Monday, 28 February 2022
LEGACY OF LIES
Last night I watched this Scott Adkins action flick "Legacy of Lies" on Netflix.
It's set in the Ukraine and involved the KGB and MI6 and Scott fighting everybody and trying his hardest to act his way out of a paper bag.
He really is a shit actor and martial artist.
Anyway I will rate this film a score of 4/10.
It's set in the Ukraine and involved the KGB and MI6 and Scott fighting everybody and trying his hardest to act his way out of a paper bag.
He really is a shit actor and martial artist.
Anyway I will rate this film a score of 4/10.
Sunday, 27 February 2022
BRAVE SOLDIERS
Almost word for word from the Ukrainian's on Snake island.
a lot of them were killed in the shell bombing from the Russian warship.
The Ukrainian soldiers were very brave.
a lot of them were killed in the shell bombing from the Russian warship.
The Ukrainian soldiers were very brave.
PRISONERS OF THE LOST UNIVERSE
Last night I watched this very cheesy but awesome 80's sci-fi action movie on Netflix.
I last watched this film in the late 1980's but it made a great impression on me, plus it starred two actors from Hawk the Slayer and was directed and written by the guy who made Hawk.
It is very daft but entertaining and the story is not too great but it's a fun romp.
A good cast list and Richard Hatch is very good at using the sword but not a gun as it shows in the movie poster. John Saxon as the big bad was OTT as he should be.
I love this film so much and I will rate this movie a score of 10/10.
I last watched this film in the late 1980's but it made a great impression on me, plus it starred two actors from Hawk the Slayer and was directed and written by the guy who made Hawk.
It is very daft but entertaining and the story is not too great but it's a fun romp.
A good cast list and Richard Hatch is very good at using the sword but not a gun as it shows in the movie poster. John Saxon as the big bad was OTT as he should be.
I love this film so much and I will rate this movie a score of 10/10.
THE PUPPET MASTERS
Last night I watched this classic sci-fi alien invasion movie on Disney+
The last time i watched this was the mid-1990's and I loved it.
It's loosely based on the novel of the same name written by Robert A. Heinlein.
A very good cast list and story. One of the best alien invasion films I've ever seen.
I shall score this movie a rating of 9/10.
The last time i watched this was the mid-1990's and I loved it.
It's loosely based on the novel of the same name written by Robert A. Heinlein.
A very good cast list and story. One of the best alien invasion films I've ever seen.
I shall score this movie a rating of 9/10.
TIMETRAP
Last night I watched this sci-fi action thriller on Netflix.
A group of students are searching for their missing professor and they get trapped in an underground cave system where time moves very differently.
It was a really good film, even if I did not know the cast of actors.
I shall rate this film a score of 8/10.
A group of students are searching for their missing professor and they get trapped in an underground cave system where time moves very differently.
It was a really good film, even if I did not know the cast of actors.
I shall rate this film a score of 8/10.
INTO THE NIGHT SEASON 2
Last night I finished watching this second season of the Belgian apocalyptic sci-fi drama thriller on Netflix.
A very good cast list and well written series where nobody is safe from the Sun's Rays.
It does end on a cliffhanger and hopefully they will make a third season and there's also a Turkish spin-off series in the works called "Into The Deep", set onboard a Turkish submarine.
I shall rate this series a rating of 9/10.
A very good cast list and well written series where nobody is safe from the Sun's Rays.
It does end on a cliffhanger and hopefully they will make a third season and there's also a Turkish spin-off series in the works called "Into The Deep", set onboard a Turkish submarine.
I shall rate this series a rating of 9/10.
Saturday, 26 February 2022
RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACOON CITY
Last night I watched "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" on Amazon Prime.
Well I thought it was pretty shit, faithful to the computer game from what I can remember but action-wise, it was not good.
I loved the Milla Jovovich franchise of Resident Evil and I often re-watch them when they are on the telly.
I doubt I will watch this film again.
The casting was great, and so was the 90's music.
But the Zombies looked like they had just taken their 6th booster shot against the dreaded 'Rona.
Very disappointed by this movie and I shall rate this film a score of 5/10.
Well I thought it was pretty shit, faithful to the computer game from what I can remember but action-wise, it was not good.
I loved the Milla Jovovich franchise of Resident Evil and I often re-watch them when they are on the telly.
I doubt I will watch this film again.
The casting was great, and so was the 90's music.
But the Zombies looked like they had just taken their 6th booster shot against the dreaded 'Rona.
Very disappointed by this movie and I shall rate this film a score of 5/10.
Friday, 25 February 2022
ONE OF US IS LYING!
A brain, an athlete, a princess, a criminal, and a "basket case" walk into detention - but only the first four make it out alive.
Last night I finished watching "One of us is Lying" on Netflix.
A 'Teen' mystery series based on an young adult novel of the same name.
I don't usually watch these teen mystery shows, but I really loved this series, it does have a lot of loving nods to The Breakfast Club. The twists and mysteries on who did it was really good and well written, even I could not figure out who the murderer was until the big reveal.
They will be making a second season as the mystery and murders have not finished yet.
The only problem I did have with this as i do with all other American shows is that the 'Teen' actors are all in their mid 20's +
But apart from that niggle, I really loved it and I shall rate this series a score of 9/10.
Last night I finished watching "One of us is Lying" on Netflix.
A 'Teen' mystery series based on an young adult novel of the same name.
I don't usually watch these teen mystery shows, but I really loved this series, it does have a lot of loving nods to The Breakfast Club. The twists and mysteries on who did it was really good and well written, even I could not figure out who the murderer was until the big reveal.
They will be making a second season as the mystery and murders have not finished yet.
The only problem I did have with this as i do with all other American shows is that the 'Teen' actors are all in their mid 20's +
But apart from that niggle, I really loved it and I shall rate this series a score of 9/10.
THE CROW TOTEM
The crow is a spirit animal associated with life mysteries and magic. The power of this bird as totem and spirit guide is provide insight and means of supporting intentions. Sign of luck, it is also associated with the archetype of the trickster; be aware of deceiving appearances. If the crow has chosen you as your spirit or totem animal, it supports you in developing the power of sight, transformation, and connection with life’s magic.
Thursday, 24 February 2022
UK THREAT LEVEL
UK RAISES ALERT LEVEL
The English 🇬🇧🏴are feeling the pinch in relation to recent Russian 🇷🇺 threats and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.”
Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.”
The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.
The Russians 🇷🇺 have been re-categorised from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.”
The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish 🇪🇸 Armada.
The Scots 🏴 have raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s Get the Bastards.”
They don’t have any other levels.
This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army 🪖 for the last 300 years.
The French 🇫🇷 government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.”
The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.”
The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag 🏳️ factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability. They have also started wearing their reversible coats 🧥.
Italy 🇮🇹 has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.”
Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”
The Germans 🇩🇪 have increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose.”
Belgians 🇧🇪 on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual;
the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
The Spanish 🇪🇸 are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy.
These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Australia 🇦🇺 meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be alright, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! I think we’ll need to cancel 🚫 the barbie 🍖 this weekend!” and “The barbie is cancelled.” So far, no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
The English 🇬🇧🏴are feeling the pinch in relation to recent Russian 🇷🇺 threats and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.”
Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.”
The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.
The Russians 🇷🇺 have been re-categorised from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.”
The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish 🇪🇸 Armada.
The Scots 🏴 have raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s Get the Bastards.”
They don’t have any other levels.
This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army 🪖 for the last 300 years.
The French 🇫🇷 government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.”
The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.”
The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag 🏳️ factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability. They have also started wearing their reversible coats 🧥.
Italy 🇮🇹 has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.”
Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”
The Germans 🇩🇪 have increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose.”
Belgians 🇧🇪 on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual;
the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
The Spanish 🇪🇸 are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy.
These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Australia 🇦🇺 meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be alright, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! I think we’ll need to cancel 🚫 the barbie 🍖 this weekend!” and “The barbie is cancelled.” So far, no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
BABYLON 5
I was 17 yrs old when I went inside 'Our Price', the only video store in the shopping centre that had a decent Horror/Sci-Fi section.
On display was a new movie for sale called 'Babylon 5' and I read the back cover and it sounded quite good, I paid my £9.99 at the counter and rushed home to watch this mind blowing Sci-Fi epic.
I was instantly hooked on the premise and later on was chuffed to bits that it got made into a series. I bought every video in the series, and then every DVD boxset. I even loved the special movies that came out, and even the spinoff 'Crusade' And now today is the 29th anniversary of one of the best Sci-Fi TV shows ever made.
I was instantly hooked on the premise and later on was chuffed to bits that it got made into a series. I bought every video in the series, and then every DVD boxset. I even loved the special movies that came out, and even the spinoff 'Crusade' And now today is the 29th anniversary of one of the best Sci-Fi TV shows ever made.
ALL THE DEVIL'S MEN
Last night I watched a real rubbish film on Amazon Prime.
It stars Milo Gibson (son of Mel) as a burnt out mercenary working for a CIA Black Ops unit.
It's pretty shite and not very action packed.
I will rate this film a score of 2/10.
It stars Milo Gibson (son of Mel) as a burnt out mercenary working for a CIA Black Ops unit.
It's pretty shite and not very action packed.
I will rate this film a score of 2/10.
Monday, 21 February 2022
CANDY IN HOSPITAL
Well Candy has been rushed to James Cook Hospital. At around 7pm, she had trouble breathing and was suffering from stomach pains, due to her gallbladder.
I phoned for a Paramedic and he was a bit of an arse and talked down to her, Candy knows her medical stuff, better than they do.
Her BP was quite low as well and her breathing did get slightly better but she is still not well, so I requested an ambulance to come and take her to hospital, which she has now left. Hopefully she is in good hands now and things will be sorted out.
SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND BORN ROYALS
Last night I watched this Disney action comedy movie.
It's about a group of second born royals who have super powers and must defeat evil bad guys, etc.
It's daft and fun, just don't take it seriously.
I shall rate this film a score of 6/10.
It's about a group of second born royals who have super powers and must defeat evil bad guys, etc.
It's daft and fun, just don't take it seriously.
I shall rate this film a score of 6/10.
THE HUNTERS
Last night I watched this action packed TV Movie on Amazon Prime.
It has elements of the TV shows - Relic Hunter, Warehouse 13, and The Librarians.
It does have a good cast list and the story was not that bad, it does have the feel of a TV pilot to it.
I will rate this film a score of 6/10.
It has elements of the TV shows - Relic Hunter, Warehouse 13, and The Librarians.
It does have a good cast list and the story was not that bad, it does have the feel of a TV pilot to it.
I will rate this film a score of 6/10.
Sunday, 20 February 2022
GHOSTBUSTERS:AFTERLIFE
This afternoon, we watched Ghostbusters: Afterlife on Amazon Prime.
Wow! It was so much better than I thought it would have been.
The storyline was very well written, and the kids were good little actors. The special effects were quite good too.
The appearance of the original Ghostbusters was wonderful and very sweet.
It was a lovely tribute to the original films and team, and hopefully they will make a sequel.
But whatever you do, don't bother watching the rubbish all-female movie from 2016 as it was full of shit as were the actresses.
I shall rate this film a score of 9/10.
Wow! It was so much better than I thought it would have been.
The storyline was very well written, and the kids were good little actors. The special effects were quite good too.
The appearance of the original Ghostbusters was wonderful and very sweet.
It was a lovely tribute to the original films and team, and hopefully they will make a sequel.
But whatever you do, don't bother watching the rubbish all-female movie from 2016 as it was full of shit as were the actresses.
I shall rate this film a score of 9/10.
THE BRAVE
Last Night I watched this action packed police thriller on Netflix.
A crack team of Albanian special forces police task force must fight off drug lords, corrupt fellow officers. and each other if they are to be The Brave.
A damn good film which was well written and acted.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
A crack team of Albanian special forces police task force must fight off drug lords, corrupt fellow officers. and each other if they are to be The Brave.
A damn good film which was well written and acted.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
THE GUILTY
Last night I watched this tense claustrophobic edge of your seat thriller on Netflix.
It pretty much only stars Jake, as the others actors are voice only.
He plays a LAPD dispatch operator who must rescue an innocent woman who has been kidnapped.
A lot of twists and turns in this movie.
Well written and acted, this is a very good film to watch.
I shall rate this film a score of 8/10.
It pretty much only stars Jake, as the others actors are voice only.
He plays a LAPD dispatch operator who must rescue an innocent woman who has been kidnapped.
A lot of twists and turns in this movie.
Well written and acted, this is a very good film to watch.
I shall rate this film a score of 8/10.
Saturday, 19 February 2022
NIGHTBOOKS
This afternoon, we watched this dark fantasy movie called NightBooks on Netflix.
A very good dark fable movie with some scary bits in it.
Well written and acted, it's worth watching it again.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
A very good dark fable movie with some scary bits in it.
Well written and acted, it's worth watching it again.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
WRONG TURN
Last night I watched this reboot movie on Netflix.
It's actually quite a good horror movie that has no link to the original previous 6 movies in the Wrong turn franchise.
Very intelligent, well written, and a good cast list.
I will rate this movie a score of 8/10.
It's actually quite a good horror movie that has no link to the original previous 6 movies in the Wrong turn franchise.
Very intelligent, well written, and a good cast list.
I will rate this movie a score of 8/10.
VENDETTA
Yesterday I watched this great British revenge action thriller starring Danny Dyer.
He is the Mutt's Nuts!
Well written and good acting from the whole cast.
I will actually rate this film a score of 9/10.
He is the Mutt's Nuts!
Well written and good acting from the whole cast.
I will actually rate this film a score of 9/10.
Friday, 18 February 2022
RECYCLE IS RUBBISH
All your recycling, getting rid of plastics, turning off the lights when you leave a room is just bullshit and will not save the planet, when we have all these planes in the sky, the nuclear waste we have around the planet, the pollution in the air and in the ground, dumped by companies and people.
Nothing will save the planet.
FISTFUL OF VENGEANCE
We have just finished watching the supernatural martial arts film "Fistful of Vengeance" on Netflix.
It is the sequel movie to the series "Wu Assassins" and it wraps up some of the storyline threads left at the end of season 1. It's well acted and action packed.
I will rate this film a score of 7/10.
It is the sequel movie to the series "Wu Assassins" and it wraps up some of the storyline threads left at the end of season 1. It's well acted and action packed.
I will rate this film a score of 7/10.
NOBODY SLEEPS IN THE WOODS TONIGHT PART 1 AND 2.
Last night I watched these two Polish Horror Movies on Netflix.
It's very gory, tongue in cheek, and well acted.
The story is quite good too and it twists and turns all over the place. The 2nd film seriously jumps the shark with the storyline.
It might start off as a slasher in the woods type film, and then BAM! It goes down a different route.
I will rate this film a score of 8/10.
It's very gory, tongue in cheek, and well acted.
The story is quite good too and it twists and turns all over the place. The 2nd film seriously jumps the shark with the storyline.
It might start off as a slasher in the woods type film, and then BAM! It goes down a different route.
I will rate this film a score of 8/10.
THE GENTLEMEN
Yesterday afternoon, I watched this new Guy Ritchie British crime caper film on Netflix.
A very good cast and a very well written storyline.
Hugh Grant stole the film as a sleazy P.I.
The film is filled with a lot of twists and turns that you expect from a Guy Ritchie flick.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
A very good cast and a very well written storyline.
Hugh Grant stole the film as a sleazy P.I.
The film is filled with a lot of twists and turns that you expect from a Guy Ritchie flick.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
Thursday, 17 February 2022
DISTRICT NURSE BITCH
So yeh, I've just had a visit from a fucking nasty bitch of a district nurse again who fucked up my right stump two weeks ago.
I refused her to touch my right one and I have to ask Candy to change the bandages on that one which should be fun if she does it for me.
Anyway I had to shout at the nurse as she has just made my left stump bleed by intense scrubbing of the skin surface, she ignored me as always.
Nobody to complain too as she is one of the nurse bosses, and the GP's here do fuck all.
Wednesday, 16 February 2022
RAISING DION SEASON 2
Last night I finished watching season 2 of Raising Dion on Netflix.
A very good superhero series about a 10 yr old super powered boy named Dion.
Hopefully it will be renewed for a 3rd season.
I shall rate this series a score of 8/10.
A very good superhero series about a 10 yr old super powered boy named Dion.
Hopefully it will be renewed for a 3rd season.
I shall rate this series a score of 8/10.
Monday, 14 February 2022
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
Yesterday I binge-watched the whole first season of "Only Murders in the Building" starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez.
A very funny mystery series that is well written and acted.
I am looking forward to Season 2.
I will rate this series a score of 10/10.
A very funny mystery series that is well written and acted.
I am looking forward to Season 2.
I will rate this series a score of 10/10.
REACHER
This weekend I finished watching season 1 of Reacher on Amazon Prime.
I did like the original Tom Cruise movies but this was so much better and true to the book character.
A very good series and acting/storyline.
I shall rate this series a score of 10/10.
I did like the original Tom Cruise movies but this was so much better and true to the book character.
A very good series and acting/storyline.
I shall rate this series a score of 10/10.
Sunday, 13 February 2022
FAE BANE
Anyone who has seen the 2014 movie Maleficent will know that iron burns fairies and iron chains can hold a dragon captive. Iron frames were once popular for children’s bedsteads, because it was said that fairies could not approach to snatch or swap the infants who slept upon them. Iron bands around the coffin of a witch or a vampire were believed to prevent them from escaping their tombs. Many of the classical texts on Qabalistic ritual warn the magus to keep iron out of their ritual circle, because it ‘earths’ the Magickal powers they attempt to invoke.
Yet iron has also been the saviour of many a church bell ringer, by ‘magically’ attracting lightning and diverting its path down to the earth outside the church, rather than down the bell pull and to the puller. There is earlier evidence of tall buildings using iron as lightning conductors, though use by the Christian Church was not recorded until the 1750s when they were ‘invented’ by Prokop Diviš, a Bohemian priest in Přímětice. This was around the same time as Benjamin Franklin’s more famous experiments with making lightning rods.
The use of lightning rods caused a furor of conflicting arguments from different factions of the Church. Some priests thought that they demonstrated the Church’s ability to control the elements in the name of God. Others argued that they demonstrated a lack of faith in the power of prayer as a form of protection. Some thought the Church was actually endorsing, and dabbling in, what may be a form of witchcraft! Some believed that their use attracted God’s wrath, causing churches to be struck by lightning much more regularly. Others thought lightning strikes occurred because they frustrated the Devil and his followers, making them lash out angrily, though ineffectually. It was claimed that lightning rods also caused earthquakes. However, it seems that bell ringers all said, ‘Thank God!’
By the use of iron, the early church was seen to have tamed and controlled the power of pagan gods, typified by the Viking Thor, or the bolt-throwing Greek god Zeus. Iron became symbolic of the power of the Christian church over older, ‘heathen’ belief systems, and the apparent chaos of the natural world. If iron could tame great old gods such as Thor and Zeus, then certainly it could defuse the pagan powers of witches and pesky demons.
Many properties of iron, as we now understand in scientific terms, must have seemed magical when first observed. An iron needle floating in a bowl of water could tell you which way to steer your ship at sea, even when the stars were obscured by cloud. An electric spark, thought by some to be analogous with life energy, could disappear into an iron filament and come out at the other end, seemingly unchanged. Of course, even today, iron still seems magical in many respects. It is the most plentiful metal in the universe. All iron was initially forged in the hearts of stars, and only gifted to the cosmos when they exploded in supernovae. This stardust is in each of us; it is what makes our blood red.
The earliest iron artefacts were made millennia before the Iron Age, from meteoric iron that had fallen from the sky. This was when the sky was still the realm of the gods. Therefore, iron was a gift from the gods, and must be imbued with godly powers. Accordingly, these first artefacts were fit for our gods on earth. For example, the pharaoh Tutankhamun.
Some of the earliest known fairy tales concern iron and the art of the blacksmith. I have already touched upon the origins of fairy tales in a previous article here on #FolkloreThursday, along with their connection to iron and why horseshoes are said to be lucky and ward off evil if hung over your doorway.
Some of the earliest known fairy tales concern iron and the art of the blacksmith. I have already touched upon the origins of fairy tales in a previous article here on #FolkloreThursday, along with their connection to iron and why horseshoes are said to be lucky and ward off evil if hung over your doorway.
The lore that surrounds iron has changed from beneficent to maleficent and back again as many times as historical conflicts and conquests have changed the ideology of the dominant culture. It seems that the smelting and use of iron developed independently in several locations around the world. The Iron Age is generally understood as the period during which the technology to make iron items — particularly weapons — spread from the Hallstatt culture in western and eastern Europe during the 8th century BCE. It radiated out through Celtic Europe, eventually reaching Britain, and then expanded into the La Tène culture during the 4th century BCE.
Clearly, the peoples of this extended period did not one night go to sleep in the Bronze Age and awaken the next morning in the Iron Age. There were considerable overlaps as the technology of iron developed and travelled throughout the European continent by way of trade. This also appears to coincide with a violent period of history, with hill forts springing up all across the British Isles, particularly in the southern regions.
It is also interesting to note that bronze ‘carps-tongue swords’ in the Hallstatt style were popular trade items, appearing in Britain during the early period of the Iron Age of central Europe. These were beautiful and stylistically sophisticated swords and yet, technologically, they were already outmoded. This is just like international arms dealing today! Sell potential enemies inferior or out-dated weapons, and keep the superior tech for your own armies. So, the Britons were trading peacefully, and at the same time building defensive forts and preparing for battle. Imagine their surprise when the clashes came with the peoples who had made the swords they were using. It must have been baffling when enemy blades just seemed to cut right through theirs, and also their shields.
The Britons had a reputation for being small in stature yet fierce warriors, and possibly adept at magic. They seemed to be able to appear and vanish at will from among the trees of the forests and among the hills. According to some early Roman accounts, the Britons would spike their hair with white lime and cover their bodies in swirling patterns of blue woad for battle, possibly to enable them to vanish into the pattern of clouds in the sky or reflected on the surface of lakes. This resulted in a belief that they could appear out of thin air and make their getaways via ‘portals’ in lakes and rivers. Some have suggested that this is where the myth of the fairy folk began. These ‘fairy folk’ who used ‘magical’ tactics were armed with bronze, which was no match for the iron blades of the invaders. Therefore, iron became known as the enemy of the ‘fairy folk.’
In Wicca, wands are usually made from hazel or rowan – grown things of natural origin, reinforcing the connection with the seasons and cycles of nature, with which we work in harmony. However, the wands of the Norse Vǫlva shamans were iron, implying that for them magic was a human thing involving forging and manipulating natural resources and elemental forces according to our will.
Siberian shamans traditionally make magical artefacts from iron, perhaps owing to their ancestral heritage. The name ‘Russia’ is derived from the Russ, a pre-Viking Norse clan who were founders of the settlement that became modern Moscow. This brings us nicely around to a famous iron sword, perhaps the most famous sword of all time: Excalibur.
Viking swords were prized by non-Vikings for a number of reasons, including their strength, balance, quality, and reputation. There were only a few ways that a non-Viking may come by a Viking sword. Possession of one indicated that you were very wealthy and had gained the respect of a wealthy Viking, or had defeated a Viking warrior in battle – both impressive achievements. So, could Excalibur have been a Norse-forged iron sword? We know that such weapons were often cast in moulds made of stone, so the ‘sword-in-the-stone’ bit would certainly fit. True, the Viking era came several centuries after the Iron Age, but myths and legends are often stories amalgamated from several earlier sources. Also, if remembered from the pre-Viking crossover period from Bronze to Iron Age, a similarly well-balanced, expertly forged iron sword would seem magical due to its ability to cut through bronze blades (and even through weapons made from inferior quality iron).
If magic is an energy, a physical force, then perhaps iron makes more sense as wand material. We know that iron can attract and conduct electricity, focus and release it, store it as magnetic energy, or disperse it by returning it to the earth. Iron can change form. It can be made molten, fluid, and malleable, and then set into unbending forms of our design. Be it blade or wand, the magic of this metal could enable one not only to repel fairies, but to rule with ‘a rod of iron,’ or indeed, ‘the sword of kings.’
Saturday, 12 February 2022
Friday, 11 February 2022
THE KING'S MAN
We've just finished watching The King's Man on Disney+
A very excellent prequel to the film franchise, the movie is set during World War One. and it shows the agency being formed during the great war.
A very good cast list, good story, and the action scenes were really good.
I enjoyed the historical side to the story, as I learned a lot of things I did not know about the first world war.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
A very excellent prequel to the film franchise, the movie is set during World War One. and it shows the agency being formed during the great war.
A very good cast list, good story, and the action scenes were really good.
I enjoyed the historical side to the story, as I learned a lot of things I did not know about the first world war.
I shall rate this movie a score of 9/10.
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