Do you like things that when you know exactly what they are… they
look absolutely nothing like what they are. Better yet… not only do
they look nothing like what they are… but they don’t look like
anything else either. This is called primitive art. You give things a
name… and now you’ve given them meaning.
But here’s the thing of it. Sometimes these things that look nothing
like what they are begin to look exactly like what they are. And this
dichotomy is called the human condition. If a tiger were to look at
it… he or she would ask him or her self three questions. Is it
edible? Is it a threat? And do I dislike it intensely? If none of
these apply … the tiger struts off and never gives the item another
thought.
For humans it’s a tad different. For us it goes like this. Is it
beautiful enough to wear? Or… is it ugly enough so that for the
intellectual elite it now passes as beautiful… in which case the
price quadruples and you can wear it at only the most impressive
gatherings. If neither of these apply… it can still be cherished if
it is ancient… or so dilapidated as to appear ancient. When this
last scenario presents itself… the price goes up ten fold and you
only wear the item with heads of state… or you find it at a flea
market and get it for two bucks and now have bragging rights for
being the bargain hunter of the century… in which case you only
wear the item with heads of state… or with anyone unfortunate
enough to cross your path and now has to hear of your hunting
prowess.
I digress for a slight instant to say that I do hope I’m muddling
your minds somewhat… for what else is life for?
As it happens I have a 17th century brooch of Swedish origin which
fills all the above categories… and that ain’t no easy task…
that’s for sure. Let me tell you a bit about it.
Jormungand–as I know you all know–is the World Serpent of Norse
mythology who was tossed into the ocean by Odin and who thence grew
so large that he was able to encircle the earth and grab his own tale
from whence he got his title of World Serpent. Quaint… wouldn’t you
say? There are many tales surrounding Jormungand and I’m sure there
is not one amongst you who wants to hear them. But listen to me. This
is a magical Tidbits such as none has ever seen. It senses the reader
and knows if he or she has read to the end. And to those who have not
read this in its entirety… the golden Jormungand brooch will not
appear. And if you try to fool the Muses… beware! They don’t like
that.
So… one story: One day Thor goes fishing with Hymir the giant.
Hymir… probably out of just plain orneriness… refuses to supply
Thor with bait… so Thor lops off the head of one of Hymir’s oxen
and uses it as bait. They go out to sea… and after a bit…
Jormungand bites the head and Thor pulls him from the water. The two
face each other. Jormungand is dribbling blood and poison. Hymir goes
pale and just as Thor is about to smash Jormungand on the head with
his hammer… Hymir cuts the line and Jormungand swims off.
I suggest it is from a tale like this that most fisherman to this
very day speak of the one that got away… and it is to be understood
that that tale… much like this tale of Jormungand… is probably
nothing more than a myth. Still … if you happen to go fishing one
day… and you catch a snake that stares you in the eye while
dribbling blood and poison… my suggestion is get your self out of
there… and don’t tell nobody… cuz they ain’t gonna believe you
anyway.
So… that said… you want to see a golden brooch of Jormungand.
FYI… I made it gold because they didn’t tell me what metal it was
made of. This is called license and to use it all you need to do is
apply.
So… now that you’ve read this… would you like to see? You know
where. Go. Go. Enjoy.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at http://www.tyler-adam.com where you
will scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that
says Current Tidbits… click it… and you will see represented on
our pages an image of Jormungand which I transformed into gold.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark