From: Rebecca Sweat 10:31 AM Subject: Manson's Maze, #1To: "'John Bailey'" John, Am planning to do a database, and maybe will turn up some clue not yet found. Well, there was another post (can't remember who offhand) who suggested that the order of the rooms given is incorrect. I wonder about this myself, considering the following in room 23. Room 23 has a door to Room 45. In addition, I noticed the following. 1 ball, thrown through the door (or 1 stand, 1 scroll) 2 gloves, on the stand (or 2 French doors, 2 stone tablets) 3 shoes or feet, on the stand (or 3 regular doorknobs, 3 lines on the scroll) 4 & 5 are missing, unless you count the doors or pictures which I did not 6-10 are noted on the stone tablets This, to me, seems to indicate that we are to choose door 45, because of the absence of these numbers. In addition, there seems to be a lot of this going on throughout the house, that we are to look for what is absent, not what is visible. Plus the fact that the text says "they realized they had found the door they had been seeking for so long..." Another note: I found that I was focusing a lot on my visual senses, trying to see my way through the book. Perhaps we are to feel or smell or taste our way instead; has anyone experimented with the different senses and how they might change the feel of a room? Again, remember that anything in the book's space may be a clue. By the way, I got the actual book from the library (although it took them over two weeks to find one) and it is SO much easier to see than the pictures online. Ok, one last thing I'd really like everyone to look at and tell me what they think. First, check out this site, then check it against my hypothesis below. (I have checked out several other sites which agree with the one below, but this one seems to outline everything more clearly.) Please feel free to e-mail directly with your comments!! http://www.mythology.com/cronus.html Ok, here we go (assuming the already-given order of the rooms is correct). Room 1: I think we are told that this is a Fable of some kind. Stories of the Greek & Roman gods can certainly be considered fables, as a fable can be a story about legendary persons and exploits. Room 26: The planet Saturn; Cronus was equated with Saturn. Room 30: I'm not exactly sure, but mythology seems to indicate that Cronus was one of the first "beings". Perhaps this is to indicate that the guide is very "old", if the word old can properly be used, so old that he was there at the beginning of time, and perhaps before the sin of Adam and Eve (according the biblical records). Room 42: Well, although quite a stretch, the handle on the umbrella does appear to be a sickle. (Oh, I haven't heard anyone notice that the umbrella bucket looks like an elephant foot.) Room 4: This also seems to point to the early days of mankind. The picture on the left appears to depict the invention of the wheel. This is a great hall (text), and the gavel seems to mean judgment of some kind. Plus there is a smiling/sneering sun gazing at us, which the guide refers so as "foolish face". And, although not sure how it relates, and the appearance of the black cat seems disturbing to the guide for some reason. Room 29: The hourglass indicates time. Does anyone recognize the 4 shapes? (I can't recalls the name.) Room 17: The word amphorae refers to Greeks & Romans. Plus, why the sun faces on door 33? Room 45: I'll leave this one alone, though I still can't see how anyone got "house" or "home" out of this room. It seems that the nun's picture means "none inhabit", and we can forget the stylus or awl. Room 23: The stone tablets appear to indicates judgment, as in the ten commandments, and he scroll refers to time. Room 8: To me it seems we have lost the trail, but we also find an umbrella. What is the meaning of the umbrella?! Room 12: I'm not sure I see anything in here, except perhaps reference to the Bard for room 45. However, this room IS identical to room 28, and the group even asks if it's déjà vu. This could be a reference to the déjà vu of Cronus being overthrown by his child as he did to his father. Room 39: Has anyone noticed this bird pull-toy is the same as found in Room 7? I wonder if there is any correlation. But again I see nothing to relate to Greek or Roman mythology. Room 4: see above. But personally, I don't think room 4 is supposed to be repeated. Room 15: Ok, definitely pointing to mythology with the names Jason, Hercules, Theseus, Achilles, Ulysses. Need to do more research on these to see if there's one person all five relate to. Also the picture of the bird, cloud, moon & lightning bolt. The sun is missing, but there is a sign on door 30. The sacrificial tripod is interesting, and I wonder if it has anything to do with Cronus sacrificing his children. Perhaps some other sacrificial ceremony. Wonder what the hats and hare/rabbit are for. Room 37: Nothing particularly mythological here. However, "net" backwards is ten, the front dice shows 15 (1 then 5), and the back dice shows 42 (3+1 is 4 on the bottom, 2 on top). This leaves room 20. Room 20: I have tried and tried to find a myth with a turtle or tortoise, but the two I found have nothing to do with anything else. However, didn't one of the gods ride out to sea on a tortoise or something? If nothing else, perhaps this is referring back to the hare (or rabbit) in room 15, as in the race of the two where the tortoise won. Also, there are two "castles" or rooks in this room, one on the chair and one being struck with lightening in the picture on the wall. Room 1: Well, we're back, and the sun is still glaring. There are also a ton of references to take the umbrella because it might rain where the group is going. I can't see it raining in Hades, perhaps I'm wrong. Where would it rain? There are enough umbrellas throughout the house for each member of the group, so it seems a major key. Any thoughts? Rebecca at Rebeccasw@awana.org