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Or ... how to bury a queen. For those of you who think there might be a slight dichotomy here ... I am here to tell you that in the most obscure statements lie the seeds of utmost clarity. I shall proceed.
The city is Ur. The country is Southern Mesopotamia--the birthplace ... by the way--of Abraham. The period ... 2600 to 2400 BC.
The time has come to bury Queen Puabi. She is decked out in all her finery. Wreaths and flowers form her gold headdress. She wears a cloak of gold beads and precious stones. She sports gold pins and amulets. A gold cup is nestled in her hands. The dead get thirsty too you know. Lying on a bier she is carried in all her royal splendor down the ramp of her grave pit and placed into her chamber. Around her are placed some of her prized possessions. A headdress of Lapis Lazuli beads. Some cockle shells filled with cosmetics in case she should find herself suddenly away of some slight deterioration of skin tone. This happens occasionally with the passing of time. And there was more.
There was a wooden sledge laden with gold and silver and drawn by two oxen placed just outside her chamber. Once the sledge was in place ... the oxen were killed. They would accompany her on all her deathly adventures. And with oxen were the grooms who had led to beasts deep into the earth's bowels. And with the grooms ... a dozen young women wearing headdresses and necklaces of precious stones. And then three more maidens made their way into the queen's chambers. And then five soldiers made their way down the ramp leading to the royal burial chamber. And then ... the drank the draught given to them ... a drugged potion that would render them unconscious as the earth covered them and they were buried alive to be with their queen. Civilization was still in its earlier stages. The HMO's were still covering the medical costs for drugs needed to bolster oneself for the oncoming roll of the death drums. Today these drugs would be curtailed in the quest of cost-effective medical treatments based on necessity. True cruelty would soon enough herald the oncoming onslaught of pragmatism.
And then ... many many years later ... all this was uncovered. And treasures were discovered. In one there were six soldiers and 68 court ladies. And they also found a goat. A wooden goat. Covered in gold and Lapis Lazuli. A great statue of the beast standing on its hind legs to eat a golden bush. What a sight. What a goat. What ultimate devotion was required from those who served royalty.
All that said ... I feel it only fair to show you a little memento of those days. A beast perhaps. A goat perhaps. Gilded and maybe gelded ... upright ... chewing golden fodder ... with no other hopes than to just be ... for a little while longer.
Ah ... the folly that comes from the hopes of reflected glory to be gleaned from serving society's elite. Well ... at least we don't make these mistakes today ... do we?
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And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark