Pocahontas: "I have come to warn you...you must flee or hide! My father sends the Powhatan warriors, they are coming..." Capt. Smith: "But please, sweet being, I cannot leave, I need to be here at the fort! You are running a great risk of coming here, you must leave or hide youself. Powhatan will destroy you if he finds out of this...come with me into the fort..." P: "They mean to kill you and your countrymen. They see that you do not mean to leave, as you promised..come with me..." - Please view full size - not so much blur in that! I just needed to make these, being somewhat pre-occupied with the story of Pocahontas and the settlement of Jamestown, after watching the great film "The New World" (dir. Terrence Malick). **** Background: Capt. John Smith was a prominent British explorer, cartographer and writer. He is famous for his strong leadership during the early years of the Jamestown settlement (founded 1607 in Virginia), which was to become the first British permanent/surviving colony in the new world. A young native girl, Matoaka - nicknamed "Pocahontas" (meaning "playful girl" in most translations) often visited the colony together with some other curious natives of the Powhatan tribe. Smith was taken capture by the Powhatans and in a dramatic narrative he describes how Pocahontas saved his life, when the Powhatans had decided to execute him. However, most historians think that Smith - being frightened out of his wits by the strange rituals - misinterpreted the incident, which most likely was a symbolic "death and rebirth" ritual, where Smith was accepted into the tribe and Superior Chief Powhatan (real name "Wahunsunacaw") adopted him as a kind of son. He was Pocahontas' father, and thus Smith became a kind of brother to her. This may account for the close relationship they really did have - none of the love affair business in popular fiction about the two seems to have any foundation in reality - in 1607 Smith was 28 and Pocahontas 12-13 years old. Years later Pocahontas was now living with the English, actually after having been held hostage for ransom and pressure against Powhatan. She had married tobacco farmer John Rolfes, and they were invited to England by King James and Queen Anne. John Smith learned about this and sent a letter to Queen Anne, to ensure that the "native princess" was recieved as she deserved, emphasizing that she had saved his life at least twice, and supplied the struggling colony with food etc. Quote from Smith's letter to Queen Anne (sorry, 17th century English): "...Notwithstanding all these passages, when inconstant fortune turned our peace to war, this tender virgin would still not spare to dare to visit us, and by her our jars have been oft appeased, and our wants still supplied; were it the policy of her father thus to employ her, or the ordinance of God thus to make her his instrument, or her extraordinary affection to our nation, I know not: but of this I am sure; when her father with the utmost of his policy and power, sought to surprise me, having but eighteen with me, the dark night could not affright her from coming through the irksome woods, and with watered eyes gave me intelligence, with her best advice to escape his fury; which had he known, he had surely slain her. Jamestown with her wild train she as freely frequented, as her fathers habitation; and during the time of two or three years, she next under God, was still the instrument to preserve this colony from death, famine and utter confusion; which if in those times, had once been dissolved, Virginia might have lain as it was at our first arrival to this day. ..." *** So, this is the inspiration for my two pictures here. A little naive-ish perhaps, but still :) I've taken the artistic license of NOT letting this take place at nighttime, night pictures aren't much fun mostly. Vue, Poser & Photoshop. Hope you like it, comments etc. welcome and appreciated. Have a nice day - Lars