Session 21 March 2008

[thorbiorn]

A: A man draws his energy for battle from his "lady fair." When he has this energy, he is supposed to utilize it not only for battle, but also for "building the castle”. When there is any break in the chain, he not only loses his "battle energy" but also his castle. Why do you think the legends of the "grail" speak of these things? And also fairy stories? A true warrior cannot be strong against the enemy without the lady. The lady cannot provide the energy without the castle and the "bower" of love.

Q: (Mr. Scott) What's a bower? (L) I don't know. A bower is... (Ark) German? The builder, yes? (L) Well, what I always heard of as a bower was a place in a garden where you had like a structure that flowers grew on and you had like little chairs and tables and you'd sit there and it was nice and pretty and pleasant. (Perceval points to tapestry behind on wall) (L) Well yeah that's like a bower. Is that the right idea for a bower on the picture behind me?

A: Yes. And the warrior on his knees aiming to please is also a part of the dynamic. After all, it is honorable to bow before the author of the force for good. You don't need the ruffles though. (laughter) Study fairy tales to discover.

Footnote: bower: arbor: a framework that supports climbing plants; "the arbor provided a shady resting place in the park" - embower: enclose in a bower

From "it is honorable to bow before the author of the force for good." it might follow that a "bower" could have the meaning of someone who bows down.

I had some difficulty reconciling fairy tales with knights. A possible solution is in The Faerie Queene. The Wiki has:

The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. Books I–III were first published in 1590, and then republished in 1596 together with books IV–VI. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it is one of the longest poems in the English language as well as the work in which Spenser invented the verse form known as the Spenserian stanza.[1] On a literal level, the poem follows several knights as a means to examine different virtues, and though the text is primarily an allegorical work, it can be read on several levels of allegory, including as praise (or, later, criticism) of Queen Elizabeth I. In Spenser's "Letter of the Authors", he states that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in Allegorical devices", and the aim of publishing The Faerie Queene was to "fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline".[2]

This book has with a very light stretch "faerie" tales and also involves knights. From Stories from the Fairie Queene Index there is:

Introduction​

Contents​

Illustrations​

The Red Cross Knight​

The Court of the Queen​

The Wood of Error​

The Knight deceived by the Magician​

The Knight forsakes Una​

Holiness fights Faithless, and makes Friends with False Religion​

Una and the Lion​

In the Hands of the Enemy​

The House of Pride​

The Battle for the Shield​

Una and the Woodland Knight​

The False Pilgrim​

Giant Pride​

Prince Arthur​

The Wondrous Bugle and the Mighty Shield​

The Knight with the Hempen Rope​

In the Cave of Despair​

How the Red Cross Knight came to the House of Holiness​

The City of the Great King​

The Last Fight​

''Ease after War''​

''The Good Sir Guyon''​

Sir Guyon meets the Magician​

Friend or Foe?​

The Story of the Knight and the Lady​

The Three Sisters​

Braggadochio​

Fury's Captive​

The Anger of Fire​

The Idle Lake​

The Realm of Pluto​

The Cave of Mammon​

The Champion of Chivalry​

The House of Temperance​

The Rock of Reproach and the Wandering Islands​

Sea-Monsters and Land-Monsters​

The Bower of Bliss​

The Legend of Britomart​

How Sir Guyon met a Champion mightier than himself​

How Britomart fought with Six Knights​

How it fared with Britomart in Castle Joyous​

How Britomart looked into the Magic Mirror​

How Britomart went to the Cave of the Magician Merlin​

How Britomart set forth on her Quest​

How Britomart came to the Castle of the Churl Malbecco​

How Britomart walked through Fire​

What Britomart saw in the Enchanted Chamber​

How Britomart rescued a Fair Lady from a Wicked Enchanter​

What Strange Meetings befell on the Way​

How Sir Satyrane proclaimed a Great Tournament​

What befell on the First and Second Days of the Tournament​

How Britomart did Battle for the Golden Girdle​

How the Golden Girdle was awarded to the False Florimell​

How Sir Scudamour came to the House of Care​

How the ''Savage Knight'' met the ''Knight with the Ebony Spear''​

How Britomart ended her Quest​

The Squire of Low Degree​

The Giant with Flaming Eyes​

''For his Friend's Sake''​

The Giant's Daughter​

The Adventures of Sir Artegall​

The Sword of Justice and the Iron Man​

The Adventure of the Saracen's Bridge​

The Giant with the Scales​

Borrowed Plumes, and the Fate of the Snowy Lady​

How the Good Horse Brigadore knew his own Master​

The Adventure of the Two Brothers and the Coffer​

Radigund, Queen of the Amazons​

How Sir Artegall threw away his Sword​

The House of Guile​

The Battle of Queen Radigund and Britomart​

The Adventure of the Damsel, the Two Knights, and the Sultan's Horses​

The Adventure at the Den of Deceit​

The Adventure of the Tyrant Grantorto​

Sir Calidore, Knight of Courtesy​

The Quest of the Blatant Beast​

The Proud Discourteous Knight​

Coridon and Pastorella​

In the Brigands' Den​

The Beast with a Thousand Tongues​

The above is one English version, but there are others too:
From Archieve.org Stories from the Faerie queene by Macleod, Mary, d. 1914. [from old catalog]; Spenser, Edmund, 1552?-1599; Walker, Arthur George, 1861-1939

Or Spenser for Children by M. H. Towry, Edmund Spenser Publication date 1885.
Or Gutenberg.org, see Search result
Or Amazon book and kindle options
And there is also the prolific reteller of stories for children, Olive Beaupre Miller, who has retold Una and the Red Cross Knight in her collection From the Tower Window of my Bookhouse p. 12-48 see archive link.