Wednesday Vignette – on the edge

I once read a book about the history of prison architecture, on how the concept of supervision from above, over time, was developed in the layout of jails. On our way to see my father, we stopped at an old ruin by Lake Vättern. I wandered around the ruin, and gasped when I saw the steep drop of the rock edge beyond it. With wide views in all directions over the lake and the neat, tidy fields surrounding large farms far below, it truly was magnificent.

From its perch on the rock, its 17th century creator Per Brahe the younger, could easily survey the expanses around it, and keep a close eye on friend or foe alike. The exhilarating drop in elevation brought to mind another ancient concept – Ättestupan. This word relays the way elders, who felt their end was near, would throw themselves over the edge of a cliff, in order to die an honorable death, and spare their relatives from the slow process of a conventional passing. Since it’s election time in the US, I can’t help but think they were the old world’s version of modern Americans, who can’t bear the thought of leaving their families with staggering health care bills, and instead opt for what they consider a more merciful suicide.

On that note.. really NH – Donald Trump??? WTF…