CHAPTER THREE:

IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING



- chapter index -
pg. 1 - Epitaph | pg. 2 - The Iron Gates of Fate
pg. 3 - The Fate of All Mankind | pg. 4 - Moonchild
pg. 5 - The Court of the Crimson King | pg. 6 - The Purple Piper
pg. 7 - Averroes | pg. 8 - The Keeper of the City Keys
pg. 9 - The Pilgrim's Door | pg. 10 - The Return of the Fire Witch
pg. 11 - The Gardener Plants An Evergreen | pg. 12 - The Prism Ship
pg. 13 - The Grinding Wheel | pg. 14 - On Soft Gray Mornings
pg. 15 - Divining Signs | pg. 16 - The Yellow Jester
pg. 17 - Remember the Future | pg. 18 - The Return of the King
pg. 19 - The I Ching | pg. 20 - Octants

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" Between the iron gates of fate,
The seeds of time were sown,"


"Long before the seed of criticism that Frederick II had sown had germinated in men's minds and produced its inevitable crop of rebellion, there was apparent a strong feeling in Christendom that all was not well with the spiritual atmosphere."

- H. G. Wells, The Outline of History

The "iron gates of fate" allude to a prophecy concerning the death of Frederick II, a prophecy that could also serve as an epitaph.

"The court astrologer (Michael Scot) forecast the manner of the Emperor's death, which was to take place ad portas ferreas, at certain gates of iron. in a town named after Flora."

- Enquiry Into the Life and Legend of Michael Scot (p. 166)
Rev. J. Wood Brown (pub. 1897)

"During his illness Frederick was often out of his wits. In one of his rare moments of lucidity, finding himself in his Domo at Florence, and seeing that his bed had been placed opposite a gate in one of the castle turrets. The door was bound in iron. Observing this detail, the prophecy of the astrologer Michael Scot came immediately to his mind: "you will die near an iron gate, in a place which takes its name from the word flower" (i. e. Florence)."

- La maledizione di Federico II by Marcello Lascaro
translated by Dana F. Sutton Professor of Classics, UC Irvine danas64562@aol.com

"Uneasy at the progress of his disease, ...the Emperor fell into deep thought and then exclaimed, 'This is the place where I shall make an end, as it was told me. The will of God be done; for here I shall die.' and soon afterwards he breathed his last."

- Enquiry Into the Life and Legend of Michael Scot (p. 166)
Rev. J. Wood Brown (pub. 1897)

An iron gate was fated to be a component in his death. A flower results from seeds being sown. As a traditional epitaph, the passage might read:

He died beside the iron gate of fate where the seeds of time were sown and a flower grew.

This passage is also significant in that, again, even before his birth, Frederick was fated to play the role of the messianic emperor prophesied by Virgil (see chapter two).

" And watered by the deeds of those
Who know and who are known; "

An ironic statement, considering Frederick's veiled presence in The Court of the Crimson King .




In the Court of the Crimson King ~ Epitaph return to
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