SEO - Seriously Enormous Overhaul

We're back. Yes it has been a while, we're sorry.
So the first thing you want to know is, did we get the website online on midsummer's eve? Well, yes, we did!
And since then it's been all about tweaking it and refining it and getting it to work with as many different types of browser as possible (AOL, we're looking at you!).

So anyway, the website is online, but we aren't actually in business yet, though if someone stumbles across our site by accident and orders something then we are fully equipped to fulfill their order.
What we are doing now is that wonderful process called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This has revealed itself to be an art form in its own right and has necessitated the buying of several books on the subject. Once we have fully implemented SEO though, it should be well worth it and we will sit back and watch the orders flooding in.

If anyone wants to have a look at the website the URL can be found below. Enjoy!

The Silver Bough - Rune Pendants & Rune Sets

A Midsummer Night's Scheme

Ok, we have decided that today, being Midsummers Day would symbolically be a great day to get the website online and working. So our web design department (i.e. me) is going to be working flat out to get all the shopping cart links working for each item we currently sell.

It's quite a time consuming task so it may turn out to be a vain attempt, but if we can possibly do it, then the website will be up and running tonight.

Then the business of marketing and advertising really takes centre stage.

So in the absence of any meaningful blogging today, instead we post some examples of the type of items we will be selling....

Happy Midsummers

The Silver Bough

Saturday night's alright for flyting...

Flyting and Loki

The Lokasenna

Another foray from our own developments into the land of the Gods and their ways. An amusing distraction.

Flyting was a sport of the gods, also a means of non physically violent combat. A battle of wits and insults. Odin has his moment with Thor (one must wonder what kind of a father he was!) at the ferry crossing but the Flyting champion must be Loki.

Now half of our team finds Loki the far superior and most interesting and misunderstood of the gods. Although he is a trickster and wildfire and chaos by nature of birth, he is used and abused by the other gods, blamed for their own indiscretions and mistakes. They turned to him in times when their lesser wits left them trapped and only Loki's cunning and guile could remove their obstacles and foes. When it went wrong, guess who got the blame? Ask for advice and take it, then blame yourself not your advisor.

Here we enter the delightful and often rude, Lokasenna. Whereby having been rebuked and denied access to a feast, he appears, after killing one of the serving men for having received praise. He meets up with the other serving man and demands access. Upon entering he is finally allowed to sit due to his 'blood brothership' with Odin. From then on...

Flyting.

Loki:

'Do you remember, Odin, when in bygone days

we mixed our blood gether?

You said you would never drink ale

unless it were brought to both of us.'

Odin:

'Get up then, Vidar, and let the wolf's father

sit at the feast

lest Loki speak words of blame to us

in Aegir's hall.'

This gains Loki acceptance to the table.

Loki's insults run from calling Braggi (the god of poetry) a bench ornament and a coward, to accusing Braggi's innocent and kind wife of 'being man crazy', to accusing Freya of sleeping with her brother, being caught by the gods and farting in bed.

These insults are amusing and wicked. The retorts often awkward and embarrassed, covering Loki's insults with excuses and aiming vitriol at Loki's own past 'evil' deeds. Does Loki back down? No, he embraces their comebacks with elegance and wit, denying nothing.

The end result: Thor, who does not seem to acknowledge the sacred tradition of not shedding blood or of physical violence in a place where food and drink are taken, threatens Loki with Mjolnir, his hammer, and thus Loki, being no fool, quits the hall. Unfortunately with soon to be dire consequences for himself.

Excellent reading and puts the gods in the light of fallibility and shows them as the wayward beings that they were... Almost human, we'd say.

(Source - The Poetic Edda).

Rune of the day

Wunjo

Modern letter - W

Wunjo signifies Joy, A rune associated with Freyja, the goddess of love. It can mean positive change.

Sayings of Odin

In the absence of any interesting activity to do with the business, we thought we'd share some of Odin's sayings from the Poetic Edda. For an old Norse dude, he made some pretty relevant observations on human behaviour.

The foolish man thinks he will live for ever,
if he keeps away from fighting;
but old age won't grant him a truce
even if the spears do.

A man shouldn't hold onto the cup but drink mead in moderation,
it's necessary to speak or be silent;
no man will blame you for impoliteness
if you go early to bed.

He's a wretched man, of an evil disposition,
the one who makes fun of everything;
he doesn't know the one thing he ought to know:
that he himself is not devoid of faults.

It's a great detour to a bad friend's house,
even though he lives on the route;
but to a good friend's the ways lie straight,
even though he lives far off.

To his friend a man should be a friend
and repay gifts with gifts;
laughter a man should give for laughter
and repay treachery with lies.

Not very much need a man give,
often you get praise for a little;
with half a loaf and a tilted cup
I've got myself a companion.
-Sayings of The High One (Poetic Edda)

A hard day at the office

In expectation of orders, we needed to stock up on pebbles for rune sets. Where to go? We can't continue to only pillage The Hollow Ponds in Epping Forest and therefore decided: Where is a good source of beautiful smooth pebbles?

Of course, the seaside. Therefore a day trip (despite aches and pains, and we know you all sympathise) to Winchelsea Beach in Sussex.

A trove of pebble fantasties! Though very windy and with a rough Channel a wonderful search for the most interesting and perfect pebbles we could find, including some for new ideas.

We believe we brought back half the beach. Good ballast for the car driving home in the winds.

Not only have we found pebbles which hopefully will make wonderful and beautiful rune sets, we found pebbles with actual natural 'runemarks'. And, yes a few we just liked for ourselves including a beautiful geode. And for our own amusement built towers of pebbles, four of which were still standing when we left.

The rune pebbles are of types we are accustomed to, although as worn by the waves, these pebbles have a unique smoothness to them and shape which fits so well in the hand. Very tactile. Having the beach primarily to ourselves made the experience more amazing. Though we feel like pebble poachers!

Expectations are rising as the launch date looms.

We've found a bag supplier for the rune sets who very generously sent us a sample and so far we are very happy with this. As tactile as the pebbles and easily carried with the runes fitting generously for easy access.

These rune pebbles will be made from the pebbles of the southeastern coast of England. They are infused with the sea and the feeling of of the island and Europe across the Channel. We look forward to sorting them and working on them. We hope you will be pleased.

Rune of the day

Gebo

Modern letter - G

Gebo signifies a Gift, referring to both giving of oneself and receiving. A blessing on relationships.

Runemarks

Joanne Harris’ Runemarks is a marvel. Melding her amazing imagination with references to The Prose Edda and Poetic Edda, she has captured the personification of the Norse ‘Gods’ along with the importance of Rune Lore. Her depiction of the Aesir and Vanir as fallible with virtues and faults, with humour and remarkable style has adhered to the original prose while adding her own take on their futures after Ragnarok.

The influence of Runes in Runemarks brings an individuality and true authenticity to the use of Runes as more than an alphabet but as an ancient mystic tool. Dismiss most previous stereotypes of the ‘Gods’ through modern culture and modern ‘belief systems’ and meet them as they were: flawed, true and a strange and very special ‘dysfunctional’ family who will take you in.

Rune of the day

Kenaz

Modern letter = C/K

Kenaz signifies a torch, light after a period of darkness. Order from chaos, creative fire.

The Icelandic Rune Poem

The Icelandic Runic Poem, which is supposed to date from the fifteenth century, consists of sixteen short stanzas dealing in succession with the letter names of the Scandinavian Runic alphabet.

Each of these stanzas contain three Kennings (The descriptive phrases used instead of nouns in old Scandinavian poetry, e.g. "Sea-Steed" to mean "ship").

Here are the first three stanzas as a "taster"...

Fé er frænda róg.........Wealth

ok flæðar viti................source of discord among kinsmen

ok grafseiðs gata.........and fire of the sea

aurum fylkir................and path of the serpent.

Úr er skýja grátr........Shower

ok skára þverrir..........lamentation of the clouds

ok hirðis hatr...............and ruin of the hay-harvest

umbre vísi....................and abomination of the shepherd.

Þurs er kvenna kvöl......Giant

ok kletta búi....................torture of women

ok varðrúnar verr..........and cliff-dweller

Saturnus þengill..............and husband of a giantess.

Rune of the day

Raidho

Modern letter - R

Raidho signifies a Journey, implying not just physical travel, but a quest for spiritual enlightenment.