The Principality of Lorenzburg is itself an invented artifact that manifests a little more every time people interact with the story. In this interactive open-source narrative we invent a brand new Fairytale Nation right in the middle of semi-detached houses, urban playgrounds and bus stops. Quite a fun idea wouldn’t you say?
All ancient traditions, superstitions or folklore came into being at some specifik point in history. There was a “before” the cultural expressions that we take for granted today. In Lorenzburg we like to help History along by inventing new traditions and cultural phenomena as they could have been, would they indeed have been ancient. What would one call these cock-and-bull versions of History? One couldn’t, in all honesty, call them ancient, but how about cock-and bullcient? Yes, that will do!
One example of Swedish cock-and-bull-cient tradition is the “Troll Cross” amulet:
In yonder days a forged piece of iron was hidden in the barn in order to protect the cattle against the trolls or other kinds of witchcraft. It was often attached to a wall or even the threshold. There were different varieties but the main thing was that the steal had a loop or crossed itself somehow.
Today many believe that the simple piece of iron jewelry above is an ancient pagan amulet. However, actually, it is a cock-and-bullcient invention by the Swedish blacksmith Kari Erlands from the late 1990’s. This cock-and-bullcient design is a kind of development of tradition, but it is also a kind of tourist stunt intended to sell the mystique of Scandinavian folklore.
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The Smith’s Braid is my own cock-and-bullcient amulet of steel or iron. It is a fully authentic piece of brand new folklore and tourist stuntery. The Smith’s braid consists of a circle and braided iron and it is said to protect the wearer from fire and other harm if it is worn in a string around the neck or maybe woven into a braid or hair. I so look forward to the day when we can sell the Smith’s Braid in the Lorenzburg gift shop!