--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Juha Savolainen <juhavs@...> wrote:
> ... Instead, we have often politely enough given the honour of
living in this happy state of nature (with a not-so-little help from
potent intoxicants) to our Sámi neighbours who, while speaking a
related language, have looked - for properly patriotic Finns the
perfect candidate for the job. But your ingenious derivation of the
*Fenno:z could have changed everything ... There is no doubt that more
and more Finns, mainly males, would have had second thoughts on the
matter ... after all, even some Finnish scholars have accepted the
identification of the Tacitian Fennians with the Finns of later day
... and more to the point, the obvious marks of generously endowed
*fenna are surely still there ... Hence I must reject, on behalf of
the whole self-respecting nation of Finns, your consolation prize: no,
mere magic will not do the trick. Instead, we will revert to our
traditional hospitability towards the Sámi people. Let us grant them
the privilege of being the direct descendants of those powerful
witches that so vexed the mind of King James ...
Ah, what the hell -- I've changed my mind. Couldn't resist your
exhortation. So here's what happened: -- After their first diplomatic
visit to their new neighbours' sauna (the house, let's face it, was
just a hole in the ground, but the bathroom was gorgeous) the
flabbergasted Germani staggered back to their lofty mead-hall, their
heads hung down in shame, their arms, swords and (...) limply adangle.
They went a good mile down the marshy path in silence, and then one of
them muttered, "*Fenno:z ..."; and his companions nodded and whispered
"*Fenno:z, aren't they?" to one another. "Fenno:z, damn their guts!"
Tell it to the Finns, Juha. Tell them the truth!
Piotr