From my Fantasy Writing Desk
It’s celebration time. The draft of the 3rd book in my Tesha series, currently titled Of Kings and Griffins, is complete. I won’t call it a first draft because I’ve already done many layers of editing on much of it, but it’s what I think of as an initial complete draft.
Now, it’s off to beta readers and editors. Properly raising a book takes time. Having a complete draft is a lot like having a teenager in the house. There’s still a lot of painful work to go, but there’s a great deal to love, also.
Archaeology I Enjoyed
Learning to talk like an Egyptian?
Have you ever wished you knew something about the ancient Egyptian language? Here’s an overview talk from the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.
Click here for the OI’s utube channel “OI Ancient Languages workshop: Ancient Egypt”
DNA of ‘Irish Pharaoh’ Sheds Light on Ancient Tomb Builders
In one of Europe’s most impressive Stone Age burial mounds, Newgrange, researchers found evidence of brother-sister incest that suggests the existence of a ruling elite who considered themselves above the rules that govern the rest of society. This parallel to Egyptian royal custom is intriguing and completely unexpected by the researchers. (Photo at top is Newgrange entrance, photo wiki)
In Irish folklore, a memory of this Neolithic custom may have been retained: “An account of Irish place names written around 1100, the authors write, tells a tale of a King Bressal, who slept with his sister. The result was that Dowth, the burial mound next to Newgrange, was called Fertae Chuile, or the Mound of Sin.” I’m reminded of the many ancient historical details that are preserved in the legends and myths of the Homeric poems. Click here for NYT “DNA of ‘Irish Pharaoh’ Sheds Light on Ancient Tomb Builders”