The Man or Woman on the Rock

Posted by13guardiansPosted inPages from the Book of the Guardians, The Blue Knight, Vivainne DesegurTags:, , , , ,

They came to the Rock whereon the Man or Woman could be found that Vivainne and the Blue Knight might be pure of heart and mind and full strong in mind and arm to gain the Island of Mists wherein the Book of Chivalry was hid. They stood down off their mounts and looked up the rocks so high and looked to see steps in the stone, carved hard in stone. All day they went higher over the rock to climb, up the steep cliff most high, the ground far below, the steps in cloud below.

In this image we see Vivainne and the Blue Knight climbing up to visit the Man or Woman on the Rock. It has been suggested that the architecture of the seat of the Man or Woman is an allusion to classical wisdom, but this seems unlikely as Classical Greek architecture does not include the arch which only came into prominence with Roman culture.

When the night had passed on the cliff they resumed to climb. The Man or Woman sat to wait for them there on the Rock, he or she looked out at the world and drank deeply of the wisdom that could be seen there. His or her hair fell long about and when the wind played it flowed like the sea.

This is the corresponding page from the Book of the Guardians. There have been some arguments about whether Vivainne or the Blue Knight is leading the climb up the steps on the rock in this depiction. It has also been observed that it may be that the illustrator has not made the figures identifiable to retain their equality.

Vivainne and the Knight stood before her or him.

He or she told them

You must undertake three tests to make ready yourselves for your journey. The first you must uncover what it is your heart’s desire and then you must prepare yourself to give it away. The second you must learn to be still in your mind and third you must find, using your intelligence, what is of true value in our world. When you have done these things then go to the sea and if you are worthy a ship will sail for you to the hidden isle.

I tell you this because I am a man, and I am also a woman in harmony and balance. The Book of Chivalry is twisted many ways and makes to men show of many ill paths and is not in balance. You must right this wrong, rewrite the book or destroy it so that new ways can be forged for us all, men and women. You must change our stars.

With this said, the wise person turned away from them and played upon a stringed instrument and long until they rode away far and could still hear the music.

Vivainne and the Blue Knight were pleased of the music.

Vivainne, with the Blue Knight sat long considering these conditions and in themselves found wanting. They decided that they must prepare themselves separately and Vivainne said,

Now is the time of Swithin’s Day, let us meet together by the sea eight weeks hence after the Feast of Augellin. And so the time was set. These Quest that Vivainne and the Blue Knight undertook to prepare themselves are written in a separate place and can be seen. The Blue Knight’s Quest is the name Quest of all Souls and Vivainne’s Quest is the name The Quest of Peace.

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