Hoe om meer kreatief te wees

Kyk na hierdie video’s waarop ek afgekom het!

How to be more creative

Check out these videos I stumbled across!

Bronne vir inspirasie

Die Internet het ’n paar wonderlike databasisse as jy opsoek is na inspirasie vir spekulatiewe stories. Hierdie week begin ek met ’n paar wat ek nogal redelik gebruik – beide vir my studies en vir ontspannende lees. Hierdie bronne is gratis om te gebruik al is dit meer akademiesgeörienteerd as baie. Hierdie week se bronne het te make met Germaanse mites en legendes sowel as sprokies en folklore. Geniet dit!

Lees uit die verlede
Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
Hierdie databasis is geskep deur Professor D.L. Ashliman (nou afgetree) van die Universiteit van Pittsburgh en bevat skakels na folklore, sprokies, Germaanse mites, so wel as stories van verskeie verskillende kulture. Meeste van hierdie tekste is in Engels. Die navigasie is ook redelik verbruikersvriendelik.

Eddas, Sagas en Wikings!
 Heimskringla.no 
Heimskringla (die naam is afkomstig van die werk deur Snorri Sturluson) is ’n wonderlike argief van Oudnoorse sagas, Eddas en sekondêre werke oor hierdie onderwerp. Tekste en vertalings is is ’n verskeidenheid Germaanse tale beskikbaar. Die argief is ook in ’n wiki-formaat, wat dit maklik maak om te navigeer en tekste af te laai.

Boeke, ou boeke en aanlyn boeke 
Septrionalia
Hierdie is ’n wonderlike argief as jy op soek is na ou tekste in verskeie tale. Byna enigiets is hier te vinde, van Oudiers, tot Latyn. Die webwerf bevat ook verskeie woordeboeke tesame met mitologiese tekste en ander verhale. Die voorkoms is nou nie juis iets om oor huis toe te skryf nie, maar die inhoud maak beslis daarvoor op.

Tot volgende keer,  Á Agrai tellarias or s'agrélar silássa ¬– Mag die Lig van die Een op jou pad skyn.

Foto's deur Stock Exchange. 

Inspiration Resources

The internet has some wonderful databases if you’re looking for inspiration for specfic stories. This week I’m starting with a few I use quite often – for both study and pleasure. These resources are free to use even though they are more academically inclined than some. This week’s resources have to do with Germanic myths and legends as well as fairy tales and folklore. Enjoy!

Reading the Past
Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
This database was created by Professor D.L. Ashliman (retired) of the University of Pittsburgh and contains links to folklore, fairy tales, Germanic myths and as well as stories from various different cultures. Most of these texts are in English. The navigation is also quite user-friendly.

Eddas, Sagas and Vikings, oh my!
Heimskringla.no 
Heimskringla (taking its name from the work by Snorri Sturluson) is a wonderful archive of Old Norse sagas, Eddas and secondary works about this subject. Texts and translations are available in a range of Germanic languages. The format is also that of a wiki, which makes it very easy to navigate and to make downloads.

Books, old books and online books
Septrionalia
This is a wonderful archive if you’re searching for old text in various languages; from Old Irish to Latin. The site also contains various dictionaries in addition to mythological texts and other tales. It may not be that exiting to look at, but it is quite easy to navigate and the content more than makes up for it.
Until next time, Á Agrai tellarias or s'agrélar silássa

Photos courtesy of Stock Exchange.

Die geskiedenis van Engels

Hierdie video is werklik vermaaklik - dink so een van Afrikaans is ook nodig!
Die geskiedenis van Engels in 10 minute:
(Maar pasop, daar is 'n paar onbeskaade deeltjies...)

The History of English

I found this video about the History of English very entertaining -
(does contain a few rude bits, so be warned).

Finish year update

With a short break behind me (and one I sorely needed), I’m jumping back into my study-writing-working routine – though not specifically in that order. I thought it’s about time I give a proper update on how the Finish Year is going.

Bookish endeavours:
Writing the dissertation is going well, if slower than I had hoped. But I did send off about a novel worth of writing before I went on leave. This week I’m starting on a new part of the dissertation, which I am planning to finish in the next two months. In that time I will also be finishing the essay I’m to read at the conference in September.
I’m a bit behind on the book reviews, but I’m sure I’ll catch them up in time – I am keeping my Good Reads page pretty up to date.

"Fairy Tale Forest" by Krappweis courtesy of Stock Exchange

Writing Endeavours:
I have sent out a flash piece and I’m waiting to hear if it has been accepted for publication. In the meantime, I’m busy with a few short stories which are in different stages of completion. One – “Spilling beans” – I’m planning on finishing the final draft this weekend. It is darker than I had anticipated, but the feedback I’ve gotten so far has been great and a good motivator.
The short vacation has also been a great inspiration - and I saw snatches of many of the places in my imagination – refreshing the senses, so to speak.

Photo Courtesy of Louchiere at Stock Exchange