andrews@ubc-cs.UUCP (Jamie Andrews) (10/17/85)
>> Actually, when I first read this, I thought the Berserker's >> arm had been *severed*. You can imagine, then, how I thought >> a weaponless berserker would proceed. :-) >> Scott J. Berry In article <153@ucdavis.UUCP> ccs020@ucdavis.UUCP (Kevin Chu) writes: >One of the cheers at footballs games is: >"Rip off his arm and beat him over the head with it!" This reminds me of the story about how the kingship of Ulster was settled once long ago. (n if you've heard this one.) Seems the King of Ulster died, and two princes (Prince A and Prince B; I've forgotten their real names) then residing in Scotland both claimed the kingship. They decided that the way to settle it was to have a ship race. They made a solemn bond that the first man whose hand touched the shore of Ulster would be king. Prince A and Prince B sailed off. It was pretty close going all the way across the sea, but then Prince A (who was the rightful heir) saw Prince B pull ahead just before they reached shore. Knowing that he had no chance of landing before Prince B, he drew his sword, cut off his own hand, took the severed hand in his other hand, and threw it with all his might toward the land. As Prince B was walking down the gangplank, Prince A's red and bloody hand came down in front of him, touching the shore. By the terms of the bond they had spoken, Prince A had won. And so Prince A became king and the Red Hand is the symbol of Ulster even to this day. This is the version that I heard, at any rate. (_Silmarillion_ readers can note the similarity of this pledge and its conclusion to the pledge that Beren made to Thingol, and its conclusion.) --Jamie. ...!ihnp4!alberta!ubc-vision!ubc-cs!andrews "His soul stretched tight across the skies that fade behind a city block"