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Martin Rundkvist's blog. Archaeology, skepticism, Sweden. And books and music and stuff.
Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, skeptic, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
Category: Humour
One of the best friends I made during my decade in the Tolkien Society is Florence Vilén; poet, novelist, connoisseuse of art and letters. She recently published a volume of poetry, Purpurpränt. Dikter med rim och reson. And earlier tonight...
Posted by Martin R at 3:26 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: Music
11-y-o Junior bought his first own album last Saturday: Mika's The Boy Who Knew Too Much. (My own first was Depeche Mode's Some Great Reward, bought at age 12 in '84 or '85). It's an excellent record once you've...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 4 Comments •
Category: Archaeology
The conflict that drives the first two thirds of the long poem is centred upon certain problems King Hrothgar of the Danes has with his mead-hall "The Hart".
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 8 Comments •
Category: Archaeology
On the big rune stone, dating from about AD 1000, Torgärd's poetic commemoration of her maternal uncles can be read.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: Music
Spring's finally reached Stockholm! To celebrate, here's a song by one of the city's finest folk singers, Stefan Sundström, off of his 1992 album Happy Hour Viser, "Happy Hour Songs". I translate:Spring Samba By Stefan Sundström One morning when...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 6 Comments •
Category: Music
The Mama Mia movie has revitalised interest in Swedish 70s pop giants ABBA. The other day I heard 10-y-o Junior's school choir perform "As Good As New". 5-y-o Juniorette and her pals at daycare sing garbled versions of all...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 3 Comments •
Category: Music
Yes he is extremely lewd, yes he is psychedelic, yes he has a plastic synth sound...
Posted by Martin R at 8:33 AM • 3 Comments •
Category: Space
Two of my favourite song writers have revealed themselves as astronomy nerds in love songs. Frank Black in "Sir Rockaby" (1994):How many stars girl Can you both count And then classify? I'm standing here in this big swirl Singing this...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 5 Comments •
Category: Poetry
Extreme Tracking keeps a list of the most popular search terms that direct readers to this blog. Read in order from the most popular one down, they form the following quatrains.Aardvarchaeology nudity the Martin Rundkvist Chinese lyrics, molluscum and incest...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 4 Comments •
Category: Poetry
For decades, Stockholm has been the turf of photocopy artist Renate Bauer. She paints too, but her main mode of expression is hand-written prose-poetic screeds covering every square centimeter of the paper. These she photocopies and fixes with sticky...
Posted by Martin R at 4:00 AM • 5 Comments •
Category: Tree House Ruins
Logged my 600th geocache this bright May morning, took a picture of a treehouse ruin near the cache, then drove home listening to the Nashville Pussy. After lunch, me and the Rundkvist ladies took part in the annual street...
Posted by Martin R at 9:13 AM • 4 Comments •
Category: Poetry
Here's a particularly fine song lyric from Californian 80s indie band Camper Van Beethoven, off of their 1989 disc Key Lime Pie. The song is a folky number in march time with violin, and David Lowery's singing is exquisitely...
Posted by Martin R at 10:12 AM • 4 Comments •
Category: Music
The past week I've twice heard Nirvana's 1993 song "Heart Shaped Box" on the radio. I realised that its lyrics have a number of remarkably powerful lines. Kurt Cobain was a talented man. Here are the song's two verses.She...
Posted by Martin R at 8:30 AM • 1 Comments •
Category: Music
An album I can really recommend is LA quartet OK Go's 2005 disc Oh No. It's catchy, glammy rock with swagger and brains and decadence, recorded in Sweden and beautifully produced by Tore Johansson and the mighty Lindgård/Mopeds brothers....
Posted by Martin R at 8:50 AM • 3 Comments •
Category: Music
Some of these angels have the face of Gods / Some of them the face of dogs
Posted by Martin R at 8:50 AM • 1 Comments •
Category: Music
Are you feeling safe and satisfied, my friend?
Posted by Martin R at 2:15 PM • 9 Comments •
Category: Music
Andy's joke reminded Gerard that his sloth balloon was owned by Turkish moths.
Posted by Martin R at 8:50 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: Books
At Haga, the butterfly can be seen making its green home...
Posted by Martin R at 3:14 PM • 6 Comments •
Category: Books
Would you like to read about werewolf communes?
Posted by Martin R at 4:25 PM • 3 Comments •
Category: Music
Here's a translation of one of my first brushes with absurdism.
Posted by Martin R at 12:38 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: Music
The lyrics are amazing. When compared to the originals, that is.
Posted by Martin R at 9:52 AM • 12 Comments •
Category: Music
This triangular old man came in.
Posted by Martin R at 9:05 AM • 6 Comments •
Category: Music
I keep an eye open for pop lyrics having to do with archaeology.
Posted by Martin R at 9:05 AM • 1 Comments •
Category: Music
For about a week, the relentless riff from ZZ Top's 1973 hit song "La Grange" has been playing in my head. Such a great, great song, not least the powerful and exact drumming. And the vocals are really funny,...
Posted by Martin R at 9:46 AM • 6 Comments •
