On the Wings of an Albatross

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | March 3, 2018

No. 1,433

I thought they were extinct, easy prey for rapacious Europeans who colonized much of the World in the 18th and 19th Centuries.  Although some breeds of albatross are in danger, they are disbursed over most of the Southern Hemisphere and parts of the Northern Pacific. It appears, from Wikipedia, that most of what I thought I knew about the albatross was wrong.

After being a tourist attraction at Harrods in London, the statue, provocatively entitled “Innocent Victims”, is being taken down.   Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed are either being borne away by the great bird or providing it with a momentary landing place.

The bronze statue is being given to Dodi’s father, who commissioned it when he owned Harrods.  The balcony above is decorated for Christmas, with a reindeer peaking out.

Hat tip to Althouse on this one. However, I take issue with her statement that the choice of the albatross is iconographically connected to the Holy Spirit. The Albatross, per Coleridge, is a symbol of luck. The albatross meant good luck in life, but woe to the killer of an albatross.  Perhaps this albatross is about to carry the star-crossed lovers to a better place.

CLT

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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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