Paladin

Have Gun...Will Travel ran from the 1957 - 63. I stumbled upon a rerun marathon of HGWT the other night. Watching evoked childhood memories from the recesses of my hippocampus. Twas this TV Western that led me to chansons de geste, the Arthurian legend and my sense of chivalry and honor.

As a child I watched it often with my father. It all started with a horse head on the gun belt. My Dad informed me that the horse is called a knight in chess, and the gunfighter's name, Paladin*, was another name for a knight.
* Paladin was his nom de guerre, his actual name is never mentioned.

Dad spoke with a twinkle in his eye because he realized where it would lead. The concept of an Old West shootist roaming the range as an knight errant intrigued me.

The ensuing trip to the library uncovered a world of faith, loyalty, courage and honor. The cynical reality that most knights were brutal, thug-like mercenaries who terrorized Europe had yet to intrude on my young innocence.

The word, paladin was originally used to describe the peers who composed Charlemagne's court. Their exploits became the first chansons de geste. The Song of Roland became the most popular, but my favorite was the Song of William. This epic poem describes Guillaume's heroic feats against the Saracens and his adventures with a giant - a kid's daydream factory.

These led me to the tales of King Arthur. He, or the composite of Romano-Briton warrior/kings now known as Arthur, predated Charlemagne by about a century. However, his legend and the tales of the Round Table were composed much later. They share the same theme of chivalry and heroic deeds with the earlier tales.

I took this code to heart, and though the years have eroded my innocence, I still try to live by it. The recent viewing of HGWT shed light on other aspects of Paladin's disposition that affected me. Despite his rough and tumble, gunfighter demeanor, he enjoyed opera, literature and fine dining. Throughout the shows, he quotes Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Shakespeare and others.

I have always relished in portraying a nefarious appearance while appreciating finer things in life. Like that time I went to a performance of my favorite operetta, The Mikado, in a sleeveless t-shirt to show off my tattoos. As ever BB

"I think perhaps Homer described it better. A creature with the form of a goddess, the walk of a queen and the heart of a tyrant." - Paladin