Speed Bump by Dave Coverly for February 16, 2025

Is she named Iorek Byrnison? [Someone will get the reference]

She also does the ironing.

I think he is one of the ‘Black’ Smiths!

he’s not allowed to stay up at knight either

“And she calls this a chastity belt. Strange thing is, it’s locked and mom says she can’t find the key.”

Iorek Byrnison is a character in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials fantasy novels. He is an armored bear, and becomes a friend of the protagonist, Lyra. Ultimately he fights on the side of Lord Asriel against the Authority and the Kingdom of Heaven.Iorek Byrnison is a panserbjørne, one of the great armored bears of Lyra’s world. These are like enormous polar bears, but have opposable thumbs and are intelligent and capable of speech. They are mighty warriors and metalsmiths, and forge their own suits of armor, which far surpass anything made by men. Their armor acts as a sort of soul for them, in much the same way a daemon acts for humans in Lyra’s world. The panserbjørne have very strict ideas of honor and correct behavior, which at times differ drastically from that of humans.

The panserbjørne also appear generally incapable of being fooled. As a result, they neither lie nor are able to be lied to. This seems to be the case except when a panserbjørne has adopted human customs so much that he becomes susceptible to lies himself.Iorek Byrnison was once the heir to the throne of the panserbjørne in Svalbard. In his youth, however, he got into a fight with another bear over a female. Unbeknownst to Iorek Byrnison, the other bear had been drugged by Iorek’s rival Iofur Raknison, and so was not able to think clearly. So it was that he refused to yield to Iorek Byrnison, and in the fury of battle, Iorek killed the other bear, something not allowed within panserbjørne society. For this reason he was exiled, and dishonored, with his armor taken from him.

Iorek Byrnison went on to become a warrior for hire, and in his travels fought side by side with the human Lee Scoresby in the Tunguska Campaign. Lee saved Iorek’s life during this campaign, and Iorek saved Lee’s life, creating a bond that would last the rest of their lives. Sometime during his mercenary life, Iorek finds metal from a fallen meteor, Sky Iron, and uses it to recreate his armor.

Who knew the Amish were that old?

See, she even embossed my name up by the collar.

Strong hands.

Under the village tree the village smithy stands, the smithy is a big fat slob with dirty grimy hands!

His mom also makes and fits shoes for his horse.

Mom loves you and is good at what she does!

She also sells them by mail order.

Nice fit….

Granny Smith also makes great apple pies.

I’m here for the comments.

This must be the era when those pesky chain mail letters started going around.

Nah, her name isn’t Smith. It’s Anne Ville. And with her it’s always hammer time.

When Dad calls her “the old battle axe”, he says it with love (…and a healthy amount of fear).

There was this blacksmith who saved Jerusalem from Saladin… Edward Norton as King Baldwin IV was awesome. “A King may move a man, a father may claim a son, but remember that even when those who move you be Kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone”. Kingdom of Heaven.

Mando’s Mom ! ;-)