Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

Man! I must be getting old! Normally, by this part of the Christmas/New Year cycle I’ve already published Posts that address critical topics, among which are:

• Merry Christmas/Happy New Year in as many languages as google or bing will claim to be able to translate
• a High Points of the Year Past  (“…how can we forget the time that Dyanne, without a single…”) memories faux and pre-faux alike
• projected ideas into the coming year (“in talks with Animal Planet about a ‘re-thought, pre-scripted series’ working title: ‘but…but!!! it’s true, I can see right through….’)
• Resolutions for the coming Year  (“..and I promise myself to not close my eyes the next time”…..)

So imagine my surprise this morning, when after winning the second round of Metaphysical Solitaire (game motto: ‘no, it’s like meditation…except you get to keep score!’), I realized that I did not write the annual Christmas Fable Spin Post! damn!  well, I’m kinda out of time, have to go to work. And, for the record, I do not wear Christmas-present clothes on the first day back to work… but none of you are surprised by that little revelation, are you? For some reason, I thought ‘3 Wise Men’ and you know what came next…which one is the scott and which is the roger?  So, really quick:

Caspar is old, normally with a white beard, and gives the gold; he is “King of Tarsus, land of merchants” on the Mediterranean coast of modern Turkey, and is first in line to kneel to Christ. Melchior is middle-aged, giving frankincense from his native Arabia, and Balthazar is a young man, very often and increasingly black-skinned, with myrrh from Saba (modern south Yemen).

What subsequently happened to these gifts is never mentioned in the scripture, but several traditions have developed. One story has the gold being stolen by the two thieves who were later crucified alongside Jesus*. Another tale has it being entrusted to and then misappropriated by Judas. One tradition suggests that Joseph and Mary used the gold to finance their travels when they fled Bethlehem after the magi had warned them about King Herod’s plan to kill Jesus. And another story proposes the theory that the myrrh given to them at Jesus’ birth was used to anoint Jesus’ body after his crucifixion.

 

There are several traditions on where the remains of the Magi are located, although none of the traditions is considered as an established fact or even as particularly likely by secular history.

The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral, Germany.

Marco Polo claimed that he was shown the three tombs of the Magi at Saveh south of Tehran in the 1270s:

In Persia is the city of Saba, from which the Three Magi set out and in this city they are buried, in three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side. And above them there is a square building, beautifully kept. The bodies are still entire, with hair and beard remaining.

—Marco Polo, Polo, Marco, The Book of the Million, book i.**

A Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral, according to tradition, contains the bones of the Three Wise Men. Reputedly they were first discovered by Saint Helena on her famous pilgrimage to Palestineand the Holy Lands. She took the remains to the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; they were later moved to Milan (some sources say by the city’s bishop, Eustorgius I), before being sent to their current resting place by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I in AD 1164. The Milanese celebrate their part in the tradition by holding a medieval costume parade every 6 January.

 Seeing how the hallmark of 2014 was the recognition on my part (albeit, somewhat late and a touch halting) of the level of comprehension shared by the Readers of this here Doctrine here, I can forgo a lengthy exegesis of our Christmas Tale and simply wish all a safe and good Holiday Season.

* am I the only one who immediately thought…. ‘Pulp Fiction’ (and) ‘Reservoir Dogs’?  lol… ok, maybe I’m am but, but this scene!

** polo!!  come on now! who out there didn’t immediately hear echoes of the childhood swimming pool game?