"The harbinger child"

by Eftychia Loizide
Jul 1, 2015
2 min read

The first and foremost alphabetic writing in Greece, is that of writing the main letters' names. Considering household objects and luxury goods, we find the scribe taking on the role of a nomencator; the one who gives names. Moreover, the writer declares landlords, craftsmen, dedicators, and beneficiaries. These objects narrate the story, presenting it from the first person perspective. So does my heroine, who is given a soul, and got enriched with the gift of speech, and magical mist. In the same way, the Greeks used to express themselves when they began writing on objects of remembrance and headstones. A typical phenomenon of primitive civilizations, and which I chose to breathe life into, letting it free to speak in the singular form of the first person, denoting the atmosphere of the era. A disposition of an egocentric character, since glory was then considered of fundamental value. The silent reader of ''The Harbinger Child'' will hear the letters speak, even sing. From there and on, the written pages morph into a theatrical scene. In this all in all weird, foreign, yet mostly alive theatrical play, the leading characters we find are heroes rooted in the world of images, as well as a harbinger child which reminds of its divine destination. We are looking at heroes, and not just anybody who happened to randomly fall victim to the wrath of the Gods. We are talking about people who transformed themselves from being blind to being symbols of wisdom. On one hand, the general belief in their intelligence, and on the other one the eternal desire for freedom, both come in contradiction with superhuman powers. ''What is the result of this conflict?'', you may ask: to be punished eternally in order to never reach the highest of truths. The Olympians do not seem threatened by the acquisition of ultimate knowledge out of mere fear of being second best in their wisdom. Instead, they know well that spiritual maturity is necessary for handling such responsibility properly. For Alex, a true advocate of the unwritten laws. He passed away at 33 years old, and through the life journey which resurrected him.