LJ-Balderdash Religion and Culture round wrap-up

[featherynscale]

So it went down like this:
The big winner was jackbabalon23, who got 5 votes for his mojo shop jingle answer (I suspect that the energy drink made of powdered Shoggoths was at least partially responsible).

Next, adammaker picked up three points for the CB cross-talk of the gods, and malvito snagged three for the unfortunate troubles of Gerald Gardner's cat.

At two votes apiece were saffronhare's invocation of the Rock Lobster, ceruleanst's explanation of the secret alphabet of the Anglo-Saxon witches, catvincent's condemnation of the horrible bastardization of different cultural memes, and fionnabhar's pseudo-Proto-Indo-European scholarship.

Also, hekatatia got a vote for the bit about the embarrassed priest who tried to cover having shouted "ECHO!" down the well, and 8elements picked up one vote for her haiku-like answer about the beginning and the end.

tryst_inn also wrote in with an answer that was one of the more believable explanations I'd discovered in my research on this question, which I quote below:
"Eko is found in several languages, or variants
thereof, of Greek, Latin and Hebrew. Essentially, it means "hail" of "praise to".
Azarak (Force of Fire)
Amelak/Zamelak (Glory).
The phrase translates, roughly in English to:
"Hail, Hail, Force of Fire,
Hail, Hail, to Glory"
Apparently, its writer was a Restoration period English playwright,
garbling together words to sound arcane, foreign, up the "oogie-boogie" factor. Rumors have it that it is basque in origin, but that has been shown to be incorrect."

Where I've read this, the initial use of the thing was sometimes attributed to one Captain Fuller. tryst_inn gets no points for knowing this, but should be accorded some degree of recognition and renown, so a round of applause for her.

Current Standings:
jackbabalon23 – 13
saffronhare – 13
kittenpants - 9
fionnabhar - 8
druidevo - 7
ottercat - 6
zerself – 6
8elements – 4
adammaker – 4
catvincent – 4
diermuid – 4
hekatatia - 4
theslice - 4
wildnsquirrelly - 4
lexpendragon – 3
malvito - 3
capriciouslass - 2
ceruleanst – 2
greektoomey – 2
infintysquared - 2
matchgirl42 - 2
rfunk - 2
triadruid – 2
becky_gardens - 1
lilia_blackbear - 1
lordkalkin - 1
opaljax - 1
orcjohn - 1
senset - 1
sxypaganmom - 1
ysabel - 1
zianuray - 1

Comments

[jackbabalon23.livejournal.com]

Shoggoths tested very high with Ballderdash focus groups (of course so did the muppet sex and we all know how that turned out).

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

Which makes me wonder how well Shoggoth-muppet sex would test.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know that neither one of you two is to be trusted with my Happy Cthulhu bedroom slippers.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Well, Plush Shoggoths (and other unspeakable denizens of the outer realms) already exist...

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

helpful, you are

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Our Favorite Satanist Attorney says the plushie Shoggoths make excellent flying discs.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Don't tell me -- he uses them for Al's dog toys?

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

*bursts out laughing*

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Yay, games!
That is all. :)

[catvincent.livejournal.com]

"...sometimes attributed to one Captain Fuller."
Would that be (Once Captain, then Major-General) JFC Fuller, one-time disciple of Crowley and Nazi supporter? Wouldn't surprise me.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

That would be our boy, yeah.

[catvincent.livejournal.com]

Long ago, I had a job at the military archives section of Kings College London, where Fuller's papers are kept. I spent many a lunch hour reading Crowley's letters to Fuller... whereupon I learned two important things about Uncle Fester:

1. Crowleys' handwriting and signature altered completely after the Neuberg working at Bou-i Sadaa - literally a different man after that colossal fuckup.

2. Every single letter Crowley sent Fuller begged for money.

Hooray!

[wildnsquirrelly.livejournal.com]

I'm in a seven-way tie for sixth place!

or is that a six-way tie for seventh place?

::recounting::

Ok, questionage:

1) Do you think this is community-worthy? If it were a community, others would be able to post & you'd get a turn to play.

2) Rather than exchanging points for some yet-unnamed goody, should there be some point-goal? Perhaps a prize for the first contestant to get 100 points?

I know my competitiveness usually drives me to take things like this too far, but it's only a sign that I'm enjoying myself. By now I tell myself that I'm sufficiently self-aware to shut up and keep having fun, rather than complicate things.

Re: Hooray!

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

I think based on how many people are participating just in this friend-circle, it'd be a good community game. I'd sign up, and with the interests tag, you'd probably get some word-of-mouth pretty fast.