Slaine Query

[Davek]

Does anyone know the origin of two icons (? dont know what else to call them) that feature often in Slaine.  First is the pendant round his neck - is featured clearer in many of the stories but that is the best pic I could find online right now.  I thought they might be runes but couldnt find anything similar online.



The second I dont have a pic of but I'm sure it features on shields of Slough Throt's men in Sky Chariots (or possibly the norsemen who attack Slaine in that story).  For want of a better description it is three wavy spikes emanating from a centre circle.

Sorry for the sketch details - will get better pics if anyone who can help needs them... 

[TordelBack]

Second question first:  the Drune Lords' symbol is the triskele, its real-world existence exhaustively waffled about here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskelion

In the story, it derives from the Cythron leader the Guledig's three-arms-on-a-big-fat-head body shape, and gets explicitly-if-vaguely linked to the Swastika at some point during Time Killer.

[TordelBack]

Oops, hit send too soon.

Sláine's symbol is a more generic sun-god symbol, you'll see classical Apollo with it a lot, depicted as either the rays of the rising sun or the legs of a sacrificial tripod.  In the Sláine strip, it represents various things along these lines, but is also the symbol of the Triple Goddess, and possibly the symbol of the Ever Living Ones, which Time Killer gives as being the the three rays of power: the attributes of knowledge, truth and light.  It first appears on a borrowed Hero Harness in the arena in Cythrawl, and then becomes part of his kit. 

[Davek]

Brilliant - thanks TordelBack. I knew someone on here would know but didnt think I would get such a good response so quickly 

[TordelBack]

No prob, Davek - the sources of imagery in Sláine is sort of my thing, I've been meaning to start a blog on the subject for years, so any excuse to spew forth is a good one. 

Also meant to mention that 'modern' (i.e. completely madey-uppy) so-called druids call the three-rays symbol the 'awen' or somesuch, bastardising the Welsh for 'poet' or thereabouts (some native of that rainsodden sheep-bedevilled desert will known better than I).

[Emperor]

No prob, Davek - the sources of imagery in Sláine is sort of my thing, I've been meaning to start a blog on the subject for years, so any excuse to spew forth is a good one.

Do it!!

[Cthulouis]

I would read it also.

[Emperor]

Second question first:  the Drune Lords' symbol is the triskele, its real-world existence exhaustively waffled about here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskelion

In the story, it derives from the Cythron leader the Guledig's three-arms-on-a-big-fat-head body shape, and gets explicitly-if-vaguely linked to the Swastika at some point during Time Killer.

Prog 418 fact fans.

[vark]

The most reactive forum I have ever seen 

[ming]

...which Time Killer gives as being the the three rays of power: the attributes of knowledge, truth and light.  It first appears on a borrowed Hero Harness in the arena in Cythrawl, and then becomes part of his kit.

That was one of my favourite Sláine scenes as a nipper... (Although to be fair there were so many.)




As for the blog, TordelBack - please do!

[TordelBack]

Aha, the very panel I was thinking of too. 

I've been promising myself (and threatening others) that I'd do a Jess Nevins job on art and artefacts in Sláine for so long now that it's become a sad joke.  I've even drafted the text for the first few progs, but the stumbling block for me is always scanning the art - I just hate scanning and cropping.  And that's without the risk of damage to my spines, or the need to venture into the Attic of Doom for the originals... 

[ming]

Let me know what you need scanning; I probably have a lot of it handy...  Take this to p.m. or email if you like.  No pressure.  Just do it.   

[Davek]

I've been grabbing the 2000AD monthly to get the Slaine stories in the last few months.  Time Killer is in no. 33 and 34 - have had 34 sitting around for a while now and tracked 33 down this week so hope to read that in the next week or so - presume that is where the panel above is from. 

Thanks again guys.  Have to admit that the reason behind my interest is that I am thinking of having each symbol as a tattoo...

[Mgubgub]

The three rays are also mentioned briefly in a story where Slaine is driven by his local cab/chariot and the guy has the three fingers on his headpiece.... Due to my being a lot crazy once in a dream where I got framed for a crime I didn't commit. Nicky Campbell from BBC Radio 5 live also made some kind of arm across his chest movement making the three finger gesture on his hand that he saluted with (He was wearing what I understood in the dream to be a Fleet unifom of a shiny material). In the dream as he did this I uttered script like words of "Oh no, I saw 'ME' first" as in doh, ray and me the first three notes of music.

Normal service shall resume shortly after the interval...

[Emperor]

Aha, the very panel I was thinking of too. 

I've been promising myself (and threatening others) that I'd do a Jess Nevins job on art and artefacts in Sláine for so long now that it's become a sad joke.  I've even drafted the text for the first few progs, but the stumbling block for me is always scanning the art - I just hate scanning and cropping.  And that's without the risk of damage to my spines, or the need to venture into the Attic of Doom for the originals...

We can sort that out for you, no worries.