Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

porfavor....bah... ni que importase.

 

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

“The word love has by no means the same sense for both sexes, and this is one cause of the serious misunderstandings that divide them” ~ Simone de Beauvoir

  

I saw him riding slowly onto campus with a smile on his face. His shirt and bicycle and trailer were all brightly painted in green, yellow, and red. I smiled as he went by and he returned my smile. A moment later he stopped because some students had their cell phones out and wanted to take his photo. They got their pictures and his name for their notes (a class project, no doubt) and moved on. I asked if he was in a hurry and he said he wasn’t. He seemed to welcome my interest. I mentioned my photo project and introduced myself. We shook hands. Meet Kassa.

 

I complimented him on his “rig” and asked what the colors and flags represented. He said they represent Ethiopia, as does his shirt. He explained he is Rastafarian and that Rastafarians honor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as the returned messiah of the bible and God incarnate. (You can read more about Rastafari here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari) Kassa explained that he is from St. Vincent and the Granadines, the island country in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean.

 

Kassa, whose birth name is Phillip, said most simply know him as Kassa. He happily obliged my suggestion that we move to the side of the street and do the project photo in a university loading dock laneway I have used before to get out of traffic. We then moved back into the open to chat. Kassa turned out to be a fascinating man. Believe it or not, he is 50 years old. I commented on his youthful appearance for 50 and he said being contented and a vegetarian may have helped.

 

As we talked, I couldn’t help but be aware of Kassa being a happy, relaxed, and open man. I learned that he is an artist who makes artwork mainly from found objects. He mentioned that his garden is filled with such art. He’s also an environmentalist who believes strongly in preserving nature and in recycling. He grew up as one of seven in the Grenadines and said he got his smile from his mother. He told the story of how the maternity ward got to know her well as she returned yearly to give birth to another child. He has been told that the hospital staff were joking with her and she was laughing when he was born and that he was born with a smile – her smile. His smile is, in fact, constant and full of warmth.

 

Kassa attended a Catholic school back home and said he dropped out of school before learning to read. He could not tolerate the beatings he received from the nuns and spent much of his youth in the mountains with his father (now dead). This is where he discovered his love of nature and Rastafarianism. To him, Rastafarianism is all about love, acceptance, kindness, peace, and respect for all life. He grew his hair very long in keeping with the Rasta tradition and said he did cut it ten years ago, only to regrow it. His current dreadlocks reach below his bottom. I told Kassa that I am not a religious person, but my beliefs are similar to his – except that my hair is a lot shorter. He laughed and said “The hair isn’t important. It’s just a symbol. What is important is what’s in the heart.” He said he goes through life trying to express his good will and his caring for all people and all forms of life. For him, being Rastafarian is a way of life, a philosophy rather than a formal religious belief.

 

He raised his two sons as a single parent and worked very hard at a wide variety of jobs in order to do so. One is now 33 and is a musician, the other is a 24 year old university student studying interior design. He is proud of having successfully raised his sons and has decided that this period in his life is for enjoyment. “I love the freedom of riding my bicycle around the city and enjoy meeting people who are often interested in the bike and in my smile.” He told me the bicycle was a gift from an aged neighbor who suggested he could use it for transporting found materials to use in his artwork. He customized it to his own taste. He told me that not having learned to read had been a handicap in life so once his sons were raised, he returned to school and can now read and write.

 

Kassa’s message to the world is that we live life loving and respecting all and expressing compassion. “That would make the world an even more beautiful place.”

 

Meeting Kassa was a delightful experience and it was obvious that his mission in life was parallel to that of The Human Family project which he agreed to be the case. Some use a camera to bridge the gaps between strangers and spread good will, others use a brightly colored bicycle and a genuine smile.

 

Thank you Kassa for a most interesting chat and for being part of my photo project. I hope our paths cross again.

 

This is my 336th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.

 

You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.

 

Follow-up:

When I got home I googled Kassa and discovered this very nice project interview with photos which tells more of the Kassa story. It motivated me to visit his home (which is not far from where I live) the following morning in order to see his artwork garden. www.dayinthelife.ca/leslieville-lives-stories-ville-phill....

 

Kassa’s home was not hard to spot and by luck, he came out onto his front porch to greet me with a hearty “You came!” and the same smile that charmed me yesterday. He said he was just getting his day started but was eager to show me his art garden. He said he couldn’t get over how glad he was that we’d met yesterday and it put him in a good mood all afternoon. I told him it had a similar effect on me and that I just had to see some of his artwork made from found objects. You can experience my visit in photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/albums/72157673158704860.

 

As we wandered through the multitude of decorations and sculptures made from recycled materials, I heard more of the Kassa story which was both heartwarming and sad. A job he had put his heart and soul into had ended on a sour note after 17 years and I could feel the sadness as he told the story and confided that he still can’t understand how things could have gone wrong when he had done nothing but good above and beyond the call of duty. Some kind of misunderstanding, clearly. He also showed me the grave of a pet bird in his front yard, marked by a small glass jar with feathers to remember it by. “He was my closest companion for many years. I hated to lose him.” Despite these sad notes, Kassa’s optimism and faith in human nature’s goodness prevailed and everywhere I looked I discovered a different decoration or piece of art which he explained to me. I took several more photos of his artwork as well as of him, making this one of those totally unexpected and unforgettable encounters which began downtown quite by chance.

 

The Panzer column couldn't have picked a worse time to run out of petrol!

 

Brickmania tanks, landscape, windmill, and manor from Brickbuilt.org, farm house from brickcitydepot.com, large house in center based heavily on tutorial from Luke's eurobricks tutorial.

Mrs. Frida Fox is living in a log cabin in the middle of a forest - together with some whimsical creatures: A neurotic hedgehog who is afraid of needlings and other spikey things, a snail who dislikes fruits, vegetables and salad (and who is only eating toast with sausage every day) and her stepdaughter Gisela Goose (and the name is already telling it: She is a goose. It's a widespread misunderstanding that foxes use to eat geese, most of them don't eat meat at all: Frida Fox is a vegeterian already her whole life).

And depending on the season - there is also a wild duck living in Frida's house: Wilma Wanderingduck. And she always knows the best stories from exciting things around the world: Whether a princess marries a garbageman, a super star gets her thirteenth divorce or the hot womanizer actor finally admits that he is gay.

  

Get her: en.dawanda.com/product/12442354-Madame-Frida-Fuchs

“1. Be Impeccable With Your Word

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally

Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”

― Miguel Ruiz

Vercors Plateau - France

Site of uprising against the Nazi occupation 1942 - 1944

 

Article taken and translated from "Jungle World" 2020:

 

If you wander into the remote and little-developed Vercors region on the southeastern edge of the French Alps, you'll come across memorial sites and sites of the Resistance in almost every village, no matter how small. Known only to a few in Germany, the region is considered particularly rebellious throughout France, both then and now. Local historians trace this history back to the religious wars of the 16th century. Currently, various left-wing and environmental groups in the region are claiming this tradition of resistance for themselves, from refugee support groups to Kurdistan Solidarity and environmental protection. The specifics behind this are open to debate, but the importance of the Resistance during the German occupation is undisputed. One of the most important groups of the French Maquis, the resistance against the Nazis during World War II, was active in the Vercors and organized an armed uprising in 1944. "The history of the Resistance and the battles against the Wehrmacht are deeply rooted in the local historical consciousness." (Julien Guillon, historian). The village of Vassieux-en-Vercors and its Mémorial de la Résistance, opened on July 21, 1994, the 50th anniversary of the German attack on Vassieux, bear witness to this to this day. The memorial was built on the former command post of the maquisards, the Resistance fighters, and is impressively modeled on its architecture. At an altitude of approximately 1,300 meters above sea level, surrounded and covered by vegetation on all sides, it hangs directly on the mountain edge, seemingly reminiscent of the fighters' tactical behavior: observation, hiding, and camouflage. Visitors to the memorial are guided to the exhibition rooms along the former paths of the maquisards. The tour ends with a sweeping, yet oppressive view of the Vercors plateau, the village rebuilt after its complete destruction by the Germans, and the cemetery with hundreds of graves. It is the only one in France where combatants and civilians are buried together. According to Julien Guillon, the Memorial's historian, this reflects the close connection between armed forces and civilians: "The history of the Resistance and the battles against the Wehrmacht is deeply rooted in the local historical consciousness and still plays a special role in people's self-image today." Every year in July, the events of 1944 are commemorated here. To support the Allied landing in Normandy on June 6, the French government in exile issued a call from London for acts of sabotage and attacks against the Wehrmacht. The Resistance leadership then initiated the "Plan Montagnard" (Mountain Plan), which had been prepared over many months. Within a few days, more than 3,000 previously underground partisans from all over France reached the plateau, where they formed combat units. Previously, smaller groups had been hiding in remote farmsteads in the mountain range, gradually preparing for open revolt in larger, more concentrated formations. A free republic was even proclaimed. As the US Army increased its airdrops of war material in the following days and vaguely hinted at a large-scale airborne assault behind the German rear, final liberation seemed imminent. Parades were already being held in the surrounding villages and small towns in anticipation of victory. But instead of the expected Allies, German Air Force planes landed on the plateau on the morning of July 21. German soldiers murdered more than 200 civilians and approximately 600 partisans. The two days of fighting were followed by numerous acts of revenge by the Germans. Among other things, they completely destroyed the town of Chapelle-en-Vercors, and the wounded and the staff of the hospital hidden in the Grotte de la Luire were killed or deported to concentration camps.

Guillon has been working at the Memorial for six months. His current research focus is on the role and significance of women in the Resistance. In a planned book publication, he hopes to emphasize that they were not only important as armed fighters, but that the Resistance would not have been possible without the infrastructure that women largely maintained, including through courier services and the hiding and care of the wounded, and that women's contributions should be more fully recognized. Documents are still being discovered in basements and attics, which are being historically classified and archived. Guillon, whose great-grandfather was murdered in the Mauthausen concentration camp, also sees his work as his personal commitment to society. In France, too, the conditions of remembrance and commemoration are changing, partly because there are fewer contemporary witnesses. Therefore, Guillon is entrusted with the development of new museum education concepts and projects. Exchange and collaboration with colleagues in institutions in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes department and at memorial sites outside France, especially in Germany, will be given greater attention in the future. At the local level, he also believes that addressing collaboration and the crimes committed by local militias will gain in importance. Until now, such a discussion had not been possible, especially in a rural, rural region like the Vercors, where the families of the victims and the perpetrators often lived next door. In 1944 and afterward, grief and bitterness over the defeat were great. In a telegram, one of the leaders of the uprising, Eugène Chavant, founder of the resistance organization France Combat, accused the Allied forces of "cowardice and betrayal." The insurgents, he argued, were first encouraged and then abandoned and sacrificed to the Germans. Therefore, the Allies and the French government in exile share the blame. This theory continued to shape postwar commemoration. Indeed, Charles de Gaulle's government-in-exile had demanded that all resistance forces in France be mobilized to support the Allied landings in Normandy. Recent research, however, shows that there were never any binding plans or concrete promises for large-scale airborne support, but only hints in this direction. A clear historical assessment of these tragic misunderstandings remains unanswered. Nevertheless, the uprising undeniably contributed to shaking German rule. In several neighboring departments, the Resistance succeeded in almost completely liberating towns and villages from German occupation troops in the following weeks, such as the city of Annecy. The uprising also helped make the Allied landings in Provence on August 15, 1944, possible. On August 21, the Wehrmacht was finally forced to withdraw. The murder of the people and the destruction of the towns in the Vercors were war crimes. But as in many other well-known cases, the Wehrmacht officers responsible were either not convicted at all or were quickly released after short prison sentences. First Lieutenant Friedrich Schäfer, who was directly responsible for the massacres of the civilian population and the destruction of Vassieux, was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions in October 1944. The commander-in-chief of the operation, General Karl Pflaum, was released from pre-trial detention after just a few years for health reasons. In 1973, a street in the Upper Bavarian town of Neuötting was named in his honor. It still bears his name today. These memorial sites will continue to prevent travelers from perceiving the Vercors merely as a beautiful landscape.

 

The freezing weather was over, but it was wet and chilly outside. When I replenished my veggies, I didn't know whether the weather would permit grilling outside or not. I opted to bring some masala with rice and naan bread. There was a misunderstanding between what I originally wanted and what veggie dishes the local Indian restaurant had, but it's all good. Someday I'm going to walk over for a Sunday buffet and learn all about their menu. Indian food is still new to me, but Houston is home to over 100,000 of them, mostly in my part of town. Like our mayor said at the rally after the Women's March, Houston's strength is its diversity. That is especially true at meal time.

'Twas the World Pinhole Photography Day!

Although I remembered WPPD is coming, doesn't mean I was prepared! I had Dora Goodman's self 3D-printed Scura 35mm camera ready, or at least I thought so – my camera was missing all the light seals, so it is practically useless, at the moment. Instead, I went with one of my earlier 3D-printed experiments – a simple EF-mount body with an even simpler pinhole drilled in a piece of aluminium sheet from a soda can. With a digital pinhole, obviously, at least this time I saw in advance my pinhole is too big!

 

Taken with Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital full-frame DSLR camera, through a home-made pinhole drilled with a sharp tip on a piece of an aluminium sheet out of a soda can laser-drilled ⌀0.5mm pinhole, the same one I've previously proved being too big for a 35mm-sized medium, enclosed in a custom 3D printed body. 50mm focal length, ƒ/128, approximately.

Apparently, too big for a 35mm-sized sensor.

 

Edit: I've realized I reused the same ⌀0.5mm pinhole I've used before, and realized it's too big for a 35mm medium a few years ago. Oh well, I must mark that pinhole to avoid future misunderstandings.

The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft.[1] It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the design's innovative concepts. During reconnaissance missions the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outrun the missile.

 

The SR-71 served with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. Although twelve of the 32 aircraft built were destroyed in accidents, none were lost to enemy action. The SR-71 was unofficially named the Blackbird, and called the Habu by its crews, referring to an Okinawan species of pit viper. Since 1976, it has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, a record previously held by the YF-12.

 

First retirement

 

In the 1970s, the SR-71 was placed under closer congressional scrutiny and, with budget concerns, the program was soon under attack. Both Congress and the USAF sought to focus on newer projects like the B-1 Lancer and upgrades to the B-52 Stratofortress, whose replacement was being developed. While the development and construction of reconnaissance satellites was costly, their upkeep was less than that of the nine SR-71s then in service.

 

The SR-71 had never gathered significant supporters within the Air Force, making it an easy target for cost-conscious politicians. Also, parts were no longer being manufactured for the aircraft, so other airframes had to be cannibalized to keep the fleet airworthy. The aircraft's lack of a datalink (unlike the Lockheed U-2) meant that imagery and radar data could not be used in real time, but had to wait until the aircraft returned to base. The Air Force saw the SR-71 as a bargaining chip which could be sacrificed to ensure the survival of other priorities. A general misunderstanding of the nature of aerial reconnaissance and a lack of knowledge about the SR-71 in particular (due to its secretive development and usage) was used by detractors to discredit the aircraft, with the assurance given that a replacement was under development. In 1988, Congress was convinced to allocate $160,000 to keep six SR-71s (along with a trainer model) in flyable storage that would allow the fleet to become airborne within 60 days. The USAF refused to spend the money. While the SR-71 survived attempts to be retired in 1988, partly due to the unmatched ability to provide high quality coverage of the Kola Peninsula for the US Navy, the decision to retire the SR-71 from active duty came in 1989, with the SR-71 flying its last missions in October that year.

 

Funds were redirected to the financially troubled B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit programs. Four months after the plane's retirement, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., was told that the expedited reconnaissance which the SR-71 could have provided was unavailable during Operation Desert Storm. However, it was noted by SR-71 supporters that the SR-71B trainer was just coming out of overhaul and that one SR-71 could have been made available in a few weeks, and a second one within two months. Since the aircraft was recently retired, the support infrastructure was in place and qualified crews available. The decision was made by Washington not to bring the aircraft back.

 

Reactivation

 

Due to increasing unease about political conditions in the Middle East and North Korea, the U.S. Congress re-examined the SR-71 beginning in 1993. At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senator J. James Exon asked Admiral Richard C. Macke:

 

“If we have the satellite intelligence that you collectively would like us to have, would that type of system eliminate the need for an SR-71… Or even if we had this blanket up there that you would like in satellites, do we still need an SR-71?”

  

Macke replied,

 

“From the operator's perspective, what I need is something that will not give me just a spot in time but will give me a track of what is happening. When we are trying to find out if the Serbs are taking arms, moving tanks or artillery into Bosnia, we can get a picture of them stacked up on the Serbian side of the bridge. We do not know whether they then went on to move across that bridge. We need the data that a tactical, an SR-71, a U-2, or an unmanned vehicle of some sort, will give us, in addition to, not in replacement of, the ability of the satellites to go around and check not only that spot but a lot of other spots around the world for us. It is the integration of strategic and tactical."

  

Rear Admiral Thomas F. Hall addressed the question of why the SR-71 was retired, saying it was under "the belief that, given the time delay associated with mounting a mission, conducting a reconnaissance, retrieving the data, processing it, and getting it out to a field commander, that you had a problem in timeliness that was not going to meet the tactical requirements on the modern battlefield. And the determination was that if one could take advantage of technology and develop a system that could get that data back real time… that would be able to meet the unique requirements of the tactical commander." Hall stated that "the Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance System, which was going to be an unmanned UAV" would meet the requirements but was not affordable at the time. He said that they were "looking at alternative means of doing [the job of the SR-71]."

 

Macke told the committee that they were "flying U-2s, RC-135s, and other strategic and tactical assets" to collect information in some areas.

 

Senator Robert Byrd and other Senators complained that the "better than" successor to the SR-71 had yet to be developed at the cost of the "good enough" serviceable aircraft. They maintained that, in a time of constrained military budgets, designing, building, and testing an aircraft with the same capabilities as the SR-71 would be impossible.

 

Congress' disappointment with the lack of a suitable replacement for the Blackbird was cited concerning whether to continue funding imaging sensors on the U-2. Congressional conferees stated the "experience with the SR-71 serves as a reminder of the pitfalls of failing to keep existing systems up-to-date and capable in the hope of acquiring other capabilities."

 

It was agreed to add $100 million to the budget to return three SR-71s to service, but it was emphasized that this "would not prejudice support for long-endurance UAVs such as the Global Hawk." The funding was later cut to $72.5 million. The Skunk Works was able to return the aircraft to service under budget, coming in at $72 million.

 

Colonel Jay Murphy (USAF Retired) was made the Program Manager for Lockheed's reactivation plans. Retired Air Force Colonels Don Emmons and Barry MacKean were put under government contract to remake the plane's logistic and support structure. Still-active Air Force pilots and Reconnaissance Systems Officers (RSOs) who had worked with the aircraft were asked to volunteer to fly the reactivated planes. The aircraft was under the command and control of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base and flew out of a renovated hangar at Edwards Air Force Base. Modifications were made to provide a data-link with "near real-time" transmission of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar's imagery to sites on the ground.

 

Second retirement

 

The reactivation met much resistance: the Air Force had not budgeted for the aircraft, and UAV developers worried that their programs would suffer if money was shifted to support the SR-71s. Also, with the allocation requiring yearly reaffirmation by Congress, long-term planning for the SR-71 was difficult. In 1996, the Air Force claimed that specific funding had not been authorized, and moved to ground the program. Congress reauthorized the funds, but, in October 1997, President Bill Clinton used the line-item veto to cancel the $39 million allocated for the SR-71. In June 1998, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the line-item veto was unconstitutional. All this left the SR-71's status uncertain until September 1998, when the Air Force called for the funds to be redistributed. The plane was permanently retired in 1998. The Air Force quickly disposed of their SR-71s, leaving NASA with the two last flyable Blackbirds until 1999. All other Blackbirds have been moved to museums except for the two SR-71s and a few D-21 drones retained by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

 

SR-71 timeline

 

Important dates pulled from many sources.

24 December 1957: First J58 engine run.

1 May 1960: Francis Gary Powers is shot down in a Lockheed U-2 over the Soviet Union.

13 June 1962: SR-71 mock-up reviewed by Air Force.

30 July 1962: J58 completes pre-flight testing.

28 December 1962: Lockheed signs contract to build six SR-71 aircraft.

25 July 1964: President Johnson makes public announcement of SR-71.

29 October 1964: SR-71 prototype (#61-7950) delivered to Palmdale.

7 December 1964: Beale AFB, CA announced as base for SR-71.

22 December 1964: First flight of the SR-71 with Lockheed test pilot Bob Gilliland at AF Plant #42.

21 July 1967: Jim Watkins and Dave Dempster fly first international sortie in SR-71A #61-7972 when the Astro-Inertial Navigation System ( ANS ) fails on a training mission and they accidentally fly into Mexican airspace.

3 November 1967: A-12 and SR-71 conduct a reconnaissance fly-off. Results were questionable.

5 February 1968: Lockheed ordered to destroy A-12, YF-12, and SR-71 tooling.

8 March 1968: First SR-71A (#61-7978) arrives at Kadena AB to replace A-12s.

21 March 1968: First SR-71 (#61-7976) operational mission flown from Kadena AB over Vietnam.

29 May 1968: CMSgt Bill Gornik begins the tie-cutting tradition of Habu crews neck-ties.

3 December 1975: First flight of SR-71A #61-7959 in "Big Tail" configuration.

20 April 1976: TDY operations started at RAF Mildenhall in SR-71A #17972.

27 July 1976 – 28 July 1976: SR-71A sets speed and altitude records (Altitude in Horizontal Flight: 85,068.997 ft (25,929.030 m) and Speed Over a Straight Course: 2,193.167 mph).

August 1980: Honeywell starts conversion of AFICS to DAFICS.

15 January 1982: SR-71B #61-7956 flies its 1,000th sortie.

21 April 1989: #974 was lost due to an engine explosion after taking off from Kadena AB. This was the last Blackbird to be lost, and was the first SR-71 accident in 17 years.[3][4]

22 November 1989: Air Force SR-71 program officially terminated.

21 January 1990: Last SR-71 (#61-7962) left Kadena AB.

26 January 1990: SR-71 is decommissioned at Beale AFB, CA.

6 March 1990: Last SR-71 flight under SENIOR CROWN program, setting four speed records enroute to Smithsonian Institution.

25 July 1991: SR-71B #61-7956/NASA #831 officially delivered to NASA Dryden.

October 1991: Marta Bohn-Meyer becomes first female SR-71 crew member.

28 September 1994: Congress votes to allocate $100 million for reactivation of three SR-71s.

26 April 1995: First reactivated SR-71A (#61-7971) makes its first flight after restoration by Lockheed.

28 June 1995: First reactivated SR-71 returns to Air Force as Detachment 2.

28 August 1995: Second reactivated SR-71A (#61-7967) makes first flight after restoration.

2 August 1997: A NASA SR-71 made multiple flybys at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show. It was then supposed to perform a sonic boom at 53,000 feet (16,000 m) after a midair refueling, but a fuel flow problem caused it to divert to Milwaukee. Two weeks later, the pilot's flight path brought him over Oshkosh again, and there was, in fact, a sonic boom.

19 October 1997: The last flight of SR-71B #61-7956 at Edwards AFB Open House.

9 October 1999: The last flight of the SR-71 (#61-7980/NASA 844).

September 2002: Final resting places of #956, #971, and #980 are made known.

15 December 2003: SR-71 #972 goes on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

 

Records

 

#61-7958 on display in Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Portage, Michigan

The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. On 28 July 1976, SR-71 serial number 61-7962 broke the world record for its class: an "absolute altitude record" of 85,069 feet (25,929 m).

 

Several aircraft exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs but not in sustained flight. That same day SR-71, serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h).

 

The SR-71 also holds the "Speed Over a Recognized Course" record for flying from New York to London distance 3,508 miles (5,646 km), 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h), and an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds, set on 1 September 1974 while flown by U.S. Air Force Pilot Maj. James V. Sullivan and Maj. Noel F. Widdifield, reconnaissance systems officer (RSO). This equates to an average velocity of about Mach 2.68, including deceleration for in-flight refueling. Peak speeds during this flight were probably closer to the declassified top speed of Mach 3.2+. For comparison, the best commercial Concorde flight time was 2 hours 52 minutes, and the Boeing 747 averages 6 hours 15 minutes.

 

In April 26, 1971 61-7968 flown by Majors Thomas B. Estes and Dewain C. Vick flew over 15,000 miles (24,000 km) in 10 hrs. 30 min. This flight was awarded the 1971 Mackay Trophy for the "most meritorious flight of the year" and the 1972 Harmon Trophy for "most outstanding international achievement in the art/science of aeronautics".

  

Pilot and RSO,

6 March 1990

Last SR-71 Senior Crown flight

 

When the SR-71 was retired in 1990, one Blackbird was flown from its birthplace at United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, to go on exhibit at what is now the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. On 6 March 1990, Lt. Col. Raymond "Ed" E. Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph "Jt" T. Vida piloted SR-71 S/N 61-7972 on its final Senior Crown flight and set four new speed records in the process.

 

1.Los Angeles, CA to Washington, D.C., distance 2,299.7 miles (3,701.0 km), average speed 2,144.8 miles per hour (3,451.7 km/h), and an elapsed time of 64 minutes 20 seconds.

 

2.West Coast to East Coast, distance 2,404 miles (3,869 km), average speed 2,124.5 miles per hour (3,419.1 km/h), and an elapsed time of 67 minutes 54 seconds.

 

3.Kansas City, Missouri to Washington D.C., distance 942 miles (1,516 km), average speed 2,176 miles per hour (3,502 km/h), and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds.

 

4.St. Louis, Missouri to Cincinnati, Ohio, distance 311.4 miles (501.1 km), average speed 2,189.9 miles per hour (3,524.3 km/h), and an elapsed time of 8 minutes 32 seconds.

 

These four speed records were accepted by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), the recognized body for aviation records in the United States. After the Los Angeles–Washington flight, Senator John Glenn addressed the United States Senate, chastening the Department of Defense for not using the SR-71 to its full potential:

 

“Mr. President, the termination of the SR-71 was a grave mistake and could place our nation at a serious disadvantage in the event of a future crisis. Yesterday's historic transcontinental flight was a sad memorial to our short-sighted policy in strategic aerial reconnaissance.”

 

—Senator John Glenn, 7 March 1990

  

Succession

 

Much speculation exists regarding a replacement for the SR-71, most notably aircraft identified as the Aurora. This is due to limitations of spy satellites, which are governed by the laws of orbital mechanics. It may take 24 hours before a satellite is in proper orbit to photograph a particular target, far longer than a reconnaissance plane. Spy planes can provide the most current intelligence information and collect it when lighting conditions are optimum. The fly-over orbit of spy satellites may also be predicted and can allow the enemy to hide assets when they know the satellite is above, a drawback spy planes lack. These factors have led many to doubt that the US has abandoned the concept of spy planes to complement reconnaissance satellites.

 

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are also used for much aerial reconnaissance in the 2000s. They have the advantage of being able to overfly hostile territory without putting human pilots at risk.

 

I had an impromptu trip to Cairo, Alexandria, and the White Desert in Egypt and a day in Instanbul, Turkey on the way home. Business trip for my daughter and another tic off my bucket list to see history…the only history that really captivated me as a kid! It turned into quite the adventure with 6 hours spent in an Egyptian Police Station, after the hired tour guide did not fulfill her contract by securing permits for my daughters photo shoot of the Egyptian models in her new line of bridal wear at Giza! The guide got us in but the Giza police waned to see permits so she lied to them and said she had no idea we were doing a photo shoot and attempted to throw us under the bus! Fortunately our models spoke Arabic and told the police she was lying and had been at the hotel during the makeup session before bringing us to the site! The guide was attempting to pay off the people at the gate to let us in ,,,,which is illegal…it’s federal land …and she picked the wrong person to mess with when she chose my daughter, who had copies of the contract in her phone showing what she was contracted to do and did not fulfill. When we got to the Police station and they were trying to get the statements from us, they kept refusing to let us go ( apparently 5 minutes in Egyptian Time equals an hour!) We had assistance from an Egyptian friend who after speaking to my daughter called the US Embassy and secured his attorney to look into the tour guide and her lies, My daughter prevailed in getting her money returned and refused to sign a statement saying she would not give bad reviews or attempt to get back damages for ruining the shoot, which would allow the woman to try it with other unsuspecting clients. I left the police station in hour 5 with our possessions transferred to an Uber. Upon my return I waited in the lobby of the hotel and explained our ruined shoot to the night manager who had befriended us and made us very welcome and comfortable during our stay, Turns out the attempted ruse by the tour guide was premeditated, as she had talked to the day manager who was leaving and he heard what had happened. He told me that she told him she was taking models to s photo shoot at the pyramids in Giza and he mentioned the permits required and she said no,,,no need. He told her outright it was against the law without a permit and she was endangering clients, and her reply was no, I will pay them off to go in, I immediately let my daughter know it was not a misunderstanding,,,it was premeditated and she was trying to keep all the money! Thankfully it turned out ok, and our friend in Alexandria secured a boat and the shoot took place in the Mediterranean Sea on a boat! The rest of the trip was remarkable and the people of Egypt seem to love Americans, So funny that my blond hair was fascinating to the kids there, and people were always asking to take a picture with us! So in spite of the one glitch I would love to go back, perhaps for some camping in the White Desert to see the bazillion stars, and the Fenneck Foxes!

"REAAGHHH!!!" Cassie screams, shoving T.H.K. on the ground, and taking his gun... She points the gun at him! "N-...Heh... This was a misunderstanding, kid! Its all good! Please... DON'T SHOOT!!!" T.H.K. yells in terror... She fires...

~Scarecrow

Everyone should examine anew his life of believing in God to see whether, in the pursuit of God, he has truly understood, truly comprehended, and truly come to know God, whether he truly knows what attitude God bears to the various types of human beings, and whether he truly understands what God is working upon him and how God defines his every act. This God, who is by your side, guiding the direction of your progress, ordaining your destiny, and supplying your needs—how much do you, in the final analysis, understand and how much do you really know about Him? Do you know what He works on you every single day? Do you know the principles and purposes on which He bases His every action? Do you know how He guides you? Do you know the means by which He supplies you? Do you know the methods with which He leads you? Do you know what He wishes to obtain from you and what He wishes to achieve in you? Do you know the attitude He takes to the multifarious ways in which you behave? Do you know whether you are a person beloved of Him? Do you know the origin of His joy, anger, sorrow, and delight, the thoughts and ideas behind them, and His essence? Do you know, ultimately, what kind of God is this God that you believe in? Are these and other questions of the sort something that you have never understood or thought about? In pursuing your belief in God, have you, through real appreciation and experience of God’s words, cleared up your misunderstandings about Him? Have you, after receiving God’s discipline and chastening, arrived at genuine submission and caring? Have you, in the midst of God’s chastisement and judgment, come to know the rebelliousness and satanic nature of man and gained a modicum of understanding about God’s holiness? Have you, under the guidance and enlightenment of God’s words, begun to have a new outlook of life? Have you, in the midst of the trial sent by God, felt His intolerance for man’s offenses as well as what He requires of you and how He is saving you? If you do not know what it is to misunderstand God, or how to clear up this misunderstanding, then one can say that you have never entered into true communion with God and have never understood God, or at least one can say you have never wished to understand Him. If you do not know what is God’s discipline and chastening, then you surely do not know what are submission and caring, or at least you have never truly submitted to or cared for God. If you have never experienced God’s chastisement and judgment, then you will surely not know what is His holiness, and you will be even less clear as to what man’s rebellion is. If you have never truly had a correct outlook on life, or a correct aim in life, but are still in a state of perplexity and indecision over your future path in life, even to the point of being hesitant to go forward, then it is certain that you have never truly received God’s enlightenment and guidance, and one can also say that you have never truly been supplied or replenished by God’s words. If you have not yet undergone God’s trial, then it goes without saying that you will certainly not know what is God’s intolerance for man’s offenses, nor would you understand what God ultimately requires of you, and even less what, ultimately, is His work of managing and saving man. No matter how many years a person has believed in God, if he has never experienced or perceived anything in God’s words, then assuredly he is not walking the path toward salvation, his faith in God is assuredly without actual content, his knowledge of God too is assuredly zero, and it goes without saying that he has no idea at all what it is to revere God.

 

No matter how firmly you believe in His existence, this cannot take the place of your knowledge of God, nor of your reverence for God. No matter how much you have enjoyed of His blessings and His grace, this cannot take the place of your knowledge of God. No matter how willing and eager you are to consecrate your all and expend your all for His sake, this cannot take the place of your knowledge of God. Or perhaps you have grown so familiar with the words He has spoken that you know them by heart and can rattle them off backward; even so, this cannot take the place of your knowledge of God. However intent man may be on following God, if he has never had genuine communion with God, or had a genuine experience of God’s words, then his knowledge of God would be no more than a sheer blank or an endless reverie; for all that you may have “brushed shoulders” with God in passing, or met Him face to face, your knowledge of God would still be zero, and your reverence for God no more than an empty catchword or an ideal.

 

Terms of use

  

“your ticket, please.”

 

i look up from my glass of Hiram Walker whiskey

& see the conductor. i am sitting in the bar car

on the Hiram Bingham train that runs through

the Sacred Valley of the Incas. a tale of two hirams.

 

“i’m afraid i don’t have one,” i say. “there was no one

in the booth back at the station when I got on.”

 

“we’ll have to take this up

with the Railway Commissioner,” says the conductor.

 

“can’t i just pay you?” i ask.

 

“is that a bribe?”

 

“no, no, i was just saying, … well,

do i get some kind of a trial?”

 

“you are quite right … a trial. you may object

that the entire procedure is not a trial at all,” says

the conductor. “for it is only a trial if i recognize

it as such,” he continues. “but for the moment,

i do recognize it, on grounds of compassion, as it were,

if one is to regard it at all.”

 

“your procedures are contemptible,” i say.

 

“the right of understanding any procedure

and a misunderstanding of the same procedure

do not wholly exclude each other,” he replies.

 

“so when do i get see the Railway Commissioner?”

 

“i am the Railway Commissioner.”

 

“so you’re both prosecutor and executioner?” i ask.

 

“well, you know, what with the recession and all,

we’ve had to cut back on staff and double up on duties.”

 

“not guilty,” i say.

 

“we’ve met before, haven’t we?” asks the conductor,

ignoring my plea.

 

“i don’t think so … why … what’s your name?” i ask.

 

“call me K”

 

“okay,” i reply.

 

“not OK, just K.”

 

“okay.”

 

“it’s just K, got it?

 

“right … er … just K,” i say.

 

“okay,” says K.

 

“so it is OK?” i ask.

 

“no, i was just saying okay,” answers K.

 

“well, … K … , maybe i should just get off the train.”

 

“it’s possible. but not at the moment.”

 

“why?” i ask.

 

“because from a certain point onward there is no return.

that is the point that must be reached,” K tells me.

 

“look, i’m getting impatient here.

how far is it to the point of no return?”

 

“all human errors are impatience,

the premature breaking off of what is methodical,

an apparent fencing in of the apparent thing.

and besides, this is only Urubamba.”

   

Italian postcard. Photo by Vettori, Bologna, No. 319.

 

Rina Franchetti, pseudonym of Ester Girgenti (Naples, 23 December 1907 - Formello, 18 August 2010), was an Italian actress. She was the mother of actress Sara Franchetti.

 

Rina Franchetti was one of the most representative figures of twentieth-century Italian theatre. She made her stage debut in Luigi Pirandello's company, later working alongside Lamberto Picasso. Franchetti made her cinema debut in 1932 with the musical comedy film Due cuori felici (Two Happy Hearts, 1932), by Baldassarre Negroni in the co-starring role opposite Vittorio De Sica. In Due cuore felici, an American car company president sends his son (De Sica) on an inspection to Italy. In Rome, due to a misunderstanding, the young man mistakes the branch manager's secretary (Franchetti) for his wife and falls in love with her. In the end, everything is cleared up. Umberto Melnati and Mimí Aylmer played the local manager and his wife. The film was the Italian version of Max Neufeld's German film Ein bißchen Liebe für Dich (1932).

 

Due cuore felici didn't mean a breakthrough for Franchetti. She continued acting but in supporting parts and also fragmentary, e.g. as a housemaid in Campo de' fiori (Mario Bonnard, 1943) starring Aldo Fabrizi. She only returned more assiduously in the post-war years, appearing in minor parts in famous 'auteur' films, such as Mario Soldati's La provinciale (1953), Nanni Loy's Un giorno da leoni (1961), and Federico Fellini's La dolce vita (1960), in the latter in a minor but significant role as the mother of the two children who have visions of the Madonna. Yet, Franchetti also acted in several genre films in the sixties and seventies. Franchetti was also a prose actress under contract to the RAI: she appeared in numerous teleplays (e.g. based on Goldoni, Daudet and Lorca) and television series, including Piccole donne (1955), directed by Anton Giulio Majano and starring Lea Padovani, Il caso Maurizius (1962), again with Majano and starring Corrado Pani, Resurrezione (1965), directed by Franco Enriquez, David Copperfield (1965-1966) with Giancarlo Giannini in the title role and Wanda Capodaglio as Betsy Trotwood, and La fiera della vanità (1967), again directed by Majano. From the second half of the 1970s her film career rapidly declined, but in the 1980s she still acted in several TV series.

 

With her melodic and well-proportioned voice (she also worked as a voice-over artist, but mainly for character actresses), Rina Franchetti was frequently involved in radio drama for EIAR and RAI from the early 1930s onwards. In 1985 she took part in the radio variety show Lagrime, broadcast on Radio 1, in the part of Diego Cugia's grandmother, author and presenter of the programme together with Massimo Catalano. In 1988 she took part in the show Donna Pirandello, directed by Aldo Sarullo. Rina Franchetti remained active until her death at the age of one hundred and two.

 

Sources: IMDb, Italian Wikipedia.

www.instagram.com/haileysavage/?hl=en

Actor performing an Atellan Fabulas

Actor in the role of Maccus, a character of the so-called Atellan Fabulas, "Fabulae Atellanae".

The Atellan Fabulas were popular masked farces, improvised and not recorded, dating back to 300 BC. They remained popular for more than 500 years. Conceived by the Oscan populations, their name derives from Atella, an Oscan town in Campania. Confusion and misunderstandings ensued from "twin subject”, genre skits, satirical tones and rustic altercations characterized these plays.

Evidence of their original forms is scarce, and primarily found in the depictions of scenes and characters on ancient vases. The extant literary evidence contains only 400 verses and 115 titles ascribed to the dramatists Lucius Pomponius and Quintus Novius (first century B.C.).

According to the scholar Olimpio Musso, a short fragment of two lines from Novius' "Maccus exul" could help to identify the character represented in this mosaic.

The two verses (trochaic septenari) read:

 

«Limen superum, quod mei misero saepe confregit caput,

inferum autem, ubi ego omnes digitos diffregi meos»

 

"Sublime attic, which, poor me, often broke my head!

O slums, where I have worn out all my toes! "

 

Our character is about to leave in exile, abandoning the “limen superum “and the “limen inferum”, i.e. his house. According to his gesture, he is raising a “canticum” (song), and, as often happened for the Atellan Fabulas, these songs became popular.

The "limen superum" is represented in the mosaic by a kind of porch. It was the upper floor (cenaculum) of public houses, in whose attics slaves and poors lived. The living conditions in these buildings were very precarious. Because of the poor materials, in fact, collapses frequently occurred. The ceilings were supported by wooden beams; stoves, braziers and candles caused frequent fires. Those attics were uncomfortable and very low and therefore, as our character says, it was very easy to bump the head on the beams. The "limen inferum" in our mosaic is represented by lines under Maccus' feet, representing the ground plane. Our Maccus, whose name possibly derives from the Greek term “makkoan”, meaning "to be stupid", leaves a poor accommodation, but, according to the popular sentence, "show yourself around with a splendid cloak, and people will think you wise, although perhaps you are not", he wears an elegant “pallium”, or mantle. This is our character.

These considerations lead to the conclusion that the Cordova mosaic, datable to the 1st century AD, represents the Novius’ Atellana entitled "Maccus exul". The work must have been famous for its "canticum", so beautiful that it was considered worthy of a mosaic representation. This mosaic, therefore, could be the representation of a very popular mask, main character of several fabulas entitled: "Maccus miles", "Maccus sequester", "Maccus virgo", "Maccus copo", "Maccus exul", etc.

 

Olimpio Musso, “Maccus Exul” in un mosaico cordovese

 

Roman mosaic

2nd century AD

Cordoba, Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

   

Photo Credit: Pauline Clary

 

Zoe Foodiboo: Well then, shall we get started?

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): OK!

  

AlasAndAlack nods.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I do want to mention that I've only read up to chapter 2

  

Zoe Foodiboo: So...ummm....if I don't say much about the other chapters, that's why

  

Zoe Foodiboo: :P

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): We are supposed to read up to…

  

Zoe Foodiboo: oh, Chapter 4

  

AlasAndAlack: Chapter 4.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Ah, OK!

  

Pauline Clary: you could have fooled me, Zoe :)

  

AlasAndAlack: I've read to Chapter 4, but I'm hardly an expert on this subject, so I'm hoping to let others lead.

  

AlasAndAlack: Yay, Eloise.

  

Zoe Foodiboo smiles at Eloise

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam) shamefully admits he hasn't read anything

  

Zoe Foodiboo: oh good, it felt weird with you over there

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Oh, you haven't?

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): (There, I made it over, I thought there wasn't room, but there is! LOL)

  

AlasAndAlack: No problem, Abi, an audience is good too.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Well, firstly I thought the book is more about Berlin gay scene, but actually it's focusing more on the human rights movement.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Well, I can tell you that Chapter 1 is about Karl Urning

  

Zoe Foodiboo: oh wait, Karl Ulrichs

  

Zoe Foodiboo: lol

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, Karl's history is amazing.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): ah yes, i know about him

  

Zoe Foodiboo: he was a kind of intellectual freedom fighter too

  

AlasAndAlack: How brave of him, to speak up like that. When what he was saying could have put him in jail.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Fighting for the right to get his writings published

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): What he was doing was just the same as 20th and 21st century. It's really amazing and interesting.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: and yes, I thought he was very brace, standing up and coming out to his colleagues like that

  

Zoe Foodiboo: brave, rather

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, Zoe. And I'm still wondering how he got to that place.

  

AlasAndAlack: Even to his family, who weren't happy about it, but kept telling him they loved him anyway. Lucky man.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): I mean....self-recognition, self-esteem.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, Alas, that's amazing, too.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I think that had something to do with it...having a supportive family. I mean, they weren't supportive in the contemporary sense but they didn't shun him.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Oh, I think they're really supportive enough even in the sense of today.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): There are lots of families abandon their children because of their sexuality.

  

Zoe Foodiboo nods

  

AlasAndAlack: I have to say I was confused by the first chapter. The author seemed to be saying there was no recognition or tolerance of homosexuality before the 1890-1920s time period, but - what about ancient Greece? What about some of the Roman military legions? There are other examples throughout history.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): In that sense, Karl's family was far ahead of the time, too.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: That's true, Gustav

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): did the book elaborate on his ideas of Urning/Uranian? i've always found it a bit odd, but i guess that's the best way they could describe what they were feeling

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): I think, Christianity suppressed that history, Abi.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, that Uranian part was bit missing.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): I think the author just gave us very rough outline of the history.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): i mean, he described it as having 'female psyche in male body', or something to that effect. not quite how we would understand it today

  

Zoe Foodiboo: psychological hermaphodites

  

Duncan Armundsen: hmm, but that's not homosexuality

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yup

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): Uranians had such ideas

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): But for the most of people, it's quite easy to understand.

AlasAndAlack: Ulrich had to come up with his own word because there was not one to describe himself.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Was that what Karl said or someone else said it?

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods to Alas.

  

Duncan Armundsen: That causes misunderstandings

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): i think it was him, but i would need to look it up and check

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yup, it was him

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): wikipedia…

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): His first five essays, collected as Forschungen über das Rätsel der mannmännlichen Liebe (Studies on the Riddle of Male-Male Love), explained such love as natural and biological, summed up with the Latin phrase anima muliebris virili corpore inclusa (a female psyche confined in a male body).

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): I'm not sure about but there were some movement to try to capture the image of homosexuality in that way in psychology.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): ((OK :) ))

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): I think that's how they could understand homosexuality at most in those days....

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes, i was wondering

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): ...if that would be a more acceptable theory for people

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): at that time

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes.

  

Duncan Armundsen: I think not

  

AlasAndAlack: Then in Chapter 3, the book talks about Magnus Hirschfeld and his medical description of how there is kind of a continuum of sexual identities. I don't know how relevant that is to us today ( as if I would know what is relevant today), but what sticks with me is that he wanted to scientifically define homosexuality as congenital. Not some perversion caused by bad circumstances in life.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes, i'm also not so sure, that's why i asked if the book mentions anything

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): No, I don't think I fund anything more explanation in that book.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): the idea of fluid identities is still present in contemporary gender theory

  

Duncan Armundsen: Yes, it is one of several sexual identities, maybe that was meant.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): The book is just giving us very rough outline of the history and the info based on that.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): right

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): (i need to start reading the books discussed here lol)

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Oh, Magnus is really great. He's adorable.

  

AlasAndAlack: Just trying to sum up what the historical people thought. And how that affected history.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): ((hahaha))

  

AlasAndAlack: He's adorable? How do you mean, Gustav?

  

Duncan Armundsen: I would like, but not easy available here. There is too much german literature about already.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): oh yes

  

AlasAndAlack: ((I bet you have much better resources than we have in America!))

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): As you said, he tried to establish the human rights of gay people.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Awwww, I envy you, Duncan

  

Duncan Armundsen: I think not, often also the same, but this book is quite special and not very known in Germany.

  

AlasAndAlack: Do you think Hirschfeld was misguided, Gustav? A number of his contempories thought his agenda actually delayed the acceptance of gay rights.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: oh, it hasn't been translated into german?

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): That's a controversial part, Alas.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, I agree with you, but at the same time,

  

Duncan Armundsen: Only as orignal import at Amazon available.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): he tried to do his best to liberate the movent.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): *movement

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): So, toward the chapter 7, 8

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): lots of conflicts among gay regarding the human rights movement happened.

  

AlasAndAlack: If I were there, I think I would have bet on Hirschfeld. The other side, the "masculinists" sound like hotheads to me. Brandt was always getting arrested. The book called him a loose cannon.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, also it's a pity to see somehow that masculinity idea relates to the aggressive nationalism movement....

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): It's a personal thing, but I'm dealing with gay rights movement in RL almost 30 years. It's quite interesting to see people's perception towards who was right and who was wrong changes a lot.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Someone was doing something for gay at his best at that time, but then later some people start saying he's wrong, what he was doing was not right.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): The history is just the same.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I think with any movement that's true. It's easy to judge in retrospect.

  

AlasAndAlack: Very true.

  

Duncan Armundsen: I am a bit surprised that this book is about Hirschfeld.

  

AlasAndAlack: Not just in history. In art. In literature.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes. That's why, for me, Magnus is still adorable because he was trying to liberate the sexual minority in his way as much as possible.

  

AlasAndAlack: Not about Hirshfeld. He is one chapter.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): How is he recognized in German, Duncan?

  

Zoe Foodiboo: He's referenced in Chapter 1....oh that's an interesting question, Gustav

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): I wonder, too, as with any movement, the extent to which it should be praised (or not) given its historical context versus our contemporary perception. We say of Ancient Greece it was the birthplace of democracy, but it was a far cry from a democracy by contemporary standards, just as an example.

  

Duncan Armundsen: different, he got honored but also much critic.

  

AlasAndAlack: Hirschfeld is an important figure in the field, no doubt.

  

AlasAndAlack: Good point, Eloise.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods to Eloise

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Honored but also much critic, I totally understand that.

  

Duncan Armundsen: Well, I am not so sure about, too complicated, and difficult to translate for me. He connected homosexuality with psychology, some kind of insanity.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): I once took a history class that described Ancient Athens as a small speck on the map, surrounded by a great gate, and there--just there--was a time, a place, a culture ... that eventually gave birth to modern philosophy and science. In this case and context, does anyone see Berlin of the 20s in a similar way?

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Like a psychological disorder? Something to be treated?

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I wish I'd read...

  

Duncan Armundsen: Also he didn't help when it started with the Nazis, he did more the opposite.

  

Duncan Armundsen: yes, like disorder

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Oh, that's an interesting idea, Eloise. Hmmm, true.

  

AlasAndAlack: An aberration. But congenital, not something that could be "cured." Which is why the police chose to monitor the grand same-sex balls, rather than try to jail and harrass the participants.

  

Duncan Armundsen: I think Berlin in the 20's was more much more openminded then after, the time from 1932 to the end of the 60's or so

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes, i remember he was criticized for treating homosexuality as a kind of disability, to elicit pity from the "normal" people, rather than having gays treated as equals

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Did he think that pity was the inbetween step toward acceptance?

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Hmmm, I don't think he was thinking in that way, Zoe.

  

Zoe Foodiboo nods

  

Zoe Foodiboo: okay

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): possibly, i don't know. but he was a doctor, right? i think they tended to see it as a kind of humanitarian issue, of sorts

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): He was just believing that homosexuality is a kind of disablity.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes

  

Duncan Armundsen: and that made it even worser in the 3rd Reich

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, that's sad.

  

Duncan Armundsen: He also said homosexuals shouldn#t have children because of that disorder.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam) nods

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): But again, as I said, he was doing what he could have done at best at that time. That's why there are cons and pros towards him.

  

Zoe Foodiboo nods

  

Duncan Armundsen: That is the reason why he get honored again since the 70's

[2015/07/25 13:52] AlasAndAlack: irschfeld drew his conclusions from his studies of his patients. Then he created his Scientific-Humantarian Commitee, with the police comissioner he helped create the tolerance of the gay bars and costume balls that Berlin and WEimar republic were famous for. But yes, it had a darker side.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods, that's true.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): BTW, I really think we should have more costume parties!

  

AlasAndAlack: Interesting, that he never said whether he was gay himself.

  

AlasAndAlack: Yes, costume parties, I vote for that!

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Sorry, so Hirschfeld himself was a - oh...I was just asking that! lol

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I just assumed he was....

  

AlasAndAlack: He never admitted it.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Maybe it's because to deal with authorities.

  

AlasAndAlack: But he never married.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): He had a partner for a long time.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Oh he did?

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes.

  

AlasAndAlack: It took me a long time to find that information!

  

AlasAndAlack: Not in the book.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): The partner became the curator of the sexual science museum.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): And helped Magnus.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): what was the name of that film he acted in? i think that one is still available (i might be wrong)

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Ah, interesting.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): "Different from others".

  

Duncan Armundsen: Interesting is that they were close to legalize homosexuality in Germany at the end of the 20's.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: and yet he still affirmed that it was a disorder?

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): ah yes

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): Anders als die Andern

  

AlasAndAlack: But then there was a sensational sex crime

  

AlasAndAlack: and public opinion swayed the vote.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, Duncan. That's why I'm so interested in this period. They're far ahead of time.

  

AlasAndAlack: Was that the one at the end of the 20s, Duncan? Or was that an earlier time?

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Still even lots of gay think Stonewall Riot in 1969 was the beginning of the human rights movement. Nah, that's not true. 1920s Berlin was far ahead of the time.

  

Duncan Armundsen: very close to the end, 1929, they wanted to change law about homosexuality completely.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Yes, I thought that too. About Stonewall.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Yes, but unfortunately because of the Depression, they gave up. That's really sad.

  

Duncan Armundsen: legalize "easy homosexuality"

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): (Oh, Gustav, that's a great point, in fact, the author says the same thing at the end of an interview, I sent Zoe the link, let me see if I can find it again.)

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): ((Great! Thank you, Eloise!))

  

Zoe Foodiboo: if anyone has any articles to share, maybe we can share them in our FB group too. I, for one, feel like I need more information.

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): (Here it is: www.npr.org/2014/12/17/371424790/between-world-wars-gay-c...)

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Thank you!

  

Duncan Armundsen: But the government got already unable to create new laws, sorry I can't better translate rofl

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I'm finding everything you're saying very interesting, D.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Unable to create new laws, that's another sad part, Duncan.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: So what are the laws in Germany today, D?

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I'm just curious....

  

Duncan Armundsen: This law is anyway very interesting, it got dtronger in the 1930's and after the war they took the law unchanged for the new republic.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: ((hold still, I forgot to take a photo))

  

Pauline Clary: As you may have noticed, my contribution was solely through lenses and oculars :-) I have posted a few in our FB group.

  

Duncan Armundsen: This law got softer in the end of the 60's and at the reunion it got removed completely.

  

Pauline Clary: No need Zoe!

  

Zoe Foodiboo: oh you did? I'll just steal yours then

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam) fixes quickly his hair for the photo

  

Pauline Clary: Will post a few on Flickr also

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): hahaha, Abi

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): lol

  

Pauline Clary: Too late Abi lol

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): aww

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods to Duncan

  

Duncan Armundsen: This law denied sex between men and (!) sex between humans and animals, same law

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Oh my goodness!

  

Zoe Foodiboo: I remember reading about that law in the book

  

Pauline Clary: heavens

  

Zoe Foodiboo: But now everyone can marry?

  

Duncan Armundsen: in the end of the 60's they removed the animals and denied only sex between a man older then 18 years with a man under 18.

  

AlasAndAlack: Laws can be strange.

  

Duncan Armundsen: so 2 below 18 were allowed.

  

Duncan Armundsen: Yes, you can marry, but that is another law.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): So, older and younger, only that combination is prohibited?

  

Pauline Clary: Sorry folks, I need to leave now.

  

Duncan Armundsen: was, yes till 1990

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): (Pardon me for a few moments, going to post a picture of us on FB!) :)

  

Zoe Foodiboo: okies, bye Pauline!

  

AlasAndAlack: Thanks for coming, Pauline.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): bye Pauline

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): Take care, Pauline!

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Bye Pauline!

  

Duncan Armundsen: and this law was criminal law

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Ah, yes, that's understandable now.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: oh....but we still have that law in the US too

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): (Oh wait, those were Pauline's photos, anyway, they're good! LOL)

  

Zoe Foodiboo: adults/minors

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): i'm not sure what the age of consent is now here, maybe 16? or 14? not sure

  

Duncan Armundsen: This law doesn't exist here anymore, it was always unneeded

  

AlasAndAlack: It varies in the US by state.

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): but it isn't used, it's just formally on the books still

  

Duncan Armundsen: We have other law that saves children already

  

Zoe Foodiboo: Oh, I see.

  

Duncan Armundsen: has also nothing to do with homosexuality

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): but yes, child protection laws are separate

  

Duncan Armundsen: were always

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005) nods

  

AlasAndAlack: That is a good way to organize the law.

  

Zoe Foodiboo nods

  

Duncan Armundsen: But Zoe asked about marriage

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): yes

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): ((BRB))

  

Duncan Armundsen: I said you can marry, that is also true, but still in Germany not with all rights.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): ((back))

  

Zoe Foodiboo: oh?

  

Duncan Armundsen: Thanks -at this time - our christian government.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Marriage equality!

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): (brb)

  

Duncan Armundsen: They still say it hurds families.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: so you can legally marry another man but that marriage does not have the same rights as a heterosexual marriage?

  

Duncan Armundsen: but merkel cuddles lol

  

Zoe Foodiboo: heh, merkel

  

Duncan Armundsen: That is right, Zoe

  

Zoe Foodiboo: How does it hurt families?

  

Duncan Armundsen: But we are close to get all rights.

  

Duncan Armundsen: Because we can't make children.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): awwww

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): (back)

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): ((wb))

  

Duncan Armundsen: They act a bit like the catholic church ;-)

  

AlasAndAlack: Are homosexual couples allowed to adopt? Or am I changing the subject?

  

AlasAndAlack: Well there are children who need homes.

  

Duncan Armundsen: They are allowed, no problem if it your own child anyway, but judges often prefer man/woman couples.

  

AlasAndAlack: I know a gay couple who wants to adopt and can't. Just curious.

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): The ability to produce children as a criterion for marriage is absurd. Were that even remotely meaningful, the state would require heterosexual couples to provide--what--sperm samples before marriage licenses would be issued? LOL

  

Duncan Armundsen: So if my hubby would have a child, I could adopt it easily

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): indeed

  

AlasAndAlack nods.

  

Duncan Armundsen: It is, Eloise. but many states in germany are conservative, and they say no the equality.

  

Gustav von Rosenheim (gustav2005): Well, unfortunately I have to go now. I'll be back for the school later though.

  

Zoe Foodiboo: okay

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): bye G

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): Take care, Gustav!

  

Eloise (eloiseschiltzen): I'd better run, too, so good to join everyone. :)

  

Abinoam Nørgaard (abinoam): thank you for hosting the book club, Alas

  

AlasAndAlack: My pleasure.

   

18 Plastiktüten, mit versöhnenden Gesten zusammengenäht

Big Jeff: Hey, here's more of the gang!

 

Big Jim: Greetings all! You can take off your sho-

 

Big Jack: Man, you gotta DO SUMTHIN bout your girlfriend!

 

Derry Daring: WHATEVER!

 

Jill Monroe: Oh, another girl! Yay!

 

Big Jim: Did something happen?

 

Big Jack: She at least owes me for a detailing on my car!*

 

Derry Daring: I almost detailed your FACE!

 

Big Josh: Howdy, all.

 

Big Jeff: Hey, Big Josh!

 

Big Jim: Derry, darling, it's wonderful to see you!

 

Derry Daring: WHATEVER!

 

Jill: Oh, you're angry with him? That does it, Big Jeff! You better watch yourself around me!

 

Big Jeff: Wha?? What'd I do??

 

Jill: Big Jim did something wrong to Darla!

 

Big Jeff: It's Derry. And what does that have to do with us??

 

Jill: IT'S HOW WE OPERATE! Dar, I mean Derry, hang on sister, I'm coming with you!

 

Big Jeff: I think she's actually mad at Big Jack, not Big Jim!

 

Jill: IT DOESN'T MATTER! Men!

 

═════════════════════════════════════

 

Big Jim

Big Jack

1976, Mattel

 

Big Jim

Big Josh

1976, Mattel

 

Big Jim

Big Jim

1976, Mattel

 

Big Jim

Big Jeff

1976, Mattel

 

Derry Daring

1975, Ideal

 

Charlies Angels

Jill Monroe

1977, Hasbro

 

Big Jim

Big Jim's Kung Fu Studio

1974, Mattel

 

* A most regrettable misunderstanding as seen in Paprihaven 1640-1644!

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/53809521129/

 

Highest I know on Explore # 230 on 7.22.07

. . . . .

 

So, as you might imagine, I was the "artistic" one in the family.

 

And it wasn't necessarily the most flattering assessment. It somehow acknowledged that I saw things differently than my parents and siblings. That I had a talent for making things look attractive. That I was good with my hands. But it also implied I was the one out of sync with everyone else's experiences and desires. The unpredictable one. The (assumedly but falsely imagined) impractical one. The one with my head in the clouds. My family, though they loved me, treated my interests and talents with the same sort of tolerant but skeptical misunderstanding that most of society bestows on most artists. "How did this one get to be one of us???"

 

I imagine most of those reading this essay occupied the same position in their families.

 

There are some people who develop finely honed skills and interests in areas that are narrow, but deep. For lack of a better word, I think of them as specifists. Medical specialists who read professional journals on their beach vacations ... for fun. Baseball fans who can recite stats for their favorite team going back 40 years. Cooks who can make a perfect beurre blanc without looking at a cookbook. Sometimes I envy them. I, as is rather obvious from my photostream- and my distressingly complex resume- am a generalist.

 

Without writing a book, it would be impossible to make a list of all the things in life- both vocationally and avocationally- that interest me. I'm the curious type, and like to think of myself as an intellectual adventuress. As opposed to the specifists of the world with their extremely deep puddles of expertise, I swim in a vast ocean that's quite shallow... with a few larger holes that surprise you here and there below the surface. It's not that I prefer it that way... but after all these years I've made peace with the fact that this is the way I am.

 

Though I vaguely remember drawing a bit as a very young child, it was on the summer playground that I began tumbling down the slippery slope of art. I was the princess of popsicle stick jewelry boxes. The doyenne of tiny-tile & grout ashtrays. Reigned supreme in the realm of gimp lanyards and keychains (I mastered twelve patterns!). Headed the team on sidewalk-chalk murals. Made everyone their grocery bag costumes for the end-of-summer parade.

 

Seven of us lived in a 4 room house with three small closets, so my mother had quite the task figuring out where to stash all the "art" I brought home each week. Still... both she and my dad worked hard to support my interests. With little money to spare, I always had change for the craft supplies at the playground. They bought me a "John Nagy Learn to Draw" set (you put a piece of plastic on the TV screen and drew along with John). And when the craze started, they bought me the popular "paint by number" kits. Paper dolls, clay figures, embroidery, beginner knitting, baking "fancy" cakes. I don't remember ever being told I was making too much of a mess, or denied what I needed to make those messes. My dad bought me a Kodak Brownie camera when I was still in elementary school. And the list of artforms I explored expanded exponentially as I got older.

 

As an adult, I've narrowed a bit the list of art projects I pursue, but it's still pretty broad. I paint a bit (costume renderings, scenery), knit and embroider, make paper sculpture, design block prints, batik easter eggs, teach "surface design" for fabric, sew everything from personal clothing to elaborate period costumes, create soft-sculpture, and sculpt puppets in a wide variety of media (paper mache is still my favorite). And there's a lot of "art" in my everyday life. Though you wouldn't know it from my present home, I've dabbled in interior design. I've made wedding cakes and bridal gowns for friends. On the bookshelf in my studio there are manuals for how to make another half dozen types of art I've not tried yet..

 

When I was working toward my MFA in costuming and theatrical design, and heading toward a career, I stopped thinking of myself as "artistic" and began to think of myself as an artist. But it wasn't until years later, right after I'd begun to make a meager living as a quiltmaker, that I had the breakthrough that let me think of myself as an Artist... with a capital "A".

 

I had started out making the traditional sort of quilt that involves repeated pattern. That felt "artistic". Then I started making those quilts in wool instead of cotton- both because I love the deep and rich tones of the wool, and to differentiate my work from that of thousands of others who make quilts. The next step up the mountain came when I took a weekend workshop with the amazing Nancy Crow (www.nancycrow.com). The workshop wasn't to teach us to make quilts like hers, but an opportunity to talk about inspiration and techniques. I walked into that weekend as a traditional quiltmaker, and walked out as a quilt artist making more abstract work.

 

But then one fortuitous day about 20 years ago I walked in to an exhibit at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum called "New American Landscapes"... or maybe "The New Landscape"... and had one of those rare cathartic moments. There was one particular "painting" that was made up of about 30 smaller paintings. and there was something in that rather bland, but interesting work that got some wheels turning in my head, and caused me to see an entirely new, completely unique way to approach my own work. I rushed home to "begin anew"... and the first art quilt I made in the new style is the one that finally opened doors in the art world for me. It was accepted into a major biennial competition- Quilt National" , toured internationally, was published in several periodicals and a book, and proved to be my initiation into the-then small- circle of acknowledged and accomplished art quilt makers. Later, better art quilts were made, other competitions were won, more quilts were published, solo shows occurred across the country, and other milestones achieved... but that first day when I sat down at my drawing table to design "Colors on a Rainy Day" was the day I began to think of myself as an Artist.

 

Alas, just because you're an Artist doesn't mean you'll make a good living at it. My skills as a maker of studio art quilts far outshone my skills as a marketer and self-promoter, so after more than a decade of living in genteel poverty, I gave up the glamour of being an artist for the glamour of being an arts administrator. Which of course has its own considerable rewards. As alert readers of this "blog" know, I'm currently looking for my next professional challenge, and so of course have been thinking longingly of the days when I got to wake up every morning looking forward to making interesting and beautiful Art..

 

So now I'm beginning the cycle again. One of the things that keeps me sane while I look for the right job is taking breaks from the resume slog to go out on "camera outings". I approach picture-taking like everything else... I'm a generalist who's interested in taking photographs of pretty much anything. Buildings. Flowers. Odd shadows. Colorful what-ever-they-ares. Lately people. The process makes me feel artistic. Friends are encouraging. If I study it enough and work hard enough at it, maybe some day I can feel like I've become an artist in the medium. And if I'm very, very, very lucky, someday I'll have another epiphany, and find my own unique voice....

 

... and then I can create photographs that I consider Art.

   

St. Mary's Island, Tyne & Wear.

St. Mary's Island was originally called Bates Island, Hartley Bates or Bates Hill as it was originally owned by the Bates family who were prominent locally. It is sometimes known as Bait Island, probably due to a misunderstanding of the meaning of the name. The island is opposite Curry's Point on the mainland and is connected to the coast at low tide by a rocky causeway. The main feature of the island is St. Mary's Lighthouse which was built in 1898.

Depiction of the original sin by Hughes Songe

 

Forbidden fruit is a phrase that originates from the Book of Genesis concerning Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:16–17. In the narrative, Adam and Eve eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, which they had been commanded not to do by God. As a metaphor, the phrase typically refers to any indulgence or pleasure that is considered illegal or immoral.

15 Answers

Mike Reddy

Mike Reddy, former Ex Forensic Investigator student of Religion

Updated Mar 1, 2019 · Author has 1.7k answers and 122k answer views

This story is written in cryptic language and is not intended to be taken literally. The “forbidden fruit” is a metaphor for something else.

 

According to several Jewish and Christian commentators:

 

The “forbidden fruit” in this context is the sex act. Because Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit she was cursed to suffer pain during childbirth.

 

She was not yet “married” to Adam and she had no knowledge of sex. The “Serpent” a metaphor for a Man like animal, seduced Eve. Eve conceived by the Serpent and had sex with Adam and also conceived.

 

Cain is believed to be of the devil because he was the son of the Serpent. Abel was the son of Adam. later both groups (Adams lineage and Cain’s lineage) would mix and it is believed that we are the products of this hybrid race of humans.

 

Lest, readers think I am sucking this out of my thumb, the story of the Serpent Seed Doctrine first appeared in the Gospel of Phillip in the first century, and was preached by certain Jewish Rabbis in the 5th and 9th century. These writings appear in the 9th century Jewish Midrash and Kaballah.

 

Later it was preached by a leading Christian evangelist in the 18th century, and revived in the 19th and 20th century by the controversial and world famous (or infamous) Reverend William Branham.

 

Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons?

Why did God use Adam's rib to create Eve?

Did God set Adam and Eve up to fail knowing that they'd eat the fruit?

Why did Adam and Eve eat that damn fruit, anyway?

How do we know that the fruit Adam and Eve consumed was Apple?

Crowly Mathew Arackal

Crowly Mathew Arackal, The message of Bible is the word of God.

Answered Apr 29, 2019 · Author has 9.1k answers and 7.1m answer views

Originally Answered: What fruit did Adam and Eve actually eat?

If you really need to understand what fruit it was please read Genesis Chapter 3 once.

 

Now let us re-read it for clarity.

 

1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

 

Serpent is used to represent the Evil. Why not a monkey? We will see this later.

 

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

 

God had asked Adam not to eat from the tree in the midst of the garden (the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Satan knows it. At least the Satan had seen both Adam and Eve eating fruits of other trees. But still Satan asks “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’” This is a harmless question that compels Eve to answer.

 

Here the evil made an opportunity for a dialogue. A harmless dialogue. Eve did not see anything threatening in the question. So she feels free to answer the Satan. The first target of evil is achieved. Starting a dialogue with the woman! Is it not the way every evil enter people’s mind and influence them? It appears as something harmless, and slowly lead people into temptation and then in to sin or do something unwanted.

 

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

 

See, Eve is fully aware of the command. The command was very clear and simple. Both Adam and Eve had been enjoying the life in the Garden of Eden and they obeyed it so far. And so far they never thought of eating from that tree. They simply avoided it. They do not want to disobey God.

 

4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 

“You will be like God”, you will be “knowing good and evil”. What a temptation? They always knew God and they respected Him, revered Him, venerated Him. They looked at God as their father. Never thought of becoming like Him! It may took some time to grow the seed of temptation in their minds.

 

6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

 

This is a process of justifying own decision. Once we wanted to do something evil we will start balancing the merits and demerits of proceeding with it. Here Eve is finding justifications to eat the fruit. She ate it not because it was good for food (it was the same yesterday) a delight to the eyes (it was the same yesterday). But remember she ignored the value of being obedient to God.

 

They knew a lot of things including it was God who created them, entrusted the whole creations to him for maintaining them. God was interested in their happiness and God visited them very often! But after all they trusted the Satan and took God for a liar!! God had clearly said they would die if they eat from the tree, but Satan said they will not die. They trusted the Satan more than God who was known to them.

 

Is it not true even in our case? We all know it is our parents who want our safety and well being more than anybody else. Then comes our teachers and our good friends. But many a times we ignore the guidelines given by them and we proceed to embrace evil not to become God, but to enjoy some pleasure, satisfy our greed, revenge to somebody etc. Evil always comes with sugar coated. It always comes with some kind of satisfaction. Is it not meaningful even to our lives as it was to Adam and Eve?

 

7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

 

See what did the disobedience did to them? It changed their vision. They were always naked. But it was acceptable to them. Then why they “sewed fig leaves together” and try to cover themselves? It is very clear that they spoiled the relationships by disobedience, sin. They spoiled the relationship with God, with oneself, and with each other. They could not accept themselves, then how they can present themselves to others?

 

Reading this some interpret that the sin they did was sexual, or the sin was sexual intercourse. No. It was not. God created everything as male and female so that they will multiply. It is true in the case of Adam and Eve also. Now let us read further.

 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

 

When our parents or authorities are away and as they come back we will be happy to greet them. But we will be hiding our-self, or keep away from them, if we did some damages in their absence. It means we spoiled the relationship with something undesirable we did, in short we disobeyed!

 

9But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

 

We feel we are not presentable before you! If one cannot accept himself how do he present himself to others?

 

Being naked also explains helplessness. Ancient Indian scriptures use the word ‘nakedness’ to indicate the ones who are out of protection of four Vedas. It points to the ones who lost the protection of God.

 

11He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

 

Did you disobey me?

 

12The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

 

When Adam saw Eve for first see what he said about Eve: “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”. Wow, he is accepting her as himself. What a love, what an acceptance! But after they spoiled their relationship with God Adam now says “the woman whom you gave to be with me”. See how detached he is now from Eve. He also sounds as if what happened was the mistake of God!

 

Eve says “the serpent deceived me, and I ate”. Remember the only knowledge they gained by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was that Satan was telling a lie!! What a pity?

 

What did really happen here? What is this knowledge of good and evil? It is nothing other than rejection of God. It is the stand “I know what is good and evil” and you need not try to direct me or teach me. “I know” so I do not want you any more! Is this not happening in everybody’s life? We had moments when we disobeyed our true well wishers thinking our knowledge is better and rejected or refused to listen to God, parents, or other well wishers and gave ear to evil.

 

14The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

 

Answering a common question why snake travel on its belly!

 

15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

 

The first prophesy about someone who will overpower evil. The first prophesy about Jesus Christ.

 

16To the woman he said,“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

 

Answering a common question why childbearing is painful?

 

17And to Adam he said,“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

 

Life on earth is painful and difficult today only because we are away from God and we sinned against him.

 

20The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.g 21And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

 

“And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them”. Adam and Eve sinned against God, disobeyed God and went away from Him saying they know what is good and evil and they do not need the guidance of God anymore. But still the loving Father, God accept them and protect them.

 

22Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

 

God protected the tree of life for his love for human beings. Being away from God and eating from the tree of life, they will live for ever away from God and their life in this earth is not easy. So God give them an opportunity to go back to God after death in this world and then have the fruit from the tree of life! God wanted men to be with God for ever.

 

Why snake, why not monkey? This part of the Bible was written during the time of king Solomon. In those days the greatest damage they faced to the Jews was from Canaanites who also worshiped snake. Their feasts were an opportunity for adultery and liquor. The people of Israel also were attracted to these celebrations. The writer wanted to keep the Israelis away from worshiping snake and joining such celebrations.

 

Is it Historical? Genesis chapters from 12 onward have a historical background. But chapters 1 to 11 deal with prehistory. It is written to convey a very clear message and it is packed with intelligence. The message is word of God. There is no meaning in asking if the fruit was apple or orange! Same is the case with the question why God planted the tree in the Garden? Man disobeyed God and went away from Him. The message is very clear to both a scholar as well as a child. Both understand it in their own way.

 

I do not claim I have explained everything in Chapter 3 of Genesis. There are much more. But what we need to understand is that anything in the Bible have a meaning and a message.

 

There are good and bad, good people and bad people, good events and bad events recorded in the Bible. The good is to follow. The bad is lessons. So doing something and saying ‘it is written in bible’ does not justify it.

 

Judging Bible should be done after studying it from the right resources. Bible use different forms of literature. Metaphor is one of them. Bible carry poetry, drama, history, apocalyptic writings, etc. It is the history of salvation.

 

While reading Bible it is fine we picture what is written. That is the elementary meaning but still give a message. When you read again you will understand it is not just something that happened in the past but have a relevance TODAY in the world you are living in, and it has a meaning and message for you.

44 views · View 1 Upvoter · Answer requested by Laxmi Yadav

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Thando Xaluva

Thando Xaluva

Answered Sep 28, 2018 · Author has 259 answers and 16k answer views

it's not the fruit that matters it is the knowledge that the fruit held. such knowledge was forbidden, that is self awareness.

 

ie. it is when man became aware of himself, but also became aware of time and so had to be given physical form and live out his day's on earth, because he now had days to count when before there was no time and no awareness of self.

 

no physical body, no aging, no future, no past, only the present and what was “right” with consciousness.

 

this isn't like what the animals had to go through mind you, the animals had to partake in survival of the fittest. man was simply given form physical on the back of an already existing creation, hence the missing link.

 

we are still in the image of the creator mind you because we can detach from the physical and experience all time via dreams or narcotics, though not at will. we are capable of creation and we do this in more aspects than people care to think, (this very post is in the spirit of the image of the creator, I manifest it incorporeal from the ether that is consciousness and bring it forth into the physical with either my hands or my voice.) we also shape people around us like clay, sometimes in machiavellian fashion pending a malevolent turn.

 

enter chaos to disrupt the perfect order that was, in the form of a snake, specifically aimed at the women, (explanation for this choice by the ancients is pending another less PC era) and so we were banished from the land of the incorporeal and had to experience time as the creation itself does, but not as the creator does.

 

one can only hope this makes sense lol

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Brown Mosa

Brown Mosa, Bakery Supervisor (2016-present)

Answered Apr 6, 2018

Why should it be an apple when apples were never mentioned in the Word of God in reference to the Garden of Eden? Although the Bible speaks that they were not to eat of the TREE of the knowledge of good and evil, but never can we find in the entire Scriptures that it was an apple that have caused our transgressions and fall (Genesis 2:17). It will be difficult for many readers to believe this, but of a truth, it was SEX or ADULTERY with the SERPENT that caused the fall of EVE and ADAM, through which sin came into the world and brought each of us under its curse.

 

Here is where we receive the true revelation of the SERPENT’S SEED, and here is what really happened in the Garden of Eden. The Word says that Eve was beguiled by the serpent. She was actually seduced by the serpent. Satan took advantage of the serpent’s physical characteristics to use him to beguile Eve. Remember that it was Lucifer’s ambition to build himself a greater kingdom than Michael did in heaven, before he was kicked out on earth. And still, he wanted to pursue his evil plan in this world after that. And the only way for Satan to accomplish what he wanted to do was to enter the serpent in Eden even as he entered by evil spirits into the swine at Gadara. He could not have a child directly by Eve as did God by Mary, so he entered into the serpent and then beguiled Eve. He seduced her and by her did Satan have a child vicariously - CAIN, the seed of the serpent, who bore the full spiritual characteristics of Satan and the animalistic ( sensual, fleshly) characteristic of the serpent, and a murderer, too.

 

It says in Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” This beast was so close to a human being (and yet was pure animal) that he could reason and talk. He was close to a man. He was almost man. He was an upright creature and was somewhat in between a chimpanzee and a man, but closer to a man. He was so close to being human that his seed could, and did mingle with that of the woman and cause her to conceive. Before Adam ever had a carnal knowledge of Eve, the serpent had that knowledge ahead of him. And that one born of it was CAIN. “Cain was of (born of, begotten of) that “Wicked One”, according to I John 3:12.

 

Notice what God said to the SERPENT in the garden. Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” If we give credit to the Word that the woman did have a seed, then the serpent must have surely had a SEED also. If the SEED of the woman was a MAN-CHILD apart from the man, then the SEED of the serpent will have to be in the same pattern, and that is another male must be born apart from human male instrumentality.

7.1k views · View 2 Upvoters

  

Contents

1Biblical narrative

2Identifications and depictions

2.1Apple

2.2Grape

2.3Fig

2.4Pomegranate

2.5Wheat

2.6Mushroom

3Parallel concepts

3.1Ancient Greeks

4Other views

4.1Islamic traditions

5See also

6References

7External links

Biblical narrative[edit]

Main articles: Tree of the knowledge of good and evil and Original sin

The narrative of the Book of Genesis places the first man and woman (Adam and Eve) in a garden where they may eat the fruit of many trees but are forbidden by God to eat from the "tree of knowledge of good and evil".

 

And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

— Genesis 2:16–17[1]

In Genesis 3, a serpent tempts the woman:

 

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.

 

— Genesis 3:4–5[2]

Desiring this wisdom, the woman eats the forbidden fruit and gives some to the man who also eats it. They become aware of their "nakedness" and make fig-leaf clothes, and hide themselves when God approaches. God curses The Serpent, The Woman then The Man, and expels the Man and Woman from the garden and thereby from eternal life.

 

Identifications and depictions[edit]

 

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The word fruit appears in Hebrew as פֶּ֫רִי (pərî ). As to which fruit may have been the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden, possibilities include apple, grape, pomegranate,[3] fig,[4] carob,[3] etrog or citron,[3] pear, and mushrooms. The pseudepigraphic Book of Enoch describes the tree of knowledge: "It was like a species of the Tamarind tree, bearing fruit which resembled grapes extremely fine; and its fragrance extended to a considerable distance. I exclaimed, How beautiful is this tree, and how delightful is its appearance!" (1 Enoch 31:4).

 

An alternative view is that the forbidden fruit is metaphorical, possibly the fruit of the womb, i.e. sex and procreation from the tree of life. In his Autobiography of a Yogi, Hindu spiritual teacher Paramhansa Yogananda cites an interpretation by his master Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri that the Garden of Eden refers to man's body, with the fruit in the center being that of the sexual organs.[5]

 

Apple[edit]

In Western Europe, the fruit was often depicted as an apple. This was possibly because of a misunderstanding of – or a pun on – mălum, a native Latin noun which means evil (from the adjective malus), and mālum, another Latin noun, borrowed from Greek μῆλον, which means apple. In the Vulgate, Genesis 2:17 describes the tree as de ligno autem scientiae boni et mali : "but of the tree [literally wood ] of knowledge of good and evil" (mali here is the genitive of malum).

 

The larynx, specifically the laryngeal prominence that joins the thyroid cartilage, in the human throat is noticeably more prominent in males and was consequently called an Adam's apple, from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit getting stuck in Adam's throat as he swallowed it.[6]

 

Grape[edit]

Rabbi Meir says that the fruit was a grape, made into wine.[7] The Zohar explains similarly that Noah attempted (but failed) to rectify the sin of Adam by using grape wine for holy purposes.[8][9] The midrash of Bereishit Rabah states that the fruit was grape,[10] or squeezed grapes (perhaps alluding to wine).[11] Chapter 4 of 3 Baruch, also known as the Greek Apocalypse of Baruch, designates the fruit as the grape. 3 Baruch is a first to third century text that is either Christian or Jewish with Christian interpolations. [12]

 

Fig[edit]

See also: Figs in the Bible

The Bible states in the book of Genesis that Adam and Eve had made their own fig leaf clothing: "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles".[13] Based on that reference, the forbidden fruit may have been the fig.

 

Rabbi Nechemia, based on the Talmud, supports the idea that the fruit was a fig, as it was from fig leaves that God made garments for Adam and Eve upon expelling them from the Garden. "By that with which they were made low were they rectified."[14]

 

Since the fig is a long-standing symbol of female sexuality, it enjoyed a run as a favorite understudy to the apple as the forbidden fruit during the Italian Renaissance. The most famous depiction of the fig as the forbidden fruit was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti in his masterpiece fresco on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.[15]

 

Pomegranate[edit]

Proponents of the theory that the Garden of Eden was located somewhere in what is now known as the Middle East suggest that the fruit was actually a pomegranate, a plant indigenous from Iran to the Himalayas and cultivated since ancient times.[16] The association of the pomegranate with knowledge of the underworld as provided in the Ancient Greek legend of Persephone may also have given rise to an association with knowledge of the otherworld, tying-in with knowledge that is forbidden to mortals.

 

Wheat[edit]

Rabbi Yehuda proposes that the fruit was wheat, because "a baby does not know to call its mother and father until it tastes the taste of grain."[7]

 

In Hebrew, wheat is "khitah", which has been considered to be a pun on "khet", meaning "sin".[3]

 

Although commonly confused with a seed, in the study of botany a wheat berry is technically a simple fruit known as a caryopsis, which has the same structure as an apple. Just as an apple is a fleshy fruit that contains seeds, a grain is a dry fruit that absorbs water and contains a seed. The confusion comes from the fact that the fruit of a grass happens to have a form similar to some seeds.[17]

 

Mushroom[edit]

A fresco in the 13th-century Plaincourault Abbey in France depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, flanking a Tree of Knowledge that has the appearance of a gigantic Amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom.[18] Terence McKenna proposed that the forbidden fruit was a reference to psychotropic plants and fungi, specifically psilocybin mushrooms, which he theorized played a central role in the evolution of the human brain.[19] Earlier, in a well-documented and heavily criticized study,[20][21] John M. Allegro proposed the mushroom as the forbidden fruit.[22]

 

Parallel concepts[edit]

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Ancient Greeks[edit]

The similarities of the story to the story of Pandora's box were identified by early Christians such as Tertullian, Origen, and Gregory of Nazianzus.[23]

 

Other views[edit]

Islamic traditions[edit]

See also: Adam and Eve § Islamic tradition, and Original sin § Islamic view

According to the Quran, Surah Al-A'raf 7:19 describes Adam and his wife in Paradise where they may eat what is provided, except that they may not eat from one particular tree, lest they be considered Zalimun (wrongdoers).[24] Surah Ibrahim 14:26 describes the forbidden tree as an evil tree that is forbidden for guidance.[25]

 

Surah Al-A'raf 7:22 describes the ˈibliːs (Satan) who misled them with deception, and then it was Adam who initiated eating from the forbidden tree. Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame became manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called out to them: "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you; Verily, Shaitân is an open enemy unto you?" (Quran 7:19). The Quran holds both Adam and his wife accountable for eating the forbidden fruit. As punishment, they were forced to leave the garden, banished from Heaven and sent to the Earth where they were forgiven after repenting.

 

The fruit is commonly either identified with wheat or with grapevine in Islamic tradition.[26]

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_fruit

If I can't hide away in a tropical paradise, then perhaps I should go live atop a tall pillar. At least I'd have good views.

 

I finally found out why my now ex-friend stopping talking to me. It would appear that they took offense to something I had said, which was taken a bit out of context. Had they bothered to try and sort things out like normal grown-ups would, they would have realized that it was all a big misunderstanding. Instead, they decided to abruptly end our friendship. What was worse was that they did not have the decency to tell me that our friendship was over. Why? I think I deserved a little better than to have been treated like dirt.

 

In other news, I'm getting sick of this free account. I keep getting asked if I'm a robot when I make apparently too many comments. How many is too many for me not to be considered human anyway? Oh, and I have some new toys. Can't wait to play!

Catch a quick glimpse of this Crown Prince Coronet, as this image will self-destruct as soon as the Royal Treasury finds this image posted on Flickr. Really, it just was a little misunderstanding. Taking photos in this underground vault was apparently forbidden.

 

Sweden's Royal Regalia are kept deep in the vaults of the Royal Treasury (Swedish: Skattkammaren), underneath the Royal Palace in Stockholm, in a museum which is open to the public. The crowns and coronets have not been worn by Swedish royalty since 1907, but they are still displayed at weddings, christenings and funerals.

 

The Crown Prince Coronet (seen here), was made for Charles X Gustav to wear at the coronation of Christina as her designated heir. It was hurriedly made in two weeks time from parts of an earlier queen's crown. It has the form of a radial crown with eight triangular rays or spikes and has survived intact except for the addition by Gustav III for his coronation in 1772 of two black enameled sheaves of grain, the heraldic emblem of the Vasa dynasty, one between the front two rays and the other between the back two rays, replacing the smaller ornaments still found between the other rays. Originally worn over an ermine lined hat, the heir apparent's coronet is now worn with a cap of light blue satin covered with gold embroidery. The heraldic crown for the heir apparent is based on the actual appearance of this crown and also shows a central Vasa sheaf between four rays of a jeweled radial crown.

I think Simon was recalling the days back when dogs were worshipped.

 

Sadly, when he got home all my cats laughed at him for his grave misunderstanding of history....

 

update A few days back Gambhir Singh died by hanging my video had reunited him with his family after 40 years ..

 

old post

I began shooting Gambhir Singh more as a case study than anything else ..children tease him on the streets calling him Nepali and he would abuse them and shout out that he was a Manipuri an Indian not a Nepali ,,

I got to know him as each morning he would come to Bandra Bazar where I stay he would visit the hooch joint there he would regal the people on the streets with old Hindi songs ,, I would buy him snacks or give him money he took a liking to me as I shot his pictures ..

He was never sober always incoherent he once told me he was in the Army he left the army when his father died he came to his hometown to till his farms than there was some misunderstanding with his brothers he left Manipur and was working in Mumbai ..something happened he said without giving me details that he began drinking gradually became a hardcore alcoholic,

 

This is his story and I am adding this narrration as I got messages from his relaives on Facebook Messenger that he was missing for last 40 years and they discovered him through my video,

 

I told them to file a missing persons complaint online with Bandra Police I am sure they will trace him out he is in bad company of drunkards ..

When I meet him he is sozzled and he misses me he says as I always have a good word form him.. as I too was addicted to booze in my early years and gave up the bottle since last 20 years .

So I understand Gambhir Singh Manipuris broken dreams loneliness and delusions ,,

And only a sensitive understanding family can cure a loved one of this evil called Alcohol.

 

I wish his family gets reunited with him..

He begs late evenings at Bandra Hill Road .

 

Gambhir Singh died in September 2020

  

youtu.be/nnDIyuukkh4

#firozeshakir #gambhirsingh #manipur

Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി, kathakaḷi; Sanskrit: कथाकळिः, kathākaḷiḥ) is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

 

HISTORY

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'.

 

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called 'Manipravaalam'), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

 

As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to Nritham, Nrithyam and Natyam.

 

KATHAKALI PLAYS

Traditionally there are 101 classical Kathakali stories, though the commonly staged among them these days total less than one-third that number. Almost all of them were initially composed to last a whole night. Nowadays, there is increasing popularity for concise, or oftener select, versions of stories so as the performance lasts not more than three to four hours from evening. Thus, many stories find stage presentation in parts rather than totality. And the selection is based on criteria like choreographical beauty, thematic relevance/popularity or their melodramatic elements. Kathakali is a classical art form, but it can be appreciated also by novices—all contributed by the elegant looks of its character, their abstract movement and its synchronisation with the musical notes and rhythmic beats. And, in any case, the folk elements too continue to exist. For better appreciation, perhaps, it is still good to have an idea of the story being enacted.

 

The most popular stories enacted are Nalacharitham (a story from the Mahabharata), Duryodhana Vadham (focusing on the Mahabharata war after profiling the build-up to it), Kalyanasougandhikam, (the story of Bhima going to get flowers for his wife Panchali), Keechakavadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali, but this time during their stint in disguise), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight, from the Mahabharata), Karnashapatham (another story from the Mahabharata), Nizhalkuthu and Bhadrakalivijayam authored by Pannisseri Nanu Pillai. Also staged frequently include stories like Kuchelavrittam, Santanagopalam, Balivijayam, Dakshayagam, Rugminiswayamvaram, Kalakeyavadham, Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Poothanamoksham, Subhadraharanam, Balivadham, Rugmangadacharitam, Ravanolbhavam, Narakasuravadham, Uttaraswayamvaram, Harishchandracharitam, Kacha-Devayani and Kamsavadham.

 

Recently, as part of attempts to further popularise the art, stories from other cultures and mythologies, such as those of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, Homer's Iliad, and William Shakespeare's King Lear and Julius Caesar besides Goethe's Faust too have been adapted into Kathakali scripts and on to its stage. Synopsis of 37 kathakali stories are available in kathakalinews.com.

 

MUSIC

The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam. Though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtone-heavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is known as the Sopanam style. This typically Kerala style of rendition takes its roots from the temple songs which used to be sung (continues even now at several temples) at the time when Kathakali was born.

 

As with the acting style, Kathakali music also has singers from the northern and southern schools. The northern style has largely been groomed by Kerala Kalamandalam in the 20th century. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, an overarching Kathakali musician of those times, was a product of the institute. His prominent disciples include Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup, Kalamandalam Gangadharan, Kalamandalam P.G. Radhakrishnan, Rama Varrier, Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri, Tirur Nambissan, Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali, Kalamandalam Haridas, Subramanian, Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan and Kalamandalam Bhavadasan. The other prominent musicians of the north feature Kottakkal Vasu Nedungadi, Kottakkal Parameswaran Namboodiri, Kottakkal P.D. Narayanan Namboodiri, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kalamandalam Anantha NarayananKalamandalam Sreekumar Palanad Divakaran, Kalanilayam Rajendran, Kolathappilli Narayanan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri, Kottakkal Madhu, Kalamandalam Babu Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Harish and Kalamandalam Vinod. In the south, some of whom are equally popular in the north these days, include Pathiyur Sankarankutty. Southerner musicians of the older generation include Cherthala Thankappa Panikker, Thakazhi Kuttan Pillai, Cherthala Kuttappa Kurup, Thanneermukkam Viswambharan and Mudakkal Gopinathan.

 

PERFORMANCE

Traditionally, a Kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning. Nowadays it isn't difficult to see performances as short as three hours or fewer. Kathakali is usually performed in front of the huge Kalivilakku (kali meaning dance; vilakku meaning lamp) with its thick wick sunk till the neck in coconut oil. Traditionally, this lamp used to provide sole light when the plays used to be performed inside temples, palaces or abodes houses of nobles and aristocrats. Enactment of a play by actors takes place to the accompaniment of music (geetha) and instruments (vadya). The percussion instruments used are chenda, maddalam (both of which underwent revolutionary changes in their aesthetics with the contributions of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval and Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval) and, at times, edakka. In addition, the singers (the lead singer is called “ponnani” and his follower is called “singidi”) use chengila (gong made of bell metal, which can be struck with a wooden stick) and ilathalam (a pair of cymbals). The lead singer in some sense uses the Chengala to conduct the Vadyam and Geetha components, just as a conductor uses his wand in western classical music. A distinguishing characteristic of this art form is that the actors never speak but use hand gestures, expressions and rhythmic dancing instead of dialogue (but for a couple of rare characters).

 

ACTING

A Kathakali actor uses immense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from regimented training based on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for his demanding role. The training can often last for 8–10 years, and is intensive. In Kathakali, the story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures) and by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra (the tome that deals with the science of expressions) and are classified into nine as in most Indian classical art forms. Dancers also undergo special practice sessions to learn control of their eye movements.

 

There are 24 basic mudras—the permutation and combination of which would add up a chunk of the hand gestures in vogue today. Each can again can be classified into 'Samaana-mudras'(one mudra symbolising two entities) or misra-mudras (both the hands are used to show these mudras). The mudras are a form of sign language used to tell the story.

 

The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' (Navarasas in anglicised form) (literal translation: Nine Tastes, but more loosely translated as nine feelings or expressions) which are Sringaram (amour), Hasyam (ridicule, humour), Bhayanakam (fear), Karunam (pathos), Roudram (anger, wrath), Veeram (valour), Beebhatsam (disgust), Adbhutam (wonder, amazement), Shantam (tranquility, peace). The link at the end of the page gives more details on Navarasas.

 

One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Most often, the make-up can be classified into five basic sets namely Pachcha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku. The differences between these sets lie in the predominant colours that are applied on the face. Pachcha (meaning green) has green as the dominant colour and is used to portray noble male characters who are said to have a mixture of "Satvik" (pious) and "Rajasik" (dark; Rajas = darkness) nature. Rajasik characters having an evil streak ("tamasic"= evil) -- all the same they are anti-heroes in the play (such as the demon king Ravana) -- and portrayed with streaks of red in a green-painted face. Excessively evil characters such as demons (totally tamasic) have a predominantly red make-up and a red beard. They are called Red Beard (Red Beard). Tamasic characters such as uncivilised hunters and woodsmen are represented with a predominantly black make-up base and a black beard and are called black beard (meaning black beard). Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces and this semi-realistic category forms the fifth class. In addition, there are modifications of the five basic sets described above such as Vella Thadi (white beard) used to depict Hanuman (the Monkey-God) and Pazhuppu, which is majorly used for Lord Shiva and Balabhadra.

 

NOTABLE TRAINING CENTRES & MASTERS

Kathakali artistes need assiduous grooming for almost a decade's time, and most masters are products of accomplished institutions that give a minimum training course of half-a-dozen years. The leading Kathakali schools (some of them started during the pre-Independent era India) are Kerala Kalamandalam (located in Cheruthuruthy near Shoranur), PSV Natya Sangham (located in Kottakal near Kozhikode), Sadanam Kathakali and Classical Arts Academy (or Gandhi Seva Sadan located in Perur near Ottappalam in Palakkad), Unnayi Varier Smaraka Kalanilayam (located in Irinjalakuda south of Thrissur), Margi in Thiruvananthapuram, Muthappan Kaliyogam at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district and RLV School at Tripunithura off Kochi and Kalabharathi at Pakalkkuri near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Sandarshan Kathakali Kendram in Ambalapuzha and Vellinazhi Nanu Nair Smaraka Kalakendra in Kuruvattor. Outside Kerala, Kathakali is being taught at the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi, Santiniketan at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, Kalakshetra in Chennai and Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad among others. PadmaSree Guru Chengannur Raman Pillai mostly known as 'Guru Chengannur'was running a traditional Gurukula Style approach to propagate Kathakali.

 

‘Guru Chengannur” is ever renowned as the Sovereign Guru of Kathakali. His precision in using symbols, gestures and steps were highest in the field of Kathakali. Guru Chegannur's kaththi vesham, especially the portrayal of Duryodhana enthralled the audience every time he performed. A master of the art, he found immense happiness and satisfaction in the success and recognition of his disciples.

 

Senior Kathakali exponents of today include Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, Sadanam Krishnankutty, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, FACT Padmanabhan, Kottakkal Chandrasekharan, Margi Vijayakumar, Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair, Vazhenkada Vijayan, Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai, Kalamandalam Kuttan, Mayyanad Kesavan Namboodiri, Mathur Govindan Kutty, Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri, Chavara Parukutty, Thonnakkal Peethambaran, Sadanam Balakrishnan, Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan, Chirakkara Madhavankutty, Sadanam K. Harikumaran, Thalavadi Aravindan, Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Pariyanampatta Divakaran, Kottakkal Kesavan, Kalanilayam Gopi and Kudamaloor Muralikrishnan. The late titan actor-dancers of Kathakali's modern age (say, since the 1930s) include Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Chandu Panicker, Thakazhi Guru Kunchu Kurup, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair, Kurichi Kunhan Panikkar, Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, Padma Shri Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair, Mankulam Vishnu Namboodiri, Oyur Kochu Govinda Pillai, Vellinezhi Nanu Nair, Padma Shri Kavungal Chathunni Panikkar, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Kottakkal Sivaraman, Kannan Pattali, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair, Haripad Ramakrishna Pillai, Champakkulam Pachu Pillai, Chennithala Chellappan Pillai, Guru Mampuzha Madhava Panicker, and Vaikkom Karunakaran.

 

Kathakali is still hugely a male domain but, since the 1970s, females too have made entry into the art form on a recognisable scale. The central Kerala temple town of Tripunithura has, in fact, a ladies troupe (with members belonging to several part of the state) that performs Kathakali, by and large in Travancore.

 

KATHAKALI STYLES

Known as Sampradäyaṃ(Malayalam: സമ്പ്രദായം); these are leading Kathakali styles that differ from each other in subtleties like choreographic profile, position of hand gestures and stress on dance than drama and vice versa. Some of the major original kathakali styles included:

 

Vettathu Sampradayam

Kalladikkodan Sampradyam

Kaplingadu Sampradayam

 

Of late, these have narrowed down to the northern (Kalluvazhi) and southern (Thekkan) styles. It was largely developed by the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon (1881-1949) that is implemented in Kerala Kalamandalam (though it has also a department that teaches the southern style), Sadanam, RLV and Kottakkal. Margi has its training largely based on the Thekkan style, known for its stress on drama and part-realistic techniques. Kalanilayam, effectively, churns out students with a mix of both styles.

 

OTHER FORMS OD DANCE & OFFSHOOTS

Kerala Natanam is a kind of dance form, partly based on Kathakali techniques and aesthetics, developed and stylised by the late dancer Guru Gopinath in the mid-20th century. Kathakali also finds portrayal in Malayalam feature films like Vanaprastham, Parinayam, Marattam, and Rangam. Besides documentary films have also been shot on Kathakali artistes like Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi and Kottakkal Sivaraman.

 

As for fictional literature, Kathakali finds mention in several Malayalam short stories like Karmen (by N.S. Madhavan) and novels like Keshabharam (by P.V. Sreevalsan). Even the Indo-Anglian work like Arundhati Roy's Booker prize-winning The God of Small Things has a chapter on Kathakali, while, of late, Anita Nair's novel, Mistress, is entirely wrapped in the ethos of Kathakali.

 

Similar musical theater is popular in Kasaragod and the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, viz. Yakshagana. Though Yakshagana resembles Kathakali in terms of its costume and makeup to an extent, Yakshagana is markedly different from Kathakali as it involves dialogues and method acting also the narration is in Kannada, wherein philosophical debates are also possible within framework of the character. As per records the art form of Yakshagana was already rooted and well established at the time of Sri Manavedan Raja. There is possibilities of its significant influence in formation of Kathakkali as the troupe of performers of "Krishnanattam" designed the basic costume of the art form already established in other parts of south India including Males playing the female roles (until more recently).

 

Kottayam thamburan's way of presenting kathakali was later known as Kalladikkoden sambradayam. Chathu Paniker,the introducer of Kallikkoden Sambrathayam, stayed in Kottayam for five years with Kottayam Thamburan's residence and practiced Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam. Then he returned to his home place. After a short period Chathu Paniker reached Pulapatta as instructed by Kuthiravattath nair. That was around the year ME 865. Many deciples from Kadathanadu, Kurumbra nadu, Vettathu nadu, Palakkadu and Perumpadappu studied kathakali(Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam ) By that time Chathu Paniker was an old man. Some years later he died from Pulapatta.

 

NOTED KATHAKALI VILLAGES & BELTS

There are certain pockets in Kerala that have given birth to many Kathakali artistes over the years. If they can be called Kathakali villages (or some of them, these days, towns), here are some of them: Vellinezhi, Kuruvattoor, Karalmanna, Cherpulassery, Kothachira, peringode, sreekrishnapuram Kongad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, Vazhenkada in Malappuram district, Thichur or Tichoor, Guruvayur, Thiruvilwamala and Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Tripunithura, Edappally, Thekkan Chittoor in Ernakulam district and Kuttanad, Harippad belt in Alappuzha district besides places in and around Thiruvanathapuram in south Travancore and Payyannur in north Malabar.

 

AWARDS FOR KATHAKALI ARTISTS

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees - Kathakali (1956–2005)

Nambeesan Smaraka Awards—For artistic performances related kathakali{1992-2008}

 

KATHAKALI ATTAMS (ELAKI ATTAMS)

Attams or more specifically "elaki attams" are sequences of acting within a story acted out with the help of mudras without support from vocal music. The actor has the freedom to change the script to suit his own individual preferences. The actor will be supported ably by Chenda, Maddalam, and Elathalam (compulsory), Chengila (not very compulsory).

 

The following are only some examples. 'Kailasa Udharanam' and 'Tapas Attam' are very important attams and these are described at the end. Two of the many references are Kathakali Prakaram, pages 95 to 142 by Pannisheri Nanu Pillai and Kathakaliyile Manodharmangal by Chavara Appukuttan Pillai.

 

VANA VARNANA: BHIMA IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKA

Modern man looks at the forest, indeed the birthplace of primates, with a certain wonder and a certain respect. Kathakali characters are no exception.

 

When Pandavas were living in the forest, one day, a flower, not seen before, wafted by the wind, comes and falls at the feet of Panchali. Exhilarated by its beauty and smell, Panchali asks Bhima to bring her more such flowers. To her pleasure Bhima is ready to go at once. But Panchali asks him what he shall do for food and drink on the way. Bhima thinks and says "Food and Drink! Oh, this side glance (look) of yours. This look of longing. This look of anticipation. The very thought fills me up. I don't need any food and drink at all. Let me go." He takes his mace and off he goes. Ulsaham (enthusiasm) is his Sdhayi Bhavam (permanent feature).

 

"Let me go at once in search of this flower," says Bhima. "The scented wind is blowing from the southern side. Let me go that way." After walking some distance he sees a huge mountain called Gandhamadana and three ways. He decides to take the middle one which goes over the mountain. After going further "The forest is getting thicker. Big trees, big branches in all directions. The forest looks like a huge dark vessel into which even light can not penetrate. This is my (Bhima's) way. Nothing can hinder me." So saying he pulls down many trees. Sometimes he shatters the trees with his mace. Suddenly he sees an elephant. "Oh! Elephant." He describes it. Its trunk. Sharp ears.

 

The itching sensation in the body. It takes some mud and throws on the body. Oh good. Then it sucks water and throws on the body. Somewhat better. Slowly it starts dosing even though alert at times. A very huge python is approaching steadily. Suddenly it catches hold of the elephant's hind leg. The elephant wakes up and tries to disengage the python. The python pulls to one side. The elephant kicks and drags to the other side. This goes on for some time. Bhima looks to the other side where a hungry lion is looking for food. It comes running and strikes the elephants head and eats part of the brain and goes off. The python completes the rest. "Oh my god, how ruthless!" says Bhima and proceeds on his way.

 

UDYANA VARNANA: NALA IN NALACHARITHAM SECOND DAY

Descriptions of gardens are found in most dance forms of India and abroad. These are also common in Kathakali.

 

Newly married Nala and Damayanthi are walking in the garden. When Nala was lovingly looking at Damayanthi a flower falls on her. Nala is overjoyed and thinks that this is a kindness nature has shown on his wife. Nala says "On seeing the arrival of their queen, the trees and climbers are showing happiness by dropping flowers on you." He tells her, "See that tree. When I used to be alone the tree used to hug the climber and seemingly laugh at my condition." Then he looks at the tree and says, "Dear Tree, look at me now. See how fortunate I am with my beautiful wife."

 

Both wander about. A bumblebee flies towards Damayanthi. Immediately Nala protects her face with a kerchief. He looks at the bee and then at Damayanthi. He says, "On seeing your face the bee thought it was a flower and came to drink the nectar." Nala and Damayanthi listen to the sounds coming out of the garden. Damayanti says, "It appears that the whole garden is thrilled. The flowers are blooming and smiling. Cuckoos are singing and the bees are dancing. Gentle winds are blowing and rubbing against our bodies. How beautiful the whole garden looks." Then Nala says that the sun is going down and it is time for them to go back and takes her away.

 

SHABDA VARNANA: HANUMAN IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKAM

While Bhima goes in search of the flower, here Hanuman is sitting doing Tapas with mind concentrated on Sri Rama.

 

When he hears the terrible noises made by Bhima in the forest he feels disturbed in doing his Tapas. He thinks "What is the reason for this?" Then the sounds become bigger. "What is this?" He thinks, "The sounds are getting bigger. Such a terrible noise. Is the sea coming up thinking that the time is ripe for the great deluge (Pralaya). Birds are flying helter-skelter. Trees look shocked. Even Kali Yuga is not here. Then what is it? Are mountains quarreling with each other? No, That can't be it. Indra had cut off the wings of mountains so that they don't quarrel. Is the sea changing its position? No it can't be. The sea has promised it will not change its position again. It can't break the promise." Hanuman starts looking for clues. "I see elephants and lions running in fear of somebody. Oh a huge man is coming this way. Oh, a hero is coming. He is pulling out trees and throwing it here and there. Okay. Let him come near, We will see."

 

THANDEDATTAM: RAVANA IN BALI VADHAM

After his theranottam Ravana is seen sitting on a stool. He says to himself "I am enjoying a lot of happiness. What is the reason for this?" Thinks. "Yes I know it. I did Tapas to Brahma and received all necessary boons. Afterwards I won all ten directions. I also defeated my elder brother Vaishravana. Then I lifted Kailas mountain when Siva and Parvathi were having a misunderstanding. Parvathi got frightened and embraced Siva in fear. Siva was so happy he gave a divine sword called Chandrahasa. Now the whole world is afraid of me. That is why I am enjoying so much happiness." He goes and sits on the stool. He looks far away. "Who is coming from a distance. he is coming fast. Oh, it is Akamba. Okay. Let me find out what news he has for me."

 

ASHRAMA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KIRATHAM

Arjuna wants to do Tapas to Lord Siva and he is looking a suitable place in the Himalayan slopes. He comes to place where there is an ashram. Arjuna looks closely at the place. "Oh. What a beautiful place this is. A small river in which a very pure water is flowing. Some hermits are taking baths in the river. Some hermits are standing in the water and doing Tapsas. Some are facing the Sun. Some are standing in between five fires." Arjuna salutes the hermits from far. He says to himself "Look at this young one of a deer. It is looking for its mother. It seems to be hungry and thirsty. Nearby a female tiger is feeding its young ones. The little deer goes towards the tigress and pushes the young tiger cubs aside and starts drinking milk from the tigress. The tigress looks lovingly at the young deer and even licks its body as if it were its own child. How beautiful. How fulfilling."

 

Again he looks "Here on this side a mongoose and a serpent forgetting their enmity are hugging each other. This place is really strange and made divine by saints and hermits. Let me start my Tapas somewhere nearby."

 

A sloka called "Shikhini Shalabha" can be selected instead of the above if time permits.

 

AN ATTAM BASED ON A SLOKA

Sansrit slokas are sometimes shown in mudras and it has a pleasing and exhilarating effect. Different actors use slokas as per his own taste and liking. However, the slokas are taught to students during their training period. An example is given below.

 

Kusumo Kusumolpatti Shrooyathena Chathushyathe

Bale thava Mukhambuje Pashya Neelolpaladwayam

 

Meaning a flower blooming inside another flower is not known to history. But, my dear, in your lotus like face are seen two blue Neelolpala flowers (eyes).

 

A CONVERSATION BASED ON A SLOKA

Sanskrit slokas can also be used to express an intent. One such example is a sloka used by Arjuna addressed to Mathali the charioteer in Kalakeya Vadham. Sloka:

Pitha: Kushalee Mama hritha Bhujaam

Naatha Sachee Vallabha:

Maatha: kim nu Pralomacha Kushalinee

Soonurjayanthasthayo

Preethim va Kushchate Thadikshnavidhow

Cheta Samutkanuthe

Sutha: tvam Radhamashu Chodaya vayam

Dharmadivam Mathala

 

Meaning: The husband of Indrani and the lord of gods my father - Is he in good health? His son Jayantha - Is he strictly following the commands of his father? Oh, I am impatient to see all of them.

 

SWARGA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KELAKEYA VADHAM

Arjuna goes to heaven on the invitation of his father, Indra. After taking permission from Indrani he goes out to see all the places in Swarga. First he sees a building, his father's palace. It is so huge with four entrances. It is made of materials superior to gold and jewels of the world. Then he goes ahead and sees Iravatha. Here he describes it as a huge elephant with four horns. He is afraid to touch it. Then he thinks that animals in Swarga can't be cruel like in the world and so thinking he goes and touches and salutes Iravatha. He describes the churning of the white sea by gods and demons with many details and how Iravatha also came out of the white sea due to this churning.

 

He walks on and sees his father's (Indra's) horse. It is described as being white and its mane is sizzling like the waves of the white sea from which it came. He touches and salutes the horse also. Then he goes to see the river of the sky (or milky way). He sees many birds by this river and how the birds fly and play is shown.

 

Then he sees the heavenly ladies. Some are collecting flowers, and one of them comes late and asks for some flowers for making garland. The others refuse. She goes to the Kalpa Vriksha and says "please give me some flowers." Immediately a shower of flowers occurs which she collects in her clothes and goes to make garlands chiding the others. "See... I also got flowers." After this he sees the music and dance of the heavenly ladies. First it starts with the adjustments of instruments Thamburu, Mridangam, Veena. Then the actual music starts along with the striking of cymbals. Then two or three types of dances are shown. Then comes juggling of balls. It is described by a sloka thus:

 

Ekopi Thraya Iva Bhathi Kandukoyam

 

Kanthayaa: Karathala Raktharaktha:

Abhrastho Nayanamareechi Neelaneelo

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'. Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called ), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience. As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to

Bhumau Talcharana Naghamshu Gaurgaura:

 

Meaning One ball looks like three balls. When it is in the hands of the juggler, it takes the redness of the hands, when it goes up it takes the blueness of the eyes, when it strikes the ground it becomes white from the whiteness of the leg nails. Once a juggled ball falls down. Then she, the juggler, somehow manages to proceed and remarks "See.. how I can do it".

 

At one time a garment slips from a lady's body and she adjusts the cloth showing shameful shyness (Lajja). Then the ladies go in for a Kummi dance. As Arjuna was enjoying this dance, suddenly somebody calls him. Arjuna feels scared. "Oh God, where am I?" he says and beats a hasty retreat.

 

TAPAS ATTAM: RAVANA IN RAVANA ULBHAVAM

[Background: Mali, Sumali and Malyavan were three brothers ruling Sri Lanka. During a war between them and Indra, Indra requested help from Lord Vishnu and as a consequence Lord Vishnu killed Mali. Sumali and Malyavan escaped to Patala. Kaikasi was the daughter of Sumali. She wandered in the forest. She belong three boys through a great sage called Vishravassu. (Vishravassu had an earlier son called Vaishravana who became the richest among all people.) The eldest boy of Kaikasi was Ravana followed by Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.]

 

SCENE 1

When Ravana was a young boy (Kutti Ravana vesham), one day he was sleeping on his mothers lap in a place called madhuvanam. At that time Kaikasi sees Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (mythical aeroplane). She thinks “Oh, that is Vaishravana, technically a brother of my son who is sleeping on my lap. He is rich and strong. My son is so poor and weak. While thinking thus a drop of tear from her eyes drops on Ravana’s face. Ravana suddenly wakes up and sees his mother crying. When he knew the reason he could not bear it. He says he is going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that he will be strong and rich.

 

SCENE 2

(The tapas itself is shown as a part of autobiographical narration of adult ravana)

 

Ravana (adult Ravana, not kutti Ravana) is sitting on a stool. He thinks “Why am I so happy? How did I become so rich and strong? Oh yes. It is because of the tapas I did. What made me do the tapas? When I was a young boy, one day I was sleeping on my mother’s lap in a place called Madhuvanam. A drop of tear from her eyes falls on my face. I asked her why she was crying. She said she saw Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (plane). She told me Vaishravan was a brother of mine now flying in a plane. He is rich and strong. I am so poor and weak. When I heard this comparison between me and my brother, I could not bear it. I am going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that I will be strong and rich.

 

I made five different types of fires (while doing tapas gods are approached through Agni the god of fire). Then I started my tapas. I asked my brothers to stand guard and also keep the fires burning. Then I fully concentrated on tapas. Time passed but Brahma did not appear. I looked. Why is Brahma not appearing? I doubled my concentration. Time passed. Brahma is not appearing. Still not appearing? I cut one of my heads and put it in the fire. Waited, Brahma did not come. One more head rolls. Still no Brahma comes. Heads roll and roll. No Brahma. Only one head is left. First I thought of stopping my tapas. But no! Never! That will be an insult to me and my family. It is better to die than stop. Also when I die Brahma will be judged as being partial. With great determination I swung the sword at my last neck, when, lo and behold, suddenly Brahma appeared and caught my hand. I looked at him with still un-subsided, but gradually subsiding anger. Brahma asked me what boons I wanted. I asked for a boon that I should win all the worlds and have all the wealth and fame and that I should not be killed except by man. I also asked him to give boons for my brothers.

 

In the next scene Ravana asks Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana what boons they got. Unfortunately Kumbhakarna’s tongue got twisted while asking for boon and he got ‘sleep’ instead of becoming the ‘king of gods’. Ravana laughed it off. As for Vibhishana, he being a bhaktha of Vishnu, asked for Vishnu’s blessings and got it. Ravana laughs it off and also decides to conquer all the worlds and starts preparing his grand army for the big conquest of the worlds.

 

[This method of presentation with a peculiar sequence has a tremendous dramatic affect. The main actor redoes a small part of what happened to kutti Ravana vesham, and this gives a view of the high contrast between the boy and the man Ravana. Similarly the presence of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana in the subsequent scene offers a good smile on the face of the viewer at the end of the play.]

 

KAILASA UDDHARANAM: RAVANA IN BALI VIJAYAM

[Background and Previous scene: After receiving the boons, and widening his kingdom in all directions, Ravana lives in Sri Lanka with great pomp and splendor. One day he sees Saint Narada approaching his palace singing songs in praise of him ‘Jaya jaya Ravana, Lanka Pathe’. Happily he receives Narada and seats him next to him. After telling Narada about the victory of his son Indrajith on Indra, Ravana tells Narada “Now there is nobody on earth or other worlds who can fight with me”. To this Narada replies “ Very true indeed, but there is one huge monkey called Bali who says he can defeat you. He even said that you are just like a blade of grass to him. Well let him say what he wants. You are unbeatable.” Then Narada says ‘let us go there and see him’. Both decide to go. But Ravana takes his famous sword called “Chandrahasam”. Then Narada asks the history of this sword. Ravana’s Attam Starts.]

 

Ravana says “I received this sword from Lord Siva. It happened thus. Once when I was conquering new places and expanding my empire I happened to be going across the Kailasa mountain. The plane got stuck on the mountain unable to move forward. I got down from the plane and looked at the mountain. (Looks from one end to the other first horizontally and then vertically.) So huge it was. Then I decided to lift it with my bare hand and keep it aside and move forward. I started sticking my hands under it one by one. Then I tried to lift it. It doesn’t move. I put more force and more force. It moved just a bit. I pushed harder and harder, slowly it started moving then again and again and it moved easily. Then I lifted it up with my hands and started juggling it (exaggeration evident).

 

“At that particular time Lord Siva was quarreling with his wife Parvathi. Why did they fight? The story is as follows. Parvathi had gone for enjoying swimming and bathing in some beautiful pond. At that time Siva opened his jata (disheveled long hair) and called Ganga for some entertainment after asking Ganapathi and Subramania to go for some errands. Somehow becoming suspicious, right at that time, Parvathi came back in a hurry with wet clothes and saw Siva with Ganga. Siva was wondering what to do and it was at that time that Ravana started lifting the Kailasa. When Kailasa started shaking Parvathi got scared and ran to Siva and hugged him. So the quarrel ended and Siva was happy. “As a reward Siva called me and gave me this famous Chandrahasa sword.”

 

Then Narada and Ravana leave to meet Bali. Ravana wanted to take the sword along with him, but Narada suggested that the sword is not required for teaching a lesson to Bali who is after all an unarmed monkey.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Some things you just have to put out of your mind. Such as an unfair deed or a word that is unkind. Things work themselves out I often do find. So says the Good Book "Love is kind."

Generation gap. Trafalgar Square, London.

To my pro-China followers:

I’d like to address some of the complaints that you’ve made about me. I’m not going to argue politics, but I’d like to clear up some misunderstandings you seem to have.

1. Regarding the complaint about ruining the purity of origami with political statements, I’ve been doing this for years. You have never complained about my political origami in the past, so don’t pretend that you dislike me being political with my art. The problem is not about my art. The problem is with your ultra-nationalism.

2. I am not, and never have been, a citizen of China. Your claim that I should have patriotism towards China is ridiculous.

3. If you’re going to say bad words about me in Chinese, at least get my name right.

4. Well I can speak some Cantonese, I cannot read or write any Chinese. You know this already. So when you choose to write to me in Chinese, don’t complain if I have to resort to using Google translate in order to understand your comments. I don’t have to try to translate your comments. The fact that I do means that I am being courteous to you. If you really want me to understand what you want to say, then write in English.

5. I almost never check comments here on Flickr.

Bush elephant

 

Afrikanischer Elefant

 

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

 

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

 

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

 

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Name

 

African Elephant or African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta africana]

 

Introduction

 

The Elephant is the world's largest land mammal, and weighs up to 7 tonnes and reaches heights of 3.3 m at the shoulder. Elephants can live to a potential age of 70 years. The massive tusks of older bulls can weigh up to 50 or 60 kilograms, but tusks weighing up to 90 kilograms have been recorded.

 

Appearance

 

What is the trunk and what is it used for?

The Elephant's trunk is a modified nose which is very sensitive and can even detect water under ground. There are as many as 50 000 muscles in an Elephant trunk. The sensitive finger-like appendages at the tip of the trunk enables them to pick the smallest twig or flower, pull the toughest reed of grass or even pick out a thorn from their feet.

 

Do elephants have knees or elbows?

 

The joints that are perceived as 'knees', are in fact wrists. This is a common misunderstanding due to the belief that a leg joint that bends between the foot and the body must be a knee. The main difference between us and the elephants is that our foot bones and hand bones are separate, whereas those of the elephant are one in the same, and have evolved to suit this four-legged mammal.

 

Why do elephants have tusks?

 

The tusks are used for obtaining food, fighting (amongst males) and for self defence. They are actually their upper incisors, and grow continuously until they die at around 60 years old. Although their skin is up to 3cm (1 inch) thick, it is quite sensitive.

 

Diet

 

Elephants are voracious feeders which in a day consume up to 272 kg (600 pounds) of grass, tender shoots and bark from trees. An adult Elephant can drink up to 200 litres of water in a single session. A single Elephant deposits up to 150kg (330 pounds) of dung every day - about one dollop every 15 minutes!

 

Breeding

 

African Elephant are not seasonal breeders. Generally they produce one calf every 3 to 4 years. The gestation period is about 22 months. At birth calves weigh about 100 kg (220 pounds) and are fully weaned between 18-24 months. An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family's lactating females or suckled by various females. Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most Elephant behavior has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years. Tusks erupt at 16 months but do not show externally until 30 months. Once weaned, usually at age 4 or 5, the calf still remains in the maternal group. Females mature at about 11 years and stay in the group, while the males, which mature between 12 and 15, are usually expelled from the maternal herd. Even though these young males are sexually mature, they do not breed until they are in their mid, or late 20s or even older and have moved up in the social hierarchy.

 

Behaviour

 

Mature males form bachelor groups and become solitary bulls. Elephant form strong family units of cows, calves and young offspring. Such herds are always led by an old female. Apart from drinking large quantities of water they also love wading or swimming in it. Elephants clearly relish mud baths.

It was once thought that family groups were led by old bull elephants, but these males are most often solitary. The female family groups are often visited by mature males checking for females in oestrus. Several interrelated family groups may inhabit an area and know each other well.

 

How do you tell an elephant's mock charge from a serious one?

 

It is imperative to keep in mind that Elephant are extremely intelligent, and each individual has a distinct character. Although there will be exceptions to the rules, the common signs of a mock charge are bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations, open ears and an intimidating presence, can be considered a mock-display. Aggressive or startled elephants usually make sudden headshakes and flap their large ears against their head. Serious charges usually occur after all attempts to intimidate have failed, and the Elephant feels threatened. The ears are pinned back and head and trunk are lowered. Ultimately, the key lies in the intelligence of the animal and how they will react to the 'target' and unfamiliar actions, and a conscious decision is made.

 

Why do elephants rhythmically flap their ears?

 

Contrary to common belief, it is not an expression of anger. Being an animal of such a large size, with no sweat glands and a dark body colour, elephants flap their ears to cool the body and rid themselves of irritating insects.

 

Where are they found?

 

Once ranging across most of Africa the Elephant population has declined dramatically across the continent. In South Africa the Addo Elephant and Kruger National Park protect large herds. Due to rigorous conservation measures the Elephant population in South Africa has grown from a estimated 120 in 1920 in 4 locations, to 10 000 at 40 locations to date.

 

Notes

 

The African Elephant has recently been classified into two separate species, the more common African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta Africana] and the smaller African Forest Elephant [Loxodonta cyclotis] of the rainforest of Central Africa.

 

(krugerpark.co.za)

 

Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.

 

Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Afrikanische Elefant (Loxodonta africana), auch Afrikanischer Steppenelefant oder Afrikanischer Buschelefant, ist eine Art aus der Familie der Elefanten. Er ist das größte gegenwärtig lebende Landsäugetier und gleichzeitig das größte rezente landbewohnende Tier der Erde. Herausragende Kennzeichen sind neben den Stoßzähnen und dem markanten Rüssel die großen Ohren und die säulenförmigen Beine. In zahlreichen morphologischen und anatomischen Merkmalen unterscheidet sich der Afrikanische Elefant von seinen etwas kleineren Verwandten, dem Waldelefanten und dem Asiatischen Elefanten. Das Verbreitungsgebiet umfasst heute große Teile von Afrika südlich der Sahara. Die Tiere haben sich dort an zahlreiche unterschiedliche Lebensräume angepasst, die von geschlossenen Wäldern über offene Savannenlandschaften bis hin zu Sumpfgebieten und wüstenartigen Regionen reichen. Insgesamt ist das Vorkommen aber stark fragmentiert.

 

Die Lebensweise des Afrikanischen Elefanten ist durch intensive Studien gut erforscht. Sie wird durch einen stark sozialen Charakter geprägt. Weibliche Tiere und ihr Nachwuchs leben in Familienverbänden (Herden). Diese formieren sich wiederum zu einem enger verwandten Clan. Die einzelnen Herden treffen sich zu bestimmten Gelegenheiten und trennen sich danach wieder. Die männlichen Tiere bilden Junggesellengruppen. Die verschiedenen Verbände nutzen Aktionsräume, in denen sie teils im Jahreszyklus herumwandern. Für die Kommunikation untereinander nutzen die Tiere verschiedene Töne im niedrigen Frequenzbereich. Anhand der Lautgebung, aber auch durch bestimmte chemische Signale können sich die einzelnen Individuen untereinander erkennen. Darüber hinaus besteht ein umfangreiches Repertoire an Gesten. Hervorzuheben sind auch die kognitiven Fähigkeiten des Afrikanischen Elefanten.

 

Die Nahrung besteht sowohl aus weicher wie auch harter Pflanzenkost. Die genaue Zusammensetzung variiert dabei regional und jahreszeitlich. Generell verbringt der Afrikanische Elefant einen großen Teil seiner Tagesaktivitäten mit der Nahrungsaufnahme. Die Fortpflanzung erfolgt ganzjährig, regional gibt es Tendenzen zu einer stärkeren Saisonalisierung. Bullen kommen einmal jährlich in die Musth, während deren sie auf Wanderung zur Suche nach fortpflanzungswilligen Kühen gehen. Während der Musth ist die Aggressivität gesteigert, es finden dann auch Rivalenkämpfe statt. Der Sexualzyklus der Kühe dauert vergleichsweise lange und weist einen für Säugetiere untypischen Verlauf auf. Nach erfolgter Geburt setzt er in der Regel mehrere Jahre aus. Zumeist wird nach fast zweijähriger Tragzeit ein Jungtier geboren, das in der mütterlichen Herde aufwächst. Junge weibliche Tiere verbleiben später in der Herde, die jungen männlichen verlassen diese.

 

Die wissenschaftliche Erstbeschreibung des Afrikanischen Elefanten erfolgte im Jahr 1797 mit einer formalen artlichen Trennung des Afrikanischen vom Asiatischen Elefanten. Der heute gebräuchliche Gattungsname Loxodonta wurde offiziell erst dreißig Jahre später eingeführt. Die Bezeichnung bezieht sich auf markante Zahnunterschiede zwischen den asiatischen und den afrikanischen Elefanten. Im Verlauf des 20. Jahrhunderts wurden mehrere Unterarten unterschieden, darunter auch der Waldelefant des zentralen Afrikas. Letzterer gilt heute genetischen Untersuchungen zufolge als eigenständige Art, die weiteren Unterarten sind nicht anerkannt. Stammesgeschichtlich lässt sich der Afrikanische Elefant erstmals im beginnenden Mittleren Pleistozän belegen. Der Gesamtbestand gilt als gefährdet. Ursachen hierfür sind hauptsächlich die Jagd nach Elfenbein und Lebensraumverlust durch die zunehmend wachsende menschliche Bevölkerung. Der Afrikanische Elefant zählt zu den sogenannten „Big Five“ von Großwildjagd und Safari.

 

(Wikipedia)

Vintage postcard, no. 92. Photo: M.G.M.

 

American actress Eleanor Parker (1922-2013) appeared in some 80 films and television series. She was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for Caged (1950), Detective Story (1951) and Interrupted Melody (1955). Her role in Caged also won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. One of her most memorable roles was that of the Baroness in The Sound of Music (1965). Her biographer Doug McClelland called her ‘Woman of a Thousand Faces’, because of her versatility.

 

Eleanor Jean Parker was born in 1922, in Cedarville, Ohio. She was the daughter of Lola (Isett) and Lester Day Parker. Her family moved to East Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended public schools and graduated from Shaw High School. She appeared in a number of school plays. When she was 15 she started to attend the Rice Summer Theatre on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. After graduation, she moved to California and began appearing at the Pasadena Playhouse. There she was spotted by a Warners Bros talent scout, Irving Kumin. The studio signed her to a long-term contract in June 1941. She was cast that year in They Died with Their Boots On (Raoul Walsh, 1941), but her scenes were cut. Her actual film debut was as Nurse Ryan in the short Soldiers in White (B. Reeves Eason, 1942). She was given some decent roles in B films, Busses Roar (D. Ross Lederman, 1942) and The Mysterious Doctor (Benjamin Stoloff, 1943) opposites John Loder. She also had a small role in one of Warner Brothers' biggest productions for the 1943 season, the pro-Soviet Mission to Moscow (Michael Curtiz, 1943) as Emlen Davies, daughter of the U.S. ambassador to the U.S.S.R (Walter Huston). On the set, she met her first husband, Navy Lieutenant. Fred L. Losse, but the marriage turned out to be a brief wartime affair. Parker had impressed Warners enough to offer her a strong role in a prestige production, Between Two Worlds (Edward A. Blatt, 1944), playing the suicidal wife of Paul Henreid's character. She played support roles for Crime by Night (William Clemens, 1944) and The Last Ride (D. Ross Lederman, 1944). Then she got the starring role opposite Dennis Morgan in The Very Thought of You (Delmer Daves, 1944). She was considered enough of a ‘name’ to be given a cameo in Hollywood Canteen (Delmer Daves, 1944). Warners gave her the choice role of Mildred Rogers in a new version of Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage (Edmund Goulding, 1946), but previews were not favourable and the film sat on the shelf for two years before being released. She had her big break when she was cast opposite John Garfield in Pride of the Marines (Delmer Daves, 1945). However, two films with Errol Flynn that followed, the romantic comedy Never Say Goodbye (James V. Kern, 1946) and the drama Escape Me Never (Peter Godfrey, 1947), were box office disappointments. Parker was suspended twice by Warners for refusing parts in films – in Stallion Road (James V. Kern, 1947), where she was replaced by Alexis Smith and Love and Learn (Frederick De Cordova, 1947). She made the comedy Voice of the Turtle (Irving Rapper, 1947) with Ronald Reagan, and the mystery The Woman in White (Peter Godfrey, 1948). She refused to appear in Somewhere in the City (Vincent Sherman, 1950) so Warners suspended her again; Virginia Mayo played the role. Parker then had two years off, during which time she married and had a baby. She turned down a role in The Hasty Heart (Vincent Sherman, 1949) which she wanted to do, but it would have meant going to England and she did not want to leave her baby alone during its first year.

 

Eleanor Parker returned in Chain Lightning (Stuart Heisler, 1950) with Humphrey Bogart. Parker heard about a women-in-prison film Warners were making, Caged (John Cromwell, 1950), and actively lobbied for the role. She got it, won the 1950 Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award. She also had a good role in the melodrama Three Secrets (Robert Wise, 1950). In February 1950, Parker left Warner Bros. after having been under contract there for eight years. Parker had understood that she would star in a film called Safe Harbor, but Warner Bros. apparently had no intention of making it. Because of this misunderstanding, her agents negotiated her release. Parker's career outside of Warners started badly with Valentino (Lewis Allen, 1951) playing a fictionalised wife of Rudolph Valentino for producer Edward Small. She tried a comedy at 20th Century Fox with Fred MacMurray, A Millionaire for Christy (George Marshall, 1951). In 1951, Parker signed a contract with Paramount for one film a year, with an option for outside films. This arrangement began brilliantly with Detective Story (William Wyler, 1951) playing Mary McLeod, the woman who doesn't understand the position of her unstable detective husband (Kirk Douglas). Parker was nominated for the Oscar in 1951 for her performance. Parker followed Detective Story with her portrayal of an actress in love with a swashbuckling nobleman (Stewart Granger) in Scaramouche (George Sidney, 1952), a role originally intended for Ava Gardner. Wikipedia: “Parker later claimed that Granger was the only person she didn't get along with during her entire career. However, they had good chemistry and the film was a massive hit. “MGM cast her into Above and Beyond (Melvin Frank, Norman Panama, 1952), a biopic of Lt. Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr. (Robert Taylor), the pilot of the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It was a solid hit. While Parker was making a third film for MGM, Escape from Fort Bravo (John Sturges, 1953), she signed a five-year contract with the studio. She was named as star of a Sidney Sheldon script, My Most Intimate Friend and of One More Time, from a script by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin directed by George Cukor, but neither film was made. Back at Paramount, Parker starred with Charlton Heston as a 1900s mail-order bride in The Naked Jungle (Byron Haskin, 1954), produced by George Pal. Parker returned to MGM where she was reunited with Robert Taylor in an Egyptian adventure film, Valley of the Kings (Robert Pirosh, 1954), and a Western, Many Rivers to Cross (Roy Rowland, 1955). MGM gave her one of her best roles as opera singer Marjorie Lawrence struck down by polio in Interrupted Melody (Curtis Bernhardt, 1955). This was a big hit and earned Parker a third Oscar nomination; she later said it was her favourite film. Also in 1955, Parker appeared in the film adaptation of the National Book Award-winner The Man with the Golden Arm (Otto Preminger, 1955), released through United Artists. She played Zosh, the supposedly wheelchair-bound wife of heroin-addicted, would-be jazz drummer Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra). It was a major commercial and critical success. In 1956, she co-starred with Clark Gable in the Western comedy The King and Four Queens (Raoul Walsh, 1956), also for United Artists. It was then back at MGM for two dramas: Lizzie (Hugo Haas, 1957), in the title role, as a woman with a split personality; and The Seventh Sin (Ronald Neame, 1957), a remake of The Painted Veil in the role originated by Greta Garbo and, once again, intended for Ava Gardner. Both films flopped at the box office and, as a result, Parker's plans to produce her own film, L'Eternelle, about French resistance fighters, did not materialise.

 

Eleanor Parker supported Frank Sinatra in a popular comedy, A Hole in the Head (Frank Capra, 1959). She returned to MGM for Home from the Hill (Vincente Minnelli, 1960), co-starring with Robert Mitchum, then took over Lana Turner's role of Constance Rossi in Return to Peyton Place (José Ferrer, 1961), the sequel to the hit 1957 film. That was made by 20th Century Fox who also produced Madison Avenue (H. Bruce Humberstone, 1961) with Parker. In 1960, she made her TV debut, and in the following years, she worked increasingly in television, with the occasional film role such as Panic Button (George Sherman, Giuliano Carnimeo, 1964) with Maurice Chevalier and Jayne Mansfield. Parker's best-known screen role is Baroness Elsa Schraeder in the Oscar-winning musical The Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965). The Baroness was famously and poignantly unsuccessful in keeping the affections of Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) after he falls in love with Maria (Julie Andrews). In 1966, Parker played an alcoholic widow in the crime drama Warning Shot (Buzz Kulik, 1967), a talent scout who discovers a Hollywood star in The Oscar (Russell Rouse, 1966), and a rich alcoholic in An American Dream (Robert Gist, 1966). However, her film career seemed to go downhill. A Playboy Magazine reviewer derided the cast of The Oscar as "has-beens and never-will-be". From the late 1960s, she focused on television. In 1963, Parker appeared in the medical TV drama about psychiatry The Eleventh Hour in the episode Why Am I Grown So Cold?, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. She also appeared in episodes of Breaking Point (1964). And The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1968). In 1969–1970, Parker starred in the television series Bracken's World, for which she was nominated for a 1970 Golden Globe Award. Parker also appeared on stage in the role of Margo Channing in Applause, the Broadway musical version of the film All About Eve. In 1976, she played Maxine in a revival of The Night of the Iguana. Her last film role was in a Farrah Fawcett bomb, Sunburn (Richard C. Sarafian, 1979). Subsequently, she appeared very infrequently on TV, most recently in Dead on the Money (Mark Cullingham, 1991). Eleanor Parker was married four times. Her first husband was Fred Losee (1943-1944). Her second marriage to Bert E. Friedlob (1946-1953) produced three children Susan Eleanor Friedlob (1948), Sharon Anne Friedlob (1950), and Richard Parker Friedlob (1952). Her third marriage was to American portrait painter Paul Clemens, (1954-1965) and the couple had one child, actor Paul Clemens (1958). Her fourth marriage with Raymond N. Hirsch (1966-2001) ended when Hirsch died of oesophagal cancer. She was the grandmother of actor/director Chasen Parker. Eleanor Parker died in 2013 at a medical facility in Palm Springs, California of complications of pneumonia. She was 91. Parker was raised a Protestant and later converted to Judaism, telling the New York Daily News columnist Kay Gardella in August 1969, "I think we're all Jews at heart ... I wanted to convert for a long time."

 

Sources: Jon C. Hopwood (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

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An elf (plural: elves) is a type of human-shaped supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. In medieval Germanic-speaking cultures, elves seem generally to have been thought of as beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent towards everyday people and capable of either helping or hindering them.[1] However, the details of these beliefs have varied considerably over time and space, and have flourished in both pre-Christian and Christian cultures.

The word elf is found throughout the Germanic languages and seems originally to have meant 'white being'.

Reconstructing the early concept of an elf depends largely on texts, written by Christians, in Old and Middle English, medieval German, and Old Norse. These associate elves variously with the gods of Norse mythology, with causing illness, with magic, and with beauty and seduction.

After the medieval period, the word elf tended to become less common throughout the Germanic languages, losing out to alternative native terms like zwerc ("dwarf") in German and huldra ("hidden being") in Scandinavian languages, and to loan-words like fairy (borrowed from French into all the Germanic languages).

Still, beliefs in elves persisted in the early modern period, particularly in Scotland and Scandinavia, where elves were thought of as magically powerful people living, usually invisibly, alongside everyday human communities. They continued to be associated with causing illness and with sexual threats. For example, a number of early modern ballads in the British Isles and Scandinavia, originating in the medieval period, describe elves attempting to seduce or abduct human characters.

With urbanisation and industrialisation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, beliefs in elves declined rapidly (though Iceland has some claim to continued popular belief in elves). However, from the early modern period onwards, elves started to be prominent in the literature and art of educated elites. These literary elves were imagined as small, impish beings, with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream being a key development of this idea. In the eighteenth century, German Romanticist writers were influenced by this notion of the elf, and reimported the English word elf into the German language.

From this Romanticist elite culture came the elves of popular culture that emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The "Christmas elves" of contemporary popular culture are a relatively recent tradition, popularized during the late nineteenth-century in the United States. Elves entered the twentieth-century high fantasy genre in the wake of works published by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien; these re-popularised the idea of elves as human-sized and human-like beings. Elves remain a prominent feature of fantasy books and games and thereby continue to have a role in shaping people's understandings of their own real-life identities.

Relationship to Christian cosmologies

 

Title page of Daemonologie by James VI and I, which tried to explain traditional Scottish beliefs in terms of Christian scholarship.Recent scholars have emphasised, in the words of Ármann Jakobsson, that:the time has come to resist reviewing information about álfar en masse and trying to impose generalizations on a tradition of a thousand years. Legends of álfar may have been constantly changing and were perhaps always heterogeneous so it might be argued that any particular source will only reflect the state of affairs at one given time.

Thus elves have had a place both within and outside Germanic-speaking Christian cultures. There is no doubt that beliefs about elves have their origins before the conversion to Christianity and associated Christianization of north-west Europe. For this reason, belief in elves has, from the Middle Ages through into recent scholarship, often been labelled "pagan" and a "superstition". However, almost all surviving textual sources about elves were produced by Christians (whether Anglo-Saxon monks, medieval Icelandic poets, early modern ballad-singers, nineteenth-century folklore collectors, or even twentieth-century fantasy authors). Attested beliefs about elves therefore need to be understood as part of Germanic-speakers' Christian culture and not merely relic of their pre-Christian religion. Accordingly, investigating the relationship between beliefs in elves and Christian cosmology has been a preoccupation of scholarship about elves both in early times and in modern research.

Historically, people have taken three main approaches to integrating elves into Christian cosmology, all of which are found widely across time and space:Identifying elves with the demons of Judaeo-Christian-Mediterranean tradition. For example:In English-language material: in the Royal Prayer Book from c. 900, elf appears as a gloss for "Satan".In the late-fourteenth-century Wife of Bath’s Tale, Geoffrey Chaucer equates male elves with incubi (demons which rape sleeping women). In the early modern Scottish witchcraft trials, witnesses' descriptions of encounters with elves were often interpreted by prosecutors as encounters with the Devil.

In medieval Scandinavia, Snorri Sturluson wrote in his Prose Edda of ljósálfar and døkkálfar ('light-elves and dark-elves'), the ljósálfar living in the heavens and the døkkálfar under the earth. The consensus of modern scholarship is that Snorri's elves are based on angels and demons of Christian cosmology.

Elves appear as demonic forces widely in medieval and early modern English, German, and Scandinavian prayers.

Viewing elves as being more or less like people, and more or less outside Christian cosmology. The Icelanders who copied the Poetic Edda did not explicitly try to integrate elves into Christian thought. Likewise, the early modern Scottish people confessed to encountering elves seem not to have thought of themselves as having dealings with the Devil. Nineteenth-century Icelandic folklore about elves mostly presents them as a human agricultural community parallel to the visible human community, that may or may not be Christian. It is possible that stories were sometimes told from this perspective as a political act, to subvert the dominance of the Church.

Integrating elves into Christian cosmology without identifying them as demons.[13] The most striking examples are serious theological treatises: the Icelandic Tíðfordrif (1644) by Jón Guðmundsson lærði or, in Scotland, Robert Kirk's Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies (1691). This approach also appears in the Old English poem Beowulf, which lists elves among the races springing from Cain's murder of Abel. The late thirteenth-century South English Legendary and some Icelandic folktales explain elves as angels that sided neither with Lucifer nor with God, and were banished by God to earth rather than hell. One famous Icelandic folktale explains elves as the lost children of Eve.

 

Etymology

A chart showing how the sounds of the word elf have changed in the history of English.

The English word elf is from the Old English word most often attested as ælf (whose plural would have been *ælfe). Although this word took a variety of forms in different Old English dialects, these converged on the form elf during the Middle English period.[18] During the Old English period, separate forms were used for female elves (such as ælfen, putatively from common Germanic *ɑlβ(i)innjō), but during the Middle English period the word elf came routinely to include female beings.

The main medieval Germanic cognates (words of a common origin) of elf are Old Norse alfr, plural alfar, and Old High German alp, plural alpî, elpî (alongside the feminine elbe).These words must come from Common Germanic, the ancestor-language of English, German, and the Scandinavian languages: the Common Germanic forms must have been *ɑlβi-z and ɑlβɑ-z.

Germanic *ɑlβi-z~*ɑlβɑ-z is generally agreed to be cognate with the Latin albus ('(matt) white'), Old Irish ailbhín ('flock'); Albanian elb ('barley'); and Germanic words for 'swan' such as Modern Icelandic álpt. These all come from an Indo-European base *albh-, and seem to be connected by the idea of whiteness. The Germanic word presumably originally meant "white person", perhaps as a euphemism. Jakob Grimm thought that whiteness implied positive moral connotations, and, noting Snorri Sturluson's ljósálfar, suggested that elves were divinities of light. This is not necessarily the case, however. For example, because the cognates suggest matt white rather than shining white, and because in medieval Scandinavian texts whiteness is associated with beauty, Alaric Hall has suggested that elves may have been called "the white people" because they were regarded as beautiful.

A completely different etymology, making elf cognate with the Rbhus, semi-divine craftsmen in Indian mythology, was also suggested by Kuhn, in 1855. In this case, *ɑlβi-z connotes the meaning, "skillful, inventive, clever", and is cognate with Latin labor, in the sense of "creative work". While often mentioned, this etymology is not widely accepted.

Elves in proper names

Throughout the medieval Germanic languages, elf was one of the nouns that was used in personal names, almost invariably as a first element. These names may have been influenced by Celtic names beginning in Albio- such as Albiorix.

Alden Valley, Lancashire, possibly a place once associated with elves

Personal names provide the only evidence for elf in Gothic, which must have had the word *albs (plural *albeis). The most famous name of this kind is Alboin. Old English names in elf- include the cognate of Alboin Ælfwine (literally "elf-friend", m.), Ælfric ("elf-powerful", m.), Ælfweard ("elf-guardian", m.), and Ælfwaru ("elf-care", f.). A widespread survivor of these in modern English is Alfred (Old English Ælfrēd, "elf-advice"). Also surviving are the English surname Elgar (Ælfgar, "elf-spear") and the name of St Alphege (Ælfhēah, "elf-high").German examples are Alberich, Alphart and Alphere (father of Walter of Aquitaine) and Icelandic examples include Álfhildur. These names suggest that elves were positively regarded in early Germanic culture. Of the many words for supernatural beings in Germanic languages, the only ones used in personal names are elf and words denoting pagan gods, suggesting that elves were considered similar to gods.

In later Old Icelandic, alfr ("elf") and the personal name which in Common Germanic had been *Aþa(l)wulfaz both coincidentally became álfr~Álfr.

Elves appear in some place-names, though it is hard to be sure how many as a variety of other words, including personal names, can appear similar to elf. The clearest English example is Elveden ("elves' hill", Suffolk); other examples may be Eldon Hill ("Elves' hill", Derbyshire); and Alden Valley ("elves' valley", Lancashire). These seem to associate elves fairly consistently with woods and valleys.

Elves as causes of illness

The earliest surviving manuscripts mentioning elves in any Germanic language are from Anglo-Saxon England. Medieval English evidence has, therefore, attracted quite extensive research and debate.In Old English, elves are most often mentioned in medical texts which attest to the belief that elves might afflict humans and livestock with illnesses: apparently mostly sharp, internal pains and mental disorders. The most famous of the medical texts is the metrical charm Wið færstice ("against a stabbing pain"), from the tenth-century compilation Lacnunga, but most of the attestations are in the tenth-century Bald's Leechbook and Leechbook III. This tradition continues into later English-language traditions too: elves continue to appear in Middle English medical texts.

Beliefs in elves causing illness remained prominent in early modern Scotland, where elves were viewed as being supernaturally powerful people who lived invisibly alongside everyday rural people. Thus elves were often mentioned in the early modern Scottish witchcraft trials: many witnesses in the trials believed themselves to have been given healing powers or to know of people or animals made sick by elves.Throughout these sources, elves are sometimes associated with the succuba-like supernatural being called the mare.

While they may have been thought to cause disease with magical weapons, elves are more clearly associated in Old English with a kind of magic denoted by Old English sīden and sīdsa, cognate with Old Norse seiðr, and also paralleled in the Old Irish Serglige Con Culainn. By the fourteenth century they were also associated with the arcane practice of alchemy.

"Elf-shot"

In one or two Old English medical texts, elves might be envisaged as inflicting illness with projectiles. In the twentieth century, scholars often labelled the illnesses elves caused as "elf-shot", but work from the 1990s onwards showed that the medieval evidence for elves being thought to cause illness in this way is slender;[43] debate about its significance is ongoing.

The noun elf-shot is actually first attested in a Scots poem, "Rowlis Cursing", from around 1500, where "elf schot" is listed among a range of curses to be inflicted on some chicken-thieves.The term may not always have denoted an actual projectile: shot could mean "a sharp pain" as well as "projectile". But in early modern Scotland elf-schot and other terms like elf-arrowhead are sometimes used of neolithic arrow-heads, apparently thought to have been made by elves. In a few witchcraft trials people attest that these arrrow-heads were used in healing rituals, and occasionally alleged that witches (and perhaps elves) used them to injure people and cattle.[46] Compare with the following excerpt from a 1749–50 ode by William Collins:

There every herd, by sad experience, knows

How, winged with fate, their elf-shot arrows fly,

When the sick ewe her summer food forgoes,

Or, stretched on earth, the heart-smit heifers lie.

Size, appearance, and sexuality

Because of elves' association with illness, in the twentieth century, most scholars imagined that elves in the Anglo-Saxon tradition were small, invisible, demonic beings, causing illness with arrows. This was encouraged by the idea that "elf-shot" is depicted in the Eadwine Psalter, in an image which became well known in this connection.[48] However, this is now thought to be a misunderstanding: the image proves to be a conventional illustration of God's arrows and of Christian demons. Rather, recent scholarship suggests Anglo-Saxon elves, like elves in Scandinavia or the Irish Aos Sí, were regarded as people.

Like words for gods and men, the word elf is used in personal names where words for monsters and demons are not. Just as álfar are associated with Æsir in Old Norse, the Old English Wið færstice associates elves with ēse; whatever this word meant by the tenth century, etymologically it denoted pagan gods. In Old English, the plural ylfe (attested in Beowulf) is grammatically an ethnonym (a word for an ethnic group), suggesting that elves were seen as a people.As well as appearing in medical texts, the Old English word ælf and its feminine derivative ælbinne were used in glosses to translate Latin words for nymphs. This fits well with the word ælfscȳne, which meant "elf-beautiful" and is attested describing the seductively beautiful Biblical heroines Sarah and Judith.

Likewise, in Middle English and early modern Scottish evidence, while still appearing as causes of harm and danger, elves appear clearly as human-like beings.They became associated with medieval chivalric romance traditions of fairies and particularly with the idea of a Fairy Queen. A propensity to seduce or rape people becomes increasingly prominent in the source material. Around the fifteenth century, evidence starts to appear for the belief that elves might steal human babies and replace them with changelings.

Decline in the use of the word elf

By the end of the medieval period, elf was increasingly being supplanted by the French loan-word fairy.[57] An example is Geoffrey Chaucer's satirical tale Sir Thopas, where the title character sets out in quest of the "elf-queen", who dwells in the "countree of the Faerie"

 

One possible semantic field diagram of words for sentient beings in Old Norse, showing a Venn diagram their relationships .

Evidence for elf-beliefs in medieval Scandinavia outside Iceland is very sparse, but the Icelandic evidence is uniquely rich. For a long time, views about elves in Old Norse mythology were defined by Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, which talks about svartálfar, dökkálfar and ljósálfar ("black elves", "dark elves", and "light elves"). However, these words are only attested in the Prose Edda and texts based on it, and it is now agreed that they reflect traditions of dwarves, demons, and angels, partly showing Snorri's "paganisation" of a Christian cosmology learned from the Elucidarius, a popular digest of Christian thought.

Scholars of Old Norse mythology now focus on references to elves in Old Norse poetry, particularly the Elder Edda. The only character explicitly identified as an elf in classical Eddaic poetry, if any, is Völundr, the protagonist of Völundarkviða.However, elves are frequently mentioned in the alliterating phrase Æsir ok Álfar ('Æsir and elves') and its variants. This was clearly a well established poetic formula, indicating a strong tradition of associating elves with the group of gods known as the Æsir, or even suggesting that the elves and Æsir were one and the same.[60][61] The pairing is paralleled in the Old English poem Wið færstice and in the Germanic personal name system; moreover, in Skaldic verse the word elf is used in the same way as words for gods.Sigvatr Þórðarson’s skaldic travelogue Austrfaravísur, composed around 1020, mentions an álfablót (‘elves' sacrifice’) in Edskogen in what is now southern Sweden.There does not seem to have been any clear-cut distinction between humans and gods; like the Æsir, then, elves were presumably thought of as being human(-like) and existing in opposition to the giants. Many commentators have also (or instead) argued for conceptual overlap between elves and dwarves in Old Norse mythology, which may fit with trends in the medieval German evidence.

There are hints that the god Freyr was associated with elves. In particular, Álfheimr (literally "elf-world") is mentioned as being given to Freyr in Grímnismál. Snorri Sturluson identified Freyr as one of the Vanir. However, the term Vanir is rare in Eddaic verse, very rare in Skaldic verse, and is not generally thought to appear in other Germanic languages. Given the link between Freyr and the elves, it has therefore long been suspected that álfar and Vanir are, more or less, different words for the same group of beings.[67] However, this is not uniformly accepted.[68]

A kenning (poetic metaphor) for the sun, álfröðull (literally "elf disc"), is of uncertain meaning but is to some suggestive of a close link between elves and the sun.

Although the relevant words are of slightly uncertain meaning, it seems fairly clear that Völundr is described as one of the elves in Völundarkviða. As his most prominent deed in the poem is to rape Böðvildr, the poem associates elves with being a sexual threat to maidens. The same idea is present in two post-classical Eddaic poems, which are also influenced by chivalric romance or Breton lais, Kötludraumur and Gullkársljóð. The idea also occurs in later traditions in Scandinavia and beyond, so may be an early attestation of a prominent tradition.[71] Elves also appear in a couple of verse spells, including the Bergen rune-charm from among the Bryggen inscriptions.

 

The appearance of elves in sagas is closely defined by genre. The Sagas of Icelanders, Bishops' Sagas, and Contemporary sagas, whose portrayal of the supernatural is generally restrained, rarely mention álfar, and then only in passing.[73] But although limited, these texts provide some of the best evidence for the presence of elves in everyday beliefs in medieval Scandinavia. They include a fleeting mention of elves seen out riding in 1168 (in Sturlunga saga); mention of an álfablót ("elves' sacrifice") in Kormáks saga; and the existence of the euphemism ganga álfrek ('go to drive away the elves') for "going to the toilet" in Eyrbyggja saga.

The Kings' sagas include a rather elliptical but widely studied account of an early Swedish king being worshipped after his death and being called Ólafr Geirstaðaálfr ('Ólafr the elf of Geirstaðir'), and a demonic elf at the beginning of Norna-Gests þáttr.

The legendary sagas tend to focus on elves as legendary ancestors or on heroes' sexual relations with elf-women. Mention of the land of Álfheimr is found in Heimskringla while Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar recounts a line of local kings who ruled over Álfheim, who since they had elven blood were said to be more beautiful than most men.According to Hrólfs saga kraka, Hrolfr Kraki's half-sister Skuld was the half-elven child of King Helgi and an elf-woman (álfkona). Skuld was skilled in witchcraft (seiðr). Accounts of Skuld in earlier sources, however, do not include this material. The Þiðreks saga version of the Nibelungen (Niflungar) describes Högni as the son of a human queen and an elf, but no such lineage is reported in the Eddas, Völsunga saga, or the Nibelungenlied.[78] The relatively few mentions of elves in the Chivalric sagas tend even to be whimsical.

Both Continental Scandinavia and Iceland have a scattering of mentions of elves in medical texts, where elves are viewed as a possible cause of illness. Most of them have Low German connections.

Medieval and early modern German texts

The Old High German word alp is attested only in a small number of glosses. It is defined by the Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch as a "nature-god or nature-demon, equated with the Fauns of Classical mythology ... regarded as eerie, ferocious beings ... As the mare he messes around with women".Accordingly, the German word Alpdruck (literally "elf-oppression") means "nightmare". There is also evidence associating elves with illness, specifically epilepsy.

In a similar vein, elves are in Middle German most often associated with deceiving or bewildering people "in a phrase that occurs so often it would appear to be proverbial: die elben/der alp trieget mich ("the elves/elf are/is deceiving me").[83] The same pattern holds in Early Modern German. This deception sometimes shows the seductive side apparent in English and Scandinavian material:[most famously, the early thirteenth-century Heinrich von Morungen's fifth Minnesang begins "Von den elben virt entsehen vil manic man / Sô bin ich von grôzer lieber entsên" ("full many a man is bewitched by elves / thus I too am bewitched by great love"). Elbe was also used in this period to translate words for nymphs.

In later medieval prayers, Elves appear as a threatening, even demonic, force. For example, there are prayers which invoke God's help against noctural attacks by Alpe.Correspondingly, in the early modern period, elves are described in north Germany doing the evil bidding of witches; Martin Luther believed his mother to have been afflicted in this way.

As in Old Norse, however, there are few characters identified as elves. It seems likely that in the German-speaking world, elves were to a significant extent conflated with dwarves (Middle High German: getwerc).[90] Thus some dwarves that appear in German heroic poetry have been seen as relating to elves. In particular, nineteenth-century scholars tended to think that the dwarf Alberich, whose name etymologically means "elf-powerful", was influenced by early traditions of elves.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf

but sort of by mutual agreement/misunderstanding, it didn't happen that way. maybe we'll try again

You asked for it! The "fighting" picture! Everyone has disagreements, not just couples. So like many human beings, we have misunderstandings. But unlike many couples, we talk things out. We can work anything out because we have so much love for one another. There may be some ankle twisting involved, but no one ever goes to bed upset.

 

Love, Nikki & Barry

 

Ps- everyone always asks what has or would happen to our photo if we got into an argument or something on any given day. Like I explained above, we always work things out and get back to the love. It's just what we do <3 We never fight. The only fighting is play fighting :-)

 

follow us on Tumblr too! amiraculouspower.tumblr.com/

African bush elephant

 

Afrikanischer Elefant

 

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

 

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

 

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

 

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Name

 

African Elephant or African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta africana]

 

Introduction

 

The Elephant is the world's largest land mammal, and weighs up to 7 tonnes and reaches heights of 3.3 m at the shoulder. Elephants can live to a potential age of 70 years. The massive tusks of older bulls can weigh up to 50 or 60 kilograms, but tusks weighing up to 90 kilograms have been recorded.

 

Appearance

 

What is the trunk and what is it used for?

The Elephant's trunk is a modified nose which is very sensitive and can even detect water under ground. There are as many as 50 000 muscles in an Elephant trunk. The sensitive finger-like appendages at the tip of the trunk enables them to pick the smallest twig or flower, pull the toughest reed of grass or even pick out a thorn from their feet.

 

Do elephants have knees or elbows?

 

The joints that are perceived as 'knees', are in fact wrists. This is a common misunderstanding due to the belief that a leg joint that bends between the foot and the body must be a knee. The main difference between us and the elephants is that our foot bones and hand bones are separate, whereas those of the elephant are one in the same, and have evolved to suit this four-legged mammal.

 

Why do elephants have tusks?

 

The tusks are used for obtaining food, fighting (amongst males) and for self defence. They are actually their upper incisors, and grow continuously until they die at around 60 years old. Although their skin is up to 3cm (1 inch) thick, it is quite sensitive.

 

Diet

 

Elephants are voracious feeders which in a day consume up to 272 kg (600 pounds) of grass, tender shoots and bark from trees. An adult Elephant can drink up to 200 litres of water in a single session. A single Elephant deposits up to 150kg (330 pounds) of dung every day - about one dollop every 15 minutes!

 

Breeding

 

African Elephant are not seasonal breeders. Generally they produce one calf every 3 to 4 years. The gestation period is about 22 months. At birth calves weigh about 100 kg (220 pounds) and are fully weaned between 18-24 months. An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family's lactating females or suckled by various females. Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most Elephant behavior has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years. Tusks erupt at 16 months but do not show externally until 30 months. Once weaned, usually at age 4 or 5, the calf still remains in the maternal group. Females mature at about 11 years and stay in the group, while the males, which mature between 12 and 15, are usually expelled from the maternal herd. Even though these young males are sexually mature, they do not breed until they are in their mid, or late 20s or even older and have moved up in the social hierarchy.

 

Behaviour

 

Mature males form bachelor groups and become solitary bulls. Elephant form strong family units of cows, calves and young offspring. Such herds are always led by an old female. Apart from drinking large quantities of water they also love wading or swimming in it. Elephants clearly relish mud baths.

It was once thought that family groups were led by old bull elephants, but these males are most often solitary. The female family groups are often visited by mature males checking for females in oestrus. Several interrelated family groups may inhabit an area and know each other well.

 

How do you tell an elephant's mock charge from a serious one?

 

It is imperative to keep in mind that Elephant are extremely intelligent, and each individual has a distinct character. Although there will be exceptions to the rules, the common signs of a mock charge are bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations, open ears and an intimidating presence, can be considered a mock-display. Aggressive or startled elephants usually make sudden headshakes and flap their large ears against their head. Serious charges usually occur after all attempts to intimidate have failed, and the Elephant feels threatened. The ears are pinned back and head and trunk are lowered. Ultimately, the key lies in the intelligence of the animal and how they will react to the 'target' and unfamiliar actions, and a conscious decision is made.

 

Why do elephants rhythmically flap their ears?

 

Contrary to common belief, it is not an expression of anger. Being an animal of such a large size, with no sweat glands and a dark body colour, elephants flap their ears to cool the body and rid themselves of irritating insects.

 

Where are they found?

 

Once ranging across most of Africa the Elephant population has declined dramatically across the continent. In South Africa the Addo Elephant and Kruger National Park protect large herds. Due to rigorous conservation measures the Elephant population in South Africa has grown from a estimated 120 in 1920 in 4 locations, to 10 000 at 40 locations to date.

 

Notes

 

The African Elephant has recently been classified into two separate species, the more common African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta Africana] and the smaller African Forest Elephant [Loxodonta cyclotis] of the rainforest of Central Africa.

 

(krugerpark.co.za)

 

Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.

 

Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Afrikanische Elefant (Loxodonta africana), auch Afrikanischer Steppenelefant oder Afrikanischer Buschelefant, ist eine Art aus der Familie der Elefanten. Er ist das größte gegenwärtig lebende Landsäugetier und gleichzeitig das größte rezente landbewohnende Tier der Erde. Herausragende Kennzeichen sind neben den Stoßzähnen und dem markanten Rüssel die großen Ohren und die säulenförmigen Beine. In zahlreichen morphologischen und anatomischen Merkmalen unterscheidet sich der Afrikanische Elefant von seinen etwas kleineren Verwandten, dem Waldelefanten und dem Asiatischen Elefanten. Das Verbreitungsgebiet umfasst heute große Teile von Afrika südlich der Sahara. Die Tiere haben sich dort an zahlreiche unterschiedliche Lebensräume angepasst, die von geschlossenen Wäldern über offene Savannenlandschaften bis hin zu Sumpfgebieten und wüstenartigen Regionen reichen. Insgesamt ist das Vorkommen aber stark fragmentiert.

 

Die Lebensweise des Afrikanischen Elefanten ist durch intensive Studien gut erforscht. Sie wird durch einen stark sozialen Charakter geprägt. Weibliche Tiere und ihr Nachwuchs leben in Familienverbänden (Herden). Diese formieren sich wiederum zu einem enger verwandten Clan. Die einzelnen Herden treffen sich zu bestimmten Gelegenheiten und trennen sich danach wieder. Die männlichen Tiere bilden Junggesellengruppen. Die verschiedenen Verbände nutzen Aktionsräume, in denen sie teils im Jahreszyklus herumwandern. Für die Kommunikation untereinander nutzen die Tiere verschiedene Töne im niedrigen Frequenzbereich. Anhand der Lautgebung, aber auch durch bestimmte chemische Signale können sich die einzelnen Individuen untereinander erkennen. Darüber hinaus besteht ein umfangreiches Repertoire an Gesten. Hervorzuheben sind auch die kognitiven Fähigkeiten des Afrikanischen Elefanten.

 

Die Nahrung besteht sowohl aus weicher wie auch harter Pflanzenkost. Die genaue Zusammensetzung variiert dabei regional und jahreszeitlich. Generell verbringt der Afrikanische Elefant einen großen Teil seiner Tagesaktivitäten mit der Nahrungsaufnahme. Die Fortpflanzung erfolgt ganzjährig, regional gibt es Tendenzen zu einer stärkeren Saisonalisierung. Bullen kommen einmal jährlich in die Musth, während deren sie auf Wanderung zur Suche nach fortpflanzungswilligen Kühen gehen. Während der Musth ist die Aggressivität gesteigert, es finden dann auch Rivalenkämpfe statt. Der Sexualzyklus der Kühe dauert vergleichsweise lange und weist einen für Säugetiere untypischen Verlauf auf. Nach erfolgter Geburt setzt er in der Regel mehrere Jahre aus. Zumeist wird nach fast zweijähriger Tragzeit ein Jungtier geboren, das in der mütterlichen Herde aufwächst. Junge weibliche Tiere verbleiben später in der Herde, die jungen männlichen verlassen diese.

 

Die wissenschaftliche Erstbeschreibung des Afrikanischen Elefanten erfolgte im Jahr 1797 mit einer formalen artlichen Trennung des Afrikanischen vom Asiatischen Elefanten. Der heute gebräuchliche Gattungsname Loxodonta wurde offiziell erst dreißig Jahre später eingeführt. Die Bezeichnung bezieht sich auf markante Zahnunterschiede zwischen den asiatischen und den afrikanischen Elefanten. Im Verlauf des 20. Jahrhunderts wurden mehrere Unterarten unterschieden, darunter auch der Waldelefant des zentralen Afrikas. Letzterer gilt heute genetischen Untersuchungen zufolge als eigenständige Art, die weiteren Unterarten sind nicht anerkannt. Stammesgeschichtlich lässt sich der Afrikanische Elefant erstmals im beginnenden Mittleren Pleistozän belegen. Der Gesamtbestand gilt als gefährdet. Ursachen hierfür sind hauptsächlich die Jagd nach Elfenbein und Lebensraumverlust durch die zunehmend wachsende menschliche Bevölkerung. Der Afrikanische Elefant zählt zu den sogenannten „Big Five“ von Großwildjagd und Safari.

 

(Wikipedia)

Clearly there was a small misunderstanding yesterday between the Stormies and Emmet, he was just being nice and transporting the Egg to the Stormies Party house

misunderstandings between people and places.

March 06, 2009,

Balagtas, Bulacan

  

Good morning!

 

Happiness keeps you Sweet,

 

Trials keep you Strong,

 

Sorrow keeps you Human,

 

Failure keeps you Humble,

 

Success keeps you Glowing,

 

AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS KEEPS YOU IN PAIN,

 

But it’s only God that Keeps you Going.......

 

and Have a Nice Day.....

copyright: © FSUBF. All rights reserved. Please do not use this image, or any images from my photostream, without my permission.

www.fluidr.com/photos/hsub

Swedish postcard by Nordisk Konst, Stockholm, no. 843/10. Photo: Svenska Biografteatern AB. Karin Molander and Greta Almroth in Tösen från Stormyrtorpet/The Girl from the Marsh Croft (Victor Sjöström, 1917). Caption: Alderman's daughter Hildur and the Marsh Girl.

 

Helga Nilsson (Greta Almroth), the daughter of a poor farmer from the moors, starts working for Per Martinsson (Gösta Cederlund) as a maid. Although married, Martinsson cannot keep his hands off the pretty young maid and seduces her. When Helga becomes pregnant by him, however, Per abandons her and is even prepared to commit perjury in court when it comes to a lawsuit and, in the trial, to establish paternity. Helga is able to stop him at the last moment from swearing on the Bible that he is not the child's father and subsequently withdraws her complaint. Gudmund Erlandsson (Lars Hanson), who attends the court hearing and is the future groom of the alderman's daughter Hildur Persson (Karin Molander), is deeply impressed by Helga's behaviour and tells his mother Ingeborg about Helga's fate. Before Helga can commit an act of desperation and kill herself in view of the "shame" of having borne an illegitimate child, Gudmund's parents take her on as a new maid on their farm. Gudmund's fiancée Hildur is the exact opposite of Helga: spoilt and exalted, and she meets Helga, whose good relationship with Gudmund is a thorn in her side, with increasing rejection. Thus Helga's stay with the Erlandssons is also only temporary.

 

Gudmund begins to drink without restraint in view of the fact that his future wife is doing worse and worse in comparison to Helga. In this state, he is involved in a violent scuffle one day, which ends fatally for Martinsson. When Gudmund wakes up the next morning, Per is dead, stabbed to death. Gudmund's knife blade is broken off, and Gudmund, who cannot remember anything due to alcohol consumption, then believes that he must have been the murderer of Helga's seducer. He confesses to his own father the crime he did not commit. When Hildur and her family learn of these circumstances, they immediately call off the upcoming wedding. Hildur now shows her true colours and has only contempt for her fiancé.

 

Gudmund, who is sure that he will now have to go to prison, visits Helga one last time and talks about the crime and the knife with the broken blade. Helga immediately realises that there has been a mistake and tells Gudmund that she herself broke off the blade when she used his knife for carving the day before. Although Helga loves Gudmund, she only wants his happiness, and since she does not want Gudmund's relationship with Hildur to fall apart because of this misunderstanding, she rushes to her to explain the true facts. Hildur, in turn, recognises in Helga's actions that Helga loves her ex and that she herself will never evoke such profound intimacy in Gudmund. And so she goes to him and tells the young Erlandsson about Helga's feelings. Gudmund, in turn, has long since realised that Hildur, who only speculated on his family's wealth, would have been the wrong choice of wife either way. Now, at last, the way is clear for a future together for Helga, the girl from the moors, and Gudmund Erlandsson.

 

Swedish actress Karin Molander (1889–1978) was a star of the silent Scandinavian cinema. In the films of Mauritz Stiller, she became a symbol of the modern, young and emancipated women of the 1910s.

 

Greta Almroth (1888-1981) was a Swedish stage and screen actress, who was one of Swedish silent cinema' first big stars, participating in just over 30 films, including Tösen från Stormyrtorpet (The Girl from the Stormy Croft, 1917), and Prästänkan (The Parson's Wife, 1920).

In the midst of a creative meltdown, I have created this strange peice of work.

 

Very strange, is'nt it?

 

I am feeling quite skittish as I stumble through this mind haze - withdrawl symptoms are wreaking havoc on my body and mind. When I'm sleeping, I'm plagued by lucid dreams where airplanes fall from the sky and sidewalks turn into water. My waking moments are spent deep breathing my way through panic attacks and double vision.

 

I'm aching to create again, but my drive has become clotted by stagnation and exhaustion.

 

I needed to be surreal, to be the "happy/unhappy houswife" and get lost, if only for a little while...

A tetramorph is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements, or the combination of four disparate elements in one unit. The term is derived from the Greek tetra, meaning four, and morph, shape.Archaeological evidence exists showing that early man divided the four quarters of the horizon, or space, later a place of sacrifice, such as a temple, and attributed characteristics and spiritual qualities to each quarter. Alternatively the composite elements were carved into mythic creatures such as the Egyptian, Greek and Babylonian sphinxes of antiquity depicting bull-like bodies with birds-wings, lion’s paws and human faces. Such composite creatures are found in many mythologies.

Assyrian Lamassu dated 721 BC

Images of unions of different elements into one symbol were originally used by the Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, and Greeks. The image of the sphinx, found in Egypt and Babylon, depicted the body of a lion and the head of a human, while the harpies of Greek mythology showed bird-like human women.

"We have frequently mentioned in this treatise the principle of our Sages "not to discuss the Maaseh Merkabah even in the presence of one pupil, except he be wise and intelligent; and then only the headings of the chapters are to be given to him." We must, therefore, begin with teaching these subjects according to the capacity of the pupil, and on two conditions, first, that he be wise, i.e., that he should have successfully gone through the preliminary studies, and secondly that he be intelligent, talented, clear-headed, and of quick perception, that is, "have a mind of his own", as our Sages termed it."— Guide for the Perplexed, ch.XXXIII

We will sanctify Thy name in the world even as they sanctify it in the highest heavens, as it is written by the hand of Thy prophet: "And they (the Seraphim) called one unto the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3)According to the Kabbalistic explanation, the Seraphim ("burning" angels) in Beriah (divine understanding) realise their distance from the absolute divinity of Atziluth. Their call, "Holy", repeated three times, means removed or separated. This causes their "burning up" continual self-nullification, ascending to God and returning to their place. Their understanding realises instead that God's true purpose (glory) for creation is with lowly man. The lower Hayyot ("living" angels) in Yetzirah (divine emotions) say, "Blessed" (etymologically in Kabbalah "drawing down" blessing) be the glory...from "His (distant-unknown to them) place" of Atziluth. Though lower than the Seraphim, their emotional self-awareness has a superior advantage of powerful desire. This causes them to be able to draw down divine vitality from a higher source, the supreme realm of Atziluth, to lower creation and man. In Ezekiel's vision, the Hayyot have a central role in the merkabah's channeling of the divine flow in creation.

Merkabah/Merkavah mysticism (or Chariot mysticism) is a school of early Jewish mysticism, c. 100 BCE – 1000 CE, centered on visions such as those found in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 1, or in the hekhalot ("palaces") literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God. The main corpus of the Merkabah literature was composed in Israel in the period 200–700 CE, although later references to the Chariot tradition can also be found in the literature of the Chassidei Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages.[1] A major text in this tradition is the Maaseh Merkabah (Works of the Chariot).According to the verses in Ezekiel and its attendant commentaries, his vision consists of a chariot made of many heavenly beings driven by the "Likeness of a Man." The base structure of the chariot is composed of four beings. These beings are called the "living creatures" (Hebrew: חיות hayyot or khayyot). The bodies of the creatures are "like that of a human being", but each of them has four faces, corresponding to the four directions the chariot can go (East, South, North and West). The faces are that of a man, a lion, an ox (later changed to a cherub in Ezekiel 10:14) and an eagle. Since there are four angels and each has four faces, there are a total of sixteen faces. Each "Hayyot" angel also has four wings. Two of these wings spread across the length of the chariot and connect with the wings of the angel on the other side. This creates a sort of 'box' of wings that forms the perimeter of the chariot. With the remaining two wings, each angel covers its own body. Below, but not attached to, the feet of the "Hayyot" angels are other angels that are shaped like wheels. These wheel angels, which are described as "a wheel inside of a wheel", are called "Ophanim" אופנים (lit. wheels, cycles or ways). These wheels are not directly under the chariot but are nearby and along its perimeter. The angel with the face of the man is always on the east side and looks up at the "Likeness of a Man" that drives the chariot. The "Likeness of a Man" sits on a throne made of sapphire.The Bible later makes mention of a third type of angel found in the Merkabah called "Seraphim" (lit. "burning") angels. These angels appear like flashes of fire continuously ascending and descending. These "Seraphim" angels power the movement of the chariot. In the hierarchy of these angels, "Seraphim" are the highest, that is, closest to God, followed by the "Hayyot", which are followed by the "Ophanim." The chariot is in a constant state of motion, and the energy behind this movement runs according to this hierarchy. The movement of the "Ophanim" is controlled by the "Living creatures", or Hayyot, while the movement of the "Hayyot" is controlled by the "Seraphim". The movement of all the angels of the chariot is controlled by the "Likeness of a Man" on the Throne.The earliest Rabbinic merkabah commentaries were exegetical expositions of the prophetic visions of God in the heavens, and the divine retinue of angels, hosts, and heavenly creatures surrounding God. The earliest evidence suggests that merkabah homiletics did not give rise to ascent experiences – as one rabbinic sage states: "Many have expounded upon the merkabah without ever seeing it.One mention of the merkabah in the Talmud notes the importance of the passage: "A great issue—the account of the merkavah; a small issue—the discussions of Abaye and Rava [famous Talmudic sages]."[8] The sages Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai (d. c. 80 CE) and later, Rabbi Akiva (d. 135) were deeply involved in merkabah exegesis. Rabbi Akiva and his contemporary Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha are most often the protagonists of later merkabah ascent literature.One mention of the merkabah in the Talmud notes the importance of the passage: "A great issue—the account of the merkavah; a small issue—the discussions of Abaye and Rava [famous Talmudic sages]."[8] The sages Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai (d. c. 80 CE) and later, Rabbi Akiva (d. 135) were deeply involved in merkabah exegesis. Rabbi Akiva and his contemporary Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha are most often the protagonists of later merkabah ascent literature.For example, the secret doctrines might not be discussed in public: "Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength. But what is commanded thee, think thereupon with reverence; for it is not needful for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are in secret."[9] It must be studied only by exemplary scholars: "Ma'aseh Bereshit must not be explained before two, nor Ma'aseh Merkabah before one, unless he be wise and understands it by himself,"[10] Further commentary notes that the chapter-headings of Ma'aseh Merkabah may be taught, as was done by Rabbi Ḥiyya. According to Yer. Hagigah ii. 1, the teacher read the headings of the chapters, after which, subject to the approval of the teacher, the pupil read to the end of the chapter,[11] although Rabbi Zera said that even the chapter-headings might be communicated only to a person who was head of a school and was cautious in temperament.According to Rabbi Ammi, the secret doctrine might be entrusted only to one who possessed the five qualities enumerated in Isaiah 3:3 (being experienced in any of five different professions requiring good judgement), and a certain age is, of course, necessary. When R. Johanan wished to initiate R. Eliezer in the Ma'aseh Merkabah, the latter answered, "I am not yet old enough." A boy who recognized the meaning of חשמל (Ezekiel 1:4) was consumed by fire (Hagigah 13b), and the perils connected with the unauthorized discussion of these subjects are often described .Beyond the rabbinic community, Jewish apocalyptists also engaged in visionary exegeses concerning the divine realm and the divine creatures which are remarkably similar to the rabbinic material. A small number of texts unearthed at Qumran indicate that the Dead Sea community also engaged in merkabah exegesis. Recently uncovered Jewish mystical texts also evidence a deep affinity with the rabbinic merkabah homilies.The merkabah homilies eventually consisted of detailed descriptions of multiple layered heavens (usually Seven Heavens), often guarded over by angels, and encircled by flames and lightning. The highest heaven contains seven palaces (hekhalot), and in the innermost palace resides a supreme divine image (God's Glory or an angelic image) seated on a throne, surrounded by awesome hosts who sing God's praise.When these images were combined with an actual mystical experiential motif of individual ascent (paradoxically called "descent" in most texts, Yordei Merkabah, "descenders of the chariot", perhaps describing inward contemplation) and union is not precisely known. By inference, contemporary historians of Jewish mysticism usually date this development to the third century CE. Again, there is a significant dispute among historians over whether these ascent and unitive themes were the result of some foreign, usually Gnostic, influence, or a natural progression of religious dynamics within rabbinic Judaism.Maaseh Merkabah (Working of the Chariot) is the modern name given to a Hekhalot text, discovered by scholar Gershom Scholem.[13] Works of the Chariot dates from late Hellenistic period, after the end of the Second Temple period following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE[dubious – discuss] when the physical cult ceased to function. The idea of making a journey to the heavenly hekhal seems to be a kind of spiritualization of the pilgrimages to the earthly hekhal that were now no longer possible. It is a form of pre-Kabbalah Jewish mysticism that teaches both of the possibility of making a sublime journey to God and of the ability of man to draw down divine powers to earth; it seems to have been an esoteric movement that grew out of the priestly mysticism already evident in the Dead Sea Scrolls and some apocalyptic writings (see the studies by Rachel Elior).Several movements in Jewish mysticism and, later, students of the Kabbalah have focused on these passages from Ezekiel, seeking underlying meaning and the secrets of Creation in what they argued was the metaphoric language of the verses.Due to the concern of some Torah scholars that misunderstanding these passages as literal descriptions of God's image might lead to blasphemy or idolatry, there was great opposition to studying this topic without the proper initiation. Jewish biblical commentaries emphasize that the imagery of the merkabah is not meant to be taken literally; rather the chariot and its accompanying angels are analogies for the various ways that God reveals himself in this world.[15] Hasidic philosophy and kabbalah discuss at length what each aspect of this vision represents in this world, and how the vision does not imply that God is made up of these forms.Jews customarily read the Biblical passages concerning the merkabah in the synagogue every year on the holiday of Shavuot, and the merkabah is also referenced in several places in traditional Jewish liturgy.Maimonides' philosophical 12th Century work, Guide for the Perplexed is in part intended as an explanation of the passages Ma'aseh Bereshit and Ma'aseh Merkabah. In the third volume, Maimonides commences the exposition of the mystical passage of the mystic doctrines found in the merkabah passages, while justifying this "crossing of the line" from hints to direct instruction. Maimonides explains basic mystical concepts via the Biblical terms referring to Spheres, elements and Intelligences. In these chapters, however, there is still very little in terms of direct explanation."We have frequently mentioned in this treatise the principle of our Sages "not to discuss the Maaseh Merkabah even in the presence of one pupil, except he be wise and intelligent; and then only the headings of the chapters are to be given to him." We must, therefore, begin with teaching these subjects according to the capacity of the pupil, and on two conditions, first, that he be wise, i.e., that he should have successfully gone through the preliminary studies, and secondly that he be intelligent, talented, clear-headed, and of quick perception, that is, "have a mind of his own", as our Sages termed it."Kabbalah relates the Merkabah vision of Ezekiel and the Throne vision of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1–8) describing the seraph angels, to its comprehensive Four spiritual realms. The highest World, Atziluth ("Emanation"-Divine wisdom), is the realm of absolute Divine manifestation without self-awareness, metaphorically described in the vision as the likeness of a Man on the throne. The throne of sapphire is an etymological root in Kabbalah for the Sephirot divine powers. The second World, Beriah ("Creation"-Divine understanding), is the first independent root creation, the realm of the Throne denoting God descending into Creation, as a king limits his true greatness and revealed posture when seated. The World of Beriah is the realm of the higher angels, the Seraphim ("burning" in ascent and descent as their understanding of God motivates self-annihilation).The third World, Yetzirah ("Formation"-Divine emotions), is the realm of archetypal existence, the abode of the main Hayyot angels ("alive" with divine emotion). They are described with faces of a lion, ox and eagle, as their emotional nature is instinctive like animals, and they are the archetypal origins of creatures in this World. The lowest World, Assiah ("Action"-Divine rulership), is the realm guided by the lower channels of the Ophanim (humble "ways" in realised creation).The Rabbinic Talmud compares Ezekiel and Isaiah's visions of God's Chariot-Throne, noticing that Ezekiel gives a lengthy account of details, while Isaiah is very brief. It gives an exoteric explanation for this; Isaiah prophesised in the era of Solomon's Temple, Ezekiel's vision took place in the exile of Babylonian captivity. Rava states in the Babylonian Talmud that although Ezekiel describes the appearance of the throne of God, this is not because he had seen more than Isaiah, but rather because the latter was more accustomed to such visions; for the relation of the two prophets is that of a courtier to a peasant, the latter of whom would always describe a royal court more floridly than the former, to whom such things would be familiar. Ezekiel, like all prophets except Moses, has beheld only a blurred reflection of the divine majesty, just as a poor mirror reflects objects only imperfectly.The Kabbalistic account explains this difference in terms of the Four Worlds. All prophecy emanates from the divine chokhmah (wisdom) realm of Atziluth.[20] However, in order to be perceived it descends to be enclothed in vessels of lower Worlds. Isaiah's prophecy saw the Merkabah in the World of Beriah divine understanding, restraining his explanation by realising the inadequacy of description. Ezekiel saw the Merkabah in the lower World of Yetzirah divine emotions, causing him to describe the vision in rapturous detail.We will sanctify Thy name in the world even as they sanctify it in the highest heavens, as it is written by the hand of Thy prophet: "And they (the Seraphim) called one unto the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3)

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkabah

The prophet Ezekiel was among the Jews who were exiled to Babylon in the 6th century BC. The creatures in his vision, from which the images of the tetramorph are derived, are reminiscent of ancient Assyria art.The animals associated with the Christian tetramorph originate in the Babylonian symbols of the four fixed signs of the zodiac: the ox representing Taurus; the lion representing Leo; the eagle representing Scorpio; the man or angel representing Aquarius. In Western astrology the four symbols are associated with the elements of, respectively Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. The creatures of the Christian tetramorph were also common in Egyptian, Greek, and Assyrian mythology. The early Christians adopted this symbolism and adapted it for the four Evangelists as the tetramorph, which first appears in Christian art in the 5th century,but who's interpretative origin stems from Irenaeus in the 2nd century.The elements of the Christian tetramorph first appear in the vision of Ezekiel, who describes the four creatures as they appear to him in a vision:They are described later in the Book of Revelation: "And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle." The creatures of the tetramorph, as they appear in their animal forms, are predominantly shown as winged figures. The wings, an ancient symbol of divinity, represent the divinity of the Evangelists, the divine nature of Christ, and the virtues required for Christian salvation .In regards to the depiction of St Mark in particular, the use of wings distinguish him from images of St Jerome, who is also associated with the image of a lion.The perfect human body of Christ was originally represented as a winged man, and was later adapted for St Matthew in order to symbolise Christ’s humanity.[9] In the context of the tetramorphs, the winged man indicates Christ’s humanity and reason, as well as Matthew’s account of the Incarnation of Christ.The lion of St Mark represents courage, resurrection, and royalty, coinciding with the theme of Christ as king in Mark’s gospel. It is also interpreted as the Lion of Judah as a reference to Christ’s royal lineage.The ox, or bull, is an ancient Christian symbol of redemption and life through sacrifice, signifying Luke’s records of Christ as a priest and his ultimate sacrifice for the future of humanity. The eagle represents the sky, heavens, and the human spirit, paralleling the divine nature of Christ.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetramorph

 

LAB 14 "neo" survivor of post-war Paris, from the fiery years of the Roaring Twenties with two slogans: Party and Liberty with initied Paul wich pictured his father.He paints graffiti in half letters, half characters. There are always eyes, mouths and motives. Snez has been drawing and painting since his childhood he studied art in Paris...

 

artana-event.com/lab-14/

As I've already explained in the previous post, I'm writing short 'reviews' of all the lenses I've used during this project. The previous post was about Zeiss Loxia 2/50, 'the bread and butter lens' in my setup, and today I'm going to tell you about the Touit 2.8/12 which is quite different lens, but nevertheless equally enjoyable experience. Follow the post to hear more about 'the refrigerator lens'!

 

The Touit 2.8/12 is an ultra-wide lens with the field of view of 99 degrees which correlates approximately the equivalent of 18mm lens on a full frame camera. Although the typical applications for this type of lens are often listed, for example, as landscapes and architecture, in my setup this lens has amazing ability to trigger my creative spot. With such a ultra-wide lens one is able to get into very tight corners and during this year I've stuffed this lens into washing machines, baby carriages, tight corridors, elevators, closets, stairs, shop windows, toilets, car backseats, doll houses, etc. In these kind of scenarios it is often exactly the unusual placement of the camera and different angle of view which triggers my photographic imagination – and results images that deviate a lot from the beaten paths of my standard approaches. In short, in my setup this lens is kind of 'a refrigerator lens' which I find myself putting into unusual spaces in a creative state of mind.

 

The Touit lenses represents Zeiss's only lens family for the APS-C cameras. I personally like Touit lenses a lot and I feel a bit bad that this family is sometimes wrongly attributed to Zeiss's 'budget lenses'. This false understanding is based on couple of misinterpretations, first of them related to the 'Touit' name. When the Touit lens family was introduced for the first time, it was, aside from Otus family, the first one to carry a new naming scheme which Zeiss has just adapted. This resulted some misunderstandings as some photographers saw the new naming system of Zeiss lenses to be inferior compared to classic names which included the famous designations like Distagon, Planar, etc – so they thought that the Touit lenses were not 'real Zeiss' lenses but a budget version of 'the right stuff'. This interpretation was intensified even further by the new look of the lenses, the black matte finish and rubber used in focus rings. Again, the Otus line already represented this new Zeiss look, but this was largely unnoticed by many as they probably thought it was something special just for the Otus alone. And the last, the Touit lens family was created for the Sony and Fuji APS-C cameras, and while there were not full frame cameras, many photographers saw the new lens family not being targeted for serious photographers (oh those attitudes related to the physical size of the sensor...). When I spoke about this with the Michael Pollmann from Zeiss (Product Manager of the Touit and Batis families) he explained that Zeiss doesn't differentiate their different product lines by the quality like the big companies such as Canon or Nikon. Instead Zeiss tries to offer the highest quality with all their product lines, but they are – of course – designed with some constraints coming from the particular design concept. For example, the Touit line of lenses should fit the camera proportions they are intended to be used and so on. So in short, the Touit lenses are indeed real Zeiss lenses despite what some people might think.

 

So, how does the real Zeiss Touit 2.8/12 score optically? Very well, I have to say. The lens is definitely very sharp from wide open at f/2.8 and regarding the resolution the maximum performance is achieved somewhere between f/5.6 - f/8. The corners are generally good as well though they do not achieve the same level as the center sharpness – though never found reason to complain about them either. Distortion wise ultra-wide angles are often difficult to design and almost all of them have some distortion. This applies to Touit 2.8/12 as well, but in general the distortion is quite mild (a bit of barrel distortion) and is very well corrected via Lightroom lens profile. I haven't noticed much of, if any, chromatic aberrations with this lens which speaks of high quality optical design.

 

In technical terms the Touit 2.8/12 is a very capable lens. Being an ultra-wide glass it's rendering character is more difficult to describe than the usual standard focal length lenses, but I would say the lens definitely has a modern character in it. With this I mean that it is a computer designed lens with very high optical performance (which starts from wide open) and very low aberrations – a lens that would have been a miracle couple of decades ago. And like with most modern lenses with this on the user is left to admire its high performance as there are no aberrations nor odd artistic flavors or such. This lens gives you a very clean image. The Zeiss contrast and colors are all there and with the good light this lens definitely sings. The colors are actually very similar to the Batis lenses, pretty vibrant that is, but different from the Loxia line, which makes me wonder if this is a personal preference made by Michael Pollmann as he is the leading designer behind the Touit and Batis lens families. I personally like the colors of the Touit and Batis families a bit better than the Loxia family as I feel bright and vibrant colors often make the subject shine.

 

The Touit 2.8/12 isn't perfect a lens however. The lens autofocus system can only use contrast detection and to be honest it is pretty slow and annoying sometimes. When acquiring the focus the lens tends to pump a bit which can be a bit of distraction when working with live events and such - especially if it doesn't succeed acquiring the focus at the first time and you need to keep on trying. But this only happens when using the Touit 2.8/12 with the lens firmware version 01. The Touit 2.8/12 (as well the Touit 1.8/32) can be upgraded to lens firmware version 02 which does support phase detection autofocus and should therefore be freed from focusing hiccups – but you cannot do the upgrade yourself as the lens needs to be send to Zeiss for the upgrade. I'm only mentioning this if you are considering to get yourself a used Touit 2.8/12 (or the Touit 1.8/32) as it is worth to check to lens firmware version – with the new units it should be the latest one. All Touit 2.8/50M's are equipped with the lens firmware version 02 and therefore they support the phase detection autofocus.

 

I used to enjoy the Touit 2.8/12 on a Nex-5N but when it died I have had to use it with the Sony A7. Using an APS-C lens with the full frame Sony A7 is of course a compromise. First of all, with the Sony A7 the resulting file is only 10 mp and I have to say that I liked the 16mp file a lot better. Another compromise comes from the fact that using APS-C lens on a full frame camera doesn't add up with the full frame dynamic range as the image circle decreases and the sensor gathers less light. The solution would of course be the Batis 2.8/18 which is a full frame lens with same field of view, but I would definitely consider the Touit 2.8/12 with the high resolution camera body such as A7RII as this would result a 18mp file and the Touit 2.8/12 is size wise so fitting and cute with the A7 cameras: very small and convenient.

 

So would I recommend the Touit 2.8/12 to someone? Absolutely, as I've found it to be such a great creative tool in my setup, but I would consider it as a third lens as one should deal with the standard focal lengths first. For example, in full frame equivalence the 35mm, 85mm and 18mm (the Touit 2.8/12) would be a pretty ace setup.

 

Days of Zeiss: www.daysofzeiss.com