Vikings' Barbaric Bad Rap Beginning to Fade

"'The Norsemen were not just warriors, they were farmers, artists, shipbuilders, and innovators,' said Ingmar Jansson, a professor of archaeology at Stockholm University in Sweden. 'More than anything, they were excellent traders who connected peoples from Baghdad to Scandinavia to the mainland of North America.'"

Read the full article at National Geographic: Vikings' Barbaric Bad Rap Beginning to Fade

Blaze of Glory

I'm blogging this article for two reasons:

1. It mentions Ásatrú.
2. It concerns a matter of religious freedom/choice.

Hindus In Britain Demand Traditional Cremation

More:

• wikipedia entry on "Cremation"
• Death in Banaras (scholarly treatise on why Hindus cremate their dead)
• Internet Cremation Society
• Cremation versus Burial (Mainly concerned with Jewish/Christian burial at ReligiousTolerance.org)
• "Beowulf" and Cremation

Odin to Take Over Eden

“Of course all Christian ideas on how the world was created will be wiped out so the Eden name has to go. It will become the Eye of Odin.” So says Gudbrandur Gíslason, leader of the Eye of Odin group. The Eye of Odin is in the final stages of negotiations for taking over the restaurant and tourist attraction known as Eden in south Iceland. Their plans? Turn it into a restaurant, entertainment and information center dedicated to old Norse culture. For the full story, go to IcelandReview - Online. [link] Here is a 2006 photo of Eden:

photo credit: Eysteinn Guðni Guðnason

Ancient Roman Battlefield Provides New Insights

Here is some interesting archaeological news from the weekend...

Ancient Roman battlefield excavated in Lower Saxony

A Roman dagger from another dig near Hedemünden. Photo: DPA

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient roman battlefield from the third century near Göttingen that will rewrite history, Lower Saxony's department for preservation of historical monuments said on Thursday. “The find can be dated to the third century and will definitely change the historical perception of that time,” Dr. Henning Haßmann told The Local. The amazing discovery allows an insight in what must have been a dramatic battle between Romans and Germanic tribes. “The find indicates a massive Roman military presence,” Haßmann said.

Read the whole thing: http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20081211-16075.html

David Brown Book Company: Book Sale!

If you are interested in topics related to Early Medieval Europe, then the David Brown Book Company has a sale for you. Click the link for a full list. Some of these sale prices are even better than the used book prices at amazon.com! David Brown Book Company - Sale Bargains - Early Medieval Europe

The Robot Uprising is Delayed ... Well, Sort of ...

The Care-O-Bots are coming! The Care-O-Bots are coming! (Hmmm...that does sound pretty lame). Check out the new robot by German engineers: Robot Underlords: Welcome Your New Robot Over... Oh, Never Mind

Grave Thoughts on Nietzsche

Nietzsche's grave in the churchyard of Rocken, Germany, might have to be moved so that a power company can access a vein of coal running beneath it. Ben MacIntyre of The Times muses that digging up the German philosopher might present an opportunity to save him from his sister ... and the unkind ravages of history. Of Nietzsche's sister Elisabeth, MacIntyre writes that she was "a lifelong anti-Semite who hijacked her brother's writings after his death and used them to serve the cause of Nazism, leaving a stain on his philosophy that has never been fully erased." That stain is very much undeserved, for as MacIntyre explains:

Nietzsche was no Nazi. He vigorously opposed German nationalism, as he rejected all mass movements; he had no time for ideologues, mocked the notion of a Teutonic master race and loathed anti-Semitism in all its forms.

Usually, I am against exhuming remains, particularly when the disturbance serves only to clutch greedily at more mineral rights. But in this case, I stand with MacIntyre and would welcome this action. But only if the philosopher's reburial was performed in accord with his own recorded wishes and, as MacIntyre has suggested, his memory is cleansed as well. Read more: Nietzshe and His Nazi Sister

Very Metal: The Most Complicated Thing Ever Built

Avi Abrams of Dark Roasted Blend has an article about CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The LHC is a 17 mile monstrosity that crosses the border of two countries. Per the article, one superconducting solenoid (CMS) alone contains more iron than the Eiffel Tower (which weighs about 7,300 tons!). The most interesting aspect of this project? How about the suggested possibility of TIME TRAVEL! Granted, it's the particles that traverse time, but it's still a heady concept according to research published by CERN scientists Arefieva and Volovich. The article has several photos, which alone are worth a look. Sheer words do not do justice to the LHC. Abrams has exclusive permission of CERN to use the photos, so I will not post any here. But I strongly urge you to visit Dark Roasted Blend if only to view photos with the article. They help to give a sense of scale to the whole project.

Urban Sprawl Across the Pond (and to the North)

Throughout much of the United States, folks are familiar with the term urban sprawl. It has even been adapted for regions such as Bucks County, PA, to describe the rampant construction in and around suburban developments: hence the eyesore known as suburban sprawl and the rise of the battle for open space. But I'll bet most of my neighbors and fellow citizens rarely think about sprawl in other nations. Well, the Icelandic Review's feature of the week, Loose Screws and Rusty Nails, shatters any notions of sprawl being just an American phenomenon.

Learning America Smarter: Northern European Geography 101

A friend pointed me to a great post by Xeni Jardin on BoingBoing. It's just too good to not share it here.

Link to larger size, Link to original post on dieselsweeties blog.

Stranger than Fiction

Have you read about the poll that indicates almost a quarter of all Britons believe that Winston Churchill was a fictional character? Did you know that this same poll shows that a majority think Sherlock Holmes was a real detective? UKTV Gold television surveyed 3,000 people and found a disturbing number of people confuse fictional characters with real ones. Go check it out for a few more examples of twisting history with fiction.

Swedish Heathen Group Recognized by Government

This was posted on an Asatru mailing list...

Swedish Heathen Group Recognized by Government In January, the Swedish Heathen group Sveriges Asatrosamfundet became a registered faith-based organization with the Swedish government. At the moment this confers legal recognition, and is being celebrated as a huge milestone. An organization must reach the 3,000-member mark to receive government support or have weddings recognized. See http://www.asatrosa mfundet.se/index.html for the orginal announcement by the organization (in Swedish). English language translation of the announcement follows below. __________________________ "Sveriges Asatrosamfund has finally become a registered religious body. Of course, we have been a religious body all along. According to Swedish law, a religious body is a fellowship for religious activity, which includes organizing services. Ever since the foundation of SAs, we have been this type of religious fellowship, organizing ceremonies and blots (which qualifies under the legal definition of "services"). In other words, SAs has always been a proper religious body according to the law, but has not been registered as such in a legal sense. Now we are. This emphasizes and makes it clear that we are a serious spiritual alternative, not merely a non-profit organization. " "Unfortunately, this does not confer the right to perform marriages or other advantages to the association. The association is required to have at least 3,000 members in order to receive these rights, as well as government financial assistance for services, spiritual counseling, instruction, etc. We're not there today. But that day is coming. Rest assured." - Chairman, Henrik Hallgren

Lutheranism is deeply engrained in Sweden, so much so that the Church of Sweden -- the former state church -- boasted 78.3% of the Swedish population as members (circa 2004, per Wikipedia). Granted, that same article indicates that only 2% of those members attend regular Sunday services. So I would imagine that many Swedes are looking elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment. And why not in their ancestral faith? This announcement is a huge win for the Swedish people. Here's hoping that Sveriges Asatrosamfund continues to grow and that they gain the other rights in due time.

And if you, dear reader, happen to know who provided the translation of the announcement, please let me know. I would like to give credit where it's due.