Friday 14 October 2011

Friday 2.

To continue. In the morning Jeremy Hodgkinson, author of British Cast Iron Firebacks (and a member of the Antique Metalware Society) gave a talk on the collection of firebacks in the house. The above shot is of the earliest dated fireback in the collection.

Ann took the above snapshot of meself in mid covet.




Small corner of one of the rooms of reserve collections.
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3 comments:

Crowbard said...

Just seen a small collection of bronze short swords, Mike. Quite similar to the one you blogged earlier. All came from authorised archealogical grave sites, one or two were snapped off about one third their length from the point, the rest were bent into sinuous curves. Apparently deliberate damage 'ritually' performed before their interrement with their previous owners. I suspect the damage to yours was probably deliberately inflicted for a like reason.
I admire your self-confessed covetousness, Mike. I believe God gave us covetousness so we could tell the presumptious prophets and priests to leave off telling everybody else that his gifts should not be used. Covetousness is to motivate us to greater effort and higher achievements. If you don't covet something you'll never make the effort to make or acquire one.

Pootatu's v-word is 'rednesse'... OK I confess I was blushing for shame when I learned I hero-worshipp a covetous person.

She changed her mind -now she says I must type 'petenst' to publish this comment. Perhaps she has penitence in mid?

Unknown said...

I think there may have been a sort of convention about weapons being given back to the earth, or to water. I also find meself thinking about Excalibur being given back to the lake. Possibly all based on a memory of a bronze age convention of things being 'given back'.
How would one know 'when' though?

Crowbard said...

The heart knows these things Mike. Many, like Arthur, are aware when there is little time left and obligations must be fulfilled.
Certainly water featured strongly as the portal between the world of the living and the netherworld of spirits. True friends or close kin would consider themselves under a sacred duty to fulfil any such obligations which the deceased had failed to perform before their doom was met.

Pootatu gives the v-w 'ovigiess' suggesting applause for the fulfilment of such a geis

From Old Irish geis, from the same root as guidid 'prays'; a solemn injunction, especially of a magical kind, the infringement of which led to misfortune or even death; or a tabu, spell or prohibition.