[Tidbits] Wolf

Of all the creatures that share this planet… and of all the
creatures from which we can choose in order to create an artistic
piece of jewelry… the one we choose the least is the wolf.

And why is that? We have leopards and tigers and lions and
butterflies and bees and cats and dogs and bugs and fish and dragon
flies… oh the list is endless. And yet we have no wolves.

I protest. There is no more charismatic or versatile animal. There
is the predator that sneaks up to steal anyone’s gal. He is the wolf
on the prowl. There is the independent: The lone wolf. There is the
deceiver: The wolf in sheep’s clothing. There is the mythological
monster: The werewolf. Remember Jack Nicholson anyone? Or better yet:
Lon Chaney Jr? There is the stuff of fairy tales: Oh what big teeth
you have. Are you hungry… ravenous? Careful. Don’t wolf your food
down. Affected by the economy? Lost your job? Broke? Debt collectors
knocking? Ah… the wolf is at your door.

I’m here to edumacate you folks. Our hero has no equals. Greek gods
and goddesses were often associated with wolves. A priest of Zeus
could transform himself into a wolf at will. Artemis often appeared
as a wolf on shields. Romulus and Remus anyone? Two children tended
to by a she wolf only to grow up and found Rome.

German tradition has it the devil often appears as a black wolf. The
Latin word lupula–meaning little wolf–also has the meaning of
witch. By way of linear reasoning… one can conclude this is the
reason witches were thought to ride wolves to their Sabbaths.

Ya want biblical? In the new testament false prophets are referred
to as wolves.

Ya want medical? Wear a wolfskin shoe and you will be protected
against chilblains.

Ya want science? A wolf’s eye will protect your children. Here’s the
rub though. It doesn’t say against what… nor does it say whether to
wear the eye or eat the eye. I suggest you do both. Encase a wolf’s
eye in an airtight glass cylinder… put a chain around it and drape
it over the young one’s neck. Then take another wolf’s eye and squish
it into a pulpous mass… and mix it with orange juice… and here
honey… drink this… you will be protected. Again what daddy? Never
mind. Just shut up and drink.

Ah… the world of science and logic. Ya gotta love it. But I have
good news. It would appear that some artist… somewhere…
sometime… somehow… got it into his head that making a little wolf
brooch… a trinket if you will… for his lady fair to wear upon her
bosom.

I digress for an instant here folks. I must tell you… bosom is one
of my favorite English words. Hey Mac… look at those bosoms. That’s
quite a handsome pair of bosoms you have there dear. That person is
my bosom friend. And so it goes.

There is no creature that should be more iconisized in our society.
More wolves I say. And less politicians.

I have the image dear souls. Can you guess? Yes! It’s of the wolf
the above artist made. I do not know his name. It is of a nightclub
predator. It is made of enamel pot metal. It is worth around $150.00.
Wanna see?

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… and you will see represented on our pages an
image of a well dressed wolf on the prowl. Copa anyone?

And there ya have it.
That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark

Well. there’s the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. Then
there’s the Big Bad Wolf that ate Little Red Riding Hood’s
grandmother. And there’s the I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff and I’ll Blow
Your House Down wolf. Let us not forget the averting of starvation by
keeping at bay the Wolf at the Door. Not to mention the wolf that
whistles at pretty young lassies as they pass down the street. The
Boy Who Cried Wolf. Peter And The Wolf. And the writer named Woolf
whose first name was Virginia. And of course. last but not least.
that wolf named Fenrir. The stories abound. Don’t ask what this has
to do with jewelry. it’s coming.

But to get to Fenrir. Ah yes. An old Norse famed mythological
creature of monstrous demeanor. Fenrir. the father of wolves … the
son of the god Loki. the creature of whom it was foretold would one
day kill Odin.

Of course. all the other Norse gods knew of this foretelling … and
in order to avert the inevitable. they fettered him to ensure
prevention of the dastardly deed to be. Alas. the initial fettering
didn’t work. There are times–as we all surely know–when one
fritters away one’s fetterings with no success in sight.

And so they came upon a scheme. Tyr–god of war–who ultimately
became Odin’s son when Odin became god of war (don’t ask me how this
works) was enlisted to to keep Fenrir in check. And so–as we do
today–he fed the beast in order to befriend him in order to betray
him. Alas. the more he fed him. the more Fenrir grew. And the more
Fenrir grew. so grew more the potentiality for the fruition of those
prophecies attributed to him.

And now it was time for re-fettering. with stronger fetters of
course. And three were created. The first was fetter was called
Leyding and Tyr approached Fenrir and asked him if he would allow
himself to be fettered with Leyding. Fenrir agreed for he could see
at a gance that Leyding offered to viable constraints. And in less
than a nano-second after fettering. Fenrir was free.

And they tried again with a fetter twice as strong called Dromi. And
again Fenrir was asked to try it on. And again Fenrir agreed. And in
less than a thrice (anyone out there know how long a thrice is?)
Fenrir was again free.

This wouldn’t do. And so Odin sent some messengers down to the land
of dwarves and they–having great magical acumen–created a fetter
called Gleipnir and once again Fenrir was approached to try it on.
But this time Fenrir was reluctant. This wolf warn’t no dummy. He
sensed trouble. So he said he would do it if someone–as a show of
good faith–would put his hand in his mouth while they bound him.
Which Tyr did and which Fenrir promptly bit off at a location called
the wolf-joint … today known as the wrist.

To make a long story short–an optional curtailment on my part–they
succeeded in binding Fenrir with Gleipnir form which he could not
extricate himself so easily. though ultimately Fenrir did succeed in
killing Odin after which Odin’s son succeeded in killing Fenrir.
There’s nothing like a happy ending I always say.

To whit: What could be happier than me showing you a bronze Fenrir
pendant as Fenrir glares at you with malevolent beauty.

Okay. The end. You know the rest. The visit to the image… also
known as the viewing experience. You know where. Home page.
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side. Tidbits. Click.
And there for your sensory optic pleasure you will see an image of
Fenrir. the mighty wolf who slew Odin.

And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week.

Benjamin Mark

Really enjoyed your “Tail”