Svaneti, This has Gone Far Enough

In the face of unremitting winter (more accurately, several-times-departing-and-returning winter), some more future article titles for you to consider, dear Reader.

Killing my Killer: the Gilt-on-Chased-Silver Iconic Svan Version of Emperor Diocletian being killed by St George, whom he Martyred

How the Svans Showed the Mongols such a Fabulously Good Time that they Stayed for (Only) a (Whole) Year

Why the Svans are Proud to have been Called Dirty and Smelly by Strabo

Heard but Seldom Seen, or Seen but Seldom Heard: Avalanches Vs. Glaciers—Your Preference (Poll)

How and Why Cows Lose their Bells: A Confession

Origin of the Svan Word for What, ma, in a Calf’s First Utterance

Before Oppenheim’s 1936 Fur-Covered Bowl: the Inverted Svan Hat as Drinking Vessel

The Real Reason why That Sculpture of Tamar Mepe Ended Up in the Center of Mestia

How to Feed Your Pet Termite for Quickest Breeding

How a Bull Defeats a Barbed-Wire Fence (and Why)

Move, Rebuild, Destroy, Replace: former Georgian President’s Secret Agenda for Mestia Museum

Grading the Soviet Political Classics as Toilet Paper: a Hardness Scale

“Chornie Glaza”, selected works by A. Pugacheva and Blue System, and other Rediscovered Masterpieces of the Essential Long-Distance Marshroutka Soundtrack

Step, Wash, Repeat: Svan Tardiness as a Function of Shoe Worship

“Woman, Food, Now,” and other Essential Phrases for the Cultured Svan Male

Why All Wooden Floors in Svaneti are Painted the Same Hue and Shade of Brown

The Dog as Surrogate Warrior in Modern Svaneti

“I Just had my Rabies Shot” and other Best Excuses for Not Drinking

Puliani, Gviani, Dze-Shviliani, Bakuriani, Khistaviani and other Lost Svan Surnames

Svan: Language or Dialect? (Hint: Ask this Question in Svan and see Who can Understand it)

Svan Fashion: Black is not only the New Black, but the Only Color

“Neither does English have its Own Alphabet” and other Useful Additions to the “X is not a Written language” Debate

Cold Spaghetti on the Wall, and Other Possible Ways that M. Mashtots may have Invented every Existing Alphabet in World History

If you Think our Bark is Worse, Just Try our Bite: The Dogs Speak Out

The Joke was on Jason: Ancient Svan Humor and the Golden Fleece Gag

“Medea was Such a Witch” and other Excised Text Fragments Rediscovered in the Svan Manuscripts of the Argonautica

Multi-Purpose Building: Mestia Hospital Doubles as Town Freezer

Tony Hanmer runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with over 1300 members, at

www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/

He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri:

www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti

Tony Hanmer