Europe is being invaded by the Vikings

H.I. has been making a pencil study drawing from one of the Al Fayum funerary portraits (not this one) for the last couple of weeks. I would go so far as to say she is obsessing over it.

Although they are found in the Al Fayum area of Egypt, I think they are more Roman than Egyptian, even though the mummies are wrapped the same way. Those Romans became absorbed into all sorts of societies. Even ours.

I was looking at some wall paintings from Pompeii the other day and noticed - once again - how the exposed areas of flesh seem to glisten and shine. Their noses seemed always to be greasy.

Then I remembered that part of their daily ritual was to cover their bodies in olive oil and scrape off the excess with a bronze spatula. The shiny bodies was just a representation of the fact.

Notice the lack of Historical Present in the above. I had a gut-full of it this morning during Melvyn bloody Bragg's radio show when he spent three quarters of an hour turning what should have been a very interesting article into a stifled, tight-arsed and poorly attended lecture by a handful of historians talking about Vikings as if they personally knew them as neighbours.

Now you've got me started. It isn't 'The Danes are taking over the area of Trent' - it is 'The Danes TOOK over the area of Trent', twat.

Now look what you've done. You've got me so angry that I am thinking of Brexit again. What the hell is going to happen next?