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In heraldry what is the name for the colour black? | Colors of Heraldry - Knowledge Base, HouseofNames.com
Colors of Heraldry
Gules (Red)
Red, with the former name of Belic, is the military colour for excellence and fortitude. Red corresponds to the metal copper and is denoted in engravings by numerous perpendicular lines. It also represents fire and summer. Ancient laws restricted its use to princes and their families. Red is symbolic of nobility, boldness and ferocity.
Purpure (Purple)
Purple is a rare colour in early rolls of arms. In heraldic terms it is referred to as �purpure.� This is the traditional colour of kings and royalty, and therefore, signifies justice and majesty. In engravings, it is expressed by lines in bend sinister, or slanting to the left.
Tawny (Orange)
An orange is the name given to a tawny roundle, a roundle being any circular charge of colour or metal. It is supposed to represent a tennis ball. Tennis was once a game played strictly by royalty and nobles and the orange indicates that the bearer was a member of that class; however, the orange is seldom met in heraldry.
Azure (blue)
Blue was called "azure" by heralds, and represents the colour of an eastern sky on a clear day. It also corresponds to the metal tin. The word, "azure" was introduced from the east during the Crusades. It signifies piety and sincerity, and is equated with autumn. In engravings it is represented by horizontal lines.
Sable (black)
Black, the coldest of the colours, corresponds to lead. Black, or "sable," is symbolic of sadness. It also corresponds with winter and is a humble color, suitable for the deeply religious. It denotes the qualities of knowledge, piety, serenity and work. Engravers represent it with numerous horizontal and vertical lines crossing each other.
Vert (green)
Green, or in heraldic terms, "vert," signifies felicity and pleasure. It was symbolic of joy, youth and beauty. Green was also associated with the spring. The bearer of the green is obliged to defend the peasant and all who work on the land. It is expressed in engravings by lines in bend, or slanting to the right.
| Sable |
Which official announces the result of a Parliamentary election? | Symbolism of Heraldry
Or, yellow or gold - Generosity.
Argent, white or silver - Peace and sincerity.
Sable or black - Constancy, sometimes grief.
Azure or blue - Loyalty and truth.
Gules or red - Military fortitude and magnanimity.
Vert or green - Hope, joy and sometimes loyalty in love.
Purpure, purple - Royal majesty, sovereignty and justice.
Tenne or tawney - Worthy ambition.
Murray or sanguine - Not hasty in battle, and yet a victor.
Heraldic Lines
Nebulee or Nebuly - The sea or water.
Engrailed and Invected - Earth or land.
Indented - Fire.
Ragulee or Raguly - Difficulties which have been encountered.
Embattled - Fire or the walls of a fortress or town.
Ordinaries
Fess - Military belt or girdle of honor.
Bar - For "one who sets the bar of conscience, religion and honor against angry passions.
Pale - Military strength and fortitude.
Palet - Same as Pale.
Canton - Bearing of honor. When borne charged, it often contains some special symbols
granted by the sovereign in reward for the performance of eminent service.
Quarter - Bearing of honor. Similar to the Canton.
Bend - Defense or protection.
Battune Sinister - Marks a royal descent that is barred by illegitimacy from succession to
the throne.
Orle or Tressure - Preservation or protection.
Flasques - Given by a king for virtue and learning, and especially for service in embassage.
Voiders - Given to gentlewomen who have deserved highly.
Bordure or Border - Frequently adopted as a "difference" between relatives bearing the
same arms.
Tiger - Great fierceness and valor when enraged to combat; one whose resentment will be
dangerous if aroused.
Bear - Ferocity in the protection of kindred.
Wolf - Denotes valiant captains that do in the end gain their attempts after long sieges and
hard enterprises. One whom it is dangerous to assail or thwart.
Rhinoceros - Great ferocity when aroused.
Elephant - Courage and strength.
Heraldic Tiger - Same as Tiger.
Leopard - Valiant and hardy warrior.
Panther - As a lion may be said to signify a brave man, so may a panther a beautiful
woman, which, though fierce, is very tender and loving to her young, and will defend it
with the hazard of her life.
Horse - Readiness for all employments for king and country.
Bull or Ox - Valor and magnanimity.
Boar - A fierce combatant when at bay, and ceases fighting only with its life, and therefore
may be properly applied as the armorial bearing of a warrior.
Goat - Emblem of that martial man who wins a victory by the employment rather of policy
than valor.
Lamb - Gentleness and patience under suffering.
Ram - Authority.
Hares and Rabbits - One who enjoys a peaceable and retired life.
Squirrel - Sylvan retirement being the delight of its bearer.
Hedgehog - Provident provider.
Beaver - Industry and perseverance.
Fox - One who will use all that he may posses of sagacity, wit or wisdom in his own
defense.
Talbot, Mastiff and Greyhound - Courage, vigilancy and loyal fidelity.
Cat or Cat-A-Mountain - Liberty, vigilance, forecast and courage.
Camel - Docility, patience and indefatigable perseverance.
Bee - Well-governed industry.
Ant - Symbolizes a man of great labor, wisdom and providence.
Spider - Wisdom, labor and providence in all affairs.
Grasshopper - Wisdom and nobility.
House Snail - Deliberation and perseverance.
Double Eagle and Eagle - Signifies a man of action, ever more occupied in high and
weighty affairs, and one of lofty spirit, ingenious, speedy in apprehension and judicious in
matters of ambiguity.
Alerion - Signifies one who having been maimed and lamed in war, was thus prevented
from fully asserting his power.
Wings - Celebrity, sometimes protection or coverture.
Feathers (usually ostrich) - Willing obedience and serenity.
Falcon or Hawk - One eager or hot in the pursuit of an object much desired.
Hawks or Falcons Bells - One who feared not to signal his approach in either peace or
war.
Owl - One who is vigilant and of acute wit.
Peacock - Beauty and pride of carriage.
Pelican - Devoted and self-sacrificing charity.
Stork - Filial duty, emblem of a grateful man.
Swan - A lover of poetry and harmony.
Goose and Duck - A man of many resources.
Gannet - To subsist by the wings of his virtue and merit, having little land to rest upon.
Swallow - One who is prompt and ready in the dispatch of his business.
Cock - Courage, always ready for battle, ready to fight to the death.
Dove - Loving constancy and peace.
Raven - One who, having derived little from his ancestors, has through Providence
become the architect of his own fortunes or one of an enduring constancy of nature.
Crow - Signifies a settled habitation and a quiet life.
Dolphin - Charity and a kind affection towards children.
Tortoise - Invulnerability to attack.
Griffin - Sets forth the property of a valorous soldier whose magnanimity is such that he
will dare all dangers, and even death itself, rather than become captive.
Dragon - A most valiant defender of treasure.
Cockatrice - Terror to all beholders.
Sphinx - Omniscience and secrecy.
Pegasus - Exceeding activity and energy of mind whereby one may mount to honour.
Harpy - Ferocity under provocation.
Centuar - For those who have been eminent in the field.
Hydra - The conquest of a very powerful enemy.
Phoenix - Resurrection.
Stag, Hart, Buck and Deer - Policy, Peace and Harmony.
Horns and Antlers - Strength and Fortitude.
Escallop Shell - One who has made long journeys or voyages to far countries, who had
borne considerable naval command or who had gained great victories.
Other Shells - Protection of Providence.
Heart - Charity, sincerity.
Hand - Faith, sincerity and justice.
Red Hand - Usual mark for a baronet if borne on a small escutcheon.
Arm - A laborious and industrious person.
Gauntlet - Signify a man armed for the performance of martial enterprise.
Leg - Strength, stability and expedition.
Shoe - Same as Leg.
Scythe - Hope of a fruitful harvest of things hoped for.
Sickle - Same as Scythe.
Anchor - Succor in extremity and the Christian symbol of hope.
Ship, Lumphiad or Galley - All such symbols would point to some notable expedition by
sea, by which, perhaps, the first bearers had become famous.
Cubes, squares or dice - Constancy, wisdom, verity probity, and equity.
Lozenge - Same as Cubes.
Axe -- Execution of military duty.
Purse - A frank and liberal steward of the blessings that God has bestowed .
Tower or Castle - Grandeur and solidity. Sometimes granted to one who has held one for
his king, or who has captured one by force or stratagem.
Bridge - Signifies a governor or magistrate.
Pillar or Column - Fortitude and constancy.
Snake - Wisdom.
Scaling Ladder - One who was fearless in attacking.
Crosses - Symbolic of some Christian experience or sentiment.
Trestles and stools - Hospitality.
Cushions - Marks of authority.
Angels, Cherubs and Seraphs - Dignity, glory and honor.
Estoiles - Emblems of God’s goodness or of some eminence in the first bearer above the
ruder sort of men.
Mullet - Denotes some Divine quality bestowed from above.
Gold Spur - Dignity of knighthood.
Silver Spur - An esquire.
Crescent - Signifies one who has been enlightened and honored by the gracious aspect of
his sovereign.
Moon - Serene power over mundane actions.
Fire - Zeal.
Lightning - The effecting of some weighty business with great clarity and force.
Rocks - Safety, refuge and protection.
Portcullis - Effectual protection in emergency.
Hunting Horn - One who is fond of high pursuits.
Trumpet - Ready for the fray.
Cannon, Mortars, Cannon Balls and Grenades - Well bestowed on those who have dared
their terrors in sieges and battles.
Sword - Indicates the bearer to a just and generous pursuit of honor and virtue in warlike
deeds.
Arrows and Arrowheads - Martial readiness.
Spear or Lance - Knightly service and devotion to honor.
Spear Heads or Pheons - Dexterity and nimbleness of wit to penetrate and understand
matters of highest consequence.
Saddles, Stirrups and Spurs - Preparedness for active service.
Horse Shoe - Good luck.
Trunk of a Tree - An object of veneration.
Fusil - Travel and labour.
Water Bougets - Conferred on those who had brought water to an army or besieged place.
Catharine Wheel - Emblem of one who is prepared to undergo great trials for the Christian
faith.
Buckles - Victorious fidelity in authority.
Clarion or Rest - Same as Trumpet.
Beacons or Cressets - One who is watchful for the commonwealth or who gave the signal
in time of danger.
Chains - A reward for acceptable or weighty service.
Fusil of Yarn - Negotiation.
Gold Roundles - One who has been found worthy of trust and treasure.
White Roundles - Generosity.
Cornucopia - Bounty of Nature’s gifts.
Chaplets and Wreaths - Granted for special service.
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In South Africa and Cape Town in particular, what do locals call a Cape Doctor? | Travel Vaccines and Advice for South Africa | Passport Health
Travel Vaccines and Advice for South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
Preparation For Any
Destination
With 250+ travel clinics nationwide, Passport Health is your local leading provider of travel vaccinations and medications. Prepare your health for travel, visit us before you go.
Health Alerts
Home to some of the world’s greatest natural landmarks, architecture, cuisine, and music, South Africa offers travelers a blend of the world’s finest things. The incredible wildlife, peaks and valleys of the Drakensberg Mountains, and penguins of Cape point are top destinations for nature travelers. The country also offers lush history and vibrant culture that are sure to give any traveler the experience of a lifetime. Cape Town’s nightclubs, Johannesburg’s history, and surfing off Durban’s coast are sure to thrill. From surf to safari, to an energetic nightlife and three bustling metropolises of Cape Town, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein, South Africa’s cities and natural beauty are sure to impress any visitor.
Do I Need Vaccines for South Africa?
Yes, some vaccines are recommended or required for South Africa. The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccines for South Africa: typhoid , yellow fever , hepatitis A , hepatitis B , rabies , measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and influenza .
Recommended Vaccines for South Africa
Vaccine
63%
3
Average temperatures in South Africa may vary depending on the region of your stay, so be sure to consider each area you plan to visit and pack clothing and skin and eye protectants that will adequately shield you from the effects of both regular and hazardous weather conditions.
Customer Reviews
Passport Health Travelers to South Africa
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| WIND |
James Brindley is chiefly remembered for building what? | Cape Town - Discover South Africa’s most charming city
Find and book your Cape Town accommodation today and discover the charm of this special city at the Southern tip of Africa.
Your holiday in Cape Town
Be prepared to gasp at the beauty that waits when your plane touches down at Cape Town International Airport.
Table Mountain, set against the deep blue hues of the Atlantic Ocean and the grey-green swells of the Indian Ocean, will greet you This beacon towers against the bustling city. Its table is often set with a tablecloth of a thin cloud layer, ready to dish every delight this city has to offer.
Diversity is the name of the game in South Africa and your holiday in Cape Town will be no exception.
You will experience Africa with every breath you take; the wide open skies, sunshine, rainbow nation people from all walks of life, townships and middle-class areas juxtapositioned with the most exclusive areas.
The very fabric of the people and the place will colour and flavour your holiday. As the capital of the Western Cape province, Cape Town is steeped in history as it was the first city established in South Africa some 400 years ago.
The laid back energy and friendly, easy-going nature of Capetonians underplay the fact that this city is one of the economic powerhouses of the South African economy.
There is always something to do in Cape Town. Visitors are spoilt for choice with some of the best restaurants and local wines of international acclaim; arts and theatre, shopping and relaxation; sightseeing, adventure and sports. In fact, anything you can dream of is possible in the vibrant Mother City.
Favourite suburbs among tourists
Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay is an exclusive suburb on the rocky Atlantic Ocean coastline. Enjoy uninterrupted views of giant boulders leading into the sea and watch the sun sink into the Atlantic Ocean after a long day. Bantry Bay is buffered from the city centre by Lion’s Head, which is the eroded core of an ancient volcano and forms part of the Table Mountain range.
Sea Point
Traditionally the place to be seen, with its Main Road lined with restaurants, pubs, diners and clubs, Sea Point never sleeps. The Promenade is a gathering point for locals and visitors, but also buskers and artists, from all walks of life.
V&A Waterfront
Not only a shopper’s paradise with its more than 4 000 retail outlets, the V&A Waterfront offers relaxed marine accommodation. Visitors can enjoy the harbour space without having to drive anywhere – whether visiting restaurants or bars – there are an excess of 80 eateries. The Robben Island ferry and various nautical adventures including yachts and catamarans depart from here. At the V&A Waterfront, the luxury of being will not escape you.
Things to do in Cape Town
Reach new heights
Table Mountain is one of the top attractions of Cape Town. It was voted as one of the seven new natural wonders of the world. Either take the Cableway or hike up one of the routes to enjoy breathtaking views from the top.
Get a guide
Guided city tours provide an excellent way of seeing the city in a short period of time. There are guided tours available to suit your particular interest – whether you want to take a walk in history and discover the secrets of the Castle of Good Hope, or opt for a tour of contemporary history and / or art. You can even take a culinary tour to sample local delicacies.
Dare to go bare
Hop onto the topless City Sightseeing bus for a city tour from where you can see all the sights and experience a bird’s eye view of everything Cape Town has to offer. Informative audio commentary is available in 15 different languages and children are catered for too with a special kids channel. Your ticket allows you to hop on and off to explore interesting sights and locations.
Eat, drink and be merry
There are few places in the world where you will be able to satisfy your culinary desires as well as in the Mother City.
With hundreds of good restaurants, offering a variety of food from exquisite continental gourmet dishes to African and Asian-themed cuisine, traditional Cape Malay and even Boerekos*, you will find fabulous and affordable food around every corner.
When one eats, one should drink and Cape Town also has the answer for that. The portal to the magnificent Cape Winelands, Cape Town’s restaurants and bars offer varied and interesting wine lists where you can order anything from limited connoisseur wines and craft beers to wines from world renowned and award winning South African wineries.
*Boerekos – traditional dishes prepared by Afrikaans speaking South Africans
Wonder at the winelands
If you want to experience where wine is made, it is simply half a day or a day trip away. Constantia in Cape Town was the first area where vineyards were planted in South Africa and you can visit the wine farms here for magnificent tastings.
Travel to the Cape Winelands, a mere 45 minutes’ drive from the City Centre, to experience a wide variety of wine farms and wine estates, from large estates to undiscovered gems, that make up the Cape wine culture. Most of these hospitable establishments offer tastings and sales of their wines and many have eateries where thirsty travellers can line their stomachs while indulging in the wine.
Shop ’till you drop
Shopping in Cape Town is as varied as the city itself. You will find designer boutiques, craftsmen jewellers and speciality art galleries at shopping complexes such as the V&A Waterfront.
Cape Town also has plenty of small interesting shops and markets where tourists can buy extra special handcrafted souvenirs and gifts.
Dance the night away
If you have socialising on the agenda, Cape Town’s vibrant and diverse nightlife does not disappoint. This vibey city doesn’t need much sleep and generally, the party in the city centre areas of Loop, Lang, Bree and Waterkant Streets start an hour or so before midnight.
De Waterkant, Green Point and Sea Point are also nightlife stalwarts where you will not be left all alone in the middle of the night.
Catch some sun
Who can ever get tired of the beach? Cape Town’s beaches are divided into three main beach areas, namely the Atlantic Seaboard, False Bay and West Coast.
The Atlantic Seaboard beaches are made for sun-tanning and socialising, while False Bay’s beaches are popular among families, surfers and even penguin-watchers at Boulders Beach. The long, sandy beaches towards the North of Cape Town are known as the West Coast beaches and they’re especially popular amongst kite surfers.
See if surf’s up
If nautical adventures are your game, you have plenty of activities to choose from. Windsurfing and kitesurfing are big, especially on the West Coast side to the North of Cape Town.
Surfing spots at Muizenberg, Noordhoek and Kommetjie along the South Peninsula are very popular. Get on board a yacht or catamaran from the V&A Waterfront and sail off on a sunset cruise. You can also arrange scuba diving, shark cage diving and a myriad of sea exploits.
Challenge yourself
Adventure and sporting enthusiasts can abseil from Table Mountain or cycle around its base. Take a full moon hike up Lion’s Head to experience dizzying sea and city views.
Visit Cape Town to participate in one of the many top sporting events the city hosts: whether the Cape Argus Cycle Race, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon or any of a number of events, Cape Town will accommodate you.
Be well
Most visitors to Cape Town feel well just for the sake of being in this gorgeous city. However, that doesn’t mean your health and wellness is not important.
A variety of excellent spas and gyms can be found in and around Cape Town, where weary travellers are sure to find well-qualified therapists and coaches to look after your wellbeing.
Experience nature
Table Mountain forms part of a nature reserve and as such, the huge variety of plants and in particular, fynbos* species, are protected. Hiking trails abound in the Table Mountain National Park and routes of varying distances are available to visitors, from quick loops to the Hoerikwaggo* hiking trails which allow visitors to overnight on the mountain.
Visit Silvermine to experience the unique coastal floral diversity and marvel at the fauna – anything from tortoises to dassies* and small buck are regularly spotted in the veld*. The mountain still houses large troops of baboons and the nocturnal Cape Mountain Leopard, caracals, genets and porcupines, although these species are not sighted often.
*Fynbos – natural shrubland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape
*Hoerikwaggo – a Khoisan word that means “Mountain of the Sea”
*Dassies – African rodents found among rocky outcrops
*Veld – a wide open rural landscape
Get to the point
Take a drive along Chapman’s Peak for stunning scenery and push along through Hout Bay and Noordhoek all the way to Cape Point. This place where the colder Atlantic Ocean meets up with the warmer Indian Ocean offers breathtaking natural beauty.
Cape Point, part of the Table Mountain National Park, has a tram ride on offer to take you to the top. You can also dine here in full view of the vast oceans below.
Lounge in the garden
The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a national treasure and displays hundreds of unique and indigenous plants, trees and shrubs.
In addition, Kirstenbosch doubles up as a very popular music venue. Visitors bring their own picnics to sprawl out on the lawn in the shadow of Table Mountain. On Sunday evenings in summer, the Summer Sunset Concerts offer the best lineup of local singers and bands.
Pop over to the island
A visit to Robben Island should be on your itinerary during your visit to Cape Town.
Take a ferry to the island, which lies about 8km off Table Bay, to see where political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela spent some of their time. A tour of the museum and prison cells reveals many soul-touching stories of pain, healing and forgiveness.
Find food for the soul
The Iziko South Africa Museum offers a very interesting natural exhibition and is an excellent place to view the South African animal kingdom and get a good perspective of the actual size and scale of the wild animals.
Integrated with the Iziko Museum, the Cape Town Planetarium is also worth the visit, as is the District Six Museum, Bo Kaap Museum and the Irma Stern Museum, which showcases artwork from this internationally acclaimed artist.
Take part in a feast
There is always some sort of festival taking place in and around Cape Town and visitors will delight in taking part in the variety of fun to be had – be it the Cape Town Carnival, one of many wine harvest festivals and grape crushing festivals, music festivals and concerts, design fairs and food festivals.
Luxury self-catering accommodation in Cape Town
Cape Town offers plenty of excellent accommodation options to visitors with varying expectations.
The Atlantic Seaboard is an excellent position from where to explore Cape Town and surrounds. Self-catering holiday rentals, whether luxurious villas or upmarket apartments, are gaining popularity amongst visitors who want the freedom to explore.
Self-catering holiday accommodation in Cape Town offers privacy, convenience and choice for guests to come and go as they please and to take meals, entertain friends and get to know the city as the local do.
Vacation rentals in Cape Town are on average 60% less expensive than equivalent hotel accommodation. – Western Cape Tourism Barometer report of 2011
Luxury self-catering apartments in Cape Town
If you want to be in the thick of things, seek out a holiday apartment in the city centre where you can almost touch the mountain or delight in harbour views.
Luxury self-catering villas in Cape Town
Secure your vacation villa on the slopes of Table Mountain to be near all the action while you can sprawl out in your mountainside mansion.
Elite and exclusive, accommodation in the V&A Waterfront’s Marina lets you relax in this magical area where everything is available at your fingertips.
Cape Town weather
In Cape Town, every season has unique appeal.
Summer days are long and make for great beach weather, while visitors from colder climates are often astounded to find warm winter days in Cape Town to match their hottest summer weather. Winter is the rainy season, which is great for snuggling up, getting cosy and sampling some excellent Cape red wine next to a wood burning fireplace.
Whichever you prefer, there is a season in Cape Town that is cut out just for you.
Spring: September to November
Spring in Cape Town is when the floral kingdom is at its best. Not only does the natural fynbos burst into bloom, with Table Mountain supporting no less than 2 200 species, but indigenous flowers also appear in every nook and cranny.
Most wildlife give birth to their young in spring, so visitors stand a good chance of welcoming new babies (be they whales, small bucks, birds, or dassies and other small critters), to the world during their spring visit to the Mother City.
Spring is also arguably the best time of the year for outdoor activities and adventure enthusiasts will find plenty to do to fill their days.
Summer: December to February
In summertime, the living is easy in the Cape. Chill out on the beach, eat, drink and be merry.
You can expect crowds, so book and plan your days well ahead of time to avoid disappointment. The vibe in Cape Town during the silly season is incredible.
If you want to experience Table Mountain lit up at night, summertime is your season in the Cape. Christmas lights spread cheer in Adderley Street and the Cape Minstrels in their colourful garb maintain a general sense of festiveness during the holidays.
Autumn: March to May
When the first leaves fall, the South-Easter wind usually dissipates and sightseeing season arrives. This is the time to soak up the sun while visiting all the sites without getting stuck in the queues.
If you don’t like crowds, also avoid the Easter school holidays, which will result in Cape Town getting busy with people flocking in from all over to enjoy the spoils that only this city can offer. The weather is usually still warm in autumn and it is a great time to take in the wide expanse of the African sky that spreads over the Mother City.
Great news for gourmands is that the month of May usually rings in the restaurant specials, where patrons can choose between two- and three-course options at special set rates.
Winter: June to August
The biggest secret about this season is that there are plenty of beautiful sunny days in between the rainy weather.
Experience the sun warming your back while you take in the sight of frolicking whales in the waves that come close to the Cape Town shores to give birth and mate during the winter months.
Winter is also a great time for wine tasting next to roaring fireplaces. It provides the perfect setting to get acquainted with South Africa’s unique red wine cultivar, Pinotage. For a distinctive experience, sample this earthy red wine with tropical flavours in combination with South African game meats.
How to get to Cape Town
There are direct flights to Cape Town International Airport from no less than 30 cities worldwide, including African and Middle Eastern cities; London in the UK and various cities in Europe, as well as Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
Here follows a list including the flying times and carrier information:
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Swiss
Welcome to Cape Town International Airport
Cape Town International Airport has recently benefitted from substantial renovations in excess of R1 billion. The airport can accommodate 60 000 take-offs and landings and is well equipped with customer services and facilities.
Comprehensive banking and currency exchange services are available, while a dozen dining outlets will ensure you don’t go hungry. There are around 30 regular and duty-free retailers and executive lounges.
Special facilities at the airport include an OSCA medical surgery, baby changing amenities and office space in the Premier Lounge.
Getting around in Cape Town
It is easier to get around in Cape Town than you might imagine and there are various transport options available to visitors.
Car hire
Car hire is relatively inexpensive and a great way to enjoy your holiday by coming and going as you please. South Africans drive on the left side of the road, similar to drivers in the United Kingdom.
Visitors from Europe and the United States may find this slightly confusing, but our roads are generally good, wide and easy to negotiate. There are numerous car hire companies at Cape Town International Airport.
It’s an easy 20km drive to get to the centre of Cape Town. However, parking in the city centre can be troublesome so make sure your vacation rental has an allocated parking bay if you are driving yourself.
Meter taxis
From the airport, a metered taxi to the city centre will cost between R300 and R400. However, these fees may vary depending on the operator. Meter taxis are easily available and can also be used for outings and excursions.
My Citi shuttle bus
Cape Town recently benefitted from the introduction of the MyCiti shuttle buses. These buses take you from the airport into the city centre. They also operate on a variety of routes in and around the city.
Uber
Technology savvy visitors will simply love using Uber to get around. Download the cell phone app and find an affordable lift whenever you need it, wherever you are and wherever you’re heading. No money changes hands and your credit card is automatically debited.
Tipping in Cape Town
Tipping in restaurants is expected and between 10 – 15% is the norm, depending on the value of the service. Tipping is not necessarily expected by taxis and Uber drivers, but will always be appreciated. Porters, car parking guards and other helpers expect tips, so keep a few R10, R20 and R50 notes handy.
Visit Cape Town soon
Why don’t you pick a season when you would like to get to know Cape Town and the amazing variety it offers?
Get your family and friends on board and come to Cape Town, one of the world’s top 10 cities and the most charming city in South Africa. Discover its secrets, get acquainted with the African spirit and share in the action and fun of this world-class vacation destination.
Seek out the perfect spot for you and your friends or family to explore your interests and pursue your passions in South Africa’s Mother City. She cannot wait to welcome you onto her shores.
Continue exploring
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Published in 1928, Who wrote the novel Point Counter Point? | Point Counter Point - Aldous Huxley - Google Books
Point Counter Point
9 Reviews https://books.google.com/books/about/Point_Counter_Point.html?id=acBlt9gBPDoC
Aldous Huxley's lifelong concern with the dichotomy between passion and reason finds its fullest expression both thematically and formally in his masterpiece Point Counter Point. By presenting a vision of life in which diverse aspects of experience are observed simultaneously, Huxley characterizes the symptoms of "the disease of modern man" in the manner of a composer - themes and characters are repeated, altered slightly, and played off one another in a tone that is at once critical and sympathetic.
First published in 1928, Huxley's satiric view of intellectual life in the '20s is populated with characters based on such celebrities of the time as D.H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Sir Oswald Mosley, Nancy Cunard, and John Middleton Murray, as well as Huxley himself. A major work of the 20th century and a monument of literary modernism, this edition includes an introduction by acclaimed novelist Nicholas Mosley (author of Hopeful Monsters and the son of Sir Oswald Mosley).
Along with Brave New World (written a few years later), Point Counter Point is Huxley's most concentrated attack on the scientific attitude and its effect on modern culture.
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User Review - P_S_Patrick - LibraryThing
Set mainly in 1920s London and peripheral environs, Point Counter Point is a literary tragi-comedy detailing the goings-on within a circle of intellectuals, artists, and hapless socialites and ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - JVioland - LibraryThing
I cannot recall too much of this book. Even reading a summary, hasn't brought it back to me. It wasn't that long ago, so I'm assuming it wasn't memorable enough. I may have given it a "B" when I had first finished it, but, if I can't recall it now, I cannot be impressed with it. Read full review
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The World of Light 1931
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About the author (1928)
Aldous Huxley was born on July 26, 1894, in Surrey, England, into a distinguished scientific and literary family; his grandfather was the noted scientist and writer, T.H. Huxley. Following an eye illness at age 16 that resulted in near-blindness, Huxley abandoned hope of a career in medicine and turned instead to literature, attending Oxford University and graduating with honors. While at Oxford, he published two volumes of poetry. Crome Yellow, his first novel, was published in 1927 followed by Antic Hay, Those Barren Leaves, and Point Counter Point. His most famous novel, Brave New World, published in 1932, is a science fiction classic about a futuristic society controlled by technology. In all, Huxley produced 47 works during his long career, In 1947, Huxley moved with his family to southern California. During the 1950s, he experimented with mescaline and LSD. Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, both works of nonfiction, were based on his experiences while taking mescaline under supervision. In 1959, Aldous Huxley received the Award of Merit for the Novel from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He died on November 22, 1963.
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Which of the Spanish ‘Costas’ has a name meaning ‘gold coast’? | Read Point Counter Point Aldous Huxley online download e-book id:04n1ket w5i5n
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What did scientist Wayne Szalinski do in a 1989 Disney movie? | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) - IMDb
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Honey, I Shrunk the Kids ( 1989 )
PG |
The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.
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Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 10 nominations. See more awards »
Photos
The Szalinski family is back, this time hilarious disaster strikes when an experiment causes their new toddler son to grow many stories tall.
Director: Randal Kleiser
A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.
Director: John G. Avildsen
After a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children held in custody by his former wife.
Director: Chris Columbus
When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man trapped for decades in it and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game.
Director: Joe Johnston
When Captain Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.
Director: Steven Spielberg
A toon-hating detective is a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Daniel accompanies his mentor to Okinawa who is off to see his dying father and confront his old rival, while Daniel inadvertently makes an enemy of his own.
Director: John G. Avildsen
One year after Kevin was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself in New York City, and the same criminals are not far behind.
Director: Chris Columbus
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world.
Director: Steven Spielberg
In order to save their home from foreclosure, a group of misfits set out to find a pirate's ancient valuable treasure.
Director: Richard Donner
An 8-year old troublemaker must protect his home from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.
Director: Chris Columbus
An absent-minded professor discovers "flubber," a rubber-like super-bouncy substance.
Director: Les Mayfield
Edit
Storyline
Wayne Szalinski is your average "nutty scientist", working on a top secret machine that shrinks objects. When it unexpectedly starts working, he's so amazed he forgets to tell his family to be careful. And when they wander into his lab... Written by Murray Chapman <[email protected]>
The most astonishing, innovative, backyard adventure of all time!
Genres:
23 June 1989 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Martin Short was initially attached to play Wayne Szalinski, but was later replaced by Rick Moranis. See more »
Goofs
In film Scorpion's size was shown equal to the size of an Ant. This is impossible if compared to real life. See more »
Quotes
Gloria Forrester : [seeing Wayne float above the ground, looking into the grass] Donald, that man over there is flying.
Ridiculous, cute, and fun family entertainment
14 April 2006 | by roghache
(Canada) – See all my reviews
This is a fun movie for the entire family. Well, of course, it's ridiculous but the kids will love it and you can laugh right along with them.
The absurd tale revolves around around a nutty scientist & dad named Wayne Szalinski who is working on a machine to miniaturize objects. When his two kids plus their two neighbouring friends (the Thompsons) wander into his lab, Wayne inadvertently shrinks the four of them. Then he accidentally tosses them out in the garbage, so the poor kids have to brave the dangers of the lawn to get back to the house. And can the well intended but crazy scientist figure out how to bring the youngsters back to full size again? (Personally, my favourite aspect of the movie is the nutty father.)
The story has plenty of adventure and danger as the teensy weensy younguns brave the perils of the jungle (actually their lawn). They face thunderstorm like risks of potentially drowning in the lawn sprinkler or being attacked by giant ants, bees, & other bugs. Not to mention the lawn mower!
Avoid the TV series of the same name, but this movie has some good family messages involving the two sets of parents (the Szalinskis & the Thompsons) as well as the kids. And of course there's lots of hilarity and adventure. It should be rated higher than it is and fully deserved its popularity at the time. This film put the phrase 'Honey, I shrunk (or whatever) the kids' into people's everyday vocabulary!
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In Robin Hood the title character was portrayed as which animal? | Watch Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) Online Free - PrimeWire | 1Channel
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Which vegetable is found in abundance in an Indian dopiaza? | Quick and Easy Bhindi Okra Dopiaza Recipe
Yield: Serves 4
Preparation
Wash the bhindi and pat dry to remove all surface moisture and ensure that when the bhindi is cut, it does not turn slimy. This is a natural property of the bhindi and while some people like it, others will not eat bhindi because of its 'slime'.
Cut the top (stalk) and tail off each bhindi and then cut it into circular pieces, 1" thick. Do this for all the bhindis and keep aside.
Heat a griddle or small, flat pan on a medium flame and gently roast the coriander and cumin seeds till aromatic. Remove from fire and grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder . Keep aside for later.
Separate the chopped onions into 2 portions - roughly 2/3 and 1/3 of the whole.
Heat the cooking oil in a large pan on a medium flame and add the first lot of onions - the 2/3 portion. Sauté till golden.
Now add all the powdered spices, ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Now add the salt to taste.
Add the remaining 1/3 portion of chopped onion and mix well. Fry till these onions turn soft and translucent.
Now reduce heat to a simmer and add the cut okra. Cook till the okra turns soft but not mushy. Stir frequently. Bhindi Dopiaza is a dry stir fry type dish and cooks in the fluids from the vegetables (no extra water is usually added) however, you may need to sprinkle some water occasionally to prevent the dish from burning while it cooks. Only do this if necessary.
When the okra is done (roughly 7-10 minutes from when you add it to the pan), remove from heat, garnish with the fresh chopped coriander and serve with hot Chapatis and pickle .
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| Onion |
In French cuisine what is the term for a baby chicken? | Pumpkin, spinach & black bean dopiaza | BBC Good Food
Pumpkin, spinach & black bean dopiaza
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 25 mins
Easy
Serves 2
Fancy a bit of spice, but without the grease of a takeaway? Try this healthy seasonal curry with crispy onions
Share:
A variety of oils can be used for baking. Sunflower is the one we use most often at Good Food as…
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp each ground cumin, coriander and curry powder
pinch chilli powder
Pumpkins are the most famous of all the winter squashes, and are most associated with Halloween…
1 tbsp tomato purée
Used in almost every cuisine across the world, spinach is an enormously popular green vegetable…
Method
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Toss half the onions in 1 tbsp oil, then roast for 15-20 mins, until they are crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, fry the remaining onion in the oil until lightly golden. Add the garlic and spices; cook for 1 min. Add the pumpkin, stir in the tomato purée and 425ml boiling water, then return to the boil. Simmer, covered, for 15 mins, then stir in the beans. Cook for a further 5 mins.
Put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water until it is wilted. Press with a wooden spoon to remove excess water, then roughly chop. Stir into the curry, then warm through. Serve scattered with the crisp roasted onions.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008
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What is the correct term for an auctioneer’s hammer? | Auction Terms - Live Auctioneers
The act or process of estimating value.
"As Is:"
Also known as "as is, where is" and "in its present condition." Typically, this is a sign that no return privileges will be granted.
Auction:
A method of selling property in a public forum through open and competitive bidding. Also referred to as: public auction, auction sale or sale.
Auctioneer:
The person whom the seller engages to direct, conduct, or be responsible for a sale by auction. This person may or may not actually "call" or "cry" the auction.
Auction Block:
The podium or raised platform where the auctioneer stands while conducting the auction. "Placing (an item) on the auction block" means to sell something at auction.
Bid:
A prospective buyer's indication or offer of a price he/she will pay to purchase property at auction. Bids are usually in standardized increments established by the auctioneer.
Bid Caller:
The person who actually "calls," "cries" or "auctions" the property at an auction, recognizing bidders and acknowledging the highest bidder. Commonly known as the auctioneer.
Bid History:
A historical list of all the bids made on a particular auction during or after the auction.
Bid Increments:
The standardized amount an item increases in price after each new bid. The auction service sets the increment, which rises according to the present high bid value of an item.
Bidder (Paddle) Number:
The number issued to each person who registers at an auction.
Buyer's Premium:
An additional service charge, for which the buyer is responsible, may be added to the price of sold items. If so, this will be indicated on the item page.
Catalog or Brochure:
A publication advertising and describing the property(ies) available for sale at public auction, often including photographs, property descriptions and the terms and conditions of the sale.
Clerk:
The person employed by the principal auctioneer or auction firm to record what is sold, to whom and for what price.
Competing bid:
During a sale, the auctioneer may be accepting competing bids for an item from various sources; these include (but are not limited to):
bids from an in-house audience
telephone bids
other bidding platforms
Commission:
The fee charged to the seller by the auctioneer for providing services–usually a percentage of the gross selling price of the property established by contract (the listing agreement) prior to the auction.
Consignee:
The auctioneer or auction house operator to whom goods are entrusted by another (consignor) for sale at auction.
Consignor:
The person or authorized agent or entity that consigns goods to an auctioneer. The consignor is usually the seller.
Escrow:
Money held in trust by a third party until the seller makes delivery of merchandise to the buyer.
Estate Auction:
The sale of property left by a person at his/her death. An estate auction can involve the sale of personal and/or real property.
Grading:
The process for determining the physical condition of an item. Different items have different grading systems.
Hammer Price:
Price established by the last bidder and acknowledged by the auctioneer before dropping the hammer or gavel to indicate a sale is completed.
Lien:
An adverse claim or charge against an item when that item is being used as collateral for a debt.
Lot:
An item or set of items for sale in an auction, lots are normally denoted by a "lot" number.
National Auctioneers Association:
A U.S. association of individual auctioneers united to maintain ethical standards for the auction profession; promote the enactment of just and reasonable laws, ordinances and regulations affecting auction selling; make the public more aware of the advantages of auction selling; and generally improve the business conditions affecting the auction profession.
Online/Virtual Auction:
An auction that is for online bidders only and is not conducted in front of a traditional live audience. These auction types may have reserve items in which the auctioneers bid in order to protect the reserve.
On-site Auction:
An auction conducted on the premises of the property being sold.
On-site Bidder:
A bidder who is physically participating at the auction venue.
Outbid:
| Gavel |
In a band or orchestra what kind of instrument is a high hat? | Glossary of Real Estate Auction Terms
Glossary of Real Estate Auction Terms
Absentee Bid
A procedure, which allows a bidder to participate in the bidding process without being physically present. Generally, a bidder submits an offer on an item prior to the auction. The auctioneer or his representative usually handles absentee bids under an established set of guidelines. The particular rules and procedures of absentee bids are unique to each auction company.
Absentee Bidder
A person (or entity) who does not attend the sale but submits, in advance, a written or oral bid that is the top price he or she will pay for a given property.
An auction where the property is sold to the highest qualified bidder with no limiting conditions or amount. The seller may not bid personally or through an agent. Also known as an auction without reserve.
Agent
A person who acts for or in the place of another individual or entity by authority from them.
Appraisal
The act or process of estimating value.
"As Is"
Selling the property without warranties as to the condition and/or the fitness of the property for a particular use. Buyers are solely responsible for examining and judging the property for their own protection. Otherwise known as "As Is, Where Is" and "In its Present Condition."
Auction
A method of selling real estate or personal property in a public forum through open and competitive bidding. Also referred to as: public auction, auction sale or sale.
Auction Block
The podium or raised platform where the auctioneer stands while conducting the auction. "Placing (an item) on the auction block" means to sell something at auction.
Auction Listing
Agreement
A contract executed by the auctioneer and the seller, which authorizes the auctioneer to conduct the auction and sets out the terms of the agreement and the rights and responsibilities of each party.
Auction
The method of marketing real property utilizing the auction method of sale.
Auction Plan
The plan for pre-auction, auction day and post auction activities.
Auction Price
The price of a property obtained through the auction method of marketing.
Auction Subject
The price, which a particular property brings in open competitive bidding at public auction.
Auction
With Reserve
An auction in which the seller or his agent reserves the right to accept or decline any and all bids. A minimum acceptable price may or may not be disclosed and the seller reserves the right to accept or decline any bid within a specified time.
Auction
See Absolute Auction .
Auctioneer
The person whom the seller engages to direct, conduct, or be responsible for a sale by auction. This person may or may not actually call or cry the auction.
Ballroom Auction
An auction of one or more properties conducted in a meeting room facility.
Bank Letter
of Credit
A letter from a bank certifying that a named person is worthy of a given level of credit. Often requested from prospective bidders or buyers who are not paying with currency at auctions.
Bid
A prospective buyer's indication or offer of a price he or she will pay to purchase property at auction. Bids are usually in standardized increments established by the auctioneer.
Bid
Acknowledgment
A form executed by the high bidder confirming and acknowledging the bidder's identify, the bid price and the description of the property. Also known as Memorandum.
Bid Assistants
Individuals who are positioned throughout the attendees at the auction to assist the auctioneer, spot bidders and assist prospective bidders with information to help them in their buying decision. Also known as ringmen, bid consultants, bid spotters, or groundsmen.
Bid Caller
The person who actually "calls," "cries or "auctions" the property at an auction, recognizing bidders and acknowledging the highest bidder. Commonly known as the auctioneer.
Bid Rigging
The unlawful practice whereby two or more people agree not to bid against one another so as to deflate value.
Bidder Number
The number issued to each person who registers at an auction.
Bidder Package
The package of information and instructions pertaining to the property to be sold at an auction event obtained by prospective bidders at an auction. Sometimes called a bidder packet or due diligence package.
Bidder's Choice
A method of sale whereby the successful high bidder wins the right to choose a property or properties from a grouping of similar or like-kind properties. After the high bidder's selection, the property is deleted from the group, and the second round of bidding commences, with the high bidder in round two choosing a property, which is then deleted from the group and so on, until all properties are sold.
Bookkeeper
The person who is responsible for the accounting and paperwork at an auction sale.
Broker
Participation
An arrangement for third-party brokers to register potential bidders for properties being sold at auction for a commission paid by the owner of the property or the auction firm.
Buyer's Broker
A real estate broker who represents the buyer and, as the agent of the buyer, is normally paid for his/her services by the buyer.
Buyer's
Premium
An advertised percentage of the high bid or flat fee added to the high bid to determine the total contract price to be paid by the buyer.
CAI
Certified Auctioneers Institute. The professional designation awarded to practicing auctioneers who meet the experiential, educational and ethical standards set by the Auction Marketing Institute, Inc.
Caravan
A series of on site auctions advertised through a common promotional campaign.
Carrying
Charges
The costs involved in holding a property which is intended to produce income (either by sale or rent) but has not yet done so, i.e., insurance, taxes, maintenance, management.
Catalog or
Brochure
A publication advertising and describing the property (ies) available for sale at public auction, often including photographs, property descriptions, and the terms and conditions of the sale.
Caveat Emptor
A Latin term meaning "let the buyer beware." A legal maxim stating that the buyer takes the risk regarding quality or condition of the property purchased, unless protected by warranty.
Clerk
The person employed by the principal auctioneer or auction firm to record what is sold and to whom and for what price.
Collusion
The unlawful practice whereby two or more people agree not to bid against one another so as to deflate value or when the auctioneer accepts a fictitious bid on behalf of the seller so as to manipulate or inflate the price of the property.
Commission
The fee charged to the seller by the auctioneer for providing services, usually a percentage of the gross selling price of the property established by contract (the listing agreement) prior to the auction.
Conditions
of Sale
The legal terms that govern the conduct of an auction, including acceptable methods of payment, terms, buyer's premiums, possession, reserves and any other limiting factors of an auction. Usually included in published advertisements or announced by the auctioneer prior to the start of the auction.
Contract
An agreement between two or more persons or entities, which creates or modifies a legal relationship.
Cooperating
Broker
A real estate broker who registers a prospective buyer with the auction company, in accordance with the terms and conditions for that auction. The broker is paid a commission only if his prospect is the high bidder and successfully closes on the property. Also known as a participating broker.
Critical Path
Sequence of key tasks to be done by auction contractor or other designated parties on specified dates, leading to desired goals.
Dual Agency
The representation of opposing principals (buyers and seller) at the same time.
Due Diligence
The process of gathering information about the condition and legal status of assets to be sold.
Estate Sale
The sale of property left by a person at his or her death. An estate auction can involve the sale of personal and/or real property.
Hammer Price
Price established by the last bidder and acknowledged by the auctioneer before dropping the hammer or gavel.
Listing Broker
A real estate broker who has a listing on a property and cooperates with the auction company by allowing the auction agreement to supersede his/her listing agreement.
Market Value
The highest price in terms of money which a property will bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller, each acting prudently, knowledgeably and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus.
Memorandum
Sometimes also referred to as a "Bidder Acknowledgment," or "Broker Acknowledgment," the memorandum is signed by those parties either on the auction floor or in the contract room.
Minimum
Bid Auction
An auction in which the auctioneer will accept bids at or above a disclosed price. The minimum price is always stated in the brochure and advertisements and is announced at the auctions.
Minimum
The lowest acceptable amount at which the bidding must commence.
Multi-Property Auction
A group of properties offered through a common promotional campaign. The properties to be auctioned may be owned by one seller or multiple sellers.
Multi-Seller Auction
Properties owned by many sellers, offered through a common promotional campaign are auctioned in a single event.
National
Auctioneers
Association
An association of individual auctioneers united to promote the mutual interests of its members; formulate and maintain ethical standards for the auction profession; promote the enactment of just and reasonable laws, ordinances and regulations affecting auction selling; make the public more aware of the advantages of auction selling; and generally improve the business conditions affecting the auction profession.
National Real Estate
Auction Committee
A national committee developed by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS in April, 1990 to provide education to members concerning real estate auctions, identify issues and monitor, review and analyze trends affecting the real estate auction industry. It also is charged with formulating policies for consideration by other policy-making NAR Committees, its Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
No-Sale Fee
A charge paid by the owner of property offered at a reserve auction when the property does not sell.
Opening Bid
The first bid offered by a bidder at an auction.
On-site Auction
An auction conducted on the premises of the property being sold.
Preview
Specified date and time property is available for prospective buyer viewing and audits. Also known as Open House or Inspection.
Referring Broker
A real estate broker who does not have a listing on a property, but refers the auction company to a potential seller for an auction. Usually earns a flat fee commission for referring product to an auction company.
Regroup
A process used in real estate auctions where a bidder has the opportunity to combine several parcels of land previously selected by other bidders, thereby creating one larger parcel out of several smaller parcels. This process is often used in conjunction with bidder's choice.
Reserve
The minimum price that a seller is willing to accept for a property to be sold at auction. Also known as the reserve price.
Reserve Auction
An auction in which the seller reserves the right to establish a reserve price, to accept or decline any and all bids or to withdraw the property at any time prior to the announcement of the completion of the sale by the auctioneer. See also Auction With Reserve.
Sale Manager
The person designated by the auction company who is responsible for organizing the details of an auction. Also known as project manager.
Sealed Bid
A method of sale utilized where confidential bids are submitted to be opened at a predetermined place and time. Not a true auction in that it does not allow for reaction from the competitive market place.
Seller
Entity that has legal possession, (ownership) of any interests, benefits or rights inherent to the real or personal property.
Subject to
| i don't know |
Which breed of cattle is called Holstein in the USA? | History of the Holstein Breed
History of the Holstein Breed
When migrant European tribes settled the Netherlands close to 2,000 years ago, they wanted animals that would make the best use of the land. The black cattle of the Batavians and white cows of Friesians were bred and strictly culled to produce animals that were the most efficient, producing the most milk with limited feed resources. These animals genetically evolved into the efficient, high producing black-and-white dairy cow, known as the Holstein-Friesian.
Imports to America
With the settlement of the New World, markets began to develop for milk in America. Dairy breeders turned to Holland for their cattle.
Winthrop Chenery, a Massachusetts breeder, purchased a Holland cow from a Dutch sailing master who had landed cargo at Boston in 1852. The cow had furnished the ship's crew with fresh milk during the voyage. Chenery was so pleased with her milk production that he imported more Holsteins in 1857, 1859, and 1861. Many other breeders soon joined the race to establish Holsteins in America.
After about 8,800 Holsteins had been imported, a cattle disease broke out in Europe and importation ceased.
Americans Build Their Own Breed
In the late 1800's there was enough interest among Holstein breeders to form associations to record pedigrees and maintain herdbooks. These associations merged in 1885, to found the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. In 1994, the name was changed to Holstein Association USA, Inc.
Mature Holstein Cow in the 1950's
Mature Holstein Bull in the 1950's
Early Recognition For Holsteins
In May 1887, a noteworthy event in the history of the Holstein breed in America took place. It was the Madison Square Garden dairy cattle show where the four leading dairy breeds - Ayrshire, Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein-Friesian - met for the first time to see which was the greatest producer of milk and butter. Prizes of $200 were offered for both 24-hour milk production as well as butter production.
Most observers conceded that a Holstein would win a milk production prize, but the Jersey breeders were certain that they would take the butter prize - so certain that they offered a handsome silver cup, with a beautiful Jersey cow engraved on the side, to the winner. However, that cup is now sitting in the Holstein Association USA office in Brattleboro, VT. When the butter samples were weighed, Clothilde, a Holstein owned by Smiths & Powell of Syracuse, had won the $200 and the silver cup.
This decisive victory in a public butter test, which followed on the heels of the triumph in 1883 by Thomas Wales' imported cow, Mercedes, over the famous Jersey cow, Mary Ann of St. Lamberts, caught the attention of dairymen across the nation at a time when butter production was important and all dairy breeds were fighting for recognition. Holstein breeders were quick to follow up on these trail-blazing successes, and the consistent victories in competition played a big part, especially in the Midwest, in the rapid expansion and popularizing of the Holstein breed.
More detailed information on the history of the Holstein breed and Holstein Association USA can be found in the book Progress of the Breed by Richard H. Mansfield.
The silver cup resides in the Holstein Association USA office.
Genetic Improvements
The artificial insemination (AI) industry has had a tremendous impact on genetic improvement of the breed. Since perfection of the semen freezing process in the late 1940's, AI has allowed the use of superior, proven bulls by Holstein breeders across the country. Today, AI accounts for 85 percent of Holstein births.
AI made the development of reliable, unbiased methods to evaluate Holstein genetics possible. With AI, a single Holstein bull can sire as many as 50,000 daughters. Type and production information on all these females makes it easier to predict performance of future offspring and evaluate the quality of genetics transmitted from sire to offspring.
In the late 1960's, the AI industry, the Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) and breed organizations, including the Holstein Association, worked together to develop genetic tools that dairy producers could use to breed their cattle for improvement. They used type and production information and research data from universities to develop measures Holstein breeders now use to evaluate bulls and select sires according to their needs.
Today, dairy producers have the ability to utilize genomic technology to discover the genetic potential of their animals at an earlier age than ever before. Genomic testing analyzes the DNA of an animal to determine what genes they actually possess, information that can be used to estimate future performance more reliably than simply taking an average of the parents' genetic values. The majority of bulls that enter AI are genomic tested, and many breeders are genomic testing their females to make more educated breeding decisions, particularly on heifers. One thing is for certain - technology is constantly evolving, with more tools being added to breeders' arsenal of options to consider in their journey to breed a better cow.
Active Export Market
Such convincing evidence of genetic superiority has created an active export market for Holstein genetics. Live Holstein females and males and frozen embryos and semen are being exported to numerous countries worldwide and used extensively to improve foreign food supplies and dairy producer incomes.
Bur-Wall Buckeye Gigi EX-94
| Frisian |
The Third Foot and Mouth Regiment featured in which Carry On film? | Holstein
Geographical - historical info
In the first decades of the 17th century the Dutch who settled on Manhattan Island, New York brought along their fine cattle. (...) The official history of Dutch Black Pied cattle in North America began in 1852, when Winthrop W. Chenery of Massachusetts bought a cow from a Dutch ship. The Dutch cow turned out to be an excellent milk producer, so in 1857 and 1859 Chenery ordered more from the Netherlands. (...) Soon other dairymen also began importing Dutch cattle.
In 1906, after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Netherlands during which exports from the Netherlands came to a halt, 7,757 Dutch-Friesian cattle were again imported into America. From this nucleus, American breeders began selectively breeding and developing their own type of Friesian, called Holstein-Friesian.
After World War II the Holstein-Friesian was selected for a high-yielding, large-framed, single-purpose dairy cow with an exceptionally good udder. In the 1960s European dairy cattle breeders discovered the advantages of the Canadian and American Holstein-Friesian. (...) In order to distinguish the American and European Holstein-Friesian (which actually is Holstein x Friesian), the name of the American Holstein-Friesian was officially changed to Holstein in 1978. (...) Not only did Europe convert to Holstein dairy cattle, but the conversion spread all over the world, wherever the climate and conditions are suited for European dairy cattle.
The first Dutch-Friesian cattle were imported into Canada in 1881 and three years later the Holstein-Friesian Association of Canada was established. In 1891 the Canadian herdbook was started; before that time the cattle were recorded in the American herdbook. The bond between the American and Canadian Holstein-Friesian, however, remained firm, with the same breeding aims and exchange of breeding stock.
In 1985, there were eleven million dairy cows in the USA, nine million of which were Holstein. In Canada Holsteins made up 95% of the dairy breeds. Since then, however, the dairy cattle industry has declined sharply. In 1990 the total Holstein population of the USA was down to 4.1 million; only 380,009 new animals were registered in the herdbook, representing 45,700 members. Thus the breed accounted for 82.5% of all registered dairy cattle in the USA. Of all the world's dairy cows, estimated to be 226.7 million in 1992, 28.9% are estimated to be Holsteins, Holstein-Friesians, and their crosses. About ten million of these are registered.
Morphological info
The Holstein cow is about 150-160 cm high at the withers, weighing approximately 800-900 kg; bulls are 170-180 cm in height and weigh 1,000-1,250 kg, and sometimes up to 1,500 kg.
Holsteins, being superior milk producers, have excellent udders. The Holstein is the highest yielding dairy breed in the world. In 1993 the average milk production of 4,119,544 recorded US Holstein cows over 305 days was 8,538 kg, containing 3.66% fat and 3.20% protein. In 1992 herdbook-registered Holsteins averaged 9,632 kg, containing 3.62% fat and 3.17% protein. That same year, the six-year old Holstein 'Orford N.H' won the world record for producing 26,700 kg of milk!
In Canada in 1991 the average milk production of 299,088 herdbook Holsteins was 7,717 kg, containing 3.66% fat and 3.22% protein. In 1993 the average of 268,842 recorded Canadian Holsteins was 8,193 kg milk, containing 3.71% fat and 3.21% protein in 305 days.
The cattle are dehorned, but when the horns are allowed to grow they develop into medium length and are turned outwards, with their tips upwards, as was common in 19th century Dutch cattle.
Source: Marleen Felius, Cattle breeds - an encyclopedia, Doetinchem, Netherlands : Misset, 1995
| i don't know |
A locum is a temporary replacement for a doctor and which other profession? | Locum tenens - definition of locum tenens by The Free Dictionary
Locum tenens - definition of locum tenens by The Free Dictionary
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/locum+tenens
(lō′kəm′ tē′nĕnz′, tĕn′ənz)
n. pl. locum te·nen·tes (tə-nĕn′tēz)
A person, especially a physician or cleric, who substitutes temporarily for another.
[Medieval Latin locum tenēns : Latin locum, accusative of locus, place + Latin tenēns, present participle of tenēre, to hold.]
locum tenens
(ˈləʊkəm ˈtiːnɛnz)
n, pl locum tenentes (təˈnɛntiːz)
chiefly Brit a person who stands in temporarily for another member of the same profession, esp for a physician, chemist, or clergyman. Often shortened to: locum
[C17: Medieval Latin: (someone) holding the place (of another)]
lo•cum te•nens
(ˈloʊ kəm ˈti nɛnz, ˈtɛn ɪnz)
n., pl. locum te•nen•tes (təˈnɛn tiz)
a temporary substitute, esp. for a doctor or member of the clergy.
Also called, esp. Brit., locum.
[1635–45; < Medieval Latin locum tenēns literally, (one) holding the place]
lo′cum-te′nen•cy, n.
locum tenens
A Latin phrase meaning place-holding, used to mean a person who acts as a temporary substitute for someone else, especially a physician.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Clergy |
The badge of which cricket county features three pears? | Locum tenens - definition of locum tenens by The Free Dictionary
Locum tenens - definition of locum tenens by The Free Dictionary
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/locum+tenens
(lō′kəm′ tē′nĕnz′, tĕn′ənz)
n. pl. locum te·nen·tes (tə-nĕn′tēz)
A person, especially a physician or cleric, who substitutes temporarily for another.
[Medieval Latin locum tenēns : Latin locum, accusative of locus, place + Latin tenēns, present participle of tenēre, to hold.]
locum tenens
(ˈləʊkəm ˈtiːnɛnz)
n, pl locum tenentes (təˈnɛntiːz)
chiefly Brit a person who stands in temporarily for another member of the same profession, esp for a physician, chemist, or clergyman. Often shortened to: locum
[C17: Medieval Latin: (someone) holding the place (of another)]
lo•cum te•nens
(ˈloʊ kəm ˈti nɛnz, ˈtɛn ɪnz)
n., pl. locum te•nen•tes (təˈnɛn tiz)
a temporary substitute, esp. for a doctor or member of the clergy.
Also called, esp. Brit., locum.
[1635–45; < Medieval Latin locum tenēns literally, (one) holding the place]
lo′cum-te′nen•cy, n.
locum tenens
A Latin phrase meaning place-holding, used to mean a person who acts as a temporary substitute for someone else, especially a physician.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| i don't know |
Which word means ‘thing to wear’ in Japanese? | Verb WEAR in Japanese
Verb WEAR in Japanese.
Something you wear above your neck like
hats, scarves, caps, hoods, etc-----------KABURU
KABURI MASU
Something you wear above waist but including the floor length garment like
Kimono, jackets, coats, sweaters, shirts, T-shirts, pajamas, dresses---KIRU
KI MASU
Something you wear under waist including foot wears like
Zubon, G-pan, Jeans, short pants, skirts, shoes, socks etc----HAKU
HAKI MASU
necklaces, earrings, pierces, ties, belts, watches etc-----SURU
SHI MASU
Except rings and gloves are often--------HAMERU
HAME MASU
Mary-san wa shiroi doresu wo kiteimasu.
Adjective As Connector
When you use adjectives more than one to describe someone or something,
you transform the adjectives into te-from before the last one.
Example:
Sasaki-san is tall and big.
Sasaki-san wa takakute ooki desu.
My car is convenient and fast.
Watashino kuruma wa benride hayai desu.
Te-form of i-adjectives: i becomes kute like Akai, Akakute
Te-form of na-adjectives: drop na and add de like Himana, Himade
Te-from of te imasu (describe a resultant state): drop imasu add ite
Exampe: Someone is married. Kekkon shite imasu, Kekkon shite ite
Nouns as desriptions like rich (Kanemochi), lazy(Namakemono),
hard worker(Hatarakimono), hard worker & never give-up
type(Ganbariya): just add de like Kanemochi de Namakemono
Example:
Tanaka-san wa Kent ni sunde ite * se ga takakute atamaga yokute shinsetsu desu.
(Tanaka-san lives in Kent and tall and smart and kind.)
* se ga takai = someone is tall
se ga hikui = someone is short
But when you describe someone's legs are long then you must say
ashi ga nagai = someone's legs are long
ashi ga mijikai = someone's legs are short
Useful words
Urusai ( noisy or annoying ), Shitsukoi ( persistent), Akarui ( sunny, cheerful),
Tanaoshii ( fun, enjoyable), Omoshiroi ( interesting, funny), Kibishii ( strict),
Shiryobukai (discreet ), Occhokochoi ( careless, clumsy ), Yasashii ( nice, kind )
Hito nattsukkoi ( friendly ) Otonashii ( quiet)
Shizukana ( quiet ), Chitekina( intellectual ), Nonkina( easy going ) Nigiyakana
( happily noisy, bustling ), Kireina ( pretty ) Henna( odd, weird ) Benrina (convenient), Gankona( subbon), Genkina( healthy, fine, up-beat) Enerugisshuna
( energetic ), Kuuruna ( cool )
Kekkon shite iru ( being married ), Sunde iru ( living somewhere ), Futtote iru
( being fat ), Yasete iru ( being thin ), Hagete iru ( being bold ), Megane wo kakete
iru ( wearing glasses )
Kanemochi ( rich), Binboo ( poor ), Namakemono ( lazy), yoi Soodanaite( good
mentor), ii Tomodachi ( good friend ), yoi or yoki Rikaisha ( someone who understands you best)
My hair is blak and curly.( Watashi no kami wa kurokute kurikuri shiteimasu.)
My hair is short and light brown.( Watashi no kami wa mijikakute akarui chairo desu.)
My younger sister has a chubby face and round eyes.(Watashi no imooto no kao wa pocchari shite, me ga marui desu.)
My dad has bushy eyebrows and has dark skin.( Chichi wa mojya mojya mayuge de, iro ga kuroi desu.)
My mom has fair skin and slender.( Haha wa iro ga shirokute, hossori shite imasu.)
| Kimono |
By what process do plants absorb moisture through their roots? | Kimono FAQ
Kimono FAQ
We receive similar questions about Kimono all the time, so we've put together FAQ's.
What's Kimono?
Originally the word, Kimono was a generic term for clothing. It literally meant things to wear, and that's what everyone in Japan used to wear before Meiji era.
However after western clothes were introduced to Japan, the word came to mean traditinal Japanese clothes as opposed to the new western clothes.
Also the word, Wafuku (Japanese clothes) is often used to describe Kimono these days as opposed to the word, Youfuku (western clothes).
What kind of Kimono are there?
Everything in the following list is considered Kimono.
Kimono (long one that reaches your ankles)
Furisode : It's characterized by long sleeves and colorful and bright designs. It's the most formal Kimono for unmarried women.
Kurotomesode : It has black background and colorful designs on the bottom. It's the most formal kimono for married women.
Irotomesode : It's like Kurotomesode, but the background is not black. It's the second most formal kimono for married women.
Houmongi : It's for both married and unmarried women. It's formal, but it could be semi-casual. It's characterized by colorful designs on the back and the sleeves.
Tsukesage : It's for both married and unmarried women. It's a little less fancy than Houmongi.
Iromuji : It's characterized with the material of one color (no designs, except for the pattern on the material).
Komon : It's a casual Kimono, characterized by the design that is equally distributed throughout the kimono.
Yukata : It's a summer Kimono, made with cotton.
Mofuku : It's for funeral.
Haori : It's a short kimono, like a jacket.
Michiyuki : It is worn over Kimono as a coat.
Juban : It's also called Nagajuban, and it is worn as underwear.
Hakama : It's like pants.
Which Kimono should I buy?
Basically, we have two types of Kimono: Vintage Kimono (VIK series) and new Kimono (KI series).
KI series Kimono are somewhat westernized Kimono, and it is easy to wear and take care of. It comes with a belt and you do not need to know anything complicated to wear it. If you are looking for something you can wear as a nightgown , this is perfect.
On the other hand, VIK series Kimono are vintage Kimono. They are traditional Kimono, just like people in Japan wear. To actually wear this kind of Kimono, you need many accessories and need to learn how to tie Obi (belt). So, most people who buy these Kimono have told us that they are using it for interior decoration. But of course, it is possible to wear this in a non-traditional way, and we would like to encourage people to invent new ways to wear this.
If you would like to obtain something real and traditional, and if you would like to actually wear it without learning anything complicated, look for Haori and Michiyuki on the Kanaiya website (Kanaiya is a company in Japan with which we have a special agreement that you can order anything from their website through our company for the same prices). They can be worn like a jacket, and you do not need to know anything complicated.
How can I wear a traditional Kimono?
If you are interested in wearing a real kimono in a traditional way, here are the step-by-step instructions.
First, you need these accessories to tie Obi.
Obimakura: This gives the Obi volume.
Koshihimo (Karihimo): Tied underneath Kimono and prevent it from getting worn out of shape.
Obiita: Worn underneath the Obi and prevents it from getting wrinkled.
Datejime: Tucked in under the Obi and prevents it from getting wrinkled.
If you are interested in purchasing these items, please click here .
| i don't know |
Which creature is the emblem of St Agnes? | SIGNS: ANIMALS
APE: In art it depicts malice.
ASS: Humility. Patience. Animal of the poor.
BASILISK: A fabled creature, based on Psalm 91:13: naming four animals for the Antichrist. These were interpreted by St. Augustine as four aspects of the Devil, who was trodden down by the triumphing Christ. Although a well-established symbol, and often represented in the Middle Ages, the basilisk rarely appears in Italian paintings of the Renaissance.
BAT: Night. Desolation.
BEAR [wild]: Cruelty and evil influence. In the Old Testamtent it represented the kingdom of Persia.
BEAR [tame]: Christianity.Typical is the life of St. Euphemia, who, when thrown to wild animals in the arena, was shown honor by a bear who appeared tame, and would not eat her.
BEE: Tireless activity. Regal power. Chastity.
Also associated with St. Rita of Cascia.
BIRDS: Symbol of the "winged soul." Many artists have the Child Jesus holding a bird in His hand.
BLACKBIRD: The black feathers and melodious song represented the temptation of sin. Tradition tells us that one day when St. Benedict was praying the Devil appeared to him in the form of a blackbird which tried to divert him from his devotions. St. Benedict was not fooled: he made the Sign of the Cross and the Devil departed in haste.
BULL: Depicts strength; sometimes St. Sylvester is shown with a bull at his feet because he brought back a dead bull to life. If the bull is made of brass, this is a symbol of St. Eustace who was Martyred with his family by being encased in a brass bull under which a fire was ignited.
BUTTERFLY: Resurrection of Christ.
CAMEL: Represents the virtue of temperance because he can go a long time without water. Also a sign of royalty in the Old Testament. Camel's hair is one of the the symbols of St. John the Baptist.
CAT: Symbolizes laziness and lust gnerally because of its indolent habits, although the cat is a symbol of good, for instance, when it is shown with the Virgin because tradition has it that a cat gave birth to a litter of kittens in the stable at Bethlehem. Several Annunciation images portray the Virgin Mary with a little cat near her feet.
CENTAUR: This mythic animal, part horse, part man is a symbol of St. Anthony Abbot because a mysterious animal appeared to him to point the way to reach St. Paul the Hermit in the desert.
COCK: Because the cock crows early in the morning, it symbolizes vigilance, but when depicted in a painting of St. Peter, it signifies his denial of Jesus Christ and subsequent repentance. Thus the cock is now a symbol of the Passion. [John 13:38]
CRANE: Vigiliance. Loyalty and good works. Good order in monastic life.
It is thought that at night some cranes maintain watch for the others.
CROCODILE: Hypocrisy.
DOG: Fidelity. Loyalty. Watchfulness. Orthodoxy. There are many examples of the faithfulness of dogs, such as the dog of [St.] Tobias and St. Roch, which brought bread to the Saint and remained at hs side. A dog with a flame is a symbol of St. Dominic. Occasionally black and white dogs were used as symbols of the Dominicans [Domini canes, that is dogs of the Lord] because the friars wear black and white robes.
DOLPHIN: Resurrection. Faith. Love. Society. Since they swim alongside ships, they symbolize Christ guiding the Church. Often the dolphin is used to depict the whale of Jonah. When the dolphin is pictured with an anchor it represents the Catholic Church.
DOVE: Purity. Innocence. Peace. At the time of the flood, when Noah sent out for the last time the dove from the ark, it brought back an olive branch to show that the waters had receded and that God made peace with man. Under the Mosaic law the dove was used during the purification ceremony after the birth of a child. Thus one sometimes sees paintings of the Presentation of the Child Jesus with Joseph bearing two white turtledoves. [Luke 2:22, 24] As an emblem of purity the dove sometimes appears on top of St. Joseph's rod to show that he was chosen to be the husband of the Virgin Mary.
The dove was seen by the father of St. Catherine of Siena above her head while she was in prayer. The most important use of the dove in art, however, is as the symbol of the Holy Ghost, which first appears as such at the Baptism of Christ [John1:32]. The dove, symbol of the Third Person the Holy Trinity, is shown in images of the Trinity, Baptism, the Annunciation and with the Host and or Chalice at Holy Mass.
Seven doves are used to represent the seven spirits of God or the Holy Spirit in its sevenfold gifts of Grace. This refers to the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1, 2:
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of His roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."
The dove is also connected with the lives of several Saints other than St. Catherine. For instance, it is the attribute of St. Benedict because he saw the soul of his dead sister Scholastica fly up to Heaven in the shape of a white dove. The dove is also used as an attribute of St. Gregory the Great, for the dove of the Holy Spirit perched upon St. Gregory's shoulder while he wrote.
DRAGON: Satan.
Dragon chained or underfoot: The conquest of evil.
The dragon as the enemy of God is vividly portrayed in Revelation 12:7-9:
"And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his Angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found anymore in Heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his Angels were cast out with him."
The dragon, expelled from Heaven, continues his war against God. Thus, he is depicted as the devouring monster who angrily destroys his victims. The dragon is the attribute of St. Margaret, and of St. Martha, both of whom are said to have fought, and vanquished, a dragon. It is also the attribute of a number of other Saints, including St. George of Cappadocia, who slew the dragon 'through the power of Jesus Christ.' The dragon appears with the Apostle Philip, St. Sylvester, and the Archangel Michael, who is often shown with a dragon under foot, in token of his victory over the powers of of darkness. The serpent, symbolizing the Devil and Satan, is depicted as the tempter of Adam and Eve. 'And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat' [Genesis 3:13]. Thus, the serpent represents in general the wily tempter that betrays man into sin. The serpent is sometimes portrayed at the foot of the Cross to signify that the evil power responsible for man's fall has been overcome by the power of Christ, Who died that man might be redeemed.
EAGLE: The eagle may generally be interpreted as a symbol of the Resurrection. This is based upon the early belief that the eagle, unlike other birds, periodically renewed its plumage and its youthful vigor by flying near the sun and then plunging into the water. This interpretation is further borne out by Psalm 103:5: '. . . thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.'
The eagle is also used to represent the new life begun at the baptismal font and the Christian soul strengthened by grace. 'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles . . .' [Isaiah 40:31]. The eagle is said to have the ability to soar until it is lost to sight, and still retain its ability to gaze into the blazing midday sun. For this reason, it has come to symbolize Christ. In a more general sense, it symbolizes those who are just; or stands for the virtues of courage, faith, and contemplation. More rarely, when it is depicted as a bird of prey, the eagle suggests the demon who ravishes souls, or the sins of pride and worldly power.
The eagle also symbolizes generosity. It was believed that the eagle, no matter how great its hunger, always left half its prey to the birds that followed.
The eagle is the particular attribute of St. John the Evangelist. The vision of Ezekiel 1:5, 10: ". . . out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. ..as for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion . . . the face of an ox . . . the face of an eagle," is interpreted as referring to the four evangelists. Because St. John, in his Gospel, soared upward in his contemplation of the Divine nature of the Saviour, the eagle became his symbol. In a more general sense, the eagle came to represent the inspiration of the Gospels. It is from this symbolic interpretation that the lectern, from which the Gospels are read, is often given the form of a winged eagle.
EGG: Hope. Resurrection. The meaning is taken from the manner in which the young chick breaks forth from the egg at its birth.
ERMINE: Purity: the is small animal has a whitish fur and is said to prefer death to being defiled.
FALCON [wild]: Evil thought or action.
FALCON [tame or domestic]: Holy man or Gentile converted to Catholicism. Courtliness: a symbol of the page accompanying the Magi
FISH: Baptism. Believers. The symbol of Christ Himself, the most frequent symbolic use because
the five Greek letters forming the word 'fish' are the initial letters of the five words: 'Jesus Christ God's Soul Saviour'. In this sense, the fish symbol was frequently used in Early Christian art and literature. The fish is also used as a symbol of Baptism, for, just as the fish cannot live except in water, the Christian cannot live save through the waters of Baptism.
In Renaissance imagery, the fish is given as an attribute to Tobias because the gall of a fish restored the sight of his father Tobit; it is also given as an attribute to St. Peter, an allusion to his being a fisherman; and to St. Anthony of Padua, who preached to the
fish.
FLY: The fly has long been considered a bearer of evil or pestilence. In Catholic symbolism the fly is a symbol of sin. It sometimes appears in pictures of the Virgin and Child to convey the idea of sin and redemption. The fly as a bringer of disease was sometimes shown with the goldfinch, a 'saviour-bird' against the disease.
FOX: Cunning. Fraud. Lust. Cruelty. Traditionally the symbol of cunning and guile, the fox symbolized the Devil. Though it was shown frequently in sculpture during the Middle Ages, it was for the most part confined to book illustration during the Renaissance.
FROG: This has two opposite meanings:
1. Because of its reappearance after winter's hibernation, the Resurrection.
2. Because of its continual croaking and the fact that one of the plagues of Eygpt was a rain fo frogs [Chapter 8], it is sometimes the symbol of heretics or the repulsiveness of sin itself. More loosely, it is interpreted as a symbol of those who snatch at life's fleeting pleasures; hence it represents worldly things in general.
GIRAFFE: In the Renaissance the giraffe was depicted more because of its strange appearance and its rarity among animals in Europe than for any symbolic meaning.
GOAT: Fraud. Lust. Cruelty. The damned at the Last Judgement.
This interpretation is based upon a long passage in the Bible (Matthew 25:31-46) which relates how Christ upon His coming, shall separate the believing from the unbelieving, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. In the Renaissance the goat was usually shown in order to distinguish the sinners from the righteous.
GOLDFINCH: The goldfinch is fond of eating thistles and thorns, and since all thorny plants have been accepted as an allusion to Christ's crown of thorna, the goldfinch has become an accepted symbol of the Passion of Christ. In this sense, it frequently appears with the Christ Child, showing the close connection between the Incarnation and the Passion.
GOOSE: Since the time of the Romans, the goose has been a symbol of providence and vigilance. The legend of the Capitoline geese that saved Rome from the invasion of the Gauls is well known. In Catholic art the goose is sometimes given as an attribute to St. Martin of Tours, because a goose is supposed to have revealed his hiding place to the inhabitants of Tours, who had come to call the Saint to be their bishop.
GRASSHOPPER (Locust): The grasshopper, or locust, was one of the plagues visited upon the Egyptians because the Pharaoh's heart was hardened against the Word of the Lord. Accordingly, the grasshopper when held by the Christ Child is a symbol of the conversion of nations to Catholicism. This meaning is also derived from Proverbs 30:27: "The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands," a passage early interpreted as referring to the nations formerly without Christ for their King. St. John the Baptist was said to have fed on locusts.
GRIFFIN: This mythic creature, usually depicted with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, is used with two different and opposite meanings; on the one hand to represent the Saviour; on the other, because it is a combination of the preying of the eagle and the fierceness of the lion, to symboliz those who oppress and persecute Christians.
HARE/RABBIT: Lust. Hare/Rabbit at the feet: Victory over lust.
The hare, itself defenseless, is a symbol of men who put the hope of their salvation in the Christ and His Passion. A white hare is sometimes placed at the feet of the Virgin Mary to indicate her triumph over lust.
HOG: The hog is used to represent the demon of sensuality and gluttony. It is frequently shown as one of the attributes of St. Anthony Abbot, who is reputed to have vanquished this demon.
HORSE: In ancient times the horse was the emblem of the sun, as the ox was that of the moon. In the Renaissance, however, the horse was most often depicted as a symbol of lust. This interpretation is based on Jeremiah 5:8: "They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife."
HYENA: The unstable. Those who feed on false doctrine.
LAMB: Innocence. Gentleness. Patience. Humility. Symbol of Christ in His sacrificial role. Many scriptural passages give authority for this symbolism. One reference is John 1:29: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" The Holy Lamb is often depicted with a nimbus, standing upon a small hill from which four streams of water flow [Revelation 14:1]. The hill represents the Church of Christ, the mountain of God's house. The streams represent the four Holy Gospels, the four rivers of Paradise, ever flowing and refreshing the pastures of the Church on earth. In pictures where Christ is shown as the rescuing shepherd, the lamb is also used to symbolize the sinner. This subject, usually called the Good Shepherd, is very frequent in Early Christian art, but was seldom used in the Renaissance. During the Renaissance the lamb was often depicted in representations of the Holy Family with the Infant St. John. Here, the lamb alludes to St. John's mission as the forerunner of Christ, and his recognition of Christ as the Lamb of God at the time of His Baptism. This meaning is indicated by the portrayal of St. John the Baptist pointing to a lamb which he usually holds in his left hand. A variation on this theme can be viewed HERE.
The lamb (Latin, agnus) is given as an attribute to St. Agnes, who was Martyred because she declared herself to be the bride of Christ and refused to marry. It is also found as an attribute of St. Clement, who was guided by a lamb to the spot where he found water.
LARK: The lark, because it flies high and sings only when in flight toward Heaven, has been taken as the symbol of the humility of the priesthood.
LEOPARD: The leopard is a symbol of sin, cruelty, the Devil, and the Antichrist. It sometimes appears in representations of the Adoration of the Magi to show that the Incarnation of Christ was necessary for redemption from sin.
LION: Strength. Our Lord. Courage. Fortitude. Kingliness. The lion is used in Renaissance art with various meanings, depending upon the circumstances. In general, when it is used it is emblematic of strength, majesty, courage, and fortitude. Because it once was believed that young lions are born dead, but come to life three days after birth when breathed upon by their sire, the lion has become associated with the Resurrection, and this is why it is symbol of Christ, the Lord of Life.
The lion is one of the four animals that appear in the prophecy of Ezekiel. He is the symbol of the Evangelist Mark because St. Mark in his Gospel dwells most fully upon the Resurrection of Christ and proclaims with great emphasis the royal dignity of Christ. The winged lion is invariably the attribute of St. Mark, and appears also as the emblem of Venice, because this city was under the protection of St. Mark. St. Jerome is also closely identified with the lion. According to tradition the Saint removed a painful thorn from the paw of a lion, who thereupon became his close and faithful friend. It was a medieval belief that the lion slept with its eyes open. For this reason, he also became a symbol of watchfulness. In rarer instances the lion, because of its pride and fierceness, was used as symbol of the Prince of Darkness, this interpretation being suported by Psalm 90:13: "Thou shalt tread upon the lion an adder . . ." This passage is interpreted as Christ triumphing over the Devil. In addition, lions appear as attributes of St. Mary of Egypt, St. Euphemia, St. Onuphrius, and St. Paul the Hermit.
OWL: The owl, since it hides in darkness and fears the light, has come to symbolize Satan, the Prince of Darkness. As Satan deceives humanity, so the owl is said to trick other birds, causing them to fall into the snares set by hunters. The owl also symbolizes solitude and, in this sense, appears in scenes of hermits at prayer. Its most ancient-thought attribute, however, is that of wisdom, and with this meaning, it is sometimes shown with St. Jerome. In another sense, the owl is an attribute of Christ, Who sacrificed Himself to save mankind, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death
. . ." [Luke 1:79]. This explains the occasional presence of the owl in scenes of the Crucifixion.
OX: Patience. Strength. Service. Endurance. Sacrifice. The ox, a sacrificial animal of the Jews, was often used in Renaissance painting to represent the Jewish nation. It is also a symbol of patience and strength as indicated aboveand almost invariably, the ox and the ass appear together in paintings of the Nativity. In the writings of some of the early Christian fathers, the ox is accepted as a symbol of Christ, the true sacrifice. This symbol is similarly used to represent all who patiently bear their yoke while laboring in silence for the good of others. The winged ox is the attribute of St. Luke because of his emphasis upon the sacrificial aspects of our Lord's atonement as well as upon the Divine priesthood.
PARTRIDGE: In a good sense, the partridge is used as a symbol of the Church and of truth; but it is ordinarily symbolic of deceit and theft, and in a more general sense, of the Devil: "As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst, his days, and at his end shall be a fool." [Jeremiah 17:11]
PEACOCK: In Catholic art the peacock is used as the symbol of immortality. This symbolism is derived from an ancient belief that the flesh of the peacock does not decay. It is with this meaning that it appears in scenes of the Nativity. The 'hundred eyes' in the peacock's tail are sometimes used to symbolize the 'all seeing' Church. The peacock's habit of strutting and displaying the beauty of its feathers has caused it also to become a symbol of worldly pride and vanity. A peacock's feather is sometimes an attribute of St. Barbara, in reference to Heliopolis, the city of her birth.
PELICAN: According to ancient belief, the pelican, which has the greatest love of all creatures for its offspring, pierces its breast to feed
them with its own blood: It is on this basis that the pelican came to symbolize Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, because of His love for all mankind. In this sense, it also symbolizes the Eucharistic Sacrament. This interpretation is supported by Psalm 101:7: "I am like a pelican of the wilderness," which is an accepted allusion to Christ. The pelican is sometimes shown nesting on the top of the Cross.
PHOENIX: The phoenix was a mythic bird of great beauty which lived in the Arabian wilderness. Its life span was said to be between three hundred and five hundred years. Periodically, it burned itself upon a funeral pyre; whereupon, it would rise from its own ashes, restored to all the freshness of youth, and would tenter upon another cycle of life. The phoenix was introduced into Christian symbolism as early as the first century, when the legend of this bird was related by St. Clement in his first Epistle to the Corinthians. In early Catholic art, the phoenix constantly appears on funeral stones, its particular meaning being the resurrection of the dead and the triumph of eternal life over death. The phoenix later became a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ, and commonly appears in connection with the Crucifixion. In another sense, the phoenix stands for faith and constancy. Though popular in the art of the Middle Ages, the phoenix is rare in Italian Renaissance paintings.
RAM: Symbol of Christ. Leader of the herd. Because the ram is the leader of the herd, it is used as a symbol for Christ. Also, in the same way that the ram fights with the wolf and vanquishes him, so Christ battles with Satan and is victorious. The ram, the animal God caused to be placed in a thorny bush so that Abraham might sacrifice it in place of his son Isaac, represents Christ crowned with thorns and sacrifIced for mankind. In a general sense, the ram is used as symbol for strength.
RAT/MOUSE: The rat, or the mouse, because of its destructiveness, is symbolic of evil. It is rarely seen in Renaissance art except as an attribute of St. Fina. The mouse is also a symbol for St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the patron of those who fear mice.
RAVEN: According to a Jewish legend, the raven was originally white, but its feathers turned black when it failed to return to the ark, from which Noah had sent it to find out if the flood abated. Because of the blackness of its plumage, its supposed habit of devouring the eyes and the brain of the dead, and its liking spoiled flesh, the raven was selected as a symbol of the Devil, who throws the soul into darkness, invades the intelligence, and is gratified by corruption. The raven appears in a more favorable light in relation to certain Saints. It is the attribute of St. Vincent because God sent a raven to guard his sacred remains. The raven is also the attribute of St. Anthony Abbot and St. Paul the Hermit because it brought them a loaf of bread each day while they lived together in the desert. The raven, as symbolic of solitude, is associated with these hermit Saints.
SCORPION: The scorpion is one of the symbols of evil. The sting of the tail of the scorpion is poisonous and causes great agony the person who is stung. It is often mentioned in the Bible, ". . . their torment was the torment of a scorpion, when it striketh a man" [Apocalypse 9:5]. Because of the treachery of its bite, the scorpion became a symbol of Judas. As a symbol of treachery, the scorpion appears on the flags and shields held by the soldiers who assisted at the Crucifixion of Christ.
SNAIL: The snail was believed to be born from the mud, and to feed upon it. It was, therefore, interpreted as the symbol of the sinner, and of laziness, because it made no effort to seek food, but ate what it found at hand.
SNAKE: Satan. Evil. This is because the Devil came in the form of a "serpent" or snake to Eve in the Garden of Paradise.
SPARROW: Considered to be the lowliest among all birds, the sparrow came to be used as a symbol of the lowly, the least among all people, who were, nevertheless, under the protection of God the Father; for even the sparrow came to earth only through the will of God, and received from Him its means of life. It is also a symbol of the Holy Family, who lived a humble, lowly life in obedience to the will of God.
SPIDER: The spider is used symbolically, first to represent the miser, for it bleeds the fly as the miser bleeds the poor; second, to represent the Devil, for the Devil prepares his traps as the spider, does its web; and third, to represent the malice of evil-doers whose webs will perish like those of the spider. The cobweb is a symbol of human frailty.
STAG/HART/DEER/HIND: Piety.Faithful Christian longing for God. Christ the Savior. The stag takes its symbolic significance from Psalm 41:1: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Thus, the stag has come to typify piety and religious aspiration. Similarly, because the stag seeks freedom and refuge in the high mountains, it has been used to symbolize the solitude and purity of life.
The stag, as the attribute of St. Eustace and St. Hubert, is shown with a crucifix between its horns. The stag without the crucifix is an attribute of St. Julian the Hospitator. The stag or hind is also the symbol of St. Giles, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers because every day for a considerable period of time, when the Saint was living in the forest, a hind came to him to be milked as would a cow, thus supplying the hermit Abbot with milk.
STORK: The stork is a symbol of prudence and vigilance, piety, and chastity. It was associated with the Annunciation because, as the stork announces the coming of spring, the Annunciation to Mary indicated the Advent of Christ. It is possible that the present north European and American fable whch is sometimes told to children that newborn babies are carried to their mothers by storks, may be derived from the association of this bird with the Annunciation.
SWALLOW: In the Renaissance the swallow was a symbol of the Incarnation of Christ. For this reason, it appears in scenes of the Annunciation and of the Nativity, nestling under the eaves or in holes in the wall. It was thought that the swallow hibernated in the mud during the winter, and its advent in the spring was looked upon as a rebirth from the death-like state of winter. For this reason it also became a symbol of resurrection.
UNICORN. The unicorn, according to myth, was a small animal, similar in size to a kid, but surprisingly fierce and swift with a very sharp, single horn in the center of its forehead like the rhinoceros. Suposedly no hunter could capture the animal by force, but it could be taken by means of tricking with bait, that of a pure virgin. The unicorn, sensing the purity of the maiden would run to her, lay its head in her lap, and fall asleep. Thus it was captured. For obvious reasons the mythic unicorn was early accepted as the symbol of purity in general and of feminin chastity in particular, an allegory of the Annunciation and the Incarnation of Christ, born of a Virgin. Thus, the unicorn is usually an attribute of the Virgin Mary, bul also of St. Justina of Padua and of St. Justina of Antioch, who retained their purity under great temptation.
The unicorn is mentioned many times in Scripture, in truth the rhinoceros, for this term was not yet coined. One instance is Psalm 91:11: "But my horn shall be exalted like the unicorn .. ."
WHALE: According to ancient legend, the huge body of the whale was often mistaken by mariners for an island, and ships anchored to its side were dragged down to destruction by a sudden plunge of the great creature. In this way, the whale came to be used as a symbol of the Devil and of his cunning, and the whale's open mouth was often depicted to represent the open gates of Hell. The whale also appears in the Biblical account of Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale and disgorged three days later. Allegorically, the experience of Jonah is likened to Christ in the sepulchre and His Resurrection after three days. Unfamiliarity with the appearance and habits of the whale, and even with the identification of the Biblical sea-monster as such, prevented the artists of the Italian Renaissance from painting naturalistic whales. Rather, Jonah's monster was, to them, either something in the way of a dragon, a great shaggy fish, or a dolphin.
WOLF: Heresy. Gluttony. False prophets. The Devil. Yet, in sharp contrast, the wolf is sometimes used as an attribute of St. Francis of Assisi. This is based on the famous story of the wolf of Gubbio. A wolf that had been doing great damage was being hunted by the people of Gubbio, when St. Francis encountered it. He addressed it as 'Brother Wolf,' and protected it as a fellow creature who knew no better, and set about to reform it.
WOODPECKER: The woodpecker is usually symbolic of the Devil, or of heresy, which undermines human nature and leads man to danmation.
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What name is given to the carved seashells or whalebone fashioned by sailors? | Who Was Saint Agnes? | The Church of Saint Agnes
Who Was Saint Agnes?
The Church of Saint Agnes
1680 Dixie Highway, Fort Wright, KY 41011
The Church of Saint Agnes
1680 Dixie Highway, Fort Wright, KY 41011
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Who Was Saint Agnes?
Saint Agnes is also known as Agnes of Rome, Ines, Ines del Campo, and Ynez. The name “Agnes” is similar to the Latin word agnus, which means “lamb”. For this reason depictions of Saint Agnes often include a lamb. The name actually comes from a Greek word which means “chaste, pure, sacred”.
Agnes is one of the “virgin martyrs” of the church of Rome. She is one of seven women, in addition to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who are mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I). Saints Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Cecilia, and Anastasia are the other six. Agnes is a patron saint of chastity, gardeners, girls, Girl Scouts, engaged couples and victims of rape.
There are a diversity of accounts of her martyrdom (by fire, or sword) from very early on, and so it is hard to know much with certainty. The historical record of the specific circumstance/reasons for her martyrdom is also unclear. Most date her martyrdom to the year 304 under the Emperor Diocletion, but the evidence again is not unanimous. All sources seem to agree that she was very young, 12-13 years old, when she was martyred, in the late 3rd or early 4th century. It is the tradition that she was martyred on January 21, and so her feast day is January 21. It was the custom in the early church to commemorate martyrs on the day of their birth into eternal life. However, her regular birthday, January 28 has also been commemorated in our church's history.
The bones of Saint Agnes are preserved in the Church of Sant'Agnese Fuore le Mura (Saint Agnes Outside the Walls) in Rome. This church was built over the catacombs that were constructed around the tomb of Saint Agnes. Her skull is preserved in a side chapel of the Church Sant'Agnese in Agone (Saint Agnes in Agony) which is in Rome's Piazza Navona. The Fountain of the Four Rivers is immediately in front of the church.
One of the traditions associated with Saint Agnes is that on the Feast of Saint Agnes, two lambs who have been raised at the local Trappist Monastery of Tre Fontane, are brought to the Basilica of Saint Agnes Outside the Walls and are blessed. The lambs are raised into sheep by the Benedictine Sisters of Cecilia in Trastavere (a section of Rome near the Vatican). The sheep are sheered each year on Holy Thursday. The wool from these lambs is then woven into material that is used to make around 12 pallia.(Latin singular=pallium, plural=pallia). The pallia are placed near the tomb of Saint Peter on June 28, the vigil of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul where they remain overnight. The pallia are then kept for future use in the “niche of the pallia” in a confessional near the tomb of Saint Peter.
A palium is a collar-like vestment that is the symbol of the office of an archbishop. It is ornamented with six crosses and is worn over a chasuable. A palium is presented to an archbishop by the Pope, and is symbolic of his unity with the Pope. Since the Diocese of Rome is an archdiocese, the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome is also an archbishop. He also wears a pallium .
Saint Agnes is the patroness of our parish. August Knochelman, who donated much of the land (4.9 acres) of our current parish property wanted the parish to be under the patronage of Saint Philomena. Bishop Howard however, decided that it would be under the patronage of Saint Agnes. The reasons for his decision are apparently lost to history. Our parish actually began as a mission attached to the Cathedral Parish in 1930. It was established as an independent parish in 1954.
A medallion with a primary relic of Saint Agnes, along with a certificate of authentication, is framed underneath the statue of Saint Agnes in our church. A second primary relic is displayed in an ostensorium, kept in a display case in our chapel. Also in the same display case are relics of Saint Agatha (like Agnes, a virgin martyr) and Saint Anthony of Padua.
Sources: Catholic Encyclopedia on line, Wikopedia, For a contemporary and very thought-provoking reflection on the tradition of the virgin martyrs, please see, “The Virgin Martyrs: Between ‘Point Verge' and the ‘Usual Spring'” , in The Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris, pages 186-205. Excerpts below:
While the names of many of the young women martyrs of the early church are known to us (Agatha, Agnes, Barbara, Catherine, Cecilia, Dorothy, Lucy, Margaret), the political nature of their martyrdom has been obscured by the passage of time and by church teaching that glorifies only their virginity, which we erroneously conceive of as a passive and merely physical condition. For them, virginity was anything but passive; it was a state of being, of powerful potential, a point vierge from which they could act in radical resistance to authority.
What we resist seeing in late-twentieth century America–where we are conditioned, relentlessly, by images of girls' and women's bodies as available–is the depth of that soul, and how fierce a young girl's sense of bodily and spiritual integrity can be. Prepubescent and adolescent girls often express, as Robert Bolt says of St. Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons, “an adamantine sense of self”. This is not necessarily a sure sense of who they are–in girls, this is still developing–but rather a solid respect for their physical boundaries. In the early Christian martyrs, this expressed itself as an unshakable faith in Jesus Christ, which enabled them to defy worldly authority. And, as Andrea Dworkin states in a chapter on virginity in her book Intercourse, each of the virgin martyrs “viewed the integrity of her physical body as synonymous with the purity of her faith, her purpose, her self-determination, her honor.”
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Which hairdresser created the ‘wash n‘ wear bob’ in 1965? | Vidal Sassoon, Hairdresser and Trendsetter, Dies at 84 - The New York Times
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Fashion & Style |Vidal Sassoon, Hairdresser and Trendsetter, Dies at 84
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Vidal Sassoon in a scene from the documentary film “Vidal Sassoon The Movie.” He is shown on the Millennium Bridge in London. Credit Phase 4 Films
Vidal Sassoon, whose mother had a premonition that he would become a hairdresser and steered him to an apprenticeship in a London shop when he was 14, setting him on the path that led to his changing the way women wore and cared for their hair, died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 84.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles police, who were called to the home, on Mulholland Drive, confirmed the death, attributing it to natural causes. Mr. Sassoon was known to have leukemia.
Mr. Sassoon brought a kind of architectural design to the haircut in the late 1950s and early 1960s, developing a look that eschewed the tradition of stiff, sprayed styles with the hair piled high and that dispensed with the need for women to wear hair curlers to bed and make weekly trips to the salon.
For Mr. Sassoon, the cut was the thing — just about the only thing — and he fashioned his clients’ hair into geometric shapes and sharp angles to complement their facial bone structure. His short, often striking styles helped define a new kind of sexy. They were also easy to care for and maintain — the wash-and-wear look, it was sometimes called — and they helped propel the youthful revolution in fashion (and just about everything else) that gripped London and then America and the rest of the world in the 1960s.
One of his early clients was the mod fashion designer Mary Quant, who created the miniskirt. Referring to it in a 2010 documentary film about him, she said to him, “You put the top on it.”
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“He changed the way everyone looked at hair,” Grace Coddington, the creative director of American Vogue, said in an interview on Wednesday. “Before Sassoon, it was all back-combing and lacquer; the whole thing was to make it high and artificial. Suddenly you could put your fingers through your hair!”
Ms. Coddington, who was a model for Mr. Sassoon in the 1960s, wore the original version of the quintessential Sassoon style known as the five-point cut, a snug, sleek helmet with a W cut at the nape of the neck and a pointed spike in front of each ear.
“He didn’t create it for me; he created it on me,” Ms. Coddington said. “It was an extraordinary cut; no one has bettered it since. And it liberated everyone. You could just sort of drip-dry it and shake it.”
Mr. Sassoon’s salon on Bond Street in London became a hive of beautiful people, as did the ones he opened on Madison Avenue in New York in 1965 and, afterward, in Beverly Hills. Eventually he operated more than 20. Roman Polanski used the London salon for his film “Repulsion,” starring Catherine Deneuve, and he later created a sensation when he paid Mr. Sassoon $5,000 to cut Mia Farrow ’s hair for “Rosemary’s Baby” and invited the news media to see it. The very short cut became Ms. Farrow’s signature, and the film proved to be a fine advertisement for him.
“It’s Vidal Sassoon!” Ms. Farrow says to a shocked character in the film. “It’s very in.”
Mr. Sassoon became a business pioneer as well, creating a line of hair products under his name. The shampoos, conditioners and other products were famously sold in television commercials featuring a woman with a lustrous head of hair and the handsome, debonair Mr. Sassoon at her side, declaring, “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.” Sales reached more than $100 million annually before he sold the company in 1983.
“He was the creator of sensual hair,” John Barrett, founder of the John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman, said Wednesday. “This was somebody who changed our industry entirely, not just from the point of view of cutting hair but actually turning it into a business. He was one of the first who had a product line bought out by a major corporation.”
Born in London in 1928, Mr. Sassoon was the child of poor parents. After his father left the family, he was raised partly in a Jewish orphanage until his mother remarried and reunited with Vidal when he was 11. He was an avid soccer player as a boy — and a lifelong fitness devotee — but he turned to hairdressing after his mother claimed she had had a vision of his future. She took him to a local shop where the proprietor decided the boy would do as an apprentice because he had good manners.
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The shop was in a working-class neighborhood, and young Vidal, dreaming of better things, took elocution lessons to rid himself of his cockney diction. Meanwhile, he joined a Jewish organization that battled in the streets with the Mosley-ites, anti-Semitic British fascists who were followers of Oswald Mosley. In 1948, he traveled to Israel and fought in the war for its independence.
Mr. Sassoon opened his first salon in 1954.
“I made up my mind then that if I was going to be in hairdressing long term, I wanted to change things,” he recalled in the documentary “Vidal Sassoon: The Movie.” “I didn’t have a picture of what hair should be, but I had a definite picture of what hair shouldn’t be.”
Over nine years — inspired, he said, by Bauhaus architecture — he evolved his geometric style.
“When I looked at the architecture, the structure of buildings that were going up worldwide, you saw a whole different look, in shape,” he said. “My sense was hairdressing definitely needed to be changing.” He added: “To me hair meant geometry, angles. Cutting uneven shapes, as long as it suited that face and that bone structure.”
A breakthrough came in 1963 when he cut the long hair of the Hong Kong-born actress Nancy Kwan into a bob with sharp face-framing points; photos of what became known as the Kwan bob or the Kwan cut or simply the Kwan appeared in British and American Vogue and on fashion pages around the world.
Mr. Sassoon is survived by his fourth wife, Rhonda, and three children. A daughter, Catya, died of a drug overdose in 2002.
Especially in the early days, Mr. Sassoon was a disciplinarian as a salon keeper, known to send employees home if their shoes were not shined or to admonish a client touching her hair in mid-cut with a slap of the comb. As he developed his ideas, he did not always have patience with clients who wanted things their way rather than his. Once in frustration, he confessed, he threw a pair of scissors in the air and they stuck in the ceiling.
Rebecca R. Ruiz contributed reporting.
A version of this article appears in print on May 10, 2012, on Page B14 of the New York edition with the headline: Vidal Sassoon, Hairdresser And Trendsetter, Dies at 84. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe
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Used in brewing what is Humulus Lupulus? | Vidal Sassoon - Telegraph
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Vidal Sassoon
Vidal Sassoon, who has died aged 84, was at the cutting edge – literally and metaphorically – of hairdressing; his sharp, geometric, low-maintenance 1960s hairstyles revolutionised his craft, sounding the death knell for the stiff, set hairdos of the 1950s. An astute businessman, Sassoon made a fortune from his salons and products, and became a household name.
Vidal Sassoon in 1988 Photo: REX
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Hairdresser Vidal Sassoon is seen here with his wife Beverly Adams at Heathrow after their honeymoon in America. Photo: REX FEATURES
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Vidal Sassoon, aged 65, celebrates 50 years in the beauty business with some of his models Photo: REX
6:08PM BST 10 May 2012
“I wanted to eliminate the superfluous and get to the basic angles of cut and shape,” he reminisced in Craig Teper’s 2010 film, Vidal Sassoon, The Movie. Indeed, the word “hairdressing”, associated with formally-arranged “helmet” hairdos of the post-war years, held in place with stiff perms and lacquers, was anathema to Sassoon, who wanted his smooth, flat hairstyles to emphasise the face.
In an interview with the Telegraph in 2011, Vidal Sassoon shed light on his lengthy career
Beginning in the 1950s, he cut hair at razor-sharp angles to allow his clients’ cheekbones to become more prominent – to flattering effect. In 1963, he created his avant-garde five-point-cut, which, at the back, followed the hairline. Originally modelled by Grace Coddington, it was the culmination of almost a decade of restless experimentation.
Coaxed by his charm and confidence, Sassoon’s clients relinquished their backcombed coiffures for a more “progressive” look, created, he said, by his instinct for what he felt was right. Free of hair lacquer, cut simply using scissors, his low-maintenance, sleek, glossy styles swung effortlessly back into place, giving rise to the term “wash and wear”. The Sassoon cut came to epitomise the futuristic aesthetic of the Swinging Sixties as much as the miniskirts of Mary Quant (whose own characteristic bob sprung from Sassoon’s scissors) and the geometric simplicity of André Courrèges’s fashions.
In fact Sassoon, who was born in London to Sephardic Jewish parents, was chiefly inspired by the starkly modernist aesthetic of the Bauhaus, specifically that of Mies van der Rohe’s architecture. He often said that had he not come from a grindingly poor background, he would have been an architect.
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His love of modernism was reflected in his open-plan, unisex Bond Street salon, which he opened in the mid-1950s. Gargantuan windows, allowing passers-by to see what was happening, helped demystify what went on inside. “It” girls and actresses clamoured for Sassoon’s radically innovative haircuts. When he lopped off Nancy Kwan’s four-foot mane, the terrified actress, unable to watch, played chess with her manager. Yet the resulting reinterpretation of a Twenties bob – named after her – was photographed by Terence Donovan and featured in Vogue.
Sassoon was also responsible for Mia Farrow’s ultra-gamine crop in the 1968 movie Rosemary’s Baby, directed by Roman Polanski (another client, as was Peter O’Toole). Her mention of it in the film – “It’s a Vidal Sassoon, it’s terribly in” – brought him to the attention of America.
Sassoon moved across the Atlantic in the late Sixties with his second wife Beverly, first to New York, then to Los Angeles. Together they wrote the bestselling book, A Year of Beauty and Health. He also built up a multi-million dollar hair and skin products corporation whose slogan was: “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.” In 1982, he sold all the rights to his name and image to Richardson-Vicks, which was bought by Procter & Gamble in 1985. Sassoon ended up suing the latter, alleging it had destroyed his brand by skimping on marketing in favour of the company’s other hair products. However, there was a silver lining to this episode: he met his fourth wife, Rhonda, at P&G’s headquarters, where she was a design consultant. They were happily married for 20 years.
A Peter Pan-like figure, Sassoon kept forever youthful by practising Pilates and yoga. But besides an interest in aesthetics and physical wellbeing, he also had a deep-rooted sense of justice. He fought against anti-Semitic yobs rampaging around east London after the Second World War and set up a research centre for gathering information about anti-Semitism. He was also generous to charities, such as the Katrina Fund, which gives money to victims of the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.
Vidal Sassoon was born in Hammersmith on January 17 1928. His father Jack was a carpet-trader, his mother Betty, who came from a family of immigrants from Spain, worked in a sweatshop in Whitechapel. Sassoon had a younger brother, Ivor, who died aged 46. Jack, a womaniser, deserted the family when Vidal (who said his father spoke seven languages and made love in all of them) was three.
Lacking money to pay the rent, his mother was evicted, and the family was taken in by her sister in her overcrowded home in a tenement block on Petticoat Lane. Sassoon’s mother then placed him in a Jewish orphanage for seven years. Although conditions there were harsh, he was delighted that, for the first time, he could enjoy a hot bath. His mother was allowed to visit once a month.
During the Second World War, Sassoon briefly worked delivering messages by bike from the City to the docks. When he was 14, his mother, who somehow seems to have had a premonition that he would be a hairdresser, whisked him off to the Whitechapel hair salon of Adolph Cohen, where he worked as a shampoo boy.
After the war, outraged that Oswald Mosley’s followers were yelling “Yids out!” in London in the wake of the Holocaust, he joined the 43 group, a Jewish association established to campaign against anti-Semitism. In 1948, aged 20, Sassoon volunteered to fight in the Arab-Israeli war as part of the fledgling Israeli army. Fighting near Gaza, his unit suffered heavy casualties.
Back home, he applied to train under the flamboyant hairdresser “Teasy-Weasy” Raymond, but had to take elocution lessons (with the voice coach Iris Warren) to lose his East End accent before being taken on. It was while working for Raymond that he rebelled against the backcombing orthodoxy of the day. Soon he opened his own salon.
Sassoon was as demanding a boss as Raymond, often re-cutting his colleagues’ haircuts, though his demeanour was modern, dynamic and informal: he would dance nimbly round his clients while trimming their locks. On the first occasion he snipped Mary Quant’s, in 1957, he cut her ear, causing blood to gush everywhere. Fortunately she just giggled.
In 1965 he opened his first salon in New York. The press went wild, feting him as the crimping equivalent of the Beatles. His star rose even further in the early 1980s when he presented a television show called Your New Day, in which he interviewed stars on subjects other than those for which they were famous: Twiggy, for example, talked about her love of sewing.
But the ever-youthful Sassoon, who swore by health drinks made of wheatgerm, soya and lecithin, and embraced plastic surgery, could not hold back the years forever. In 2009 he was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Vidal Sassoon was married four times and freely admitted that his first three marriages were casualties of his workaholism and ambition. He married his first wife, Elaine Wood, his salon receptionist, in 1956; his second, the actress Beverly Adams, in 1967. They had a son and two daughters of whom one, Catya, died of a drug overdose in 2002, a tragedy that haunted Sassoon for the last years of his life. They also adopted another son. He and Beverly divorced in 1980. His third wife was Jeanette Hartford-Davis, a dressage champion and former model. In 1992, he married Rhonda, who survives him with his three children.
Vidal Sassoon, born January 17 1928, died May 9 2012
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Which condition was known as ‘The King’s Evil’? | King’s evil and the royal touch
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King’s evil and the royal touch
Charles II touching a patient for the King's evil.
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In the Middle Ages it was believed in England and France that a touch from royalty could heal skin disease known as scrofula or the ‘king's evil’. Scrofula was usually a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck caused by tuberculosis . The practice began with King Edward the Confessor in England (1003/4-1066) and Philip I (1052-1108) in France.
Subsequent English and French kings were thought to have inherited this ‘royal touch’, which was supposed to show that their right to rule was God-given. In grand ceremonies, kings touched hundreds of people afflicted by scrofula. They received special gold coins called 'touchpieces' which they often treated as amulets .
By the late 1400s it was believed that you could also be cured by touching a type of coin called an angel, which had been touched by the monarch. After angels ceased to be minted in the 1620s the same effect was said to be achieved by touching a gold medallion embossed much like the old coin.
Some monarchs touched many people. King Henry IV of France touched up to 1500 victims at one time. The last English monarch to carry out this practice was Queen Anne, who died in 1714, but it continued in France. Louis XV touched more than 2000 scrofula victims and the last French monarch to do this was Charles X in 1825.
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Which adventurer lived at 7 Savile Row? | The King’s Evil Cured By A Royal Touch
Home > Superstitions > The King’s Evil Cured By A Royal Touch
The King’s Evil Cured By A Royal Touch
Having just seen Mr. Carte’s “History of England,” I found the following remarkable story, which he has laboriously introduced by way of note to illustrate his history a thousand years preceding. Speaking of the unction of kings, and the gift of healing the scrophulous humour call’d the king’s evil, exercised by some European princes, anointed at their coronations, and succeeding lineally to their crowns by proximity of blood, he says : But whatever is to be said in favour of its being appropriated to the eldest descendant of the first branch of the royal line of the kings of France, England, etc., I have myself seen a very remarkable instance of such a cure, which could not possibly be ascribed to the regal unction.
One Christopher Lovel, born at Wells in Somersetshire, but when he grew up residing in the city of Bristol, where he got his living by labour, was extremely afflicted for many years with that distemper, and such a flow of the scrophulous humour, that tho’ it found a vent by five running sores about his breast, neck, and arms, there was such a tumour on one side of his neck, as left no hollow between his cheek and the upper part of his left shoulder, and forced him to keep his head always awry. The young man was reduced, by the virulence of the humour, to the lowest state of weakness ; appeared a miserable object in the eyes of all the inhabitants of that populous city ; and having for many years tried all the remedies which the art of physick could administer, without receiving any benefit, resolved at last to go abroad to be touched. He had an uncle in the place, who was an old seaman, and carried him from Bristol, at the end of August, A.D. 1716, along with him to Cork in Ireland, where he put him on board a ship that was bound to St. Martin’s in the isle of Ree. From thence Christopher made his way first to Paris, and thence to the place where he was touched, in the beginning of November following, by the eldest lineal descendant of a race of kings, who had indeed, for a long succession of ages, cured that distemper by the royal touch. But this descendant and next heir of their blood had not, at least at that time, been crowned or anointed. The usual effect, however, followed : from the moment that the man was touched and invested with the narrow ruband, to which a small piece of silver was pendant, according to the rites prescribed in the office appointed by the church for that solemnity, the humour dispersed insensibly, his sores healed up, and he recovered strength daily, till he arrived in perfect health, in the beginning of January following, at Bristol, having spent only four months and some few days in his voyage. There it was, and in the week preceding St. Paul’s fair, that I saw the man, in his recovered vigour of body, without any remains of his complaint, but what were to be seen in the red scars then left upon the five places, where the sharp humour had found a vent, but which were otherwise entirely healed, and as sound as any other part of his body. Dr. Lane, an eminent physician in the place, whom I visited on my arrival, told me of this cure, as the most wonderful thing that ever happened; and pressed me as well to see the man upon whom it was performed, as to talk about his case with Mr. Samuel Pye, a very skilful surgeon, and I believe still living in that city ; who had tried in vain, for three years together, to cure the man by physical remedies. I had an opportunity of doing both ; and Mr. Pye, after dining together, carrying me to the man, I examined and informed myself fully of all particulars, relating as well to his illness as his cure; and found upon the whole, that if it is not to be deemed miraculous, it at least deserved the character, given of it by Dr. Lane, of being one of the most wonderful events that has ever happened. There are abundance of in-stances of the cure of the king’s evil, by the touch of our English princes in former times, mentioned by Tucker in his book on that subject : and it is observable that the author was himself an infidel on that head, till convinced of his mistake by the late learned Mr. Anstis, garter-king-of-arms, who furnished him with those proofs out of the English records, which attest the facts, and are printed in that treatise. But I am apt to think there never was an instance in which the distemper had prevailed to an higher degree, or the surprizing cure of it was known to such infinite multitudes of people, as in the case of Christopher Lovel. (Vide book iv., p. 291.)
In your paper of the 7th I find a quotation from Mr. Carte’s ” History of England,” of one Christopher Lovel of this city, whom the author affirms he saw after he had been cured of an inveterate king’s-evil by the touch of a certain pretended r–I hand, when the skill of the most able physician and surgeon had proved ineffectual; and was surprized to see such an idle Ja te tale, calculated to support the old thread bare notion of the divine hereditary right of a certain house, which notion, I thought, had been long exploded by men of sense, and existed no where but in the brains of popish enthusiasts and credulous bigots.
The illustrious royal family now on the throne despise such childish delusions.
I have made a faithful enquiry into the story of this Lovel, and shall endeavour to prove the fallacy of it.
‘Tis acknowledged that the rumour of this remarkable cure made a great noise in this city amongst the ignorant and disaffected. Great numbers visited the patient to be convinced of the truth of this miracle, and greedily swallowed the delusion ; as the doctrine of divine hereditary right had been industriously propagated for some years before. That high scorbutick ulcers will accidentally cicatrize and dry up, and afterwards break out in other parts of the body from unknown causes, every physician and surgeon well knows. But I will account for this cure in a natural way. Physicians and surgeons all agree, that change of air and diet, with a long course of exercise,* are the most probable means of removing or curing all chronick disorders. All these Lovel must necessarily have had from St. Martin’s in France to Avignon, and back again to England : every day, nay, every hour he travelled, he must imbibe new columns of air. His food, which before was beef, pork, and such sort of coarse scorbutick diet, was thin light soups and vegetables. His drink at home was generally large draughts of ale and spirituous liquors ; whereas abroad it was water, or perhaps sometimes a little wine. This alteration of diet, with daily exercise, must doubtless have salutary influence upon his disease.
When he had been touch’d by the Pretender at Avignon, he was immediately put under the care of physicians and surgeons, who used their art upon him, imagining the latter more efficacious than the former. After near five months’ absence he came back to Bristol, and declared himself healed by the touch. But, alas : his cure lasted but a short time; his sores broke out in many other parts of his body with violence : so he returned into France again in hopes of the same success, but the poor wretch never reach’d Avignon, but died miser-ably on the road.
This, upon my reputation, is the best history I can gain of Mr. Carte’s tremendous miracle, which can be well attested, if required.
It is granted that this Lovel was in appearance cured of the king’s evil ; but then his cure was only temporary. In the neighbourhood where he lived, and worked as a labourer (to turn the wheel for the pewterers), he had a very ill character in his morals, but of great pre-tended orthodoxy, and the divine hereditary right of an abjured family.
Can any man with a grain of reason believe, that such an idle, superstitious charm, as the touch of a man’s hand, can convey a virtue sufficiently efficacious to heal so stubborn a chronick disorder, as an ulcerated inveterate evil?
SOME REMARKS ON A PRETENDED CURE PERFORMED UPON ONE DAVID WEST, OF BIRMINGHAM, BY AN ANGLE, IN A LETTER FROM BRISTOL.
The story is thus related : “One David West, of Birmingham, had been reduced to near the brink of the grave by a violent ulcerated king’s-evil, had tried all imaginable means of physic and surgery with-out success, and expecting no human relief, gave himself up as a dying man. But early in the morning, May 29, 1749, accidentally and happily meeting with an handsome, genteel young gentleman, who enquired, what made him so dejected and melancholy ? West told him, it was his ill state of health, from which he expected a speedy death, as all the means he had used had proved ineffectual. The gentleman stranger, pitying his miserable condition, assured him he had a remedy at hand, which he would apply; and he doubted not of being successful, if West believed sincerely in the power, grace, and mercies of his Maker; to which David answered in the affirmative. Then he took hold of poor David’s hands, and join’d them in a supplicating posture, and immediately very devoutly utter’d a Latin prayer ; then laying his hand upon his sores, and all the diseased parts, he pronounced these words, ‘ I touch, but God healeth.’ Where upon, in about six hours after touching, the wounds ceased to run ; that by the nest morning they were crusted over ; and in a day or two more those incrustations, and all the scurf, gradually fell off, and in a short time afterwards, he became quite clean and sound, and so continues to be.”
Every circumstance of this story discovers that it is a mere J te tale, calculated to raise in the minds of people the belief that the p-d-r and his family are favoured by heaven with supernatural means, to recover unhappy, patients from an otherwise incurable malady. The representation of the person of the young p-d-r is agreeable to what West paints his fine stranger to be, as the malcontents assert. Again, May 29 is the anniversary of the restoration of the S_______ family to the crown. Then the words formerly used by our superstitious kings, upon their touching, viz., “I touch, and God healeth,” indubitably prove the base intention of this letter.
I have enquired, says the letter writer, into this tremendous affair, and am inform’d by a sensible gentleman of the town of Birmingham, that this same David West was very ill of the king’s-evil, and is now recovered, but by what means he never heard;* that he actually declared that it was as above recited, but every honest sensible man of the town despised his story, as a visionary tale. The solemn words, ‘I touch, but God healeth,” were those our former kings always pronounced when they touched for the evil ; but this was never done but in the presence of a bishop or priest, who introduced the patient to the royal presence for that salutary intention. Then also a form of prayer for the divine blessing was used, and the king hung a small piece of silver about the person’s neck, which he was required to wear during his life ; without which forms no person was ever before cured, as appears from our miracle-mongers. Now, in this case, neither of these important ceremonies were observed; no king, or pretended one, wrought this miracle, but the son only.
No author, not even Mr. Carte, who speaks of such pious frauds, allows the son a commission in the life-time of the father for exercising this miraculous power ; but now forsooth, to render the miracle the more convincing, the r-1 pr-ce is to be possest of this sanative commission to shew his right the stronger to the unbelieving people of this nation.
The author of this J___te miracle (first published in the Ch-r Courant) introduces his story of David West, by declaring the surprising cures reported to be performed by Glastonbury Waters, which he would fain make the credulous vulgar believe, are chiefly owing to the bodies of divers Saints, Martyrs, and other Popish devotees, antiently there deposited.
I have inquired into several of the mighty cures, which the publick has been from time to time imposed on, from these Glastonbury Waters, and cannot find that they have done anything more than common spring water would have done.
Two eminent physicians publickly declared, that upon tracing them to the originals reported to be cured by them, they have not found a single instance to be depended upon to be really so in fact, Chancellor (the dreamer of their virtues) is asserted to continue in as bad, or worse state of health, than he was before he used them. Infinite numbers, flocking superstitiously to the spring, have drank and used them by bathing and washing ulcers, swellings, and for all manner of disorders, for seven successive Sundays (required by Chancellor’s dream) without the least benefit.
To return to the story of West. As there was not a third person present (though in the publick streets of that mighty populous town of Birmingham) when David was touch’d and cured of his evil, by this fine beautiful youth, the credit of this miracle solely depends upon his bare assertion for authority. I am informed he is now living and in health, and still persists in his story.
About three or four years ago, I remember how the publick papers rung of the miraculous cures performed by Bridget Bostock [see next section on ” Witchcraft “], who, by stroking her patients with her own fasting spittle, and at the same time uttering a short prayer, instantaneously cured thousands labouring under all manner of bodily diseases ! As the ignorant vulgar are ever fond of miracles, this imposture had its votaries too, like Glaston Waters, and the Royal Touch ; but time and experience convinced them of their folly.
Your correspondent D. H., at p. 247 [see ante, p. 39], might have spared his assertion, that the “miraculous gift (of curing the King’s Evil) was left to be claimed by the Stuarts,” and that ” our ancient Plantagenets were humbly content to cure the cramp,” had he been acquainted with Dr. John Friend’s ” History of Physick.” This learned physician will inform him, at pp. 267, 274, 5, 6, of vol. ii. 8vo., that Gilbert, called Anglicus, whom Bale places in 1210, though Leland says he was more modern, “in treating of a strumous swelling in the glands, tells us, that this disorder is otherwise called the King’s-Evil, because Kings cure it. This account, however concise, from a physician, who seems not to have been led by any biass of interest, is sufficient to convince us, that the custom of touching was very early introduced by our Kings ; and, from this author’s manner of expressing himself; it is very plain, that he looked upon it as a very ancient practice. There is reason to think, by what is here and there hinted in our English history, that this usage had, for some centuries at least, prevailed here ; and they who carry it up as far as the time of Edward the Confessor seem to have good grounds for their opinion ; at least, I do not see any proofs which can be brought against it. If the Monkish writers are supposed to be all partial, and inclined to flatter the crown, there are others whose veracity cannot be called in question. Sir John Fortescue, a very learned and wise man, in his defence of the title of Lancaster, just after Henry the Fourth’s accession to the crown, represents the gift of healing as a privilege, which had, for time immemorial, belonged to the Kings of England : and he is so particular as to attribute this to the unction of their hands, which is used at the coronation : and therefore says, that Queens can have no such gift, because in this case that part of the ceremony is left out. How-ever, we know Queen Elizabeth thought herself so much a King, that, among other regal functions, she frequently exercised this. Arch-bishop Bradwardine, who died in 1348, and who appeals to the world for the cures performed by the royal touch, uses very strong expressions concerning the antiquity of it ; which surely he would never have done, had it been so modern ,it practice, as some think it.” From p. 284, also, of this valuable history, we learn that John of Gaddesden, who flourished in 1320, exhorted persons in scrophulous cases “to apply to the King for the royal touch.”
On looking over a friend’s library lately in the country, I noticed the following curious and rare Tracts : the account may probably be interesting to some of your Readers.
The King’s Evil Cured by a Royal Touch. 171
” The Ceremonies for the Healing of them that be diseased with the King’s Evil, used in the time of King Henry VII. Printed by H. Hills, 1686, London.”
” A Miracle of Miracles wrought by the Blood of King Charles the First, of happy Memory, upon a Mayd at Belford, foure Miles from London, who, by the Violence of the Disease called the King’s Evill, was blinded one whole year ; but, by making use of a piece of Handkircher, dipped in the King’s Blood, is recovered of her Sight, to the Comfort of the King’s Friends and Astonishment of his Enemies : the Truth hereof many Thousands can testifie. London, 1649.”
” A Letter sent to a noble Lord of this Kingdom from an eminent Divine, of a Great Miracle wrought by a piece of a Handkerchief, dipped in his Majesties Blood : the Truth whereof he himself saw, and is ready to depose it, and doth believe will be attested by 500 others, if occasion require. 1659.”
” His Grace the Duke of Monmouth honoured in his Progress in the West of England ; in an account of a most Extraordinary Cure of the King’s Evil, in a Letter from Crookhern, in the county of Somerset, from the Minister of the Parish and many others; signed, Henry Clerk, Minister John Starky, Clerk, and seven others. London, 1680.” Single sheet.
“CHARISMA BASILICON; or, The Royal Gift of Healing Strumaes, or King’s Evil ; by John Browne, Chirurgeon in ordinary to his Majesty. London, 1684.”
” Authorities relating to the same collected, the parties and their relatives, by the Rev. Mr. Robert Watts, LL.D.” MS.
It is to be hoped there are not so many afflicted at this time with that terrible affliction.
The following account of the ceremony of touching for the King’s Evil, written evidently by an eye-witness, is translated from a book, entitled, “Relation, en forme de journal, du Voyage et Sejour que le serenissime et tres puissant Prince Charles II. Roy de la Grande Bretagne afait en Hollande, depuis le 25 May, jusq’ au 2 juin, 1660. A la Haye, chez Adrian Vlacy, 1660.” The portion of our history to which it belongs, the actors concerned in it, the minute particularity of its description, and the royal etiquette so ostentatiously observed by an exiled monarch in a republican state, may render it interesting to your readers. It may be compared with a communication which appeared in the Gentleman’s Magazine, dated June, 1774, on the Auncient Ordre for hallowinge of the Crampe Rings [see ante, p. 33], where it is asserted, on the authority of Dr. Percy, that the gift of curing the King’s Evil was claimed by none of our sovereigns prior to the Stuarts. The religious part of the ceremony, which took place on Sunday, May 30, 1660, may also be compared with the office At the Healing, in some of the early editions of the Book of Common Prayer. The assertion noticed at the end of this narrative, that to lose the coin appended to the neck of the patient, was to lose the benefit of the rite, seems to me a mere pretence, invented to account for some of the many cases of failure to which this method of cure must have been liable, if ever, from the force of an excited imagination, it could have been at all efficacious in removing such a disease as the scrophula.
After the sermon, several persons labouring under the King’s Evil presented themselves, whom His Majesty was to touch, after several others, whom he had touched in private, on Friday and Saturday, the 28th and the 29th of this month. And as this ceremony is performed with circumstances very remarkable, and very different from those which accompany it in France, when the King there touches such patients, it will not be improper to relate here all the particularities ; constituting, as they do, an essential part of our narrative, which professes to omit nothing done by His Majesty at the Hague. But before we enter upon this recital, it will be necessary to disabuse the minds of those who believe that whatever the Kings of England do in this matter, is but a copy of what is done in France; and that it is only because of the pretension which they have to that crown, and in virtue of the title which they assume, and the arms of France which they, bear on their escutcheon, that they attribute to themselves a gift which belongs to the eldest son of the Church alone. For it is most certain that the King of Great Britain possesses this right and this advantage, not at all as King of France, although he takes that quality in his titles, but as King of England ; and because the Kings, his predecessors, have efficaciously exercised it from the reign of Edward the Confessor, that is, from the beginning of the 11th century, long before the Kings of England had declared that pretension, which they did, when Philip de Valois came to the crown. This ceremony is now performed in the manner which we are about to describe.
Those who are afflicted with the glandular disease called “the King’s Evil,” because the King cures it, are obliged to apply to his Majesty’s first Surgeon, who examines them; and if he judges that theirs is the disease which the King cures, he appoints them a day and an hour to be in attendance at the Chapel, where the King is to touch them. As in France, thé ceremony of touching the sick takes place in the morning, after the King has received the Sacrament; so on this day it was performed at the Chapel of the Princess Royal, after the King had been present during a sermon and public prayer. The preaching being concluded, a large chair was placed for the King, at a little distance from the congregation. As soon as his Majesty was seated, one of his private Secretaries took his station on the right side of the chair, holding on his arm, or else in his right hand, as many ” Angels,” each suspended from a riband of white silk, as there were patients who had presented themselves to be touched. But as Angels, a gold coin so named from its being marked with the figure of an Angel, of the value of about two crowns and a half, are so rare, especially in these provinces, that there is a difficulty in procuring them, the King commonly uses, as he did on this occasion, half Caroluses, which are of the same value. The Chaplain, who has preached before the King, and who usually takes a text appropriate to the ceremony, goes through the succeeding office, and stands on the left of the chair, whilst the surgeon, with the patients, places himself in front, but at some distance from the King. Upon the occasion, however, of which we now speak, the text had nothing in common with the ceremony ; nor was it the clergyman who had preached that assisted at it, but Dr. Brown, Chaplain of the Princess Royal, who officiated throughout it, representing the King’s Chaplain, as he had done on all similar occasions, at Breda, during the stay which his Majesty had made there.
After the King had taken his place, having the Secretary by his side, and the Surgeon in front of him, the Chaplain, who held in his hand the New Testament, chose the text of St. Mark’s Gospel, chap. xvi. from the 14th verse to the end : and, in the meantime, the Surgeon, taking one of the patients by the hand, after each of them had made three low bows, came with him to kneel down before the King, close to the chair. And, whilst the Chaplain pronounced these words of that Gospel, ” They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall re-cover,” the King put his hands on the two cheeks of the sick person. This being done, he who had been touched, retired, and they brought another sick person to the King, who touched him in the same manner; the Chaplain repeating the same words as often as there were patients whom the King touched, and who were brought, one after another, to the feet of his Majesty. The Surgeon, who remained on his knees whilst the King was touching, did not rise until the King had finished touching the last ; and he then again- made three low bows, and retired with the patients to the place where they were at first, and remained there until the Chaplain had finished reading the rest of the Gospel, the reading of which he did not go on with until after the King had touched the last of the sick. This being done, the Chaplain began another Gospel, taken from the 1st chapter of St. John’s Gospel, from the 1st to the 15th verse : and whilst he read it, the Surgeon brought back the persons touched by the King, in the same manner as before ; and his Majesty, whilst the Chaplain was pronouncing these words of the Gospel, ” That was the true light, which lighteth every man, that cometh into the world,” taking from the hand of his private Secretary one of the Angels, suspended from a riband, hung it upon the neck of one of the sick, who approached in succession, as they had done, when the Surgeon presented them to be touched ; the Chaplain, also, repeating these words as often as there had been persons touched. After that, they all retired to their former station, and then the Chaplain finished reading the Gospel, as far as the verse already pointed out. Some other passages of the Holy Scriptures were then read, and the whole service was concluded by the Lord’s Prayer, and by a prayer to God, that He would be pleased to bless the ceremony which the King had been performing.
The service being finished, the Gentleman Usher (Mr. Sandys at that time officiated) brought a basin, an ewer, and a napkin, and being accompanied by two noblemen, namely, the Lord Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex, and the Lord Henry Jermyn, whom the King has since created Earl of St. Alban’s, presented the basin and ewer to the younger of the two, who placed himself on the left; the gentleman, who carried the napkin, taking the right of the older of the two lords. The latter being thus between them, they advanced in this order towards the King, and after making three low bows, they all three knelt before his Majesty ; and whilst the Earl of St. Alban’s poured water on the King’s hands, the Earl of Middlesex took the napkin from the Gentlemen Usher and presented it to his Majesty, who wiped his hands with it. After that, the two lords and the Gentleman Usher rose, made again three low bows to the King, and retired : the King then rose, also, and withdrew to the apartment of the Princess Royal.
It is well known that the King has very often touched sick persons both at Breda, where he touched 260 from Saturday the 17th of April, to Sunday the 23rd of May, and at Bruges and Brussels, during his stay there ; and the English confidently assert, not only that it was not without success, because it is the relief experienced which daily draws a great number of these patients, even from the most remote provinces of Germany, but also that not one of them is thus so perfectly cured as not to be attacked again by the same disease, if he be so unfortunate as to lose, by accident or otherwise, the coin which the King hangs about his neck, when he is touched : and without hope of recovering from it if he does not procure himself to be touched again, and to have another Angel hung about his neck. We should have had some reluctance in mentioning this particular, if several grave persons, whom one could not suspect of superstition or bigotry, had not spoken of it as of a fact of constant occurrence, and of which no doubt ought to be entertained.
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At Cambridge the ‘Senior Wrangler’ is the top performer at what? | Wrangling and the Tripos | ThatsMaths
Wrangling and the Tripos
Tags: Education , History
The Mathematical Tripos examinations, and the Wranglers who achieve honours in them, are the topic of the That’s Maths column ( TM023 ) in the Irish Times this week.
Today (20/06/13) the results of the final examinations in mathematics will be read out at the Senate House in Cambridge University. Following tradition, the class list will then be tossed over the balcony , and the names of this year’s wranglers will be known.
The Wranglers could be a rock group or a brand of American jeans, but they are also the students who gain first-class honours degrees in the examinations known as the Mathematical Tripos, the one ranked first being Senior Wrangler.
Results read out at the Senate House are then tossed from the balcony [ Photo Wikipedia ]
Great prestige attaches to the top few Wranglers, opening opportunities for their future professional careers. To become Senior Wrangler was once regarded as “the greatest intellectual achievement attain able in Britain”. In the past, the rankings in the exams were made public. Since 1910, only the class of degree has been given, but the examiner tips his hat when announcing the name of the top student.
The Old Tripos
The notoriously difficult Triops were a test of speed and well-practised problem-solving techniques, and many brilliant students who were inadequately drilled failed to top the class. To have any hope, students needed to be coached like racing thoroughbreds.
The “Old Tripos” tested the metal of the strongest students. In 1854, when James Clerk Maxwell was beaten into second place by Edward Routh, the Tripos comprised 16 papers over eight days – more than 40 hours in total. Routh went on to become the most successful coach, training 27 Senior Wranglers. Maxwell made monumental contributions to the theory of electromagnetism.
During the nineteenth century, mathematics in Britain lagged behind developments in Germany and France. One of the most inventive and original students who did not make Senior Wrangler was G.H.Hardy, the leading British mathematician of the twentieth century. Hardy placed some blame for Britain’s poor performance on the Mathematical Tripos, stating that they were a poor training for a pure mathematician.
Substantial reforms, introduced in 1909, changed the nature of the Tripos. Prior to that, applications such as Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory had been emphasised. Hardy was largely responsible for the change of focus to more pure mathematics.
“Above the Senior Wrangler”
There were two individuals who were ranked number one but who did not become Senior Wrangler. One was Philippa Fawcett who, in 1890, was declared to be “above the Senior Wrangler”. Her marks were thirteen percent ahead of the next in line but, while women were permitted to take the examinations, they were not allowed at that time to be members of the University or to receive degrees.
The other was the Hungarian-born mathematician George Polya. He had contributed to the reform of the Tripos and, at the request of Hardy, had sat the examination in 1925. To the great surprise of Hardy, Polya achieved the highest mark which, were he a student, would have made him Senior Wrangler.
George Stokes and William Thompson, two Irish-born scientists, were both Wranglers. Stokes was Senior Wrangler in 1841. Thompson, later Lord Kelvin, reckoned himself a “shoo-in” for the honour in 1845. According th legend, he dispatched one of the college servants thus: “Just pop down to the Senate House and see who is Second Wrangler”. The servant returned with the answer: “You, Sir!”
Addendum
This year's Senior Wrangler is Arran Fernandez, the youngest ever, barely 18 years old. When he started at Cambridge, he was also the youngest undergraduate there since Pitt the Younger. See report in the Cambridge News,
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The Wranglers
Some time ago I came across the essay What became of the Senior Wranglers? , which describes the history of the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos examination. Interesting excerpts follow below, but I recommend the whole thing.
Difficult exams like the Tripos or present-day international Olympiads in math and science are one of the best ways to identify truly exceptional talent. As discussed below, the tests are able to distinguish between talents at the very far tail of the distribution. But even these exams are only inexact predictors of future success. It's clear that special preparation has an important impact on performance (successful Wranglers typically hired private tutors, see below), and that forcing students to focus on overly technical and narrow exam problems isn't necessarily the best way to measure (or foster) creativity or research ability (see Hardy's criticisms below).
Still, the list of Senior and Second Wranglers is an impressive one!
During the one hundred and fifty seven years (1753-1909) in which the results of the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos were published in order of merit and divided by class of degree into Wranglers (1st Class), Senior Optimes (2nd Class) and Junior Optimes (3rd Class), great prestige attached to those students who had come out in the top two or three places. The securing of the top position as Senior Wrangler was regarded, at the time, as the greatest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain and the Senior Wrangler was feted well beyond Cambridge and accorded pre-eminent status among his peers - indeed years in Cambridge were often remembered in terms of who had been Senior Wrangler in that year. It is curious therefore that no systematic study has ever been made, in so far as the author is aware, of what became of these Senior Wranglers in later years after their triumph. This article may shed a little light on the matter.
Until 1850, Mathematics in Cambridge was dominant over all other University subjects so much so that it was obligatory, astonishing as it now seems, for students who were studying for honours in Classics, first to have taken the Mathematical Tripos.
Because of the prestige attaching to the position of Senior Wrangler and the college from which the Senior Wrangler came, the students, especially the most promising, were subjected, like thoroughbred racehorses, to the most intense training for the Tripos race. The training was in the hands of private ‘coaches’ and not the University professors as often students attended very few lectures and, for example, Charles Babbage gave no lectures in the eleven years, 1828-39, during which he was Lucasian Professor. The best of the coaches, because of their reputation, were able to select the most able students thus perpetuating their reputation for success.
The most famous private tutor was William Hopkins (1793-1866) who himself had been 7th Wrangler in 1827 and was a person of distinction outside his coaching activities being President of the Geological Society 1851-53 and President of the British Association 1853. In 1849 it was said of Hopkins that in the 22 years since his degree he had taught 17 Senior Wranglers, 27 Second or Third Wranglers and 200 Wranglers in total. As William Hopkins continued to turn out Wranglers well after that date his final tally must have been much higher. Hopkins' Wranglers included Clerk Maxwell, Cayley, Thomson (Lord Kelvin), Stokes and Tait. It can be seen with the benefit of hindsight that the greatest of Hopkins' pupils was Clerk Maxwell, but remarkably Hopkins recognised this even when Maxwell was an undergraduate saying "he is unquestionably the most extraordinary man I have met with, in the whole range of my experience".
Galton, who had a nervous breakdown while preparing for the Tripos, analyzed the exam results in his book Hereditary Genius. (See after p.46 here .) In earlier discussions here and here I advanced the claim that modern selection processes are more effective than in the past, with more participants and better access to training. One can quantify this by looking at the scores on, e.g., the International Mathematical Olympiad, which is pretty much as hard an exam as one can devise. Due to the worldwide reservoir of competitors, one finds fairly tight clumping of individuals near the top -- there are often perfect scores, and many nearly perfect ones. (See 2008 scores .) Contrast this with the Tripos score distribution described below, with its outliers and large range of outcomes.
One would be tempted to classify a Senior Wrangler who far outdistanced his competition as a potential Genius, whereas a competitor who falls within the clump of IMO Gold Medalists tends not to stand out very much from his or her peers.
The actual marks were never published but Sir Francis Galton in his book 'Hereditary Genius' refers to having obtained marks in respect of three years (unspecified, but probably around the 1860's). In one of these years, out of a total possible mark of 17,000, the Senior Wrangler obtained 7634 marks, the second Wrangler obtained 4123 marks, the lowest Wrangler obtained around 1500 marks and the lowest candidate receiving an honours degree (Junior Optime) obtained 237 marks. In the second of these years the Senior Wrangler obtained between 5500 and 6000 marks, the Second obtained between 5000 and 5500 and the lowest Junior Optime received 309 marks. In the third of these years when, according to Galton, the Senior Wrangler was conspicuously eminent, he obtained 9422 marks and the Second 5642 marks. Galton makes considerable play of the large discrepancy between the marks obtained by the Senior Wranglerand by the lowest Wrangler.
It can be seen that the Senior Wrangler would typically obtain less than 50% of the marks, the lowest Wrangler less than 10% and the lowest honours candidate less than 2%! This seems to the author a rather curious result and it is not clear what conclusions are to be drawn from it. It suggests that the candidates covered a very wide ability range, that the level of the lowest Wrangler and the lowest honours man was really rather poor by to-day's standards (perhaps university life was more relaxed and the average student did not apply himself very hard?) and that the papers were too long and hard even for the best students.
Curiously, there seem to have been more great physicists among the Wranglers than pure mathematicians!
Among the Wranglers are to be found those who, along with Michael Faraday (1791-1867), William Rowan Hamilton (1805-65) and James Prescott Joule (1818-89), secured for the UK world leadership in physics and mathematical physics in the second half of the 19th century, namely:
James Clerk Maxwell viii (1831-79), 2W 1854.
William Thomson ix(1824-1907), 2W 1845, later Lord Kelvin.
George Stokes (1819-1903), SW 1841, later Sir George Stokes.
John William Strutt (1842-1919 ), SW 1865, later Baron Rayleigh, Nobel Prizefor Physics1904.
John Couch Adams (1819-92), SW 1843, predicted theoretically the existence of the planet
Neptune(also predicted independently by Le Verrier in France).
George Green x (1793-1841),4W 1837, first introduced the concept of potential in a paper of 1828.
Peter Guthrie Tait xi (1831-1901), SW 1852, author with Lord Kelvin of the epoch-making book
'Treatise on Natural Philosophy'.
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The Schlieffen Plan was enacted during which conflict? | The Schlieffen Plan - History Learning Site
The Schlieffen Plan
Citation: C N Trueman "The Schlieffen Plan"
historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 31 Mar 2015. 16 Aug 2016.
The Schlieffen Plan was created by General Count Alfred von Schlieffen in December 1905. The Schlieffen Plan was the operational plan for a designated attack on France once Russia, in response to international tension, had started to mobilise her forces near the German border. The execution of the Schlieffen Plan led to Britain declaring war on Germany on August 4th, 1914.
In 1905, Schlieffen was chief of the German General Staff. Europe had effectively divided into two camps by this year – Germany, Austria and Italy (the Triple Alliance) on one side and Britain, France and Russia (the Triple Entente) on the other.
Schlieffen believed that the most decisive area for any future war in Europe would be in the western sector. Here, Schlieffen identified France as Germany’s most dangerous opponent. Russia was not as advanced as France in many areas and Schlieffen believed that Russia would take six weeks to mobilise her forces and that any possible fighting on the Russian-German border could be coped with by the Germans for a few weeks while the bulk of her forces concentrated on defeating France.
Schlieffen concluded that a massive and successful surprise attack against France would be enough to put off Britain becoming involved in a continental war. This would allow Germany time (the six weeks that Schlieffen had built into his plan) to transfer soldiers who had been fighting in the successful French campaign to Russia to take on the Russians.
Schlieffen also planned for the attack on France to go through Belgium and Luxemburg. Belgium had had her neutrality guaranteed by Britain in 1839 – so his strategy for success depended on Britain not supporting Belgium.
The Schlieffen Plan was revised as tension in Europe increased. However, the basic mechanics of it remained the same:
a devastating attack on France via Belgium as soon as Russia had announced her intention to mobilise.
a holding operation on the Russian/German border to be carried out if necessary and if required.
Germany had 6 weeks to defeat France.
Germany would then use her modernised rail system to move troops from the French operation to the Russian front.
Russia would then be attacked and defeated.
The Schlieffen Plan was daring but it had a number of glaring weaknesses:
The actions of Russia determined when Germany would have to start her attack on France even if she was ready or not.
It assumed that Russia would need six weeks to mobilise.
It assumed that Germany would defeat France in less than six weeks.
In fact, the attack in August 1914 nearly succeeded and was only defeated by the first Battle of the Marne. Poor communication between the frontline commanders and the army’s headquarters in Berlin did not help Moltke’s control of the campaign. Also the withdrawal of German troops in response to a higher than expected threat on the Russian front, meant that the Germans did not have the military clout that Schlieffen had built into his original plan. It was a plan that nearly succeeded but its success could only be measured by being 100% successful. France had to be defeated – and this did not happen. Schlieffen’s speedy attack and expected defeat of France never occurred – it’s failure did usher in the era of trench warfare that is so much linked to World War One.
Further Reading:
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In which film did Clint Eastwood play Will Munny? | How did the Schlieffen Plan contribute to war?
How did the Schlieffen Plan contribute to war?
▼ Primary Sources ▼
Schlieffen Plan
In 1904 France and Britain signed the Entente Cordiale (friendly understanding). The objective of the alliance was to encourage co-operation against the perceived threat of Germany . Negotiations also began to add Russia to this alliance. As a result of these moves the German military began to fear the possibility of a combined attack from France, Britain and Russia.
Alfred von Schlieffen , German Army Chief of Staff, was given instructions to devise a strategy that would be able to counter a joint attack. In December, 1905, he began circulating what later became known as the Schlieffen Plan. Schlieffen argued that if war took place it was vital that France was speedily defeated. If this happened, Britain and Russia would be unwilling to carry on fighting. Schlieffen calculated that it would take Russia six weeks to organize its large army for an attack on Germany. Therefore, it was vitally important to force France to surrender before Russia was ready to use all its forces.
Schlieffen's plan involved using 90% of Germany's armed forces to attack France. Fearing the French forts on the border with Germany, Schlieffen suggested a scythe-like attack through Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. The rest of the German Army would be sent to defensive positions in the east to stop the expected Russian advance.
When Helmuth von Moltke replaced Alfred von Schlieffen as German Army Chief of Staff in 1906, he modified the plan by proposing that Holland was not invaded. The main route would now be through the flat plains of Flanders. Moltke argued that Belgium's small army would be unable to stop German forces from quickly entering France. Moltke suggested that 34 divisions should invade Belgium whereas 8 divisions would be enough to stop Russia advancing in the east.
On 2nd August 1914, the Schlieffen Plan was put into operation when the German Army invaded Luxembourg and Belgium . However, the Germans were held up by the Belgian Army and were shocked by the Russian Army's advance into East Prussia . The Germans were also surprised by how quickly the British Expeditionary Force reached France and Belgium.
On 3rd September, Joseph Joffre , the Commander-in-Chief of the French forces, ordered his men to retreat to a line along the River Seine, south-east of Paris and over 60km south of the Marne. Sir John French , commander of the British Expeditionary Force agreed to join the French in attacking the German forces.
The French 6th Army attacked the German Ist Army at the Marne on the morning of 6th September. General Alexander von Kluck wheeled his entire force to meet the attack, opening a 50km gap between his own forces and the German 2nd Army led by General Karl von Bulow . The British forces and the French 5th Army now advanced into the gap that had been created splitting the two German armies.
August, 1914
Illustration from Neil Demarco's The Great War
For the next three days the German forces were unable to break through the Allied lines. At one stage the French 6th Army came close to defeat and were only saved by the use of Paris taxis to rush 6,000 reserve troops to the front line. On 9th September, General Helmuth von Moltke , the German Commander in Chief, ordered General Karl von Bulow and General Alexander von Kluck to retreat. The British and French forces were now able to cross the Marne.
The Schlieffen Plan had not succeeded. The German hopes of a swift and decisive victory had been frustrated. However, the German Army had not been beaten and its successful retreat and the building of trenches between the North Sea to the Swiss Frontier ended all hope of a short war.
September, 1914
(1) Manchester Guardian (22nd October, 1914)
Victory on the Allied left in Northern France and West Flanders is confidently expected by the troops. From many quarters come reports of the high hopes entertained by the armies. Apparently the fighting is going well and the German position becoming increasingly unfavourable. Throughout yesterday the enemy vigorously attacked the Allied front, only to be beaten back after suffering heavy losses. These tactics are one more proof of the pressure under which the Kaiser's armies are giving way.
The generals are evidently doing their utmost to check the Allies, but of a genuine offensive there is no sign. About Nieuport, on the Belgian coast, where the Allied front reaches the sea, the British navy has lent the armies valuable aid. Three heavily armed monitors, bought by the Admiralty from Brazil, for whom they were completing in England when war broke out, steamed in close to the shore, and by shelling the German flank powerfully assisted the Belgian troops.
Machine guns were landed at Nieuport, and by that means also the navy reinforced the defence. The seaward flank is attracting much of the enemy's attention. Yesterday, says the Paris official statement, the battle was violent between La Bassee and the coast, but nowhere did the Germans obtain any success.
Russia is more than holding her own. Petrograd, which has been studiously moderate in its reports about the fighting in Poland, now announces a German retreat from before Warsaw. The enemy are falling back utterly routed. It has been obvious for several days that Germany's first effort to force a way over the Vistula had failed; the failure now appears to have been costly.
Russia's claims find unwilling support in the Berlin wireless circular, which has taken to announcing "no result" and "no change" on the Polish front. Germany will find herself faced with disaster if Russia is able to continue her good work and beat General von Hindenburg's main army as she has beaten his advanced troops.
(2) Manchester Guardian (28th October, 1914)
On the sea flank of the Franco-Belgian front Germany strives desperately to break her way through to the cost. Report says the Kaiser has ordered his generals to take Calais no matter what the cost.
Already the cost of the effort has been terrible, and the taking promises to be long deferred. A Paris official statement issued yesterday afternoon said the enemy were held everywhere, while between Ypres and Roulers the Allied troops had made progress. The British are fighting in front of Ypres.
Berlin puts the best possible construction on events but cannot pretend to a victory, and has to content itself with announcing minor advances. Germany's dash for the coast has suffered many delays, and now seems to have failed. How heavy the enemy's losses have been is illustrated by an incident mentioned in a despatch from an "Eye-witness present with General Headquarters."
On Tuesday, October 20, a determined but unsuccessful attack was made on virtually the whole British line, and at one point where one of our brigades made a counter-attack 1,100 Germans were found dead in a trench and 40 prisoners were taken. Everywhere the British troops have fought with the most splendid courage. For five days at Ypres they held in check, although overwhelmingly outnumbered, 250,000 Germans who fought recklessly to break a way through.
Russia expects great things from her campaign in Western Poland, so well begun with the repulse of the Germans from before Warsaw. The enemy's left flank has been pushed back far towards the frontier while their right remains near the Middle Vistula. This position would be difficult for the Army holding it in the best circumstances. It has been made dangerous by Russian enterprise.
A strong cavalry force has pushed rapidly westwards to Lodz, and from there threatens the German rear. About Radom, on their advanced right, the enemy have prepared a defensive line, but they can hardly remain in possession while danger draws near from Lodz. On the Vistula, east of Radom, the Russians have taken 3,000 prisoners, cannon, and machine guns.
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What name was given by the Sioux Indians to John J Dunbar? | Dances with Wolves (1990) - Synopsis
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Synopsis
During a US Civil War battle, Union Army Officer Lieutenant John J. Dunbar ( Kevin Costner ) learns that his injured leg is to be amputated. Seeing the plight of fellow soldiers with amputated legs, Dunbar refuses amputation and attempts suicide by riding a horse across the line of fire, between the opposing Union and Confederate positions. His action has the unexpected effect of rallying his comrades, who storm the distracted Confederates and win the battle. After the ensuing battle, an experienced general's surgeon saves Dunbar's leg. The commanding officer recognizes Dunbar as a hero and gives him Cisco, the horse who carried him in battle, and offers Dunbar his choice of posting.
Dunbar, anxious to see the Western frontier before it ends, requests transfer west. After meeting with Major Fambrough ( Maury Chaykin ), who has slipped into delusions of grandeur (apparently believing he is a king and Dunbar a medieval knight), he is paired with a drayage teamster named Timmons ( Robert Pastorelli ), who conveys Dunbar to his post. After the departure of Timmons and Dunbar, Fambrough commits suicide with his own pistol.
After a scenic journey, Dunbar and Timmons arrive with fresh supplies at the desolate Fort Sedgwick, finding it deserted except for a lone wolf that Dunbar later befriends and dubs Two Socks, because of the coloring of its front legs. Dunbar, while waiting for reinforcements to arrive, sets about bringing order the deserted post, left in complete disarray by its previous occupants. Meanwhile, Timmons, while returning to their point of departure, is ambushed by Pawnee Indians and scalped. Timmons' death and the suicide of the major who sent them there prevents Union officers from knowing of Dunbar's assignment to the post, effectively isolating Dunbar. Dunbar remains unaware of the full situation and its implications. He notes in his journal how strange it is that no more soldiers join him at the post.
Dunbar initially encounters Sioux neighbors when the tribe's medicine man, Kicking Bird ( Graham Greene ), happens upon the fort while Dunbar bathes out of sight, and, assuming it abandoned, attempts to capture Cisco. After Dunbar scares off Kicking Bird, he is confronted by an aggressive warrior named Wind in His Hair ( Rodney A. Grant ), who declares that he is not scared of the white man. Eventually, Dunbar establishes a rapport with Kicking Bird, but the language barrier frustrates them. On his way to visit the tribe's camp, Dunbar interrupts the suicide attempt of Stands With A Fist ( Mary McDonnell ), a white woman captured by the tribe as a child and recently widowed, who recovers and acts as a translator. Dunbar finds himself drawn to the lifestyle and customs of the tribe, and becomes a hero among the Sioux and accepted as an honorary member of the tribe after he helps them locate a migrating herd of buffalo, which they depend upon as a source of food, material, and clothing.
Dunbar further helps defend the settlement against a Pawnee raiding party, providing the Sioux warriors with surplus rifles and ammunition from the fort. He eventually is accepted as a full member of the tribe. After members of the tribe witness him playing with Two Socks, he is named ugm�nitu Taka Ob'wahi ("Dances with Wolves"; ugm�nitu Taka means large coyote, the Lakota word for wolf). Dunbar falls in love with Stands With A Fist, a relationship forbidden by the recent death of her husband in battle but consummated in secret. The two eventually win the approval of Kicking Bird, who takes on the role of her father, and marry. Dunbar subsequently spends more time living with the tribe than manning his post at Fort Sedgwick. Wind In His Hair, his last rival, acknowledges him as a friend.
Dunbar's idyll ends when he tells Kicking Bird that white men will continue to invade their land in "numbers like the stars." They tell Chief Ten Bears ( Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman ), who decides it is time to move the village to its winter camp. As the packing finishes, Dunbar realizes that his journal, left behind at the deserted fort, is a blueprint for finding the tribe, revealing that he knows far too much about their ways. Wearing Indian clothing, he returns to Fort Sedgwick to retrieve the journal but finds it is has suddenly been occupied by newly arrived Army troops. They see Dunbar and initially assuming he is an Indian, kill his horse Cisco and capture Dunbar.
When they recognize Dunbar as a white man, they treat him as a deserter, and beat him during an interrogation. Dunbar tells Lt. Elgin ( Charles Rocket ) (whom Dunbar met earlier in Maj. Fambrough's office) that he has a journal containing his orders for his posting to Fort Sedgwick. Spivey ( Tony Pierce ), one of the first soldiers to arrive at the fort, denies the existence of the journal, which he had found and has in his pocket. After further beating, Dunbar declares in the Lakota language that his name is Dances With Wolves. Army officers and a few troops set off to deliver Dunbar to Fort Hayes for execution. When they happen upon Two Socks, they shoot at the wolf, who refuses to leave Dunbar. Despite his attempts to intervene, Two Socks is fatally wounded, and the convoy moves off.
Soon after, Wind In His Hair and other warriors from the tribe attack the column of men, rescuing Dunbar. Smiles A Lot ( Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse ) retrieves Dunbar's journal floating in a stream. After returning to the winter camp, Dunbar realizes that as a deserter and fugitive, he will continue to draw the unwelcome attention of the Army and endanger the welfare of the tribe if he stays with the Sioux. Under the protests of his Sioux friends, Dunbar decides that he must leave the tribe, saying he must speak to those who would listen. His wife decides to accompany him.
As Dances With Wolves and Stands With A Fist leave the camp, Wind In His Hair cries out that Dances with Wolves will always be his friend, a remembrance of their first confrontation. Shortly afterward, a column of cavalry and Pawnee army scouts arrive to find their former camp site empty.
Synopsis
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Who had a secretary called Joan Greengross? | Film Analysis of Dances With Wolves
http://www.lasierra.edu/~dlin/movies/dances.htm
Film Analysis
Dances With Wolves is one of the most important motion pictures to ever come out of Hollywood. For all its shortcomings, the film still goes a long way in bringing a snapshot of Native American culture into the collective consciousness of dominant America. The screenplay promotes a greater understanding, acceptance, and sympathy for the Lakota culture. There are many scenes within the film that seem to support this idea. The humanity of the Lakota people and the familial bonds of tribal life are made accessible through these moments also. I am thinking especially of the multiple scenes in which "gift giving" is witnessed. The first exchange of gifts occurs when Kevin Costner, Lt. Dunbar, makes coffee for the small Lakota band that comes to visit him at the soldier fort. As the scene winds down, we see the warriors leaving him with new tin coffee cups strapped to their backs and through a voice over narration, it is revealed that he has also given them some coffee and sugar to take back to their camp circle with them.
As the bonds of friendship develop, we see this act of kindness reciprocated in the form a buffalo skin that is given to Lt. Dunbar by Kicking Bird, played by Graham Green. Later in the film, Costner's character is allowed to marry Stands With A Fist, played by Mary McDonnell. In the extended version of the production, he must "buy" the woman according to Lakota custom. The only problem is that he has nothing in the way of possessions in which to give for her. All he has is his horse and it is decided that his mount has too "strong a medicine" to simply trade it for a woman. The entire camp circle then takes up a collection for him, so he can "buy" Stands With A Fist. Even the poorest members of the tribe offer something to him so he may exchange it for this woman. It is a wonderful example of the true nature of these people.
The scene in the film where the Lakota are preparing to send a war party against the Pawnee is also quite revealing. The camera shifts from warrior to warrior as the men bid farewell to their families and loved ones. It is particularly poignant for me personally because of my own past involvement with the United States military. When I was a younger man, I too left my wife, home, and family in order to go forth against an enemy of my nation. The feelings the scene conjures up are very strong, especially when Kicking Bird embraces his wife and they touch their heads together for what may be the last time. There is also a short scene in the film where Kicking Bird is preparing to go to sleep in his teepee. He lies down under his robes and immediately we see a look of puzzlement on his face. Moments later he pulls one of his children's dolls out from under the robe. Without any dialogue, the film has provided us with a beautiful portrait of the humanity of these people and also touched upon a commonality inherent to all persons, regardless of race.
This cognizant examination of Lakota culture reaches its zenith with the last scene of the film. At this point, Dances With Wolves/Lt Dunbar, has decided to leave the camp circle in order to provide some measure of safety from the United States Army for his tribal brethren. Kicking Bird is shown rifling through his possessions within his teepee. He is trying to find a ceremonial peace pipe that he wants to give Dances With Wolves as a parting gift. His wife gives the pipe to him and moments later he and Dances With Wolves are shown exchanging pipes with one another. It is their final act of kindness and friendship towards each other. As the scene ends, Wind In His Hair, played by Rodney Grant, screams a lonesome farewell to Dances With Wolves. Over and over again, the audience hears the Lakota pronunciation of Dances With Wolves' name being yelled out from the top of the canyon by Wind In His Hair. It is an extremely emotional and powerful scene.
On the filpside, Dances With Wolves has quite a few faults. Let's rewind for a moment and ponder the opening scenes of the film. First of all, I don't by into the notion that an individual would have been able to charge a Confederate line alone and on horseback without getting killed outright. That first scene is simply not realistic. However, if the filmmaker's intentions are to portray Lt. Dunbar as having "strong medicine" then yes, I would have to say it WAS possible!
The film's portrayal of the Pawnee was not very flattering either. These Native Americans are shown in the traditional Hollywood role of the "Savage Indian". That is all we get from them throughout the film too. We see them do nothing but kill both whites and Lakota. They are alienated further from the audience when we see them acting as scouts for the United States Army at the end of the film. The roles of the majority of whites are not necessarily positive either. The whites are seen in constant conflict with one another and the natural world around them throughout the film. Dances With Wolves and Stands With A Fist are really the only white characters in the film who could be said to be portrayed positively at all.
This film also embodies a dynamic of dominant American culture that cannot be ignored. The notion of "Going Indian". Ý The process of, "the white discovery of and the renaming and adoption into the tribal society of the American Indian" (Baird 153). As I stated previously, the screenplay yields a unique perspective on Lakota culture, but also at its center is this dramatic story of a disillusioned white man trying to find himself. According to the underlying message of the film, he will only accomplish this personal catharsis by his immersion into the world of the Native American.
Historical Accuracy
As far as the historical background of the film is concerned, the Lakota chief called Ten Bears was actually a Southern Plains Yapparika Comanche chief. The real Kicking Bird was not a "medicine man", but a chief in another Southern Plains tribe called the Kiowa. The original novel centered around the Comanche of the Southern Plains. However, due to the fact that the film production company secured filming access to a herd of buffalo in South Dakota, a change of tribes occurred. The most significant historical error involves the winter campaign launched by the United States Army in search of Dances With Wolves and Ten Bears' band. The year is supposed to be 1864. No United States Army winter campaigns were launched against any Native Americans until November of 1868. The massacre that took place that month was led by Lt. Col. George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry against Chief Black Kettle's people of the Cheyenne Nation. It occurred at Washita Creek on Thanksgiving Day.
Sources of Applicable Information:
Baird, Robert
1998 Going Indian: Dances with Wolves. Hollywood's Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film. Ed. Peter C. Rollins and John E. O'Connor. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1998. pp. 153-169.
Blake, Michael
1988 Dances With Wolves. New York: Fawcett, 1988.
Castillo, Edward D.
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For which paper merchants did David Brent work in The Office? | The Office (UK) - Microsoft Store
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In a paper merchants in the heart of middle England, David Brent is a lower-middle-ranking manager in charge of a lower-middle-ranking office. His workplace is the antithesis of TV's glossy law firms full of bright professionals. Instead of mutual respect and intelligent dialogue, David's office is a place of backfiring practical jokes, failed flirting and bad showing off. He struggles to keep control of his workforce - including army-obsessed Gareth...
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A ‘Boilermaker’ is whisky chased with what? | BBC Two - The Office - An interview with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
An interview with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
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You sent in thousands of questions about The Office and we put a broad selection to the creators - Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Take a glimpse into the minds of the award-winning writing duo as they talk about their inspirations, favourite clips and...Stephen's dad.
Remind yourself of one of the funniest moments in The Office EVER as Ricky Gervais chooses his number one clip, which contains his favourite line from the whole series. Stephen Merchant tries to stop him spoiling the clip by quoting the line....To view more of their favourite clips take a look here where you can find tenth anniversary interviews with Ricky and Stephen and members of the cast...
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Which state did JFK represent as a senator? | KENNEDY, John Fitzgerald - Biographical Information
Senate Years of Service: 1953-1960
Party: Democrat
Courtesy U.S. Senate Historical Office
KENNEDY, John Fitzgerald, (brother of Edward M. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, grandson of John Francis Fitzgerald, and uncle of Joseph Patrick Kennedy II and Patrick J. Kennedy), a Representative and a Senator from Massachusetts and 35th President of the United States; born in Brookline, Norfolk County, Mass., May 29, 1917; attended the public and private schools of Brookline, Mass., Choate School, Wallingford, Conn., the London School of Economics at London, England, and Princeton University; graduated from Harvard University in 1940; attended Stanford University School of Business; during the Second World War served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy 1941-1945; PT boat commander in the South Pacific; author and newspaper correspondent; elected as a Democrat to the Eightieth, Eighty-first, and Eighty-second Congresses (January 3, 1947-January 3, 1953); did not seek renomination in 1952; elected to the United States Senate in 1952; reelected in 1958 and served from January 3, 1953 to December 22, 1960, when he resigned to become President of the United States; chairman, Special Committee on the Senate Reception Room (Eighty-fourth and Eighty-fifth Congresses); unsuccessfully sought the Democratic vice presidential nomination in 1956; elected thirty-fifth President of the United States in 1960, and was inaugurated on January 20, 1961; died in Dallas, Tex., November 22, 1963, from the effects of an assassins bullet; remains returned to Washington, D.C.; lay in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, November 24-25, 1963; interment in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.; posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on December 6, 1993.
Bibliography
American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Burns, James M. John Kennedy: A Political Profile. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1961; Sorenson, Theodore. Kennedy. 1965. Reprint. New York: Perennial Library, 1988; Dallek, Robert. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963. Boston: Little Brown Co., 2003.
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Patricia Kennedy was divorced from which English actor? | Robert F. Kennedy - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com
Robert F. Kennedy
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Introduction
Robert Kennedy (1925-1968) served as the U.S. attorney general from 1961 to 1964 and as a U.S. senator from New York from 1965 to 1968. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Kennedy was appointed attorney general after his brother John Kennedy (1917-1963) was elected president in 1960. In this role, Robert Kennedy fought organized crime and worked for civil rights for African Americans. He also served as a close advisor to the president. In the Senate, he was a committed advocate of the poor and racial minorities, and opposed escalation of the Vietnam War. On June 5, 1968, while in Los Angeles campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Kennedy was shot. He died early the next day at age 42. Kennedy, the father of 11 children, was buried at Virginia’s Arlington National Cemetery near the grave of his brother John.
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Robert Kennedy’s Education and Early Career
Robert Francis Kennedy was born on November 20, 1925, in Brookline, Massachusetts , the seventh of nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888-1969), a wealthy financier, and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (1890-1995), the daughter of a Boston politician. Kennedy spent his childhood between his family’s homes in New York ; Hyannis Port, Massachusetts; Palm Beach, Florida ; and London, where his father served as the American ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1940.
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In 1965, Robert Kennedy was part of a group that was the first to ascend Mount Kennedy, which at the time was the highest unclimbed peak in North America. The 14,000-foot peak, named for John Kennedy, is located in Yukon, Canada.
During World War II (1939-1945), Kennedy served in the U.S. Navy. In 1946 he was an apprentice seaman on the shakedown cruise of a naval destroyer named for his eldest brother, Joseph Kennedy Jr . (1915-1944), a Navy pilot killed during the war. After completing his military service, in 1948 Kennedy graduated from Harvard University, the alma mater of his father and older brothers. He went on to attend law school at the University of Virginia , earning his degree in 1951.
That same year, Kennedy began working as a lawyer in the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1952 he managed his brother John’s successful campaign for the U.S. Senate. The following year, Kennedy worked as an assistant counsel for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, headed by anticommunist crusader Senator Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957) of Wisconsin .
In the late 1950s, as chief counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field, Kennedy gained national attention for investigating corruption in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a powerful trade union led by James “Jimmy” Hoffa (1913-1975). Kennedy left the committee in 1959 to manage his brother John’s successful presidential campaign.
Robert Kennedy’s Marriage and Family
On June 17, 1950, Robert Kennedy married Ethel Skakel (1928-) of Greenwich, Connecticut . The couple had 11 children: Kathleen (1951-), Joseph II (1952-), Robert Jr. (1954-), David (1955-1984), Courtney (1956-), Michael (1958-1997), Kerry (1959-), Christopher (1963-), Max (1965-), Douglas (1967-) and Rory (1968-), who was born six months after her father’s death. The family lived at an estate called Hickory Hill in McLean, Virginia.
Kennedy’s oldest son, Joseph, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1987 to 1999, while his daughter Kathleen was lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003.
Robert Kennedy as U.S. Attorney General
After John Kennedy was elected president in November 1960, he named Robert Kennedy as America’s 64th attorney general. In this role, Kennedy continued to battle corruption in labor unions, as well as mobsters and organized crime. In 1964, Jimmy Hoffa was convicted of jury tampering and fraud.
As attorney general, Kennedy also advocated for the civil rights of African Americans. In the fall of 1962, he sent thousands of federal troops to Oxford, Mississippi , to enforce a U.S. Supreme Court order admitting the first black student, James Meredith (1933-), to the University of Mississippi. The state’s segregationist governor, Ross Barnett (1898-1987), had attempted to bar Meredith, whose enrollment prompted riots and violence at the school.
Additionally, Kennedy worked with his brother, as well as his successor as president, Lyndon Johnson (1908-73), on the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial discrimination in voting, employment and public facilities.
Kennedy also acted as one of his brother’s closest political advisors in the White House and was involved in important foreign policy decisions, including the administration’s handling of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis . He later wrote a book about the crisis, titled “Thirteen Days,” which was published posthumously in 1969.
Robert Kennedy’s Senate Career and Bid for the Presidency
On November 22, 1963, 46-year-old President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas . Robert Kennedy stayed on as attorney general under President Johnson until September 1964, when he resigned to embark on a campaign to represent New York in the U.S. Senate. Despite charges from some that he was a carpetbagger with little connection to the Empire State, Kennedy won the election and took office in January 1965.
As senator, Kennedy championed civil rights and social justice issues. He traveled to Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, migrant workers’ camps and urban ghettos to study the effects of poverty, and made trips abroad to such places as apartheid-ruled South Africa to advocate for the advancement of human rights. Kennedy also spoke out against President Johnson’s policies to further escalate the war in Vietnam.
In 1968, Kennedy was urged by his supporters to run for president as an antiwar and socially progressive Democratic. Hesitant until he saw positive primary returns for fellow antiwar candidate Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005), Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on March 16, 1968, declaring, “I do not run for the presidency merely to oppose any man, but to propose new policies. I run because I am convinced that this country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be done, and I feel that I’m obliged to do all I can.”
On March 31, 1968, Johnson announced he would not seek reelection, and Vice President Hubert Humphrey (1911-1978) became the key Democratic hopeful, with McCarthy and Kennedy trailing closely behind. Kennedy conducted an energetic campaign and on June 4, 1968, won a major victory in the California primary.
Robert Kennedy’s Assassination
In the early hours of June 5, 1968, shortly after delivering a speech to celebrate his win in the California primary, Kennedy was shot in a kitchen corridor outside the ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He died the next day at age 42.
In 1969, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan (1944-), a Palestinian immigrant, was convicted of Kennedy’s murder and sentenced to death. However, in 1972, after the California Supreme Court outlawed capital punishment, Sirhan’s sentence was commuted to life in prison, where he remains today.
On June 8, at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City , Edward “Ted” Kennedy (1932-2009), a U.S. senator from Massachusetts and the youngest Kennedy sibling, delivered a now-famous eulogy for his brother, remembering him as “a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.”
After the funeral, Kennedy’s coffin was taken by train from New York to Washington , D.C., with hundreds of thousands of mourners lining the tracks along the route. The train arrived in the nation’s capital that night, and a motorcade transported Kennedy’s body to Arlington National Cemetery for a rare nighttime burial.
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Who is commemorated by a museum at Alloway, Strathclyde? | O'Grady McCormick O'Hara Agee Lewis - Bernard McCormick
O'Grady McCormick O'Hara Agee Lewis
Bernard McCormick
Bernard McCormick was born circa 1830 at County Antrim, Ulster, Ireland . 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 He was the son of Edward McCormick and Barbara McDonnell . 6 Bernard McCormick was the godparent at the baptism of Ann McCormick on 1 March 1846 at Parish of Drummaul, County Antrim, Ireland ; 1 March 1846 Ann of John McCormcik and Ellen Mallaghan, Antrim, Sps Bernard McCormick and Barbara Macaulay. 7
Once upon a time, prior to 1851, Bernard caught the ferry from Larne in Antrim and crossed the North Channel of the Irish Sea to Stranraer, south of Ayr city. Like thousands of Irishman before him and thousands after him, he crossed the channel looking for work. I suspect that he knew Owen O'Hara in Antrim. He became a boarder in the O'Hara house and married Owen's eldest daughter, Ellen. Bernard and Ellen spent about 20 yrs in Ayrshire moving from village to village, wherever there was work. In Dernconner, in the Parish of Auchinleck, they lived near the Daniel Harrigan and Hugh O'Hara families. Bernard and Ellen had five children born in various villages in the county of Ayr. John, the first born in 1851 in Ayr and Angelo the last in 1867. About 200 miles south in Dudley, Worcestershire, England, another Irish immigrant family were beginning a family. Thomas Grady, a shoemaker from County Clare, Ireland, and Ann Scott, were married in 1851 and their first born son, William, was born in 1854 in Dudley. William and Bernard never met but, in time, William would become his son-in-law. The following excerpts are taken from the ninth edition of The Encyclopaedia Britannica published in 1894 which was at one time in the possession of William Grady. This is an American reprint of the 1875 edition. The following historical sketchs of Ayr city and Ayrshire should reflect the region as Bernard and Ellen knew it.
Ayr, County of, or Ayrshire, a Scottish county, bounded by Wigtownshire and the stewartry of Kirkcudbright on the S; by Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, and Lanark on the E; and by Renfrewshire on the N. On the W. it has a coast line extending to 70 miles on the Irish Sea and the Firth of Clyde. The county contains 1149 square miles, or 735,262 acres. The middle part, which is the broadest, is about 26 miles across. There are six rivers of some note in Ayrshire--Stinchar, Girvan, Doon, Ayr, Irvine, and Garnock. Or these the Ayr, from which the county and county town take their name, is the largest. It rises at Glenbuck, on the border of Lanarkshire, and after a course of 33 miles, falls into the Firth of Clyde at the county town.....There has been no lack of agricultural enterprise in Ayrshire. With a moist climate , and generally, a rather heavy soil, draining was necessary for the successful growth of green crops....Early potatoes are now extensively grown in some localities. The farmers on the coast lands of Girvan and West Kilbride are first in the market, and the next supplies come from the friable lands about Ayr and St. Quivox. A considerable extent of ground is cleared in June for the Glasgow market; and, in dropping seasons, good crops of turnips follow....Carrots and mangolds are cultivated more extensively than in any other Scotch county....Wheat generally follows green crops in the lower parts of the county, though barley is coming more into use than in former times on light land.....
The iron trade of Ayrshire has risen to great importance. The manufacture has long been carried on at Muirkirk, although the iron had to carted long distances to Ayr and Glasgow before the introduction of railways. Immense fields of Ironstone have been opened up within the last quarter of a century; and there are now 33 furnaces in blast within the county, producing about 330,000 tons per annum. The works are all conncected with the three great companies, namely, William Baird & Company, the Dalmellington Iron Company and Merry and Cunningham....The antiquities of Ayrshire are not of much note. There are cairns in Galson, Sorn, and other localities; a road, supposed to be a work of the Romans, which extended from Ayr, through Dalrymple and Dalmellington, towards the Solway; camps attributed to the Norwegians of Danes, on the hills of Knockgeorgan and Dundonald; and the castles of Loch Doon, Turnberry, Dundonald, Portencross, Ardrossan, etc. There are interesting remains of the celebrated abbeys of Kilwinning and Crossraguel; and the ruins of the little church of Alloway, amid the lovely scenery near the birthplace of Burns, have become more famous from their associations than many great works of architectural genius.....
The rural population of Ayrshire is decreasing but the mining population has increased, and the towns are growing.....
Ayr, the capital of the above county, is situated at the mouth of the river of the same name, and about 40 miles S.S.W. from Glasgow. The spot has probably been inhabited from a remote antiquity. Nothing, however is know of its history till the close of the 13th century, when it was made a royal residence, and soon afterwards a royal burgh, by William the Lion....During the wars of Scottish independence the possession of Ayr and its castle was according to tradition, an object of importance to both the contending parties. In Blind Harry's Life of Wallace they are frequently mentioned, and the scene is laid there of one of the patriot's greatest exploits....Ayr proper lies on the south bank of the river, and is connected with Newton and Wallacetown of the north by two bridges, the Old and the New. the "Twa Brigs" of Burns.....Ayr has a general trade of considerable value. Large quantities of timber are imported from Canada and from Norway; coal and iron are the chief exports.....
Railways converge upon Ayr from the north, east, and south, opening up a connection with all parts of the country. Previous to 1873, its municipal boundary on the north was the river, but an Act of Parliament was obtained in that year by which the boundary was extended so as to include Newton-on-Ayr and Wallacetown, and made the same as that of the parliamentary burgh. In 1871 the population of the extended burgh was 17,851. Though thus conjoined with Ayr for the parliamentary and municipal government, and forming with it in reality one town, Newton and Wallacetown were formerly each quite separate. The former is a burgh or barony of very ancient erection. The original charter has been lost; but it is traditionally said to have been granted by King Robert the Bruce in favor of fourty-eight of the inhabitants who had distinguished themselves at Bannockburn. About two miles east of Newton is the village of Prestwick, the headquarters of one of the most flourishing golf clubs in Scotland....
The following from a more recent account:
Ayr, burgh, administrative center of Kyle and Carrick District, Strathclyde Region, southwestern Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde, at the mouth of the Ayr River. Ayr is a regional agricultural market and a popular resort with a well-known racecourse. It is also a coal-exporting seaport with some fishing activity. Manufactures include machinery, metal products, and textiles. Crossing the Ayr River here is a 13th-century bridge celebrated in a poem by Robert Burns, who was born nearby in the village of Alloway and who is commemorated here by a museum. A settlement existed on the site as early as the 8th century. It was made a royal burgh in 1202, and during the Middle Ages it was an important port. Before 1975 Ayr was the county town of the former county of Ayr. Population (Kyle and Carrick District, 1991) 113,572.
Ayrshire, former county, southwestern Scotland; Ayr was the county town. Ayrshire became part of the kingdom of Scotland during the 11th century. Invading Norwegians were defeated here at the Battle of Largs in the 13th century. Among the landmarks of Ayrshire is the early 14th-century Turnberry Castle, family seat of the leader of the struggle for Scottish independence, Robert Bruce. The Scottish national poet, Robert Burns, was born in the county at Alloway. The county's industrial growth in the late 19th century was aided by its coal deposits. In 1975 Ayrshire became part of the newly created Strathclyde Region.
Auchinleck: Today this is an upland coal-mining village 3 mi N. of Old Cumnock on the A76 from Kilmarnock to Dumfries. Some 3 mi to the west is Auchinleck House, the family seat of the Boswells since early in the 16th century. The present house was built for Alexander Boswell, Lord Auchinleck, (father of the more famous James Boswell) in the 1760's. 8
Bernard McCormick was enumerated with Owen O'Hara on the census of 30 March 1851 at Whitletts, St. Quivox, Ayrshire, Scotland , as Bernard McCormick. He is an unmarried 20 year old male born abt 1831 in Ireland. He is enumerated as a lodger and works as a coal miner. 9
Bernard McCormick married Ellen O'Hara , daughter of Owen O'Hara and Isabella McCashin , on 25 October 1851 at Ayr, Parish of Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland . 10
Bernard is head of household on the census of 7 April 1861 at 271 Cronberry Rows, Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland , as Barnard McCormick. Bernard is a 31 year old male born abt 1830 in Ireland. He is a coal miner. Enumerated with him were John McCormick , Edward McCormick , Daniel McCormick , Ellen O'Hara, Isabella McCormick and John O'Neill . 11
Bernard immigrated on 10 September 1869 to New York Harbor, New York City, New York County, New York . 12
If family lore is to be trusted, it appears that Bernard may have displayed a non-traditional attitude towards marriage during his first year in Mercer County. While his wife, Ellen, and his children were still in Scotland, he fathered a child in Hickory Township. Notes from Mary Grady Lenski indicate that Bernard McCormick trained driving horses while he lived in Shenango Township. 13
When Bernard arrived at NYC on Sept 1869 he was more than likely met by one of the Harrigans. The McCormicks and Harrigans were neighbors in Dernconner and Bernard is living in the Daniel Harrigan household in the 1870 Mercer County Census. It took only a day on the train to get from NYC to Sharon, PA and once there, Bernard began work as a coalminer. It was just over a year before he sent for the rest of the family. It must have been quite a change for Bernard, coming from the bleak upland coal regions of Ayrshire to the fertile banks of the Shenango River.
Hickory Township, the second largest in the county, and one of the wealthiest in point of mineral resources in the northwestern portion of the State. The physical features of the township form an agreeable study. Nowhere in the county can a richer or more picturesque expanse of upland and vale, of hills rising from surrounding plains, and of valleys nestled down among the elevations be seen. The pasturage afforded by the lands lying along the banks of the Shenango River is unsurpassed anywhere in the vicinity, and the soil, fertile and mellow, ranks the township among the most productive regions, agriculturally speaking, in Mercer County. Added to these are the valuable internal treasures of rich coal deposits, that give employment to hundreds of the township's population....St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, located immediately north of Hickory Corners, had its inception in the settlement in that vicinity of a few German Catholic families, between 1845 and 1860, who principally engaged in mining coal (Bernard's daughter, Anna, and Daniel Harrigan's son, Hugh, were married at St. Rose in 1880)..... Rev. Andrew Skopez is believed to have been the first priest who held services in the settlement (Fr. Skopez baptised Bernard's daughter, Mary Ellen).....
In 1869-70 a Catholic Church was built in Neshannock, and the first service held therein by Father Hartmann, of St. Rose Parish, in 1870 The mission was then placed under the charge of the pastor at Sharpesville, and so remains up to the present. The building was a frame, but not a very substantial structure, It was blown down early in 1887, and has not been rebuilt, and it is not very probable that it ever will. The mission embraces only a few families, and services are held in private houses." These notes are from an 1888 publication, not long after the widow Ellen McCormick left for Kansas. The Neshannock Catholic Church registers reveal this church to be attended by many of the same families that later migrate to Scammon. The Harrigans, O'Haras, McCormicks, Ferns, Bradys, Rices, McFaddens, Ryans and others were all active in this modest structure which borders Hickory and Shenango Townships, just a few miles from Bethel.
Neshannock, the original terminus of the Sharpsville railroad, was formerly of considerable importance, but like it sister villages, which have depended for their prosperity upon a business that was likely to be temporary, it has receded. It has supported the usual complement of dry goods and grocery stores, public schools, hotel and post-office and has furnished communicants for four different religious organizations, Methodist, Catholic, United Brethern, and Baptist, three of which were supplied with church edifices. The Baptists were accustomed to meet in the school building.
The McCormicks lived outside of West Middlesex in Shenango Township, only a couple miles from Neshannock. The Old Catholic Cemetery of Neshannock is probably where Bernard is buried. This abandoned cemetery is located on the west side of Neshannock Road, 1/10 mile south of Virginia Road. It is will off the road behind a fence and in a wooded area. The cemetery was visited by Sally Dufford about 15 years ago when there were approximately 50 stones. Only 4 remain. Neighborhood children apparently have carried them away. (1) Edward Ferry d Feb 29, 1872 age 39y (2) Thos. McCana nd Co F 28th Pa Inf (3) Martha Daily d. Sept8, 1871 in her 80y (4) Daniel son of D. &T. Harrigan d Mar or May 21, 1873 age 2y 10d
The last reported, Daniel, would be the young son of Daniel Harrigan, who Bernard knew so well. 14
Bernard was enumerated with Daniel Harrigan on the census of 14 June 1870 at Hickory Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania , as Barny McCormick. Bernard is 41 years old and works as a coal miner. He was born in Ireland. 15
Bernard McCormick filed his declaration of intent at the Court of Common Pleas in Mercer, Mercer County, Pa on 2 Sep 1873. 16 , 5 Bernard McCormick was naturalized on 20 September 1875 at Court of Common Pleas, Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania . 16 , 17
Mary O'Grady Lenski writes that Bernard "raised fine driving horses". 18
Bernard McCormick died circa 1879 at Mercer County, Pennsylvania . There is no documentation of Bernard's death. Ellen is a widow by the 1880 census. Oral tradition indicates that he died when his daughter, Barbara, was seven years old. This would be around 1879. It is quite likely that Bernard was buried in the Neshannock Catholic Cemetery since this was the church they attended. The cemetery has been vandalized and ravaged over time. Four headstones are all that are remain. Mary Grady Lenski writes that "Bernard and his son, John, were shot after returning from a meeting of the Royal Hibernian Society". This should more than likely be the "Ancient Order of Hibernians" rather than "royal". Mercer County did not have any tradition of Molly Maquire activity; that was more to be found in Schuylkill County. It may be that Mary O'Grady Lenski was confusing an incident which took the life of a Fern who was murdered near Shenandoah in Schuylkill County in the 1870's. 18
Children of Bernard McCormick and Ellen O'Hara
| Robert Burns |
On which river does Peterborough stand? | Robert Burns | Famous Scots | VisitScotland
Rabbie for the Weans eBook
The life of Robert Burns
Robert Burns was born on 25 January 1759, on a dark and windy night in the village of Alloway in Ayrshire. He died just 37 years later, at his home in Dumfries, from an illness that sadly would have been easily treatable today.
Despite his short life Burns left a huge catalogue of poetry and songs that have been poured over, enjoyed and spoken aloud for over 200 years. His timeless words have echoed throughout the generations, inspiring people from every walk of life.
Although he left a great legacy, Burns' start in life was a humble one. He was born the son of poor tenant farmers and was the eldest of seven children. Even with the family's money struggles, his father recognised the importance of education and ensured that, alongside working on the family farm, his children were given the opportunity to read and learn.
There were signs of Robert's exceptional writing talent from an early age - at 15 he penned his first love poems - though it was not until 1786 at the age of 27 that he rose to fame with the publication of his first collection of poetry, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. This masterful collection made a huge impression on Edinburgh's literary elite, and propelled Burns to celebrity status.
In his personal life, Burns dedicated hundreds of lines of verse to the fairer sex and went on to father 12 children, nine with his wife Jean Armour. He was also a passionately proud Scot - he even spent many years collecting and preserving traditional Scottish songs for the future.
For all his fame, Burns never forgot his roots. His love for farming stayed with him throughout his life and his writing often dealt with issues affecting the poorer classes, notably highlighting the need for greater social equality. You'll see all of these influences captured in his dazzling collections of poetry and song - his lasting legacy to the world.
Famous Scots eBook
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What is the army equivalent to a Royal Navy Captain? | Captain (Royal Navy) | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Please see Captain (naval) for other versions of this naval rank.
A Royal Navy captain's rank insignia.
Captain (Capt) is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy . It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force . The rank of Group Captain is based on the Royal Navy rank. Sometimes the rank is described as Captain RN to distinguish it from the more junior army rank .
In the Royal Navy, the officer in command of any ship is considered the captain even if that officer holds a different rank. Royal Navy officers who rank as captains may serve on ships or on land in naval bases or other service establishments.
The rank insignia features four rings of gold braid with a loop in the upper ring. [1]
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On which river does Kidderminster stand? | Rank Equivalents - Pastebin.com
Rank Equivalents
* Royal Army and Royal Navy Rank Equivalents for Warrant Officer and higher: (scroll down for RMC and Royal Navy equivalents)
The following are the rank equivalents between the Royal Army and Royal Navy while at official group servers (ports, forts, etc.) Please note, while on a ship, the Captain of the ship has the highest authority, and cannot be ordered by any rank on-board it as a crew member. As well, men below the ranks of Midshipman or Ensign are not to be ordering each other, or the men below them in rank. However, even if a superior rank in an equivalent, an Army officer cannot take command over the Navy officer in command of a port, and vice versa as they can only be replaced by a superior officer in their branch. Likewise, an Army General has no authority over an Admiral (regardless of in command of a server) at a port, and vice versa for the army. The only exclusion to these rules are if the Articles of War are being broken, in which case any officer must enforce them.
Please note, regardless of rank, said branches/regiments must work together with full cooperation. On a final note, these rank equivalents only apply when on the applicable teams, for example, a Navy LR may not use his Army rank while on the Royal Navy team to avoid calling his naval superiors Sir or Ma'am.
The Great Army of Britannia The Great Navy of Britannia
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Field Marshal Admiral of the Fleet
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Head of Army First Naval Lord
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* Royal Marines and Royal Navy Rank Equivalents for Warrant Officer and higher:
The following are the rank equivalents between the Royal Marines and Royal Navy while at official group servers (ports, forts, etc.) Please note, while on a ship, the Captain of the ship has the highest authority, and cannot be ordered by any rank on-board it as a crew member. As well, men below the ranks of Midshipman or Ensign are not to be ordering each other, or the men below them in rank. As the RMC is a regiment of the Navy and not a branch, an RMC officer cannot take command of a port unless granted so by a flag officer. Likewise, an RMC officer cannot command any navy vessel at sea, wether from port or on the vessel.
Please note, regardless of rank, said branches/regiments must work together with full cooperation. On a final note, these rank equivalents only apply when on the applicable teams, for example, a Navy LR may not use his RMC rank while on the Royal Navy team to avoid calling his naval superiors Sir or Ma'am.
The Great Navy of Britannia The Royal Marine Corps
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RAW Paste Data
* Royal Army and Royal Navy Rank Equivalents for Warrant Officer and higher: (scroll down for RMC and Royal Navy equivalents) The following are the rank equivalents between the Royal Army and Royal Navy while at official group servers (ports, forts, etc.) Please note, while on a ship, the Captain of the ship has the highest authority, and cannot be ordered by any rank on-board it as a crew member. As well, men below the ranks of Midshipman or Ensign are not to be ordering each other, or the men below them in rank. However, even if a superior rank in an equivalent, an Army officer cannot take command over the Navy officer in command of a port, and vice versa as they can only be replaced by a superior officer in their branch. Likewise, an Army General has no authority over an Admiral (regardless of in command of a server) at a port, and vice versa for the army. The only exclusion to these rules are if the Articles of War are being broken, in which case any officer must enforce them. Please note, regardless of rank, said branches/regiments must work together with full cooperation. On a final note, these rank equivalents only apply when on the applicable teams, for example, a Navy LR may not use his Army rank while on the Royal Navy team to avoid calling his naval superiors Sir or Ma'am. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ The Great Army of Britannia The Great Navy of Britannia ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Ensign Midshipman ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lieutenant Master ------------------------------------------------------------------- Captain Acting Lieutenant ------------------------------------------------------------------- Major Lieutenant ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lieutenant Colonel Commander ------------------------------------------------------------------- Colonel Post-Captain ------------------------------------------------------------------- Brigadier General Commodore ------------------------------------------------------------------- Major General Rear Admiral ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lieutenant General Vice Admiral ------------------------------------------------------------------- General Full Admiral ------------------------------------------------------------------- Field Marshal Admiral of the Fleet ------------------------------------------------------------------- Head of Army First Naval Lord ------------------------------------------------------------------- ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ * Royal Marines and Royal Navy Rank Equivalents for Warrant Officer and higher: The following are the rank equivalents between the Royal Marines and Royal Navy while at official group servers (ports, forts, etc.) Please note, while on a ship, the Captain of the ship has the highest authority, and cannot be ordered by any rank on-board it as a crew member. As well, men below the ranks of Midshipman or Ensign are not to be ordering each other, or the men below them in rank. As the RMC is a regiment of the Navy and not a branch, an RMC officer cannot take command of a port unless granted so by a flag officer. Likewise, an RMC officer cannot command any navy vessel at sea, wether from port or on the vessel. Please note, regardless of rank, said branches/regiments must work together with full cooperation. On a final note, these rank equivalents only apply when on the applicable teams, for example, a Navy LR may not use his RMC rank while on the Royal Navy team to avoid calling his naval superiors Sir or Ma'am. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ The Great Navy of Britannia The Royal Marine Corps ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Midshipman Ensign ------------------------------------------------------------ Master Lieutenant ------------------------------------------------------------ Acting Lieutenant Captain ------------------------------------------------------------ Lieutenant Major ------------------------------------------------------------ Commander Lieutenant Colonel ------------------------------------------------------------ Post-Captain Colonel ------------------------------------------------------------ Commodore Brigadier General-General ------------------------------------------------------------ Rear Admiral Commandant General ------------------------------------------------------------ Vice Admiral ------------------------------------------------------------ Full Admiral ------------------------------------------------------------ Admiral of the Fleet ------------------------------------------------------------ First Naval Lord ------------------------------------------------------------ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
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What is the army equivalent to a Royal Navy Commodore? | Commodore (Royal Navy) | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
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The appointment of Commodore dates to the mid-17th century: it was first used in the time of William III . There was a need for officers to command squadrons , but it was not deemed desirable to create new admirals (as Post-Captains were promoted to Rear-Admiral in order of seniority). Captains assigned squadron command were given the title of Commodore, but it was not an actual rank. The officer so designated kept his place on the list of Captains. In 1748 it was established that Captains serving as Commodores were equal to Brigadier-Generals in the Army.
Commodores could revert to the rank of Captain at the end of their posting (and Captains could be promoted directly to Rear-Admiral without ever having served as a Commodore).
The Royal Navy Commodore was eventually split into two classes. Those of the first class had a Captain under them to command their ship and were allocated one-eighth of all prize money earned by ships under their command. Those of the second class commanded their own ship as well as the squadron. In 1783, Commodores of the first class were allowed to wear the uniform of a Rear-Admiral, a distinction which continued with some variation until the two classes of Commodore were consolidated in 1958.
By the 20th century, Commodores did not just command seagoing units (the naval barracks in the three main naval bases of Devonport , Portsmouth and Chatham were all commanded by Commodores, for instance) and the appointment of Commodore could also be held by specialist officers in certain positions as well as by line officers.
The Royal Air Force rank of air commodore was derived from the Royal Navy rank of commodore in 1919.
In 1996, Commodore was made a substantive rank in the Royal Navy. It had previously been an appointment, with the holder a Captain, reverting to the status of Captain at the end of the appointment.
Insignia
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Commodores First Class, while wearing the sleeve stripes of a Rear-Admiral, had gold lace-covered epaulettes with a crown, two stars and an anchor (also worn by other Commodores but only with formal uniforms). They flew a swallow-tailed pennant with the St George's cross , but without the disc that appeared on the pennant of a Second Class Commodore.
Commodores Second Class wore a single 1.75 inch-wide row of lace below a ring (known in naval regulations as a curl) measuring 1.75 inches in diameter on both sleeve and shoulder-board. Their uniforms were otherwise the same as for Captains.
Modern Commodores wear the insignia previously worn by Commodores Second Class.
Equivalent naval ranks
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Some Commonwealth countries have replaced Commodore with an equivalent flag rank. The correct sleeve insignia for such a rank is a single 1.75 inch-wide row of gold lace below a gold lace curl with a diameter of 2 inches. The correct shoulder-board insignia comprises a crown (or national emblem for republics) with a crossed sword and baton on a gold lace-covered shoulder-board, however, there is some variation due to misconceptions about the status of stars in Commonwealth-style rank insignia. The rest of the uniform is identical to that of a Rear-Admiral.
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Who painted The Light of the World? | Air Commodore | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
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Air Commodore is a 1 star rank and the most junior air officer rank, being immediately senior to Group Captain and immediately subordinate to Air Vice-Marshal . It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6 and is equivalent to a Commodore in the Royal Navy or a Brigadier in the British Army or the Royal Marines . Unlike these two ranks, however, it has always been a substantive rank. Additionally, air commodores have always been considered to be air officers whilst Royal Navy commodores have never been classified as officers of flag rank and British Army brigadiers have not been considered to be general officers since 1922 when they ceased to be titled as brigadier-generals.
The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) (until 1980) was Air Commandant.
Origins
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On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army , with officers at what is now Air Commodore holding the rank of Brigadier-General . In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy 's officer ranks, with the word "Air" inserted before the naval rank title. Although the Admiralty objected to this simple modification of their rank titles, it was agreed that the RAF might base many of its officer rank titles on Navy officer ranks with differing pre-modifying terms. It was also suggested that Air Officer ranks could be based on the term "Ardian", which was derived from a combination of the Gaelic words for "chief" (ard) and "bird" (eun), with the term "Fourth Ardian" or "Flight Ardian" being used for the equivalent to Brigadier-General and Commodore. However, the rank title based on the Navy rank was preferred and Air Commodore was adopted on 1 August 1919.
RAF insignia, command flag and star plate
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The rank insignia is a light blue band on a broad black band worn on the both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform. On the mess uniform , Air Commodores wear a broad gold ring on both lower sleeves.
The command flag of an air commodore has one narrow red band running through the centre and is rectangular with a cut-away section giving it two tails. It is the only RAF command flag of this shape and it is similar in shape to that of a Royal Navy commodore's broad pennant .
The vehicle star plate for an Air Commodore depicts a single white star (Air Commodore is equivalent to a one star rank) on an air force blue background.
An RAF Air Commodore's sleeve/shoulder insignia
An RAF Air Commodore's sleeve mess insignia
Air Commodore broad pennant
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Churchill in his air commodore's uniform at the 1943 Tehran Conference
RAF flying squadrons and stations may appoint Honorary Air Commodores. For example, Prince Charles is RAF Valley 's Honorary Air Commodore and Winston Churchill was 615 Squadron 's Honorary Air Commodore. [2] As the title suggests, this is an honorary position bestowed by the Queen and it does not grant the recipient command of a unit or formation. It is designed to strengthen the bond between the military unit and the individual and promote the role of the Air Force amongst the public.
Serving officers, such as Prince Harry and Prince William, may be granted an equivalent appointment to the honorary rank. In such cases the individual is made an Honorary Air Commandant and they retain their regular rank. [3]
Larger air force organizations or formations may by honoured by having an air commodore-in-chief appointed in their name. These appointments are rare and to date have been reserved for senior members of the Royal Family. Air commodore-in-chief is not a rank and such an appointment does not convey the rank of air commodore upon the recipient.
Other air forces
The rank of Air Commodore is also used in a number of the air forces in the Commonwealth, including the Bangladesh Air Force , Ghana Air Force , Indian Air Force , Pakistan Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Air Force and Sri Lanka Air Force . It is also used in the Egyptian Air Force , Hellenic Air Force , Royal Air Force of Oman , the Royal Thai Air Force and the Air Force of Zimbabwe . In the Indonesian Air Force the equivalent rank is Marsekal Pertama (literally "First Marshal") which is usually translated as Air Commodore in English.
An RAAF air commodore's sleeve/shoulder insignia
A Hellenic Air Force Taxiarchos (air commodore's) rank insignia
An Indian Air Force air commodore's rank insignia
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The Royal Canadian Air Force used the rank until the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, when Army-type rank titles were adopted. An Air Commodore then became a Brigadier-General (following the U.S. title, rather than the British Brigadier , which had been held by equivalent officers in the former Canadian Army ). In official French Canadian usage, the rank title was commodore de l'air. The position of Honorary Air Commodore still exists in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets .
The Royal Netherlands Air Force 's equivalent rank is Commodore which has essentially the same rank insignia.
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Which English town did the Romans call Camulodonum? | Roman Towns
Roman Towns
Interesting Fact
Romans invented towns in Great Britain.
The Romans built Britain's first towns. They built towns all over Britain as centers to administer the people they had conquered. Within 17 years of the invasion, they had several major towns in place. connected by the famous Roman roads .
Towns soon became important places for meetings and trade.
Reconstruction of Roman Sichester
What were Roman towns like?
The Roman towns were full of fine buildings and temples.
The Romans liked everything to be organised and orderly. Streets were laid out in neat, straight lines, like on a chess-board. In the middle there was a large square, called the forum. It was used as a market place and for meetings. It had shops and offices on three sides and government offices on the other side.
Many towns had running water and sewers. Aqueducts were bridges for bringing water to the towns.
Only the rich had water piped to their houses; everyone else used water from public fountains. The only toilets were public lavatories, which were built around the town and connected to underground sewers.
What could you find in most Roman towns?
Most towns would also have shops as well as the forum. At one end of the forum was a large building called the basilica. There were temples too where the Roman gods were worshipped. Some towns had public baths , an open-air theatre and huge monumental arches.
What was the general layout of a Roman town?
Throughout their empire the Romans built towns in exactly the same style. They were designed in the form of a grid, with streets built at right angles to each other and parallel with one of the two main roads.
The streets of Roman towns were between five and eight metres wide. Their width depended upon their importance.
Each town had two main roads. One heading North-South and the other East-West. At the point where these roads met was the town centre, where the administrative centre and the forum were found.
The central part of the towncontained the main businesses, with the homes and dwellings of the citizens further towards the edges of the town.
What were Roman buildings made of?
Buildings were made of stone and brick. They were so well built that we have been able to excavate many Roman buildings and even towns.
Corbridge Roman Town as it might have looked and some of its remains today.
What were the largest towns the Romans built in Britain?
The three largest were London, Colchester and St. Albans. Colchester was their main town.
What were the names of the Roman towns?
The Romans called our towns different names to what we know them as today.
Verulamium (St Albans)
Lindum (Lincoln)
Eboracum (York)
Every town with a name ending in 'chester' or 'caster' or ' cester' was once a Roman town e.g. Doncaster, Dorchester and Cirencester.
Camulodunum (Colchester)
| Colchester |
Which Blackadder cast member was knighted in the 2013 Birthday Honours List? | Boudicca (Boadicea) - British Celtic Warrior Queen
Boudicca (Boadicea)
Boudicca (Boadicea)
Celtic Warrior Queen
Boudicca - also written as Boadicea, Boadaceia or Boudica - was a British Celtic warrior queen who led a revolt against Roman occupation. Getty Images / Archive Photos / Kean Collection
Known for: British Celtic warrior queen who led a revolt against Roman occupation
Dates: ? - 61 CE
Also known as: Boudica, Boadicea, Boadacaea
Sources: We know the history of Boudicca through two writers: Tacitus , in "Agricola" (98 CE) and "The Annals" (109 CE), and Dio, in "The Rebellion of Boudicca" (about 163 CE).
Boudicca Biography
Boudicca was the wife of Prasutagus, who was head of the Iceni tribe in East England, in what is now Norfolk and Suffolk.
In 43 CE, the Romans invaded Britain, and most of the Celtic tribes were forced to submit. However, the Romans allowed two Celtic kings to retain some of their traditional power; one was Prasutagus.
The Roman occupation brought increased Roman settlement, military presence, and attempts to suppress Celtic religious culture. There were major economic changes, including heavy taxes and money lending.
In 47 CE the Romans forced the Ireni to disarm, creating resentment. Prasutagus had been given a grant by the Romans, but the Romans then redefined this as a loan.
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When Prasutagus died in 60 CE, he left half his kingdom to the Emperor Nero to settle this debt.
The Romans arrived to collect, but instead of settling for half the kingdom, seized control of it. To humiliate the former rulers, the Romans beat Boudicca publicly, raped their two daughters, seized the wealth of many Iceni and sold much of the royal family into slavery.
The Roman governor Suetonius turned his attention to attacking Wales, taking two-thirds of the Roman military in Britain. Boudicca meanwhile met with the leaders of the Iceni, Trinovanti, Cornovii, Durotiges, and other tribes, who also had grievances against the Romans including grants that had been redefined as loans. They planned to revolt and drive out the Romans.
Boudicca's Army Attacks
Led by Boudicca, about 100,000 British attacked Camulodunum (now Colchester), where the Roans had their main center of rule. With Suetonius and most of the Roman forces away, Camulodunum was not well-defended, and the Romans were drive out. he Procurator Decianus was forced to flee. Boudicca's army burned Camulodunum to the ground; only the Roman temple was left.
Immediately Boudicca's army turned to the largest city in the British Isles, Londinium (London). Suetonius strategically abandoned the city, and Boudicca's army burned Londinium and massacred the 25,000 inhabitants who had not fled. Archaeological evidence of a layer of burned ash shows the extent of the destruction.
Next, Boudicca and her army marched on Verulamium (St. Albans), a city largely populated by Britons who had cooperated with the Romans and who were killed as the city was destroyed.
Changing Fortunes
Boudicca's army had counted on seizing Roman food stores when the tribes abandoned their own fields to wage rebellion, but Suetonius had strategically seen to the burning of the Roman stores. Famine thus struck the victorious army, weakening them.
Boudicca fought one more battle, though its precise location is not sure. Boudicca's army attacked uphill, and, exhausted, hungry, was easy for the Romans to rout. Roman troops of 1,200 defeated Boudicca's army of 100,000, killing 80,000 to their own loss of 400.
What happened to Boudicca is uncertain. It is said she returned to her home territory and took poison to avoid Roman capture.
A result of the rebellion was that the Romans strengthened their military presence in Britain and also lessened the oppressiveness of their rule.
Boudicca's story was nearly forgotten until Tacitus' work, Annals, was rediscovered in 1360. Her story became popular during the reign of another English queen who headed an army against foreign invasion, Queen Elizabeth I.
Other Ancient British Queens
Elen Luyddog
Boudicca Quotes
• If you weigh well the strengths of our armies you will see that in this battle we must conquer or die. This is a woman's resolve. As for the men, they may live or be slaves.
• I am not fighting for my kingdom and wealth now. I am fighting as an ordinary person for my lost freedom, my bruised body, and my outraged daughters.
Quote About Boudicca
“What is deemed as “his-story” is often determined by those who survived to write it. In other words, history is written by the victors...Now, with the help of the Roman historian Tacitus, I shall tell you Queen Boudicca’s story, her-story……” Thomas Jerome Baker
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Which city does Islam regard as the next most holy after Mecca? | Why Is the City of Jerusalem Important in Islam?
By Huda
Updated November 16, 2016.
The city of Jerusalem is known in Arabic as Al-Quds or Baitul-Maqdis ("The Noble, Sacred Place"). Jerusalem is perhaps the only city in the world that is considered historically and spiritually significant to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Perhaps you are wondering why Jerusalem is considered a holy city in Islam? Why is this place so important to Muslims?
Center of Monotheism
Jerusalem is known as the land of many prophets, peace be upon them all. Muslims revere all of the "Biblical" prophets , such as Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus - peace be upon them all. They all taught the Oneness of God.
First Qiblah for Muslims
Jerusalem was the first Qiblah for Muslims - the place toward which Muslims turn in prayer. It was many years into the Islamic mission (16 months after the Hijrah ), that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was instructed to change the Qibla from Jerusalem to Mecca (Qur'an 2:142-144). It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad said, "There are only three mosques to which you should embark on a journey: the sacred mosque (Mecca, Saudi Arabia), this mosque of mine (Madinah, Saudi Arabia), and the mosque of Al-Aqsa (Jerusalem)."
Site of Night Journey and Ascension
It is Jerusalem that Muhammad (peace be upon him) visited during his night journey and ascension (called Isra' and Mi'raj ). In one evening, the angel Gabriel miraculously took the Prophet from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Furthest Mosque (Al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem. He was then taken up to the heavens to be shown the signs of God. The Prophet met with previous prophets and led them in prayer. He was then taken back to Mecca. The whole experience (which Muslim commentators take literally and Muslims believe as a miracle) lasted a few hours of a night. The event of Isra' and Mi'raj is mentioned in the Qur’an, in the first verse of Chapter 17 entitled 'The Children of Israel.’
"Glory to Allah, Who did take His servant for a journey by night, from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless - in order that We might show him some of Our signs. For He is the One who hears and knows all things." (Qur'an 17:1)
This night journey further reinforced the link between Mecca and Jerusalem as holy cities and serves as an example of every Muslim's deep devotion and spiritual connection with Jerusalem.
It is the hope of every Muslim that the Holy Land will be restored to a land of peace.
Also read:
| Medina |
What is the youngest section of the Scouting movement, covering ages 6 to 8? | Muhammad and the Faith of Islam [ushistory.org]
4i. Muhammad and the Faith of Islam
courtesy Muslim Students Association, University of Southern California
This verse from the Qur'an, originally written in Arabic, translates "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" (Qur'an 48:29)
A man meditating alone in a cave near Mecca received a religious vision. This vision laid the foundations for a new religion. The year was 610 and the man's name was Muhammad.
And the belief system that arose from Muhammad's ideas became the basis of one of the world's most widely practiced religions: Islam.
Muhammad was born around 570 in the city of Mecca, located on the Arabian Peninsula. Both of his parents died before Muhammad was six and he was raised by his grandfather and uncle. His family belonged to a poor clan that was active in Mecca politics.
Following the traditions of wealthy families, he spent part of his childhood living with a Bedouin family. Bedouins led fairly isolated lives as nomadic herders in the harsh Arabian desert. Muhammad's experiences among these people most likely had a strong influence on the development of Islam.
In his twenties, Muhammad began working as a merchant and soon married his employer, a rich woman named Khadijah. Over the next 20 years he became a wealthy and respected trader, traveling throughout the Middle East. He and his wife had six children — two boys (who did not live into adulthood) and four girls. By the time he was 40, he began having religious visions that would change his life.
This is prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina.
A Revelation of Faith
While meditating in a cave on Mount Hira, Muhammad had a revelation. He came to believe that he was called on by God to be a prophet and teacher of a new faith, Islam, which means literally "submission."
This new faith incorporated aspects of Judaism and Christianity. It respected the holy books of these religions and its great leaders and prophets — Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others. Muhammad called Abraham "Khalil" ("God's friend") and identified him as Islam's ancient patriarch. Islam traces its heritage through Abraham's son Ishmael.
Muhammad believed that he himself was God's final prophet.
Central to Islamic beliefs are the Five Pillars of Faith, which all followers of Islam — called Muslims — must follow::
There is only one universal God: Allah.
Followers of Islam (Muslims) are expected to pray five times each day while facing Mecca.
All Muslims are expected to pay a yearly tax that is mostly intended to help the poor and needy.
For the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims must not eat, smoke, drink, or have sexual relations from sunrise to sunset.
All able Muslims must make a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes.
The Kaaba
Mecca houses Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, which was believed to have been built for Yahweh by Abraham and his son Ishmael.
Islam spread at almost Internet-like speed, encompassing much of the former territories of the ancient Near East, North Africa, and Spain.
Muhammad's message was especially well received by the poor and slaves. But many people were opposed to his message. This opposition only seemed to make him more determined. After years of publicly promoting his ideas, he became so disliked that some began plotting his murder.
From Mecca to Medina and Back
In 622, fearing for his life, Muhammad fled to the town of Medina. This flight from Mecca to Medina became known as the Hegira, Arabic for "flight." The Muslim calendar begins on this year.
In Medina, the local people welcomed Muhammad and his followers. There, Muhammad built the first mosque, or Islamic temple, and began to work to separate Islam from Judaism and Christianity, which had originally influenced him.
Whereas his followers had originally prayed while facing toward Jerusalem, he now had them face toward Mecca. Muhammad continued to have revelations from Allah. The ideas from these revelations formed the basis of a poetic text called the Koran, which contains the fundamental ideas of Islam.
Muhammad fought a number of battles against the people of Mecca. In 629, Muhammad returned to Mecca with an army of 1500 converts to Islam and entered the city unopposed and without bloodshed. Before his death two years later, he forcefully converted most of the Arabian Peninsula to his new faith and built a small empire.
Jihad
Belief in jihad is a common thread to many Islamic sects. Although the exact meaning of the Arabic is difficult to express in English, jihad is most accurately translated as "struggle."
For most Muslims, jihad is a personal struggle against evil. The holy battles of this spiritual struggle are fought inside Muslims' minds and souls.
Sometimes, the struggle can take the form of a physical war against non-believers. Although this kind of jihad is referred to in English as a "holy war," most Muslims believe there is nothing holy about war and that wars should only be fought against oppressors and aggressors.
A minority of Muslims, however, places great importance on holy war jihads. This minority feels that Muslims must wage war against all nonbelievers. It is this conception of jihad that inspires Islamic extremist terrorism. Unfortunately, due to media coverage, this is the interpretation of jihad that most Westerners are familiar with.
It should be reiterated that mainstream Islam is peaceful and rejects the idea of unprovoked war. Although the concept of jihad is widespread, it has not been accepted by the general Islamic community as one of the Pillars of Islam.
Unfortunately, Muhammad had not designated a successor. The struggle over leadership that followed his death has divided Muslims to this day, creating a division in Islam between the Sunnis and Shiites.
Despite these problems, a vast Islamic empire was created over the next 12 centuries that would build a base of worshipers unrivaled by any other religion.
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Which seaside resort extends either side of the Great Orme headland? | Cottages in Wales | Holiday Cottages in Wales | Self-catering Holiday Cottages To Rent Throughout Wales | Wales Holiday Home Rentals.com
Llandudno is the largest seaside resort in Wales
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Llandudno is a very popular seaside resort which draws holidaymakers back year after year, it's a town which still retains the charm and elegance of it's Victorian and Edwardian past which somehow blends seamlessly with it's modern attractions.
One of Llandudno's more notable attractions is the gracefully curved immaculate seafront, which is positioned quite comfortably between the headlands of the Great Orme and Little Orme.
As one ambles carelessly along the wide promenade with an ice cream in hand, the beauty of this town reveals itself. With it's many magnificent Victorian hotels flanked on one side of the promenade, and on the other side the North Shore beach stretches out with the Irish sea gently lapping onto its shoreline.
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�Llandudno Pier
Your journey along the promenade would not be complete without taking a stroll on the Grade II listed pier, which takes its visitors out 700 metres over the sea - in fact Llandudno pier is the longest pier in Wales. This popular pier has a number of little shops dotted up and down selling the usual beach requirements like buckets and spades as well as gifts, there is a charming funfair for little children, two amusement arcades and at the head of the pier a bar and cafe.
Some things never change - Thank goodness
Over the years many things have changed in holiday resorts to meet the demanding needs of holidaymakers, but two things which have always remained a firm favourite with children. These are donkey rides and good old Punch and Judy, whilst grown ups tend to enjoy a more relaxed and never changing pass-time - sitting in a deckchair looking at the back of their eyes (although maybe without the knotted handy on their head).
In contrast to Llandudno's North Shore beach the West Shore beach is far quieter and less crowded, offering holidaymakers a sandy beach which extends out even further at low tide. The long beach is perfect, for those who enjoy a spot of kite flyers and kite surfing. Located just off the West Shore beach and offering some splendid views, is the championship 18-hole parkland and links golf course Maesdu Golf Club .
Llandudno's must-do - The Great Orme Country Park
One attraction which stands head and shoulders above the rest (literally) is the Great Orme, a prominent limestone headland on the Creuddyn Peninsula�which is 2 miles long, 1 mile wide�and stands dominantly 207 metres (679 feet) above sea level. There is only one way to really appreciate this magnificent headland, and that is by make your way to the summit either by car, bus, walking, cable car or tramway.
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The two popular ways to reach the summit are by cable car and the tramway�
The cable car journey starts at Happy Valley near Llandudno pier where each of the light blue, yellow, orange and red cars holds up to 4 people as it glides slowly and effortlessly up to the summit. At just under two miles long, it is the longest passenger cable car system in Britain. �
For that touch of elegance nothing can compare to arriving at the summit in Britain's only cabled-operated street tramway, starting out at Llandudno's Victoria Station passengers are taken on a one-mile journey, in one of four Victorian tramcars to the great Orme's summit complex.�
However you arrive at the summit complex you will be rewarded by some spectacular�panoramic views of Llandudno, the Irish sea and parts of Snowdonia National Park. On a clear day visitors can even see the Isle of Man. The complex offers its visitors a cafe / restaurant, a themed bar, gift shop, children's playground, mini golf course and a visitor centre.
One visitor experience not to be missed are the Great Orme Mines , considered to be the oldest metal mines open to the public in the world. Located close to the summit of the Great Orme, visitors can take a self-guided underground tour through the tunnels to discover what life was like for miners in their search for copper. Returning to the surface, the visitor centre shows a model village depicting what life was like in Bronze Age times. On show in the visitor centre are a number of Bronze Age artefacts which are thought to be about 4,000 years old, on show are also Bronze Age mining tools used back in the day by our prehistoric ancestors�(of all ages) who were mining for copper.
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If this has in any way inspired you to visit Llandudno, why not check out our holiday homes to rent in Llandudno .
| Llandudno |
What was the country of birth of Pope Benedict XVI? | Running the Great Orme | Running Past
Running the Great Orme
5 Replies
Llandudno is a rather attractive seaside resort and a varied place for running – with a wide sweeping promenade stretching for two miles between the headlands of the Great Orme and the Little Orme . Victorian seafront hotels are well maintained and painted in a limited range of pastel shades and provided the backdrop for the start of the run.
I soon headed upwards towards the Great Orme, climbing around 200 metres quite rapidly, which even made my Sheffield Tour de France run seem quite modest.
The views that unfolded at the top was stunning though.
The half a dozen miles on the Great Orme broadly followed the undulating top of the limestone headland with the heather and gorse looking delightful. The run back into town was harder on the quads than I had expected but included a pair of unusual war memorials.
A run earlier in the week had seen the Great Orme and a neighbouring hill of The Vardre from a different perspective on a very windy beach on the other side of the Conwy estuary.
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Which football club does Robbie Williams make much of supporting? | How rich is Robbie Williams? | This is Money
How rich is Robbie Williams?
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In the latest in our series on how celebrities became rich and famous, we profile Robbie Williams, who today launches the first single recorded with Take That - The Flood - in 15 years.
Young one: The 36-year old made it big when he was just 16
Cheeky-chappy pop star Robbie Williams once recorded a song with the lyrics 'I was a teenage millionaire'.
This was a fact since Williams joined the money-spinning boy band Take That at just age 16.
Maybe he should now pen a new version about his life as a thirty-something multi-millionaire.
For the 36-year-old singer who made it big with Gary Barlow et al and even bigger as a solo artist, has amassed a tidy £85m fortune in the 20 years since his mum persuaded him to audition for the group, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
The megastar's earnings really began to rocket in the late 1990s and early noughties when as a solo artist he recorded chart-topping hits such as Angels, Let Me Entertain You and Rock DJ and started earning the first of his record 11 Brit Awards.
But Williams, who has temporarily and with great fanfare rejoined Take That, is about to top up his already hefty hoard with an estimated £15m. This is his share of the £75m likely to be generated from the Progress reunion album, due to be released in November, and next year's related worldwide tour.
In the old days of Take That, Williams earned what now appears quite modest total pay of between £1m to £5m, depending on which reports you read. After he fell out with lead singer Barlow and left the group in 1995, Williams initially slipped into drink and drugs and also in to £500,000 of debt, he admitted recently.
Do that: Robbie's mum persuaded him to audition for Take That
But the Stoke-on-Trent born singer pulled himself together and paired up professionally with song writer Guy Chambers in the late 1990s, who helped him on the road to solo stardom with a string of hits.
His commercial success was confirmed with his first solo album Life Thru A Lens in 1997 which went eight times platinum and included the Angels track, a ballad that fans now frequently choose to play at births, marriages and funerals or as Williams describes it, his 'hatch, match, dispatch' hit.
›› How to get rich slowly but surely - 8 steps to fix your finances permanently
In 2002 he signed his now infamous £80m four-album deal with EMI, declaring at the time 'I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams', a comment he now claims to regret as embarrassing - but it is nevertheless true. Since then Williams has been paid his salary through his own company In Good Company.
Whilst most of his records brought success and riches, Williams struck a low point artistically with his Rudebox album in 2006, according to critics, and he now blames its failure on the fact he was suffering a mystery illness at the time.
Despite that, it still sold millions of copies and the tour that accompanied its release earned £32m, making it one of his most successful years financially. His creative confidence took a knock and he spent a bizarre two years pursuing his interest in alien-spotting in California deserts rather than writing music in the studio.
The charismatic crooner, who is well and truly back in the limelight, is now nearing the end of his EMI contract although it is unclear what his next lucrative move might be or with which record company.
Eye-popping: Megastar's earnings rocketed with chart-topping solo hits like Rock DJ
Meanwhile, to counter claims that his career has been running out of steam, Williams is boosting his profile at every opportunity and making hay while the Take That hay shines.
He has a greatest hits album In And Out of Consciousness coming out shortly and he has released the Shame duet with Barlow, a homage to their patched up friendship. And then there's the reunion album, from which a single will be released in a bid to gain the profitable Christmas number one spot.
Most popular tool today: Best Isas (top rate edges up to 2.8%)
Williams has worked hard to win popular support for the Shame single, doing spots with Barlow on Strictly Come Dancing and the Help the Heroes concert.
Williams will also pocket a tidy figure from featuring in his own Wii karaoke video game 'We Sing Robbie Williams', released to coincide with his solo hits album by Nordic Games, which signed a licensing deal with EMI.
The singer, who is on the wagon after several spells in rehab over the years, rakes in juicy sums from advertising in addition to all the merchandising linked to his records and tours. Old footage of the star has recently featured in a television campaign for camera giants Nikon Europe.
Books are another nice little earner for Williams, whose latest autobiography You Know Me, published by Ebury Press and with a cover price of £20 is being sold exclusively through Tesco for six months. It is co-written by Chris Heath who previously wrote Feel, another book about the singer. He still generates royalties form an earlier autobiography Somebody Someday, co-authored by Mark McCrum.
The singer who originally wanted to be an actor (his first experience was playing the Artful Dodger in a school production of Oliver!) also voiced the character of Dougal the dog in the £14m movie remake of children's tv classic The Magic Roundabout in 2004.
Reformed: Take That are back together and will tour next year
Williams doesn't let all his cash pile up in the bank. He owns a £12m luxury home in Los Angeles that he shares with his new wife, American actress Ayda Field, and reports suggest the couple also bought a place last year in a remote area of the Northern Territories of Australia. But wary that stardom can put pressure on any celebrity's marriage, Williams persuaded Field to sign a pre-nuptial agreement before they tied the knot in August this year to protect his hard-earned lucre.
Hello! paid a reported £1m for exclusive photos of the wedding, held at their Hollywood home, although it is thought Williams gave the fee to charity rather than pocketing the cash.
The Stoke-born star's other assets include an estimated £240,000 of shares in his home town football club Port Vale that he purchased in 2003.
Williams is said to own a string of classic playboy possessions, including a multi-million pound yacht and several luxury vehicles such as a Range Rover, Rolls Royce and a Ducati motorbike.
He isn't always astute with his finances. He bought a mansion in Wiltshire for over £8m in February 2009 and sold it at an estimated £1m loss less than a year later after he quickly fell out of love with the property. He is now said to be hunting for a replacement country pad elsewhere.
Williams also has his own charitable trust Give it Sum, which is run by Comic Relief. Ten years ago he donated a £2m fee he made from fronting a Pepsi advertisement to the trust. The charity supports community and self-help projects in North Staffordshire.
| Port Vale F.C. |
For which London football club did Rod Stewart have an unsuccessful trial? | BBC - Stoke & Staffordshire - Entertainment - Robbie Williams News
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Check our past articles though, to see the history of Robbie through Sharron's eyes over the last few years....
Happy reading!
WINTER 2009
Robbie 'proposes'
Well, I've been saying all along on this blog that Ayda is the one who seems to have helped Robbie to get his new inner calm, and I think she has really done it.
I guess I was thinking: would she like England?; did she like Port vale and Burslem when he took her there earlier this year? But it didn't frighten her off, did it, so I hope she does.
So, even if it was in fun, I think his proposal to her was sweet. And, so long as she doesn't stop him touring, I think she's the best one for him.
Tell me what you think - use the messageboard!
Comment on the latest Robbie News >
Nearly
Oh well, no need to cry, but I was sad that 'Reality' did not make it to number one in the UK album charts. It only got to number two, and is falling now. On the bright side, it sold more than 200,000 copies, making it the biggest selling album of the year so far, joint with JLS.
Perhaps, it will boom up there again for Christmas?
Children in Need
So.. it was all a bit of a false hope. The Sun newspaper said that Rob would be doing a full routine with Take That at the Children In Need rock gig on 12th November, but it looks like that won't happen.
I was so disappointed - but I am looking forward to seeing the recorded show. I think Robbie likes doing these charity events very much, esp when you think he and Jan do such a lot with 'Give It Sum'.
Seeing Robbie at Loose Women
Yes - I got a ticket! It was a bit of a hassle getting to the studio, and had a bit of a fright when I didn't think we'd get in - but it turned out pretty wonderful!
This was my first Robbie gig since MK in 06… I too have had a few stage-fright issues (I will call them) of my own to deal with, which up until today have made me chicken out of going to see Robbie live, at least if it means a journey more than a few miles.
But this time I made myself do it and it was so worth it!
I cannot speak highly enough of the show and how good it was. There were approx 90 people in this small studio, and it was so low key and fun and magic in a very easy going way.
I love Loose Women anyway. I think I am prob a bit of a Carol character in some ways; however, add to these lovable wacky Ladies the Robster, and you have an experience!
I am usually quite quiet and guarded and mousy until I feel comfortable in my surroundings and with the people I am with, but once at ease my alter ego comes out a bit and I turn into quite an extrovert live-wire lovey show-off type I think: my passion is and all ways has been entertainment, and I become more confident and interactive with whatever I am a part of, even an audience, and this was no exception.
We all had a great laugh with the warm up man, he looked like the guy from X Factor with the big curly hair, (that’s the main bit I saw of him from my angle); he was great though. The Loose Women are so out there and also have filthy senses of humour I might add, esp Denise, but she’s hilarious.
The Robster was in his element, and it’s the first time I honestly felt it was the same Rob as I first liked and saw at CDUK with Cat Deeley a long time ago. At this gig also he sang and was recorded in a small intimate Riverside studio with an equally small audience.
Up until now that CDUK gig has always been my Robbie fave time and benchmark on which I rate anything else. Thus far nothing has ever quite come up to that first gig feeling of rapture and loving I felt and saw and enjoyed so much - until now that is ! This was either as near or as darn it equal to it: in fact Rob is so much more of a polished and all round TV presenter and Personality today and could have quite easily have taken over from Andrea or Kate in pole position on the Loose Desk (more so than his still slightly ill at ease and slightly weighted-down troubled self in those days).
Sensible and all ways in control, charming and attractive in all areas of his job, he has been morphing into this in-control Entertainer.
My friend and others said that he very kindly came out and started talking, signing autographs and even giving the odd kiss to the girls at the front. I thought he would maybe play an extra song or two and meet the fans, as it was so small a situation and no security probs for him to be worried about, but it seems before he could get past approx the first two rows he was told he must “leave now!” so he never reached us.
Then he did on the way home stop his car opposite a few of us, but me being a bit of a Mr Magoo short-sighted girl could not see him through his black windows - so I crossed the road to catch him in his usual passenger seat to give him a gift … and the car drove off leaving me feel very silly!
I crossed back over the road to my friend and she says, “did you see him?” Well, it only turns out that while I was one side looking an idiot holding up a bag to no avail, he had opened the BACK window on the opposite side.
This is the second time this sort of thing has happened to me. A long time ago I was with my Mum waiting to see him on the Fashion Rocks red carpet, so, to get a better view, I leave my Mum standing one side as she did not want to move. I stand at the front the alternate side to her and he stops to talk Mum’s side for ages! I miss seeing him. I think I will start formulating my own conspiracy theory (maybe RW sees me and avoids me as much as poss… joke, I hope).
But we all were lucky to get in and see such a great Robbie gig, which was the main thing. This felt like my old Robbie at last again.
Mark Marries
Congrats to Mark Owen who has married his long term partner and Mother of his two children Emma. Robbie was working in Germany at the time and was unable at attend.
**
Take That comeback?
Wow! Big news - Robbie's told Jonathan Ross, on his recorded chat show, that he could be performing with Take That again in the future.
He told him that the lads had got together, and "done bits and bobs", although said that he couldn't reveal much more.
Rob also performed his new single You Know Me and one of his biggest hits, the 2002 song Feel which will appear on the show. He also did 3 more tracks live in the studio that are available on the BBC red button.
You can see the show live on TV on Friday 6 November... and on BBC iPlayer for seven days after.
Robbie times
Every day brings more Robbie news, doesn’t it? I’m enjoying it so much because I feel there is a new Robbie – and he’s a real refreshed Robbie. And that is what we all wanted…!
Remember Nov 9 is the official date for the release of Reality Killed The Video Star. Here’s the Beeb review:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8282576.stm
Rob getting 'Loose'
I have just finished speaking to Frances Fuller, the lady in charge of the Ticket Office at ”Clappers" who allocate the tickets for the Loose Women show on television. I was after a ticket for it (but no luck!) after hearing Rob was going to be on the Monday 9 November programme.
It seems her and the other lady who works for her, Anne, have not known what has hit them! It seems part of the agreement was that the audience would be Robbie fans - from his Official Site.
I thought that this is a very good thought on Robbie and Co’s part because it gives loyal fans a few advantages but… here lies the first problem. Loose Women tickets are allocated weeks in advance, so Frances and Clappers had to cancel the original audience and relocate them, and then followed what can only be described as a “bombardment!” at their office, of requests, emails and all types of queries from Robbie fans for the very few tickets for this one off show. The studio has just over 90 seats, an exceptionally small studio.
I missed out too. In the News and Blogs sections of Robbie’s Official Site it gave you the email addy and said ‘first come first served’ with the tickets and, would you believe, I missed out and applied too late!
Personally, I think everyone should have been allowed 2 not 4 tickets max thus doubling others’ chances, and as you see even we at the Beeb get no favours here.
Anyway to cut a long story short Frances and her team have tried their best to be fair and even given people from long distances time to decide whether they want to chance coming or not before they cancel their tickets etc. Unfortunately they still feel they are coming out looking "The Bad Guys" when they have tried the best they can and even they won’t be watching the show in the studio!
The fact is, as in most TV audiences, they give out more than the actual number needed for the show (to allow for what they call 'natural waste' e.g. people going ill, not being able to get there in time and so forth). This means even if you have tickets you are NOT guaranteed entry, and this is why the tickets are FREE.
Rumours
The downside of Rob’s return is that all the rumours have started again, which just makes me sad. Savvy says we should all start hitting back. She’s set up a facebook page called “are you sick of media cannibals waiting to rip the flesh off Robbie... cmon folks show rob ya support”! I think Rob would like it. See:
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=154537293799&ref=mf
**
Proms – warm and personal
I am writing this while listening to the concert again in full. This show has such a feeling of warmth and genuine old fashioned entertainment like the variety shows of old Robbie with his local-lad-made-good personality back in full strength. But this time he is a lot more PC though lacking none of his natural charm and his black is black way of expressing his views...
He talks to the whole audience as though he is charming a woman one on one, maybe an older woman, as he says: "I am still your son.” This is a sure fire way to not only bring out the lover in a woman but also her maternal protective side.
This is obviously a lot of the security in feelings that Ayda his Partner has now given him - and made him so happy and stable and knowing he can be in a good relationship and be a whole grown up happy individual!
The song Blasphemy by him and Guy is melodic and beautiful in the Swing vein like my fave,"I Will Talk, Hollywood Will Listen”.
Now to "Star Stuck" or ‘The George Dance a la G.Panos Michael’, as Robbie calls it: the opening sounds like Marina the mermaid or an Atlantis type mystical sea themed music from the Stingray type puppet shows of old. He has even updated his Auntie speech and added "ALIVE" to the negative normal ending of "No Regrets", stressing his and T/T `s rekindled brotherhood.
Another of my faves "Supreme” ( I have so many faves!!): this sounded so fun and live and with "I Will Survive", one of Robbie’s usual ad-lib old song add-ons, going through it is so catchy, even all these years on from Donna Summers’ original. "Deception" is very reminiscent of David Bowie’s Major Tom (to me anyway).
Ayda's song I Won’t Do That To You somehow appeals to me: it is a sixties type of Dave Clark Five or one of the other equally nice and wholesome Beat type of band so fondly remembered and followed by lots of fans now.
Last but not least, “You Know Me” (at the moment Robbie’s next single, but he could change this knowing what a changeable guy he is). This has strains of doo-wop fifties and Swing Hollywood Will Listen going through the body of the song, and, just for good measure, mine and every woman in the world’s fave "Endless Love” finishes it off.
It’s an INSTANT Rob, not a grower. So, don’t stay in LA for always Rob: you do not have to tour anymore, you could keep going indef doing lots of gigs like The Roundhouse all over the World when you feel like it.
*****
Electric Proms
I sent some Good Luck flowers to RW backstage at The Proms from all us at the Beeb. Wish I could have gone, but, blimey, tickets went in a flash.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8282576.stm
Thinking of Gary and family
All our love and thoughts also go out to Gary Barlow’s Mum Marjorie and her dear Family including Gary at the sad loss of Colin her beloved Husband and to Gary and his siblings for their dear Father.
X Factor
After much anticipation, Robbie was back doing what he does best. OK, so he may have been a trifle edgy but he covered himself like the professional he is.
It was so easy and natural how he could own the a whole stage, just being out there as a solo performer. Every other song that night had lots of dancers backing up the singers too as well. He was so cool looking and in charge.
The charm and entertainer in him was all there in full flight. If I hear somewhere else that it was all front and he did not enjoy that show I will eat my hat, despite reports about the door not opening on time, spoiling his entrance.
On the up side for him he says he has met the love he's always been looking for and nobody would deny him that - even though we are devastated he is not free anymore!!!
Electric Proms - on the telly?
Sept 2009, and Robbie announces he's going to appear at the BBC's Electric Proms at the Roundhouse in north-west London on 20 October.
He will play classic songs alongside new tracks from his new album accompanied by a string and horn section as well as his full band.
The show, which will be broadcast on Radio 1, will be under the musical direction of record producer and songwriter Trevor Horn:-
Rob has also announced that the gig will be screened in 200 cinemas across Europe in a live, high definition, broadcast. Unfortunately none of those are in the UK!?
The full list of cinemas taking part are up on Rob's official web-site along with a message which says he'll be posting details of how you can tune in via BBC on the night to watch the Electric Proms as soon as the information is available! I guess we stayed tuned with fingers crossed!
***
AUTUMN 2009
Bodies
Lovely to hear Rob talking to Moylesy on Radio One. He sounded so different, quite humble, but so honest and open! I'm sure it's his feminine side coming out - maybe Ayda has helped him with that. They've been together three years now - wow, such a long time...
Part of his new (is it new? I think it is) personality is that he is just so straightforward - he said he knew that people thought Rudebox was a failure, and he had acute bit of doubt about if he could do the dancing stuff so much anymore... like he hates all the gym-training stuff now maybe. I liked it - all the big-head stuff gone (though I liked that too!!!)
He doesn't mind showing he has a soppy side. He revealed that Ayda calls him Tickles A Noo Noo at home. Wonder what his soccer mates say. Hopefully he doesn't care.
I loved Bodies - the monks type choir opening it up in a nice mysterious way, then Rob's voice, and the anthemic flow. But that's me!
I'm trying to work out the lyrics. Are they depressing: all that about cemeteries. Not sure.
PS - Would love you to use the messageboard to say what you think of the single...
**
Rob does One
Nice to think the Beeb is going to be the one that gets the first talkings by our Rob about the BIG EVENT of this autumn (what?... the single/album relesae, dodo!). Rob is releasing a download to the press for first-ever hearing on Sept 4th - so stand by!!
Rob is dropping by Radio 1 on Friday Sept 4th to talk about and play 'Bodies', so I'll be glued (not literally folks) to the radio - robbie.com says it will be just after 8am which means Rob will meet up to the Big Man himself, Chris Moyles.
I wonder if it's true that they don't like each other? We shall see!
Locally, BBC Radio Stoke are excited too, and will be playing and talking about the single between 8.30am-9am on Friday Sept 4th.
If you miss it, you can still hear Radio Stoke's recorded show right up until Sept 11th. Copy and paste the link to hear it: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0046s33
**
Summer 2009
It's for real!
Phew! I was beginning to think that it was never going to happen, but Rob has just had a big day talking to the press and friends about the 'Reality Killed The Video Star' album which he says is out in November.
Seriously, I was getting bad withdrawal, so I can feel the blood coming back... and the single will be out in October. Wonder when the pre-release is?
Seems like Rob did struggle a bit though, cos he had to have help with the lyrics, and, cuz that is Robbie's Big Talent, I hope he hasn't let the 'help' get in the way too much.
But, it's all really new stuff - the Robster wrote one song around the death of Jacko...
Thanks for coming back Rob!
***
Donna donation
Robbie showed his soft side again, when he offered a huge donation to the charity based in Stoke for children with life-threatening diseases - the Donna Louise hospice. I know he loves this charity, so he must have broke him up when he couldn't get to the charity's big annual bash (though Jonny Wilkes and Pete Conway did make it) on July 11th.
Robbie - who is a patron of the charity - said that, no matter how much the event raised (and it could be as much as £25,000!), he would match it.
**
Very sarmy
While Robbie takes his hols in the Bahamas in June, I was wondering how Trevor Horn (producer of new album) was getting along. It's VERY quiet out there, and there's nothing on his website or even on the site of his Sarm Studios (weher the tracks are beign mixed).
But there is a sweet photo on Sarm's front page (http://www.sarmstudios.com/) of Gary Barlow and the staff all with Comic Relief rednoses. The staff raised money for his achievement in climbing Mt Kilimanjaro
Donna video
It's a long long wait for the new album, isn't it? I've worn out my fingernails waiting!
But it's nice to see Robbie's softer side is still working. On his website, he's recorded a video supporting the work of the Donna Louise Trust, which has its tenth anniversary this year.
The Trust runs a home in Robbie's home-town of Stoke on Trent for children with life-threatening illnesses, and he is one of the patrons.
The film will make you shed a tear or two, I'm sure
**
**
GIS gives
Thanks to Robbie's Give it Sum charity, the Under 10's team of Newcastle Albion and their coach received a grant of £650, which has bought the team warm jumpers and coats as they often practise football in the cold! There was also a grant for a Coaching Course for their Coach Andrew; they were presented with their gear at Port Vale at the end of April.
**
Happy Birthday Pure!
On the 4th of April 2006, somewhere on the outskirts of Sheffield, England a forum was born - www.PureRobbie.com, the concept of Shellspeare and entirely dedicated to Mr Robbie Williams.
PureRobbie is one of the best sites out there, and Shell told us that over 25,000 Robbie Williams fans visit every month, with full membership touching 8,000.
And if the new album emerges soon, then Pure could go through the roof!
**
Take That - NOT
It's a real puzzle this one, isn't it? The 'Daily Mirror' newspaper here in the UK had a front-page splash, quoting our Rob as saying there was definite progress on him and G Barlow and the rest all getting back together again, and we could expect Very Good News in the next couple of months.
And THEN, on his own blog, Robbie says... nope, it was all made up.
I believe Robbie.
**
Robbie in a dress - AGAIN!
Rob must love dressing up, because he's repeating his Red Nose effort from 2007. Yes, this time he will play Candy Marie-Candy (a little girl with pink ribbons) in a new Little Britain sketch for Red Nose Day (March 13). Rob plays the devil-possessed little girl... almost too well!
David Walliams said, about the Robster's 'tendencies' that: "...we have found that the best way to tempt him back into the spotlight is by putting him in a dress!"
The sketch was shown on BBC1 on Friday March 13... Brill
**
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to Robbie for his 35th which is on Friday 13th February... and Marielle and Nina have really gone for it!
Marielle is a helicopter pilot from France and she has done a BRILLIANT birthday video for the Robster that you can see on YouTube. This is the URL, just copy it into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlczgW_37fU
And she and Nina have added some TOTALLY brilliant photo-montages to the 'Images Of Robbie' that all of you creative-types make. You can look at the images and also read Nina's 'Birthday Wishes' letter by clicking on the links below...
| i don't know |
In which county is Malin Head, the most northerly point in all Ireland? | Northern Headlands: Wild Atlantic Way | Ireland.com
Discover the drama of the Wild Atlantic Way
Malin Head, County Donegal
Untouched, off-radar and crying out for exploration, this rugged and remote area marks the northwestern contour of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Nature is the star here, from the sheer granite walls of some of Europe’s highest sea cliffs at Slieve League, to Northern Lights dancing in clear winter skies. But there's warmth and wit to be found among the vibrant, Irish-speaking community. This is a place that will lift your spirit.
Malin Head
Malin Head is at the very tip of the Inishowen Peninsula , Ireland’s most northerly point. Over millions of years the wild Atlantic has carved dramatic crevices into the rugged headland, such as Hell’s Hole – a long, deep, narrow chasm where the swells below churn and roar. About 16km (10 miles) north of the village of Malin is Banba’s Crown, named after one of the mythical queens of Ireland, which offers panoramic views of this magnificent coast.
| County Donegal |
Which is the only county in the Republic of Ireland whose name begins with a vowel? | Malin Head - Ireland's most northerly point - YouTube
Malin Head - Ireland's most northerly point
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Published on May 15, 2013
A video taken at Malin Head in county Donegal, Ireland's most northerly point. Featuring the coastline and breaking waves of the Atlantic Ocean in a very scenic part of beautiful Ireland.
Category
| i don't know |
What is the name of the Teletubbies’ vacuum cleaner-like housekeeper and guardian? | Slendytubbies | More Slender Games Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
More Slender Games Wiki
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Slendytubbies is an online horror game which is the result of the combination of the popular TV show for kids known as "Teletubbies" and the scariest game of the year 2012, "Slender: The Eight Pages". It features two modes: Singleplayer and Multiplayer.
Objective:
The Objective of the game is to collect all ten bowls of Tellytubby Custards before Tinky Winky, also known as the 'Slendytubby' kills you. Similar to Slender: The Eight Pages, the more custards you collect, the more the difficulty of getting caught increases.
Characters:
TINKY WINKY (SLENDYTUBBY), the main antagonist of the game, is the oldest and tallest of the Tellytubbies in the show. He is dressed in Purple with an upside down triangle as his antenna. Unlike his show counterpart, however, he's face resembles a grey humanoid face, with empty eye sockets and a wide, screaming mouth with visible teeth. His job is to find you, and basically plays the role of Slenderman. To aid you, the frame of your screen flashes black when Tinky Winky approaches you. However, as he nears you, he lets out an ear piercing scream. Looking at him for too long will result in death, ending your game and resetting your Custard score to zero he kills because he feels like it
PO
Po
Po is a Teletubby dressed in red and sports a circle as his antenna. She is the smallest and youngest of the Teletubbies in the show, however, in Slendytubbies, Po has a blank face with no eyes, no nose, and no mouth, similar like Slenderman. What IS seen on Po's face, is several blood splatters, and the red Teletubby's TV appears to be shattered. Despite all of this, what's most notable about this Teletubby is that Po is hanging herself on a tree with help from a rope. Although it is quite a sight to see, bellow her is a Custard, and the hanging Po does nothing to jumpscare the player.
She is female, but mistaken for male.
LAA-LAA
The player found Dead Laa Laa
Laa-Laa is a Teletubby dressed in yellow with a spring-like object that serves as her antenna. In the show, she is kind and looks out for others, and her hobbies include singing and dancing. In Slendytubbies, Laa-Laa is found by the lake, and, much like the others, is also found dead. However, if the player looks at the dead yellow Teletubby, Laa-Laa will rise from the dead and attempt to jumpscare the player. As she gets up, she will look around for a brief moment before laying back down again. It is unknown if she dies after this event, but if the player tries to go near her afterwards, she will not get up again. Like Po, there is a Custard near her.
DIPSY
Dipsy is a Teletubby that is dressed in green, and has an antenna that resembles a dipstick, hench his name. In the show, Dispy has darker skinned compared to all the other Teletubbies. Also in the show, it is seen that he is the most stubborn of the cast and will sometimes refuse to go along with the Teletubbies' group opinion. Despite this, Dipsy can also be lighthearted. In Slendytubbies, Dipsy is found inside the Teletubby House on the floor. Unlike the others, Dipsy has been decapitated as his head lays a few inches infront of his body, consumed in a large layer of blood that has been splattered all over the floor. Just like Po and Laa-Laa, Dipsy is also accompanied by a Custard.
He is male, but mistaken for female.
NOO-NOO
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Markiplier Playing Slendytubbies.
Noo-Noo is a vacuum cleaner-like object and is the only character in the game that isn't a Teletubby. In the show, he is both the Teletubbies' guardian and housekeeper. If Noo-Noo gets annoyed by the Teletubbies' actions and antics, the vacuum cleaner will suck up their food and toys. In Slendytubbies, many information about Noo-Noo lacks. He is seen alongside a dead Dipsy in the Teletubby House, and, unlike the rest of the cast, is the only one surprisingly not dead. He is seen spinning in circles, probably mailfunctioning due to Tinky Winky's backstabbing.
WHITE TELETUBBY (PLAYER)
The White Teletubby is the default Teletubby once the player starts the game. Like his name, he is dressed in white and his antenna is not visible due to it being covered by his white top hat that is covered in black spots. Due to the Customization option, the White Teletubby's color can be altered and changed. However, a skin change link is necessary in order to change his hat color. The White Teletubby also sports a torch with a blue light if in Dusk or Night. He has a grey television that is barely visible. Unlike the rest of the cast, he is not present in the show so it is questioned as to why he came to Teletubbyland.
The White Teletubby.
| Teletubbies |
In which English city are Park Hill Flats, the largest listed building in Europe? | Teletubbies (TV series) | Films, TV Shows and Wildlife Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Films, TV Shows and Wildlife Wiki
Ragdoll Productions for BBC Television
Starring:
March 31, 1997 – February 16, 2001
Revived series:
Chronology
External links
Teletubbies is a British pre-school children's television series created by Ragdoll Productions ' Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport , who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. It originally aired on the BBC from March 31, 1997 to February 16, 2001. The programme's original narrator was Tim Whitnall in the United Kingdom. Teletubbies was also aired internationally; in the United States, it was broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) public television from April 6, 1998 to June 19, 2005, and would continue to air reruns until August 29, 2008, when it was pulled from the schedule along with Mister Rogers' Neighborhood , Reading Rainbow , and Boohbah . Though production had been announced cancelled in 2002, [1] a new series of Teletubbies was created for 2015.
Teletubbies, particularly notable for its high production values, rapidly became a critical and commercial success in Britain and abroad and won a BAFTA in 1998. [2] Teletubbies Everywhere was awarded "Best Pre-school Live Action Series" at the 2002 Children's BAFTA Awards. [3]
Although the programme is aimed at children between the ages of one and four, it had a substantial cult following with older generations, mainly university and college students . The mixture of bright colours, unusual designs, repetitive non-verbal dialogue, ritualistic format, and the occasional forays into physical comedy appealed to many who perceived the programme as having psychedelic qualities. Teletubbies was controversial for this reason. Other critics felt the show was insufficiently educational.
The programme was also at the centre of a controversy when American televangelist and conservative pundit Jerry Falwell claimed in 1999 that Tinky Winky, one of the Teletubbies, was a homosexual role model for children. Falwell based this conclusion on the character's purple colour and triangular antenna; both the colour purple and the triangle are sometimes used as symbols of the Gay Pride movement. ' Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!" ', a single based on the show's theme song, reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1997 and remained in the Top 75 for 32 weeks, selling over a million copies.
In June 2014, the BBC announced a new 60-episode series of Teletubbies will be aired, with DHX Media , which recently acquired Ragdoll Productions , producing the series. [4] This marks the first new episodes of the series since 2001 and the first to be aired on CBeebies , after reruns were broadcast on the channel. However, the new series will be filmed on replica model sets instead of the Warwickshire countryside (the original setting for Teletubbyland), because the owner of the land flooded the old set and turned it into a lake in 2003. [5] In April 2015, Daniel Rigby was announced as the show's narrator. Fearne Cotton and Jim Broadbent were announced as the voices for the Voice Trumpets and Jane Horrocks will voice the Tubby Phone, a device that transports the Teletubbies to the modern world. [6]
Contents
Edit
The programme focuses on four strange multi-coloured toddlers of a mythological species known as "Teletubbies," named for the television screens implanted in the characters' abdomens. Recognised throughout popular culture for the uniquely-shaped antenna protruding from the head of each being, their respective names, and their signature colours, the four Teletubbies depicted in this programme are Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. Communicating through infantile gibberish or babbling, the Teletubbies were designed to bear resemblance to live toddlers dwelling within a beautiful, grassy, and floral landscape that is also populated by rabbits with bird calls audible in the background. The main shelter of the four is a grassy dome (known as the "Tubbytronic Superdome," though the real name of the residence is never mentioned during the entire course of the programme) implanted in the ground accessed through sliding down a hole at the top. The creatures co-exist in Teletubbyland (the name of their home environment) with a number of strange contraptions such as Noo-noo, the group's anthropomorphic blue vacuum cleaner , with the tendency to suck up the Teletubbies' possessions and the voice trumpets, devices resembling periscopes that rise from the ground and interact with the Teletubbies, serving as supervisors for the beings who often arise to engage in games with them. The show was noted for its colourful, psychedelic setting designed specifically by the creators to appeal to the attention spans of infants or unlock different sections of the mind while also educating young children and toddlers of transitions that can be expected in life.
Throughout the course of every episode, an assortment of rituals are performed that are sometimes revamped differently each time, such as the playful interactions between the Teletubbies and the voice trumpets, the mishaps caused by Noo-noo, the footage of live children displayed on the screens in the creatures' stomachs, and, particularly, the "magical event" that occurs once per episode. The event differs each time and is often caused inexplicably, and is frequently psychedelic and strange, yet whimsical. Often the Teletubbies engage in games with one another, with Noo-noo, or the voice trumpets in many episode segments, and the episode was closed by the narrator and voice trumpets to the disappointed, reluctant, but eventually obedient Teletubbies, who bid the viewer farewell as they disappear into the Tubbytronic Superdome yet again.
Characters
The main characters. From left to right: Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Po, and Tinky Winky.
Main characters
Edit
Tinky-Winky (played by Dave Thompson , and Simon Shelton) is the first Teletubby. He was the largest and oldest of the Teletubbies, is covered in purple terrycloth, and has a triangular antenna on his head. He was notable for the red bag he always carries.
Dipsy (played by John Simmit) is the second Teletubby. He was green and is named "Dipsy" because his antenna resembles a dipstick . Dipsy is the most stubborn of the Teletubbies, and will sometimes refuse to go along with the other Teletubbies' group opinion. His face is also notably darker than the rest of the Teletubbies, and the creators have stated that he was Black . [7]
Laa-Laa (played by Nikky Smedley) is the third Teletubby. She was yellow, and has a curly antenna. She is very sweet and likes to sing and dance, and is often seen to look out for the other Teletubbies.
Po (played by Pui Fan Lee ) is the fourth and last Teletubby. She was the smallest and youngest out of all the Teletubbies. She is red, and has an antenna shaped like a stick used for blowing soap bubbles . Po usually has a soft voice. She has been stated by the show's creators to be Cantonese , and as such, she is bilingual, speaking both English and Cantonese. [7]
Supporting characters
Edit
Noo-noo (operated by Mark Dean in the original series and by Victoria Jane in the revised series [8] ) is both the Teletubbies' guardian and housekeeper, due to its resemblance to a vacuum cleaner , which is its principal purpose in the house. Noo-noo hardly ever ventures outside, instead remaining indoors and constantly cleaning with its sucker-like nose. It doesn't speak like the other characters, instead communicating through a series of slurping and sucking noises. At times, Noo-noo gets annoyed with the Teletubbies' antics and can vacuum their food or toys. This usually prompts the Teletubbies to scold Noo-noo through a cry of "Naughty Noo-noo!" In the 2015 series, Noo-noo is orange and pink.
The sun (played by Jessica Smith in the original series and by Berry in the revised series [9] ) appears at the beginning and end of each episode. It has the face of a baby and seems to act as a wake-up call for the Teletubbies.
The Voice Trumpets are several devices resembling periscopes that rise from the ground and interact with the Teletubbies, serving as supervisors for the beings who often arise to engage in games with them. They are the only residents of Teletubbyland who speak in complete English sentences.
The rabbits are brown-coloured creatures found throughout Teletubbyland. The Teletubbies enjoy watching them hop and play. The rabbits are the only type of Earth animal found in the land, and take residence in rabbit holes and bushes.
The Tubby Phone is a new character in the 2015 series that transports the Teletubbies to the modern world, and voiced by Jane Horrocks .
The Tiddlytubbies are new characters for the 2015 series, they are baby Teletubbies called Daa-Daa, Umpie-Pumpie, Ba and Ping, and voiced by Teresa Gallagher .
The show also features the voices of Tim Whitnall , Toyah Willcox , Eric Sykes , Mark Heenehan and occasionally Sandra Dickinson and Penelope Keith , all of whom provide narration. The only physical cast members are Tamzin Griffin and Jessica Smith.
Episodes
Edit
Teletubbies is also aired outside of Great Britain. In the United States, the original series aired on PBS from April 6, 1998 to August 29, 2008. The revived series is scheduled to air on Nickelodeon as part of the Nick Jr. block sometime in 2016 sometime in 2016. [10] The original series also aired on PBS Kids Sprout . In Australia and New Zealand, the series airs on CBeebies Australia. [11]
Logo history
Earth house , the type of building the characters live in
References
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Which EU country’s national anthem, “The Royal March”, has no official words? | Spain National Anthem English lyrics - YouTube
Spain National Anthem English lyrics
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Uploaded on May 12, 2010
La marcha real ("The Royal March") is the national anthem of Spain. It is one of the few national anthems in the world to have no official lyrics.
The origins of the anthem, one of the oldest in the world, are unknown. The melody was first printed in a document dated 1761 and entitled Libro de Ordenanza de los toques militares de la Infantería Española (The Spanish Infantry's Book of Military Bugle Calls), by Manuel de Espinosa. Here it is entitled La Marcha Granadera ("March of the Grenadiers"), though no composer's name is given.
In 1770, King Carlos III declared the Marcha Granadera to be the official "Honour March", thereby according it a place at public and ceremonial events. Because it was always played at public events attended by the royal family, Spaniards soon came to regard the Marcha Granadera as their national anthem and called it the Marcha Real, or "Royal March".
Under the Second Spanish Republic (19311939), El Himno de Riego replaced La Marcha Real as the national anthem of Spain. At the conclusion of the Civil War, however, dictator Francisco Franco restored La Marcha Real as the country's national anthem, under its old title of La Marcha Granadera.
Franco lyrics:
Viva España, alzad los brazos, hijos
del pueblo español,
Gloria a la Patria que supo seguir,
sobre el azul del mar el caminar del sol.
Gloria a la Patria que supo seguir,
sobre el azul del mar el caminar del sol.
¡Triunfa España! Los yunques y las ruedas
cantan al compás
del himno de la fe.
¡Triunfa España! Los yunques y las ruedas
cantan al compás
del himno de la fe.
Juntos con ellos cantemos de pie
la vida nueva y fuerte del trabajo y paz.
Juntos con ellos cantemos de pie
la vida nueva y fuerte del trabajo y paz.
Viva España, alzad los brazos, hijos
del pueblo español,
Viva España, alzad los brazos, hijos
del pueblo español,
Gloria a la Patria que supo seguir,
sobre el azul del mar el caminar del sol.
Gloria a la Patria que supo seguir,
sobre el azul del mar el caminar del sol.
English Translation:
Long live Spain, raise your arms, sons
of the Spanish people,
Glory to the Fatherland that knew how to follow,
over the blue of the sea the path of the sun.
Glory to the Fatherland that knew how to follow,
over the blue of the sea the path of the sun.
Spain triumphs! The anvils and wheels
sing to the rhythm
of the hymn of the faith.
Spain triumphs! The anvils and wheels
sing to the rhythm
of the hymn of the faith.
Together with them let's stand and sing
the new powerful life of labour and peace.
Together with them let's stand and sing
the new powerful life of labour and peace.
Long live Spain, raise your arms, sons
of the Spanish people,
Long Live Spain, raise your arms, sons
of the Spanish people,
Glory to the Fatherland that knew how to follow,
over the blue of the sea the path of the sun.
Glory to the Fatherland that knew how to follow,
over the blue of the sea the path of the sun.
Category
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Mercenary soldiers from which country were described as “Wild Geese”? | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – nationalanthems.info
Questions about the website:
How do I cite your page in the MLA, Turabian, Chicago, or Harvard format?
Using for all of these, an example of citing this site’s page on the Canadian national anthem, and assuming that you accessed the page on January 1, 2012, the formats would be:
MLA Bibliographic citation: “Canada » nationalanthems.info.” nationalanthems.info. Ed. David Kendall. Web. 1 Jan 2012. <http://www.nationalanthems.info/ca.htm>.
MLA In-text citation: (“nationalanthems.info”)
Turabian Bibliographic citation: “Canada » nationalanthems.info.” nationalanthems.info. http://www.nationalanthems.info/ca.htm (accessed January 1, 2012).
Turabian In-text citation: (“Canada » nationalanthems.info,” )
Chicago Bibliographic citation: “Canada » nationalanthems.info.” Accessed January 1, 2012. http://www.nationalanthems.info/ca.htm.
Chicago In-text citation: (“Canada » nationalanthems.info” )
Harvard referencing style: nationalanthems.info (n.d.) Canada » nationalanthems.info, [online] Available at: http://www.nationalanthems.info/ca.htm [Accessed: January 1, 2012].
Please note to change the page title, page URL, and access date for your particular needs.
Can I use your music files / lyrics / sheet music / information on my website / in my project / on a CD?
We encourage people to use the information on this site in other works so that the knowledge of national anthems can be shared beyond the scope of this site. The site is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (
). We would prefer, if at all possible, that nationalanthems.info be credited as the source of information used from the site, and a link be provided to nationalanthems.info. This license, however, does not extend to any music file or anthem lyrics marked as © copyrighted to any person or entity, they retain the copyright and that information cannot be used by others without obtaining permission from them first. (These copyrighted files are the music files for the Aland Islands , St. Barthélemy , Sovereign Military Order of Malta , the sheet music for the Turks and Caicos , and the English translation of the Botswana anthem.)
Also keep in mind that if you wish to contribute information or files to the site that, unless you state otherwise, they must be able to be shared under the same license as well.
Why are there no sheet music / lyrics / music for a particular anthem?
While this site aims to have the most complete information of national anthems available, sometimes we have not been able to find all the required information for an anthem. If you have information that is not on the site, and would like to share it, please let us know!
Are some of your MP3 files converted MIDI files?
Yes, roughly half of the MP3s on the site are converted MIDI files, yet they are all in MP3 format. The main reason for this is for many files (especially those of former anthems), there is a dearth of MP3 files that we have the performer’s clearance to use. While national anthems themselves are in the public domain (see more on that in the question “Are national anthems copyrighted?” ), individual performances or arrangements are almost always copyrighted. Since this site is set up so that people can use the information and data within free of charge (see the second question in this section as well as our Creative Commons license for more information), in order to use an MP3 file, we must first seek permission from the copyright holder; since the intent of this site is to distribute our information free of charge, permission is not usually granted. That being said, most current anthems of mainly UN members are in MP3 format due to permission being granted to use a particular set of anthems on this site. The rest of the anthems here are converted from MIDI files that we have been able to use (and several of those files were created by the primary editor of the site). Due to changing technologies, it was easier to convert the MIDI files to MP3, rather than keep them as MIDI.
How do I listen to, view, or download the music, sheet music, or lyrics?
For the music, you should see a play button icon in the music section. Clicking the play button will expand the music player; at first there wil be a flashing square next to a pause button, the flashing square indicates the music is loading. Once loaded, the flashing square will change to a progress bar with a timer showing the time elapsed on the playback, pressing the pause button to the right will pause the playback. Beside each music file should be the word “Download” in blue on a grey box, left clicking on that will save the music file to your computer’s download directory. Music files linked within the information section of each anthem will be a normal blue hyperlink, a left click will play it in another window, and right clicking should bring up a dialogue box, select the appropriate one to save the file (on Windows systems, it is labelled “Save File As … “; on Macs it is labelled “Download Linked File As …”) Copyrighted music files do not have the download link and will instead display a notice of who owns the copyright for that piece below the music file, please respect the owner’s copyright and do not attempt to download their files to your computer.
If you wish to view the lyrics, click on the text corresponding to which lyrics you want to view (English translation, lyrics in native language, in the native script, etc.) Clicking it again will hide it. Note that some language scripts may not display on your computer (you may see boxes or other strange characters), this just means that you don’t have the proper fonts or rendering support to view the lyrics. Wikipedia has a helpful article on what you need to do in order to display these languages on your computer.
Ocassionaly, you may encounter a word or phrase in the lyrics that is underlined , this signifies that there is additional information on this word or phrase that aids in the understanding of the lyrics, hovering your mouse over the word or phrase will show the information.
Sheet music can be easily viewed by left-clicking on the blue description or page number in question, the sheet music should appear in another tab in your browser window. The pages can be downloaded by right-clicking on the various descriptions or page numbers in blue for the sheet music, and saving in the same fashion as explained above for the music files.
What is the difference between 'English translation' and 'English versification'? What does 'Romanization' mean?
A translation attempts to provide a close-as-possible English meaning to the words so that they can be understood by English readers. A versification, however, is a more loose translation that matches the rhyming scheme and meter of the original so that it can be sung in English, but the translation may not be a good match of the meaning of the original words. Romanization is a way of representing languages in the Roman (Latin) alphabet that use another alphabet. This is primarily done to get an idea of the pronunciation of the words.
It should also be noted that this site attempts if at all possible to match the lyrics to the music, which may require repeating certain lines in the lyrics that are not presented in the official version of the lyrics as repeated, yet are meant to be repeated for performance.
What is a 'local anthem' or 'national song'? Why doesn't your website show the anthem of the parent country as the national anthem of a territory or dependency?
Most territories and dependencies have a local anthem or national song to use when their own identity is wished to be expressed, for example, in sporting events and local celebrations. In almost all cases the anthem of the parent country remains the official “national anthem” of the territory or dependency; this website means to reflect this in the information write-ups of the territories, presenting the local anthem as the unique anthem of the territory while mentioning the parent country’s anthem as the true national anthem.
Why is there hardly any information on a particular anthem?
Short answer: we couldn’t find any! The information on this page is culled from other anthem sites, official government pages for each nation, contributors, books, and our own knowledge. Unfortunately, the fact is that we just haven’t found much information on many nations through these means. Which leaves us with our contributors. If you know of information on a particular anthem, please let us know, and it will be shared on the page, citing you as a contributor! (Don’t forget to let us know your name!)
How do you determine which anthems appear on your site?
This is, as you may guess, a very controversial topic and can be quite political. This site tries to stay away from political controversy on this site (which isn’t easy), so we have attempted to follow for the most part two international organizations’ lists of recognized nations, the International Standards Organizations 3166 list , which is, in turn, based on United Nations data. (The file names of all the data are based on the ISO3166 list as well). Aside from recognized nations, there are also other national anthems on this site, which is even harder to determine what to include, and usually garner the most questions as to why it is included. Dependencies and colonies are included (based on United Nations and ISO3166 data) if they have their own regional anthem different from the parent country, with a few exceptions as a matter of general interest. Subnational areas (provinces, states, districts) are included if they either have some degree of autonomy (such as the Azores and Tibet ), have been an independent nation (or separate colony) before (such as Bavaria and Newfoundland ), is a distinct “nation within a nation”, often having a distinct national characteristic from the “parent nation” (such as Scotland and Basque Country ), or (primarily) that we felt would be of general interest to our visitors. (Note that many countries that have subnational areas have local songs in the subnational areas, but they are not “national anthems”, but rather “provincial/state/prefecture/regional songs”). Finally, there are other anthems that aren’t of nations or subnational areas, such as those of people groups ( Kurdistan , Assyria ), former nations ( Austria-Hungary , East Germany ), or just plain miscellaneous ( Esperanto , United Federation of Planets ) that are included mainly as a broader view of the study of national anthems and how they are used; inclusive-ness is determined mainly by percieved level of visitor interest. For those wanting to learn about anthems that we decided not to include (such as state or regional songs), please visit nationalanthems.us (Contributions submitted to this site that don’t match the site criteria may be submitted to the nationalanthems.us site and appear there.)
Please keep in mind that this site is set up not to be a list of countries of the world (which would exclude a lot of entries on this site), but rather of anthems of the world; despite the political status of the group using the anthem, this site only concerns itself with the background of the anthem, not the politics or status of the group using the anthem.
What is the meaning of the site's logo?
It is intended to be a graphical representation of what the site is all about; there is a representation of the world, combined with the white flag of peace to form the shape of a musical note, symbolizing music of the nations of the world (flag and globe), bringing understanding of other cultures and peace (white flag of peace). The font is reminiscent of that used for musical notation for dynamics and other symbols.
Who is behind this site?
There are two people responsible for the content of the site:
David Kendall is the primary editor and maintainer of the site since it was founded in 1999. He is responsible for most of the information that appears on the site. He lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada .
Zachary Harden is the assistant editor of the site since 2013. He is responsible for adding additional information submitted by visitors and other minor updates. He lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, United States .
You can reach either of us through our contact form to learn more about us.
How was this site created?
This site was created using the Suffusion theme of WordPress , as well as some handy plugins developed by others like Collapse-o-matic for the anthem lyrics, Custom Field Widget for the anthem information, and MP3-jPlayer for the music files.
Where have you been interviewed about national anthems? What other works have you lent your expertise to?
The primary editor David Kendall have been interviewed about anthems on the radio for:
BBC Radio (“Curious Questions Answered” August 12, 2002)
(no clip available)
If you wish to contact someone from this site for an interview, you may do so at our contact form .
Questions concerning national anthems:
Why do countries use national anthems? Do all countries use national anthems?
Interestingly, there is no international law that requires a country to adopt an anthem (or a flag), yet currently every country has realized that this is something that is needed as part of a national identity. An anthem is used to musically express what a country (or other group of people) stand for and what unites them, like a flag or a national motto. In modern times, the only country to not have adopted a national anthem at a particular time was Afghanistan ; during the reign of the Taliban (a strict Islamic group) from 1999-2002, music was forbidden in the country, therefore a national anthem would have been against this law. After the Taliban was defeated, the anthem used up to that point was reinstated. ( Germany also did not have an anthem from 1945 to 1949, but, legally, there was no German government at the time.)
How did the practice of national anthems get started?
The first countries to adopt national anthems were the European monarchies, in the late 18th century. (Probably the earliest of those was Great Britian .) It was probably started as a means of praise to the ruler. The tradition quickly spread across Europe as other countries saw the advantages of such a song. Other countries with republican types of government (such as France ) developed anthems from songs that were de facto anthems, songs used as rallying cries of the people. People-groups and regions developed their anthems in much the same way. However a particular nation came about with their national anthem, the practice spread to other parts of the globe during the late 19th century, when Europeans were colonizing other countries and bringing in their ways. Until the early twentieth century, “national anthems” as we know them were rare (indeed there was not the need for them that we have, no television or radio to broadcast them, no Olympics to play a winner’s anthem, etc.) Therefore, keep in mind that most of the anthems on this site before roughly 1930 were probably unofficial. Also, note that many of the leading countries of today didn’t officially adopt an anthem until well into the twentieth century ( United States (1931), Germany (1922), Canada (1980)), and some (like the United Kingdom and Finland ) never officially adopted an anthem, their anthems in current use have been “de facto” legitimized through popular use.
One of the best quotes on the subject can be found from Thomas O’Higgins, a legislator from Ireland. Speaking on the national anthem in 1933, he said: “National Anthems come about, not because of the suitability of the particular words or notes, but because they are adopted generally by the nation. That is exactly how the “Soldier’s Song” became a National Anthem in this country. It happened to be the Anthem on the lips of the people when they came into their own and when the outsiders evacuated the country and left the insiders here to make the best or the worst of the country. It was adopted by the people here before ever it was adopted by the Executive Council”.
Are there any national anthems without words?
There are actually quite a surprising number of anthems without words, for whatever reason. Currently, this site lists 28 of them. Only a few of these are currently used anthems, these are the anthems of Spain , Basque Country , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Europe , Kosovo , San Marino , Sealand , and the United Arab Emirates , as well as the United Federation of Planets . Other anthems no longer in use that were wordless are those of Abu Dhabi , Afghanistan (1926-1943) , Egypt (-1958) , Iraq (1924-1958) , Iraq (1959-1965, 2003-2004) , Iraq (1965-1981) , Italy (1862-1946) , Kuwait (1951-1978) , North Yemen (1962-1978) , Ottoman Empire (1829-1839, 1918-1922) , Ottoman Empire (1839-1861, 1876) , Ottoman Empire (1861-1876) , Qatar (1954-1996) , Russia (1991-2000) , Somalia (1960-2000) , Somaliland (1960) , South Yemen (1967-1979) , Zanzibar (?-1890) , and Zanzibar (1911-1964) . (Many of these have unofficial lyrics, and several more had wordless melodies at one time, but lyrics have since been written. Others, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, are in the process of adopting lyrics.)
Are national anthems copyrighted?
Most anthems are in the public domain due to the age of the song/lyrics or by legislation making national symbols copyright-free, however, individual composers can still arrange a national anthem and record it, and the recording of their arrangement is under copyright protection. Several countries also forbid parody versions of the national anthem. Copyrighted performances may be performed for non-profit educational purposes under “fair use” (or fair dealing), but for clear answers on your particular situation, it is best to consult a copyright lawyer in your own country (which we are not).
Please note that permission has been granted for all the anthems on this site to be used by anyone for any purpose (except the handful marked © to various individuals, noted above ) for either educational non profit or commercial for profit.
What is the best national anthem?
This is a very subjective thing to judge, and pretty much hinges on how you define “best”. (You may have seen in magazines or websites where they list, for example, “The Ten Best Songs of Rock and Roll”, and you would inevitably disagree with their picks (or each list has different picks), mainly because it depends on personal taste.) Some good criterion for what makes an anthem good are that it should be stirring and simple, while encapulating how natives and the world view the country, as well as easy to sing. Nations such as Gibraltar , Canada , Germany , and Israel all fit this description. Keep in mind, that this is a very unscientific and somewhat arbitrary answer to a hard-to-answer question. The best answer to what the “best” national anthem is, of course, is the one held most dear by the listener.
What is the name for the study of national anthems?
There actually doesn’t exist a formal name for the study of anthems. The primary site editor prefers the term “anthematologist” for someone who is a serious researcher of anthems (the study of which he has termed “anthematology”), and “anthemist” for someone who is a less-serious student of anthems, but enjoys them. (Somewhat like the difference between “numismatist” for one who actively pursues coin and bill collecting, and “coin collector” for one who just keeps interesting specimens of coins and bills they encounter in a box.)
What are the different types of national anthems?
While studying national anthems, it has been noticed that many national anthems have similar characteristics, either in the style of music, in their history, or both. Six categories have been identified and named, based on the part of the world where they occur, as well as some examples of some countries that use these types of anthems:
Latin American epic anthems: Possibly the easiest to identify, these are found in Latin American (Spanish-speaking Central and South America) countries and tend to be rather long, have an epic quality in the music, often containing both a quick, patriotic section of music, and a slower, stately part, and consists of many verses, usually chronicling the history of the country. Many are also composed by Italians (or other Europeans). They also tend to have a similar history in that they are usually written for another piece of music, but later the music is replaced but the original words are kept. In many cases, all the verses are official and, whether or not all verses are often sung in the country or not, children are expected to memorize the entire anthem in school in some of these countries. Examples include Argentina , Ecuador , El Salvador , Honduras , and Uruguay .
Western ode: The oldest type of anthem, originating in Europe and common to European monarchies and their former colonies, they are stately and smooth in music style. Examples include Australia , Canada , Germany , and the United Kingdom .
Pacific hymn: Perhaps a subset of the “Western ode”, many countries in the Pacific have adopted as the music of their national anthem either a church hymn or folk song from a former (or current) colonial master, and applied new words to it for their national anthem. Examples include Fiji , Pitcairn Islands , and Micronesia .
European march: Often used by non-monarchical European nations, and often by socialist nations, and/or nations born in revolution, these anthems are in a march style and often speak of war. Examples include France , USSR (1922-1944) , and USSR (1944-1991) .
Eastern Folk: Anthems that are reminiscent of the “national style” of music, often adapted from folk music, and sometimes utilize native instruments. Examples include Japan , India , Kenya , Swaziland , and Senegal .
Arab fanfare: Common to states in the Persian Gulf (usually sheikhdoms, emirates, or otherwise ruled by royalty) at one point in their history, these are short anthems consisting of little more than a fanfare and flourish. They often have no words as well. Examples include Bahrain , Kuwait (1961-1978) , and Iraq (?-1958) .
Are there any countries that use the same anthem as another country?
Again, you would be surprised at how many nations do fall into this category. There are many different examples on this site, some examples as well as classification are:
Common heritage:
Europe by Rhodesia
What is proper protocol regarding national anthems?
Anthem protocol varies from country to country. Some countries have laws regulating respect for the anthem, some don’t. Here is a partial list of some of the various anthem regulations in the world, followed by general guidelines to follow, regardless of the country you happen to live in.
Thailand : In Thailand, the anthem is played at 8:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening every day, to respect the country and the sovereign. Sometimes the national anthem would come on in the middle of a television broadcast and patriotic images are shown, the anthem is given top priority. In movie theatres, patriotic images are shown between the trailer and main feature, and the royal anthem is played. In all these situations, standing and observing silence is mandated.
Myanmar : It is customary for the singers of the anthem to give a slight bow at the conclusion of their performance, as a sign of respect to the nation and anthem.
United Kingdom and the Commonwealth: God Save the Queen must be played for Her Majesty the Queen or other members of the Royal Family. Governors-General of Commonwealth countries are to be honoured by a salute, consisting of an abbreviated version (usually the few beginning bars and the few ending bars) of the national anthem of their own country. (See the page for Australia for an example of this.)
Denmark : Inside Denmark, the Royal Anthem is played only when royalty is present and is usually followed by the National Anthem . (Thanks to Gerrit van de Ruitenbeek for this information)
New Zealand : Addressing New Zealand’s unique situation of having two official anthems, “God Save the Queen” is to be played at occasions where a member of the Royal Family is present or loyalty to the crown is stressed, where “God Defend New Zealand” is to be played where the national identity of New Zealand is addressed. There are no regulations as to whether English or Maori language versions are to be performed, and to which order, yet common practice says that if the first verse is sung in Maori, it should be repeated in English.
Kazakhstan : Upon adoption of the new anthem in early 2006, a law was also passed “obliging everyone to stand and press the palm of their right hand to the left side of their chest when the national anthem is performed in public” (as reported by Radio Free Europe: Radio Liberty ).
As stated before, this is just a small list of the various codes regarding anthem etiquette around the world. General rules should follow the above, as they seem to be universal. In addition, some other helpful guidelines are:
When multiple anthems are to be performed (such as honouring a visiting dignitary or sporting team from another country), the host nation’s anthem is usually performed last.
In Western countries, men are generally required to remove their hat during the playing of the anthem, but ladies generally are not. (This is due to the centuries-old notion that a woman’s hat is part of her outfit, while a man’s is an accessory to it.)
It is not absolutely necessary to sing along to the anthem (especially if you don’t know the words, although most anthem lyrics are on this site!)
Any national anthem, whether of your own or of another nation, should be treated equally (that is, one should stand up for both, be silent for both, and both should be treated with respect), regardless of your personal feelings toward the other nation. As stated on the main page of this website, learning about national anthems is a way to learn about other cultures and people, learning about others gives us respect for others, treating another’s anthem the same as you would treat your own demonstrates that respect.
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Regions[ edit ]
It is difficult to break down Puget Sound into smaller regions because there are so many different geographic, cultural and political ideas that it entails. Locals generally refer to Puget Sound as both the body of water and the geographic area surrounding it, but even different bodies of government define Puget Sound as having different physical boundaries. For the sake of clarity we will use the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)official breakdown into five main regions.
North Puget Sound , region lies north of the Admiralty Inlet and Port Townsend and west of Whidbey Island. Includes the city of Bellingham and the picturesque San Juan Islands .
King County , where Seattle is located, also has some unique suburbs, such as Bellevue , Redmond , Woodinville , Kent and much more that extend north, east and south from the core. Bordered to the west by the Kitsap Peninsula this region also includes Vashon Island and Blake Island .
Cities[ edit ]
map of Puget Sound with major cities
The Puget Sound Region has many cities, check in the subregion articles for more of them. Some areas might be mentioned here but be covered more broadly in other subregion articles. For example Port Townsend is located on the shores of Puget Sound but it actually falls under the Olympic Peninsula subregion.
Bellevue lies across Lake Washington to the east of Seattle. It is the fifth largest city in the state.
Bremerton is the main city within the Kitsap Peninsula . This harbor town is fun place to explore.
Everett is the main city on the North Sound.
Gig Harbor small historical harbor town near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Olympia lies at the southernmost bit of Puget Sound. It is the beautiful state capital.
Port Orchard classic harbor town with downtown shopping area on the Kitsap Peninsula.
Port Townsend historic port with its turn of the century buildings is popular with tourists.
Redmond , home of Microsoft, is on the Eastside of Seattle and offers parks, shopping, and more.
Seattle is by far the largest city in the region. It is the heart of a vibrant metropolitan area and a major tourist destination.
Silverdale is a popular town on the Kitsap Peninsula with amazing views of Puget Sound.
Tacoma is another major city in the South Sound. Formerly mostly industrial, the city center has been beautified, and the city now offers attractions such as the famous Museum of Glass, Point Defiance Park, and the Washington State History Museum.
Other destinations[ edit ]
Puget Sound area offers a vast variety of areas from thick rain forests and rocky wild rivers to sophisticated urban areas with an international cultural influence.
History[ edit ]
Puget Sounds complex series of waterways were formed from receding glaciers that left the area about 14,000 years ago cutting deep into the land forming valleys that eventually flooded creating the intricate landscape that we know today.
According to scientific data the first people arrived in Puget Sound about 12,000 years ago, but according to native Suquamish people, legend says that all of the earth was water, then the Old One dried the land and created everything from mud, he used the last mud balls from the earth to create the people. Then he sent Coyote to teach the people how to live with the earth, Coyote traveled the earth teaching the people and making life better for them.
By 1792 when Captain George Vancouver named the area after one of his officers and declared the area for Great Briton, the Suquamish and Salish people had already developed a multi facetted and complex society of their own. The Suquamish people called Puget Sound the Lushootseed name 'WulcH, which simply means "Salt Water". For thousands of years the Suquamish traveled the waters of Puget Sound in well designed cedar canoes and before settlers developed roadways a complex series of ferries known as the ‘Mosquito Fleet’ was also the main way people and goods were transported around the area and waters of Puget Sound became the first regional highway.
Once the Washington Territory was established in 1853, the U.S. government began signing treaties with area tribes to acquire their lands. The Suquamish people ceded most of their land to the United States and logging came into the area in full force. The areas once impassible thick forests gave way to farms, towns and industry as lumber was shipped off to areas such as San Francisco or burned as fuel for the growing fleet of boats.
Today the area has grown in international influence with economic powerhouses such as Boeing, Starbucks and Microsoft whose global reach is far beyond Washington State borders. Seattle is the largest cosmopolitan city with millions of people and the regions cultural influence is profound with many artistic and cultural endeavors reaching an international audience. Yet through all of this growth and change the people of the region are still tied to Puget Sound not only for transportation and source of food but as the symbolic center of area culture.
Boundaries[ edit ]
Despite common belief and contrary to widespread usage there is some debate on the exact boundaries of the area we call Puget Sound. For the sake of clarity we are using the boundaries established by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which draws the northern border along the Canadian border and Straight of Georgia. There has been a recent popular movement to officially name the area that contains the Strait of Juan De Fuca, all of Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia as the Salish Sea, in honor of the native people of the region (referred to as 'First Nations' people by Canadians).
Talk[ edit ]
The Pacific Northwest accent spoken in the Puget Sound region is considered very similar to the General American standard accent (native to the Midwest), popularized in the 20th century by radio, TV and movies. People in the area generally have little to no problem understanding different accents of the English language. The Pacific Northwest attracts tourists from around the world, and it is common to hear many foreign languages being spoken in public in major tourist areas.
There are ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the Seattle area where many languages are spoken, including a large International District where many Asian languages are spoken. Washington is the thirteenth most populated state for example, but by comparison has the fourth highest Asian population. Seattle's 98118 zip code centered around the Columbia City neighborhood in South Seattle is considered the most ethnically diverse zip code in the country by the US Census bureau with 59 different languages regularly being spoken.
Chinook Jargon was a pidgin or trade language established among indigenous inhabitants of the region. After contact with Europeans, French, English, and Cree words entered the language, and "eventually Chinook became the lingua franca for as many as 250,000 people along the Pacific Slope from Alaska to Oregon." Chinook Jargon reached its height of usage in the 19th century though remained common in resource and wilderness areas, particularly but not exclusively by Native Americans and Canadian First Nations people, well into the 20th century. Chinook Jargon was still in use in Seattle until roughly the eve of World War II, making Seattle the last city where the language was widely used. Today its influence is felt mostly in place names and a handful of localized slang terms. Pronunciation of some of these terms is difficult and often separates the visitor from the local including Alki, Seattle, Kitsap, Yakima, Duwamish and Lummi.
By air[ edit ]
sea plane leaving San Juan Islands
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport ( IATA : SEA), universally nicknamed "Sea-Tac", is located in the city's southern suburbs. Domestically it's a major hub for Northwest and West Coast destinations, and internationally handles especially frequent trans-Pacific routes, as well as direct flights to the major European airports. The airport is about a 25-minute drive from downtown Seattle when there isn't heavy traffic, much longer during rush hour. All informations about the airport, including any means of ground transportation, is covered in a separate article.
By train[ edit ]
Amtrak has three train services that serve the Puget Sound area. Cities served are Seattle , Tukwila , Tacoma , Olympia , Edmonds , and Everett : see the "Get in" sections of those cities for more details.
The Coast Starlight train starts in Seattle and heads south through Tukwilla, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland , and ultimately San Francisco and Los Angeles in California.
The Empire Builder starts in Seattle, goes to Everett then heads east across the mountains to Spokane and eventually Minneapolis and Chicago .
Amtrak Cascades is a regional train service that goes north from Seattle to Vancouver and south to Portland and Eugene .
By car[ edit ]
I-5 is the main freeway running north-south; going north to Vancouver and south to Portland and California . I-90 goes east from Seattle to Spokane , Chicago and ultimately Boston . Other east-west routes include US-2 over Stevens Pass from Everett and SR-410 from Tacoma (closed in winter).
By bus[ edit ]
BellAir Airporter , (company office & bus garage) 1416 Whitehorn St, Ferndale, WA 98248, ☎ +1 360 380-8880 , toll-free: +1-866-235-5247 . offers 11 Round-Trips Daily to Sea-Tac from Blaine, Birch Bay, Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham, Burlington, Stanwood and Marysville along the I-5 corridor. They offer a second route from Burlington to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal via La Conner and Anacortes. Passengers coming typically transfer in Burlington from the I-5 Corridor route to continue westward to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal.
BoltBus , toll-free: +1-877-BOLTBUS (2658287) . Direct service into the region from Portland to the south and from Vancouver , BC in north. $1 if lucky; up to $30.
Greyhound , toll-free: +1-800-231-2222 . Runs along the I-5 corridor between Seattle and Vancouver, BC (via Everett, Mt Vernon & Bellingham) on one route and to Portland (via Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia & Kelso) on the other. They also run along I-90 across eastern Washington between Seattle, Spokane and Missoula, MT. Prices varies depending on travel from which departure point to which destination point..
Quick Shuttle . Runs between Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Stops in Downtown Seattle (outside the Best Western at 200 Taylor Ave N) and SeaTac Airport (at the main terminal near south end of baggage claim, outside door 00, bays 11-16). Fares from Vancouver to Downtown Seattle are $36 one-way, $65 round-trip; from Vancouver to SeaTac, fares are $49 one-way, $87 round-trip. Vancouver to Downtown Seattle: $36 one-way, $65 round-trip; Vancouver to SeaTac airport: $49 one-way, $87 round-trip..
By ferry[ edit ]
Washington State Ferry leaving Vashon Island
Washington State Ferries +1 206 464-6400 [1] . Connects downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island , Bremerton , and Vashon Island , and connects West Seattle to Vashon Island and Southworth ( Kitsap Peninsula ). All ferries are for both vehicles and passenger except the ferry between downtown Seattle and Vashon Island which is foot traffic only.
There is also a ferry connecting Port Townsend and Coupeville [4], on Whidbey Island . The small ferries required by Coupeville's narrow harbor mean that vehicle space is often limited, and drive-up motorists may have to wait several sailings for a space. Guaranteed reservations can be made in advance online [5] or by calling 511, and are all but essential on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays
Victoria Clipper . High speed catamaran passenger ferries which connect Seattle to Victoria , British Columbia and the San Juan Islands .
The Alaska Marine Highway System (also see [2] ) operates a ferry service from Bellingham , Washington up the Inside Passage to Haines Alaska. Plan your travel early as this service tends to fill up fast.
By cruise ship[ edit ]
Cruise ships to Seattle may be docked at one of two terminals in the Port of Seattle .
Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way S, near the middle of Seattle downtown's waterfront, serves as home port for Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises. Has bus, taxi and shuttle connections for transfer of passengers and luggage. For travelers with connecting flights, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is less than 15 mi (24 km) away.
Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91, 2001 W Garfield St, at the north end of Seattle's downtown waterfront, serves as home port to Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises.
By boat[ edit ]
It is not coincidence that so many cities in this region are located on the water. Early settlers found the thick regional forests too impenetrable to navigate by land so waterways became the Pacific Northwests early highway system.
However when arriving from Canada there are only a handful of ports including Roche Harbor , Friday Harbor , Anacortes and Bellingham that are official U.S. ports-of-entry and can process boaters through customs. The Cardinal Rule is touch land at customs dock before any other stops, fines for not doing so can be up to $5000. Besides a passport for everyone on board, you will need your boat's license number and User Fee Decal number.
Customs enforces USDA guidelines for what foods are acceptable to bring into the country and these guidelines are constantly changing so it is best to check in with them before arriving. Boaters are responsible for knowing the prohibited foods and can be fined for not declaring them.
The Puget Sound region offers a wide variety of guest marinas throughout the area. Check city listings for specific marina information.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has the largest state-managed mooring system in the United States. The commission manages more than 40 marine parks in Puget Sound that together provide more than 8,500 feet of public moorage space.
By ferry[ edit ]
Car alarm?
nothing separates the tourist from the local on the ferry system more than car alarms. Please make sure yours is off if you leave your car to enjoy the view from the deck. Most car alarms detect movement and will be activated by the movement of the ferry and you will be asked to return to your car.
Washington State Ferries is the largest system of ferries in the country and they are the key to successfully navigating Puget Sound. Many ferry destinations are not islands without a bridge, but peninsulas where going by land would involve a very long detour. The most extreme example of this is the Port Townsend -- Keystone route on State Hwy 20. Only five and a half miles via the ferry, becomes a whopping 217 miles (354 km) traveling by car!
Washington State Ferry routes cross Puget Sound including several islands including Bainbridge, Vashon, Whidbey and the San Juan Islands. There are also some county-run ferries to smaller destinations such as to Anderson Island and Guemes Island.
By car[ edit ]
Outside the main cities public transportation is scarce and is not of much use for extensive sightseeing, so renting or arriving by car is advisable. Although distances can be long, most roads are paved and well-maintained. Be aware of distances between gas stations and plan accordingly when traveling in rural areas. Most ferries accept vehicles and utilizing them is key to navigating the area.
By bus[ edit ]
Regional transit systems tend to be organized by county however they are often interconnected to cover larger areas and some are coordinated with Washington State Ferries, with each other (for one to arrive within minutes of the next one leaving) and have many coordinated pickups at Seatac airport. Not the fastest way to travel but efficient and cheap for the budget traveler and are the only way available in the (more rural) areas west of the Puget Sound. See the below:
Along West Side of Puget Sound With the exception of the Dungeness Line, the county operated transit systems are the only way around the Olympic Peninsula without a car on the west side of the sound. Schedules are less frequent on rural routes then local services within the cities/towns.
Dungeness Line operated by Olympic Bus Lines , ☎ +1 360 417-0700 . The Dungeness Line, operated by Olympic Bus Lines provides two trips daily between Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Discovery Bay, and Kingston, to and from Edmonds, downtown Seattle, and Seattle Tacoma International Airport. It is a privately operated bus between Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula $28 to $49 OW depending on how far you're going..
Clallam Transit . ... operates buses in Port Angeles (Rt #20-24), Joyce (#10), Forks (Rt#14 - 17), Neah Bay (Rt#16), La Push (#15) and Sequim (Rt#30-52) in Clallam County. Connects to Jefferson Transit in Sequim and Forks. $1.00 or $0.50c reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders..
Jefferson Transit , ☎ +1 360 385-4777 , toll-free: +1-800-371-0497 . ... operates local buses in Port Townsend and to Sequim, Quilcene, Port Ludlow, Brinnon & Poulsbo, as well as the "West End" from Forks to Amanda Park along US Hwy 101 through Jefferson County. $1.50 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders..
Kitsap Transit . ... operates buses in Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Kingston, Suquamish, Silverdale,and Port Orchard in Kitsap County. Limited service to Purdy just over the Kitsap/Pierce County line. $2.00 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders paying with an ORCA card..
Mason Transit , 790 E Johns Prairie Rd, Shelton, WA 98584, ☎ +1 360 532-2770 . ... operates local buses in Shelton and to Belfaire, Bremerton and Brinon Connects to Intercity Transit and Grays Harbor Transit in Olympia; to Kitsap Transit in Bermerton and to Jefferson Transit in Brinnon. $1.50 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders traveling across the county line otherwise it's a free ride for all within Mason County..
Along East Side of Puget Sound The eastside is more populated and therefore, offer more frequent schedules on more routes. If you're trying to get from Olympia to Port Townsend, Bremerton or Widbey Island it would be quicker to get a series of buses up into Seattle and taking the ferry across than the buses along the west side of the Sound.
BellAir Airporter , (company office & bus garage) 1416 Whitehorn St, Ferndale, WA 98248, ☎ +1 360 380-8880 , toll-free: +1-866-235-5247 . offers 11 Round-Trips Daily to Sea-Tac from Blaine, Birch Bay, Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham, Burlington, Stanwood and Marysville along the I-5 corridor. They offer a second route from Burlington to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal via La Conner and Anacortes. Passengers coming typically transfer in Burlington from the I-5 Corridor route to continue westward to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal.
BoltBus , toll-free: +1-877-BOLTBUS (2658287) . In the area they only stop into Bellingham and Seattle. $1 if lucky; up to $30.
Greyhound , toll-free: +1-800-231-2222 . Runs along the I-5 corridor between Vancouver BC, Bellingham, Mt Vernon, Everett Seattle , Tacoma and Olympia . Quicker to get across longer distances such as from Olympia up to Bellingham than a series of county operated buses. Prices varies depending on travel from which departure point to which destination point..
Sound Transit , ☎ +1 206 553-3000 , toll-free: +1-800-542-7876 . The long distance public transit operator operates express bus services from and between cities in the four county Seattle metropolitan area such as Tacoma , Olympia , Bellevue , Everett , Bothell, and lots of other cities surrounding Seattle. $2.50 within King County, $3.50 cross-county..
Community Transit , ☎ +1 425 353-RIDE (7433) , toll-free: +1-800-562-1375 . Transit services around Everett and Snohomish County (Arlington, Brier, Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, Stanwood, etc) and express services from various points in Snohomish County to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington in the mornings and up to Snohomish County in the afternoons. Local bus service within the city of Everett is provided by Everett Transit . $4 from Everett and south of Everett to Seattle, $5.25 from north of Everett to Seattle(one way); $2.00 within Snohomish County..
Intercity Transit . Operates local buses in/around Olympia , Lacey and Tumwater and express buses up to Tacoma and Lakewood along I-5. ..
Island Transit , ☎ +1 360 678-7771 , +1 360 387-7433 . Mon-Fri 3:45AM-7:45PM; No service weekends & holidays. Operates local services up and down Whidbey Island and on around Camano Island as well as the Coupeville and Clinton Ferry Terminals; local services within Oak Harbor and intercounty services to Mt Vernon in Skagit County from Whidbey Island and Camano Island and Everett from Camano Island. ..
King County Metro . Operates buses within Seattle and out to outlying suburbs & cities within King County such as Federal Way, Shoreline, North Bend, Renton, Kent, Bothell, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shorline, Issaquah, North Bend, Enumclaw etc. The rule of thumb is that three digit line numbers are for service to/from or within outside the Seattle city limits. There are other routes that operate locally within the suburbs and between the suburban cities that do not come into Seattle at all. $3.00 peak hours, $2.50 off peak.
Pierce Transit . Operates local buses in Tacoma , Federal Way , Lakewood, Puyallup , Steilacoom and University Place. Limited service to Buckley, Gig Harbor , Bonney Lake/Lake Tapps . $2.00 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders paying with an ORCA card..
Skagit Transit , Intermodal Station @ 105 E Kinkaid in Mt Vernon, ☎ +1 360 757-4433 . Operates local buses in Mt Vernon , Burlington , Anacortes and other points in/around Skagit County. County Connector Service to Everett on Rt #90x and Bellingham on Rt #80x. $1 within the county or $2 day ticket; $2 for County Connector Service..
By light rail[ edit ]
Light rail is growing rapidly in the area, however is currently only available to deliver passengers between the airport in Seatac to downtown Seattle with various stops through South Seattle and Sodo.
See[ edit ]
Puget Sound with Mount Rainier in the distance
Blake Island State Park (located in Puget Sound in the waters between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula). a popular island state park accessible only by boat that was the birthplace of Chief Seattle and still offers guests Native American style dinners and dancing.
Deception Pass Bridge, a National Historic Monument since 1982, is actually two spans that link Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor to Fidalgo Island over Canoe Pass and Deception Pass. The bridge, one of the scenic wonders and destinations of the Pacific Northwest, was a Public Works Administration project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Deception Pass State Park, has over 4,100 acres (17 km2) of forest, campsites, trails, and scenic vistas of the San Juan Islands, Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), Mount Baker, and Fidalgo Island.
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present. Historic farms, still under cultivation in the prairies of Whidbey Island, reveal land use patterns unchanged since settlers claimed the land in the 1850s.
Hood Canal. despite its name is not a canal but it actually a inland fjord that stretches for over 70 miles inland separating the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula. It is a prime destination in the area for outdoor recreation and nature viewing with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains and lush forests. Near the southern end of the Kitsap Peninsula it hooks inward at an area known as the Great Bend.
Kitsap Peninsula[ edit ]
The Kitsap Peninsula is almost an island attached by a relatively small landmass near Belfair , its complex coastline dominates the Puget Sound area between Hood Canal and the Main Puget Sound Channel. It is home of several cities and towns and is accessible by the Tacoma Narrows Bridge near Tacoma and the floating Hood Canal Bridge giving access on the northern end to the Olympic Peninsula as well as several ferry terminals giving access from Seattle and Edmunds.
Beach combing[ edit ]
purple seastar found on Kitsap Peninsula beach
What Puget Sound beaches lack in white sand and warm water is more than made up for in the amazing scenery as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow peaked mountains scatter on the horizons. The areas many State Parks are an excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering miles of beaches from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are common sites and tide pools can offer hours of exploration.
Be warned that sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed, however the often rocky and wild shores are havens for creating and revealing beach glass and anything artificial found is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.
Boating[ edit ]
Puget Sound offers some of the best recreational boating in the world. Breath taking views of the snow capped Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges along with glimpses of Mount Rainier mingle with thick forests and clear bays and streams to create a humbling cacophony of natural sights. Carved by ancient glaciers, Puget Sounds intricate and complex waterways provide endless opportunities for exploration while the many harbor towns built on protective bays cater to boaters and provide an wide array of services, restaurants and shops. Harbor Seals, Otters, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons are common sights while the occasional viewing of an Orca or Grey Whale is not out of the question.
Sailing[ edit ]
The Puget Sound is a destination celebrated by sailors from around the world. The scenery around Puget Sound can be so amazing that it borders on the surreal and could only possibly be appreciated more from the deck of a boat under sail. From isolated moorages in such places as Blake Island State Park to historic harbor towns with fine restaurants, museums and shopping all accessible from convenient harbors.
Tacoma Yacht Club race
Visitors to the area will often be treated to the sight of a flotilla of sailboats on Puget Sound as local yacht clubs organize events that sometimes attract hundreds of sailors. These ‘races’ such as the Gig Harbor Yacht Club Islands Race are often informal events that are more of an opportunity for fraternization and attract many types of sailboats and many different skill levels of sailors.
Sea kayaking[ edit ]
Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the Puget Sounds miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings and making Puget Sound a popular area to sea kayak. Both urban and rural areas offer their own rewards and many organized tours are available in different areas.
Kayak trails[ edit ]
Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate travel lengths and scenic travel destinations. For thousands of years native Salish tribes navigated these waters in small, well designed wooden boats and many of these trails were developed along their same paths.
Cascadia Marine Trail . This inland sea trail is a National Recreation Trail and designated one of only 16 National Millennium Trails by the White House. Suitable for day or multi-day trips, the Cascadia Marine Trail has over 50 campsites to visit. People can boat to the campsites from many public and private launch sites or shoreline trailheads.
[dead link]Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails . The National Parks Service Named the this 'Trail of the Month' in December 2012, PDF copies of the water trails map are available
Key Peninsula Marine Trail . is a forty mile Peninsular Marine Trail with fourteen legs between fifteen points of interest during a paddling journey around the Key Peninsula
Scuba diving[ edit ]
California Sea Lions
Diving the cold waters of Puget Sound takes a bit more gear and training than other warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible. The area contains some of the best diving in the world and many areas are accessible from the Kitsap Peninsula. Many dive sites are completely covered with colorful sea creatures that defy description. Giant Pacific Octopus are common, along with friendly wolf eels. Colorful sponges, sea cucumbers, sea stars, soft corals, anemones and fish can be seen on nearly every dive. The state has offers a guide to parks with launch sites HERE
Sound Dive Center, 5000 Burwell Street, Bremerton, WA 98312, ☎ +1 360-373-6141 . Established in 1972, this 6000 sq foot diving center offers a full range of diving gear and classes.
Eat[ edit ]
The Pacific Northwest is a foodie’s dream come true. Talented chefs and entrepreneurs have taken advantage the northwest’s incredible seafood, abundant locally sourced produce, award-winning wines, and a well developed beer brewing tradition to establish a regional cuisine that trumps just about any other area in America. The Puget Sound region offers top of the line restaurants squirreled away in almost every neighborhood Pacific north westerners have high expectations from their food.
The Pacific North West is perhaps best known for it's Salmon, but a large variety of other seafood is available in the area. Oftentimes seafood comes in short bursts with seasonal migrations such as the areas fall Salmon runs available for only short amounts of time so watch closely for seasonal specials in restaurants and markets.
Shellfish are the prized resources of the Puget Sound, the cool, clean waters provide some of the finest shellfish habitat in the world. Washington State is the nation’s leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish (clams, mussels and oysters) but other specialties like Geoducks are sometimes available for the more adventurous.
The Dungeness Crab is a popular seafood prized for its sweet and tender flesh and high ratio of meat. Its common name comes from the port of Dungeness , Washington where the first commercial harvesting of the crab was done. The Dungeness Crab is a commercially important crab in the state of Washington's territorial waters and was the first shellfish harvested commercially in the area but other crab species are also common.
The areas mild climate, rich soil and abundant water resources have created a bountiful climate for the many varieties of fresh produce available across the region. Farmers markets are common in both urban and rural areas and a great way to experience local culture as well as experience local foods.
Drink[ edit ]
Few, if any, American regions can challenge the Pacific North West's love of coffee. According to a group of industry market researchers, there were an amazing 1,640 coffee shops in the Puget Sound region in 2011, ranking it the most popular coffee region. It is not surprising that such coffee giants such as Starbucks have exported the Pacific Northwest's coffee culture across the globe.
Microbreweries and beer in general are a Northwest specialty, and the area has many to offer for beer enthusiasts. The larger brewers, like Redhook and Pyramid, distribute their products regionally or nationally like their coffee cousins, while other brews can only be found in local stores or bars (some notable brewers don't even bottle their product). Ask your servers for local beer recommendations and search out regional microbrews in stores. Hops are the key ingredient in beer making and Washington State's neaby Yakima Valley is by far the biggest exporter of hops in the US giving area brewers another edge in making the best beers. Vineyard in Willamette Valley
There are many great wineries spread across the Puget Sound region such as The Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville , which is not only the oldest winery in the state but is the largest single producer of Riesling wine in the United States.
Stay safe[ edit ]
Puget Sound is such a broad and varying region it is difficult to give specific safety advice. From large cities where common sense should prevail when dealing with valuables to remote forests where you should keep a watchful eye out for wildlife. Check various subregion and city articles for more specific information.
Consulates[ edit ]
[dead link]Belgium , The World Trade Center Seattle, 2200 Alaskan Way Ste 470, ☎ +1 206 728-5145 , fax: +1 206 770-7923, e-mail: [email protected] .
Germany (Honorary) , 7853 SE 27th St Ste 180, Mercer Island, ☎ +1 206 230-5138 , fax: +1 206 236-5162, e-mail: [email protected] .
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Which country’s burgeoning film industry is nicknamed “Nollywood”? | The Making of Nigeria’s Film Industry - The New York Times
The New York Times
Magazine |A Scorsese in Lagos
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The Making of Nigeria’s Film Industry
By ANDREW RICE
Behind the scenes of Nigeria’s thriving film industry.
By Ben Solomon on Publish Date February 23, 2012. . Watch in Times Video »
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Kunle Afolayan wants to scare you, he wants to thrill you, he wants to make you laugh, but most of all, he would like you to suspend your disbelief — in his plots, yes, which tend to be over the top, but also about what is possible in Africa. He bristles if you call him an “African filmmaker” — a phrase redolent of art-house cinema, which his work assuredly is not. He wants to make huge, explosive, American-style blockbusters, and he wants to make them where he lives — in Nigeria . His ambitions may sound implausible. Nigeria lacks even a reliable supply of electricity. But it does contain a chaotic creative energy that has made it the world’s most prolific producer of films.
Twenty years after bursting from the grungy street markets of Lagos, the $500 million Nigerian movie business churns out more than a thousand titles a year on average, and trails only Hollywood and Bollywood in terms of revenues. The films are hastily shot and then burned onto video CDs, a cheap alternative to DVDs. They are seldom seen in the developed world, but all over Africa consumers snap up the latest releases from video peddlers for a dollar or two. And so while Afolayan’s name is unknown outside Africa, at home, the actor-director is one of the most famous faces in the exploding entertainment scene known — inevitably — as “Nollywood.”
On a continent where economies usually depend on extracting natural resources or on charity, moviemaking is now one of Nigeria’s largest sources of private-sector employment. Walls around Lagos are plastered with posters reading, “Actors/Actresses Wanted.” Nollywood stars are everywhere, from billboards to glossy tabloids filled with pictures of red-carpet events. The African Movie Academy Awards, held each year in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, have become a lavish spectacle, drawing visitors like Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover. Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, has recruited Nollywood stars to campaign with him, while Afolayan and others have lent prominent support to a protest movement called “Occupy Nigeria.”
And yet most of the movies themselves are awful, marred by slapdash production, melodramatic acting and ludicrous plots. Afolayan, who is 37, is one of a group of upstart directors trying to transcend those rote formulas and low expectations. His breakthrough film, the 2009 thriller “The Figurine,” was an aesthetic leap: while no viewer would confuse it with “Citizen Kane,” to Nigerians it announced the arrival of a swaggering talent keen to upset an immature industry. Unlike most Nollywood fare, “The Figurine” was released in actual theaters, not on cheap discs, playing to packed houses next to Hollywood features. “Many observers,” Jonathan Haynes, a scholar of Nollywood, recently wrote, “have been waiting a long time for this kind of filmmaking, which can take its place in the international arena proudly and on equal terms.”
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In contrast to Nollywood’s chiseled leading men, Afolayan is stout, speaks with a laid-back drawl and has a noticeable scar on one side of his face from a car accident. But he has undeniable charisma — a quality his admirers say he inherited from his father, an actor and legendary playboy. One sticky August night, I accompanied Afolayan on a prowl through Lagos, weaving through the metropolis in his monstrous pickup truck. We ended up at an open-air nightclub called King Sized, where heads turned as he made his entrance with a boisterous entourage. In West Africa, a famous presence demands recognition, so the resident highlife band swiftly shifted into an impromptu praise song. “Kunle Afolayan,” the vocalist began to trill, “Kunle Afolayan is here!”
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As the singer celebrated his name, Afolayan nonchalantly sipped from a sweaty beer bottle. This was a scripted ritual; the entertainment didn’t come free. The chorus reached a crescendo as Afolayan, dressed in faded jeans and bursting from a sheer white shirt, came forward with a huge stack of Nigerian banknotes. He began to dance, shaking his hips and moving his feet, casting off bills with fluid flicks of his wrist — a tribute Nigerians call “spraying.” A band member crawled around, scooping up cash, while Afolayan delighted in the adulation.
When I visited Lagos, Afolayan was preparing to start shooting his follow-up to “The Figurine.” He told me he hoped to emulate his hero, Mel Gibson, another actor-director from a remote English-speaking land with outsize appetites and ambitions. “It’s sad,” Afolayan said of Gibson’s recent self-destruction. “I love Mel and I’m such a fan of his work.” He was quick to distance himself from Nollywood and its streetwise art of “guerrilla filmmaking.” “Their mind-set,” Afolayan said, “is totally different than mine.”
For all of Afolayan’s grandiose talk, however, the economic realities of African filmmaking conspire against an improvement in quality. The consumer base is huge — there are more than a billion Africans, 155 million of them in Nigeria alone. But access to those buyers is controlled by the clannish merchants who congregate on the outskirts of Lagos at the Alaba International Market, the distribution hub of the African movie business.
To visit Alaba is to catch a glimpse of entertainment in its Hobbesian state, where few laws restrain profiteers, piracy is rampant and all creative calculations yield to the lowest denominator. The market’s cramped concrete stalls are piled high with video CDs packaged in garish paper envelopes. Men pulling carts laden with boxes jostle through unpaved alleyways, passing under flapping banners advertising new releases like “Mama’s Girls” and “Demonic Attack.” Castoff plastic discs, the detritus of digital replication, litter the muddy ground like seashells.
This may not be quite what Jean-Luc Godard had in mind when he recently declared that with digital cameras, “everyone is now an auteur.” But it certainly represents a vision of what the future could hold — and not just for Nigeria — if the practice of making entertainment ceases to be rewarding to professionals. Even as Afolayan tossed off cash for his song, he faced a vexing challenge in making his next film: who was going to pay for his work? When everyone is an auteur, who values artistry?
On a Saturday afternoon, in the last hour of precious daylight, Osita Iheme was ready to work. A dwarf popularly known as Paw Paw, and the star of a string of politically incorrect hits with titles like “Baby Police,” Iheme is one of Nollywood’s most bankable actors. In his latest film, an ensemble comedy set in cramped slum housing, he was playing the lecherous son of a landlord. The director, working with a single Sony digital camera, watched the scene unfold on a beat-up TV monitor. It involved a scatological sight gag, a confrontation with a gaggle of female tenants and lots of screaming. Iheme set his face in an exaggerated glower as the actor playing the landlord wagged his finger and bellowed, “You have turned my place into a market square for madwomen!”
Nollywood’s bawdy humor — or fright or fantasy — appeals to a public seeking escape from depressing living conditions. The industry itself was born out of economic desperation during the early 1990s, a period of military dictatorship, low prices for Nigeria’s oil and Western-mandated “structural adjustment” of its economy. Actors and cameramen were out of work because of budget cuts at the national television station. Movie theaters were closed because no one wanted to venture into the dangerous streets at night. According to legend, the first Nollywood movie was made by a small-time electronics trader named Kenneth Nnebue, who, stuck with a large shipment of blank videotapes, decided to unload them by making a movie about a man who sells his soul for wealth. That movie, “Living in Bondage,” sold hundreds of thousands of copies and established Nollywood’s archetypal plot elements: martial discord, greed, a conflict between Christianity and juju, as the occult is called in West Africa. From these accidental origins, a cultural phenomenon emerged.
Other merchants, overwhelmingly members of Nnebue’s ethnic group, the Igbo, followed him into business. They literally made things up as they went, shooting movies in just a few days, based on vague scenarios instead of scripts. Directors approximated tracking shots by pushing their cameramen around in wheelchairs. Quality was shaky, but the buying public didn’t care. Between 1994 and 2005, production in Nigeria went from a handful of feature movies a year to more than 2,500.
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“We watch these Africa films like ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘The Last King of Scotland’ — they’re always from the perspective of the Europeans,” says Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, who has directed more than 160 features. He was the subject of a documentary called “Nollywood Babylon,” which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival , and he told me that when he went to the festival, he was shocked to discover that some American directors had been working for years to make just one movie.
Kenneth Nnebue quit Nollywood a few years ago, retiring to his village to devote his life to preaching the Bible. But the industry he established remains tightly controlled by the same group of Igbo businessmen, an insular guild sometimes called the Alaba cartel.
Afolayan’s father, known as Ade Love, was a leading man in the Nigerian film scene of the 1970s, until it was ruined by economic collapse. Up to his death in 1996, he warned his son away from show business, pushing him into a stable career in banking, and although Afolayan eventually went against his father’s wishes, he absorbed the bitter lesson that artistic aspirations mean little without a sustainable business model. As things stand now, moviemakers must sell a huge volume of discs, very quickly, in order to turn a profit. Pirates — taking advantage of the same mass-replication technology that made Nollywood possible in the first place — almost immediately rip off any popular new release. So the black market effectively sets everyone’s prices.
To make the more costly kind of films he envisions, Afolayan has been compelled to devise a strategy that goes around Alaba. “They’re just businesspeople,” Afolayan says dismissively. “They could not really care less about content.” In an evolutionary inversion, his strategy depends on theaters, which have returned to Nigeria along with democracy and the global oil boom. Movie tickets have become a fashionable indulgence for Lagos’s expanding population of prosperous professionals. It is in this privileged world — not the slums — that Afolayan’s movie “The Figurine” takes place. Since its sensational release, people have begun to speak of an emerging movement — New Nollywood — that has captivated a new generation of would-be filmmakers.
My visit coincided with a monthlong program, conducted by the New York Film Academy, that was training 250 Nigerian students in the rudiments of professional technique. I sat in on a shoot for “Awakening,” being made by some earlier graduates of the program, well-educated strivers in their 20s, some of whom had quit good jobs at banks or telecommunications companies to devote themselves to the project. The director, James Omokwe, said that he had seen “The Figurine” twice and wanted to follow its lead into the theaters. “We don’t have the money to finish the movie,” Omokwe added, cheerfully. “But we will definitely do it somehow.”
Many established Nigerian directors are also making big plans for the big screen, with big budgets, and they all seem to have a part for Danny Glover. One night I took a glass elevator up to the Silverbird Cinema, an American-style mall multiplex in a nouveau riche section of Lagos. After paying about $7 — an exorbitant sum in Nigeria — I watched “The Mirror Boy,” a hot New Nollywood release. It was about an African boy, raised in Britain, who returns home and ends up on a long quest through the jungle, accompanied by a ghostly guide, played by Osita Iheme. The production values were far superior to anything I had seen on video, but the movie still climaxed in Nollywood’s customary blaze of sorcery, inspiring one audience member to shout out, “Africa!”
Nollywood movies, both old and new, often play on traditional African beliefs about magic and spirits. “The Figurine” is about two young university graduates — rivals for the same woman’s affections — who stumble on a shrine and uncover the statue of a god. The figurine is supposed to grant seven years of good luck, followed by seven of misfortune. Afolayan’s character brings it home to Lagos, wins the girl and great wealth, at which point the plot takes a horror-genre turn.
“That’s the figurine,” Afolayan said one day at his office, pointing to a carved wooden prop on his shelf. By this point, I was starting to wonder about the fortune it had brought Afolayan. His follow-up film, “Phone Swap,” was supposed to be shooting. But just a few days before, one of its stars, a beloved character actor named Sam Loco Efe, dropped dead while shooting another movie. The newspapers were filled with condolences, as well as speculation that the veteran actor might have been killed by overwork.
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“Phone Swap” was supposed to be a humorous and commercially appealing diversion. Instead it was threatening to become a debacle. As usual, Afolayan had to contend with the absence of vital equipment, decent roads, reliable electricity. He had abruptly dropped his leading man for cantankerous behavior. Now came the untimely death of Sam Loco. “I was just so devastated,” Afolayan said, telling me that the day before he had quit work early to curl up and watch romantic comedies.
Afolayan also handles the financial side of his productions, and “Phone Swap” was conceived with an eye toward product placement, though the cellphone company originally involved had backed out. The story involves a pair of opposites, a free-spirited single girl from the country and a serious Lagos businessman who end up enmeshed in each other’s lives after they mix up their phones. The plot was made to appeal to Nigeria’s new elite, for whom the BlackBerry is a totem as powerful as any figurine. Sam Loco was supposed to play the female lead’s father, an Igbo farmer.
One morning, while he considered replacements for Sam Loco, Afolayan assembled his key crew members to scout locations in the town of Badagry, near the Benin border. We left before dawn to avoid Lagos’s paralyzing traffic jams. Badagry sits along a route often used by smugglers, and there were police roadblocks along the way. But Afolayan blew right through them in his big truck, shouting, “Are you crazy?” at one cop who tried to step in front. The town, an old slaving port, was meant to stand in for an Igbo village. From the back seat, the art director Pat Nebo, an Igbo, gave a lecture on the group’s customs and agricultural practices, lots of painstaking talk about palm oil and kola nuts. “Don’t forget this is a comedy film,” Afolayan gently reminded him.
We came to the small concrete house that would serve as the set of the farm. “It’s so dirty,” Afolayan said happily. Everyone walked through its dank main hallway, which smelled of smoke and fish, into a sandy backyard where laundry flapped in the wind. “Fantastic, this is brilliant,” said the cinematographer Yinka Edward, as he began conceptualizing an ambitious crane shot.
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“The house becomes a major character of the film,” Nebo pronounced, before heading off to scout for appropriate livestock.
Afolayan’s budget for “Phone Swap,” around $500,000, was tiny by Hollywood standards but Spielberg-size for Nigeria. Before embarking on the project, Afolayan went to potential investors with a 29-page business plan, discussing everything from plot details to the fees for equipment rentals and actors. He managed to entice an investor to pledge $1.5 million, enough to finance his next three films. But as deadlines neared, the money still had not appeared. He handed over his BlackBerry so I could read a series of progressively more frustrated e-mail messages. “Most of these investors, they just think business,” Afolayan said. “They don’t really understand the ethic of production.”
Of course, profit motives drove the development of the medium long before pretensions of artistry. The first American movies were disdained by respectable society, but the price of admission — 5 cents, hence the term “nickelodeon” — made them popular with working-class audiences. One day in 1906, an unemployed clothing merchant named Carl Laemmle, who was thinking about starting a five-and-dime, happened to walk into a packed Chicago nickelodeon. “It was evident that the basic idea of motion pictures and Mr. Woolworth’s innovation were identical,” Laemmle later wrote, “small-price commodity in tremendous quantities.” Laemmle started his own theater, and eventually expanded into producing content, founding Universal Pictures.
The businessmen behind Nollywood have followed a similar path from upstart to mogul. In the absence of strong legal institutions, Nigeria’s movie marketers formed a guild to govern their industry, colluding to regulate supply and production costs. The guild has resisted all attempts by actors and producers to push for a larger share of revenue.
“We created the industry,” Gab Okoye, a marketer who goes by the name Gabosky, proudly said one afternoon. We were standing near the red carpet outside a Lagos banquet hall, where the local chapter of the guild was about to inaugurate new officers. To celebrate and pay homage, all of old Nollywood had turned out in its flashiest finery, lots of bright ankara cloth and dark sunglasses. Gabosky, who was wearing a hip-hop-inspired ensemble, told me he felt disrespected by the new filmmakers like Afolayan. He called them “houseboys” who had forgotten their place. “He’s started complaining about his master,” he said, “who was giving him a job yesterday.”
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Inside, the powerful guild president, Emmanuel Isikaku, took the stage. “Nollywood is still alive,” he told the audience. “Nollywood is still great.” The defensive tenor of his declaration was indicative of the marketers’ mood. They had built an entertainment enterprise without precedent in Africa, and yet they felt unappreciated and besieged. The government was trying to crack down with increased fees and oversight. The event’s written program warned of the calamity of regulation and maligned Nigerian actors as “lazy.” When stars become too demanding, marketers deal with them ruthlessly. A few years ago, they put several prominent actors on a blacklist, and none were allowed to work, according to a guild official, until they begged forgiveness.
The marketers say they can’t afford the extravagances of talent. The production budget for a typical Nollywood movie ranges between $25,000 and $50,000, less than a tenth of what Afolayan was proposing for “Phone Swap.” The marketers contend that spending more would be foolish, because the low price of Nollywood movies is part of their appeal. “You must first identify who your primary market is,” Isikaku, a shrewd and sinewy operator, told me. “If your primary audience is the elites and the middle class, the people that can go to the cinema, fine, well and good. But there are some programs that are meant for the people on the street.”
Richmond Ezihe, the guild boss at Alaba market, tried to explain Nollywood economics to me. We met one afternoon in front of the stall that serves as the base for his company. Pasted to its metal door was a poster for a recent feature, “Palace of Blood.” When Ezihe, who is the financier and executive producer, comes up with the concept for a movie, he gives it to a couple of screenwriters he keeps on retainer and then hires a director to hurriedly shoot, having the film ready for sale on the Alaba market within a month or two.
Ezihe has a number of ways to monetize his product: there’s a satellite television station, an overseas DVD market catering to the African diaspora and even a Netflix-inspired Web site called Nollywood Love. But most revenues still come from physical sales. It costs less than 20 cents to burn a blank VCD and package it, but the wholesale price for movies is so cheap that a marketer might need to sell 100,000 copies just to make a decent return. The average Nollywood movie has a shelf life of about two weeks before the pirates get hold of it. In Nigeria, an estimated 5 to 10 illegal VCDs are sold for every legitimate one, and the police make no serious effort to deter the trade.
“It really has eaten deep into our finances,” Ezihe said, claiming — as did every other marketer I met — to be mystified about the identity of the troublesome scofflaws. “They’re hiding,” he said. In fact, clues as to the pirates’ whereabouts were strewed all around Alaba, where American movies and TV series, rap music and video games of doubtful provenance were selling next to the latest Nollywood hits. Many of the movie marketers originally got into the business by pirating Hollywood movies, a practice that continues to flourish. “Piracy is not a problem with the system,” said Jade Miller, an academic at Tulane University who has researched Nollywood’s economics. “It is the system, essentially.”
The legal and illegal industries continue to operate in parallel, within an opaque system of relationships and rules set by the Alaba cartel, Emeka Mba, head of Nigeria’s efforts to regulate the film industry, told me. “The pirates, they know them — it’s part of them,” he said. The marketers seldom use lawyers, accountants or written contracts; when they make a film, it is often unclear who even holds the copyright. When Mba’s agency tried to impose some legal order, for instance mandating that marketers register under a postal address, he met brutal resistance. Anti-piracy raids, though rare, have sparked violent uprisings at Alaba.
Isikaku did not deny that there were pirates in his membership’s midst, but he claimed that guild leaders were trying to confront them, sometimes physically, sometimes with persuasion. But the reality is that when everyone is stealing, you have to price like a pirate.
Carl Laemmle might have recognized the marketers’ situation. When he started Universal, he immediately came into conflict with Thomas Edison, who held patents on movie cameras and projectors. Edison had been waging a legal battle against “dupers,” unauthorized copyists who would take a film and redistribute it, often just snipping off the copyright frames. As Edison saw it, his intellectual property rights gave him a monopoly on all film production. He went after Laemmle, too, filing some 289 lawsuits against him and dispatching goons to break up his film shoots.
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Laemmle responded by organizing some other “independents,” a handful of mostly Jewish movie producers who operated out of New York. In 1917, they defeated Edison in the Supreme Court. But by that time the independents had already moved en masse out to California, where they could shoot in sunny weather, away from the chill of legal scrutiny. “They were pirates!” says Bic Leu, a Fulbright fellow who has studied Nollywood. “They moved to L.A. to get away from Thomas Edison.”
One evening at a hotel bar, I happened to run into a Nigerian-born actor named Wale Ojo. We got to talking, and he said that after scraping by for years in London, he returned to try his luck back home. A few days thereafter, in a true Nollywood twist, I met Ojo a second time, when Afolayan introduced him to me as the new lead actor in “Phone Swap.” Afolayan had us over one Sunday evening to drink wine by his poolside, along with some friends from the industry and a couple of international film buffs.
“Black British actors are cheap right now,” Ojo said.
“Good,” Afolayan replied. “Because I don’t have the money to pay you.”
Afolayan had also come up with an actor to take Sam Loco’s role, so everything was in place for “Phone Swap” — except the financing, which remained frustratingly elusive. The director kept offering self-confident assurances that his backer would come through. But anyone could tell that, all quips aside, he was anxious.
Perversely, the rise of video, which had given Afolayan the ability to practice his father’s craft, had also robbed it of its value. His career represents a possibly rash wager: that even in the most lawless marketplace, talent is still worth a premium. When he started to make “The Figurine,” announcing on Facebook that he planned to spend 50 million naira, roughly $350,000, the universal reaction was incredulity. Afolayan told me: “Everybody started writing, saying, ‘How will you make your money? You want to commit suicide?’ ” To pay for “The Figurine,” Afolayan took out a bank loan for half the budget, pledging his house as collateral, and subsidized another third of the movie through product placement.
“Kunle was out to make a statement, that it was possible to make a good film in this country using local hands,” Yinka Edward said. When he ran out of money at one point, stalling production, Afolayan borrowed from family and friends and asked his cast and crew to keep working on good faith.
His efforts appeared to receive vindication in the box-office performance of “The Figurine.” But the triumphal narrative breaks down when you examine the financials. For all its acclaim, Afolayan said that “The Figurine” had yet to turn a substantial profit. The movie showed to packed houses, but there are just seven major theaters in Nigeria, and it grossed only around $200,000 in its initial release, not enough to cover Afolayan’s investment.
To maximize revenues, Afolayan made a deal with an independent entertainment company that was having encrypted DVDs of “The Figurine” shipped in from China for mass distribution. The executive handling the project told me that his plan was to simultaneously release a huge number of copies across the country, so as not to create scarcity, which encourages piracy. Then he drew a diagram of his network, each strand of which ended with some regional marketer. There was just no way to circumvent the unyielding force of the cartel. Emeka Mba, the government regulator, told me that he saw Afolayan’s efforts to devise a new distribution system as an inspirational experiment. “Here’s a guy who wants to do things differently,” he said. “Here is a guy who is brave.”
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After weeks of waiting for his nervous investor, Afolayan called his editor and sidekick, Steve Sodiya, into his office and said he had decided to move forward. “I want to start with my own money,” Afolayan told him. “We have to start the shoot. I’ve been making a backup plan.” It involved some financing from product placement, and a large personal endorsement contract — from a cellphone company. His production company’s office, sleepy for days, was suddenly abuzz with frantic preparation: costumes, casting, equipment rentals. Afolayan spent an afternoon in last-minute negotiations to knock down everyone’s fees. “You think I am not resourceful?” he shouted at one resistant crew member.
In the final week of August, “Phone Swap” finally began shooting in Badagry. Afolayan presided over the shoot from a canvas director’s chair. The week before, local meteorologists warned of an epic rainstorm, but this time luck was with him. One evening, on the shabby farmhouse set, Wale Ojo, who was playing the uncomfortable city slicker, positioned himself for his first scene, and Afolayan shouted, “Action!”
Weeks later, after shooting wrapped, Afolayan e-mailed me a clip of the rushes and informed me that he was “dead broke.” A trailer, featuring a scene in an airplane cabin painstakingly recreated by Pat Nebo, built anticipation when it hit YouTube in November. The movie is scheduled to have its premiere over the next two months in Lagos, Accra and London. Already, though, Afolayan is planning his next film, which he calls a passion project. He told me something about it while I was in Lagos. Sitting in his unlit office one rainy day, he excitedly explained that it would be about a dead man who walks the earth, refusing to admit his condition. He said he hoped to land Danny Glover for a big part. “I’m creating two worlds,” Afolayan told me. “The land of the dead and the land of the living.” It seemed impolite to interrupt to ask when the office’s electricity might return.
| Nigeria |
Who, in August this year, was announced as the new “Dr Who” Doctor? | 'Nollywood Love': Nigerian blockbusters for the internet generation - CNN.com
'Nollywood Love': Nigerian blockbusters for the internet generation
From Christian Purefoy, CNN
"Nollywood Love" shows Nigerian movies on a dedicated YouTube channel
Its films attract around 2.5 million views per week
The company hopes to make $1 million profit in its first year
"Africa is the final frontier for global businesses," says MD Jason Njoku
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- How to make money from movies online is a question vexing studio executives the world over. But a Nigerian tech entrepreneur claims to have the answer -- for his country's burgeoning film industry at least.
Jason Njoku is the managing director of Nollywood Love, an online entertainment company based in Lagos that aims to bring the very best of Nigeria's "Nollywood" cinema to a pan-African and global audience.
Since last December, it has been buying up the rights to Nollywood movies and uploading them for viewing on a dedicated YouTube channel.
"I was swept up with this wave of amazing content, which when I looked at ways to actually consume it, there wasn't any -- the legal distribution infrastructure just wasn't there, so I thought let me just try it and add some value," says Njoku.
Bringing Nollywood to the world
Africa's internet awakening
His company now employs more than 40 people and its movies attract over 2.5 million views around the world each week. It makes money by showing advertising before its films and aims to rake in more than $1 million in profits in its first full operational year.
"Our model is really simple," says Njoku. "Typically if you're in the West -- U.S., UK, continental Europe -- before you watch a movie you might watch a 15-20 second pre-roll for one of the big companies there.
"We try to keep it as non-intrusive as possible, so we explain to people that you just have to watch a few ads to watch the whole movie."
From selling ad space alone, Nollywood Love became profitable after just two months of operation, says Njoku.
He says its most popular movie is currently "BlackBerry Babes," a four-part comedy series about three materialistic women obsessed with their BlackBerry phones. The first part alone has been watched 650,000 times, says Njoku.
He puts the site's early success down to a mixture of the convenience of low-cost web platforms and the prolific nature of Nigeria's film industry -- Nollywood currently churns out over 2,000 movies every year, second only in number to India's Bollywood.
Yet compared to the professional and highly structured nature of the world's most successful film sectors, Nollywood's corporate and distribution processes are near non-existent, says Njoku.
Films are usually low-budget, star locally famous actors and are filmed, edited and released on DVD or VCD within a month -- going on sale at local marketplaces across Nigeria.
The wave of innovation coming across Africa is unstoppable.
--Jason Njoku , Nollywood Love
Film Festivals
But that's no barrier for Njoku, who is already focused on further improvement and growth -- particularly within Africa.
As much as 90% of Nollywood Love's site traffic currently comes from outside of the continent -- in regions like the EU, North America, the Caribbean and the Middle East -- where broadband services are more readily available and where large Nigerian Diasporas are located.
But as access to the internet inevitably becomes more commonplace, Njoku hopes that more and more Africa-based viewers will begin to form Nollywood Love's primary audience.
"For me, it's almost like being in Silicon Valley in 1994," he says. "You can see the landscape changing, you can see the world waking up, or Africa waking up, to the real power of the internet."
Njoku is at the vanguard of Africa's internet revolution, which promises to change forever the social and political landscape of the continent.
"Africa is the final frontier for global businesses and young entrepreneurs," says Njoku. "Nigeria is like China in the 1990s or like India in the early 2000s."
He adds: "The wave of innovation coming across Africa is unstoppable. I think the rest of the world has stopped growing. People get exciting about 1-2% growth. In Africa, the market is just there -- if you're looking for a return on investment, probably one of the best places to find it is actually in Africa."
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What visible features of a concert harp have the same function as a piano’s black keys? | The new Pianoteq HARP (Page 1) - Pianoteq user forum - Pianoteq forum
The new Pianoteq HARP
1 Topic by LTECpiano 30-06-2015 20:19
LTECpiano
Posts: 289
Topic: The new Pianoteq HARP
The new HARP voice set is very nice. I am having an "arpeggio afternoon" checking out the presets. It is quite interesting what the pedal functions are. I am glad the al-la-piano [pedal function] was included.
KUDOS,
2 Reply by EvilDragon 30-06-2015 23:30
EvilDragon
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Indeed, sounds excellent!
3 Reply by Beto-Music 01-07-2015 02:42
Beto-Music
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Modartt's team and their beautiful surprises...
If I was not informed the mp3 was from a mathematical modelled technology, I would never notice.
It sounds just perfect !!!
I need to say something... I need... before someone crazier than me do so:
What about a option to use the virtual eletronics, amplifiers/sound distortes of the eletric pianos to process the "sound" (vibrations) of the harp's strings, just to see (hear) what it can get?
Last edited by Beto-Music (01-07-2015 02:49)
4 Reply by AKM 01-07-2015 08:43
AKM
Posts: 351
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Just wanted to say it very politely, honestly, I hope developers are developing the piano algorithms further more. Just as far as Pr. Philippe Guillaume and Co. participate in this forum which is very great I'd like my quiet voice to be also considered. I'm personally interested exclusively in the main grand pianos evolution, which are sure great and amazing at their current state but I really hope for more. All this recent harps and e-pianos around make me a bit worry.
...btw among not so many musical instruments modelling software I want to promote a NI Reaktor ensemble called Steam Pipe 2 which I really love - it's mostly about steam, pipes and some strings. It's amazing, the sound is very "real" and there are a lot of (if not to say virtually endless) parameters available to control.
Last edited by AKM (01-07-2015 08:56)
Andrei Kuznetsov
5 Reply by Piet De Ridder 01-07-2015 10:51
Piet De Ridder
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Beto-Music wrote:
(...) What about a option to use the virtual eletronics, amplifiers/sound distortes of the eletric pianos to process the "sound" (vibrations) of the harp's strings, just to see (hear) what it can get?
Beto,
Here's an example of a few sounds and timbres, created exclusively with the Concert Harp patches (madly edited and disfigured) and using only Pianoteq's built-in effects (except for one additional reverb, plus an EQ and a limiter on the MasterOut of my DAW).
Last edited by Piet De Ridder (01-07-2015 13:55)
6 Reply by Ben Crosland 01-07-2015 13:08
Ben Crosland
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Great work, Piet!
7 Reply by Gilles 01-07-2015 14:59
Gilles
Posts: 2,065
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Yes Piet, this example sure breaks the preconceived idea of the harp as a celestial instrument...
Very nice harp arrangement also in the demo section.
By the way, there is a new real-time MIDI-controlled EQ3 effect in version 3.0. Impressive!
8 Reply by EvilDragon 01-07-2015 15:06
EvilDragon
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Sh*t, didn't even notice the equalizer in the effects! That's extremely useful!
Wish it was just called EQ, or EQ 3, instead of Equ3, though. Looks kinda naff when it's called Equ3
Last edited by EvilDragon (01-07-2015 15:09)
Hard work and guts!
9 Reply by klex 01-07-2015 17:03
klex
Posts: 11
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
The Harp could be a very interesting development for the piano, if the pinch harmonic pedal is also usable for the pianos.
that would be a great help for interesting and authentic prepared piano sounds.
does anybody know, if it would work, if I buy the harp?
AKM wrote:
Just wanted to say it very politely, honestly, I hope developers are developing the piano algorithms further more. Just as far as Pr. Philippe Guillaume and Co. participate in this forum which is very great I'd like my quiet voice to be also considered. I'm personally interested exclusively in the main grand pianos evolution, which are sure great and amazing at their current state but I really hope for more. All this recent harps and e-pianos around make me a bit worry.
...btw among not so many musical instruments modelling software I want to promote a NI Reaktor ensemble called Steam Pipe 2 which I really love - it's mostly about steam, pipes and some strings. It's amazing, the sound is very "real" and there are a lot of (if not to say virtually endless) parameters available to control.
10 Reply by Beto-Music 01-07-2015 18:10
Beto-Music
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
What a witchcraft (in the good way) of technology creativity...
Piete, that was very interesting.
But I also refer about use the main eletronics of the eletric pianos, the generators that converted the vibration captured from strings/forks into sounds, and not just the efects. But I don't know how these eletronics (based in aplifiers) works in details.
Piet De Ridder wrote:
Beto-Music wrote:
(...) What about a option to use the virtual eletronics, amplifiers/sound distortes of the eletric pianos to process the "sound" (vibrations) of the harp's strings, just to see (hear) what it can get?
Beto,
Here's an example of a few sounds and timbres, created exclusively with the Concert Harp patches (madly edited and disfigured) and using only Pianoteq's built-in effects (except for one additional reverb, plus an EQ and a limiter on the MasterOut of my DAW).
11 Reply by Wheat Williams 01-07-2015 18:30
Wheat Williams
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Piet De Ridder wrote:
Here's an example of a few sounds and timbres, created exclusively with the Concert Harp patches (madly edited and disfigured) and using only Pianoteq's built-in effect
I really enjoyed that! This does a lot to demonstrate how powerful and flexible Pianoteq can be in the hands of a sound designer.
Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
macOS 10.12 Sierra
Apple MacBook Pro (mid-2012), 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 3210M "Ivy Bridge", 16GB RAM
PreSonus AudioBox USB external audio interface
12 Reply by Piet De Ridder 01-07-2015 18:54
Piet De Ridder
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Gilles wrote:
(...)By the way, there is a new real-time MIDI-controlled EQ3 effect in version 3.0. Impressive!
Funny you should mention that, Gilles, as there's plenty of EQ3-automation going on in that example which I posted earlier. The opening 10 seconds, for example, is really nothing more than a distorted harp-cluster (with tons of delay as well) processed with the EQ3 that has its HF-cutoff and gain automated and then programmed (MIDI-automation) to behave like a classic lowpass filter that is slowly opening.
_
13 Reply by anton 01-07-2015 19:04
anton
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
I am delighted that Pianoteq has developed a harp!
This first version of the harp is very promising. Using the black keys to control the pedals in the diatonic mode is a particularly brilliant idea.
Unfortunately, there is one problem that fatally undermines the realism of the modelled harp: In a real harp, if you pluck a string that is already vibrating, there is always a slight 'pre-pluck finger buzz'. This noise is very noticeable when playing repeated notes, and it is an essential and unmistakable part of the sound of a live harp -- similar to the 'legato transitions' in string or woodwind instruments. Without these noises, the demo mockups sound synthy and sterile in comparison with real-live performances.
I hope that Pianoteq will include these finger buzz noises in the next version of the harp!
P.S. The following Youtube video gives an insightful overview of (some of) the various noises that harps make during live performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zgkny6biGs. Harp players try to minimize these noises, but a little pre-pluck finger buzz always remains.
Last edited by anton (01-07-2015 19:08)
14 Reply by anton 01-07-2015 19:23
anton
Posts: 49
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
I am currently experimenting with the following idea to get proper muting (aka pre-pluck finger buzz) sound between repeated notes: (It is only applicable to sequencers, not live playing, unfortunately.)
If I understand correctly, in the Pianoteq harp, a MIDI note with velocity of 1 plays a "muting" sound if the string was already vibrating. Therefore:
1) Make a duplicate of all the MIDI notes in the file, 2) lower the velocity of all duplicate notes to 1, and 3) shift the duplicate notes a few hundredths of a second earlier than the original notes.
By doing so, all the original notes will be preceded by a muting note. Each "pluck" is therefore preceded by a light "touch".
I have not been able to get it working (yet), but I will keep trying a little more. I have noticed, however, that some of the muting noises sound strangely high pitched.
15 Reply by Gilles 01-07-2015 20:05
Gilles
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Piet De Ridder wrote:
Gilles wrote:
(...)By the way, there is a new real-time MIDI-controlled EQ3 effect in version 3.0. Impressive!
Funny you should mention that, Gilles, as there's plenty of EQ3-automation going on in that example which I posted earlier. The opening 10 seconds, for example, is really nothing more than a distorted harp-cluster (with tons of delay as well) processed with the EQ3 that has its HF-cutoff and gain automated and then programmed (MIDI-automation) to behave like as a classic lowpass filter that is slowly opening.
_
I was sure you used the new Equalizer effect in your "harp from hell" demo... I also had a lot of fun varying all three parameters in real-time for all three bands. I don't know much about multi-band equalizers but this one is incredibly versatile and powerful, since the bands can cross over and the GUI is so well done and intuitive in its use of control points.
16 Reply by Jake Johnson 01-07-2015 21:46
Jake Johnson
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
anton wrote:
I am delighted that Pianoteq has developed a harp!
This first version of the harp is very promising. Using the black keys to control the pedals in the diatonic mode is a particularly brilliant idea.
Unfortunately, there is one problem that fatally undermines the realism of the modelled harp: In a real harp, if you pluck a string that is already vibrating, there is always a slight 'pre-pluck finger buzz'. This noise is very noticeable when playing repeated notes, and it is an essential and unmistakable part of the sound of a live harp -- similar to the 'legato transitions' in string or woodwind instruments. Without these noises, the demo mockups sound synthy and sterile in comparison with real-live performances.
I hope that Pianoteq will include these finger buzz noises in the next version of the harp!
P.S. The following Youtube video gives an insightful overview of (some of) the various noises that harps make during live performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zgkny6biGs. Harp players try to minimize these noises, but a little pre-pluck finger buzz always remains.
One thing I noticed in the video that seemed to contradict what the teacher is explaining--when he muted the string abruptly, the tone did not abruptly stop. Listen from around 5:7 to 5:11. I'm not sure if this is because overtones were suddenly produced on the string, or if the brass of the harp (the harp of the harp?) continued to ring. I at first suspected sympathetic resonance, but it sounds as though the tone is continuing from the same place in space, as opposed to emanating from across the strings.
Last edited by Jake Johnson (01-07-2015 22:04)
17 Reply by bkkjohn 01-07-2015 22:42
bkkjohn
Posts: 1
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
What about pedal glissandi? In diatonic mode, if a pedal is moved (esp. down, i.e. sharper) right after a note is played, there is a very characteristic sound, something like a hammer-on on an acoustic guitar. Does this happen in your model?
18 Reply by anton 01-07-2015 23:45
anton
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Piet De Ridder wrote:
Here's an example of a few sounds and timbres, created exclusively with the Concert Harp patches (madly edited and disfigured) and using only Pianoteq's built-in effects (except for one additional reverb, plus an EQ and a limiter on the MasterOut of my DAW).
http://users.telenet.be/deridderpiet.be … formed.mp3
_
Holy moly, this is amazing! Modartt can use this as a demo for their new engine and effects.
If it isn't a secret, I would appreciate it very much if you could explain how you managed to get that 'Blaster Beam' sound at 28 sec.
19 Reply by Beto-Music 02-07-2015 00:09
Beto-Music
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Promotional vídeo:
20 Reply by Philippe Guillaume 02-07-2015 08:26
Philippe Guillaume
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
anton wrote:
Using the black keys to control the pedals in the diatonic mode is a particularly brilliant idea.
This brilliant idea is from Claude-Samuel Levine, who suggested us this implementation a couple of years ago when he asked us to develop a harp model. It was indeed a great idea, thank you Claude-Samuel!
21 Reply by Modellingoptimist 02-07-2015 09:21
Modellingoptimist
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
EvilDragon wrote:
Sh*t, didn't even notice the equalizer in the effects! That's extremely useful!
Wish it was just called EQ, or EQ 3, instead of Equ3, though. Looks kinda naff when it's called Equ3
Well since I read the update notes I knew it is there but I expected it in the "EQUALIZER" menu. I suggest to move it there with the next update. Then I'd take a drop down menu for switching between "Graphic" and "Parametric".
EDIT: Ah, I see, "EQUALIZER" is pre only. Then I'd merge the "EQUALIZER" and "EFFECTS" menues.
Last edited by Modellingoptimist (02-07-2015 09:28)
formerly known as Notyetconvinced
22 Reply by Ross 02-07-2015 10:11
Ross
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Modellingoptimist wrote:
Well since I read the update notes I knew it is there but I expected it in the "EQUALIZER" menu. I suggest to move it there with the next update. Then I'd take a drop down menu for switching between "Graphic" and "Parametric".
EDIT: Ah, I see, "EQUALIZER" is pre only. Then I'd merge the "EQUALIZER" and "EFFECTS" menues.
Effects are post-processing, so EQU3 placed here. EQUALIZER is pre-processing, before any effects.
Last edited by Ross (02-07-2015 10:12)
Combine velocity curves: http://output.jsbin.com/cukeme/9
23 Reply by AKM 02-07-2015 10:18
AKM
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Modellingoptimist wrote:
EvilDragon wrote:
Sh*t, didn't even notice the equalizer in the effects! That's extremely useful!
Wish it was just called EQ, or EQ 3, instead of Equ3, though. Looks kinda naff when it's called Equ3 :)
Well since I read the update notes I knew it is there but I expected it in the "EQUALIZER" menu. I suggest to move it there with the next update. Then I'd take a drop down menu for switching between "Graphic" and "Parametric".
EDIT: Ah, I see, "EQUALIZER" is pre only. Then I'd merge the "EQUALIZER" and "EFFECTS" menues.
The main (old) equalizer is not exactly what everybody expect, it does not work, lets say, on an audio stream level, it is about the primary modelling algorithms corrections, overtones, something. Check the manual, it is better explained. So maybe give it the better name, some "frequalizer" or something to avoid confusion :)
Andrei Kuznetsov
24 Reply by EvilDragon 02-07-2015 11:13
EvilDragon
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
I would call it TIMBRAL EQ.
Hard work and guts!
25 Reply by cslevine 02-07-2015 11:41
cslevine
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Thank you for this mention.
Maybe can i show there my video demo about black keys pedal principe, made earlier with Kontakt because made before harp was there in Pianoteq, and which is now implemented is the "diatonic mode"
Thanks lot to Philippe, Niclas, and other contributers here for interest about my invention :-)
Ondist and Thereminist concertist and composer
Ondes Martenot, Ondéa, Thérémin, player, composer
Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphony in Cubase with 10 VSTi (including 4 instances of Pianoteq)
26 Reply by Piet De Ridder 02-07-2015 13:35
Piet De Ridder
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
anton wrote:
(...) If it isn't a secret, I would appreciate it very much if you could explain how you managed to get that 'Blaster Beam' sound at 28 sec.
Hi Anton,
Here’s a ZIP-file containing: (1) two presets, (2) the midi-file for that ‘DistortedSustain Harp’-sound which can be heard at 0’28” and (3) two audio clips (see below).
DistSustain1.fxp is the preset for the first deep bassnote, and DistSustain2 (very similar to 1, as it happens) is the preset which is used for the second ‘drone’ as well as for those strange high sounds. (Part of the strangeness of those notes comes from the fact that they have small pitch-bends.)
Important to note though, is that the limiter which I’ve used on the MasterOut of my DAW is not just some transparent limiter, but ProAudio’s DynamicSpectrumMapper, a plugin which is capable of quite bit more than just limiting (although I didn’t use any of those additional features, only the limiter) and which also generates a nice-sounding saturation when overdriven (and that characteristic is indeed present in my mix).
Also important to note is the fact that the EQ — DMG’s Equilibrium, inserted before the limiter — has very drastic settings for taming the low end and the low mids, plus some serious boost in the highs. Without that EQ, the sound would be much too boomy and bass-y.
The ZIP-file contains two audio clips, for comparison purposes: one WITH the DynamicSpectrumMapper inserted, and a second one where that plugin is disabled. EQ is present in both though.
The additional reverb, in case you're interested, is the ReLab LX480.
All this to say that, if you simply load these presets in Pianoteq and play a low note, it won’t sound quite the same as what I ended up with. But with an additional, capable EQ (essential) and a limiter (preferably one with a bit of character), you should be able to get very, very close.
_
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Really enjoying playing this on an Eigenharp
Q. is it possible to do per-key muting? (as this is possible on a real harp)
I was thinking perhaps with poly aftertouch? (perhaps if it exceeds a certain threshold, but I can configure this on my side if required)
also it would be great if pianoteq/this harp would support voice per channel midi, so that I could send the 'pinch' CC per key.
(the Eigenharp and other similar controllers all support poly aftertouch and voice per channel midi)
oh, and a related question...
can I change other presets to act like the 'a la piano' ... e.g. with mute on release, but still respond to the sustain pedal. (as this muting works per key)
(Pianoteq Standard, not Pro)
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
AKM wrote:
The main (old) equalizer is not exactly what everybody expect
Yes! When I first time used Pianoteq, I thought that EQUALIZER is an conventional equalizer, i. e. adjust frequencies of the output audio stream. But when I noticed that it behaves not as expected, I opened the manual and found out that this tool actually work in an early stage of modelling, not as post-processor. So, maybe EQUALIZER isn't the best name for a such tool. I'd call it "Spectrum correction" or something like that.
For me, this tool is much more useful than post-equalizer, because it allow to easy change timbre in many ways. But I also very happy that we have now conventional equalizer as an effect, because (1) I often use Pianoteq standalone, not as plugin in DAW, and (2) it can be placed before/between other built-in effects, that is impossible with an external equalizer.
Last edited by Ross (02-07-2015 18:18)
Combine velocity curves: http://output.jsbin.com/cukeme/9
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
anton wrote:
Unfortunately, there is one problem that fatally undermines the realism of the modelled harp: In a real harp, if you pluck a string that is already vibrating, there is always a slight 'pre-pluck finger buzz'.
The lack of pre-pluck buzz noises is indeed a fatal problem. Such performance noises - at a bare minimum, pre-pluck buzz - are what make a performance sound alive. Without the pre-pluck buzz noises, the product is *not* suitable for exposed, solo performances of classical harp works (in contrast to Pianoteq's piano models). It may be useful as a standard synth "plucked lead" patch, or in classical contexts it may be useful if hidden behind the rest of the orchestra or behind lots of reverb.
The premier guitar sample libraries, such as Electri6ity, are good examples of how to implement various performance noises. In particular, they place great emphasis on the importance of pre-pluck noises for realism. To quote from Electri6ity's "Realism Guide":
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
Ross wrote:
Modellingoptimist wrote:
Well since I read the update notes I knew it is there but I expected it in the "EQUALIZER" menu. I suggest to move it there with the next update. Then I'd take a drop down menu for switching between "Graphic" and "Parametric".
EDIT: Ah, I see, "EQUALIZER" is pre only. Then I'd merge the "EQUALIZER" and "EFFECTS" menues.
Effects are post-processing, so EQU3 placed here. EQUALIZER is pre-processing, before any effects.
If the effects are post processing, then i don't understand why the chorus come out in mono, if the piano sound output is mono (one mic).
I think the Yamaha CP80 model sounds best in mono (like the real thing), and to get real mono in Pianoteq we have to use the same mic for both left and right.
But when doing that all the effects (post) come out in mono as well.
This is not normal when applying effects to a mono signal.
I think it is wrong that the mic section in Pianoteq is the last stage, after the effects.
Re: The new Pianoteq HARP
I have a quite insane idea, maybe very stupid, that I'm really afraid to tell:
So there is a true harp now, beautiful and very realist.
Understanding pianoteq not just as a great digital instrument to recreate realitic soubnd of instruments as well as possible, but also as a incredible flexible syntesezer able to reach countless combinations of adjustments, is that possible to virtually connect this harp to a virtual piano soundboard?
I understand pianoteq engine have virtual modules for string, hammers, soundboard, lid, and the main body.
A second insane idea: Hability to use the piano models itself like plucking the strings. Just like removing the hammers and the strings behave like was being plucked.
I warned it was insane...
| Pedal |
Which kingdom was formed by the 7th century unification of Bernicia and Deira? | CPC Scheme - G10H ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
based on mfcc [mel -frequency spectral coefficients] [2013-01]
G10H 2210/046
. .
for differentiation between music and non-music signals, based on the identification of musical parameters, e.g. based on tempo detection [2013-01]
G10H 2210/051
. .
for extraction or detection of onsets of musical sounds or notes, i.e. note attack timings [2016-08]
G10H 2210/056
. .
for extraction or identification of individual instrumental parts, e.g. melody, chords, bass; Identification or separation of instrumental parts by their characteristic voices or timbres [2013-01]
G10H 2210/061
. .
for extraction of musical phrases, isolation of musically relevant segments, e.g. musical thumbnail generation, or for temporal structure analysis of a musical piece, e.g. determination of the movement sequence of a musical work [2013-01]
G10H 2210/066
. .
for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental [2013-01]
G10H 2210/071
for rhythm pattern analysis or rhythm style recognition (rhythm pattern per se G10H 2210/341 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/076
. .
for extraction of timing, tempo; Beat detection (tempo display G10H 2220/081 ; tempo control G10H 2210/375 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/081
using a knowledge base [2013-01]
G10H 2210/125
. .
Medley, i.e. linking parts of different musical pieces in one single piece, e.g. sound collage, DJ mix [2013-01]
G10H 2210/131
Morphing, i.e. transformation of a musical piece into a new different one, e.g. remix [2013-01]
G10H 2210/136
. . .
Morphing interpolation, i.e. interpolating in pitch, harmony or time, tempo or rhythm, between two different musical pieces, e.g. to produce a new musical work [2013-01]
G10H 2210/141
. .
Riff, i.e. improvisation, e.g. repeated motif or phrase, automatically added to a piece, e.g. in real time [2013-01]
G10H 2210/145
. .
Composing rules, e.g. harmonic or musical rules, for use in automatic composition; Rule generation algorithms therefor [2013-01]
G10H 2210/151
G10H 2210/161
. .
Note sequence effects, i.e. sensing, altering, controlling, processing or synthesising a note trigger selection or sequence, e.g. by altering trigger timing, triggered note values, adding improvisation or ornaments, also rapid repetition of the same note onset, e.g. on a piano, guitar, e.g. rasgueado, drum roll (smooth variations of amplitude, pitch or timbre within a note without distinct onsets, e.g. vibrato G10H 2210/201 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/165
. . .
Humanizing effects, i.e. causing a performance to sound less machine-like, e.g. by slightly randomising pitch or tempo [2013-01]
G10H 2210/171
. . .
Ad-lib effects, i.e. adding a musical phrase or improvisation automatically or on player's request, e.g. one-finger triggering of a note sequence [2013-01]
G10H 2210/175
Fillnote, i.e. adding isolated notes or passing notes to the melody [2013-01]
G10H 2210/181
. . .
Gracenote, i.e. adding a different and very short ornamental note at the beginning or at the end of a melody note, e.g. appoggiatura, acciaccatura, sparsh-swar [2016-05]
G10H 2210/185
. . .
Arpeggio, i.e. notes played or sung in rapid sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously, e.g. as a chord; Generators therefor, i.e. arpeggiators; Discrete glissando effects on instruments not permitting continuous glissando, e.g. xylophone or piano, with stepwise pitch variation and on which distinct onsets due to successive note triggerings can be heard [2013-01]
G10H 2210/191
. . .
Tremolo, tremulando, trill or mordent effects, i.e. repeatedly alternating stepwise in pitch between two note pitches or chords, without any portamento between the two notes (other common forms of tremolo, e.g. same note repetition, bisbigliando, amplitude tremolo, tremulants, percussion roll G10H 2210/161 or G10H 2210/205 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/195
. .
Modulation effects, i.e. smooth non-discontinuous variations over a time interval, e.g. within a note, melody or musical transition, of any sound parameter, e.g. amplitude, pitch, spectral response, playback speed (stepwise or discontinuous variations over time, e.g. sequence effects G10H 2210/161 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/201
. . .
Vibrato, i.e. rapid, repetitive and smooth variation of amplitude, pitch or timbre within a note or chord (discontinuities, note sequences or separate note onsets during the variation G10H 2210/161 ; tremolo, i.e. stepwise pitch alternation G10H 2210/191 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/205
. . . .
Amplitude vibrato, i.e. repetitive smooth loudness variation without pitch change or rapid repetition of the same note, bisbigliando, amplitude tremolo, tremulants (percussion roll G10H 2210/161 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/211
. . . .
Pitch vibrato, i.e. repetitive and smooth variation in pitch, e.g. as obtainable with a whammy bar or tremolo arm on a guitar (non-repetitive smooth pitch variation, e.g. glissando G10H 2220/221 ; repeatedly alternating stepwise in pitch between two notes G10H 2210/191 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/215
Rotating vibrato, i.e. simulating rotating speakers, e.g. Leslie effect [2013-01]
G10H 2210/221
. . .
Glissando, i.e. pitch smoothly sliding from one note to another, e.g. gliss, glide, slide, bend, smear, sweep; ("discrete glissando" on instruments not permitting continuous glissando, like the xylophone or the piano, e.g. arpeggio G10H 2210/185 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/225
. . . .
Portamento, i.e. smooth continuously variable pitch-bend, without emphasis of each chromatic pitch during the pitch change, which only stops at the end of the pitch shift, as obtained, e.g. by a MIDI pitch wheel or trombone (pitch bend with emphasis of each chromatic pitch during pitch change, e.g. glissando, G10H 2210/221 ) [2016-08]
G10H 2210/231
. . .
Wah-wah spectral modulation, i.e. tone color spectral glide obtained by sweeping the peak of a bandpass filter up or down in frequency, e.g. according to the position of a pedal, by automatic modulation or by voice formant detection; control devices therefor, e.g. wah pedals for electric guitars [2013-01]
G10H 2210/235
. . .
Flanging or phasing effects, i.e. creating time and frequency dependent constructive and destructive interferences, obtained, e.g. by using swept comb filters or a feedback loop around all-pass filters with gradually changing non-linear phase response or delays [2016-08]
G10H 2210/241
. . .
Scratch effects, i.e. emulating playback velocity or pitch manipulation effects normally obtained by a disc-jockey manually rotating a LP record forward and backward [2013-01]
G10H 2210/245
Ensemble, i.e. adding one or more voices, also instrumental voices [2013-01]
G10H 2210/251
. . .
Chorus, i.e. automatic generation of two or more extra voices added to the melody, e.g. by a chorus effect processor or multiple voice harmonizer, to produce a chorus or unison effect, wherein individual sounds from multiple sources with roughly the same timbre converge and are perceived as one [2013-01]
G10H 2210/255
. . . .
Unison, i.e. two or more voices or instruments sounding substantially the same pitch, e.g. at the same time [2013-01]
G10H 2210/261
. . .
Duet, i.e. automatic generation of a second voice, descant or counter melody, e.g. of a second harmonically interdependent voice by a single voice harmonizer or automatic composition algorithm, e.g. for fugue, canon or round composition, which may be substantially independent in contour and rhythm [2013-01]
G10H 2210/265
. .
Acoustic effect simulation, i.e. volume, spatial, resonance or reverberation effects added to a musical sound, usually by appropriate filtering or delays (physical modeling of room acoustics G10H 2250/531 ; formant synthesis G10H 2250/481 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/271
Altered natural scale, i.e. 12 unequal intervals not foreseen in the above [2013-01]
G10H 2210/506
. . .
Danielou 53 interval scale, with note ratios equal to (2**p)(3**q)(5**r), with p, q, r positive or negative integers (53 interval equally tempered Holder scale G10H 2210/451 ) [2016-08]
G10H 2210/511
. .
Arabic scales, i.e. either double harmonic scale or major locrian scale; vosta or zaid modes (17 or 24 equal interval scales used in arabic music G10H 2210/415 or G10H 2210/431 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/515
. .
Balinese scales, e.g. for gamelan, with instruments played in pairs and tuned slightly apart to produce interference beating ideally at a consistent speed for all pairs of notes in all registers; Balinese pentatonic scales, e.g. Balinese slendr? scale, or five-tone modes of the heptatonic pelog scale, itself substantially a 7-note subset of 9-tone equal temperament (pentatonic javanese slendr? scale G10H 2210/541 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2210/521
using nonmagnetic string materials, e.g. nylon; Sensors specially adapted therefor (piezoelectric transducers G10H 2220/525 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/181
. . .
by nonresonant wave interaction, i.e. string sensing using wavelengths unrelated to string resonant wavelengths, e.g. ultrasonic waves, microwave or light waves, propagated along a musical instrument string to measure its fret length, e.g. for MIDI transcription [2013-01]
G10H 2220/185
. .
Stick input, e.g. drumsticks with position or contact sensors (stick for music conducting applications, e.g. conductor baton movement detection G10H 2220/206 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/191
. .
Plectrum or pick sensing, e.g. for detection of string striking or plucking. (Plectra in general, e.g. for stringed musical instruments G10D 3/163 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/195
Particle energy or molecular configuration used as musical control data [2013-01]
G10H 2220/201
. .
for movement interpretation, i.e. capturing and recognizing a gesture or a specific kind of movement, e.g. to control a musical instrument [2016-08]
G10H 2220/206
. . .
Conductor baton movement detection used to adjust rhythm, tempo or expressivity of, e.g. the playback of musical pieces [2016-08]
G10H 2220/211
. .
for microphones, i.e. control of musical parameters either directly from microphone signals or by physically associated peripherals, e.g. karaoke control switches or rhythm sensing accelerometer within the microphone casing (microphones per se H04R ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/215
using a magnetic strip on a card or sheet [2013-01]
G10H 2220/221
. .
Keyboards, i.e. configuration of several keys or key-like input devices relative to one another (details of individual keys or key-like devices G10H 2220/265 ; continuous keyboards or keyboards implementing specific musical scales, e.g. quartertone G10H 2210/395 ; switch matrix keyboards, e.g. on guitar necks G10H 2220/295 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/226
. . .
Whole-tone keyboards, i.e. having as many keys on the upper row as on the lower row [2013-01]
G10H 2220/231
. . .
Alphanumeric, used for musical purposes or with additional musical features, e.g. typewriter or pc-type keyboard reconfigured such that letters or symbols are assigned to musical notes [2013-01]
G10H 2220/236
. . .
representing an active musical staff or tablature, i.e. with key-like position sensing at the expected note positions on the staff (active keyboard representation on a touchscreen G10H 2220/241 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/241
. . .
on touchscreens, i.e. keys, frets, strings, tablature or staff displayed on a touchscreen display for note input purposes [2013-01]
G10H 2220/246
Numeric keypad used for musical purposes, e.g. musical input via a telephone or calculator-like keyboard [2013-01]
G10H 2220/265
. .
Key design details; Special characteristics of individual keys of a keyboard; Key-like musical input devices, e.g. finger sensors, pedals, potentiometers, selectors (keyboards G10H 2220/221 , special musical scales G10H 2210/395 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/271
. . .
Velocity sensing for individual keys, e.g. by placing sensors at different points along the kinematic path for individual key velocity estimation by delay measurement between adjacent sensor signals (velocity sensing common to several keys G10H 2220/221 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/275
. . .
Switching mechanism or sensor details of individual keys, e.g. details of key contacts, hall effect or piezoelectric sensors used for key position or movement sensing purposes; Mounting thereof [2013-01]
G10H 2220/281
Ring or other finger-attached control device [2013-01]
G10H 2220/336
. . .
Control shoe or boot, i.e. sensor-equipped lower part of lower limb, e.g. shoe, toe ring, sock, ankle bracelet or leg control attachment (garment sensors G10H 2220/321 ; floor sensing devices, e.g. sensing mats G10H 2220/341 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/341
. .
Floor sensors, e.g. platform or groundsheet with sensors to detect foot position, balance or pressure, steps, stepping rhythm, dancing movements or jumping (shoe sensors G10H 2220/336 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/346
. . .
Hopscotch sensing mats, i.e. including several step sensing zones, e.g. for detection of rhythmic dancing in time to background music according to stepping indications (games involving music G10H 2220/135 ; performance evaluation or scoring G10H 2210/091 , videogames in general A63F 13/00 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/351
. .
Environmental parameters, e.g. temperature, ambient light, atmospheric pressure, humidity, used as input for musical purposes [2013-01]
G10H 2220/355
. . .
Geolocation input, i.e. control of musical parameters based on location or geographic position, e.g. provided by GPS, WiFi network location databases or mobile phone base station position databases [2013-01]
G10H 2220/361
. .
Mouth control in general, i.e. breath, mouth, teeth, tongue or lip-controlled input devices or sensors detecting, e.g. lip position, lip vibration, air pressure, air velocity, air flow or air jet angle [2016-08]
G10H 2220/365
. .
Bow control in general, i.e. sensors or transducers on a bow; Input interface or controlling process for emulating a bow, bowing action or generating bowing parameters, e.g. for appropriately controlling a specialised sound synthesiser (bowed string instrument sound synthesis per se G10H 2250/445 ; electrophonic stringed instrument details G10H 2230/075 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/371
. .
Vital parameter control, i.e. musical instrument control based on body signals, e.g. brainwaves, pulsation, temperature, perspiration; biometric information (signals from body positions or movements G10H 2220/321 ) [2016-08]
G10H 2220/376
using glottal signals from an electroglottograph [EGG] or from a neck-worn glottis pick-up device [2013-01]
G10H 2220/386
. . .
using genetic information [DNA] or unique characterizing features of individuals, e.g. fingerprints, iris, facial or vocal features [2013-01]
G10H 2220/391
. .
Angle sensing for musical purposes, using data from a gyroscope, gyrometer or other angular velocity or angular movement sensing device (angles measured by an accelerometer or gravimeter G10H 2220/395 ; angles calculated from 3D position sensing G10H 2220/401 ; player body joint angle sensing G10H 2220/321 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/395
. .
Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. (conductor baton movement sensing G10H 2220/206 , angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H 2220/391 ; player body joint angle sensing G10H 2220/321 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/401
. .
3D sensing, i.e. three-dimensional (x, y, z) position or movement sensing. (movement pattern or gesture sensing G10H 2220/201 ; geolocation sensing G10H 2220/355 , 3D sensing with accelerometer G10H 2220/395 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2220/405
. .
Beam sensing or control, i.e. input interfaces involving substantially immaterial beams, radiation, or fields of any nature, used, e.g. as a switch as in a light barrier, or as a control device, e.g. using the theremin electric field sensing principle (theremins G10H 2230/051 ) [2016-08]
G10H 2220/411
Spint guitar drum, i.e. mimicking a guitar used at least partly as a percussion instrument [2013-01]
G10H 2230/145
. . . .
Spint guitar keyboard, i.e. mimicking a combination of a guitar-like instrument, with or without strings, and a piano-like keyboard, e.g. with white and black keys arranged like on a piano [2013-01]
G10H 2230/151
. . .
Spint banjo, i.e. mimicking a stringed instrument with a piece of plastic or animal skin stretched over a circular frame or gourd, e.g. shamisen or other skin-covered lutes [2013-01]
G10H 2230/155
. .
Spint wind instrument, i.e. mimicking musical wind instrument features; Electrophonic aspects of acoustic wind instruments; MIDI-like control therefor. (wind instrument sound synthesis G10H 2250/461 ; mouth control, e.g. breath G10H 2220/361 ; natural aerodynamic noise synthesis, e.g. wind G10H 2250/431 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2230/161
. . .
Spint whistle, i.e. mimicking wind instruments in which the air is split against an edge, e.g. musical whistles, three tone samba whistle, penny whistle, pea whistle; whistle-emulating mouth interfaces; MIDI control therefor, e.g. for calliope [2016-08]
G10H 2230/165
. . . .
Spint recorder, i.e. mimicking any end-blown whistle flute with several finger holes, e.g. recorders, xiao, kaval, shakuhachi and hocchiku flutes [2013-01]
G10H 2230/171
. . .
Spint brass mouthpiece, i.e. mimicking brass-like instruments equipped with a cupped mouthpiece, e.g. allowing it to be played like a brass instrument, with lip controlled sound generation as in an acoustic brass instrument; Embouchure sensor or MIDI interfaces therefor [2013-01]
G10H 2230/175
G10H 2230/235
. . . .
Spint bassoon, i.e. mimicking double reed low range woodwind with doubled back conical bore, e.g. bassoon [2013-01]
G10H 2230/241
. . . .
Spint clarinet, i.e. mimicking any member of the single reed cylindrical bore woodwind instrument family, e.g. piccolo clarinet, octocontrabass, chalumeau, hornpipes, zhaleika [2013-01]
G10H 2230/245
. .
Spint accordion, i.e. mimicking accordions; Electrophonic instruments with one or more typical accordion features, e.g. special accordion keyboards or bellows, electrophonic aspects of mechanical accordions, Midi-like control therefor [2013-01]
G10H 2230/251
. .
Spint percussion, i.e. mimicking percussion instruments; Electrophonic musical instruments with percussion instrument features; Electrophonic aspects of acoustic percussion instruments, MIDI-like control therefor (gensound percussion G10H 2250/435 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2230/255
. . .
Spint xylophone, i.e. mimicking any multi-toned percussion instrument with a multiplicity of tuned resonating bodies, regardless of their material or shape, e.g. xylophone, vibraphone, lithophone, metallophone, marimba, balafon, ranat, gamban, anklong [2013-01]
G10H 2230/261
Files or data streams containing coded musical information, e.g. for transmission (audio coding G10L 19/00 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2240/016
. .
File editing, i.e. modifying musical data files or streams as such (editing by means of a graphical user interface G10H 2220/091 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2240/021
for MIDI-like files or data streams [2013-01]
G10H 2240/026
. .
File encryption of specific electrophonic music instrument file or stream formats, e.g. MIDI, note oriented formats, sound banks, wavetables (digital rights management [DRM] G06F 21/00 ; encryption H04L 9/00 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2240/031
. .
File merging MIDI, i.e. merging or mixing a MIDI-like file or stream with a non-MIDI file or stream, e.g. audio or video [2013-01]
G10H 2240/036
File multilingual, e.g. multilingual lyrics for karaoke [2013-01]
G10H 2240/041
. .
File watermark, i.e. embedding a hidden code in an electrophonic musical instrument file or stream for identification or authentification purposes (audio watermarking G10L 19/018 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2240/046
. .
File format, i.e. specific or non-standard musical file format used in or adapted for electrophonic musical instruments, e.g. in wavetables (details of musical waveform synthesis G10H 2250/541 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2240/051
Reed-solomon error detection or correction, i.e. by considering the message symbols as polynomial coefficients [2013-01]
G10H 2240/201
. .
Physical layer or hardware aspects of transmission to or from an electrophonic musical instrument, e.g. voltage levels, bit streams, code words or symbols over a physical link connecting network nodes or instruments [2013-01]
G10H 2240/205
. . .
Synchronous transmission of an analog or digital signal, e.g. according to a specific intrinsic timing, or according to a separate clock [2013-01]
G10H 2240/211
. . .
Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound (beam G10H 2220/405 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2240/215
. . .
Spread spectrum, i.e. transmission on a bandwidth considerably larger than the frequency content of the original information [2013-01]
G10H 2240/221
. . .
Time division multiplexing, with different channels in different time slots, the data in the time slots may be in digital or analog form [2013-01]
G10H 2240/225
Gensound applause, e.g. handclapping; Cheering; Booing (crowd sounds G10H 2250/401 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/371
Gensound equipment, i.e. synthesizing sounds produced by man-made devices, e.g. machines [2013-01]
G10H 2250/375
. . .
Harbour, i.e. sounds which are part of a harbour soundscape, e.g. ships, fog horn, buoy, bells, cranes [2013-01]
G10H 2250/381
. . .
Road, i.e. sounds which are part of a road, street or urban traffic soundscape, e.g. automobiles, bikes, trucks, traffic, vehicle horns, collisions [2013-01]
G10H 2250/385
. . .
Train, i.e. sounds which are part of a railroad soundscape, e.g. steam engines, diesel, electric, train whistles, rail wheels, railway crossing [2013-01]
G10H 2250/391
Gensound footsteps, i.e. footsteps, kicks or tap-dancing sounds [2013-01]
G10H 2250/395
G10H 2250/431
. . . .
Natural aerodynamic noises, e.g. wind gust sounds, rustling leaves, beating sails (gensound wind instruments G10H 2250/461 ; spint wind instruments G10H 2230/155 ) [2016-08]
G10H 2250/435
. .
Gensound percussion, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a percussion instrument; Control of specific aspects of percussion sounds, e.g. harmonics, under the influence of hitting force, hitting position, settings or striking instruments such as mallet, drumstick, brush, hand (spint percussion G10H 2230/231 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/441
. .
Gensound string, i.e. generating the sound of a string instrument, controlling specific features of said sound (spint piano G10H 2230/065 ; spint stringed instruments G10H 2230/075 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/445
. . .
Bowed string instrument sound generation, controlling specific features of said sound, e.g. use of fret or bow control parameters for violin effects synthesis (bow interfaces per se G10H 2220/365 ; modulation effects G10H 2210/195 ; spint viola G10H 2230/081 ; spint cello G10H 2230/085 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/451
. . .
Plucked or struck string instrument sound synthesis, controlling specific features of said sound (spint harpsichord G10H 2230/071 ; spint stringed instruments G10H 2230/075 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/455
. .
Gensound singing voices, i.e. generation of human voices for musical applications, vocal singing sounds or intelligible words at a desired pitch or with desired vocal effects, e.g. by phoneme synthesis (formant synthesis G10H 2250/481 ; parcor synthesis G10H 2250/505 ; modulation effects G10H 2210/195 ; ensemble effects G10H 2210/245 ; speech synthesis in general G10L 13/00 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/461
. .
Gensound wind instruments, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a wind instrument, controlling specific features of said sound (spint wind instruments G10H 2230/155 ; mouth or breath sensors G10H 2220/361 ; natural aerodynamic noise synthesis, e.g. wind G10H 2250/431 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/465
ADPCM [adaptive differential pulse code modulation] [2013-01]
G10H 2250/601
. . .
Compressed representations of spectral envelopes, e.g. LPC [linear predictive coding], LAR [log area ratios], LSP [line spectral pairs], reflection coefficients [2013-01]
G10H 2250/605
. . .
Dynamic range companding algorithms, e.g. "mu"-law, primarily used in the digital telephone systems of North America and Japan, or A-law as used in European digital telephone systems [2013-01]
G10H 2250/611
. .
Waveform decimation, i.e. integer division of the sampling rate for reducing the number of samples in a discrete-time signal, e.g. by low-pass anti-alias filtering followed by the actual downsampling [2013-01]
G10H 2250/615
. .
Waveform editing, i.e. setting or modifying parameters for waveform synthesis. (graphical sound editing G10H 2220/116 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/621
G10H 2250/625
. . .
Interwave interpolation, i.e. interpolating between two different waveforms, e.g. timbre or pitch or giving one waveform the shape of another while preserving its frequency or vice versa [2016-08]
G10H 2250/631
Waveform resampling, i.e. sample rate conversion or sample depth conversion (waveform decimation G10H 2250/611 ) [2013-01]
G10H 2250/635
. .
Waveform resolution or sound quality selection, e.g. selection of high or low sampling rates, lossless, lossy or lossier compression algorithms [2013-01]
G10H 2250/641
. .
Waveform sampler, i.e. music samplers; Sampled music loop processing, wherein a loop is a sample of a performance that has been edited to repeat seamlessly without clicks or artifacts [2013-01]
G10H 2250/645
| i don't know |
Who was the first monarch to style himself “King of the English” and “King of All Britain”? | Timeline of the Kings & Queens of England
There have been 66 monarchs of England and Britain spread over a period of 1500 years.
SAXON KINGS
EGBERT 827 - 839
Egbert (Ecgherht) was the first monarch to establish a stable and extensive rule over all of Anglo-Saxon England. After returning from exile at the court of Charlemagne in 802, he regained his kingdom of Wessex. Following his conquest of Mercia in 827, he controlled all of England south of the Humber. After further victories in Northumberland and North Wales, he is recognised by the title Bretwalda ( Anglo-Saxon , "ruler of the British". A year before he died aged almost 70, he defeated a combined force of Danes and Cornish at Hingston Down in Cornwall. He is buried at Winchester in Hampshire.
AETHELWULF 839-856
King of Wessex , son of Egbert and father of Alfred the Great. In 851 Aethelwulf defeated a Danish army at the battle of Oakley while his eldest son Althelstan fought and beat the Danes at sea off the coast of Kent , in what is believed to be the first naval battle. A highly religous man, Athelwulf travelled to Rome with his son Alfred to see the Pope in 855.
AETHELBALD 856 - 860
The eldest son of Aethelwulf, Æthelbald was born around 834. He was crowned at Kingston-upon-Thames in southwest London, after forcing his father to abdicate upon his return from pilgrimage to Rome. Following his fathers death in 858, he married his widowed stepmother Judith, but under pressure from the church the marriage was annulled after only a year. He is buried at Sherbourne Abbey in Dorset .
AETHELBERT 860 - 866
Became king following the death of his brother Æthelbald. Like his brother and his father, Aethelbert (pictured to the right) was crowned at Kingston-Upon-Thames. Shortly after his succession a Danish army landed and sacked Winchester before being defeated by the Saxons. In 865 the Viking Great Heathen Army landed in East Anglia and swept across England. He is buried at Sherborne Abbey.
AETHELRED I 866 - 871
Aethelred succeeded his brother Aethelbert. His reign was one long struggle with the Danes who had occupied York in 866, establishing the Viking kingdom of Yorvik . When the Danish Army moved south Wessex itself was threatened, and so together with his brother Alfred, they fought several battles with the Vikings at Reading, Ashdown and Basing. Aethelred suffered serious injuries during the next major battle at Meretun in Hampshire; he died of his wounds shortly after at Witchampton in Dorset, where he was buried.
ALFRED THE GREAT 871 - 899 - son of AETHELWULF
Born at Wantage in Berkshire around 849, Alfred was well educated and is said to have visited Rome on two occasions. He had proven himself to be a strong leader in many battles, and as a wise ruler managed to secure five uneasy years of peace with the Danes, before they attacked Wessex again in 877. Alfred was forced to retreat to a small island in the Somerset Levels and it was from here that he masterminded his comeback, perhaps ' burning the cakes ' as a consequence. With major victories at Edington, Rochester and London, Alfred established Saxon Christian rule over first Wessex, and then on to most of England. To secure his hard won boundaries Alfred founded a permanent army and an embryonic Royal Navy. To secure his place in history, he began the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
EDWARD (The Elder) 899 - 924
Succeeded his father Alfred the Great. Edward retook southeast England and the Midlands from the Danes. Following the the death of his sister Aethelflaed of Mercia , Edward unites the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. In 923, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles record that the Scottish King Constantine II recognises Edward as "father and lord". The following year, Edward is killed in a battle against the Welsh near Chester . His body is returned to Winchester for burial.
ATHELSTAN 924 - 939
Son of Edward the Elder, Athelstan extended the boundaries of his kingdom at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937. In what is said to be one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on British soil, Athelstan defeated a combined army of Scots, Celts, Danes and Vikings, claiming the title of King of all Britain. The battle saw for the first time individual Anglo-Saxon kingdoms being brought together to create a single and unified England. Athelstan is buried in Malmesbury, Wiltshire .
EDMUND 939 - 946
Succeeded his half-bother Athelastan as king at the tender age of 18, having already fought alongside him at the Batlle of Brunanburh two years earlier. He re-established Anglo-Saxon control over northern England, which had fallen back under Scandanavian rule following the death of Athelstan. Aged just 25, and whilst celebrating the feast of Augustine, Edmund was stabbed by a robber in his royal hall at Pucklechurch near Bath . His two sons, Eadwig and Edgar, were perhaps considered too young to become kings.
EADRED 946 - 955
The son of Edward the Elder by his third marriage to Eadgifu, Eadred succeeded his brother Edmund following his premature death. He followed in the family tradition of defeating Norsemen, expelling the last Scandanavian King of York, Eric Bloodaxe, in 954. A deeply religious man, Eadred suffered a serious stomach ailment that would eventually prove fatal. Eadred died in his early 30s, unmarried and without an heir, at Frome in Somerset. He is buried in Winchester.
EADWIG 955 - 959
The eldest son of Edmund I, Eadwig was about 16 when he was crowned king at Kingston-upon-Thames in southeast London. Legend has it that his coronation had to be delayed to allow Bishop Dunstan to prise Eadwig from his bed, and from between the arms of his "strumpet" and the strumpets' mother. Perhaps unimpressed by the interruption, Eadwig had Dunstan exiled to France. Eadwig died in Gloucester when he was just 20, the circumstances of his death are not recorded.
EDGAR 959 - 975
The youngest son of Edmund I, Edgar had been in dispute with his brother concerning succession to the throne for some years. Following Eadwig's mysterious death, Edgar immediately recalled Dunstan from exile, making him Archbishop of Canterbury as well as his personal advisor. Following his carefully planned (by Dunstan) coronation in Bath in 973, Edgar marched his army to Chester, to be met by six kings of Britain. The kings, including the King of Scots, King of Strathclyde and various princes of Wales , are said to have signalled their allegience to Edgar by rowing him in his state barge accross the River Dee.
EDWARD THE MARTYR 975 - 978
Eldest son of Edgar, Edward was crowned king when aged just 12. Although supported by Archbishop Dunstan, his claim to the throne was contested by supporters of his much younger half-brother Aethelred. The resulting dispute between rival factions within the church and nobility almost led to civil war in England. Edward's short reign ended when he was murdered at Corfe Castle by followers of Aethelred, after just two and half years as king. The title 'martyr' was a consequence of him being seen as a victim of his stepmother's ambitions for her own son Aethelred.
AETHELRED II THE UNREADY 978 - 1016
Aethelred was unable to organise resistance against the Danes, earning him the nickname 'unready', or 'badly advised'. He became king aged about 10, but fled to Normandy in 1013 when Sweyn Forkbeard, King of the Danes invaded England.
Sweyn was pronounced King of England on Christmas Day 1013 and made his capital at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. He died just 5 weeks later.
Aethelred returned in 1014 after Sweyn's death. The remainder of Aethelred's reign was one of a constant state of war with Sweyn's son Canute.
EDMUND II IRONSIDE 1016 - 1016
The son of Aethelred II, Edmund had led the resistance to Canute's invasion of England since 1015. Following the death of his father, he was chosen king by the good folk of London. The Witan (the king's council) however elected Canute. Following his defeat at the Battle of Assandun, Aethelred made a pact with Canute to divide the kingdom between them. Edmund died later that year, probably assassinated.
CANUTE (CNUT THE GREAT) THE DANE 1016 - 1035
Canute became king of all England following the death of Edmund II. The son of Sweyn Forkbeard, he ruled well and gained favour with his English subjects by sending most of his army back to Denmark. In 1017, Canute married Emma of Normandy, the widow of Aethelred II and divided England into the four earldoms of East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex. Perhaps inspired by his pilgrimage to Rome in 1027, legend has it that he wanted to demonstrate to his subjects that as a king he was not a god, he ordered the tide not to come in, knowing this would fail.
HAROLD I 1035 - 1040
Also known as Harold Harefoot, in recognition of his speed and skill as a hunter. Harold was the illegitimate son of Canute, he claimed the English crown on the death of his father whilst his half-brother Harthacanute, the rightful heir, was in Denmark fighting to protect his Danish kingdom. Harold died three years into his reign, just weeks before Harthacanute was due to invade England with an army of Danes. He was buried in Westminster Abbey before Harthacanute had his body dug up, beheaded, and thrown into the Thames. His bits were later gathered and re-buried at St. Clement Danes in London.
HARTHACANUTE 1040 - 1042
The son of Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy, Harthacanute sailed to England with his mother, accompanied by a fleet of 62 warships, and was immediately accepted as king. Perhaps to appease his mother, the year before he died Harthacanute invited his half-brother Edward, Emma's son from her first marriage to Aethelred the Unready, back from exile in Normandy. Harthacanute died at a wedding whilst toasting the health of the bride; he was aged just 24 and was the last Danish king to rule England
EDWARD THE CONFESSOR 1042-1066
Following the death of Harthacanute, Edward restored the rule of the House of Wessex to the English throne. A deeply pious and religious man, he presided over the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey, leaving much of the running of the country to Earl Godwin and his son Harold. Edward died childless, eight days after the building work on Westminster Abbey had finished. With no natural successor, England was faced with a power struggle for control of the throne.
HAROLD II 1066
Despite having no royal bloodline, Harold Godwin was elected king by the Witan (a council of high ranking nobles and religious leaders), following the death of Edward the Confessor. The election result failed to meet with the approval of one William, Duke of Normandy, who claimed that his relative Edward had promised the throne to him several years earlier. Harold defeated an invading Norwegian army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, then marched south to confront William of Normandy who had landed his forces in Sussex. The death of Harold at the Battle Of Hastings meant the end of the English Anglo-Saxon kings and the beginning of the Normans.
NORMAN KINGS
WILLIAM I (The Conqueror) 1066- 1087
Also known as William the Bastard (but not normally to his face!), he was the illigitimate son of Robert the Devil, whom he succeeded as Duke of Normandy in 1035. William came to England from Normandy, claiming that his second cousin Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne, and defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066. In 1085 the Domesday Survey was begun and all of England was recorded, so William knew exactly what his new kingdom contained and how much tax he could raise in order to fund his armies. William died at Rouen after a fall from his horse whilst beseiging the French city of Nantes. He is buried at Caen.
WILLIAM II (Rufus) 1087- 1100
William was not a popular king, given to extravagance and cruelty. He never married and was killed in the New Forest by a stray arrow whilst out hunting, maybe accidentally, or possibly shot deliberately on the instructions of his younger brother Henry. Walter Tyrrell, one of the hunting party, was blamed for the deed. The Rufus Stone in The New Forest, Hampshire , marks the spot where he fell.
HENRY I 1100-1135
Henry Beauclerc was the fourth and youngest son of William I. Well educated, he founded a zoo at Woodstock in Oxfordshire to study animals. He was called the 'Lion of Justice' as he gave England good laws, even if the punishments were ferocious. His two sons were drowned in the White Ship so his daughter Matilda was made his successor. She was married to Geoffrey Plantagenet. When Henry died of food poisoning, the Council considered a woman unfit to rule and so offered the throne to Stephen, a grandson of William I.
STEPHEN 1135-1154
Stephen was a very weak king and the whole country was almost destroyed by the constant raids by the Scots and the Welsh. During Stephen's reign the Norman barons wielded great power, extorting money and looting town and country. A decade of civil war known as The Anarchy ensued when Matilda invaded from Anjou in 1139. A compromise was eventually decided, under the terms of the Treaty of Westminster Matilda's son Henry Plantagenet would succeed to the throne when Stephen died.
HENRY II 1154-1189
Henry of Anjou was a strong king. A brilliant soldier, he extended his French lands until he ruled most of France. He laid the foundation of the English Jury System and raised new taxes (scutage) from the landholders to pay for a militia force. Henry is mostly remembered for his quarrel with Thomas A Becket, and Becket's subsequent murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December 1170. His sons turned against him, even his favourite John.
RICHARD I (The Lionheart) 1189 - 1199
Richard was the third son of Henry II. By the age of 16, he was leading his own army putting down rebellions in France. Although crowned King of England, Richard spent all but 6 months of his reign abroad, preferring to use the taxes from his kingdom to fund his various armies and military ventures. He was the leading Christian commander during the Third Crusade. On his way back from Palestine, Richard was captured and held for ransom. The amount paid for his safe return almost bankrupt the country. Richard died from an arrow-wound, far from the kingdom that he so rarely visited. He had no children.
JOHN 1199 -1216
John Lackland was the fourth child of Henry II. Short and fat, he was jealous of his dashing brother Richard I whom he succeeded. He was cruel, self-indulgent, selfish and avaricious, and the raising of punitive taxes united all the elements of society, clerical and lay, against him. The Pope excommunicated him. On 15th June 1215 at Runnymede the barons compelled John to sign Magna Carta , the Great Charter, which reinstated the rights of all his subjects. John died - from over-eating - a fugitive from all his enemies. He has been termed "the worst English king".
HENRY III 1216 -1272
Henry was 9 years old when he became king. Brought up by priests he became devoted to church, art and learning. He was a weak man, dominated by churchmen and easily influenced by his wife's French relations. In 1264 Henry was captured during the rebellion of barons led by Simon de Montfort and was forced to set up a 'Parlement' at Westminster, the start of the House of Commons. Henry was the greatest of all patrons of medieval architecture and ordered the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in the Gothic style.
Monarchs of England and Wales
EDWARD I 1272 - 1307
Edward Longshanks was a statesman, lawyer and soldier. He formed the Model Parliament in 1295, bringing the knights, clergy and nobility, as well as the Lords and Commons together for the first time. Aiming at a united Britain, he defeated the Welsh chieftains and created his eldest son Prince of Wales. He was known as the 'Hammer of the Scots' for his victories in Scotland and brought the famous coronation stone from Scone to Westminster. When his first wife Eleanor died, he escorted her body from Grantham in Lincolnshire to Westminster, setting up Eleanor Crosses at every resting place. He died on the way to fight Robert Bruce .
EDWARD II 1307 - deposed 1327
Edward was a weak and incompetent king. He had many 'favourites', Piers Gaveston being the most notorious. He was beaten by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Edward was deposed and held captive in Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. His wife joined her lover Mortimer in deposing him: by their orders he was murdered in Berkley Castle - as legend has it, by having a red-hot poker thrust up his anus! His beautiful tomb in Gloucester Cathedral was erected by his son, Edward III.
EDWARD III 1327 - 1377
Son of Edward II, he reigned for 50 years. His ambition to conquer Scotland and France plunged England into the Hundred Years War, beginning in 1338. The two great victories at Crecy and Poitiers made Edward and his son, the Black Prince, the most renowned warriors in Europe, however the war was very expensive. The outbreak of bubonic plague, the 'Black Death' in 1348-1350 killed half the population of England.
RICHARD II 1377 - deposed 1399
The son of the Black Prince, Richard was extravagant, unjust and faithless. In 1381 came the Peasants Revolt , led by Wat Tyler. The rebellion was put down with great severity. The sudden death of his first wife Anne of Bohemia completely unbalanced Richard and his extravagance, acts of revenge and tyranny turned his subjects against him. In 1399 Henry of Lancaster returned from exile and deposed Richard, becoming elected King Henry IV. Richard was murdered, probably by starvation, in Pontefract Castle in 1400.
HOUSE OF LANCASTER
HENRY IV 1399 - 1413
The son of John of Gaunt (third son of Edward III), Henry returned from exile in France to reclaim his estates previously seized by Richard II; he was accepted as king by Parliament. Henry spent most of his 13 year reign defending himself against plots, rebellions and assassination attempts. In Wales Owen Glendower declared himself Prince of Wales and led a national uprising against English rule. Back in England, Henry had great difficulty in maintaining the support of both the clery and Pariament and between 1403-08 the Percy family lauched a series of rebellions against him. Henry, the first Lancastrian king, died exhausted, probably of leprosy, at the age of 45.
HENRY V 1413 - 1422
The son of Henry IV, he was a pious, stern and skilful soldier. Henry had honed his fine soldiering skills putting down the many rebellions launched against his father and had been knighted when aged just 12. He pleased his nobles by renewing the war with France in 1415. In the face of tremendous odds he beat the French at the Battle of Agincourt , losing just 400 of his own soldiers with more than 6,000 Frenchmen killed. On a second expedition Henry captured Rouen, was recognised as the next King of France and married Catherine, the daughter of the lunatic French king. Henry died of dysentery whilst campaigning in France and before he could succeed to the French throne, leaving his 10-month old son as King of England and France.
HENRY VI 1422 - deposed 1461 Beginning of the Wars of the Roses
Gentle and retiring, he came to the throne as a baby and inherited a losing war with France, the Hundred Years War finally ending in 1453 with the loss of all French lands except for Calais. The king had an attack of mental illness that was hereditary in his mother's family in 1454 and Richard Duke of York was made Protector of the Realm. The House of York challenged Henry VI's right to the throne and England was plunged into civil war. The Battle of St Albans in 1455 was won by the Yorkists. Henry was restored to the throne briefly in 1470. Henry's son, Edward, Prince of Wales was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury one day before Henry was murdered in the Tower of London in 1471. Henry founded both Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, and every year the Provosts of Eton and King's College lay roses and lilies on the altar which now stands where he died.
EDWARD IV 1461- 1483
He was the son of Richard Duke of York and Cicely Neville, and not a popular king. His morals were poor (he had many mistresses and had at least one illegitimate son) and even his contemporaries disapproved of him. Edward had his rebellious brother George, Duke of Clarence, murdered in 1478 on a charge of treason. During his reign the first printing press was established in Westminster by William Caxton. Edward died suddenly in 1483 leaving two sons aged 12 and 9, and five daughters.
EDWARD V 1483 - 1483
Edward was actually born in Westminster Abbey, were his mother Elizabeth Woodville had sought sanctuary from Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses. The eldest son of Edward IV, he succeeded to the throne at the tender age of 13 and reigned for only two months, the shortest-lived monarch in English history. He and his brother Richard were murdered in the Tower of London - it is said on the orders of his uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester. Richard (III) declared The Princes in the Tower illegitimate and named himself rightful heir to the crown.
RICHARD III 1483 - 1485 End of the Wars of the Roses
Brother of Edward IV. The ruthless extinction of all those who opposed him and the alleged murders of his nephews made his rule very unpopular. In 1485 Henry Richmond, descendant of John of Gaunt, father of Henry IV, landed in west Wales, gathering forces as he marched into England. At the Battle of Bosworth Field in Leicestershire he defeated and killed Richard in what was to be the last important battle in the Wars of the Roses. Archaeological investigations at a car park in Leicester during 2012 revealed a skeleton which was thought to have been that of Richard III, and this was confirmed on the 4th February 2013. His body was re-interred at Leicester Cathedral on 22nd March 2015.
THE TUDORS
HENRY VII 1485 - 1509
When Richard III fell at the Battle of Bosworth, his crown was picked up and placed on the head of Henry Tudor. He married Elizabeth of York and so united the two warring houses, York and Lancaster. He was a skilful politician but avaricious. The material wealth of the country increased greatly. During Henry's reign playing cards were invented and the portrait of his wife Elizabeth has appeared eight times on every pack of cards for nearly 500 years.
HENRY VIII 1509 - 1547
The best known fact about Henry VIII is that he had six wives! Most school children learn the following rhyme to help them remember the fate of each wife: "Divorced, Beheaded, Died: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived". His first wife was Catherine of Aragon, his brothers widow, whom he later divorced to marry Anne Boleyn. This divorce caused the split from Rome and Henry declared himself the head of the Church Of England. The Dissolution of the Monasteries began in 1536, and the money gained from this helped Henry to bring about an effective Navy. In an effort to have a son, Henry married four further wives, but only one son was born, to Jane Seymour. Henry had two daughters both to become rulers of England - Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon, and Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn.
EDWARD VI 1547 - 1553
The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was a sickly boy; it is thought he suffered from tuberculosis. Edward succeeded his father at the age of 9, the government being carried on by a Council of Regency with his uncle, Duke of Somerset, styled Protector. Even though his reign was short, many men made their mark. Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer and the uniformity of worship helped turn England into a Protestant State. After Edward's death there was a dispute over the succession. As Mary was Catholic, Lady Jane Grey was named as the next in line to the throne. She was proclaimed Queen but Mary entered London with her supporters and Jane was taken to the Tower. She reigned for only 9 days. She was executed in 1554, aged 17.
MARY I (Bloody Mary) 1553 - 1558
Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. A devout Catholic, she married Philip of Spain. Mary attempted to enforce the wholesale conversion of England to Catholicism. She carried this out with the utmost severity. The Protestant bishops, Latimer, Ridley and Archbishop Cranmer were among those burnt at the stake. The place, in Broad Street Oxford, is marked by a bronze cross. The country was plunged into a bitter blood bath, which is why she is remembered as Bloody Mary. She died in 1558 at Lambeth Palace in London.
ELIZABETH I 1558-1603
The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was a remarkable woman, noted for her learning and wisdom. From first to last she was popular with the people and had a genius for the selection of capable advisors. Drake , Raleigh, Hawkins, the Cecils, Essex and many many more made England respected and feared. The Spanish Armada was decisively defeated in 1588 and Raleigh's first Virginian colony was founded. The execution of Mary Queen of Scots marred what was a glorious time in English history. Shakespeare was also at the height of his popularity. Elizabeth never married.
THE STUARTS
JAMES I and VI of Scotland 1603 -1625
James was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley. He was the first king to rule over Scotland and England . James was more of a scholar than a man of action. In 1605 the Gunpowder Plot was hatched: Guy Fawkes and his Catholic friends tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but were captured before they could do so. James's reign saw the publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible , though this caused problems with the Puritans and their attitude towards the established church. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers sailed for America in their ship The Mayflower.
CHARLES 1 1625 - 1649 English Civil War
The son of James I and Anne of Denmark, Charles believed that he ruled by Divine Right. He encountered difficulties with Parliament from the beginning, and this led to the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642. The war lasted four years and following the defeat of Charles's Royalist forces by the New Model Army, led by Oliver Cromwell , Charles was captured and imprisoned. The House of Commons tried Charles for treason against England and when found guilty he was condemned to death. His death warrant states that he was beheaded on Tuesday 30 January 1649. Following this the British monarchy was abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared.
OLIVER CROMWELL , Lord Protector 1653 - 1658
Cromwell was born at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in 1599, the son of a small landowner. He entered Parliament in 1629 and became active in events leading to the Civil War. A leading Puritan figure, he raised cavalry forces and organised the New Model Army, which he led to victory over the Royalists at the Battle of Naseby in 1645. Failing to gain agreement on constitutional change in government with Charles I, Cromwell was a member of a 'Special Commission' that tried and condemned the king to death in 1649. Cromwell declared Britain a republic 'The Commonwealth' and he went on to become its Lord Protector.
Cromwell went on to crush the Irish clans and the Scots loyal to Charles II between 1649 and 1651. In 1653 he finally expelled the corrupt English parliament and with the agreement of army leaders became Lord Protector (King in all but name)
RICHARD CROMWELL, Lord Protector 1658 - 1659
Richard was the third son of Oliver Cromwell, he was appointed the second ruling Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, serving for just nine months. Unlike his father, Richard lacked military experience and as such failed to gain respect or support from his New Model Army. Richard was eventually 'persuaded' to resign from his position as Lord Protector and exiled himself to France until 1680, when he returned to England.
THE RESTORATION
CHARLES II 1660 - 1685
Son of Charles I, also known as the Merry Monarch. After the collapse of the Protectorate following the death of Oliver Cromwell and the flight of Richard Cromwell to France, the Army and Parliament asked Charles to take the throne. Although very popular he was a weak king and his foreign policy was inept. He had 13 known mistresses, one of whom was Nell Gwyn . He fathered numerous illegitimate children but no heir to the throne. The Great Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 took place during his reign. Many new buildings were built at this time. St. Paul's Cathedral was built by Sir Christopher Wren and also many churches still to be seen today.
JAMES II and VII of Scotland 1685 - 1688
The second surviving son of Charles I and younger brother of Charles II. James had been exiled following the Civil War and served in both the French and Spanish Army. Although James converted to Catholicism in 1670, his two daughters were raised as Protestants. James became very unpopular because of his persecution of the Protestant clergy and was generally hated by the people. Following the Monmouth uprising (Monmouth was an illegitimate son of Charles II and a Protestant) and the Bloody Assizes of Judge Jeffries, Parliament asked the Dutch prince, William of Orange to take the throne.
William was married to Mary, James II's Protestant daughter. William landed in England and James fled to France where he died in exile in 1701.
WILLIAM III 1689 - 1702 and MARY II 1689 - 1694
On the 5 November 1688, William of Orange sailed his fleet of over 450 ships, unopposed by the Royal Navy, into Torbay harbour and landed his troops in Devon . Gathering local support, he marched his army, now 20,000 strong, on to London in The Glorious Revolution. Many of James II's army had defected to support William, as well as James's other daughter Anne. William and Mary were to reign jointly, and William was to have the Crown for life after Mary died in 1694. James plotted to regain the throne and in 1689 landed in Ireland. William defeated James at the Battle of the Boyne and James fled again to France, as guest of Louis XIV.
ANNE 1702 - 1714
Anne was the second daughter of James II. She had 17 pregnancies but only one child survived - William, who died of smallpox aged just 11. A staunch, high church Protestant, Anne was 37 years old when she succeeded to the throne. Anne was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough. Sarah's husband the Duke of Marlborough commanded the English Army in the War of Spanish Succession, winning a series of major battles with the French and gaining the country an influence never before attained in Europe. It was during Anne's reign that the United Kingdom of Great Britain was created by the Union of England and Scotland.
After Anne's death the succession went to the nearest Protestant relative of the Stuart line. This was Sophia, daughter of Elizabeth of Bohemia, James I 's only daughter, but she died a few weeks before Anne and so the throne succeeded to her son George.
THE HANOVARIANS
GEORGE I 1714 -1727
Son of Sophia and the Elector of Hanover, great-grandson of James I. The 54 year old George arrived in England able to speak only a few words of English with his 18 cooks and 2 mistresses in tow. George never learned English, so the conduct of national policy was left to the government of the time with Sir Robert Walpole becoming Britain's first Prime Minister . In 1715 the Jacobites (followers of James Stuart, son of James II) attempted to supplant George, but the attempt failed. George spent little time in England - he preferred his beloved Hanover, although he was implicated in the South Sea Bubble financial scandal of 1720.
GEORGE II 1727 - 1760
Only son of George I. He was more English than his father, but still relied on Sir Robert Walpole to run the country. George was the last English king to lead his army into battle at Dettingen in 1743. In 1745 the Jacobites tried once again to restore a Stuart to the throne. Prince Charles Edward Stuart, 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' . landed in Scotland. He was routed at Culloden Moor by the army under the Duke of Cumberland, known as 'Butcher' Cumberland. Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped to France with the help of Flora MacDonald , and finally died a drunkard's death in Rome.
GEORGE III 1760 - 1820
He was a grandson of George II and the first English-born and English-speaking monarch since Queen Anne. His reign was one of elegance and the age of some of the greatest names in English literature - Jane Austen , Byron, Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth. It was also the time of great statesmen like Pitt and Fox and great captains like Wellington and Nelson . in 1773 the 'Boston Tea Party' was the first sign of the troubles that were to come in America. The American Colonies proclaimed their independence on July 4th 1776. George was well meaning but suffered from a mental illness due to intermittent porphyria and eventually became blind and insane. His son ruled as Prince Regent after 1811 until George's death.
GEORGE IV 1820 - 1830
Known as the 'First Gentleman of Europe'. He had a love of art and architecture but his private life was a mess, to put it mildly! He married twice, once in 1785 to Mrs. Fitzherbert, secretly as she was a Catholic, and then in 1795 to Caroline of Brunswick . Mrs. Fitzherbert remained the love of his life. Caroline and George had one daughter, Charlotte in 1796 but she died in 1817. George was considered a great wit, but was also a buffoon and his death was hailed with relief!
WILLIAM IV 1830 - 1837
Known as the 'Sailor King' (for 10 years the young Prince William, brother of George IV, served in the Royal Navy), he was the third son of George III. Before his accession he lived with a Mrs. Jordan, an actress, by whom he had ten children. When Princess Charlotte died, he had to marry in order to secure the succession. He married Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg in 1818. He had two daughters but they did not live. He hated pomp and wanted to dispense with the Coronation. The people loved him because of his lack of pretension. During his reign Britain abolished slavery in the colonies in 1833. The Reform Act was passed in 1832, this extended the franchise to the middle-classes on a basis of property qualifications.
VICTORIA 1837 - 1901
Victoria was the only child of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Edward Duke of Kent, fourth son of George III. The throne Victoria inherited was weak and unpopular. Her Hanovarian uncles had been treated with irreverence. In 1840 she married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Albert exerted tremendous influence over the Queen and until his death was virtual ruler of the country. He was a pillar of respectability and left two legacies to the UK, the Christmas Tree and the Great Exhibition of 1851. With the money from the Exhibition several institutions were developed, the Victoria and Albert Museum , the Science Museum, Imperial College and the Royal Albert Hall. The Queen withdrew from public life after the death of Albert in 1861 until her Golden Jubilee in 1887. Her reign saw the British Empire double in size and in 1876 the Queen became Empress of India, the 'Jewel in the Crown'. When Victoria died in 1901, the British Empire and British world power had reached their highest point. She had nine children, 40 grand-children and 37 great-grandchildren, scattered all over Europe.
EDWARD VII 1901 - 1910
A much loved king, the opposite of his dour father. He loved horse-racing, gambling and women! This Edwardian Age was one of elegance. Edward had all the social graces and many sporting interests, yachting and horse-racing - his horse Minoru won the Derby in 1909. Edward married the beautiful Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 and they had six children. The eldest, Edward Duke of Clarence, died in 1892 just before he was to marry Princess Mary of Teck. When Edward died in 1910 it is said that Queen Alexandra brought his current mistress Mrs. Keppel to his bedside to take her farewell. His best known mistress was Lillie Langtry, the 'Jersey Lily'
Name changed in 1917
GEORGE V 1910 - 1936
George had not expected to be king, but when his elder brother died he became the heir-apparent. He had joined the Navy as a cadet in 1877 and loved the sea. He was a bluff, hearty man with a 'quarter-deck' manner. In 1893 he married Princess Mary of Teck, his dead brother's fiancee. His years on the throne were difficult; the First World War in 1914 - 1918 and the troubles in Ireland which lead to the creation of the Irish Free State were considerable problems. In 1932 he began the royal broadcasts on Christmas Day and in 1935 he celebrated his Silver Jubilee. His latter years were overshadowed by his concern about the Prince of Wales and his infatuation with Mrs. Simpson.
EDWARD VIII June 1936 - abdicated December 1936
Edward was the most popular Prince of Wales Britain has ever had. Consequently when he renounced the throne to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson the country found it almost impossible to believe. The people as a whole knew nothing about Mrs. Simpson until early in December 1936. Mrs. Simpson was an American, a divorcee and had two husbands still living. This was unacceptable to the Church, as Edward had stated that he wanted her to be crowned with him at the Coronation which was to take place the following May. Edward abdicated in favour of his brother and took the title, Duke of Windsor. He went to live abroad.
GEORGE VI 1936 - 1952
George was a shy and nervous man with a very bad stutter , the exact opposite of his brother the Duke of Windsor, but he had inherited the steady virtues of his father George V. He was very popular and well loved by the British people. The prestige of the throne was low when he became king but his wife Elizabeth and his mother Queen Mary were outstanding in their support of him.
The Second World War started in 1939 and throughout the King and Queen set an example of courage and fortitude. They remained at Buckingham Palace for the duration of the war in spite of the bombing. The Palace was bombed more than once. The two Princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, spent the war years at Windsor Castle . George was in close touch with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill throughout the war and both had to be dissuaded from landing with the troops in Normandy on D-Day ! The post-war years of his reign were ones of great social change and saw the start of the National Health Service. The whole country flocked to the Festival of Britain held in London in 1951, 100 years after the Great Exhibition during Victoria's reign.
ELIZABETH II 1952 -
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, or ‘Lilbet’ to close family, was born in London on 21 April 1926. Like her parents, Elizabeth was heavily involved in the war effort during the Second World War, serving in the women's branch of the British Army known as the Auxiliary Territorial Service, training as a driver and mechanic. Elizabeth and her sister Margaret anonymously joined the crowded streets of London on VE Day to celebrate the end of the war. She married her cousin Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and they had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. When her father George VI died, Elizabeth became Queen of seven Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 was the first to be televised, serving to increase popularity in the medium and doubling television license numbers in the UK. The huge popularity of the royal wedding in 2011 between the Queen’s grandson, Prince William and the commoner Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, reflected the high profile of the British Monarchy at home and abroad. 2012 was also an important year for the royal family, as the nation celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, her 60th year as Queen.
On 9th September 2015, Elizabeth became Britain's longest serving monarch, ruling longer than her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years and 216 days. Congratulations Ma'am; God Save the Queen!
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Kings and Queens of Scotland - Covering the period from 1005 - 1603
Kings and Queens of Mercia - Mercia was one of the great seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England, alongside East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Northumbria Sussex and Wessex. Based around its capital of Tamworth, Mercia went through rapid expansion throughout the 6th and 7th centuries to be one of the ‘big three’ kingdoms of England along with Northumbria and Wessex.
| Æthelstan |
Which TV quiz show host witnessed the pendant’s burial? | Timeline of the Kings and Queens of England - The House of Lancaster
British life and culture - England, Scotland and Wales
Timeline of the Kings and Queens of England
Henry VI 1422 - 1461, 1470 - 1471
Henry IV 1399 - 1413
Born: April 4, 1366 at Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire
Parents: John of Gaunt (fourth son of Edward III) and Blanche of Lancaster
Ascended to the throne: 30 September 1399
Crowned: 13 October 1399 at Westminster Abbey
Married: (1) Mary de Bohun, (2) Joan, Daughter of Charles II of Nararre
Children: Five sons including Henry V, and two daughters
Died: 20 March 1413 at Westminster
Buried at: Canterbury
Succeeded by: his son Henry V
King of England from 1399.
Henry came to the English throne by force. He made his cousin Richard ll , abdicate, and then seized the crown himself. This started a dispute between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.
Henry's coronation on 13 October 1399 was the first occasion after the Norman Conquest when the monarch made an address in English.
1400 - Death of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer leaving The Canterbury Tales unfinished.
Henry died of leprosy in 1413.
Henry V 1413 - 1422
Born: 9 August or 16 September, in either 1386 or 1387 at Monmouth Castle, Wales
Parents: Henry IV and Mary de Bohun
Ascended to the throne: 20 March 1413
Crowned: 9 April 1413 at Westminster Abbey
Married: Catherine de Valois (French)
Children: One son Henry VI
Died: 31 August 1422 at Vincennes, France, aged 35 years
Buried at: Westminster
Succeeded by: his son Henry VI
King of England
Henry was and is still, thanks to Shakespeare, the best known and most popular of all English Kings.
He was the first English king who could read and write easily in English.
Henry was 14 years old when he fought his first battle.
Perhaps he is best remembered for his victory against the French at the Battle of Agincourt
Died at the age of 35 from dysentery
Henry’s son Henry 6th becomes King of England and France but he is only 9 months old.
Henry VI 1422 - 1461, 1470 - 1471
Age 1-40 (approx)
Born: 6 December 1421 at Windsor Castle
Parents: Henry V amd Catherine of Valois
Ascended to the throne: 1 September 1 1422
Crowned: 6 November 1429 at Westminster Abbey. Also crowned Henri II of France, December 1431, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.
Married: Margaret, Daughter of Count of Anjou
Children: One son
Died: 21 May 1471 at Tower of London (murdered), aged 49 years
Buried at: Chertsey, reburied in 1485 when his body was moved to St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Reigned for: 39 years. Deposed 4 March 1461, Restored 3 Oct 1470
Succeeded by: his distant cousin Edward IV
Coming to the throne at the age of just 9 months old, Henry VI set a record (which still stands today) as the youngest ever king of England.
For the first twenty years of Henry's reign, it was his uncle's and other who governed for him in England and also France, which he had inherited under the treaty which his victorious father had made in 1420.
In 1422 Henry became King of France on the death of his maternal grandfather Charles 6th King of France.
The French disliked being ruled by England. In 1429, Joan of Arc, a French peasant girl, led the French armies to many victories against the English, before she was captured and charged for being a witch and burnt alive. Later she was made a saint and there is a statue of her in Winchester Cathedral.
By 1453, Henry had lost the English claim to all French soil except for Calais.
Henry was often very ill during his reign. In 1453, the king had a mental breakdown and Richard, Duke of York, was made protector. The king recovered in 1455, but civil war broke out between the Yorkist and Lancastrian factions. The ensuing struggle came to be known as the War of the Roses .
Edward IV is crowned King - Yorkist
The Duke of York was the main figure on the Yorkist side and Margaret, Henry's queen, took charge of the Lancastrian cause. In 1460, York was killed at the Battle of Wakefield but his son took up the fight, defeating the Lancastrians at Towton in 1461 and crowning himself Edward IV .
Henry VI is restored King - Lancastrian
Henry fled into exile, but returned and was captured by Edward in 1465. In 1470 Henry was restored to the throne.
Edward IV takes the crown again - Yorkist
Only a year later, Edward returned from exile and destroyed the Lancastrian forces at Tewkesbury in May 1471.
Shortly after the battle of Tewkesbury, Henry VI was murdered in the Tower of London, by Edward ( Edward IV ).
Henry VI founded Eton College in 1440.
Interesting Fact:
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Which baseball legend is the subject of the 2013 biopic, “42”? | 42 (2013) - IMDb
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The story of Jackie Robinson from his signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1945 to his historic 1947 rookie season when he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
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Videos
Based on the story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender from South Philadelphia who overcame long odds to play for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1976.
Director: Ericson Core
When a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team's new coach and his surviving players try to keep the football program alive.
Director: McG
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X
At the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must decide what he's willing to sacrifice on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with NFL dreams.
Director: Ivan Reitman
The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.
Director: Boaz Yakin
Edit
Storyline
In 1946, Jackie Robinson is a Negro League baseball player who never takes racism lying down. Branch Rickey is a Major League team executive with a bold idea. To that end, Rickey recruits Robinson to break the unspoken color line as the first modern African American Major League player. As both anticipate, this proves a major challenge for Robinson and his family as they endure unrelenting racist hostility on and off the field, from player and fan alike. As Jackie struggles against his nature to endure such abuse without complaint, he finds allies and hope where he least expects it. Written by Kenneth Chisholm ([email protected])
In a game divided by color, he made us see greatness.
Genres:
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including language | See all certifications »
Parents Guide:
12 April 2013 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
42: The Jackie Robinson Story See more »
Filming Locations:
$27,487,144 (USA) (12 April 2013)
Gross:
The role of Branch Rickey was originally intended for Robert Redford . See more »
Goofs
Wendell and other characters type on manual typewriters throughout the film. Every sentence and every name begins with a capital letter, yet none of the characters ever presses the 'shift' key (very noticeable on a manual typewriter). See more »
Quotes
Leo Durocher : If Robinson can help us win, then he is gonna play on this ball club!
Extraordinary Performances by young actors
13 April 2013 | by hitek_dialekt
I'm a middle-aged black man now and sometimes I wonder if young people get it.
I was born in Richmond, VA, and I'm 1 (ONE) generation removed from segregation.
It is because of this that I was FLOORED by the performance of these young actors. Chadwick Boseman & Nicole Beharie did a magnificent job portraying the grace and courage of the Robinsons.
I couldn't have done it. Boseman has an UNCANNY resemblance to Jackie, and his performance was so visceral that it proved to me that I couldn't have done it.
I wouldn't have had the courage to stand up to racism by NOT fighting back. I wouldn't have had the patience to bide my time until folks decided it was time to see me as being more than sub-human. I absolutely wouldn't have taken the risk of playing a game while people threatened my wife and child.
When Jackie finally got angry enough to smash his bat against a wall, that was the ONLY thing I could relate to - then to realize he had to go back out there because it was about MORE than just him - I was flabbergasted by his courage.
This is more than a film about baseball. The nuances like watching people in second class seating still turning out to support Robinson in full-on "Sunday church service" dress was poignant to me.
This movie ain't just about Jackie.
My mom is from New York, and she was 7 years old when Jackie joined the Dodgers. She remembers this clearly.
It's obvious why you (as I did) would take your kids to see this film as it shows what happened and how far we've come. For me, it shows what other people did FOR ME that I was incapable of doing for myself.
This film has some corny parts to it - like most films of this ilk, it sanitizes some things and does tie a nice bow on some issues glossed over in the retelling...
..that doesn't mean it's not a darned good film.
I'm pretty cynical these days. It's not often that I watch a film with a lump in my throat the whole time. I am indebted to the young actors who portrayed the people of my grandparents' generation with style, class and urgency.
I will own this film when it becomes available and that date can't come soon enough.
183 of 203 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
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| Jackie Robinson |
Which 1989 baseball movie had the tagline “If you build it, he will come”? | 42 (2013) | Fandango
Very well done
By tiagayepfa
I didn't know much about the Jackie Robinson story. It was very emotional to watch but so well done. It's definitely one of my Top 10 favorite movies of all time. Not appropriate for younger...
42 Raises the Bar
By bhlightnr
The anticipation was intense for this film. This is a must see film for all, not just baseball fans. The story is real and easy to follow. The only issue I had was that the film only focused on...
Homerun!
By MedRed
42 is an amazing tribute to the great baseball legend, Jackie Robinson. It chronicles the events that lead up to his signing, his first season with the Dodgers, and the formidable challenges everyone...
42
By fredyt123
This movie is about the iconic Jackie Robinson. While the backdrop is major league baseball, the movie is much much more and focuses on how the sport changed our culture. I predict at least 4 Oscar...
42
By afisher1_jam1
This was a Great Movie. Harrison Ford you are wonderful as always. The new actor that played Robinson is Great!!!!. If a family is trying to raise respectable children and teach them history on the...
"42" esd s HIT!!!!!!!
By rmartel58
I smiled, I laughed and I cried. The movie was extremely well done. Acting and directing was superb! I recommend this movie for people of all ages. It's historically priceless and unforgettable. ...
42
By dvanatta
Excellent! Harrison Ford never better, but terrific acting all around. A true story about decency and morality that every American, and especially young people, should see and think about. But a...
History Revisited
By audbar
Old enough to have seen the origional, young enough to appreciate the new movie. The acting was excellent and the historical perspective was accurate. It gave a glimps into our collective past and...
42
By ilovemydog336
What a great movie!!!! Loved it- Was totally engrossed - I got an education as to what baseball was like back in the 40's. Go see this movie...
42
By tpinka4
My kids ages 10 and 14, husband and myself went to see the movie on it's opening day. The movie although it did not depict the harsh racial action that Robinson endured,was still and eye opener for...
| i don't know |
Also the name of the local dialect, what is the term for an inhabitant of Monaco? | Monaco - FAQ / About Monaco / Site officiel de Monaco
Monaco has 32,020 (6,089 Monégasque citizens) 19% Monégasque, 32% French, 20% Italian.
What is the local currency?
The legal tender in Monaco is the Euro €.
Where is the nearest airport? What flights are available from the U.S.?
Cote d'Azur International Airport in Nice, France is 15 miles away from Monaco. Delta Air Lines offers daily non-stop flights from New York to Nice. Air France and British Airways offer service via Paris or London from several U.S. gateways. Swiss International Air Lines offers flights through Zurich and Geneva.
What transportation is available from the airport?
There are various ways to get to the Principality from the airport. One may take the train, public bus, private limousine service, taxi or rent a car. The most spectacular way is to take the helicopter which is only a seven minute flight. For more details, visit our or how to get there page.
What is the tipping policy?
Service at hotels and restaurants is already included in the bill, while tipping for special services is up to the discretion of the visitor.
How to get from the heliport to the hotel?
Upon arrival at the heliport in Monaco, your luggage will be taken care of by the helicopter company and a mini-van will bring you directly to the hotel.
Where can I get tickets for the Grand Prix?
The Automobile Club of Monaco organizes the race each year. There are more than 3,000 seats available for sale on the circuit. To order tickets or to receive information regarding ticket ordering, please contact the Automobile Club of Monaco directly.
Are there any discounts for children or senior citizens?
Many museums and tourist attractions offer discounts for children and senior citizens. Check out the Museums and Tourist Attractions guide for further information.
How to get around in Monaco?
The size of Monaco allows speedy and easy commutes between the various districts of the Principality. Walking in the Principality is facilitated by public lifts and escalators that operate 24 hours a day, every day, to help overcome different altitude levels. Public transportation includes a bus shuttle service that includes 5 different routes. Departures are every 10 minutes from 7 am to 9 pm. For more details, visit our or how to get there page.
Are pets allowed in hotel & restaurants?
The majority of hotels and restaurants are pet-friendly. However, to be on the safe side, you may want to ask before making a reservation.
Where is Princess Grace buried?
Princess Grace is buried in the Monaco Cathedral, which is situated in Monaco-Ville, the old town.
Choose your language
| Monégasque |
Which band’s eponymous front man is married to BAFTA-winning actress Carey Mulligan? | Monaco, Monaco - Xpatulator cost of living
Monaco, Monaco
Overview
Monaco is a small sovereign city-state. Monaco is the name of the country as well as the name of its only and capital city.
Monaco is in Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy. The climate is mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
The official language is French. English and Italian are widely spoken. Some people also speak Monegasque and Occitan (local languages). The main religion is Christianity.
Monaco is the second smallest country in the world; only Vatican City is smaller. It is regarded as a tax haven, and many of its inhabitants are wealthy and from foreign countries. One of Monaco's main sources of income is tourism; each year many are attracted to its casino and pleasant climate. Monaco levies no income tax on individuals. The absence of a personal income tax in the principality has attracted to it a considerable number of wealthy "tax refugee" residents from European countries who derive the majority of their income from activity outside Monaco.
Monaco culture is very similar to French. Although small, the principality is not insular and locals are generally welcoming of visitors. Business is generally conducted in formal and conservative manner. Expatriate business dress typically comprises suits with ties.
The security risk for expatriates in Monaco is low. Risks include low levels of opportunistic street crime and petty theft.
The currency of Monaco is the Euro (EUR). Banking is on a par with the rest of Western Europe and North America. Monaco is not a member of the European Union.
Medical facilities are excellent, however the cost of treatment for expatriates is high.
The population of Monaco is 37800 (2016 est.), while the inflation rate is 0.6% (Nov 2016).
Cost Of Living
The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Monaco as at 1 January 2017 is very high in comparison to other places in the world.
In Monaco, the cost of each basket, based on local prices, compared to the international average, is categorized follows (Exact cost of living percentages only available in personalised reports):
1) Alcohol (where available) & Tobacco: Low
2) Clothing: Very High
10) Personal Care: Very High
11) Recreation & Culture: Very High
12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Very High
13) Transport: High
Monaco is for example 16.6% more expensive than USA for groceries, 141.5% more expensive for household costs than UK, and 93% more expensive for transport costs than India.
Monaco is ranked as a minimal hardship location.
The hardship premium for Monaco for an expat from Australia, is for example 0%, i.e. host location (Monaco) premium of 10% minus home (Australia) location premium of 10%.
Want to know more about cost of living, hardship (quality of living) or expat salary in Monaco? Register subscribe to your home location and Monaco and run your personalised reports.
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Of which modern country does the former kingdom of Bohemia form a major part? | Czech Republic | history - geography | Britannica.com
Czech Republic
Alternative Titles: Česká Republika, Česká Socialistická Republika, Czech Socialist Republic, Czechia
Czech Republic
National anthem of the Czech Republic
Official name
unitary multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Senate [81]; Chamber of Deputies [200])
Head of state
Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate
Male: 100%
Country Data Overview (PDF)
Czech Republic, also called Czechia, country located in central Europe . It comprises the historical provinces of Bohemia and Moravia along with the southern tip of Silesia , collectively often called the Czech Lands. In 2016 the country adopted the name “Czechia” as a shortened, informal name for the Czech Republic.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Overview of Prague.
Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz
Despite its landlocked location, there were brief periods in the Middle Ages during which Bohemia had access to the Baltic and Adriatic seacoasts—which no doubt was on William Shakespeare ’s mind when he set much of his play The Winter’s Tale there. A region of rolling hills and mountains , Bohemia is dominated by the national capital, Prague . Set on the Vltava River, this picturesque city of bridges and spires is the unique work of generations of artists brought in by the rulers of Bohemia. Perhaps only the French are as focused on their capital, Paris , as the Czechs are on theirs; of the two, Prague has a more magical quality for many. Called “the handsomest city of Europe” since the 18th century, it has intoxicated writers, poets, and musicians alike. While Prague was the birthplace of the writer Franz Kafka and the poet Rainer Maria Rilke , Brno , Moravia’s largest city, was the site of Gregor Mendel ’s groundbreaking genetic experiments in the 19th century and the birthplace of contemporary novelist Milan Kundera . Moravians are as proud of their vineyards and wine as Bohemians are of their breweries and the Pilsner beer that originated in the town of Plzeň (Pilsen), which is also noted as the site of the Škoda Works—a heavy industrial complex that originated with the Habsburg monarchy. Moravia was equally endowed with skilled labour , which helped make Brno into one of the leading industrial towns in textiles and engineering during the 19th century and Ostrava , in the north, into a major coal-mining region, thanks to the vast fossil fuel deposits stretching over from Silesia .
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Balthasar Neumann
History is always close at hand in the Czech Republic, where stunning castles such as Karlštejn (former keep of the royal crown of St. Wenceslas) and manor houses dot the landscape and medieval town centres abound. During its 1,000-year history, the country has changed shape and reshuffled its population . As the kingdom of Bohemia, it reached its zenith of wealth and power during the 13th and 14th centuries. Through a multitude of cultural, economic, ecclesiastical , and dynastic links, Bohemian kings became directly involved in the affairs of the German rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and opened the country to German colonization, which brought prosperity through silver mining and rapid urbanization. Prague, with the oldest university north of the Alps ( Charles University , 1348), functioned as a royal and imperial capital. However, German colonization, which soon accounted for one-third of the total population and disadvantaged the majority Czechs, brought the seeds of discontent, resulting in an ugly, insolvable conflict in the 20th century. In the early 15th century Bohemia witnessed the Hussite revolution, a pre- Reformation movement named for Jan Hus , a follower of the English theologian and reformer John Wycliffe . Religious antagonism prevailed over ethnic tensions when Czechs and Germans jointly led the Protestant uprising that started the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48) against the Catholic Habsburgs , the Austro-German dynasty that ruled Bohemia from 1526 to 1918. After the Habsburg victory, the German language replaced Czech for almost two centuries—until the Czechs experienced an extraordinary linguistic and cultural revival that coincided with the revolutions of 1848 and the spread of industrialization . In historian František Palacký and composers such as Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák , Czech nationalism found its ideal spokesmen.
The 13th-century tower on the main square in Domažlice, Czech Republic.
Caroig
Prostějov
The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I brought the Czechs and Slovaks together for the first time as “Czechoslovaks.” The Czechs became the ruling ethnic group in Czechoslovakia , a new state in which Germans and Hungarians lived as unwilling citizens, bound to become disloyal minorities bent on undermining the democratic constitution engendered by the country’s founders, Tomáš G. Masaryk and Edvard Beneš . Many among this German population turned into Nazi sympathizers with the ascent to power of Adolf Hitler in Germany, whose design on the German-speaking border region of Czechoslovakia was appeased by England and France in the Munich Agreement of September 1938. Emasculated , Czechoslovakia succumbed to direct German invasion six months later. Bohemia and Moravia became a protectorate of the “Greater German Empire,” while Slovakia—whose Hungarian districts were ceded to Hungary—was induced by Hitler to proclaim its independence.
Tomáš Masaryk.
Edvard Beneš.
H. Roger-Viollet
After six years of brutal Nazi occupation (with its legacy of the Holocaust and the postwar mass expulsion of some three million Bohemian and Slovak [Carpathian] Germans), Czechoslovakia was reconstituted, this time without Ruthenia (Transcarpathian Ukraine), which was annexed by the Soviet Union . A communist coup in February 1948 sealed Czechoslovakia’s fate as a member of the Soviet bloc for the entire Cold War —though briefly, in the Prague Spring of 1968, a reform movement took over, only to be crushed by Soviet military invasion in August of that year. Still, that experience of freedom produced an underground dissident movement, later called Charter 77, whose leader, playwright Václav Havel , was propelled from prison to the royal castle, becoming the first president of postcommunist Czechoslovakia with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
Czechs confronting Soviet troops in Prague, August 21, 1968. Soviet forces had invaded …
Libor Hajsky—CTK/AP Images
Countries of the World
The last modification of the modern Czech nation-state was inaugurated on January 1, 1993, when the union with Slovakia was dissolved. As the Czech Republic, the new country joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1999 and the European Union (EU) in 2004.
Land
Miroslav Blazek Richard Horsley Osborne Francis William Carter Milan Hauner
Economy
With the so-called Velvet Revolution of 1989, Czechoslovakia freed itself of communist control and set out to adapt its command economy to the free market . The government introduced a program based on policies of price liberalization, the opening of markets to foreign trade and investment, internal convertibility of the country’s currency, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and tax reform. While the Czech Republic and Slovakia both were successors to the federal state, long-standing inequities in economic development gave the Czechs a decided advantage over the Slovaks. Rigid economic compartmentalization under Comecon (Council on Mutual Economic Assistance) made Slovakia, with its mineral resources and hydroelectric potential, a major producer of armaments for the former communist countries of eastern Europe. The economy of the Czech Republic, on the other hand, was relatively diversified and stable, reflecting both a more amenable geography and the historic predominance of Czechs in the federal administration.
Shopping mall in Prague.
© Rostislav Glinsky/Shutterstock.com
Once the political breach appeared inevitable, Czechs and Slovaks faced the unprecedented challenges of dividing Czechoslovakia’s economy and assets. The historical imbalance in government assets between the two and the problems it posed for fair apportionment were particularly pronounced in the case of military installations and equipment, of which the Czech Republic held the great majority. The bulk of Slovakia’s military-industrial component, by contrast, consisted of its armament manufacture, which declined precipitously with the collapse of its communist markets.
Based on its inherent advantages—a well-educated and skilled labour force, proximity to western Europe, and a low level of foreign debt—the Czech Republic experienced fairly low unemployment and respectable economic performance during its first years as a separate entity. The new government, headed by Pres. Václav Havel and Prime Minister Václav Klaus (Czechoslovakia’s former finance minister and a principal architect of postcommunist economic policy), pledged to continue along the path of economic reform, with the goal of large-scale privatization as a priority. Privatization was achieved by means of a voucher system through which Czech citizens purchased shares in state-owned enterprises. Restructuring of the country’s antiquated and inefficient manufacturing sector, however, lagged behind. Nevertheless, the Czech Republic’s success in keeping down unemployment and inflation while maintaining steady growth resulted in its being singled out as one of the greatest economic successes of postcommunist eastern Europe . In addition, large influxes of visitors fostered the rapid development of the tourism industry and service sector, which provided new employment that helped limit some of the usual hardships of economic restructuring.
Within a few years, however, it became obvious that the Czech economy was not as healthy as had been believed. The government’s failure to proceed with restructuring of key sectors of the economy and to create transparent financial market regulations began to take a toll. Poor management and corruption in the banking industry (much of which had remained largely state controlled) resulted in the failure of eight banks in 1996. In addition, many Czechs who had turned over their privatization vouchers to unregulated private investment funds—in exchange for promises of substantial returns—lost their investments when these dubious funds began to go bankrupt. In 1997 the government responded to the economic crisis by instituting a package of austerity measures and introducing a floating exchange rate, which resulted in a significant depreciation of the koruna, the state currency.
Despite these economic measures and the establishment of a new securities commission, in the late 1990s the Czech Republic fell into a recession, marked by declines in gross domestic product (GDP) and wages, a growing foreign-trade deficit, and rising unemployment. In the opening years of the 21st century, the economy rebounded, faltered briefly, and then rebounded again; and though the country’s public finance deficit grew precipitously, many positive economic indicators surpassed the high levels of the mid-1990s, as the Czech economy became among the fastest-growing in the European Union (EU), which the Czech Republic joined in 2004.
For the most part, Czechs enjoy a standard of living higher than other former communist countries in eastern Europe. However, employment rates and, consequently, standards of living vary by region. For example, Prague, with its thriving international tourist trade, has had a negligible unemployment rate of less than 1 percent at the same time that some rural regions were experiencing rates as much as 20 times higher. Nationally, by the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, less than one-tenth of the workforce was unemployed. While the euro zone struggled with a devastating debt crisis that had begun in 2009, the Czech Republic continued to post modest growth. This owed in part to the country’s status within the EU: it had open access to European markets and EU subsidies, but it had not yet adopted the euro as its national currency and was thus insulated from the worst effects of the downturn.
Francis William Carter Milan Hauner
Agriculture and forestry
Czech agriculture is among the most advanced in eastern Europe, with better than average yields. The country does not suffer from a shortage of agricultural land, but its land is used far less efficiently than that in western Europe. With the end of communism , land that had been confiscated after World War II to form large state-controlled farms was gradually restored to its previous owners. Although members of smaller collective farms were entitled to withdraw their land from the collective, small land holders did not necessarily receive their own land back; instead, they often were allotted a plot of comparable worth at another location. The agricultural market is now wholly liberalized, with about one-fourth of farmland cultivated by individuals, one-third by cooperatives, and about two-fifths by corporations.
Wheat , sugar beets , barley , rye , oats , and potatoes are the most important crops . Pigs , cattle , sheep , and poultry are the dominant livestock . High-quality hops used by the country’s breweries are cultivated in Bohemia. Moravia, particularly southern Moravia, is a grape-growing region and is the centre of the Czech Republic’s wine industry, though vineyards are also found elsewhere.
Vineyard and fields of crops in southern Moravia, Czech Republic.
© PHB.cz/Fotolia
Reforestation efforts of the early 1980s were offset by the effects of acid rain, which prompted cutting beyond the projected rate. By 1989 nearly three-fifths of the republic’s forests had been destroyed or seriously damaged. Since then, renewed reforestation efforts have been more effective with deciduous trees than with conifers, resulting in little overall change in the total forest area, which occupies about one-third of the country.
Resources and power
Although reserves are limited, the Czech Republic produces significant quantities of bituminous, anthracite , and brown coal . Most of the bituminous coal is derived from the Ostrava-Karviná coalfield in the northeast, although it is also mined near Kladno in the Plzeň basin, as well as near Trutnov and Brno . A high proportion of the bituminous coal is of coking quality. Production of brown coal increased rapidly up to the mid-20th century and remained fairly static until the 1990s, when production declined as the industry faced restructuring and privatization . The main areas of brown-coal mining are in the extreme west around Chomutov , Most , Teplice , and Sokolov. Brown coal is used in thermal power stations, as fuel in the home, and as raw material in the chemical industry . Small quantities of petroleum and natural gas are produced near Hodonín on the Slovak border. Pipelines import Russian oil and natural gas, the latter supplementing existing coal gas supplies. The completion in the late 1990s of an oil pipeline that transports oil from the port of Trieste , Italy , allowed the Czech Republic to be less reliant on Russian oil sources. Nuclear power plants located in Dukovany and Temelín, as well as nuclear power from Slovakia, have reduced the country’s dependence on coal only slightly; about three-fourths of the Czech Republic’s electricity is derived from fossil fuels .
Temelín nuclear power station, near Ceské Budejovice, Cz.Rep.
age fotostock/SuperStock
The Czech Republic has limited deposits of metallic ores . Lead and zinc ores are mined near Kutná Hora and Příbram in Bohemia and in the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains in the northeast. Uranium is mined near Příbram and around Hamr in northern Bohemia. There is a significant gold deposit at Mokrsko, in central Bohemia, south of Prague . The Ore Mountains of Bohemia yield small quantities of tin. Other mineral resources include graphite near České Budějovice and kaolin near Plzeň and Karlovy Vary.
Manufacturing
Although much of the industry in the Czech Republic in the early 1990s could be characterized as obsolete by western European standards, some sectors, notably the automobile and electronics industries, are now modern and efficient. Engineering is the largest branch of industry. Also very important are food processing and brewing, as well as the chemical, rubber , cement , textile , footwear, and glass industries. The Czech iron and steel industries have traditionally been among the largest in eastern Europe but rely mainly on imported ores (especially from Ukraine ). Steel production is centred on the plants of the Ostrava area (in Moravia), with lesser amounts produced at Kladno , Plzeň , and Chomutov (all in Bohemia). The heavy manufacturing sector produces automobiles, trucks , tractors , buses , airplanes , motorcycles, and diesel and electric locomotives and rail and tram cars.
The major Czech car manufacturer remains Škoda , eastern Europe ’s oldest car manufacturer, whose main plant is located in Mladá Boleslav . Taken over in the early 1990s by the German company Volkswagen and thoroughly modernized, Škoda became the Czech Republic’s biggest export earner in the early 2000s, accounting for about one-tenth of the country’s overall exports and becoming a source of national pride.
Finance
On the day of partition, the Czech National Bank and its Slovak counterpart replaced the federal monobank, the State Bank of Czechoslovakia. Initially, however, the federal monetary system remained essentially intact, with each country identifying its currency by applying stamps to it. The rapid economic divergence of the two republics, however, ended this arrangement after only one month, and separate currencies were inaugurated.
The National Bank oversees all financial institutions in the country. Numerous commercial and joint-venture banks, providing a full range of financial services, came into being after democratization. Improper lending practices and embezzlement contributed to the failure of the Kreditni bank, the sixth largest in the nation, in 1996 and sparked a major crisis in the banking industry that put a serious strain on the state’s financial resources. Moreover, continued instability in the banking sector at the end of the 20th century spurred the government to hasten preparations for fuller privatization of the largest banks.
Since the demise of the command economy, numerous joint ventures have taken place between foreign and Czech firms, and there has been significant foreign direct investment in the country. German banks, firms, and individuals were the first to become leading investors, but investment also has come from the United States, the Netherlands, Switzerland , France, and Austria. The largest proportion of it was made in the communications, transportation and transportation equipment, and consumer goods industries.
Trade
Czechoslovakia was one of the largest foreign traders in eastern Europe and a member of Comecon until the organization disbanded in 1991. Czech trade patterns shifted during the early 1990s in response to the changes occurring both within the country and throughout eastern Europe. By 2000, four years before the Czech Republic joined the EU , its exports to former Comecon members had declined to about one-fourth of total exports. In the early 21st century, Germany ranked as the chief destination for exports as well as the main source of imports. Other important trading partners included Slovakia and Austria . Machinery and transportation equipment made up the largest share of both exports and imports.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Czech Republic - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
The nation of Czechoslovakia split peacefully into two countries on Jan. 1, 1993. The western provinces of Bohemia and Moravia became the Czech Republic, while the eastern section became Slovakia (see Slovakia). Of the two new countries, the Czech Republic was the larger, with a land area more than 50 percent greater than Slovakia’s. Its population was almost twice as large: 10,314,000 compared to Slovakia’s 5,297,000. Economically, too, the Czech Republic was better off, with a much higher gross domestic product, less unemployment, and greater success in returning former state industries to private hands. Area 30,450 square miles (78,865 square kilometers). Population (2016 est.) 10,562,000.
Article Contributors
| Czech Republic |
Of which longer mountain range do the Transylvanian Alps form the southern arm? | Western & Southern Bohemia Travel Tips from Rail Europe
Visit one of the Czech Republic's Bohemia Castles
Visit the spectacular architecture of the Czech Republic
Enjoy one of the Czech Republic's Bohemia Festivals
A Barrel of Fun
Do you know that the polka and beer have more in common than the "Beer Barrel Polka"? They've either originated or been developed in Bohemia. The former kingdom of Bohemia now lies within the Czech Republic, along with its neighbors Moravia and (part of) Silesia. Thanks to the extensive network of CD Czech Railways and the Eurail Czech Republic Pass , travel from Prague through west and south Bohemia is easy.
If you have a taste for the suds, (barley) and hop a short train ride from Prague to either Plzen (two hours) or CeskeBudejovice (under three hours). These names become more clear when you think of the Germanic wording for each (Pilsen and Budweis).
Budejovice has long been well known for the beer brewed there since the 13th century, and for a time the town was the royal brewery for the Holy Roman Emperor. Along with Plzen's Pilsener, one of the country's best-loved lagers, brewing remains a major industry in Bohemia. CeskeBudejovice is a convenient base for exploring south Bohemia by train, including Cesky Krumlov one hour away.
Although the station in Cesky Krumlov is a short taxi ride from the town center, you will be glad to have made the effort. The city is one of the loveliest in Bohemia, and was named to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its history and physical beauty.
A highlight of the visit would be the Cesky Krumlov Castle resting high atop a nearby hill, and reputedly the second-largest in Bohemia.
Another famous hill castle, along the train route to Plzen, is the Karlštejn. Founded in 1348, it was built by Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV as a place to store royal treasures, especially Charles's collection of holy relics and imperial crown jewels.
Ready to soak up the atmosphere? The spa town of Karlovy Vary, also known as Carlsbad, can be reached in just over three hours (from Prague ). On arrival at the "upper" station (Karlovy Vary Horni) it is a short 5-minute taxi ride, or 15-minute walk, into the town center.
The famous spas contain the hot mineral springs of the area, and offer a variety of treatments or packages. You may see visitors sipping the mineral water from special drinking cups around town, and into the surrounding forests and parks. You may even spot a celebrity or two without a shirt on. Why? The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is one of the oldest filmfest's in the world, and one of Europe's biggest.
There's a reason "Bohemian" has come to mean "different." Come see castles, have a beer or two and share a bath with a movie star. And live the Bohemia lifestyle.
Contributed by: Eric, Specialty Desk Agent, loves to frequent European events on visits with family in wonderful Kassel and Dortmund.
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Which epic poem, attributed to Homer, tells a history of the Trojan Wars? | Homer- Ancient Greek Poet
Read Homer Online - Ebooks
Marble terminal bust of Homer. Roman copy of a lost Hellenistic original of the 2nd c. BC. From Baiae, Italy. The so-called Hellenistic blind-type can be paralleled with figures of the Pergamon Altar, and the original of the type was perhaps created for the great library at Pergamon.
Homer's ancestry can be traced from Odyssey. He was the son of Epikaste and Telemachus. Born around 8th - 9th century B.C. he was said to be a court singer and a story teller. Even if these details about Homer are available, not much is know about him. In fact his existence is somewhat doubted. Some say he was born on the island of Chios while argue that he existed in Ionia. But the dialect and the description in the poems pointed that Homer lived in Ionia.
When we think of the blind poet Homer with relation to Ancient Greece, the first thing that comes to our mind is his beautiful epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. While there is disagreement, whether Homer alone wrote these poems or many other people, the 'analysts' and the ancient Greek people and the 'unitarians' are on Homer's side. These poems were an important part of the Greek culture as they were written during the famous Trojan war era.
The argument whether Odyssey was written by Homer or not has been going on for a long time. Even if the epics are controversial, there is enough evidence that the Odyssey is written in a consistent style, and this fact is doubtful if they had been written by different authors. Another argument is that whether Homer wrote both Iliad and Odyssey. The difference in style and languages of the epics leads to debate. One ancient Greek literary critic, namely Longinus argued that the styles differed because Homer wrote both these poems in different stages of his life period. While Iliad was created during his youth, Odyssey was written as Homer aged.
There is also much debate about how Homer composed such long poems, because for people now to memorize such long stanzas, seems impossible. It's said some editor merged all his works as one whole epic. The fact that uncomfortable transitions from topic to topic in his poems supports the argument.
An argument that has tried to subsidized with the reasoning that lengthy works can be composed orally by poets whose recitations belong to a long tradition of storytelling. The oral poet constructs his poem from verbal formulas, groups of two or more words that have already been composed in order to serve recurring needs in the narrative. These may be used, for example, when the poet wishes to reintroduce a character that he has already described.
Many scholars agree that Iliad and Odyssey underwent change and were improved during the 8the century from the original material. Athenian tyrant Hipparchus played an important role in this improvement. The refinement of the Homeric text must have involved the production of canonical written text.
While Iliad and Odyssey have become famous, his Homeric Hymns have not remained far behind. The Homeric Hymns are short poems celebrating the various Gods. The styles if the Homeric Hymns are same as the Iliad and Odyssey, the reason for which they are attributed to Homer.
As Homer was non-literate how these poems were written are arguable. Perhaps, he dictated his poems to a scribe who wrote them. The Greek alphabet was also introduced around the 8th century so Homer must have been among the first rhapsodes who were literate.
Homer's famous epics:
Iliad
The poems of Illiad depict the seige of the city of Ilion or Troy during the Trojan War. The word Illiad itself means "something concerned with Ilion". Illion was the city based in the state of Troy. When Illiad was created, is arguable. Some scholars are adamant that it was written around the 8th - 9th century, while some debate it must have been written during the 6th - 7th century... more »
| Iliad |
Which Shakespeare play has the siege of Troy as its setting? | The Odyssey - Homer - Ancient Greece - Classical Literature
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�The Odyssey� (Gr: �Odysseia�) is the second of the two epic poems attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer (the first being �The Iliad� ), and usually considered the second extant work of Western literature. It was probably composed near the end of the 8th Century BCE and is, in part, a sequel to �The Iliad� . It is widely recognized as one of the great stories of all time, and has been a strong influence on later European, especially Renaissance, literature. The poem focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus (or Ulysses , as he was known in Roman myths) and his long journey home to Ithaca following the fall of Troy. His adventure-filled ten year journey took him through the Ionian Islands and the Peloponnese and as far away as Egypt and North Africa and the western Mediteranean, as the displeased sea-god Poseidon prevented him from reaching his home.
Synopsis
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Ten years after the Fall of Troy, and twenty years after the Greek hero Odysseus first set out from his home in Ithaca to fight with the other Greeks against the Trojans, Odysseus � son Telemachus and his wife Penelope are beset with over a hundred suitors who are trying to persuade Penelope that her husband is dead and that she should marry one of them.
Encouraged by the goddess Athena (always Odysseus � protector), Telemachus sets out to look for his father, visiting some of Odysseus � erstwhile companions such as Nestor, Menelaus and Helen , who have long since arrived home. They receive him sumptuously and recount the ending of the Trojan War, including the story of the wooden horse. Menelaus tells Telemachus that he has heard that Odysseus is being held captive by the nymph Calypso.
The scene then changes to Calypso's island, where Odysseus has spent seven years in captivity. Calypso is finally persuaded to release him by Hermes and Zeus, but Odysseus � makeshift boat is wrecked by his nemesis Poseidon, and he swims ashore onto an island. He is found by the young Nausicaa and her handmaidens and is made welcome by King Alcinous and Queen Arete of the Phaeacians, and begins to tell the amazing story of his return from Troy.
Odysseus tells how he and his twelve ships were driven off course by storms, and how they visited the lethargic Lotus-Eaters with their memory-erasing food, before being captured by the giant one-eyed cyclops Polyphemus (Poseidon�s son), only escaping after he blinded the giant with a wooden stake. Despite the help of Aeolus, King of the Winds, Odysseus and his crew were blown off course again just as home was almost in sight. They narrowly escaped from the cannibal Laestrygones, only to encounter the witch-goddess Circe soon after. Circe turned half of his men into swine, but Odysseus had been pre-warned by Hermes and made resistant to Circe �s magic.
After a year of feasting and drinking on Circe �s island, the Greeks again set off, reaching the western edge of the world. Odysseus made a sacrifice to the dead and summoned the spirit of the old prophet Tiresias to advise him, as well as the spirits of several other famous men and women and that of his own mother, who had died of grief at his long absence and who gave him disturbing news of the situation in his own household.
Advised once more by Circe on the remaining stages of their journey, they skirted the land of the Sirens, passed between the many-headed monster Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis, and, blithely ignoring the warnings of Tiresias and Circe , hunted down the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios. For this sacrilege, they were punished by a shipwreck in which all but Odysseus himself drowned. He was washed ashore on Calypso�s island, where she compelled him to remain as her lover.
By this point, Homer has brought us up to date, and the remainder of the story is told straightforwardly in chronological order.
Having listened with rapt attention to his story, the Phaeacians agree to help Odysseus get home, and they finally deliver him one night to a hidden harbour on his home island of Ithaca. Disguised as a wandering beggar and telling a fictitious tale of himself, Odysseus learns from a local swineherd how things stand in his household. Through Athena�s machinations, he meets up with his own son, Telemachus , just returning from Sparta, and they agree together that the insolent and increasingly impatient suitors must be killed. With more help from Athena, an archery competition is arranged by Penelope for the suitors, which the disguised Odysseus easily wins, and he then promptly slaughters all the other suitors.
Only now does Odysseus reveal and prove his true identity to his wife and to his old father, Laertes. Despite the fact that Odysseus has effectively killed two generations of the men of Ithaca (the shipwrecked sailors and the executed suitors), Athena intervenes one last time and finally Ithaca is at peace once more.
Analysis
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Like �The Iliad� , �The Odyssey� is attributed to the Greek epic poet Homer , although it was probably written later than �The Iliad� , in Homer �s mature years, possibly around 725 BCE. Also like �The Iliad� , it was clearly composed in an oral tradition, and was probably intended more to be sung than read, probably accompanied by a simple stringed instrument which was strummed for an occasional rhythmic accent. It is written in Homeric Greek (an archaic version of Ionic Greek, with admixtures from certain other dialects such as Aeolic Greek), and comprises 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter verse, usually divided up into 24 books.
Many copies of the poem have come down to us (for example, a survey of all surviving Egyptian papyri carried out in 1963 found that nearly half of the 1,596 individual "books" were copies of �The Iliad� or �The Odyssey� or commentaries on them). There are interesting parallels between many of the elements of �The Odyssey� and the much older Sumerian legends in the �Epic of Gilgamesh� . Today, the word �odyssey� has come to be used in the English language to refer to any epic voyage or extended wandering.
As in �The Iliad� , Homer makes frequent use of "epithets" in �The Odyssey�, descriptive tags used regularly to fill out a line of verse as well as to provide detail about character, such as Odysseus �the raider of cities� and Menelaus �the red-haired captain�. The epithets, as well as repeated background stories and longer epic similes, are common techniques in the oral tradition, designed to make the job of the singer-poet a little easier, as well as to remind the audience of important background information.
Compared to �The Iliad� , the poem has many changes of scene and a much more complex plot. It employs the seemingly modern idea (later imitated by many other authors of literary epics) of starting the plot at what is chronologically towards the end of the overall story, and describing prior events through flashbacks or storytelling. This is appropriate, however, as Homer was elaborating on a story which would have been very familiar to his listeners, and there was little likelihood of his audience being confused, despite the numerous sub-plots.
The character of Odysseus embodies many of the ideals the ancient Greeks aspired to: manly valour, loyalty, piety and intelligence. His intelligence is a mix of keen observation, instinct and street smarts, and he is a fast, inventive liar, but also extremely cautious. However, he is also portrayed as very human - he makes mistakes, gets into tricky situations, loses his temper and is often moved to tears - and we see him in many roles (as a husband, father and son, but also as an athlete, army captain, sailor, carpenter, storyteller, ragged beggar, lover, etc).
The other characters are very much secondary, although Odysseus � son Telemachus shows some growth and development from a passive, untested boy to a man of valour and action, respectful to gods and men, and loyal to his mother and father. The first four books of �The Odyssey� are often referred to as �The Telemachy� as they follow Telemachus � own journey.
Among the themes explored by �The Odyssey� are those of homecoming, vengeance, the restoration of order, hospitality, respect for the gods, order and fate, and, perhaps most importantly, loyalty ( Odysseus � loyalty in persisting in his attempts to return home, even after twenty years, Telemachus � loyalty, Penelope �s loyalty and the loyalty of the servants Eurykleia and Eumaios).
Resources
English translation by Samuel Butler (The Internet Classics Archive): http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html
Greek version with word-by-word translation (Perseus Project): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0135
Detailed book-by-book summary and translation (About.com): http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/odyssey1/a/odysseycontents.htm
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Which instrument accompanied “Silent Night”’s first performance? | An "FAQ" about the Christmas Hymn:
"Silent Night"
Who was Father Joseph Mohr?
Where was Silent Night first sung?
What instrument was used to accompany the choir?
Who helped make the carol well known?
Can I visit the church where it was first sung?
Father Joseph Mohr was born on Dec 11, 1792 in Salzburg, Austria. He grew up in a small damp room with his mother Anna Schoiber, his grandmother Maria, his two half-sisters and his cousin Theresia. They earned their living by spinning and knitting. His father, Franz Joseph Mohr, came from the alpine village of Mariapfarr and at age 28 joined the army in Salzburg. All he did for his son was to give him his name before he left.
The rich town executioner, Franz Joseph Wohlmuth, adopted Joseph as his godchild. But even so, with humble origins, young Joseph would never have been allowed to learn even a menial craft. However, when the Salzburg Cathedral choirmaster heard Joseph singing, and recognized the boys musical talent, he helped him receive an education and guided him into the priesthood.
Joseph Mohr was ordained in 1815 and sent to his first parish in Mariapfarr, Austria. This was the village of his father and here he met his grandfather for the first time. Sadly his grandfather died only a few months later, but they were able to spend one Christmas together.
The priest of the church in Mariapfarr was pioneering what we would call today a Contemporary Service, for the mass on Christmas Eve included German singing and folk instruments as well as the usual Latin litany. This was very unusual for its time, and made a deep impression on Joseph. It was while he was the assistant priest in 1816, that he wrote the poem, which because of events that happened in his next parish were to become the gentle carol, Silent Night.
In 1817 Father Joseph was reassigned to St.Nikolas Church in Oberndorf. He and the senior priest, Father Joseph Kessler (a liberal-minded man), worked well together arranging mixed German-Latin masses, of the sort Joseph had encountered in Mariapfarr. The parishioners were delighted as they could now understand what was being said in church for the first time and they attended mass in huge numbers.
But when the news of these experiments reached the church hierarchy, it was met with great disapproval and Kessler was promptly removed. He was replaced by Father Georg Nöstler, a traditionalist who rejected the use of German in church outright. For Joseph it became very difficult to work with the older priest and the two were in constant conflict. Joseph was by far the more popular of the two as he brought his God to the people in a way they could understand, and used his guitar to sing their songs. Nöstler found Josephs behavior inappropriate for a priest and issued a formal complaint to the consistory in Salzburg. When the conclusion of the inquiry fell greatly in Josephs favor, Nöstler was outraged. It was said that he resorted to spreading untrue rumors about Joseph in an attempt to undermine the younger mans popularity. He succeeded. For moral reasons, the majority turned their backs on Joseph. Even the organist Franz Gruber, who had been his closest friend until then, was reluctant to be seen at his side.
Just before Christmas in 1818, when Josephs situation was most bleak, the church organ broke down. Officially mice were held to blame, but rot and mildew from frequent flooding may have contributed. Either way, it was impossible to hold the Christmas celebrations in the traditional way. Father Nöstler was at his wits end and had no choice but to accept Mohr and Grubers offer of an alternative mass. It was then that Father Mohr showed Franz Gruber the poem he had written two years earlier. Gruber studied the poem softly strumming a melody that came to him. Next he put the words to the melody and sang them. When he finished, Silent Night had been born. So, on Christmas Eve 1818 Silent Night was sung for the first time, with guitar accompaniment.
His problems with the senior priest continuing, Father Mohr applied for a transfer to another parish. In October 1819 he left Oberndorf and within nine years had moved through eleven parishes, finally being given his own parish in Hintersee in 1827.
He died there on December 4th 1848, leaving this world as poor as he had entered it because he had given away all that he had to people who needed help. But he left a simple, beautiful carol celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, with words that continue to move those who sing it. Rather than leaving this life poor, Father Joseph Mohr bequeathed a treasure of great worth to all following generations.
Addendum: It was not until years later in 1825, when Carl Mauracher was rebuilding the organ at St. Nikolas, that a handwritten copy of the words and music was found in the organ loft. Mauracher was from an area in the mountains of Tyrol which had many traveling folk choirs who performed throughout Europe. He carried the carol back home, where it became a popular song with the choirs, and they spread the popularity of Silent Night wherever they went.
St.Nikolas Church in Oberndorf, the original church where Silent Night was first sung, no longer exists. In this 1880 photograph (courtesy of an Internet Archive, the old St. Nikolas Church is to the right), the church was almost at water level with the nearby Salzach River, one that had a bad habit of overflowing its banks from time to time!
Floods in the 1890s finally took their toll, damage was extreme, and the decision was made to relocate St. Nikolas to higher ground. The original church was torn down between 1906 and 1910. The steeple remained as a landmark until 1913 when it too was removed. Only the altars were preserved in the new church.
Today, a small chapel (and Museum - this website is written in German, but has beautiful pictures of the area, the chapel, and even a Webcam) has been built on the site of the original St. Nikolas Church, to honor the site where Silent Night was first sung. The chapel was begun in 1924, the 106th anniversary of the carols birth. This tiny building has six small pews, an altar, stained glass windows depicting Mohr and Gruber, and a guest book signed by people from all over the world. Every year at 5 p.m. on Dec 24th, a service in honor of the composers of Silent Night, takes place in front of the Chapel. People from all over the world attend the Service, which concludes by the singing of Silent Night in many languages.
| Guitar |
Which poet laureate wrote “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks”? | Silent Night History
SILENT NIGHT: The Song Heard 'Round The World
by Bill Egan, Christmas Historian
180 years ago the carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht" was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. The congregation at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church listened as the voices of the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr's guitar. On each of the six verses, the choir repeated the last two lines in four-part harmony.
On that Christmas Eve, a song was born that would wing its way into the hearts of people throughout the world. Now translated into hundreds of languages, it is sung by untold millions every December from small chapels in the Andes to great cathedrals in Antwerp and Rome.
Today books, films and Internet sites are filled with fanciful tales purporting to tell the history of "Silent Night." Some tell of mice eating the bellows of the organ creating the necessity for a hymn to be accompanied by a guitar. Others claim that Joseph Mohr was forced to write the words to a new carol in haste since the organ would not play. A recent film, created for Austrian television places Oberndorf in the Alps and includes evil railroad barons and a double-dealing priest, while a recent book by a German author places a zither in the hands of Franz Gruber and connects Joseph Mohr with a tragic fire engulfing the city of Salzburg. You can read claims that "Silent Night" was sung on Christmas Eve in 1818 and then forgotten by its creators. Of course, the latter are easily discounted by manuscript arrangements of the carol by both Mohr and Gruber which were produced at various times between 1820 and 1855.
In this age of tabloid journalism, it's not surprising that some feel it necessary to invent frivolous anecdotes and create fables for a story that is quite beautiful in its simplicity.
The German words for the original six stanzas of the carol we know as "Silent Night" were written by Joseph Mohr in 1816, when he was a young priest assigned to a pilgrimage church in Mariapfarr, Austria. His grandfather lived nearby, and it is easy to imagine that he could have come up with the words while walking thorough the countryside on a visit to his elderly relative. The fact is, we have no idea if any particular event inspired Joseph Mohr to pen his poetic version of the birth of the Christchild. The world is fortunate, however, that he didn't leave it behind when he was transferred to Oberndorf the following year (1817).
On December 24, 1818 Joseph Mohr journeyed to the home of musician-schoolteacher Franz Gruber who lived in an apartment over the schoolhouse in nearby Arnsdorf. He showed his friend the poem and asked him to add a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be sung at Midnight Mass. His reason for wanting the new carol is unknown. Some speculate that the organ would not work; others feel that the assistant pastor, who dearly loved guitar music, merely wanted a new carol for Christmas.
Later that evening, as the two men, backed by the choir, stood in front of the main altar in St. Nicholas Church and sang "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" for the first time, they could hardly imagine the impact their composition would have on the world.
Karl Mauracher, a master organ builder and repairman from the Ziller Valley, traveled to Oberndorf to work on the organ, several times in subsequent years. While doing his work in St. Nicholas, he obtained a copy of the composition and took it home with him. Thus, the simple carol, began its journey around the world as a "Tyrolean Folk Song."
Two traveling families of folk singers from the Ziller Valley, similar to the Trapp Family Singers of "The Sound of Music" fame, incorporated the song into their repertoire. According to the Leipziger Tageblatt, the Strassers sang the song in a concert in Leipzig in December 1832. It was during this period, several musical notes were changed, and the carol evolved into the melody we know today. On another occasion, according to an historical plaque, the Rainer Family sang the Christmas carol before an audience which included Emperor Franz I and Tsar Alexander I. In the year 1839, the Rainers performed "Stille Nacht" for the first time in America, at the Alexander Hamilton Monument outside Trinity Church in New York City.
Joseph Bletzacher, the Court Opera singer from Hannover, reported that by the 1840s, the carol was already well known in Lower Saxony. "In Berlin," he says, "the Royal Cathedral Choir popularized it especially. It became in fact the favorite Christmas carol of the artistically appreciative King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who used to have the Cathedral Choir sing it for him during the Christmas season each year."
By the time the song had become famous throughout Europe, the Joseph Mohr had died and the composer was unknown. Although Franz Gruber wrote to music authorities in Berlin stating that he was the composer, the melody had been assumed to be the work of Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven at various times and these thoughts persisted even into the twentieth century. The controversy was put to rest four years ago when a long-lost arrangement of "Stille Nacht" in the hand of Joseph Mohr was authenticated. In the upper right hand corner of the arrangement, Mohr wrote, "Melodie von Fr. Xav. Gruber."
During his lifetime, Franz Xaver Gruber produced a number of orchestral arrangements of his composition. The original guitar arrangement is missing, but five other Gruber manuscripts of the carol exist. The manuscript by Joseph Mohr (ca. 1820) is for guitar accompaniment and is probably the closest to the arrangement and melody sung at Midnight Mass in 1818.
Later in his life, the Gruber family moved to Hallein, now the site of the Franz Xaver Gruber Museum. It contains several furnished rooms in his former home along with outstanding exhibits dealing with the history of "Silent Night," including Joseph Mohr's guitar. Gruber's grave is outside the home and is decorated with a Christmas tree in December.
Fr. Joseph Mohr's final resting place is a tiny Alpine ski resort, Wagrain. He was born into poverty in Salzburg in 1792 and died penniless in Wagrain in 1848, where he had been assigned as pastor of the church. He had donated all his earnings to be used for eldercare and the education of the children in the area. His memorial from the townspeople is the Joseph Mohr School located a dozen yards from his grave. The overseer of St. Johann's, in a report to the bishop, described Mohr as "a reliable friend of mankind, toward the poor, a gentle, helping father."
In 1998 it was discovered that Joseph Mohr was not born in the building once thought to be his birthplace at 9 Steingasse in Salzburg. Research into the census records indicates that Mohr and his mother resided at 31 Steingasse. At the same time the Governor of Salzburg, Franz Schausberger, announced a new initiative to promote the cultural sites related to the carol and its composers. It seems that Austria has finally realized that their national treasure has a very special significance outside its birth nation and has become "The Song Heard 'Round The World."
Perhaps this is part of the miracle of "Silent Night." The words flowed from the imagination of a modest curate. The music was composed by a musician who was not known outside his village. There was no celebrity to sing at its world premiere. Yet its powerful message of heavenly peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, conquering the hearts of people everywhere.
(Christmas historian Bill Egan, a retired Navy photojournalist and resident of Flagler Beach, Florida, is a staff writer for Year 'Round Christmas Magazine and provides Christmas research for Charles Osgood of "The Osgood File" on the CBS Radio Network. He is the producer of the annual "Adventsingen" concert in Daytona Beach and lectures on Christmas topics throughout the Eastern U.S. Bill has visited the various "Stille Nacht" locations to research the history of the world famous carol for the Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) and Austrian Information. Gabriele Wolf of ANTO Media Relations says that Bill Egan is the foremost "Silent Night" scholar in the U.S. and the Daytona Beach News-Journal says that he is one of the world's leading experts on the origins of the carol.)
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Ultimately, which 538-strong institution votes in a new president? | What the 2016 U.S. presidential election means for the Middle East | Brookings Institution
What the 2016 U.S. presidential election means for the Middle East
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Editor's Note:
This report was finalized on February 15, 2016. On February 20, 2016, Hillary Clinton won Nevada’s Democratic caucuses with 52.6% of the vote, claiming 19 of 34 delegates; Donald Trump won South Carolina’s Republican primaries, sweeping all 50 delegates with 32.5% of the vote; and Jeb Bush, having received only 7.8% of the vote, suspended his campaign.
Any U.S. presidential election comes with surprises. The 2016 campaign, however, has provided a seemingly endless supply of shock and confusion. Such surprise comes from a variety of questions: Who is doing well? Who is underperforming? Which issues are being talked about? From a pool of candidates that once numbered nearly two dozen, one will eventually succeed Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. The candidates and the issues they are discussing will have far reaching effects, not just for American public policy but for leadership and policy throughout the world, especially the Middle East.
This report provides a detailed overview of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It begins with a discussion of how American presidential elections work and the sequence of the electoral processes that will occur over the coming months. Second, it will discuss what makes this election so unique, even by American standards. Then, it will describe the major issues being discussed in the campaign, specifically those that matter most to the Middle East. Finally, after providing individual candidate profiles of the leading candidates in both the Democratic and Republican parties, it will offer some conclusions about what type of foreign policy can be expected from the next American administration.
HOW U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WORK
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A U.S. presidential election is a complex, multi-stage process that is both confusing and uncertain. It begins when candidates begin to declare their intentions to run for president, often nearly two years prior to the actual election. Candidates begin hiring staff, organizing a national campaign apparatus, and most important, raising money. Before the final, general election campaign, candidates from each major party—Democrats and Republicans—must compete in a primary campaign, in which they vie to become their party’s nominee for president.
The primary campaign involves speeches, interviews, policy announcements, engagement with voters, efforts to gather high profile endorsements, fundraisers, and ultimately, debates. In debates, which began in late 2015, candidates from their respective parties face a series of questions from members of the media.
Actual voting did not begin for the 2016 election cycle until February, when the series of state-by-state “mini-elections” that makes up the primary process got underway. For each party, each state is given a set number of delegates based largely on the size of the population and the party in that state. These delegates are awarded based on how well each candidate performs in each state’s primary election. The delegates of all the states are ultimately combined to determine who becomes each party’s nominee. Typically, those individuals are identified at some point early in the year, but the designation is not official until the states’ delegates themselves come together to formally nominate them at the Democratic and Republican national conventions.
The timeline below outlines some significant dates in the presidential campaign. As the timeline indicates, even once voting begins in the early primary states (Iowa and New Hampshire), the campaign is a long, drawn-out process. Primary races last from early February until mid-June, and party conventions begin more than a month later in late-July. The actual election is not held for another 15 weeks, in early November. The new president will finally take office on January 20, 2017.
Even the general election itself is a complex process. Unlike many presidential systems throughout the world, the American president is chosen according to an arcane process known as the Electoral College. Under the Electoral College, each state is given a number of “electors,” generally apportioned based on each state’s population. (Formally, that apportionment is based on the sum of the number of each state’s representatives in the upper and lower houses of the U.S. Congress.) The least populated states have a minimum of 3 electors, whereas California has the most at 55.
In the general election, each state gives its electors to the candidate who wins the most votes in what is effectively a state-wide popular election. For example, in the 2012 election, Barack Obama won all 55 of California’s electoral votes because he received 60 percent of the votes there. Conversely, Mitt Romney received all of Texas’ 38 electors because he secured 57 percent of the vote.
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Overall, there are 538 electors distributed across American states. The winning candidate is the one who receives at least 270 electoral votes. That person is certified as the winner of the presidential election.
2016: A UNIQUE AMERICAN ELECTION
Every U.S. presidential election is unpredictable. Almost all of them are competitive, to some extent. They typically offer candidates who come from a similar set of backgrounds—a vice president, senator, or governor. In fact, the last time the United States elected a president without one or more of those titles was Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956. Since 1788, every major party nominee has been male, and until 2008, each one was white. Every nominee has been Christian.
Demographically, the candidates running in the 2016 election have been quite diverse. Ben Carson is an African American, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are Latino, Bobby Jindal is an Indian American; Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina are women, and Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Three candidates have never held elected office: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina.
At the start of the campaign, many observers—including the author—had a few strongly held beliefs about it. First, Hillary Clinton would likely have an easy path to the Democratic nomination. Second, Republican candidates with sound résumés and strong backing from the party would do well, including Jeb Bush and Scott Walker. Third, Donald Trump was a candidate who lacked seriousness and would only stay in the race temporarily. Fourth, because of the demands of fundraising and staffing, as well as organizational challenges, in a presidential campaign, the field would reduce quite quickly to a small number of more serious candidates. The table below lists the 22 candidates that have been run for president over the course of the campaign—and how many remain.
All of those predictions have failed to come true. First, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton faced a very competitive primary race from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a leftist candidate and self-described Socialist. While Clinton, throughout the campaign, maintained a large lead in national public opinion polls, in the days leading up to the early state primary races—Iowa and New Hampshire—polling between Clinton and Sanders was quite close. Ultimately, Clinton and Sanders split the first two contests. Clinton narrowly won the Iowa Caucus, while Bernie Sanders handily won the New Hampshire Primary.
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Second, in early public opinion polls, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker were performing quite well. For example, according to RealClearPolitics, on April 1, 2015, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker averaged about 17 percentage points each in polling—more than 9 percentage points ahead of their nearest rivals. On January 1, 2016, Jeb Bush was polling at just over 4 percent, and Scott Walker had withdrawn from the race because of low levels of support.
Third, Donald Trump has been a serious force in the presidential campaign. His popularity has been profound and sustained. He has become a stronger, more nimble, more talented candidate as time has gone on. Once believed to be a joke, Trump has been the Republican Party’s leading candidate. According to RealClearPolitics, Donald Trump has led national averages in polling every day since July 20, 2015, with one exception (November 5). He has connected with disaffected and angry voters in the Republican Party, speaking to their worries and interests in effective ways. Despite comments that have been offensive and moments that seemed certain to doom his campaign, Trump has maintained and even grown his support within the party.
Fourth, by the time the first votes were cast on February 1, 2016, in Iowa, there were still 14 candidates in the race—3 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Presidential primary campaigns are expensive, exhausting, and stressful. Typically, candidates who poll poorly for extended periods of time recognize they have no chance of receiving the nomination and withdraw from the race. Some candidates have done so, but only a few. Even candidates who have consistently polled at less than 10 percent throughout the entire campaign remain in the race. Such stamina is both surprising and embarrassing.
In hindsight, some of these results make sense. In the Democratic primary, voters are increasingly progressive—they are leaning further to the left than in previous election cycles. Combining that with a group within the Democratic Party that is disappointed with they see as missed opportunities of the Obama administration to do more for their causes, and some Democrats want someone new and different. Bernie Sanders offers that. Hillary Clinton, as the wife of a former president, a former presidential candidate, a former senator, and a former member of the Obama administration, is seen as more centrist than Sanders and anything but new. That makes Sanders more appealing to voters in some states, making a race that was once seen as an easy win for Clinton much more competitive.
For Republicans, many voters are angry with both the government and their party. They feel like they and their interests have been ignored—not just under Obama, but even during the George W. Bush administration. In addition, segments of the Republican Party are distrusting or even disdainful of groups that do not look like them, including Muslims, Latinos, and immigrants of all kinds. The immigration debate on the Republican side has been particularly harsh, as some candidates have sought to distance themselves from each other with extreme rhetoric. Many, however, fall back on a common refrain among Republicans: keep them out. Mass deportations, security walls at America’s borders, or both, have been the preferred means to deal with immigration issues on the right.
That anger over immigration has also bled into foreign policy, combining with fears over terrorism. It is in this context that Muslims have become a specific target of the Republican candidates’ harshest rhetoric. Ben Carson compared Muslims to “rabid dogs,” several candidates have suggested banning Muslim refugees, and Ted Cruz criticized those who speak out against anti-Muslim rhetoric. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the United States and suggested closing mosques and entering all Muslims already in the country into a government-run database. More than anyone, Donald Trump has recognized the realities of that anger and xenophobia and has consolidated that support. What sounds offensive or off color to some is music to the ears of a significant portion of the Republican electorate, and Trump’s support reflects that.
THE ISSUES BEING DISCUSSED: DOMESTIC POLICY
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In some U.S. elections candidates from different parties want to discuss different issues. Along similar lines, sometimes a set of issues are strong for one candidate and weak for another. In those situations candidates rarely have a policy conversation and instead speak in ways that make it difficult for voters to compare their records. The 2016 election has been different. Both parties are interested in talking about many of the same issues, offering dramatically different proposals on how to solve problems.
In terms of domestic policy, many of the issues center on the economy. This is a sensible path for Democrats and a strategic effort by Republicans. For Democrats, they are trying to capitalize on what has been a fairly successful economy under President Barack Obama. Political science research on American elections shows that when an economy is thriving, the party in power tends to remain in power. Under President Obama, about 10 million new jobs have been created, growth has been sustained, financial systems have stabilized, and the values of leading stock markets have doubled. Democrats brag about these successes with the hope of turning those economic gains into electoral ones.
At the same time, Democrats recognize that the economic recovery has not helped all Americans in the same way. Many of the gains have flowed to the wealthiest of Americans, so Democrats are talking about issues of inequality and how to help the middle classes and America’s poor.
Republicans also focus on the economy, discussing the recovery not as a success but as weak and insufficient. They talk about how many Americans remain out of work and how many of those who have found new jobs are earning less money than before the 2008 recession. They explain that economic growth has been very slow and unable to power the economy. Republicans and Democrats are trying to connect with the same subset of the American population—those who have not seen the benefits of the economic recovery. Whereas Democrats argue, “We can do more for you,” Republicans say, “Obama has failed you.”
Beyond the economy, other domestic policy issues being discussed include gun laws, immigration policy, and women’s issues (including equal pay, access to education, and reproductive rights). Both parties have different perspectives on how to address or even discuss these issues, but they are a central part of the domestic policy debate.
THE ISSUES BEING DISCUSSED: FOREIGN POLICY & ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE MIDDLE EAST
The 2016 race has not focused exclusively on domestic policy. Foreign policy has played and continues to play a significant role, as well. These issues are part of any presidential campaign, given the president’s role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and position on the world stage. Especially with the rise of international terrorist organizations and terror attacks in France, Turkey, Indonesia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Lebanon, and even the United States, foreign policy issues have come to the fore.
Foreign policy has actually become a dominant focus of both parties’ campaigns, which is in some ways atypical. Foreign policy has long been considered the domain of the Republican Party; public opinion polling has shown—for decades—that Americans trust the Republican Party more than the Democratic Party on such matters. However, in 2016 both parties want to discuss foreign policy. Republicans are discussing the issue, as they typically do. They argue that many of the problems facing the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, Russia and Crimea, and Europe are due to failed leadership on the part of President Obama.
At least one Democrat is also eager to discuss foreign policy. Hillary Clinton, as a former Secretary of State, has a stronger foreign policy résumé than anyone else in the Democratic primary contest. In many ways, she has a stronger foreign policy résumé than any individual running for president. She sees that experience as an opportunity for her and her party to succeed. As a result, she is using a discussion of the issues to her advantage.
The foreign policy issues being discussed in the 2016 race are broad in nature. They include cybersecurity issues with China, nuclear issues with North Korea, sovereignty issues in Eastern Europe, power dynamics with Russia, and trade agreements with the EU and the Pacific Rim. Yet, issues in the Middle East have dominated not just the foreign policy discussion, but the campaign overall. The most widely discussed issue in the campaign is the rise and spread of the Islamic State group (IS) and its attacks in a variety of countries—including acts by sympathizers in the United States. Connected to that issue is a broader conversation about stability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particularly in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.
In addition, the recently implemented Iran nuclear deal has been a controversial Obama administration policy and one that has become a critical issue in the campaign. Democrats support the deal and back the president; Republicans strongly oppose the deal, and many have threatened to renege on it upon taking office.
The final dominant foreign policy issue in this campaign involves American support for Israel. Republicans argue that U.S.-Israel relations have broken down during the Obama administration and that the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security, autonomy, defense, and interests must be a primary part of the nation’s foreign policy. Democrats tend to disagree very little, except to argue that President Obama is not to blame for any complication in relations.
Overall, the discussion of foreign policy in the U.S. presidential campaign is not simply a matter of politics. Foreign policy, and particularly issues involving the Middle East, will be a significant focus of the next administration—regardless of who is elected president. This will mean that nations across the region will play significant roles in that discussion. Furthermore, the United States’ stable allies in the region will play key and strategic roles in the execution of American foreign policy. The specific views and proposals that presidential candidates put forward will affect the region in a variety of ways, making the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election critically important to the MENA region generally, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) specifically.
PROFILING THE CANDIDATES
Below are profiles of the leading candidates for each party’s nomination. U.S. presidential elections are rapidly changing affairs that can be highly unpredictable. Despite that, it is clear that some candidates are positioned to have a chance at securing the nomination, while others have no chance. Seven candidates are profiled—two Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and five Republicans, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump. Each profile contains basic background information about the candidate and a discussion of their positions on major issues important to the Middle East, with some analysis included as well. Each profile includes an “other issues” category that contains the less common topics that candidate is discussing.
It is important to note a few items in advance. First, not all candidates are alike in terms of the amount of information provided. This is a challenge in the 2016 election. Some candidates have been able to run a campaign, gain and maintain support, and even participate in debates without offering significant detail on a variety of policy views. Some candidates—especially Clinton, Bush, and Rubio—have offered significant detail in their views on issues relevant to the Middle East. Other candidates have chosen to be vague. Voters have done little to hold those vague candidates to account, as they have been able to maintain support while saying little empty. Platitudes seem to suffice, while offering details could open them up to criticism. American media have also done little to hold candidates accountable on these points.
The Middle East is a critical military, diplomatic, and economic region. Its stability or instability matters for the finances, safety, and security of the United States and its allies in the region and across the world. Despite the Middle East being the most critical region in the world right now for American foreign policy, the limited detail from some candidates is an alarming reality.
The information contained in the profiles is drawn from campaign websites, debates, media appearances, public speeches, and websites that compile candidate positions.
IS- Clinton offers a three-part strategy to deal with IS. The first part involves defeating IS in Iraq and Syria through an intelligence surge; an increase in coalition air strikes; and a ground campaign supported by U.S. Special Forces, spearheaded by Iraqi Sunnis and Kurds, and involving European partners and Arab neighbors. The second part focuses on cutting off IS financing and networking. Clinton would work to update U.N. terrorism sanctions, push Saudis and Qataris to stop its nationals from assisting in financing, engage local groups and Muslim communities across the world to assist in combating radicalization, and actively combat online recruitment. The third part focuses on defenses at home, limiting the ability of IS to penetrate U.S. borders or recruit within them.
Syria and refugees- Simultaneous with efforts against IS, Clinton supports working with local groups both to remove Assad and plan for a transition to a moderate government. She wants Congress to revise the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force against terrorism. Clinton supports a no-fly zone over northern Syria, near the Turkish border, and the creation of safe zones for refugees as places for them to remain in Syria, while being protected from both IS and Assad’s regime. She would engage the Arab world to help support those safe zones. Additionally, Clinton supports the United States taking in tens of thousands of refugees, as well as pushing both European and Arab nation allies to take additional refugees.
Iran/nuclear deal- Clinton has a five-part strategy in dealing with Iran: 1) deepen the United States’ commitment to Israeli security through defense support, specifically for tunnel detection and missile defense; 2) reaffirm that the Gulf region is a vital American interest through a robust military presence, keeping open the Strait of Hormuz, and increasing security cooperation with the GCC; 3) counter Iranian proxies in other nations and engage states like Turkey and Qatar to crack down on support; 4) stand against Iran’s human rights violations; and 5) work with Arab nations to create a comprehensive regional strategy. She supports the Iran nuclear deal with what she calls a “distrust, but verify” approach. She has said she will use additional sanctions or military force if necessary to enforce the deal.
Israel- Clinton supports a strong and robust alliance with Israel, as well as a two-state solution. She said she would invite the Israeli Prime Minister to the White House during the first month of her presidency to recommit to their alliance, and as a show of solidarity to Iran. She would commit to Israel’s security by providing the aforementioned defense support.
Gulf states- Clinton wants to reaffirm that the Gulf region is a critical partner for security, trade, and defense. She argues that Saudi Arabia is central to beating IS, neutralizing Iran, and stabilizing the region. She wants to push Arab nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others to do more to support the fight against IS with both monetary and troop support. She is committed to protecting GCC nations against Iranian incursion. She said she will push Gulf states to crack down on its citizens who offer financial support to terrorist organizations.
IS- Sanders wants Arab nations to lead the fight, including the use of ground troops, in what he calls “a battle for the soul of Islam.” He also argues that states in the region, particularly wealthy Gulf states must do more to finance the war against IS. Sanders supports coalition air strikes, but he opposes the use of U.S. ground troops. He also supports defeating IS first and worrying about Assad later.
Syria and refugees- Sanders has been unclear about his support for safe zones, but opposes using no-fly zones as part of any effort, for worry it will drag the United States into a protracted engagement. He supports the United States taking tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, recognizing their displacement is a humanitarian crisis. He also demands that European and Arab nation partners must also commit to taking in refugees.
Iran/nuclear deal- Sanders supports the Iran nuclear deal as the most effective means of keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. He considers the deal imperfect, but a bargain worth having. He supports the reimposition of sanctions if Iran violates the agreement, and also argues that military action remains an option, but it must be a last resort. Sanders opposes unilateral American military action, suggesting that in the case of Iran, he would prefer the terms of the agreement be enforced by a coalition.
Israel- Sanders supports Israeli security, as well as a two-state solution. He has been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, being the first legislator to announce he would not attend Netanyahu’s speech before Congress in 2015. Sanders supports a two-state solution that ensures Israel’s right to be secure and Palestine’s right to a homeland. He opposes Hamas rocket fire into Israel, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself. He also opposes the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Gulf states- In addition to arguing that the Gulf states must do more to defeat IS and stabilize the region, Sanders has reserved some harsh rhetoric for Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He said in a speech at Georgetown University that Saudi Arabia should focus less on the war in Yemen and Qatar should focus less on the World Cup and divert resources to Iraq and Syria.
Other issues- Sanders supports dramatic reforms to the U.S. Department of Defense budget to reduce waste and redirect resources toward more necessary interests like fighting IS. Such an increase or redirection of defense funds toward the MENA region could increase the United States’ reliance on its military bases and allies there. Additionally, Sanders opposes bilateral and multilateral trade deals, arguing they tend to hurt American workers. Such opposition could lead to changes in the dynamic of U.S. trade agreements with Oman and Bahrain and for efforts to establish free trade agreements between the United States and the Gulf states.
IS- Bush argues that the fight against IS will require a significant ground operation. He supports building a coalition led by local fighters that includes Sunni tribes, Iraqi forces, and the Kurdish peshmerga—all of which he says the United States should support. In conjunction with troops from Gulf states and a surge in U.S. ground troops, Bush argues IS can be defeated. To that end, Bush would support an expansion in mission of U.S. troops already on the ground—beyond training and assistance—and an expansion of the U.S. air campaign against IS. He specifically argues that a key to winning the war against IS is to “engage peace-loving Muslims,” noting that Muslims account for the largest number of IS’s victims.
Syria and refugees- Bush has spoken of the desire to remove Assad and to support and ready Syrian moderates for the political transition after Assad’s fall. He believes the United States should help the Qataris, Turks, and Saudis who have already worked to help Syrian moderates. Bush seeks to expand diplomatic efforts in addition to war-fighting efforts, and he supports safe zones within Syria that are assisted by a no-fly zone. Bush has been mixed in his discussion of Syrian refugees. He has suggested the United States should pause in accepting refugees until problems in the screening system are fixed. He supports taking orphans, those who the United States can guarantee are not terrorists, and Christians. He has spoken critically of Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, arguing that it isolates the very Arab states the United States need to ally with to defeat IS.
Iran/nuclear deal- Bush has been mixed on the Iran nuclear deal. Early in 2015, he said he would reject a deal with Iran and that any deal posed a threat to Israel. However, later in the year, he argued that reneging on the deal was not a strategy and called for a more nuanced approach to dealing with Iran. He has said he would reinstitute sanctions over Iran’s recent missile tests. He seeks to stop Iranian influence in the MENA region, and says he would provide missile defense systems to allies in the region to protect against Iranian threats.
Israel- Bush wants to reaffirm the U.S. relationship with Israel, strengthening a partnership that he argues has weakened under the Obama administration. He supports a two-state solution. He would also offer Israel sophisticated weapons systems as a means of protecting itself from its enemies. He states that as president he will help Israel in its fight against Hezbollah and Hamas.
Gulf states- Bush has been clear that he believes the GCC countries have a duty to help fight IS and provide troops to do so. He seeks to rebuild alliances with GCC countries and strengthen alliances with Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia because of the strategic advantages those alliances offer in dealing with IS and on other issues. He has praised the Qataris and Saudis in their efforts to fund and support Syrian moderates in their fight against Assad and IS.
Other issues- Bush has said he wants to rebuild and better fund the American military. He has specifically called for an increase in troop levels, new aircraft, an expansion of the naval fleet, and an expansion of the submarine program. Such increases in military power could have an impact on GCC states that host U.S. military installations.
IS- Ben Carson supports a formal declaration of war against IS. He states that he would use a substantial number of U.S. ground troops to defeat IS. He has not offered a specific number; instead, he notes he would provide however many ground troops military commanders request. He said he would seek to form a coalition of U.S. troops and a significant number of troops from “the Arabian peninsula.” Part of his proposals includes training young Syrian men who have been displaced to Saudi Arabia and Jordan to become fighters against IS. He supports the interruption of IS’s financial capabilities. He has said he would also use American troops to cut off supply lines to IS-controlled territory, without discussing what the implications would be for civilians in that territory.
Syria and refugees- Carson has said he would ban the United States from accepting any refugees for fear that members of IS would enter covertly. He argues that Syrian refugees would rather be resettled in Syria (presumably once fighting stops) rather than in the United States or other countries. He also argues that existing refugee camps in states like Jordan are underfunded, and that Arab nations should both provide funding for refugee camps and take in refugees.
Iran/nuclear deal- Carson argues that Iran’s nuclear program is only one of the problems the nation represents. He notes Iran is also waging war against women and religious groups, and that when the United States engages with Iran, it violates its own values in those areas. He believes the Iran deal puts the United States at risk and is a direct threat to Israel. He has said he would renege on the Iran deal immediately upon taking office and deal with Iran in whatever way Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants.
Israel- Carson has repeatedly indicated his commitment to the U.S. alliance with Israel. He argues that the relationship has deteriorated under President Obama, and he would reassert the depth of the relationship upon taking office. He believes Jewish settlements are “maligned” when they are discussed. He has been highly supportive of Prime Minister Netanyahu, calling him a “great leader.” He is skeptical of a traditional two-state solution on the Israel-Palestine issue, saying he would support a Palestinian state, but that it should be located (somewhere) in Egypt.
Gulf states- Carson has made few comments specifically on the GCC. One exception is that he has specifically named the GCC states—all of them—as having a responsibility to use their wealth to provide funding for Syrian refugee camps across the region and take in more refugees.
Other issues- Carson has argued that cuts in defense spending puts the United States at risk. He would increase defense spending to ensure there are no threats to troop levels or other military capabilities. Such spending could have an impact on troop presence in the MENA region and on the Gulf states that host U.S. military installations. Carson also supports leveraging U.S. energy exploration in order to make other states around the world dependent on American energy. He argues this is a way to increase power and leadership in the region.
IS- Ted Cruz’s statements on how to deal with IS have been a mixture of extreme and vague, which has generated criticism among his Republican Party rivals. He supports some level of ground troops in Syria, though he argues that the war against IS can be won without U.S. ground troops. He endorses arming and supporting the Kurdish peshmerga in Iraq and Syria. He endorses the use of “overwhelming airpower” and carpet bombing wherever IS is. He wants to suspend U.S. support for the regime in Baghdad, arguing that they are making the situation in the region worse. He endorses support for Iraqi and Syrian Kurds, Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, seeing them as key players in the fight. In the fight against IS and other groups, Cruz has been careful to note that he does not see the effort as a war on an entire faith, but against Islam’s “radicalized elements.”
Syria and refugees- Cruz is hesitant to remove Assad because he is skeptical of Syrian moderates and worries IS may fill the vacuum. Regarding refugees, he wants to suspend the United States accepting them from any country with significant IS or al-Qaeda-controlled territory, including Syria. As a Senator, he has proposed legislation to do this. He has largely evaded giving answers about whether he supports no-fly zones or safe zones in Syria.
Iran/nuclear deal- Cruz opposes the Iran nuclear deal and states that as president he would immediately renege on the deal. He argues that the deal makes it easier for Iran to become nuclear capable and endangers U.S. security.
Israel- Cruz supports recommitting to and expanding support for the U.S.-Israeli alliance, which he states has deteriorated under the Obama administration. He calls the alliance a “strategic bedrock” for the United States He supports assisting with Israel’s missile defense systems and increasing monetary compensation for those offering information on Hamas activities inside Israel. He is also a vocal supporter of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Upon taking office, Cruz notes he would reassess the U.S. relationship with the Palestinian Authority. He has argued he favors a two-state solution only if it is something Israel wants.
Gulf states- Cruz has offered few statements directly involving GCC states.
Other issues- Cruz has authored legislation that would bar the United States from accepting ambassadors who are known or designated terrorists.
IS- Of all of the Republican candidates, Marco Rubio has offered the most comprehensive plan to deal with IS, proposing a simultaneous political and military strategy. The strategy includes a multinational coalition, including more U.S. troops, particularly special forces. Under Rubio’s plan, the coalition would be led by local Sunni tribes and Kurds who reject IS. He argues that those groups should be funded, armed, and otherwise supported by the United States and the multinational coalition. At the same time, he supports greater autonomy for Sunni tribes in the provinces. Rubio supports expanded American airstrikes against IS in Iraq and Syria. He argues that part of defeating IS involves targeting their financial network and removing their control of oil resources. He also argues that, in order to combat IS recruitment, the United States should sponsor an information campaign that highlights to the public the murder and abuses IS is committing against Muslims and others.
Syria and refugees- Rubio wants to remove Assad and train moderate rebels not just for the fight against IS, but to transition into government in post-Assad Syria. He says he will not cooperate with Russia until Putin commits to Assad’s removal. Rubio’s position on refugees has evolved over time. Initially, he was supportive of the United States taking a limited number of Syrian refugees. After the November 2015 Paris attacks, Rubio noted that the situation changed and opposed the admittance of refugees to the United States Ultimately, he has found middle ground, arguing that the United States can accept a limited number of refugees, namely orphans and the elderly. Rubio supports both no-fly zones and safe zones for those displaced in Syria.
Iran/nuclear deal- Rubio has said that as president he would immediately renege on the Iran nuclear deal and immediately reimpose sanctions. He states he would also increase sanctions (presumably above the pre-deal baseline) to punish Iran for the sponsorship of terrorism and for human rights violations. In order to enforce sanctions and in opposition to an Iranian nuclear program, Rubio says that he would threaten the use of military force.
Israel- Rubio is a staunch supporter of the State of Israel, as well as a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He says that as president he would recommit to both the U.S.-Israeli alliance and to Israel’s right of self-defense. He claims Israel is America’s most important ally. He supports assistance to help Israel combat attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah and is committed to fight efforts to delegitimize the Israeli state.
Gulf states- Rubio has argued that Saudi Arabia should provide more assistance in the effort to defeat IS. He is also supportive of moderate Gulf states that lack democracy—naming Saudi Arabia specifically. He argues that such support is not ideal but is necessary for strategy in the region.
Other issues- Rubio wants to dramatically grow and modernize the U.S. military, criticizing reductions in defense spending under the Obama administration. Such military spending could have an impact on the Gulf region, particularly states that host U.S. military installations. Rubio is a staunch supporter of Trade Promotion Authority, which could empower presidents to expand to trade agreements to additional regions of the world. Finally, Rubio sees the United States as a moral compass for the world, and he is committed to promoting democracy, human rights, and economic freedom internationally.
IS- Donald Trump has offered a complicated and often difficult to navigate plan with regard to IS. Initially, he was hesitant to engage in the conflict, arguing that he was comfortable letting Russia fight IS. He stated there was no need for U.S. intervention and that the United States could simply “pick up the remnants” after Russia defeated IS. In any effort he supports a limited number of U.S. ground forces. He supports bombing Iraqi oil fields to cut off IS revenue, but also wants Iraq to supply the United States with $1.5 trillion in oil revenue to repay war costs. Trump supports killing the families of IS fighters in an effort to dissuade recruitment. He argues that IS must be defeated before the United States deals with Assad.
Syria and refugees- Trump has both recommended the use of “tremendous force” against Assad and expressed concern about what would come after his fall. He is skeptical of training Syrian moderates and whether they can be trusted. He opposes no-fly zones in Syria, but supports establishing safe-zones. Trump says he would prevent refugees from entering the United States and argues that until the U.S. immigration system can improve screening processes, he would ban all Muslims from entering as well.
Iran/nuclear deal- Trump opposes the Iran nuclear deal and argues he could negotiate a better deal. He has at moments sounded as if he would renege on it and at other times suggested reneging is a poor strategy. He states that he would stop the Iranian nuclear program “by whatever means necessary.” Trump also supports an increase in economic sanctions, presumably above the pre-deal baseline.
Israel- Trump has voiced strong support for Israel as a military and economic partner. He supports a close alliance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has not been clear about his views on the establishment of a Palestinian state. He is also supportive of Israeli unilateral action against Iran.
Gulf states- Trump demands that Gulf states pay for safe zones in Syria, adding that the United States can contribute some assistance to the effort. He also argues that Saudi Arabia should compensate the United States financially whenever the United States assists in the protection of Saudi interests.
Other issues- Trump claims he would renegotiate any and all U.S. trade deals that disadvantage U.S. interests, arguing that he can negotiate better deals. Such renegotiation could have an impact on existing trade deals with Bahrain and Oman, and could influence efforts at trade deals with the Gulf region. Trump states that he is in favor of using tariff wars even against nations like China who he argues “don’t play by the rules.” He also states that the United States should only intervene in conflicts around the world when America is directly threatened, not simply for humanitarian purposes. Finally, he supports dictators throughout the world if they ensure stability.
THE IMPACT OF IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE
Starting on February 1, 2016, the presidential race officially began with Iowa casting votes in its caucus. The following week, New Hampshire held its primary. Even though neither state has a large number of delegates, the early voting has begun to transform the race. We learned quickly how competitive the Democratic race would be. With Clinton and Sanders each winning one of the early races, the candidates have begun attacking each other more aggressively and raising money at record paces, as voters recognize the race will be long and hard fought.
For Republicans, as was expected, Ted Cruz won the Iowa Caucus and Donald Trump won in New Hampshire. These results had an important impact on the race. First, the seriousness of Trump’s candidacy was confirmed with his win, and the Republican Party continues to struggle with the reality that they must take him seriously because their voters are taking him seriously. Second, the already nasty and aggressive race has become even nastier as almost every candidate has resorted to attack advertising and fighting during debates and at campaign events. Third, Iowa and New Hampshire’s results have quickly winnowed the field. Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Rand Paul all dropped out of the race. They join others who left the race earlier, leaving just six Republicans standing: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio.
The importance and magnitude of the early states to change presidential politics is remarkable. John Kasich (not profiled here) came in second in New Hampshire, empowering a campaign that was effectively dead. Kasich has had trouble getting traction among Republican voters nationally, despite having a strong resume that includes a successful stint in the U.S. Congress and two terms as Ohio’s governor. While Kasich’s future in the race is unclear, particularly as he is polling very poorly in the upcoming primary states, New Hampshire pushed him from political irrelevance to become, at least temporarily, an important player in the race.
CONCLUSION
It is important to note that American presidential candidates’ rhetoric does not always translate into presidential action. One ideal example of this involves the U.S. prisoner detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During his first presidential campaign, Barack Obama criticized the facility, and questioned its use and feasibility, and declared his intention to shut it down. Yet, more than seven years into his presidency, the facility remains open.
Thus, it is critical not to assume that what a candidate says on the campaign trail will become policy upon his or her taking the oath of office. In many cases, that is a relief. Presidential campaigns are notorious for candidates’ hyperbolic statements, over-the-top promises, and exaggerated efforts to distinguish themselves from their opponents. Nowhere is this truer than in the realm of foreign policy. Despite those uncertainties, there are several takeaways from the U.S. presidential campaign that Americans and audiences abroad can use to predict what the next administration’s foreign policy may look like.
Issues the top U.S. presidential candidates agree and disagree onOne thing is certain and consistent among all candidates. Each is committed to a strong, lasting, and mutual relationship with the state of Israel. Presidential candidates of both parties see the U.S. alliance with Israel to be among the most important and most strategic in the world. Each candidate has either stated or alluded to the relationship deteriorating under President Obama, and each has vowed to renew it.
In addition, each of the candidates has suggested taking a more aggressive approach toward dealing with IS. Between the parties and among the candidates, those approaches vary widely. Democrats like Hillary Clinton would implement stronger extensions of the current policy of the Obama administration. Several Republican candidates would send more troops and additional airpower to the region in an effort to deal with the problem.
Some of the candidates have offered extreme and bellicose proposals such as carpet bombing swaths of territory or killing IS family members. The reality is that career military advisers serve important roles in any administration and would likely be able to impress upon a president the danger in implementing overly extreme policies. That advice would likely prevent some of the more worrisome rhetoric coming out of the presidential race from ultimately becoming policy.
One additional area where candidates are a bit similar involves the Gulf region. While some candidates have had harsh words for states like Saudi Arabia and several have called for GCC and other MENA states to do more to combat IS and assist Syrian moderates, there has been some unity in the rhetoric. No one running for president has sought to limit or reconsider America’s relationship with the region. In fact, several have signaled the importance of stable states in the region as economic, military and strategic partners in all affairs—not simply in dealing with IS. Alliances with states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and others are critical for the United States and its ability to operate around the world. Those alliances will remain or strengthen, particularly as the fight against IS proceeds. In fact, among Republicans the need to maintain stable, effective, and productive relationships with GCC nations is essential if they are to increase American military might in the region, due to their hosting of U.S. bases.
In general, American foreign policy is relatively consistent among presidents—even presidents of different parties. However, there are certainly areas of disagreement among presidential candidates and those disagreements will mean significant differences in the next administration. Those areas include presidential rhetoric, the Syrian refugee crisis, and relations with Iran.
While rhetoric on the campaign trail may not translate into action, it can signal the type of rhetoric that would emanate from a White House under a given president. Foreign policy, at times, is as much about words as it is about action. One can be certain that Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or Jeb Bush would offer a calmer, more thoughtful, less bellicose White House. It would likely involve a quieter, behind-the-scenes, cooperative, coordinated foreign policy. Other candidates like Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and even Marco Rubio would be more blunt. Their language, even if it does not translate directly to actions, will involve saber rattling, harsh words, and grandstanding. In some contexts, that approach can work well and in others it can significantly undermine coordinated diplomatic and foreign policy efforts.
In dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis, the choice of who is elected president will have a huge impact on what American policy looks like. Democrats would likely accept tens of thousands of refugees, assist with and encourage other states to take in and support refugees, and, in the case of Hillary Clinton, also support air power-protected safe zones in Syria to deal with the crisis. Republican candidates, on the other hand, would refuse Syrian refugees, and some discourage the creation of safe zones within Syria. Instead, they would rely wholly on states of the region to take in refugees and deal with the crisis closer to its source. Those choices will have serious consequences, and not just for American policy. It would also affect the chances of success in dealing with the humanitarian crisis, as well as the expectations of Gulf states.
The area in which who becomes the next American president could mean the most significant policy divergence involves Iran. Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are quite united in this area. They support the Iran nuclear agreement and would likely implement it with a healthy skepticism of Iran’s willingness to comply. They are willing to enact significant economic sanctions in the event of Iranian violations. Ultimately, they are willing to work within the framework of the existing agreement and with the international community to hold Iran to account. Republicans differ. Most say they would renege on the Iran agreement immediately upon taking office. They would immediately seek to reimpose the pre-deal sanctions. Many Republicans have suggested that they would increase economic sanctions in an effort to change Iran’s behavior. Beyond the return to sanctions, it is unclear whether Republicans opposed to the Iran deal have an alternative plan of action to prevent Iran from seeking a nuclear weapon or if they believe that sanctions will achieve the task. None of the candidates have discussed what reneging on the agreement would mean for relations with the other signatories of the deal.
In the end, who the United States will elect as its next president will have a significant impact on the direction of foreign policy, particularly on an issue-by-issue basis. The choices over existing agreements, partnerships, deals, and alliances could see changes in the next administration. Changes in the direction of American foreign policy must be put into context, however. Rhetoric from presidential candidates is often an exaggerated version of their true beliefs or the actions they would take as president. Oftentimes, to understand what a future administration would look like, it is more important to read between the lines than to read the actual lines of their speeches.
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Copyright 2017 The Brookings Institution
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| Electoral college |
Which five words from a nursery rhyme were the first Edison recorded on a phonograph? | Vice Presidential Candidates Don’t Deliver Votes | New Republic
Vice Presidential Candidates Don’t Deliver Votes
Studies show that there’s no demographic or home-state advantage.
July 13, 2016
Veepstakes speculation is rampant as we approach the national conventions for both major political parties.
Media reports have detailed the wide array of options available to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as they decide who will be their number twos for this campaign, and perhaps for four or eight years to come.
Who will Trump and Clinton pick? That depends on each candidate’s goals – both for the remainder of the presidential campaign and after Nov. 8. Political observers widely agree that the most important characteristic to look for in a running mate is the ability to serve as president in the event of unforeseen circumstances, like a president’s death, incapacitation, resignation or impeachment.
However, when campaign staff and trusted political advisers vet potential running mates, they are certain to also weigh political considerations. That is, whether a given running mate will help or hurt the presidential ticket, with voters in general or with a key voting group. Particularly if the campaign is at a competitive disadvantage, its strategists may look to the running mate as a potential “game changer.”
The electoral advantage most commonly associated with vice presidential candidates is geographic. In other words, they are expected to deliver their home state or region in the Electoral College. But do they actually deliver?
Usually not.
In our book, The VP Advantage: How Running Mates Influence Home State Voting in Presidential Elections , we employed a multi-method approach to empirically test the purported home state advantage. We used both state-level election returns since 1884 and individual-level survey data since 1952 in our analysis. Ultimately, we found no evidence of a general vice presidential home state advantage, on average.
Based upon the data, it is unlikely that Hillary Clinton’s or Donald Trump’s running mate will deliver a crucial battleground state, like Ohio or Virginia. Instead, the presidential candidates would be wise to select a respected running mate who can effectively serve as vice president.
Mythbusting: VP influence
Survey data and internal campaign polls from 1960 even cast serious doubt on the “fact” that Lyndon Johnson delivered Texas and the South for Democratic presidential candidate John Kennedy that year. Although presidential candidates typically receive an electoral advantage in their home state, our findings for vice presidential candidates suggest a conditional relationship.
Such advantages are most likely to occur in less populous states where a running mate has significant elected political experience within that state. The vice presidential candidacies of Maine’s Edmund Muskie (1968) and Delaware’s Joe Biden (2008, 2012), both political “institutions” in their small home states, serve as perfect examples.
How about demographic appeal, then? Will a running mate deliver votes from a targeted demographic group — say, based on gender or religion — if she also belongs to that group? To find out, in a recent analysis we tested whether women (1984 and 2008), Catholic (1972, 1984, 2008, and 2012), and Jewish (2000) voters were more likely to vote for a presidential ticket that included a vice president from the same demographic group. Once again, running mates failed to deliver as expected.
True, voters more positively evaluated vice presidential candidates who belonged to their demographic group. But this did not change votes. Women, for instance, were no more likely than in other years to vote for a ticket featuring a woman as running mate, and the same generally goes for religious minorities.
While there’s a great deal of speculation that Hillary Clinton will select a Hispanic running mate , partly in hopes of increasing her vote share among Hispanics, this evidence suggests that she should not expect such an advantage. Of course, she may perform better among Hispanics for other reasons, namely opposition to Donald Trump’s candidacy.
Do VP’s even matter?
So, are vice presidential candidates electorally irrelevant? No, far from it.
Campaigns could use a running mate as a means to reinforce a campaign theme or foster party unity . Ted Cruz selecting Carly Fiorina as his seven-day running mate , for example, reinforced Cruz’s campaign brand of a political outsider who would shake up Washington.
In 1976, Ronald Reagan used his vice presidential pick to attempt to unify the warring factions of his party and pick up uncommitted delegates at the Republican National Convention . It backfired when he announced Sen. Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania would be his running mate, which provoked a strong reaction from Sen. Jesse Helms and other conservatives. Gerald Ford got the nomination that year.
Four years later, Reagan considered the possibility of inviting Ford back to the ticket as his running mate in what some dubbed a co-presidency . Instead he offered the vice presidential slot to his relatively moderate primary opponent, George H.W. Bush.
Indeed, the empirical evidence suggests that running mates have a modest, but measurable influence on presidential vote choice. In our book , we used data from the American National Election Studies and found that evaluations of presidential candidates are three times more influential than evaluations of running mates, when explaining voter choice.
Remember, voters must choose between presidential tickets, and not just presidential candidates. That’s why VP candidates have some level of influence on voters, albeit small relative to the presidential candidates. This means a vice presidential candidate may strengthen or weaken overall evaluations of the ticket to the extent that he or she is very appealing or very unappealing to voters.
The major takeaway from our findings is this: If a running mate is exceedingly popular or unpopular relative to the presidential candidate, then they could marginally influence vote choice at a national level.
Typically, this does not happen. When vetting running mates, most campaigns take a “do no harm” approach and ensure that the vice presidential pick will not detract from the presidential candidate. Most vice presidential candidates are not exceptionally popular or unpopular. Many are simply unknown to voters .
Of course, there are exceptions. For example, political science research has estimated that Sarah Palin may have cost John McCain as many as 2.1 million votes in 2008 due to her unpopularity among moderate voters. At the same time, however, Palin energized the conservative base and motivated some voters to support McCain who otherwise would have stayed home on Election Day.
Setting expectations for 2016
What does all of this mean for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016? Given that both candidates have historically high unfavorable ratings after winning exceptionally divisive party nomination campaigns, a vice presidential candidate could influence voters more in 2016 than in a typical election year.
If Clinton or Trump select a running mate who is also unpopular, while the other selects one with high or even neutral favorability among voters, the latter could make a positive and meaningful contribution to the overall ticket.
Perhaps, then, this is the year that vice presidential selections will make a difference — not by delivering a key state or voting bloc, but by enhancing the popularity of a presidential ticket that desperately needs the help.
| i don't know |
What term can be both a piece of cartilage in certain joints and a feature of a liquid? | Meniscus - definition of meniscus by The Free Dictionary
Meniscus - definition of meniscus by The Free Dictionary
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/meniscus
Related to meniscus: meniscus tear
meniscus
anterior view of a knee joint
me·nis·cus
n. pl. me·nis·ci (-nĭs′ī, -kī, -kē) or me·nis·cus·es
1. A crescent-shaped body.
2. A concavo-convex lens.
3. The curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a container that is concave if the liquid wets the container walls and convex if it does not.
4. A cartilage disk that acts as a cushion between the ends of bones that meet in a joint.
[New Latin, from Greek mēniskos, diminutive of mēnē, moon, month; see mē-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
me·nis′cal (-kəl), me·nis′cate′ (-kăt′), me·nis′coid′ (-koid′), men′is·coi′dal (mĕn′ĭs-koid′l) adj.
meniscus
(mɪˈnɪskəs)
n, pl -nisci (-ˈnɪsaɪ) or -niscuses
1. (General Physics) the curved upper surface of a liquid standing in a tube, produced by the surface tension
2. a crescent or half-moon-shaped body or design
3. (Anatomy) a crescent-shaped fibrous cartilage between the bones at certain joints, esp at the knee
4. (General Physics) a crescent-shaped lens; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens
[C17: from New Latin, from Greek mēniskos crescent, diminutive of mēnē moon]
meˈniscoid adj
n., pl. -nis•ci (-ˈnɪs aɪ, -ˈnɪs kaɪ, -ki) -nis•cus•es.
1. a crescent or a crescent-shaped body.
2. the convex or concave upper surface of a column of liquid, the curvature of which is caused by surface tension.
3. a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens.
4. a wedge of cartilage between the articulating ends of the bones in certain joints.
[1685–95; < New Latin < Greek mēnískos crescent, diminutive of mḗnē moon]
me·nis·cus
(mə-nĭs′kəs)
1. A lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other.
2. The curved upper surface of a column of liquid. The surface is concave if the molecules of the liquid are attracted to the container walls and convex if they are not.
3. A piece of cartilage shaped like a crescent and located at the junction of two bones in a joint, such as the knee. See more at joint .
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
cartilage , gristle - tough elastic tissue; mostly converted to bone in adults
anatomy , general anatomy - the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals
2.
meniscus - (optics) a lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other
lens , lens system , lense - a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images
optics - the branch of physics that studies the physical properties of light
3.
meniscus - (physics) the curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a vertical tube
surface - the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface"
natural philosophy , physics - the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics"
Translations
| Meniscus |
What term can be both a highly energised state of matter and a bodily fluid? | Questions and Answers About Knee Problems
Questions and Answers about Knee Problems
March 2016
Knee problems are very common, and they occur in people of all ages. This publication contains general information about several knee problems. It includes descriptions and an illustration of the different parts of the knee. Individual sections of the publication describe the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of specific types of knee injuries and conditions. Information on how to prevent these problems is also provided. At the end is a list of key words to help you understand the terms used in this publication. If you have further questions, you may wish to discuss them with your doctor.
What Do the Knees Do? How Do They Work?
The knee is the joint where the bones of the upper leg meet the bones of the lower leg, allowing hinge-like movement while providing stability and strength to support the weight of the body. Flexibility, strength, and stability are needed for standing and for motions like walking, running, crouching, jumping, and turning.
Several kinds of supporting and moving parts, including bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, help the knees do their job (see box “Joint Basics” ). Each of these structures is subject to disease and injury. When a knee problem affects your ability to do things, it can have a big impact on your life. Knee problems can interfere with many things, from participation in sports to simply getting up from a chair and walking.
About Total Knee Replacement
Joint Basics
The point at which two or more bones are connected is called a joint. In all joints, the bones are kept from grinding against each other by a lining called cartilage. Bones are joined to bones by strong, elastic bands of tissue called ligaments. Muscles are connected to bones by tough cords of tissue called tendons. Muscles pull on tendons to move joints. Although muscles are not technically part of a joint, they’re important because strong muscles help support and protect joints.
What Causes Knee Problems?
Knee problems can be the result of disease or injury.
Disease
A number of diseases can affect the knee. The most common is arthritis. Although arthritis technically means “joint inflammation,” the term is used loosely to describe many different diseases that can affect the joints. Some of the most common forms of arthritis and their effects on the knees are described a bit later in this publication.
Injury
Knee injuries can occur as the result of a direct blow or sudden movements that strain the knee beyond its normal range of motion. Sometimes knees are injured slowly over time. Problems with the hips or feet, for example, can cause you to walk awkwardly, which throw off the alignment of the knees and leads to damage. Knee problems can also be the result of a lifetime of normal wear and tear. Much like the treads on a tire, the joint simply wears out over time. This publication discusses some of the most common knee injuries, but first describes the structure of the knee joint.
What Are the Parts of the Knee?
Like any joint, the knee is composed of bones and cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Take a closer look at the different parts of the knee in the illustration below.
Bones and Cartilage
The knee joint is the junction of three bones: the femur (thigh bone or upper leg bone), the tibia (shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg), and the patella (kneecap). The patella is 2 to 3 inches wide and 3 to 4 inches long. It sits over the other bones at the front of the knee joint and slides when the knee moves. It protects the knee and gives leverage to muscles.
The ends of the three bones in the knee joint are covered with articular cartilage, a tough, elastic material that helps absorb shock and allows the knee joint to move smoothly. Separating the bones of the knee are pads of connective tissue called menisci (men-NISS-sky). The menisci are two crescent-shaped discs, each called a meniscus (men-NISS-kus), positioned between the tibia and femur on the outer and inner sides of each knee. The two menisci in each knee act as shock absorbers, cushioning the lower part of the leg from the weight of the rest of the body as well as enhancing stability.
Muscles
There are two groups of muscles at the knee. The four quadriceps muscles on the front of the thigh work to straighten the knee from a bent position. The hamstring muscles, which run along the back of the thigh from the hip to just below the knee, help to bend the knee.
Tendons and Ligaments
The quadriceps tendon connects the quadriceps muscle to the patella and provides the power to straighten the knee. The following four ligaments connect the femur and tibia and give the joint strength and stability:
The medial collateral ligament, which runs along the inside of the knee joint, provides stability to the inner (medial) part of the knee.
The lateral collateral ligament, which runs along the outside of the knee joint, provides stability to the outer (lateral) part of the knee.
The anterior cruciate ligament, in the center of the knee, limits rotation and the forward movement of the tibia.
The posterior cruciate ligament, also in the center of the knee, limits backward movement of the tibia.
The knee capsule is a protective, fiber-like structure that wraps around the knee joint. Inside the capsule, the joint is lined with a thin, soft tissue called synovium.
How Are Knee Problems Diagnosed?
Doctors diagnose knee problems based on the findings of a medical history, physical exam, and diagnostic tests.
Medical History
During the medical history, the doctor asks how long symptoms have been present and what problems you are having using your knee. In addition, the doctor will ask about any injury, condition, or health problem that might be causing the problem.
Physical Examination
The doctor bends, straightens, rotates (turns), or presses on the knee to feel for injury and to determine how well the knee moves and where the pain is located. The doctor may ask you to stand, walk, or squat to help assess the knee’s function.
Diagnostic Tests
Depending on the findings of the medical history and physical exam, the doctor may use one or more tests to determine the nature of a knee problem. Some of the more commonly used tests include:
X ray (radiography). A procedure in which an x-ray beam is passed through the knee to produce a two-dimensional picture of the bones.
Computerized axial tomography (CT) scan. A painless procedure in which x rays are passed through the knee at different angles, detected by a scanner, and analyzed by a computer. CT scan images show soft tissues such as ligaments or muscles more clearly than do conventional x rays. The computer can combine individual images to give a three-dimensional view of the knee.
Ultrasound. A technique that uses sound waves to produce images of the soft tissue structures within and around the knee. A small, hand-held scanner is placed on and around the skin of the knee, which may be moved into different positions throughout the exam.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A procedure that uses a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create pictures of areas inside the knee. During the procedure, your leg is placed in a cylindrical chamber where energy from a powerful magnet (rather than x rays) is passed through the knee. An MRI is particularly useful for detecting soft tissue damage.
Arthroscopy. A surgical technique in which the doctor manipulates a small, lighted optic tube (arthroscope) that has been inserted into the joint through a small incision in the knee. Images of the inside of the knee joint are projected onto a television screen.
Joint aspiration. A procedure that uses a syringe to remove fluid buildup in a joint to reduce swelling and relieve pressure. A laboratory analysis of the fluid can determine the presence of a fracture, an infection, or an inflammatory response.
Biopsy. A procedure in which tissue is removed from the body and studied under a microscope.
What Are Some Common Knee Injuries and Problems?
There are many diseases and types of injuries that can affect the knee. These are some of the most common, along with their diagnoses and treatment.
Arthritis
There are some 100 different forms of arthritis, 1 rheumatic diseases, and related conditions. Virtually all of them have the potential to affect the knees in some way; however, the following are the most common.
1 The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse has separate publications on the different forms of arthritis mentioned in this section. See the end of this publication for contact information.
Osteoarthritis. Some people with knee problems have a form of arthritis called osteoarthritis. In this disease, the cartilage gradually wears away and changes occur in the adjacent bone. Osteoarthritis may be caused by joint injury or being overweight. It is associated with aging and most typically begins in people age 50 or older. A young person who develops osteoarthritis typically has had an injury to the knee or may have an inherited form of the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis, which generally affects people at a younger age than does osteoarthritis, is an autoimmune disease. This means it occurs as a result of the immune system attacking components of the body. In rheumatoid arthritis, the primary site of the immune system’s attack is the synovium, the membrane that lines the joint. This attack causes inflammation of the joint. It can lead to destruction of the cartilage and bone and, in some cases, muscles, tendons, and ligaments as well.
Other rheumatic diseases. These include:
Gout. An acute and intensely painful form of arthritis that occurs when crystals of the bodily waste product uric acid are deposited in the joints.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). An autoimmune disease characterized by destructive inflammation of the skin, internal organs, and other body systems, as well as the joints.
Ankylosing spondylitis. An inflammatory form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, leading to stiffening and in some cases fusing into a stooped position.
Psoriatic arthritis. A condition in which inflamed joints produce symptoms of arthritis for patients who have or will develop psoriasis.
Reactive arthritis. A term describing forms of arthritis that are caused by infectious agents, such as bacteria or viruses. Prompt medical attention is essential to treat the infection and minimize damage to joints, particularly if fever is present.
Symptoms
The symptoms are different for the different forms of arthritis. For example, people with rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or other inflammatory conditions may find the knee swollen, red, and even hot to the touch. Any form of arthritis can cause the knee to be painful and stiff.
Diagnosis
The doctor may confirm the diagnosis by conducting a careful history and physical examination. Blood tests may be helpful for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, but other tests may also be needed. Analyzing fluid from the knee joint, for example, may be helpful in diagnosing gout. X rays may be taken to determine loss or damage to cartilage or bone.
Treatment
Like the symptoms, treatment varies depending on the form of arthritis affecting the knee. For osteoarthritis, treatment is targeted at relieving symptoms and may include pain-reducing medicines such as aspirin or acetaminophen; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 2 such as ibuprofen; or, in some cases, injections of corticosteroid medications directly into the knee joint. 3
2 Warning: Side effects of NSAIDs include stomach problems; skin rashes; high blood pressure; fluid retention; and liver, kidney, and heart problems. The longer a person uses NSAIDs, the more likely he or she is to have side effects, ranging from mild to serious. Many other drugs cannot be taken when a patient is being treated with NSAIDs because NSAIDs alter the way the body uses or eliminates these other drugs. Check with your health care provider or pharmacist before you take NSAIDs. NSAIDs should only be used at the lowest dose possible for the shortest time needed.
3 All medicines can have side effects. Some medicines and side effects are mentioned in this publication. Some side effects may be more severe than others. You should review the package insert that comes with your medicine and ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have any questions about the possible side effects.
People with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or psoriatic arthritis often require disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologic response modifiers (biologics) to control the underlying disease that is the source of their knee problems. These drugs are typically prescribed after less potent treatments, such as NSAIDs or intra-articular injections, are deemed ineffective.
People with any type of arthritis may benefit from exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the knee and from weight loss, if needed, to relieve excess stress on the joints.
If arthritis causes serious damage to a knee or there is incapacitating pain or loss of use of the knee from arthritis, joint surgery may be considered. Traditionally, this has been done with what is known as a total knee replacement. However, newer surgical procedures are continuously being developed that include resurfacing or replacing only the damaged cartilage surfaces while leaving the rest of the joint intact.
Chondromalacia
Chondromalacia (KON-dro-mah-LAY-she-ah), also called chondromalacia patellae, refers to softening and breakdown of the articular cartilage of the kneecap. This disorder occurs most often in young adults and can be caused by injury, overuse, misalignment of the patella, or muscle weakness. Instead of gliding smoothly across the lower end of the thigh bone, the kneecap rubs against it, thereby roughening the cartilage underneath the kneecap. The damage may range from a slightly abnormal surface of the cartilage to a surface that has been worn away to the bone. Chondromalacia related to injury occurs when a blow to the kneecap tears off either a small piece of cartilage or a large fragment containing a piece of bone (osteochondral fracture).
Symptoms
The most frequent symptom of chondromalacia is a dull pain around or under the kneecap that worsens when walking down stairs or hills. A person may also feel pain when climbing stairs or when the knee bears weight as it straightens. The disorder is common in runners and is also seen in skiers, cyclists, and soccer players.
Diagnosis
Your description of symptoms and an x ray or MRI usually help the doctor make a diagnosis. Although arthroscopy can confirm the diagnosis, it’s not performed unless conservative treatment has failed.
Treatment
Many doctors recommend that people with chondromalacia perform low-impact exercises that strengthen muscles, particularly muscles of the inner part of the quadriceps, without injuring joints. Swimming, riding a stationary bicycle, and using a cross-country ski machine are examples of good exercises for this condition. If these treatments don’t improve the condition, surgery may be indicated.
Meniscal Injuries (Injuries to the Menisci)
The menisci can be easily injured by the force of rotating the knee while bearing weight. A partial or total tear may occur when a person quickly twists or rotates the upper leg while the foot stays still (for example, when dribbling a basketball around an opponent or turning to hit a tennis ball). If the tear is tiny, the meniscus stays connected to the front and back of the knee; if the tear is large, the meniscus may be left hanging by a thread of cartilage. The seriousness of a tear depends on its location and extent.
Symptoms
Generally, when people injure a meniscus, they feel some pain, particularly when the knee is straightened. If the pain is mild, the person may continue moving. Severe pain may occur if a fragment of the meniscus catches between the femur and the tibia. Swelling may occur soon after injury if there is damage to blood vessels. Swelling may also occur several hours later if there is inflammation of the joint lining (synovium). Sometimes, an injury that occurred in the past but was not treated becomes painful months or years later, particularly if the knee is injured a second time. After any injury, the knee may click, lock, feel weak, or give way. Although symptoms of meniscal injury may disappear on their own, they frequently persist or return and require treatment.
Diagnosis
In addition to listening to your description of the onset of pain and swelling, the doctor may perform a physical examination and request x rays or an ultrasound of the knee. An MRI may be recommended to confirm the diagnosis. Occasionally, the doctor may use arthroscopy to help diagnose a meniscal tear.
Treatment
If the tear is minor and the pain and other symptoms go away, the doctor may recommend a muscle-strengthening program. The following exercises are designed to build up the quadriceps and hamstring muscles and increase flexibility and strength after injury to the meniscus:
Warming up the joint by riding a stationary bicycle, then straightening and raising the leg (but not straightening it too much).
Extending the leg while sitting (a weight may be worn on the ankle for this exercise).
Raising the leg while lying on the stomach.
Exercising in a pool (walking as fast as possible in chest-deep water, performing small flutter kicks while holding onto the side of the pool, and raising each leg to 90 degrees in chest-deep water while pressing the back against the side of the pool).
Before beginning any type of exercise program, consult your doctor or physical therapist to learn which exercises are appropriate for you and how to do them correctly, because doing the wrong exercise or exercising improperly can cause problems. A health care professional can also advise you on how to warm up safely and when to avoid exercising a joint affected by arthritis. If your lifestyle is limited by the symptoms or the problem, surgery may be indicated.
Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Cruciate ligament injuries are sometimes referred to as sprains. 4 They don’t necessarily cause pain, but they are disabling. The anterior cruciate ligament is most often stretched or torn (or both) by a sudden twisting motion (for example, when the feet are planted one way and the knees are turned another). The posterior cruciate ligament is most often injured by a direct impact, such as in an automobile accident or football tackle.
4 The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse has a separate publication on sprains and strains. See the end of this booklet for contact information.
Symptoms
You may hear a popping sound, and the leg may buckle when you try to stand on it.
Diagnosis
The doctor may perform several tests to see whether the parts of the knee stay in proper position when pressure is applied in different directions. A thorough examination is essential. An MRI is accurate in detecting a complete tear, but arthroscopy may be the only reliable means of detecting a partial one.
Treatment
For an incomplete tear, the doctor may recommend an exercise program to strengthen surrounding muscles. He or she may also prescribe a brace to protect the knee during activity. For a completely torn anterior cruciate ligament in an active athlete and motivated person, the doctor is likely to recommend surgery.
Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligament Injuries
The medial collateral ligament is more easily injured than the lateral collateral ligament. The cause of collateral ligament injuries is most often a blow to the outer side of the knee that stretches and tears the ligament on the inner side of the knee. Such blows frequently occur in contact sports such as football or hockey.
Symptoms
When injury to the medial collateral ligament occurs, you may feel a pop and the knee may buckle sideways. Pain and swelling are common.
Diagnosis
A thorough examination is needed to determine the type and extent of the injury. In diagnosing a collateral ligament injury, the doctor exerts pressure on the side of the knee to determine the degree of pain and the looseness of the joint. An MRI is helpful in diagnosing injuries to these ligaments.
Treatment
Most sprains of the collateral ligaments will heal if you follow a prescribed exercise program. In addition to exercise, the doctor may recommend ice packs to reduce pain and swelling, and a small sleeve-type brace to protect and stabilize the knee. A sprain may take 2 to 4 weeks to heal. A severely sprained or torn collateral ligament may be accompanied by a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which usually requires surgical repair.
Tendon Injuries
Knee tendon injuries range from tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon) to a ruptured (torn) tendon. If a person overuses a tendon during certain activities such as dancing, cycling, or running, the tendon stretches and becomes inflamed. Tendinitis of the patellar tendon is sometimes called “jumper’s knee” because in sports that require jumping, such as basketball, the muscle contraction and force of hitting the ground after a jump strain the tendon. After repeated stress, the tendon may become inflamed or tear.
Symptoms
People with tendinitis often have tenderness at the point where the patellar tendon meets the bone. In addition, they may feel pain during running, hurried walking, or jumping. A complete rupture of the quadriceps or patellar tendon is not only painful, but also makes it difficult for a person to bend, extend, or lift the leg against gravity.
Diagnosis
If there is not much swelling, the doctor will be able to feel a defect in the tendon near the tear during a physical examination. An x ray will show that the patella is lower than normal in a quadriceps tendon tear and higher than normal in a patellar tendon tear. The doctor may use an ultrasound or MRI to confirm a partial or total tear.
Treatment
Initially, the treatment for tendinitis involves rest, elevating the knee, applying ice, and taking NSAID medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve pain and decrease inflammation and swelling. A series of rehabilitation exercises is also useful. If the quadriceps or patellar tendon is completely ruptured, a surgeon will reattach the ends.
Rehabilitating a partial or complete tear of a tendon requires an exercise program that is similar to but less vigorous than that prescribed for ligament injuries. The goals of exercise are to restore the ability to bend and straighten the knee and to strengthen the leg to prevent repeat injury.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a condition caused by repetitive stress or tension on part of the growth area of the upper tibia (the apophysis). It is characterized by inflammation of the patellar tendon and surrounding soft tissues at the point where the tendon attaches to the tibia. The disease may also be associated with an injury in which the tendon is stretched so much that it tears away from the tibia and takes a fragment of bone with it. The disease most commonly affects active young people, particularly boys between the ages of 10 and 15, who play games or sports that include frequent running and jumping.
Symptoms
People with this disease experience pain just below the knee joint that usually worsens with activity and is relieved by rest. A bony bump that is particularly painful when pressed may appear on the upper edge of the tibia (below the kneecap). Usually, the motion of the knee is not affected. Pain may last a few months and may recur until the child’s growth is completed.
Diagnosis
Osgood-Schlatter disease is most often diagnosed by the symptoms. An x ray may be normal, or show an injury, or, more typically, show that the growth area is in fragments.
Treatment
Osgood-Schlatter disease is temporary and the pain usually goes away without treatment. Applying ice to the knee when pain begins helps relieve inflammation and is sometimes used along with stretching and strengthening exercises. The doctor may advise you to limit participation in vigorous sports. Children who wish to continue moderate or less stressful sports activities may need to wear knee pads for protection and apply ice to the knee after activity. If there is a great deal of pain, sports activities may be limited until the discomfort becomes tolerable.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Iliotibial band syndrome is an inflammatory condition caused when a band of tissue rubs over the outer bone (lateral condyle) of the knee. Although iliotibial band syndrome may be caused by direct injury to the knee, it is most often caused by the stress of long-term overuse, such as sometimes occurs in sports training and, particularly, in running.
Symptoms
A person with this syndrome feels an ache or burning sensation at the side of the knee during activity. Pain may be localized at the side of the knee or radiate up the side of the thigh. A person may also feel a snap when the knee is bent and then straightened. Swelling is usually absent, and knee motion is normal.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of this disorder is typically based on the symptoms, such as pain at the outer bone, and exclusion of other conditions with similar symptoms.
Treatment
Usually, iliotibial band syndrome disappears if the person reduces activity and performs stretching exercises followed by muscle-strengthening exercises. In rare cases when the syndrome doesn’t disappear, surgery may be necessary to split the tendon so it isn’t stretched too tightly over the bone.
Osteochondritis Dissecans
Osteochondritis dissecans results from a loss of the blood supply to an area of bone underneath a joint surface. It usually involves the knee. The affected bone and its covering of cartilage gradually loosen and cause pain. This problem usually arises spontaneously in an active adolescent or young adult. It may be caused by a slight blockage of a small artery or to an unrecognized injury or tiny fracture that damages the overlying cartilage. A person with this condition may eventually develop osteoarthritis.
Lack of a blood supply can cause bone to break down (osteonecrosis). 5 The involvement of several joints or the appearance of osteochondritis dissecans in several family members may indicate that the disorder is inherited.
5 The NIAMS Information Clearinghouse has a separate publication on osteonecrosis. See the end of this booklet for contact information.
Symptoms
If normal healing doesn’t occur, cartilage separates from the diseased bone and a fragment breaks loose into the knee joint, causing weakness, sharp pain, and locking of the joint.
Diagnosis
An x ray, MRI, or arthroscopy can determine the condition of the cartilage and can be used to diagnose osteochondritis dissecans.
Treatment
In most cases, healing occurs after a period of rest and limited activity. Physical therapy can be beneficial. When conservative measures do not help or cartilage fragments are loose, surgery may be indicated.
Plica Syndrome
Plica (PLI-kah) syndrome occurs when plicae (bands of synovial tissue) are irritated by overuse or injury. Synovial plicae are the remains of tissue pouches found in the early stages of fetal development. As the fetus develops, these pouches normally combine to form one large synovial cavity. If this process is incomplete, plicae remain as four folds or bands of synovial tissue within the knee. Injury, chronic overuse, or inflammatory conditions are associated with this syndrome.
Symptoms
Symptoms of plica syndrome include pain and swelling, a clicking sensation, and locking and weakness of the knee.
Diagnosis
Because the symptoms are similar to those of some other knee problems, plica syndrome is often misdiagnosed. Diagnosis usually depends on excluding other conditions that cause similar symptoms.
Treatment
The goal of treatment for plica syndrome is to reduce inflammation of the synovium and thickening of the plicae. The doctor usually prescribes medicine to reduce inflammation. People are also advised to reduce activity, apply ice and an elastic bandage to the knee, and do strengthening exercises. If treatment fails to relieve symptoms, the doctor may recommend arthroscopic or open surgery to remove the plicae.
What Kinds of Doctors Evaluate and Treat Knee Problems?
After an examination by your primary care doctor, he or she may refer you to a rheumatologist, an orthopaedic surgeon, or both. A rheumatologist specializes in nonsurgical treatment of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. An orthopaedic surgeon, or orthopaedist, specializes in nonsurgical and surgical treatment of bones, joints, and soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
About Total Knee Replacement
Joint replacement is becoming more common, and hips and knees are the most commonly replaced joints.
The new joint, called a prosthesis, can be made of plastic, metal, or ceramic materials. It may be cemented into place or uncemented. An uncemented prosthesis is designed so that bones will grow into it.
First made available in the late 1950s, early total knee replacements did a poor job of mimicking the natural motion of the knee. For that reason, these procedures resulted in high failure and complication rates. Advances in total knee replacement technology in the past several years have enhanced the design and fit of knee implants.
Total knee replacement may be indicated when x rays and other tests show joint damage; when moderate-to-severe, persistent pain does not improve adequately with nonsurgical treatment; and when the limited range of motion in their knee joint diminishes their quality of life.
Most patients appear to experience rapid and substantial reduction in pain, feel better in general, and enjoy improved joint function. Although most total knee replacement surgeries are successful, failure does occur and revision is sometimes necessary.
You may also be referred to a physiatrist. Specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physiatrists seek to restore optimal function to people with injuries to the muscles, bones, tissues, and nervous system.
Minor injuries or arthritis may be treated by an internist (a doctor trained to diagnose and treat nonsurgical diseases) or your primary care doctor.
How Can People Prevent Knee Problems?
Some knee problems, such as those resulting from an accident, cannot be foreseen or prevented. However, people can prevent many knee problems by following these suggestions:
Before exercising or participating in sports, warm up by walking or riding a stationary bicycle, then do stretches. Stretching the muscles in the front of the thigh (quadriceps) and back of the thigh (hamstrings) reduces tension on the tendons and relieves pressure on the knee during activity.
Strengthen the leg muscles by doing specific exercises (for example, by walking up stairs or hills or by riding a stationary bicycle). A supervised workout with weights is another way to strengthen the leg muscles that support the knee.
Avoid sudden changes in the intensity of exercise. Increase the force or duration of activity gradually.
Wear shoes that fit properly and are in good condition. This will help maintain balance and leg alignment when walking or running. Flat feet or overpronated feet (feet that roll inward) can cause knee problems. People can often reduce some of these problems by wearing special shoe inserts (orthotics).
Maintain a healthy weight to reduce stress on the knee. Obesity increases the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee.
What Types of Exercise Are Best for People With Knee Problems?
Ideally, everyone should get three types of exercise regularly:
Range-of-motion exercises to help maintain normal joint movement and relieve stiffness.
Strengthening exercises to help keep or increase muscle strength. Keeping muscles strong with exercises, such as walking up stairs, doing leg lifts or dips, or riding a stationary bicycle, helps support and protect the knee.
Aerobic or endurance exercises to improve function of the heart and circulation and to help control weight. Weight control can be important to people who have arthritis because extra weight puts pressure on many joints. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce inflammation in some joints.
If you already have knee problems, your doctor or physical therapist can help with a plan of exercise that will help the knee(s) without increasing the risk of injury or further damage. As a general rule, you should choose gentle exercises such as swimming, aquatic exercise, or walking rather than jarring exercises such as jogging or high-impact aerobics.
What Research Is Being Conducted on Knee Problems?
Studies of the various forms of arthritis are helping doctors better understand these diseases and develop treatments to stop or slow their progression and damage to joints, including the knees.
Studies are also underway to discover or develop safer and more effective pain relief, particularly for osteoarthritis of the knee. In recent years, the nutritional supplement pair glucosamine and chondroitin has shown some potential for reducing the pain of osteoarthritis, although no conclusive proof has emerged to date. Both of these nutrients are found in small quantities in food and are components of normal cartilage.
The Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), which was cosponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, assessed the effectiveness and safety of these supplements, when taken together or separately.
The trial found that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate did not provide significant relief from osteoarthritis pain among all participants. However, a smaller subgroup of study participants with moderate-to-severe pain showed significant relief with the combined supplements.
Studies involving imaging techniques, in combination with measurements of biochemical markers, could result in early identification of diseases affecting the knee. They could also increase the ability to predict disease progression and enable direct monitoring of responses to tissue repair and therapeutic interventions.
Other areas of research involve trying to understand better how and why joint injuries occur and the measures that should be taken to prevent them, investigating the role of exercise in protecting the knee, and developing less invasive surgeries and better joint prostheses.
More information on research is available from the following websites:
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Research Trials and You was designed to help people learn more about clinical trials, why they matter, and how to participate. Visitors to the website will find information about the basics of participating in a clinical trial, first-hand stories from clinical trial volunteers, explanations from researchers, and links on how to search for a trial or enroll in a research-matching program.
ClinicalTrials.gov offers up-to-date information for locating federally and privately supported clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and conditions.
NIH RePORTER is an electronic tool that allows users to search a repository of both intramural and extramural NIH-funded research projects from the past 25 years and access publications (since 1985) and patents resulting from NIH funding.
PubMed is a free service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that lets you search millions of journal citations and abstracts in the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and preclinical sciences.
Where Can People Find More Information About Knee Problems?
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Information Clearinghouse
Website: http://www.apta.org (con información en español)
Arthritis Foundation
Website: http://www.arthritis.org
Key Words
Ankylosing spondylitis. An inflammatory form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, leading to stiffening and possible fusion.
Anterior cruciate ligament. A ligament in the knee that crosses from the underside of the femur to the top of the tibia. The ligament limits rotation and the forward movement of the tibia.
Arthritis. A term used to refer to diseases that affect the joints. These diseases cause pain, inflammation, stiffness, damage, or malformation. The most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthroscopy. A surgical technique that involves making a small incision in the skin over the joint. A small lighted tube (arthroscope) with a camera is inserted through this incision. It takes images of the inside of the joint and projects them onto a television screen. While the arthroscope is inside the knee joint, the surgeon may insert surgical tools through additional small incisions to remove loose pieces of bone or cartilage or to repair torn ligaments or menisci.
Avascular necrosis. A disease in which a temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones causes the bone tissue to die and the bone to collapse. This condition is also known as osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis, and ischemic necrosis.
Biopsy. A procedure in which tissue is removed from the body and studied under a microscope. A biopsy of joint tissue may be used to diagnose some forms of arthritis.
Bone scan (radionuclide scanning). A technique for creating images of bones on a computer screen or on film. Before the procedure, a very small amount of radioactive dye is injected into the bloodstream. The dye collects in the bones, particularly in abnormal areas of the bones, and is detected by a scanner. This test detects blood flow to the bone and cell activity within the bone, and it can show abnormalities in these processes that may aid diagnosis.
Cartilage. A tough, elastic material that covers the ends of the bones where they meet to form a joint. In the knee, cartilage helps absorb shock and allows the joint to move smoothly.
Computerized axial tomography (CT) scan. A painless procedure in which x rays are passed through the knee at different angles, detected by a scanner, and analyzed by a computer. This produces a series of clear cross-sectional images (slices) of the knee tissues on a computer screen. CT scan images show soft tissues such as ligaments or muscles more clearly than conventional x rays. The computer can combine individual images to give a three-dimensional view of the knee.
Femur. The thigh bone or upper leg bone. The femur is one of three bones (the other two are the tibia and the patella) that join to form the knee joint.
Gout. An acute and intensely painful form of arthritis. This condition occurs when crystals of the bodily waste product uric acid are deposited in the joints.
Hamstring. Prominent tendons at the back of the knee. Each knee has a pair of hamstrings that connect to the muscles that flex the knee. The hamstring muscles, which bend at the knee, run along the back of the thigh from the hip to just below the knee.
Iliotibial band syndrome. An inflammatory condition in the knee caused by the rubbing of a band of tissue over the outer bone (lateral condyle) of the knee. Although iliotibial band syndrome may be caused by direct injury to the knee, it is most often caused by the stress of long-term overuse, which sometimes results from sports training.
Internist. A doctor trained to diagnose and treat nonsurgical diseases.
Lateral collateral ligament. The ligament that runs along the outside of the knee joint. It provides stability to the outer (lateral) part of the knee.
Ligament. A tough band of connective tissue that connects bones to bones.
Lupus. An autoimmune disease characterized by destructive inflammation of the skin, internal organs, and other body systems as well as the joints.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A procedure that uses a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create pictures of areas inside the knee. Magnetic energy stimulates knee tissue to produce signals that are detected by a scanner and analyzed by a computer. This creates a series of cross-sectional images of a specific part of the knee. An MRI is particularly useful for detecting soft tissue damage or disease.
Medial collateral ligament. The ligament that runs along the inside of the knee joint, providing stability to the outer (medial) part of the knee.
Meniscus. A pad of connective tissue that separates the bones of the knee. The menisci are divided into two crescent-shaped discs (lateral and medial) positioned between the tibia and femur on the outer and inner sides of each knee. The two menisci in each knee act as shock absorbers, cushioning the lower part of the leg from the weight of the rest of the body as well as enhancing stability.
Orthopaedic surgeon. A doctor who has been trained in the nonsurgical and surgical treatment of bones, joints, and soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
Osgood-Schlatter disease. A disease often caused by repetitive stress or tension on part of the growth area of the upper tibia (the apophysis). It is characterized by inflammation of the patellar tendon and surrounding soft tissues at the point where the tendon attaches to the tibia. The disease may also be associated with an injury in which the tendon is stretched so much that it tears away from the synovium.
Osteoarthritis. A disease in which the cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones is lost, leading to joint pain and stiffness. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis grows more common with age.
Osteochondritis dissecans. A condition that results from a loss of the blood supply to an area of bone underneath a joint surface. The condition usually involves the knee. In osteochondritis dissecans, the affected bone and its covering of cartilage gradually loosen and cause pain. This problem usually arises spontaneously in an active adolescent or young adult. It may be due to a slight blockage of a small artery or to an unrecognized injury or tiny fracture that damages the overlying cartilage. A person with this condition may eventually develop osteoarthritis.
Patella. The bone that sits over the other bones at the front of the knee joint and slides when the leg moves. Commonly referred to as the kneecap, the patella protects the knee and gives leverage to muscles.
Plica syndrome. A syndrome that occurs when plicae (bands of synovial tissue) are irritated by overuse or injury. Synovial plicae are the remains of tissue pouches found in the early stages of fetal development. As the fetus develops, these pouches normally combine to form one large synovial cavity. If this process is incomplete, plicae remain as four folds or bands of synovial tissue within the knee. Injury, chronic overuse, or inflammatory conditions are associated with this syndrome.
Quadriceps muscle. The large thigh muscle that comes down from the femur and over the patella, and then anchors into the top of the tibia. Its function is to straighten the leg.
Quadriceps tendon. The tendon that connects the quadriceps muscle to the patella and provides the power to extend the leg.
Rheumatic diseases. Characterized by signs of inflammation (redness, heat, swelling, pain) and loss of function of joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, or muscles. Some rheumatic diseases can also involve internal organs.
Rheumatoid arthritis. A disease in which the immune system is believed to attack the linings of the joints. This results in joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and destruction.
Rheumatologist. A doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and related disorders.
Synovium. The membrane lining the joints. The synovium produces joint fluid.
Tendon. The flexible but tough connective tissue that attaches muscles to bones.
Tibia. The shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg. The tibia is one of three bones (the other two are the femur and the patella) that join to form the knee joint.
Ultrasound. A technique that uses sound waves to produce images of the soft tissue structures.
X ray (radiography). A procedure in which an x ray (high-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light) beam is passed through the knee to produce a two-dimensional picture of the bones. X rays are often used in diagnosing knee problems.
Acknowledgments
The NIAMS gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following individuals in the preparation and review of the original version of this publication: Barbara Mittleman, M.D., and James Panagis, M.D., M.P.H., NIAMS/NIH; John H. Klippel, M.D., Arthritis Foundation, Atlanta, GA; Frank A. Pettrone, M.D., Arlington/Vienna, VA; Khaled J. Saleh, M.D., the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA; and W. Norman Scott, M.D., Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY.
The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health (NIH), is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. The NIAMS Information Clearinghouse is a public service sponsored by the institute that provides health information and information sources. Additional information can be found on the NIAMS website at www.niams.nih.gov.
For Your Information
This publication contains information about medications used to treat the health condition discussed here. When this publication was developed, we included the most up-to-date (accurate) information available. Occasionally, new information on medication is released.
For updates and for any questions about any medications you are taking, please contact
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Toll free: 888-INFO-FDA (888-463-6332)
Website: http://www.fda.gov
For additional information on specific medications, visit Drugs@FDA at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/ . Drugs@FDA is a searchable catalog of FDA-approved drug products.
For updates and questions about statistics, please contact
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
Toll free: 800-232-4636
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs
This publication is not copyrighted. Readers are encouraged to duplicate and distribute as many copies as needed.
Additional copies of this publication are available from:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Information Clearinghouse
| i don't know |
Which chemical acid makes up around 0.5% of what is called gastric acid? | What's in the Stomach's Gastric Juice?
What's in the Stomach's Gastric Juice?
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By Shereen Lehman, MS - Reviewed by a board-certified physician.
Updated August 24, 2016
The food you chew and swallow (called a bolus) mixes with the gastric juices secreted by special glands found in the lining of your stomach. They include the cardiac glands at the top part of the stomach, the oxyntic glands in the main body of the stomach and the pyloric glands, located in the antrum or the lowest part of the stomach.
Each of the glands contains cells that make specific components that together are called the gastric juices.
Neck cells secrete bicarbonate and mucous, parietal cells secrete hydrochloric acid, chief cells secrete pepsinogen, and enteroendocrine cells secrete various hormones. Not all stomach glands contain every type of cell.
Breaking Down the Gastric Juices
Gastric juice is made up of water, electrolytes, hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mucus and intrinsic factor. Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid secreted by the parietal cells, and it lowers the pH of your stomach to around 2. Hydrochloric acid converts pepsinogen into pepsin and breaks various nutrients apart from the food you eat. It also kills bacteria that comes along with your food.
Pepsinogen is secreted by chief cells, and when it's in the presence of hydrochloric acid, it's converted to pepsin. Pepsin breaks apart tertiary and secondary protein structures to make it easier for the digestive enzymes in the small intestines to work later.
Gastric lipase is another digestive enzyme made by the chief cells.
It helps break down short and medium chain fats.
Amylase is also found in gastric juices, but it isn't made by the stomach, it comes from saliva and travels with the bolus into the stomach. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates, but it doesn't have much time to work on the stomach because the acidity stops it.
But that's okay, your small intestine makes more amylase later on.
Intrinsic factor is secreted by parietal cells and is necessary for your body to absorb vitamin B-12 , which is essential for healthy nervous system function and blood cell production. Finally, the gastric juices contain water and mucus. The mucus is secreted by the neck cells and helps coat the protect your stomach lining from the acid environment.
Your stomach muscles squeeze and churn to mix the bolus with the digestive juices. The liquidy mixture is called chyme, and when it's ready, your stomach squirts the chyme into the small intestine where digestion and absorption of food continues.
Sources:
Gropper SS, Smith JL, Groff JL. "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism." Sixth Edition. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2013.
Smolin LA, Grosvenor, MB. "Nutrition: Science and Applications." Third Edition. Wiley Publishing Company, 2013.
| Hydrochloric acid |
Anatomy. What can be true, false, or floating? | What Is Muriatic Acid? Facts and Uses
Updated October 14, 2016.
Question: What Is Muriatic Acid?
Answer: Muriatic acid is one of the names for hydrochloric acid . It is also known as spirits of salt or acidum salis. "Muriatic" means "pertaining to brine or salt". The chemical formula for muriatic acid is HCl.
Uses of Muriatic Acid
Muriatic acid has many commercial and home uses, including:
industrial synthesis of vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
food additive
production of inorganic chemical compounds
pH control of water, food and drugs
regenerating ion exchange resins
| i don't know |
In the Just William stories by Richmal Crompton, what is the name of William’s gang? | Five Fascinating Facts about Just William | Interesting Literature
Five Fascinating Facts about Just William
Posted by interestingliterature
An interesting history of the popular children’s books, Just William
In 1922, T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land was published, James Joyce celebrated the publication of his novel Ulysses and Virginia Woolf’s third novel Jacob’s Room appeared. But amongst all this highbrow modernist literature, there was also another literary phenomenon arriving on the scene. He was eleven-year-old English schoolboy William Brown, who would become known to millions of devoted readers as ‘Just William’.
1. That said, William actually made his debut in print a few years before, in the 1919 short story ‘Rice Mould Pudding’. But it was the publication in 1922 of the first book of stories to feature him, Just – William, that would introduce him to the reading public at large. Richmal Crompton, the creator of William, was born in 1890. After the publication of Just – William in 1922 she would go on to write a total of 39 books in the series, which would enjoy combined sales of 12 million copies in the UK alone. Famously, Crompton was a woman – a fact which has surprised many readers, probably because of the ‘boys’ own’ feel of the stories, which led some fans to assume Richmal was a man.
2. Richmal Crompton’s full name was Richmal Crompton Lamburn – the middle name was in honour of her grandfather. ‘Crompton’ came from her maternal grandfather, who committed suicide by swallowing prussic acid when Richmal was three years old. Nobody knows why he killed himself. At school, Richmal was a gifted pupil who attended the local boarding school and was offered a place to study Classics at Newnham College, Cambridge. However, she turned down Cambridge when Royal Holloway, London offered her a £60 annual scholarship to study there. After graduating she became a schoolteacher – though, perhaps surprisingly for someone who would create the most famous schoolboy in twentieth-century fiction, she taught at an all-girls’ school. She created William around
this time, and although she wrote some 30 books for adults, none of them attracted anything like the readership that William Brown did. She would soon come to resent the shadow that her schoolboy creation cast over her ‘serious’ fiction. This sounds like Conan Doyle’s famous frustration with Sherlock Holmes – another creation that took on a life and popularity of its own beyond the writer’s own imagining (or desire). Coincidentally, Crompton, like Doyle, would also become a committed spiritualist in her later years (she died in 1969).
3. William got up to some pretty shocking things. As a Guardian article from 1999 outlines , William fell foul of animal rights campaigners when the stories were relaunched for a new generation of young readers in 1999. For instance, in the story ‘The Show’ – which appeared in the first volume of stories – William and his gang, the Outlaws, paint a terrier blue and charge people a penny to see the spectacle of a blue dog. In ‘The Stolen Whistle’, William unleashes his dog, Jumble, on a flock of sheep. But that’s nothing compared with a particular 1935 story…
4. In 1935, William and his Outlaws became Nazis. At least, kind of. In ‘William and the Nasties’, William and his Outlaws (who included Ginger, Douglas, and Henry) take to emulating Hitler and his fellow National Socialists in order to terrorise a local Jewish sweet-shop owner. Published in a magazine in 1934, ‘William and the Nasties’ was reprinted in the 1935 collection William the Detective. (‘Nasties’ is William’s mishearing of ‘Nazis’.) The story continued to appear in William the Detective well into the 1980s, when it was dropped from the volume and for all subsequent reprints.
5. Although he has a reputation for being a mischievous schoolboy, William wasn’t always all that naughty. Even in the above story, which is understandably no longer in print, there is a moral twist to the tale, with William and his friends realising the error of their ways and making peace with the shop-owner. And quite a few of the stories – dog-painting incidents aside – begin with William seeking to do something kind for someone. In many stories, he wishes to help, even if he does end up wreaking havoc and making things worse. In ‘William’s New Year’s Day’, for instance, he makes a New Year’s Resolution and looks after the local sweetshop (admittedly with vested interests!). In ‘Henri Learns the Language’, William tries to teach a visiting Frenchman how to speak better English. Many other stories entail the Outlaws embarking on money-making enterprises, but although their schemes are often cons, many of them are well-meaning but misguided. In ‘William’s Truthful Christmas’ he resolves to tell the truth to his family (nobly egged on by the local vicar), only for the plan to backfire when William learns the hard lesson that the truth can cause more problems than white lies and silence. Other stories see William being roped into helping- or, as often as not, generously offering to help – his older brother Robert, or his sister Ethel, in some romantic endeavour, only for William inadvertently to make a mess of things. Such a side to William Brown saves him from the ‘charge’ of mere naughtiness or mischief, and makes him a figure of fun – but one whose side we are always (or almost always) on, nevertheless.
The Bromley branch of the Wetherspoons pub chain is named The Richmal Crompton, in honour of the writer who taught at Bromley High School for Girls and created Just William.
Update: since we first published this post, we’ve learned from Brandon Robshaw that the name by which Crompton’s series of books is known, Just William, is something of a misnomer: the first book in the series was called Just – William (with the dash, which most people, including ourselves in our original post, overlook). All other books in the title refer to William in their titles, not ‘Just William’. See Brandon’s blog post about the issue for more details.
Image: A selection of book covers from reissues of the Just William books.
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Learned a lot from reading this one.
Richmal Crompton a woman?
I used to have the audiobooks, those stories lost very little impact over the years!
Certainly didn’t realise Richmal was a woman, good to know!
| Outlaws |
Who was President of the USA in 1976? | More William by Richmal Crompton - Free at Loyal Books
By: Richmal Crompton
An eleven year old who remains eleven for more than half a century! As a literary creation, Richmal Crompton's scalawag schoolboy has few peers. Along with his notorious gang of Outlaws, William Brown wreaks havoc not just on his family but also across the entire village. His long suffering family, the local shopkeepers and a host of unforgettable characters make the William series of 21 books a delightful and most amusing read.
More William is the second in the long series written by Richmal Crompton Lamburn. She was a dedicated school teacher who began writing full time after she was crippled by polio at the age of 33. A life long sufferer of illnesses of various kinds, including cancer, Crompton's William stories never reveal the darker side of life or despair. Instead, they celebrate youth, high spirits, mischief and the joy of childhood pranks. The William series met with instant success and to her own surprise, great financial rewards as well.
She had written a short story entitled The Outlaws in 1917 but it came out only after another story entitled Rice Mould Pudding was published in the Home Magazine in 1919. It was in these stories that William first made his debut. In 1922, she published a collection entitled Just William featuring a cast of characters that went on to captivate generations of children and adults. She is less known for her considerable body of work in writing for adults, though she published more than 40 novels dealing with Edwardian themes. In fact, William himself was not aimed specifically at children. His misadventures and shenanigans hold much more appeal for grownups rather than younger readers through their humorous writing style.
In More William, the young hero features in fourteen independent short stories. Some of them are truly hilarious like The Ghost in which William creates a “psychic” encounter for his cousin Mildred. Other tales like Knight at Arms have him and bosom pal Ginger rescuing a damsel in “distress” a la the Knight of La Mancha! Unable to bear the perceived atrocities of his family, William runs away from home in The Revenge. The collection also features Rice Mould Pudding which was the first published William story. Other stories feature William's martyred family and their ineffectual efforts in coping with the head of the Outlaws.
William's eternal conflict with authority, his exuberance, his maverick take on life and his heroic ideals all form the backdrop to this truly engaging and enjoyable book.
An eleven year old who remains eleven for more than half a century! As a literary creation, Richmal Crompton's scalawag schoolboy has few peers. Along with his notorious gang of Outlaws, William Brown wreaks havoc not just on his family but also across the entire village. His long suffering family, the local shopkeepers and a host of unforgettable characters make the William series of 21 books a delightful and most amusing read.
More William is the second in the long series written by Richmal Crompton Lamburn. She was a dedicated school teacher who began writing full time after she was crippled by polio at the age of 33. A life long sufferer of illnesses of various kinds, including cancer, Crompton's William stories never reveal the darker side of life or despair. Instead, they celebrate youth, high spirits, mischief and the joy of childhood pranks. The William series met with instant success and to her own surprise, great financial rewards as well.
She had written a short story entitled The Outlaws in 1917 but it came out only after another story entitled Rice Mould Pudding was published in the Home Magazine in 1919. It was in these stories that William first made his debut. In 1922, she published a collection entitled Just William featuring a cast of characters that went on to captivate generations of children and adults. She is less known for her considerable body of work in writing for adults, though she published more than 40 novels dealing with Edwardian themes. In fact, William himself was not aimed specifically at children. His misadventures and shenanigans hold much more appeal for grownups rather than younger readers through their humorous writing style.
In More William, the young hero features in fourteen independent short stories. Some of them are truly hilarious like The Ghost in which William creates a “psychic” encounter for his cousin Mildred. Other tales like Knight at Arms have him and bosom pal Ginger rescuing a damsel in “distress” a la the Knight of La Mancha! Unable to bear the perceived atrocities of his family, William runs away from home in The Revenge. The collection also features Rice Mould Pudding which was the first published William story. Other stories feature William's martyred family and their ineffectual efforts in coping with the head of the Outlaws.
William's eternal conflict with authority, his exuberance, his maverick take on life and his heroic ideals all form the backdrop to this truly engaging and enjoyable book.
Stream audiobook and download chapters
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Who was the first of the regular cast of ‘Dad’s Army’ to die? | MainCast
RETURN
John Le Mesurier (1912 - 1983) - Sergeant Wilson
It seems you cannot watch any Ealing Comedy of the (late) 50s and 60s without seeing the dour face of John Le Mesurier. In fact between the years 1952 and 1977 he managed to play in at least one film for every year, 1962 being the most prolific year with no less than 5 to his credit! Bury St Edmunds was home to the young Le Mesurier, where he developed a love of the countryside, horses, pubs, village cricket and village characters. His father was a successful lawyer in the town. John was fascinated by the theatre, but it was not until he was 21, with his parents full blessing that he decided to become an actor, knowing full well what hard and uncertain work it was. After attending the Fay Compton School of Dramatic Art, John's first engagement in repertory was at the Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh, which started his personal 'tour of duties' until war came along in 1939. At the start of the war John became an Air Raid Warden in Chelsea before being called up to the Army. As a commissioned officer he spent much of this time in India. It was after the war that John set his sights on the film industry, appearing in his first film 'Escape from Broadmoor' in 1948, it was the start of a successful career in this medium. John was surprised when he read the pilot episode of 'Dad's Army' that he was not cast as the officer, as he usually was. It came to pass that he was originally thought of to play the captain, and Arthur Lowe the sergeant, but an inspired change of roles gave the programme some of its funniest elements, as the gallant Captain played the game of oneupmanship with his socially superior sergeant. His character was not unlike his real self, and the writers began to write around the actor after a time anyway. During one of the intervals between series, John took up the role of Kim Philby the defector, in the television play 'Traitor'. It was a very demanding part, definitely not a comedy. It was this role which led to John being awarded a BAFTA for best actor in 1971. John very nearly missed the last series due to illness, but he was determined to be there. You will notice that his appearance during this last series was more drawn than ever. He enjoyed making the series even though it was a bit of a strain. Before his death he managed to tour South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur in various plays, as well as continuing in the West End. He had managed a credible fifty years as an actor.
RETURN
Clive Dunn (1920 - 2012) - Lance Corporal Jones
Clive started his acting career by appearing as an extra in a Will Hay film 'Boys Will Be Boys', and after attending stage school, tried his luck firstly in seasonal theatre work, then commercial repertory, stage managing and playing small parts. This career was interrupted by the Second World War, which proved to be a traumatic time for him, as he was taken prisoner by the Germans whilst in Greece. After, he continued where he had left off, and began to specialise in character acting, particularly old men. a talent which would lend itself to the small screen which had begun to take off a few years after. Clive also had a hit single with the song 'Grandad', and on the strength of this recorded a whole album of songs. Clive was the only member of the Dad's Army cast that was required to look older, however this came in useful when he was required to perform one stunt or another! After Dad's Army had finished, Clive decided to move to Portugal and open a restaurant, where he remains to this day. Occasionally he returned to our screens as a cameo L/Cpl Jones, only with less make-up!
Clive passed away on 6 November 2012 in Portugal (where he lived for many years) following a minor operation.
RETURN
John Laurie (1897 - 1980) - Private Frazer
John was not destined for a career in the theatre. He started his career in architecture, until World War One took him away. He never expected to come out of it alive, and it was only when he had been invalided out that he became a sergeant-of-arms at the Tower of London. It was 1919 when John decided to become an actor in the theatre as a result of his passion for Shakespeare. He managed to play all the great Shakespearean roles at the Old Vic in London, before eventually being lured into films. A very young John Laurie appears in the famous Hitchcock thriller 'The Thirty Nine Steps' with Robert Donat. His career had taken off, and John was to appear in many films before his eventual call up to join the Dad's Army team, at a time when he was thinking about retiring! Considering his age at the time, John showed considerable vigour through out the series, others seemed to age while John remained the same, waiting for the others to catch up. He almost invented his catchphrase "we're doomed!", after the writers had heard him complaining about some aspect of a show being doomed to failure.
RETURN
James Beck (1929 - 1973) - Joe Walker
James, or Jimmy, left home at the age of seventeen and decided to go into the theatre. He had been interested in it since he was a small boy, keeping a scrap-book of stage and screen stars. One of his favourites was the comedian Sid Field, and certain similarities between the two have been drawn up. Jimmy's acting career then went on hold while he completed his national service as a PT instructor. Once completed, he then set about looking for work in the theatre. After working with several repertory companies, he eventually became the leading man at the York Theatre, where he had begun to be noticed. In a move to improve and stretch himself, Jimmy came to London where there were greater opportunities. It was Jimmy Perry who suggested James Beck for the part of Walker, he had the right twinkle of mischief in his eyes for the cockney spiv that would eventually win the public's affection. During the early stages of Dad's Army, Jimmy was still playing at theatres, and by 1972, he had begun to get offers for other television programmes on the strength of his performance as Walker. Some of the work he did at this time included starring in his own series for London Weekend Television called 'Romany Jones' and a couple of comedy hours with Ronnie Fraser. An exciting project was planned by the BBC involving the re-recording of several Tony Hancock scripts. Arthur Lowe was to play Hancock, and Jimmy the Sid James character. Ray Galton and Alan Simpson were updating the scripts to accommodate the two actors styles, but this was not to be. Jimmy died on the 6th August 1973 from a perforated ulcer, the day after he had been recording some BBC radio episodes of Dad's Army. His character did not appear again in the television series (although he was mentioned), but Graham Stark and Larry Martyn portrayed him for the benefit of the radio episodes.
RETURN
Arnold Ridley (1896 - 1984) - Private Godfrey
In the same way that John Laurie could have been an architect, so Arnold Ridley could have become a school teacher. Only Arnold decided to join the theatre in 1914, for a short period before he was taken to fight for his country. Unfortunately, Arnold was invalided out in 1917, following an injury to the head sustained from a German soldier's rifle butt. In the early twenties, Arnold was not sure if he would act again, and put his efforts into writing. The result of which was the famous story 'The Ghost Train', which was, at the time, a daring piece for a stage play. So began Arnold's career as a writer. 1939, and as Arnold had enlisted to the Army he was sent abroad only to return in 1940 after being shell shocked during the evacuation of France. He decided, after being invalided out of the army, to join ENSA (Entertainment Nation Service Association), who at the time were sending companies all around Britain. It was not until after the war that Arnold was given the opportunity to direct one of his own plays. This led to Arnold deciding to concentrate on an acting career. During the Sixties and Seventies, Arnold featured in the popular radio series The Archers, and appeared several times in Coronation Street and Crossroads, before taking up with the Dad's Army team. In 1982, Arnold was awarded the OBE in the new years honours list, by which time he was suffering from appalling health which caused his death in 1984, he was 88 years old.
RETURN
Ian Lavender (1946) - Private Pike
The youngest member of the cast, Ian was to play what is now widely known as Jimmy Perry's part in the Home Guard, although this was not revealed to him until the series had been established. Ian went straight from school to the Bristol Old Vic Drama School, a well known establishment, having obtained a grant from the City of Birmingham. His acting ability was quickly noticed and once he had finished at Bristol, acting jobs were offered his way. His first television role was the lead in a play called 'Flowers at my Feet'. Shortly after this he was cast as Private Pike in Dad's Army. Ian would spend his formative years in the company of experienced and respected actors, whose talent, and knowledge must have rubbed off on him in some way. John Laurie and he got on particularly well, and it was a race to see who completed the Times crossword first at rehearsals! Since Dad's Army, Ian has spent most of his career in the theatre, one of the most noticeable parts being in 'The Merchant of Venice' alongside Dustin Hoffman. He could be seen popping up in the occasional sitcom, but up to this moment, it was Dad's Army that he was most famous for, although a few years ago he had a regular part in the popular BBC soap 'Eastenders' playing alongside Wendy Richard (Walker's girlfriend) and John Bardon (who played Walker in the Stage Show version of DA). Ian also had some recent West End success in the musical 'Sister Act'.
| James Beck |
Sax Rohmer created which notorious, fictional criminal? | Dad's Army (Series) - TV Tropes
Dad's Army
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"Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler?
If you think we're on the run.
We are the boys who will stop your little game,
We are the boys who will make you think again.
Cos, who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler?
If you think old England's done."
Permission to describe Dad's Army here, sir?
Permission granted.
Dad's Army was an ensemble sitcom on The BBC about the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon in World War II, a band of mostly elderly volunteers who would have been their (fictional) town's first line of defence, had the Germans invaded (Walmington-on-Sea and Eastgate (their rival town) are mirrored in the real Northern Kent seaside towns of Birchington-on-Sea and Westgate). The show aired for nine years (1968-77), though the war had only lasted six.
While waiting for the invasion, the platoon did its best to prepare, resulting in many hilarious mishaps . They occasionally did some military work, such as guarding downed German pilots, and took part in training exercises with the regular army, where they were often surprisingly successful. They also had a vigorous rivalry with the neighbouring platoon and with the Chief Air Raid Warden, who sometimes tried to sabotage the platoon. Almost every character involved had a catchphrase that most British people can still repeat with very little memory-searching.
The characters included:
Captain George Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) - pompous bank manager, no combat experience, appointed himself captain. Pronounced "Mannering".
Catchphrases: "Stupid boy" (directed at Pike), "Good thinking, Wilson. I was wondering who'd be the first to spot that " (whenever Wilson points out what he's doing wrong), and "I think you're getting into the realms of fantasy Jones" (at the end of one of Jones' rambling monologues).
Sergeant Arthur Wilson (John Le Mesurier) - diffident deputy bank manager, Captain in the Royal Artillery during World War I, of a higher social class than his superior as well as more experienced - alternatively verging on being a Cloud Cuckoo Lander at times. Was strongly implied to be having an affair with Pike's mother, with a suggestion that he might actually be the boy's father. (One episode revealed that he already had a daughter by his estranged wife.)
Catchphrase: "Are you sure that's wise?" (usually in response to the Zany Scheme of the week) as well as "How absolutely lovely!" when responding to something that Mainwaring would prefer to treat as Serious Business .
Lance-Corporal Jack Jones (Clive Dunn) - butcher and 30 year veteran of the British Army, having served in the Sudan and WWI, longwinded but eager for action.
Four catchphrases: "Don't panic" (while panicking), "Permission to speak, sir?", "They don't like it up 'em" (talking about the African tribesmen ("fuzzy-wuzzies") he fought in his youth and flourishing a bayonet ), and "Sir, I should like to volunteer to be the one to... " (whenever Mainwaring looks for a volunteer for something).
Private Frank Pike (Ian Lavender) - mollycoddled teenager . Was often seen wearing a scarf. Always addresses Wilson as "Uncle Arthur", though Pike may in fact be Wilson's (illegitimate) son.
Catchphrase: "Uncle Arthur?"
Private James Frazer (John Laurie) - Scottish undertaker, former Royal Navy cook, very gloomy.
Catchphrase: "We're doomed!" (words can't quite describe his delivery, but it would not look out of place on the set of a Hammer Horror film, on a villager warning the hero not to go up to the castle.)
Private Charles Godfrey (Arnold Ridley) - Even older than the rest of the platoon, excessively polite and friendly and a butt of constant humour relating to his weak bladder.
Catchphrase: "Might I be excused ..." (Gesturing to the bathroom, or a convenient hedge)
Private Joe Walker (James Beck) - good-natured spiv who evaded conscription on dubious grounds. (Allergic to corned beef. Allegedly...) Usually to be found trying to sell people things. Occasionally came good by happening to have just the item the platoon needs - for a price, of course. The actor died during the course of the series and was replaced by...
Private Cheeseman (Talfryn Thomas) - Welshman with a camera, big teeth and glasses, introduced only in later seasons. (First appeared as a one-off press photographer character the year before he became a regular.) Almost no-one remembers him, he didn't stay long, and his departure gave a small boost to...
Private Sponge (Colin Bean) - farmer, generic guy, used when one of the main cast needed a supporting character to talk to. Later put in charge of the second half of the platoon, and given slightly more plot relevance.
ARP Warden William Hodges (Bill Pertwee) - a grocer, Mainwaring's would-be nemesis .
Catchphrases: "Now look 'ere, Napoleon ...", "Ruddy 'ooligans! and "Put that light out! PUT THAT BLOODY LIGHT OUT!"
Maurice Yeatman, the Verger (Edward Sinclair) - Hodges' fawning lackey (He's exactly the same with the Vicar too)
The Rev. Timothy Farthing (Frank Williams) - The Vicar
Mrs Pike (Janet Davies) - Pike's neurotic, overprotective mother who often interrupts him in the middle of platoon activity. Suspiciously close "friend" of Wilson.
Mrs Fox (Pamela Cundell) - overbearing and flirty local woman, often causes trouble when the platoon is involved in arranging public events. Later marries Jones at the end of the series.
Captain Square (Geoffrey Lumsden) - leader of the Eastgate platoon and occasional rival to Mainwaring.
Catchphrase: "You blithering IDIOT!"
Much humour was derived from Mainwaring's resentment of Wilson. Even though Mainwaring was in charge, both at work and in the Home Guard, Wilson was from a much higher social stratum and eventually inherited a title. His effortless charm and dignity utterly infuriated Mainwaring, the archetypal " pompous little man ".
The interplay between the two characters was always beautifully worked and the series is often held up as an example of near-perfect character comedy, enhanced by the acting talents of Arthur Lowe (Mainwaring) and John Le Mesurier (Wilson). Lowe has merely to bristle his moustache to render the audience helpless with laughter; Le Mesurier was hired because (in the words of a member of the production team) "He suffers so beautifully."
The show, whilst at all times remaining funny, also had more serious plots, like the way the platoon react when they find out that Private Godfrey was a conscientious objector in World War I .
The show did not have an arc, but it did have continuity. During the first season, the platoon's equipment gradually improved as the regular army provided them with surplus gear. Over the series, Jones had a romance which culminated with a marriage in the final episode.
Came fourth in Britain's Best Sitcom . A feature film remake was released in February 2016 starring Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring and Bill Nighy as Sgt. Wilson. We're Doomed, a Docudrama about the behind-the-scenes making of the show, aired in December 2015.
This show provides examples of:
Abhorrent Admirer : Mrs Fox occasionally fills this role, although Jones didn't seem to mind her too much ...
AB Negative : In one episode, Pike is finally called up to join the Royal Air Force. During a blood donation drive, he finds out that he has a very rare blood type, and the RAF later rejects him as they would not be able to give him a blood transfusion should he need one. Pike doesn't tell the rest of the platoon this until after they've held an expensive fish and chip supper to say goodbye.
Anti-Climax : Frazer's story about the "old empty barn" among others.
Armed Farces
Ascended Extra : The previously unnamed Private Desmond, when he joins the main characters on a mission in the episode "Sons of the Sea." It's never explained why they didn't use Sponge, who by this stage was getting more lines and character focus.
Ash Face : Happens to Mainwaring when he attempts to shut off the power to the lighthouse, but ends up blacking out the entire pier, in "Put That Light Out!".
Bad Omen Anecdote : The dour Scot Frazer is fond of doing this, much to Mainwaring's exasperation.
Banana in the Tailpipe : In the first episode, while having a discussion of how to take on a tank with improvised weapons, Jones suggests plugging the exhaust with spuds (potatoes). Mainwaring points out that it wouldn't work because tanks have long, thin exhaust pipes. Jones asks why they can't use long, thin spuds.
Baseball Episode : Well, Cricket episode, Home Guard vs. ARP Wardens.
Bawdy Song : Godfrey's song about a monk, although we're only ''told'' he sang it, not what it was about. The cast's reactions are more than enough for us to guess.
Beware the Nice Ones : Sergeant Wilson. In the last episode it was even revealed that he had been an artillery captain during the First World War. Additionally, Private Godfrey, who was revealed as having been a conscientious objector during the First World War, but had served as an unarmed stretcher bearer, rescuing injured soldiers during the Battle of the Somme, for which he was awarded the Military Medal.
Big Damn Movie : The Movie has this atmosphere to it, even though it's adapted from the early episodes.
Blind Without 'Em : Corporal Jones. He accidentally signs the desk when he enlists in the Home Guard.
Borrowed Catchphrase : In one episode, an army officer demands to know why Mainwairing believes a stranded German pilot will give himself up any minute. Mainwairing, in no mood to explain that the reservoir he landed in is being filled and the German will be under water in ten minutes simply replies that "It seems that they really don't like it up 'em."
Near the beginning of the 2016 film, we see Hitler borrow the lines from the title song.
Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Churchill?
Also in the 2016 film, Mainwaring borrows Jones's "Don't panic, don't panic" when breaking the news that a Nazi spy is in Walmington.
Breaking the Fourth Wall : The cast turning to the camera and toasting the real Home Guard at the end of the final episode.
Break Out the Museum Piece : In an early episode the platoon go to the museum with the intention of taking weaponry, but do not succeed in finding anything usable. The museum's caretaker who is trying to stop them, however, makes good use of the pieces inside to stop them entering.
Butt Monkey : If anyone is going to be getting soaked to the skin, clumsily tripping over themselves or otherwise being made to look like an idiot, it's Private Pike. This was something of a justified / invoked trope, since the actor was one of the younger members of the cast and thus one of the few who was actually capable of doing such physical comedy without potentially risking serious injury or illness.
Catch Phrase : Aside from their individual catchphrases, a character tended to say, "There is a war on, you know" in almost every episode.
Character Outlives Actor : Walker. When actor James Beck was taken into hospital, Walker got a Written-In Absence , leaving a note in his place on patrol to explain that he has gone to conduct "business" in London. Beck later died and Walker was never heard of again - at least on television, When the show was remade for radio other actors continued the role after Beck's death, and when the show got a radio sequel years after the end of its run, Walker was mentioned as alive and having returned to Walmington-on-Sea.
He's also seen in the scene set in 1968 featuring several of the characters that opens the very first episode.
Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys : Discussed by Mainwaring, who does not rate the French ("no use after lunch - all that wine and garlic is very debilitating"), and Wilson, who, being an actual veteran of WWI, does.
Chekhov's Gun : In the episode "Battle of the Giants", Walker mentions having made flags for both their platoon and the Eastgate platoon. They will be used at the end of a contest, in short form, whoever flies their flag first, wins. Although just a passing remark, it turns out later that Walker made both flags say "Walmington-on-Sea" so they would win whoever flew the flag first.
In the 2016 movie, the mention by Walker's girlfriend that Rose Winters's dress is Chanel. This leads the men to the discovery that she is the Nazi agent they're looking for - Cissy and Dolly Godfrey contacted the Chanel company, who confirmed that Rose is a regular customer from Berlin.
Child Soldiers : Jones was one, joining the British Army as a drummer boy in 1884.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome : Miss King vanishes without a trace after series one. Also happens to Private Cheeseman ; Ascended Extra Private Desmond, who had a role in one episode and was never heard from again; and Private Bracewell, a character who appears only in the first episode. Word of God has it that Bracewell was intended to be a recurring character but was cut because the producers felt his character was too much like Godfrey's.
Classically Trained Extra : John Laurie as Private Frazer. The actor was somewhat bitter about being best remembered for this role rather than his theatrical work.
According to show writer Jimmy Perry, most of the background platoon members were played by retired actors or writers rather than the usual extras.
Deadpan Snarker : Wilson.
Downer Ending : 'Mum's Army' — Mainwaring falls in love, but the woman leaves him rather than destroy his life with a scandal.
Draft Dodging : Frank Pike doesn't want to evade military service, but his medical test reveals a rare blood group. He's excused from active service on the grounds that they'd have nothing to transfuse him with in the event of injury. So he stays in the Home Guard instead - except that he doesn't admit to this until after the platoon has held a fish-and-chip supper in his honour.
A now Missing Episode from series two was based around Walker's attempts to evade the draft. He fails, and has to join the army - but is soon discharged when he turns out to be allergic to corned beef, the only rations available.
Drill Sergeant Nasty : A few one-off characters fit this trope. Drill Sgt. Gregory in "Room at the Bottom" and Captain Ramsey in "We Know Our Onions" are excellent examples.
Dropped After the Pilot : The pilot episode had a character called Private Bracewell who never appeared again. Word of God says it was decided that he was too similar to Private Godfrey and dropped.
Early Installment Weirdness :
Every episode of Series 1 begins with faked newsreel footage, combining real-life World War II footage with material containing the show's actors. This was dropped starting with Series 2.
For some bizarre reason the first episode has a laugh track over the title sequence, which ends up rendering the series' theme tune completely indecipherable. Fortunately, this was never done again.
The black-and-white episodes have a much more crudely animated title sequence, very little location filming, and lack the ending montage that the colour episodes had (instead featuring the actors superimposed over a still image, with the technical credits rolling over a black background).
Edible Ammunition : In "We Know Our Onions", the platoon, having failed to retrieve the cache of rubber ammunition they were supposed to use, win an initiative test by firing onions at their attackers.
Establishing Character Moment : Almost every episode started with Mainwaring inspecting the troops, giving first time viewers a quick run down of the main cast
Frazer: We're dooooomed!
Facepalm : Sergeant Wilson, frequently.
Forgotten Framing Device : The first episode started in the 1960s with Captain Mainwaring addressing a Rotary Club dinner and reminiscing about his time in the Home Guard, before flashing back to the story of the founding of the platoon. This was never referred to again in the remainder of the series.
Frozen in Time : The series started in 1940, went through 1941, and then at a point roughly in the middle decided to stay somewhere in 1942. Justified, in that after 1942 it became increasingly clear that the Germans weren't going to win, Britain wasn't going to be invaded, and there was less overall need for the Home Guard.
Gentlemen Rankers : Sergeant Wilson behaves very much like a cool, calm, collected, and softly spoken officer (in contrast to the order barking martinet that was Captain Mainwaring) in his WW2 Home Guard duties, however this was eventually explained as him actually having been an officer in the First World War.
Getting Crap Past the Radar : Barely even trying. In the episode "The Four-and-a-Half Feathers", Jones describes his patrol in the Sudan encountering an elderly fakir (a sort of monk, pronounced "fa-keer"). Jones constantly refers to him as the "Old Fakir" (pronouncing it as "fak-er"). Say it out loud and wonder how that made it past the censors...
And at least one episode title. "Round And Round Went The Great Big Wheel" is a quote from a really filthy song.
The Ghost : Mainwaring's wife. Closest we get to seeing her is the large overhang she leaves in the bunk bed.
She is finally seen in the 2016 movie.
The Guards Must Be Crazy : In the episode where the platoon are delegated to guard a captured German submarine crew, the platoon do pretty well on this score. It's Hodges who falls for the old sick prisoner trick and lets the Germans get the upper hand.
Mind you, Mainwaring really should've left his revolver with Wilson or Jones before going over to help.
Handcar Pursuit : The climax of "The Royal Train" involves Hodges on a handcar chasing a runaway train with the platoon aboard, so he can throw them the widget they need to stop the train. Then they throw the train into reverse, and it becomes Hodges on a handcar fleeing a runaway train instead.
Hidden Depths : Captain Mainwaring knows how to play the bagpipes. (See Sexless Marriage for the reason why.)
Leeroy Jenkins : Corporal Jones.
Let's Get Dangerous! : In a sense; while the platoon rarely saw anything in the form of a genuine military operation, every so often the viewer was reminded that behind the bumbling Mainwaring and his men were brave soldiers fully prepared to fight and die in the defense of their homes and country if it came down to it.
And none braver than Mainwaring himself, who would be the last man out of a bombed building and once faced down a desperate German prisoner with an unloaded gun. (It turned out that the German's gun was unloaded too.)
Typified by this exchange in an early episode when the elements of the platoon believe an invasion is underway and elect to stay and try and delay the German advance to give the regular army time to counter-attack.
Captain Mainwaring: It'll probably be the end of us, but we're ready for that, aren't we, men?
Private Frazer: Of course.
The Movie (which RetConned most of the first episode)
Ms. Fanservice : Miss King, a character in the first series, was intended to be this. She was then inexplicably written out , and hardly anyone remembers she was ever in the show. Later on, Mrs Pike would often take the role.
The Napoleon : Captain Mainwaring. Hodges eventually calls him "Napoleon" to irritate him.
In one episode, he even literally dreams that he's Napoleon.
No Longer with Us : Corporal Jones gets one regarding his mother:
Pike: Why don't you have a word with Mr Jones' mother? [facetious, since Jones is elderly]
Jones: [sadly] You leave my mother out of this. My mother's gone to another place.
Pike: [quietly] Sorry, Mr Jones.
Jones: Angmering.
Narrative Profanity Filter : In "The Two-and-a-half Feathers" Jones speaks of serving under an incredibly profane sergeant but whenever the sergeant is shown swearing, all the actual curses are replaced with spitting noises.
Not So Different : For all their class-conscious rivalry and dislike of each other, both Captain Mainwaring and Warden Hodges are rather pompous men who've let the sudden burst of power and authority they now have as a result of their wartime duties go to their heads a bit too quickly. That said, Mainwaring has a sense of personal integrity that Hodges is entirely devoid of.
Mainwaring and Wilson also count. Mainwaring is envious of Wilson's social position in life (upper class, gets on easily with others) while Wilson is envious of Mainwaring's professional position. (Manager of the bank and Leader of the home guard platoon)
Not What It Looks Like : In one episode, Pike borrows a bank staff car to take Hodges's niece on a date to the cinema; but the car breaks down and it takes him all night to push the car back to Walmington-on-Sea. Hilarity Ensues the following day as he hopelessly tries to convince everyone that's all they were doing during the night ...
Obsolete Mentor : Corporal Jones is a veteran of many wars but his love of bayonets is more often a hindrance than a help.
Of Corsets Funny : In one episode, the various members of the Home Guard are desperately attempting to look younger to avoid being transferred to the ARP. Captain Mainwaring notices that Sergeant Wilson is standing straighter than usual and it is revealed that he is wearing a girdle (or, as he refers to it, a "gentleman's abdominal support").
Only Sane Man : Sergeant Wilson. Pike and Walker also have their moments.
Pantomime Animal : In "Operation Kilt", the platoon attempts to use a pantomime cow to sneak up on a highland regiment during a training exercise. Things do not according to plan when a bull takes an interest .
Parachute in a Tree : "Time On My Hands" centres on the characters' efforts to pull down a German pilot whose parachute is caught on the town clock.
Patriotic Fervor : Captain Mainwaring often naively harps on about the strengths of the allied forces, but quickly dismisses any positive remarks about the Nazis with "We'll have none of that talk here!"
Our side displayed "British initiative!", while similar behaviour by the enemy was derided as a "typical underhand Nazi trick!"
Perilous Old Fool : Corporal Jones, a veteran of three wars and probably a bigger danger to his allies than he ever could be to the enemy.
Phony Veteran : Captain Mainwaring had a habit of exaggerating his military service in the Great War.
Mainwaring: I served in France [quietly] during the whole of 1919.
Wilson: I thought the war ended in 1918.
Mainwaring: Someone had to clean up the mess!
Real Song Theme Tune : Averted, though the Dad's Army theme is often mistaken for a real wartime song. It was actually written by Jimmy Perry and performed by Bud Flanagan, who was a popular singer in the 1930s and 1940s.
Red Baron : Jones was known as "the Mad Bomber" in WWI due to his interesting grenade drills.
Retcon :
The Movie retcons most of the first episode.
Mrs Fox's first name is initially given as Marcia, but becomes Mildred in the final episode of the show.
Square is first introduced as "Corporal-Colonel Square" and later becomes Captain. Handwaved by the show's producers stating that he had simply received a promotion ("Corporal-Colonel" being an amalgamation of his current rank in the Home Guard and his previous one while in the military, Truth in Television as this was done in real life with some veterans).
In the first episode, Fraser runs a philatelist's shop. In later episodes, he's an undertaker.
Several minor characters' names were retconned over the course of the show. Mrs. Yeatman's name is initially given as Anthea, then Tracy and finally Beryl. Mr. Blewitt's name changed from Norman to Sidney, while Walker's recurring girlfriend was named Edith Parish in her first appearance but became Shirley in subsequent episodes.
Retired Badass : He may not seem it, but Jones more than qualifies for this trope after spending 30 years in the British Army and serving with distinction in Sudan and WWI.
Rising Water, Rising Tension : In "Asleep in the Deep", a bomb falls on the local pumping station as Godfrey and Walker are patrolling there, trapping them. When the platoon try to free them, they get stuck with them, and when a pipe bursts the room rapidly begins filling with water.
The Rival : Hodges. Captain Square occasionally fills this role as well.
Runaway Train : In one episode, the unit had to move a train out the way of an incoming one after the drivers got drunk, but ended up with a runaway train after it turned out they'd left the brake wheel back at the station and that the line was all downhill from that point. Cue Captain Mainwaring climbing over the train roof, the warden, vicar and verger on a handcart trying to bring them the brake wheel and then them having to go damn fast the other way after the platoon accidentally put the train into reverse.
The Runt at the End : Corporal Jones is always a beat behind the rest of the platoon when drilling.
Sea Mine : In "Menace from the Deep" the Walmington-on-Sea platoon is stranded on the Walmington-on-Sea Pier. The situation becomes worse when a sea mine drifts underneath the pier. When Hodges falls of the pier, the magnetic mine is attracted to his steel helmet.
Secret Weapon : The platoon are called on to stop a radio-controlled mobile bomb (based on the real-life Panjandrum
) that's rampaging around the countryside.
Screw the War, We're Partying! : Pvt. Walker - skirt-chaser and black marketeer who has avoided the draft due to a 'corned beef allergy'.
Justified somewhat: a Missing Episode did actually have Walker drafted, and discharged on medical grounds because of the allergy - corned beef was the only rations available!
Second Face Smoke : In the episode where the platoon are delegated to guard a captured German submarine crew, the German officer is smoking a cigarette and blows smoke in Mainwaring's face. Mainwaring waits until he's out of sight to cough and splutter.
Separate Scene Storytelling : Technically speaking, the entire show. The very first episode begins in 1968, with Mainwaring addressing his men as part of the "I'm Backing Britain" campaign. The entire show is his fond recollection of those halcyon days...
Sexless Marriage : Explains why Mainwaring learned the bagpipes:
Mainwaring: I spent my honeymoon in a remote village in Scotland called InverGeechie. It was a wild and lonely place. The nights were long... and there was nothing else to do.
Sharp-Dressed Man : When out of uniform Walker wore incredibly well tailored suits.
Shoo Out the New Guy : Private Cheeseman. Also counts as a Replacement Scrappy .
Happened in-universe when the Vicar joined the platoon and proved such an annoying burden that everyone made sure he left again soon after.
A Simple Plan : The Walmington-On-Sea platoon could produce a chaotic outcome to the simplest of tasks.
The So-Called Coward : Private Godfrey, as detailed above.
Also Corporal Jones in "The Two and A Half Feathers". A veteran of the Sudan War claims that he was saved by a native tribeman after Jones left him out in the desert to die. The tribesman was Jones dressed in Arab robes; he remained silent about his role in order to cover up a scandalous affair the veteran was involved in.
Soldiers at the Rear : Private Joe Walker's "allergy" to corned beef.
Sound to Screen Adaptation : Reversed: there is an original cast radio series based on the TV episodes.
Spin-Off : The aforementioned radio series, It Sticks Out Half a Mile, broadcast between 1983-84. It centred around Hodges, Pike and Wilson teaming up to renovate the abandoned pier in a nearby seaside town, and was later turned into an original TV series called High and Dry
The pilot featured Mainwaring and Wilson. Arthur Lowe died soon afterwards hence Mainwaring being replaced with Hodges. Then, when John Le Mesurier passed away after recording one series, it was decided to just put it to rest (as a direct Dad's Army Spin-Off , at least).
Spotting the Thread : The U-Boat crew's plan to take the platoon prisoner via a grenade down Jone's trousers is foiled when the Colonel notices that Jones isn't wearing his full uniform, out of charcter for Mainwarring to let anyone in his platoon do so and out of character for Jones himself. And then he literally spots the thread of string connecting the grenade pin to the U-Boat captain's hand.
Spreading Disaster Map Graphic : The Animated Credits Opening shows Swastika-emblazoned arrows sweeping over western Europe (including one that gets lost for a bit), while the lone Union Jack arrow retreats back to its start point, then sticks its tail out further and pulls back across the Channel. All set to a jaunty tune about how Britain's not beaten yet .
Squirrels in My Pants : In "Room at the Bottom", Corporal Jones gets ants in his pants and, while trying to remove them, accidentally signals the platoon to advance into an ambush.
Strapped to a Bomb : In a classic episode, the over-age Walmington platoon are tasked with guarding the captured crew of a U-boat. The Germans try to escape and take Corporal Jones as a hostage, rigging a hand-grenade down his trousers that will explode if the Captain's wishes are not complied with. Fortunately, Sergeant Wilson has seen to it that there is no detonator in the grenade... but only he knows this...
Suicide as Comedy : Subverted. After Wilson hands Mainwaring the letter telling him he is no longer in charge of the platoon Wilson steps outside as it is read. A few seconds later a gunshot is heard to which Wilson blurts "My God, he's shot himself!" Fortunately it was an accident with the rifles outside and Mainwaring is instead having a more traditional Heroic B.S.O.D. .
Surrounded by Idiots
Mainwaring: You know, Wilson, over the years that I've come to know the members of the platoon, I've become quite fond of them. But I can't help feeling, sometimes, that I'm in charge of a bunch of idiots.
That Came Out Wrong : Captain Mainwaring manages to get a block of rationed cheese as a surprise for his wife. However, when he telephones her with the good news, things don't quite go as he planned.
Mainwaring: Yes, Elizabeth. I think I may have a little surprise for you tonight ...
One episode revolved around the platoon trying to find out whether a parachute that had landed in a nearby field was a British parachute (which are white) or Nazi parachute (which are cream.) Unfortunately, Walker had found it and had it made up into women's lingerie to sell. Hilarity Ensues as Mainwaring visits each of Walker's customers and has to ask to see their underwear ...
Wholesome Crossdresser :
Jones: Please let me be a nun Mr Mainwaring.
Wrong Genre Savvy : Frazer, with his Doomy Dooms of Doom pronouncements, appears to think he's a character in a horror. Luckily for him, he's a sitcom character.
You Didn't Ask : In one episode where the platoon helps to gather in a harvest, Mainwaring asks Sponge, a farmer, to show the others how to operate a threshing machine. Sponge admits that he is a sheep farmer and doesn't know how the machine works. When Mainwaring demands to know why Sponge never said so before, Sponge points out that Mainwaring never asked him ...
You Look Familiar : Michael Knowles played various small roles in different episodes. John Ringham played Private Bracewell in the first episode and returned later as Captain Bailey for several episodes. "And Captain Bailey has two Military Policemuuuuurn with him!"
:: Indexes ::
| i don't know |
Angela Merkel is the leader of which political party in Germany? | Angela Merkel Facts & Biography | Famous Leaders
Born: July 17, 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany
Nationality: German
Famous For: First female Chancellor of Germany
Awards: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 2006, Vision for Europe Award 2006
Angela Dorothea Merkel is a popular German politician. She is a trained physicist who decided to venture into politics after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Angela has been the chairwoman of Christian Democratic Union Party since 2000 and she is actually the first woman to ever hold this office.
She is also the first female chancellor in Germany and is regarded as one of the European Union’s leading figures. Additionally, Angela Merkel is the first woman to become a leader in Germany since 1871 and the youngest chancellor since the Second World War.
Early Life
Angela Merkel, a chancellor and German stateswoman, was born in Hamburg, Germany, on July 17, 1954. She is the daughter of an English teacher and Lutheran pastor and she has one brother and a sister. She spent her childhood in a rural setting in Templin, north of Berlin, East Germany.
Angela participated in the compulsory communist youth program and attended the University of Leipzig to study physics. She earned her doctorate degree in 1978 after which she took a job at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry working in the capacity of a chemist.
Merkel’s Career in Leadership
When the Berlin Wall fell, Angela saw her entrance into politics. She started by joining the Democratic Awakening Party. She then became a spokeswoman for the first caretaker government, democratically elected in East Germany. Post-reunification, she was elected into the Bundestag.
While being a member of the Christian Democratic Union political party, commonly known as the CDU, Angela was appointed to the position of Minister for Women and Youth in Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s cabinet. She also served as the Minister for the Environment and Nuclear Safety under Helmut.
When Kohl was defeated in 1998, Merkel became the party’s Secretary General and soon rose to the position of chairperson, becoming the first lady to ever hold that position. In the 2005 national elections, she challenged the then-chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, and won narrowly by only three seats. As such, she was declared the chancellor of Germany. She was re-elected for that position in 2009.
In 2008, Angela became the first German chancellor to speak before Knesset, when she spoke during Israel’s 60th birthday.
Current Controversies
Angela Merkel has made headlines recently when she came out to accuse United States National Security Agency of spying on her by tapping her cell phone. Angela chided the US for this breech of personal privacy saying that spying on friends is never acceptable. Reports later revealed that the United States National Security Agency may have been spying on Angela since 2002.
The Future
Angela’s popularity has suffered a few setbacks through her second term as Europe continues to face financial crisis. However, the EU has looked to Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, to lead them through the trouble.
Merkel is known for pulling her government from the brink as well as helping Germany to recover from a recession, achievements that earned her the nickname, “Teflon Angie.” Merkel has held fast to pro-American and pro-Israeli stances and she continues to warn about Iran’s nuclear program.
Famous Leaders
| CDU |
In 1996, which New Zealand group got to no. 5 in the UK charts with ‘How Bizarre’? | Germany: the career of Christian Democratic Union leader Angela Merkel - World Socialist Web Site
World Socialist Web Site
Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)
Germany: the career of Christian Democratic Union leader Angela Merkel
Part 1: East Germany—youth and political beginnings
By Lena Sokoll
8 July 2005
This is the first of a two-part article on the political career of Angela Merkel, leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and chancellor candidate of the "Union"--the conservative bloc of the CDU and Christian Social Union--in the federal elections expected to take place this September. The concluding part was posted July 9.
The CDU recently named Angela Merkel as its candidate for chancellor in the federal elections expected this autumn. Merkel is often described as a “phenomenon” in German politics. Such a portrayal is partly based on her personal characteristics—she is a divorcee who has remarried, is childless, is a Protestant and is from East Germany—which are generally regarded as untypical and an obstacle to a career in this conservative party. On the other hand, she likes to present a public image of herself—ably enhanced by her political mentors—as someone who was a “nobody” before the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989—a blank page without political connections who has risen sensationally into the top ranks of German politics.
Merkel has undoubtedly enjoyed an unparalleled career since she became a CDU member 15 years ago, a rise to prominence that has also made her numerous enemies inside the party. Unlike almost all other leading CDU representatives, Merkel’s rise did not follow the usual path of decades of party work in the west German party organisation—the youth movement, local party groups and regional associations, slowly building up connections and getting noticed, being proposed for a CDU slate and winning a position. Instead, Merkel was fast-tracked into the party leadership, overtaking her time-served west German party colleagues, until finally she was named as the CDU candidate for chancellor.
Merkel, who was a physicist by profession, only joined a political party following the collapse of the Berlin Wall. However, her time in “Democratic Awakening” (DA) was brief. After four months, she became a spokeswoman for the East German CDU government under Lothar de Maizière. Following German reunification in 1990, Chancellor Helmut Kohl brought the 36-year-old Merkel, who had only been a CDU member for six months, into his cabinet. The 1998 defeat of the CDU in federal elections meant that Merkel lost her ministerial office, but the same year, she was appointed as CDU general secretary.
A year later, following revelations of a scandal concerning party donations, she actively sought the removal of the party’s honorary chairman and her former mentor, Helmut Kohl. In April 2000, she then assumed the party presidency. In the 2002 federal elections, she ceded the chancellor candidacy to Edmund Stoiber, leader of the CDU’s smaller sister party in Bavaria, the Christian Social Union (CSU). However, since then, she has consolidated her position inside the “Union” (CDU/CSU) and overshadowed her political competitors, leading to her unchallenged selection as chancellor candidate.
How is the rapid political rise of Angela Merkel to be explained? What where the qualities that enabled her to become a minister after only six month s’ party membership? The attempts of biographers and magazine columnists to explain her career as a matter of good luck, or due to personal characteristics such as assertiveness and an instinct for power are unconvincing because they ignore political and social interests and the conditions under which her ascent took place.
Merkel certainly did not enter politics after the fall of the Berlin Wall as a political novice. Through her father, she had access to influential circles inside the church, which in turn maintained close links with leading government figures in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Since the 1950s, the church had played a particularly important role in the GDR by ensuring that political opposition to the Stalinist regime was kept under control. In the period leading up to the collapse of the GDR, the church was central to keeping the mass protest wave that swept over the country in safe hands that eventually brought about the restoration of capitalism in East Germany and its Anschluss (annexation) by West Germany.
Her upbringing in GDR church circles
Born in Hamburg as Angela Dorothea Kasner, Merkel grew up as a pastor’s daughter in Templin, in East Germany. Following his theological studies in the West in 1954, her father Horst Kasner returned to East Germany, where he led the “Waldhof,” an evangelical education centre for ministers and priests, which also hosted a nursing home. This was well suited to establishing links with GDR church circles. At Waldhof, Merkel would have come to know Rainer Eppelmann, the later founder of Democratic Awakening, the organisation in which she launched her political career after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Merkel’s father ranked among those church representatives who argued for a policy that combined loyalty to the regime and the church, known as “the church in socialism.” In the early 1950s, the Stalinist leadership of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) had conducted a “struggle” against the influence of the church. However, following the anti-Stalinist uprising by East German workers in 1953, the Ulbricht government adopted a more conciliatory course, which sought to integrate church institutions into the state and utilise them as a means of stabilising SED rule. In particular, the “Weissenseer working group,” in which Horst Kasner participated, was the mechanism by which the Evangelical Church soon moved closer to the regime, and from 1971, officially defined itself as “the church in socialism,” thereby attaining a level of influence that was unparalleled throughout the Eastern Bloc.
The growing convergence of state and church, and the increasing economic and domestic political crisis inside the GDR, meant that the church not only played a key role in helping to stabilise the situation at home, but it was also involved in discrete diplomatic relations between the two German states. Since the early 1960s, the church had provided the mechanism for organising prisoner exchanges with the West, as well as facilitating substantial financial transfers. Later, this very important East-West political contact certainly helped GDR church circles secure a role in all-German politics.
Inside the GDR, the church and state maintained their own representatives to conduct negotiations and mediate conflicts between the two. In this, a prominent role was played by the high-ranking Evangelical Church functionary Manfred Stolpe, one of the political architects of “the church in socialism,” and by the Undersecretary of State for Church Affairs Klaus Gysi, father of Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) leader Gregor Gysi. Under Klaus Gysi, the relationship between state and church was substantially consolidated, and the church was granted numerous privileges including church broadcasts in the media, state financial support and the building of new churches.
Other important intermediaries were legal attorneys, who represented the Christian groups in their dealings with the state. At the same time, many were also informers for the Stasi (Secret Police), including Lothar de Maizière and Wolfgang Schnur, who were not only active Christians and informants, but later Merkel’s first political mentors.
Growing up in such circles, Angela Kasner already enjoyed connections that she could later use to her advantage. In his authorised biography, Wolfgang Stock reports the fact that Merkel’s high school class had wanted to annoy their unpopular teacher by not preparing a contribution for the school’s mandatory cultural programme, instead giving an improvised presentation. The pupils were to be punished, but an intervention by the Kasners gave the whole thing a new twist: “A petition was written that Angela personally presented to Manfred Stolpe, the highest church attorney in the GDR.... Thanks to church involvement, ‘Berlin’ intervenes: Angela’s teacher is disciplined, ...the pupils are ‘only’ given a reprimand at ‘school assembly.’”
After graduating from high school, Angela Kasner studied physics, married and was accepted at the Berlin Academy of Sciences, where she attained a doctorate in 1986. While a student, she was secretary for agitation and propaganda in the FDJ, the East German youth organisation loyal to the SED regime, a position that she now tries to portray as merely that of a “cultural representative.”
A Stasi informer at the Institute who was primarily there to spy on the son of dissident Ulrich Havemann also provided information about his office colleague Merkel. In the reports of this Stasi source, there is no trace of the “internal resistance” to SED rule, which Merkel touts in her authorised biography and in interviews about her history. Stern magazine investigated the archives and found that an “unofficial” informant had “nothing politically explosive to report [about Merkel], quite the opposite, another time emphasising Angela’s ‘positive political views.’ Otherwise, he reports mainly about private and personal matters. Concerning her limited, cosseted life.”
Initially, Merkel seemed disinterested in the growing protest and resistance movement in the GDR in 1989. “Oh, just look at what is happening outside,” is how she is reported answering a colleague at the Institute who could not understand how someone could not be interested in attending a political meeting or demonstration at that time. Only after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the SED’s loss of power was inevitable did she begin to seek a new political orientation and go looking for a party.
Faced with mass protests against SED rule, the Evangelical Church and its representatives played a key role in preventing an open rebellion, channelling opposition along safe lines to ensure an orderly transfer of power from the thoroughly discredited regime. Under church moderation, the so-called “Round Table” was established to make the regime change possible without the working class being able to call to account the Stalinist thugs and establish its own independent organisations. The church called for non-violence and above all ensured the keeping of the social peace.
Thus it not only provided a last service to the SED, in the context of the long-established church-state collaboration, but also acted in the interests of the West German bourgeoisie and their political parties. The latter used their good contacts with representatives of the East German church to swiftly settle the fate of the GDR in favour of West German capitalism. Despite all the differences between the political leaders in East and West Germany, there was a fundamental view they both shared with the church: a profound antipathy to any independent popular movement based on their fears of an uncontrollable revolutionary development of the working class.
Church representatives or those with close links to the church were largely responsible for founding the new parties that emerged in the GDR in 1989. At the same time, those with church connections also came to the fore in the former state parties of the GDR as they sought to renew their leading personnel.
The beginnings of a political career
In December 1989, Angela Merkel joined Democratic Awakening, which had been founded by the clerics Rainer Eppelmann and Friedrich Schorlemmer, as well as Wolfgang Schnur, the trusted attorney of the Evangelical Church in the GDR. Two months later, she was promoted to press spokesperson for DA, which supported the rapid introduction of capitalism into East Germany and was politically aligned to the West German CDU.
In the GDR parliamentary elections of spring 1990, the DA participated on a joint slate with the East German CDU initiated by Helmut Kohl under the motto “Alliance for Germany.” The East German CDU had been largely discredited as one of the so-called “bloc parties” that had supported the Stalinist regime in East Berlin, and so the support of the DA was important to provide the appearance of a break with this old tradition.
The unmasking of Schnur as a long-time Stasi agent just prior to the election meant the DA only attained 0.9 percent of the vote. However, against expectations, its ally the East German CDU became the strongest party. Lothar de Maizière, the party leader, became prime minister of the last East German government, which regarded its most important task as facilitating the dissolution of the GDR state and unification with West Germany.
De Maizière was a long-standing member of the East German CDU, who had only taken on the party leadership shortly before the election. In the last SED-led government under Hans Modrow, the attorney de Maizière was minister for church affairs; he also enjoyed excellent contacts with the political elite in West Germany. His uncle Ulrich de Maizière was largely responsible for overseeing West German rearmament after the Second World War, also holding the highest military office as General Inspector of the Federal Armed Forces.
So it was probably more than a lucky coincidence that on the day of the East German elections, Merkel swiftly left the DA in order to participate in the celebration of the CDU. There she approached Thomas de Maizière, cousin to Lothar and son of Ulrich, and asked to be assigned a position in the new government. “You should count your luck that you have such fine people as us from ‘Democratic Awakening’ in the ‘Alliance for Germany,’ “ she told the representative of a family with influence in both east and west Germany. “I hope this will be taken into consideration when forming the government,” she said to Thomas, who himself later became a minister for the CDU in the Saxony state legislature. Lothar de Maizière, who also knew Merkel’s father, fulfilled her wish for high office and made her his government spokeswoman.
Democratic Awakening was dissolved in August 1990 into the East German CDU, which itself was dissolved into the West German party following German reunification in October of that year. Merkel’s job disappeared along with the GDR, but those few months were enough for her to develop and strengthen her contacts. She belonged to the close circle around Lothar de Maizière, along with Günther Krause, who as a parliamentary state secretary had negotiated the currency and economic union with West Germany. Recommendations from Krause and de Maizière brought an invitation to visit Kohl in his Bonn chancellery. As CDU regional chairman in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Krause provided Merkel with a safe seat in the first all-German elections to the Bundestag (Federal Parliament) in December 1990.
To be continued
| i don't know |
Which ‘Eastenders’ character carried the Olympic torch on the programme? | Olympic torch visits EastEnders - BBC News
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Media captionViewers saw Billy Mitchell, played by Perry Fenwick, carry the torch past some of E20's most famous TV landmarks
The Olympic torch visited the fictional London borough of Walford when it appeared in a special live section of BBC soap EastEnders on Monday.
Viewers saw Billy Mitchell, played by Perry Fenwick, carry the torch past some of E20's most famous TV landmarks, including the Queen Vic pub.
Speaking ahead of the show, Fenwick said it was "quite terrifying".
Nineteen cameras were on Albert Square to capture the 31 regular cast members and 11 children involved.
The live insert during EastEnders saw Billy Mitchell cheered on by the residents of Walford.
With drama always high on the agenda, Billy's granddaughter Lola Pearce gave birth during the episode.
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Fenwick admitted he was somewhat nervous about the performance, adding: "I just want to do it and make everyone proud".
The torch is scheduled to arrive at the Olympic Stadium in east London in time for the opening ceremony on Friday.
This not the first time the Olympics and EastEnders have crossed paths. In March, Royal Mail revealed that the Olympic Park was to be given the same E20 postcode as the soap's Walford home.
EastEnders viewers have already seen characters Fat Boy and Billy discover that they have been nominated as torchbearers.
In November 2011, regulars in The Queen Vic found out that the torch would pass through Walford and the following month Billy discovered he had been chosen to carry it.
The flame was seen in EastEnders on BBC One in an episode starting at 21:00 BST.
| Billy Mitchell |
At which indoor sport was TV presenter Matt Baker talented in his younger days? | London 2012: Olympic countdown – five days to go | Sport | The Guardian
London 2012: Olympic countdown – five days to go
Olympic torch appears live on EastEnders; Buckingham Palace hosts the IOC and Danny Boyle spends £27m
Jacques Rogge, the president of the IOC, will attend a reception at Buckingham Palace on Monday. Photograph: Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images
Observer Sport staff
Saturday 21 July 2012 17.00 EDT
First published on Saturday 21 July 2012 17.00 EDT
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SUNDAY
The boxer Lennox Lewis joins the torchbearers today and expect further updates from the International Olympic Committee, who are now firmly in town.
Torch Redbridge to Bexley
MONDAY
The EastEnders character Billy Mitchell carries the Olympic torch through Albert Square in a special episode at 9pm on BBC1. The scenes in which the torch passes the market, launderette and Queen Vic (on the programme's outdoor set at Elstree Studios) will be broadcast live, slotting into an otherwise prerecorded episode. Earlier in the day the IOC's executive board and athletes' commission visit the Olympic Village. Later IOC members attend a reception at Buckingham Palace and the opening ceremony of the 124th IOC session at the Royal Opera House. Across town a dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony takes place in the stadium. And the result of the vote to be GB's flagbearer in Friday's ceremony is revealed. Sir Chris Hoy is a leading contender.
Torch Lewisham to Tooting Bec (via Centre Court, Wimbledon)
TUESDAY
Team GB move into the village and the IOC Session continues in Park Lane.
Torch Kingston upon Thames to Ealing (via Kew Gardens)
WEDNESDAY
The Olympics kick off: Great Britain v New Zealand begins at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium at 4pm. Though this is "day -2" the football starts early to ensure sufficient rest periods between matches. Five other games, split between Cardiff, Coventry and Glasgow, follow. At the World Olympians Gala at St James' Palace, former Olympians will break bread with Princess Anne. Most of the Olympic Route Network of roads in London and the south-east is now in force today, with restrictions on use of "Games Lanes". The IOC Session continues and there is a second opening ceremony dress rehearsal in front of friends and residents.
Torch Harrow to Alexandra Palace (via Wembley Stadium)
THURSDAY
Men's football begins with Spain v Japan in Glasgow at noon. At 8pm Stuart Pearce's GB team play their first group match, against Senegal at Old Trafford. The IOC Session continues.
Torch Camden to Hyde Park (via St Paul's Cathedral, Oxford Street, Parliament Square and Buckingham Palace)
FRIDAY
Rogge gives another press conference at 10am. Then it's all eyes (about a billion pairs of them worldwide, if estimates are correct) on the opening ceremony. The countdown begins at 7pm on BBC1, and Danny Boyle's £27m show is at 9pm. The Queen and Rogge deliver speeches; Boris Johnson plays a part and Sir Paul McCartney performs.
Torch Hampton Court Palace to Tower Bridge by boat … then it is next seen at the ceremony. But who will carry it to the cauldron? Sir Steve Redgrave, Daley Thompson … Bradley Wiggins?
SATURDAY
This is it. The Olympic Park gates open at 7am. Eighteen sports begin, with shooting leading the way from 8.15am at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Within three hours the women's 10m rifle gold medal should be awarded. The Games have begun.
| i don't know |
In The Scaffold’s ‘Lily the Pink’, which young lady “had terrible freckles”? | Terrible Love Songs: Another Music Blog
What Was 60’s Song ‘Lily The Pink’ Actually About? She Was After All ”Saviour Of The Human Race”!
I have always wanted to know what the 60’s song ‘Lily the Pink’ was about. Written by Liverpudlian band The Scaffold , the song was Christmas number one in December 1968 and stayed there for four weeks. The song was apparently based on the folk song “The Ballad Of Lydia Pinkham”.
Who Was Lydia Pinkham?
Lydia Estes Pinkham (American, February 9, 1819 – May 17, 1883) was an iconic concocter and shrewd marketer of a commercially successful herbal-alcoholic "women's tonic" meant to relieve menstrual and menopausal pains.
Like many women of her time Lydia Pinkham brewed home remedies, which she continually collected. Her remedy for "female complaints" became very popular among her neighbours to whom she gave it away. In Lydia Pinkham's time and place the reputation of the medical profession was low. Medical fees were too expensive for most Americans to afford except in emergencies, in which case the remedies were more likely to kill than cure. For example a common "medicine" was calomel, in fact not a medicine but a deadly mercurial toxin, and this fact was even at the time sufficiently well known among the sceptical to be the subject of a popular comic song. In these circumstances there is no mystery why many preferred to trust unlicensed "root and herb" practitioners, and to trust women prepared to share their domestic remedies such as Lydia Pinkham.
It is reputed to have been her son Daniel who came up with the idea, in 1875 of making a family business of the remedy. Lydia initially made the remedy on her stove before its success enabled production to be transferred to a factory, she answered letters from customers and probably wrote most of the advertising copy. Mass marketed from 1876 on, Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound became one of the best known patent medicines of the 19th century. Descendants of this product are still available today. Lydia's skill was in marketing her product directly to women and her company continued her shrewd marketing tactics after her death. Her own face was on the label and her company was particularly keen on the use of testimonials from grateful women.
Although Pinkham's motives were partly self-serving, many modern-day feminists admire her for distributing information on menstruation and the "facts of life," and consider her to be a crusader for women's health issues in a day when women were poorly served by the medical establishment.
In 1922, Lydia's daughter Aroline Chase Pinkham Gove founded the Lydia E. Pinkham Memorial Clinic in Salem, Massachusetts. The clinic, still in operation as of 2004, provides health services to young mothers and their children. It is designated Site 9 of the Salem Women's Heritage Trail.
What Was In The Original Vegetable Compound?
* Unicorn root (Aletris farinosa L.) 8 oz.
* Life root (Senecio aureus L.) 6 oz.
* Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt.) 6 oz.
* Pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa L.) 6 oz.
* Fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) 12 oz.
* Alcohol (18%) to make 100 U.S. pints
Is It Available Today?
The answer is yes! Numark Laboratories of Edison, New Jersey markets a similar product named " Lydia Pinkham Herbal Compound ." The product is carried by the Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid. drugstore chains. Ingredients listed in this product are:
* Motherwort (Leonorus cardiaca)
* Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).
How Did Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound Become A Song?
One of the reasons given for why this women’s tonic became a part of drinking ballads and an increasing success in the twenties and early thirties was its availability as a 40 –proof patent eye-opener, during Prohibition .
Some also suggest that it might have been a music hall song ( vaudeville ) which might have gone on to become a children’s rhyme or the other way round.
How The Scaffold got involved is information I don’t have available to me, maybe if they read this article they could leave a message? Suffice to say, if it was originally a drinking song, maybe alcohol was involved to some degree!
What Happened To The Scaffold?
After an appearance in a children's TV series (Score With The Scaffold), TV campaigns, a half hour musical movie called ‘Plod’, the trio re-united for their final tour to promote their album 'Sold Out' and then disbanded for good.
Where Can I Find A Copy Of 'Lily The Pink'?
Your best bet is probably second hand record shops and 60’s party compilations. My parents still have a pretty scratchy 7” version and it has a jar of brightly coloured sweets on the front cover. I will take a photo and upload it to this article when I have been home next.
I have found a streamed version on Imeem :
OK Ciders on the ready, here are the lyrics:
"We'll drink a drink a drink to
Lily the pink a pink a pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
Mr Frears had sticky out ears
And it made him awful shy
And so they give him medicinal compound
And now he's learning how to fly
Brother Tony was notably bony
He would never eat his meals
And so they give him medicinal compound
Now they move him round on wheels
We'll drink a drink a drink to
Lily the pink a pink a pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
Well Ebeneezer thought he was Juilius Ceasar
And so they put him in a home
Where they give him medicinal compound
And now his emperor of Rome
Johnny hammer had a terrible stammer
He could hardly say a word
And so they give him medicinal compound
And now his seen and never heard
We'll drink a drink a drink to
Lily the pink a pink a pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
Auntie Milly ran willy-nilly
When her legs they did recede
And so they hooked on medicinal compound
Now they call her Millipede
Jennifer Eccles had terrible freckles
And the boys all call her names
But she changed with medicinal compound
And now he joins in all their games
We'll drink a drink a drink to
Lily the pink a pink a pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
Lily the pink she turned to drink she
Filled up with paraffin inside
And despite her medicinal compound
Sadly pickalily died
Up to heaven her soul ascended
For the church bells they did ring
She took with her medicinal compound
Hark the herald angels sing"
Conclusion
Although Lydia Pinkham was not after all “Saviour Of The Human Race”, she has unknowingly provided us all with a fantastic song which should not be lost to time and format change.
Here is a video of The Scaffold performing their most famous song:
Do you remember this song?
| Jennifer Eccles |
What Islamic religious title was given to General Gordon’s nemesis? | kulturní magazín Uni » Blog Archive » Lily The Pink
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Vyhledávání
Lily The Pink
„Houpy, houpy, houpy, houpyty, houpy, houpy, hou, každej zná tu píseň houpavou,“ přesvědčuje nás Waldemar Matuška na veselém singlu z roku 1969, případně v ještě rozvernějším duetu s Máničkou, Spejblem a Hurvínkem z roku 1972. Textař Ivo Fischer měl zase jednou geniální nápad a vymyslel slogan, který se hodí jak k houpavé melodii, tak k houpání čili vodění za nos, což jsou dva hlavní znaky staré odrhovačky Lily The Pink. Jak už to u takových bizarních písniček bývá, málokdo dnes ví, proč vznikla a o čem se v ní doopravdy zpívá. Tentokrát si osud pohrál s příběhem důstojné paní Lydie Pinkhamové, jedné z nejúspěšnějších obchodnic své doby, jejíž „rostlinnou směs“ kupovaly po tisících ženy trpící problémy v menopauze. Zdá se vám to málo romantické, chybí vám v tom drama? Jen počkejte, až se dozvíte víc.
Nejprve se musíme přesunout do roku 1968, kdy se v legendárním londýnském studiu na Abbey Road sešli členové liverpoolského komediálního tria Scaffold (Šibenice), tvořeného básníkem Rogerem McGoughem, hercem Johnem Gormanem a fotografem Mikem McGearem. McGear, vlastním jménem Peter Michael McCartney, byl mladším bratrem Paula McCartneyho, jenž se také podílel na některých nahrávkách úspěšné trojice. Prvním hitem skupiny Scaffold (zprvu pojmenované The Liverpool One Fat Lady All Electric Show – Plně elektrifi kovaná show jedné tlusté dámy z Liverpoolu) se stala píseň Thank U Very Much, původně zpívaný telefonát, kterým Mike děkoval Paulovi za to, že mu koupil fotoaparát Nikon. Největší úspěch ale mladí komici sklidili s adaptací košilaté lidovky The Ballad Of Lydia Pinkham, z níž si za druhé světové války udělali neofi ciální hymnu britští tankisté a kterou bylo možné často slýchat po skončení rugbyových zápasů. Pod názvem Lily The Pink písnička o Vánocích roku 1968 obletěla svět, o čemž svědčí i pohotová česká verze.
Natáčení v Abbey Road probíhalo v přátelské atmosféře. Mike McGear si půjčil basový buben od Ringo Starra, hodil přes něj svůj kabát, a tak vznikly ony tlumené bouchance, kterými skladba začíná. Na baskytaru hrál člen superskupiny Cream Jack Bruce, údajně byl přítomen i bubeník kapely Who Keith Moon. U zvukařského pultu asistoval mladý Tim Rice, jenž se už brzy proslaví coby libretista rockové opery skladatele Andrewa Lloyda Webbera Jesus Christ Superstar. Dokonce si zahalekal v refrénu, stejně jako jistý Reg Dwight (z něhož se záhy vyklube jistý Elton John) a Graham Nash, člen folkrockové skupiny Hollies. Právě na počest Nashe a jeho spoluhráčů, kteří zrovna bodovali s hitem Jennifer Eccles, se v textu písně objevila zmínka o „pihovaté Jennifer Zbožné“ („Jennifer Eccles had terrible freckles“). Hříčka „Pica-Lily“ vychází z názvu oblíbené anglické čalamády Picalilli, který samozřejmě odkazuje ke jménu známé londýnské třídy Picadilly vedoucí na náměstí Picadilly Circus.
A „Mr. Frears“ je filmový režisér Stephen Frears, jenž triu Scaffold málem zničil kariéru, když jako mladé ucho špatně zrežíroval jeden z jeho raných koncertních programů. Šibeniční humoristé se mu pomstili tím, že ho v písničce obdařili odstávajícíma ušima. Nutno říci, že Frears se časem polepšil a natočil řadu povedených filmů, například Nebezpečné známosti, Špínu Londýna nebo Královnu.
OD AMOSE K DARWINOVI
Přestože se Lily The Pink dočkala nesmrtelnosti na Britských ostrovech, původ má americký. Lydia E. Pinkhamová, z jejíhož léčivého lektvaru si píseň utahuje, totiž spojila celý svůj život s městečkem Lynn ve státě Massachusetts, o kterém koluje ještě nemilosrdnější popěvek než o ní. „Lynn, Lynn, city of sin, you never come out the way you went in. Ask for water, they give you a gin, the girls say no, but always give in.“ („Lynn, Lynn, město hříchu, kdo tudy projde, nebude už tím, kým býval. Když tu chceš vodu, dostaneš gin, holky tě odmítnou, ale pak ti jsou po vůli.“) Některé obyvatele říkanka tak štvala, že se svůj spořádaný domov, jenž spíš než hnízdo neřesti připomínal vzorovou selanku ze Stepfordských paniček, snažili přejmenovat na Ocean Park. Ale zvyk je zvyk, a tak alespoň vypracovali seznam prvenství, jimiž se Lynn může chlubit. V hrdém výčtu najdeme třeba první požární stříkačku (1654) nebo první hovězí sendvič. A také jméno první ženy, která uspěla v oblasti reklamy a marketingu: Lydia Pinkhamová.
V současných publikacích má tato pozoruhodná osoba roli jakési dobromyslné šarlatánky, emancipované, avšak trochu pomýlené hospodyně. Taková Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová, kdyby místo knedlíků vařila lektvar z muřích noh. Nicméně jediný hodnověrný zdroj, kniha Jean Burtonové Lydia Pinkham Is Her Name z roku 1949, nabízí mnohem plastičtější profil jedné z nejúspěšnějších podnikatelek 19. století. Přestože účinnost dodnes prodávaného bylinného produktu s nálepkou „Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound“ bývá oficiálními lékařskými kruhy často zpochybňována, při bližším studiu historických pramenů je zřejmé, že si jeho výrobce zaslouží spíš respekt než posměšné písničky.
Skutečná „Lily The Pink“ se narodila 9. února 1819 na farmě za městem Lynn, nějakých 30 km od Bostonu, jako Lydia Estesová. Její matka Rebecca pocházela z italského šlechtického rodu Este (Estes), jehož část v průběhu staletí přesídlila do Anglie a odtud na americký kontinent. (My známe jiného člena této rozvětvené rodiny – následníka rakousko- uherského trůnu Ferdinanda d’Este.) Lydiin otec William Estes pracoval jako spousta jiných obyvatel Massachusetts v obuvnickém průmyslu. (V nadcházející britsko-americké válce představovaly boty z Lynn snad ještě větší pojem než rýmovačka „Lynn, Lynn, city of sin“.) Oba rodiče byli kvakeři neboli příslušníci původně anglické protestantské sekty, ofi ciálně nazývané Společnost přátel. Kvakeři neuznávali autoritu státu, odmítali vojenskou službu a teoreticky vystupovali proti rasismu i jiným druhům sociálního útisku, ačkoliv v praxi mnohdy tak odvážní nebyli. Do značné míry měli demokratického ducha, což se projevovalo v jejich pojetí víry, organizaci rodiny i chápání ženské role. Lydia Estesová tudíž od útlého věku vnímala všechny tyto hodnoty, jejichž vyznáváním kvakeři notně předběhli svou dobu. K přednostem Estesových rovněž patřila víra v rasovou rovnoprávnost. Podporovali abolicionisty, kteří usilovali o zrušení otroctví a pomáhali černým nevolníkům dostat se pryč z rasistického jihu Spojených států. Dům jejich souseda, zámožného občana Jamese N. Buffuma, sloužil jako tajná zastávka tzv. „podzemní železnice“ (síť úkrytů užívaných při organizovaných útěcích otroků). Kvakeři ve městě Lynn však nebyli v otázce zrušení otroctví názorově jednotní, a tak Estesovi nakonec Společnost přátel opustili a začali sympatizovat s tehdy populárními swedenborgiány (příznivci učení švédského filozofa a vědce Emanuela Swedenborga, sdružující se v Nové církvi). Díky Buffumovi se dostali do kontaktu s řadou významných abolicionistů včetně Williama Lloyda Garrisona, vydavatele protiotrokářského listu Liberator, Nathaniela P. Rogerse, vydavatele podobných novin Herald Of Freedom, či básníka Johna Greenleafa Whittiera. Kousek od nich navíc bydlel zřejmě nejslavnější odpůrce otrokářství, bývalý otrok a vůdce abolicionistů Frederick Douglass.
Estesovi s těmito reformátory vedli dlouhé diskuse a Lydia pozorně naslouchala. Když byla starší, sama v lynnském sále Richard’s Hall založila Debatní spolek (Debating Society), fungující jako protipól k zakrnělému Freemanově institutu, v němž se scházeli ke společným diskuzím vážení občané města – ovšem pouze mužští. Problém ženské rovnoprávnosti se logicky svezl s problémem rasové diskriminace, a proto většina abolicionistek byla zároveň sufražetkami, tedy bojovnicemi za ženská práva. Není od věci si připomenout, že po občanské válce dostali černí Američané právo volit, ale ženy nikoli. Školští pracovníci brali jako vědecky podložený fakt, že ženský mozek není schopen pochopit komplikovanou látku, jakou je kupříkladu vyšší matematika, a proto je upřímně udivilo, když v roce 1838 žačka jménem Emma Willardová obstála na výbornou z geometrie. Lydia Estesová však měla štěstí nejen na svobodomyslné rodiče, ale také na výjimečného kantora, básníka a historika Alonza Lewise, experimentujícího s progresivní metodou výuky amerického teoretika Amose Bronsona Alcotta (hádejte, po kom si dal jméno). Díky Lewisovu moudrému vedení se bystrá studentka hravě dostala na akademii, kterou absolvovala s vyznamenáním, a navrch si sama dobrovolně zvolila dráhu učitelky.
AMERICKÁ LÉKÁRNA
Právě na schůzích Debatního spolku – řešícího šestnáct let před vydáním Darwinova spisu O původu druhů! otázky jako „Existuje nezvratný důkaz, že má celé lidské pokolení společný původ?“ – se Lydia seznámila se svým budoucím manželem, jak jinak než obuvníkem Isaa cem Pinkhamem. Pinkhamova rodina pocházela z New Hampshire a co do volnomyšlenkářství si nijak nezadala s rodem Estesů. Dokonce se ve své genealogii mohla chlubit dívkou jménem Mary Tylerová, která byla roku 1692 v nedalekém Salemu obžalována z čarodějnictví. (Zdejší hony na čarodějnice zvěčnil ve slavné hře Čarodějky ze Salemu, jež je stejně jako Kaplického a Vávrovo Kladivo na čarodějnice analogií k politickým procesům v padesátých letech 20. století, americký dramatik a spisovatel Arthur Miller.) V Isaakovi nalezla Lydia věrného průvodce na cestě životem osvobozeným od předsudků a dobových bludů. Stala se emancipovanou, a přece oddanou ženou v domácnosti, která ví, jak se postarat o čtyři děti (sama byla z deseti) a co znamená žít na malém městě obklopena sousedy, z nichž každý k tomu druhému chtě nechtě zaujímá určitý postoj.
Lydie Pinkhamové si lidé vážili už proto, že věděla víc než oni a byla více sečtělá. Měla ctihodného manžela, jenž se díky jejímu věnu změnil z ševce v movitého vlastníka půdy (kolem pozemků Pinkhamových měla vést nová železnice a on je kus po kusu nabízel investorům). Bohužel, rozkvět obchodní čtvrti města Lynn, která na těchto parcelách skutečně postupem let vyrostla, na sebe nechal dlouho čekat, takže se z Pinkhamových stali boháči pouze na papíře. Ve skutečnosti se museli přestěhovat do menšího domu na předměstí a nějaký čas dokonce živořili o kus dál v Bedfordu – to když už jim dluhy nedovolily udržet si pozici v prosperujícím a atraktivním sousedství Bostonu. Těsně před vypuknutím občanské války se však přece jen vzchopili a vrátili se. V té době Lydia, která vyrostla na farmě mezi voňavými svazky sušených bylinek a koření, začala ve městě Lynn působit jako jakási alternativa k ofi ciální zdravotní péči. Coby bývalá učitelka, a tudíž autorita, byla povolávána k lůžku nemocných, jimž se pokoušela radit na základě zkušeností, které si místní farmáři předávali po generace, vycházejíce přitom dílem z odkazu anglických puritánů a dílem z tradic původních obyvatel Ameriky, tedy indiánů. První škola pro zdravotní sestry byla založena až v sedmdesátých letech 19. století a doktora si tenkrát prostý člověk nemohl dovolit, nemluvě o tom, že mu nevěřil. Měl k tomu pádné důvody, protože na středověkou módu všespasitelného pouštění krve navázala medicína dalších staletí něčím ještě brutálnějším – cílenou otravou organismu pomocí „léků“ jako chlorid rtuťný. Čím hůře nemocný na léčbu reagoval, tím více jedů do těla dostal. Výsledkem bylo víc mrtvých pacientů než živých. Kritici uzdravovacích metod Lydie Pinkhamové často poukazují na její amatérismus. Nicméně recept, díky němuž se proslavila, je takřka kompletně převzatý z odborné publikace, dokonce z jedné z nejdůležitějších lékařských knih své doby. Napsal ji Dr. John King a jmenovala se American Dispensary (Americká lékárna). King patřil ke skupině lékařů nazývaných eklektici, kteří rezolutně odmítali používání projímadel, pijavic, těžkých kovů jako rtuť či olovo a kauterizace (přikládání rozžhaveného železa při amputacích za účelem zastavení krvácení). Místo toho hlásali léčbu v souladu s přírodou, s přirozenými procesy lidského organismu. Mluvíme o době, kdy anestezie byla ještě v plenkách a mělo trvat ještě dlouhá léta, než ji odborná obec uznala za přijatelnou (ačkoliv Bůh Adama uspal, než mu odebral žebro, z nějž pak svořil ženu). Lékařské kapacity, z nichž mnohé se po vzoru dnešních rychlostudentů práv staly doktory po ročním kursu na soukromé škole a jejich jedinou kvalifi kací byl fakt, že dovedou číst a psát, stále odmítaly vzít na vědomí apel Dr. Olivera Wendella Holmese, aby se před a po zákroku umyli a převlékli. Bakteriologie byla hudbou budoucnosti.
Pro obyčejné lidi tudíž v mnoha případech znamenala poslední naději herbální medicína. A kniha Johna Kinga se stala biblí všech, kteří se pokoušeli nalézt v přírodě vhodný lék. Na Lydii Pinkhamovou, zběhlou v používání léčivých bylin, se obzvláště často obracely sousedky se „ženskými problémy“, které se tehdy běžně řešily odstraněním vaječníků. Sečtělá hospodyně, sama trpící silnými menstruačními bolestmi a přílišným krvácením, našla v Kingově příručce rostlinu s názvem aletris farinosa (aletris bílý), jejíž blahodárný vliv na tuto choulostivou oblast ženského organismu znali už indiánští šamani. Dr. King ji označoval za „rostlinu, jež si bezpochyby zaslouží další bádání, jelikož je jedním z našich nejužitečnějších pomocníků“. Další důležitou rostlinou byla klejicha (asclepias). Lidia na základě Kingových rad vybrala ještě tři byliny: starček zlatý (senecio aureus), pískavici řecké seno (trigonella foenum-graecum) a ploštičník hroznatý (actaea racemosa). Přidala osmnáctiprocentní alkohol, a prostředek zvaný Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound (Bylinná směs Lydie E. Pinkhamové) byl na světě.
„Lily The Pink“ ho nejprve řadu let poskytovala zdarma ženám ve svém okolí a o výsledcích si vedla podrobné zápisy. Teprve když se zvěst o zázračné medicíně donesla i do jiných měst a k Lydiině prahu se začali stahovat cizí lidé připomínající poutníky do Mekky, rozhodla se podnikavá dáma svůj „objev“ zpeněžit. Donutily ji k tomu okolnosti spojené s neúspěšným podnikáním jejího muže (v období tzv. rekonstrukce po skončení občanské války se Isaac úspěšně uchytil ve stavebnictví, ale první celosvětová krize odstartovaná Vídeňským krachem v roce 1873 ho o veškerý výdělek připravila). Z tmavohnědého nahořklého amalgámu se stal neuvěřitelně výnosný artikl, díky němuž je Lydia Pinkhamová považována za první velkou americkou byznysmenku, ale bohužel i za vychytralou podvodnici. Bylinná směs se (s přidaným vitaminem B1 a sníženým procentem alkoholu, což je podle zlých jazyků jediná léčivá složka kouzelného koktejlu) dosud vyrábí v továrně řízené potomky klanů Pinkhamů, kteří se ostatně před padesáti lety o její vedení jaksepatří poprali. Není divu – podle časopisu Life už tehdy činil výnos z prodeje tohoto produktu bezmála 60 milionů liber!
LILY THE PINK
We’ll drink a drink a drink
To Lily the Pink the Pink the Pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case
Mr. Frears had sticky-out ears
And it made him awful shy
And so they gave him medicinal compound
And now he’s learning how to fl y
Brother Tony was notably bony
He would never eat his meals
And so they gave him medicinal compound
Now they move him round on wheels
We’ll drink…
Old Ebeneezer thought he was Julius Caesar
And so they put him in a Home
Where they gave him medicinal compound
And now he’s Emperor of Rome
Johnny Hammer had a terrible ss..ss..
ss..ss..ss..ss..stammer
He could hardly s..s..say a word
And so they gave him medicinal compound
Now he’s seen (but never ‘eard)!
We’ll drink…
When her legs, they did recede
And so they rubbed on medicinal compound
And now they call her Millipede
Jennifer Eccles had terrible freckles
And the boys all called her names
But she changed with medicinal‘ compound
And now he joins in all their games
We’ll drink…
Lily the Pink, she turned to drink
She filled up with paraffi n inside
And despite her medicinal compound
Sadly Picca-Lily died
Up to Heaven her soul ascended
All the church bells they did ring
She took with her medicinal compound
Hark the herald angels sing
We’ll drink…
Na zdraví, na zdraví, na zdraví
Lilinky Růžový, Růžový, Růžový,
hrozně se za to styděl.
A tak mu dali léčivou směs
a teď může vesele plachtit.
Bratr Tony byl nápadně vyzáblý,
nikdy nedojedl hlavní chod.
A tak mu dali léčivou směs
a teď ho před sebou strkají na vozíčku.
Na zdraví…
Starý Ebenezer myslel, že je Julius Caesar,
a tak ho šoupli do domova,
kde mu dali léčivou směs,
a teď už je jen císař římský.
Johnny Kladivo hrozně k-k-k-koktal,
stěží ze sebe vypravil s-s-s-slovo.
A tak mu dali léčivou směs
a teď je vidět, ale není slyšet.
Na zdraví…
Tetička Millie běhala v slunci, dešti,
jednou ji ale nohy přestaly poslouchat.
A tak je potřeli léčivou směsí
a teď jí říkají milliped.
Jennifer Zbožná byla tak pihovatá,že na ni kluci pokřikovali
Ale léčivá směs jí změnila život
a teď už ji berou do všech svých her.
Na zdraví…
Růžová Lilinka se dala na pití,
tělo jí rozložil petrolej
a navzdory své léčivé směsi
ta Lily z Picadilly umřela.
Když její duše stoupala do nebe,
zvonily všechny zvony.
Léčivou směs vzala s sebou,
slyšte, slyšte! prozpěvují andělé.
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What long, loose over-garment was the distinctive garb of Jews in the Middle Ages? | Gaberdine - Encyclopedia
Gaberdine
GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
GABERDINE, or Gabardine, any long, loose over-garment, reaching to the feet and girt round the waist. It was, when made of coarse material,commonly worn in the middle ages by pilgrims, beggars and almsmen. The Jews, conservatively attached to the loose and flowing garments of the East, continued to wear the long upper garment to which the name "gaberdine" could be applied, long after it had ceased to be a common form as worn by non-Jews, and to this day in some parts of Europe, e.g. in Poland, it is still worn, while the tendency to wear the frockcoat very long and loose is a marked characteristic of the race. The fact that in the middle ages the Jews were forbidden to engage in handicrafts also, no doubt, tended to stereotype a form of dress unfitted for manual labour. The idea of the "gaberdine" being enforced by law upon the Jews as a distinctive garment is probably due to Shakespeare's use in the Merchant of Venice, I. iii. 113. The mark that the Jews were obliged to wear generally on the outer garment was the badge. This was first enforced by the fourth Lateran Council of 1215. The "badge" (Lat. rota; Fr. rouelle, wheel) took generally the shape of a circle of cloth worn on the breast. It varied in colour at different times. In France it was of yellow, later of red and white; in England it took the form of two bands or stripes, first of white, then of yellow. In Edward I.'s reign it was made in the shape of the Tables of the Law (see the Jewish Encyclopedia, s.v. "Costume" and "Badge"). The derivation of the word is obscure. It apparently occurs first in O. Fr. in the forms gauverdine, galvardine, and thence into Ital. as gavardina, and Span. gabardine, a form which has influenced the English word. The New English Dictionary suggests a connexion with the O.H. Ger. wallevart, pilgrimage. Skeat (Etym. Dict., 1898) refers it to Span. gaban, coat, cloak; cabana, hut, cabin.
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| Gaberdine |
In 1966, what replaced the Aust ferry? | Gaberdine - Encyclopedia
Gaberdine
GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
GABERDINE, or Gabardine, any long, loose over-garment, reaching to the feet and girt round the waist. It was, when made of coarse material,commonly worn in the middle ages by pilgrims, beggars and almsmen. The Jews, conservatively attached to the loose and flowing garments of the East, continued to wear the long upper garment to which the name "gaberdine" could be applied, long after it had ceased to be a common form as worn by non-Jews, and to this day in some parts of Europe, e.g. in Poland, it is still worn, while the tendency to wear the frockcoat very long and loose is a marked characteristic of the race. The fact that in the middle ages the Jews were forbidden to engage in handicrafts also, no doubt, tended to stereotype a form of dress unfitted for manual labour. The idea of the "gaberdine" being enforced by law upon the Jews as a distinctive garment is probably due to Shakespeare's use in the Merchant of Venice, I. iii. 113. The mark that the Jews were obliged to wear generally on the outer garment was the badge. This was first enforced by the fourth Lateran Council of 1215. The "badge" (Lat. rota; Fr. rouelle, wheel) took generally the shape of a circle of cloth worn on the breast. It varied in colour at different times. In France it was of yellow, later of red and white; in England it took the form of two bands or stripes, first of white, then of yellow. In Edward I.'s reign it was made in the shape of the Tables of the Law (see the Jewish Encyclopedia, s.v. "Costume" and "Badge"). The derivation of the word is obscure. It apparently occurs first in O. Fr. in the forms gauverdine, galvardine, and thence into Ital. as gavardina, and Span. gabardine, a form which has influenced the English word. The New English Dictionary suggests a connexion with the O.H. Ger. wallevart, pilgrimage. Skeat (Etym. Dict., 1898) refers it to Span. gaban, coat, cloak; cabana, hut, cabin.
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Copyright © 1995-2011 ITA all rights reserved.
Encyclopedia Alphabetically
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In which country is the cake known as ‘stollen’ traditionally eaten at Christmas? | Guide to German Cookies and Cakes - Germanfoods.org
Guide to German Cookies and Cakes
for german speaking exporters
Guide to German Cookies and Cakes
German cookies and cakes are known all over the world, not only for their quality but also because of their uniqueness. The selection of premium ingredients combined with recipes which have been perfected in family-owned businesses for generations guarantee the extraordinary flavor of the baked goods. Compared to American cookies and cakes you will find that products from Germany are usually less sweet than their American counterparts.
The cookie assortment in Germany ranges from The cookie assortments range from crisp wafer creations to rich butter cookies with layered or glazed with delicious chocolate. The cookies come in various shapes, some of which are unique to the respective companies (a popular example would be the Bahlsen butter cookie with its 52 “teeth”). The variety of German cakes is truly remarkable and ranges from simple pound cakes all the way to elaborate cakes (Torten) which are either made with whipped cream or buttercream.
German Christmas specialties enjoy great popularity all around the globe. The most well-known seasonal baked goods are the ubiquitous Stollen (yeast sweetbread with dried fruits and nuts)and highest quality gingerbread (Lebkuchen).
Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich)
This is a sheet cake made with a Hefeteig (sweet yeast dough) filled with vanilla custard, glazed with a honey mixture and sprinkled with almonds. The cake gets its name “Bienenstich” (Bee Sting) from the honey glaze and the thin pieces of almonds. Please see recipe here. For baking mixes, click here .
Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
Black Forest Cake is perhaps Germany’s most well-known and most-loved cake. It consists of a chocolate cake with a filling of fresh cream and cherries soaked in Kirschwasser, a clear cherry schnaps that is a specialty in the Black Forest. The cake is decorated with cream, chocolate shavings and cherries. While this cake bears the name of the area of Germany known as the Black Forest, a pastry chef from Bad Godesberg, near Bonn, claims to have invented it in 1915. He was originally from Lake Constance, which is in the Black Forest, so maybe that’s why he named it Black Forest Cake. There are a number of other theories as to how the cake got its name. Firstly, the chocolate shavings on the top of the cake resemble a black forest. Then, perhaps, the name was thought up because the cake contains Kirschwasser, which is a specialty of the Black Forest. And last but not least, there’s a theory that the name came from the traditional dress of the women in the Black Forest which consists of a black dress, white blouse and a hat with a white base and red balls on top resembling the cherries. Please see recipe here.
Butter Cake/ Sugar Cake (Butterkuchen/ Zuckerkuchen)
Butterkuchen (Butter Cake) or Zuckerkuchen (Sugar Cake) is a simple sheet cake made with a Hefeteig (sweet yeast dough). Small holes are pressed into the dough with your fingers and butter is spread over the top. It then gets sprinkled with sugar and almonds. It’s a popular cake at both weddings and funerals and is sometimes referred to either as Freud- und Leidkuchen (Joy and Sympathy Cake) or as Beerdigungskuchen (Funeral Cake). It is especially popular in Northern Germany and in Westphalia. Please see recipe here . For baking mixes, click here .
Cheese Cake (Käsekuchen)
Genuine German cheesecake is made with Quark cheese. It’s sometimes also called Quarkkuchen or Quarktorte in Switzerland. In Austria it’s known as Topfenkuchen. For variety, berries such as raspberries or blueberries can be added, as can cherries and raisins. Please see recipe here.
Donut (Krapfen / Berliner)
Known as Pfannkuchen in Berlin and large parts of Eastern Germany, Kreppel in Hessen, Krapfen in Southern Germany and Berliner in much of Western Germany, the jelly-filled donut is a pastry which enjoys great popularity. Especially during the carnival season, which is known as Fasching, Karneval or Fastnacht (again depending on the region), you’ll find bakeries on every street corner offering piles of various types of donuts, most filled with jam but also with vanilla cream and chocolate. Please see recipe here.
The “Berliner” jelly donut has become the involuntary subject of a popular urban legend surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 speech in West Berlin. Kennedy famously declared “Ich bin ein Berliner”, thus expressing his solidarity with the people of West Berlin during the Cold War in an emotionally very effective way. While it is true that the word “Berliner” is used in some parts of Germany (ironically enough not in Berlin) to denote the popular jam-filled pastry, his German sentence was both grammatically correct and perfectly idiomatic. The urban legend which promotes the version that the President’s statement was really translated and understood as “I am a jelly donut” by the people of West Berlin, is prevalent only in English-speaking countries and remains largely unknown in Germany, where JFK’s speech is considered a landmark in the country’s postwar history.
You can find the text, audio and video footage of JFK’s speech here http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkberliner.html “>
Frankfurt Wreath (Frankfurter Kranz)
Frankfurter Kranz or Frankfurt Wreath is a wreath-shaped cake from Frankfurt. It consists of a butter cake which gets split into 2 – 4 layers after baking. The individual layers are spread with buttercream and red jam. It’s decorated with more buttercream and Krokant which is a mixture of nuts that have been browned in butter with a little sugar. Please see recipe here.
Gingerbread (Lebkuchen)
Germany’s world-famous Lebkuchen is a richly-spiced gingerbread made with honey, flour, sugar, eggs, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, candied orange and lemon peel, marzipan and spices like cinnamon, ginger, aniseed, cloves, pimento, coriander and cardamom. Please see recipe here.
Although gingerbread has been baked in Europe for centuries, of all the European countries, Germany is the one with the longest and strongest gingerbread tradition, especially in regards to the flat shaped gingerbreads known as Lebkuchen.
Lebkuchen were first baked in the city of Nuremberg in 1395. In 1643, Nuremberg created a Lebkuchen Baker’s Guild, which began with 14 master gingerbread bakers who were required to make the gingerbread following strict guidelines.
Up until 1867, Lebkuchen was made by hand. Today most Lebkuchen is made by machine, however, many of Nuremburg’s bakeries still produce some of their Lebkuchen specialties by hand. Today around 2,000 Lebkuchen per minute are produced in Nuremberg by approximately 4,000 employees. Some are made by major companies and some by family-run bakeries, but all use traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation. The oldest gingerbread recipe from the 16th century is housed in the Germanic National Museum.
In 1996, Nuremberg gingerbread was declared a “protected geographical indication”. Since then only Lebkuchen from the city of Nuremberg can be called “Nuremberger Lebkuchen”.
Lebkuchen comes in many shapes and sizes. Classical Gingerbread can be distinguished between the so called “braune Lebkuchen” (without wafer) and Elisen Lebkuchen (with wafer). Gingerbread spice is also used when it comes to the production of many other christmas specialties: Pfeffernüsse (sugar-glazed gingerbread cookies), Dominosteine (chocolate-coated spiced Lebkuchen cubes with a jelly and marzipan filling) and small gingerbread creations in the form of hears, stars and christmas trees.
Gugelhupf (Gugelhupf)
A Gugelhupf is a southern German, Austrian, but also a Swiss term for a type of cake known in the US as a Bundt Cake. Gugelhupf consists of a soft yeast dough with raisins and almonds in it and is baked in a special form known in the US as a Bundt Pan. Please see recipe here.
Springerle (Springerle)
Springerle are white, anise-flavored cookies They are originally from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and are traditionally eaten at Christmas time particularly in southern Germany and Austria. Please see recipe here .
Stollen (Stollen)
Stollen is a rich, sweet yeast bread that is full of dried fruit, nuts and often marzipan and dusted with confectioner’s sugar. It is Germany’s answer to “fruitcake” and has been made in Germany since 1329. The most famous kind of Stollen, which can be found at most local supermarkets, is called Dresdner Christstollen, originating in Dresden, Germany. The Stollen is a typical christmas cake. Its shape and the shell of confectioner’s sugar is said to represent the Baby Jesus wrapped in sheets. Please see recipe here .
Tree Cake (Baumkuchen)
The Baumkuchen, or “Tree Cake” is a popular special occasion and wedding cake. It looks like a tower of irregular rings with a coating of white or dark chocolate icing. It comes from the German town of Salzwedel and was created in 1820. Baumkuchen is built up with layers of batter which are consecutively spread and baked. When the cake is cut into wedges, it resembles the rings of a tree trunk due to the seveal layers. Please see recipe here .
Vanillekipferl (Vanillekipferl)
Vanillekipferl are small, crescent shaped cookies flavored with vanilla and dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Traditionally, they are made at Christmas and originated from Austria.
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Where in London do some swimmers take a bracing dip on Christmas Day? | Our German Story
Foods of Germany
German Cuisine varies greatly from region to region. The southern regions of Bavaria and Swabia share many dishes among them and with their neighbors to the south, Switzerland and Austria.
Eating Habits
Breakfast
(Frühstück) commonly consists of bread, toast, and/or bread rolls (Brötchen, Semmeln, Broodje, Schrippen, Wecken or Rundstücke) with jam, marmalade or honey, eggs, and strong coffee or tea (cocoa for children). Deli meats, such as ham, salted meats and salami, are also commonly eaten on bread in the morning, as are various cheeses. A variety of meat-based spreads such as Leberwurst (literally liver-sausage) can be found during breakfast as well. Müsli and cereals such as cornflakes are also popular.
Traditionally, the main meal of the day has been lunch (Mittagessen), eaten around noon. Dinner (Abendessen or Abendbrot) was always a smaller meal, sometimes consisting only of sandwiches. However, in Germany, as in other parts of Europe, dining habits have changed quite radically over the last 50 years. Today, many people eat only a small meal in the middle of the working day and enjoy a hot dinner in the evening. Breakfast is still very popular and may be elaborated and extended on weekends, with friends invited as guests.
Meat
Pork, beef, and poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in Germany, with pork being the most popular by a substantial amount. Among poultry, chicken is most common, although duck, goose, and turkey are also well enjoyed. Game meats, especially boar, rabbit, and venison are also widely available around the year. Lamb and goat are also available, but are not very popular. Horse meat is regarded as a specialty in some regions but consumption is sometimes frowned upon.
Meat is usually pot-roasted; pan-fried dishes also exist, but these are usually imports from France. Throughout Germany, meat is very often eaten in sausage form. There are more than 1500 different types of sausage in Germany. Certain families may also make their own sausage for personal consumption.
Fish
Trout is the most common freshwater fish on German menus, although pike, carp, and European perch are also frequently served. Seafood was traditionally restricted to the northern coastal areas — except for pickled herring. Today many seafish like fresh herring (also as rollmops), sardine, tuna, mackerel, and salmon are well established throughout the country. Prior to the industrial revolution and the ensuing pollution of the rivers, however, salmon was so common in the rivers Rhine, Elbe, and Oder that servants complained about being served salmon too often. Nowadays, thanks to tight environmental control, rivers are cleaner than they were a century ago and the fish population of Germany's rivers is gaining back its territory. Freshwater fish are often served grilled.
Other seafood is not often served as part of a traditional meal, but mussels and North Sea shrimp — which today are expensive compared to imported shrimp — can sometimes be found.
Vegetables
Vegetables are often eaten in stews or vegetable soups, but can also be served as a side dish. Carrots, turnips, spinach, peas, beans, and many types of cabbage are very common. Fried onions are a common addition to many meat dishes throughout the country. Potatoes, while a major part of the diet, are usually not counted among vegetables by Germans. Asparagus, especially white asparagus known as spargel, is particularly enjoyed in Germany as a side dish or as a main meal. Sometimes restaurants will even devote an entire menu to nothing but spargel, when it is the right season (late Spring). Spargel season is traditionally set to the time before St. John's Day.
Side Dishes
Noodles are usually thicker than Italian pasta and often contain egg yolk. Especially in the south-western part of the country, the predominant variety of noodles is Spätzle which contain a very large amount of yolk. Besides noodles, potatoes and dumplings (Klöße or Knödel) are very common, especially in the south. Potatoes entered German cuisine in the late 18th century and were almost ubiquitous in the 19th and 20th centuries, but their popularity is currently waning somewhat in favour of noodles and rice. Potatoes are most often served boiled in salt water, but mashed and fried potatoes also are traditional, and French fries have now become very common.
Drinks
Beer is very common throughout all parts of Germany, with many local and regional breweries producing a wide variety of beers. In most of the country Pils is predominant today, whereas people in the South (especially in Bavaria) seem to prefer Lager or wheat beer. A number of regions have a special kind of local beer, for example the dark Altbier around the lower Rhine, the Kölsch of the Cologne area, which is light but like Altbier uses a more traditional brewing process than Pils, and the very weak Berliner Weiße, often mixed with fruit syrups, in Berlin. Beer may also be mixed with other beverages; pils or lager and lemonade, known as Alsterwasser or Radler, is a popular example. Krefelder is a pils mixed with Cola, Russ a wheat beer mixed with Cola.
Wine is also popular throughout the country. German wine comes predominantly from the areas along the upper and middle Rhine and its tributaries; the northern half of the country is too cold and flat to grow grape vines. Riesling and Silvaner are among the best-known varieties. Traditionally, white wine was more popular than red or rosé (except in some regions), and sweet wine more popular than dry, but both these tastes seem to be changing.
Coffee is also very common, not only for breakfast, but also accompanying a piece of cake in the afternoon, usually on Sundays or special occasions, like birthdays. It is generally strong and similar to the Italian style espresso. Tea is more common in the Northwest. East Frisians traditionally have their tea with cream and rock candy ("Kluntje").
Apfelsaftschorle apple juice mixed with sparkling mineral water, is a common beverage.
Spezi is a soft drink made with cola and lemonade. In Southern Germany and Austria, Spezi a generic term for a mixture of cola and Fanta (or a similar orange soft drink). In some regions (Emsland) spezi is a mixture of cola and schnapps.
Germans are unique among their neighbours in preferring strongly carbonated bottled waters to non-carbonated ones.
Spices & Condiments
Mustard is a very common accompaniment to sausages and is usually very hot. In the southern parts of the country, a sweet variety of mustard is made which is almost exclusively served with Bavarian specialties such as Weißwurst and Leberkäse. Horseradish is also commonly used as a condiment.
Garlic was long frowned upon as "making one stink" and thus has never played a large role in traditional German cuisine, but it has seen a rise in popularity in recent decades due to the influence of French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, and Turkish cuisine.
Generally, with the exception of mustard for sausages, German dishes are rarely hot and spicy — the most popular herbs are traditionally parsley, cardamom, thyme, laurel, and chives, the most popular spices are black pepper (used in small amounts), juniper berries and caraway. Other herbs and spices like basil, sage, oregano, and hot chili peppers have become more popular in recent times.
Desserts
A wide variety of cakes and tarts are prepared throughout the country, most commonly made with fresh fruit. Apples, plums, strawberries, and cherries are used regularly on cakes. Cheesecake is also very popular and almost always made with quark. German doughnuts are usually balls of dough with jam or other fillings inside, and are known as Berliner or Krapfen depending on the region. Pfannkuchen are quite similar but flat and baked like Omelettes and served covered with sugar, jam, syrup etc.. In some regions Pfannkuchen are filled and then wrapped.
A popular dessert in northern Germany is "Rote Grütze", red fruit pudding, which is cooked from black and red currants, raspberries and sometimes with strawberries or cherries. It is traditionally served with cream, but also common with vanilla sauce, milk or whipped cream. "Rhabarbergrütze" (rhubarb pudding) and "Grüne Grütze" (gooseberry fruit pudding) are variations of the "Rote Grütze".
Ice cream and sorbets are also very popular. Italian-run ice cream parlours were the first large wave of foreign-run eateries in Germany, becoming widespread in the 1920s.
Bread
With regard to bread, German cuisine is more akin to Eastern than to Western Europe. The country boasts at least 300 different types of bread, ranging from white wheat bread to grey bread (Graubrot) and "black" (actually dark brown) rye bread (Schwarzbrot). Most types of bread contain both wheat and rye flour (hence Mischbrot, mixed bread), and often wholemeal and seeds (such as linseed, sunflower seed, or pumpkin seeds) as well. Pumpernickel, a Westphalian black bread, is not baked but steamed, and has a unique sweetish taste.
Bread is a big part of the German diet, and usually eaten for breakfast and as sandwiches in the evening, not as a side dish for the main meal. The importance of bread (Brot) in German cuisine is also illustrated by words such as Abendbrot (supper, literally Evening Bread) and Brotzeit (snack, literally Bread Time). In fact, one of the major complaints of German expatriates in many parts of the world is their inability to find acceptable local breads.
Bread Rolls
Bread rolls, known in Germany as Brötchen, Semmel, Schrippe, broodje,Rundstück or Weckle/Weckli depending on the region, are common in German cuisine. They are typically cut in half, and spread with butter or margarine. Cheese, meat, fish or preserves is then placed between the two halves, or on each half separately, known as an open sandwich.
Specialties by Region
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Which British physicist and mathematician was born on 25/12/1642? | Newton, Isaac (1642-1727) -- from Eric Weisstein's World of Scientific Biography
as Newton claimed it should be, rather than prolate spheroidal ,
as claimed by the Cartesians. Newton's equations also described the motion of Moon
by successive approximations, and correctly predicted the return of Halley's Comet. Newton also correctly formulated and solved the first ever problem in the calculus of variations
which involved finding the surface of revolution which would give minimum resistance to flow (assuming a specific drag law).
Newton invented a scientific method which was truly universal in its scope. Newton presented his methodology as a set of four rules for scientific reasoning. These rules were stated in the Principia and proposed that (1) we are to admit no more causes of natural things such as are both true and sufficient to explain their appearances, (2) the same natural effects must be assigned to the same causes, (3) qualities of bodies are to be esteemed as universal, and (4) propositions deduced from observation of phenomena should be viewed as accurate until other phenomena contradict them.
These four concise and universal rules for investigation were truly revolutionary. By their application, Newton formulated the universal laws of nature with which he was able to unravel virtually all the unsolved problems of his day. Newton went much further than outlining his rules for reasoning, however, actually describing how they might be applied to the solution of a given problem. The analytic method he invented far exceeded the more philosophical and less scientifically rigorous approaches of Aristotle and Aquinas. Newton refined Galileo's experimental method, creating the compositional method of experimentation still practiced today. In fact, the following description of the experimental method from Newton's Optics could easily be mistaken for a modern statement of current methods of investigation, if not for Newton's use of the words "natural philosophy" in place of the modern term "the physical sciences." Newton wrote, "As in mathematics, so in natural philosophy the investigation of difficult things by the method of analysis ought ever to precede the method of composition. This analysis consists of making experiments and observations, and in drawing general conclusions from them by induction...by this way of analysis we may proceed from compounds to ingredients, and from motions to the forces producing them; and in general from effects to their causes, and from particular causes to more general ones till the argument end in the most general. This is the method of analysis: and the synthesis consists in assuming the causes discovered and established as principles, and by them explaining the phenomena preceding from them, and proving the explanations."
Newton formulated the classical theories of mechanics and optics and invented calculus
years before Leibniz . However, he did not publish his work on calculus
until afterward Leibniz had published his. This led to a bitter priority dispute between English and continental mathematicians which persisted for decades, to the detriment of all concerned. Newton discovered that the binomial theorem
was valid for fractional powers, but left it for Wallis to publish (which he did, with appropriate credit to Newton). Newton formulated a theory of sound, but derived a speed which did not agree with his experiments. The reason for the discrepancy was that the concept of adiabatic propagation did not yet exist, so Newton's answer was too low by a factor of
,
is the ratio of heat capacities
of air. Newton therefore fudged his theory until agreement was achieved (Engineering and Science, pp. 15-16).
In Optics (1704), whose publication Newton delayed until Hooke's death, Newton observed that white light could be separated by a prism
into a spectrum of different colors, each characterized by a unique refractivity, and proposed the corpuscular theory of light. Newton's views on optics were born out of the original prism
experiments he performed at Cambridge. In his "experimentum crucis" (crucial experiment), he found that the image produced by a prism
was oval-shaped and not circular, as current theories of light would require. He observed a half-red, half-blue string through a prism ,
and found the ends to be disjointed. He also observed Newton's rings ,
which are actually a manifestation of the wave nature of light which Newton did not believe in. Newton believed that light must move faster in a medium when it is refracted
towards the normal, in opposition to the result predicted by Huygens's wave theory.
Newton also formulated a system of chemistry in Query 31 at the end of Optics. In this corpuscular theory, "elements" consisted of different arrangements of atoms, and atoms consisted of small, hard, billiard ball-like particles. He explained chemical reactions in terms of the chemical affinities of the participating substances. Newton devoted a majority of his free time later in life (after 1678) to fruitless alchemical experiments.
Newton was extremely sensitive to criticism, and even ceased publishing until the death of his arch-rival Hooke . It was only through the prodding of Halley that Newton was persuaded at all to publish the Principia Mathematica. In the latter portion of his life, he devoted much of his time to alchemical researches and trying to date events in the Bible. After Newton's death, his burial place was moved. During the exhumation, it was discovered that Newton had massive amounts of mercury in his body, probably resulting from his alchemical pursuits. This would certainly explain Newton's eccentricity in late life. Newton was appointed Warden of the British Mint in 1695. Newton was knighted by Queen Anne. However, the act was "an honor bestowed not for his contributions to science, nor for his service at the Mint, but for the greater glory of party politics in the election of 1705" (Westfall 1993, p. 625).
Newton singlehandedly contributed more to the development of science than any other individual in history. He surpassed all the gains brought about by the great scientific minds of antiquity, producing a scheme of the universe which was more consistent, elegant, and intuitive than any proposed before. Newton stated explicit principles of scientific methods which applied universally to all branches of science. This was in sharp contradistinction to the earlier methodologies of Aristotle and Aquinas , which had outlined separate methods for different disciplines.
Although his methodology was strictly logical, Newton still believed deeply in the necessity of a God. His theological views are characterized by his belief that the beauty and regularity of the natural world could only "proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being." He felt that "the Supreme God exists necessarily, and by the same necessity he exists always and everywhere." Newton believed that God periodically intervened to keep the universe going on track. He therefore denied the importance of Leibniz's vis viva as nothing more than an interesting quantity which remained constant in elastic collisions and therefore had no physical importance or meaning.
Although earlier philosophers such as Galileo and John Philoponus had used experimental procedures, Newton was the first to explicitly define and systematize their use. His methodology produced a neat balance between theoretical and experimental inquiry and between the mathematical and mechanical approaches. Newton mathematized all of the physical sciences, reducing their study to a rigorous, universal, and rational procedure which marked the ushering in of the Age of Reason. Thus, the basic principles of investigation set down by Newton have persisted virtually without alteration until modern times. In the years since Newton's death, they have borne fruit far exceeding anything even Newton could have imagined. They form the foundation on which the technological civilization of today rests. The principles expounded by Newton were even applied to the social sciences, influencing the economic theories of Adam Smith and the decision to make the United States legislature bicameral. These latter applications, however, pale in contrast to Newton's scientific contributions.
It is therefore no exaggeration to identify Newton as the single most important contributor to the development of modern science. The Latin inscription on Newton's tomb, despite its bombastic language, is thus fully justified in proclaiming, "Mortals! rejoice at so great an ornament to the human race!" Alexander Pope's couplet is also apropos: "Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night; God said, Let Newton be! and all was light."
Several interesting Newton quotes are given by Misner et al. (1973, pp. 40-41).
| Isaac Newton |
Which statesman, Egypt’s third President, was born on 25/12/1918? | Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Baronet | British mathematician and physicist | Britannica.com
Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Baronet
British mathematician and physicist
Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Baronet
British mathematician and physicist
Sir James Lighthill
Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Baronet, (born Aug. 13, 1819, Skreen, County Sligo, Ire.—died Feb. 1, 1903, Cambridge , Cambridgeshire, Eng.), British physicist and mathematician noted for his studies of the behaviour of viscous fluids, particularly for his law of viscosity , which describes the motion of a solid sphere in a fluid , and for Stokes’s theorem, a basic theorem of vector analysis.
Stokes, who was appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University in 1849, earlier had published his first papers on fluid motion and the steady motion of incompressible fluids (1842 and 1843) and his work on the friction of fluids in motion and the equilibrium and motion of elastic solids (1845). He worked on fluorescence (he originated the term), used it in the study of ultraviolet light, and demonstrated that quartz, unlike ordinary glass, is transparent to ultraviolet light. He was an advocate of the wave theory of light and the concept of an ether in which the waves of light supposedly must travel. In an attempt to explain the apparently contradictory properties of the ether , he suggested that it behaved much like wax and that it was rigid but would flow under a slow but steady force, such as that applied by the orbiting planets. In addition, he hypothesized that the planets dragged part of the ether along with them by virtue of friction.
A pioneer in the science of geodesy (the study of the size and shape of the Earth and its gravitational field), he published a paper in 1849 on the variation of gravity at the surface of the Earth. In 1851 Stokes was elected to the Royal Society (London) and three years later became its secretary, a post he held for 30 years until he was elected president. He thus became the first man since Sir Isaac Newton to hold the three positions of Lucasian Professor, secretary, and then president of the Royal Society.
In 1854 Stokes suggested that the Fraunhofer lines might be caused by atoms in the outer layers of the Sun that absorb light of certain wavelengths. He failed to pursue the possibility, however, and later disclaimed any prior discovery when the German physicist Gustav R. Kirchhoff published his explanation of the Fraunhofer lines. Stokes was created a baronet in 1889. The stoke (British “stokes”), a unit of kinematic viscosity in the centimetre-gram-second system, was named after him in 1928.
Britannica Stories
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Which former dictator was executed on 25/12/1989? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 25 | 1989: Romania's 'first couple' executed
About This Site | Text Only
1989: Romania's 'first couple' executed
Deposed Romanian president Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena have been shot by a firing squad after a secret military tribunal found them both guilty of crimes against the state.
They were charged and convicted of genocide and undermining the national economy among a series of other offences, officials said.
News of their death was announced to the people of Romania on national television amid reports the couple had been found smuggling large amounts of money out of the country.
A stunned reaction from the public gave way to scenes of delight and a public outpouring on the streets to celebrate.
But there was some unrest from troops who supported the former leader.
The deaths end the dictator's 24 years as communist party leader - 21 of them as Romania's president - during which he suppressed all opposition using brutal force.
The National Salvation Front is now running Romania, and America and the Soviet Union have recognised the new government.
But the White House said it was "regrettable" the trial had not been held in public.
Christmas celebrated
The new government has pledged democracy will replace the tyranny of Ceausescu's rule and promised to allow free speech, free thought and free enterprise in Romania.
Party leaders called on the West to aid and support its new reform programme.
The executions come after 10 tumultuous days of violence and an upsurge of mass protests against Ceausescu's regime.
Demonstrations began in the western city of Timisoara against the harassment of a dissident ethnic-Hungarian priest, Laszlo Tokes.
It led to protests about a lack of basic supplies such as bread but the backlash from Ceausescu's armed forces led to accusations many people were massacred.
Demonstrators stormed Ceausescu's palace and he and his wife tried to flee Bucharest but they were captured by military forces who had turned against them.
| Nicolae Ceaușescu |
In ‘Pickwick Papers’, where did Mr. Pickwick and friends have a fine time at Christmas? | Romania opens museum on dictator's final moments
Romania opens museum on dictator's final moments
NICOLAE DUMITRACHE
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History Museum director Ovidiu Carstina points to bullet holes at the spot where Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were executed in a former military compound, turned into a museum in Targoviste, Romania, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013. Romanian authorities opened a museum in a military building where former Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were tried and executed for genocide during the country’s 1989 revolt. The place where they were fatally shot on Christmas Day, 1989, at 2.45 p.m. is also showcased for visitors.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
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TARGOVISTE, Romania (AP) — More than 20 years after Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were convicted of genocide and executed in Romania, the country opened a museum about the last two days of their lives during the country's pro-democracy uprising.
The museum is located in a military building where the trial and executions took place in Targoviste, a town 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Bucharest.
Ceausescu had ruled Romania for nearly 25 years with an iron fist. Museum visitors will be able to see metal plates that he and his wife ate on, the beds where they slept, and a tiny improvised courtroom where they faced a hastily conducted trial before a special military tribunal. The place where they were fatally shot on Christmas Day, 1989, at 2:45 p.m. also is showcased.
On Tuesday, Gen. Andrei Kemenci, the former commander of the garrison located in the building, took journalists on a tour of the museum. He said Ceausescu was dissatisfied that he was only given brown bread and sweets to eat there. Kemenci also said the leader asked for a change of clothes and to borrow money to spend at a military canteen.
In 1989, Romanian forces shot and killed about 1,100 people conducting anti-communist demonstrations, most of them unarmed.
On Dec. 22, the Ceausescus fled Bucharest in a helicopter after they were booed by a crowd and hours after Defense Minister Vasile Milea apparently committed suicide. Abandoned by the helicopter pilot and most of the leader's aides, the Ceausescus then hitchhiked and ended up in Targoviste, where they were arrested by police.
On Dec. 24 provisional leaders who took over after the Ceausescus fled Bucharest decided the couple would stand trial the next day.
The trial lasted just two hours during which the defendants said they did not recognize the legitimacy of the court and called former aides attending the trial "traitors." Both were convicted and immediately executed in the building's courtyard.
The museum will open to the public later this month, with tickets costing 7 lei ($2.10).
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Which popular sitcom ended on Christmas Eve 1998, after a nine-year run? | BBC 1998 - UK Christmas TV
UK Christmas TV
Christmas Eve Thursday 24th December 1998
BBC1
Tales of the Tooth Fairies
animated fun (Repeat)
Justin has his first photo shoot (Repeat)
9.55am The Teletubbies
Christmas in Spain, Laa Laa makes a snowball
10.20am News
10.30am Film : All I Want for Christmas (1991)
starring Lauren Bacall, Leslie Nielsen
11.55am The New Adventures of Superman
Return of the Prankster
fans reminisce about their favourite moments from "Neighbours"
12.55pm News and Weather
Bill tells Susan that he wants to leave home
1.35pm Film : Lassie : A New Generation (1994)
starring Jon Tenney, Helen Slater Première
3.05pm Live and Kicking Mystery Toons
A Live and Kicking Murder Mystery
A Christmas party at an English country mansion goes
horribly wrong when the host mysteriously dies
3.45pm Film : The Santa Clause (1994)
starring Tim Allen Première
5.40pm Whatever You Want . . . for Christmas
Gaby Roslin presents a Christmas special of the dream-fulfilment show
6.30pm News with Peter Sissons
Weather Michael Fish
7.00pm Celebrity Ready, Steady Cook
a special Christmas edition
Lily Savage and Barbara Windsor join chefs Antony Worrall Thompson
and Ainsley Harriott, with Fern Britton
7.30pm EastEnders
Grant's freedom is in the balance as Tiffany gives her version
of what happened on the stairs
8.00pm Animal Hospital
first of three festive editions, with Rolf Harris
8.30pm Birds of a Feather
Holy Ground concluding the final series
9.10pm News with Peter Sissons
Regional News, Weather Michael Fish
9.30pm Jonathan Creek
starring Alan Davies, Caroline Quentin
11.00pm The Frank Skinner Christmas Show
featuring Mel C, Aled Jones and a special mystery guest
11.40pm Christmas is Coming
Watchnight from Edinburgh, live from St Giles Cathedral on
Edinburgh's Royal Mile
12.40am Film : Carry On Again Doctor (1969)
starring Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Sid James
followed by
The first of tonight's two offerings from Albert Square. Grant
finally opens up to his brother, and Bianca is taken by surprise
5.55pm Auntie's Spanking New Christmas Bloomers
Terry Wogan reveals more moments to bring a festive blush to
the stars of the BBC's most popular programmes, including
EastEnders, Changing Rooms, Jonathan Creek, Can't Cook Won't Cook and Dalziel and Pascoe
6.30pm Changing Rooms at Christmas
A special yuletide edition of the interior-design challenge show.
Carol Smillie is on the isle of Arran, where two neighbours try to
give each other's living rooms a special festive feel, with the help of design experts Linda Barker and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
7.00pm Film : Babe (1995)
first of three new episodes starring Martin Clunes, Neil Morrissey,
Caroline Quentin, Leslie Ash
10.35pm They Think It's All Over
hosted by Nick Hancock with Gary Lineker, David Gower, Rory McGrath, Jonathan Ross, Phil Cornwell, Colin Montgomerie
11.10pm A Many Splintered Thing
adult romantic comedy starring Alan Davies
11.40pm The People's Nativity
a reading of the Christmas story withTom Jones, Barbara Windsor,
Alan Titchmarsh, Des Lynam
11.45pm Robbie Williams : For One Night Only
At the end of a successful year that has established him as one
of the country's leading solo artists, Robbie Williams entertains family and friends in a special television concert
12.35am Film : Carry on Girls (1973)
starring Sidney James, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor
2.05am BBC News 24
Boxing Day Saturday 26th December 1998
BBC1
7.55am Touched by an Angel
Fear Not
a seasonal feature-length episode of the US series
about two guardian angels
9.30am The Heaven and Earth Show
The spiritual magazine show returns after its Advent break.
John Walters goes in search of the real Father Christmas, while Simon Biagi and Amanda Redington meet the
"Champion Children" of 1998.
Plus festive music from Charlotte Church
10.30am The Life of Birds
The Limits of Endurance (Repeat)
11.20am World Cup 98 Review
A look back at the highs and lows of this year's World Cup in France, including the emergence of England's Michael Owen, the drama surrounding Brazilian star Ronaldo and the triumph of the host nation presented by Des Lynam
12.20pm Laughing for Ages
Stephen Tomkinson reveals the truth behind human history
using classic comedy clips
12.50pm News ; Weather for the Week Ahead
12.55pm EastEnders
first of today's two omnibus editions
2.45pm Film : The Wizard of Oz (1939)
starring Judy Garland Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley
4.25pm EastEnders
Daniel O'Donnell performs in a special concert of Christmas and
gospel music recorded at Wembley Arena
6.15pm Antiques Roadshow - the Next Generation
from the Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire with Hugh Scully,
Trude Mostue, Quentin Wilson
7.00pm In Love with Elizabeth
The Early Life of the Queen Mother
8.00pm This Is Your Life
with Michael Aspel
8.40pm Film : Mrs Brown (1997)
starring Judi Dench, Billy Connolly Première
10.20pm News with Peter Sissons
Weather Peter Cockcroft
a special Christmas episode of the comedy set in a run-down hotel,
starring Tim Healey
11.05pm Alf Garnett : In Sickness and in Health
Another chance to see a festive episode of the 1985 comedy.
Alf schemes so his family can attend two Christmas dinners
11.35pm The Big End
first in a seven part series in which Simon Mayo takes a satirical look
at bizarre beliefs in pre-millennial Britain
12.05am Film : The Sting (1973)
starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw
followed by
cartoon fun with the carpet-crawlers
(Repeat)
sitcom, the students prepare for a Christmas concert (Repeat)
9.25am 50/50
a Christmas edition of the children's quiz, presented by Sally Gray
9.55am Teletubbies
Towers, some children build towers
10.20am News, Regional News and Weather
10.30am Film : The Black Hole (1979)
Disney sci-fi adventure starring Maximilian Schell
12.00 Party of a Lifetime
This one-off edition of the surprise-party challenge series sees
the team led by Ainsley Harriott helping a group of amateur
belly-dancers who want to stage a charity Show
12.30pm Laughing for Ages
comedy clips including Frankie Howerd, Les Dawson, The Fast Show
1.00pm News and Weather, Regional News
1.15pm Neighbours
Joel confesses his feelings for Libby
1.40pm Film : Star Trek IV : the Voyage Home (1986)
starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy
3.35pm The World's Strongest Man
presented by John Inverdale
A short comedy about two eccentrics who live in the village of
Snuggleford, starring Gareth Hale , Norman Pace
4.25pm Neighbours
today's football results and sporting news with Ray Stubbs
5.15pm News and Weather
5.35pm Big Break Christmas Show
with Jim Davdison and John Virgo, guests Isla Fisher, Little and Large,
Barbara Windsor, Jimmy White, John Higgins, John Parrott
6.05pm Film : Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott
8.00pm EastEnders
Grant awaits important news that will affect his future. Bianca
receives some welcome visitors, while a stranger shows interest in Matthew's business plans
8.30pm Paddington Green
The first part of a brand new docu-soap set in and around
Paddington Green in West London
9.00pm Men Behaving Badly
9.45pm Harry Enfield's Yule Log Chums
Harry Enfield returns with a festive feast of comedy, also starring
Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke
10.25pm News with Michael Buerk
Regional News
Weather Philip Avery
10.45pm Match of the Day
Highlights of two of today's top Premiership games. Plus all the day's news and talking points and a round up of the Boxing Day fixtures introduced by Des Lynam with Trevor Brooking, Alan Hansen
12.10am Film : Too Late the Hero (1970)
starring Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson
followed by
3.45pm Choir of the Year
Four-part choral series, culminating in Sunday's final, presented by Howard Goodall from Buxton Opera House
4.25pm Carols from King's
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, marking the Christmas Eve service's 70th anniversary, is from the chapel of King's College, Cambridge
5.40pm The Simpsons
Marge convinces Homer he may have a drinking problem
6.05pm Rex the Runt
Adventures on Telly (part 2)
The canine friends travel to the North Pole. Featuring the guest
voice of comedian Paul Merton
6.15pm The Simpsons
6.35pm Film : It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
starring James Stewart, Donna Reid, Lionel Barrymore (b&w)
8.40pm Dear John : a Tribute to John Wells
The late John Wells, who died in January, combined careers as
dramatist, director and satirist
9.30pm The Search for Shangri-la
Charles Allen and sceptic Mark Shand set out to discover the true
origins of the lost Tibetan city of Shangri-la
10.20pm Meetings with Remarkable Trees
a look at the Handkerchief Tree in Northern Ireland
10.30pm The Moonstone
an adaptation of Wilkie Collins's classic detective novel,
starring Greg Wise, Antony Sher, Patricia Hodge, Keeley Hawes
12.40am Film : The Haunting (1963)
starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom followed by
Weatherview
Christmas Day Friday 25th December 1998
BBC2
6.15am Film : The Great Lie (1941)
starring Bette Davis, Mary Astor (b&w)
8.00am Film : The Treasure of Madre (1948)
starring Humphrey Bogart (b&w)
10.00am Oi! Get off Our Train
Animation about a boy and his pyjama case dog who embark
upon a magical journey by toy train
10.30am The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends
The Tale of Mr Tod, The animated story of Beatrix Potter 's
good-natured but rebellious fox
10.55am Here's Looking at You
75 Years of Warner Brothers
A celebration of the golden age of the Warner Brothers studio,
responsible for some of Hollywood's best-loved movies
11.45am Film : Dodge City (1939)
starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland
1.25pm Gogs.......Gogwana
The Gogs family go house-hunting with enthusiasm but no common sense
1.55pm Big Hug : The Story of the Teletubbies
A look at the phenomenal success of Tinky Winky, Dipsy,
Laa-Laa and Po, the children's characters who have achieved international fame
2.35pm Rex the Runt
Adventures on the Telly (part three)
Lost in space, the friends are sucked into a black hole
2.45pm The Simpsons
Bart helps Granpa in his romantic exploits
3.10pm Film : Casablanca (1942)
starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman (b&w)
4.50pm Choir of the Year
Eight choirs compete in the youth semi-final, introduced by
Howard Goodall
David Bintley's tribute to fifties Americana choreographed to the
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn jazz variation
on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite
6.05pm Film : Twelfth Night (1996)
starring Helena Bonham Carter, Imogen Stubbs,
Nigel Hawthorne, Richard E Grant Première
8.15pm Close Up
Ted Hughes : Force of Nature
With the death of Ted Hughes in October, the world lost one of its most distinctive poetic voices
9.05pm Arena
The Brian Epstein Story
The first of a two-part documentary telling the story of Brian Epstein.
Gay when homosexuality was illegal, a gambler, shopkeeper and failed actor, he was also the pop king with the Midas touch who, in the sixties, was as well known as the band he managed - the Beatles
10.20pm The Queen
Her Majesty's message to the Commonwealth with signing and subtitles
10.30pm Dance Lexie Dance
oscar-nominated drama starring BJ Hogg, Kimberley McConkey
10.45pm Film : Immortal Beloved (1994)
starring Gary Oldman, Jereoen Krabbe Première
12.45am Film : Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
starring Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave
followed by
Boxing Day Saturday 26th December 1998
BBC2
6.05am Film : City Lights (1931)
starring Charlie Chaplin (b&w)
7.30am Film : The Letter (1940)
starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall (b&w)
9.05am Film : Hamlet (1990)
starring Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates
11.15am Cricket : the Ashes
highlights of the Fourth Test with Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell,
Tony Greig, Ian Botham
traditional and festive music starring Placido Domingo and the
Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Described by Paul Gambaccini
12.45pm Don Carlos
Luc Bondy 's production of Verdi's grand operatic masterpiece
about the conflict between power and human love. Staged at the
Chatelet Theatre in Paris
4.10pm Choir of the Year
with Howard Goodall
Eight choirs battle it out at the Buxton Opera House in the
mixed-voice semi-final
Animated Christmas comedy, in which a little boy builds his own
magic baby-sitter out of bric-a-brac
5.15pm Are You Watching Jimmy Hill ?
A profile of controversial soccer pundit Jimmy Hill, exploring his
remarkable career in both football - as player, manager and chairman - and television. Contributors include Desmond Lynam,
Terry Venables, Bobby Robson and Brian Moore
6.05pm Film : Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957)
starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas
8.05pm A Winter's Tale
In the depths of winter, areas of Britain can be transformed into
snow-covered, picturesque scenes. But as children in the suburbs
dream of a white Christmas, many animals - from the frozen
Highlands of Scotland to the stormy southern English coast -
are engaged in a battle to survive the harsh weather
8.55pm White Christmas
weather presenter Helen Young visits Wells in Somerset to ensure
the town enjoys a rare covering of snow
9.00pm Arena
Concluding the two-part profile of the pop manager who
brought global success to the Beatles
10.15pm The American
starring Dramatisation of Henry James's tragic novel of love and intrigue starring Matthew Modine, Diana Rigg, Aisling O'Sullivan
11.45pm Film : The Maltese Falcon (1941)
starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre,
Sydney Greenstreet (b&w)
1.25am Film : Split Second (1953)
starring Stephen McNally (b&w)
followed by
special Sunday edition of the pre-school series
8.20am The Wizard of Oz
animated magical series (Repeat)
cartoon capers with the mouse
(Repeat)
Harmony and Dino decide to set a trap
Last in the series
Australian drama about a 12-year-old boy.
Wayne discovers his first chest hair
10.05am The Midas Touch
Feature-length children's drama. An old witch grants an orphan's
wish to be rich but there are bad consequences as well as good
11.20am The Making of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Cameras go behind the scenes to follow the progress of Professor
Nancy Rothwell from audition to performance as she takes on the daunting task of presenting this year's series of lectures for young people
12.20pm Cricket - the Ashes
Action from Melbourne on the second day of the Fourth Test.
With Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell and Tony Greig
12.50pm Film : Quo Vadis (1951)
starring Deborah Kerr, Robert Taylor
3.35pm Choir of the Year
The final of the competition, presented by Howard Goodall
from Buxton Opera House in Derbyshire
4.25pm Simon Rattle - Moving On
As Simon Rattle, one of the world's most popular conductors,
prepares to leave the City of Birmingham Orchestra, where he has been principal conductor for 18 years, cameras follow him on his
final tour with the orchestra and at home, recording the contributions of friends and colleagues
5.15pm The Cat Show
102nd National Cat Club Show
at Earls Court, presented by Steve Knight, Wendy Leavesley
6.05pm Rex the Runt
Wendy is put on trial for shooting Vince, adult animation
6.15pm Star Trek : Voyager
Kes undergoes a strange metamorphosis and her new powers
soon pose a threat to her unsuspecting crew mates
7.00pm Ray Mears's World of Survival
The Red Centre
Concluding the series that examines some of the world's most
inhospitable areas
7.30pm The Car's the Star
In the Soviet Union it was a status symbol, while in Britain it
became a national joke, but does the Lada really deserve its comic reputation?
7.50pm Earth Story
Concluding the exploration of our understanding of the planet
8.40pm Reeves and Mortimer - Xmas Shooting Stars
Comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer present a special
edition of the celebrity quiz, with Ulrika Jonsson, Mark Lamarr
and George "Santa Claus" Dawes
9.20pm Ted and Ralph
special one-off comedy based on the antics of two of the most
popular characters from The Fast Show, written by and starring Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson
10.30pm Merry Mind the Buzzcocks
Host Mark Lamarr and team captains Sean Hughes and Phill Jupitus
are joined by Boy George, Noddy Holder, Jonathan Ross and Sleeper's Louise Wener in a festive edition of the pop quiz
11.10pm Film : I Shot Andy Warhol (1995)
starring Lili Taylor
12.45am Andrea Bocelli : a Night in Tuscany
The tenor Andrea Bocelli is one of the world's great opera stars
Tonight he returns to Tuscany, where he grew up, for a special
open-air music concert at the Piazza dei Cavalieri in Pisa
followed by
Bank Holiday Monday 28th December 1998
BBC2
6.10am Film : The Miracle of the Bells (1948)
starring Frank Sinatra (b&w)
8.05am Film : Young at Heart (1955)
starring frank Sinatra
first of 12 short films accompanying the Frank Sinatra film
season in which fans and friends pay tribute
10.05am The West
The Grandest Enterprise under God:
1868-74
Americans set out to unite post-Civil War east and west with a
1,775-mile railway from Omaha to Sacramento that promised work for immigrant labourers, land for poor farmers and a lucrative business for hunters
11.30am The Royal Institute Christmas Lectures
Staying Alive : the Body in Balance
Sense and Sensitivity
First in a series of five daily science talks, intended to be of particular interest to children
12.30pm Cricket : the Ashes
Action from the crease at Melbourne as the Fourth Test reaches day three
1.00pm Racing
presented by Claire Balding from Chepstow
(1.10, 1.40, 2.15 & 2.40 races)
3.00pm Film : The Pride and the Passion (1957)
starring Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Sophia Loren
5.10pm Cardigans at Christmas
looking at past Christmas TV offerings including Christmas Night
with the Stars and Val Doonican
6.00pm Dance Night
Royal Ballet dancer Deborah Bull and comedian Alexei Sayle
introduce an evening devoted to exploring the many facets of
dance from ballroom and ballet to modern and clubbing
6.05pm Dance Ballerina Dance
with Deborah Bull, Adam Cooper, Lynn Seymour in a
sequence of movements that traces the changing role of
female ballet dancers over the past century
6.55pm Torvill and Dean
Another chance to see Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's
Bolero ice-dance routine
7.05pm You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
Alexei Sayle sets out to prove that you don't have to be a
professional to perform waltz, jive or salsa
7.35pm Best Ballroom
the waltz, by ballroom aces Marcus and Karen Hilton
7.45pm The Magic of Dance
Out in the Limelight. Home in the Rain, the final episode from
Dame Margot Fonteyn's 1979 history of dance
8.35pm Infanta
A girl explores her own garden world Performed by Ella Horton Chandler and choreographed by Rosemary Lee
8.40pm Eric and Ernie
the classic "Singin' in the Rain" routine by comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise
8.45pm The Art of Touch
TV première of this award-winning piece performed by
Siobhan Davies Dance Company
9.35pm Nussin
A dance-based short film with no dialogue, set around a snowy railway station in the Czech Republic. The obsession of two couples for ballroom dancing leads to murder
10.25pm Film : Strictly Ballroom (1992)
starring Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice
11.55pm Film : A Chorus Line (1985)
starring Michael Douglas
| Birds of a Feather |
‘Hollyoaks’ is set in which English town or city? | Download Birds of a Feather S12E05 XviD-AFG - SoftArchive
253 MiB | 21mn 44s | @ 1 485 Kbps | 640 x 360 | MPEG Audio @ 128 Kbps
Genre: Comedy
Birds of a Feather is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC One from 1989 until 1998 and on ITV from 2013. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers.The first episode sees sisters Tracey Stubbs and Sharon Theodopolopodos brought together when their husbands are sent to prison for armed robbery.
Sharon, who lived in an Edmonton council flat, moves into Tracey's expensive house in Chigwell, Essex. Their next-door neighbour, and later friend, Dorien Green is a middle-aged married woman who is constantly having affairs with younger men. In the later series the location is changed to Hainault. The series ended on Christmas Eve 1998 after a 9-year-run.On 3 March 2009, the The Mirror reported that the classic sitcom was set for a return reporting that Lesley Joseph, Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson have all been asked by the team behind the sitcom to make another series. Quirke was reported as saying that they were up for the challenge if the writers came up with good ideas. After this speculation of a return in early 2009 nothing more was said. However, in July 2012 Lesley Joseph hinted that Birds of a Feather could return for another series following a successful stage tour.
Screenshots
| i don't know |
What was the name of Scrooge’s late partner? (Both names needed.) | "Ebenezer Scrooge" - The Meaning of the Name - Mark D. Roberts
Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The Roman Perspective, Part 1
The fact that Jesus was crucified rather than stoned, hanged, or killed in some other way means that the Romans were ultimately responsible for his death. Of course this is clear in the biblical gospels. But even if we lacked such primary sources, the simple fact that a man was crucified in Jerusalem around A.D. 30 implies that, for some reason or other, he was condemned by Roman authorities. Jews in the first-century A.D. didn’t crucify people. This horrible means of execution was the prerogative of the Romans, who used it with chilling effect.
The Roman Practice of Crucifixion
If we want to know why a Roman authority, in this case, the prefect Pontius Pilate, would choose to crucify someone, we might look first at the Roman practice of crucifixion in general. Although Rome didn’t invent this means of execution, the nation perfected it as one of the most horrible means of putting criminals to death. In fact, not all Roman convicts sentenced to death were crucified. Crucifixion was reserved for the lowest of the low, and most of all for those who openly opposed Roman power. Commit a serious crime and Rome might cut off your head; rebel against Roman rule or upset Roman peace and you might be headed to a cross. I say “might be” because Roman citizens were protected from crucifixion, unless they happened to be treasonous soldiers. (Photo: The Via Appia in Rome. When the slave Spartacus led a rebellion against Rome in 73-71 B.C., the Romans finally prevailed. They crucified 6,000 men, stringing them along the Via Appia for 120 miles, from Rome to Capua.)
Why was crucifixion so horrible? For one thing, the victim experienced some of the most extreme pain that a person can experience and the duration of suffering often lasted several days. But, even beyond personal suffering, the crucified person experienced extreme shame in a world that valued honor supremely. Contrary to most portrayals of Jesus’ death, those sentenced to crucifixion were naked when attached to the cross, in full view of the masses.
The Romans made every effort to crucify people in public places, such as along major thoroughfares. The point was to augment the dishonor and suffering of the one being killed, not to mention his family and colleagues. (It seems, by the way, that the Romans did not crucify women.) As the Roman rhetorician Quintilian explained, “Whenever we crucify the guilty, the most crowded roads are chosen, where most people can see and be moved by this fear. For penalties relate not so much to retribution as to their exemplary effect” (Quintilian, Declamations 274). Thus the point of crucifixion was not only punishment, but also deterrence.
Not surprisingly, the Romans crucified Jews when they rebelled against imperial rule. I’ll examine a couple of telling instances in my next post.
The Roman Perspective, Part 2
In my last post I began to examine the Roman practice of crucifixion, arguing that if we want to understand why a Roman governor had Jesus crucified, we should first understand why Rome used crucifixion in general. What we discovered was that crucifixion, in addition to being an extremely horrific punishment of criminals, was thought to be an effective deterrent against sedition. “Watch someone get crucified for challenging our authority,” the Romans believed, “and you’ll be unlikely to challenge our authority yourself.” If you’ve seen The Passion of the Christ, you can certainly understand Roman logic here. Crucifixion was cruel beyond cruel.
Roman Crucifixion Among the Jews
Even the threat of crucifixion didn’t completely squelch attempts to overthrow Roman rule, however, least of all among the Jews. Shortly after the death of Herod the Great in 4 B.C., thousands of Jews sought to toss the Romans out of Judea. Of course the Romans didn’t take kindly to this, sending an army to squash the rebellion. When the rebels fled into the country, the Roman general Varus pursued them. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus describes what happened next:
Upon this, Varus sent a part of his army into the country, to seek out those that had been the authors of the revolt; and when they were discovered, he punished some of them that were most guilty, and some he dismissed: now the number of those that were crucified on this account were two thousand. (Antiquities 17.10.10)
Two thousand rebels crucified at one time! Now that would surely give restless Jews second thoughts before challenging Roman tyranny again. (Photo: The Arch of Titus in Rome, which celebrates the Roman victory over the Jews in A.D. 70.)
Seven decades later, thousands upon thousands of Jews revolted against Roman rule. For a short time they appeared to have prevailed. But, once again, Rome sent a superior military force to Judea. Soon the Jews were trapped in Jerusalem, surrounded by the Roman army besieging the city. Recognizing their hopeless condition, some Jews actually tried to escape, but to no avail. According to Josephus, when they were caught, “they were first whipped, and then tormented with all sorts of tortures before they died, and were then crucified before the wall of the city” (Jewish War, 5.11.1). This happened to at least 500 people daily, according to Josephus. So disgusting was the mass torture of Jewish prisoners that even the Roman General Titus felt pity on them. But he let the brutality continue. Why? Josephus explains: “The main reason why he did not forbid that cruelty was this, that he hoped the Jews might perhaps yield at that sight, out of fear lest they might themselves afterwards be liable to the same cruel treatment” (Jewish War, 5.11.1).
To conclude what we have learned about Romans and crucifixion, Rome reserved crucifixion for the worst of criminals, especially for those who stirred up rebellion against the state. Because the point of crucifixion, beyond punishment, was deterrence, crosses were placed in public places so people would learn to fear the wrath of Rome. When Jews challenged Roman authority, they, like others rebels against Rome, were crucified if caught.
But is this relevant of the case of Jesus? Did Jesus challenge Roman authority such that Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea in the time of Jesus, believed he must be crucified? Does what we have learned about Roman crucifixion help to explain Jesus’ own death? To these questions I’ll turn in my next post.
The Roman Perspective, Part 3
Introduction to Pontius Pilate
If we’re going to understand the Roman perspective on the death of Jesus, we need to know something of the Roman man who was legally responsible for his crucifixion: Pontius Pilate. Traditionally, Pilate has been seen by Christians in relatively positive terms, as one who really didn’t want to crucify Jesus but who did so because he was compelled to by the Jewish leaders and crowds. This image of Pilate, that seems to emerge from the New Testament gospels, doesn’t fit with what we know about Pontius Pilate from historical sources, including the gospels themselves. Let me survey this evidence briefly.
Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea from 26-37 A.D. An inscription discovered in the ruins of a Roman theater in Caesarea reveals that Pilate’s official Roman title was “prefect” (Latin, praefectus). In this role he was ultimately responsible for all matters in Judea, including judicial and financial affairs. Pilate governed from the provincial capital of Judea, Caesarea (Maratima), a city on the Mediterranean coast, about 75 miles northwest of Jerusalem. He would make the trip to Jerusalem only when necessary. Pilate was accountable to the governor of Syria, through whom he was ultimately subservient to the Roman Emperor. (Photo: This inscription identifies Pontius Pilate as the [Praef]ectus Iuda[eae]).
Pilate does not figure prominently in first-century Roman histories, a fact that suggests that he was a relatively insignificant leader. Moreover, the assignment to govern Judea was no plum, and some of those who served in Pilate’s position were known to complain about it. Not only was it potentially a dead-end job, but also it was fraught with complications.
The complications had largely to do with what the Romans would see as the peculiarities and propensities of the Jews. The peculiarities were, by and large, Jewish religious sensibilities that put them at odds with Roman norms. Jews, for example, did not follow the Roman model in welcoming all sorts of gods into their pantheon. On the contrary, Jews would die for their belief in one and only one God. Jewish propensities had to do with general unrest and fairly regular attempts by some Jews to rebel against Roman rule. When one became prefect of Judea, one could expect trouble.
Pilate’s inability (or unwillingness) to respect Jewish sensibilities is seen in an event recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities 18.3.1). Unlike previous governors, when Pilate took charge, he brought images of Caesar into Jerusalem in order to display them. This enraged the Jewish population, who took this as a violation of their law and as an insult. Multitudes of people traveled to Caesarea in order to ask Pilate to remove the images. At first he refused and, when the petitioners persisted, he was prepared to kill them. But when they showed themselves willing to die rather than have their laws violated, Pilate finally relented. In another instance when he offended Jewish sensibilities, Pilate did not show mercy, and those who protested were slaughtered by soldiers under Pilate’s command (Antiquities, 18.3.2).
The New Testament actually confirms this picture of a cruel Pilate. In Luke 13:1 we read, “At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” We don’t know anything else about this incident. But it appears that, for some reason, Pilate killed some Galileans who had come to the Jerusalem temple in order to offer sacrifices to God. Yet, not only did Pilate have them killed, he also had their own blood mingled with the blood of the animals they had sacrificed. Talk about adding insult to injury!
The first-century Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria once wrote a letter to Caesar, in which, among other things, he complained about the harshness of Pontius Pilate. Philo blames Pilate explicitly for: “briberies, insults, robberies, outrages, wanton injustices, constantly repeated executions without trial, and ceaseless and grievous cruelty.” (Legatio ad Gaium, 301-302). Even granting Philo’s bias against Pilate, this text doesn’t reflect well upon Pilate’s governorship. In the end, he was removed from office by the Syrian governor, Vitellius, though we don’t know exactly why.
But what about the image of Pilate as the reflective leader who is reticent to kill Jesus, and who even converses with Jesus about the nature of truth? I’ll address this picture in greater detail later. But for now, I’d simply observe that the gospel accounts of Jesus’ trial can be read as confirming the negative image of Pilate.
Pilate’s ultimate responsibility was to oversee Judean affairs, to squash outright rebellion, to keep the tax money flowing to Rome, and, in general, to preserve the fragile peace of the region. And it is this, which, above all, seemed to be at risk when Jesus came to Jerusalem around the feast of Passover. In my next post in this series I’ll examine the peculiar dynamics of Jerusalem in the time of the festival.
The Roman Perspective, Part 4
As I explained in my last post, Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judea during the time of Jesus, governed his territory from Caesarea, a city on the Mediterranean sea about 75 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Immediate authority over Jerusalem itself he had delegated to Caiaphas, whom Pilate had appointed high priest of the Jewish temple.
Pilate and the Danger of Passover
But, each year during his tenure in Judea, Pilate journeyed to Jerusalem in the spring. He wanted to be in this city during the Jewish celebration of Passover. It’s not that he had any fondness for the Jews and their rituals. Rather, Pilate needed to be in Jerusalem at this time to preserve order. He didn’t trust Caiaphas with such an important task at such a volatile time.
The Passover was, after all, a festival in which Jews remembered how God had delivered them from foreign domination. During the celebration of the Passover meal they not only thanked God for his deliverance in the past, but also prayed for him to do so again. Thus the Passover itself could easily inspire anti-Roman feelings, if not outright rebellion.
Moreover, the population of Jerusalem swelled greatly during the festival. Though it’s difficult to determine precisely the population of Jerusalem during the time of Roman rule, 35,000 wouldn’t be too far off base. During the Passover, however, this number swelled by a figure of ten or more. Josephus reports that 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 people gathered in the city for the festival (Jewish War, 2.14.3, 6.9.3). While most scholars believe that Josephus exaggerated, his estimates testify to the large number of pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for Passover. A more conservative estimate would be in the 300,000-400,000 range. Pilate knew that crowds of Jews jammed together in a small area was a formula for disaster. (Photo: A picture of a crowd in Jerusalem, gathered by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 1989.)
Given the themes of Passover and the massive temporary population of Jerusalem, it’s easy to see why Pilate felt it necessary to come to the city and why he would have done so with trepidation. Pilate was well aware of the fact that Jerusalem was a powder keg ready to blow during Passover. In fact, Josephus, talking about an earlier ruler who had tyrannized the Jews, mentions that “the nation of the Jews made an insurrection against him at a festival; for at those feasts seditions are generally begun” (Jewish War, 1.4.3, emphasis added).
Pilate didn’t come to Jerusalem unprepared. To help keep the peace, he brought with him a few thousand Roman soldiers from Syria. But, even then, the odds would not be in his favor if the Jews decided to stir up rebellion, since the soldiers were outnumbered by a factor of at least one hundred to one.
Given the tenuous peace of Jerusalem, Pilate must have been greatly distressed by early reports about Jesus’ actions in Jerusalem. This popular prophet from Nazareth had been welcomed into the city by a crowd of his followers who hailed him as a conquering king. Then, Jesus created a ruckus in the Jewish temple, even prohibiting sacrifices from being offered for several hours. So, while Pilate might have smirked to think of the distress this had given Caiaphas, nevertheless he’d be worried. What was Jesus’ agenda? What had he come to Jerusalem to do? Was he seditious? Was he fomenting rebellion against Rome? Pilate’s initial strategy was to watch and wait. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be lucky, and the Passover would conclude without incident. Then Jesus would go back to Galilee where he came from, and Pilate would return to Caesarea, where he could govern Judea a safe distance away from the time bomb of Jerusalem.
Pilate’s hopes for an uneventful Passover were dashed when, early on Friday morning, the problem posed by Jesus of Nazareth exploded in his face. In my next post, I’ll examine more closely Pilate’s interaction with Jesus and his accusers.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The Roman Perspective, Part 5
In my last two posts in this series on the death of Jesus, I offered a picture of Pontius Pilate and described the unique dangers he faced in Jerusalem during the Jewish celebration of Passover . In light of this background, today I’ll examine the biblical account of Pilate’s interaction with Jewish leaders.
Pilate’s Encounter with Jesus and the Jewish Leaders
Early on Friday morning, after Jesus of Nazareth had entered Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate was awakened by a group of Jewish leaders who had brought Jesus to him with the intention of having Jesus crucified. They accused Jesus of “perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king” (Luke 23:2). When Pilate questioned Jesus, the accused was strangely quiet. Finally the governor cut to the chase. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked. “You say so,” was all Jesus said in reply (Luke 23:3). When Pilate mentioned to the Jewish leaders that their charges against Jesus weren’t persuasive, they added, “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place” (Luke 23:5). It’s likely that this was not news to Pilate, who had probably been following the unusual exploits of Jesus for some time. Roman governors kept an eye out for Jewish prophets who announced the coming of God’s kingdom. (Photo: Mihály Munkácsy, Christ in front of Pilate, 1881.)
Once the Jewish leaders had brought Jesus to Pilate, the question of his fate lay in the governor’s hands. Certainly he could follow the recommendation of the leaders, including the high priest, Caiaphas, whom he had appointed. But killing Jesus had a considerable downside. Pilate was surely aware of Jesus’ popularity among the people. He might even have known before Friday that the Jewish leaders were trying to do away with Jesus, but were reticent to do so because he was so popular with the people. Killing Jesus might well have incited the people to riot (Mark 14:2), something neither the Jewish officials nor Pilate would have wanted. If Pilate were perceived by the people as the one responsible for the death of their popular prophet, then he might end up causing a ruckus or even a revolt that could very well lead to his own downfall.
Yet Pilate would surely have preferred to get Jesus out of the way somehow. Though he was not seditious in the ordinary sense – Jesus carried no weapons, organized no army, and had not assaulted any Roman authorities – nevertheless the Nazarene was clearly a rabble-rouser from Pilate’s point of view. And even if he didn’t explicitly espouse the overthrow of Rome, he certainly flirted with the seditious language of kingship.
Two other factors contributed to Pilate’s reticence to execute Jesus. First, his interaction with Jesus convinced him that the Galilean was no ordinary insurrectionist. It’s hard to reconstruct from the Gospel accounts exactly what Pilate thought of Jesus. If he truly believed him to be innocent and no threat to Rome, then it’s unlikely that he would have had Jesus crucified. But, Pilate must have seen that Jesus was in a completely different league from the others he had crucified. (Of course I’m aware that Christian tradition paints Pilate as a truth-seeker who genuinely believes in Jesus’ innocence. But this image doesn’t fit what we know about Pilate from history, not to mention the indisputable fact that Pilate himself was, in the end, responsible for Jesus’ death. It’s very hard to imagine that Pilate was bullied, either by Jewish leaders or by the mob, into doing something that he really didn’t want to do. I believe that many of the statements in the gospels that seem to reflect the “noble Pilate” were in fact originally spoken by the governor in order to incite the Jews to accept greater responsibility for Jesus’ death, thus exonerating Pilate in the eyes of the people. Or, in other cases, I believe Pilate’s tone was ironic or sarcastic. When he asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Pilate wasn’t beginning a philosophical dialogue, but simply mocking Jesus, who had just spoken of “belonging to the truth” (John 18:37-38).
The second factor that contributed to Pilate’s reticence to execute Jesus was a recommendation from his wife that he should “have nothing to do with” Jesus. Pilate’s wife claimed to have “suffered a great deal because of a dream about him” (Matthew 27:19). Pilate, like most pagans, was in all likelihood quite superstitious, and his wife’s nightmare would have spooked him as well.
From Pilate’s perspective, what would have been the best outcome of this whole mess? Somehow get Jesus to stop causing trouble, but without inciting the people to riot. If silencing Jesus required his death, then so be it, but let it be someone else’s fault other than Pilate’s. If Jesus could be shut down by some other means – like flogging – then this would also be an acceptable option.
In my next post I’ll finish explaining the necessity of Jesus’ death from the Roman perspective of Pontius Pilate.
The Roman Perspective, Part 6
In my last post I began to describe Pontius Pilate’s predicament on the Friday morning after Jesus had entered Jerusalem. The problematic prophet had been brought to Pilate by several Jewish leaders who demanded that he be crucified. But, for reasons I outlined previously, Pilate was reticent. Most of all, he didn’t want to incite the crowds who had gathered in Jerusalem for Passover. Silencing Jesus was a fine idea, but, from Pilate’s perspective, it had to be done in a why that protected him from the wrath of the Jewish people.
Pilate’s Decision to Have Jesus Crucified
Pilate tried passing the buck. He told the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus themselves, but they averred that they couldn’t execute him (John 18:31-32). He said, perhaps sarcastically, that they should go ahead and crucify him themselves (John 19:6-7), even though Pilate knew that crucifixion was legal only under Roman authority. At one point during the “trial” of Jesus, Pilate tried to pass the buck to Herod Antipas, who, as Tetrarch over Galilee, had the legal right to put Jesus to death. But Herod didn’t grab the bait. Instead, he used his meeting with Jesus as an occasion to mock him (Luke 23:6-12). (Photo: Nicolaes Maes, “Christ Before Pilate,” c. 1670.)
When the responsibility for Jesus’ fate fell back upon Pilate’s shoulders, he preferred to take the course of least resistance: have Jesus flogged, which would surely silence him for a while, and which, Pilate hoped, would keep the people from going on a rampage. But many of the Jewish leaders, combined with a mob that gathered outside of Pilate’s headquarters, pressed for Jesus’ crucifixion. Three factors seemed to have persuaded Pilate that executing Jesus was the best course of action. First, his reticence to kill Jesus appeared to put his loyalty to the emperor in doubt (John 19:12). Even the slightest appearance of imperial disloyalty could have terminal implications for Pilate. Second, the Jews who had gathered in his courtyard, although a tiny percentage of the current population of Jerusalem, were fervent enough in their desire for Jesus’ death that Pilate believed he could convincingly lay the blame on them. Third, his reticence to crucify Jesus was itself starting to cause a riot, which was the very thing Pilate was attempting to avoid by not executing Jesus (Matt 27:24). So his primary motivation for keeping Jesus alive – maintenance of order – was no longer valid. Jesus had to die.
In sentencing Jesus to death, Pilate revealed himself to be devious, if not spineless. He sent Jesus to the cross. The responsibility for this decision was his – at least from a legal-historical point of view. Yet when announcing Jesus’ fate, Pilate tried to avoid taking responsibility for his action. Symbolically washing his hands in front of the crowd, he said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24). Of course this wasn’t true. No matter now much others might have urged Pilate to take Jesus’ life, in the end, he and he alone had the authority to make that fateful decision.
The fact that Pilate had Jesus crucified strongly suggests that he saw Jesus as a threat to Roman order. Though not your ordinary brigand or revolutionary, Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God (not Caesar) and accepted adulation as a messianic (kingly) figure. Moreover, even if his answers to Pilate were minimal, Jesus didn’t reject the charge that he claimed to be king of the Jews. So, even though Jesus wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Zealot, he was still the sort of person who was dangerous to Rome, and was therefore worthy of death, at least from the Roman point of view.
Pilate’s legal justification for crucifying Jesus appeared on the sign attached to Jesus’ cross: “The King of the Jews.” The wording and placement of this sign tells us much about Pilate’s ultimate motivation for killing Jesus. On the one hand, Jesus was being crucified because he dared to make a claim to kingship. On the other, by identifying the crucified Jesus as “King of the Jews,” Pilate was mocking Jesus, the Jewish people, and their kingdom aspirations – all in one ironic statement. In a manner consistent with what we know about Pilate from other sources, he was saying, “Here you go, you Jews. Here is your king – beaten to a pulp, powerless, a victim of superior Roman power.” Furthermore, by crucifying Jesus, Pilate also held him up as a persuasive deterrent: “Next time you think about having someone other than Caesar as your king, remember the crucifixion of Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The Roman Perspective: Conclusion
From a Roman perspective, why did Jesus have to die?
• Because he disturbed Roman order.
• Because he spoke seditiously of a coming kingdom other than that of Caesar.
• Because he allowed himself to be called “King of the Jews.”
• Because he made a nuisance of himself at the wrong time (Passover), in the wrong
place (Jerusalem), in the presence of the wrong people (Pilate and the temple
leadership under his command).
• Because his crucifixion would be a powerful deterrent that might keep other Jews from
following in his footsteps.
In my next post I’ll begin to look at the death of Jesus from one Jewish perspective.
One Jewish Perspective, Part 1
Placing This Conversation in Context
Before I proceed to discuss one Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus’ death, I must say a bit about the contemporary context for this conversation. For centuries, many Christians hated Jews. Part of the Christians’ justification for their hatred was their belief that “the Jews killed Christ.” Even though Jesus himself had called his followers to love their enemies, somehow the belief that “the Jews killed Christ” justified a very un-Christ-like hatred of all Jews. This sort of twisted reasoning contributed to the unspeakable horror of the Holocaust, in which over six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis.
The ugly history of anti-Semitism makes it difficult to talk objectively about Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus. If one suggests that some Jews were in some way responsible for Jesus’ death, this person runs the risk of being labeled anti-Semitic. When I was in graduate school, I was encouraged to ask all sorts of creative and critical questions about early Christian history. But when it came to the death of Jesus, there was an unspoken rule that prohibited even discussing the possibility of some Jewish responsibility for the death of Jesus. The party line was that the Romans killed Jesus for their own reasons and that the early Christians made up the parts of the passion narrative that implicate Jews. The Christians did so, we were told, partly because they weren’t getting along with Jews during the latter half of the first-century A.D., and partly because they wanted to improve their relationship with the Roman Empire. This theory – filled with more holes than Swiss cheese – was something my colleagues and I were not welcome to examine critically. It was simply off limits. The painful history of anti-Semitism required that the history of early Christianity be told in a certain way, whether it actually happened that way or not. (Photo: Anti-Semitic graffiti in Lithuania in 2005.)
Therefore, before I discuss Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus, I must say three things quite clearly:
1. Anti-Semitism is wrong. From a Christian perspective, it is a sin. No matter who was actually responsible for the death of Jesus, there is no excuse for anti-Semitism. It’s something that Christians and all sensible people should oppose.
2. Even if “the Jews” were completely responsible for Jesus’ death (which I’ve already shown to be false, given the involvement of Pontius Pilate), this would in no way justify anti-Semitism today.
3. Even if a Christian considered “the Jews” to be his or her enemies, that Christian would be compelled by the very words of Jesus to love the Jews, not to hate them.
4. Anti-Semitism is alive and well today (or, alive and sick, perhaps). All moral people, including Christians, should reject and oppose it. Anti-Semitism is morally wrong, unjustifiable, and unchristian.
As you can infer from this introduction, I am going to argue that some Jews were involved in the crucifixion of Jesus, and that they believed that Jesus had to die. But, I think it’s historically incorrect to speak of “The Jewish Perspective” on the necessity of Jesus’ death. If we wish to be accurate, we must talk in terms of “One Jewish Perspective” on the question: “Why did Jesus have to die?” I’ll explain what I mean in my next post.
One Jewish Perspective, Part 2
Why “One” Jewish Perspective?
As a young Christian, I had a clear picture of what happened to Jesus in the last week of his life. This picture resulted from my knowledge of the Gospels, and, to a great extent, from images I had seen in Sunday School booklets and filmstrips. My mind had been impressed with scenes of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, of his “trial” before Pilate, and of his being assaulted by Jewish leaders. These images led me to believe that Jerusalem in the time of Jesus was a relatively small town inhabited by a relatively small number of Jews, and that the same Jews who had welcomed Jesus into town as a king on Sunday had turned against him on Friday. From my juvenile viewpoint, “the Jews” of Jerusalem had, as a single group, both hailed Jesus and then condemned him. Since only a few close disciples supported Jesus until the bitter end, it would have seemed appropriate to me to speak of “the” Jewish perspective on why Jesus had to die. (Photo: Jesus on Palm Sunday in a classic film version of his life. For the other side of the story, check out this video from Vintage 21 Church .)
I no longer believe that my youthful picture of Jesus’ last week was historically accurate, though I do believe that the New Testament Gospels provide historically reliable viewpoints on what really happened that week. For one thing, the actual scale of life in Jerusalem was far greater than anything I had imagined. As I explained earlier in this series, it’s likely that the normal population of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus was around 35,000. But during the festival of Passover the population swelled to eight or ten times that number, perhaps even more.
This means, among other things, that a tiny percentage of the overall population of Jerusalem actually welcomed Jesus into the city on Palm Sunday or called for his crucifixion early on Good Friday. Since scholars cannot agree on the precise location of Pilate’s headquarters, we cannot say definitively how many people might have gathered in his courtyard to call for Jesus’ death. This number is probably less than 500, possibly quite a bit less. What this means, therefore, is that something like .2% of the Jews in Jerusalem were demonstrably eager to have Jesus crucified.
But, one might object, perhaps this tiny percentage represented the majority. This objection is unlikely for three reasons:
First, we know from the Gospels that Jesus was, for the most part, very popular among the masses (for example, Matt 4:25; 8:1; 9:8; 12:15; 13:2; 14:14; 15:30; 20:29; 21:8).Second, we also know that the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who wanted to have Jesus killed hesitated precisely because Jesus was so popular among the masses there (Matt 21:46). Nothing in the Gospel records suggests that this popularity ended magically by Good Friday.
Third, in fact the Gospel records suggest that large numbers of Jews were deeply distressed by the death of Jesus. For example, as Jesus was walking along the Via Dolorosa, Luke tells us that “A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him” (Luke 23:27). Then, after Jesus was crucified, the crowds who “saw what had taken place, . . . returned home, beating their breasts” (Luke 24:48). In other words, vast numbers of Jews were horrified by the death of Jesus.
Thus it’s historically accurate to speak, not of “the” Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus’ death, but of several diverse Jewish perspectives. It’s quite likely that the majority of Jews in Jerusalem did not want Jesus killed at all. But the perspective that had greatest impact on the fate of Jesus was that of Caiaphas and other principal leaders of Jerusalem. This is the “one” perspective I’ll begin to examine in my next post.
One Jewish Perspective, Part 3
The Perspective of Jewish Leaders in Jerusalem
Although the majority of Jews in Jerusalem may not have wanted Jesus to die, or may have had no opinion either way, some of the most influential Jews did see Jesus’ death as necessary. All four New Testament Gospels testify to the key role of the “chief priests” and other Jewish leaders in the effort to have Jesus crucified. The chief priests included the high priest Caiaphas, who was appointed by Pilate, and other priests who provided leadership, not only for the temple, but also for all religious and civic affairs in Jerusalem. Some other learned and powerful Jewish leaders joined with the chief priests in the effort to silence Jesus once and for all.
Although not providing specific names or titles, the first-century Jewish historian Josephus concurs with what we find in the New Testament. In his Jewish Antiquities, Josephus devotes a short section to the antics of Pontius Pilate. In this context the historian writes that Pilate, “at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us,” had Jesus “condemned to the cross” (Antiquities 18.3.3). Unfortunately Josephus does not explain why these “principal men,” presumably the chief priests and other leaders, had it in for Jesus.
Why did leading Jews in Jerusalem believe it was necessary for Jesus to die? Part of the answer to this question comes from the Gospel of John, in a scene where a group of Jewish leaders was debating the problem of Jesus’ problematic popularity. “If we let him go on like this,” they said, “everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation” (John 11:48). Jesus was stirring up the people with his message of God’s kingdom and with his mighty deeds, and he wasn’t the first to walk down this perilous road. Others had done so before him and the result hadn’t been good for the Jews. Inevitably the Romans swept into Judea with their armies, slaughtering some, crucifying others, and taking still others into slavery. They had no hesitation about destroying an entire city if only some its residents had challenged Roman authority. So it would be logical for Jewish leaders to fear that Jesus might indeed bring down Roman wrath upon both the temple and the nation. (Photo: The ruins of a theatre in Sepphoris in Galilee. Shortly after Jesus was born, a man named Judas led a makeshift militia in a successful assault against the royal palace. Of course Rome didn’t wink at Judas and his gang. Ultimately the Roman army recaptured Sepphoris, taking all of its residents as slaves and burning the city to the ground. (See my book Jesus Revealed, p. 104)
Ruins of the coliseum at Sepphoris
In the midst of this debate about the problem of Jesus, John records the counsel of the high priest, Caiaphas: “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed” (John 11:50). Since Caiaphas did not believe that Jesus fit the job description of God’s messiah, and since he shared with his colleagues the fear of Roman reprisals against the Jews, his argument made sense. Better that Jesus should die than the whole nation be destroyed.
When Caiaphas and his cohort finally captured Jesus and brought him to Pilate so that he might be crucified, their accusations touched upon several ways he was endangering the Jewish people. “We found this man perverting our nation,” they said, “forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king” (Luke 23:2). When Pilate was underwhelmed, they added, “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place” (Luke 23:5). In other words, Jesus was both undermining orderly Roman rule (forbidding taxes, claiming to be king, stirring up the people) and seducing the Jewish people to abandon their religious commitments (keeping the Sabbath, offering sacrifices in the temple, separating themselves from “sinners”).
Although we Christians may want to argue that these accusations were false, it’s easy to see how, from the perspective of the Jewish leaders, they appeared to be true, dangerously true. Moreover, we find in Jewish sources basic confirmation of what Luke puts upon the lips of the leaders. In the Babylonian Talmud (a fifth-century collection of earlier Jewish oral traditions), we read the following:
There is a tradition: They hanged Yeshu on the Sabbath of the Passover. But for forty days before that a herald went in front of him (crying), “Yeshu is to be stoned because he practiced sorcery and seduced Israel and led them astray from God”. ( b. Sanhedrin 43a )
Although the details don’t fit perfectly with the New Testament accounts, the charges against Jesus confirm what we have already seen. Jesus was said to “practice sorcery,” which is how his miracles would have appeared to his opponents, and which explains his ability to arouse the people. He also “seduced Israel and led them astray from God.” How similar this is to the charges in Luke 23, where Jesus was said to have perverted the nation and stirred up the people.
The concerns of Jewish leaders and their desire to get rid of him would probably not have come to fruition except for something Jesus did to provoke their concerted effort to have him crucified. I’ll examine this action in my next post.
One Jewish Perspective, Part 4
The “Crime” of Jesus
My last post in this series focused on the reasons why some Jewish leaders in Jerusalem believed that it was necessary for Jesus to die. The bottom line? He was a threat to their conception of faith and national life, indeed, to the very existence of the Jewish people. If left unchecked, Jesus would either pervert the Jewish nation with his peculiar notions of the kingdom of God, or he would bring down the wrath of Rome upon Judea, leading to its destruction. Either way, Jesus needed to be taken out of the game – permanently.
The concerns of the Jewish leaders, however pressing they might have been, would probably not have been enough to bring about Jesus’ execution except for something Jesus himself did, something shocking, unexpected, and utterly unacceptable from the perspective of the Jewish leaders. I’m speaking of his activity in the temple, that which Christians call “the cleansing of the temple.” Here’s Mark’s account of this scandalous action:
Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (Mark 11:15-17)
How did the Jewish leaders respond to Jesus’ action? “And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him” (Mark 11:18).
Why was Jesus’ behavior in the temple worthy of death?
First of all, he was suggesting that the current state of the temple was unacceptable and that the temple leadership – the chief priests – were unworthy of respect. They were like a bunch of robbers.
Model of the temple in Jerusalem. Photo with permission of holylandphotos.org.
Second, Jesus actually prohibited the crucial function of the temple: the offering of sacrifices. From the point of view of the priests, he was keeping the Jewish people from worshipping God in the way God had prescribed – a serious if not a capital offense.
Third, Jesus’ activity in the temple was consistent with his earlier actions, whereby he implied that the temple was no longer necessary. If Jesus himself could forgive sins (Mark 2:1-12), then why bother with the temple? Thus Jesus was saying to a temple-centered religion: The very center of your relationship with God is wrong. Such a critique would not be taken lightly by those who embraced a temple-centered Judaism.
But it wasn’t only what Jesus did in the temple that provoked a negative response from the leaders, but also what he said. You see, by referring to the temple as a “den of robbers,” Jesus was doing far more than insulting the chief priests. He was actually quoting from the prophet Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 7, the prophet condemned the tendency of Israel to put their faith in the existence of the temple. Many in Jeremiah’s day believed that they could do all sorts of evil deeds without fear of punishment because God’s temple was in their midst. The temple was their spiritual safety net, so to speak. But God was neither fooled nor pleased. So, through Jeremiah the Lord prophesied,
Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are safe!” – only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? . . . And now, because you have done all these things, says the LORD, . . . therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name . . . just what I did to Shiloh. (Jer 7:8-14)
And what did the Lord do to Shiloh? He destroyed it and the tabernacle it once housed (Psalm 78:60).
In the day of Jeremiah, the people had turned the temple into a “den of robbers,” a place of supposed safety for those who did evil deeds out in the world. For this reason, God promised to destroy the temple, which he did in 586 B.C. Similarly, by quoting from Jeremiah 7 as he overturned the tables in the temple, Jesus implied that the same judgment applied in his day. Those who took refuge in the temple could not presume to be safe. God was about to destroy the temple because of the sin of the people, even as he had done to Shiloh and to the first temple in Jerusalem.
Thus Jesus’ action in the temple, combined with his words, not only insulted and upset the chief priests, but also conveyed God’s judgment upon the temple itself. This crime against the temple could not be tolerated, as far as its leaders were concerned. Jesus, the blasphemous criminal, deserved, not only to be silenced, but also to die. In my next post I’ll examine two fascinating parallels that will help us to see that the Jewish leaders who condemned Jesus were acting in ways fully consistent with their predecessors and successors. Right or wrong, they were doing exactly what Jewish leaders in their position had done and would do again. They thought they were defending God’s temple and, indeed, God himself.
One Jewish Perspective, Part 5
Jewish Leaders Respond to Offenses Against the Temple
In my last post, I suggested that one of the major causes of Jesus’ death was his “cleansing” of the temple. By interrupting the sacrificial system and by quoting Jeremiah’s own condemnation of the temple, Jesus was threatening the very core of Judaism in his day. In the perspective of the Jewish leaders, this would have been blasphemy – speaking against God himself.
For those whose experience and viewpoint is far removed from that of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, it may seem that their intended punishment simply doesn’t fit the crime. But, if we look for historical parallels, we find two incidents in which other leaders acted much as did Caiaphas and his associates when dealing with Jesus.
Rembrandt van Rijn, "Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalam," 1630
The first example comes from the ministry of Jeremiah, some 600 years before Jesus. The Lord told Jeremiah to stand in the Jerusalem temple and speak the following:
“If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently – though you have not heeded – then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth” (Jeremiah 26:4-6).
What response did this prophecy spark in the Jewish leaders and others? Sorrow? Repentance? Hardly! In fact, here’s what happened:
And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die!” (Jeremiah 26:8)
There it is, the same pattern we see in the last days of Jesus: Speak judgment on the temple and the leaders will believe that you need to die. In the case of Jeremiah, however, he insisted that he was only passing on God’s own message, so the people spared his life (Jer 26:12-16).
Now jump forward in history more than six centuries, to an incident that occurred about thirty years after the death of Jesus. Curiously enough, this incident involved another man named Jesus, son of Ananus (Hananiah), who came to Jerusalem during a feast an began to cry out “against Jerusalem and the holy house.” According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Jesus’ persistent proclamation of judgment on the temple and city offended “certain of the most eminent among the populace,” which is to say, the leaders of Jerusalem. So, at first they beat Jesus severely. But when this didn’t shut him up, they brought Jesus to the Roman procurator “where he was whipped [flogged] till his bones were laid bare.” When even this didn’t silence Jesus, the procurator dismissed this Jesus as a madman and a nuisance. (The story of this Jesus can be found in Josephus’s Jewish War, 6.5.3.)
In this case of Jesus ben Hananiah, the Jewish leaders seem not to have pressed for his crucifixion. Of course, this Jesus didn’t pose the same threat as Jesus of Nazareth once did, nor did he do anything resembling the cleansing of the temple. Yet, merely by proclaiming God’s judgment on the temple, Jesus son of Ananus earned several beatings, including what must have been an almost fatal Roman flogging. And, like Jesus of Nazareth, the Jewish leaders dealt with him, first on their own and then by handing him over to the Roman governor.
The experiences of Jeremiah and Jesus ben Hananiah, though different in detail and time period, nevertheless illustrate how Jewish leaders were apt to deal with those who spoke against the temple. They were worthy of severe punishment, if not death. And when the Jewish leaders no longer had the authority to execute someone, they would turn him over to the Roman governor. Thus the actions of Caiaphas and his associates in response to the problem of Jesus of Nazareth reflect the same commitments and tendencies of similar leaders in similar positions. This greatly increases the likelihood that the historical scenario I have been proposing with respect to Jesus of Nazareth is, in fact, accurate.
In my next post I’ll sum up what we have learned about “one” Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus’ death.
One Jewish Perspective, Part 6
Summing Up One Jewish Perspective
In the last five posts I’ve been examining “one” Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus’ death. Let me briefly summarize my findings, adding some observations along the way.
1. It’s more accurate to speak of “one” Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus’ death than to speak of “the” Jewish perspective because not all Jews agreed with the viewpoint of those who conspired to have Jesus crucified. Only a tiny percentage of Jews in Jerusalem were actually involved in the effort to persuade Pilate to execute Jesus. Moreover, the New Testament Gospels attest to the widespread popularity of Jesus among his Jewish contemporaries. “A great number” of those in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ death were horrified by what had happened to him (Luke 23:27). Thus, if anything, the numerically dominant Jewish perspective would have supported Jesus. But those who held power in Jerusalem we able to do what the masses would not have wanted.
2. Some of the leading Jews in Jerusalem, including Caiaphas, the High Priest, sought to have Jesus crucified. Evidence for this comes not only from all four New Testament Gospels, but also from the Jewish historian Josephus.
3. The Jewish leaders who sought to have Jesus crucified believed that his death was necessary for the following reasons:
a. By stirring up the people, Jesus was threatening the peace and life of the Jewish people, thus increasing the likelihood that Rome would destroy both Jerusalem and the temple. The death of Jesus would be preferable to the destruction of the nation.
b. Jesus “seduced Israel and led them astray from God” (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a). His message and ministry lessened the people’s commitment to living out their Judaism in the way approved of by the Jewish leaders (priests, Pharisees).
c. Jesus interrupted the orderly system of sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple, speaking against the temple and its leaders, thus opposing not only the core of Judaism, but God himself. Jesus’ quotation from Jeremiah 7 (“den of robbers”) combined with other things he had said during his ministry clarified his condemnation of the temple – a blasphemous offense. Moreover, he insisted that God was on his side, thus adding blasphemy to blasphemy.
d. Jesus presented himself as the Messiah, the one anointed by God to bring divine salvation to Israel. But he failed to do what the Messiah was supposed to do, notably, lead a successful revolt against Rome. Instead, Jesus turned his judgment against God’s own temple. Thus Jesus was a false messiah. This fact alone might not have warranted his crucifixion. But, when combined with his other offenses, his false claim to messiahship increased further the chances that his actions would bring devastation upon Judea.
4. The efforts of Jewish leaders to silence Jesus by physical violence were consistent with what other Jewish leaders did in similar situations (vs. the prophet Jeremiah in Jer 26 and vs. Jesus ben Hananiah in Josephus, Jewish War, 6.5.3). This consistency greatly increases the probability that the Gospel accounts accurately portray the role of Jewish leaders. Caiaphas and company did exactly what Jewish leaders in their position thought they had to do when someone insulted or threatened the temple.
Implications for the Current Debate
Given this picture of “one” Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus’ death, I want to draw out two implications.
First, it is historically irresponsible to say, “The Jews killed Christ.” Yes, I’m aware that the Gospel of John uses “the Jews” in a way that seems to lay blame for Jesus’ death upon “the Jews.” But, when read in context, “the Jews” means “some Jewish leaders.” Ultimate and legal blame for Jesus’ death fell upon the shoulders of Pontius Pilate, no matter how he might have tried to wriggle out of it. Moreover, many, and quite probably the vast majority of Jews in the time of Jesus, did not want him killed, and were horrified when it happened. Given the tragic history of Christian anti-Semitism, we Christians must speak carefully and accurately about Jewish involvement in his death. The truth: some influential Jews believed Jesus had to die and sought to convince Pilate to crucify him.
Second, it is historically irresponsible to deny all Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus. Some scholars, no doubt responding to the horrors of anti-Semitism, have applied their critical scalpels to the New Testament records, cutting from them any implication of Jewish complicity in the death of Jesus. In their surgery, however, they bleed historical probability to death. In fact two ancient Jewish sources, Josephus and the Talmud, indicate that some Jews were involved in the death of Jesus and help us to understand why they would have been. Plus, the picture of Caiaphas and his associates in the Gospels makes historical and logical sense. These leaders were protecting that which they believed to be essential, including both the temple and their own civic/religious position. The actions of other leaders in similar situations confirm the conclusion that the New Testament Gospels paint an historical reliable picture of Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus.
Finally, there was another Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus’ death, a perspective I haven’t yet mentioned. It was the most important Jewish perspective of all, that of Jesus himself. To the question of why Jesus believed he had to die I’ll turn in my next post in this series.
us, the word “Scrooge” is synonymous with “cranky, selfish miser.” The
character of Ebenezer Scrooge is so familiar that if you were to refer
to someone as a “Scrooge,” just about everybody in the Western world
would know what you mean. They’d understand that you were not offering a
compliment!
In fact, however, the name “Scrooge” is a variation
of an obscure English verb: “to scrouge” or “to scruze.” This verb means
“to squeeze” or “to press.” The fact that Dickens chose the name
“Scrooge” with this meaning in mind is clear in the classic description
of the character in Stave One of A Christmas Carol:
Oh!
But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! a
squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old
sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out
generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose,
shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin
lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime
was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his
own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the
dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.
It’s as if Dickens opened his thesaurus and copied down every synonym of “squeezing.”
What
did Ebenezer Scrooge squeeze so tightly? Most obviously, he squeezed
his money. He grasped it and clung to it. He held it so tightly that he
was unwilling to part with a farthing. But Ebenezer Scrooge also
squeezed his heart. He suffocated his own soul with his obsession with
gain. Greed was choking the life out of Ebenezer Scrooge.
I
believe without a doubt that Dickens chose the name “Scrooge” primarily
because of its underlying meaning. But I wonder if a couple other
factors figured into the naming equations. First, I wonder if Dickens
chose a name that was uncommon or unique. If you’re going to produce a
character who is a classic miser, you may not want to name him “Mr.
Smith” or “Mr. Roberts,” out of deference to those who have these
surnames. Second, the word “Scrooge” just begs to be spoken in a slow,
resonant, ghostly manner. When Marley’s ghost drones “Scroooooooge,”
that works much better, for example, than “Craaaaachit.” I wouldn’t be
surprised if Dickens chose “Scrooge” for its sound as well as its
meaning.
The Meaning of “Ebenezer”
In English, Ebenezer is a man’s name. Today it is quite uncommon, apart from its association with A Christmas Carol.
In the time of Charles Dickens, men were called Ebenezer, though I’m
not able to judge how common the name was. So, for example, in 1840, a
man named Ebenezer Elliott , who identified himself as a “Corn-Law Rhymer,” published a book of his poetical works (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1840).
The
name “Ebenezer” was not original to the English language. In fact, it
was an anglicized version of a Hebrew name, which is itself composed of
two Hebrew words. In 1 Samuel 4:1, for example, the Israelities camped
at a place called Ebenezer. This name is a combination of the Hebrew
word for stone (eben) and the Hebrew word for helper (‘ezer). Thus, an ebenezer (literally, ha-eben ha-‘ezer)
would have been a stone that offered some sort of assistance. In 1
Samuel 7:12, the judge Samuel sets up a stone as a monument in
remembrance of God’s special help. It was a “help-stone” that reminded
the Israelites of God’s care. It was rather like those little monuments
you find along highways throughout the United States. They commemorate
some event long past, helping us to remember what we would otherwise
forget.
Interestingly enough, the name “Ebenezer” appears rarely in A Christmas Carol.
Scrooge’s first name is not mentioned in the first pages of the book.
We don’t hear it until Marley’s ghost speaks the name, first in
explaining that he has no comfort to offer his former partner. Marley’s
second use of “Ebenezer” comes when he explains the purpose of his
visit: “I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and
hope of escaping my fate. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer.”
This is the first instance of grace given to Scrooge, and he receives it
with his first communication of gratitude, saying, “You were always a
good friend to me. . . . Thank ‘ee!” The only other character to use the
name “Ebenezer” is Old Fezziwig, Scrooge’s former employer whom Scrooge
holds in high esteem. The final use of “Ebenezer” in A Christmas Carol comes on a literal ebenezer,
Scrooge’s gravestone. This stone completes the transformation of
Scrooge, showing him of how his life might end if he does not become a
new man.
Charles Dickens, though not orthodox in his Christian
faith, was certainly familiar enough with the Bible to have known the
meaning of the name Ebenezer. Given this knowledge and his attention to
character names, it seems to me likely that he chose the name “Ebenezer”
quite intentionally. Ebenezer Scrooge was not only a man with a
“squeezing, wrenching, grasping” character. He was also to serve as a
monument for readers of A Christmas Carol. Dickens intended
Ebenezer Scrooge to remind us of things we ought not forget, lest we end
up like Jacob Marley and the other spirits who walked the earth in
sorrow, dragging the heavy chains they forged in life.
What Does Scrooge Remind Us Of?
Ebenezer Scrooge reminds us of several things. First and most obviously, he reminds us of Christmas. One cannot read A Christmas Carol without renewing one’s excitement for this unique holiday. As I have noted earlier in this series, when Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol,
Christmas was by now means a major or beloved holiday. Dickens used the
“help-stone” of Ebenezer Scrooge to promote the importance of
Christmas.
But for Dickens, the principal value of Christmas was
not to celebrate the birth of the Son of God into the world. Rather,
Christmas was a time for enjoying friends and family. Moreover, and most
of all, it was an occasion for generosity. Dickens’ own estimation of
Christmas appears in Stave One on the lips of Scrooge’s nephew, Fred,
who says:
| Jacob Marley |
Who wrote the poem ‘A Visit From St. Nicholas’, aka ‘The Night Before Christmas’? | 'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1, Part 1 - Charles Dickens
'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1, Part 1 - Charles Dickens
Dickens' Famous Christmas Ghost Story Begins
Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol - The Children's Wonder Book.
By Esther Lombardi
Updated August 19, 2016.
Preface | Stave 1, Part 1 | Stave 1, Part 2 | Stave 2, Part 1 | Stave 2, Part 2 | Stave 3, Part 1 | Stave 3, Part 2 | Stave 4, Part 1 | Stave 4, Part 2 | Stave 5, Part 1 | Stave 5, Part 2 |
In his introduction to "A Christmas Carol," Dicken's identifies himself as the writer -- or, more accurately the fictional character named " Charles Dickens " -- who subscribes to the ghost story he's about to tell.
In this following section, below, "Charles Dickens" tells us that Scrooge's former assistant Bob Marley is dead -- "no doubt" -- and then establishes Ebenezer Scrooge's extreme parsimony and unrelenting joylessness. Dickens uses the term "stave," rather than "section" to support the idea that the piece is actually not a written story but a an actual christmas carol divided into musical staves.
Stave 1, Part 1: Marley's Ghost
Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner.
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Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.
Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.
Scrooge knew he was dead? Of course he did. How could it be otherwise? Scrooge and he were partners for I don't know how many years. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he was an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral, and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain.
The mention of Marley's funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlet's Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot -- say Saint Paul's Churchyard for instance -- literally to astonish his son's weak mind.
Scrooge never painted out Old Marley's name. There it stood, years afterwards, above the ware-house door: Scrooge and Marley. The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley. Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge, and sometimes Marley, but he answered to both names. It was all the same to him.
Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.
External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didn't know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did.
Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, ``My dear Scrooge, how are you. When will you come to see me.'' No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blindmen's dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, ``No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master! ''
But what did Scrooge care! It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call nuts to Scrooge.
Once upon a time -- of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve -- old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already: it had not been light all day: and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.
The door of Scrooge's counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.
``A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!'' cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.
``Bah!'' said Scrooge, ``Humbug!''
He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge's, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.
``Christmas a humbug, uncle!'' said Scrooge's nephew. ``You don't mean that, I am sure.''
"I do,'' said Scrooge. ``Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? what reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough.''
"Come, then,'' returned the nephew gaily. ``What right have you to be dismal? what reason have you to be morose? You're rich enough.''
Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said, ``Bah!'' again; and followed it up with ``Humbug.''
"Don't be cross, uncle,'' said the nephew.
"What else can I be,'' returned the uncle, ``when I live in such a world of fools as this Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas. What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in 'em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,'' said Scrooge indignantly, ``every idiot who goes about with ``Merry Christmas'' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!''
"Uncle!'' pleaded the nephew.
"Nephew!'' returned the uncle, sternly, ``keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.''
"Keep it!'' repeated Scrooge's nephew. ``But you don't keep it.''
"Let me leave it alone, then,'' said Scrooge. ``Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!''
"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,'' returned the nephew: ``Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!''
The clerk in the tank involuntarily applauded. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever.
"Let me hear another sound from you,'' said Scrooge, `` and you'll keep your Christmas by losing your situation. You're quite a powerful speaker, sir,'' he added, turning to his nephew. ``I wonder you don't go into Parliament.''
"Don't be angry, uncle. Come! Dine with us to-morrow.''
Scrooge said that he would see him -- yes, indeed he did. He went the whole length of the expression, and said that he would see him in that extremity first.
"But why?'' cried Scrooge's nephew. ``Why?''
"Why did you get married?'' said Scrooge.
"Because I fell in love.''
"Because you fell in love!'' growled Scrooge, as if that were the only one thing in the world more ridiculous than a merry Christmas. ``Good afternoon!''
"Nay, uncle, but you never came to see me before that happened. Why give it as a reason for not coming now?''
"Good afternoon,'' said Scrooge.
"I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you; why cannot we be friends?''
"Good afternoon,'' said Scrooge.
"I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel, to which I have been a party. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and I'll keep my Christmas humour to the last. So A Merry Christmas, uncle!''
"Good afternoon!'' said Scrooge.
"And A Happy New Year!''
"Good afternoon!'' said Scrooge.
His nephew left the room without an angry word, notwithstanding. He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greeting of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially.
"There's another fellow,'' muttered Scrooge; who overheard him: ``my clerk, with fifteen shillings a week, and a wife and family, talking about a merry Christmas. I'll retire to Bedlam.''
This lunatic, in letting Scrooge's nephew out, had let two other people in. They were portly gentlemen, pleasant to behold, and now stood, with their hats off, in Scrooge's office. They had books and papers in their hands, and bowed to him.
"Scrooge and Marley's, I believe,'' said one of the gentlemen, referring to his list. ``Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr Scrooge, or Mr Marley?''
"Mr Marley has been dead these seven years,'' Scrooge replied. ``He died seven years ago, this very night.''
"We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner,'' said the gentleman, presenting his credentials.
It certainly was; for they had been two kindred spirits. At the ominous word ``liberality'', Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back.
"At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge,'' said the gentleman, taking up a pen, ``it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.''
"Are there no prisons?'' asked Scrooge.
"Plenty of prisons,'' said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"And the Union workhouses?'' demanded Scrooge. ``Are they still in operation?''
"They are. Still,'' returned the gentleman, `` I wish I could say they were not.''
"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?'' said Scrooge.
"Both very busy, sir.''
"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,'' said Scrooge. ``I'm very glad to hear it.''
"Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,'' returned the gentleman, ``a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?''
"Nothing!'' Scrooge replied.
"You wish to be anonymous?''
"I wish to be left alone,'' said Scrooge. ``Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.''
"Many can't go there; and many would rather die.''
"If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that.''
"But you might know it,'' observed the gentleman.
"It's not my business,'' Scrooge returned. ``It's enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!''
Seeing clearly that it would be useless to pursue their point, the gentlemen withdrew. Scrooge resumed his labours with an improved opinion of himself, and in a more facetious temper than was usual with him.
Meanwhile the fog and darkness thickened so, that people ran about with flaring links, proffering their services to go before horses in carriages, and conduct them on their way. The ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge out of a gothic window in the wall, became invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there. The cold became intense. In the main street, at the corner of the court, some labourers were repairing the gas-pipes, and had lighted a great fire in a brazier, round which a party of ragged men and boys were gathered: warming their hands and winking their eyes before the blaze in rapture. The water-plug being left in solitude, its overflowings sullenly congealed, and turned to misanthropic ice. The brightness of the shops where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp-heat of the windows, made pale faces ruddy as they passed. Poulterers' and grocers' trades became a splendid joke: a glorious pageant, with which it was next to impossible to believe that such dull principles as bargain and sale had anything to do. The Lord Mayor, in the stronghold of the might Mansion House, gave orders to his fifty cooks and butlers to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayor's household should; and even the little tailor, whom he had fined five shillings on the previous Monday for being drunk and bloodthirsty in the streets, stirred up tomorrow's pudding in his garret, while his lean wife and the baby sallied out to buy the beef.
Foggier yet, and colder! Piercing, searching, biting cold. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirit's nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. The owner of one scant young nose, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs, stooped down at Scrooge's keyhole to regale him with a Christmas carol: but at the first sound of God bless you, merry gentleman! May nothing you dismay! Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost.
At length the hour of shutting up the counting-house arrived. With an ill-will Scrooge dismounted from his stool, and tacitly admitted the fact to the expectant clerk in the Tank, who instantly snuffed his candle out, and put on his hat.
"You'll want all day tomorrow, I suppose?'' said Scrooge.
"If quite convenient, Sir.''
"It's not convenient,'' said Scrooge, ``and it's not fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you'd think yourself ill-used, I 'll be bound?''
The clerk smiled faintly.
"And yet,'' said Scrooge, ``you don't think me ill-used, when I pay a day's wages for no work.''
The clerk observed that it was only once a year.
"A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December!'' said Scrooge, buttoning his great-coat to the chin. ``But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning!''
The clerk promised that he would; and Scrooge walked out with a growl. The office was closed in a twinkling, and the clerk, with the long ends of his white comforter dangling below his waist (for he boasted no great-coat), went down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve, and then ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt, to play at blindman's buff.
Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern; and having read all the newspapers, and beguiled the rest of the evening with his banker's-book, went home to bed. He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased partner. They were a gloomy suite of rooms, in a lowering pile of building up a yard, where it had so little business to be, that one could scarcely help fancying it must have run there when it was a young house, playing at hide-and-seek with other houses, and have forgotten the way out again. It was old enough now, and dreary enough, for nobody lived in it but Scrooge, the other rooms being all let out as offices. The yard was so dark that even Scrooge, who knew its every stone, was fain to grope with his hands. The fog and frost so hung about the black old gateway of the house, that it seemed as if the Genius of the Weather sat in mournful meditation on the threshold.
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