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"Your abominations are but a faint startle from your indifference! At least take advantage of this hornet body to discharge your debt, if it is some consistency in you own doctrine.Thus he will expiate this absurd moment out of love for Justice, so long as it belongs to his power to determine and imagine what notion of justice he could still possess.Already his breath passed through the narrow corset of the insect, he felt so at ease again that he stood on his feet, and, spreading his wings from the top of the scale plate, straight away he flew towards the rosatres nipples of the immense nudity: he barely touched it when a spark blew out: the pine wing set him on fire.The fire grew stronger, it was struggling and the fire redoubled in intensity, the more it moved, the bigger it grew and the more the flame crackled; then discerning through the smoke the radiance of its sublime slopes and the vast arc of the smile of its sweet lips, it still managed to hum."
Baphomet by Pierre kKossowsky
." Whithout a form that is stabilized but able to evolve until iy fixes itself in all the possible forms of existence" Eisenstein's definition of a protoplasm. Evoking a primitif form this piece materlializes the idea of plasmaticity brought uo by the Russian himmaker and present in other terms, in Klossowski's work. in equelibrium and weightlessness, hung like a trophy in the center of the room, this creature freezes the s^pectacle of a possible unterruped latent metamorphosis. " I am not a creator who subjugates what he creates to a single me and this me to a single body" the Baphomet proclaims in the eponymous novel by Pierre Klossowski.
Bertrand Lamarche does not consider himself a creator: he does not create archetypes, forms from nothing. he works from precedents, reacts to already existing subjects and figures. the Baphomet is inserted in this genealogy. a pagan idol, the sovereign of alchemists, the Baphomet would seem to be the symbol of instability and metamoorphosis. responding to the theater of La Maréchalrie, Bertrand Lamarche presents new works that are animated in the etymological meaning of the world (from the Latin animare, to give life) compared with earlier works. through the manifestation of primitive forms, these works summon up a bestiary that can echo mythology, the fantasy genre and science-fiction novejs; from the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea to Walt Disney's anthropomorphic charayers, frankenstein's creature and the works of Poe, lovecraft or Orwell.
The systems create images of the successive states of the process of the living as so many moments seized of formal, corporeal and identity mutations, taking place before us. asserting that " nothing ever remains equal to itself but that every constantly changes" Pierre Klossowsky's Baphomet opens to multtiplicity and unlocks identities. Echoing the author's reflection, Bertrand Lamarche turns elasticity of matter, the rejection of fixity, the freedom of becoming into concrete form.
To understand the association of this goat-headed devil figure with Alchemy s, one must follow a long and tortured path which begins in the 12th Century. In the year 1119, a small military band in Jerusalem formed a medieval religious and military order to protect pilgrims visiting Palestine after the First Crusade. They were known as the Knights Templar. Headed by a grand master, they lived austere lives patterned on the Cistercian monks and fought bravely to defend the Church. As the several Crusades progressed, however, they began to amass both wealth and stature. Levi's Baphomet - Note signature at bottom!Because the Knights Templars regularly transmitted money and supplies from Europe to Palestine, they gradually developed an efficient banking system unlike any the world had seen before. Their military might and financial acumen caused them to become both trusted and feared. Their defense of the Holy Lands and their monastic vows gave them a presumed respectability and those who wished to remain in Europe were happy to support their endeavors. The Knights amassed great wealth through gifts from their grateful benefactors. By the late 1200s however, the Knights Templars had suffered several military defeats which left them in a vulnerable position while their wealth became the object of jealousy for many including the Papacy. World events were also taking place which caused this situation to become more complicated. The French King, Philip IV, was engaged in a tumultuous struggle with Pope Boniface VIII which grew out of the King's attempt to levy taxes against the clergy. Boniface forbade the clergy to pay taxes to a secular power and in 1302 issued the bull Unam Sanctam, a declaration of papal supremacy. Philip's partisans imprisoned Boniface who later escaped but died soon afterwards. In 1305, Philip obtained the election of one of his own adherents as pope, Clement V and compelled him to reside in France where he would be in control of his every move. (This was the beginning of the so-called 'Babylonian Captivity of the papacy - 1309-1377 - during which the popes lived at Avignon and were subjected to French rule.)
With the papacy now firmly in his control, Philip turned his sight to the somewhat discredited (due to their military losses) Knights Templars and their treasure. In 1307, Philip ordered a sweeping raid during which all known Knights were rounded up and thrown into dungeons, including their Grand Master Jacques de Molay, charging them with sacrilege and Satanism. In 1312, the Pope, now a puppet of the King, issued the order suppressing the military and religious order and their wealth was confiscated by Philip. (The English assets of the Templars was similarly confiscated by King Edward II of England.).
Baphomet - Tarot Card: The Templars ceased to exist from that time forward. Many of their members, including Jacques de Molay, were tortured mercilessly during their internment and caused to 'confess' to a myriad of crimes, including a list of some 127 charges in nine sub categories. These included such things as the holding their meetings in secret and at night. "The Alchemist must steal the Devil's fire. When we work with the Arcanum A. Z. F., we steal fire from the Devil and thus convert ourselves into Gods. On the forehead of the goat of Mendès shines the esoteric Pentagram. The Caduceus of Mercury replaces the sexual organs. In short, we can say that this Caduceus of Mercury represents the sexual organs. Every alchemist must work with Transmutation; when we steal his fire from the Devil, the five-pointed Star shines.. We must develop the Kundalini and dissolve the "I", it is only in this way that we will obtain Liberation.The Initiates of the fourth way (the Wise Way of Man) call "working with the Devil" the process of dissolving the Self. The tenebrous ones usually attack us with violence. Anyone who works in the dissolution of the self, while not being a demon, is usually, nevertheless, surrounded by demons. When uninitiated clairvoyants see a man in this way, they misjudge him, slander him and call him a demon. The Initiates of the Cunning Way of Man reveal themselves to be enigmatic. The disciples of the path are confused when they notice black candles on the altars of these Initiates, and then, naturally, they judge them wrongly.The ego exercises control over the five lower centres of the human machine; that is, over the centres of Thought, Feeling, Movement, Instinct and Sex. The two higher centres of the human being, the Higher Mind and the Higher Emotional Centre, cannot be controlled by the Self. If we want to dissolve the ego, we must study it in the five lower centres; we need understanding. It is essential to understand the actions and reactions of each of the five lower centres of the human machine. The ego works with the five lower centers, and by fully understanding the activity of each of these lower centers we are on the way to dissolve the ego. In front of the same theatrical performance, two people react in a different way. What is pleasing to one person can be unpleasant for the other. The difference is very often that one person can judge and see with the mind while the other person can be touched in his feelings.We must learn to differentiate between the Mind and the Sentiment. The mind is one thing, and the feeling is another. In the mind there is a whole set of actions and reactions that must be carefully understood. In the feeling are affects that must be crucified, emotions that must be studied and, in general, a whole mechanism of actions and reactions that are easily confused with the activities of the Mind.In every human being there are instinctive subhuman forces that paralyze the true spirit of love and charity. These demonic forces must first be understood, then subdued and eliminated. They are animal forces, criminal instinctive forces: lust, cowardice, fear, etc. We need to understand and subdue these bestial forces before we can dissolve them.Sex is the fourth power of the human being. Sex can liberate or enslave man. No one can be complete, no one can be fully realized without sexual strength. Sex is the power of the Soul. The complete human being can only be achieved with the absolute fusion of the male and female poles of the soul. Sexual strength develops, evolves and progresses according to seven levels (the seven levels of the Soul). In this physical world, sex is a blind force of mutual attraction; in the Astral, sexual attraction is based on the affinity of types according to their polarity and Essence; in the Mind, sexual attraction is carried out according to the laws of polarity and mental affinity. In the Causal, sexual attraction is based on conscious will; it is in the world of natural causes that the perfect unification of the soul is consciously realized. No one can actually attain the glorious fullness of marital status if he has not reached the fourth degree of human integration.At the supreme moment of conception, the human Essences are totally open to all kinds of influences. The purity of the parents and the strength of will not to overthrow the Cup of Hermes are the only things that can protect us against the terrible danger that the sperm and the egg of the subhuman substances of animal souls that would like to reincarnate themselves are infiltrated into the sperm and the egg.Sexuality is the door to Eden. The keeper in front of the door is the Assyrian Sphinx, the Egyptian Sphinx, the Taurus of Moses holding the Sword between his paws. It is the psychological ego, the Baphomet who, with the help of his sword, pushes away from the threshold all those who are not ready. The enemy is inside us. We have to work with the demon to dissolve it. We have to steal the devil's fire.Author Stephen Dafoe in his excellent and detailed work on this subject titled "Unholy Worship" says, "Regardless of its lack of historical appearances, so central to the Templar legend has the Baphomet become, it has grown a Mythos of its own. The Baphomet has been utilized on everything from Tarot cards to video games. It has been accepted as synonymous with the Devil and has become, as we will see in a later chapter, the key iconography of Satanism.
Over 500 years later, Alphonse Louis Constant was studying to be a Roman Catholic Priest. He decided, however, to give up Catholicism and become an occultist and adopted the Jewish pseudonym of Eliphas L�vi. His life work involved writing huge volumes about Magick including extensive commentaries on the alleged deity of the Knights Templar, the Baphomet. Of all his works, the best known is his illustration which appears at the top of this page and was used as a frontispiece to "The Doctrine of High Magic" published in 1855. Levi also believed that if one rearranged the letters in Baphomet by reversing them, one would get an abbreviated Latin phrase "Tem Oph Ab" which he thought to be some type of reference to King Solomon's Temple. You can also see, parenthetically, that the "pentagram" is NOT the symbol L�vi used in his drawing shown above on the left: rather, it is a quite common star!
At the time, it was a crime punishable by death to recant a 'confession' - even if such 'confession' was extracted through heinous torture. Consider what you'd admit to if someone was pulling out your toenails with pliers or dropping hot coals on your body while chuckling.... Those who've experienced severe pain can barely appreciate the conditions under which the Templars met their fate.
Among the charges against the Templars were that they worshiped some sort of 'bearded head'. What was it? There are various theories including the religious relic head of John the Baptist, the Shroud of Turin, an image of Mohammed (the father of the Islamic religion) and other even more bizarre things. But how would such a respected religious order come to worship a head idol or engage in such evil? Likely, they didn't! King Philip lusted after the Templar wealth and could only take it from them if they were judged heretics. The charges against the Templars were nothing new. In fact, such charges were common when 'proving' heresy. Similar charges continued even through the 1600s and were seen even in the United States during the Salem Witchcraft Trials.
Jack Chick "The Curse of The Baphomet" (From an anti-Masonic publication titled "Curse of The Baphomet" � Jack Chick publications whose little comic books rail against Freemasonry, Catholicism, and all sorts of other "evils". )
So how did this supposed idol of the ancient Templars become associated with Freemasonry? Through a hoax perpetrated by Leo Taxil on Albert Pike in the late 1800's. Taxil's hoax (which we describe in detail here on our site) was to reveal a highly secret Masonic order called the Palladium (which existed only in Taxil's highly fertile imagination). The cover of Taxil's book depicts a group of Masons dancing around the demonic Baphomet as drawn by none other than the ex-priest, Eliphas L�vi.
And from there, the rest is history. The hoax, despite the recanting by its creator, continues and is accepted as 'gospel' by new generations of religious intolerants. Freemasonry is defamed by a ludicrous charge and those thinking they're religious and right, perpetuate a lie. And the drawing of a goat's head now grotesquely changed becomes the rallying point of those who, in ignorance and/or hatred, defame Alchemy.It is really true, certain and very true that the mystery of Baphomet is sexual alchemy. From a rigorous understanding and sexual transmutation, we transform the lead of personality into the Gold of the Spirit. The "I" is then annihilated. The rose develops its fragrance with the mud of the earth. The scent of the rose is transmuted mud.
Confidence; Hugues hates montages and spending time on Photoshop. All 3333 photos currently online are made with sensors exclusively, some effects come from sensor size, others from special settings on the G7 or Y77, some effects on sonyericson phones are due to 300k pixels and sensor size, finally on IPhone motion is an art...
In the beam no editing on Photoshop nor any effect, it is just the telephoto lens like a telescope of the Goethe brothers, the green iridescent dust of the air we breathe; the green beam as an indicator of the pollution or the quality of the air of 2018.however, as he doubted that this harsh light long From the black sun of alchemy, the nigerdo, we seek the illuminating and transmuting green ray!
The green ray of alchemy is particularly coveted. This is the previously mentioned Viriditas; it glitters through Nature, is frequently seen as the "green ray" of sunrises and sunsets and also as the transformation of various chemical substances during their combustion.
The light or green ray is the symbol of enlightenment, life and death and the alchemists also saw this "secret fire" as the "spirit of life" in the image of a green, translucent and fusible crystal... It is the emerald star of Odin-Wotan, often referred to as the ancient emerald tablet in alchemy. It contains the secret formula of the transformation of reality and it is the latter that gave birth to the alchemy itself and the hermetic quests for spiritual awakening.
Therefore, green is highly symbolic. Green is feminine and yin, often seen as opposed to red (masculine, yang) and symbolizing transformation, renewal, spring, awakening, long life, hope, immortality, freshness, water - and life itself. His so-called "dark" aspects are death, decay and disease; but seen from the perspective of life, these aspects intertwine and support each other since they are all processes of transformation. Alchemically-speaking, these so-called "dark" aspects make up the putrefaction process, known as nigredo. Alchemists saw in particular the process of transformation from red to green as interactions between the different kingdoms of male and female.
It became apparent that the site was well suited for another high-profile memorial since it sat directly south of the White House. By 1901 the Senate Park Commission, better known as the McMillan Commission, had proposed placing a pantheon-like structure on the site hosting "the statues of the illustrious men of the nation, or whether the memory of some individual shall be honored by a monument of the first rank may be left to the future"; no action was ever taken by Congress on this issue.[3]
The completion of the Tidal Basin Inlet Bridge in 1908 helped to facilitate the recreational usage of East and West Potomac Parks. In 1918, large liquid-chlorine dispensers were installed under the bridge to treat the water and make the Tidal Basin (also known as Twining Lake) suitable for swimming. The Tidal Basin Beach, on the site of the future Memorial, opened in May 1918 and operated as a "Whites Only" facility through 1925, when it was permanently closed to avoid the question of racial integration.[5]
A design competition was held for a memorial to Theodore Roosevelt in 1925. The winning design was submitted by John Russell Pope and consisted of a half-circle memorial situated next to a circular basin. The plan was never funded by Congress and was not built.[3]
Jefferson Memorial Side View
The Memorial's chance came in 1934 when President Franklin Roosevelt, an admirer of Jefferson himself, inquired to the Commission of Fine Arts about the possibility of erecting a memorial to Jefferson, including it in the plans for the Federal Triangle project, which was under construction at the time. Later the same year, Congressman John J. Boylan jumped off FDR's starting point and urged Congress to create the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission. Boylan was appointed the Commission's first chairman and Congress eventually appropriated $3 million for a memorial to Jefferson.[3]
Jefferson warns that a nation cannot be "ignorant and free."
The Commission chose John Russell Pope as the architect in 1935. Pope was also the architect of the National Archives Building and original (west) building of the National Gallery of Art. He prepared four different plans for the project, each on a different site. One was on the Anacostia River at the end of East Capitol Street; one at Lincoln Park; one on the south side of the National Mall across from the National Archives; and one situated on the Tidal Basin, directly south of the White House. The Commission preferred the site on the Tidal Basin mainly because it was the most prominent site and because it completed the four-point plan called for by the McMillan Commission (Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol; White House to the Tidal Basin site). Pope designed a very large pantheon-like structure, to sit on a square platform, and to be flanked by two smaller, rectangular, colonnaded buildings.[3]
[edit] Construction
Under construction in 1941, as seen from across the Tidal Basin
Construction began on December 15, 1938 and the cornerstone was laid on November 15, 1939, by president Franklin Roosevelt. By this point Pope had died (1937) and his surviving partners, Daniel P. Higgins and Otto R. Eggers, took over construction of the memorial. The design was modified at the request of the Commission of Fine Arts to a more conservative design.
Construction commenced amid significant opposition. The Commission of Fine Arts never actually approved any design for the Memorial and even published a pamphlet in 1939 opposing both the design and site of the Memorial. In addition, many Washingtonians opposed the site because it was not aligned with L'Enfant's original plan. Finally, many well established elm and cherry trees had to be removed for construction. Construction continued amid the opposition.[3]
In 1939, the Memorial Commission hosted a competition to select a sculptor for the planned statue in the center of the Memorial. They received 101 entries and chose six finalists. Of the six, Rudulph Evans was chosen as the main sculptor and Adolph A. Weinman was chosen to sculpt the pediment relief situated above the entrance.[3]
The Jefferson Memorial was officially dedicated by President Roosevelt on April 13, 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birthday. At that time, Evans' statue had not yet been finished. Due to material shortages during World War II, the statue that was installed at the time was a plaster cast of Evans' work painted to look like bronze. The finished bronze statue was installed in 1947, having been cast by the Roman Bronze Company of New York.[3]
One of the last American public monuments in the Beaux-Arts tradition,[citation needed] the Memorial was severely criticized even as it was being built, by those who adhered to the modernist argument that dressing 20th century buildings like Greek and Roman ones constituted a "tired architectural lie."[citation needed] More than 60 years ago, Pope responded with silence to critics who dismissed him as part of an enervated architectural elite practicing "styles that are safely dead."[citation needed] As a National Memorial it was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.[1][6]
[edit] Description
The monument's marble steps, portico, and circular colonnade of Ionic order columns, and shallow dome.
Composed of circular marble steps, a portico, a circular colonnade of Ionic order columns, and a shallow dome, the building is open to the elements. Pope made references to the Roman Pantheon and Jefferson's own design for the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. It is situated in West Potomac Park, on the shore of the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River. The Jefferson Memorial, and the White House located directly north, form one of the main anchor points in the area of the National Mall in D.C. The Washington Monument, just east of the axis on the national Mall, was intended to be located at the intersection of the White House and the site for the Jefferson Memorial to the south, but soft swampy ground which defied 19th century engineering required it be sited to the east.[citation needed]
[edit] The interior
Rudulph Evans's statue of Thomas Jefferson with excerpts from the Declaration of Independence to the right
The interior of the memorial has a 19-foot (5.8 m) tall, 10,000 lb (4336 kg) bronze statue[7] of Jefferson by sculptor Rudulph Evans[7] showing Jefferson looking out toward the White House. This statue was added four years after the dedication. Most prominent are the words which are inscribed in a frieze below the dome: "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."[8] This sentence is taken from a September 23, 1800, letter by Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush wherein he defends the constitutional refusal to recognize a state religion.
On the panel of the southwest interior wall are excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776:[9]
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men. We...solemnly publish and declare, that these colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states...And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour.
Note that the inscription uses the word "inalienable", as in Jefferson's draft, rather than "unalienable", as in the published Declaration.[10]
On the panel of the northwest interior wall is an excerpt from "A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1777", except for the last sentence, which is taken from a letter of August 28, 1789, to James Madison:[9][11]
Almighty God hath created the mind free...All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens...are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion...No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively.
Detail of the statue
The quotes from the panel of the northeast interior wall are from multiple sources. The first sentence, beginning "God who gave...", is from "A Summary View of the Rights of British America".[12] The second, third and fourth sentences are from Notes on the State of Virginia.[13] The fifth sentence, beginning "Nothing is more...", is from Jefferson's autobiography.[14] The sixth sentence, beginning "Establish the law...", is from an August 13, 1790, letter to George Wythe.[15] The final sentence is from a letter of January 4, 1786, to George Washington[16]:[9]
God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than these people are to be free. Establish the law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state to effect and on a general plan.
The inscription on the panel of the southeast interior wall is redacted and excerpted from a letter July 12, 1816, to Samuel Kercheval:[17][9]
I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.
[edit] Criticism
Cato Institute Fellow and University of Alberta history professor emeritus Ronald Hamowy has called the inscriptions "[p]erhaps the most egregious examples of invoking Jefferson for purely transient political purposes." Hamowy argues that:
Planned and built during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the walls of the memorial are adorned with quotations from Jefferson’s writings, many of which suggest that Jefferson advocated positions consistent with the aims of the New Deal—with which he would, in fact, have had little sympathy. Thus, Jefferson’s admonition that an educated electorate was essential if liberty were to be preserved is transmuted into a call for universal public education. And his caution that man, as he advances in his understanding of the world, must accompany his greater enlightenment with changes in his social institutions becomes a justification for a new theory of government in keeping with the social-democratic principles that animated the New Deal.[18]
The excerpts chosen from the Declaration have been criticized because the first half alters Jefferson's prose (for the sake of saving space) and eliminates the right of revolution passage that Jefferson believed was the point of the Declaration, while much of the second half (from "solemnly publish" to "divine providence") was not written by Jefferson.[19]
The fifth sentence quoted on the northeast interior wall ("Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than these people are to be free.") has been called "misleadingly truncated" by historian Garry Wills, because Jefferson's sentence continued with: "Nor is it less certain that the two races, equally free, cannot live in the same government."[20]
[edit] Location
Jefferson Memorial, with Potomac River in the background. Photographed from the top of the Washington Monument, January 1967
The site of the monument is in Washington D.C. West Potomac Park, on the shore of the Potomac River Tidal Basin, is enhanced with the massed planting of Japanese cherry trees, a gift from the people of Japan in 1912.[21]
The monument is not as prominent in popular culture as other Washington, D.C. buildings and monuments, possibly due to its location well removed from the National Mall and the Washington Metro. The Jefferson Memorial hosts many events and ceremonies each year, including memorial exercises, the Easter Sunrise Service, and the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival.[21]
The monument is open 24 hours a day but park rangers are there only until 11:30 p.m.;however, the monument is only a few hundred yards from the National Park Police D.C. Headquarters in East Potomac Park. (0330 UTC)[22]
The Final Transmutation is a rare spectacle of nature which occurs solely in the hardest of winters. Only the oldest Dryads then transform into an Old One - a Dryad deity. This may even involve a sex change as it did in this case when Fiérce, the oldest of the Sylvaneth Sisters, became Fiércc the Dryad God.
I am revisiting some of my figs at the moment. Thanks to "Nicebricks" , who sold me the headpiece, which can be bought as a part of his custom Sauron on his bricklink store.
Waxed-paper lanterns written with the words "慈航普渡" bringing upon the well-wishes of salvation for the hungry spirits to pass on to the other side where they will no longer suffer.
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** Origin and facts of the Hungry Ghost Festival:
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors
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More images of the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival
More Chinese Temples images here:
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Photo shot with Nikon D600 + AF-S NIikkor 50mm f/1.8G
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If you are interested in purchasing this image, please visit Getty Images page at:
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It is believed that spirits often feed themselves thru inhaling from joss sticks.
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It's the Luner 7th month, which means it's the scariest month in the whole year according to Chinese believes.
As a child I was always warned to be extra cautious: avoid going out at night, never answer when I heard anyone call my name from behind, don't whistle and no mention the word "ghosts" are among the rules during the Ghost Month.
This year I decide to pay a visit to one of the remaining Ghost Month ( which is called "Yu Lan Festival" in the formal term ) to document some of its believes.
So here's the beginning of my first documentation of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
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The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors
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More images of the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival
More Chinese Temples images here:
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---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
Elderly men checking out the list of donations for this ceremony from local residents.
Once again, seen here is the big signage, made out of paper with bamboo frames, this is one of the most traditional signage which is called the" 花牌 " or "Flower Board", often used during celebrations or praying ceremonies.
The bigger and more elaborated flower boards above carries the names of the big donations - often by the Committee Members of this festival.
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** Origin and facts of the Hungry Ghost Festival:
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors
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More images of the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival
More Chinese Temples images here:
=====
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
In today's rapid fire information storm, it can become increasingly more difficult to navigate effectively through day to day living. This series of 4 images is an inner examination of "dharma" or the nature of what I am meant to do here with my life. This journey reveals again the value of connecting with the inner Teacher (intuition) and staying true to the dream of my heart. When I focus on this with intensity, my outer world is directly affected. I find my Joy again.
與一般喜慶舞獅不同，舞青獅文化獨特青獅有史以來就寄託著人們驅魔避邪、納福迎祥的美好願望。在佛教典籍中青獅乃文殊菩薩坐騎，故在各大祭典，都有舞青獅的習俗，祈求國泰民安，風調雨順。
青獅頭大而沈重，動作幅度大舞起來有一定難度，舞獅員必須經過一番苦功才能駕馭。
古代，青獅子被喻為“獅王”, 若路上相遇其他黑獅，紅獅隊應避讓, 讓青獅隊先行。
Unlike the regular lion dance during festive occasions, the green lion is deemed the ride for the Manju Buddha. It's white facial hair is the signature feature besides the lash green bodice. The Green Lion Dance is carried out during prayer ceremony, believed to bring upon peace and prosperity to the nation.
The green lion's head is much heavier then the regular ones, it takes the lion dancer years of training before he is able to bring it to life.
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The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors
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Follow my rediscovery of the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
For my past visits to the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival
More Chinese Temples images here:
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---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
Red candles are used for celebration and praying ceremonies in Chinese culture while white ones are lit during funerals, or when the electricity power went out at home :)
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The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors
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Follow my rediscovery of the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
For my past visits to the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival
More Chinese Temples images here:
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Character Creation
The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in the comic book Fantastic Four #48, published in 1966.
The Silver Surfer is a humanoid alien with metallic skin who can travel through space with the aid of his surfboard-like craft. Originally a young astronomer named Norrin Radd on the planet Zenn-La, he saved his homeworld from the planet devourer, Galactus, by serving as his herald. Imbued in return with some portion of Galactus' Power Cosmic, he acquired vast power, a new body and a surfboard-like craft on which he could travel faster than light.
Now known as the Silver Surfer, he roamed the cosmos searching for planets for Galactus to consume. When his travels took him to Earth, he met the Fantastic Four, who helped him rediscover his nobility of spirit. Betraying Galactus, he saved Earth but was exiled there as punishment. In the alternate continuity of Earth X and Universe X, Shalla-Bal, Norrin's lover and the empress of Zenn-La, is depicted as joining him as a second Silver Surfer, both serving as the twin heralds of the second Galactus Franklin Richards.
In 2011, IGN ranked the Silver Surfer 41st in its "Top 100 Comic Heroes" list. The Silver Surfer was portrayed by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Jack Kirby commented on the character's creation during an interview stating "My conception of the Silver Surfer was a human being from space in that particular form. He came in when everybody began surfing — I read about it in the paper. The kids in California were beginning to surf. I couldn't do an ordinary teenager surfing so I drew a surfboard with a man from outer space on it."
The Silver Surfer debuted as an unplanned addition to the superhero-team comic Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966). The comic's writer-editor, Stan Lee, and its penciller and co-plotter, Jack Kirby, had, by the mid-1960s, developed a collaborative technique known as the "Marvel Method": the two would discuss story ideas, Kirby working from a brief synopsis to draw the individual scenes and plot details, with Lee finally adding the dialogue and captions. When Kirby turned in his pencil art for the story, he included a new character he and Lee had not discussed.
As Lee recalled in 1995, "There, in the middle of the story we had so carefully worked out, was a nut on some sort of flying surfboard". He later expanded on this, recalling, "I thought, 'Jack, this time you've gone too far'". Kirby explained that the story's agreed-upon antagonist, a god-like cosmic predator of planets named Galactus, should have some sort of herald, and that he created the surfboard "because I'm tired of drawing spaceships!" Taken by the noble features of the new character, who turned on his master to help defend Earth, Lee overcame his initial skepticism and began adding characterization. The Silver Surfer soon became a key part of the unfolding story.
Following the Surfer's debut, Lee and Kirby brought him back as a recurring guest in Fantastic Four #55–61, 72, and 74–77 (ranging Oct. 1966 – Aug. 1968). The character made his solo debut in the backup story of Fantastic Four Annual #5 (Nov. 1967).
Beginning in August 1968, Lee launched the solo title The Silver Surfer. John Buscema was penciller for the first 17 issues of the series, with Kirby returning for the 18th and final issue. The first seven issues, which included anthological "Tales of the Watcher" backup stories, were 72-page (with advertising), 25-cent "giants", as opposed to the typical 36-page, 12-cent comics of the time. Thematically, the stories dealt with the Surfer's exile on Earth and the inhumanity of man as observed by this noble yet fallen hero. Though short-lived, the series became known as one of Lee's most thoughtful and introspective works.
Following his series' cancellation, the Surfer made sporadic appearances as a guest star or antagonist in such comic books as Thor, The Defenders, and Fantastic Four. Lee remained partial to the Surfer, even asking other writers not to use him as a general rule, and with Kirby collaborated on a seminal 1978 graphic novel starring the character, the only original story featured in the Marvel Fireside Books series.
After a 1982 one-shot by writer-artist John Byrne (with scripting by Stan Lee), the Surfer appeared in his second solo ongoing title in 1987.
Initially written by Steve Englehart, the series was to be set on Earth and one issue was completed under this premise before Marvel agreed to let Englehart remove the long-standing restriction regarding Silver Surfer being imprisoned on Earth. This first issue was shelved and a brand new first issue was written, to set up this plot twist; the original first issue would ultimately be reprinted in Marvel Fanfare #51. The series marked the first Silver Surfer stories not written by Stan Lee, a fact which Lee was openly unhappy about. He explained:
"After I gave up Spider-Man then someone else did Spider-Man, and someone else did the Fantastic Four and Doctor Strange and the X-Men and all of them. I felt that it was kind of nice for me to have been the only writer of the Silver Surfer, so I felt a little bit disappointed when somebody else did it. I would have liked to have been the only person. Had I known they were absolutely going to have the book done, I would have found the time to do it myself. I didn't really have time but I would have made the time, rather than have anybody else do it. ... this is not at all a criticism of Steve [Englehart] or of Marshall [Rogers, artist on the series], it's just that it's one book that I would have liked to have always done myself."
Englehart introduced many villains for Silver Surfer, as well as featured space politics involving Surfer's homeworld Zenn-La, which was caught in the middle of a renewed Kree–Skrull War. However, issues regarding Englehart wanting to use his Avengers character Mantis as Silver Surfer's companion, as well as editorial refusing to let him use Thanos or other concepts conceived by Jim Starlin, led Englehart to leave the book with issue #31. Starlin took over as writer with issue #34 after several fill-in issues, and incorporated Thanos, Adam Warlock, and Drax the Destroyer into the series.
Under Jim Starlin and later Ron Marz, the series would receive acclaim and sales boost due to Silver Surfer's involvement with Starlin's Infinity Trilogy, with George Pérez and J. M. DeMatteis also having brief writing stints on the series as well. Additional artists included Tom Grindberg, Ron Garney, and Jon J. Muth, as well as periodic guest spots by John Buscema. The title experienced great initial success which allowed Marvel to push the character into other media, including a 1990 video game, 1992 trading card set, and 1998 animated series, as well as spinning off a variety of other comics series including Cosmic Powers, Cosmic Powers Unlimited, Captain Marvel vol. 2, and Star Masters. It ran 146 issues, through 1998. The next year it was followed by the two-issue miniseries, Silver Surfer: Loftier Than Mortals.
A two-issue Silver Surfer miniseries (later collected as Silver Surfer: Parable), scripted by Lee and drawn by Moebius, was published through Marvel's Epic Comics imprint in 1988 and 1989. Because of inconsistencies with other stories, it has been argued that these stories actually feature an alternate Silver Surfer from a parallel Earth. This miniseries won the Eisner Award for best finite/limited series in 1989.
A new ongoing Silver Surfer series began in 2003, focusing on the character's alien nature and messianic allegory. It lasted 14 issues. The Surfer later appeared in an issue of Cable & Deadpool and has been reunited three times with the superhero group the Defenders. In 2006–2007, he starred in the four-issue miniseries Annihilation: Silver Surfer and co-starred in the miniseries Heralds of Galactus, both part of the Annihilation fictional crossover.
In 2007, the Silver Surfer starred in a four-issue miniseries Silver Surfer: Requiem by writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Esad Ribic. The first issue was released May 30, 2007 to coincide with the character's first movie appearance. Published under the Marvel Knights imprint, Silver Surfer: Requiem portrays the character upon learning that he is dying as the silver shell he is encased in is deteriorating.
This was followed by the four-issue miniseries Silver Surfer: In Thy Name, by writer Simon Spurrier and artist Tan Eng Huat.
After an appearance in the "Planet Hulk" storyline in 2006, the Surfer was featured in its spin-off series starring the Hulk's son Skaar in 2008, both written by Greg Pak.
The Silver Surfer received a sixth volume, an eponymous 5-issue miniseries written by Pak, debuting in February 2011. He was also a core cast member in The Thanos Imperative (2010), Annihilators (2011), and Fear Itself: The Deep (2011). Beginning in 2011, the Silver Surfer began appearing regularly in The Mighty Thor and a new volume of Defenders, both written by Matt Fraction.
In March 2014, Silver Surfer volume 7 began as part of All-New Marvel NOW! by writer Dan Slott, artist Mike Allred, and colorist Laura Allred. In January 2016 Silver Surfer volume 8 began with a special 50th-anniversary edition expected release in March 2016.
In 2019, a 5-part mini-series titled Silver Surfer: Black was released featuring art from Tradd Moore in collaboration with writing from Donny Cates. The series is an extension of a Guardians of the Galaxy storyline in which the Surfer was sucked into a black hole and ejected into unfamiliar space territory. This run follows the Surfer as he traverses the spaceways on a journey back home.
Silver Surfer later plays an important role in King in Black storyline. With the help from Hugin and Munin, Surfer helps Enigma Force to enter Earth and chose Eddie Brock/Venom as a temporary Captain Universe, to aid his fellow heroes against Knull and his army.
Fictional Character History
Norrin Radd lived on the peaceful planet Zenn-La (Deneb System, Milky Way Galaxy). The Zenn-Lavians effectively eliminated the plagues commonly associated with human life on Earth, such as hunger, disease, crime, and war. The result of their quest for advancement and scientific discovery, in effect, created a Utopian society. Norrin's parents were Jartran and Elmar Radd. Jartran was a scientist, and Norrin followed in his footsteps, constantly studying. Unable to cope with what Zenn-La had become (a society that had devolved into hedonism and, in essence, become directionless), Norrin's mother Elmar committed suicide when he was very young. Norrin always blamed himself for this.
After his mother's passing, Norrin was nurtured by his father to become a great man. When Norrin entered manhood, his father was implicated in the theft of ideas belonging to another scientist. When Norrin confronted his father, he admitted negligence. Disgusted by his father's actions, Norrin completely withdrew from him. Depressed by his indiscretion made public and the apparent lack of support from his son, Jartran committed suicide.
Much like his mother and father, Norrin also dreamed of a society that had more substance. He believed that no goals were left to be achieved on Zenn-La. He was filled with discontent and often went to the museum to watch holograms of Zenn-La's past that revolved around their wars and space travel. This often troubled his girlfriend, Shalla-Bal. She believed they had all they could ever want together, but Norrin always dreamed of more.
One day, their peaceful existence was threatened by the presence of Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, who subsists on the energies provided by entire planets. The Council of Scientists let Norrin use a spaceship to approach Galactus and plead on behalf of the planet. Seeing the hopeless situation of his home planet, Norrin Radd volunteered servitude to the Devourer of Worlds in order to spare Zenn-La from obliteration. Galactus accepted. Given a fraction of the Power Cosmic, and shaped by fantasies Norrin Radd entertained as a child, Galactus transformed Norrin Radd into the Silver Surfer. The Silver Surfer's main task was to find planets with the energy to satisfy Galactus's hunger.
Over time it became more difficult to find planets without life on them. Knowing Norrin Radd would resist taking a life, Galactus deliberately altered Norrin's mind to repress his moral compass, allowing Norrin Radd to more efficiently carry out the grim task of finding suitable planets to feed upon.
A decidedly introspective character plagued by the sins of his past, Norrin Radd forever seeks redemption, endeavoring to carry out justice throughout the universe.
The Silver Surfer’s introduction begins with the Surfer bringing Galactus to Earth. In turn, Galactus was confronted by the Fantastic Four. Ben Grimm’s girlfriend, the blind sculptress Alicia Masters, managed to reach Norrin Radd’s more human side, ultimately awakening his conscience that Galactus managed to suppress for many years. The Surfer turned on his master much to Galactus' surprise. The Surfer was easily dispatched by Galactus and Reed Richards ultimately managed to repel Galactus with the Ultimate Nullifier.
In reprisal for the Silver Surfer’s rebellious actions, Galactus created an energy barrier that would prevent the Silver Surfer from leaving Earth. No longer will he venture into space or be a witness to the universe's far-reaching wonders, his heart’s desire since he was a small child.
Trapped on Earth
The Surfer’s earliest contact with humanity was routinely met with fear. Entire countries reacted aggressively when the Surfer simply flew overhead, firing weapons of mass destruction at him. It seemed the Surfer would lead a life fraught with fear and rejection from Earth no matter what the circumstances. Occasionally, when he tried to help certain individuals on Earth, this too resulted in mistrust and fear. One of his worst experiences came from trying to assist Doctor Doom who tricked the Surfer and stole his cosmic powers. After his powers were returned, he had a hard time trusting any humans. He seemed a lost soul. Although they were ungrateful, the Surfer continued to protect humanity from great threats, all the while contemplating their savage and strange behavior.
Eventually, the Silver Surfer became a hero on Earth and began to rediscover his own very human feelings, thanks in large part to blind sculptress Alicia Masters. He fought alongside many of Earth's heroes and joined the superhero group, the Defenders. He even began to trust again and eventually formed friendships with some of earth’s heroes he worked alongside, specifically Doctor Strange. But this was only temporary - the Silver Surfer was not meant to be confined to such a small space.
But the Surfer longed to be free of his prison, to soar infinite space as he was meant to. The Surfer made repeated attempts to escape the impenetrable barrier Galactus placed around the planet. He once traveled through time to try to escape the insanity of Earth and did so successfully, only to find himself in a future where all civilizations had been destroyed. Faced with choices of being free in a dystopic, future Earth society or returning to Earth to live among a group of people who hated him, he chose the latter. He attempted to escape with the help of physicist Al Harper, but this failed as well. He was allowed to leave the barrier by Mephisto, only to find that Mephisto had kidnapped his love Shalla Bal therefore compelling his return to Earth once again to find her, while Mephisto reveled in his frustration.
Years later, with the help of Reed Richards, he successfully escaped. His first action was to go home, to Zenn-La. When he arrived, he found the paradise of Zenn-La destroyed and the residents claiming it to be the Surfer's fault. Galactus had returned and consumed the energies after the Surfer betrayed him. When he tried to find Shalla Bal, he learned she was kidnapped by Mephisto once again. In order to save Shalla Bal he returned to Earth, only to become trapped there once again. This would not be the last time Mephisto attempted to use Shalla Bal against the Surfer and he next tried to get the Surfer to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D., but eventually failed once again.
Free at Last
With the Fantastic Four's help, he was able to escape the barrier. The Silver Surfer made peace with Galactus when he saved his current herald, Frankie Raye, from the Skrulls. Galactus lifted the barrier and the Surfer was free to roam the spaceways once again, something he had long yearned for since his confinement. He wished to never return to Earth, the home of his imprisonment, ever again.
Once the barrier was lifted, the Surfer immediately thought of Zenn-La and his love Shalla Bal. He returned to find that after breaking his promise to Galactus to serve him, Galactus had returned to Zenn-La and consumed its energy. But the residents managed to escape his wrath and rebuild, with the help of Shalla Bal and the Power Cosmic he had granted her when Mephisto brought her to Earth to torment the Surfer. He proposed to Shalla Bal, now the Empress of Zenn-La, but she declined. With no place to truly call home, the Surfer returned to space.
Surfer then was attacked by the Elders of the Universe. With the help of Mantis, he learned of their plot to kill Galactus and destroy reality. Together, the already powerful beings had gathered the Infinity Gems. He managed to stop their plot with the help of Mantis and Frankie Raye. Eternity admitted to Galactus that if not for the Surfer's help, the universe may have been destroyed. But this turned out to not be the end of the Elders' threat to Galactus, as Death would not allow the Elders Galactus consumed to die. This meant that they survived inside Galactus making him very ill. With the help of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, they traveled to the Magick Realm to retrieve the Infinity Gems. In-Betweener interfered and traveled back to Galactus to kill him. Instead, he sent Galactus back to Magick Realm. Silver Surfer appealed to Chaos and Master Order of what the In-Betweener had done and they freed the Elders from a very angry Galactus.
Alignment with the Skrulls
The Surfer soon found himself in the middle of the Second Kree/Skrull War. At first, he remained neutral but through a Skrull trick, he ended up joining their side. He had helped the Super Skrull to escape the Eternals and helped to restore the Skrulls shape-shifting powers. The Kree knew of the trickery, but could not simply forgive the Surfer and made him their enemy. He was uneasy with his alliance when Reptyl joined their side and the Super Skrull was killed. Empress S'byll proved to not be as treacherous as most Skrulls after all and she and the Surfer attacked Hala themselves and defeated Nenora, the Supreme Leader. A truce was made between the races and the Surfer again soared the universe alone.
First Meeting with Thanos
The Surfer then met his next threat and one of his worse enemies, Thanos. Thanos was resurrected to kill half of the universe. He proved to be a very powerful and intelligent being. He faked his death so that the Surfer would not meddle in his affairs while he sought out the Infinity Gems. Thanos has the Surfer imprisoned on Dynamo City to further preoccupy him. After his escape, he met up with Thanos who had the Infinity Gauntlet. He stole the Surfer's soul and kept it in the Soul Gem. He meets Adam Warlock in the Soul World and, with his help, is able to free himself.
Infinity Gauntlet
With Thanos now in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet, he thought himself a god. To please Death, he instantly wiped out half of all life in the universe. The Surfer traveled to Earth to gain the help of any hero he could find. He was able to gather the help of Doctor Strange, the Avengers and some of Earth's mightiest heroes. Adam Warlock exited the Soul World and was best suited to lead the heroes against this growing threat.
The Surfer had a special part in Warlock's plans. While Thanos was distracted by Earth's heroes and the gathered cosmic deities, the Surfer was to take the Gauntlet from Thanos. When the time came, he was noticed and failed to capture the gems from Thanos. After the gauntlet is taken by Nebula, the heroes need Thanos' help to get it from her. The Surfer will not accept this and attacks Thanos. Doctor Strange makes a dimension for them to fight in to settle it with each other. They battle medieval style with limited powers and the Surfer emerges victorious but refuses to kill Thanos. When he turns his back, Thanos attacks him and the Surfer yields. The heroes eventually gained control over the gauntlet and it went to Adam Warlock.
During the Infinity Gauntlet, the Surfer faces many trials and tests. In the realm of perception the Surfer was able to destroy the demons of guilt, denial and doubt he harbored throughout his lifetime. He was able to get forgiveness for his past associations with family and love. He was also able to forgive himself. The only ones to not forgive the Surfer are the millions he brought death to as Galactus' herald. The guilt for this was something the Surfer never knew since Galactus had blocked that in his mind. He had Galactus turn the guilt in his brain back on and the Surfer could almost not bear it. He overcame this. In another reality he was able to defeat the Shadow Surfer, the dark side of himself, to finally become whole.
Infinity War
When the Silver Surfer learned Galactus had traveled back to Earth he was instantly concerned. He met Galactus who was seemingly abducting Doctor Strange. He tried to stop him and Galactus pitted Nova against him. Doctor Strange stopped their battle and told the Surfer he was willing to help Galactus and that the Surfer should help as well. They were able to trace the source of energy fluctuations that Galactus was concerned about and traveled toward their origin. This is the beginning of the Infinity War.
The Surfer and Nova succeeded in protecting the ship. After this, the Surfer played a little part in defeating the Magus and fought with Earth's heroes against their evil counterparts, the doppelgangers. Magus was eventually defeated by Adam Warlock with the brilliant planning of Thanos.
The Silver Surfer learned of Galactus' dismissal of Nova in a harsh way - by being attacked by his new herald Morg. Morg soundly defeated the Surfer and left him unconscious. The Surfer knew this new herald to be unworthy of the Power Cosmic but was unable to face him alone. In addition, Galactus blocked his energy from all former heralds, making him nearly impossible to find.
Surfer gained the assistance of Firelord despite their previous differences. Together they found Nova and resurrected Air-Walker. They all gained the cooperation of Terrax also, after battling him. Together all the former heralds of Galactus came upon Morg. Terrax realized instantly that they together were still no match for Morg, who had recently augmented his powers further through a mystical well. He suggested the Surfer speak to Galactus. The Surfer approached Galactus, but he would not listen and became frustrated with the Surfer's constant meddling. Galactus and the Surfer fought and naturally Galactus emerged the victor. The Surfer was able to finally reach Galactus by telling him that although he could kill him and all his former heralds, someone will replace them to fight the evil that is Morg. This would go on forever. Galactus agreed to remove Morg's cosmic powers.
The Surfer arrived back on the battlefield to find nearly all the heralds downed by Morg's might. Nova managed to seemingly kill Morg, but it was all a sham and Morg attacked her when she turned her back. Nova died in the Surfer's arms. The Surfer was furious but before he could get to Morg they were stopped by Galactus. He removed Morg's Power Cosmic, but he still remained a powerful enemy. The heralds fought him and the Surfer still refused to help kill him, not wanting to sink to Morg's level. The Surfer tried to stop him, but Terrax kills Morg. At a loss, the Surfer said a few words and sent Nova's body into a nearby sun. He regretted that he would never see her again.
While the Surfer searches for Terrax, he comes across Ganymede, who believes him to be one of Tyrant's servants. After a brief battle, the Surfer convinces her that he knows nothing of this one called Tyrant. She tells the Surfer of Tyrant's threat to the universe. Fortunately, the trail the Surfer was following to Terrax also seems to be leading to Tyrant.
Upon arrival at Tyrant's Fortress, they are attacked by Tyrant's robotic guards, which the Surfer easily dispatches. But Tyrant has plans for them and appears and easily defeats them both. When the Surfer awakens he is attached to an energy-draining device along with Ganymede, Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill, Terrax, and to his surprise, Morg. Tyrant is siphoning their energy for himself and to power his colossal ship.
The next victim of Tyrant is brought in to be attached to the machine, the Surfer's friend the Jack of Hearts. Rather than be captured, Jack releases the energy in his armor and is able to free Tyrant's prisoners. They engage Tyrant, with the exception of Morg and Terrax, who fight each other. Even their combined might is not enough to stop Tyrant, who only stops the battle upon the arrival of Galactus. Galactus allows Tyrant to keep Morg in exchange for the release of the others. The Surfer asks why he would deal so lightly with Tyrant, but Galactus replies he will deal with him at a time of his choosing. The Surfer then takes the others to safety.
Infinity Crusade
When the Goddess uses the power of 30 cosmic cubes, she gains control of some heroes susceptible to her message. This begins the Infinity Crusade. She manages to brainwash the Surfer into becoming one of her Holy Guard to help create a universe without evil. At first. he is a faithful follower until she asks him to begin an attack on the remaining heroes of Earth. He refuses to fight his friends and breaks her control over him. This causes his companion and fellow member of the guard Firelord to turn on him. The Surfer does not wish to harm Firelord but he does what he must to stop the Goddess and her plot.
On his way to warn the heroes, he is brought by Thanos to his ship. He agrees to aide Thanos, as the Surfer is instrumental to Warlock and Thanos' plan. He is to be a diversion for the attack on Goddess' planet Paradise Omega. He attempts a dangerous mission to absorb more energy than he ever has from the Sun, becoming a living bomb. Absorbing all this power made him lose his mind and Drax helped to guide him to the moon. He is able to destroy the moon of Paradise Omega and cause the distraction.
The Surfer survived the blast and fell to the planets surface unconscious. He awoke being attacked by Holy Guard members Storm and Wonder Man. Once his power returned he defeated them and tried to get them to realize they followed a madwoman. They remained faithful to the Goddess, but left the Surfer without any further confrontation after he healed Wonder Man's injuries. After the defeat of the Goddess, the Surfer is relieved by her plans being foiled, but at the same time remorseful of the return of evil and violence into the universe.
Blood and Thunder
After having met Beta Ray Bill while they were both held captive by Tyrant, the Surfer flew to find him and help aid him against a crazed Thor. He found Bill beaten by Thor and stopped him from killing him. The Surfer then took on the Thunder God and fought a hard battle, but was defeated. Adam Warlock then intervened and saved the Surfer. Together they assaulted Thor, but to no avail. The Surfer and Warlock were nearly killed. Luckily, Warlock showed the ability to control the Surfer's board since they had shared each others souls during the Infinity Gauntlet.
They sought the aid of Dr. Strange and together they all tried to stop Thor from destroying Asgard. They eventually sought the assistance of Thanos, who helped fight Thor while the Surfer fought the Dark Valkyrie. The Surfer defeated her and Thanos was able to trap Thor in an energy field. With the help of Doctor Strange and the Infinity Watch, they were able to stop Thor's madness.
Down to Earth
The Silver Surfer once again returned to Earth to go to Rick Jones' wedding. He went to inform the Fantastic Four of Nova's death. After a scuffle with the Human Torch, he agreed to help the Four find a seismic anomaly deep in the Earth. Through the caverns under Monster Island they discovered the source, that seemed to lead them right where it wanted them. Deep in the Earth, they find Nova, alive and well. Back at Four Freedoms Plaza, tests confirm that it is indeed his former love. They leave to soar the stars together.
Nova leads the Surfer to many places. They discover a hidden treasure of myth together and Nova tries to convince him to accept their riches. He turns the treasure into sand when Terrax tries to take it from them. Nova then tries to convince the Surfer to take the Champion's mystical wristlets to increase his power, but instead he destroys them. When Nova is kidnapped by some slave traders, the Surfer acts to save her and finally realize his love for her. When he pledges to her to be with her, Nova changes into her true form- Mephisto. Again he uses love to try to defeat the Surfer and is now in possession of the Surfer's soul.
He brings the Surfer to Hell and tells him to make himself comfortable. The Surfer still has hope and tries to fight for his freedom. He is shown that his parents souls are in the possession of Mephisto, which pushes him over the top. He does something he pledged never to do and kills Mephisto. He releases his parents souls, but again finds himself alone. Mephisto, living and well, is greatly satisfied over the outcome of his manipulations.
The Curse of the Power Cosmic
After the events with Mephisto, the Surfer returned to Zenn-la for the only comfort in his life, Shalla Bal. But to his surprise she had found a new lover, the Surfer's half-brother Fennan Radd. He soon realized that his great cosmic power has only brought him sorrow and met with Galactus. He asked Galactus to remove his power, but Galactus refused, telling him he is important to the universe. The Surfer sought out other means to have his power removed.
In space he comes across a planet that he once helped to destroy. He becomes suicidal, planning to use every last ounce of his Power Cosmic to destroy the world and it's memory. He soon decides it would be better to go out using his powers for good and travels to the planet Lathkolas, which has advanced technologically and in the process destroyed it's own ecology. He uses his Power Cosmic to grow life on the planet as he did on Zenn-La. But he loses control of his power and advances the planet billions of years in a matter of moments. In the end, the planet and all life on it is dead. This is more than the Surfer can handle and he losses control of his emotions.
He begins to fight violence with violence, in the process severely beating the Super Skrull. He finally comes to his senses and travels to a planet called Tanus, that is in total anarchy, and tries to help them. Soon, a ship from Earth arrives and inside of it Doctor Doom. He makes a deal with the Surfer to take the suffering away from these people in exchange for his Power Cosmic. The Surfer agrees and Doom's machines are able to siphon all his energies, leaving him still silver, but mortal. Doom then destroys the planet, claiming the people no longer suffer. The Surfer is now powerless and is taken captive.
It is revealed that this is not Doctor Doom himself, but one of his Doombots that set out to get the Surfer's power right after Doom had lost the Power Cosmic the first time. The robot now plans to kill his master and the Fantastic Four, but first he plans to kill the Surfer, ejecting him into space. Legacy arrives on the scene and uses every ounce of his power to revive the Surfer. Upon his revival his powers are restored and he chases after the Doombot, siphoning his power back from it and destroying it.
Immediately after this, the Surfer senses his former master is in danger. He leaves Legacy behind to go to Galactus' aide. He arrives to Galactus' ship to find that Galactus and Tyrant are having their long-awaited battle. Morg has found the Ultimate Nullifier, which he is using to torture Tyrant. But the Nullifier is about to have it's energy unleashed. Galactus tells the Surfer to leave the ship before he is destroyed. The Surfer does not wish for his former master to be destroyed, but Galactus insists. The Surfer barely escapes before Galactus' ship is destroyed along with Galactus and all aboard.
The Star Masters
Upon hearing the intergalactic transmission that Quasar is responsible for the deaths of hundreds in a peaceful organization known as the Charter, he goes to investigate. He finds Beta Ray Bill and together they seek out Quasar. Once found, the Surfer can instantly tell that Quasar speaks the truth and did not commit this heinous crime. Together they become the Star Masters to find the true culprit.
They soon find they have two problems: the Charter's Cosmic Commandos are after Quasar and a massive asteroid is about to collide with Earth. With the Commandos being no match for the Surfer, he is able to concentrate on the asteroid. With his knowledge of the barrier Galactus erected to imprison him there, he is able to use it to destroy the asteroid. But inside lies a tiny black hole that would also destroy Earth. It is stopped by Beta Ray when he transports it out of Earth's path.
Two of the Commandos, Morfex and Xenith, soon ally themselves with the Surfer and the Star Masters and they continue their search for the one responsible for the deaths and the attack on Earth. When they enter the Charter's ship, known as the Hub, they are ambushed and captured. They are thrown in the Cauldron of Conversion to die, but Quasar is able to protect them.
After their escape, the Surfer goes to find Beta Ray Bill, who disappeared after being thrown in the Cauldron. He goes to Asgard to find Bill dead. With Odin's help, the Surfer is able to resurrect Bill, but with part of his Power Cosmic. They return to the others where Bill is able to communicate with the contents of the Cauldron. It is a sentient virus that will destroy any race that has become a part of it.
Through this they learn the truth and the one behind the plot is the Axi-Tun leader Lord Votan. After Quasar is cleared of his charges, they travel to Tun to detain Votan. But he is not going down without a fight, and uses his power to sap their wills and capture them. Tana Nile uses her powers to transfer the remaining will power of the Surfer and the others to Quasar, who is able to escape. Together they are able to defeat Votan.
Planet Hulk
The Surfer was next controlled for fighting in the Red King's arena on Sakaar against the Hulk (who was sent out in space by the Illuminati). The Hulk, recognizing that the Surfer was his friend, destroyed the obedience disc that controlled him. The Silver Surfer was free and used his power cosmic to destroy the other alien gladiator's obedience disc to escape the arena.
When Norrin offered The Hulk to take him back to earth, he declined because he wanted to liberate Sakaar from the Red King's tyranny. The Surfer sensing the destruction of Xandar assisted in relief efforts of nearby planets until summoned by his former master, Galactus.
Annihilation
During the events of Annihilation, the Silver Surfer became aware of the invasion of his universe after the destruction of Xandar. He was able to save Air-Walker from the Seekers, who were trying to capture all of Galactus' Heralds for their leader Annihilus. He met up with Firelord and Red Shift but they were soon met by Stardust. Galactus had summoned the Surfer. He left to speak with his former master.
Galactus told his former Herald of the recent freeing of Aegis and Tenebrous from Kyln, two of his adversaries from early in universal history. Galactus asked Surfer to stand with him as his Herald once more. The Surfer accepted and his power increased and augmented, he was quickly tested by Ravenous, agent of Annihilus. The Surfer dispatched him easily.
Shortly thereafter Tenebrous and Aegis ambushed Galactus and his herald, striking them both down. The Annihilation Wave arrived and picked up the pieces, taking both Galactus and the Silver Surfer prisoner. Silver Surfer was held in a stasis sphere while the Power Cosmic was drained from both him and his master through technology given to Annihilus by Thanos.
After killing Thanos, Drax realized that he had no one to unlock the machine that kept Galactus captive because Thanos had set the power levels on the machine to his own level so that no one could unlock it. He than discovered the Silver Surfer was also being held in stasis. He freed the Silver Surfer while hoping that the Surfer still had enough power left to outmatch Thanos' power level that was set on the machine. The Silver Surfer was severely weak at the time but he still succeeded in overpowering the machine (this may be due to his latest power increase Given to him by Galactus), this was a great accomplishment for the Silver Surfer. Galactus than decimated the Annihilation Wave.
After this the Surfer went to Aegis and Tenebrous in an attempt to hold them at the Crunch until Galactus arrived. He was no match for them and they quickly brought him to near death. In a risky maneuver, he surfed the energies of the Crunch and was able to kill Aegis and Tenebrous with it. Nearly dead, Galactus healed the Surfer, amazed that the Surfer could accomplish such as task. The Silver Surfer continues to serve as Galactus' Herald alongside Stardust.
The New Fantastic Four
When Stardust found an energy source to fulfill their masters hunger, the Silver Surfer used his great tracking abilities to locate the source, who was hiding it from them. The source turned out to be Epoch, the protector of cosmic awareness. But there was a problem, the Fantastic Four needed Epoch, who they believed had stolen the body of their friend, Gravity.
At first, the Surfer was not interested in what they had to say, but after a brief battle with the Black Panther, who had temporarily taken Mr. Fantastic's spot on the roster, he decided to listen. He offered them time to retrieve their friend, but Epoch was to be fed to his master. After speaking with the Thing, the Surfer explained that he had come to the realization that Galactus is beyond good and evil and the Surfer planned to do anything necessary to feed his master.
It turned out that Epoch had taken Gravity in order to resurrect him as Protector of the Universe. But Gravity would not allow Epoch to be consumed and neither would the Fantastic Four. When Black Panther arrived back to the battle, he was equipped with a device similar to Doctor Doom's that siphoned the Surfer's Power Cosmic. His hand to hand abilities were no contest for the Black Panther and he was defeated.
With the heralds of Galactus beaten, they still had no hope of defeating Galactus. Instead, Gravity used all the power Epoch gave him to feed Galactus, who restored the Surfer's power and agreed to spare Epoch.
His tracking abilities were needed once again, this time by the Fantastic Four that just battled with him. They needed him to follow the trail of the contrasepsis, the creatures that fix repairs in reality. The trail lead to Eternity's plane of existence where they found the problem and what was causing Eternity's death and the abundance of contrasepsis. The Surfer helped fight the endless hordes while Doctor Strange preformed surgery on Eternity to save him.
Fall of Orbucen
After two stars suddenly went out without notice, the people of Orbucen realized the sign of fate: Galactus was drawing near their planet. Their worst fears materialized as the Silver Surfer arrived at the planet, scouting it for his master’s needs, not long afterward. Five days after the extinguishing of the two starts, Galactus arrived in Orbucen and begun setting up his equipment.
Once Richard Rider, a.k.a. Nova answering to Orbucen’s distress call arrived there, Galactus’ siphons had already penetrated the planet’s crust, a fore sign that the planet’s end drew nearer with each passing moment. In an attempt to help the people of Orbucen in every way possible, Nova assisted in the evacuation of the planet and the embarking of the population in arks, all the while stumbling upon Harrow, the shadow that life casts, a mysterious parasitic organism that filled its hosts with homicidal tendencies.
After containing Harrow, Nova was informed that the moment Galactus’ feeding process begun, an electromagnetic disruption reached critical level, simultaneously causing a malfunction in all the arks that would drive Orbucen’s people to safety. Knowing there was no time to repair it, Nova set course to persuade Galactus to refrain from consuming the planet, for a few hours, at least.
Galactus did not even notice Nova’s pleading, but the same could not be said for the Silver Surfer, who almost immediately grabbed Nova by the neck, and their battle commenced. At first, due to the Surfer’s swift attack, Nova was unaware of what hit him, but he soon regained composure and tried to reason with him; the Surfer however, showed no intention of stopping. After a relatively short fight in which Nova found himself outclassed, the duo finally landed on Orbucen again, at which point, the Surfer gave his reasoning: he did not wish his master to see him fraternizing with “lower” life forms, and took the fight away in order to speak to Nova, freely.
Expressing his respect for him, the Surfer advised Richard to leave the planet. Nova explained the situation with the malfunctioning arks to the Surfer, who simply locked the drive tech and made the ships operational again by merely blinking, much to Nova’s astonishment. The Surfer then once again advised Nova to drive the arks to safety and then abandon the planet, for his own good.
Later on, after realising Harrow had escaped and went on yet another killing spree, Nova wasted precious time attempting to stop him, and as a result the electromagnetic disruption from Galactus’ instruments became too intense for him to open a stargate, and escape. In an act of despair, Nova rushed into Galactus’ vessel from within the energy siphons. Inside the vessel, he detected once again , and located his physical body for the first time in a floorboard. After a short fight, the Surfer appeared, freed Nova from Harrow’s clutches, and revealed Harrow’s presence to Galactus’ who in return disintegrated Harrow, as a punishment. Galactus spared Nova, by teleporting him and the Surfer five light-years away from Orbucen. The Surfer bid Nova goodbye, but also advised him to refrain from crossing paths with him, or Galactus in the future, before returning to his master once again.
Godhunter
After the consummation of his home planet by Galactus, and the death of his people, Beta Ray Bill decided to pursue the Great Devourer, and put up a complex scheme in order to defeat him: seeing that his power was lilliputian in comparison to Galactus’ might, the cunning Bill decided to attempt and destroy the planets Galactus chose for consumption, in order to eventually starve him. That lead to an inevitable conflict, at first with Stardust, and, eventually with the Silver Surfer himself, whom Galactus dispatched to take care of Bill’s nuisance, after Bill destroyed a planet named I’Than IX.
The Surfer pursued Bill’s ship, Skuttlebutt, all the while trying to reason with Bill. Bill, finally emerging from his ship, refused to hear to the Surfer’s pleadings, and attacked him, hammering him away. The Surfer swiftly recuperated, using his trusted board in order to stun Bill, and then quickly managed to overwhelm Bill in hand to hand combat, while expressing his sadness for having to fight his old friend and comrade.
After persuading Bill to submit, the Surfer tried, once again, to reason with him, and explain that while he could understand Bill’s loss concerning Corbin, Galactus was a force of nature. Skuttlebutt subtly following their exchange from afar, took advantage of the Surfer’s hesitation during his conversation with Bill in order to strike and enable Bill to run away.
Later on, Bill crossed paths with the Surfer again, in an unexplored planet, while Bill was trying to locate Galactus once again. Bill’s initial strike was repelled by the Surfer, who, this time, refused to do more than simply speak. Hesitantly, Bill accepted to listen to him. Expanding on their earlier conversation, the Surfer outlined the events that occurred during Annihilation, and how Galactus’ power was so diminished, that it would not be long before his life would end, taking the sheer number of his pursuers into account. The Surfer also revealed that if Galactus’ existence where to end, all the life within forty-two light-years would cease to exist. Bill reluctantly accepted to permit Galactus to feed in order to sustain himself. It was at that time that the people of I’Than and their assembled fleet attacked the weakened Galactus, Surfer and Stardust, and were near-victory until Bill himself intervened and helped the Devourer complete his sustaining process revitalize himself and destroy the opposing fleet. After the event, Galactus and Bill came to a mutual understanding, and Galactus dispatched both his heralds to find him new planets to feed upon, once again.
Return of the Silver Savage
Upon learning of the Old Power of Sakaar, the Surfer travels to the planet in order to warn the residents of Galactus' coming. If Galactus were to consume the planet, he may not need to feed for millennia and billions of lives will be spared. On the planet he finds Skaar, the son of Hulk, about to destroy the world. Skaar had obtained the Old Power for himself and saw that to save Sakaar, all life must be wiped out.
The Surfer stops him before he can do this, and with his Power Cosmic, returns the Old Power to the planet. But to do this, the Surfer used much of his power and Skaar is able to put an obedience disc on him. The Silver Savage is now a slave of Skaar, who rides with the Red King to destroy the forces of Axeman Bone. In the battle, the Surfer still worries for innocent lives and tries to persuade Skaar to help save them, but Skaar is only interested in killing Axeman. Only then does Caiera come from the Old Power and try to stop Skaar's destructive path. She gains control over the Surfer's obedience disc and has him show Skaar what it is to be a god.
The Surfer fuses himself with Skaar and brings him to Galactus. Skaar, acting as herald, tries to stop Galactus from consuming Sakaar, only to watch in horror as Galactus does so anyway. The Surfer then sends Skaar back to Sakaar, explaining that this is only a vision of things to come. But Skaar still refuses to evacuate. He planned to use the Old Power and force more than Galactus can handle into him, making Galactus hungrier than ever. Realizing that showing Skaar what will happen did not change Skaar, Caiera opens a portal and sends Skaar away from the planet. There will be no evacuation, and Galactus had arrived.
In her last moments, Caiera is able to get some of the ancient stone ships into the sky and save as many as she can. Galactus consumes Sakaar, his hunger absent and he falls into a deep sleep. But before Skaar goes through the portal, he shoots out a beam of the Old Power into Galactus as promised, waking him and making him crave the Old Power. The Surfer tries to calm Galactus, but with a gesture he sends the Surfer across the universe, having enough power to no longer need a herald. The Surfer begins to warn other worlds with the Old Power to prepare for the coming of Galactus.
The "Death" of Galactus
Galactus eventually released the Old Power from his being and the Silver Surfer once again returned to his side as herald. On Earth, the Surfer discovered something disturbing - the corpse of Galactus buried beneath the surface. He was immediately able to trace some possible suspects - Mr. Fantastic and the other members of the Fantastic Four. The Surfer informed his master and went to the Baxter Building to speak with Richards.
Mr. Fantastic revealed that the Galactus he buried was from the future and was killed by the New Defenders and brought back through time to create the Galactus Engine. Using Galactus' power to save the remaining inhabitants of their world, it caused Galactus' death. In order to prevent this future death, Galactus sent the Surfer to summon more involved as they planned to go to Nu-World and question those involved.
The Thanos Imperative
Sensing the coming danger to the universe, the Surfer preceded Galactus to an area known as the Fault, a massive fissure in space caused by the War of Kings. On the other side of the Fault was a twisted, undead universe known as the Cancerverse. With help from the Magus, the inhabitants began their invasion into the universe with their goal being to remove death from the universe and rewrite reality.
While Galactus, the Celestials and many other abstract cosmic beings lined the edge of the Fault, the Surfer teamed up with his old friend Quasar and Nova to help assist in the defense of the universe. But things were about to get much worse, as the Cancerverse had it's own version of the extremely powerful Galactus Engine.
While the abstracts continued their fight at the Fault, Nova recruited a party of the universe's heaviest hitters, including the Silver Surfer, to face the evil leader of the invasion - a corrupted version of Captain Mar-Vell, known as Lord Mar-Vell. Nova Prime and the Surfer, along with Ronan, Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill and Quasar rushed Mar-Vell's location. The Surfer showed his impressive powers by easily defeating two of the most powerful members of the Revengers at the same time - Iron Man and Thor. He faced Mar-Vell himself along with Nova, but Mar-Vell blasted a hole through Surfer's board and easily defeated Nova. Their battle was eventually cut short when Mar-Vell became aware of the Avatar of Death's location. As he departed, he created a massive explosion to destroy his enemies.
Quasar was able to protect the other heroes from their deaths and the Surfer returned with the others to continue the battle at the Fault. When Death returned to the Cancerverse, she destroyed it's inhabitants, causing the universe to collapse on itself, thus closing the Fault. The Surfer then attended a memorial service on Hala for those who were lost in the battle.
Chaos War
Again, the universe was in danger of complete obliteration. The evil god Mikaboshi planned to destroy all of reality by defeating and taking the power of all the gods and skyfathers of the universe. Hercules, recently resurrected, formed a new God Squad. Needing more power for their team, he used his new powers to summon Galactus and the Silver Surfer. The Surfer was enraged, as Galactus was just about to feed and now he was on Earth, a planet the Surfer has saved many times. Luckily, it seemed Galactus agreed to help with this great threat and remain with the team, which included Thor, Daimon Hellstrom, Sersi and others.
When they faced Mikaboshi, he's power proved to be far greater than anticipated. Even the gods he controlled shared in his great power, giving Zeus the ability to topple even the mighty Galactus. The God Squad was forced to retreat.
The Silver Surfer was among other members of the squad that were halted in their escape and trapped between realities. All that remained - including Hellstorm, Sersi, and Venus - were all in between mortal and god, which the Surfer deemed no coincidence. They ended up in Takamagahara, the land of the Japanese gods, where Mikaboshi had originally been trapped. They began to form a plan to trap him once again, but he sent his minions and opened the gate to his former prison, releasing the evil inside.
The team was nearly trapped in nothingness, but the Surfer resisted and helped the other members to resist as well. Again, their power was not enough and they were forced to retreat, the Panther God of Wakanda seemingly sacrificing himself to help them escape.
Back on Earth
After the events of Chaos war, Silver Surfer takes Galactus to Sol (our sun) to feed and rejuvenate, thus removing one billion years out of the sun's life span. He visits Earth and observes the usual chaos while contemplating his role in events passed and his inability to feel human emotions. Flying over Mexico, he witnesses a couple about to get shot down by military men for stealing money. He intervenes, subduing the men and healing the woman from the brink of death but is unable to save the man. The O.A.S first contact squad of the Mexican military are alerted of his presence and send Suzi Endo to initiate a diplomatic greeting. However, the High Evolutionary arrives and attacks the Surfer, leeching him of his precious Power Cosmic. Left powerless and fragile in his human state, the Surfer is taken into custody by the Mexican government and is put under the care of Suzi Endo. He awakens strapped to machines, nearly driving him mad as he is used to flying free amongst the stars, but Suzi creates a diversion and the Surfer escapes from his bonds.
They escape the facility on a land-skimmer and briefly share a kiss as Norrin remembers his usual emotions towards Shalla Bal given Endo's remarkable resemblance to her. They find the High Evolutionary who has taken one of Galactus' Star Spheres and has begun terraforming the desert into a lush jungle before they can enter it. They find themselves threatened by the ever-expanding jungle which threatens to kill those inside it. Norrin is reminded of his early days as the Silver Surfer and the way pre-sentient life on a planet seemed to bond to each other and gain sentience when faced with danger. He shares another kiss with Endo and tells her it is his job to stop the madness the High Evolutionary has started and his to do alone. She convinces him that she can help and arranges a diversion to get them on the ship. Once inside Endo tries to find a way to the High Evolutionary but is somehow imbued with the remaining portion of his power cosmic.
The High Evolutionary appears and tells Norrin how all his life he has brought death and destruction under a supposedly right cause. He then shows- with the appearance of the old man who has been saved and renewed after receiving a portion of his power- how his Power Cosmic can be used to create and restore life instead of tear it down. He requests the aid of a herald to aid him in his cause - bring life to dead worlds. Norrin declines but to his surprise he sees the invitation was not directed to him but to Suzi. She accepts.
Norrin did not trust her judgement. He felt the Power Cosmic was his burden to bare. With this he rams Suzi out of the star ship to the jungle below in a fall that is sure to kill them both. Luckily, she makes use of her new powers and develops wings and lands them in the jungle where the other survivors are. She tells him the Suzi he knew is no more and joins the High Evolutionary as they move to the moon. Frustrated, Norrin takes his anger out on a pack of mutant wolves that recently appeared and convinces the rest of the survivors to flee. He is rescued by the Future Foundation and the Mexican military who destroy the jungle with help from Sue Storm. They use a Future Foundation craft to go to the moon where High Evolutionary has begun wide-scale terraforming on the moon.
In space, Reed devises a plan to separate the newly bonded Power Cosmic from Suzi back to Norrin. The plan works and most of the Power Cosmic is given to Norrin. He is once again transformed to the Silver Surfer and confronts Suzi ... with a kiss. Somehow, his powers have been restored but his emotions remain intact. Unused to these emotions, he nearly turns on his friends who are trying to stop Suzi and the Evolutionary from their task, which will surely do great damage to the Earth.
When Galactus awakens from his rejuvenation, he plans to feed on the Moon. Realizing that his duty will always be that of Galactus' herald, he is forced to chose between those emotions and continuing to serve cosmic consonance. He chooses the latter, taking the remaining Power Cosmic from Suzi and departing with his master. He leaves behind a single flower for her and Reed tells her that as long as he has known him, the Silver Surfer has never been as happy as he was when he was with her.
The Annihilators
The Surfer joins a group of "cosmic police," the Annihilators. Their plan is to fight cosmic-level threats to the galaxy. It is surprising that Galactus would let his Herald go gallivanting off on his own adventures when he is supposed to be looking for planets for the Devourer to eat, but in any case, he fights with them in their first adventure against Klobok, a Skrull seeking to bring the Dire Wraiths back from Limbo. During this mission, Silver Surfer combined his energy manipulation powers with those of Quasar and Ronan to fuse 2 stars.
It is unclear whether this story arc occurs before or after the High Evolutionary storyline. In any case, it must be before the Galactus Seed, since he is not shown to be weakened even when he is fighting at such a great distance from Asgard. It must also be before the Annihilators: Earthfall series, since he is apparently no longer part of the group at that time, presumably because during Earthfall, he is tethered to the World Tree.
Powers and Abilities
In order for Norrin Radd to perform his duty as his herald, Galactus gives Norrin Radd a fraction of his cosmic powers. Possessing him with the Power Cosmic, which is the core from which his other abilities manifest from, Silver Surfer can manipulate the 4 fundamental forces of the universe (electromagnetism, gravity, strong nuclear force and weak nuclear force), by varying degrees. He is one of the most powerful Heralds of Galactus, and the most powerful member of the Annihilators. Tyrant once said that Silver Surfer was the most powerful member of a group that included Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill, Terrax and Morg, and Ikonn considered him an Alpha plus-level threat, just like Beta Ray Bill, Gladiator and Quasar.
Invulnerability
The Silver Surfer's skin is nearly impossible to penetrate, capable of withstanding extreme pressures and temperatures. He can travel through the core of a star and even through black holes without injury or disorientation. He has also been able to withstand punches from She-Hulk without any damage or pain, as well as attacks from the likes of Thor, Hulk, Beta Ray Bill, Namor, Wonder Man, Vision, the Thing, Drax, Korg, Abomination, Champion, Durok, Blastaar, Ravenous, Nova Prime, Quasar, Firelord, Terrax, Morg, Ronan, Super-Skrull, Cable with his powers fully unleashed, Iron Man and Human Torch well enough.
Regeneration
The Silver Surfer can regenerate parts of himself with the Power Cosmic, including his board, at will.
Super Strength
The Power Cosmic gives the Silver Surfer incredible strength. At a baseline, the Silver Surfer can lift/press more than 40 tons. He has frequently exhibited the ability to significantly boost his physical prowess, and enhance his strength to levels enabling him to fight the most powerful beings in the universe including Thor, the Hulk, Thanos and Beta Ray Bill.
Phasing
The Surfer has the ability to phase through solid objects though not turn outright intangible. This is done through his use of matter manipulation on solid objects/barriers or using his ability to travel through self-made spatial portals.
Stamina
The Silver Surfer does not need to breathe and can survive in any environmental condition (miles underwater, the heart of a star, the rigors of outer space, etc.). He does not need to eat or drink to sustain himself but he sometimes does to chose to do so. The Surfer rarely needs rest and can go for years without tiring.
Energy Absorption
The Surfer's skin is designed to absorb various energies from beta particles to any energy wavelength on the electro-magnetic spectrum (from infrared energy to visibile light, to quantum radiation). He is constantly being charged from hundreds of nearby stars and energies from distant galaxies. He can change this absorption into reflection if he chooses. The Surfer has also absorbed so much energy from a sun before, that he turned into a living bomb.
Blast Power
The Surfer can absorb and tap into ambient cosmic energy into his body at will and allowing him to use these energies at different forces. The Surfer could also channel energy through his hands also known as energy beams that can destroy a planet. He can use various energies for offensive purposes as well. He can create large blasts or beams down to the subatomic level.
Energy Manipulation
The Surfer can use energy to create force fields and shields. He can solidify energy to imprison enemies. He can manipulate the energies around him to make space travel possible for beings around him that can not survive in space. He can also control gravity.
Matter Control
The Silver Surfer can rearrange matter to create other objects of importance by rearranging molecules. He can also change the state of matter, such as changing solids into gas. Matter Transmutation helps the Surfer escape traps and prisons and can also be used to make an enemies weapons inactive.
Super Speed
The Silver Surfer's board allows him to move at rates of velocity far beyond that of lightspeed. He has even demonstrated the ability to enter the time stream at his own volition and ability.
Flight
The Silver Surfer flies through the atmosphere of any planet, as well as through the rigors of outer space. He is capable of complex aerobatic manueverability, while also being able to turn, stop and accelerate without any loss of control. He typically uses his surfboard, but has been occassionally observed to fly without the use of it.
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
_____________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: Norrin Radd
Publisher: Marvel
First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)
Created by: Stan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
The Silver Surfer has been seen:
Gladiating with The Hulk in BP 218 Day 100!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/27495953978/
Hitting the beach in BP 2020 Day 230!
The Delirious Goddess energy flashed for a moment beyond the horizon, turning the pilgrim to stone and then back to flesh again. In only an instant the Universe had changed.
to truly transmute you must View Large On Black
I guess I'm a bit of a mystic at heart, but this is also a homage to one of my favorite 19nth Century Artists, Odilon Redon. I've bloged about this so if you want more information go to
dancolvin.squarespace.com/dans-art-blog/2007/8/28/flickr-...
Abstract
Alchemy was the synthesis or transmutation of all elements in perfect balance to obtain the philosopher’s stone, the key to health. Just as alchemists sought this, so health practitioners always seek the best possible practice for optimal health outcomes for our patients. Best practice requires full knowledge—a little information can be dangerous. We need to serve our apprenticeship before we master our profession. Our profession is about improving health care. While the journey may start at medical school, the learning never ceases. It is not only about practising medicine, it is about the development of the practitioner. Professional practice requires systematic thinking combined with capacity to deal morally and creatively in areas of complexity and uncertainty appropriate to a specific context. It requires exemplary communication skills to interact with patients to facilitate collaborative decision making resulting in best practice. The synthesis of scientific and contextual evidence is a concept which applies to all disciplines where theoretical knowledge needs to be transferred to action to inform best practice. Decisions need to be made which take into account a complex array of factors, such as social and legal issues and resource constraints. Therefore, journey towards best practice involves transmutation of these three elements: scientific knowledge, the context in which it is applied and phronesis, the practical wisdom of the practitioner. All science has its limitations and we can never know all possible contextual information. Hence, like the philosopher’s stone, best practice is a goal to which we aspire but never quite attain.
Evidence-based practice, lifelong learning, postgraduate education
Issue Section: Editorial
Introduction
Alchemy was the synthesis or transmutation of all elements in perfect balance to obtain the philosopher’s stone. It was about the creation of a ‘panacea’, the elixir of life, a remedy to cure all diseases, the key to health. Just as alchemists sought this, so health practitioners always seek the best possible practice for optimal health outcomes for our patients.
Best practice requires full knowledge—a little information can be dangerous. We need to serve our apprenticeship before we master our profession. Our profession is about improving health care. While the journey may start at medical school, the learning never ceases. It is not only about practising medicinebut also about the development of the practitioner.
Professional practice requires systematic thinking combined with capacity to deal morally and creatively in areas of complexity and uncertainty appropriate to a specific context. It requires exemplary communication skills to interact with patients to facilitate collaborative decision making resulting in best practice. The synthesis of scientific and contextual evidence is a concept applies to all disciplines where theoretical knowledge needs to be transferred to action to inform best practice. Decisions need to be made which take into account complex array of factors, such as social and legal issues and resource constraints. Therefore, journey towards best practice involves transmutation of these three elements: scientific knowledge, the context in which it is applied and phronesis, the practical wisdom of the practitioner.
Clinical practice can be considered to be the sum of scholarship and professionalism. Scholarship is about empirical knowledge, research evidence, science and logic. We need to know how to assess the quality of evidence, judge the relevance and value of new knowledge to our own practice and determine whether this new knowledge is practice confirming or practice changing. Thus, the basis of our practice is scientific scholarship but we also need to learn the art. Professionalism is about the understanding and application of contextual knowledge and professional expertise, it is about artistry and judgement. We need both clinical reasoning and ethical decision making.
Alchemy was about integration across domains. The basic elements of water, fire, air and earth and core processes of decomposition, sublimation, distillation, amalgamation, fermentation and purification needed to be precisely combined and balanced to attain the philosopher’s stone. Similarly, clinical practice involves the domains of both scholarship and professionalism. For best practice, we must consider the prevalence of a condition, its diagnosis and treatment and its likely prognosis. However, in our management of patients, we must also consider the interplay of many other factors—the law, human rights and dignity, issues of equity for all patients, the potential benefits and harms of intervening or not intervening, the role of the professional and the emotional responses of all involved (Fig. 1).
FIGURE 1
Domains of alchemy and domains of clinical practice
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Domains of alchemy and domains of clinical practice
Alchemy involves finding perfect combination of planetary metals (such as silver, copper and mercury) and mundane elements (such as potassium and sulphur) to transmute matter into the elixir of life. The alchemist studied and practised for many years striving to reach this goal. In the same way, to determine best practice, we need to know the scientific evidence. Randomized controlled trials can demonstrate whether intervention is effective. This knowledge may be strengthened if we combine trials in systematic reviews and meta-analyse. We need to know how well a test will pick or miss a diagnosis. Case-controlled studies help us identify factors, which contribute to a particular disease. Qualitative research brings narrative to our numbers, adds the why and how to our results (Fig. 2).
FIGURE 2
Types of matter and types of evidence
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Types of matter and types of evidence
However, in practice, evidence needs to be assessed from perspective of a particular patient. Many things contribute to what decisions are actually made. These include both the patient and the practitioner’s values, numerous attributes of the patient (such as their age and their co-morbidities), their family and the community in which they live, their culture and local policy. Limited resources may mean that the ideal test or treatment is not affordable. For example, evidence indicates that heart failure should be diagnosed on basis of an echocardiogram, but if patient does not have access to this test, then the clinician may rely on symptoms and signs. Best management might include use of beta blockers, but if the patient has asthma, which this drug exacerbates, alternative treatments must be chosen. A child with bacterial pneumonia requires antibiotics, but relatives of elderly demented and chronically ill person with this condition may decline such treatment for their family member.
Best practice is the transmutation or synthesis of knowledge. However, all science has its limitations. What has been found to be true for particular population may not be generalizable to another. Furthermore, we can never know all possible contextual information. For example, we may not be able to predict that a person will have allergic reaction to drug we give them. Hence, like the philosopher’s stone, best practice is a goal to which we aspire but never quite attain.
Scientific knowledge is incomplete. It is always undergoing change and being added to. We need skills to access and critically appraise new knowledge as research progresses. Likewise, the context changes with every patient, and patient’s needs and values change over time. Professional expertise also requires self-reflection and evaluation of the outcomes of our decisions. All this evidence goes back into the mix and contributes to future decision making (Fig. 3). This is the process of lifelong learning—how the apprentice achieves mastery.
FIGURE 3
Synthesis of knowledge into best practice
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Synthesis of knowledge into best practice
The principle of the synthesis of scientific and contextual knowledge, funnelled through the wisdom of the practitioner, applies to health care in the realms of clinical and forensic practice, research, education and dissemination of information.
Clinical practice
Cecil Lewis, the founding Dean of my Medical School, emphasized that most health care takes place in the community not in the hospital and that doctors should treat patients holistically—body, mind and spirit. He believed it important for doctors to be well-rounded people and their education should include both science and humanity. He introduced a 3-month elective in the final year for students to spend 3 months doing whatever they passionate about, something to feed their soul, be it music, art, science or medicine. Combining theoretical knowledge with real life situations begins with clinical practice.
Alchemists were early doctors, in search of potions to promote healing. This is an intent that doctors still seek, applying scientific knowledge within a particular context to assist our patients to heal. My first general practice experience job was as a locum in Blaengwynfi, a mining village in South Wales. I shared the on-call roster with Dr Julian Tudor-Hart, a GP from the neighbouring village Glyncorrwg. I found him to be a truly inspirational GP. Julian was working with his patients to make their lives healthier through systematically checking their blood pressures and helping them to change their lifestyles—getting them to look at their diet, their smoking and exercise or lack of it. These Welsh villages very impoverished and the GPs who worked there did twice as much work for half pay of those working in more affluent areas. Julian taught me that the people most likely to need health care were the least likely to receive it. It was only many years later that I learned that Julian is an icon of general practice in the UK and that his ‘inverse care law’ is famous.1
I worked as a doctor in Jamaica for 2 years, where the health need was great. There I experienced first-hand how best practice has to be tempered by the circumstances and what is available. I ran a health centre just out of Kingston where there had been no doctor for a number of years and ∼20 000 people in the catchment area. However, there was a great team of auxiliary staff whom I trained to deliver health talks to the large group of people who would sit in shade of the mango trees waiting to see the doctor. The staff would also write labels, count pills and put into bottles the drugs I used to wheedle from the Ministry depot in downtown Kingston. After every 20 patients, I would stop consulting and dispense my own prescriptions. Patients were instructed to bring back pill bottles for recycling. I used to estimate patients’ haemoglobin levels by the strength of copper sulphate solution in which a drop of their blood would float. While a public laboratory was available at the downtown hospital, generally this was not an accessible option due to resource constraints (most patients could not afford the bus fare) and the potential associated harms (gun wars in ghettos made travelling there dangerous).
Forensic practice
Transmutation of scientific and contextual knowledge also applies to forensic practice. This involves examining all available evidence about the circumstances, applying what we know from scientific literature and then assessing whether the evidence may confirm or refute that alleged events occurred or were committed by person accused. Both the presence and the absence of evidence need to be considered. Sometimes evidence points to guilt. The accused may then plead guilty or be found guilty at trial. Sometimes evidence points to innocence. The charges may then be dropped or the accused found not guilty. Other times, it provides an estimate of probability or improbability. Crimes do not have to be proved; only that person is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The roles of the clinical and forensic practitioner are different, and you cannot serve Hippocrates and Hammurabi at the same time. The clinician serves Hippocrates, the Healer. This role is to relieve suffering, provide treatment and prevent further illness or injury and the duty of care is to the patient. The forensic physician serves Hammurabi, the lawgiver. Here, the role is one of evidence gathering with the basic tenet of impartiality. The role is to provide expert opinion and the duty of care is to the Court. While both roles require the synthesis of scientific and contextual evidence, clinicians called upon as expert witnesses need to make this distinction between their therapeutic and forensic responsibilities. Before a hearing, there is a complainant not a victim and a defendant not an offender. Both clinical and forensic practitioners should treat complainants with compassion and respect, and this treatment should also be afforded to the accused.
Research
The alchemist was researcher, constantly experimenting to find philosopher’s stone. He was looking for the perfect balance not only of ingredients but also of processes. Primary care research needs to study not only the prevalence, diagnosis, management and prognosis of disease but also issues such as how to communicate our knowledge to our patients. Clinical decisions may require the complex weighing up of the potential benefits and harms of each course of action. There are numerous ways to communicate this—as relative or as absolute risk, odds, numbers needed to treat or natural frequencies, positively or negatively framed, as numbers or in pictures.2 Our methods of communication will influence how well our patients understand the possible consequences of a management decision and may also actively encourage or discourage them from making particular choices. Using only relative risk may be manipulative. For example, if we tell a patient that one drug has double the chance of a particular side-effect compared to another, the impact of this information is likely to be very different if the risk changes from 1 in 20 to 1 in 10, than if the risk increases from 1 in 20 000 to 1 in 10 000. There is no single optimal method of communicating information on potential benefits and harms, but research can assist us to find the best way to impart knowledge to ensure truly collaborative decision making.
Education
Because knowledge is always changing, clinicians need to embark on a journey of lifelong learning and those with knowledge need to pass it on to others. A network of schools of alchemy existed for over millennia, starting in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, spreading to India, Persia and the Far East, on through classical Greek and Roman civilizations to the medieval Islamic world and then medieval Europe. The science and art of alchemy were passed down to students by master alchemists.
Postgraduate education needs to follow the same model of combining scholarship and professionalism. In all clinical disciplines, practitioners need the tools to access and critically appraise new knowledge as research progresses to assess the quality of evidence and its relevance to their own practice. This knowledge can then applied in context of individual patients. Professional expertise also requires self-reflection and the assessment of outcomes of decisions. Postgraduate students need to be able to look at research knowledge from populations and ask:
Should this confirm or change my practice?
Are these findings realistic—is this test or intervention available, will it be used and will it be worthwhile?
Is it relevant to this particular patient?
How does it apply to patients with other conditions and preferences?
What are relative gains and risks for my patient?
They can explore their own and other colleagues’ clinical reasoning and decision making in specific scenarios. This enables them to reflect on the weight they give different components, such as exploring and explaining relative benefits and harms of intervening or not intervening and issues relating to the law, equity and human rights and dignity.
Publication
Finally, our ever-growing body of knowledge needs to circulated. The philosophy of alchemy persisted for >2000 years. The findings of alchemists were recorded in texts and scrolls and disseminated in their schools and libraries. The best way to disseminate primary health care knowledge is via our peer-reviewed indexed medical journals. Primarily, this is the publication of original research. However, while scientific evidence can help inform best practice, sometimes there is no evidence available or applicable for a specific patient with his or her own set of conditions, beliefs, expectations and social circumstances. Evidence needs to be placed in context. General practice is art as well as a science. Quality of care lies also with nature of clinical relationship, with communication and truly informed decision-making. We also need to publish editorials, viewpoints, commentaries and reflections that explore areas of uncertainty, ethics, aspects of care for which there is no one right answer.
Conclusions
In the journey from apprentice to master, we gain knowledge and practical wisdom along way. As clinicians, researchers and teachers, we are all on a journey of lifelong learning, constantly adding and re-evaluating knowledge to practice the best that we can.
Incomprehensible message transmuted and reiterated in a thousand contradictory descriptions by the thousand different tongues of the strays happening upon the audience hall at the outermost thresholds of the dragon sleeping whose fleeting gaze alone has vanquished dynasties aeon-birthing but now long-forgotten, so would be more than sufficient to boil the flimsy yet existent beings of bureaucrats, politicians, charlatans, and other subspecies of the inbred and fledgling caste otherwise known as 'Whore' within their brittle armor of purely theoretical symantix which crumbles in the very air beyond their sanctuaries of cowardice, but the sleeping dragon shall not expend such effort to slaughter adversaries unworthy as these idolatrous puppets hewn from spare meat, rather the breath it exhales in slumber gently incinerates quivering flesh to the point of madness yet not annihilation, preparing them as a feast for the wise scarabs toiling across the vast stepps of centuries-eroded dung stretching below whilst the unseen dragon sleeps suspended amidst the starlit vaults high above.
Copyright Wiley Trieff 2012.
Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura, located in Dumfries in Dumfries & Galloway, is the largest museum in the region. The museum has extensive collections relating to local and history from the pre-historic era. The museum also has the world's oldest working Camera Obscura. Admission is free, however a small fee applies for the Camera Obscura.
Collections
The museum's collections cover all material relating to the natural history and human pre-history of the region, from geology to dress, folk material, archaeology and early photographs.
Notable artefacts include:
A cast of the skull of Robert the Bruce as well as femur and foot bones.
A Bronze Age cist burial including the remains of a 35-year-old man from the beaker people.
A large collection of Roman and Celtic stone crosses and funerary monuments.
A replica of the first bicycle, as designed by Kirkpatrick Macmillan.
The photographic archive of Dr Werner Kissling.
Personal items belonging to Thomas Carlyle
Fossil reptile tracks from the local Permian sandstone including Corncockle Quarry.
History
Originally built as a four-storey windmill on Corbelly hill, the highest point in Maxwelltown, in 1798, the site was purchased by Dumfries and Maxwellton Astronomical Society in 1834. Over a two-year period the tower was converted into an Observatory, and with advice from polar explorer Sir John Ross, a telescope was purchased from a Mr Morton of Kilmarnock. With its completion in 1836, unfortunately the observatory missed the arrival of Halley's comet; however, it was used in this role until 1872.
The main hall of the museum was built in 1862, and housed the collections of the newly founded Dumfries and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society. In 1981 a major addition of a new gallery, shop, search room and offices for curatorial staff was added. In 2011 the exterior of the windmill tower was refurbished.
Camera Obscura
The camera obscura is currently the oldest working example in the world, and has been in continuous operation since 1836. The instrument, based in the top level of the windmill tower, offers a complete 360° panorama of the surrounding landscape. The image is projected onto a focusing table below, and operated using a simple rope mechanism. In order to protect the instrument it is only operated during the summer months and on days when weather conditions are clear. The museums photographic expert for thirty years was Werner Kissling who donated his photos to the museum when he died.
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, 25 miles (40 km) from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the historic county of Dumfriesshire.
Before becoming King of Scots, Robert the Bruce killed his rival the Red Comyn at Greyfriars Kirk in the town in 1306. The Young Pretender had his headquarters here towards the end of 1745. In the Second World War, the Norwegian Army in exile in Britain largely consisted of a brigade in Dumfries.
Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South. This is also the name of the town's football club. People from Dumfries are known colloquially in Scots language as Doonhamers.
History
Early history
No positive information has been obtained of the era and circumstances in which the town of Dumfries was founded.
Some writers hold that Dumfries flourished as a place of distinction during the Roman occupation of North Great Britain. The Selgovae inhabited Nithsdale at the time and may have raised some military works of a defensive nature on or near the site of Dumfries; and it is more than probable that a castle of some kind formed the nucleus of the town. This is inferred from the etymology of the name, which, according to one theory, is resolvable into two Gaelic terms signifying a castle or fort in the copse or brushwood. Dumfries was once within the borders of the Kingdom of Northumbria. The district around Dumfries was for several centuries ruled over and deemed of much importance by the invading Romans. Many traces of Roman presence in Dumfriesshire are still to be found; coins, weapons, sepulchral remains, military earthworks, and roads being among the relics left by their lengthened sojourn in this part of Scotland. The Caledonian tribes in the south of Scotland were invested with the same rights by an edict of Antoninus Pius. The Romanized natives received freedom (the burrows, cairns, and remains of stone temples still to be seen in the district tell of a time when Druidism was the prevailing religion) as well as civilisation from their conquerors. Late in the fourth century, the Romans bade farewell to the country.
According to another theory, the name is a corruption of two words which mean the Friars' Hill; those who favour this idea allege that St. Ninian, by planting a religious house near the head of what is now the Friars' Vennel, at the close of the fourth century, became the virtual founder of the Burgh; however Ninian, so far as is known, did not originate any monastic establishments anywhere and was simply a missionary. In the list of British towns given by the ancient historian Nennius, the name Caer Peris occurs, which some modern antiquarians suppose to have been transmuted, by a change of dialect, into Dumfries.
Twelve of King Arthur's battles were recorded by Nennius in Historia Brittonum. The Battle of Tribruit (the tenth battle), has been suggested as having possibly been near Dumfries or near the mouth of the river Avon near Bo'ness.
After the Roman departure the area around Dumfries had various forms of visit by Picts, Anglo-Saxons, Scots and Norse culminating in a decisive victory for Gregory, King of Scots at what is now Lochmaben over the native Britons in 890.
Medieval period
When, in 1069, Malcolm Canmore and William the Conqueror held a conference regarding the claims of Edgar Ætheling to the English Crown, they met at Abernithi – a term which in the old British tongue means a port at the mouth of the Nith. It has been argued, the town thus characterised must have been Dumfries; and therefore it must have existed as a port in the Kingdom of Strathclyde, if not in the Roman days. However, against this argument is that the town is situated eight to nine miles (14 km) distant from the sea, although the River Nith is tidal and navigable all the way into the town itself.
Although at the time 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream and on the opposite bank of the Nith from Dumfries, Lincluden Abbey was founded circa 1160. The abbey ruins are on the site of the bailey of the very early Lincluden Castle, as are those of the later Lincluden Tower. This religious house was used for various purposes, until its abandonment around 1700. Lincluden Abbey and its grounds are now within the Dumfries urban conurbation boundary. William the Lion granted the charter to raise Dumfries to the rank of a royal burgh in 1186. Dumfries was very much on the frontier during its first 50 years as a burgh and it grew rapidly as a market town and port.
Alexander III visited Dumfries in 1264 to plan an expedition against the Isle of Man, previously Scots but for 180 years subjected by the crown of Norway. Identified with the conquest of Man, Dumfries shared in the well-being of Scotland for the next 22 years until Alexander's accidental death brought an Augustan era in the town's history to an abrupt finish.
A royal castle, which no longer exists, was built in the 13th century on the site of the present Castledykes Park. In the latter part of the century William Wallace chased a fleeing English force southward through the Nith valley. The English fugitives met the gates of Dumfries Castle that remained firmly closed in their presence. With a body of the town's people joining Wallace and his fellow pursuers when they arrived, the fleeing English met their end at Cockpool on the Solway Coast. After resting at Caerlaverock Castle a few miles away from the bloodletting, Wallace again passed through Dumfries the day after as he returned north to Sanquhar Castle.
During the invasion of 1300, Edward I of England lodged for a few days in June with the Minorite Friars of the Vennel, before he laid siege to Caerlaverock Castle at the head of the then greatest invasion force to attack Scotland. After Caerlaverock eventually succumbed, Edward passed through Dumfries again as he crossed the Nith to take his invasion into Galloway. With the Scottish nobility having requested Vatican support for their cause, Edward on his return to Caerlaverock was presented with a missive directed to him by Pope Boniface VIII. Edward held court in Dumfries at which he grudgingly agreed to an armistice. On 30 October, the truce solicited by Pope Boniface was signed by Edward at Dumfries. Letters from Edward, dated at Dumfries, were sent to his subordinates throughout Scotland, ordering them to give effect to the treaty. The peace was to last until Whitsunday in the following year.
Before becoming King of Scots, Robert the Bruce stabbed his rival the Red Comyn at Greyfriars Kirk in the town on 10 February 1306. Bruce's uncertainty about the fatality of the stabbing caused one of his followers, Roger de Kirkpatrick, to utter the famous, "I mak siccar" ("I make sure") and finish the Comyn off. Bruce was subsequently excommunicated as a result, less for the murder than for its location in a church. Regardless, for Bruce the die was cast at the moment in Greyfriars and so began his campaign by force for the independence of Scotland. Swords were drawn by supporters of both sides, the burial ground of the monastery becoming the theatre of battle. Bruce and his party then attacked Dumfries Castle. The English garrison surrendered and for the third time in the day Bruce and his supporters were victorious. He was crowned King of Scots barely seven weeks after. Bruce later triumphed at the Battle of Bannockburn and led Scotland to independence.
Once Edward received word of the revolution that had started in Dumfries, he again raised an army and invaded Scotland. Dumfries was again subjected to the control of Bruce's enemies. Sir Christopher Seton (Bruce's brother in law) had been captured at Loch Doon and was hurried to Dumfries to be tried for treason in general and more specifically for being present at Comyn's killing. Still in 1306 and along with two companions, Seton was condemned and executed by hanging and then beheading at the site of what is now St Mary's Church.
In 1659 ten women were accused of diverse acts of witchcraft by Dumfries Kirk Session although the Kirk Session minutes itself records nine witches. The Justiciary Court found them guilty of the several articles of witchcraft and on 13 April between 2 pm and 4 pm they were taken to the Whitesands, strangled at stakes and their bodies burnt to ashes.
Eighteenth century
The Midsteeple in the centre of the High Street was completed in 1707. Opposite the fountain in the High Street, adjacent to the present Marks & Spencer, was the Commercial and later the County Hotel. Although the latter was demolished in 1984–85, the original facade of the building was retained and incorporated into new retail premises. The building now houses a Waterstones Bookshop. Room No. 6 of the hotel was known as Bonnie Prince Charlie's Room and appropriately carpeted in the Royal Stewart tartan. The timber panelling of "Prince Charlie's room" was largely reinstated and painted complete with the oil painted landscapes by Robert Norie (1720–1766) in the overmantels at either end of the room and can still be seen as the upstairs showroom of the book shop. The Young Pretender had his headquarters here during a 3-day sojourn in Dumfries towards the end of 1745. £2,000 was demanded by the Prince, together with 1,000 pairs of brogues for his kilted Jacobite rebel army, which was camping in a field not one hundred yards distant. A rumour that the Duke of Cumberland was approaching, made Bonnie Prince Charlie decide to leave with his army, with only £1,000 and 255 pairs of shoes having been handed over.
Robert Burns moved to Dumfriesshire in 1788 and Dumfries itself in 1791, living there until his death on 21 July 1796. Today's Greyfriars Church overlooks the location of a statue of Burns, which was designed by Amelia Robertson Hill, sculpted in Carrara, Italy in 1882, and was unveiled by future Prime Minister, Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery on 6 April 1882. Today, it features on the 2007 series of £5 notes issued by the Bank of Scotland, alongside the Brig o' Doon.
After working with Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, inventor William Symington intended to carry out a trial in order to show than an engine would work on a boat without the boat catching fire. The trial finally took place on Dalswinton Loch near Dumfries on 14 October 1788. The experiment demonstrated that a steam engine would work on a boat. Symington went on to become the builder of the first practical steamboat.
20th century and beyond
The first official intimation that RAF Dumfries was to be built was made in late 1938. The site chosen had accommodated light aircraft since about 1914. Work progressed quickly, and on 17 June 1940, the 18 Maintenance Unit was opened at Dumfries. The role of the base during the war also encompassed training. RAF Dumfries had a moment of danger on 25 March 1943, when a German Dornier Do 217 aircraft shot up the airfield beacon, but crashed shortly afterwards. The pilot, Oberleutnant Martin Piscke was later interred in Troqueer Cemetery in Dumfries town, with full military honours. On the night of 3/4 August 1943 a Vickers Wellington bomber with engine problems diverted to but crashed 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) short of the Dumfries runway.
During the Second World War, the bulk of the Norwegian Army during their years in exile in Britain consisted of a brigade in Dumfries. When the army High Command took over, there were 70 officers and about 760 privates in the camp. The camp was established in June 1940 and named Norwegian Reception Camp, consisting of some 500 men and women, mainly foreign-Norwegian who had volunteered for war duty in Norway during the Nazi occupation in early 1940. Through the summer the number was built up to around 1,500 under the command of General Carl Gustav Fleischer. Within a few miles of Dumfries are the villages of Tinwald, Torthorwald and Mouswald all of which were settled by Vikings.
Dumfries has experienced two Boxing Day earthquakes. These were in 1979 (measuring 4.7 ML centred near Longtown) and 2006 (centred in the Dumfries locality measuring 3.6 ML ). There were no serious consequences of either. There was also an earthquake on 16 February 1984 and a further earthquake on 7 June 2010.
Like the rest of Dumfries and Galloway, of Scotland's three major geographical areas Dumfries lies in the Southern Uplands.
The river Nith runs through Dumfries toward the Solway Firth in a southwards direction splitting the town into East and West. At low tide, the sea recedes to such an extent on the shallow sloping sands of the Solway that the length of the Nith is extended by 13 km to 113.8 km (70.7 mi). This makes the Nith Scotland's seventh longest river. There are several bridges across the river within the town. In between the Devorgilla (also known as 'The Old Bridge') and the suspension bridge is a weir colloquially known as 'The Caul'. In wetter months of the year the Nith can flood the surrounding streets. The Whitesands has flooded on average once a year since 1827.
Dumfries has numerous suburbs including Summerhill, Summerville, Troqueer, Georgetown, Cresswell, Larchfield, Calside, Lochside, Lincluden, Newbridge Drive, Sandside, Heathhall, Locharbriggs, Noblehill and Marchmount. Maxwelltown to the west of the river Nith, was formerly a burgh in its own right within Kirkcudbrightshire until its incorporation into Dumfries in 1929; Summerhill, Troqueer, Lochside, Lincluden, Sandside are among other suburbs located on the Maxwelltown side of the river. Palmerston Park, home to the town's senior football team Queen of the South, is on Terregles Street, also on the Maxwelltown side of the river.
Queensberry Square and High Street are the central focal points of the town and this area hosts many of the historical, social and commercial enterprises and events of Dumfries. During the 1990s, these areas enjoyed various aesthetic recognitions from organisations including Britain in Bloom.
Dumfries got its nickname 'Queen of the South' from David Dunbar, a local poet, who in 1857 stood in the general election. In one of his addresses he called Dumfries "Queen of the South" and this became synonymous with the town.
The term doonhamer comes from the way that natives of Dumfries over the years have referred to the area when working away from home. The town is often referred to as doon hame in the Scots language (down home). The term doonhamer followed, to describe those that originate from Dumfries.
The Doonhamers is also the nickname of Queen of the South who represent Dumfries and the surrounding area in the Scottish Football League.
The crest of Dumfries contains the words, "A Lore Burne". In the history of Dumfries close to the town was the marsh through which ran the Loreburn whose name became the rallying cry of the town in times of attack – A Lore Burne (meaning 'to the muddy stream').
In 2017 Dumfries was ranked the happiest place in Scotland by Rightmove.
Located on top of a small hill, Dumfries Museum is centred on the 18th-century windmill which stands above the town. Included are fossil footprints left by prehistoric reptiles, the wildlife of the Solway marshes, tools and weapons of the earliest peoples of the region and stone carvings of Scotland's first Christians. On the top floor of the museum is a camera obscura.
Based in the control tower near Tinwald Downs, the aviation museum has an extensive indoor display of memorabilia, much of which has come via various recovery activities. During the second world war, aerial navigation was taught at Dumfries also at Wigtown and nearby Annan was a fighter training unit. RAF Dumfries doubled as an important maintenance unit and aircraft storage unit. The museum is run by the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Group and is the only private aviation museum in Scotland. The restored control tower of the former World War II airfield is now a listed building. The museum is run by volunteers and houses a large and ever expanding aircraft collection, aero engines and a display of artefacts and personal histories relating to aviation, past and present. It is also home to the Loch Doon Spitfire. Both civil aviation and military aviation are represented.
The Theatre Royal, Dumfries was built in 1792 and is the oldest working theatre in Scotland.
The theatre is owned by the Guild of Players who bought it in 1959, thereby saving it from demolition, and is run on a voluntary basis by the members of the Guild of Players. It is funded entirely by Guild membership subscriptions, and by box office receipts. It does not currently receive any grant aid towards running costs.
In recent years the theatre has been re-roofed and the outside refurbished. It is the venue for the Guild of Players' own productions and for performances from visiting companies. These include: Scottish Opera, TAG, the Borderline and 7:84.
The Robert Burns Centre is an art house cinema in Dumfries. The Odeon Cinema, which showed more mainstream movies, closed its doors in mid-2018 due to the local council refusing to allow Odeon to relocate, forcing them to close.
The Loreburn Hall (sometimes known colloquially as The Drill Hall) has hosted concerts by performers such as Black Sabbath, Big Country, The Proclaimers and Scottish Opera. The hall has hosted sporting events such as wrestling. The new DG One sport, fitness and entertainment centre became the principal indoor event venue in Dumfries in 2007, but in October 2014, it closed due to major defects being discovered in the building. However, the refurbished building reopened to the public in the summer of 2019. The Theatre Royal has also reopened following renovation work.
With a collection of over 400 Scottish paintings, Gracefield Arts Centre hosts a changing programme of exhibitions featuring regional, national and international artists and craft-makers.
Dumfries Art Trail brings together artists, makers, galleries and craft shops with venues accessible all year round.
There are a number of festivals which take place throughout the year, mostly based on traditional values.
Guid Nychburris (Middle Scots, meaning Good Neighbours) is the main festival of the year, a ceremony which is largely based on the theme of a positive community spirit.
The ceremony on Guid Nychburris Day, follows a route and sequence of events laid down in the mists of time. Formal proceedings start at 7.30 am with the gathering of up to 250 horses waiting for the courier to arrive and announce that the Pursuivant is on his way, and at 8.00 am leave the Midsteeple and ride out to meet the Pursuivant. They then proceed to Ride the Marches and Stob and Nog (mark the boundary with posts and flags) before returning to the Midsteeple at 12.15 pm to meet the Provost and then the Charter is proclaimed to the towns people of Dumfries. This is then followed by the crowning of the Queen of the South.
Since 2013, Dumfries has seen the annual Nithraid, a small boat race up the Nith from Carsethorn, celebrating the town's historical relationship with the river.
The region is also home to a number of thriving music festivals such as the Eden Festival (at St Ann's near Moffat), Youthbeatz (Scotland's largest free youth music festival), the Moniaive Folk Festival, Thornhill Music Festival, Big Burns Supper Festival and previously Electric Fields at Drumlanrig Castle.
Queen of the South represent Dumfries and the surrounding area in the third level of the country's professional football system, the Scottish League One. Palmerston Park on Terregles Street is the home ground of the team. This is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith. They reached the 2008 Scottish Cup Final, losing 3–2 to Rangers.
Dumfries City VFC are a virtual football club from the town.
Dumfries Saints Rugby Club is one of Scotland's oldest rugby clubs having been admitted to the Scottish Rugby Union in 1876–77 as "Dumfries Rangers".
Dumfries is also home to a number of golf courses:
The Crichton Golf Club
The Dumfries and County Golf Club
The Dumfries and Galloway Golf Club
Of those listed, only the Dumfries and Galloway Golf Club is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith. This course is also bisected into 2 halves of 9 holes each by the town's Castle Douglas Road. The club house and holes 1 to 7 and 17 and 18 are on the side nearest to Summerhill, Dumfries. Holes 8 to 16 are on the side nearest to Janefield.
The opening stage of the 2011 Tour of Britain started in Peebles and finished 105.8 miles (170.3 km) later in Dumfries. The stage was won by sprint specialist and reigning Tour de France green jersey champion, Mark Cavendish, with his teammate lead out man, Mark Renshaw finishing second. Cavendish had been scheduled to be racing in the 2011 Vuelta a España. However Cavendish was one a number of riders to withdraw having suffered in the searing Spanish heat. This allowed Cavendish to be a late addition to the Tour of Britain line up in his preparation for what was to be a successful bid two weeks later in the 2011 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race. Cavendish in a smiling post race TV interview in Dumfries described the wet and windy race conditions through the Southern Scottish stage as 'horrible'.
DG One complex includes a national event-sized competition swimming pool.
The David Keswick Athletic Centre is the principal facility in Dumfries for athletics.
Dumfries is home to Nithsdale Amateur Rowing Club. The rowers share their clubhouse with Dumfries Sub-Aqua Club.
The town is also home to Solway Sharks ice hockey team. The team are current Northern Premier League winners. The team's home rink is Dumfries Ice Bowl. Dumfries Ice bowl is also recognised as Scotland's only centre of ice hockey excellence, and trials for the Scottish Jr national team are carried out at this venu.
Dumfries Ice Bowl is also home to two synchronised skating teams, Solway Stars and Solway Eclipse. In addition, Dumfries Ice Bowl is also home to several curling teams, competitions and leagues. Junior curling teams from Dumfries, consisting of curlers under the age of 21, regularly compete in the Dutch Junior Open based in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. In 2007, 2008 and 2009 a Dumfries-based team have been the winners of the competition's Hogline Trophy.
Dumfries hosts three outdoor bowls clubs:
Dumfries Bowling Club
Marchmount Bowling Club
Maxwelltown Bowling Club
Dumfries hosts cycling organisations and cycling holidays
The most significant of the parks in Dumfries are all within walking distance of the town centre:-
Dock Park – located on the East bank of the Nith just to the South of St Michael's Bridge
Castledykes Park – as the name suggests on the site of a former castle
Mill Green (also known as deer park, although the deer formerly accommodated there have since been relocated) – on the West bank of the Nith opposite Whitesands
There are many buildings in Dumfries made from sandstone of the local Locharbriggs quarry.
The quarry is situated off the A701 on the north of Dumfries at Locharbriggs close to the nearby aggregates quarry. This dimension stone quarry is a large quarry. Quarry working at Locharbriggs dates from the 18th century, and the quarry has been worked continuously since 1890.
There are good reserves of stone that can be extracted at several locations. On average the stone is available at depths of 1m on bed although some larger blocks are obtainable. The average length of a block is 1.5m but 2.6m blocks can be obtained.
Locharbriggs is from the New Red Sandstone of the Permian age. It is a medium-grained stone ranging in colour from dull red to pink. It is the sandstone used in the Queen Alexandra Bridge in Sunderland, the Manchester Central Convention Complex and the base of the Statue of Liberty.
Oil on canvas; 206.0 × 186.0 cm.
Kenzo Okada (岡田 謙三 "Okada Kenzō" September 28, 1902 – July 25, 1982) was a Japanese-born American painter and the first Japanese-American artist to work in the abstract expressionist style and receive international acclaim.[1]
According to Michelle Stuart, “when Okada came to the United States he was already a mature painter, well considered in his native Japan. To American abstraction Okada brought civilized restraint, an elegance of device and an unusual gift for poetic transmutation of natural forms.”
Kenzo Okada was born September 28, 1902 in Yokohama, Japan. His father, a wealthy industrialist, did not support his son's desire to be an artist. When his father died, Okada entered the department of Western painting at Tokyo School of Fine Arts,[1] called today Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, but in 1924 left for France where he studied with fellow Japanese expatriate Tsugouharu Foujita, executing paintings of urban subjects. In 1927, he exhibited work in the Salon d'Automne. In the same year, he returned to Japan and within a year he had his first one-person show at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo. His success continued with a prize in 1936 from the Japanese contemporary artist group Nikakai Group, of which he went on to become a lifetime member. He taught at the School of Fine Arts, Nippon University from 1940 to 1944, but was evacuated to Mori village in the Miyagi Prefecture, later returning to Tokyo to teach at the Musashino Art Institute.[1]
A realist painter in Japan, in 1950 he moved to New York City, where he produced abstract paintings. Undoubtedly stimulated by Abstract Expressionism, these paintings nevertheless display a strong Japanese sensibility and feeling for form. His paintings from the 1950s reveal subtle changes in the natural world through the use of imagery constructed with delicate, sensitive color tonalities, floating within the compositional space. In 1953 he began to exhibit his abstract expressionist paintings with the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York City.
During the 1970s he painted numerous works that used as a point of departure the reinterpretation of the decorative effects of traditional Japanese painting.
Okada evokes the aura of landscape by using earth colors, abstract patterns hinting at rocks and flowers, and an overall haziness that makes his scenes look submerged in water. Bringing an Asian sensitivity to the New York School of abstraction, Okada distills the essence of nature into his painting, making it seem elemental and thus sublime. Okada became friends with Mark Rothko and many other abstract expressionists, especially the early color field painters. His sensitive and personal style of abstract expressionism, with his Asian roots, relates directly to both color field painting and lyrical abstraction.
Okada died in Tokyo July 24, 1982
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.
It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
Soul Travel is a little different from Astral Travel where you are working from your astral body and are aware of your body below you, moving through objects and going to places that relate often in a more worldly sense on Earth or in the Astral Planes. Soul Travel is when you are travelling in your Light Body and at a Soul level, so you will not be aware of your body as you are in the higher vibrations of yourself and so one with everything, being your multi-dimensional self. So you are not aware of leaving your physical body or going through walls and all the lower dimensional experiences, instead of going out of body, you go within and through your Light Body you are in the Now, all worlds and dimensions at once, there is no separation. Soul Travel in your Body of Light is from unity consciousness and you are not actually travelling anywhere, because you are there already and everywhere. In Astral Travel you are operating through the Astral Body, which is vibrating at a lower frequency than the Soul. So you will see more of your physical world and what is happening in it, from day to day experiences, places and people and there are many books on how to do this. I am not going to mention how to Astral Travel here, as I do not do this type of travel myself. When Astral Travelling you may go somewhere on the planet or see friends or family, but you can also do this on a Soul level, and only if you need to and not out of curiosity. With Soul Travel you are Light and travel in Liquid Light Plasma, you are at a high frequency and are out of the gravitational pull, it is multi-dimensional travel. When you work at a soul level and with your Light Body you are connected to Source and your I Am, and work at that level for the upliftment of yourself, humanity and in the bigger picture and grand cycles. As with travelling in the Astral Body you perceive information, but it has a direct link with your soul, you are clear about what is taking place and are able to heal and complete through your I Am presence as the multi-dimensional experience/hologram is happening, especially if you are doing this while awake and conscious in a meditation. You are working through time and space with no limitations, and you aware other dimensions, planes, through vortexes, into Inner Earth, the Councils of Light, and Light Cities, civilisations that have moved into the higher frequencies and dimensions, the Milky Way, Star Systems and Galaxies. For example connecting to other civilisations in other cycles, or to stars, or other dimensional places to receive information, complete missions or remember and awaken within you and your body, codings of information that are for grid work, the shift in consciousness and new cycle, New Earth and Solar System. When you Soul Travel you are usually triggered in some way by your Higher/Inner Self, or Divine Beings will suggest travelling/awakening to a certain star, portal point or ancient civilisation. You may not know before hand why, but will find out later why it is so important. My first conscious Soul Travel many years ago, was when I read an article on Moon City in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia in a magazine. I knew instantly that I had lived there; this was a great city from another cycle on Earth. When I travelled there on a Soul Travel I saw the whole place as it had been at that time in the Third World, we are in the Forth World going into the Fifth, with a new root race. I saw myself as I had come in from the Stars there, and I saw how it was destroyed by a nuclear holocaust. Since then I have done a lot of work there on the inner planes and assisted the beings trapped there. I have been on countless Soul Travels since that time consciously, but always from being guided from my Heart and Inner Self when it is appropriate for some understanding, healing and resolution, or to create the new from the lessons of the old civilisation. Needless to say just as in past life regression you learn a lot about history, but not his-story as the controllers of the planet want us to know it, and not history from just recent times, but from different worlds and cycles on Earth. In some of the workshops I facilitate in different countries we go as a soul group on a Soul Travel together, through a portal where we are physically located together and into a previous civilisation that is now in light, or into Lemuria, Atlantis or the Egyptian pyramids, or an Ancient Civilization from another cycle maybe even millions of years ago in the concept of 3D time. Or to the Councils of Light, or to another Star System to complete something as a group and to heal, awaken, bring back the gifts or resolve what may have been left from the collapse of that time. This is important now as we come to the end of this cycle and the end of much greater cycles, there is a lot of completing going on before we all shift cycles again.
“Gateways of Unity, Inner and Natural Healing”.
REASONS SOUL TRAVEL
1. To access information, remember or complete something from an ancient civilisation or place, or other cycle on Earth.
2. To connect to a soul or souls who may not be living or humanoid, to heal or exchange information for healing, planetary work or to complete.
3. To awaken the Light Being you are in the Light Ship and/or the Councils of Light for important work that you do from your over soul self at this time of change in cycle.
4. To connect to someone here and now on Earth to communicate to them from a soul level, to be of service in some way and share.
5. To be at and open up to a place on the planet that has energies or codes that are part of your mission, often we do this physically but can do it also in our Light Body.
6. To be at cosmic schools or healing temples, or other worlds or dimensions to learn.
7. Accessing the inner dimensional worlds within the Earth, Inner Earth, the sea, planets, different star systems to re-connect, learn, share, work together, complete and unify.
8. To be one in time and space to unify, heal and transmute part of yourself still fragmented in a past/now/future Earth life or in Parallel Worlds.
9. To remember and awaken your gifts and multi-dimensional aspects and to allow them to be fully integrated in your body and energy field, being fully present in your life, service and experience on the earth plane now.
Soul Travel is a way to assist you to become more aware of your multi-dimensional self and what you do on Inner Planes, worlds and dimensions. You start to take more responsibility for yourself on all levels, as some of aspects of self can still be in duality and in other worlds of illusion or the astral planes. Through you connection in Oneness with Source and your hearts desire to heal, unify and be your full divinity these aspects become at peace and unified by your love and acceptance of yourself exactly as you are.
Please see more on this in the “Inner Union” chapter or my book “Gateways of Unity, Inner and Natural Healing ”, the chapter on ‘The Aura and Astral’ about Astral Hooks.
An example of this is a friend of mine and fellow multi-dimensional anchor who went to China to release a seal over Light at a particular place that had been sealed 13,000 years ago. As the world could not handle the frequencies then, as we went through the Photon Belt the last time and into fear and density, but the world is ready again now to be open to the Light. There were three Tibetan Lamas that had walked for one whole year to get to the same place at the same time, only for a day before turning around and walking back to Tibet! They were there for the same reason, but quietly, unseen by all except the one they worked with and even then she only saw one in passing. Such is the way of the true work that is done by those who are in Divine Will and of service here on this planet, to assist the shift in consciousness and return of the Golden Age, the real work is done on the Inner Planes and on the outer world quietly by those who are connected and conscious.
If you feel you are busy working at night or get people telling you they channel you, see you helping in dreams or they call out to you for help make sure you are Connected and in the higher energies of your divine self. It is a good idea to imagine you are within the Golden Octahedron, unified frequencies of cosmic life force energy, the top apex at Cosmic Gateway and the bottom at Earth Star, do this night and day until you feel you have unified to the point where you are aligned on all levels in oneness and divine love. This just keeps you unnecessarily out of the lower Astral worlds while you are still unifying yourself. You will still have your hooks in the Astral while you are running victim/victimiser and fear issues but the Golden Octahedron will keep that energy from distracting you, while you do your higher work and also help you be in a calm and centred space to unify the astral hooks you may still have. Also if you find at times that you do not feel like doing much, instead of thinking of yourself as lazy or lost it, realise that most of your energy is actually off working on other levels assisting in some way, so just allow yourself to be. The universe will always provide for you and you will have what you need in regards material things so you can do this work. There is much work going on at present as the higher light octaves are blasting through from the Source and the Greater Central Sun and Galactic Centre, through the star and planetary alignments, eclipses and cyclic doorways of the equinox and solstices. The pulse for the Galactic Centre which is what the Mayan Calendar represents has passed the middle of the Galactic Underworld now as we open up our frequencies of ‘who we truly are’, We move into the ninth step of the pyramid and Universal Underworld on 11. 02. 2011, it ends 28.10. 2011 when we complete creation according to the calendar and the pyramids; that were built to represent this journey into the higher dimensions and Light are a vehicle created to move through the doorway. Of course the pyramid is each of us, the crystal, the Earth, the Solar System and beyond, multi-prismed facets from the prism of Light of Source. Many are leaving Earth as they have chosen not be here physically for the great shift that is happening, and there are many things occurring with the Earth herself as she throws off all the toxins. But instead of fearing the future or changes; breath love and acceptance into the fear, until it is gone as there is only Love, the Love you are takes you into the New Earth, your Heart is the doorway. In your Soul Travels once you awaken enough to know to do them; and when and where you are to be, you will feel only joy for what is taking place as you work with the Councils of Light, Councils of Elders and Ancient Ones, Light Beings and Guardians on the Earth, the Dragon and Serpent People and are aware of the Inner Earth and the beings there as we merge the Inner and Outer as one, the New Earth is birthed.
You will know from your heart the appropriate time and place to do Soul Travel, it is not an ego thing and something that is to be controlled and manipulated. The work you do is not interfering and changing energies, it is simply being the divine being you are, fully conscious as you experience the lower energies to illuminate them through your being. You are the go-between, the one that through your choice of being in a physical body at this time give the gift through your being of unifying Heaven and Earth, spirit and matter. This process takes place through you becoming your Body of Light, being fully present and aware, not by doing magic or manipulating energies, this is the old path and the new is from Love, Acceptance and Allowing, by simply Being….aware, alive, radiant. So either through choice as you awaken, or through circumstances such as losing a job, a relationship, loss of a loved one, health problem or accident your Soul is guiding you into self healing, realisation and service to others, selfless surrender to the divine self. You can Soul Travel in your sleep, or while meditating or being still within. You need to know where it is you wish to go; this often comes as a message from your Inner/Higher Self. For example you may need to be through the Belt of Orion, or into Lemuria, you may be directly there or go through a doorway portal like the Giza Pyramids for Orion, or Easter Island for Lemuria first. Or you may want to go into a mountain near where you live, or into the Serpent tunnels in the Inner Earth, or to a particular Star, or to the Galactic Federation, to the Council of Light, or a Light Ship that is in your area.
I find when I go to sacred sites, vortexes, ruins and dimensional portals and pyramids my Inner Self will often ask me to travel back there in a Soul Travel that night, as I gain more awareness and move into the other dimensions more easily. Often I return on a Soul level many times after I have visited a place physically; for example after being in the sarcophagus in the Kings Chamber and in the Queens Chamber at the great Pyramid at Giza, I often travel in my Light Body there and also take others on the inner there as well, or other locations. As well as painting the Inner Planes in a mandala or activation painting, as a doorway to assist others to open up to the Light Codes and portals there, and in many other pyramids and vortexes. On one occasion after visiting the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, I was at vortex called Moran and the energy was so powerful it almost knocked me over. I was to soul travel back there that evening, and I was staying near Sedona which was quiet a drive. I had hardly got back to where I was staying and into my room and my head on the pillow when I was off back to Moran on the inner to meet with Council of Elders through the Inner Earth doorway there and got downloaded with lots of information. But when I was physically at the location as I stood at the vortex, at the edge of the great cliffs, the energy was so intense and I was just there briefly and got nudged to go. Often I just have to be in the place to absorb the light codes and energies then do the rest on the Inner Planes away for the actual location. But I will also often stay at a place for hours or return many times over days, weeks and years to Soul Travel into the dimensional worlds within the sacred site or vortex to awaken to the next level of light codes. Use the pendulum or muscle test if you are not sure and check whether it is appropriate to go there. Soul Travel is for a purpose that has Divine Will aligned to it. It will be for your healing or completion of some mission, or to receive more wisdom, information and codings. Or to learn at a higher frequency plane, your next step in your initiation process, or for Planetary or Cosmic awareness of the Cyclic Shift and Bigger Pictures and you work with the Councils of Light. If you are in doubt ask if there is anywhere at this time where you are meant to go; it maybe to a healing temple in a higher dimension, or a higher dimensional school for learning and awakening your consciousness. Or in unlimited ways of service such as teaching others on the Inner Planes, or going into the Underworld to assist those who have asked for help. As well as to hold the beam of high frequency divine light and love, unified energy in a battlefield, or disaster to help all souls to transmute the fear and horror. You may also be going on Soul Travels but not be conscious of this, if you feel this is happening you can connect and tune in and see what comes into your awareness. If you are not meant to know, there is usually a good reason for this. It could be that your ego will get in the way, or you will tell others and lose the energy, or others on whatever level may hear and cause mischief, or it may simply be that you are not ready to understand consciously yet. When you have been guided, or chosen where you are to go, in alignment with Divine Will, then if you are doing this as a meditation while awake follow the next section ‘Aligning and Connecting for your Soul Travel” and then simply go there. Your intention takes you straight there; open up your awareness by simply trusting what you intuit is happening. You will be conscious of what is going on and you can also ask and guide yourself with relevant questions such as:
· “Do I need to heal anything here?” If yes, and you are not sure how, send Golden Light into it and Love from your Heart until it is healed and glowing golden. · “Do I need to complete anything here?” If yes, then ask your Inner/Higher Self to take you to the place and time, see or sense what it is you need to do to complete. Just trust what ever it is you get a sense of. · “Do I need to receive anything from here; an object, codings, awareness…?” Then ask your Inner/Higher Self to take you to the time and place where you need to be, to receive what it is. Trust whatever you get. · “Do I need to return anything to this place or time?” If yes trust whatever it is you get a sense of, it maybe a crystal you took at the end of Atlantis, or a ray of energy from an ancient pyramid site. What ever it is you get a sense of then ask your Higher/Inner Self to guide you back to the place in your Soul Travel where you need to put it back. · “Do I need to resolve anything?” You may go to a place where there has been destruction and beings, or part of your multi-dimensional self is trapped. If you get a sense of this then send love into them until you can see or get a sense that they are free. If there are other beings, send Love and Golden Light to them until they are free to go back to their Source, which maybe another world. · You can also go with a group on a Soul Travel to a particular cycle, dimensional world, star system or place and you may need to unify as a group something you left unfinished as the same group in that parallel time. “Do we need to do something as a group, what happened, what do we need to remember or complete? Sometimes it takes a long time of clearing yourself and getting lighter before you are able to access a particular doorway, star system, or vortex. For example for years I had been wanting to go through the Southern Cross, but I even had to go to Uluru on a Blue Full Moon and Equinox to make the star essences of the Southern Cross with rock and flowers on the rock, and still was not ready to go through the doorway. When I finally was ready as I went through Southern Cross doorway, the dimensional facets of light that got activated in me were vast, and I could see why it had taken so long for it to happen, I had to get my frequency high enough to hold the energies. You will know where it is you are to go as described previously, then get into bed and do the alignment as described in ‘Aligning and Connecting for your Soul Travel’ before going to sleep. You well probably have a very deep sleep, as you travel in your Light Body you will usually not be consciously aware of anything except maybe Light or Golden Light. Make sure you have enough warm bedding on as often the body can get cold as most of your energy and life force is being used on your travel. I have never been on a Soul Travel in my sleep yet that I remember, as it is happening. Usually because it is on such a deep level and the conscious mind is nicely asleep while it is going on. Often if I have taken other people with me, sometimes they have said they were aware of a Golden Light coming to them. Or we have gone travelling yet I may still be awake, I am aware that it is going on, but not conscious as I go to bed to sleep. But I get clarity in the morning when I tune into it.
In the morning or when you get a chance, tune in and see what comes up for you about your journey. Sit and get connected, go within, deep into your inner self and ask to be shown what happened. If you are visual you will see your journey in your inner vision. If not then you may get a knowing - trust it. Or you can get a pen and paper and write it down, or go and type up what comes with out thinking, on the computer. Trust what you get and allow it to unfold. Then if any of it needs to be unified or completed you can follow the guideline of the questions that are in the ‘Soul Travel in Meditation’ section just previous. Ask in prayer and with intention to be connected to your Source in Divine Love, and Oneness through the Sun, Central Sun and Greater Central Sun, your Inner Self, Solar Self and Earth. Know that you are in the Golden Light of Source and the Golden Beings from the Great Central Sun and Councils of Light are with you. After you have stated this then connect the Golden Light from Source and the Suns through your Crown, into your Heart Chakra, and down through your body and into the Earth. Then that energy from the Earth back up through your Heart and out to Source. Then imagine or see within, all your Chakras spinning and Light, go up them from Earth Star to Cosmic Gateway, (if you are not sure see the diagram in the Chakra chapter on page 55), as each one sparkles and radiates in Light…….. When they are all sparkling and Light be aware of them merging into One Chakra of Light…….then out through all your physical body…etheric body…emotional body…mental bodies…spiritual bodies…you are one Body of Light…..Open up to the full spectrum of Light Codings to your Christ/White Light Body…Now you are ready to go…. So put out clearly where you are off to· If you are doing this in your sleep then just go to sleep. If you are doing this in a meditation then allow yourself to be there and trust what you perceive no matter how subtle, just follow what happens. If you find you need more Light then you can imagine that you are surrounded and filled with a portal or column of Divine Light….You are within this spiralling column of Divine, radiant Light as it connects you to the Light Grid around the planet and you open up to the Light Grid, matrix of Light as you travel in Light through the Light Grid to where you choose to go. Whether you are fully conscious of it or not, you will be there, so trust your imagination and what ever you sense, feel, know or see. Happy travelling through the journey of your Soul. At first you may become aware that you work with the Councils of Light through Soul Travel, or aware that you are busy working at night in your sleep. You then start to become more aware of yourself, as you are on the planes of Light any time of the day or night, you now become conscious. The more you do this the more you become, and are aligned in Divine Will, becoming more compassionate, loving, accepting, humble and in the world but not of it, out of the illusion. You now operate from the Bigger Picture and the Inner Planes as your frequency has heightened and you have graduated to a new level of awareness. The first time I learned to astral travel or what some will call inter dimensional travel, was from my Spirit Guide Lucifer. He introduced me to it last year. As a matter of fact he is the main being in my life that has helped opened up my psychic abilities. This experience happened one morning when I awoke and was rushing to get to school because I was very late. Lucifer has some strange timing in appearing to me. While I was combing my hair I saw his presence in my mirror. I was like 'what now I am busy come back later.' He responded that he could not come back later and that he needed to teach me something now. I said that I am late for school. He said this was very important because he does not want me to depend on him alone for knowledge, but to go and experience things for myself throughout the planes in the spirit world. After our little spat he convinced me to stay home for a half hour later to teach me astral projection. Well the lesson took hours and I missed school that day. Fortunately the class was canceled. At the beginning I needed help from him to astral travel because I was a newbie at it. But after awhile I was able to do it on my own because of more practice. The wonderful thing about astral travel is that you meet a lot of various non-human entities. One of the most lasting memories of my travel was at this place where I encountered a very humble man who was a tall blond. Lucifer was not with me at this time but the man was very gracious towards me.
I asked him 'what do you call this place?' He answered Aldebaran. When I came back from astral traveling I realized that what felt like seven days in Aldebaran seemed to be thirty minutes on this physical plane. I was totally exhausted. I did some research on the name and came up with the name of a very giant orange star in our galaxy that is about 65 light years away located in the zodiac constellation of Taurus. It is even larger than our sun.
What path? "I am the path," said the Lord, which is the light and the life. Christ is not a person. So when we read that Master Jesus said "I am the path," he was not talking about his personality or his physical body; it was Christ talking through Master Jesus. He said, 'I, the light of the cosmos, am the path.' Work with the light, which is the light of life. The Demiurge, the creator, the Cosmocreators are a manifestation of that light, but the Demiurge works mechanically, karmically in the wheel of Samsara. We are the outcome of that Demiurge. We are machines that transform the light of the cosmos for the benefit of this planet. Symbol of: Matrimony, the Seven Bodies, Sexual Waters, Gold of the Bodies. Gnostics understand that Master Jesus is the expression of that light in the human level. Krishna, Mohammed and Quetzalcoatl are expressions of that light in the human level, since the light is not an individual. Christ is not an individual but a universal energy, in an Abstract and in a concrete manner. So when we talk about Christ and we see the firmament, the Ayocosmos, we see the light, we see the Lord Christ.
A rainbow is a seven coloured bridge of light that links two points on the earth with the sky.Llanos... Llanos... Llanos...
Help me, Lla... ma... dor... Lla... ma... dor...
Lla... nos... Lla... nos... Lla... nos...
That Being came to me; he is a solar man. He is a Being that incarnated the three aspects of his Glorian – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, within himself. When he presented himself before me in the astral light, he showed me his whole luminous body, his aura was precisely like a mixture of rays of a rainbow, shining gloriously. Before my sight, such a Being was so intense and beautiful, that I experienced what the Apostles experienced there in that scripture, when they saw Jesus, showing his glory. The vision was so beautiful that I cannot describe the beauty of the body of light of that Being; his body of light was so beautiful that overwhelmingly astounded I returned to my body, frightened. But not frighten as when we see a spooky thing. Frighten in the sense that I was shocked, I was caught unaware, since I never imagined that I was going to see such a divine beauty.
This bridge between two points on the Earth extending into the sky is a symbol of a spiritual kind of matrimony. The seven colours are the seven bodies that are formed through light moving through the evaporated humidity (transmuted sexual energy).
There is also the legend of the Leprechauns where at the end of a rainbow one will find a pot of gold. Indicating the end of the Great Work and the gold of the Being.If we do not take advantage of the opportunity that the Demiurge is given us, that is, the work that every single person does in this natural workshop by being a machine in order to transform the cosmic light to feed the planet through the Cosmic-Common-Trogoautoegocrat, then we will lose the chance of working with the Christic light. To do that we have to fight against the laws of the Demiurge, or Demiurgos. Such laws are the mechanical, karmic laws of nature. And this is precisely the Great Work, because it is not easy.
The symbol of the rainbow is very esoteric. Master Samael spoke about it as being a symbol of a vow made between the human being and the heavens above. It is also a symbol of esoteric triumph Master Samael says.
Master Samael says that it also represents the Mercury and the colours of the Great Work.
We can add a few extra things here, and I must say that these points do not at all come from me but from a very interesting experience that a fellow Gnostic missionary in Spain had with my marvelous missionary where in the dream he related to her the following points regarding a rainbow.. Master Samael Aun Weor explains in The Perfect Matrimony that when the couple is united sexually, they are surrounded by tremendous Christic lights, and if they know sexual Alchemy, if they perceive that light and transmute it, if they withdraw from the sexual act without ejaculating the semen, then that light remains within them. Yet unfortunately, when they reach the orgasm, the spasm of the animals, then a short circuit occurs and the Christic light disappears. Thus, their cosmic currents merge with the universal currents of Hell, and instead, a bloody infrared light, the Luciferian Klipothic forces of evil, the fatal magnetism of desire, which is called Lilith, emerges in the psyche of the couple. This is why we state that this humanity is the great whore, the child of Lilith, desire. Yes, people are worshiping Lilith, desire; they compose songs and poems to that bloody infrared light ray of desire.
However if you want to read a nice poem of Christic light, then read the Bible, read the Pistis Sophia, read the Bhagavad-Gita, read the Koran. Those are scriptures written in code that worship the ultraviolet light. Remember the third, the sixth, and the ninth hours are a process of the light through the hours of Apollonius. Christ is the light in them, so do not be afraid of the light.
For Elohim, who said "Let light [Christ] shine out of darkness," has shone it in [Tiphereth] our hearts, to give the light of Gnosis, the splendour of Elohim, [as the sun] in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4: 6. And that light is Christ. Therefore, any Being that is transformed through the light, that takes the path of the light, becomes a Christ, a Christified One. So, Master Samael Aun Weor is a Christ, because the Christic light transformed him, through the alchemical work. Krishna, Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha are each also Christ because they transformed themselves through the Christic light.
When Moses came down from the Mount Sinai, his face was shining [like the sun] from speaking with אהיה Eheieh (the light of the world), but he didn't know it. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone (as the sun); and they were afraid to come near him. – Exodus 34: 29,30
Why were they afraid to come near him? Because אהיה Eheieh (the light of the world) the Lord, Christ was shinning through him. אהיה Eheieh (the light of the world) Christ sent him to Egypt, to liberate all the parts of Israel. Thus, אהיה Eheieh (the light of the world) was there within him.
When I utter this word אהיה Eheieh, the Rune Ehe comes to my mind; remember that we talked about the Rune Ehe, which is the rune of matrimony. Rune Ehe is the way through which we work with the light. Rune Ehe is the way through which אהיה אשר אהיה Eheieh Asher Eheieh manifests his glory to men. There is no other way to transform the light if it is not through Ehe, which is the Rune of matrimony, which is the sexual act. Ehe is the very sexual act of that light.
St Lawrence Jewry, Gresham Street, London
If a Martian came down to the City and was shown around the churches of the Square Mile, there is no doubt that he would think St Lawrence Jewry quite the most important. This wouldn't be just because of its perfect setting facing down Gresham Street across the square from the Guildhall, although of course that would contribute. And it certainly isn't the biggest of the City churches. But you step into an interior which is without parallel in the City for dark-wooded, serious-windowed gravitas. There is a palpable sense of patronage, of the power of conservative institutions transformed and transmuted into brass and banners, into solemn words and ethereal music. This is a place where the Church of England knows its friends, draws a line, and stands firm.
And yet, it is all an illusion, for on the night of 29th December 1940 St Lawrence was comletely gutted by German incendiaries and high explosive bombs. Nothing survived except for the lower part of the tower and walls. It was, in its way, the perfect firestorm. It was a Sunday evening. The churches had been locked after the services that morning in direct contravention of the request of the City authorities for buildings to be left accessible to firefighters. Because it was Christmas week there were hardly any firewatchers on duty in the area north of Cheapside. There was a strong wind blowing, to fan the flames. And as the fires joined together covering an area of almost fifty acres, the rising heat began to draw in air from below the flames from all sides. The air drawn into the furnace was running at more than fifty miles an hour, and the result was the largest bomb site in the whole of the British Isles - although nothing to compare with anything in almost any large German city, of course.
The medieval church had been gutted in the Great Fire, and the rebuilding was one of the most expensive of all the Wren churches. As Simon Bradley points out, St Lawrence was unusual in that its walls were exposed on all sides, it wasn't jammed in among other buildings, and so attention had to be paid to the exterior. The facing in Portland stone added to its grandeur.
The architect chosen for the post-war rebuilding was Cecil Brown, with a brief to provide a church fitting for pomp and circumstance, for ceremony and seriousness. St Lawrence therefore has none of the light-wooded Festival of Britain jollity you find at Lawrence King's St Mary le Bow, or the quiet candle-lit introspection of Dykes Bowers' St Vedast. This is church as theatre. Instead of the uplifting thrill of the John Hayward and Brian Thomas glass at St Mary le Bow and St Vedast, here Christopher Webb contributed a scheme which Simon Bradley rightly describes as unobtrusive. But it all works. There is a great harmony, and a sense of a church much greater than its individual parts.
Have I made this church sound unwelcoming? It isn't. Almost every time I've been here I've found stewards inside, and they are always pleased to see visitors. And, of course, they have a lot to be pleased about.
(c) Simon Knott, December 2015
Outrenoir de Soulages - En hommage à Léonard Cohen
"Un jour je peignais, les différences de textures réfléchissaient plus ou moins faiblement la lumière et du sombre émanait une clarté, une lumière picturale dont le pouvoir émotionnel particulier animait mon désir de peindre. Mon instrument n'était plus le noir mais cette lumière secrète venue du noir. Pour ne pas la limiter à un phénomène optique j'ai inventé le mot Outrenoir, au-delà du noir, une lumière transmutée par le noir et, comme Outre-Rhin et Outre-Manche désignent un autre pays, Outrenoir désigne aussi un autre pays, un autre champ mental que celui du simple noir."
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
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** Origin and facts of the Hungry Ghost Festival:
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors
=====
More images of the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival
More Chinese Temples images here:
=====
Photo shot with Nikon D600 + AF-S NIikkor 50mm f/1.8G
Processed with Photoshop CS5
=====
Obviously the centre of all attention is the Center Stage made of bamboo structure with aluminium zinc roof.
Not only does this podium provides entertainment for the visitors, it is believed the spiritual buddies enjoy it even more so. In fact, the front row is often vacant out and reserved for the spirits.
=====
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors
=====
More images of the Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival here:
Hungry Ghosts "Yu Lan" Festival
More Chinese Temples images here:
=====
Photo shot with Photo shot with Nikon D600 + AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
=====
If you are interested in purchasing this image, please visit Getty Images page at:
=
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
Ezio Famà.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
Ezio Famà.
We are your ancient family. We come from the star system The Pleiades. We know ourselves as The Pleiadians and we, eons ago, millions of years ago, were your relatives.
When your Earth sphere, Terra, was being formed, there were many who expressed an interest to be pioneers and to go to a new area to learn to experience, to formulate, to create. That was the opportunity and many of our dearly beloved Pleiadians signed on.
The Pleiadian culture is ancient. [It] was seeded from another universe, a universe of love, a universe that moved back to All That Is. The Pleiadians seeded the Pleiadian star system within this universe before the Earth’s sphere transfer became available. We formed a tremendous society. We operate with love. We operate with ideas and ideals that you are totally unfamiliar with.
Our technology in your terms would be somewhat similar. We are, in your terms, computerized. We like that term because it represents an overall picture of our abilities. The picture actually only represents one per cent of what we are capable of doing. However, from your point of view, think of us as a computerized society. We are collective energy. We are not of your dimension.
The star system of the Pleiades has seven stars, six of which we believe, you may see from the naked eye. There are many planets and we are millions upon millions of miles from your system though we have transportation that can bring us here very quickly. We have many modes of transportation.
Mostly we come in starships. Often mother ships. The mother ships are gigantic, one of your miles, housing thousands. [They are] elongated, one of our fashions, [and] would take, in your terms, days to transport itself here. We have disc ships which can be here quickly, within portions of your day.
We have difficulty at times translating your time system, your hours, your minutes, into what is relative to our system, perhaps less than one quarter of your day. We are an advanced civilization. Our technology is ancient because it is coming from another universe that has evolved back to First Cause.
We chose not to evolve back to First Cause but to go on out of love, to assist the growth of this universe. We were allowed to bring that knowing with us because our technological development is totally in line with the First Cause and we would never operate in any fashion that did not support the love and development of humanity of all creatures in all of this universe. So we were allowed to be here. We were welcomed.
We are the ambassadors, in this star area, this universe, from another universe. We are working with many, not just with Terra, the Earth. We are working in other solar systems, with other planetary creatures, with other creations.
This universe is a vast and new experiment. Different options, we like that word, are being attempted here. Free will reigns in this universe. On Terra you think you have free will but you do not really understand what free will is. Free will encompasses the complete idea that whatever it is that you are wanting you may have. And your sole point in choosing to partake in the planetary system within this universe that has free will was so that you may do whatever it is that you wish.
Terra was formed with specific intents in mind. It was formed to be a center for this solar system, a trade center, a launching pad for ideas. Much like, as different portions of your globe have developed, and different port cities, or areas came into fashion and represented trends, cultural advancements, exchanges of ideas at different points in time, and then fell by the wayside.
The ideal of Terra’s role would be the jewel within the universe for its beauty physically to the eye, and this physical beauty would be beheld not just in one dimension but in many dimensions. That it would be a center of tremendous beauty, of tremendous exchange, of freedom, of ideas and beauty and love and peoples, humanities, creatures from all of this universe and star system ideally would have come here and exchanged what it is they had, as goods would be exchanged in the marketplace, with others.
Now, as you know, that has not taken place. Fortunately that is changing. Unfortunately, eons in your past, events occurred that were not anticipated, for when one deals with free will one never knows. There are no expectations with free will, just intentions and hopes. And even intentions sometimes may be transmuted.
Now, that was the original intention. Then eons ago, millions of years ago, there was a disruptive force that became quite pronounced in this area of creation, experimenting as it would be, with another form of being. This experimenting was not evil, it was just another point of view. We speak in very neutral terms so as not to lay blame or prejudice on anyone.
This disruptive force effected Terra greatly. It threw the cosmic forces, the hierarchies into vast confusion. And it has been all these eons, these millions of years that this has been attempted to be righted.
Now, through the last thousands of years we have been assisting the higher spiritual forces, those from the First Cause. Our assistance we freely gave because original family members came to this experiment of Terra and then when those disruptive energies became prevalent and changed the intent of what Terra would be we lost contact with our family members. It was very sad for us, for we had never anticipated this loss.
Being that we as Pleiadians are highly evolved and of great knowing and great connectedness with the First Cause, we knew that this was a temporary loss of family members, though temporary in our terms was millions of years. And though the initial shock was felt literally throughout the universe and universes, we formulated a plan and knew that there would be a time when we would be reunited.
We are your family members who lost contact with you eons ago. We have come to retrieve you. We have come to reestablish contact, to assist you, so that you can now reunite with us, liberate yourselves and choose to come back to the Pleiades or to stay here on Terra and raise the vibration and allow Terra to become what it was originally planned to become, the international exchange, intergalactic international trade exchange center for the universe.
Now, as you may well know, that upon looking at your planet you can shake your head and say, goodness, we have ventured far from our original goal. And, indeed, that is true, you have. However, at this time events are manifesting on your planet that are about to change all of that.
It was known eons ago that there would be a point where the energies would be ripe for contact, for adjustments, for receiving energy for realignment. It was hoped that that juncture would be reached through the opening of the free will bodies, by their own choice, through love.
That is not the case. You have reached critical times. It began peaking 30, 40 years ago, and the activities that have been occurring on this sphere have been of grave concern to all within your universe. The lack of love for humanity, for one another on this planet. Separations of self from self. The missing of the message that you are all one, that you are all connected, that what one does affects the other.
Know that there are many millions on the planet out of the billions, who are awakened, who are moving toward the enlightenment, moving towards the acknowledgement of the First Creator, in whatever minuscule way they can conceive of this vast entity.
What is happening on your planet at this time is that the energy of the First Creator, is being presented to the planet as a whole. When we say “as a whole”, there are no groupings that would be select over others. The opportunities exist for everyone. It is the individual humanity’s choice to acknowledge the opportunity that presents itself.
[The awakened ones will be] assigned, so to speak, to awaken someone. First Creator energy is now being made available to the planet, on a vast level, vast. It’s encircling the sphere. Light frequency is bombarding your planet, though only those who know how to use this energy can feel it. It is as if an invisible force is in your lives and if you are not aware of this invisible force, you will not see it.
Now, if the awakeners approach the awakenees with love, with intent of service, with intent of changing the planetary potential, the planetary history, and also are willing to bond unconditionally with the awakenee, it will be successful. In most cases, those that need now to be awakened are working about this in their dream state and they are in a state of confusion in their waking world and so they are welcoming something that will give them greater power and direction.
The awakenees will need guidance for a short amount of time because of the energy that is available [but] the knowings will happen very quickly, then they, too, [will awaken and empower others]. The more members, the greater members of humanity that are in knowing, the easier the times ahead will be.
We are working, sitting at the edges of our seats. When we say “our”, we mean our beings, the star individuals, the star families, the spirit guides, the ascended masters, the callers from the great cause, the First Cause. There are many here. The skies, the atmospheres are full, so to speak, of who we are keeping Terra in force, keeping it alive and vibrant, glowing, and also respecting your free will at the same time.
That is why we say the awakenings are so important at this time. They are of prime concern. Individual awakenings. Word of mouth. It is the best way of accomplishing what it is that needs to be accomplished. Word of mouth. Books are fine. Tapings are fine. But one individual loving another individual liberates, frees. And that individual goes off and creates and effects many others. That is how the process will occur, as we see it.
We stated earlier that Terra is a free will district along with the entire universe, however, there is a code of honor that exists along with free will. And that code of honor represents the respect for life. All of life. The respect, and the commitment to no violation of life. The honoring of life is paramount, and allowing that life.
Now, millions upon millions of years ago when the disruptive forces came in and changed all of that, free will was granted still and we stepped back, and saw and watched, and knew that there would be a time when all of this would come to an apex, as it would be said when the changes could be made.
Disruptive forces have come again. This time they will not succeed. However, the energy is of great influence on the planet at this time because of the technological development and the extent of this technological influence throughout the planet.
We ask that each person individually speak to another. At this point very powerful individuals are being awakened. Those individuals who effect other people, who influence other people are those that are awakening at this time, and are being awakened by those who made agreements, contracts eons ago to perform this service. We see that there will be changes geographically, great changes. Because the changes represent the most benevolent way of realignment. If there were to be great destructions, and there will be some destructions along the lines of warrings, if that were to be the prevalent case upon the entire sphere, it would effect the cosmos so greatly, that in this case it cannot be allowed.
The changes that will happen on the surface of Terra are not definite. They will not be definite until they occur, until energy peaks. The energy will be peaking partially through what’s happening on the globe, also through planetary and cosmic influences. The closer you may move towards the misuse of the technology, then of course, Mother Earth, a living, viable, breathing entity, would shift itself rather than destroy itself.
[The] shifts will be of a healing nature, much as the ill person may experience the tremendous fevers and burn and sweat and shake and then heal themselves. If Mother Earth did not shift herself and the misuse of technology would be [a] prevalent paradigm, do you know what would occur? It would be the destruction of the universe.
We do not wish to be annihilated and misuse of your technology on your planet could annihilate a universe. Contemplate on what we are speaking for it is profound.
Many of you are looking for blacks and whites and the universe exists in gray areas. It is not the way you think it is. There is life teeming everywhere that you cannot see. There are many dimensions, there are many forms of beings. What happens in your dimension would affect us all because the building blocks of the universe, of the cosmos are connected. The atoms, the elements are all one. They are universal. Universal tools, so to speak. And through the misuse of one, in one segmented area, it would effect many others. So that is why we say, we are tuning Mother Earth to this knowing. Mother Earth knows this potential happening and would shift herself when the time and the danger becomes great.
Understand that all of these changes are contingent upon the awakenings. If the awakenings happen very quickly and those within the governments, within the arms industries, those within the publishing, communicative areas, television, newspaper, movies, [if] those influential people on the planet are awakened quickly, all could shift. Mother Earth will do whatever is necessary to realign for her own survival.
We are saying that if your intention is to step into the times ahead with joy, and experience, and be a partaker, a conscious partaker of the movement that the planet is selecting, then clearly think of what it is that you want, intend it, plan on it, and then trust that the part of the body located in the solar plexus will guide you along with the heart, to be where it is you need to be. If you are clear in your plannings, if you count on it, if you state it matter of factly, step into the knowing, not the thinking, but the knowing beyond all shadow of a doubt that you will be here in joy, in harmony, in happiness, in creativity, and in greater rejoicing of building the world, the civilization that you all desire, then so shall you be.
Now, think of that for a few moments and choose what it is you want. Examine your hearts about what it is you are wanting. Throw by the wayside those things that are not important to you and put your energy, your thoughts, your hearts, into what it is that is most important. And do not, under any circumstances, be afraid of making a change, for change is going to occur whether you select it or not. So, by consciously selecting a change, whether it be a move, or what have you, [it] may be your method, your means, of moving into the times ahead.
Do not resist change. Flow. It may come in the area of relationships, the breakings up or the coming togethers. It may come in the area of employment or a lack of. It may come in the area of sudden abundance presenting itself to you or lack of. All these events will motivate you towards something. We ask that you go inside, trust the feelings. Trust yourself. One of the most beneficial endeavors that you will be involved with is forming the extended families. With a networking of thirty to fifty people it will be very powerful. We also wish to speak of the availability of outside communication that is waiting to speak with many of you, that is speaking with each and every one of you though you do not acknowledge it. Vast numbers are willing to help.
We ask you to examine your hearts, relinquish your fears, move towards what it is that will be most important. We suggest, and we will assist in these endeavors, that through your dream states you dare to dream of possibilities that seem outlandish. Awakened ones and those becoming awakened are being fed information through the dream state from the vast numbers and given so called ideas. Instigated information. Potentialities of abilities that are far beyond what is available now on the planet. And these will be fun things. These will be joyful things. These will be loving things, healing things, successful things. Play with your dream states and when one of these crazy ideas comes to you, grasp onto it like a hot air balloon and ride it for a while over the topography of yourself and see where it will take you.
We ask you to approach these times with an open mind, a creative mind, a loving mind, to move into the self. To trust the self. Open the heart. To connect with humanity, to awaken the others. To be gentle with who you are. For your difficulties you will lay down as they are old clothes that you will no longer fit into or wear. Your aches, longings and difficulties can all be laid to rest as you move into this great new garment of being.
Many will be petrified of moving into this time for much must be relinquished. Much must be changed and given up. However, we are saying that if the Earth itself did not change in its seasons, it would be pretty dreary indeed. And so fall needs to come and the winter set to rest so that in spring there may be regrowth, revitalization and awakenings. This is what you’ll be experiencing.
We have committed to guide you on this time. There are many who are here loving you, assisting you, doing whatever is necessary. Open your hearts. Open your eyes to what is coming. Do not be afraid. Know that you are surrounded by love and energy greater than at this point you can fathom. So great it is beyond your knowing, though a part of you knows that greatness and brings it to yourself.
We trust that what we have said empowers you, enlightens you, guides you to who you need to be. Move forward. Move in love. Feel the connectedness of all that is.
Look into the eyes of fellow humanity and see yourselves for you are there. Bless each one with the knowing that you have and your awakenings will be greater than you ever imagined.
goldenageofgaia.com/disclosure/who-are-the-extraterrestri...
What joins us?
Those whorled isobars, weather's fingerprint on England.
Today's rain, Cornwall's remnants,
will never nourish watercress in Hampshire,
it will transmute on Salisbury Plain to Bourne or Avon,
head past my door next week?
Next month?
One day rain will fall beyond Stonehenge
and I shall not see it flow beneath my feet on Crane Street bridge
and it will make a swan strewn pilgrimage to Christchurch alone,
without my thoughts to wish it well.
David King.
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.
It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.
---- Angels & Demons (devil tries to tempt Saint Lucia, August 2018, Savoca - Sicily) ----
---- Angeli & Demoni (il demonio tenta Santa Lucia, agosto 2018, Savoca - Sicilia) ----
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
this is a photographic narration that speaks of the eternal struggle that takes place between good and evil, which speaks of a dark period of history, speaks of the violence suffered by women but also by those who belonged to the poorest social classes, historical facts that have been handed down to us in the form of a story and associated-transmuted in the martyrdom of Saint Lucia, this is what happens in the town of Savoca (Sicily). This is a short and long report, I did in Savoca on August 2018 about the living representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucia (patron saint of the city of Savoca); the cult of the young Saint of Syracuse seems to date back to the fifteenth century, under the influence of Spanish traditions. The commemoration of the history of St. Lucia occurs in two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday: here I try to tell some times of the day on Sunday, a day during which the festival is held at the height of her beauty. And 'This is a historical event which speaks of Demons and Angels: Saint Lucy refused to marry a rich and powerful suitor (Lucy declared She was married in Christ), which reported the Christian faith of Lucia to prefect Pascasio that ordered his Praetorian Guard to drag Lucia with a rope to a place of prostitution; legend has it that the Holy became heavy, they then tried to drag it with the help of oxen, but it was impossible to move it from where he stood; failing in this, it was then given the order to cavarle eyes, but the young martyr (native of Syracuse) her eyes reappeared.
In the village of Savoca a young girl, affectionately called the "Lucy" is carried on the shoulder of a porter along the streets of the country (sitting on a pillow tied on the shoulder of a man, but in fact men are two); the young Saint remains impassive in the face of demonic temptations: the Devil, called in Sicilian dialect "u Diavulazzu, shake, shakes, turns his pitchfork in an attempt to "distract" the Saint.
The first day of this representation, on Saturday, in an old church in Savoca, the two girls who impersonate the Lucia, of the current year and the previous year, meet with the delivery of palm; the traditional event which we witness on Saturday, has all the appearance of an important rehearsal for the next day, on Sunday when the traditional festival will take place in all its beauty.
Sunday: on top of the procession there are the "Jews" (the emissaries of the prefect Pascasio) along with some Angels, is located immediately after the wagon drawn by two cows from which branches off a rope that will arrive to Saint Lucia (a girl of six years); between her and the cows there are Roman soldiers, who make their way through the crowd squirming like crazy; to hold the rope there are also male figures; the job of Devil (his mask is made of wood, whose invoice is dated, it seems, of the 400') is to distract the little Saint with the help of a long stick equipped of curved points, called "u 'croccu": Lucia hardly is deceived by the promises of the evil one, she will not abandon the state of her property concentration, aided in this by staring, almost in a trance, a small palm branch in silver , she brings devoutly in her hands.
It's very important to mention the Baron Baldassarre (nicknamed Baron Altadonna), who applied without any hesitation the practice of Jus de seigneur: using this law the Baron obliged the young brides to spend the wedding night in his alcove. It 'very possible that in the representation of Saint Lucia of Savoca the character of the Devil tempting young Santa with his pitchfork, in reality is nothing but himself, Baron Altadonna, so allegorically described in this traditional Sicilian feast: the figure of the Devil if one takes into account what historians relate, does not belong more to the legend, but sadly to actual event happened. Post scriptum: the photographs, realized both on Saturday and Sunday, were organized and posted without taking into account the temporal chronology of what happened during the two days of the event; two photos of the mummy of Baron Altadonna have been included, which is located in the crypt of the Capuchin Fathers of Savoca; the portraits of two "Lucie" from previous editions, grandfather and great-grandfather of the "DIAVOLI" dynasty were included; the "silver palm" was delivered by Lucia of 2016 (Valentina), to the current Lucia (Miriana), in 2017 the event was not performed.
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questa è una narrazione fotografica che parla dell'eterna lotta che avviene tra il bene ed il male, che parla di un periodo buio della storia, che parla delle violenze subite dalle donne ma anche da coloro che appartenevano alle classi sociali più povere, fatti storici che sono stati tramandati fino a noi in forma di racconto ed associati-trasmutati nel martirio di Santa Lucia, questo è quanto accade nel paese di Savoca (Sicilia). Questo è un report corto e lungo, che ho realizzato in quel di Savoca lo scorso mese di Agosto 2018, su quella che è la rappresentazione vivente del martirio di Santa Lucia (Santa patrona della città di Savoca); il culto della giovane Santa di Siracusa sembra risalire al XV secolo, sotto l'influenza delle tradizioni spagnole. La rievocazione vivente della storia di S.Lucia avviene in due giornate consecutive, il sabato e la domenica: qui tento di raccontare alcuni momenti della giornata della domenica, giorno durante il quale la festa si svolge nel pieno della sua bellezza. E' questa una rievocazione storica che parla di Demoni ed Angeli: la storia rievoca di quando la Santa, si rifiutò di andare in sposa ad un suo ricco e potente pretendente (essendosi dichiarata Cristiana e sposa in Cristo), il quale per vendetta riferì della fede Cristiana di Lucia al prefetto Pascasio; costui diede ordine ai suoi pretoriani di trascinare Lucia con una corda fino ad un lupanare, un luogo di prostituzione; la leggenda narra che la Santa divenne pesantissima, si tentò allora di trascinarla con l'ausilio dei buoi, ma fu impossibile smuoverla da dove si trovava; non riuscendo in ciò, fu allora dato l'ordine di cavarle gli occhi, ma alla giovane martire (nativa di Siracusa) gli occhi le rispuntarono. Nel paese di Savoca una giovane ragazza, chiamata con affetto "la Lucia" viene portata in spalla lungo le vie del paese (seduta su di un cuscino legato sulla spalla di un uomo; in realtà gli uomini portatori sono due, dandosi il cambio l'un l'altro); la giovane Santa rimane impassibile di fronte alle tentazioni demoniache: il Diavolo, chiamato in dialetto siciliano "u Diavulazzu, agita, scuote, fa ruotare il suo forcone nel tentativo di "distrarre" la Santa ma, vani saranno i suoi tentativi. Il primo giorno di questa rappresentazione, il sabato, in una vecchia chiesa di Savoca, le due bambine che impersonano la Lucia, dell'anno in corso e dell'anno precedente, si incontrano con la consegna della palma da una bimba all'altra; l'evento tradizionale al quale si assiste il sabato, ha tutto l'aspetto di una importante prova generale per il giorno dopo, quando la domenica la festa tradizionale avverrà in tutta la sua bellezza.La domenica: in cima alla processione ci sono i "Giudei" (gli emissari del prefetto Pascasio) insieme ad alcuni Angeli, subito dopo si trova il carro tirato da due giumente dalle quali si diparte una corda che giungerà fino a cingere il fianco della bimba che impersona Santa Lucia (una bambina di sei anni); tra lei e le giumente ci sono i soldati Romani, che si fanno largo tra la folla dimenandosi a più non posso; a tenere la corda ci sono anche delle figure maschili che evitano che gli strattonamenti dei soldati romani possano giungere fino alla Santa (ricordiamolo, che è legata a quella corda); davanti alla Santa piroetta il diavolo tentatore, u' Diavulazzu (la maschera è in legno, la cui fattura è datata, sembra, del 400'), il cui compito è quello di distrarre la piccola Santa con l'aiuto di un lungo bastone dotato di punte ricurve, chiamto dialettalmente "u' croccu": Lucia difficilmente si lascerà ingannare dalle promesse del Maligno, non abbandonerà quel suo stato di immobile concentrazione, aiutata in ciò dal fissare, quasi in stato di trance, un piccolo ramo di palma in argento, che lei strige devotamente tra le sue mani. E’ fondamentale menzionare tra i vari personaggi storici della tradizione, il barone Baldassarre, vissuto in Savoca in epoca medioevale, soprannominato barone Altadonna, che applicava senza remora alcuna la pratica della Jus primae noctis: avvalendosi di questa legge il barone obbligava le giovani spose a trascorrere la prima notte di nozze nella sua alcova. E’ fortemente ipotizzabile che nella rappresentazione di Santa Lucia di Savoca il personaggio del Diavolo che tenta la giovane Santa col suo forcone, in realtà non sia altro che egli stesso, il barone Altadonna, così allegoricamente descritto nella festa tradizionale siciliana: la figura del Diavolo, se si tiene conto di quanto narrano gli storici, non apparterrebbe più alla leggenda, ma a questo tristo personaggio realmente vissuto, che usava quotidianamente la moneta della prepotenza. Post scriptum: le fotografie, realizzate sia il sabato che la domenica, sono state organizzate e postate senza tenere conto della cronologia temporale di quanto avvenuto nei due giorni della manifestazione; sono state inserite due foto della mummia del barone Altadonna, che si trova nella cripta dei Padri Cappuccini di Savoca; sono stati inseriti i ritratti di due "Lucie" delle precedenti edizioni, del nonno e del bisnonno della dinastia dei "DIAVOLI"; la "palma d'argento" è stata consegnata dalla Lucia del 2016 (Valentina), alla attuale Lucia (Miriana); nel 2017 la manifestazione non è stata eseguita.