Welcome to my blog! I am posting this as a brief introduction, and plan to update this with no real schedule in mind. As I am busy with grad school and other commitments, I hope to use this space for collecting thoughts and ideas informally as they present themselves to me. Additionally, I hope to use this blog to springboard creative projects, so please always fell free to reach out with comments, questions or suggestions.
I chose the name “Unlocking the Word-Hord” for a few reasons. For one, it echoes the chaotic nature of what I expect this blog to be, in that my thoughts, like a treasure hoard, lie scattered and diverse. Secondly, “Word-Hord” comes from the Old English language, a language I am continually fascinated by. As a current graduate student studying Old English literature, this word has always been present and dear to me. In Old English poetry, when a scop (court poet) is preparing a speech, poem, or boast before his friends and lord he often expresses that he is going to unlock his word-hord. Telling a tale in this literature is an artistically improvised act where both poet and scop alike wrixlan wordum (vary their words) to tell a heroic story of the near or distant past. They reach into the collective vocabulary of Old English idiom as well as their own thoughts and experiences to weave a wonderous story in the mead-hall.
I am in no mead-hall, surrounded by no martial lord and band of heroic warriors, but I hope to achieve something like this. I hope that here I can find a place to express my thoughts and interests, and I hope they can, if nothing else, provide some insight or simple entertainment.
I have no real theme beyond this. My interests are wide-ranging and constantly changing, but I expect many of my thoughts to come from my formal studies and pet projects which stem from those studies. Beyond this, I also hope to write extensively on my love for Dungeons & Dragons and Jam Band music, as well as thoughts on books I am currently reading outside of my studies.
I am not used to writing in a public-facing setting or format, especially about myself and my interests, so this is a new adventure for me and somewhat of an uncomfortable one. As I said above, please do not hold back any feedback that you think could benefit/enhance this blog and my writing.
Happy reading!