NTSMS - Non Therion Society Members Society

Main Forum => Enter the voids of the OT-forum => Topic started by: Markus on January 26, 2006, 07:30:33 pm

Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on January 26, 2006, 07:30:33 pm: Hi folks,

I got some cool news that I just have to share with you: I was asked to give a public lecture about Nordic mythology & runes to metal fans. :D

I may have told you that two months ago an NB store opened in my home town. The owner is a friendly and open guy who you easily get talking to. We talked about his store, I helped him with a little computer problem he had, I got some coffee (no cookies, though :lol:). We chatted about this and that and also about Therion and Nordic motives in metal in general. Then the idea struck him to organize a public lecture about this and he asked me if I would like to do it. Hell, sure I want! (You know I also give lectures at the local planetarium. In fact, this is something I enjoy very much.)

And then the ideas just gushed forth. One of his store neighbours is an art gallery with whom he has worked together before, so they might join with pictures on the topic. Some catering would be needed, so he wants to talk to a pub owner and also to a friend of his who has contacts to the "medieval market" scene. There will be met, of course! :iconmi77kl:

He wants to do it in summer, when the nights are warm so we can use the little yard his shop is in, so the date came quite naturally. You guess it - summer solstice!

I just had to tell you, folks. Thanks for listening and cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Aluqak on January 26, 2006, 07:46:53 pm: Hey man!
That sounds pretty cool. Congrats and good luck with it. I must admite that I'd really like to be there, but I'll probably be in a meeting at Vancouver at that time of the year, so not possibly. Besides, something tells me that your lecture is going to be in German, and my knowledge of that language is almost inexistent... so impossible from that side too :(.
Good luck though, and please give us some highlights and resumés of your lecture. I'd really like to know what are you going to include on it :).
Cheers!
A.
Title: Cool news!
Post by: deathdancer on January 26, 2006, 08:10:42 pm: Good for you Markus!!! :iconmi77kl:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on January 26, 2006, 08:37:15 pm: Hi Aluqak,

yes, it will be held in German. I could do it in English as well. Then you could understand me, but most of the other visitors wouldn't. :(

So far I intend to structure it like this: Creation, Nine Worlds, Early Times (Making of Mjöllnir & Co, Breed ofJarnveden), Ragnarök, The Runes. Mjöllnir and the runes are of special importance because they appear on metal artwork rather often and we want people to understand the background a bit.

I hope someone will make digital pictures. In that case I'll post some when the time has come.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Luth on January 26, 2006, 08:42:55 pm: Wooow!!! That's so cool! I'd like to be there too! (with an universal translator...). You're a lucky man, Markus, you will offer a public lecture about a subject you enjoy so much and to people who will love it!

We want pictures, of course, or you will DIE!!!!

PD. If there're cookies in the catering... maybe I magically appear there :rolleyes:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Sirius13 on January 27, 2006, 12:11:52 am: Markus that's so cool! :iconmi77kl:

I wish I could be there, it would be great! I have an interest in both the mythology and the RL history of the good old vikings, and I really think I'd enjoy it! (and the cookies, of course! :) ).

Hehe, my German is pretty poor though, so like Aluqak I'd probably need an English version. (And German is probably my strongest non-english language too, man my language skills suck! :blush: )

Anyway, please keep us informed - it would be great to see some pictures and hear in more detail about some of the themes that you decide to cover.
Title: Cool news!
Post by: TheOFFman on January 27, 2006, 11:13:30 pm: And put Secret of the Runes to play before or after that! :smilies_musik04:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on January 27, 2006, 11:52:01 pm: Hi OFFy,

Quote
And put Secret of the Runes to play before or after that! :smilies_musik04:
[snapback]6574[/snapback]

Thats exactly what I'm planning to do. :D I intend to play SOTR while people come in and take their places and then use that as an introduction to the topic. I'll also quote SOTR lyrics a copule of times, but also Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) once.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: TheOFFman on January 28, 2006, 11:29:08 am: I'd like to be there Markus! ^_^
Title: Cool news!
Post by: deathdancer on January 28, 2006, 11:38:17 am: Markus, buy yourselfe a video-camera and record it all!!!
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Ereshkigal on January 28, 2006, 02:51:26 pm: Wow! Congrats Markus! Seems it was your lucky day, and you have lots of time to prepare. I bet it's gonna be a kick-ass lecture ^_^

I also thought about it being recorded when I first read yourr post, but then again I know pea about German :bawling:

But I wish you good luck!
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on February 09, 2006, 08:08:36 pm: Hi folks,

here's an update: I visited the shop-owner again today and was told that he'll ask the landlord of the shop for permission tomorrow, but he's quite optimistic. The shops are in a small arcade that goes off a pedestrian precinct, and the arcade owner - his landlord - should be glad about every event that makes his arcade more well-known.

I also talked to the owner of the little art shop who wants to join, too. She was a bit worried at first: She never had to do with metalheads before and was a bit frightened by the symbolics, the hard music etc. and also feared that the topic might attract neonazis and similar scum. I talked to her for quite a while (and fixed her broken email-account in passing :D) - now she seems to be looking forward to it. I'll tell her about the large frame of Nordic mythology, about Thor's hammer and the runes in March. She's very interested to hear the meaning of a symbol before using it in her art, and I like that about her. If she didn't care the symbols would not come out right in her art, but if she knows about the meaning I bet there will be some very nice pieces.

Oh, and the copies of Karlsson's "Uthark" that the shop owner had ordered have arrived, and he lent me a copy immediately. I browsed it in the shop already and liked Karlsson's style. What I read so far confirms what I have deduced from the lyrics and other sources. :)

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Luth on February 09, 2006, 09:46:39 pm: Eya Markus!

I can see that you're really enjoying that... I envy you so much, and I would like so much to assist there (if I would have some german translator or, if not, an Universal Translator...). Maybe your path is to convert people into Metal, into Therion, into Runes... Keep on your way, you're doing it well :iconmi77kl:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on June 20, 2006, 06:45:26 am: Hi folks,

tomorrow is the big day. :w00t:

The preparations went quite well. The art turned out very nice; the lady even gave me a picture of Eiwaz as a present to thank me for explaining her everything. :) Matthias, the shop-owner, organised mead as promised. The weather is supposed to be fine, with only short showers in the worst case. Oh, and there's even a note on the German NB-homepage (under news - Various Artists). :D

Keep your fingers crossed for me - I'll report how it went.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Luth on June 20, 2006, 07:33:02 am: Very good luck Markus, oh High Priest!!!

And don't forget to record all!!!! :ph34r:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Elizabeth on June 20, 2006, 08:54:30 am: May Fortuna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortuna_(mythology)) be with you, Markus! :notworthy:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on June 20, 2006, 09:52:16 am: Thank you, friends!

I'll make sure to get a generous draught of Odhrörir, the mead of poets. :D I'll also make sure you get to see some pics of the event.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Aluqak on June 20, 2006, 01:31:40 pm: Good luck!
And please, keep us informed ;)
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Darksong on June 20, 2006, 01:31:46 pm: Hey,good luck!
I agree with Aluqak-make suma sumarum for us here,so we could understand wse words of our forum mate!
And inform Chris aout it.
I doub't he would come in such a short time,but just in case!
Good luck,Tiwaz!
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Sirius13 on June 20, 2006, 04:14:21 pm: Good luck Markus!! :D

I hope you have a great evening... and make sure you tell us all about it! :ph34r:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Diane on June 20, 2006, 04:29:46 pm: Hi Markus,

I just read this thread for the first time... how exciting for you!! What time does this take place? I'll then minus 6 hours (to get my local time) and have a beer (or 2...hehe) in your honor. Hope the evening goes well!
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on June 20, 2006, 05:14:53 pm: Thanks again, folks!

DS, I mentioned that to Chris in some thread of the ES forum. I would be very surpriced ™ if he turned up. :lol3: But with some luck the vice president of Nuclear Blast will appear. He's in town due to some other event and he said he'll come if he can. :D

Eve, we'll start at 7 pm CEDT. Raise a horn of mead on me - I'll raise one on all of you for sure.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on June 21, 2006, 11:35:13 am: Good luck, Markus!
Wish I could be there. Can we read later what you said? What do you quote from Douglas Adams? B)
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on June 21, 2006, 01:19:54 pm: Hi there,

if you really want me to I can do a short summary of the content.

Lucy, I will quote his wnderful words: "In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move." because they fit so extremely well with the Nordic creation myth. :evil:

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on June 21, 2006, 01:32:53 pm: :D
Yes, I'd like to read a not-so short summary! Thanks in advance! And: you were lucky that today isn't a football match of Germany, so I hope you'll have a big crowd :woot_jump: :cheers:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on June 22, 2006, 08:05:25 am: So, Markus? Still alive? ;)
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Luth on June 22, 2006, 08:15:38 am: EXPLAIN ALL TO US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl:

:ph34r:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Elizabeth on June 22, 2006, 09:55:35 am: Yeah, Markus! Escupe todo! (that is, DROP IT!) :party43:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on June 22, 2006, 12:21:23 pm: He's dead :pop: :bawling:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on June 22, 2006, 01:20:57 pm: Nah, I'm not dead. It takes more to kill me, in contrast to certain people I could mention. ;)

Well, the god of the poets must have been with me. :pop: The guests listened attentively, and noone left early. (That would have been easy since we did it on an open backyard.) Instead some bypassers stopped and joined the crowd. :iconmi77kl: After the lecture they asked a lot of questions and even asked to hear some more stories. So yes, it was a success! And thanks of course for your support. :)

But give me a couple of days to write the summary because that will take some time and I'm a bit busy at the moment.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Aluqak on June 22, 2006, 01:57:33 pm: Quote
But give me a couple of days to write the summary because that will take some time and I'm a bit busy at the moment.
[snapback]10948[/snapback]
NO! We wanna know, and we wanna know NOW! :angry: :bawling:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Darksong on June 22, 2006, 02:06:38 pm: GREAT FOR YOU MARKUS!!!
YEAAYAYAYAY! :iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Diane on June 22, 2006, 02:08:30 pm: Markus,

It sounds like your evening went very well! Good for you. Can't wait to hear the details.
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on June 22, 2006, 02:25:31 pm: Thank you all, folks!

Quote
NO! We wanna know, and we wanna know NOW! :angry: :bawling:
[snapback]10951[/snapback]

OK, to avoid death by impatience, here's the short version for you:

Gods and Giants never quite liked each other. They'll beat each other dead in the end, thus destroying the world.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Darksong on June 22, 2006, 02:31:33 pm: Yeah.
Only there were nordic Romeo and Juliete,Loki and Angbode(do not know how do you say her name),God and Ice giantess.
They had little children,and live happily ever after.
Until Ragnarok. :iconmi77kl:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on June 22, 2006, 02:44:14 pm: :roll1: "short version"
Congratulations and thanks in advance!
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Aluqak on June 22, 2006, 03:00:45 pm: Quote
Thank you all, folks!
OK, to avoid death by impatience, here's the short version for you:

Gods and Giants never quite liked each other. They'll beat each other dead in the end, thus destroying the world.

Cheers!

Markus
[snapback]10956[/snapback]
:lol: :lol: Thanks man, I knew you could do it! :iconmi77kl:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Elizabeth on June 22, 2006, 04:39:30 pm: Excellent, Markus! :w00t:

I was wondering... why not gathering some day in the chat for a similar (but online) lecture? That would rock :party43:
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on June 22, 2006, 10:05:02 pm: Hey Liv,

I'm afraid it won't be half as much fun doing an online lecture because you wouldn't hear my voice and I wouldn't see your faces. :( So we can as well post the summary, and everyone can read it whenever they wish. But if we ever get to meet - perhaps there will be an NTSMS real world gathering someday - I can tell you something on the topic if you wish. :)

But then again... Having a themed chat after I posted that summary could be fun, anyway. Chatting with you folks is always fun, so yeah, let's do that! :D

Cheers!

Markus

P.S.: I'm curious about the photos Matthias shot. As soon as I have any, I'll post a few.
Title: Cool news!
Post by: Elizabeth on June 22, 2006, 10:10:30 pm: Very true, Markus, but hey! Nothing's perfect! So the themed chat should do B)
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on September 20, 2006, 12:11:26 am: Hi folks,

I'm a terrible person! We haven't had the themed chat yet, there's no article on Nordic mythology here from me, no photos from the event, and still I'll give another lecture tomorrow. People and the shop owner asked for a second part, so there will be "More stories from Nordic mythology" tomorrow - just before the autumnal equinox. :) The event is announced on the German NB website again, right between the Blind Guardian and Belphegor news. :lol3:

I hope you'll wish me luck and mead again. :)

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Elizabeth on September 20, 2006, 06:28:55 am: My best wishes, Markus! Seems like you've got some oratoric hidden talents, since the event (and the success) gets repeated ;)

Cheers!
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on September 20, 2006, 06:56:27 am: Don't worry, Markus! Good luck for this lecture too. The shop is really nice! Later you tell us everything :)

:ninja:
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Elena on September 20, 2006, 03:21:02 pm: Also from me: good luck!! :)
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Aluqak on September 20, 2006, 03:36:32 pm: Good luck (again) man!
... Hopefully we'll have some photos and full description of the event this time :unsure:

If not... be prepared for a revolution against the power of the church :ninja:
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Sirius13 on September 20, 2006, 05:52:49 pm: Quote from: Aluqak on September 20, 2006, 03:36:32 pm
If dont'... be prepared for a revolution against the power of the church :ninja:
Yeh, we won't tolerate any more secrets from the damn church! Show us the pics or burn!! :evil2:

...and good luck! hope it goes great! :thumbup:
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Luth on September 20, 2006, 06:23:36 pm: Ahem...

AHEEEEM!!!

AHEM!!!!

We want a full report and the all-pictures-album, this time!!!!!!!!!! :bow:

Good luck and...

Why can't I be there (with an universal translator, of course :unsure: ) ??? :bawl:
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on September 21, 2006, 07:35:10 am: So, Markus, how are you? Still running? :)

(I thought we had a High Priest without a church. If we do have a church too, then we need a
:wicking: REVOLUTION! too.)

(Hmmm... I'm not quite sure about this...)
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on September 21, 2006, 09:59:24 am: Hi folks,

I'm afraid it didn't go too well this time. :-( Seems I lost my thread a couple of times, and once that happened for the first time I became quite unsure. Halfway through the evening a group of people stood up and left, the noise of which forced to make another break. :bawl: Nah, this time I'm not really satisfied.

Cheers, anyway!

Markus
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on September 21, 2006, 10:23:38 am: Don't worry... Next time read only for us! I won't leave :) (Maybe that group of people saw Aluqak preheating the oven behind your shoulders...) :afaid:
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on September 21, 2006, 10:46:38 am: Thanks for the comfort, Lucy,

but I was just kidding you folks. Blessed by Odin's Finding I am - it went very well. I felt quite comfortable, and I got a lot of positive feedback from the audience. One of them told me that my speech was captivating, that he had intended not to stay for long but couldn't leave. Another one said that we almost seemed sect-like to him with lots of people wearing black, one talking and the rest listening attentively. So yes, it was a great success! :)

Some details are to follow, and pics when I get them myself.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on September 21, 2006, 11:34:25 am: I KNEW IT! I was sure, it HAD to go very well! Congratulations! :w00t_jump: Can't wait for the photos!
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Elizabeth on September 21, 2006, 02:32:50 pm: Excellent, Markus! I'm very happy for you (and for the audience, of course) :huglove:
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on September 21, 2006, 08:44:00 pm: Hi folks,

you wanted a detailed report, so fetch food & drinks for three days, lean back and enjoy...

Before we actually started, as people were gathering , Matthias played some very nice neo-folk music from CD. That had quite an interesting effect: People out on the street looked into the yard, saw the mostly black wearing audience inside and hurried on. :lol3: That was a pity because most of the metalheads I know are rather friendly in fact.

Then I began my lecture. This time I used some original texts, but I quickly noticed that the listeners found them too difficult, so I changed my plans and returned to telling the stories more in my own words. Those passages that I did read out I summarised and "translated" immediately.

At first I reminded the listener of the things we had talked about on the first Nordic Night because these were supposed to be the background for the upcoming stories. So I told them again of the creation, the enmity between gods and giants, the nine worlds around Yggdrasil. I also reminded them of Thor and his hammer and used this occasion to say a few words about Nordic mythology and nazis / extreme right. I referred to an article in the local newspaper that had called the hammer and the runes nazi symbols comparable to "18" or "88", which is nonsense - Nordic mythology isn't racist, to the contrary. I pointed that out once more so that any guests who might still be unsure about our intentions could calm down and so that any brown-heads present would know they're not welcome. Luckily, there didn't seem to be any.

That said, I continued with newer stories. I told them some nice details about Yggdrasil and then told the sad story of Balder's death in detail. The I told them how Loki fled from the gods after that deed and how they caught and punished him.

After those sad stories I came to more cheerful ones. I told them about the birth of Sleipnir, the Hamarsheimt (Bringing the hammer back home), the Skirnisför (Freyr deeply in love with a beautiful giantess), and finally the journey of Thor and Loki to Utgardloki. The names of these stories may not mean much to you, but they're quite funny in places.

There were short breaks for a little live music on drums strange instruments (monochords, chord instruments with all chords tuned to the same note which gives an interesting sound effect), and as I was talking it got slowly dark on that clear and cloudless late-summer evening.

After the actual lecture we talked a little, and I did get a couple of compliments. :) I also fetched, filled and emptied my horn (then refilled and started again). :D A friend of a friend of mine had made me a horn holder that can be attached to the belt, gave it to me last night and he asked naught for it. But of course I inaugurated it immediately and filled his horn generously with mead. I also gave a lot of mead to another metalhead who had forgotten his horn, and usually I share that drink only with hornbearers. But in this case I made an exception because I still owed that guy a generous draught. :lol3:

The evening was concluded by the fire jugglers that Matthias likes to invite for events like this, and their show was well worth seeing again. Swirling torches and fireballs rising up so big that we would feel their heat on our faces. In the end we were allowed to blow out the torches, and I never needed more than one attempt (unlike some other people I could mention :nana:).

I'll let you see the pics as soon as I get some myself. Until then you can get a good impression if you look at the pics from the first event, at the bottom of this page (http://www.nb-musicshop-halle.de/pics.htm).

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Elizabeth on September 21, 2006, 09:08:30 pm: Sounds excellent, Markus! Geez... aren't you thinking of moving up to Romania? Then I could see some of these lectures myself (when a Nuclear Blast shop gets opened, of course) :wOOt:

Anyway... the 18 being a nazi symbol is complete non-sense: that's a Kabbalah symbol which represents life! Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has an appointed number, so the sum of the letters that form the word "hai" (= life) is equal to 18.
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on September 21, 2006, 09:14:35 pm: Hey Liv,

when (now I must say if :() we get to meet I'll be happy to give you folks a similar lecture!

It's true that 18 is used as nazi code because the first and the eighth letter of our alphabet give the initials of Hitler. It's also true that miöllnir anbd the runes are used as nazi symbols as well, but that's an abuse - they don't have any such meaning in themselves.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Diane on September 21, 2006, 10:10:16 pm: Markus,

Your summary makes it sound like it was a very interesting evening. Nice job! Nice pictures, too. I can't see you very well, though. Where's that mead horn? haha
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Luth on September 21, 2006, 10:30:48 pm: Thanks a lot for sharing it!!! (but we want more, don't forget!!!!).

It really looks like an event I'd like to assist. Maybe some day, some year, in Vienna... :nosweat:
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Markus on September 21, 2006, 10:51:28 pm: Hi folks,

admittedly, Eve, the horn is not seen in those pics. I don't have a photo of it right now, but it's really a beautiful one: About 37 cm between the opening and the tip, measured in a straight line (not counting the curve). The opening is about 6 cm across - rather slim and long and beautifully curved. It's mainly black with delicate bright markings in the uppermost part.

I picked it among several pieces - Matthias was so kind to let me see all horns he had in the shop and allowed me to choose one. Of all the horns I've seen on my buddies I really like mine best. There would only be one reason for me to exchange it: When I find an equally beautiful bigger one. :lol3: Shortly after I had bought mine - which was the biggest kind available back then - NB offered even bigger ones, containing 0.7 litres. Mine takes 0.5 litres, which is quite impressive, too. When I fill it I can just turn the bottle upside down and let most of its content gush into my horn. :evil2:

Luth, I would really enjoy it very much to give such a lecture to any of you if you're interested. I really hope we'll find an occasion with a decent "warning time" so that many of us can come there.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Re: Cool news!
Post by: Lucy on September 22, 2006, 07:34:58 am: Thank you, Markus!

I can see the pictures only later, at home, because that page is forbidden here (reminds me that I'm working? :unsure:)
Don't worry about having a not-too-big horn: you can lift it easily, it's not as heavy as (metal :)) the other horns. And you can drink more horns of mead with a smaller horn :)