The Case for Bismuth

[kishmond]

Hello! I just finished what I can honestly say is the best archive binge I've ever had and I came here to point something out that my amateur geologist's mind picked up on.

Pure bismuth crystals are one of my favorite kinds of minerals, and we've seen that the Court is kind of centered around the bismuth theme. Here is a picture of my sample. That's a paperclip in the foreground.



As soon as I learned that the Taurus-like symbols I've been seeing everywhere was the alchemical sign for bismuth, I started to see some similarities.

Some facts about bismuth crystals that reinforce parallels to Gunnerkrigg Court:

-Looks kind of labyrinthine, don't you think? Not dissimilar to the court itself? Lots of right angles.

-This kind of crystal doesn't occur naturally. It must be grown at home or in a lab.

-Grown, as if from a seed, perhaps?

What does this entail? I have no idea, it's just something to think about.

[Georgie L]

the court is actually a giant piece of bismuth?

it be a metaphor I guess.

[anaklusmos]

Ooh, I never noticed that.
Maybe it's something Tom planned and we'll all just have to find out.

[thereisnosaurus]

interestingly, some of the court designs appear to feature that kind of ribbed-sharp cornered patterning on the sample (thinking spell/computer effects mostly) I wonder if that was deliberate