Eight-year-old Swedish girl pulls Viking era sword from lake https://t.co/kWMkiMWR9C pic.twitter.com/nooQbc91wT
— The Local Sweden (@TheLocalSweden) October 4, 2018
From The Local Sweden:
UPDATED: An eight-year-old Swedish-American girl came across an exciting find swimming at her local lake, when she pulled an ancient sword from its depths.“It’s not every day that one steps on a sword in the lake!” Mikael Nordström from Jönköpings Läns Museum said when explaining the significance of the find.
But that’s exactly what happened to Saga Vanecek, who found the relic at the Vidöstern lake in Tånnö, Småland earlier this summer.
“I was outside in the water, throwing sticks and stones and stuff to see how far they skip, and then I found some kind of stick,” Saga told The Local.
“I picked it up and was going to drop it back in the water, but it had a handle, and I saw that it was a little bit pointy at the end and all rusty. I held it up in the air and I said ‘Daddy, I found a sword!’ When he saw that it bent and was rusty, he came running up and took it,” she continued.
It was initially reported that the sword was at least 1,000 years old, but the museum later contacted The Local to clarify that they believe it may be even older, estimated to date back to the 5th or 6th century AD, pre-Viking Age. The find has prompted huge interest from archaeologists and historians.
“It’s about 85 centimentres long, and there is also preserved wood and metal around it,” explained Mikael Nordström from the museum. “We are very keen to see the conservation staff do their work and see more of the details of the sword.”
Anyone hoping to see the sword will have to wait at least a year, Nordström told The Local, explainig: “The conservation process takes quite a long time because it’s a complicated environment with wood and leather, so they have several steps to make sure it’s preserved for the future.”
Obligatory!
Open thread!
dmsilev
I trust that the Florida Girl equivalent would be accidentally pulling an alligator out of a drainage canal?
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
Humph. I posted that two threads ago, but yeah, it sounds better when a white guy says it, mumble grumble snort.
ETA: linky.
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/pa9mmk/8-year-old-girl-pulls-ancient-viking-sword-from-lake-is-our-ruler-now
SiubhanDuinne
This young girl will forevermore be known as a “watery tart.”
Adam L Silverman
@dmsilev: AR-15 out of a retention pond.
Adam L Silverman
@Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: I wasn’t around. I actually emailed this to the Trowel early this morning our time – never quite sure whether she’s on a dig in Europe or at home in Australia – and planned on posting it late this evening, which I did. Does that make you feel better?
Major Major Major Major
Can we put her on the Supreme Court instead?
Ruemara
I’d be so excited! A little disappointed that it didn’t mean I was a demigod or fey or at least a smidgen magical. Plus she doesn’t get to keep it, bollocks.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
@Adam L Silverman: Hey now. If yer gonna mansplain, ya gotta start with “well, actually.” It’s a rule!
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
@SiubhanDuinne: Oh, well played!
Adam L Silverman
@Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: I wasn’t mansplainin. I was simply letting you know you weren’t having your stuff swiped without a hat tip. Had I seen your comment, you’d have gotten the hat tip in the post as I always try to do.
Mike in NC
Netflix has added Season 2 of “Norsemen”, a pretty decent spoof of those Viking shows on History channel and others. Filmed in Norway but in English. Check it out.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
@Adam L Silverman: I’m just joshing you. It’s been a tough week for women who want to be heard – and for our allies, which I know you are one. If I’d found that sword anytime in the past few days, I’d probably have cut the nearest dude off at the knees, pour encourager les autres.
Adam L Silverman
The internal polling must be really bad:
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: This tells me that McConnell and Hatch and Cornyn and Grassley are afraid the women are going to riot. Not just demonstrate and commit civil disobedience, but full on riot.
I doubt that would be the case, but I’d shell out $29.95 to watch it as a pay per view.
dmsilev
@Adam L Silverman: The details are unpredictable, but “it will be vile” is a safe assumption. Of course, for a GOP base rally, vile is what they want.
oatler.
OT the California Raisins animator has died.
Mike J
Things must be going well for Republicans. Just look at any random state, say Utah:
Cook Political Report:
NEW House Ratings Changes:
#FL26 Lean R to Toss Up ⇦
#KS03 Toss Up to Lean D ⇦
#MI03 Solid R to Likely R ⇦
#MI11 Toss Up to Lean D ⇦
#NY21 Solid R to Likely R ⇦
#NY24 Likely R to Lean R ⇦
#PA17 Lean D to Likely D ⇦
#UT04 Lean R to Toss Up ⇦
Mary G
@Adam L Silverman: I am sure the president will be gracious about this.
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: He’s such a magnanimous guy. Definitely a calming, empathetic figure.
Calouste
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Nothing says democracy like parliament having to protect itself from the voters, right?
Ken
@Ruemara:
I’m sure the disturbed and vengeful Viking ghosts will take that into account as they seek to return the artifact to its rightful place.
(Hey that’s right, it’s October. I should see if TCM is having a month-long horror marathon.)
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@oatler.: did he confess on his deathbed that they were dancing turds?
lamh36
It’s cute how folks think the family of these GOP Senators night not be as wignuttery as their daddy? Who’s to say the daughter isn’t just as likely telling dad, “you’ve gotta go back and vote dad?”
Brachiator
Shit about to get real. Real magical. She is Swedish American, so I guess this automatically makes her Queen of Sweden and future president of the United States.
Amir Khalid
@Adam L Silverman:
It amazes me* that McConnell and Hatch and Cornyn and Grassley haven’t drawn the conclusion, obvious to all the world, that Kavanaugh is a very poor choice for the Supreme Court and would harm a lot of Americans if put there.
*Okay, not really
Ken
@Adam L Silverman:
Nonsense. Riots take weeks to organize. You’ve got to rent the buses to bring everyone in, decide on your them, create the costumes and signage, arrange for media coverage, and find someone to pay for all that.
divF
@Ken: Now I’m getting edit buttons for other people’s comments (i.e. this one).
ETA: The comment editor appears to hang for other people’s comments (but not for my own).
Adam L Silverman
@Amir Khalid: It is a puzzlement.
Ken
Should be “decide on your theme”. Didn’t someone say the edit button was back? Not for me.
Adam L Silverman
I’m going to go and rack out. You all have fun.
MisterForkbeard
@lamh36: As opposed to saying “Mitch, can we schedule te vote on Monday so I wont have to skip my daughter’s wedding to install a rapist in the Supreme Court? It can wait until then.
divF
@Ken: Looks like I got your edit button. But couldn’t edit it (and a good thing too, things are weird enough around here as is).
Millard Filmore
@oatler.: Will Vinton, creator of Wilshire Pig.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-will-vinton-dies-20181004-story.html
Mnemosyne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
In their defense, the last time a huge group of women marched to confront an enclave of pampered aristocrats, it didn’t end well for the ruling class.
Ninedragonspot
@Ruemara: I assume she gets free entrance to the museum for the rest of her life, plus the occasional cup of coffee.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
So this is what I came up with writing today. It was an idea I had for a “prologue” of sorts written as an academic history text. Written in 10 mins.
Kayla Rudbek
@Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: as I said previously this week, I bought myself the thickest pair of stiletto pointed knitting needles that I can find. They arrived today in the mail. Not quite as pointy sharp as the other two sizes of that brand I have, but enough to be sold with the warning label in the box (and to keep creepers on public transit away from me – although middle-aged woman knitting = invisibility cloak)
MoxieM
@Kayla Rudbek: Yup, just thinking as I read the thread that it’s clearly time to take up knitting again. Dammit.
Schlemazel
@Amir Khalid:
Oh they know he is a very bad choice. It has been reported that Grassley and McConnell told Dump NOT to pick Kavanaugh. But these guys are real troopers (like Storm Troopers) and when hair furor nominates his horse for the USSC next they will be 100% about getting it on the bench
EDIT: YAAAAAAAAA The edit button is back! Thanks !
Kayla Rudbek
Madame Defarge’s knitting and drinking society?
Kayla Rudbek
@MoxieM: yes, come over and sit down beside me
jl
I’m thinking of a Newt Gingrich style alternative history of the United States where there is precedent for impeaching, trying, convicting and removing a federal judge for drunkenness and ‘unlawful rulings’ going back to 1804. And a precedent for impeaching a justice of the Supreme Court for partisan rulings and behavior unfitting for a justice, going back to 1805.
Naw, no one would be believe me. Too crazy. We live in country that thinks its OK to confirm some jackass who lies his ass off and throws tantrums during his confirmation hearings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States#Federal_officials_impeached
Mnemosyne
@Kayla Rudbek:
@MoxieM:
Ahem. Take a look at my link at #35. ?
Mary G
And the ratfucking begins?
Amir Khalid
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
There’s no character being introduced, no event/incident to grab the reader’s attention. You’re not telling a story there, you’re not even describing the scenery. You’re giving the reader a big indigestible chunk of background. You should instead be telling the story in a way that lets the reader understand the background.
TELL THE STORY. Talk about someone doing something interesting/significant, or having something done to them. Mention details that pique a reader’s interest and curiosity. And keep things moving. You may want to preach a moral; but the reader wants a story to entertain them, and as a writer you are working for the reader.
Kayla Rudbek
@Mnemosyne: Yesss!
trollhattan
I like
beerakvavit.jl
@Amir Khalid: The commenter described the extract as a prologue.
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: I’d take a look at the prologue to Welle’s The War of the Worlds. I think you’re going for an updated version of that.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Amir Khalid:
I’m aware of all of the problems you mentioned and I do appreciate the advice. It was only written in 10 minutes and isn’t something I’m actually going to use (at least in that exact formulation). I don’t want to post anything that could be plagiarized, you understand.
One common mistake I would like to avoid is “tell don’t show”. Do you have any advice on how to “show don’t tell”?
Amir Khalid
@Amir Khalid:
Also too, a prologue of the style you mention — an excerpt from a history textbook — has always struck me as an inauspicious way to begin a story. It warns the reader that if they keep reading, they’re in for a long hard slog.
Amir Khalid
@jl:
I get what Goku is trying for, but I have never found this style of prologue anything but tedious. I thought it weighed down the beginning of Wells’ book.
Martin
@Schlemazel:
Starship Troopers
FlipYrWhig
@Amir Khalid: Perhaps the most notorious recent example was the crawl before the first of the Star Wars prequels.
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: I am not a creative writer but I will share with you a piece of advice a professor gave a college classmate who *was* a creative writer: “sneak your themes in the back door.”
Suggestion pulled from various dystopian writings: create a character, have that character find a hopeful-seeming book in the wreckage, then “pull the camera back” to show what things are like now.
Schlemazel
High! Just to inform you: We are in middle school on an old McKendree Orbital in the equivalent year of 2848 going through late 20th and early 21st century history in a form of “virtual reality”. We’ve been in the tubes for less than 25 minutes. However, the class bully inserted various things into the simulation and is likely playing one the role of Donald Trump. Your disorientation will only last a few minutes until the memory block lets go and the rest of your memories overtake. Recall that the last time the turd tried this was during 3rd century CE Roman studies three weeks ago. They’re going to toss the idiot this time I’m sure, because nobody likes having to get back into the tubes for a redo session and it takes twice as long to put the right info in as it does to get it right the first time. *sigh*
I say we meet up at the hoverbus platform and kick his ass.
Mnemosyne
@Amir Khalid:
Margaret Atwood manages to pull it off with The Handmaid’s Tale but (a) Atwood is a genius and (b) the story is so bleak that it requires a frame to reassure the reader that this dystopia didn’t last very long.
Schlemazel
@Martin:
More like the bugs they fought against. Mindless drones controlled by a central brain
Redshift
@Ruemara:
Well, it wouldn’t necessarily mean you’re not…
Viva BrisVegas
@Amir Khalid:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
It can be done, but it’s not for the faint hearted.
Amir Khalid
@Viva BrisVegas:
Indeed it isn’t. And that intro certainly doesn’t read like any history text. One must write with passion to come up with something as stirring as that. Goku is hung up contemplating the minutiae of his fictional world, it seems to me. But a story is not its setting. And it is a live creature, not a dead type specimen you pin to a board for endless study. The writer has to get in there with the story, get to know it, open himself up to it and what it wants to be, and reach agreement between that and what he wants it to be. He has to feel something as he writes; before he tells his story to the world, he has to tell it to himself. He doesn’t need to set down every last detail of the setting, just enough of it to let him imagine his story and begin forming it on the page. He should expect to find that his setting and his characters and his story will both need adjusting as he goes along, and that he’ll need wiggle room for both.
J R in WV
So maybe every lake back then had it’s Lady of the Lake, who could take a sword from a hero ending his career, and save it for the next hero to come before the lake and shout his need and berzeker desire for a hero’s sword. But then the magic dwindled, and the Ladies aged just as we do, and the swords rusted instead of gleaming in the Lady’s hand.
And that was how the age of heros ended, like all ages, of old age and creeping decrepitude.
But maybe there are still large heroic events to come in the life of small Saga, Queen to be.
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Where is my On The Road photo shoot for today??? I hope Alain is alright…
Boris, Rasputin's Evil Twin
@Martin: Super-duper trooper men! (Apologies to Spike Jones.)