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The Gävle Goat

Started by Throckmorton, December 03, 2018, 02:46:16 PM

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Throckmorton


   
The Yule Goat is a Scandanavian/Northeastern European Christmas tradition of, no doubt, pagan origin. It has taken many forms over the centuries. In more recent times it has been relegated to the status of Christmas tree ornament.
   
In 1966 the city of Gävle, Sweden, erected a large Yule Goat in what is called the Castle Square. It was 43 ft tall and was privately financed.   
   
Someone set it on fire and, being made mostly of straw and wood, it was all but completely destroyed. This was to become an unofficial part of the tradition.   
   
The following year another large Yule Goat was erected in the square. It was financed in part by the city and in part by the Southern Merchants association. It survived the season unscathed as it also did the following year.   
   
In 1969 and 1970 the goat was again destroyed by fire. In 1971 it is said to have been, "smashed to pieces," although I am not sure how this was accomplished. So the merchants got pissed and said in effect, "If people are going to keep burning down our goat we're just not going to put it up anymore!" Basically, they took their goat and went home.      
   
But the Natural Science Club of the the local School of Vasa liked the tradition and erected it's own, somewhat smaller, goat. It collapsed. The club continued the tradition. Over the next several years it variously collapsed, was stolen, was destroyed by fire, was run over by a car and one year an individual or group of individuals just kicked the shit out of it. 1982 was the only year in which their goat survived.   
   
By 1985 the science club's goat had reached 42 ft tall and made the Guinness Book of World Records.   
   
In 1986, not to be outdone, the merchants association decided to get back in on the act and constructed their first goat in fifteen years. It was burned.   
   
Henceforth, both the Southern Merchants and the science club have erected a Yule Goat at Christmas time. Most years one or the other if not both are destroyed with fire seeming to be the prefered method.   
   
Because of the vandalism, security measures were eventually taken for the merchants association goat. This consists mainly of a fence and guards. I recall reading that one year the the guards decided it was to cold for anyone to molest the goat so they went across the street for coffee. The goat was torched before they finished their first cup.   
   
The current merchants association goat has not been burned but it is only a couple of days old being erected on the first Sunday of Advent. See the goat on webcam if you so desire.
   
   
http://www.visitgavle.se/en/gavle-goat

   
Scroll down a bit and if you don't see the live shot (look for the time stamp in the lower left corner) hit refresh. It should appear. I have to do this with Firefox. For some reason it does not show up otherwise.
   
   
Proceed with caution


kphoger

Oh, my.  Somebody started a thread about goats.  Here we go...

:bigass:
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Brandon

Quote from: kphoger on December 03, 2018, 03:31:07 PM
Oh, my.  Somebody started a thread about goats.  Here we go...

:bigass:

And you-know-where jokes will fly fast and furiously.  I would gather this is "Burning Goat" at the opposite end of the year from "Burning Man".  ;-)
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

hotdogPi

Quote from: Brandon on December 03, 2018, 03:34:16 PM
And you-know-where jokes will fly fast and furiously.

Goats don't fly.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

abefroman329

Quote from: Brandon on December 03, 2018, 03:34:16 PMAnd you-know-where jokes will fly fast and furiously.
Yes, and slowly and happily.

formulanone

#5
"No Goat Shall Burn Before Its Timex."

Quote from: 1 on December 03, 2018, 03:54:43 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 03, 2018, 03:34:16 PM
And you-know-where jokes will fly fast and furiously.

Goats don't fly.





Frontier Airlines would like to have a safety demonstration word with you.

kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

english si

Quote from: 1 on December 03, 2018, 03:54:43 PMGoats do and don't fly.
FIFY  :bigass:

The last guy who got caught burning the Gavle goat was an American tourist who thought the burning was a key part of the tradition. They were fairly merciful to him and he got lighter charges than the arson charges he could have been given.

kphoger

Quote from: english si on December 03, 2018, 05:06:58 PM
The last guy who got caught burning the Gavle goat was an American tourist who thought the burning was a key part of the tradition. They were fairly merciful to him and he got lighter charges than the arson charges he could have been given.

I worked out the conversion, and his "light" charges were the equivalent of 255 kilograms.  I'd hardly call that light.  But, of course, the news only ever tells you the first half of the story[1] (as required by law[2]), so......

After a rather protracted back-and-forth between lawyers and state officials, and thanks to a special provision in the "Onion Edict" of 1991 and 1997[3], said charges ended up being prorated to the Ides of Tuesday–and so the final charge was the equivalent of only 355 kilograms, 2 drams, 5¼ beanie babies[4].  The very next day, those charges were dropped in toto[5], because all beanie babies are required to be sold, paid, distributed, and (not or) exchanged in metric units–but the ABCDE[6] has refused to recognize 5¼ as a metric-compatible number.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Throckmorton

Quote from: kphoger on December 03, 2018, 03:31:07 PM
Oh, my.  Somebody started a thread about goats.  Here we go...

:bigass:

I'm at a loss. Nothing new about that but what significance do goat threads have here?

Proceed with caution

hotdogPi

Quote from: Throckmorton on December 03, 2018, 07:59:11 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 03, 2018, 03:31:07 PM
Oh, my.  Somebody started a thread about goats.  Here we go...

:bigass:

I'm at a loss. Nothing new about that but what significance do goat threads have here?

Click citation 6 in the previous thread, then go to page 1. While the first few pages don't mention goats, it all started with this. (At least I think. I did find an "is and is not" sentence posted in 2011, but I forget which thread it was.)
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Throckmorton


Quote from: 1 on December 03, 2018, 09:05:36 PM
Click citation 6 in the previous thread, then go to page 1. While the first few pages don't mention goats, it all started with this. (At least I think. I did find an "is and is not" sentence posted in 2011, but I forget which thread it was.)

   
Okay. Someone mentioned the Yule Goat tradition in the Alanland thread.   
   
Ooops...was I not supposed to call it by name?   
   
   
Proceed with caution

hotdogPi

Quote from: Throckmorton on December 03, 2018, 09:46:07 PM
Ooops...was I not supposed to call it by name?

You're fine. There was a brief rule a few years ago (2016?) that all references to Alanland would be deleted (due to beating a dead horse goat, not because of Alanland's laws), but that rule has been forgotten.

However, do not take Alanland's name in vain, or any of its derivatives (Alan, Alanis, dAlan/dx, etc.)
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

MNHighwayMan

Quote from: 1 on December 03, 2018, 09:59:50 PM
You're fine. There was a brief rule a few years ago (2016?) that all references to Alanland would be deleted (due to beating a dead horse goat, not because of Alanland's laws), but that rule has been forgotten.

Man, I'd forgotten that that happened.

webny99

Quote from: 1 on December 03, 2018, 09:05:36 PM
Quote from: Throckmorton on December 03, 2018, 07:59:11 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 03, 2018, 03:31:07 PM
Oh, my.  Somebody started a thread about goats.  Here we go...
:bigass:
I'm at a loss. Nothing new about that but what significance do goat threads have here?
Click citation 6 in the previous thread...

I think you mean previous post.

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on December 03, 2018, 10:36:35 PM
Quote from: 1 on December 03, 2018, 09:59:50 PM
You're fine. There was a brief rule a few years ago (2016?) that all references to Alanland would be deleted (due to beating a dead horse goat, not because of Alanland's laws), but that rule has been forgotten.
Man, I'd forgotten that that happened.

I remember it, as it was not long after I joined. I thought it was early to mid 2017 but I can't remember exactly.

Max Rockatansky


kphoger

Little-known fact:  Turkeys in Ala.nland say Gävle Gävle rather than Gobble Gobble, while Turks named Alan say Glu Glu Goat instead of Duck Duck Goose*.



*   Minnesota users:  this is what the rest of the English-speaking world calls that game.  You're the only ones who don't.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

MNHighwayMan

Quote from: kphoger on December 04, 2018, 01:28:01 PM
*   Minnesota users:  this is what the rest of the English-speaking world calls that game.  You're the only ones who don't.

And they're all wrong.

webny99

I can't imagine what Minnesotans call it. I can't say I've ever played duck-duck-goose (or whatever) when I've been there.

abefroman329

Quote from: webny99 on December 04, 2018, 09:09:07 PM
I can't imagine what Minnesotans call it.
Duck, duck, gray duck.

I know, right?

kphoger

Quote from: abefroman329 on December 04, 2018, 09:15:12 PM
Quote from: webny99 on December 04, 2018, 09:09:07 PM
I can't imagine what Minnesotans call it.
Duck, duck, gray duck.

I know, right?

If you think about it, the Minnesota way actually sounds more fun to play.

(For those who don't know:  instead of "duck, duck, duck, duck, duck..."  you say "brown duck, red duck, white duck, blue duck, periwinkle duck...".  Then instead of "goose" you say "grey duck".  IMHO, this would make the kids actually have to pay attention, and it also makes the one running around in a circle have to come up with color names on the fly.  The "normal" way just seems dumb in comparison.  Alas, I've never played it the Minnesota way.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

kphoger

And as for northern terms...  I have adopted the Saskatchewan-only word "bunnyhug" for a hooded sweatshirt with no zipper.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

abefroman329

Quote from: kphoger on December 05, 2018, 01:41:50 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on December 04, 2018, 09:15:12 PM
Quote from: webny99 on December 04, 2018, 09:09:07 PM
I can't imagine what Minnesotans call it.
Duck, duck, gray duck.

I know, right?

If you think about it, the Minnesota way actually sounds more fun to play.

(For those who don't know:  instead of "duck, duck, duck, duck, duck..."  you say "brown duck, red duck, white duck, blue duck, periwinkle duck...".  Then instead of "goose" you say "grey duck".  IMHO, this would make the kids actually have to pay attention, and it also makes the one running around in a circle have to come up with color names on the fly.  The "normal" way just seems dumb in comparison.  Alas, I've never played it the Minnesota way.
Doesn't seem like you could say "grey duck!" fast enough to get a good head start on running around the circle, though.

kphoger

You obviously haven't heard me say "grey duck" before.  I can say it pretty fast.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

cjk374

Quote from: abefroman329 on December 05, 2018, 02:39:09 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 05, 2018, 01:41:50 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on December 04, 2018, 09:15:12 PM
Quote from: webny99 on December 04, 2018, 09:09:07 PM
I can't imagine what Minnesotans call it.
Duck, duck, gray duck.

I know, right?

If you think about it, the Minnesota way actually sounds more fun to play.

(For those who don't know:  instead of "duck, duck, duck, duck, duck..."  you say "brown duck, red duck, white duck, blue duck, periwinkle duck...".  Then instead of "goose" you say "grey duck".  IMHO, this would make the kids actually have to pay attention, and it also makes the one running around in a circle have to come up with color names on the fly.  The "normal" way just seems dumb in comparison.  Alas, I've never played it the Minnesota way.
Doesn't seem like you could say "grey duck!" fast enough to get a good head start on running around the circle, though.

Imagine playing this game after grey goose is introduced. :cheers:
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.



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