The name of this blog is not an arbitrary combination of letters that happen to sound similar to Seattle.  It’s simply the city combined with the word atlatl.  Since most people probably aren’t familiar with atlatls, I figured I’d define them here.  Consider it a bit of education.

An atlatl is a tool, or weapon, or better yet, a tool used to handle a weapon.  More specifically, it’s a length of wood or bone normally with a notch on one end for which to place the butt of a spear or javelin.   The atlatl is then used to throw or launch the spear at the target.  You may think of it as a way of elongating your throwing arm.  The atlatl was mostly used by historical hunter and gatherer civilizations.  You can imagine a hairy guy tossing spears into a mammoth’s backside with this.

As for how it relates to Seattle, well… I have an anecdote to share.  As I’m sure you’re aware, there exists the cliche of pinning a map to the wall, closing one’s eyes, and tossing a dart to see where your destination should be.  This is supposed to be some sort of romantic wanderer, rambler, drifter, or what have you behavior.  Now, I’m a a romantic myself, and I have a bit of the adventurous spirit in me, so I opted to leave my destiny up to fate as well.  However, I couldn’t associate myself with those foppish types.

Taking up one of my many giant maps of the world, I donned my hiking shoes, and set off on a two month journey towards the rugged forests of California.  There I patiently located the largest, oldest redwood I could find.  To this I carefully pinned up my map, and set a trained grizzly bear at the foot of the tree to guard it.  Then, grasping my legendary tree-hewer in both hands, I leveled the neighbor redwood and proceeded to fashion it into a spear to rival the armaments of Mars himself.  This I notched into my trusty whalebone atlatl.  Fate in hand I returned to the giant redwood and, facing the northern star, I took five hundred steps away from the tree.  Once far away enough, I closed my eyes, spun around, and catapulted my missile towards its target with the ferocity of ten times ten lions.  My spear struck the tree like lightning and I heard a heavy sonic boom rip the air.  From where I stood, I could see what fate my Delphic spear had decreed.  Seattle, Washington was to be my destination.