Above image from kathrynbentley.net
One of those books I couldn't put down, T.H. White's
Envisioning of one of the most enduring western tales,
Though it depended on its survival until the written word
On the grand glorious old oral tradition,
Has amazements and wonder on every page. Humour too. At this moment in time, however, I just wanted to address
The methods that Merlin the mentor used to teach
The young Arthur and ready him to be King of England,
To bring the country together, united, and live in peace for a time. Merlin especially wanted Arthur to understand that the rule of
"Might makes Right" was a barbaric and less than optimally
Civilized example of human potential and unity.
To that end, Merlin changed Arthur into various animals,
Among them the following three kinds...
To show the manners in which it is possible to coexist
With similar and different variations within and without the species.
(Merlin and Vivien (the Lady of the Lake) in a painting by Gustave Dore
So he changed Arthur, first into an Ant.
There he learned, among other things, what it meant to
Work together in a group with one's fellows and to
Care with great devotion for the queen.He changed him into a fish, so he could learn about
Stealth and sly actions. How to out-think a larger opponent,
And by so doing, to live another day intact, body and mind.
Larger opponents there were sure to be in his time as in the past.And finally he turned him into a goose
So he could learn fealty and devotion to another,
Share in the leading by utilizing all the skill and strengths
Of his compatriots, while staying mated for life.These were some of the qualities that the
Great and powerful Merlin felt it crucial for a king of men
And women to have in his heart of understanding, and not
Just in a verbal exercise.***Though the first video is clearly from another fantasy,
The Mike Oldfield rare B-side, "Legend,"
And then the next Oldfield song, "Pipe Tune,"
Together:
Struck a chord with me as does this king's story
From the mists of time in what we now think of as
Esteemed England's 'green and pleasant land
(as sung in Church of England's 'Jerusalem.'). The power of story is the power to
Outlive its inspirers, tellers, listeners, writers
All.