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Sunday Inspiration: Dreams
It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.
—Gabriel García Márquez
Sunday Inspiration: Courage
The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.
—L. Frank Baum
Sunday Inspiration: Freedom
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.
—Dr. Seuss
The Wild Hunt, British Style
This post by Sigurd Towrie on the Wild Hunt legends of the Orkney Islands is a great follow up to Dan McCoy’s explanation I linked to about a year and a half ago. While McCoy focuses more on Norse folklore, Towrie leans more heavily on British/Celtic tellings of the legend:
But traditions of a Wild Hunt also existed in areas away from Norse influence.
In Wales, for example, the leader of the Hunt was Gwynn ap Nudd. The “Lord of the Dead”, Gwynn ap Nudd was followed by his pack of white hounds with blood-red ears.
These red-eared hounds are also found in northern England, where they were known as Gabriel Hounds. Their appearance was also a portent of doom.
In southern England, it was Herne the Hunter who led the hunt, while elsewhere it is also referred to as “Herlathing” – from the mythical King Herla, its supposed leader.
According to the 12th century write, Walter Map:
“This household of Herlethingus was last seen in the marches of Wales and Hereford in the first year of the reign of Henry II, about noonday: they travelled as we do, with carts and sumpter horses, pack-saddles and panniers, hawks and hounds, and a concourse of men and women.
“Those who saw them first raised the whole country against them with horns and shouts, and . . . because they were unable to wring a word from them by addressing them, made ready to extort an answer with their weapons. They, however, rose up into the air and vanished on a sudden.”
Sunday Inspiration: Hardship
Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny..
—C. S. Lewis
Galatians Commentary
I’m pleased to announce that commentary on Galatians in which I had a part has now been published.
Marty Soards did a fantastic job on the biblical exegesis, and I provided supplemental materials to connect the message of Galatians to contemporary life for the sake of teachers and preachers who will strive to bring this important Pauline letter to life in the church.
In his seventh letter to Lucilius, the philosopher Seneca observed that people learn while they teach. Perhaps it should be added that people learn a lot while they try to write biblical commentaries!
I’m also incredibly grateful for this fine endorsement from my Doktorvater, Dr. John Polhill:
In their Galatian commentary, Soards and Pursiful present a fresh and comprehensive exposition of the epistle. They set forth a careful exegesis of the Greek text that is accomplished in clear language, easily understandable to the non-specialist. Although thoroughly acquainted with the best scholarship, they stick to the text itself and avoid the excessive speculation and over-emphasis on theology so characteristic of many Galatian commentaries. I rank this right at the top of commentaries I have read on Galatians.
So, there you have it. Why not buy one for the whole family?
Sunday Inspiration: Perseverance
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
—Thomas Edison
Sunday Inspiration: Confidence
Promise me you’ll remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think.”
—A. A. Milne
New England’s Underwater Dwarves
New England Folklore shares this Penobscot legend:
It seems like Bigfoot is the monster most frequently sighted out in the woods these days. He’s been seen in every New England state, even Rhode Island. However, in the past a much greater variety of strange creatures could be seen lurking around New England, and many of them are documented in the region’s Native American lore.
One of the more interesting creatures was the water dwarf of Penobscot legend. I write in the past tense, implying that the water dwarfs are gone, but that may not be the case. Maybe they are just lying low and keeping out of sight. That might be OK, because seeing a water dwarf often brought trouble.
The Penobscot name for the dwarfs was alambegwinosis, which literally translates to “underwater dwarf man.” (That would be an awesome name for a superhero!) Sometimes singly and sometimes in villages, these creatures dwell in deep pools in rivers, or at the bottom of lakes. An alambegwinosis is quite distinctive looking. If you encounter a three-foot tall naked man with long straight hair down to his waist near an isolated deep body of fresh water you’ve probably stumbled on a water dwarf.
Darrell J. Pursiful 