Greatness Courts Failure

Nod to the Gods

Sucellos

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

The Celts and the Norse fought, loved, procreated, and eventually mutated into what we now know as the modern day Scots. Now, that’s a massive oversimplification but that’s one of our trademarks here at GCF. How do you start an argument without a good generalization?

Anyway, it’s the Scots, and thereby the Celts we have to thank for our obsession, golf. Our Scottish forefather sheepherders spent their endless free time using their crooks to knock dried sheep dung around pastures and into gopher holes for entertainment. This, like beating the crap out of each other (proto-football), through years of evolution became our favorite modern sport, pastime, and life-destroying obsession.

So, where are we going with this ridiculously half-true history lesson? It’s our latest Nod to the Gods. This time we honor Sucellos, the Celtic god of agriculture, forests, and alcoholic drinks. Sucellos is often depicted with a long handled hammer (perhaps historians and mythologist mistook it for a hammer, we think it’s a 460cc driver) and a beer barrel. Our kind of god! In addition, cellos is a Latin derivative for “striker” and the prefix su means “well” or “good.” So Sucellos means good (ball) striker!

So, give a nod to Sucellos for a well struck iron shot and a well tended course, offer him a small prayer to move the trees back a tad when you shank it into next Tuesday, and give him a hale and hearty “Slainte Mhath!” as you raise your beer at the 19th hole.