I also think this could be of some interest as they said John and Henry's name together a lot during the show last night (like it had some meaning).
Researchers believe that John Henry was born a slave in the Researchers believe that John Henry was born a slave in the1840's or 1850's. It is important to remember that no one knows for sure if John Henry existed. That is one of the thingsthat makes the legend so intriguing.
- According to the legend he grew to stand 6 feet tall, 200 pounds - a giant in that day.
From NPR's Present at the Creation - John Henry:
Though the story of John Henry sounds like the quintessential tall tale, it is certainly based, at least in part, on historical circumstance. There are disputes as to where the legend originates. Some place John Henry in West Virginia, while recent research suggests Alabama. Still, all share a similar back-story.
In order to construct the railroads, companies hired thousands of men to smooth out terrain and cut through obstacles that stood in the way of the proposed tracks. One such chore that figures heavily into some of the earliest John Henry ballads is the blasting of the Big Bend Tunnel -- more than a mile straight through a mountain in West Virginia.
Steel-drivin' men like John Henry used large hammers and stakes to pound holes into the rock, which were then filled with explosives that would blast a cavity deeper and deeper into the mountain. In the folk ballads, the central event took place under such conditions. Eager to reduce costs and speed up progress, some tunnel engineers were using steam drills to power their way into the rock. According to some accounts, on hearing of the machine, John Henry challenged the steam drill to a contest. He won, but died of exhaustion, his life cut short by his own superhuman effort.
I am also wondering if Henry stopped the countdown by scanning his eye and that's what Locke saw on the wall. Digitial eye scanning is high tech and maybe they implanted the "key" to Lost on his eye. I think that he is trying to get Locke to go to the "other side" and that's why he is helping him. Does anyone else think that Locke's father and Locke's girlfriend planned his death and that they actually were a couple and that some time down the road Locke finds out and maybe that's involved with how he lost the use of his legs???? I am also interested in the sign on Locke's truck that said welcome home when he was at the Flightline motel - couldn't read what else it said - anyone know???
I had so much to say and no way to say - glad to be back on the board!
Researchers believe that John Henry was born a slave in the Researchers believe that John Henry was born a slave in the1840's or 1850's. It is important to remember that no one knows for sure if John Henry existed. That is one of the thingsthat makes the legend so intriguing.
- According to the legend he grew to stand 6 feet tall, 200 pounds - a giant in that day.
From NPR's Present at the Creation - John Henry:
Though the story of John Henry sounds like the quintessential tall tale, it is certainly based, at least in part, on historical circumstance. There are disputes as to where the legend originates. Some place John Henry in West Virginia, while recent research suggests Alabama. Still, all share a similar back-story.
In order to construct the railroads, companies hired thousands of men to smooth out terrain and cut through obstacles that stood in the way of the proposed tracks. One such chore that figures heavily into some of the earliest John Henry ballads is the blasting of the Big Bend Tunnel -- more than a mile straight through a mountain in West Virginia.
Steel-drivin' men like John Henry used large hammers and stakes to pound holes into the rock, which were then filled with explosives that would blast a cavity deeper and deeper into the mountain. In the folk ballads, the central event took place under such conditions. Eager to reduce costs and speed up progress, some tunnel engineers were using steam drills to power their way into the rock. According to some accounts, on hearing of the machine, John Henry challenged the steam drill to a contest. He won, but died of exhaustion, his life cut short by his own superhuman effort.
I am also wondering if Henry stopped the countdown by scanning his eye and that's what Locke saw on the wall. Digitial eye scanning is high tech and maybe they implanted the "key" to Lost on his eye. I think that he is trying to get Locke to go to the "other side" and that's why he is helping him. Does anyone else think that Locke's father and Locke's girlfriend planned his death and that they actually were a couple and that some time down the road Locke finds out and maybe that's involved with how he lost the use of his legs???? I am also interested in the sign on Locke's truck that said welcome home when he was at the Flightline motel - couldn't read what else it said - anyone know???
I had so much to say and no way to say - glad to be back on the board!
posted by Anonymous at 9:19 AM
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