CEREBRAL BOINKFEST

Art and the World's First Novel

2012-02-23T00:01:00.001-08:00

A portrait of Murakasi Shikibu by Tosa Mitsuoki, painted
in Yamato-e, the classical Japanese style, 12th century.

What is generally acknowledged as the world's first novel was written by a Japanese woman a thousand years ago. The Tale of Genji, by Murakasi Shikibu (known as Lady Murakasi in the West), is regarded to be an accurate description of life in the imperial court in the Heian era (794 - 1185 CE). The daughter of a scholar and an officer of the court, she was given a male's education. Being a lady-in-waiting herself, she was privy to life at court.

The Murakasi Shikibu Diary, attributed to Fujiwara Nobuzane
(illustrations) and Kujo Yoshitsune (calligraphy),
Gotoh Museum, 13th Century.

There are three works that are attributed to her - The Murakasi Shikibu Diary, The Murasaki Shikibu Collection (128 of her poems), and The Tale of Genji. Genji was written in 54 installments, chapter by chapter, and distributed to the women of the court. Since it was deemed inappropriate to use real names in the Heian court, none of the characters have names but are referred to by their roles, functions, relationships to others, or by an honorific. There is one central character and a large number of major and minor characters.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, Chapter 50, "Eastern Cottage",
Tokugawa Art Museum, 12th Century.

The novel contains no central plot, but the evolving story of the characters in time has amazing consistency. As it was erudite and conventional to write and send poems, especially after a lovers' tryst, the novel contains some. The original manuscript no longer exists, but there is an extraordinary piece that is a blend of literature and art - the Genji Monogatari Emaki - believed to have been created between 1120 and 1130 CE.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, Chapter 38, "The Bell Cricket",
Gotoh Museum, 12th Century.

Monogatari is a literary form of Japanese literature that is comparable to an epic. Closely related to oral tradition, it is usually about a fictional story, such as The Tale of Genji. While the form peaked during the 10th and 11th centuries, the word is often used for modern tales. The Lord of the Rings is known in Japan as The Yubiwa Monogatari.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, Chapter 37, "Flute",
Tokugawa Art Museum, 12th Century.

The Genji Monogatari Emaki (an emaki is a scroll) is both the oldest surviving scroll depicting The Tale of Genji, and the oldest surviving non-Buddhist scroll in Japan. Commissioned by rulers and members of the aristocracy, they were created by the best artists of their time, and were never intended for public view. There are other versions of the Genji Monogatari Emaki, but the one pictured here is the most famous, and the term without other explanation refers to this version.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, Chapter 45, "Lady at the Bridge",
Tokugawa Art Museum, 12th Century.

The original scroll consisted of ten to twenty rolls, with over 100 paintings and 300 sheets of calligraphy, making it approximately 450 feet long. What survives are only 19 paintings, 65 sheets of calligraphy, and 9 pages of fragments, which is roughly 15 percent of the original scroll. There are two painting conventions from this era that were used in the Genji Monogatari Emaki. The first technique is funkinuki yatai, which means "blown away roof". It is a compositional technique used to depict an architectural interior. A building is rendered without a roof so the gazer has a bird's eye view of the interior.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, Chapter 44, "Bamboo River",
Tokugawa Art Museum, 12th Century.

The second technique is hikime kagibana, literally "slit eyes, hooked nose". This was used to illustrate people. Faces done in this style were always drawn at an angle, eyes as straight lines, noses as hooked lines, and small mouths like circles. The faces in the Genji Monogatari Emaki do have some variations; later paintings done in this style were less expressive.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, Chapter 39, "Evening Mist",
Tokugawa Art Museum, 12th Century.

The calligraphers of the Genji Monogatari Emaki did not use just one style of calligraphy. The different styles were picked for aesthetic purposes rather than for facile reading of the text. Because of this it is hard for even experts to decipher. It is assumed that one reason this was done was so the focus would be on the paintings, and not the reading of the script.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, pages of calligraphy,
Gotoh Art Museum, 12th Century.

Japan has a National Treasure program whereby the most precious cultural properties are designated as such. The Genji Monogatari Emaki is certainly one of these treasures. These scrolls are so fragile that they are only shown in public on rare occasions, but reproductions and ephemera associated with them are readily available. The Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya has some of the scrolls, as does the Gotoh Museum in Tokyo. An oversized photo-reproduction, translated into English, was published in a limited edition in 1971 by Kodansha International. It is available from rare booksellers for around $400 - $450.

Genji Monogatari Emaki, Chapter 36, "Oak Tree",
Tokugawa Art Museum, 12th Century.

The Tale of Genji has become a timeless classic, its popularity increasing with passing time. It has been a key component of the Japanese education curricula for a millenium. Although it was not the only literature written during the Heian era, nor was Murasaki Shikibu the only writer, both were captivating enough to live on in the hearts and minds of people throughout the centuries. The Genji Monogatari Emaki is a beautiful collaboration of literature and art.

***************

Images courtesy of the Tokugawa Art Museum and the Gotoh Museum.

An earlier version of this post appeared on Booktryst.

*******************************

The Golden Age of Illustration - Maxfield Parrish

2012-02-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Dinky Bird, 1904, from Eugene Field's Poems of Childhood.

When I was 19, a friend gave me a poster of the above work by Maxfield Parrish. She said it reminded her of me. I was very pleased, as I fell in love with it upon first sight. She was about a decade older than me and had been a real hippie, so I was especially flattered. It hung in every bedroom I had until it finally got damaged in a move. But the dreamy print always made me feel peaceful, and was my first piece of art as an adult.

Princess Parizade Bringing Home the Singing Tree,
1906, from Arabian Nights.

Frederick Parrish was born in Philadelphia in 1870. He later adopted his maternal grandmother's maiden name as his middle one, Maxfield, eventually using it professionally. His father, Stephen, was an engraver and landscape artist, and his parents encouraged him. He was doodling even as a child. He once studied architecture, which is evident in many of his later paintings, but it was in drawing and painting that he concentrated his efforts.

One of his drawings as a teenager. Image from Young Maxfield Parrish
by John Goodspeed Stuart, T.H. Pickens Technical Center, 1992.

His first commissions were to illustrate L. Frank Baum's Mother Goose in Prose, and Kenneth Grahame's The Walls Were as of Jasper for Scribners Magazine, in 1897. All of his 19th century illustrations were in black & white. It was in a subsequent period that he began painting in the colors he became and remains famous for - particularly "Parrish blue". When he was thirty, he came down with tuberculosis. He went to Arizona to recuperate, and that's when his career took off.

The Walls Were as of Jasper, 1897, Scribners Magazine.

The Golden Age, from a 1904 photogravure edition.
This and the image above courtesy of the book
The Black & White Parrish, Thumb Tack Books, 1982.

He illustrated Eugene Field's Poems of Childhood in 1905, and The Arabian Nights in 1909; in 1910 he illustrated A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales. He had many magazine commissions in the 1910s and 1920, including Hearst's, Collier's, and Life. He was also a favorite of advertisers, including Edison-Mazda Lamps, Colgate, and Oneida Cutlery.

A 1918 ad for Djer-Kiss.

In 1905, a 16-year-old woman, Susan Lewin, came to work for his family as his son's nanny. She became his assistant and a favorite model (mostly in the 1920s); then eventually they became lovers. His wife left him in 1911; however Susan remained with him for over 50 years.

Collier's, November 1929.

His androgynous nudes in fantasy settings were a recurring theme, but in the 1920s he turned from illustration and concentrated on painting for pleasure. He lived off the royalties from his posters and calendars, then in 1931 he declared he was through with "girls on rocks". He directed his attention to landscapes, and often built models and lit them as preparation for his paintings.

White Birches, 1952.

Photographs do not do his paintings justice. He worked in oils on stretched paper. He would apply numerous layers of thin, transparent oil, alternating with varnish, which lead to high luminosity, a process called glazing. He also photographed, enlarged, or traced figures and objects, then cut them out and placed them on his works and covered them with thick, clear layers of glaze, giving them a three dimensional appearance.

Cadmus Sowing the Dragon's Teeth, 1910,
in A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales
by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Although it was Air Castles (a 1904 Ladies' Home Journal cover) that gave him wide exposure, Daybreak is considered his masterpiece. His work was widely reproduced in posters, calendars, and candy box lids, and is still in demand. By the time of his death at age 95 in 1966, he was able to see a renaissance of interest and promotion of his work. He was the most popular American artist from the turn of the century until the 1940s, when Norman Rockwell became his heir apparent.

Air Castles.

Daybreak.

Maxfield Parrish shaped the Golden Age of illustration, and influenced American visual arts for decades. His work experiences new surges of interest as each new generation discovers it. Daybreak is considered the most popular art print of the 20th century, judging from the number of prints that have been made. It has outsold Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans and even Da Vinci's Last Supper, and is still in print. By all accounts he was affable and well-liked. How fortunate to be so successful at doing what you love!

***************

Unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy of Wikipedia.

The National Museum of American Illustration has the largest body of his works.

This website has interesting information on Parrish.

*******************************

Borobudur: The Architecture of Buddhist Cosmology

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of UNESCO (see link below).

Borobudur is a temple located in central Java. It is a shrine to the Buddha, and a pilgrimage place. It was built between 750 and 842 CE. Carved into the base of the temple are 160 carved reliefs, the most complete collection of Buddhist reliefs anywhere in the world. Looking down on it, one can see a mandala - a microcosm of the universe - a pattern with spiritual and ritual significance for Buddhists and Hindus.

An aerial view of the temple from the Borobudur website (see link below).

The three zones of the universe are exemplified at Borobudur.
The foundation is approximately 387 feet on each side.
Image courtesy of the Borobudur website.

According to Buddhist cosmology, the universe has three zones, represented at Borobudur in rising layers. The first is Kāmadhātu, the world of desire. This world is inhabited by common people. This is the base of the temple, which has been covered by a foundation and is hidden from view except for one corner that has been left uncovered for viewers. These 160 reliefs carved into this base illustrate the law of cause and effect, and the collection is known as the Mahakarmawibhangga. They illustrate the behavior of desire, including the invidious behavior of acts such as killing, rape, torture, and robbery. There is a reckoning in the afterlife depicted for those committing these acts. There are also reliefs showing meritorious behavior such as charity and working together. When the base was dismantled and the reliefs discovered, they were photographed by Casijan Chepas in 1890. These photographs are on view in the site museum.

The Buddha's mother, Queen Maya, retreats to Lumbini so that she may give
birth to Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha. This is one of the reliefs from
the base, which do not depict a continuous story, nor are they all related to the
Buddha. Beside the blameworthy and praiseworthy activities, they show other
aspects of everyday life. This image and the one below courtesy of Wikipedia.

Here Siddhartha Gautama shaves his head in his preparations to become an ascetic.

Rupadhatu, or the world of forms, is the second layer. It is a transitional zone, where humans are released from their desires for the physical world. They continue living in the world and see forms but are not desirous of them. This is comprised of four tiers, which have galleries of carved reliefs and niches with 432 statues of the Buddha, as well as depictions of Sanskrit manuscripts. The top layer is Arupadhatu, the world of formlessness. This is the abode of those who have become Buddhas. These terraces have stupas containing Buddha sculptures that face outward. The central stupa is empty; it is unknown if whatever was inside was removed, or whether it was always empty.

This image and the one below courtesy of Wikipedia.

There are no written documents that reveal who built Borobudur, but it is generally held that it was a ruler in the Sailendra dynasty, as the temple was built in the peak of their reign. There is a lot of confusion as to the religious preferences of rulers at that time, but because known Buddhist kings allowed Hindu monuments to be built, and vice versa, it suggests a climate of tolerance existed. There is a Hindu complex nearby known as Prambanan, which likewise has three levels corresponding to the zones of Borobudur.

Prambanan - the Hindu temple compound that also has three levels or zones.
This has suffered much earthquake damage, but is used by local Hindus today.
Image courtesy of the Borobudur website.

There are two smaller temples that appear in a straight line leading to Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon. Although the exact relationship between the three temples is unknown, today they are part of a procession in the Waisak day festival. This is held each year on the day of the full moon in April or May, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. It is an important day in the Buddhist calendar, and pilgrims from all over the world come to take part in the procession from temple to temple, ending at Borobudur.

Image courtesy of the Borobudur website.

Although it is unknown why Borobudur was abandoned, and there may have been many reasons, volcanic activity surely had a part. When discovered, the site was covered in volcanic ash. The capital of the kingdom was moved to East Java; then in the 15th century, there was a conversion to Islam. All of these contributed to the desertion of the site, and it continued only in memory through local tales for centuries.

Mount Merapi seen ominously smoking in 2009. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

When the British took over Java in 1811, Sir Thomas Raffles was appointed governor. He had an interest in Javanese history, and listened to the rumors about a big monument in the jungle. He had the site cleaned, and the reliefs documented and interpreted. In 1885, the hidden reliefs were found, which also had Sanskrit instructions left for the carver, from which the construction was datable. Over the pursuing years the site was restored, and water damage from inadequate drainage was corrected. After a 1973 renovation funded by UNESCO, Borobudur was used once again for worship.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

As an interesting aside, in 1982 Philip Beale, previously of the British Royal Navy, was in Indonesia to study ships and marine traditions. He found ten panels at Borobudur showing sea vessels - some powered by oars, others by sails. He thought since the other panels showed everyday life, these ships may have been part of the Cinnamon Route - a shipping route linking Indonesia to Africa across the Indian Ocean, past the Seychelles, Madagascar, and the Cape of Good Hope to Ghana. With the help of experienced Indonesian shipbuilders, he had a ship modeled on the stone carvings constructed. It was then launched on an expedition to retrace the route to Ghana. The expedition took six months, demonstrating that ancient trading routes were viable. The ship - the Samudra Raksa, "defender of the seas", is housed in a museum in Borobudur Archaeological Park.

The stone relief of an Indonesian trade ship.

The full-scale reconstruction of the above ship, here stored at the Borobudur site.
Both images courtesy of Wikipedia.

UNESCO made Borobudur a world heritage site in 1991. Today it is the most visited tourist site in Indonesia, attracting pilgrims and art and architecture lovers alike. A marvel when it was built, it is still one today.

***************

The Borobudur Archaeological Park website is here.

The UNESCO website for Borobudur is here.

*******************************

The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, illustration from Lee, H., 1887.
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary: a Curious Fable of the Cotton
Plant, to Which is Added a Sketch of the History of Cotton and
the Cotton Trade. S. Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, London.

Medieval Europe subscribed to beliefs in many legendary creatures, unicorns being a prime example, although that myth began in ancient Greece. Most of these critters were born from hearsay and a lack of knowledge of foreign places. One such creature was the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, a zoophyte from Central Asia that grew sheep from its stem.

Illustration from Friedrich Johann Justin Bertuch's picture book for children,
circa late 1700s. Clockwise it features a Basilisk, a Roc, a Phoenix, a Dragon,
the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, and a Unicorn.

Close-up of the above illustration - "Das Boramez, oder Scythische Lamm".

A "zoophyte" is an animal that looks like a plant, common in medieval and renaissance herbals. They were often found in early medical texts, and are examples of explanations explaining the origins of unknown plants. These continued into the 17th century and were commented on by many scholars of the time, including Francis Bacon. Claims of zoophytes began to be refuted by 1646, and skepticism increased in the 17th and 18th centuries.

1605 illustration by Claude Duret of Moulins from Histoire Admirable des Plantes.

The plant-born sheep of the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary were claimed to be connected to the plant through an "umbilical cord", which was supple and allowed the sheep to graze on the vegetation surrounding the plant. Once all the vegetation was consumed, the sheep died. These plants were said to grow from seeds that looked like melon seeds but rounder. The sheep, or lamb, was believed to have blood, bones, and a crab-like flesh, which could be eaten. The blood supposedly tasted like honey. The "wool" was used by the local people to make cloth. Wolves and other animals were attracted to it.

This illustration is from the 1350 book The Travels of Sir John Mandeville,
first written in Anglo-Norman French, and translated. Mandeville is the
pseudonym for an unknown compiler of the book, which was very popular
and influential in its time. Columbus had a copy. This is what the plant was
thought to look like, although other illustrations show only one lamb per plant.

It may have been an explanation of cotton - that fiber unknown to Europeans except by trade, who had no notion of how it was produced from a plant. Since cotton is white and fluffy, similar to wool, it's easy to see where the sheep-plant idea arose. But there is actually a plant that produces something that could vaguely resemble a sheep or lamp. The Cibotium barometz is a fern of the genus Cibotium. (Cibotium comes from the Greek "kibotion", a small box used to hold medicines). It is also known as the Scythian Lamb or Barometz (Tartar for lamb). This tree fern is native today to parts of China, where it is known as Golden Hair Dog Fern, and the western Malay Peninsula. It can grow to the height of 3'3" tall when erect, but is often prostrate and spreads on open forest slopes. The fronds grow up to 10' long. It is collected in Southeast Asia and is in serious decline. It is used in folk medicines; it is believed to replenish the liver and kidney, and strengthen bones and muscles.

An 1878 depiction of a cotton plant. Ebers, Georg,
Egypt: Descriptive, Historical, and Picturesquem,
Vol. I. Cassell & Company, Ltd., New York.

As early as 436 CE, there is a similar plant mentioned in Jewish folklore. The Yeduah was a lamb-like creature that sprouted from a stem from the earth. The Yeduah could only be severed from its stem with darts or arrows. When it died its bones were used for divination. Another legend is of the Faduah, a human-shaped zoophyte also connected to the earth by a stem from its navel. This plant would kill anything that got too close, and also died when severed from its stem.

Frontispiece of John Parkinson's Paradisi in Sole Paradisus
Terrestris: Or a Garden of All Sorts of Pleasant Flowers
which our English Ayre will Permitt to be Noursed Vp.
With a Kitchen Garden of All Manner of Herbes, Rootes, &
Fruites, for Meate or Sause Vsed with Vs, and an Orchard of
All Sorte of Fruitbearing Trees and Shrubbes Fit for Our Land.
Together with the Right Orderinge, Planting & Preserving of
Them and Their Uses and Vertues Collected by John Parkinson
Apothecary of London. London: Printed by Hvumfrey Lownes and
Robert Yovng at the Signe of the Starre on Bread-Street. 1629.
Adam and Eve are in Paradise. The plant is by the river above Adam.

Many searched to find this rumored plant. It was debated by philosophers, written about in literature, and discussed all over Europe. Besides the aforementioned Sir John Mandeville of the 14th century, in 1549 Sigismund, Baron von Herberstein wrote a detailed account of it in Rerum Muscoviticarum Commentarii ("Notes on Russia"). Although he never found it, he claimed he heard too many reports of it for it not to be true, and said it could be found near the Caspian Sea.

A more accurate depiction of the fronds, but the sheep are still
around the plant. From the Svenska Familj-Journalen, Vol. 18, 1879.

Engelbert Kaempfer, a German physician and scholar, went to Persia in 1683 intent on finding it. Since he was unsuccessful, he concluded it was a legend. He did offer an explanation however, as he had observed the custom of removing a lamb from its mother's womb in order to get the soft wool, and thought this fetal wool could be mistaken for something from a plant. Diderot included an entry on it in his Encyclopedia, although some see this as a criticism of blind religious belief and a call to view all phenomena scientifically.

A preserved sample under glass at the Garden Museum, London.

The plant today. Image courtesywww.forestferns.co.uk.

This is a fascinating example of how humans, educated scholars even, explained the unknown. Today, with photographic media and the internet, any curious person can research something they are unfamiliar with. However, we humans seem to have a penchant for mystery and the impossible. What common legends do we still subscribe to?

***************

Unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Cheers to Bravo!

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Study of Tamayo's Hands; 1931; silver gelatin print.

I love black and white photography. Without the dimension of color I can really see and concentrate on the subject. I think for some photographers it is harder; you need a unique kind of eye to see something in black and white. In fact, I see black and white photography as a different genre from color photography. My favorite black and white photographer is Manuel Álvarez Bravo.

Split Nopal; circa 1970; gelatin silver print.

Bravo is recognized today as one of the masters of photography and the main representative of Latino photography in the 20th century. He was born in Mexico City in 1902, and grew up privy to the avant-garde movements that followed the Mexican Revolution, a cultural renaissance that drew international artists. His photos captured the disparity between urban and rural life as they confronted modernity.

In a Village; circa 1944; gelatin silver print. The woman sitting was Bravo's
second wife, Doris Heydn. Bravo referred to this photo as Sueño de una turista,
or Tourist's Dream. The women are oblivious to each other, creating tension.

Although he left school at the age of twelve to contribute to his family's income after his father died, he eventually began studying painting and music at the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1918. His father and grandfather had been amateur photographers, and although he received his first camera in 1923 he did not become a professional photographer until two years later. He met and worked with some of the well-known artists of that time - Tina Modotti, Edward Weston, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Sisqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco, to name but some.

The Good Reputation, Sleeping; from a 1938 negative; gelatin silver print.
The title comes from a proverb - La Buena fama durmiendo; earn a good
reputation, then rest on your laurels. This photo was the result of a phone
call on behalf of André Breton who wanted an image for the cover of a catalog
for an upcoming surrealist exhibition at the Galería de Arte Mexicano.
This is my personal favorite black and white photo

Although he was never formally a part of the surrealism movement, his work has elements of dreams and fantasties, and his photographs of inanimate objects are generally imbued with human qualities. His work was often political and he had associations with revolutionary artists and writers. Despite his openness and exposure to influences outside of his native country, his work displays a distinctively Mexican focus. This was in tune with national efforts to create a unified Mexican cultural identity, and the emergence of Mexico City as an international center for art and the intellectual climate that accompanied it.

The Crouched Ones; 1934; gelatin silver print. The anonymous men have
been visually decapitated, their feet bound by the chains linking the chairs.
Such a compelling statement about the constraints and invisibility of laborers!

Tina Modotti was working for the magazine Mexican Folkways, which explored the cultural history of Mexico. She gave Bravo some freelance assignments, and when she was deported in 1930 for her politics, he took her place. His work at first consisted mostly of photographs of artifacts, murals, and portraits. But he also began to photograph landscapes, architecture, nature, and the daily life of everyday people. He was able to convey a sense of isolation and dissonance in many of his photos; his images tell captivating stories.

Daughter of the Dancers; 1933, gelatin silver print.

For decades he shot his provocative vignettes, but in the 1940s he focused more on landscapes. Because of his interest and involvement in film his work took on a more cinematic look. His shots became more complex, blending past and present. Octavio Paz, the Nobel Laureate, was a close friend of Bravo's. He described Bravo's photographs as instances of revelation, moments of fixation.

Optical Parable; 1931; gelatin silver print. He flipped
the negative reversing the text. Parable, parabola in
Spanish, refers to both a shape and a story, thus is wordplay.

Bravo used silver-gelatin, palladium, and platinum printing processes. He mostly printed 8 x 10 copies, but also did some 11 x 14 prints, and rarely 16 x 20. He explored all facets of photography, including Polaroids and disposable cameras. It would have been interesting to see what he would have done with digital photography, but he passed away in 2002, having lived a rich and productive 100 years.

Bravo in London in 1980, age 78.
Image courtesy of Bill Jay.

Bravo was married three times to women who were all professionals of some renown in their own right. He was, and is, a profoundly influential photographer whose work has earned international acclaim. Born in interesting times, he took full advantage of his situation and involved himself fully in life. I celebrate his life and work and hope that he will continually inspire those who experience his art.

***************

The Asociación Manuel Álvarez Bravo AC is archiving his work.

*******************************

Ancient Sour Grapes

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

A relief from ancient Egypt, circa 1,500 BCE, showing the
growing of grapes, and the production and trade of wine.

The earliest evidence of wine production (oenology) is from Georgia (Russia, not the U.S.) around 6,000 BCE. This was determined by a gene-mapping project in 2006 where 110 common cultivars were analyzed and found to originate in Georgia. Evidence has also been found in sites in Iran (5,000 BCE) and Armenia (4,000 BCE), while domestication of the grapevine seems to have occurred in the Near East, Sumer, and Egypt around 3,000 BCE. There are archaeological sites in Macedonia from 4,500 BCE that reveal the earliest wine production centers in Europe.

A map of archaeological sites were wine or olive agriculture were found.
Click on this link for a larger view of the map.

Wines are made with a number of fruits and grains. They are usually named for whatever their main ingredient is, such as strawberry wine or rice wine. The term "wine" in many of these cases refers to the face they are alcoholic beverages rather than how they are produced. Wines made of grains are closer to beer than wine. Grape wine is made with fermenting crushed grapes and yeast, which consumes the sugars in the grapes converting them to alcohol. Grapes have a natural chemical balance which allows them to ferment without additions such as sugars or enzymes.

Grapes that will be made into wine.

Actually, very little is known about the beginnings of oenology. Gatherers and early farmers may have used wild plants. As the production process was established, the need may have arisen for a steady supply, and certain types of grapes may have been preferred. In 2007, the earliest known winery was found in Armenia that has been determined to be 6,100 years old. Areni-1, as the winery is known, had fermentation vats, a press, storage jars, and pottery shards. The site was determined to be a burial site, so the wine produced there is believed to have been intended for rituals involving burials. The people who lived here at this time are unknown, but the site was abandoned when the roof caved in. Sheep dung prevented fungi, thus preserving the site.

Areni-1 with wine press in front of sign and fermentation vat at right.
Image courtesy of Gregory Areshian.

The word "wine" is from a Proto-Indo-European stem *win-o. Our modern viniculture comes from ancient Greece, where the grapes grown today are similar or identical to those grown in ancient times. Wines were known to both Minoan and Mycenaean cultures. There was a festival in Mycenaean times known as the "festival of the new wine" or "month of the new wine" - me-tu-wo ne-wo. This is the earliest known term referring to wine. Because of the amphorae found all over the ancient world with Greek art and styling, it is possible that the Greeks introduced wine to many areas, including Egypt.

An Attic black-figure amphora with Dionysus,
circa 6th century BCE. This is attributed to the
Priam Painter, active in Athens at that time.

In ancient Egypt, wine was used for rituals. By the end of the Old Kingdom (2650 - 2152 BCE) there were five types of wine considered essential for the afterlife. Although wine was commonly known, the ancient Egyptians were superstitious about its resemblance to blood. Beer was the preferred drink of the people.

The transportation of wine in barrels across a river, circa 63 BCE - 14 CE.

In ancient Greece and Rome, wines were related to religion with the worship of Dionysus and Bacchus. Wine became a part of the everyday diet, and became big business. The winemaking regions of western Europe were for the most part established during the Roman Empire. Barrels were invented by the Gauls, which were easy to roll; later the introduction of glass bottles by the Syrians were also used. After the Greeks invented the screw (probably Archimedes) it was used throughout the Mediterranean for wine and oil presses. Roman villas were commonly outfitted with wine presses. The Romans are credited with naming wines according to their regions, in essence creating a brand of sorts.

A jue, or Chinese bronze beaker used to serve wine.
It has been attributed to the 18th C. BCE, which
would indicate it was made and used for rice wine.
Image courtesy of Art Poskanzer/Wikipedia.

After the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE), contact with Hellenistic kingdoms introduced grapes into China. But the Chinese made wine in the 2nd century BCE, before this introduction, using wild grapes. Rice wine was the preferred drink, and grape wine was reserved for the Emperor. Marco Polo noted that rice wine was more common that grape wine in the 1280s. Drinking wine was an activity that went along with chess, music, good conversation, meditation, poetry, and calligraphy, among other loftier activities. The phrase for this was being in the company of "drinking guests."

Pressing wine from a 14th century book, the Tacuinum Sanitatis,
a medieval handbook on health and well-being.

In the Middle East wine was imported, as the arid climate was not suitable for growing grapes. When Islam came about, alcoholic drinks were forbidden, but there are records of medicinal wines being used. Muslim alchemists worked on distillation, resulting in ethanol, which was used for perfumes. This is also the first time wine was distilled into brandy.

A woman pouring wine from a 17th century wall
painting in the Chehel Sotoun Palace, Iran.

When the western Roman Empire fell around 500 CE, the Roman Catholic Church carried on the tradition of viniculture. Wine was important to the Catholic Mass, so monasteries began producing it. They produced enough to distribute for secular use throughout Europe. This is when meads began to be made as well. Wines were kept in barrels and not aged, but drunk young. Since ancient times, wines were watered down to control alcohol consumption.

The oldest known bottle of (liquid) wine. It has been
dated to 300 CE, and was found in a Roman sarcophagus.
It has lots of sediment and a thick mixture which may
be olive oil. Although cork closures were known, they
were not commonly used. Instead olive oil was floated
on the top where it prevented evaporation and oxidation.
Image courtesy of the Historisches Museum der Pfalz.

Vitis vinifera was the species of grape which became most successful, and is still the standard for most of the world's wines. "Vinland", the new country that explorer Leif Eriksson discovered in 1000 CE, was named for the native grapes that grew there, but which ultimately weren't desirable for wine. Later on European settlers brought vinifera vines but they didn't take well to American soil. Eventually vinifera vines were grafted to native rootstocks, and the resulting plants were successful.

From St. Peter Port, Guernsey.

Wine was never an invention, but a discovery. Its development depended on finding the right kinds of grapes and growing them. Today we continue a very long tradition that has endured for millenia. À votre santé!

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

For a detailed look at how wine is depicted in fiction, see

OenoLit and the Private Library.

******************************

Hand Jive

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Guido Daniele and a model.

Guido Daniele is a celebrated Italian artist who is well-known for his hand and body art. A master at trompe l'oeil, his work can be seen in many ads. A resident of Milan, he graduated from the Brera School of Arts as a sculpture major. He continued his education in India at the Tankas school in Dharamsala.

Trompe l'oeil from the Casa Fichter in Milan, 1997.

After trying and testing different painting techniques, he has become quite proficient with the airbrush. He cites Francesco Radino, the photographer, as an influence. He began with body painting, even using a client's chocolate to paint models.

A 2004 ad for Magnum Chocolate.

In 2000, he began his "Handimals", for which he is most famous and applauded. This process takes from two to ten hours, and his models must keep their hands absolutely still. In 2007, he was awarded Animal Planet's Hero of the Year award. These are incredible not only for the painting, but also for the way the hands are placed.....

***************

To see his work go to his website.

All images courtesy of his website.

*******************************

Cars, Sex, and Movies

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Movie poster image courtesy of John Story.

My parents never went to drive-in theaters; actually they hardly went to theaters at all. But I remember fondly going to the drive-in with neighbors and the families of friends. On a summer night in Southern California, not much could be finer. I remember getting really comfortable, often among the cushions spread in the bed of a truck, and eating food that we brought in ourselves - everything from real dinners to homemade goodies. And if the movie sucked, well, people-watching was a lot of fun. Especially the horny teenagers, of which there were lots.

Sappington, Missouri. Image courtesy of Stan Galczynski.

By the time I was a teenager, going to drive-ins was a thing of the past, and there were very few left. Yes, the sound was always sucky and sometimes you had to move around to find a speaker that worked (before they began broadcasting the soundtrack over the radio), and if the lot wasn't slanted right you'd have to put up with people walking across your field of vision. The screens themselves were often in need of repair. I remember someone who lived in an apartment where you could see the screen if you hung out the window, and I thought that was pretty cool and where I would want to live someday (I didn't consider the fact that I'd have to hear the same movie night after night.)

Radio frequency sign at ticket booth.
Image courtesy of Dave Page.

The peak of popularity for drive-ins was 1958, when there were about 5,000 drive-ins operating in the United States. Today there are less than 500. There are many reasons for the decline: rising land values; daylight savings; video rentals; the advent of color television; and getting decent (first-run was almost impossible) films are just some of them. The rising cost of real estate due to urban sprawl may have been the single biggest deterrent. And showtimes were limited to after dark, although there were experiments with daytime showings under tents which failed. Weather, too, played a significant role - movies were often not viewable in inclement weather, making the drive-in experience a seasonal activity in some climates.

A drive-in in Dickson City, Pennsylvania. Image courtesy of Arnold Schuff.

There is actually a patent held for the "invention" of the drive-in theater. U.S. Patent 1,909,537 was issued to Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. on May 16, 1933. He opened the first one in Camden, New Jersey on June 6th of that year. It had a 40 x 50 foot screen with 400 slots. It only existed for three years, but by that time the idea caught on and drive-ins opened in other states. Hollingshead originally planned his "invention" at his home, nailing a screen to trees, and determining the space for vehicles in his driveway.

Hollingshead's drive-in. Image courtesy of www.wired.com.

Because drive-ins were a popular dating venue they gained a reputation for being "dens of iniquity", and the media called them "passion pits." They also tended to show "B" movies. Soon they began to offer exploitation films, some made specifically for drive-ins. In the 70s, some drive-ins began showing porno films in an attempt to generate more income. This became problematic in crowded areas, and even at drive-ins in remote, rural areas. It was difficult to be sure the viewers were of age.

Newspaper ad for the Evansville, Indiana Westside Drive-in.
Image courtesy of Bruce Lacoste.

Ad for the Rustic Drive-in in North Smithfield,
Rhode Island. Image courtesy of Quahog.

Some drive-ins lent themselves to other activities, such as religious services on Sunday, swap meets, flea markets, and concerts. To augment the money they made from sales at snack bars or concession stands, some drive-ins had playground areas for children, petting zoos, miniature golf, and sit-down restaurants. Because cars often snuck people in without paying for them, drive-ins started to charge per car admission prices.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Concession at the Fort Myers, Florida drive-in. Image courtesy of Dave Page.

In the past decade, there has been a revival of sorts that has been called the "guerrilla drive-in movement." Showings are advertised online, and films are projected on the walls of buildings, warehouses, or even giant bridge pillars. Most of these showings are cult, independent, or experimental films. Inflatable screens have been developed, and are often used for showing films outdoor, as well as for sporting and other social events.

An autokino event in Hückelhoven, Germany. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

An inflatable screen in Brussels, Belgium. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Those of us of a certain age remember a classic comedy routine by Cheech & Chong - Pedro and Man at the Drive-In (on their album Los Cochinos.) There are a limited number of drive-ins left in the U.S., which is sad because great childhood memories are meant to be shared.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of www.drive-ins.com

*******************************

The Big Sirs of Big Sur

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Big Sur is the short, anglicized name for el país grande del sur or "the big country of the south" because it was an impenetrable region south of Monterey, the capital of the Spanish colony of Alta California. It is a unique spot in the U.S. for two reasons: Cone Peak, the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states (5,155 feet above sea level); and arguably one of the most scenic driving routes in the world.

The famous "Dinosaur Rock" and Bixby Bridge.

The area basically runs along California State Route 1 between San Simeon and Carmel, covering 90 miles of coastline, and ranging from 3 to 20 miles inland. Since its discovery by non-natives, it has remained almost inaccessible. Up until the 1920s only two of the few homes in the entire region had electricity from water wheels and windmills. In the early 1950s connections were made to the California electric grid. Highway 1, a two-lane road, was completed in 1937 as the Roosevelt Highway, but in 1939 it was incorporated into the state highways system and renamed. It was designated as the first State Scenic Highway in 1965.

Image courtesy Stan Russell/www.bigsurcalifornia.org.

It remains sparsely populated today, with no urban areas but small clusters of businesses. The area economy is based on tourism, although there is less than 300 rooms on the entire 90-mile stretch with 3 gas stations, according to the Chamber of Commerce. There are no chain hotels, supermarkets, or fast-food outlets, and the area adheres to strict codes which do not allow billboards or commercial development, as well as prohibitions against any new construction within view of the highway.

Image courtesy of Lee W. Nelson.

This is unusual in a state where coastlines are studded with pricey enclaves of expensive homes. Protected once by its remoteness, it is now also protected by law and the efforts of environmentalists. Despite and because of its isolation, the area attracts nature lovers and artists of all media. Specifically, this rustic, secluded landscape has attracted a number of famous writers.

Jeffers in 1937, photographed by Carl Van Vechten.

John Robinson Jeffers, the poet and environmentalist, was one of the first to succumb to Big Sur's beauty. Jeffers was known as an outdoorsman, and his work speaks of the natural world in epic form, often compared to the ancient Greek poets. Most of his poems were set in Big Sur and explored the relationship of humans to the beauty of nature. He was at his peak in the 1920s and 1930s, but his popularity declined and his work questioned after his opposition to U.S. involvement in WWII.

Hawk Tower, named for a hawk that appeared when Jeffers was
working on the structure then disappeared when it was done.

Hawk Tower on left, Tor House on right. Tor House was his home where he
wrote his major poetical works. Image courtesy of www.torhouse.org.

Although his work has been marginalized, Jeffers has been translated and published all over the world, and influenced many authors. He also has been admired by several photographers of the early 20th century, including Ansel Adams, Morley Baer, and Edward Weston. Today he is an icon for environmentalists.

Henry Miller in 1940, photographed by Carl Van Vechten.

Henry Valentine Miller was a novelist and painter. His work was initially banned in the U.S. as it was considered obscene with detailed accounts of sexual encounters. He had moved to Paris in 1930, but returned to the U.S. ten years later and settled in Big Sur where he continued to write challenging works. His banned books were smuggled into the country, giving him an underground, notorious reputation, and inspiring the Beat Generation of writers.

The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, founded by his friend, Emil White.
This houses a collection of his works and serves as a public gallery with
performances and workshop spaces for artists, musicians, and writers.
Image courtesy of the Henry Miller Library.

His book Tropic of Cancer was finally published in the U.S. in 1961 which led to obscenity trials resulting in a Supreme Court ruling that declared the book a work of literature. But he was not just a fiction writer; he wrote excellent travel books, especially about Greece. After his death at the age of 88, his ashes were scattered in the waters off Big Sur.

Richard Brautigan

The troubled writer Richard Brautigan's first novel was A Confederate General From Big Sur. It met with little success, but his other novel which followed was Trout Fishing in America, which brought him fame and labeled him a representative of the counterculture of the late 1960s. Although he was averse to middle class values and conformity he is not considered a Beat writer. There is not a great deal of information about his life, but at some point(s) he experienced and was inspired by Big Sur.

Jack Kerouac by Tom Palumbo, circa 1956.

Jean-Louis "Jack" Kerouac was one of the founders of the Beat Generation. After he attained fame and acclaim, he needed to escape his life on Long Island: "Drunken visitors puking in my study, stealing books and even pencils...Me drunk practically all the time to put on a jovial cap to keep up with all of this but finally realizing I was surrounded and outnumbered and had to get away to solitude again or die." (Quoted from his book Big Sur.) He found it at Big Sur in a little cabin. The cabin was owned by his friend, Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

He wrote the novel in 1962. It is another autobiographical fiction piece telling of the events of his alter-ego living at Big Sur. Another quote from the book: "So later when I heard people say 'Oh Big Sur must be beautiful?' I gulp to wonder why it has the reputation of being beautiful above and beyond its fearfulness, its Blakean groaning roughrock Creation thoes, those vistas when you drive the coast highway on a sunny day opening up the eye for miles of horrible washing sawing." In 2012 the movie Big Sur is due out - based on the novel and filmed in Big Sur.

Hunter S. Thompson in 1988.

Hunter Stockton Thompson, the creator of Gonzo journalism, where reporters become the stars of their own stories, was also a brief resident of Big Sur. For eight months he worked as a caretaker and security guard at the Big Sur hot springs in 1961 (now the Esalen Institute). During this time he wrote two novels, Prince Jellyfish and The Rum Diary, as well as short stories but with no success. (The Rum Diary was eventually published in 1998.) He did get a national publication (Rogue magazine) to publish his feature on the bohemian culture of Big Sur, but the publicity got him fired from the hot springs.

These writers have one thing in common, besides an appreciation of raw beauty: they are iconoclasts. A rare and untamed wildness attracts the rare and untamed. There is a synchronism there.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

The View From the Top

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ocean City Ferris Wheel on the boardwalk in New Jersey.

George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. was an engineer from Pittsburgh whose firm specialized in testing and inspecting metal for use in bridges and railroads. In 1891, the directors of the World's Columbian Exposition to be held in 1893 in Chicago, issued a challenge to American engineers. They sought a monument for the expo that would surpass the structure built for the Paris International Exposition of 1889 - the Eiffel Tower. They asked for something "original, daring, and unique." Ferris was intrigued and designed a rotating wheel that would allow visitors to see the entire expo and would "out-Eiffel Eiffel."

The Ferris Wheel of the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition.

This idea was not greeted with enthusiasm, as it was thought it would be unsafe and topple over. But Ferris obtained opinions from other established engineers, and then secured financing from local investors to cover the construction costs of $400,000. It was built with 36 cars accommodating 2,160 people. 38,000 people rode it daily; before it was demolished in 1906 some 2.5 million people had ridden on it. It was 264' tall and the main axle weighed 71 tons. A ride cost 50 cents and took 20". It closed in April of 1894 and was dismantled and stored. The following year it was rebuilt in the Lincoln Park area where it was in use from October of 1895 to 1903, when it was again dismantled and moved to St. Louis for the 1905 World's Fair. It was destroyed in 1906 with dynamite in a controlled explosion.

Another view of Ferris's wheel. The 45' axle was the largest
single piece of forged steel ever made at that time.

Ferris died before settling a lawsuit he began against the 1893 Chicago Expo for his and his investors' share of the profits from the Ferris wheel. Looks like karma may have had a hand in this, as Ferris got his idea from three wooden wheels built by William Somers in Asbury Park and Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Coney Island, New York. Ferris had ridden the Atlantic City wheel a year before designing his. Somers had been granted a patent for a "roundabout", and sued Ferris for infringement. But Ferris and his lawyers had prevailed by arguing that his technology was different and the case was dismissed.

A 1656 engraving of a pleasure wheel by Adam Olearius.

Drawing by En:User:Ridetheory (Wikipedia) after a 17th C. drawing.

Pleasure wheels are thought to have been invented in Bulgaria in the 17th century. The first ones had chairs suspended from large wooden rings which passengers rode as men turned the rings. Antonio Manguino, a Frenchman, brought the idea to the U.S. in 1848, when he constructed a small wooden pleasure wheel at a fair he ran in Georgia.

The Wiener Riesenrad at Prater amusement
park in Leopoldstadt in Vienna.

In 1897, the Wierner Riesenrad (Viennese Giant Wheel) was built to honor Emperor Franz Josef I's Golden Jubilee. From 1920 to 1984 it was the world's tallest - 212.4', and had 30 passenger cars. It burnt down in 1944, but was reconstructed with 15 passenger cars. It remains today one of the top tourist attractions in Vienna.

The Singapore Flyer. Image courtesy of http://listverse.com.

Inside one of the capsules of the Singapore Flyer.

The current tallest in the world is the Singapore Flyer, which is 541'. It has 28 air-conditioned cars that hold 28 passengers each, and have restrooms and bars within. It opened on February 11, 2008. The cost was based on a lucky number - 8,888 Singapore dollars (about $6,988 U.S. dollars today). Ferris wheels are also known as observation wheels, and this one seems to nail the concept, drinks included.

The Cosmo Clock - still the world's largest clock.

The Cosmo Clock at night.

A previous holder for title of tallest ferris wheel in the world is the Cosmo Clock, constructed in 1989 for the '89 Yokohama Expo in Yokohama, Japan. It was the tallest from 1989, when it was constructed, until 1997. It has 60 cars that hold 8 people, and a complete rotation takes 15". It is still the world's largest clock.

The Tiajin Eye on the Yongle Bridge (formerly the Chihai Bridge).

The Tiajin Eye at night, reflecting on the Hai River.

One of the most unusual ferris wheels is the Tianjin Eye. It is 390' and is built on the Yongle Bridge crossing the Hai River in Tianjin, China. Built in 2007, it is the only ferris wheel in the world built on a bridge. It can handle 770 riders an hour in its 48 cars, and takes 30" for a complete rotation.

The Pacific Wheel at the Santa Monica pier. Image courtesy of listverse.com.

A famous ferris wheel that has appeared in numerous films, TV commercials, and music videos, is the Pacific Wheel. Located at the Santa Monica Pier at the end of Route 66, it was built in 1996 and featured 5,392 light bulbs. It stood for 12 years, then was sold on eBay for $132,400 of which half was donated to the Special Olympics. Its replacement is almost identical, but has 160,000 energy-efficient light bulbs and is the world's only solar-powered wheel. It is 90' tall, and stands just 130' from the Pacific Ocean.

The Big-O, with the Thunder Dolphin going through it. Image courtesy of listverse.com.

The Big-O is in Tokyo, Japan, and has the distinction of having no center axle, no spokes, and no internal support structure. Instead, the wheel is held up by two side supports. To make things even more interesting, Japan's tallest and fastest roller coaster, the Thunder Dolphin, runs through the middle of its 200' rim.

The London Eye.

Inside an "Eye" pod.

Opened at the millennium on New Year's Eve, the London Eye is the world's third largest ferris wheel, and the largest in the western hemisphere. Supported on only one of its two sides, it is a cantilever wheel which provides riders with a pretty much unobstructed view of London. The cars are attached to the outside rim by rotating circular mounts so that a full 360-degree panoramic view can be seen from the top. It is slow enough that it doesn't have to stop for passengers to embark and disembark, and a full rotations takes 30". It carries 10,000 riders a day, or more than 3 million annually. The cost is £14.50 (roughly $22.60 U.S.)

But perhaps the most famous and beloved in the U.S., or at least the east coast, is the Wonder Wheel. This was built in 1920 in Coney Island, and along with Nathan's hot dogs is an icon. It is 150' tall with 24 cars that hold 144 riders. It was built by the Eccentric Ferris Wheel Company. This type of wheel is known as an eccentric wheel, as some of the cars slide on rails between the hub and rim as the wheel turns, instead of being fixed to the rim. Mickey's Fun Wheel at Disneyland was inspired by the Wonder Wheel.

Sky Whirl in Gurnee, Illinois, 2000.

Today taller and more technologically advanced ferris wheels are being designed and built. It was announced last year that there will be a 550' one to be built in Las Vegas. Moscow announced a proposal to build a 722' one, but the timeframe and site have yet to be determined. There are also double and triple wheels, Sky Whirl being the first triple wheel, debuting at Marriott's Great America parks in California and Illinois simultaneously in 1976. We are probably most familiar with transportable ferris wheels that can be mounted on trailers and moved intact or easily dismantled and rebuilt. There are notable ones in this category, but most of us have seen the small ones that can be found in traveling fairs.

The Roue de Paris, one of the most famous transportable
ferris wheels, here pictured in the Netherlands in 2005.
It has operated in France, England, Belgium, and Thailand
as well as the Netherlands. It can be erected in 72 hours
and dismantled in 60. It uses a water ballast for a stable base.

Bigger and higher seem to be the goals in ferris wheel designs, but faster is left to that other amusement ride - roller coasters. To have a commanding view of a location, ferris wheels are the way to go!

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Mercedonius: Cheating with the Marking of Time

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Fasti Antiates Maiores, part of a fresco found at Nero's villa at Antium, shows
a pre-Julian calendar with the months Quintilis (QVI) and Sextilius (SEX).

Before the Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BCE, the Roman calendar was in use. One of the versions of the Roman calendar was supposedly invented by Romulus, legendary founder of Rome, and had ten months with 30 or 31 days in each month, for a total of 304 days: Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Iunius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, December. This was "fixed" by Numa Pomilius, the king of Rome who succeeded Romulus. He added Ianuarius and Februarius for a total of 12 months and another 57 days, which totaled 355 days. This was a lunar calendar, but to align the calendar with the solar year a leap month - Mercedonius - was added from time to time in the middle of February, resulting in a year that was 377 or 378 days long.

Fasti were chronological or calendar-based lists of sanctioned
events. Derived from the word fas, meaning what is allowed.
The word came to denote lists organized by time. This example
is a fragment of a Roman calendar in the Museo Epigrafico, Rome.

Intercalation is the insertion of a leap year, month, or day into a calendar to adjust its length so that it follows a solar year or the moon phases. In the traditional leap year for some countries in the West which follow the Gregorian calendar, a day is added every four years. This is because this calendar is a solar calendar which has 365.24 days. Thus the extra day every four years helps us "catch up". This extra day is added to the end of February and is an intercalary day. Mercedonius was an intercalary month in the Roman calendar, but was not added on a scheduled basis.

Image courtesy of Facebook's The Loyal Society of
the Most Noble Order of Mercedonius.

Mercedonius comes from the Latin word merx, for which one meaning is wages (where "mercenary" also derives from), since it occurred at the time of year when workers were paid. The decision to add the month to a year was made by the Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of the Collegium of Pontiffs in ancient Rome. This group and office were also founded by Numa Pompilius, and were thought to originally act as advisors to the king on religious matters. They had control over religious rites, funds, institutions, and the instruction of religion. But their real power came when the monarchy of Rome was abolished, and those sacral duties of the former king were given to the Pontifex Maximus. His greatest power was administering divine law - divine law as interpreted by the Collegium.

Augustus as Pontifex Maximus,
circa last decade of 1st century CE.

So the Pontifices became politicians, and the office was often held by statesmen. Since one of their duties was to regulate the calendar, and since a magistrate's term of office corresponded with a calendar year, this became a convenient political tool. When one of his allies was in power the Pontifex could lengthen the year; when his opponents were in power he could refrain from lengthening it and effectively force them out of office. It also affected contracts and other legal arrangements. Since it was often decided late to add Mercedonius, this caused the people, especially those outside of Rome, to not know the date. Eventually the years became very much out of sync with the seasons. For example, Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon on January 10 in 49 BCE, was actually in mid-autumn. This abuse of power over the calendar led to the calendar being so out of alignment with the solar year that the vernal equinox occurred three months later, in June instead of March.

The Tusculum Portrait of Julius Caesar, possibly the
only surviving bust made during his lifetime.

The last years of the pre-Julian calendar are known as the "years of confusion" because the calendar was so out of alignment and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it. Mercedonius was eliminated by Julius Casesar when he introduced the Julian calendar, which remained aligned to the sun without mediation. Finally dates could be assigned to the seasons, which was impossible prior to this time. The Julian calendar gave alternate months beginning, with January, 31 days; the other months 30 days, except for February which had 29 (but every fourth year, 30). He also renamed Quintilis, in honor of himself, Iulius. Augustus followed suit by changing Sextilis to Augustus, but since this day had only 30 days he added an extra one so he would have the same amount of days in his month as Iulius. This required other months to be changed. Later emperors also renamed some of the months after themselves, but these didn't stick.

Pope Gregory XIII, circa 1570-1585, by Lavinia Fontana.

Still, the year was not in line with the vernal equinox, as Julius Caesar's astronomer, Sosigenes, calculated the astronomical year to be 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than it is. Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 made changes so that the real astronomical equinox, which was important as it was used to calculate the date of Easter (determined by the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to be the first Sunday after the full moon following the northern hemisphere's vernal equinox), would fall on the right date. One change was in determining leap years. Years that are divisible by four are leap years; century years are leap years only if they are divisible by 400. Pope Gregory XIII was himself motivated to change the calendar not in the interests of making it correct, but to restore the edict for the date of Easter by the Council of Nicaea.

Illumination of the earth by the sun at the vernal equinox.
Illustration made by DNA-webmaster (Wikipedia) with NASA image.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars are still imperfect, but both are still followed in the West. Politics reigned from the imposition of Mercedonius to assuring the calendar supported the Council of Nicaea's edict. Thankfully, modern politics are more civilized and would never resort to these kind of machinations. ;-)

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

The Secret Drink of the Caucasus

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

This kefir is made with water.

Fermented foods - from kimchi to pickles to yogurt - have been proven to be healthy for the human body, and some advocates state that one should eat something fermented every day. Kefir (pronounced ke-'feer) is a fermented milk drink made with special grains that are a combination of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Similar to yogurt but more liquid, it has been made and drunk for centuries. The word comes from the Turkish keif, meaning a state of feeling good.

It was first documented in the Caucasus mountain regions where shepherds discovered that innoculating milk with kefir grains would produce this potable drink. Scientists and others have written about the longevity of people from this area, especially Soviet Georgia, and while it is often attributed to yogurt, most likely it is kefir. Marco Polo mentioned kefir in the tales of his travels. But as so often happens in history, the story of its origin has divine beginnings - it is said to have been given from Allah through his prophet Mohammed, and passed down through the generations by his followers, never shared with strangers.

Russian doctors got wind of kefir, and in the late nineteenth century published the first scientific studies that it was good for the treatment of tuberculosis and intestinal and stomach diseases. However kefir grains were carefully guarded. The All Russian Physicians' Society were determined to try kefir and sought to get hold of some of the grains. They contacted the Blandov brothers who owned the Moscow Dairy but also had businesses in the Caucasus Mountain area including a cheese-making plant. As this would make them the only commercial producers, they concocted a plan. They sent an employee, the beautiful Irina Sakharova, to the court of local prince Bek-Mirza Barchorov to charm him and get some of the grains. The prince refused to part with any "Grains of the Prophet" for fear of religious reprisal. Ms. Sakharova left empty-handed, but was kidnapped by local tribesmen and taken back to the prince. Her employers mounted a daring rescue, and the prince was made to appear before the Tsar who ruled that Ms. Sakharova would receive ten pounds of grains in compensation.

The grains were taken to the Moscow Dairy and in September of 1908 the first bottles were sold in Moscow. In the 1930s kefir was manufactured on a large scale for commercial consumption. However, commercial kefir is not as good. Traditionally it was made in sacks made of animal hides, or wooden buckets or clay pots. The contents were constantly prodded, and as the kefir was consumed more milk was added so the fermentation continued. In the 1950s a new method for commercial production was introduced. In 1973, the minister of the Food Industry in the Soviet Union sent a letter to Ms. Sakharova thanking her for bringing kefir to the Russian people. She was by then 85 years old. It is the most popular fermented milk product in Russia. Today it is produced commercially in countries throughout Europe, parts of southeast Asia, and in the U.S. and Canada.

It can be made of any type of milk (cow, goat, sheep, coconut, rice, or soy) or even water. Whatever type of fluid is chosen, it is fermented with special "grains", which are actually yeast and bacteria colonies that look like cauliflower. These are gelatinous white or yellow particles which ferment the fluid and then are strained and reused or stored. The drink is effervescent and tart when plain, but various fruits and flavorings can be added. While available commercially, it is easy to make.

Image courtesy of www.bonappetit.com.

The grains are initially purchased or given by someone producing kefir. The grains cannot be produced from scratch, but since they grow during fermentation additional grains are generated. The traditional methods of making kefir are now artisanal efforts. Grains and milk are added to an acid-proof, dark container which is left out at room temperature and agitated several times a day. The container must be dark in order to prevent the degradation of vitamins. The grains are sifted out and reused for the next batch. The temperature is not critical as long as it does not get above 104 degrees F or under 39 degrees F.

If not drunk immediately the kefir will thicken in several days, and also will sour. It will be good for a few days, then should be refrigerated. The grains can be stored in milk in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, or frozen for a couple of months. For even longer term storage, they can be dried and kept for a couple of years. If the kefir is left out for a couple of days after the grains are removed, a thick cream will develop on the top. This can be scooped out and used as sour cream.

Image courtesy of www.mercola.com.

The abundance of beneficial yeasts and bacteria in kefir produce lactase, the enzyme that consumes lactose, and thus any lactose that develops in the fermenting process is absorbed. This makes it tolerable for those who are lactose-intolerant. In European countries kefir is drunk much like a glass of milk, even served with sweets. Because it has a sour taste, some people prefer mixing fruit with the kefir in a blender, and that is mainly how it is produced in the U.S.

Image courtesy of www.kefirstore.com.

When you drink, and especially when you make, kefir you are taking part in a process that was secret for centuries and is now celebrated for its benefits. Za tva-jó zda-ró-vye!

***************

Unless otherwise noted, imaged courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Happy 2012!

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Each new year opens with a sense of optimism. "This year, everything will go right." What this involves is different for everyone, but we all want happiness and security. New year celebrations go back to Roman times when this day and month was dedicated to Janus, the god of doors and beginnings. Janus had two faces on opposite sides of his head, looking forward and backward. Thus another one of our celebrations has its beginnings in pagan traditions.

An as of Janus (Roman coin).

The January 1st date became New Year's Day when the Gregorian calendar was adopted. Cultures that use other calendars still celebrate the new year, the most famous of which is probably Chinese New Year. Hindu new year is in mid-April. Nowruz celebrates both the new year and the beginning of spring, and has been observed for over 3,000 years in Central Asia, South Asia, Northwestern China, Crimea, and other areas where ancestors were Zoroastrian. The Islamic new year is moveable since their calendar is lunar.

Half Sīn, the traditional table setting of Nowruz.

A significant part of the Western new year celebration is the making of resolutions - a commitment to a goal, often the changing of a habit. A resolution stands out from other goals made because of the new beginnings aspect of the new year, thus a resolution may mark a change in a new direction.

A recent study showed that while 52% of the participants expected success in keeping their resolutions, only 12% actually did. It is suggested that goals be made in baby steps - say one pound a week instead of 20 pounds total if one is working on weight loss. Getting support from family and friends help, although making your goals public can backfire if people, intentionally or not, try to undermine you.

However you celebrate, whether you make resolutions or not, may the new year bring you positive things, and all changes be for the best!

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Waxing Artistically for History

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Beatles at Madame Tussauds, London.

Wax sculptures have been made since the Middle Ages, although there is some evidence that wax was used for making death masks in ancient Rome. During the Middle Ages wax figures were made as votive offerings to churches, and wax masks were made of monarchs and important people. This is when the superstition began of sticking pins in wax figures to cause harm to whoever was represented.

Pouring wax into molds is an ancient practice. What developed was the modeling
of colored waxes into masks and figures. Image courtesy of www.dipity.com.

During the Italian Renaissance, wax modeling was used to create medallions and other types of metalwork. Antonio Abondio, a famous medalist, made wax relief portraits in miniature. Only thirteen survive. Moulage, the modeling of human anatomical parts, used wax as its medium (later replaced by latex and rubber), and was first practiced in Florence to teach anatomy at this time.

Kaiserin Anna von Tirol by Antonio Abondio, 1618.

By the end of the 1700s medallion portraits and relief groups became very popular in Europe. Polychromatic works, of the kind made popular by Abondio, were more prevalent, and many of the artists were women. John Flaxman did many portraits and figural reliefs that Josiah Wedgwood used in his famous pottery.

The Flaxman Gallery in the octagon building of the main library
at the University College London.

Works made of wax were and are often considered a lower form of art. But they have become popular in the images of celebrities and other famous people. This has evolved into wax museums which feature wax figures in lifelike poses. The more horrific characters of a wax museum are usually in special rooms where they are exhibited in a "chamber of horrors".

Wax heads of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Carrier, Hébert, and
Robespierre are in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussauds
London site. Image courtesy of flickr.

One of the most famous of these museums is Madame Tussauds, originally in London but now with branches in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Dubai, Blackpool, Manchester, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Amsterdam, Niagara Falls, Las Vegas, Hollywood, New York City, San Antonio, and Washington, D.C. Madame Tussaud created her first permanent site on Baker Street in London in 1835. Madame Tussaud was a wax sculptor herself who created her first work, a figure of Voltaire, in 1777. She also did figures of Ben Franklin and Rousseau.

A figure of Madame Tussaud greets
entrants to the London site.

She learned her trade from a doctor for whom her mother was a housekeeper, and when he died she inherited his collection of wax models. She made models during the French Revolution of many of the victims of Madame Guillotine, reportedly searching through the corpses to find decapitated heads. She eventually took to the road, exhibiting her collection throughout Europe. Once settled into a permanent place on Baker Street, she planned and coined the phrase "chamber of horrors".

Pope John Paul II and other religious leaders, as well as Lady Gaga, Queen
Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, and Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow (below)
can be seen at the London Site.

There are a few of her sculptures left, but there was fire damage in 1925 and German bombs in 1941, destroying most of the older figures. She died in 1850, but her grandson moved the museum to a new building he commissioned on Marylebone Road, which opened in 1884. Although it was very successful, financial problems and family squabbles led to the sale of the enterprise to a group. Still a major tourist attraction in London the museums are now owned by Merlin Entertainments, and have grown to include royals, sports heroes, stars of all media, and famous murderers.

This figure is in Madame Tussauds London museum.
This statue, unveiled in 1933, has been frequently
vandalized and a 1936 replacement has been carefully
guarded. In 2008, the Hitler statue in the Berlin
museum was decapitated by a man who later confessed
it was done on a bet. It has since been repaired.

The premiere wax museum in the U.S. was the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, California. It opened in 1962 and featured models of famous show business personalities. Stars would attend the unveilings of their wax figures, but attendance dwindled, and the museum closed in 2005.

The Hollywood Wax Museum opened in 1965, and claims to be the only wax museum dedicated to celebrities. It has 180 wax figures of movie and television stars as well as other characters, such as Nintendo's Mario. In 1985 another was built in Branson, Missouri. (A 2007 museum built in Gatlinburg, Tennessee soon closed.)

The Hollywood Wax Museum on Hollywood Blvd., in Hollywood.

There are many wax museums all over the world, and more are being erected, especially in the last few years. An interesting way to record and show the people who have made and are making history, even if it is sometimes gruesome.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

******************************

Art Deco's Most Famous Artist

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

A part of "Wisdom, with Light and Sound" that is over
the entrance of the GE Building in New York City.
(30 Rockefeller Center.) Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Art Deco was an art movement that began in Paris in the 1920s, and became internationally popular up until WWII. It was a style that encompassed all areas of design, from fashion to graphic arts to architecture. It was notably different from the curves and organic forms of Art Nouveau, the movement that preceded it. A hallmark of Art Deco was symmetry and linear forms. Drawing from ancient art and cubism and modernism, it was purely decorative without philosophical or political import. There is one artist who embodied and defined the ornamental style of Art Deco.

L'arc en Ciel, 1929. Harper's Bazaar cover design.

His name was Romain de Tirtoff, although he was called Roman Petrovich Tyrtov in his native Russia. He was born in St. Petersburg in 1892 to an admiral of the Russian fleet. He became famous as an artist with the pseudonym of Erté - the French pronunciation of his intials, R. T. He used the pseudonym to avoid disgracing his family, which expected that he become a naval officer.

Costume design, 1923, for "The Marriage of Figaro"
for the Chicago Opera Company.

Costume design, 1923, "Woman with Wings"
for the Folies Bergère.

When he was a young boy he became intrigued with Persian miniatures he found in his father's library. He created his first costume when he was five. The exotic and brightly-colored patterns and designs influenced his style. He had a profound influence on the entire Art Deco movement. He forged a new path when he was 75, working in bronze and serigraphy. This brought about a rebirth in popularity of Art Deco in the 1960s, which was a boost for him as he had become relatively obscure in the 1940s and 1950s. This was the time of WWII, and people sought more practical things.

"Cleopatre" produced in 1986.

"Samson and Delilah" produced in 1980.

He moved to Paris to begin a career as a designer in his twenties. His career took off with his work for Harper's Bazaar magazine, where he designed over 200 covers between 1915 - 1937. He also did illustrations for other magazines, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Ladies Home Journal.

"Aquarium", 1923, cover for Harper's Bazaar.

"Seagulls", 1938, cover for Harper's Bazaar.

Soon he was doing fashion design and creating stage sets. His costumes and program designs were featured in the Folies Bergère and the Ziegfield Follies. This was the 1920s and the Art Deco movement was in full swing. His work captures the giddy spirit of the "Roaring Twenties".

"Mermaids" from 1926.

Curtain design from "The Oriental Ballet", 1925, while at MGM.

In 1920 he designed the costumes and set for a Marion Davies movie financed by William Randolph Hearst. He went to Hollywood in 1925, to design sets and costumes for a silent film by Louis B. Mayer. This film - Paris - had many problems with the script, so while this was being sorted out Erté worked on other projects, one of which was the film Ben-Hur.

"Ebony" a 1982 graphic.

The letter "L" from his alphabet, 1976.

During his "second career" in the 1960s, he also did jewelry, furniture, fabrics, interior designs, sculpture and produced limited edition prints. His flamboyant style and his talents assured him longevity as an artist. He died in 1990 at the age of 97, being one of those artists who knew fame and acclaim during his lifetime. His work can be seen in museums and galleries all over the world.

His famous signature, courtesy of Wikipedia.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of www.erte.com.

*******************************

The Ultimate Monument to Love

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Mumtaz Mahal, the face that launched a thousand
artisans. Painting circa 17th-18th century.

Prince Khurram, the fifth and favorite son of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, was smitten when he first saw her in a bazaar. He was fourteen years old. He went home and told his father that he wanted to marry her. Fortunately she was a Persian princess, Arjuman Banu Begum. A marriage was arranged, but they had to wait five years for the auspicious date the court astrologers had chosen. By all accounts they had a very close and loving relationship. She went everywhere with him, even to battles. He called her "Mumtaz Mahal" - "the jewel of the palace". He had been named "Shah Jahan" ("King of the World") by his father for his victorious military campaigns.

Shah Jahan, "King of the World", standing on a globe.
Mid-17th century, Mughal dynasty.

Mumtaz Mahal, the third, and evidently most dearest, wife of Shah Jahan, died in 1631 giving birth to their 14th child while accompanying him on a military campaign. In his grief he began construction on a mausoleum that would take 22 years to complete. This monument - the Taj Mahal - is an internationally recognized architectural masterpiece.

The Taj Mahal. Image courtesy of pbs.org. When the complex is open to
the public, the walks and grass areas are filled with people.

It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is the gold standard for Mughal architecture, a blend of Persian, Indian, and Turkish styles. While the mausoleum is the most famous structure, it is actually part of a complex. The 42-acre site borders on the Yamuna River in Agra, India, and is surrounded on the other three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls. Red sandstone was the primary material that had been used in Mughal architecture, but Shah Jahan built the mausoleum of marbles from all over that part of the world and inlaid precious and semi-precious stones throughout. His reign was quite peaceful and prosperous, and during a time when gems were being mined in great quantities.

An example of some of the art work made of inlaid stones. When the
British were in India, parts were vandalized and the stones, especially
lapis lazuli, were taken. The British government had repairs made.

The mausoleum is the central focus and is a symmetrical structure on a square plinth topped by a dome. It has arch-shaped doorways and the corners are chamfered, creating an unequal octagon. Each 180-foot side has a vaulted archway, with two balconies on either side. Each corner of the plinth has a minaret opposite the chamfered corners. Inside the main chamber are the sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, although they are buried at a lower level. Since Shah Jahan's entombment was never planned, his cenotaph and casket in the mausoleum disrupts the symmetry found throughout.

These are the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan (left) and Mumtaz Mahal (right).

Part of the screen, or jali, which borders the cenotaphs, made of eight
marble panels with carved piecework. Detail of the inlay shown below.

The real tombs are in a lower chamber with plain walls, in keeping with the
Islamic tradition prohibiting the elaborate decoration of graves. Both bases
and caskets are inlaid with gems and have calligraphic inscriptions with verses
from the Qu'ran. Mumtaz Mahal's casket is on the right, and the sides have the
ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah. Shah Jahan's casket is larger and the lid of
his casket has a writing tablet and pen box,which are traditional funerary icons.

The marble dome is its most fabulous feature. It is 115 feet high atop a 23-foot round pedestal. The dome is called an onion dome, and typically their diameters are wider than the drum, or pedestal, that they stand on. There are four smaller domes over the chamfered corners. The finial on top was originally made of gold, but was replaced with one of gilded bronze in the early 1800s. The finial is topped by a crescent moon with the horns pointed up. This is a standard Islamic motif. The minarets are "working" minarets, used by the muezzin to call Muslims to prayer. They are 130 feet tall, and each have two balconies dividing the minarets into equal parts.

The base, dome, and one of the four minarets.

The gilded brass finial.

One of the minarets.

Both interior and exterior decorations keep with the Islamic view that anthropomorphic forms are forbidden. Instead floral or abstract forms are used and calligraphy is an important decorative element, especially passages from the Qur'an. Much of the calligraphy is made of black marble or jasper, set into the white marble. Geographic forms, such as herringbone and tesselations, are used throughout.

A column with herringbone.

Carved floral motif.

The inner decorations feature the precious and semi-precious gems. Much of the art work within is in a smaller scale than the exterior. The building is octagonal and planned to allow entry from all four sides, although the door leading to the garden is the only one used.

Inside the mosque's interior hall.

Outside of the tomb are two structures on the eastern and western walls that mirror each other. On the western side is a mosque, featuring a long hall. The opposite structure may have been a meeting room or guesthouse. On the outside the two buildings are identical and balance each other symmetrically, but they are different inside.

The Complex:
1. The Moonlight Garden (north of the Yamuna River).
2. The Terrace area with mausoleum, mosque and guesthouse.
3. The gardens with pavilions.
4. The gateway, other tombs, and attendant accomodations.
5. The bazaar area.

The gardens of the complex are meant to represent the Islamic idea of Paradise - a garden of abundance with four rivers flowing from the center (usually a spring or a mountain) separating the garden into quarter sections. The garden south of the tomb (No. 3 in the above diagram) is 980 feet square. Raised pathways divide each of the four quarters into 16 sunken beds. A normal Muslim garden is rectangular with a tomb or pavilion in the center, but this garden has a raised marble water tank central instead, and a pool on the north-south axis which reflects the mausoleum beautifully. Early accounts of the garden describe an abundance of flowers and fruit trees, but as the Mughal Empire declined so did the garden. When the British took over the management of the site during their occupation of India, they redid the garden in a British style with lawns instead.

An artist's rendering of the complex, circa 1790-1810.

On the other side of the Yamuna River is the "Moonlight Garden". It is thought that the river was intended to be part of the design as one of the rivers of Paradise. It, too, was replanted with lawns. There is a myth that Shah Jahan planned a black marble mausoleum for himself across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, but that has never been proven.

A view of the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna River.

Calligraphy is an important element in Islamic art, and throughout the complex passages of the Qu'ran are incorporated into the decorations. The calligraphy was designed by Abd ul-Haq in 1609, and Shah Jahan gave him the title of "Amanat Khan" to show his esteem. The calligrapher's modesty is revealed in an inscription inside at the base of the dome, "Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi."

The Great Gate, the entrance to the complex. It has calligraphy that says, "O Soul
thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."

Outside the walls of the complex are more mausoleums, include those of Shah Jahan's other wives. These are typical Muslim tombs, and are made of red sandstone. There is a bazaar that used to sell trinkets and other small artifacts to support the upkeep of the complex until 1996.

A view from the Red Fort.

The construction of the complex was very involved and built in stages. First was the mausoleum which took 12 years to complete. Then the minarets, mosque, guesthouse, and gateway was built. The ground was carefully prepared and fortified. Instead of a bamboo scaffold, a brick one was built. When the time came to dismantle it - a daunting project - Shah Jahan decided that anyone could keep the bricks of the scaffold, and the local population dismantled it overnight. Twenty thousand workers were employed - from sculptors and calligraphers, to stonecutters and specialists in all kinds of construction. The total cost has been estimated to be 32 million rupees at that time. This project supported many workers, artisans, and craftsmen.

Over a thousand elephants were used to haul the materials, which were from all over India and as far as Arabia and China. Twenty-eight different types of precious and semi-precious stones were used for inlay. After the complex was completed, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son, Aurangzeb, and put under house arrest at the Red Fort until his death.

The Taj Mahal as seen from the Red Fort. Shah Jahan may have gazed
at it from this place when he was under house arrest.

Today the Taj Mahal is visited by between 2 and 4 million people yearly. Depending on the time of day, the Taj appears to be a different color every time you look at it. This is said to reflect the different moods of Woman. The style of the architecture, the grounds, and the decorations feature many departures from traditional Mughal ones, and is still a topic of interest among art historians and scholars. Almost four centuries later, it is an international symbol of undying love and devotion, and a simply beautiful reflection of one man's ideas, aesthetics, and emotions.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Celebrate!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

However you choose to observe a winter celebration, may you do so in peace with goodwill toward ALL!

All of which (even the FSM and the teapot indirectly) came from:

Share the love!

***************

The Amazon - The Ancient Wonder Woman

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Amazon and Centaur by Franz von Stuck.
Image courtesy www.paleothea.com.

Amazons were fierce female warriors, described by the ancients as independent and powerful women. One of the many myths about them states that men were not allowed to live in their territories or have sexual relations with them, except for one night a year. At that time they visited an all-male tribe, the Gargareans, who lived in the south Caucasus. The male children that resulted from this night of union were either given to the Gargareans, killed, or left in the wild. The female children were reared and taught the art of war, hunting, and agriculture. Some stories say they captured the finer specimens of men they conquered and used them as slaves and for breeding purposes.

Currently in the Louvre, this mosaic depicts an Amazonomachy,
or battle between Greeks and Amazons. This is from Antakya, now
Antioch, in Turkey, dated second half of the 4th century CE.

But the most salacious myth about Amazons is that they cut off or burnt their right breasts, the better to use a bow with or cast spears. There is no evidence of this in any extant artwork, perhaps because of a squeamish reluctance on the artist's part, however the right breast is often covered.

The legend of the Amazons even inspire more
modern artists, as this statuette by Erté proves.
Image courtesy of www.paleothea.com.

The etymology of their name is debated. The Iranians have an ethnonym, "ha-mazan", meaning "warriors". Another theory states the name came from a different ethnonym, "Amazigh", which refers to what some Berbers call themselves, meaning "free people". An interesting idea is that the name came from an Iranian word meaing "virility-killing" or "ama-janah". The most popular explanation is that the name came from the Greek "amazoi" or "breast-less". Herodotus called them "androktones" or "killers of men". In the Iliad they were referred to as "antianeirai" - "those who fight like men".

An Amazon in battle. Image courtesy of www.spauda.it.

Even more perplexing is trying to figure out where they came from geographically. Although they mostly are said to have been from the Pontus area, near the Euxine (Black) Sea, some ancient writers attest that they originally came from Scythia. They were claimed to be the founders of many cities, including Ephesus, Smyrna, Sinope, Cyrene, Myrina and Paphos. There is a possibility that there were several groups dispersed geographically who were known as Amazons.

They worshipped Ares, the god of war, and Artemis, the goddess of hunting. They were born of Ares and an ancient goddess, Otrera. Otrera is also considered the founder of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Sometimes she is mentioned as the daughter of Ares. They were excellent on horseback, and this fact is attested to by use of "hippo" - "horse" in Greek - in some of their names.

An Amazon surrounded by griffins. Attic red-figure (and
black-figure) pottery gives us much of what we know of
Greek society as few paintings survived except what is found
on everyday earthenware. Attica is a historic Greek region.

Their most famous queen is perhaps Hippolyta, she of the girdle given to her by the god Ares, and the taking of which became the ninth labor of Heracles. Some versions of the myth claim Heracles killed her. Others claim that his friend Theseus, who had accompanied him, married her and had a son named Hippolytus. In other versions Theseus marries her sister, Antiope. Another notable Amazon queen was Penthesilea, also a sister of Hippolyta along with Melanippe. Penthesilea had accidently killed Hippolyta while hunting, and although she wanted to kill herself the only honorable way for an Amazon and queen to do that was in battle, so she fought in the Trojan War on the side of Troy. She was then killed by Achilles.

An Amazon, by Franz von Stuck.

The saddest queen was Thalestris. She was the cream of the crop of Amazons, and lived during the time of Alexander the Great. Since he was the best of the best of men, she talked him into having sex with her in order to give birth to a superior child. He agreed as long as a male child would be given to him. Alas, despite spending 13 days (a sacred number) together hunting and having sex, she did not conceive.

Achilles killing Penthesilea on the tondo of an Attic
red-figure kylix from Vulci, circa 470-460 BCE.

Amazons were said to have invaded areas from Scythia to the northern coasts of Africa, including some Aegean islands. Their existence was even debated by ancient authors, and it is posited that rumors of women from the some of the tribes of the Caucasus, who performed duties traditionally done by men, gave rise to the idea of an independent race of warrior women. The concept of Amazons may also have come from the priestesses of Artemis, who like many priestesses of very ancient times, were somewhat autonomous, going back to a time more matriarchal (if there ever truly was one!) than patriarchial.

Side B of an Attic red-figure amphora circa 420 BCE featuring an Amazon.

There is evidence in the archaeological record of warrior women. Whenever an ancient burial of a warrior is found, it has always been assumed that it was a male. But there are modern archaeologists who are looking at going through the evidence from all of those burials and sexing the skeletons to ascertain if any of them were women. In the Altai Mountains of Siberia there have been mummified burials of women found in kurgans, some of them buried with the gear of war - weapons, headgear, etc. - with legs bowed from riding and with battle scars. These ancient people - the Pazyryk culture - also buried horses, some of which had been sacrificed. This culture goes back to the approximate time that Herodotus wrote of Amazons. Warrior graves on the lower Don and lower Volga from the Scythian-Sarmatian Iron Age culture are about 20% women, buried with weaponry and saddles.

This Pazyryk mummy is known as the "Ice Maiden". She was found in
1993 by archaeologist Natalia Polosmak, along with six sacrificed
horses. This is from the 5th century BCE. Note the tattoos.

But much as modern women would love to claim them as role models, most likely their purpose was the opposite. For they were everything that a "good woman" ought not to be in ancient Greece, and in all their battles, particularly against Athens, they were the losers. A lesson, for sure, but one that is a cautionary tale against stepping out of assigned gender roles. But it must have been an exciting idea for the ancient Greeks; even more exciting to vanquish them.

An Amazon in front of an altar. Attic
red-figure lekythos, circa 475-450 BCE.

However, there are tales of great warrior woman in many cultures. Celtic legends have many strong and warring women. The Irish hero Cúchulainn was sent for warrior training with the woman Scáthach. This leads to another problem - either few women in ancient times wrote, or else their writing has not survived. There is the slimmest of hopes that some writings attributed to men were authored by women.

At any rate, the concept of strong, independent, capable women has survived and beguiled up to the present time. Although the thought of taking up arms, not to mention cutting off the right breast, may not appeal to modern women, Amazons are still a symbol of the once and future liberated and emancipated woman.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Holy Holly

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Holly has been associated with spiritual rituals since Roman times. The type that most people are familiar with is commonly called English or Christmas holly, but its formal name is Ilex aquifolium. The Romans called it ilex because of the leaves' resemblance to oak (Quercus ilex).

Holly leaves can be bright, shiny green or have edges tinged with white.

Because the holly is an evergreen, it became a symbol early on in every kind of winter celebration for the renewal of life that would occur in spring. In fact, many of the plants that now play a part in winter holidays and observances were evergreen, such as coniferous trees and mistletoe.

Part of a Tunisian mosaic showing
Dionysus with an evergreen tree.
Image courtesy of www.artehistoria.jcyl.es.

In this capacity of rebirth, holly was associated with Dionysus in ancient Greece, and later with some pagan sun gods. The ancient Romans used it in their Saturnalia observances, and associated the plant with their god of agriculture and harvest, Saturn. Early Christians in Rome hung Saturnalian holly to avoid persecution, and later just kept the tradition.

Image courtesy of Photobasket.com.

Druids are said to have hung it to ward off witches and evil spirits. It was hung on walls, especially near beds to insure sweet dreams. It was a pagan protection device, most likely because it stood out in the cold winter months when everything else was dormant and gray. It was considered bad luck to chop a plant down. The Celts believed in the Holly King, who ruled death and winter, as well as the Oak King, who ruled life and summer. In the Middle Ages the Holly King and the Ivy Queen were honored, especially in mummers' plays.

Thor's Battle Against the Jötnar, 1872, by Mårten Eskil Winge.

In Norse mythology the holly was associated with Thor and Freya. Thor used lightning as a weapon, and Freya was in charge of weather. This led to the practice of hanging holly in one's house to protect against lightning. Holly trees conduct lightning into the ground better than most trees and with little injury to the tree itself.

In Japan there are several legends that feature holly. One features a Buddhist monk named Daikoku. Once when he was attacked by a devil, his companion rat ran off and brought back a holly branch, which devils will not go near. Thus, similar to European pagans, in rustic areas of Japan there is a tradition to keep devils away by hanging a holly branch on the doors of houses.

An engraved shell cup.

Archaeologists of the American southeast and southwest have found ritual shell cups with holly residue dating to 1,200 BCE. This speaks of a long tradition of using holly, a type called Ilex vomitoria used to induce vomiting and hallucinations as part of a ritual. The Cherokee and Creek tribes held it sacred even a century ago.

The smooth-leaved Ilex vomitoria.

The word is thought to have come from the Indo-European qel, which means prickly. The name "Holly" comes from Old English holegn, related to Old High German hulis. The French took hulis and called it houx. It has no connection to the word "holy" despite its use in religious affairs.

While the holly became associated with men, women's counterpart was ivy, hence the Christmas song. When all the winter traditions were coopted into Christmas, so was the holly plant. Later it became used in Christian iconography to symbolize the crown of thorns (the sharp leaves), blood of Christ (the red berries), and the innocence of Christ (the white flowers). There are claims that the tree from which the cross where Christ hung was a holly tree.

Berries...

...and flowers.

Although the prickly leaves are the first image that comes to mind when most people think of holly, there are smooth leaved varieties. (The smooth ones are associated with women - apparently more dainty.) The plant can be either a shrub or a tree, and though the popular one that comes to mind is an evergreen, there are deciduous types as well. The ilex aquifolium is found in Asia, Europe, and North America. While both male and female plants boost white flowers in the late spring, only the females produce berries. They depend on pollinators, like bees. While toxic to humans, the berries are an important food source for birds.

Ilex paraguariensis where Yerba Mate tea comes from.

Unlike the berries, the leaves are used in herbal concoctions to treat dizziness, fever, and hypertension, and are a popular purgative. The leaves are also a source of caffeine, and the herbal tea Yerba Mate comes from a type of holly. The type called Ilex Gauyusa has the highest known caffeine content of any plant. The roots can be used as a diuretic. The wood from the holly is hard and excellent for carving, sometimes used for walking sticks, chess pieces, and at one time for bagpipes.

Great Highlands bagpipes were often made with Holly wood.

Whatever you celebrate this winter, if you deck the halls with boughs of holly you are keeping a tradition with an ancient and multinational pedigree.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Long Before the Internet: The Mundaneum

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

An institution was opened in 1910, with the lofty goal of collecting all the world's knowledge on 3x5 index cards - then considered "state of the art" for data storage. Called the Mundaneum, it eventually amassed a total of 12 million cards, each classified according to the Universal Decimal Classification system. This system was the brainchild of two Belgian lawyers - Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine.

Paul Marie Ghislain Otlet. Image courtesy of www.infoamerica.org.

Paul Otlet is considered one of the fathers of information science, a field once known as (and what he called) documentation. He devised the Universal Decimal Classification, one of the best examples of faceted classification. It is based on the Dewey Decimal System, but uses auxiliary signs to indicate special aspects of a subject, and that subject's relationship to other subjects. It is commonly used in specialist libraries. It is used for varied media, from film and sound recordings to maps and museum pieces. A list of the number codes for this system can be found here. Otlet is also known for promulgating the adoption in Europe of the standard American 3x5 index card, which was used in library catalogs worldwide until replaced by online public access catalogs (OPAC). He was also influential in developing the ideas of the forerunner of UNESCO, the International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation.

Henri La Fontaine.

La Fontaine was the president of the International Peace Bureau, and was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1913. He proposed a world school, university, and parliament. He also promoted women's rights and suffrage. Together with Otlet he founded the Institut International de Bibliographie, which later became the International Federation for Information and Documentation, or FID.

This and next two images courtesy of the Mundaneum.

Documentation was once a field of study whose name was changed to Information Science. There are movements seeking to reintroduce documentation as a separate field, as it pertains to storage and retrieval. The word is well-known in French-speaking countries where there is a difference between libraries and documentation centers, and the personnel employed at both have different educational backgrounds.

The Mundaneum was visualized as the center of a new "world" city. Otlet dreamed that someday people would access it from their own homes. Today it is considered a forerunner of the internet, and so his dreams, in a sense, have come true. In a lecture in 1908, Otlet mused that the most important transformations in the future of the book would not take place in the book itself, but in substitutes for it. He predicted that wireless technology would affect the most radical change, transmitting sounds and images unlimited by physical location and direction. At the time he was hopeful about experiments with electromagnetic waves, although the radio and television had not been invented yet. It is in this sense that he can be considered to have "foreseen" the internet, or at least he had mentally conceived of it.

In 1895, Otlet and La Fontaine sought to collect data on every book ever published. They also decided to amass a collection of magazine and journal articles, photographs, posters, pamphlets, and the like, which were beyond what libraries then collected. They put this data on the 3x5 index cards. Once housed in their first building, Otlet established a fee-based research service whereby anyone in the world could snailmail or telegraph a search query. He got more than 1,500 a year from all over the world. As the process became unwieldy, he realized that paper would have to be eventually replaced by something better. He wrote a book, Monde, in 1934 which outlined his vision of a mechanical, collective brain housing all the information in the world readily accessible via a global telecommunications network. Just as this idea began to form, the Belgian government lost interest in the Mundaneum, the collection was moved to a smaller space, and it eventually closed due to financial struggles. In 1939, the Nazis destroyed thousands of boxes filled with the index cards, and Otlet died in 1944, most likely discouraged and heartbroken.

Card division of the Library of Congress, circa 1900-1920.

Tim Berner-Lee, acclaimed as the inventor of the World Wide Web, has said he "married" hypertext and the internet. Although this wasn't foreseen in Otlet's day, both hypertext and the internet were concepts at the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. Otlet's reigning ability was to conceive of architecture not just for physical structures, but also as a frame for information. In 1934 he sketched out plans for "electric telescopes" which would allow one to search and browse through interlinked media, send messages, and share files. He called it a "réseau", which has been translated as "network". Ex-editor of Wired Kevin Kelly called Otlet's idea "a Steampunk version of hypertext".

Originally the Mundaneum was housed at the Palais du Cinquantenaire, part of the Royal Museums for Art and History, in Brussels. It closed for good in 1934. The architect Le Corbusier was to design a project to be constructed in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1929, which was never built but was the cause of a theoretical argument known as The Mundaneum Affair. Le Corbusier was intrigued enough to want to design an international "city of intellect" around it.

This image and one below of Yale's Sterling Memorial Library.

In 1968, a young graduate student came across the remainder of the original Mundaneum collection while researching Otlet. He led renewed interest in Otlet, which in turn led to the development of the current Mundaneum, housed in a converted 1930s department store in the city and municipality of Mons, Belgium. Full-time archivists are cataloging the collection. Although the current Mundaneum has been able to attract funding, it needs to attract more visitors.

Today Otlet and his ideas have been largely forgotten, even in French-speaking countries like his native Belgium. A man born too early to have his concepts meet the technology they required, it's hard to estimate his influence on today's information accessibility, but clearly he was a visionary.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

For the official Mundaneum site in English, click here.

*******************************

Repost: The Making of "Merry"

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

“If I could work my will…every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled in his own pudding.”

Ebenezer Scrooge

In 1843 Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, and it was around this time that the Christmas traditions that are known and cherished began. Up until that time people would wish one another “Happy Christmas”, a greeting that Queen Elizabeth seems to prefer today. But with the publication of Dickens’ book, the word merry began to take up a new meaning of “joyful, jolly, cheerful, and gay” ("gay" has changed in meaning itself), and in some cases intoxicated. It still had a bit of a bawdy reputation. All the new Christmas traditions and the use of this word in the instantly popular Dickens cemented the change of meaning for merry.

Prior to Victorian times, the word had less stellar implications. In Middle English it had wider meaning: “pleasant-sounding”; “pleasant-tasting”; “fine” weather; “handsome” dress. In the 14th century, a merry-man was the companion or follower of a knight or outlaw. (Remember Robin Hood and his Merry Men?) A merry-bout was slang for an occasion of sexual intercourse circa 1780, or a drinking session (presumably and hopefully ending in intercourse). Merry-begot meant illegitimate or a bastard in 1785.

There have been many phrases using merry since the 1300s, when one would make merry (and it still means partying!) Merry England, which meant more along the lines of prosperous in 1400, is now commonly used mockingly. The merry month of May in the 1560s meant pleasant.

Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (1826-1887) was a British poet who wrote a very popular Christmas carol still sung today:

God rest you merry, gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,

For Jesus Christ, our Saviour,

Was born upon this day,

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy!

For Jesus Christ, our Saviour,

Was born on Christmas Day.

It is important to note the punctuation in this song. Merry is not an adjective describing gentlemen. Rather it is wishing for God to allow the gentlemen to be content, as in “rest easy” or “rest assured”. This is further stressed by the next line, "Let nothing you dismay."

Dickens was referring to the song when he wrote A Christmas Carol, and quotes it, in part, in the book. Little did he realize he was legitimizing a phrase that would be used over 150 years later.

“I am as merry as a school-boy. A Merry Christmas to everybody!”

Ebenezer Scrooge

*************************

Note: This was first posted 12/21/10.

*******************************

A New Type(writer) of Art

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

I know people who prefer typewriters to computers. There is something satisfying about clicking away on a manual machine, although I'm glad to not have the need for white-out any more. But Jeremy Mayer is into typewriters in an unusual way - he makes art with them.

Mayer disassembles typewriters and uses the parts to make life-size human figures and other creatures. The human figures are anatomically correct. Before using the pieces he categorizes them according to what anatomical parts they remind him of.

He sketches his ideas digitally using Photoshop or a CAD or 3D program. Sometimes he uses live models. For human figures he starts with the spine and pelvis to insure that the weight of the piece will be supported, just like a live human.

He does not use glue, nor does he solder or weld the parts. Instead he uses screws, pins, nuts and bolts, and other common devices. No parts that did not come from a typewriter are used. It takes him between 400 and 1,400 hours to build a full-size human figure, and about 40 typewriters.

Mayer describes his work as a cross between Da Vinci's drawings and the futuristic ideas of sci-fi writers like Philip K. Dick or William Gibson. He seems to lean towards steampunk, as well, although that is apparently not his intention.

Whatever his influences, his work is an interesting blend of science/technology and nature. His interests include molecular engineering and biotechnology. Of course, sci-fi is not only an interest but has inspired him since he was child intrigued by his mother's manual typewriter.

Recycling and repurposing was also his intent and when he started using typewriters he thought they were becoming obsolete artifacts. His feelings have changed somewhat as typewriters made a sort of comeback, even though its been for their historical value rather than use.

He strives to make all his sculptures anatomically correct. To make the penguin sculpture, he went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to study them. He will alter his sculptures minimally by bending, drilling, and cutting, but not so these adjustments are visible.

The California Bay Area resident finds inspiration in meditating and letting the parts he has accumulated come together in his head. He seems to have given wide berth to his imagination since he was a boy, and the sculptures he makes are the fruits of that mental wandering.

Since he's proven a tendency to follow his mind and imagination, I expect more good things to come from his creativity. As he grows and learns more, his art should grow in interesting ways. An artist to keep an eye on, for sure.

***************

All images courtesy of the artist - take a look at his website.

*******************************

The Food We Love to Hate...and Toss

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy Getty Images.

There is an urban legend that there is only one fruitcake in the world, but it has been passed around (re-gifted) so many times people think there are multiple. I once sent out holiday cards that had a recipe for fruitcake on the cover, the ingredients of which included a 100-lb bag of cement, rebar, and a keg of nails. If I remember correctly, there were pieces of broken glass to stand in for the candied fruits.

This image and the image below courtesy of this site.

Fruitcake is the dessert people love to hate. A tradition for the winter holidays, it can be found in fine gift shops and catalogs or at your local dollar store. Depending on what type you like, and where you buy it (or what recipe you use to make your own), it can be delicious or it can live up to its loathsome reputation.

This fruitcake is 150 lbs. and measure 5x6'.
Proof that Texas likes big fruitcakes. ;-)

Fruitcakes were placed in tombs in ancient Egypt. They were also carried by Roman soldiers on the march. Crusaders packed them to take on their way to find the Holy Grail. All these facts attest to their durability, and their reputation for longevity, since ancient times. This durability is what has earned their reputation as doorstops.

Image courtesy of www.yahoocake.com.

There are basically two types of fruitcake. The "light" fruitcake is made with light-colored ingredients such as granulated sugar, light corn syrup, pineapples, apricots, and golden raisins. "Dark" fruitcake is made with darker ingredients such as molasses, brown sugar, dates, dark raisins, and prunes. They can contain candied fruits or dried fruits, nuts, spices, and often some kind of liquor. There is a high ratio of fruit and nuts to batter, the batter usually being just enough to hold everything together.

The earliest recipe is from ancient Rome, and lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins mixed into a barley mash. Preserved fruits, honey, and spices were added in the Middle Ages. When it was discovered that sugar could preserve fruits in high concentrations, candied fruits became popular. This also made fruitcakes more affordable. Fruits would be soaked in progressively greater concentrations of sugar. This made both the flavors and colors intensified. The inclusion of nuts caught on in areas where they were grown. In the 18th century fruitcakes, which had by now included some sort of liquor, were outlawed because of it in Europe, but the law was soon repealed because fruitcake had become a standard teatime fare.

Image courtesy www.farmersmarketonline.com.

What turns most people off is the candied fruits. Candied citron is made from the peel of that fruit. Pineapple, cherries, and citrus rind is made by dipping or boiling pieces in heavy syrup and then drying them. Often they are then rolled in granulated sugar. The bright green cherries are also a turn-off - the color is unnatural and unappealing. (I personally have never seen fruitcake on a menu, except as one of the multiple offerings at tea.)

Image courtesy of www.mabelbakes.com. This was made with 23 ingredients.

The average weight of a fruitcakes is two pounds. Because of the high density of sugar, mold doesn't develop which accounts for much of its longevity. The alcohol helps. Aging is an important element, most bakers agreeing that it should be made at least one month before eating. Kept in an air-tight tin, and moistened with small amounts of alcohol every few months, fruitcakes are said to last three years. This allows the flavors to meld. Since fruits contain tannins, the aging process is similar to wine. When ready to consume, the fruitcake should be heavy but moist. In 2003, Jay Leno made fruitcake history by agreeing to taste test a 125-year-old fruitcake brought to the show by Morgan Ford. The fruitcake was his great-grandmother's, and had been handed down through the generations. Apparently it wasn't lethal.

Gethsemani Farms in Kentucky is widely praised for their fruitcakes.

In Manitou Springs, Colorado, there is an annual Great Fruitcake Toss. It is held the first Saturday in January. If you don't have a fruitcake, you can "rent" one for a dollar. Admission is one non-perishable food item. Fruitcakes can be hurled, tossed, or launched by a non-fuel device. There are two weight divisions - two pound and four pound. Fruitcakes must contain glacéed fruits, nuts, flour, and be edible.

This image and the image below courtesy
Andra DuRee Martin/Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce.

In the past there has been four categories. Catch the fruitcake is done by teams. Accuracy at hitting targets placed at 75, 125, and 175 feet is another category. The crowd judges the most creative launch, and finally the showmanship/peoples' choice award is judged by costume, slogans, and decorated devices. The 2012 event will take place on January 14th, from 9:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. at the Manitou Springs High School track.

Westerners are not alone in the getting-cakes-we-don't-particularly-want category. Asians have mooncakes - thin and tender crusts with a sweet and dense filling, sometimes with whole salted egg yolks inside to symbolize the full moon. The fillings range from lotus seed paste to sweet bean paste to five kernel (5 types of nuts and seeds mixed with a syrup), depending on the region. They are very, very sweet, and traditionally not very healthy. They began in China, but are now found in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn festival, an important Chinese festival dedicated to lunar worship and moon watching.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

This year, if and when you receive a fruitcake gift, think of its glorious history.
You can also wonder if the ancients held fruitcake tosses, and if they re-gifted it among themselves as well. Perhaps the one you receive has an illustrious pedigree.

***************

For more information on The Great Fruitcake Toss, check this site.

Fruitcake lovers may want to check this site.

*******************************

Unsung Heroine of the Polish Ghetto

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Let me stress most emphatically that we who were rescuing

children are not some kind of heroes. Indeed, that term

irritates me greatly. The opposite is true. I continue to
have pangs of conscience that I did so little.

Irena Sendler in 1942.

Thanks to Steven Spielberg, most people have heard of Oskar Schindler. Few people have heard of Irene Sendler. Yet the Polish Catholic social worker helped save some 2,500 Jewish children during WWII.

Image courtesy of this site.

She was born to a physician who died when she was seven from typhus contracted from his patients, many of them Jews that other physicians wouldn't treat. Jewish community leaders offered to pay for her education; she had close links to the Jewish community and even spoke Yiddish by the age of seven. In 1935, ghetto benches were introduced in Polish universities - segregated seating in a special section where Jewish students were forced to sit under threat of expulsion. Sendler was opposed to this and sat with her Jewish friends, and thus was almost expelled. A professor intervened, allowing her to continue with her studies.

Jewish children in the Warsaw Ghetto.

This early testament to her ethical beliefs was a harbinger to her future endeavors. The Zegota, a codename for the Polish Council to Aid Jews, existed for the express purpose of helping Polish Jews get to safety. Poland was the only country in occupied Europe to have a dedicated secret organization. Prior to joining the Zegota, Sendler with a group of other like-minded people created over 3,000 false documents to help Jewish families. This was an extremely risky undertaking, as Poland had the most severe punishment of all occupied European nations for anyone harboring Jews. She was selected by the Zegota in 1943 to head the children's section. Since she was employed by the Social Welfare Department she had a special permit to enter the Warsaw Ghetto to check for signs of typhus. Under this pretext, she and others smuggled babies and small children in ambulances, packages, and even a toolbox. She also used an old courthouse and sewer pipes as routes to smuggle children out.

1942 poster warning of death for any Pole who aided Jews.

Sendler assured the children that they would be reunited with their relatives when the war was over. The group hid lists keeping track of everyone they rescued in jars buried in the ground. She worked with a Catholic orphanage in Warsaw, convents, and parishes to place the children. She was arrested in 1943 by the Gestapo, who tortured her and sentenced her to death. She bribed her guards who released her on her way to her execution, but was listed on a public bulletin as one of the executed. She lived in hiding until the end of the war, but continued aiding Jewish children. After the war she turned over her lists, but most of the families of the children had been exterminated or were missing.

Image courtesy of this site.

During the Soviet takeover of Poland she was persecuted for being in contact with the Polish government in exile. She was not allowed to travel abroad by the Polish communist government to Israel to receive the Commander's Cross she was awarded by the Israeli Institute in 1964. She finally received it in 1984. She was also honored with the Righteous Among the Nations, a medal awarded by the State of Israel to non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust. In 2003, fellow Pole and rescuer Pope John Paul II send her a personal letter of praise. That same year she was given the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest civilian honor. She received many other awards. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but lost to Al Gore for his work on global warming.

Sendler in 2005.

She died in 2008, known and honored by those who were aware of the efforts to save those threatened by the Holocaust, but little known to the world in general. She first came to public awareness in the year 2000, when a group of Kansas schoolgirls wrote a play about her called Life in a Jar. A documentary was made featuring her last interviews. It premiered earlier this year on PBs in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day - Irena Sendler, In the Name of Their Mothers. But to those she saved, and their progeny, she will be loved and remembered always.

***************

Images, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************

Twiggy Branches Out

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

"I always hated what I looked like. I thought I looked skinny and funny

and too shy and too small. I thought everyone had gone stark raving mad."

Twiggy aka Leslie Hornby

"She'll last a couple of weeks," a bystander in 1967.

I was in junior high when Twiggy burst onto the scene. With her stick figure, her boyish hairstyle, and those heavily made-up eyes, she was called the "anti-woman" by Susan Cheever. She had no breasts, she wore white lipstick, she bit her nails, and she was knock-kneed and "coltishly awkward".

Much has been written about female body types and the effect fashion has on teens. I won't go into that, but I'll admit to trying white lipstick (it doesn't look good on anybody!), and trying to draw under eye lashes. I looked more like Raggedy Ann than a supermodel, but I tried. No way was I going to cut my long hair, but as it was curly I slept on orange juice cans (empty, with both ends removed) as they didn't have huge rollers on the market yet. My dad used to tease me about wearing sewer pipes to bed, but he was more disappointed that I gave up swimming because it interfered with my attempts at a straight coiffure.

It all started for Leslie Hornby when a celebrity hairstylist was looking for women to sport his new androgynous hairstyle. He wanted to take pictures and hang them in his salon. Leslie reportedly spent seven hours in his salon getting her hair dyed the right color then cut. Off she was whisked to a photographer, and the resulting pictures shot her into stardom. The photos were seen by Deirdre McSharry of the Daily Express and she did an article on the young 16-year-old girl calling her "The Face of '66".

By the time she was 17, a year later, she was one of the most photographed faces in the world. Her picture was put in a time capsule and sent into space. That same year she released a single, "Beautiful Dreams", and marketed a line of clothing called "Twiggy Dresses" aimed at the teenage market. She came in on the wave that brought unisex clothing and a reversal from previous fashions. Often called the first supermodel, she, herself, considers that to be Jean Shrimpton, her predecessor and then-idol.

"The Shrimp" was the number one cover girl in 1965.

Her name came from her childhood nickname, "Twigs", but also aptly described her figure. She was 5'6", rather short for a model, and anywhere from 90 to 110 pounds, depending who you read, at age 16. It took her two hours to do her trademark eyes, and about five minutes to make up the rest of her face. Her hair, obviously, required no great effort. She soon became a household name.

Image courtesy of tumblr.

In 1967, her second year as a celebrity, she went to NY where she starred in three documentaries for the ABC network. She was on the covers of all the American fashion magazines, then published her own magazine in the U.S. - Twiggy: Her Mod Mod Teen World. Mattel released a doll, similar to Barbie, based on her. The U.K. also released a documentary on her life.

Image courtesy of tumblr.

The following year she traveled to Japan where her single was a No. 1 hit. She filmed several commercials there. When her dresses were released in later Germany that year, she traveled there to promote them.

In 1969, she filmed a commercial for Diet Rite Cola where she sang and danced. She officially retired from modeling in 1970, although she has ever since done the occasional shoot. That year she was cast in the movie "The Boy Friend", and went on to have a successful career as a stage, screen, and television actress.

A guest on The Muppet Show. Image courtesy of www.muppet.wikia.com.

At the height of her modeling success, she was the subject of much merchandising. In the U.K. there were her dresses complete with special hangers, tights, and badges stating "Forget Oxfam, Feed Twiggy". In the U.S., Milton Bradley introduced the Twiggy Board Game in 1967. Aladdin that same year offered a Twiggy lunchbox and thermos. Yardley sold Twiggy false eyelashes, and there was many other paraphernalia offered by various manufacturers.

Eventually she grew up, gained weight, and is today 62 and slender with long hair. She is a supporter of animal welfare, is anti-fur, and promotes breast cancer research. She still does some promotional shots, and has written a couple of books, done more songs, and has other merchandise lines. She generally goes by her trademark and married names - Twiggy Lawson.

Not bad for a skinny little Cockney girl!

***************

Images, unless otherwise stated, from her website.

**************************

Quirky and Idiosyncratic Oregon's Search for Symbolism

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

The state of Oregon has had much confusion of the origin of its name. It's not the only confusing name in the state. There is even a book - Oregon Geographic Names - now in its 7th edition and published by the Oregon Historical Society Press, that delves into it. The University of Oregon bookstore sells stickers reading "ORYGUN" to teach people how to pronounce it, first distributed by Oregon Ducks quarterback Joey Harrington when he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2002.

What may be even more confusing is Oregon's search for the right symbol - or symbols. There are 26 official emblems designated by the Oregon State Legislature, most listed in Title 19, chapter 186 of the Oregon Revised Statutes (2007 edition). The first symbol was the motto - "Alis Volat Propriis" written in 1854 in Latin, meaning "She Flies With Her Own Wings". It has been the motto except for a 30-year period from 1957-1987 when "The Union" was used. The motto and the seal, designed two years before Oregon became a state in 1859, were the only two symbols for over fifty years.

By 1950, Oregon had six official symbols, and by 2000 it had 22. The most recent symbol is Jory soil, declared the state soil in 2011, after failed attempts to make it the official state symbol. Jory soil is deep, well-drained soils in the foothills surrounding the Willamette Valley. It is formed from the loose material accumulated at the base of hills from gravity, known as colluvium. Found on more than 300,000 acres in western Oregon, it supports forests, mostly Douglas fir and Oregon white oak, and is very productive. Many things are grown on it, from berries and filberts to wheat, and of course grapes for the burgeoning wine industry.

Jory soil.

The American beaver (Castor Canadensis), the largest of North American rodents, is the state animal. Beavers can be found in most of the larger streams and rivers, of which there is an abundance. They were once over-hunted since they were prized for fur, but there has been a recovery in the beaver population through hunting management and partial protection. Oregon State University teams are called The Beavers.

Oregon has been called "The Beaver State", but that is unofficial. Oregon does not have an official nickname. A suggested one is "Things look different here", alluding to the idealistic culture. The cities are not so indecisive. Portland has a motto - "Keep Portland Weird" - which is well-known in "Portlandia". Even the coastal town of Yachats has a motto in keeping with their attitude - "La de da". In 2003, it was suggested that the state have an official tartan, but the bill never passed out of committee.

Image courtesy of flickr.

Image courtesy www.yachats.info.

There is an official fish - the Chinook Salmon - which was an integral part of Native American diet. The Chinook is the largest of the Pacific salmon, and is endangered from overfishing and damming. Three years ago the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) was selected as the state crustacean. The Western meadowlark has been the state bird since 1927, chosen by school kids in a poll sponsored by the Oregon Audubon Society. (It is a very popular bird as it is also the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming.)

The Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio Oregonius) is the state insect, and has its Latin and common names suggest, it is native to the region. The Oregon hairy triton (Fusitriton oregonensis) is the state seashell and was named by conchologist John Howard Redfield in 1846. It is covered with bristles and it can be found ashore at high tides. There is even a state rock - the thunderegg - which are rough spheres similar to geodes. The largest one found, weighing 1.75 tons, is at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro, Oregon. This differs from the state gemstone, the Oregon sunstone. These attract collectors and miners with its spangled appearance when turned certain ways. It is a type of plagioclase feldspar, an important constituent of the earth's crust and even of the earth's moon.

Since Oregon is the home of foodies who are locavores and love fresh, organic, and healthy foods, there are state symbols in the food department as well. The state beverage is milk, a nod to the dairy industry, especially Tillamook County. The state fruit is the pear (Pyrus), which is Oregon's number one tree fruit crop producing about 800 million pears each year. The state nut (okay, there may be a multitude of them) is the hazelnut, aka filbert. Oregon is said to produce 99% of the hazelnuts consumed in the U.S. Mushrooms love Oregon so much, that the state choose one as the official state mushroom - the Pacific Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus), found throughout the state's conifer forests. The largest chanterelle harvest in the world comes from Tillamook State Forest.

The state flower is the Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium) which is native to the west coast. It is an evergreen shrub, the berries of which are used to make jellies, and provided food for the Native American diet. Metasequoia, the dawn redwood, flourished in the state in the Miocene age and now provides an abundance of fossils. Although they were long extinct, live 100-foot trees were found in China and brought to Oregon fifty years ago to ensure their survival. The Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is the state tree, and a timber product. It was named for a Scottish botanist, David Douglas, who was in Oregon in the 1820s.

There are many more symbols, but the final one here is the state dance. The square dance was chosen to exemplify the lively spirit of the Oregon character. Why Oregon for this post? Well, it's where I want to live...and eat...and drink wine...and dance. Hopefully, soon.

***************

Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

*******************************