May 11th

Pious knight wanders

soul marked for the dance of death

harvest checked for love

Watched the Seventh Seal, what a great movie. So much depth. The war weary religious knight and his cynical wise squire return from the crusades to find a Sweden ravaged by plague. He dwells over the existence of God, he wants to see his wife one more time, after a ten year absence. And of course he strikes that deal with death, through the noble game of chess.

Such iconic imagery, much spoofed over the years. But what acting and direction by Ingemar Bergman. Max Von Sydow and especially Gunnar Björnstrand as the squire, are the stand out performers. A masterpiece.

(images of the Seventh Seal from the film4 website)

January 24th

Buried by his shame,

Mule flower, pressed and preserved,

Defying God’s law.

 

Watched Botany: A Blooming History on BBC4. Captivating and fascinating, about the pioneers in plant science. What drew me in was the gardener who performed the first deliberate cross pollination/hybridisation between two species, Thomas Fairchild.

He chose a carnation and a sweet william. And it worked. But the new species was sterile, much like a mule.

As a religious man, he kept his discovery secret for many years, fearing he was dabbling in the creation work of God. But he needn’t have worried, his work was considered scientifically groundbreaking.