800 year old Lewis Chessman Set Reunited for Tour

A charming blog titled Chess, Goddess and Everything notes that the Lewis Chessman set pieces "polished walrus ivory and whale teeth carved by Norse craftsmen more than 800 years ago", are being reunited for a tour of Scotland after 170 years apart.

It's so nice to see the band back together again.

Sia

Note: Harry Potter fans may remember that copies of the Lewis set were used to play in Wizard's Chess in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Links:

British Museum webpage on The Lewis Chessman

Photo found here

Sacred Sites: Native American "prayers in stone"

What makes a site sacred?

Today question arises from an article titled Sacred Sites or Something Else? about ancient stone mounds recently discovered in the United States.

It is a fascinating article on the possible origin and meaning of early stone mounds in the United States.

So, what makes a site sacred in your eyes and how far should we go to preserve such a place?

Sia

Excerpt

One pile of stones on a particular hilltop evokes the curved body of a snake. And there are formations with purposes unclear and at times in dispute. All of these sites are part of a slowly unfolding story, one archaeologists hope to tell by learning more about them … if development doesn't destroy these places first.

In recent years, American Indian groups have pushed for greater recognition and understanding of these sites, which they believe are sacred. The controversy surrounding a stone mound on top of a hill in Oxford pushes every button that could set off alarms for these advocates. It also puts Calhoun County's most prosperous city in an unwelcome spotlight, pitting its rapid commercial growth against passionate preservationists.

...The mountain, which Holstein would not name for fear of advertising the site to looters, contains 80 acres of mound structures. The walls run across the mountain, in patterns Holstein believes are connected to natural phenomenon like springs and rock outcrops.

"We started excavating them in the '80s," he said. "We were the first people to realize they were something."

Levels of perception

Holstein said almost every native culture saw the world on three levels; earth, sky and the underworld.

"I just get excited about it," Holstein said. "Each time we find a new one, it gives us more information."

But how do we know they're cultural?

According to Holstein, early explorers asked American Indians about the rocks, who said they were commemorative structures. They were tombstones of past events.

Thrower says they're called "prayers in stone."

***********

Art: Young Woman by Garry Machees.

Related Articles:

Hogmany and Mystical Places

Acropolis Movie Won't Be Censored After All

Good news,

Never underestimate the power of YouTube to leapfrog over a censor's red tape.

The latest example involves a battle between Oscar-winning filmmaker Costa-Gavras and the newly opened Acropolis Museum in Greece.

Last week, the director asked to withdraw his credit from an animated short that the museum was showing as part of a larger film about the history of the Parthenon. Officials at the museum had reportedly removed a scene from Costa-Gavras' movie after the Greek Orthodox Church objected to what it saw as a depiction of Christian priests destroying parts of the ancient temple.

But on Tuesday, the Acropolis Museum said it had reversed its decision to cut the film after days of picketing and the threat of a lawsuit.

Sia

Youtube video short found here

My thanks to the wonderful Wren's Nest News site for the link to this story.

Related Articles:

Destroy the Temple, Make a Museum

An Ancient Egyptian Temple Now In New York

Returning: Looking for the Goddess in Malta and in the new films "Agora".

The Long Woman of Wilmington

Well this has created quite a stir...

I laughed when I first saw the Long Woman of Wilmington. The world needs more grand sacred images of big, sexy curvy women, said I. Don't like the hair, though. Too cute. Try something shoulder length with bangs, something we can tie back. Seriously, have you been on that hill? The wind will knock you over....

Now...if the site was harmed in any way, that was, to my mind, another matter entirely.

I was less pleased to find that it was done for a silly TV Show as a joke and PR stunt. The ancient Sussex landmark was transformed by 80 women laying on the famous hill. Fascinating idea...What I don't like is the fact that this was done for a TV program and not for a good cause or to make a valid social or political point. Makes me think we missed a good chance here. If it had been the latter, I might have been there with them, after talking to the Druids, of course.

If I were to organize a women's protest, it would be near the site, not on it. The point is the image, yes?, not harming an ancient artifact.

Here is an example of a protest I very much admired: Hundreds strip naked on glacier.

But I digress...Here is the Druid's reply.

The Wild Hunt was following this story all along - here is their update:

Chalk figure controversy: It seems that the protests by British Pagans over what they felt were sacrilegious and damaging (temporary) alterations to prominent chalk figures has borne fruit.

“The Sussex Archaeological Society has apologised to protesters after they allowed a controversial stunt by ITV to give the Long Man of Wilmington a sex change. ITV and the archaeological society caused fury among Pagans and other protesters when they allowed fashion gurus Trinny and Susannah to add breasts and pigtails to the figure many believe is sacred. As part of the programme, Trinny and Susannah Undress, ITV asked woman dressed in white to lie on the figure to create the transformation. Chief Executive Office of the organisation, John Manley, said: ‘The Sussex Archaeological Society would like to apologise to representatives of the Pagan community, or any other individual or groups, who might have been offended by recent television filming on the Long Man of Wilmington.”

The Society has promised to consult with local Pagans before sanctioning any further actions involving the chalk figure. While pleased with this victory, some local Pagans also want to force ITV into not airing the prank footage at all.

“We are absolutely determined this footage should not be shown as we feel it will encourage anti-social behaviour on the site. We heard people say they were going up there directly after the filming as the activities seem to make people think it is ok an we are extremely concerned about this.”

One can be sure that thanks to these stalwart activists this will be the last time large numbers of women willing lay down near the Long Man of Wilmington.

What do you think?

Sia

Links

The Long Man of Wilmington

Related articles:

Anger at Long Man Sex Change

Sunken Treasure: The Wreck of the Belitung

Ten years ago, at a spot known locally as "Black Rock", two men diving for sea cucumbers came across a large pile of sand and coral.

Digging a hole, they reached in and pulled out a barnacle-encrusted bowl. Then another. And another.

They had stumbled on the oldest, most important, marine archaeological discovery ever made in South East Asia, an Arab dhow - or ship - built of teak, coconut wood and hibiscus fibre, packed with a treasure that Indiana Jones could only dream of...

Among the most sensational artefacts found in the wreck are three dishes decorated with cobalt from Iran which represent the oldest blue and white ware ever found, setting back by several hundred years the invention of what would become known all over the world simply as "china."

Sia

Related Articles

Maritime Explorations - more pictures of the ship's contents

Porcelain - Wikipedia

A brief history of Chinese Porcelain

Photo 1: Woman in Traditional Dress From Women of Planet Earth

Photo 2: Example of Blue and White Chinese Porcelain from Shipwreck Ceramics (Chinese CeramicsLondon.com

Excerpt:

...in the case of objects retrieved from shipwrecks, it is frequently possible to trace their history from the potter’s wheel, to the packing of the objects, and ending with their tragic final resting place on the ocean floor.

It is sometimes possible to establish the date upon which catastrophe struck the ship, still laden with its cargo, as well as the name of the Captain, even the last thoughts he noted in the ship’s log. Often, the ship together with its cargo is found on the very spot it sank all those years ago, thus perfectly preserved in its historical context. This provides annunusual opportunity of finding a large collection of export objects, all of the same origine and all manufactured by a small number of potters. Everyday items used by the crew during their voyage are usually found amoung them. Frequently objects come to light that have never before been recorded.

What survives of the cargo gives us an incomplete picture...It is never possible to predict what exactly will be found on a shipwreck. It is therefore hard to imagine the thrill the diver must experience as he first touches these items, which have lain for so long, undisturbed, on the sea bed, as all the while history has continued to unfold in the world far above….

Got Goat?: Goats as Helpers and Teachers

Got goat?

Abby Height, writing for the Oregonian, tells us that "weed gobbling goats eat the right things and give native plants a chance."

Excerpt:

For several years, the city of Wilsonville has hired a herd of goats to chomp down invasive plants such as ivy and Himalayan blackberry at city parks and greenspaces.

The goats have been so successful that the Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District would like to use targeted grazing as one of its preferred weapons against invasive weeds and plants. The district wants to move toward sustainable, ecological weed control and away from methods that relied heavily on chemicals.

"The district is thinking about how to do things in a more sustainable manner," said Robert Wise, a senior project manager with Cogan Owens Cogan who is advising the district on an updated strategy plan. "We can't keep doing the same things because it just doesn't work for our planet."

Goats and humans have a long history together. According to About.com:

Domestic goats (Capra hircus) were among the first domesticated animals, adapted from the wild version Capra aegargus. Beginning about 10,000-11,000 years ago, Neolithic farmers in the Near East began keeping small herds of goats for their milk and meat, and for their dung for fuel, as well as for materials for clothing and building: hair, bone, skin and sinew.

Today there are more than 300 breeds of goats, and they live in climates ranging from high altitude mountains to deserts. Recent mtDNA research suggests that all goats today are descended from a handful of animals and may have been domesticated in a handful of different places. Archaeological data suggest two distinct places of domestication: the Euphrates river valley at Nevali Çori, Turkey (11,000 bp), and the Zagros Mountains of Iran at Ganj Dareh (10,000). Other possible sites of domestication include the Indus Basin in Pakistan at (Mehrgarh, 9,000 bp) and perhaps central Anatolia and the southern Levant. Other important archaeological sites with evidence for the initial process of goat domestication include Cayönü, Turkey (8500-8000 BC), Tell Abu Hureyra, Syria (8000-7400 BC), Jericho, Israel (7500 BC), and Ain Ghazal, Jordan (7600-7500 BC).

One of the most famous links between goats and ancient civilizations can be seen in the stories about the God Pan and in many elements of the Horned God. (For a hilarious read on the Goat God, read Tom Robbin's book Jitterbug Perfume). Goats were often sacred to the Goddess, although much information about their links to ancient fertility Goddesses has been lost to us. Keep looking; where ever you find the Lady of the Beasts and herding cultures, you will find the Goddess and her goats.

If you wish to honor the Goddess consider helping a woman in a developing country make a living with bees, goats or other animals through a micro loan. My friend Rowan Fairgrove recently sent me the link from Kiva, a nonprofit, non denominational group she supports. As their logo states, these loans save lives.

As the Unicef site notes:

The microcredit system is helping to keep the women’s families fed, clothed and on their feet. Mainly, it is allowing women like widow Vigoumide Ahouagbe to grow their small businesses without waiting to make a profit first. Ms. Ahouagbe can now boast several goats and pigs, a sign of wealth in this area of West Africa.

Young western girls like goats , as well. Cassie (age 11) at the GirlsHorseClub.colm reminds us that goats make excellent buddies for our horse friends. Do you have a son or daughter who wants to learn how to raise animals for milk and show or as pets? Then consider the goat. The 4-H club in Irvine California tells us that goats are good companions:

Goats are fun because they all have different personalities and have different little habits that can be amusing or interesting. Goats are very affectionate and especially during the summer, when they are too hot to be active, they like to just hang around people and get a good scratch. Most goats' favorite scratchy spot is around their shoulder but some even liked to be scratched in between their toes. It is very rewarding to see a goat you have raised from a baby grow up and have kids and grandkids of her own.

Goats have a very interesting quirks. When I read ancient myths, I can see the impact that sheep and goat herding had on our ancestor's view of the world. After reading Shafi's post on Sheep logic vs Goat logic, I would have to say that I have met many sheep

The general populace, with their Sheep Logic, are desperate to be led, having no capacity within them to do so. They largely follow their whims and desires and though they perceive the goings-on in their surroundings and the chaos that envelops them from within, they are too blasé about them do not comprehend all that they perceive. Their limited mental vision and the grass they graze on obstructs their view from the perils that lie ahead. Living off the handouts of other countries plotting bigger schemes on their country, (they) live in a state of almost total unconsciousness.

and goats:

They are lively and enthusiastic about life’s prospects, though they are deficient in terms of experience and, some times, competence....They are bold and brash, principally driven by an impulsive rush into things. Their skewed judgment of their own vulnerability hinders them from looking further ahead into the possibilities of their actions. Amused by their own frolicking, they are diverted from the flock, though their senses are promptly reawakened by the hint of fox’s presence.

Those of us who do community organizing work with a great many sheep and goats, cats and other animal archetypes. Each type has something to offer and each has challenges we have to deal with. My best advice is to learn how they think and how they view the world. (For a humorous take on this, read Issac Bonwits article Making Fauna Pagans). And by the way, learn to understand your own challenges, as well. Most leaders stumble because they fail to understand themselves. Word to the wise, if you are a goat, you are a nature leader and you will travel paths that more timid souls will avoid. You can also be stubborn, and this can get in your way. (Ahem....at least, that's what the older kids tell me).

Sia

Photo: Ugarit Goddess Asherah with sheaves of wheat and goats.

Links:

Recipes using Goat Cheese from the Barn Goddess

Handmade goat milk soaps

Goat Breeds

For drummers: Here is a note on how to buy the best fair trade goat skin for your drum. While you are at it, consider green practices when choosing a wooden drum.

Please note: Links are for information only. I am not endorsing these products, nor have we received any money or products from these companies in return for these links.

Endnotes:

(1) Does this remind you of anyone?

The goats....are expert whiners and their Qalaad could be heard a distance away. Little floods could cause serious inconveniences to their health and a flash of lighting would agitate their nerves. If swept away they have little chance of survival and, as a habit, dip headfirst into the water. They are often heard making a racket of noises as they are seized by the surge.....Those who rule, with their Goat Logic, are very much short sighted and scatter at the slightest hint of a commotion. They are an impetuous lot and carry huge, impenetrable solid heads above their scraggy shoulders - a weight too much for them to bear and as a result of which they disappear after a short time. With an imprudent penchant for control, they lead their susceptible flock astray into parched fields and dehydrated pastures where the Jiilaal winds have swept away the very remnants of life from the surface.

It's Good To Be The King: Lust & Politics in Merry Old England

...and they say history is dull. (1)

Meanwhile, Tudor's star Jonathan Rhys Meyers attended the protest against the planned motorway on the Hill of Tara. The plan will destroy Lismullen Woods and Irish archaeological sites.

Sia

(For those using a reader, here is a video I've put up on my blog, made from the first season of this series).

Endnotes: Added on 3/29

(1) History buffs all over the net are noting where the The Tudors gets it wrong. The creators of this series (like the creators of some recent British films on Elizabeth I) won't let a little thing like historical fact get in the way of their drama. Some scholars are tolerantly amused by this and are pleased to see people taking an interest in our collective history. Others are not so amused.

Professor Robert Bucholz, professor of history at Loyola University of Chicago, gives his opinion on the series in an article titled Corsets and Codpieces:

“I think the Tudors are always in fashion because it is easy – if wrong – to boil down this story into one of raw sex and power,” he wrote via e-mail. “And who doesn’t find that interesting? In fact, the real Tudor story is far more complex AND interesting – involving the haunting memory of the Wars of the Roses, Reformation Era theology, foreign policy, even the price of bread – in ways that actually affected real people’s lives.

....Bucholz suggests the real problem with paying so much attention to the Tudors is that we ignore their royal successors, the Stuarts, who tried to rule England absolutely. That family’s political and cultural battles – the right of habeas corpus, the right against unreasonable search and seizure, parliamentary power of the purse, the religion of the ruler and, above all, whether said ruler is above the law – mirror struggles in U.S. history. In fact, he says, “I would argue that presidential signing statements are merely the Stuart claim to be able to dispense with the law in individual cases.”

“These are all debates that Englishmen and women argued, fought and settled under the Stuarts, culminating in the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 and the English Bill of Rights, the foundation of our Bill of Rights,” Bucholz says. “But nobody seems to want to make a movie about that.”

Off The Shelf:
Need a good beach read or something for your next vacation? Try The Other Boleyn Girl

Links: (Additional links added on 3/29)

The Tudors mini-series website

The Tudors: Season Two (free Youtube viewing of 2nd season premier)

Nine Things To Know About the Tudors

Tudor History

Animated video with some gross & grisly Tudor facts (the kids will love it).

Tudors Making some unkind cuts