Being Sleipnir's legs
Published: Wed, 10/11/17
There are some strange characters in the Norse mythology. Odin may well be the front runner for a general wyrdness, there is the one eye bit, the nine nights hanging on the tree and the eight legged horse. Actually the horse, which Odin named Sleipnir was a present from Loki, who gave birth to the foal while in the form of a mare. So, perhaps the prize for the outright bizarre needs to go to Loki.
The thing about mythology is that you can either take it at face value as an entertaining story. Or, if you are so inclined, you can look for the symbolism in these strange tales. So, is Sleipnir just the ultimate go anywhere ride for the father of the Aesir? Or does and eight legged horse symbolise something? Perhaps Sleipnir represents four men carrying a funeral bier to the pyre or the coffin to its last resting place? In that sense we all get to ride on Odin’s horse one day on our final journey to the next world.
I mention this because on Monday I was one of the pall bearers for my uncle’s coffin, along with my brother, my cousin, my uncle’s son in law and his grandson and a very long standing family friend. Okay, this particular ride to the other world had 12 legs but it was still an honour to participate. It was probably just as well there were six of us as the coffin was surprisingly heavy. It did not help that I was paired at the back with someone who is quite a lot bigger than me, somehow I can give people the impression that I am a lot bigger than I really am, I am not quite sure how I do it. It was only a short distance into the chapel so I think we managed to deliver the coffin with the right degree of dignity and reverence.
The minister who took the service was an old friend of my uncle’s and he did it very well. My brother commented that he was rather solemn and serious, considering that my uncle had a great sense of humour and a little bit of levity would not have been completely inappropriate. I think it is likely that the minister was actually managing his own feelings at the loss of a close friend and his serious demeanour was masking his personal grief. Either way it was a moving farewell to a good and much loved man. At the end of the month there will be a memorial service which will be an opportunity to mix some humour and fun with the sadness in remembering my Uncle and celebrating his life. I have offered to say a few words about him and try and express the influence my uncle had on me growing up. It should be quite an occasion.
I will leave it there today, I have got some plans developing for some interesting events next year.
More on that tomorrow.
regards
Graham
PS Training in Beverley this coming Saturday morning, looks like the big room will be ready as a training space, come and join us if you can. http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/train.html