the Continent. Keeping their blood vows, the Werlea did the work of the Lewjan and won many to their side. The darkness slowly crept across the Continent once more, leaving no kingdom untouched in however small a way.

After the return of Nasja to the city of Diuzisborg it became known to all that even some of the Dragon Guardians had fallen to the Shadow. Shunned by their dragons and by the Guardians, many sought their revenge by spreading rumours, but a few also set out on the road. One went to the Khallahna, where he was turned away by the Elders who still remembered the oath of the Dragon Guardians all too well. They would have nothing to do with the oath breaker and sent him away. This was before the Khallahna wars, when the House of Khallahna split into the Khalné, who followed the Light, and the Khalvér, who followed the Shadow. Not knowing where to turn, he set out further eastward to Trelkanor and then, towards the coast and the kingdom of Sëarë. It was to be his last journey, as he was set upon by robbers on the road to the Trelkanorian city of Ahrlëa, and slain for what little he had – a few coins, a coat of velvet and the Dragon’s Gift stone he still carried. Here his story ended, though that of the Dragon’s Gift he carried would still go on.

The Oath Breakers
The other guardians who left their home kingdom of Reiaghy took the merchant road northwards towards the Death Plain, Dumál, Treddian and, at last, Guldargan. Here, in the Midlands, they found the lands embroiled in war. Rumours of the wild dragons reached them and they made their way to the ruined Dragon Hall. Soon they found King Gile and told him that they could teach him how to tame the wild dragons and bend them to his will.  Gile jumped at the chance of learning the secrets of the dragons. Together, the shunned Guardians set out to the northwest to search for the dragons in the swamps north of the Great Wood, accompanied by a few of Gile’s guards.
But, while the shunned guardians – those who came to be known as the Oath Breakers – headed towards the swamps, one made his way back to Gile in the dead of night. Kneeling in front of the king of Guldargan and swearing his very life to him.
“I will teach you to speak to the dragon, to bind it to your will. When the others return with the dragon, you will be ready to slay your enemies and rebuild the empire your forefathers had seen in their dreams.”
Gile smiled at this and instated Lewja – for this is what the oathbreaker called himself in his arrogance – as his personal tutor and advisor. Lewja also had the mark of the black dragon tattooed on his face like the king. Some even said that they swore a blood oath to the Shadow.
Those who went to find the dragons; were faced with such wild beasts, that they could not control them. Their minds had turned to shadow, and even the words of Nasja had all but been forgotten. The dragons attacked the men who tried to speak to them and to bind them, slaying them and the guards. Their bloodlust were fuelled and it was after this that attacks on towns and cities started.
Gile and Lewja soon realised that none of the others were returning with a dragon and Lewja started to fear for his life. But Gile continued to learn as much as he could of the dragon’s tongue. However, when he had learned all that he could, he had Lewja slain. This was five years before Gile’s death. Gile would, in turn, teach his son, Galdra, all he could of the dragon’s tongue.

Links to previous Midland Wars posts:
Part 1: First Strike
Part 2: Sanctuaries
Part 3: The Rise of the Fáll
Part 4: The Southern Lands during the Midland Wars
Part 5: The Dragons and Guardians’ New Home

To read more about Nasja and the other Guardians, read “A Dragon’s Freedom” or “The Price of Freedom” by clicking on the links.

Inspirasie vir Maandag: ‘n ridder, ‘n meisie en ‘n draak

Dié wat al ‘n bietjie my blogs besoek het, het seker al besef dat ek van drake, helde en epiese verhale hou. Ek was mal oor hierdie video van The Parlotones se liedjie “I’ll be there”. Die liedjie is al ‘n paar jaar oud, maar ek is nog steeds mal daaroor – geniet dit!

Monday Inspiration: A Knight, A Damsel in Distress and a Dragon

If you follow my blog (and welcome, if this is your first visit) you might have noticed that I like dragons, heroes and epic stories. So I was thrilled when I saw the music video for The Parlotones’ song “I’ll be there”. The song may be a few years old, but I still love it just as much – enjoy!

Ewige boeke: die Silwer Bybel

Een van my gunsteling manuskripte is bygevoeg tot die “Memory of the World”-register. Dit word die Silwer Bybel (Codex Argentium) genoem en bestaan uit ‘n gedeelte van die Gotiese vertaling van die Bybel en is geskryf op pers perkament met silwer en goue ink. Maar hier is ‘n baie beter beskrywing en mens kan ook hierdie wonderlike manuskrip sien*:

*Daar is nog foto’s van hierdie manuskrip op my Pintrest-borde.

Everlasting Books: The Silver Bible

One of my favourite manuscripts has been added as part of the Memory of the World Register. It is called the Silver Bible (Codex Argentium) and is a part of the Gothic translation of the Bible, written on purple parchment in silver and gold ink. But, here is a much better explanation and you get to see the wonderful manuscript*:

*There are some more pictures of the codex on my Pinterest boards here.

Worldbuilding Wednesday – The Dragons and Guardians’ New Home

In the previous weeks I have given a sweeping view over the history of the Midland Wars in Airthai. From the outbreak of the war between Guldargan and its neighbouring countries, to the Sanctuaries formed by the Keepers of Éamidtheo, Théotriewe and Holt Haliern, the vast change in the borders of the Midland countries and the rise of the Fáll. Then I turned my view southward once more to the Dragon City of the south and what happened to the dragons and their guardians and left the history with Guardians setting out to search for a new home among the Western Isles.

The Midland Wars – The Dragons and Guardians’ New Home

The ship the Dragon Claw left the harbour of Diuzisborg at dawn, accompanied by four Dragon Guardians – Nasja, Mairejath, Helagh and Nahshon – and the dragon Thayrla. Using the established trade routes, they travelled northwards along the coast before setting out towards the Western Isles from Black Harbour.  Six times they saw the enormous shapes of the Sea Dragons, but not once did they attack and the ship reached the Western Isle, which was called Aer Lharna*, or Moon Isle, safely.
On the shore was gathered a group of nine people. All were dressed in brown, white and green and each held a carved wooden staff. The staffs were all decorated with finely-wrought patterns in silver and green dragon tears were set into the wood. Upon their brows they wore the red dragon tears the Guardians called Dragon Gifts. The women among them wore long veils of such fine golden beadwork over their hair that it seemed as if their hair was of spun gold. All bore markings on their faces and arms, traced in green, unlike the black patterns seen on the continent.

Caythan told them how these were not permanent markings, but worn during times of trouble or when they fasted or mourned. Permanent marking – like those the Werlea (or Gile) had were shunned by them as they said that nothing in the world is permanent and therefore no permanent mark shall be placed on their bodies as all things will pass away before the final ending of the world.

These folk, the Dréothér, met the Guardians with saddened faces, saying that they had been shown this event in a dream. One, wearing many traces of green upon his face, chest and arms, spoke in the Dragon Tongue: “I saw great fields of golden grass burning; I saw a great many people suffer and I saw red dragons. Then I saw a ship bearing four lanterns being drawn to shore by a blue dragon. It has been very long since a blue dragon has visited our shores, let alone the Dragon Guardians of the Continent.”
The Guardians marvelled at the dream that had been given to these people and told them why they had come and of the wars raging in the Midlands of the Continent.

After seven days it was decided that the Dragon Guardians could come to join the green dragons and the Dréothér – or People of the Dragon – on the isle. But, it was added, some Guardians needed to remain behind in order to help the ship cross the ocean safely.
“It would be wrong to leave the coast so unprotected,” they rightly argued, “especially after being saved from the Sundered Lands and gifted the great house in Diuzisborg.” They also told of their worries about the wild dragons that now lived in the Midlands. The Dréothér spoke of text written even before the Sundering that told of how dragons were turned back to the light during the wars with the Shadow’s creatures.

At their return to Diuzisborg, Nasja told the Dragon Elder Lasnith what the Dréothér had told them. “If we do not have the texts they speak of,” he said, “the library of Holt Haliern will contain it in its vast libraries. There are many texts which have been forgotten by the world outside its walls and many date from before the Sundering.”
“You have seen them?” Lasnith asked.
“I have, though I never read them. The Keepers showed me much of the history of Airthai and the Midlands in the short time I was with them.”

After days of searching, Lasnith wrote a letter to the Wíslic of Holt Haliern with a heavy heart and Nasja and Mairejath took leave before Nasja set out to Holt Haliern. Nasja did find the text of which the Dréothér had spoken in the Sanctuary’s library and it was painstakingly copied as it had been many times before. But even with the care of the Keepers of Holt Haliern, a part of the book had gotten lost over the centuries and none of the earliest text still existed from which the information could be gleaned. So it was that Nasja returned to Diuzisborg with the text after many months. The text – which he had already studied as it was being copied – contained much information that would help them to save the dragons of the Midlands. But he also knew that he would not be able to do the work alone.

Those who studied this text and learned both how dragons could be brought back to the Light or turned towards the Shadow became known as the Dragon Seekers. Vowing only to help those dragons who had fallen or turned wild become themselves again, they set out to the Midlands when they were needed, often staying with the Keepers of Holt Haliern for long periods of time.

It was, however, also during this time that the Dragon Guardians and the dragons left their house and the shores of the Southern Lands for the Isles. Soon only a few were left who trained what few Guardians could be found among the people of the city and who travelled with the ships up and down the coast. Weary and saddened, they travelled to their new home. Within a few generations, even the Dragon Seekers would have left the Continent, leaving stories of the dragons to become little more than legends in the Midlands.

After the death of the dragon Skáhag many centuries later, the true majesty of these creatures were forgotten, replaced with the few tales of the wild dragons that was still told in the Midlands. Only on the Southern Coast did a few remember how the dragons had once kept them safe from the Fallen.

Next Week: The Seekers are Betrayed

Links to previous Midland Wars posts:
Part 1: First Strike
Part 2: Sanctuaries
Part 3: The Rise of the Fáll
Part 4: The Southern Lands during the Midland Wars

To read more about Nasja and the other Guardians, read “A Dragon’s Freedom” or “The Price of Freedom” by clicking on the links.

*For more about the moon and lunar folklore in Airthai, click here.

Photos courtesy of www.sxc.hu

Woensdag Wetenskapsfiksie – Die rooi lint

“Nee meneer, die rooi weerkaatsing-lint is nie op die pale geplak om soldate te help om hul pad hierheen te vind nie.”
Jaco loer deur die spasie tussen die deur en kosyn, al beteken dit dat sy sig deur die kettinkie, wat aan die alarm vas is, belemmer word. Hy wou nie oopmaak nie, maar die man se ID-boekie wou nie onder die deur deurskuif nou dat hy ‘n ekstra rubberstrook daar vasgeplak het nie. Ja, die plek is ‘n brandgevaar met diefwering voor elke venster en verskeie slotte op elke deur – en natuurlik twee sekuriteitshekke voordat jy by die voordeur kon kom – maar ten minste het Jaco ‘n bietjie veiliger gevoel hierbinne.

Noudat hy sy kruideniersware oor die internet kan bestel en dit by sy voordeur afgelewer word, het hy gedink sy lewe is perfek. Hy het vyf keer in een jaar getrek – en elke keer het hy seker gemaak dat hy na plekke trek waar meer mense woon. Die enigste plek waar hy nog kon gaan, was Johannesburg se middestad. Hy het geglo hy is veilig hier. Hy moes dit glo. Toe, een oggend, sien hy hoe word die rooi lint om die straatnaampale geplak. Van sy sitkamervenster kon hy beide straatname sien. Judges wat noord wys. Republiek wat oos wys. En die drie strepe rooi lint wat hom uittart – en waarsku. Hy moet met iemand praat wat kan help. Of hy moet weer trek voordat hulle hom opspoor. Eerder die Red Ants as húlle.
Dit stop reg voor sy gebou. Reg voor sy woonstel.

Hy steek ‘n sigaret aan om sy senuwees te kalmeer. “Thabo het vir my gesê die lint is op elke hoek van hier tot by William Nicol.”
Die munisipale werker glimlag bekommerd vir Jaco. Dan kyk hy weg en sê iets vir Thabo wat Jaco nie verstaan nie. Die sekuriteitswag van die woonstelblok tree nader aan die deur sodat hy Jaco beter kan sien.
“Ek verseker jou, Jaco, dat die lint dit net makliker maak vir die motoriste om te sien waar hulle gaan in die aand. Jy weet, vir load shedding en so.”
Hy gee Jaco ‘n wye glimlag. “Jy weet hoe dit is met die munisipaliteite – hulle staak seker weer, so hulle het nog net nie die lint orals opgesit nie.”
Jaco steek nog ‘n sigaret aan.
“In elk geval, Jaco,” sê Thabo, “wie dink jy gaan ons inval? Namibië? Lesotho? Swaziland? Illegal Aliens?”
Hy onthou dat die plaaslike supermark die vorige dag kruideniersware afgelewer het, maar hy kan nie onthou wanneer laas hy vir dr. Naidoo by Jaco gesien het nie. Of wanneer laas die apteek sy medisyne kom aflewer het nie.
Jaco skud sy kop en vra hulle om sagter te praat.
“Julle sien,” sê hy en neem nog ‘n trek van sy sigaret, “dit sal nie van ons bure kom nie. Of oorsee nie. Dit is die Ander wat sal kom. Maar ek skat hulle is seker ook illegal,” voeg hy met ‘n skewe glimlag by. Hy wys na die lug. “Hulle kom in die aand. Ek het al die ligte gesien. Hulle vat mense om op eksperimente te doen. Hulle het my al geneem.”
Hy vat nog ‘n trek van sy sigaret en blaas ‘n bol rook uit. “En waar is ‘n beter plek om te begin oorneem? Ons het nie ‘n groot genoeg weermag om hulle te stop nie. En wat gaan die buurtwag doen? Of armed response? Julle moet vir die burgemeester sê, julle moet hom sê ons moet die lint afhaal. Of vir die raad sê. Vir iemand sê. Die diefwering kan die boewe uithou. Ek kan diewe met pepersproei spuit, maar nie vir hulle nie. Ons weet nie hoe om hulle te stop nie.”
Hy druk die sigaretstompie in die asbakkie op die tafeltjie by die deur dood en steek dadelik nog ‘n sigaret aan. “Sal julle hom sê?” smeek hy. “Sal julle hom sê om die lint af te haal voor dit hulle na my lei?”
Thabo glimlag vir Jaco en praat met die munisipale werker. Jaco kan hulle nie verstaan nie, maar dit lyk belowend, aangesien hulle ten minste nie lag soos die ander mense wat hy al gewaarsku het nie.
“Ons sal dit hanteer, Meneer.”
Jaco bedank die twee mans en sluit die deur. Hy skuif ‘n kas voor die tweede veiligheidshek net om seker te maak dat niemand kan inkom nie. Dan trek hy die sitkamer se gordyne toe, maar los ‘n skrefie sodat hy die straat van die rusbank af kan dophou.

Dit is reeds laat in die aand en Jaco is besig om televisie te kyk toe die ligte uitgaan en die TV-skerm ontplof. Die klank van die vuvuzelas verder af in die gang word deur luide vloeke vervang. Die paar motors in die straat se enjins stol en die motoriste se kwaai stemme dryf deur die venster. Toe is alles skielik stil. Hy probeer om hulp skree, maar geen geluid kom uit sy mond nie. Hy kan nie beweeg nie en sy hart begin vinniger en vinniger pomp. Buite blink die rooi lint terwyl die lig in sy woonstel al skerper word.
Hy sien vyf maer, grys figure voor hom staan.
Hulle het hom weer gekry.
Om hom word die lig dan verblindend wit terwyl hy in die lug opstyg.

Hierdie flitsverhaal het eerste hier verskyn.

Foto met vergunning van  www.sxc.hu

“O vuur van die Gees” van die Sequentia de Spiritu Sancto

Christopher Page beskryf die Abdis Hildegard von Bingen as “een van die mees merkwaardige kreatiewe persoonlikhede van die Middeleeue” (2012:2).  Sy is in 1098 gebore en in die sorg van die abdis Jutta van Spanheim – abdis van ’n klooster geheg aan die monnikeklooster van Disibodenberg – geplaas toe sy agt jaar oud was. “In 1141, het sy Jutta as abdis opgevolg en het tonge vuur vanuit die hemel sien neerdaal en op haar gaan vaskleef. Daarna het sy haarself gewy aan ’n lewe van intense en driftige kreatiwiteit. Onder haar litereêre werke is twee boeke oor natuurkennis en medisyne (Physica and Cause et cure) en ’n moraliteitspel, genaamd die Ordo Virtutum, wat alle ander werke in daardie genre met ongeveer ’n eeu vooruitloop. Haar boek van voorspieëlinge, Scivias, het haar vir tien jaar tussen 1141 en 1151 besig gehou.” (2010:2) Hildegard het op 17 September 1179 gesterf en alhoewel haar kanonisering verskeie maal voorgestel is, is sy nooit gekanoniseer nie.

Die lied “O ignis spiritus” word beskryf as “Hildegard se apostroof tot haar Muse, die Pinkstervuur wat op haar neergedaal het en kennis van die belangrike Bybelse boeke meegedeel het.” (2010:3).

Na die video van die lied gee ek eerste die Latynse teks, waarna die Afrikaanse vertaling volg.**

O ignis spiritus 
O ignis spirits paracliti,
vita vite omnis creature,
sanctus es vivificando formas.

Sanctus es ungendo
periculose fractos;
sanctus es tergendo
fetida vulnera.

O spiraculum sanctitatis, o ignis caritatis,
o dulcis gustus in pectoribus et infusion cordium
in bono odore virtutum.

O fons purissimus, in quo consideratur
quod Deus alienos colligit
et perditos requirit.

O lorics vite et spes compaginis
membrorum omnium,
et o cingulum honestatis, salva beatos.

Custodi eos qui carcerati sun tab inimico,
et solve ligatos
quos divina vis salvare vult.

O iter fortissimum quod penetravit omnia;
in altissimis et in terrenis
et in omnibus abyssis
tu omnes componis et colligis.

De te nubes fluunt, ether volat,
lapides humorem habent,
aque rivulos educunt,
et terra viriditatem sudat.

Tu etiam simper educis doctos
per inspirationem sapientie letificatos.

Unde laus tibi sit,
qui es sonus laudis,
et gaudium vite,
spes et honor fortissimus
dans premia lucis.

O vuur van die Gees**

O vuur van die verkwikkende Gees,
lewe van die lewe van die hele Skepping,
U is heilig in die verkwikking van Alles.

U is heilig in die salwing van
dié wat swaar beproef word;
U is heilig in die reiniging van
die smetterige wond.

O asem van heiligheid, O vuur van liefde
O soete stroom in die bors en vloeding van die hart
in die goeie aroma van die deugde.

O reinste fontein, in wie daar gesien word
dat God die heidene oproep
en die verlorenes soek.

O maliekolder van lewe en hoop
om al die lede van Ekklesia saam te bind,
O sabelkoppel van eerlikheid, red die geseëndes.

Bewaak almal wat deur die Vyand gevange geneem is,
en laat dié gebondenes is vry
wat Goddelike Krag wil red.

O onwrikbaarste pad wat alles binnedring;
in die hoogste van alle plekke, op die vlaktes,
en in elke bodemlose diepte
roep U almal saam en verenig almal.

Deur U stroom die wolke, die boonste lug swewe,
die rotse het hul hardheid,
die waters lei voort uit hul splete
en die aarde gee varsheid af.

U lei altyd dié wat begryp en
vreugdevol gemaak word deur die inspirasie van wysheid.

Waarvandaan U lof kom
U, wat die klank van lof
En die saligheid van lewe is,
hoop en rykste geskenk
wat die beloning van lig gee.


* “A Feather of the Breath of God”: Sequences and hymns deur Abdis Hildegard van Bingen. Hyperion, CDA30009. 2010. Alle aanhalings is uit die teks deur Christopher Page geneem. 1982 & 2010.
**Die vertaling is deur my gemaak vanaf die Engelse vertaling wat in die bogenoemde teks voorkom.

“O Fire of Spirit” from the Sequentia de Spiritu Sancto

Christopher Page describes Abbess Hildegard von Bingen as “one of the most remarkable creative personalities of the Middle Ages” (2010:2). Born in 1098, she was put into the care of the abbess Jutta of Spanheim – abbess of a community of nuns attached to the monastery of Disibodenberg - when she was eight years old. “In 1141, having succeeded Jutta as abbess, she saw tongues of flame descend from the heavens and settle upon her. Thereafter she devoted herself to a life of intense and passionate creativity. Among her literary works she produced two books on natural history and medicine (Physica and Cause et cure) and a morality play, the Ordo Virtutum, which pre-dates all other works in that genre by some hundred years. Her book of visions, Scivias, occupied her for ten years between 1141 and 1151.” (Page 2010:2) Hildegard died on 17 September 1179 and, though her canonization was proposed various times, she was never canonized.

The song “O ignis spiritus” is described as “Hildegard’s apostrophe to her Muse, the Pentecostal fire which settled upon her and imparted knowledge of the major biblical books.” (Page 2010:3).

O ignis spiritus
O ignis spirits paracliti,
vita vite omnis creature,
sanctus es vivificando formas.

Sanctus es ungendo
periculose fractos;
sanctus es tergendo
fetida vulnera.

O spiraculum sanctitatis, o ignis caritatis,
o dulcis gustus in pectoribus et infusion cordium
in bono odore virtutum.

O fons purissimus, in quo consideratur
quod Deus alienos colligit
et perditos requirit.

O lorics vite et spes compaginis
membrorum omnium,
et o cingulum honestatis, salva beatos.

Custodi eos qui carcerati sun tab inimico,
et solve ligatos
quos divina vis salvare vult.

O iter fortissimum quod penetravit omnia;
in altissimis et in terrenis
et in omnibus abyssis
tu omnes componis et colligis.

De te nubes fluunt, ether volat,
lapides humorem habent,
aque rivulos educunt,
et terra viriditatem sudat.

Tu etiam simper educis doctos
per inspirationem sapientie letificatos.

Unde laus tibi sit,
qui es sonus laudis,
et gaudium vite,
spes et honor fortissimus
dans premia lucis.

O fire of Spirit 

O fire of the comforting Spirit,
life of the life of all Creation,
you are holy in quickening all Kind.

You are holy in anointing
the dangerously stricken;
you are holy in wiping
the reeking wound.

O breath of holiness, O fire of love,
O sweet draught in the breast and flooding of the heart
in the good aroma of virtues.

O purest fountain, in whom it is seen
that God has summoned the gentiles
and sought out the lost.

O mail-coat of life and hope
of binding all the members of Ecclesia,
O sword-belt of honesty, save the blessed.

Guard all those who have been imprisoned by the Enemy,
and release the fettered
whom Divine Power wishes to save.

O most steadfast path which penetrates all things;
in the highest places, on the plains,
and in every abyss
you summon and unite all.

Through you the clouds stream, the upper air flies,
the stones have their temper,
the waters lead forth from their rills
and the earth exudes freshness.

You also always lead forth the comprehending
made joyful by the inspiration of wisdom.

Whence praise be to you
who are the sound of praise
and bliss of life,
hope and richest gift
giving the rewards of light.


* “A Feather of the Breath of God”: Sequences and hymns by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Hyperion, CDA30009. 2010. All quotation taken from the text by Christopher Page. 1982 & 2010.

Hildegard cover found here.

Spoke, boontjieranke en wolhaarstories

Skryfpraatjies 
Wat ’n week! Met die winter wat vinnig nader kom word dit definitief moeiliker om in die aand te werk. Maar dié wat my onlangse twiets gesien het, sou sien dat ek deesdae meer werk (en studiewerk) in die oggend gedoen kry. Dit is nou nie omdat ek vroeër opstaan nie, maar omdat ek later begin werk. Dít gee my ten minste ’n halfuur in die oggend om te skryf voorday ek moet werk toe gaan. In dié tyd het ek dit reggekry om die volgende weergawe van ’n “WIP” klaargemaak waarvoor ek Jan en die boontjierank as inspirasie gebruik. Ek het dit vir ’n paar vriende gegee om te lees en oor kommentaar te gee voordat ek dit weer deurwerk en hopelik gepubliseer kry. Ek het ook ’n ander stuk klaargemaak en gestuur vir moontlike Suid-Afrikaanse publikasie. Nou hou ek net duime vas.

Ek is ook besig met ’n paar ander, korter stukke waaraan ek gaan werk terwyl die “boontjierank” storie vir ’n week of twee in ’n laai lê.

Zombies! Spoke! En ander studiegoeters 
My ander fokus hierdie jaar is natuurlik my studies. Ek gaan die naweek weer op ’n Groot Biblioteekekskursie met ’n lang lys van goed om te doen (en ’n lang speellys van studiemusiek).

Ek het ook lekker gelag hierdie week terwyl ek aan my essay werk. Die droë humor van die skrywer van die Eyrbyggja Saga laat my altyd krul van die lag. Een deel wat my veral laat lag het is in hoofstuk 54, getiteld “More Ghosts”. Nadat ’n groep mans wat gaan visvang het verdrink, keer hulle terug na die plaas elke aand om by die vuur te sit:
Thorodd and his men walked across the main room, which had two doors, and into the living room. They ignored the greetings people gave them and sat down at the fire. The people ran out of the living-room, but Thorodd and his men stayed on until the fire began to burn very low, then went away. As long as the funeral feast lasted this continued: every evening the drowned men would come to the fire. It gave people at the feast plenty to talk about, but some of them thought it would stop once the feast was over. 

Aanhaling geneem uit Eyrbyggja Saga, vertaal deur Hermann Pálsson en Paul Edwards, gepubliseer deur Penguin Classics.

Norsemen Landing in Iceland, deur H. A. Guerber

Ghosts, Beanstalks and Spinning Yarns

Writing Ramblings
This has been quite a week! With the winter quickly drawing near, it’s definitely getting more difficult to work at night. But those who have seen my tweets in the early morning, would have noticed that I’m getting some writing (and studying) done before work. Not that I’m suddenly getting up earlier, mind you, but starting work later. This gives me at least half an hour of hustling on my writing before leaving for work. In that time I’ve managed to finish the next draft of a WIP in which I’ve used Jack and the Beanstalk for inspiration. I’ve now sent it to a few friends to read and comment on before reworking it and hopefully getting it published. I’ve also finished and sent in another piece for South African publication and holding thumbs it gets accepted.

I’m also busy with a few other shorter pieces which I’ll be working on while the “beanstalk” WIP hangs around in a drawer for a week or two.

Zombies! Ghosts! And other Study Ramblings 
My other focus this year, of course, is also my studies. I have another Great Library Quest planned for this weekend, with a lengthy to-do list (and a proper study music playlist).

I’ve also had such a good laugh this week while working on my essay for later this year. The dry humour of the writer of the Eyrbyggja Saga never fails to crack me up. One part which especially cracked me up is in chapter 54, entitled “More Ghosts”, after a party of men go out fishing and drown.

Their ghosts return to the homestead night after night to sit by the fire:
Thorodd and his men walked across the main room, which had two doors, and into the living room. They ignored the greetings people gave them and sat down at the fire. The people ran out of the living-room, but Thorodd and his men stayed on until the fire began to burn very low, then went away. As long as the funeral feast lasted this continued: every evening the drowned men would come to the fire. It gave people at the feast plenty to talk about, but some of them thought it would stop once the feast was over. 

Quote taken from Eyrbyggja Saga, translated by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards, published by Penguin Classics.

Norsemen Landing in Iceland, by H. A. Guerber

Worldbuilding Wednesday – The Dragon Guardians of the Western Isles

I've gotten a bit side-tracked (perhaps a slight “Worldbuilding Cold” and not full-blown “Worldbuilder’s Disease”) while writing about the Western Isles and then, specifically the Dragon Guardians of these Isles. They are Guardians who had not been present on Continent after the Sundering. Their dragons are also green in colour, unlike the blue and red dragons found in the Southern Lands. Here is a first look at them:

The Dragon Guardians of the Western Isles
On the shore there was gathered a group of nine people. All were dressed in brown, white and green and each held a carved wooden staff. The staffs were all decorated with finely-wrought patterns in silver and green dragon tears were set into the wood. Upon their brows they wore the red dragon tears the Guardians called Dragon Gifts. The women among them wore long veils of such fine golden beadwork over their hair that it seemed as if their hair was of spun gold. All bore markings on their faces and arms, traced in green, unlike the black patterns seen on the continent.

Caythan told how these markings were not permanent, but worn during times of trouble or when they fasted or mourned. Permanent marking – like those the Werlea (or Gile) had were shunned by them as they said that nothing in the world is permanent and therefore no permanent mark shall be placed on their bodies as all things will pass away before the final ending of the world.

These folk met the Guardians with saddened faces, saying that they had been shown this event in a dream. One, wearing many traces of green upon his face, chest and arms, spoke: “I saw great fields of grass burning, I saw people who suffer and I saw red dragons. Then I saw a ship bearing four lanterns being drawn to shore by a blue dragon. It has been very long since a blue dragon has visited our shores, let alone the Dragon Guardians of the Continent.”

The Guardians marvelled at the dream that had been given to these people and told them why they had come.

So, while I type away at a story including them, I hope to have a proper “Western Isles” post ready in two weeks’ time. Next week you can read how the dragons of the Southern Lands came to the Western Isles and also how the Dragon Seekers came to be.
Until then, Á Agrai tellarias or s'agrélar silássa!

Ps. Check out my Pinterest boards for writing inspiration pictures and other beautiful things.

Maandag Inspirasie: ’n vermaaklike en kreatiewe musiekvideo

’n Bietjie musiek om die litte los te maak so op die Maandag – hierdie is een van my gunsteling musiekvideos:
“Elke man het ’n kop” deur Chris Chameleon

Hierdie liedjie is van sy twee album wat getoonsette weergawes van Ingrid Jonker-gedigte bevat en dié album is beslis meer as driedubbel elke sent werd.

Monday Inspiration: Entertaining and Creative Music Video

Some foot-tapping music to start the week with – this is one of my favourite music videos:
 “Elke man het ’n kop” by Chris Chameleon

It is a poem by acclaimed Afrikaans poet Ingrid Jonker, set to music. The lyrics is:
“Elke man het ’n kop, ’n lyf en twee bene, hulle probeer jou namaak”, which can be translated as “Every man has a head, a body and two legs, they try to imitate you”.

Enjoy!

(Nie-)fiksie Vrydag: The Dragon’s Trail deur Joanna Pitman

Boekresensie: The Dragon’s Trail: The Biography of Raphael’s Masterpiece deur Joanna Pitman. ’n Touchstone Book, gepubliseer deur Simon & Schuster. ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-6513-3.
Vind dit hier op Goodreads.

In The Dragon’s Trail, vertel Pitman die verhaal van ’n enigmatiese klassieke meesterstuk deur een van die Renaissance se bekendste kunstenaars. Ek dink nie enigiemand kan voor een van Raphael se kunswerke staan – of selfs net daarna kyk nie – sonder om deur die skoonheid en talent van die kunstenaar se kwas aangeraak te word nie. Sy skildery, St. George en die draak – wat in 1506 as opdragwerk aangevra is – is geverf toe Raphael slegs drie-en-twintig was. Maar Pitman vertel nie net die verhaal van hoe die skildery geverf is nie, maar volg die lang lewe van hierdie wonderlike skildery deur die daaropvolgende eeue tot die hede.

Hierdie verhaal is nie slegs die verhaal van ’n skildery nie, maar ook die verhaal van die mense wat dit besit en hulle plek in die geskiedenis en sluit in konings, rewolusies, rykdom en armoede en strek van Italië, Engeland en Rusland na Amerika. Pitman skryf in pragtige, dramatiese prosa wat meer soos ’n roman as ’n boek oor kunsgeskiedenis of geskiedenis lees. The Dragon’s Trail is ’n boek vir die leke persoon of die kunsliefhebber, maar ongeag hiervan, is die passie waarmee die boek geskryf is die aansteeklik. Pitman se liefde van kuns en veral hierdie kunswerk word wonderlik in hierdie boek uitgebeeld.

Ek kan hierdie boek aanbeveel vir liefhebbers van geskiedenis, kuns en die Renaissance. Maar, alhoewel die boek se stofomslag wel ’n pragtige kleurafbeelding van die skildery bevat, sou ek dit verkies het as die afbeelding van die skildery binne die boek ook in kleur was en nie slegs in grys nie. Dalk in ’n volgende uitgawe?

Vir algemene leesgenot en -baarheid, gee ek die boek vier en ’n half uit vyf sterre. Definitief ’n boek wat ek weer sal lees.

Foto deur wikipedia. 

Friday (Non-)Fiction: The Dragon’s Trail by Joanna Pitman

Book Review: The Dragon’s Trail: The Biography of Raphael’s Masterpiece by Joanna Pitman. A Touchstone Book, published by Simon & Schuster. ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-6513-3.
Find it here on Goodreads.

In The Dragon’s Trail, Pitman tells the story of a renowned classic masterpiece by one of the Renaissance’s most famous artists. I doubt that anyone can stand in front of (or simply look at a print of) one of Raphael’s paintings without being moved by the beauty and talent of the artist’s brush. His painting, St. George and the Dragon – commissioned in 1506 – was painted when Raphael was only twenty-three years old. But Pitman does not simply tell the story of how it was painted or the reason for the painting, but follows the long lifespan of this wonderful painting throughout the following centuries until the present day.

This is a tale not only about a painting, but its owners and their place in history, including kings, revolutions, wealth and poverty and stretches from Italy, England and Russia to America. Pitman writes beautiful, dramatic prose which reads more like a novel than a book of art history or history. The Dragon’s Trail is both a book for the lay person and the art lover alike, but, most of all; the passion with which the book is written is contagious. Pitman’s love of art and especially this artwork is brought vividly to life in this volume.

I can suggest this book to lovers of history, art and the Renaissance. But, though the book’s dust jacket does carry a beautiful colour rendition of the painting, I would have liked to see a colour print of the painting inside the book as well and not one in greyscale. Perhaps in the next edition?
For overall enjoyment and readability, I give this book four and a half out of five stars. Definitely a volume I’ll read again.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Worldbuilding Wednesday: The Southern Lands during the Midland Wars

Welcome to another Worldbuilding Wednesday. I’ve spent these last few Wednesdays looking at the Midland Wars – links to these posts can be found at the end of this post. Just because things has been happening in the Midlands, doesn’t mean the rest of the kingdoms and stories of Airthai has stood still, though. So, this week I’m looking at what happened to the Dragon Keepers and the dragons while the Midland Wars were raging.

The Midland Wars (Part 4) – The Southern Lands during the Midland Wars

While war ravaged the Midlands of the Continent, the Dragon Guardians of Reiaghy faced a difficult choice. After the attack on the dragons, told of in the story called “The Price of Freedom”, all eyes were on the dragons and their Guardians. Memories of the night in which the dragons had attacked the city twelve years before were still well remembered and another night of fire was feared even after the Guardians assured the people of the city that the dragons would not attack.

The eggs which had been stowed away by the Guardians were returned to the dragons’ nests and the bodies of the slain dragons and guardians were given proper burials. Much had been lost, but the Guardians also realised the grave danger that they had been in and were thankful that so many had been spared. Even so, much had changed between the Guardians and the City Elders. Where once the Guardians were the pride of the city and held in high esteem, they now were more feared than before and looked down upon by City Elders and common citizens alike.

Rumours began to spread – first within the city and then beyond – that the Guardians used dark magic to control the dragons and not their Talent and the tongue gifted to them by the Light. Many of these rumours were purported to have been started by the Guardians whose dragons had shunned them after they had turning from the light.

Soon the Guardians realised that they were no longer safe or welcome in their city and even some of the ships ventured into the ocean without a dragon escort. Many were attacked by the sea dragons and many lives were lost without reason. Dragon Guardians, walking alone in the city were also attacked and two were killed. Their murderers were not found and soon, not only the Guardians, but also the dragons themselves were demanding justice to be done and their safety to be guaranteed. Dragons remained at the House of the Guardians to keep the house safe from attack and during this time an even greater bond was formed between the dragons and their guardians.

 At last the Dragon Elder Lasnith decided that they could wait no longer. He sent for Caythan, the captain of the merchant ship Dragon Claw and chose four of the Guardians to go to the greatest of the Western Isles where the Green Dragons lived and to request lands for the Dragon Guardians and the dragons of the Southern Lands.

Links to previous Midland Wars posts:
Part 1: First Strike
Part 2: Sanctuaries
Part 3: The Rise of the Fáll

To read more about Nasja and the other Guardians, read “A Dragon’s Freedom” or “The Price of Freedom” by clicking on the links. Enjoy!

For those readers who can understand Afrikaans – check out today’s post at Kammastories, or click here for the English version.

Photo: "Ocean" Courtesy of Timobalk at http://www.sxc.hu

Monday Inspiration: Tunnel

For this week I've chosen Tunnel by Third Day - Enjoy!

Maandag Inspirasie: Tunnel

Vir hierdie week het ek Third Day se liedjie "Tunnel" gekies - geniet dit!