Friday, March 14, 2008

Closed Caption Conjuration

Next to my computer is the TV I have hooked up to the Xbox. This particular television has an interesting quirk: you can't turn off the subtitles. My daughter and I watch a lot of DVDs on this set, using the Xbox as a DVD player. Today I got off work early, so I decided to watch Excalibur, one of my alltime favorite films. Just a moment ago the film got to the first use of the Great Spell of Making. For a long time I've been curious as to the proper spelling of the chant, but now I wonder no more:

Annal Nathrach
Oolthvas Bethod
Dochyel Dyenve


So now I'm all set for the next time I need to conjure up a bridge made of mist or encase somebody in a column of crystal.

5 comments:

  1. I was wondering why the TV always had subtitles - even when Scooby-Doo wasnt' in Spanish...

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  2. Anonymous2:09 PM

    See also http://www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh for the devoutly misanthropic black metal version. They're from Britain, natch.

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  3. That's a nice attempt with a Namercian keyboard. How about this:

    (www.evertype.com/misc/charm.html)

    In Old Irish
    Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha

    In Modern Irish:
    Anáil nathrach, ortha bháis is beatha, do chéal déanaimh

    In English:
    Serpent's breath, charm of death and life, thy omen of making.

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  4. Thanks for the info, fang!

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  5. Excalibur: Like the Monty Python version, but even funnier :)

    "Do nothing ... be still ... rest in the aaaarmmmms of the dragon."

    I love that movie.

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