Rosamund's Bower

hereas Theseus, when given the task to traverse a labyrinth in search of the Minotaur had been tossed a clew of thread by Ariadne that he was to unravel as he went so that he could retrace his steps to exit, I had no thread to follow.

The word bower has several distinct denotations, all relatively archaic. The first, derived from the word "bough", or tree limb and used principally in falconry, refers to a young hawk as it is about to leave the nest. Presumably, it refers to the young bird that is developed enough to now rest on branches and begin its capture of prey. The kill, chiefly of birds, small mammals or insects is clean, and usually involves breaking the back of the victim. Bower also denotes a crude, uncouth, ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement and perceived as clownish. Finally, bower also refers to a chamber, retreat or a shelter made from boughs of trees or vines, which are entwined in an effort to enclose or shut in.

In the case of Rosamund's Bower, a legendary labyrinth located in Woodstock Park, Oxfordshire which was pulled down when Blenheim Palace was built nearby, few facts remain today. The history of Rosamund Clifford, 'Fair Rosamund' (Rosamund, "Rose of the World"), has been embroidered from the 14th century onwards with much imported legend. During the Elizabethan era, stories of the origin of Rosamund's Bower gained popularity.

There are several versions of the legend, one more popular than the rest. It's claimed that the labyrinth was built of creeping vines and rose bushes to conceal Rosamund Clifford, the 12th Century King Henry II's mistress. It was designed with an intricate path, rendering it impenetrable except by use of a thread. Legend has it that when King Henry was called away to go to war against his son in France, Rosamund begged to be allowed to go with him. The King objected and rejected her pleas, as he wished her to have a life befitting a lady and exiled her to the Bower. She feared she was never to see King Henry again.

In Henry's absence, his Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine discovered a thread snagged on King Henry's spur and followed it to the centre of the labyrinth, where she found Rosamund. According to some accounts, Rosamund was slain, or forced to take her own life by Queen Eleanor. Upon his return, when King Henry learned what had happened he is reported never to have smiled again, but had a magnificent tomb erected over Rosamund's perfumed coffin in the convent nearby at Godstow. Rosamund's ghost, it is said, has been haunting Godstow Abbey ever since.

By fall of 2006 it became clear to me that I'd been directed, possibly intentionally, into what had become my own Rosamund's Bower. (For those who once knew me, Rosamund has significance as well). Some thirty odd months after my first encounter with "Doug" and our incessant chats on Yahoo messenger, despite my gentle, forgiving approaches, he was still not inclined to admit we had ever met, and had not yet acknowledged my emails. Emails written from my prison-like cell, deep within the labyrinth that he had guided me into, disoriented and with no thread to follow, only he could guide me out. I was left to ponder the reasons I had been "embowered", destined to a life of solitude, and imprisoned by someone who'd claimed to be my friend, someone I had cared for and who'd encouraged me to trust and be loyal to.

It was difficult not to believe that this had always been "Doug's" plan. Why, and what would become of me?