Below is a list of people who took the time to sign the "I Met Ruth!" guestbook. You are welcome to email the goddess and add your own greetings. Tusen takk!
Hi! I always read stuff about Ruth. What's so special about her? Who is she?
Extracted from soc.culture.nordic
I finally met Ruth Sylte at last weekend's Skandia 3rd Saturday Dance. A beautiful, vivacious, slender red-head, Ruth does not need to fish for compliments! She was constantly being asked to dance, by most of the men there -- all the time that she was playing Casio-piano with her Scandinavian dance band. And playing very well! Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish -- those were really intricate melodies, and dances..!
Extracted from soc.culture.nordic
In spite of never having seen her radiant visage in person (extrapolated from everyone else's de facto descriptions), Ruth... The Ruth is some transplanted remnant of the Norwegian mythos down "that a ways," who'll knock you off your feet (on your butt?) without the slightest effort. Even I, who have (un?)fortunately been spared the evil enchantment that all fall under after having caught a glimpse of her... have fallen under geas by the lilting siren's voice that has floated over my office phone. Bow down and make obeissance to The Ruth... and make propitiation hence! ... a check made out to... ;-) /set pixie brat mode OFF
Extracted from soc.culture.nordic
We are all her loyal subjects, so it felt only natural to contribute to this WWW shrine of the s.c.n goddess; now I get the honor of testing the technology.
If you are, as David, puzzled by the attention, you have not felt her influence. I have yet to meet her in person or hear her voice on the telephone, but her s.c.n. posts have a presence felt throughout the readership, not unlike that the Vikings must have demanded in foreign ports of call a millenium ago. It was this presence that caused a seemingly neverending thread of praise early this year, and thus eventually this shrine.
So how can a region of the world that believes in Jantelovenelect a goddess who is so obviously superior? As I have said before, there's one thing that puts her above the rest:
Sophistication.
Signed on: Mon May 22 01:12:59 CDT 1995
I met Ruth for the first time at a pizza restaurant in downtown Oslo. Even though the restaurant was completely dark, her table was bathed in a soft light which seemed to be radiating from her hair. This wasn't in the red light district, so I initially found that colour quite odd, but it soon transpired that this was the true Goddess herself. Of all the Nordic gods in the area, I had stumbled across the chief deity! My life has never been the same since that very moment, but I honestly can't recall exactly how, when, why or where this happened. That's the true mystery of the Goddess, she appears and reappears in ineffably inscrutable ways.
Signed on: Mon Jun 19 15:22:00 GMT 1995
Ruth, please come home..... all is forgiven.The children miss you sorely, and the cat won't drink any of the glogg we make....
Signed on: Wed Jun 21 20:47:25 PDT 1995
Hi Colleague! How are your worshippers doing?
Greetings from the goddess of s.c.n(etherlands)
hanneke
Signed on: Tue Jun 27 04:26:42 PDT 1995
Ruth always impresses by her eloquent postings, expressing fresh and sometimes unconventional insights. It can be a startling and disconcerting surprise (not unlike a divine revelation) to find her disagreeing with you, because she is so obviously sane.
Signed on: Tue Jun 27 06:01:00 PDT 1995
Mina olen vanha stadin kundi. Lammittelen luitani taalla etelaisen Kalifornian auringossa, joka tana vuonna ei viela ole paistanut paljoakaan. Stadissa on ollut lampimampaa kuin taalla jo pitkaan. (sori vaan, tassa nappaimistossa ei ole noita a pilkkuja 8-)
Signed on: Tue Jun 27 08:38:59 PDT 1995
Signed on: Fri Jun 30 08:55:21 PDT 1995
Me and Ruth Marie,
We're close like *this*, you see.
Signed on: Mon Jul 3 05:05:59 PDT 1995
There were private signs and omens about a manifestation, more than once. Finally resolving to test their veracity, I went to the indicated place at the appointed time, and I was rewarded. Verily, the Red-Headed Goddess descended from the sky, and there was a multitude around her.
In faith did I raise up parchment that contained a symbol of hope, and words of greeting in the Elder Tongue. Her blessed attention was drawn to me, and I was graced with her presence. We walked for a time, and then stood for a time, and yet we continued to glide across the ground. Yet in her presence I knew no fear at this, for her spirit moved one beyond such mundane concerns.
She spoke to me of many things, with great parables and analogies. She talked of a great gathering of others of her kind, where she had shared her knowledge and gained reknown. And such was her skill at conversing that I was able to grasp her discourse, and was filled with awe.
Alas, all too quickly did other matters draw her from me. She smiled and took her leave, passing from my sight and then moments later reascending into the sky. Honored and humbled, I wandered many miles, until the night turned my thoughts and my steps towards home. God natt, goddess....
Signed on: Wed Jul 5 16:52:24 PDT 1995
I met Ruth for the first time on rec.sport.olympics in Jaunary 1994 :-). I saw that there was an American with a Nordic name that happend to know a lot about Norway, so I mailed her and asked her of how she knew all this and where she came from. Later I saw her in s.c.n. After some private mailing Ruth, me and some others from s.c.n. met at Peppes Pizza in Oslo. That was a little strange thing, I didn't know anything about who I was looking for there. Just asked the waiter after Sylte -- she stood on my left hand side and heard that, and....that was Ruth.
Signed on: Wed Jul 19 04:33:55 PDT 1995
Ah Yes...it was Ruth who taught me to appreciate the subtle flavor of lutefisk, but only in my mind. For journeys not yet taken, I thank the goddess for the time and to paint beautiful word pictures of Oslo! ...and for patience in helping me stumble through my Norwegian phrasebook...
Signed on: Fri Aug 4 15:53:32 PDT 1995
Where am I and what am I doing here?
Stumbled on Ruth and just wanted to say hello.
I'll be over to visit her next week. I'll enjoy little vacation in Norway by then. Show me all your blessings then.... Yours sincerely
Fred
Signed on: Sat Aug 5 08:32:01 PDT 1995
I scanned the pages one by one,
Saw the following that had begun.
It was clear for all to see,
This was the page on which to be.
Signed on: Mon Aug 7 09:09:38 PDT 1995
This Kristi Himmelfart business is one heck of an inside joke! Should I spoil it? Anyone who knows German knows that Christi Himmelfahrt is Acension Day, the holiday commemorating Christ's return to Heaven. Literally translated, it means "Christ Goes to Heaven." I hope it is not considered horribly gauche to bring this up!
Signed on: Fri Sep 15 17:34:28 PDT 1995
Oh lo and behold! For I was about to be blessed with a manifestation of the Net.Goddess Herself!!! I dedicated many days to meditation and cleansing of my unworthy soul, all in eager anticipation. And, verily, the Goddess listened!
However, before Her Divine Manifestation, the Goddess, in Her Eternal Wisdom did so choose to test this unworthy mortal. All normal modes of communication seemed broken and useless, but knowing that nothing is impossible for our Beloved Goddess, I doubted not! And, verily, she came! The Goddess manifested Herself to me in a tunnel of white, filled with bright lights! As I gazed upon Her for the first time, I at once threw up my arms in Holy awe of Her Holiness!
Since that first most Holy of manifestations, She showed Herself to my humble self many times during the next few days. I humbly followed, hoping to bask in her Holy Aura for as long as She would let me. And, verily, the Goddess chose to take this humble mortal on a Trip. "Let us go and listen to the thoughts of great men long dead" she said unto me. I followed, in awe and revenance of this Our Goddess. And, verily, She said unto me, let us leave this abode now, for the Listening cannot be done here". I humbly followed, and Lo! and Behold! On our way to the Place, the Goddess saw fit to take this unworthy mortal soul through Paradise! Harken all! For Paradise is not a Garden, like we all have been told! Paradise cannot be described with the words of a mortal, for mortal languages have no words to describe such a place. When the Goddess had brought me through Paradise, she let me humbly listen to, as she had promised, "the thoughts of great men long dead". And Lo! and Behold!, for it was Green! (tm) and filled with Gree(n)t(h)ings! (tm)
Our time at that most Holy of places was short, however, but on our way back to my humble home, the Goddess once again saw fit to bring me through Paradise! Oh, Place of Places! Never again will I visit thee!
During Her manifestation, the Goddess told me of many things, both of this world and things arcane and of other worlds, and I learned much from her Most Holy of Manifestations. There came a time, however, and all too soon, when the Goddess said unto me "I must leave you now, for there are others who need me. You need not be afraid. You will be given a Revelation from the Goddess from time to time." And verily, so I have, and thus I now fulfill my promise to Her, by insuring that Her Holy Message will be passed on to all.
Signed on: Tue Oct 3 06:54:22 PDT 1995
AMAZING WWW pages!!
Signed on: Thu Nov 2 00:10:27 PST 1995Be it known that around about April of 1995 my spirit was in a dark and low mood. Being a dutifully religious person, I decided to make a pilgrimage to Folklore Village near Dodgeville, Wisconsin, where I would make a humble sacrifice to whatever Higher Power might be present or willing to listen. There are many gods and goddesses in this world and I kind of expected to commune with the Goddess Jane Farwell of Folklore Village who has moved on to another world yet whose presence can still at times be felt gracing the hallowed dance floor so lovingly inlaid with a Shaker star.
I knew and understood the medium of worship.... Dancing to Hardanger fiddle music.... yet some would say I had in the past worshipped without feeling or sensitivity to the medium and to the presence. Masters of Worship, Karin Brennesvik and Roo Lester were dancing and teaching at Folklore VIllage to assist us in our expressions via the dance using a prayerful medium called telespringar and teleganger. I danced, I prayed, I worshiped, I emoted.... then when I least expected it I found myself dancing with a most radiant being. I danced with a telespringar partner, Ruth, who was light footed and full of kinetic energy... sparkling eyes...radiant hair... and a powerfully agile dancer. At the time, I thought I had danced with an exceptional mortal, but as we departed from Folklore Village, the glowing red head left me with the Holy Symbols she has left so many of you readers with. Mikkel -- minister of dance here in Los Gatos -- remarked upon my return from Wisconsin that I was dancing as if I had been touched by the Gods themselves... for my Telespringar had gained feeling and sensitivity and now had grace. I began to wonder about the redhead I had met... had she blessed me?
Months later I approached an Altar to the Internet, keyed in the holy symbols Ruth had given me, referred to a few passages in the "Gospel according to DayTimer (tm)" and arranged to meet up again with Ruth for some more worship in the Hardingfele Tradition.
During Ruth's visit she revealed to me knowledge her most high ladyship of Goddess. I stood in awe, as Mary and Joseph must have when visited by the Angel Gabriel, deeply moved to have been visited by the Goddess you all regard so highly. My faith stands solid as a rock, unwavering, as I walk the walk of a mere mortal who has been touched by the Gods. Upon her departure, Goddess Ruth gave me the Holy Symbols which hath brought me to this "I met Ruth" guest book.
Signed on: Thu Nov 2 11:23:30 PST 1995
It's hard to believe the quiet, retiring dancer I met in Wilmar, Minnesota is the same goddess I am reading about today. I had no idea of the impact this telespringarer has had /is having on the Scandinavian consciousness. And I thank her for all her practical advice for the good of the organization.
Signed on: Mon Nov 13 10:12:17 PST 1995
I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me.
Signed on: Mon Nov 13 11:37:00 EST 2003