Monday, December 14, 2009

I'll pass on the Green Fairy





While I was enjoying a glass of some great French wine, I happened to come across a poster for a different beverage that I have since learned has quite a history to it.
I have to admit that my only knowledge of it was quite limited. The only info I had of it came from a number of years back.
My oldest son, and a friend of his were here cooking for a crowd of people who were going to invade my house. They were sipping on a strange bottle of alcohol, and cracking jokes while they were chopping, dicing and sauteing.
When I questioned them, they only laughed, and mumbled something about "wormwood", "banned" and "it makes people insane". Let me just add that they were legal and over the age of 21, lest you think I was some sort of irresponsible adult.
So being the responsible adult that I was I just buried what they said quickly in my subconscious. I mean I had a houseful of guests coming for dinner. I really couldn't deal with the fact that the cooks were drinking some strange green liquid that might render them psychotic.
The night finished out without any need to call in the medics and I forgot about the mysterious bottle of potion...whatever it was.

Then I came across a few antique posters that all had something in common...absinthe.
Quite the history which would require lots of typing here so rather, should you want to learn more, one of the foremost expert websites out there on the subject is here. Drink up on knowledge of this legendary drink often nicknamed "The Green Fairy".
So this is what those two were up to that day in my kitchen. Think I will stick to my French wine.

But I will share one of the more famous posters from the Victorian era that has a cat lapping up a glass of absinthe.






Having had cats that indulged in catnip, I cannot even begin to figure out what a cat that indulged in absinthe w0uld be like. Cat nipped cats zoom and fly through the house and stare at things that aren't there. So a hopped up Green Fairy cat would probably see flying Tinkerbells all over the place.


Makes me think of a pair of earrings I made with a cat that has the largest glowing eyes. Its a Victorian image I used so could absinthe be whats behind those eyes and that wry little smile?



2 comments:

Gwen Buchanan said...

telling tale of Absinthe... I never knew much about this till recently too... seems to be spreading... I like your post...

Theresa MacNaughton said...

Absinthe - the Green Fairy! I have also read that many a famous Victorian fairy painter would indulge in absinthe prior to beginning a painting so that they would be able to "envision" their work in progress...aka hallucinate. What some will do for art!!! :) But I must say that I do LOVE the fantastical fairy paintings that came from that era. :) Theresa

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