Wisdom of Dead Worlds
The Strong Will Do What They Can
“When the shepherd’s weak, the wolf shits wool.” – Medieval French maxim
Articles by Saxo
Orient
A King’s Revenge Against Demons
“The world will not keep faith with you, nor will she show you her true face.” […]
Knowledge
Trivia of Dead Worlds: Scandinavian Snakes
In many regions of medieval Scandinavia, snakes were considered benign – and even lucky – to the extent that families would leave out milk or other enticements to attract snakes into the house. They seem […]
Greek and Roman
The Trouble With Cannibals
“It is said to be their custom that when anyone of their fellows, whether man or woman, is sick, a man’s closest friends kill him, saying that if wasted by disease he will be lost to them as meat.” […]
Viking
Vagn Keeps His Vows
“The blow went over Vagn causing Thorkel to stumble. He lost his grip on the sword which cut the rope and set Vagn free. Vagn sprang up, seized the sword and slew Thorkell.” […]
Violence
Sworn through Sword
“Both lances were broken. They both leapt off their horses and drew their swords. They came together and fought so bravely that neither wanted to flee from the other, not even as far as a foot is wide.” […]
Greek and Roman
Even Herodotus Has His Limits
“The bald men say, but it does not seem to me credible, that the people who live in these mountains have feet like goats.” […]
Human Affairs
Lovestruck on the Battlefield
“Sohrab bore down on her again and snatched her helmet from her head; her hair streamed out, and her face shone like a splendid sun. He saw that his opponent was a woman, one whose hair was worthy of a diadem.” […]
History
Charlemagne the Big-Hearted
“Say, sire, what grief doth your heart oppress?”
“To ask,” he said, “brings worse distress; I cannot but weep for heaviness. […]
Knowledge
Words of Dead Worlds: Guest and Host
The words “guest” and “host” are two sides of the same coin — they’re related concepts but they have opposite meanings. Strangely, they are both descended from the same proto-indo-european root: ghosti, which meant “stranger” […]