BOC: Lost Christabel

[Andrew A. Apold]

I was going over the "Interpretation of Imaginos" by Bryce (on one of the
BOC pages), and noticed in the section that nobody was really certain where
"Christabel" (as in "Lost Christabel") was located.  It mentioned
speculation as to a real or mythical city in Mexico....


I'm not sure if the spelling was ever official (since most of the lyrics
seem to have been constructed by listening carefully repeatedly), but there
is a city called Cristobal, in the Republic of Panama.  It is located at the
northern (Atlantic) terminus of the Panama Canal, nearby the (larger) city
of Colon.  As a pair, they are named after Christopher Columbus (in spanish:
Cristobal Colon), a figure who factors highly in the start of the oppression
of the indian cultures by Europeans in the New World, which seems to tie in
somewhat to some of the theme in Imaginos.

I've been there several times (used to fairly close, on the Pacific coast).
It is a city which has been part of the Canal Zone administered by the U.S.
Government since the construction of the canal began in 1903 (ending in 1999).

I have no idea (and somewhat doubt) whether this had anything to do with
what Pearlman was thinking of...




----------------------------+-------------------------------------
Roger Shrubstaff        (Andrew A. Apold)
Chancellor                "I was corrupt before I had power!" - Random
Barony of Silverwater
Kingdom of the Burning Lands