esson 9: Sword Knight and Sword Four

he White Hart had bounded away pretty quickly, and I lost sight of him almost immediately. But his path through the woods was clear and I followed it until nightfall, then slept in the woods. I was awakened early by three bears moving nearby. I laid still until they moved off, then skedaddeled. Moving through the underbrush, I came up the White Hart again, startling him. He departed and I once again followed in his direction.

      Emerging from the woods, a glint of light catches my eye. I see the rising sun reflected off an upright sword. Recovering from temporary blindness, I see a man I've met once before, at a circle of stones. "Colin!" I cry out to him.
      "'ll'I'll be! If it isn't Miss Moonchild! How goes it with y', m'lady? Whither be y' goin' this fine mornin'?"
      "I'm going to visit that stone I see up there on that hill."
      "Hill? Why, 'tis no 'hill'! That's a 'tor.' Ay! ye've got a lot to learn! Come on then; ride with me a-ways."

      I climb up behind him, and we ride across beautiful green hills covered with spring wildflowers. It's a long, leisurely, lovely ride, during which Colin explains to me about the tor. He tells me that it is a sacred site, and that 'tor' actually means 'gate' or 'door.' As we approach, I see that what appeared from the distance to be a standing stone is actually a large tower with an arched doorway through the middle. On the morning of the spring equinox, he tells me, the sun can be seen directly through it. Too bad I missed that! We ride a spiraling path to the top and I dismount and approach the archway. I stand in it's shortening shadow, as the sun climbs on the other side. And, looking through the archway, I see that the grass really *is* greener on the other side! As I pass through the massive arch, I say:

      "I pass out of the shadow of sin [i.e. wrong-doing] in pursuit of the light of truth, clarity, justice, integrity and virtue. I ask all the powers that be to help me to keep going in the right direction--towards the bright sun and greener grass of flowering Logres. I dedicate myself to follow the Quest for the Sword Hallow and hope that, in undertaking this quest, I will strengthen these qualities in myself and in the world."

      I walk through, then kneel on the grass and raise my face and hands to the blessing of the sun. The warmth of his rays on my skin feels like a loving approval. A shadow passes over as a dove flies by and I turn and see many birds have roosted in the nooks and crannies of the tower. I also see Colin approaching, and he joins me on the grass for lunch. We also share our bread with the birds.

      Before long, we mount up and ride out, and during our travels, Colin tells me about his homeland and his place in it. He emphasizes the importance of wielding the sword for good--otherwise, one could cut themselves on it. I notice that his is covered head to foot--the only skin showing his his face--and think it would be unlikely that he would cut himself. I wonder how the Sword Maiden's advice to "put it on" is connected to this idea.

inally, we come to a remote chapel or hermitage. As we approach the open doorway, the rays of the setting sun strike a golden cross, which reflects the light beautifully onto some sort of altar. A sword lays on this altar, and it is carved with figures of a man and two bulls. For some reason, I am reminded of the sacred Apis of ancient Egypt. The figure of the man speaks, saying "Lay down your arms." It's all I can do not to laugh out loud at this pun of weapons and bodily limbs. [The figure has no arms.]

      I've had a lot on my mind and have had difficulty focusing on the quest, so I am happy to arrive at this sanctuary. All is still. Colin and I gaze inside.

      "Ere I was made a knight," he explains, "I spent the night here--not sleepin', but prayin' and meditatin' on what makes a good knight and how I cou'd best fulfill me duties. It was here that I became convinced that right is might, and discovered the strength that accompanies doin' the right thing. But the 'right' is sometimes real hard to determine. Y' got ta build a solid foundation of principles to guide y'. So I returns from time to time to consider what's right and what I believe and such things. To spen' the night in vigil in this place is an important startin' point on the Quest for the Sword. Would y' be likin' to do this?"

      "Yes, I believe this would be very beneficial. I want to uphold what is right--not just my own version of right. I know I have a lot to learn about it. I will stay here and pray to God to guide me."
      "Then y' must shed everythin' y' hide behind. Y' must bare y'self, body and soul. Yes, y' mus' leave all y'r possessions and approach the altar as free and open as a newburn."
      I remove my bag and lay it in the grass by the door, then my shoes. Colin turns his back as I undress. "Enter in humility, respect and willingness ta be instructed," he says. "I'll be here a-guardin' y'."
      "Thank you," I tell him, then gather my thoughts and enter.