Than Longen Folk

 "Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages..."

When we had that session the other day where twelve of us sat in a circle and took it in turns to say a few words about who thought we really were I found myself saying I thought of myself as a pilgrim and that the Pilgrim's Progress is one of my favourite books. This surprised me a little. What I had thought I was going to say was that I was an observer- but I didn't let drop that word at all. And The Pilgrim's Progress, is that really one of my favourites books? Yes, actually, I suppose it is.

The Pedlar

 Thinking about pilgrims brought this painting to mind.....


It's the work of Hieronymous Bosch- and it's known as The Pedlar or the Wayfarer. I think The Pilgrim would be as good. Bosch himself didn't call it anything (that we know of.) A second, cruder variant version of the same composition is painted on the back of his triptych The Haywain- and is what the viewer sees when the wings are closed. This version was apparently painted on the back of the right hand wing of the triptych of The Seven Deadly Sins and Four Last Things.

Like everything of Bosch's it's not just a picture. It's also a mystery.

A riddle asking to be read.....

A raggedy man is making his way through the scenes of life. He observes. He is detached. He doesn't belong. Everything in the picture has meaning.  The building is probably a brothel and stands for the temptations of the flesh. The troughing pigs stand for greed. The owl is wisdom, the magpie is thievery. And so on. In the distance is a gibbet.

Those who know the Tarot will notice how closely The Pedlar resembles the card called the Fool- another raggedy man with a beastie at his heels.....