pretending to communicate

[thanate]

So I am finally planning on trying this National Novel Writing Month thing (which I would link to, except that it doesn't actually appear to exist right now) and I've foolishly decided that what I want to work on is something that requires lots and lots of research. So I've been reading this book (which is actually pretty interesting) about the history of Hell, from its ancient sumerian forebears to the present day, and the chapter about medieval mystery plays talks about how the greatest stage prop was the "hellmouth" that was a huge construction with ghastly teeth and a trapdoor through which characters fell. On alternate occasions, there were also guilds who made up what sounds remarkably like a parade float depicting hell, which would be pulled through the streets belching fire (whether real or simulated wasn't clear) attended by people dressed as demons making a nuisance of themselves in the crowd. And I though, how fabulous-- why doesn't anybody do that at pennsic?