tears when we see the documentaries of him, or read the books about him. This is the gift of Immortality that we bestow upon Freddie - the Immortality of remembrance, for in our hearts and minds we make him live: possible only because he gave his soul to each of us to treasure and be uplifted through his music and his life.

Born to be Kings...

"...believe that no-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away - until the clock has he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment,.... The span of someone's life, ..., is only the core of their actual existence." (Terry Pratchett, "Reaper Man", Corgi 1994)

In much the same way, the parent gains immortality through the child, and generations that carry on the family, carry on the memory and imprint of the ancestor, again creating an immortality. When the person is one who has given a gift of themselves to thousands or millions of people, the ripples of that life become encompassing and the person gains the status of semi-divinity, or hero. In this way, ancient cultures from the earliest Babylonian and Sumerian writings, through all other cultures to our modern days a heroic, 'demigod' status is granted to beings whose exploits in whatever field have gained them wide-spread immortality. The early kings became heroes as the