Monday, November 26, 2007
Knights Templar to Search for Clues in Bulgaria
Hola darlings! First of all, our Random Round-up column at Goddesschess has been updated. We update every Sunday with items of interest from around the world. You can find it on the right hand side of the page.
Now, about the Templars. I confess, I'm absolutely fascinated by their history and lore. In some 200 years they built one of the most powerful and wealthy organizations in the western world - only to become objects of vilification and censure. Of course, even though officially the Templars were a banned organization, they didn't just disappear. Many Templars were accepted into other organizations such as the Hospitalliers and the Knights of St. John - and many sought and received safe refuge in Scotland.
It is a testament to the power and mystery of the Templars - an order who took vows of poverty, chasity and obedience to the Holy See in Rome - that we still wonder about them today. Did they bury treasure in the new world, in a "money pit" that floods all the more the more people try to dig? Did they uncover mystical secrets of immense power in excavations of the ruins of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem? Did they really aid in the construction of Roslyn Chapel and were some of their secrets embedded and encoded in the strange architecture of that place? And did some renegade Templars sail under the Jolly Roger some 200 years later, terrorizing the high seas?
Countless books have been written about them - and doubtless, countless more books will be written about them in the future! So, whenever I see an article about the Templars, I take a look at it. I found this article extremely interesting. This is the modern-day version of the Knights Templar, who have officially been forgiven all their various "sins" and "blasphemies" that were alleged against them in 1307, and are a "fraternal" sort of organization (but not exactly, as some Templars enclaves admit women to their ranks). Fraternal organizations today - at least, in the USA - are in a hard way. People don't join them anymore. In my hometown alone, the Fraternal Orders of the Eagles, the Elks, the Moose, and the Knights of Pythias have become extinct within my lifetime. Only the Shriners and the Masons have any presence in my city now, and that is rather limited.
Here is the article:
Knights Templar to Seek Traces of Order's Members in Bulgaria
November 24, 2007
The Knights Templar are to launch excavation works in the Danube town of Russe to find out traces of order's members, who have once passed through Bulgaria and the Balkans.
The statement was made at a Saturday press conference, given by the Order in the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.
The order is to finance the initiative, called "Nisovo Project", is to be launched after Russe citizens signalled they noticed "interesting stone crosses" in the region.
The Templar Knights consider also making archaeological excavations in the town of Veliko Tarnovo, where they will look for a medieval catholic temple.
In order to achieve that aim, the knights will prepare a joint program with the Mayor Rumen Rashev. Bulgaria's Prior Rumen Ralchev has announced the order is to built one of the most modern houses for old people in Europe, which will be situated near the seaside town of Kavarna.
*******************************************************************************
Okay - so what are the Templars really interested in excavating, hmmm?
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The Goddess Pomona
My interest was caught about this Goddess when I read an article about a replica of her statue that is housed in the Pomona, California Public Library: Getty packs up statues, but Pomona stays here.
The following information is gathered from several websites (listed at the end):
Pomona, a uniquely Roman Goddess, is usually associated with abundance. A grove sacred to her was called the Pomonal, located not far from Ostia, the ancient port of Rome. In 19th century statues and building decorations she is usually shown carrying either a large platter of fruit or a cornucopia. The photo of the statute (above) was taken by Don during our visit to Chicago in 2006, the statute is outside the Chicago Board of Trade Building, and probably represents Pomona.
Interestingly, there are ties between some of the practices of the Festival of Pomona and the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain. Prior to the Roman conquest of Great Britain, the celebration of Samhain included the roasting of apples and nuts in the sacred fire. Samhain was celebrated on October 31st. The feast of the Roman goddess Pomona was celebrated on November 1st. [Note: I also found a date of August 13th as her festival date, in common with her Roman god husband Vertumnus. The actual date appears to be August 23rd and is Vertumnus’ festival. According to Sacred Texts, Pomona’s festival was held on November 1st.]
She was the goddess of the orchards and the harvest, and her feasts consisted of apples, nuts, grapes and other concord fruits. To the Romans, the apple was the symbol of love and fertility. When this was combined with the aura of divination that surrounded the Celtic Samhain, the results were an enchanting mixture of magick and romance. One Samhain ritual is to take an apple before the Sabbat begins and cut it in half. Mentally fill it with all your illnesses and bad habits, then put the fruit together and bury it in the ground. As the apple rots so too will all your misgivings.
Another practice is to bury apples in the earth to feed the souls of passed ancestors while they take their journey between the two worlds. A few more examples of Halloween traditions whose beginnings can be traced to this ancient apple lore: "apple peeling" was a direct result of Roman apple lore. A woman would pare an apple, all the while being very careful to remove the casing in one long strip. She would then toss it over her left shoulder and the peel would land on the floor displaying the shape of the initial of the man she was destined to marry. It was said that to peel an apple at midnight on October 31st while gazing in a mirror would surely cause the face of your future husband to appear. Another way to see who would be the first to marry was to "bob for apples". Apples were floated in a basin filled with water. The first one to take a bite from the fruit using only their mouth would be the next to marry. It was also very popular to brew a strong concoction of apples, sugar and ale on October 31st, which was served as a traditional holiday drink.
http://www.geocities.com/medea19777/samhain.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomona
http://www.rainewalker.com/Pomona.htm
http://www.nafex.org/jansonfiles/JansonOct671.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/boh/boh06.htm
One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure
The moral of the story: never throw anything away, darlings, and be sure to pick through every garbage pile you see :)
BBC News Online
Last Updated: Wednesday, 21 November 2007, 02:24 GMT
Dumped oil painting fetches $1m
A painting stolen 20 years ago then found lying in a pile of rubbish on a New York City street has sold at auction for just over $1m (£484,000).
The 1970 painting Tres Personajes (Three People) by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo was taken from a warehouse where the owners had placed it while moving.
It was found by Elizabeth Gibson as she took her morning walk four years ago on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
After discovering the painting's value, she returned it to its original owner.
It sold for $1,049,000 (£507,900) to a telephone bidder at Sotheby's New York auction house.
Sotheby's describes the painting as an important work from Rufino Tamayo's mature period.
Website clue
Elizabeth Gibson said she was drawn to the painting when she spotted it on the street.
"I know nothing of modern art but it didn't seem right for any piece of art to be discarded like that," she said.
It hung on a wall in her home for several months before a friend suggested it might be valuable.
An internet search revealed that the missing painting had been the subject of an appeal for information on the Antiques Roadshow TV programme.
Ms Gibson has already received a $15,000 reward the couple put up when it was stolen, plus an undisclosed percentage of the sale of the painting. It is still not known how the painting ended up on the street.
The owners - a couple from Houston whose names have not been disclosed - bought the oil on canvas, with marble dust and sand worked into the paint, in 1977 at Sotheby's.
August Uribe, Sotheby's senior vice-president of impressionist and modern art, said that the husband had paid $55,000 for it as a gift for his wife. The husband later died.
At the time of the theft in 1987, the couple alerted local and federal authorities.
Information on the painting was posted on the databases of the International Foundation for Art Research, and the Art Loss Register. The FBI is still investigating the theft.
Islamic Barbarians Destroy Ancient Buddha
From the Times of India. What is the problem with these people? Allah never decreed this kind of thing. Of course, most of these people can't read the Koran and they have no idea what it really says. Barbarians. I suggest we put enough estrogen in their water supplies to turn them all into enuchs during the next 5 years. You don't see women acting like this.
Shadow of terror looms over Buddha
18 Nov 2007, 0000 hrs IST, Shobhan Saxena,TNN
Every piece of rock tells a story. The monks of Gandhara knew this. Hundreds of years ago, when Swat Valley was not yet soaked with the bloodstains of history, Buddhist monks walked through the haze, leaving their footprints in the dust. Climbing steep rocks burning under a fiery sun, they worked on the hills with their little iron tools.
Days turned into weeks and months into years, and the monks’ skin turned into sunburnt leather, but, chanting mantras under their breath, they kept cutting and carving the rocks. And one day, as the tools stopped playing music on the rocks and layers of dust dissolved into crisp air, the Buddha emerged on the mountain.
With eyes half closed and a half-smile on the face, He was there - immortalised in rock; stored for posterity. That’s how this valley was, with thousands of statues, hundreds of rock-cut images and even the footprints of the Enlightened One spread all over. But that was Gandhara - a flourishing culture under the Kushan kings.
Now, Swat is a godforsaken valley in a failed state on the brink of collapse. In this corner of Pakistan, history is being reduced to great heaps of dust with Kalashnikovs and mortar fire. In this valley, under control of Mullah Fazlullah, a hardcore Taliban commander, things have turned bizarre.
The mullah, who commands a heavily-armed militia, preaches hate from the radio and forces girls to wear burqa. He has banned Hindi films, music and even polio drops. And this week, following in the footsteps of the Taliban, the ‘Radio Mullah’ turned his attention to the Buddha when his band of thugs drilled holes into a 130-foot-tall and 1,300-year-old rock-cut image of the Buddha, filled it with explosives, and blew it up. A few weeks earlier, his men had riddled the Buddha - sitting in a meditating posture - with a hail of bullets, reducing his face to a bowl of dust.
It’s the tragic tale of Bamiyan being replayed all over again. The Buddha of Swat was second in importance in South Asia only to the Bamiyan Buddhas. Now, it’s gone. And, as the mullah’s men spread their net of hate and terror across the valley, there is a threat that some of the most important Buddhist sites in the world, including the remains of stupas built over the ashes of the Buddha, may vanish forever. The process has already begun, as large parts of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan fall to the militants and undergo Talibanisation.
Vishakha Desai, director of the Asia Society in New York, saw this dangerous trend recently. ‘‘In 1995, I was able to travel through the region without any fear and received warm support from local residents....Today, little more than a decade later, the atmosphere is so poisoned that neither local community leaders nor the local police came forward to protect these monuments,’’ she wrote after the destruction of Sawt statue, where the Pakistani forces have been reduced to spectators as the mullah calls the shots. ‘‘There are vast numbers of Buddhist sites in Swat and other areas of northwest Pakistan. At this point, all of them are under threat,” Desai warns.
On its birth, Pakistan carried away with it a vast historical and cultural heritage ranging thousands of years. Some of the most important Buddhist, Indus Valley Civilisation, Vedic and Mauryan Empire sites were situated in Pakistan.
Though as a nation, Pakistan has been struggling with its history, it has done pretty well to preserve ancient art and culture in its archaeological museums. As the mullah’s men trained their guns on the Buddha, the deputy curator of the museum made frantic calls to the police. But Pakistan’s forces, locked in a battle with militants, failed to react. And this is the real problem. Pakistan is not in a position to save its heritage and the militants are raring to wipe them out.
‘‘Once historical evidence is destroyed, it cannot be recreated. It’s gone forever. They should take care to preserve the historical sites,’’ says G T Shende, director (antiquities) at the Archaeological Survey of India. But even though parts of Pakistan are now in exactly the same situation as Afghanistan when it fell to the Taliban, the world is watching the drama in silence. When Mullah Omar’s men destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001, there was a global outrage. But thanks to Pakistan’s role in the war on terror and the West’s nervousness about the fate of its ally, the destruction in Swat has been met with silence. Even India has failed to react.
Historians know that this vandalism is not an ‘‘internal matter of Pakistan’’. But many of them are quiet. If the world watches quietly and the militants increase their area of influence and destroy ancient relics, important links with our history will be reduced to dust forever. And when a rock turns into dust, it tells no story.
Chess Updates
Is there anyone out there who hasn't read by now that Garry Kasparov was arrested by the Facist Putin government and sentenced to 5 days in jail for participating in an "illegal" demonstration? I've never been a particular fan of Kasparov, but the man has a right to demonstrate peaceably against the Putin regime. Putin is just another Lenin - in better clothes. And he buries the bodies better. I weep for Russia. Putin has most of the people there totally schmoozed because he's filled the government coffers with oil and gas revenues; those he hasn't been able to pay off he's eliminated in various ways. Russia has gone back to the Dark Ages, regressing backward in terms of political freedom and economic development for the average person. What a shame, what a dirty rotten shame.
Other chess updates:
2007 World Cup
WGM Xu Yuhua (CHN 2517) was eliminated from the World Cup after losing both of her first round games (0 0) to Vladimir Malakhov (RUS 2690). As far as I can tell, Xu was the only female participating in the event, so I won’t be following it any further, it's just the same old boring faces playing each other.
2007 World Youth Chess Championships
Things are moving along; 8 rounds have been completed.
Top 10 Under 18-Girls Standings (79 players):
Rank SNo. Name Rtg FED Pts Fide Rp
1 5 WIM NEMCOVA Katerina 2255 CZE 7 31 2496
2 9 WIM YILDIZ Betul Cemre 2220 TUR 6½ 29 2384
3 23 WFM STEIL-ANTONI Fiona 2104 LUX 6½ 29 2309
4 3 WIM GOMES Mary Ann 2262 IND 6 33 2264
5 1 WFM GUNINA Valentina 2359 RUS 6 25 2189
6 13 WFM HAMRAKULOVA Yulduz 2185 UZB 5½ 28 2164
7 12 WIM UMUDOVA Nargiz 2188 AZE 5½ 27 2211
8 17 WFM RYSBAYEVA Aigerim 2163 KAZ 5½ 27 2278
9 18 ANDRENKO Irina 2145 UKR 5½ 27 2291
10 8 WIM IGNACZ Maria 2223 HUN 5½ 26½ 2230
USA: (20) NIKOLOVA Ettie 2049 USA 5; (53) KATS Elina 0 USA 3½.
Top 10 Under 16-Girls Standings (106 players):
Rank SNo. Name IRtg FED Pts Fide Rp
1 11 TSATSALASHVILI Keti 2161 GEO 7 32½ 2395
2 1 WFM GIRYA Olga 2338 RUS 7 31½ 2400
3 20 WFM NAKHBAYEVA Guliskhan 2098 KAZ 6½ 28 2211
4 33 IORDANIDOU Zoi 2012 GRE 6½ 28 2265
5 29 BERIDZE Tinatin 2033 GEO 6 31½ 2301
6 16 IVANENKO Olga 2125 UKR 6 27 2130
7 21 ERIC Jovana 2094 SRB 6 26 2129
8 13 WFM TON Nu Hong An 2142 VIE 5½ 30 2200
9 12 WFM REPINA Varvara 2154 RUS 5½ 29 2231
10 17 AGREST Inna 2121 SWE 5½ 27½ 2165
USA: (19) WFM MARSHALL Abby 2208 USA 5; (30) WFM MELEKHINA Alisa 2208 USA 4½; (36) LIVSCHITZ Louiza 2005 USA 4½; (46) JAMISON Courtney 1949 USA 4.
In the Under 14 (Boys) Section, USA’s Ray Robson is in 2nd place at the moment, with 6.5 after 8 rounds. Yippee for Ray!
Murder of the Romanovs Started a Diabolical New Era
The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of the remains of two missing members of the Russian royal family murdered on orders of Lenin at the close of WWI may now be put to rest, pending DNA test results:
From The New York Times:
By CLIFFORD J. LEVY
Published: November 25, 2007
YEKATERINBURG, Russia — On the outskirts of this burly industrial center, off a road like any other, on a nowhere scrap of land — here unfolded the final act of one of the last century’s most momentous events.
A short way through a clearing, toward a cluster of birch trees, the killers deposited their victims’ bodies, which had been mutilated, burned and doused with acid to mask their origins. It would be 73 more years, in 1991, before the remains would be reclaimed and the announcement would ring out: the grave of the last Russian czar, Nicholas II, and his family had been found.
But the story does not end there.
Eleven people were said to have been killed that day in July 1918 on Lenin’s orders. Just nine sets of remains were dug up here and then authenticated using DNA. The remains of the czar’s son, Aleksei, and one daughter, whose identity is still not absolutely clear, were missing. Did their bones lie elsewhere, or could it actually be that they had escaped execution, as rumor had it for so long?
Only in the past few months have these questions dating from the Russian revolution apparently been resolved here, and only by a group of amateur sleuths who spent their weekends plumbing the case. In fact, it appears that the clues to what happened to the two children were always there, waiting to be found. All that was needed was to listen closely to the boastful voices of the killers.
Their accounts are in secret reports in Soviet-era archives, one of which offered the most tantalizing hint: a single phrase in the recollection of the chief killer that seemed to suggest where the two bodies might have been deposited.
“All of them wanted to leave a trace in history, for they considered that this was a kind of heroic deed,” said Vitaly Shitov, who lives in the area and undertook a review of the testimony to hunt for the remains. “They wanted to promote their roles.”
Following that wisp of a clue this summer, Mr. Shitov and other amateur investigators went to where the other remains had been found — and they kept walking. Away from the road, about 70 yards from the first burial ground, is a slightly elevated area among the trees.
It is there that the bodies of Aleksei, 13, and his sister were apparently consigned.
The amateurs found the bones, many of them charred by fire, scattered among bullets and pieces of jars that held acid used to disfigure the bodies. These fragments appeared similar to those from the first grave.
So it seems that for all the years since the first discovery, even as people made pilgrimages to the site and wondered what had happened to Aleksei and his sister, their remains were only a short stroll away.
Scientists in Russia and the United States are testing the new finds extensively. The sister is believed to be Maria, 19, though that is not entirely settled.
Others long conjectured that the sister was Anastasia, 17, a theory that fed a belief that she survived. (A woman named Anna Anderson was one of several who over the years claimed to be Anastasia, but DNA testing later disproved her.)
If, as expected, results of DNA tests on the two sets of remains are conclusive, they would put to rest many of the doubts that have arisen in Russia and worldwide about the inquiries into what had happened to the royal family.
Among the most skeptical has been the Russian Orthodox Church, which has never recognized the authenticity of any of the bones here, in part because it said that the missing remains raised questions about whether the nine sets were authentic.
Among some Russians and foreigners alike, the fate of Aleksei and his sister drew intense interest in recent years, as if the inability to find their remains and give them a proper burial was a final affront to the royal family by the Bolsheviks. People looked for bones all over Yekaterinburg, which is in the Russian heartland, 900 miles east of Moscow, on the divide between Europe and Asia.
They painstakingly went over the events of July 17, 1918, when the killers knifed and gunned down Nicholas II, his wife, five children, doctor and three servants in the basement of a house where they were being held after Nicholas was forced to abdicate. It was not easy determining what had occurred — the efforts to dispose of the bodies were poorly planned and inept. Subsequent recollections in the archives are sometimes contradictory.
The killers wanted to conceal the bodies so their graves would not become rallying points for the czar’s supporters. They first dumped them in a mine shaft, then moved them to the burial site off the road.
In recent years, the mine was searched for the missing two sets of remains. People also periodically hunted in the immediate area around the grave where the first set of bones was found.
Then Mr. Shitov and his colleagues decided to scrutinize a statement by the chief killer, Yakov Yurovsky, in the archives. Yurovsky related how he had set aside two corpses, believing that if they were burned and buried separately they would confuse royalists who later might be seeking 11 bodies, not nine.
But how separately? The amateur investigators focused on a Russian phrase that Yurovsky used to describe the sequence of events in the second burial. The phrase — “tut zhe” — can mean “nearby,” “right here” or “right now.” It had often been interpreted as indicating that the second grave was next to the first.
But now a different thought arose. From the context, the experts wondered whether Yurovsky meant that the grave was in the area, but not very close to the first. They also presumed that to burn the bodies he needed to find a place away from the wet ground near the road.
Working weekends this summer, they began searching away from the first grave and road, and first found the remnants of the bonfire that was apparently used to burn the two bodies.
Sergei Pogorelov, an archaeologist who was called in to oversee the work, said that about 15 intact bone fragments were recovered, and more than 40 pieces of charred bone.
Mr. Pogorelov emphasized that many of the reservations about the discoveries at the first site cropped up because the excavation there had been done haphazardly. This time, he said, a professional archaeological dig was done, and the Russian Orthodox Church was invited to observe.
“We have tried to avoid the mistakes that they made in 1991,” he said. “Before, there was simply not any scientific method.”
The nine sets of remains were interred in a lavish ceremony in 1998 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg, which contains the crypts of earlier Russian royals. But the Russian Orthodox Church would not formally take part in that ceremony because of its concerns about authenticity.
For now, the church has declined to say whether it considers the newly found remains genuine, pending further tests. But people who have long sought the remains say they are hopeful that once the results are in, the church will formally conduct a service at the cathedral in St. Petersburg to lay to rest the final remains of the Romanovs.
“This brings closure to a very sad chapter in Russian history,” said Peter Sarandinaki, an American of Russian descent who started an organization to help find the remains and had conducted several searches here. “It is because their murder symbolizes the start of a diabolic era in world history. And now that has all come to an end.”
From The New York Times:
By CLIFFORD J. LEVY
Published: November 25, 2007
YEKATERINBURG, Russia — On the outskirts of this burly industrial center, off a road like any other, on a nowhere scrap of land — here unfolded the final act of one of the last century’s most momentous events.
A short way through a clearing, toward a cluster of birch trees, the killers deposited their victims’ bodies, which had been mutilated, burned and doused with acid to mask their origins. It would be 73 more years, in 1991, before the remains would be reclaimed and the announcement would ring out: the grave of the last Russian czar, Nicholas II, and his family had been found.
But the story does not end there.
Eleven people were said to have been killed that day in July 1918 on Lenin’s orders. Just nine sets of remains were dug up here and then authenticated using DNA. The remains of the czar’s son, Aleksei, and one daughter, whose identity is still not absolutely clear, were missing. Did their bones lie elsewhere, or could it actually be that they had escaped execution, as rumor had it for so long?
Only in the past few months have these questions dating from the Russian revolution apparently been resolved here, and only by a group of amateur sleuths who spent their weekends plumbing the case. In fact, it appears that the clues to what happened to the two children were always there, waiting to be found. All that was needed was to listen closely to the boastful voices of the killers.
Their accounts are in secret reports in Soviet-era archives, one of which offered the most tantalizing hint: a single phrase in the recollection of the chief killer that seemed to suggest where the two bodies might have been deposited.
“All of them wanted to leave a trace in history, for they considered that this was a kind of heroic deed,” said Vitaly Shitov, who lives in the area and undertook a review of the testimony to hunt for the remains. “They wanted to promote their roles.”
Following that wisp of a clue this summer, Mr. Shitov and other amateur investigators went to where the other remains had been found — and they kept walking. Away from the road, about 70 yards from the first burial ground, is a slightly elevated area among the trees.
It is there that the bodies of Aleksei, 13, and his sister were apparently consigned.
The amateurs found the bones, many of them charred by fire, scattered among bullets and pieces of jars that held acid used to disfigure the bodies. These fragments appeared similar to those from the first grave.
So it seems that for all the years since the first discovery, even as people made pilgrimages to the site and wondered what had happened to Aleksei and his sister, their remains were only a short stroll away.
Scientists in Russia and the United States are testing the new finds extensively. The sister is believed to be Maria, 19, though that is not entirely settled.
Others long conjectured that the sister was Anastasia, 17, a theory that fed a belief that she survived. (A woman named Anna Anderson was one of several who over the years claimed to be Anastasia, but DNA testing later disproved her.)
If, as expected, results of DNA tests on the two sets of remains are conclusive, they would put to rest many of the doubts that have arisen in Russia and worldwide about the inquiries into what had happened to the royal family.
Among the most skeptical has been the Russian Orthodox Church, which has never recognized the authenticity of any of the bones here, in part because it said that the missing remains raised questions about whether the nine sets were authentic.
Among some Russians and foreigners alike, the fate of Aleksei and his sister drew intense interest in recent years, as if the inability to find their remains and give them a proper burial was a final affront to the royal family by the Bolsheviks. People looked for bones all over Yekaterinburg, which is in the Russian heartland, 900 miles east of Moscow, on the divide between Europe and Asia.
They painstakingly went over the events of July 17, 1918, when the killers knifed and gunned down Nicholas II, his wife, five children, doctor and three servants in the basement of a house where they were being held after Nicholas was forced to abdicate. It was not easy determining what had occurred — the efforts to dispose of the bodies were poorly planned and inept. Subsequent recollections in the archives are sometimes contradictory.
The killers wanted to conceal the bodies so their graves would not become rallying points for the czar’s supporters. They first dumped them in a mine shaft, then moved them to the burial site off the road.
In recent years, the mine was searched for the missing two sets of remains. People also periodically hunted in the immediate area around the grave where the first set of bones was found.
Then Mr. Shitov and his colleagues decided to scrutinize a statement by the chief killer, Yakov Yurovsky, in the archives. Yurovsky related how he had set aside two corpses, believing that if they were burned and buried separately they would confuse royalists who later might be seeking 11 bodies, not nine.
But how separately? The amateur investigators focused on a Russian phrase that Yurovsky used to describe the sequence of events in the second burial. The phrase — “tut zhe” — can mean “nearby,” “right here” or “right now.” It had often been interpreted as indicating that the second grave was next to the first.
But now a different thought arose. From the context, the experts wondered whether Yurovsky meant that the grave was in the area, but not very close to the first. They also presumed that to burn the bodies he needed to find a place away from the wet ground near the road.
Working weekends this summer, they began searching away from the first grave and road, and first found the remnants of the bonfire that was apparently used to burn the two bodies.
Sergei Pogorelov, an archaeologist who was called in to oversee the work, said that about 15 intact bone fragments were recovered, and more than 40 pieces of charred bone.
Mr. Pogorelov emphasized that many of the reservations about the discoveries at the first site cropped up because the excavation there had been done haphazardly. This time, he said, a professional archaeological dig was done, and the Russian Orthodox Church was invited to observe.
“We have tried to avoid the mistakes that they made in 1991,” he said. “Before, there was simply not any scientific method.”
The nine sets of remains were interred in a lavish ceremony in 1998 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg, which contains the crypts of earlier Russian royals. But the Russian Orthodox Church would not formally take part in that ceremony because of its concerns about authenticity.
For now, the church has declined to say whether it considers the newly found remains genuine, pending further tests. But people who have long sought the remains say they are hopeful that once the results are in, the church will formally conduct a service at the cathedral in St. Petersburg to lay to rest the final remains of the Romanovs.
“This brings closure to a very sad chapter in Russian history,” said Peter Sarandinaki, an American of Russian descent who started an organization to help find the remains and had conducted several searches here. “It is because their murder symbolizes the start of a diabolic era in world history. And now that has all come to an end.”
Anglo-Saxon Jewelry Recovered from Burial Ground
From BBC News:
A freelance archaeologist has uncovered what is thought to be the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in the north of England.
Spectacular gold jewellery, weapons and clothing were found at the 109-grave cemetery, believed to date from the middle of the 7th Century.
Excavations were carried out after Steve Sherlock studied an aerial photo of the land near Redcar, Teesside.
Excavations were carried out after Steve Sherlock studied an aerial photo of the land near Redcar, Teesside.
Traditionally, Anglo-Saxon royalty were buried in the south, say experts.
The royals found near Redcar could be linked to the Kentish Princess Ethelburga who travelled north to marry Edwin, King of Northumbria.
The royals found near Redcar could be linked to the Kentish Princess Ethelburga who travelled north to marry Edwin, King of Northumbria.
Excavations began in 2005 and continued under Mr Sherlock's supervision with help from local archaeologists and volunteers. After working six weeks every summer, the team has uncovered an area the size of half a football pitch near Loftus.
Gold brooch
Mr Sherlock, an archaeologist since 1979, said: "Whilst human bone does not survive because of the acidic soils, a range of high status jewellery was found, including glass beads, pottery, iron knives and belt buckles.
Mr Sherlock, an archaeologist since 1979, said: "Whilst human bone does not survive because of the acidic soils, a range of high status jewellery was found, including glass beads, pottery, iron knives and belt buckles.
"Five of the graves had gold and silver brooches and a further burial had a seax, a type of Anglo-Saxon sword." One of the graves also contained a gold brooch "unparalleled" in Anglo-Saxon England, he added.
The Teesside coroner will now carry out an inquest to confirm the find can be defined as "treasure". The artefacts will then be valued by a panel of experts from the British Museum.
Tees Archaeology officer Robin Daniels said: "This is the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in the North of England. "It is the most dramatic find of Anglo-Saxon material for generations."
Squirrel News
Hola darlings!
The mixed nuts I'd been buying as special treats for my fat and sassy troup of squirrels that had been on sale at the Pick and Save for $2.99 a pound are back up to $3.49 a pound - and it doesn't take much to make up a couple of pounds. But I splurged anyway today when I trekked down to the store to stock up on milk, margarine, bread, eggs and, of course, cheap wine (the only kind I drink). I mixed up the nuts this time rather than just buying the filberts but - too funny - the walnuts are too big for the squirrels to tuck into their mouths and carry off for hiding/burial in the ground! I've had a ball watching them wrestle with the walnuts this morning - me bad.
I picked this story up a few minutes ago (via a Google search, reported as of "1 hour ago") - what the HELL is the Labour Party thinking? The red squirrels are under seige in Great Britain and chopping down woodland to destroy yet more of their precious habitat in aid of "restoration" of sand dunes instead - because some frigging beetles (yechhy, insects!) are endangered? Oh please! From the British National Party website:
Labour okay plans to destroy red squirrel habitat
Environment correspondent reports.
Protesters have reacted angrily after a 5000-strong protest to save the habitat of red squirrels in Formby was rejected. The Formby red squirrel reserve is well known and very popular with visitors.Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, said that the felling of 75 hectares of woodland - almost 25% of the coastal woods - will go ahead, even though the red squirrel population will drop as a result. The affected area could support a population of 22 red squirrels.Local councillors voted unanimously against the tree felling plans. It is believed that the sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of our native squirrel. The imported grey is a threat to the red, as it can pass on a disease which it itself is immune to, and this can decimate squirrel numbers. The greys move into the area in autumn and winter, and squirrel pox, the disease they carry but do not develop, could wipe out the local reds in just four years, conservationists warn.
Environment correspondent reports.
Protesters have reacted angrily after a 5000-strong protest to save the habitat of red squirrels in Formby was rejected. The Formby red squirrel reserve is well known and very popular with visitors.Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, said that the felling of 75 hectares of woodland - almost 25% of the coastal woods - will go ahead, even though the red squirrel population will drop as a result. The affected area could support a population of 22 red squirrels.Local councillors voted unanimously against the tree felling plans. It is believed that the sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of our native squirrel. The imported grey is a threat to the red, as it can pass on a disease which it itself is immune to, and this can decimate squirrel numbers. The greys move into the area in autumn and winter, and squirrel pox, the disease they carry but do not develop, could wipe out the local reds in just four years, conservationists warn.
The Liverpool Daily Post has a story on the pending destruction.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Robert Fischer, Chessplayer, Hospitalized
He doesn't like to be called "Bobby." I was visiting Susan Polgar's chess blog and saw a post about Fischer being hospitalized. Did a quick Google search and the first thing that popped up with Mig's post at his Daily Dirt chess blog about the subject.
It seems that Fischer has been hospitalized for some undisclosed physical ailment (ceased walking and put on a lot of weight in a short of period of time, sounds like out of control diabetes???) - for at least a week, quite possibly more. That's all I will deduce from the reports (all in Spanish). So why in Spanish? Fischer lives in Iceland now, so why aren't there any reports out of Iceland? Maybe I'll put this in my "hmmmmm" category.
Games of the North American Indians
A traditional "woman's game", "Jump the Creek," description taken from Native American Technology and Art website:
Kiowa Indians in Oklahoma traditionally played a stick game of "Ahl", literally meaning ‘wood’, with four willow stick dice. The original version of this game, recorded by Stuart, was played on a large cotton cloth over a yard square. In the center of the cloth was a flat boulder, called the "Ahl" stone. Traditionally considered a woman’s game, using their pointed awls to mark their positions, this version substitutes a wooden board with pegs for the players. The game has two players; one "kneels" along the west half of the north-south creek, and the other is stationed along the east half of the north-south creek.
Two "awl" pegs, one white and one brown, represent the respective players. Each player places their peg at their starting position, which are the western and eastern starting banks of the south creek. The western player moves their awl peg clockwise around the board, and the eastern player moves their peg counter-clockwise, as shown by the arrows on the board.
There are four stick dice that determine the number of spaces a player will move. Three of the sticks have flat sides marked in red with plain white rounded backs; The fourth dice, the ‘trump’ stick, is called ‘sahe’ by the Kiowa because of it’s green painted flat side. When a player reaches or passes their starting bank at the south creek they win a stick counter. Counters may also be taken from an opponent.
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The website acknowledges that information was gathered from Stewart Culin's "Games of the North American Indians." Culin's book is a fantastic resource - a comprehensive catalog of all kinds of games that Culin discovered in his research of North American Indians around the turn of the last century. Culin, primarily an ethnographer, leaves much to be desired in his descriptions of games. He doesn't delve into the origins of the games or into their history; he was more interested in recording the existence of the games.
It seems pretty clear that once the "Native Americans" came into contact with the "Europeans," the NAs adopted and adapted Euro games to their own use, and so Culin acknowledged in his work. However, the ahl game seems to be pre-Euro. Here is what Culin wrote about the game:
Kiowa. Oklahoma. (Cat. no. 16535, 16536, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania.)
Set of four sticks of willow wood, called ahl (wood), 10 inches in length, five-eights of an inch in width, and three-eighths of an inch in thickness (figure omitted), nearly hemispheric in section, with one side flat.
Three of the sticks have a red groove running down the middle on the flat side, and one has a blue stripe. The last has a burnt design on the reverse, as shown in the figure [omitted], while the backs of the others are plain. The flat sides are also burnt, with featherlike markings at the ends.
A cotton cloth, 41 by 48 1/2 inches, marked as shown in figure 133 [omitted, but similar to illustration at beginning of this post] called the ahl cloth; a flat bowlder, called the ahl stone; two awls, sharpened wires, with wooden handles, 6 3/4 inches in length; eight sticks, 8 3/4 inches in length, to be used as counters [figure omitted].
These objects were collected by Col. H. L. Scott, U.S. Army, who furnished the following description of the game, under the title of the zohn ahl (zohn, creek; ahl, wood), commonly known as the ahl game.
The ahl cloth is divided into points by which the game is counted. The curved lines are called knees, because they are like the knees of the players. The space between the parallel lines 1 and 1 and 20 and 20 [north-south line] is called the creek, and the corresponding spaces between the parallel lines at right angles are called the dry branches [east-west line]. The sticks are held by the players in one hand and struck downward, so that their ends come on the ahl stone [in the center of the cloth] with considerable force. If all the sticks fall with the sides without grooves uppermost, the play is called white, and counts 10. If all the grooved sides come uppermost, it is called red, and counts 5. Both of these throws entitled the player to another throw. If one grooved side is uppermost, it counts 1; two grooved sides, 2, and three grooved sides, 3. The game is played by any even number of girls or women (never by men or boys), half on one side of the N-S line and half on the other [E-W line]. The flat ahl stone is placed in the middle of the cloth, and the players kneel on the edge. The two awls are stuck in the creek at 1 1 [south]. The player at A [SW] makes the first throw, and the throwing goes around the circle in the direction of the hands of a watch, each side counting the results of each throw on the ahl cloth by sticking its awl just beyond the mark called for by the results of the throw. The moves are made in the opposite directions [that is, the player who starts her awl from the SE side goes counter-clockwise direction]. If in counting any awl gets into the creek at N, that side must forfeit a counter to the other side and be set back to the creek at S. [Problem: there are no counters in the game, other than the awl held by each side. So, does this mean that the awl on the side that lands in the creek must start over? I can't think of another way this might be played, unless there are playing pieces in the game that are not described as part of the equipment]. That side is then said to have fallen into the creek, the object being to jump over. If in their passage around the circle the two awls get into the same division, the last comer is said to whip or kill the former, who forfeits a counter and is set back to the beginning. [Again, are we talking about sending back the other player's awl to the beginning, or are other pieces somehow involved, that were not described in the game?] The counting continues until one gets back to the creek at S. The one first at S. receives a counter, and if there is more than enough to take it to the creek the surplus is added to the next round; that is, the creek is jumped, and the awl put beyond it as many points as may be over. When one side wins all the counters, it conquers. If the game should be broken up before this event the side which has the greater number of counters is victor.
Colonel Scott further states:
The Kiowa have a custom of wetting the fingers and slapping them several times on the stone before a throw, and calling out "red, red," or "white, white," according to the number they desire to count; or, if but "one" should be required to throw the opposite party into the "creek," some one puts her finger into her mouth, and drawing it carefully across the top of the stone, calls out "parko, parko" ("one, one"). Often before the throw the thrower will rub the four sticks in a vertical position backward and forward several times between the palms of the hands, to insure good luck.
The Comanche have a similar game which they play with eight ahl sticks, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho are said to have a game which they play with ahl sticks which are 2 feet or more long.
Two "awl" pegs, one white and one brown, represent the respective players. Each player places their peg at their starting position, which are the western and eastern starting banks of the south creek. The western player moves their awl peg clockwise around the board, and the eastern player moves their peg counter-clockwise, as shown by the arrows on the board.
There are four stick dice that determine the number of spaces a player will move. Three of the sticks have flat sides marked in red with plain white rounded backs; The fourth dice, the ‘trump’ stick, is called ‘sahe’ by the Kiowa because of it’s green painted flat side. When a player reaches or passes their starting bank at the south creek they win a stick counter. Counters may also be taken from an opponent.
***************************************************************************** **********
The website acknowledges that information was gathered from Stewart Culin's "Games of the North American Indians." Culin's book is a fantastic resource - a comprehensive catalog of all kinds of games that Culin discovered in his research of North American Indians around the turn of the last century. Culin, primarily an ethnographer, leaves much to be desired in his descriptions of games. He doesn't delve into the origins of the games or into their history; he was more interested in recording the existence of the games.
It seems pretty clear that once the "Native Americans" came into contact with the "Europeans," the NAs adopted and adapted Euro games to their own use, and so Culin acknowledged in his work. However, the ahl game seems to be pre-Euro. Here is what Culin wrote about the game:
Kiowa. Oklahoma. (Cat. no. 16535, 16536, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania.)
Set of four sticks of willow wood, called ahl (wood), 10 inches in length, five-eights of an inch in width, and three-eighths of an inch in thickness (figure omitted), nearly hemispheric in section, with one side flat.
Three of the sticks have a red groove running down the middle on the flat side, and one has a blue stripe. The last has a burnt design on the reverse, as shown in the figure [omitted], while the backs of the others are plain. The flat sides are also burnt, with featherlike markings at the ends.
A cotton cloth, 41 by 48 1/2 inches, marked as shown in figure 133 [omitted, but similar to illustration at beginning of this post] called the ahl cloth; a flat bowlder, called the ahl stone; two awls, sharpened wires, with wooden handles, 6 3/4 inches in length; eight sticks, 8 3/4 inches in length, to be used as counters [figure omitted].
These objects were collected by Col. H. L. Scott, U.S. Army, who furnished the following description of the game, under the title of the zohn ahl (zohn, creek; ahl, wood), commonly known as the ahl game.
The ahl cloth is divided into points by which the game is counted. The curved lines are called knees, because they are like the knees of the players. The space between the parallel lines 1 and 1 and 20 and 20 [north-south line] is called the creek, and the corresponding spaces between the parallel lines at right angles are called the dry branches [east-west line]. The sticks are held by the players in one hand and struck downward, so that their ends come on the ahl stone [in the center of the cloth] with considerable force. If all the sticks fall with the sides without grooves uppermost, the play is called white, and counts 10. If all the grooved sides come uppermost, it is called red, and counts 5. Both of these throws entitled the player to another throw. If one grooved side is uppermost, it counts 1; two grooved sides, 2, and three grooved sides, 3. The game is played by any even number of girls or women (never by men or boys), half on one side of the N-S line and half on the other [E-W line]. The flat ahl stone is placed in the middle of the cloth, and the players kneel on the edge. The two awls are stuck in the creek at 1 1 [south]. The player at A [SW] makes the first throw, and the throwing goes around the circle in the direction of the hands of a watch, each side counting the results of each throw on the ahl cloth by sticking its awl just beyond the mark called for by the results of the throw. The moves are made in the opposite directions [that is, the player who starts her awl from the SE side goes counter-clockwise direction]. If in counting any awl gets into the creek at N, that side must forfeit a counter to the other side and be set back to the creek at S. [Problem: there are no counters in the game, other than the awl held by each side. So, does this mean that the awl on the side that lands in the creek must start over? I can't think of another way this might be played, unless there are playing pieces in the game that are not described as part of the equipment]. That side is then said to have fallen into the creek, the object being to jump over. If in their passage around the circle the two awls get into the same division, the last comer is said to whip or kill the former, who forfeits a counter and is set back to the beginning. [Again, are we talking about sending back the other player's awl to the beginning, or are other pieces somehow involved, that were not described in the game?] The counting continues until one gets back to the creek at S. The one first at S. receives a counter, and if there is more than enough to take it to the creek the surplus is added to the next round; that is, the creek is jumped, and the awl put beyond it as many points as may be over. When one side wins all the counters, it conquers. If the game should be broken up before this event the side which has the greater number of counters is victor.
Colonel Scott further states:
The Kiowa have a custom of wetting the fingers and slapping them several times on the stone before a throw, and calling out "red, red," or "white, white," according to the number they desire to count; or, if but "one" should be required to throw the opposite party into the "creek," some one puts her finger into her mouth, and drawing it carefully across the top of the stone, calls out "parko, parko" ("one, one"). Often before the throw the thrower will rub the four sticks in a vertical position backward and forward several times between the palms of the hands, to insure good luck.
The Comanche have a similar game which they play with eight ahl sticks, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho are said to have a game which they play with ahl sticks which are 2 feet or more long.
Great Year for Archaeological Discoveries in Britain
From BBC News online
Last Updated: Thursday, 22 November 2007, 17:00 GMT
Enthusiast unearths Iron Age comb
A 2,000-year-old Iron Age comb unearthed in Warwickshire is one of nearly 60,000 archaeological finds made by members of the public in a year.
The comb, found in Tanworth-in-Arden by metal detector enthusiast Russell Peach, was one of the most notable of the antiquities unearthed in 2006.
The copper-alloy comb was possibly left there between 25AD and 75AD.
Three-quarters of the finds were unearthed using metal detectors; the rest were found by accident.
Details of the discoveries were contained in the Portable Antiquities Scheme Annual Report, launched on Thursday at the British Museum.
'Living thing'
Other notable finds include a copper-alloy Roman horse and rider figure, which was found in Cambridgeshire.
A total of 58,290 finds were recorded by the project during the year 2006/2007, taking the number of finds recorded over the past decade to more than 300,000.
Culture Secretary Margaret Hodge said: "This report brings home to us once again the extent and richness of our 'hidden heritage'.
"As public interest in it continues unabated, I am pleased to acknowledge the many thousands of responsible metal detectorists and amateur archaeologists who continue to help make the past a living thing for present and future generations."
Under the Treasure Act 1996, people who find gold and silver objects more than 300 years old have a legal obligation to report them to the authorities.
Because the comb is made of copper-alloy and not gold or silver it does not qualify as a treasure find.
Important archaeological sites have been discovered as a result of the objects recorded, including Anglo-Saxon burial sites in Derbyshire, Suffolk and Warwickshire.
Another story with photos of the artifacts (posted at beginning of this post is at the Daily Mail, November 23, 2007 - scroll down for the coverage (article posted in full in prior post):
The copper alloy comb, which dates from AD25 to AD75 is thought to have been used for horses and has been described by the British Museum as a "phenomenal thing".
The museum encourages the portable antiquities scheme, a voluntary code to encourage metal detector owners in England and Wales to report finds to local museums.
The scheme is so successful that as many 300,000 finds were reported in its first decade.
No separate information was provided about the "Roman horse and rider" in this article, only the photograph of the objects. Are the really "Roman?" Perhaps they date to the Roman period, but my first impression upon seeing them was of Scythian art. Okay, so I'm crazy! I'd like to see further research on this.
As for the comb being a "horse comb" - please! Why would a comb used on horses be so beautifully decorated - and have that hole in the middle of the crown, just begging for ribbons or a colorful scarve to be threaded through? Only a male archaeologist would call this a "horse comb." It takes a woman to recognize a lady's comb when she sees one. This is no different in basic design than the combs the donas and maidens in Spain wore in their hair more than a thousand years later, or the combs that ladies used to keep their "do's" in place throughout history. Geez!
Woman's Skeleton Excavated in British Roman Garrison
She's not exactly a "lost lady of Rome." She might be Roman, or she might be a Romanized native. Only DNA tests will tell us for certain. And she wasn't lost. She was buried in a quite expensive (at the time) lead coffin, which indicates that she was a woman of status and wealth; if she'd been a truly "lost" lady, it's unlikely she would have been buried in such a manner! Explicit photos of the lady's remains are included in the article, but are not published here.
Found in a farmer's field: The 2,000-year-old skeleton of the lost lady of Rome
By CHRIS BROOKE - Last updated at 09:14am on 23rd November 2007
In her lifetime she was a member of a wealthy family based in a bustling British outpost of the world's mightiest empire.
The imperial glory has long faded. But, almost 2,000 years on, archaeologists have discovered a corner of an English field that is forever Rome. They have unearthed a coffin containing a remarkably well-preserved skeleton in the village of Aldborough, near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire - once the site of a major Roman town, Isurium Brigantium.
The archaeologists, conducting a two-week excavation project, were searching for Roman artefacts with a metal detector when they found the 6ft lead coffin inside a stone chamber only 12in below the surface of a barley field.
The skeleton is believed to date from between the 2nd and 4th centuries, and is largely intact. It is over 5ft long and even has a full set of teeth. Experts have yet to scientifically age or sex the remains, but are confident it is a woman from a well-to-do family - her status reflected in the expensive coffin.
Analysis of the skeleton may yield fascinating information about her lifestyle and diet.
Goddess Palanchowk Bhagawati
From Rising Nepal
(Image: A depiction of Bhagawati, not the Bhagawati from Palanchowk. This goddess, sitting on a lion, possibly reflects Greek artistic influences from the areas settled by soldiers from Alexander the Great's army, the influence of which was incorporated into the great artistic tradition of modern-day Pakistan and northwestern India. Bhagawati is also often depicted seated on a tiger.)
Goddess Palanchowk Bhagawati [ 2007-11-23 ]
Bishowa Nath Kharel
Goddess Palanchowk Bhagawati [ 2007-11-23 ]
Bishowa Nath Kharel
Nepal is a land of beauty. There are countless beautiful places in Nepal, which is really gifted by God. One of these places is Kavre Palanchowk. It is a 55 km three hour drive from Katmandu to Palanchowk Bhagawati temple on the Arniko Highway. This noted historic temple of Goddess Bhagawati is located at a hilltop some 10-km north of Panchkhal. One can really enjoy the panoramic view of the landscape all around. On Saturdays and Tuesdays many worshippers come to this temple from the different places of Nepal. It is said that Palanchowk Bhagawati, Naxal Bhagawati and Shobha Bhagawati are sisters and Palanchowk Bhagawati is the eldest among them.
This temple is said to have been constructed during the reign of Man Deva, a famous Lichhavi king. The temple houses a three feet high idol of Goddess Bhagawati (Kali) artistically carved in black stone, which is so attractive and rich in art and craft. In the middle ages, the seven areas Banepa, Panauti, Nala, Dhulikhel, Khadpu, Chaukot and Sanga comprised a political unit. Now all these places lie in Kavre Palanch district.
There is a story about how this temple lies here. One day the people of Buchakot dreamt that Goddess Bhagawati told them to take her to the north. Then the local people of Buchakot took her to the north with great respect. On the way, they had to rest at the present Palanchowk Bhagawati site. The next day they tried to pick the idol up it but they were unable to lift it off the place. Then, the temple was built there.
On full moon day and Dasain or Durga Puja, there is the festival in Palanchowk Bhagawati. A Bajrachaya member of Mokha Tole of Kathmandu has been the priest of Palanchowk Bhagawati from ancient days. It is believed that the face of the Goddess sweats whenever there is going to be some unprecedented event in the country. On Bhadra 5, 2045 B.S. sweat was observed right before the earthquake. Earlier in 2029 B.S., before the army plane crash near Dhulikhel, sweat was seen on the face. It is the responsibility of the government and the nation to preserve and develop such historical and religious places.
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About the Goddess Bhagawati (a/k/a Kali):
Westerners are perhaps most familiar with Kali from her depiction as a bloodthirsty goddess to whom people were sacrificed and children were enslaved in the Indiana Jones movie "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. But the goddess is not so limited. As we’ve learned during the recently concluded celebrations of Kali Durga, this goddess has at least ten different aspects (one aspect for each day of the Kali Durga or Puja Durga celebrations, many of them beneficial and benign. Things get yet more complicated, because Bhagawati is one of the forms of Devi or Shakti, created out of the fiery breaths of the gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva to slay the buffalo-demon Mahisasura, whom they were unable to overcome. She is usually depicted riding a lion or tiger, each of her multiple arms bearing a weapon.
Bhagawati shares in common with other primeval goddesses a trinity of essential aspects of virgin-bride, mother-creator, and crone-witch. What the Mother creates she may also choose to destroy – a reflection of the harsh realities of living in a world where "Mother Nature" was often seen as cruel and heartless, and where she yet reigns supreme today. Don’t believe me? Just reflect for a few moments upon the 2004 tsunami that killed a quarter of a million people, the massive destruction and untold suffering caused by Hurricane Katrina; and the problems being caused by the prolonged drought in parts of the southwestern and southeastern United States, Africa and Australia. It is not Kali’s fault that mankind, in its ignorance and arrogance, has attempted to "appease" the goddess through human sacrifice; and, keep in mind, Kali is certainly not the only goddess to whom lives were sacrificed. This kind of practice demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of the fundamental nature of the goddess.
Whenever someone writes that a goddess "demanded" human sacrifice – don’t believe them without doing further research; chances are they are either misogynists or are "born-again" zealous reformist types dedicated to a patriarchal god - or they have been seduced by the seeming "logic" of such beliefs. Both types of goddess bashers have been quite successful in rewriting the history of the goddess over the past 2000 years!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
T'was the Night Before Thanksgiving...
and outside the house, the snow is roaring, burying a mouse...
Okay, so I'm not a poet. Hey, the Packers are on tomorrow, we're 9 and 1, life is good. We're playing the Lions - in their den. I don't expect it to be easy, but at the end of the day, I expect a Packers victory.
It's a blizzard out there, folks, with the wind howling like a banshee out of the northwest and rattling the windows, tearing branches off the trees, 1 to 3 inches of the wet sticky stuff are expected by morning, so shortly I'm going to head downstairs and settle down in front of the fireplace with a good book. Ahhhhh.
I don't know if I'll be online tomorrow. In the morning I'll be making my whipped sweet potatoes for a get-together with some of the family later in the afternoon, and settling in to watch the Packers on t.v. at 11:30 a.m. In the afternoon at my sister Debbie's place I'll be circulating among kitchen, living room and rec room, helping get the meal together, socializing with relatives, and watching whatever football game is on at 2:30 p.m. and yelling and screaming at the big screen TV with assorted nephews and brothers-in-law.
So, I'll say it now. I truly appreciating how much I have to be thankful for. A snug roof over my head with central heat (and central air in the summer) that turns on automatically, a fireplace that works and uncensored books that I can buy for myself - or borrow for free from the local public library. A warm blanket to snuggle in as I settle in before the fire on a plush sofa. Electricity upon demand to provide my reading light - by a compact fluorescent bulb. Later tonight, a cushy bed with featherbed beneath and ultra-plush blankets above. Hot and cold running water to scrub up in and, hey, clean water to drink and cook in that won't give me dysentery. A refrigerator full of non-spoiled, edible food. Money in the bank. A beautiful complexion that is 15 years younger than my chronological age. And who cares about that anyway? All those old rules from the time of my grandmothers - and even my mother - have been overturned. Today, 60 is the new 40 - hmmm, actually, today I think 60 is the new 30...
Tomorrow I'll meet with family and enjoy love, warmth, companionship, comfort, comradery. Ohmygoddess, I'm really blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
2007 World Youth Chess Championships
I checked to see how Ray Robson (USA 2368) is doing. In the Under 14 Category (135 players), after Round 4, Ray is in third place (!!!) with 4.0. Ahead of him, also with 4 points each, are (1) S.P. Sethuraman (IND 2427) and (2) IM Sanan Sjugirov (RUS 2422). Michael Anthony Yee (USA 2135) is in 9th place with 3.5. Christian T. Tanana (USA 2166) is in 50th place with 2.5. Victor C. Shen (USA 2117) is in 54th place with 2.0. Alec Getz (USA 2121) is in 62nd place with 2.0.
How are the American girls doing? In the Under 16 category (93 players), WFM Abby Marshall leads the US femmes in 12th place with 3.0. WFM Alisa Melekhina is in 21st place with 3.0. Louiza Livschitz is in 45th place with 2.0. Courtney Jamison is in 48th place with 2.0.
In the Under 14 category (114 players), in 10th place is Yang Dai with 3.5. In 67th place is Gayatri Vempati with 2.0. Jennie Liu is in 103rd place with 1.0.
Unique Statuette of Virgin Mary Found
Czech archaeologists find unique Virgin Mary statuette
November 21, 2007
(Unfortunately I couldn't find a photo)
PRAGUE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Czech archaeologists uncovered a unique eight centimeter-long ceramic statuette of Virgin Mary with Jesus from the late 14th century in the center of Usti nad Labem of the Czech Republic, head of the archaeological research Marta Cvrkova said on Tuesday.
Similar finds are very rare in the country, the Czech news agency CTK quoted Cvrkova as saying.
The elaborated artifact, which was probably part of a family alter-piece, is only slightly damaged, CTK said.
The faces of Virgin Mary and Jesus may have suffered damage during the Hussite Wars in the 15th century when the city of Usti was destroyed, as Hussites used to damage statues during their invasions, Cvrkova added.
In the past few years archaeologists uncovered a 6,900-6,200 year-old round shrine from the Neolithic Age near the current finding site.
Newly Discovered Old Iranian Inscription
Two reports from CAIS on this discovery:
November 20, 2007
LONDON, (CAIS) -- By deciphering the newly discovered Old-Persian inscription in Kharg Island located in Persian Gulf which is believed to have belonged to Achaemenid dynastic era (550-330 BCE), five new words have been added to the Old-Persian lexicon.
This is for the first time that an Old-Persian inscription has been ever been discovered in Karg Island and five of the six words carved in this inscription, have never been seen before in any other Old-Persian inscriptions.
Speaking to the Persian service of CHN, Reza Moradi Ghias-Abadi, archaeologist and expert of ancient languages, who have succeeded to read the discovered inscription in Kharg Island through the pictures which have been sent by local people, said that the details and final result will be clarified by researches who will attend the area to study the inscription.
This Achaemenid inscription has been recently unearthed accidentally during the road construction activities in Kharg Island, northwest of Persian Gulf and in Bushehr province.
The inscription was carved on a piece of coral reef with the approximate size of one in one meter. Although this inscription has been separated from its original place, evidence indicates that it must have been carved on a coral cliff in the island and was not portable.
This cuneiform inscription is consisted of six lines which apparently each line is consisting one word in Old-Persian script.
The first four lines of this inscription have been separated by a narrow long line from the rest two lines. While all the Achaemenid imperial inscriptions were royal text and were carved very delicately, the appearance of this crude inscription shows that it must have been carved in a hurry.
The Old-Persian cuneiform which was called Aryan (OP. ariyā) was created during the reign of Darius the Great (r.549-485 BCE). However, some scholars believe that Aryan was invented by the first Iranian dynasty, the Medians (728-550 BCE), and then adopted by the Achaemenids as the imperial script. The script continued to survive, though in a corrupt form as late as the first century BCE.
The characteristic of Kharg inscription is a combination of both early and late Achaemenid period. Working on Kharg cuneiform inscription revealed that that the style of early Achaemenid period was implemented in writing the last two lines of the inscription and the late Achaemenid writing style was incised in the first four lines.
The inscription is also is being studied by the linguists at “The Research Centre of linguistics, Inscriptional and Manuscript Studies” (RCLIM) in Tehran. On Monday the RCLIM announced that any decipherment of the inscription by individuals considered to be unofficial and possibly wrong.
Old Persian was the vernacular tongue of the Achaemenid monarchs, but had already been spoken for a few centuries prior to the rise of the Achaemenid dynasty to power in 550 BCE. It is the oldest attested Persid language, which is classified in the group of Western Iranian languages. The Middle-Persian (Sasanid-Pahlavi) and New Persian, the lingua franca of Iran, are the direct continuation of the Old Persian evolution.
This is for the first time that an Old-Persian inscription has been ever been discovered in Karg Island and five of the six words carved in this inscription, have never been seen before in any other Old-Persian inscriptions.
Speaking to the Persian service of CHN, Reza Moradi Ghias-Abadi, archaeologist and expert of ancient languages, who have succeeded to read the discovered inscription in Kharg Island through the pictures which have been sent by local people, said that the details and final result will be clarified by researches who will attend the area to study the inscription.
This Achaemenid inscription has been recently unearthed accidentally during the road construction activities in Kharg Island, northwest of Persian Gulf and in Bushehr province.
The inscription was carved on a piece of coral reef with the approximate size of one in one meter. Although this inscription has been separated from its original place, evidence indicates that it must have been carved on a coral cliff in the island and was not portable.
This cuneiform inscription is consisted of six lines which apparently each line is consisting one word in Old-Persian script.
The first four lines of this inscription have been separated by a narrow long line from the rest two lines. While all the Achaemenid imperial inscriptions were royal text and were carved very delicately, the appearance of this crude inscription shows that it must have been carved in a hurry.
The Old-Persian cuneiform which was called Aryan (OP. ariyā) was created during the reign of Darius the Great (r.549-485 BCE). However, some scholars believe that Aryan was invented by the first Iranian dynasty, the Medians (728-550 BCE), and then adopted by the Achaemenids as the imperial script. The script continued to survive, though in a corrupt form as late as the first century BCE.
The characteristic of Kharg inscription is a combination of both early and late Achaemenid period. Working on Kharg cuneiform inscription revealed that that the style of early Achaemenid period was implemented in writing the last two lines of the inscription and the late Achaemenid writing style was incised in the first four lines.
The inscription is also is being studied by the linguists at “The Research Centre of linguistics, Inscriptional and Manuscript Studies” (RCLIM) in Tehran. On Monday the RCLIM announced that any decipherment of the inscription by individuals considered to be unofficial and possibly wrong.
Old Persian was the vernacular tongue of the Achaemenid monarchs, but had already been spoken for a few centuries prior to the rise of the Achaemenid dynasty to power in 550 BCE. It is the oldest attested Persid language, which is classified in the group of Western Iranian languages. The Middle-Persian (Sasanid-Pahlavi) and New Persian, the lingua franca of Iran, are the direct continuation of the Old Persian evolution.
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But - could it be a fraud???
UPDATE: Newly Discovered Achaemenid Kharg Inscription May Add Five New Words to Old Persian Lexicon
November 21, 2007
November 21, 2007
LONDON, (CAIS) -- It is possible that five words have been added to our knowledge of the Old-Persian language by the recent discovery of a stone inscription on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, the Persian service of CHN reported on Tuesday.
The cuneiform inscription, comprising six words on six different horizontal lines inscribed on a piece of uneven rock encrusted with corals, has been found last week during a road construction project. Measuring about a meter square, the rock has become detached from its original terrain.
Initial studies show the artefact dates back to the Achaemenid dynastic era (550-330 BCE).
The first, second, fifth and sixth words are quite easily legible, but the third and fourth words are difficult to make out due to erosion, explained expert on ancient languages Reza Moradi-Ghiasabadi.
Moradi-Ghiasabadi has deciphered the inscription from photos sent to him by the locals.
According to Moradi-Ghiasabadi, the first word reads “aahe” or “ahe”, which means “was” or “were”. This word has frequently been observed in ancient Persian inscriptions. However, the other five words are new discoveries.
The second word reads “sakosha” or “sakusha”.
“This word obviously denotes a particular name, which has so far never been seen in any ancient inscription, but it is similar to words used by the Scythians,” Moradi-Ghiasabadi said.
Only two letters of the third word are legible and these read “hi”. Again, only two letters of the fourth word are decipherable and these are pronounced “ka” and “aa”.
The fifth word reads “bahanam”, for which no meaning has been found.
The sixth word seems to be damaged but the end of it reads “kha”.
The inscription has been made both quickly and carelessly and its writer has not used the cuneiform comma as every word has been inscribed on a separate line.
The artefact has three crown-shaped motifs incised in a side-ways fashion in the middle of the inscription and also at the beginning of the third and fourth lines. The motifs are similar to the crowns of some of the Sasanian king of kings.
Inscription’s authenticity doubtful
Moradi-Ghiasabadi urged that the object should first be examined for authenticity.
He cited some points which throw doubt on the genuineness of the inscription: careless and fast writing -- which is not commonly observed in previously discovered Achaemenid inscriptions -- slight layers of sediment on the edges and insides of the letters, multi-typography style of the inscription, unknown words and the use of strange motifs resembling the Sasanid Imperial crown in an allegedly Achaemenid artefact.
The cuneiform inscription, comprising six words on six different horizontal lines inscribed on a piece of uneven rock encrusted with corals, has been found last week during a road construction project. Measuring about a meter square, the rock has become detached from its original terrain.
Initial studies show the artefact dates back to the Achaemenid dynastic era (550-330 BCE).
The first, second, fifth and sixth words are quite easily legible, but the third and fourth words are difficult to make out due to erosion, explained expert on ancient languages Reza Moradi-Ghiasabadi.
Moradi-Ghiasabadi has deciphered the inscription from photos sent to him by the locals.
According to Moradi-Ghiasabadi, the first word reads “aahe” or “ahe”, which means “was” or “were”. This word has frequently been observed in ancient Persian inscriptions. However, the other five words are new discoveries.
The second word reads “sakosha” or “sakusha”.
“This word obviously denotes a particular name, which has so far never been seen in any ancient inscription, but it is similar to words used by the Scythians,” Moradi-Ghiasabadi said.
Only two letters of the third word are legible and these read “hi”. Again, only two letters of the fourth word are decipherable and these are pronounced “ka” and “aa”.
The fifth word reads “bahanam”, for which no meaning has been found.
The sixth word seems to be damaged but the end of it reads “kha”.
The inscription has been made both quickly and carelessly and its writer has not used the cuneiform comma as every word has been inscribed on a separate line.
The artefact has three crown-shaped motifs incised in a side-ways fashion in the middle of the inscription and also at the beginning of the third and fourth lines. The motifs are similar to the crowns of some of the Sasanian king of kings.
Inscription’s authenticity doubtful
Moradi-Ghiasabadi urged that the object should first be examined for authenticity.
He cited some points which throw doubt on the genuineness of the inscription: careless and fast writing -- which is not commonly observed in previously discovered Achaemenid inscriptions -- slight layers of sediment on the edges and insides of the letters, multi-typography style of the inscription, unknown words and the use of strange motifs resembling the Sasanid Imperial crown in an allegedly Achaemenid artefact.
Extracted From/Source*: Mehr News
*Please note the above-news is NOT a "copy & paste" version from the mentioned-source. The news/article above has been modified with the following interventions by CAIS: Spelling corrections; -Rectification and correction of the historical facts and data; - Providing additional historical information within the text; -Removing any unnecessary, irrelevant & repetitive information.
All these measures have been taken in order to ensure that the published news provided by CAIS is coherent, transparent, accurate and suitable for academics and cultural enthusiasts who visit the CAIS website.
*Please note the above-news is NOT a "copy & paste" version from the mentioned-source. The news/article above has been modified with the following interventions by CAIS: Spelling corrections; -Rectification and correction of the historical facts and data; - Providing additional historical information within the text; -Removing any unnecessary, irrelevant & repetitive information.
All these measures have been taken in order to ensure that the published news provided by CAIS is coherent, transparent, accurate and suitable for academics and cultural enthusiasts who visit the CAIS website.
Rhyton To Be Returned To Iran
November 21, 2007
Image right: Ibex form rhyton, National Museum (referred to in the article. The rhyton to be retuned is apparently very similar.)
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Representative of ICHHTO is due to make a visit to Romania to bring back the ancient Iranian rhyton. Based on previous diplomatic and cultural negotiations between Iranian and Romanian officials the return of the artefact to Iran is being secured.
Announcing this news, Omid Ghanami, deputy head of the legal department of the ICHHTO told Persian service of CHN: “With following the case through the retrieval committee of ICTTO, this rhyton will be returned to its home country.”
Expressing his satisfaction with the trend of retrieval of Iranian historical relics due to its membership in UNESCO’s 1970 and 1995 conventions, Ghanami said that Iran is also following the case for redeeming its historic objects from Italy and UAE.
Regarding the characteristics of this rhyton, Masoud Nosrati, director general of Museums and Exhibitions at ICHHTO, said: “after studies were conducted on the images of the artefact provided by Romanians, the rhyton in form of an ibex, became evident that this historic object is Iranian and most probably was made in the northern parts of Iran.”
According to Nosrati, some other rhytons similar to this one have been discovered in Iran and one of the most similar ones was found in Kaluraz region in Gilan which is currently kept in Iran’s National Museum.
Deputy head of the legal department of ICHHTO or one of the other authorities of this Organization will travel to Romania next week to take this historic rhyton back to its home country.
Announcing this news, Omid Ghanami, deputy head of the legal department of the ICHHTO told Persian service of CHN: “With following the case through the retrieval committee of ICTTO, this rhyton will be returned to its home country.”
Expressing his satisfaction with the trend of retrieval of Iranian historical relics due to its membership in UNESCO’s 1970 and 1995 conventions, Ghanami said that Iran is also following the case for redeeming its historic objects from Italy and UAE.
Regarding the characteristics of this rhyton, Masoud Nosrati, director general of Museums and Exhibitions at ICHHTO, said: “after studies were conducted on the images of the artefact provided by Romanians, the rhyton in form of an ibex, became evident that this historic object is Iranian and most probably was made in the northern parts of Iran.”
According to Nosrati, some other rhytons similar to this one have been discovered in Iran and one of the most similar ones was found in Kaluraz region in Gilan which is currently kept in Iran’s National Museum.
Deputy head of the legal department of ICHHTO or one of the other authorities of this Organization will travel to Romania next week to take this historic rhyton back to its home country.
Extracted From/Source*: Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN)
*Please note the above-news is NOT a "copy & paste" version from the mentioned-source. The news/article above has been modified with the following interventions by CAIS: Spelling corrections; -Rectification and correction of the historical facts and data; - Providing additional historical information within the text; -Removing any unnecessary, irrelevant & repetitive information.
All these measures have been taken in order to ensure that the published news provided by CAIS is coherent, transparent, accurate and suitable for academics and cultural enthusiasts who visit the CAIS website.
*Please note the above-news is NOT a "copy & paste" version from the mentioned-source. The news/article above has been modified with the following interventions by CAIS: Spelling corrections; -Rectification and correction of the historical facts and data; - Providing additional historical information within the text; -Removing any unnecessary, irrelevant & repetitive information.
All these measures have been taken in order to ensure that the published news provided by CAIS is coherent, transparent, accurate and suitable for academics and cultural enthusiasts who visit the CAIS website.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
2007 World Youth Chess Championships
Some results after 3 rounds:
In the Girls Under 18 Category (77 players), Ettie Nikolova (USA 2049) is in 38th place with 1.5. Julia Kerr (USA 2026) is in 48th place with 1.0. Elina Kats (USA Unr (?) ) is in 64th place with 1.0.
In the Girls Under 16 Category (93 players), WFM Abby Marshall (USA 2208) is in 7th place with 2.5. Louiza Livschitz (USA 2005) is in 31st place with 2.0. Courtney Jamison (USA 1949) is in 37th place with 2.0. WFM Alisa Melekhina (USA 2208) is in 40th place with 2.0.
The Power of the Squirrel
This story showed up at the bottom of another story I was reading - I didn't discover it under a search for "squirrel - news". It's a sad story, so if you are bummed out today or likely to be, don't read this. Unfortunately, with squirrels being urban animals this kind of thing is often their fate.
Squirrels briefly kill power in 2 cities
Tue Nov 20, 6:30 AM ET
ASHLAND, Wis. - It was an unlucky day for two squirrels and hundreds of Midwestern power customers.
Brian Elwood, a spokesman for Xcel Energy, said a squirrel came in contact with an overhead transformer and knocked out service to 177 customers Monday. Power was fully restored in just under an hour, and repair crews found the remains of the "unfortunate squirrel," he said.
By coincidence, another squirrel got into a substation 40 miles away in Ironwood, Mich., Monday morning and caused a temporary outage that affected about 1,400 customers in Ironwood and two nearby communities, Elwood said.
The utility takes many preventive steps to keep the curious animals away from lines, he said, but they are one of the leading causes of outages, trailing only severe weather.
"We kind of liken it to anyone who's had a bird feeder and tried to keep the squirrels out," he said. "They find a way."
Rodney Johnson was stuck on an elevator at the city's Enterprise Center, where he works, when the power went out.
"For a couple of minutes there, I wasn't sure if I'd make it to Thanksgiving," said Johnson, who said he is somewhat claustrophobic. "They kept talking to me while they were trying to open it up, though, so that helped."
Once a firefighter opened the door, Johnson wasted no time in getting out.
"I'm surprised I didn't knock him down," he said.
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During our Goddesschess Celebration Holiday this July, one lovely morning Don and I were sitting out on the deck sipping coffee and relaxing. There is a utility pole on the lot line about 20 feet from the deck, along the north. It carries several tiers of wires, some thick, some so thin you can hardly see them unless you look a certain way; they march from my lot line across my yard and the yards of all my neighbors to the south, for about 2 blocks. I'm so used to them being up there I don't even notice them anymore. The thing is, the utility pole is rather close to a gigantic double trunked Chinese elm that overhangs the deck. One of the thicker wires acts as a sort of squirrel highway above and over the yards. The wires are within about 8-10 feet from the tree trunk and I can't tell you how many times I've seen a wire-travelling squirrel stop and take a leap from the wire to the tree. Unfortunately, sometimes squirrels will climb the utility pole and get zapped when they touch one of the things on the cross-bars of the pole that look the bolts that Frankenstein had in his neck - only much bigger. I don't know what they are, but they are "live" and carry current - enough to kill. In the 17 years I've lived here I only discovered one squirrel - unconscious. I moved him to an area where he was sheltered and kept my dogs (who were all alive then) away from him, and he eventually revived and went on his way. No such luck, though, for the squirrel who climbed up the pole while Don and I were out on the deck that morning. Things happened so quickly. I was facing the pole, Don's back was to it; I said something like "oh squirrel, get away from there" and Don, of course, didn't know what I was talking about. I motioned behind him and said there's a squirrel going up the pole and he's going to get fried and just as the words were out of my mouth there was a distinct "zzzzt" sound - a simultaneously little "yip" sound, and the squirrel fell.
I sent Don to look and asked if he was breathing. Don said no, it doesn't look like it. We waited a little while and then I had him check again, and he said no. After I checked a third time, we got out the shovel and dug a grave. I wrapped the squirrel - who was quite hefty and had one teat (I wondered if she was a mommy and if she was, what would happen to her babies), in a plastic bag and we buried her deep enough so that the possum and racoon wouldn't be able to sniff her out and dig her up.
Oh my. The weather was dark, dreary and misty/rainy today, and the story fit my mood. At lunch I think I depressed P as we ended up talking about mercury used in vaccines as a preservative (which really isn't necessary), and the possible link to the explosion in autism; the equal explosion in childhood food allergies and the potential link to genetically engineered foods (which we have no idea we're eating); and the crisis within the Inuit community due to PCBs and other chemicals changing the hormones of fetuses within the womb - from boys to girls. In one Inuit village no boy babies are being born anymore, and in many others the ratio of boy to girl births has plummeted.
Real cheery stuff - not. Okay, time for a glass of wine. I had a 3.5 mile hike home from a doctor's appointment (I wasn't about to wait 40 minutes for the bus) and the bus and I arrived within half a mile of my house (where I would have gotten off if I had caught it) at the same time. Gee, Milwaukee, way to go to encourage people to use public transportation. Run a frigging bus once an hour. Well, at least I got my exercise in. And - get this - there's a snow advisory for tomorrow night. Great, just great.
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