♫ Song/Kate Earl ~ You can't Treat me That Way ❥

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jff-XrAafgA

 

❤ Credits & Slurls & More ❥

sllorinovo.blogspot.com/2013/11/donna-fabouzz.html

Living is easy with eyes closed

Misunderstanding all you see

 

the lovely Lauren again

 

© peace&love♥ @ flickr 2008

No unauthorized use. Please respect copyrights.

 

Up Close and Personal

 

Banned Photos Update

I asked why there had only been 1 photo in the i500 in 2 months. What was the problem ?

This was the reply.

Brock says:

There is no problem, and nothing needs looking into. The algorithm changed in mid march, I think. It changes fairly often. ( it changed February 22nd )

 

It appears to me that if you appeared regularly within interestingess, but now other people do, then it is working perfectly - it is showing people photo's and users that they may not have seen. It is a means of discovering, not showcasing. ( not show casing then how can it be random ? )

 

The fact that you had a good run and are now not appearing is a good thing, in my opinion. To have continued that trend (along with the same behaviour for other users) would just mean that the same group of users (500 or so) were just rotated around in Interestingess and as such it would just become a small, cliquey group pool and essentially be pointless. Certainly not interesting. ( it was interesting before when there were only 2, 000 memebers and now if we get it it isn't ? )

 

Tired statement about interestingness again (although still valid: ( Tired ? What don't like being put on the spot ? )

Getting a photo on interestingness is not an achievement, nor a declaration of worth or status. It is just a 'nice thing to have'. It means that others have had the chance to find your photo's. ( Yes, it is a nice thing to have, it isn't a right, I only asked why none for 2 months, random images ?, no way it's random )

 

To want to hog interestingness is pretty selfish, really. Others should get the chance for exposure too, surely, or your photo may have never made it at all in the first place. Then you'd have no misunderstanding to complain about. ( 1 photo per day in 500, that's your definition of hogging ? )

 

They are always rude and always resort to belittling.

 

They haven't just changed the programming they have made sure several people get nothing in there.

 

May as well talk to my boot !

 

This is my last whinge as there is really no point.

 

Pantai Pandawa, Kuta selatan, Bali, Indonesia

 

Women, a very interesting living organism. Back in year 2008, I written a post title Quota Five Thousands. A post that talked about women often have unfinished story to tell, at least a full day what was happening and ready to share with the person she closed with.

 

I believe most of us more like lazy to share what is happening in a day, regardless is happy or unhappy, hardly spit a word. However, if we find something odd happened against the nature, probably worth to bring up the topic while having dinner.

 

No matter how tied up with work, will always try to squeeze time and listen to her what was happen in a day. That's very important, they're not asking for any advice, they are simply need a pair of ears, a pair of eyes, a few responses and a few expressions, to show our concern and really listening what women try to share with us. They amazingly felt relief and relax after the conversation. That's what they really want, being care and their existence, and not really asking for expertise comments nor advices.

 

I humbly think it is essential which leads how it got built up based on communication. If we spent certain time on having conversation, we would definitely more or less to avoid misunderstanding. Though might experience some miscommunication, which at least we could improve the communication started from developing more conversations. From it we can learned their point of view, how they see thing in other perspective, and study them why would they have this kinda mentality.

 

It is everyday to-do-list for me, trying to strive and asking wifey what happen in her day, there go the communication commenced and building a healthy conversation.

 

---

This shot taken with exact at 10mm, this is the wide angle at 10-24mm. You can tell the image isn't sharp rough because in my humble opinion, f/22 still produce vagueness. Probably should go with f/30 or more to have it more sharpness.

 

The beach is way too huge and the scenery is really breath taking. I never see a beach could be so wide and so big, and the waves were big too. Thanks to the tour guide cum driver brought us to this place to get some our shots.

 

While taking this shot, the natural light was just opposite our composition, that's where the original shot output was really dark. I don't have reflector with me while traveling, next time could consider but that could be definitely a burden and need helper to hold it so that it can improve the object better, which I think it is not a viable plan when traveling.

  

You must see this on large View On White and View On Black

  

----

P/s : This is Lightroom 4 editing and CS5 parts can be seen in the commentary too.

“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

 

Thanks for you visits. Have a wonderful Thursday!

"Take is easy, Heather. It's just a misunderstanding, sweetie" replied Iggy. "She's here to see you", he lied.

 

My favorite Summer ride... but with one helmet missing.

My former friend of many years accompanied me for lots of those rides and miles, but felt the need to take a "different road". A friend that I miss badly, and have now finally been able to accept the decision of moving on, after learning so much in the separation of many months.

But I lay sleepless many nights, worried of the many misunderstandings that I've now seen, that I can no longer clear up... with all contact prohibited. Friendship like that is not easily forgotten, but becomes a fabric of one's life, always present and in hand... just as Gravity.

I know I could help this friend's mind... if only to open the book for one hour!

But I ride... and toss and turn... in the meantime.

 

(See my "Open Book" photo.)

 

www.drinkinbrighton.co.uk/saint-georges

 

Dom played:

 

1. You & Me Against The World - Helen Reddy

2. History of Touches - Bjork

3. Remember Walking In The Sand- The Shangri-las

4. Cheryl Tweedy - Lily Allen

5. Spirits Having Flown - Bee Gees

6. Lost Queen Pt 2- Pharell Williams

7. Girl Crazy - Hot Chocolate

8. Italian Song - Jon & Vangelis

9. Stepping Out - Joe Jackson

10. La Vie En Rose - Grace Jones & Edith Piaf (Mick Guihen Re-edit)

11. Sweet Like Chocolate - Shanks & Bigfoot

12. Move On - Abba

13. Under The Shadows - Rae Martin

14. Only One - Kanye West & Paul McCartney

15. Utopia (Me Giorgio) - Giorgio Moroder

16. Cry - Godley & Creme

17. Around The Way Girl - LL Cool J

18. Boogie On Reggae Woman - Stevie Wonder

19. Cry Me A River - Justin Timberlake

 

Chris played:

 

1. Albatross - Fleetwood Mac

2. White Horses - Jacky

3. I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin

4. You Are My Love - Liverpool Express

5. Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations

6. Spinning & Spinning - Syreeta

7. Groovin' The Young Rascals

8. Everlasting Love - Robert Knight

9. Misunderstanding - Genesis

10. The Time Is Now - Moloko

11. Never Too Much - Luther Vandross

12. Concrete & Clay - Unit 4+2

13. Walk Away Renee - The Four Tops

14. Two Of Us - The Beatles

15. Just The Two Of Us - Grover Washington Jr

16. Sail On Sailor - The Beach Boys

17. Unforgettable - Nat 'King' Cole

18. Shannon - Henry Gross

 

Dom played

 

1. Goodnight My Love - Gracie Fields

2. Push Pull - Purity Ring

3. Lovelight - Robbie Williams

4. Close [To The Edit]- The Art Of Noise

5. It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) - Eurythmics

6. Four Five Seconds - Rhianna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney

7. Ask - The Smiths

8. Music & Lights - Imagination

9. She's In Fashion - Suede

10. Cambodia - Kim Wilde

11. Looking Good Diving - Morgan McVey & The Wild Bunch Feat. Neneh Cherry

12. John Wayne Is Big Leggy - Haysi Fantaysi

13. Say When - Lene Lovich

14. Never Let Me Down Again - Depeche Mode

15. Big Sky - Kate Bush

16. Urgent - Foreigner

17. Slow - Kylie Minogue

 

Chris played:

 

1. Rock & Roll Suicide - David Bowie

2. Cantonese Boy - Japan

3. Laura - Scissor Sisters

4. A Song From Under The Floorboards - Magazine

5. Looks Looks Looks - Sparks

6. All Kinds Of Everything - Dana

7. Neon Lights - Kraftwerk

8. Little Willie - Sweet

9. I Am A Rock - Simon & Garfunkel

10. Hey Jude - Wilson Pickett

11. Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins

12. Jezebel - Frankie Laine

13. I've Got To Use My Imagination - Gladys Knight & the Pips

14. I Die:You Die - Gary Numan

15. Witch Queen Of New Orleans - Redbone

16. You Wear It Well - Rod Stewart

17. Being Scrubbed - Girls On Top

18. Fooled Around & Fell In Love - Elvin Bishop

19. To Sir With Love - Dawn Penn

 

BATTLE

 

1. Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles

2. Let The Music Play - Shannon

3. Situation [Original Only You B-Side Version] - Yazoo

4. There It Is - Shalamar

5. Right Here, Right Now - Giorgio Moroder & Kylie Minogue

6. Crying At The Discoteque - Alcazar

7. Fascinating Rhythm - Bassomatic

8. New York Groove - Hello

9. Sound Of The Crowd - Human League

10. Don't Stop Moving - S Club 7

11. Popcorn - Hot Butter

12. Let's Spend The Night Together - The Rolling Stones

13. Brother Louie - Modern Talking

14. Feel Good Inc- Gorillaz

15. Confusion - New Order

16. Drive In Saturday - David Bowie

17. Wordy Rappinghood - Tom Tom Club

18. Song 2 - Blur

19. Jump Jump - Kriss Kross

20. You're So Vain - Carly Simon

21. (You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real - Sylvester

22. No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) - Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer

On the last Friday of each month the Edinburgh Bookshop in Bruntsfield holds a Speakeasy night, with an author talk but also serving up gin and tonics and letting readers and writers socialise.

 

The March event this evening saw Simon Beattie giving a talk about Friedo Lampe's At the Edge of Night, which he translated, then doing a reading from the book. Lampe was a writer, librarian and publisher in Germany, he was also disabled and gay. He survived the evils of the Nazi regime (although his home was bombed and his precious lifetime book collection destroyed), only to be shot in a tragic misunderstanding by Soviet soldiers as the war was ending.

 

We were also treated to music and poetry from the fabulous Macsonnetries, with flautist Graham Dickson and poet Petra Reid. Graham started by playing some beautiful pieces by Bach, which feature in Lampe's novel, then he and Petra performed music and poetry together.

 

At one point a woman walked past outside the window, and her wee girl, maybe about eight years old, just stopped, her face lit up, utterly entranced by stumbling across this music, it was gorgeous to see her experiencing a little moment of unexpected magic. Terrific evening.

 

www.edinburghbookshop.com/

 

It turns out our beloved little Angelica is not a girl but a boy! We adopted him at age one month and both his paperwork and the vet we talked to said he was a she! We took his word for it having no experience in such matters ourselves. We started having our doubts after only a day or two but now we can be sure. I only hope this little misunderstanding doesn't cause any long-term psychological damage!

 

But what to do for a name? I jokingly suggested Angel Eyes as it corresponds with her Japanese name Tara. It turns out that my family really likes that idea. I suppose they don't know about the Lee Van Cleef character in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

 

So, for now, new names.

English - Angel Eyes

Japanese - たらのめ (Taranome) or just Tara

German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 47/426. Photo: DEFA-Neufeld. Late 1950s.

 

Lore Frisch (1925-1962) was a German film actress of the 1950s and early 1960s, who in the 1950s starred in the popular DEFA films Der Ochse von Kulm (1955), Zar und Zimmermann (1956), and Meine Frau macht Musik (1958). When her married lover abandoned her, she committed suicide.

 

Lore Frisch was born 4 May 1925 in Schwindegg, Bavaria, as Eleonora Frisch, daughter of a painter from Bad Reichenhall. She took ballet lessons during her school days. During the Second World War, she worked as a nurse, and when stationed in Ost Friesland, she joined the Wanderfrühne Ostfriesische Kammerspiele Leer. Lore Frisch initially worked there as a prompter, tailor, and stage painter. Later she also took on theater roles. In 1948 she had appearances in Ingolstadt and at Munich theaters. She received acting lessons from Martin Hellberg and worked temporarily as a broadcaster, stenographer, and nurse. In the early 1950s, Lore Frisch appeared in three Heimat films, shot in Bavaria.

 

Martin Hellberg, who had moved to the GDR in 1949, brought her to DEFA in 1954, where she had a prolific career. At the DEFA dubbing studios, Frisch also met European stars such as Giovanna Ralli and Marina Vlady. In the film comedy Der Ochse von Kulm (Hellberg, 1955), she played the wife of a Bavarian farmer who rebels against the American occupying powers. In 1956 she made her most successful film Zar und Zimmermann (Hans Müller), which also ran in the BRD. Zar und Zimmermann deals with a period piece musical comedy about czar Peter I (Bert Fortell), who incognito as Peter Michailow, works in the Dutch Republic in the little town of Saardam [a pun on the real village of Zaandam where the real Peter I stayed], learning to build ships. He trades places with a fellow Russian carpenter, Peter Iwanow (Günther Haack), to escape foreign ambassadors and the pushy, greedy mayor Van Bett (Willy Kleinau). While the French ambassador has recognized the czar, the English ambassador and the mayor think Iwanow is the czar, creating all kinds of misunderstandings. Meanwhile, both Peters are in love with Marie (Frisch), who cannot decide which one she'll go for, and even Marie is fooled by the fake czar.

 

In 1958 Frisch had great success as the leading actress in the revue film Meine Frau macht Musik (Hans Heinrich). In this film, she played a housewife who steadfastly goes her way as a singer. She also embodied combative, self-confident women, especially as a women's rights activist in Nur eine Frau (Carl Balhaus, 1958). In contrast, in the satire Das Kleid (Konrad Petzold, 1961), an adaptation of the fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes, she was an opportunistic Minister of Clothing. Due to the obvious parallels to everyday life in the GDR, the film only premiered in 1991.

 

Lore Frisch, who had been living in West-Berlin, moved to the GDR in 1959, hoping to get more big parts at DEFA, but she only got smaller ones. She occasionally also appeared at theaters. When her lover, the actor Alexander Hegarth, who was married, went back to his wife in Western Germany, Frisch was so devastated that she committed suicide and died in Potsdam on 6. Juli 1962.

 

Sources: 215072.homepagemodules.de/t521386f11775326-Der-Synchronop..., Wikipedia (German), and IMDb.

Dutch postcard by Gebr. Spanjersberg N.V., Rotterdam. Sent by mail in 1976. Photo: Century 21Ltd., 1968. Publicity picture for Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Pictured here are Captain Black and the Spectrum.

 

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967), often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill. First broadcast on ATV Midlands between September 1967 and May 1968, it has since been transmitted in more than 40 other countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the Netherlands. Combined with scale model special effects, characters are presented as marionette puppets in a filming technique that the Andersons dubbed "Supermarionation", a technology that incorporated internal solenoid motors as a means of producing mouth movements synchronised with pre-recorded dialogue.

 

Set in 2068, the series charts the hostilities between Earth and a race of Martians known as the Mysterons. After a misunderstanding results in human astronauts obliterating their base, the vengeful Mysterons declare war on Earth, initiating a succession of reprisal attacks that are countered by Spectrum, an international security organisation. Spectrum boasts the remarkable abilities of its top agent, Captain Scarlet, who comes to possess the Mysteron healing power of 'retro-metabolism'. This ability to return to life, even after suffering fatal injuries, essentially makes Scarlet 'indestructible'.

 

Captain Scarlet, the eighth of ten puppet series that the Andersons produced in the 1950's and 60's, follows Thunderbirds and precedes Joe 90 and the little-seen The Secret Service. In terms of visual aesthetic, the series represents a departure from the style of Thunderbirds due to its use of non-caricatured marionette puppets of realistic bodily proportions. Re-run a number of times on British television and purchased by the BBC in 1993, the 32-episode series has been the foundation of merchandising campaigns since its first appearance, leading to the release of items such as toy dolls and other associated media, including novels, comic strips in the Anderson-related children's magazine, TV Century 21, and postcards.

 

Captain Black is the fictional nemesis of Captain Scarlet and recurring Mysteron agent in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Actor Francis Matthews gave the captain his voice. 'Captain Black' is a code name; his real name is never revealed in the series, although subsequent publications have given this as Conrad Turner. His transformation from human to Mysteron agent occurs on Mars in the first episode of the series; The Mysterons. Captain Scarlet is indestructible. You are not! Remember this. Do not try to imitate him!

 

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

Side Magazine fed Bolt-action sniper.

Uses the monstrous 20mm X 110mm Hispano Cartridges.

 

(I think I'm getting a fetish for Sniper rifles :P)

She didn't know that her sister was on the train to. She took her cellphone and call. Hello, where are you? On the train. Oh yes, me to.

 

You can follow my works on 500px to: 500px.com/joramhuyben

German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3901/100, 1956. Photo: DEFA / Wunsch.

 

Lore Frisch (1925-1962) was a German film actress of the 1950s and early 1960s. She starred starred in the popular DEFA films Der Ochse von Kulm (1955), Zar und Zimmermann (1956), and Meine Frau macht Musik (1958). When her married lover abandoned her, she committed suicide.

 

Lore Frisch was born in 1925 in Schwindegg, Bavaria, as Eleonora Frisch, daughter of a painter from Bad Reichenhall. She took ballet lessons during her school days. During the Second World War, she worked as a nurse, and when stationed in Ost Friesland, she joined the Wanderfrühne Ostfriesische Kammerspiele Leer. Lore Frisch initially worked there as a prompter, tailor and stage painter. Later she also took on theater roles. In 1948 she had appearances in Ingolstadt and at Munich theaters. She received acting lessons from Martin Hellberg and worked temporarily as a broadcaster, stenographer and nurse. In the early 1950s, Lore Frisch appeared in three Heimat films, shot in Bavaria. Martin Hellberg, who had moved to the GDR in 1949, brought her to DEFA in 1954, where she had a prolific career. At the DEFA dubbing studios, Frisch also met European stars such as Giovanna Ralli and Marina Vlady. In the film comedy Der Ochse von Kulm (Martin Hellberg, 1955), she played the wife of a Bavarian farmer who rebels against the American occupying powers. In 1956, she made her most successful film Zar und Zimmermann (Hans Müller, 1956), which also ran in the BRD. Zar und Zimmermann deals with a period piece musical comedy about czar Peter I (Bert Fortell), who incognito as Peter Michailow, works in the Dutch Republic in the little town of Saardam [a pun on the real village of Zaandam where the real Peter I stayed], learning to build ships. He trades places with a fellow Russian carpenter, Peter Iwanow (Günther Haack), to escape foreign ambassadors and the pushy, greedy mayor Van Bett (Willy Kleinau). While the French ambassador has recognised the czar, the English ambassador and the mayor think Iwanow is the czar, creating all kinds of misunderstandings. Meanwhile, both Peters are in love with Marie (Frisch), who cannot decide which one she'll go for, and even Marie is fooled by the fake czar.

 

In 1958 Lore Frisch had great success as the leading actress in the revue film Meine Frau macht Musik (Hans Heinrich, 1958). In this film, she played a housewife who steadfastly goes her way as a singer. She also embodied combative, self-confident women, especially as a women's rights activist in Nur eine Frau (Carl Balhaus, 1958). In contrast, in the satire Das Kleid (Konrad Petzold, 1961) , an adaptation of the fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes, she was an opportunistic Minister of Clothing. Due to the obvious parallels to everyday life in the GDR, the film only premiered in 1991. Lore Frisch, who had been living in West-Berlin, moved to the GDR in 1959, hoping to get more big parts at DEFA, but she only got smaller ones. She occasionally also appeared at theatres. When her lover, the actor Alexander Hegarth, who was married, went back to his wife in Western Germany, Frisch was so devastated that she committed suicide and died in Potsdam in 1962.

 

Sources: 215072.homepagemodules.de/t521386f11775326-Der-Synchronop..., Wikipedia (German), and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Germany, Hamburg, metro station U4 ”Überseequartier”,

... a little misunderstanding at the "Overseas Quarter Station" in the harbour district.

A subway station does not provide public transport to any submarine, neither do submarines stop here. ….. ⦂⚪)‘

 

👉 One World one Dream,

...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

11 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

 

_

Hasselblad 500C/M

Carl Zeiss Distagon 50mm f/4

Fujichrome Velvia 100F (120)

Once Sir Joseph of Baeth learnt of Lenfald's separation, he feared that Djorn and Roger were in danger on their way to Garheim. This fear was realized when he received a note stating that the traveling duo had in fact been captured at the Lenfald-Loreos border and were being held for ransom at the old Garhim embassy; roughly ten miles north along the western coast. At this same time Joseph had received an order to go fishing in Lenfald in order to spy on the province. Figuring this was a perfect time to do so, he proceeded to hire a crew, pack his wares and fishing rods, and load up the Rogue Spur for the rescue of Roger and Djorn.....

 

Several weeks had passed since their departure from Dalmunatha. It took time for Joseph to sail far enough south in order to steer clear of the Magic Isles and plot a very careful course through the Sea of Despair to reach the safer coasts of the Western side of Roawia. Upon arrival to the cliffs that held the old Garhim embassy, its banners changed to the colors of Lenfald, Joseph told his crew to prepare to be boarded with weapons at the ready- if they had previously kicked the Garhims out of the embassy, who knows what they would do to them as Loreesis.

 

Surprisingly enough however, Sir Joseph and his crew were met with open arms as they docked to the old embassy with dock hands helping to immediately unload the sea-wary contents of their journey. Djorn and Roger were waiting along the lookout just above the docks holding on to two beautiful women each with giant grins on their faces. Standing next to them was a Lenfel knight with a light grey beard and swept back hair, wearing black lapels, noting him as a higher lord. He yelled out, "What ho Sir Joseph! How thee fare on this fine day?! Did thy winds give you quick course to mighty Lenfald?!"

 

Not sure if this was a ruse or sincere question Joseph knew to keep his tongue witty and his sword close for this encounter. He called back to the lord,

"Greetings noble Lenfel! The winds were sure in helping us get 'ere at the best pace it could!" He began to walk up the stairs to talk to the noble more clearly, "I dont think we have had the pleasure of acquaintance, I am Sir Joseph of Baeth, merchant and knight of Loreos. I was requested to come rescue my two colleagues here, who seem to have both made themselves rather comfortable. I feel I have brought more than enough gold and treasure to negotiate with for their immediate release. Exactly who do I have the pleasure of doing business with my lord?"

 

At this, the "captured" duo had begun laughing while the noble wrapped an arm around the confused Joseph and gave out a hearty laugh too. Gathering himself, the high lord finally spoke to Joseph, "Nay Sir Joseph! Yer friends aren't our prisoners! Why they have been great fun in our little castle! That note was written just to scare ye to get yer booty out here sooner! Twas a big misunderstanding that has happened since the separation of Lenfald from the nations of Roawia. Thou first think we kicked out the Garhims from their embassy, tis a false accusation- all the occupants left when Garheim was in most dire trouble with the Queen's soldiers. We took up residence because we didnt want them damn filthy Dragon soldiers to find and take root in this abandoned outpost.."

 

He turned and gestured to Roger and Djorn, "And the capturing of these two twas a complete accident, I had not yet returned from the council meeting so when word of our separation began to incorrectly spread- the local militias deemed it best to start building a wall and patrolling the Lorseesi-Lenfel border which is where your companions were taken. Our most sincere apologies for this mistake, we do not request any form of ransom and if you'd like you can set up a booth in the courtyard and sell thy wares! Stay awhile and let thy crew rest from your long journey! Im sure many 'ere would love to buy some gems and trinkets! AH I almost forgot the pleasantries, I am Lord Jon of House Dragmar.'

 

Surprised at this revelation and indeed tired from his journey here, Joseph was still suspicious of this Lord Jon and those Lenfels around him. He decided it would be best to accept the invitation and let the crew rest for a few days so he could dig a bit deeper into the mystery that Lenfald had become... He accepted the high lord's apology and invitation to set up shop and rest for a couple days. He finished by giving a sly grin and asking a single question, "So Lord Jon, I have heard that Lenfald's western shores are home to some of the best fishing the realm has ever seen! I just so happen to have my fishing rods with me, would you be up for a spot of fishing tomorrow?"

 

The old Lenfel replied, "Well of course we have the world's best fishing! I will take you up on that offer Sir Joseph! Tomorrow at mid morning we shall fish!"

 

.......

 

It was summertime in Roawia and like the other nations, Lenfald's denizens were enjoying this time of peace. This gave the old embassy a very festive feel. Merchants were selling their wares, people were milling about and talking, children were laughing; jesters juggled and told jokes, the men were having fun practicing their archery and sword skills. Roger had met a cute baker so while he managed Joseph's booth, he allowed her to sell bread to hungry customers. Djorn was off of his shift so he resumed courting the fair ladies he had previously been seen with.

 

The Garhims had set up a rather good system of agriculture here so many were tending and harvesting the varieties of produce and food that was growing around the castle though the guard presence was quite large for such a small outpost...Joseph noticed this.

 

Just a few meters down from the dock that held the Rogue Spur was a wooden outlook that jutted out over the cliffs, a perfect spot for fishing. It was here that Lord Jon and Sir Joseph had cast out their lines and began to wait for something to bite.

 

"Ahhh... a lovely day ain't it Lord Jon?" Asked Joseph. Slipping the objective of spying to Roger and Djorn late in the night, he knew that the information the three could collect would be valuable to his Areani allies. Joseph had also given the Lord some of his strongest Loreesi ale at breakfast to loosen him up before their little fishing excursion.

 

"Yes, tis a great day after all Sir Joseph! Nothing quite like men of stature relishing in the simple enjoyments of the commoners."

 

Looking away, Joseph rolled his eyes and nodded. "Aye milord, tis always a surreal experience. Tell thee, what dost thou think of Lenfald's separation from the Roawia?"

 

"Not much to be honest with ya lad. Everyone be a little tenser with being afraid of how the other nations will react, but we will all get along in the end Im sure. I will tell ya what Joseph, I dont give much trust to them Loreesi or Garhim diplomats and politicians. Tis the tried and true men of Roawia, those who work its land and seas that I trust the most. Men like you lad... I will tell you this though my new friend, something you'd like to hear but cannot tell anyone..."

 

He leaned in close to Joseph, so close Joseph could smell the Loreesi ale on the high lord's breath.

 

"I heard something remarkable has happened that gives reason for the sudden movements of Lenfald's ships-- the reason why there wasn't a vessel stationed here upon your arrival. There are trusted rumors that us Lenfel's have discovered something." He pointed out to the sea, "Something out there...-"

 

His sentence was cut off by Joseph being startled by the sudden jerking of his fishing line. "AHA! I believe I caught me a fish!" He yelled as he pulled up a medium sized fish.

 

Broke from his drunken trance, Lord Jon exclaimed, "Oi! That is a fine lookin fish me boy! Let us cook it up and get more of that fancy ale of yours!"

 

__________________________

 

First off, sorry for the rather long story! But it is needed for the continuation of Sir Joseph of Baeth's story which will probably be shorter in upcoming installments.

 

(Also, apologies for the kind of crappy pics- my actual camera isnt working and my light box didnt fit this size MOC so a lot of photoshop was used in the first pic so sorry about that.)

 

Secondly, Wow! This was a big entry to both the Loreos Local Challenge LCXXII and the second Journeyman task of the Merchants guild!

 

This was originally apart of a display last year for a local Lego event here in the Northern Colorado area but I never got around to posting it as life got in the way and I wasn't sure how to incorporate this into my character's story at the time. The base had been sitting around while the original castle was taken down to build something for my next Merchants Guild task.

 

It was really my first attempt at building an actual castle for once and since it was intended for a display- I wanted an open area for easy viewing while keeping the castle modular so that is why it doesnt really have a keep or anything. But after my quick redux I think it turned out quite well!

 

If you've made it this far thanks so much for viewing! It's good to be actively building again and there is still quite a bit in store! :)

. . . all these photos are not done in a photo studio - they are snap shots during the Kathakali Dance Show on the stage!

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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.

 

These are the series of illustrations to newest story – The flight of the swan telling about Dannee’s struggle with keeping peace between her friend and one of her romantic flashbacks in the past.

Even while Skyrim being at state of fragile peace Dannee learns that not all fights are tied with something epic as she tries to out some order and peace between two of her closest friends who had big misunderstanding along with nasty quarrel. In attempt to make her friend Serana see things from her perspective Dannee dwells in her own past as well as helping Serana deal with terrible but unseen wounds of her darkest memories…

The first part – www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/433485/?

The second part of the story – www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/433486/?

  

www.chicagolife.net/content/art/The_Great_Gallery_Fire

 

Drawing made in Chicago a few months before the fire, was back in Europe when I saw this news, something besides happend, An ART Project of a black scollarship kid, American flag in the floor, a stand with a book right in the middle, With the text ("What do you think about American constitution") and a pen to leave your comment.

So you have to step on the flag and make your written comment in the book as provided.

 

A blame to have such a kid in the art insitute, cost a lot of money, and misunderstanding from the people of Chicago.

Next days a demonstration, of ex Vietnam vets, unluckly some students paint with watercollors the pavemend before the Art Institude into an American Flag, so patriots in weelchairs had to cross them..

later …..The Great Gallery Fire April 15 1989

 

MMhhh.

 

so, what happend?

 

"In choosing to be born for us, God chose to be known by us. He therefore reveals himself in this way, in order that this great sacrament of his love may not be an occasion for us of great misunderstanding.

 

Today the Magi find, crying in a manger, the one they have followed as he shone in the sky. Today the Magi see clearly, in swaddling clothes, the one they have long awaited as he lay hidden among the stars.

 

Today the Magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, man in God, God in man, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body. As they look, they believe and do not question, as their symbolic gifts bear witness: incense for God, gold for a king, myrrh for one who is to die.

 

So the Gentiles, who were the last, become the first: the faith of the Magi is the first fruits of the belief of the Gentiles."

 

– St Peter Chrysologus, from today's Office of Readings.

 

The Magi at the Christmas crib in St Albert's Catholic Chaplaincy, Edinburgh.

Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaelic monasticism for three centuries and is today known for its relative tranquility and natural environment. It is a tourist destination and a place for spiritual retreats. Its modern Scottish Gaelic name means "Iona of (Saint) Columba" (formerly anglicised as "Icolmkill").

 

In 2019, the island's estimated population was 120. Residents engage in farming, using traditional methods. Other occupations include crofting and tourism-related work; some craftsmen make goods for sale locally, such as pottery, tapestries, jewellery and knitted goods. In March 1980, the Hugh Fraser Foundation donated much of the main island (and its off-lying islands) to the current owner, the National Trust for Scotland. The abbey and some church buildings are owned by the Iona Cathedral Trust.

 

One publication, describing the religious significance of the island, says that the island is "known as the birthplace of Celtic Christianity in Scotland,” and notes that “St Columba came here in the year 563 to establish the Abbey, which still stands".

 

Because the Hebrides have been successively occupied by speakers of several languages since the Iron Age, many of its islands’ names have more than one possible meaning. Nonetheless, few, if any, have accumulated as many different names over the centuries as the island now known in English as "Iona".

 

The place-name scholar William J. Watson has shown that the earliest recorded names of the island meant something like "yew-place". The element Ivo-, denoting "yew", occurs in inscriptions in the ogham alphabet (Iva-cattos, Iva-geni) and in Gaulish names (Ivo-rix, Ivo-magus); it may also be the basis of early Gaelic names like Eógan (ogham: Ivo-genos). The island's name may also be related to the name of a mythological figure, Fer hÍ mac Eogabail, the foster-son of Manannán, whose forename meaning "man of the yew".

 

Coates (2006) disputes the "yew" interpretation due to a lack of archeological evidence for yew on the island. Coates instead compares the Punic term ’y ("island, isolated place").

 

Mac an Tàilleir (2003) has analyzed the more recent Gaelic names of Ì, Ì Chaluim Chille and Eilean Idhe. He notes that the name Ì was "generally lengthened to avoid confusion" to Ì Chaluim Chille, which means "Calum's Iona" or "island of Calum's monastery". (“Calum”’s Latinized form is "Columba".) This confusion would have arisen because ì, the original name of the island, would have been confused with the now-obsolete Gaelic noun ì, meaning "island", which was derived from the Old Norse word for island (ey). Eilean Idhe means "the isle of Iona", also known as Ì nam ban bòidheach ("the isle of beautiful women"). The modern English name comes from yet another variant, Ioua, which arose either from Adomnán's 7th-century attempt to make the Gaelic name fit Latin grammar, or spontaneously, as a derivative of Ivova ("yew place"). The change in the island's name from Ioua' to Iona, which is attested from c.1274, resulted from a transcription error due to the similarity of "n" and "u" in Insular Minuscule script.

 

Despite the continuity of forms in Gaelic from the pre-Norse to the post-Norse era, Haswell-Smith (2004) speculates that the island’s name may be connected with the Norse word Hiōe, meaning "island of the den of the brown bear". The medieval English-language version of the name was "Icolmkill" (and variants thereof).

 

Murray (1966) claims that the "ancient" Gaelic name was Innis nan Druinich ("the isle of Druidic hermits"), but there is no evidence for the "ancient" use of such a name before the nineteenth century, when it appears in the New Statistical Account and it may arise from a misunderstanding of the name Cladh nan Druineach, which means 'burial ground of the embroideresses or artificers' – a cemetery on the east shore of the island. He also repeats a Gaelic story (which he admits is apocryphal) that as Columba's coracle first drew close to the island one of his companions cried out "Chì mi i" meaning "I see her" and that Columba's response was "Henceforth we shall call her Ì".

 

The geology of Iona is quite complex given the island's size and quite distinct from that of nearby Mull. About half of the island's bedrock is Scourian gneiss assigned to the Lewisian complex and dating from the Archaean eon making it some of the oldest rock in Britain and indeed Europe. Closely associated with these gneisses are mylonite and meta-anorthosite and melagabbro. Along the eastern coast facing Mull are steeply dipping Neoproterozoic age metaconglomerates, metasandstones, metamudstones and hornfelsed metasiltstones ascribed to the Iona Group, described traditionally as Torridonian. In the southwest and on parts of the west coast are pelites and semipelites of Archaean to Proterozoic age. There are small outcrops of Silurian age pink granite on southeastern beaches, similar to those of the Ross of Mull pluton cross the sound to the east. Numerous geological faults cross the island, many in a E-W or NW-SE alignment. Devonian aged microdiorite dykes are found in places and some of these are themselves cut by Palaeocene age camptonite and monchiquite dykes ascribed to the 'Iona-Ross of Mull dyke swarm’. More recent sedimentary deposits of Quaternary age include both present day beach deposits and raised marine deposits around Iona as well as some restricted areas of blown sand.

 

Iona lies about 2 kilometres (1 mile) from the coast of Mull. It is about 2 km (1 mi) wide and 6 km (4 mi) long with a resident population of 125. Like other places swept by ocean breezes, there are few trees; most of them are near the parish church.

 

Iona's highest point is Dùn Ì, 101 m (331 ft), an Iron Age hill fort dating from 100 BC – AD 200. Iona's geographical features include the Bay at the Back of the Ocean and Càrn Cùl ri Éirinn (the Hill/Cairn of [turning the] Back to Ireland), said to be adjacent to the beach where St. Columba first landed.

 

The main settlement, located at St. Ronan's Bay on the eastern side of the island, is called Baile Mòr and is also known locally as "The Village". The primary school, post office, the island's two hotels, the Bishop's House and the ruins of the Nunnery are here. The Abbey and MacLeod Centre are a short walk to the north. Port Bàn (white port) beach on the west side of the island is home to the Iona Beach Party.

 

There are numerous offshore islets and skerries: Eilean Annraidh (island of storm) and Eilean Chalbha (calf island) to the north, Rèidh Eilean and Stac MhicMhurchaidh to the west and Eilean Mùsimul (mouse holm island) and Soa Island to the south are amongst the largest. The steamer Cathcart Park carrying a cargo of salt from Runcorn to Wick ran aground on Soa on 15 April 1912, the crew of 11 escaping in two boats.

 

On a map of 1874, the following territorial subdivision is indicated (from north to south):

Ceann Tsear (East Head)

Sliabh Meanach (Middle Mountain)

Machar (Low-lying Grassy Plain)

Sliginach (Shelly Area)

Sliabh Siar (Rear Mountain)

Staonaig (Sloping Ground)

 

In the early Historic Period Iona lay within the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata, in the region controlled by the Cenél Loairn (i.e. Lorn, as it was then). The island was the site of a highly important monastery (see Iona Abbey) during the Early Middle Ages. The monastery was founded in 563 by the monk Columba, also known as Colm Cille, who sailed here from Ireland to live the monastic life. Much later legends (a thousand years later, and without any good evidence) said that he had been exiled from his native Ireland as a result of his involvement in the Battle of Cul Dreimhne. Columba and twelve companions went into exile on Iona and founded a monastery there. The monastery was hugely successful, and may have played a role in the conversion to Christianity of the Picts and Gaels of present-day Scotland in the late 6th century, and was certainly central to the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria in 635. Many satellite institutions were founded, and Iona became the centre of one of the most important monastic systems in Great Britain and Ireland.

 

Iona became a renowned centre of learning, and its scriptorium produced highly important documents, probably including the original texts of the Iona Chronicle, thought to be the source for the early Irish annals. The monastery is often associated with the distinctive practices and traditions known as Celtic Christianity. In particular, Iona was a major supporter of the "Celtic" system for calculating the date of Easter at the time of the Easter controversy, which pitted supporters of the Celtic system against those favoring the "Roman" system used elsewhere in Western Christianity. The controversy weakened Iona's ties to Northumbria, which adopted the Roman system at the Synod of Whitby in 664, and to Pictland, which followed suit in the early 8th century. Iona itself did not adopt the Roman system until 715, according to the Anglo-Saxon historian Bede. Iona's prominence was further diminished over the next centuries as a result of Viking raids and the rise of other powerful monasteries in the system, such as the Abbey of Kells.

 

The Book of Kells may have been produced or begun on Iona towards the end of the 8th century. Around this time the island's exemplary high crosses were sculpted; these may be the first such crosses to contain the ring around the intersection that became characteristic of the "Celtic cross". The series of Viking raids on Iona began in 794 and, after its treasures had been plundered many times, Columba's relics were removed and divided two ways between Scotland and Ireland in 849 as the monastery was abandoned.

 

As the Norse domination of the west coast of Scotland advanced, Iona became part of the Kingdom of the Isles. The Norse Rex plurimarum insularum Amlaíb Cuarán died in 980 or 981 whilst in "religious retirement" on Iona. Nonetheless, the island was sacked twice by his successors, on Christmas night 986 and again in 987. Although Iona was never again important to Ireland, it rose to prominence once more in Scotland following the establishment of the Kingdom of Scotland in the later 9th century; the ruling dynasty of Scotland traced its origin to Iona, and the island thus became an important spiritual centre for the new kingdom, with many of its early kings buried there. However, a campaign by Magnus Barelegs led to the formal acknowledgement of Norwegian control of Argyll, in 1098.

 

Somerled, the brother-in-law of Norway's governor of the region (the King of the Isles), launched a revolt, and made the kingdom independent. A convent for Augustinian nuns was established in about 1208, with Bethóc, Somerled's daughter, as first prioress. The present buildings are of the Benedictine abbey, Iona Abbey, from about 1203, dissolved at the Reformation.

 

On Somerled's death, nominal Norwegian overlordship of the Kingdom was re-established, but de facto control was split between Somerled's sons, and his brother-in-law.

 

Following the 1266 Treaty of Perth the Hebrides were transferred from Norwegian to Scottish overlordship. At the end of the century, King John Balliol was challenged for the throne by Robert the Bruce. By this point, Somerled's descendants had split into three groups, the MacRory, MacDougalls, and MacDonalds. The MacDougalls backed Balliol, so when he was defeated by de Bruys, the latter exiled the MacDougalls and transferred their island territories to the MacDonalds; by marrying the heir of the MacRorys, the heir of the MacDonalds re-unified most of Somerled's realm, creating the Lordship of the Isles, under nominal Scottish authority. Iona, which had been a MacDougall territory (together with the rest of Lorn), was given to the Campbells, where it remained for half a century.

 

In 1354, though in exile and without control of his ancestral lands, John, the MacDougall heir, quitclaimed any rights he had over Mull and Iona to the Lord of the Isles (though this had no meaningful effect at the time). When Robert's son, David II, became king, he spent some time in English captivity; following his release, in 1357, he restored MacDougall authority over Lorn. The 1354 quitclaim, which seems to have been an attempt to ensure peace in just such an eventuality, took automatic effect, splitting Mull and Iona from Lorn, and making it subject to the Lordship of the Isles. Iona remained part of the Lordship of the Isles for the next century and a half.

 

Following the 1491 Raid on Ross, the Lordship of the Isles was dismantled, and Scotland gained full control of Iona for the second time. The monastery and nunnery continued to be active until the Reformation, when buildings were demolished and all but three of the 360 carved crosses destroyed. The Augustine nunnery now only survives as a number of 13th century ruins, including a church and cloister. By the 1760s little more of the nunnery remained standing than at present, though it is the most complete remnant of a medieval nunnery in Scotland.

 

After a visit in 1773, the English writer Samuel Johnson remarked:

 

The island, which was once the metropolis of learning and piety, now has no school for education, nor temple for worship.

He estimated the population of the village at 70 families or perhaps 350 inhabitants.

 

In the 19th century green-streaked marble was commercially mined in the south-east of Iona; the quarry and machinery survive, see 'Marble Quarry remains' below.

 

Abbey and other ecclesiastical properties and the marble quarry, or to enjoy the nine beaches that are within walking distance of the main area.

 

Iona Abbey, now an ecumenical church, is of particular historical and religious interest to pilgrims and visitors alike. It is the most elaborate and best-preserved ecclesiastical building surviving from the Middle Ages in the Western Isles of Scotland. Though modest in scale in comparison to medieval abbeys elsewhere in Western Europe, it has a wealth of fine architectural detail, and monuments of many periods. The 8th Duke of Argyll presented the sacred buildings and sites of the island to the Iona Cathedral trust in 1899. Historic Environment Scotland also recommends visiting the Augustinian nunnery, "the most complete nunnery complex to survive in Scotland". It was founded at the same time as the Abbey; many ruins from the 14th century are visible. The nunnery declined after the Scottish Reformation but was still used as a burial place for women.

 

In front of the Abbey stands the 9th-century St Martin's Cross, one of the best-preserved Celtic crosses in the British Isles, and a replica of the 8th-century St John's Cross (original fragments in the Abbey museum).

 

The ancient burial ground, called the Rèilig Odhrain (Eng: Oran's "burial place" or "cemetery"), contains the 12th-century chapel of St Odhrán (said to be Columba's uncle), restored at the same time as the Abbey itself. It contains a number of medieval grave monuments. The abbey graveyard is said to contain the graves of many early Scottish Kings, as well as Norse kings from Ireland and Norway. Iona became the burial site for the kings of Dál Riata and their successors. Notable burials there include:

 

Cináed mac Ailpín, king of the Picts (also known today as "Kenneth I of Scotland")

Domnall mac Causantín, alternatively "king of the Picts" or "king of Scotland" ("Donald II")

Máel Coluim mac Domnaill, king of Scotland ("Malcolm I")

Donnchad mac Crínáin, king of Scotland ("Duncan I")

Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, king of Scotland ("Macbeth")

Domnall mac Donnchada, king of Scotland ("Donald III")

John Smith, Labour Party Leader

 

In 1549 an inventory of 48 Scottish, 8 Norwegian and 4 Irish kings was recorded. None of these graves are now identifiable (their inscriptions were reported to have worn away at the end of the 17th century). Saint Baithin and Saint Failbhe may also be buried on the island. The Abbey graveyard is also the final resting place of John Smith, the former Labour Party leader, who loved Iona. His grave is marked with an epitaph quoting Alexander Pope: "An honest man's the noblest work of God".

 

Limited archaeological investigations commissioned by the National Trust for Scotland found some evidence for ancient burials in 2013. The excavations, conducted in the area of Martyrs Bay, revealed burials from the 6th–8th centuries, probably jumbled up and reburied in the 13–15th centuries.

 

Other early Christian and medieval monuments have been removed for preservation to the cloister arcade of the Abbey, and the Abbey museum (in the medieval infirmary). The ancient buildings of Iona Abbey are now cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (there is an entrance charge to visit them).

 

The remains of a marble quarrying enterprise are present in a small bay on the south-east shore of Iona. The quarry is the source of 'Iona Marble', a translucent green and white stone, much used in brooches and other jewellery. The stone has been known of for centuries and was credited with healing and other powers. While the quarry had been used in a small way, it was not until around the end of the 18th century when it was opened up on a more industrial scale by the Duke of Argyle. The difficulties of extracting the hard stone and transporting it meant that the scheme was short lived. Another attempt was started in 1907, this time more successful with considerable quantities of stone extracted and indeed exported. The First World War impacted the quarry, with little quarrying after 1914 and the operation finally closed in 1919. A painting showing the quarry in operation, The Marble Quarry, Iona (1909) by David Young Cameron, is in the collection of Cartwright Hall art gallery in Bradford. The site has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

 

The island, other than the land owned by the Iona Cathedral Trust, was purchased from the Duke of Argyll by Hugh Fraser in 1979 and donated to the National Trust for Scotland. In 2001 Iona's population was 125 and by the time of the 2011 census this had grown to 177 usual residents. During the same period Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. The estimated permanent population in 2020 was 120.

 

The island's tourism bureau estimated that roughly 130,000 visitors arrived each year. Many tourists come to visit the Abbey and other ecclesiastical properties and the marble quarry, or to enjoy the nine beaches that are within walking distance of the main area.

 

Not to be confused with the local island community, Iona (Abbey) Community is based within Iona Abbey.

 

In 1938 George MacLeod founded the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church committed to seeking new ways of living the Gospel of Jesus in today's world. This community is a leading force in the present Celtic Christian revival.

 

The Iona Community runs three residential centres on the Isle of Iona and on Mull, where one can live together in community with people of every background from all over the world. Weeks at the centres often follow a programme related to the concerns of the Iona Community.

 

The 8 tonne Fallen Christ sculpture by Ronald Rae was permanently situated outside the MacLeod Centre in February 2008.

 

Visitors can reach Iona by the 10-minute ferry trip across the Sound of Iona from Fionnphort on Mull. The most common route from the mainland is via Oban in Argyll and Bute, where regular ferries connect to Craignure on Mull, from where the scenic road runs 37 miles (60 kilometres) to Fionnphort. Tourist coaches and local bus services meet the ferries.

 

Car ownership is lightly regulated, with no requirement for a MOT Certificate or payment of Road Tax for cars kept permanently on the island, but vehicular access is restricted to permanent residents and there are few cars. Visitors are not allowed to bring vehicles onto the island although "blue badge holders with restricted mobility ... may apply for a permit under certain exemptions". Visitors will find the village, the shops, the post office, the cafe, the hotels and the abbey are all within walking distance. Bike hire is available at the pier, and on Mull. Taxi service is also available.

 

Conde Nast Traveller recommends the island for its "peaceful atmosphere ... a popular place for spiritual retreats" but also recommends the "sandy beaches, cliffs, rocks, fields and bogs ... "wildflowers and birds such as the rare corncrake and puffins" as well as the "abundance of sea life".

 

The Iona Council advises visitors that they can find a campsite (at Cnoc Oran), a hostel (at Lagandorain), family run bed and breakfasts, and two hotels on the island in addition to several self-catering houses. The agency also mentions that distances are short, with the Abbey a mere 10 minutes’ walk from the pier. Tourists can rent bikes or use the local taxi.

 

The island of Iona has played an important role in Scottish landscape painting, especially during the Twentieth Century. As travel to north and west Scotland became easier from the mid C18 on, artists' visits to the island steadily increased. The Abbey remains in particular became frequently recorded during this early period. Many of the artists are listed and illustrated in the valuable book, Iona Portrayed – The Island through Artists' Eyes 1760–1960, which lists over 170 artists known to have painted on the island.

 

The C20 however saw the greatest period of influence on landscape painting, in particular through the many paintings of the island produced by F C B Cadell and S J Peploe, two of the ‘Scottish Colourists’. As with many artists, both professional and amateur, they were attracted by the unique quality of light, the white sandy beaches, the aquamarine colours of the sea and the landscape of rich greens and rocky outcrops. While Cadell and Peploe are perhaps best known, many major Scottish painters of the C20 worked on Iona and visited many times – for example George Houston, D Y Cameron, James Shearer, John Duncan and John Maclauchlan Milne, among many.

 

Samuel Johnson wrote "That man is little to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plains of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer amid the ruins of Iona."

 

In Jules Verne's novel The Green Ray, the heroes visit Iona in chapters 13 to 16. The inspiration is romantic, the ruins of the island are conducive to daydreaming. The young heroine, Helena Campbell, argues that Scotland in general and Iona in particular are the scene of the appearance of goblins and other familiar demons.

 

In Jean Raspail's novel The Fisherman's Ring (1995), his cardinal is one of the last to support the antipope Benedict XIII and his successors.

 

In the novel The Carved Stone (by Guillaume Prévost), the young Samuel Faulkner is projected in time as he searches for his father and lands on Iona in the year 800, then threatened by the Vikings.

 

"Peace of Iona" is a song written by Mike Scott that appears on the studio album Universal Hall and on the live recording Karma to Burn by The Waterboys. Iona is the setting for the song "Oran" on the 1997 Steve McDonald album Stone of Destiny.

 

Kenneth C. Steven published an anthology of poetry entitled Iona: Poems in 2000 inspired by his association with the island and the surrounding area.

 

Iona is featured prominently in the first episode ("By the Skin of Our Teeth") of the celebrated arts series Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark (1969).

 

Iona is the setting of Jeanne M. Dams' Dorothy Martin mystery Holy Terror of the Hebrides (1998).

 

The Academy Award–nominated Irish animated film The Secret of Kells is about the creation of the Book of Kells. One of the characters, Brother Aidan, is a master illuminator from Iona Abbey who had helped to illustrate the Book, but had to escape the island with it during a Viking invasion.

 

Frances Macdonald the contemporary Scottish artist based in Crinian, Argyll, regularly paints landscapes on Iona.

 

Neil Gaiman's poem "In Relig Odhrain", published in Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances (2015), retells the story of Oran's death, and the creation of the chapel on Iona. This poem was made into a short stop-motion animated film, released in 2019.

 

Iona's local golf course was featured on Season 7's Adventure's in Golf by documentary filmmaker, Erik Anders Lang.

(EN)

Dear Czechs: it's just a strawberry juice, not TRUS :-)

Dear Tymbark: the word TRUS means 'dung' in Czech!!!

---

(PL)

Drodzy Czesi: to tylko sok truskawkowy, nie TRUS :-).

Drogi Tymbarku: słowo TRUS oznacza w Czechach gnój/łajno !!!

---

(CZ)

Vážení Češi: je to jen jahodový džus, ne TRUS :-).

----Bratty----------Storm-----------Elwood-----------Orph----------Wayne---

Attempting to copy the style of the Where's George county-to-county map for comparison.

 

They did not say clearly what the colors represent, so I took the reference to "four orders of magnitude" as an indication that it was logarithmic. Linear scale comes out pretty much all black, and just ranking the paths in order comes out pretty much all yellow, so it seems reasonable. The black-to-red transition in my rendition is the first half of the log₁₀ range and the red-to-yellow transition the other half.

 

Counties actually seem like a bad choice for comparison because their size varies so much. By far the largest recorded county-to-county movement is between New York County (Manhattan) and Kings County (Brooklyn), but similar movement within the large expanse of Los Angeles County goes unrepresented. It also causes the votes to be split on long-distance travel to metropolitan areas spread across several counties. A projection where Chicago isn't right on the line between San Francisco and New York would also be clearer.

 

Compared to Where's George, it looks like the geotags have relatively less local movement and relatively more coast to coast travel, but that might just be the result of me misunderstanding their color coding.

 

Data from Flickr, Picasa, Twitter.

the couple have a some misunderstanding

While waiting for the bus, a man tells Baxter the pig about the joys of Shabbat dinner. But before Baxter can find out how he, too, can join in the fun, the man has boarded the bus. Soon after, Baxter learns that he certainly cannot be a part of Shabbat dinner because he's not Kosher. So begins one pig's misguided quest to become Kosher. Will Baxter succeed or will his dreams of taking part in Shabbat dinner remain unfulfilled? Readers will cheer as a series of misunderstandings leads to a warm message of welcome and community.

 

Discovered in a bin of books at Hy-Vee grocery store

Lakeville Minnesota

Monday December 13th, 2021

 

My first night in Budapest, I got fined using the metro system through a misunderstanding. Very annoyed, I was tempted to leave Budapest straight away, but I went for a walk instead to try and calm down. Then I saw this...

These are the series of illustrations to newest story – The flight of the swan telling about Dannee’s struggle with keeping peace between her friend and one of her romantic flashbacks in the past.

Even while Skyrim being at state of fragile peace Dannee learns that not all fights are tied with something epic as she tries to out some order and peace between two of her closest friends who had big misunderstanding along with nasty quarrel. In attempt to make her friend Serana see things from her perspective Dannee dwells in her own past as well as helping Serana deal with terrible but unseen wounds of her darkest memories…

The first part – www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/433485/?

The second part of the story – www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/433486/?

  

Contax 645 | 80mm f2 | 160NS | SP3000

 

I bumped up the saturation and colour vibrancy in the scanner settings and that's why the colors look a bit radioactive....a bit too tired and lazy to go back and rescan this plus I kind of like the vividness for this image.

 

That 160NS is a strange film....on the one hand it can give really beautiful tones and colours and then out of the blue it whacks you on the side of the head with greenish yellow skin tones. I'm going to try and work out what causes it - wether it's because of overexposure or something else. It can be corrected with difficulty but my nightmare scenario is that you have a shot that you really love and you have this incredible hulk green & yellow tint running through the skin tones. It's probably something really simple that I'm missing or misunderstanding and nothing to really worry about....that's me!! haha

As the comedian Flip Wilson used to say, “What you see is what you get.” And he was right.

 

In our world, what we see (and hear) is how we perceive life and the world around us. And ourselves.

 

That view is sometimes a bit distorted by inattention to detail, or misunderstanding what we see. Sometimes our view is distorted by what we are told we are seeing, what we are told to see.

 

Perhaps we can foresee the world of tomorrow by projecting what our children are seeing now, what they are told to see.

 

Author and humorist Clarence Day wrote: If your parents didn't have any children, there's a good chance that you won't have any.

 

People see what they think is there. – Sir Terry Pratchett

 

And from Flip Wilson again: Violence is a tool of the ignorant.

 

This dog owner declined my request for a photo and I was about to leave, when I realized, he had misunderstood my question. When I was grabing my bag to get the camera out, he thought I wanted to give his dog a treat.

Despite a language barriere, we clarified the misunderstanding. Man and dog kindly agreed to take part in the project.

 

To celebrate my first 100 strangers and to grow as a photographer, I got my first, used 10 year old full frame camera, a Nikon D700. One first challenge for the new round of 100 strangers will be to master this camera.

Mainly, my aim is to extend the encounters and to get to know more about my subject. Secondly, I want to extend the mere shooting time to more than my average one or two minutes, if the stranger is willing to do so. I want to get more creative and personal.

Due to the language barrier I wasn't able to do that, here. Instead I took more effort than usually with post processing and learned some new things about going black and white and how to use brushes in lightroom, to make the subjects pop more.

 

Hopefully, these goals will improve the over all quality of my photos and maybe give them a more professional look.

 

This picture is # 101 in my second round of the 100 strangers project. To find out more about the project and to find photos of other photographers go to www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/.

 

To discover my second stranger set go here.

 

To discover my first stranger set go here.

 

The Thinker Getting Stoned,While Looking Over The Sky Line.

O! What a glimmer'd cynique day as the blaze lights,

as well as the thinkers πολύτιμος brain abounds,

where elevating ambitious attach to thy magnifiquement skyline hence,

highest insights essential to thy illusion's peaks,

and decadence falling on thee scientifica recrudescence logical sky,

with experimental narrowness a quintessential movement to hold,

by preparations in passies of fascinations last,

on a subterranean feeling a pověst of suffering hour,

'why, this transgression of a unconditionally φιλοσοφία spake?

So contradictions imposing stelle in thou indispensable ways,

for sufficiently complémentarités develop on means of emancipation's brow,

but specifically the inconscio descending center within appears,

all requirements of מטרות instinctively are preserved on thy encroachments knows,

fundamentally speaking,bestowing a quantum of misunderstanding possest,

not thy dogmata of skepticism of historical trees,

thou meager hallucinaties unravel past thy dialectics song,

a embodiment out of control into a new transfiguratio thee,

what shall thy ludicrous συνείδηση say unto thee wind?

O'what automatic musings come from the depths,

of the thinker higher than the skyline bold.

Steve.D.Hammond.

 

We dropped into the Boondall Wetlands Centre which is only ten minutes from us to see if there were any Pythons about. We have been trying to get one which apparently lives in the Centre's roof and comes out in winter and suns itself in different spots around the building.Totally needed today, Brisbane dropped to 6.3C over night which is very cold for us (colder tomorrow apparently) which is about as cold as I have felt it during my lifetime. I am enjoying climate change getting a, however brief kick in the guts! Snakes don't hibernate in winter, they bruminate and here is a brief description of what that means. By the way, as usual the Centre was closed today and as usual, so was the snake sun ing itself! One day......

  

"SNAKES IN WINTER – WHAT DO THEY REALLY DO

 

As Australia’s weather is heading into the wet and cold season, Australians could drop their guard about snakes believing them to be hiding from the wintry weather. Many believe that snakes just “go away” in the colder weather. While snakes may vanish from our sight, they do not “disappear” as people commonly thought.

 

In the southern, colder parts of Australia such as Victoria or Tasmania, or in mountainous regions where temperatures fall significantly, snakes are certainly less active. Despite this, they can be found underground, in manmade structures, logs, hollows or other places where they can readily access shelter, sunlight or water if available. Do not be surprised on cold days, that snakes will prefer to bask in as much sunlight as possible before settling in for the night.

 

In Victoria, my services as a snake catcher are still needed in winter. Often snakes are found hiding in animal feed sheds or other places not frequently accessed by humans until one day a log, part of a fence or other structure is moved to unsuspectingly find a snake underneath. During winter, in warmer, parts of the country, snakes can reduce activity but spend less time in a semi dormant state and can still be active. In Northern parts of Australia, temperatures in the wet season can still be quite high and the semi dormant period for snakes is reduced significantly. As snakes are great swimmers, water does not act as a deterrent and instead, they can often be found in water ways.

 

HIBERNATION/BRUMATION…. A CONFUSED NATION

 

One of the biggest misunderstandings relates to whether snakes really “hibernate” in winter. No matter where I go or who I speak to, someone is always trying to “teach” me that snakes will hibernate so there is no need to worry in winter because they’re all “sleeping” until the warmer months arrive. To properly understand this issue, please note the following:

 

Snakes do NOT “hibernate” in the same way mammals do. Winter dormancy in reptiles is known as “brumation”. This is similar to hibernation but has key differences: Instead of experiencing long and sustained periods of inactivity, reptiles still need to drink water or change places should their area become too disturbed. All snakes have different periods of brumation and depending upon the location, latitude and temperatures, this can have different effects on snakes altogether. As snakes depend upon external sources for heat, they can still be found seeking spots of sunlight where available even in cold months.

 

Therefore it is a semi-dormancy that snakes demonstrate in the colder periods and not total hibernation. In extremely cold weather, the latency period is extended and snakes remain dormant for longer. People need to understand that just because the autumn and winter months are here, that does not mean to become complacent about snakes. Regardless of the temperature, snakes can still be around and can bite any person who is unfortunate enough to come across one. If you see a snake, do NOT attempt to handle or kill it. Simply back away and move around it. If a snake is in or around your home, be sure to call the SNAKE HUNTER on 0403875409. One snake that is very adept to the cold weather is the copperhead snake (See lowland copperhead venomous snake profile on this website).

 

If you have any questions or want to learn about snakes, follow Mark on Facebook @SnakeHunterAus

Mark Pelley (Snake Hunter)"

 

"Watch out, a snake. No worries, she'll be right mate"!

Kent State University May 4 Shooting Site, Kent, Portage County, Ohio

 

THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY: THE SEARCH FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY

 

BY JERRY M. LEWIS and THOMAS R. HENSLEY

 

On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4, the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era.

 

In the nearly three decades since May 4, l970, a voluminous literature has developed analyzing the events of May 4 and their aftermath. Some books were published quickly, providing a fresh but frequently superficial or inaccurate analysis of the shootings (e.g., Eszterhas and Roberts, 1970; Warren, 1970; Casale and Paskoff, 1971; Michener, 1971; Stone, 1971; Taylor et al., 1971; and Tompkins and Anderson, 1971). Numerous additional books have been published in subsequent years (e.g., Davies, 1973; Hare, 1973; Hensley and Lewis, 1978; Kelner and Munves, 1980; Hensley, 1981; Payne, 1981; Bills, 1988; and Gordon, 1997). These books have the advantage of a broader historical perspective than the earlier books, but no single book can be considered the definitive account of the events and aftermath of May 4, l970, at Kent State University.(1)

 

Despite the substantial literature which exists on the Kent State shootings, misinformation and misunderstanding continue to surround the events of May 4. For example, a prominent college-level United States history book by Mary Beth Norton et al. (1994), which is also used in high school advanced placement courses.(2) contains a picture of the shootings of May 4 accompanied by the following summary of events: "In May 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen confronted student antiwar protestors with a tear gas barrage. Soon afterward, with no provocation, soldiers opened fire into a group of fleeing students. Four young people were killed, shot in the back, including two women who had been walking to class." (Norton et al., 1994, p. 732) Unfortunately, this short description contains four factual errors: (1) some degree of provocation did exist; (2) the students were not fleeing when the Guard initially opened fire; (3) only one of the four students who died, William Schroeder, was shot in the back; and (4) one female student, Sandy Schreuer, had been walking to class, but the other female, Allison Krause, had been part of the demonstration.

 

This article is an attempt to deal with the historical inaccuracies that surround the May 4 shootings at Kent State University by providing high school social studies teachers with a resource to which they can turn if they wish to teach about the subject or to involve students in research on the issue. Our approach is to raise and provide answers to twelve of the most frequently asked questions about May 4 at Kent State. We will also offer a list of the most important questions involving the shootings which have not yet been answered satisfactorily. Finally, we will conclude with a brief annotated bibliography for those wishing to explore the subject further.

 

WHY WAS THE OHIO NATIONAL GUARD CALLED TO KENT?

The decision to bring the Ohio National Guard onto the Kent State University campus was directly related to decisions regarding American involvement in the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon was elected president of the United States in 1968 based in part on his promise to bring an end to the war in Vietnam. During the first year of Nixon's presidency, America's involvement in the war appeared to be winding down. In late April of 1970, however, the United States invaded Cambodia and widened the Vietnam War. This decision was announced on national television and radio on April 30, l970, by President Nixon, who stated that the invasion of Cambodia was designed to attack the headquarters of the Viet Cong, which had been using Cambodian territory as a sanctuary.

 

Protests occurred the next day, Friday, May 1, across United States college campuses where anti-war sentiment ran high. At Kent State University, an anti-war rally was held at noon on the Commons, a large, grassy area in the middle of campus which had traditionally been the site for various types of rallies and demonstrations. Fiery speeches against the war and the Nixon administration were given, a copy of the Constitution was buried to symbolize the murder of the Constitution because Congress had never declared war, and another rally was called for noon on Monday, May 4.

 

Friday evening in downtown Kent began peacefully with the usual socializing in the bars, but events quickly escalated into a violent confrontation between protestors and local police. The exact causes of the disturbance are still the subject of debate, but bonfires were built in the streets of downtown Kent, cars were stopped, police cars were hit with bottles, and some store windows were broken. The entire Kent police force was called to duty as well as officers from the county and surrounding communities. Kent Mayor Leroy Satrom declared a state of emergency, called Governor James Rhodes' office to seek assistance, and ordered all of the bars closed. The decision to close the bars early increased the size of the angry crowd. Police eventually succeeded in using tear gas to disperse the crowd from downtown, forcing them to move several blocks back to the campus.

 

The next day, Saturday, May 2, Mayor Satrom met with other city officials and a representative of the Ohio National Guard who had been dispatched to Kent. Mayor Satrom then made the decision to ask Governor Rhodes to send the Ohio National Guard to Kent. The mayor feared further disturbances in Kent based upon the events of the previous evening, but more disturbing to the mayor were threats that had been made to downtown businesses and city officials as well as rumors that radical revolutionaries were in Kent to destroy the city and the university. Satrom was fearful that local forces would be inadequate to meet the potential disturbances, and thus about 5 p.m. he called the Governor's office to make an official request for assistance from the Ohio National Guard.

 

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ON SATURDAY MAY 2 AND SUNDAY MAY 3 AFTER THE GUARDS ARRIVED ON CAMPUS?

Members of the Ohio National Guard were already on duty in Northeast Ohio, and thus they were able to be mobilized quickly to move to Kent. As the Guard arrived in Kent at about 10 p.m., they encountered a tumultuous scene. The wooden ROTC building adjacent to the Commons was ablaze and would eventually burn to the ground that evening, with well over 1,000 demonstrators surrounding the building. Controversy continues to exist regarding who was responsible for setting fire to the ROTC building, but radical protestors were assumed to be responsible because of their actions in interfering with the efforts of firemen to extinguish the fire as well as cheering the burning of the building. Confrontations between Guardsmen and demonstrators continued into the night, with tear gas filling the campus and numerous arrests being made.

 

Sunday, May 3 was a day filled with contrasts. Nearly 1,000 Ohio National Guardsmen occupied the campus, making it appear like a military war zone. The day was warm and sunny, however, and students frequently talked amicably with Guardsmen. Ohio Governor James Rhodes flew to Kent on Sunday morning, and his mood was anything but calm. At a press conference, he issued a provocative statement calling campus protestors the worst type of people in America and stating that every force of law would be used to deal with them. Rhodes also indicated that he would seek a court order declaring a state of emergency. This was never done, but the widespread assumption among both Guard and University officials was that a state of martial law was being declared in which control of the campus resided with the Guard rather than University leaders and all rallies were banned. Further confrontations between protesters and guardsmen occurred Sunday evening, and once again rocks, tear gas, and arrests characterized a tense campus.

 

WHAT TYPE OF RALLY WAS HELD AT NOON ON MAY 4?

At the conclusion of the anti-war rally on Friday, May 1, student protest leaders had called for another rally to be held on the Commons at noon on Monday, May 4. Although University officials had attempted on the morning of May 4 to inform the campus that the rally was prohibited, a crowd began to gather beginning as early as 11 a.m. By noon, the entire Commons area contained approximately 3,000 people. Although estimates are inexact, probably about 500 core demonstrators were gathered around the Victory Bell at one end of the Commons, another 1,000 people were "cheerleaders" supporting the active demonstrators, and an additional 1,500 people were spectators standing around the perimeter of the Commons. Across the Commons at the burned-out ROTC building stood about 100 Ohio National Guardsmen carrying lethal M-1 military rifles.

 

Substantial consensus exists that the active participants in the rally were primarily protesting the presence of the Guard on campus, although a strong anti-war sentiment was also present. Little evidence exists as to who were the leaders of the rally and what activities were planned, but initially the rally was peaceful.

 

WHO MADE THE DECISION TO BAN THE RALLY OF MAY 4?

Conflicting evidence exists regarding who was responsible for the decision to ban the noon rally of May 4. At the 1975 federal civil trial, General Robert Canterbury, the highest official of the Guard, testified that widespread consensus existed that the rally should be prohibited because of the tensions that existed and the possibility that violence would again occur. Canterbury further testified that Kent State President Robert White had explicitly told Canterbury that any demonstration would be highly dangerous. In contrast, White testified that he could recall no conversation with Canterbury regarding banning the rally.

 

The decision to ban the rally can most accurately be traced to Governor Rhodes' statements on Sunday, May 3 when he stated that he would be seeking a state of emergency declaration from the courts. Although he never did this, all officials -- Guard, University, Kent -- assumed that the Guard was now in charge of the campus and that all rallies were illegal. Thus, University leaders printed and distributed on Monday morning 12,000 leaflets indicating that all rallies, including the May 4 rally scheduled for noon, were prohibited as long as the Guard was in control of the campus.

 

WHAT EVENTS LED DIRECTLY TO THE SHOOTINGS?

Shortly before noon, General Canterbury made the decision to order the demonstrators to disperse. A Kent State police officer standing by the Guard made an announcement using a bullhorn. When this had no effect, the officer was placed in a jeep along with several Guardsmen and driven across the Commons to tell the protestors that the rally was banned and that they must disperse. This was met with angry shouting and rocks, and the jeep retreated. Canterbury then ordered his men to load and lock their weapons, tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd around the Victory Bell, and the Guard began to march across the Commons to disperse the rally. The protestors moved up a steep hill, known as Blanket Hill, and then down the other side of the hill onto the Prentice Hall parking lot as well as an adjoining practice football field. Most of the Guardsmen followed the students directly and soon found themselves somewhat trapped on the practice football field because it was surrounded by a fence. Yelling and rock throwing reached a peak as the Guard remained on the field for about 10 minutes. Several Guardsmen could be seen huddling together, and some Guardsmen knelt and pointed their guns, but no weapons were shot at this time. The Guard then began retracing their steps from the practice football field back up Blanket Hill. As they arrived at the top of the hill, 28 of the more than 70 Guardsmen turned suddenly and fired their rifles and pistols. Many guardsmen fired into the air or the ground. However, a small portion fired directly into the crowd. Altogether between 61 and 67 shots were fired in a 13-second period.

 

HOW MANY DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCURRED?

Four Kent State students died as a result of the firing by the Guard. The closest student was Jeffrey Miller, who was shot in the mouth while standing in an access road leading into the Prentice Hall parking lot, a distance of approximately 270 feet from the Guard. Allison Krause was in the Prentice Hall parking lot; she was 330 feet from the Guardsmen and was shot in the left side of her body. William Schroeder was 390 feet from the Guard in the Prentice Hall parking lot when he was shot in the left side of his back. Sandra Scheuer was also about 390 feet from the Guard in the Prentice Hall parking lot when a bullet pierced the left front side of her neck.

 

Nine Kent State students were wounded in the 13-second fusillade. Most of the students were in the Prentice Hall parking lot, but a few were on the Blanket Hill area. Joseph Lewis was the student closest to the Guard at a distance of about 60 feet; he was standing still with Four men sit staring at a candle-lit stage, on which there are portraits of the four Kent State students who died as a result of the firing by the Guard.his middle finger extended when bullets struck him in the right abdomen and left lower leg. Thomas Grace was also approximately 60 feet from the Guardsmen and was wounded in the left ankle. John Cleary was over 100 feet from the Guardsmen when he was hit in the upper left chest. Alan Canfora was 225 feet from the Guard and was struck in the right wrist. Dean Kahler was the most seriously wounded of the nine students. He was struck in the small of his back from approximately 300 feet and was permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Douglas Wrentmore was wounded in the right knee from a distance of 330 feet. James Russell was struck in the right thigh and right forehead at a distance of 375 feet. Robert Stamps was almost 500 feet from the line of fire when he was wounded in the right buttock. Donald Mackenzie was the student the farthest from the Guardsmen at a distance of almost 750 feet when he was hit in the neck.

 

WHY DID THE GUARDSMEN FIRE?

The most important question associated with the events of May 4 is why did members of the Guard fire into a crowd of unarmed students? Two quite different answers have been advanced to this question: (1) the Guardsmen fired in self-defense, and the shootings were therefore justified and (2) the Guardsmen were not in immediate danger, and therefore the shootings were unjustified.

 

The answer offered by the Guardsmen is that they fired because they were in fear of their lives. Guardsmen testified before numerous investigating commissions as well as in federal court that they felt the demonstrators were advancing on them in such a way as to pose a serious and immediate threat to the safety of the Guardsmen, and they therefore had to fire in self-defense. Some authors (e.g., Michener, 1971 and Grant and Hill, 1974) agree with this assessment. Much more importantly, federal criminal and civil trials have accepted the position of the Guardsmen. In a 1974 federal criminal trial, District Judge Frank Battisti dismissed the case against eight Guardsmen indicted by a federal grand jury, ruling at mid-trial that the government's case against the Guardsmen was so weak that the defense did not have to present its case. In the much longer and more complex federal civil trial of 1975, a jury voted 9-3 that none of the Guardsmen were legally responsible for the shootings. This decision was appealed, however, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a new trial had to be held because of the improper handling of a threat to a jury member.

 

The legal aftermath of the May 4 shootings ended in January of 1979 with an out-of-court settlement involving a statement signed by 28 defendants(3) as well as a monetary settlement, and the Guardsmen and their supporters view this as a final vindication of their position. The financial settlement provided $675,000 to the wounded students and the parents of the students who had been killed. This money was paid by the State of Ohio rather than by any Guardsmen, and the amount equaled what the State estimated it would cost to go to trial again. Perhaps most importantly, the statement signed by members of the Ohio National Guard was viewed by them to be a declaration of regret, not an apology or an admission of wrongdoing:

 

In retrospect, the tragedy of May 4, 1970 should not have occurred. The students may have believed that they were right in continuing their mass protest in response to the Cambodian invasion, even though this protest followed the posting and reading by the university of an order to ban rallies and an order to disperse. These orders have since been determined by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to have been lawful.

 

Some of the Guardsmen on Blanket Hill, fearful and anxious from prior events, may have believed in their own minds that their lives were in danger. Hindsight suggests that another method would have resolved the confrontation. Better ways must be found to deal with such a confrontation.

 

We devoutly wish that a means had been found to avoid the May 4th events culminating in the Guard shootings and the irreversible deaths and injuries. We deeply regret those events and are profoundly saddened by the deaths of four students and the wounding of nine others which resulted. We hope that the agreement to end the litigation will help to assuage the tragic memories regarding that sad day.

 

A starkly different interpretation to that of the Guards' has been offered in numerous other studies of the shootings, with all of these analyses sharing the common viewpoint that primary responsibility for the shootings lies with the Guardsmen. Some authors (e.g., Stone, 1971; Davies, 1973; and Kelner and Munves, 1980) argue that the Guardsmen's lives were not in danger. Instead, these authors argue that the evidence shows that certain members of the Guard conspired on the practice football field to fire when they reached the top of Blanket Hill. Other authors (e.g., Best, 1981 and Payne, 1981) do not find sufficient evidence to accept the conspiracy theory, but they also do not find the Guard self-defense theory to be plausible. Experts who find the Guard primarily responsible find themselves in agreement with the conclusion of the Scranton Commission (Report , 1970, p. 87): "The indiscriminate firing of rifles into a crowd of students and the deaths that followed were unnecessary, unwarranted, and inexcusable."

 

WHAT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOOTINGS?

While debate still remains about the extent to which the Guardsmen's lives were in danger at the moment they opened fire, little doubt can exist that their lives were indeed at stake in the immediate aftermath of the shootings. The 13-second shooting that resulted in four deaths and nine wounded could have been followed by an even more tragic and bloody confrontation. The nervous and fearful Guardsmen retreated back to the Commons, facing a large and hostile crowd which realized that the Guard had live ammunition and had used it to kill and wound a large number of people. In their intense anger, many demonstrators were willing to risk their own lives to attack the Guardsmen, and there can be little doubt that the Guard would have opened fire again, this time killing a much larger number of students.

 

A man and young boy stare up at a May 4th Memorial.Further tragedy was prevented by the actions of a number of Kent State University faculty marshals, who had organized hastily when trouble began several days earlier. Led by Professor Glenn Frank, the faculty members pleaded with National Guard leaders to allow them to talk with the demonstrators, and then they begged the students not to risk their lives by confronting the Guardsmen. After about 20 minutes of emotional pleading, the marshals convinced the students to leave the Commons.

 

Back at the site of the shootings, ambulances had arrived and emergency medical attention had been given to the students who had not died immediately. The ambulances formed a screaming procession as they rushed the victims of the shootings to the local hospital.

 

The University was ordered closed immediately, first by President Robert White and then indefinitely by Portage County Prosecutor Ronald Kane under an injunction from Common Pleas Judge Albert Caris. Classes did not resume until the Summer of 1970, and faculty members engaged in a wide variety of activities through the mail and off-campus meetings that enabled Kent State students to finish the semester.

 

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PHOTO OF THE YOUNG WOMAN CRYING OUT IN HORROR OVER THE DYING BODY OF ONE OF THE STUDENTS?

A photograph of Mary Vecchio, a 14-year-old runaway, screaming over the body of Jeffery Miller appeared on the front pages of newspapers and magazines throughout the country, and the photographer, John Filo, was to win a Pulitzer Prize for the picture. The photo has taken on a life and importance of its own. This analysis looks at the photo, the photographer, and the impact of the photo.

 

The Mary Vecchio picture shows her on one knee screaming over Jeffrey Miller's body. Mary told one of us that she was calling for help because she felt she could do nothing (Personal Interview, 4/4/94). Miller is lying on the tarmac of the Prentice Hall parking lot. One student is standing near the Miller body closer than Vecchio. Four students are seen in the immediate background.

 

John Filo, a Kent State photography major in 1970, continues to works as a professional newspaper photographer and editor. He was near the Prentice Hall parking lot when the Guard fired. He saw bullets hitting the ground, but he did not take cover because he thought the bullets were blanks. Of course, blanks cannot hit the ground.

 

WHAT WAS THE LONG-TERM FACULTY RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTINGS?

Three hours after the shootings Kent State closed and was not to open for six weeks as a viable university. When it resumed classes in the Summer of 1970, its faculty was charged with three new responsibilities, their residues remaining today.

 

A student holds a candle at night to remember the victims of the May 4th shootings.First, we as a University faculty had to bring aid and comfort to our own. This began earlier on with faculty trying to finish the academic quarter with a reasonable amount of academic integrity. It had ended about at mid-term examinations. However, the faculty voted before the week was out to help students complete the quarter in any way possible. Students were advised to study independently until they were contacted by individual professors. Most of the professors organized their completion of courses around papers, but many gave lectures in churches and in homes in the community of Kent and surrounding communities. For example, Norman Duffy, an award-winning teacher, gave off-campus chemistry lectures and tutorial sessions in Kent and Cleveland. His graduate students made films of laboratory sessions and mailed them to students.

 

Beyond helping thousands of students finish their courses, there were 1,900 students as well who needed help with gradation. Talking to students about courses allowed the faculty to do some counseling about the shootings, which helped the faculty as much in healing as it did students.

 

Second, the University faculty was called upon to conduct research about May 4 communicating the results of this research through teaching and traditional writing about the tragedy. Many responded and created a solid body of scholarship as well as an extremely useful archive contributing to a wide range of activities in Summer of 1970 including press interviews and the Scranton Commission.

 

Third, many saw as one of the faculty's challenges to develop alternative forms of protest and conflict resolution to help prevent tragedies such as the May 4 shootings and the killings at Jackson State 10 days after Kent State.

 

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS?

Although we have attempted in this article to answer many of the most important and frequently asked questions about the May 4 shootings, our responses have sometimes been tentative because many important questions remain unanswered. It thus seems important to ask what are the most significant questions which yet remain unanswered about the May 4 events. These questions could serve as the basis for research projects by students who are interested in studying the shootings in greater detail.

 

(1) Who was responsible for the violence in downtown Kent and on the Kent State campus in the three days prior to May 4? As an important part of this question, were "outside agitators" primarily responsible? Who was responsible for setting fire to the ROTC building?

 

(2) Should the Guard have been called to Kent and Kent State University? Could local law enforcement personnel have handled any situations? Were the Guard properly trained for this type of assignment?

 

(3) Did the Kent State University administration respond appropriately in their reactions to the demonstrations and with Ohio political officials and Guard officials?

 

(4) Would the shootings have been avoided if the rally had not been banned? Did the banning of the rally violate First Amendment rights?

 

(5) Did the Guardsmen conspire to shoot students when they huddled on the practice football field? If not, why did they fire? Were they justified in firing?

 

(6) Who was ultimately responsible for the events of May 4, l970?

 

WHY SHOULD WE STILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT MAY 4, 1970 AT KENT STATE?

In Robert McNamara's (1995) book, "In Retrospect:The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam" is a way to begin is an illustration of the this process. In it he says that United States policy towards Vietnam was "... terribly wrong and we owe it to future generations to explain why."

 

The May 4 shootings at Kent State need to be remembered for several reasons. First, the shootings have come to symbolize a great American tragedy which occurred at the height of the Vietnam War era, a period in which the nation found itself deeply divided both politically and culturally. The poignant picture of Mary Vecchio kneeling in agony over Jeffrey Miller's body, for example, will remain forever Students gather in a circle, holding hands around a May 4th memorial to remember the victims of the Guard shootings.as a reminder of the day when the Vietnam War came home to America. If the Kent State shootings will continue to be such a powerful symbol, then it is certainly important that Americans have a realistic view of the facts associated with this event. Second, May 4 at Kent State and the Vietnam War era remain controversial even today, and the need for healing continues to exist. Healing will not occur if events are either forgotten or distorted, and hence it is important to continue to search for the truth behind the events of May 4 at Kent State. Third, and most importantly, May 4 at Kent State should be remembered in order that we can learn from the mistakes of the past. The Guardsmen in their signed statement at the end of the civil trials recognized that better ways have to be found to deal with these types of confrontations. This has probably already occurred in numerous situations where law enforcement officials have issued a caution to their troops to be careful because "we don't want another Kent State." Insofar as this has happened, lessons have been learned, and the deaths of four young Kent State students have not been in vain.

The Forth and Clyde Canal is a canal opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland; it provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. This allowed navigation from Edinburgh on the east coast to the port of Glasgow on the west coast. The canal is 35 miles (56 km) long and it runs from the River Carron at Grangemouth to the River Clyde at Bowling, and had an important basin at Port Dundas in Glasgow.

 

Successful in its day, it suffered as the seagoing vessels were built larger and could no longer pass through. The railway age further impaired the success of the canal, and in the 1930s decline had ended in dormancy. The final decision to close the canal in the early 1960s was made due to maintenance costs of bridges crossing the canal exceeding the revenues it brought in. However, subsidies to the rail network were also a cause for its decline and the closure ended the movement of the east-coast Forth River fishing fleets across the country to fish the Irish Sea. The lack of political and financial foresight also removed a historical recreational waterway and potential future revenue generator to the town of Grangemouth. Unlike the majority of major canals the route through Grangemouth was drained and backfilled before 1967 to create a new carriageway for port traffic.

 

The M8 motorway in the eastern approaches to Glasgow took over some of the alignment of the canal, but more recent ideas have regenerated the utility of the canal for leisure use.

 

The eastern end of the canal is connected to the River Forth by a stretch of the River Carron near Grangemouth. The canal roughly follows the course of the Roman Antonine Wall and was the biggest infrastructure project in Scotland since then. The highest section of the canal passes close to Kilsyth and it is fed there by an aqueduct which gathers water from (the purpose built) Birkenburn Reservoir in the Kilsyth Hills, stored in another purpose-built reservoir called Townhead near Banton, from where it feeds the canal via a feeder from the Shawend Burn near Craigmarloch. The canal continues past Twechar, through Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs to the Maryhill area north of Glasgow city centre. A branch to Port Dundas was built to secure the agreement and financial support of Glasgow merchants who feared losing business if the canal bypassed them completely. This branch flows past Murano Street Student Village, halls of residence for the University of Glasgow. The western end of the canal connects to the River Clyde at Bowling.

 

In 1840, a 1⁄2-mile (800 m) canal, the Forth and Cart Canal, was built to link the Forth and Clyde canal, at Whitecrook, to the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Cart.

 

At first there were difficulties with securing the capital for the work, but soon, thanks in the main to investment by Sir Lawrence Dundas, 1st Baronet, "the execution of this canal proceeded with such rapidity, under the direction of [the engineer] Mr. Smeaton, that in two years and three quarters from the date of the first act, one half of the work was finished; when, in consequence of some misunderstanding between him and the proprietors, he declined any further connection with the work, which was shortly afterwards let to contractors, who however failed, and the canal was again placed under the direction of its original projector, who brought it to within six miles [10 km] of its proposed junction with the Clyde, when the work was stopped in 1775 for want of funds, and it continued at a stand for several years."

 

Numerous supplementary Acts of Parliament preceded this period and more followed, but the key to unlocking the problem was some creativity, in which "the Barons of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland, are, out of the money arising from the sale of forfeited estates, directed to lend the Forth and Clyde Navigation Company the sum of £50,000, by which they were enabled to resume their labours, under the direction of Mr. Robert Whitworth, an engineer possessing a well earned reputation". The work was completed on 28 July 1790.

 

The Forth and Clyde Navigation Committee was set up in Glasgow in (or before_) 1787 and had several notable members: John Riddel (Lord Provost of Glasgow); John Campbell of Clathick; Patrick Colquhoun (Convenor and Superintendent); Robert Whitworth (engineer); Archibald Spiers; John Cumine (as collector of fees at east end) and James Loudon (as collector of fees at west end)

 

Contemporary description

Priestley wrote in 1831,

Besides the fine rivers above-mentioned [the Forth and Clyde, the canal], is joined by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal, near Falkirk; with the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway at its summit, near the last-mentioned village; and with the Monkland Canal and the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, at Port Dundas, near the city of Glasgow.

 

This magnificent canal commences in the River Forth, in Grangemouth Harbour, and near to where the Carron empties itself into that river. Its course is parallel with the Carron, and in nearly a westwardly direction, passing to the north of the town of Falkirk, and thence to Red Bridge, where it quits the county of Stirling, and enters a detached portion of the shire of Dumbarton. Hence it passes to the south of Kilsyth, and runs along the south bank of the River Kelvin, and over the Luggie Water, by a fine stone aqueduct, at Kirkintilloch; it then approaches within little more than two miles [3 km] of the north-west quarter of the city of Glasgow, to which there is a branch communicating with the Monkland Canal at Port Dundas, near that city. The remaining part of the line is in a westwardly direction, crossing the Kelvin River by a noble aqueduct, and thence to the Clyde, into which, after running parallel with it for some distance, it locks down at Bowling's Bay, near Dalmuir Burnfoot.

 

The canal is thirty-five miles [56 km] in length, viz, from Grangemouth to the east end of the summit pool, is ten miles and three quarters [17 km], with a rise, from low water in the Forth, of 155 feet [47 m], by twenty locks. The summit level is sixteen miles [26 km] in length, and in the remainder of its course, there is a fall to low water, in the Clyde, at Bowling's Bay, of 156 feet [48 m], by nineteen locks.

 

The branch to the Monkland Canal at Glasgow is two miles and three quarters [4.4 km]; and there is another cut into the Carron River, at Carron Shore, in order to communicate with the Carron Iron Works.

 

Though this canal was originally constructed for vessels drawing 7 feet [2.1 m], yet by recent improvements, sea-borne craft of 10 feet [3.0 m] draught may now pass through it, from the Irish Sea to the German Ocean. The locks are 74 feet long and 20 wide [23 m × 6 m]; and upon its course are thirty-three draw-bridges, ten large aqueducts and thirty-three smaller ones; that over the Kelvin being 429 feet [131 m] long and 65 feet [20 m] above the surface of the stream. It is supplied with water from reservoirs; one of which, at Kilmananmuir, is seventy acres [28 ha], and 22 feet [6.7 m] deep at the sluice; and that at Kilsyth is fifty acres [20 ha] in extent, with 24 feet [7.3 m] water at its head.

 

Passenger traffic

Between 1789 and 1803 the canal was used for trials of William Symington's steamboats, culminating in the Charlotte Dundas, the "first practical steamboat" built at the shipyard in Grangemouth by Alexander Hart.

 

Passenger boats ran on the canal from 1783, and in 1809 fast boats were introduced, running from Edinburgh to Falkirk in 3 hours 30 minutes, providing such comforts as food, drink and newspapers. By 1812 they carried 44,000 passengers, taking receipts of more than £3,450.

 

From 1828 there was a steamboat service, operated by Thomas Grahame's boat Cupid.

 

Construction

The canal was designed by John Smeaton. Construction started in 1768 and after delays due to funding problems was completed in 1790. To mark the opening a hogshead of water taken from the Forth was emptied into the Clyde at Bowling to symbolise the union of the eastern and western seas.[4] The geologist James Hutton became very involved in the canal between 1767 and 1774; he contributed his geological knowledge, made extended site inspections, and acted both as a shareholder and as a member of the management committee. The Union Canal was then constructed to link the eastern end of the canal to Edinburgh.

 

Changes of ownership

In 1842 an Act of Parliament was obtained authorising the Caledonian Railway to take over the Forth and Clyde Canal along with the Forth and Cart Canal, although this did not take effect until 1867.

 

In the meantime the canal company itself had built a railway branch line to Grangemouth Dock, which it owned.

 

The canal was nationalised in 1948, along with the railway companies, and control passed to the British Transport Commission. In 1962, the British Transport Commission was wound up, and control passed to the British Waterways Board; subsequently Scottish Canals took control.

 

Run down and revival

In 1963 the canal was closed rather than construct a motorway crossing, and so it became disused and semi-derelict. Canal locks in the Falkirk area on the Union Canal near the connection to the Forth and Clyde canal had been filled in and built over in the 1930s.

 

As part of the millennium celebrations in 2000, National Lottery funds were used to regenerate both canals. A boatlifting device, the Falkirk Wheel, was built to connect the two canals and once more allow boats to travel from the Clyde or Glasgow to Edinburgh, with a new canal connection to the River Carron and hence the River Forth. The Falkirk Wheel opened on 27 May 2002 and is now a tourist attraction.

 

When the canal was reopened, the Port Dundas branch was reinstated from Stockingfield Junction, where it leaves the main line, to Speirs Wharf, where further progress was blocked by culverts created as part of the M8 Motorway construction and the abortive Maryhill Motorway. A connection from there to Pinkston Basin, which once formed the terminus of the Monkland Canal, was later achieved by the construction of 330 yards (300 m) of new canal and two locks, lowering the level of the canal to enable it to pass beneath existing structures. The project cost £5.6 million, and the first lock and intermediate basin were opened on 29 September 2006. The lock was named Speaker Martin's Lock, after Michael Martin MP, the speaker in the House of Commons who performed the opening ceremony. Opening of the second lock was delayed by a dispute over land ownership.

 

Forth and Clyde Canal Society

The Forth and Clyde Canal Society is a waterway society on the Forth and Clyde Canal in the central lowlands of Scotland. It was formed in 1980 to "campaign for the Forth and Clyde's preservation, restoration and development"

 

According to the Forth and Clyde Canal Society's website, their current aim is "To promote the canal and to ensure its success".

 

The Society's campaigning included a petition of over 30,000 signatures for the reopening of the canal, which was then put in place under the Millennium Link project which commenced work in 1999.

 

The society currently has three boats which are used as trip-boats, charter vessels and for members cruises along the canal.

 

There are 39 locks on the Forth & Clyde Canal, as follows:

1 – New River Carron Sea Lock (The Helix Canal Extension – beyond The Kelpies)

2 – Basin Moorings (Sea Lock)

3 – Carron Cut Lock

4 – Abbotshaugh Lock

5 – Bainsford Lock

6 – Grahamston Iron Works Lock

7 – Merchiston Lock

8 – Merers Lock

9 – Camelon Railway Lock

10 – Camelon Lock

11 – Rosebank Lock

12 – Camelon Lock No. 12

13 – Camelon Lock No. 13

14 – Camelon Lock No. 14

15 – Falkirk Wheel

16 – Falkirk Bottom Lock No. 16

17 – Underwood Lock No. 17

18 – Allandale Lock No. 18

19 – Castlecary Lock No. 19

20 – Wyndford Lock No. 20 (summit level)

21 – Maryhill Top Lock No. 21 (summit level)

22 – Maryhill Lock

23 – Maryhill Lock

24 – Maryhill Lock

25 – Maryhill Bottom Lock No. 25

26 – Kelvindale (Temple Lock No. 26)

27 – Temple Lock No. 27

28 – Cloberhill Top Lock No. 28

29 – Cloberhill Middle Lock No. 29

30 – Cloberhill Bottom Lock No. 30

31 – Cloberhill Lock No. 31

Maryhill Locks at sunset

32 – Cloberhill Lock No. 32

33 – Boghouse Top Lock No. 33

34 – Boghouse Middle Lock No. 34

35 – Boghouse Lower Lock. 35

36 – No. 36

Drop Lock – Dalmuir Drop Lock (constructed recently to take navigation below bridge)

37 – Old Kilpatrick

38 – Dalnottar Lock No. 37

39 – Bowling Lock No. 38

 

The overall ruling dimensions are length: 68 feet 7 inches (20.90 m); beam: 19 feet 9 inches (6.02 m); draught: 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m); headroom: 9 feet 1 inch (2.77 m), but at the western end larger vessels may use the Bowling basin.

Please watch this video, it will be useful for some of you www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6TjZvs3Ges

 

Now, an update, just because the unpleasant comments in the Live presentation in YouTube.

 

A few guys, liked a lot to "destroy" my honesty showing an enormous lack of photographic culture, never trying to investigate well the real "owner" and author of this photograph.

 

Just for those guys:

 

This photograph was made in 2010, unfortunately HCB was already dead.

 

For them, that never wants to loose time investigating the truth and only know Google, I want to let here some links for them, besides the link I posted in the beginning in this description to avoid all of the misunderstandings.

 

www.pinterest.pt/ruipalha/henri-cartier-bresson-foundatio...

 

www.instagram.com/ruipalha_vs_hcb/

 

And, of course.my Website

 

www.ruipalha.com

 

Please, try to learn something and don't try to destroy other people.

 

Have a great day/night

I am allianced with Washigon state... that should clear up any misunderstandings

BL Add MS 62925

  

Date c 1260

  

Title Psalter, Use of Sarum ('The Rutland Psalter')

  

Content Contents: ff. 1r-6v: Calendar, use of Sarum, with the feasts for each month in red, blue and gold, with small roundels of the labours of the month and the zodiac symbols.ff. 7r-v: Volvelle compass, 15th century insertion.ff. 8v-143r: Psalter, Use of Sarum.ff. 143r-155v: Canticles and Athanasian Creed.ff. 155v-159v: Litany and prayers to various saints.ff. 160r-168r: Office of the Dead.ff. 169r-190v: Added prayers and devotions.Decoration:The decoration in this volume is the work of four major artists and their assistants (see Morgan, ‘The Artists of the Rutland Psalter’, 1987). 7 full-page or partial-page miniatures in gold and colours (ff. 8v, 29r, 43r, 55r, 83v, 97v, 112v), 8 historiated initials (ff. 29v, 43v, 55v, 56r, 68v, 84r, 98r, 99v), and 1 major decorated initial (f. 113r). 24 calendar roundels of the signs of the zodiac and labours of the month (ff. 1r-6v). Diagram, volvelle compass (f. 7r). Minor initials, inhabited and decorated, and extensive bas-de-page figural scenes with men, grotesques, demons, animals, birds, dragons, and foliage; some scenes taken from bestiaries and the Marvels of the East. Partial borders, some with hybrids and grotesques, and line-fillers, some fully painted. Some decoration is unfinished (e.g. f. 28v, at the end of Psalm 25), and f. 68r, which is blank, was probably intended to contain a miniature preceding Psalm 68.Miniatures and major initials:f. 7r: Volvelle compass, 15th century insertion.f. 8v: full-page historiated initial ‘B’(eatus) of King David harping, and the Judgement of Solomon, amidst men in combat astride lions and dragons, with roundels containing scenes from Creation and men in combat, at the beginning of Psalm 1, with a curtain above.f. 29r: full-page miniature of the Anointing and Crowning of King David, with Christ above flanked by the Sun (marked as a Host) and Moon, before Psalm 26; pasted in on a separate piece of parchment. f. 29v: historiated initial ‘D’(ominus) of Christ healing the blind man, at the beginning of Psalm 26.f. 43r: full-page miniature of Balaam, riding an ass, meeting the Angel wielding a sword, before Psalm 38, with a curtain above. f. 43v: historiated initial ‘D’(ixi) of King David pointing to his mouth, with a youth pointing upwards, at the beginning of Psalm 38.f. 55r: full-page miniature of Saul threatening King David, before Psalm 51, with a curtain above.f. 55v: historiated initial ‘Q’(uid) of Saul and Ahimelech as a king about to behead a priest kneeling before an altar (a misunderstanding of Doeg killing Ahimelech), at the beginning of Psalm 51.f. 56r: historiated initial ‘D’(ixit) of King David and the Fool, with God above, at the beginning of Psalm 51.f. 68v: historiated initial ‘S’(alvum) of Christ holding a host, above Jonah being thrown from a boat to the whale below, at the beginning of Psalm 68. f. 83v: three-quarter page miniature of Jacob’s dream of the ladder, before Psalm 80, with a curtain above.f. 84r: historiated initial ‘E’(xultate) of Jacob wrestling with the angel, at the beginning of Psalm 80.f. 97v: half-page miniature of King David playing the organ, accompanied by youths with bellows and hurdy gurdy, before Psalm 97.f. 98r: historiated initial ‘C’(antate) of King David harping, accompanied by musicians, at the beginning of Psalm 97.f. 99v: historiated initial ‘D’(omine) of a king and queen kneeling before an altar, with Christ above with a sword in his mouth, at the beginning of Psalm 101. f. 112v: full-page miniature of Christ in Majesty, surrounded by the four symbols of the Evangelists, before Psalm 109, with a curtain above.f. 113r: illuminated initial ‘D’(ixit), at the beginning of Psalm 109.

  

Languages Latin

  

Physical Description

Materials: Parchment codex.

Dimensions: 285 x 205 mm (text space: 185 x 135 mm).

Foliation: ff. 190 (+ 3 foliated parchment flyleaves at the beginning and 2 fragmentary parchment flyleaves at the end; f. i is a paste-down on the inside front cover and f. v is a paste-down on the inside back cover; f. 191 is a fragmentary foliated leaf).

Collation: i6 (f. 7 is a 15th century insertion); ii-xxiii8; xxiv8-2 (lacking leaves 7 & 8).

Script: Gothic (textualis quadrata).

Binding: Pre-1600 (between 1515 and 1530) blind-stamped binding with an armorial panel, gold-tooled spine, and two clasps (some of the original metalwork has been replaced and is boxed with the manuscript).

  

Ownership Origin: England (London?).The family of Edmund de Lacy, second Earl of Lincoln (b. c. 1230, d. 1258): his obit added to the calendar for 24 May (f. 3r). Richard de Talbot, second Baron Talbot, of Irchingfield and Goodrich (b. c. 1306, d. 1356): his obit, 'Obitus dni Ric Talebot dni de Iirchenfeld et castri godr anno dni mccclvi', now erased, added to the calendar for 22 October (f. 5v). 'Umfrehay' with motto 'verray et secrete', inscribed between 1400 and 1499 (f. v and f. 168r, under erasure). William Vaux (b. c. 1410, d. 1460), Sheriff of Northamptonshire (1436) and MP for Northamptonshire (1442): his obit in added to the calendar for 10 November (f. 6r). Henry Gairstang (d. 1464): his obit added to the calendar for 12 September (f. 5r).John Hawghe, Justice of the Common Pleas (d. 1488/9): his obit added to the calendar for 14 March (f. 2r).John Clifton, Prior of Reading Abbey between 1486 and 1490: ex libris donation inscription, under erasure: ‘Iste liber est dono dompni Johannis Clifton prioris venerabilis monasterii de Radyng quem fieri alienaverit vel de eo fraudem fecerit anathema sit’ (f. iv verso). The Clunaic Abbey of Reading, Reading, Berkshire: given to the Abbey by John Clifton, 1490.Ethelbert Burdet, canon of Lincoln, 1565: his inscription, dated 2 October 1587 (f. ii recto). Bossewell (?): 17th century inscription (f. v). Waren (?): 17th century inscription (f. v).John Henry Manners, fifth Duke of Rutland (b. 1778, d. 1857): manuscript catalogue of Belvoir Castle Library 1825, pressmark 'C. 6. 5' (f. i). Purchased by the British Library from the trustees of the ninth Duke of Rutland's estate, through Christies, with the assistance of the National Art Collections Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the G. B. Shaw Fund, in December 1983.

  

Bibliography

E. M. Thompson, 'Notes on the Illuminated Manuscripts in the Exhibition of English Medieval Paintings.' Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London, 2nd Series, 16 (1895-1897), p. 220.

Society of Antiquaries of London, Catalogue of Exhibition of English Medieval Paintings and Illuminated Manuscripts: June 8th to June 20th, 1896 (London: Society of Antiquaries of London, 1896), p.8, no.10 [exhibition catalogue].

John W. Mackail, The Life of William Morris, (London: Longmans, 1901), vol. 2, p. 329.

A. Haseloff, 'La miniature dans les pays cisalpins depuis le commencement du XIIe jusqu'au milieu du XIVe siècle', in Histoire de l'Art, ed. by A. Michel, II, 1 (Paris, 1906), p. 349, fig. 272.

Sydney Carlyle Cockerell, Illustrated Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts (London: Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1908), no. 43, pl. 41.

J. A. Herbert, Illuminated Manuscripts (London: Methuen and Co., 1911), pp.188-90.

Eric George Millar, English Illuminated Manuscripts from the Xth to the XIIIth Century (Paris: Van Oest, 1926), pp. 53, 96, 121, pls. 78-80.

O. Elfrida Saunders, English Illumination (Florence: Pantheon, 1928; reprinted New York: Hacker Art Books, 1969), I, pp. 62, 65.

Victoria and Albert Museum, English Medieval Art: Exhibition Catalogue (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1930), no. 156 [exhibition catalogue].

Eric George Millar, The Rutland Psalter: A Manuscript in the Library of Belvoir Castle, (Oxford: Roxburghe Club, 1937).

Hans Swarzenski, 'Unknown Bible Pictures by W. de Brailes', Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, I (1938), p.63.

Günther Haseloff, Die Psalterillustration im 13. Jahrhundert. Studien zur Buchmalerei in England, Frankreich und den Niederländen (Kiel, 1938), p. 61, table 16.

Stanley Morison and Bruce Rogers, Black-Letter Text (Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press, 1942), p. 35.

Louis Réau, La Miniature (Melun: Librairie d’Argences, 1946), p. 119, pl. 44.

A. Hollaender, 'The Sarum Illuminator and his School', Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine, 50 (1943), p. 261.

Aron Andersson, English Influence in Norwegian and Swedish Figure Sculpture in Wood, 1220-1270 (Stockholm: Kungl. Vitterhets historie och antikvetets akademien, 1950), pp. 184, 265.

Horst Woldemar Janson, Apes and Ape Lore in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (London: Warburg Institute, 1952), pp.110, 146, 193, n.60, pl. XXa.

Margaret Josephine Rickert, Painting in Britain: the Middle Ages (London: Penguin Books, 1954), p. 105.

R. Freyhan, 'Joachism and the English Apocalypse', Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 18 (1955), p. 235.

F. Nordstrom, 'Peterborough, Lincoln and the Science of Robert Grosseteste', Art Bulletin, 37 (1955), p. 252.

Lucy Freeman Sandler, ‘A Series of Marginal Illustrations in the Rutland Psalter’, Marsyas: Studies in the History of Art 8 (1959), pp. 70-74.

Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Réveils et Prodiges, le Gothique Fantastique (Paris : A. Colin, 1960), pp. 147, 150-52, 321, figs. 34, 36, 37, 38a, 38c, 11b.

M. Schapiro, 'An Illuminated English Psalter of the Early Thirteenth Century', Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, XXIII (1960), pp. 180, 184, pl. 24e.

R. Horlbeck, 'The Vault Paintings of Salisbury Cathedral', Archaeological Journal, CXVII (1962), p. 119.

F. McCulloch, 'The Funeral of Renart the Fox in a Walters Book of Hours', Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, 25/26 (1962/1963), p. 14, no. 17.

Erwin Panofsky, 'The Ideological Antecedents of the Rolls-Royce Radiator', Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 107 (1963), pp. 277-78, figs. 10, 11.

Neil R. Ker, Medieval Libraries of Great Britain (London: Royal Historical Society, 1964), pp. 155, 295.

Derek Howard Turner, Early Gothic Illuminated Manuscripts in England (London: British Museum, 1965), p. 23.

William M. Hinkle, The Portal of the Saints of Reims Cathedral: A Study in Mediaeval Iconography (New York: College Art Association of America, 1965), p. 34, fig. 47.

Lilian M. C. Randall, Images in the Margins of Gothic Manuscripts (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966), p. 10, figs. 40, 101, 103, 202, 321, 362, 382, 416, 451, 454, 458, 502, 547, 663, 718, 731, 739.

Lilian M. C. Randall, 'Humour and Fantasy in the Margins of an English Book of Hours', Apollo, 84 (1966), pp. 487-88.

Peter H. Brieger, English Art 1216-1307, Oxford History of English Art 4, 2nd edn. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1968), pp.158, no.1, 178-79.

G. Henderson, 'Studies in English Manuscript Illumination, II', Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 30 (1967), p. 118.

Werner Bachmann, The Origins of Bowing and the Development of Bowed Instruments in the Thirteenth Century (London: Oxford University Press, 1969), p. 109, fig. 86.

Howard Helsinger, ‘Images on the Beatus Page of Some Medieval Psalters,’ The Art Bulletin 53, no. 2 (June 1971), pp. 161-76 (p. 171).

Jean Perrot, The Organ from its Invention in the Hellenistic Period to the end of the Thirteenth Century (London: Oxford University Press, 1971), pp. 282-83, 285, pl. XXVII.2.

Johannes Zahlten, Creatio Mundi. Darstellungen der sechs Schöpfungstage und naturwissenschaftliches Weltbild im Mittelalter (Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta, 1979), pp. 64, 247.

John Block Friedman, The Monstrous Races in Medieval Art and Thought (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1981), pp. 139-40, figs. 40a, 40b.

Lucy Freeman Sandler, 'Reflections on the Construction of Hybrids in English Gothic Marginal Illustration', in Art the Ape of Nature: Studies in Honor of H.W. Janson, ed. by Moshe Barasch and others (New York: H. N. Abrams, 1981), pp. 54-55, 65, no. 38, fig. 7.

Kerstin Rodin, Räven Predikar för Gässen: en studie av ett ordspråk I senmedeltida ikonografi (Uppsala: Upsalla universitet, 1983), pp. 47, 52, fig. 12.

Susann Palmer, ‘Origin of the Hurdy-Gurdy: A Few Comments’, The Galpin Society Journal 36 (March 1983), pp. 129-31.

Derek Howard Turner, 'The Rutland Psalter', National Art-Collections Fund Review (1984), pp. 94-97.

Nigel Morgan, 'The Artists of the Rutland Psalter', British Library Journal, 13, no. 2 (Autumn 1987), pp. 159-85.

Andrew G. Watson and Neil R. Ker, Medieval Libraries of Great Britain: Supplement to the Second Edition (London: Royal Historical Society, 1987), [Reading, formerly Belvoir, Duke of Rutland].

Nigel Morgan, Early Gothic Manuscripts (II) 1250-1285, Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles, 4 (London: Harvey Miller, 1988), no. 112.

Adelaide Bennett, 'A Book Designed for a Noblewoman’, in Medieval Book Production: Assessing the Evidence: Proceedings of the Second Conference of The Seminar in the History of the Book to 1500, Oxford, July 1988, ed. by Linda L. Brownrigg, (Los Altos Hills, California: Anderson-Lovelace, 1990), pp. 1163-181 (p. 1181).

Claire Donovan, The de Brailes Hours: Shaping the Book of Hours in Thirteenth-Century Oxford (London, British Library, 1991), p. 203. no. 24.

Michael Camille, Image on the Edge: The Margins of Medieval Art (London: Reaktion, 1992), pl. 6.

Janet Backhouse, The Illuminated Page: Ten Centuries of Manuscript Painting in the British Library (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997), no. 64.

Alan Coates, English Medieval Books: The Reading Abbey Collections from Foundation to Dispersal (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1999), p. 161 no. 94.

John Higgitt, The Murthly Hours: Devotion, Literacy and Luxury in Paris, England and the Gaelic West (London: British Library, 2000), pp. 81, 154.

Lucy Freeman Sandler, ‘The Images of Words in English Gothic Psalters’, in Studies in the Illustration of the Psalter, ed. by Brendan Cassidy and Rosemary Muir Wright (Stamford: Shaun Tyas, 2000), pp. 67-86 (p. 76, 77).

Alixe Bovey, Monsters and Grotesques in Medieval Manuscripts (London: British Library, 2002) p. 51, fig. 43.

Debra Higgs Strickland, Saracens, Demons, & Jews: Making Monsters in Medieval Art (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003), fig. 17, 55, 59.

Paul Binski, Becket’s Crown: Art and Imagination in Gothic England 1170-1300 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004), pl. 211.

F. O. Büttner, ‘Der illuminierte Psalter im Westen’, in The Illuminated Psalter: Studies in the Content, Purpose and Placement of its Images, ed. by F. O. Büttner, (Belgium: Brepols, 2004), pp. 1-106 (pp. 17, 20).

Alison Stones, 'The Full-Page Miniatures of the Psalter-Hours New York, PML, ms M.729: Progamme and Patron', in The Illuminated Psalter: Studies in the Content, Purpose and Placement of its Images, ed. by F. O. Büttner, (Belgium: Brepols, 2004), pp. 281-307 (p. 297, no. 19).

The Cambridge Illuminations: Ten Centuries of Book Production in the Medieval West, ed. by Paul Binski and Stella Panayotova (London: Harvey Miller, 2005), p. 112.

Nigel Morgan, 'The Trinity Apocalypse: Style, Dating and Place of Production', in The Trinity Apocalypse (Trinity College Cambridge, MS R.16.2) (London: British Library, 2005), pp. 23-43 (pp. 26, 28, 30, figs 22-23).

Treasures of the British Library, ed. by Nicolas Barker and others (London: British Library, 2005), p. 261.

Laura Kendrick, ‘Making Sense of Marginalized Images in Manuscripts and Religious Architecture’, in A Companion to Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic in Northern Europe, ed. by Conrad Rudolph (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006), pp. 286-88, fig. 13-2.

Asa Simon Mittman, Maps and Monsters in Medieval England (New York: Routledge, 2006), fig. 5.5.

Deirdre Jackson, Marvellous to Behold: Miracles in Medieval Manuscripts (London: British Library, 2007), pl. 26.

Scot McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle, Bible Manuscripts (London: British Library, 2007), p. 109, fig. 96.

Margaret Scott, Medieval Dress & Fashion (London: British Library, 2007), pl. 36.

Lucy Freeman Sandler, Studies in Manuscript Illumination, 1200-1400 (London: Pindar Press, 2008).

Nicholas Vincent, 'The Great Lost Library of England's Medieval Kings' in~1000 Years of Royal Books and Manuscripts~, ed. by Kathleen Doyle and Scot McKendrick (London: The British Library, 2013), pp. 73-112 (pp. 98, 111).

  

www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=add_ms_62925

  

www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-rutland-psalter

  

blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/05/marginali-yeah-t...

[Feeling The Space]

Yoko Ono

 

A man came up to me and said “May I shake hands with the hand that shook hands with John Lennon?” I said, “Well, we’ve done a lot of things in our time but we haven’t got around to doing that yet...so what are you going to do about that?” He just mumbled, sort of, and shook my hand anyway. Hey, yoke, yoki, yoyo, yoho! A is for Anger, B is for Brute, C is for Cunning, D is for Death. Actually, I’m a Lenny Bruce married to Greta Garbo, if you must know. Two people in love never shake hands.

 

The Shortest distance between two dots is a direct line. Direct line is out of order. Snow in New York City - in our heads. Central Park is still summer. The air smells wise and tender. It surrounds me without giving me any pressure - like a kind friend. It makes me feel innocent again. I was never able to get hold of my mother without touching her manicure and fur. My father had a huge desk in front of him that separated us permanently. There was always such a space around me. I would play sitting in the deep gaps between tall and fat chairs. I never liked ringing the service bell because it often made me realize that there was nobody at the other end.

 

In the middle of the night I wake up in the dark. Is this Tokyo, London, where is it? It doesn’t seem to matter as long as it’s on this globe. Would I care if it was on the moon? Yes, I think I would be lonelier then though I don’t know why. Sometimes the moon looks closer than Tokyo. What would happen if I called my mother now. Would I hit her manicure again?

 

The phone is glowing in the dark like an entrance to a mysterious space. Is there anything that is real I would hit if I reached into space through that wire? Shall I call my cousin? What time is it in Paris? I might wake up the woman he is with. Curse the day when I was taught to be considerate- it’s so much like death. But that was decades ago. Now there’s nobody in Paris to call.

 

I think of this friend. I want to call them and tell them how beautiful they are, how much I love them, how much I care for them... And, if I had... If I had... Why is calling somebody such a difficult thing to do? They say if you write your thoughts down on paper you don’t have to send it. They get the message anyway. Shall I do that? I doze off for awhile. I’m up again at dawn. I feel something strange is happening that I can’t put my finger on. At the breakfast table, I find that one of the friends I wished to call had died during the night. What if I had called and spoken to her? Would it have changed anything? Things that I wanted to tell her... They’ll never be resolved now. Never is a long time. Maybe death has resolved it all.

 

Don’t leave me words, they haunt me. Leave me your coat to keep me warm. I like secondhand clothes because that is like wearing a person.

 

I miss you. I’ve written twenty letters to you in my mind but never mailed them. Anyway, I don’t know your address. I don’t even know your name. And if you do exist, why do you care about me? - an electric fan.

 

A musician came up to me and said he was very glad to work with me, because he liked foreigners. “Foreigners?” “I mean, foreign people, specially the Oriental people.” I was going to snap back and say, “Well I like to work with foreigners too,” but then the whole thing suddenly hit me as being so funny, and I just said something to thank him for liking to work with foreigners. It’s hard to remember about your slanted eyes and your skin in the melting pot of a recording session, but I suppose this is the first thing that hits them when they try to communicate. “That Jap. You never know what she’s thinking.” Next time you meet a “foreigner,” remember it’s only like a window with a little different shape to it and the person who’s sitting inside is you. Anyway, in my mind I’m a singing Sylvia Plath, half her head out of the gas stove still looking for a pencil to write her last beauty.

 

In the evening I watch the city lights from my apartment that hangs in the air, and become overwhelmed with the incredibility of it all. Behind each shining dot, there is a room, an apartment, a person or people who are all having a life show of their own. Every person’s life can be a book thicker than an encyclopedia and still you couldn’t explain all that they took to survive. I would probably not meet even 1/1000th of those people. The odds of not meeting in this life are so great that every meeting is like a miracle. It’s a wonder that we don’t make love to every single person we meet in our life. We take meetings like riding a cab. You know that you would probably never meet the driver again. Yet if the car crashed, that driver is the person you are going to die with. In fact, your life is in the driver’s hands while you’re in the car. But when you get to the destination, you give a bit of metal and slam the door behind you.

 

When I’m on the stage, I freak out thinking about the strangeness of the gathering. In four hours or so, all the seats would be empty again. In ten years nobody would remember that these people were here, or it wouldn’t matter anybody. In a hundred years, they would all be dead.

 

People say that for the last five years, I had been a hate object of the world. It was sort of fashionable to put me down. You don’t hurt me though, because I know you and I love you. I can take hatred, because I don’t believe that people are capable of real hate. We are too lonely for that. We vanish too quickly for that. Do you ever hate a cloud? How could anyone hate people who are on their deathbeds? That’s where we all are since the day of birth.

 

Hate is just an awkward way of love. We spit on people when we want to kiss them. We hit them when we only want to be held. We talk about misunderstanding and hurt. But how could we hurt or misunderstand each other when we are so much alike, when we are the only people who share this world for this decade, this year, this day, under the same sky? Deep down inside, and far outside, none of us really misunderstand anything. We don’t miss a trick. We know. But we all pretend to ourselves and to others, that we don’t.

 

All we have to do is just admire each other and love each other 24 hours a day until we vanish. That’s what we really want to do. The rest is just foreplay to get to that.

 

“I told ‘er she should quit workin’ now, ya naw, now that she’s married. An’ you know what that bitch said, she said, ‘would you quit working if you ever got married?’ I mean, what’s gonna ‘appen to the music industry?” In my mind I’m really an eternal sphinx.

 

Shake my hand for what it’s worth. There is a wind that never dies.

 

y.o.n.y. aug ‘73

  

On the last Friday of each month the Edinburgh Bookshop in Bruntsfield holds a Speakeasy night, with an author talk but also serving up gin and tonics and letting readers and writers socialise.

 

The March event this evening saw Simon Beattie giving a talk about Friedo Lampe's At the Edge of Night, which he translated, then doing a reading from the book. Lampe was a writer, librarian and publisher in Germany, he was also disabled and gay. He survived the evils of the Nazi regime (although his home was bombed and his precious lifetime book collection destroyed), only to be shot in a tragic misunderstanding by Soviet soldiers as the war was ending.

 

We were also treated to music and poetry from the fabulous Macsonnetries, with flautist Graham Dickson and poet Petra Reid. Graham started by playing some beautiful pieces by Bach, which feature in Lampe's novel, then he and Petra performed music and poetry together.

 

At one point a woman walked past outside the window, and her wee girl, maybe about eight years old, just stopped, her face lit up, utterly entranced by stumbling across this music, it was gorgeous to see her experiencing a little moment of unexpected magic. Terrific evening.

 

www.edinburghbookshop.com/

 

Outside, it's a classic October, yet I come to you with a poem about... vacations. And not just any vacations. If you're dreaming of an exotic getaway, be careful what you wish for, because not everyone will hear the same thing. 😛 Rhymes inspired by... buzzards and translated from Polish by ChatGPT.:P

 

**"The Misunderstanding"**

 

The wife said to her buzzard,

"Let’s take a trip, my dear,

I’m feeling so very tired.

Come relax with me... on Bali, clear?"

 

"Great idea!" chirped the bird.

"Let’s fly at the break of dawn,

To pick from our meadow's herd

The finest bales of straw."

 

– jn, 2024-10-09, BB

 

In August, we visited our beloved Bieszczady mountains. Right next to the place where we stayed is a little-known nature reserve, surrounded by wonderful meadows stretching along the San River. It was there that I had the chance to observe common buzzards (Buteo buteo) for the first time in my life. To my eyes, there seemed to be quite a lot of them.

 

The buzzards we saw often perched on bales of hay. The locals tend to call these hay rolls "bales" – it's likely easier and more convenient that way. Either way, our buzzards were spending their vacation on the bales, or perhaps on the "ball" (sic!), or even at "balls". And we joined them. We really enjoyed it. The buzzards seemed pleased, too.

 

fot. 2024.08.30, Myczkowce, Bieszczady, Poland.

From me, Nadeko and Hitagi!

I hope that everyone had a fun New Year's Day!

 

They caused some funny misunderstandings through baggage check (they were weirded out by the small people in the long bag and then thought that my head puller and restringing tools (which I forgot I had put in their carrying case) was a weapon. But everything turned out fine and we made it safely and without any other complications.

Sorry the picture isn't very festive, we spent the majority of the day traveling so airport shots are all we got today. But we're in the winter wonderland known as Sapporo and going to have fun at the Sapporo Sumika tomorrow so hopefully more festive pics to come!

 

Oh and I randomly got interviewed at the airport so if any of you watch Hokkaido local T.V. and you see Hitagi...well you know why

  

The girl with the bear is Nadeko. She is a VOLKS Standard SDG Megu (2010 renewal version) and everything on her is default other than her wig which is a L-093 in NaturalBlack from Leekeworld.

Her shoes are LeekeWorld LS-256_G in Black and her outfit is made up of a custom dress by Kastalia and socks (July 2016 Collection - Thigh-high socks White Knit) and cardigan (September 2015 Outfit Collection - SD cardigan Black/Lace) by VOLKS.

 

The girl with the brown hair is Hitagi. She is a VOLKS FCS F-01 in Sunlight. Her wig is W-170D (Straight Bob) in M33/12 Rich Brown, her eyes are SDG Megu defaults and she is on the B-09 Suwarikko body with heel feet and A-03 double-jointed arms.

Her outfit is from rRabit; Cute Round Neckline Sweater coat cardigan (MSK020 007) and Sailor one piece dress - Coal (KC040), and her socks are the VOLKS Thigh-high socks Charcoal Gray Knit from the September 2016 Outfit Collection.

 

Vintage German postcard. Film-Sterne, 536-2. Julius Spielmann as Franz Schubert, Anita Berber as Grisi and Conrad Veidt as Baron Schober in Das Dreimäderlhaus (The House of Three Girls, Richard Oswald, Richard-Oswald-Film 1918).

 

Das Dreimäderlhaus was based on a homonymous operetta, first performed in 1916 and using Franz Schubert's music, while successful operetta adaptations were made as Chanson d'amour (1921), Blossom Time (1921) and Lilac Time (1922). The story deals with the love affairs of the three daughters of court glassmaker Christian Tschöll (Wilhelm Diegelmann) with Franz Schubert Julius Spielmann) and his two friends. Under the lilac tree Tschöll agrees to the marriage of his three daughters with the three young men, but while Schubert's friends marry, a misunderstanding prevents marriage between Schubert and Hannerl (Sybille Binder). She marries baron Schobert (Conrad Veidt) , against whose maneuvers his girlfriend Grisi (Anita Berber) warns. Hannerl instead thinks Grisi warns against Schubert, so she marries Schober instead, and Schubert is left alone.

 

Expressionistic dancer and film actress Anita Berber (1899–1928) challenged many taboos during the Weimar period. With her drug and booze addiction and her bisexual affairs, she epitomized the decadence of 1920s Berlin. Her charcoaled eyes, her black lipstick, and bright red, bobbed hair were featured on a famous portrait of her by Otto Dix and in silent films by Richard Oswald and Fritz Lang.

 

Conrad Veidt (1893–1943) was the most highly strung and romantically handsome of the German expressionist actors. From 1916 until his death, he appeared in well over 100 films, including such classics as Anders als die Andern (Richard Oswald, 1919), Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920), Das Wachsfigurenkabinett (Paul Leni, 1924), Orlac’s Hände (Robert Wiene, 1924), The Beloved Rogue (Alan Crosland, 1927), The Man Who Laughs (Paul Leni, 1928), Der Kongreß tanzt (Erik Charell, 1931), The Thief of Bagdad (Michael Powell et.al., 1940) and Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942).

Good News. Since yesterday evening I have full access to my communication possibilities again. They came back almost as quick as they had been taken away 9 months ago. All has been a "misunderstanding" I was told. So expect some faves and comments again :-)

Meeting William and his Westie, 8y/o dog, Riley, was another wonderful encounter on Clarion Alley.

clarionalleymuralproject.org/

 

William told me about his interesting innovative Business Theatre and I found some more info online:

 

"William Hall has presented at numerous events for many large companies and has extensive experience in attracting an audience, engaging them and presenting business messages. Because he is adept at reading and interacting with an audience, he’s the perfect choice as Host.

 

William is a communications consultant and instructional designer. He teaches at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He teaches Design Thinking to educators and corporations with the Lime Design Group which was formed from the Stanford d.School.

 

William founded one of the largest improvisational theaters in America — BATS Improv Theatre and Training Center in San Francisco. He continues to perform and teach at BATS. His book of improviation games remains a “must have” book for performers and teachers around the world."

 

See more here:

fratellibologna.com/

 

As we got deeper into conversation, William asked what was the secret to my long marriage. Mind you, he's been married for almost three decades or so. I really don't have any secret, like every other couple there are ups and downs, fights and misunderstandings, sweat & tears, but luckily for me there are in-between travels that make all the difference.

Common interests help a lot, too, but I am no expert, I have my own questioning, learning and doubts, however, looking back I have acquired experience along the path.

We agreed that trust is very important, love, naturally, the ability to compromise, to be understanding, respectful and to have a sense of humour. I'm still working on all these even after almost five decades.

 

This is my 657th submission to The Human Family group.

Visit the group here to see more portraits and stories: The Human Family