I hearken back to my youth for a moment. Some were reading The Hardy
Boys. Some… were reading The Saint. And some were reading about a
chap called White- Skin. Of course… if you translate White-Skin
into Mangani–the fictional language of the great apes-- you get
Tar-Zan. Now how many of you knew that I wonder?
Sabor: Lioness in Mangani. The male was called Numa.
So why is so much jewelry made in the form of a lion? And why not a
rooster? After all… it is common knowledge that the only animal the
lion fears is the rooster because of its crow and because it has a
mane as large as its own. Or so it is written and so it is true.
However… eating a rooster’s heart will not have the effect of
pumping courage into your veins as does that of a lion. If you happen
to be a king–I say this because I do not truly know the vast
stretches engulfing those who reads Tidbits–but if you happen to be
a king and find yourself one day–while walking about the Serengeti–
suddenly confronted by a lion… not to worry. The king of beasts
will not harm another king. Just show him your crown and he’ll leave
you alone. And if it’s really pretty… show it to me too.
I have a lion’s-head bracelet. Stunning. Weight: 120 dwt. 18 karat
gold. 7 inches long and composed of four links. Blue enameled head.
Emerald eyes. Diamonds. Red enameled tongue. Made in Italy. No year
given. But in 1991 it was valued at $5000. I have never seen a piece
of jewelry in the form of a lion as imaginative as this.
This king of beasts is regal, majestic, cruel, ferocious. It
represents solar power. Its mythology is endless. It is said that
lions once lay with mortal women and sired human sons who had the
ability to change from human to lion and back again at will. Neat
trick if you ask me. These lion-men also possessed the art of healing
by magic. Did they too lie with mortal woman… thereby propagating
their kind? Have they spread? Are they even now amongst us… staring
at us with piercing green eyes while standing stock still in the high
grasses… or perhaps riding with us shoulder to shoulder in a
crowded elevator?
Beware… for you know not who your neighbor may be.
Perhaps the bracelet you are about to see is a talisman of sorts.
Wear it and you too may well suddenly find yourself gifted with the
ability to change from human to lion and back.
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 a magnificent enameled lion’s-head bracelet.
And there ya have it.
That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark