From a wire service round-up in today's New York Post:

A mead horn surely would make time in prison pass that much easier.

A Utah prisoner is suing the Department of Corrections for denying him his right to practice an ancient Nordic religion.

Michael Polk says prison officials have denied him the mead horn, rune staff, prayer cloth, sword and Thor's hammer that he needs to practice his religion.

Officials say the items were denied due to security reasons.

Polk will lose if he's looking to carry a real sword, staff and hammer--it's a slam dunk, really--but if I were one of the officials I would have provided the prayer cloth, if only to establish a record of reasonable accommodation. After all, a court did recently rule in favor of an inmate seeking to wear a Thor's Hammer pendant after guards failed to take his request seriously.