It is a large, carnivorous, armored reptile. It is the spirit evil.
It is lecherous and greedy. It loves to eat women. This last
statement may well warrant a segue but I ain’t touchin’ it with a ten
foot pole. The Bakongo of Zaire tell a tale of an old voyeur
who–watching girls frolicking about in the river–wanted them so
much he bought himself a crocodile fetish and then shape-shifted into
a crocodile and ate all the girls.
Everybody who wants to be a crocodile… raise your hands.
There once was a maiden by the name of Selekana who was thrown into a
river by those who hated her goodness. There she was made to clean
the palace of the River King–a giant crocodile. It would appear that
crocodiles and women are inextricably connected. Undigested…
Selenka escaped with the crocodile’s jewels.
Here we have yet another example of the opportunity to segue… an
opportunity once again ignored. The double-entendre lives.
In early myth the crocodile represented the brutal side of the god
Set. He also represented treachery, deceit, and hypocracy. To be
eaten by a crocodile was tantamount to a descent in hell. I tend to
think this holds true regardless of which animal is doing the
eating.
India. The use of adornments as symbols of wealth through the ages
was unparalleled. So heavily laden with jewels were the arms of some
of the women that Niccolao Manucci–an Italian physician at
Auranzeb’s court–had trouble when trying to feel the pulses of the
heavily adorned, ornament-laden ladies of the day. Bracelets and
bangles abounded. Oh to have had an internet site back in them thar
days. Come good lady. View the munificence of the jewels of Tyler
Adam.
The Kada (bangles) were at times worn twelve deep from the wrist on
up. I have a pair with makara (crocodile-head) terminals. This, dear
souls, is the connection of jewelry to the crocodilian myths
mentioned above which–for all I know–are undoubtedly also a croc.
Enameled. Gem set. Gold. North India. 19th century. Gorgeous. Just
the thing for your woman to wear on her arm… physcians not
withstanding.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will
scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says
Current Tidbits… and then click on it in order to view an image of
a pair of crocodile bangles… no tears included.
And there ya have it.
That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark