Sophie’s World

So here it is. At last. The no doubt much-anticipated part III of the Murder and Mayhem Series: Jack the Ripper.

121 years ago, Jack hung around Whitechapel, ridding the world of prostitutes. 5 murders have been attributed to him - grotesque murders, but still “only” 5. Judging by the number alone, Jack seems a bit of an amateur among serial killers. Yet he is the most famous of them all. Probably because he was never discovered. Material for myths, urban legends, conspiracy theories and plot for a good number of novels. Various theories as to his identity has been put forward, most famously in the Jack the Ripper Diaries and Patricia Cornwell’s Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case Closed.

On this chilly February evening, Whitechapel seems sanitized and a bit dull. The only interesting building I can see is the relatively modern landmark known as the Gherkin (also known by other more colourfully descriptive terms). It takes a pretty big leap of the imagination to picture a man sneaking around here, slashing up prostitutes. It’s all slightly disappointing. Until Jason begins to elaborate; thus underlining the importance of a good story teller.

Picture if you will, Whitehall in late summer of 1888. A crowded slum with the most abject living conditions. 15 - 20 % of London’s then 4.5 million inhabitants living in an area of about 1.5 square miles. That’s about 900 000 people! Though only a mile from the City of London, it’s a different world. A lawless world.

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Apologize for being a bit slow with part III of the London Murder and Mayhem through 700 Years-series. More pressing assignments had to take priority.

Meanwhile - tomorrow is 17 May, which means plenty if you’re Norwegian; less if you’re not. Here’s what we’ll be up tomorrow up here in the northern world.

Leaving the bridges -  but not the river quite yet -  we come to Wapping (in present day Docklands), known for several centuries as Execution Dock. This is where pirates were strung up after sentencing by the Admiralty court. One who ... [Continue reading this entry]

For years, I've wanted to do one of those Jack the Ripper-walking tours and on my last visit to London, I managed to fit it in. It turned out to be more of a "700 years of London Criminal History"-walk, ... [Continue reading this entry]

On a late February Friday night, this is what I ‘m doing: Drinking milk shake. Now I’m sure I could have been doing much more interesting things. But the possibilities seem a bit, well, civilized and contemporary, compared ... [Continue reading this entry]