Monday, August 10, 2009

The Award Arrives!

So, Friday a big box arrived on the doorstep. Looking at the return address (Oklahoma), I was pretty sure what was inside, and waited till Janice got home for us to open it together. Inside was my 'Aslan', or Mythopoeic Society Award.

I'm sure I must have seen one before, as I've been to several of their award banquets before -- e.g., at the Barfield/Lewis centenary in Wheaton -- and also visited and stayed with various MythSoc Award winners over the years, but if so I still couldn't remember what they actually look like. It is indeed a model of one of the famous lions in front of the New York Public Library, and is (a little on-line research tells me) made of marble dust and high-quality resin. But the question arises: which lion? Apparently the two in front of the Library are called "Patience" and "Fortitude", though whether these are official names or merely nicknames I have no idea. Mine seems to be looking very slightly to his right, so I assume he's a model of the one on the right as you go in.

Given how long it took me to finish the book, I suppose 'Patience' wd be the more appropriate original. Plus of course the Middle-English poem PATIENCE, the Gawain-poet's hilarious take on the Jonah legend, wd be a nice indirect Tolkien tie-in. But I truthfully have no idea.

In any case, I'll try to have a photo of it up on the website as soon as I can manage it.

--John R.

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