101 How To Embarrass Yourself In Front Of Tourists, Lesson #13:

[pengolodh_sc]

First, explain how funnelshaped glasses, imported from Bohemia, the Frankish Empire, etc., for a while were the most common shape of drinking glass in Viking Age Scandinavia

Comments

[makovette]

You're just that awesome! :P

-Mako

[sollersuk]

Surely "finally" would be "desperately look around for a deep friendly hole to vanish into"?

At least it sounds as though the Vikings didn't have the sense of humour that produced Claw Beakers: contemplate it for a bit and then I'll tell you more about them.

[sollersuk]

Sorry, forgot to paste in the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claw_beaker

[sollersuk]

I think that's long enough for anybody interested to cogitate.

The bulbous claw-shaped bits are bulbous and connect to the main vessel. As you drink from it and the level of the liquid falls below the openings, air rushes in, drink rushes up and goes up your nose and it makes a belching noise. A mixture of dribbling cup, yard of ale and whoopee cushion. So many of them survive, including a considerable number intact, that they must have been really, really popular.

And of course the shape of the bottom meant that once you took it, you had to empty it.

[ias]

Opps.