Dragons don’t exist, this we know. They definitely never existed at any time… this we assume to know or have greatly accepted as fact, relegating their status to myth and legend. But why? Why don’t they exist, or why haven't they "ever existed" in the ancient past? How do we know this for sure, and how was this ‘fact’ established? And so, let’s calmly question what we’ve been told, and what we’ve assumed, to prod the foundations of our knowledge, kick the tires of history, let out some of the puffed up contemporary fantastical air, and see if the vehicle of our Dragon lore is roadworthy, testing to see how far we can take it. A good practice is to be willing to entertain an idea to test its integrity. So lets entertain away. How we phrase the question is important though: Was there a time when Dragon’s existed? Or more precisely, could a Dragon-like creature have existed? I think to the latter question, the answer is a resounding YES. One need only look to the creatures on earth right now to surmise that history could well have seen something akin to what we’ve conceptualized the archetype dragon to be, and that it was perhaps these kind of creatures that inspired the early tales. And that’s the issue here. The main doubt about this animal is in people’s idea of it as this great fire spewing, scaled and winged monster rising from the depths of hell, perhaps the product of some wild imaginative liberty. From an objective view, it certainly seems to be the collective imaginative galvanization of our greatest fears. Let’s just say off the bat, or firmly assume, that Dragons are a thing of myth and legend - what we understand those two words to mean, and… They DEFINITELY NEVER EXISTED, at least not in the way fantasy and media portray it. – Let this be our starting point. And so, the arguments against its existence follows:
The Greek origin – ‘the one that watches’ Where does our knowledge of Dragons come from and what influenced or inspired the vivid modern day image? What other so-called mythological creatures are there that were also a result of ancient cultures – but that are shared as vividly throughout the ancient world as widely as the dragon? Pegasus, mermaids, centaurs, … unicorns* – (*likely inspired by the rare Indian rhino... uni-single horn). Are these creatures exclusive to one ancient culture, or do they feature in a few? Mostly, one finds they are isolated to specific cultures or myths. But of all these creatures though, the dragon seems the likeliest to have potentially existed, based on what we know. Refuting the claims against the existence of Dragons. No Dragon fossils – Well, let’s remind ourselves that fossils are very rare and assume that if Dragons did exist, there weren’t that many of them around. Due to the media, we’ve taken fossils for granted. They are hard to come by, and the few we have are largely fragmented – that is to say we only have some remains of certain animals, in most cases only a small fraction of the animal’s remains, like a femur bone, some ribs, or the pelvic bones – whichever bones are the largest and usually take the most time to decay. I think it’s fair to say that there are more animals extinct than those we have currently living on earth. Put a different way: there is a large amount of animal species that DID exist, that we know nothing about, I mean, if it weren’t for the fossils, we wouldn’t have known that such creatures ever walked the earth (apart from potential ancient literature and historical accounts attesting to such unfamiliar creatures). Now, consider the fossils we DO have and the ones that resemble the Dragon in appearance; the T-Rex, the Dracorex, Velosiraptor etc… And ask yourself, ‘how accurate are our replicas or fleshed out renderings of these animals?’ With only a skeleton to work with, there is a decent margin of error, call it an 'error factor'. Now, I’m not saying the artists and paleontologists are incorrect, but after the re-imagining of sinew and muscle tissue around the skeleton, the cartilage and skin/fur - it does leave the window ajar as to the amount of estimation that must go into these museum displays. (One display in a museum in America, is based on only 10% of the animal’s remains! In these instances, as well as the Chimera fossils, the error factor is compounded). Added to that is the varying interpretations of data found. Flight – Could a creature, let’s (conservatively) say 10m high, actually fly? Applying physics, is it possible for a scaly serpent with wings to take flight? Let’s also clarify something here; not all Dragon representations have wings. The Biblical description (Job) did NOT include wings, however, later in Revelation when Satan is referenced as a Dragon, that’s a different story, because we know Lucifer was an Archangel, like Michael and Gabriel, and in other descriptions of Lucifer (before he was cast out of heaven), he did have wings… so the concept of the Dragon emerged from the amalgamation of the two images. However, the symbolic imagery from the John's controversial vision in the Book of Revelation (often confusing and difficult to interpret literal from figurative) also states that the woman the Dragon pursues, was given wings of an eagle to evade him, implying that the dragon (Lucifer) could NOT fly. But that aside, for many considering this debate, removing the wings from the equation makes the Dragon's potential existence not so much a debate, as a probability – big dinosaur-type lizard creatures did exist, that much we know is true… it’s the fire and wings that people have always found to be a bridge too far. But let's realistically consider the permutations of wings:
Interesting facts (loosely related) - We must also remind ourselves, as mentioned, serpents’ bodies do expand when they eat (including unhinging their jaws to devour their prey and an expandable spine). Also fully grown Nile Crocodiles can reach a top speed of around 35km/h, which is roughly 2min per kilometer, about on par with Olympic athletes (800m – 1min45sec) and this for an animal weighing in at about 500kg. This is only to lend some context to a would-be Dragon’s agility and maneuverability, Still on the possibility of flight – continuing on from flexible and ‘expanding’ skeletons, we turn to bone density, although now we are stretching our hypothesis a tad… so let’s return to the land of the living and remind ourselves that there are snakes that glide too, much like the Draco Lizard some breeds can leap from tree-to-tree, flattening their bodies, and then there’s the water snake, which (as its name indicates) can glide on the surface of water. So the ergonomics for a dragon to realistically attain flight (or at least gliding), is very much achievable. ‘Breathing’ Fire Why would such an animal have this ‘feature’? Presumably it would be a defense mechanism, but against what exactly? Are there any living animals that display this feature, or features similar to, or shall we say as 'extravagant' as this? In the film ‘Reign of Fire (2002)’ it featured dragons that had two glandular chambers in opposing sides of its mouth, each chamber containing a chemical that when ejected they'd combined to form a combustible mixture. This ‘mechanism’ was inspired by the Bombardier beetle. Furthermore, in the animal kingdom we have electric Eels (another kind of serpent), and then there's Fireflies – the ‘glowing’ feature is for attracting mates or prey. I’ll leave the fire-breathing summation up to you, but the above is a just a logical idea of how the ‘fire-breathing’ element/mechanism can be explained. There are historical sources which claim the dragon's main 'killing' weapon was its tail - as a whip, or coiling around its victim, and that it was without poison. So it must also be added that the fire element was more of a 'deterrent' and intimidating factor... Why would they have died out? If historical accounts surrounding dragons are to be believed (and we have no evidence on why they should not), then human intervention played a huge role. Men striving to tame the fearsome animal and what happens when an animal is hunted; you find that the size of the animal diminishes over time as they’re prevented from growing to maturity - killed before they reach full strength. Look at the early fossils of so-called prehistoric crocodile’s, or the large extinct Dire wolf losing out to the more nimble Grey wolf (although external factors played a role too). Historical accounts are consistent with this ‘shrinking’. The ancient accounts paint a picture of a large fearsome creature, whilst later accounts such as those of Herodotus (the Greek historian, ca. 460 B.C.) and Josephus (the Roman historian writing in the 1st century AD - 2:10:2:245-246), speak of ‘flying serpents’ - the latter's case 'the Ibis bird was used to repel the flying serpents. Another theory claims that the latter two historians were likely referring to surviving Pterosaurs. Either way the biggest influencing factor, as is the trend with rare species of animals, was mankind. Are Dragon's Dinosaurs... but then are we saying man encountered dinosaurs? The first point, about fossils resembling dragon's - meaning great Lizard - seems to backup up the final point, that ancient civilizations were inspired by such finds... But can we make this blanket assertion for all ancient cultures? That they all independently conceptualized this similar terror? In this writer's opinion, we cannot. Especially not in light of bona fide historical accounts... the reason why this fossil theory is so relied upon, is because the prevailing scientific hypothesis states that dinosaurs died out some 70 million years ago, but early human history seems to contradict this. Never mind that they've discovered soft tissue in Dinosaur bones (that scientists have failed to explain adequately - as to how could soft tissue can withstand millions of years of decay), and there are cases of rock art (Peru) that suggest man walked with dinosaurs (in addition to Hebrew literature, which is what the Bible is. Whilst archeologists investigating in Denmark have found that Beowulf, Europe's earliest literature, is based on fact, real clans, places and people... the difficult part to digest is Dragons and giants... or if the tale is real, did Beowulf then perhaps fight one of the last remaining dinosaurs of that region?) This issue is simply about reconciling whether or not dinosaurs lived in the same time as man, and there are big enough cracks in the geologic/prehistoric timetable theory to peer into, throwing ample reasonable doubt into the equation. This though is another exciting rabbit hole. But back on track; dragons are simply a form of ancient lizard/serpent , and there are plenty of those species still in existence. As mentioned, the alligator/crocodile, the monitor lizard, Komodo Dragon etc. are recognized for being ancient creatures. And then we arrive at the one which bears the most striking resemblance to contemporary dragon renderings: The Smaug Giganteus, aka ‘Sungazer’ – endemic to South Africa. “Sungazers are heavily armoured lizards hence one of their common names, the Girdled Lizard. This is derived from the bony scales along their body. Another name for them ‘Ouvolk’ is from Afrikaans and roughly translates into “Old Folk”, supposedly referring to its tendency of sitting at the entrance of the burrow facing the sun for many hours on end. Universally, the most commonly used name, Sungazer is also derived from this posturing. “These colonial, ovoviviparous lizards reproduce every two to three years, and only produce one or two offspring per breeding cycle.” (Bill Branch. 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and other reptiles of Southern Africa, p. 189) I highlighted the line above because it’s consistent with the earliest meanings of the word dragon and also how they're portrayed; Word: Dragon - Middle English < Old French < Latin dracōn- (stem of dracō) < Greek drákōn kind of serpent, probably orig. epithet, the (sharp-) sighted one, akin to dérkesthai to look … and more remotely “to watch” and “to flash.” Name: Drakon (Δράκων)) - Greek name meaning "dragon." In Greek mythology - Drakon Ismenios was a gigantic serpent which guarded the sacred spring of Ismenos near Thebes; the Drakon Kholkikos was the guardian of the golden fleece… “St. Roma’nus delivered the city of Rouen from a dragon, named Gargouille (waterspout), which lived in the river Seine.” (bartleby.com) – gargouille… inspiration for “gargoyle”. “In reality snakes do not shut their eyes because they do not have eyelids, giving the impression they are awake all the time, and watching with a menacing unblinking stare.” – (constellationofwords.com - © Anne Wright 2008.) History On a larger worldwide scale though, in practically all ancient cultures that have some form of recorded history, there are references to dragons, or a dragon-like creatures. As noted sources of dragon's are cited in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe (Greek and Hebrew text). Farther east in India (via Alexander the Great and Marco Polo), as well as historian accounts of Geisner, Gould, Aldrovandus, Strabo and Megasthenes... there's Mexico (Acambaro art) then there's the ubiquitous and expansive Chinese Dragon lore, with many more accounts littering the Old world. Yes, in some of the later accounts the Dragons may differ in description, but the explanation that all these cultures and historians simply saw dinosaur fossils and interpreted them as "dragon", doesn't sync. I'm sure there are instances of this occurring, but even Marco Polo wrote of actual terrifying nocturnal serpents with wings and two legs. So, based on the evidence at hand, and knowing for a certainty that I DO NOT know everything... I will say that outside my Biblical background, the case or likelihood for the Dragon's existence, even close to the modern fantasy renditions, is actually quite good. There is of course doubt, but we cannot simply stick dogmatically to the "dragons are simply mythical creatures, of legend and nothing more". The evidence before us strongly suggests that it may be a simple case of personal preference, to look at the data with a positive or negative mindset, for or against. You decide. “There is a place in Arabia, situated very near the city of Buto, to which I went, on hearing of some winged serpents; and when I arrived there, I saw bones and spines of serpents, in such quantities as it would be impossible to describe. The form of the serpent is like that of the water-snake; but he has wings without feathers, and as like as possible to the wings of a bat” (Herodotus, 1850, pp. 75-56) Connecting some not-so-distant dots: It's interesting that the flying serpents were said to originate from Arabia – Buto is an ancient city in the Nile Delta that now lays in ruin… why is this interesting? Well if you travel a bit south on the opposite side of the Red Sea you’ll find Yemen, still advancing south, just off the horn of Africa there’s the Yemeni Island of Socotra, an alien-looking place known for its ‘Dragon Trees’ – which bleed red. "That the Egyptians were building large, sea-going ships as early as 2000 B.C. is well known. In them they traded with Crete and Phoenicia … and with western Mediterranean ports. They sailed up and down the Red Sea, exploring Sinai and Yemen; visited Socotra, where grew the dragon-blood tree; went far south along the African shore; searched the Arabian coast, gathering frankincense (said to be guarded in its growth by small winged serpents); and made voyages back and forth between the Red Sea and the ports of Babylonia and Elam on the Persian Gulf” And then the sober writings of St. John of Damascus... ‘I am not telling you, after all, that there are no dragons; dragons exist but they are serpents [reptiles] borne of other serpents. When just born and young, they are small; but when they grow up and mature, they become big and fat so that they exceed the other serpents in length and size. It is said they grow up more than thirty cubits [14 metres, 45 feet]; as for their thickness, they become as thick as a huge log.’ There are claims by skeptics that the Roman Regulus was simply making this dragon story up, to lend an alibi for his failure at Carthage (it is said that dragons were not an uncommon scapegoat for Roman generals' who suffered defeats in battle,though I've yet to discover an actual account outside of Regulus), this despite Roman Historian Livy supporting the Cassius Dio account - so whatever doubts there are, the fact is the story became and is a part of official recorded Roman history. If the story was developed as a ruse, then another explanation needs to be sought for what they used as the dragon hide which was sent to the Senate and reportedly displayed in Rome for a hundred years. Alternative explanations theorize the likelihood that Regulus and co. encountered a giant Python. the problem with that theory is that the only snake on the continent fitting that description resides in Sub-Saharan Africa, the African Rock Python, making it improbable. ... Some more thought provoking images: A Final word: Dracorex A fossilized skull of a dinosaur that’s officially called “Dracorex Hogwartsia”. Again, the official word is that the fossil probably does NOT belong to the serpentine genus/family. Here’s what the paleontologists say: “probably a new genus or subfamily of Pachycephalosaurus. Most pachycephalosaurs are known for their dome-shaped skulls; however, our dinosaur had a flat skull covered in small bony warts. It is the first of its kind found in North America.” Since there’s only a skull, its hard to make conclusive summations on the species, already designated by the experts as probably a new genus... and one of a kind. The fossil was donated to a children’s Museum in America. And as Dr. Paul Saulsbury (one of the paleontologists credited with the find) noted at the Dracorex skull’s museum unveiling - ‘One boy who was just beaming came up to Brian, Steve, and me. "I just knew there were dragons!" he said.’ * [Image and extract sources: http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/discovering-new-dinosaur-species-dracorex-hogwartsia, jpm-thnktnk.blogspot.com, flickr.com, http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/ddl/ddl04.htm, earth66.com. Additional sources: http://www.genesispark.com/exhibits/evidence/historical/dragons/, http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/b/beowulf/character-analysis/beowulf, http://livingdinos.com/2011/07/dragons-animals-%E2%80%A6-not-apparitions/]
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Female soldiers of the world A few weeks back I did a post called “Ugly Beautiful” focusing on finding beauty within unlikely places, or seeing a different side of something usually perceived as ugly, that one can interpret as beautiful. Or perhaps just unveiling or uncovering some beauty by changing perspective. In this post though, it’s more of a misplaced beauty – beauty within unforgiving environs, or in places most would see as un-befitting. But, people are people and often something we see as odd or divisive, is more a reflection of ourselves than the actual state of the way things are. Female soldiers, specifically, Special Forces; They’re rare and a part of our world that most in society don’t want to acknowledge, because on some level, it violates some moral code, or a puristic ideal and goes against what most believe being a woman is all about. This is perhaps harking back to traditionalists; where women are the nurturers and care givers, and men are the protectors and providers. However, women have immense strength, and besides, what happens when the man falls (as he so often does) – and let’s not forget that men usually go to women to glean strength and support. But really, this is just a slight demonstration of the strength of women, because they can be the best protectors and are already providers, but they can do it without forfeiting their nurturing and softer sides. I was going to get all philosophical about this and delve into the inequality issues and the fight that many women have been fighting for ages, but instead I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves because these ladies are simply badass – if that’s not too crude. I could've also gone into the various roles they'd played over the ages and still do today, from assassins (often in the vein of the John Le Carre coined term; honey-traps), freedom fighters or even bodyguards - the late Muammar Gaddafi was one leader known to be partial-to/fascinated-with female (virgin) bodyguards. And then there's the world's most famous (and perhaps the most beautiful and glamorous) female bodyguard: Anna Loginova. She had a successful modelling career alongside her other profession, including work for Chanel. She died in 2008 in Moscow, at the age of 29, from head injuries sustained in what authorities believed to be a random carjacking. Loginova studied martial arts and in 2005 founded an agency called Stilet (Dagger) dedicated to female bodyguards (trained by ex-KGB operatives) to provide discreet protection for Russian billionaires . We know that women in this profession are in high demand the world over. I'm also only handing a passing mention to past female leader's, known for their unshakeable stance when it came to conflict, strong women in history like Cleopatra, St Joan of Arc - the sword carrying saint, Queen Elizabeth I, Mbande Nzinga Angolan Queen, 1582-1663 - who organized a powerful guerilla army to repel the Portugese settlers (eventually negotiating a peace treaty but refusing to bow to their then King), Queen Victoria, Golda Meir and the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher. If you’re curious, there are other reasons behind my decision to post this – it’s simply because I am actually writing about it – perhaps not women soldiers in general, but my book does contain a central character which happens to be a highly qualified female operative. The fictional character's name is Ayalah Karmin, an ex-IDF paratrooper and Sayaret Matkal vet who is working freelance after a term in Mossad. Of course when I researched this, I did not look into gender battles, but simply looked into the army, the units and disciplines, since all who achieve these exceptional feats need to meet the same exceptional standards. And then of course Israel is known for its equality in the military – with such a small country they can't afford to be stingy on who defends their country… ALL Israeli citizens are conscripted by law at the age of 18, for a mandatory 2 years of service. Anyway, on to the gallery, (Respect): [Image Credits: rediff.com, pinterest.com, alo.rs, yeeeeee.com, warfare.ru, moddb.com, desura.com, beautifulrus.com, news.xinhuanet.com, IDFblog.com, businessinsider.com, izismile.com, userfriendlyetc.blogspot.com, theatlantic.com] "Daughters of the attitude that produced them, certain women will not appeal to us without the double bed in which we find peace by their side, while others, to be caressed with a more secret intention, require leaves blown by the wind, water rippling in the dark, things as light and fleeting as they are." --- MARCEL PROUST, The Guermantes Way "The fear of women is the beginning of knowledge." "For the female of the species is more deadly than the male." Some links from the web: 8 Female soldiers who shattered barriers in 2013 (IDFBlog) Women in the Armies of the World, 70 pictures Most Impressive women in the military 2013 (businessinsider) Related links from this site: Captivating - Unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul - Book Review God's Message to Women The mystique of the drop-top – is there more to it than the stuff of simple fun and day dreams? You’ve seen it in films thanks to American pop culture, and then carried through to the next generations by doting father’s on their dreamy eyed son’s, the allure of the red convertible is still very much a modern 20th century phenomenon. Since its birth it has become a symbol for a lifestyle, a desire for freedom – rolling down a coastal road with the top down, the envy of any and all who gaze upon the scarlet vision. But, to be honest though, I’ve never been one for it… I was always more interested in the fact that it was a fad – fascinated by other peoples fascination. Kind of like the Lamborghini Countach – more spaceship than car (that was of course the designer’s inspiration, to make the car’s driving experience more ‘stratospheric’ – or so goes the taglines). It didn’t really interest me; it was too over the top, too vulgar – like a car that didn’t belong anywhere… So one day when my Dad, uncle and I happened to be paging through a supercar catalog I mentioned that I didn’t really care for it. That certainly raised their eyebrows, but they seemed rather impressed by my explanation. But, back to the famed and more commercially acceptable red convertible. I think I didn’t care for it because it seemed so clichéd (though I didn’t know what the word clichéd meant at the time), but I couldn’t explain that one, so I kept quiet about my reservations. The idea of the drop-top red coupe never appealed to me (surprising perhaps for someone who loves cars). Abve: The 1988 Lamborghini Countach - designed under the inspiration of man's space travel exploits of the era. Above: The quintessential red convertible - the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB 4 - the Legend. My Encounter: I was still a boy, and one Saturday morning my Dad attended a meeting with a pastor at church – now this church is very old, still standing today, and every generation of family had attended it at some point – Calvary Santuary. My Dad practically grew up in it, dragged along by my grandmother; my parents first met each other in it… so it’s pretty old. For some reason I tagged along with my Dad that morning. Whilst the meeting ensued, I took a stroll around the old grounds, which included the auxiliary hall (which used to be the original church hall until the renovations, the adjoining caretakers house, and the separated out buildings for the church offices, shed and garage. I hoped to maybe find a tree worth climbing (these were after all tall oak trees). But as I wondered, strolling over the loose gravel and dead leaves, my eye caught something just around the next corner, something red. Parked in the church’s car port stood two old cars; one a beat up, but probably still running, old beige VW van – the types fancied by the flower power generation (it even matched the color of the wall behind it), and then there was this other thing. It was small. The tyres were all flat and it was half covered by an old tarp that had seen better days. I pulled back the cover and took a look inside. The soft top roof was missing, affording me an unobstructed view of the tan colored interior. I glanced around over my shoulder to make sure the coast was clear, and then I turned the ‘T’ shaped door handle and pulled. Surprisingly the door hinges didn’t creak. I hesitated before climbing inside, just staring at the dirty leather seat. After dusting off a twig and some dead leaves as well as, well, dust, I slowly lowered myself into the driver’s seat. It was comfortable without being comfortable. I placed my hands on the wooden steering wheel and took a breath, instinctively looking at the ignition. I then started a half-hearted search for a key, any key, but found only more wind swept dead leaves under the seats. And so I sat there, soaking in the moment, allowing my imagination to run, and indulging in a quick fanciful daydream. Before long I was out the car again, inspecting her, running my hands over the smooth but dusty lines. I found myself at the rear and pulled back the tarp all the way. I opened the boot lid and located the missing roof. The tan colored roof – matching the interior - was jumbled up, probably broken, so I left it there, after a brief debate with myself about the difficulties of wrestling with a retractable roof without assistance or any prior practical knowledge of the mechanism. After closing the boot, careful not to attract attention, I stared at the name in raised letters just over where the license plate was meant to be. Two of the silver letters were broken, the first and the last, but I could still make out the name… “T-R-I-U-M-P-H”. I’d never heard of this name before, and for a ten year old boy, this little titbit of a revelation, was like a secret that no else was privy to. It was just me and her, in all her redness. But, there was one secret I still wanted to discover, but for this secret, I need to take you back a few years. When I was about seven, my father bestowed upon me a very serious duty. Every morning before school, my job was to warm up the car. I’d unlock and roll up the garage door, pop the bonnet and check the oil and water levels, and start the ignition, holding the accelerator down and keeping the engine humming at 2000 rpm for about 30 seconds. This, as the rising sun stared at me in the rear-view mirror through the gaping garage door. This little procedure would be a sort of calling card for the family, the sign that it was time to get going in the mornings. I may have taken it for granted after a while, but when cruel fate took the car from us; the whole family missed the power and purr of the 2.8 litre straight 6 cylinder engine (The flagship Cressida: my Dad’s dream car since the early 80’s). And so, a part of me instinctively wanted to hear what this little Triumph had to say… but since I was minus a key, all I could do was perhaps take a look at her heart. I walked over to the front and loosened the right side latch. It must be said that the Triumph is a sports car, so the bonnet/hood doesn’t open like normal cars. The simple design meant the whole front end was connected – engine cover and wheel arches – and it opened forward, so the hinges were ahead of the front wheels and not below the windscreen wipers (which were also missing). Before I lifted the bonnet though, I hesitated, for two reasons. 1: was that I was looking around, minding the time, hoping to not get caught whilst thinking of the story I’d conjure to try and explain why I was snooping around someone else’s car. And 2: (most importantly) I was afraid of what I’d find, or not find. I stood motionless, just considering things... Before I could answer some of my questions, I put the latches down and pulled the tarp back over half the car, stealing one last glance at her red loveliness before saying a brief goodbye. In hindsight, considering the relatively decent condition of the bodywork, the engine was probably still there… but I didn’t want to face the possible alternative – that she’d been abandoned and gutted by some heartless man. But like I said, the engine was probably fine, though not running, since Triumph’s are/were not renowned for their stellar reliability. So I left it, with my daydreams untarnished, my encounter still filled with beauty, and mystery. Truth is, as I found out years later, the Triumph is nowhere near a motoring sensation, a mark of automotive genius or even splendid driving experience… the truth is, that it’s kind of the opposite to all that. A paltry 1.3 litre engine producing enough power to muster speeds in excess of 130 kph/81 mph, just about. In fact the advertising posters, back in 1979 when the car was released, highlighted the power unit as, “lively”… its trademark being its namesake, the ‘Spitfire’ exhaust. The thing of it is though, is that none of that really matters. The car made an impression. She’s not the fastest, the prettiest or, to put it bluntly, the best, far from it… but what she is (as most 70’s sports cars go), is beautiful. It took this experience for me to understand the red convertible fascination on a primal level. The fact that this Triumph MK III was red, was of course just fortuitous, but so it was. I may not be a fan of most red convertibles, but I am, forever now, a fan of this car; which by many standards is an average vehicle, but I had a personal encounter, and this car just happened to be red, and it happened to be a convertible. Either way though, I do now, in my own way, understand why the phenomenon can be so captivating, and its growing in me still. It’s more dream than reality, the idea of it… but also its in the little things, quite simply because, it’s not a normal car; it wasn’t built to be mere transportation, it was built with passion and an artful eye, to symbolize fun, vibrancy and freedom. Perhaps revered more for what they aspired to be as appose to what they actually delivered. How’s that for a sales pitch? The weird part though, is that the very first automobiles just after, and all based upon, the horse drawn carriage, were of course… open-top vehicles. - So, the abandoned or neglected car; its even inspired a cable TV show. This car though, the one that found me just as much as I found her, will forever be a treasure, a lonely discovery, made all the more sweeter, because it felt slightly illegal… a mysterious and beautiful red affair. Here’s a look at the convertible through the ages (which may well convert you into a fan, if you weren't one before)… the red convertible, as old as the automobile itself. - Ending off with a couple of the icons, though they're all icons in their own right. [Image Credits: classiccars.com, diecast.com, ayay.co.uk, vintagerides.files.wordpress.com, L29Cord.com, bp.blogspot.com, ReginaAntiqueAuto.ca, mustangattitude.com, motortrend.com, classicandperformancecar.com, remarkablevehicles.com] |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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