Morgan's Thumpstick

[Paul S.]

The instrument described in Chapter 60, aka "Morgan's Thumpstick" can be seen in some detail here:

https://www.ttbrown.com/images/thumpstick

If you think you've got some ideas re: the origins of this walking stick or the meaning of its carvings, please discuss that here.

--PS

[grinder]

Its beautiful, obviously.

I have a question. Are you sure you didn't photo the same cylinder twice? Clylinder 6 the image on the right and Cylinder 7 the image on the left seem to be identical. Even to the markings in the ivory. And of course, the easiest explanation of that is that maybe you made a mistake and photoed twice. If not, then it means that two of those cylinders are identical , at least the figure, but that seems impossible too because the other side of the cylinder in each case seems differeent. So please tell me that you made a mistake because otherwise its boiling up to be a real puzzle. Strange character with the third eye so very prominent. Any body else have a clue.? Thats just the first thing that I noticed.

So is that a Buddist figure? Or Indian? Or what? And what about the palm leaves and trees? Is that normal for Tibetan stuff? Its a handsome piece for sure and obviously carefully crafted. I'll bet its heavy too. grinder

[Paul S.]

Clylinder 6 the image on the right and Cylinder 7 the image on the left seem to be identical.

Thanks for catching that. I just dropped the wrong file into that field in the table. The correct "7-L is obviously very interesting. What do you suppose he's reading?

--PS

[Radomir]

Paul, can you please give us one more view of level 7 that centers the figure in the frame, when you have time?

Thanks for putting all this together, regardless.

My initial, untrained impression is that this is not Tibetan, but something from China or SouthEast Asia (Vietnamese or Thai?). I'm going purely on gut instinct regarding the style of the figure rendering. I've sent it to my dad to see what he thinks, and possibly to consult with others in his field if he can. Will report back anything I hear from him.

I don't think it was mentioned elsewhere, but there is an entire cane-fighting style which is something at which I would assume Morgan would be quite adept. A very innocuous looking object which you could carry anywhere, but which could be deployed immediately as a very effective weapon or grappling tool at any moment. Sort of like a rolled-up magazine...

R.

[kevin.b]

As an antique dealer, I can get you a really ,really good price for that.

Nine worlds in Norse mythology,
Nine houses of gaia,
Nine lions guarding apollo,
Nine gods of Egypt , the Ennead,
Nine headed lemean hydra,
Nine sisters and the axis mundi9 Iceland )
Nine worlds of seid magic,
Nine muses created by Zeus and Mnemosyne who lived together for?
Nine days.

And I spy ,with my little eye, nine lines, and I know their measure , devine it is.
Kevin

[grinder]

Radomir,

you mentioned a type of "stick fighting" and I remembered something that I had just read in " Fistful of Kings" ... its page 118 if anybody else has a copy out there.

They are apparently in Belize and have had an incident with a little golf cart, which dumped them both out in the sand rather unceremoniously. He writes about how they had a good belly laugh about that, figured the cart was disabled and then I guess Brotherton was going one way and " The Reverend " was going in another. They had plans the next day to meet the Prime Minister of the Island ( and suddenly why am I thinking of Jimmy Buffett and " Don't Stop the Carnival. Anyway)

" Good Night Sir" I said as he walked away, carrying the cane. I noticed that his walk was more lively than it had been when I had seen him at the airport this morning. As he stepped out into the night he shifted his cane from his right hand to his left hand and whipped it around in a striking motion. Then he turned, looked back at me, and smiled. Filipino stick fighting. Arnis , I thought. Should've known."

Damn. I wish I had been there.
Radomir, would that be about right? I know nothing of such things. grinder

[Elizabeth Helen Drake]

In various conversations with Mr. Twigsnapper he has used he expression that a certain person was a "canemaster" but at the time he was not talking about Morgan but men surrounding Sir William Stephenson during World War II, so I really didn't make the connection.

All they carried were canes, but they were deadly with them." No need to arm yourself" he said, "with a proper cane available, and it gives you the edge because your opponent already has you pegged as slightly disabled." And I totally agree with that thought, coming from a man who can deck a strapping Morgan with a simple magazine.

Don't those those Arnis fighters ..... use two sticks? Maybe Brotherton is showing off in the wrong direction? Elizabeth

[Radomir]

As far as I know, yes that is correct, EHD, that Arnis is a single or more often double short-stick fighting method. Incredibly quick, brutal and effective, I might add. The cane style makes use of the cane's "hook" in grappling, which is one aspect that is unavailable in the two-stick Arnis style. The hook also adds mass for striking, which with the lengthier stick makes for quite a thump when it connects. Morgan probably was at least aware of and might have studied both styles, multiple styles by that point in his life had incorporated bits & pieces from many fighting arts into his own personal repertoire.

I very much like what Mr. Twigsnapper said about already having the advantage because with the cane, someone considers you disabled. I assume that would only work with those not "in the know" about that particular strategy. To those "in the know" it might actually be a signal to "watch out for that one!"

Most hand-to-hand fighting arts like Tae Kwon Do, Arnis, etc. came about when a native people was conquered and relieved of their weaponry, and they had to figure out fighting styles that utilized whatever they had left--sticks, simple farm implements, etc.

R.

[Radomir]

Thanks Kevin B. for the reading into the symbology of the cane's divisions.

I'm sure each panel's image also has some narrative significance, and perhaps tells a story from top to bottom. We'll see if we run across anyone well-versed enough in such iconography to enlighten us on that score.

I will say, if I didn't above, it does strike me as a Buddhist figure on L-4 and L-5.

R.

[flowperson]

Hmmm...looking at the overall symbolism of the object I would call it a symbol of power, such as a royal sceptre. They were widely used by the rulers of ancient societies and were used in conjuction with the wielders' personalities and powers to mete out justice and to keep the rabble in line.

Just about every ancient society that one looks at has such objects prominently displayed in the remaining and extant iconography of the ruling classes, such as cylinder seals. I would also suggest that the object is purposely crafted in the symbolic attitude of the predator birds. eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, etc.

These predators in nature strike from the sky without warning, and thump the unexpecting miscreants of the populous in order to create/maintain order, and to likely provide a meal. A very effecive way to train people who may know nature well, but maybe not know so well the reasons for abstract legal concepts and their applications.

It has been widely speculated here about Morgan... and what he really did behind the veil and why was he emerging to interact with the present at just this particular time ?

Hmmmm....Cane ? Abel ? The war between the brother/sons of Adam ?
Hmmmmm.

Great info on the micro aspects Kevin me lad. Perhaps they are suggestive of the means that the powers employ in order to perform such magical and mythical feats . Macro/micro...as above...so below.

Lots of very rich mythological symbolism here....Thanks for letting us see this Paul !

flow....

[kevin.b]

As another angle, and as an antique dealer, I would say bone.
Did Morgan attend Yale?
Kevin

[Elizabeth Helen Drake]

Just following the thought about whether Morgan used his " Thumpstick" or if it was largely ceremonial? So I thought I would ask if the horn part of it ( the handle) looks worn where it might have come into contact with ..... whatever? Elizabeth

[kevin.b]

Some of the most sought after sticks have a sword interior, in the UK they have to be antique, over one hundred years old before they can be sold.

To test if it has a sword inside it, they often clank a bit if you tap them, a handy device for the travelling gentleman.
http://www.swordcane.com/
Kevin

[Elizabeth Helen Drake]

Kevin,

I wondered if it might be bone because of the striations (sp?) to each section, and the interesting little irregularities. But what type of bone perhaps? Your studied opinion?

I find it sort of odd that some of the figures in the various panels are worn and some which are not, but the whole thing has a wonderful glow about it. Is that a finish? or just the patina of age? Thanks for your input!

Radomir thought perhaps Vietnamese and I thought ,perhaps, Cambodia? In one of the panels there is bamboo quite plain .... so wherever that would be appropriate? Elizabeth

[Radomir]

Kevin,

I wondered if it might be bone because of the striations (sp?) to each section, and the interesting little irregularities. But what type of bone perhaps? Your studied opinion?

I find it sort of odd that some of the figures in the various panels are worn and some which are not, but the whole thing has a wonderful glow about it. Is that a finish? or just the patina of age? Thanks for your input!

Radomir thought perhaps Vietnamese and I thought ,perhaps, Cambodia? In one of the panels there is bamboo quite plain .... so wherever that would be appropriate? Elizabeth

Yes, good eyes identifying the bamboo. Yes, could be Cambodia, they are a predominantly Buddhist country. Could also be Burma or any of the countries in that region which are historically Buddhist in culture.

I'm just not sure that horn-handle is original. Horn might tend to degrade faster than ivory, I just have a sense it was originally straight with an ivory top. If you have the horn-handle covering over metal or epoxy resin for strength, then I can see that join being able to take impacts and weight stresses. We can't take it apart so these are all guesses...

As to the apparent wear patterns, I can see that something at the L-2 position would wear if that's the natural place you would carry it in-hand when not leaning on it as a cane. Could also see wear at L-8 and L-9 if swinging it about in practice and combat, or just wear from rubbing against the environment when in use as a cane (pant-legs, couches, etc). What is curious is apparent wear at L-5--perhaps that's from use in grappling or perhaps from carrying at the visual center (as opposed to the COG).

Kevin & EHD the only thing that makes me think it has to be ivory, or even petrified bone, is what Paul said about the weight of it. This is again just my uninformed opinion, but my impression is that bone would be less dense, and possibly even more grainy than what we see here, and might not take to carving as well as this material seems to. Ivory would be less brittle and more durable than bone, I'm thinking? And it does have a wonderful patina, and glow, as you note.

On the other hand, it might fit Morgan's sense of humor -- and Buddhist sense of impermanence-- if they were all petrified leg-bones or something. Tibetans did carve for instance finger-bones into little skull-beads for remembering the impermanence of life.

Fun to contemplate all this, regardless.

R.