Chapter 6 - Colum's Hall

The scenes in this chapter just drip with richness and character. The lavish setting of Colum's hall and banquet; the brutal "justice" that is meted out in this chamber; the meticulous description of 18th-century medicine; the castle gardens and stables; all of these relate distinct and varied aspects of 18th-century life. It's this richness and variety that, for me, makes the story come to life.

After the dinner in the banquet hall, Claire heads off to bed. To avoid the feeling of "entombment" within the stone walls, she pulls back the embroidered hanging from the window to let in the cool breeze.

"I slid under the quilts, blew out the candle, and fell asleep watching the slow rise of the moon."

That is vivid. In our home, we don't have the ability to see the moon from our bedroom window (too many trees), yet whenever we can see the moon in its phases, it is comforting to me. There's a regularity to its continuing cycle, it's never-ending multi-faceted shadowing as it circles our globe, pulling the tides and then relaxing it's grip again.

Many cultures look to a lunar-based calendar from time immemorial. I feel it's a shame that in our Western culture we look only to the sun as the basis of our annual timekeeping. Yes, it does make scientific sense since the sun is the most notable check-point of our ever-circling and spinning motions through space. While the ancients worshiped the sun as a god, it is interesting to me how in our day and age the moon is more of the religious icon, an emotional and spiritual partner, if you will, to the overpowering scientific constancy of the sun that adds the drama and depth to this continual celestial cycle.

Once Claire witnesses and begins to understand the meaning of Hall, "...it quickly became apparent that this was the regular occasion on which the laird of Castle Leoch dispensed justice...hearing cases and settling disputes." I enjoyed very much her description of the Gaelic proceedings:

"I had already noticed that the language involved considerable eye-rolling and foot-stamping for emphasis, making it difficult to judge the seriousness of a case by the demeanor of the participants."

And I thought that only happened at my management meetings at work. :) I actually chuckled at this description, as it is with me, being of Italian heritage, I tend to speak a lot with my hands. My wife has only narrowly escaped injury on occasion at dinner if she happens to sit on my knife-holding side!

The description of Mistress FitzGibbons "doctoring" Jamie after he received punishment for the girl Laoghaire was fascinating. I was reminded of the scene from the boxing movie "Rocky" (the original) when Stallone tells Mickey to cut him (on his eyebrow) after his eye swells shut. I suppose leeches would have served the same purpose to literally "bleed off" the pressure to keep the swelling down.

I also enjoyed the description of the castle's herb garden, and that Claire was put to work by Mrs. Fitz as she instructs Claire (and us) in the purpose of various plantings:

"Garlic keeps the wee bugs awa' from the other plants. Onions and yarrow will do the same. And pinch the dead marigold heads, but keep them, they're useful."

I am not much of a gardener, and am usually a very excellent plant executioner. But this scene reminded me of a large home garden we had when I was a wee lad m'self, and how we had marigolds planted around the perimeter, supposedly to help keep the rabbits away. The rabbits still found our carrots and cabbage, though, but it was fun to have those auld memories dusted off once more as I read that passage.

Just this week I had planted a small garden box for my daughter's seedlings she had started in school, but it was mercilessly pounded by storms that rolled through our area yesterday. I think it will be okay, but those little seedlings definitely got a rude awakening after being moved to their new outside home.

Our wee garden with its solitary cucumber and flattened pepper plants didna fare so weel
after the fair poundin' it sustained through the recent torrents o' rain and hail.

Questions from the storyline (again, these are rhetorical just to let you know what I'm thinking, not looking for spoilers):

• Who was this Laoghaire whom Jamie defended so nobly, and is there really more to that story? He says, "I ken who she is, but I havena spoken to her", but he really took a beating...
• What of the suspicions that Colum has regarding Jamie, since he is obviously of a different clan? Are those justified, and what is the history between the clans to cause that suspicion?