Curious devices, forbidden artifacts, mysterious creatures, and intriguing documents.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Grimoire
Sibyll Kingsley brings us this leather bound grimoire. The binding looks fantastic, but I'm not too crazy about the jute twine. On the other hand, she gets credit for being a fan of the greatest rock band of all time.
Among the several different shamans' phurbas I possess, one is wooden with a thin hammered-metal tip (for ground-breaking), and various different cords tied around the middle, among them jute twine.
I am of course not lunatic enough to untie any of the cords, since what shamans tie to phurbas are the demons that afflict mankind. Eventually this phurba must be driven into the ground, pinning the demons there forever in tent-peg fashion -- for the phurba is, in origin, a tent-peg.
So what's wrong with jute twine for a grimoire?
You think your rural village wizard or witch is going to have pretty silk cords on hand? Colored candles for the ritual, perhaps? [snort] Armani robes?
When we-uns was youngsters, I tell you, we'd have to go to and from Winter Solstice barefoot in the snow for TWO MILES, UPHILL, BOTH WAYS....
Among the several different shamans' phurbas I possess, one is wooden with a thin hammered-metal tip (for ground-breaking), and various different cords tied around the middle, among them jute twine.
ReplyDeleteI am of course not lunatic enough to untie any of the cords, since what shamans tie to phurbas are the demons that afflict mankind. Eventually this phurba must be driven into the ground, pinning the demons there forever in tent-peg fashion -- for the phurba is, in origin, a tent-peg.
So what's wrong with jute twine for a grimoire?
You think your rural village wizard or witch is going to have pretty silk cords on hand? Colored candles for the ritual, perhaps? [snort] Armani robes?
When we-uns was youngsters, I tell you, we'd have to go to and from Winter Solstice barefoot in the snow for TWO MILES, UPHILL, BOTH WAYS....