The Fair City
From the beginning of the year, Perth has had signs up around the city proclaiming the celebration of its 800th anniversary. Yes, the Fair City was founded in 1210.
I can reasonably go back in my head to the 18th, 17th, and possibly 16th century, but around there things get fuzzy, and the further back I try to visualise, the worse it gets. I suppose it has to do with the way my history teachers barely skimmed topics between Pythagoras and the Black Death, so my knowledge of anything of any import between those dates is spotty at best.
I thought about going on a bit about the fact that Perth was declassified as a city sometime in the 90′s. I’m not sure what we’re missing. We have a cathedral. What more do they want? I know how poor Pluto must feel. But Scots, in general, don’t seem to care too much. We still call it a city, so screw them what says we isn’t.
All of that faded though when I saw this article:
Vikings ‘were warned to avoid Scotland’
Scotland is full of dangerous natives who speak an incomprehensible language and the is weather awful. That was the verdict of a series of 13th century Viking travel guides that warned voyagers to visit at their peril.
From the Daily Telegraph
First and foremost… how awesome is that? To be too rough for Vikings, for fucks sake. And second… Vikings had travel guides? Note to self: Suggest a new title for Marsha Moore, author of “24 Hours London“: 24 Hours in Places Vikings Fear to Tread. Hmm… needs some work. I’m sure she’ll come up with something.
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Hahaha! I love it! Already I can think of several, including the Naked Disco! Or would Vikings like to shake it all about?
I live in a comparatively new place — Oklahoma: 1907 Statehood. And the FUSS we made over its Centennial: costumes, events, parades, cowboys, Indians. Mercy….it went on for months. Thinking about the fair Perth turning 800, makes me feel as foolish as the man who survived the Johnstown flood. He finally died of old age and was bragging to St. Peter with his favorite story. Until St. Peter pointed out to him that Noah was in the audience.
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Thanks for visitng my blog! I love how the viking is barefoot in the picture! And I can’t imagine anything too tough for vikings. Wow!
Wow – I wonder where else the Vikings warned against? Guess Newfoundland scared them less…
thanks for visiting my blog, glad you found it helpful!
This is really funny. I mean, who was writing those travel guides? Did they also take note of the “top 10 places to pillage”?
I too am scratching my head going “Vikings had travel guides?” I thought the Romans invented everything but guess I should have listened more during my history lessons..!
Methinks that’s what Pluto needs.
A cathedral!
Take care
x
That’s funny. I’ve always wanted to go to scotland but the only cultural details I have are from trashy ‘screw the highlander’ novels. Which are probably not accurate in most cases….:)
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For “Creepy Query Girl” — people who write the ‘screw the highlander’ novels aren’t novelists at all. They are employees of neighboring nations who know that once you lay eyes on ‘wee bonny Scotland’ and your feet touch its soil, their countries will ‘ne’er see thee agin!’ Give it a try.
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