nasty epithets

As kids my brother and I spent a Lot of time teasing each other. In our world you learn to protect yourself very early. One of the ways we built up strength is by playing what some call, "The Dozens." A valiant game of insults, it is a game of whit and observation. Nothing is safe or sacred, and the game is over when one person concedes by getting upset. Most of the time if you come up with a particularly good zinger it is stolen, or reused elsewhere or against another opponent. Everything from Personal appearance to Yo Momma jokes are allowed, and in some cases there are rules set in place in order to safeguard feeling to a degree. My brother and I pitted against each other many times and i learned quickly how to survive in a cruel world of harsh mental battle.

A few examples of the names that frequently went back and forth are as follows;

-Chunder box
-Knucklehead
-Smegma face
-Roach eater
-W. A. E. G. the turd
-Metal munching thunder Sn@t(h
-Goober
-Mongo
-Baby Huey
-Scaredy rat
-Butt sucker
-Mailman's kid
-Oreo
-Hooly bum

There were also a slue of "Yo mamma" jokes used to make each other laugh, but laugh too hard or if you are unable to return fire quickly enough and forfeit the game. For the most part Our style a flyting was not intended to anger but to make the other person quit by submission due to an overwhelming onslaught of verbal abuse. It may sound harsh but in all actuality it help thicken/harden the skin to make a person less likely to fall victim to harsh words. It also helped build skills like whit, thinking on the fly and creativity. My brother was very good at it from what i understand, but nee i turned six years old i became one of the best in my neighborhood. Sometimes when Derek had friends over he would start up on somebody and then pit them against me. During these occasions all I would have to do is regurgitate earlier snap (burns, or elemental success) and my brother would have a smug look of pride as together we would destroy anyone who claimed battle against our house, and would eventually begin sparring one another. You can never get enough reps when dealing with battles of the mind. And in some ways it reminds me of the oral tradition bard battles of ancient times. Such as the duel between Lemmin Kainen, and Vainamoinen, two heroic characters out of Elias Lonnrot's " Kalevala," in which two bards sing to see who is the best.
Flyting may seem hard, or brash but is an excellent way to develop quick thinking, problem solving and personal bragging rights. It is a passage that can be used to increase mental capacity as well as word formulation. And if you don't like it, go back to whatever place sold you that imitation pare of nikes with the swoosh sewed on upside down.