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One Thousand Speculations
The world’s largest mirror ball
For the second time Luminato Festival will install Canadian artist Michel de Broin’s One Thousand Speculations, a 7.9 metre in diameter ball made up of 1,000 mirrors — the world’s largest mirror ball. Originally commissioned by Luminato for the 2013 Festival, this time it will not be suspended from a crane over David Pecaut Square but will hang inside the Hearn Generating Station. It is a meeting of superlatives. Turned on, it will transform the space into a futuristic spectacle, letting us dream about what could be. For Michel, the piece renders and recreates the starry sky. We will bring the starry sky inside the Hearn, reminding us that our sense of wonder is endless through inspiration. It will make us see the space of the Hearn in an ever-changing way and highlight detail after detail as the 1,000 rays slowly scan the space in circular motion.
The best works of art put you into a childish state of delight – anyone who sees One Thousand Speculations will feel like a child again. In 2013 this piece was dedicated to the memory of David Pecaut, one of our festival co-founders, and so we present it again in our 10th anniversary year in a completely different environment that will make you see the piece anew as you see everything that it touches anew. Source: luminatofestival.com/2016-Program/Events/One-Thousand-Spe...
A shot from this morning of the Resident Sandills, they seem to be growing so fast now and its only early June, I do feel blessed to follow these birds as they progress, its been three years in the same spot, don't know how many generations this includes, as some seem to appear the same year after year, thats just speculation I'm sure, but there is something special that keeps bringing them back.
West Bend, WI.
Someone out there will know exactly when, where and how this happened, so I will avoid speculation, and sit back and await the facts ! It does look like it was the offside that took the main impact, though.
Oldham depot Fleetline 7198 had been withdrawn as far back as June 1984, from what I can see, but it was seven months later when I found it at the back of Charles Street yard - I guess that it was no longer needed for evidence purposes or internal inquiries, and was now awaiting its turn behind a wrecker.
Charles Street depot, 26/1/85
Sarasota is a city in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is at the southern end of the Tampa Bay Area, north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2019 Sarasota had a population of 58,285. In 1986 it became designated as a certified local government. Sarasota is the principal city of the Sarasota metropolitan area and is the seat of Sarasota County. Long the winter headquarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, many landmarks in Sarasota are named for the Ringlings.
The Sarasota city limits contain several keys, including Lido Key, St. Armands Key, Otter Key, Casey Key, Coon Key, Bird Key, and portions of Siesta Key. Longboat Key is the largest key separating the bay from the gulf, but it was evenly divided by the new county line of 1921. The portion of the key that parallels the Sarasota city boundary that extends to that new county line along the bayfront of the mainland was removed from the city boundaries at the request of John Ringling in the mid-1920s, who sought to avoid city taxation of his planned developments at the southern tip of the key. Although they never were completed in the quickly faltering economy, those development concessions granted by the city never were reversed and the county has retained regulation of those lands.
The city limits had expanded significantly with the real estate rush of the early twentieth century, reaching almost 70 square miles (180 km2). The wild speculation boom began to crash in 1926 and following that, the city limits began to contract, shrinking to less than a quarter of that area.
The area is known today as Sarasota first appeared on a sheepskin Spanish map from 1763 with the word Zarazote over present-day Sarasota and Bradenton. From 1883 to 1885, The Florida Mortgage And Investment Company Of Edinburgh bought 60,000 acres for development in what is now the City of Sarasota. Many Scottish people began to arrive in Sarasota in December 1885. The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town in 1902. John Gillespie was the first Mayor.
Italian architecture and culture are quite strong in the area because of the Ringling Museum. An unusually large number of homes and buildings are designed in the Italian style, especially Venetian as influenced by Ringling's Cà d'Zan. Italian-inspired statues are also common and Michelangelo's David is used as the symbol of Sarasota.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasota,_Florida
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
With the internet awash with rumours that there was to be no flying through the Vouraikos Gorge this week, it was great to have five Greek F-16s through on Monday to dispel the speculation. Here 128 from 330 Mira "Thunder" based at New Anchialos unusually passes through from North to South.
Aircraft: Elliniko Polemiki Aeroporia (Hellenic Air Force) General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon 128.
Location: Vouraikos Gorge, Achaea, Greece.
Defiance.
La politique radicale la folie du siècle les extravagances le génie les fabrications ridicules les spéculations de la polémique les drogues du monde,
Dehongli symbiosis gan gymeradwyo egwyddorion prosesau canfyddiadol sy'n newid rhyddfannau ymladd cystrawenau sloganau,
controllo cretino distorsione poetico aforisma esagerazioni legacy circostanze misteriose trucchi sublime tempi di giocoleria,
influyentes habladores torturas depresiones consultados dolores sufriendo años leyes surrealistas amonestaciones almas contactos inaceptables revelaciones infinitas,
assumpta epistolas dramatist eradicable suggestiones Hinc semina conscious fortunae vitium mala satirarum pecto debacharetur insolentia,
infortúnios raciocina câmaras inteligentes depreciando a escuridão inmost parágrafos lunáticos brincalhões que governam a filosofia,
無名の否定的な非公式の涙レイヴ・ストーリーの文学的な経験無知の無駄な死死者の終わりの文章長い拒否の命令首都の窓が壊れた.
Steve.D.Hammond.
The Art of Banksy Exhibition in London.
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation.
Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stencilling technique. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls and bridges throughout the world.
Banksy's work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Banksy says that he was inspired by 3D, a graffiti artist and founding member of the musical group Massive Attack.
Banksy displays his art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and self-built physical prop pieces. Banksy no longer sells photographs or reproductions of his street graffiti, but his public "installations" are regularly resold, often even by removing the wall they were painted on.
A small number of Banksy's works are officially, non-publicly, sold through an agency created by Banksy named Pest Control.
Information Source:
El cerro Trinidad y el cerro Elefante son dos formidables montañas de granito que destacan en el Valle del rio Cochamo. Se ubican frente al sector de la La Junta en la confluencia de los Rios Cochamo y La Junta. Sus paredes de alrededor de 1000m que si bien no son las mayores del valle se han convertido en el símbolo de uno de los mejores lugares para escalada tipo "big wall" en la Patagonia.
El cerro Trinidad de forma piramidal tiene 1720 msnm. con una pared vertical de granito de poco mas de 900 mts. El cerro Elefante llamado asi por parecer un paquidermo recostado sobre el cerro Trinidad, del cual se puede distinguir facilmente su cabeza y trompa, tiene una altura de 1500 msnm con una pared vertical de granito de aproximadamente 400 mts. Por su parte la pared occidental del cerro Trinidad muestra una curiosa excavacion que parece una gigantesca huella humana que que ha dado origen a fantasiosas especulaciones.
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The Trinidad and Elephant Hill are two formidable granite mountains that stand in the river valley Cochamo. In front of the confluence of the Rivers La Junta and Cochamo they are located. Its walls around 1000m despite they are not the largest in the Valley have become the symbol of one of the best places to climb "big wall" in Patagonia.
The Trinidad pyramid-shaped hill is 1720 meters height with a vertical granite wall just over 900 meters. Elephant Hill apparently named for a reclining elephant on the hill Trinidad it can easily distinguish the head and trunk has a height of 1500 m with a vertical granite wall 400 meters aprox. Meanwhile the western wall of Trinidad hill shows a curious gigantic excavation that looks like a human footprint that has given rise to fanciful speculations.
More realistic view of Trillium Pond with it perimeter of Black Locust trees. Their fragrant blossoms blooming and falling on the water's surface at the time of this paddle.
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28/100 paddles, 2016.
For a few years now the speculation has been that 'this will be the last year of Class 20 operation on the Yorkshire/Humberside RHTT circuit'. However like ageing rockers the old stagers keep coming back for a final encore.
The class 20's (built between 1957 and 1968) still cling on, the key to survival being their ability to traverse routes with weight restrictions such as the Hull to Scarborough line.
20305 and 20303 restart (with associated magnificent noise), after a brief pause for a crew change at Gilberdyke.
It will almost certainly be a last time for the Gilberdyke semaphores. After many delays it looks like the re-signalling is finally due to take place before the close of the year.
25th October 2018.
© Stephen Veitch - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without permission.
Being able to ride the Monorail directly to Magic Kingdom and Epcot is quite awesome. While there was speculation in the past about expanding to the other parks, I don't believe that will be happening, anytime soon at least. What is cool about the Epcot line of the Monorail is that it takes you inside the parks and over Futureworld before looping back around to the station. I always enjoy a good journey on the monorail, do you?
Epcot
Walt Disney World Resort, Florida
Daily Disney Snapshots on Facebook by Cliff
Wang Photography
Institute of Disney Photography has launched a new website. Be sure to check us out at the following link:
People spend most of the time speculation upon what has already happened and what will be in the future. Sometimes it even seems that there are only two time spaces – the past and the future. Now and today – do not exist. But please, don’t think that I’m trying to reproach people with their superfluous love to the past and selfless dreams about the future. I only want to pay attention to the fact how little we think about the present.
Every person perceives the world in his own way. Our experience and memories make us unique. Everyone has his own path and story to tell.
I have a wonderful thing in my hands. A pure relic! There is a photo of my friend’s family from 1904. Can you imagine? 110 years! It is not actually a photo. It is a daguerreotype. Daguerrotypy was created in 1839 by a painter Daguer. Until 1851 it was the only way of practical photography. The process of creating photos was quite complicated. I think you can find the information about it in the internet, if you are interested. I only add that the process included silver copper plate, mercury vapor and sodium thiosulfate.
The objects with history have always been inspiring me. Vintage objects have indescribable charm. They preserve the story. I have a collection of vintage clothing that I use in my photography. Thanks to my friends who supply me with these treasures.When I touch such things I always wonder who was the owner? What was he dreaming of? What is his story?
Vintage objects have unusual scent. I strongly believe that the time smells. It has that very scent that one of my cream vintage dresses possesses.
I believe that everyone has a talent. Everyone has something that can be shared to make this world more beautiful. Each of us has his own story and path. It is a great ability to be able to tell your story. I will try to share mine today.
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For the entire human history there has been speculation about celestial beings visiting our planet. Some believed in benevolent godly entities resembling human form while other cultures depicted the entities as fiendish devils. Just for a moment, speculate that such alien entities might be in a form so different than us that they could be overlooked. Innocuously, they might slowly take over our world, unnoticed and ignored until it was too late to for us to respond . . .
This photo was taken by a Hasselblad 500C medium format film camera and Carl Zeiss Distagon 1:4 f=50mm T* lens with a Hasselblad/63 1xHz-0 drop in filter using Ilford Delta 3200 film, the negative scanned by an Epson Perfection V600 and digitally rendered with Photoshop.
It is an artificial modification of landform with unknown purposes. Trees are also cut. No research has been conducted so far to identify the time of construction and purposes. Similar land modifications are found all over Palau.
There are speculations as to the purpose such as religious site, fortress, terraced cultivation etc. An academic mentioned it may be a Buddhist stupa, which I believe is unlikely.
There are quite a few great blue herons nesting at Wakodahatchee Wetlands. The heron on the left stands out from other herons because of the protuberances from his throat and jaw. There has been speculation among us photogs that he had his throat clawed and that caused the protuberance. Last year he was one of the last herons to find a nest. This year he was the only male I witnessed who staked out a nest, began building it, and then attracted a mate. His is not an easy lot and he has earned the nickname of "lonesome George."
This image was made last Tuesday. A heron from another island had flown over to try to cohabit with George's mate but George fought him off, returned to the nest, and had this "eye to eye" bonding moment with his mate.
Interestingly, I was there two days later when George made a trip from his nest to the nest of the attacker. Only the attacker's mate was in the nest, and George proceeded to have his way with her. Interesting behavior, interesting cause and effect.....
It is in the municipal area of El Port de la Selva in the province of Girona, Catalonia. It has been constructed in the side of the Verdera mountain below the ruins of the castle of Sant de Verdera that had provided protection for the monastery. It offers an exceptional views over the bay of Llançà, to the north of Cap de Creus. Near the monastery Santa Creu de Rodes is the ruins of a medieval town, of which its preRomanesque style church is the only remains dedicated to Saint Helena.
The true origin of the monastery is not known, which has given rise to speculation and legend; such as its foundation by monks who disembarked in the area with the remains of Saint Peter and other saints, to save them from the Barbarian hordes that had fallen on Rome. Once the danger had passed the Pope Boniface IV commanded them to construct a monastery.The first documentation of the existence of the monastery dates 878, it being mentioned as a simple monastery cell consecrated to Saint Peter, but it is not until 945 when an independent Benedictine monastery was founded, prevailed over by an abbot. Bound to the County of Empúries it reached its maximum splendor between the XI and XII centuries until its final decay in 17th century. Its increasing importance is reflected in its status as a point of pilgrimage.
In the 17th Century XVII it was sacked in several occasions and in 1793 was deserted by the benedictine community which was transferred to Vila-sacred and finally settled in Figueres in 1809 until it was dissolved.The monastery was declared a national monument in 1930. In 1935 the Generalitat of Catalonia initiated the first restoration work. The buildings are constructed in terraces, given its location. Cloisters of XII century form the central part of the complex. Around them the rest of constructions are distributed. The Church, consecrated in the year 1022, is the best exponent of the Romanesque style and without comparison with others of its time. Detailing features plants with three bays and a vault. These are bordered by a double column with capitals influenced by the Carolingian Style. The double column support arches separating the bays. The columns and pillars have been taken from a former Roman building. The bay is splendid with large dimensions with an arch in the apse, this is continued in the two lateral bays. Under the apse is a crypt. The church synthesizes a number of original styles including Carolingian, Romanesque and Roman. The monastery is considered one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in Catalonia. In the western facade of the monastery is a XII Century bell tower, a square shape it is influenced by the lombards from the previous century. To the side is a defensive tower, that was probably began in the X Century but finished later after several modifications.
The monument has a circular plan and two ramps of stairs, on top of which are the three crosses and from where there is a magnificent panoramic view of Barcelona. There are two lower crosses and a higher one, that of Jesus; one of the crosses ends in the shape of an arrow. The orientation of the crosses indicates the four cardinal points and the one that ends in an arrow points to the sky, which causes speculation about its meaning. The crosses were destroyed in 1936, during the Civil War, and rebuilt in 1939.
Norfolk UK. NWT Hickling Pectoral Sandpiper Juvenile, just dropped in. Maybe travelling from Siberia to America. But that's just speculation from my Collins guide. Very pleased to find it wherever its headed
The last time anyone saw old Wayne Wainwright was under this bridge. He was sitting there with his brown-bagged whiskey bottle screaming obscenities at passerbys. That same night there was an extremely high ocean tide and everyone figures Wayne became shark bait. The Brown Derby liquor store sure misses old Wayne's business.
Santa Cruz, California 2012
When GBRf purchased the ex-Colas class 60 fleet there was much speculation as to where they would go. The extra haulage capability would surely see them head to Peak Forest to work heavy stone trains. This might still happen but the first revenue earning workings seem to have been on the Tyne Dock - Lynemouth biomass workings.
In dull conditions 60047 gets a return empties working underway climbing out of Lynemouth towards Woodhorn colliery having brought the loaded train in during the afternoon.
The photo is taken from the embankment of the former Newbiggin-by-the-Sea branch which curves away from the Lynemouth line at this point.
Thankyou Rob for the tip off that the 60 would be on this working!
20th August 2018.
© Stephen Veitch - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without permission.
The 'U' shape of the tunnel suggests a Fogu type structure with potential for another passage still to be excavated to give the Creep of the classic 'L' shape of a Fogu. This speculation has probably been answered on site. These images show the end of the tunnel facing North.
This is a sizeable ruin in a beautiful remote location. The chance to stand in Souterrain should not be overlooked, but the roof above your head deserves more than a quick glance above. The roof and the floor are worth taking in. In many underground earth houses the roof is missing as is the height and corbel of the upper wall. Here there is a chance to look both above and below to see an impression of this and possibly other Souterrains. Excavation and rebuilding takes away the absolute view of ruins and remains as they were when first built, but there is a closeness here that transports the explorer back to hole in the ground that still has more questions than answers.
PHH Sykes ©2020
phhsykes@gmail.com
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in Sonoma County. Spectacular rarity for Northern California. It may be a monsoonal hitchhiker -- speculation, indeed.
Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world. It has been the subject of much speculation and debate, but its true meaning remains a mystery. However, there is no doubt that Stonehenge is a remarkable feat of engineering and a testament to the ingenuity of its builders.
Here are some other facts about Stonehenge:
•The stones are aligned with the summer solstice sunrise and the winter solstice sunset.
•The monument is surrounded by a ditch and bank.
•There are several smaller monuments nearby, including the Cursus and the Avenue.
•Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
•It is estimated that it took about 1,000 years to build Stonehenge (beginning around 3000 BC).
•The exact purpose of Stonehenge is unknown, but it is thought to have been a place of worship, ritual, or astronomical observation.
Stonehenge is a fascinating and mysterious monument that continues to fascinate people today. It is a testament to the ingenuity and engineering skills of its builders, and it is a reminder of the rich history of England.
Taken at Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England
Explore #04 (2024-10-08) - Thank you for stopping by and for your words of encouragement and favorites!
Read about this remarkable place on this earlier shot.
Dumfries, 2012.
Four burst shots later from the last post, one male queen butterfly had pushed another male queen butterfly off the flower. There is speculation in the literature that male butterflies of some species are territorial for flowers. Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX. Sony A6000 and E55-210.
The Mithraic Mysteries were a mystery religion practised in the Roman Empire from about the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The name of the Persian god Mithra (proto-Indo-Iranian Mitra), adapted into Greek as Mithras, was linked to a new and distinctive imagery. Writers of the Roman Empire period referred to this mystery religion by phrases which can be anglicized as Mysteries of Mithras or Mysteries of the Persians; modern historians refer to it as Mithraism,[1] or sometimes Roman Mithraism.The mysteries were popular in the Roman military.
Worshippers of Mithras had a complex system of seven grades of initiation, with ritual meals. Initiates called themselves syndexioi, those "united by the handshake".They met in underground temples (called mithraea), which survive in large numbers. The cult appears to have had its centre in Rome.
Numerous archaeological finds, including meeting places, monuments and artifacts, have contributed to modern knowledge about Mithraism throughout the Roman Empire.The iconic scenes of Mithras show him being born from a rock, slaughtering a bull, and sharing a banquet with the god Sol (the Sun). About 420 sites have yielded materials related to the cult. Among the items found are about 1000 inscriptions, 700 examples of the bull-killing scene (tauroctony), and about 400 other monuments.[9] It has been estimated that there would have been at least 680 mithraea in Rome.[10] No written narratives or theology from the religion survive, with limited information to be derived from the inscriptions, and only brief or passing references in Greek and Latin literature. Interpretation of the physical evidence remains problematic and contested.
The Romans regarded the mysteries as having Persian or Zoroastrian sources. Since the early 1970s the dominant scholarship has noted dissimilarities between Persian Mithra-worship and the Roman Mithraic mysteries. In this context, Mithraism has sometimes been viewed as a rival of early Christianity with similarities such as liberator-saviour, hierarchy of adepts (archbishops, bishops, priests), communal meal and a hard struggle of Good and Evil (bull-killing/crucifixion).The name Mithras (Latin, equivalent to Greek “Μίθρας” is a form of Mithra, the name of an Old Persian god– a relationship understood by Mithraic scholars since the days of Franz Cumont. An early example of the Greek form of the name is in a 4th century BC work by Xenophon, the Cyropaedia, which is a biography of the Persian king Cyrus the Great.
The exact form of a Latin or classical Greek word varies due to the grammatical process of declension. There is archeological evidence that in Latin worshippers wrote the nominative form of the god’s name as “Mithras”. However, in Porphyry’s Greek text De Abstinentia («Περὶ ἀποχῆς ἐμψύχων»), there is a reference to the now-lost histories of the Mithraic mysteries by Euboulus and Pallas, the wording of which suggests that these authors treated the name “Mithra” as an indeclinable foreign word.
Related deity-names in other languages include
Sanskrit Mitra (मित्रः), the name of a god praised in the Rig Veda.In Sanskrit, "mitra" means "friend" or "friendship"
the form mi-it-ra-, found in an inscribed peace treaty between the Hittites and the kingdom of Mitanni, from about 1400 BC.
Iranian "Mithra" and Sanskrit "Mitra" are believed to come from an Indo-Iranian word mitra meaning "contract, agreement, covenant".
Modern historians have different conceptions about whether these names refer to the same god or not. John R. Hinnells has written of Mitra / Mithra / Mithras as a single deity worshipped in several different religions. On the other hand, David Ulansey considers the bull-slaying Mithras to be a new god who began to be worshipped in the 1st century BC, and to whom an old name was applied.
Mary Boyce, a researcher of ancient Iranian religions, writes that even though Roman Empire Mithraism seems to have had less Iranian content than historians used to think, still "as the name Mithras alone shows, this content was of some importance.Much about the cult of Mithras is only known from reliefs and sculptures. There have been many attempts to interpret this material.
Mithras-worship in the Roman Empire was characterized by images of the god slaughtering a bull. Other images of Mithras are found in the Roman temples, for instance Mithras banqueting with Sol, and depictions of the birth of Mithras from a rock. But the image of bull-slaying (tauroctony) is always in the central niche.Textual sources for a reconstruction of the theology behind this iconography are very rare. (See section Interpretations of the bull-slaying scene below.)
The practice of depicting the god slaying a bull seems to be specific to Roman Mithraism. According to David Ulansey, this is "perhaps the most important example" of evident difference between Iranian and Roman traditions: "... there is no evidence that the Iranian god Mithra ever had anything to do with killing a bull."n every Mithraeum the centrepiece was a representation of Mithras killing a sacred bull, called the tauroctony.
The image may be a relief, or free-standing, and side details may be present or omitted. The centre-piece is Mithras clothed in Anatolian costume and wearing a Phrygian cap; who is kneeling on the exhausted bull, holding it by the nostrils[33] with his left hand, and stabbing it with his right. As he does so, he looks over his shoulder towards the figure of Sol. A dog and a snake reach up towards the blood. A scorpion seizes the bull's genitals. A raven is flying around or is sitting on the bull. Three ears of wheat are seen coming out from the bull's tail, sometimes from the wound. The bull was often white. The god is sitting on the bull in an unnatural way with his right leg constraining the bull's hoof and the left leg is bent and resting on the bull's back or flank.[34] The two torch-bearers are on either side, dressed like Mithras, Cautes with his torch pointing up and Cautopates with his torch pointing down. Sometimes Cautes and Cautopates carry shepherds' crooks instead of torches.
Tauroctony from the Kunsthistorisches Museum
The event takes place in a cavern, into which Mithras has carried the bull, after having hunted it, ridden it and overwhelmed its strength.[38] Sometimes the cavern is surrounded by a circle, on which the twelve signs of the zodiac appear. Outside the cavern, top left, is Sol the sun, with his flaming crown, often driving a quadriga. A ray of light often reaches down to touch Mithras. At the top right is Luna, with her crescent moon, who may be depicted driving a biga.[39]
In some depictions, the central tauroctony is framed by a series of subsidiary scenes to the left, top and right, illustrating events in the Mithras narrative; Mithras being born from the rock, the water miracle, the hunting and riding of the bull, meeting Sol who kneels to him, shaking hands with Sol and sharing a meal of bull-parts with him, and ascending to the heavens in a chariot.[39] In some instances, as is the case in the stucco icon at Santa Prisca mithraeum, the god is shown heroically nude. Some of these reliefs were constructed so that they could be turned on an axis. On the back side was another, more elaborate feasting scene. This indicates that the bull killing scene was used in the first part of the celebration, then the relief was turned, and the second scene was used in the second part of the celebration.Besides the main cult icon, a number of mithraea had several secondary tauroctonies, and some small portable versions, probably meant for private devotion, have also been found.[The second most important scene after the tauroctony in Mithraic art is the so-called banquet scene.The banquet scene features Mithras and the Sun god banqueting on the hide of the slaughtered bull. On the specific banquet scene on the Fiano Romano relief, one of the torchbearers points a caduceus towards the base of an altar, where flames appear to spring up. Robert Turcan has argued that since the caduceus is an attribute of Mercury, and in mythology Mercury is depicted as a psychopomp, the eliciting of flames in this scene is referring to the dispatch of human souls and expressing the Mithraic doctrine on this matter. Turcan also connects this event to the tauroctony: the blood of the slain bull has soaked the ground at the base of the altar, and from the blood the souls are elicited in flames by the caduceus.Mithras is depicted as being born from a rock. He is shown as emerging from a rock, already in his youth, with a dagger in one hand and a torch in the other. He is nude, standing with his legs together, and is wearing a Phrygian cap.
However, there are variations. Sometimes he is shown as coming out of the rock as a child, and in one instance he has a globe in one hand; sometimes a thunderbolt is seen. There are also depictions in which flames are shooting from the rock and also from Mithras' cap. One statue had its base perforated so that it could serve as a fountain, and the base of another has the mask of the water god. Sometimes Mithras also has other weapons such as bows and arrows, and there are also animals such as dogs, serpents, dolphins, eagles, other birds, lion, crocodiles, lobsters and snails around. On some reliefs, there is a bearded figure identified as Oceanus, the water god, and on some there are the gods of the four winds. In these reliefs, the four elements could be invoked together. Sometimes Victoria, Luna, Sol and Saturn also seem to play a role. Saturn in particular is often seen handing over the dagger to Mithras so that he can perform his mighty deeds.
In some depictions, Cautes and Cautopates are also present; sometimes they are depicted as shepherds.
On some occasions, an amphora is seen, and a few instances show variations like an egg birth or a tree birth. Some interpretations show that the birth of Mithras was celebrated by lighting torches or candles.[One of the most characteristic features of the Mysteries is the naked lion-headed figure often found in Mithraic temples, named by the modern scholars with descriptive terms such as leontocephaline (lion-headed) or leontocephalus (lion-head). He is entwined by a serpent (or two serpents, like a caduceus), with the snake's head often resting on the lion's head. The lion's mouth is often open, giving a horrifying impression. He is usually represented as having four wings, two keys (sometimes a single key), and a scepter in his hand. Sometimes the figure is standing on a globe inscribed with a diagonal cross. In the figure shown here, the four wings carry the symbols of the four seasons, and a thunderbolt is engraved on the breast. At the base of the statue are the hammer and tongs of Vulcan, the cock, and the wand of Mercury. A more scarcely represented variant of the figure with a human head is also found.
Although animal-headed figures are prevalent in contemporary Egyptian and Gnostic mythological representations, an exact parallel to the Mithraic leontocephaline figure is not found.
The name of the figure has been deciphered from dedicatory inscriptions to be Arimanius (though the archeological evidence is not very strong), which is nominally the equivalent of Ahriman, a demon figure in the Zoroastrian pantheon. Arimanius is known from inscriptions to have been a god in the Mithraic cult (CIMRM 222 from Ostia, 369 from Rome, 1773 and 1775 from Pannonia).
While some scholars identify the lion-man as Aion (or Zurvan, or Cronus) others assert that it is Ahriman.[51] There is also speculation that the figure is the Gnostic demiurge, (Ariel) Ialdabaoth. Although the exact identity of the lion-headed figure is debated by scholars, it is largely agreed that the god is associated with time and seasonal change.[53] An occultist, D. J.Cooper, speculates to the contrary that the lion-headed figure is not a god, but rather represents the spiritual state achieved in Mithraism's "adept" level, the Leo (lion) degree. Rituals and worship[edit]
According to M. J. Vermaseren, the Mithraic New Year and the birthday of Mithras was on December 25. However, Beck disagrees strongly.Clauss states: "the Mithraic Mysteries had no public ceremonies of its own. The festival of natalis Invicti [Birth of the Unconquerable (Sun)], held on 25 December, was a general festival of the Sun, and by no means specific to the Mysteries of Mithras." Mithraic initiates were required to swear an oath of secrecy and dedication, and some grade rituals involved the recital of a catechism, wherein the initiate was asked a series of questions pertaining to the initiation symbolism and had to reply with specific answers. An example of such a catechism, apparently pertaining to the Leo grade, was discovered in a fragmentary Egyptian papyrus (P.Berolinensis 21196),and reads:
... He will say: 'Where ... ?
... he is/(you are?) there (then/thereupon?) at a loss?' Say: ... Say: 'Night'. He will say: 'Where ... ?' ... Say: 'All things ...' (He will say): '... you are called ... ?' Say: 'Because of the summery ...' ... having become ... he/it has the fiery ... (He will say): '... did you receive/inherit?' Say: 'In a pit'. He will say: 'Where is your ...?... (Say): '...(in the...) Leonteion.' He will say: 'Will you gird?' The (heavenly?) ...(Say): '... death'. He will say: 'Why, having girded yourself, ...?' '... this (has?) four tassels. Very sharp and ... '... much'. He will say: ...? (Say: '... because of/through?) hot and cold'. He will say: ...? (Say): '... red ... linen'. He will say: 'Why?' Say: '... red border; the linen, however, ...' (He will say): '... has been wrapped?' Say: 'The savior's ...' He will say: 'Who is the father?' Say: 'The one who (begets?) everything ...' (He will say): '('How ?)... did you become a Leo?' Say: 'By the ... of the father'. ... Say: 'Drink and food'. He will say '...?'
'... in the seven-...
Almost no Mithraic scripture or first-hand account of its highly secret rituals survives;with the exception of the aforementioned oath and catechism, and the document known as the Mithras Liturgy, from 4th century Egypt, whose status as a Mithraist text has been questioned by scholars including Franz Cumont. The walls of Mithraea were commonly whitewashed, and where this survives it tends to carry extensive repositories of graffiti; and these, together with inscriptions on Mithraic monuments, form the main source for Mithraic texts.
Nevertheless, it is clear from the archeology of numerous Mithraea that most rituals were associated with feasting – as eating utensils and food residues are almost invariably found. These tend to include both animal bones and also very large quantities of fruit residues.The presence of large amounts of cherry-stones in particular would tend to confirm mid-summer (late June, early July) as a season especially associated with Mithraic festivities. The Virunum album, in the form of an inscribed bronze plaque, records a Mithraic festival of commemoration as taking place on 26 June 184. Beck argues that religious celebrations on this date are indicative of special significance being given to the Summer solstice; but this time of the year coincides with ancient recognition of the solar maximum at midsummer, whilst iconographically identical holidays such as Litha, St John's Eve, and Jāņi are observed also.
For their feasts, Mithraic initiates reclined on stone benches arranged along the longer sides of the Mithraeum – typically there might be room for 15 to 30 diners, but very rarely many more than 40 men. Counterpart dining rooms, or triclinia, were to be found above ground in the precincts of almost any temple or religious sanctuary in the Roman empire, and such rooms were commonly used for their regular feasts by Roman 'clubs', or collegia. Mithraic feasts probably performed a very similar function for Mithraists as the collegia did for those entitled to join them; indeed, since qualification for Roman collegia tended to be restricted to particular families, localities or traditional trades, Mithraism may have functioned in part as providing clubs for the unclubbed.However, the size of the Mithraeum is not necessarily an indication of the size of the congregation.
Each Mithraeum had several altars at the further end, underneath the representation of the tauroctony, and also commonly contained considerable numbers of subsidiary altars, both in the main Mithraeum chamber and in the ante-chamber or narthex.[68] These altars, which are of the standard Roman pattern, each carry a named dedicatory inscription from a particular initiate, who dedicated the altar to Mithras "in fulfillment of his vow", in gratitude for favours received. Burned residues of animal entrails are commonly found on the main altars indicating regular sacrificial use. However, Mithraea do not commonly appear to have been provided with facilities for ritual slaughter of sacrificial animals (a highly specialised function in Roman religion), and it may be presumed that a Mithraeum would have made arrangements for this service to be provided for them in co-operation with the professional victimarius of the civic cult. Prayers were addressed to the Sun three times a day, and Sunday was especially sacred.
It is doubtful whether Mithraism had a monolithic and internally consistent doctrine. It may have varied from location to location. However, the iconography is relatively coherent. It had no predominant sanctuary or cultic centre; and, although each Mithraeum had its own officers and functionaries, there was no central supervisory authority. In some Mithraea, such as that at Dura Europos, wall paintings depict prophets carrying scrolls,but no named Mithraic sages are known, nor does any reference give the title of any Mithraic scripture or teaching. It is known that intitates could transfer with their grades from one Mithraeum to another.
Mithraeum
See also: Mithraeum
A mithraeum found in the ruins of Ostia Antica, Italy
Temples of Mithras are sunk below ground, windowless, and very distinctive. In cities, the basement of an apartment block might be converted; elsewhere they might be excavated and vaulted over, or converted from a natural cave. Mithraic temples are common in the empire; although unevenly distributed, with considerable numbers found in Rome, Ostia, Numidia, Dalmatia, Britain and along the Rhine/Danube frontier; while being somewhat less common in Greece, Egypt, and Syria.According to Walter Burkert, the secret character of Mithriac rituals meant that Mithraism could only be practiced within a Mithraeum.Some new finds at Tienen show evidence of large-scale feasting and suggest that the mystery religion may not have been as secretive as was generally believed.
For the most part, Mithraea tend to be small, externally undistinguished, and cheaply constructed; the cult generally preferring to create a new centre rather than expand an existing one. The Mithraeum represented the cave to which Mithras carried and then killed the bull; and where stone vaulting could not be afforded, the effect would be imitated with lath and plaster. They are commonly located close to springs or streams; fresh water appears to have been required for some Mithraic rituals, and a basin is often incorporated into the structure. There is usually a narthex or ante-chamber at the entrance, and often other ancillary rooms for storage and the preparation of food. The extant mithraea present us with actual physical remains of the architectural structures of the sacred spaces of the Mithraic cult. Mithraeum is a modern coinage and mithraists referred to their sacred structures as speleum or antrum (cave), crypta (underground hallway or corridor), fanum (sacred or holy place), or even templum (a temple or a sacred space).
In their basic form, mithraea were entirely different from the temples and shrines of other cults. In the standard pattern of Roman religious precincts, the temple building functioned as a house for the god, who was intended to be able to view through the opened doors and columnar portico, sacrificial worship being offered on an altar set in an open courtyard; potentially accessible not only to initiates of the cult, but also to colitores or non-initiated worshippers.Mithraea were the antithesis of this.
Degrees of initiation
In the Suda under the entry "Mithras", it states that "no one was permitted to be initiated into them (the mysteries of Mithras), until he should show himself holy and steadfast by undergoing several graduated tests."Gregory Nazianzen refers to the "tests in the mysteries of Mithras".
There were seven grades of initiation into the mysteries of Mithras, which are listed by St. Jerome.Manfred Clauss states that the number of grades, seven, must be connected to the planets. A mosaic in the Ostia Mithraeum of Felicissimus depicts these grades, with symbolic emblems that are connected either to the grades or are just symbols of the planets. The grades also have an inscription beside them commending each grade into the protection of the different planetary gods. In ascending order of importance, the initiatory grades were:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraic_mysteries
In the Mithraic ceremonies, there were seven degrees of initiations: Corax (Raven), Nymphus (Bridegroom), Miles (Soldier), Leo (Lion), Perses (Persian),Heliodromus (Courier of the Sun), and Pater (Father). Those in the lowest ranks, certainly the Corax, were the servants of the community during the sacred meal of bread and water that formed part of the rite.
The area where the concentration of evidence for Mithraism is the most dense is the capital, Rome, and her port city, Ostia. There are eight extant mithraea in Rome of as many as seven hundred (Coarelli 1979) and eighteen in Ostia. In addition to the actual mithraea, there are approximately three hundred other mithraic monuments from Rome and about one hundred from Ostia. This body of evidence reveals that Mithraism in Rome and Ostia originally appealed to the same social strata as it did in the frontier regions. The evidence also indicates that at least some inhabitants knew about Mithraism as early as the late first century CE, but that the cult did not enjoy a wide membership in either location until the middle of the second century CE.
As the cult in Rome became more popular, it seems to have "trickled up" the social ladder, with the result that Mithraism could count several senators from prominent aristocratic families among its adherents by the fourth century CE. Some of these men were initiates in several cults imported from the eastern empire (including those of Magna Mater and Attis, Isis, Serapis, Jupiter Dolichenus, Hecate, and Liber Pater, among others), and most had held priesthoods in official Roman cults. The devotion of these men to Mithraism reflects a fourth-century "resurgence of paganism," when many of these imported cults and even official Roman state religion experienced a surge in popularity although, and perhaps because, their very existence was increasingly threatened by the rapid spread of Christianity after the conversion of the emperor Constantine in 313 CE.
global.britannica.com/topic/heliodromus
Mithraism had a wide following from the middle of the second century to the late fourth century CE, but the common belief that Mithraism was the prime competitor of Christianity, promulgated by Ernst Renan (Renan 1882 579), is blatantly false. Mithraism was at a serious disadvantage right from the start because it allowed only male initiates. What is more, Mithraism was, as mentioned above, only one of several cults imported from the eastern empire that enjoyed a large membership in Rome and elsewhere. The major competitor to Christianity was thus not Mithraism but the combined group of imported cults and official Roman cults subsumed under the rubric "paganism." Finally, part of Renan's claim rested on an equally common, but almost equally mistaken, belief that Mithraism was officially accepted because it had Roman emperors among its adherents (Nero, Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and the Tetrarchs are most commonly cited). Close examination of the evidence for the participation of emperors reveals that some comes from literary sources of dubious quality and that the rest is rather circumstantial. The cult of Magna Mater, the first imported cult to arrive in Rome (204 BCE) was the only one ever officially recognized as a Roman cult. The others, including Mithraism, were never officially accepted, and some, particularly the Egyptian cult of Isis, were periodically outlawed and their adherents persecuted.
ecole.evansville.edu/articles/mithraism.html
Some words were enough for God to precipitate the most beautiful of his creatures at the bottom of the abyss. Lucifer, the carrier of Light, pulled(entailed) with him a third(third party) of the angels in its revolt. Hell was created for him. We know the continuation(suite) … The column of July Place de la Bastille, was set up between 1833 and 1840. In its summit, thrones the "Spirit of liberty" conceived(designed) by the sculptor Auguste Dumont. Curious tribute returned by Louis Philippe to the insurgents who knocked down(spilled) Charles X and the Absolute monarchy three years earlier. Lucifer picked up. No detail misses(is lacking) … Torch in the hand, the Angel has just broken his chains(channels) and dashes to new conquests. Under its impressive base is a crypt sheltering some 500 rests of Fighters of 1830, as well as Egyptian mummy brought back(reported) by Napoleon.Durant la commune de Paris en 1870, après avoir abattu la colonne Vendôme, les communards s’en prirent à celle de la Bastille… sans succès. Ni le dispositif d’explosifs souterrains, ni le tir d’une trentaine d’obus depuis les buttes Chaumont n’en virent pas à bout. La flamme du porteur de Lumière refusa de s’éteindre…
During the municipality of Paris in 1870, having brought(shot) down the column Vendôme, the Communards took themselves in that of the Bastille unsuccessfully. Neither the device(plan) of subterranean explosives, nor the shooting(firing) of around thirty shells since mounds Chaumont transfer(fire) it to end. The flame of the carrier of Light refused to go out …Lucifer was so far away...?
« Non Serviam »- « Je ne servirai pas ! »
Quelques mots suffirent à Dieu pour précipiter la plus belle de ses créatures au fond de l’abîme. Lucifer, le porteur de Lumière, entraîna avec lui un tiers des anges dans sa révolte. L’enfer fut créé pour lui. Nous connaissons la suite…La colonne de Juillet Place de la Bastille, fut érigée entre 1833 et 1840. À son sommet, trône le « Génie de La Liberté » conçu par le sculpteur Auguste Dumont. Curieux hommage rendu par Louis Philippe aux insurgés qui renversèrent Charles X et la Monarchie absolue trois ans plus tôt. Lucifer a repris du poil de la bête. Aucun détail ne manque… Torche à la main, l’Ange vient de briser ses chaînes et s’élance vers de nouvelles conquêtes. Sous son imposant piédestal se trouve une crypte abritant quelques 500 restes des combattants de 1830, ainsi qu’une momie égyptienne rapportée par Napoléon.Durant la commune de Paris en 1870, après avoir abattu la colonne Vendôme, les communards s’en prirent à celle de la Bastille… sans succès. Ni le dispositif d’explosifs souterrains, ni le tir d’une trentaine d’obus depuis les buttes Chaumont n’en virent pas à bout. La flamme du porteur de Lumière refusa de s’éteindre…
www.pariszigzag.fr/histoire-insolite-paris/qui-est-vraime...
Of the Terrible Doubt of Appearances
Walt Whitman
Of the terrible doubt of appearances,
Of the uncertainty after all, that we may be deluded,
That may-be reliance and hope are but speculations after all,
That may-be identity beyond the grave is a beautiful fable
only,
May-be the things I perceive, the animals, plants, men, hills,
shining and flowing waters,
The skies of day and night, colors, densities, forms, may-be
these are (as doubtless they are) only apparitions, and
the real something has yet to be known,
(How often they dart out of themselves as if to confound me
and mock me!
How often I think neither I know, nor any man knows,
aught of them,)
May-be seeming to me what they are (as doubtless they
indeed but seem) as from my present point of view, and
might prove (as of course they would) nought of what
they appear, or nought anyhow, from entirely changed
points of view;
To me these and the like of these are curiously answer'd by
my lovers, my dear friends,
When he whom I love travels with me or sits a long while
holding me by the hand,
When the subtle air, the impalpable, the sense that words and
reason hold not, surround us and pervade us,
Then I am charged with untold and untellable wisdom, I am
silent, I require nothing further,
I cannot answer the question of appearances or that of
identity beyond the grave,
But I walk or sit indifferent, I am satisfied,
He ahold of my hand has completely satisfied me.
What is it and where did it come from?
Speculation about this odd-looking relic is rife, ranging from: Being a part of an alien spacecraft, with others concluding that it is a piece of a hyper-space drive unit designed to penetrate the time/space barrier between multi-universes.
Personally, I believe that it is part of an exhaust unit from a fast food restaurant.
Scientist are hard at work to solve the problem!
This photo was taken by a Kowa Super 66 medium format film camera with a Kowa 1:3.5/55mm lens and Kowa L39•3C(UV) ø67 filter using Kodak Portra 400 film, the negative scanned by an Epson Perfection V600 and digitally rendered with Photoshop.
Much speculation as to what happened here. Either one of the local scalawags threw a hand grenade in before making a run for it or a caller dropped a MOAF (Mother Of All Farts) resulting in major structural damage. We'll never know, as all evidence has now been removed.
And yes, that pointy headed shadow does belong to my pointy head.
The hazy mysteries of Ål Hallingdal invites to speculation about the supernatural, indeed - south Norway
After 18 months of speculation, the first of the twenty five Enviro500 deckers finally arrived from Glasgow, heralding the end for over a third of the artic fleet and reintroducing the Bridges name to the 1&2 route as it was known for decades prior to coming the Red Line fifteen years ago.
38218 is seen here at King Street Depot showing off the red based Bridges branding applied to around half of the batch in Glasgow prior to them coming north.
With a number of buses due to have their tax expire after Monday perhaps we may see these in service next week?
2/ With much speculation of courtship circulating between Mlle Vorontsova and Sheremetev (he is rumoured to appear at her music soirée), Yusupov’s event seemed to prove otherwise. Young Graf Yaguzhinsky was quite bold in his advances creating amusement for the other guests (except for her cousin and chaperon Dashkova).
Sheremetev seemed disheartened but not as affected as a lover should be… Perhaps, the courtship rumours are false? The two seemed to engage in pleasant conversation at the dinner table discussing the music program to be featured enthusiastically.
In fact, Vorontsova suggested him to bring his opera protegé Zhemchugova then!
Learn more about our "Royal Treatment" plotline (#21): docs.google.com/presentation/d/11w07wRtM64aT-slNCqxzs_0p8...
Learn more about our "Sheremetev in Love" plotline (#15): docs.google.com/presentation/d/1S1L8JesWESwnS1_1ehXmTyc3k...
Visit us: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Embers/159/124/3313
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Fanad is a peninsula that lies between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay on the north coast of County Donegal in Ireland. The origins of the name Fanad are lost in time though there is some speculation that the name derives from an old Gaelic word Fana for "sloping ground".
Attention people using this image for rampant speculation (Brickset), aside from minifigs from existing sets we all already know about, I was not given any information regarding upcoming sets when I created this image. All depictions of as of yet unproduced figures are a by product of my own imagination, and as such, not a factual basis for any speculation or rumors.