Pilgrim Reindeer in Pisa, 1348
a free multimedia novel by
Thomas A. DuBois, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Pilgrim Reindeer in Pisa, 1348 a free multimedia novel by Thomas A. DuBois, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
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1. Part I Setting Out 10. Leaving Hattula [August 12, 1347]
In this chapter, I wanted to add further complexity and nuance to the portrayal of Bávlos's evolving spirituality by describing a vision experience that could easily be Christian or shamanic. The door Bávlos sees and the voice are proof to Father Jens that Bávlos has received significant supernatural communications. Bávlos himself does not question the validity of his vision, nor does he apply any either-or dichotomy to it: for him, Iesh is neither solely shamanic nor solely Christian, but rather, an unmistable union of the two. Rather than positing an omnipotent being that is the author of only some of the potential supernatural experiences one can have--as in medieval Christianity, where visions were scrutinized as either divine or demonic--Bávlos adopts a more holistic approach, in which Iesh is responsible for all things.
I also enjoyed imagining how a medieval Sámi person would interpret writing when first encountering it. Sámi shamanic drums were decorated with symbols that could be considered images or idiographs: e.g., a stick figure with head, legs and arms represented a man and also, undoubtedly, the word for "man" in the spoken language. Bávlos seeks to apply this understanding to the priest's writing of the name Bafloos (the name as a Swede would write it when hearing it spoken by a Sámi). In so doing, he sees the letters of his name as pictures of the activities in which he has been engaged: camping, trekking, passing lakes, and following a winding trail. Later in the novel, Bávlos will again have to deal with writing, again with a good deal of confusion and worry. For now, however, Bávlos is simply grateful to Father Jens for the gift of the scroll that will help him meet the bishop of Turku-Åbo.
