Margaret Lanterman

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Margaret Lanterman, better known as the Log Lady, is a fictional character in the television series Twin Peaks (1990-1991), created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. The character makes semi-regular appearances in both seasons, and is played by Catherine E. Coulson, who also very briefly reprised the role for a single scene in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

A former ballroom dancing teacher, the Log Lady is a fixture in the town of Twin Peaks by the time of Laura Palmer's murder, but most residents regard her as at least a bit crazy. This is due in no small part to her eccentric appearance of always carrying a small log in her arms, in which she seems to share a psychic connection, often dispensing advice and visions of clairvoyance which she claims come from the log itself.

Although Margaret's birthday is not known, she is a Libra. She is particularly fond of bear claws and sticky pitch gum. In the final episodes she revealed that she had a secret lover named B Moody; no further details were ever revealed.

When the series was syndicated to Bravo, Lynch created new Log Lady introductions for each episode. They range in length from under a minute to about three minutes, and are very cryptic.

[edit] History

[edit] Conceptual history

According to David Lynch, the Log Lady was an old idea of his, where he had intended to do a television series based around the character called "I'll test my log with every branch of knowledge". The idea came about whilst working alongside Catherine Coulson on the set of Lynch's directorial debut, Eraserhead.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History within the series and feature film

Some time before the events of the series, it is revealed that the Log Lady's husband was a lumberjack who died in a fire on their wedding night decades before. (The Log Lady later says that her husband "met the devil"), Nothing is revealed of her husband beyond this, save for that at some point before he died, her husband returned from a trip to Glastonbury Grove (which served as an access point to the metaphysical realms of both the White and Black Lodges) with a jar of mysterious oil, which he claimed was for "opening a gateway."

Thus, it is if often theorized by the series' fanbase that Margaret's husband had a sort of undefined connection to the Black Lodge, and lives on as a spirit in the log - communicating psychic messages to his widow.^{[citation needed]}

On February 18th, 1989, five days before Laura Palmer is murdered, Margaret briefly encounters Laura outside the local roadhouse, the Bang Bang Bar. Putting her hand to the log and then the stunned Laura's forehead, Margaret intones: "When this kind of fire starts, it is very hard to put out. The tender boughs of innocence burn first, and the wind rises, and then all goodness is in jeopardy." She then walks away leaving Laura digesting the meaning behind her words, which to some degree suggest the Log Lady was aware of Laura's conflict with Bob.

On the night Laura is murdered, Margaret later claims "my log" witnessed "two men, two girls" both approaching Jacques Renault's cabin - which is located a distance away from her own cabin home in the woods. And then, not long after, she alleges the log heard the screams of a girl.

The Log Lady first comes to the attention of FBI Agent Dale Cooper at a town meeting on February 24th - the day after Laura Palmer's murder, which Cooper is investigating. She later approaches Cooper in the Double R Diner, who is clearly skeptical at her claim "my log saw something that night."

Four days later, Cooper arrives at the Log Lady's cabin alongside Sheriff Truman, Doc Hayward, and Deputy Hawk. Cooper is now more open to the log's power following his questioning (perhaps also noting the local men's reverence for the Log Lady's knowledge).

The Log Lady also provides advice to the other townspeople, most notably an other-worldly message she tells Major Briggs to deliver to Cooper, and it is strongly implied, to Donna Hayward in a note mentioning Laura's involvement in the Meals-On-Wheels.

She also guides Cooper to the Bang Bang Bar to see a vision of the Giant on the stage to hear his words: "It is happening again," a reference to Maddy Ferguson's murder, which was occurring at the same time.)

During the disastrous Miss Twin Peaks Pageant, the Log Lady is impersonated in a bizarre disguise by the insane former FBI Agent Windom Earle, who is seeking to abduct the winning girl to help provide the means to enter the Black Lodge. When Cooper, Truman and the sheriff's deputies later regroup at the Sheriff's Station in a desperate move to learn Earle's location following his abduction of Annie Blackburn, the Log Lady also arrives. She then presents Cooper with the jar of oil her husband retrieved from Glastonbury Grove. (Thereby, providing Cooper with the means to enter the Black Lodge).