Takshendal Chapter 1

Post game write up.

The game had four players, Oleg (who took all the pictures), Tracey (the only woman in the picture), Peter (grey T shit) and Rasmus (Black T shirt) and I (Red tartan shirt) was DM. The objective of the game was simple. The pirates had to ‘cut out’ the galley Vengeance, and the marines, militia and city folk had to stop them

The game began with the pirate flotilla in their starting positions and the marines on their galley Vengeance watching them approach. Various city folk had gathered to watch and some brave few had picked up weapons and were watching from the buildings along the harbour side.
The pirates began firing arrows almost at once and the city folk were as often as not cut down before they even got to fight. Alesandrox Wormpole (Oleg), a great merchant prince of the city had arrived along with six of his retainers and these were hiding in the chandlery on their horses. As the pirates approached Alesandrox and three of his men charged out and raced for the galley, making a daring attempt at the jetty, which ultimately cost one poor horse its life as it fell into the river. Alesandrox and his men made it to the galley, but the veritable storm of arrows coming from the pirates cut the retainers down before they could even fire back. Armoured and noble in his finery, Alesandrox survived however. He joined Captain Kettlefox (Rasmus) of the marines on the afterdeck of the Vengeance and watched as the pirates drew ever closer.

The river had a fairly strong current so Captain Murder (Tracey), who spent much of the battle skulking down a stairwell, brought his flagship, Esmeralda along side Vengeance as gently as possible. Captain Melodius (Peter) brought his smaller ship Belly Dancer towards the stern where the anchor was keeping the galley in place. The galley was moored up against a strong jetty and held mostly by an anchor from its stern. A further six mooring lines to the shore had to be cut before the Vengeance was freed. The two smaller pirate boats assisted with Captain Hendrix (Tracey) heading for the bow and Captain Jaki (Peter) heading for the stern.


The pirate’s tactic was simple and straight forward. They were attempting to envelope the Vengeance and cut her free whilst pouring arrows into her Marines (who, caught by surprise, had no missiles weapons at hand with which to shoot back). It quickly became apparent however that the marines were very tough. Heavily armoured and having the protection of their warship, they proved invulnerable to the pirates arrows and whilst they had no way of returning fire, they did have some City Militia Guards on the city walls with arbalests (heavy crossbows) who could provide some cover once the Esmeralda came into effective range. By round ten, the fighting had become intense with all the buildings issuing smoke as the pirates fired incendiaries at them, most of the city folk either dead or cowering in terror and the marines, with Alesandrox Wormpole all but surrounded. A small detachment of guards from the City Militia had also arrived and were heading for the battle.


The crew of the Esmeralda were very careful as they brought themselves alongside the galley, but the sheer weight of their ship and the strong current meant that they found themselves being pushed back against the Vengeance and scraping back along her side. Neither ship was seriously damaged but the galley suffered some cosmetic injuries. The pirates quickly threw grappling hooks and some nimble souls jumped onto the Vengeance amid deck. Some of the Marines had concealed themselves below deck but these were not fast enough to prevent one pirate from severing two of the mooring lines. The marines fought well, but they were being swamped. More pirates were sneaking aboard fore and aft and trying to cut the remaining mooring lines. Arrows and quarrels were flying about all over the place, and by round 16 the Esmeralda was grappled to the Vengeance, Alesandrox had rushed to cut the grappling ropes but even as he did, a pirate, clinging to the rear of the Galley cut the aft mooring ropes as Captain Hendrix and his boat crew cut at the forward mooring ropes. The pirates threw more grappling hooks from the Esmeralda and Captain Melodius cut the anchor line. The Vengeance lurched free and began to move downstream, still attached by various lines to the Esmeralda and still fully manned by her compliment of marines, Alesandrox Wormpole and two city militia who had just managed to climb aboard as the anchor line was severed.

A young man on a horse, one of the armed city folk, attempted to bring a rope to secure the galley but he was too late. He was left on the jetty watching as the two vessels slid downstream, Captain Murder shouting orders from the afterdeck of the Esmeralda and the pirates attempting to board the galley from all directions. The game ended with victory for the pirates, though post game dice rolling determined the galley eventually beached itself on a sand bar and the pirates then torched it. Captain Murder and his forces of evil were eventually sent into retreat and Takshendal never saw their like again.

---

It was a great game, even despite the time constraint of playing on a week day. Both sides had their strengths and weknesses but largely managed to over come, or play around them. The towns folk were outclassed but such is life for civilians alas. The pirates won by virtue of a straight forward plan (and a few lucky die rolls at just the right moment).

Through out the game, a large gullit made a special 'guest appearance', lurking below the galley and eating the horse which fell into the river. It looks like the word gullit, like so many other internal jokes, may be here to stay with us for a while.

Miniscule

DR shows these during the morning kids hour. Freja loves them too.





Edited to add:
The world is hard
Good practice
Bridge over the river
Chewing gum
Silence
The Noodle
Snails dream
Zeppelin
Insect race

Ashes and snow

My heart is like an old house whose windows have not been opened for years, but now I hear the windows opening...



Without any doubt, this is the most sensual film I have seen in over a decade. In almost every moment of its one hour length, the beauty of the images was pulling at my mind and whispering, 'wake up'.

I don't know who Gregory Colbert is. I've never heard of him. Apparently this film is only part of a larger project which involved the largest solo exhibition ever held in Italy and after being shown in a twelfth-century shipyard in Venice, went on to several venues around the world. I don't which I am more jealous of, the beauty of his work, the opportunities he must have had to make this film, or the fact that he had an exhibition in a twelfth-century Venicien shipyard. (Deja vu just struck me)

When I was living in Liverpool and Rochester, I had a frame of mind then which I have long since lost. This state of consiousness was the result of seeing the world as opposed to just looking at it. I'd been blessed in Liverpool with tutors who knew what they were talking about (and how often have I regreted leaving Liverpool for Rochester!) and their lessons taught be the ability to actually see the world and all that was in it. With time, the vision faded though. Reality does not permit clarity of observation. Pain numbs all, and I am no exception.

Watching this film, I suddenly remembered that previous state of mind. It was like listening to Beethovens 9th and mourning one's lost innocence. I wept tears for the beauty which can never be held. The past is for ever gone, the future for ever unknown. Time is always now. I've lost so much in the last few years as I tried to cope with my ever shrinking world, more than I ever realised. Now it feels like I am that old house and my windows are opening. I have just caught a fleeting glimpse of something which I'd forgotten even existed.




I set myself a dead line at the beginning of 2008. All my previous projects must be put aside and from March 1st, a new era of my life begins

Takshendal 1.0

Rising up above the mists of the River Weyr are the ancient walls and towers of Takshendal. A city grown old and fat on the trade from distant lands, across the mountains to the south and the seas to the north. From far away Jungolan, Bazilia and the mysterious forests of Sinopia come spices and silks to be traded in the city known far and wide as the Jewel of the North. From the seas come fish, ivory, oils and from the lands, grain, meat and ale. Where all roads converge, where each rude hamlet and village sends it’s young to learn; Takshendal is the greatest city of all.

So say the seers, for Takshendal is the ancient seat of power, the house of wisdom, the very font of learning. Her towers rise higher and her lords stand taller for in the walled city resides all the wealth and knowledge of men.

So it is on a bright summers day in 1597 when without warning, the treacherous pirates and coastal marauders of the Salten Reach under the banner of the terrible ‘Captain Murder’ descend upon the unsuspecting city in a great fleet of motley craft and lay siege to the dockyards, burning and pillaging all they can before returning to their ships to muster for one final assault...

Captain Murder in his flagship Esmeralda has decided to cut out the newly launched galley Vengeance. Signalling to his ally Captain Melodius, he sets a course for the waiting warship noting as he does that it is sparsely guarded by marines in bright scarlet.

Meanwhile on the shore, the locals have rallied to the call of an armoured warrior on a great steed.

Player One. (Oleg)
Alesandrox Wormpole. Knight/Soldier.
6 mounted retainers. Lt Horseman/Bowmen.
7 Citizen fighters. Bowmen.
4 Citizen fighters. Warriors
+ Misteline Warrior.

Player Two (Rasmus)
Captain Kettlefox Soldier.
10 marines. Soldiers.
4 city militia arbalestiers. Bowmen
+9 city militia soldiers. Soldiers.

Player three (Tracey)
Captain Murder. Warrior.
18 pirate skirmishers. Skirmishers.
10 Archers. Bowmen.
+
Captain Hendrix. Warrior.
Captain Jaki the wolf. Warrior

Player four (Peter)
Captain Melodius. Warrior.
10 pirate skirmishers. Skirmishers.
4 pirate crossbowmen. Bowmen.

Ships

Esmeralda.
This is the flagship of Captain Murder. It is a large sea going ship with two masts that requires a minimum of ten able bodied men to move it on the water. The ship gives an automatic +2 protection on its castles and the waist sides give +1. There are no weapons in this game capable of damaging the ship so it cannot be sunk.

Belly dancer.
This is Captain Melodius’s ship. It is a deep sea trader that has been captured and converted for use in this attack. It sits low in the water and its sides give +1 in protection. There are no weapons in this game capable of damaging the ship so it cannot be sunk.

Serpent.
This is Captain Hendrix’s vessel. It is a standard fishing boat that has been converted to attack the city. It requires one man to operate if in movement. Due to improvised armour, the sides of the boat give +1 in protection. There are no weapons in this game capable of damaging the ship so it cannot be sunk. This vessel can be delegated to either player 3 or 4, but Captain Hendrix must remain as skipper.

Emily.
This is Captain Jaki’s vessel. It is a standard fishing boat that has been converted to attack the city. It requires one man to operate if in movement. Due to improvised armour, the sides of the boat give +1 in protection. There are no weapons in this game capable of damaging the ship so it cannot be sunk. This vessel can be delegated to either player 3 or 4, but Captain Jaki must remain as skipper.

Rowing boat
Moored to the floating jetty, this vessel gives no defence bonus’s to any one onboard. It requires at least one person to row if in movement.

Vengeance.
A newly launched medium galley of the city militia. The Vengeance is currently being fitted out and is not in any condition to move. It can however be towed away by the Esmeralda. The sides of the galley give +1 in protection and the forecastle gives +2. There are six mooring lines holding the galley to the dock, three to the fore and three aft. Each one must be cut if the galley is to be moved (roll 3 or greater on a d6 for each rope). Note! If the aft ropes are cut first, the galley will be moved by the stream into the bank.

Getting connected

So I'm looking at phones, i-pods, MP3 players and other shiny gadgets. The reason being my attempt to re insert myself into society after the last few years compulsive reclusive tendencies. Why do you need an MP3 player for that you might ask? Well in truth I don't, I just don't want to drag around my old CD walkman any more. These days its about as handy as a suitcase containing a soviet era grammaphone. MP3 players are a bit expensive though. 800 kroner will buy me a 4 Gb capacity or I can buy an i-pod and have ten times as much space for three times as much.

On the other hand, I also need a cell phone. I haven't owned my own phone since 2003, not being in a communicative mood as you might say. I don't really like cell phones as they are irritating when they cut into ongoing conversations. Theres not much more annoying than getting into the heart of a matter with a friend when some moron who isn't even present to be scowled at, interjects with a nauseating blast of music and a ten minute monologue on their own inane problems.

Such is modern life however that one must be slaved to instant communication with any one who wishes to annoy you, thus I must have a phone so I can at least attempt to be cordial to people who want something. (I can already feel my self sliding back into oblivion just thinking about it)

Any way, I've now perused the options and decided that the best, and cheapest, alternative is to buy a phone which can also play music! Granted, the best I can see so far in my extensive (2 hour) browse is a 2Gb capacity on a phone which costs nothng at all (the money is made on the service charge of course).
2 Gb doesn't sound like much, but according to the blurb, its 1,250 tracks and thats more than enough for me! Sans head phones, the total price is 180 kroner. Now I just have to decide whether to buy a Nokia or a Sony Ericsson...

Civil disorder

So, once again the Mohammed cartoons are causing static with Muslims and left wing agitators setting cars and containers on fire in several Danish towns and cities, for the last four nights. Here in Århus, we're seeing a lot of arson and attacks on the emergency services with resulting arrests and media attention. The fire station just up the road from us has been sending out its fire trucks four times as much as normal all week.

I suppose I ought to say something about it, but really there isn't much to say. The cartoons were always a necessary reaction, they still are a necessary reaction and for as long as artists are threatened with violence and/or death for having expressed an opinion, then the cartoons will remain a necessary reaction. The news papers all reprinted the images which is what caused the outrage, but they did so because three men were arrested for plotting to murder Kurt Vestergaard, the artist who drew the image of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban in reaction to the murder of Theo Van Gogh in Holland.

No amount of violence by Muslims or left wing agitators is going to change that and the sooner they understand that the principle of free speech is more important in this country than their precious ideological belief's, the better. In the mean time, their demonstrations of violence merely serve as ample illustrations as to their moral deficit.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

...does it get any better than Indiana Jones?

Project Zveno

In the early 1930's, a Russian aviation pioneer called Vladimir Sergeevich Vakhmistrov finally went ahead and built that most elusive of aircraft, the airborne aircraft carrier. Lots of people had dreamt of airborne carriers before (and since), but no one else has ever actually made one, at least not one that actually worked! Vakhmistrov not only made one, he made several, and some of these even fought in action against the Germans in World War Two, and despite their age and eccentric design were not unsuccessful.

So what exactly is an airborne aircraft carrier? In this case, its a huge four engined Tupolev TB1 bomber, with two, three, or even five fighters strapped to it or later, as Vakhmistrov developed his idea, a Tupolev TB3 bomber mothership with the parasite fighters being either Tupolev I-4's or later, the popular Polikarpov I-16's.

The whole project was called 'Zveno', which means 'Chain link' and you can see on the images just how unweildy this idea was. It gained enough initial support in the Soviet Union however (where no small amount of crazy aircraft designs were eagerly pursued) to develop beyond several variations, eventually culminating in the Zveno-SPB series which saw action in Stalingrad in 1942. The fighters were by then outdated so instead of being interceptors they were used as dive bombers. The advantage for the I-16s was clear. By themselves they had a maximum take off payload of 100kg but strapped to a Zveno-SPB they could carry two FAB-250 high explosive bombs and increase their combat range by 80%. Each Zveno-SPB could carry three parasite planes which would deliver their bombs to the target then act as ordinary fighters there after.

The most successful attack by the SPB squadron came in 1941, when repeated attacks with conventional bombers had failed, three SPB's were deployed to destroy the King Carol bridge of the River Danube over which passed the important Pliesti-Constanta oil pipeline. Two attacks were required, and the fighters carried external fuel tanks to give them additional range. The bridge and the pipeline were severed and the missions were a success. German Field-Marshal, Erich von Manstein would later write in his memoirs that the final loss of Stalingrad hinged on the Russians bombing the bridges over the Danube and Dniepr rivers in August 1941. Shortly there after the squadron was expanded to five motherships and fifteen fighters, but eventually the spare parts for the big TB3's became too hard to manufacture and like all such eccentricities the Zveno project met the implacable application of practicality and was abandoned.

Looking back on this project, its hard to imagine it as high tech. Even without the handicap of hindsight it appears to have been a particularly low tech, yet effective approach to the idea of the airborne aircraft carrier. It could be that the lack of any stylistic approach was a hall mark of Russian engineering, later Soviet aviation projects also have this same blatent disregard for aesthetics, but when one considers the beauty of the USS Akron airborne aircraft carrier and compare it to the Zveno, one must conclude that, in this instance, the uglier of the two designs was by far the most effective.

Modelling the Zveno

moif's pseudo cryptic late night thought for the day

Would I be able to fall asleep at night easier if there were twenty five hours in a day...?

Ooooh look!

Its only Jan Saudek, my all time favourite photographer!



And, here is a short film, apparently inspired by Saudek...

Every ship has a wanker...

From the BBC.

"It is necessary to conduct random sampling of the Antarctic minke population to obtain accurate statistical data," said Mr Morimoto.

Because why? This story gets my temperature rising... For what reason exactly does the ICR need to establish accurate statistical data about Minke whales in the Antarctic ocean? Its not as if the Minkes must pay taxes to the Japanese state!?

I love the Japanese, as a culture and a historical nation with an amazing heritage, but lets be real. There's only one reason why the ICR exists and it isn't scientific. Its to provide food for people in Japan who want to eat whales.

Cloverfield

Dir: Matt Reeves

Apparently this is the work of producer JJ Abrams (the guy who was behind 'Lost') and Drew Goddard (who wrote some of the 'Lost' episodes) and if your familiar with that, then you'll note a few connections with this. In 'Lost', the monster was always off camera/never explained and the tension was always created by suggestion rather than obvious special effects. Here the monster is always lurking off camera, and the special effects, whilst obvious (its a giant monster in Manhatten after all) are done in a way which supports the suggestive nature of the film rather than as a foundation for a weak plot.

This film is also full of obscure clues as to what exactly is going on and why (another similarity with 'Lost'). Blink and you'll miss them though which can be annoying as the whole film is meant to be seen through the lens of a hand held camera so the picture is all over the place (at least 20% of this film is random blurred images and panned shots that move so fast that your left with a lot of vague impressions and very little information. It works quite well since you get the feeling that your watching real chaos.

The only real problems with this film that I can see lie in the nature of the story. First there is the non linear story format, which having no closure, leaves you in the dark and second, there is the strange sense of the absurd as Godzilla meats reality TV (thats not a spelling error. Its just my little pun). In one sense it works since thats the whole idea of the film, but in another, I couldn't help noticing how conveniently the camera angles were. I don't think any one so obsessed with documenting a giant monster attacking New York would consistently fail to film the actual monster, espcially as this particular monster appears to be continually stalking the camera man... but thats just me being critical I guess. No doubt if a huge mutant gullit attacked Århus and I happened to have my camera handy, I probably wouldn't hang about to film it either...


One last point... towards the end of the film a B2 stealth bomber is seen dropping some pretty heavy ordanance on to the creatures back, and yet it not only survives this, but appears to survive in good health. I know its a finicky, military nerd type observation, but I couldn't help thinking that, given the size of the monster, a J-DAM bomb would be the equivalent of me being hit by a 40mm grenade... I know Godzilla type monsters are meant to be tougher than old boots, but that was a little bit too much given the otherwise 'realistic' nature of the film.

I liked it.

Melt

And this is what I'm listening to as I write the above post...

Freja: Fastelavn

Fastelavn is a traditional Danish holiday, for kids. Officially its not until Monday but at the day care centre the little kids celebrated it today (yesterday). Naturally, Freja went as a 'gullit', since she is wild about crocodiles and dinosaurs (all classed by Freja as 'gullit's') and likes to be a gullit when ever possible. Being a gullit involves much roaring and chasing after Dada and Mama, biting them and blowing raspberries on their bellies. Naturally Mama and Dada often themselves are the gullits and chase Freja, who theatrically wails 'Oh No!' and runs away until there is no where left to run any more at which point she deftly turns the tables and becomes the gullit instead. This is kind of cheating so she doesn't always get away with it. Sometimes Dada-gullit picks up Freja-gullit and gobbles her up (with much blowing of raspberries on Freja-gullits belly) or we have a roaring competion.

-

Fastelavn involves dressing up (just like Halloween but with less empthasis on scary stuff). There were no less than three princesses at the day care centre, a power ranger (at least I think thats what he was), at least two 'Batman's', a pirate and a football player. Freja was the only gullit and she had on her gullit-suit which Mette had made just the night before. Last year Freja was a bumble-bee but that didn't go down too well since she wouldn't wear the hat with its antenae. This years she was over joyed with her gullit suit even though the tail was kind of clumsy and kept getting in her way. It was fun to see her roaring and stamping and totally showing off even if the other parents were utterly indifferent to her. I sat and played with her and another little girl (who had neither parents nor costume) for about half an hour and I appeared to be the only father who could be bothered to get on the floor. All the other parents sat about drinking coffee and talking to each other and I think I may have been a curious sight as one of the day care staff kept pestering me (and Mette) about drinking coffee; "Are you quite sure you don't want some coffee?"

It could have been that the other Dads were all in suits and I was in a scruffy old army jacket, but I prefer to think that whilst I may not have any money, or good looks, or a half decent health, I can at least play on the floor with my daughter 'the gullit' and any of her friends who aren't scared to death by me... and now I'm the one showing off!

.

Rocketman 4 conclusion

Player One: Rocketman and allies

Rocketman (SMG) George McArthur (Revolver) ’Mad Dog’ Mitchell (BAR) Sancho Gutiérrez (.45 auto) Captain Ortiz (Revolver) 10 x militia infantry (9 rifles +1 LMG) (Marcel Messnier if freed) (Rifle) + 1 d6 grenades

Player Two: Moros

Moros (9mm Auto) Angelica (SMG) Marco (pistol) Ernesto (SMG) 10 x River rats (Rifles) 3 x Indian scouts (Blow pipes) 1 truck 2 d6 grenades

Player Three: Helga und die Schwartze Pfele

Helga (SMG's) 8 x Schwartze pfele paratroopers (rifles) 2 x Schwartze pfele paratroopers (SMG) +12 grenades

We played the game as a three way skirmish, which with hindsight might have been a bit too ambitious given Peter’s lack of experience. We started too late and we just didn’t have the time to finish the game to my satisfaction.

Rocketman and his companions (as played by Peter) approached the camp of Moros (played by Oleg) from across the swamp. Already here we got bogged down because although Peter was the only player moving, he was moving at combat speed which meant it took him almost an hour to get into position. Moros and his goons naturally opened fire and Oleg had put his three native trackers out in the forest (where they were pretty good). This meant Peter got into hot water as soon as contact was made. Helga and the Germans (played by me) arrived in round eight (just as Peter had gotten to the tree line) and immediately engaged the four guards Moros had placed in the watch tower. These were soon eliminated (one ran away, the rest were gunned down) and under a normal game this would have been the prelude to Helga’s advance into the base moving along the rear of the buildings to where I suspected Moros and the Golden Anaconda were concealed (and I was right). Unfortunately, that never happened. Moros’s trackers were almost in my path and slowed me down to a standstill as they were very difficult to kill. Rocketman and his allies were scattered all over and largely suppressed by Moro’s people hiding in the buildings. The good guys had a Machine gun and a Browning Automatic Rifle, but these were out in the open, thus drawing heavy fire and utterly useless as a consequence.

Rocketman made a desperate dash with his rockets. He flew out over the river, using the buildings and tree’s as cover when he could have been hit, and bring himself to the rear of the building where in Moros was hiding. Everything went well and Peter might have won the game if only he’d been less rushed for time. He made a classic mistake of not checking the upstairs window and Moros dropped two grenades on him as he approached the back door. Thus ended the game.

It was a short affair and some what unsatisfactory. We should have started earlier and I should have played along side Peter against Oleg. I was seduced by the thought of bringing back Helga and the game suffered as a consequence of my weakness for that character. Poor Peter never really had a chance, but he did well with what he had. If we’d had more time, and he hadn’t rushed to enter the last building, I think he might have won. Oleg had spotters covering most angles so it was impossible for Rocketman (two great jets of fire erupting from his back) to sneak up on the bad guys. Had we been playing together, I could have warned him.

I decided afterwards (and with a hint or two from Peter) that Rocketman himself isn’t quite ‘up to the job’. Looking at his stats, I have to agree. RM is the hero of the piece and thus should be better than most every one else. So I’ve upgraded him, I’m adding an armoured suit and giving him a more powerful weapon; a Czech Zk 383 Heavy SMG (instead of the fake ‘prototype Lanchester‘ he had before). This will mean RM is tougher, hits harder and can absorb more damage in future games.

Artist of the month: John Bauer

John Bauer was an illustrator from the district of Småland in southern Sweden. Småland is a beautiful place of woods and rocks and small streams, and the site of many a childrens tale (not least Emil i Lönnegerga). Its no great surprise to know that most of the creative genius of Sweden (within the parameters of fantastical childrens tales), arose from this area. It takes a special kind of person, born in a special kind of place to make the sort of magical tales and images Småland has produced. John Bauer appears to have been that kind of person. Although he only lived a short life, and although his fame is based on relatively few works (most specifically a book called 'Amongst Gnomes and Trolls'), his work tapped directly into the Scandinavian psyché (as it was around 1900).

Today, Bauers work, though still very out dated (its literally Victorian after all) still has that 'Scandinavian feel' that I like. The trolls, with their long hair and big noses are the archetypal Scandinavian trolls. The sort one finds in the old saga's living in the wilds; Magical and eccentric beings who grow bigger and stranger as they grow older until finally they fall asleep and and get mistaken for hills and mountains. Bauers images reflect the cold Scandinavian winters when the starlight shines above the trees and illuminates a world that no longer seems a place where men belong. These are just children's illustrations, but they echo deeper feelings that resonate within me. Its been a long while since I walked through a Danish forest at night (and even longer since I walked through a Swedish forest at night), far from the warmth and predictability of civilisation, and although Denmark in the 1990's was a very different place to Sweden in the 1900's, the dark night still brings the sense of possibility. When you walk through the absolute quiet with your breath fogging around you and the undergrowth scraping against your clothes, you suddenly pause and find yourself alone in a darkness, gravid with suggestion. The shadows could easily be trolls and gnomes, creatures of great power and mystery. Its not hard to feel the sense of possibility that must have seemed like probability to so many Scandinavians back through history.

I sometimes wonder, those people, living in the darkness of their own fertile imaginations, were they better off than we are today or were adults then just as they are today? There was a time when I lived in a world of my own imagnation, filled with mystery's and wonder and even fear, and it seems, looking back on it, that it was a far better place than the drab monotony of adulthood. As Calvin once tells Hobbes, 'childhood is brief and maturity lasts for ever'.

John Bauer at Art Passions
John Bauer at Project Runeberg
John Bauer at Wikipedia