“Living with animals, inhabiting their/our stories, trying to tell the truth about relationship… that is the work of companion species.” (Haraway, 2012)
Habitating together and co-existing, when a non-human critter enters our life we take them in with the mindset of ‘adopting’. As humans, deeming ourselves the more intelligent of beings on this planet, we sometimes extend our sphere to include others who we feel might need our aid, company, or shelter. However, is it truly a one-sided relationship, or is it us who is being given to?
Being with another is not without repercussions. As Haraway (2012) placed in her Companion Species Manifesto, it changes both the parties, slowly, softly, often without either’s realisation. We give and are given love, annoyances, adapt to allow each other in our spaces, and before we know it, adopt mannerisms. And in some rare circumstances, we might give each other something even more - a piece of the other world.
If you look in the right manner, other worlds, fae worlds open their doors to you when the circumstances are right. The mushroom circle under the full moon within which the snails congregate after rain, the portals under the bushes through which they travel to who knows where, and of course, the deadly weapons of mass destruction, the Columbidae Blades, dropped by the seasoned warriors of the world, champions of wingo slappos, doves. The fae world is wild and ungovernable, following their own rules, defying classification. Beyond the domesticated garden, these unruly ecologies, are home to artefacts and spaces containing encounters, stories, histories that blur the dimensions of what we believe and disbelieve (Froud & Lee, 2010). At the same time, that does not mean we still cannot try to grasp at a bit of this world, though it may be a wee morsel of what exists. I ask you, the spectator who has found this space, to read this registry as an “infra-thin” map of the alternate realm, a record of not only the artefacts but the tales within, much like what our fellow human Serafini (2014) presented in his Codex, decades ago.
In this archive you shall find the blades forged by the great wingsmiths, Lady Piwicious the Third, and her recently joined comrade-apprentice, Popo Po Popopo bin Po. Blades reknowned for their sheen and sharpness - long blades, short swords, fast dirks, and many more - have travelled far and wide through many lands in the hands of famed warriors and serve as vessels of the tales experiences. Translated and interpreted into the human tounge, this archive aims to record, preserve, and share. Browse through this ever growing registry to experience a piece of the far off lands from which these wingsmiths hail.
~ Humble companion and archivist,
A. Hashmi