Shamrokon - Sapkowski guest speaker

[LordNu]

Shamrokon - Sapkowski guest speaker

Is anyone considering going to the Shamrokon event in Dublin to hear Andrzej Sapkowski speak? Not really sure what to expect from his interviews so was wondering if anyone had been to an event where he has spoken before.

I wanted to send him an email or a letter saying how much I appreciated reading the Witcher books, but there is no email or address for fan mail, closest thing is attending this event and saying thanks during the book signings.

 

[Garrison72]

Hopefully someone records it. I enjoyed the interview he did in English a while ago, I think it was in Italy.

 

[LordNu]

It'd be great if someone did record it. Is going to be quite difficult and expensive to get to, just to see him speak otherwise.

 

[Aes Sídhe]

Shamrokon. I'm thinking about it, although to be completely honest i'd rather meet Jim "Che Guevara" Fitzpatrick. I would like to ask Sap about how much the Irish has influenced him, although i'm personally happy with the "hodgepodge language" Elder speech, too many people still insist it's mostly Welsh simply due to Gwynbleidd.

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[Alan989]

Shamrokon. I'm thinking about it, although to be completely honest i'd rather meet Jim "Che Guevara" Fitzpatrick. I would like to ask Sap about how much the Irish has influenced him, although i'm personally happy with the "hodgepodge language" Elder speech, too many people still insist it's mostly Welsh simply due to Gwynbleidd.

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Who's Jim Fitzpatrick? I've never heard that name before. Anyway, while you can definitely hear some Irish and Scottish in Elder Speech, it does make you wonder about his overall influences.

By the way, why does that picture look so familiar? :question:

 

[Aes Sídhe]

Who's Jim Fitzpatrick? I've never heard that name before

The clue was in the name You have undoubtedly seen his work before... he has been making incredible Irish themed art for decades, but one particular piece of his has been seen by almost everyone in the world. Search or wikipedia is your friend ! (I link as little as possible these days to avoid giving offence!).

 

[didymos1120]

It's not just Gwynbleidd that is taken directly from Welsh. Quite a lot of the words are.

 

[Aes Sídhe]

I should have said "primarily" instead of "simply", just thats the word that seems to prove the argument for some whenever it comes up. But you are correct in that there are more than one example that appears Welsh. I have no problem with the "hodgepodge language theory" like I said, but If you are game and are confident in the language, we can use the Elder Speech list on the wiki to try and get near a factual answer we can all have confidence in.

Of course its not just the Elder Speech, there are concepts too. Aen Seidhe in Witcher, Aes Sidhe in Irish. Both are elder races (fairies / elves) displaced by later invaders (men), who retreat to enclaves.

 

[LordNu]

Of course its not just the Elder Speech, there are concepts too. Aen Seidhe in Witcher, Aes Sidhe in Irish. Both are elder races (fairies / elves) displaced by later invaders (men), who retreat to enclaves.

And Kelpie is a Scottish mythical creature, isn't it?

 

[Aes Sídhe]

Aye, it is, and Banshee is Irish, there are so many more examples. Och, as should be realised by everyone, nothing created by the human mind is done so in a vacuum, every creative mind draws from elsewhere before adding it's own inspiration, that is natural and takes nothing away from the author of a fantasy work, but it's important to recognise those influences. I'm surprised, no, not really remembering where I am, just disappointed, no one comments on the obvious connection to the Irish Tuatha de Danaan and their parallel world existence. But sure even Tolkien refused to admit the parallels to the Noldor - born in the east, travel to the land of gods in the west, (Tir Na Nog - Witcher Tir Na La) gain knowledge there, leave again towards the east, burn their ships upon arriving at their new land, have conflicts and ultimately become the teachers of those who come after.

There's an element of disbelief, of not wanting to recognise or be connected to anything Irish, due to the bias resulting from English degradation of everything Irish for centuries, summed up in the insulting & racist phrase still in common usage "Beyond the Pale."

 

[LordNu]

I have travelled to Scotland a few times and been told of how the Scots prefer not to write down their mythical folklore - i.e. about the wee ones (faeries) and the big ones (giants) - as they feel word of mouth is the only way to protect their folklore, and beliefs in them, from being degraded. Have been to Ireland, but the Paddywagon tour I was on mostly dealt/spoke of the recent Irish history.

Funnily enough, Sapkowski will be doing one of his lectures at this convention on Polish mythology.

 

[Aes Sídhe]

Theres a good chance i'll go, haven't visited friends in Dublin for quite a few years. But it'll be a last minute decision, can't plan ahead atm.

Scotland is a beautiful country, especially all those narrow high glens, and Scots Pine are one of my favourite trees with their cloudlike foliage. Great people too. But the facts about their myths & memory are complex, much of the stories are from here, the manuscripts are here, the places are here, the events are here. There has been a constant migration from Ireland to Scotland since ~5ooAD at least, and many of what someone alive now thinks was a Scottish held myth only (re-)arrived there in the last 15o years. Point is, they were absorbed by the UK for a while... we are the same, but the history isn't quite.

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edit: sounds like you were on a "disaster tour"... can't stand that industry myself... oh sure theres things to learn, but I prefer the old places