Roland Boer's Blog, page 89

Danish soldiers believe in the Norse gods

Over a couple of drinks, a lecturer in religion from Copenhagen told me that a good number of Danish soldiers believe in the Norse gods. ‘It would be remarkable if there was one’, said Lars, ‘but studies have shown that there are quite a few’. At one level it makes perfect sense, since the Norse gods were in many ways gods of war. Odin, chief of the Aesir (the newcomers who overcame the older Vanir) was not only god of wisdom and poetry, but also of war, sacrifice and death – his spear would nev

Al Fresco Dining - with blankets

This is getting a bit ridiculous: not being a cafe type, I was walking past one the other day and I saw a man sitting outside with a blanket over his legs. Is he sick? I wondered. Maybe he's recuperating from an illness and getting some fresh air. And then, when I looked inside the cafe I noticed a chair piled up with blankets. What are those for? I asked. My companion, Henrik, said, 'Weeell, when outdoor dining becomes popular in a place where the weather really isn't suited for it, you've got

The Story of Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner

This one is a twisting tale. It begins with Carsten Pallesen, who has become a good friend over the last few years. Carsten writes on Ricoeur etc. and teaches theology at the University of Copenhagen, where I have been a few times now. One day Carsten in an email message called me 'Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner' - something he felt suited me pretty well. I wondered what he meant so I followed the link to Warren Zevon and his last public performance. You'll find it here. And then when I tur

The deal was done in Denmark

As Warren Zevon sings in 'Roland the reckless Thompson gunner', the 'deal was done in Denmark'. And that deal is now known as Le tarmac de la philosophie politique - made in the shady alleyways of medieval Copenhagen.


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Boots and bicycles

I was challenged to come up with some of my own pictures of boots and bicycles, so here are a couple:

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Article on paraphilias in the Bible

NT Wrong, that indefatiguable searcher for all things deviant, put me onto this article from the Journal of Forensic Medicine - not from a 'reputable' rag like the Journal of Biblical Literature or Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. It is by Anil Agrawwal, a prof of Forensic Medicine (ever notice how someone will list a person's position and status to give weight to their argument; 'Roland Boer, garbo and shit collector' doesn't have the same punch).

Title: References to the paraphilias

See what I mean

With thanks from Missives from Marx


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Eroticism and Bicycles

Long thighs descending in to high-heeled boots, the slow rhythm of those thighs, the position of the foot on the pedal with the heel hanging over the edge, the push on the foot-brake and the hop down with one foot at a stop – that is the eroticism of bicycles and Copenhagen. I have ridden bicycles in Copenhagen on quite a few occasions over the last few years and I have finally discovered what makes such riding so enjoyable. There is one element of bicycle riders that city which is unique in com

On the Dalmation Coast

‘Don’t you leave there in a hurry; stay and enjoy my beautiful former country’. So my Serbian friend in Australia had written to me when I told her we were in Dubrovnik – the stunning seaside fortress that rears from the rocky coast of the Adriatic in Croatia. It had of course been part of Yugoslavia until the war which marked the breakup of a country almost as old as Australia (Yugoslavia was first formed in 1918) into a host of new nation states. In contrast to so many ancient fortresses, the

Fruit, Glasgow and Customs

A woman arrives in Auckland from Glasgow and is asked by customs and quarantine if she has any fruit. 'Fruit?!' she shrieks. 'Fruit?! I come from Glasgow! It's easier to get heroin there than fruit!!!"

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