March 31 2008

Text By Greg Fallis

I am and shall be your man, and faithful subject to you. This was the oath of fealty sworn in feudal Europe by a vassal to the lord of the land. Je suis et serai votre homme. Appropriately, the oath was called homage, and by swearing it you were honor-bound to fight in the lord's defense.

We've done away with all that vassalage nonsense, for the most part, and over time the meaning of 'homage' has shifted. Today an homage is a display of respect and affection, a public acknowledgment of the influence another person has on us. In artistic terms, it means creating a piece of work that's reminiscent of the work of another.

Stephanie is nobody's vassal, and she sure as hell isn't anybody's man or faithful subject. I suspect she'd be willing to fight in the defense of her friends, but happily her homage doesn't require it. For now it only requires that she be willing to lay on her bed fully dressed, hide her smile in the pillow, and whisper Je suis et serai votre femme.