TIBET
One seems to be a feared of putting pen to paper as far as Tibet goes, It seems that which ever way I read facts and legends, mythology and stories I could effectively upset someone along the way. I know that many years ago I wrote out a story from a book about a Chinese Princess going to Tibet to marry a Tibetan Prince. She was carried all the way to Tibet, high into the mountains in her special chair, with an entourage of servants and all her belongings. The journey was arduous and difficult but it was thought that a marriage between the two countries would be helpful to both sides in the keeping of peace.
The Princess had always been told that the Tibetan people were monsters, with huge ugly bodies and even uglier faces which were blue. She was very frightened and yet I thought to myself, "How could a father give up his beautiful daughter to be taken to a strange land and therefore marry someone with nothing but hate and fear." The more I thought about it the more I thought, until I came to the decision that he wouldn't sink so low as to sacrifice beauty unless there was true hope, and therefore this Prince mustn't be as evil as he was painted. This of course did nothing to help the young princess and within a few miles of the city, the small entourage was bought to a halt by a hoard of brigands, who appeared out of no where.
But the princess was lucky for to her rescue arrived a gallant man, dressed in colourful robes and black hair, who chased the brigands away.He offered to accompany the young girl on the last leg of her journey and was very taken by her beauty. Is was not long until the princess told the young man, where she was going and why and of course her fear of meeting the blue faced prince. The Prince was very kind and said he would stay with her till they we
TIBET
One seems to be a feared of putting pen to paper as far as Tibet goes, It seems that which ever way I read facts and legends, mythology and stories I could effectively upset someone along the way. I know that many years ago I wrote out a story from a book about a Chinese Princess going to Tibet to marry a Tibetan Prince. She was carried all the way to Tibet, high into the mountains in her special chair, with an entourage of servants and all her belongings. The journey was arduous and difficult but it was thought that a marriage between the two countries would be helpful to both sides in the keeping of peace.
The Princess had always been told that the Tibetan people were monsters, with huge ugly bodies and even uglier faces which were blue. She was very frightened and yet I thought to myself, "How could a father give up his beautiful daughter to be taken to a strange land and therefore marry someone with nothing but hate and fear." The more I thought about it the more I thought, until I came to the decision that he wouldn't sink so low as to sacrifice beauty unless there was true hope, and therefore this Prince mustn't be as evil as he was painted. This of course did nothing to help the young princess and within a few miles of the city, the small entourage was bought to a halt by a hoard of brigands, who appeared out of no where.
But the princess was lucky for to her rescue arrived a gallant man, dressed in colourful robes and black hair, who chased the brigands away.He offered to accompany the young girl on the last leg of her journey and was very taken by her beauty. Is was not long until the princess told the young man, where she was going and why and of course her fear of meeting the blue faced prince. The Prince was very kind and said he would stay with her till they were within the castle. It was soon and it was in fairy story fashion that the young princess immediately fell in love with the stranger and him with her. So weren't we all relieved when it turned out that the Prince was of course the Tibetan Prince and he didn't have a blue face at all. And likewise, the Tibetan prince was very relieved that the Chinese Princess was extremely beautiful and that he could think of no one more than her , he would love to marry and share his life with.
The story I read all those years ago , well it might have been a myth.... or it might also have been true. The fact is that I wasn't part of the entourage, and I didn't pretend to be a brigand hundreds of years ago. Not even one hundred years ago or even yesterday. So I can not judge either the Chinese Emperor or the Tibetan King, for they only knew first had what actually happened. We can only read what others have put down on paper or stone all those years ago.
I can sit here for another twenty minutes and write out the same story but instead of a happy ending, I can decide to have the princess killed and the Prince captured and killed in retaliation. That too would be commended to the same paper! but I wonder which version the story tellers would relate?
re within the castle. It was soon and it was in fairy story fashion that the young princess immediately fell in love with the stranger and him with her. So weren't we all relieved when it turned out that the Prince was of course the Tibetan Prince and he didn't have a blue face at all. And likewise, the Tibetan prince was very relieved that the Chinese Princess was extremely beautiful and that he could think of no one more than her , he would love to marry and share his life with.
The story I read all those years ago , well it might have been a myth.... or it might also have been true. The fact is that I wasn't part of the entourage, and I didn't pretend to be a brigand hundreds of years ago. Not even one hundred years ago or even yesterday. So I can not judge either the Chinese Emperor or the Tibetan King, for they only knew first had what actually happened. We can only read what others have put down on paper or stone all those years ago.
I can sit here for another twenty minutes and write out the same story but instead of a happy ending, I can decide to have the princess killed and the Prince captured and killed in retaliation. That too would be commended to the same paper! but I wonder which version the story tellers would relate?
No comments:
Post a Comment