Este sería el primer libro de una trilogía que espero poder completar esta semana. El argumento del libro es libre, que cada uno imagine su historia, eso si, con un final feliz, eh?

 

Para Lío de Fotos: Lecturas de verano

It was taken in an early morning under a bridge, inside a flower market of Howrah, India, the biggest flower market in Asia. This place had a good light here. So, I waited for pictures with some of my friends. While taking a few, I found myself in front of two people having some arguments over some matter and they did not notice me at all, I guess. I found the scene intriguing with the person in foreground in dark and how it was directing naturally towards the person in the middle and I liked the other person’s expression even more. I placed myself quietly towards them and clicked one photograph and left the spot almost immediately and stood at a distance! It was quite fun for me as well as challenging regarding their reaction if they spotted me!

"Running is nothing more than a series of arguments between the part of your brain that wants to stop and the part that wants to keep going."

 

Ok, Jon....best I could do on short notice! Sorry for the poor quality... taken with my phone, with not enough light, after my evening run with the Meekster!

 

I haven't quit. I have gotten to the point where I don't want to quit with the first step on the pavement. I have gotten to the point where I can consistently run 2 miles without stopping. I don't hate it anymore. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. Dayna told me that I don't have the mental toughness to run. That's pretty much all I needed to hear. I don't do well with people telling me that I can't do something. I'll probably never run that half marathon.... unless of course, you tell me that I can't... and then it's a whole new ballgame! ; )

 

(Oh....F&PITS .... Feet and Paws in the Shot!)

Please Right Click and select "Open link in new

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDB5gbtaEQ

 

The Argument - Monty Python

 

no, it's not about a parrot

 

Two Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) having an aerial argument over the creek that feeds Herring Cove south of Ketchikan, Alaska.

A Picture Everyday: 42

 

Today I was up at 6am to catch up the sunrise light. Cold and rainy day though. Sky was all grey from where I was. But from my window I could see that in the east, where the sun rises, the clouds were a bit more fragmented, so I went to the beach cause it was the only place I could actually catch some good pictures. By the time I got there it really opened up for a second. 10 minutes later sky was all grey again.

 

If you see close enough, around that "fire ball" it totally looks like the profile of 2 faces argueing with a weird little creature. The first looks a person, the second looks a disfigurated skull. Tell me if you can see it or otherwise I might do a little sketch over on a close up because it's pretty cool.

It's easy to pick holes in the legend of Thomas the Rhymer. Many of the references to him and his predictions were written centuries after his death, but folklore is not necessarily unreliable just because it's verbal, and there's a good argument that in this case, where there's smoke there may once have been fire!

 

The problem is that the historical reality of True Thomas has been almost completely submerged in the tidal wave of myth and legend that has grown up around him over the centuries since. While it seems reasonable to dismiss the story that he "disappeared for seven years to live with the Queen of Elfland and returned to Ercildoune with the gift of prophecy", there are plenty of predictions attributed to him that may either be genuine or may have contained some degree of truth.

 

Popular lore recounts that he prophesied some of the great events in Scottish history, including the death of Alexander III of Scotland in 1286. He is said to have told the Earl of Dunbar:

 

"On the morrow, afore noon, shall blow the greatest wind that ever was heard before in Scotland."

 

There having been no significant change in the weather by the time his lordship sat down for his lunch the following day, a "please explain" was sent to Thomas, who replied that the appointed hour had not yet come, shortly after which, news arrived from Fife of the king's death.

 

Another of the Rhymer's predictions is said to go like this:

 

"When the Yowes o' Gowrie come to land,

The Day o' Judgment's near at hand"

 

A "Yowe" in the country parts of Scotland, is a ewe and the Yowes of Gowrie were two large rounded ovine looking rocks in the Tay estuary, just off the shore from Invergowrie, close to the outlet of the Fowlis Burn. Why and how should two large rocks ever come ashore you might well wonder? Well they had been observed over a period of many years to be getting slowly but surely closer to the shoreline! Or to be more precise, the shoreline was getting closer to them! Then in the 19th century they finally did come ashore. The Dundee to Perth railway line was built along that part of the coast line, seemingly just offshore of the yowes, after which the area to landward of the railway was used as a rubbish dump - supposedly burying the yowes in the process. So technically the yowes have "come to land", without triggering the Day of Judgement, although there are parts of Dundee where it probably can't come soon enough!

 

Perhaps my favourite of the Rhymer's prophecies, concerns Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire. He is said to have said:

 

"Fyvie, Fyvie thou'se never thrive,

lang's there's in thee stanes three :

There's ane intill the highest tower,

There's ane intill the ladye's bower,

There's ane aneath the water-yett,

And thir three stanes ye'se never get."

 

What does that mean when translated loosely into understandable English?

 

It is believed that there were three special stones at Fyvie - weeping stones. They remained permanently damp, whatever the weather and the whereabouts of two of them are unknown. The Rhymer's prediction is interpreted as meaning that until all three were located, no eldest son would succeed to his father at Fyvie. The 'Ladye's bower' is the castle's charter room, and the one surviving stone is kept there to this day. Whether there is another one built into the castles 'highest tower', nobody seems to know, but the biggest problem is the one said to be underneath the water-gate. This would place it in the River Ythan, which runs around the castle, and trying to identify a damp stone is a river is of course a difficult task!

 

So what about the prediction, that no oldest son would inherit? I have known this story, without questioning it, for most of my life, having been solemnly told that indeed, no eldest son had ever inherited the castle. But in the interests of science, I though I would spend some time now trying to find out whether that's true!

 

Fyvie was originally (before the time of the Rhymer a royal castle. We know that King Alexander II signed charters here in February 1222 and The Bruce stayed here in the early years of the 14th century. Since then, it has been owned by five families - the Prestons, the Meldrums, the Setons, the Gordons and the Forbes-Leiths.

 

Actually, technically, there were six families! In 1370, King Robert II granted Fyvie to his son and heir John (later Robert III), who in turn passed the castle to his cousin, Sir James Lindsay. However, in 1388 the Scots had a rare victory over the English at the Battle of Otterburn, during which Ralph de Percy was captured by Sir Henry Preston, the brother-in-law of Sir James Lindsay. When Robert III came to the throne two years later in 1390 he purchased the rights to Ralph de Percy's ransom by transferring ownership of Fyvie Castle from Sir James Lindsay to Sir Henry Preston. This would seem rather unfair, although I imagine Sir James would have been adequately compensated, but it does of course set the prophesy off in the right direction - Sir James' heir never inherited Fyvie!

 

So leaving Sir James Lyndsay to one side, the first effective owner of Fyvie in the post royal era, was Sir Henry Preston. When he died around the year 1433, he wasn't succeeded by his son, because he didn't have any! Fyvie went to Sir Alexander Meldrum of that ilk, who had married one of Sir Henry's two daughters.

 

Fyvie remained in the hands of the Meldrums for about 160 years, passing through the hands of several (probably five) generations of the family, but as we don't know the genealogy of this part of the Meldrum family, we can't say whether an eldest son ever inherited. Probably yes, but the accuracy of the prophesy can't be disproved! In 1596, Fyvie was sold by the Meldrums to Alexander Seton, later Chancellor of Scotland.

 

Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline and Chancellor of Scotland, was born in 1555. His first wife, to whom he was already married when he bought Fyvie, was Lillias Drummond and after producing five children for him, all girls, it is said that Lord Seton, blaming his wife for the lack of a son and heir, began an affair with her cousin (and future wife) Grizel Leslie. Betrayed and heartbroken Lillias died not long after learning of the affair, .

 

Lillias Drummond died in May 1601 and Lord Seton married Grizel Leslie a few months later in October 1601. On their wedding night at Fyvie it is said that they were both distracted by a 'mournful moaning' from outside their bedroom window. A search for the source of the noises produced no results but the next morning the words D. LILLIAS DRUMMOND were found carved into the stone sill outside their bedroom window, in letters three inches high and upside down, the window being over 50 feet above ground level. The letters remain visible to this day and since that time, Fyvie Castle is said to have been haunted by a lady in green, roaming the corridors of the castle, crying at her betrayal by her husband and leaving behind the scent of Rose petals!

 

How much of that is true, I don’t know, but what is true is that before her death in 1606, Grizel Leslie produced two daughters and a son Charles, and that Charles died young! It was up to Lord Seton's third wife to produce his successor, another Charles.

 

The eldest son and heir of Charles Seton, 2nd Earl of Dunfermline, also named Charles, died in 1672, just before his father! Alexander, the 2nd son became 3rd Earl of Dunfermline, but dying unmarried, the title passed to his brother James.

 

James Seton, 4th Earl of Dunfermline, died in 1694, also unmarried - which was somewhat immaterial because, having supported the Jacobite cause in the 1689 Rising, his castle and estate had already been confiscated by the crown. Fyvie remained a crown property until it was sold in 1733.

 

The purchaser in 1733 was William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen. His wife at the time was Anne Gordon, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Gordon and their eldest son William inherited Fyvie from his father. But those that have read this far and are hoping the Rhymer's prophesy will hold true will be delighted to learn that Lord William Gordon had already been married, twice and had two sons by his 2nd wife. So once again, the eldest son and heir didn't inherit Fyvie.

 

General William Gordon, 1st of Fyvie died in 1816 when, unfortunately for Thomas the Rhymer, who now can never be taken seriously again, was succeeded by his only son William Gordon, 2nd of Fyvie Castle. He died without children in 1847, whereupon Fyvie passed to his nephew, Charles Gordon 3rd of Fyvie.

 

When the 3rd laird died in 1851, Fyvie passed to his son and heir, for the 2nd (and last) time that we know of in five centuries, William Cosmo Gordon. Either he or his executors put Fyvie up for sale and it sold in 1889 to the 5th and last family to own it.

 

Fyvie's new owner was Alexander John Forbes-Leith, later 1st Baron Leith of Fyvie. He was a local boy who had made his fortune in the steel industry in the US of A and used Fyvie to house his huge collection of paintings, tapestries, armour and furniture. His only son and heir, Percy Forbes-Leith, 2nd Lt Royal Dragoons, was killed aged 19 in 1900 during the Boer War.

 

In 1982 Fyvie Castle was once again placed on the market, and in 1984 it was purchased by the National Trust for Scotland.

 

So could Thomas the Rhymer predict the future? Well it's my belief he could do so every bit as accurately as Nostradamus!

Tony and I are quietly listening to the new Soundgarden album. None of us has spoken a word since our argument. I understand what Tony’s getting at, but he doesn’t understand what it takes for me to continue this crusade. He has never lost a parent before. It’s not even my crusade! My grandfather started this and my father expects me to continue his legacy. My trail of thought gets disturbed by the ringing of the phone. Tony gets up to answer.

 

Tony: “This is Tony Morales speaking.”

 

O’Hare: “Mister Morales. This is Detective O’Hare from the Opal City Police Department.

 

Tony: “Hello Detective, how can I help you?”

 

Tony’s face changes to a surprised look as he looks at me. I give him a confused look back.

 

O’Hare: “You live with Jack Knight, correct?”

 

Tony: “Yes, that’s correct.”

 

O’Hare: “Can I speak with him? It’s incredibly urgent.”

 

Tony: “Yeah he’s here. Just give me a sec.”

 

I signal to Tony who that is and he puts his hand on the horn.

 

Tony: “It’s Detective O’Hare. He says it’s urgent.”

 

“O’Hare? As in William O’Hare? He’s a friend of my dad. Was his contact within the police department during his time as Starman. He probably just wants to know where my father is so they can meet up again. I heard he was going to retire in a week or so.”

 

Tony: “I don’t know man. Why not ask him yourself?”

 

He hands me the horn and walks over to the kitchen.

 

“Jack speaking.”

 

O’Hare: “Jack. It’s William O’Hare. Listen to me carefully. I need you to come to Opal Central Hospital immediately.”

 

“What? Opal Central Hospital? Why?”

 

O’Hare: “It’s- It’s your father. He was involved in an explosion at the Welness Retirement Home for the sick and elderly. He’s still alive, but in critical condition. Get here as fast as you can.”

 

As the detective explains to me what happened I freeze up. I don’t know what to say. I drop the horn and I fall on my knees and yell out in anguish. Tony comes rushing into the living room and sits next to me on the ground.

 

Tony: “Hey, hey! What did he say? What happened?”

 

“Tony. It’s my dad. I have to get to Opal Central as fast as I can.”

 

Tony: “Get up. We’ll take my car.”

 

As Tony says that I eye the Cosmic Staff in the corner of the room.

 

“There’s no time.”

 

I jump up, put on my jacket and grab the staff. Before Tony can say anything I fly out of the window at a speed I didn’t even know I could reach. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening! I reach the hospital in a matter of minutes and near the front door Detective O’Hare is waiting for me.

 

“Where is he?”

 

O’Hare: “Jack, take it easy-”

 

“WHERE IS HE?!”

 

I’m trembling on my legs. At this point I’m using the staff as a cane to keep me standing. I got taken back by the raise in my voice. I rarely yelled that loud. Especially not against a police detective. It looks like he’s surprised too, but he puts a hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eyes.

 

“I- I’m sorry, Detective.”

 

O’Hare: “It’s alright, kid. Your father’s in surgery now. The nurses won’t tell anything if his condition is increasing or decreasing. All we can do is wait now. I’m so terribly sorry you have to go through this right now, but know that I’m here for you.”

 

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

 

O’Hare: “Come. Let’s take a seat inside.”

 

As we walk through the hallways of the hospital, people keep staring at me. I don’t know what does it. Maybe it’s my leather jacket. Maybe it’s my shoes. Maybe it’s the glowing bo-staff I’m carrying with me. Who knows. Everyone must probably be wondering. Why the heck is Starman in the hospital and why does he look so miserable? He probably got hurt during a big fight or something. If only they knew…

 

William and I take a seat in the hallway next to the operating room. Seconds feel like minutes. Minutes feel like hours. Time is just going so incredibly slow. Both me and the Detective keep silent until the doctor comes out of the operating room. Both me and William almost jump to our feet.

 

O’Hare: “Doctor Cross. How did it go?”

 

Cross: “I got good news and bad news.”

 

O’Hare: “What’s the good news?”

 

Cross: “We managed to stabilize him. He’s going to be alright but he needs to recover for a long time.”

 

“And the bad news?”

 

I couldn’t get it out of my mouth. I didn’t want to know the answer. Dad was fine! That’s all I wanted to hear. Just not what I needed to hear. I needed to hear everything.

 

Cross: “The bad news is, is that a piece of the debris was lodged into his spine. At that age he got lucky he didn’t die. He will, however, never walk again.”

 

I didn’t know what to say. Dad was fine, but somehow he wasn’t. He was never going to walk again.

 

“Can I see him?”

 

Cross: “He won’t be waking up any time soon. He still needs to rest from the surgery.”

 

“It’s okay. I just want to see him.”

 

Cross: “Understandable. He’s in room 26.”

 

O’Hare: “Do you want me to come with you?”

 

“No, thank you. I just want to be alone with him for a moment.”

 

William nods and I head to room 26. I open the door and I see him lying unconscious in a hospital bed. No breathing apparatus are needed from the looks of it so his lungs haven’t been damaged. I stand next to his bed still holding the Cosmic Staff.

 

“This damned staff…”

 

I throw the staff to the other side of the room and tears fill my eyes. That damned staff is what caused all of this!

 

“I don’t want to be a hero! I don’t want to lose what I have left! I DON’T WANT TO LOSE MY FATHER LIKE I LOST MY MOTHER! THAT STUPID FUCKING STAFF!”

 

At that point Detective O’Hare and Doctor Cross enter the room. They find me crying next to my father’s bed. William puts his hand on my shoulder again and Doctor Cross grabs the staff from the ground. I take a minute to calm down.

 

“Detective. The explosion happened in the Welness Retirement Home, right?”

 

O’Hare: “Yes. Why?”

 

I stand up and take the Cosmic Staff from Doctor Cross. I wipe my tears away and stare William in the eyes.

 

“Take me there.”

 

Belching Lamentable Arguments.

 

Mae cymdogion anhygoel yn ymladd yn erbyn tystiolaeth tybio bod casgliadau syllogistig rhesymau eithafol yn dadleuon canolradd datganiadau addysgu,

dialética significa oposições conhecimento objeções universais contrários conclusões do objeto da premissa evidências claras probabilidades demonstrativas,

ταυτόχρονες αριθμοί που αντιστοιχούν σε σημεία μετατρέψιμα ανταγόμενα προερχόμενα όροι μεμονωμένοι φυσικοί τρόποι ομιλίας διδάγματα απαραίτητα χαρακτηριστικά,

quaestio de demonstrationibus negativis analyticam scientiam scientiarum documentis colligitur mora confixione ponuntur partes coniecturam causalibus,

Aussprachendefinitionen irrtümliche Elemente unbestimmte Wahrheiten bestimmte Abteilungen Lernlösungen präzise Lernqualifikationen posterior Sinne,

arguments mathématiques matières essentielles raisonnement dialectique énonciation enseignante hypothèse sensible prémisses primaires affirmant l'existence,

一義的な四角形を把握することは、対角の知識をあいまいにしています。進歩を認めています。結論の中の論文は真実を揺るがす永遠の教義.

Steve.D.Hammond.

2 Macaws squabbling in the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore

 

HCS everyone takes photos in zoos

I have often come across other landscape photographers criticising the ‘cliché snapshot’. Oversaturated, lacking in originality and void of subtleties. Now I understand and partly agree with many of the points put forward in their arguments and I personally put quite a bit of effort into trying to avoiding the obvious, (but I’m sure for some, I do massage the wider target audience’s sensibilities from time to time).

 

Now what I find interesting is why some are so upset about this perfectly innocent, totally harmless pursuit of the wow. Surely if it makes somebody happy, the photographer and the audience then its cool, (whatever their taste). But it clearly isn’t and I can only assume that this attitude arises in people in defence of generalised perception of ‘landscape photographers’. Maybe they feel that the wider audiences misunderstand the more peripheral practitioners and there is a kind of popular vortex, attempting to suck them towards the centre. Anyway, the direction I wanted this ramble to explore, was is in partly related to this pull to the centre, even though it’s a tenuous thread.

 

I’ve often thought that when on location I shouldn’t try to think too much and just react to the conditions. Anyway, the other morning on a sunrise I began to let my analytical mind interfere with the way I made images. It was as though the conscious thinking about trying to produce something new, something that was different to the cliché, distorted my flow and gave me a creative block! Ironic I know, but it confirmed a view that I’ve been toying with for some time now. Get as much analysis and reflection done away from the field and when in the field, just rely on your subconscious gut feelings to make use of your past experiences and guide you. If you have done the right amount of reflection, analysis and thinking before (and after) you head into the field, what you like and make your subject will be shaped by this work in a subconscious way. Your style will hopefully shine through!

 

Now I’m not saying this is the correct way to approach making images, and I know that many of you out there have systems that work for you. But for me the next time I go out on a shoot, I intend to leave my frontal hemisphere at home and we shall see what my subconscious comes up with!

    

The Argument - With Chantal and Wyatt

“What’s the key to a healthy relationship?”

“A good argument. Have one early in the day, then make up later in the afternoon."

  

Blog | Facebook

Our English word “happiness” comes from the old Norse word “happ” — this is the same word from which we get our word “happen;” thus happiness is based on what happens to us. So the argument goes like this: if something good is happening, we are happy…if something bad is happening, we are sad. Though that is a fairly accurate understanding of the word “happiness,” that alone is not the only meaning of the word. The word “happy” can also be used to subjectively describe the believer’s joy (Prv 3:18; 29:18; Mt 5:3-12), which is not necessarily dependent upon what “happens” to him. Though some believers have insisted on applying “happy feelings” only to circumstances, and have objected to the use of the word “happy” when translating the beatitudes of Matt 5, that is not what Scripture teaches. Just because the derivation of the word “happy” in English has its orientation in “happ,” does not necessarily limit its usage as such, as any modern dictionary will attest. Scripture tells us that we can indeed be “happy” even in the midst of pain and suffering. Thus to insist that “spiritual joy” and “spiritual happiness” are not equivalents is to engage in meaningless contrarieties that only serve to confuse the reader. The Lord has blessed us with ability to feel & emote, and we honor Him when we appropriately exercise those emotions; it is good for believers to rejoice and be exceeding glad and happy at all times in the Lord (Lk 2:10-11; 6:23; Jn 8:56; Rom 10:15; Rev 19:7). Paul sets “rejoicing” and “being anxious” in juxtaposition to each other in order to contrast their differences (Phil 4:4, 6-7; Mt 6:25-34) — to be anxious is to be joyless. The believer can experience a deep abiding peace and joy in his life regardless of circumstances… he can experience elation that transcends his circumstances… and experience that which is highly pleasing and pleasant in the midst of difficulties and trials — all these emotions are “felt” experiences. When the believer experiences a joyful happiness, there is an absence of anxiety, tension and want in his soul; conversely, when the believer is in a “state of want,” that longing produces a disquieting unrest in his soul, so instead of being at peace and satisfied, he is anxious and restless. Happiness is one of the most misunderstood words in our vocabulary, yet we search for this intangible state our whole lives. If I only had this or that, if I met the right partner, have a big house, a new car, the job I’ve always wanted, then I would be happy. The ancient yoga and spiritual teachings stress that happiness is real only when we let go of seeking material and transient things and discover the lasting joy that is within. Every time we see a giggling baby or young child we’re reminded that we are all born with this natural and innate sense of happiness, that it is actually our birthright. We learn about suffering or unhappiness as we grow older, more externalized, and as circumstances change. We taught a workshop where a number of the participants had lost loved ones in the past years: One had lost her son to AIDS, another had lost her husband, son, and mother all within 12 months, and another’s partner had drowned. Others were dealing with specific illnesses or difficult issues in their lives. What really emerged for everyone was the awareness that their real happiness lies within themselves, that it’s not dependent on someone or something outside of them. They had lost what they had thought of as their source of happiness — a loved one or their health — and now had to look more deeply within themselves. It was a weekend of many “aha” moments!

Here are some of the ways our workshop participants discovered how to feel happy again: 1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. At times of hardship, such as loss or illness, it’s easy to lose your humor and even easier to get involved with the negative aspects of what is happening. Remembering not to take yourself too seriously brings a lightness and acceptance to the weight of circumstance around you. Don’t forget, angels can fly because they take themselves lightly! 2. Don’t identify with suffering, loss, or illness as being who you are. Many of our participants realized how they’d been identifying themselves as a cancer survivor/widow/recovering addict, or whatever it may be, but had not asked who they were without that label or identity. When you don’t identify with the negative issues, then who you really are has a chance to shine. 3. It’s OK to be you, just as you are, warts and all. You may think you’re imperfect, a mess, falling apart, hopeless, or unable to cope. But true perfection is really accepting your imperfections. It is accepting yourself, complete with all the things you like as well as the things you don’t like. In this way you’re not struggling with or rejecting yourself. Each one of is unique, a one-time offer, but we can’t know this if we are facing away from ourselves. 4. Make friends with yourself. Your relationship with yourself is the only one you have that lasts for the whole of your life, and you can be the greatest friend or the worst enemy to yourself. So it’s very important not to emotionally put down or beat yourself up. Just be kind.

5. Feel everything, whatever it may be. When you are suffering, it’s easy to want to deny or repress your feelings, as they get huge and overwhelming. But if you can really honor whatever you are feeling then it’ll bring you closer to the inner happiness beneath the suffering or grief. Acknowledging and making friends with your real feelings is the greatest gift. 6. Forgive yourself. Love yourself. Treasure yourself. These are big steps, but each one liberates the heart and sets you free. You need to forgive yourself for feeling angry, for getting upset, for all things you think you’ve done wrong. They are in the past and who you are now is not who you were then. You can take any guilt or shame by the hand, invite it in for tea, and open yourself to self-forgiveness. 7. Meditate. There is an overwhelming amount of research showing how meditation changes the circuits in the part of the brain associated with contentment and happiness and stimulates the “feel-good” factor. Meditating on love and kindness makes you much, much happier! And the only way to know this is to try it, so don’t hesitate. Can you connect with that place of inner happiness within yourself? Do leave us a comment. You can receive notice of our blogs by checking Become a Fan at the top.

www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-and-deb-shapiro/happiness-tips_...

 

I consider it as a great privilege to start this inspirational conference with a reflection on the Theology of Joy.

What is Joy?Let us begin by asking the question: What is Joy? After all that is the theme of this conference. Give Room for JOY. In other words, Let the Joy Grow – obviously in three

dimensions: towards God, within us and towards others.

Do we all have the same answer to this question: What is Joy?

Is it an idea, emotion, virtue, philosophy, ideal, or something else? There is no commonly agreed definition for it, yet still everyone seems to be selling happiness these days - drug dealers, pharmaceutical companies, Hollywood, Disney, toy

companies, and of course happiness-pedaling gurus.

As a quick survey I asked few of my friends this question: What is Joy? I got different answers – some very tangible and some not so tangible.A Hindu friend defined Joy as something we can sense through our five senses: sight (a

beautiful flower), hearing (a melodious music), taste (a Danish pastry), smell (a special perfume), and feeling (a feather touch).

He further added that Joy can be acquired or achieved through our spiritual discipline or efforts - citing YOGA as an example. In other words, he sees Joy as both sensual and

spiritual. Sri Krishna in a certain discourse in Bhagavad Gita says: Notions of heat and cold, pain and pleasure, are born only of the contact of the senses with their objects. They have a beginning and an end. They are not permanent in their nature. Bear them patiently. (Bhagavad Gita 2.14)

Sri Krishna further says: A person who is the same in pain and pleasure, whom these cannot disturb, he alone is able to attain immortality. (Bhagavad Gita 2.15) 2 A Muslim friend said this: Perfect happiness will only be available to us if we spend life everlasting in Paradise. It is only there that we will find total peace, tranquillity and security. It is only there that we will be free of the fear, anxiety and pain that are part of the human condition. However the guidelines provided by Islam allow us, imperfect humans, to seek happiness in this world. The key to being happy in this world and the next is seeking the pleasure of God, and worshipping Him.A young agnostic friend told me this:If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap.If you want happiness for a day — go fishing.If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune.If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.A scholar- friend pointed out: In the fifth century, Boethius – a Roman Senator and

philosopher - could claim that "God is happiness itself". But by the middle of the 19th century, the formula was reversed to read "Happiness is God." Earthly happiness emerged

as the idol of idols, the central meaning in modern life, the source of human aspiration, thepurpose of existence. Materialism relocated God to the shopping mall.A Christian friend replied: I find Joy in Jesus.What do we make out of these responses? I felt that part of one’s joy could be lost if one gets too much into the realms of philosophy or psychology or theology of Joy. I liked that one-line response of my Christian friend: I find Joy in Jesus. This was one such moment when I profoundly thanked God for revealing true wisdom to ordinary folks.However, judging from the variety of answers I received, I felt the need to establish certain

contours of understanding, if at all possible, about what is Joy - before we go forward.Further, my survey-outcome highlighted the need for Christians to be pretty clear of what

they mean by Joy – based on what the Bible says. This is very important in a multi-religious society – to be clear of what one believes – amidst the cacophony of several philosophies,

ideologies, ideas and alternative spiritual movements.

Webster’s dictionary defines Joy as "a condition or feeling of high pleasure or delight;happiness or gladness."Other definitions which I came across include: 3 Joy is an emotion so deep and so lasting. Joy is a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight. Joy is an expression or display of glad feelings or festive gaiety. Joy is a state of extreme happiness. Is JOY different from HAPPINESS? Naturally a question then springs up in our mind: Is JOY different from HAPPINESS - two words we often use interchangeably? The answer is: Yes and No. Joy is something that lasts. Happiness is something that is temporary. Joy springs from within and is an internal experience. Happiness is caused by external circumstances or experiences. Joy brings with it a feeling of contentment and confidence which can take us through a storm in our life-journey. Happiness is not present when we are in the midst of a storm; it just vanishes. Happiness is a blurred emotion. It can mean different things to many people. Joy is a conscious commitment to be happy, to have a sense of gratitude and contentment despite life’s challenges. How does having a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), pushed by today's motivational speakers, fit into real joy? Too many people try this kind of pop psychology with no foundation under it. It comes across as forced and artificial. A few leading televangelists preaching prosperity gospel come to my mind. To me, they all seem to project Joy as buyable/sellable commodity. Somebody once said that Joy is happiness with a much longer shelf life. But Joy is even more than that. Bible and Joy Let us now turn to the Bible and see: What the Bible says about JOY. 4 A search for the word JOY came up with 155 verses in King James Version. Another source reported that the word JOY appears 88 times in the Old Testament in 22 books; 57 times in the New Testament in 18 books. Certainly there is a lot of JOY in the Bible! There are 15 different Hebrew words and 8 Greek words to describe JOY - both as a noun and as a verb. This shows that Joy constitutes something that is tangible or concrete as well as intangible or abstract. In Hebrew - the original language of the Old Testament - several words for Joy, each with different shades of meaning, appear. Similar is the case in Greek – the original language of the New Testament. In both the Old and New Testaments, the words translated as "Joy" mean much the same as the English word: gladness, cheerfulness, calm delight. In the Old Testament Joy refers to a wide range of human experiences—from erotic love (Song of Solomon 1:4), to marriage (Proverbs 5:18), birth of children (Psalm113:9), gathering of the harvest, military victory (Isaiah 9:3), and drinking wine (Psalm 104:15). The Psalms express the joyous mood of believers as they encounter God. (Psalm 32:11 “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.”). Joy is a response to God's word (Psalm 119:14 “In the way of thy testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.”) In fact, Joy characterizes Israel's corporate worship life (Deuteronomy; 2 Chronicles 30:21a: “And the people of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness.”). How joyous our corporate worship is? Basic to the Old Testament understanding of Joy are God's Acts in history. Two such Acts are: Israel's deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 18:9-11) and Israel's return from the Babylonian exile (Jeremiah 31:1-19) to Jerusalem. In the Old Testament spiritual joys are expressed by the metaphors of feasting, marriage, victory in military endeavors, and successful financial undertakings. For example, the joy of the harvest is used to describe the believer's final victory over his adversaries (Psalm 126:5-6 5 “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of Joy! He that goes forth weeping bearing the seed for sowing shall come home with shouts of Joy bringing his sheaves with him.”) We can hear the echoes of such metaphors in the Danish Hymns contained in Den Danske Salme Bog. In the New Testament Jesus himself joins the Joy of mundane events of daily life – for example the marriage at Cana. Do we picture a happy, laughing Jesus in our thoughts or reflections? Joy is associated with the nativity scene of the angels’ song (Luke 2:10 “For behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people”). The Magi, upon finding the infant Jesus, are overjoyed (Matthew 2:10). The birth of John the Baptist as the forerunner of the Messiah is an occasion of joy for his father and others (Luke 1:14 “And you will have joy and gladness.”). Luke's Gospel-narration is concluded with the disciples returning with great Joy from Bethany after Jesus' ascension. (Luke 24:52 “And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”) Heaven and Angels too rejoice in the New Testament at an unbeliever's conversion. Luke places three parables together in which God, in two instances with the angels, rejoices at the redemption - upon finding the lost sheep, the shepherd rejoices (Luke 15:3-7); the woman rejoices upon finding the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10) . The prodigal son's return brings rejoicing (Luke 15:11-32). Interestingly there is a subtle change in the usage of the word Joy from Acts 13 onwards. It gets tied with trials, suffering, persecution and the like. Why?I believe that a change had begun to take place in the church about this time. The first 20 years had passed, and now the apostles were dealing with a more mature body of believers – struggling with the application of Gospel teachings. The believers had started facing stark opposition and challenges – theological, political, economic and what not! But for these believers, trials and persecution are occasions for Joy (James 1:2 “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials.”). Suffering brings Joy as believers are united with Christ in his suffering (1 Peter 4:13-14) Paul speaks of his Joy in the midst of affliction (2 Corinthians 7:4-16 “With all our affliction, I am overjoyed.”) 6 Joy becomes part of the faith (Philippians 1:25). God's kingdom is described as: righteousness, peace and Joy (Romans 14:17). Certainty of salvation is a cause for Joy, as the disciples are commanded to "rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Surely the meaning of Joy takes in new dimensions and shades. Also, about this time, Apostle Paul emerges as the dominant figure. Paul mentions Joy as the second fruit of the Holy Spirit in his letter to the Galatians, along with eight other fruits. Galatians 5:22: (“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control.”) Joy is not something to be pursued; it is rather a result of the Christian life - a product. The church was coming increasingly under fire, and Christians were struggling to grow. We can suppose that Paul began to see and teach Joy in a different light – Joy as a character trait- tempered by fire! Christian Joy often comes tied with challenges and trials. What we have been witnessing in the Middle East and in some other parts of the world in recent times is a stark reminder to this fact. How do those brothers and sisters continue to sing and worship the Lord without losing their Faith and Joy? It clearly shows that Joy in Christian theology is different from superficial, external happiness. Let me narrate a particular case - where the involved persons have literally challenged my own concept of Joy through their life-example. Peter says: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (I Peter4:12-13) Count your trials as joy. James 1:2-3 says, "Knowing that the testing of your faith [through trials] produces patience." God's testing process has the goal or aim of purging us of all impurity, to make us "perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (verse 4). The word Gospel literally means good news. Jesus encouraged us to think of the future as a time of Joy, so that it sustains us now when times are difficult. 7 I see three categories or groups of people gathered here today: those who are natural citizens of Denmark - born and brought up here; those who came to Denmark of their own choice; and those who came here due to circumstances beyond their control. All of us however enjoy the Joy of Christ because of this particular theology: Trials and tribulations are integral part of Christian life! It is part of our Faith. It is part of our DNA. Christian joy is not the seeking of pleasure: quite the opposite. It is a curious paradox of life that the more we seek to be happy the more miserable we become. A famous writer (Eric Hoffer) once said: “The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.” Joy is God’s gift. It is not something to be pursued. As mentioned earlier, Jesus said to his followers: “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20) Joy is about getting this into perspective, not how wide our grin is! The Christian has the promise of Jesus that the best is yet to come. We can be joyful in spite of circumstances. As we read the Bible, we will find this theme again and again. Christian Joy exists in spite of circumstances. Christians should be able to display their inner JOY at all three Houses of Worship: Church, Home and Work-Station.Let us encourage each other to be truly Joyful – driven by our Faith, Hope, Love, Contentment and Gratitude – in spite of circumstances. The five pillars of Joy! We are familiar with the first three pillars coming from what Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “So faith, hope and love abide.” Regarding the fourth pillar contentment, not everyone is truly content with his or her life. Often we are unsatisfied and seek more for what we don't have and who we are. Through scripture however, we are commanded to be content with all we have in life. As we practice the discipline of gratitude instead of complaining, grumbling, or forgetting God's goodness, we will experience His peace, be filled with His joy, and grow in faith and hope. All these five pillars - Faith, Hope, Love, Contentment and Gratitude – are borne out of God’s grace, and even though we don’t deserve. They are the five gifts of grace.I would encourage you to look at JOY as a fruit - made up of five tastes or colors: Faith,Hope, Love, Contentment and Gratitude 8 Let me now read out two scripture portions for you – one from the OT and the other from the NT – as part of this inspirational talk. Habakkuk 3:17-19. (Explain background.) “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”Here is what St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:4 -10 (Explain background). “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything”. Do these two scripture-portions resonate in any manner with our own life-journeys? If yes, REJOICE. Because in these two verses I see the gist of Christian Theology of Joy – a theology that encompasses Faith, Hope, Love, Gratitude and Contentment.When we have the Joy of the Lord, we will know it and so will others. In addition to being joyful, we should let others have their Joy. Christian Joy is contagious. Do we see some role-models - at our homes, communities, cities and villages My wife and I have met quite a few JOYFUL Christians here in Denmark. They have truly inspired us. Where Joy cannot be found? Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was a non-believer of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "Iwish I had never been born."Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone." 9 Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth." Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."

www.tvaerkulturelt-center.dk/index.php/docman-dokumenter/...

Introduction — The pursuit of happiness has probably reached its peak in our twentieth century world. Americans don’t stand alone in this pursuit, because it is an innate drive found in every man’s nature. Everyone wants to be happy and seeks it in varying ways and with varying degrees of intensity. Some seek it through pleasure, others through enter-tainment, possessions, work, position, education, and success; still others seek it in athletic endeavors, hobbies, travel, fashion, physical beauty, wealth, status, bigger homes, boats, planes, and vacation homes, as well as alcohol, food and drugs. King Solomon conducted a series of experiments in a quest to get the most and best out of life — his experiments not only included most of those things listed above, but also laughter, the finest wines, wisdom, and building projects that were the envy of the world… he built houses for himself, planted vineyard and gardens, built waterpools, acquired male and female servants, male and female singers and musicians, herds and flocks that were unparalleled, silver and gold and valuable treasures… said Solomon, “I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem… whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them… I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure…. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done… and found it to be nothing but vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecc 2:1-12). Therefore, said Solomon, “I completely despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun… it was all vanity” (Ecc 2:20-25). Solomon admitted that his quest rewarded him with a degree of joy, yet he still found that it did not satisfy him. Most people think they would have had an endless amount of joy were they as blessed as Solomon was… but Solomon concluded that it is God who determines whether or not we experience joy (Ecc 2:26). The experiences of men the world over tell us that no matter how secure and wonderful their sources of joy may be, human joy does not last long.

On the other hand, when we follow God’s prescription, He feeds us in such a way that we experience real joy and satisfaction. God makes it very clear in Scripture that real joy lies in the quality of our relationship with Him; therefore, can we actually be so foolish so as to think that we can somehow produce it ourselves? One thing is certain: dwelling on ourselves and our wants will never produce true joy — rather than being obsessed with ourselves we must become obsessed with Christ; if we do, we will immerse ourselves in His Word, and seek to know Him more intimately “and our joy will be made full” (Jn 15:1-11). It is only through God’s Spirit that we can experience true joy (Ps 15:11-12; Gal 5:22; 1 Th 1:6); it cannot be accomplished apart from God (2 Cor 12:10; 13:4). The harder we try to be joyful through our own efforts, the more miserable we will become. Rest in the Lord’s arms (Mt 11:28-30) and seek His face through prayer and Scripture. Writes the apostle Paul: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13).

The psalmist David wrote these encouraging words: “Thou will make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever” (Ps 16:11). The Bible is clear that the only place we can find true joy is in God’s presence. Faith is a necessary requisite for experiencing joy and pleasing God (Heb 11:6; Jam1:2-4), and without joy we don’t have the faith to conquer the problems we face in life. The night before Jesus went to the cross He taught His disciples how important it was for them to “abide in Him;” that only when they were experiencing “intimacy with Him” would they be able to bear fruit — “apart from Me you can do nothing.” He went on to tell them that He had spoken these things to them“that His joy might be in them, and that their joy might be made full” (Jn 15:11). Writes David, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. For to those who fear Him, there is no want” (Ps 34:8-9). When we lack joy, the heart is discontented, anxious, and unhappy… so a lack of joy leads to a lack of peace; and obviously where there is no peace, there is no joy.There is nothing like knowing that our joy remains full even when we have been rendered empty of all that we had thought we needed to sustain our happiness. Sadly, it is true that most Christians fail to experience joy when times become difficult — generally they get so caught up in the issues of life that they forget to “rejoice in the Lord,” or they question how it is even possible when life gets so discouraging, depressing and frustrating. To experience the secret of joy one must carefully reflect on the path of joy as it is outlined in Scripture. Twice in Philippians 4:4 Paul gives this command: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice.” Just because God’s Spirit dwells within us does not mean that we will necessarily experience joy— we must make a choice to let Christ be our joy. When we falter in our faith, we try to manufacture our own joy, and that is simply not possible, because God is its author. Only when we find our happiness in the person of Christ can we experience true joy. Jesus said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (Jn 15:11). Here Jesus reminds us that we will not have fullness of joy unless we abide in Him, and that involves keeping His commands and putting our full trust and confi-dence in Him. Obedience to God is central to experiencing the joy of God — if we do not follow His will and live according to His Word, we will not experience joy. The darkest times of life for most believers are times of disobedience because there is a lack of joy in their lives even in the midst of positive circumstances. The most joyful times in life can actually be when we triumph in faith during the most difficult and oppressive times. If we want to experience the “supernatural joy life,” then we must walk in obedience, resting in God all the while. When we put our confidence in God and choose to have His joy, we will experience that unspeakably wonderful “gift of the Spirit” – JOY. His joy can be experienced at this very moment in your life – regardless of circumstances – if you will walk in faith and obedience (again, more on that later).

It was the prophet Nehemiah who said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10). To appre-ciate what this means we must understand the context in which these words were stated. The Israelites had just returned from Babylon after having spent seventy years in exile… under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah the Jewish people rebuilt Jerusalem’s ruined walls, and now they set their sights on re-establishing the temple and restoring the nation. Though they were no longer being held captive in Babylon, “they were still slaves to those who were governing the land God had given to them” (Neh 9:36). The Jewish remnant who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, in large part were ignorant of their spirit-ual heritage due to their captivity; furthermore they had forgotten their native language; and above all, they had lived in sin and had forgotten God. Nehemiah called a “special meeting” in the middle of the city — altogether about 50,000 people attended. Ezra the priest was asked to read the book of the Law of Moses to the assembly — he read it aloud from daybreak until noon, and the Word of God spoke in a profound way to the hearts of the people, and for the first time they were made aware of their sinful-ness before God. The people learned that Jeremiah had prophesied the very destruction that they had suffered, yet in the same breath Jeremiah gave them a promise that their mourning would turn to a morning of joy — God would bring them back to their land seventy years later. Ezra read, “Behold,” says the Lord, “I will gather My people from the remote parts of the earth… a great company shall return here… they shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them… for I am a father to Israel” (Jer 31:8-9). The people experienced the relevancy of the message — they were made aware of the connection between the sins of their own hearts and their distressful situation, and they saw that their slavery was the result of their own sin. As they stood there mourning over their sins, they understood the message of salvation… it was not a message of “I told you so” or “you should have known better” or “look what a mess you have made of your lives”… instead they are told to “Go and enjoy choice food and drinks, for this day is sacred to the Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” “Then all the people went away to eat and drink and celebrate with great joy, because they now under-stood the words that had been made known to them” (Neh 8:9-12). This day was sacred to the Lord — it was the joy of the Lord that made this such a sacred day… God had deliberately led them to this moment in time… it wasn’t a day of good fortune or good luck… it was the joyful day of the Lord! The people were told “not to grieve” — “God’s anger is but for a moment; whereas His favor lasts a life-time” (Ps 30:4-5). When the Word of God was opened and read to them, the people began to understand themselves and the need to change their minds about the way they were living. And like them, if we listen, it will also bring us to a “mourning of joy.” When we set our hearts to obey God’sWord, the Lord Himself causes us to rejoice — “God had made them rejoice with great joy” (Neh 12:43). On the eighth day according to the Law there was an assembly of all the people… they gathered together for a great day of national confession… with fasting and mourning, they listened to the reading of the Law for three hours… and then for three more hours they confessed their sins and those of their fathers and worshipped the LORD their God (Neh 9:1-3). The people responded to the reading of the Law thus: “Because of our sins… we are in great distress” (Neh 9:37). Their confession was accompanied by great remorse… they understood their terrible condition as they journeyed back to God… but more importantly, they understood God’s joyous message of salvation, and at that they burst out in praise! Then said Nehemiah to the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God… do not mourn or weep… rather, go eat and drink…. DO NOT GRIEVE, FOR THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!” (Neh 8:9-10). NOTE CAREFULLY it is “the Lord’s joy” that is our strength… it “the Lord’s joy” that gives us reason to rejoice… it is “the Lord’s joy” that fills us with hope. It is God's happiness that is our strength!!! It is not anything that we have done that is our hope, joy or strength! Furthermore, it is not God’s anger, wrath or holiness that is our strength! IT IS “GOD’S JOY” THAT IS OUR STRENGTH!! NOT OUR JOY!! GOD’S JOY!! IT IS THE “LORD’S JOYOUS WISH” TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS — AND THAT IS OUR STRENGTH and ENERGY and VITALITY! It is GOD’S JOY to stand us back up on our feet and strengthen our feeble legs & wobbly knees so that we might discover that HIS JOY IS OUR STRENGTH! It is the “joy of the Lord” that remains our strength today! REMEMBER, IT IS “GOD’S JOY” TO SAVE YOU!!! His faithfulness continues throughout all generations! Our response should be to commit our lives to Him for joyfully wanting to save us! It is incredible to realize that no matter how bad things get for us, GOD’S JOY will forever be our hope and strength! James clearly has victory over trials in mind, not mere acceptance of one’s trials. It is “joy” that gives us the strength to fight and overcome our trials. Joy gives us the strength to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim 6:12). Spiritual joy has a way of infusing strength into our being! If you are tired of fighting the battle it is because your problems seem too much for you — you have lost your joy, and have rightly concluded that the fight is too great for you. Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always!” (Phil 4:4). You are to always rejoice in the Lord — you can’t live off of the joy you had yesterday or last week — that joy will not give you strength today. Joy can only give you strength in the moment… it can only give you strength when you possess it. The time to rejoice is always “now” — if you don’t rejoice, you will lose the strength to fight. I love this verse in Habakkak — “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crops fail and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD; I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Hab 3:17-18). He is going to REJOICE because “the God of his salvation is his strength; He makes his feet like the feet of a deer, and enables him to walk on high places” (Hab 3:19). Habakkuk had no intention of staying defeated. The difference between the person who is defeated and the person who is victorious is his attitude toward God. An attitude of gratitude is what made the difference in the prophet’s life. Even though nothing good was happening in his life – no fruit, no crops, no sheep, no cattle – yet he rejoiced! Though our lives are filled with trials, we are also to rejoice! Regardless of our circumstances, we can rejoice! Reflect upon the words of the prophetic Isaiah: “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. Therefore I will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation” (Is 12:2-3). Notice what this Scripture says: “with joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation.” It is joy that keeps you strong and enables you to draw from the springs of salvation. Our English word “happiness” comes from the old Norse word “happ” — this is the same word from which we get our word “happen;” thus happiness is based on what happens to us. So the argument goes like this: if something good is happening, we are happy…if something bad is happening, we are sad. Though that is a fairly accurate understanding of the word “happiness,” that alone is not the only meaning of the word. The word “happy” can also be used to subjectively describe the believer’s joy (Prv 3:18; 29:18; Mt 5:3-12), which is not necessarily dependent upon what “happens” to him. Though some believers have insisted on applying “happy feelings” only to circumstances, and have objected to the use of the word “happy” when translating the beatitudes of Matt 5, that is not what Scripture teaches. Just because the derivation of the word “happy” in English has its orientation in “happ,” does not necessarily limit its usage as such, as any modern dictionary will attest. Scripture tells us that we can indeed be “happy” even in the midst of pain and suffering. Thus to insist that “spiritual joy” and “spiritual happiness” are not equivalents is to engage in meaningless contrarieties that only serve to confuse the reader. — to be anxious is to be joyless. The believer can experience a deep abiding peace and joy in his life regardless of circumstances… he can experience elation that transcends his circumstances… and experience that which is highly pleasing and pleasant in the midst of difficulties and trials — all these emotions are “felt” experiences. When the believer experiences a joyful happiness, there is an absence of anxiety, tension and want in his soul; conversely, when the believer is in a “state of want,” that longing produces a disquieting unrest in his soul, so instead of being at peace and satisfied, he is anxious and restless.

 

www.thetransformedsoul.com/additional-studies/spiritual-l...

Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) having an argument. The one on the left is a fish stealer and the one on the right said no more!

There really was no easy to way to take and upload this picture for FYFF (Flash Your Fur Friday).

I’ll always felt less attractive by having so much back hair. It makes me self-conscious at the gym, on the beach, or when getting ‘down-to-business’ on a date.

 

Two years I’ve been a member of my gym and only a few weeks back did I get my swimming trunks on and go in the Sauna/Jacuzzi/Swimming area.

 

Do other people’s opinions matter? It’s a blatant and irrefutable fact that if you did a head count, the percentage of those who do not like hair on a guy’s back far outnumbers those few who do. Why put up with negative opinions?

 

My Dad and Uncles used to be in near tears at their male-pattern baldness. My Uncle even as the hair plug scars to prove how insecure and upset he was. And they all perfected the terrible art of the hair comb-over to hide it. Whereas I shave my head, and actually feel a bit low if I leave it too long. A smooth head, on me anyway, means being ready to battle and take on the world - not a sign of weakness.

 

Then I go through other phases where I almost get brazen and angry. Why I should I try shaving or waxing? What comes next? Plastic surgery, liposuction, hair plugs, skin peels. I know people who have had surgery, Botox and ‘nip and tuck’ treatments and its just make them more insecure, not less. It’s never enough and my never be, if the problem is inside, not outside.

 

This brings me to the flip side of the argument. I’ve dropped my jaw in admiration many a times after seeing a fine hairy backed dude living life to the full at summer venues, sweaty clubs or the wonderful world of Flickr.

 

So, here I am. This is me. A man with hair on his back.

I'm rubber, you're glue! Names bounce off me and stick to you!

 

Wordpress Link: The Pee Wee Gambit

flowers in a raised bed. the topcon 58mm f1.4's strengths on full display.

 

cameras, lenses, they are just tools. expensive, lovely tools. but this lens feels so special to me. i think it's the only lens i have an emotional attachment to. i love the way i see the world through it, and i love the way it renders things wide open. it is far from perfect; this lens is from the 1960s after all. at 1.4 it can be almost impossible to get anything in sharp focus. but that's alright, because for me, perfect focus is not the end-all-be-all. perfect focus is not the point.

 

beauty is the point of what i do--capturing it, documenting it, extracting it from files in post. perhaps you can relate. even the ugliness and grime of the of the city can be (and often is) represented beautifully, which is what i hope i'm accomplishing with my street photography. i think finding beauty despite the subject or setting is a challenge that i find extremely invigorating. it can often feel impossible. but i also take photos of flowers, which offer their gifts to us without the challenge of creative interpretation. they are living representations of the beauty of life on earth. photographing them makes me feel self-conscious.

 

it's easy to take a good picture of a beautiful thing, and i often think that very little is added to the collective human creative database with a flower picture. it feels a bit like having a slice of cake instead of a salad. but flowers still please me (as does cake), and i love creating interesting photos of them. when they are rendered like a painting through a lens this special, i think it does add something special to our shared experience. and that's the best argument i can make for acquiring and using something like a vintage lens. the qualities it can impart on your images add a layer of meaning, of imperfection, of delight, of weight, of fun. i think those qualities are worth celebrating.

In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle is a carved or formed grotesque[1]: 6–8  with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between. Architects often used multiple gargoyles on a building to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof to minimize potential damage from rainstorms. A trough is cut in the back of the gargoyle and rainwater typically exits through the open mouth. Gargoyles are usually elongated fantastical animals because their length determines how far water is directed from the wall. When Gothic flying buttresses were used, aqueducts were sometimes cut into the buttress to divert water over the aisle walls.

 

The term gargoyle is most often applied to medieval work, but throughout all ages, some means of water diversion, when not conveyed in gutters, was adopted. In ancient Egyptian architecture, gargoyles showed little variation, typically in the form of a lion's head. Similar lion-mouthed water spouts were also seen on Greek temples, carved or modelled in the marble or terracotta cymatium of the cornice.[14] An excellent example of this are the 39 remaining lion-headed water spouts on the Temple of Zeus. Originally, it had 102 gargoyles or spouts, but due to the heavy weight (they were crafted from marble), many snapped off and had to be replaced.

 

Many medieval cathedrals included gargoyles and chimeras. According to French architect and author Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, himself one of the great producers of gargoyles in the 19th century,[18] the earliest known medieval gargoyles appear on Laon Cathedral (c. 1200–1220). One of the more famous examples is the gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris. Although most have grotesque features, the term gargoyle has come to include all types of images. Some gargoyles were depicted as monks, or combinations of real animals and people, many of which were humorous. Unusual animal mixtures, or chimeras, did not act as rainspouts and are more properly called grotesques. They serve as ornamentation but are now popularly called gargoyles.

 

Both ornamented and unornamented waterspouts projecting from roofs at parapet level were a common device used to shed rainwater from buildings until the early 18th century. From that time, more and more buildings used drainpipes to carry the water from the guttering roof to the ground and only very few buildings using gargoyles were constructed. This was because some people found them frightening, and sometimes heavy ones fell off, causing damage. In 1724, the London Building Act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain made the use of downpipes compulsory in all new construction.

 

Langley Moor is an old pit village in County Durham, England. It is located approximately 2 miles south-west of Durham City. Langley Moor is within the civil parish of Brandon and Byshottles which is itself within the City of Durham constituency, as of 2019 represented by Mary Foy MP.

 

The village consists of a large park, three pubs, three schools, a church and an industrial estate.

 

Holliday Park (previously Bents Park, known locally as Boyne Park after Lord Boyne) is located to the north of the village, and was renovated in 2016 with a new children's play area. [1] The park also provides access to the River Browney which runs through it. The park was donated to the public by local alderman and philanthropist Martin Forster Holliday (1848-1935), [2] who was the manager and agent for three North Brancepeth Coal Company collieries (Broompark, Boyne and Littleburn - the latter two being in the village) from 1884 until 1922.

 

The three pubs in the village are The Station, The New Cross (formerly The Langley Moor Hotel, as of 2022 currently closed) and The Lord Boyne Hotel. Historically, the village had two inns, the Littleburn Hotel, two more pubs, two cinemas, a working men's club (now residential flats), a post office, a bank and Salvation Army barracks.

 

The East Coast Main Line, one of Britain's arterial rail links, runs directly through the village over the high street.

 

Langley Moor is also home to two supermarkets, a Tesco Metro (formerly Safeway, Somerfield) and Lidl.

 

The village is located on the A690 approximately 2 miles south-west of Durham and approximately 15 miles south of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

 

The Brandon - Bishop Auckland Railway Path is a rail trail stretching nine-miles of scenic woodland which follows the route of the former Durham to Bishop Auckland Line and runs through Langley Moor.

 

There are three schools in Langley Moor, two primary schools and one nursery school:

Langley Moor Nursery School

Langley Moor Primary School (formerly North Brancepeth Council Mixed, Langley Moor Junior Mixed and Infants' School)

St. Patrick's R.C. Primary School

 

The church, St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, is located on the border with Meadowfield, which opened on 8th October 1911. The estimated cost of the church was £3,000 (which equals £376,523.30 as of May 2022).

 

Historically, Langley Moor had a methodist church, a Wesleyan church, a baptist church and a United Methodist church.

 

Littleburn Industrial Estate is home to Harrison & Harrison organ builders, who have been involved with organs in cathedrals and churches across the globe.

 

Boyne Colliery opened in approximately 1864 under the ownership of W. Mickle and James Snowball, coal was struck the following year. It was sold to the North Brancepeth Coal Company in the 1880s, under the management of John L. Morland from 1880 until 1884. That same year Martin F. Holliday became agent and manager of the colliery until it closed at some point after 1890.

 

Littleburn Colliery (also known as North Brancepeth Colliery)

Littleburn Colliery opened in approximately 1840, it had a handful of owners including North Brancepeth Coal Company, who bought the colliery in the 1880s. In 1925, at its peak, the pit employed 779 people. The colliery mined coal throughout its operational life. Martin F. Holliday became agent of the colliery in 1909 until his retirement in 1922. Littleburn Colliery closed in December 1950.

 

County Durham, officially simply Durham is a ceremonial county in North East England. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to the north, the North Sea to the east, North Yorkshire to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The largest settlement is Darlington, and the county town is the city of Durham.

 

The county has an area of 2,721 km2 (1,051 sq mi) and a population of 866,846. The latter is concentrated in the east; the south-east is part of the Teesside built-up area, which extends into North Yorkshire. After Darlington (92,363), the largest settlements are Hartlepool (88,855), Stockton-on-Tees (82,729), and Durham (48,069). For local government purposes the county comprises three unitary authority areas—County Durham, Darlington, and Hartlepool—and part of a fourth, Stockton-on-Tees. The county historically included the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluded the part of County Durham south of the River Tees.

 

The west of the county contains part of the North Pennines uplands, a national landscape. The hills are the source of the rivers Tees and Wear, which flow east and form the valleys of Teesdale and Weardale respectively. The east of the county is flatter, and contains by rolling hills through which the two rivers meander; the Tees forms the boundary with North Yorkshire in its lower reaches, and the Wear exits the county near Chester-le-Street in the north-east. The county's coast is a site of special scientific interest characterised by tall limestone and dolomite cliffs.

 

What is now County Durham was on the border of Roman Britain, and contains survivals of this era at sites such as Binchester Roman Fort. In the Anglo-Saxon period the region was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria. In 995 the city of Durham was founded by monks seeking a place safe from Viking raids to house the relics of St Cuthbert. Durham Cathedral was rebuilt after the Norman Conquest, and together with Durham Castle is now a World Heritage Site. By the late Middle Ages the county was governed semi-independently by the bishops of Durham and was also a buffer zone between England and Scotland. County Durham became heavily industrialised in the nineteenth century, when many collieries opened on the Durham coalfield. The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, opened in 1825. Most collieries closed during the last quarter of the twentieth century, but the county's coal mining heritage is remembered in the annual Durham Miners' Gala.

 

Remains of Prehistoric Durham include a number of Neolithic earthworks.

 

The Crawley Edge Cairns and Heathery Burn Cave are Bronze Age sites. Maiden Castle, Durham is an Iron Age site.

 

Brigantia, the land of the Brigantes, is said to have included what is now County Durham.

 

There are archaeological remains of Roman Durham. Dere Street and Cade's Road run through what is now County Durham. There were Roman forts at Concangis (Chester-le-Street), Lavatrae (Bowes), Longovicium (Lanchester), Piercebridge (Morbium), Vindomora (Ebchester) and Vinovium (Binchester). (The Roman fort at Arbeia (South Shields) is within the former boundaries of County Durham.) A Romanised farmstead has been excavated at Old Durham.

 

Remains of the Anglo-Saxon period include a number of sculpted stones and sundials, the Legs Cross, the Rey Cross and St Cuthbert's coffin.

 

Around AD 547, an Angle named Ida founded the kingdom of Bernicia after spotting the defensive potential of a large rock at Bamburgh, upon which many a fortification was thenceforth built. Ida was able to forge, hold and consolidate the kingdom; although the native British tried to take back their land, the Angles triumphed and the kingdom endured.

 

In AD 604, Ida's grandson Æthelfrith forcibly merged Bernicia (ruled from Bamburgh) and Deira (ruled from York, which was known as Eforwic at the time) to create the Kingdom of Northumbria. In time, the realm was expanded, primarily through warfare and conquest; at its height, the kingdom stretched from the River Humber (from which the kingdom drew its name) to the Forth. Eventually, factional fighting and the rejuvenated strength of neighbouring kingdoms, most notably Mercia, led to Northumbria's decline. The arrival of the Vikings hastened this decline, and the Scandinavian raiders eventually claimed the Deiran part of the kingdom in AD 867 (which became Jórvík). The land that would become County Durham now sat on the border with the Great Heathen Army, a border which today still (albeit with some adjustments over the years) forms the boundaries between Yorkshire and County Durham.

 

Despite their success south of the river Tees, the Vikings never fully conquered the Bernician part of Northumbria, despite the many raids they had carried out on the kingdom. However, Viking control over the Danelaw, the central belt of Anglo-Saxon territory, resulted in Northumbria becoming isolated from the rest of Anglo-Saxon Britain. Scots invasions in the north pushed the kingdom's northern boundary back to the River Tweed, and the kingdom found itself reduced to a dependent earldom, its boundaries very close to those of modern-day Northumberland and County Durham. The kingdom was annexed into England in AD 954.

 

In AD 995, St Cuthbert's community, who had been transporting Cuthbert's remains around, partly in an attempt to avoid them falling into the hands of Viking raiders, settled at Dunholm (Durham) on a site that was defensively favourable due to the horseshoe-like path of the River Wear. St Cuthbert's remains were placed in a shrine in the White Church, which was originally a wooden structure but was eventually fortified into a stone building.

 

Once the City of Durham had been founded, the Bishops of Durham gradually acquired the lands that would become County Durham. Bishop Aldhun began this process by procuring land in the Tees and Wear valleys, including Norton, Stockton, Escomb and Aucklandshire in 1018. In 1031, King Canute gave Staindrop to the Bishops. This territory continued to expand, and was eventually given the status of a liberty. Under the control of the Bishops of Durham, the land had various names: the "Liberty of Durham", "Liberty of St Cuthbert's Land" "the lands of St Cuthbert between Tyne and Tees" or "the Liberty of Haliwerfolc" (holy Wear folk).

 

The bishops' special jurisdiction rested on claims that King Ecgfrith of Northumbria had granted a substantial territory to St Cuthbert on his election to the see of Lindisfarne in 684. In about 883 a cathedral housing the saint's remains was established at Chester-le-Street and Guthfrith, King of York granted the community of St Cuthbert the area between the Tyne and the Wear, before the community reached its final destination in 995, in Durham.

 

Following the Norman invasion, the administrative machinery of government extended only slowly into northern England. Northumberland's first recorded Sheriff was Gilebert from 1076 until 1080 and a 12th-century record records Durham regarded as within the shire. However the bishops disputed the authority of the sheriff of Northumberland and his officials, despite the second sheriff for example being the reputed slayer of Malcolm Canmore, King of Scots. The crown regarded Durham as falling within Northumberland until the late thirteenth century.

 

Following the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror appointed Copsig as Earl of Northumbria, thereby bringing what would become County Durham under Copsig's control. Copsig was, just a few weeks later, killed in Newburn. Having already being previously offended by the appointment of a non-Northumbrian as Bishop of Durham in 1042, the people of the region became increasingly rebellious. In response, in January 1069, William despatched a large Norman army, under the command of Robert de Comines, to Durham City. The army, believed to consist of 700 cavalry (about one-third of the number of Norman knights who had participated in the Battle of Hastings), entered the city, whereupon they were attacked, and defeated, by a Northumbrian assault force. The Northumbrians wiped out the entire Norman army, including Comines, all except for one survivor, who was allowed to take the news of this defeat back.

 

Following the Norman slaughter at the hands of the Northumbrians, resistance to Norman rule spread throughout Northern England, including a similar uprising in York. William The Conqueror subsequently (and successfully) attempted to halt the northern rebellions by unleashing the notorious Harrying of the North (1069–1070). Because William's main focus during the harrying was on Yorkshire, County Durham was largely spared the Harrying.

 

Anglo-Norman Durham refers to the Anglo-Norman period, during which Durham Cathedral was built.

 

Matters regarding the bishopric of Durham came to a head in 1293 when the bishop and his steward failed to attend proceedings of quo warranto held by the justices of Northumberland. The bishop's case went before parliament, where he stated that Durham lay outside the bounds of any English shire and that "from time immemorial it had been widely known that the sheriff of Northumberland was not sheriff of Durham nor entered within that liberty as sheriff. . . nor made there proclamations or attachments". The arguments appear to have prevailed, as by the fourteenth century Durham was accepted as a liberty which received royal mandates direct. In effect it was a private shire, with the bishop appointing his own sheriff. The area eventually became known as the "County Palatine of Durham".

 

Sadberge was a liberty, sometimes referred to as a county, within Northumberland. In 1189 it was purchased for the see but continued with a separate sheriff, coroner and court of pleas. In the 14th century Sadberge was included in Stockton ward and was itself divided into two wards. The division into the four wards of Chester-le-Street, Darlington, Easington and Stockton existed in the 13th century, each ward having its own coroner and a three-weekly court corresponding to the hundred court. The diocese was divided into the archdeaconries of Durham and Northumberland. The former is mentioned in 1072, and in 1291 included the deaneries of Chester-le-Street, Auckland, Lanchester and Darlington.

 

The term palatinus is applied to the bishop in 1293, and from the 13th century onwards the bishops frequently claimed the same rights in their lands as the king enjoyed in his kingdom.

 

The historic boundaries of County Durham included a main body covering the catchment of the Pennines in the west, the River Tees in the south, the North Sea in the east and the Rivers Tyne and Derwent in the north. The county palatinate also had a number of liberties: the Bedlingtonshire, Islandshire and Norhamshire exclaves within Northumberland, and the Craikshire exclave within the North Riding of Yorkshire. In 1831 the county covered an area of 679,530 acres (2,750.0 km2) and had a population of 253,910. These exclaves were included as part of the county for parliamentary electoral purposes until 1832, and for judicial and local-government purposes until the coming into force of the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844, which merged most remaining exclaves with their surrounding county. The boundaries of the county proper remained in use for administrative and ceremonial purposes until the Local Government Act 1972.

 

Boldon Book (1183 or 1184) is a polyptichum for the Bishopric of Durham.

 

Until the 15th century, the most important administrative officer in the Palatinate was the steward. Other officers included the sheriff, the coroners, the Chamberlain and the chancellor. The palatine exchequer originated in the 12th century. The palatine assembly represented the whole county, and dealt chiefly with fiscal questions. The bishop's council, consisting of the clergy, the sheriff and the barons, regulated judicial affairs, and later produced the Chancery and the courts of Admiralty and Marshalsea.

 

The prior of Durham ranked first among the bishop's barons. He had his own court, and almost exclusive jurisdiction over his men. A UNESCO site describes the role of the Prince-Bishops in Durham, the "buffer state between England and Scotland":

 

From 1075, the Bishop of Durham became a Prince-Bishop, with the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. As long as he remained loyal to the king of England, he could govern as a virtually autonomous ruler, reaping the revenue from his territory, but also remaining mindful of his role of protecting England’s northern frontier.

 

A report states that the Bishops also had the authority to appoint judges and barons and to offer pardons.

 

There were ten palatinate barons in the 12th century, most importantly the Hyltons of Hylton Castle, the Bulmers of Brancepeth, the Conyers of Sockburne, the Hansards of Evenwood, and the Lumleys of Lumley Castle. The Nevilles owned large estates in the county. John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby rebuilt Raby Castle, their principal seat, in 1377.

 

Edward I's quo warranto proceedings of 1293 showed twelve lords enjoying more or less extensive franchises under the bishop. The repeated efforts of the Crown to check the powers of the palatinate bishops culminated in 1536 in the Act of Resumption, which deprived the bishop of the power to pardon offences against the law or to appoint judicial officers. Moreover, indictments and legal processes were in future to run in the name of the king, and offences to be described as against the peace of the king, rather than that of the bishop. In 1596 restrictions were imposed on the powers of the chancery, and in 1646 the palatinate was formally abolished. It was revived, however, after the Restoration, and continued with much the same power until 5 July 1836, when the Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 provided that the palatine jurisdiction should in future be vested in the Crown.

 

During the 15th-century Wars of the Roses, Henry VI passed through Durham. On the outbreak of the Great Rebellion in 1642 Durham inclined to support the cause of Parliament, and in 1640 the high sheriff of the palatinate guaranteed to supply the Scottish army with provisions during their stay in the county. In 1642 the Earl of Newcastle formed the western counties into an association for the King's service, but in 1644 the palatinate was again overrun by a Scottish army, and after the Battle of Marston Moor (2 July 1644) fell entirely into the hands of Parliament.

 

In 1614, a Bill was introduced in Parliament for securing representation to the county and city of Durham and the borough of Barnard Castle. The bishop strongly opposed the proposal as an infringement of his palatinate rights, and the county was first summoned to return members to Parliament in 1654. After the Restoration of 1660 the county and city returned two members each. In the wake of the Reform Act of 1832 the county returned two members for two divisions, and the boroughs of Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland acquired representation. The bishops lost their secular powers in 1836. The boroughs of Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool returned one member each from 1868 until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.

 

The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 reformed the municipal boroughs of Durham, Stockton on Tees and Sunderland. In 1875, Jarrow was incorporated as a municipal borough, as was West Hartlepool in 1887. At a county level, the Local Government Act 1888 reorganised local government throughout England and Wales. Most of the county came under control of the newly formed Durham County Council in an area known as an administrative county. Not included were the county boroughs of Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland. However, for purposes other than local government, the administrative county of Durham and the county boroughs continued to form a single county to which the Crown appointed a Lord Lieutenant of Durham.

 

Over its existence, the administrative county lost territory, both to the existing county boroughs, and because two municipal boroughs became county boroughs: West Hartlepool in 1902 and Darlington in 1915. The county boundary with the North Riding of Yorkshire was adjusted in 1967: that part of the town of Barnard Castle historically in Yorkshire was added to County Durham, while the administrative county ceded the portion of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in Durham to the North Riding. In 1968, following the recommendation of the Local Government Commission, Billingham was transferred to the County Borough of Teesside, in the North Riding. In 1971, the population of the county—including all associated county boroughs (an area of 2,570 km2 (990 sq mi))—was 1,409,633, with a population outside the county boroughs of 814,396.

 

In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 abolished the administrative county and the county boroughs, reconstituting County Durham as a non-metropolitan county. The reconstituted County Durham lost territory to the north-east (around Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland) to Tyne and Wear and to the south-east (around Hartlepool) to Cleveland. At the same time it gained the former area of Startforth Rural District from the North Riding of Yorkshire. The area of the Lord Lieutenancy of Durham was also adjusted by the Act to coincide with the non-metropolitan county (which occupied 3,019 km2 (1,166 sq mi) in 1981).

 

In 1996, as part of 1990s UK local government reform by Lieutenancies Act 1997, Cleveland was abolished. Its districts were reconstituted as unitary authorities. Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees (north Tees) were returned to the county for the purposes of Lord Lieutenancy. Darlington also became a third unitary authority of the county. The Royal Mail abandoned the use of postal counties altogether, permitted but not mandatory being at a writer wishes.

 

As part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England initiated by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the seven district councils within the County Council area were abolished. The County Council assumed their functions and became the fourth unitary authority. Changes came into effect on 1 April 2009.

 

On 15 April 2014, North East Combined Authority was established under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 with powers over economic development and regeneration. In November 2018, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Borough Council, and Northumberland County Council left the authority. These later formed the North of Tyne Combined Authority.

 

In May 2021, four parish councils of the villages of Elwick, Hart, Dalton Piercy and Greatham all issued individual votes of no confidence in Hartlepool Borough Council, and expressed their desire to join the County Durham district.

 

In October 2021, County Durham was shortlisted for the UK City of Culture 2025. In May 2022, it lost to Bradford.

 

Eighteenth century Durham saw the appearance of dissent in the county and the Durham Ox. The county did not assist the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. The Statue of Neptune in the City of Durham was erected in 1729.

 

A number of disasters happened in Nineteenth century Durham. The Felling mine disasters happened in 1812, 1813, 1821 and 1847. The Philadelphia train accident happened in 1815. In 1854, there was a great fire in Gateshead. One of the West Stanley Pit disasters happened in 1882. The Victoria Hall disaster happened in 1883.

 

One of the West Stanley Pit disasters happened in 1909. The Darlington rail crash happened in 1928. The Battle of Stockton happened in 1933. The Browney rail crash happened in 1946.

 

The First Treaty of Durham was made at Durham in 1136. The Second Treaty of Durham was made at Durham in 1139.

 

The county regiment was the Durham Light Infantry, which replaced, in particular, the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and the Militia and Volunteers of County Durham.

 

RAF Greatham, RAF Middleton St George and RAF Usworth were located in County Durham.

 

David I, the King of Scotland, invaded the county in 1136, and ravaged much of the county 1138. In 17 October 1346, the Battle of Neville's Cross was fought at Neville's Cross, near the city of Durham. On 16 December 1914, during the First World War, there was a raid on Hartlepool by the Imperial German Navy.

 

Chroniclers connected with Durham include the Bede, Symeon of Durham, Geoffrey of Coldingham and Robert de Graystanes.

 

County Durham has long been associated with coal mining, from medieval times up to the late 20th century. The Durham Coalfield covered a large area of the county, from Bishop Auckland, to Consett, to the River Tyne and below the North Sea, thereby providing a significant expanse of territory from which this rich mineral resource could be extracted.

 

King Stephen possessed a mine in Durham, which he granted to Bishop Pudsey, and in the same century colliers are mentioned at Coundon, Bishopwearmouth and Sedgefield. Cockfield Fell was one of the earliest Landsale collieries in Durham. Edward III issued an order allowing coal dug at Newcastle to be taken across the Tyne, and Richard II granted to the inhabitants of Durham licence to export the produce of the mines, without paying dues to the corporation of Newcastle. The majority was transported from the Port of Sunderland complex, which was constructed in the 1850s.

 

Among other early industries, lead-mining was carried on in the western part of the county, and mustard was extensively cultivated. Gateshead had a considerable tanning trade and shipbuilding was undertaken at Jarrow, and at Sunderland, which became the largest shipbuilding town in the world – constructing a third of Britain's tonnage.[citation needed]

 

The county's modern-era economic history was facilitated significantly by the growth of the mining industry during the nineteenth century. At the industry's height, in the early 20th century, over 170,000 coal miners were employed, and they mined 58,700,000 tons of coal in 1913 alone. As a result, a large number of colliery villages were built throughout the county as the industrial revolution gathered pace.

 

The railway industry was also a major employer during the industrial revolution, with railways being built throughout the county, such as The Tanfield Railway, The Clarence Railway and The Stockton and Darlington Railway. The growth of this industry occurred alongside the coal industry, as the railways provided a fast, efficient means to move coal from the mines to the ports and provided the fuel for the locomotives. The great railway pioneers Timothy Hackworth, Edward Pease, George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson were all actively involved with developing the railways in tandem with County Durham's coal mining industry. Shildon and Darlington became thriving 'railway towns' and experienced significant growths in population and prosperity; before the railways, just over 100 people lived in Shildon but, by the 1890s, the town was home to around 8,000 people, with Shildon Shops employing almost 3000 people at its height.

 

However, by the 1930s, the coal mining industry began to diminish and, by the mid-twentieth century, the pits were closing at an increasing rate. In 1951, the Durham County Development Plan highlighted a number of colliery villages, such as Blackhouse, as 'Category D' settlements, in which future development would be prohibited, property would be acquired and demolished, and the population moved to new housing, such as that being built in Newton Aycliffe. Likewise, the railway industry also began to decline, and was significantly brought to a fraction of its former self by the Beeching cuts in the 1960s. Darlington Works closed in 1966 and Shildon Shops followed suit in 1984. The county's last deep mines, at Easington, Vane Tempest, Wearmouth and Westoe, closed in 1993.

 

Postal Rates from 1801 were charged depending on the distance from London. Durham was allocated the code 263 the approximate mileage from London. From about 1811, a datestamp appeared on letters showing the date the letter was posted. In 1844 a new system was introduced and Durham was allocated the code 267. This system was replaced in 1840 when the first postage stamps were introduced.

 

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911): "To the Anglo-Saxon period are to be referred portions of the churches of Monk Wearmouth (Sunderland), Jarrow, Escomb near Bishop Auckland, and numerous sculptured crosses, two of which are in situ at Aycliffe. . . . The Decorated and Perpendicular periods are very scantily represented, on account, as is supposed, of the incessant wars between England and Scotland in the 14th and 15th centuries. The principal monastic remains, besides those surrounding Durham cathedral, are those of its subordinate house or "cell," Finchale Priory, beautifully situated by the Wear. The most interesting castles are those of Durham, Raby, Brancepeth and Barnard. There are ruins of castelets or peel-towers at Dalden, Ludworth and Langley Dale. The hospitals of Sherburn, Greatham and Kepyer, founded by early bishops of Durham, retain but few ancient features."

 

The best remains of the Norman period include Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle, and several parish churches, such as St Laurence Church in Pittington. The Early English period has left the eastern portion of the cathedral, the churches of Darlington, Hartlepool, and St Andrew, Auckland, Sedgefield, and portions of a few other churches.

 

'Durham Castle and Cathedral' is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Elsewhere in the County there is Auckland Castle.

The story you're about to read is based on a real event. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Locations have been changed to protect the curious.

  

The three friends sat at the roadside diner table, simultaneously yawning.

 

"Okay, that's it," announced Erebus. "I'm going to be the voice of reason and say we throw in the towel for the night."

 

"C'mon it's -- only -- sixty-ish mi-- miles," Teddi's argument devolved into another huge yawn. "Yeah, okay, I'll find a campground."

 

"No, no, no," Seth complained. "Not out here, in the middle of banjoland nowhere. That never works out for us."

 

"It's not like we're going to find a Hilton, honey," Teddi commiserated.

 

A redhead in the booth behind them piped up. "Maybe not a Hilton, but there's a little place about two miles up Highway 2 that's not bad." She left her booth, coming around to the end of their table. "It's cheap, but it's clean. My sister, Bonnie works the front desk." She pointed at the name plate on her waitress uniform. "I'm Connie. You tell her I sent you and told her to give you the best rooms she's got." She gave them a big smile and a little wave. "Be safe out there." Then she left the diner.

 

"We can just grab a campsite and crash for a few hours then head out again," Erebus reasoned.

 

"But showers, and big beds, and cable--"

 

"Oh, my," Teddi interrupted Seth's whine.

 

"Meanie," Seth pouted.

 

"No, I was talking about the nearest campground. We should definitely check it out! Look!" Teddi enthused, holding out her phone toward the guys. "It's by a lake, and it looks super clean, and there's a museum!" Her eyes twinkled.

 

"One of those little roadside attraction things?" asked Erebus, taking her phone and flipping through the images. "That could be fun."

 

"Save me from quaint--" Seth began.

 

"But Seth's right. Let's grab a place where we can shower and fall asleep watching reruns," Erebus interrupted, handing the phone back to Teddi.

 

"Two against one, and the lady pays for dinner," Seth celebrated.

 

"Boys suck," Teddi pouted, leaving the table to pay at the cash register.

 

"Some do, some don't," Seth agreed, smiling at Erebus. "So, why did Daddy vote my way?"

 

"I'm not your daddy, and I saw what kind of museum it has," Erebus replied, lowering his voice. "It's for Native American artifacts."

 

Seth frowned. "You have a problem with Native American artifacts?" He gasped comically, and his eyebrows raised. "Daddy, are you racist?"

 

Erebus eyed him with a helter-skelter stare. "The artifacts are from the area," he explained. "Because there's a legend that there was an Indian burial ground somewhere by the lake."

 

"I promise to be a good boy for the rest of the night," Seth promised, crossing his heart. "You're my hero."

 

"You're making him soft," Teddi complained, hearing the last thing Seth said, as she returned to the table. "Let's go get the two of you tucked into your comfy hotel rooms. I sure hope they have courtesy blow dryers for you." She sauntered away and the two men followed, smiling.

 

Only a few minutes later, Seth exclaimed, "There's the sign!" He pointed to the right side of the dark road and Erebus slowed the car, turning off the road.

 

"Why isn't the sign on?" Erebus wondered. "I almost missed it."

 

"They might have forgotten," Teddi suggested. "Sometime you think you do a thing, but you didn't do a thing. We can let them know when we check in."

 

"Oh, well this isn't too bad," Seth observed, as they rolled into the sparsely occupied lot of a small, but tidy, single story hotel. "Looks like they might have a lighting issue in general," he joked, pointing at the sign over the office that said, HIGHWAY 2 HOTEL, but the O and T were burned out.

 

After parking at the office, they exited the car, stretching. "Just get two rooms," Erebus called after Teddi, who was bouncing toward the office. "We need to save money."

 

In reply, without looking back, Teddi waved two fingers above her head to indicate she heard him. The office turned out to be more brightly lighted than it appeared from outside, due to the blinds being closed, and Teddi was glancing around the clean little space when a redhead came out of the back office.

 

"Connie?" she questioned, surprised.

 

The redhead beamed as Erebus and Seth entered the office. "Hello. No, my name is, Bonnie, but it sounds like you met my twin sister. And from the way you're all looking at me, I'm betting she didn't tell you we're twins." She laughed lightly. "I don't know if she does that because she doesn't think it matters, or she likes playing jokes on folks."

 

"You're right, she didn't tell us," Erebus agreed.

 

"Connie said we should mention that she sent us--" Seth began.

 

"And I'm supposed to give you the best rooms I've got, right?" Bonnie laughed again. "Well, all the rooms are identical so I guess they're all the best I've got. The good thing about that is, they're all pretty nice." She pointed at an open register. "Go ahead and sign in. How many rooms do you need?"

 

"Two," Erebus told her, and Teddi held up two fingers.

 

Each of them took turns signing in. "And who gets the keys?" Bonnie asked.

 

"One for me, and one for them," Teddi chirped.

 

"Here you go," Bonnie slid a key to Teddi and one to Seth. "Now comes the tricky part, I hope you nice folks carry cash or checks, because our machine is down. Some kind of weird power problem in the area.

 

"Oh, I was going to mention, your road sign is off," Teddi told her, looking in her wallet for cash.

 

"It's on," Bonnie said. "It's just the power glitch. Boyd, down at Public Works, said they'd see about it tomorrow. Probably got all the customers I'm going to get tonight, anyway."

 

After paying Bonnie with communal cash, the trio bid her good night and parked the car in front of the room where Teddi was staying, the guys had the room right next door. They all looked inside Teddi's room and the consensus was that it was spartan, but clean, and just fine for an overnighter. They agreed upon a time to hit the road, parting company for the night.

 

Teddi showered (briefly noting there was no bathroom door and assuming that, since it was a single room, who was going to be embarrassed), changed into a t-shirt and gym shorts, settling in to watch late night talk shows until she fell asleep, grinning now and then at the comical banter of the guys, in their room. She hoped they didn't annoy the other people occupying rooms on the opposite side of theirs. As things quieted down and Teddi settled back to sleep, something disturbing happened.

 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

 

She opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling.

 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

 

She turned her head, looking at the dark rectangle of the bathroom doorway.

 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

 

She sighed, getting up and slipping on her flip flops, going into the bathroom to check on the leak.

 

Drip. Drip. Drip. It was in the shower, the tile walls amplifying the sound. She fiddled with knobs, the shower head, and nearly asked Erebus to come take a look, but the silence from their room suggested they were already asleep. She finally folded the towel she'd used into a thick square, setting it under where the drops were landing. The drips became plips and she was satisfied they wouldn't wake her. She went back to bed.

 

Splat. Splat. Splat.

 

Teddi woke and glanced at her phone. It was just past midnight. She'd dozed off during a late show, and for some reason, the TV was off. She fiddled with the remote, but it wouldn't turn on. She sighed and got up, going into the bathroom.

 

Splat. Splat. Splat. The towel in the shower was completely waterlogged, the drops raining into a towel swamp. Splat. Splat. Splat.

 

"You win," she told the shower, changing into sweatpants and a sweatshirt, taking one of the pillows, her phone, and her purse, and going out to the car. She quietly got into the back seat, closing the door so that it made the faintest click, locked it, then made herself comfortable for the night.

 

Whispering. The sound of shoes on concrete.

 

Teddi woke up, reaching down to her phone, on the floorboards, poking it and seeing it was nearly two A.M. What had wakened her? Then she heard it, whispers, and footsteps clearly trying to be sneaky. The only reason she'd heard them was because her windows were cracked to prevent the glass from fogging up, revealing the car had an occupant. She slowly raised her head from the pillow, looking out the side windows then catching movement between the car and her hotel room door.

 

Bonnie was standing outside the door whispering with two large men. Each man carried a duffel bag, and one held out a fat manila envelope to Bonnie. She took the envelope then used a master key to unlock the door to the room where Teddi was supposed to be sleeping, walking away!

 

Peeking over the back seat, Teddi watched the men enter her room, and a moment later they hurried out, chasing down Bonnie, whispering loudly to her while she tried to quiet them. Teddi heard part of what Bonnie told the men.

 

"--must be with those guys," as she gestured toward the room shared by Erebus and Seth.

 

The men seemed aggravated, and the trio went into Bonnie's office.

 

Teddi turned off the interior light of the car before cautiously opening a door, slipping out, leaving it ajar, and sneaking to the room where Erebus and Seth slept. She tapped on the door, getting no response. She texted Seth, Bad men here. We need to RUN! And after a moment she heard Whitney Houston, inside the room, belt out, "And Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii eeIiiiii will always love youuuuu!"

 

"Are you serious?" came Erebus' sleepy, annoyed voice. "Put that thing on vibrate!"

 

"It's from Teddi," Seth told him, clearly yawning.

 

Teddi began frantically tapping on the door again, trying to keep it quiet enough not to alert Bonnie, or the men with her.

 

"What's it say -- who's at the door? Where are you going?" Erebus' questions followed what was happening inside the room and Seth suddenly yanked open the door, Teddi shoving him back inside, closing and locking the door behind her.

 

"Look at my face! No time to explain. Grab your stuff and we need to run!" she told them.

 

Nearly an hour later, huddled together in an office in the nearest small town, the three friends sipped coffee, watching as officers passed the window, glancing in at them, talking, dispersing, returning, and finally the sheriff entered the room.

 

"Well, we believe your story," he said to Teddi.

 

"Did you get them?" she asked.

 

"No, there was nobody there when we got there," he told her. They had a generator hooked up for the lights, and they were stealing cable, that's why you had TV to watch, but there were only two rooms set up for tourists.

 

"But, all the cars," Seth remarked.

 

"Yeah, we're running the plates," said the sheriff. "None of the other rooms were occupied."

 

"What about Bonnie, and her sister, Connie, the waitress from the diner?" asked Erebus.

 

"Sorry, but that diner's run by Jim and Cathy Nelson, nice folks," the sheriff told Erebus. Cathy remembers a redhead dropping in now and then, dressed like a waitress, and just figured she worked in town and stopped in on her way to or from work. Never regular enough to get familiar with her, y'know."

 

"So, she and her sister set us up for -- what? A robbery?" Seth suggested.

 

"I don't think there were two women," the sheriff said. "I think this one woman, whatever her name really is, pretended to be Connie, then Bonnie. You were set up, but I don't think it was for robbery," he didn't finish, glancing at Teddi.

 

"Oh, my god! You think they were going to kidnap Mommy?" exclaimed Seth.

 

"Mommy?" the sheriff asked.

 

"Inside joke," said Erebus, slipping an arm around Teddi's shoulders.

 

"They went to Ms. Beres' room, probably paid to go in --" the sheriff broke off. "I don't know what they planned, but it's a good thing you weren't in there when they showed up," he told Teddi. "The three of you can go. We've got your information. I'll be in touch, when we have anything to tell you."

 

After the sheriff left, Teddi looked at Erebus. "I guess that sign was right after all."

 

"What?" asked Erebus.

 

"With the burned out O and T...that made it the HWY 2 HEL." They all looked around at each other.

  

Time passed, the redhead and the men were never found. The cars belonged to people who'd been reported missing, but no one ever found their bodies.

So, be careful out there. And if someone suggests a nice place to stay, just off the main highway, have another cup of coffee, and keep driving.

 

(Thank you to Bailey for making me look cute, and scared, and thank you to Erebus and Seth for helping me with the horror.)

Taken at Teddi Towne, where summer is truly endless. Tourists are welcome.

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hawaiian%20Islands/196/236/21

I will give a few arguments ✅ FOR.

📍Photography increases self-esteem, helps to gain self-confidence, psychologically unload, overcome complexes and tightness

📍Thanks to the pictures, a person learns to feel himself both internally and from the outside, photography allows you to show yourself and your individuality

📍There are moments that will never happen again: a wedding, the birth of children, graduation… How nice it will be to remember the vivid emotions from these events years later

📍If you are advertising a brand or product, then a photo is the main tool for attracting attention

⠀

📣 What other advantages are there?

Write comments, add to the list.

⠀

#photoshootmoscow #newyearsphotoshootmoscow #fotografnameropriytie #fotodenmoscow #NikonD800 #safronoviv_photo

Arguments Yard Whitby named after Thomas Argument who built a cottage on Church street, the back garden running down to the harbourside

Leica M6TTL

Color Skopar 28/2.8 asph.

Fomapan 400

It's not an invite for political argument or political conversation, I won't reply or will go by that, I only share what I feel in order to get better, if someone will try to get to negative conversation or will give negative comments, they would be blocked so please respect what I write here.

 

To those who don't know, I am from Israel.

My country is now at war for already for few years since the horrible day of 7.10.2023, all know that ppl got taken by Hamas and ppl from gaza that support them and those they didn't took as hostages they killed full families include kids, babies and old ppl and , even until this day, there are still hostages there and their families still waiting for them, some of the hostages, many are women who were raped or been raped even until this day, and we even don't know if all the hostages they alive and with all that we live in a reality that Hamas and more terror organizations fire rockets to Israel, and also send terrorists inside Israel to kill civilians by cars, knives and guns, no one here is safe, since the 7.10.23 and each day we get out to work or outside our homes we know we might not return home alive, cause all those reasons Israel army got in Gaza, to destroy the rockets launchers and to find the hostages and to bring them home, and when we agreed to deals of freeing terrorists for hostages, it was the right thing but in same time we set terrorists free who most likely will kill or harm Israel civilizations again.

 

During all this time, Iran government and reign is one of the most big supporters of Hamas and those terrorists attacks, and they support them financially so they will keep do their actions, for a lot of years they theart of destroying Israel and USA, our beloved ally, therefore we were the first country in the world that chose to attack them in order to destroy their nuclear theart cause just as any country has the right to live in peace and to feel safe, we have the right to defend ourselves from Hamas or Iran reign and in same time we try to free their ppl from their crazy reign and government, that most are good ppl that are afraid and doesn't feel safe cause those that not showing support can get killed, that government need to go by democracy, power to the common and simple person, no one is better from anyone, we all should be treated the safe and we all deserve safety and dignity, that atleast how I see things.

 

But with all that, there is a big price, our souls, are well being, our mind, our mental health state, our stability and self esteem, is all damaged, we all here not really ok, we doing everything to be strong, and to try to fetch our broken internal pieces of ourselves and just to live cause we all honestly broken cause all that happened and still happening, but it's not easy, for almost a week most of us doesn't work and we supposed to stay home and near safe rooms and we don't manage to sleep well, and we in panic in case of alerts and possibe alarms without knowing if our army will manage to destroy those rockets that Iran send to us, buildings here got destroyed, ppl got burried under the ruins of buildings and there are ppl who died by those rockets or got severe critical damage who will need now to live with heavy trauma for all their life time.

 

Not connected to that, I work with ppl that are defined with special needs, as down syndrome and more, and cause this our facility is closed since Sunday and it isn't easy for the families to be without the routine we gave them, we support them from far but of course, it isn't the same and it upset me, all this.

 

And of course all this effects me, just today I wokr up by an alert and alarm and moment later I got into the safe room and heard explosions from far away, and I am not ok, I don't feel safe and I have no idea how each day that pass if me or my family across Israel will be ok, it's to live in fear and anxiety, and to feel not safe and deep down I feel depressed and having depression from it. It's a horrible feeling.

 

I just wish all this war to end and all I wish for is the hostages in gaza to get back home safely and that we all will be safe here and that all will can to get back to their lives, but I don't fear, I know that from all this war and depression and anxiety like the desert fire bird, the Phoenix, that reboned from the ash, I will rise...

 

youtu.be/KwRBcy5R1SI?si=tmj2zQkY---4ez1Z

   

Tower Transit DN33628 (SN11BNY) is seen at Homerton Hospital on route 425.

 

This bus was held here until the next one came due to an abusive fare evader boarding the bus, who was later kicked off, and was let onboard the next 425, of which I was on (just to avoid getting a 308 to Clapton Pond). This passenger was later constantly swearing, being rude and racist, and even plotting to kill the driver of the bus photographed, just because of one fare evasion. I later alighted the bus (DN33638) for safety.

FACT.

ALL atheistic, natural origin of the universe scenarios are false. The conclusive proof is presented here.

 

The proof is categorised as follows:

1. Contingent

2. Temporal

3. Temporary

 

The fact that EVERY natural entity or event is all three

(contingent, temporal and temporary) definitively rules out a natural entity as the origin or first cause of the universe.

The universe cannot possibly be the result of purely natural processes as atheism requires.

_________________________________________

Contingent.

All, natural entities/events are contingent.

They all require causes, and the scope, extent and potential of their properties/abilities relies entirely on their cause/s.

Their effects/properties are limited to the adequacy of their cause/s. They cannot exceed, in any respect, the abilities or properties of that which causes them.

This is supported by the Law of Cause and Effect.

'Every natural effect requires a cause' AND ‘An effect cannot be greater than its cause/s’.

 

A first cause of everything cannot be contingent, it must be entirely autonomous and non-contingent. Not reliant on, nor limited by, any preceding cause or causes. It cannot be inferior, in any respect, to anything else that ultimately exists (entirely self-sufficient & self-reliant).

Therefore, the first cause of everything cannot be a natural entity or event. This rules out every, proposed, natural origin of the universe scenario as a possible, first cause.

Logically, by virtue of the first cause being FIRST, it had to be uncaused (non-contingent). If it was caused it couldn't be FIRST, as it would be preceded by another cause..

_________________________________________

Temporal.

All, natural entities/events are temporal. They all have a beginning within a physical, time frame. They all begin to exist at some point in time. That which is temporal requires a cause. Therefore, a first cause of everything cannot be a natural entity of event.

 

A first cause of everything cannot be temporal, it cannot have had a beginning and cannot be subject to time. If any proposed, first cause began to exist at some time in the past, it would have required a preceding cause for its own existence, and therefore could not be the 'FIRST' cause. This rules out all natural scenarios, such as as a Big Bang explosion or a singularity, as possible, first causes. They are all temporal, and that is a fact.

The first cause has to be eternally and infinitely, self-existent, not temporal.

_________________________________________

Temporary.

All, natural entities/events are temporary.

As well as having a beginning within a physical time frame, they also face an eventual demise at some point in time.

This is enshrined in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, or more specifically, the law of entropy.

All, natural things deteriorate, and will ultimately come to an end.

Therefore, the first cause of everything cannot be a natural, entity or event. That is a fact.

 

The first cause of everything cannot be temporary, it cannot be subject to entropy and deterioration through the passage of time, because its powers and potential would have diminished and ultimately ceased to exist at some point in an eternal past. It could not have survived, or have had the sustained power, to be the first cause.

And an infinitely, long chain of natural causes and effects is impossible. Because, as each cause in the chain is subject to entropy, the chain as a whole would also be subject to entropy, thus deteriorating and diminishing in potential, over time.

_________________________________________

Conclusion:

Logic, supported by science, reveals that the first cause of everything cannot possibly be a natural entity or event. Therefore, ALL atheistic, natural origin of the universe scenarios are patently false. That is a fact.

The first cause of everything HAD to be a supernatural entity (a Creator God). There is no other logical or credible option.

 

The Biblical claim; the fool hath said in his heart “there is no God” (Psalm 14:1) is wholly justified and true.

Only a fool would attempt to claim otherwise.

 

_________________________________________

The implications of the Law of Cause and Effect clarified.

 

Consider this short chain of causes and effects:

A causes B, - B causes C, - C causes D, - D causes E.

'A, B, C & D' are all causes and may all look similar, but they are not, there is an enormous and crucial difference between them.

Causes B, C & D are fundamentally different from cause A.

Why?

Because A is the very first cause and thus had no previous cause. It exists without a cause. It doesn’t rely on anything else for its existence, it is completely independent of causes - while B, C, D & E would not exist without A. They are entirely dependent on A.

Causes; B, C & D are also effects, whereas A is not an effect, only a cause.

So we can say that the first cause ‘A’ is both self-existent and necessary. It is necessary because the rest of the chain of causes and effects could not exist without it. We also have to say that the subsequent causes and effects B, C, D and E are all contingent. That is; they are not self-existent they all depend entirely on other causes to exist.

We can also say that A is eternally self-existent, i.e. it has always existed, it had no beginning. Why? Because if A came into being at some point, there must have been something other than itself that brought it into being … which would mean A was not the first cause (A could not create A) … the something that brought A into being would be the first cause. In which case, A would be contingent and no different from B, C, D & E.

We can also say that A is adequate to produce all the properties of B, C, D & E.

Why?

Well in the case of E we can see that it relies entirely on D for its existence, E can in no way be superior to D because D had to contain within it everything necessary to produce E. The same applies to D it cannot be superior to C, but furthermore neither E or D can be superior to C, because both rely on C for their existence, and C had to contain everything necessary to produce D & E.

Likewise with B, which is responsible for the existence of C, D & E.

As they all depend on A for their existence and all their properties, abilities and potentials, none can be superior to A whether singly or combined. A had to contain everything necessary to produce B, C, D & E including all their properties, abilities and potentials.

Thus we deduce that; nothing in the universe can be superior in any way to the very first cause of the universe, because the whole universe, and all material things that exist, depend entirely on the abilities and properties of the first cause to produce them.

 

So to sum up … a first cause must be uncaused, must have always existed, without any deterioration, and cannot be in any way inferior to all subsequent causes and effects. In other words, the first cause of the universe must be eternally, self-sufficient, self-existent and omnipotent (greater than everything that exists).

It must be non-contingent, non-temporal and non-temporary. No natural entity can have those attributes, that is why a Supernatural, Creator God MUST exist.

_________________________________________

Polytheism? Why only one God?

What about polytheism, can there be more than one God or Creator.

It is obvious there can only be one, supernatural, first cause.

The first cause is infinite - and logically, there cannot be more than one infinite entity.

If there were two infinite entities, for example, A and B. The qualities and perfections that are the property of B would be a limitation on the qualities and perfections of A. and vice versa, so neither would be infinite.

If A & B had identical qualities and perfections they would not be two different entities, they would be identical and therefore the same entity, i.e. a single, infinite, first cause. So there can be only one infinite being or entity, only one supernatural, first cause and creator of the universe.

So when atheists keep repeating the claim - that there is no reason to believe the monotheistic, Christian God is any different from the multiple, gods of pagan religions, it simply displays their ignorance and lack of reasoning.

For this reason the Christian Trinity is not 3 gods, but rather 3 aspects or facets of the same, single God:

"I am in the Father and the Father is in me" John:14-20

_______________________________________

Supernaturalism, naturalism or magic?

Does the first cause of everything have to be a supernatural one? Or is this idea (as atheists claim) just a desperate attempt by ignorant people to fill a gap in scientific knowledge, by saying - God did it?

 

What does 'supernatural' mean? It means something outside of nature. Something which cannot be explained by science or by natural processes.

 

The origin of the Universe must be a supernatural event.

The origin of the universe cannot be explained by genuine science, natural laws or by natural processes. And that is an undeniable FACT.

Why?

Because EVERY possible explanation by natural processes (naturalism) violates both the fundamental principle of the scientific method - the Law of Cause and Effect - and other natural laws.

Hence, the first cause, by virtue of the fact that it cannot be explained by science or natural processes, automatically qualifies as a supernatural entity/event (supernaturalism).

To insist that the first cause must be a natural entity or event is to invoke a magical explanation, not a scientific one. The only choice, therefore is between a supernatural first cause or a magical one? A natural event that is purported to defy natural laws and scientific principles can only be described as MAGIC. And that is exactly what atheists propose. They cynically dress up their belief - that nature can evade natural laws - as science, but genuine science certainly cannot contemplate a causeless, natural event or entity, genuine scientists do not look for non-causes.

_______________________________________

Is atheist naturalism science or just paganism naturalism re-invented?

No one has ever proposed a natural explanation for the origin of the universe that does not violate the law of cause and effect and other natural laws. But, whenever atheists are challenged about this fact, they always make the excuse that the laws of nature/physics somehow DID NOT APPLY to their proposed, natural origin scenario.

The most, well known case of this excuse is the alleged 'Singularity' which, it has been claimed, preceded the Big Bang. Remember, it is claimed to be a "one-off event where the laws of physics did not apply." A natural event that defied natural laws! - That used to be called 'magic', before atheist, so-called 'scientists' hi-jacked science with their religion of naturalism - the worship of an All Powerful, autonomous, Mother Nature.

 

Excuses aren't science. A natural event that violates natural laws is by definition, not possible. There are no ifs, buts or maybes, natural things are bound by natural laws, without question.

Natural laws describe the inherent properties of natural entities and how they react according to those properties. They cannot exceed, in any way, the scope of behaviour dictated and limited by their properties. The whole basis of science is that every natural entity/event is contingent - has to have an ADEQUATE CAUSE.

The idea of 'laws not applying' to a natural event, is not science. It is just fantasy.

 

The Law of Cause and Effect is more than just an ordinary law, it is an overriding, fundamental principle of existence, not just a property of matter/energy like the Law of Gravity. It has been called the law of laws, because it applies to everything temporal; i.e. everything which begins to exist. Which means it applies to everything, except the single, first cause of everything.

 

If the origin of the universe is inexplicable to science, within the accepted framework of normal, natural processes and natural laws, then it is a supernatural event.

You cannot claim something as a natural event that violates natural laws, (i.e. exceeds the scope of its potential based on its own intrinsic properties). For that reason it is inexplicable to science.

In fact. to claim that something natural can defy natural laws is anti-science.

Those who promote such nonsense are enemies of science.

 

ALL NATURAL explanations for the origin of the universe violate the Law of Cause and Effect and other natural laws.

Conclusion: the atheist belief in a natural explanation for the origin of the universe (i.e. that Mother Nature did it) is impossible - according to science.

______________________________________

Did natural laws exist at the beginning?

An argument, often used by atheists, that we don’t know what natural laws existed at the beginning of the universe is a desperate attempt to evade the fact that natural laws are fatal to a natural origin (or natural, first cause) of the universe.

It is a nonsensical argument because, as I have already stated, natural laws describe the operation/behaviour of natural entities, according to their inherent properties, those properties don’t change.

 

The Law of Cause and Effect is exceptional. Nothing can evade the law of cause and effect.

 

Even if we accept the bizarre possibility that some natural laws could have been different at (or prior to) the beginning of the universe, it is irrelevant to the Law of Cause and Effect. That law is an exception.

Why?

Because, as previously explained, the Law of Cause and Effect is in a different category from all other laws, which are based solely on the inherent properties of natural things.

It would be better described as an eternal truth and fundamental principle, rather than just a law.

It is a unique and overriding principle of existence, different from other physical laws which are just pertinent to, and properties of, natural entities. It has rightly been called the ‘law of laws’.

Science (which deals exclusively with natural things), quite rightly, accepts the principle of causality as a natural law, and the scientific method itself is dependent on it being true.

We know the Law of Cause and Effect cannot be different, or non-operational, under any circumstances. That is a fact, because it necessarily applies to ALL temporal things.

Unlike other laws, it is not based on any particular, physical properties of nature, it is based only on the temporal character of nature.

Natural things are all temporal and nothing that is temporal can ever escape from that overriding principle. That would also include any temporal, spiritual entities, such as angels or demons.

 

Everything with a temporal character, wherever and whenever it exists, is subject to the Law of Cause and Effect, . There cannot be any exception to this, and that is why we can rely 100% on the scientific method, which depends on seeking and exploring causes.

 

Everything that has a beginning is subject to the Law of Cause and Effect.

So, even if the argument that "we don't know what laws existed at the beginning of the universe" is correct, it cannot apply to the principle of causality.

The principle of causality had to exist at the beginning. It is an eternal principle and truth, which can never be different, under any circumstances.

 

FACT: To reiterate; if something is temporal, then it is subject to the Law of Cause and Effect.

So, it is not possible to propose a natural, origin scenario that can escape the Law of Cause and Effect. All natural entities and occurrences are temporal and, therefore, are all subject to cause and effect.

The only thing not subject to causality is the first cause, because the first cause is not temporal, it has to be non-contingent, that is - infinite and eternally self-existent.

The first cause is the ONLY exception to causality, nothing else can be an exception, everything else (including other supernatural entities, such as angels) is contingent and owes its existence to a cause, which ultimately originates with the uncaused, first cause (God).

Conclusion: A Creator God MUST exist. It is not sensible, and certainly not scientific, to deny that fact.

 

The poison in our midst - progressive politics.

www.flickr.com/photos/truth-in-science/47971464278/in/pho...

 

Dr James Tour - 'The Origin of Life' - Abiogenesis decisively refuted.

youtu.be/B1E4QMn2mxk

Week seven marks the start of the traditional Friends and Family week. But while everyone is happy to see their visitors, Faith is unhappy to see Grace be her guest for the week. Carter shows up and makes an attempt at taking Judy back with him, but the BFFs and the security team expel him from the area. Among the friends and family, Sam has issue with Owens guest Tristan, whom Sam had beef with from back in Star School. Sam attempted to assault Tristan but Diego stopped him before any damage could be done. Navid also makes an appearance thanks to an invite from Bianca, and a confrontation between Nico and Navid leaves Navid feeling like a relationship with his brother is a lost cause.

 

The BFFs go to the mall but an exchange with Vince upsets Summers guest Dylan. Dylan heads back to the mansion where he finds Will playing video games alone. The two bond over the game and Dylan encourages Will to invite a friend of his own over. Will invites Olive, a girl from his online D&D games to join him during family week. Upon returning home from the mall, the BFFs find the BFF mansion completely decorated for the holiday theme. Just then Olive arrives and Teddy recognizes her as June’s sister April. Maxine sees it too but they agree to not interfere in case they’re mistaken. Their suspicions were founded as Olive tries to turn Will against Maxine and encourages him to betray Maxine’s trust. Will and Olive are caught by Diego in Maxine’s bedroom, but when he forcefully takes them downstairs, Will declares Diego is a bully and by playing victim, turns the house against him.

 

Danika’s brother Ezra and Faith bond over their pasts. But when Faith retells the murder mystery case she’s been working on, Ezra deduces that Faith was the girl in the story. Faith comes clean and admits that her history is what drove her to want to be a criminal investigator.

 

Maxine has everyone go to the Natural History Museum where they meet Chester McCoy, an intern at the museum who has history with Edward D. Maxine finds herself between a rock and a hard place as Evan, Teddy and Nico are all vying for her attention. But while Maxine avoids their advances, Shane has an interest in Chester and Bernie makes a move on Declan leaving Danika jealous. Back at the BFF mansion, Trevor and Tristan explore Maxine’s gift closet in the basement, before being interrupted by Bianca. A brief conversation reveals that Bianca and Trevor are often ignored by their parents in favor of Maxine.

 

The BFFs return from the museum and are met with Nasims friend Gabriella who drops off some of Trevors personal effects. After a brief and argumentative exchange, Gabriella insults Trevor leaving a bad impression on Bianca and Maxine who agree to defend their brothers honor. But while arguments are had in the living room, in his bedroom Will reveals to Olive that he was Shanelle’s date to the pig party and that it was him who encouraged June to stand up for herself. He then plays Olive a voicemail that implicates Maxine, Sabrina, Shaye, Freddie, Shanelle and Nico as well as Jaron St. John and Nic Narcessian. Olive tries to steal the phone from Will but their struggle for the phone has Will accidentally kill Olive. Luckily for Will, his big brothers Gaspard and Vince happen by and hide the body in the gift closet until they can figure out a more fool proof plan.

 

Feeling bad for vilifying Diego, Will apologizes and promises to make things right. After a day out with Kylie and Josh, Evan returns and comments on a creepy ice cream truck parked outside. Bernie and Brodie investigate but find that it’s empty inside without a employee or even ice cream. Right before eliminations, Judy’s ex Carter makes another attempt at taking her with him. But Judy stands up for herself and puts Carter in his place once and for all

 

At eliminations, the White Christmas challenge brings a lot of Christmas cheer, but none more than for Summer who takes home her first challenge win. Sadly Owen and Judy find themselves in the bottom two and Judy is sent home.

  

8 BFFs remain

Argumentado por algunos como el primer auto deportivo del mundo, el Benz Prinz Hinriche Wagen se produjo por primera vez en 1908, tres años por delante de las réplicas de Prinz Heinrich Fahrt de 1910 de Vauxhall y Austro-Daimler que no llegaron a las salas de exhibición hasta 1911.

 

  

This photograph was published online in an article in RADIO FRANCE in the France Culture section on May 11th 2023 titled:

  

'' SERIE MECANIQUES DU VIVANT, SAISON 3: LE CORBEAU ''

 

Épisode 1 : Un oiseau noir pourtant si brillant

  

In English:

 

'' Mechanics of life, season 3: The crow ''

 

Episode 1: A black bird yet so brilliant

  

It was also Published online in an article in RADIO FRANCE in the France Culture section on May 11th 2023

 

Chronique sur les animaux

Les corbeaux et les corneilles : de petits génies de la nature (chronicle on animals

Ravens and crows: little geniuses of nature).

  

It was previously published as my 3,819th image in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on November 5th 2019 (I now have 7,000+ images published)

  

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1185462929 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**

  

.

.

  

Photograph taken at an altitude of Twenty One metres, at 12:34pm on Monday 4th November 2019, off Hyde Park Corner and Park Lane A4202 in the grounds of Hyde park, a Grade 1 listed Royal Park (the largest of) of London.

  

LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY

By Paul Williams

  

Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.

  

In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.

  

In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds.

  

There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.

  

The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had become a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada.

  

Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five-day dances seeking trance, prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.

  

Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows.

  

Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god).

  

The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare. Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.

  

In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors.

  

It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.

  

In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.

  

The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug

  

In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys.

  

In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow").

  

Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow-coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.

  

In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.

  

In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:

  

1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.

 

2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.

 

3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.

 

4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

 

5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.

 

6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!

 

7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.

 

8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events

  

Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolizes potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it.

  

This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....

  

There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders.

  

The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.

  

The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.

  

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

  

So, let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.

  

Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice).

  

Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.

  

Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone

  

Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories.

  

Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm. They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old.

  

The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!

  

They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow, a more steeply raked ratio from head to beak, and longer straighter beaks as well as a different plumage pattern.

  

There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.

  

Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence.

  

Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1.

  

That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, intraneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.

  

A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events.

  

They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans,and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans.

  

Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.

  

Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.

  

Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally.

  

They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!

  

Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades. Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!

  

They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.

  

In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain.

  

Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.

  

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN

  

Known mostly for my landscape work, Covid-19 changed everything for me photographically speaking thanks to a series of lock downs which naturally impeded my ability to travel. I began to spend more time on my own land, photographing the wildlife, and suddenly those wildlife photographs began to sell worldwide in magazines and books.

  

Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed around mid May 2021 when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food. Naturally I named her Sheryl (Crow).

  

Shortly afterwards she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. I named him Russell (Crow). By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed.

  

Sheryl was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first, I used silent mode to reduce the noise, but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames, and she soon got used to the whirring of the mechanisms as the mirror slapped back and forth.

  

Russell would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat.

  

I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....

  

I swear she was expressing happiness, joy even....

  

On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.

  

A further revelation into the unseen sides to these beautiful birds came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds.

  

They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever. Two of the youngsters headed off once large enough and strong enough.

  

I was privileged to be in close attendance as the last juvenile was brought down by the pair, taught to take food and then on a night in July, to soar and fly with its mother in the evening sky as the light faded. She would swoop and twirl, and at regular intervals just touch the juvenile in flight with her wing tip feathers, as if to reassure it that she was close in attendance.

  

What an amazing experience to view. A few days later, the juvenile, though now gaining independence and more than capable of tackling food scraps in the garden, was still on occasions demand feeding from its mother who was now teaching him to take chicken breast, hotdogs or digestive biscuits and bury them in the garden beds for later delectation.

  

The juvenile also liked to gather up peanuts (monkey nuts) and bury them in the grass. On one occasion I witnessed a pair of rumbunctious Pica Pica (Magpies), chasing the young crow on rooftops, leaping at him no matter how hard he tried to get away. He defended himself well and survived the attacks, much to my relief.

  

Into August and the last youngster remained with the adults, though now was very independent even though he still spent time with his parents on rooftops, and shared food gathering duties with his mum. Hotdog sausages were their favourite choice, followed by fish fingers and digestive biscuits which the adult male would gather up three at a time.

  

In October 2021, the three Crows were still kings of the area, but my time observing them was pretty much over as I will only put food out now for the birds in the winter months. The two adults are still here in December and now taking the food that I put out to help all birds survive in the winter months. They also have a pair of Magpies to compete with now.

  

Late February 2022 and Cheryl and Russell and their youngster are still with me, still dominant in the area and still taking raw chicken, hotdogs, biscuits and fat balls that I put out for them. Today I saw them mating for the first time this year in the tree and the cycle continues.

  

By October 2022 the pair had successfully reared a new baby who we nicknamed Baboo, and the other youngster flew the coup. The three now recognised our car returning from weekends away, and were enjoying sausages, hotdogs, raw chicken, fish and especially cheese, but life was hard as they aged with daily morning and evening tussles in the air with invaders and intruders hoping to take their land.

  

Russell picked up an injury during one fight and hobbled about for a few weeks before fully recovering, though a slight limp remained long-term, but Sheryl was visibly ageing and struggled at times to gain height from a vertical ground take off. I placed a garden chair near the house and she would often jump onto the top and then onto the fence and then the roof in stages.

  

Baboo became the dominant garden watcher, swooping in to take advantage of the food I put out, though he now faced competition from a gaggle eight resident Magpies, and gulls which seemed to have adopted the area, and brave enough to snatch food from under his nose and eat on the grass in his presence. The three crows still held on to our garden and the territory and loved cheese, hot dogs, raw chicken, fish fingers and digestive biscuits and also mixed nuts, crusty bread and cakes and fat from steak or gammon plus fish skin from salmon or haddock. But by December 13th 2022, feeding became almost impossible as Black headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) and Common Gulls (Larus canus), seemed to take up residence, swooping from nowhere in dozens as soon as I tried to feed the crows and Magpies. I had to wait until any of my three crows were nestled in the Chestnut tree which seeps into my garden, before throwing food out to them, watching as they grabbed what they could, followed by the resident Magpies, before the gulls began to swoop once more!

  

The three crows could recognise my car and know if we were returning home, and call each other, and wait for me to feed them. They enjoyed Tesco finest mince pies, tinned Salmon steaks, fatballs and raw meatballs over the festive period, and Sheryl particularly loved her mature cheddar cheese in large chunks. Into February, March and April 2023 and the morning skirmishes with bands of four or more outsider crows grew in regularity and intensity. Russell and Sheryl are by now getting older, at least into their third year, probably fourth or more, and the battles must have been getting harder to win.

  

Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!

  

Paul Williams June 4th 2021 (Updated on April 3rd 2023)

  

.

.

 

Nikon D850 Focal length 240mm Shutter speed 1/60s Aperture f/11.0 iso1250 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Hand held with Sigma Image stabilization enabled . Colour space Adobe RGB. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. Focus mode AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. AF Area mode single. Exposure mode - Manual exposure. Matrix metering. ISO Sensitivity: Manually set. Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal. Active D-lighting on Automatic. High ISO Noise Reduction: On. Picture control: Auto with Sharpening A+1.00.

  

Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3DG OS HSM SPORTS. Lee SW150 MKI filter holder with MK2 light shield and custom made velcro fitting for the Sigma lens. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Lee SW150 MKI filter holder with MK2 light shield and custom made velcro fitting for the Sigma lens. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch.Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.

  

.

 

.

  

LATITUDE: N 51d 30m 23.01s

LONGITUDE: W 0d 9m 49.15s

ALTITUDE: 21.0m

  

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.0MB NEF: 95.4MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 52.20MB

  

.

.

  

PROCESSING POWER:

  

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18) LF 1.00

  

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

   

Still not over my last years Yellowstone pictures. After couple of coyotes waited around the kill near the Buffalo Ranch, this one walked up and staked its claim.

An argument between two Military Macaws at Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam.

 

Follow me on Facebook | Follow me on Instagram

A chaffinch is taken by surprise by an angry greenfinch. From the garden hide.

When a man uses profanity to support an argument, it indicates that either the man or the argument is weak - probably both.

Okay, so yeah. I was in a really, really, really ridiculously good mood Friday, as you know. But then tonight, I got into an argument with my best friend. It was over something stupid and trivial too! It was just about men and women. You know, how they flirt and how complicated (uncomplicated) each is. And he took it so personally!

The whole thing started off as me telling him what was on my mind. A boy, "Dan", and my aunt. I kept reliving the horrible week and day of her death. I just couldn't shake it. Then things progressed and we started arguing about men and women. Then he wrote shit about it, which I read, and was upset.

I don't think he knows how upset I got. If he knew, he'd probably think I was weak because I try not to get upset over stuff like that. I'm easy-going. But... I'm not trying to be dramatic. Unless you've gone through what I did that week, you have no idea what it's like to relive it over and over again. I had to stand around and watch someone I love, slowly die in front of me, and there was absolutely nothing I could do. I wanted to say so much, but I thought I had time. Just another thing I did wrong.

Well, anyway. I went to karate too. I took a ton of photos and filled up my last memory card. I need to buy another!!! Like, soon! And my computer yelled at me because I take too many photos, and it couldn't store any more >.< Whoops. I had a good time talking with "Eric" after classes :D

 

"For argument’s sake let’s pretend we could stop arguing

Over which of us is wrong and why it isn’t you

We’re barely awake before your head’s up in the clouds again

There’s nothing you like more than having nothing much to do

 

Stood akimbo

Staring out the window at the sky

 

All afternoon you’ve been buried in a biography

Of an aviatrix lost at sea, never to be found

Holed up in your room, holding out for an apology

But gravity will get to you eventually

 

You’ll come down from upstairs again

With all those model aeroplanes

 

And the novelty wore off

When the pilots still wore goggles

But your eyes look skywards

And your mind still boggles

 

I’m going grey but you look younger than a year ago

When you put your hair in pigtails and you put your hand in mine

We’ll be OK - I’m happy when you’re here

But oh, your smile can seem as far away as once upon a time."

("The Golden Age Of Aviation" by The Lucksmiths) I just saw the first line and was like, BAM, that's it. :D

Belfast (/ˈbɛl.fɑːst/ or /ˈbɛl.fæst/; from Irish: Béal Feirste, meaning mouth of the sandbanks) is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, on the River Lagan. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 286,000. Belfast was granted city status in 1888.

 

Belfast was a centre of the Irish linen, tobacco processing, rope-making and shipbuilding industries: in the early 20th century, Harland and Wolff, which built the RMS Titanic, was the biggest and most productive shipyard in the world. Belfast played a key role in the Industrial Revolution, and was a global industrial centre until the latter half of the 20th century. Industrialisation and the inward migration it brought made Belfast the biggest city in Ireland at the beginning of the 20th century, and industrial and economic success was cited by unionist opponents of Home Rule as a reason why Ulster should fight to resist it.

 

Today, Belfast remains a centre for industry, as well as the arts, higher education, business, and law, and is the economic engine of Northern Ireland. The city suffered greatly during the period of conflict called "the Troubles", but latterly has undergone a sustained period of calm, free from the intense political violence of former years, and substantial economic and commercial growth. Additionally, Belfast city centre has undergone considerable expansion and regeneration in recent years, notably around Victoria Square.

 

Belfast is served by two airports: George Best Belfast City Airport in the city, and Belfast International Airport 15 miles (24 km) west of the city. Belfast is a major port, with commercial and industrial docks dominating the Belfast Lough shoreline, including the Harland and Wolff shipyard, and is listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as a global city.

 

Name

 

The name Belfast is derived from the Irish Béal Feirsde, which was later spelled Béal Feirste. The word béal means "mouth" or "rivermouth" while feirsde/feirste is the genitive singular of fearsaid and refers to a sandbar or tidal fordacross a river's mouth. The name would thus translate literally as "(river) mouth of the sandbar" or "(river) mouth of the ford". This sandbar was formed at the confluence of two rivers at what is now Donegall Quay: the Lagan, which flows into Belfast Lough, and its tributary the Farset. This area was the hub around which the original settlement developed. The Irish name Béal Feirste is shared by a townland in County Mayo, whose name has been anglicised as Belfarsad.

 

An alternative interpretation of the name is "mouth of [the river] of the sandbar", an allusion to the River Farset, which flows into the Lagan where the sandbar was located. This interpretation was favoured by Edmund Hoganand John O'Donovan. It seems clear, however, that the river itself was named after the tidal crossing.

 

In Ulster Scots the name of the city is Bilfawst or Bilfaust, although "Belfast" is also used.

  

History

 

The site of Belfast has been occupied since the Bronze Age. The Giant's Ring, a 5,000-year-old henge, is located near the city, and the remains of Iron Age hill forts can still be seen in the surrounding hills. Belfast remained a small settlement of little importance during the Middle Ages. John de Courcy built a castle on what is now Castle Street in the city centre in the 12th century, but this was on a lesser scale and not as strategically important as Carrickfergus Castle to the north, which was built by de Courcy in 1177. The O'Neill clan had a presence in the area.

 

In the 14th century, Cloinne Aodha Buidhe, descendants of Aodh Buidhe O'Neill built Grey Castle at Castlereagh, now in the east of the city. Conn O'Neill of the Clannaboy O'Neills owned vast lands in the area and was the last inhabitant of Grey Castle, one remaining link being the Conn's Water river flowing through east Belfast.

 

Belfast became a substantial settlement in the 17th century after being established as a town by Sir Arthur Chichester, which was initially settled by Protestant English and Scottish migrants at the time of the Plantation of Ulster. (Belfast and County Antrim, however, did not form part of this particular Plantation scheme as they were privately colonised.) In 1791, the Society of United Irishmen was founded in Belfast, after Henry Joy McCracken and other prominent Presbyterians from the city invited Theobald Wolfe Tone and Thomas Russell to a meeting, after having read Tone's "Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland". Evidence of this period of Belfast's growth can still be seen in the oldest areas of the city, known as the Entries.

 

Belfast blossomed as a commercial and industrial centre in the 18th and 19th centuries and became Ireland's pre-eminent industrial city. Industries thrived, including linen, rope-making, tobacco, heavy engineering and shipbuilding, and at the end of the 19th century, Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the largest city in Ireland. The Harland and Wolff shipyards became one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, employing up to 35,000 workers. In 1886 the city suffered intense riots over the issue of home rule, which had divided the city.

 

In 1920–22, Belfast became the capital of the new entity of Northern Ireland as the island of Ireland was partitioned. The accompanying conflict (the Irish War of Independence) cost up to 500 lives in Belfast, the bloodiest sectarian strife in the city until the Troubles of the late 1960s onwards.

 

The Troubles

 

Belfast has been the capital of Northern Ireland since its establishment in 1921 following the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It had been the scene of various episodes of sectarian conflict between its Catholic and Protestant populations. These opposing groups in this conflict are now often termed republican and loyalist respectively, although they are also referred to as 'nationalist' and 'unionist'. The most recent example of this conflict was known as the Troubles – a civil conflict that raged from around 1969 to 1998.

 

Belfast saw some of the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly in the 1970s, with rival paramilitary groups formed on both sides. Bombing, assassination and street violence formed a backdrop to life throughout the Troubles. The Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs within the confines of Belfast city centre in 1972, on what is known as "Bloody Friday", killing eleven people. Loyalist paramilitaries including the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) claimed that the killings they carried out were in retaliation for the IRA campaign. Most of their victims were Catholics with no links to the Provisional IRA. A particularly notorious group, based on the Shankill Road in the mid-1970s, became known as the Shankill Butchers.

 

In all, over 1,600 people were killed in political violence in the city between 1969 and 2001. Sporadic violent events continue as of 2015, although not supported by the previous antagonists who had reached political agreement in 1998.

  

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast

   

Picture of and by Jovana Baćanović used with kind permission.

This pictures are not to be used without my written permission.

 

I don't like flashy awards, since they're mostly given because of an obligation to stupid group rules. If you got something to say, say it in your own words and not by copying and pasting. I don't follow such rules, so if you have the sweaper running, don't even bother to invite me please. As of now the flashy awards will be removed, no offence!

TES V: Skyrim

"For your hands are stained with blood,

your fingers with guilt.

Your lips have spoken falsely,

and your tongue mutters wicked things.

No one calls for justice;

no one pleads a case with integrity.

They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies;

they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

They hatch the eggs of vipers

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.

Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.

Their deeds are evil deeds,

and acts of violence are in their hands.

Their feet rush into sin;

they are swift to shed innocent blood.

They pursue evil schemes;

acts of violence mark their ways.

The way of peace they do not know;

there is no justice in their paths.

They have turned them into crooked roads;

no one who walks along them will know peace."

 

And so I return to Judah

for I am not of your people

I have spoken the message

for those who should hear

(you rulers)

but you who are to hear

will not

 

but it is spoken nonetheless....

 

FILM - BLOOD - AND ALCHEMY

model:kate

Siena è un comune di 54.391 abitanti della Toscana centrale, capoluogo dell'omonima provincia.

La città è universalmente conosciuta per il suo patrimonio artistico e per la sostanziale unità stilistica del suo arredo urbano medievale, nonché per il suo famoso Palio; il centro storico è stato infatti dichiarato dall'UNESCO patrimonio dell'umanità nel 1995.

Siena fu fondata come colonia romana al tempo dell'Imperatore Augusto e prese il nome di Saena Iulia.

All'interno del centro storico senese sono stati ritrovati dei siti di epoca etrusca, che possono far pensare alla fondazione della città da parte degli etruschi.

Il primo documento noto in cui viene citata la comunità senese risale al 70 e porta la firma di Tacito che, nel IV libro delle Historiae, riporta il seguente episodio: il senatore Manlio Patruito riferì a Roma di essere stato malmenato e ridicolizzato con un finto funerale durante la sua visita ufficiale a Saena Iulia, piccola colonia militare della Tuscia. Il Senato romano decise di punire i principali colpevoli e di richiamare severamente i senesi a un maggiore rispetto verso l'autorità.

Dell'alto Medioevo non si hanno documenti che possano illuminare intorno ai casi della vita civile a Siena. C'è qualche notizia relativa alla istituzione del vescovado e della diocesi, specialmente per le questioni sorte fra il Vescovo di Siena e quello di Arezzo, a causa dei confini della zona giurisdizionale di ciascuno: questioni nelle quali intervenne il re longobardo Liutprando, pronunziando sentenza a favore della diocesi aretina. Ma i senesi non furono soddisfatti e pertanto nell'anno 853, quando l'Italia passò dalla dominazione longobarda a quella franca, riuscirono ad ottenere l'annullamento della sentenza emanata dal re Liutprando. Pare, dunque, che al tempo dei Longobardi, Siena fosse governata da un gastaldo, rappresentante del re: Gastaldo che fu poi sostituito da un Conte imperiale dopo l'incoronazione di Carlo Magno. Il primo conte di cui si hanno notizie concrete fu Winigi, figlio di Ranieri, nel 867. Dopo il 900 regnava a Siena l'imperatore Ludovico III, il cui regno non durò così a lungo, dal momento che nel 903 le cronache raccontano di un ritorno dei conti al potere sotto il nuovo governo del re Berengario.

Siena si ritrova nel X secolo al centro di importanti vie commerciali che portavano a Roma e, grazie a ciò divenne un'importante città medievale. Nel XII secolo la città si dota di ordinamenti comunali di tipo consolare, comincia a espandere il proprio territorio e stringe le prime alleanze. Questa situazione di rilevanza sia politica che economica, portano Siena a combattere per i domini settentrionali della Toscana, contro Firenze. Dalla prima metà del XII secolo in poi Siena prospera e diventa un importante centro commerciale, tenendo buoni rapporti con lo Stato della Chiesa; i banchieri senesi erano un punto di riferimento per le autorità di Roma, ai quali si rivolgevano per prestiti o finanziamenti.

Alla fine del XII secolo Siena, sostenendo la causa ghibellina (anche se non mancavano, le famiglie senesi di parte guelfa, in sintonia con Firenze), si ritrovò nuovamente contro Firenze di parte guelfa: celebre è la vittoria sui toscani guelfi nella battaglia di Montaperti, del 1260, celebrata anche da Dante Alighieri. Ma dopo qualche anno i senesi ebbero la peggio nella battaglia di Colle Val d'Elsa, del 1269, che portò in seguito, nel 1287, alla ascesa del Governo

dei Nove, di parte guelfa. Sotto questo nuovo governo, Siena raggiunse il suo massimo splendore, sia economico che culturale.

Dopo la peste del 1348, cominciò la lenta decadenza della Repubblica di Siena, che comunque non precluse la strada all'espansione territoriale senese, che fino al giorno della caduta della Repubblica comprendeva un terzo della toscana. La fine della Repubblica Senese, forse l'unico Stato occidentale ad attuare una democrazia pura a favore del popolo, avvenne il 25 aprile 1555, quando la città, dopo un assedio di oltre un anno, dovette arrendersi stremata dalla fame, all'impero di Carlo V, spalleggiato dai fiorentini, che cedette in feudo il territorio della Repubblica ai Medici, Signori di Firenze, per ripagarli delle spese sostenute durante la guerra. Per l'ennesima volta i cittadini senesi riuscirono a tenere testa ad un imperatore, che solo grazie alle proprie smisurate risorse poté piegare la fiera resistenza di questa piccola Repubblica e dei suoi cittadini.

Dopo la caduta della Repubblica pochi senesi guidati peraltro dall'esule fiorentino Piero Strozzi, non volendo accettare la caduta della Repubblica, si rifugiarono in Montalcino, creando la Repubblica di Siena riparata in Montalcino, mantenendo l'alleanza con la Francia, che continuò ad esercitare il proprio potere sulla parte meridionale del territorio della Repubblica, creando notevoli problemi alle truppe degli odiati fiorentini. Essa visse fino al 31 maggio del 1559 quando fu tradita dagli alleati francesi, che Siena aveva sempre sostenuto, che concludendo la pace di Cateau-Cambrésis con l'imperatore Carlo V, cedettero di fatto la Repubblica ai fiorentini.

Lo stemma di Siena è detto "balzana". È uno scudo diviso in due porzioni orizzontali: quella superiore è bianca, quella inferiore nera,con la Lupa che allatta Senio e Ascanio. Secondo la leggenda, starebbe a simboleggiare il fumo nero e bianco scaturito dalla pira augurale che i leggendari fondatori della città, Senio e Ascanio, figli di Remo, avrebbero acceso per ringraziare gli dei dopo la fondazione della città di Siena. Un'altra leggenda riporta che la balzana derivi dai colori dei cavalli, uno bianco ed uno nero, che Senio e Ascanio usarono nella fuga dallo zio Romolo che li voleva uccidere e con i quali giunsero a Siena. Per il loro presunto carattere focoso che, si dice, rasenta la pazzia, anche i senesi sono definiti spesso "balzani".

 

Siena (em português também conhecida como Sena) é uma cidade e sede de comuna italiana na região da Toscana, província do mesmo nome, com cerca de 52.775 (ISTAT 2003) habitantes. Estende-se por uma área de 118 km2, tendo uma densidade populacional de 447 hab/km2. Faz fronteira com Asciano, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Monteriggioni, Monteroni d'Arbia e Sovicille.

Siena é universalmente conhecida pelo seu património artístico e pela notável unidade estilística do seu centro histórico, classificado pela UNESCO como Património da Humanidade.

Segundo a mitologia romana, Siena foi fundada por Sénio, filho de Remo, e podem-se encontrar numerosas estátuas e obras de arte mostrando, tal como em Roma, os irmãos amamentados pela loba. Foi um povoamento etrusco e depois colónia romana (Saena Julia) refundada pelo imperador Augusto. Era, contudo, uma pequena povoação, longe das rotas principais do Império. No século V, torna-se sede de uma diocese cristã.

As antigas famílias aristocráticas de Siena reclamam origem nos Lombardos e à data da submissão da Lombardia a Carlos Magno (774). A grande influência da cidade como pólo cultural, artístico e político é iniciada no século XII, quando se converte num burgo autogovernado de cariz republicano, substituindo o esquema feudal.

Todavia, o esquema político conduziu sempre a lutas internas entre nobres e externas com a cidade rival de Florença. Data do século XIII a ruptura entre as facções rivais dos Guibelinos de Siena e dos Guelfos de Florença, que seria argumento para a Divina Comédia de Dante.

Em 4 de Setembro de 1260, os Guibelinos apoiaram as forças do rei Manfredo da Sicília e derrotaram os Guelfos em Montaperti, que tinham um exército muito superior em armas e homens. Antes da batalha, toda a cidade fora consagrada à Virgem Maria e confiada à sua protecção. Hoje, essa protecção é recordada e renovada, lembrando os sienenses da ameaça dos aliados da Segunda Guerra Mundial de bombardearam a cidade em 1944, o que felizmente não veio a acontecer.

Siena rivalizou no campo das artes durante o período medieval até o século XIV com as cidades vizinhas. Porém, devastada em 1348 pela Peste Negra, nunca recuperou o seu esplendor, perdendo também a sua rivalidade interurbana com Florença. A Siena actual tem um aspecto muito semelhante ao dos séculos XIII-XIV. Detém uma universidade fundada em 1203, famosa pelas faculdades de Direito e Medicina, e que é uma das mais prestigiadas universidades italianas.

Em 1557 perde a independência e é integrada nas formações políticas e administrativas da Toscana.

Siena também deu vários Papas, sendo eles: Alexandre III, Pio II, Pio III e Alexandre VII.

Os dois grandes santos de Siena são Santa Catarina (1347-1380) e São Bernardino (1380-1444). Catarina Benincasa, filha de um humilde tintureiro, fez-se irmã na Ordem Terceira dominicana (para leigos)e viveu como monja na casa dos pais. É famosa pelo intercâmbio interior com o próprio Cristo, que num êxtase lhe disse: "Eu sou aquele que é e tú és aquela que não é". Apesar da origem modesta, influenciou papas e príncipes com sua sabedoria e seu exemplo, conseguindo inclusive convencer o papa de então, contra a maioria dos cardeais, a regressar a Roma do exílio de Avinhon na França. Quanto ao franciscano São Bernardino, ele é célebre por ter sido o maior expoente, no Catolicismo, da via espiritual de invocação do Nome Divino, que encontra similares em todas as grandes religiões, do Budismo (nembutsu) ao Islã ([[dhikr]]) e ao Hinduísmo (mantra). Os sermões que Bernbardino fez na praça central de Siena provocaram tal fervor religioso e devoção ao nome de Jesus que o conselho municipal decidiu colocar o monograma do nome de Jesus (composto pelas letras IHS, significando "Jesus salvador dos homens")na fachada do prédio do governo. Do mesmo modo, muitos cidadãos o pintaram sobre as fachadas de suas casas, como até hoje se pode ver na cidade.

  

Siena also widely spelled Sienna in English) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.

The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008.[1] Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the palio.

Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill-forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Saenones.

The Roman origin accounts for the town's emblem: a she-wolf suckling infants Romulus and Remus. According to legend, Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus, who was in turn the brother of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Statues and other artwork depicting a she-wolf suckling the young twins Romulus and Remus can be seen all over the city of Siena. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name "Saina," the Roman family name of the "Saenii," or the Latin word "senex" ("old") or the derived form "seneo", "to be old".

Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.

The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the Mark of Tuscia which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions.

Siena prospered as a city-state, becoming a major centre of money lending and an important player in the wool trade. It was governed at first directly by its bishop, but episcopal power declined during the 12th century. The bishop was forced to concede a greater say in the running of the city to the nobility in exchange for their help during a territorial dispute with Arezzo, and this started a process which culminated in 1167 when the commune of Siena declared its independence from episcopal control. By 1179, it had a written constitution.

This period was also crucial in shaping the Siena we know today. It was during the early 13th century that the majority of the construction of the Siena Cathedral (Duomo) was completed. It was also during this period that the Piazza del Campo, now regarded as one of the most beautiful civic spaces in Europe, grew in importance as the centre of secular life. New streets were constructed leading to it, and it served as the site of the market and the location of various sporting events (perhaps better thought of as riots, in the fashion of the Florentine football matches that are still practised to this day). A wall was constructed in 1194 at the current site of the Palazzo Pubblico to stop soil erosion, an indication of how important the area was becoming as a civic space.

In the early 12th century a self-governing commune replaced the earlier aristocratic government. The consuls who governed the republic slowly became more inclusive of the poblani, or common people, and the commune increased its territory as the surrounding feudal nobles in their fortified castles submitted to the urban power. Siena's republic, struggling internally between nobles and the popular party, usually worked in political opposition to its great rival, Florence, and was in the 13th century predominantly Ghibelline in opposition to Florence's Guelph position (this conflict formed the backdrop for some of Dante's Commedia).

On 4 September 1260 the Sienese Ghibellines, supported by the forces of King Manfred of Sicily, defeated the Florentine Guelphs in the Battle of Montaperti. Before the battle, the Sienese army of around 20,000 faced a much larger Florentine army of around 33,000. Prior to the battle, the entire city was dedicated to the Virgin Mary (this was done several times in the city's history, most recently in 1944 to guard the city from Allied bombs). The man given command of Siena for the duration of the war, Bonaguida Lucari, walked barefoot and bareheaded, a halter around his neck, to the Duomo. Leading a procession composed of all the city's residents, he was met by all the clergy. Lucari and the bishop embraced, to show the unity of church and state, then Lucari formally gave the city and contrade to the Virgin. Legend has it that a thick white cloud descended on the battlefield, giving the Sienese cover and aiding their attack. The reality was that the Florentine army launched several fruitless attacks against the Sienese army during the day, then when the Sienese army countered with their own offensive, traitors within the Florentine army killed the standard bearer and in the resulting chaos, the Florentine army broke up and fled the battlefield. Almost half the Florentine army (some 15,000 men) were killed as a result. So crushing was the defeat that even today if the two cities meet in any sporting event, the Sienese supporters are likely to exhort their Florentine counterparts to “Remember Montaperti!”.

The limits on the Roman town, were the earliest known walls to the city. During the 10th and 11th centuries, the town grew to the east and later to the north, in what is now the Camollia district. Walls were built to totally surround the city, and a second set was finished by the end of the 13th century. Much of these walls still exist today.[2]

Siena's university, founded in 1240 and famed for its faculties of law and medicine, is still among the most important Italian universities. Siena rivalled Florence in the arts throughout the 13th and 14th centuries: the important late medieval painter Duccio di Buoninsegna (1253–1319) was a Sienese, but worked across the peninsula, and the mural of "Good Government" by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the Palazzo Pubblico, or town hall, is a magnificent example of late-Medieval/early Renaissance art as well as a representation of the utopia of urban society as conceived during that period. Siena was devastated by the Black Death of 1348, and also suffered from ill-fated financial enterprises. In 1355, with the arrival of Charles IV of Luxembourg in the city, the population rose and suppressed the government of the Nove (Nine), establishing that Dodici (Twelve) nobles assisted by a council with a popular majority. This was also short-lived, being replaced by the Quindici (Fifteen) reformers in 1385, the Dieci (Ten, 1386–1387), Undici (Eleven, 1388–1398) and Twelve Priors (1398–1399) who, in the end, gave the city's seigniory to Gian Galeazzo Visconti of Milan in order to defend it from the Florentine expansionism.

In 1404 the Visconti were expelled and a government of Ten Priors established, in alliance with Florence against King Ladislas of Naples. With the election of the Sienese Pius II as Pope, the Piccolomini and other noble families were allowed to return to the government, but after his death the control returned into popular hands. In 1472 the Republic founded the Monte dei Paschi, a bank that is still active today and is the oldest surviving bank in the world. The noble factions returned in the city under Pandolfo Petrucci in 1487, with the support of Florence and of Alfonso of Calabria; Petrucci exerted an effective rule on the city until his death in 1512, favouring arts and sciences, and defending it from Cesare Borgia. Pandolfo was succeeded by his son Borghese, who was ousted by his cousin Raffaello, helped by the Medici Pope Leo X. The last Petrucci was Fabio, exiled in 1523 by the Sienese people. Internal strife resumed, with the popular faction ousting the Noveschi party supported by Clement VII: the latter sent an army, but was defeated at Camollia in 1526. Emperor Charles V took advantage of the chaotic situation to put a Spanish garrison in Siena. The citizens expelled it in 1552, allying with France: this was unacceptable for Charles, who sent his general Gian Giacomo Medici to lay siege to it with a Florentine-Imperial army.

The Sienese government entrusted its defence to Piero Strozzi. When the latter was defeated at the Battle of Marciano (August 1554), any hope of relief was lost. After 18 months of resistance, it surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the Republic of Siena. The new Spanish King Philip, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century. A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.

The picturesque city remains an important cultural centre, especially for humanist disciplines

En 1834, le Louvre faisait l’acquisition d’une statue en bronze découverte au large de Piombino, en Toscane (fig. 1). Sa configuration générale évoquait de près celle de l’Apollon Payne Knight1, réplique miniature de l’image du dieu que Canachos de Sicyone avait élevée à Didymes, à une date que l’on savait déjà antérieure à la destruction du sanctuaire par Xerxès, et que l’on situe aujourd’hui entre 499 et 4942. Toutefois, la sculpture du Louvre portait sur son pied gauche une inscription qui la présentait comme une « dîme à Athéna » (fig. 2). Or il paraissait inconcevable que la statue d’une divinité, Apollon, fût dédiée à une autre divinité, Athéna. Pour Désiré Raoul-Rochette, qui fut le premier à l’étudier de manière approfondie, la statue représentait donc un éphèbe, et remontait à l’époque archaïque. La paléographie de la dédicace semblait certes postérieure à cette époque, mais y avait-il lieu de tirer argument chronologique d’une « inscription à-peu-près unique dans son genre, et consistant en deux mots seulement, où la lettre A est répétée six fois3 » ?

 

Fig. 1. L’Apollon dit « de Piombino »

Fig. 1. L’Apollon dit « de Piombino »

Agrandir Original (jpeg, 520k)

H. 115 cm, musée du Louvre, Br 2.

 

© RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre)/Les frères Chuzeville.

 

Fig. 2. La dédicace inscrite sur le pied gauche de la statue

Fig. 2. La dédicace inscrite sur le pied gauche de la statue

Agrandir Original (jpeg, 144k)

Telle que reproduite pour le compte de D. Raoul-Rochette dans les Monumens inédits publiés par l’Institut de correspondance archéologique I, Rome, Paris, 1829-1833, pl. LIX.

 

4 Letronne, 1834, p. 198-232, 235-236.

2Confrère et rival de Raoul-Rochette à l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Jean-Antoine Letronne était précisément de cet avis. Le style de la statue, notamment le modelé du dos et le travail des articulations, l’incitait en effet à y reconnaître une œuvre d’imitation, que la paléographie de la dédicace l’amenait à dater du iiie siècle avant J.-C. Cette même dédicace, en revanche, n’empêchait pas de considérer la statue comme un Apollon, puisque les Anciens avaient plus d’une fois dédié la statue d’un dieu à un autre dieu4.

 

5 Letronne, 1845, p. 128-176 (imprimé sous forme monographique en 1843).

3Éphèbe archaïque ou Apollon archaïsant ? La controverse en était à ce stade encore embryonnaire lorsque la statue commença à se couvrir d’altérations dont rien ne paraissait pouvoir entraver la progression. L’un des sous-conservateurs du Louvre, Jean-Joseph Dubois, s’avisa cependant que la cause du phénomène devait être cherchée dans les sédiments marins restés piégés à l’intérieur du bronze. Il fut donc décidé de faire sortir par les orbites de la statue tout ce qui ne pouvait être extrait à travers le trou pratiqué dans le talon gauche. C’est alors, en août 1842, que les ouvriers du musée découvrirent, au milieu d’un agglomérat de sable et de gravier auquel se mêlaient les résidus de l’âme de la statue, trois fragments d’une lame de plomb portant des lettres grecques (un quatrième fragment similaire avait été malencontreusement détruit). Aussitôt informé, Letronne y reconnut la signature de deux sculpteurs, dont les noms n’étaient ni entièrement conservés ni même restituables, mais qu’il tint pour les auteurs de la statue (fig. 3) : [.]ηνόδο[τος --- καὶ ---]φῶν ‛Ρόδ[ι]ος ἐπόο[υν]. La paléographie de cette nouvelle inscription interdisait de la faire remonter au-delà du ier siècle avant J.-C. : le bronze était donc bien une œuvre d’imitation, plus récente encore que la dédicace ne l’avait d’abord laissé supposer5.

 

Fig. 3a, b et c. Les fragments de la lame de plomb découverts à l’intérieur de la statue

Fig. 3a, b et c. Les fragments de la lame de plomb découverts à l’intérieur de la statue

Agrandir Original (png, 69k)

Tels que reproduits pour le compte de J.-A. Letronne dans les Mémoires de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres XV, Paris, 1845, p. 139 et 143.

 

6 Piot, 1842a, p. 481-486.

4Telles étaient les principales conclusions de la communication que Letronne lut devant l’Académie le 30 septembre 1842. Quatre mois plus tard, alors que cette communication était encore inédite, Eugène Piot faisait paraître un article retentissant dans le premier numéro du Cabinet de l’amateur et de l’antiquaire, dont il était le directeur : il y insinuait que la lame présentée à l’Académie était un faux, inspiré par une inscription conservée au Cabinet des médailles6. La rumeur enfla, et désigna bien vite Dubois comme l’auteur de la supercherie.

 

7 Dubois 1843; Piot, 1842b, p. 529-540.

8 Voir principalement Raoul-Rochette, 1847, p. 101-309 ; Letronne, 1844, p. 439-444 ; Letronne, 1848, (...)

9 Longpérier, 1868, p. 17 ; voir infra, p. 67.

5Piot fut menacé d’un procès en diffamation, Dubois exigea un droit de réponse qui lui fut refusé ; il fit donc paraître à son propre compte une défense bien maladroite, à laquelle son adversaire répondit par de nouvelles accusations7. Quant à Raoul-Rochette et à Letronne, ils développèrent sur plusieurs centaines de pages la controverse entamée huit ans plus tôt8, mais moururent au milieu du xixe siècle sans que le débat ne fût tranché. Sur le plan social, Letronne fut incontestablement vainqueur : sa promotion à la tête de la Bibliothèque royale, qui fit de lui le supérieur hiérarchique de son rival – trop conservateur pour n’avoir rien à espérer de la Monarchie de Juillet et démis de ses fonctions aussitôt après la révolution de 1848 –, ne fut que l’une des étapes d’une très brillante carrière. Sur le plan scientifique, en revanche, l’avantage resta à Raoul-Rochette. On s’accorda en effet à regarder la statue comme un Apollon, mais on en fit une œuvre du vie ou du ve siècle avant J.-C., et ce d’autant plus facilement que la lame fut considérée comme perdue après avoir été déclarée fausse par la dernière personne à l’avoir examinée9.

 

10 Dow, 1941, p. 357-359.

11 Sismondo Ridgway, 1967, p. 43-75 ; cf. Sismondo Ridgway, 2004, p. 553 (réédition mise à jour d’une (...)

6Il fallut attendre le milieu du xxe siècle pour que la thèse de Letronne connût un premier regain de faveur, rendu possible par l’oubli dans lequel était désormais tombée la figure sulfureuse de Dubois. En 1941, Sterling Dow déclarait ainsi ne voir aucune raison de douter de l’authenticité de la lame de plomb. Néanmoins convaincu de l’archaïsme de la statue, il proposait de l’attribuer aux auteurs d’une réparation antique10. En 1967, au terme d’une analyse stylistique très poussée, qui rejoignait sur plus d’un point celle de Letronne, Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway conclut que l’Apollon de Piombino ne pouvait appartenir ni à l’époque archaïque ni au style sévère. Dans son opinion – maintes fois réaffirmée jusqu’en 2016 –, il ne pouvait s’agir que d’une œuvre du ier siècle avant J.-C., dont le style archaïsant était destiné à abuser les acheteurs du marché romain. Pour elle, les auteurs de la supercherie avaient revendiqué leur forfait en signant la lame de plomb cachée à l’intérieur de l’Apollon, mais s’étaient trahis en imitant imparfaitement l’écriture archaïque dans la dédicace apposée sur le pied de la statue11.

 

12 Bieber, 1970, p. 87 ; Richter, 1970, p. 144-145 ; Lauter, 1971, p. 600 ; Willers, 1975, p. 17 ; Fuc (...)

13 Soprintendenza speciale per i Beni archeologici di Pompei, Ercolano e Stabia, inv. 22924. La notice (...)

14 Voir en dernier lieu, avec diverses nuances, Daehner, Lapatin dans Exp. Florence-Los Angeles-Washin (...)

15 Hallof, Kansteiner, 2015, p. 503-505.

16 Brendel, 1978, p. 306 ; Congdon, 1981, p. 61-62 ; Zagdoun, 1989, p. 147-148, 213 ; Kreikenbom, 1990 (...)

7La thèse de Sismondo Ridgway fut loin d’emporter une adhésion immédiate12. En 1978, on découvrit cependant une statue très semblable à l’Apollon de Piombino dans la maison de C. Iulius Polybius à Pompéi, où elle était utilisée comme trapézophore13. Cette trouvaille remarquable a paru confirmer la thèse de Sismondo Ridgway, qui prévaut largement aujourd’hui14, certains épigraphistes ayant même cru pouvoir arguer de la lame de plomb pour dater la statue du début du ier siècle après J.-C.15 Plusieurs savants continuent cependant à attribuer l’Apollon de Piombino aux vie-ve siècles16. Ni les uns ni les autres n’ont été en mesure d’établir l’origine de la statue, qui reste aujourd’hui imprécisément grecque quand elle n’est pas considérée comme étrusque.

 

8L’étude des inscriptions et l’analyse de la controverse ayant opposé Letronne à Raoul-Rochette permettent non seulement de lever cette double aporie, mais aussi d’appréhender la fonction exacte de l’Apollon de Piombino, bien différente de celle qu’on lui prête aujourd’hui.

 

La dédicace inscrite sur le pied gauche de la statue

17 Longpérier, A., 1868, p. 16.

9Le fil d’argent qui rehaussait la dédicace a en grande partie disparu, mais l’empreinte des lettres se distingue encore nettement sur deux lignes. Au-dessus de ces deux lignes, on en devine une troisième, aujourd’hui très abîmée. Adrien de Longpérier est parvenu à établir qu’elle portait le nom de Charidamos17, qui est donc l’auteur de la dédicace à Athéna : Χαρ̣ί̣δα̣µ̣ος̣ | Ἀθαναίαι̣ | δεκάταν (fig. 4-5).

 

Fig. 4. La dédicace inscrite sur le pied gauche de la statue

Fig. 4. La dédicace inscrite sur le pied gauche de la statue

Agrandir Original (jpeg, 100k)

D’après A. de Longpérier, Notice des bronzes antiques exposés dans les galeries du Musée impérial du Louvre (ancien fonds et Musée Napoléon III). Première partie, Paris, 1868, p. 16.

 

Fig. 5. État de la dédicace en 2014

Fig. 5. État de la dédicace en 2014

Agrandir Original (jpeg, 512k)

© RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre)/Stéphane Maréchalle.

 

10Sur le plan de la paléographie, la forme de l’epsilon, du kappa, du nu et du sigma, comme la taille réduite des lettres rondes, permettent de placer l’inscription entre 200 et 50 avant J.-C. ; l’absence d’apices s’explique par la technique employée, qui associait gravure et incrustation. L’écriture ne peut en aucun cas être définie comme « archaïsante » ou « pseudo-archaïque », et n’autorise donc pas à faire de la statue un faux antique. Du point de vue de la morphologie, la préservation du A long montre en revanche que le dédicant de la statue s’exprimait dans un dialecte du groupe occidental, ce qui laisse certes un grand nombre de possibilités, mais permet au moins d’exclure l’Attique et l’Ionie.

 

18 Lindos 251, l. 4, fournit la dernière occurrence. Voir provisoirement Badoud 2015, p. 45.

11Si l’on considère maintenant la répartition des inscriptions mentionnant le nom de Charidamos, il s’avère que Rhodes fournit environ 30 % du corpus, bien plus qu’aucune autre cité, qu’aucune région même, du monde hellénophone. Or, dans la dédicace, Athéna est appelée Athanaia. Il s’agit là du vieux nom de la déesse, peu fréquent dans les inscriptions, si ce n’est, une nouvelle fois, à Rhodes, qui fournit à elle seule près de 70 % du corpus. À compter du iiie siècle, la forme Athanaia n’est plus usitée qu’à Lindos, d’où elle disparaît après 115 avant J.-C.18

 

19 Lindos 175 fournit la dernière occurrence ; la structure de l’inscription est presque celle de la d (...)

20 Voir infra, p. 70.

12Le dernier mot de l’inscription, dékata, est lui aussi digne d’intérêt, dans la mesure où le sanctuaire d’Athana Lindia a fourni une très riche série de dîmes offertes à la déesse, qui commence à l’époque archaïque pour s’achever, une nouvelle fois, au iie siècle avant J.-C.19 Le même mot prouve en outre que la statue n’est pas une offrande ancienne dont Charidamos se serait contenté de renouveler la dédicace, comme cela se produisait parfois20, mais qu’elle a tout au contraire été fabriquée grâce aux gains qu’il avait réalisés dans une opération quelconque. À en juger par sa seule dédicace, l’Apollon de Piombino est donc une statue archaïsante produite à Rhodes au iie siècle avant J.-C., et consacrée à Athana Lindia.

 

21 Alroth, 1989, p. 84.

13Letronne et Raoul-Rochette ont âprement débattu de l’usage de dédier ainsi (ou non) la statue d’un dieu à un autre dieu. Cet usage est aujourd’hui mieux compris, grâce notamment aux travaux de Brita Alroth, qui a forgé le concept de visiting god pour en rendre compte. L’historienne suédoise a en particulier montré que si certains dieux n’entretenaient aucune espèce de relation, d’autres se fréquentaient régulièrement. Elle se demandait à ce propos si Apollon n’était pas l’une des divinités les mieux représentées parmi les figurines de terre cuite dédiées à Athana Lindia21. L’identification des effigies, qu’elle considérait encore comme incertaine, et l’origine attribuée à l’Apollon de Piombino se renforcent désormais l’une l’autre.

 

La lame de plomb portant la signature des sculpteurs

22 Sismondo Ridgway 1967, p. 44, n. 12.

23 Dubois, 1843.

14Venons-en maintenant à la lame de plomb et à la polémique qui a entouré sa découverte. Le résumé qui en a été donné en 1967 montre à quel point celle-ci a été mal comprise : Dubois aurait été accusé d’avoir forgé le document pour jouer un tour à Letronne, mais ses fonctions et son âge au moment des faits le mettraient à l’abri de tout soupçon22. Tout au contraire, Dubois a été accusé d’avoir commis un faux pour servir les intérêts de Letronne dans ce qui est probablement la plus longue et la plus violente controverse qu’ait connue l’Académie, et son activité de faussaire ne fait absolument aucun doute, puisque lui-même l’a publiquement reconnue dans sa réponse au premier article de Piot. Dubois y assurait cependant que cette activité, limitée à quelques dessins frauduleusement vendus comme des copies de vases grecs, avait cessé depuis longtemps, et qu’il n’était pas l’auteur de la lame découverte dans l’Apollon23 ; faut-il le croire ?

 

24 Institut de France, ms 2231.

25 Supra, p. 66.

26 Supra, n. 24.

15L’étude de la correspondance de Piot24 montre que Raoul-Rochette et Charles Lenormant sont à l’origine des accusations lancées contre Dubois, à l’endroit duquel les deux conservateurs du Cabinet des médailles entretenaient, pour des raisons diverses, une animosité personnelle. Raoul-Rochette avait également été le protecteur d’Adrien de Longpérier, qui, devenu conservateur au Louvre, déclara la lame fausse et la fit retirer des vitrines du musée25. Le même Raoul-Rochette s’était cependant refusé à apporter publiquement son soutien à Piot lorsque celui-ci avait été pris à partie par Dubois et Letronne, se bornant à lui conseiller de retirer ses accusations s’il n’était pas en mesure de les étayer26.

 

27 Letronne, 1845, p. 143.

16Letronne, de son côté, avait bien vu que l’un des deux sculpteurs nommés dans l’inscription portait un nom en –phôn, et qu’il était originaire de Rhodes27. Or, compte tenu de l’état de la documentation au milieu du xixe siècle, il était rigoureusement impossible de présumer l’origine rhodienne de l’Apollon trouvé au large de Piombino : Letronne lui-même ne l’a d’ailleurs jamais envisagée. En d’autres termes, la signature inscrite sur la lame de plomb confirme l’analyse de la dédicace, laquelle établit en retour l’authenticité du document découvert par Dubois et publié par Letronne.

 

17L’examen matériel du document, longtemps considéré comme perdu, mais retrouvé à la faveur d’un récolement réalisé en 2009 – alors que je m’étais enquis de son sort –, permet d’aboutir indépendamment à la même conclusion, puisque les fragments présentent des concrétions qui recouvrent également le sillon des lettres de l’inscription (fig. 6a, b et c). La gravure de la lame est donc antérieure à l’immersion de la statue ; elle est bien antique, et ne peut plus être considérée comme l’œuvre d’un faussaire.

 

Fig. 6a, b et c. Les fragments de la lame de plomb, après restauration

Fig. 6a, b et c. Les fragments de la lame de plomb, après restauration

Agrandir Original (jpeg, 570k)

Louvre, Br 2a-c.

 

© Musée du Louvre, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais/ Hervé Lewandowski.

 

18Le document n’en pose pas moins trois problèmes majeurs. Le premier, que Letronne s’est employé à relativiser, est celui de sa paléographie, qui a paru nettement plus récente que celle de la dédicace ; le deuxième, qu’il a laissé entièrement ouvert, est celui de sa restitution ; le troisième, qu’il a tout simplement dissimulé, est celui de sa morphologie, la forme ἐπόουν demeurant à ce jour un hapax.

 

28 Lindos 617.

29 Voir par exemple Nilsson, 1909, p. 465, no 340.9 (193 av. J.-C.), et p. 362, no 33.10 (ca 116 av. J (...)

19D’un point de vue paléographique, les lettres, munies de grands apices, revêtent incontestablement un aspect tardif. Le nu et le pi ont des jambes égales ou presque, la barre du phi déborde en haut, le omikron et le oméga occupent toute la hauteur de la ligne ; surtout, le sigma affecte une forme carrée qui n’apparaît guère – à en juger par les publications – que dans une trentaine d’inscriptions rhodiennes, imputables, en règle générale, à l’époque impériale. La règle connaît certes au moins une exception, puisque le sigma carré est attesté à Lindos au iie siècle (?) avant J.-C.28 : cela pourra sembler trop peu pour soutenir une datation de la lame à l’époque hellénistique, mais il ne faut pas perdre de vue que la gravure de la pierre, où le ciseau percute un matériau dur, n’a guère de rapport avec celle du plomb, où la pointe incise un matériau mou, comme c’était également le cas dans la gravure des matrices en argile destinées à être imprimées, après cuisson, sur les anses des amphores commerciales rhodiennes. Les timbres amphoriques qui, par centaines de milliers, témoignent de ce procédé d’écriture sont aujourd’hui assez précisément datés pour établir que le sigma carré, encore inconnu au iiie siècle, a fait l’objet d’un usage discret, mais répété, tout au long du iie siècle29. La lame de plomb peut donc appartenir à cette époque (et plutôt à sa fin), tout comme la dédicace.

 

30 Voir désormais Badoud, Fincker, Moretti, 2016, p. 345-416 (base A).

31 Dow, 1941, p. 341-360.

32 Badoud, 2010, p. 125-143 ; Badoud, 2015, p. 304.

33 Badoud, 2015, p. 281, no 106.

34 AER I, 7.

20Venons-en maintenant à l’établissement du texte. On se souvient que le deuxième sculpteur était originaire de Rhodes ; l’adjectif ʻPόδιος étant au singulier dans l’inscription, le premier sculpteur avait une origine différente. Tout en déclarant ne pas croire à l’authenticité de la lame, Raoul-Rochette est le premier à avoir suggéré d’y reconnaître Mènodotos de Tyr, qui n’était alors attesté que sur une base de statue découverte à Athènes30, mais dont Dow a justement fait observer qu’il appartenait en réalité à une dynastie de bronziers établie à Rhodes31. Une nouvelle analyse de cette dynastie, dont le savant américain a donné une reconstitution erronée (qui amena à placer la prétendue restauration de l’Apollon vers 56 av. J.-C.), permet aujourd’hui d’affirmer que Mènodotos de Tyr a déployé son activité au tournant des iie et ier siècles avant J.-C., spécialement sur l’acropole de Lindos32. Parmi les très nombreux artistes attestés dans l’épigraphie rhodienne, il est le seul à pouvoir être identifié au premier sculpteur mentionné sur la lame de plomb. Que dire alors de son associé ? Jusqu’à présent, on ne connaissait aucun artiste rhodien dont le nom se terminât en –phôn, ce qui ne pouvait que renforcer les soupçons de faux pesant sur la lame ; mais en examinant le fonds d’estampages constitué au moment de l’occupation italienne du Dodécanèse, j’ai eu la chance de découvrir une inscription inédite, dont il m’a ensuite été possible de retrouver l’original au musée de Rhodes33. Il s’agit d’une base sur laquelle apparaît la signature d’un sculpteur nommé Xénophôn fils de Pausanias, de Rhodes, que la paléographie autorise tout à fait à identifier au –phôn de Rhodes mentionné sur la lame de plomb. Il y a plus : le monument sculpté par Xénophôn a été offert à Peithô, la déesse de la persuasion érotique, puis politique. Or, dans tout le monde grec, on ne connaît qu’une seule autre dédicace à Peithô, associée cette fois à Hermès ; non seulement cette dédicace provient de Rhodes, mais elle a été signée par Charmolas et son frère Mènodotos de Tyr34. Nous pouvons donc reconnaître en Xénophôn de Rhodes et Mènodotos de Tyr deux artistes contemporains, et rétablir leurs noms sur la lame de plomb.

 

35 Rossignol, 1850, p. 108-110, est le seul à avoir attiré l’attention sur ce problème, dont il arguai (...)

21Ne reste alors plus qu’un seul mot à examiner dans notre inscription : le verbe que Letronne lisait ἐπόο[υν], et qu’il présentait comme un « imparfait attique ». La forme n’a toutefois rien d’attique, et constitue même un barbarisme que l’on aurait eu beau jeu d’attribuer à un faussaire ignorant du grec, comme l’était Dubois, si Letronne n’en avait pas dissimulé l’incongruité derrière son autorité de philologue, et cela sans s’inquiéter du fait que la dédicace était rédigée dans un dialecte différent35. En réalité, la quatrième lettre du verbe n’est pas un omikron, mais un iota, qui se distingue nettement sur la lame, et à droite duquel apparaît encore la haste d’un êta. Il faut donc lire et restituer : [Μ]ηνόδο|[τος Τύριος καì Ξενο]|φῶν ‛Pόδ[ι|]ος ἐποί̣η̣[σαν], « Mènodotos de Tyr et Xénophôn de Rhodes ont fait (la statue). »

 

Un contexte singulier pour une pratique singulière

36 Letronne, 1845, p. 170.

37 Sismondo Ridgway 1967, p. 71 ; cf., en dernier lieu, Hemingway 2015, p. 69 ; Hurwit 2015, p. 21 ; C (...)

38 Bieber, 1970, p. 88.

22L’hypothèse d’une supercherie commise par Dubois écartée, comment expliquer qu’une lame de plomb portant la signature des auteurs de l’Apollon de Piombino ait été insérée dans la statue ? Letronne posait déjà la question : selon lui, les deux artistes, empêchés de signer la base destinée à accueillir l’ouvrage, ou craignant qu’il n’en fût un jour retiré, avaient recouru à ce procédé pour obtenir une « gloire à distance » lorsque sa destruction révélerait le plomb marqué à leurs noms36. Sismondo Ridgway et les archéologues qui considèrent avec elle l’Apollon de Piombino comme un faux antique ont imposé une explication légèrement différente : les deux sculpteurs, ne pouvant signer une œuvre qu’ils devaient faire passer pour archaïque, auraient ressenti le besoin d’affirmer leur paternité – ou leur fierté d’avoir dupé le client romain – d’une manière qui était destinée à demeurer indétectable37. Enfin, Margarete Bieber a suggéré que la lame pouvait avoir appartenu à une autre statue, et avoir été utilisée comme matériel de remplissage lors de la réparation de l’Apollon38.

 

39 Dow, 1941, p. 358.

40 Supra, p. 67-68.

23Cette dernière hypothèse, qui se contente de déplacer le problème qu’elle entend résoudre, peut être immédiatement écartée, puisque l’Apollon n’a pas subi les dommages qu’elle suppose. Parce qu’elle est éminemment contradictoire, l’idée qu’il ait fallu détruire la statue pour attirer l’attention sur ses auteurs ne peut pas davantage être retenue. Malgré sa popularité, celle qui ferait de la lame une marque de l’orgueil de faussaires antiques est tout aussi insatisfaisante, la marque en question ayant été conçue pour demeurer inaperçue. Tout en se méprenant sur le rôle joué par les deux sculpteurs, dans lesquels il voyait les auteurs d’une réparation antique, Dow se demandait s’il ne fallait pas considérer la lame comme « a reminder to the god of their work39 ». C’est à n’en pas douter le début de la bonne explication : au même titre, par exemple, qu’une partie des décors sculptés dans l’architecture religieuse, la signature, dissimulée aux yeux des humains, ne peut valoir que pour la divinité à laquelle la statue a été consacrée. Or, on l’a vu, la dédicace gravée sur le pied de l’Apollon démontre que la statue a été conçue, non pour duper le client romain, mais comme une offrande à Athéna40. Les deux inscriptions s’éclairent donc mutuellement : un léger détour permettra de réaliser à quel point.

 

41 Momigliano, 1951, p. 150-151.

42 D.Chr. 31.141.

24Dans un discours célèbre, prononcé à Rhodes sous le règne, semble-t-il, de Vespasien41, Dion Chrysostome a dénoncé une pratique qu’il jugeait impie, en s’appuyant sur des témoignages locaux pour la situer dans son évolution historique : à l’en croire, les Rhodiens avaient commencé par autoriser que l’on s’épargnât le coût de fabrication d’une statue honorifique (εἰκών) en en remployant une ancienne, si celle-ci était abîmée et désolidarisée de sa base ; cette mesure avait ensuite été étendue aux sculptures installées sur des bases anépigraphes, avant de finir par englober, à son époque, des œuvres conservant leur dédicace originelle42.

 

43 AER II, 66 (règne de Vespasien) ; Lindos 447 (règne de Nerva) ; Lindos 427 ; Lindos 556-558.

44 TRI 27, l. 30-44.

45 Lindos 2 (nouvelle édition du décret dans TRI 24). Sur la signification de l’inscription, voir Bres (...)

46 D.Chr. 31.89.

25Quelques bases d’époque impériale (dont la plus ancienne remonte précisément au règne de Vespasien) présentent une regravure de la dédicace qui illustre la dernière phase du processus évoqué par l’orateur43. Plus en amont, un décret nous apprend que, confrontés à des difficultés financières, les Lindiens résolurent de mettre aux enchères le droit d’apposer une nouvelle dédicace sur les bases de statues honorifiques (ἀνδριάντες) dont l’inscription avait disparu ou était devenue inintelligible44 : cela se passait en 22 après J.-C., époque qui marquait donc, à Lindos tout au moins, le début de la deuxième phase évoquée par Dion Chrysostome à propos de la ville de Rhodes. Continuons notre remontée : en 99 avant J.-C., la « Chronique de Lindos » se proposait de cataloguer les principales offrandes (ἀναθέματα) dont le temps, voire un accident, avait causé la ruine, ou rendu les dédicaces illisibles45. La décision de rédiger le catalogue des offrandes n’est pas mise en relation avec un quelconque remploi de leurs bases, qui ne semble avoir débuté qu’un siècle plus tard (car les statues honorifiques, consacrées aux dieux, étaient bien une catégorie d’offrandes, comme Dion Chrysostome le souligne pour mettre en relief le sacrilège commis par les Rhodiens46). Nous pourrions donc nous situer là dans la première phase décrite par l’orateur, celle où une statue-portrait désolidarisée de sa base pouvait être utilisée pour le compte d’un nouvel honorandus (et une effigie divine reconsacrée par un nouveau dédicant ?), ou un peu avant. Quoi qu’il en soit, l’existence d’offrandes inintelligibles était un sujet de préoccupation à l’endroit précis et au moment même où l’Apollon dit « de Piombino » venait d’être offert à Athéna. N’est-ce donc pas pour se prémunir contre l’usure du temps que Mènodotos et Xénophôn déposèrent leur signature dans la statue, et que Charidamos y fit graver sa dédicace ? Pour la divinité, les sculpteurs resteraient ainsi à jamais liés à leur ouvrage, et le commanditaire à son offrande.

 

De Lindos à Piombino

47 Badoud, 2011, p. 118.

48 D.C. 47.33.

49 TRI 25, l. 40-44.

50 Strab. 5.2.6.

26Déprédation ponctuelle, pillage ou achat : autant de manières d’expliquer que l’Apollon de Lindos ait été arraché à son sanctuaire. Au milieu du ier siècle avant J.-C., le consul P. Lentulus revenait ainsi de Rhodes, et sans doute plus précisément Lindos, avec une tête signée par Charès, qu’il fit exposer sur le Capitole47 ; devenus maîtres de Rhodes en 42, les partisans de Brutus allèrent jusqu’à piller les sanctuaires de la cité48 ; en 22 après J.-C., le décret de Lindos déjà mentionné interdisait d’enlever toute statue au sanctuaire d’Athéna, sauf dérogation49... Le fait est que l’Apollon fut chargé dans un navire qui fit naufrage au large de Populonia, ville presque abandonnée depuis les guerres civiles50 et qui n’était donc pas, selon toute vraisemblance, sa destination finale. Aux yeux de ses nouveaux propriétaires, la statue devait acquérir une valeur nouvelle, purement ornementale, dont témoigne le lampadophore découvert dans la maison de C. Iulius Polybius à Pompéi ; avant d’être ainsi réunis en Italie, les deux Apollons avaient revêtu des fonctions différentes dans deux sociétés qui ne l’étaient pas moins.

 

Haut de page

 

Trobodec Valley & Mill Beg-an-Fry Bretagne