Yesterday I put up a post discussing the first line of The Charge of the Goddess – the one with those umpteen names of the Goddess in it, and discussed how challenging that line can be when it comes to interpreting it, because you have to fingerspell every one of those names.
It’s not that it can’t be done…but it can be a real challenge – especially if you are not a skilled signer and not familiar with all those names. Even though I have been signing for over thirty years, I still cringe a bit when it comes to being asked to sign The Charge for rituals.
So I decided to send out a challenge to my signing, vlogging friends to see if anyone out there was brave enough to give that line a try – memorize and fingerspell all twelve of those names (and we’re not exactly talking easy names here!)
The one person who immediately came to mind as being a likely candidate to take on the challenge was Carl Schroeder. Carl, who lives in Hawaii, vlogs frequently at his site, known as Kalalau’s Korner, which you can find here http://carl-schroeder.blogspot.com/
Why Carl? First of all, he’s one of the more popular and frequent vloggers in the Deaf Vlogosphere (for those who don’t know what “vlogging” is, it’s video blogging – the use of video cameras to make blogs…it’s becoming very popular in the Deaf Community, since it allows us to express ourselves in our native language of ASL – American Sign Language).
But more importantly, Carl is one of the most skilled signers I’ve seen. This isn’t to say his signing is always easy for me to read, because sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge, but usually I can understand him and I always enjoy watching how he utilizes ASL so eloquently. Okay, maybe I’m overdoing the praise a bit here, but as one who didn’t start learning ASL until I entered Gallaudet at the age of 18, I’m always left a bit envious by those who grew up with the language and really understand how to express various concepts in ASL in a clear and concise way. Several of Carl’s vlogs talk about ASL and demonstrate its use for telling stories, etc.
One of the fun things about starting this blog is how it has put me in contact with old friends and acquaintances I haven’t seen or talked to in many years. Carl is an example of such – we were both students at Gallaudet at the same time, although I believe he was a few years ahead of me. I remember seeing him around campus from time to time, although we never really got to know one another. Good seeing you in the Deaf Web Community, Carl!
I had sent Carl an email chuckling over his vlog about signing the alphabet, and told him about that line from The Charge of the Goddess, and how I was tempted to offer him a challenge. But I wanted to check with him first, to make sure he wouldn’t have any issues with it. His response was to tell me to go for it!
So here it is, folks…a Deaf person and native ASL user shows us how it’s truly done. Below is Carl’s vlog of signing the first line from The Charge of the Goddess:
For those of you who have forgotten how it goes (tsk, tsk, tsk…)
“Listen to the words of the Great Mother, she who of old was also called Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Diana, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybelle, Arianrhod, Isis, Dana, Bride, and by many other names…”
Thank you, Carl! You have done us all a true service by showing the skills of fingerspelling and the rich beauty of ASL, and how the two together can be used to express one of the most important and most beautiful pieces of prose in the heart of our spirituality.
Many blessings to you, and there will be a tarot reading coming your way soon!
~ Ocean
By the way…while Carl gets accolades for accepting my challenge, I would still love to see other vloggers out there give it a try… any takers???
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Thank you, Virginia, I’m a lifelong bibliophile and avid reader. Every time I come across some new names or words, I would fingerspell them again and again. Just a form of habit. When you offered me your challenge, I was, of course, delighted to see those names I’ve read before. Aloha and mahalo (Hawaiian words are even harder to fingerspell, but I’m getting there! lol!)
LOL!!! I don’t think I would want to try fingerspelling any Hawaiian words myself!
You and I have something in common, in that I too am a lifelong bibliophile and an avid reader.
Come to think of it, that seems to be a common trait amongst many of us in the Pagan Community – we all seem to be major book lovers with collections that could rival the Library of Congress. Many Pagan blogs and websites discuss books, and I always find such discussions to be quite interesting and informative.
Again, many thanks for taking up the challenge, and if you come across any of those goddesses in your readings, be sure and tell them Ocean said hello!
Stupid posting and website
Thank you for sharing your opinions, “a.”
I guess stupidity, much like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.
Nice job Carl!
Nice job! You did better than I probably would have.
I agree, Deaf Pundit…Carl did better than I probably would have also!
Carl,
Yes definitely, Hawaiian words are rather fun to practice with, aren’t they? Try fingerspelling Waipahu (Oahu). Sure makes the wrist twist, doesn’t it?
Color me impressed!!
I am not hearing-impaired but I have known the manual alphabet since I read a biography of Helen Keller in grammar school. I cannot even imagine being able to clearly fingerspell all of those names.
Mama Kelly
yes carl that was interesting i was just telling ocean it would be cool if you and other deaf pagans could do a whole ritual in sign, i for one would like to see it. i know the signs for calling the quarters bb birch
By the way…those of you who enjoyed watching Carl fingerspelling all those names might get a kick out of his latest blog over at Kalaula’s Korner…(sorry, you will have to ask Carl what he was saying!!!)
http://carl-schroeder.blogspot.com/2007/03/s-o-m-e-t-i-m-e-s-i-s-l-o-w.html
Kudos to Carl!
…Geez my fingers would be tied in knots trying to fingerspell all those names so quickly! This also has me thinking of the “swimming pool ritual” Ocean and I had, in which we did some chanting, including the first line of Reclaiming’s Goddess Medley chant…
“Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna…”
Of course, we were singing the chant that evening, not signing it…but I have used it as practice to fingerspell the names in this chant over and over a few times – don’t think I’d ever be up to speed with Carl though!
Thanks Carl, for taking on the challenge!
I, myself, am a lifelong bibliophile and an avid reader too. I think this is a bit kind of silly, some of you may have seen Disney’s movie, ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Where Beast showed Belle her new present was the grand size Library in the Castle. That’s the kind of library I’ve alway wanted. Very tempted to read thousands of thousands books. Hmm, what a grand idea.
I really enjoyed Carl’s fingerspelling and I am in no way can challenge him with all of the goddesses’ names. I might finish in about 6 to 10 seconds.
Ocean, I ll take up your challenge. I ll post it in my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/theark) and my Ark of ASL Literature vblogsite at deafread as soon as I can and remember while busy with this and that. I would love to join the pantheon Carl occupies and sign these wonderful names deservingly resurrected albeit slowly . . .
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