Collected Sayings and Proverbs

Bard Judith

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 365
Offline

Offline

Gender: Female

Posts: 7.653

Dwarvenmistress

Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« on: 07 October 2001, 08:22:00 »

Disguised as a humble strolling minstrel, Bard Judith has gone out among the people of Santharia and listened to their tales, stories, and sayings. In the process she has collected a great number of folktales that will someday come to light.... but for now she offers a small collection of everyday expressions of Santharia, selected from a variety of races.

Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------
PROVERBS AND SAYINGS OF SANTHARIA

Every fruit has a stone, as the plainsfolk say. (Barbarian proverb about mixed blessings)

As well heel wolves.... (used with a comparative phrase to suggest futility, for example, ‘As well heel wolves as argue with that woman in one of her moods!’)

You can always add more salt to the stew, but only the Gods can take it out. (Midland peasants’ expression, meaning, ‘don’t hurry to make changes’)

Dwarves to their caverns and elves to their trees. (Popular among the city nobles, meaning, ‘to each their own’)

One man’s Brownie is another man’s stew. (Unfortunate legacy of a time in human history. Said to have been coined by Zlothig the Brutal, one-time plains warlord. Now used ironically to warn others of racist or exclusionary language!)

Tide change, heart change! (translated from Mermish. Used when speaking about decisions and promises , which merfolk take lightly.)

Water is soft, but it wears away stone. (Sailors’ saying, on the virtue of persistence)

As the seed is formed in Ava’s Dream, so the tree grows in Ava’s Light. (Elven, on the inevitability of human nature)

Man good when dead. (Orcish. How this proverb was obtained and translated we are not certain. Possibly originally a Human fabrication, but it since has passed into common lore.)

When the wind is in the east, Grotor blows for man and beast,
When the wind is in the west, Iasha will sing the best.
When the wind is from the south, Neter opens then his mouth,
When the wind is from the north, let no farmer issue forth.

(An Ashmarian farmer’s chant, naming the spirits of the winds. Note the variation on gods’ names, associated with three of the winds. Although ordinary air movements on the surface of Santharia are called ‘wind’, most people do not confuse them with the High Winds or the Darkwinds! Here obviously some local folk beliefs have corrupted orthodox doctrine.)

Spring sap rises, autumn leaves fall. (Elven, meaning ‘life always moves from one stage to another.’

Gold in the ground is rock still. (Dwarvish equivalent of ‘a bird in the hand’.)

A wrinkled apple tastes the sweeter. (Peasant saying, on the benefits of experience)


	Logged

"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

Winlok

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 0
Offline

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 772

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #1 on: 07 October 2001, 14:08:00 »

Quote:
Human expression:
fruits of labor are received by tillers of the soil


	Logged

Artimidor Federkiel

Administrator

Gained Aura: 538
Offline

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 23.098

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #2 on: 09 October 2001, 13:35:00 »

And Bard Judith strikes again! How lucky we are to have you here

Thanx for another treasure to dig in!


	Logged

"Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a mediator, and this must be the heart." -- Maria (Metropolis)

Gean Firefeet

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 13
Offline

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 1.563

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #3 on: 10 October 2001, 01:27:00 »

I guess it would be good for everyone else to make additions? Idea looks excellent... no idea if I have enough inspiration left to make up any, but I'll give it a try.


	Logged

"Blessed is the man who calls an aj his friend."
- Shendar Proverb
"If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it..."
- Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

SmurfStormcrow

Newbie

Gained Aura: 0
Offline

Offline

Posts: 915

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #4 on: 11 October 2001, 18:50:00 »

Sounds good. I'll try to come up with a few sayings of my own for Corloth.

Stormcrow

Psychotic Wizard-Type


	Logged

Bard Judith

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 365
Offline

Offline

Gender: Female

Posts: 7.653

Dwarvenmistress

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #5 on: 17 October 2001, 07:47:00 »

Drogo actually wrote some Barbarian-flavoured sayings as a jest, back in the Introductions section, if I remember aright...

Perhaps we could select or adapt some of them and add them into our collection?

Stuff like:

Queypur hath no fury like a scorned Barbarian woman

and so on.

Could be usable (grin) if we ever get Drogo back...


	Logged

"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

Artimidor Federkiel

Administrator

Gained Aura: 538
Offline

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 23.098

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #6 on: 17 October 2001, 13:14:00 »

Yeah, finding proverbs (or curses also, e.g. "By the Steps of Colthoi!" reminding of the infinite, blood-soaked stairs at the Temple of Ma'asherom) sounds like an interesting and funny sport! Will put up the first results we have already on the site next update (hope the menu changes don't require all of my time, though).


	Logged

"Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a mediator, and this must be the heart." -- Maria (Metropolis)

Bard Judith

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 365
Offline

Offline

Gender: Female

Posts: 7.653

Dwarvenmistress

Some More Dwarven Expressions

« Reply #7 on: 21 October 2001, 07:16:00 »

"Falls and fells!” (expletive)

“Between the pickaxe and the rockface...” (difficult situation)

“Not for all the gold in Gerimthur!” (a famous mine)

“He who hews not eats not.” (on the virtue of work)

“Discussion gathers no gems.” (ditto)

“An elf’s tongue will talk the Timelight round.”

“The shedwarf at the hearth and the hedwarf at the face; thus swings the world in balance.”

(work is gender-specific in Thergerim culture, but not assigned arbitrary values as it might be in many human cultures. Both mining and food preparation are seen as essential to support life, and dwarf society does not discriminate between the sexes. Tol-Baroll is, you will remember, God of Forges and Earthworks but also God of Hearths and Cooking... Rulers, religious leaders, teachers, and so on are drawn equally from both genders. )

"Pitdamp!" ( expletive, drawn from a mining term. Dangerous gasses often build up underground, and can explode in the present of open flame...)


	Logged

"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

Capher

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 5
Offline

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 1.177

Re: Some More Dwarven Expressions

« Reply #8 on: 21 October 2001, 08:44:00 »

Very good

With deepest regards,Capher


	Logged

I live to but to serve my Goddess Seyella and Talon Hawke; son, heir and Wizard of the White Tower-defender of the lands and peoples of Caelereth!

Artimidor Federkiel

Administrator

Gained Aura: 538
Offline

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 23.098

Re: Some More Dwarven Expressions

« Reply #9 on: 21 October 2001, 09:21:00 »

I've used some proverbs/saying/curses already in my Avaesthoría chapters. Should dig them out and update the entry with them, I guess.


	Logged

"Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a mediator, and this must be the heart." -- Maria (Metropolis)

Thuja

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 2
Offline

Offline

Posts: 820

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #10 on: 25 October 2001, 16:29:00 »

If you go to the Dune Mouse there are two sayings that can be added to our list. They are in the Myth section of its description. Just thought I would let you know.

If you think the sky's the limit, then you have no imagination.


	Logged

Bard Judith

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 365
Offline

Offline

Gender: Female

Posts: 7.653

Dwarvenmistress

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #11 on: 25 October 2001, 20:29:00 »

Well, I guess a bard is indeed the most logical person to go running round our virtual Santharia collecting these sayings, so....

I volunteer to search the site and pull what we've currently got (from Drogo, Art, Thuja...anyone else?) together. I'll edit some of Drogo's coz he wrote them extremely tongue-in-cheek (grin) and start a collation of proverbs.

Should we include a separate "Proverbs and Sayings of the ____(race name) for each race in the Compendium, or put them under their own separate Compendium Title and then sort by race within that?

Regards from the Bard

Bard Judith

"If you will listen to this lay but a little while now,
I will tell it at once as in town I have heard it told,
as it is fixed and fettered
in story brave and bold,
thus linked and truly lettered,
as was loved in this land of old."

J.R.R.Tolkien, 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'


	Logged

"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

Theodorus Holzman

Newbie

Gained Aura: 0
Offline

Offline

Posts: 662

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #12 on: 26 October 2001, 02:41:00 »

"As trusthworthy as a human" (Mullog:very unreliable)

"As nice as an Imp" (Very mean)

"You might as well harvest Krakenweed with bare hands" (Mullog: What you're doing is incredibly stupid)

"To talk like an Elf" (Troll: Talking very fast and difficult)

Okay, no more inspiration. See what you can do with these. (I like the Troll's saying)

Theodorus


	Logged

Artimidor Federkiel

Administrator

Gained Aura: 538
Offline

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 23.098

Re: Collected Sayings and Proverbs

« Reply #13 on: 26 October 2001, 12:54:00 »

This work would be appreciated, Judith

Well, I propose to at least mention the origin of the proverb/saying (if applicable), but I tend to put it all in one table and one entry. You then could look it up alphabetically and see - ah! that's a dwarven proverb, e.g.


	Logged

"Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a mediator, and this must be the heart." -- Maria (Metropolis)

Ralhag Silverskin

Santh. Member

Gained Aura: 1
Offline

Offline

Posts: 478

Old sayings

« Reply #14 on: 02 November 2001, 12:02:00 »

Can I say just one?

"It'll not be my head on the block." (Human, it means, I won't be the one that gets in trouble.")

Thx

At yer service,

Ralhag


	Logged

Pages: [1] 2 3 4

Santharian Development

Forum

Santharian World Development

The Santharian Library

Collected Sayings and Proverbs