Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Fire Choker

Im a firestarter, twisted firestarter - Not! Last night the fireplace was a big warm orange cocoon. I did the caveman chore, loaded up some charcoal, lifted the hatch. Something was wrong because a metal trapdoor still covered the oven, despite having raised the lid. Long story short, I manoeuvered - weird word that if you think about it - the grating with a poker, and managed to let it fall down the chimney. The fire died a slow choking death, and this morning the house was about the same temperature as it was outside: -4 C

I watched Tristan and Isolde last night. I once wrote a book where the first tenth was set in the year +- 800AD. This was the Dark Ages, after the fall of the roman empire. It was time when people lived in clans, tribes and castles, when swords and shields and fires were still very much part of the landscape, and so was chivalry and bravery etc. The clothing of that period was also romantic. I sketched images of our bearded grandfathers, stumbling through deep snow in their kilts and caftans, somewhere in Germania. And despite being on the way to war, a tornado touched down (sounding like a 747 landing) and tossed our furry grandfathers through the sky. Some escaped in boats, some were impaled on Pine tree limbs, dripping leaving scarlet needles.

But the movie made me think about love. Imagine you're given up for dead, wash up on an enemy isle, your wounds inflicted by the blade of her intended are taken care of by the enemey's princess (you've recently and quite conincidentally also killed her undesirable fiance). Later Tristan returns to Ireland to fight for her, only to have her be given up to King Mark of Dor Castle, and has to watch her marry him. But the king also saved his life (and lost his hand at the same time), and gave him a family and protection. The question is, if you 'find' and deserve someone, but lose them however unfairly, to a rival or a friend, should you persist in pursuing them? Or should you just accept that life is hard and there are plenty of fish in the sea?

In Caveman days I assume love was pretty much a practical setup, where good looks were a bonus, but the ability to cook, survive and mend things (from your wife) was probably more important.

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