OLIVES

[sirfeit.livejournal.com]

So I've blackmailed a friend of mine into reading The Books (What books, you ask? GUESS.) and he's just started reading the Queen of Attolia, and he says "Olives. Why are there so many OLIVES."

Obviously olives should star in a fanfiction or something. Olives are important, you know.

Comments

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

"Olives. Why did it have to be olives?"

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

They're healthy too!

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

Refer him to the magus for more specific classification.

[hapaxnym.livejournal.com]

Because they have to do all the work of the other reindeer?

[dannybailey.livejournal.com]

My middle name is Olive. Literally. :)

[keestone.livejournal.com]

Sorry, olives will not be able to star in a fanfic.

I have eaten them all! Bwahahaha!!!!!



(And the yogurt too.)

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Oh my god...

*dies*

So that's where the olives went...

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I always wanted some of that yogurt, but didn't Gen say it had garlic in it? I've tried Greek yogurt, and it didn't have garlic in it. Hmm...

Because olive other types of travel foods are cliche!

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Olives were an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, just like bread for the Europeans and rice for the Japanese. I'm smart. So, hah!

But, yes... I do want some olives now. Green olives, especially. Yum...

Re: So that's where the olives went...

[keestone.livejournal.com]

I haven't exactly had garlicky yogurt,but tzatziki has yogurt, garlic and dill as some of its main ingredients (along with cucumbers)so I'm sure it's Yum.

[keestone.livejournal.com]

Almond-stuffed olives, garlic-stuffed olives, wrinkly salty dry cured olives. . . .

Okay, maybe not quite the kind of classification you'd get from the Magus, but Yum!

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

Like ninedaysaqueen says, olives were/are very important in Mediterranean culture--think about the myth of the founding of Athens and how similar that is in some ways to the story of Klimun and the goddess that Phresine tells. There's also the real-life story someone linked to awhile about about olive trees in Afghanistan and how they are now able to grow ("where the olives grow there is peace").

As a related side note, the Greek word for olive oil is related to the word for mercy, which I've always thought is a really interesting theme in the books.

Re: So that's where the olives went...

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

I am so hungry now :)

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

the Greek word for olive oil is related to the word for mercy
Really?? That's fascinating!

And it's true that olives traditionally represent peace - it's in the US eagle symbol, isn't it? Olives and arrows, and olives are peace?

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

Yes. "The word mercy in English is the translation of the Greek word eleos. This word has the same ultimate root as the old Greek word for oil, or more precisely, olive oil; a substance which was used extensively as a soothing agent for bruises and minor wounds. The oil was poured onto the wound and gently massaged in, thus soothing, comforting and making whole the injured part." (Source (http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7124)--it's about half way down the page, under the heading "The Meaning of Kyrie Eleison")

Oh, yes that's right. The olive branch specifically.

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

Ah--for anyone who's interested, here's a link (http://community.livejournal.com/sounis/386782.html) to the entry about the olives trees.

[amolegere.livejournal.com]

Lol, this summer we drove past a ton of olive trees and I almost jumped out the window I got so excited, I was like "Are those olive trees!!?!?!?" and everyone was like "yeeees...?" But none of them had read the books of awesomeness so they just thought I was randomly amused by olive trees. They are sooo pretty though!

[sirfeit.livejournal.com]

I second that.

[sirfeit.livejournal.com]

For some reason now all I can think of is "We ask the Great Goddess for her wisdom and her olives."

Re: So that's where the olives went...

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

I made yogurt once at my friends house, she adds garlic paste to it! I was thrilled :D

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

And doesn't Gen say something about Vampires?...ahead of his time, LOL
already planning on how to kill vampires xD

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

I get excited everytime I eat an olive, its great :]

[filkferengi]

Right from the very first book, Irene's saying to Gen, "Olive you so very much."

[weg]

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

phhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhtttttttttttttttttttttt

[keestone.livejournal.com]

They really are pretty trees. :D