View allAll Photos Tagged Misunderstanding,
The transparent orange/green ants can glow in the sun like little gems. Their complex social behaviour and ability to combine forces (literally) in order to pull large leaves together to weave a nest is awe inspiring.
This major worker usues all its body language to make clear that it will defend what’s behind it by all means. The raised green abdomes, the wide stance, and the fully open jaws leave no room for misunderstanding. Behind it seemed to have been a kind of transfer station where something is passed mouth to mouth to the workers dedicated to a new nest project.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Genus: Oecophylla
Species: Oecophylla smaragdina
Common names: Green ant, Green tree ant, Weaver ant
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System of a Frown
No-one's gonna save us now, no-one...
and where would you expect us to go, anyway?
when those bombs of the heart explode on empty shells
such a fine balancing act if ever there was one
a hole in sky covers me with blind faith
for all to see in the hell-venting platitude
a kingdom that's come so far, and yet so unclear
does it lie to our mind, out of time under alarming graith
liars, winners, honest weepers, losers, and silent speakers
who owns the keepsake that lies in wake
for the soul out all night who-knows-where
our unconcerned screams have returned as ghostly seekers
of the forest of so many hidden selves
forgotten walkways of bygone charters
and terror ways of terra cotta-hued mystery
steeping feet treat the mind to vistas revealing the truth of ourselves
this way, that way, anywhichway springs to the unseasonable thought
of fiery expanse at no cost to the refinement of public grace
sipping moods through a straw of thirst-quenching sobriety
the heroine of good health has a flirtatious rapport with our hurts so distraught
entwining hands with the secret desire of survivals desperate quest
passions stardom caresses the concealed passage of loving ways
medicinally sowing the thrust of recovering displays
tripping the barbed wire no-man's-land of peace-loving-angels profusely acquiesced
where am I coming from? it's where everyone's been, or going...
un shirking the dialect of life's bloody and sodden misunderstandings
frequently held in contempt, it takes on a new role in freedom's court
balancing laws of emotional gravity in a world that believes our weight in gold is always worth bestowing.
by anglia24
16h00: 21/05/2008
©2008anglia24
All day's traveling... now is the time to sit and take a nap.
You can follow my works on 500px to: 500px.com/joramhuyben
Today I witnessed three things: A refugee from Gambia, a brutal brawl and police aggression.
At 9 o’clock I met this man, named Lamin from Gambia before a petrol station near the pickup office for refugees (it is called LEA) and we had a little chat.
Lamin told me that out of difficulties with his father and no option to find any work. You may remember what Mnebni from Kosovo so: “No work, no money, no food.” So Lamin came here to us and he misses his mother very badly.
Lamin had this warmth that I could sense. He was desperate, yes. But also full of hope. And love for his mother. We talked about 5 or 10 minutes and Lamin agreed that I could take some photographs.
~
Suddenly, while we were talking a group of about 20 refugees ran to the petrol station you can see in the background. Two of three man chasing the others had big, white clubs in their hands hammering down the others.
I was quite shocked, but Lamin stayed very cool. I didn’t know what to do, because the mob soon disappeared. We ended our conversation, as at least 5 police cars drove by to chase the attackers and 3 stopped at the petrol station.
I wished Lamin the very best and he went on. I packed my camera in my bag.
~
But as I started to walk back to the car, 30 meters away I saw 3 policemen around a refugee and one of the officers yelled at him, while gripping the boy very hard at his jacket and shaking him hard, too.
I thought I was dreaming. This could not be true.
I had to look twice to get that it was Lamin they had. Three police officers around the boy I just talked to. And they were in a bad, aggressive state of mind, I could see that.
I went there as fast as I could and told the policemen that I was with Lamin and that we both witnessed the brawl and that he didn’t have anything to do with it. The officer asked who I was and why I was there in a very unfriendly tone.
In the meantime, they had let go of him. At least.
~
So I went to another officer and told him that I was a witness and that I could identify the attackers. And that I was confused about how Lamin was treated.
This officer noted my information (+ my address and stuff). He said that maybe the aggressive police officer acted out of self-protection.
I managed to talk to Lamin in the meantime. He was confused. I asked him, if he’d be okay. Lamin didn’t have his (three) papers anymore. The police had confiscated them.
I saw those papers earlier and they were everything he had. With his picture, name and status on them. With addresses where he had to go.
So I asked other police officers (at that time there were at least 10 of them at the petrol station), if Lamin could get his papers back and why he was treated in such a bad manner.
One of them said that Lemin refused to show is ID card. Of course! Lamin has no ID card! He is a refugee! Adding to that: Lamin doesn’t speak German and understands English only a little bit.
The officer continued that “this was a misunderstanding, but not our problem”.
"So this is his problem?" I asked, pointing toward Lamin. The police officer was getting a bit angry. I asked if someone could apologize to Lamin. The only thing what I heard was again:
“This is not our problem”.
~
I went to Lamin, asking if he was okay. He was not. He had tears rolling down his cheeks. I looked him in the eyes and said that I was sorry, that I should have protected him and that there was a misunderstanding with the police. And that he surely would get his papers back.
He nodded, but his eyes were filled with tears. Short after that a police officer came back with the papers. Lamin was still confused about what happened.
Lamin had to go the pickup office and I wished him the best for his life. I still feel sorry for what happened.
Lamin, even now, Welcome to Germany. May you be safe and never, ever be treated like this again. May you find people that can protect you and help you grow into the man you want to be.
This is a photograph from last autumn, but the same tree is now starting to shed these golden leaves again. Beyond the wall are the shops of Clevedon's Hill Road. Tuesday 18th November 2014.
Agfachrome CT100
Pentax SP1000
Takumar 55mm lens
Epson V600 scanner
Evidence of Autumn is a song by Genesis, and featured as the B-side of the single Misunderstanding in September 1980.
Hygieia & Cupid [1837] -
Bertel Thorvaldsen -
Nysø, Thorvaldsen Museum
It is a misunderstanding of the identity of the little boy, seen in antique representations at the feet of Goddess Hygieia, who always takes a nap to interpret this winged boy as "Eros", "Cupid" or "Amor".
Hypnos is the god of sleep and sleep was considered as one mean of healing among others.
Day Twenty One:
We can't have you laying there not being on the job when there's still so much more productive things we could be doing with you. This world will not permit such inactivity when you more able comrades are still toiling. Death is no excuse. Do you not still have all your appendages? Are you not still able bodied? It is merely that spark of motivation you lack. Something that with the right words when the starts are aligned perfectly shall provide.
Ah yes the mystic tools now bestowed with the power to grant such life and I use the term life very loosely. Come join the party of the worker. One that shall keep you working even should you drop dead for you did sell your soul to the company store. Not only that but in this socialish utopia we are creating we must all play our parts.
You want to get some sort of benefit from all this? But you are. It may not appear so but working you reanimated corpse till it is nothing but dust will make a worthwhile contribution. It's is nothing that those of us at the top would not do ourselves if there were a top. We are all equal. Some of us may seem more equal than others but that a mere misunderstanding of the nature of things. We may keep going and going our lives being extended into an eternity but worry not for we will find a place of great reverence for your dusty bones.
After all we'll always need egg timers.
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! :)
Before you condemn an entire nation, The Faroe Islands, please read this. As a Faroese citizen I feel I have to shed some light on the whale hunt, as the there is a massive flood of misinformation and misunderstanding uncritically flourishing in the social medias as we speak. Every day I experience people calling me and the people of my country: Imbeciles, barbarians, primitive savages, evil, idiots, psychopaths, scum of the earth and comparisons to Anders Breivik, the nazis and ISIS being mentioned every day…which must be considered a brilliant idea, if your goal is to start a healthy debate and winning people over ;) And the reason for all this hatred? Well, the Faroese just happen to be foreigners of differing cultures than their own.
The argument usually starts out like this:
“You can’t hide behind traditions you brain dead monsters!!! What you are doing is sick!!!”
In which I reply: Whale hunting in the Faroe Islands is no more a tradition than hunting sheep, fish or birds. If you want to use "tradition" as an argument, then this is what it all boils down to:The Faroese have a tradition of being in touch with nature, facing their own food and eating. That's our tradition.
Another part of our "tradition" is to not practice species-ism, as we don't regard the life of a pilot whale as superior to that of a sheep ora pig. They're all equal.
and then it goes:
“ I don’t give a shit about your traditions anyway. You’re killing our oceans and hunting and endangered animal making it go extinct… have you no soul?”
No, the pilot whale is not endangered and we actually have statistics going back a millennium, which makes it the one of the best documented hunts in world history. And as scientific studies have shown on several occasions the hunt is sustainable and the pilot whale is in no way endangered.
“ Never mind that! You inbreed retards kill these beautiful animals only for fun, a rite of passage and for money! You disgust me!”
Well, as explained earlier, the whale hunt is nothing else than a source of food for us, and in no way killed for fun or a rite of passage, and just so happens to be non commercial.
When a school of pilot whales has been beached and killed, the catch is distributed. The distribution of the meat and blubber is regulated by law, in which it is stipulated that the district administrator, the foremen of the hunt and others with certain official responsibilities each receive a defined share.
The distribution is based on solidarity and has its roots all the way back to the earliest pilot whale hunts in the Faroes. The aim is to distribute shares as equitably as possible and for free.
On two islands, Sandoy and Suðuroy, the catch is only distributed among the local residents and not between those who participate in the hunt. This means that all who live in the area receive an equal share of the catch.
“ Yadda yadda… you barbaric monster. You cause endless suffering with your killings!!!”
Well, in The Faroes we keep improving our way of killing the pilot whale in collaboration with vets making sure the kill is as fast and humane a spossible.
If mønustingarin is being used, then the kill is over in seconds. Which compared to other whale hunts is second to none, and mind you that the whales mentioned the Faroese only kill pilot whales:
* The killing of a fin whale average is 16 minutes and a maximum of 60minutes, and the risk of losing the whale is 21%.
* The minke has an average of 5 minutes when using harpoons, and 25minutes when using rifles.
* The Humpback whale has an average of 17 minutes
* In Denmark 3.000 - 10.000 endangered whales die by drowning in fishing nets every year, which is a long and painful death.
... and keep in mind that the whales live a free life in the open as compared to the mass produced caged animals living under terrible circumstances.
“ You just don’t get it do you? You are breaking international laws! You are both mass murderers and criminals!”
Well, in order to get meat on the table an animal has to die... and yes, blood is a part of that, and that's why the pictures look that dramatic, but imagine bringing cattle or pig slaughterhouses to the ocean... yup the sea would indeed turn red? And as you all know meat doesn’t magically pop up in the supermarket. And no we aren’t doing anything illegal. And no we’re not part of the EU. And as for criminal acts here is a list of criminal acts from the Sea Shepherd organization:
- The main man, Paul Watson, is wanted by interpol for criminal acts.
- In 1986, Sea Shepherd carried out an action against the Icelandic whaling station in Hvalfjoerdur and sank two Icelandic whaling vessels in Reykjavik harbour by opening their sea valves.
- in December 1992, Sea Shepherd sank the vessel Ny broena in port.
- Sea Shepherd claimed to have sank the Taiwanese drift net ship Jiang Haiin port in Taiwan and to have rammed and disabled four other Asian drift net ships.
- a Canadian court ordered Watson and his former ship, the Cleveland Armory, to pay a total of US$ 35,000 for ramming a Cuban fishing vessel off the coast of Newfoundland in June 1993.
- in January 1994 the group severely damaged the whaling ship Senet in the Norwegian port of Gressvik.
“Don’t care! You are a fucking caveman, so you probably won’t know, but we are actually in 2015!!! Wake up and educate yourself! You murderers have an acute need to get civilized!!”
Well, here are some statistics in order to put things into perspective. 56 BILLION aka.56.000.000.000 farmed animals are killed every year by humans. More than 3,000 animals die every second in slaughterhouses around the world, but yet the world condemns the killing of 140 pilot whales who have lived in the open all their life and were killed within seconds.
And as an anti Faroe Islands person from England wrote: “We have regulated abattoirs and think it's pretty safe to say that our standard of humane slaughter is exceptionally higher than yours” – Dan Kavanagh.
Well let’s have a look shall we: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVGR1N2Pl00
If the animal cruelty going on in these animal farms are what you call civilized together with genetically modified food sprayed with pesticides and wrapped in plastic, then I’m actually quite ok with being uncivilized.
As Vice journalists Ed Ou and Elise Coker put it in an interview: "...Those who oppose the grind often say the Faroese don’t need whale when they have access to resources from the rest of the world, but this suggestion that the Faroese should exclusively rely on outside sustenance strikes many as unfair and even somewhat ironic in light of the urban movement to eat local foods.
“ Well anyways I hope you die from mercury poisoning!”
Well, if I die from mercury poisoning the whales are definitely gonna die,as they are heavily contaminated, and if you are seriously concerned about saving the pilot whales and keeping the oceans healthy, then your death wish for the Faroese is a lot more directed against the pilot whale, so careful what you wish for.
The Faroese people are merely the symptom and not the cause. If you want to make a difference fight the cause, as the whales won’t have much time left on this planet if the mercury levels keep rising.
If you want sources for any of this information, just ask and I'll give it to you, and if you want a view on the matter from an outsider, then here's a documentary and a blog from Vice and Ted: blog.ted.com/a-ted-fellows-documentary-on-whale.../
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/?
Copyright © 2013 by Ian J MacDonald. Permission required for any use. All rights reserved
Pen and ink on paper
Archeology and ancient sources suggest that the ancient Celts revered certain natural places. These were perhaps regarded as places that connected the living world to that of gods, the underworld, the dead, or were places with healing properties such as hot springs.
I have been fascinated by this subject for years and have devoured many books about the archeology and culture of these people. However I am also always left with a feeling that the artifacts and studies are sterile and out of context. This isn't to imply that there is anything missing in modern archeology, in fact the goal is to reconstruct and understand the past as fully as possible. Barry Cunliffe, in his books about the ancient Celts suggests that the they didn't make art for art's sake. In "The Ancient Celts" he shows a pair of forged fire dogs with bull's heads on them and profoundly relates that this imagery was not merely artistic but had meaning to them that was as obvious as modern religious symbols would mean to us - the crucifix for example. I can imagine archeologists thousands of years in the future unearthing a richly adorned crucifix, without an image of Christ on it and concluding that it is an artistic pair of crossed sticks - but having no idea of the extensive body of meaning implied by that crucifix. This is what I mean when I say the artifacts seem sterile and out of context.
In these pictures I am attempting to mentally recreate their world and see it as much as is possible in the eyes of the ancient people. This is naturally impossible since as time marches on our knowledge and control of the world has grown far beyond what they could have ever imagined. Like a genie, new knowledge cannot be un-discovered, as many people wish could happen.
The world in pre-Roman and pre-Christian eras was a small, uncertain and a violent place. Diseases, disasters, invading bands and armies came seemingly out of nowhere and struck ferociously. Knowledge has provided us an unparallelled amount of certainty in our lives, but until recently a spate of bad weather could mean mass starvation - something that still occurs in places in the modern world. I religions probably arise formed from our insatiable desire to connect events with reason. Coupled with the ability to have abstract thought this powerful adaptation has made humans one of the most powerful forces on earth.
Religions provided some explanation and feeling of control over the world. Some authors have noted connections between ancient Indo-European religions originating in India and Iran, that are often nowadays associated with Yoga and meditation. I often see the Gundestrup cauldron held up as an example as their is a horned deity, similar to depictions of Cunernos,sitting in the lotus position, possibly meditating and holding a torc and snake - a symbol also associated with Eastern religions. It seems plausible to me that many tenets of European religions could have originated from ancient Indo-European society, but I hesitate to take this comparison too far as meditation and quiet introspection are features of many religions including Christianity. Christianity similarly contains elements of many ancient Pagan religions but it is only murky shadows of them. Besides we really have no firsthand description of even the most basic tenets of their religions, only reconstructions based on archeology and some ancient writings which contain considerable amounts of bias and misunderstanding. I believe the local conditions and experiences shaped their religions which would account for the huge variety of deities that have been uncovered through archeology.
As a reflection of the world around them, Celtic deities appear to be fearsome beings with fickle personalities. We'll never know for sure, but forgiveness and fairness do not seem to be their main attributes. A personal relationship with the deities also does not appear to be likely either. These were deities that affected the world and meted out harsh retribution for...tbc
Care must be used when using the word "natural" as it comes loaded with modern implications. Natural means things that occurred naturally such springs, bogs water bodies, mountains, caves etc... In modern parlance "natural" means closer to the land, organic, environmentally aware and so on. This modern meaning of natural cannot be applied to the ancient Celts as the whole world was "natural" and everyone was more connected to the land and weather and the cycles of nature as a means of survival. There was no other alternative to that world. Imposing the modern meaning on them reduces them to the stereotypical "noble savage" or barbarians just as the ancient Roman writers often did intentionally (e.g. Caesar ) or not (e.g. Pliny and Tacitus).
In these pictures I have tried to get into the head of the ancient Celts and depict their holy places without relying on the cliches, stereotypes, and misinformation - e.g. Stonehenges and scrolling knot work, white-robed druids praying to the sun etc... I imagine that sacred places evolved for reasons, perhaps long lost to the ancient Celts. I also envision that sacred places were subtle and perhaps not noticeable until you were on top of them. A foreigner might never recognize them.
I don't believe we can ever see the world as ancient people did, or anyone in the past for that matter. Knowledge is like a genie - once it is out it cannot be put back and the world cannot be experienced as it was before, no matter how hard one tries. Ancient writers have described "fearsome" wooden idols standing in dark groves. Ancient writers also seemed to highlight the most lurid aspects of these ancient religions, although all societies practiced animal and human sacrifice. The Romans describe the Celts ...and all barbarians....as spooky and superstitious but Romans were no less spooky or superstitious. They were the conquerors wrote the history, and found their Celtic superstitions to be strange and creepy and theirs moral and right.
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Was this photo from the same game - Jacques Plante, Tom Johnson and Frank Mahovlich at the Gardens. LINK - www.newspapers.com/article/the-leader-post-jacque-plante-...
I am leaning that it was Cesare Maniago in nets on the photo above - the game took place on - 31 October 1962 - with the Habs' and Cesare Maniago winning the game 4-3 - LINKS to two photos from the game - Red Kelly, Frank Mahovlich and Cesare Maniago at Maple Leaf Gardens - Leafs Lost 4-3 - www.newspapers.com/article/the-hamilton-spectator-red-kel... and Leafs' George Armstrong (C) Pumps one Past Habs' Cesare Maniago - www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-leafs-george-...
Who is the Goalie for the Canadiens in this photo? Jacques Plante, Charlie Hodge and Cesare Maniago all wore jersey (#1) for the Montreal Canadiens, despite playing on the same team, because Plante wore the number first and was the established starter, while Hodge wore (#1) when he occasionally played, often as a backup or when Plante was injured. The Canadiens retired Plante's (#1) in 1995, further solidifying its association with him. While it's unusual for two players on the same team to wear the same number, this was the situation with Plante and Hodge. Plante was the established (#1), and Hodge wore the number when he played, but the number was primarily associated with Plante.
Jacques Plante was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the New York Rangers on June 4, 1963. He was traded along with Phil Goyette and Don Marshall in exchange for Gump Worsley, Dave Balon, Leon Rochefort, and Len Ronson. This trade ended Plante's tenure with the Canadiens, a team he had played for since 1952.
After starting 60-61 with the Royals, Charlie Hodge got his first long spell in the NHL, playing 30 games between late Nov and early February but Plante’s return to health meant he spent another two full seasons in the minors before Plante was traded and he got the starters job for 63-64.
1959-60 SEASON
Jacques Plante GP - 69
Charlie Hodge GP- 1
1960-61 SEASON
Jacques Plante GP - 40
Charlie Hodge GP- 30
1961-62 SEASON
Jacques Plante GP - 70
Charlie Hodge GP- 0
1962-63 SEASON
Jacques Plante GP - 56
Charlie Hodge GP- 0
Cesare Maniago GP - 14 - he played 31 Oct 1962 in Maple Leaf Gardens winning the game - 4-3 - LINK - hockeygoalies.org/bio/maniago.html
Ernie Wakely GP - 1
Tom Johnson's (#10 in the photo with the "A") time with the Canadiens ended after a facial injury during the 1962-63 season damaged his eye muscles; he was left unprotected in the 1963 NHL Intraleague Draft and was claimed by the Bruins. Two years later, a nerve injury to his leg as the result of a skate cut led to his retirement.
During the 1960s, the Toronto Maple Leafs wore their dark blue jerseys at home. The team switched to wearing white jerseys for home games in 1970.
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Francis William Mahovlich CM (born January 10, 1938) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and a former Liberal Senator in the Canadian Senate. He played on six Stanley Cup-winning teams and is an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017 Mahovlich was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. Mahovlich was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. His brother Peter also played in the NHL. His nickname is "The Big M".
He joined the Leafs in 1957 and was a 20-goal scorer in his first season, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in what was otherwise a rough season with the last-place Leafs. During the off-season, he took courses at Assumption University in Windsor, Ontario. At the same time, Punch Imlach was hired to run the Leafs and soon became head coach and general manager.
In the 1960–61 season, Imlach put Mahovlich on a line with Red Kelly and Bob Nevin. The three immediately clicked and were the team's top three scorers that year, led by Mahovlich's 48 goals—a Leaf record that would stand for 21 years. The following season, the Leafs won the Stanley Cup, and repeated as champions in 1963 and 1964. Mahovlich led the team in goals scored in all three seasons.
Initially, Mahovlich and Imlach got along well, but their relationship deteriorated after winning the 1962 Stanley Cup, particularly when Mahovlich's contract was up for renewal at the end of the 1962 season. He felt the Leafs gave him a low-ball offer and walked out on the team during training camp in September. Red Burnett at the Toronto Star described the situation as a "cold war" between Imlach and Mahovlich.
At that time, the National Hockey League All-Star Game was played at the beginning of the season, and during a reception in Toronto attended by team executives in the days before the 1962 game, Chicago Black Hawks owner James D. Norris offered the Leafs $1 million for Mahovlich. He believed he had an agreement with Leafs co-owner Harold Ballard and paid $1,000 as a deposit with the balance to be delivered by cheque the next morning. The next day, the Leafs gave Mahovlich the money he had been asking for and told the Black Hawks that their apparent agreement the night before had been a misunderstanding. The Leafs returned the $1,000 deposit. The Black Hawks accused the Leafs of reneging on a deal. Conn Smythe, at this point a minority shareholder in the Leafs, was adamant that the deal should be rejected. Mahovlich eventually spoke out publicly and reaffirmed his commitment to the Leafs.
Mahovlich also had a rocky relationship with fans at Maple Leaf Gardens and was often booed at home games. Imlach—who mispronounced Mahovlich's name for years—became a constant critic and, under pressure from fans and management, Mahovlich was admitted to Toronto General Hospital in November 1964, suffering from what was publicly described as "constant fatigue" but diagnosed as acute depression. Mahovlich was flooded with well-wishes from fans during his time off. He returned to the lineup a month later and was still able to lead the Leafs in scoring in the 1964–65 season, despite missing 11 games. Mahovlich led the Leafs in scoring again in the 1965–66 season.
The Leafs won the Stanley Cup in the 1966–67 season, with Mahovlich having his lowest-scoring year in seven seasons. Early into the next season, Mahovlich was again admitted to hospital, although this time it was acknowledged publicly as depression and tension. "Mahovlich is a sensitive, easily-bruised individual," wrote Milt Dunnell in a page-one story in the Toronto Star.
Mahovlich was part of a six-player blockbuster transaction in which he was traded along with Pete Stemkowski and Garry Unger from the Maple Leafs to the Detroit Red Wings for Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson and Floyd Smith on March 4, 1968. The Maple Leafs and Red Wings were in fifth and sixth place respectively at the bottom of the East Division standings. He had 19 goals and 17 assists in 50 games that season and was the leading goalscorer in Maple Leafs franchise history with 296 at the time of the deal. He joined a Red Wings team that also featured his younger brother Pete. He said in a press conference announcing the trade, "Business is business and if I can't please them here, maybe I'll be able to please them there."
LINK to video - Frank Mahovlich won Stanley Cup six times - www.youtube.com/watch?v=js-ux2nMiTE
LINK to video - The Frank Mahovlich vs. Punch Imlach Feud: How the "Big M" was Nearly Driven to Madness. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_dsYp5hBOU
Madurai - Meenakshi Temple
Lots of people from all rank have the daily habit to pass a moment in the Meenakshi Temple for a pray, the temple is the center point of the city and the center point in the life of many in Madurai.
Taken in the Butterhall, I call it like that, the man was standing in front of the Hanuman God.
Hinduism is often seen as a religion of 400 million gods. A misunderstanding of the symbolism of the Hindu Pantheon, Hindus worship the nameless and formless Supreme Reality by various names and forms. The many gods and goddesses of Hinduism symbolize the different aspects of one Reality, God's actual nature of diversity manifested in his different aspects by all the gods. Symbolism in Hinduism plays a bigger role then in any other religion.
2006-02-12
Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Please, no logo's in your comment
Imogen is a slightly re-worked version of Shakespeare's Cymbeline. This is not one of Shakespeare's best, there isn't a great soliloquy and its yet another plot based on silly misunderstandings. However the production by this company was excellent.
Surprised by the huge outcry, Indiana's governor, Mike Pence, said that people were misunderstanding the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. And he and the state's Republicans quickly moved to clarify and protect the rights of the LGBT community. But why were they so clueless to begin with?
This is the real question, not just about this issue but about women's rights, immigration, the poor (Missouri Republicans are trying to ban food stamp recipients from buying steak and seafood, as if eating a better diet doesn't matter), and the GOP's relentless opposition to anything "Obama," not on merit but just because it's "Obama."
The American people are starting to get tired of this: certainly liberals and progressives, but also moderates. Soon, the GOP will find its only supporters are its base. And that won't win elections and, more importantly, that won't work to better the country.
This poster isn't just about Indiana's "big mistake." It's to reiterate "united we stand, divided we fall." Ironically, this is the official motto of Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell's home state of Kentucky. He would be wise to remember and live by the motto of the people he represents.
We are all American. And it's time we start acting like it.
See all the posters from the Chamomile Tea Party! Digital high res downloads are free here. Other options are available. And join our Facebook group.
KV Dream Fashion Agency
Ava Jhamin - Official KV Blogger
KV WINTER FASHION MONTH
✿¸.•❤•.❀OUTFIT✿¸.•❤•.❀
DA
"Sam Outfit i"
Let your classy inner biker babe out. This great biker jacket, matching pants, and shoes will let you roar into anyplace with style and attention getting colors of black and red.
K.V. Dream Fashion Agency is organizing the "KV Winter Fashion Month".
The event will take place from the 1st to the 30th of October.
In the frame of this big event we have 3 different events linked to each other:
1) KV Winter Fashion Month – Gacha
2) KV Winter Fashion Month – Shopping Way
3) KV Winter Fashion Month - Haute Couture
Each designer can decide to join only one event or all 3.
The event will be advertised on:
- Inovare Magazine;
- Versus Magazine;
- ModelSL Magazine;
- Kingdoom Style Magazine
- 63 blogs
- KV FaceBook and Flickr Pages
- KV Website
ABOUT SPONSORS:
We will link a Photo Contest to the event, prizes and rewards will be on KV Dream Fashion Agency.
1) KV Winter Fashion Month – Gacha (maximum 32 designers)
We require each designer to create exclusive WINTER THEMED MESH ITEMS (we highly discourage the usage of system clothes in this section of the event).
A Gacha Event will only be successful if the items will be high quality, something customers will want to collect.
So we ask to all designers to create great and unique items.
Due to the nature of the Gacha, items have to be transf/no copy, so the customers can trade doubles. The customers will be allowed to use the KV Dream Fashion Agency Group (in world) to trade their doubles.
Each designer will have 2 Gacha machines and they will cost 500$L each.
The vendors required to have AT LEAST 6 items in the machine - the number and ratio of rares is at the designer's discretion.
All prims must fit within the assigned vendor space. One machine per vendor.
We ask the designers to sell the items at a low price, so the customers will be tempted to collect them all.
We kindly ask to the designers, who never joined a Gacha event, to search information about how it works.
We will explain you how to use the script.
KV Dream Fashion Agency will accept the first 32 applications, so first come first serve.
2) KV Winter Fashion Month – Shopping Way (maximum 22 designers)
Is a glamorous, WINTER THEMED street sale.
Each designer will get a stand located in the avenues of the KV sim in which you can rez 3 vendors:
- 2 exclusive items (both clothing and accessories are welcome)
- 1 non-exclusive item as long as it's winter themed.
All items will be sold at a discounted promotional price so we would ask you not to exceed the prices listed below:
1) Accessories:
- skin: 200$L
- poses: 30$L each
- make-up: 50$L
- jewelry/accessories/poses: 70$L
- "ORIGINAL MESH" shoes: 150$L
- " NON ORIGINAL MESH" shoes: 70$L
2) CLOTHES
- "ORIGINAL MESH" lingerie: 130$L
- "ORIGINAL MESH" casual dress: 150$L
- "ORIGINAL MESH" formal dress: 190 L
- "NON ORIGINAL MESH" lingerie: 50$L
- "NON ORIGINAL MESH" casual dress: 70$L
- "NON ORIGINAL MESH" formal dress: 130$L
** The ITEMS are considered "ORIGINAL MESH" if you created the model yourself on a 3D software (Blender, Maya, etc).
The ITEMS aren't "ORIGINAL MESH", if you bought full perms item from another creator.
We ask you to provide DEMOS for a better shopping experience.
We won't ask you a joining fee but we require that the vendors will have a 20% split with KV*.
KV Key:
KVDreamFashion Resident : 79d128e5-597e-4fa6-b678-99a2048c11ca
* We strongly suggest you to use your own split script, so that you have full control over it.
We will organize a fashion show to promote your items and advertise the event and your brand with it.
We will select the items that better fit the winter theme for the show..
The Fashion Show will be the 6th of October at 1.00pm SLT.
KV Dream Fashion Agency will accept the first 22 designers, who send the application form.
3) KV Summer Fashion Month - Haute Couture
(maximum 15 designers)
We require each designer to create 1 exclusive WINTER THEMED MESH ITEMS (we highly discourage the usage of system clothes in this section of the event).
The item will be hosted into a special shop in KV Sim.
We ask you to keep the prices of this exclusive creation between 100 and 500 L$ (you can sell it at full price at the end of the event) and to provide DEMO for a better shopping experience.
We won't ask you a joining fee but we require that the vendors will have a 30% split with KV*.
KV Key:
KVDreamFashion Resident : 79d128e5-597e-4fa6-b678-99a2048c11ca
* We strongly suggest you to use your own split script, so that you have full control over it.
We will organize a fashion show to promote your items and advertise the event and your brand with it.
The Fashion Show will be the 8th of October at 1.00pm SLT.
KV Dream Fashion Agency will accept the first 15 designers who will return the application note, correctly filled in.
If you wish to join all the sections, please fill all the applications.
The designers can, of course, sell their exclusive items with full prices in their mainstores/Marketplace at the end of the event (after the 30th of October).
We would ask you to provide your bloggers with the SLURL to the KV sim to add to their posts, along with dates and infos about the event.
KV SLURLS is the following:
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Brimstone%20Island/39/211/35
KV will provide a list of bloggers too from its selected group to help you spread the voice and enhance your sales and our traffic.
KV Dream Fashion Agency invites all the designers to pay attention to the deadlines to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Best regard
The owners of K.V. Dream Fashion Agency, sim
Katiuscia Vollmar
JuanSebastian Menges
Ets Zessinthal
Ora Ohara
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A Ga-Matoran sent to Karzahni over a misunderstanding, she was transformed into a form similar to a Nui-Jaga. Horrified by her new appearance, she tried to escape, which only bought her brutal beatings by Karzahni. She was only rescued when she was brought off the island the Onu-Matoran Geryn, and since then they have become inseperable.
(Vanga curvirostris)
Ranomafana
Madagascar
------------------------------------
This may be the only photo I will show here from our first day/afternoon in Madagascar. We started off on the wrong foot!
To give you an idea, I need to provide some context. We left our home on the 8th at 6 am. Flight to Paris-Orly at 8:35 am. 1 hour and 30 minutes to change airports, via OrlyVal+RER-B, and reach Paris-CDG. At the check-in counters terminal, there was only one McDonald's. Of course, I preferred not to eat!
Flight to Nairobi at 7:20 pm (local time). Upon arrival in Nairobi, after two landing attempts, the pilot gave up and diverted us to Mombasa, where we stayed inside the plane while it was refueled (as we were told) and waited for conditions in Nairobi to improve. Since we were facing a long layover, we didn't worry.
Once in Nairobi, we waited in a nice and calm lounge for boarding, which happened in a very friendly and almost informal manner. We landed in Antananarivo at the scheduled time.
We found our driver at the passenger exit, along with our friend Rosa, who had already been in the country for a week. I withdrew 1,600,000 Ariary from the ATM in 20,000 banknotes (sometimes 10,000), totaling 80 banknotes that I had to distribute among various pockets ;-) and bought a SIM card. We loaded the luggage into the jeep and had to tip a swarm of "helpers" who gathered around the vehicle, and I had no idea what assistance they had provided. I think (I'm almost sure) that for some, the only effort made was reaching out for the tip.
We left the airport around 5 pm (on the 9th, 2 pm in Portugal) heading to the Souimanga Hotel-Restaurant in Antsirabe. Just to cross the capital took us more than 2 hours. Along the way, faced with an endless array of food stalls, I tried to choose one to have something to eat. However, my cautious wife was uncomfortable with the food safety, so, following our driver's recommendation, we went straight to Antsirabe.
When we arrived, it was 11 pm, and there was no place to eat. Besides, we were exhausted from the journey, so we decided to go to sleep. We hadn't felt the comfort of a bed for 40 hours.
The next day, the 10th, we left at 5 am, and once again, the overwhelming offering of food along the streets/roads didn't give my stomach a break. However, the conditions were not suitable for a tourist. I spoke with the driver, the very friendly and smiling Angelico, to stop when he saw a place with minimal conditions for a Westerner, and he agreed. But after 2 hours, he still hadn't found such a place. I reiterated the request 2 or 3 times, and he kept reassuring that he hadn't forgotten.
It was only on leaving Ambositra that Angelico finally stopped. I thought it might be a clean café, with tables and a glass counter displaying cakes and other treats, but it turned out to be just a small space of about 8 square meters with a one-meter-wide window facing the street and some tempting cakes.
The samosas immediately caught my attention. There were also some cakes that looked good, but they seemed loaded with sugar, so we opted for the samosas and the promised (since that morning) Madagascar bread (in practice, a cake with some sugar). Ana wasn't convinced and chose to continue fasting, but Rosa, Angelico, and I ordered tea (coffee for me), plus 3 or 4 samosas and as many Madagascar breads.
When it came time to pay with the 20,000 Ariary note, the lady widened her eyes, crossed the street, and returned with the change of 15,000 Ariary. The total bill was 5,000 Ariary, which is about €1 for 2 teas, 1 coffee, and 8 or 9 cakes. I was pleased; unfortunately, I didn't have another breakfast like this.
Meanwhile, on the way, Angelico was providing feedback on the expected time of our arrival to the guide who awaited us in Ranomafana. However, we wouldn't get there without Ana vomiting and having to move to the front seat. (Un)fortunately, she hadn't eaten anything for over 20 hours, so she only vomited stomach acids.
Upon arrival in Ranomafana, two guides were waiting for us, explaining the conditions and ready to start the activity. It was around noon, and although breakfast had been satisfactory for me, we hadn't had dinner the day before, and Ana hadn't eaten since the sandwich they gave her on the flight from Nairobi.
I explained that we needed to have lunch first, but a misunderstanding with the guide and my naivety led me to believe they had lunch for us in their backpacks. They did, but it was only for them. Worse was the trail, one of the toughest we've ever done. I already knew it would be challenging, as I had read reports of much younger people complaining about its difficulty, but I expected to have a picnic halfway and with the anticipation of an abundance of birds, I hoped the effort would be relativized. A pure, big, and gross mistake on my part.
Birds were almost non-existent. We could count on one hand the number of species we saw, many of them hidden behind dozens of branches, trunks, and leaves with no possibility of get a camera's focus on them. The heat and the constantly steep path, often consisting of steps of various heights/widths (which I preferred to avoid and circumvent), combined with our lack of energy preparation, led to the worst day of photography in our lives. We had some tough days in Vietnam, but here was 10 times worse.
Until I spotted this species, we might have seen 2 or 3 species. And after this one, we saw the back of a Pitta-Like Ground Roller, and that was it. We returned with great difficulty, with dozens of breaks, using the steps as benches to catch our breath, already with little water, which we rationed. When we arrived at the parking lot, I dragged myself to the car and looked for water, which I couldn't resist drinking without moderation. Immediate consequence: I vomited!
We went to our hotel, the Setam Lodge, and after check-in, they pointed us to our rooms set on a beautiful slope, but we had to climb 20 or 30 steps to get there.
It was the end!
The next day brought consequences, but I will talk about that on another photo! This is a truthful (I think) and perhaps tiring report, but it doesn't come close to conveying our suffering.
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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.
So, you may find:
- All the photos for this trip Madagascar (2023)
- All the photos for this order PASSERIFORMES
- All the photos for this family Vangidae
- All the photos for this species Vanga curvirostris
- All the photos taken this day 2023/11/10
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. . . No, this is not a photo. Like all the other pictures in this style, it`s an artwork of my original photos
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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.
WIKIPEDIA
Triest
seen from Castello di San Giusto
gesehen vom Castello di San Giusto
Trieste (/triˈɛst/ tree-EST, Italian: [triˈɛste]; Slovene: Trst [tə̀ɾst, tə́ɾst] is a city and seaport in northeast Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the regional decentralization entity of Trieste. As of 2025, it has a population of 198,668.
Trieste is located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste, on a narrow strip of Italian territory lying between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia; Slovenia lies close, at approximately 8 km (5 mi) east and 10–15 km (6–9 mi) southeast of the city, while Croatia is about 30 km (19 mi) to the south of the city.
The city has a long coastline and is surrounded by grassland, forest, and karstic areas.
Trieste belonged, as Triest, to the Habsburg monarchy from 1382 until 1918. In the 19th century, the monarchy was one of the Great Powers of Europe and Trieste was its most important seaport. As a prosperous trading hub in the Mediterranean region, Trieste grew to become the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest, and Prague). At the turn of the 20th century, it emerged as an important hub for literature and music. Trieste underwent an economic revival during the 1930s, and the Free Territory of Trieste became a major site of the struggle between the Eastern and Western blocs after the Second World War.
A deep-water port, Trieste is a maritime gateway for northern Italy, Germany, Austria and Central Europe. It is considered the end point of the maritime Silk Road, with its connections to the Suez Canal and Turkey. Since the 1960s, Trieste has emerged as a prominent research location in Europe because of its many international organisations and institutions. The city lies at the intersection of Latin, Slavic and Germanic cultures, where Central Europe meets the Mediterranean Sea, and is home to diverse ethnic groups and religious communities.
A scholarly area, Trieste has the highest percentage of researchers, per capita, in Europe. Città della Barcolana ("City of the Barcolana"), Città della bora ("City of the bora"), Città del vento ("City of Wind"), "Vienna by the sea" and "City of Coffee" are epithets used to describe Trieste.
Etymology
The most likely origin is the word, Tergeste – with the -est- suffix typical of Venetic – and derived from the hypothetical Illyrian word *terg- "market" (etymologically cognate to the Albanian term treg 'market, marketplace' and reconstructed Proto-Slavic "*tъrgъ") Roman authors also transliterated the name as Tergestum (according to Strabo, the name of the oppidum Tergestum originated from the three battles the Roman Army had to engage in with local tribes, "TER GESTUM [BELLUM]").
History
Ancient history
Arco di Riccardo, a Roman triumphal arch constructed from 33–32 BC
Since the second millennium BC, the location was an inhabited site. Originally an Illyrian settlement, the Veneti entered the region in the 10th–9th c. BC and seem to have given the town its name, Tergeste, because terg* is a Venetic word meaning market (q.v. Oderzo, whose ancient name was Opitergium). Later, the town was captured by the Carni, a tribe of the Eastern Alps, before becoming part of the Roman Republic in 177 BC during the Second Istrian War.
After being attacked by barbarians from the interior in 52 BC, and until 46 BC, it was granted the status of Roman colony under Julius Caesar, who recorded its name as Tergeste in Commentarii de Bello Gallico (51 BC), in which he recounts events of the Gallic Wars.
During the imperial period the border of Roman Italy moved from the Timavo River to the Formione (today Risano). Roman Tergeste flourished due to its position on the road from Aquileia, the main Roman city in the area, to Istria, and as a port, some ruins of which are still visible. Emperor Augustus built a line of walls around the city in 33–32 BC, while Trajan built a theatre in the 2nd century. At the same time, the citizens of the town were enrolled in the tribe Pupinia. In 27 BC, Trieste was incorporated in Regio X of Augustan Italia.
In the early Christian era Trieste continued to flourish. Between 138 and 161 AD, its territory was enlarged and nearby Carni and Catali were granted Roman citizenship by the Roman Senate and Emperor Antoninus Pius at the pleading of a leading Tergestine citizen, the quaestor urbanus, Fabius Severus.
Already at the time of the Roman Empire there was a fishing village called Vallicula ("small valley") in the Barcola area. Remains of richly decorated Roman villas, including wellness facilities, piers and extensive gardens suggest that Barcola was already a place for relaxation among the Romans because of its favourable microclimate, as it was located directly on the sea and protected from the bora. At that time, Pliny the Elder mentioned the vines of the wine Pulcino ("Vinum Pucinum" – probably today's "Prosecco"), which were grown on the slopes.
Middle Ages
In 788, Trieste submitted to Charlemagne, who placed it under the authority of the count-bishop who in turn was subject to the Duke of Friùli.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, Trieste became a maritime trade rival to the Republic of Venice, which briefly occupied it in 1283–87, before coming under the patronage of the Patriarchate of Aquileia. After it committed a perceived offence against Venice, the Venetian State declared war against Trieste in July 1368 and by November had occupied the city. Venice intended to keep the city and began rebuilding its defences, but was forced to leave in 1372. Due to the Peace of Turin in 1381, Venice renounced its claim to Trieste and the leading citizens of Trieste petitioned Leopold III of Habsburg, Duke of Austria, to annex Trieste to his domains. The agreement of voluntary submission (dedizione) was signed at the castle of Graz on 30 September 1382.
The city maintained a high degree of autonomy under the Habsburgs, but was increasingly losing ground as a trade hub, both to Venice and to Ragusa. In 1463, a number of Istrian communities petitioned Venice to attack Trieste. Trieste was saved from utter ruin by the intervention of Pope Pius II who had previously been bishop of Trieste. However, Venice limited Trieste's territory to three miles (4.8 kilometres) outside the city. Trieste would be assaulted again in 1468–1469 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. His sack of the city is remembered as the "Destruction of Trieste." He then restored the city walls for the fourth time.[9] Trieste was fortunate to be spared another sack in 1470 by the Ottomans who burned the village of Prosecco, only about 5.3 miles (8.5 kilometres) from Trieste, while on their way to attack Friuli.
Early modern period
Following an unsuccessful Habsburg invasion of Venice in the prelude to the 1508–16 War of the League of Cambrai, the Venetians occupied Trieste again in 1508, and were allowed to keep the city under the terms of the peace treaty. However, the Habsburg Empire recovered Trieste a little over one year later, when the conflict resumed. By the 18th century Trieste became an important port and commercial hub for the Austrians. In 1719, it was granted status as a free port within the Habsburg Empire by Emperor Charles VI, and remained a free port until 1 July 1791. The reign of his successor, Maria Theresa of Austria, marked the beginning of a very prosperous era for the city. Serbs settled Trieste largely in the 18th and 19th centuries, and they soon formed an influential and rich community within the city, as a number of Serbian traders came into ownership of many important businesses and built palaces across Trieste.
19th century
In the following decades, Trieste was briefly occupied by troops of the French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars on several occasions, in 1797, 1805 and 1809. From 1809 to 1813, Trieste was annexed into the Illyrian Provinces, interrupting its status of free port and losing its autonomy. The municipal autonomy was not restored after the return of the city to the Austrian Empire in 1813. Following the Napoleonic Wars, Trieste continued to prosper as the Free Imperial City of Trieste (German: Reichsunmittelbare Stadt Triest), a status that granted economic freedom, but limited its political self-government. The city's role as Austria's main trading port and shipbuilding centre was later emphasised by the foundation of the merchant shipping line Austrian Lloyd in 1836, whose headquarters stood at the corner of the Piazza Grande and Sanità (today's Piazza Unità d'Italia). By 1913, Austrian Lloyd had a fleet of 62 ships totalling 236,000 tonnes. With the introduction of constitutionalism in the Austrian Empire in 1860, the municipal autonomy of the city was restored, with Trieste becoming capital of the Austrian Littoral crown land (German: Österreichisches Küstenland).
With anti-clericalism on the rise in the rest of the Italian peninsula due to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardina's bellicose policies towards the church and its estates, Pope Leo XIII at times considered moving his residence to Trieste or Salzburg. However, Emperor Franz Joseph rejected the idea. Trieste, along with Rijeka (Fiume), served as an important base for the Imperial-Royal Navy, which in the first decade of the 20th century embarked on a major modernisation programme. With the construction of the Austrian Southern Railway, the first major railway in the Empire, in 1857, Trieste acquired a significant role in the trade of coal.
Trieste had long been home to Italian irredentist sentiment, as evidenced by the activity at Caffè Tommaseo. In 1882 this fervour culminated in an attempted assassination of Emperor Franz Joseph at the hands of Wilhem Oberdank (Guglielmo Oberdan), while His Majesty was visiting the city. The perpetrator was arrested, tried, found guilty and ultimately sentenced to death. His legacy was regarded as worthy of martyrdom status by fellow irredentists, while monarchical elements regarded his actions as ignominious. The Emperor, who went on to reign for thirty-four more years, never again visited Trieste.
20th century
At the beginning of the 20th century, Trieste was a bustling cosmopolitan city frequented by artists and philosophers. James Joyce was a long-stay tourist between 1904 and 1915. Joyce worked on Dubliners and Ulysses while in Trieste. His students included Italo Svevo and a bookshop ran by Umberto Saba was near Joyce's apartment. Other authors with roots in Trieste include Claudio Magris, Jan Morris, Fulvio Tomizza, Enzo Bettiza, Susanna Tamaro, and Ernesto Nathan Rogers. Sigmund Freud, Zofka Kveder, Dragotin Kette, Ivan Cankar, and Scipio Slataper have also been associated with Trieste. The city was the major port on the Austrian Riviera, a term used in tourist marketing.
World War I, annexation to Italy and Fascist era
Italy, in return for entering World War I on the side of the Allied Powers, had been promised substantial territorial gains, which included the former Austrian Littoral and western Inner Carniola. Italy therefore annexed the city of Trieste at the end of the war, in accordance with the provisions of the 1915 Treaty of London and the Italian-Yugoslav 1920 Treaty of Rapallo.
In the late 1920s, following Italian fascists burning down of the Slovene cultural centre in July 1920, the Slovene militant anti-fascist organisation TIGR carried out several bomb attacks in the city centre. In 1930 and 1941, two trials of Slovene activists were held in Trieste by the fascist Special Tribunal for the Security of the State. During the 1920s and 1930s, several monumental buildings were built in the Fascist architectural style, including the University of Trieste and the almost 70 m (229.66 ft) tall Victory Lighthouse (Faro della Vittoria), which became a city landmark. The economy improved in the late 1930s, and several large infrastructure projects were carried out.
World War II and aftermath
Following the trisection of Slovenia, starting from the winter of 1941, the first Slovene Partisans appeared in Trieste province, although the resistance movement did not become active in the city itself until late 1943.
After the Italian armistice in September 1943, the city was occupied by Wehrmacht troops. Trieste became nominally part of the newly constituted Italian Social Republic, but it was de facto ruled by Germany, who created the Operation Zone of the Adriatic Littoral (OZAK) out of former Italian north-eastern regions, with Trieste as the administrative centre. The new administrative entity was headed by Friedrich Rainer, Gauleiter of Carinthia, named supreme commissary of the AK zone. A semblance of indigenous Italian rule was kept in the form of Cesare Pagnini, mayor of Trieste, but every civil official was assigned a representative of the supreme commissar in the form of a Deutsche Berater (German Adviser). Under German occupation, the only concentration camp with a crematorium on Italian soil was built in a suburb of Trieste, at the Risiera di San Sabba on 4 April 1944. From 20 October 1943, to the spring of 1944, around 25,000 Jews and partisans were interrogated and tortured in the Risiera. Three to four thousand of them were murdered here by shooting, beating or in gas vans. Most were imprisoned before being transferred to other concentration camps.
The city saw intense Italian and Yugoslav partisan activity and suffered from Allied bombings, over 20 air raids in 1944–1945, targeting the oil refineries, port and marshalling yard but causing considerable collateral damage to the city and 651 deaths among the population. The worst raid took place on 10 June 1944, when a hundred tons of bombs dropped by 40 USAAF bombers, targeting the oil refineries, resulted in the destruction of 250 buildings, damage to another 700 and 463 victims.
Occupation by Yugoslav partisans
On 30 April 1945, the Slovenian and Italian anti-Fascist Osvobodilna fronta (OF) and National Liberation Committee (Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale, or CLN) of Edoardo Marzari and Antonio Fonda Savio, made up of approximately 3,500 volunteers, incited a riot against the Nazi occupiers. On 1 May Allied members of the Yugoslav Partisans' 8th Dalmatian Corps took over most of the city, except for the courts and the castle of San Giusto, where the German garrisons refused to surrender to anyone but the New Zealanders, due to the partisans' reputation for shooting German and Italian prisoners of war. The 2nd New Zealand Division under General Freyberg continued to advance towards Trieste along Route 14 around the northern coast of the Adriatic sea and arrived in the city the following day (see official histories The Italian Campaign and Through the Venetian Line). The German forces surrendered on the evening of 2 May, but were then turned over to the Yugoslav forces.
The Yugoslavs held full control of the city until 12 June, a period known in Italian historiography as the "forty days of Trieste". During this period, hundreds of local Italians and anti-Communist Slovenes were arrested by the Yugoslav authorities, and many of them were never seen again. Some were interned in Yugoslav internment camps (in particular at Borovnica, Slovenia), while others were murdered on the Karst Plateau. British Field Marshal Harold Alexander condemned the Yugoslav military occupation, stating that "Marshal Tito's apparent intention to establish his claims by force of arms...[is] all too reminiscent of Hitler, Mussolini and Japan. It is to prevent such actions that we have been fighting this war." In this most turbulent of periods, the city saw a thorough reorganisation of the political-administrative system: the Yugoslav Fourth Army, to which many figures of prominence were attached (including Edvard Kardelj, a sign of just how important the Isonzo front was in Yugoslav aims) established a provisional Military Command in the occupied areas. Fully understanding the precarious position it found itself in, the Yugoslav Command undertook great efforts to claim the success for itself, faced with the presence of the 2nd New Zealand Division under General Bernard Freyberg in Trieste, which could undermine, as it did, postwar claims of sovereignty and control over the seaport. Cox wrote that it was the first major confrontation of the Cold War and was the one corner of Europe where no demarcation line had been agreed upon in advance by the Allies.. To this effect, a Tanjug Agency communiqué stated: "The seaport of Trieste, Monfalcone and Gorizia could not be occupied by the above mentioned division [the New Zealand Division] as these cities had already been liberated...by the Yugoslav army...It is true that some Allied forces have without our permission entered into the above mentioned cities which might have undesirable consequences unless this misunderstanding is promptly settled by mutual agreement".
A city in limbo (1945–1947)
After an agreement between the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and Field Marshal Alexander, the Yugoslav forces withdrew from Trieste, which came under a joint British-U.S. military administration. The Julian March was divided by the Morgan Line between Anglo-American and Yugoslav military administration until September 1947 when the Paris Peace Treaty established the Free Territory of Trieste. The effective turning point for Trieste's fortunes had already been established, though: President Truman's stipulations, later named the Truman Doctrine, in all but name had sealed the status quo, formalised only in the above-mentioned treaty, one that proved to be a careful balancing act between Yugoslav demands, Italian claims and international aims toward the Adriatic gulf and Eastern Europe in general. Questions arose on the structure of government as soon and even earlier than the signing of the treaty, with neither Italy nor Yugoslavia willing to recognise a joint governor. Initially, the newly established Allied Military Government (AMG) found it difficult to exercise its authority over the newly administered territories (the Italian majority provinces of Trieste, Gorizia and Pola), because of a rooted communist presence, especially in the countryside. This state of affairs did not change until a formal peace treaty with Italy had been signed, granting the AMG the full powers to administer justice and re-establish law and order in those areas under its administration. Replacing the People's Militia, the AMG recruited a civilian police force from the indigenous population along the Anglo-Saxon police model. This exercise of jurisdiction was thus articulated: pursuant to Proclamation No. 1, three tiers of tribunals were established: the Summary Military Courts, with jurisdiction over petty crime, the Superior Military Courts, which could impose punishments not exceeding 10 years imprisonment, and the General Military Court, which could impose the death penalty. Civil courts, as modelled on the Kingdom of Italy's code, were, pursuant to General Order No. 6, re-established July 12, 1945, but the Slovene minority was given the right to be heard, and for proceedings to be, in their own language.
Zone A of the Free Territory of Trieste (1947–54)
n 1947, Trieste was declared an independent city state under the protection of the United Nations as the Free Territory of Trieste. The territory was divided into two zones, A and B, along the Morgan Line established in 1945.
From 1947 to 1954, Zone A was occupied and governed by the Allied Military Government, composed of the American Trieste United States Troops (TRUST), commanded by Major General Bryant E. Moore, the commanding general of the American 88th Infantry Division, and the "British Element Trieste Forces" (BETFOR), commanded by Sir Terence Airey, who were the joint forces commander and also the military governors.
Zone A covered almost the same area of the current Italian Province of Trieste, except for four small villages south of Muggia (see below), which were given to Yugoslavia after the dissolution of the Free Territory in 1954. Occupied Zone B, which was under the administration of Miloš Stamatović, then a colonel in the Yugoslav People's Army, was composed of the north-westernmost portion of the Istrian peninsula, between the Mirna River and the cape Debeli Rtič.
In 1954, in accordance with the Memorandum of London, the vast majority of Zone A—including the city of Trieste—joined Italy, whereas Zone B and four villages from Zone A (Plavje, Spodnje Škofije, Hrvatini, and Elerji) became part of Yugoslavia, divided between Slovenia and Croatia. The final border line with Yugoslavia and the status of the ethnic minorities in the areas was settled bilaterally in 1975 with the Treaty of Osimo. This line now constitutes the border between Italy and Slovenia.
(Wikipedia)
Triest ([triˈɛst], in Südtirol auch [ˈtriəst] triestinisch/venetisch sowie italienisch Trieste, furlanisch Triest, slowenisch, serbisch, kroatisch Trst, lateinisch Tergeste) ist eine in Norditalien am Golf von Triest gelegene Hafen- und Großstadt mit 198.668 Einwohnern (Stand 31. Dezember 2024), darunter eine slowenische Minderheit. Triest liegt an der oberen Adria direkt an der Grenze zu Slowenien, ist Hauptstadt der autonomen Region Friaul-Julisch Venetien und war bis 2017 Hauptstadt der Provinz Triest, bevor diese aufgelöst wurde.
Triest ist Sitz des römisch-katholischen Bistums Triest. Die Stadt ist seit 1924 Universitätsstadt und beherbergt zwei bekannte Observatorien für Astronomie bzw. für Geophysik. Sie ist Hauptsitz von weltweit tätigen Unternehmen wie dem Kaffeeproduzenten illycaffè S.p.A., der Versicherungsgesellschaft Generali, dem Schiffbauunternehmen Fincantieri und dem Schifffahrtsunternehmen Italia Marittima (ehemals Lloyd Triestino bzw. Österreichischer Lloyd).
Bereits 774 wurde Triest Teil des Frankenreiches unter dem späteren Kaiser Karl dem Großen. In der Kontinuität des Kaisertums entwickelte sich aus dem Ostteil des Frankenreiches das Heilige Römische Reich deutscher Nation, dessen Bestandteil Triest mit kurzen Unterbrechungen (siehe Absatz Geschichte) bis zu dessen Untergang 1806 fast 1000 Jahre lang blieb. Auch danach gehörte die Stadt als Teil des dem Deutschen Bund angehörigen Kaisertums Österreich von 1815 bis 1866 zum deutschen Staatsverband. Von 1382 bis 1918 war Triest Teil der Habsburgermonarchie bzw. von Österreich-Ungarn. Es war sein bedeutendster Handelshafen, einer der Stützpunkte der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine sowie Sitz des Statthalters des Österreichischen Küstenlandes (Litorale) bzw. der 1861 daraus gebildeten drei Kronländer Gefürstete Grafschaft Görz und Gradisca, Markgrafschaft Istrien und Reichsunmittelbare Stadt Triest.
Kulturell und historisch blieb Triest auch als Teil Italiens seit 1918 ein Ort des Zusammentreffens von Kulturen, Sprachen, Ethnien und Religionen („Città mitteleuropea“). Nach dem Kriegsende 1945 wurden die Stadt und ihr gemischtsprachiges Hinterland erfolgreich von Jugoslawien beansprucht; nach einem Intermezzo als Freies Territorium Triest unterstand Triest ab 1954 wieder dem italienischen Staat.
Triest geriet durch den Ost-West-Konflikt, als es so wie Berlin an der Bruchlinie zwischen Ost und West lag, jahrzehntelang in eine verkehrspolitische Randposition. Der Nachteil dieser Grenzlage und der daraus resultierende Verlust an wirtschaftlicher Bedeutung fielen mit dem EU-Beitritt Sloweniens 2004 und seinem Beitritt zum Schengen-Raum, der am 21. Dezember 2007 zum Wegfall der Grenzkontrollen zu Italien führte, und dem Beitritt Kroatiens zur EU im Jahr 2013 weg.
Triest ist mit seinem Tiefwasserhafen heute wie vor 1918 ein maritimes Tor für Norditalien, Deutschland, Österreich und Mitteleuropa und gilt als Endpunkt der maritimen Seidenstraße (Maritim Silk Road bzw. 21st Century Maritim Silk Road) mit ihren Verbindungen über den Suezkanal bzw. die Türkei und dem Landweg nach China, Japan und viele Länder Asiens.
Der Hafen von Triest hat ein internationales Zollfreigebiet (Freihafen) mit fünf Freizonen. Seit den 1960er Jahren ist Triest durch seine vielen internationalen Organisationen und Einrichtungen einer der wichtigsten Forschungsstandorte Europas, eine internationale Schul- und Universitätsstadt und hat einen der höchsten Lebensstandards unter Italiens Städten. Die Stadt wurde 2020 als eine der 25 kleinen Städte der Welt mit der besten Lebensqualität und 2021 als eine der zehn sichersten Städte der Welt bewertet. Sie hat in Europa den höchsten Anteil an Forschern und Wissenschaftlern im Verhältnis zur Bevölkerung.
Triest hat eine sehr lange Küstenlinie, freien Meerzugang in Barcola und ist von Grünland, Wald- und Karstflächen umgeben. In der Stadt befand sich auf dem Molo Sartorio der Mareograf, auf dessen festgelegte Werte aus den Jahren 1875 und 1900 sich in Mitteleuropa die meisten Bezugshöheangaben mit der Kennzeichnung „Meter über Adria“ beziehen. Triest ist auch die Città della Barcolana, wie die Hinweisschilder an den Stadteinfahrten verdeutlichen, und damit jährlicher Austragungsort dieser weltgrößten Segelregatta.
Triest liegt an einem Schnittpunkt der lateinischen, slawischen, griechischen und jüdischen Kultur, wo Mitteleuropa auf den mediterranen Raum trifft. Es gilt daher als eine der literarischen Hauptstädte und wurde wegen seiner unterschiedlichen Ethnien und Religionsgemeinschaften oft als frühes New York bezeichnet. Es gibt daneben noch weitere nationale und internationale Bezeichnungen für die Stadt wie zum Beispiel Trieste città della bora, Città del vento, Trieste città mitteleuropea, Trieste città della scienza – City of Science, Wien am Meer oder Stadt des Kaffees, in denen einzelne prägende Eigenschaften herausgehoben werden.
Geographie
Lage
Triest liegt im Nordosten Italiens am Golf von Triest, einer Meeresbucht der Oberen Adria, wenige Kilometer von der slowenischen Grenze entfernt. Die Stadt ist Teil der historischen Region Julisch Venetien (Venezia Giulia), die vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg auch als Österreichisches Küstenland bekannt war und deren Gebiet heute auf die Staaten Italien, Slowenien und Kroatien verteilt ist. Da Triest durch die Grenzziehungen des 20. Jahrhunderts einen Großteil seines Hinterlandes verlor, wurde Julisch-Venetien mit Friaul zur autonomen Region Friaul-Julisch Venetien vereinigt, deren Hauptstadt Triest seit 1962 ist.
Triest und sein Hinterland erstrecken sich vom Abhang einer hohen Küstenstufe des gleichnamigen Karsts (Triestiner Karst), die zum Binnenland in eine steinige, schrattige, kalkhaltige und wasserarme Hochlandschaft übergeht, hin zu einer küstennahen Flachlandzone am Adriatischen Meer. Die hoch gelegenen Landschaftsbereiche sind für ihre Höhlen, Dolinen und andere Karstformen bekannt. Das Stadtgebiet von Triest dehnt sich dabei südwärts in ein Flyschgebiet aus, das in Form einer Doppelmulde über das Stadtgebiet und die Landesgrenze hinaus bis nach Pazin reicht.
Charakteristisch für diese Gegend ist auch der Bodentyp Terra rossa, ein aus Kalkstein-Verwitterung hervorgegangener roter Lehm, der besonders für den Anbau von Wein geeignet ist. Im Weinbaugebiet Carso, das die Stadt Triest umschließt, wird vor allem die Weinrebe Carso Terrano, eine Varietät der Rebsorte Refosco, angebaut. Das Anbaugebiet erhielt 1985 das Qualitätssiegel DOC. 1986 eröffnete die Provinz Triest zwischen den Ortschaften Opicina und Sistiana die Terrano-Weinstraße („Strada del vino Terrano“).
Als wichtigster Hafen Österreichs bzw. Österreich-Ungarns (1382–1918) wurde Triest zu einem Zentrum der Nautik und der Meereskunde. Das Hafenbecken erhielt am Molo Sartorio einen langfristig beobachteten Pegel, auf den sich seit dem 19. Jahrhundert das mitteleuropäische Höhensystem Meter über Adria bezieht; er wurde von der 1841 gegründeten Wetterwarte betreut, die heute zum Geophysikalischen Institut Triest gehört.
Klima
In Triest herrscht ein feucht-subtropisches Klima (Cfa-Klima nach Köppen).[7][8][9] Es zeichnet sich durch heiße, regenreiche Sommer und milde, regenreiche Winter aus. Im Sommer wird eine Durchschnittstemperatur von 25 °C, im Winter von 8 °C erreicht.
Die sommerlichen Wassertemperaturen bewegen sich in Küstennähe von 24 °C bis zu 28 °C. Der jährliche Niederschlag beträgt ca. 1023 mm, die relative Luftfeuchtigkeit 64 %. In Triest herrscht an ca. 200 Tagen im Jahr Windstille. In der Stadt ist es somit im Vergleich zu anderen Meeresstädten nicht besonders windig.
Charakteristisch für das Klima von Triest sind verschieden auftretende Winde, wie Bora und Scirocco. Die Winde sind die Ursache für das günstige Klima der Stadt, da es selten zur selben Zeit kalt und nass ist. Manche Winde sind nicht von Jahreszeiten abhängig, sondern entstehen im Verlaufe bestimmter Wetterkonstellationen. Im Laufe der Zeit haben sich dafür traditionell überlieferte Bezeichnungen verfestigt. Sie besitzen Namen etwa wie Grecale, Libeccio, Maestrale, Tramontana oder Ponente.
Die oft im Winter, aber auch im sonstigen Jahr aufkommende Bora ist ein kalter, trockener Fallwind aus Nordosten, der plötzlich beginnt, auch wochenlang andauern kann und in starken Böen vom Land auf das offene Meer bläst. Er wird in der Bucht von Triest kanalisiert und erreicht dadurch in der Stadt hohe Windgeschwindigkeiten, in Einzelfällen weit über 100 km/h. Während die hohen Windgeschwindigkeiten im Stadtgebiet von Triest besonders im Winter in Verbindung mit Eis und Schnee zu Chaos führen können, hat die Bora auf das Wohlempfinden der Menschen positive Auswirkungen. Man sagt: „Die Bora bläst die schlechten Launen fort.“ Viele Kranke fühlen sich an Boratagen von ihren Leiden, der Wetterfühligkeit und den Schmerzen befreit.
Der seltenere Scirocco ist im Gegensatz zur Bora ein warmer, feuchter Ost-Südostwind, der von schweren Wolken und Regen begleitet wird. Im Sommer ist der Libeccio am häufigsten, eine leichte Brise aus Südwesten durch Fallwinde aus den Apenninen, die vom Meer Richtung Land weht und warme Sommernächte abkühlt. Die Tramontana ist ein kalter Winterwind und folgt der Bora oder dem Maestro in deren Anschluss. Sie kann sehr schnell aufkommen, was mit einem Temperaturabfall oder mit dem plötzlichen Ende lokaler Winde beginnt.
Die meteorologische Station im Triester Hafen gehört zum Istituto Tecnico Nautico “Tomaso di Savoia”. Ebenfalls betreibt die Universität Triest eine meteorologische Mess- und Beobachtungsstation im Stadtgebiet.
Infolge des Klimas und trotz der nördlichen Lage kann in Triest einerseits noch ausgezeichnetes Olivenöl gewonnen werden (man spricht von der Lage der Stadt an der Olivenöl-Buttergrenze) und andererseits kämpft die Stadtverwaltung bzw. kämpfen die Hauseigentümer regelmäßig mit Termitenbefall der historischen Immobilien.
Geschichte
Gründung
Zur Zeit der Gründung Aquileias durch die Römer war die Gegend um Triest von keltischen und illyrischen Stämmen bewohnt. Als die Römer ab 177 v. Chr. von Aquileia aus Feldzüge nach Istrien unternahmen, erhielten sie Unterstützung durch Bewohner einer Ortschaft namens Tergeste, des ersten Ortes in Illyrien, im Gebiet der Histrer. In diese Zeit fällt auch die Gründung von drei römischen Militärlagern, der 13 Hektar großen Hauptanlage San Rocco zwischen den zwei kleineren Forts in Monte Grociana Piccola im Nordosten und Montedoro im Südwesten. Im Jahr 128 v. Chr. kam es zur erstmaligen Ansiedlung römischer Bürger in Tergeste. Die Siedlung Tergeste wurde vom griechischen Geografen Artemidor von Ephesos 104 v. Chr. erwähnt und war damals bereits eine römische Ansiedlung auf dem heutigen Stadthügel San Giusto, wo auch die Siedlungsursprünge liegen.
In der zweiten Hälfte des 1. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. wurde im Triestiner Vorort Barcola eine aufwändige fürstliche römische Villa errichtet. Diese private Villa befand sich zwischen dem heutigen Friedhof und der Kirche San Bartolomeo, ungefähr auf der Höhe Viale Miramare 48, unmittelbar am Meer mit einmaligem Panoramablick. Die Villa Maritima erstreckte sich an der Küste entlang und gliederte sich in Terrassen in einen feudalen Repräsentationsbereich, Prunksaal, einen separaten Wohnbereich, einen Garten, einige zum Meer offene Einrichtungen und eine Therme. Erweiterungen und Umbauarbeiten lassen sich bis in die zweite Hälfte des 1. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. nachweisen. Die gefundenen Kunstwerke, Statuen und Mosaike befinden sich heute im Museum Lapidario Tergestino im Kastell San Giusto, wobei vergleichbare Werke bisher nur in Rom und Kampanien gefunden wurden.
Schon ab dem ersten Jahrhundert nach Christus entwickelte sich dann Barcola (als Vallicula bzw. später Valcula) mit seinen klimatischen Vorzügen und einer Reihe von Villen für Patrizier und Adligen zu einem exklusiven römischen Touristenort. An den Hängen wurden damals, wie schon Plinius der Ältere erwähnt, die Reben des Weines Pulcino (ein vermutlicher Vorgänger des Prosecco) angebaut. Es war der nur dort gezogene Lieblingswein der Kaiserin Livia, der Ehefrau des Augustus, und soll schon von den Griechen unter der Bezeichnung Prätetianum gerühmt worden sein.
Um Christi Geburt fungierte Triest als Grenzfestung gegen die in den Ostalpen siedelnden Japyden. Den Namen Tergeste, der wahrscheinlich „Markt“ bedeutet und aus dem Triest wurde, behielten die Römer bei, als sich Mitte des 1. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. Tergeste als römische Kolonie zu einem wichtigen Hafenort im Römischen Reich, mit Handelsstraßen entlang der Adria und über die Julischen Alpen entwickelte. Allerdings erlangte Triest damals nie die Bedeutung des dem Golf von Triest gegenüberliegenden Aquileia. Das römische Tergeste hatte durch einen Hafen Zugang zum Meer und war ab 33 v. Chr. durch neue Mauern geschützt. Im Jahr 27 v. Chr. wurde Tergeste der X. italischen Region „Venetia et Histria“ zugeteilt. Zur Zeit Trajans (98–117 n. Chr.) zählte die Stadt 12.000 Einwohner und erhielt eine Basilika und ein Theater. Gegen Ende des 3. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. wurden die reichen römischen Wohnhäuser und Villen verlassen und setzte eine Zeit der Rückentwicklung und des Rückzuges auf den Hügelbereich ein, der erneut befestigt wurde. Die Bauwerke bekamen einen ländlichen Charakter und statt Mauerwerk wurde oft Holz verwendet.
Nach dem Untergang des Weströmischen Reichs im Jahr 476 teilte Triest das allgemeine Schicksal Istriens, wo Ostgoten, Byzantiner und Langobarden einander in der Herrschaft folgten, bis die Stadt 774 dem Reich Karls des Großen als ein Teil der Mark Friaul einverleibt wurde. Unter Kaiser Lothar III. erhielt der Bischof von Triest weltliche Hoheit über die Stadt.
Triest behielt die Unabhängigkeit unter seinen Bischöfen bis zur Eroberung durch Venedig 1203. Für die nächsten 180 Jahre bestand die Geschichte Triests hauptsächlich aus einer Reihe von Konflikten mit dem mächtigen Venedig im Spannungsverhältnis zum Anspruch des Patriarchen von Aquilea. Venedig erzwang auch den Abriss der Stadtmauer, die aber im Laufe des 14. Jahrhunderts wieder aufgebaut wurde. Da Triest keine eigene Armee hatte, war es Pflicht der Bürger, der sie sich nicht entziehen konnten, selbst Wache auf den Mauern zu halten und Kriegsdienst zu leisten. Um die Unabhängigkeit Triests zu wahren, stellten sich dann die Bürger Triests selbst im Jahr 1382 unter den Schutz Leopolds III. von Österreich, der auch Landesherr des benachbarten Herzogtums Krain war. Die Eigenständigkeit der Stadt musste unangetastet bleiben und die österreichischen Vorrechte bezogen sich nur auf die Ernennung eines militärischen Statthalters.
Unter österreichischer Krone
Triest war von 1382 bis 1918 habsburgisch-österreichisch. Am 30. September 1382 nahm Herzog Leopold III. die freiwillige Unterwerfung der Stadt Triest in der Burg von Graz an. Im 15. Jahrhundert kam es in der Stadt immer wieder zu erbitterten Konflikten zwischen der kaiserlichen Partei, den Anhängern der Herren von Duino und den Venezianern. Besonders in den Jahren 1467 bis 1469 führten die Bürgerkämpfe zu Terrorakten und Verwüstungen in den Straßen Triests. Das Protektorat entwickelte sich aber langsam zu einem wirklichen Besitzverhältnis, dem Österreichischen Küstenland (Litorale). Vertreten wurde die habsburgische Herrschaft in Triest lange Zeit nominell durch das Geschlecht der Grafen von Montenari. Die Statthalterschaft wurde vorerst ad personam vom jeweiligen Monarchen (der zumeist auch Kaiser des Heiligen Römischen Reiches war, aber dort nicht in dieser Funktion entschied, sondern als Herrscher der Habsburgischen Erblande) verliehen, später dann erblich nach dem Gesetz der Primogenitur an den ältesten Sohn des Grafen von Montenari weitergegeben.
Abgesehen von wiederholten kurzen Besetzungen (vor allem 1508/09) durch Venedig und der napoleonischen Periode (1797, 1805–1806 und 1809–1813) blieb Triest bis zum Ende des Ersten Weltkrieges Teil des habsburgischen Österreichs.
Triests Aufstieg im 18. Jahrhundert
Triests Aufstieg in der Donaumonarchie begann 1719 mit der Erhebung der Stadt zum Freihafen durch Karl VI. – ein Status, den die Stadt bis 1891 behielt. Karls Nachfolger Maria Theresia und Joseph II. unterstützten Triests wirtschaftlichen Aufschwung durch das Anlegen städtebaulich wichtiger Viertel, der Maria-Theresien-Stadt (Borgo Teresiano) nordöstlich des heutigen Hauptplatzes und der Josephsstadt (Borgo Giuseppino) südwestlich.
Als einziger großer Seehafen Österreichs nahm Triest eine wichtige strategische Stellung in der Habsburgermonarchie ein und war Ausgangspunkt kurzlebiger Kolonialerwerbungen (Triestiner Handelskompanie). Der Druck Venedigs hemmte jedoch lange Zeit die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung Triests. Erst die Eroberung Venedigs durch Napoleon am Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts und der anschließende Friede von Campo Formio, in dem Venedig Österreich zugesprochen wurde, leitete den Niedergang der Republik Venedig und die Blütezeit Triests ein.
Mit österreichischer Unterstützung löste Triest Venedig in seiner führenden Rolle im Handel mit dem Nahen Osten ab und entwickelte sich zum größten Handelszentrum der Adria. 1802 wurden im Triester Hafen 483.326 Tonnen Güter umgeschlagen, die von 5.442 Schiffen transportiert worden waren. Auf dem Höhepunkt der Blütezeit Triests waren es rund 100 Jahre später mehr als doppelt so viele Schiffe und mehr als zehnmal so viele Güter, hauptsächlich Kaffee, Zucker und Südfrüchte sowie Weine, Öle, Baumwolle, Eisen, Holz und Maschinen.
Gründerzeit im 19. Jahrhundert
1804 wurde Triest Teil des neu gegründeten Kaisertums Österreich, weiter als Teil des Litorales. Unter Napoleon wurde Triest 1809 den Illyrischen Provinzen zugeschlagen und damit bis 1813 französisch. Diese kurze Zeit hinterließ ihre Spuren in klassizistischen Bauwerken wie der Triester Oper Teatro Verdi, die nach den Plänen des Architekten Matthäus Pertsch entstand.
1813 eroberte Österreich Triest unter General Christoph Freiherr von Lattermann zurück. Nach dem Wiener Kongress 1815 wurde Triest im österreichischen Kaiserstaat in das neu geschaffene Königreich Illyrien eingegliedert.
Nachdem Triest unter der Habsburgerherrschaft bereits über Jahrhunderte Bestandteil des Heiligen Römischen Reiches deutscher Nation war, gehörte es als österreichische Stadt zum Deutschen Bund, der 1815 auf dem Wiener Kongress als Ersatz für das alte, 1806 untergegangene Reich geschaffen wurde. Die Stadt markierte in etwa die Südausdehnung des Deutschen Bundes bis zur Adria. Insofern war Triest in Folge der bürgerlichen Revolution von 1848 Teil des Wahlgebietes zur deutschen bzw. Frankfurter Nationalversammlung. Bei diesen ersten gesamtdeutschen, freien und demokratischen Wahlen wurden in den Wahlkreisen Küstenland-Triest-Stadt 1 und 2 mit Karl Ludwig von Bruck, Gabriel Jenny sowie Friedrich Moritz Burger drei Abgeordnete in das Frankfurter Parlament des sich konstituierenden Deutschen Reiches gewählt. Alle drei waren vor dem 27. Juli 1848 in der Frankfurter Paulskirche eingetroffen. Auch nach dem Scheitern der Revolution und des Reiches blieb Triest Bestandteil des wiederhergestellten Deutschen Bundes bis zu dessen Ende 1866. Mit dem in diesem Jahr zur Beendigung des Deutschen Krieges geschlossenen Prager Frieden schieden Österreich und damit auch Triest nach jahrhundertelanger Zugehörigkeit aus dem deutschen Staatenbund aus.
Am 1. Juli 1829 führte Josef Ressel mit dem in Triest erbauten Schiff Civetta die erste erfolgreiche Testfahrt mit einer Schiffsschraube durch. In dieser Zeit begann in Triest die Gründung von Versicherungsgesellschaften, Werften, Bankniederlassungen und Schifffahrtsunternehmen, darunter die Assicurazioni Generali (1831), der Österreichische Lloyd (1833), die Werft San Marco (1839/1840), die Werft Giuseppe Tonellos (1852) und 1860 das Lloyd-Arsenal, da die privaten Werften mit der Produktion den schnell wachsenden Schifffahrtsunternehmen nicht mehr nachkommen konnten.
1850 wurde Triest Sitz der kaiserlich-königlichen Zentralseebehörde. Seit 1857 verbindet die Österreichische Südbahn Triest über den Semmering mit Wien. Diese erste Gebirgsbahn Europas wurde nach den Plänen und unter der Leitung von Carl Ritter von Ghega erbaut.
1857/58 entstand aus der Maschinenfabrik Strudenhoff in Sant’Andrea und der Werft San Rocco das Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino (S.T.T.) in Muggia, der Stadt in der Bucht gegenüberliegend. Dieses neue Großunternehmen kaufte 1897 auch die mittlerweile zur Großwerft ausgebaute Werft von Giuseppe Tonello dazu. Die S.T.T. war in der Lage, Schiffe mit einer Verdrängung von bis zu 20.500 Tonnen – etwa die großen Schlachtschiffe der k. u. k. Kriegsmarine – zu bauen.
Ab 1867 wurden die alten Hafenanlagen, die dem wachsenden Handel nicht mehr entsprachen, ausgebaut. Zuerst wurde der nördlich gelegene Freihafen (punto franco) erweitert. Die Hafenstadt zog in der Monarchie unter anderem den Hauptnutzen aus dem 1869 eröffneten Suezkanal. Österreichische Industrieerzeugnisse wurden nun auch in der Türkei, in Ägypten und Syrien abgesetzt, für diese Handelsbeziehungen brauchte man aber den Kanal nicht.
Von Triest gingen im 19. Jahrhundert Linienschiffe in die Neue Welt, vor allem die Vereinigten Staaten. Diese Linienschiffe fuhren bis in die 1960er Jahre nach New York.
Triest und der Nationalismus
In den Revolutionen von 1848 fanden in den österreichischen Provinzen Lombardei und Venetien Aufstände gegen die habsburgische Herrschaft und für einen geeinten italienischen Nationalstaat statt (siehe auch Risorgimento). 1848 wurde der Triester Hafen von der königlich sardinischen und der neapolitanischen Flotte und später von der ersteren allein unter dem italienischen Vizeadmiral Albini blockiert. Triest blieb Österreich treu und erhielt den Titel Città Fedelissima – die „allergetreuste Stadt“.
1849 wurde die österreichische Verwaltungseinheit Königreich Illyrien in ihre Bestandteile zerlegt. Triest und das unmittelbar angrenzende Territorium wurden als Reichsunmittelbare Stadt Triest und ihr Gebiet mit eigener Verfassung und Landtag und im Status eines Kronlandes konstituiert; ebenso Görz und Gradisca und Istrien. (Kärnten und Krain, bis dahin ebenso Teile Illyriens, wurden ebenfalls eigene Kronländer.)
1852–1861 wurden die drei politischen Einheiten zum Kronland Österreichisches Küstenland zusammengefasst. Die Reichsverfassung 1861 teilte die drei Teile wieder in eigenständige Kronländer, die bis 1918 bestanden. Gemeinsam blieben ihnen nur der k.k. Statthalter in Triest als Vertreter des Kaisers und der Wiener Regierung und ein gemeinsames Publikationsorgan ihrer Rechtsvorschriften. Der 1867 erfolgte Umbau des Einheitsstaates Kaisertum Österreich zur österreichisch-ungarischen Monarchie änderte für die Selbstverwaltung Triests nichts; es wurde nunmehr zu Cisleithanien gerechnet und war im Abgeordnetenhaus des Reichsrats in Wien, dem cisleithanischen Parlament, mit zuletzt fünf Abgeordneten vertreten.
Allerdings setzte auch in dem zum größten Teil von Italienern bewohnten Triest eine zunehmende italienische irredentistische Bewegung ein, die darauf abzielte, Triest als italienischsprachiges Gebiet von Österreich-Ungarn loszulösen und dem 1861 gegründeten Nationalstaat Italien anzuschließen. Der Irredentismus hatte seinen Höhepunkt, als 1882 Kaiser Franz Joseph I. Triest anlässlich der 500-jährigen Dauer der habsburgischen Herrschaft über die Stadt besuchte. Während antiösterreichischer Demonstrationen entging der Kaiser nur knapp dem Bombenattentat von Guglielmo Oberdan (Wilhelm Oberdank) und seinen Komplizen. Triest blieb im Nationalitätenkampf bis 1914 einer der heißesten Konfliktherde Österreich-Ungarns, da Österreich auf diese für Handel und k.u.k. Kriegsmarine überaus wichtige Hafenstadt weder verzichten konnte noch wollte. (Ungarn hatte für sich die Hafenstadt Rijeka ausgebaut.)
Insgesamt blickte die Triestiner Elite Richtung Wien, während sich einige wenige junge italienische Irredentisten für Italien aufopferten. Nur eine Minderheit forderte eine Vereinigung mit dem Königreich von Savoyen bzw. Italien, aber von vielen italienischsprachigen Triestinern wurde der slawische Nationalismus als Herausforderung wahrgenommen.
Weiterer Aufschwung vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg
1880 betrug die Umschlagsmenge in den Triester Häfen 1,225 Millionen Tonnen. Bis 1912 stieg diese Menge auf 4,573 Millionen Tonnen. 1883 wurde der 30 Millionen Kronen teure Hafenumbau im Süden der Stadt vollendet. Die Lagerflächen sowie der neue Südbahnhof (stazione meridionale, heute Trieste Centrale), der heute als einziger Personenbahnhof der Stadt noch besteht, wurden großteils auf aufgeschüttetem Land errichtet.
Trotz der politischen und nationalen Probleme blühte Triest wirtschaftlich und kulturell weiter auf. Neben der Südbahn Triest–Wien mit Anschluss an das mährisch-schlesische Industriegebiet bot ab 1909 die Neue Alpenbahn über Görz und Villach nach Salzburg eine Direktverbindung nach Westösterreich und Süddeutschland. Der wichtigste Bahnhof bis 1918 war der Staatsbahnhof (stazione dello stato) der k.k. Staatsbahnen. Zwischen ihm und dem Lloydareal erstreckte sich der neue Hafen (porto nuovo), der ab 1898 ausgebaut wurde und bis zum Ende der Monarchie Josephs-Hafen hieß.
Um 1900 stand die Stadt in ihrer vollen wirtschaftlichen Blüte und stellte ihren Reichtum durch zahlreiche Prachtbauten zur Schau. In Triest wirkten einige der Architekten, die in Wien für prächtige Ringstraßengebäude im Stil des Historismus verantwortlich zeichneten, wie etwa Heinrich von Ferstel (z. B. Lloydpalast), Wilhelm von Flattich (z. B. Südbahnhof) und Friedrich Schachner (diverse Palais). Schriftsteller und Künstler wie James Joyce und Italo Svevo verkehrten in der Stadt. Der Ire Joyce kam gerade in der Hafenstadt Triest mit dem Vielvölkerstaat Österreich-Ungarn in Kontakt, wobei er einerseits seine Eindrücke aus Triest in seinen Werken verarbeitete und andererseits das damalige Staatswesen wie folgt beurteilte: “They called the Austrian Empire a ramshackle empire, I wish to God there were more such empires.”
Triest war eines der ökonomisch bestentwickelten Gebiete des Habsburgerreiches. 1906 lag das zu versteuernde Pro-Kopf-Einkommen eines Triestiners bei 54 Kronen, während jenes eines Wieners bei rund 9 Kronen lag.
Die Triester Innenstadt mit ihrem kosmopolitischen Bevölkerungsgemenge aus Italienern (75 %), Slawen (18 %), Deutschen (5 %) und Einwohnern anderer Völker avancierte, wie Claudio Magris Jahrzehnte später festhielt, zur literarischen Hauptstadt Mitteleuropas. Die anliegenden Bezirke zählten meist Slowenen (52 %), Italiener (43 %) und Deutsche (4 %) als Einwohner, die ländliche Umgebung war fast vollständig slowenisch (93 %). Fast jeder Triestiner war mehrsprachig, wobei Italienisch die führende Verständigungssprache war.
In den Jahren vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg wurde, vor allem auf Drängen von Erzherzog Thronfolger Franz Ferdinand, in Triest eine Serie von Schiffbauten für die k.u.k. Kriegsmarine durchgeführt. Der Thronfolger nahm an den Stapelläufen meist teil, z. B. 1911 bei Viribus Unitis und 1912 bei Tegetthoff.
Erster Weltkrieg
Mit dem Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkrieges im August 1914 stockte die wirtschaftliche und künstlerisch-literarische Entwicklung in Triest schlagartig. Viele tausende Triestiner übersiedelten noch vor der Kriegserklärung Italiens an Österreich-Ungarn am 23. Mai 1915 ins Innere Österreich-Ungarns. Aus Triest zogen anfangs etwa 32.500 Männer zwischen 18 und 37 Jahren an die Front und im Laufe des Krieges wurden ungefähr 50.000 Triestiner im Alter bis 50 Jahren eingezogen. Das Hausregiment der Triestiner, das k.u.k. Infanterieregiment Nr. 97, wurde am 11. August 1914 per Eisenbahn Richtung Lemberg in Galizien transportiert und war dort in schwerste Abwehrkämpfe gegen die vordringende russische Armee verwickelt.
Am 23. Mai 1915 erklärte das bis dahin neutrale Italien als neues Mitglied der Triple Entente Österreich-Ungarn den Krieg. Damit entstand wenige Kilometer nordwestlich der Stadt eine Front; viele Ausländer wie James Joyce mussten Triest verlassen. Die italienische Kriegserklärung löste massive Protestkundgebungen gegen Italiener aus, insbesondere stürmte eine Menschenmenge die Redaktion der Zeitung Il Piccolo, wurde der Sitz der Lega nazionale zerstört bzw. Geschäfte und Kaffeehäuser italienischer Besitzer geplündert. Mit dem Kriegseintritt Italiens wurde Triest militarisiert. Wegen der nahen Front wurden Luftabwehr-Stellungen auf Dächern und Plätzen gebaut; Schulen und Gebäude wurden in Spitäler umfunktioniert. Junge Marinaretti und Scauti halfen älteren Soldaten bei der Überwachung der öffentlichen Ordnung. Die Stadt entvölkerte sich und es kehrten etwa 35.000 Regnicoli – in Triest lebende italienische Arbeiter – mit ihren Familien in die italienische Heimat zurück. Viele Regnicoli verließen jedoch die Stadt nicht und etwa 15.000 von ihnen wurden von den Behörden zusammen mit über tausend verdächtig erscheinenden Personen in verschiedene Lager interniert. Etwa 900 Triestiner mit italienischer Gesinnung desertierten aus dem Habsburger Heer, passierten illegal die Grenze und traten den italienischen Streitkräften bei. Oft mit Misstrauen von den italienischen Kameraden und Kommandanten betrachtet, erreichte trotzdem die Hälfte dieser Irredentisten den Dienstgrad eines italienischen Offiziers. Die italienfreundliche Einstellung mancher Triestiner und die Frontlage Triests führte zu scharfer Überwachung der Stadt durch die k.u.k. Militärbehörden. Das 10. Bataillon des k.u.k. Infanterieregiments Nr. 97 war in Triest verblieben; es war an der Verteidigung der Karstlinie in den Isonzoschlachten beteiligt und wurde 1915/16 fast vollständig aufgerieben.
Der altem irredentistischen istrianischen Adel entstammende, 1907 geborene Schriftsteller Diego de Castro schätzte später die Triestiner während des Krieges als weitgehend habsburgisch bzw. austrophil ein und äußerte, die kleine, unbeugsame Gruppe von Irredentisten um Mario Alberti sei auf zweieinhalb Prozent der Gesamtbevölkerung von Triest beschränkt gewesen.
Erst 1917 verlagerte sich die Front an den von Triest weiter entfernten Piave. Im Herbst 1918 begann sich die Doppelmonarchie aufzulösen. Am 29. Oktober 1918 wurde der neue südslawische Staat, der SHS-Staat, gegründet. Er schnitt Deutschösterreich, am 30. Oktober gegründet, und die nördlich und östlich davon gelegenen Gebiete Altösterreichs von der Adria ab. Valentino Pittoni, der Führer der Triestiner Linken, forderte im Oktober 1918 die Bildung einer „Adriarepublik Triest“, um so den Anschluss an Italien zu verhindern.
Der k.k. österreichische Statthalter Alfred von Fries-Skene übergab am 30. Oktober 1918 dem triestinischen Comitato di salute pubblica die Macht. Am gleichen Tag beauftragte Kaiser Karl I. Admiral Nikolaus Horthy, die k.u.k. Kriegsmarine dem südslawischen Staat zu übergeben; dies wurde am nächsten Tag vollzogen.
Da mit baldigem Eintreffen italienischer Truppen nicht gerechnet werden konnte und unklar war, ob Triest an den südslawischen Staat fällt, beschloss das Komitee, die italienischen Marinebehörden in Venedig um die Entsendung von Truppen zu bitten. Da k.u.k. Schiffe aber nicht mehr zur Verfügung standen, mussten sich die Triestiner von den Südslawen eine ehemalige k.u.k. Korvette ausleihen, um unter südslawischer Flagge nach Venedig zu gelangen.
Die Waffenstillstandskommission der zerfallenden k.u.k. Armee unter Viktor Weber von Webenau unterzeichnete am 3. November 1918 bei Padua den Waffenstillstand von Villa Giusti. Am gleichen Tag landeten Italiener, von Venedig kommend, unbehelligt am Molo San Carlo von Triest, der 1922 Molo Audace benannt wurde, und nahmen die Stadt symbolisch für Italien in Besitz. Die Begeisterung der Bevölkerung war, wie de Castro später deutete, nicht mit dem bisherigen Elitenphänomen Irredentismus zu erklären, sondern mit der Freude über das Ende der Hungerzeit während des Krieges und über den Nicht-Einschluss der Stadt in den SHS-Staat. Das Stadtzentrum war überwiegend von Italienern bewohnt, die anliegenden Viertel aber teilweise von Slowenen (18 %). Im Vertrag von Saint-Germain wurde Triest im Herbst 1919 gemeinsam mit Istrien und Ostfriaul auch formell Italien zugesprochen.
Viele k.u.k. Soldaten aus Triest und Umgebung kehrten erst 1920 aus der russischen Kriegsgefangenschaft zurück.
Faschismus
Nach dem Anschluss Triests an Italien strebten die nationalen Kräfte eine Italianisierung der ansässigen nichtitalienischen Bevölkerung an, was insbesondere zur Unterdrückung der slowenischen Minderheit führte. Triest wurde zu einem Zentrum der jungen faschistischen Bewegung.[36] Slowenische Vereinigungen und Versammlungen wurden verboten. Der Gebrauch der slowenischen Sprache im öffentlichen Leben wurde untersagt. Slowenische Familiennamen wurden willkürlich und ohne Einverständnis der Betroffenen italianisiert. Zahlreiche Slowenen flohen in dieser Zeit in das benachbarte Königreich der Serben, Kroaten und Slowenen. In Triest kam es wiederholt zu gewaltsamen Ausschreitungen zwischen Italienern und Slowenen.
Der Konflikt erreichte einen seiner Höhepunkte am 13. Juli 1920, als das Narodni dom, das Gemeindezentrum der slowenischen Bevölkerung, von italienischen Faschisten niedergebrannt wurde. Der Anschlag wurde vom späteren Sekretär der National-Faschistischen Partei (Partito Nazionale Fascista), Francesco Giunta, initiiert und wurde als Vergeltungsmaßnahme bezeichnet, weil bei Unruhen in Split zwei italienische Soldaten von jugoslawischen Sicherheitskräften erschossen worden waren.
Obwohl sich in der Zeit nach 1919 vor allem die Industrie in Triest entwickelte, hatte die Angliederung an Italien langfristig negative Konsequenzen für die wirtschaftliche Situation der Stadt. Die ehemals wichtigste Hafenstadt der Habsburgermonarchie wurde mit einem Schlag zu einem der zahlreichen italienischen Adriahäfen und verlor aufgrund ihrer Randlage in Italien ihre wirtschaftliche Bedeutung.
Seit dem 30. Oktober 1922 stand ganz Italien unter der faschistischen Herrschaft Mussolinis. Die Italianisierung der Slowenen im nordöstlichen Italien wurde nun verstärkt.
Zweiter Weltkrieg
Im Zweiten Weltkrieg war Italien mit Deutschland verbündet. Nach der Landung alliierter Truppen in Süditalien im Juli 1943 und der italienischen Kapitulation am 8. September 1943 durch König Viktor Emanuel III. wurde Norditalien von deutschen Truppen besetzt, die sich Mussolinis Repubblica Sociale Italiana bis Ende April 1945 als Marionettendiktatur hielten, um den endgültigen Zusammenbruch der Achsenmächte zu verhindern.
Die deutsche Besatzungsmacht fasste Triest mit Udine, Gorizia, Pula, Fiume (Rijeka) und Laibach/Lubiana zur Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland (OZAK) zusammen. Die Zone unterstand dem Höheren SS- und Polizeiführer Odilo Globocnik. Auf seine Veranlassung wurde in einem Vorort von Triest in der ehemaligen Reismühle Risiera di San Sabba das einzige nationalsozialistische Konzentrationslager auf italienischem Boden eingerichtet. Der Gebäudekomplex der ehemaligen Reismühle diente nach dem Kriegsaustritt Italiens und dem Einmarsch von Wehrmacht und SS als Gefangenenlager für entwaffnete italienische Soldaten. Von Oktober 1943 an kam die Risiera unter SS-Kommando. Das Lager diente hauptsächlich zur Inhaftierung von Geiseln, Partisanen und anderen politischen Gefangenen bzw. als Sammellager für Juden vor ihrer Deportation in die Vernichtungslager. Es wurden aber auch mobile Gaskammern installiert und ein Krematorium gebaut. Vom 20. Oktober 1943 bis zum Frühjahr 1944 wurden in der Risiera etwa 25.000 Juden und Partisanen verhört und gequält. 3000 bis 5000 von ihnen wurden hier durch Erschießen, Erschlagen oder in Gaswagen ermordet. Die Mannschaft des Konzentrationslagers bestand vorwiegend aus deutschen SS-Mitgliedern. Als 1945 jugoslawische Partisanen Triest einnahmen, sprengte die SS einige Teile des Lagers, um ihre Spuren zu verwischen.
Freies Territorium Triest
Am Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges wurde Triest von den jugoslawischen Partisanen Titos für Jugoslawien beansprucht, was mit der Existenz der dortigen slowenischen Bevölkerungsgruppe begründet wurde. Triest wurde von den jugoslawischen Partisanen besetzt, die die Stadt selbst jedoch kurz darauf auf Druck der Alliierten wieder verließen, ohne aber den Anspruch auf Triest aufzugeben. Damit begann eine Zeit, in der sich Jugoslawien und Italien um den Besitz der Stadt stritten.
Durch den Pariser Friedensvertrag von 1947 zwischen Italien und den Alliierten wurde Triest mit dem nordwestlichen Teil Istriens bis einschließlich Cittanova/Novigrad im Süden als Freies Territorium Triest (englisch Free Territory of Trieste, italienisch Territorio Libero di Trieste, slowenisch Svobodno tržaško ozemlje, kroatisch Slobodni teritorij Trsta) zu einem neutralen Staat unter Oberhoheit der Vereinten Nationen erklärt (ähnlich wie es die Freie Stadt Danzig unter dem Schutz des Völkerbundes in der Zwischenkriegszeit gewesen war). Der Gouverneur sollte vom Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen ernannt werden, administrativ war das Gebiet jedoch in zwei Zonen unterteilt. Die Zone A, die die Stadt Triest mit ihrer nächsten Umgebung umfasste, unterstand britisch-amerikanischer Militärverwaltung, die Zone B, die das Hinterland der Stadt und den Nordwesten Istriens umfasste, jugoslawischer Militärverwaltung.
Vom Provisorium zum Definitivum
Durch das Londoner Abkommen zwischen Italien und Jugoslawien von 1954 wurde das Freie Territorium Triest aufgelöst. Das Gebiet der bisherigen Zone A wurde provisorisch wieder italienischer Zivilverwaltung unterstellt, das Gebiet der bisherigen Zone B jugoslawischer Zivilverwaltung, wobei der jugoslawische Teil nördlich des Flüsschens Dragonja der damaligen Teilrepublik Slowenien einverleibt wurde, der Teil südlich der Dragonja jedoch Kroatien (über den Grenzverlauf bestehen bis heute Divergenzen; siehe auch: Internationale Konflikte der Nachfolgestaaten Jugoslawiens). Von 1954 bis 1961 verließen mehr als 20.000 Triestiner ihre Stadt und wanderten aus. Die Mehrzahl ging nach Australien und dabei besonders nach Melbourne und Sydney.
Am 10. November 1975 wurde im Vertrag von Osimo die Demarkationslinie von 1954 endgültig als italienisch-jugoslawische Grenze festgelegt und damit die Zugehörigkeit der Stadt Triest zu Italien definitiv bestätigt. 1962 wurde Triest die Hauptstadt der Region Friaul-Julisch Venetien.
Durch die Auflösung der Donaumonarchie und die unmittelbare Grenzlage zum nach 1945 sozialistisch regierten Jugoslawien war Triest bis Mitte der 1980er Jahre wirtschaftlich weitgehend isoliert. Mit dem Zerfall Jugoslawiens, dem Eintritt des nunmehr unabhängigen Slowenien in die EU im Jahr 2004 und dem Beitritt Sloweniens zum Schengen-Raum Ende 2007 verlor die Stadt ihre jahrzehntelange Randposition. 2004 bewarb sich Triest (erfolglos) für die EXPO 2008. Der Hafenumschlag ging zeitweise gerade wegen des Zusammenbruchs des Kommunismus bzw. der positiven Entwicklung des benachbarten Hafens von Koper (Slowenien) zurück.
Seit 2011 gibt es die auf Selbstbestimmung der Triestiner bzw. Ausbau des Freihafens pochende Bewegung „Trieste Libera / Svobodni Trst / Free Triest“. Diese Bewegung möchte mit Bezug auf den Friedensvertrag von 1947 bzw. 1954 an die wirtschaftlichen Erfolge eines geeinten großen mitteleuropäischen Wirtschaftsraumes anknüpfen und verlangt, dass Triest von einem Gouverneur der UNO verwaltet werden soll. Am Molo Audace kommt es immer wieder zu anti-italienischem Vandalismus. Die Organisation Trieste Pro Patria bzw. Trieste Italiana veranstaltet in Triest immer wieder Demonstrationen, um auf die italienischen Wurzeln Triests bzw. das „italienische“ Istrien aufmerksam zu machen.
Am Beginn der Wirtschaftskrise im Jahr 2008 stockte die umstrittene städtebauliche Entwicklung des Porto Vecchio (Alter Hafen). Im Februar 2019 genehmigte der Stadtrat die Rahmenplanung für die Erneuerung des Hafens. Auch durch das Abwandern der Industrie ist die früher erhebliche Umweltverschmutzung (vorwiegend Bleibelastung des Golfs von Triest) stark zurückgegangen. Die Jugendarbeitslosigkeit betrug 2012 17,67 % und stieg 2013 auf 23,25 %.
(Wikipedia)
Igor really liked this book!
And so did I...it is an amazing story about lifelong remorse as a result of childhood jealousy and misunderstandings...recommended for everyone - read this book!
S/L Owen Staple was No. 41 Squadron Commander 28 Sep 1959 to 12 Dec 1961.
A comment on the back of this photo reads,
"I always imagined that rice was the 'staple' diet in SE Asia."
Auction of Wing Commander Owen Staple's medals and log book:
A fine Second World War Mosquito pilots D.F.C., post-war E.II.R. A.F.C. group of eight awarded to Wing Commander O. D. Staple, Royal New Zealand Air Force, who flew many daring low-level sorties in 2nd Tactical Air Force 1944-45, among them strikes against the Chateau Fou at Chatellerault and the enemy barracks at Arnhem in support of the airborne landings: he twice returned to base in a flak damaged aircraft, once having to carry out a crash landing.
Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1945;
Air Force Cross, E.II.R., reverse officially dated 1960;
1939-45 Star;
France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45;
New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-45;
General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R.
(Wg. Cdr. O. D. Staple, R.A.F., 70136), officially impressed naming as per New Zealand recipients, good very fine and better £3000-3500 D.F.C. London Gazette 8 May 1945.
The original recommendation states: This officer has just completed 50 sorties, including three daylight operations, and has shown himself to be an excellent operational pilot and possess a fine offensive spirit, coolness and great determination. Some excellent results were obtained from his sorties by night. On one occasion, he strafed 14 railway trucks causing two explosions. On another occasion, during a patrol in Germany, he found three trains which he successfully attacked with cannon and machine-gun fire. On the night of 4-5 October 1944, he found a moving locomotive near Zutphen and despite the flak defences around this town, he dropped a flare and proceeded to attack his target. He obtained many strikes on the locomotive. His aircraft was hit by flak, which necessitated the feathering of the port propeller. The return flight was made on one engine and a crash landing effected at Manston.
Flight Lieutenant Staple took part in the successful daylight operations on 2 August 1944 against the Chateau at Chatellerault; on 25 August 1944, against trains near Chalons-sur-Soane and on 17 November 1944, against the barracks at Arnhem in support of the airborne landings. In view of his excellent operational record, I strongly recommend him for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1960.
The original recommendation states: Squadron Leader Staple rejoined the R.N.Z.A.F. in April 1947, having previously served from 1942-45. He has completed a total of 4,750 hours, 235 hours of which have been flown in the last six months.
In June 1953, he transferred to the Transport role and from June 1954 to June 1956, he was employed in No. 24 (Commonwealth) Squadron in the U.K. On his return he was posted to command No. 40 Squadron. Squadron Leader Staple is an exceptional pilot who sets an excellent example and has earned for himself the respect and admiration of all aircrew who have served with him. His flying has at all times been in the highest traditions of the Service, and has been the subject of most favourable comment by a number of V.I.P. passengers who have flown with him. The Squadron's excellent record is in no small measure due to his leadership on the ground and in the air.
Owen David Staple was born in Rotorua, New Zealand in February 1922 and joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in February 1942. Trained as a pilot in Canada, he was commissioned on gaining his "Wings" in November of the same year and arrived in the U.K. in December 1943. Having then attended No. 60 Operational Training Unit, he commenced, in June 1944, a tour of operations on No. 107 Squadron, a Mosquito unit operating out of Hampshire - but later at advanced airfields in France - and a component of 138 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force (T.A.F.). In fact, teaming up with Flying Officer D. Wimmers as his Navigator, he went on to complete 58 operational sorties, the whole comprising a relentless agenda of daring low-level attacks on targets in Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands, reaping havoc among enemy troop movements, transport and communications. So, too, significant damage on more specific targets, a case in point being the Chateau Fou, near Chatellerault, on 2 August 1944 - where troops of the notorious 158th "Security" Regiment, who had recently murdered members of the S.A.S., were billeted: In the woods to the immediate south of the Chateau, one large explosion was seen after a cannon attack, possibly from motor transport. Bombs landed all round the Chateau, but no direct hit was claimed. Strikes were obtained on the roof in a cannon attack and a small fire was seen to start inside. Aircraft D sustained the loss of one engine over the target and crash landed at Thorney Island - crew unhurt. The trip back was uneventful except for a little flak soon after leaving the target, which was successfully avoided by all except F/O Staple in Aircraft J... It is doubtful if the Chateau was entirely destroyed, but troops possibly hiding in the woods would have been eliminated (107's Squadron Operational Record Book refers). So evidence here of Staple returning to the U.K. in another flak damaged aircraft, an experience he would go through again as a result of his gallant attack at Zutphen on the night of 4-5 October 1944. He was recommended for his D.F.C. on 6 February 1945, raised his tally of sorties to 58, and was released in the rank of Flight Lieutenant back in New Zealand that November.
Staple rejoined the R.N.Z.A.F. in April 1947 and commanded No. 40 Squadron, a Hastings unit, 1957-59, and No. 41 Squadron, a Bristol Freighter unit, 1959-61, the latter appointment including service in Singapore at the time of the Malaya operations and witnessing the award of his A.F.C. Having then been advanced to Wing Commander in January 1962, he served latterly as Deputy Director of Postings at R.N.Z.A.F. Headquarters. He died in Rotorua 24 Nov 1973.
Medals are to be sold with the recipients original R.N.Z.A.F. Flying Log Book for the period January 1954 to June 1962.
www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/dix-noonan-...
Sold at auction 21 Sep 2007.
Estimated value 3,000 - 3,500 GBP
Cameron Staple - grandson, comments:
Unfortunately these items were auctioned off and the family would like them back. There was a terrible misunderstanding from my grandfather Owen Staples wife at the time of his passing. I have tried to get these items back with full compensation to the purchaser with no luck.
Click here to email Gary if you have details to add to this photo.
Photo: "RNZAF Official" 41 Sqn History, Oct 1961 pp 127 & 141
Crown Copyright. New Zealand Defence Force.
Some Rights Reserved.
Me and wrestlerNYSny99 resolved our problem. He is not a scammer. It was a misunderstanding. My advice for everyone is to make sure you get detailed pictures of every angle of the shoe. Again he wrestlerNYSny99 is not a scammer.
It's the end of the night and Joni stopped by on her way home to what used to be one of her favorite 24 hour Walmart stores. Her reason for stopping by was twofold: She wanted to buy some cosmetics, and more importantly, she was hoping to find Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in his R.V. parked overnight in this Walmart's lot. At the time, Justice Thomas was justifiably under fire for even more shockingly unethical behavior in his capacity as a Supreme Court Justice. In an interview, Justice Thomas naturally denied any wrongdoing, while displaying an arrogant misunderstanding of the most basic ethical tenets of the legal profession. He is not only a moron, but he is a corrupt moron, who doesn't think twice about accepting extravagant gifts and favors from billionaires, who have had cases of direct and indirect personal financial interest on the Supreme Court's dockets over the years which he, at a bare minimum, should have recused himself from hearing and voting upon. Of course, it would have been nice if this dimwit had enough sense in the first place to not accept extravagant gifts from these "friends" of his. The concept of a "conflict of interest" has apparently been foreign to him throughout his career.
In a bizarre sidebar, apparently as a misguided attempt to make himself more palatable to the common man, Thomas revealed that he likes to drive around the country in his personal R.V. with his treasonous wife, Ginni. When he is on a road trip, Justice Thomas says he frequently parks his R.V. in Walmart parking lots overnight. I guess national and state parks and those R.V. camps don't bestow freebies upon Supreme Court Justices. In any event, much to her dismay, Joni discovered that not only does this Walmart now close early, but Justice Thomas and his R.V. were nowhere to be found. Joni's hope for a chance meeting were dashed. She would have liked the opportunity to knock on his door, and maybe his fat head, and lecture him on the subject of conflicts of interest, while urging him to do the right thing and resign.
UPDATE: August 6, 2023 - The Sunday New York Times today published a page 1 expose of Justice Clarence Thomas' relationship with a billionaire "friend" by the name of Anthony Welters, who essentially gifted Justice Thomas with a $267,230 luxury R.V. which was disguised as a "loan" dating back to 1999. The story puts a lie to Justice Thomas' tall tale about scrimping and saving for years to buy his R.V.. It also raises serious ethical questions relating to his failure to report the R.V. as a gift pursuant to Federal ethics laws, not to mention the IRS Tax Code, which requires even Supreme Court Justices and not just federal jurists in lower courts to disclose certain gifts, liabilities, and other financial dealings that could pose conflicts of interest.
Of course, Mr. Welters is not the only billionaire to bestow lucrative gifts upon Justice Thomas during his tenure as a Supreme Court Justice. In particular, Justice Thomas is very cozy with Harlan Crow, a wealthy real estate developer from Texas, who has bestowed numerous gifts and luxury vacations upon Justice Thomas over the years. One must ask why would someone would do such things for Justice Thomas? Assuredly, it would have nothing to do with Justice Thomas' status as a Supreme Court Justice who just happened to have cases involving companies in which Mr. Crow has financial and proprietary interests. In any event, Justice Thomas saw no conflict of interest and did not choose to disqualify himself from hearing and ultimately voting on those cases, as he should have done.
The man is a disgrace to the Supreme Court specifically, and the legal profession in general. He should be removed from the Supreme Court and prosecuted.
St Michael's Mount (Cornish: Karrek Loos yn Koos, meaning "hoar rock in woodland") is a tidal island in Mount's Bay near Penzance, Cornwall, England (United Kingdom). The island is a civil parish and is linked to the town of Marazion by a causeway of granite setts, passable (as is the beach) between mid-tide and low water. It is managed by the National Trust, and the castle and chapel have been the home of the St Aubyn family since around 1650.
Historically, St Michael's Mount was an English counterpart of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France, which is also a tidal island, and has a similar conical shape, though Mont-Saint-Michel is much taller.
St Michael's Mount is one of 43 unbridged tidal islands accessible by foot from mainland Britain. Part of the island was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1995 for its geology. Sea height can vary by up to around 5 metres (16 ft) between low and high tide.
St Michael's Mount may have been the site of a monastery from the 8th to the early 11th centuries. Edward the Confessor gave the site to the Benedictine order of Mont-Saint-Michel and it was a priory of that abbey until the dissolution of the alien houses as a side-effect of the war in France by Henry V. Subsequently, it ceased to be a priory, but was reduced to being a secular chapel which was given to the Abbess and Convent of Syon at Isleworth, Middlesex, in 1424. Thus ended its association with Mont-Saint-Michel, and any connection with Looe Island (dedicated to the Archangel Michael). It was a destination for pilgrims, whose devotions were encouraged by an indulgence granted by Pope Gregory VII in the 11th century. The earliest buildings on the summit, including a castle, date to the 12th century.
Siege, occupation and ownership
Sir Henry de la Pomeroy captured the Mount in 1193, on behalf of Prince John, in the reign of Richard I, the leader of the previous occupants having 'died of fright' upon learning rumours of Richard's release from captivity. The monastic buildings were built during the 12th century. Various sources state that the earthquake of 1275 destroyed the original Priory church, although this may be a misunderstanding of the term "St Michael's on the Mount" which referred to the church of St Michael atop Glastonbury Tor. Syon Abbey, a monastery of the Bridgettine Order, acquired the Mount in 1424. Some 20 years later the Mount was granted by Henry VI to King's College, Cambridge on its foundation. However, when Edward IV took the throne during the Wars of the Roses, the Mount was returned to the Syon Abbey in 1462.
John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, seized and held it during a siege of 23 weeks against 6,000 of Edward IV's troops in 1473–1474. Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the English throne, occupied the Mount in 1497. Sir Humphrey Arundell, Governor of St Michael's Mount, led the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549. During the reign of Elizabeth I, it was given to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, by whose son it was sold to Sir Francis Bassett. During the Civil War, Sir Arthur Bassett, brother of Sir Francis, held the Mount against the Parliament until July 1646.
The Mount was sold in 1659 to Colonel John St Aubyn. As of 2024, his descendants, the Lords St Levan, remain seated at St Michael's Mount.
18th century
Little is known about the village before the beginning of the 18th century, save that there were a few fishermen's cottages and monastic cottages. After improvements to the harbour in 1727, St Michael's Mount became a flourishing seaport.
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake caused a tsunami to strike the Cornish coast over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. The sea rose six feet (2 m) in 10 minutes at St Michael's Mount, ebbed at the same rate, and continued to rise and fall for five hours. The 19th-century French writer Arnold Boscowitz claimed that "great loss of life and property occurred upon the coasts of Cornwall."
Gracie was not pleased to learn that we walked over to this pond just for a photo op without including a swim. I tried to explain how yucky she smelled the last time she got in here but she refused to acknowledge that was justification for not getting in this time.
Fam. Asparagaceae
Subfam. Agavoideae
Probably a 'short-day' plant, it begins to bloom usually until September / October, never in the period from May to July! This year these starts to bloom very early! An flower initiation at this Yucca I never observed if was a day length 15 hours or a night length of less than 9 hours.
Yucca x vomerensis C. Sprenger in Cat., 1901
In his "Mitteilungen über meine Yucca-Hibriden und -Formen" (Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. Nr. 29: 119. 1920) he wrote:.
"Yucca aloifolia x gloriosa gave me a large number of seedlings, but among themselves mostly very consistent, so that one could call them without further ado, one and all as 'vomerensis'."
Yucca x glorifolia nom. nud.
(not an valid name, and there can be misunderstandings because also used for Y. gloriosa x recurvifolia hybrids)
In the Botany of the Bermudas by H. B. Small, 1913, is listed
Similar forms are also called Yucca gloriosa 'aloifolia form'.
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.
Another find from the garden. A tiny leaf, with interesting holes, backlit.
Has anyone migrated their account yet? I've been so busy with work, I don't totally understand what is going on, but it seems as a BT customer, I will now lose my free Flickr Pro account, and will then have to pay for my account (or have adverts), and risk losing my stats (what actually gets lost)? Am I misunderstanding something? I think I've had enough of all this being messed about by Flickr. I don't want adverts, and I don't feel as if I want to pay for the current format (would have paid for the previous one).
I have tried to take part in the Olimpiad, but failed. It appears, that "deadline is 15 November" doesn't mean "the last day you may upload photos is 15 November". Ok... I hope, in this case showing some of my works to my Flickr friends is not against the rules.
The model on the photo is Evangeline Kusudama by Xander Perrott
"The Last Days of Coal..."
This is the last week, or so the 'gen', and time-table, had it until Wednesday when an early-morning STP, 'This day Only', working went in leaving Immingham's Humber Import Terminal, H.I.T., at 05:04 and reached the Poser Station at West Burton at 08:33. The high-capacity, 75 tonnes, HTA wagons were unloaded and left at the Power Station and a light engine working, 0D70, activated at 06:09, ran back to Doncaster Down Decoy(GBRf), left 27 minutes early, at 10:33, and arrived back in Doncaster, 52 minutes early at 11:50; there are, as yet, no workings in for tomorrow, Friday 13th! This is the second jaunt out for the 'coals', the next to last day after which this working will stop and will then have delivered around 30,000 tonnes of coal, stockpiled at West Burton in the situation where 'green energy', in the for of wind-turbines, can't produce enough power to meet the country's hugely thirsty electricity supply demand; it was 1GW short a few weeks ago in the fine, hot, windless weather... Although GBRf's 'Biffa' 66783, was on this working all last week, it moved territory at the end of the week, to provide motive power at the other Power Station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar and so was, unfortunately, absent for this weeks coal working to West Burton. Instead, another ex-EWS class 66, has been substituted, 66784, 'Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 50th Anniversary 1968-2018', hauling a long rake of 23, full HTA coal wagons en-route for West Burton on the 6B70 run from Immingham. This is the spot I headed for the last time I was out at Dinnington Junction, when, due to a misunderstanding about the signal positions, I failed to get a decent approach shot and so, after the receding shots were taken, I headed quickly to this spot, thinking the train was stood at a signal a little further north along the line, it wasn't, but a little further south instead and it soon departed... Today, with an attendee, my 13-year old grandson, Oscar, who was absolutely charming company, he taking the last of the pieces here, an iPhone video and its not bad at all, even though he admitted to missing the loco approaching shot... well, we've all done that! This is the SYJR's double-track section of line passing through the tranquil site of Anston Wood, the train heading due south-east now, then curving to the south and Brancliffe East Junction around 2km away. The loco appears to be hauling the same set of wagons on all these runs, 23, 75 tonne capacity, HTAs, with an unladen weight of 27tonne, the timing load was 2200tonnes and the loco weighs in at 130tonne, so that comes out at 20 wagons but there were 23 in actuality.
Copyright © 2013 by Ian J MacDonald. Permission required for any use. All rights reserved
Pen and ink on paper
Archeology and ancient sources suggest that the ancient Celts revered certain natural places. These were perhaps regarded as places that connected the living world to that of gods, the underworld, the dead, or were places with healing properties such as hot springs.
I have been fascinated by this subject for years and have devoured many books about the archeology and culture of these people. However I am also always left with a feeling that the artifacts and studies are sterile and out of context. This isn't to imply that there is anything missing in modern archeology, in fact the goal is to reconstruct and understand the past as fully as possible. Barry Cunliffe, in his books about the ancient Celts suggests that the they didn't make art for art's sake. In "The Ancient Celts" he shows a pair of forged fire dogs with bull's heads on them and profoundly relates that this imagery was not merely artistic but had meaning to them that was as obvious as modern religious symbols would mean to us - the crucifix for example. I can imagine archeologists thousands of years in the future unearthing a richly adorned crucifix, without an image of Christ on it and concluding that it is an artistic pair of crossed sticks - but having no idea of the extensive body of meaning implied by that crucifix. This is what I mean when I say the artifacts seem sterile and out of context.
In these pictures I am attempting to mentally recreate their world and see it as much as is possible in the eyes of the ancient people. This is naturally impossible since as time marches on our knowledge and control of the world has grown far beyond what they could have ever imagined. Like a genie, new knowledge cannot be un-discovered, as many people wish could happen.
The world in pre-Roman and pre-Christian eras was a small, uncertain and a violent place. Diseases, disasters, invading bands and armies came seemingly out of nowhere and struck ferociously. Knowledge has provided us an unparallelled amount of certainty in our lives, but until recently a spate of bad weather could mean mass starvation - something that still occurs in places in the modern world. I religions probably arise formed from our insatiable desire to connect events with reason. Coupled with the ability to have abstract thought this powerful adaptation has made humans one of the most powerful forces on earth.
Religions provided some explanation and feeling of control over the world. Some authors have noted connections between ancient Indo-European religions originating in India and Iran, that are often nowadays associated with Yoga and meditation. I often see the Gundestrup cauldron held up as an example as their is a horned deity, similar to depictions of Cunernos,sitting in the lotus position, possibly meditating and holding a torc and snake - a symbol also associated with Eastern religions. It seems plausible to me that many tenets of European religions could have originated from ancient Indo-European society, but I hesitate to take this comparison too far as meditation and quiet introspection are features of many religions including Christianity. Christianity similarly contains elements of many ancient Pagan religions but it is only murky shadows of them. Besides we really have no firsthand description of even the most basic tenets of their religions, only reconstructions based on archeology and some ancient writings which contain considerable amounts of bias and misunderstanding. I believe the local conditions and experiences shaped their religions which would account for the huge variety of deities that have been uncovered through archeology.
As a reflection of the world around them, Celtic deities appear to be fearsome beings with fickle personalities. We'll never know for sure, but forgiveness and fairness do not seem to be their main attributes. A personal relationship with the deities also does not appear to be likely either. These were deities that affected the world and meted out harsh retribution.
Care must be used when using the word "natural" as it comes loaded with modern implications. Natural means things that occurred naturally such springs, bogs water bodies, mountains, caves etc... In modern parlance "natural" means closer to the land, organic, environmentally aware and so on. This modern meaning of natural cannot be applied to the ancient Celts as the whole world was "natural" and everyone was more connected to the land and weather and the cycles of nature as a means of survival. There was no other alternative to that world. Imposing the modern meaning on them reduces them to the stereotypical "noble savage" or barbarians just as the ancient Roman writers often did intentionally (e.g. Caesar ) or not (e.g. Pliny and Tacitus).
In these pictures I have tried to get into the head of the ancient Celts and depict their holy places without relying on the cliches, stereotypes, and misinformation - e.g. Stonehenges and scrolling knot work, white-robed druids praying to the sun etc... I imagine that sacred places evolved for reasons, perhaps long lost to the ancient Celts. I also envision that sacred places were subtle and perhaps not noticeable until you were on top of them. A foreigner might never recognize them.
I don't believe we can ever see the world as ancient people did, or anyone in the past for that matter. Knowledge is like a genie - once it is out it cannot be put back and the world cannot be experienced as it was before, no matter how hard one tries. Ancient writers have described "fearsome" wooden idols standing in dark groves. Ancient writers also seemed to highlight the most lurid aspects of these ancient religions, although all societies practiced animal and human sacrifice. The Romans describe the Celts ...and all barbarians....as spooky and superstitious but Romans were no less spooky or superstitious. They were the conquerors wrote the history, and found their Celtic superstitions to be strange and creepy and theirs moral and right.
the interesting contrast between these two posters gives much fodder for discussion. The Wife picked them up in Ghana a few years back. You'd typically find them in hairdressing saloons advertising the latest styles, strategic and otherwise. Black women spend so much time and money on hair, indeed it is often a touchy topic, fraught with cultural misunderstandings. There are many traditions too, straight or "natural", braided or permed and all the various dichotomies that I try to remain blissfully unaware of. The immediate observation is of the difference in the production values and photography between the two. The photos of the models with straighter hair have been lightened considerably, the cornrow models appear darker even though they are probably the same shade of blue... What is the latent message being depicted? In both cases, there is the same trade-off between maintenance, ongoing discomfort and upfront time and costs.
Compare perhaps to the situation in 1969
Landseer's four identical lions at the foot of Nelson's Column have to be one of the most popular photographic subjects for the millions of visitors to London – but they're not so often seen under snow.
Sculpted by animal painter Sir Edwin Landseer, RA (1802-73) and cast in bronze by Baron Carlo Marochetti (Landseer was apparently paid £6,000 for his services, Marochetti £11,000), the iconic lions were unveiled very late, in 1867, nine years after having been commissioned – the column itself had been completed in 1843, and that was 38 years after Nelson's death.
Particularly acclaimed for his paintings of dogs, Landseer revealed a profound misunderstanding of feline physiology in his lions: their ribcages, and hence posture, are grossly wrong. Never mind; at 6 m long and 6¾ m tall, though raised much higher by the column's granite plinth, they look majestic, and I kind of like them anyway.
In the background is the Grade II Listed Trafalgar Buildings, built 1881-82 as a hotel at the corner of Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall. The spires to the right of the lion are on the also Grade II Listed Whitehall House (41&43 Whitehall).
My fellow Northerners might mock the idea of London being crippled by a 'blizzard', but to be fair, I was genuinely startled by the speed at which a couple of centimetres accumulated everywhere.
Better On Black?
Well, these photos caused a bit of an issue, resulting in me getting in rather a lot of trouble!
Turns out that passers by had called the police saying there was someone on the bridge looking like he was going to jump off! All a big misunderstanding which took me nearly an hour to clear up with the officers! Turned out I was also breaking the law by walking down the main road... They let that one slide though :D
Preamble is:
We are living in the age of information.
Information forms people’s behavior.
The right information helps us survive.
Incomplete information may lead to misunderstandings.
Light painting art is young - in comparison with traditional painting and photography.
That is why we all need to produce more information for the public at large about our genre.
In case of an artist talking for a wide audience through various media channels about his personal artworks and doesn’t even mention the light painter’s community – such artist foster the illusion that hi is the only one who paint with light.
The general public believes that, because they mostly know nothing about light painting itself.
That illusion creates another myth – about weakness (under-development) of our genre.
As you know, that’s not true.
We can break these illusions and myths – by accepting following declaration of intent.
If you agree with this Declaration, please, put your name below (here, or under any other post on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr or Pinterest)
Welcome to join our Declaration!
Origin publication is here www.lightpainters.com/archive/lpwa/publication/89/index.htm
I spent too long attempting to decipher the subject and message of this mural. I think it’s a hobo clown with lightning pouring from his eyes. He seems sad or maybe angry. Could he be expressing his grief over the general misunderstanding of clowns today? I think he’s just scary.
Sweater, thrifted. Dress, Prabal Gurung for Target. Boots, Ariat. Sunglasses, Toms. Necklace, Heart Boutique. Bag, Imoshion.
Diamond is the stone of purity and constancy. It is thought to be the gemstone of the intellect, preventing misunderstandings (romantic and otherwise).
"The boat that ensures that the museum added an important landmark to the park.
This is a characteristic Erwin Wurm piece in which a familiar form deviates subtly from reality. As the title indicates, this piece causes doubt and a sense of uncertainty in the observer: it is Misconceivable, open to misunderstanding.
As with other sculptures by Wurm, Misconceivable combines an exploration of the limits and opportunities offered by sculpture with an absurdist humour and an unpleasant undertone of impotence. The location of the boat ensures that it will be an important landmark for the museum. The monumental work is a striking landmark at the main entrance to the art park on the Middelheimlaan."
British postcard in the Colourgraph Series, London, no. C 146.
British film actress Winifred Shotter (1904–1996) was the pretty young thing in a number of the popular Aldwych farces, which were staged in London before and during the Second World War. During the 1930s, she also performed in early British films with great success.
Winifred Florence Shotter was born in London in 1904. She was the daughter of Frederick Ernest and Harriet Payne Shotter. Her father worked as a tie cutter. She was the sister of the actress Constance Shotter. Winifred Shotter got her big break in the early 1920’s when she was pulled from a chorus line to play Rhoda Marley in the farce comedy Rookery Nook by Ben Travers. She would go on to appear in a number of what became known as the Aldwych farces popular at London’s Aldwych Theatre. These plays, written by Travers, usually revolved around a misunderstanding, borrowed clothes and dropped trousers. The first was in 1925. Shotter appeared in Rookery Nook (1926), Thark (1927), Plunder (1928), A Cup of Kindness (1929) and Turkey Time (1931). Molly Weir writes in her obituary in The Independent in 1996: “Shotter was appearing at the Aldwych Theatre as an enchanting ‘flapper’ who had to be hidden for fear of discovery by prim visiting relatives, and she sent the house into screams of warning appreciative laughter as she raced downstairs from the bedroom and across the stage clad only in exquisitely revealing pink crepe-de-Chine camiknickers. Her ladylike terror as she reacted to Robertson Hare's horrified cries of ‘Oh calamity!’ enchanted the audience; Ralph Lynn and Tom Walls aided and abetted the chase. Winifred Shotter was classy, frightened femininity at its best.” In 1929 she made her film debut in Peace and Quiet (1929, Sinclair Hill), a short film made in Phonofilm. It was an excerpt of a Ronald Jeans revue, in which she played with Ralph Lynn. Several of the Aldwych plays were also made into films. The following year she played again opposite Ralph Lynn in the comedy Rookery Nook (1930, Tom Walls), produced by Herbert Wilcox. She also acted in the comedy On Approval (1930, Tom Walls), in which Tom Walls was also her co-star.
The farces filled the Aldwych throughout the 1930’s and the war years. In 1931 Winifred Shotter married Michael Green, a union that did not last. Shotter was kept very busy with a series of films during the early thirties. These films include Plunder (1931, Tom Walls), The Chance of a Night Time (1931, Ralph Lynn, Herbert Wilcox), and A Night Like This (1932, Tom Walls). In 1932 she played with Jack Hulbert and his wife Cicely Courtneidge in the successful comedy Jack's the Boy (1932, Walter Forde) for Gainsborough Pictures. She continued to male filmed Aldwych farces starring Ralph Lynn and appeared in Up to the Neck (1933, Jack Raymond), Just My Luck (1933, Jack Raymond) and Summer Lightning (1933. Maclean Rogers). She also appeared in more serious films such as the dramas Sorrell and Son (1933, Jack Raymond) with H.B. Warner and Hugh Wiliams, and the crime film The Rocks of Valpre (1935, Henry Edwards) starring John Garrick. She did make it to Hollywood, where she performed in one film, Petticoat Fever (1936, George Fitzmaurice) opposite Myrna Loy and Robert Montgomery. Reportedly, she found life in Tinseltown distasteful and returned home. In 1946, Shotter became an announcer for BBC television, but also occasionally she returned to stage and screen. In 1951 she married actor Gilbert Davis, one of the band of English actors who found fame in Hollywood because of his impeccable manners and excellent speaking voice. She retired from the stage and for tax reasons the couple moved to Montreux, in Switzerland. Her final film was the family comedy John and Julie (1957, William Fairchild). After his death she returned to England and lived for some years in Surrey. Winifred Shotter would pass away in 1996 at Redhill in Surrey. She was 91. Molly Weir in The Independent: “I think Winifred Shotter must be one of the last actresses who never lost her elegance or her perfect manners, or her charm. She adorned every occasion she attended.”
Sources: Molly Weir (The Independent), Sandra Brennan (AllMovie), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
The ROCKET SCIENCE FOR BABIES book is all wrong. Not just a little bit wrong, but so wrong as to baffle the impressionable imagination of babies everywhere. I thought perhaps the author was just a little confused, and some errors slipped by the editors and fact checkers, but no, when I got to the conclusion page here, the absurdity reached new heights.
The first half of the book gives the usual primer on aircraft wings creating upward lift 90° to the direction of travel. Why is this in a rocket book I wondered? Then they did a bizarre transition from wings to the fins of a rocket, as if they were similar. Yes, fins also stick out of a metal tube, but they don’t function anything like wings on a plane. Maybe I was just misunderstanding their symbolism, but noooo… they end the book with this doozy:
“With lift and thrust, we can go to the moon!” No, no, no, this is so misleading to babies! There is no air in space; lift will not work outside the atmosphere. You can’t fly to the moon!
Notice how they still show the lift vector normal to the thrust vector. Even that is non-sensical as rockets have radial symmetry (the fins circle the center) so even if they were shaped to have lift (which they aren’t), there would be no net lift vector pointing “up”. If you put wings where the fins go, you would induce a spin, but no lift vector as with a plane. The fins are used for passive stabilization in air, and most modern rockets instead gimbal the engine(s) for thrust vectoring without fins. No wings or fins on the Lunar Module.
So, baby book people creating Instagramable-props for parents, please, for the love of babies, don’t peddle kindergarten bunk science as rocket science!
P.S. I wrote a little rocket-science-redux for WIRED a few years back, with a focus on the fins.