Until recently little was known about the origins of the famous bluegrass musician Jim "Manic" Mundy who rose to fame with such classic songs as "Dasher’s Lament" and "Mondays, they’re not my cup of tea", but following a recent house clearance his grandson discovered a partly damaged diary and a picture entitled "the master and me at mile 26: 25th April 2009". What follows are extracts from the diary from which it appears that Manic’s early life was spent in Verulamium, Britannia as the slave of a Roman Centurion: 22nd April 2009. Master woke me early and sent me in search of sheep’s entrails and a priest from the local temple…………………was beaten first by the farmer and then master beat me for getting back late. Master advised me that the omens are good for our forthcoming trip. 23rd April 2009. Master woke me early and ordered me to pack. He is taking 2 crates and 5 bags with him as he tells me that Roman soldiers must always uphold the reputation of the Empire and look their best, but why he needs to travel with 7 identical uniforms is anybody’s guess. By the time we got to Londinium my back was aching and master beat me for dropping a bag. 24th April 2009. We have arrived in Nashville and master has just informed me that he has entered a marathon race and that he needs me to do it with him so that I can advise them that he is a Roman Centurion. It appears that he is fed up with being confused for either a gladiator or a Trojan. I have been given nearly a full day to train and master has promised that there will be no more beatings until after the race. 25th April 2009. Master sent me out early to hire a chariot. None could be found and we had to walk to the start. Master got progressively angrier as numerous members of the crowd called him a Trojan and several others accused him of being Spartacus. It is evident that I shall have to run in front of him to ensure that everybody knows he is a Roman or he is likely to stab someone. He is already complaining that it is "hot as Hades". Once we got going Master calmed down although he did chastise me for failing to get the names and addresses of the numerous cheerleaders along the route who he proclaimed were "trembling at the knees at the site of one of Rome’s finest". Master and I finished in 4 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds. In the confusion someone gave me a beer, but as I collapsed in the 85 degree heat I had to be taken to the medical tent so master kindly drank it for me. 26th April 2009. Master has given me my freedom. I shall savour those magic words "Serf, you’re free" for the rest of my life. Master has also just told me that he must abandon me here as he has no Denarii left to pay for my return fare. The diary entries after this point are illegible. Much is known about Manic’s subsequent rise to stardom, but what happened to the Roman Centurion after he departed from Nashville may never be known.
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