Wintergarden, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, Flanders, Belgium :

central fountain of Villeroy and Boch and busts in Carrara-marble (A. Piazza) of Rachel - Rebecca - Sara - Ruth, four virtuous women of the bible

no rules, no limitations, no boundaries it's like an art

Seen after a recent spruce-up at 19 Castle Street, Norwich - Dipple & Conway, Opticians

 

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And quite a party they had back then – at least according to… "The Jubilee of George the Third ... An account of the celebration ... of the forty-ninth anniversary of his reign, 25th October, 1809." Published 1887 in London, by J. Bumpus.

 

NORWICH - The Jubilee was celebrated with great splendour and every demonstration of heartfelt joy in this city. At an early hour flags were flying from the Churches and Houses, guns were firing, and bells were ringing. At ten o'clock the Corporation went in procession, with all the pomp of the city regalia, to hear divine service at the Cathedral. Nearly 1,200 Freemen, principally of the labouring classes of the citizens, met in the Market, and attended the Mayor, Aldermen and Commons to Church. When it is considered how much this city has suffered in its trade by the war, there can scarcely be produced a more striking instance of the loyal and patriotic disposition of its inhabitants, than this voluntary congress of this class of men. The sermon was very appropriate and impressive, and the congregation was exceedingly numerous. At one o'clock, the Garrison was drawn out upon the Castle ditches, where they fired a feu de joie, royal salute, and general salute. The firing over, the troops filed off, and the Court resumed their progress to the Hall, where the Officers of the several corps went by invitation from the Mayor, to partake of some refreshments. The Corporation being assembled, Mr. Steward Alderson addressed the Mayor, in the name of the Worshipful the Aldermen and the worthy Commons, in a speech fraught with sentiments of loyalty and attachment to our aged and venerable King, the epithets by which the learned Steward distinguished the Sovereign. "It was not," he said, “even in the romance of the loyalty which all classes of Englishmen felt in common, to hope for a second occasion to commemorate such an event as that of the present day. With the record of the day would be handed down the name of the Mayor," to whose particular liberality, and general merits in the exercise of his important office the Steward paid a just eulogium, which concluded his address. Mr. Harmer, the Speaker of the Commons, as the representative of that body, in a short speech, expressed his entire coincidence in the sentiments of the Steward, to which the Mayor replied nearly in the following words: — " Mr. Steward, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen, I am very sensible of the honour you have done me, although unable to express my thanks ; and I am equally sensible that a roast beef dinner, when weighed in the scale against my deficiencies in office, will be found light in the balance. Permit me, Gentlemen, to congratulate you, for I consider that we are here assembled on no common occasion, to celebrate no comment event; but we are met to testify our joy and thankfulness that it has pleased Providence to permit a good and virtuous King to enter this day on the 50th year of his reign ; to express our attachment to the excellent form of government over which he presides, and our admiration of that glorious Constitution to which I look up as the basis of our strength in war, and our security in peace, as the rock on which all our liberties are founded ; and having stood the test for ages, I hope will be transmitted to posterity, uncorrupted by faction, unshaken by violence, and untarnished by time." At five o'clock, the company, invited by the Mayor to partake of a roast beef dinner, assembled at St. Andrew's Hall; and soon after the joyful note of preparation was given, by the drum and file playing “O, the roast beef of old England," at the head of a royal baron of beef, weighing 172 lbs. surmounted with the Union flag, which was brought in by four grenadiers, who carried it twice round, and then placed it at top of the hall. The company seated themselves at three tables, which extended the whole length of the middle aisle, which was brilliantly lighted up with chandeliers, &c.

 

On the baron of beef being placed under the picture of Lord Nelson, the curtains were drawn up, and the transparencies exhibited, which were placed in front of the gallery. They consisted of a likeness of our beloved Monarch, in a gold- coloured frame, one half of which was painted with oak leaves and acorns, and the other half with laurel leaves; round the frame, on a dark blue ribbon, was inscribed, in large gold letters, " The 50th year of King George III.”

On each side was an allegorical transparency in chiara scuro — the one of Britannia seated on a rock, with a lion at her feet, and with ships at a distance pointing to the portrait of our beloved Monarch, and exhibiting a scroll with this inscription, '* The effusions of a Nation's love" and on the other side was Neptune, seated in his car, and pointing to the inscription round his Majesty's portrait ; upon the whole, the effect was good, and did credit to the different artists who painted them. The moment this interesting design burst upon the sight, the excellent band of the Wiltshire Militia, stationed in the gallery, struck up " God save the King," Amongst the Nobility and Gentry who were thus hospitably entertained by the Chief Magistrate of the city (to the number of 341) were — Lord Bishop of Norwich, Viscount Primrose, Lord Bayning, Hon. George Herbert, Sir Thomas Beevor, Sir Thomas Durant, Sir Edward Berry, the Dean of Norwich, &c., &c. The cloth drawn, and the desert served, the Mayor gave "The King," which was received with such applause as would proceed from a settled, principled, and proved attachment to the august Head of our venerable Constitution. A Gentleman sang “God save the King," with additional stanzas, and the company rose and gave the hearty English three times three cheers. The Mayor then proceeded to give the following toasts, the band playing appropriate airs between each: — The Prince of Wales — The Queen and Royal Family — the great Rock of Strength, the British Constitution — may the affections of Englishmen increase with the years of the King— the Army of the Empire— the Navy of the Empire, and success to the wooden walls of old England— the Lieutenant of the County— the Sheriff of the County— the Lord Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese — the Mayor of Norwich, by the Bishop — the Members for the County — the Members for the City — the immortal memory of the Eight Hon. William Pitt, &c.

 

The harmony and conviviality of the party were now, like the occasion, fixed and established. Of the previous arrangement, and general conduct of this happy day, it is impossible to speak in terms exceeding its merit, but that merit must be given to the person who entirely deserved it, namely Thomas Back, Jun., Esq., the Mayor of Norwich. When the Court, by indecision, division, or difference of opinion, declined to take any efficient step for the promotion of that object, which the event has shown was common to all; the Mayor, by his munificence, hospitality, decided conduct, and judicious arrangement, gave that time to the Jubilee rejoicing which will attract to him, as a public character, the thanks and the regard of every man who loves the establishment of his country. So general, indeed, was the wish to verify the worthy Steward's assertion, "To hand down his name and office, together with the records of the Commemoration," that before the company separated, the following proposals were unanimously agreed to :— "Resolved, That as a testimony of respect for the worthy Chief Magistrate, Thomas Back, Jun., Esq., and particularly for his conduct on this glorious day of the Jubilee— We, whose Names are hereunto subscribed, do request that he will sit for his Picture, to any Artist he may think proper, and permit it to be placed in this Hall. Dated St. Andrew's Hall, Oct. 25th, 1809." The names were those of the most respectable personages in the city of Norwich. Let it not be imagined that the higher ranks were alone regaled on this propitious day, a just tribute must be paid to the many, who by their bounty and exertions, made the cottages of industry, and the huts of poverty, the abodes of plenty and mirth. Subscriptions were made throughout the city, to enable the lower classes of the community to take partake in the enjoyment of the festival. The sums collected at the various places of divine worship allowed of bread, meat, ale, soup, or money, to be distributed as the directors chose, to every poor person who was in need, throughout the numerous and respectable parishes, in addition to which the Freemen in the Orange and Purple Interest received 2s. 6d., and two quarts of beer each. The Volunteers of the city had each of them handsome donations from their Officers. The poor women in the Hospital, in the Rose Lane, had a liberal supply of beef, bread, pudding, and beer. The people in the Workhouse had beef and plum-pudding for dinner, the children a three-penny plum cake each, from St. Peter's Mancroft, and every person had six-pence given by the Mayor. The poor of the parish of Thorpe were amply regaled by means of a subscription amongst the other inhabitants, two of whom added a sheep to their liberal share. The prisoners in Bridewell had a plentiful dinner of roast beef and plum-pudding, and a quart of beer each, given by the Mayor. The debtors and felons in the Castle had from the High Sheriff a plentiful dinner of roast beef and plum-pudding, and one pint of ale each. One Crown Debtor was discharged from the County Gaol, and one from Ipswich, free of all fees. Thus ended in the loyal city of Norwich a day of rejoicing for thousands.

 

Vishnu (/ˈvɪʃnuː/; Sanskrit: Viṣṇu) is a popular Hindu deity, the Supreme God of Vaishnavism (one of the three principal denominations of Hinduism) and one of the three supreme deities (Trimurti) of Hinduism. He is also known as Lord Narayana and Lord Hari. As one of the five primary forms of God in the Smarta tradition, He is conceived as "the Preserver or the Protector" within the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the divinity.

 

In Hindu sacred texts, Vishnu is usually described as having dark complexion of water-filled clouds and as having four arms. He is depicted as a blue being, holding a padma (lotus flower) in the lower left hand, the Kaumodaki gada (mace) in the lower right hand, the Panchajanya shankha (conch) in the upper left hand and the discus weapon Sudarshana Chakra in the upper right hand.

 

Adherents of Hinduism believe Vishnu's eternal and supreme abode beyond the material universe is called Vaikuntha, which is also known as Paramdhama, the realm of eternal bliss and happiness and the final or highest place for liberated souls who have attained Moksha. Vaikuntha is situated beyond the material universe and hence, cannot be perceived or measured by material science or logic. Vishnu's other abode within the material universe is Ksheera Sagara (the ocean of milk), where he reclines and rests on Ananta Shesha, (the king of the serpent deities, commonly shown with a thousand heads). In almost all Hindu denominations, Vishnu is either worshipped directly or in the form of his ten avatars, the most famous of whom are Rama and Krishna.

 

The Puranabharati, an ancient text, describes these as the dashavatara, or the ten avatars of Vishnu. Among the ten described, nine have occurred in the past and one will take place in the future as Lord Kalki, at the end of Kali Yuga, (the fourth and final stage in the cycle of yugas that the world goes through). These incarnations take place in all Yugas in cosmic scales; the avatars and their stories show that gods are indeed unimaginable, unthinkable and inconceivable. The Bhagavad Gita mentions their purpose as being to rejuvenate Dharma, to vanquish those negative forces of evil that threaten dharma, and also to display His divine nature in front of all souls.

 

The Trimurti (three forms) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer, preserver or protector and Shiva the destroyer or transformer." These three deities have also been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity", all having the same meaning of three in One. They are the different forms or manifestation of One person the Supreme Being or Narayana/Svayam Bhagavan.

 

Vishnu is also venerated as Mukunda, which means God who is the giver of mukti or moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirths) to his devotees or the worthy ones who deserve salvation from the material world.

 

ETYMOLOGY

The traditional explanation of the name Vishnu involves the root viś, meaning "to settle" (cognate with Latin vicus, English -wich "village," Slavic: vas -ves), or also (in the Rigveda) "to enter into, to pervade," glossing the name as "the All-Pervading One". Yaska, an early commentator on the Vedas, in his Nirukta, (etymological interpretation), defines Vishnu as viṣṇur viṣvater vā vyaśnoter vā, "one who enters everywhere". He also writes, atha yad viṣito bhavati tad viṣnurbhavati, "that which is free from fetters and bondages is Vishnu".

 

Adi Shankara in his commentary on the Sahasranama states derivation from viś, with a meaning "presence everywhere" ("As he pervades everything, vevesti, he is called Vishnu"). Adi Shankara states (regarding Vishnu Purana, 3.1.45): "The Power of the Supreme Being has entered within the universe. The root viś means 'enter into'." Swami Chinmayananda, in his translation of Vishnu Sahasranama further elaborates on that verse: "The root vis means to enter. The entire world of things and beings is pervaded by Him and the Upanishad emphatically insists in its mantra 'whatever that is there is the world of change.' Hence, it means that He is not limited by space, time or substance. Chinmayananda states that, that which pervades everything is Vishnu."

 

SACRET TEXTS - SHRUTI & SMRITI

Shruti is considered to be solely of divine origin. It is preserved as a whole, instead of verse by verse. It includes the four Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda) the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads with commentaries on them.

 

Smṛti refers to all the knowledge derived and inculcated after Shruti had been received. Smrti is not 'divine' in origin, but was 'remembered' by later Rishis (sages by insight, who were the scribes) by transcendental means and passed down through their followers. It includes the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana which are Sattva Puranas. These both declare Vishnu as Para Brahman Supreme Lord who creates unlimited universes and enters each one of them as Lord of Universe.

 

SHRUTI

 

VAISHNAVA CANON

The Vaishnava canon presents Vishnu as the supreme being, rather than another name for the Sun God, who also bore the name Suryanarayana and is considered only as a form of Vishnu.

 

VEDAS

In the Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka (10-13-1), Narayana suktam, Lord Narayana is mentioned as the supreme being. The first verse of Narayana Suktam mentions the words "paramam padam", which literally mean "highest post" and may be understood as the "supreme abode for all souls". This is also known as Param Dhama, Paramapadam, or Vaikuntha. Rig Veda 1:22:20a also mentions the same "paramam padam". This special status is not given to any deity in the Vedas apart from Lord Vishnu/Narayana.[citation needed] Narayana is one of the thousand names of Vishnu as mentioned in the Vishnu Sahasranama. It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of - and beyond - the past, present and future, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within. This illustrates the omnipresent characteristic of Vishnu. Vishnu governs the aspect of preservation and sustenance of the universe, so he is called "Preserver of the universe".

 

Vishnu is the Supreme God who takes manifest forms or avatars across various ages or periods to save humanity from evil beings, demons or Asuras. According to the extant Hindu texts and traditions, Lord Vishnu is considered to be resident in the direction of the "Makara Rashi" (the "Shravana Nakshatra"), which is about coincident with the Capricorn constellation. In some of the extant Puranas, and Vaishnava traditions, Vishnu's eye is considered to be situated at the infinitely distant Southern Celestial Pole.

 

Following the defeat of Indra and his displacement as the Lord of Heaven or Swarga, Indra asks Lord Vishnu for help and thus Lord Vishnu takes his incarnations or avatars to Earth to save mankind, thus showing his position as Supreme God to all of creation.

 

In the Puranas, Indra frequently appears proud and haughty. These bad qualities are temporarily removed when Brahma and/or Shiva give boons to Asuras or Rakshasas such as Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu and Ravana, who are then able to defeat Indra in wars between Devas and Asuras. The received boons often made Asuras virtually indestructible.

 

Indra has no option but to seek help from Vishnu. Indra prays before Vishnu for protection and the Supreme Lord obliges him by taking avatars and generating himself on Earth in various forms, first as a water-dweller (Matsya, fish), then as an amphibious creature (Kurma avatar or Tortoise), then as a half-man-half-animal (Varaha the pig-faced, human-bodied Lord, and Narasimha the Lord with lion's face and claws and a human body). Later, Vishnu appears as human beings (Vamana the short-heighted person), Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and finally as Kalki for performing his task of protecting his devotees from demons and anti-religious entities.

 

Vishnu's supremacy is attested by his victories over those very powerful entities. It is further attested by the accepted iconography and sculptures of Vishnu in reclining position as producing Brahma emerging from his navel. Brahma the creator is thus created in turn by Vishnu out of his own person. Instead Vishnu takes various avatars to slay or defeat those demons. But it is to be noted that Vishnu also provided boons to Akupresura, a bear faced demon who was destroyed by Lord Shiva.

 

Vishnu's actions lowered Indra's ranking among Hindu deities and led to the ascendancy of Vishnu.

 

Few temples are dedicated to the Sun or Suryanarayana, nor indeed Indra, nor does Indra figure largely in the Hindu religion.

 

Indra is almost completely absent from the deities considered as the chief or most important deity.

 

RIGVEDA

In the Rigveda, Vishnu is mentioned 93 times. He is frequently invoked alongside other deities, especially Indra, whom he helps in killing Vritra and with whom he drinks Soma. His distinguishing characteristic in the Vedas is his association with light. Two Rigvedic hymns in Mandala 7 are dedicated to Vishnu. In 7.99, Vishnu is addressed as the god who separates heaven and earth, a characteristic he shares with Indra.

 

The Rig Veda describes Vishnu as younger brother to Indra as Vamana. In Vaishnava canon the 'Vishnu' who is younger brother to Indra is identified as Vamana, Avatar of Vishnu, hence referred to as Vishnu by Vaishnavites. Vishnu is the Supreme God who lives in the highest celestial region, contrasted against those who live in the atmospheric or terrestrial regions. Vishnu is content with mere prayer, unlike almost all of the other gods who receive sacrificial offerings such as Havis, which is given using clarified butter, or Soma. Later foreign translators have view that Vedas place Indra in a superior position to Vishnu's Avatar of Vamana but in fact Vamana helps Indra by restoring his Kingdom.

 

An alternate translation is provided by Wilson according to Sayana:

 

When Thy (younger brother) Viṣṇu (Vamana) by (his) strength stepped his three paces, then verily thy beloved horses bore thee. (Rigveda 8:12:27)

 

Wilson mentions Griffith's possible translation as a footnote. However the following verse from Rigveda renders the above translation by Wilson more probable.

 

Him whose three places that are filled with sweetness, imperishable, joy as it may list them, Who verily alone upholds the threefold, the earth, the heaven, and all living creatures. (Rig veda 1:154:4)

 

Wilson offers an alternate translation for Rigveda 10:113:2:

 

Viṣṇu offering the portion of Soma, glorifies by his own vigor that greatness of his. Indra, the lord of heaven, with the associated gods having slain Vritra, became deserving of honour. (Rigveda 10:113:2)

 

This verse sees Vishnu as one who is glorified by his own strength, while Indra became deserving of honor after having slain Vritra only in association with other gods.

 

However Vishnu's praise for other gods does not imply worship. Wilson translates:

 

Viṣṇu, the mighty giver of dwellings praises thee, and Mitra and Varuna; the company of Maruts imitates thee in exhilaration. (Rigveda 8:15:9) (page 280)

 

The following verses show categorically Vishnu as distinguished from other gods in Rigveda.

 

He who presents (offering) to Viṣṇu, the ancient, the creator, the recent, the self-born; he who celebrates the great birth of that mighty one; he verily possessed of abundance, attains (the station) that is to be sought (by all). (Rigveda 1:156:2) (page 98)

 

No being that is or that has been born, divine Viṣṇu, has attained the utmost limit of thy magnitude, by which thou hast upheld the vast and beautiful heaven, and sustained the eastern horizon of Earth.(Rigveda 7:99:2) (page 196)

 

The divine Viṣṇu, the best of the doers of good deeds, who came to the pious instituter of rite (Indra), to assist (at its celebration), knowing (the desires of the worshiper), and present at the three connected period (of worship), shows favor to the Arya, and admits the author of the ceremony to a share of the sacrifice. (Rigveda 1:156:5) (page 99)

 

Jan Gonda, the late Indologist, states that Vishnu, although remaining in the background of Indra's exploits, contributes by his presence, or is key to Indra's success. Vishnu is more than a mere companion, equal in rank or power to Indra, or sometime the one who made Indra's success possible.

 

Descriptions of Vishnu as younger to Indra are found in only the hymns to Indra, but in a kathenotheism religion like that of the Rigveda, each god, for a time, is supreme in the mind of the devotee.

 

In the Rig Vedic texts, the deity or god referred to as Vishnu is the Sun God, who also bears the name 'Suryanarayana'. By contrast, the 'Vishnu' referred to in 'Vishnu Purana', 'Vishnu Sahasranamam' and 'Purusha Sooktham' is Lord Narayana, the Consort of Lakshmi. Vaishnavites make a further distinction by extolling the qualities of Vishnu by highlighting his differences from other deities such as Shiva,[citation needed] Brahma or Surya.

 

THREE STEPS

Hymn 7.100 refers to the celebrated 'three steps' of Vishnu (as Trivikrama) by which he strode over the universe and in three places planted his step. The 'Vishnu Suktam' (RV 1.154) says that the first and second of Vishnu's strides (those encompassing the earth and air) are visible to men and the third is in the heights of heaven (sky). This last place is described as Vishnu's supreme abode in RV 1.22.20:

 

The princes evermore behold / that loftiest place where Vishnu is / Laid as it were an eye in heaven.(trans. Griffith)

 

Griffith's "princes" are the sūri, either "inciters" or lords of a sacrifice, or priests charged with pressing the Soma. The verse is quoted as expressing Vishnu's supremacy by Vaishnavites.

 

Though such solar aspects have been associated with Vishnu by tradition as well as modern-scholarship, he was not just the representation of the sun, as he moves both vertically and horizontally.

 

In hymns 1.22.17, 1.154.3, 1.154.4 he strides across the earth with three steps, in 6.49.13, 7.100.3 strides across the earth three times and in 1.154.1, 1.155.5,7.29.7 he strides vertically, with the final step in the heavens. The same Veda also says he strode wide and created space in the cosmos for Indra to fight Vritra. By his stride he made dwelling for men possible, the three forming a symbolic representation of the dwelling's all-encompassing nature. This nature and benevolence to men were Vishnu's enduring attributes. As the triple-strider he is known as Trivikrama and as Urukrama, for the strides were wide.

 

BRAHMANAS

The Brahmanas are commentaries on the Vedas and form part of the Shruti literature. They are concerned with the detail of the proper performance of rituals. In the Rigveda, Shakala Shakha: Aitareya Brahmana Verse 1 declares: agnir vai devānām ava mo viṣṇuḥ paramus, tadantareṇa sarvā anyā devatā - Agni is the lowest or youngest god and Vishnu is the greatest and the highest God.

 

The Brahmanas assert the supremacy of Lord Vishnu, addressing him as "Gajapati", the one whom all sacrifices are meant to please. Lord Vishnu accepts all sacrifices to the demigods and allots the respective fruits to the performer In one incident, a demonic person performs a sacrifice by abducting the Rishis (sages), who meditate by constantly chanting God's name. The sacrifice is meant to destroy Indra. But the rishis, who worship Indra as a demigod, alter one pronunciation of the Veda Mantra, reversing the purpose of the sacrifice. When the fruit of the sacrifice is given and the demon is on the verge of dying, he calls to Vishnu, whom he addresses as Supreme Godhead and "the father of all living entities including himself".

 

Aitareya Brahmana 1:1:1 mentions Vishnu as the Supreme God. But in the Vaishnava canon, in different ages, with Vishnu in different avatars, his relationship with the asuras or demons, was always adversarial. The asuras always caused harm, while the sages and devas or celestial beings, did penance and called to Vishnu for protection. Vishnu always obliged by taking an avatar to vanquish the asuras. In the Vaishnava canon, Vishnu never gave or granted any boons to the asuras, distinguishing him from the gods Shiva and Brahma, who did. He is the only God called upon to save good beings by defeating or killing the asuras.

 

Sayana writes that in Aitareya Brahmana 1:1:1 the declaration agnir vai devānām ava mo viṣṇuḥ paramus,tadantareṇa sarvā anyā devatā does not indicate any hierarchy among gods. Even in Rigveda Samhita, avama and parama are not applied to denote rank and dignity, but only to mark place and locality.

 

In Rigveda 1:108:9,: yadindrāghnī avamasyāṃ pṛthivyāṃ madhyamasyāṃ paramasyāmuta sthaḥ | i.e., in the lowest place, the middle (place), and the highest (place). Agni, the fire, has, among the gods, the lowest place; for he resides with man on the earth; while the other gods are either in the air, or in the sky. Vishnu occupies the highest place. The words avama and parama are understood as 'First' and 'Last' respectively. To support this claim, Sayana adduces the mantra (1,4. As'val. Sr. S. 4, 2), agnir mukham prathamo devathanam samathanam uttamo vishnur asit, i.e., Agni was the first of the deities assembled, (and) Vishnu the last.

 

In the Kausitaki Brahmana (7.1) Agni is called Aaradhya (instead of avama), and Visnu parardha(instead of parama),i.e., belonging to the lower and higher halves (or forming the lower and higher halves). The Vishnu Purana gives tremendous importance to the worship of Vishnu and mentions that sacrifices are to begin only with both the lighting of fire or 'Agni', pouring of sacrificial offerings to Vishnu in 'Agni' so that those offerings reach and are accepted by Vishnu. Worship of Vishnu through Yajnas (or Homams) and other rituals, will not achieve the desired result if Agni's role is neglected.

 

Muller says "Although the gods are sometimes distinctly invoked as the great and the small, the young and the old (Rig veda 1:27:13), this is only an attempt to find the most comprehensive expression for the divine powers, and nowhere is any of the gods represented as the subordinate to others. It would be easy to find, in the numerous hymns of the Veda, passages in which almost every single god is represented as supreme and absolute."

 

However this notion is not completely correct as per the following verses, which shows Rigveda describe one or more gods as subject to other god(s).

 

Him whose high law not Varuna nor Indra, not Mitra, Aryaman, nor Rudra breaketh, Nor evil-hearted fiends, here for my welfare him I invoke, God Savitar, with worship. (Rigveda 2.038.09)

 

I invite to this place, with reverential salutations, for my good, that divine Savita, whose functions neither Indra, nor Varun.a, nor Mitra nor Aryaman nor Rudra nor the enemies (of the gods), impede. (Rigveda 2.038.09)

 

SMRITI

 

VISHNU SMRITI

The Vishnu Smṛti, is one of the later books of the Dharmashastra tradition of Hinduism and the only one that focuses on the bhakti tradition and the required daily puja to Vishnu, rather than the means of knowing dharma. It is also known for its handling of the controversial subject of the practice of sati (self-immolation of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre). The text was composed by an individual or group. The author(s) created a collection of the commonly known legal maxims that were attributed to Vishnu into one book, as Indian oral culture began to be recorded more formally.

 

BHAGAVATA PURANA

Vishnu is the only Bhagavan as declared in the Bhagavata 1:2:11 in the verse: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate, translated as "Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance as Brahman, Paramātma and Bhagavan."

 

VISHNU PURANA

In the Vishnu Purana (6:5:79) the personality named Parashara Rishi defines six bhagas:

 

aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣannāḥ bhaga itīṇganā

 

Jiva Gosvami explains the verse in Gopala Champu (Pūrva 15:73) and Bhagavata Sandarbha 46:10:

 

jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tejām.sy aśeṣataḥ

bhagavac-chabda-vācyāni vinā heyair guṇādibhiḥ

 

"The substantives of the word bhagavat (bhagavat-śabda-vācyāni) are unlimited (aśeṣataḥ) knowledge (jñāna), energies (śakti), strength (bala), opulence (aiśvarya), heroism (vīrya), splendor (tejas), without (vinā) objectionable (heyair) qualities (guṇādibhiḥ)."

 

SANGAM LITERATURE

Tamil Sangam literature (300BCE to 500CE) mentions mAyOn, or the dark one, as the supreme deity who creates, sustains and destroys the universe. Paripadal 3 describes the glory of Thirumal in the most superlative terms.

 

Paripadal by kaduvan iLaveyinanAr:

 

"thIyinuL theRal nI poovinuL naaRRa nI kallinuL maNiyu nI sollinuL vaaymai aRaththinuL anbu nI maRaththinuL mainthu nI vEthaththu maRai nI boothaththu madhalu nI vencudar oLiyu nI thingaLuL aLiyu nI anaiththu nI anaiththinut poruLu nI"

 

The last line states that Lord Vishnu is the supreme deity who is the inner controller (Antaryamin) of the entire universe. This is one of the Lord's glories, which is first mentioned in Vedas and later propounded by Alwars in Prabhandams and Sri Vaishnavaite Acharyas in various commentaries

 

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple and Vishnu, Lakshmi is mentioned in Tamil works of literature of the Sangam era, including the epic Silapadikaram (book 11, lines 35–40):

 

āyiram viritteḻu talaiyuṭai aruntiṟaṟ

 

pāyaṟ paḷḷip palartoḻu tētta viritiraik kāviri viyaṉperu turuttit tiruvamar mārpaṉ kiṭanta vaṇṇamum

 

On a magnificent cot having a thousand heads spread out, worshipped and praised by many, in an islet surrounded by Kaveri with bellowing waves, is the lying posture of the one who has Lakshmi sitting in his chest.

 

THEOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES

The actual number of Vishnu's auspicious qualities is countless, although his six most-important "divine glories" are:

 

Jnana (Omniscience); defined as the power to know about all beings simultaneously;

Aishvarya (Sovereignty), derived from the word Ishvara which means unchallenged rule over all;

Shakti (Power or Energy), the capacity to make the impossible possible;

Bala (Strength), the capacity to support everything by will and without any fatigue;

Virya (Vigour), the power to retain immateriality as the Supreme Spirit or Being in spite of being the material cause of mutable creations;

Tejas (Splendor), which expresses self-sufficiency and the capacity to overpower everything by spiritual effulgence.

 

Other important qualities attributed to Vishnu are Gambhirya (inestimatable grandeur), Audarya (generosity), and Karunya (compassion). Natya Shastra lists Vishnu as the presiding deity of the Sṛngara rasa.

 

The Rigveda says: Vishnu can travel in three strides. The first stride is the Earth. The second stride is the visible sky. The third stride cannot be seen by men and is the heaven where the gods and the righteous dead live. (This feature of three strides also appears in the story of his avatar Vamana/Trivikrama.) The Sanskrit for "to stride" is the root kram; its reduplicated perfect is chakram (guņa grade) or chakra (zero-grade), and in the Rigveda he is called by epithets such as vi-chakra-māņas = "he who has made 3 strides". The Sanskrit word chakra also means "wheel". That may have suggested the idea of Vishnu carrying a chakra.

 

FIVE FORMS

In Shree Vaishnavism, another school dating from around the 10th century AD, Vishnu assumes five forms:

 

In the Para Form, Para is the highest form of Vishnu found only in Sri Vaikunta also called Moksha, along with his consort Lakshmi, (and Bhumi Devi and Nila devi, avatars of Lakshmi) and surrounded by liberated souls like Ananta, Garuda, and a host of Muktas (liberated souls).

In the Vyuha form, Vishnu assumes four forms, which exercise different cosmic functions and controls activities of living beings.

In the Vibhava form, Vishnu assumes various manifestations, called Vibhavas, more popularly known as Avataras from time to time, to protect the virtuous, punish evil-doers and re-establish righteousness.

In the Antaryami; "Dwelling within" or "Suksma Vasudeva" form, Vishnu exists within the souls of all living beings and in every substance.

In the Arcavatara or Image manifestation, Vishnu is visible and therefore easily approachable by devotees since Para, Vyuha, Vibhava and Antaryami forms can only be imagined or meditated upon because they are beyond our reach. Such images can be

Revealed by Vishnu, for example, a self-manifested (Swayambhu) icon (murti), e.g. The Mahavishnu Temple at Tirunelli, The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, The Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple, etc.; or

Installed by Devas or celestial beings such as such as Guruvayur Temple installed by Vayu; or

Installed by humans, and consecrated according to Vaishnava Agama shastras or scriptures such as Lord Jagannatha of Jagannath Temple (Puri) at Puri.

 

RELATIONS WITH OTHER DEITIES

 

SHIVA

The three gods of the Trimurti clan are inseparable and in harmony in view of their common vision and universal good. They are perfectly ideal in all respects.

 

Both Asuras and Devas played supportive roles in this story by keeping company with Vishnu in his incarnated forms. Hanuman is a vanara who is completely dedicated to Rama. He gives Vishnu company and obeys his command, while playing an important part in Rama's life. He is regarded in Vaishnava canon because it is through blessings that Hanuman is born. Thus, Hanuman, Vishnu's constant companion, with his idol appearing temples of Rama, Krishna and Narasimha, i.e. all of Vishnu's avatars, is considered by Vaishnavas.

 

Syncretic forces produced stories in which the two deities were shown in cooperative relationships and combined forms. Harihara is the name of a combined deity form of both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). This dual form, which is also called Harirudra, is mentioned in the Mahabharata.

 

LAKSHMI

Vishnu's consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth (also known as Maya). The Samvit (the primary intelligence/dark matter) of the universe is Vishnu, while the other five attributes emerge from this samvit and hence Maya or dark energy of the universe is Lakshmee is his ahamata, activity, or Vishnu's Power. This power of God, Maya or Shakti, is personified and has multiple names: Shree, Lakshmi, Maya, Vishnumaya or Mahamaya. She is said to manifest as Kriyashakti, (Creative Activity) and Bhutishakti (Creation). This world requires Vishnu's creativity. He therefore needs Lakshmi to always be with Him. Her various avatars as Lord Vishnu's consorts are Varahavatar (Bhoodevi) or Bhoomi, Ramavatar Seeta, Krishnavatar Rukmini)

 

SARASWATI & GANGA

According to Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Lord Vishnu had three wives Lakshmi, Saraswati and Ganga. Due to their constant quarrelsome nature among them. Once Ganga tried to be close with Vishnu, this rebuked Saraswati but Lakshmi tried to pacify them but faced a curse rather. As per the curse, Lakshmi to appear as Tulasi. Sarawati cursed Ganga to run as a river in the world and Saraswati was cursed to run as a river in the netherworld. After this, Lord Vishnu transformed and became Brahma and Shiva to pacify Saraswati and Ganga.

 

GARUDA

Vishnu's mount (Vahana) is Garuda, the eagle. Vishnu is commonly depicted as riding on his shoulders.

 

ICONOGRAPHY

According to various Puranas, Vishnu is the ultimate omnipresent reality and is shapeless and omnipresent. However, a strict iconography governs his representation, whether in pictures, icons, or idols:

 

He has four arms and is male: The four arms indicate his all-powerful and all-pervasive nature. His physical existence is represented by the two arms in the front, while the two arms at the back represent his presence in the spiritual world. The Upanishad Gopal Uttartapani describes the four arms.

The Shreevatsa mark is on his chest, symbolizing his consort Lakshmi.

He wears the auspicious "Kaustubha" jewel around his neck and a garland of vaijayanti flowers (Vanamala). Lakshmi dwells in this jewel, on Vishnu's chest.

A crown adorns his head: The crown symbolizes his supreme authority. This crown sometimes includes a peacock feather, borrowing from his Krishna-avatar.

He wears two earrings: The earrings represent inherent opposites in creation — knowledge and ignorance; happiness and unhappiness; pleasure and pain.

He rests on Ananta, the immortal and infinite snake.

 

Vishnu is always to be depicted holding four attributes:

 

A conch shell or Shankha, named Panchajanya, is held by the upper left hand. It represents Vishnu's power to create and maintain the universe. Panchajanya represents the five elements or Panchabhoota – water, fire, air, earth and sky or space. It also represents the five airs or Pranas that are within the body and mind. The conch symbolizes that Vishnu is the primeval Divine sound of creation and continuity. It also represented as Om. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna avatara states that of sound vibrations, 'He is Om'.

The Chakra, a sharp, spinning, discus-like weapon, named "Sudarshana", is held by the upper right hand. It symbolizes the purified spiritualized mind. The name Sudarshana is derived from two words – Su, which means good, superior, and Darshana, which means vision or sight; together. The Chakra represents destruction of ego in the awakening and realization of the soul's original nature and god, burning away spiritual ignorance and illusion, and developing higher spiritual vision and insight to realize god.

A mace or Gada, named "Kaumodaki", is held by the lower right hand. It symbolizes that Vishnu's divine power is the source of all spiritual, mental and physical strength. It also signifies Vishnu's power to destroy materialistic or demonic tendencies (Anarthas) that prevent people from reaching god. Vishnu's mace is the power of the Divine within us to spiritually purify and uplift us from our materialistic bonds.

A lotus flower or Padma is held by the lower left hand. It represents spiritual liberation, Divine perfection, purity and the unfolding of Spiritual consciousness within the individual. The lotus opening its petals in the light of the Sun is indicative of the expansion and awakening of our long dormant, original spiritual consciousness in the light of god. The lotus symbolizes that god is the power and source from which the universe and the individual soul emerges. It also represents Divine Truth or Satya, the originator of the rules of conduct or Dharma, and Divine Vedic knowledge or Jnana. The lotus also symbolizes that Vishnu is the embodiment of spiritual perfection and purity and that He is the wellspring of these qualities and that the individual soul must seek to awaken these intrinsic Divine qualities from Vishnu by surrendering to and linking with Him.

 

To this may be added, conventionally, the vanamaala flower garland, Vishnu's bow (Shaarnga/Kodand) and his sword Nandaka. A verse of the Vishnu Sahasranama stotram states;vanamālī gadhī shārngī shanki chakri cha nandaki / shrīmān nārāyaņo vişņo vāsudevo abhirakşatu//; translation: Protect us Oh Lord Narayana who wears the forest garland,who has the mace, conch, sword and the wheel. And who is called Vishnu and the Vasudeva.

 

In general, Vishnu's body is depicted in one of the following three ways:

 

Standing on a lotus flower, often with Lakshmi, his consort, beside him on a similar pedestal.

Reclining on the coiled-up thousand-hooded Shesha Naga, with Lakshmi seated at his feet; the assemblage rests on the "Kshira Sagar" (ocean of milk). In this representation, Brahma is depicted as sitting on a lotus that grows out of Vishnu's navel.

Riding on the back of his eagle mount, known as Garuda. Another name for Garuda is "Veda atma"; Soul of the Vedas. The flapping of his wings symbolizes the power of the Divine Truth of Vedic wisdom. Also the eagle represents the soul. Garuda carrying Vishnu symbolizes the soul or jiva atma carrying the Super soul or Param atma within it.

 

AVATARS

Ten avatars (dashavatara) of Vishnu are the most prominent: Apart from the most prominent incarnations there are believed to more.

 

The most commonly believed incarnations of Vishnu are:

 

Matsya, the fish that kills Damanaka to save the vedas and also saves Manu from a great flood that submerges the entire Earth.

Kurma, the turtle that helps the Devas and Asuras churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality.

Varaha, the boar that rescues the Earth and kills Hiranyaksha.

Narasimha, the half-lion half human, who defeats the demon Hiranyakashipu.

Vamana, the dwarf that grows into a giant to save the world from King Bali.

Parashurama, "Rama of the battle axe", a sage who appeared in the Treta Yuga. He killed Kartavirya Arjuna's army and clan and then killed all the kshatriyas 21 times.

Rama, the prince and king of Ayodhya who killed the Demon King Raavan.

Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, who takes part in the Mahabharata epic. Krishna is worshipped as the Supreme Avatar of Vishnu (Supreme Personality of Godhead) in Gaudiya-Vaishnava philosophy.

Buddha, the ninth avatar of Vishnu.

Kalki, the tenth Avatar of Vishnu and said to be the harbinger of the end Kali Yuga. This avatar of Vishnu is yet to come.

 

Some versions of the above list include Hayagreeva among the Dashavataras while some include Buddha as ninth avatar of Vishnu. Another 22 avatars are given in Chapter 3, Canto 1 of the Bhagavata Purana, although it states that "the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water".

 

BEYOND HINDUISM

 

SIKHISM

Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhism mentions Vishnu, one verse goes:

 

The true Vaishnaav, the devotee of Vishnu, is the one with whom God is thoroughly pleased. He dwells apart from Maya. Performing good deeds, he does not seek rewards. Spotlessly pure is the religion of such a Vaishnaav; he has no desire for the fruits of his labors. He is absorbed in devotional worship and the singing of Kirtan, the songs of the Lords Glory. Within his mind and body, he meditates in remembrance on the Lord of the Universe. He is kind to all creatures. He holds fast to the Naam, and inspires others to chant it. O Nanak, such a Vaishnaav obtains the supreme status.

 

BUDDHISM

While some Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu, Buddhists in Sri Lanka venerate Vishnu as the custodian deity of Sri Lanka and protector of Buddhism. Lord Vishnu is also known as upulvan, or uthpala varna, meaning "Blue Lotus coloured". Some postulates that Uthpala varna was a local deity who later merged with Vishnu while another belief is that Uthpala Varna was an early form of Vishnu before he became a supreme deity in Puranic Hinduism. According to Chronicles "Mahawamsa", "Chulawamsa" and folklore in Sri Lanka, Buddha himself handed over the custodianship to Vishnu. Others believe that Buddha entrusted this task to Sakra(Indra) and Sakra delegated this task of custodianship to god Vishnu. In contrary to vedic Hinduism, in assimilation of Hindu god Vishnu into Sinhalese Buddhism, Vishnu becomes a mortal being and a Bodhisattva aspiring Buddhahood. Additionally, Vishnu is considered as the god of home and hearth representing mercy, goodness, order and stability. Many Buddhist and Hindu shrines are dedicated to Vishnu in Sri Lanka. In addition to specific Vishnu "Kovils" or "devalayas", all Buddhist temples necessarily house shrine rooms (Devalayas) closer to the main Buddhist shrine dedicated to Vishnu. John Holt in his groundbreaking study examines the assimilation, transformation, and subordination of the Hindu deity Vishnu within the contexts of Sri Lankan history and Sinhala Buddhist religious culture. He then explores the role and rationale of medieval Sinhala kings in assimilating Visnu into Sinhala Buddhism. According to Holt the veneration of Vishnu in Sri Lanka is evidence of a remarkable ability, over many centuries, to reiterate and reinvent culture as other ethnicities have been absorbed into their own. Though the Vishnu cult in Ceylon was formally endorsed by Kandyan kings in early 1700s, Holt states that vishnu images and shrines are among conspicuous ruins in the medieval capital Polonnaruwa. In Buddhist mythology, when Vishnu failed to traverse the universe in three steps, he was given the title "Ardha Vishnu (Half-Vishnu)" and when Vishnu banished demons from the Vaishali (Vishala)in India, he became "Mulu Vishnu or Whole Vishnu". The extreme significance of god Vishnu in Sinhala society is reflected in recitals of the traditional "Offerings to dwarfs and crossing the door frame (bahirwayanta dola pideem saha uluwahu peneema)" that starts with Sri Vishnu invocation.In the recitals,mentioning of the aspiring Buddhahood of Vishnu which is of prime importance to Buddhists and wishes for him to live five thousand and more years highlight the central role of Vishnu in the psyche of Sri Lankan Buddhists.

 

OTHERS

James Freeman Clarke, Richard Leviton, James Cowles Prichard, and others have noted the similarities between Vishnu and Ancient Egyptian God Horus.

 

During an excavation in an abandoned village of Russia in the Volga region, archaeologist Alexander Kozhevin excavated an ancient idol of Vishnu. The idol dates from between the 7th and 10th centuries. In the interview Kozhevin, stated that, "We may consider it incredible, but we have ground to assert that Middle-Volga region was the original land of Ancient Rus. This is a hypothesis, but a hypothesis, which requires thorough research"

 

THOUSAND NAMES OF VISHNU

Vishnu's many names and followers are collected in the Vishnu Sahasranama, (Vishnu's thousand names) from within the larger work Mahabharata. The character Bheeshma recites the names before Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, praising him (Vishnu) as the supreme god. These Sahasranama are regarded as the essence of all Vedas by followers of Vaishnavism, who believe sincere chanting of Vishnu Sahasranama results in spiritual well-being and a greater awareness of God.

 

The names are generally derived from the Anantakalyanagunas (meaning: infinite auspicious attributes).

 

According to the Siddhartha-samhita there are twenty-four forms of Lord Vishnu. The twenty-four forms are

 

Vasudeva

Sankarshana

Pradyumna

Anirudha

Keshava

Narayana

Madhava

Govinda

Vishnu

Madhusudana

Trivikrama

Vamana

Sridhara

Hrishikesha

Padmanabha

Damodara

Purushottama

Achyuta

Narasimha

Janardana

Hari

Krishna

Adhokshaja

 

Upulvan, Uthpala Varna - In Sri Lanka, Vishnu is also referred to as Upulvan ( Blue Lotus Coloured)

 

WIKIPEDIA

. . . the text is too long for one photo - the second part you find in: Rama - 8ddb

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Rama (/ˈrɑːmə/; Sanskrit: राम Rāma) also known as Raghava, is the seventh avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, and a king of Ayodhya. Rama is also the protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana, which narrates his idealistic ideas and his greatness. Rama is one of the many popular figures and deities in Hinduism, specifically Vaishnavism and Vaishnava religious scriptures in South and Southeast Asia. Along with Krishna, Rama is considered to be one of the most important avatars of Vishnu. In a few Rama-centric sects, he is considered the Supreme Being, rather than an avatar.

 

Born as the eldest son of Kausalya and Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya, Rama is referred to within Hinduism as Maryada Purushottama, literally the Perfect Man or Lord of Self-Control or Lord of Virtue. His wife Sita is considered by Hindus to be an avatar of Lakshmi and the embodiment of perfect womanhood.

 

Rama's life and journey is one of adherence to dharma despite harsh tests and obstacles and many pains of life and time. For the sake of his father's honour, Rama abandons his claim to Ayodhaya's throne to serve an exile of fourteen years in the forest. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana decide to join him, and all three spend the fourteen years in exile together. While in exile, Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, the Rakshasa monarch of Lanka. After a long and arduous search, Rama fights a colossal war against Ravana's armies. In a war of powerful and magical beings, greatly destructive weaponry and battles, Rama slays Ravana in battle and liberates his wife. Having completed his exile, Rama returns to be crowned king in Ayodhya and eventually becomes emperor, rules with happiness, peace, duty, prosperity and justice - a period known as Ram Rajya.

The legend of Rama is deeply influential and popular in the societies of the Indian subcontinent and across South East Asia. Rama is revered for his unending compassion, courage and devotion to religious values and duty.

 

ETYMOLOGY

The name Rama appears repeatedly in Hindu scriptures. Besides the name of the protagonist of the Ramayana (subject of the current article), the name is also given to other heroes including Parashu-Rama (Bhargava Rama) and Balarama (Bala-Rama).

 

In the Vishnu sahasranama, Rama is the 394th name of Vishnu. In the interpretation of Adi Shankara's commentary, translated by Swami Tapasyananda of the Ramakrishna Mission, Rama has two meanings: the supreme Brahman who is the eternally blissful spiritual Self in whom yogis delight, or the One (i.e., Vishnu) who out of His own will assumed the enchanting form of Rama, the son of Dasaratha.

 

Other names of Rama include Ramavijaya (Javanese), Phreah Ream (Khmer), Phra Ram (Lao and Thai), Megat Seri Rama (Malay), Raja Bantugan (Maranao) and Ramar (Tamil).

 

The greatness of chanting of Rama's name is mentioned in the Ramacharitamanasa.

 

In Sanskrit, the word Rama (राम) means 'charming'. The name is commonly given to male in India and Nepal.

 

Some of the popular names of Rama are:

 

Rama - charming

Ramachandra - Rama with a moon Raghava - descendent of Raghu

Siyaavar - husband of Sita

Ayodhyapati - king of Ayodhya

Dashrathaputra - son of Dasharatha

Maryada-Purushottam - best ideal man

Shriram

Dashrathi - Son of King Dashrath

 

SOURCES

The primary source of the life and journey of Rama is the epic Ramayana as composed by the Rishi Valmiki. The Vishnu Purana also recounts Rama as Vishnu's seventh avatar, and in the Bhagavata Purana, ninth skandha, adhyayas 10 & 11, the story of the Ramayana is again recounted in brief up to and including the slaying of Ravana and Prince Rama's return to Ayodhya. Additionally, the tales of Rama are reverently spoken of in the Mahabharata. The earliest documentation of Ram is in the Buddhist text of Dasharatha Jataka.

 

Composition of Ramayana in its current form is usually dated to 7th - 4th Century BCE. However, other scriptures in Sanskrit also reflect the life of Ramayana. The followers of Madhvacharya believe that an older version of the Ramayana, the mula-Ramayana, previously existed. They consider it to have been more authoritative than the version by Valmiki. Another important shortened version of the epic in Sanskrit is the Adhyatma Ramayana. The seventh century CE Sanskrit "Bhatti's Poem" Bhaṭṭikāvya of Bhatti who lived in Gujarat, is a retelling of the epic that simultaneously illustrates the grammatical examples for Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī as well as the major figures of speech and the Prakrit language.

 

Versions of the Ramayana exist in most major Indian languages; examples that elaborate on the life, deeds and divine philosophies of Rama include the epic poem Ramavataram by the 12th-century poet Kambar in Tamil, and Ramcharitmanas, a Hindi version of the Ramayana by the 16th-century saint, Tulsidas. Contemporary versions of the Ramayana include Sri Ramayana Darshanam by Kuvempu in Kannada and Ramayana Kalpavruksham by Viswanatha Satyanarayana in Telugu, both of which have been awarded the Jnanpith Award. The epic has transformed across the diverse regions of India, which boast their own unique languages and cultural traditions.

 

The essential tale of Rama has also spread across Southeast Asia, and evolved into unique renditions of the epic – incorporating local history, folktales, religious values as well as unique features from the languages and literary discourse. The Kakawin Ramayana of Java, Indonesia, the Ramakavaca of Bali, Hikayat Seri Rama of Malaysia, Maradia Lawana of the Philippines, Ramakien of Thailand (which calls him Phra Ram) are great works with many unique characteristics and differences in accounts and portrayals of the legend of Rama. The legends of Rama are witnessed in elaborate illustration at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in Bangkok. The national epic of Myanmar, Yama Zatdaw is essentially the Burmese Ramayana, where Rama is named Yama. In the Reamker of Cambodia, Rama is known as Preah Ream. In the Phra Lak Phra Lam of Laos, Gautama Buddha is regarded as an incarnation of Rama.

 

The mythological sources propose that Rama was born about 1.2 million years ago, during the Treta Yuga, age that lasted 1,296,000 years and his birthday Rama Navami is celebrated in the month of April/May To the Valmiki Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhya, India, on 9th day (now celebrated across India as Ram Navami) of Chaitra lunar month (March–April), when Moon and Jupiter were rising in the east in Cancer sign and four other planets (Sun, Mars, Saturn, Venus) were exalted in their exaltation signs. Based on these star alignments, a few astrologers claimed to have calculated the exact date of birth of Lord Rama as 10 January 5114 BC between 12 noon and 1pm.

Childhood

 

BIRTH AS AN AVATAR

The Ramayana speaks of how the earth goddess Bhudevi, came to the creator-god Brahma begging to be rescued from evil kings who were plundering her resources and destroying life through bloody wars and evil conduct. The deva (gods) also came to Brahma fearful of the rule of Ravana, the ten-headed rakshasa emperor of Lanka. Ravana had overpowered the devas and now ruled the heavens, the earth and the netherworlds. Although a powerful and noble monarch, he was also arrogant, destructive and a patron of evil doers. He had boons that gave him immense strength and was invulnerable to all living and celestial beings, except man and animals.

 

Brahma, Bhumidevi and the other gods requested Vishnu, the Preserver, to intervene and free the Earth from Ravana's tyrannical rule. Vishnu promised to kill Ravana by incarnating as a man – the eldest son of Kosala's king Dasharatha. According to the Ramayana, king Dasharata remained childless for a long time and finally decided to perform a putrakameshti yaga under the supervision of the royal priest. During the ritual, Prajapati arose from the sacrificial fire and gave a vessel of sacred potion to Dasharata for distribution to his three wives. The three queens drank the divine potion and conceived four sons: Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

Goddess Lakshmi took birth as Sita in order to accompany her consort Vishnu and was found by king Janaka of Mithila while he was ploughing a field. Vishnu's eternal companion, the Shesha is said to have incarnated as Lakshmana to stay at his Lord's side on earth. Throughout his life, no one, except a few select sages (among which are included Vasishta, Sharabhanga, Agastya and Vishwamitra) know of his destiny. Rama is continually revered by the many sages he encounters through his life, but only the most learned and exalted know of his true identity. At the end of the war between Rama and Ravana, just as Sita passes her Agni pariskha, Brahma, Indra and the gods, the celestial sages and Shiva appear out of the sky. They affirm Sita's purity and ask him to end this terrible test. Thanking the avatar for delivering the universe from the grips of evil, they reveal Rama's divine identity upon the culmination of his mission.

 

Other scriptures provide other reasons for the avatar. The chastity of Vrinda, wife of the demon Jalandhara, that protects the life of her husband is destroyed by Vishnu by deceit so that Shiva can slay the demon. She curses Vishnu to be born on earth and that in this birth of his, his wife's (Lakshmi as Sita) purity and chastity will be a question in his mind throughout his life and he will be separated from her and live with sadness and grief.

 

Another legend narrates that Jaya and Vijaya, the gatekeepers of Vishnu, were cursed by the Four Kumaras to be born on earth three lives; Vishnu took avatars each time to free them of their earthy existence. They as born as Ravana and his brother Kumbhakarna, who are both killed by Rama. Also, due to a boon, Kashyapa and Aditi are born as the parents of Rama, Dasharatha and Kausalya. In another version, Svayambhuva Manu and his wife Satarupa are blessed to be born as Rama's parents.

 

Another tale says that the sage Narada cursed Vishnu to be born on earth as a king, to be helped by monkeys and suffer separation from his wife. Narada also curses Jaya and Vijaya to be born as the demon brothers.

 

INITIATION OF THE AVATAR

Sage Vishwamitra takes the two princes, Rama and Lakshmana, to his ashram, as he needs Rama's help in slaying several Rakshasas that have been harassing him and several other sages living in the area. Rama's first encounter is with a Rakshasi named Taataka, who is a celestial nymph cursed to take the form of a demoness. Vishwamitra explains that she has polluted much of the habitat where the sages reside and there will not be any contentment until she is destroyed. Rama has some reservations about killing a woman, but since Taataka poses such a big threat to the Rishis and he is expected to follow their word, he fights with Taataka and kills her with an arrow. After her death, the surrounding forest becomes greener and cleaner. Vishwamitra presents Rama with several astras and sastras (divine weapons) that will be of use to him in the future, and Rama masters the knowledge of all the weapons and their uses. Vishwamitra then tells Rama and Lakshmana that soon, he along with some of his disciples, will perform a yagna for seven days and nights that will be of great benefit to the world, and the two princes must keep close watch for the two sons of Taadaka, Mareecha and Subahu, who will try to defile the yagna at all costs. The princes therefore keep a strong vigil for all of the days, and on the seventh day they spot Maricha and Subahu coming with a whole host of Raakshasas ready to pour bones and blood into the fire. Rama points his bow at the two, and with one arrow kills Subahu, and with the other arrow flings Mareecha thousands of miles away into the ocean. Rama deals with the rest of the demons. The yagna is completed successfully

 

Rama also frees Ahalya, the wife of Gautama Maharishi, from a curse. She was cursed to turn into stone by her husband after a displeasing incident. However, the dust on Rama's feet touched the stone and turned it back into a woman again. Gautama Maharishi was gratified that everything was back to normal again.

 

Sage Vishwamitra then takes the two princes to the Swayamvara a wedding ceremony for Sita. The challenge is to string the bow of Shiva (Pinaka) and shoot an arrow from it. This task is considered impossible for any ordinary king or living being, as this is the personal weapon of Shiva, more powerful, holy and of divine creation than conceivable. While attempting to string the bow, Rama breaks it in two. This feat of strength spreads his fame across the worlds and seals his marriage to Sita, celebrated as Vivaha Panchami.

After Rama weds Sita and the entire royal family and the Ayodhya army begin their journey back, the great rishi Parashurama (Bhargava Rama) appears before them, having descended from his mountainous hermitage. Parashurama is an extremely powerful rishi, responsible for killing all of the world's tyrannical and oppressive emperors and kings 21 times. He is the sixth Avatara of Vishnu, and finds it unbelievable that anybody could break the bow of Shiva. Considering himself to still be the most powerful warrior-rishi on earth, he brings with them the bow of Vishnu (Saranga), and intends to challenge Rama to prove his strength by stringing it, and then fighting a battle with him to prove superiority. Although the entire Ayodhya army is forestalled by his mystical power, Rama is himself angered. He respectfully bows to Parashurama, and within a twinkling of an eyelid snatches the bow of Vishnu, (that is his own, an example of irony here) strings it, places an arrow and points it straight at the challenger's heart. Rama asks Parashurama what he will give as a target to the arrow. At this point, Parashurama feels himself devoid of the tremendous mystical energy he possessed for so long. He realizes that Rama is Vishnu incarnate, his successor and definitely his superior. He accepts Rama's superiority, devotes his tapasya to him, pays homage to Rama and promises to return to his hermitage and leave the world of men.Rama then shoots the arrow up into the sky with Vishnu's bow, performing a feat true to his supreme, divine nature with his natural weapon. His overpowering of Parashurama and using the supreme weapon with incredible ease and perfection dazzle the spectators and his relatives, but no one save Parashurama and Vasishta associate this with his true identity. It is said that the Rama's arrow is still flying across space, across time and across all of the universe. The day it will return to earth, it is said, it will bring the end of the world. Others say that the flying arrow destroys all evil on earth to uphold dharma and righteousness.

 

DHARMA OF EXILE

King Dasaratha announces to Ayodhya that he plans to crown Rama, his eldest child the Yuvaraja (crown prince). While the news is welcomed by everyone in the kingdom, the mind of queen Kaikeyi is poisoned by her wicked maid-servant, Manthara. Kaikeyi, who is initially pleased for Rama, is made to fear for the safety and future of her son Bharata. Fearing that Rama would ignore or possibly victimize his younger brother for the sake of power, Kaikeyi demands that Dasaratha banish Rama to a forest exile for fourteen years, and that Bharata be crowned in Rama's place. She had been granted two boons by the king when she had saved his life a long time ago in battle, and the queen now used them to serve her purpose. The king's court and the people are outraged at this turn of events. Dasaratha loved and cherished Rama dearly, and is in personal turmoil. Completely estranged now from his younger wife, he abhors the prospect of separation from Rama. But Rama realizes that the king must not break a solemn promise at any time, and neither should a son disobey his father's command. Sita joins her husband in exile despite his discouraging her, as it is her duty and out of love for Rama that she must be at his side at all times. His younger brother Lakshmana also immediately decides to join Rama rather than remain in the city. As he leaves for exile, the people of Ayodhya are deeply saddened and angered at Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha's heart is broken and he collapses and dies during the night of the sixth day, unable to bear the agony of separation from Rama. Despite the reasoning of Vashistha and the pleas of his brothers, Rama refuses to return. Although horrified at the news of his father's death, Rama finds it impossible that he should break his dead father's word. Rama does not bear any anger towards Kaikeyi, believing firmly in the power of destiny. According to the explanation of the classic, this exile actually presents Rama the opportunity to confront Ravana and his evil empire.

 

RAMA AND SITA

Rama and Sita are the protagonists in one of the most famous[peacock term] love stories of all time. Described as being deeply in love, Sita and Rama are theologically understood as Incarnations of Lakshmi and Vishnu respectively. When Rama is banished from the kingdom, he attempts to convince Sita not to join him in a potentially dangerous and certainly arduous existence in the jungle, but Sita rejects this. When Rama orders her in his capacity as husband, Sita rejects it, asserting that it was an essential duty of a wife to be at her husband's side come good or ill. Rama in turn is assiduously protective and caring for Sita throughout the exile.

 

When Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, both Sita and Rama undergo great personal hardships during their separation. Sita protects her chastity assiduously, and survives over a year in captivity on the strength of her love and attention to religious values and duty. She is completely unfettered in her resolve despite Ravana's courting, cajoling and threats. Meanwhile, Rama, not knowing who had kidnapped Sita or where was she taken, often succumbs to despair and tears, denouncing himself for failing to defend her and agonizing over her safety and pain. Sita knows that it is in Rama's destiny to fight to rescue her (she refuses to be rescued thus by Hanuman, who discovers her), but is deeply anxious for his safety and fearful of Ravana's power.

 

The 'Wedding of Rama and Sita' concerns two entities coming together to form a whole. An Indian marriage forges an alliance not only between two people, but also two families. The marriage of Sita and Rama creates an alliance between two people, two families, and two kingdoms: Mithila, home of Sita, and Kosala, home of Rama. Furthermore, Rama's marriage to Sita on earth parallels the celestial union of Vishnu and Lakshmi; each deity took birth on earth, and so when Rama marries Sita, he is actually reuniting with his divine consort Lakshmi, Goddess of Good Fortune, who brings prosperity to Kosala. At an allegorical level, the union of Rama and Sita represents the relationship between God and the devotee, with Rama as the beloved divine king and Sita as his devotee. Finally, at a societal level, the dance drama brings together north and south Indian dance traditions.

 

AGNI PARIKSHA

Lord Rama sent a messenger to Ravana that said, "Come to me and I will forgive you," before he slays Ravana. After Rama slays Ravana and wins the war, Sita wants to come before him in the state which over a year's imprisonment had reduced her to, but Rama arranges for Sita to be bathed and given beautiful garments before they are re-united. But even as Sita comes before him in great excitement and happiness,the society starts doubting Sita's purity so Rama decided to prove that his Sita is still pure and chaste in front of the society, so he tells her that she has to give Agni pariksha. At this sudden turn of events, all the vanaras, rakshasas, Sugriva, Hanuman and Lakshmana are deeply shocked.

Sita begs Lakshmana to build her a pyre upon which she could end her life, as she could not live without Rama. At this point, Lakshmana is angered at Rama for the first time in his life, but following Rama's nod, he builds a pyre for Sita. At the great shock and sorrow of the watchers, Sita sits into the flames. But to their astonishment and wonder, she is completely unharmed. Instead, she glows radiantly from the centre of the pyre. But the gods headed by Brahma and Shiva appear, reveal Rama's and Sita's true identity and requests that Rama take Sita back as she is truly pure. Rama replies that he had never doubted her purity for a second, but, the people of the world would not have accepted or honoured her as a queen or a woman if she had not passed this Agni pariksha before the eyes of hundreds. Agni would destroy the impure and sinful, but not touch the pure and innocent, irrespective of Parvati's/Adishakti's curse on him. There is a version of Tulsidas's Ramacharitamanasa, which is popular, which states that Rama had Sita under the protection of Agni God. After Sita was released it was necessary to bring her out of security of Agni god.[50] This finds echo in the sthala purana of Tirupathi. Another version of this, used in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, was that Rama had known Sita was going to be abducted by Ravana ahead of time. So he entrusted her to Agni, the god of fire. Rama did this so that he, who in reality was Vishnu, could kill Ravana. Sita, in turn, left behind a "shadow", or twin-like version of herself behind. The "shadow" Sita had been abducted by Ravana. Therefore, the lila of Agni Pariksha was to retrieve the genuine Sita from the temporary care of Agni Deva. Rama explains this to Lakshmana before the "Pariksha" is done. This version has also been written in the Ram Charit Manas.

 

SITAS´S EXILE

In the Uttara Kanda, Rama banishes his wife Sita, even as she is pregnant, asking Lakshmana to deliver her safely to the forest. He does so after receiving word that some of his subjects in Ayodhya believed that Sita was unfit due to her long captivity in Ravana's city. As a king is expected to uphold moral principles, Rama reluctantly banished Sita in order to uphold his duty. Sita took refuge under the noble sage Valmiki.

 

A legend by Rishi Agastya in the epic states that Vishnu in a previous age had been cursed by Rishi Bhrigu, whose wife had been killed by Vishnu for sheltering his enemies escaping from battle. The Rishi condemns Vishnu to be denied for a long age the companionship of his soul mate, just as Vishnu, had deprived the Rishi of his loving wife. Thus Rama, Vishnu's incarnation, must live the rest of his life without Sita.

 

Many Hindus, such as the followers of Sri Vaishnavism, consider this entire section of the Ramayana to be interpolated, and thus they do not accept the authenticity of this story claiming that Sita was banished. An alternate narration of Ramayana does not state it so. It says that Sita later lived in her father's kingdom of Mithila with her sons Lava and Kusha as per the North Indian (especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) custom that children be brought up in their nanihal, or maternal grandmother's place. Sita and her sons later live in Valmiki's ashram for the boys' education and military training. As per Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, both the princes grew extremely intelligent and strong under Rishi Valmiki's tutelage.

 

CHILDREN

According to legend, Kusha and Lava are the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita. Born in the forest after the banishment of Sita from Ayodhya, the twins were educated and trained in military skills as their mother took refuge in Sage Valmiki's ashram, located in a forest on the banks of the River Tamsa.

 

As Rama performed the Ashvamedha Yajna, a horse strayed into their forest, Rama sent Hanuman to retrieve the horses. Rama's sons Luv and Kush captured the horses. Hanuman, seeing Luv and Kush recognised that they were the son's of Rama. He let them capture him and tie him up. There Hanuman started meditating on the name Rama. Worried Rama sent his brothers to look for the horses. As they saw Hanuman tied up and two boys guarding him, they thought that the two boy had stolen the horses. So Ramas brothers started attacking Luv and Kush. Although Rama's brothers should have won, but Luv and Kush defeated them all, knocking them unconscious. Luv and Kush were protected by Hanuman. Then Rama himself went looking for the horses fearing that Hanuman and his brothers had been attacked. On his way there, Rama intuitively knew that Luv and Kush were his sons and purposely slept on his chariot to delay tension and confrontation with his sons as he knew it would be inappropriate for a father to fight his sons. Upon reaching the battlefield, the sage Valmiki interrupted the potential battle between father and sons by explaining to Rama that Luv and Kush were his sons. A familial reunion took place.

 

When Devi Sita found out that Lava and Kusha had defeated Ayodhya's forces, she proudly revealed their/her identity. Rama desired Sita and his sons to live with him in his kingdom but as this took place, the general population of the kingdom resented Sita from returning. In response, Sita forsaked her like and sought final refuge in the arms of her mother Bhumidevi, the Goddess Mother Earth and ultimately returned to Rama in the form of Vishnu in Vishnu's abode - indicating that forced separation from her beloved husband is only limited in life on earth compared to her eternal union with her beloved in life after death.

 

LATER LIFE

Rama's reign is known as the Rama Rajya which lasted for 11,000 years. During this period, people were healthy, holy, satisfied and lived with complete peace and harmony. There was no evil, no wars, no natural calamity and no diseases. Rama ruled the whole earth without using military force as all kings submitted themselves to him. His brothers Bharata and Shatrughna settled in their later lives. Bharata, with the help of his uncle Yudhajita, conquered the eastern land of the Gandharvas and ruled it. Shatrughna slew the Asura Lavana and founded the city of Mathura. Rama acquired a rare gem from Rishi Agastya which entombed the powers of the gods Indra, Varuna, Yama and Kubera, which helped the king rule efficiently. After his reign, Rama and his brothers and his allies peacefully left the earth on the river Sarayu abandoning their mortal bodies. Valmiki Ramayana mentions an abode named Santanaka invested with all spiritual qualities and located beyond Brahmaloka, which was attained by all followers of Rama, after Rama along with his brothers, entered into Vaishnava potency. Lava and Kusha ruled Kosala and continued the solar race.

 

MARYADA PURUSHOTTAMA

As a person, Rama personifies the characteristics of an ideal person (purushottama) who is to be emulated. He had within him all the desirable virtues that any individual would seek to aspire, and he fulfils all his moral obligations (maryada). Rama's purity and piety in his intentions and actions inspires affection and devotion for him from a variety of characters from different backgrounds. For example, he gave up his rightful claim to the throne, and agreed to go into exile for fourteen years, to fulfill the vow that his father had given to Kaikeyi, one of King Dashratha's wives. This is in spite of the fact that Kaikeyi's son, Bharat, begged him to return to Ayodhya and said that he did not want to rule in place of Rama. But Rama considered his dharma as a son above that of his own birthright and his life's ambition. For such supreme sacrifices, and many other qualities, Rama is considered a maryada purushottamor the best of upholders of Dharma, a basically human but exemplary figure Some of his ideals are as follows: 1. At the time when it was normal for kings to have more than one wife, Rama gave the ideal of having a single wife. In Balakanda of Valmiki Ramayana it is written that Rama and Sita resided in each other's heart.

 

2. Rama always followed his promise at any cost. In fact, he went to forest to make his father's promise to Kaikeyi true. Another instance was when, he had promised the Spirit of Time that during their conversation, if anyone was to intrude, Rama would have pronounce an instant death sentence upon the individual. They were intruded upon by his beloved younger brother Lakshmana, and to keep his part of the promise, pronounced the death sentence. There are many examples of Rama's promises which he kept. Most important are the promise to sages to save their lives from Rakshasas, getting back Sugreeva's kingdom, making Vibhishana the king of Lanka.

 

3. Excellent friend: Rama had very touching relations with his friends irrespective of their status. Some of his friends are Nishada-raja Guha, King of Nishaadas (a caste whose profession was hunting the birds), Sugreeva (the Vanara king) and Vibhishana a Rakshasa.

 

4. Even towards his enemies, Rama showed great nobility and virtue. To gather information about the enemy army's strengths and weaknesses, Ravana sent two of his spies, Suka and Sarana, to the Vanara camps. Disguised as Vanaras they blended into the enemy camp, but Vibhishana saw through their deceit. The duo sought Rama's protection when the monkey warriors thrashed them. Rama gave them refuge. He then asked them what their mission was and whether they fulfilled it. After listening to them, he sent for a Vanara to give them a proper tour of all the Vanara camps and give them all the information they desired about the major soldiers and their strengths. He then told the spies to give this message to Ravana. "Tomorrow morning, I will destroy all of Lanka. Keep all sides of your palace well defended and be ready with all of your men by sunrise." The spies were greatly astonished with Rama's charisma, courage, and adherence to the codes of war. After Rama gave them leave, they knew that their king was bound to lose against this virtuous and courageous man. When Ravana first fought with Rama, Rama defeated him to such an extent that Ravana lost his charioteer, horses, chariot, flag, weapons and armor. Though the situation was at his advantage, Rama instead praised Ravana for a great fight that day, and asked him to retire and take rest, as he must be quite tired. Ravana was greatly embarrassed at this, but he was also gratified that Rama saved his life, and this led him to consider for a moment whether to retreat and give Sita back...

 

COMPANIONS

Even as Rama is the ideal conception of manhood, he is often aided and complemented in different situations by the characteristics by those who accompany him. They serve Rama devotedly, at great personal risk and sacrifice.

 

BHARATA AND LAKSHMANA

Absent when Rama is exiled, upon his return Bharata is appalled to learn of the events. And even though Kaikeyi had done all this for his benefit, Bharata is angered at the suggestion that he should take Ayodhya's throne. Denouncing his mother, Bharata proclaims to the city that he would go to the forest to fetch Rama back, and would serve out his term of exile himself. Although initially resentful and suspicious, the people of Ayodhya hail Bharata's selfless nature and courageous act. Despite his fervent pleas to return, Rama asserts that he must stay in the forest to keep his father's word. He orders Bharata to perform his duty as king of Ayodhya, especially important after Dasaratha's death, and orders Shatrughna to support and serve him. Returning saddened to the city, Bharata refuses to wear the crown or sit on the throne. Instead, he places the slippers of Rama that he had taken back with him on the throne, and rules Ayodhya assiduously keeping Rama's beliefs and values in mind. When Rama finally returns, Bharata runs personally to welcome him back. Bharata is hailed for his devotion to his elder brother and dharma, distinguished from Lakshmana as he is left on his own for fourteen years. But he unfailingly denies self-interest throughout this time, ruling the kingdom only in Rama's name. Vasishtha proclaims that no one had better learnt dharma than Bharata, and for this piety he forms an essential part of the conception of perfect manhood, of the Seventh Avatara of Vishnu. Shatrughna's role to Bharata is akin to that of Lakshmana to Rama. Believed to be one-quarter of Vishnu incarnated, or as the incarnation of his eternal companion, Ananta Sesha, Lakshmana is always at Rama's side. Although unconstrained by Dasaratha's promise to Kaikeyi, Lakshmana resists Rama's arguments and accompanies him and Sita into the forest. During the years of exile, Lakshmana constantly serves Rama and Sita – building huts, standing guard and finding new routes. When Sita is kidnapped, Rama blazes with his divine power and in his immense rage, expresses the desire to destroy all creation. Lakshmana prays and pleads for Rama to calm himself, and despite the shock of the moment and the promise of travails to come, begin an arduous but systematic search for Sita. During times when the search is proving fruitless and Rama fears for Sita, and expresses despair in his grief and loneliness, Lakshmana encourages him, providing hope and solace.When Rama in his despair fears that Sugriva has forgotten his promise to help him trace Sita, Lakshmana goes to Kishkindha to remind the complacent monarch of his promise to help. Lakshmana twangs the bow inside the hall quaking the entire building and threatens to destroy Sugriva and the monkey kingdom with his own divine power. Lakshmana is unable to tolerate Sugriva breaking his vow to Rama while enjoying material and sensual pleasures while Rama suffers alone. It is only through the diplomatic intervention of Queen Tara, Sugriva's wife, that Lakshmana is pacified. Tara then scolds and galvanises Sugriva into honoring his promise to Rama. Sugriva and Rama are then reconciled with the help of Lakshmana and Tara. Sugriva sends the monkey hoards to find the location of Sita and lead the monkey army into battle against the demonic forces of Ravana.Lakshmana is uniquely responsible for slaying Indrajit, the invincible son of Ravana who had humiliated Indra and the devas, and outwitted the brothers and the Vanaras on several occasions. Rishi Agastya later points out that this victory was the turning point of the conflict. Rama is often overcome with emotion and deep affection for Lakshmana, acknowledging how important and crucial Lakshmana's love and support was for him. He also trusts Lakshmana to carry out difficult orders – Lakshmana was asked to take Sita to the ashrama of Valmiki, where she was to spend her exile. Lakshmana's deep love for Rama, his unconditional service and sacrifice, as well as qualities of practical judgment and clear-headedness make him Rama's superior in certain situations and perspectives. Lakshmana symbolizes a man's duty to his family, brothers and friends, and forms an essential part of the conception of ideal manhood, that Rama primarily embodies.

 

JATAYU, HANUMAN AND VIBHEESHNA

When Rama and Lakshmana begin the desperate search to discover where Sita had been taken, after traversing a distance in many directions, they come across the magical eagle Jatayu, who is dying. They discover from Jatayu that a rakshasa was flying away with a crying, struggling Sita towards the south. Jatayu had flown to the rescue of Sita, but owing to his age and the rakshasa's power, had been defeated. With this, Jatayu dies in Rama's arms. Rama is overcome with love and affection for the bird which sacrificed its own life for Sita, and the rage of his death returns to him in the climactic battle with Ravana.Rama's only allies in the struggle to find Sita are the Vanaras of Kishkindha. Finding a terrified Sugriva being hunted by his own brother, king Vali, Rama promises to kill Vali and free Sugriva of the terror and the unjust charge of plotting to murder Vali. The two swear everlasting friendship over sacred fire. Rama's natural piety and compassion, his sense of justice and duty, as well as his courage despite great personal suffering after Sita's kidnapping inspire devotion from the Vanaras and Sugriva, but especially Hanuman, Sugriva's minister. Devoted to Rama, Hanuman exerts himself greatly over the search for Sita. He is the first to discover that Sita was taken to Lanka, and volunteers to use his divine gifts in a dangerous reconnaissance of Lanka, where he is to verify Sita's presence. Hanuman hands Rama's ring to Sita, as a mark of Rama's love and his imminent intention of rescuing her. Though captured, he candidly delivers Rama's message to Ravana to immediately release Sita, and when his tail is burned, he flies and sets Lanka on fire. When Lakshmana is struck down and near death and Rama overcome with love and concern for his brother, Hanuman flies to the Himalayas on the urgent mission to fetch the sanjeevani medicinal herbs, bringing the entire mountain to Lanka so that no time is lost in saving Lakshmana. The Vanaras fight the rakshasas, completely devoted to Rama's cause. They angrily dismiss Ravana's efforts to create international divisions within their army when he suggested that Rama considered them, monkeys, as mere animals. At the end of the war, Indra restores life to the millions of fallen Vanaras.Before the onset of war, rakshasa prince Vibheeshana, Ravana's youngest brother comes to join Rama. Although he loves his brother and Lanka, he fails in repeated efforts to make Ravana follow religious values and return Sita. Vibheeshana believes that Ravana's arrogance and callousness will cause the destruction of Lanka, which is a gross violation of a king's duty, and that Ravana's actions have only propagated evil. Vibheeshana refuses to defend the evil of Ravana's ways and inspired by Rama's compassion and piety, leaves Lanka to join the Vanara Army. His knowledge of rakshasa ways and Ravana's mind help Rama and the Vanaras overcome black magic and mystical weapons. At the end of the war, Rama crowns Vibheeshana as the king of Lanka. Vibheeshana, and to a greater extent Hanuman, embody the perfect devotee in the wider conception of perfect manhood.

 

RAMA IN WAR

When Rama is thirteen years old, he and his brother Lakshmana are taken by Vishwamitra to the forests, with the purpose of killing rakshasas who are wrecking the tapasya and sacrifices of brahmins. When asked to slay the demoness, Rama demurs, considering it sinful to kill a woman. But Vishwamitra explains that evil has no gender. Rama replies that "My father asked me to follow your orders, I will obey them even if it is a sin". Rama proceeds to slay Tadaka, a cursed yaksha demoness. The killing of Tadaka liberates the yaksha soul who was cursed for a sin, and had to adopt a rakshasi's body. It restores the purity of the sacrifices of the brahmins who live nearby, and protects the animals who live in the forest, and travelers. Rama and Lakshmana are taught the advanced military arts and given the knowledge of all celestial weapons by Vishwamitra. The main purpose of Vishwamitra's exursion is to conduct his yagna without interruption from two evil demons, Maricha and Subahu sons of Tadaka. Rama and Lakshmana guard the sacrifice, and when the two demons appear, Rama shoots an arrow named Manava Astra that carries Maricha across the lands and into the ocean, but does not kill him. Rama and his brother then proceed to kill Subahu and accompanying demons. Rama explains to Lakshmana that leaving Maricha alive was an act of compassion, but the others did not heed the point and chose to attack. During the forest exile, sages plead for protection and help against evil rakshasas who spoil their sacrifices and religious activities and terrorize them. Many rakshasas had even killed and eaten sages and innocent people. At Janasthana, Rama uses his exceptional prowess to single-handedly kill over fourteen thousand demon hordes led by the powerful Khara, who is a cousin of Ravana and Dushana . . .

____________________________

for further reading go to: Rama - 8ddb

Peter Paul Rubens / Die Krönung des Tugendhelden / 1613/1614 / The coronation of the virtuous hero

 

Alte Pinakothek

Munich ♦ München

acquired 1806 from the palatine Neuburg galleries in Dusseldorf

 

20190411_170025

Jan Hudson - The Virtuous Harlots

Playtime Books 644, 1963

Cover Artist: Robert Bonfils

 

"His wife's perverse bedroom demands drove him right into the arms of other women who gladly satisfied his pent-up passion. They made him feel like a man again... not a mere sexual outlet..."

Church out side Arundle

I applaud dedication SASC

Pictures of the newest Fashionistas--too many to do all, but these were the ones I found the most fascinating.

 

Not 100% sure, but I think these are Petite Kens--Can you call a man "petite?" Will he be "short" instead?

 

Please visit/like Papusile Mele's facebook page and check out the rest.

www.facebook.com/PapusileMele/?hc_ref=SEARCH

 

At this rate there will be too many dolls for my collection to handle--But I may end up being virtuous and not buy any of them because they are still non-jointed.

Heraldry on the tomb of Robert Sutton 2nd Baron Lexington 1662-1723 of Kelham Hall en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sutton,_2nd_Baron_Lexinton#/... sits back to back with wife Margaret Hungerford 1703

Robert was the son of Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexington and 3rd wife Mary daughter of Sir Anthony St. Leger & Bridget daughter of Sir Anthony Mayney of Linton

He was the owner of Averham and Kelham manors

He m 1691 Margaret heiress of Sir Giles Hungerford of Colston / Coulston Wilts by Margaret daughter of Sir Thomas Hampson

Children

1. Willilam George 1697-1713 (his body brought back here for burial concealed in a bale of cloth).

2. Cornelia Leonora Margaretta 1695-1715

3. Bridget 1699-1734 m 1717 John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland d1779 eldest son of John Manners, 2nd Duke & Catherine Russell : Great grandson of John Manners 8th Earle of Rutland 1679 flic.kr/p/JpwnWy & Baptist Noel, Lord Viscount Campden 1683 flic.kr/p/Kvkvnp

 

His heir was his grandson Lord Robert Manners-Sutton 1722–1762 who added the name of Sutton when he inherited his grandfather's estates, However he died unmarried and the estates passed to his next brother Lord George Manners 1723-1783 who also adopted the name Manners-Sutton and m Diana Chaplin d1767 only daughter of Thomas Chaplin of Blankney, by whom he had 9 children

 

monument in marble by William Palmer, dated 1726

 

"The family of the Suttons has flourished in this county from immemorial. In the year 1251 Roland Sutton married Alicia one of the sisters and coheirs of Robert Lord Lexington. From this marriage issued in the 14th degree in direct line, Robert Sutton who in regard to his descent on the paternal side from the house of Sutton, which had given earles to Warwick and Leicester, and lords to the baronly of Dudley, and the maternal side from one of the coheirs of Robert Lord Lexington, and like wise in consideration of his steady loyality to his prince was created Lord Lexington of Averham in the 21st of King Charles the lst, upon his death which fell out October 135h 1668. He was succeeded in honour and estate by his only son Robert Lord Lexington, here interred who dying without issue male left his estate to his only daughter Bridget, Duchess of Rutland for life, afterwards to he second son the Lord Robert Manners, on condition that he take the arms and name of Sutton.

Here lyeth the body of Robert Sutton, Lord Lexington. The worthy descendant of great and illustrious ancestors. Gracefull in person, polite in behaviour, of conversation amiable. Prompted youthfull ardor he betook himself to arms, and served with reputation. In his riper years his superior genius shone out in clearest judgement united with candor and good nature, he understood and apply'd himself to business.

His whole conduct uncorrupt not adulterated by pride, hence recommended himself to 2 succeeding princes, and under different administration. King William brought him near his own person by constituting him one of the Lords of his bedchambers, then called him into his most important counsels, and sent him in quality of his envoy extraordinary to the courts of Vienna, Hanover and Zell, in a very nice conjuncture of affairs.

Her late majesty Queen Anne equally convinced of his great ability's, in the 1711 sent him embassador to Spain, where he occupied his commission with his usual skill and success and had this happiness in the discharge of public character that he was in the highest esteem at the courts where he resided at the same time that he possessed the fullest confidence of the princes whom he served. By his negotiations, King Philip was prevail'd upon to renounce all claim to the succession of ye crown of France and treatys of peace and commerce were happily concluded between the british and Spanish monarchy's. During his residence at Madrid he had ye misfortune to lose he dear only son, a youth of greatest hopes and this together with an ill state of health determined him to retire to private life. But the serenity he here expected was interrupted by the death of his eldest daughter which had been irreparable to him. Had he not enjoyed the signal felicity of seeing his other surviving daughter married to John Duke of Rutland, and observing in her all the accomplishments a tender parent could, with joyn'd to the prospect of a numerous issue from this union. To preserve the names of Manners and Sutton, and perpetuate the virtues of those noble family's he departed September 19th 1723 and such was the captivating and rare sweetness of his manners and conversation that he lived without enemy's, he died regretted by all that know him, particularly by his daughter Bridget who in filial gratitude to the most indulgent and best father, hath erected this monument.

Within this vault is deposited the body of Margaret, Lady Lexington, the virtuous and only wife of Robert Lord Lexington. She was daughter and heir to Sir Giles Hungerford of Colston in the county of Wilts, a family illustrious in the times of the saxon government and therefore suteably united to the ancient house of Sutton. Such were the beautyes of her mind and person that as she lived esteemed and reverenc'd, her memory will continue ever dear to posterity. She dyed April 1703. William George Sutton born at Vienna September 25th 1697 died at Madrid August 15th 1712, Cornelia Leonora Margaretta Sutton born at Vienna November 4th 1695 dyed October 18th 1715. Children of Robert and Margaret, Lord and Lady Lexington are likewise here interred"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sutton,_2nd_Baron_Lexinton- Church of St. Wilfrid, Kelham Nottinghamshire

Edited in Prisma app with Cartoon

We made three separate edibles in an hour and a half on a weeknight, an endeavor the thought of which would ordinarily have slayed me before I began. Okay, one of them was just a condiment, but hey, even condiments take work.

 

Totally vegetarian, totally awesome.

 

Saag with Chickpeas

 

Ingredients:

 

12 oz baby spinach

oil (2-3 tablespoons)

2 heaping teaspoons gram flour (chickpea flour; you can also use regular flour or corn starch, but gram flour rocks so why would you?)

2 red onions, chopped

1 green chill, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 inches ginger, minced

2 tomatoes, sliced

1/4 tsp tumeric

3/4 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp salt

light cream, 1/2

1 can chickpeas

a touch of ghee (or butter)

 

Blanch the spinach for a minute or two in boiling water and transfer to an ice bath. Drain and blend until smooth.

 

Cook the gram flour in the oil until it becomes smooth and a nutty brown color -- several minutes. Then add the onions and fry the heck out of them. You want them to be golden brown, but if you've been frying for 15 minutes and they're not there yet, don't worry. Just move on.

 

Add the green chilli, garlic, and ginger, and cook for a couple more minutes. Then add the tomatoes, mix, cover the pan, and cook for a few minutes.

 

Next, add the spinach paste. Also add the dry spices (including salt) and the cream. Stir, simmer 10 minutes.

 

Add the chickpeas and cook until they're soft. Add the touch of ghee or butter just before serving.

 

Voila!

 

Spinach and Cauliflower Pakoras

 

Ingredients:

 

oil for deep frying

about 2 cups of baby spinach

1/2 a cauliflower or one whole small one, cut into finger-sized pieces

2 cups gram flour (see above)

1 small onion, diced small

1.5 cups water

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 and 1/4 tsp salt (the recipe calls for 2, but we found the batter a little too salty. Maybe 1.5 tsp would be good too.)

1 green chilli, diced fine

small bunch of cilantro, chopped fine

 

Put the gram flour in a mixing bowl and add water, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin, and salt. Whisk until it's smooth. Then add the onions, green chilli, and cilantro. Mix well.

 

Heat the oil. Dip the cauliflower pieces and individual spinach leaves, one by one, in the batter and transfer to the oil. Don't try to cook too many at once! Fry until golden brown and serve with cilantro chutney.

 

Cilantro Chutney

 

Blend 1 small bunch of cilantro, 1/2 a small onion, 1/2 a green chilli, the juice of half a lemon, 2-3 spoons of water, and 1/4 tsp of salt in a blender until smooth. That's it!

the ubiquitous dutch apple cake

 

several were consumed on this trip by the dutch dna ones - as in one per cafe stop - a sort of apple cake whistlestop tour

 

I managed to keep my sugar vices to hot choc, red wine, croissants and chocolate - I now wish I hadn't been so virtuous

Young Kushti practitioners are supposed to Brahmacharya is a vow to abstinent, a virtuous way of life. Over the years, subtle changes are being observed in the Brahmachari life of Kushti Pahalwans, like the appearance of cell phones, toothbrushes, music players and some other modern gadgets. Apart from their routine Kushti training, younger wrestlers like Chotu and Sushil go to school, play football and enjoy dancing to the tunes of current Bollywood songs.

Importance of Marriage in Islam

Allah has created men and women as company for one another, and so that they can procreate and live in peace and tranquillity according to the commandments of Allah and the directions of His Messenger. The Qur'an says:

 

And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts. Undoubtedly in these are signs for those who reflect. (30:21)

 

And Allah has made for you your mates of your own nature, and made for you, out of them, sons and daughters and grandchildren, and provided for you sustenance of the best. (16:72)

 

These verses of the Noble Qur'an clearly show that in contrast to other religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism etc. which consider celibacy or monasticism as a great virtue and a means of salvation, Islam considers marriage as one of the most virtuous and approved institutions. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) declared, "There is no monasticism in Islam." He further ordained,

 

"O you young men! Whoever is able to marry should marry, for that will help him to lower his gaze and guard his modesty." (Al-Bukhari)

 

Modesty was regarded as a great virtue by the Prophet. He said, "Modesty is part of faith." (Al-Bukhari)

 

The importance of the institution or marriage receives its greatest emphasis from the following hadith of the Prophet,

 

"Marriage is my sunna. Whosoever keeps away from it is not from me."

 

With these Qur'anic injunctions and the guidance from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in mind, we shall examine the institution of marriage in the Shari'ah.

 

The word zawaj is used in the Qur'an to signify a pair or a mate. But in common parlance it stands for marriage. Since the family is the nucleus of Islamic society, and marriage is the only way to bring families into existence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) insisted upon his followers entering into marriage The Shari'ah prescribes rules to regulate the functioning of the family so that both spouses can live together in love, security, and tranquillity. Marriage in Islam has aspects of both 'ibadah (worship) of Allah and mu'amalah (transactions between human beings).

 

In its 'ibadah aspect, marriage is an act pleasing to Allah because it is in accordance with his commandments that husband and wife love each other and help each other to make efforts to continue the human race and rear and nurse their children to become true servants of Allah.

 

In its mu'amalah aspect, marriage being a lawful response to the basic biological instinct to have sexual intercourse and to procreate children, the Shari'ah has prescribed detailed rules for translating this response into a living human institution reinforced by a whole framework of legally enforceable rights and duties, not only of the spouses, but also of their offspring.

 

These aspects are beautifully explained in a tradition of the Prophet. It is narrated by Anas that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

 

"When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half."

 

The Prophet considered marriage for a Muslim as half of his religion because it shields him from promiscuity, adultery, fornication, homosexuality etc., which ultimately lead to many other evils like slander, quarreling, homicide, loss of property and disintegration of the family. According to the Prophet (peace be upon him) the remaining half of the faith can be saved by taqwa.

  

Conditions of Marriage

Careful consideration of the Qur'anic injunctions and the traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly show that marriage is compulsory (wajib) for a man who has the means to easily pay the mahr (dowry) and to support a wife and children, and is healthy, and fears that if does not marry, he may be tempted to commit fornication (zina). It is also compulsory for a woman who has no other means of maintaining herself and who fears that her sexual urge may push her into fornication. But even for a person who has a strong will to control his sexual desire, who has no wish to have children, and who feels that marriage will keep him away from his devotion to Allah, it is commendable (mandub).

 

However, according to the Maliki school, under certain conditions it is obligatory (fard) for a Muslim to marry even if he is not in a position to earn his living:

 

* If he fears that by not marrying he will commit fornication (zina).

* If he is unable to fast to control his passions or his fasting does not help him to refrain from zina.

* Even if he is unable to find a slave girl or a destitute girl to marry.

 

However some jurists suggest that if a man cannot procure a lawful livelihood, he must not marry because if he marries without any hope of getting lawful bread, he may commit theft, and in order to avoid one evil (his passions) he may become the victim of another (theft).

 

The Hanafi school considers marriage as obligatory (fard) for a man:

 

* If he is sure that he will commit zina if he does not marry.

* If he cannot fast to control his passions or even if he can fast, his fast does not help him to control his passion.

* If he cannot get a slave-girl to marry.

* If he is able to pay the dowry (mahr) and to earn a lawful livelihood.

 

Marriage is forbidden (haram) to a man, according to the Hanafi school, if he does not possess the means to maintain his wife and children or if he suffers from an illness, serious enough to affect his wife and progeny.

 

It is not desirable (makruh) for a man who possesses no sexual desire at all or who has no love for children or who is sure to be slackened in his religious obligations as a result of marriage.

 

In a beautiful tradition the Prophet (peace be upon him) has given the most important point that should weigh with every Muslim in selecting his bride:

 

"Whoever marries a woman solely for her power and position, Allah will only increase him in humiliation. Whoever marries a woman solely for her wealth, Allah will only increase him in poverty. Whoever marries a woman because of her beauty, Allah will only increase him in ugliness. But whoever marries a woman in order that he may restrain his eyes, observe cautiousness, and treat his relations kindly, Allah puts a blessing in her for him and in him for her."

 

In order that problems should not arise after marriage the Prophet (peace be upon him) recommended that, in the selection of his bride, a man should see her before betrothal lest blindness of choice or an error of judgment should defeat the very purpose of marriage. But this "seeing" is not to be taken as a substitute for the "courtship" of the West. The man should not gaze passionately at his bride-to-be, but only have a critical look at her face and hands to acquaint himself with her personality and beauty. However, if a man so desires, he may appoint a woman to go and interview the proposed bride, so that she may fully describe the type of girl she is.

 

Since believing men and women are referred to in the Qur'an, a woman also has the right to look at her potential husband.

 

The special permission for men and women to see each other with a view to matrimony does not contravene the code of conduct for believing men and women to lower their gaze and be modest which is laid down in the Holy Qur'an.

  

Ijbar: A Safety Valve

The consent of both the man and the women is an essential element of marriage, and the Qur'an gives women a substantial role in choosing their own life partners. It lays down:

 

Do not prevent them from marrying their husbands when they agree between themselves in a lawful manner. (2: 232)

 

However, Imam Malik, one of the four great Imams of the Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence, gives a slightly restrictive interpretation to this verse and makes the choice of partner by a Muslim girl subject to the over-ruling power or ijbar of her father or guardian in the interests of the girl herself.

 

It may sometimes happen that in her immaturity or over-zealousness, a girl may want to marry a man about whom she has distorted information or who does not possess good character or who lacks proper means of livelihood. In such a case, it is better, or rather incumbent upon the girl's father or guardian, that, in the wider interests of the girl, he restrains her from marrying such a worthless man and finds a suitable person to be her husband. Generally speaking, such marriages arranged by fathers and guardians work better than a marriage brought about through western courtship.

 

The case of Abu Juham bin Hudhaifah and Mu'awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan is relevant here. They proposed marriage to Fatimah bint Ghaith. The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised Fatimah not to marry either of them on the grounds that Mu'awiyah was then a pauper and Abu Juham was cruel and harsh. So she married Usamah.

  

The Free Consent of the Parties

The Qur'an (4:21) refers to marriage as a mithaq, i.e. a solemn covenant or agreement between husband and wife, and enjoins that it be put down in writing. Since no agreement can be reached between the parties unless they give their consent to it, marriage can be contracted only with the free consent of the two parties. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

 

"The widow and the divorced woman shall not be married until their order is obtained, and the virgin shall not be married until her consent is obtained." (AlBukhari)

 

This aspect is greatly emphasized by Imam Bukhari. He, in fact, gave one of the chapters in his Sahih the significant title:

 

"When a man gives his daughter in marriage and she dislikes it, the marriage shall be annulled." Once a virgin girl came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said that her father had married her to a man against her wishes. The Prophet gave her the right to repudiate the marriage. (Abu Dawud).

 

Divorced women are also given freedom to contract a second marriage. The Holy Qur'an says,

 

And when you divorce women, and they have come to the end of their waiting period, hinder them not from marrying other men if they have agreed with each other in a fair manner. (2: 232)

 

With regard to widows, the Qur'an says,

 

And if any of you die and leave behind wives, they bequeath thereby to their widows (the right to) one year's maintenance without their being obliged to leave (their husband's home), but if they leave (the residence) of their own accord, there is no blame on you for what they do with themselves in a lawful manner. (2:234)

 

Thus widows are also at liberty to re-marry, even within the period mentioned above; and if they do so they must forgo their claim to traditional maintenance during the remainder of the year. However, it must be remembered that the power of ijbar given to the a father or the guardian by the Maliki school over their selection of life- partner obtains in all the situations considered above, namely, whether the daughter or the ward is a virgin or divorcee or widow.

  

Prohibited Marriage Partners

Under the Shari'ah, marriages between men and women standing in a certain relationship to one another are prohibited. These prohibited degrees are either of a permanent nature or a temporary. The permanently prohibited degrees of marriage are laid down in the Holy Qur'an :

 

And marry not those women whom your fathers married, except what has already happened (of that nature) in the past. Lo! it was ever lewdness and abomination, and an evil way. Forbidden unto you are your mothers and your daughters, and your sisters and your father's sisters and your mother's sisters, and your brother's daughters and your sister's daughters, and your foster-mothers and your foster-sisters, and your mothers-in-law and your step-daughters who are under your mother-in-law and your step-daughters who are under your protection (born) of your women unto whom you have gone into -- but if you have not gone into them, then it is no sin for you (to marry their daughters) -- and the wives of your sons from your own loins, and that you should have two sisters together, except what has already happened (of that nature) in the past. Allah is ever-Forgiving, Merciful. (4:22 - 24)

 

From the above verses, it is clear that a Muslim must never marry the following:

 

1. His mother

2. His step-mother (this practice continues in Yoruba land in Nigeria, where in some cases the eldest son inherits the youngest wife of his father)

3. His grandmother (including father's and mother's mothers and all preceding mothers e.g. great grandmothers )

4. His daughter (including granddaughters and beyond )

5. His sister (whether full, consanguine or uterine)

6. His father's sisters (including paternal grandfather's sisters)

7. His mother's sisters (including maternal grandmother's sisters)

8. His brother's daughters

9. His foster mother

10. His foster mother's sister

11. His sister's daughter

12. His foster sister

13. His wife's mother

14. His step-daughter (i.e. a daughter by a former husband of a woman he has married if the marriage has been consummated. However, if such a marriage was not consummated, there is no prohibition)

15. His real son's wife

 

A great wisdom lies behind these prohibitions on the grounds of consanguinity, affinity, and fosterage. No social cohesion can exist if people do not keep these prohibitions in their minds while contracting marriages.

 

Temporary prohibitions are those which arise only on account of certain special circumstances in which the parties are placed. If the circumstances change, the prohibition also disappears. They are as follows:

 

1. A man must not have two sisters as wives at the same time nor can he marry a girl and her aunt at the same time.

2. A man must not marry a woman who is already married. However this impediment is removed immediately if the marriage is dissolved either by the death of her former husband, or by divorce followed by completion of the period of 'iddah (retreat).

3. A man must not have more than four wives at one time. This impediment is, of course, removed as soon as one of the wives dies or is divorced.

4. A man must not marry a woman during her 'iddah.

 

Regarding this last prohibition, the Qur'an expects Muslims to act with the utmost propriety and righteousness. It lays down:

 

...but do not make a secret contract with them except in honourable terms, nor resolve on the tie of marriage till the term prescribed is fulfilled. (2:235)

 

This means that a man must not make a specific proposal of marriage to a woman during the time of her 'iddah after the death of her husband or an irrevocable divorce. However, he can send a message saying, for instance, "I wish to find a woman of good character". But if a woman is in the 'iddah of a divorce which is revocable where raja' (return) is possible, a man must not send her even an implied invitation to marry him, because she is still considered as the lawful wife of the first husband. In fact, this restriction is most beneficial because it prevents a man from becoming an instrument of breaking up a family where there are still chances of reconciliation between the wife and husband even though they are moving away from each other.

  

Two Suitors Seeking to Marry the Same Girl

The Prophet (peace be upon him) disapproved of two persons competing with one another to secure marriage with the same girl. This is because such a situation is likely to develop bitter enmity between two Muslim brothers.

 

The Prophet said,

 

"A believer is a brother of a believer. Hence it is not lawful for him to bargain upon the bargain of a brother, nor propose for (the hand of a girl) after the marriage proposal of his brother, until the latter (voluntarily) withdraws the proposal."

 

Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi'i, and Imam Malik, all hold the view that it is a sin to put a proposal of marriage against the proposal of another Muslim brother. However, if a marriage is contracted in this wrongful way it will be sufficient if the second suitor who was successful seeks the forgiveness of the first suitor and of Allah. But Imam Dhahiri considers such a marriage void. It is respectfully submitted that the former view is more rational and sound.

  

A long planned visit to Leeds to record the church.

 

Leeds is just off the M20, and nearby to Leeds Castle, which means the roads are often busy. St Nicholas is on the main road leading up the down, but before the road gets narrow as it winds between the timber framed houses. Thankfully there is good parking next door, so we were able to get off the main road and out of the traffic, as unbeknown to us, there was a classical music show on that night, and most of Kent were going and in the process of arriving.

 

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One of the largest twelfth-century towers in Kent. The arch between tower and nave is of three very plain orders with no hint of the usual zigzag moulding of the period, and is so large that a meeting room has recently been built into it. The nave has three bay aisles and short chapels to north and south of the chancel. The outstanding rood screen was partially reconstructed in 1892, and runs the full width of nave and aisles - with the staircase doorways in the south aisle. That the chancel was rebuilt in the sixteenth century may be seen by the plain sedilia through which is cut one of two hagioscopes from chapels to chancel. The north chapel contains some good seventeenth- and eighteenth-century tablets and monuments. The stained glass shows some excellent examples of the work of Heaton, Butler and Bayne (south aisle) whilst there is an uncharacteristically poor example of the work of C.E. Kempe & Co. Ltd. in the north aisle. The church has recently been reordered to provide a spacious, light and manageable interior with excellent lighting and a welcoming atmosphere without damaging the character of the building.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Leeds

 

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LEEDS

IS the next parish southward from Hollingborne. Kilburne says, that one Ledian, a chief counsellor to king Ethelbert II. who began his reign in 978, raised a fortress here, which was called in Latin, from him, Ledani Castrum, and in process of time in English, LEEDS. This castle was afterwards demolished by the Danes, and continued in that situation till the time of the Norman conquest.

 

THE PRESENT CASTLE is situated at the southeast boundary of this parish, adjoining to Bromfield, which includes a part of the castle itself. It is situated in the midst of the park, an ample description of it the reader will find hereafter. The Lenham rivulet takes its course through the park, and having supplied the moat, in which the castle stands, and the several waters in the grounds there, and having received into it the several small streamlets from Hollingborne, and one from the opposite side, which comes from Leeds abbey, it flows on, and at a small distance from Caring street, in this parish, adjoining to Bersted, the principal estate of which name there belongs to the Drapers company, it turns a mill, and then goes on to Maidstone, where it joins the river Medway. The high road from Ashford and Lenham runs close by the outside of the pales of Leeds park, at the northern boundary of the parish next to Hollingborne, and thence goes on towards Bersted and Maidstone, from which the park is distant a little more than five miles; here the soil is a deep sand, but near the river it changes to a black moorish earth. Southward from the castle the ground rises, at about three quarters of a mile south-west from it is Leeds abbey, the front of which is a handsome well-looking building, of the time of queen Elizabeth. It is not unpleasantly situated on a gentle eminence, and is well watered by a small stream which rises just above it, and here turns a mill. It is well cloathed with wood at the back part of it, to which the ground still keeps rising; adjoining to the abbey grounds westward is Leeds-street, a long straggling row of houses, near a mile in length, having the church at the south end of it; here the soil becomes a red unfertile earth much mixed with slints, which continues till it joins to Langley and Otham.

 

LEEDS was part of those possessions given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux; accordingly it is thus entered, under the general title of that prelate's lands, in the survey of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.

 

Adelold holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Esiedes. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are two carucates, and twenty-eight villeins, with eight borderers, having seven carucates. There is a church, and eighteen servants. There are two arpends of vineyard, and eight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty bogs, and five mills of the villeins. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth sixteen pounds, the like when be received it, now twenty pounds, and yet it pays twentyfive pounds. Earl Leuuin held it.

 

Of this manor the abbot of St. Augustine has half a suling, which is worth ten shillings, in exchange of the park of the bishop of Baieux. The earl of Ewe has four denns of this manor, which are worth twenty shillings.

 

The mention of the two arpends of vineyard in the above survey, is another instance of there having been such in this county in early times, some further observations of which the reader will find in the description of the parish of Chart Sutton, not far distant, and he will likewise observe, that at the above time the bishop of Baieux had a park here, which he acquired by exchange with the abbot of St. Augustine, who must therefore have had possessions here before that time.

 

On the bishop of Baieux's disgrace, about four years after the taking of the above-mentioned survey, this estate, among the rest of his possessions, became consiscated to the crown.

 

After which it was granted by king William to the eminent family of Crevequer, called in antient charters Creveceur, and in Latin, De Crepito Corde, who at first made Chatham in this county their seat, or caput baroniæ, i. e. the principal manor of their barony, for some time, until they removed hither, being before frequently written Domini de Cetham.

 

Robert, son of Hamon de Crevequer, who had probably a grant of Leeds from the Conqueror, appears to have held it of the king, as of his castle of Dover, in capite by barony, their barony, which consisted of five knight's sees, being stiled Baronia de Crevequer . (fn. 1) He erected the castle here, to which he asterwards removed the capital seat of his barony. This castle being environed with water, was frequently mentioned in antient writings by the name of Le Mote. In the north-west part of it he built a chapel, in which he placed three canons, which on his foundation of the priory of Leeds, in the 19th year of king Henry I. he removed thither.

 

His descendant, Hamon de Crevequer, lived in the reign of king Henry III. in the 19th year of which, he was joined with Walterand Teutonicus, or Teys, in the wardenship of the five ports, and the next year had possession granted to him of the lands of William de Albrincis or Averenches, whose daughter and heir Maud he had married. He died in the 47th year of king Henry III. possessed of the manor of Ledes, held of the king in capite, as belonging to his barony of Chatham; upon which Robert, his grandson, viz. son of Hamon his son, who died in his life-time, succeeded him as his heir, and in the 52d year of that reign, exchanged the manor of Ledes, with its appurtenances, together with a moiety of all his fees, with Roger de Leyburne, for the manors of Trottesclyve and Flete. He lest William de Leyburne, his son and heir, who in the 2d year of king Edward I. had possession granted to him of the manor of Ledes, as well as of the rest of his inheritance, of which Eleanor, countess of Winchester, his father's widow, was not endowed. (fn. 2)

 

His son, William de Leyborne, observing that the king looked on the strength of this fortress with a jealous eye, in the beginning of king Edward Ist.'s reign reinstated the crown in the possession of both the manor and castle; and the king having, in his 27th year married Margaret, sister of Philip, king of France, he settled them, being then of the clear yearly value of 21l. 6s. 8d. among other premises, as part of her dower. She survived the king her husband, who died in 1307, and in the 5th year of the next reign of king Edward II. by the king's recommendation, appointed Bartholomew de Badlesmere, a nobleman of great power and eminence, and much in that prince's favor, governor of this castle. (fn. 3) She died possessed of them in the 10th year of that reign; on which they came once more into the hands of the crown, and in the beginning of the next year the king appointed Bartholomew de Badlesmere, above-mentioned, governor of this castle, as well as of that of Bristol. In the 11th year of that reign, the king granted to him in see, this manor and castle, and the advowson of the priory of Ledes, in exchange for the manor of Addresley, in Shropshire. Being possessed of great possessions, especially in this county, he was usually stiled, the rich lord Badlesmere of Ledes. Being pussed up through ambition and his great wealth, he forgot his allegiance, and associated himself with the earl of Lancaster, and the discontented barons; which the king being well informed of, resolved, if possible, to gain possession of this strong fortress of Ledes: to effect which, under pretence of the queen's going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, she set forward for that city with a large train of attendants, and, with a secret intention of surprising this castle, sent her marshal with others of her servants, to prepare lodging for her and her suit in it. The lord Badlesmere's family, that is, his wife, son, and four daughters, were at that time in it, together with all his treasure, deposited there for safety, under the care of Thomas Colepeper, the castellan, who refused the queen's servants admittance, and on her coming up, peremptorily persisted in denying her or any one entrance, without letters from his lord. The queen, upon this, made some attempt to gain admittance by force, and a skirmish ensued, in which one or more of her attendants were slain, but being repulsed, she was obliged to relinquish her design, and to retire for a lodging elsewhere.

 

The king, chagrined at the failure of his scheme, and highly resenting the indignity offered to the queen, sent a force under the earls of Pembroke and Richmond, to besiege the castle; (fn. 4) and those within it finding no hopes of relief, for though the lord Badlesmere had induced the barons to endeavours to raise the siege, yet they never advanced nearer than Kingston, yielded it up. Upon which, the lady Badlesmere and her children were sent prisoners to the tower of London, Thomas Colepeper, the castellan, was hung up, and the king took possession of the castle, as well as of all the lord Badlesmere's goods and treasures in it. But by others, Thomas de Aldone is said to have been castellan at this time, and that the castle being taken, he, with the lord Badlesmere's wife, his only son Giles, his daughters, Sir Bartholomew de Burgershe, and his wife, were sent to the tower of London by the king's order; and that afterwards, he caused Walter Colepeper, bailiff of the Seven Hundreds, to be drawn in a pitiable manner at the tails of horses, and to be hung just by this castle; on which Thomas Colepeper, and others, who were with him in Tunbridge castle, hearing of the king's approach, sled to the barons.

 

After which the lord Badlesmere, being taken prisoner in Yorkshire, was sent to Canterbury, and there drawn and hanged at the gallows of Blean, and his head being cut off, was set on a pole on Burgate, in that city. Upon which the manor and castle of Leeds, became part of the royal revenue and the castle remained in a most ruinous condition till the year 1359, anno 34 Edward III. in which year that munisicent prelate, William of Wickham, was constituted by the king, chief warden and surveyor of his castle of Ledes, among others, (fn. 5) having power to appoint all workmen, to provide materials, and to order every thing with regard to building and repairs; and in those manors to hold leets and other courts of trespass and misdemeanors, and to enquire of the king's liberties and rights; and from his attention to the re-edisying and rebuilding the rest of them, there is little doubt but he restored this of Leeds to a very superior state to whatever it had been before, insomuch, that it induced king Richard to visit it several times, particularly in his 19th year, in which several of his instruments were dated at his castle of Ledes; and it appears to have been at that time accounted a fortress of some strength, for in the beginning of the next reign, that unfortunate prince was, by order of king Henry IV. sent prisoner to this castle; and that king himself resided here part of the month of April in his 2d year.

 

After which, archbishop Arundel, whose mind was by no means inferior to his high birth, procured a grant of this castle, where he frequently resided and kept his court, whilst the process against the lord Cobham was carrying forward, and some of his instruments were dated from his castle of Ledes in the year 1413, being the year in which he died. On his death it reverted again to the crown, and became accounted as one of the king's houses, many of the principal gentry of the county being instrusted with the custody of it:

 

In the 7th year of king Henry V. Joane of Navarre, the second queen of the late king Henry IV. being accused of conspiring against the life of the king, her son-in-law, was committed to Leeds-castle, there to remain during the king's pleasure; and being afterwards ordered into Sir John Pelham's custody, he removed her to the castle of Pevensey, in Sussex.

 

In the 18th year of king Henry VI. archbishop Chichele sat at the king's castle of Leeds, in the process against Eleanor, duchess of Gloucester, for forcery and witchcrast.

 

King Edward IV. in his 11th year, made Ralph St. Leger, esq. of Ulcomb, who had served the office of sheriff of this county three years before, constable of this castle for life, and annexed one of the parks as a farther emolument to that office. He died that year, and was buried with his ancestors at Ulcomb.

 

Sir Thomas Bourchier resided at Leeds castle in the 1st year of king Richard III. in which year he had commission, among others of the principal gentry of this county, to receive the oaths of allegiance to king Richard, of the inhabitants of the several parts of Kent therein mentioned; in which year, the king confirmed the liberties of Leeds priory, in recompence of twentyfour acres of land in Bromfield, granted for the enlargement of his park of Ledes.

 

In the 4th year of king Henry VIII. Henry Guildford, esq. had a grant of the office of constable of Leeds castle, and of the parkership of it; and in the 12th year of that reign, he had a grant of the custody of the manor of Leeds, with sundry perquisities, for forty years. He died in the 23d year of that reign, having re-edisied great part of the castle, at the king's no small charge.

 

But the fee simple of the manor and castle of Leeds remained in the hands of the crown, till Edward VI. in his 6th year, granted them, with their appurtenances in the parishes of Leeds, Langley, and Sutton, to Sir Anthony St. Leger, lord deputy of Ireland, to hold in capite by knight's service.

 

His son, Sir Warham St. Leger, succeeded him in this manor and castle, and was afterwards chief governor of Munster, in Ireland, in which province he was unfortunately slain in 1599, (fn. 6) but before his death he alienated this manor and castle to Sir Richard Smyth, fourth son of Thomas Smyth, esq. of Westenhanger, commonly called Customer Smyth.

 

Sir Richard Smyth resided at Leeds castle, of which he died possessed in 1628, and was buried in Ashford church, where there is a costly monument erected to his memory.

 

Sir John Smith, his only son, succeeded his father, and resided at Leeds castle, and dying s. p. in 1632, was buried in this church; upon which his two sisters, Alice, wife of Sir Timothy Thornhill, and Mary, of Maurice Barrow, esq. became his coheirs, and entitled their respective husbands to the property of this manor and castle, which they afterwards joined in the sale of to Sir T. Culpeper, of Hollingborne, who settled this estate, after his purchase of it, on his eldest son Cheney Culpeper, remainder to his two other sons, Francis and Thomas. Cheney Culpeper, esq. resided at Leedscastle for some time, till at length persuading his brother Sir Thomas Culpeper, of Hollingborne, (then his only surviving brother, Francis being dead. s. p.) to cut off the entail of this estate, he alienated it to his cousin Sir John Colepeper, lord Colepeper, only son of Sir John Culpeper, of Wigsell, in Sussex, whose younger brother Francis was of Greenway-court, in Hollingborne, and was father of Sir Thomas Culpeper, the purchaser of this estate as before-mentioned.

 

Sir John Colepeper represented this county in parliament in the 16th year of king Charles I. and being a person, who by his abilities had raised himself much in the king's favor, was made of his privy council, and chancellor of the exchequer, afterwards master of the rolls, and governor of the Isle of Wight. During the troubles of that monarch, he continued stedfast to the royal cause, and as a reward for his services, was in 1644 created lord Colepeper, baron of Thoresway, in Lincolnshire.

 

After the king's death he continued abroad with king Charles II. in his exile. During his absence, Leeds-castle seems to have been in the possession of the usurping powers, and to have been made use of by them, for the assembling of their committee men and sequestrators, and for a receptacle to imprison the ejected ministers, for in 1652, all his estates had been declared by parliament forfeited, for treason against the state. He died in 1660, a few weeks only after the restoration, and was buried at Hollingborne. He bore for his arms, Argent, a bend ingrailed gules, the antient bearing of this family; he left by his second wife Judith, daughter of Sir Thomas Culpeper, of Hollingborne, several children, of whom Thomas was his successor in title and estates, and died without male issue as will be mentioned hereafter, John succeeded his brother in the title, and died in 1719 s. p. and Cheney succeeded his brother in the title, and died at his residence of Hoston St. John, in 1725, s. p. likewise, by which the title became extinct; they all, with the rest of the branch of the family, lie buried at Hollingborne. Thomas, lord Colepeper, the eldest son, succeeded his father in title, and in this manor and castle, where he resided, and having married Margaret, daughter of Signior Jean de Hesse, of a noble family in Germany, he left by her a sole daughter and heir Catherine, who intitled her husband Thomas, lord Fairfax, of Cameron, in Scotland, to this manor and castle, with his other estates in this neighbourhood.

 

The family of Fairfax appear by old evidences in the hands of the family to have been in possession of lands in Yorkshire near six hundred years ago. Richard Fairfax was possessed of lands in that county in the reign of king John, whose grandson William Fairfax in the time of king Henry III. purchased the manor of Walton, in the West Riding, where he and his successors resided for many generations afterwards, and from whom descended the Fairfax's, of Walton and Gilling, in Yorkshire; of whom, Sir Thomas Fairfax, of Gilling, was created viscount Fairfax, of the kingdom of Ireland, which title became extinct in 1772; and from a younger branch of them descended Sir Thomas Fairfax, of Denton, who lived in queen Elizabeth's reign, and changed the original field of his coat armour from argent to or, bearing for his arms, Or, 3 bars gemelles, gules, surmounted of a lion rampant, sable, crown'd, of the first, and was father of Sir. T. Fairfax, who was, for his services to James and Charles I. created in 1627 lord Fairfax, baron of Cameron, in Scotland. He died in 1640, having had ten sons and two daughters; of whom, Ferdinando was his successor; Henry was rector of Bolton Percy, and had two sons, Henry, who became lord Fairfax, and Bryan, who was ancestor of Bryan Fairfax, late commissioner of the customs; and colonel Charles Fairfax, of Menston, was the noted antiquary, whose issue settled there.

 

Ferdinando, the second lord Fairfax, in the civil wars of king Charles I. was made general of the parliamentary forces, and died at York in 1646. His son, Sir Thomas Fairfax, succeeded him as lord Fairfax, and in all his posts under the parliament, and was that famous general so noted in English history during the civil wars, being made commander in chief of all the parliamentary forces; but at last he grew so weary of the distress and confusion which his former actions had brought upon his unhappy country, that he heartily concurred in the restoration of king Charles II. After which he retired to his seat at Bilborough, in Yorkshire, where he died in 1671, and was buried there, leaving by Anne, daughter and coheir of Horatio, lord Vere of Tilbury, a truly loyal and virtuous lady, an only daughter; upon which the title devolved to Henry Fairfax, esq. of Oglesthorpe, in Yorkshire, his first cousin, eldest son of Henry, rector of Bolton Percy, the second son of Thomas, the first lord Fairfax. Henry, lord Fairfax, died in 1680, and was succeeded by his eldest son Thomas, fifth lord Fairfax, who was bred to a military life, and rose to the rank of a brigadier-general. He represented Yorkshire in several parliaments and marrying Catherine, daughter and heir of Thomas, lord Colepeper, possessed, in her right this manor and castle, and other large possessions, as before-mentioned. (fn. 7)

 

He died possessed of them in 1710, leaving three sons and four daughters, Thomas, who succeeded him as lord Fairfax; Henry Culpeper, who died unmarried, in 1734; and Robert, of whom hereafter. Of the daughters, Margaret married David Wilkins, D. D. and prebendary of Canterbury, and Francis married Denny Martin, esq. Thomas, lord Fairfax, the son, resided at Leeds-castle till his quitting England, to reside on his great possessions in Virginia, where he continued to the time of his death. On his departure from England, he gave up the possession of this manor and castle, with his other estates in this neighbourhood, to his only surviving brother, the hon. Robert Fairfax, who afterwards resided at Leeds-castle, and on his brother's death unmarried, in 1782, succeeded to the title of lord Fairfax. He was at first bred to a military life, but becoming possessed of Leeds castle, he retired there, and afterwards twice served in parliament for the town of Maidstoue, as he did afterwards in two successive parliaments for this county. He was twice married; first to Marsha, daughter and coheir of Anthony Collins, esq. of Baddow, in Essex, by whom he had one son, who died an instant; and, secondly, to one of the daughters of Thomas Best, esq. of Chatham, who died s. p. in 1750. Lord Fairfax dying s. p. in 1793, this castle and manor, with the rest of his estates in this county, came to his nephew the Rev. Denny Martin, the eldest son of his sister Frances, by Denny Martin, esq. of Loose, who had before his uncle's death been created D. D. and had, with the royal licence, assumed the name and arms of Fairfax. Dr. Fairfax is the present possessor of this manor and castle, and resides here, being at present unmarried.

 

A court leet and court baron is held for the manor of Leeds, at which three borsholders are appointed. It is divided into six divisions, or yokes as they are called, viz. Church-yoke, Ferinland-yoke, Mill-yoke, Russerken-yoke, Stockwell-yoke, and Lees-yoke.

  

I'm not a fan of ready made sandwiches and prefer to make my own lunch every morning. Sometimes I'm lazy and just chuck some ham between two slices of bread. Other times I'm feeling virtuous and add lots of chopped veg and a nice speciality bread. Today lunch will be Mediterranean bread with home made tandoori chicken and peppers, tomato and spring onion.

Sergio Cammariere & Fabrizio Bosso - Jazz'n'soul Duet_27 marzo 11_Teatro Verdi Brindisi

The enthroned and bearded personification of Honor receives the victor's laurel crown from Virtue and Victory. Majesty and Respect sit like handmaidens at Honor's feet, and the most lauded rulers of history, each identified by name, flank his throne; below are ten virtuous women, plucked from mythology, the Bible and more recent apocryphal histories. The central scribe peruses the list of Honor's celebrants, whilst in the foreground an unruly mob of historical and literary protagonists beseige Honor's pavilion.

 

This tapestry was part of a seven-piece set presenting an allegorical guide to the qualities which a successful ruler should espouse. The set was made for Cardinal Erard de la Marck (1472–1538), Prince-Bishop of Liège, and loyal envoy and financial backer of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Inscription: Names of characters, in Latin, at center, top: VICTUS (probably a misreading at cartoon or weaving stage for VIRTUS- Virtue); MAIESTAS (Majesty); REVER[N]TIA (Respect); VICTORIA (Victory).

 

Top tier of rulers, inscribed left to right: GODEEREDUS BUHONIUS (Godfrey of Bouillon); S. LODOVICUS (Louis IX of France); CAROL MAGN (Charlemagne); CONSTANTINUS (Emperor Constantine); DAVID (King David); OCTAVIUS (Emperor Augustus); ABRAM (Abraham); ALEXANDER MAGN (Alexander the Great).

 

Second tier of virtuous females: FLORE[N]TIA ROMITIA (Florence of Rome); PENELOPE (Penelope); SOMRAMIS (Semiramis); HELENA (Empress Helena); HESTER (Esther); DEBORA (the prophet Deborah); SABA (Queen of Sheba); ASIA (the continent Asia, at this time iconographically associated with the spread of Fame).

 

Mounting the steps to enter Honor’s pavilion are, at the left, SERTORIUS (General Sertorius) and MARCELLA (Consul Marcellus), crowned by DIGNITE (Dignity) and TRIU[M]PH (Triumph); at the right, PHOCAS (Phocias) and PHUS (unidentifiable) welcome two additional unnamed protagonists.

 

At upper corners: NATURA (Nature); SCRIPTRAS (Scripture).

 

Amongst the foreground proragonists are: IORAM (Joram), IULIANUS APOSTATA (Julian the Apostate), JEROBOAM (Jereboam), HELENA (Helen of Troy) and PARIS (Paris), TARQUIN (Sextus Tarquinius), MELISA (probably an error due to reweaving of MEDUSA), IEZEBEL (Jezebel), NERO (Emperor Nero), MARCUS ANTONI (Mark Anthony), HOLOFERNES (Holofernes) and SARDANAPALUS (King Sardanapalus)

 

Three inscriptions in cartouches along the uppermost register of the border: “QUISQUIS UT AD CLARUM STUDIOSUS SCANDAT HONOREM / NATURA ASSIDUIS PROVOCAT ALMA TUBIS” (“Generous nature urges with constant trumpets / Anyone to ascend zealously to glorious Honor”); “CANDIDA QUOS MISIT VIRTUS HONOR ARCE RECEPTANS / LAUREAT AMBITIO QUOS TULIT INDE FUGAT” (“Those whom shining Virtue sent, Honor receives and crowns in the citadel. Those whom Ambition inspired, he makes flee from there”); “SEDULO DOCTA IUBET MODULIS SCRIPTURA DISERTIS / NE QUIS HONORIPAROS TARDET INITRE LARES” (“Scholarly Scriptura ordains with skillful means measures that no one should delay to enter the house of Honor”).

La personificazione in trono e barbuto di Honor riceve la corona d'alloro del vincitore da Virtue and Victory. Maestà e rispetto siedono come ancelle ai piedi di Onore, ei più lodati regnanti della storia, ciascuno identificato dal nome, fiancheggiano il suo trono; sotto ci sono dieci donne virtuose, strappate alla mitologia, alla Bibbia e alle più recenti storie apocrife. Lo scriba centrale esamina la lista dei celebranti di Honor, mentre in primo piano una folla indisciplinata di protagonisti storici e letterari blocca il padiglione di Honor.

 

Questo arazzo faceva parte di un set di sette pezzi che presentava una guida allegorica alle qualità che un governante di successo dovrebbe sposare. Il set è stato fatto per il cardinale Erard de la Marck (1472-1538), principe-vescovo di Liegi, e inviato leale e finanziatore del Sacro Romano Imperatore Carlo V.

Firme, iscrizioni e segni

Iscrizione: Nomi di personaggi, in latino, al centro, in alto: VICTUS (probabilmente una lettura errata del cartone animato o del palcoscenico per VIRTUS- Virtù); MAIESTAS (Maestà); REVER [N] TIA (Rispetto); VICTORIA (vittoria).

 

Top livello di sovrani, inscritto da sinistra a destra: GODEEREDUS BUHONIUS (Godfrey of Bouillon); S. LODOVICUS (Luigi IX di Francia); CAROL MAGN (Carlo Magno); COSTANTINO (imperatore Costantino); DAVID (King David); Ottaviano (imperatore Augusto); ABRAM (Abraham); ALEXANDER MAGN (Alessandro Magno).

 

Secondo livello di femmine virtuose: FLORE [N] TIA ROMITIA (Firenze di Roma); PENELOPE (Penelope); SOMRAMIS (Semiramis); HELENA (Imperatrice Elena); HESTER (Esther); DEBORA (il profeta Deborah); SABA (Regina di Saba); ASIA (il continente asiatico, in questo momento iconograficamente associato alla diffusione di Fame).

 

I passi per entrare nel padiglione di Honor sono, a sinistra, SERTORIUS (generale Sertorius) e MARCELLA (console Marcello), incoronati da DIGNITE (Dignity) e TRIU [M] PH (Triumph); a destra, PHOCAS (Phocias) e PHUS (non identificabili) danno il benvenuto a due altri protagonisti senza nome.

 

Agli angoli superiori: NATURA (natura); SCRIPTRAS (Scrittura).

 

Tra i proragonisti in primo piano ci sono: IORAM (Joram), IULIANUS APOSTATA (Julian the Apostate), JEROBOAM (Jereboam), HELENA (Helen of Troy) e PARIS (Parigi), TARQUIN (Sextus Tarquinius), MELISA (probabilmente un errore dovuto al riavvolgimento di MEDUSA), IEZEBEL (Jezebel), NERO (Imperatore Nerone), MARCUS ANTONI (Mark Anthony), HOLOFERNES (Oloferne) e SARDANAPALUS (Re Sardanapalus)

 

Tre iscrizioni in cartiglio lungo il registro superiore del confine: "QUISQUIS UT AD CLARUM STUDIOSUS SCANDAT HONOREM / NATURA ASSIDUIS PROVOCAT ALMA TUBIS" ("La natura generosa spinge con trombe costanti / Chiunque ascenda zelantemente al glorioso Onore"); "CANDIDA QUOS MISIT VIRTUS HONOR ARCE RECEPTANS / LAUREAT AMBITIO QUOS TULIT INDE FUGAT" ("Coloro che brillano di virtù, Honor riceve e incorona nella cittadella, quelli che l'ambizione ha ispirato, fugge da lì"); "SEDULO DOCTA IUBET MODULIS SCRIPTURA DISERTIS / NE QUIS HONORIPAROS TARDET INITRE LARES" ("La Scriptura ordinata con mezzi abili misura che nessuno dovrebbe ritardare per entrare nella casa d'onore")

Portrait of Kay Francis from The Virtuous Sin by Otto Dyar.

One of our quintessential New England towns from the looks but also the setting for ... "Peyton Place" ... was a bunker buster of a novel that blew the lid off the quaint and virtuous small town." www.nhmagazine.com/March-2013/50-Shades-of-Grace/

Folded from CP. Such an elegant and simple model... this is my second CP!

 

Folded from Kami.

Tombstone of Charles Albert Massey (August 5, 1880 - February 8, 1915). A member of the prominent Massey family, he was shot by the family maid who was then the defendant in a sensational murder trial. Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Canada. Pentax K1 II.

 

From torontoist.com/2013/02/historicist-a-massey-family-murder/

 

Historicist: A Massey Family Murder

 

The tale of the Massey's bad seed and the family maid.

 

By Kevin Plummer

 

Returning from work one early evening in February 1915, Charles “Bert” Massey—of the Masseys, they of Massey Hall and Massey College—walked towards his fashionable brick residence at 169 Walmer Road. As he approached the front door, his young English servant, Carrie Davies, burst out, brandishing a revolver. Shouting “You ruined my life,” according to a Toronto Globe (February 27, 1915) account, she raised the weapon and fired.

 

The shot was wild, but her second struck Massey in the chest. Attempting to flee, he stumbled to the sidewalk, falling as neighbours, who’d heard the gunfire, rushed to give assistance. Within minutes, he was dead.

 

When police constables arrived, they found the 18-year-old maid in her attic quarters—dressing, she said, so she could set off for the nearest police station to confess her crime. She admitted her actions, alleging that her wealthy employer had attempted to rape her the day before.

 

The irresistible storyline of a poor but virtuous maiden defending herself from disgrace made the ensuing trial a sensational affair, attracting reams of newspaper coverage and packing the courtroom with blue-collar workers and society mavens alike.

 

Born in Bedfordshire, England, Davies grew up in impoverished conditions made worse when her father, a disabled Boer War veteran, died when she was 16. In the early 20th century, the Canadian government, through various partner organizations, was recruiting young, respectable, trustworthy, and chaste unmarried working-class women to work in Canada, where there was a shortage of domestic servants. Davies signed up for the scheme and immigrated to Toronto, where she found a position as a live-in servant in the bourgeois Massey household. She rarely went out or socialized, dedicating little of her wages to herself, in order to send $5 or $10 from her pay back to her partly-blind mother and three younger sisters. It was supposed to be more respectable work for women than that found in public locations like factories, shops, or hotel bars.

 

Massey was a vain ne’er-do-well, a respectable cad. A man who “took much enjoyment out of life,” according to one newspaper, Massey was “quite a popular figure among the younger society set,” said another. Put less charitably, Massey liked sports cars and fast women.

 

The son of Charles Albert Massey, who had managed the family business through the 1870s, Bert Massey wasn’t as highly regarded by his grandfather—founder of the company and patriarch—as his cousins Raymond and Vincent. Rather than taking active part in the family’s farming equipment company, he became a salesman for York Motors.

 

Davies was brought to trial for the shooting later that same month, before Chief Justice William Mulock. Among the usual assortment of prostitutes, drunks, and vagrants in the women’s court, Davies stood out, looking “like a mild and gentle Sunday school pupil,” in the words of the Telegram.

 

To begin the trial, the prosecuting attorney, E.E.A. Du Vernet, argued that because Massey had not succeeded in his assault, his murder was not justified. Although his efforts were seen as half-hearted by some observers, as Carolyn Strange writes in detailed account of the case in the anthology Gender Conflicts (University of Toronto Press, 1992), Du Vernet implored the jury to find her guilty of manslaughter.

 

Davies’ own lawyer, Hartley Dewart, did not dispute the prosecution’s factual reconstruction of the killing, but pled for mercy. He emphasized her modesty and virtuous reputation. (Dewart even established Davies’ virginity, according to the standards of the day, by calling to the stand a doctor who had examined her physically.)

 

She was from a respectable working-class family, he argued, and had been instilled with wholesome British values. Davies was an innocent, vulnerable young woman, who fell prey to a wealthy but dishonourable brute, who nearly succeeded in ruining her. “We have placed upon ourselves as Canadians the duties of trustees and guardians for girls who come from homes such as this to Canada,” he told the all-male jury, calling upon their sense of chivalry, fatherly instincts, and British gentlemanly values.

 

Finally, as proceedings wore on Davies took the stand herself, marking the culmination of the already dramatic trial as she recounted the circumstances leading up to the crime.

 

On Sunday, the night before the murder, Massey’s 14-year-old son went out after supper. Massey’s wife, Rhoda, was away visiting her family in Connecticut. This left Davies alone in the house with her 32-year-old employer, who, just days earlier, had drunkenly made lewd comments to her.

 

Seemingly intoxicated again, Massey now excitedly but awkwardly tried to offer her a ring in appreciation of her services. “Then,” Davies testified, “he caught me round the waist and kissed me twice, and said he ‘liked little girls.'” Resisting, she managed to escape. Not long after, Massey called her to his bedroom to make his bed. When she complied, Davies said, Massey grabbed her and threw her onto the bed. He tried to force himself on her until she wrestled free and escaped to her own room.

 

Davies managed to slip out of the house, and made her way across town to Cabbagetown, where her sister—her only relation in Canada—lived, and told her sister and brother-in-law of the incident. They advised her to return to work and fulfill her duties as employee. While they told her to be careful, they did not encourage Davies to report the attack to the police. The three knew intuitively that a servant girl had little chance of courtroom success against the scion of the powerful and wealthy Massey family. Between 1880 and 1930, Strange writes, “not a single Toronto domestic who laid a complaint of indecent assault or rape against her master saw him punished.”

 

In Toronto The Good (The Toronto Publishing Company, 1898), C.S. Clark’s sensationalist excursion into the unsavoury elements of turn-of-the-century Toronto, the journalist wrote that it was common for male members of a household to take sexual liberties with their live-in domestic servants. “[O]ne lad of eighteen years informed me,” Clark noted, “that in five years there had not been a domestic in their house with whom he had not had improper relations.”

 

In such situations, power rested squarely in the hands of the employer. If a servant girl were dismissed with a whiff of scandal (or even just without a letter of reference), Magda Fahmi argues in an article in Labour/Le Travail (Spring 1997) [PDF], it could easily send her tumbling into desperate circumstances. In a 1913 study, the Toronto Social Survey Commission found that of 75 prostitutes surveyed, 36 had formerly been employed as domestic servants.

 

For Davies, therefore, the stakes were high if she didn’t return to work. So, divided between her sense of duty to her employer and her fear that she would be ruined if he succeeded in his advances, Davies arrived back at the Massey household at 11:20 p.m. on Sunday night.

 

The next morning she prepared breakfast for her attempted assailant, then hid in the cellar until Massey had left for work. “I was alone in the house all day Monday,” Davies testified, “and was worrying about what had happened on Sunday, and was not able to do all my work. Being my master, I thought it was a disgrace for him to kiss me.”

 

“When I saw Mr. Massey coming down the road I lost all control of myself,” she testified. “Everything became misty before me,” she continued. “I only thought of his doing me harm, and knew I would have to defend myself in some way or other. I could only think of the revolver hanging in the little boy’s room.” She continued: “He started to run and I kept on pulling the revolver, but the trigger did not seem to work. I could only think of his doing me harm.”

 

“The attack gave the girl only one alternative,” Dewart argued in his closing statement. “If she did not defend herself against this man she would have been a fallen woman, an outcast, one more sacrifice. Let that sink into your mind. It was not manslaughter. It was brute-slaughter.”

 

Du Vernet countered in the prosecution’s closing argument that, by slaying her unarmed employer without his having a chance to give his side of the story in court, Davies had issued a death sentence. It was a penalty, he noted, that was out of balance with Massey’s alleged crime.

 

Newspapers debated the merits of the case, and Davies’ character, in extended coverage of the trial and the verdict. The editor of Women’s Century argued: “She was as justified in killing the man for her honor as a soldier is in shooting the enemy for the honour of his country.” A male letter writer to the Daily News, on the other hand, was certain everyone was “being carried away by the twaddle served up by the lawyer for the defence.”

 

The Star vehemently defended the deceased’s honour as a gentleman and—acting as the apparent mouthpiece of Massey’s powerful relatives, who didn’t care to see their name in scandalous headlines—sought to discredit Davies. In one Star story, Massey’s brother recalled Davies’ history of epileptic episodes, which he said sometimes caused her to carry “on like an insane person.” He added: “[W]e feel sure that the crime was committed in a fit of temporary insanity, and many things that puzzled us in the past seem very clear now.”

 

The jury arrived at their decision in under half an hour of deliberation. Verdict: not guilty.

 

The crowd in the court-room was jubilant. The elderly judge had tears in his eyes as the admitted killer was pronounced innocent. “Thank you, Judge,” Carrie Davies responded, “and thank you gentlemen of the jury.” She had played the part of the deferential maiden perfectly, Strange suggests, while her lawyer, the judge and jury had taken the role of being her chivalrous protectors.

 

In the wake of the sensationalistic trial, Dewart was elected to the provincial legislature in 1916, becoming leader of the Ontario Liberal Party not long afterward. Due in part to his role in Davies’ trial, the Star‘s management actively worked to prevent Dewart from becoming premier in the 1919 election. After losing in that race, Dewart retired from politics.

 

Upon her acquittal, Davies received numerous offers of employment. She declined them, refusing to accept work in any private residence. Decades later, author Frank Jones tracked down Davies’ daughter and uncovered what happened next to the once-famous defendant. Davies married Charles Brown, an older English farmer based in Huttonville and Norval. Moving from farm to farm in Ontario, Davies and her family lived at the edge of poverty. Davies spent much of her time on charitable work, volunteering at church and dedicating her time to Georgetown’s Cedarvale Home for Wayward Girls. She never told her two children of her notorious crime and trial before her death in October 1961.

  

Taken for the Scavenger Hunt. This is an old favourite from childhood. Snakes and Ladders

 

Found on the web:

The ancient educational game of Moksha-Patamu, was used to teach moral behaviour in India. Of Hindu origin, it taught the players that virtuous behavior would aid your progression to Nirvana, but evil would make the journey difficult.

 

The ladders were placed on the squares of virtue, which on the original game were, Faith 12, Reliability 51, Generosity 57, Knowledge 76 and Asceticism 78.

 

The snakes were placed on the squares of evil and were, Disobedience 41, Vanity 44, Vulgarity 49, Theft 52, Lying 58, Drunkenness 62, Debt 69, Rage 84, Greed 92, Pride 95, Murder 73 and Lust 99.

 

The Victorians, with their interest in morality, took the game to their hearts and brought it to Britain, and it was published in England in 1892.

 

Renamed snakes and ladders, the game was very similar to the one found in India, but some of the vices and virtues were named according to the Victorian social mores of the day, Penitence, Thrift and Industry became virtuous behavior that elevated you through the game, whereas Indolence, Indulgence and Disobedience became the vices. They also equalised the numbers of snakes and ladders.

In America the game is called Chutes and Ladders.

The enthroned and bearded personification of Honor receives the victor's laurel crown from Virtue and Victory. Majesty and Respect sit like handmaidens at Honor's feet, and the most lauded rulers of history, each identified by name, flank his throne; below are ten virtuous women, plucked from mythology, the Bible and more recent apocryphal histories. The central scribe peruses the list of Honor's celebrants, whilst in the foreground an unruly mob of historical and literary protagonists beseige Honor's pavilion.

 

This tapestry was part of a seven-piece set presenting an allegorical guide to the qualities which a successful ruler should espouse. The set was made for Cardinal Erard de la Marck (1472–1538), Prince-Bishop of Liège, and loyal envoy and financial backer of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Inscription: Names of characters, in Latin, at center, top: VICTUS (probably a misreading at cartoon or weaving stage for VIRTUS- Virtue); MAIESTAS (Majesty); REVER[N]TIA (Respect); VICTORIA (Victory).

 

Top tier of rulers, inscribed left to right: GODEEREDUS BUHONIUS (Godfrey of Bouillon); S. LODOVICUS (Louis IX of France); CAROL MAGN (Charlemagne); CONSTANTINUS (Emperor Constantine); DAVID (King David); OCTAVIUS (Emperor Augustus); ABRAM (Abraham); ALEXANDER MAGN (Alexander the Great).

 

Second tier of virtuous females: FLORE[N]TIA ROMITIA (Florence of Rome); PENELOPE (Penelope); SOMRAMIS (Semiramis); HELENA (Empress Helena); HESTER (Esther); DEBORA (the prophet Deborah); SABA (Queen of Sheba); ASIA (the continent Asia, at this time iconographically associated with the spread of Fame).

 

Mounting the steps to enter Honor’s pavilion are, at the left, SERTORIUS (General Sertorius) and MARCELLA (Consul Marcellus), crowned by DIGNITE (Dignity) and TRIU[M]PH (Triumph); at the right, PHOCAS (Phocias) and PHUS (unidentifiable) welcome two additional unnamed protagonists.

 

At upper corners: NATURA (Nature); SCRIPTRAS (Scripture).

 

Amongst the foreground proragonists are: IORAM (Joram), IULIANUS APOSTATA (Julian the Apostate), JEROBOAM (Jereboam), HELENA (Helen of Troy) and PARIS (Paris), TARQUIN (Sextus Tarquinius), MELISA (probably an error due to reweaving of MEDUSA), IEZEBEL (Jezebel), NERO (Emperor Nero), MARCUS ANTONI (Mark Anthony), HOLOFERNES (Holofernes) and SARDANAPALUS (King Sardanapalus)

 

Three inscriptions in cartouches along the uppermost register of the border: “QUISQUIS UT AD CLARUM STUDIOSUS SCANDAT HONOREM / NATURA ASSIDUIS PROVOCAT ALMA TUBIS” (“Generous nature urges with constant trumpets / Anyone to ascend zealously to glorious Honor”); “CANDIDA QUOS MISIT VIRTUS HONOR ARCE RECEPTANS / LAUREAT AMBITIO QUOS TULIT INDE FUGAT” (“Those whom shining Virtue sent, Honor receives and crowns in the citadel. Those whom Ambition inspired, he makes flee from there”); “SEDULO DOCTA IUBET MODULIS SCRIPTURA DISERTIS / NE QUIS HONORIPAROS TARDET INITRE LARES” (“Scholarly Scriptura ordains with skillful means measures that no one should delay to enter the house of Honor”).

La personificazione in trono e barbuto di Honor riceve la corona d'alloro del vincitore da Virtue and Victory. Maestà e rispetto siedono come ancelle ai piedi di Onore, ei più lodati regnanti della storia, ciascuno identificato dal nome, fiancheggiano il suo trono; sotto ci sono dieci donne virtuose, strappate alla mitologia, alla Bibbia e alle più recenti storie apocrife. Lo scriba centrale esamina la lista dei celebranti di Honor, mentre in primo piano una folla indisciplinata di protagonisti storici e letterari blocca il padiglione di Honor.

 

Questo arazzo faceva parte di un set di sette pezzi che presentava una guida allegorica alle qualità che un governante di successo dovrebbe sposare. Il set è stato fatto per il cardinale Erard de la Marck (1472-1538), principe-vescovo di Liegi, e inviato leale e finanziatore del Sacro Romano Imperatore Carlo V.

Firme, iscrizioni e segni

Iscrizione: Nomi di personaggi, in latino, al centro, in alto: VICTUS (probabilmente una lettura errata del cartone animato o del palcoscenico per VIRTUS- Virtù); MAIESTAS (Maestà); REVER [N] TIA (Rispetto); VICTORIA (vittoria).

 

Top livello di sovrani, inscritto da sinistra a destra: GODEEREDUS BUHONIUS (Godfrey of Bouillon); S. LODOVICUS (Luigi IX di Francia); CAROL MAGN (Carlo Magno); COSTANTINO (imperatore Costantino); DAVID (King David); Ottaviano (imperatore Augusto); ABRAM (Abraham); ALEXANDER MAGN (Alessandro Magno).

 

Secondo livello di femmine virtuose: FLORE [N] TIA ROMITIA (Firenze di Roma); PENELOPE (Penelope); SOMRAMIS (Semiramis); HELENA (Imperatrice Elena); HESTER (Esther); DEBORA (il profeta Deborah); SABA (Regina di Saba); ASIA (il continente asiatico, in questo momento iconograficamente associato alla diffusione di Fame).

 

I passi per entrare nel padiglione di Honor sono, a sinistra, SERTORIUS (generale Sertorius) e MARCELLA (console Marcello), incoronati da DIGNITE (Dignity) e TRIU [M] PH (Triumph); a destra, PHOCAS (Phocias) e PHUS (non identificabili) danno il benvenuto a due altri protagonisti senza nome.

 

Agli angoli superiori: NATURA (natura); SCRIPTRAS (Scrittura).

 

Tra i proragonisti in primo piano ci sono: IORAM (Joram), IULIANUS APOSTATA (Julian the Apostate), JEROBOAM (Jereboam), HELENA (Helen of Troy) e PARIS (Parigi), TARQUIN (Sextus Tarquinius), MELISA (probabilmente un errore dovuto al riavvolgimento di MEDUSA), IEZEBEL (Jezebel), NERO (Imperatore Nerone), MARCUS ANTONI (Mark Anthony), HOLOFERNES (Oloferne) e SARDANAPALUS (Re Sardanapalus)

 

Tre iscrizioni in cartiglio lungo il registro superiore del confine: "QUISQUIS UT AD CLARUM STUDIOSUS SCANDAT HONOREM / NATURA ASSIDUIS PROVOCAT ALMA TUBIS" ("La natura generosa spinge con trombe costanti / Chiunque ascenda zelantemente al glorioso Onore"); "CANDIDA QUOS MISIT VIRTUS HONOR ARCE RECEPTANS / LAUREAT AMBITIO QUOS TULIT INDE FUGAT" ("Coloro che brillano di virtù, Honor riceve e incorona nella cittadella, quelli che l'ambizione ha ispirato, fugge da lì"); "SEDULO DOCTA IUBET MODULIS SCRIPTURA DISERTIS / NE QUIS HONORIPAROS TARDET INITRE LARES" ("La Scriptura ordinata con mezzi abili misura che nessuno dovrebbe ritardare per entrare nella casa d'onore")

The enthroned and bearded personification of Honor receives the victor's laurel crown from Virtue and Victory. Majesty and Respect sit like handmaidens at Honor's feet, and the most lauded rulers of history, each identified by name, flank his throne; below are ten virtuous women, plucked from mythology, the Bible and more recent apocryphal histories. The central scribe peruses the list of Honor's celebrants, whilst in the foreground an unruly mob of historical and literary protagonists beseige Honor's pavilion.

 

This tapestry was part of a seven-piece set presenting an allegorical guide to the qualities which a successful ruler should espouse. The set was made for Cardinal Erard de la Marck (1472–1538), Prince-Bishop of Liège, and loyal envoy and financial backer of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Inscription: Names of characters, in Latin, at center, top: VICTUS (probably a misreading at cartoon or weaving stage for VIRTUS- Virtue); MAIESTAS (Majesty); REVER[N]TIA (Respect); VICTORIA (Victory).

 

Top tier of rulers, inscribed left to right: GODEEREDUS BUHONIUS (Godfrey of Bouillon); S. LODOVICUS (Louis IX of France); CAROL MAGN (Charlemagne); CONSTANTINUS (Emperor Constantine); DAVID (King David); OCTAVIUS (Emperor Augustus); ABRAM (Abraham); ALEXANDER MAGN (Alexander the Great).

 

Second tier of virtuous females: FLORE[N]TIA ROMITIA (Florence of Rome); PENELOPE (Penelope); SOMRAMIS (Semiramis); HELENA (Empress Helena); HESTER (Esther); DEBORA (the prophet Deborah); SABA (Queen of Sheba); ASIA (the continent Asia, at this time iconographically associated with the spread of Fame).

 

Mounting the steps to enter Honor’s pavilion are, at the left, SERTORIUS (General Sertorius) and MARCELLA (Consul Marcellus), crowned by DIGNITE (Dignity) and TRIU[M]PH (Triumph); at the right, PHOCAS (Phocias) and PHUS (unidentifiable) welcome two additional unnamed protagonists.

 

At upper corners: NATURA (Nature); SCRIPTRAS (Scripture).

 

Amongst the foreground proragonists are: IORAM (Joram), IULIANUS APOSTATA (Julian the Apostate), JEROBOAM (Jereboam), HELENA (Helen of Troy) and PARIS (Paris), TARQUIN (Sextus Tarquinius), MELISA (probably an error due to reweaving of MEDUSA), IEZEBEL (Jezebel), NERO (Emperor Nero), MARCUS ANTONI (Mark Anthony), HOLOFERNES (Holofernes) and SARDANAPALUS (King Sardanapalus)

 

Three inscriptions in cartouches along the uppermost register of the border: “QUISQUIS UT AD CLARUM STUDIOSUS SCANDAT HONOREM / NATURA ASSIDUIS PROVOCAT ALMA TUBIS” (“Generous nature urges with constant trumpets / Anyone to ascend zealously to glorious Honor”); “CANDIDA QUOS MISIT VIRTUS HONOR ARCE RECEPTANS / LAUREAT AMBITIO QUOS TULIT INDE FUGAT” (“Those whom shining Virtue sent, Honor receives and crowns in the citadel. Those whom Ambition inspired, he makes flee from there”); “SEDULO DOCTA IUBET MODULIS SCRIPTURA DISERTIS / NE QUIS HONORIPAROS TARDET INITRE LARES” (“Scholarly Scriptura ordains with skillful means measures that no one should delay to enter the house of Honor”).

La personificazione in trono e barbuto di Honor riceve la corona d'alloro del vincitore da Virtue and Victory. Maestà e rispetto siedono come ancelle ai piedi di Onore, ei più lodati regnanti della storia, ciascuno identificato dal nome, fiancheggiano il suo trono; sotto ci sono dieci donne virtuose, strappate alla mitologia, alla Bibbia e alle più recenti storie apocrife. Lo scriba centrale esamina la lista dei celebranti di Honor, mentre in primo piano una folla indisciplinata di protagonisti storici e letterari blocca il padiglione di Honor.

 

Questo arazzo faceva parte di un set di sette pezzi che presentava una guida allegorica alle qualità che un governante di successo dovrebbe sposare. Il set è stato fatto per il cardinale Erard de la Marck (1472-1538), principe-vescovo di Liegi, e inviato leale e finanziatore del Sacro Romano Imperatore Carlo V.

Firme, iscrizioni e segni

Iscrizione: Nomi di personaggi, in latino, al centro, in alto: VICTUS (probabilmente una lettura errata del cartone animato o del palcoscenico per VIRTUS- Virtù); MAIESTAS (Maestà); REVER [N] TIA (Rispetto); VICTORIA (vittoria).

 

Top livello di sovrani, inscritto da sinistra a destra: GODEEREDUS BUHONIUS (Godfrey of Bouillon); S. LODOVICUS (Luigi IX di Francia); CAROL MAGN (Carlo Magno); COSTANTINO (imperatore Costantino); DAVID (King David); Ottaviano (imperatore Augusto); ABRAM (Abraham); ALEXANDER MAGN (Alessandro Magno).

 

Secondo livello di femmine virtuose: FLORE [N] TIA ROMITIA (Firenze di Roma); PENELOPE (Penelope); SOMRAMIS (Semiramis); HELENA (Imperatrice Elena); HESTER (Esther); DEBORA (il profeta Deborah); SABA (Regina di Saba); ASIA (il continente asiatico, in questo momento iconograficamente associato alla diffusione di Fame).

 

I passi per entrare nel padiglione di Honor sono, a sinistra, SERTORIUS (generale Sertorius) e MARCELLA (console Marcello), incoronati da DIGNITE (Dignity) e TRIU [M] PH (Triumph); a destra, PHOCAS (Phocias) e PHUS (non identificabili) danno il benvenuto a due altri protagonisti senza nome.

 

Agli angoli superiori: NATURA (natura); SCRIPTRAS (Scrittura).

 

Tra i proragonisti in primo piano ci sono: IORAM (Joram), IULIANUS APOSTATA (Julian the Apostate), JEROBOAM (Jereboam), HELENA (Helen of Troy) e PARIS (Parigi), TARQUIN (Sextus Tarquinius), MELISA (probabilmente un errore dovuto al riavvolgimento di MEDUSA), IEZEBEL (Jezebel), NERO (Imperatore Nerone), MARCUS ANTONI (Mark Anthony), HOLOFERNES (Oloferne) e SARDANAPALUS (Re Sardanapalus)

 

Tre iscrizioni in cartiglio lungo il registro superiore del confine: "QUISQUIS UT AD CLARUM STUDIOSUS SCANDAT HONOREM / NATURA ASSIDUIS PROVOCAT ALMA TUBIS" ("La natura generosa spinge con trombe costanti / Chiunque ascenda zelantemente al glorioso Onore"); "CANDIDA QUOS MISIT VIRTUS HONOR ARCE RECEPTANS / LAUREAT AMBITIO QUOS TULIT INDE FUGAT" ("Coloro che brillano di virtù, Honor riceve e incorona nella cittadella, quelli che l'ambizione ha ispirato, fugge da lì"); "SEDULO DOCTA IUBET MODULIS SCRIPTURA DISERTIS / NE QUIS HONORIPAROS TARDET INITRE LARES" ("La Scriptura ordinata con mezzi abili misura che nessuno dovrebbe ritardare per entrare nella casa d'onore")

Dagadusheth Halwai (Dagadusheth Gadve) was Lingayat trader originally from Karnataka and settled in Pune. His original surname was "Gadve" but later more renowned as Halwai (sweetmaker) as his surname due to his profession.Later he was known as Dagadusheth Halwai. Original Halwai shop still existsts near by named Kaka Halwai (as franchise run by his posterity of "Gadve Family" ) near Datta Mandir in Pune.

 

He was very famous and rich sweet trader. He was a very virtuous and righteous man. Shri.. Datta Mandir placed in Budhwar Peth, Pune was their residential Building. During those times in the outbreak of plague Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai lost his son. Due to this episode he himself and his wife were very depressed and disturbed. During the same time his Guruji Shri.. Madhavnath Maharaj consoled him and advised him to make two idols of God Shri. Datta Maharaj and Shri. Ganpati and asked him to worship them and to take care of them like his own son. In future just as offspring brings radiance to his father´s name these idols would do the same for him. And as per his Guruji´s advice he made two idols of Shri.. Datta Maharaj and Shri. Ganpati, and this very idol is the first idol, now this idol is placed in Aakara Maruti Temple, Shukrawar Peth, this idol is worshiped everyday with detailed rituals and rites.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagadusheth_Halwai_Ganapati_Temple

A long planned visit to Leeds to record the church.

 

Leeds is just off the M20, and nearby to Leeds Castle, which means the roads are often busy. St Nicholas is on the main road leading up the down, but before the road gets narrow as it winds between the timber framed houses. Thankfully there is good parking next door, so we were able to get off the main road and out of the traffic, as unbeknown to us, there was a classical music show on that night, and most of Kent were going and in the process of arriving.

 

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One of the largest twelfth-century towers in Kent. The arch between tower and nave is of three very plain orders with no hint of the usual zigzag moulding of the period, and is so large that a meeting room has recently been built into it. The nave has three bay aisles and short chapels to north and south of the chancel. The outstanding rood screen was partially reconstructed in 1892, and runs the full width of nave and aisles - with the staircase doorways in the south aisle. That the chancel was rebuilt in the sixteenth century may be seen by the plain sedilia through which is cut one of two hagioscopes from chapels to chancel. The north chapel contains some good seventeenth- and eighteenth-century tablets and monuments. The stained glass shows some excellent examples of the work of Heaton, Butler and Bayne (south aisle) whilst there is an uncharacteristically poor example of the work of C.E. Kempe & Co. Ltd. in the north aisle. The church has recently been reordered to provide a spacious, light and manageable interior with excellent lighting and a welcoming atmosphere without damaging the character of the building.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Leeds

 

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LEEDS

IS the next parish southward from Hollingborne. Kilburne says, that one Ledian, a chief counsellor to king Ethelbert II. who began his reign in 978, raised a fortress here, which was called in Latin, from him, Ledani Castrum, and in process of time in English, LEEDS. This castle was afterwards demolished by the Danes, and continued in that situation till the time of the Norman conquest.

 

THE PRESENT CASTLE is situated at the southeast boundary of this parish, adjoining to Bromfield, which includes a part of the castle itself. It is situated in the midst of the park, an ample description of it the reader will find hereafter. The Lenham rivulet takes its course through the park, and having supplied the moat, in which the castle stands, and the several waters in the grounds there, and having received into it the several small streamlets from Hollingborne, and one from the opposite side, which comes from Leeds abbey, it flows on, and at a small distance from Caring street, in this parish, adjoining to Bersted, the principal estate of which name there belongs to the Drapers company, it turns a mill, and then goes on to Maidstone, where it joins the river Medway. The high road from Ashford and Lenham runs close by the outside of the pales of Leeds park, at the northern boundary of the parish next to Hollingborne, and thence goes on towards Bersted and Maidstone, from which the park is distant a little more than five miles; here the soil is a deep sand, but near the river it changes to a black moorish earth. Southward from the castle the ground rises, at about three quarters of a mile south-west from it is Leeds abbey, the front of which is a handsome well-looking building, of the time of queen Elizabeth. It is not unpleasantly situated on a gentle eminence, and is well watered by a small stream which rises just above it, and here turns a mill. It is well cloathed with wood at the back part of it, to which the ground still keeps rising; adjoining to the abbey grounds westward is Leeds-street, a long straggling row of houses, near a mile in length, having the church at the south end of it; here the soil becomes a red unfertile earth much mixed with slints, which continues till it joins to Langley and Otham.

 

LEEDS was part of those possessions given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux; accordingly it is thus entered, under the general title of that prelate's lands, in the survey of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.

 

Adelold holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Esiedes. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are two carucates, and twenty-eight villeins, with eight borderers, having seven carucates. There is a church, and eighteen servants. There are two arpends of vineyard, and eight acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty bogs, and five mills of the villeins. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth sixteen pounds, the like when be received it, now twenty pounds, and yet it pays twentyfive pounds. Earl Leuuin held it.

 

Of this manor the abbot of St. Augustine has half a suling, which is worth ten shillings, in exchange of the park of the bishop of Baieux. The earl of Ewe has four denns of this manor, which are worth twenty shillings.

 

The mention of the two arpends of vineyard in the above survey, is another instance of there having been such in this county in early times, some further observations of which the reader will find in the description of the parish of Chart Sutton, not far distant, and he will likewise observe, that at the above time the bishop of Baieux had a park here, which he acquired by exchange with the abbot of St. Augustine, who must therefore have had possessions here before that time.

 

On the bishop of Baieux's disgrace, about four years after the taking of the above-mentioned survey, this estate, among the rest of his possessions, became consiscated to the crown.

 

After which it was granted by king William to the eminent family of Crevequer, called in antient charters Creveceur, and in Latin, De Crepito Corde, who at first made Chatham in this county their seat, or caput baroniæ, i. e. the principal manor of their barony, for some time, until they removed hither, being before frequently written Domini de Cetham.

 

Robert, son of Hamon de Crevequer, who had probably a grant of Leeds from the Conqueror, appears to have held it of the king, as of his castle of Dover, in capite by barony, their barony, which consisted of five knight's sees, being stiled Baronia de Crevequer . (fn. 1) He erected the castle here, to which he asterwards removed the capital seat of his barony. This castle being environed with water, was frequently mentioned in antient writings by the name of Le Mote. In the north-west part of it he built a chapel, in which he placed three canons, which on his foundation of the priory of Leeds, in the 19th year of king Henry I. he removed thither.

 

His descendant, Hamon de Crevequer, lived in the reign of king Henry III. in the 19th year of which, he was joined with Walterand Teutonicus, or Teys, in the wardenship of the five ports, and the next year had possession granted to him of the lands of William de Albrincis or Averenches, whose daughter and heir Maud he had married. He died in the 47th year of king Henry III. possessed of the manor of Ledes, held of the king in capite, as belonging to his barony of Chatham; upon which Robert, his grandson, viz. son of Hamon his son, who died in his life-time, succeeded him as his heir, and in the 52d year of that reign, exchanged the manor of Ledes, with its appurtenances, together with a moiety of all his fees, with Roger de Leyburne, for the manors of Trottesclyve and Flete. He lest William de Leyburne, his son and heir, who in the 2d year of king Edward I. had possession granted to him of the manor of Ledes, as well as of the rest of his inheritance, of which Eleanor, countess of Winchester, his father's widow, was not endowed. (fn. 2)

 

His son, William de Leyborne, observing that the king looked on the strength of this fortress with a jealous eye, in the beginning of king Edward Ist.'s reign reinstated the crown in the possession of both the manor and castle; and the king having, in his 27th year married Margaret, sister of Philip, king of France, he settled them, being then of the clear yearly value of 21l. 6s. 8d. among other premises, as part of her dower. She survived the king her husband, who died in 1307, and in the 5th year of the next reign of king Edward II. by the king's recommendation, appointed Bartholomew de Badlesmere, a nobleman of great power and eminence, and much in that prince's favor, governor of this castle. (fn. 3) She died possessed of them in the 10th year of that reign; on which they came once more into the hands of the crown, and in the beginning of the next year the king appointed Bartholomew de Badlesmere, above-mentioned, governor of this castle, as well as of that of Bristol. In the 11th year of that reign, the king granted to him in see, this manor and castle, and the advowson of the priory of Ledes, in exchange for the manor of Addresley, in Shropshire. Being possessed of great possessions, especially in this county, he was usually stiled, the rich lord Badlesmere of Ledes. Being pussed up through ambition and his great wealth, he forgot his allegiance, and associated himself with the earl of Lancaster, and the discontented barons; which the king being well informed of, resolved, if possible, to gain possession of this strong fortress of Ledes: to effect which, under pretence of the queen's going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, she set forward for that city with a large train of attendants, and, with a secret intention of surprising this castle, sent her marshal with others of her servants, to prepare lodging for her and her suit in it. The lord Badlesmere's family, that is, his wife, son, and four daughters, were at that time in it, together with all his treasure, deposited there for safety, under the care of Thomas Colepeper, the castellan, who refused the queen's servants admittance, and on her coming up, peremptorily persisted in denying her or any one entrance, without letters from his lord. The queen, upon this, made some attempt to gain admittance by force, and a skirmish ensued, in which one or more of her attendants were slain, but being repulsed, she was obliged to relinquish her design, and to retire for a lodging elsewhere.

 

The king, chagrined at the failure of his scheme, and highly resenting the indignity offered to the queen, sent a force under the earls of Pembroke and Richmond, to besiege the castle; (fn. 4) and those within it finding no hopes of relief, for though the lord Badlesmere had induced the barons to endeavours to raise the siege, yet they never advanced nearer than Kingston, yielded it up. Upon which, the lady Badlesmere and her children were sent prisoners to the tower of London, Thomas Colepeper, the castellan, was hung up, and the king took possession of the castle, as well as of all the lord Badlesmere's goods and treasures in it. But by others, Thomas de Aldone is said to have been castellan at this time, and that the castle being taken, he, with the lord Badlesmere's wife, his only son Giles, his daughters, Sir Bartholomew de Burgershe, and his wife, were sent to the tower of London by the king's order; and that afterwards, he caused Walter Colepeper, bailiff of the Seven Hundreds, to be drawn in a pitiable manner at the tails of horses, and to be hung just by this castle; on which Thomas Colepeper, and others, who were with him in Tunbridge castle, hearing of the king's approach, sled to the barons.

 

After which the lord Badlesmere, being taken prisoner in Yorkshire, was sent to Canterbury, and there drawn and hanged at the gallows of Blean, and his head being cut off, was set on a pole on Burgate, in that city. Upon which the manor and castle of Leeds, became part of the royal revenue and the castle remained in a most ruinous condition till the year 1359, anno 34 Edward III. in which year that munisicent prelate, William of Wickham, was constituted by the king, chief warden and surveyor of his castle of Ledes, among others, (fn. 5) having power to appoint all workmen, to provide materials, and to order every thing with regard to building and repairs; and in those manors to hold leets and other courts of trespass and misdemeanors, and to enquire of the king's liberties and rights; and from his attention to the re-edisying and rebuilding the rest of them, there is little doubt but he restored this of Leeds to a very superior state to whatever it had been before, insomuch, that it induced king Richard to visit it several times, particularly in his 19th year, in which several of his instruments were dated at his castle of Ledes; and it appears to have been at that time accounted a fortress of some strength, for in the beginning of the next reign, that unfortunate prince was, by order of king Henry IV. sent prisoner to this castle; and that king himself resided here part of the month of April in his 2d year.

 

After which, archbishop Arundel, whose mind was by no means inferior to his high birth, procured a grant of this castle, where he frequently resided and kept his court, whilst the process against the lord Cobham was carrying forward, and some of his instruments were dated from his castle of Ledes in the year 1413, being the year in which he died. On his death it reverted again to the crown, and became accounted as one of the king's houses, many of the principal gentry of the county being instrusted with the custody of it:

 

In the 7th year of king Henry V. Joane of Navarre, the second queen of the late king Henry IV. being accused of conspiring against the life of the king, her son-in-law, was committed to Leeds-castle, there to remain during the king's pleasure; and being afterwards ordered into Sir John Pelham's custody, he removed her to the castle of Pevensey, in Sussex.

 

In the 18th year of king Henry VI. archbishop Chichele sat at the king's castle of Leeds, in the process against Eleanor, duchess of Gloucester, for forcery and witchcrast.

 

King Edward IV. in his 11th year, made Ralph St. Leger, esq. of Ulcomb, who had served the office of sheriff of this county three years before, constable of this castle for life, and annexed one of the parks as a farther emolument to that office. He died that year, and was buried with his ancestors at Ulcomb.

 

Sir Thomas Bourchier resided at Leeds castle in the 1st year of king Richard III. in which year he had commission, among others of the principal gentry of this county, to receive the oaths of allegiance to king Richard, of the inhabitants of the several parts of Kent therein mentioned; in which year, the king confirmed the liberties of Leeds priory, in recompence of twentyfour acres of land in Bromfield, granted for the enlargement of his park of Ledes.

 

In the 4th year of king Henry VIII. Henry Guildford, esq. had a grant of the office of constable of Leeds castle, and of the parkership of it; and in the 12th year of that reign, he had a grant of the custody of the manor of Leeds, with sundry perquisities, for forty years. He died in the 23d year of that reign, having re-edisied great part of the castle, at the king's no small charge.

 

But the fee simple of the manor and castle of Leeds remained in the hands of the crown, till Edward VI. in his 6th year, granted them, with their appurtenances in the parishes of Leeds, Langley, and Sutton, to Sir Anthony St. Leger, lord deputy of Ireland, to hold in capite by knight's service.

 

His son, Sir Warham St. Leger, succeeded him in this manor and castle, and was afterwards chief governor of Munster, in Ireland, in which province he was unfortunately slain in 1599, (fn. 6) but before his death he alienated this manor and castle to Sir Richard Smyth, fourth son of Thomas Smyth, esq. of Westenhanger, commonly called Customer Smyth.

 

Sir Richard Smyth resided at Leeds castle, of which he died possessed in 1628, and was buried in Ashford church, where there is a costly monument erected to his memory.

 

Sir John Smith, his only son, succeeded his father, and resided at Leeds castle, and dying s. p. in 1632, was buried in this church; upon which his two sisters, Alice, wife of Sir Timothy Thornhill, and Mary, of Maurice Barrow, esq. became his coheirs, and entitled their respective husbands to the property of this manor and castle, which they afterwards joined in the sale of to Sir T. Culpeper, of Hollingborne, who settled this estate, after his purchase of it, on his eldest son Cheney Culpeper, remainder to his two other sons, Francis and Thomas. Cheney Culpeper, esq. resided at Leedscastle for some time, till at length persuading his brother Sir Thomas Culpeper, of Hollingborne, (then his only surviving brother, Francis being dead. s. p.) to cut off the entail of this estate, he alienated it to his cousin Sir John Colepeper, lord Colepeper, only son of Sir John Culpeper, of Wigsell, in Sussex, whose younger brother Francis was of Greenway-court, in Hollingborne, and was father of Sir Thomas Culpeper, the purchaser of this estate as before-mentioned.

 

Sir John Colepeper represented this county in parliament in the 16th year of king Charles I. and being a person, who by his abilities had raised himself much in the king's favor, was made of his privy council, and chancellor of the exchequer, afterwards master of the rolls, and governor of the Isle of Wight. During the troubles of that monarch, he continued stedfast to the royal cause, and as a reward for his services, was in 1644 created lord Colepeper, baron of Thoresway, in Lincolnshire.

 

After the king's death he continued abroad with king Charles II. in his exile. During his absence, Leeds-castle seems to have been in the possession of the usurping powers, and to have been made use of by them, for the assembling of their committee men and sequestrators, and for a receptacle to imprison the ejected ministers, for in 1652, all his estates had been declared by parliament forfeited, for treason against the state. He died in 1660, a few weeks only after the restoration, and was buried at Hollingborne. He bore for his arms, Argent, a bend ingrailed gules, the antient bearing of this family; he left by his second wife Judith, daughter of Sir Thomas Culpeper, of Hollingborne, several children, of whom Thomas was his successor in title and estates, and died without male issue as will be mentioned hereafter, John succeeded his brother in the title, and died in 1719 s. p. and Cheney succeeded his brother in the title, and died at his residence of Hoston St. John, in 1725, s. p. likewise, by which the title became extinct; they all, with the rest of the branch of the family, lie buried at Hollingborne. Thomas, lord Colepeper, the eldest son, succeeded his father in title, and in this manor and castle, where he resided, and having married Margaret, daughter of Signior Jean de Hesse, of a noble family in Germany, he left by her a sole daughter and heir Catherine, who intitled her husband Thomas, lord Fairfax, of Cameron, in Scotland, to this manor and castle, with his other estates in this neighbourhood.

 

The family of Fairfax appear by old evidences in the hands of the family to have been in possession of lands in Yorkshire near six hundred years ago. Richard Fairfax was possessed of lands in that county in the reign of king John, whose grandson William Fairfax in the time of king Henry III. purchased the manor of Walton, in the West Riding, where he and his successors resided for many generations afterwards, and from whom descended the Fairfax's, of Walton and Gilling, in Yorkshire; of whom, Sir Thomas Fairfax, of Gilling, was created viscount Fairfax, of the kingdom of Ireland, which title became extinct in 1772; and from a younger branch of them descended Sir Thomas Fairfax, of Denton, who lived in queen Elizabeth's reign, and changed the original field of his coat armour from argent to or, bearing for his arms, Or, 3 bars gemelles, gules, surmounted of a lion rampant, sable, crown'd, of the first, and was father of Sir. T. Fairfax, who was, for his services to James and Charles I. created in 1627 lord Fairfax, baron of Cameron, in Scotland. He died in 1640, having had ten sons and two daughters; of whom, Ferdinando was his successor; Henry was rector of Bolton Percy, and had two sons, Henry, who became lord Fairfax, and Bryan, who was ancestor of Bryan Fairfax, late commissioner of the customs; and colonel Charles Fairfax, of Menston, was the noted antiquary, whose issue settled there.

 

Ferdinando, the second lord Fairfax, in the civil wars of king Charles I. was made general of the parliamentary forces, and died at York in 1646. His son, Sir Thomas Fairfax, succeeded him as lord Fairfax, and in all his posts under the parliament, and was that famous general so noted in English history during the civil wars, being made commander in chief of all the parliamentary forces; but at last he grew so weary of the distress and confusion which his former actions had brought upon his unhappy country, that he heartily concurred in the restoration of king Charles II. After which he retired to his seat at Bilborough, in Yorkshire, where he died in 1671, and was buried there, leaving by Anne, daughter and coheir of Horatio, lord Vere of Tilbury, a truly loyal and virtuous lady, an only daughter; upon which the title devolved to Henry Fairfax, esq. of Oglesthorpe, in Yorkshire, his first cousin, eldest son of Henry, rector of Bolton Percy, the second son of Thomas, the first lord Fairfax. Henry, lord Fairfax, died in 1680, and was succeeded by his eldest son Thomas, fifth lord Fairfax, who was bred to a military life, and rose to the rank of a brigadier-general. He represented Yorkshire in several parliaments and marrying Catherine, daughter and heir of Thomas, lord Colepeper, possessed, in her right this manor and castle, and other large possessions, as before-mentioned. (fn. 7)

 

He died possessed of them in 1710, leaving three sons and four daughters, Thomas, who succeeded him as lord Fairfax; Henry Culpeper, who died unmarried, in 1734; and Robert, of whom hereafter. Of the daughters, Margaret married David Wilkins, D. D. and prebendary of Canterbury, and Francis married Denny Martin, esq. Thomas, lord Fairfax, the son, resided at Leeds-castle till his quitting England, to reside on his great possessions in Virginia, where he continued to the time of his death. On his departure from England, he gave up the possession of this manor and castle, with his other estates in this neighbourhood, to his only surviving brother, the hon. Robert Fairfax, who afterwards resided at Leeds-castle, and on his brother's death unmarried, in 1782, succeeded to the title of lord Fairfax. He was at first bred to a military life, but becoming possessed of Leeds castle, he retired there, and afterwards twice served in parliament for the town of Maidstoue, as he did afterwards in two successive parliaments for this county. He was twice married; first to Marsha, daughter and coheir of Anthony Collins, esq. of Baddow, in Essex, by whom he had one son, who died an instant; and, secondly, to one of the daughters of Thomas Best, esq. of Chatham, who died s. p. in 1750. Lord Fairfax dying s. p. in 1793, this castle and manor, with the rest of his estates in this county, came to his nephew the Rev. Denny Martin, the eldest son of his sister Frances, by Denny Martin, esq. of Loose, who had before his uncle's death been created D. D. and had, with the royal licence, assumed the name and arms of Fairfax. Dr. Fairfax is the present possessor of this manor and castle, and resides here, being at present unmarried.

 

A court leet and court baron is held for the manor of Leeds, at which three borsholders are appointed. It is divided into six divisions, or yokes as they are called, viz. Church-yoke, Ferinland-yoke, Mill-yoke, Russerken-yoke, Stockwell-yoke, and Lees-yoke.

  

marketplace.secondlife.com/ja-JP/stores/191603

• Anckljor: A short humanoid–shaped angel that hails from the plane of Paradise. It is the smaller and more agile counterpart of the DeyRhine, and holds similar duties in Heaven. Unlike the DeyRhine, the Anckljor is trained specifically for fighting, being especially skilled with blades and blunts, and can talk. It is also small enough to be sent down in decent numbers to the Prime Galaxy to aid in times of crisis, and indeed they have provided aid to the forces of Good in nearly every major conflict against demonic forces throughout history. Like all varieties of angel, they will protect and serve with their lives the Heavenly Lord of their association, in this case that of Justice. The Anckljor is also notable for being among the few angel species with actual halos, a feature normally reserved for the souls of the virtuous dead.

HEIGHT: < 1 meter

WEIGHT: 500, Extra–Corporeal

 

• Ebonorate: This humanoid from the Beta Octant’s planet Repapoge is extremely dangerous and should only be approached with multiple shotguns at the ready. The Ebonorates are vicious and hostile barbarians with no sense of civil decency yet a disproportionately vast understanding of technology which they use for horrific purposes. At birth, every Ebonorate has symbiotic ebony armor grafted to its body, a process that many of them do not survive. The Ebonorates have hunted multiple animal species of their home planet to extinction and, according to some historical evidence, may have even wiped out a second humanoid race that once existed on Repapoge. The most successful attempt ever to bring any sort of civilization to these monstrosities has been, ironically, the occupation of their planet by Kortshez of the Dynamo Legion from Ages 750–771.

HEIGHT: 5 Feet–2 Meters

WEIGHT: > 200 lb. (Armor accounted)

DURABILITY VALUE: ~900 (Armor accounted)

 

• Tiolmitch: The fourth out of five humanoid races of Sertrop. Tiolmitches live on a subcontinent in the Southeastern section of Sertrop’s geography, and once each year they travel across a long land–bridge to an adjacent set of islands on which their establishments of prayer are located, to celebrate the anniversary of the liberation of their homeland from the demons that originally inhabited it long before Age 0 Relative. Tiolmitches revere nature and plant life, and hold as their “Patron saint” the famous Guardian of Terramos. Some of them have even moved to said planet in order to be in an environment in which they feel more at home. The race is also notorious for its disdain for fighting, even when it is in their best interest to do so, as shown when they refused to aid the rest of their planet during the devastating Vision Wars. As punishment, the next time they visited their racial temples to perform the yearly rituals, a curse befell every Tiolmitch in which razor–sharp claws appeared from the next world and slashed them across the face, blinding them in one eye. The distinctive scar left by this assault was not only permanent, but every Tiolmitch born from that point on would have the same injuries from birth.

HEIGHT: 4–5 Feet

WEIGHT: 120 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 500–>600–>700

 

• Penpmole: The Penpmole is a big, dumb and gigantic beast–hominid found deep within the deep forests of Yominasst. They live in groups of about two, three or four and set up their camps by burning down the trees in an area to make clearings for them. The forests in which Penpmoles live are otherwise noted for their abundance of pineapples, and it has been pointed out how this beast superficially resembles said plant, a popular joke in Yominasstian culture. It is also said that their massive, uneven, rainbow liquid–filled eye sockets are the way they are due to the influence of Primal Energies lying beneath the region where they live. Yet despite their quirky characteristics, Penpmoles are in reality no laughing matter. Because as one saying goes, whenever you mess with them, chances are your brain will be smashed in within four seconds afterward.

HEIGHT: 10 Feet–3 Meters

WEIGHT: 500 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: > 1,000

 

• Vreremar: Free–floating, eel–like Hulptosian creatures that used to live primarily in and around the EndoBubble, and were one of the few other animals the Nelolmonts had direct contact with in their isolated society. When the EndoBubble was destroyed (see below), most of the Vreremar were killed in the explosions, with only the ones on the farthest outskirts surviving. After that incident, the remaining population migrated West to make their race’s new home around a dormant underwater volcano. Vreremar have the ability to shift the colors on certain parts of their bodies, a trait which is used both for camouflage and to attract mates. Other than that, they are basic, lesser creatures.

HEIGHT: 2–3 Feet (Fully extended)

WEIGHT: 20–25 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 200–300

 

• Nelolmont: Nelolmonts are/were aquatic intellectuals that once resided in The EndoBubble on planet Hulptos, which they were the predominant humanoids of. Created physically weak and feeble but highly intelligent and enlightened, they were isolated and protected from the rest of their planet’s environment by the energy field provided by the EndoBubble in which they lived. The Nelolmonts, who are also the only humanoids in the entire Prime Galaxy with both the ability to breathe underwater and the inability to survive on dry land, had one of the easiest existences of any race for centuries, time which was well–spent developing an underwater utopia that yielded many scientific, literary and architectural achievements. Given all their accomplishments as well as the fact that they were so relatively defenseless, it was an utter travesty that in Age 566, Hulptos was viciously invaded by the forces of Cosmo’rath personally led by the ruthless Evil Ninja Emperor Heinrich and the EndoBubble was orbitally bombarded by three Arcane Dreadnoughts with extremely powerful missiles of Infernal Energy that had been painstakingly created and brought into the mortal realm specifically for the purpose of doing just that, destroying it completely along with all Nelolmonts inside. Only one family, who was vacationing on another planet at the time, survived the genocide of their race, and once located they were immediately taken in against their own will by activists from Sertrop and housed in the MetaQuarium within Nog’Dod, where they were forced to (in)breed continuously for years whilst a project eventually came underway to construct a new EndoBubble, which was never successful. Currently roughly one hundred Nelolmonts, the only living members of their species, are still contained inside the MetaQuarium until the day a new home for their race is finally found… which may very well never come. In addition, all those years of inbreeding has left them significantly degenerated from what their kind used to be. Sad. Very, very sad.

HEIGHT: ~1–1.3 Meters

WEIGHT: 100 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 400

 

• Ggellod: One of the most bizarre mortal creatures there is to be found, not only on planet Ergnoplis but in all of the Prime Galaxy. Why is this? The answer is, this being is believed to have been created by a Primal Deity. It is thought that the vile spirit responsible for the existence of the Ggellods resides somewhere deep within the interior of Ergnoplis. Regardless of their nature, Ggellods are worshipped by certain cliques within Mulshian society, who believe them to be harbingers of good fortune, among other things. It is often noted how the creature’s body resembles the symbol of the Mulshian race. As they are faceless, two hatches exist on opposite ends of Ggellods’ bodies, one for pouring food into and one which excrement comes out of mere minutes after consumption. Mulshians provide the creatures “offerings” of food by way of these holes.

HEIGHT: 1.5–2.5 Feet

WEIGHT: 40 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 200–350

 

• Cooklo Lordar: A sentient beast found on planet Jamblibam. It survives in a hostile environment by creating shelter inside of any sort of container it can find, be it natural or humanoid–made. As a result, Cooklo Lordars are often found hiding inside the various urns, pots, jugs, buckets, baskets, etc. owned by the Vilvamions, the humanoids of Jamblibam. Them being generally harmless pests and the Vilvamions being generally gracious, they are usually allowed to remain doing so. They have unusually long natural lifespans, reaching upwards of eighty years, and as such their young ones mature at a very slow rate for a non–humanoid species, needing to be protected by their progenitors for several years. However, Cooklo Lordars rarely reach old age, due to their many vulnerabilities including, most notably, a very hard but still exposed brain.

HEIGHT: ~2 Feet

WEIGHT: 30 Lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 300

 

• Diechsiech: A large worm–like insectoid from planet Brinanzy, home of the unintelligible Manciatents. It has a massive poison stinger and can shoot red–hot laser beams from its eyes. This makes them among the kings of the insectoid world, on par with the quasi–insectoid Nirtrids and the infamous Dirivure of Terramos. Despite this, the Manciatents have... somehow... developed an efficient method of hunting Diechsieches with little danger on their part, and have made a fine racial delicacy out of them. Great care must still be taken, though, in removing the poisonous bits from the body before serving the meal, a task which requires a master cook.

LENGTH: 2.5–3 Feet

WEIGHT: 25 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 300

 

• Hilkidilk: A creature, and a most peculiar one indeed, of planet Qollag, home of the Uve Mards. The Hilkidilk is mostly a stationary creature whose head hides within its hollow pot of a body and waits for unsuspecting prey to come to it in the form of insects, rodents, etc. However, the most notable feature of this animal is that it can be domesticated to be used as a living stew pot. If placed over a fire, which does no harm to the Hilkidilk, the creature’s stomach acids, located in the open pot of its belly, react with the heat resulting in a liquid that food can be safely placed into and cooked in. Needless to say, the Uve Mards have made more than ample use of this. No other creature in the entire Prime Galaxy could ever replicate such an ability.

HEIGHT: 5 Feet

WEIGHT: 160 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 800

 

• Aspimean (Erratic Tribal): Aspimeans are the humanoids of planet Xekawiy in the Alpha Octant. They are supposedly the recreation of the only other humanoid species that coexisted with humans on Earth, albeit only barely intelligent enough to fit in the classification. Like other creatures from Earth, no one knows what the name for those creatures was. In any case, the Aspimean is a more advanced and civilized version of it. They live in tribes and clay hut–based villages in a beach/shoreline setting near vast jungles from which resources can be obtained, being hunter–gatherers. Their favorite food is evidently bananas, for some strange reason. They have their own language that they use among themselves but can speak English when needed, although their mastery of it is highly limited. They are also more than capable of defending themselves as a people, having successfully fought off multiple invasions of Xekawiy by the likes of the Skellen and the Dynamo Legion, sometimes with some help from the Mulshian Eggmen.

HEIGHT: 4–5 Feet

WEIGHT: 125 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 600

 

• Folleycap (Veg Muse): A wonderful creature that lives on planet Repapoge. One wonderful thing about the Folleycaps is that they live FAR AWAY from the Ebonorates, who would most likely eat their babies’ intestines for a late–morning snack if the two ever made contact. Fortunately, they haven’t, as the previous sentence already implies. They live on a magical island far off from the mainland on which they live in harmony, waddle around cutely, and produce beautiful natural music by rubbing their tendrils on their bodies. As such, the most beautiful song of theirs is “played” when they mate. Folleycaps can also fly by twirling the tendrils on top of their heads at super–speeds like propellers. As their bodies are fairly dense and heavy for creatures of such a small size, the speeds at which their propellers move need to be so fast that they can shred flesh that comes into contact with them during flight. As a result, they can attack by charging horizontally (or vertically) at something propellers–first.

HEIGHT: 1–3 Feet

WEIGHT: 30–50 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 300

 

• Imailniec (Thrax Crawler): A senile and irritable beast that lives on Dirtrama in the Delta Octant. It is a slow–moving quadruped that is protected by a jagged shell that covers a good portion of its body, and lives among drab, gray rocks and hills. It also has highly sophisticated eyes that can view both X–Rays and Infrared rays. Although, this probably is more of an inconvenience than an asset as this would severely overcrowd one’s field of vision. Imailniecs can retract their heads and legs into their bodies, and also bring them back out at high speeds to produce a headbutting effect. Even more notable is the creature’s tail, which includes one large scorpion–like stinger with multiple smaller ones growing out of it. These contain a variety of different poisons for different situations; some lethal, some not, some causing excruciating pain and others not so much. The Skellen know better than to mess with these highly dangerous creatures, and any adventurers visiting Dirtrama would be wise to do the same.

HEIGHT: 2.5 Feet

WEIGHT: > 100 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 750

 

• Goryshu (Abominable Seahorse): A demon best suited to aquatic environments that originates in the Sea of Sludge surrounding the Gomorran Desert and lives there dormant, growing and developing until the point that it sprouts Wrath creature–like claws that are used by the beast to claw its way out of the sludge and make the journey across the wastes of Hell. Then, the Goryshu climbs up the Shaft of Mortality and escapes into the Prime Galaxy. Next, it floats discreetly through space until it locates a place with a sufficient body of water to live in, and descends upon that planet. Once at its new home, the Goryshu begins its presence in the mortal realm by terrorizing and sodomizing any other water dwellers in the vicinity until they are all driven off and the demon has secured a sizable domain for itself and itself alone. Over a period of time, the creature’s evil residue taints the water and soil around it, making it increasingly unhealthy for any normal animals that draw near.

The Goryshu’s offensive capabilities include the power to shoot special demonic fireballs that can exist underwater from its mouth–tubes, and it draws this unique power from the three eyeball–shaped runes etched on its belly. The belly plating is made of reddish–colored metal substances including bronze, brass and copper, and a special invisible film secreted by the creature prevents them from rusting underwater.

HEIGHT: 6–7 Feet

WEIGHT: > 200 lb.

DURABILITY VALUE: 900

This is a view of Muller House from Narroways Hill. And if you're a resident of Bristol and haven't been to Narroways you certainly should go there! You can see where it is on Wikimapia or by clicking on the above Flickr map. To get there go up Stottbury Road, off Muller Road. When you reach the top you'll see a narrow pathway opposite Allfoxton Road. That takes you to Narroways. You'll get good views of the City as well as of Muller House itself.

 

The Grade II Listed building known as Muller House is well known to me and the countless other students and staff of the various Bristol colleges that have used it over the years. It's one of five buildings erected on the site by George Ferdinand Müller, an extraordinary German pastor and benefactor who was born on 27 September 1805 in the small Prussian town of Kroppenstedt about 30km northeast of the Harz Mountains between Hannover and Berlin. In 1810, the family moved to a village that Müller refers to as Heimersleben 6 km from Kroppenstedt where his father worked as a tax collector. In fact the village may have been Hamersleben which is 20 km northwest of Kroppenstedt

 

In his early years George Müller was far from virtuous. A spoilt son of an indulgent father, he became – even before he was ten years old – a habitual thief and fraudster. He would even purloin government funds that were entrusted to his father. In spite of his misdemeanours, George's father wanted his son to enter the Church so he sent him to the Cathedral School in Halberstadt. Later he attended a school at Nordhausen and finally the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. But, during his adolescence, he became a compulsive gambler and drunkard. And his behaviour gradually worsened until the Christmas period of 1821 when, aged 16, he spent 24 days in prison. Yet, at the age of 20, not only was he a student at a Lutheran university but – still as decadent as ever – he was accepted as a candidate for holy orders with permission to preach.

 

However, after a pleasure-seeking visit to Switzerland, a change came over George Müller. He made a full confession to his father and attended a prayer meeting led by an unsophisticated tradesman called Johann Wagner. The debauched but educated George Müller was by then well accustomed to high-flown religious services – and they left him cold – but Wagner's lowly prayer meeting was life-changing. Müller put his years of decadence behind him. He determined to live a life of active Godliness and, thereafter, attended Wagner's weekly prayer meeting whenever he could.

 

For a while his principal preoccupation was to attempt to convert Jews to Christianity but, in 1827, he spent two months in free lodgings provided in the orphan houses in Halle established a century earlier by August Hermann Francke. While there he learnt about how, starting from a single small house, Francke had set up network of orphanages in Halle. Then, in June 1828, the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews invited him to London on six months, probation. However, being a Prussian citizen, he was required to complete three years' military service. Fortuitously, having tried but failed to obtain exemption, he contracted an illness that left him unfit for service. He was therefore free to take up his London appointment.

 

In March, 1829, George Müller finally took up his post in London and started his work with a study of Hebrew and Chaldee. One of his fellow probationers told him about Anthony Norris Groves, an Exeter dentist who had given up his well-paid job and, with wife and children, gone to Persia to work as a missionary. During his study, George became ill again and, after a spell in hospital, was advised on medical grounds, to move to Teignmouth in Devon. During his recuperation in Teignmouth, Müller took the opportunity to study the Scriptures as never before. On returning to London he proclaimed that he was much better in body and soul. But he had also decided that the work of converting Jews to Christianity was not his forte and he therefore tendered his resignation to the Society.

 

Early in 1830 Müller was invited by his friends in Teignmouth to become the minister at the town's Ebenezer Chapel. The Chapel is still there though it's now the town's Gospel Hall (see the photo in the 3rd comment below). Müller accepted the invitation with some reluctance as, at that time, his command of English was not good. However he was helped in that respect by a Scottish evangelist by the name of Henry Craik. He was to become Müller's life-long friend and helper. Also in 1830, since he was now close to Exeter, Müller made a point of contacting Mary Groves, sister of the Anthony Groves the dentist who had become a missionary in Persia. On 7 October that year, they were married in St Davids Church, Exeter.

 

In 1832 the Müllers moved to Bristol where Müller became joint pastor of Bethesda Chapel that was then in Great George Street but was destroyed by a bomb in 1941. There were, at the time, many orphans in Bristol and George Müller couldn't help but remember the three months he had spent lodging in the orphan houses of August, Hermann Franke in Halle. In 1836 George and Mary Müller adapted their home to care for 30 orphaned girls. More room was soon required so they purchased houses in Wilson Street, St Pauls (now demolished). They housed 130 children, but that was still nothing like enough to house the many hundreds of orphans in the Bristol area. The Müllers response in 1849 was to open the first of five purpose-built orphanages on the hill at Ashley Down. Although they soon became known as the Muller Orphanages or, more often, the Muller Homes, that was never a name favoured by Müller himself. By 1870, 2,000 children were housed on the site. George Müller never went into debt, and never made a public appeal for donations, working on the principle that, if he had faith, God would provide.

 

One of the principal benefactors was another strongly religious German who had settled in Bristol. Conrad Finzel was a farmer’s son born in about 1790 in a village near Frankfurt. While still in his teens he fled to Britain to avoid being drafted into Napoleon’s army. He made his way to Bristol and started work in a in a sugar refinery. By 1830 he had founded Finzel's Sugar Refinery in the City. It was very lucrative but, in 1846, it was destroyed by fire. Many would have merely thought "What have I done to do deserve this". But, as was written in 1868 in The Christian Remembrancer, Volume 55 *, Finzel reflected more deeply on what had happened:

 

"I then asked myself"; he said some time afterwards, in terms eminently characteristic of the man, "what Conrad Finzel had done to call for this chastening stroke from God; and after thinking for some time, the truth flashed upon me. The Almighty had punished me because I had not given to His uses as He had blessed me. He had greatly increased my store, and I had only helped the poor in the same proportion as when I had little. Thus I deserved punishment, and God sent me this affliction to remind me of my duty, so, instead of giving so and so, I said, I will give one-third of my gains, for the future. I have given them, and God has gone on blessing me."

 

Finzel gave freely to all sorts of charitable institutions, but most freely of all to the remarkable Orphan House established on Ashley Hill, by his countryman, the Rev. George Müller. During some years it was reckoned, his gifts thereto amounted to £10,000 a year. When near his end, a friend once spoke to him of the misfortune that his death would prove to the institution. "What has the life of George Müller, or Conrad Finzel, or anyone else," he answered, "to do with the Orphan House? It is God's work, and God will take care of it when there is not one of us left." In that temper Conrad Finzel lived and worked in Bristol for nearly forty years. He died at Wiesbaden, while on a visit to his native land, on the 21st of October, 1859.

 

The five houses of the orphanage were constructed to designs by John Foster & Son during the 25 years that followed 1845. At the time of their construction they were designated by numbers that reflected the order in that they were built. Only later were they assigned the names by which they are known today. Number one, now Allen House, was constructed between 1847 and 1849. Brunel House followed in 1857 and Muller House itself in 1862. The two remaining houses, Davy and Cabot were built in 1868. There's an artist's impression of how the site looked at the time here in which Muller House is front centre.

 

The decade following 1865 saw many changes in George Müller's life. In 1866 his life-long friend, Henry Craik died and, on 6 February 1870, his wife Mary also died at the age of 72. Later the same year his daughter Lydia married his assistant James Wright. Then late in 1871 George himself re-married. His new bride was Susannah Grace Sangar, whom he had known for 25 years. Finally, in 1875 George Müller handed over full responsibility to Wright and started a programme of preaching first in Britain, Europe and America and later in countries such as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Ceylon and India.

 

In 1894, after 23 years of marriage, Müller's second wife, Susannah died. By then George himself was 89 and was living in House Number 3 – the building featured in the photo that's now known as Muller house. He preached his last sermon on 6 March, 1898 at Alma Road Chapel in Clifton and, four days later was found by his maid dead on the floor by the side of his bed. His funeral on 14 March was Bristol's largest by far. Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets – among them thousands of the orphans who had owed their start in life to George Müller. He was buried by the side of his two wives. He had never sought money for its own sake and died a poor man with few possessions.

 

After George Müller's death, his son-in-law, James Wright, continued to run the orphanage until his own death in 1905. Well before that James had made arrangements for his colleague George Frederick Bergin to take over as Hononory Director. George duly took on the job with the help of his two sons, Fred and William, both doctors. Fred died in 1910 followed, two years later, by George himself. William Bergin ran the orphanage until 1930 when he also died and Alfred Green was appointed Honorary Director. The next Director was Green's assistant and brother-in-law, Thomas Tilsley in 1940 who was succeeded in 1952 by John McCready the last director to have charge of the Ashley Down site.

 

In 1958 the Orphanages were relocated and the buildings became the home of a succession of colleges: Bristol Technical College, Brunel Technical College, various faculties of Bristol Polytechnic and finally the Ashley Down Centre of the City of Bristol College. Some of the buildings – including Muller House itself, were converted to flats when they were no longer required by the College.

 

In the closing years of the 20th century, the City of Bristol College decided to relocate about 60% of its teaching accommodation to a new purpose-built campus in Bristol's Harbourside. In the year 2000 listed building consent was given for residential conversion of all the orphanage buildings. The college wanted to finance this project by demolishing three of Müller's buildings and replacing them with a housing scheme. Predictably, the proposal triggered a hostile reaction from the local community. The college reconsidered their approach and came up with the idea of an "urban village". As at January 2012 that hasn't happened – if it ever will. However, Muller House itself has been converted into flats and in 2012 an application was submitted and accepted for the conversion of Allen House to 44 residential apartments. Meanwhile (as at Dec 21012), the other three houses are still in use by the College.

 

The five simple but imposing grey buildings at Ashley Down have long since ceased to be orphanages, but George Müller's legacy lives on in the form of the George Müller Charitable Trust. It's located at another Müller House – at 7 Cotham Park, Bristol– and has wider aims than those envisaged by the Founder. They include the advancement of citizenship and community development, particularly among children and families, young people and the elderly, and the relief of those who are in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantages, including deprivation of normal parental care.

 

For photos of George Müller and the people and places that were associated with him visit www.georgemuller.org/photos.html

 

* The Christian Remembrancer, Volume 55 by William Scott, Francis Garden and James Bowling Mozley, 1868.

 

Robert Cutts, bob@winton.me.uk

A list of sources will be added in due course.

"But the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,

no torment shall ever touch them.

In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,

their going looked like a disaster,

their leaving us, like annihilation;

but they are in peace."

– Wisdom 3:1-3, which is part of today's 1st reading at Mass.

 

Detail showing Noah from the ceiling in one of the Raphael rooms in the Vatican Palace.

In 1868, four Irish Christian brothers, P.A. Treacy, D.F. Bodkin, J.B. Lynch and P.J. Nolan, arrived in Melbourne to open a new Christian school in the booming, and somewhat wild, city at the behest of Bishop Gould. They began teaching in 1869 in a small rented primary school behind St. Francis’ Church in Lonsdale Street. However, they really wanted something more permanent than the rented school they had, and they also wished to have a monastery in which to reside, rather than the rented rooms in Fitzroy that they had taken as a temporary measure.

 

With help from the Irish Catholic Church, they acquired a parcel of land along the wide boulevard of Victoria Parade in East Melbourne. In 1871 their dreams were realised when a new bluestone college was blessed by Bishop Gould in the presence of the venerable Archbishop of Sydney, the Archbishop Polding. They called their new school Parade College, after the name of the street it was built on, and dedicated it to Mary Immaculate.

 

The building is an imposing three storey bluestone structure that was built to the designs of Melbourne architect William Wilkinson Wardell (1823 – 1899), who also designed the nearby St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The building has been designed in the popular Victorian Gothic style, a mostly ecclesiastical architectural style. It features gothic style windows on the Victoria Parade facade, and a double storey verandah of cast iron on the rear of the building, which when it was built, would have taken in beautiful views of the nearby Fitzroy Gardens and the burgeoning city beyond it. The building also included a beautiful chapel on the third floor, accessed via a stairwell that was also designed in the Gothic style. The chapel is small; however it makes up in beauty what it lacks in size, with a vaulted pressed metal ceiling and beautiful stained glass windows.

 

On the school’s first day, more than one hundred boys were enrolled and the number increased steadily as accommodation became available. As time went on, more Brothers arrived at Parade College from Ireland, and so the number of boys attending the school could increase. In 1902 the school building was extended yet again and finally completed William Wardell’s original designs. It is this building that we see today. This building was affectionately known as the "Old Bluestone Pile" and the school’s song takes its name from this building.

 

Gothic architecture was perceived by the pious Victorians as an expression of religious, and therefore, moral values, and this may be the reason why architects preferred to build schools in this style throughout the Nineteenth Century. Its revival was seen as virtuous and equated with moral revival; the perfect environment in which to educate young minds. For this reason an ecclesiastical character was predominant even on buildings that were not necessarily religious.

 

In 1999 after being located in Clayton for 25 years, the Catholic Theological College moved into the former Parade College building (which had been sold in 1994) alongside which it built a new modern building designed by Gregory Burgess.

 

William Wilkinson Wardell was a civil engineer and architect born in England. He studied under Gothic architect Augustus Pugin, who became his friend as well as his mentor. Between 1846 and 1858 he designed over thirty churches in England, which was a very prodigious output, and he had a flourishing business. Some of the churches he designed include: St Birinus, Bridge End, Dorchester-on-Thames which was worked on between 1846 and 1849, and Greenwich’s Our Lady Star of the Sea which was worked on between 1846 and 1851. By 1858, Mr. Wardell’s health was suffering and his doctors felt that the warmer climate afforded by Australia might be more beneficial to his health. Therefore he, his wife Lucy, his two sons and daughter migrated after Mr. Wardell obtained the position of "Government Architect" to the city of Melbourne. In Melbourne he is known for designing the first St Mary’s Church in East St Kilda in 1859 and the second in 1897, Government House Melbourne in 1876, the ANZ Gothic bank in Collins Street in 1877, and St Patrick’s Cathedral which was completed in 1897 but was still being modified by Mr. Wardell at the time of his death. He is also known in Sydney for designing, the ASN Co. Building in 1884, St John’s College at the University of Sydney, which was completed after a breakdown in relations between the architect and the Sydney City Council, and St Mary’s Cathedral which was not completed until after his death. Mr. Wardell died at his home, “Upton Grange” in North Sydney in November 1899 of heart failure and pleurisy, but left behind a rich legacy in Australia, not only of the commercial and ecclesiastical buildings that he created, but for the numerous private houses and mansions that he designed.

 

Portait of George Müller (1805-1898) of Kroppenstaedt, Prussia, and Bristol, England, the founder of the once famous Orphanages in Ashley Down, Bristol, from George Müller of Bristol and his Witness to a Prayer-hearing God by Arthur T Pierson (c1899).

 

Countless Bristol orphans owed a great dept of gratitude to George Müller but, in his early years, he was far from virtuous. The spoilt son of a tax collector, he became – even before he was ten years old – a habitual thief and fraudster. He would even purloin government funds which were entrusted to his father. His father wanted him to enter the Church and sent him to the Cathedral School in Halberstadt. Later he attended a school at Nordhausen and finally the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. But, during his adolescence, he became a compulsive gambler and drunkard. And his behaviour gradually worsened until the Christmas period of 1821 when, aged 16, he spent 24 days in prison. Yet, at the age of 20, not only was he a student at a Lutheran university but – still as decadent as ever – he was accepted as a candidate for holy orders with permission to preach.

 

However, after a pleasure-seeking visit to Switzerland, a change came over George Müller. He made a full confession to his father and attended a prayer meeting led by an unsophisticated tradesman called Johann Wagner. The debauched but educated George Müller was well accustomed to high-flown religious services – and they left him cold – but Wagner's lowly prayer meeting was life changing. Müller put his years of decadence behind him. He determined to live a life of active Godliness and, therafter, attended Wagner's weekly prayer meeting whenever he could.

 

For a while his principal preoccupation was to convert Jews to Christianity but, in 1827, he spent two months in free lodgings provided in the orphan houses in Halle established a century earlier by August Hermann Francke. While there he learnt about how Francke had, starting from a single small house, set up network of orphanages in Halle. Later the same year he was urged to serve as with the London Missionary Society, to convert Jews to Christianity. In 1928 he made the move to London. Subsequently he worked in Devon where he met and soon married Mary Groves. Whilst in Devon he also met the evangelist, Henry Craik, who became his life-long friend and helper.

 

In 1832 the Müllers came to Bristol where George became joint pastor of Bethesda Chapel which was then in Great George Street. In 1836 they adapted their home to care for 30 orphaned girls. More room was soon required so they purchased houses in Wilson Street, St Pauls (now demolished). They housed 130 children, but that was still nothing like enough to house the many hundreds of orphans in the Bristol area. The Müllers response in 1849 was to open the first of five purpose-built orphanages on the hill at Ashley Down. Although they soon became known as the Muller Orphanages or, more often, the Muller Homes, that was never a name favoured by Müller himself. By 1870, 2,000 children were housed on the site. George Müller never went into debt, and never made a public appeal for donations, working on the principle that, if he had faith, God would provide.

 

One of the principal benefactors was another strongly religious German who had settled in Bristol. Conrad Finzel was a farmer’s son born in about 1790 in a village near Frankfurt. While still in his teens he fled to Britain to avoid being drafted into Napoleon’s army. He made his way to Bristol and started work in a in a sugar refinery. By 1830 he had founded his own refinery in the city. It was very lucrative but, in 1846, it was destroyed by fire. Many would have merely thought 'What have I done to do deserve this'. But Finzel reflected more deeply.:

" 'I then asked myself'; he said some time afterwards, in terms eminently characteristic of the man, 'what Conrad Finzel had done to call for this chastening stroke from God; and after thinking for some time, the truth flashed upon me.The Almighty had punished me because I had not given to His uses as He had blessed me. He had greatly increased my store, and I had only helped the poor in the same proportion as when I had little. Thus I deserved punishment, and God sent me this affliction to remind me of my duty, so, instead of giving so and so, I said, I will give one-third of my gains, for the future. I have given them, and God has gone on blessing me.'

"He gave freely to all sorts of charitable institutions, but most freely of all to the remarkable Orphan House established on Ashley Hill, by his countryman, the Rev. George Müller. During some years it was reckoned, his gifts thereto amounted to £10,000 a year. When near his end, a friend once spoke to him of the misfortune that his death would prove to the institution. 'What has the life of George Miller, or Conrad F inrel, or any one else,' he answered, 'to do with the Orphan House? It is God's work, and God will take care of it when there is not one of us left.' In that temper Conrad Finzel lived and worked in Bristol for nearly forty years. He died at Wiesbaden, while on a visit to his native land, on the 21st of October, 1859." (The Christian Remembrancer, Volume 55, William Scott, Francis Garden, James Bowling Mozley, 1868). Paul Townsend has written more about Finzel's Refinery here.

 

The five houses of the orphanage were constructed to designs by John Foster & Son during the 25 years that followed 1845. At the time of their construction they were designated by numbers that reflected the order in which they were built. Only later were they assigned the names by which they are known today. Number one, now Allen House, was constructed between 1847 and 1849. Brunel House followed in 1857 and Muller House itself in 1862. The two remaining houses, Davy and Cabot were built in 1868. There's an artist's impression of how the site looked at the time here in which Muller House is front centre. And there's a recent plan of the site here – though it has Cabot and Davy houses the wrong way round!

 

The decade following 1865 saw many changes in George Müller's life. In 1866 his life-long friend, Henry Craik died and, early in 1870, his wife Mary also died. Later the same year his daughter Lydia married his assistant James Wright. Then late in 1871 George himself re-married. His bride was Susannah Grace Sangar, whom he had known for 25 years. Finally, in 1875 George Müller handed over full responsibility to Wright and started a programme of preaching first in Britain, Europe and America and later in countries such as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Ceylon and India.

 

In 1894, after 23 years of marriage, Müller's second wife, Susannah died. By then George himself was 89 and was living in House Number 3 – the building that's closest in the drawing below – now known as Muller house. He preached his last sermon on 6 March, 1898 at Alma Road Chapel in Clifton and, four days later was found by his maid dead on the floor by the side of his bed. His funeral on 14 March was Bristol's largest by far. Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets – among them thousands of the orphans who had owed their start in life to George Müller. He was buried by the side of his two wives. He had never sought money for its own sake and died a poor man with few possessions.

 

In 1958 the Orphanages were relocated and the buildings became the home of a succession of colleges: Bristol Technical College, Brunel Technical College, various faculties of Bristol Polytechnic and finally the Ashley Down Centre of the City of Bristol College . Some of the buildings – including Muller House itself, were converted to flats when they were no longer required by the College.

 

Civilization, in fact, grows more and more maudlin and hysterical; especially under democracy it tends to degenerate into a mere combat of crazes; the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.

 

All government, in its essence, is a conspiracy against the superior man: its one permanent object is to oppress him and cripple him. If it be aristocratic in organization, then it seeks to protect the man who is superior only in law against the man who is superior in fact; if it be democratic, then it seeks to protect the man who is inferior in every way against both. One of its primary functions is to regiment men by force, to make them as much alike as possible and as dependent upon one another as possible, to search out and combat originality among them. All it can see in an original idea is potential change, and hence an invasion of its prerogatives. The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is very apt to spread discontent among those who are.

 

In the present case it is a little inaccurate to say I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible to any public office of trust or profit in the Republic. But I do not repine, for I am a subject of it only by force of arms.

 

I believe in only one thing and that thing is human liberty. If ever a man is to achieve anything like dignity, it can happen only if superior men are given absolute freedom to think what they want to think and say what they want to say. I am against any man and any organization which seeks to limit or deny that freedom. . . [and] the superior man can be sure of freedom only if it is given to all men.

 

Off goes the head of the king, and tyranny gives way to freedom. The change seems abysmal. Then, bit by bit, the face of freedom hardens, and by and by it is the old face of tyranny. Then another cycle, and another. But under the play of all these opposites there is something fundamental and permanent — the basic delusion that men may be governed and yet be free.

 

Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.

 

The great artists of the world are never Puritans, and seldom even ordinarily respectable. No virtuous man — that is, virtuous in the Y.M.C.A. sense — has ever painted a picture worth looking at, or written a symphony worth hearing, or a book worth reading.

 

When a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending any save the most elemental — men whose whole thinking is done in terms of emotion, and whose dominant emotion is dread of what they cannot understand. So confronted, the candidate must either bark with the pack or be lost... All the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

 

The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's good-bye to the Bill of Rights.

 

The fact is that the average man's love of liberty is nine-tenths imaginary, exactly like his love of sense, justice and truth. He is not actually happy when free; he is uncomfortable, a bit alarmed, and intolerably lonely. Liberty is not a thing for the great masses of men. It is the exclusive possession of a small and disreputable minority, like knowledge, courage and honor. It takes a special sort of man to understand and enjoy liberty — and he is usually an outlaw in democratic societies.

 

No government is ever really in favor of so-called civil rights. It always tries to whittle them down. They are preserved under all governments, insofar as they survive at all, by special classes of fanatics, often highly dubious.

 

The main thing that every political campaign in the United States demonstrates is that the politicians of all parties, despite their superficial enmities, are really members of one great brotherhood. Their principal, and indeed their sole, object is to collar public office, with all the privileges and profits that go therewith. They achieve this collaring by buying votes with other people's money. No professional politician is ever actually in favor of public economy. It is his implacable enemy, and he knows it. All professional politicians are dedicated wholeheartedly to waste and corruption. They are the enemies of every decent man.

 

The highfalutin aims of democracy, whether real or imaginary, are always assumed to be identical with its achievements. This, of course, is sheer hallucination. Not one of those aims, not even the aim of giving every adult a vote, has been realized. It has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.

 

The pedant and the priest have always been the most expert of logicians — and the most diligent disseminators of nonsense and worse. The liberation of the human mind has never been furthered by such learned dunderheads; it has been furthered by gay fellows who heaved dead cats into sanctuaries and then went roistering down the highways of the world, proving to all men that doubt, after all, was safe — that the god in the sanctuary was finite in his power, and hence a fraud. One horse-laugh is worth ten thousand syllogisms. It is not only more effective; it is also vastly more intelligent.

 

The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught.

 

What is any political campaign save a concerted effort to turn out a set of politicians who are admittedly bad and put in a set who are thought to be better. The former assumption, I believe is always sound; the latter is just as certainly false. For if experience teaches us anything at all it teaches us this: that a good politician, under democracy, is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.

 

Suppose two-thirds of the members of the national House of Representatives were dumped into the Washington garbage incinerator tomorrow, what would we lose to offset our gain of their salaries and the salaries of their parasites?

 

I propose that it shall be no longer malum in se for a citizen to pummel, cowhide, kick, gouge, cut, wound, bruise, maim, burn, club, bastinado, flay, or even lynch a [government] jobholder, and that it shall be malum prohibitum only to the extent that the punishment exceeds the jobholder’s deserts. The amount of this excess, if any, may be determined very conveniently by a petit jury, as other questions of guilt are now determined. The flogged judge, or Congressman, or other jobholder, on being discharged from hospital — or his chief heir, in case he has perished — goes before a grand jury and makes a complaint, and, if a true bill is found, a petit jury is empaneled and all the evidence is put before it. If it decides that the jobholder deserves the punishment inflicted upon him, the citizen who inflicted it is acquitted with honor. If, on the contrary, it decides that this punishment was excessive, then the citizen is adjudged guilty of assault, mayhem, murder, or whatever it is, in a degree apportioned to the difference between what the jobholder deserved and what he got, and punishment for that excess follows in the usual course.

 

Do they believe that the aim of teaching English is to increase the exact and beautiful use of the language? Or that it is to inculcate and augment patriotism? Or that it is to diminish sorrow in the home? Or that it has some other end, cultural, economic, or military? ... it was their verdict by a solemn referendum that the principal objective in teaching English was to make good spellers, and that after that came the breeding of good capitalizers. … I have maintained for years, sometimes perhaps with undue heat: that pedagogy in the United States is fast descending to the estate of a childish necromancy, and that the worst idiots, even among pedagogues, are the teachers of English. It is positively dreadful to think that the young of the American species are exposed day in and day out to the contamination of such dark minds. What can be expected of education that is carried on in the very sewers of the intellect? How can morons teach anything that is worth knowing?

 

Liberty and democracy are eternal enemies, and every one knows it who has ever given any sober reflection to the matter. A democratic state may profess to venerate the name, and even pass laws making it officially sacred, but it simply cannot tolerate the thing. In order to keep any coherence in the governmental process, to prevent the wildest anarchy in thought and act, the government must put limits upon the free play of opinion. In part, it can reach that end by mere propaganda, by the bald force of its authority — that is, by making certain doctrines officially infamous. But in part it must resort to force, i.e., to law. One of the main purposes of laws in a democratic society is to put burdens upon intelligence and reduce it to impotence. Ostensibly, their aim is to penalize anti-social acts; actually their aim is to penalize heretical opinions. At least ninety-five Americans out of every 100 believe that this process is honest and even laudable; it is practically impossible to convince them that there is anything evil in it. In other words, they cannot grasp the concept of liberty. Always they condition it with the doctrine that the state, i.e., the majority, has a sort of right of eminent domain in acts, and even in ideas — that it is perfectly free, whenever it is so disposed, to forbid a man to say what he honestly believes. Whenever his notions show signs of becoming "dangerous," ie, of being heard and attended to, it exercises that prerogative. And the overwhelming majority of citizens believe in supporting it in the outrage. Including especially the Liberals, who pretend — and often quite honestly believe — that they are hot for liberty. They never really are. Deep down in their hearts they know, as good democrats, that liberty would be fatal to democracy — that a government based upon shifting and irrational opinion must keep it within bounds or run a constant risk of disaster. They themselves, as a practical matter, advocate only certain narrow kinds of liberty — liberty, that is, for the persons they happen to favor. The rights of other persons do not seem to interest them. If a law were passed tomorrow taking away the property of a large group of presumably well-to-do persons — say, bondholders of the railroads — without compensation and without even colorable reason, they would not oppose it; they would be in favor of it. The liberty to have and hold property is not one they recognize. They believe only in the liberty to envy, hate and loot the man who has it.

 

The truth, indeed, is something that mankind, for some mysterious reason, instinctively dislikes. Every man who tries to tell it is unpopular, and even when, by the sheer strength of his case, he prevails, he is put down as a scoundrel.

 

The basic fact about human existence is not that it is a tragedy, but that it is a bore. It is not so much a war as an endless standing in line. The objection to it is not that it is predominantly painful, but that it is lacking in sense.

 

Laws are no longer made by a rational process of public discussion; they are made by a process of blackmail and intimidation, and they are executed in the same manner. The typical lawmaker of today is a man wholly devoid of principle — a mere counter in a grotesque and knavish game. If the right pressure could be applied to him, he would be cheerfully in favor of polygamy, astrology or cannibalism.

It is the aim of the Bill of Rights, if it has any remaining aim at all, to curb such prehensile gentry. Its function is to set a limitation upon their power to harry and oppress us to their own private profit. The Fathers, in framing it, did not have powerful minorities in mind; what they sought to hobble was simply the majority. But that is a detail. The important thing is that the Bill of Rights sets forth, in the plainest of plain language, the limits beyond which even legislatures may not go. The Supreme Court, in Marbury v. Madison, decided that it was bound to execute that intent, and for a hundred years that doctrine remained the corner-stone of American constitutional law.

 

I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind — that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.

I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.

I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty and the democratic form is as bad as any of the other forms.

I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.

I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech — alike for the humblest man and the mightiest, and in the utmost freedom of conduct that is consistent with living in organized society.

I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.

I believe in the reality of progress.

I —But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

 

If he became convinced tomorrow that coming out for cannibalism would get him the votes he needs so sorely, he would begin fattening a missionary in the White House yard come Wednesday.

•The American Mercury (March 1936) - referring to Franklin Delano Roosevelt

 

It is [a politician's] business to get and hold his job at all costs. If he can hold it by lying, he will hold it by lying; if lying peters out, he will try to hold it by embracing new truths. His ear is ever close to the ground.

 

Public opinion, in its raw state, gushes out in the immemorial form of the mob's fear. It is piped into central factories, and there it is flavoured and coloured and put into cans.

 

No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the record for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.

 

The public...demands certainties...But there are no certainties.

 

Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is justice.

 

The most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind.

 

Notes on Democracy (1926)

•No man, I suppose, ever admits to himself candidly that he gets his living in a dishonourable way.

•Democratic man, dreaming eternally of Utopias, is ever a prey to shibboleths.

•Democratic man can understand the aims and aspirations of capitalism; they are, greatly magnified, simply his own aims and aspirations.

•An aristocratic society may hold that a soldier or a man of learning is superior to a rich manufacturer or banker, but in a democratic society the latter are inevitably put higher, if only because their achievement is more readily comprehended by the inferior man, and he can more easily imagine himself, by some favour of God, duplicating it.

•My business is not prognosis, but diagnosis. I am not engaged in therapeutics, but in pathology.

•Democracy is shot through with this delight in the incredible, this banal mysticism. I have alluded to its touching acceptance of the faith that progress is illimitable and ordained of God - that every human problem, in the very nature of things, may be solved.

•Democracy, in fact, is always inventing class distinctions, despite its theoretical abhorrence of them.

•What is not true, as everyone knows, is always immensely more fascinating and satisfying to the vast majority of men than what is true. Truth has a harshness that alarms them, and an air of finality that collides with their incurable romanticism.

  

Nature abhors a moron.

 

Human life is basically a comedy. Even its tragedies often seem comic to the spectator, and not infrequently they actually have comic touches to the victim. Happiness probably consists largely in the capacity to detect and relish them. A man who can laugh, if only at himself, is never really miserable.

  

The Diary of H.L. Mencken (1989)

 

...I have given my whole life to newspapers. I am convinced that they have abandoned their functions, and in an abject and ignominious manner, in the present war. Nine-tenths of them, and even more than nine-tenths, print the official blather without any attempt to scrutinize it... It is a disgraceful spectacle, but I do not believe that anything can be done about it. Roosevelt has taken the press into camp as certainly has he has taken the Supreme Court. It has ceased altogether to be independent and has become docilely official. [1944]

 

I was wise to quit writing for the Sun back in January, 1941, for it was obvious by then that Roosevelt would horn into the war soon or late, and I knew by bitter experience in the last war that I'd be throttled at once. Since then I have thought out many likely articles, but not one of them has been printable. In these days, indeed, my very vocabulary is prohibited. I couldn't so much as mention Roosevelt or Churchill or any of the other frauds without having to face a savage official onslaught, with all blows directed below the belt. The common notion that free speech prevails in the United States always makes me laugh. [1945]

 

The Sun editorial on Roosevelt this morning begins: "Franklin D. Roosevelt was a great man." ...The argument, in brief, is that all his skullduggeries and imbecilities were wiped out when "he took an inert and profoundly isolationist people and brought them to support a necessary war on a scale never before imagined." In other words, his greatest fraud was his greatest glory, and his sufficient excuse for all his other frauds. It seems to me to be very likely that Roosevelt will take a high place in American popular history -- maybe even alongside Washington and Lincoln... He had every quality that morons esteem in their heros. It will be to the interest of all his heirs and assigns to whoop him up, and they will probably succeed in swamping his critics. [1945]

 

[Roosevelt] was always... finding new victims to loot and new followers to reward, flouting common sense, and boldly denying its existence, demonstrating by his anti-logic that two and two made five, promising larger and larger slices of the moon. His career will greatly engage historians, if any good ones ever appear in America, but it will be of even more interest to psychologists. He was the first American to penetrate to the real depths of vulgar stupidity. He never made the mistake of overestimating the intelligence of the American mob. He was its unparalleled professor. [1945]

 

The course of the United States in World War II, I said, was dishonest, dishonorable, and ignominious, and the Sunpapers, by supporting Roosevelt's foreign policy, shared in this disgrace. [1945]

   

Quote Source -> en.wikiquote.org/wiki/H._L._Mencken

The Works of H. L. Mencken -> www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a578

The Mencken Society -> www.mencken.org/

 

He is an ancient god, traceable to the Vedic era. Archaeological evidence from 1st-century CE and earlier, where he is found with Hindu god Agni (fire), suggest that he was a significant deity in early Hinduism.[4] He is found in many medieval temples all over India, such as at the Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves.[3]

 

His iconography varies significantly, reflecting the variation in his legends. He is typically represented as an ever-youthful man, riding or near a peacock, dressed with weapons sometimes near a rooster. Most icons show him with one head, but some show him with six heads reflecting the legend surrounding his birth where six mothers symbolizing the six stars of Pleiades cluster who took care of newly born baby Kartikeya.[4][6][5] He grows up quickly into a philosopher-warrior, destroys evil in the form of demon Taraka, teaches the pursuit of ethical life and the theology of Shaiva Siddhanta.[5][1] He has inspired many poet-sants, such as Arunagirinathar.[1][7]

 

Kartikeya, as Murugan or Subrahmanya, is found as a primary deity in temples wherever communities of the Tamil people live worldwide, particularly in Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and Réunion. Three of the six most richest and busiest temples in Tamil Nadu are dedicated to him.[1] The Kataragama temple dedicated to him in Sri Lanka attracts Tamils, Sinhalese people and the Vedda people.[8] He is also found in other parts of India, sometimes as Skanda, but in a secondary role along with Ganesha, Parvati and Shiva.[5]

Kartikeya is known by numerous names in ancient and medieval texts of the Indian culture. Most common among these are Murugan (Muruga), Kumaran (Kumara), Skanda, and Subrahmanyan (Subrahmanya). Others include Aaiyyan, Cheyon, Senthil, Vēlaṇ, Svaminatha ("ruler of the gods", from -natha king), Saravanan ("born amongst the reeds"), Arumugam or Shanmuga ("six-faced"),[9] Dandapani ("wielder of the mace", from -pani hand), Guhan or Guruguha ("cave-dweller"), Kadhirvelan, Kandhan, Vishakha and Mahasena.[10] In ancient coins where the inscription has survived along with his images, his names appear as Kumara, Brahmanya or Brahmanyadeva.[11] In ancient statues, he appears as Mahasena, Skanda and Vishakha.[12]

 

Skanda is derived from skanḍr-, which means to "spill, ooze, leap, attack".[13] This root is derived from the legend of his unusual birth. The legend, translates Lochtefeld, states "Shiva and Parvati are disturbed while making love, and Shiva inadvertently spills his semen on the ground".[5] This semen incubates in River Ganges, preserved by the heat of god Agni, and this fetus is born as baby Kartikeya on the banks of Ganges. The "spill" epithet leads to the name Skanda.[5][13]

 

Kartikeya means "of the Krittikas".[5] This epithet is also linked to his birth. After he appears on the banks of the River Ganges, he is seen by the six of the seven brightest stars cluster in the night sky called Krittikas in Hindu texts (called Pleiades in Greek texts). These six mothers all want to take care of him and nurse baby Kartikkeya. They argue. Baby Kartikkeya ends the argument by growing five more heads to have a total of six heads so he can look at all six moms, and let them each nurse one.[5][14]

 

Another legend explains his various names as the result of competition by many to seek and claim him. He loves everyone, and takes many names and forms to be with them. For example, Kumara spends time with goddess Ganga as her son, Skanda as the son of goddess Parvati, Karttikeya as son of Shiva, while Guha as the son of fire god Agni.[6]

There are ancient references which can be interpreted to be Kartikeya, Skanda, Kumara, or Murugan in the Vedic texts, in the works of Pāṇini (~500 BCE), in the Mahabhasya of Patanjali and in Kautilya's Arthashastra.[15] For example, the term Kumara appears in hymn 5,2 of the Rig Veda.[16][note 1] The Kumara of verse 5.2.1 can be interpreted as Skanda, or just any "boy". However, the rest of the verses depict the "boy" as bright-colored, hurling weapons and other motifs that later have been associated with Skanda. The difficulty with interpreting these to be Skanda is that Indra, Agni and Rudra are also depicted in similar terms and as warriors.[17]

  

Kartikeya with a Kushan devotee, 2nd century CE.

The Skanda-like motifs found in Rig Veda are found in other Vedic texts, such as section 6.1-3 of the Shatapatha Brahmana.[18] In these, the mythology is very different for Kumara, as Agni is described to be the Kumara whose mother is Ushas (goddess Dawn) and whose father is Purusha.[16] The section 10.1 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka mentions Sanmukha (six faced one), while the Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions a householder's rite of passage that involves prayers to Skanda with his brother Ganapati (Ganesha) together.[19] The chapter 7 of the Chandogya Upanishad (~800–600 BCE) equates Sanat-Kumara (eternal son) and Skanda, as he teaches sage Narada to discover his own Atman (soul, self) as a means to the ultimate knowledge, true peace and liberation.[20][21][note 2]

 

According to Fred Clothey, the evidence suggests that Kartikeya mythology had become widespread sometime around 200 BCE or after in north India.[23] The first clear evidence of Kartikeya's importance emerges in the Hindu Epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata where his story is recited. In addition to textual evidence, his importance is affirmed by the archeological, the epigraphical and the numismatic evidence of this period. For example, he is found in numismatic evidence linked to the Yaudheyas, a confederation of warriors in north India who are mentioned by ancient Pāṇini.[24] They ruled an area consisting of modern era Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (extending into Garhwal region, Uttarakhand).[24] They struck coins bearing the image of Skanda, and these coins are dated to be from before Kushan Empire era started.[24] During the Kushan dynasty era, that included much of northwest Indian subcontinent, more coins featuring Kartikeya were minted.[24]

 

The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Gupta Empire.[25] Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumārasambhava features Kartikeya.

The Tolkāppiyam, one of the most ancient texts of the Tamil literature, mentions cēyōṉ "the red one", who is identified with Murugan, whose name is literally Murukaṉ "the youth"; the three other gods referred to in the Tolkāppiyam are Māyōṉ "the dark one" (identified with Vishnu), Vēntaṉ "the sovereign" (identified with Indra) and Koṟṟavai "the victorious" (identified with Kali). Extant Sangam literature works, dated between the third century BCE and the fifth century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils."[27]

 

In the Tirumurukāṟtruuppaṭai, he is called Muruku and described as a god of beauty and youth, with phrases such as "his body glows like the sun rising from the emerald sea". It describes him with six faces each with a function, twelve arms, his victory of evil, and the temples dedicated to him in the hilly regions.[28]

Kartikeya is mentioned in Shaiva Puranas. Of these, the Skanda Purana is the largest Mahāpurāṇa, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts.[29] The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is part of Shaivite literature,[30] titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvati, who is also known as Kartikeya and Murugan.[31] While the text is named after Skanda, he does not feature either more or less prominently in this text than in other Shiva-related Puranas.[31] The text has been an important historical record and influence on the Hindu traditions related to war-god Skanda.[31][32] The earliest text titled Skanda Purana likely existed by the 6th-century CE,[33][34] but the Skanda Purana that has survived into the modern era exists in many versions.[35]

Ancient coins of the Yaudheyas, dated to 1st and 2nd century CE, show Kartikeya as a warrior with either one or six heads. Kushan coins show him with one head. In general, single head is far more common regardless of which dynasty minted them.[36] The earliest statues discovered in Punjab and Kashmir show him with either one or six heads. The oldest sculptures such as those found in Mathura show him with one head, while six head iconography is dated to post-Gupta Empire era.[37] All Kushan Empire era artwork show him with one head, even though there are Kushan deities such as a goddess who is shown with multiple heads.[14]

 

The Kushan Empire era statues of Kartikeya, dated to 1st and 2nd-century CE, have been found at various sites in the Indian subcontinent, particularly at Mathura and Gandhara. They show him as a warrior dressed in dhoti (sheet wrapped at waist, covering the legs), armour like a warrior, spear in his right hand and a bird (rooster) in his left.[38][39] There is some difference between his ancient iconography in Mathura and Gandhara artwork. The Gandhara arts show him in more a Scythian dress, likely reflecting the local dress culture prevalent in those times. Further, it is in the oldest Gandharan statues where he is shown with a bird that looks like a chicken or cock.[40] According to Richard Mann, the bird may symbolize Kartikeya's agility and maneuverability as a warrior god.[40]

 

Kartikeya iconography shows him as a youthful god, dressed as a warrior, carring the weapon called Vel. It is a divine spear, often called sakti. He is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding the sakti or spear. His vahana (vehicle, mount) is a peacock. He has either one head or six, depending on the region or artist.[41][42]

The Epic era literature of ancient India recite numerous legends of Kartikeya, often with his other names such as Skanda. For example, the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata dedicates chapters 223 to 232 to the legends of Skanda, but depicts him as the son of Agni and Svaha.[19] Similarly, Valmiki's Ramayana dedicates chapters 36 and 37 to Skanda, but describes him as the child of god Agni and goddess Ganges.[44]

 

The legends of Kartikeya vary significantly, sometimes within the same text. For example, while the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata describes Skanda as the son of Agni, the Shalya Parva and the Anushasana Parva of the same text presents Skanda's legend as the son of Maheshvara (Shiva) and Parvati.[19]

  

Granite Karttikeya seated on a peacock from 12th-century Andhra Pradesh.

In Vana Parva, the circumstances behind Kartikeya's birth legend do not involve Shiva and Parvati.[45] Rather it is deity Agni who goes to a hermitage of seven married Rishis (sages). He is sexually attracted to all seven, but none reciprocate. Svaha is present there and she is attracted to Agni, but Agni is not. According to the legend, Svaha takes the form of six of the wives, one by one, and sleeps with Agni.[45] She does not take the form of Arundhati, Vasistha's wife, because of Arundhati's extraordinary virtuous powers. Svaha deposits the semen of Agni into the reeds of River Ganges, where it develops and then is born as six headed Skanda.[45]

 

A totally different legend in the later books of the Mahabharata make Shiva and Parvati as the parents. They were having sex, but they are disturbed, and Shiva inadvertently spills his semen on the ground.[5] Shiva's semen incubates in River Ganges, preserved by the heat of god Agni, and this fetus is born as baby Kartikeya on the banks of Ganges.[5][13]

 

Some legend state that he was the elder son of Shiva, others make him the younger brother of Ganesha. This is implied by another legend connected to his birth. Devas have been beaten up by Asuras led by Taraka, because Taraka had a boon from ascetic celibate yogi Shiva that only Shiva's son can kill him. Devas learn about this boon, and plan how to get Shiva into a relationship. So they bring Parvati into the picture, have her seduce yogi Shiva, and wed Parvati so that Skanda can be born to kill Taraka.[46]

 

Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular in Tamil Nadu. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the child Krishna in north India. He is married to two wives, Valli and Devasena. Kartikeya's youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara. Kalidasa made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam.[44]

 

Theology[edit]

There is extensive Hindu symbolism and theology associated with Kartikeya. Regardless of the variance among the legends, his birth is in difficult circumstances, he is born through a surrogate abandoned near a river. He is raised not by his natural mother but a host of mothers. Kartikeya symbolizes a union of polarities.[47] He is handsome warrior and described as a celibate yogi. He uses his creative martial abilities to lead an army against Taraka and other demons, and described as a philosopher-warrior.[5][1] He is a uniter, championing the attributes of both Shaivism and Vaishnavism.[48]

 

His theology is most developed in the Tamil texts,[7] and in the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition.[5][1] He is described as teyvam (abstract neuter divinity, nirguna Brahman), as katavul (divinity in nature, in everything), as tevan (masculine deity), and as iraivativam (concrete manifestation of the sacred, saguna Brahman).[49]

 

According to Fred Clothey, as Murugan (also referred to as Murukan, Cheyyon), he embodies the "cultural and religious whole that comprises South Indian Shaivism".[47] He is the philosopher and exponent of Shaiva Siddhanta theology, as well as the patron deity of the Tamil language.[50][51]

Murugan is worshiped primarily in areas with Tamil influences. Subramanya is also a major deity among the Hindus of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Rituals like Nagaradhane are unique to Uttara Kannada region of Karnataka. Kataragama Sri Lanka temple is another important Murugan center.[citation needed]

 

In Sri Lanka and India, Murugan is popular with more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam. It was written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350–1420 AD.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram. During His bachelorhood, Lord Murugan is also regarded as Kumaraswami (or Bachelor God), Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance called Vel in Tamil is a weapon closely associated with him. The Vel was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. His army's standard depicts a rooster. In the war, Surapadman was split into two, and each half was granted a boon by Murugan. The halves, thus turned into the peacock (his mount) and the rooster his flag, which also "refers to the sun".[citation needed]

 

Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has a famous temple of Lord Murugan.

Kartikeya is revered during the Kartik Puja festival, observed in November in eastern states of India.[52][note 3] During Durga Puja in Bengal, Kartikeya is featured as a son of Durga (Parvati) and Shiva, sitting along with his brother Ganesha.[54]

  

Kartikeya in Kartik Puja, Odisha.

Odisha[edit]

Kumara Purnima, which is celebrated by girls and newly married women on the full moon day after Vijayadashami. It is dedicated to Kartikeya in Odisha. The festivities bring girls together, they sing and dance, and play a game called Puchi. The prayers on the day are aimed with hopes of getting a husband similar to Kartikeya.[55] Kartikeya is worshipped during Durga Puja in Odisha as well as in various Shiva temples throughout the year. Kartik puja is celebrated in Cuttack along with various other parts of the state during the last phases of Hindu month of Kartik.

 

Himachal Pradesh[edit]

Kartikeya is the main deity at Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. The temple of Kartikeya in Kugti village is visited every year by thousands of devotees when the trek is opened in the month of March–April.[citation needed]

 

Sri Lanka[edit]

Karthikeya is worshipped by Sri Lankan Tamils but also by the Sinhalese as Kataragama deviyo, a guardian deity of Sri Lanka. Numerous temples exist throughout the island. He is a favourite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon. In the deeply Sinhalese south of Sri Lanka, he is worshipped at the Kataragama temple, where he is known as Kathiravel or Kataragama deviyo. Local legend holds that Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local girls. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple and the Sella Channithy Temple near Valvettiturai are the three foremost Murugan temples in Jaffna. The Chitravelayutha temple in Verukal on the border between Trincomalee and Batticaloa is also noteworthy as is the Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa. The late medieval-era temple of the tooth in Kandy, dedicated to the tooth relic of the Buddha, has a Kataragama deiyo shrine adjacent to it dedicated to the veneration of Skanda in the Sinhalese tradition. Almost all Buddhist temples house a shrine room for Kataragama deviyo reflecting the significance of Murugan in Sinhala Buddhism.

  

The Tamil Hindu temple Nallur Kandasamy dedicated to Murugan (Kartikeya).

By the 16th century, the Kataragama temple had become synonymous with Skanda-Kumara who was a guardian deity of Sinhala Buddhism.[56] The town was popular as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus from India and Sri Lanka by the 15th century. The popularity of the deity at the Kataragama temple was also recorded by the Pali chronicles of Thailand such as Jinkalmali in the 16th century. There are number of legends both Buddhist and Hindu that attribute supernatural events to the very locality.[56] Scholars such as Paul Younger and Heinz Bechert speculate that rituals practiced by the native priests of Kataragama temple betray Vedda ideals of propitiation. Hence they believe the area was of Vedda veneration that was taken over by the Buddhist and Hindus in the medieval period.[57]

 

Malaysia[edit]

Murugan is one of the most important deities worshipped by the Tamil Hindus in Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. Thaipusam is one of the important festivals celebrated. Sri Subramanyar Temple at Batu Caves temple complex in Malaysia is dedicated to Murugan. Batu Caves in short also referred as 10th Caves or Hill for Lord Muruga as there are 6 important holy shrines in India and 4 more in Malaysia. The 3 others in Malaysia are

 

Kallumalai Temple in Ipoh

Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, Penang

Sannasimalai Temple in Malacca

Other important shrines like Mayilam, Sikkal, Marudamalai, Kundrathur, Vadapalani, Kandakottam, Thiruporur, Vallakottai, Viralimalai, Vayalur, Thirumalaikoil, Chennimalai, Sivanmalai, Pachaimalai, Thindal malai (Near Erode) and Pavalamalai near Gobichettipalayam.

  

Goddess Skandamata with son Skanda or Kartikeya on her lap, is worshipped as fifth form of Navadurga.

There are many temples dedicated to Subramanya in Kerala. Amongst them are Atiyambur Sri Subramanya Temple in Kanhangad Kasaragod, Payyannur Subramanya Swamy temple in Payyanur, Panmana Subramanya Swamy temple in Panmana and the Subramanya temple in Haripad. There is a temple in Skandagiri, Secunderabad, one in Bikkavolu, East Godavari district and one in Mopidevi,Krishna district in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka there is the Kukke Subramanya Temple where Murugan is worshipped as the Lord of the serpents. Malai Mandir, a prominent and popular temple complex in Delhi, is one of the few dedicated to Murugan in all of North India apart from the Pehowa temple in Haryana.

  

Thaipusam festivities near the Batu Caves, Malaysia.

The key temples in Sri Lanka include the sylvan shrine in Kataragama / (Kadirgamam) or Kathirkamam in the deep south, the temple in Tirukovil in the east, the shrine in Embekke in the Kandyan region and the famed Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna. There are several temples dedicated to Murugan in Malaysia, the most famous being the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. There is a 42.7-m-high statue of Murugan at the entrance to the Batu Caves, which is the largest Lord Murugan statue in the world. Sri Thandayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, Singapore is a major Hindu temple where each year the Thaipusam festival takes place with devotees of Lord Muruga carrying Kavadis seeking penance and blessings of the Lord.

 

In the USA, Shiva Murugan Temple[63] in Concord, Northern California and Murugan Temple of North America[64] in Maryland, Washington DC region are popular. Thaipusam walk for Shiva Murugan Temple in Concord, USA is very popular and attracting many devotees from all over America. In Toronto, Canada, Canada Kanthasamy Temple is known amongst many Hindus in Canada. In Val-Morin, a suburb of the city of Montreal in Canada, there is a monumental temple of Murugan.

 

In the United Kingdom, Highgate Hill Murugan temple is one of the oldest and most famous. In London, Sri Murugan Temple in Manor park is a well-known temple. In Midlands, Leicester Shri Siva Murugan Temple[65] is gaining popularity recently. Skanda Vale[66] in West Wales was founded by Guruji, a Tamil devotee of Subramaniam, and its primary deity is Murugan. In Australia, Sydney Murugan temple in Parramatta (Mays Hill), Perth Bala Muruguan temple in Mandogalup and Kundrathu Kumaran temple in Rockbank, Melbourne are major Hindu temples for all Australian Hindus and Murugan devotees. In New Zealand, there is a Thirumurugan Temple in Auckland and a Kurinji Kumaran Temple in Wellington, both dedicated to Murugan.

 

The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and largest Hindu temple in Switzerland.[67]

it seems an emblem of the tranquil close of busy life--serene, placid, and mild, with the impress of its great Creator stamped upon it; it spreads its quiet wings over the grave, and seems to promise that all shall be peace beyond it.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

"Isabel Uvedale lieth here, that was the virtuous wife

of Henrie Uvedale, esquire, and browght him by her life

thyrtene children to his joie, well nurtured by her daies.

To live and lerne the redie waie, to everlasting praise

And of Anthonie Erneley esquire of Wiltshire, daughter she

In whome there wanted no good gifte that in albeit should be

For uniforme manners, modestie, discretion, love and curtesie.

With manie a cominge propertie, to graste in her jentilitie.

Death cannot take awaie her praise, thoughe she be laied in grave

But here in brasse he due desurtes perpetuall fame shall have

She dyed ye 23 of January in ye 25th yere of ye reigne of our Sovereigne ladye Elizabeth AD 1572"

 

Isabel born in 1527 was the daughter of Anthony Erneley 1530 of Herrington & Mitford manor by Margaret widow of Henry Milborne 1518 who m3 Roger Yorke

She m Henry Uvedall 1599 of More Crichell son of William Uvedale 1562

Children- 13 in total

1. Edmund 1621 m Joan Michel === / m Elizabeth sister of John Williams 1617 +++ www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/71318F and daughter of Robert Williams and Anne de la Lynde

2. John 1600 m Anne Poynings

3. George m ......... Miller

1. Eleanor m c1547 John 1617 +++ www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/06amg9 only son of Robert Williams 1569 and 2nd wife Anne daughter of Sir Thomas de la Lynde of Winterbourne Clenston, Dorset by Alice Cheney

 

Husband Henry m2 (?) Elizabeth widow of Richard Mitchell === of Cannington and daughter of Alexander Popham of Huntworth and Jane Stradling flic.kr/p/ueeBjw

wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=an...

Brass now in Witchampton church

 

It's going around again, and I was tagged, so here's a new one. :) 1. I don't like photos of myself very much, so I don't post many here. This one is blurry, but I don't totally hate it, so here it is. I was just trying to take a photo of the hat to show a friend was was asking about it, so excuse my lovely bathroom curtain. 2. I have been a vegetarian for 15 years or so. I don't really eat fish or drink milk, but I do eat eggs and cheese. 3. Lest I sound too virtuous from the above point, I love pizza to a probably totally unhealthy degree. I don't eat it every day, but probably a couple of days a week. >.> 4. I cannot stand the smell of popcorn or the sound of people chewing. I have trouble going to movie theatres because of this! 5. I can't dance. I have the proverbial two left feet and I am self-conscious. I know the self-conscious thing is a bigger problem than my lack of coordination. 6. I always watch tv with the closed captioning on, if I can. I don't like to have the tv up too loud, because the explosions, etc. hurt my ears, but I feel like I'm always missing bits of dialogue otherwise. It also helps with people with accents, or if someone else in the room is talking to me (the dialogue remains onscreen longer in the written form, gives me a chance to catch up!) 7. I tend to be kind of obsessive about reading. It's the only thing I have an "addiction" to. Most things, if I need to put them aside, or avoid, if I need to. But books... I always am finding a rationalization to keep reading. I got in trouble for reading in class under my desk in grade school. I stay up too late reading. I sometimes read at work... but not often! If I need to focus, I just can't start any books that are likely to be good. But if I go too long without reading I get depressed. Sounds like addiction, right? ^^; 8. I wish I were about 5 years younger, because that's how old I feel. I also feel like I could use the added flexibility in terms of career and family of being a bit younger. 9. My job has been very stressful lately. I don't mind some amount of stress, but it's been enough that it's having too much impact on my mood overall, which I resent. Unfortunately, I've never loved my job, it's always just been something I do. I wish I were one of those people who knew what they wanted to do in life, even if they are still struggling to achieve it. I keep trying to figure it out, but I just have no idea. 10. I used to be very shy and always worrying over what to say to people. I still do somewhat, but I care much less than I used to. I can actually talk to people I don't know now without freaking out. I'm still pretty quiet tho, I just don't always feel like chattering on about myself, or telling people my opinion if I can see they don't agree, so I prefer to listen. I'm not uncomfortable with silence, tho I feel bad when I can't figure out how to fill it if the other person is uncomfortable. 12. I've always had long hair and can't imagine cutting it short ever. 13. I love conventions (tho I haven't been to many - or any? - professionally). I think I could enjoy a lawnmower convention, and I couldn't be less interested in lawnmowers. I don't like crowds, but it's just fascinating to be around people who are all interested in the same topic, and to see the giveaways and promotional stuff. 14. The house I grew up in more or less burned down a few years ago. We didn't lose everything, and no one was hurt. It was almost more like our house flooded and then froze (it was winter, and cold) instead of having been on fire. It was pretty awful, but the new house is really nice. I find I miss the stuff that was lost less than I expected. I'm not going to say anything wise tho about how stuff is just stuff, because that's true, but I haven't become any wiser - I still like stuff! And I can get sentimentally attached to the stupidest garbage. But there's a lot of things that you accumulate that you don't miss. I don't know if everyone else feels the same tho, I'm only speaking for my own things. 15. I love the sun and the long days that come with summer, but oh boy do I hate being hot. I like cold weather and snow, but I get tired of it being grey and bleak in the winter. I love spring flowers, but I'm allergic. I guess if it can't be fall weather all the time, then I'm glad I live in an area with some of every season because I have things to love and hate about every season and at least I can appreciate/escape from them all in turn. XD 16. I have terrible luck with blind box toys, but I am attracted to the element of chance nevertheless. I can't seem to stay completely away from them, even if buying them open online would be cheaper and more efficient. Fortunately this is the only form of 'gambling' I am interested in. 17. I don't seem to sleep very well and am always tired. Part of the problem is definitely quantity - I always have reasons to stay up too late - and part is quality - I definitely thrash around and wake up over noises. 18. I love coffee, as you might guess from the last point. I actually don't drink that much of it though, compared to many people. I don't have it every day, and I quit it altogether for several years. I learned to love tea instead (thus maybe sabotaging my caffeine detox, but I needed to quit drinking the coffee for my stomach) and I love tea just as much as coffee, but the 'romance' of tea is different. I kind of like the associations that go with coffee more, even if I fit the profile of a tea drinker better. 19. I have tried to start a bunch of blogs, but something always happens that sours me on the experience or I just find I can't keep it up. 20. I cannot seem to bring myself to use LOL. I used to feel that way about emoticons too tho, and now I probably overuse them. So probably someday my resistance to this will end too, LO... no, I still can't do it.

In the 13c north transept stands a tomb with two men kneeling, one in a gown, the other in armour with his helmet and gauntlet before him. On the dexter side, behind one of the men is his wife kneeling with 14 children. Behind the other his wife with 6 children; www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/687g25K5U9

The wife in question is Joan Tregarthin who died in 1583, the men are her 2 husbands John Kellaway 1513 & Sir John Wadham 1578

 

The memorial has suffered much neglect, and been whitewashed several times. Little colouring remains. The double appearance of Joan is thought to be unique in British memorial art of this period

 

"Here lieth intomb'd the body of a virtuous & antient gentlewoman descended of the antient house of the Plantagenets, sometime of Cornwall, namely JOAN one of the daughters & heirs unto John Tregarthin in the county of Cornwall, esq. She was first married unto John Kelleway esq who had by her much issue. After his death she was married to John Wadham of Meryfield in the county of Somerset esq, & by him had several children. She lived a virtuous & godly life & died in an honourable age September in the year of Chrsit 1583"

 

Joan , born c 1498, was the daughter of John Tregarthin / Tregarthen & Jane daughter of John Trethurffe / Tretherf, & Elizabeth Courtenay

She was the co-heiress of her grandfather Thomas Tregarthen and Margaret daughter of Richard Hendower and Katherine Chamberlayne

Her co-heiress was her sister Margaret wife of George Tanner of Cullompton

 

She m1 John Kellaway / Kayleway of Cullompton 1494 - 1531

(Joan brought to the marriage lands of her inheritance from Thomas Tregarthen esquire: the manors of Brannell, Trejeam (Tregiam), and Trelyon (Treliam Viam) [all in St. Stephens in Brannell]; Trebvreck, Tawarne, Grampound (Grampot) Bossilian, Woles and Bossilian Wartha, [in Creed], Truro (Truruburgh), Thymargh (C.); manor of Portelmouth, Malborough (D.) Isle of Purbeck (Dorset.); Southampton; Hendwr (Hendon) (Middx): Cornwall, Devon, Corset, Southampton, Merioneth)

Children

1. George b 1525, the heir aged 6 at his father's death

1. Mary Kelloway 1520 - 1589 m1 Thomas Codrington dc 1594 of Swallowcliffe Wilts ; m2 William Cooke of Thorne, Ottery St Mary, son of John Cooke and Margaret daughter of Stephen Daniel. (their grandson John Cooke 1632 of Thorne incorporates a similar heraldic escutcheon of 9 quarters, the 4th of which is Kelloway. flic.kr/p/Bnu41M

2, Agnes m John son Robert Beare

3. Elizabeth

4. Catherine

5. Anne

  

She m2 John Wadham of Edge, Branscombe and Merrifield, Ilton, Somerset. , son of Sir Nicholas Wadham 1542 & 1st wife Joan daughter of Robert Hill of Bridport & Alice Stourton,

Children

1. Nicholas b 1532 in Merrifield their only surviving son. Co-founder of Wadham College, Oxford. dsp 1609 m Dorothy 1618 flic.kr/p/96mKfT daughter of William Petre and Gertrude www.flickr.com/photos/52219527@N00/6606526289/ daughter of John Tyrrell and Ann Norreys

2. Johanna b1533 in Merrifield

3. Joan 1536 - 1603 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/95J04nCym8 m1 Giles 1562 son of Henry Strangways and Margaret daughter of George Manners & Anne St Leger; m2 Sir John Young 1589 son of Hugh Yonge & Alice Rogate

4. Florence *** b1538 in Merrifield, d 1597 m John 1572 flic.kr/p/96qFQ7 of Watchet, son of John Wyndham by Elizabeth Sydenham flic.kr/p/96qFQ1 (parents of John Wyndham 1645 at Watchet flic.kr/p/96HxhR

5. Margaret bc1540 in Edge Branscombe d pre 1611 m Nicholas 1530 - 1596 at Puddletown flic.kr/p/96bhhH son of Robert Martin and Elizabeth daughter of John Kelway of Rockbourne who m2 John Tregonwell of Milton Abbas ;

  

There are 3 coats of arms:

Centre being a lozenge and impaled with each of the others. Arms - a lozenge quarterly of six

1. two crosses in saltier;

2 A chevron between

3 escallops; 3 Semee of escallops, a lion rampant.;

4 A lion rampant within a bordure charged with bezants, a label of 3 points

5. On a bend 5 roundels;

6. On a chevron 3 fleurs de lis

 

Sinister (left) Wadham, of 9 quarters, impaling Tregarthin, of 6 quarters. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/72sJ5zW4he

Wadham:

1st: Gules, a chevron between three roses argent (Wadham).

2nd: Or, on a chevron gules three martlets or

3rd: Argent on a chief gules two bucks' heads cabossed or (Popham).

4th: Gules, a chevron argent between nine bezants five in chief and four in base (Dene)

5th Sable six lioncels or (St Martin).

6th Per fesse indented, overall a bend

7th Barry of eight azure and argent an eagle displayed.

8th Per pale azure and gules a lion rampant ermine (Norwich)

9th Gules a bend fusilly/lozengy ermine (Read, Redege, Riedde etc., of Devon)

Tregarthin:

1st: Argent, two lobster's claws in saltire gules (Tregarthick)

2nd: Argent, a chevron between three escallops sable (Tregarthin)

3rd: Azure semée of escallops or, a lion rampant of the last (Hendower/Hender)

4th: Argent a lion rampant gules in chief a label azure of three points a bordure engrailed bezantee

5th: On a bend 5 (or six) roundels (Chamberlayne)

6th: On a chevron three fleurs-de-lys (Pever)

 

Dexter / right - quarterly of four

1 & 4 Two glaziers irons in saltier between 4 peas pendent within a bordure engrailed

2. A buck head caboched

3. A Chevron between 3 escallops impaling the coat on the lozenge

B; Shield on the sinister side quarterly of nine

1. a chevron between 3 roses

2. on a chevron three martletts

3. on sa chief 2 stags heads caboched

4. a chevron between 9 roundles

5. Si lioncels rampant or 3 2 1 6 per fess indented a bend

7. Barry of eight an eagles displayed

8. A lion rampant or

9. A bend lozengy each charged with an ermine spot

 

At the top is the crest of Wadham, a rose argent leaved vert seeded or

 

*** A story refers to Florence Wadham; just a year after her marriage to John Wyndham she was thought to have died. However, the sexton, on closing the vault, heard a noise from within the coffin. Florence, was removed from the coffin and soon after 'delivered of Sir John Wyndham' The date in this source is 1562 but her son was baptised in 1558. A 19c narrative poem written by Rev. Lewis Court, a later rector of the parish, embellishes the story. This tells that the sexton was tempted by her jewellery. Whilst trying to file a ring from the lady's finger, he drew blood causing Florence to come out of her 'trance'. She sat up and the sexton fled like a madman. On her return to the house her husband at first thought her to be a ghost (she was in a winding sheet) but the couple were joyfully reunited and had two sons to carry the family name

  

- Church of St Winifred, Branscombe Devon

www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tregarthen-12https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Martyn-557

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Wadham_(1531%E2%80%931609)

www.geni.com/people/Joan-Wadham/6000000014100294908

Picture with thanks - copyright Michael Garlick CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6160125

Uploaded from Streamzoo

Kartikeya, also known as Skanda, Murugan and Subramaniyan, is the Hindu god of war. He is the commander-in-chief of the army of the devas (gods) and the son of Shiva and Parvati.

 

Murugan is often referred to as "Tamil Kadavul" (meaning "God of Tamils") and is worshiped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the Arupadaiveedu temples, located in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, Hindus as well as Buddhists revere the sacred historical Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna and Katirkāmam Temple situated deep south.[1] Hindus in Malaysia also pray to Lord Murugan at the Batu Caves and various temples where Thaipusam is celebrated with grandeur.

 

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Kartikeya is known as Subrahmanya with a temple at Kukke Subramanya known for Sarpa shanti rites dedicated to Him and another famous temple at Ghati Subramanya also in Karnataka. In Bengal and Odisha, he is popularly known as Kartikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika').[2]

Other names[edit]

Like most Hindu deities, Subrahmanya is known by many other names, including Senthil, Vēlaṇ, Kumāran (meaning 'prince or child or young one'), Swaminatha (meaning 'smart' or 'clever'), Saravaṇa, Arumugam or Shanmuga (meaning 'one with six faces'), Dhandapani (meaning God with a Club), Guhan or Guruguha (meaning 'cave-dweller'), Subrahmanya, Kartikeya and Skanda (meaning 'that which is spilled or oozed).[3][4] He was also known as Mahasena and the Kadamba Dynasty kings worshiped him by this name.[5]

Vedas[edit]

The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as 'Agnibhuh' because he is form of 'Agni' (Fire God) & Agni hold in his hand when kumaran born. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to him as the son of Rudra and the six faces of Rudra. The Taittiriya Aranyaka contains the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions Skanda as 'Mahasena' and 'Subrahmanya.' The Aranya Parva canto of the Mahabharata relates the legend of Kartikeya Skanda in considerable detail. The Skanda Purana is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya.[6] The Upanishads also constantly make a reference to a Supreme Being called Guha, the indweller.

The first elaborate account of Kartikeya's origin occurs in the Mahabharata. In a complicated story, he is said to have been born from Agni and Svaha, after the latter impersonated the six of the seven wives of the Saptarishi (Seven Sages). The actual wives then become the Pleiades. Kartikeya is said to have been born to destroy the Asura Mahisha.[7] (In later mythology, Mahisha became the adversary of Durga.) Indra attacks Kartikeya as he sees the latter as a threat, until Shiva intervenes and makes Kartikeya the commander-in-chief of the army of the Devas. He is also married to Devasena, Indra's daughter. The origin of this marriage lies probably in the punning of 'Deva-sena-pati'. It can mean either lord of Devasena or Lord of the army (sena) of Devas. But according to Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, in his master work on Shiva[8] and other works, Kartikeya was married to Devasenā and that is on the ground of his name as Devasena's husband, Devasenāpati, misinterpreted as Deva-senāpati (Deva's general) that he was granted the title general and made the Deva's army general.[9]

 

The Ramayana version is closer to the stories told in the Puranas discussed below.

Tolkappiyam, possibly the most ancient of the extant Sangam works, dated between the 3rd century BCE and 5th century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils."[10] The Sangam poetry divided space and Tamil land into five allegorical areas (tinai) and according to the Tirumurugarruppatai ( c. 400–450 AD) attributed to the great Sangam poet Nakkiirar, Murugan was the presiding deity the Kurinci region (hilly area). (Tirumurugaruppatai is a deeply devotional poem included in the ten idylls (Pattupattu) of the age of the third Sangam). The other Sangam era works in Tamil that refer to Murugan in detail include the Paripaatal, the Akananuru and the Purananuru. One poem in the Paripaatal describes the veneration of Murugan thus:

 

"We implore thee not for boons of enjoyment or wealth,

But for thy grace beatific, love and virtuous deeds."

 

According to the Tamil devotional work, Thiruppugazh, "Murugan never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon in piety or distress". In another work, Thirumurukkarrupatai, he is described as a god of eternal youth;

 

His face shines a myriad rays light and removes the darkness from this world.[11]

The references to Murugan can be traced back to the first millennium BCE. There are references to Murugan in Kautilya's Arthashastra, in the works of Patanjali, in Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumarasambhavam. The Kushanas, who governed from what is today Peshawar, and the Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, struck coins bearing the image of Skanda. The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas.[6] The worship of Kumāra was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by him included this sect. In many Shiva and Devi temples of Tamil Nadu, Murugan is installed on the left of the main deity. The story of His birth goes as follows:

 

Sati immolated herself in a pyre as her father King Daksha had insulted Shiva, her Lord. She was reborn as Parvathi or Uma, daughter of the King of Himalayas, Himavan. She then married her Lord Shiva. The Devas were under onslaught from the Asuras whose leader was Soorapadman. He had been granted boons that only Lord Shiva or his seed could kill him. Fearless he vanquished the Devas and made them his slaves. The Devas ran to Vishnu for help who told them that it was merely their fault for attending Daksha's yagna, without the presence of Lord Shiva. After this, they ran to Shiva for help. Shiva decided to take action against Soorapadman's increasing conceit. He frowned and his third eye- the eye of knowledge- started releasing sparks. These were six sparks in total. Agni had the responsibility to take them to Saravana Lake. As he was carrying them, the sparks were growing hotter and hotter that even the Lord of Fire could not withstand the heat. Soon after Murugan was born on a lotus in the Saravana Lake with six faces, giving him the name Arumukhan. Lord Shiva and Parvati visited and tears of joy started flowing as they witnessed the most handsome child. Shiva and Parvathi gave the responsibility of taking care of Muruga to the six Krittika sisters. Muruga grew up to be a handsome, intelligent, powerful, clever youth. All the Devas applauded at their saviour, who had finally come to release them from their woes. Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods, then escorted the devas and led the army of the devas to victory against the asuras.

Legends[edit]

Given that legends related to Murugan are recounted separately in several Hindu epics, some differences between the various versions are observed. Some Sanskrit epics and puranas indicate that he was the elder son of Shiva. This is suggested by the legend connected to his birth; the wedding of Shiva and Parvati being necessary for the birth of a child who would vanquish the asura named Taraka. Also, Kartikeya is seen helping Shiva fight the newborn Ganesha, Shiva's other son, in the Shiva Purana. In the Ganapati Khandam of the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, he is seen as the elder son of Shiva and Ganesha as the younger. In South India, it is believed that he is the younger of the two. A Puranic story has Ganesha obtain a divine fruit of knowledge from Narada winning a contest with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest for the fruit, Ganesha circumambulates Shiva and Parvati thrice as an equivalent and is given the fruit. After winning it, he offers to give the fruit to his upset brother. After this event, Ganesha was considered the elder brother owing as a tribute to his wisdom. Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the child Krishna in north India. He is married to two wives, Valli and Devasena. This lead to a very interesting name : Devasenapati viz. Pati (husband) of Devsena and/or Senapati (commander in chief) of Dev (gods)

Kartikeya symbols are based on the weapons – Vel, the Divine Spear or Lance that he carries and his mount the peacock. He is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding a sakti or spear. This symbolizes his purification of human ills. His javelin is used to symbolize his far reaching protection, his discus symbolizes his knowledge of the truth, his mace represents his strength and his bow shows his ability to defeat all ills. His peacock mount symbolizes his destruction of the ego.

 

His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development. This corresponds to his role as the bestower of siddhis.

In Tamil Nadu, Murugan has continued to be popular with all classes of society right since the Sangam age. This has led to more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam, written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350–1420 AD.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram. (He was a scholar in Tamil literature, and a votary of the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy.)

 

He is married to two deities, Valli, a daughter of a tribal chief and Deivayanai (also called Devasena), the daughter of Indhra. During His bachelorhood, Lord Murugan is also regarded as Kumaraswami (or Bachelor God), Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance called Vel in Tamil is a weapon closely associated with him. The Vel was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. His army's standard depicts a rooster. In the war, Surapadman was split into two, and each half was granted a boon by Murugan. The halves, thus turned into the peacock (his mount) and the rooster his flag, which also "refers to the sun".[12]

 

As Muruga is worshipped predominantly in Tamil Nadu, many of his names are of Tamil origin. These include Senthil, the red or formidable one; Arumugam, the six-faced one; Guhan and Maal-Marugan, the son-in-law of Vishnu. Murugan is venerated throughout the Tamil year. There is a six-day period of fast and prayer in the Tamil month of Aippasi known as the Skanda Shasti. He is worshipped at Thaipusam, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide near the full moon of the Tamil month Thai. This commemorates the day he was given a Vel or lance by his mother in order to vanquish the asuras. Thirukarthigai or the full moon of the Tamil month of Karthigai signifies his birth. Each Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi is also dedicated to the worship of Murugan. Tuesday in the Hindu tradition connotes Mangala, the god of planet Mars and war.

 

Other parts of India[edit]

Historically, God Kartikeya was immensely popular in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 24), Krishna, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."

 

Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara. Kalidasa made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam. In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill Taraka and his brothers (in the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunnelling into the hero's house).

 

However, Kartikeya's popularity in North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown except in parts of Haryana. There is a very famous temple dedicated to Him in the town of Pehowa in Haryana and this temple is very well known in the adjoining areas, especially because women are not allowed anywhere close to it. Women stay away from this temple in Pehowa town of Haryana because this shrine celebrates the Brahmachari form of Kartikeya. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune, Maharashtra. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal and Odisha, where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja festivities alongside Durga. Lord Subramanya is the major deity among the Hindus of northern Kerala. Lord Subramanya is worshipped with utmost devotion in districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the state of Karnataka. Rituals like nagaradhane are unique to this region.

Kartikeya also known as Kartik or Kartika is also worshipped in West Bengal, and Bangladesh on the last day of the Hindu month of 'Kartik'. However, the popularity of Kartik Puja (worshipping Kartik) is decreasing now, and Lord Kartik is primarily worshipped among those who intend to have a son. In Bengal, traditionally, many people drop images of Kartik inside the boundaries of different households, who all are either newly married, or else, intend to get a son to carry on with their ancestry. Lord Kartik is also associated to the Babu Culture prevailed in historic Kolkata, and hence, many traditional old Bengali paintings still show Kartik dressed in traditional Bengali style. Also, in some parts of West Bengal, Kartik is traditionally worshipped by the ancestors of the past royal families too, as in the district of Malda. Kartik Puja is also popular among the prostitutes. This can probably be linked to the fact that, the prostitutes mostly got clients from the upper class babu-s in old Kolkata, who all, in turn, had been associated to the image of Kartik (as discussed above). In Bansberia (Hooghly district) Kartik Puja festival is celebrated like Durga puja of Kolkata, Jagadhatri puja in Chandannagar for consecutive four days. The festival starts on 17 November every year and on 16 November in case of Leap year.[13] Some of the must see Puja committees are Bansberia Kundugoli Nataraj, Khamarapara Milan Samity RadhaKrishna, Kishor Bahini, Mitali Sangha, Yuva Sangha, Bansberia Pratap Sangha and many more.

 

In Durga Puja in Bengal, Kartikeya is considered to be a son of Parvati or Durga and Shiva along with his brother Ganesha and sisters Lakshmi and Saraswati.[14]

Kartikeya is worshiped during Durga Puja in Odisha as well as in various Shiva temples throughout the year. Kartik puja is celebrated in Cuttack along with various other parts of the state during the last phases of Hindu month of Kartik. Kartik purnima is celebrated with much joy and in a grand fashion in Cuttack and other parts in the state.

Murugan is adored by both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Numerous temples exist throughout the island. He is a favorite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon. In the deeply Sinhalese south of Sri Lanka, Murugan is worshipped at the temple in Katirkāmam, where he is known as Kathiravel or Katragama Deviyo (Lord of Katragama) . This temple is next to an old Buddhist place of worship. Local legend holds that Lord Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local aboriginal lasses. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Lord Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple and the Sella Channithy Temple near Valvettiturai are the three foremost Murugan temples in Jaffna. The Chitravelayutha temple in Verukal on the border between Trincomalee and Batticaloa is also noteworthy as is the Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa. The late medieval-era temple of the tooth in Kandy, dedicated to the tooth relic of the Buddha, has a Kataragama deiyo shrine adjacent to it dedicated to the veneration of Skanda in the Sinhalese tradition. Almost all buddhist temples house a shrine room for Kataragama deviyo(Murugan)reflecting the significance of Murugan in Sinhala Buddhism,

 

Based on archeological evidence found, it is believed that the Kiri Vehera was either renovated to build during the 1st century BCE. There are number of others inscriptions and ruins.[15]

 

By the 16th century the Kathiravel shrine at Katirkāmam had become synonymous with Skanda-Kumara who was a guardian deity of Sinhala Buddhism.[16] The town was popular as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus from India and Sri Lanka by the 15 the century. The popularity of the deity at the Kataragama temple was also recorded by the Pali chronicles of Thailand such as Jinkalmali in the 16th century. There are number of legends both Buddhist and Hindu that attribute supernatural events to the very locality.[16] Scholars such as Paul Younger and Heinz Bechert speculate that rituals practiced by the native priests of Kataragama temple betray Vedda ideals of propitiation. Hence they believe the area was of Vedda veneration that was taken over by the Buddhist and Hindus in the medieval period.[17]

Lord Murugan is one of the most important deities worshipped by Tamil people in Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. Thai Poosam is one of the important festivals celebrated. Sri Subramanyar Temple at Batu Caves temple complex in Malaysia is dedicated to Lord Murugan.

The main temples of Murugan are located in Tamil Nadu and other parts of south India. They include the Aru Padaiveedu (six abodes) — Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparangunram, Palani (Pazhani), Thiruthani and other important shrines like Mayilam, Sikkal, Marudamalai, Kundrathur, Vadapalani, Kandakottam, Thiruporur, Vallakottai, Vayalur, Thirumalaikoil, Pachaimalai and Pavalamalai near Gobichettipalayam. Malai Mandir, a prominent and popular temple complex in Delhi, is one of the few dedicated to Murugan in all of North India apart from the Pehowa temple in Haryana.

There are many temples dedicated to Lord Subramanya in Kerala. Amongst them are Atiyambur Sri Subramanya Temple in Kanhangad Kasaragod, Payyannur Subramanya Swamy temple in Payyanur, Panmana Subramanya Swamy temple in Panmana and the Subramanya temple in Haripad. There is a temple in Skandagiri, Secunderabad and one in Bikkavolu, East Godavari district in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka there is the Kukke Subramanya Temple where Lord Murugan is worshiped as the Lord of the serpents. Aaslesha Bali, Sarpa Samskara with nagapathista samarpa are major prayers here. There is a temple called Malai Mandir in South Delhi. Malai means hill in Tamil. Mandir means temple in Hindi.

 

The key temples in Sri Lanka include the sylvan shrine in Kataragama / (Kadirgamam) or Kathirkamam in the deep south, the temple in Tirukovil in the east, the shrine in Embekke in the Kandyan region and the famed Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna. There are several temples dedicated to Lord Murugan in Malaysia, the most famous being the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. There is a 42.7-m-high statue of Lord Murugan at the entrance to the Batu Caves, which is the largest Lord Murugan statue in the world. Sri Thandayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, Singapore is a major Hindu temple where each year the Thaipusam festival takes place with devotees of Lord Muruga carrying Kavadis seeking penance and blessings of the Lord.

 

In the United Kingdom, Highgate Hill Murugan temple is one of the oldest and most famous. In London, Sri Murugan Temple in Manor park is a well-known temple. In Midlands, Leicester Shri Siva Murugan Temple is gaining popularity recently. Skanda Vale in West Wales was founded by Guruji, a Tamil devotee of Subramaniam, and its primary deity is Lord Murugan. In Australia, Sydney Murugan temple in Parramatta (Mays Hill), Perth Bala Muruguan temple in Mandogalup and Kundrathu Kumaran temple in Rockbank, Melbourne are major Hindu temples for all Australian Hindus and Murugan devotees. In New Zealand, there is a Thirumurugan Temple in Auckland and a Kurinji Kumaran Temple in Wellington, both dedicated to Lord Murugan. In the USA, Shiva Murugan Temple in Concord, Northern California and Murugan Temple of North America[18] in Maryland, Washington DC region are popular. In Toronto, Canada, Canada Kanthasamy Temple is known amongst many Hindus in Canada. In Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a suburb of the city of Montreal in Canada, there is a monumental temple of Murugan. The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and largest Hindu temple in Switzerland.[19]

Copyright© Firdaus Mahadi 2012 | View Large!

 

"To compel someone to adopt virtue never makes a virtuous man. Also forcing people to have faith never result in faithful hearts. It is freedom which is the base of virtue"

 

Location : Lumut, Perak, Malaysia

 

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Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती, Sarasvatī) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and learning. She is a part of the trinity of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. All the three forms help the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to create, maintain and regenerate-recycle the Universe respectively.

 

The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a goddess is in Rigveda. She has remained significant as a goddess from the Vedic age through modern times of Hindu traditions. Some Hindus celebrate the festival of Vasant Panchami (the fifth day of spring) in her honour, and mark the day by helping young children learn how to write alphabets on that day. The Goddess is also revered by believers of the Jain religion of west and central India, as well as some Buddhist sects.

 

Saraswati as a goddess of knowledge, music and arts is also found outside India, such as in Japan, Vietnam, Bali (Indonesia) and Myanmar.

 

ETYMOLOGY

Saraswati, sometimes spelled Sarasvati, is a Sanskrit fusion word of Sara (सार) which means essence, and Sva (स्व) which means one self, the fused word meaning "essence of one self", and Saraswati meaning "one who leads to essence of self knowledge". It is also a Sanskrit composite word of surasa-vati (सुरस-वति) which means "one with plenty of water".

 

The word Saraswati appears both as a reference to a river and as a significant deity in the Rigveda. In initial passages, the word refers to Sarasvati River and mentioned with other northwestern Indian rivers such as Drishadvati. Saraswati then connotes a river deity. In Book 2, Rigveda calls Saraswati as the best of mothers, of rivers, of goddesses.

 

अम्बितमे नदीतमे देवितमे सरस्वति |

– Rigveda 2.41.16

 

Saraswati is celebrated as a feminine deity with healing, purifying powers of abundant, flowing waters in Book 10 of Rigveda, as follows:

 

अपो अस्मान मातरः शुन्धयन्तु घर्तेन नो घर्तप्वः पुनन्तु |

विश्वं हि रिप्रं परवहन्ति देविरुदिदाभ्यः शुचिरापूत एमि ||

– Rigveda 10.17

 

May the waters, the mothers, cleanse us,

may they who purify with butter, purify us with butter,

for these goddesses bear away defilement,

I come up out of them pure and cleansed.

–Translated by John Muir

 

In Vedic literature, Saraswati gains the same significance to early Indians, states John Muir, as Ganges river became to their descendants. In hymns of Book 10 of Rigveda, she is already declared to be the "possessor of knowledge". Her importance grows in Vedas composed after Rigveda and in Brahmanas, and the word evolves in its meaning from "waters that purify", to "that which purifies", to "vach (speech) that purifies", to "knowledge that purifies", and ultimately into a spiritual concept of a goddess that embodies knowledge, arts, music, melody, muse, language, rhetoric, eloquence, creative work and anything whose flow purifies the essence and self of a person. In Upanishads and Dharma Sastras, Saraswati is invoked to remind the reader to meditate on virtue, virtuous emoluments, the meaning and the very essence of one's activity, one's action.

 

Saraswati is known by many names in ancient Hindu literature. Some examples of synonyms for Saraswati include Brahmani (goddess of sciences), Brahmi (from being wife of Brahma), Bharadi (goddess of history), Vani and Vachi (both referring to the flow of music/song, melodious speech, eloquent speaking respectively), Varnesvari (goddess of letters), Kavijihvagravasini (one who dwells on the tongue of poets).

 

NOMENCLATURE

In the Telugu language, Sarasvati is also known as Chaduvula Thalli (చదువుల తల్లి), Sharada (శారద). In Konkani, she is referred to as Sharada, Veenapani, Pustaka dharini, Vidyadayini. In Kannada, variants of her name include Sharade, Sharadamba, Vani, Veenapani in the famous Sringeri temple. In Tamil, she is also known as Kalaimagal (கலைமகள்), Kalaivaani (கலைவாணி), Vaani (வாணி), Bharathi. She is also addressed as Sharada (the one who loves the autumn season), Veena pustaka dharani (the one holding books and a Veena), Vaakdevi, Vagdevi, Vani (all meaning "speech"), Varadhanayagi (the one bestowing boons).

 

Within India, she is locally spelled as Bengali: সরস্বতী, Saraswati ?, Malayalam: സരസ്വതി, Saraswathy ?, and Tamil: சரஸ்வதி, Sarasvatī ?.

 

Outside India, she is known in Burmese as Thurathadi (သူရဿတီ, pronounced: [θùja̰ðədì] or [θùɹa̰ðədì]) or Tipitaka Medaw (တိပိဋကမယ်တော်, pronounced: [tḭpḭtəka̰ mɛ̀dɔ̀]), in Chinese as Biàncáitiān (辯才天), in Japanese as Benzaiten (弁才天/弁財天) and in Thai as Suratsawadi (สุรัสวดี) or Saratsawadi (สรัสวดี).

 

HISTORY

Saraswati is found in almost every major ancient and medieval Indian literature between 1000 BC to 1500 AD. She has remained significant as a goddess from the Vedic age through modern times of Hindu traditions. In Shanti Parva of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Saraswati is called the mother of the Vedas, and later as the celestial creative symphony who appeared when Brahma created the universe. In Book 2 of Taittiriya Brahmana, she is called the mother of eloquent speech and melodious music. Saraswati is the active energy and power of Brahma. She is also mentioned in many minor Sanskrit publications such as Sarada Tilaka of 8th century AD as follows, May the goddess of speech enable us to attain all possible eloquence,

 

she who wears on her locks a young moon,

who shines with exquisite lustre,

who sits reclined on a white lotus,

and from the crimson cusp of whose hands pours,

radiance on the implements of writing, and books produced by her favour.

 

– On Saraswati, Sarada TilakaSaraswati became a prominent deity in Buddhist iconography – the consort of Manjushri in 1st millennium AD. In some instances such as in the Sadhanamala of Buddhist pantheon, she has been symbolically represented similar to regional Hindu iconography, but unlike the more well known depictions of Saraswati.

 

SYMBOLISM AND ICONOGRAPHY

The goddess Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful woman dressed in pure white, often seated on a white lotus, which symbolizes light, knowledge and truth. She not only embodies knowledge but also the experience of the highest reality. Her iconography is typically in white themes from dress to flowers to swan – the colour symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity, discrimination for true knowledge, insight and wisdom.

 

She is generally shown to have four arms, but sometimes just two. When shown with four hands, those hands symbolically mirror her husband Brahma's four heads, representing manas (mind, sense), buddhi (intellect, reasoning), citta (imagination, creativity) and ahamkara (self consciousness, ego). Brahma represents the abstract, she action and reality.

 

The four hands hold items with symbolic meaning — a pustaka (book or script), a mala (rosary, garland), a water pot and a musical instrument (lute or vina). The book she holds symbolizes the Vedas representing the universal, divine, eternal, and true knowledge as well as all forms of learning. A mālā of crystals, representing the power of meditation, inner reflection and spirituality. A pot of water represents powers to purify the right from wrong, the clean from unclean, and the essence from the misleading. In some texts, the pot of water is symbolism for soma - the drink that liberates and leads to knowledge. The musical instrument, typically a veena, represents all creative arts and sciences, and her holding it symbolizes expressing knowledge that creates harmony. Saraswati is also associated with anurāga, the love for and rhythm of music, which represents all emotions and feelings expressed in speech or music.

 

A hansa / hans or swan is often located next to her feet. In Hindu mythology, hans is a sacred bird, which if offered a mixture of milk and water, is said to be able to drink the milk alone. It thus symbolizes discrimination between the good from the bad, the essence from the superficial, the eternal from the evanescent. Due to her association with the swan, Saraswati is also referred to as Hansvahini, which means "she who has a hansa / hans as her vehicle". The swan is also a symbolism for spiritual perfection, transcendence and moksha.

 

Sometimes a citramekhala (also called mayura, peacock) is shown beside the goddess. The peacock symbolizes colorful splendor, celebration of dance, and peacock's ability to eat poison (snakes) yet transmute from it a beautiful plumage.

 

She is usually depicted near a flowing river or near a water body, which may be related to her early history as a river goddess

 

REGIONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF SARASWATI

MAHA SARASWATI

In some regions of India, such as Vindhya, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam, as well as east Nepal, Saraswati is part of the Devi Mahatmya mythology, in the trinity of Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati. This is one of many different Hindu legends that attempt to explain how Hindu trinity of gods (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) and goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati) came into being. Various Purana texts offer alternate legends for Maha Saraswati.

 

Maha Saraswati is depicted as eight-armed and is often portrayed holding a Veena whilst sitting on a white lotus flower.

 

Her dhyāna shloka given at the beginning of the fifth chapter of Devi Mahatmya is:

 

Wielding in her lotus-hands the bell, trident, ploughshare, conch, pestle, discus, bow, and arrow, her lustre is like that of a moon shining in the autumn sky. She is born from the body of Gowri and is the sustaining base of the three worlds. That Mahasaraswati I worship here who destroyed Sumbha and other asuras.

 

Mahasaraswati is also part of another legend, the Navdurgas, or nine forms of Durga, revered as powerful and dangerous goddesses in eastern India. They have special significance on Navaratri in these regions. All of these are seen ultimately as aspects of a single great Hindu goddess, with Maha Saraswati as one of those nine.

 

MAHAVIDYA NILA SARASWATI

In Tibet and parts of India, Nilasaraswati is a form of Mahavidya Tara. Nila Saraswati is a different deity than traditional Saraswati, yet subsumes her knowledge and creative energy in tantric literature. Nila Sarasvati is the ugra (angry, violent, destructive) manifestation in a one school of Hinduism, while the more common Saraswati is the saumya (calm, compassionate, productive) manifestation found in most schools of Hinduism. In tantric literature of the former, Nilasaraswati has a 100 names. There are separate dhyana shlokas and mantras for her worship in Tantrasara.

 

WORSHIP

TEMPLES

There are many temples, dedicated to Saraswati around the world. Some notable temples include the Gnana Saraswati Temple in Basar, on the banks of the River Godavari, the Wargal Saraswati and Shri Saraswati Kshetramu temples in Medak, Telangana. In Karnataka, one of many Saraswati/Sharada pilgrimage spots is Shringeri Sharadamba Temple. In Ernakulam district of Kerala, there is a famous Saraswati temple in North Paravur, namely Dakshina Mookambika Temple North Paravur. In Tamil Nadu, Koothanur hosts a Saraswati temples about 25 kilometres from Tiruvarur.

 

FESTIVALS

Saraswati's is remembered on – Vasant Panchami – is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 5th day in the Hindu calendar month of Magha (about February). Hindus celebrate this festival in temples, homes and educational institutes alike.

 

In Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka, Saraswati Puja starts with Saraswati Avahan on Maha Saptami and ends on Vijayadashami with Saraswati Udasan or Visarjan.

 

SARASWATI PUJA CALENDAR

Saraswati Puja Avahan – Maha Saptami – Triratna vratam starts in Andhra Pradesh.

Saraswati Puja (main puja) – Durga Ashtami

Saraswati Uttara Puja – Mahanavami

Saraswati Visarjan or Udasan – Vijaya Dashami

Saraswati Kartik Purnima on (Sristhal) siddhpur of Gujaratis ancient festival since Solanki ruling of Patan state.

 

SARASWATI PUJA IN SOUTH INDIA

In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the last three days of the Navaratri festival, i.e., Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami, are celebrated as Sarasvati Puja. The celebrations start with the Puja Vypu (Placing for Worship). It consists of placing the books for puja on the Ashtami day. It may be in one's own house, in the local nursery school run by traditional teachers, or in the local temple. The books will be taken out for reading, after worship, only on the morning of the third day (Vijaya Dashami). It is called Puja Eduppu (Taking [from] Puja). Children are happy, since they are not expected to study on these days. On the Vijaya Dashami day, Kerala celebrates the Ezhuthiniruthu or Initiation of Writing for the little children before they are admitted to nursery schools. This is also called Vidyarambham. The child is made to write for the first time on the rice spread in a plate with the index finger, guided by an elder of the family or by a teacher.

 

SARASWATI OUTSIDE INDIA

SARASWATI IN MYANMAR

In Burma, the Shwezigon Mon Inscription dated to be of 1084 AD, near Bagan, recites the name Saraswati as follows,

 

"The wisdom of eloquence called Saraswati shall dwell in mouth of King Sri Tribhuwanadityadhammaraja at all times". – Translated by Than Tun

 

Statue of Thurathadi at Kyauktawgyi Buddha Temple (Yangon)

 

In Buddhist arts of Myanmar, she is called Thurathadi (or Thayéthadi).: 215 Students in Myanmar pray for her blessings before their exams. :327 She is also believed to be, in Mahayana pantheon of Myanmar, the protector of Buddhist scriptures.

 

SARASWATI IN JAPAN

The concept of Saraswati migrated from India, through China to Japan, where she appears as Benzaiten (弁財天). Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th through 8th centuries. She is often depicted holding a biwa, a traditional Japanese lute musical instrument. She is enshrined on numerous locations throughout Japan such as the Kamakura's Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine or Nagoya's Kawahara Shrine; the three biggest shrines in Japan in her honour are at the Enoshima Island in Sagami Bay, the Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa, and the Itsukushima Island in Seto Inland Sea.

 

SARASWATI IN CAMBODIA

Saraswati was honoured with invocations among Hindus of Angkorian Cambodia, suggests a tenth-century and another eleventh-century inscription. She and Brahma are referred to in Cambodian epigraphy from the 7th century onwards, and she is praised by Khmer poets for being goddess of eloquence, writing and music. More offerings were made to her than to her husband Brahma. She is also referred to as Vagisvari and Bharati in Yasovarman era Khmer literature.

 

SARASWATI IN THAILAND

In ancient Thai literature, Saraswati (Thai: สุรัสวดี; rtgs: Suratsawadi) is the goddess of speech and learning, and consort of Brahma. Over time, Hindu and Buddhist concepts on deities merged in Thailand. Icons of Saraswati with other deities of India are found in old Thai wats. Amulets with Saraswati and a peacock are also found in Thailand.

 

SARASWATI IN INDONESIA

Saraswati is an important goddess in Balinese Hinduism. She shares the same attributes and iconography as Saraswati in Hindu literature of India - in both places, she is the goddess of knowledge, creative arts, wisdom, language, learning and purity. In Bali, she is celebrated on Saraswati day, one of the main festivals for Hindus in Indonesia. The day marks the close of 210-day year in the Pawukon calendar.

 

On Saraswati day, people make offerings in the form of flowers in temples and to sacred texts. The day after Saraswati day, is Banyu Pinaruh, a day of cleansing. On this day, Hindus of Bali go to the sea, sacred waterfalls or river spots, offer prayers to Saraswati, and then rinse themselves in that water in the morning. Then they prepare a feast, such as the traditional bebek betutu and nasi kuning, that they share.

 

The Saraswati Day festival has a long history in Bali. It has become more widespread in Hindu community of Indonesia in recent decades, and it is celebrated with theatre and dance performance.

 

WIKIPEDIA

 

...I'd trade for a fishing pole.

 

You can go anywhere you want if you're packing a fishing pole. You arouse no concern. No one questions the fisherman, except to ask, "are they biting?" Folks know what you're up to--you're fishing. Unlike the dude with the rocket launcher, the fisher is part of the scenery, and evokes no alarm.

 

I love this photo, and hasten to give credit to my long time pal, Gary, who gave it to me on my last birthday--He knows me well enough to know how strongly it would resonate with me. I urged him to post it on his flickr site, (Kala Gush), but he hasn't. But he knows me well enough to know I couldn't resist sharing it for long.

 

The photo sits in a frame on my desk and reminds me of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching. It reminds me that potency comes from wisdom and harmony with nature, not from firepower and threat.

 

"A person of great virtue is like the flowing water.

Water benefits all things and contends not with them.

It puts itself in a place that no one wishes to be and thus is closest to Tao.

A virtuous person is like water which adapts itself to the perfect place.

His mind is like the deep water that is calm and peaceful.

His heart is kind like water that benefits all.

His words are sincere like the constant flow of water.

His governing is natural without desire which is like the softness of water that penetrates through

hard rocks.

His work is of talent like the free flow of water.

His movement is of right timing like water that flows smoothly.

A virtuous person never forces his way and hence will not make faults." Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8

 

These recent shootings, where young guys in their 20s go crazy, I believe are rooted in their need to demonstrate their potency and power (with bullets and guns). Their bodies are fully formed, but their minds are confused and disturbed. If only someone had given them a guitar to strum, a role to play, or a fishing license, (in my simplistic world view), their frustrations might have been resolved.

 

When I go fishing, I start along the shoreline, turning over rocks, looking for the little bugs that will be my bait. Giving the fish what they like to eat, knowing where they escape the current, and wait for their meal to drift by. Success begins by starting early, and paying attention.

 

If I had a rocket launcher

 

Kartikeya, also known as Skanda, Murugan and Subramaniyan, is the Hindu god of war. He is the commander-in-chief of the army of the devas (gods) and the son of Shiva and Parvati.

 

Murugan is often referred to as "Tamil Kadavul" (meaning "God of Tamils") and is worshiped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the Arupadaiveedu temples, located in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, Hindus as well as Buddhists revere the sacred historical Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna and Katirkāmam Temple situated deep south.[1] Hindus in Malaysia also pray to Lord Murugan at the Batu Caves and various temples where Thaipusam is celebrated with grandeur.

 

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Kartikeya is known as Subrahmanya with a temple at Kukke Subramanya known for Sarpa shanti rites dedicated to Him and another famous temple at Ghati Subramanya also in Karnataka. In Bengal and Odisha, he is popularly known as Kartikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika').[2]

Other names[edit]

Like most Hindu deities, Subrahmanya is known by many other names, including Senthil, Vēlaṇ, Kumāran (meaning 'prince or child or young one'), Swaminatha (meaning 'smart' or 'clever'), Saravaṇa, Arumugam or Shanmuga (meaning 'one with six faces'), Dhandapani (meaning God with a Club), Guhan or Guruguha (meaning 'cave-dweller'), Subrahmanya, Kartikeya and Skanda (meaning 'that which is spilled or oozed).[3][4] He was also known as Mahasena and the Kadamba Dynasty kings worshiped him by this name.[5]

Vedas[edit]

The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as 'Agnibhuh' because he is form of 'Agni' (Fire God) & Agni hold in his hand when kumaran born. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to him as the son of Rudra and the six faces of Rudra. The Taittiriya Aranyaka contains the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions Skanda as 'Mahasena' and 'Subrahmanya.' The Aranya Parva canto of the Mahabharata relates the legend of Kartikeya Skanda in considerable detail. The Skanda Purana is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya.[6] The Upanishads also constantly make a reference to a Supreme Being called Guha, the indweller.

The first elaborate account of Kartikeya's origin occurs in the Mahabharata. In a complicated story, he is said to have been born from Agni and Svaha, after the latter impersonated the six of the seven wives of the Saptarishi (Seven Sages). The actual wives then become the Pleiades. Kartikeya is said to have been born to destroy the Asura Mahisha.[7] (In later mythology, Mahisha became the adversary of Durga.) Indra attacks Kartikeya as he sees the latter as a threat, until Shiva intervenes and makes Kartikeya the commander-in-chief of the army of the Devas. He is also married to Devasena, Indra's daughter. The origin of this marriage lies probably in the punning of 'Deva-sena-pati'. It can mean either lord of Devasena or Lord of the army (sena) of Devas. But according to Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, in his master work on Shiva[8] and other works, Kartikeya was married to Devasenā and that is on the ground of his name as Devasena's husband, Devasenāpati, misinterpreted as Deva-senāpati (Deva's general) that he was granted the title general and made the Deva's army general.[9]

 

The Ramayana version is closer to the stories told in the Puranas discussed below.

Tolkappiyam, possibly the most ancient of the extant Sangam works, dated between the 3rd century BCE and 5th century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils."[10] The Sangam poetry divided space and Tamil land into five allegorical areas (tinai) and according to the Tirumurugarruppatai ( c. 400–450 AD) attributed to the great Sangam poet Nakkiirar, Murugan was the presiding deity the Kurinci region (hilly area). (Tirumurugaruppatai is a deeply devotional poem included in the ten idylls (Pattupattu) of the age of the third Sangam). The other Sangam era works in Tamil that refer to Murugan in detail include the Paripaatal, the Akananuru and the Purananuru. One poem in the Paripaatal describes the veneration of Murugan thus:

 

"We implore thee not for boons of enjoyment or wealth,

But for thy grace beatific, love and virtuous deeds."

 

According to the Tamil devotional work, Thiruppugazh, "Murugan never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon in piety or distress". In another work, Thirumurukkarrupatai, he is described as a god of eternal youth;

 

His face shines a myriad rays light and removes the darkness from this world.[11]

The references to Murugan can be traced back to the first millennium BCE. There are references to Murugan in Kautilya's Arthashastra, in the works of Patanjali, in Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumarasambhavam. The Kushanas, who governed from what is today Peshawar, and the Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, struck coins bearing the image of Skanda. The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas.[6] The worship of Kumāra was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by him included this sect. In many Shiva and Devi temples of Tamil Nadu, Murugan is installed on the left of the main deity. The story of His birth goes as follows:

 

Sati immolated herself in a pyre as her father King Daksha had insulted Shiva, her Lord. She was reborn as Parvathi or Uma, daughter of the King of Himalayas, Himavan. She then married her Lord Shiva. The Devas were under onslaught from the Asuras whose leader was Soorapadman. He had been granted boons that only Lord Shiva or his seed could kill him. Fearless he vanquished the Devas and made them his slaves. The Devas ran to Vishnu for help who told them that it was merely their fault for attending Daksha's yagna, without the presence of Lord Shiva. After this, they ran to Shiva for help. Shiva decided to take action against Soorapadman's increasing conceit. He frowned and his third eye- the eye of knowledge- started releasing sparks. These were six sparks in total. Agni had the responsibility to take them to Saravana Lake. As he was carrying them, the sparks were growing hotter and hotter that even the Lord of Fire could not withstand the heat. Soon after Murugan was born on a lotus in the Saravana Lake with six faces, giving him the name Arumukhan. Lord Shiva and Parvati visited and tears of joy started flowing as they witnessed the most handsome child. Shiva and Parvathi gave the responsibility of taking care of Muruga to the six Krittika sisters. Muruga grew up to be a handsome, intelligent, powerful, clever youth. All the Devas applauded at their saviour, who had finally come to release them from their woes. Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods, then escorted the devas and led the army of the devas to victory against the asuras.

Legends[edit]

Given that legends related to Murugan are recounted separately in several Hindu epics, some differences between the various versions are observed. Some Sanskrit epics and puranas indicate that he was the elder son of Shiva. This is suggested by the legend connected to his birth; the wedding of Shiva and Parvati being necessary for the birth of a child who would vanquish the asura named Taraka. Also, Kartikeya is seen helping Shiva fight the newborn Ganesha, Shiva's other son, in the Shiva Purana. In the Ganapati Khandam of the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, he is seen as the elder son of Shiva and Ganesha as the younger. In South India, it is believed that he is the younger of the two. A Puranic story has Ganesha obtain a divine fruit of knowledge from Narada winning a contest with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest for the fruit, Ganesha circumambulates Shiva and Parvati thrice as an equivalent and is given the fruit. After winning it, he offers to give the fruit to his upset brother. After this event, Ganesha was considered the elder brother owing as a tribute to his wisdom. Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the child Krishna in north India. He is married to two wives, Valli and Devasena. This lead to a very interesting name : Devasenapati viz. Pati (husband) of Devsena and/or Senapati (commander in chief) of Dev (gods)

Kartikeya symbols are based on the weapons – Vel, the Divine Spear or Lance that he carries and his mount the peacock. He is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding a sakti or spear. This symbolizes his purification of human ills. His javelin is used to symbolize his far reaching protection, his discus symbolizes his knowledge of the truth, his mace represents his strength and his bow shows his ability to defeat all ills. His peacock mount symbolizes his destruction of the ego.

 

His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development. This corresponds to his role as the bestower of siddhis.

In Tamil Nadu, Murugan has continued to be popular with all classes of society right since the Sangam age. This has led to more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam, written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350–1420 AD.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram. (He was a scholar in Tamil literature, and a votary of the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy.)

 

He is married to two deities, Valli, a daughter of a tribal chief and Deivayanai (also called Devasena), the daughter of Indhra. During His bachelorhood, Lord Murugan is also regarded as Kumaraswami (or Bachelor God), Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance called Vel in Tamil is a weapon closely associated with him. The Vel was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. His army's standard depicts a rooster. In the war, Surapadman was split into two, and each half was granted a boon by Murugan. The halves, thus turned into the peacock (his mount) and the rooster his flag, which also "refers to the sun".[12]

 

As Muruga is worshipped predominantly in Tamil Nadu, many of his names are of Tamil origin. These include Senthil, the red or formidable one; Arumugam, the six-faced one; Guhan and Maal-Marugan, the son-in-law of Vishnu. Murugan is venerated throughout the Tamil year. There is a six-day period of fast and prayer in the Tamil month of Aippasi known as the Skanda Shasti. He is worshipped at Thaipusam, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide near the full moon of the Tamil month Thai. This commemorates the day he was given a Vel or lance by his mother in order to vanquish the asuras. Thirukarthigai or the full moon of the Tamil month of Karthigai signifies his birth. Each Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi is also dedicated to the worship of Murugan. Tuesday in the Hindu tradition connotes Mangala, the god of planet Mars and war.

 

Other parts of India[edit]

Historically, God Kartikeya was immensely popular in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 24), Krishna, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."

 

Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara. Kalidasa made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam. In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill Taraka and his brothers (in the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunnelling into the hero's house).

 

However, Kartikeya's popularity in North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown except in parts of Haryana. There is a very famous temple dedicated to Him in the town of Pehowa in Haryana and this temple is very well known in the adjoining areas, especially because women are not allowed anywhere close to it. Women stay away from this temple in Pehowa town of Haryana because this shrine celebrates the Brahmachari form of Kartikeya. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune, Maharashtra. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal and Odisha, where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja festivities alongside Durga. Lord Subramanya is the major deity among the Hindus of northern Kerala. Lord Subramanya is worshipped with utmost devotion in districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the state of Karnataka. Rituals like nagaradhane are unique to this region.

Kartikeya also known as Kartik or Kartika is also worshipped in West Bengal, and Bangladesh on the last day of the Hindu month of 'Kartik'. However, the popularity of Kartik Puja (worshipping Kartik) is decreasing now, and Lord Kartik is primarily worshipped among those who intend to have a son. In Bengal, traditionally, many people drop images of Kartik inside the boundaries of different households, who all are either newly married, or else, intend to get a son to carry on with their ancestry. Lord Kartik is also associated to the Babu Culture prevailed in historic Kolkata, and hence, many traditional old Bengali paintings still show Kartik dressed in traditional Bengali style. Also, in some parts of West Bengal, Kartik is traditionally worshipped by the ancestors of the past royal families too, as in the district of Malda. Kartik Puja is also popular among the prostitutes. This can probably be linked to the fact that, the prostitutes mostly got clients from the upper class babu-s in old Kolkata, who all, in turn, had been associated to the image of Kartik (as discussed above). In Bansberia (Hooghly district) Kartik Puja festival is celebrated like Durga puja of Kolkata, Jagadhatri puja in Chandannagar for consecutive four days. The festival starts on 17 November every year and on 16 November in case of Leap year.[13] Some of the must see Puja committees are Bansberia Kundugoli Nataraj, Khamarapara Milan Samity RadhaKrishna, Kishor Bahini, Mitali Sangha, Yuva Sangha, Bansberia Pratap Sangha and many more.

 

In Durga Puja in Bengal, Kartikeya is considered to be a son of Parvati or Durga and Shiva along with his brother Ganesha and sisters Lakshmi and Saraswati.[14]

Kartikeya is worshiped during Durga Puja in Odisha as well as in various Shiva temples throughout the year. Kartik puja is celebrated in Cuttack along with various other parts of the state during the last phases of Hindu month of Kartik. Kartik purnima is celebrated with much joy and in a grand fashion in Cuttack and other parts in the state.

Murugan is adored by both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Numerous temples exist throughout the island. He is a favorite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon. In the deeply Sinhalese south of Sri Lanka, Murugan is worshipped at the temple in Katirkāmam, where he is known as Kathiravel or Katragama Deviyo (Lord of Katragama) . This temple is next to an old Buddhist place of worship. Local legend holds that Lord Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local aboriginal lasses. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Lord Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple and the Sella Channithy Temple near Valvettiturai are the three foremost Murugan temples in Jaffna. The Chitravelayutha temple in Verukal on the border between Trincomalee and Batticaloa is also noteworthy as is the Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa. The late medieval-era temple of the tooth in Kandy, dedicated to the tooth relic of the Buddha, has a Kataragama deiyo shrine adjacent to it dedicated to the veneration of Skanda in the Sinhalese tradition. Almost all buddhist temples house a shrine room for Kataragama deviyo(Murugan)reflecting the significance of Murugan in Sinhala Buddhism,

 

Based on archeological evidence found, it is believed that the Kiri Vehera was either renovated to build during the 1st century BCE. There are number of others inscriptions and ruins.[15]

 

By the 16th century the Kathiravel shrine at Katirkāmam had become synonymous with Skanda-Kumara who was a guardian deity of Sinhala Buddhism.[16] The town was popular as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus from India and Sri Lanka by the 15 the century. The popularity of the deity at the Kataragama temple was also recorded by the Pali chronicles of Thailand such as Jinkalmali in the 16th century. There are number of legends both Buddhist and Hindu that attribute supernatural events to the very locality.[16] Scholars such as Paul Younger and Heinz Bechert speculate that rituals practiced by the native priests of Kataragama temple betray Vedda ideals of propitiation. Hence they believe the area was of Vedda veneration that was taken over by the Buddhist and Hindus in the medieval period.[17]

Lord Murugan is one of the most important deities worshipped by Tamil people in Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. Thai Poosam is one of the important festivals celebrated. Sri Subramanyar Temple at Batu Caves temple complex in Malaysia is dedicated to Lord Murugan.

The main temples of Murugan are located in Tamil Nadu and other parts of south India. They include the Aru Padaiveedu (six abodes) — Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparangunram, Palani (Pazhani), Thiruthani and other important shrines like Mayilam, Sikkal, Marudamalai, Kundrathur, Vadapalani, Kandakottam, Thiruporur, Vallakottai, Vayalur, Thirumalaikoil, Pachaimalai and Pavalamalai near Gobichettipalayam. Malai Mandir, a prominent and popular temple complex in Delhi, is one of the few dedicated to Murugan in all of North India apart from the Pehowa temple in Haryana.

There are many temples dedicated to Lord Subramanya in Kerala. Amongst them are Atiyambur Sri Subramanya Temple in Kanhangad Kasaragod, Payyannur Subramanya Swamy temple in Payyanur, Panmana Subramanya Swamy temple in Panmana and the Subramanya temple in Haripad. There is a temple in Skandagiri, Secunderabad and one in Bikkavolu, East Godavari district in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka there is the Kukke Subramanya Temple where Lord Murugan is worshiped as the Lord of the serpents. Aaslesha Bali, Sarpa Samskara with nagapathista samarpa are major prayers here. There is a temple called Malai Mandir in South Delhi. Malai means hill in Tamil. Mandir means temple in Hindi.

 

The key temples in Sri Lanka include the sylvan shrine in Kataragama / (Kadirgamam) or Kathirkamam in the deep south, the temple in Tirukovil in the east, the shrine in Embekke in the Kandyan region and the famed Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna. There are several temples dedicated to Lord Murugan in Malaysia, the most famous being the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. There is a 42.7-m-high statue of Lord Murugan at the entrance to the Batu Caves, which is the largest Lord Murugan statue in the world. Sri Thandayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, Singapore is a major Hindu temple where each year the Thaipusam festival takes place with devotees of Lord Muruga carrying Kavadis seeking penance and blessings of the Lord.

 

In the United Kingdom, Highgate Hill Murugan temple is one of the oldest and most famous. In London, Sri Murugan Temple in Manor park is a well-known temple. In Midlands, Leicester Shri Siva Murugan Temple is gaining popularity recently. Skanda Vale in West Wales was founded by Guruji, a Tamil devotee of Subramaniam, and its primary deity is Lord Murugan. In Australia, Sydney Murugan temple in Parramatta (Mays Hill), Perth Bala Muruguan temple in Mandogalup and Kundrathu Kumaran temple in Rockbank, Melbourne are major Hindu temples for all Australian Hindus and Murugan devotees. In New Zealand, there is a Thirumurugan Temple in Auckland and a Kurinji Kumaran Temple in Wellington, both dedicated to Lord Murugan. In the USA, Shiva Murugan Temple in Concord, Northern California and Murugan Temple of North America[18] in Maryland, Washington DC region are popular. In Toronto, Canada, Canada Kanthasamy Temple is known amongst many Hindus in Canada. In Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a suburb of the city of Montreal in Canada, there is a monumental temple of Murugan. The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and largest Hindu temple in Switzerland.[19]