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 18. Meeting with Claes [September 9, 1347]

Here Bávlos's journey slows: you can't rush art. So although he has been travelling at a fairly fast pace ever since Hattula, he now lets weeks go by as he helps Master Claes with the statue of the Virgin. I liked that notion of letting Bávlos's sense of time follow his feelings and interests. When he has got something to do which he loves, he is in no rush at all. I also wanted the text to reflect the attenuated, relaxed feeling of the early fall, a time before the cold and rain of the real fall has started, a time in which a person can simply relax and enjoy the harvest, the remaining sunshine, and the beauty of life. That's what Bávlos is doing in the singularly beautiful town of Visby.

Although in this chapter Bávlos seems to consciously embrace Christian imagery and devotions, particularly a devotion to the Virgin, notice that subtle details recall his shamanic background and way of thinking. He interprets Master Claes's chronic arthritic pain as the work of punishing spirits, and he sings a joik to imbue the sculpture he is helping create with good luck and power. In the coming chapters, it is left to you to decide which supernatural forces to credit for the remarkable events which transpire....

See you in early October as Bávlos heads for Reval!