News and Houses

News and Houses News and Houses News and Houses By Maeve Maddox Lately I’ve noticed that several announcers on NPR (National Public Radio)both national and local announcershave taken to pronouncing the word news as [noos]. U.S. and British speakers usually differ in the way they pronounce the vowel in news. Most U.S. speakers say [nooz]. British pronunciation is [nyooz]. The pronunciation [noos] is a new one on me. Long before I heard [noos], I began to notice a shift in the way some U.S. speakers pronounce the words house and houses, pronouncing the [z] of the plural as [s]. I first noticed it in the speech of Chicago speakers, but now I hear it in the national media. House is pronounced differently according to whether it is a noun or a verb. â€Å"Let’s paint the house pink.† (noun) Used as a noun, house is pronounced [hous]. The plural of house is houses [hou-ziz]. â€Å"Relief services must house all the homeless storm survivors.† (verb) As a verb, house is pronounced [houz]. House has an -ing form that can be used as either a noun or a verb: â€Å"Local hotels are providing temporary housing for the survivors.† (verbal noun) â€Å"FEMA is housing the survivors in mobile homes.† (present participle) The pronunciation of housing is [hou-zing] Several rules govern the pronunciation of the letter s in English. I’ll mention only the ones that apply to news and houses. houses If the last consonant sound of the word is a sibilant sound like [s] or [z]), the final sound is pronounced like an extra syllable: [houz-iz] news If the last letter of the word ends in a vowel sound (e.g. bees, flies), the s is pronounced [z]. Don’t let the consonant letter w in news fool you. English has many more vowel sounds than it has vowel letters. The w in news belongs to the vowel digraph ew, the vowel sound heard in news. Such handy rules for the pronunciation of s at the end of words do not exist for s in a medial position. Those you must learn on a word-by-word basis. When in doubt, consult a dictionary. Interesting side note: One of the announcers on my local NPR station pronounces noon as [njun] instead of [noon]. She says that a program is on â€Å"from 11 a.m. to [njun].† I’m waiting for another announcer to do it. I think this kind of thing may be catching. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business Emails20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word FormsDouble Possessive

Qué hacer en cita migratoria cuando no se habla inglés

Quà © hacer en cita migratoria cuando no se habla inglà ©s Si no se siente cà ³modo hablando en inglà ©s y tiene que realizar alguna gestià ³n migratoria en ese idioma o presentarse a una entrevista o vista no se preocupe, ya que existen soluciones sencillas segà ºn el caso. Este artà ­culo trata de cà ³mo resolver el problema del poco conocimiento de inglà ©s que puede surgir en  cuatro situaciones: traduccià ³n de documentos al inglà ©scitacià ³n ante el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s)citacià ³n para una Corte migratoriay cita para entrevista en un consulado o Embajada de los Estados Unidos en otro paà ­s. Cà ³mo traducir un documento al inglà ©s para el USCIS o un consulado Excepto en los casos muy concretos en los que se pide una traduccià ³n realizada por un traductor jurado y/o notarizada es suficiente una traduccià ³n certificada.   Esto quiere decir que es buena una realizada por cualquier persona que habla y escribe con fluidez el inglà ©s y el idioma del que traduce, generalmente el espaà ±ol. Este es un modelo de carta que se puede seguir para certificar dicha traduccià ³n. Esto es importante porque puede facilitar importante ahorro de dinero. Cita en una oficina del USCIS cuando no se habla bien inglà ©s Son muchos los ejemplos en los que el USICS puede citar para una entrevista. Como por ejemplo: Residencia permanente definitiva o condicional, en este caso por razà ³n de matrimonio.Entrevista por caso de  AsiloExamen para adquirir la ciudadanà ­a americana por naturalizacià ³n en los casos muy concretos en los que al solicitante se le permite rendir el examen en su idioma materno y no en inglà ©s, etc En estos casos, aunque puede que el oficial a cargo de un caso sea bilingà ¼e, eso no tiene que ser necesariamente asà ­. El USCIS no proporciona intà ©rpretes para traducir del espaà ±ol al inglà ©s y viceversa. Por esta razà ³n si se ha sido citado y no se siente cà ³modo hablando en inglà ©s, usted puede llevar a un intà ©rprete para que traduzca las preguntas y tambià ©n sus respuestas. El USCIS permite realizar la labor de intà ©rprete para las entrevistas a: Un familiar o amigo del entrevistado siempre que tenga  un conocimiento alto en los dos idiomas.Un traductor profesional. Los hay incluso con la especialidad de asistir a ese tipo de entrevistas a los que, là ³gicamente, hay que pagar por sus servicios profesionales. Lo ms conveniente es que el traductor sea un ciudadano americano o un residente permanente legal, y no un amigo que est en Estados Unidos temporalmente con una visa de turista, por ejemplo. Ya que en estos casos es posible que el oficial de inmigracià ³n decida que no lo acepta como intà ©rprete. Asimismo, los inmigrantes indocumentados deben abstenerse de pisar voluntariamente un edificio federal, particularmente los de inmigracià ³n, ya que pueden ser detenidos. Por lo tanto, no es conveniente que brinden sus servicios de traductor a un familiar o amigo. Adems,   otro requisito es que la persona que ha de traducir del inglà ©s al espaà ±ol y viceversa tiene que tener como mà ­nimo los 18 aà ±os de edad cumplidos. Por à ºltimo, tener en cuenta que aunque no hay una regla definitiva sobre el asunto, lo cierto es que en los casos de entrevistas a matrimonios el oficial de inmigracià ³n puede no permitir que un esposo bilingà ¼e traduzca para el que no habla inglà ©s. La razà ³n es que harà ­a ms difà ­cil detectar si se trata de un matrimonio de conveniencia. Cuando se tiene una cita en una Corte de Inmigracià ³n En este caso, la Corte sà ­ que brinda un servicio gratuito de intà ©rpretes. Es posible que la persona que va a realizar este servicio està © presente en la sala o, muy probablemente, està © en otra parte y la comunicacià ³n se tenga que realizar por telà ©fono. Por el contrario, las cortes migratorias no facilitan la presencia de abogados de oficio para defender a los migrantes. Son estos los que deben procurarse uno o defenderse a sà ­ mismos, quedando claro que las estadà ­sticas demuestran que hay una gran diferencia en resultados siendo mejores cuando los migrantes son representados por abogados. Cuando se est detenido o arrestado por autoridades migratorias Es muy importante no firmar ningà ºn documento que no se entienda. Este es un derecho de todas las personas, incluidos los migrantes indocumentados. Si hay algo que no se entiende, solicitar un abogado.   Entrevista en consulados y embajadas No es necesario llevar traductor ni a las entrevistas para solicitar visas no inmigrante como a las de visas de inmigrante. La razà ³n es que todos  los consulados y Embajadas de los Estados Unidos cuentan con trabajadores bilingà ¼es. En resumen, la falta de conocimiento de inglà ©s se puede arreglar de las formas explicadas en este artà ­culo. Este artà ­culo es sà ³lo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso concreto

Management Skills in Adult Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Management Skills in Adult Nursing - Essay Example According to the discussion more specific themes on discharge planning, communication, and handover shall be incorporated into the text. The critical and analytical aspects of this discussion shall flow from the reflective process, with an evaluation of the specific actions based on standards of the practice. Description of incident The scenario under evaluation involves the discharge of Patient X, a 65 year old male patient who recently underwent hip hemiarthroplasty surgery. During the discharge planning process, there were several orders which the uathor was not sure how to implement. One of the discharge orders indicated that he needed to refer the patient to the rehabilitation ward for physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and that he needed to refer the patient to a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist, and arrange future schedules for therapy. Discharge orders also indicated that he needed to recommend an appropriate health and diet plan for the patient. Health and diet plans for elderly patients, especially those who have recently suffered hip fractures must be established because these elderly patients are prone to possible re-injury. Sometimes, where no appropriate safety measures are put in place, falls may happen again. The goal of nurses would be to prevent any re-injuries and to ensure that the patients are equipped with the right tools to manage their condition. There were two major challenges I had to overcome carrying out the discharge orders.

Importance of Professionalising HRM in Hotel Industry Essay - 20

Importance of Professionalising HRM in Hotel Industry - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that each department requires personnel to operate and mange the different types of customers. Thus, there is a need for HRM in a hotel because every aspect in a hotel is concerned with handling people. A HRM professional can understand the needs and preferences of employees and can handle the employee related problems quite efficiently than others. From the provided case, it can be observed that it is a challenge for Happy Hotels to recruit, develop and maintain workforce which is significant for the hotel because a good motivated workforce is the key for providing high quality services to the sensitive customers. The approaches undertaken by Happy Hotels are quite different than the other high cost hotel services. It provides customers with excellent services, comfortable rooms, and good meals with minimal budget than other high cost hotel such as Premium Inn or Holiday Inn. Thus, the job description in Happy Hotels needs range of skills and qualities. The employees must have knowledge to interact with various customers who can impact the HRM strategies such as recruitment and training of employees. HRM can broadly manage the employees in Happy Hotels and can aid the hotels to pursue their path towards achieving success. There are many reasons for professionalising HRM in the expansion of hotel group. Every hotel seeks to dev elop their services which can differentiate them from other competitors. Thus, a hotel will always endeavour to focus on providing customers any product or service which is new and innovative. The employees of the hotels will play one of the major roles in fulfilling this endeavour of the hotels. Thus, the employees need to learn behaviour such as readiness to tolerate uncertainty and changeability. They need to take risks. A highly skilled HR individual can help to achieve high level of autonomy in a hotel.

The Weimaraner: a Superior Breed Essay -- Dog Breeds, choosing a dog

When choosing a dog, I would choose a Weimaraner because they are some of the most playful, intelligent, athletic, beautiful, and loyal dogs that exist. Personality is one of the greatest aspects of these kinds of dogs. They are playful, smart, loving, and affectionate. Weimaraners have very strong and individual personalities of their own. These kinds of dogs are so smart and special that they have personalities and intelligence that may rival that of human beings. They need to be treated as a member of their people and family. The dog's athletic prowess is apparent in their genetic makeup. Their great physical structure is designed through their breeding for the purpose of being the very best gun dog. The Weimaraner's beautiful and shiny coat, tall stature in the best individuals of the breed, and their lean, strong, and sometimes almost wiry appearance indicates all of the breed’s superior athletic ability. Weimaraners are strong, fast, and excellent jumpers. Their intelligence enables the dogs to use their physical gifts better than other dogs whose physical abilities may approach or rival the Weimaraner's. These special dogs also have a need for constant human companionship. They are loyal to their people and are a fun loving breed which can be mischievous. That makes it fun and challenging for anyone who is able to provide the needs of the Weimaraner in order to be its life long partner or companion. The dog requires a variety of admirable qualities in a person to lead them correctly, and one must be physically fit to keep up with the dog and provide all of its needs, which includes giving the dog lots of walks and exercise. Weimaraners need a fenced yard with a tall fence they cannot dig under. They need to sleep i... ...o keep fit, these are the perfect dogs. Their excellent physical structure built for speed and enduring beauty makes them a perfect companion that keeps going persistently. Getting kisses from such a cute face with those long ears is endearing. The Weims’ loyalty and protectiveness make the leaders of these dogs feel special too. Their advanced learning skills and natural qualities bred for the hunt make them a pleasure to owners who want the best of all things from a large dog. Learning new things with the dog keeps the relationship between the dog and its leader full of growth and also keeps the relationship interesting. Weimaraners are perfect for young people who are looking for a new addition to their family that the leader can love and teach. Weimaraners are a great reward in themselves for all of the love and happiness they give to their people and family.

Discuss the role and importance of the doctrine of judicial precedent in English legal system. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the doctrine?

Introduction The doctrine of judicial precedent is based upon the principle of stare decisis, which means the standing by of previous decisions. This means that when a particular point of law is decided in a case, all future cases containing the same facts and circumstances will be bound by that decision as signified in Donoghue v Stevenson[1] and Grant v Australian Knitting Mills.[2] Whilst the doctrine of judicial precedent helps to maintain the interests of justice, many have argued that it restricts the laws ability to keep abreast with the changes in society and that much restriction thereby exists.[3] Consequently, there are advantages and disadvantages to the doctrine of judicial precedent which will both be discussed in this study. This will be done by firstly considering the role and importance of the doctrine, followed by a review as to its advantages and disadvantages. Once the relevant information has been gathered an analysed, an appropriate conclusion will then be drawn. Role and Importance of the Doctrine of Judicial Precedent The doctrine of judicial precedent is a general principle of common law that is established in a case to help Courts decide upon similar issues in subsequent case law.[4] Judicial precedent is defined in the Oxford Dictionary of Law as a â€Å"judgement or decision of a Court used as an authority for reaching the same decision in subsequent cases.†[5] There are two different kinds of judicial precedent that exist which are; authoritative and persuasive. Authoritative precedent binds all lower Courts, whilst persuasive precedent does not actually have to be followed and is intended to merely persuade the Court into making a particular decision. It is necessary that Courts always follow the judicial precedent doctrine[6] so that any discrepancies’ can be avoided. This will provide greater certainty to the judicial system, which is vital in maintaining the interests of justice.[7] Not all agree that judicial precedent is that effective, however, and have instead argued tha t many of the principles are weak and outdated.[8] This is due to the fact that judicial precedent is ageless and so a decision that was made a long time ago by a Court of Appeal, for instance, will still have to be followed until â€Å"it is distinguished by another Court of Appeal or overturned by the Supreme Court.†[9] Judicial precedent’s that have been set by higher Courts will therefore be binding upon all lower Courts unless the same Court or the Supreme Court has overturned the previous decision as identified in Young v Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd.[10] Therefore, whilst judicial precedent does have some drawbacks, it is still an important part of the judicial system and is necessary in the interests of justice. Advantages There are many advantages to the doctrine of judicial precedent with one of the main advantages being the ability to save time when making a decision on a case.[11] If a Court is already provided with an answer to a problem in which they face, it will not take as much time to reach a reasoned conclusion. This is because the Court will not be required to analyse the case and make a decision as they will already have the answer before them, which is a significant benefit within the judicial process. An example how effective judicial precedent can be is exemplified in the case of Hunter and Others v Canary Wharf Ltd and London Dockland Development Corporation.[12] Here, the Court did not have to form an original precedent was could merely apply a previously established principle to the issue at hand. Another advantage, which has already been mentioned, is the consistency between cases. This strengthens the system and is also likely to reduce crime since those who are aware of the conseq uences will be less likely to commit a criminal offence.[13] Greater fairness is also provided as cases with similar facts will be treated the same. This is of course unless there is some further fact which is material to the decision as the Court will then be capable of reaching a different conclusion.[14] The existence of a judicial precedent may also prevent a Court from making a mistake as guidance will be provided as to how a case ought to be dealt with. Therefore, a judge will be less likely to make a mistake when reaching a conclusion and a decision will be deemed to be a lot stronger. It will make it difficult for a Court’s decision to be contested as there will be case law in place that will back up the Courts decision as shown in Kadhim v Brent London Borough Council.[15] This is important in preserving the integrity of the justice system and maintaining Judges confidence.[16] Injustice will also be prevented as it would certainly be unjust for different outcomes to be reached in two cases with similar facts. This would be unfair and society would most likely lose confidence in the justice system. Judicial precedent also prevents judges from producing prejudicial decisions since a judge will often be bound to follow a previous decision even if he disagrees with it.[17] This is important in ensuring that the rulings of judges remain as consistent as is reasonably possible so as to prevent confusion and unfairness. Another advantage that exists is the ability to develop the law even further. Making law in decided case provides an opportunity for growth and legal development and ensures that the law is able to keep abreast with the continuous advances in society.[18] Courts are able to lay down legal rules and principles a lot quicker than Parliament and because there are constant societal and technological advances, it is necessary that new legal rules and principles can be established more conveniently. The doctrine of judicial precedent can also be flexible in that judges are able to make decisions on a case by case basis according to the individual facts and circumstances.[19] However, this flexibility is restricted by the judges obligations to follow previously decided cases. Because there is a centralised legal system, it is much easier for judges to follow.[20] This is especially so in the UK were there are only a small number of Courts. Arguably, there are many advantages to the doctrine of judicial precedent, yet is unclear whether these outweigh the disadvantages which will be discussed in the next section. Disadvantages Whilst there are many advantages to having a doctrine of judicial precedent in the, it often said that the doctrine introduces unnecessary restrictions into the law.[21] Because of the fast pace at which society advances, it is necessary for the law to keep abreast with any changes that are made. However, the existence of judicial precedent often prevents judges from developing legal doctrine in accordance with societal developments.[22] This demonstrates how the judicial system is somewhat outmoded as reliance upon date case law decisions will be made. This may not be appropriate in modern society and it seems as though further advancements may need to be made. This has a negative impact upon the role of judicial precedent and highlights the complexity of the system. This is because a certain area of the law may have developed over time, yet judicial decisions may not reflect the changes that have been made. Another disadvantage is that the volume of cases may result in too many precedents, causing confusion.[23] Because there are significant amount of case law decisions, it can be extremely difficult and time consuming to understand the law. It has also been put forward that judges may look for reasons not to follow a decision and therefore produce an illogical decision.[24] This can have dangerous consequences and is not what the doctrine intended. Judicial precedent may also cause injustice as the overruling of an earlier case may spark outrage if individuals have conducted their affairs in accordance with a decision.[25] This weakens the importance of the judicial precedent doctrine and seems to counteract its original objectives. Since the Human Rights Act 1998 was enacted, the doctrine of judicial precedent has in fact been weakened. This is because legal rules and principles must be read and given effect in a way that is compatible with the rights that are contained under the European Convention of Human Rights 1951. Any legal rules or principles that appear to conflict with such rights must therefore be amended to ensure adequate protections are being provided to individual human rights.[26] This has a significant impact upon the judicial precedent doctrine since lower courts may be able to overturn previous decisions if it can be shown that they are incompatible with the rights under Convention. As noted by Betten; â€Å"when confronted with the Convention, British judges will in many respects have to put themselves into a different interpretative frame of mind.†[27] This was recently exemplified by the case of Culnane v Morris & Anor[28] when Eady J had to consider the effect section 10 of the Def amation Act 1952 had upon the rights contained under the Convention. Under the judicial precedent doctrine the Court would have been required to follow the decision in Plummer v Charman.[29] However, because the decision in Plummer was incompatible with the Convention rights, Eady J was capable of side-stepping the decision. Therefore, it could be said that judicial precedent is not effective in cases concerning human rights. Subsequent to the enactment of the HRA, it therefore seems as though the judicial precedent doctrine is largely being undermined since the judiciary are no longer required to follow previous decisions if they are incompatible with the Convention. It could be said that the doctrine is no longer important since the Court in Miller v Bull[30] departed from the decision in Ahmed v Kennedy[31] regardless of the fact that the Ahmed decision was made subsequent to the HRA’s enactment. In has been suggested in view of these cases that a â€Å"gaping hole in the precedent wall†[32] exists as â€Å"new human rights points can be taken at whatever level they first arise, notwithstanding previous cases which would otherwise be binding.†[33] Consequently, it evident that judicial precedent will not always be followed if it can be shown a decision is incompatible with Convention rights. This has also been recognised by Zander who put forward that; â€Å"under the Human Rights Act 1998, the operation if the doctrine of precedent may be set aside.†[34] Therefore, Courts may be free not to follow the decisions of higher courts. This will only be applicable in cases concerning human rights and so the judicial precedent doctrine will still be upheld in the majority of instances. Furthermore, once a human rights issue has been recognised subsequent Courts will then be required to follow the position that has been taken. This re-instates the judicial precedent doctrine further and maintains consistency in the judicial system.[35] As identified by Fafinski and Finch; â€Å"section 2 of the HRA requires future courts to take into account any previous decisions of the ECHR.†[36] These decisions will not, however, be formally binding, though they will be highly persuasive. In effect, any human rights issues that have been dealt with will be subject to the precedent doctrine. In general, Courts will be required to follow any the jurisprudence of the ECHR, provides that it is clear and consistent yet â€Å"it should never be suggested that a court is bound by Strasbourg decisions.†[37] It could be said that the precedent doctrine was essentially put on hold when the HRA was enacted to enable the Courts to deal with human rights issues effectively. Howe ver, the doctrine is now being restored as human rights decisions are being made post HRA. Arguably, whilst the HRA had a significant impact upon the judicial understanding of judicial precedent the underlying features of the doctrine remain unchanged and it is only a matter of time before all human rights issues have been dealt with by the Courts and the doctrine is fully restored. Conclusion The doctrine of judicial precedent primarily assists Courts when making decisions via previously decided case law. This certifies that certainty and consistency is being provided within the judicial system and enables a speedier judicial process to be effectuated. Greater fairness also exists as cases with similar facts will be treated the same, which prevents any injustice from occurring. Legal rules and principles can also be developed under this process and a more flexible judicial system is established. On the other hand, there are many inherent drawbacks that exist under the doctrine, such as the unnecessary restrictions that are placed upon judges to follow previous decisions. This could prevent the law from keeping up-to-date with advances in society as many of the principles may be somewhat outmoded. Furthermore, it may also be time-consuming and difficult to understand the law as a result of the amount of cases that exist. Since the HRA was enacted, the doctrine of judicial precedent also appears to have been weakened, yet as new case law decisions are established, the doctrine will in fact be restored. This is essential given the importance of judicial precedence and although there are many disadvantages, these appear to be outweighed by the advantages. Bibliography Books C Duxbury. The Nature and Authority of Precedent, (Cambridge University Press, 2008). D Gray. Public Services, (Heinemann: London, 2004). E Reichert. Challenges in Human Rights, (Columbia University Press: London, 2007). J Ashcroft and J Ashcroft. Cengage Advantage Books: Law for Business, (Cengage Learning: United States, 2010). J Martin. Key Facts English Legal System, (Routledge: London, 2014) J O’Riordan. AS Law for AQA, (Heinemann: Oxford, 2002). L Betten. The Human Rights Act 1998: What it Means: The Incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into the Legal Order of the UK, (Martinus Nijoff Publishers, 1999). M Charman. B Vanstone and L Sherratt. AS Law, (Routledge: Oxon, 2012). M Zander. The Law-Making Process, (6th edn, Cambridge University Press, 2004). P Plowden and K Kerrigan. Advocay and Human Rights: Using the Convention in Courts and Tribunals, (Routledge, 2002). S Fafinksi and E Finch. English Legal System, (2nd edn, Pearson Education, 2009). Oxford. Oxford Dictionary of Law, (6th edn OUP Oxford, 2006). Journals D Lock. ‘Public/Human Rights: Unconventional?’ (2009) 159 New Law Journal 1727, Issue 7397. Halsbury’s Laws of England., ‘Paragraph 21 Power to Determine Ambit of Own Authority’ Lexis Nexis. Halsbury’s Laws of England. Paragraph 1460, Human Rights. Lexis Nexis. J T Loughran. ‘Some Reflections on the Role of Judicial Precedent’ Fordham Law Review, Volume 22, Issue 1, 274-320. Sixth Form Law. ‘Advantages and Disadvantages of the Doctrine of Judicial Precedent’ [Accessed 27 April, 2014]. Cases Ahmed v Kennedy [2002] EWHC Civ 1793 Culnane v Morris & Anor [2006] EWHC 2438 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 Grant v Australian Knitting Mills [1936] AC 85 Hunter and Others v Canary Wharf Ltd and London Dockland Development Corporation [1997] UKHL 14 Kadhim v Brent London Borough Council Miller v Bull [2009] EWHC 2640 (QB) Plummer v Charman [1962] 1 WLR 1469 Young v Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd [1944] KB 718 CA

The Courtship of Freyr and Gerd

The following story of Freyrs courtship by proxy of Gerd may be somewhat frustrating for modern readers. One day while Odin was away, the Vanir god Freyr sat on his throne, Hlithskjalf, from which he could look out upon the whole of the 9 worlds. As he looked upon the land of the giants, Jotunheim, he noticed a beautiful house owned by the sea giant Gymir into which a lovely young giantess entered. Freyr became sad obsessing about the young giantess, whose name was Gerd, but he wouldnt tell anyone what he was brooding about; perhaps because he didnt want to admit that he had been sitting on the forbidden throne; perhaps because he knew the love between giants and Aesir was taboo. Since Freyr wouldnt eat or drink, his family grew worried but were afraid to talk with him. In time, his father Njord summoned Freyrs servant Skirnir to find out what was going on. Skirmir Tries to Court Gerd for Freyr Skirnir was able to extract the information from his master. In return, Freyr extracted a promise from Skirnir to woo Gymirs daughter Gerd for him and gave him a horse that would go through the magic ring of fire surrounding Gymirs home and special sword that fights giants on its own. After a minimal number of obstacles, Gerd gave Skirnir an audience. Skirnir asked her to say she loved Freyr in exchange for precious gifts. She refused, saying she had enough gold already. She added that she could never love a Vanir. Skirnir turned to threats. He carved runes on a stick and told Gerd he would send her to the frost ogre realm where she would pine for both food and a mans love. Gerd conceded. She said she would meet with Freyr in 9 days. The servant returned to tell Freyr the excellent news. Freyrs response was impatience, and so the story ends. The story of Freyr and Gerd (or Gerda) is told in Skirnismal (Skirnirs Lay), from the poetic Edda, and in a prose version in Gylfaginning (Deception of the Gylfi) in the Edda by Snorri Sturluson. Source: The Withdrawal of the Fertility God, Annelise Talbot Folklore, Vol. 93, No. 1. (1982), pp. 31-46.