Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[urbicande]

Maaaaaybe?  I suppose it's not impossible that he's never heard a Christmas carol or heard someone says "Jesus!" after stubbing his toe?

Do they say that in Iceland?  (TBH, I don't know that I've ever heard anyone say "Jesus!" after any kind of injury -- usually it's some form of "F**k!")

As far as Christmas carols?  Well, I was subjected to them all though elementary school and junior high and still have to listen to the things today whether I want to or not (and I generally don't).  And as a non-Christian child, it certainly didn't strike me that there was some religious element to most of them (also, I think I was a teen before I knew what a manger was).  They're often just songs about some random baby.

[JoB]

I'm not sure how long an unmaintained wooden structure would last in Iceland's environment.

That outside view in the first panel proves this one to have stone walls, though. Wasn't there a Disqussion about that lately, the result being that stone churches weren't the majority in the Nordics, yet numerous enough to play a role in a hypothetical post-apocalyptic "d'ya remember?" scenario?

I think if Iceland went honestly, thoroughly pagan [...] it's likely that even Icelanders in Reykjavik don't know what a church is.

Sorry, no. They mightn't have the slightest what a Christian church would look like, but the concept of buildings of worship is present in candidates for Icelandic Y90 cults as well.

[ChazHoosier]

Like I said, it's not impossible there is a boy so profoundly sheltered and uneducated that he doesn't know anything about three quarters of Icelandic history.  It's just really, really hard to believe, to the degree that I am sincerely curious why the issue is being explored in the comic at all.

At any rate, I rather doubt the plot rests on that possibility to any great degree, and it will probably be passed over soon enough.  Reynir's ignorance could be a simple instance of wedging in a little exposition.

[Laufey]

Maaaaaybe?  I suppose it's not impossible that he's never heard a Christmas carol or heard someone says "Jesus!" after stubbing his toe?

Icelandic Yule songs are often about eating, candles, eating candles if you're one specific troll, more trolls, troll momma Grýla being DEAD YAY!!!, a horrible cat monster prowling around eating every person who doesn't receive at least one item of clothing as a present and so forth. And nobody here says "Jesus" after stubbing their toe (but they might say any of the many names of the devil instead).

That said, I'm inclined to believe Reynir's just particularly sheltered and clueless if he really doesn't know even about his own religion, like someone pointed out.

As for general knowledge, Y90 people do in fact know what churches were and have an inkling of how they were supposed to look like so I'd find it more curious is Onni doesn't recognize one. With Reynir I can believe his parents kept the world hidden from him as well as they could so he'd never leave the safety of his home.

[ChazHoosier]

I personally find it more credible that Minna is simply playing the time-honored Exposition Card by finding an excuse to have the characters discuss something mainly for the benefit of the audience. 

[JoB]

I personally find it more credible that Minna is simply playing the time-honored Exposition Card by finding an excuse to have the characters discuss something mainly for the benefit of the audience. 

Possible, but that would make it even more of a requirement that Christianity is a long-term plot point, seeing that it gets notable exposition before the "standard" cults of the Known World.

[ChazHoosier]

I dunno about that.  I still think the end result will be the pagan characters sending misguided Christian ghosts off to Valhalla and going on with their pagan lives without much thought to the content of Christianity or the existential questions it posed.

[Minutia_R]

Icelandic Yule songs are often about eating, candles, eating candles if you're one specific troll, more trolls, troll momma Grýla being DEAD YAY!!!, a horrible cat monster prowling around eating every person who doesn't receive at least one item of clothing as a present and so forth. And nobody here says "Jesus" after stubbing their toe (but they might say any of the many names of the devil instead).

That said, I'm inclined to believe Reynir's just particularly sheltered and clueless if he really doesn't know even about his own religion, like someone pointed out.

As for general knowledge, Y90 people do in fact know what churches were and have an inkling of how they were supposed to look like so I'd find it more curious is Onni doesn't recognize one. With Reynir I can believe his parents kept the world hidden from him as well as they could so he'd never leave the safety of his home.

Well, Taru knows the word church, but when pressed she says it's "a big house of some kind."  So I would say that the evidence ponts more in the direction of people in Y90 not knowing what a church is, particularly among the younger generation.  Tuuri didn't even know the word, and while she's lived in pretty remote areas, she's also a fairly well-educated person, and curious about the past.  If it was general knowledge, she would probably have it.

[|Yucca|]

As for general knowledge, Y90 people do in fact know what churches were and have an inkling of how they were supposed to look like so I'd find it more curious is Onni doesn't recognize one. With Reynir I can believe his parents kept the world hidden from him as well as they could so he'd never leave the safety of his home.

Well, Taru knows the word church, but when pressed she says it's "a big house of some kind."  So I would say that the evidence ponts more in the direction of people in Y90 not knowing what a church is, particularly among the younger generation.  Tuuri didn't even know the word, and while she's lived in pretty remote areas, she's also a fairly well-educated person, and curious about the past.  If it was general knowledge, she would probably have it.

The old church of Keuruu was still standing a few years before the main storyline, so Taru and Onni should definitely know what a church is. It wouldn't make sense for them not to know the former use of such a distinctive building.

[Minutia_R]

The old church of Keuruu was still standing a few years before the main storyline, so Taru and Onni should definitely know what a church is. It wouldn't make sense for them not to know the former use of such a distinctive building.

It also doesn't make much sense for Taru not to have told Tuuri what a church was if she did know, though.

[Aierdome]

Sorry, no. They mightn't have the slightest what a Christian church would look like, but the concept of buildings of worship is present in candidates for Icelandic Y90 cults as well.

Ah. My mistake, then. Thanks!

The old church of Keuruu was still standing a few years before the main storyline, so Taru and Onni should definitely know what a church is. It wouldn't make sense for them not to know the former use of such a distinctive building.

Why not? If it was remade into something like a watchtower, garrison or storage space, with windows bricked over, there's no reason they'd know it to be a place of worship.

Actually, Onni didn't say anything on topic of the church yet. For all we know, he could know what he's standing in and is silent because he's still annoyed with Reynir pushing him out of his comfort zone, or is simply waiting for Reynir to ask the question.

[Juniper]

As for the steeple in the background of that page, I could be totally wrong but my impression of it was that it was just a generic bell tower without necessarily being part of a church like a lot of older universities seem to have. Or at least maybe it was once part of a church but now it's just being used as only a bell tower. Then again the more I think about it I don't know if that totally makes sense, sure they could use it as a warning system but I'm sure they still have sirens in Finland in Y90. Or maybe it's just used to announce the time like a lot of today's bell towers.

[Windfighter]

As for general knowledge, Y90 people do in fact know what churches were and have an inkling of how they were supposed to look like so I'd find it more curious is Onni doesn't recognize one. With Reynir I can believe his parents kept the world hidden from him as well as they could so he'd never leave the safety of his home.

Well, Taru knows the word church, but when pressed she says it's "a big house of some kind."  So I would say that the evidence ponts more in the direction of people in Y90 not knowing what a church is, particularly among the younger generation.  Tuuri didn't even know the word, and while she's lived in pretty remote areas, she's also a fairly well-educated person, and curious about the past.  If it was general knowledge, she would probably have it.

Actaully, Tuuri (from what I see at least) isn't asking what a church is, she's asking what that other building they're passing is, to which Taru answers "A... big house. Of some kind." so I think both of them know what a church is. On the other hand the building they're calling a church... I think it looks more like a factory, so they probably don't know churches all that well xD

[ChazHoosier]

The main basis of my incredulity is that even the most uneducated Norse Christian knew what paganism was after centuries of Christianity, so I don't see why a Y90 pagan wouldn't at least know about Christianity and have a vague idea of what its symbols looked like.  Which would be less of an issue if Christianity just wasn't an issue in the story line.  That's my reason for assuming that it won't end up being a big part of the plot.  The more Christianity is made a part of the main plot, the more this ignorance cries to be explained—and really, is that the story we want to hear?  Is that the story Minna has been building up to?

[Helia]

As for the steeple in the background of that page, I could be totally wrong but my impression of it was that it was just a generic bell tower without necessarily being part of a church like a lot of older universities seem to have. Or at least maybe it was once part of a church but now it's just being used as only a bell tower. Then again the more I think about it I don't know if that totally makes sense, sure they could use it as a warning system but I'm sure they still have sirens in Finland in Y90. Or maybe it's just used to announce the time like a lot of today's bell towers.

That church in the background in Keuruu is an existing church.