1 - Frankincense ≠ Frankenstein
Frankincense a resin is the dried sap of the Boswellia Sacra tree, grown in Oman – when burned, it emits a beautiful scent. It is used in Sumerian Vortex as aromatherapy to stimulate the most ancient part of the brain in a mysterious ritual that opens the mind to receive “The One”. In good restaurants in Oman, one is served frankincense water instead of a plain glass of water because of its reputed medicinal benefits.
2 - Sumer ≠ Summer
(not a typo!)Sumer was an ancient civilization that existed over 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In Sumerian Vortex, Sumer is the source of an enigmatic music system that creates transcendence in all who hear its music in praise of Enki, Sumer’s Supreme God of Wisdom.
3 - Tiernan Óg ≠ Tír na nÓg
Yes, they sound the same but they have different meanings. Tiernan Óg is the name of the Chairman of Mayo’s County Council in Sumerian Vortex. Tír na nÓg is the Irish for the mythical “Land of Eternal Youth”.
4 - Mayo ≠ Mayonnaise
In Sumerian Vortex, one does not ‘pass the Mayo’ – Mayo is the name of a rural county in western Ireland where the main protagonists of the book live, play, worry, and overcome.
5 - Pops ≠ fizzy drinks or fathers
Pops are small, early-harvested potatoes in Sumerian Vortex.
6 - Celtic Tiger ≠ member of a sports team
In Sumerian Vortex, the Celtic Tiger connotes the roaring Irish economy of the 90s and its reoccurrence in the current decade. But the rural inhabitants of western Ireland are untouched by its bounty until the God Enki and a quirky but able team of Mayoans decide to take action.
7 - The Scullion ≠ a menial dishwasher
The Scullion is the pejorative nickname of the editor of the local newspaper, “The DownWester” in Sumerian Vortex.
8 - Slieve ≠ sleeve
(not a typo!)In Irish, the word slieve means a mountain. In Sumerian Vortex, Slieve Carr in the remote blanket bogland of Mayo reveals a surprising secret.
9 - No-One ≠ no one
The No-One is a negative presence in the dimension where time halts and souls live – when it is there, it isn’t, and when it is not there, it is.
10 - Great Craic ≠ a large crack
The locals of Mayo have great craic in the pub, consisting of good conversation, pleasant drinks, witticisms galore, and plenty of music and singing.
11 - Sexagesimal ≠ some perverted sexual behavior
Sexagesimal refers to the Sumerian numbering system which has 60 as its base and originated in the Third Millennium B.C. It continues to be used today for measuring time, angles, and geographic coordinates.
12 - The See ≠ the sea
(not a typo!)The See in Sumerian Vortex refers to the Archbishopric of Tuam, which is the Catholic Government of the province of Connaught within which lies the county of Mayo. The See is not an admirer of Enki, the Supreme God of Sumer.
13 - Quence ≠ quence
In Sumerian Vortex, a quence is not a ‘know-it-all’. No, it is an immense hacking event with dire physical impacts, including conflagration.