THE BOOK OF SAINT DANIEL
Dear reader, you may have been on the saint daniel journey for a while, but if not, let me introduce him to you. saint daniel, the walking pilgrim, has set himself on a journey, walking through lands and valleys to recover his past, and find his true faith. here is where we left him last.
VOLUME 3, PERFORMATIVE FAITH
Saint Daniel went to harvest wheat in the plains of Nazareth. He helped the villagers gather the grain at night. The wheat from the village is magical, and not only for making bread. It gives people strength, and beauty. The bounty is plentiful, and all are happy. As the villagers harvest it, it attaches itself to their body, and gives strength and beauty. It does the same to our pilgrim, marking him with its elegant seal.
As he departs, the villagers give him the mark of the wheat on his arms, as well as a bag, from which food will always come, despite its small size.
On a nearby mountain, they say, miracles have been witnessed. This mountain is not visible on Google Maps. Strange animals in beautiful colours, blue plants & heavenly lights dancing in the sky have been witnessed.
Saint Daniel starts walking to the mountain, just after he makes sure he has enough bread and battery on his phone.
VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 1, THE ANGEL & THE WHEAT :
He goes to the mountain but sees no miracles. The mountain is rocky, and it is inhospitable. It is white, covered in thin powder, reminiscent of flour. He is cold, so he puts down his hood and climbs faster. On top of the mountain he sees an old person crumpled on the floor, moaning, visibly dying of thirst. Next to them is an empty lake, and some dead plants. He settles next to the wretch and gives them the water from the bottle in his bag.
The old person asks in a feeble voice : “What are you looking for on this desolate mountain?” He replies, “I have been wandering the world as my memory was lost, and my purpose with it. I follow the trail of wheat, bread and pastries and hope they will lead me back to my monastery, and my true purpose.” He pauses, and looks at the old person, who looks now much younger. He continues : “I came to this mountain as I heard miracles happen here, and I was hoping that whomever accomplishes these miracles might help me find my way.”
Suddenly, surrounded by a shroud of blue light, the old person transformed into the most beautiful angel the earth had ever seen. The lake is now full of crystalline water and the ground is covered in extraordinary blue wheat. The angel wears a suit of light, where the blue wheat that surrounds them curls around their limbs, and their athletic body is contoured by a gradient of light.
The Angel speaks :
“I am Gabriel, but you may know me as the angel of Performativeness. I accomplish miracles so all can see how benevolent I am.”
“Fear not, walking pilgrim, for even if I won’t lead you back home, I will still help you as it makes me look good on social media.”
And the angel puts a hand on his shoulder and says : “But for now, come lay with me inside the grotto, as you need to rest, and you and I can become better acquainted. Tinder is quite disappointing in these lands.” The Pilgrim joins the angel inside, and they unite in heavenly bonding.
In the morning, the angel is gone, but folded next to Saint Daniel, his vestments and his bag are now blessed by the Angel’s holy seals, and he finds the following note “My pilgrim, I have to fly away, but I left my blessing, as I believe you may need it on your journey, just tag me if you wear it on instagram please. You must now travel 3 days and 3 nights to the North, following the sun and the moon, and stop only when you reach the building that is made of that which you wear. I forgot to leave a pin on Google maps, so unfortunately that’s as good as my explanation can be. Soon we will meet again”
Mystified, he puts on the white vestments, takes his bag (WHITE BAG), and on his way he goes.
Dear Reader, as you see this visual, do you know where he may be heading? Then let your opinion be known in Dm or comments.
But for now, let’s see all the beautiful pieces that Saint Daniel saw on his journey. And please share, comment, and follow, for true holiness can only be achieved through the algorithm.
VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 2
THE FLAME & THE MONKS :
As you may remember, Dear Reader, Gabriel left Saint Daniel with an obscure riddle. Have you figured it out yet? Fear not, as if you follow this story, all will be revealed.
So he walks, mulling over the words of the Angel Gabriel. He can’t help but wonder, was the angel being merely performative? Was he actually referring to an existing building? And if so what could it be made of?
The first day he journeys through large fields of blue wheat, their stalks strong and sturdy, full of grain. The men and Women in the fields are very muscular, and they have hairstyles that are made of braids that also look like bread. They look at him with hungry eyes, so he gives them bread from the bag.
The first night he listens to the song of the night owl as the moon reflects gently on the wheat stalks.
The second day, he passes by a large river, and then a large cluster of mills, where he sees the people coming and going carrying large stacks of wheat and then big sacks of flour. They are strong and their physique is beautiful, but their faces are hollow and their muscle definition is very high. He again offers them bread, and warns them of the high calorie content of this bread, as they all look like they may be cutting for a bodybuilding feast. But they all gratefully eat the bread, and tell him about a nearby monastery he must visit.
At night, he reflects how everyone in this land seems to be a bodybuilder, and wonders if their customs dictate for all to be fitness influencers.
And on the last day, he goes through a large forest, where he sees lumberjacks cutting the trees in small logs. They again are very muscular. They wear beautiful outfits made of denim, adorned with a round bread/braid. He speaks to the closest one, and asks her:
“Pray tell, what are you doing here?”
She replies “we are cutting wood for the Monastery, so their oven could cook bread”
“I hear a lot about this monastery, and their bread. But tell me, is the bread good?”
“Alas sir, the bread was delicious, with a flesh so white and fluffy and a crust at once hard and tender. And their special bread was shaped like a braid, which is also why this land venerates braids.”
“I see, but why is it that you say it was? Are there no more bread or braids to be had?
“Aye no, sir pilgrim, as their oven does not work anymore, and the land is in despair ever since, as we all miss their bread and also our livelihoods depended on their oven, we realised. Also, we do not have an online bread delivery service.
“I must go and see this monastery, Daniel said, for maybe I can help with the oven”
“Should you walk forward another night, you would find it. And you couldn’t miss it because the monastery is made of bread, and that’s where its name comes from, The Holy Bread.
And off he trots onwards, after thanking the lumberjack.
As the sun falls down, and he is getting cold, a kind old woman offers him a sweater she knitted herself, white with a blue braid around the neck. Warm and satisfied, he walks during the night. He hears the cries of the hungry people in the villages, and he thinks, I hope I can help fix the oven, for I am not particularly handy and Youtube isn’t full of “how to fix monastery ovens” tutorials.
As he gets to the gate of the monastery, he notices that the lumberjack was right and the whole monastery is made of bread, ornate and refined. The doors are crackers, the mouldings are brioche, the gargoyles are sourdough. He knocks at the knackerbrod doors, and a monk’s head pops out. Before Saint Daniel can say anything, the monk notices the angel’s seal that Daniel is wearing, and grabs him by the arm, telling him : “We have been waiting for you”. Before he knows it, the monk drags him to the kitchen, where the oven lies dark and cold, and a few monks watch him arrive. They all wear the same outfit, a shirt with a hood and trousers, all ornately decorated with the blue bread/braids. They seem frustrated and distressed, but also relieved to see him.
“Oh here he is. The Angel of Performativeness sent you, didn’t they? I thought they were going to fix this oven themselves. Well you will do. I certainly hope you can help us with this oven. As you may have seen, the whole country is sad and hungry since our oven refuses to work. We must leave you in peace to get the oven working again, also, there’s a new season of White Lotus on HBO”, and out they go, closing the door behind them.
Daniel looks at the oven, and wonders how he will fix it. He looks on the outside, and there is nothing broken, he looks on the inside, and its pitch black and it seems bare. But as he’s about to despair, he notices a tiny blue flame at the very end of the oven. He climbs in it and calls up to the flame
“Hey flame, can you hear me?
The flame twitches.
“Flame, how are you? You seem sad and lonely.
And the flame replies in a very quiet voice
“I am the flame of the oven, but I feel very sad and tired.
“And why is that?
“I worked all day and all night .
“But didn’t the monks give you bread to cook?
“Yes they did, and I loved it, and I felt so happy and useful. But recently I felt more and more tired, as I always have to cook more bread.
“But did you discuss this with the monks?
“Yes I did, however I recently heard them talking about replacing me with a machine, something that they call an AI, and I fear they will replace me with this.
“That is a fair comment, and I would feel the same in your position, but what if the monks promised to keep you, and only use the AI machine when you are tired. Or better even, what if you were the one operating it?
“I guess, I could try that, and see whether it worked.
And without waiting, Daniel spoke to the monks, who even though they were not particularly happy to change their plans, recognized that it was better to have both the AI machine and the flame, for more could be done with them both together.
And the flame started baking bread again in the oven, and the whole land erupted in joy as all the tasty, delicious, beautiful braid breads came out of the oven. As a gift, the monks left Daniel one of their ornate blue bread/braid suits, and made his bag bigger, so it could also contain his now considerable garments and gifts collections along the way.
During the banquet of the last evening, they drank seltzers and played some great spotify playlists on the harp. Our pilgrim was enjoying the pleasures from the beautiful people of this land, getting to know some very intimately. During one of these encounters, a monk said to him, “Saint Daniel, I heard that Saint Honore, the patron of the bakers, has a quest that I think may interest you. I am leaving tomorrow for his palace, as I am baker there. You could journey there with me” And that’s what Saint Daniel decided to do.
Dear Reader, what do you think that quest will be?
But for now, let’s see all the beautiful pieces that Saint Daniel saw on his journey.
CHAPTER 3
THE TREASURES OF THE KNITTING WOMAN:
Saint Daniel and the sweet monk walk hand in hand on the road.The weather is splendid, and they sing as they go. The monk tells him stories about the bread and cakes he bakes, and Saint Daniel tells him all about his travels. The monks tell him about the wonders of this country, the beauty of the palace of Saint Honore, the legend of Vesna, the marvellous knitter, the Angel and the blue wheats. They get on so well that before they know they arrive in a beautiful city made of startling black marble, all of it finished by beautiful motifs of blue breads and braids. The buildings are tall, the people are elegant, and there are shops and markets full of refined breads and pastries.
In the middle, the palace of Saint Honore stands tall and wide, and Saint Daniel kisses the monk goodbye and steps into the main hall to get an audience. Saint Honore receives him in the audience room and he is impressive, in a black velvet suit, bordered with blue braids. No one has looked more elegant and intimidating. He says to Saint Daniel : “I hear you seek your monastery and your memory, as it happens I have heard of you before, but if I shall help you then you shall help me.
I have created all the possible pastries in the world and this bustling city has prospered from them. The blue bread/braid has been my creation and has changed this country. However it has been a while now, and I cannot seem to create pastries anymore. People come less and less, and soon people will stop coming altogether. I need this to be resolved. There is this peasant woman, Vesna, whose hand can knit anything, and whose mind can create anything. I need her to create new pastries for me.
“But Saint Honore, why don’t you ask her”
“I did, but this Vesna woman refused me! Me, Saint Honore, turned down by a peasant woman, would you believe. If you can convince her, then I shall help you with your quest. But if you fail, don’t show your face here again.”
Saint Daniel, worried but hopeful, heads North into the mountain, and climbs up and up. After days and days he stumbles upon a small house, fallen into some disrepair, with a meagre garden. As he’s about to walk in to ask for shelter for the night, he sees a figure huddled in the garden. He rushes over, and it’s an old woman, passed out from tiredness and age. He picks her up and brings her inside the house and lays her in bed. The woman is sleeping. He then goes to draw water for her from a nearby spring, and picks some vegetables to make soup for her. He feeds her soup and decides to stay until she’s recovered. A day later, as she is still unwell, he fixes the door of the house, tends to the garden. A day later he fixes the roof. Then the window. And time passes, and before he knows it Saint Daniel has spent two months in the old woman’s house. One day finally, she is better. She wakes up and start talking :
“Stranger in my house, who are you and what are you doing here?
“I am Saint Daniel, the Walking Pilgrim and I found you, out in the garden, so I took you inside until you recovered. In the meantime I fixed your house and garden as best I could”
And to this she said “How nice and charitable of you to care for a stranger in this manner, for without you I might have died. What brings you to these lands?
“Well, I am looking for Vesna, the marvellous knitter as Saint Honore asked me to get her to create pastries for him.
“Well, she is my daughter, and I can direct you to her. But you must know Vesna, my daughter, is stubborn and witty. However she has a good heart and I think because of what you have done for me, she may do you a favour. Here are the keys to her house, let yourself in her garden otherwise she would not open the door, she is a busy woman.”
And sure as day, in the direction the old woman gives him, he finds Vesna’s house, lets himself in and in the garden, Vesna is knitting what looks like the most wonderful, refined sweater.
Vesna hears the story from Saint Daniel and says, “You have helped my mother, and I will come with you to see Saint Honore. But I must warn you, as long as I am Vesna I will not do what anybody other than myself wants to do.”
And away they go, down the mountain and to Saint Honore’s audience room.
Vesna storms in in front of Saint Daniel and declares :
“Saint Honore, I hear that you want me to create pastries for you.
“Why Vesna, you finally decide to respond to my summons.
“I am a busy woman, and I have a lot to tend to. I will create the pastries for you on one condition. If you like the pastries, I want you to share the profit of the pastries, past and present with the people who have created them.
“I created the pastries before, so there is no profit past to share. But for the future ones, I will share with you or whomever creates them. Can you get to work now?”
And with a smile, Vesna gets to the kitchen, and with her knitting needles she immediately starts creating new shapes, knitting them, braiding them, baking them. The whole palace is humming with excitement, as all are impatient to see the wonderful creations of the famed Vesna. No one other than Saint Daniel and the sweet monk are allowed in the kitchen, and by the end of the second day, Vesna is ready.
In the audience room, a large table is laid out, and as all walk in, they see on the table the most incredible shapes of breads, pastries and sweets the world has ever seen.
Vesna then says to Saint Honore :
“Can I remind you once more, that you promised if you liked the pastries, you will share the profit of the pastries, past and present with the people who have created them.
_Of course, peasant woman, now let me taste the pastries on the table.
As he does, all can see how delicious the pastries are. After the last one, he looks at Vesna and says
“Vesna, your pastries are delicious, and I will share the profit with you, name your price.
_Well, Saint Honore, you see, you said you would share the profit of with all the people who created the pastries, past and present, and so I invited the people who harvested the wheat, the people who milled the flour, the donkeys and cows that carried it, the hens that laid the eggs, the cooks and bakers that prepared the dough, the servants that laid the table. As I think your pastries would have never existed without any of these people. Now, I believe they should all live here in this palace, as I myself might do if I feel like it.”
And Vesna laughs as all the farmers, the donkeys, the servants starts walking through the fineries to Saint Honore’s dismay. But a Saint’s promise is binding, and so all these people move into the palace, and a great banquet is organised to celebrate.
Vesna creates for this banquet some special pastries that look like treasures, and in fact they are so unique that people start wearing them like ornaments. Saint Daniel, Vesna and the sweet monk drink sweet wine, laugh and dance with the farmers, donkeys, cows that now live in the castle. Vesna then decides to go back to her house in the mountain, and take her mother to live with her as well as one of the donkeys. On her way out of the Palace, she gives our Pilgrim a hooded garment that is fully made of wool that she spun with her own hand, and that is crowned with a blue braid, as a souvenir of this adventure. And she also left him with these words :
“Remember Saint Daniel, the beauty of the world resides not in fame, nor money and greed, but as I knit two small strands of yarn together, my spirit invents new life, and my hands give meaning and beauty to these puny strands.
As you move forward in your quest, that which you seek may be hidden, in a much more humble place than you think. Also, you may want to heed the word of a peasant woman ”. And soon enough, Saint Daniel will pick up his bag and shoes again, and start to walk.
Dear Reader, thank you for following this story. Saint Daniel will surely have a lot of new and exciting adventures, feel free to share and react, as on this platform your engagement is key. And I will see you soon in a new Volume of the Book Saint Daniel.
But for now, let’s see all the beautiful pieces that Saint Daniel saw on his journey.
