PARLEMENT OF FOULES PLUS VIDEO
Thursday February 14, 2013 8:13 am, 10:17 pm
Happy
Valentine's Day! As with most things in life we are constantly
celebrating and practicing traditions which have been passed down to
us without even knowing why we do them? Valentine's Day is one of the
more fun holidays. I suppose at least if you are in love and I guess
most especially if your loved is returned: else, I suppose this might
be more of a sad day?
There
are far too many men in the past with the name of “Valentine” to
know with certainty which Valentine began the tradition we celebrate
(worldwide) on this day. I was birthed nine months from one
particular Valentine's Day so I guess it's not too awfully difficult
to picture what my parents were doing on that Valentine's... ewwww, I
just pictured it ): Alright, I have to talk about something different
for a minute to get my mind off of that.
The
earliest known writings about the day was a poem written by Chaucer
in the late thirteenth century. It was titled: Parlement of Foules.
(Parliament of Fowls) The poem is sort of neat in that it depicts all
of the birds coming together on that day to pick their mates. I will
type one line from it so you will get the idea. “For this was on
seynt Volantynys day whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.”
Now, I'll translate :) “For this was on Saint Valentine's Day when
every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”
Naturally,
and forever it seems that the leading female and most beautiful of
all the birds, had three male birds who loved her and she had to
choose only one: “Why God, Why???????” Of course, neither history
nor Chaucer lets us in on the two male birds who were not chosen and
what their plight in life was. So, because he didn't let us know I
have decided to make up my own ending for these two unfortunate aves.
The first one began to drink and to fight every other bird. Finally,
he was arrested and locked away in a large aviary where he soon pined
away and died.
The
other bird couldn't imagine flying solo for the rest of his life so
he found a large glass window and he flew directly into it thereby
breaking his beak and his neck. Two things, I know that breaking his
beak is not necessarily an important part of the story... however
when I pictured him flying into the glass I realized his beak
probably broke before his neck so in the interest of being factual I
wanted to include that. Also, the idea of being factual brings me to
my second thing.
I
know that glass wasn't invented fort a couple of more centuries after
Chaucer's poem... but, here is the thing. It's my ending so leave me
alone. I refuse to let history or facts sway me in what I write :)
I
certainly hope that every one I know has a great and happy
Valentine's Day today! Sometime later today I will upload my video.
It most probably will be after I get in from work late tonight.
posted by Robin Johnson @ 8:13 AM
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