Tattúínárdœla saga: Outgeek THIS

Recently, I posted something on graffiti at the University of Chicago in a variety of often-obscure languages (here), suggesting that our Wisconsin students needed to fly the geek flag here. In response to the post, Janet S. commented:

UChicago outgeeks all rivals. Wisconsin is not even on UChicago's radar of geekery.

On being asked about the topic, various colleagues and students report a range of obscure graffiti around campus. (Our contributor Joe got nervous that when he called attention to that post that some students might now be inspired to produce new graffiti — probably in Gothic, Runic and Old High German, knowing what he's teaching these days. Not the intent, obviously.)

Just as I was starting to worry that Janet S. might be closer to right than I'm able to concede, people told me about this, which is aptly captured by the blog's title and subtitle:

Tattúínárdœla saga
Yes, this is Star Wars in Old Norse.

A grad student from Wisconsin — hear me now, believe me later — is translating Star Wars into saga form and writing it in Old Norse, even providing an English translation. Reports are that the Old Norse is very good.

I can only stare in slack-jawed wonder at this stunning exercise. Thank you, Jackson Crawford, thank you for rescuing Wisconsin's geek cred. Your work clearly pushes the geekvelope, redlines the geekometer and opens whole new vistas in geekmacation. Above all, it's thrown down a Star Wars gauntlet to other schools and other language heads. And, yes, the image is from an ad and you can buy them, here. (And to the missus, my birthday is coming up.)

And here's hoping that things in present-day Iceland settle down quickly. For the pressing language angle on the volcanic eruption, see this on the Log.