Category Archives: Myth & Legend

Outlaws, Were-Bears, and Skunks

I’ve been reading the Gesta Herwardi (“The Deeds of Herward” a.k.a. “Hereward the Wake”), one of the original outlaw stories from England (although it’s written not in English, but in Latin—because, no doubt, Everything Is Better With Latin!™). The Robin … Continue reading

Posted in books, fantasy, language, Morlock, Myth & Legend, sword-and-sorcery | Tagged , | Comments Off on Outlaws, Were-Bears, and Skunks

Some Typos are Typoier Than Others

Typo of the day, possibly of the decade, is Ratlick, for an intended Tatlock (the author of an old myth textbook). If a character named Ratlick doesn’t appear in an upcoming Morlock story, my name isn’t James Enge. (Um. So … Continue reading

Posted in Morlock, Myth & Legend, sword-and-sorcery, Typo of the Day, words | Comments Off on Some Typos are Typoier Than Others

The End of the Beginning

By the power vested in me, I declare this rough draft COMPLETE. Now to knock off some of the rough edges. I will need my largest and most abrasive rasp.

Posted in fantasy, Myth & Legend, sword-and-sorcery, writing | Comments Off on The End of the Beginning

Vale!

Whenever I see a news item about Romney, I think it’s about the English artist who did such great drawings of Orpheus and Eurydice. I am always disappointed. This is made even worse by the fact that the artist’s first … Continue reading

Posted in art, language, Myth & Legend | Tagged | Comments Off on Vale!

Actaeons Have Consequences

“διὰ τί, πολλῶν ὄντων ἐν Ῥώμῃ ναῶν Ἀρτέμιδος, εἰς μόνον τὸν ἐν τῷ καλουμένῳ Πατρικίῳ στενωπῷ ἄνδρες οὐκ εἰσίασιν;” ἢ διὰ τὸν λεγόμενον μῦθον; γυναῖκα γὰρ αὐτόθι τὴν θεὸν σεβομένην βιαζόμενός τις ὑπὸ τῶν κυνῶν διεσπάσθη, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου δεισιδαιμονίας … Continue reading

Posted in Adventures in the Public Domain, ancient art, art, fantasy, fantasy art, history, Myth & Legend, Roman history, Rome | Tagged , | Comments Off on Actaeons Have Consequences

Eldritch Lore of Lightning, Stars, and Magic

On Facebook, Michael Swanwick mentioned a historical (or maybe apocryphal) episode when the Pope invited Etruscan seers to use lightning magic to defend Rome against Alaric and his Ostrogoths. It’s a pretty good story, whether or not it’s actually history. … Continue reading

Posted in academia, Adventures in the Public Domain, astronomy, books, fantasy, history, language, magic, Myth & Legend, Roman history, Rome, science, sff, social media, sword-and-sorcery | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Eldritch Lore of Lightning, Stars, and Magic

ΧΑΟΣ

I don’t know if you knew this about me, but I’ll buy a book every now and then. Because I am not a crazy person (anyway, I’ve never been officially diagnosed), before I’ll buy a book I see if I … Continue reading

Posted in art, books, Chaos, fantasy, fantasy art, Keep it or chuck it?, Minnestoics, music, Myth & Legend, politics, review or meta-review, sff, sword-and-sorcery, werewolves | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Rumba with the Rhomboi

This image of the Kylix of Durides and Calliades came up in my Mastodon newsfeed today. (The source wasn’t attributed, but see some more images here.)

Posted in academia, ancient art, art, fantasy, magic, Myth & Legend | Comments Off on Rumba with the Rhomboi

Foreshadows of Hanuvar

Aya Katz talks with Howard Andrew Jones about LORD OF A SHATTERED LAND, his great book coming out soon from Baen.

Posted in books, fantasy, fantasy art, history, Myth & Legend, sword-and-sorcery, writing | Tagged | Comments Off on Foreshadows of Hanuvar

Fellowship of the Thing

Apologies for my relative silence on social media. I’m engaged on a lunatic plan to write a pair of novels over the summer, and I’ve made some significant progress. This evening I got north of 20,000 words on one (a … Continue reading

Posted in academia, fantasy, language, Myth & Legend, social media, writing | Tagged , | 4 Comments