The Phantom Scribbler

  I can't remember what made me think of Cædmon's Hymn again, but it sent me down a hole of St. Melangell (rabbit-hole ... get it???) of memory.  I used to have this thing memorized in Old English and was trying to set it to something singable.  No easy feat which, I guess, is why I never finished it.  As a refresher, Cædmon's hymn might be (likely is) the oldest poem written in Old English.  It's almost certainly the oldest surviving bit of Old English poetry.  Here's the story of it's composition as written by the Venerable Bede, one of my heroes of the faith:

I've been playing Dungeon World (kind of D&D lite?  I guess?) with fambly.  It's quite enjoyable!  I've always kind of wanted to play D&D (after I got over the concern I'd get possessed by demonic dice) but never did.  I'm staring down the barrel of having to literally sing for my supper (and a poultice) and trying to pick the appropriate song for the occasion.  I decided on " John Barleycorn ."   The song is delightful.  It's an allegory about the creation of alcoholic beverages which MAY have ancient roots.  More on that later.  In one version, John Barleycorn gets in a scrum ... nay, a kerfuffle! ... with some other gentlemen named Thomas Goodale, Richard Beer and William White Wine.  Amazing!  A later version , much influenced by  this rendering by Robert Burns , seems much more ancient than it's predecessor.  Three men (or kings) set upon John Barleycorn and kill him.  But he springs back up.  So they kill him again (by scythe) and do

This is a summary of a discussion on Facebook from ... like ... 12 years ago.  Came across it recently and like it, so here you go.   Original Post:  It occurs to me that in the system called "Penal Substitution" or "Vicarious Atonement" that the Father is both:  A) incapable of forgiving and  B) has never forgiven anyone.  If you pay for a crime, or a crime is paid for, forgiveness is not necessary. Since "Jesus paid it all," then the Father did not need to forgive us. Indeed, the fact that Jesus was required to pay it was BECAUSE the Father was unable to forgive us.  Man ... what a cool God! Discussion: Person 1: ‎...and not only that, after God accepts the full sacrifice of His Son for "payment in full" THEN He sends people to hell anyway, so they're going to hell for "paid-for offenses". Heck, not even human justice permits double jeopardy. Me: This is true. Along the same lines, it is fair for God to condemn all humanity to He

Let me begin by saying I certainly don't think Jesus or the Bible instituted Democracy, necessarily support Democracy or, and this is most important, desired the creation of or bless the existence of the United States.  I don't think that "Western Culture" is particularly good, especially where it isn't influenced by or doesn't follow Christ.  Hell, I don't even think it was necessarily a good thing that the Greeks won the Greek-Persian war.   Side note: You know how we laud the Battle of Thermopylae?  We watch "300" and cheer the Spartans and deride the Persians and put ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ ("Come and take them") on tattoos and bumper stickers?  Why?  If I'm correct, the battle was between 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xerxes the Great or Ahasuerus) from the Book of Esther, son of Darius, grandson of Cyrus, all kings who, at some point in their lives, came to worship the God of Israel.  Right?  On the other hand, we have the Spartans.  Eugenicists who ki

 Many years ago, I started working on a lyrical version of the Táin Bó Cúailnge or Cattle Raid of Cooley.  I thought I'd stick it here in case anyone wanted to take it and use it or in case I wanted to try to finish it.  I meant for it to be sung to Whiskey in the Jar or If I Should Fall .  I kind of prefer the latter.  I'll put comments after every verse if there's something of interest: God made all o'Ireland mad Every Gael from Cork to Kerry All the songs they sing are sad All the wars they wage are merry (The above verse is unashamedly cribbed from Ballad of the White Horse by Chesterton.  This is in the section describing Colan the Celt. ) For the great Gaels of Ireland Are the men that God made mad, For all their wars are merry, And all their songs are sad. If you've ever wished to know Why the Irish are unruly Then just listen to my song 'bout the cattle raid of Cooley There's an ancient Irish queen And a hero who repulsed her It's Achilles dre

The Japanese saying 七転八起 (Shichiten Hakki) literally means: Fall down seven times; get up eight. In a flood of troubles, bear up and continue. A certain brother asked Abba Sisoes: “Counsel me, Father, for I have fallen to sin. What am I to do?” The Elder said to him: “When you fall, get up again.” With bitterness the sinning brother continued: “Ah! Father, I got up, yet I fell to the same sin again.” The Elder, so as not to discourage the brother, answered: “Then get up again and again.” The young man asked with a certain despondency: “How long can I do that, Father?” The Elder, giving him courage, said to the brother: “Until the end of your life, whether you be found in the commendable attempt at lifting yourself up from sin or falling again to it. For wherever it is that a man is found at the last moment of his life on earth, whether it be in things good or evil, there he will be judged, going forth either to punishment or to reward.” – St Sisoes the Great in The Evergetinos, vol. 1