On An Island There Is A Celebrated Monster That Devours People

When I was a kid, the only hymn, I liked was: 

When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,
For God and for valour he rode through the land.

No charger have I, and no sword by my side,
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.

Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
'Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;
And let me set free with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.

This hymn stirred me and made me wonder about all the heroes of the world. Where have they all gone? Well... they have not gone anywhere. It is in us all, but some will explore that to the limit. Many of us do not have that courage or perhaps feel it should not be spent too lightly. There is a huge grey area concerning such things. However, I can't help admiring some of these people who endeavour or fail and at great risk. 

Knights from Around the world battle the compelling monster

Upon our ancient Isles there is a much celebrated monster. This monster devours people and many like to be devoured and spat out again by this monster. Many of us watch excitedly, though most years there seems to be someone that gets devoured for good - a competitor that perishes and leaves our world. These are the road knights that do not come out of the monster. It is that danger that makes the monster the compelling and evocative thing it is. 

It is not among the usual nations of the Isles. Not Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland, but upon a smaller island between Ireland and Britain and in the Irish sea between Liverpool and Belfast. This grand monster devours heroes and heroes go to the island to be devoured by the compelling lure of this monster. Heroes come from all over the world to pit their wits against the monster before spectators that are equally aghast by the dream chasers. Almost every year lives are lost to the monster, yet still we love this sport and celebrate those who pay the ultimate price in pursuit of this compelling quest.

It is, of course, the Isle of Man TT. A motor racing sport that has a circuit around the island and is not confound by formula one racing rules. The Isle of Man TT is unique and beckons to knights from all over our world to come and try their hand. This monster race is a magnet for all the knights and cowboys that still live in our world. Those that would skim the edge of death at high speed motorbike racing, where rules and red tape are kept to a minimum.

For Gary Hubble killed at Isle of Man TT 2014 and all those who have gone before him to the grand monster of the small island of Man.