Fantasy writer Tim Powers has an elaborate "science" of ghosts. One part of it is that ghosts tend to be fascinated by palindromes, especially when they are low on energy and not thinking clearly (a common complaint among brain-dead people). So you can "trap" a ghost into staring endlessly at a palindrome.
I used this in a role-playing game. The player characters had occasion to go to a restaurant for the ghost-involved, called "The Lasagna Hog," from the palindrome "Go hand a salami, I'm a lasagna hog." The place mats and such were festooned with palindromes.
In a short story, the protagonists were coping with an ancient ghost who probably did not know English but probably did know Latin, so they equipped themselves with SIGNA TE SIGNA. TEMERE ME TANGIS ET ANGIS. ("Cross yourself, cross yourself. Madly you hit and vex me.") Supposed to be something St. Martin said to the Devil, which made it even more appropriate.
2 comments:
Nor I. I wonder if AI is good at generating new palindromes? Let's see.
1. "Evil is a name of a foeman as I live"
Theme: The eternal duel between hero and nemesis.
2. "Never a war, or a hero rare, Raven"
Theme: A valorous warrior known across battles.
3. "Laid on no dial, live evil, I laidon no dial"
Theme: A knight’s enduring watch over time and duty.
4. "Sir, I demand a hero; oh, red and ami, rise"
Theme: The rallying call to a fabled champion.
5. "Drawn sword now, a man, a man won, drowsn ward"
Theme: A lone guardian defending the realm.
Fantasy writer Tim Powers has an elaborate "science" of ghosts. One part of it is that ghosts tend to be fascinated by palindromes, especially when they are low on energy and not thinking clearly (a common complaint among brain-dead people). So you can "trap" a ghost into staring endlessly at a palindrome.
I used this in a role-playing game. The player characters had occasion to go to a restaurant for the ghost-involved, called "The Lasagna Hog," from the palindrome "Go hand a salami, I'm a lasagna hog." The place mats and such were festooned with palindromes.
In a short story, the protagonists were coping with an ancient ghost who probably did not know English but probably did know Latin, so they equipped themselves with SIGNA TE SIGNA. TEMERE ME TANGIS ET ANGIS. ("Cross yourself, cross yourself. Madly you hit and vex me.") Supposed to be something St. Martin said to the Devil, which made it even more appropriate.
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