So. For a long time, we all thought The Garden (and Stone) was the source of all immortality in the Neath, and was chock-full of life and fruit and all of those lovely things. In a meta sense, it was also clearly inspired by the biblical Garden of Eden, even going so far as to be called Eden on occasion, as well as other creation mythologies with gardens. But in a recent revelation, in the Bishop of Saint Fiacre’s Evolution ending he shows us that The Garden still has death and decay. But the Garden of Eden isn’t the only place in the Bible constantly referred to as The Garden. There is also the Garden that Jesus is buried in after his death, and found in after his eventual resurrection. So what if the Fallen London Garden isn’t just an expy of Eden, but instead a combination of both biblical capital-G Gardens? A place not only of life and death, but rebirth. This would also explain just why the Bishop is so desperate to get to The Garden, even more so than others of his kind. He wants to be “ressurected” so to speak, as something other than he is, which I believe was his motivation in Flint.
Just a theory I wanted to share. As a disclaimer I haven’t played Flint or much other stuff with the Bishop or Mountain lore, so if I missed something huge then feel free to enlighten me.
An interesting theory to be sure!
Have you heard the story of Gilgamesh? At one point he makes a perilous journey though the cave that is the path of the sun (so he has to hurry and get through before nightfall), in order to meet his uncle who lives on the other side. His uncle is the only mortal (well, along with his wife) to have been granted immortality by the gods, who felt bad about causing the Great Flood.
So, Gilgamesh exists the cave and finds himself in a place of incredible light. The Garden, from which all rivers flow and all life came. There, he meets with his uncle Utnapishtim, (and possibly some gods, I forget), and learns that his goal of living forever is impossible; his immortality will have to come in some other way.
In the story, that’s the city he built, Uruk. Today, it’s the story itself. The oldest one we know.
Anyhow, he went on to run a hotel and annoy insomniacs, while his uncle passes the time with far more menial tasks. And juice-making.
In Judeo-Christian terms, Utnapishtim is both Noah and Enoch. The Ark-builder and the man who never dies.
I wish I remembered Flint better. It was so long ago.