Thursday, June 28, 2012

Night at the Capricorn




When visiting Losantiville in the Steel League, one might want to visit the bar at the opulent Capricorn Hotel. It’s two floors with a central bar and a pianist providing entertainment.

Of course, there are--oddities. Sometimes, magically sensitive individuals get a feeling they’re being watched.  This is particularly acute in the vicinity of the ram’s head relief on the wall between the staircases, behind the piano.  This might bring to mind rumors of cults going back to frontier times. The black goat they served (according to some stories) was either a pagan god of fertility, a capo of the Hell Syndicate--or both.

Other stories suggest the goat wasn't a deity--at least not at first.  Instead, the original black goat was a human sacrifice who insured the communities continued prosperity by receiving the weight of its sins.  Over time, the misplaced guilt of Losantiville became an entity unto itself, a grim spectre of retribution.

If one’s alone, it’s best not to drink too much or linger near closing time. Old gods may weaken, but seldom die.


8 comments:

Gothridge Manor said...

Curse of the Scape Goat. That must hurt the pianist's tip jar takings. I'm looking at the picture and the juxtaposition is strange...or should I say weird. Cool entry Trey.

Porky said...

"... at least not at first."

I'm always impressed by the way you suggest spaces and systems behind the visible layer. Another pungent location.

richard said...

My wife's grandfather briefly played piano in a bar in Istanbul during Ataturk's revolution: I imagine something like this standing over him, metaphorically.

Great stuff, as ever. That first shot is really... like no room I've ever been in.

garrisonjames said...

Nicely evocative location worthy of some investigation, or at least a drinking man's visit. Great stuff!

Gus L said...

Old bars are pretty amazing, there's several lovely ones in this town as well - from Deco palaces to preserved frontier saloons. I always get the feeling that I am transported back to a time when drinking was more mysterious by these places. Nice photos.

Chris C. said...

Definitely a place where I'd love to go have a drink! :)

Trey said...

Thanks guys!

@Tim - Yeah, I thought of the Space Goat as I wrote this.

@Richard - You should check out the originals in color. It's a very impressive room.

Pat said...

Reading this, I totally want to get into a staring contest with the supernatural goat head. I bet I'd win.