Strange occurrence: remembering weird stuff while reading

[Katsunami]

Has this ever happened to you?

I'm re-reading the entire Shannara series; at the moment I'm reading The Elf Queen of Shannara. In between two chapters, I suddenly started thinking how I introduced a high-school friend of mine to Fantasy by lending him The Elfstones of Shannara; he started reading Fantasy like posessed. (In turn, he introduced me to Abba, still the only pop group I listen to.)

Long story short, he went to a university to study something, I went to another university studying something else, and we never saw each other again. Just lost contact.

This guy was one of my best friends at the time, and his name was Niels.

I thought: "I wonder where Niels (Holgersson) is now."

*blink, blink*

What? His name was "$Name". Who the frack is Niels Holgersson?

Whisper in my mind: (He rides geese. Through Sweden.)

*scratch, shakes head*

I actually thought that I'm going crazy. Must have something to do with finding some clips of "David the Gnome" for my niece on my tablet, and seeing some glimpses of him riding a fox and a swan, combined with the fact that Abba is from Sweden.

Whisper in my mind: (He lives on a farm, and some animals sound like Grand Smurf.)

Frack. I'm going crazy.

I had to look it up in the end. There was a series in Dutch, 52 episodes, in 1983-84. I never saw it. I'm positive; and if I saw it, I would be too young to remember details. The series was based on a book: "The wonderful adventures of Nils" (in English), a book that's in public domain since 2011. I've never read it.

And yes, Niels Holgersson rides geese through Sweden, and in the Dutch series, quite a few characters are actually voiced by the same guy who voiced Grand Smurf in Dutch. I recognized him instantly when finding some clips on Youtube, and cross checking in Wikipedia confirmed it. I DID see many of the Smurfs episodes back then, but I can't remember watching Niels Holgersson in Dutch.... *ever*.

I find this to be exceedingly strange. Why would a name like "Niels Holgersson" just pop up in my memories, and I even seem to remember that he rides geese on a journey through Sweden, while I (think I) never saw the series, and (know for sure that I) never read the book. I can't even remember anyone ever mentioning the name to me.

The weirdest thing is that I now want to read the book and see the series, altough I feel to be at least 25 years too old for it. I've looked up some clips on Youtube. That series has some beautiful music in it, actually.

Weird, and I don't have any explanation for it.

[Freeshadow]

So in short: you dug up a fragment (selma lagerlöfs nils holgersson figure) from your long-term memory and the only thing puzzling you was that some mid-links in the associative chain were deep dug too, so that their resurfacing looked out of context at the 1st glance.

Nothing wrong with that as far as I know.

[gmw]

I'd be more worried that the book wasn't keeping you engaged. Usually when my mind goes wandering it's a sign that the book is boring me (not always the book's fault, sometimes I can be hard to please). Such wanderings do sometimes spark very strange associations, though I don't recall any examples to offer as comparison (because they are usually quite fleeting thoughts).

While I was reading your post my mind did start thinking about Terry Pratchett's gnome books (The Gnome Trilogy / The Bromeliad Trilogy, depending on where you live) - because some of his gnomes ride geese. Which isn't to say your post was boring .

[Rumpelteazer]

I think the series must have been aired later, too, maybe on the Belgian tv. Because I can remember bits and pieces of it and I was about 3 when it originally aired and I wouldn't have remembered it at that age (plus it was meant for older children I think).

[HarryT]

The mind retrieves information in all sorts of strange ways. With me, it tends to be tastes and smells that trigger vivid memories.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by gmw

I'd be more worried that the book wasn't keeping you engaged. Usually when my mind goes wandering it's a sign that the book is boring me...

This sometimes happens to me if a book is overly predictable. And let me tell you, *many* books and movies are overly predictable, at least for me. If I can guess the plot and outcome halfway (or earlier) through the book or movie and I'm proven to be correct chapter after chapter or scene after scene, I start to lose interest.

The Shannara serie stands a good chance of losing my interest altogether, after I'm done with my current re-read.

I can tell you one thing.

I've read the Shannara series up to the High Druid of Shannara; everything that came after (be it as preludes, or in the future of the series) I've not yet read, but I do own the books already, thanks to some Kobo sales. However, if I STILL keep encountering Ohmsfords to save the world, in the preludes or in the series after The High Druid of Shannara, I'm going to fracking scream. I might even stop reading the series if I become annoyed enough. It's ridiculous to trust one family to save the world over and over again for 1500 years.

Spoiler:

First from the Warlock Lord, then from the Demons, then from the Mord Wraiths, then from the Shadowen (stretched over four books, in the process putting an Ohmsford/Elessedil at the head of the Elves and a Boh/Ohmsford at the head of the new Druid order). And after that in the newer series, the Ohmsfords go on saving the world, saving other Ohmsfords (to make that one another High Druid)... To be honest, I like the Shannara series as fantasy, but I'm sick of the name Ohmsford. Really. I hope to not encounter it in the new books and the preludes, except maybe as a reference, but I'm sure there be MORE Ohmsfords.

Spoiler:

I'm even fearing that the trilogy "Wards of Faerie (2012)", "Bloodfire Quest (2013)" and "Witch Wraith (2013)", taking place 100 years after The High Druid of Shannara is going to be some sort of protracted rewrite of "The Elfstones of Shannara". That book could EASILY have been called "The Bloodfire Quest". It would actually have been a much better title.

So yes, you might say that I've become distracted during this particular reread, especially in some of the very slow "we're travelling now, and nothing really happens" parts of the books.

[theducks]

Ever wonder why computers can't replace the Human Brain?
This is one of the reasons

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by theducks

Ever wonder why computers can't replace the Human Brain?
This is one of the reasons

And why the human brain can't replace a computer:

> SELECT * FROM CUSTOMER_ADDRESS ORDER BY LAST_NAME ASC;

OMG, guys... chocolate cake with coconut icing! I haven't had one of those in years!

>

[crich70]

It could be that while you don't remember watching the TV show or reading the book that you did absorb details other ways. Perhaps an adult read the book to you when you were very small and you heard the show being broadcast (someone had a TV set turned on). You were too young to understand the words in context then but your mind remembered them.

[Fluribus]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Weird, and I don't have any explanation for it.

The explanation is quite simple. You were a Swedish goose in a past life. Niels Holgersson used to ride you around. One lost friend got you thinking of another one.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

The explanation is quite simple. You were a Swedish goose in a past life. Niels Holgersson used to ride you around. One lost friend got you thinking of another one.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

The explanation is quite simple. You were a Swedish goose in a past life. Niels Holgersson used to ride you around. One lost friend got you thinking of another one.

This!

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

The explanation is quite simple. You were a Swedish goose in a past life. Niels Holgersson used to ride you around. One lost friend got you thinking of another one.

LOL

[kennyc]

and besides the Goodreads quote of the day is:

Nothing on earth can make up for the loss of one who has loved you.
- Selma Lagerlöf
December 10, 1909: Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, 104 years ago today.

[Katsunami]

It seems someone, or something, is wanting me to read that book ASAP.

Well... I can't find a good version, so I'm pounding the Gutenberg version into shape for my own use. After it's done, I'll upload it here. Now there's only a German version.