Worms

This is Bishop Burchard at Worms. Say "Vorms." Or "Verms." Please. Here is the story of his life, written soon after he died in 1025: do read it aloud for a while, at www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1025burchard-vita. He wrote a collection of canon law., among other achievements. If you like odd bits, with your history, try en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burchard_of_Worms. It says that he left his sister, in his will, a hair shirt and chains. Follow the links and you find that these were reminders of penance and mortality. There is also reference to the violence of the day in accomplishing one's goals.

Other Worms phrases, places and events that come to mind:

1. Diet of Worms. That means the Reichstag or legislative body there. The Diet of Worms in the 16th century declared Martin Luther an outlaw for refusing to withdraw his statements of belief, leading to the Reformation. and read more at the usually-helpful starting point, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worms,_Germany. A summary of that event, is at another generally good starting point, www.answers.com/topic/worms-germany; and http://www.answers.com/topic/diet-of-worms.

2. Coat of arms. Early times in summary: Worms originated with the Celts, was captured by the Romans, became a Christian bishopric in 600-something. Coat of arms, history and legendary beginnings -- the locksmith who foiled the dragon who wanted the queen - all at www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/de-rp-wo. Pay attention to heraldry. The site says that five-pointed stars were used by the French, six-pointed stars, as shown on the Worms flag, are German. Way back when.

3. Heiliger Sand - founded in about the 11th Century, and believed to be the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe. See www.worms.de/deutsch/tourismus/bildergalerie/galerien/Judenfreidhof__Heiliger_Sand_/index.php?navid=138
Much of the Jewish section of Worms was destroyed in Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, see www.mtsu.edu/~baustin/knacht, in 1938, that killing, razing and destruction pogrom that many believe was the beginning of the holocaust against the Jews.

4. Niebelungen. Many scenes for it are set here - read about Richard Wagner's opus at www.worms.de/englisch/tourismus/nibelungen/index. There is a Niebelungen museum here, but we did not go in.