Alexander Regan

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.5 - A SHAGGY TALE

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑸 𐑥𐑲 𐑴𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑒𐑢𐑹𐑑𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑡𐑻𐑯𐑩𐑤 ‘·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑’, 𐑚𐑲 ·𐑮𐑪𐑯𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑒𐑦𐑙𐑟𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑧𐑛, 𐑞 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑲𐑯𐑼 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑. 𐑞 𐑛𐑪𐑒𐑘𐑩𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑢𐑻 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 shavian.info. 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑟 𐑸 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑑 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑩𐑟, 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑦𐑙 𐑯 𐑐𐑳𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑖𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑣𐑽 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑷𐑤𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑲 𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑰𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥. 𐑲 𐑣𐑴𐑐 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑥𐑱 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑮𐑰𐑕 𐑞 𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑪𐑮𐑦𐑒 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑹𐑛𐑟.

𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑳𐑐𐑛𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑢𐑺 𐑲 𐑕𐑩𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑧𐑮𐑼 𐑹 𐑢𐑺 𐑲 𐑗𐑵𐑟 𐑑 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴 𐑞 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛 ·𐑮𐑰𐑛-𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑕 𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑛 𐑨𐑟 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 ·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤 𐑑𐑵𐑤 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 ·𐑡𐑹𐑴. 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙𐑟 𐑸 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑻𐑝𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑓𐑫𐑑𐑯𐑴𐑑𐑕.

𐑞 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑖𐑵 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑣𐑽.

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

A SHAGGY TALE¹

ORVILLE L. WELLER

𐑚𐑨𐑒 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑚𐑨𐑛 𐑛𐑱𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 ·𐑕𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯² 𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑑 ·𐑨𐑓𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑩, 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑛𐑱𐑟 𐑝 𐑔𐑹𐑯𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑟 𐑯 𐑞 𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑓𐑩𐑯𐑑-𐑣𐑲𐑛³ 𐑖𐑰𐑤𐑛, 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑻 𐑑𐑵 𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑟 𐑤𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑣𐑲 𐑐𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑴 𐑒𐑳𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑦 𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑣𐑧𐑛𐑢𐑷𐑑𐑼𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴: 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕 𐑯 𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵𐑟.

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑢𐑧𐑯⁴ 𐑞 ·𐑚𐑧𐑤𐑡𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑑 ·𐑨𐑓𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑩 𐑑 𐑑𐑰𐑗 𐑞 𐑯𐑱𐑑𐑦𐑝 𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑟𐑥𐑩𐑯⁵ 𐑣𐑬 𐑑 𐑤𐑦𐑝 𐑦𐑯 𐑐𐑰𐑕 𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑦: 𐑕𐑴 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑟 𐑓𐑷𐑑. 𐑞𐑱 𐑓𐑷𐑑 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑣𐑵 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑐𐑨𐑕𐑗𐑼 𐑒𐑨𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑜𐑮𐑭𐑕⁶ 𐑩𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑼, 𐑣𐑵 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑣𐑳𐑯𐑑 𐑚𐑳𐑓𐑩𐑤𐑴 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑕𐑤𐑴𐑐𐑕 𐑝 ·𐑥𐑬𐑯𐑑 ·𐑒𐑸𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑥𐑚𐑦⁷, 𐑣𐑵 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑓𐑦𐑖 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑤𐑱𐑒 ·𐑒𐑰𐑝𐑵⁸. 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑞 𐑮𐑧𐑜𐑘𐑫𐑤𐑼 𐑓𐑲𐑑𐑕, 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑓𐑲𐑯 𐑓𐑲𐑑𐑕 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑡𐑩𐑕 𐑚𐑤𐑧𐑕𐑦𐑙𐑟. 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑻 𐑳𐑯𐑩𐑓𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑤 𐑓𐑲𐑑𐑕 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑕𐑥𐑷𐑤 𐑥𐑨𐑑𐑼𐑟, 𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑣𐑵 𐑒𐑦𐑤𐑛 𐑣𐑵𐑟 𐑒𐑬, 𐑣𐑵 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑤 𐑣𐑵𐑟 𐑢𐑲𐑓, 𐑯 𐑣𐑵 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑣𐑵𐑟 𐑒𐑹𐑯.

𐑦𐑯 𐑷𐑤 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑓𐑲𐑑𐑕, 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑹 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤, 𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑦𐑙 𐑬𐑑 𐑕𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑛 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑. 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕 𐑢𐑻 𐑜𐑧𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑷𐑤 𐑞 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑐𐑨𐑕𐑗𐑼𐑟, 𐑞 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑣𐑳𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑜𐑮𐑬𐑯𐑛𐑟, 𐑞 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑓𐑦𐑖𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑥𐑟, 𐑞 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑟. 𐑢𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑝 𐑷𐑤, 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕 𐑢𐑻 𐑚𐑰𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑺 𐑛𐑮𐑳𐑥𐑟 𐑷𐑤 𐑞 𐑢𐑱 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑤𐑟 𐑝 ·𐑿𐑜𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑩 𐑑 𐑞 𐑓𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕 𐑝 ·𐑤𐑴𐑥𐑭𐑥𐑦⁹, 𐑑 𐑕𐑱 𐑞𐑱 𐑢𐑻 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑥𐑧𐑯, 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑜, 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑥𐑧𐑯.

𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵𐑟 𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑛 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑯 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑑 𐑗𐑱𐑯𐑡 𐑞𐑺 𐑤𐑳𐑒. 𐑞𐑱 𐑗𐑱𐑯𐑡𐑛 𐑢𐑹-𐑐𐑱𐑯𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑢𐑲𐑑¹⁰ 𐑑 𐑝𐑼𐑥𐑦𐑤𐑘𐑩𐑯, 𐑞𐑱 𐑮𐑨𐑑𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑞𐑺 𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑟 𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑟, 𐑞𐑱 𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑰𐑗𐑑 𐑯 𐑛𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑯 𐑯𐑨𐑖𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑑𐑰𐑔; 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑒𐑫𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑯 𐑓𐑲𐑑𐑕 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕.

𐑢𐑧𐑯¹¹ 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑟 𐑒𐑫𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑜𐑧𐑑 𐑢𐑻𐑕, ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴𐑡𐑹𐑦¹², ·𐑗𐑰𐑓 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵𐑟, 𐑒𐑷𐑤𐑛 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑧𐑤𐑛𐑼𐑟 𐑑𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑞𐑼¹³ 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑜𐑮𐑨𐑕 𐑖𐑨𐑒 𐑞𐑱 𐑿𐑟𐑛 𐑨𐑟 𐑞𐑺 ·𐑒𐑬𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑬𐑕. 𐑯 ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴𐑡𐑹𐑦 — ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴, 𐑓 𐑖𐑹𐑑 — 𐑤𐑫𐑒𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑨𐑑 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑣𐑧𐑛 𐑥𐑧𐑯 𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑨𐑯 𐑑 𐑑𐑷𐑒. 𐑣𐑰 𐑑𐑷𐑒𐑑 𐑓 𐑩 𐑛𐑱 𐑯 𐑩 𐑯𐑲𐑑¹⁴, 𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑑¹⁵ 𐑣𐑰 𐑕𐑧𐑛: “𐑿 𐑒𐑷𐑤 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑝𐑟¹⁶ 𐑥𐑧𐑯 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵. 𐑿 𐑸 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑧𐑯: 𐑿 𐑸 𐑢𐑦𐑐𐑑¹⁷ 𐑛𐑪𐑜𐑟. 𐑿 𐑸 𐑢𐑻𐑕: 𐑿 𐑸 𐑡𐑨𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑟¹⁸. 𐑡𐑨𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑢𐑺 𐑒𐑬-𐑛𐑳𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑣𐑺. 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑚𐑮𐑱𐑝𐑟 𐑢𐑺 𐑛𐑳𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑣𐑺, 𐑕𐑴 𐑒𐑴𐑥 𐑦𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑘𐑹¹⁹ 𐑣𐑧𐑛𐑟. 𐑤𐑧𐑑 𐑯𐑳𐑯 𐑢𐑺 𐑒𐑬-𐑛𐑳𐑙 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑣𐑰 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑚𐑨𐑒 𐑪𐑯𐑼 𐑨𐑟 𐑩 𐑥𐑨𐑯, 𐑚𐑲 𐑛𐑮𐑲𐑝𐑦𐑙 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕 𐑬𐑑 𐑝 𐑬𐑼 𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑟.”

𐑯 𐑕𐑴 𐑦𐑑 𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑑 𐑐𐑨𐑕. 𐑚𐑲 ·𐑗𐑰𐑓²⁰ ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴’𐑟 𐑹𐑛𐑼, 𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵 𐑯𐑴 𐑤𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑼 𐑢𐑹 𐑒𐑬-𐑛𐑳𐑙. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑩 𐑕𐑽𐑾𐑕 𐑚𐑤𐑴 𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑝𐑨𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑦, 𐑓 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵 𐑒𐑬-𐑛𐑳𐑙 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑩 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑯𐑴𐑯 𐑓𐑸 𐑯 𐑢𐑲𐑛, 𐑯 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵 𐑥𐑱𐑤𐑟 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑜𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑑 𐑤𐑳𐑝 𐑦𐑑.

𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑕𐑵𐑯 𐑓𐑼𐑜𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑛𐑧𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑓 𐑷𐑤𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑥𐑰𐑛𐑾𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑞𐑱 𐑕𐑑𐑸𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑯 𐑓𐑲𐑑𐑕. 𐑞𐑺 𐑮𐑱𐑛𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑕𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑕𐑓𐑩𐑤. 𐑞𐑱 𐑢𐑻 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑚𐑨𐑒 𐑞𐑺 𐑒𐑬𐑟 𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑦𐑥𐑦𐑯. 𐑞𐑱 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑛𐑵 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹: 𐑞𐑱 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑒𐑮𐑰𐑐 𐑳𐑐 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑬𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑱 𐑢𐑻 𐑞𐑺.

𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑕𐑴 𐑴𐑝𐑼𐑡𐑶𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑑𐑻𐑯 𐑝 𐑦𐑝𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑜𐑪𐑑 𐑛𐑮𐑳𐑙𐑒 𐑯 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑲𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑛 𐑞𐑺 𐑗𐑰𐑓 𐑩 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑥𐑱𐑛 𐑝 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯 𐑑 𐑛𐑵 𐑣𐑦𐑥 𐑪𐑯𐑼 𐑯 𐑑 𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑩𐑚𐑮𐑱𐑑 𐑞 𐑗𐑱𐑯𐑡 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑤𐑳𐑒. 𐑯 𐑢𐑧𐑯²¹ 𐑞 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑓𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑑, 𐑞𐑱 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑑 𐑩 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑯𐑿 𐑜𐑮𐑭𐑕 𐑒𐑬𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑬𐑕 𐑓 𐑞 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑓 𐑗𐑰𐑓 ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴 𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑑 𐑩𐑐𐑪𐑯.

𐑯𐑬 ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴 𐑕𐑴 𐑤𐑳𐑝𐑛 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑣𐑰 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑳𐑐 𐑷𐑤 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑝 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑒𐑿𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑰𐑯 𐑕𐑰𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑞𐑺. 𐑥𐑹𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑨𐑓𐑑𐑼 𐑥𐑹𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑣𐑰 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑛 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑮𐑽𐑟 𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑬𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑬𐑕 𐑑 𐑐𐑤𐑨𐑯 𐑯𐑿 𐑮𐑱𐑛𐑟 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕. 𐑨𐑓𐑑𐑼 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑥𐑳𐑯𐑔𐑕 𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑳𐑓. 𐑞𐑱 𐑐𐑨𐑒𐑑 𐑳𐑐 𐑯 𐑝𐑨𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑑. 𐑯 𐑞 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵𐑟 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑞 𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑝𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑚𐑨𐑙𐑒𐑕 𐑝 𐑞 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑼 𐑑 𐑞 𐑕𐑳𐑞𐑼𐑯 𐑕𐑤𐑴𐑐𐑕 𐑝 ·𐑥𐑬𐑯𐑑 ·𐑒𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑦𐑥𐑚𐑩.

𐑯 𐑯𐑬 ·𐑥𐑬𐑤𐑵𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑥𐑧𐑯: 𐑚𐑦𐑜, 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑥𐑧𐑯, 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑼 𐑚𐑲 𐑓𐑸 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑧𐑯𐑦 ·𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑑𐑳𐑒𐑕. 𐑕𐑴 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑢𐑻 𐑞𐑱 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑯𐑳𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑛𐑵 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑛 𐑩 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑼, 𐑚𐑧𐑑𐑼 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑓 ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴. 𐑞𐑱 𐑢𐑻𐑒𐑑 𐑓 𐑥𐑳𐑯𐑔𐑕: 𐑞𐑱 𐑣𐑿𐑛 𐑯 𐑒𐑳𐑑 𐑯 𐑗𐑦𐑟𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑯 𐑒𐑸𐑝𐑛. 𐑢𐑧𐑯²² 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑞𐑱 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑩 𐑥𐑨𐑜𐑯𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑕𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑯𐑿 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯. 𐑞𐑱 𐑣𐑷𐑤𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑬𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑬𐑕 𐑯 𐑕𐑧𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑳𐑐 𐑓 𐑞𐑺 𐑗𐑰𐑓. 𐑯 𐑩𐑚𐑳𐑝 𐑞 𐑯𐑿 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑞𐑱 𐑥𐑱𐑛 𐑩 𐑐𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑢𐑺 𐑞𐑱 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑛 𐑞 𐑻𐑤𐑽 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑨𐑟 𐑩 𐑥𐑩𐑥𐑹𐑾𐑤 𐑓 𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑼 𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟.

𐑦𐑓 ·𐑒𐑬𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑟²³ 𐑢𐑻 𐑤𐑧𐑕 𐑢𐑹𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑨𐑑 𐑤𐑰𐑕𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑢𐑻 𐑨𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑯 𐑥𐑹 𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑛. 𐑞𐑺 𐑪𐑯 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑯𐑿 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯 𐑕𐑨𐑑 ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴 𐑚𐑦𐑯𐑰𐑔 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑕𐑲𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯 𐑮𐑦𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛𐑼 𐑝 𐑣𐑬 𐑞𐑱 𐑜𐑮𐑵 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑚𐑦𐑜, 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑥𐑧𐑯. 𐑯𐑬 𐑞 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑑 𐑑𐑷𐑒 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑢𐑰𐑯 𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑥𐑧𐑯 𐑦𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑹 𐑞 𐑤𐑳𐑝𐑛 𐑒𐑬-𐑛𐑳𐑙 𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑣𐑧𐑛𐑟, 𐑯 𐑞 𐑘𐑳𐑙 𐑚𐑮𐑱𐑝𐑟 𐑣𐑵 𐑯𐑿 𐑑𐑵 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑮𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑤-𐑤𐑳𐑒 𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑯 𐑯 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑡𐑨𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑝 𐑞𐑧𐑥.

𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑣𐑲𐑑 𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑚𐑱𐑑 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑛𐑱, 𐑩 ·𐑛𐑳𐑙-𐑐𐑸𐑑𐑦 𐑧𐑤𐑛𐑼, 𐑤𐑻𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑑 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑓𐑰𐑑, 𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑜𐑼𐑛 𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑩 𐑕𐑩𐑐𐑹𐑑-𐑐𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 ·𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑑 ·𐑜𐑮𐑭𐑕 ·𐑣𐑬𐑕, 𐑯 𐑛𐑬𐑯 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑦𐑡-𐑐𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑒𐑮𐑨𐑖𐑑 𐑞 𐑪𐑯𐑼𐑛 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯. …“𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑪𐑓𐑑-𐑑𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑦, 𐑝 ·𐑚𐑦𐑜-𐑗𐑰𐑓 ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴𐑡𐑹𐑦, 𐑐𐑳𐑤𐑐𐑑 𐑢𐑺²⁴ 𐑣𐑰 𐑕𐑨𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑜𐑤𐑹𐑦”… 𐑯 𐑣𐑬 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑩𐑕 𐑞 𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑥𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑤, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 —

“𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑵 𐑤𐑦𐑝 𐑦𐑯 𐑜𐑮𐑭𐑕 𐑣𐑬𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑕𐑑𐑴 𐑔𐑮𐑴𐑯𐑟!”²⁵

A shaggy dog story is a mid-20th-century comedic storytelling trope defined by a long, highly detailed, and seemingly serious narrative that exists solely to set up an absurd, anticlimactic, or groan-worthy punchline. The humor relies on subverting narrative expectations: getting the reader invested in elaborate lore and world-building, only to deflate the drama with a silly pun (here, an epic account of African tribal warfare crafted entirely to deliver the line “People who live in grass houses should not stow thrones!”). The term comes from an old joke about an owner searching the globe for a missing shaggy dog, only to find it and casually remark, “He isn’t so shaggy.” ↩︎
𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 ·𐑕𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑟𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯: Read included a namer-dot (·) before “Civilisation” as a personification, and typed 𐑦 instead of 𐑲 (𐑕𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯). ↩︎
𐑧𐑤𐑩𐑓𐑩𐑯𐑑-𐑣𐑲𐑛 ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑧𐑯 (aspirated WH). Modern ReadLex/shaw-spell defaults to 𐑢𐑧𐑯. ↩︎
𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑥𐑧𐑯 ↩︎
𐑜𐑮𐑨𐑕 ↩︎
Mount Karisimbi (·𐑥𐑬𐑯𐑑 ·𐑒𐑸𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑥𐑚𐑦, typed by Read as ·𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑥𐑚𐑩). An inactive stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ↩︎
Lake Kivu (·𐑤𐑱𐑒 ·𐑒𐑰𐑝𐑵). One of the African Great Lakes, located on the border between the DRC and Rwanda. ↩︎
Lomami River (·𐑤𐑴𐑥𐑭𐑥𐑦). A major tributary of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑲𐑑 (white). Modern standard is 𐑢𐑲𐑑. ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑧𐑯 (when). ↩︎
·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑴𐑡𐑹𐑦 (omitting 𐑜). Given Read’s spelling of ·𐑒𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴 (Congo) earlier in the same piece, ·𐑚𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑴𐑡𐑹𐑦 represents the standard ReadLex/shaw-spell phonetics (/ˈbɒŋɡoʊ/). ↩︎
𐑑𐑫𐑜𐑧𐑞𐑼 (together). ReadLex standard uses 𐑑𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑞𐑼. ↩︎
𐑯𐑱𐑑 (nate) — a clear typo in Read’s original typing for 𐑯𐑲𐑑 (night). ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑪𐑑 (what). Modern standard is 𐑢𐑪𐑑. ↩︎
𐑘𐑫𐑼𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑝𐑟 ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑦𐑐𐑑 (whipped). Modern standard is 𐑢𐑦𐑐𐑑. ↩︎
𐑡𐑨𐑒𐑷𐑤𐑟 ↩︎
𐑘𐑫𐑼 ↩︎
·𐑖𐑰𐑓 (sheef) — a typo in Read’s original typing for ·𐑗𐑰𐑓 (chief). ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑧𐑯 (when). ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑧𐑯 (when). ↩︎
·𐑒𐑬𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑟 — a typo missing 𐑤 for ·𐑒𐑬𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑟 (counsels / councils). ↩︎
𐑣𐑢𐑺 (where). ↩︎
The climax pun of the story, spoofing the proverb: “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” ↩︎

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.4 - TELECAST

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

𐑞 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑖𐑵 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑣𐑽.

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

TELECAST

PAULINE BARRET

𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑛𐑿𐑕𐑦𐑙 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑑 𐑑𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑠𐑩𐑯 𐑷𐑛𐑾𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑛𐑩, 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑯𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑢𐑲𐑛 ·𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑐𐑮𐑴𐑜𐑮𐑨𐑥 ‘𐑓𐑮𐑳𐑯𐑑 ·𐑐𐑱𐑡 𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡¹’, 𐑕𐑑𐑸𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑪𐑓 𐑨𐑟 𐑩 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑕𐑽𐑾𐑕 𐑚𐑦𐑟𐑯𐑩𐑕, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑞 𐑖𐑴 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑤𐑦 𐑑𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑒𐑭𐑕𐑑 𐑲 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑚𐑨𐑒 𐑪𐑯 𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑮𐑨𐑯 𐑞 𐑜𐑨𐑥𐑩𐑑 𐑷𐑤 𐑞 𐑢𐑱 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑣𐑲 𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑑 𐑖𐑽 𐑣𐑦𐑤𐑨𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑦.

𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑲 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑕𐑢𐑹𐑯 𐑑 𐑞 𐑳𐑑𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑰𐑒𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑦, 𐑯 𐑞 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑 𐑲 𐑕𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑱𐑛𐑾𐑯 𐑚𐑮𐑷𐑛𐑒𐑭𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑒𐑹𐑐𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑑 𐑦𐑥𐑰𐑛𐑾𐑑 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑓 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑥𐑲 𐑲𐑛𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑰𐑒 𐑑 𐑞 𐑥𐑧𐑥𐑚𐑼𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑞 𐑖𐑴. 𐑯𐑰𐑛𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑑 𐑕𐑱, 𐑞 𐑕𐑰𐑒𐑮𐑩𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑒𐑧𐑐𐑑!

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑥𐑲 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑩𐑐𐑽𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑪𐑯 𐑑𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑠𐑩𐑯, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑲 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑑 𐑞 𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑲𐑑𐑦𐑙. ‘𐑓𐑮𐑳𐑯𐑑 ·𐑐𐑱𐑡 𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡¹’ 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑐𐑪𐑐𐑘𐑩𐑤𐑼² 𐑐𐑮𐑴𐑜𐑮𐑨𐑥: 𐑦𐑑 𐑮𐑱𐑯𐑡𐑩𐑟 𐑓𐑸 𐑯 𐑢𐑲𐑛 𐑔𐑮𐑵𐑬𐑑 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛, 𐑓 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑜𐑧𐑕𐑑-𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑟³ 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑮𐑰𐑕𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑵𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑧𐑚𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑦𐑟⁴ 𐑨𐑟 ·𐑥𐑼.⁵ 𐑣𐑨𐑮𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑤𐑕𐑩𐑯 𐑯 ·𐑥𐑦𐑕 𐑥𐑺𐑦 𐑐𐑦𐑒𐑓𐑼𐑛. 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑑𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑠𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑑𐑿𐑛𐑦𐑴𐑟 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑑𐑼𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑴⁶ 𐑲 𐑓𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑥𐑲𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓 𐑩𐑥𐑳𐑙 𐑨𐑟 𐑳𐑯𐑤𐑲𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑩 𐑜𐑮𐑵𐑐 𐑝 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑡𐑫𐑩𐑤𐑟⁷ 𐑨𐑟 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑦𐑥𐑨𐑡𐑦𐑯. 𐑯𐑴 𐑛𐑬𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑥𐑰 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑳𐑯𐑤𐑲𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑑𐑵.

𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑼 𐑝 𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑡𐑩𐑯 𐑣𐑵 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑬𐑼𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑛𐑧𐑥𐑛 𐑕𐑧𐑤 𐑢𐑦𐑞 ADOLF EICHMANN, 𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑕𐑱𐑝 𐑞 𐑥𐑨𐑯’𐑟 𐑕𐑴𐑤 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑿𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑩 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑲𐑼𐑛 𐑯𐑱𐑝𐑩𐑤 𐑪𐑓𐑦𐑕𐑼 𐑣𐑵 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑜𐑦𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑞 𐑨𐑒𐑗𐑫𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑦𐑜𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑓 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑨𐑮𐑩𐑚 𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑴𐑤𐑑 𐑯 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑯𐑴𐑯 ·𐑤𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑕⁸ 𐑝 𐑼𐑱𐑚𐑾 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑣𐑰 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑳𐑯𐑯𐑴𐑯 𐑑 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛. 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑩 𐑘𐑳𐑙 𐑜𐑻𐑤 𐑕𐑢𐑦𐑥𐑼, 𐑩 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛 𐑗𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑾𐑯 𐑯 ·𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑛𐑩’𐑟 𐑗𐑴𐑟𐑩𐑯 ·𐑢𐑫𐑥𐑩𐑯 𐑨𐑔𐑤𐑰𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑘𐑽. 𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑩 𐑛𐑦𐑤𐑲𐑑𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑻𐑑𐑰𐑯-𐑘𐑽-𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑚𐑶, 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑚𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑯 𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑐𐑶𐑤𐑛⁹, 𐑣𐑵 𐑮𐑳𐑯𐑟 𐑩 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑒𐑪𐑤𐑩𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑕𐑒𐑹 𐑝 ·𐑯𐑹𐑔 𐑩𐑥𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑯 𐑯𐑿𐑟𐑐𐑱𐑐𐑼𐑟, 𐑜𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑛𐑝𐑲𐑕 𐑑 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑼𐑼𐑦𐑟 𐑣𐑵 𐑮𐑲𐑑-𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑚𐑤𐑩𐑥𐑟 𐑑 𐑣𐑦𐑥.

𐑢𐑰 𐑢𐑻 𐑷𐑤¹⁰ 𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑛 𐑨𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑯𐑼 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑞 𐑖𐑴, 𐑯 𐑯𐑰𐑛 𐑲 𐑑𐑧𐑤 𐑿 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑻 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑕𐑲𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑮𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑯𐑼 𐑑𐑱𐑚𐑩𐑤: 𐑯𐑴𐑚𐑪𐑛𐑦 𐑑𐑷𐑒𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑞 𐑢𐑧𐑞𐑼, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑖𐑴 𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑡-𐑓𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑒-𐑓𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑹 𐑒𐑨𐑥𐑼𐑩-𐑓𐑮𐑲𐑑, 𐑓 𐑞 𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑟¹¹ 𐑸 𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑵 𐑸 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑨𐑑 𐑣𐑴𐑥 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞𐑺 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑟, 𐑯 𐑞𐑱 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑿𐑠𐑫𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑣𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑤 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑒𐑢𐑧𐑕𐑗𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑓𐑲𐑼𐑛 𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 ·𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑤. 𐑞 𐑥𐑧𐑥𐑚𐑼𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑸 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑡𐑪𐑚: 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑯𐑪𐑤𐑦𐑡𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤: 𐑞𐑺 𐑥𐑧𐑥𐑼𐑦𐑟 𐑸 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑤𐑦 𐑩𐑥𐑱𐑟𐑦𐑙. 𐑜𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑕 𐑣𐑵𐑟 𐑩𐑐𐑽𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑥𐑱 𐑚𐑰 𐑯𐑴𐑯 𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥, 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑯𐑿𐑟 𐑓𐑴𐑑𐑴𐑟 𐑯 𐑕𐑴 𐑪𐑯, 𐑸 ‘𐑣𐑦𐑛𐑩𐑯 𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑟’¹², 𐑭𐑯𐑕𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑒𐑢𐑧𐑕𐑗𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑩 𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑣𐑲 𐑳𐑐 𐑚𐑦𐑣𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑞 ·𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑤.

𐑥𐑹 𐑪𐑓𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑯𐑪𐑑, 𐑞 𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡𐑼’𐑟¹³ 𐑲𐑛𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑦𐑟 𐑜𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑩𐑤𐑬𐑛. 𐑞 𐑕𐑑𐑿𐑛𐑦𐑴 𐑷𐑛𐑾𐑯𐑕, 𐑣𐑵 𐑸 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑯𐑴, 𐑸 𐑛𐑦𐑤𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑩 𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡𐑼¹⁴ 𐑕𐑑𐑳𐑥𐑐𐑕 𐑞 ·𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑤: 𐑯 𐑲 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑓𐑧𐑕 𐑲 𐑜𐑪𐑑 𐑩 𐑔𐑮𐑦𐑤 𐑬𐑑 𐑝 𐑕𐑑𐑳𐑥𐑐𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑥𐑲𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓. 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑯𐑿 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑷𐑤 𐑮𐑲𐑑: 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑞 𐑕𐑰𐑒𐑮𐑩𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑰𐑤𐑛 𐑯 𐑲 𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑛𐑬𐑯 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑓 𐑞 𐑝𐑧𐑮𐑦 𐑤𐑲𐑝𐑤𐑦 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑳𐑖𐑩𐑯-𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴𐑛, 𐑞𐑱 𐑤𐑧𐑑 𐑓𐑤𐑲 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞𐑺 𐑨𐑥𐑘𐑩𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯¹⁵ 𐑯 𐑲 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑞 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑡𐑛¹⁶ — 𐑦𐑯 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑧𐑯𐑕 𐑝 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯. 𐑲 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑭𐑕𐑒𐑑 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑕𐑳𐑥 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑪𐑯 𐑩 𐑤𐑸𐑡 𐑚𐑤𐑨𐑒𐑚𐑹𐑛; 𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑮𐑦𐑨𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟¹⁷ 𐑢𐑻 𐑩 𐑥𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑗𐑼 𐑝 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼 𐑯 𐑩𐑥𐑿𐑟𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑝 𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑼𐑦𐑪𐑕𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑯 𐑬𐑑𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑕𐑒𐑧𐑐𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑟𐑩𐑥. 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑲 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑦 𐑕𐑽𐑾𐑕 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑯𐑿 𐑢𐑱 𐑝 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑦𐑙? 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑜𐑫𐑛 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑛𐑵? 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕 𐑞 𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑 𐑞𐑱’𐑛 𐑑𐑱𐑒𐑩𐑯 𐑷𐑤 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑑 𐑤𐑻𐑯? 𐑣𐑬 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑛𐑦𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑑𐑱𐑒 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑱𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑? — 𐑩 𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑛 𐑪𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑦𐑯 𐑰𐑗 𐑒𐑢𐑧𐑕𐑗𐑩𐑯, 𐑤𐑲𐑑𐑣𐑸𐑑𐑩𐑛, 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑓𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑩𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑞𐑴 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑟. 𐑞 𐑷𐑛𐑾𐑯𐑕 𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑶𐑛 𐑷𐑤 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑜𐑦𐑝-𐑯-𐑑𐑱𐑒 𐑦𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑤𐑦: 𐑯 𐑞𐑱 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑪𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑔𐑿𐑟𐑦𐑨𐑟𐑩𐑥. 𐑝𐑿𐑼𐑟 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑪𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑑𐑵, 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑩𐑒𐑮𐑪𐑕 ·𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑛𐑩: 𐑲 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑟𐑦 𐑓 𐑢𐑰𐑒𐑕 𐑭𐑓𐑑𐑼 𐑞 𐑖𐑴, 𐑭𐑯𐑕𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼𐑦𐑟 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯.

𐑷𐑤-𐑦𐑯-𐑷𐑤, 𐑦𐑑 𐑤𐑫𐑒𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑞𐑴 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑯 TV 𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑚𐑲𐑯¹⁸ 𐑢𐑧𐑤. 𐑲 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑬𐑼 𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑓𐑮𐑧𐑯𐑛 GBS¹⁹, 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑐𐑼𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑓𐑤𐑺 𐑓 𐑖𐑴𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑖𐑦𐑐, 𐑥𐑲𐑑 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑢𐑨𐑜𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑞𐑴𐑟 𐑓𐑱𐑥𐑩𐑕 𐑲𐑚𐑮𐑬𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑖𐑮𐑵𐑛 𐑩𐑐𐑮𐑵𐑝𐑩𐑤 𐑝 𐑕𐑴 𐑿𐑕𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑩 𐑚𐑤𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑝 𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑧𐑡𐑩𐑒𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯²⁰ 𐑯 𐑐𐑳𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑑𐑦²¹.

𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑯𐑡 ↩︎ ↩︎
𐑐𐑪𐑐𐑘𐑫𐑤𐑼 ↩︎
𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑟 ↩︎
𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑚𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑦𐑟 ↩︎
·𐑥𐑮 ↩︎
·𐑒𐑦𐑙𐑟𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑴: ‘·𐑑𐑩𐑤𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑴’ ↩︎
𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑛𐑘𐑫𐑩𐑤𐑟 ↩︎
·𐑤𐑹𐑩𐑯𐑕 ↩︎
𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑐𐑶𐑤𐑑 ↩︎
𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑴 𐑧𐑝𐑦𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑼 𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑛 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙𐑟: ‘𐑭𐑤’ ↩︎
𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑟 ↩︎
𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑟 ↩︎
𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑼’𐑟 ↩︎
𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑼 ↩︎
𐑨𐑥𐑘𐑫𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯 ↩︎
𐑗𐑨𐑤𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑛 ↩︎
𐑮𐑰𐑨𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 ↩︎
𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑚𐑲𐑯 ↩︎
·𐑡𐑹𐑡 𐑚𐑻𐑯𐑼𐑛 𐑖𐑷 ↩︎
𐑧𐑛𐑘𐑫𐑒𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 ↩︎
𐑐𐑩𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑕𐑦𐑑𐑦 ↩︎

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.3 - THE DESPOILERS

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑸 𐑥𐑲 𐑴𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑒𐑢𐑹𐑑𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑡𐑻𐑯𐑩𐑤 ‘·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑’, 𐑚𐑲 ·𐑮𐑪𐑯𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑒𐑦𐑙𐑟𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑧𐑛, 𐑞 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑲𐑯𐑼 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑. 𐑞 𐑛𐑪𐑒𐑘𐑩𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑢𐑻 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 https://www.shavian.info/books/. 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑟 𐑸 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑑 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑩𐑟, 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑦𐑙 𐑯 𐑐𐑳𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑖𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑣𐑽 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑷𐑤𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑲 𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑰𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥. 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑳𐑐𐑛𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑢𐑺 𐑲 𐑕𐑩𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑧𐑮𐑼 𐑹 𐑢𐑺 𐑲 𐑗𐑵𐑟 𐑑 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴 𐑞 ·𐑮𐑰𐑛-𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑕 𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑛 𐑨𐑟 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 ·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤 𐑑𐑵𐑤 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 ·𐑡𐑹𐑴. 𐑲 𐑣𐑴𐑐 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑥𐑱 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑮𐑰𐑕 𐑞 𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑪𐑮𐑦𐑒 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑹𐑛𐑟.

𐑞 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑖𐑵 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑣𐑽.

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

THE DESPOILERS

JACK CANTY

𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑲 𐑥𐑵𐑝𐑛 𐑑 ·𐑐𐑻𐑚𐑮𐑫𐑒, 𐑩 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑥𐑰: 𐑲 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑩 𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑰 𐑝 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑟. 𐑲 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑕𐑱 𐑴𐑯𐑼, 𐑞𐑴 𐑲 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑥 𐑴𐑯𐑼 𐑦𐑯 𐑤𐑷, 𐑓 𐑣𐑬 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑢𐑳𐑯 “𐑴𐑯” 𐑩 𐑑𐑮𐑰? 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑴𐑯 𐑤𐑲𐑓 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑴𐑐𐑩𐑯 𐑺, 𐑯𐑴𐑟 𐑷𐑤 𐑢𐑧𐑞𐑼𐑟, 𐑯 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑕𐑰𐑒𐑮𐑩𐑑 𐑤𐑲𐑓 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑛𐑸𐑒 𐑻𐑔. 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑤𐑦𐑝𐑛 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑯 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑯𐑿 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑭𐑓𐑑𐑼.

𐑞𐑺 𐑸 𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤, 𐑝 𐑒𐑹𐑕, 𐑣𐑵 𐑑𐑱𐑒 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑩 𐑣𐑬𐑕 𐑯 𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑕 𐑒𐑳𐑑 𐑛𐑬𐑯 𐑹 𐑥𐑿𐑑𐑦𐑤𐑱𐑑 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑟. 𐑛𐑵 𐑞𐑱 𐑜𐑦𐑝 𐑩 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑑 𐑞 𐑤𐑪𐑙-𐑤𐑦𐑝𐑛 𐑒𐑮𐑰𐑗𐑼𐑟 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑶𐑦𐑙 𐑹 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑥𐑧𐑥𐑚𐑼𐑦𐑙? 𐑩 𐑣𐑧𐑤𐑔𐑦 𐑑𐑮𐑰, 𐑐𐑼𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑕 𐑣𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑮𐑩𐑛𐑟 𐑝 𐑘𐑽𐑟 𐑴𐑤𐑛, 𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑳𐑑 𐑛𐑬𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑥 𐑚𐑲 𐑩 𐑥𐑹𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑝 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑑𐑦 𐑘𐑽𐑟 𐑕𐑐𐑨𐑯, 𐑯 𐑓𐑿𐑗𐑼 𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑝 𐑥𐑧𐑯, 𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟, 𐑯 𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑒𐑮𐑰𐑗𐑼𐑟 𐑸 𐑛𐑦𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑝𐑛 𐑝 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑿𐑕 𐑯 𐑜𐑤𐑹𐑦. 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑑𐑲𐑥𐑟, 𐑢𐑺 𐑢𐑲𐑛 𐑓𐑸𐑥𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑸 𐑒𐑤𐑽𐑛, 𐑤𐑴𐑒𐑩𐑤 𐑒𐑤𐑲𐑥𐑩𐑑 𐑥𐑱 𐑚𐑰 𐑩𐑓𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑩𐑛; 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑛𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑑 𐑚𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑝 𐑯𐑱𐑗𐑼. 𐑲 𐑛𐑴𐑯𐑑 𐑕𐑱 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑰 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑤𐑪𐑐 𐑹 𐑒𐑳𐑑 𐑛𐑬𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑟. 𐑲 𐑥𐑲𐑑 𐑛𐑵 𐑦𐑑 𐑥𐑲𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑬𐑑 𐑕𐑽𐑾𐑕 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑹 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑬𐑑 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑪𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑪𐑤𐑝𐑛. 𐑐𐑼𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑕 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑟, 𐑑𐑵, 𐑞𐑺 𐑸 𐑩𐑒𐑱𐑠𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑓 𐑡𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑓𐑲𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑪𐑥𐑦𐑕𐑲𐑛, 𐑞𐑴 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑓 𐑥𐑻𐑛𐑼.

𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑕𐑲𐑛𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑦𐑙; 𐑥𐑲 𐑔𐑰𐑥 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑘𐑩𐑤𐑼 𐑕𐑥𐑷𐑤 𐑑𐑮𐑰 𐑯 𐑚𐑤𐑨𐑒𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑣𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑕𐑩𐑥 𐑥𐑬𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑨𐑖, 𐑤𐑸𐑡𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑦𐑟 𐑪𐑓𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑰𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑥𐑷𐑤 𐑜𐑸𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑟. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑓𐑮𐑳𐑯𐑑 𐑜𐑸𐑛𐑩𐑯, 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑩 𐑓𐑿 𐑘𐑸𐑛𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑥𐑲 𐑚𐑧𐑛𐑮𐑵𐑥 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑴. 𐑨𐑟 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑪𐑯 𐑜𐑮𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑤𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑤, 𐑲 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑳𐑐 𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑰 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑥𐑲 𐑚𐑧𐑛 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑥𐑲 𐑢𐑻𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑛𐑱 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑟. 𐑲 𐑕𐑰 𐑦𐑑 𐑤𐑦𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 𐑻𐑤𐑦 𐑕𐑳𐑯.

𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑕𐑰𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼, 𐑕𐑐𐑸𐑒𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑕𐑑, 𐑚𐑦𐑛𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑕𐑯𐑴, 𐑹 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑚𐑺, 𐑛𐑸𐑒 𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑵𐑧𐑑 𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑩 𐑐𐑻𐑤-𐑜𐑮𐑱 𐑕𐑒𐑲. 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑢𐑪𐑗𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑙 𐑨𐑟 𐑑𐑲𐑯𐑦 𐑤𐑰𐑓 𐑚𐑳𐑛𐑟 𐑕𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑛𐑱 𐑚𐑲 𐑛𐑱 𐑯 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑴𐑐𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑓𐑧𐑞𐑼𐑦 𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑟. 𐑩 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑼, 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑰 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑲𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑩 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑕𐑯𐑴 𐑨𐑟 𐑓𐑤𐑬𐑼𐑟 𐑩𐑐𐑽. 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑼, 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑕𐑰𐑯 𐑞 𐑤𐑰𐑓𐑤𐑩𐑑𐑕 𐑕𐑳𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑤𐑦, 𐑥𐑴𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑑𐑦𐑤𐑑 𐑚𐑨𐑒 𐑨𐑟 𐑞𐑱 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑞 𐑣𐑧𐑝𐑦 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑮𐑱𐑯𐑛𐑮𐑪𐑐𐑕 𐑝 𐑩 𐑔𐑮𐑧𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑥.

𐑜𐑮𐑰𐑯 𐑚𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯 𐑑 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑡𐑵𐑯, 𐑗𐑱𐑯𐑡𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑹 𐑱𐑑 𐑢𐑰𐑒𐑕 𐑑 𐑩 𐑜𐑤𐑹𐑾𐑕 𐑪𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑡. 𐑥𐑨𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑝 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑡𐑵𐑩𐑤 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑰. 𐑭𐑓𐑑𐑼 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑞𐑱 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑑𐑻𐑯 𐑑 𐑩 𐑚𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑾𐑯𐑑 𐑝𐑼𐑥𐑦𐑤𐑾𐑯. 𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑺 𐑞 𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑦𐑯.

𐑦𐑯 𐑥𐑲 𐑓𐑻𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑼 𐑣𐑽, 𐑲 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑢𐑰 𐑢𐑻 𐑜𐑴𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑜𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑱 𐑝 𐑮𐑧𐑛 𐑚𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑟 𐑷𐑤 𐑔𐑮𐑵 𐑞 𐑷𐑑𐑩𐑥 𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼, 𐑓 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑛 𐑧𐑤𐑕𐑢𐑺. 𐑞 𐑚𐑤𐑨𐑒𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑯 𐑩 𐑓𐑿 𐑔𐑮𐑳𐑖𐑩𐑟 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑲𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑳𐑞𐑼𐑢𐑲𐑟.

𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑞 𐑚𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑐, 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑩 𐑝𐑲𐑩𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑑𐑳𐑜 𐑯 𐑖𐑱𐑒 𐑝 𐑞 𐑚𐑮𐑭𐑯𐑗 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑯𐑰𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑤𐑪𐑡 𐑩 𐑚𐑧𐑮𐑦, 𐑞 𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑨𐑯 𐑑 𐑚𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑓𐑩𐑕𐑑 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑥𐑬𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑨𐑖. 𐑦𐑓 𐑞𐑱 𐑜𐑹𐑡𐑛 𐑛𐑘𐑫𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑛𐑱, 𐑲 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑑 𐑕𐑰. 𐑕𐑑𐑸𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑟, 𐑞 𐑚𐑤𐑨𐑒𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑕𐑑𐑳𐑓𐑑 𐑞𐑩𐑥𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑝𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 𐑳𐑑𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑜𐑮𐑰𐑛, 𐑢𐑻𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑔𐑮𐑵 𐑩 𐑣𐑴𐑤 𐑚𐑳𐑯𐑗 𐑦𐑯 𐑯𐑴 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑨𐑑 𐑷𐑤. 𐑰𐑗 𐑛𐑱 𐑕𐑷 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑰 𐑥𐑹 𐑛𐑦𐑐𐑤𐑰𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤, 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 𐑔𐑻𐑛 𐑢𐑰𐑒 𐑦𐑯 𐑷𐑜𐑩𐑕𐑑, 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑻 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑩 𐑓𐑿 𐑤𐑱𐑑-𐑓𐑹𐑥𐑛 𐑹 𐑬𐑑-𐑝-𐑮𐑰𐑗 𐑚𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑟 𐑤𐑧𐑓𐑑. 𐑞 𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑑𐑻𐑛, 𐑣𐑬𐑧𐑝𐑼. 𐑞𐑱 𐑐𐑻𐑕𐑩𐑝𐑽𐑛, 𐑐𐑻𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑺𐑾𐑕𐑤𐑦 𐑪𐑯 𐑢𐑰𐑒 𐑬𐑑𐑼 𐑑𐑢𐑦𐑜𐑟, 𐑓𐑤𐑨𐑐𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑺 𐑢𐑦𐑙𐑟 𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑱𐑯 𐑞𐑺 𐑚𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑕, 𐑯 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑧𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑬𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑕 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑞 𐑤𐑭𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑨𐑛 𐑚𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑟 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑩𐑐𐑽𐑛.

𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑛𐑳𐑟 𐑞 𐑥𐑬𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑨𐑖 𐑓𐑰𐑤 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑢𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑶𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑷𐑤 𐑦𐑑𐑟 𐑣𐑸𐑛 𐑢𐑻𐑒? 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑣𐑸𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑺𐑟 𐑑 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒. 𐑐𐑼𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑕 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑪𐑛 𐑒𐑹𐑯𐑼 𐑝 𐑞 𐑓𐑰𐑤𐑛, 𐑩 𐑕𐑰𐑛 𐑛𐑮𐑪𐑐𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑩 𐑚𐑻𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑕𐑐𐑮𐑬𐑑, 𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑥𐑰𐑜𐑼 𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑓 𐑥𐑲 𐑐𐑸𐑑, 𐑨𐑟 𐑢𐑰 𐑓𐑰𐑛 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑚𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑤𐑦, 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑮𐑭𐑞𐑼 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑞 𐑤𐑪𐑕 𐑝 𐑥𐑲 𐑷𐑑𐑩𐑥 𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼 𐑜𐑤𐑹𐑦.

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.2 - LETTER FROM AMERICA

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

𐑞 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑖𐑵 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑣𐑽.

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

LETTER FROM AMERICA

WARREN S. SMITH

𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑕𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑑𐑼𐑦¹, 𐑝 𐑷𐑤 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑩𐑟! 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑑𐑲𐑯𐑦 𐑢𐑳𐑯, 𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑑² 𐑢𐑰 𐑓𐑴𐑒𐑕 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑩𐑥𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑩 𐑒𐑷𐑤 𐑩𐑯 𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑢𐑳𐑯, 𐑞𐑴 𐑓 𐑿 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑓𐑸 𐑖𐑹𐑑 𐑝 𐑥𐑦𐑛𐑩𐑤-𐑱𐑡𐑩𐑛. 𐑞 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯𐑟 𐑛𐑱𐑑 𐑚𐑨𐑒 𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 1800. 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑟𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑩 𐑓𐑧𐑯𐑕, 𐑦𐑯 𐑩𐑯 𐑺𐑾 𐑐𐑼𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑕 𐑩 𐑣𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑮𐑩𐑛 𐑓𐑰𐑑 𐑕𐑒𐑢𐑺. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑱𐑯𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑛, 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑑𐑵 𐑢𐑧𐑤, 𐑚𐑲 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕.

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑓𐑨𐑥𐑦𐑤𐑦 𐑕𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑑𐑼𐑦¹: 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑽 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑧𐑑𐑤𐑼𐑟 𐑣𐑽 𐑢𐑻 𐑞 ·𐑛𐑱𐑤 𐑓𐑨𐑥𐑦𐑤𐑦, 𐑞𐑴 𐑨𐑟 𐑛𐑱𐑑𐑕 𐑜𐑴 𐑳𐑐 𐑑𐑩𐑢𐑹𐑛³ 𐑥𐑦𐑛-𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑗𐑼𐑦, 𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑯𐑱𐑥𐑟 𐑩𐑐𐑽: 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑪𐑚𐑝𐑾𐑕𐑤𐑦 𐑦𐑯-𐑤𐑷𐑟.

𐑛𐑬𐑯 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑤 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑴𐑤𐑛𐑩𐑕𐑑 𐑣𐑬𐑕 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑤𐑦𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑⁴, 𐑯𐑬 𐑚𐑿𐑑𐑦𐑓𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑛 𐑯 𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑪𐑒𐑘𐑩𐑐𐑲𐑛⁵. 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑞 𐑴𐑤𐑛 ·𐑛𐑱𐑤 𐑣𐑴𐑥𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑛, 𐑤𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑥𐑳𐑙 𐑞 𐑮𐑴𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑣𐑦𐑤𐑟 𐑝 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑤 ·𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑝𐑱𐑯𐑾. 𐑷𐑤 𐑞 𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑯𐑽𐑩𐑕𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑥 𐑝 𐑣𐑦𐑤𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑚𐑩𐑚𐑤𐑦 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑜 𐑓𐑸𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑤𐑱𐑑 1700𐑟, 𐑢𐑧𐑯⁶ 𐑞 𐑕𐑧𐑑𐑤𐑼𐑟 𐑥𐑵𐑝𐑛 𐑦𐑯. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑪𐑯 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑝 𐑞 𐑥𐑱𐑯 𐑮𐑴𐑛𐑢𐑱𐑟 𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑢𐑧𐑕𐑑, 𐑕𐑴 𐑞𐑱 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑚𐑦𐑯⁷ 𐑒𐑳𐑑 𐑪𐑓 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑕𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑞 𐑑𐑬𐑯 𐑝 ·𐑚𐑧𐑤𐑓𐑪𐑯𐑑 [Bellefonte] 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑿𐑥𐑩𐑚𐑤𐑦 𐑯𐑱𐑥𐑛 𐑚𐑲 ·𐑤𐑭𐑓𐑱𐑧𐑑 𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑷𐑤𐑮𐑧𐑛𐑦 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕, 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑑𐑧𐑯 𐑥𐑲𐑤𐑟 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑 — 𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑑 𐑩 𐑡𐑷𐑯𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑴𐑟 𐑯𐑽𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑴𐑛𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑛𐑱𐑟.

𐑞 𐑕𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑑𐑼𐑦¹ 𐑚𐑺𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑑𐑯𐑩𐑕 𐑑 𐑣𐑬 𐑣𐑸𐑛 𐑤𐑲𐑓 𐑢𐑪𐑟. 𐑞𐑺 𐑸 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑯𐑱𐑥𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯𐑟: 𐑯 𐑮𐑰𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑡𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑢𐑺 𐑲 𐑕𐑦𐑑, 𐑲 𐑕𐑰: ‘𐑱𐑡𐑛 11 𐑥𐑳𐑯𐑔𐑕 𐑯 20 𐑛𐑱𐑟; 𐑱𐑡𐑛 35; 𐑱𐑡𐑛 22; 𐑱𐑡𐑛 14’. 𐑤𐑲𐑓 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑖𐑹𐑑𐑼 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑢𐑺 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑴𐑟 𐑛𐑱𐑟. 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑳𐑐 𐑣𐑽 𐑯 𐑥𐑧𐑛𐑦𐑑𐑱𐑑 𐑯𐑬 𐑯 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑷𐑤 𐑣𐑬 𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓-𐑕𐑩𐑓𐑦𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑞𐑴𐑟 𐑐𐑲𐑩𐑯𐑽 𐑓𐑨𐑥𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑟 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑑 𐑚𐑰. 𐑢𐑰 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑕𐑴 𐑮𐑴𐑥𐑨𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑛 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑗𐑼, 𐑛𐑮𐑭𐑥𐑩 𐑯 𐑤𐑧𐑡𐑩𐑯𐑛, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑰 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑷𐑤 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑤𐑪𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑲𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑼, 𐑤𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑜𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑑 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑚𐑦𐑯.

𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑕𐑐𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑓𐑦𐑓𐑑𐑰𐑯 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑢𐑷𐑒 𐑳𐑐 𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑤𐑕𐑲𐑛 𐑚𐑦𐑣𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑥𐑲 𐑣𐑬𐑕. 𐑓 𐑩 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑲 𐑓𐑼𐑜𐑧𐑑 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕: 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑪𐑯 𐑩 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑼 ·𐑕𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑱 𐑭𐑓𐑑𐑼𐑯𐑵𐑯 𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑲 𐑮𐑦𐑥𐑧𐑥𐑚𐑼. 𐑨𐑟 𐑲 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑤𐑟 𐑥𐑳𐑗 𐑓𐑸𐑥𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑮𐑦𐑥𐑱𐑯𐑟, 𐑯 𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑕𐑬𐑔 𐑞 𐑝𐑿 𐑦𐑟 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑢𐑪𐑑² 𐑞 𐑴𐑤𐑛 ·𐑛𐑱𐑤 𐑓𐑨𐑥𐑦𐑤𐑦 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑕𐑰𐑯, 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑥𐑹 𐑝 𐑞 𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑽𐑛 𐑝 𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑟, 𐑯 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑒𐑳𐑤𐑑𐑦𐑝𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑖𐑴𐑟 𐑕𐑲𐑯𐑟 𐑝 𐑥𐑪𐑛𐑼𐑯 𐑓𐑸𐑥𐑦𐑙 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕. 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑛𐑦𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑩 𐑐𐑬𐑼 𐑤𐑲𐑯 𐑒𐑳𐑑𐑕 𐑩𐑒𐑮𐑪𐑕 𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑤𐑟; 𐑯 𐑬𐑼 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑑 𐑕𐑐𐑮𐑷𐑤𐑦𐑙 ·𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑝𐑻𐑕𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑧𐑗𐑩𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑢𐑲𐑛 𐑸𐑒 — 𐑞 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑛𐑾𐑥, 𐑞 𐑯𐑿 𐑛𐑹𐑥𐑦𐑑𐑼𐑦𐑟 𐑱𐑑 𐑹 𐑑𐑧𐑯 𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑦𐑟 𐑣𐑲, 𐑩 𐑚𐑳𐑤𐑡𐑦𐑙 𐑯𐑿 𐑢𐑷𐑑𐑼 𐑑𐑬𐑼 𐑢𐑦𐑗⁸ 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑨𐑮𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑙 𐑘𐑳𐑙𐑜𐑼⁹ 𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑛𐑳𐑚𐑛 ‘𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑜𐑯𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑤𐑪𐑤𐑦𐑐𐑪𐑐’, 𐑯 𐑬𐑼 𐑴𐑤𐑛𐑼 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑛𐑦𐑙𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑼𐑛 𐑼𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑞 𐑑𐑬𐑼 𐑝 ‘𐑴𐑤𐑛 ·𐑥𐑱𐑯’, 𐑞 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑒𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑩𐑕 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑛𐑦𐑙.

𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑦𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑝 𐑬𐑼 𐑝𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑡 𐑯𐑴 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑕𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑑𐑼𐑦¹, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑕𐑴 𐑓𐑸 𐑨𐑟 𐑲 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑷𐑤, 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑥𐑧𐑑 𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑳𐑐 𐑣𐑽. 𐑦𐑓 𐑞 𐑺𐑾 𐑒𐑰𐑐𐑕 𐑪𐑯 𐑜𐑮𐑴𐑦𐑙 𐑨𐑟 𐑦𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑛𐑳𐑯, 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑤𐑪𐑑𐑕 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑯𐑿 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑐𐑸𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑳𐑐 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑞 𐑥𐑬𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑲𐑛 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑞 𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑑𐑵𐑥𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯𐑟¹⁰ 𐑸 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑪𐑛𐑦’𐑟 𐑚𐑨𐑒-𐑘𐑸𐑛¹¹. 𐑕𐑴 𐑓𐑸, 𐑦𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑩 𐑯𐑲𐑕 𐑓𐑰𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑲𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑲 𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑲 𐑯𐑰𐑛 𐑩𐑯 𐑨𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑕𐑓𐑽 𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑕𐑹𐑑 𐑯𐑬 𐑯 𐑞𐑧𐑯.

𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑾𐑯 ·𐑸𐑯𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑑𐑶𐑯𐑚𐑰¹² 𐑯𐑴𐑑𐑕 𐑞𐑨𐑑 ‘𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑛𐑮𐑷𐑩𐑤 𐑯 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑻𐑯’ 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑝 𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑞𐑩𐑥𐑟 𐑝 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑼𐑦. 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱¹³, ‘𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑻𐑯’ — 𐑑 𐑤𐑲𐑓’𐑕 𐑚𐑦𐑟𐑯𐑩𐑕 — 𐑦𐑟 𐑷𐑤 𐑑𐑵 𐑕𐑻𐑑𐑩𐑯: 𐑑𐑲𐑥 𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕 𐑓 ‘𐑢𐑦𐑞𐑛𐑮𐑷𐑩𐑤’ 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑚𐑤𐑩𐑥 𐑯𐑬. 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑, 𐑨𐑑 𐑤𐑰𐑕𐑑, 𐑞 ·𐑛𐑱𐑤𐑟 𐑢𐑻 𐑤𐑳𐑒𐑦.

‘𐑕𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑑𐑮𐑦’ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
‘𐑣𐑢𐑪𐑑’ ↩︎ ↩︎
‘𐑑𐑫𐑢𐑹𐑛’ ↩︎
Lemont. A historic village in Centre County, Pennsylvania, located just adjacent to State College (Penn State University) and about ten miles from Bellefonte. ↩︎
‘𐑪𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑐𐑲𐑛’ ↩︎
‘𐑣𐑢𐑧𐑯’ ↩︎
𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑛 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑦𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑓𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕 𐑞 𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑼𐑩𐑤 ·𐑩𐑥𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑯 𐑛𐑲𐑩𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑, 𐑯 ·𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑒𐑤𐑽𐑤𐑦 𐑤𐑧𐑓𐑑 𐑦𐑑 𐑳𐑯𐑧𐑛𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑛. ↩︎
‘𐑣𐑢𐑦𐑗’ ↩︎
‘𐑘𐑳𐑙𐑼’ ↩︎
𐑣𐑽 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑒𐑤𐑽 𐑥𐑦𐑕𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙: ‘𐑑𐑵𐑥𐑕𐑐𐑴𐑯𐑟’ ↩︎
𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑼𐑾𐑕 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑥𐑱 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑑 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑝 𐑩 ‘𐑚𐑨𐑒𐑘𐑸𐑛’ 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑘𐑧𐑑 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑒𐑶𐑯𐑛 (𐑯𐑴 𐑛𐑬𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑮𐑾𐑤 𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑 𐑨𐑛𐑝𐑼𐑑𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙) ↩︎
Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975) was a prominent British historian and philosopher of history, best known for his 12-volume masterpiece, A Study of History (1934–1961). In this monumental work, he analyzed the synthesis, growth, and decay of 28 major world civilizations, arguing that societies rise or fall based on their response to moral, social, and environmental challenges—a concept he framed through principles such as “challenge and response” and “withdrawal and return.” ↩︎
‘𐑑𐑫𐑛𐑱’ ↩︎

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.1 - Intro

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑸 𐑥𐑲 𐑴𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑒𐑢𐑹𐑑𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑡𐑻𐑯𐑩𐑤 ‘·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑’, 𐑚𐑲 ·𐑮𐑪𐑯𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑒𐑦𐑙𐑟𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑰𐑛, 𐑞 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑲𐑯𐑼 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑. 𐑞 𐑛𐑪𐑒𐑘𐑩𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑢𐑻 𐑕𐑹𐑕𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 https://www.shavian.info/books/. 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑪𐑟 𐑞 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑟 𐑸 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑑 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑩𐑟, 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑦𐑙 𐑯 𐑐𐑳𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑖𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑣𐑽 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑷𐑤𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑲 𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑰𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥. 𐑲 𐑣𐑴𐑐 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑥𐑱 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑮𐑰𐑕 𐑞 𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑪𐑮𐑦𐑒 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑹𐑛𐑟.

𐑞 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑖𐑵 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑣𐑽.

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

𐑞 𐑦𐑥𐑑𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑚𐑰𐑕 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑲𐑕𐑛 𐑨𐑟 𐑟𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑑𐑱𐑒𐑕 𐑩 𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑤𐑪𐑙𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑞 𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤. 𐑲𐑑𐑰𐑯 𐑥𐑳𐑯𐑔𐑕 𐑩𐑜𐑴, ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑟 ‘𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤’. ‘𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑘𐑫𐑼 𐑨𐑛𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑑 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑’, 𐑢𐑰 𐑢𐑻 𐑑𐑴𐑤𐑛, ‘𐑯𐑴-𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑳𐑤𐑯 𐑕𐑴 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑼𐑟: 𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑲𐑑, 𐑯𐑴𐑚𐑩𐑛𐑦 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑦𐑑: 𐑿 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑑 𐑹 𐑑𐑱𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑑. 𐑯𐑴: ·𐑖𐑷 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑚𐑰𐑯 𐑡𐑴𐑒𐑦𐑙’.

𐑯𐑬 𐑢𐑰 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑤𐑲 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑦𐑟 𐑮𐑧𐑜𐑘𐑫𐑤𐑼 𐑦𐑓 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑝 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑯𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑒𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑐𐑪𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑕: 𐑞𐑨𐑑 53,000 𐑒𐑪𐑐𐑦𐑟 𐑝 ‘·𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑮𐑩𐑒𐑤𐑰𐑟 𐑯 𐑞 𐑤𐑲𐑩𐑯’ 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑚𐑰𐑯 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑖𐑲𐑝𐑾𐑯: 𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 ·𐑒𐑢𐑹𐑑𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑦𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑛𐑿𐑕𐑑 𐑪𐑯 𐑩 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑼. 𐑰𐑗 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑑𐑲𐑒𐑩𐑯 𐑑𐑲𐑥, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑢𐑰 𐑼𐑲𐑝𐑛. 𐑢𐑰 𐑯𐑴 𐑤𐑪𐑙𐑜𐑼 𐑛𐑰𐑤 𐑦𐑯 𐑔𐑽𐑦 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕.

𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑐𐑹𐑑𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑼 𐑢𐑰 𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑬𐑼 𐑥𐑱𐑗𐑼 𐑑𐑧𐑒𐑯𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑑𐑦𐑟. 𐑚𐑲 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑟 𐑢𐑰 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑑 𐑩 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑦𐑖𐑵 𐑗𐑰𐑐𐑤𐑦, 𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑤 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼𐑟 𐑸 𐑯𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑼𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑔𐑬𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑯 𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑼𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑕 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑟 𐑰𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑪𐑥𐑦𐑒. 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑢𐑰 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑓𐑹𐑢𐑼𐑛 𐑑 𐑥𐑹 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑬𐑼 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑕𐑑 16 𐑐𐑱𐑗𐑩𐑟.

𐑒𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑐𐑪𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑢𐑺 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑛𐑦𐑥𐑭𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑩 𐑡𐑻𐑯𐑩𐑤. 𐑦𐑑 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑩 𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑓𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯𐑓𐑤𐑫𐑩𐑯𐑕. 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑼 𐑜𐑮𐑰𐑑𐑕 𐑦𐑑 𐑨𐑟 ‘𐑩 𐑑𐑼𐑦𐑓𐑦𐑒 𐑥𐑼𐑭𐑤-𐑚𐑵𐑕𐑑𐑼’, 𐑩𐑤𐑬𐑦𐑙 ·𐑧𐑝𐑼-𐑕𐑻𐑒𐑢𐑫𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑼𐑟 𐑑 𐑤𐑫𐑒 𐑚𐑦𐑘𐑪𐑯𐑛 𐑞𐑺 𐑴𐑯 𐑕𐑥𐑷𐑤 ·𐑜𐑮𐑵𐑐 𐑯 𐑑 𐑤𐑻𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑩𐑓𐑫𐑑 𐑧𐑤𐑕𐑢𐑺 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛. 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑑𐑲𐑐, 𐑨𐑟 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑨𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑣𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑦𐑙, 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑐𐑹𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑻𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑙, 𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑖𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑑 𐑤𐑴𐑯 𐑿𐑟𐑼𐑟 𐑝 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑣𐑵𐑟 𐑲𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑴𐑝𐑼𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑚𐑲 𐑮𐑰𐑛𐑦𐑙 ‘·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑.’

𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑜𐑮𐑨𐑑𐑘𐑫𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑧𐑥𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑝𐑟 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑿𐑤𐑦 𐑨𐑟 ·𐑓𐑬𐑯𐑛𐑼 ·𐑓𐑭𐑞𐑼𐑟 𐑝 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯, 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑿𐑟𐑼𐑟 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑧𐑑 𐑩𐑝𐑬𐑑 𐑩 𐑕𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑛 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑓𐑹𐑢𐑼𐑛. 𐑣𐑨𐑝𐑦𐑙 𐑩𐑛𐑝𐑭𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑯𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑔𐑽𐑦 𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕, 𐑢𐑰 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑯𐑬 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑳𐑞𐑼𐑟: 𐑢𐑰 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑨𐑯𐑛.

‘𐑰𐑗 𐑢𐑳𐑯, 𐑑𐑰𐑗 𐑢𐑳𐑯’, 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑚𐑰𐑯 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑒𐑤𐑱𐑥𐑛 𐑨𐑟 𐑬𐑼 𐑥𐑪𐑑𐑴: 𐑯𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑝𐑲𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑢𐑰 𐑑𐑱𐑒 𐑹 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑪𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑦𐑟 𐑪𐑓𐑩𐑯, 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑢𐑳𐑯𐑕, 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑥𐑪𐑑𐑴 𐑣𐑸𐑛 𐑑 𐑚𐑰𐑑. 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑑𐑻𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑫 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑰𐑟𐑦𐑤𐑦, 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑕 𐑒𐑺𐑤𐑩𐑕𐑤𐑦 𐑢𐑳𐑯: 𐑤𐑰𐑝 𐑘𐑫𐑼 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑹 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑡𐑻𐑯𐑩𐑤 𐑢𐑺 𐑦𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑰𐑯, 𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼𐑦𐑟 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴. 𐑧𐑝𐑮𐑦𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑰𐑜𐑛: 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑭𐑕𐑒 𐑑 𐑯𐑴 𐑥𐑹. 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑛𐑿𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑑 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑𐑕 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑮𐑩𐑒𐑤𐑰𐑟: 𐑤𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑢𐑳𐑯. 𐑦𐑓 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑱𐑓, 𐑤𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑞 𐑚𐑫𐑒. 𐑢𐑱𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑟 𐑨𐑟 𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑼𐑦𐑪𐑕𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑑 𐑧𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑓𐑨𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯.

‘SHAW-SCRIPT’, 𐑬𐑼 𐑑𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑤, 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑦 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑐𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 ·𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑩𐑯 𐑣𐑿 𐑒𐑨𐑕𐑩𐑯¹. 𐑯𐑴𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑥𐑰𐑯 𐑑 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑚𐑿𐑑 [𐑦𐑯 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯] 𐑑 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑡𐑻𐑯𐑩𐑤.

CONTRIBUTIONS [𐑝 400 𐑑 1400 𐑢𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑥𐑸𐑒𐑑 ‘𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑’ 𐑯 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑑: [KINGSLEY READ, ABBOTS MORTON, WORCESTER, ENGLAND]. 𐑓 𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑻𐑯, 𐑐𐑤𐑰𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑟 𐑐𐑴𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑡 𐑯 𐑧𐑯𐑝𐑩𐑤𐑴𐑐.] ·𐑜𐑮𐑵𐑐 𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑼𐑟 𐑝 𐑢𐑲𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑳𐑓 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑥𐑱 𐑚𐑰 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑦𐑓 𐑕𐑐𐑱𐑕 𐑩𐑤𐑬𐑟. 𐑣𐑭𐑓 𐑬𐑼 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑸𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑢𐑱, 𐑖𐑴𐑦𐑙 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑓𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑜𐑮𐑵𐑐 𐑢𐑻𐑒.

ENQUIRIES 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 ·𐑜𐑮𐑵𐑐 𐑕𐑻𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯: 𐑑 𐑕𐑱𐑥 𐑩𐑛𐑮𐑧𐑕. 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯, 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑱𐑡-𐑜𐑮𐑵𐑐 𐑯 𐑥𐑿𐑑𐑫𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑕 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑓𐑻𐑛.

A GUIDE, 𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑐𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑝 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙, 𐑩𐑚𐑮𐑰𐑝𐑦𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟, 𐑯 𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑖𐑦𐑐, 𐑦𐑟 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑕𐑻𐑓𐑩𐑕 𐑥𐑱𐑤, 𐑪𐑯 𐑤𐑦𐑕𐑰𐑑 𐑝 ·𐑥𐑳𐑯𐑦 𐑹𐑛𐑼 𐑓 1/6, 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑖𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑯 𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑕.

SPELLING 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑚𐑤𐑩𐑥𐑟, 𐑦𐑓 𐑝 𐑢𐑱𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑯 𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑪𐑤𐑝𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 GUIDE, 𐑥𐑱 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑳𐑥𐑼𐑲𐑟𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑓𐑿𐑗𐑼 𐑦𐑖𐑵𐑟, 𐑞𐑴 𐑞𐑱 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑛𐑩𐑥 𐑚𐑰 𐑭𐑯𐑕𐑼𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑐𐑴𐑕𐑑. 𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼-𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑯𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑟 𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑔𐑮𐑵 𐑕𐑑𐑳𐑛𐑦 𐑝 𐑞 GUIDE.

WORD-SIGNS: 𐑘𐑰 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑰𐑛 𐑒𐑷𐑖𐑩𐑕𐑤𐑦. 𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑥𐑝𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑪𐑯 𐑩 𐑝𐑨𐑤𐑘𐑫𐑩𐑚𐑦𐑤 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑢𐑰𐑯 ‘𐑞𐑨𐑑’ [𐑛𐑦𐑥𐑪𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑑𐑦𐑝] 𐑯 ‘𐑞𐑑’ [𐑥𐑽𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑡𐑳𐑙𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑝]. ‘𐑞𐑑’ 𐑦𐑟 𐑰𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑪𐑥𐑦𐑒: 𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑴 𐑝𐑲𐑩𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑬𐑼 𐑢𐑻𐑒𐑦𐑙-𐑮𐑵𐑤, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑚𐑬𐑩𐑤 𐑿𐑟𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑳𐑯-𐑕𐑦𐑤𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑢𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑦𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑑 𐑨𐑟 𐑦𐑓 𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑑. [𐑕𐑰 𐑸𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤: BERMUDA]. 𐑢𐑰 𐑩𐑛𐑪𐑐𐑑 𐑔𐑮𐑵𐑬𐑑 𐑞 𐑕𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑩𐑤-𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑼 𐑕𐑲𐑯 [𐑓] 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙 FOR. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑲𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑿𐑟𐑛: 𐑦𐑑 𐑤𐑦𐑥𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑞 𐑥𐑰𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑝 ‘𐑓𐑹’ 𐑑 FOUR 𐑹 FORE: 𐑦𐑑 𐑣𐑧𐑤𐑐𐑕 𐑳𐑕 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑛 𐑳𐑯𐑣𐑧𐑟𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑤𐑦:—’𐑓 𐑓𐑹 𐑝 𐑳𐑕, 𐑓𐑹 𐑓 𐑿, 𐑢𐑱𐑑 𐑓?’—𐑨𐑟 𐑢𐑰 𐑸 𐑩𐑒𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑛 𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑛𐑦𐑙 :—’𐑑 𐑑𐑵 𐑝 𐑳𐑕, 𐑑𐑵 𐑑 𐑿, 𐑢𐑺 𐑑?’

ALTERNATIVES: 𐑷𐑔𐑼𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑗𐑵𐑟 𐑓 𐑞𐑧𐑥𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑝𐑟 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑢𐑰𐑯 ‘𐑢𐑪𐑑,𐑢𐑺’ 𐑯 ‘𐑢𐑪𐑑,𐑢𐑺’: 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑚𐑦𐑑𐑢𐑰𐑯 ‘𐑷𐑕𐑒,𐑤𐑷𐑕𐑑’ 𐑯 ‘𐑨𐑕𐑒,𐑤𐑨𐑕𐑑’. 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑸 𐑷𐑤𐑑𐑼𐑯𐑩𐑑𐑦𐑝𐑟 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 GUIDE. 𐑪𐑯 𐑐𐑶𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑕𐑴 𐑕𐑱𐑒𐑮𐑩𐑛, 𐑢𐑰 𐑝𐑧𐑯𐑗𐑼 𐑯𐑴 𐑝𐑿𐑟: 𐑢𐑰 𐑸 𐑳𐑯𐑱𐑝𐑩𐑤 𐑑 𐑕𐑰 𐑣𐑧𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑦 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑗𐑶𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑬𐑼 𐑴𐑯. 𐑦𐑓 𐑧𐑤𐑕𐑢𐑺 𐑞 𐑧𐑛𐑦𐑑𐑹𐑾𐑤 𐑐𐑧𐑯 𐑩𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑖𐑩𐑕 𐑑 𐑩𐑯 𐑷𐑔𐑼, 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑪𐑜𐑥𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑒, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑼 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑮𐑰𐑛𐑼𐑟 𐑸 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑓𐑿𐑟𐑛 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑑𐑵 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑷𐑤𐑑𐑻𐑯𐑩𐑑𐑦𐑝𐑟. 𐑓 𐑐𐑘𐑫𐑼 𐑧𐑮𐑼𐑟 𐑢𐑰 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑷𐑕𐑒 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑳𐑤𐑡𐑩𐑯𐑕.

THE TYPEWRITER 𐑮𐑦𐑛𐑿𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑬𐑼 𐑨𐑤𐑓𐑩𐑚𐑧𐑑 𐑑 43 𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑼𐑟. 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑟’·𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑐𐑬𐑯𐑛𐑟, 𐑝 𐑝𐑬𐑩𐑤 𐑡𐑶𐑯𐑛 𐑑 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑯𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑽𐑾𐑕𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑮𐑨𐑥𐑐𐑑 𐑩𐑯𐑤𐑧𐑕 𐑑𐑲𐑐𐑑 𐑨𐑟 𐑑𐑵 𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑼𐑩𐑑 𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑼𐑟. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑥𐑩𐑖𐑰𐑯 𐑦𐑟 𐑩𐑚𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤, 𐑨𐑑 𐑯𐑹𐑥𐑩𐑤 𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑕, 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥: IMPERIAL TYPEWRITER CO, EAST PARK RD., LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

Canon Hugh Casson (d. c. 1963) was an Anglican clergyman (a Rev. and later Canon in the Church of England) who was one of the earliest and most passionate advocates for the Shavian alphabet. Casson originally conceived the idea for a dedicated periodical to test the script’s real-world legibility and provided its title, Shaw-script. Demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to the cause, Casson paid £29 out of pocket — a considerable sum in 1962 — to commission the second custom Shavian typewriter ever manufactured by the Imperial Typewriter Company of Leicester (Kingsley Read held the first). Casson contributed to the inaugural issue of Shaw-script, but his sudden death in a road accident shortly after receiving his custom machine deprived the early Shavian movement of its most active co-pioneer, leaving Read to manage and type the publication alone. ↩︎

The Odyssey: Pronunciation Lexicon

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Odyssey: Core Pronunciation Lexicon (Books 1–3)

This document will be updated with new entries as we read further. It aims to provide three pronunciation help modes:

A layman’s phonetic spelling
The robust IPA phonetic spelling
The Shavian alphabet rendering

I have chosen to follow Robert Fagle’s guide as my primary source, and then adjust where I have a strong preference.

Geographical & Ethnic Designations

Ithaca The rocky island kingdom of Odysseus; the stagnant home front in our opening act. Phonetic: ITH-uh-kuh IPA: /ˈɪθəkə/ Shavian: ·𐑦𐑔𐑩𐑒𐑩

Ogygia The island where Odysseus is held captive in a state of timeless stasis by the nymph Calypso. Phonetic: oh-JI-ja IPA: /oʊˈdʒɪdʒiə/ Shavian: ·𐑴𐑡𐑦𐑡𐑾

Achaea / Achaeans A collective, factional term used by Homer for the Greeks (interchangeable with Argives and Danaans). Phonetic: uh-KEE-uh IPA: /əˈkiːə/ Shavian: ·𐑩𐑒𐑰𐑩

Ilium The ancient name for Troy; the focal point of the ten-year war. Phonetic: IL-ee-um IPA: /ˈɪliəm/ Shavian: ·𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑩𐑥

Peloponnese The large peninsula of southern Greece, home to Pylos and Sparta. Phonetic: PELL-uh-puh-neez IPA: /ˌpɛləpəˈniːz/ Shavian: ·𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑩𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑰𐑟

The House of Ithaca

Odysseus The “wily” King of Ithaca. (Portrayed by Matt Damon) Phonetic: oh-DISS-ee-us IPA: /əˈdɪsiəs/ Shavian: ·𐑩𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑾𐑕

Penelope The Queen of “cunning and restraint.” (Portrayed by Anne Hathaway) Phonetic: puh-NELL-uh-pee IPA: /pɪˈnɛləpi/ Shavian: ·𐑐𐑦𐑯𐑧𐑤𐑩𐑐𐑦

Telemachus The Prince; the reluctant hero coming of age. (Portrayed by Tom Holland) Phonetic: tuh-LEH-muh-kus IPA: /tɪˈlɛməkəs/ Shavian: ·𐑑𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑒𐑩𐑕

The Suitor Mafia & Ithacan Citizens

Antinous The lead suitor and primary antagonist on the home front. (Portrayed by Robert Pattinson) Phonetic: an-TI-no-us IPA: /ænˈtɪnoʊəs/ Shavian: ·𐑨𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑯𐑴𐑩𐑕

Eurymachus The suitor with the “forked tongue.” Treachery wearing a fair face. Phonetic: yoo-RI-ma-kus IPA: /jʊˈrɪməkəs/ Shavian: ·𐑘𐑫𐑮𐑦𐑥𐑩𐑒𐑩𐑕

Aegyptius The elder of the assembly who prompts Telemachus’s “church” session (ekklesia) in Book 2. Phonetic: ee-JIP-shus IPA: /iˈdʒɪpʃəs/ Shavian: ·𐑰𐑡𐑦𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑕

The Court of Pylos & Veteran Warlords (Books 1-3)

Nestor The veteran King of Pylos; the “lord of the warcry.” Phonetic: NESS-tor IPA: /ˈnɛstɔːr/ Shavian: ·𐑯𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑹

Pylos (Location) A kingdom on the Peloponnese coastline; Telemachus’s first destination. Phonetic: PIE-lohs IPA: /ˈpaɪlɒs/ Shavian: ·𐑐𐑲𐑤𐑪𐑕

Pisistratus Nestor’s son and Telemachus’s travel companion. Phonetic: pye-SIS-truh-tus IPA: /paɪˈsɪstrətəs/ Shavian: ·𐑐𐑲𐑕𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑑𐑩𐑕

Agamemnon Commander of the Achaeans at Troy. (Portrayed by Benny Safdie) Phonetic: a-ga-MEM-non IPA: /ˌæɡəˈmɛmnɒn/ Shavian: ·𐑨𐑜𐑩𐑥𐑧𐑥𐑯𐑪𐑯

Menelaus The gritty King of Sparta, brother to Agamemnon. (Portrayed by Jon Bernthal) Phonetic: me-ne-LAY-us IPA: /ˌmɛnɪˈleɪəs/ Shavian: ·𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦𐑤𐑱𐑩𐑕

The Divine & The Elements

Athena (Mentes / Mentor) The Goddess of Wisdom and the “Director” of the narrative. (Portrayed by Zendaya) Phonetic: uh-THEE-nuh IPA: /əˈθiːnə/ Shavian: ·𐑩𐑔𐑰𐑯𐑩

Poseidon The Earthshaker; treated as a hostile force of nature in our Nolan framework. Phonetic: puh-SYE-dun IPA: /pəˈsaɪdən/ Shavian: ·𐑐𐑩𐑕𐑲𐑛𐑩𐑯

The Odyssey: Book II

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Suit Up

If I were to wake up one morning and discover that my every move was being narrated by a disembodied voice, like Will Ferrel in Stranger Than Fiction, then I do not think I do any better than the voice of Emma Thompson uttering these words:

When young Dawn with her rose-red fingers shone once more the true son of Odysseus sprang from bed and dressed, over his shoulder he slung his well-honed sword, fastened rawhide sandals under his smooth feet and stepped from his bedroom, handsome as a god.¹

And thus we enter book two. There are several moments in Homer’s poetry when cinematic scenes present themselves fully-formed from the text like this. Homer even seems to have fashioned these as little modular units that he calls into service to transition scenes. You will forgive the vulgar comparison, but they feel a lot like mini-montages. Hopefully the comparison does not violate your mind with pictures of Telemachus donning a sweatsuit, guzzling down raw eggs, and then jogging his way through the early morning streets of Philadelphia while Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger pumps through the air.

Okay, okay, that was uncalled for. This is not a Rocky montage scene. I shot wide of the mark. No, no, it is, in fact, a Marvel Suit-Up scene. And if Telemachus will be played by Tom Holland, I already have images of some kind of Greco-spiderman with sword and spear in hand, while two hunting hounds flank his entry into a rocky amphitheater or some high seat to address the swollen inhabitants of Ithaca. The men part before him like the Red Sea before Moses when he confidently strides forward with the burden of glorious purpose.

Avengers, Assemble

Telemachus seems to have called to order the first assembly since Odysseus left for Troy. Ithaca has been locked in perpetual holiday like some kind of Bronze Age Groundhog Day. The young prince is given fair words unprompted by an elder of the island, Aegyptius (ee-JIP-shus), which casts a favorable light on Telemachus taking charge. Here Homer uses Aegyptius to bring up the cyclops again, even though we have yet to learn the story. Perhaps this technique functions to plow the field of our minds and sow the seeds of fear so that when we finally meet the cyclops, he will be recognized and we will await his grisly deeds with tense anticipation. Or perhaps this kind of meta exposition serves those who have heard the tale before, offering them an in-group perspective. It could even be a kind of ancient viral marketing—speak of your tale as though everyone already has heard of it, and your listener will experience classical FOMO, the ancient human Fear Of Missing Out.

A curious detail to note: the herald delegates the speaking role by granting the speaker a staff. He acts like an emcee handing out a microphone during a PTA meeting. This staff would apparently be called the σκῆπτρον (skêptron), from which we derive the word scepter. I believe I have found the line in the Greek text here at 2.37-38:

σκῆπτρον δέ οἱ ἔμβαλε χειρὶ κῆρυξ Πεισήνωρ πεπνυμένα μήδεα εἰδώς.²

While on the subject of etymologies, such an assembly, both the gathering of citizens and any edifice constructed for such a gathering, would be known as the ekklesia (ek-klee-SEE-ah). Assemblies like this are a core part of ancient civilizations. We see this in the title of one book of wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible, קֹהֶלֶת (Kohelet, Koheleth, Qoheleth or Qohelet). We would recognize this by the name found in the Greek Septuagint, passed through Latin transliteration, and finally rendered as Ecclesiastes. This word and its usage form the basis for our modern sense of what Christian “church” is (but not the etymology of “church” per se). So I suppose this means that if any crusty Christian fundamentalists call you out for reading such a paragon of pagan literature, you tell ’em Telemachus holds church right here in book two (and also make them read St. Basil the Great’s Address To Young Men On The Right Use Of Greek Literature).

The Prince Is On A Mission From God

One of the notable features of an epic cycle is the grand vertical scale of the narrative vis-à-vis the powers of the heavens, on the earth, and in the underworld. Thus far we have recognized Odysseus and Telemachus as joint protagonists, but if we gaze upon high Olympus we must count Athena as our protagonist and Poseidon as our antagonist. Recall back to book one that bright-eyed Athena appeared to the prince in the form of Mentes and urged him set sail for news of his father. She counseled that if he discovered news of his father’s death, he should see to it his mother be wed forthwith to the best suitor, but if he were to catch any whisper that Odysseus yet lives, he should hold out hope another year and delay the suitors.

If this were medieval literature like Thomas Mallory’s, Le Morte d’Arthur, we could count on our protagonist to fail to follow this divine counsel, but Telemachus proves himself obedient to the letter. His adherence to Athena’s advice plays out quite naturally through the town hall meeting, such that you might find it hard to tell if it was fated from Athena, or he brought it to pass himself and simply had the right ideas planted.

First things are first on the meeting agenda, and so Telemachus makes a reprise of his righteous indignation, but the teen angst might be fading into the background. He calls upon the gods in a humble tone, recognizing himself as “a boy inept at battle” (2.66), though this could be a stroke of strategy to incubate the perception of his impotence in the minds of his enemies. In this way the great princes of Achaea might omit him from their calculations and leave him free to accomplish his task.

In the coup de grâce of his passionate rhetoric:

down on the ground he dashed the speaker’s scepter— bursting into tears.³

The world’s first mic drop. All of the assembly are struck silent with pity for him, all save Antinous, who wastes no time laying all the blame on Penelope, the very woman he is courting. He we are told a tale of her own cunning, how she would bide her time weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, but with equal skill and industry unweaving her work night after night. This ruse kept the suitors at bay for three whole years, but it was undone by the women of her house (the infidelity of whom will be a small theme of its own).

Antinous is a rogue, through and through. He seems to consider himself sufficiently wronged that a just recompense is the hospitality of the house of Odysseus in the form of bread, meat, and wine.

The Omen

As Telemachus’ finishes his rebuttal to Antinous, he threatens to invoke the gods to defend his claim, and his words are sealed with an omen of Zeus. Two eagles descend from high in the mountains in tight formation and slash at the people like Maverick and Goose performing a flyby.

While the elders read the omens clearly, youth is ever invincible and dismissive. Eurymachus (yoo-RI-ma-kus) belittles the sign as no more than flocks of birds. And what is more, he threatens the poor old man with hard fines if he continues to ill-fortune. We get a sense of their depravity and outright brigandry here. The teen gangs grown up in vacuum of the Trojan war have turned into the suitor mafia. Note these words, as bold as brass:

Who’s there to fear? I ask you. Surely not Telemachus, with all his tiresome threats. […] The prince’s wealth will be devoured as always, mercilessly—no reparations, ever…not while the queen drags out our hopes to wed her[.]⁴

The Ultimatum

Telemachus makes known his plan to the assembly. He is to set sail for news of his father in Sparta and Pylos. If his quest fails, he will hold a funeral for his father and see his mother wed. But if he learns his father is alive still, he will hold out another year. All things working out to the letter of Athena’s will it would seem.

Mentor chimes in at the end of the assembly to shake his fist at the youth for their disrespect of Odysseus. This is the real Mentor, though shortly we will see Athena take his form in order to accompany Telemachus in his journey.

The Prayer

Starting in 2.293, we get an ancient example of prayer which I find fascinating. What does prayer look like to an ancient Achaean? The first thing we see is invocation, or calling out to the god, though not strictly by name. He refers to Athena as: the one who came yesterday to his house as a god. The second thing we see might also be considered the invocation of a promise. It seems to take the form of: you told me to do X, but now my state is worse than before. Implicit in all this is some outcome promised or hoped for which is quickly fading from possibility in the mind of the supplicant. The answer to his prayer is immediate, though to him it must look like nothing more than an interruption.

Mentor, The Mentor

If the name, Mentor, and the wise counsel he offers to the youth Telemachus seem beyond coincidence, they are. This relationship is where mentorship was born, at least etymologically. And wise counsel is indeed given and followed faithfully. The first thing Telemachus does is make his way to the storehouse to requisition rations for him and a whole crew to set sail under the cover of darkness.

The rations are simple: bread and wine. I would wonder if they are meant symbolically as stand-ins for all manner of food and drink, except that they are repeatedly spoken of with detail. I particularly love the phrase « barley-meal—the marrow of men’s bones ». Muse on that phrase for a minute to think of how completely essential grains were to life. Now think of Wonder Bread. Now back to barley-meal, the marrow of men’s bones. One of these things is not like the other.

While the prince secures the rations, the goddess in form of Mentor enlists a crew ready to set sail for news of Odysseus. A sense of urgency and secrecy fills the pages here. Their departure assisted by a divine slumber cast over the suitors (do you think she added 2x hangover damage the next day?), a small victory feels gained at the words: All lay hands to tackle!⁵

And so we leave our crew, bowls brimming with wine as they speed over the wine-dark sea to fairer fortune.

Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, New York, Viking, 1996, p. 93. ↩︎
Internet Sacred Text Archive. “Unicode Homer: The Odyssey: Book 2.” Internet Sacred Text Archive, sacred-texts.com/cla/homer/greek/ody02.htm. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026. ↩︎
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, New York, Viking, 1996, p. 95. ↩︎
Ibid, p. 99. ↩︎
Ibid, p. 106. ↩︎

The Odyssey: Book I Part 2

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Recapitulation

Since we flew through the first book discussing some of the more unfamiliar aspects of the text, I want to walk through the events of books one and two more carefully. When reading epic poetry it is wise to get the events straight on a first pass and then take a second pass to thoroughly enjoy the effect the poetic descriptions have on the narrative. As we acquire more experience with this genre, this process will become more natural and integrated into a single reading. You may choose to pause, read a line over a couple times, turning it over to see it clearly, and then savoring it with relish. Reading in this fashion will help us build a frame for the story and then layer on detail. This skeleton will take on flesh and come alive as our fluency with the genre and story increases.

Book I

Let us get our bearing east and orient ourselves. If the Odyssey is the story of the voyage home of Odysseus, where do we find him at the start of the tale? He is substantially absent in the first four books—a feature that I expect will be a little disorienting—though we learn he is marooned on the island of Ogygia (oh-JI-ja), seemingly held hostage by Calypso with lovely braids (all nymphs and Nereids apparently have lovely braids). We will have to leave Odysseus here for now.

The Prince of Ithaca

The true protagonist of the first phase of the Odyssey is young Telemachus, the son of the man of twists and turns. When his father left rocky Ithaca, he was only a child. The traditions that followed the time of Homer say that one Palamedes (pal-uh-MEE-deez) sought to persuade Odysseus to join the war in Ilium (Troy), but cunning Odysseus feigned idiocy to avoid enlistment. Palamedes, in a clever trick of his own reminiscent of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, placed the infant Telemachus directly in the path of Odysseus’ plow. Thus he could prove himself out of his mind and escape the Trojan war, or he could protect the life of his son and fulfill his obligation.

The Odyssey introduces us to Telemachus as a man grown, though yet unproven. We catch him daydreaming in 1.138 when we are first introduced to him, and throughout the first book he bemoans the state of his house giving us a sense of brimming righteous indignation, but perhaps also a remnant of teenage angst. To wit, how old do we suspect him to be? The timeline of the story indicates that Odysseus spends a total of twenty years away from home, so we can assert that he was at least twenty, though he could be older. As we will see from several comparisons with his father, the journey to full manhood is a major theme of the Odyssey.

The Boy Becomes A Man

In the weave of stories spun out in the last few decades, reluctant heroes and shy, sheltered youths abound. Homer, however, motivates the young prince to action in his first scene. The goddess Athena fans his wrath into flame in the guise of Mentes (MEN-teez). Take note that Mentes is a different character from Mentor, in whose guise she will appear for the majority of the story.

The turning point for the son of Odysseus begins when his mother, Penelope, descends into the feast and complains that the DJ at this party, a.k.a. the bard Phemius (FEE-mee-us), is stirring up sorrow in her for her husband. True to form for any emo youth, he stands up for the music and instead lays the blame at the feet of Zeus. He calls her to courage, reminding her that the fate of their family was common to many who failed to return, and then he sends her back to watch over the work of women.

So, mother, go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of power in this house.¹

Note that Telemachus counts himself among the men here, and what is more, his mother accepts this word of command as clear good sense. We are told she was astonished. How should we interpret this exchange? No doubt some will jump at the chance to bring our modern cultural norms to bear on a three-thousand-year-old text from the Mediterranean, but since we are worlds apart from this journey, let us do our utmost to proceed without such chronological snobbery.

First, we ought to review the state of affairs in Ithaca. As we discussed, it has been nigh on twenty years since men from all over the Peloponnese went of to the shores of Ilium to fight for the Atreids, Agamemnon (a-ga-MEM-non) and Menelaus (me-ne-LAY-us), and reclaim Helen (and collect spoils in the process). That war dragged on for ten years, and many never made it home. This would have left a large power vacuum throughout the Peloponnese, into which many grew up. I am reminded of the line from the book of Judges: In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6). This is why many of the suitors do not know Odysseus and do not fear him or what is left of his house. His family’s wealth and lordship over Ithaca is in question now. The rulers of these city states did not necessarily succeed by royal bloodline, so Telemachus is in a dangerous position.

The Zen of Hospitality

In addition, one of the most fundamental rules of society in this era was that of xenia (most commonly pronounced ZEN-ee-uh, though a more Greek pronunciation would be ksen-EE-uh), or hospitality. Indeed, we shall find that the whole of Homer’s work is replete with scenarios of xenia done rightly and wrongly. We will see in 17.535 that the gods take on the look of strangers dropping in from abroad. To call another biblical reference to mind, we might consider the patriarch Abraham who entertained angels, or how the author of the letter to the Hebrews exhorts us: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:2). These suitors exceed their claim on hospitality, but Penelope is in no position to route them from the house.

Into this situation, Telemachus stands up and asserts the authority of his house for himself, which is his right. If Telemachus does not take up this mantle, or if he is killed in the process, Penelope will have no recourse left to her and her father will give her hand in marriage to another. The last card she can play is call down the Furies to restore justice.

So considering this context, I think we ought to interpret Telemachus’ words as a sign of him accepting responsibility and taking a courageous step into his father’s shoes. This is the clear good sense Penelope perceives, and she legitimizes his claim to the authority of the house by respecting him. Imagine if she had considered his words disrespectful and had scolded him in front of all the suitors. Telemachus would be humiliated and his honor would be dealt a blow from which he might not be able to recover. This could result in the collapse of their house. Penelope is astonished at the change in her son’s bearing, not at rudeness that must be anachronistically imported into the text, whatever our personal feelings on the matter.

Indeed, Telemachus appears to have been sparing his mother from the disrespect of the suitors, a disrespect native to their time, place, and culture. They break into an uproar and press Penelope to lie with her in bed. Homer bestows the epithet of discreet on Telemachus when he chides them and makes a play to direct their raucous energy on the food, drink, and the bard’s song, but not before announcing that tomorrow things are going to change.

While his courage makes a strong impression on most, it becomes clear quickly that there are a few conniving princes in this herd of suitors. First to speak is Antinous (an-TI-no-us), and instead of feeling shame or being daunted, he speaks with a kind of classical sarcasm. We see in Telemachus’ response the lack of any expectation that he will become king by birthright.

But there are hosts of other Achaean princes, look— young and old, crowds of them on our island here— and any one of the lot might hold the throne²

And then he repeats the point he presented to his mother:

But I’ll be lord of my own house and servants, all that King Odysseus won for me by force.²

Where Antinous brazenly defies Telemachus, Eurymachus (yoo-RI-ma-kus) displays far more tact. In fact, at the end of book one, we would be forgiven if we though him an honorable suitor who is the anti-Antinous. But we will see his treachery wears a fair face and speaks with a forked tongue.

Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, New York, Viking, 1996, p. 89. ↩︎
Ibid, p. 90. ↩︎ ↩︎

The Odyssey: Book I

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Book 1

In Medias Res

When beginning a story, it is customary to begin at the beginning. Quite sensible, in fact. The Harry Potter saga begins while the Boy Who Lived is a small child, and not yet The Boy Who Receives His Hogwarts Letter. You might even say that story begins before the beginning, functioning like a prologue.

If we think a little more carefully though, we might say that The Philosopher’s Stone starts in the middle of the action (for all us thick Americans, that is The Sorcerer’s Stone rightly named). Harry has just been exfiltrated from the ruins of his former home after the tragic death of his parents at the hands of Lord — Thingy. We learn this as the scene unfolds through dialogue cues, since the events happened off-screen (or off-page, but let’s face it, you’re thinking of the film). Throughout the saga we will receive flashbacks and supplemental accounts from other characters that start to fill in the missing details of that night.

This kind of storytelling mode is known by the Latin phrase « in medias res », which simply means in the middle of things. Book one of The Odyssey parachutes us in near the end of Odysseus’ journey home from the Trojan war. He’s been stuck on the island of Ogygia with Calypso for seven years, but we are not even told that much. We read starting at 1.19¹:

But then, when the wheeling seasons brought the year around, that year spun out by the gods when he should reach his home, Ithaca—though not even there would he be free of trials.²

So what do we know from this excerpt? Nought but that the time fated is come at last for Odysseus to return home. We get beautiful cyclic imagery declaring the appointed year being revealed, but no concrete units of time.

Lines 81 - 84 reveal the reason Odysseus is stuck on an island in the Pirates of the Mediterranean: he blinded the monstrously inhospitable, man-eating cyclops, Polyphemus, right in his good eye, and now his dad is pissed. Rotten luck for Odysseus since no-eyed Polyphemus’ father is the sea-god Poseidon, and if there is one thing the gods of Homer do well, it is hold a grudge.

Structure

While book one begins with words of Odysseus’ struggle, his men, and his striving to return home, focus soon shifts to how his family’s fortune in his absence. We are introduced to his son, Telemachus (tuh-LEH-muh-kus), who we will follow during the first four books.

Matt Damon returns under Nolan’s direction from Oppenheimer and Interstellar cast as Odysseus with Tom Holland cast as Telemachus. Holland is a sensible choice since Telemachus has recently come of age and must assume the mantle of his manhood and grow into the image of his wise and cunning father. His course is blessed by the guidance of the goddess Athena, who is played by none other than Marvel Spiderman’s love interest, Michelle, a.k.a. Zendaya. A newer inductee into the Christopher Nolan crew, Robert Pattinson, plays the violent suitor, Antinous, whom we meet in 1.440³:

Eupithes’ son Antinous broke their silence: “Well, Telemachus, only the gods could teach you to sound so high and mighty! Such brave talk. I pray that Zeus will never make you king of Ithaca, though your father’s crown is no doubt yours by birth.”

We can expect Pattinson to play up the mean-spirited sneering as he sucks down his host’s wine. Surely he’ll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes. He, alongside myriad other mindless jerks, is vying for the hand of Penelope, since Odysseus is presumed dead. Another two-film veteran of team Nolan, Anne Hathaway, will be taking her place at the loom.

Once we enter books 5-12, we will join Odysseus and learn of his adventures. In the final books, 13-24, we follow the return home and the fate of his house.

Non-Linear Time

Looking forward to the film premiere, our modern Bard, Christopher Nolan, is famous for his fascination with the function of time in cinematic storytelling. He’s made a career of the artistic exploration of chronology with films like Memento, Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet. And herein lies the reason I am so enthusiastic about this rendition of the ancient classic: I can think of no director with the skills and experience to mold the exquisite clay of this story into film-form. Whether his brush strokes are delicate and restrained, or the narrative perspective is greatly altered, he is poised to present a masterpiece for the age of cinema.

Of Characters & Proper Nouns

If it feels like the Bronze Age since you last read ancient Greek literature, some rhetorical culture shock is a common side effect. One dizzying feature of Homer is the sheer number of synonyms seen throughout the text. Some translations are said to simplify this, but Fagles is not shy to render the Greeks as Argives, Achaeans, Hellenes, etc., just as the text gives us. I expect that there are various subtleties specific to each, but when you compose over twelve thousand lines of dactylic hexameter verse, you are bound to get creative.

Mnemonics

Names of characters are often varied by employing their lineage. In place of Odysseus, we might see Laerte’s Son. Pay attention to genealogies! I am not suggesting you draw out family trees (they are already in the back of the edition we are using), but do pause when you notice the name of someone’s father and repeat it to yourself to cement the connection.

Names of characters also go with their homelands. This is especially prominent when treating with rulers and royalty. Remember that a unified Greece is a novel invention, and we are reading through the age of Greek nation-states which may be as small as a city or a island in the Aegean. When Athena takes the form of Mentes, she/he often goes with the title lord of the Taphians or lord of Taphos.

Last and in the chief place, names go with their epithets. If you studied any Homer in grade school and had crazy cat-lady English teacher whose feline infatuation was only rivaled by books, you had Homeric epithets hammered into you till your own vulgar epithets rose to the tip of your tongue. These are extra adjective bits that go before or after a name as in the giant-killer Hermes, the lord of the silver bow Apollo, Agamemnon lord of men, or Menelaus lord of the warcry. These tend to be fairly self-explanatory, but might itch your curiosity until you follow the rabbit trail and remember that Hermes killed the hundred-eyed giant, Argus Panoptes, or that Apollo slew the Python with his bow before assuming the seat of worship at Delphi. Without any intent to downplay the virtuosity of Homer, these epithets are a stylistic hack to fit names into the meter of the original Greek. They create a stable metric chunk that can be employed more easily throughout the story.

The Genealogy of the Royal House of Odysseus

If you own the print edition we are using, this genealogy is found on page 497, but for any of those listening to the audiobook or who prefer a digital reference, here is my attempt at a mermaid diagram family tree. I do not claim this will be very useful, but I could not pass up the opportunity to get more familiar with the House of Odysseus as well an excuse to tinker with mermaid diagrams. If you haven’t caught on yet, I am 100% nerd.

Pronunciation

Odysseus
- əˈdɪsiəs
- ·𐑩𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑾𐑕
Penelope
- pɪˈnɛləpi
- ·𐑐𐑦𐑯𐑧𐑤𐑩𐑐𐑦
Telemachus
- tɪˈlɛməkəs
- ·𐑑𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑒𐑩𐑕

This notation places the book as the first numeral and the line as the second. So 1.19 represents book 1, line 19. ↩︎
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, New York, Viking, 1996, p. 78. ↩︎
Ibid, p. 90. ↩︎

The Odyssey: Let’s Read Something Epic

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 23:50:35 +0000

As I write this, the heavens-wanderer we call our home is completing another tireless circuit of Helios, our life-giving star. Or to put it in our modern idiom: a new year is upon us!

As befits this transitional moment, I look back and consider the year for all its successes and failures. My reading volume was shamefully low, and I would be inclined to categorize that as a failure but for the intention I set to become a more thoughtful reader by reading less. I want to be more selective in what I read, and then consume it slowly—like savoring each bite of a rich meal.

To that end, I have made much more progress than a list of books read might convey (except by its diminutive stature). It is this spark of progress I intend to fan into a steady flame over the next year. I invite you to join me in going slow and reading something substantial enough that it improves under the harsh light of our full attention, rather than crumbling to bits and being carried away into an unremembered oblivion like so much chaff in the wind.

This mission, should you choose to accept it, comes to us appointed by the Fates, if I read aright the omens. Have you noticed them? Read the riddle spun out by Fate for yourself:

Of the works of mankind,
I am a pillar strong, a corner-stone;

My store is grand, my scale epic,
I come long before ancient Rome;

The Muse breathed out verses the bard did sing,
the drama, the actors, on the stage was seen;

My story in today’s Golden Bard burns,
a man of plot twists and time turns,
takes up my song on Hollywood’s Silver Screen.

The great work of which I speak? The epic of Homer, The Odyssey. Our modern era’s Golden Bard? Christopher Nolan. In July of 2026, Nolan will share his retelling of the great adventure and misfortune of cunning Odysseus. This is one of the few times we do not commit lexical violence when we say: it’s going to be epic.

### The Plan

The works of Homer deserve lengthy study, but I will content myself with spending roughly 6 months reading, reflecting, and discussing this great tale with anyone who cares to listen. It will also prepare us to view the upcoming film with heightened awareness.

The Odyssey is made up of 24 books, which you can think of as chapters (ancient texts tend to enumerate literary sections in the form “Book #”, e.g. the Confessions of St. Augustine). These divisions provide us a helpful set of checkpoints by which we can target a pace. I intend to work through 1 book each week in 2026. If followed exactly, the book could be completed by mid-June, a whole month before the film’s scheduled release. This strikes me as a healthy pace with just the right amount of slack to accommodate delays if things come up and reading grinds to a temporary halt.

I will be reading from the 1996 translation of Robert Fagles. He does not follow any original or adapted metric scheme of the poem, but his translation is widely considered poetic. This seems to mean that his word choices paint a picture and create a mood that is in the spirit of the Greek, but with artistic license. Translations are a domain where strong opinions abound, and I haven’t canvassed Homer’s translations much beyond accrediting Fagles’ place among the great translators, following recommendations from those whose sensibilities I share, and the assessing the availability of reasonably priced, aesthetically pleasing paperback editions and well-narrated audiobooks.

In this edition, the poem itself spans 412 pages, with more than 100 pages of editorial content (introduction, notes on the text, maps, genealogies, glossary, etc.). That comes out to about 17 pages per week, and about 2.5 pages per night. The corresponding audiobook, the version narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, is 13 hours and 3 minutes. In this audio form, the weekly workload is around 30 minutes of listening. Of course, when reading one book at a time, we are at the mercy of that book’s length, but they don’t vary too greatly (apart from books 4, 11, & 19).

It is my goal to publish at least one piece per book. They may take the form of a summary, a foray into the tangents the tale presents unsatisfied, linguistic questions, or general reflection. I hope to add a pronunciation guide to the key names in each book, and compile these into a complete guide to be published at the end. These will draw heavily from the guide in the Fagles edition, but perhaps updated to include a guide to names in the original Greek, IPA spellings, Shavian transliterations (a phonemic English alphabet), and possibly notes quibbling with the pronunciations given in this edition and the general state of how Greek has been passed down to us verses to modern Greeks (as much as I have gathered at least).

So find yourself a copy of The Odyssey and join me!

𐑞 ·𐑦𐑯𐑰𐑦𐑛 (The Aeneid)

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 04:51:49 +0000

### 𐑯𐑴𐑑 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑑𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑

𐑞𐑦𐑕 ·𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑟𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 ·𐑝𐑻𐑡𐑦𐑤’𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑨𐑕𐑦𐑒 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑛𐑵𐑕𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑩𐑯 ·𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑦𐑖 𐑑𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑 𐑩𐑝𐑱𐑤𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑐𐑳𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑒 𐑛𐑴𐑥𐑱𐑯, 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑰 𐑓𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑣𐑽.

𐑞 𐑤𐑲𐑯 𐑯𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑼𐑟 𐑸 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑜𐑨𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑰𐑛 𐑑 𐑥𐑨𐑗 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑨𐑒𐑩𐑛𐑧𐑥𐑦𐑒 𐑯𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑯 𐑑𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑸 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑕𐑻𐑝 𐑨𐑟 𐑩 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑝𐑰𐑯𐑾𐑯𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑓 𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑓𐑰𐑛𐑚𐑨𐑒, 𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑘𐑩𐑤𐑼𐑤𐑦 𐑓 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑮𐑵𐑝𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑟𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑞 𐑤𐑲𐑯 𐑯𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑼𐑟 𐑸 𐑡𐑧𐑯𐑼𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑮𐑲𐑯 𐑚𐑮𐑱𐑒𐑕 𐑝 𐑞 𐑑𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑 𐑛𐑬𐑯𐑤𐑴𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 ·𐑜𐑵𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑚𐑼𐑜.

𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑞 𐑻𐑡 𐑑 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤 ·𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑯 𐑯𐑱𐑥𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑩 𐑢𐑱 𐑨𐑟 𐑑 𐑥𐑹 𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑕𐑤𐑦 𐑩𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑒𐑕𐑦𐑥𐑱𐑑 𐑩 ·𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑯 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑰𐑛 𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑵𐑑𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑳𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑓𐑻𐑛 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑟 (𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑩𐑖𐑫𐑼𐑩𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑥𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑑 𐑧𐑤𐑕𐑢𐑺). 𐑲 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑛 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑥𐑲 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑑 𐑕𐑻𐑝𐑱 𐑒𐑪𐑥𐑩𐑯 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑯 𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑞 𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑢𐑲𐑛𐑕𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑛 𐑪𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯, 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑩 𐑢𐑱𐑑 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑑 𐑪𐑯 𐑨𐑒𐑩𐑛𐑧𐑥𐑦𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑿𐑑𐑦𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑛 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑩𐑛𐑥𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑤𐑦 𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑝, 𐑯 𐑲 𐑚𐑴𐑔 𐑩𐑒𐑯𐑪𐑤𐑦𐑡 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑯 𐑒𐑤𐑱𐑥 𐑥𐑲 𐑤𐑲𐑑 𐑑 𐑩𐑯 𐑩𐑐𐑦𐑯𐑘𐑩𐑯. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕 𐑲 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑳𐑝 𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑓𐑰𐑛𐑚𐑨𐑒–𐑚𐑲 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑛𐑵 𐑿 𐑯𐑴 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑐𐑼 𐑯𐑬𐑯𐑟?

𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕 𐑲 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑲𐑑 𐑓𐑰𐑛𐑚𐑨𐑒 𐑦𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑜𐑸𐑛 𐑑 𐑓𐑫𐑑𐑯𐑴𐑑𐑕. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑩𐑯 𐑰𐑟𐑦 𐑑𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑 𐑓 𐑞 𐑳𐑯𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑦𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛, 𐑕𐑴 𐑛𐑵 𐑐𐑤𐑰𐑟 𐑑𐑱𐑒 𐑯𐑴𐑑 𐑝 𐑢𐑻𐑛𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑜𐑦𐑝 𐑿 𐑐𐑷𐑟 𐑓 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑮𐑰𐑟𐑩𐑯 𐑹 𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼. 𐑲 𐑨𐑥 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑛𐑦𐑙 𐑬𐑑, 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑘𐑹 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑩𐑕𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑕, 𐑓𐑫𐑑𐑯𐑴𐑑𐑕 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑒𐑤𐑭𐑕𐑩𐑟:

𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑐𐑼 𐑯𐑬𐑯𐑟: 𐑓 𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤 𐑯 𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑕𐑩𐑟, 𐑲 𐑢𐑪𐑯𐑑 𐑑 𐑒𐑨𐑐𐑗𐑼 𐑚𐑴𐑔 𐑼𐑦𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑤 ·𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑨𐑟 𐑢𐑧𐑤 𐑨𐑟 𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑛 ·𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑦𐑖 𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 ·𐑤𐑨𐑑𐑦𐑯 𐑤𐑧𐑑𐑼𐑟. 𐑔𐑦𐑙𐑒 𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑨𐑟 𐑩 ·𐑮𐑴𐑟𐑧𐑑𐑩 𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑯.
𐑚𐑨𐑒𐑜𐑮𐑬𐑯𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑓𐑼𐑥𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯: 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑛𐑼 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑩𐑯 𐑪𐑐𐑼𐑑𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑩 𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑥𐑼 𐑪𐑯 𐑱𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟, 𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑦𐑡𐑩𐑯𐑟, 𐑯 𐑥𐑦𐑔𐑪𐑤𐑩𐑡𐑦𐑟. 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑹𐑾𐑯𐑑 𐑩 𐑮𐑰𐑛𐑼 𐑣𐑵 𐑦𐑟 𐑳𐑯𐑓𐑩𐑥𐑦𐑤𐑽 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑞 𐑜𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑴-𐑮𐑴𐑥𐑩𐑯 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑦.

𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑔𐑨𐑙𐑒𐑕 𐑓 𐑕𐑑𐑪𐑐𐑦𐑙 𐑚𐑲, 𐑮𐑰𐑛𐑦𐑙, 𐑯 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑦𐑚𐑿𐑑𐑦𐑙!

𐑚𐑫𐑒 1

𐑞 𐑸𐑜𐑘𐑩𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑

𐑞 ·𐑑𐑮𐑴𐑡𐑩𐑯𐑟, 𐑭𐑓𐑑𐑼 𐑩 𐑕𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑘𐑽𐑟’ 𐑝𐑶𐑦𐑡, 𐑕𐑧𐑑 𐑕𐑱𐑤 𐑓 ·𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑤𐑦, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑸 𐑴𐑝𐑼𐑑𐑱𐑒𐑩𐑯 𐑚𐑲 𐑩 𐑛𐑮𐑧𐑛𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑥, 𐑢𐑦𐑗 ·𐑰𐑩𐑤𐑩𐑕¹ 𐑮𐑱𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑨𐑑 𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑝 ·𐑡𐑿𐑯𐑴². 𐑞 𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑦𐑕𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑙𐑒𐑕 𐑢𐑳𐑯, 𐑯 𐑕𐑒𐑨𐑑𐑼𐑟 𐑞 𐑮𐑧𐑕𐑑. ·𐑯𐑧𐑐𐑑𐑿𐑯³ 𐑛𐑮𐑲𐑝𐑟 𐑪𐑓 𐑞 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑟, 𐑯 𐑒𐑭𐑥𐑟 𐑞 𐑕𐑰. ·𐑦𐑯𐑰𐑦𐑕, 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑴𐑯 𐑖𐑦𐑐 𐑯 𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑕 𐑥𐑹, 𐑼𐑲𐑝𐑟 𐑕𐑱𐑓 𐑨𐑑 𐑩𐑯 ·𐑨𐑓𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑯 𐑐𐑹𐑑. ·𐑝𐑰𐑯𐑩𐑕 𐑒𐑩𐑥𐑐𐑤𐑱𐑯𐑟 𐑑 ·𐑡𐑿𐑐𐑦𐑑𐑼 𐑝 𐑣𐑻 𐑕𐑳𐑯’𐑕 𐑥𐑦𐑕𐑓𐑹𐑗𐑵𐑯𐑟. ·𐑡𐑿𐑐𐑦𐑑𐑼 𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑓𐑼𐑑𐑕 𐑣𐑻, 𐑯 𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟 ·𐑥𐑻𐑒𐑘𐑼𐑦 𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑼 𐑣𐑦𐑥 𐑩 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑩𐑥𐑳𐑙 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑸𐑔𐑩𐑡𐑦𐑯𐑾𐑯𐑟. ·𐑦𐑯𐑰𐑦𐑕, 𐑜𐑴𐑦𐑙 𐑬𐑑 𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑳𐑝𐑼 𐑞 𐑒𐑳𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑦, 𐑥𐑰𐑑𐑕 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑥𐑳𐑞𐑼 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑖𐑱𐑐 𐑝 𐑩 𐑣𐑳𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕, 𐑣𐑵 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑝𐑱𐑟 𐑣𐑦𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑩 𐑒𐑤𐑬𐑛 𐑑 ·𐑒𐑸𐑔𐑦𐑡, 𐑢𐑺 𐑣𐑰 𐑕𐑰𐑟 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑣𐑵𐑥 𐑣𐑰 𐑔𐑷𐑑 𐑤𐑪𐑕𐑑, 𐑯 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑰𐑝𐑟 𐑩 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑑𐑱𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑒𐑢𐑰𐑯. ·𐑛𐑲𐑛𐑴, 𐑚𐑲 𐑛𐑦𐑝𐑲𐑕 𐑝 ·𐑝𐑰𐑯𐑩𐑕, 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯𐑟 𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑐𐑨𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑓 𐑣𐑦𐑥, 𐑯, 𐑭𐑓𐑑𐑼 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑹𐑕 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑥, 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑲𐑼𐑟 𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑼𐑦 𐑝 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑩𐑛𐑝𐑧𐑯𐑗𐑼𐑟 𐑕𐑦𐑯𐑕 𐑞 𐑕𐑰𐑡 𐑝 ·𐑑𐑮𐑶, 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑑𐑵 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴𐑦𐑙 𐑚𐑫𐑒𐑕.

¶

𐑸𐑥𐑟, 𐑯 𐑞 𐑥𐑨𐑯 𐑲 𐑕𐑦𐑙, 𐑣𐑵, 𐑓𐑹𐑕𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑓𐑱𐑑,
𐑯 𐑣𐑷𐑑𐑦 ·𐑡𐑿𐑯𐑴’𐑕 𐑳𐑯𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑣𐑱𐑑,
𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑤𐑛 𐑯 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑲𐑤𐑛, 𐑤𐑧𐑓𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑑𐑮𐑴𐑡𐑩𐑯 𐑖𐑹.
𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑤𐑱𐑚𐑼𐑟, 𐑚𐑴𐑔 𐑚𐑲 𐑕𐑰 𐑯 𐑤𐑨𐑯𐑛, 𐑣𐑰 𐑚𐑹,
𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑛𐑬𐑑𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑢𐑹, 𐑚𐑦𐑓𐑹 𐑣𐑰 𐑢𐑳𐑯
𐑞 ·𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯⁴ 𐑮𐑧𐑤𐑥, 𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑑 𐑞 𐑛𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑯𐑛 𐑑𐑬𐑯;
𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑚𐑨𐑯𐑦𐑖𐑛 𐑜𐑪𐑛𐑟 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑛 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑝𐑲𐑯,
𐑯 𐑕𐑧𐑑𐑩𐑤𐑛 𐑖𐑫𐑼 𐑕𐑩𐑒𐑕𐑧𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑤𐑲𐑯,
𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑢𐑧𐑯𐑕 𐑞 𐑮𐑱𐑕 𐑝 ·𐑷𐑤𐑚𐑩𐑯⁵ 𐑓𐑭𐑞𐑼𐑟 𐑒𐑳𐑥,
𐑯 𐑞 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑜𐑤𐑹𐑦𐑟 𐑝 𐑥𐑩𐑡𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑒 ·𐑮𐑴𐑥.
𐑴 ·𐑥𐑿𐑟! 𐑞 𐑒𐑷𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑯 𐑞 𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑥𐑟 𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑱𐑑;
𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑜𐑪𐑛𐑧𐑕 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑝𐑴𐑒𐑑, 𐑯 𐑢𐑧𐑯𐑕 𐑣𐑻 𐑣𐑱𐑑;
𐑓 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑩𐑓𐑧𐑯𐑕 𐑞 ·𐑒𐑢𐑰𐑯 𐑝 𐑣𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑨𐑯
𐑑 𐑐𐑻𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑿𐑑 𐑕𐑴 𐑚𐑮𐑱𐑝, 𐑕𐑴 𐑡𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑩 𐑥𐑨𐑯;
𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑪𐑤𐑝𐑛 𐑣𐑦𐑟 𐑨𐑙𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑕 𐑤𐑲𐑓 𐑦𐑯 𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑤𐑩𐑕 𐑒𐑺𐑟,
𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑴𐑟𐑛 𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑕, 𐑯 𐑣𐑳𐑮𐑦𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑵 𐑢𐑹𐑟!
𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑣𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑣𐑲 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑖𐑴,
𐑹 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟 𐑞𐑺 𐑕𐑐𐑲𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑣𐑿𐑥𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑴?

¶

𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑑𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑥𐑬𐑔, 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑓𐑸 𐑩𐑢𐑱,
𐑩𐑯 𐑱𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑑𐑬𐑯 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑕𐑰𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑕𐑰;
𐑩 ·𐑑𐑽𐑾𐑯 𐑒𐑪𐑤𐑪𐑯𐑦; 𐑞 𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤 𐑥𐑱𐑛
𐑕𐑑𐑬𐑑 𐑓 𐑞 𐑢𐑹, 𐑯 𐑕𐑑𐑿𐑛𐑾𐑕 𐑝 𐑞𐑺 𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑛:
·𐑜𐑸𐑔𐑦𐑡 𐑞 𐑯𐑱𐑥; 𐑚𐑦𐑤𐑳𐑝𐑛 𐑚𐑲 ·𐑡𐑿𐑯𐑴 𐑥𐑹
𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑣𐑻 𐑴𐑯 ·𐑸𐑜𐑪𐑕, 𐑹 𐑞 ·𐑕𐑱𐑥𐑾𐑯 𐑖𐑹.
𐑣𐑽 𐑕𐑑𐑫𐑛 𐑣𐑻 𐑗𐑨𐑮𐑾𐑑; 𐑣𐑽, 𐑦𐑓 ·𐑣𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑻 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛,
𐑞 𐑕𐑰𐑑 𐑝 𐑷𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑧𐑥𐑑𐑲𐑼 𐑖𐑰 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑲𐑯𐑛.
𐑘𐑧𐑑 𐑖𐑰 𐑣𐑨𐑛 𐑣𐑻𐑛 𐑩𐑯 𐑱𐑯𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑮𐑵𐑥𐑼 𐑓𐑤𐑲,
(𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑕𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑞 𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤 𐑝 𐑞 𐑕𐑒𐑲,)
𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑑𐑲𐑥𐑟 𐑑 𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑕𐑰 𐑞 ·𐑑𐑮𐑴𐑡𐑩𐑯 𐑮𐑱𐑕
𐑣𐑻 ·𐑒𐑸𐑔𐑦𐑡 𐑮𐑵𐑦𐑯, 𐑯 𐑣𐑻 𐑑𐑬𐑼𐑟 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑱𐑕;
𐑯𐑹 𐑞𐑳𐑕 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑓𐑲𐑯𐑛, 𐑞 𐑘𐑴𐑒 𐑝 𐑕𐑪𐑝𐑮𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑢𐑱
𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑪𐑯 𐑞 𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑕 𐑝 𐑷𐑤 𐑞 𐑯𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑤𐑱.
𐑖𐑰 𐑐𐑪𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑛 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑯 𐑓𐑽𐑛 𐑦𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑓𐑱𐑑;
𐑯𐑹 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑓𐑼𐑜𐑧𐑑 𐑞 𐑢𐑹 𐑖𐑰 𐑢𐑱𐑡𐑛 𐑝 𐑤𐑱𐑑
𐑓 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑒𐑼𐑦𐑙 ·𐑜𐑮𐑰𐑕 𐑩𐑜𐑧𐑯𐑕𐑑 𐑞 ·𐑑𐑮𐑴𐑡𐑩𐑯 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑.
𐑚𐑦𐑕𐑲𐑛𐑟, 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑒𐑷𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑢𐑻𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑣𐑻 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛,
𐑯 𐑕𐑰𐑒𐑮𐑩𐑑 𐑕𐑰𐑛𐑟 𐑝 𐑧𐑯𐑝𐑦, 𐑤𐑱 𐑚𐑦𐑣𐑲𐑯𐑛;
𐑛𐑰𐑐 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑣𐑻 𐑣𐑸𐑑 𐑞 𐑛𐑵𐑥 𐑮𐑦𐑥𐑱𐑯𐑛
𐑝 𐑐𐑸𐑖𐑩𐑤 ·𐑐𐑨𐑮𐑦𐑯, 𐑯 𐑣𐑻 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑛𐑱𐑯𐑛;
𐑞 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑕 𐑚𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑴𐑛 𐑪𐑯 𐑮𐑨𐑝𐑦𐑖𐑑 ·𐑜𐑨𐑯𐑦𐑥𐑰𐑛,
·𐑦𐑤𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑮𐑩’𐑟 𐑜𐑤𐑹𐑦𐑟, 𐑯 𐑣𐑻 𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑛 𐑚𐑧𐑛.
𐑰𐑗 𐑢𐑪𐑟 𐑩 𐑒𐑷𐑟 𐑩𐑤𐑴𐑯; 𐑯 𐑷𐑤 𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑲𐑯𐑛
𐑑 𐑒𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑤 𐑝𐑧𐑯𐑡𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑦𐑯 𐑣𐑻 𐑣𐑷𐑑𐑦 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛.
𐑓 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑓𐑸 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 ·𐑤𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑒𐑴𐑕𐑑
𐑖𐑰 𐑛𐑮𐑴𐑝 𐑞 𐑮𐑧𐑥𐑯𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑝 𐑞 ·𐑑𐑮𐑴𐑡𐑩𐑯 𐑣𐑴𐑕𐑑;
𐑯 𐑕𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑘𐑽𐑟 𐑞 𐑳𐑯𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑦 𐑢𐑪𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯
𐑢𐑻 𐑑𐑪𐑕𐑑 𐑚𐑲 𐑕𐑑𐑹𐑥𐑟, 𐑯 𐑕𐑒𐑨𐑑𐑼𐑛 𐑔𐑮𐑵 𐑞 𐑥𐑱𐑯.
𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑑𐑲𐑥, 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑑𐑶𐑤, 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼𐑛 𐑞 ·𐑮𐑴𐑥𐑩𐑯 𐑯𐑱𐑥,
𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑤𐑧𐑙𐑔 𐑝 𐑤𐑱𐑚𐑼 𐑓 𐑕𐑴 𐑝𐑭𐑕𐑑 𐑩 𐑓𐑮𐑱𐑥.

Aeolus (αίολος): son of Hippotes and the ruler of the winds ↩︎
Juno (Iuno): goddess of marriage, women, and family; wife to Jupiter; called “Regina”, or Queen; Hera (Greek) ↩︎
Neptune (Neptūnus): the god of the sea; Poseidon (Greek) ↩︎
Latian ↩︎
Alban ↩︎

Pselecting A Psalter

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

You can never have too many Psalters.

This year I set out on a 10-year journey to commit all 150 Psalms to memory. As Psalm 77:10 reads in the Greek (LXX): Now have I made a beginning, this change hath been wrought by the right hand of the Most High.

I began preparations for this pilgrimage in the fall of last year. I had strong concerns I simply did not possess the requisite memory abilities to achieve my ambitious goal. I have always been dismal at remembering song lyrics, but I counted a glimmer of hope in my ability to recall movie quotes. I suspected some of my potential had been crippled by the progressive surrender of my faculties to the power and convenience of technology—a kind of iPhone and Google induced mnemonic atrophy.

I decided to test my capabilities by memorizing Psalm 1 since the words, “on His law will he meditate day and night,” sowed the very seed in my heart to begin this project. The process was slow and repetitive. I drilled and drilled the psalm. I hunted for musical versions and practiced with an Anglican chant setting I discovered. Progress came in chunks, specifically vv.1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. I wish I recorded how long it took me to memorize those scant 6 verses but, suffice it to say, it felt like months.

Through my stubborn perseverance, I discovered, or rather rediscovered the power of memorization laying dormant in me. Once I cemented Psalm 1, Psalms 4, 51, and 95 came much more quickly. I realized that through my new devotion to Morning and Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (begun in mid 2023) I had unconsciously memorized nearly half of the Daily Office. I was joyfully surprised and encouraged at awakening my capacity for memorization. It was as if I had reclaimed a lost aspect of my humanity and unlocked a doorway to a garden of cognitive and meditative potential. A fire was kindled within me to pursue this project with significant attention and fervor.

How then to begin such a journey? It can be as simple as picking up your Bible, opening to Psalm 1, and reading it 10 times a day. This is how I began my pilot of the project, but I quickly found myself wanting to know more about the psalm’s interpretation so I could better understand the words taking shape in my mind. This is a natural part of the process: When you give your attention to God’s word and become intimately familiar with a passage, you till the soil of your heart, sow seed, and God mysteriously brings growth. So be diligent to cooperate with the grace of His growth by faithfully watering this shoot. Fan into flame every spark sent from our Father of lights.

As I studied interpretations of Psalm 1, I became aware of subtle differences in translation, some significant for the sense of the text, but most were stylistic and affected my love for the text. Let me explain. I experimented with reciting several versions and found that certain wordings would embed themselves so firmly into my memory that they replaced the text I originally memorized. Some phrases were sticky. The Psalm 1 stored in my memory became a blend of at least three translations.

The qualities I experienced as sticky are peculiar to my tastes and sensibilities. Despite this subjective nature, certain literary works and styles are objectively proven by their enduring acclaim. The King James Version Bible is one such enduring work, and the Elizabethan mode is one such style. Much of the stickiest qualities I experienced are native to the Elizabethan style, such as non-SVO syntax or archaic pronouns and verbs, but others include consistent word choices and harmonized phrases across the Psalms.

Consider an example from Psalm 51:10–12, first from the KJV 1900.

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
And take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with thy free spirit.

While modern English syntax normally flows in Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, the Elizabethan English poetically varies this order. If you are not familiar with this sentence structure, it commonly requires more than one reading to parse out who (Subject) is doing (Verb) what (Object). However, if you are familiar, the distinct syntactical flow presents a poetic emphasis normally unavailable in languages bereft of inflection.

The same passage in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) shows how significant the return to SVO syntax can be. The petitions of the psalmist sound mundane by comparison, even though their content remains essentially unchanged.

God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.

There is no question that the CSB is a more accessible translation here. The meaning of the verses requires little to no contemplation to comprehend. But herein lies the rub—it is precisely contemplation that I am after when looking to “meditate on His law day and night.” Do not misunderstand this as a criticism of the CSB or other accessible translations as valid Bible translations, but instead as an evaluation of their particular utility in meditative memorization of the Psalms. I often use translations like the CSB, NET, NIV, and NLT (to name but a few) to help understand the literal sense of the text, but seldom for precise renditions of the original languages or memorable style.

To demonstrate the archaic pronouns and verbal forms, let us look to one of the Gospel canticles, the Nunc Dimittis of Luke 2:29–32. Here is the KJV 1900 again:

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

The second person singular pronoun, thou/thee/thy/thine, may be the most recognizable aspect of this era of English. It may also be the most misunderstood. Perhaps due to the sense of reverence the KJV language gives the Scriptures, “thou” is often thought to be a formal pronoun. Instead, it is the informal pronoun. Additionally, its various forms are the English equivalent of case inflections that tell you whether it is being used as a subject, direct object, or possessive.

Archaisms like this are strongly polarizing. I do not intend to make an authoritative claim about its fittingness in Christian Scripture or liturgy, only to comment on its stickiness for memorization and only according to my experience. All those thee’s and thine’s were the first thing to overwrite the texts I memorized. The archaic pronouns burst forth of their own accord during recitation, much to my surprise. I suspect that high esteem for the Elizabethan period disposes me to them, but I believe it goes beyond that. There is something truly euphonious about thou/thee/thine. If you consider the sound of you/your, it has a guttural vowel quality to it that while not necessarily cacophonous, it lacks the pleasing “th” consonant sound that breaks up the vowels. When thy is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, thine is used (likewise with my/mine). Again, it breaks up the vowels in a pleasing way that facilitates both pronouncing and hearing the words articulately.

Falling in love with the Elizabethan style native to Shakespeare, Cranmer, Coverdale, Spenser, and others comes with a catch. I am supremely aware of the fact that the Scripture of our New Testament was written in the vulgar Greek that we know today as Common Greek (κοινη/koine) and not in the high dialects we collectively refer to as Classical Greek. I am conscientiously following the opposite of this New Testament pattern, and that gives me pause. I fear the temptation to pretension and conceit that comes with the knowledge and usage of a high form of speech. This temptation heightens with the natural entropic descent of vernacular speech into vulgarity. In other words, the more our English is corrupted, the more pretentious it seems to recover archaic style.

I believe the tension between broadly accessible language and high linguistic beauty is universal. I do not have a profound or novel solution to resolve this tension apart from embracing both genuinely. Christians understand the nature of the cross as a timeless solution to the problem of horizontality and verticality. We traditionally focus on this as a symbol of the convergence of our horizontal relationship with our neighbor and our vertical relationship with God, however, a truth as deep as the cross is polyvalent. In this light, I embrace the vertical ascent I experience through the beauty and poetry of “high speech,” an oft laborious climb up the mountain of God that rewards the laborer with revelatory vistas. But after making an ascent, one must return to the everyday plains and share the fruits of contemplation. Scripture consumed through memorization must be digested before it can be related in accessible speech. The love begotten in communion with God on the mountain is made active by translating His words into a ladder that enables God-fearers to begin their own ascent from whatever altitude in which they find themselves. And if they are so disposed, it may be that in sharing a taste of the high language, it will elevate their gaze and inspire them to hold fast their faith and continue the ascent.

Through this cruciform consideration, I have decided to focus memorization on a vertical translation of the Psalms as well as routine reading through a horizontal translation. For the vertical axis, I have selected the Holy Transfiguration Monastery’s Psalter According to the Seventy. This translation comes from a Russian Orthodox monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. As such, I often hear this translation referred to as the Boston Psalter or the HTM Psalter. This translation was built on the work of two independent translations, those of Fr. Lazarus Moore of India and Fr. Michael Gelsinger of New York. It was translated from the Greek Septuagint, itself an ancient translation of the Old Testament, and not the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) common to most Bibles.

An explanation of those two textual traditions is very worthwhile, but out of scope for this discussion. Suffice it to say that in the era of the early church, the Greek Septuagint was the most accessible translation available for the ancient world because the Greek language was a lingua franca in the ancient world. Septuagint is a Latin word for seventy, often abbreviated using the Roman numerals “LXX”, alluding to the story of the original 70 (or possibly 72) Hebrew translators summoned to Alexandria to produce a Greek translation of the first five books of Moses. While you may not have heard of the LXX before, its influence is present throughout the New Testament where its authors often follow the Greek LXX and not the Hebrew MT.

The HTM Psalter is written in the style of the King James version of the Bible. The publishers believe this style contributes to solemnity, beauty, and liturgical use. In the Translator’s Introduction at the beginning, it states of the KJV English that, “it is a more ancient and purer form of the language.” While this translation bears much of the hallmark beauty of that style, it never feels ostentatious or excessively old timey. The raw, visceral emotions of the Psalms do not get airbrushed by flowery language. The subtle differences in the Greek LXX source text also contribute to a more straightforward reading of the Psalms that resonates more strongly with me.

The textual differences between the LXX and MT sources do not change the overall sense presented in each of the psalms. Psalms of lamentation remain a lament. Psalms of praise remain praiseful. Those psalms which are widely recognized to be prophetic retain their prophetic quality, though the Christological emphasis is often greater than in the MT. The superscriptions of each psalm do often differ, and scholars have long leveraged both textual streams for a fuller picture about the nature of each psalm. Without doubt, the most jarring difference is the enumeration of the Psalms. Because of a couple different choices regarding where one psalm ends and another begins, much of the Greek psalter is numbered one psalm behind the widespread numbering according to the Hebrews—the numbering used in all Protestant Bibles. This may seem very disconcerting, but the Roman Catholic tradition is very familiar with this problem given that the Latin Vulgate follows the Greek numbering as well.

The Greek of the LXX is distinct from its period because it incorporates much of the Hebrew idioms present in the original text. However, there are many places where such idioms were interpreted to accommodate intelligibility. These interpretive variants serve a tremendously important function to Biblical scholarship because they form a bridge through history from the original authors of the Hebrew text to us in the modern era via the translators of the third century BC.

One Hebraism I find confusing occurs in Psalm 70:3 (ESV):

Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”

This phrase, “aha,” occurs in four verses of the Psalms (Ps 35:21,25; 40:15; 70:3) and always carries a sense of mockery from the ungodly. When I reflect on those passages, I can understand the sense of mockery, but I initially expect the word to be an exclamation of realization—the kind we even call an aha moment. Think of the famous epiphany of Archimedes when he cried, “Eureka!” This misunderstanding is hard for me to disassociate. Hear instead how the HTM renders this passage:

Let them be turned back straightway in shame that say unto me: Well done! Well done!

This change naturally lends itself to a tone of sarcasm. The original meaning thus remains unchanged and becomes more intuitive to my modern ears. Variations like this expand my understanding of the Psalms, and not from academic commentators, but from the textual tradition of the Church itself. It is my joy to bring this oft unheard witness to conversations on the Psalms amongst Christians.

The HTM bears a strong harmony of phrases and passages throughout the Psalms. If this harmony is not native to the Greek LXX itself, then the translators and editors of the psalter have labored long with an eye towards this kind of consistency which is a boon to memorization.

One such consistent phrase is found in the Songs of Ascent of Psalms 120–134. The first two verses of Psalm 129 begin with a call and response antiphon, which read like this in the 2019 New Coverdale Psalms:

“Many a time have they fought against me from my youth on,” may Israel now say; “Indeed, many a time have they afflicted me from my youth on, but they have not prevailed against me.”

Note how fought in the first verse is substituted with afflicted in the second. The HTM reads thus:

Many a time have they warred against me from my youth, let Israel now say, many a time have they warred against me from my youth, and yet they have not prevailed against me.

This harmony between the first two verses appears in the LXX text. Where this gets even more interesting is in the last verse of Psalm 120 where the HTM says, With them that hate peace I was peaceable, when I spake unto them, they warred against me without a cause. The phrase “warred against me” is repeated between these two psalms, lending them a memorable harmony. The 2019 New Coverdale reads, I labor for peace, but when I speak to them of it, they make themselves ready for battle. Here we find our third distinct phrase out of those three verses. The New Coverdale Psalms appear to veer from the Hebrew, which keep Psalm 129:1–2 in harmony, but the point remains. These and various other phrases make up the vernacular of the HTM and are used like building blocks for the language of the Psalms. These building blocks can likewise edify our memorization.

While the Psalter of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery occupies the vertical axis, I have chosen the 2019 New Coverdale Psalms to uphold the horizontal axis. This translation of the Psalms was published in the ACNA’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is an integral part of the anglophone tradition of prayer and liturgy. Together these two selections cover vast historical and geographical territory as witnesses to the Eastern and Western Christian traditions.

This 2019 rendition stands on the shoulders of the seminal 1662 edition of the BCP which published the Psalms from Myles Coverdale’s translation of the Bible in 1535. His translation included William Tyndale’s work but had to supplement the remaining untranslated books with his own translations rendered not from the original Greek and Hebrew texts but from the Latin Vulgate and German translations (including Luther’s German Bible). The Psalter thus printed in 1662 bears the beauty of the Elizabethan English form and has a unique set of readings that incorporate the Latin Vulgate.

The 2019 Psalter modernizes the language of the 1662 edition for contemporary liturgical use, and it does this superbly well. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through it in the monthly cycle of the Daily Office, and I appreciate how the verses retain a measure of the charm and grace of the Elizabethan poetry while not taxing comprehension. These are the fruits of the labor of many hands, including notable Anglican literary titans, T.S. Eliot and C.S. Lewis.

By selecting two translations, I am not proposing to memorize both in tandem. I will focus my attention memorizing the LXX Psalter since it resonates most strongly with me. However, I intend to continue reading the New Coverdale Psalms as a part of the Daily Office. This twofold approach also has a cruciform shape—the vertical practice of memorization and meditation and the horizontal practice of monthly recitation.

It is possible, perhaps even likely, that I will corrupt my efforts to memorize one translation by regularly reading through another. I embrace this possibility because recall of these Psalms is not an incantation, but a sacramental means to communion with the triune God. The words of any reasonable translation mediate to us divine truth, in which we encounter God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Wherever you are in your pilgrimage, I hope this inspires you to take up the Psalms like a warrior takes up his sword, and to select that sword with care and attention to detail so you may wield it effectively. I pray your recitation and memorization trains your hands for battle so that in the day of testing you might slay the dragon of the passions.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.

Blessed Is The Man

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This is the first in a series of articles in which I will chronicle my pursuit of memorizing Scripture. I want to discuss methods and transparently reveal my successes, failures, and the impact the exercise has on me. I say exercise, but lest you think this is a mere didactic curiosity of mine, know that I am integrating this into the fabric of my life as a defining habit.

Perhaps you recognized that the title of this article is the opening line of the Psalms. I have always been captivated by Psalm 1—perhaps because it provides the thesis for the whole collection, or perhaps because I struggle to engage and stay motivated through all the psalms (something that has changed dramatically for me recently). My determination to memorize Scripture is a product of much reflection on the content of Psalm 1. Let’s have a look at how it opens.

Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law will he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside, that will bring forth his fruit in due season. His leaf also shall not wither; and look, whatever he does, it shall prosper.

In this psalm of David, we are given a picture of a man who is truly blessed—what he does and what he does not do. I point out that the psalm is written about a man in particular not because it cannot apply to all humanity, but because the prototypical man of Psalm 1 is Jesus Christ himself (and the original languages are unambiguous). The picture of blessing is interesting. Instead of anthropomorphizing an object—attributing human characteristics to a non-human entity—the anthropos (human) is given the characteristics of a plant. The blessed or happy man is like a tree nourished by living waters (i.e. flowing waters). The tree, receiving its life from the waters, in turn yields life as it bears fruit reliably.

At the center of the tree-man’s blessing, indeed the core practice that yields all the signs of blessing, is the delight in and the meditation on the law of the Lord. The Septuagint (LXX) alternately translates “delight in” by saying that his will is in the law of the Lord, putting “delight” and “will” in an insightful parallel. Perhaps delight is not something we are helpless to direct, but can, in fact, be something we cultivate through willing the good found in the law.

But what is this law? In the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT), we see the word torah, while the Greek LXX employs nomos. Torah is a word with two prominent senses—law and instruction. However, since the first five books of Moses are also referred to as the Torah, it has the additional synecdochical sense of referring to the whole collection of Holy Scripture. The Greek term, to my knowledge, does not share other senses beyond “law.” It functions in the place of “torah” in the New Testament writings, especially in the discourses of Jesus. As the translation of the Hebrew word, it imports the same connotations. As Paul says to the Romans, Christ is the end and fulfillment of the nomos (Rom 10:4). Jesus himself says this in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:17). Paul also speaks of τὸν νόμον τοῦ χριστοῦ (ton nomon tou christou), or “the law of Christ” in Galatians 6:2. The law of Psalm 1 is nothing less than the Word, instruction, and commandments of God revealed through Holy Scripture and ultimately incarnated into time and space by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary as Jesus Christ himself.

Now we come to the core practice of the happy man: he meditates day and night on the law—in other words “without ceasing.” But what kind of “meditation” does he practice? Here in the United States, the word itself often brings to mind a distorted picture of a commercialized Buddhist practice directed towards self-help goals like stress reduction. This kind of meditation is different. Think instead of contemplation. If you meditate on the law, then the words of the law will be on your heart and your lips day and night, when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You will hold it in your mind, turn it over, test it with questions, and ponder it alone on your bed and in the community. This kind of meditation is the means by which we receive the blessing of the Word.

This age does not encourage a life lived with ample space to reflect. The face of our master and commander is none other than our calendar, and it is a ruthless taskmaster. But how can we learn if we do not reflect? And how can we reflect if we lack a quiet moment where our thoughts are not stifled? And how can redeem the moments given to us when our delight is in distraction? Reflection is a virtue. Stillness is essential. Our will must be in the Word.

I’ve spent the last several years trying to get Scripture into my head through reading, study, podcasts, sermons, and anything else I can get my hands on. This time has not been fruitless by any account. But I still long for greater understanding. I want it deeper within me. I want the Scripture embedded in my heart. I want to have the living water flowing through the center of me so I can become like the tree of life. So I have begun memorizing Scripture, and in particular the Psalms of David. Not just memorizing them, but reciting them throughout the day or pairing a psalm with a routine action so that together they become an offering of praise and thanksgiving as well as a living meditation.

It is important to me to set goals in order to organize a plan of action. So the idea occurred to me to memorize the entire psalter, but in a reasonable amount of time for a working father of two. I plan to memorize all 150 psalms in 10 years. This means I ought to memorize an average of 15 psalms each year. In one psalter I own, this amounts to 215 pages over 10 years, or 21.5 pages per year. That is less than 2 pages per month. I started pursuing this goal in the final quarter of 2023, and it appears the pace is sustainable. I try to read through the psalter each month, so I have been picking out the psalms that are most applicable for recitation as my 2024 liturgy. The list is not finalized, but here is a preview of the working list (using MT numbering):

Psalm 1
Hopefully the importance of this psalm to me is apparent.
Psalm 51
This is the great penitential psalm of David after his sin with Bathsheeba. It has routine prayer application, but it is also a great psalm to hallow your time in the shower. The themes of cleansing can be put into physical meditation—“create in me a clean heart, O God…”
Psalm 110
This is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament. It is a theological linchpin.
Psalm 121
If we are to take “a song of ascent” as a possible hymn for ascending/traveling to a Jerusalem feast, this is a quintessential travel psalm. The theme of the Lord as our keeper is very potent and can be said each time you enter your car before you set out.
Psalm 91
This psalm is read at sext (midday) in the eastern traditions and at compline (bedtime) in the western traditions. It was quoted by the devil to Jesus during his temptation in the wilderness, and curiously enough, the lines immediately following that quotation speak of treading on serpents, lions, dragons and basilisks (depending on your translation). If you look into the Hebrew in context of the neighboring gods, you’ll find several of those gods mentioned by name. It is nothing less than a powerful psalm of exorcism that finds its greatest fulfillment in Christ’s victory trampling the serpent and opening the way for us into His victory.

I have a few more that are probable choices, but the list won’t be finalized until the beginning of 2024. I have been locked in an internal debate over which translation of the psalms I intend to stick to, or whether or not to cherry pick my own anthology. I expect this may not be an issue for many who spend their time in one bible translation. Such is not the case for me, and I find the differences endlessly fascinating. While I plan for precision, getting the psalms into my heart is the goal and not word-for-word accuracy. I will share more on my technique, but suffice it to say that careful study is integral so that memorization imperfections avoid any great theological distortions, Lord willing.

I pray that sharing this and subsequent articles will inspire you to join me in general, but especially in this particular goal to learn the Psalms. Change the plan from 10 years to 15 or even 30 to make it more approachable. You can always scale the plan up or down as you see fit. But make it part of your day. Set your will on this meditation of the law of the Lord, and may it bless you.

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

In Principio

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a public record of their most vain thoughts and superficial opinions, erecting them as public monuments in the digital forums—the volume of the visages, the immediate thing written, the chitter-chatter of the aviary, the sounding of the passage of time—it seemed good to me also to write a contrary account of that which I have seen and heard while seeking the way that leads to life and truth, so that you might meditate not on things that are on earth but on things above.

In other words, I hope to share my reflections on walking in the way of Christ as one who is admittedly far from sainthood (and perhaps therefore highly relatable to those of us who are still children in Christ), but by God’s grace as one who is hopefully not being conformed to this age, but being transformed by the renewal of the mind.

I hope to bring you alongside my own studies of Scripture as I challenge and expand my linguistic abilities, interpretive lenses, and assumptions about the Word. We’ll spend no small time looking at prayer practices from various vantage points, as well as explore fasting and almsgiving; we’ll investigate the riches of monasticism and look for ways to learn and apply their rule of life outside the solitary and cenobitic; we’ll spend time discussing great works of fiction that point us to the transcendent; we’ll try to inhabit the mind and worldview of other eras before enchantment was taken captive and banished by the Enlightenment; we’ll look under the hood at the manuscript traditions behind the canon of the Bible; we’ll walk through different church liturgies; we’ll try to memorize Scripture together; and we’ll explore some of the great branches of the Church as we aim for the unity Christ prayed for in John 17: that we might all be one just as the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, so that the world might know that Jesus is the only Name under heaven given among men by which we might be saved.

The title of this publication—The Ladder Of Divine Ascent—is a work by St. John Climacus that I confess I have not yet read. Lord willing I will start a series on it early next year around Lent, but regardless I find it the perfect symbol for my intentions. The eponymous text is a famous ascetical treatise written around 600 AD for fellow monks as a guide to ascend to heaven and gain salvation by renouncing the world. Not unlike Jacob’s Ladder of Genesis 28, the ladder connects heaven and earth, or God and Man. Climbing the ladder is the journey we take when we choose to follow Christ, and each step is a virtue we must strive for or a vice from which we must abstain. Along the journey, there are many other Christians climbing, and some have already attained greater heights and so encourage and guide others.

I hope to be something of a middle step in such a ladder as I look up to learn, and in my turn guide. We live in an age with access to an abundance of spiritual riches nestled away quietly in a digital warehouse several orders of magnitude more vast than the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I want to curate some of the riches of wisdom, formation, and practice I have found tucked away and put it within reach of others climbing the ladder. We all refract the light of truth in ways particular to ourselves and our progress on the journey. When we share our unique perspective, we can make wisdom more accessible to others seeking as well as provide an opportunity to be corrected by the wise.

I write to you from the desert of both this world and of Phoenix, Arizona. I have grown up in churches that fall under the broad evangelical umbrella, and more specifically as semi-Charismatic, though my own study and pursuit of the faith has led me across the pews of Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches. I don’t have a specific church I currently call home, but I am actively seeking and discerning where I may worship God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the fullness of the faith. I intend to share the joys and doubts of this search in the hope that it will be fruitful and encouraging for those also seeking where they might encounter God most deeply, be changed most fully, and participate in His church to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth.

Alexander Regan

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.5 - A SHAGGY TALE

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

A SHAGGY TALE1

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.4 - TELECAST

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

TELECAST

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.3 - THE DESPOILERS

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

THE DESPOILERS

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.2 - LETTER FROM AMERICA

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

LETTER FROM AMERICA

Shaw-Script: Issue 1.1 - Intro

𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑲𐑚𐑼’𐑟 𐑯𐑴𐑑

·𐑖𐑷-𐑕𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑑

The Odyssey: Pronunciation Lexicon

The Odyssey: Core Pronunciation Lexicon (Books 1–3)

Geographical & Ethnic Designations

The House of Ithaca

The Suitor Mafia & Ithacan Citizens

The Court of Pylos & Veteran Warlords (Books 1-3)

The Divine & The Elements

The Odyssey: Book II

Suit Up

Avengers, Assemble

The Prince Is On A Mission From God

The Omen

The Ultimatum

The Prayer

Mentor, The Mentor

The Odyssey: Book I Part 2

Recapitulation

Book I

The Prince of Ithaca

The Boy Becomes A Man

The Zen of Hospitality

The Odyssey: Book I

Book 1

In Medias Res

Structure

Non-Linear Time

Of Characters & Proper Nouns

Mnemonics

The Genealogy of the Royal House of Odysseus

Pronunciation

The Odyssey: Let’s Read Something Epic

𐑞 ·𐑦𐑯𐑰𐑦𐑛 (The Aeneid)

𐑚𐑫𐑒 1

𐑞 𐑸𐑜𐑘𐑩𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑

¶

¶

Pselecting A Psalter

Blessed Is The Man

In Principio

A SHAGGY TALE¹