Call this one a rabbit hole. It's interesting, but still just a rabbit hole.
There are 10 octaves in the range of human hearing, which is 20hz to 20khz It doesnt go back to zero, just goes higher than humans can hear. There are 24 lines in the poem, or 2 octaves.
Maqam
Arabic maqams are based on a musical scale of 7 notes that repeats at the octave. Some maqams have 2 or more alternative scales (e.g. Rast, Nahawand and Hijaz). Maqam scales in traditional Arabic music are microtonal, not based on a twelve-tone equal-tempered musical tuning system, as is the case in modern Western music. Most maqam scales include a perfect fifth or a perfect fourth (or both), and all octaves are perfect. The remaining notes in a maqam scale may or may not exactly land on semitones. For this reason maqam scales are mostly taught orally, and by extensive listening to the traditional Arabic music repertoire.
Since microtonal intervals are impractical to accurately notate, a simplified musical notation system was adopted in Arabic music at the turn of the 20th century. Starting with a chromatic scale, the Arabic scale is divided into 24 equal quarter tones, where a quarter tone equals half a semitone in a 12 tone equal-tempered scale. In this notation system all notes in a maqam scale are rounded to the nearest quarter tone.
The 24-tone system is entirely a notational convention and does not affect the actual precise intonation of the notes performed. Practicing Arab musicians, while using the nomenclature of the 24-tone system (half-flats and half-sharps), still perform the finer microtonal details which have been passed down through oral tradition.
Maqam scales that do not include quarter tones (e.g. Nahawand, ‘Ajam) can be performed on equal-tempered instruments such as the piano, however such instruments cannot faithfully reproduce the microtonal details of the maqam scale. Maqam scales can be faithfully performed either on fretless instruments (e.g. the oud or the violin), or on instruments that allow a sufficient degree of tunability and microtonal control (e.g. the nay or the qanun, or the Clarinet). On fretted instruments with steel strings, microtonal control can be achieved by string bending, as when playing blues.
The exact intonation of every maqam scale changes with the historical period, as well as the geographical region (as is the case with linguistic accents, for example). For this reason, and because it is not common to notate precisely and accurately microtonal variations from a twelve-tone equal tempered scale, maqam scales are, in practice, learned auditorally.
The central tones (nucleus) of a maqam are created from two different intervals. The eleven central tones of the maqam used in the phase sequence example above may be reduced to three which make up the "nucleus" of the maqam.
There are nine maqam families:
Ajam
Segah
Bayātī
C minor
Rast Panjgah (means right or direct)
Hijaz, aka Phrygian Dominant Scale (aka "Spanish gypsy scale")
Saba
Kurd
Nawa Athar (aka "Hungarian Gypsy Scale")
Friday, September 29, 2017
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Indulgence
Indulgence anagrams to "ending clue".
The end is the beginning, the beginning is the end.
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T. S. Eliot
The last clue is also the first clue, is also the ending, but also the beginning.
The end is the beginning, the beginning is the end.
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T. S. Eliot
The last clue is also the first clue, is also the ending, but also the beginning.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
First Clue Confirmed!
Back in April 2013, Forrest Fenn was interviewed on a radio program in New Zealand. At the time, two people had figured out the first clue, but had walked past the other seven. In that interview, Fenn noted that the first clue IS "where warm waters halt"!
Listen here!
Listen here!
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Put in below the home of Brown
Put in below the home of Brown.
One sentence, short and sweet - what is it telling us to do?
There are a few ways to read the sentence:
"Put in___below" as a phrase "put in" then "below", telling us to do something at the "home of Brown"
"Put___in___below" as three separate words directing us to do something at the "home of Brown"
"Put in" "below" = a place located below "the home of Brown" that requires nothing more than noting the location of the "put in"
PUT = position, frame, assign, place, commit, invest, cause to undergo something, adapt, arrange, set-up, order, pose, cause to be in a certain state
IN = inch, Indiana, direction, inward, currently fashionable, to, toward, toward the inside, there
PUT IN = insert, enclose, introduce, lay aside for future use, devote time, store away, break in, install, boat ramp, entrance, set-up, submit, inject, throw in, access point
BELOW = under, beneath, at a lower level, downstairs, down, at a lower place, lower floor, under
One sentence, short and sweet - what is it telling us to do?
There are a few ways to read the sentence:
"Put in___below" as a phrase "put in" then "below", telling us to do something at the "home of Brown"
"Put___in___below" as three separate words directing us to do something at the "home of Brown"
"Put in" "below" = a place located below "the home of Brown" that requires nothing more than noting the location of the "put in"
PUT = position, frame, assign, place, commit, invest, cause to undergo something, adapt, arrange, set-up, order, pose, cause to be in a certain state
IN = inch, Indiana, direction, inward, currently fashionable, to, toward, toward the inside, there
PUT IN = insert, enclose, introduce, lay aside for future use, devote time, store away, break in, install, boat ramp, entrance, set-up, submit, inject, throw in, access point
BELOW = under, beneath, at a lower level, downstairs, down, at a lower place, lower floor, under
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Just...
It's amazing how many synonyms some of the words in the poem have. Take "just" for a moment...here are some of the words to consider:
Good, holy, accurate, distinct, detailed, correct, specific, true, unmistakable, definitive, definite, exact, explicit, fair, logical, likely, justifiable, all, totally, exactly, entirely, well-suited, desired, relevant, generous, lavish, bountiful, straight forward, honest, befitting, germane, happy, balanced, proportional, symmetrical, uniform, evened, candid, objective, upfront, upright, plain, impartial, equal, blunt, fortunate, stone, rarely, flawless, pure, common, self-ruling, laid-back, aloof, cool, poker-faced, due, rightful, fitting, earned, ethical, even-handed, inspired, telling, applicable, fit, wise, worthy, fitting, not quite, with trouble, scantly, little.
So what do you think "just" means in "Just take the chest and go in peace"?
Good, holy, accurate, distinct, detailed, correct, specific, true, unmistakable, definitive, definite, exact, explicit, fair, logical, likely, justifiable, all, totally, exactly, entirely, well-suited, desired, relevant, generous, lavish, bountiful, straight forward, honest, befitting, germane, happy, balanced, proportional, symmetrical, uniform, evened, candid, objective, upfront, upright, plain, impartial, equal, blunt, fortunate, stone, rarely, flawless, pure, common, self-ruling, laid-back, aloof, cool, poker-faced, due, rightful, fitting, earned, ethical, even-handed, inspired, telling, applicable, fit, wise, worthy, fitting, not quite, with trouble, scantly, little.
So what do you think "just" means in "Just take the chest and go in peace"?
Monday, June 12, 2017
Who-Why-What-When-Where and How
Who, Why, What, Where, When and How are the basics of writing - readers want each answered throughout a story, otherwise the story is difficult to follow. The story can be fiction or non-fiction, the elements are the same where it's a mystery novel or a newspaper article.
As we read The Thrill of the Chase, we learn the "who" (Fenn), the "what" (hidden treasure), "when" (79 or 80 years old, or 2009-2010), and perhaps some "why" (he was going to die and wanted to take it with him, on his own terms). Fenn does tell us though that he tells the truth, but not all the truth.
What the story told in the book lacks is the "where" and the "how" and the fully truthful "why" (which you'll understand why I say that when you solve it).
It seems many search diligently for the "where" but not so much on the "how" in the poem. IMO, the "why" in the poem becomes self-evident as you solve it, so you don't have to specifically look to figure that out, just understand it when it does come to light as you solve the where and how.
As we read The Thrill of the Chase, we learn the "who" (Fenn), the "what" (hidden treasure), "when" (79 or 80 years old, or 2009-2010), and perhaps some "why" (he was going to die and wanted to take it with him, on his own terms). Fenn does tell us though that he tells the truth, but not all the truth.
What the story told in the book lacks is the "where" and the "how" and the fully truthful "why" (which you'll understand why I say that when you solve it).
It seems many search diligently for the "where" but not so much on the "how" in the poem. IMO, the "why" in the poem becomes self-evident as you solve it, so you don't have to specifically look to figure that out, just understand it when it does come to light as you solve the where and how.
And Hint of Riches New and Old
To me, this is a very interesting line in the poem.....
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
where, and hint of riches new and old
where, and hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
secret where, and hint of riches new and old
where, and hint of riches new and old
Each of the above groupings of words works out to different potential meaning.....
Hint
cue, key, nod, coax, dash, help, fish, idea, look, mark, open, salt, seek, show, sign, tint, vein, wind, wink, angle, flash, gleam, infer, point, press, refer, sauce, savor, spark, taste, taint, token, touch, track, whiff, denote, gossip, naming, pepper, prompt, shadow, bid fair, caution, key word, marking, mention, pointer, promise, signify, suppose, symptom, warning, whisper, allude to, disclose, associate, inference, penetrate, symbolism, ultimatum, undertone, allegorical, disclosure, expression, foreshadow, make likely, scattering, smattering, sprinkle, etc.
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
where, and hint of riches new and old
where, and hint of riches new and old
And hint of riches new and old
secret where, and hint of riches new and old
where, and hint of riches new and old
Each of the above groupings of words works out to different potential meaning.....
Hint
cue, key, nod, coax, dash, help, fish, idea, look, mark, open, salt, seek, show, sign, tint, vein, wind, wink, angle, flash, gleam, infer, point, press, refer, sauce, savor, spark, taste, taint, token, touch, track, whiff, denote, gossip, naming, pepper, prompt, shadow, bid fair, caution, key word, marking, mention, pointer, promise, signify, suppose, symptom, warning, whisper, allude to, disclose, associate, inference, penetrate, symbolism, ultimatum, undertone, allegorical, disclosure, expression, foreshadow, make likely, scattering, smattering, sprinkle, etc.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Do the Sentences Change Our View?
The poem can be viewed in two ways - as either stanzas, or as sentences. I think both need to be considered when we're solving the poem.
Case in point:
Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.
As a stanza it appears we're to find a place where warm waters halt, then take something in the canyon down, then go a distance that is not far, but too far to walk, then put in below the home of Brown.
If instead we view the stanza in the sentences that are complete, and structurally sound - that is grammatically correct, we get:
Begin it where warm waters halt and take it in the canyon down, not far, but too far to walk. Put in below the home of Brown.
The sentences, read this way, tell us that we are going to begin "it" where warm waters halt and take "it" in the canyon down, not far, but too far to walk.
Can you see the difference? Do you think it matters?
Case in point:
Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.
As a stanza it appears we're to find a place where warm waters halt, then take something in the canyon down, then go a distance that is not far, but too far to walk, then put in below the home of Brown.
If instead we view the stanza in the sentences that are complete, and structurally sound - that is grammatically correct, we get:
Begin it where warm waters halt and take it in the canyon down, not far, but too far to walk. Put in below the home of Brown.
The sentences, read this way, tell us that we are going to begin "it" where warm waters halt and take "it" in the canyon down, not far, but too far to walk.
Can you see the difference? Do you think it matters?
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Is the Book a Requirement?
"If you're really serious about looking for the treasure, get TTOTC and read it, and then go back and read the poem over and over and over again, and then go back and read the book again but slowly, looking an..looking at every little abstract thing that might catch up in your brain, that might be a hint to help you with the clues. Any part of some is better than no part of any. f"
In this, Fenn makes it clear - at least to me - that if you are serious about solving the poem and looking for the treasure, you absolutely must have the book, The Thrill of the Chase.
I believe now that there are reasons why he's repeatedly said similar - to read the poem, read the book, go back to the poem, etc.
The book helps you understand HOW to solve the clues in the poem.
For example, in the book, Fenn gives a lot of different ways to understand the word "brown" - from browning pies in the oven, to the color of the stain on his pants when he slid down the fire escape. This helps us understand the roll of synonyms and word usage in the poem because a word like "brown" can means many things; our job is to tease out what it means in the poem, and the book gives us examples of not only what brown can mean, but also how Fenn uses it in different contexts.
So, is the book a requirement to solve the poem?
At this point, I do believe it is required to solve the poem; it's available from Collected Works in Santa Fe, NM.
In this, Fenn makes it clear - at least to me - that if you are serious about solving the poem and looking for the treasure, you absolutely must have the book, The Thrill of the Chase.
I believe now that there are reasons why he's repeatedly said similar - to read the poem, read the book, go back to the poem, etc.
The book helps you understand HOW to solve the clues in the poem.
For example, in the book, Fenn gives a lot of different ways to understand the word "brown" - from browning pies in the oven, to the color of the stain on his pants when he slid down the fire escape. This helps us understand the roll of synonyms and word usage in the poem because a word like "brown" can means many things; our job is to tease out what it means in the poem, and the book gives us examples of not only what brown can mean, but also how Fenn uses it in different contexts.
So, is the book a requirement to solve the poem?
At this point, I do believe it is required to solve the poem; it's available from Collected Works in Santa Fe, NM.
Adjusting the View of the Nine Clues
CLUE 1:
As I have gone alone in there and with my treasures bold, I can keep my secret where, and hint of riches new and old.
CLUE 2:
Begin it where warm waters halt and take it in the canyon down,
CLUE 3:
Not far, but too far to walk.
CLUE 4:
Put in below the home of Brown.
CLUE 5:
From there it's [it is, it has] no place for the meek, the end is ever drawing nigh; There'll [there will, there shall] be no paddle up your creek, just heavy loads and water high.
CLUE 6:
If you've [you have] been wise and found the blaze, look quickly down, your quest to cease, but tarry scant with marvel gaze, just take the chest and go in peace.
CLUE 7:
So why is it that I must go and leave my trove for all to seek? The answers I already know, I've [I have] done it tired, and now I'm [I am] weak.
CLUE 8:
So hear me all and listen good, your effort will be worth the cold.
CLUE 9:
If you are brave and in the wood I give you title to the gold.
Over time I may continue to adjust how the clues line up as I continue to solve the poem, but for now, that is the nine clues as I am seeing them.
As I have gone alone in there and with my treasures bold, I can keep my secret where, and hint of riches new and old.
CLUE 2:
Begin it where warm waters halt and take it in the canyon down,
CLUE 3:
Not far, but too far to walk.
CLUE 4:
Put in below the home of Brown.
CLUE 5:
From there it's [it is, it has] no place for the meek, the end is ever drawing nigh; There'll [there will, there shall] be no paddle up your creek, just heavy loads and water high.
CLUE 6:
If you've [you have] been wise and found the blaze, look quickly down, your quest to cease, but tarry scant with marvel gaze, just take the chest and go in peace.
CLUE 7:
So why is it that I must go and leave my trove for all to seek? The answers I already know, I've [I have] done it tired, and now I'm [I am] weak.
CLUE 8:
So hear me all and listen good, your effort will be worth the cold.
CLUE 9:
If you are brave and in the wood I give you title to the gold.
Over time I may continue to adjust how the clues line up as I continue to solve the poem, but for now, that is the nine clues as I am seeing them.
A Word that is Key
In Jenny's six questions on Feb. 4, 2014:
"It is interesting to know that a great number of people are out there searching. Many are giving serious thought to the clues in my poem, but only a few are in tight focus with a word that is key. The treasure may be discovered sooner than I anticipated."
A word that is key.
Key.
It turns out there are nine (9) synonyms for "key" in the poem:
As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.
Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.
From there it’s no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There’ll be no paddle up your creek,
Just heavy loads and water high.
If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,
Look quickly down, your quest to cease,
But tarry scant with marvel gaze,
Just take the chest and go in peace.
So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
The answers I already know,
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.
So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood
I give you title to the gold.
NINE WORDS THAT ARE "KEY"
Secret + hint + put in + draw + heavy + load + answers + hear + cold
Secret hint put in drawing heavy load answers hear cold.
The drawing with no connection within the book, The Thrill of the Chase:
"It is interesting to know that a great number of people are out there searching. Many are giving serious thought to the clues in my poem, but only a few are in tight focus with a word that is key. The treasure may be discovered sooner than I anticipated."
A word that is key.
Key.
It turns out there are nine (9) synonyms for "key" in the poem:
As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.
Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.
From there it’s no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There’ll be no paddle up your creek,
Just heavy loads and water high.
If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,
Look quickly down, your quest to cease,
But tarry scant with marvel gaze,
Just take the chest and go in peace.
So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
The answers I already know,
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.
So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood
I give you title to the gold.
NINE WORDS THAT ARE "KEY"
Secret + hint + put in + draw + heavy + load + answers + hear + cold
Secret hint put in drawing heavy load answers hear cold.
The drawing with no connection within the book, The Thrill of the Chase:
Saturday, June 3, 2017
It
Clue 1 is what it is
Clue 2 is where it is
Clue 3 is where you begin it (where warm waters halt) and you take it in the canyon down
There are also five instances of it in the poem:
Begin it where warm waters halt
Take it in the canyon down
From there it's no place for the meek
So why is it that I must go
I've done it tired
Clue 2 is where it is
Clue 3 is where you begin it (where warm waters halt) and you take it in the canyon down
There are also five instances of it in the poem:
Begin it where warm waters halt
Take it in the canyon down
From there it's no place for the meek
So why is it that I must go
I've done it tired
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Where is the Treasure?
“There isn't a human trail in very close proximity to where I hid the treasure.” f
Later, when asked for clarification, Fenn answered:
Dear Mr. Fenn,
You once wrote: “There isn’t a human trail in very close proximity to where I hid the treasure.” You also once wrote: “And in close proximity were stone projectiles and crudely made hand axes that could have been 30,000 years old.”
Can you clarify for us your definitions of “close proximity” and “very close proximity?” (e.g. 10 feet, 50 feet, 100 feet, 500 feet, etc.?)
Thanks, Milan
It’s not that easy Milan. Are you asking me to carry a caliper in my pocket? Each “close proximity” is different, relative, and site-specific, as you pointed out. So I can’t answer your question. To an ant a mud puddle can be like an ocean. f
There isn't [is not] a human trail in very close proximity to where I hid the treasure.
The automatic assumption is that Fenn is telling us there is no trail near the hiding spot. But if we use the method of the 'word that is key' to define what Fenn is saying, here is what we get:
Not = no
No = dissent, decline, negative, nothing, refusal, opposite, not by any means
Human = person, imperfect, errant, frail, faulty, gentle, natural, practical, uncertain, weak
Trail = course, stream, dangle, shadow, path, linger, shadow
So, while Fenn has misdirected us with words, what he did really say is that there IS a declining, weak path in close proximity to his hiding spot for the treasure.
Close = near, adjacent, adjoining, neighbor, warm, bordering on, joining, border, matching
Proximity = relation, area, territory, surroundings, vicinity, contiguity, contact, region
It's interesting that contiguity is a synonym of proximity - Fenn has said the clues are contiguous, so let's see what we get from that word:
Contiguity = touch, close, hit, nearness, adjacent, familiarity, locality, tract, region
So, taken together, we're looking for a faint/weakly defined trail, perhaps one that is used infrequently, but remains visible, even if difficult to see...it is declining, so either going down in elevation or getting narrow along the way, and it is bordering the area of where the chest is hidden, or joining that area in some way.
Later, when asked for clarification, Fenn answered:
Dear Mr. Fenn,
You once wrote: “There isn’t a human trail in very close proximity to where I hid the treasure.” You also once wrote: “And in close proximity were stone projectiles and crudely made hand axes that could have been 30,000 years old.”
Can you clarify for us your definitions of “close proximity” and “very close proximity?” (e.g. 10 feet, 50 feet, 100 feet, 500 feet, etc.?)
Thanks, Milan
It’s not that easy Milan. Are you asking me to carry a caliper in my pocket? Each “close proximity” is different, relative, and site-specific, as you pointed out. So I can’t answer your question. To an ant a mud puddle can be like an ocean. f
There isn't [is not] a human trail in very close proximity to where I hid the treasure.
The automatic assumption is that Fenn is telling us there is no trail near the hiding spot. But if we use the method of the 'word that is key' to define what Fenn is saying, here is what we get:
Not = no
No = dissent, decline, negative, nothing, refusal, opposite, not by any means
Human = person, imperfect, errant, frail, faulty, gentle, natural, practical, uncertain, weak
Trail = course, stream, dangle, shadow, path, linger, shadow
So, while Fenn has misdirected us with words, what he did really say is that there IS a declining, weak path in close proximity to his hiding spot for the treasure.
Close = near, adjacent, adjoining, neighbor, warm, bordering on, joining, border, matching
Proximity = relation, area, territory, surroundings, vicinity, contiguity, contact, region
It's interesting that contiguity is a synonym of proximity - Fenn has said the clues are contiguous, so let's see what we get from that word:
Contiguity = touch, close, hit, nearness, adjacent, familiarity, locality, tract, region
So, taken together, we're looking for a faint/weakly defined trail, perhaps one that is used infrequently, but remains visible, even if difficult to see...it is declining, so either going down in elevation or getting narrow along the way, and it is bordering the area of where the chest is hidden, or joining that area in some way.
Unlocking the Clues
“Many have given serious thought to the clues in the poem but only a few are in tight focus with a word that is key.”
Serious = deliberate, thoughtful, significant, skillful, thorough, critical
Thought = attention, thinking, understanding, concentration, care
Clues = suggestion, hint, proof, solution, idea, cue, definition
Tight = narrow, solid, strong, close, compact, familiar, constant
Focus = target, heart, center, adjust, core, gist, compact, converge
Key = access, entry, answer, legend, base, central, primary, crucial, telling
Deliberate attention to definitions of familiar words you adjust to get the gist of where they converge for the answer.
Forrest Fenn is a wordsmith, he used words to hide the answers to the clues in the poem, and now you have to use words to unlock those clues to reveal the answers!
Serious = deliberate, thoughtful, significant, skillful, thorough, critical
Thought = attention, thinking, understanding, concentration, care
Clues = suggestion, hint, proof, solution, idea, cue, definition
Tight = narrow, solid, strong, close, compact, familiar, constant
Focus = target, heart, center, adjust, core, gist, compact, converge
Key = access, entry, answer, legend, base, central, primary, crucial, telling
Deliberate attention to definitions of familiar words you adjust to get the gist of where they converge for the answer.
Forrest Fenn is a wordsmith, he used words to hide the answers to the clues in the poem, and now you have to use words to unlock those clues to reveal the answers!
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Forrest Fenn has told us that the poem is a "map". MAP: appearance, face, globe, layout, blueprint, plan, representation, draw... -
Stories in the order that they appear: Supplemental Punishment - Forrest's father assigns him the dishes as punishment, and Forrest s...
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In the above video, there are a few quotes worth reviewing; they begin at 10:34. "You're not going to find the treasure un...
