The Bodacious Bodach 59

jema

Today I picked the "Bod"
I just now read the book and once again my personal meeting with this Faerie was quite different. Perhaps he just decided to show this side today and next time will go back to be the tinker and meddler.

But today the Bod was a lot quieter and perhaps sadder then usual.

My notes:
He lives in the shadows. In very small spaces, like inside broken toasters and old shoes. He looks kind of guilty and a bit scared. and really really sad. Like that boy in school who wasn't exactly bullied but who wasn't let into the group either.
No light coming from him.

"jack be nimble jack be quick"
Somehow these lines just popped up in my head. So I used Google:
http://www.rooneydesign.com/JackBeNimble.html
It is striking that I just noticed how he didn't emitt any light and how this rhyme has to do with jumping over a candlestick without extinguishing the flame...


I am pretty sure The Bodacious Bodach and me will meet again.
 

sagitarian

wow, very interesting Jema. I've never seen that side of Bodach before. Thanks for sharing him with us.
 

Jewel

The impression the Bodacious Bodach has always given me is of someone lonely and frightened. Sneaking around trying to listen because no one tells him anything. I see him also as skiddish and distrusting. He also seems a bit paranoid. I also find him secretive.

When this card comes up for me I usually feel a bit jumpy and nervous. Makes me a little paranoid. His presence to me is one of hightened awareness and warning (most of the time false paranoid warnings). I do not dislike him, I am just waiting for him to learn to trust me a little so I can learn more about him.
 

Rhiannon

jema said:
He looks kind of guilty and a bit scared. and really really sad. Like that boy in school who wasn't exactly bullied but who wasn't let into the group either.
Funny that I chose him as my least favorite card. And I haven't encountered him again until you've mentioned him. :)

The description you give of him reminds me of my son! LOL Perhaps I can give Bodach another chance, since I certainly have an endless supply of second chances for my middle child.

R :)
 

Chronata

Like you, Rhiannon, I originally choose the "Bode"(as I call him) as my least fav card...

Which of course means he's ALWAYS hovering around me...trying to get me to see why I should like him!
(and doing all sorts of "helpfull" things in the process.)

I love your description of him, jema...The "Jack Be Nimble" riddle...I find the sychronicity exciting! The fact is, that I often call him Jack! Jack of the Red Cap...the traditional faerie tale unintentional trickster hero...who causes mischief that ultimately leads to good in spite of himself.
(when the Bode, and O' THAT gnome get together...I am in real trouble! And when the Bode and my own faerie guide play...it's like a giant fuzzy wrecking ball blew through!)

I can also relate to the sadder, lost boy image that you and Jewel describe as well....

It's the side I see of him, when I have just stepped in a huge pile of chaos, and I sort of yell out loud at him!
The Bode is often very sorry...and will even take the blame for things that it is obvious that he had nothing to do with.

But he always gets me to see that even with his meddling,(or especially because of his meddling!) I get farther along than if he wasn't there at all.
Because if some action didn't take place(even an action in the wrong direction) than I probably would have been lazy and taken no action at all!
 

Jewel

He has been incredibly shy with me. He sort of lurkes, but has not meddled.

Chronata, I had a very similar experience to yours with the Bode, with Sould Shrinker. I had selected him as my least favorite card, and he kept coming up, and stayed around me so I would get to know him. I am ever glad he did, he is one of my favorite faeries because of the time he took with me, and for what he has tought me.
 

Alissa

I like Bodacious Bodach, in fact, I think I've seen him. I saw a dark "cricket looking" black spot jump out of the corner of my vision one day while outside. When I looked, no cricket. But Bodach was my faery that day, and I think he was hopping around me.

Bodach likes to get in trouble. He's the kid you know growing up who says, "You know what would be fun....?" and then proceeds to concoct all manner of devilry and mischief.
 

sagitarian

Alissa said:

Bodach likes to get in trouble. He's the kid you know growing up who says, "You know what would be fun....?" and then proceeds to concoct all manner of devilry and mischief.

LOL! I love this interpretation of him. It's perfect!
 

Bean Feasa

Hi folks,
I have the Faeries Oracle though I haven't really clicked with it yet. But I wanted to join in on this one, just to say that I chuckle a little chuckle to myself when I see this faery's name because you may or may not know that 'bod' (pronounced something like 'budh') is the Gaelic word for penis!!

'Bodach' means someone with one of those attached :) so initially it just meant the male of the species, but as time went on it gathered connotations of 'a bit of a boyo' a fellow who could be a bit rough or mischievous or unpredictable. In the Fiannaíocht, the cycle of tales about Fionn Mac Cumhail 'Bodach an Chóta Lachtna' or 'The Fellow in the Grey Coat' is the hero of a number of stories. He travels around getting in and out of various scrapes. He reminds me a bit of the Fool in the Tarot decks. People are wary of him, but, if I remember right there are hints that he might be one of the gods in disguise.

Hope I'm not sounding too pedantic here. What I'm trying to say is I think it's interesting is the way you've all picked up on the quintessential bodach traits. Jema saw the sadness as well as the tinkering/meddlingness of him, Chronata the trickster, Alissa and Sagitarian the mischief, and Jewel the loneliness. At times he can be mean and bullying, and adolescent, at other times calm and clever and mature. I remember initially disliking the fellow in the grey coat when I read those stories, so I can see how the Bodacious bodach could easily be Rhiannon's least favourite card.

I'm posting from work (oh dear, gives self slap on wrists) and don't have the cards or book here so I'm not sure if all this is a tribute to Brian Froud's and Jessica Macbeth's communicative abilities, or if you're all just a remarkably talented and psychic bunch of Faeries Oracle users!!!!
 

Chronata

Oh Thank you,thank you Bean-Feasa!

What a wonderful revelation about the Bodacious one!

I can't stop giggling about it,as he sits on top of my computer and makes faces at me right now!

I just love hearing other stories about the fae...especially when they have a legendary or historical context!