Comments on: Mythology of the Modern World: Manannán mac Lir and the Isle of Ninjas. http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/ Creative Mung from Eric A. Burns Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:06:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Super Prattle Droid http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-801 Super Prattle Droid Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:34:28 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-801 Just one quibble: it's ninjutsu, not ninjitsu. The use of "jitsu" as "jutsu" (which still hangs on in the persistant mis-spelling of jujutsu as jiujitsu) is a spelling error derived from pre-war orthography. "Jutsu" (skill) was formerly spelled じうつ (ji, u, tsu) when written phonetically, and somewhere along the line the "u" was dropped in some romanizations. After the 1946 spelling reforms, the phonetic spellings of things pronounced "ju" were standardized to じゅ (ji, small yu), so the spelling "jiutsu" is now misleading, and "jitsu" even more wrong than it used to be. Of course, this is assuming that your spelling is based on Japanese orthography - I have next to no knowledge of celtic orthography, and it is entirely possible that the ninja wish, for reasons of their own, that the name of their art be spelled differently than is demanded by the Japanese pronunciation. However, if this is so, then Sugawara no Michizane, angry god of calligraphy, poetry, and academia, will know. I'm not saying I'll be the one to tell him, but he will know. Just one quibble: it’s ninjutsu, not ninjitsu. The use of “jitsu” as “jutsu” (which still hangs on in the persistant mis-spelling of jujutsu as jiujitsu) is a spelling error derived from pre-war orthography. “Jutsu” (skill) was formerly spelled じうつ (ji, u, tsu) when written phonetically, and somewhere along the line the “u” was dropped in some romanizations. After the 1946 spelling reforms, the phonetic spellings of things pronounced “ju” were standardized to じゅ (ji, small yu), so the spelling “jiutsu” is now misleading, and “jitsu” even more wrong than it used to be.
Of course, this is assuming that your spelling is based on Japanese orthography – I have next to no knowledge of celtic orthography, and it is entirely possible that the ninja wish, for reasons of their own, that the name of their art be spelled differently than is demanded by the Japanese pronunciation.
However, if this is so, then Sugawara no Michizane, angry god of calligraphy, poetry, and academia, will know. I’m not saying I’ll be the one to tell him, but he will know.

]]> By: Filipe Cadete http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-772 Filipe Cadete Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:02:37 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-772 "And if your friend makes jokes about rats with wings, try not to agree with him, at least where the pigeon can hear. " I better start training some falcons to protect me... I liked the way you meshed together the three ideas, even discounting the lack of fair judgement I may suffer from, as I was one of the "nominees" for this week's myth. “And if your friend makes jokes about rats with wings, try not to agree with him, at least where the pigeon can hear. ”

I better start training some falcons to protect me…

I liked the way you meshed together the three ideas, even discounting the lack of fair judgement I may suffer from, as I was one of the “nominees” for this week’s myth.

]]> By: Eric A. Burns http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-766 Eric A. Burns Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:39:51 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-766 Oh, I totally stole a joke from Seanbaby in the above. So's folks know I know and stuff. Oh, I totally stole a joke from Seanbaby in the above. So’s folks know I know and stuff.

]]> By: Moe Lane http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-765 Moe Lane Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:11:03 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-765 I found this one especially amusing, Eric, and you know why. :) I found this one especially amusing, Eric, and you know why. :)

]]> By: StableGlynn http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-764 StableGlynn Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:30:50 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-764 I own an albumn (which includes a song of the same name) by a prescient (if drug and alcohol addled) singer by the name of Captain Hotknives called "The Pigeons Made Me Do It." The two of you seem to agree on a fair bit, although I'm still more concerned about the penguins. I own an albumn (which includes a song of the same name) by a prescient (if drug and alcohol addled) singer by the name of Captain Hotknives called “The Pigeons Made Me Do It.” The two of you seem to agree on a fair bit, although I’m still more concerned about the penguins.

]]> By: Plaid Phantom http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-763 Plaid Phantom Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:23:56 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-763 I knew there was something about those birds. <em>Knew</em>. I knew there was something about those birds. Knew.

]]> By: MasonK http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-762 MasonK Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:23:51 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-762 Let me be the first to welcome our feathery winged overlords. Let me be the first to welcome our feathery winged overlords.

]]> By: Eric A. Burns http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-761 Eric A. Burns Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:21:42 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-761 Also, for another factor to be considered in the Greater Seattle Metropolitan Area, at least as mac Lir and ninjas are concerned, it may behoove the reader to bone up on the mighty <a href="http://archives.eyrie.org/cgi-bin/superguy-srv?pattern=Pirate+Ferry+Spokane&searchtype=casestring&start=1&end=1276&Search=Search&.cgifields=index&.cgifields=searchtype" rel="nofollow">Pirate Ferry Spokane</a>. Also, for another factor to be considered in the Greater Seattle Metropolitan Area, at least as mac Lir and ninjas are concerned, it may behoove the reader to bone up on the mighty Pirate Ferry Spokane.

]]> By: Eric A. Burns http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-760 Eric A. Burns Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:19:53 +0000 http://banter-latte.annotations.com/2007/09/17/mythology-of-the-modern-world-manannan-mac-lir-and-the-isle-of-ninjas/#comment-760 Notes and credits. The Isle of Ninjas came up during a conversation with a Dryad of my acquaintance, and it was entirely too cool not to bring forward. mac Lir is indeed a Trickster and something of a celtic ninja himself, being noted for disappearing in mists, concealing others, removing memories where appropriate, and owning a large number of islands and protecting others. The Isle of Man is pretty much exactly as I described it here -- almost freakishly central in the British Isles. They do indeed give mac Lir a yearly tribute of reeds and other offerings to this day, in the name of paying their rent. Which may make for the only full nation I can think of that continues to give yearly tribute to their sea god, at least in <em>Western</em> Civilization. Fand does indeed take the form of seabirds, and is indeed wed to mac Lir. And mac Lir has been known to disguise himself as a Harper to test travellers in his trickster guise, so it's not hard to imagine him goateed on the streets of Seattle -- which itself is a terribly Manx city, in its own way. Squab is indeed cooked Rock (or Domestic) Pigeon. Which has unpleasant connotations if one considers the art of transformation. But then, eating pigeon as a delicacy has connotations of its own. I didn't want to overplay the question of Pirates v. Ninjas, as memes and fads can date a piece, but for the definitive rules of engagement please allow me to direct you to <a href="http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com/products.asp#mnprrpg" rel="nofollow">Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot</a>, the first conflation of these ancient battles as rendered by Chad Underkoffler. To my knowledge, Monkey v. Robot was first tracked by James Kolchalka and Ninja v. Pirate was first tracked in the pages of <em>PvP</em>, but if it turns out other people were first in these observations pretend I care and move on. Notes and credits. The Isle of Ninjas came up during a conversation with a Dryad of my acquaintance, and it was entirely too cool not to bring forward.

mac Lir is indeed a Trickster and something of a celtic ninja himself, being noted for disappearing in mists, concealing others, removing memories where appropriate, and owning a large number of islands and protecting others.

The Isle of Man is pretty much exactly as I described it here — almost freakishly central in the British Isles. They do indeed give mac Lir a yearly tribute of reeds and other offerings to this day, in the name of paying their rent. Which may make for the only full nation I can think of that continues to give yearly tribute to their sea god, at least in Western Civilization.

Fand does indeed take the form of seabirds, and is indeed wed to mac Lir. And mac Lir has been known to disguise himself as a Harper to test travellers in his trickster guise, so it’s not hard to imagine him goateed on the streets of Seattle — which itself is a terribly Manx city, in its own way.

Squab is indeed cooked Rock (or Domestic) Pigeon. Which has unpleasant connotations if one considers the art of transformation. But then, eating pigeon as a delicacy has connotations of its own.

I didn’t want to overplay the question of Pirates v. Ninjas, as memes and fads can date a piece, but for the definitive rules of engagement please allow me to direct you to Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot, the first conflation of these ancient battles as rendered by Chad Underkoffler. To my knowledge, Monkey v. Robot was first tracked by James Kolchalka and Ninja v. Pirate was first tracked in the pages of PvP, but if it turns out other people were first in these observations pretend I care and move on.

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