Ongull Adasson

Ongull Adasson

All that actual historical record remembers of Ongull was that he was an Esgaroth fisherman, who at a time many generations ago, caught the largest fish still on record out of Long Lake - 81 inches and 150 lbs. A remembrance of his imagine - a well-patinaed bronze statue on a rock in the middle of the Market Pool showing a beareded, moustachioed man of well-built stature, who carries upon his back a monstrous fish longer than the sizeable man is tall. His proud grin is only further augmented by the raised flagon in his free-hand.

Living in the days before terrible wrath of the Wyrm upon Dale, history turned into legend, and legend has turned into Ongull into an intergral part of Laketown's fisherman community, a god among men, a savior, an exemplar for the ages. There are as many tales of Ongull as there are fish in Long Lake, and like any good fish tale they get only more elaborate and less likely with each telling. Many a cold winter's night is passed with a round of Ongull tales, with proper credit being given to the most boastful, most elaborate, and crudest tales ( A truly skilled skald can manage all three accolades with the same tale. Indeed, a Laketown fisherman's level of respect stems as much from his average catch as it does from his ability to keep up by adding his own yarns to the great mythos of Ongull.

Womenfolk likewise participate in their own tale-weaving by inventing their own yarns about Ongull's long-suffering wife Gunna. Then men's tales focus on Ongull's supposed prowess at the fine art of fishing, feats of physical strength, or even how much he could drink. Women's tales focus on Gunna's near-magical ability at domestic chores - that she could milk a cow in a minute, that she could weave in her sleep, that bread baked by her hand never soured. And indeed, there are a few of the richer denizens of Long Lake that will claim to own such a blessed loaf held in a glass box (rotated every few days with a fresh replacement, during the wee hours when no one is the wiser.)

Following suit, the rocky outcrop holding Laketown's statue is more often than not decorated with offerings and supplications to gain the heroes' guidance to Long Lake's prime fishing spots. Grave promises are often made at the foot of Ongull's statue beginning with "By Ongull's beard." To prove the seriousness of words, the oath is sealed with a kiss upon Ongull's hand, with the inferred risk of Ongull's terrible wrath from beyond the grave should one prove oathbreaker. Oathbreakers who met ill ends with accidents, are often judged to be receiving his fair, yet merciless justice.

A well-known cultural element even outside of Laketown, Ongull serves throughout Rhovanion as a common legend. He acts as a guide and a goal for the hard working - to be strong, selfless, friend of many, talented at one's job, and to earn the love of an equally hard working and beautiful wife. And yet, the seedier side of the equation is that as things tend to go - oaths and promises turned sideways tend to be the common swear words and dirty utterances. And thus as much as "By Ongull's beard!" is a common promise or Oath, "Great Ongull's bollocks!" tends to be a common retort or swear, both as a general expletive, but particularly useful for calling someone out for being a liar.