This particular festival reminds me of a story I heard of a student sports teacher who was being examined. He was teaching a class of 12-13 year olds how to throw javelin as part of an athletics module. There were 15 javelins and 30 students, so the student got the kids to line up in two lines, facing each other and throw them back and forth . ‘ Well soon you’ll have the same amount of students as javelins said the examiner as he gave the student teacher a small skinny fail!
When you are celebrating this festival which goes back to the Ancient Greeks, do not, I repeat, do not throw javelins near anything alive, unless you are prepared to commit to the whole process of skinning, plucking, boiling, and eating it. It was Hercules, son of Zeus, so they say, who first got so hungry he had to throw a javelin, and the rest they say is history.
So as this is a British Festival we must hail some of the most renowned Javelin throwers while we head of into the hills to throw a few ourselves, before the cover of night makes it almost impossible to be precise. Hail Tessa Sanderson, Fatima Whitbread, UK and Steve Backley, UK, and more, who bring richness
into this wonderful day, held on June 1st every year. So I wonder if I can find another fantastic festival for us to celebrate tomorrow. And thanks to blogger Jonny for getting me out of my bloggy dulldrums by suggesting birthdays and festivals as a way to get inspired for my daily posts.
SONG OF THE DAY – Why We Build The Wall -Anais Mitchell ft. Greg Brown First version is Anais in her farm( !) in vermont singing the song in one take…which is how you usually sing songs…people seem so surprised. Wonder if she would have sung punk, not folk if she lived in a council flat. Beautiful music.