Gone Berserk

Today was a bit of an “off day”.  Thirty-five minutes into my PEFA class, there was a fire drill.  With no idea how long we’d be out of class, the rest of it was held outside.  Not a hardship at all, since the sun was shining and it was fairly warm.   We were reviewing and commenting on various artists’ works, so it was simple enough to bring the prints outside with us. 

Yesterday’s class was learning about the Lewis Chessmen, found, strangely enough, on the Isle of Lewis.  Made of walrus tusk about eight hundred years ago, the remaining pieces are in amazing condition.  The detail is incredible.  My favorite piece is the Berserker and though the original, live Berserkers were meant to scare and dishearten their opponents, I find them less than intimidating.  Eyes bulging and chewing on their shields, they seem more comic strip characters than not.  They are cool little dudes, though.

No one is quite sure how they came to be on the Island, though it’s certain they were made in Norway.  Whether they arrived by shipwreck, as a gift, hidden by the owners to evade taxation or by piracy is the question, but there’s no answer yet.  I'm hoping that someone will be able to figure it out.

The Lewis Chessman - Berserkers