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Once again, the Swans have returned to their ‘usual’ nesting site adjacent to the Burford Bridge in town. All things being equal, we should have some Cygnets on the river in the not too distant future.
The Garuda is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Garuda is the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila. The brahminy kite and phoenix are considered to be the contemporary representations of Garuda. Indonesia adopts a more stylistic approach to the Garuda's depiction as its national symbol, where it depicts a Javanese eagle (being much larger than a kite).
ABOUT GARUDA
In Hinduism, Garuda is a Hindu divinity, usually the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and with a crown on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun.
Garuda is known as the eternal sworn enemy of the Nāga serpent race and known for feeding exclusively on snakes, such behavior may have referred to the actual short-toed eagle of India. The image of Garuda is often used as the charm or amulet to protect the bearer from snake attack and its poison, since the king of birds is an implacable enemy and "devourer of serpent". Garudi Vidya is the mantra against snake poison to remove all kinds of evil.
His stature in Hindu religion can be gauged by the fact that a dependent Upanishad, the Garudopanishad, and a Purana, the Garuda Purana, is devoted to him. Various names have been attributed to Garuda - Chirada, Gaganeshvara, Kamayusha, Kashyapi, Khageshvara, Nagantaka, Sitanana, Sudhahara, Suparna, Tarkshya, Vainateya, Vishnuratha and others. The Vedas provide the earliest reference of Garuda, though by the name of Śyena, where this mighty bird is said to have brought nectar to earth from heaven. The Puranas, which came into existence much later, mention Garuda as doing the same thing, which indicates that Śyena (Sanskrit for eagle) and Garuda are the same. One of the faces of Śrī Pañcamukha Hanuman is Mahavira Garuda. This face points towards the west. Worship of Garuda is believed to remove the effects of poisons from one's body. In Tamil Vaishnavism Garuda and Hanuman are known as "Periya Thiruvadi" and "Siriya Thiruvadi" respectively.
In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 30), in the middle of the battlefield "Kurukshetra", Krishna explaining his omnipresence, says - " as son of Vinata, I am in the form of Garuda, the king of the bird community (Garuda)" indicating the importance of Garuda.
Garuda wears the serpent Adisesha on his left small toenail and the serpent Gulika on his right cerebral cortex. The serpent Vasuki forms his sacred thread. The cobra Takshaka forms his belt on his hip. The snake Karkotaka is worn as his necklace. The snakes Padma and Mahapadma are his ear rings. The snake Shankachuda adorns his divine hair. He is flanked by his two wives ‘Rudra’ and ‘Sukeerthi’ or (Sukirthi). These are all invoked in Vedanta Desika's Garuda Panchashath and Garuda Dandaka compositions. Garuda flanked with his consorts 'Rudra' and 'Sukirthi' can be seen worshipped in an ancient Soumya Keshava temple in Bindiganavile (or Mayura puri in Sanskrit ) in Karnataka state of India.
Garuda Vyuha is worshiped in Tantra for Abhichara and to protect against Abhichara. However, the interesting thing is that Garuda is the Sankarshna form of the lord who during creation primarily possesses the knowledge aspect of the lord (among Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha forms). The important point is that Garuda represents the five vayus within us : prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana through his five forms Satya, Suparna, Garuda, Tarkshya, Vihageshwara. These five vayus through yoga can be controlled through Pranayama which can lead to Kundalini awakening leading to higher levels of consciousness.
Garuda plays an important role in Krishna Avatar in which Krishna and Satyabhama ride on Garuda to kill Narakasura. On another occasion, Lord Hari rides on Garuda to save the devotee elephant Gajendra. It is also said that Garuda's wings when flying will chant the Vedas.
With the position of Garuda's hands and palms, he is also called 'Kai Yendhi Perumal', in Tamil.
IN THE MAHABHARATA
BIRTH AND DEEDS
The story of Garuda's birth and deeds is told in the first book of the great epic Mahabharata. According to the epic, when Garuda first burst forth from his egg, he appeared as a raging inferno equal to the cosmic conflagration that consumes the world at the end of every age. Frightened, the gods begged him for mercy. Garuda, hearing their plea, reduced himself in size and energy.
Garuda's father was the creator-rishi Kasyapa. He had two wives, Vinata and Kadru, who were daughters of Prajapathi Daksha. Kasyapa, on the pleadings of his wives, granted them their wishes; Vinata wished for two sons and Kadru wished for thousand snakes as her sons. Both laid eggs, while the thousand eggs of Kadru hatched early (after steaming the eggs to hatch) into snakes, the hatching of two eggs of Vinata did not take place for a long time. Impatient, Vinata broke open one egg, which was half formed with the upper half only as a human and was thus deformed. Her half formed son cursed her that she would be slave for her sister (she was her rival) for a long time by which time her second son would be born who would save her from his curse; her first son who flew away and came to prominence as Aruna, the red spectacle seen as the Sun rises in the morning, and as also charioteer of the Sun. The second egg hatched after a long time during which period Vinata was the servant of her sister as she had lost a bet with her. When the second egg hatched, a fully grown, shining and of mighty sized bird form emerged as Garuda, the king of birds. Garuda was thus born.
One day, Vinata entered into and lost a foolish bet, as a result of which she became enslaved to her sister. Resolving to release his mother from this state of bondage, Garuda approached the serpents and asked them what it would take to purchase her freedom. Their reply was that Garuda would have to bring them the elixir of immortality, also called amrita. It was a tall order. The amrita at that time found itself in the possession of the gods, who guarded it zealously, since it was the source of their immortality. They had ringed the elixir with a massive fire that covered the sky. They had blocked the way to the elixir with a fierce mechanical contraption of sharp rotating blades. And finally, they had stationed two gigantic poisonous snakes next to the elixir as deadly guardians.
Undaunted, Garuda hastened toward the abode of the gods intent on robbing them of their treasure. Knowing of his design, the gods met him in full battle-array. Garuda, however, defeated the entire host and scattered them in all directions. Taking the water of many rivers into his mouth, he extinguished the protective fire the gods had thrown up. Reducing his size, he crept past the rotating blades of their murderous machine. And finally, he mangled the two gigantic serpents they had posted as guards. Taking the elixir into his mouth without swallowing it, he launched again into the air and headed toward the eagerly waiting serpents. En route, he encountered Vishnu. Rather than fight, the two exchanged promises. Vishnu promised Garuda the gift of immortality even without drinking from the elixir, and Garuda promised to become Vishnu's mount. Flying onward, he met Indra the god of the sky. Another exchange of promises occurred. Garuda promised that once he had delivered the elixir, thus fulfilling the request of the serpents, he would make it possible for Indra to regain possession of the elixir and to take it back to the gods. Indra in turn promised Garuda the serpents as food. At long last, Garuda alighted in front of the waiting serpents. Placing the elixir on the grass, and thereby liberating his mother Vinata from her servitude, he urged the serpents to perform their religious ablutions before consuming it. As they hurried off to do so, Indra swooped in to make off with the elixir. The serpents came back from their ablutions and saw the elixir gone but with small droplets of it on the grass. They tried to lick the droplets and thereby split their tongues in two. From then onwards, serpents have split tongues and shed their skin as a kind of immortality. From that day onward, Garuda was the ally of the gods and the trusty mount of Vishnu, as well as the implacable enemy of snakes, upon whom he preyed at every opportunity.
DESCENDANTS
According to the Mahabharata, Garuda had six sons (Sumukha, Suvarna, Subala, Sunaama, Sunethra and Suvarchas) from whom were descended the race of birds. The members of this race were of great might and without compassion, subsisting as they did on their relatives the snakes. Vishnu was their protector.
AS A SYMBOL
Throughout the Mahabharata, Garuda is invoked as a symbol of impetuous violent force, of speed, and of martial prowess. Powerful warriors advancing rapidly on doomed foes are likened to Garuda swooping down on a serpent. Defeated warriors are like snakes beaten down by Garuda. The field marshal Drona uses a military formation named after Garuda. Krishna even carries the image of Garuda on his banner.
IN BUDDHISM
In Buddhist mythology, the Garuda (Pāli: garuḷā) are enormous predatory birds with intelligence and social organization. Another name for the Garuda is suparṇa (Pāli: supaṇṇa), meaning "well-winged, having good wings". Like the Naga, they combine the characteristics of animals and divine beings, and may be considered to be among the lowest devas.
The exact size of the Garuda is uncertain, but its wings are said to have a span of many miles. This may be a poetic exaggeration, but it is also said that when a Garuda's wings flap, they create hurricane-like winds that darken the sky and blow down houses. A human being is so small compared to a Garuda that a man can hide in the plumage of one without being noticed (Kākātī Jātaka, J.327). They are also capable of tearing up entire banyan trees from their roots and carrying them off.
Garudas are the great golden-winged Peng birds. They also have the ability to grow large or small, and to appear and disappear at will. Their wingspan is 330 yojanas (one yojana being 8 miles long). With one flap of its wings, a Peng bird dries up the waters of the sea so that it can gobble up all the exposed dragons. With another flap of its wings, it can level the mountains by moving them into the ocean.
There were also the four garuda-kings: Great-Power-Virtue Garuda-King, Great-Body Garuda-King, Great-Fulfillment Garuda-King, and Free-At-Will Garuda-King, each accompanied by hundreds of thousands of attendants.
The Garudas have kings and cities, and at least some of them have the magical power of changing into human form when they wish to have dealings with people. On some occasions Garuda kings have had romances with human women in this form. Their dwellings are in groves of the simbalī, or silk-cotton tree.
The Garuda are enemies to the nāga, a race of intelligent serpent- or dragon-like beings, whom they hunt. The Garudas at one time caught the nāgas by seizing them by their heads; but the nāgas learned that by swallowing large stones, they could make themselves too heavy to be carried by the Garudas, wearing them out and killing them from exhaustion. This secret was divulged to one of the Garudas by the ascetic Karambiya, who taught him how to seize a nāga by the tail and force him to vomit up his stone (Pandara Jātaka, J.518).
The Garudas were among the beings appointed by Śakra to guard Mount Sumeru and the Trāyastriṃśa heaven from the attacks of the asuras.
In the Maha-samaya Sutta (Digha Nikaya 20), the Buddha is shown making temporary peace between the Nagas and the Garudas.
The Thai rendering of Garuda (ครุฑ Krut) as Vishnu vehicle and Garuda's quest for elixir was based on Indian legend of Garuda. It was told that Garuda overcame many heavenly beings in order to gain the ambrosia (amrita) elixir. No one was able to get the better of him, not even Narai (Vishnu). At last, a truce was called and an agreement was made to settle the rancor and smooth all the ruffled feathers. It was agreed that when Narai is in his heavenly palace, Garuda will be positioned in a superior status, atop the pillar above Narai's residence. However, whenever Narai wants to travel anywhere, Garuda must serve as his transport.
The Sanskrit word Garuda has been borrowed and modified in the languages of several countries. In Burmese, Garudas are called galone (ဂဠုန်). In Burmese astrology, the vehicle of the Sunday planet is the galone. In the Kapampangan language of the Philippines, the native word for eagle is galura. In Japanese a Garuda is called karura (however, the form Garuda ガルーダ is used in recent Japanese fiction - see below).
For the Mongols, the Garuda is called Khan Garuda or Khangarid (Mongolian: Хангарьд). Before and after each round of Mongolian wrestling, wrestlers perform the Garuda ritual, a stylised imitation of the Khangarid and a hawk.
In the Qing Dynasty fiction The Story of Yue Fei (1684), Garuda sits at the head of the Buddha's throne. But when a celestial bat (an embodiment of the Aquarius constellation) flatulates during the Buddha’s expounding of the Lotus Sutra, Garuda kills her and is exiled from paradise. He is later reborn as Song Dynasty General Yue Fei. The bat is reborn as Lady Wang, wife of the traitor Prime Minister Qin Hui, and is instrumental in formulating the "Eastern Window" plot that leads to Yue's eventual political execution. It is interesting to note The Story of Yue Fei plays on the legendary animosity between Garuda and the Nagas when the celestial bird-born Yue Fei defeats a magic serpent who transforms into the unearthly spear he uses throughout his military career. Literary critic C. T. Hsia explains the reason why Qian Cai, the book's author, linked Yue with Garuda is because of the homology in their Chinese names. Yue Fei's courtesy name is Pengju (鵬舉). A Peng (鵬) is a giant mythological bird likened to the Middle Eastern Roc. Garuda's Chinese name is Great Peng, the Golden-Winged Illumination King (大鵬金翅明王).
AS A CULTURAL AND NATIONAL SYMBOL
In India, Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia the eagle symbolism is represented by Garuda, a large mythical bird with eagle-like features that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology as the vahana (vehicle) of the god Vishnu. Garuda became the national emblem of Thailand and Indonesia; Thailand's Garuda is rendered in a more traditional anthropomorphic mythical style, while that of Indonesia is rendered in heraldic style with traits similar to the real Javan hawk-eagle.
INDIA
India primarily uses Garuda as a martial motif:
- Garud Commando Force is a Special Forces unit of the Indian Air Force, specializing in operations deep behind enemy lines
- Brigade of the Guards of the Indian Army uses Garuda as their symbol
- Elite bodyguards of the medieval Hoysala kings were called Garudas
- Kerala and Andhra pradesh state road transport corporations use Garuda as the name for a/c moffusil buses
- Garuda rock, a rocky cliff in Tirumala in Andhra pradesh
- 13th century Aragalur chief, Magadesan's, insignia was Rishabha the sacred bull and the Garuda
INDONESIA
Indonesia uses the Garuda, called the Garuda Pancasila, as its national symbol, it is somewhat intertwined with the concept of the phoenix.
- Garuda Pancasila is coloured or gilt gold, symbolizes the greatness of the nation and is a representation of the elang Jawa or Javan hawk-eagle Nisaetus bartelsi. The black color represents nature. There are 17 feathers on each wing, 8 on the lower tail, 19 on the upper tail and 45 on the neck, which represent the date Indonesia proclaimed its independence: 17 August 1945. The shield it carries with the Indonesian Panca Sila heraldry symbolizes self-defense and protection in struggle.
- Indonesian national airline is Garuda Indonesia.
- Indonesian Armed Forces United Nations peacekeeping missions is known as Pasukan Garuda or Garuda Contingent
- Airlangga University, one of the oldest and leading university in Indonesia uses Garuda on its emblem. The emblem, containing a Garuda in a blue and yellow circle, is called "Garudamukha", and depicts Garuda as the bearer of knowledge, carrying a jug of Amrita, the water of eternity, symbolizing eternal knowledge.
- In Bali and Java Garuda has become a cultural symbol, the wooden statue and mask of Garuda is a popular artworks and souvenirs.
- In Bali, we can find the tallest Garuda statue of 18 metres tall made from tons of copper and brass. The statue is located in Garuda Wisnu Kencana complex.
- Garuda has identified as Indonesian national football team in international games, namely "The Garuda Team".
- The stylized brush stroke that resemble Garuda is appear in the logo of 2011 Southeast Asian Games, held in Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia.
- The stylized curves that took form of Garuda Pancasila is appear in the logo of Wonderful Indonesia tourism campaign.
THAILAND
- Thailand uses the Garuda (Thai: ครุฑ, khrut) as its national symbol.
- One form of the Garuda used in Thailand as a sign of the royal family is called Khrut Pha, meaning "Garuda, the vehicle (of Vishnu)."
- The statue and images of Garuda adorned many Buddhist temples in Thailand, it also has become the cultural symbol of Thailand.
MONGOLIA
- The Garuda, known as Khangarid, is the symbol of the capital city of Mongolia, Ulan Bator. According to popular Mongolian belief, Khangarid is the mountain spirit of the Bogd Khan Uul range who became a follower of Buddhist faith. Today he is considered the guardian of that mountain range and a symbol of courage and honesty.
- The bird also gives its name to Hangard Aviation
- Khangarid (Хангарьд), a football (soccer) team in the Mongolia Premier League also named after Garuda.
- Garuda Ord (Гаруда Орд), a private construction and trading company based in Ulaanbaatar, also named after Garuda.
- State Garuda (Улсын Гарьд) is a title given to the debut runner up in wrestling tournament during Mongolian National Festival Naadam.
SURINAME
In Suriname, there is a TV channel called Garuda. Suriname has a lot of people from Indonesia and Java, as it is a multicultural country.
WIKIPEDIA
This is a new metal sign made from the image of the Creature that was on the 1960's SPP wall plaque. The 60's monster wall plaques are VERY hard to find today and very expensive, too.
This is a custom model, it has the body of the Aurora Monsters Of The Movies Creature and the head and arms from the Marx plastic Creature.
The antlered deity of the Gundestrup cauldron, commonly identified with Cernunnos, holding a ram-horned serpent and a torc.
A beautiful white, draft horse stands patiently as she's being groomed by her owner. From a series of a beloved, but declining local horse-drawn carriage company.
JA Wight Veterinary Clinic - Thirsk, Yorkshire England. James "Alf" Wight is the author of the books and the the BBC TV long-running series"All Creatures Great and Small" under the pen name of James Herriot
I captured these sea creatures at the Houston Museum of Natural History. My captures were without flash, without a tripod, and not captured very well. So, I used a few filters to mask the imperfections, because I felt compelled to share.
I really am always amused by these sea creatures at the museum. One day, I will figure out how best to capture these.
A LEGO creature built entirely from parts out of a series of LEGO Star Wars Polybag sets. The parts restriction made it an interesting and challenging build.
Rain Willowglitter
She casts weird dreams.
She lives near bubbling brooks where Lords and Ladies and cuckoo's pint grow.
She is only seen in the light of a shooting star.
She wears a dress made of petals and has delicate pink coloured wings.
Would you like a take a shortcut to a specific Gromit?
01. Newshound (Nick Park CBE) | 02. TutanGromit I (Dale Evans) | 03. Bushed (David Inshaw) | 04. Vincent van Gromit (Laura Cramer) | 05. Golden Gromit (Julie Vernon) | 06. Sir Gromit of Bristol (Ian Marlow) | 07. Poetry in Motion (Joanna Lumley OBE) | 08. Where's Wallace? (Martin Handford) | 09. The Gromalo (Axel Scheffler) | 10. Steam Dog (Dan Shearn) | 11. Astro (Ignition DG) | 12. Fish Tales (Jeremy Wade) | 13. A Close Shave (Harry Hill) | 14. Salty Sea Dog (Peter Lord CBE) | 15. Hero (Tom Deams) | 16. Bark at Ee (Leigh Flurry) | 17. Groscar (Chris Taylor) | 18. Butterfly (Philip Treacy) | 19. The King (Stephen McKay) | 20. Carosello (Giuliano Carapia) | 21. What a Wind Up! (Trevor Baylis OBE) | 22. Jack (Martin Band) | 23. Bumble Boogie (Jools Holland) | 24. Gizmo (Sir Quentin Blake) | 25. Canis Major (Katy Christianson) | 26. Nezahualcoyotl (Joseph Dunmore) | 27. Why Dog? Why? (Mark Titchner) | 28. Collarfull (Hannah Cumming) | 29. Gromitasaurus (Huncan Daskell) | 30. Malago (Dan Collings) | 31. Lancelot (Sir Paul Smith) | 32. Grosmos (Cheba) | 33. Gromit Lightyear (Pixar) | 34. Doodles (Simon Tofield) | 35. Gnashional Gromit (The Beano) | 36. A Grand Day Out (Andy O‘Rourke) | 37. May Contain Nuts (and Bolts) (Natalie Guy) | 38. Isambark Kingdog Brunel (Tim Miness) | 39. Stat‘s The Way to Do It, Lad (Gav Strange) | 40. Blazing Saddles (Carys Tait) | 41. Bunty (Paula Bowes) | 42. Watch Out, Gromit! (Gerard Scarfe OBE) | 43. National Treasure (The Royal Mint) | 44. Newfoundland (One Red Shoe) | 45. Being Gromit Malkovich (Thomas Dowdeswell) | 46. Gromberry (Simon Tozer) | 47. Patch (Emily Golden) | 48. Sheepdog (Richard Starzak) | 49. Dog Rose (Ros Franklin) | 50. Sugar Plum (Celia Birtwell CBE) | 51. A Mandrill‘s Best Friend (Vivi Cuevas) | 52. Gromit-O-Matic (Donough O‘Malley) | 53. Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion (Sarah Matthews) | 54. Fiesta (Lindsey McBirnie) | 55. Grant‘s Gromit (Rosie Ashforth) | 56. Creature Comforts (Sneaky Racoon) | 57. Paisley (Nia Samuel-Johnson) | 58. Grrrrromit (Carys Tait) | 59. Hullaballoon (Monster Riot) | 60. Lodekka (Ignition DG) | 61. The Snow Gromit (Raymond Briggs) | 62. Feathers (Dave Bain) | 63. Poochadelic (Lisa Hassell) | 64. Blossom (Emily Ketteringham) | 65. Zodiac (Inkie) | 66. Hound Dog (Sir Peter Blake) | 67. It‘s Kraken, Gromit! (Filthy Luker) | 68. Five a Day Dog (Laura Cramer) | 69. Roger (Richard Williams) | 70. The Wild West (Amy Timms) | 71. Green Gromit (Zain Malik) | 72. Antique Rose (Cath Kidston) | 73. Two Eds are Better than One (Peter Brookes) | 74. Harmony (Marie Simpson) | 75. Eldoradog (Seb Burnett) | 76. Oops a Daisy (Diarmuid Gavin) | 77. Bristol Bulldog (Dan Shearn) | 78. Secret Garden (Sarah-Jane Grace) | 79. aMazing (Tom Berry) | 80. Gromit (Aardman)
Hawaiian Monk Seals, (Monachus schauinslandi), are among the most endangered creatures on earth. They are one of only two mammals endemic to Hawai`i, the second being a species of bat. Often referred to as "living fossils", they have remained relatively unchanged for over 15 million years.
The Hawaiian archipelago, stretching from the big island of Hawai`i northwestward past Midway Island, is the primary terrestrial habitat of the Hawaiian Monk Seal (HMS). Nearly 90% of them live around the tiny, uninhabited islands and atolls in the upper reaches of the chain. For approximately 35-40 seals, the waters and beaches of Kaua`i are home.Some of these seals regularly swim between islands and others are only seen on Kaua`i.
The Hogwarts Architect
Designed by Stuart Craig and sculpted by the late Andrew Holder, this golden statue, which did not feature in the books, depicts the original architect of Hogwarts Castle and was a new addition to the Entrance Hall in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
People the world-over have been enchanted by the Harry Potter films for nearly a decade. The wonderful special effects and amazing creatures have made this iconic series beloved to both young and old - and now, for the first time, the doors are going to be opened for everyone at the studio where it first began. You'll have the chance to go behind-the-scenes and see many things the camera never showed. From breathtakingly detailed sets to stunning costumes, props and animatronics, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides a unique showcase of the extraordinary British artistry, technology and talent that went into making the most successful film series of all time. Secrets will be revealed.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides an amazing new opportunity to explore the magic of the Harry Potter films - the most successful film series of all time. This unique walking tour takes you behind-the-scenes and showcases a huge array of beautiful sets, costumes and props. It also reveals some closely guarded secrets, including facts about the special effects and animatronics that made these films so hugely popular all over the world.
Here are just some of the things you can expect to see and do:
- Step inside and discover the actual Great Hall.
- Explore Dumbledore’s office and discover never-before-seen treasures.
- Step onto the famous cobbles of Diagon Alley, featuring the shop fronts of Ollivanders wand shop, Flourish and Blotts, the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Eeylops Owl Emporium.
- See iconic props from the films, including Harry’s Nimbus 2000 and Hagrid’s motorcycle.
- Learn how creatures were brought to life with green screen effects, animatronics and life-sized models.
- Rediscover other memorable sets from the film series, including the Gryffindor common room, the boys’ dormitory, Hagrid’s hut, Potion’s classroom and Professor Umbridge’s office at the Ministry of Magic.
Located just 20 miles from the heart of London at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the very place where it all began and where all eight of the Harry Potter films were brought to life. The Studio Tour is accessible to everyone and promises to be a truly memorable experience - whether you’re an avid Harry Potter fan, an all-round movie buff or you just want to try something that’s a little bit different.
The tour is estimated to take approximately three hours (I was in there for 5 hours!), however, as the tour is mostly self guided, you are free to explore the attraction at your own pace. During this time you will be able to see many of the best-loved sets and exhibits from the films. Unique and precious items from the films will also be on display, alongside some exciting hands-on interactive exhibits that will make you feel like you’re actually there.
The magic also continues in the Gift Shop, which is full of exciting souvenirs and official merchandise, designed to create an everlasting memory of your day at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.
Hogwarts Castle Model - Get a 360 degree view of the incredible, hand sculpted 1:24 scale construction that features within the Studio Tour. The Hogwarts castle model is the jewel of the Art Department having been built for the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It took 86 artists and crew members to construct the first version which was then rebuilt and altered many times over for the next seven films. The work was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years. The model was used for aerial photography, and was digitally scanned for CGI scenes.
The model, which sits at nearly 50 feet in diameter, has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even gave the illusion of students passing through hallways in the films. To show off the lighting to full effect a day-to-night cycle will take place every four minutes so you can experience its full beauty.
An amazing amount of detail went into the making of the model: all the doors are hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are housed in the Owlery. To make the model appear even more realistic, artists rebuilt miniature versions of the courtyards from Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, where scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were shot.
This photo was taken on November 4th, on-campus right after ecology class in front of Birck. What is depicted is an eastern fox squirrel or the scientific name Sciurus niger. This is a native squirrel of North America. In the wild most fox squirrels die before they become adults. The life expectancy of a female squirrel is approximately 12.6 years and for a male is typically 8.6 years. Also, although fox squirrels mate all year round, much of the mating happens between two seasons, from November/December to February and April/ May to June/July. Males begin to mate around 10-11 months and females begin to reproduce younger, at about six months old. Furthermore, females usually have one to two litters a year and the average litter size is three, however, it can range from one to six young per litter. The gestation period of fox squirrels is typically only 45 days long. In addition, baby squirrels typically stay with their mother and are ready to be weaned off to the wild at about 10 weeks. In relation to life-history strategies, I believe fox squirrels can fall under the type III category of r strategists and generalists. As mentioned, they can be described as short-lived, reproduce early, and low parental investment/ care. Lastly, the thing that I found most interesting while doing research on fox squirrels is that they prefer to live alone all their life. They can even be described as anti-social creatures. The only time they are seen together is during the mating season. This makes sense as whenever I do see any squirrels that are always alone on high alert!