2 Years now, and the best anyone can say to refute this solve is "You don't have the chest, so your solve isn't correct".
I can't open my wallet and wish a $100.00 bill in it either, if I didn't put one in there in the first place.
The human brain is our own personal universe. Each of us have one that is completely unique on to itself.
Lets qualify a few things here first, so that we may understand a specific form of logic.
A psychologist specializes in the field of human behavior and how the mind works within the context of an event or environment. A shrink probes the mental process to ascertain the goings on of something, that they themselves don't understand.
Now, let's take a Poet.
A poet, or a piece of poetry in itself, provides the brain a roadmap that can be followed by understanding the response to the poetry in question. One poem can mean many different things to many different individuals, BUT! The poet/author of the poem KNOWS EXACTLY what the real meaning is and what it's supposed to be. Many poets strive to invoke as many emotional responses that they can for diversity. It all starts with the authors ideas and thoughts and what it means to them, intentionally or otherwise.
When a poem is prefaced by the original author, A LOT is revealed as to what the author was thinking and in what direction that thought pattern was to progress. (REMEMBER THIS LAST STATMENT)
Many poets never reveal their original thoughts or feelings. When some poets reveal what their thought process was, often times it COMPLETELY changes the readers perspective as to what the reader first had in mind.
Let's take Forrest Fenn and his poet/treasure map.
Remember, Fenn released the poem and "prefaced" the poem with clues. The clues are made to show the reader a direction to take in understanding the poem, and not necessarily finding "X". Here is the real power IF you think and understand like a poet.
As a poet, I can assure you that when Fenn started to compose his poem, he started with something that looked more like a story line that had a physical description of many different places. It could have been many hundreds of words describing each point or place leaving nothing to be left out, to provide a complete and accurate accounting of each place.
From here, the distilling process takes place and It's from these words, this final liquor for aging and refining a poem are fermented from.
It's like building a huge brick wall. All the bricks are there, it's just that the wall must have 1/10 of the bricks originally used, to form the end product, and still look like the same wall that was originally built. In other word, 9 in every ten words must be removed and still tell the exact same story with the exact same meaning, even thought the story and meaning will be different to everyone, depending on how they "Look" at the wall. And, in this case, Fenn chose a particular form of poetry and meter, that his final product would be bottled into.
What can influence this final product, is the authors notes and any insight, clues that precede the poem directing the reader, as to what should be assumed or not assumed. Fenn laid it all out for us in clues, and not necessarily by "inclusion" but more by "subtraction". (Another really important point to remember as I unfold the logic).
Think for a moment, what if Fenn NEVER gave out one single clue? Now the poem is so vauge, that it becomes impossible and would be considered plain nonsense.
I will show the reader, as a poet, just how important Fenn's preface really was in determining the correct way, in which to interoperate the progression of clues and their meanings.
To qualify myself, I am a poet with my own "voice" meaning, I produce original material from an original thought process. I have done this through education, mentorship, emulation, practice and more practice. I have progressed through all the stages necessary to be an original, free thinking poet, an island and a rock that I stand on from which I spew and announce my muse. I am in the 10,000+ hours club. I can therefore, through reverse engineering, dissect any piece of poetry, and form an opinion.
My opinion as a poet: Never mind the treasure, let's concentrate on the place that Inspired Fenn to write a poem about a specific place, and where he wanted to die.
As a poet, I can assure you that this place must be awesome. Why? Fenn is well traveled and has seen many a countryside from the ground and the air. This is his catalog of life and experiences that he has seen and visited. The place that Fenn wants you to find from his poem MUST be visually stunning from both the ground and the air. By understanding the author, it is possible to understand the inspiration that forged the poem into existence. Fenn's special place must have layers and layers of mind blowing awe, that produced the layers upon layers of the description of the beauty that he has witnessed and wrote for his poem. Why the air and the sky? Because Fenn stated that he flew many a flights over the desert looking for signs of Indian burial locations. He would later visit the places, no doubt using a map. If anyone fails to make this connection or see the logic, then I pity the fool who digs for dreams in a well marked minefield.
Know the author, know the poem.
Stab the heart don't stab the heart, the choice is yours.
Ask yourself this simple question when finishing the final clue in your solve, standing at your intended location of the last word in the poem:
Would I want to be buried here?
Simple question, but effective. This place should be heaven on earth.
The journey should be mind numbing and awestruck at the beauty.
The stars "clues" in the poem, will all perfectly align to have you standing on a mark that explains everything, and leaves nothing more to be required except the raw beauty of it all. It will all make sense and it will be inspirational. Nothing will be left out and every detail will reveal itself.
Funny, how after all these years, not one single intelligent person has found this special spot. Or have they? No doubt, every single "Home of Brown" has been found, researched, and over analyzed to the point of absurdity, and still no one is closer than 200'? The obvious choice would be the hugeass horse fly sitting on everyone's noses, but surely it can't be that easy. After all, this is Forrest Fenn we are talking about. No god would ever make the obvious so easy as a Google search. Our Fenn god leaps tall building with a single bound and is so smart, and such a brilliant poet, that no puny human could ever enter the mind of the great one, and steal his muse to gain the advantage to the prize of all that gold and jewels.
Believe it or not, the obvious becomes the reality, and then ignored because we choose to believe in something bigger. HOB is, and always will be the same HOB 500 years from now. History has already woven its tapestry on the Brown Ranch over 100 years ago but there's no way it could ever be that easy, not now or 1000 years from now. Or could it be that easy?
Let's start with Fenn's preface and how it effects the poem.
In a regular treasure hunt, we all become historians in order to gain knowledge to circumstances and information that surround the events leading to the disappearance of treasure. At best, the information that is gathered has been handed down orally or in writing, officially or through stories. We must become detectives in order to gain insight as to what direction the clues take us.
Fenn's poem is a treasure map. It reads just like any other treasure map except it's in a poem form. Definitely not the best for hiding a treasure, unless there is a preface in order to orientate the poem to a physical location, that the map was intended to show.
In Fenn's case, the poem/map was intended for everyone. In order to make his treasure believable, he told his story and put forth a set of clues and instructions on how to read the map. So, it's the clues and interviews that form the preface to the poem which also serves as a map.
It's in the preface that the poem can be followed and understood. It's the "key" to reading the map.
First, the most important is the Dictionary. This shows us that the poem on-its-face, does not show the reader a direction to the gold. Fenn has directed us to use a dictionary, to unveil the necessary meanings of specific words, in order to progress through the poem/map. Fenn is crystal clear in this. Fenn loves to "one up" the college educated word smith, and is well noted in his attempts in trying to make joe-smarty pants his "Huckleberry". Look this up in the dictionary and you will understand the meaning. This is Fenn's strong suit. This is where he shines and glimmers. His pride comes from his knowledge of words and their archaic meanings. Fenn has spent many hours studying the origins of words, because, he believes in his upbringing, that a vast vocabulary, and the ability to regurgitate useless facts about the origins of words make him interesting and smart. This was the tradition from his era for students going to college to have an expanded vocabulary. He never let go of it after dropping out of college and used it to his advantage. It was a common practice for college students during Fenn's time period to emulate a degree of semantics in order to fit in with their pier groups. This is a huge part of Fenn's façade. Take away the obvious and you find the man.
To what depth does the poem go in semantics? This is the question, the answer and the KEY to the poem. Fenn is a dinosaur. His up bringing was from an old dictionary that now classifies most of those definitions as archaic, if they weren't already classified the same in his era. With the advent of online dictionaries, a lot of the long drawn out definitions have been simplified and condensed. Many just state an "archaic" identifier with a simple word or meaning. Here is the magic clue that must be embraced. That clue is to take EVERY word and distill it down to its earliest meaning. Somewhere in all of these archaic definitions lies the truth and the key to the poem. I spoke of Fenn, including and disqualifying certain clues in his preface in order to decipher the poem. Here's the biggest clue of all of his clues.
"APRIL 2014
Some searchers overrate the complexity of the search. Knowing about head pressures, foot pounds, acre feet, bible verses, Latin, cubic inches, icons, fonts, charts, graphs, formulas, curved lines, magnetic variation, codes, depth meters, riddles, drones or ciphers, will not assist anyone to the treasure location, although those things have been offered as positive solutions. Excellent research materials are TTOTC, Google Earth, and/or a good map.f"
Let's take my example of the word "meek". Using the previous clue set, this is how it fits perfectly with a correct definition.
The Bible has been translated into English for hundreds of years by scholars and theologians. But occasionally it comes to light that our language has changed so much that another interpretation of a word may be more accurate. Some 30 years ago I heard that said about the word meek.*
*
Jesus creates a strange image by saying, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)* The Apostle Paul speaks of “…the meekness and gentleness of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:1)
*
A casual reading of these verses today would give you a mental picture of meekness that is far from the forceful image common in Bible times. Our dictionary defines meekness as, “…easily imposed upon, submissive, spineless.” But wait a minute.* Once you realize that this word is a translation of a Greek military term, you get a completely different picture.
*
The Greek word “praus” (prah-oos) was used to define a horse trained for battle. Wild stallions were brought down from the mountains and broken for riding. Some were used to pull wagons, some were raced, and the best were trained for warfare. They retained their fierce spirit, courage, and power, but were disciplined to respond to the slightest nudge or pressure of the rider’s leg. They could gallop into battle at 35 miles per hour and come to a sliding stop at a word. They were not frightened by arrows, spears, or torches. Then they were said to be meeked.
*
*As centuries went by the secret of training such animals was passed from the Greeks to the Roman legions, then to the Moors, the Spanish conquistadors, and finally the Austrian Empire. We see a few war horse descendants today in the Lippizanner horses of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.
*
To be meeked was to be taken from a state of wild rebellion and made completely loyal to, and dependent upon, one’s master. It is also to be taken from an atmosphere of fearfulness and made unflinching in the presence of danger. Some war horses dove from ravines into rivers in pursuit of their quarry. Some charged into the face of exploding cannons as Lord Tennyson expressed in his poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”
*
*These stallions became submissive, but certainly not spineless. They embodied power under control, strength with forbearance.
*
The horse that he rides [is] entirely of that colour,
in truth.
A green horse huge and strong,
A proud steed to restrain,
Spirited under bridle,
But obedient to the man.
(173 - 178)
In medieval romances, a man’s ability to control his horse is a symbol of his masculinity
and his own self-control. The greater the horse he controls, the greater the man. So, the fact that the Green Knight’s horse is huge, strong, and spirited but obedient to him tells us that his character is very strong, masculine, and in control of himself, too.
Greek Dictionary Wikki
* The classical Greek word used to translate meekness was that for a horse that had been tamed and bridled.[14]
Mind you, there are NO Bible verses indicated, but it defines a very archaic Greek definition of "Meek" that was translated through its meaning used in the bible.
Lots and lots of digging just to get this. Fenn specifically mentioned "Bible verses" as a clue into itself. It was through the biblical use that defined the word and its meaning by its intended use. Not a "verse" in the bible. In other words, The true meaning of "meek" that Fenn used as a clue is described and defined by its meaning and use, in the bible translated from Greek. Not Latin! Another clue.
Fenn's whole poem puzzle a play on definitions and associations with words and their location.
"Take the chest and go in peace"
Does anyone have a chest of a horse, on a map, that lies East of a a naturally made volcanic uplift and river bed that makes a peace sign? My solve does! Makes perfect sense to me.
Here is my favorite, Fenn excluded "curved lines" ALL LINES MUST BE STRAIGHT!!!
"NO CIPHERS, OR CODES" !!! What part of English doesn't the searcher get, when they dedicate a whole 50+ pages dedicated to the cipher of Forrest Fenn's poem.
No wonder people don't understand, "don't go where an 80 year old man wouldn't go"
And do something stupid like repel across a river.
Fenn's original mind set, was for the reader to buy his book. He says so, by stating use TTOTC. He even included all the things not to do. The above quote and clue set was a sales pitch to steer clear of complicated computations and concentrate the readers interest in buying his book. This was a sales pitch! It was also a whole set of clues to eliminate various scenarios that might be encountered. Has anyone listened? Lol, apparently not.
"Depth meters" is also an interesting subject.
Why did Fenn let the reader know about the elevation?
Returning to the thought process of the creator of the poem, this prefaced clue is really important. It deals with how and why this clue was mentioned and not because it was a safety issue. This also runs parallel with his comment "I wish someone would ride in there with a bike and get the treasure f."
Somewhere in all of Fenn's planning and documentation towards the making of his poem, he ran into an elevation sign. How do I know this? Because he couldn't put this in his distilled finished poem, so he decided to put this roadside indicator "elevation sign" in as a prefaced clue by stating an elevation level. Even as a flat lander, I've climbed many hills and several mountains, and I NEVER once cared about the elevation. I did, on the other hand care about the grade. Elevation is really not a big deal in orienteering, compared to the gradient of assent and dissent. It's just something that's not considered. So, practical thinking would suggest a marker or sign post to be encountered describing an elivation. Now, let's take a location, and stick a elevation sign along the roadside. How often does this occur? For a fact, elevation markers are very rare. Especially right outside a town that has a minimal amount of elevation change. Did I encounter one? Well sure I did! It stuck out like a sore thumb. Really out of place. Didn't make any sense if you ask me. I saw it on my bike. Peddled right past it. As far as the bike comment, btw there are two references to Fenn and a bike, this is the later of the two. BLM came in and locked the whole area down. Before, Fenn would drive and park in the quarry to hide his vehicle. Later, after all the people and problems at Folsom Falls, BLM locked the whole area down. If you park your car on the side of the road and hop the fence, you will be greeted by law enforcement and be handed a ticket, or they would tow your car, hence the bike clue/comment.
This is a desolate place with a population of less than 50 people and it amazed me by the Sheriffs patrols that went by as I headed towards the area. I decided to go inland through rough road and trails, so that I could use ignorant deniability in case I was stopped. I passed no signage stating my passage was not permitted.
"Nigh" anyone look this one up?
nigh
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Idioms.
nigh *(nī)
adv. nigh·er, nigh·est
1. Near in time, place, or relationship: Eveningdraws nigh.
2. Nearly; almost: It is nigh impossible to get ticketsnow.
adj. nigher, nighest
1. Being near in time, place, or relationship; close:sick and nigh to death.
2.
a. Being on the left side of an animal orvehicle: pulling hard on the nigh rein.
b. Being the animal or vehicle on the left: thenigh horse.
Care to guess what side of the horse head at Folsom Falls is facing? If you look at the horse head at Folsom, "drawing nigh" is the left side of a horse head that ends up a semi topographic "draw" and also if you take the picture itself, and render it to a line drawing, it looks like an artist hand drew the horses head.
And how about the horses "marvel gaze" gaze came from, the gaze of an animal/horse.
If the words and their proper meanings are applied and understood, then so should the final location where Fenn said he placed his box.
Stay tuned for more!
R Ask the why behind the madness
