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Where was the first production line for 'Model T' Ford's set up? | Ford Model T is First Produced | World History Project
1908
Ford Model T is First Produced
The Ford Model T (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie and Flivver) is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from 1908 through 1927.
The Model T set 1908 as the historic year that the automobile came into popular usage. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car that "put America on wheels"; some of this was because of Ford's innovations, including assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting, as well as the concept of paying the workers a wage proportionate to the cost of the car, so they would provide a ready made market. The first production Model T was built on September 27, 1908, at the Piquette Plant in Detroit, Michigan. The Model T was the first automobile mass produced on assembly lines with completely interchangeable parts, marketed to the middle class.
There were several cars produced or prototyped by Henry Ford from the founding of the company in 1903 until the Model T came along. Although he started with the Model A, there were not 19 production models (A through T); some were only prototypes. The production model immediately before the Model T was the Model S, an upgraded version of the company's largest success to that point, the Model N. The follow-up was the Ford Model A and not the Model U. Company publicity said this was because the new car was such a departure from the old that Henry wanted to start all over again with the letter A. As it happens, the first Plymouth car (1928), built by competitor Chrysler Corporation, was named the Model U.
The Ford Model T was named the world's most influential car of the twentieth century in an international poll. Henry Ford said of the vehicle:
"I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one - and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces."
The Ford Model T car was designed by Childe Harold Wills and two Hungarian immigrants, Joseph A. Galamb and Eugene Farkas. Harry Love, C. J. Smith, Gus Degner and Peter E. Martin were also part of the team. While production of the Model T began in the autumn of 1908, model years range from 1909 to 1927.
The Model T had a 177 in3 (2.9 L) front mounted inline four-cylinder en bloc engine (that is, all four in one block, as common now, rather than in individual castings, as common then) producing 20 hp (15 kW) for a top speed of 40-45 mph (64–72 km/h). The Model T four cylinder sidevalve engine was first in the world with a detachable head, making service like valve jobs easier. According to Ford Motor, the Model T had fuel economy on the order of 13 to 21 mpg (5 to 9 kilometres per litre or 11.1 to 18.7 litres per 100 km). The engine was capable of running on gasoline, kerosene, or ethanol, though the decreasing cost of gasoline and the later introduction of Prohibition made ethanol an impractical fuel.
1926 engine
A flywheel magneto (broadly equivalent to a modern alternator) produced low voltage alternating current. The low voltage was ditributed by the timer (analogous to a distributor in a modern vehicle) to one of the four trembler coils, one for each cylinder. The coil created a high voltage current, directly connected to the spark plug in the firing cylinder. Ignition timing was adjusted manually by using the spark advance lever mounted on the steering column which rotated the timer. A battery could be used for starting current: at hand-cranking speed, the magneto did not always produce sufficient current (but a starting battery was not standard equipment until sometime in 1926, though all T's had a bat position on the coil box switch). A certain amount of skill and experience was required to find the optimal timing for any speed and load. When electric headlights were introduced in 1915, the magneto was upgraded to supply power for the lights and horn. In keeping with the goal of ultimate reliability and simplicity, the trembler coil and magneto ignition system was retained even after the car became equipped with a generator and battery for electric starting and lighting. Most cars sold after 1919 were equipped with electric starting, which was engaged by a small round button on the floor in front of the driver's seat.
1910 Model T, photographed in Salt Lake City
Before starting a Model T with the hand crank, the spark had to be manually retarded or the engine might "kick back". The crank handle was cupped in the palm, rather than grabbed with the thumb under the top of the handle, so that if the engine did kick back, the rapid reverse motion of the crank would throw the hand away from the handle, rather than violently twisting the wrist or breaking the thumb. Most Model T Fords had the choke operated by a wire emerging from the bottom of the radiator where it could be operated with the left hand. This was used to prime the engine while cranking the engine slowly then starting the engine with the left hand with a rapid pull of the crank handle.
The car's ar's 10 gallon (38 litre) fuel tank was mounted to the frame beneath the front seat; one variant had the carburetor (a Holley Model G) modified to run on ethyl alcohol, to be made at home by the self-reliant farmer. Because Ford relied on gravity to feed fuel to the carburetor, rather than a fuel pump, a Model T could not climb a steep hill when the fuel level was low. The immediate solution was often to drive up steep hills in reverse. In 1926, the fuel tank was moved forward to under the cowl on most models.
Early on, the engine blocks were to be produced by the Lakeside Foundry on St. Jean in Detroit. Ford cancelled the deal before many were produced.
While the first few hundred Model Ts had a water pump, its use was abandoned early in production. Ford opted for a cheaper and more reliable circulation system based on the thermo-syphon principle. Hot water, being less dense, would rise to the top of the engine and up into the top of the radiator, descending to the bottom as it cooled, and back into the engine. This was the direction of water flow in most makes of cars even when they did have water pumps, until the introduction of crossflow radiator designs. Many types of water pumps were available as aftermarket accessories.
| Detroit |
In which English city was the first 'Model T' Ford produced outside the USA? | A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries: Henry Ford
Henry Ford
1863-1947
Henry Ford's parents left Ireland during the potato famine and settled in the Detroit area in the 1840s. Ford was born in what is now Dearborn, Michigan. His formal education was limited, but even as a youngster, he was handy with machinery. He worked for the Detroit Edison company, advancing from machine-shop apprentice to chief engineer. In 1893, Ford built a gasoline engine, and within a few years, an automobile, still a novelty item of the rich or do-it-yourself engineers.
In 1899 Ford left Edison to help run the Detroit Automobile Company. Cars were still built essentially one at a time. Ford hoped to incorporate ideas from other industries -- standardized parts as Eli Whitney had used with gun manufacturing, or assembly line methods George Eastman tried in photo processing -- to make the process more efficient. This idea struck others in his field as nutty, so before long, Ford quit Detroit Automobile Company and began to build his own racing cars. They were good enough to attract backers and even partners, and in 1903, he set up the Ford Motor Company.
He still met resistance to his ideas for mass production of a car the average worker could afford. But he stuck to his goal and finally in 1908, began production of the Model T. Ford gradually adapted the production line until in 1913, his plant incorporated the first moving assembly line . Demand for the affordable car soared even as production went up: before Ford stopped making the model T in 1927, 15 million had been sold, and Ford had become the leading auto manufacturer in the country. In addition to the moving assembly line, Ford revolutionized the auto industry by increasing the pay and decreasing the hours of his employees, ensuring he could get enough and the best workers. During the Model T era, Ford bought out his shareholders so he had complete financial control of the now vast corporation. He continued to innovate, but competitors (growing more powerful though fewer in number) began to cut into Ford's market share.
Ford became interested in politics and as a successful and powerful business leader, was sometimes a participant in political affairs. In 1915, he funded a trip to Europe, where World War I was raging. He and about 170 others went -- without government support or approval -- to seek peace. The war lasted another three years. After the war Ford ran unsuccessfully for the Senate on the Democratic ticket. He never ran again, but was always outspoken on political subjects. He violently opposed labor organizations and actively worked against the United Auto Workers trying to unionize his plants. His criticism of Jews and a certain tolerance of German nationalism during World War II have left him with the reputation of an antisemite.
Ford and his family spent a good deal of time and money on charitable work. They set up an historical museum in Greenfield Village, Michigan, and most notably set up the Ford Foundation, which provides grants for research, education, and development.
"A bore is a fellow who opens his mouth and puts his feats in it."
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"In which film did Groucho Marx say, ""Either this man is" | Quotes - The Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers
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Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
attributed to Groucho Marx
From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it.
Groucho Marx
Go, and never darken my towels again.
Groucho Marx
I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
Groucho Marx
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.
Groucho Marx
I sent the club a wire stating, PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER.
Groucho Marx
I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.
Groucho Marx
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
Groucho Marx
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Groucho Marx
He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot.
Groucho Marx
It is better to have loft and lost than to never have loft at all.
Groucho Marx
Margaret Dumont: "Why, that reminds me of my youth!!" Groucho: "He must be a pretty big boy by now."
Groucho/Margaret Dumont (Movie)
"Come get your ice-cream! Come get your tootsie-frootsie ice cream!"
Chico in A Day At the Races (movie)
Chico: "Here's the book, it's a dollar" Groucho: "Here's a ten, and shoot the change." Chico: "I don't have change I'd have to give you nine more books"
Chico/ Groucho in A Day At The Races (Movie)
Man: Are you a man or a mouse? Groucho: Put a piece of cheese on the floor and you'll find out.
Groucho in A Day at the Races (movie)
If I hold you any closer I'll be in back of you!
Groucho in A Day at the Races (Movie)
And stop pointing that beard at me, it might go off!
Groucho in A Day at the Races (Movie)
Groucho: "Do you like gardinia's?" Woman: " Why Yes I Adore Them. How did you know?" Groucho: " I Didn't so I got you a forget-me-not instead."
Groucho/Margaret in A Day At The Races (movie)
Chico: "What's the matter, Mister?" Groucho: "Oh, we got into an argument and he pulled a knife on me so I shot him."
Chico and Groucho Marx in A Night at the Opera (movie)
(introducing Mrs C. to Mr. G) Mrs Claypool, Mr. Gottlieb; Mr Gottlieb, Mrs Claypool; Mrs Claypool, Mr Gottlieb; Mr Gottlieb, Mrs Claypool! If you four people want to play bridge, don't mind me, go right ahead.
Groucho in A Night at the Opera (Movie)
Lassparri: "They threw an apple at me!" Groucho: "Well, watermelons are out of season."
Groucho in A Night at the Opera (movie)
"The party of of the first part..." is hereinafter called: "the party of the first part..." and "The party of of the second part..." is hereinafter called: "the party of the second part...
Groucho and Chico in A Night at the Opera (Movie)
"Don't you know what duplicates are?" "Sure. There's five kids up in Canada." "Well, I wouldn't know about that. I haven't been to Canada in years."
Groucho and Chico Marx in A Night at the Opera
Groucho: "Get outta here before I get arrested." Chico: "Nah I'd like to stay and see that."
Groucho and Chico Marx in A Night at the Opera (movie)
... and two hard boiled eggs ...
Groucho Marx in A Night at the Opera (movie)
9 dollars and 40 cents? Thats an outrage! If I were you I wouldn't pay it!
Groucho Marx in A Night At The Opera (movie)
Policeman: "A hermit eh? Then why's your table set for four?" Groucho: "That's nothing. My alarm clock is set for eight."
Groucho Marx in A Night at the Opera (movie)
Groucho: Do you follow me? Margaret Dumont: Yes! Groucho: Well, you better stop following me, or I'll have you arrested.
Groucho Marx in A Night at the Opera (movie)
Chico- Can he live in NY on $3? Groucho- Like a prince. Of course he won't be able to eat, but he can live like a prince.
Groucho, Chico in A Night at the Opera (Movie)
Groucho: "That's in every contract, that's what you call a sanity clause." Chico: "You can't a fool a me there ain't no sanity clause"
Groucho/Chico in A Night at the Opera (movie)
We've got to speed things up in this hotel. Chef, if a guest orders a three-minute egg, give it to him in two minutes. If he orders a two-minute egg, give it to him in one minute. If he orders a one-minute egg, give him a chicken and let him work it out for himself.
Groucho in A Night in Casablanca (movie)
Groucho: You know I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world? Woman: Really? Groucho: No, but I don't mind lying if it gets me somewhere
Groucho Marx in A Night in Casablanca (Movie)
Hundred aces huh?...Two hundred... thats even better
Chico in Animal Crackers (Film)
I got his tie what did you get...the birth mark thats great
Chico Marx in Animal Crackers (Film)
"I came here for a party and what do I get? Nothing. Not even Ice cream."
Groucho in Animal Crackers (Movie)
I'll do anything you say. In fact I'll even stay. But I must be going.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
We must remember that art is art. Well, on the other hand water is water isn't it? And east is east and west is west. And if you take cranberries and stew them like applesause they taste much more like prunes than rubarb does. Now uh...now you tell me what you know.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
Do you mind if I don't smoke?
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
If I were a man, you would resent that.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
I'll show you a thing or three.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
quote, unquote, and quote.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
Alright, leave it out and put in a windshield-wiper instead.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
I'm Captain Scotland of the Spalding Yard.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
Captain Yard of the Scotland Spalding
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
Well, all the jokes can't be good. You've got to expect that once in a while.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
That's a date, now, Saturday at three. No, you better make it Tuesday. I'm going to Europe Monday.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
Tell me, what do you think of the traffic problem? What do you think of the marriage problem? What do you think of at night when you go to bed, you beast.
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
"One woman and one man might have been OK in your grandmother's day, but who wants to marry your grandmother? Not even your grandfather!"
Groucho in Animal Crackers (movie)
One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know. Then we tried to remove the tusks. The tusks. That's not so easy to say. Tusks. You try it some time. As I say, we tried to remove the tusks. But they were embedded so firmly we couldn't budge them. Of course, in Alabama the Tuscaloosa, but that is entirely ir-elephant to what I was talking about.
Groucho in Animal crackers (Movie)
Groucho: Did you ever see a tree like that? Chico: Tree? That's a spinage. Groucho: That can't be spinage. Where's the egg?
Groucho and Chico in Animal Crackers (movie)
Captain Spaulding, talking about his latest trip to Africa: 'We took some pictures of the native girls but they weren't developed. But we're going back again in a couple of weeks !'
Groucho Marx in Animal Crackers (movie)
GROUCHO:"You know, I'd buy you a parachute if I knew it wouldn't open." CHICO:"Haha you're crazy, I got a pair of shoes."
Groucho/Chico in Animal Crackers (movie)
Margaret Dumont: I'm not the dummy. Chico: Well, you could be.
Margaret Dumond and Chico in Animal Crackers (movie)
Crowd: Hooray for Captain Spaulding. The African explorer. Capt. Spaulding: Did someone call me schnorer Crowd: Hooray, Hooray, Hooray.
Groucho in Animal Crakers (movie)
Cab driver: Hey mister, $18.75 Groucho: 1875? That's what I thought. The 1940 models run much smoother.
Groucho in At The Circus (movie)
"I'll teach you to kick me..." "You don't need to teach me I already know how!"
Chico in Duck Soup (movie)
Sure we shadowed him: Tuesday we sit outside his house all day, but he no home. Wednesday we went to the ball game, he fool us and no show up. Thrusday he go to the ball game, but we fool him and we no show up. Friday it was a double header, nobody show up, so we stay home and listened to it on the radio.
Chico in Duck Soup (movie)
Attorney: That kind of testimony we can eliminate. Chico: Atsa fine I'll have a nice cold glassa lemonade.
Chico in Duck Soup (movie)
Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?
Chico Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
Attorney: Chicolini, when were you born? Chicolini: I don't remember. I was just a little baby.
Chico Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
I could dance with you till the cows come home...But I would rather dance with the cows till you come home
Groucho in Duck Soup (Movie)
Why a four year old child could understand this. Run out and get me a four year old child, I can't make head or tail out of it.
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
Well, that covers a lot of ground. Say, you cover a lot of ground yourself. You better beat it - I hear they're going to tear you down and put up an office building where you're standing. You can leave in a taxi. If you can't get a taxi, you can leave in a huff. If that's too soon, you can leave in a minute and a huff. You know, you haven't stopped talking since I came here? You must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle.
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
I can see you standing over a hot stove, but I can't see the stove
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
If any form of pleasure is exhibited, report to me and it will be prohibited
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
Minister: "We need to take up the tax" Groucho: "I'd like to take up the carpet." Minister: "I still insist we take up the tax." Groucho: "He's right - you've gotta take up the tacks before you can take up the carpet."
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
I danced before Napoleon. No, Napoleon danced before me - in fact, he danced two hundred years before me.
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
Treasury Secretary: "Sir, you try my patience!" Firefly: "Don't mind if I do. You must try mine sometime."
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
Don't look now but there's one man too many in this room and i think it's you.
Groucho in Duck Soup (movie)
Groucho: How would you like a job at the mint? Chico: Mint? I don't like mint. What other flavors you got?
Groucho and Chico in Duck Soup (movie)
Groucho: Just for that I'm not going to give you the job I was going to give you. Chico: What job? Groucho: Secretary of War Chico: Alright, I take it.
Groucho and Chico in Duck Soup (movie)
Pick a number from one to ten. Eleven. Right!
Groucho and Chico Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
FIREFLY: To my dentist. Er .. 'Dear Dentist: Enclosed find cheque for five hundred dollars. Yours very truly.' Send that off immediately. BOB:I'll ... er I'll have to enclose the cheque first. FIREFLY: You do and I'll fire you.
Groucho and Zeppo Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
Remember men, we're fighting for this woman's honour; which is probably more than she ever did.
Groucho Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
Rufus T. Firefly "My father was a little Headstrong, my mother was a little Armstong. The Headstrongs married the Armstrongs and that's why darkies were born."
Groucho Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
I've got a good mind to go out and join a club and beat you over the head with it.
Groucho Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
Mrs.Teasdale: Your Exellency, I really don't know what to say. Firefly: I wouldn't know what to say either if I was in your place. (to Ambassador Trentino) Maybe you could suggest something. As a matter of fact, you DO suggest something! To me you suggest a baboon! (Ambassador gasps, and looks insulted) Firefly:(afterthought) I'm sorry I said that. It isn't fair to the rest of the baboons.
Groucho Marx/Margaret Dumont in Duck Soup (movie)
MD "Closer... closer... closer...." GM "If I were any closer, I'd be in the back of you"
Margaret Dumont, Groucho Marx in Duck Soup (movie)
CHICO: "I would like the west better if it was in the east"
chico in Go West (movie)
GROUCHO: "That's a midicine man... can you imagine taking a teaspoon full of him?"
Groucho in Go West (movie)
GROUCHO: "You love your brother don't you?" CHICO: "No but i'm used to him."
Groucho and Chico in Go West (movie)
CHICO: "They say the gold is laying all over the tracks eh Rusty all over the tracks." GROUCHO: "The way he looks it's like he's been laying all over the tracks."
Groucho and Chico in Go West (movie)
Chico: "Who are you?" Groucho: "Im fine, thanks. Who are you?"
Chico and Groucho in Horse Feathers (movie)
"Members of the faculty, faculty members. Students of Huxley and Huxley's students. Well I guess that covers everything"
Groucho in Horse Feathers (Movie)
"Why don't you bore a hole in yourself and let the sap run out?"
Groucho in Horse Feathers (movie)
Have we got a college? Have we got a football team?....Well we can't afford both. Tomorrow we start tearing down the college.
Groucho in Horse Feathers (movie)
(Chico and Groucho on hands and knees) " Thats no way to go into a speakeasy thats the way to go out "
Groucho Marx in Horse Feathers (movie)
And even when you've changed it all condensed it, i'm against it!
Groucho Marx in Horse Feathers (movie)
Well, I thought my razor was dull until I heard his speech. And that reminds me of a story thats so dirty, I'm ashamed to think of it myself.
Groucho Marx in Horse Feathers (Movie)
Zeppo: Dad, I'm proud to be your son Groucho: You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm ashamed to be your father
Zeppo and Groucho Marx in Horse Feathers (movie)
Chico: "The garbage man is here." Groucho: "Well, tell him we don't want any."
Chico and Groucho Marx in I'll Say She Is (show)
"The indians are coming! Put your scalp in your pocket!" (puts man's toupee in his pocket.)
in Monkey Business (movie)
You pay us a little we be a little Tough... You pay us alot we be alot Tough...
Chico in Monkey Business (Movie)
"you got it alright, and you can keep it"
Chico in Monkey Business (movie)
MAN: What's the idea putting your hand in my pocket CHICO: Just a little mistake. I had a suit once just looked like that, and for a moment I thought those were my pants. MAN: How could they be your pants when I've got them on? CHICO: Well, this suit had two pair of pants.
Chico Marx in Monkey Business (movie)
Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.
Groucho Marx in Monkey Business (movie)
If you have ten dollars better see me in the morning. If you've got six can I lend you four?
Groucho in The Cocoanuts (movie)
Hammer: Come over here, Rand McNally, and I'll explain this thing to you. Now look, this is a map and diagram of the whole Cocoanut section. ... Hammer: ... Now, here is a little peninsula, and, eh, here is a viaduct leading over to the mainland. Chico: Why a duck? Hammer: I'm alright, how are you? I say, here is a little peninsula, and here is a viaduct leading over to the mainland. Chico: Alright, why a duck? Hammer: (pause) I'm not playing "Ask Me Another," I say that's a viaduct. Chico: Alright! Why a duck? Why that...why a duck? Why a no chicken? Hammer: Well, I don't know why a no chicken; I'm a stranger here myself. All I know is that it's a viaduct. You try to cross over there a chicken and you'll find out why a duck. Chico: When I go someplace I just... Hammer: (interrupts) It's...It's deep water, that's why a duck. It's deep water. Chico: That's why a duck... Hammer: Look...look, suppose you were out horseback riding and you came to that stream and you wanted to ford over...You couldn't make it, it's too deep! Chico: Well, why do you want with a Ford if you gotta horse? Hammer: Well, I'm sorry the matter ever came up. All I know is that it's a viaduct. Chico: Now look, alright, I catch ona why a horse, why a chicken, why a this, why a that... I no catch ona why a duck. Hammer: I was only fooling...I was only fooling. They're gonna build a tunnel there in the morning. Now is that clear to you? Chico: Yes, everything excepta why a duck.
Groucho and Chico in The Cocoanuts (movie)
Ice Water? Get some Onions - that'll make your eyes water!
Groucho Marx in The Cocoanuts (movie)
Who's buried in Grant's tomb?
Groucho in You Bet Your Life (TV)
| A Day at the Races |
Who hosted 'What's My Line' when it was revived yet again in 1994? | The Marx Brothers | Jewish Virtual Library
• Gummo- Milton, 1892-1977
• Zeppo- Herbert, 1901-1979
All of the boys were encouraged from an early age to play musical instruments. Harpo’s main musical focus was the harp (from which he derived his nickname), Chico was an excellent pianist, and Groucho played the guitar. In 1905, Groucho made his debut as a singer in vaudeville. By 1907 he and Gummo were singing together as part of The Three Nighingales with Mabel O’Donnell. The next year, Harpo became the fourth Nightingale. By 1910, the group expanded to include their mother, Minnie, and their Aunt Hannah; the troupe was renamed The Six Mascots.
Slowly, the group’s act evolved from singing to a comedy with some music. By 1912, Chico had joined the group. Nevertheless, around this time, Gummo left the group to fight in World War I; Zeppo would replace him for their final vaudeville years.
During World War I, the brothers changed their stage name to “The Four Marx Brothers” (including Chico, Harpo, Groucho, and Zeppo). By 1919, they were playing the most famous venue in vaudeville, the Palace Theatre in New York City. They also began to develop their famous on-stage personas. Groucho began to wear his trademark greasepaint moustache and to use a stooped walk, Harpo began to wear a red fright wig, carried a taxi-cab horn and never spoke, Chico started to talk in a fake Italian accent, and Zeppo adopted the schleppy, juvenile role of the straight man.
The Marx Brothers made their next claim to fame, by becoming successful stars on Broadway. Their first musical revue, I’ll Say She Is, debuted in 1924. A year later they followed up with the musical comedy, The Cocoanuts and then in 1928 with Animal Crackers.
The brothers next struck a contract with Paramount Pictures and embarked on their career in films. Their first two films were adaptation of their former Broadway shows: The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930). In 1931, they made a short film, The House That Shadows Built, which was included in Paramount’s twentieth anniversary documentary. In 1932, the brothers filmed Horse Feathers, their most popular film to date, and the film which won them the cover of Time magazine. Their last Paramount film, Duck Soup (1933), is the only Marx Brothers film on the American Film Institute’s “100 years… 100 Movies” list. The team left Paramount due to creative disagreements and financial issues.
The Marx Brothers in action
After Zeppo left the act to become an agent, the three remaining brothers moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Under the leadership of Irving Thalberg, the team changed their formula; stronger plots, more musical numbers, and using the brothers' characters as comic foils to serious romance. The first film that the Marx Brothers shot with MGM was A Night at the Opera (1935); the film was a great success, and for many years considered their best work. It was followed two years later by the even bigger hit A Day at the Races (1937). The Marx Brothers made three more films before leaving MGM, At the Circus (1939), Go West (1940), and The Big Store (1941).
Although the brothers seemed ready to retire, Chico was in dire financial straits and to help settle his gambling debts, the group made another two films, A Night in Casablanca (1946) and Love Happy (1949), both of them released by United Artists. In 1959, they did a television special, The Incredible Jewel Robbery.
Chico and Harpo went on to make nightclub and casino appearances, sometimes together. Groucho began a career as a radio and television entertainer. From 1947 to the early 1960s, he was the host of the humorous quiz show You Bet Your Life. In 1970, the Four Marx Brothers had a brief reunion in the ABC animated television special The Mad Mad Mad Comedians; the Marx Brothers’ segment was a reworking of a scene from their Broadway play I’ll Say She Is.
On January 16, 1977, The Marx Brothers were inducted into the Motion Picture Hall of Fame.
Sources: “The Marx Brothers." American Jewish Historical Society,” American Jewish Desk Reference , (NY: Random House, 1999). pg. 467-8, Wikipedia Picture of Marx Family , Picture of Groucho, Chico and Harpo: Photo by Yousuf Karsh, December 5, 1948; Library and Archives Canada
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In which month did the attack on Pearl Harbour take place? | Pearl Harbor - World War II - HISTORY.com
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Pearl Harbor and the Road to War
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, but Japan and the United States had been edging toward war for decades. The United States was particularly unhappy with Japan’s increasingly belligerent attitude toward China. The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbor’s territory and take over its import market; to this end, Japan had declared war on China in 1937. American officials responded to this aggression with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes. They reasoned that without access to money and goods, and especially essential supplies like oil, Japan would have to rein in its expansionism. Instead, the sanctions made the Japanese more determined to stand their ground. During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington , D.C., neither side would budge. It seemed that war was inevitable.
Did You Know?
The single vote against Congress's declaration of war against Japan came from Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana. Rankin was a pacifist who had also voted against the American entrance into World War I. "As a woman," she said, "I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else."
But no one believed that the Japanese would start that war with an attack on American territory. For one thing, it would be terribly inconvenient: Hawaii and Japan were about 4,000 miles apart. For another, American intelligence officials were confident that any Japanese attack would take place in one of the (relatively) nearby European colonies in the South Pacific: the Dutch East Indies, for instance, or Singapore or Indochina. Because American military leaders were not expecting an attack so close to home, the naval facilities at Pearl Harbor were relatively undefended. Almost the entire Pacific Fleet was moored around Ford Island in the harbor, and hundreds of airplanes were squeezed onto adjacent airfields. To the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was an irresistible target.
“A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”
The Japanese plan was simple: Destroy the Pacific Fleet. That way, the Americans would not be able to fight back as Japan’s armed forces spread across the South Pacific. On December 7, after months of planning and practice, the Japanese launched their attack.
At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. At 8:10, a 1,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside. Next, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma . With 400 sailors aboard, the Oklahoma lost her balance, rolled onto her side and slipped underwater. By the time the attack was over, every battleship in Pearl Harbor–USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California , USS West Virginia , USS Utah , USS Maryland , USS Pennsylvania , USS Tennessee and USS Nevada–had sustained significant damage. (All but USS Arizona and USS Utah were eventually salvaged and repaired.)
In all, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor crippled or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. Dry docks and airfields were likewise destroyed. Most important, almost 2,500 men were killed and another 1,000 were wounded.
But the Japanese had failed to cripple the Pacific Fleet. By the 1940s, battleships were no longer the most important naval vessel: Aircraft carriers were, and as it happened, all of the Pacific Fleet’s carriers were away from the base on December 7. (Some had returned to the mainland and others were delivering planes to troops on Midway and Wake Islands.) Moreover, the Pearl Harbor assault had left the base’s most vital onshore facilities–oil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docks–intact. As a result, the U.S. Navy was able to rebound relatively quickly from the attack.
Pearl Harbor Awakens the “Sleeping Giant”
“Yesterday,” President Roosevelt said on December 8, “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked.” He went on to say, “No matter now long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.” After the Pearl Harbor attack, and for the first time after years of discussion and debate, the American people were united in their determination to go to war. The Japanese had wanted to goad the United States into an agreement to lift the economic sanctions against them; instead, they had pushed their adversary into a global conflict that ultimately resulted in Japan’s first occupation by a foreign power.
On December 8, Congress approved Roosevelt’s declaration of war. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy declared war against the United States. For the second time, Congress reciprocated. More than two years after the start of the conflict, the United States had entered World War II .
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Who was the only Prime Minister to die at 10 Downing Street? | Beyond the Movie: Pearl Harbor
8. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MONTHS AFTER PEARL HARBOR?
The three U.S. aircraft carriers in the Pacific were not in or near Pearl Harbor on December 7. Those carriers would soon go on the offensive.
In May 1942 code breakers predicted that a Japanese invasion force, including four Japanese aircraft carriers, was headed toward the Midway Islands, a key base for the defense of Hawaii.
In the Battle of Midway, the turning point of the Pacific War, U.S. carrier aircraft found the Japanese fleet that was heading for the islands and sank all four of its carriers. Each of those four carriers was among the six that had attacked Pearl Harbor.
Before the war ended in August 1945, the U.S. Navy would also sink the other two Japanese aircraft carriers that launched planes against Pearl Harbor.
Except for the battleships Arizona, Utah, and Oklahoma, every ship that had been sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor on December 7 returned to sea. None of the ships rehabilitated at Pearl Harbor, however, saw action until 1943; by then they had missed the crucial battles of 1942 and early 1943--Coral Sea, Midway, Solomons, and Santa Cruz. The restored battleships were used almost exclusively to bombard shorelines during amphibious operations.
When Japan signed the papers of surrender on September 2, 1945, the West Virginia, a symbol of the resurrection of the Pearl Harbor fleet, was among the U.S. warships in Tokyo Bay.
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Who was the first female singer with two UK million selling singles? | The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles Of All Time By Female Artists revealed!
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By Dan Lane
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we reveal the UK’s Official Top 40 biggest singles by female artists of all time. Which lady do you reckon will claim the crown?
Today (Saturday March 8) marks International Women’s Day – the annual celebration of the economic, political, and social achievements of women right across the globe; it’s an all-round outpouring of love and appreciation for all the ladies in our lives and beyond.
If there’s one thing the Official Singles Chart would be pretty dull without, it’s female singers, and to honour the musical achievements of women, we are counting down the UK’s Official Top 40 biggest selling singles of all time by female artists!
Far out in front of everybody – and no doubt guiding the way for her fellow female artists with some kind of huge, illuminated headgear – it’s Cher. Her Number 1 smash Believe has sold almost 1.79 million copies in the UK, and spent a staggering seven weeks at the top of the Official Singles Chart in 1998 and was, unsurprisingly the biggest selling single of that year. How fitting that the biggest seller should come from a living legend who next year will celebrate 50 years since her first UK Number 1.
Coming up behind Cher is another celebrated voice – the late, great Whitney Houston. Whitney, who sadly passed away in February 2012, spent a whopping ten weeks at Number 1 with I Will Always Love You, taken from the soundtrack of hit movie The Bodyguard. The track, which was written and originally recorded by country star Dolly Parton, has sold 1.58 million copies in the UK alone.
Oh baby, baby, you knew Britney had to be in here somewhere, right? And here she is up in third. Her debut single …Baby One More Time spent only two weeks at Number 1 in 1999, but it sure shifted plenty of copies while it was there. Its sales tally stands at over 1.53 million – it sold over 460,000 copies in its first week on sale.
Rounding off our very famous Top 5 are two ladies with voices as big as their sales. Celine Dion sails into fourth place with the theme from the big movie of 1998, Titanic. My Heart Will Go On has shifted 1.43 million copies (it’s about 3,000 copies behind Britney). Vocal powerhouse Adele is fifth, and the highest placed British female on our list, with Someone Like You.
So you know who’s at the top of the list, but who gets multiple entries on our Top 40? The honour of having the most entries on our official chart of biggest selling singles by female artists is a four-way tie: Adele, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and the Spice Girls all have three tracks each. Gaga’s big one is Poker Face (17), Rihanna’s biggest seller is We Found Love (9) and Spice Girls’ Wannabe is their top seller (7).
| Celine Dion |
In which British city is the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and Museum? | Top 20 Greatest Selling Albums in Music History Top 10
20. Celine Dion - Let’s Talk About Love
Worldwide Sales - 31 Million Copies +
Let’s Talk About Love is the 5th English-language album by Celine Dion and
was released on November 18, 1997. The most successful single from the
album was Titanic’s theme My Heart Will Go On, which reached the #1 spot all
over the world. 20 million units of Let’s Talk About Love were sold in its first
four months of release, including over 10 million in Europe. The song made
Celine Dion the only female recording artist to have two albums with more than
31 million copies sold.
Worldwide Sales - 31 Million Copies +
1 is a compilation album released by The Beatles on November 13, 2000. The
album features virtually every #1 British and American hit single by the band
released from 1962 to 1970. The record includes 27 Beatles songs. It broke
numerous sales records. The album sold 3.6 million units in its first week of
release, reaching #1 in over 35 countries. It became the fastest-selling album
of all time and the highest-selling of this decade. It made The Beatles the first
and only band to have the best-selling album of two separate decades (1960’s
with Sgt. Pepper). In the UK, 1 became the bands 17th #1 album.
18. Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Worldwide Sales - 32 Million Copies +
Dangerous is Michael Jackson’s 4th solo album and it was released on
November 26, 1991. It became the second of Michael’s records to debut at
#1. Dangerous has sold 25 million units in Europe and other areas of the
world, while only 7 million in the U.S. It was the first album ever to spawn eight
consecutive UK Top 20 hits. The album was produced by Quincy Jones,
Teddy Riley, and Bill Bottrell. It spawned a worldwide concert tour, The
Dangerous Tour. Dangerous sold very well in both Asia and South America,
which were two emerging and growing recording markets. It features hit
singles Remember the Time, Heal the World, and Black or White.
17. Mariah Carey - Music Box
Worldwide Sales - 32 Million Copies +
Music Box is the third studio album released by Mariah Carey. It consists
of ballads co- written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. The record spawned
numerous hit singles, with Dreamlover becoming extremely successful in
America and Without You topping charts in the UK and several European
countries. In the albums best week it sold 505,000 copies worldwide. It
helped propel Mariah Carey onto the international music scene, where
she remains today.
16. Celine Dion - Falling Into You
Worldwide Sales - 32 Million Copies +
Falling Into You is Celine Dion’s 4th English album and twenty-first in total, as
Celine originally released French language records. It was released on March
8, 1996. The record gradually achieved major international success. In 1997,
it became one of three albums to remain in the Top 10 on the U.S. charts for
an entire year. The record combined many musical elements, including
orchestral frills, African chanting, and instruments like the violin, Spanish
guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho, saxophone, and numerous string
arrangements. Falling Into You won Album of the Year at the 1997 Grammy
Awards. It included numerous hit singles, including Because You Loved Me,
Falling Into You, and It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.
15. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Worldwide Sales - 32 Million Copies +
Sgt. Pepper’s is the 8th studio album by The Beatles. It was released on June
1, 1967. The record was an instant success and extremely influential in the
emerging psychedelic rock age of music. It incorporates elements of music
hall, rock, western classical, and traditional Indian music. The album spent 27
weeks on top of the UK charts, 15 weeks at #1 in the U.S. and topped
Australian charts for 30 weeks. Almost all of the songs on the record are
written and composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, although Ringo
and Harrison both provide lead vocals on the album. Sgt. Peppers Lonely
Hearts Club Band is one of the most creative and unique albums in history. It
spawned the Beatles classic hits With a Little Help from My Friends, Lucy in
the Sky with Diamonds, and A Day in the Life.
14. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Worldwide Sales - 33 Million Copies +
Jagged Little Pill was the third studio album released by Canadian singer Alanis
Morissette. It was a break-through album and spent twelve non-consecutive
weeks at number one in the U.S. In 1996, Jagged Little Pill became the best-
selling album of the year and had five hit singles, You Oughta Know, Ironic,
You Learn, Hand in My Pocket, and Head over Feet. It was the second-best-
selling album of the 1990’s. The record was extremely popular in Australia,
Belgium, Finland, France, Portugal, Sweden, and many other areas of the
world.
13. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
Worldwide Sales - 37 Million Copies +
Led Zeppelin IV is the fourth studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin
and was released on November 8, 1971. It has no official title printed on the
album, but is generally referred to as Led Zeppelin IV. The record became one
of the greatest classic rock collections of all time. It contained eight tracks
and included many hit singles, incuding Black Dog, Rock and Roll, Stairway to
Heaven, Misty Mountain Hop, Going to California, and When the Levee
Breaks. The fourth album has sold over 23 million units in the U.S. alone. It
stayed on the UK charts for 62 weeks.
12. Shania Twain - Come on Over
Worldwide Sales - 39 Million Copies +
Come on Over is the 3rd studio album by country singer Shania Twain. It was
released on November 4, 1997. Come on Over is the best-selling country
music album of all time. Twelve singles were released from the album and
eleven were top five country hits in Canada. The album was extremely
successful all over the world, especially the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Great
Britain. It included hit singles Man! I Feel Like a Woman, You’re Still the One,
and From This Moment On. Come on Over went on to become the biggest
selling album ever by a female artist and the biggest record of the 1990’s.
11. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Worldwide Sales - 40 Million Copies +
Rumours is the 11th album by British and American rock band Fleetwood Mac.
It was released on February 4, 1977 and was the second album recorded with
the newly formatted group, featuring lead vocalist Stevie Nicks. Rumours went
on to win the Grammy for Record of the Year. The album features numerous
hit singles, including Dreams, The Chain, and Don’t Stop.
10. Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack - Bee Gees
Worldwide Sales - 40 Million Copies +
The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was released in November of 1977. The
record helped to revive the phenomenon of disco in the U.S. and started a
national trend. It is composed and performed primarily by The Bee Gees and
features numerous hit singles, including Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, and How
Deep is Your Love. The record went on to win the Grammy Award for Album
of the Year. The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack has become the third
highest selling soundtrack of all time.
9. Backstreet Boys - Millennium
Worldwide Sales - 40 Million Copies +
Millennium is the second studio album by The Backstreet Boys. It was released
on May 18, 1999 and was the group’s first record to be released in both the
U.S. and internationally at the same time. The album holds the U.S. record for
yearly shipments, selling 11 million units in 1999. It spawned four hit singles,
including I Want it That Way, Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely, and
Larger Than Life. Millennium set records for the most albums sold in its debut
week and also most records sold internationally in one week with 2.2 million.
It was certified platinum in over 45 different countries.
8. Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom of the Opera
Worldwide Sales - 40 Million Copies +
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the
French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. The music was
composed by Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart and additional lyrics by
Richard Stilgoe. The musical focuses on a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé,
who becomes the obsession of a mysterious and disfigured musical
mastermind, known as The Phantom of the Opera. The show opened in
London's West End in 1986. It is the second longest running musical in
England’s West End and the longest-running Broadway musical. According to
sales numbers The Phantom of the Opera is the most successful entertainment
project in history, amassing an incredible $5 billion dollars worldwide.
7. The Bodyguard Soundtrack - Whitney Houston
Worldwide Sales - 42 Million Copies +
The Bodyguard soundtrack was released on November 17, 1992 and
featured six songs from Whitney Houston, as well as tracks from various
recording artists. Whitney Houston’s cover of I Will Always Love You was an
instant #1 single. Some other artists featured on the record include Kenny G,
Lisa Stransfield, and Joe Cocker. It became the first album to sell more than a
million copies in a single week. It also received the Grammy Award for Album
of the Year.
Worldwide Sales - 42 Million Copies +
The Dirty Dancing soundtrack was released on August 21, 1987. The album
had many hit singles including Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen, Be My Baby by
The Ronettes, and The Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. It
spent 18 weeks on the top of U.S. charts and inspired a follow-up album
entitled More Dirty Dancing. The album still re-enters the Irish charts on
occasion. It has spent over 230 weeks in the Top 30 in Ireland.
5. Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)
Worldwide Sales - 42 Million Copies +
Their Greatest Hits is the fifth album by the rock band the Eagles. It includes a
compilation of singles and was released February 17, 1976. The years in the
album's title, 1971 to 1975, refer to the existence of the band itself, not the
release dates of the tracks. It includes ten classic hits, including Take it Easy,
Lyin’ Eyes, Already Gone, Desperado, and Peaceful Easy Feeling. The
Eagles music greatly influenced the genre of country-rock and paved the way
for numerous bands in the 1970’s. Their Greatest Hits has sold 29 million
copies in the United States, making it the best-selling album of all time in the
U.S.
4. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
Worldwide Sales - 43 Million Copies +
The Dark Side of the Moon is the 6th studio album by English rock group Pink
Floyd. It was released in March of 1973. The record was an instant success
and spawned the singles, Money and Time. The refracting prism cover art is
one of the most recognizable in rock music history. Pink Floyd used some of
the most advanced recording techniques of the time, including multitrack
recording and tape loops. Analogue synthesizers were also given prominence
in many tracks. Founding member Syd Barrett had left the band in 1968, but is
credited as the author of the entire album's lyrics.
3. Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell
Worldwide Sales - 43 Million Copies +
Bat out of Hell is the 2nd studio album released by Meat Loaf. It was dropped
on October 21, 1977. The main writer on the records production was Jim
Steinman. It was developed from a musical, Neverland, which was a sci-fi
update of Peter Pan, which Steinman wrote for a workshop performed at the
Kennedy Center Music Theatre Lab in 1977. Response to the album was
slow. Australia and England were the first to gain an enthusiastic response
after some popular music video were releases. Ultimately, the record stayed
on the United Kingdom charts for 474 weeks. It continues to sell around
200,000 units each year. The original release only had seven tracks on it,
including classics Bat out of Hell, All Revved Up with No Place to Go, and Two
out of Three Ain’t Bad.
2. AC/DC - Back in Black
Worldwide Sales - 49 Million Copies +
Back in Black is the 7th studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It
was released on July 25, 1980. Back in Black was the first AC/DC album
recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who had died at the age of 33.
It is the best-selling album ever released by a band and has sold 22 million
units in the U.S. alone. The album includes some of the group’s biggest hits
including Hells Bells, You Shook Me All Night Long, and the title track Back in
Black. According to lead guitarist Angus Young the album's all-black cover was
a sign of mourning for Scott. This record is widely considered the best hard
rock album ever created.
Worldwide Sales - 110 Million Copies +
Thriller was Michael’s sixth studio album and was released on November 30,
1982 by Epic Records. The production budget for the record was $750,000
and Jackson wrote four of the tracks on the album. At its peak, the album was
selling a million copies a week worldwide. Seven of the album's nine songs
were released as singles, and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984. With Michael
Jackson’s death this year Thriller has sold millions more copies around the
world.
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Who was the last British Prime Minister to be removed from office whilst its party remained in office? | BBC - History - British History in depth: Prime Ministers and Politics Timeline
On This Day
Prime Ministers and Politics Timeline
Do you know which prime minister brought 'fallen women' to 10 Downing Street? Or which one fought a duel? Or who was known as 'the Goat'?
Take a political journey through nearly 300 years of high ideals and low cunning, from Gordon Brown to the first man to hold prime ministerial powers, Robert Walpole.
Margaret Thatcher
Conservative, 1979 - 1990
Britain's first female prime minister came to power with the country descending into industrial and economic chaos. A relatively inexperienced politician, she nonetheless adopted a personal style of indomitable self-confidence and brooked no weakness in herself or her colleagues. Derisively dubbed the 'Iron Lady' by the Soviet press, she wore the moniker with pride. Her government's free-market policies included trade liberalisation, deregulation, sweeping privatisation, breaking the power of the unions, focus on the individual and the creation of an 'enterprise culture'. 'Thatcherism' has had a profound and lasting economic and social impact on Britain, and still sharply divides opinion to this day. The first PM to serve three consecutive terms (including two 'landslide' victories) she was eventually toppled by her own party following the disastrous imposition of a 'poll tax'. Nonetheless, she is generally considered to be one of the best peace time prime ministers of the 20th Century.
James Callaghan
Labour, 1976 - 1979
Callaghan inherited the office of prime minister following the surprise resignation of Harold Wilson. With only a tiny parliamentary majority to support him, he faced an increasingly one-sided confrontation with organised labour in the form of rampant strike action. Things came to a head in the so-called 'Winter of Discontent', a phrase from Shakespeare borrowed by Callaghan himself to describe the events leading up to February 1979. Britain was 'strikebound', with public servants staging mass walk outs, leaving food and fuel supplies undelivered, rubbish uncollected and - most notoriously - bodies unburied. Things became so bad in Hull it was dubbed 'the second Stalingrad'. The tabloid press has since been accused of overstating the severity of the situation (and wrongly quoting him as saying 'Crisis? What Crisis?') but it was enough at the time to sound the death knell for Callaghan's government later in the same year.
Harold Wilson
Labour, 1974 - 1976
In March 1974, Wilson became prime minister for the third time at the head of a minority government, following the first hung parliament (one where no party holds a majority) for 45 years. Often described as a wily fixer and negotiator, it took all of his skills to hold on to power in the face of economic and industrial turmoil. His party was also sharply divided, with many Labour members of parliament (MPs) bitter about Wilson's manoeuvring against his colleagues. He called another general election in October 1974, thereby ending the shortest parliament since 1681, and was returned to office with a majority of just three seats. He presided over a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Economic Community (EEC), and a collapse in the value of the pound which prompted a humiliating 'rescue operation' by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Exhausted, Wilson resigned saying 'politicians should not go on and on'.
Edward Heath
Conservative, 1970 - 1974
Heath succeeded in taking Britain into the European Economic Community (EEC), the precursor to the European Union, despite two previous failed attempts by Britain to gain entry, in 1961 and 1967. But his government was dogged by torrid industrial relations and recurrent economic crises. Things came to a head in January 1974, when industry was put on a 'three-day week' to conserve fuel. Fuel was in dangerously short supply following a combination of domestic industrial action (coal miners on 'work-to-rule') and a quadrupling of prices by Middle Eastern oil exporting nations in the wake of Israel's victory in the Yom Kippur War. In March 1974, Heath called a general election on the question of 'who governs Britain?' - the unions, or the elected representatives of the people. To his surprise the result was a hung parliament (one where no party holds a majority) and he was ousted.
Harold Wilson
Labour, 1964 - 1970
In 1964, 'Good old Mr Wilson' - an avuncular, pipe-smoking figure - came to power amid much excitement and optimism. He had promised a 'new Britain' forged in 'the white heat of a second industrial revolution'. In reality, his administration never escaped from a cycle of economic crises, vainly battling against further devaluations of the pound. Wilson won a second general election in 1966 (the year England lifted the football World Cup) making him the first Labour PM to serve consecutive terms. In 1967, the government failed in its application for membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) and was also finally forced to devalue sterling. The electorate became disillusioned with Wilson, who lost narrowly to the Conservatives in the 1970 election.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Conservative, 1963 - 1964
In 1963, a change in the law allowed hereditary peers to disclaim (or 'drop') their titles, which in turn meant they were able to become members of parliament (MPs). The only peer ever to do so and become prime minister was Douglas-Home, formerly the 14th Earl of Home, who assumed the office when Harold Macmillan retired due to ill health. He was the first prime minister in the post-war period not to win his own mandate (be elected or re-elected by popular vote).
Harold Macmillan, Conservative, 1957 - 1963
Macmillan came to power at a time when Britain was confronting its loss of world-power status and facing mounting economic troubles. Nonetheless, he successfully associated the Conservatives with a new age of affluence and the burgeoning consumer revolution. But his oft-quoted assurance 'You've never had it so good' actually finishes 'What is beginning to worry some of us is, is it too good to be true?'. His government is principally remembered for the so-called 'Profumo Affair', a sex scandal that erupted in 1963 and contributed to the Conservatives' defeat at the general election the following year. Secretary of State for War John Profumo had been having an affair with a showgirl who was also seeing the Soviet naval attaché to London - a serious transgression at the height of the Cold War. After lying to the House of Commons, Profumo admitted the truth in June 1963 and resigned in disgrace. Macmillan resigned due to ill health in October the same year.
Sir Anthony Eden, Conservative, 1955 - 1957
When Sir Winston Churchill retired due to ill health, Eden took over as prime minister. Many years before, Churchill had anointed Eden as his successor, but later acknowledged he had made 'a great mistake'. His opinion was born out as the new PM blundered into the Suez Crisis. Following Egypt's decision to nationalise the Suez canal, Britain (the principal shareholder), France and Israel invaded in October 1956 to near-universal condemnation and the threat of nuclear strikes by the Soviet Union. Within a week, Britain was forced into an embarrassing climb-down. Humiliated and in ill-health, Eden left the country for a holiday at the Jamaican home of James Bond author, Ian Fleming. He returned in mid-December to the sarcastic newspaper headline: 'Prime Minister Visits Britain'. He resigned on 9 January 1957.
Sir Winston Churchill, Conservative, 1951 - 1955
Churchill's desire to return to power, despite his assured place in history, had much to do with his belligerent refusal to accept that the British public had rejected him in 1945. Now the electorate was seeking to put behind it the hardships and privations of the post-war years under Clement Atlee and return to a more traditional idea of society - so-called 'housing and red meat' issues. Churchill tried - and failed - to recreate the dynamism of his wartime administration, and he struggled to adjust to the political realities of the Cold War, preferring direct action and personal diplomacy to proxy wars and cabinet consensus. His refusal to retire, despite suffering a stroke, caused mounting frustrations among his colleagues. At the age of 80, he finally conceded to his failing health and stepped down, although he continued to serve as an MP.
Clement Attlee, Labour, 1945 - 1951
World War Two had sharply exposed the imbalances in Britain's social, economic and political structures. For a population that had sacrificed so much, a return to the pre-war status quo was simply not an option. In 1942, a report by Sir William Beveridge, chairman of a Ministry of Health committee, had advocated a system of national insurance, comprehensive welfare for all and strategies to maintain full employment. The 'Beveridge Report' formed the basis of Labour pledges in the 1945 election and resulted in a landslide victory. Attlee's government successfully harnessed the wartime sense of unity to create the National Health Service, a national insurance scheme, a huge programme of nationalisation (including the Bank of England and most heavy industries) and a massive building programme. He also made Britain a nuclear-armed power. These sweeping reforms resulted in a parliamentary consensus on key social and economic policies that would last until 1979. But by 1951, a row over plans to charge for spectacles and false teeth had split the cabinet. Party disunity and a struggling economy contributed to Attlee - cruelly dubbed by Churchill 'a modest man with much to be modest about' - losing the next election.
Winston Churchill, Conservative, 1940 - 1945
By the time Churchill was asked to lead the coalition government in 1940, he had already enjoyed colourful and controversial careers as a journalist, soldier and politician. He had twice 'crossed the floor' of the House of Commons, the first time defecting from Conservative to Liberal and serving as First Lord of the Admiralty during the early years of World War One. Demoted in the wake of the slaughter at Gallipoli, he preferred to resign and take up a commission fighting on the Western Front. Despite standing against the Conservatives in a 1924 by-election, Churchill was welcomed back into the party that same year and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer for five years under Stanley Baldwin. But personal disagreements and his vehement anti-Fascism would lead to nearly a decade in the political wilderness. Following Neville Chamberlain's resignation in 1940, Churchill finally realised his 'destiny' and accepted the office of prime minister. Promising nothing more than 'blood, toil, tears and sweat', he almost single-handedly restored Britain's desire to fight on in adversity. Despite Churchill's enormous personal popularity, by 1945 the electorate no longer wanted a war leader and the Conservatives lost by a landslide.
Neville Chamberlain, Conservative, 1937 - 1940
Rarely has the hyperbole of politicians been as resoundingly exposed as when Neville Chamberlain returned from his 1938 negotiations with Adolf Hitler, brandishing his famous 'piece of paper' and declaring the agreement it represented to be 'peace for our time'. Within a year, Germany had invaded Poland and Britain was plunged into World War Two. With his policy of 'appeasement' towards Hitler utterly bankrupted, Chamberlain resigned in 1940. He was replaced by Winston Churchill. When the issue of honours was discussed, he stated that he wanted to die 'plain Mr Chamberlain, like my father'. His father, Joseph Chamberlain, was the politician who split the Conservatives in 1903 by pushing for tariffs on imported goods. It was this very issue that convinced Churchill to defect to the Liberals, with whom he first achieved high office. Chamberlain died six months after resigning.
Stanley Baldwin, Conservative, 1935 - 1937
When Baldwin returned to power in 1935, the financial crisis sparked by the Wall Street Crash six years before appeared to be over. It was to be swiftly replaced by a constitutional crisis brought about by Edward VIII's desire to marry a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. Baldwin advised Edward that Mrs Simpson would not be accepted as Queen by the public, and that the king could not condone divorce as head of the Church of England. The king proposed a 'morganatic' marriage, whereby Mrs Simpson would become his consort, but not Queen. The government rejected the idea and threatened to resign if the king forced the issue. The story then broke in the press, to general disapproval by the public. Rather than break the engagement, Edward abdicated on 11 December 1936. Credited with saving the monarchy, Baldwin is also condemned for failing to begin re-arming when it became clear that Nazi Germany was building up its armed forces.
Ramsay MacDonald, Labour, 1929 - 1935
MacDonald began his second term at the head of a minority government (one that does not have an outright majority) and with the economy in deep crisis. Britain was still in the grip of the Great Depression and unemployment soon soared to two million. With fewer people able to pay tax, revenues had fallen as demand for unemployment benefits had soared. Unable to meet the deficit, by 1931 it was being proposed that benefits and salaries should be cut. Labour ministers rejected the plan as running counter to their core beliefs. MacDonald went to the king, George V, to proffer his resignation. George suggested MacDonald to try and form a 'national government' or coalition of all the parties. (This is the last recorded direct political intervention by a British monarch.) The National Government was formed, with MacDonald as prime minister, but Stanley Baldwin, leader of the Conservative Party, the de facto 'power behind the throne'. MacDonald is still considered by many in the Labour Party as their worst political traitor.
Stanley Baldwin, Conservative, 1924 - 1929
In May 1926, the Trades Union Congress called for a general walkout in support of a coal miners' protest against threatened wage cuts. It was the first and, to date, only general strike in British history. The strike affected key industries, such as gas, electricity and the railways, but ended after just nine days due to lack of public backing and well-organised emergency measures by Baldwin's government. Far from succeeding in its aims, the General Strike actually led to a decline in trade union membership and the miners ended up accepting longer hours and less pay. It also gave impetus to the 1927 Trade Disputes Act, which curtailed workers' ability to take industrial action. Baldwin's government also extended the vote to women over 21 and passed the Pensions Act, but eventually fell as a result of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and the Depression that followed.
Ramsay MacDonald, Labour, 1924
In 1924, MacDonald briefly became the first Labour prime minister, ending two centuries of Conservative - Liberal domination of British politics. It was the first party to gain power with the express purpose of representing the voice of the 'working class'. An MP since 1906, MacDonald was respected as a thinker, but criticised by many within his own party as insufficiently radical (despite appointing the first female cabinet minister, Margaret Bondfield, in 1929). His opposition to World War One had made him deeply unpopular and he continually suffered a torrid time at the hands of the press. The publication by two newspapers of the 'Zinoviev letter' did much to damage his chances in the run up to the 1924 election. The letter (which he had seen but decided to keep secret) purported to be from Soviet intelligence and urged British communists to commit acts of sedition. He lost by a wide margin. The letter is now widely accepted to be a fraud.
Stanley Baldwin, Conservative, 1923
During his very brief first term as prime minister, Stanley Baldwin bumped into an old school friend on a train. Asked what he was doing these days, Baldwin replied: 'I am the prime minister.' Having come to power following Andrew Bonar Law's resignation, he called an election in the hope of gaining his own mandate (election by popular vote), but lost.
Andrew Bonar Law, Conservative, 1922 - 1923
Branded the 'unknown prime minister' by his bitter political rival HH Asquith, Canadian-born Bonar Law is principally remembered for a single speech he made in 1922. The Conservatives had been part of a coalition under the Liberal prime minister, David Lloyd George, since 1916. Many were considering joining Lloyd George permanently, but Bonar Law's speech changed their minds. Instead, the Conservatives withdrew from the coalition and Lloyd George was forced to resign. The king, George V, asked Bonar Law to form a new government. Reluctantly he accepted, despite still grieving two sons killed in World War One and - as it turned out - dying of throat cancer. He held office for 209 days before resigning due to ill health. He died six months later and was buried at Westminster Abbey, upon which Asquith commented: 'It is fitting that we should have buried the Unknown Prime Minister by the side of the Unknown Warrior.'
David Lloyd George, Liberal, 1916 - 1922
Lloyd George guided Britain to victory in World War One and presided over the legislation that gave women the vote in 1918, but he is remembered as much for his private life as his public achievements. Nicknamed the 'Welsh Wizard', he was also less kindly known as 'The Goat' - a reference to his countless affairs. (Scandalously, he lived with his mistress and illegitimate daughter in London while his wife and other children lived in Wales.) The first 'working class' prime minister, Lloyd George had risen to prominence by solving the shortage of munitions on the Western Front. It was his desire to get to grips with the requirements of 'total war' that led to his split with then Liberal Prime Minister HH Asquith. It also brought him closer to the Conservatives, with whom he formed a new coalition government when Asquith resigned. That coalition would disintegrate six years later in the midst of a scandal. Serious allegations were made that peerages had been sold for as much as £40,000. (One list even included John Drughorn, who had been convicted for trading with the enemy in 1915.) Lloyd George resigned in October 1922.
HH Asquith, Liberal, 1908 - 1916
Asquith's government had shown great longevity, but disintegrated in the face of the unequalled disasters of the Somme and Gallipoli. With World War One going badly, fellow Liberal David Lloyd George had seized his chance and ousted Asquith. But in the preceding eight years, the two politicians had together overseen one of the greatest constitutional upheavals of the 20th Century and ushered in some of the predecessors of the Welfare State. Old Age Pensions were introduced and Unemployment Exchanges (job centres) were set up by then Liberal minister Winston Churchill. But when Lloyd George attempted to introduce a budget with land and income taxes disadvantageous to the 'propertied' classes, it was thrown out by the House of Lords. Lloyd George branded the Lords 'Mr Balfour's poodle' (a reference to Conservative leader AJ Balfour's supposed control over the peers). The stand-off resulted in two general elections during 1910, the second of which the Liberals won with a 'peers against the people' campaign slogan. The budget was passed and, in 1911, the Parliament Act became law. The Act stated that the Lords could only veto a Commons bill twice, and instituted five-yearly general elections.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Liberal, 1905 - 1908
Arthur James Balfour, Conservative, 1902 - 1905
The nephew of the Marquess of Salisbury, Balfour had none of his uncle's political skills despite a long period of mentoring. He was instead something of a philosopher, publishing several weighty books, including 'A Defence of Philosophic Doubt', 'The Foundations of Belief', and 'Theism and Humanism'. Following a cabinet split Balfour resigned, gambling that the Liberals would be unable to form a government and that he would be returned to power. He was wrong.
Marquess of Salisbury, 1895 - 1902, Conservative
Salisbury came to power for the third and final time when the weak Liberal government of the Earl of Rosebery fell. The political climate was one of rising resentment among the lower and middle classes, who demanded better conditions, social reforms and proper political representation. Bitterly divided, the Liberals would nonetheless experience a revival as they sought reforms of the squalid, disease-ridden British 'concentration camps' used in the Boer War. But it was the founding of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) on 27 February 1900 that signalled a quiet, yet highly significant sea-change in British politics. This coalition of socialist groups would win two seats in the 1900 general election and 29 seats in 1906. Later that same year, the LRC changed its name to the Labour Party. Despite failing health, Salisbury agreed to stay on to help Edward VII manage the transition following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria. He resigned in favour of his nephew, AJ Balfour, in the first months of the new King's reign. (Notably, he was the last serving prime minister to sit in the Lords.)
Earl of Rosebery, Liberal, 1894 - 1895
Rosebury reluctantly became prime minister on the insistence of Queen Victoria, despite still mourning the loss of his wife. Desperate to have a minister she actually liked, Victoria had taken the unusual step of not consulting the outgoing PM, William Gladstone, about his successor. Rosebery, who always loved horseracing more than the 'evil smelling bog' of politics, was gratefully allowed to resign a year later. Notably, he is the only prime minister to have produced not one, but three Derby winners, in 1894, 1895 and 1905. (Despite his aversion to politics, Rosebery was no stranger to scandal. The Prince of Wales had reputedly once intervened to prevent him from being horsewhipped by the Marquess of Queensbury, with whose son Rosebery was believed to be having an affair. Queensbury's other son was Lord Alfred Douglas, Oscar Wilde's lover.)
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1892 - 1894
Gladstone's fourth term as prime minister was completely overshadowed by his insistence on introducing a third bill on the subject of 'Home Rule' for Ireland. The Conservative-dominated House of Lords threw the bill out and generally obstructed Liberal attempts to pass legislation. With his cabinet split and his health failing, the 'Grand Old Man' stepped down for the last time. The public was, in any case, exhausted with Home Rule and instead wanted reforms to working conditions and electoral practices. (Meanwhile, out on the political fringe, the Independent Labour Party had been set up under Keir Hardie to represent the working class and 'secure the collective ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange'. Leading figures in the party included George Bernard Shaw and Ramsay MacDonald.)
Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative, 1886 - 1892
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1886
Gladstone came to power for the third time with 'Home Rule' (devolution) for Ireland still the dominant issue. A bitter election battle had seen the Conservative government fall after Irish Nationalist members of parliament sided with the Liberals to defeat them. Instead, the Liberals formed a government in coalition with the Irish Nationalists and Gladstone tried to push through his second attempt at a Home Rule bill. The bill split the Liberals and Gladstone resigned. He lost the general election when the 'Liberal Unionists' - those who wanted Ireland to be ruled from Westminster - broke away from Gladstone's Liberals to fight the next election as a separate party. Most Liberal Unionists were of the 'Whig' or propertied faction of the party, which meant that when they went, they took most of the money with them.
Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative, 1885 - 1886
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1880 - 1885
Having failed to force Gladstone to serve under Lord Hartington, Queen Victoria reluctantly accepted 'that half-mad firebrand' as prime minister for the second time. He had only lately returned to politics from retirement after his so-called 'Midlothian Campaign', in which he spoke to large crowds - a practice considered by polite Victorian society to be 'undignified'. His campaign did much to discredit Disraeli's government and had clearly struck a chord with a public eager for social and electoral reform. The Ballot Act in 1872 had instituted secret ballots for local and general elections. Now came the Corrupt Practices Act, which set maximum election expenses, and the Reform and Redistribution Act, which effectively extended voting qualifications to another six million men. There were other burning issues. The United States had just overtaken Britain as the world's largest industrialised economy, and 'Home Rule' (devolution) for Ireland continued to dominate. In seeking support for Home Rule, James Parnell's Irish Nationalists sided with the Conservatives to defeat a Liberal budget measure. Gladstone resigned and was replaced by the 'caretaker government' of the Marquess of Salisbury.
Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative, 1874 - 1880
After a brief taste of power in 1868, it had taken Disraeli six years to become prime minister again. He wasted no time in bringing about the social reforms he had envisaged in the 1840s as a member of the radical Young England group. His Acts included measures to provide suitable housing and sewerage, to protect the quality of food, to improve workers rights (including the Climbing Boys Act which banned the use of juveniles as chimney sweeps) and to implement basic standards of education. In 1876, Disraeli was made the Earl of Beaconsfield, but continued to run the government from the Lords. He persuaded Queen Victoria to take the title 'Empress of India' in 1877 and scored a diplomatic success in limiting Russian influence in the Balkans at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. He retired in 1880, hoping to spend his remaining years adding more novels to his already impressive bibliography, but died just one year later.
William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal, 1868 - 1874
Upon taking office for the first time Gladstone declared it his 'mission' to 'pacify Ireland' - a prize that was always to elude him. Nonetheless, Gladstone was to become the dominant Liberal politician of the late 19th Century, serving as prime minister four times despite earning Queen Victoria's antipathy early in his career. (She famously complained that 'he always addresses me as if I were a public meeting'.) He had started his career as an ultra-conservative Tory, but would end it as a dedicated political reformer who did much to establish the Liberal Party's association with issues of freedom and justice. But Gladstone also had his idiosyncrasies. He made a regular habit of going to brothels and often brought prostitutes back to 10 Downing Street. In an era when politicians' private lives were very private, his embarrassed colleagues nonetheless felt it necessary to explain his behaviour as 'rescue work' to save 'fallen women'.
Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative, 1868
On being asked to become prime minister following the resignation of the Earl of Derby, Disraeli announced: 'I have reached the top of the greasy pole'. He immediately struck up an excellent rapport with Queen Victoria, who approved of his imperialist ambitions and his belief that Britain should be the most powerful nation in the world. Unhappily for the Queen, Disraeli's first term ended almost immediately with an election victory for the Liberals. Despite serving as an MP since 1837 and twice being Chancellor of the Exchequer, Disraeli's journey to the top was not without scandal. In 1835, he was forced to apologise in court after being accused of bribing voters in Maidstone. He also accrued enormous debts in his twenties through speculation on the stock exchange. Disraeli suffered a nervous breakdown as a result, but eventually paid off his creditors by marrying a rich widow, Mary Anne Wyndam Lewis, in 1839.
Earl of Derby, Conservative, 1866 - 1868
The introduction of the 1867 Reform Act made Derby's third term as prime minister a major step in the true democratisation of Britain. The Act extended the vote to all adult male householders (and lodgers paying £10 rental or more, resident for a year or more) living in a borough constituency. Simply put, it created more than 1.5 million new voters. Versions of the Reform Act had been under serious discussion since 1860, but had always foundered on Conservative fears. Many considered it a 'revolutionary' move that would create a majority of 'working class' voters for the first time. In proposing the Reform Act, Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative Leader of the House of Commons, had warned his colleagues that they would be labelled the 'anti-reform' party if they continued to resist. The legislation was passed, and also received the backing of the Liberals under their new leader, William Gladstone.
Earl Russell, Whig, 1865 - 1866
Viscount Palmerston, Liberal, 1859 - 1865
Earl of Derby, Conservative, 1858 - 1859
The property qualification - the requirement that a man must own property in order to stand as a member of parliament - was finally abolished during Derby's second term as prime minister. It meant that members of parliament (MPs) were no longer drawn exclusively from the 'propertied' classes and could realistically be 'working class'. This fulfilled one of the six conditions set out by the Chartists - supporters of the Third Chartist Petition, written in 1838. It demanded universal male suffrage (votes for all adult men), secret ballots (rather than traditional open ballots), annual parliamentary elections, equal electoral districts (some had less than 500 voters, while others had many thousands), the abolition of a property qualification for MPs, and payment for MPs (which would allow non-independently wealthy men to sit in parliament).
Viscount Palmerston, Liberal , 1855 - 1858
Earl of Aberdeen, Tory, 1852 - 1855
It was something of a cruel irony that Aberdeen came to be blamed for blundering into the dreadful Crimean War. As plain George Hamilton Gordon he had made a successful career as a diplomat and had done much to normalise Britain's relationships with its powerful neighbours. Vivid reports from the front by WH Russel of the Times have since led to the Crimean being styled the first 'media war'. His reports publicised the squalor and disease that were claiming more soldiers' lives than the fighting, and inspired Florence Nightingale to volunteer and take the first 38 nurses out to treat the wounded. In 1855, Aberdeen conceded to his critics and resigned.
Earl of Derby, Conservative, 1852
Earl Russell, Whig, 1846 - 1851
Confronted by the Irish Potato Famine, declining trade and rising unemployment, Russell still managed to push through trade liberalisation measures and limits on women's working hours. A dedicated reformer, he nonetheless presided over the rejection of the Third Chartist Petition. Set out 1838, it demanded universal male suffrage (votes for all adult men), secret ballots (rather than traditional open ballots), annual parliamentary elections, equal electoral districts (some had less than 500 voters, while others had many thousands), the abolition of a property qualification for members of parliament (MPs), and payment for MPs (which would allow non-independently wealthy men to sit in parliament). Already rejected once by parliament in 1839, the petition had gathered 5 million signatures by 1848. Presented to parliament a second time, it was again rejected. The Chartist movement slowly petered out, even as revolutions blazed across Europe, but many of its aims were eventually realised.
Sir Robert Peel, Tory, 1841 - 1846
Peel's second term as prime minister was nothing short of tumultuous. Economic depression, rising deficits, Chartist agitation, famine in Ireland and Anti-Corn League protests crowded in. A raft of legislation was created to stabilise the economy and improve working conditions. The Factory Act regulated work hours (and banned children under eight from the workplace), the Railway Act provided for cheap, regular train services, the Bank Charter Act capped the number of notes the Bank of England could issue and the Mines Act prevented women and children from working underground. But a failed harvest in 1845 provided Peel with his greatest challenge. There was an increasing clamour for repeal of the Corn Laws, which forbade the import of cheap grain from overseas. Powerful vested interests in the Tory Party opposed such a move, but in the end Peel confronted them and called for repeal. After nearly six months of debate, and with the Tories split in two, the Corn Laws were finally repealed. Defeated on a separate issue, Peel resigned the same day, but was cheered by crowds as he left the Commons. (The 'Peelite' faction of the Tories is widely recognised as the foundation of the modern Conservative.)
Viscount Melbourne, Whig, 1835 - 1841
Sir Robert Peel, Tory, 1834 - 1835
Invited by William IV to form a new government, Peel immediately called a general election to strengthen his party. Campaigning on his so-called 'Tamworth Manifesto', Peel promised a respectful approach to traditional politics, combined with measured, controlled reform. He thereby signalled a significant shift from staunch, reactionary 'Tory' to progressive 'Conservative' politics. Crucially, he pledged to accept the 1832 Reform Act, which had recently increased the number of people eligible to vote. Peel won the election, but only narrowly. He resigned the following year after several parliamentary defeats. (Peel is probably best remembered for creating the Metropolitan Police in 1829 while Home Secretary in the Duke of Wellington's first government. The nickname 'bobbies' for policemen is derived from his first name.)
Duke of Wellington, Tory, 1834
Viscount Melbourne, Whig, 1834
In a bid to repress trade unions, Melbourne's government introduced legislation against 'illegal oaths'. As a result, the Grand National Consolidated Trades' Union failed. In March of the same year, six labourers were transported to Australia for seven years for attempting to provide a fund for workers in need. They became known as the 'Tolpuddle Martyrs'. Melbourne himself was notoriously laid back. When first asked to become prime minister he declared it 'a damned bore'. Having accepted, he would often refuse to allow his cabinet colleagues to leave the room, insisting 'I'm damned if I know what we agreed on. We must all say the same thing.'
Earl Grey, Whig, 1830 - 1834
In June 1832, the Reform Act finally passed into law after 15 torrid months of debate. It extended the vote to just 7% of the adult male population, based on a series of lowered property qualifications. Introduced in March 1831, the bill scraped through the Commons by a single vote, but was thrown out at the committee stage (when the bill is debated in detail - sometimes called the 'second reading'). Parliament was dissolved and the general election was fought on the single issue of the Reform Act - an unprecedented event in British political history. The Whigs won the election and passed the bill, but the House of Lords (with a majority of Tories) threw it out, sparking riots and civil disobedience across the country. With the spectre of France's bloody revolution clearly in mind, William IV eventually agreed to create 50 Whig peers to redress the balance in the Lords if the bill was rejected again. The Lords conceded and the Act was finally passed into law. After all his efforts, Earl Grey is principally remembered for giving his name to a fragrant blend of tea.
Duke of Wellington, Tory, 1828 - 1830
Wellington's first term in office was dominated by the thorny subject of Catholic emancipation. Catholics were permitted to vote, but were not allowed to sit as members of parliament (MPs) and had restrictions on the property they could own. Initially, the 'Iron Duke' was staunchly in favour of the status quo, but soon came to realise that emancipation might be the only way to end conflict arising from the Act of Union between Britain and Ireland in 1801. He became such an advocate that he even fought a duel with the 10th Earl of Winchilsea over the issue. The Earl had accused him of plotting the downfall of the 'Protestant constitution', but then backed down and apologised. They still had to go through the ritual of the duel at Battersea Fields, with both men deliberately firing high and wide. Wellington eventually drove the legislation through, opening the way for Catholic MPs.
Viscount Goderich, Tory, 1827 - 1828
George Canning, Tory, 1827
Canning finally became prime minister after a long career in politics, only to die of pneumonia 119 days later. He had famously fought a duel in 1809 with his bitterest political rival, Lord Castlereagh, and was shot in the thigh. Castlereagh committed suicide with a penknife in 1822, after becoming depressed about his falling popularity.
Earl of Liverpool, Tory, 1812 - 1827
Liverpool is the second longest serving prime minister in British history (after Robert Walpole), winning four general elections and clinging on to power despite a massive stroke that incapacitated him for his last two years in office. Liverpool became PM at a time when Britain was emerging from the Napoleonic Wars and the first rumblings of 'working class' unrest were just beginning to be felt. Staunchly undemocratic in his outlook, Liverpool suppressed efforts to give the wider populace a voice. He was unrepentant when, in 1819, troops fired on a pro-reform mass meeting at St Peter's Fields in Manchester, killing eleven - the so-called 'Peterloo Massacre'. Trade unions were legalised by the 1825 Combination Act, but were so narrowly defined that members were forced to bargain over wages and conditions amid a minefield of heavy penalties for transgressions. (Liverpool's one concession to popular sentiment was in the trial of Queen Caroline on trumped up adultery charges. The legal victimisation of George IV's estranged wife, who was tried in parliament in 1820, brought her mass sympathy. Mindful not to provoke the mob in the wake of Peterloo, the charges were eventually dropped.)
Spencer Perceval, Tory, 1809 - 1812
Perceval bears a dubious distinction as the only British prime minister to be assassinated. As chancellor of the exchequer he moved in to 10 Downing Street in 1807, before rising to the office of prime minister two years later. His 12 young children - some born while he was in office - also lived in the PM's crowded residence. Against expectations, he had skilfully kept his government afloat for three years despite a severe economic downturn and continuing war with Napoleon. He was shot dead in the lobby of the House of Commons on 11 May 1812 by a merchant called John Bellingham who was seeking government compensation for his business debts. Perceval's body lay in 10 Downing Street for five days before burial. Bellingham gave himself up immediately. Tried for murder, he was found guilty and hanged a week later.
Duke of Portland, Tory, 1807 - 1809
Lord Grenville, Whig, 1806 - 1807
William Pitt 'the Younger', Tory, 1804 - 1806
Faced by a fresh invasion threat from Napoleon, George III once again turned to Pitt. A shadow of his former self due to failing health and suspected alcoholism, Pitt nonetheless accepted. He made alliances with Napoleon's continental rivals - Russia, Austria and Sweden - then, in 1805, Admiral Lord Nelson shattered French invasion hopes at the Battle of Trafalgar. Pitt did not have long to savour victory before Napoleon defeated both Russia and Austria to stand astride the whole of Europe. Heartsick, utterly exhausted, penniless and unmarried, Pitt died on 23 January 1806 at the age of 46.
Henry Addington, Tory, 1801 - 1804
Addington secured the Peace of Amiens with France in 1802, but would see Britain plunge into war with Napoleon again just two years later. He also passed the first Factory Act into law. The Act was the earliest attempt to reform working conditions in factories. It set a maximum 12 hour working day for children and addressed issues like proper ventilation, basic education and sleeping conditions. (Notably, his government also awarded Edward Jenner £10,000 to continue his pioneering work on a vaccine for smallpox.) But he was generally poorly regarded, prompting the satirical rhyme 'Pitt is to Addington, as London is to Paddington' - a reference to his distinguished predecessor as prime minister, William Pitt.
William Pitt 'the Younger', Tory, 1783-1801
Pitt 'the Younger' was the youngest prime minister in British history, taking office at the tender age of just 24. But his youth did not seem to disadvantage him as he threw himself into the manifold problems of government, holding on to the top office for 17 years - fifteen years longer than his father, Pitt 'the Elder'. His first priority was to reduce the National Debt, which had doubled with the loss of the American colonies in 1783. George III's mental illness then threw up the spectre of a constitutional crisis, with the transfer of sovereignty to the erratic Prince of Wales only narrowly averted by the king's recovery. Further threats to the monarchy emanated from across the Channel, with the bloody French Revolution of 1789 and subsequent war with France in 1793. War increased taxes and caused food shortages, damaging Pitt's popularity to the extent that he employed bodyguards out of fear for his safety. In a bid to resolve at least one intractable conflict, he pushed through the Act of Union with Ireland in 1800, but the related Emancipation of Catholics Bill was rejected by the king a year later. Having lost George III's confidence, Pitt was left with no option but to resign.
Duke of Portland, Tory, 1783
Earl Shelburne, Whig, 1782 - 1783
Marquess of Rockingham, Whig, 1782
Lord North, Tory, 1770 - 1782
North is chiefly somewhat unfairly remembered as the prime minister who lost the American colonies. Groomed by George III to lead his parliamentary supporters, North was fiercely loyal to his king, whose policy it had been to 'punish' the American colonials. The American War of Independence, reluctantly entered into by both sides, had been prosecuted at the king's behest in retaliation for their refusal to pay more towards their own defence. As hostilities progressed, North's blundering and indecision worsened an already difficult situation, and by 1782 it was clear that the outcome was likely to be a disaster. He begged George III to be allowed to resign, but the king refused to release him until the war was over. North has since become the yardstick for prime ministerial mediocrity, with later PMs being criticised as 'the worst since Lord North'.
Duke of Grafton, Whig, 1768 - 1770
An unremarkable prime minister, Grafton had a quite remarkable appetite for extra-marital affairs and openly kept several mistresses. He scandalised polite society in 1764 by leaving his wife and going to live with his mistress, Anne Parsons, also known as 'Mrs Houghton'. (Horace Walpole referred to her derisively as 'everybody's Mrs Houghton'.) Popular opinion had disapproved of Grafton's behaviour, until his wife did something even more shocking. She eloped with the Earl of Upper Ossory and had a child by him. Grafton divorced her in 1769, then abandoned Mrs Houghton and married Elizabeth Wrottesley, with whom he had 13 children. The Mrs Houghton ended up marrying the king's brother. This unsuitable union gave impetus to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, which decreed that the monarch had to give permission for all royal weddings.
Earl of Chatham, Pitt 'The Elder', Whig, 1766 - 1768
Pitt 'the Elder' is widely credited as the man who built the British Empire, although much of this was done in the role of secretary of state under the governments of the Duke of Newcastle. He chose his fights carefully, conducting military campaigns where conditions were best suited to British merchants. Pitt added India, West Africa, the West Indies and the American colonies to Britain's overseas possessions, and was persistently belligerent towards colonial rivals like France and Spain. His relentless imperialism kept the merchants happy but infuriated men like Newcastle who counted the financial cost of his wars. Pitt was a superb public speaker and a master of the devastating put-down, but his career was dogged with recurrent mental illness and gout. Ironically, it was during his term as prime minister that he was at his least effective, often struggling to build support. He collapsed in the House of Lords in October 1768 and died four days later. (Pitt was the MP for a 'burgage borough' - an empty piece of land with no-one living on it. His constituency, Old Sarum, was a mound in Wiltshire. On polling day, seven voters met in a tent to cast their votes.)
Marquess of Rockingham, Whig, 1765 - 1766
George Grenville, Whig, 1763 - 1765
Grenville is one of the few prime ministers to have been sacked by the monarch. He was fired after a row with George III over who should rule in his place if his mental health continued to deteriorate.
Earl of Bute, Tory, 1762 - 1763
Bute was one of Britain's more unpopular prime ministers. Things came to a head when he failed to lower the taxes he had raised to fight France in the American colonies. Rioting erupted, his effigies were burnt and the windows in his house were smashed. Bute was generally disliked by colleagues and public, and was lampooned for his 'fine pair of legs', of which he was reputed to be extremely proud. His close relationship with the Prince of Wales's widow, the Dowager Princess Augusta, was also the subject of much scurrilous gossip. The nickname 'Sir Pertinax MacSycophant' was a contemptuous reference to the Roman Emperor Publius Helvius Pertinax, who was murdered three months after his meteoric assent by his own bodyguard. Unable to muster support in parliament, Bute resigned in 1763.
Duke of Newcastle, Whig, 1757 - 1762
Newcastle healed his rift with Pitt 'the Elder' by inviting him to serve in his government as secretary of state. Effectively a power-sharing coalition of two powerful men, the relationship gave birth to the British Empire. Their government eventually fell as a result of the new king, George III's hostility to Pitt, who had sought to restrict the influence of the monarch in political matters.
Duke of Devonshire, Whig, 1756-1757
Duke of Newcastle, Whig, 1754 - 1756
Newcastle became PM after his brother, Henry Pelham, died in office. It is the only instance of two brothers serving as prime minister. Newcastle enraged Pitt 'the Elder' by refusing to promote him in the new government, then compounded the insult by sacking him.
Henry Pelham, Whig, 1743 - 1754
Earl of Wilmington, Whig, 1742 - 1743
Sir Robert Walpole, Whig, 1721 - 1742
Walpole is widely acknowledged as the first prime minister, although he never actually held the title. He was also the longest serving, lasting 21 years. But Walpole's first stint in government, as secretary of war, had ended inauspiciously with a six month spell in the Tower of London for receiving an illegal payment. Undeterred, he rose to power again on the back of a collapsed financial scheme in which many prominent individuals had invested. Walpole had the foresight (or luck) to get out early, and as a result was credited with great financial acumen. George I invited him to become chancellor and gave him the powers that came to be associated with the office of prime minister. His owed his longevity in office (and the incredible wealth he accumulated) to a combination of great personal charm, enduring popularity, sharp practice and startling sycophancy. The accession of George II saw him temporarily eclipsed, but he worked hard to win over the new monarch. He was rewarded with both the new King's trust and 10 Downing Street, which remains the official residence of the prime minister to this day. Walpole was eventually brought down by an election loss at Chippenham and died just three years later.
| Margaret Thatcher |
In what month were the 'D-Day' landings executed? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 22 | 1990: Thatcher quits as prime minister
About This Site | Text Only
1990: Thatcher quits as prime minister
Margaret Thatcher is to stand down as prime minister after her Cabinet refused to back her in a second round of leadership elections.
She will remain in office until a successor is elected, but will not continue to fight Michael Heseltine for the Conservative Party leadership.
The former secretary of state for the environment threw down the gauntlet after a string of serious disputes over Britain's involvement in the European Union.
The prime minister said pressure from colleagues had forced her to conclude that party unity and the prospect of victory in the next general election would be better served if she stepped down.
Once again Margaret Thatcher has put her country's and party's interests before personal considerations
Conservative Party Chairman Kenneth Baker
Downing Street issued a statement at 0930 GMT after Mrs Thatcher had informed her Cabinet and the Queen of her intention.
By 1200 GMT, Chancellor John Major and Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd had announced they would now stand against Mr Heseltine in the next stage of the leadership contest.
The decision comes less than 24 hours after the Iron Lady had vowed to "fight on and fight to win" after winning the first round - but not with the required majority.
Tory Party Chairman Kenneth Baker said it was a typically brave and selfless decision from the prime minister.
"Once again Margaret Thatcher has put her country's and party's interests before personal considerations," he said.
And there were tributes to Mrs Thatcher from both sides of the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions.
Labour leader Neil Kinnock said the prime minister's decision showed she amounted to more than those who had recently turned against her.
But the outgoing Tory leader refused a request from Mr Kinnock to hold a general election so the British people could make their own choice about her successor.
| i don't know |
In which European city would you visit the Bardini and the Bargello Museums? | Florence Museums: 10Best Museum Reviews
BY Alexa Schnee
Florence Local Expert
The hardest part about going to Florence's museums is choosing which ones are worth your time. With so many different options, you could spend your entire Florentine experience walking the halls of the many museums here. Art lovers will be in heaven--the city is one of the best to see works by the great masters: da Vinci, Michelangelo, and many others are available to view.
It would be an absolute shame to miss the Uffizi Gallery . It's home to some of the most famous works of art in Italy, and you should think about taking an entire afternoon to visit. It's constantly crowded in the summer, and the lines can stretch out long--booking online can help you solve the problem of spending most of your time waiting.
Also make sure to stop by the Museo Galileo if you love science and history. Not only do you get a feel of what life must have been like at that time, but it's also a great spot for the kids to learn about the advancements Galileo made with his discoveries. Another great museum to take the kids to is the Palazzo Strozzi , where there are no exhibits all the time to keep them and you engaged.
| Florence |
Who was the first female artist to achieve 32 consecutive UK top ten hits? | Bargello Museum private visit in Florence
Florence Private Guides > News > Florence in a day + Bargello Museum
Florence in a day + Bargello Museum
A complete walking tour through the heart of Florence combined with a visit to the Bargello Museum, famous for the sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo.
Duration: 3 hours| Rates
These are the most important highlights of our tour:
Piazza della Repubblica, where the old Forum of the Roman city of Florentia once stood making it both the oldest and the most modern square of the city with its historical cafés dating back to the XIXth century.
The religious centre of the city with the Romanesque Baptistery, the Cathedral, Brunelleschi’s Dome and Giotto’s Belltower.
The medieval district of Dante, with its towers, little churches and oratories.
Orsanmichele: where once the grain market stood, now stands this beautiful yet unusual gothic church of the florentine Guilds. Along its walls, the tabernacles hold masterpieces of different sculptors.
The Mercato Nuovo with its fountain of the Porcellino, one of Florence’s lucky charms.
Ponte Vecchio, one of the most renowned symbols of the city with its jewelleries pending over river Arno.
The Loggia of the Uffizi, the history of one of the oldest and most famous museums of the world.
Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, the political center of Florence since the Middle Ages, the Loggia dei Lanzi with its Roman and Renaissance sculptures.
Visit to the Museo del Bargello. This beautiful medieval castle hosts the most important sculpture collection of the city. Not only can we visit the rooms dedicated to Michelangelo and Donatello, but also the bronzes by Giambologna, the masterpieces of Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci’s teacher. Besides the sculpture collections, there are rooms dedicated to collections of enamelled ceramics and ivory from all over Europe.
RATES (Rates are per tour, tickets are not included)
Groups (from 10 up to 25 persons)
€ 130 + € 2 for each extra person
Individual clients (from 1 up to 9 persons)
€ 150
| i don't know |
What is the main language spoken in Mexico? | Languages of Mexico - Mexican Indigenous Languages | don Quijote
Read the Spanish version
There a great number of languages in Mexico, and while Spanish is Mexico’s most widely spoken language, the government also recognizes 68 Mexican indigenous languages as official national languages.
While 68 indigenous languages may seem like a large number, in fact over 130 indigenous languages, along with their unique customs and culture, have vanished. As such, the government has placed a heavy emphasis on the preservation and promotion of the native languages. The Law of Linguistic Rights was created in 2002 to protect the native Mexican languages, and encourage bilingual and intercultural education.
The 1917 constitution that was drawn up after the Revolution also had a strong focus on the preserving the languages of Mexico and the country’s multicultural identity. The constitution stated that every indigenous group had the right to protect and enrich their own Mexican language.
Nowadays, there are over 6 million speakers of indigenous languages in Mexico. While 10-14% of the population identify themselves with an indigenous group, only 6% of them speak an indigenous language of Mexico.
Some of the most widely spoken languages in Mexico, aside from Spanish, are Nahuatl, which has almost 1.4 million speakers, Yucatec Maya, spoken by over three quarters of a million people, and Mixtec, whose speakers amount to about half a million.
Interestingly, while Spanish is of course the dominant language in Mexico, it is not defined as the official language in Mexican legislation. This allows for more rights to be given to the remainder of Mexico’s languages, including the right to use indigenous languages in governmental communication and official documents.
If you want to learn more about the interesting variety of languages in Mexico, or the unique qualities of Mexican Spanish then this section will provide you with all the information you need!
| Spanish |
Whose drum can be seen at Buckland Abbey in Devon? | New Mexico
Languages
New Mexico has large Indian and Spanish-speaking populations. But just a few place-names, like Tucumcari and Mescalero, echo in English the presence of the Apache, Zuni, Navaho, and other tribes living there. Numerous Spanish borrowings include vigas (rafters) in the northern half, and canales (gutters) and acequia (irrigation ditch) in the Rio Grande Valley. New Mexico English is a mixture of dominant Midland, with some Northern features (such as sick to the stomach ) in the northeast, and Southern and South Midland features such as spoonbread and carry (escort) in the eastern agricultural fringe.
In 2000, 1,072,947 New Mexicans—63.5% of the resident population five years of age and older—spoke only English at home, down slightly from 64.5% in 1990.
The following table gives selected statistics from the 2000 census for language spoken at home by persons five years old and over. The category "Other Native North American languages" includes Apache, Cherokee, Choctaw, Dakota, Keres, Pima, and Yupik.
LANGUAGE
| i don't know |
A 'Durmast' is a type of what? | durmast - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com
durmast
n deciduous European oak valued for its tough elastic wood
Synonyms:
any of numerous Old World and American oaks having 6 to 8 stamens in each floret, acorns that mature in one year and leaf veins that never extend beyond the margin of the leaf
Word Family
| Oak |
Which bandleader married both Ava Gardner and Lana Turner? | 16866 Durmast Oak Dr, Westfield, IN 46074 | Zillow
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16866 Durmast Oak Dr, Westfield, IN 46074
0.34 acres
Rent Zestimate®: $3,977 /mo
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LAST CUSTOM LOT IN OAK MANOR. Beautiful "Walkout lot" lot with wooded common area behind. Design and build the home of your dreams with a Sobczak Construction (scscustomhomes). Build Contemporary or traditional you decide and work with a Custom builder that has been in business over 30 years. Quality construction with solid 8' doors, custom trim work, dual hvac systems, custom closets and built in's.
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Parking: Garage - Attached, 3 spaces
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Additional Features
Facilities Near: Cable, Electric, Gas, Wtr&Sewer
Facilities On: Electric, Gas, Telephone, Water, Cable
Potential Zoning: Single Family
Land Characteristics: Wooded, City, Mature Trees
Options: NotApplic
Mandatory Fee Includes: Clubhouse, Pool, Assoc Home Owners, Entrance Common, ParkPlayground, Nature Area
Property Sub Type: Res Lots/Land
Topography: Hilly, Wooded
Contingency: Act With No Contingency
Sewer: Municipal Sewer On Site
Water: Municipal Water on Site
Mandatory Fee Paid: Semi Annual
Inspection Warranties: Warranty Builders
Sun Number™ rates a home's potential for solar using a scale of 1-100. The higher the number, the better suited a home is for solar and the more money you could save.
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$600,820
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At which castle was Charles I imprisoned for fourteen months prior to his execution in 1649? | 1000+ images about Isle of Wight/Osborne House/ Carisbrooke Castle on Pinterest | Cowes isle of wight, England and Hampshire
Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas
Isle of Wight/Osborne House/ Carisbrooke Castle
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| Carisbrooke Castle |
Which pop group had three consecutive Christmas number ones between 1996 and 1998? | Queen to mark 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death with exhibition at Windsor Castle | Royal | News | Daily Express
ROYAL
Queen to mark 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death with exhibition at Windsor Castle
THE Queen is to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death by displaying treasures at Windsor Castle illustrating her family's love of the Bard.
00:01, Thu, Feb 11, 2016
| UPDATED: 15:31, Thu, Feb 11, 2016
GETTY
The Queen will be displaying Shakespeare's works at Windsor Castle
A copy of the playwrights's second folio, annotated by both Charles I and George III, is among the family heirlooms that will go on show from Saturday in an exhibition for visitors to the 89-year-old monarch's favourite royal residence.
Among the other treasures is a drawing of Romeo and Juliet by the future Queen Victoria when she was 15, and a colourfully bound copy of The Merry Wives of Windsor presented to Queen Mary in 1917.
The exhibition, Shakespeare in the Royal Library, features books, maps, prints, and works of art showing how generations of monarchs since Elizabeth I have enjoyed the work of Britain's greatest dramatist.
One of the highlights is the annotated copy of the Bard's second folio, the 1632 collection of his plays. Charles I probably read it while he was imprisoned at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight for 14 months before his execution in 1649.
Related articles
GETTY
Various family heirlooms will go on display including a copy of the playwright's second folio
The King inscribed the words 'Dum Spiro Spero' (While I Breathe, I Hope) on the flyleaf of the book and wrote the names of some of the characters from Shakespeare's comedies on the contents page.
It changed hands a number of times before being reacquired for the Royal Library by George III in 1800. He corrected a note in the book that identifies Sir Thomas Herbert as the King's Master of the Revels, stating that Herbert was in fact Groom of the Bedchamber to Charles I.
Victoria's drawing of Romeo and Juliet, made in pencil, pen and ink, shows the two lovers embracing as Romeo climbs hastily out of a window.
Also on display for the first time is a watercolour by Princess Alice, Queen Victoria's second daughter. Depicting a scene from Shakespeare's Hamlet, the colourful watercolour was made as a birthday gift for her mother on May 24 1859.
GETTY
Prince Charles is the president of the Royal Shakespeare Company
GETTY
Also on display for the first time is a watercolour by Princess Alice
Queen Victoria and her family enjoyed a number of performances of Shakespeare's plays at Windsor Castle. One such occasion is recorded in a watercolour by Louis Haghe showing the Queen, Prince Albert and their children watching Macbeth in the Rubens Room, now the King's Drawing Room, on February 4, 1853.
In a journal entry from that day, Victoria described the "most interesting, thrilling and heartrending play" and said the performance was "extremely well given".
Today Prince Charles is president of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1995 he published a selection of his favourite works by the playwright.
Exhibition curator Elizabeth Clark of Royal Collection Trust said: "This exhibition commemorating 400 years since Shakespeare's death is a wonderful opportunity to show through many of the Royal Library's greatest treasures the Royal Family's lasting interest in Shakespeare and his plays."
Related articles
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Which British motor-racer was the first person to win both the Formula One and Grand Prix Motorcycle World Championships? | Lewis Hamilton and Formula 1's Winners of BBC Sports Personality of the Year | Bleacher Report
Lewis Hamilton and Formula 1's Winners of BBC Sports Personality of the Year
By Neil James , Featured Columnist
Dec 16, 2014
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By winning the 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Lewis Hamilton joined a select group of British athletes to be awarded what is perhaps the country's most prestigious multi-sport honour.
The 2014 Formula One world champion pushed golf's Rory McIlroy, winner of two majors in 2014, into second place. European 10,000-metre gold medallist Jo Pavey was third.
It was third time lucky for Hamilton, who secured almost 34 percent of the vote—he had been second in both 2007 and 2008.
But surprisingly, given the United Kingdom's rich motorsport heritage, he is only the fifth F1 driver to win the award. Many of the U.K.'s most famous champions, including Graham Hill, Jim Clark and James Hunt, were never voted as winners.
Here, we look back at the five F1 stars who were.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Associated Press
1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore won the award that year.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year (more conveniently known by the rather funky acronym SPOTY) was first awarded in 1954, celebrating the British sportsman or woman the public deemed most worth of the award.
Per Television Heaven , in that year voting was done by postcard only, and the award was presented in a quiet, low-key manner at the end of the BBC's Sportsview programme.
The winner of that inaugural award was distance runner Christopher Chataway, who in 1954 had set a 5,000-metre world record and acted as one of Roger Bannister's four-minute mile pacemakers.
From humble beginnings, the award quickly built up a head of steam. The ceremony became larger and more categories were added, while the main SPOTY prize grew in prestige to become a major accolade in itself.
Recent winners include former England captain David Beckham, Tour de France winner and Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins and two-time Grand Slam-winning tennis star Andy Murray.
The two-hour-plus 2014 event was broadcast in a primetime slot on BBC One, and guests included royalty of the sporting and genuine variety. Per the BBC , 620,932 votes were cast.
Honourable Mention: John Surtees (1959)
Associated Press
John Surtees was named SPOTY in 1959, but it was nothing to do with his Formula One achievements. He hadn't even started a single grand prix at the time.
The award was instead given for his incredible success in motorcycle racing. In 1958 and 1959, Surtees won every single race he entered in both the 350cc and 500cc classes of the Motorcycle Grand Prix championship (the series now known as MotoGP).
He was, of course, double champion in both years, adding to his 500cc victory from 1956. Surtees was champion again in both classes in 1960 before switching from two wheels to four in 1961.
On the podium in his second race, Surtees was crowned F1 world champion in 1964. To this day he remains the only man to win grand prix world titles on both two and four wheels.
Associated Press
Stirling Moss is the nearly man of Formula One.
After entering occasional races between 1951 and 1954, Moss landed a plum seat driving for Mercedes in 1955. He finished the season second to team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio, a position he'd find himself in at the end of 1956 and 1957.
Moss was second for a fourth consecutive season in 1958, losing out to Mike Hawthorn by a single point despite winning four races to his compatriot's one. In 1959 and 1960, he was third.
The 1961 F1 season turned out to be the final chance Moss had to be champion. New engine regulations had come into force, and Ferrari had adapted quicker than anyone else; the 156 "sharknose" was the class of the field.
Moss raced a Lotus run by the privateer Rob Walker. It was down on horsepower but handled well—especially at the circuits where the driver could really make a difference. Moss had a chance.
He claimed a hat-trick of pole, fastest lap and the race win at the first event of the year in Monaco and later in the season led the German Grand Prix from start to finish.
But overall the Ferraris of Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips were quicker, and Moss wasn't helped by a string of reliability issues which took him out of four of the final five races.
He finished third as Hill took the title but received a small consolation as the public voted him SPOTY for 1961.
Moss' F1 career was ended by a horrific accident in a non-championship race before the start of the 1962 season.
BBC Sport states Moss is widely considered the best driver never to win the world championship. To further illustrate how misleading raw statistics can be, Autosport 's panel of 217 current and former drivers ranked him as the eighth-best driver of all time in a 2009 poll.
Sir Stirling continued to make occasional appearances in other series throughout his life before finally retiring from competitive motorsport in 2011—at the age of 81.
Jackie Stewart (1973)
Anonymous/Associated Press
Jackie Stewart first rose to sporting prominence as a trap shooter, missing out on a place in the 1960 British Olympic squad by a single target. He told Fieldsports magazine in 2006 that this remains his greatest sporting disappointment.
Following this blow, he took up motor racing and in 1965 made his F1 debut with BRM. His talent was evident right from the start, the Scot standing on the podium at four of his first six races and winning his eighth.
Stewart won his first world championship in 1969 and followed it up with a second in 1971.
The 1973 season began with a close duel between Stewart and 1972's champion, Emerson Fittipaldi. They each won three of the opening six races to build a lead over the rest of the pack, the Brazilian ahead by four points.
But while Stewart was able to maintain his strong early form, Fittipaldi dropped back. The Tyrrell driver was crowned champion with two races to spare, claiming his third world crown.
He had intended to retire at the end of the year on 100 race starts but missed the season-ending United States Grand Prix after the tragic death of close friend and planned successor Francois Cevert in qualifying.
Stewart was later voted SPOTY, becoming F1's second winner.
He had long advocated greater safety for drivers and continued this push after he left the grid. Sir Jackie later founded his own team , which won one race before he sold it to Ford at the end of 1999. They in turn sold it on and it's now known as Red Bull.
Nigel Mansell (1986, 1992)
Pascal Rondeau/Getty Images
Nigel Mansell didn't have the easiest start to his racing career—without a wealthy family or benefactor, he paid his own way through the lower formulae.
During this journey, he experienced a number of heavy crashes and—per ESPN —after one was told by doctors his injuries were so severe he would never drive again.
Undeterred by the broken neck he'd just suffered, Mansell went straight back to racing.
Plucked from Formula Three by Lotus boss Colin Chapman, the Brit spent four full seasons with the team before joining Williams in 1985. The following year he looked set to claim his first world championship, but a tyre blow-out at the final race handed the crown to Alain Prost.
The voting public deemed his efforts worthy of his first SPOTY award.
Mansell was second again in 1987 after being forced to miss the last two races due to a spinal injury suffered in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix.
A barren spell followed, including two seasons at Ferrari. Mansell returned to Williams in 1991 and finished second in the championship yet again. Always the bridesmaid, he was now 38 and looking like he may never be the bride.
But Williams produced the dominant FW14B, and from the first race, it never looked in doubt. Mansell took pole 14 times, won nine races and clinched the championship with five races still to run.
After this dominant year, he became only the second person to win SPOTY for a second time.
He left F1 in 1993 and won the CART title at his first attempt. He later returned to F1 to grab a final race win at the end of the 1994 season. A comeback with McLaren ended when the car was uncompetitive, and Mansell retired from F1 for good.
Later years saw him compete in a single weekend of the British Touring Car Championship and in occasional sports car races.
When sporting his trademark moustache, Mansell remains one of the most recognisable men in British motorsport.
Damon Hill (1994, 1996)
Ben Radford/Getty Images
Following Nigel Mansell's retirement, those among the British public who liked to have a home hero to support quickly found a replacement.
Damon Hill, son of two-time 1960s world champion Graham, started his racing career on motorcycles. Far from wealthy despite his late father's success, he worked as a labourer and motorcycle courier to fund his on-track advancement.
He could never afford the best machinery and had little success on his way to F3000, but Hill did enough to catch the eye of Frank Williams. He was hired as a test driver and made his racing debut in 1992, driving for the dying Brabham team.
Hill only qualified twice, but a vacancy opened up at Williams for 1993 and Damon was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. He coped with it rather well.
He won three races and stood on the podium a further seven times; when team-mate and world champion Alain Prost retired at the end of the year, Hill was joined at the team by Ayrton Senna.
The Brazilian's tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix left Hill leading a shattered team. Just as he had his arrival in the spotlight, he handled the situation admirably.
The bitter fight between Hill and Michael Schumacher went down to the wire at the season-ending Australian Grand Prix. Schumacher led but made a mistake and ran wide into the wall; sensing his chance, Hill dived down the inside into the next corner.
Schumacher turned in and the resulting collision put both men out of the race, handing the title to the German. Whether it was deliberate or not, we may never know, but Hill at least had the consolation of his first SPOTY award.
Two years later, the Brit had the dominant car but faced a challenge from across the garage. Jacques Villeneuve took to F1 like a duck to water after winning the 1995 IndyCar crown, and the title race went all the way to the final grand prix of the season.
But on this occasion, Hill was able to fend off his younger challenger. In doing so, he became the first son of a world champion to also take the crown; a second SPOTY award duly followed.
After leaving Williams, he tasted the winner's champagne a final time at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix but began to lose interest. He called it a day at the end of the following campaign.
Hill now works as a pundit for Sky Sports.
Lewis Hamilton (2014)
Clive Mason/Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton was a 10-year-old karting star when he first met Ron Dennis. Per Formula1.com , the youngster approached the imposing McLaren boss and said: "Hello Mr. Dennis, I'm Lewis Hamilton and one day I'd like to race for your team."
Dennis advised Hamilton to call him in nine years. Instead, he called Hamilton after three and the rest is history.
Fresh from winning the 2006 GP2 championship, Hamilton made his debut in one of the quickest cars on the grid. He was partnered with the man who had won the last two world championships— Fernando Alonso .
Few, if any, can have foreseen what followed.
The young man from Stevenage stood on the podium in his first nine races, the run including his first two F1 wins. Entering the final two races Hamilton looked certain to be champion, but a tragic comedy of errors, botched strategy and reliability saw him beaten into second by Kimi Raikkonen.
The following year he very nearly threw it away again, only to take the title in one of the most dramatic season finales F1 has ever seen.
Four tough years with McLaren followed. Though Hamilton kept up his record of winning at least one race every season, he finished no higher than fourth in the championship. A switch to Mercedes at the start of 2013 didn't bear immediate fruit—he was fourth in the championship again.
Then came 2014, the year of the W05. Driving one of the most dominant cars the sport has ever seen, Hamilton and team-mate Nico Rosberg steamrollered the opposition and turned the title fight into a sometimes friendly, sometimes bitter, sometimes controversial but always exciting two-horse race.
Rosberg had the qualifying edge, but his race craft was no match for Hamilton's. The Brit won the season-ending, double-points Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to take the title by a comfortable-looking 67 points.
Having been runner-up in 2007 and 2008, Hamilton won his first SPOTY award at the end of the year.
Per Oddschecker , he starts 2015 as favourite for a third world title—and for a second SPOTY award .
| John Surtees |
What is the traditional name for the disease Oedema, a swelling of any organ or tissue due to the accumulation of excess lymph fluid? | Lola to celebrate 50 golden years in motorsport - OldtimerArchiv.com
Lola to celebrate 50 golden years in motorsport
von OldtimerArchiv · 3 Juli 2008
In 2008 Lola will have plenty to celebrate both on and off the track, when they reach a memorable 50 years in motorsport. During this period the Huntingdon based marque have manufactured almost 4000 competitive cars, recording more race and championship wins than any other racing car manufacturer in the world.
With Lola’s future firmly cemented under the current ownership of Executive Chairman Martin Birrane, the company stands proud as the UK’s longest-established manufacturer of racing cars, with many legends of motor sport having competed behind the wheel of a Lola, including Mario Andretti, Graham Hill, Nigel Mansell, Sir Jackie Stewart, John Surtees and Al Unser Senior.
The seeds of this remarkable success story were sown in 1957, when quantity surveyor Eric Broadley built the ‘Broadley Special’. A year later, using his £2,000 savings, Eric formed Lola Cars Ltd setting up a modest work shop in the South-East London suburb of Bromley. The first-ever Lola car, the Mk 1, was an immediate success becoming the first ever sports car of any size to lap Brands Hatch in under one minute.
Lola’s single seater ambitions were soon realised. Within four years of its establishment the Mk 4 provided the up and coming marque with its first taste of Formula One action. Reg Parnell commissioned the Lola built Bowmaker Yeoman Credit Team Formula One car, which was driven by John Surtees. The legendary British driver recorded podium finishes at the British and German Grands Prix, finishing fourth overall in the 1962 World Championship.
Lola’s impressive on track performances were soon noticed by the Ford Motor Company, who briefed Broadley to build a GT car capable of breaking Ferrari’s dominance at Le Mans. The result was the 4.2 litre Ford V8-powered Lola Mk 6 GT. The partnership enabled Lola to move to larger premises in Slough and introduce the design talents of Tony Southgate. After taking Lola to Le Mans for the first time in 1960 with a MK 1, the MK 6 followed three years later and was remarkably driven all the way to the world’s toughest endurance race by road from Lola’s new factory in Slough. Ford was so impressed with the design that the Mk 6 became the inspiration behind the world famous Ford GT40.
1965 marked one of Lola’s most symbolic years when Broadley unveiled the all-conquering T70. The performances on track matched its sleek design, providing John Surtees and Dan Gurney victories in the Can AM Championship. Roger Penske’s win in the 1969 Daytona 24 Hours, proved the car’s reliability and secured its status in world motor sport.
Lola’s continued success on American soil helped pave the way for Indianapolis 500 glory. In 1966 Graham Hill became the first Englishman to win the Indianapolis 500 driving the Mecom Lola. However, it was his team mate Jackie Stewart who stole the show, winning ‘Rookie of the Year’ honours after comfortably leading the race by almost two laps, before having to retire. Lola’s love-affair with the Indy 500 continued through to 2006, enjoying numerous race and championship wins with drivers such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser Senior, Mark Donohue, A J Foyt, Rick Mears and Nigel Mansell.
John Surtees the only person ever to win both the World Formula One & 500cc Motorcycle World Championship was instrumental for introducing Honda to Lola in 1967. It was a period when Honda was underachieving in Formula One and in just three weeks Lola worked with Team Surtees to produce the T130 Honda RA 300 ‘Hondola’. Their efforts were duly rewarded when they were involved in one of the greatest races in the history of the sport. Jim Clark led the 1967 Italian Grand Prix for most of the race, but ran out of petrol on the last lap. Surtees and Brabham seized their opportunity, fighting it out in a typical Monza slip streaming duel to the line, which Surtees eventually won by less than a car length.
In 1970 Lola moved headquarters to its current location in Huntingdon. Whilst Lola continued its winning ways on the track, the British marque was also fast becoming a breeding ground for talented designers. The young team of Patrick Head and John Barnard helped build the extremely attractive Lola T290 family of cars, which are now classed as classics of race car design. Their talent and skills, developed at Lola, were taken into Formula 1 where they have had a huge impact on the sport.
Throughout the 1970’s Lola’s 290 series continued to bring sporting success, were it dominated numerous European championships. The 80’s led to Lola designing and building sports racing cars for major manufacturers including Chevrolet, Nissan and Mazda, a trend that continues to the present day with the latest generation of LMP Mazda, a product of the Huntingdon factory.
Pure racing cars for single seat competitions continued to be Lola’s mainstay throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. From Formula One cars for Larrouse and Beatrice to the humble Formula Ford, Lola continued to win races and championships. The British manufacturer became the first and only company to be awarded the contract to build FIA Formula 3000 cars and, in its final years under Eric Broadley’s ownership, won in all four forms of international single-seater formulae.
Lola’s enviable position has been consolidated since 1997, under the ownership of Executive Chairman, Martin Birrane, who has kept the company at the forefront of the motor sport industry. A titanic battle for supremacy in the US based Champ Car series in the early part of this decade resulted in Lola’s winning the title every year from 2002 until 2006, the last three of these with current F1 driver Sebastien Bourdais.
In 2004, when Skeikh Maktoum of Dubai announced plans to introduce A1 GP, the new one-make ‘World Cup of Motorsport’, there was only one partner who could deliver the technical brief in such a short time frame – Lola.
More recently, 2007 marked Lola’s largest entry at Le Mans, with six Huntingdon built LMP racers competing, three in each of the LMP1 and LMP2 categories. The 75th running of Le Mans provided an unprecedented fourth consecutive Le Mans LMP2 class victory for Lola. A fitting tribute to the 50th anniversary year, 2008 will see Lola unleash the first-ever customer LMP Coupe, having put everything in place to deliver another world beating sports car.
Lola also recently gave its new Daytona Prototype a public unveiling just before Christmas with ex Grand Prix drivers Ricardo Zonta and Eric Van De Poele testing the Krohn Racing sportscar ahead of this months Daytona 24 Hours.
Martin Birrane, Executive Chairman of the Lola Group said, “It’s a wonderful accomplishment to reach 50 years in motor sport. We would like to pay special tribute to Eric Broadley and our highly skilled workforce. We also need to acknowledge the fantastic achievements of the world class drivers, and long list of private owners, who have raced our cars. They have all made a massive contribution to Lola’s illustrious history in motor sport. With exciting initiatives in place, we can all look forward to expanding the technical boundaries for the future of motor sport.”
Birrane’s vision has made Lola into a worldwide contender in many aspects of design and technology. Whilst Lola’s name is synonymous with motor sport, it seems a well kept secret that the company’s winning technology also expands across the automotive, aerospace, defence, communications and marine sectors.
Lola has identified the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Le Mans 24 Hour race as fitting occasions to celebrate the manufacturer’s 50 years in motorsport, where cars and drivers from the past and present will support this landmark occasion. Plans to set up a public party in Lola’s hometown of Huntingdon, featuring a symbolic parade of Lola cars through the streets, will provide the perfect finale to the 50th Anniversary celebrations.
In 50 years Lola has mastered all disciplines of the sport including Formula 1, Le Mans, Daytona 24 Hours, Can-Am, Champ Car and Indy 500. The design, engineering and manufacturing skills of Lola’s workforce have assisted the company in achieving this success. The company will continue to gain international recognition in the 21st century by building on its reputation for providing world-class ‘technology to win’.
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Which is the only group to have had four Christmas number ones? | Every Official Christmas Number 1 ever!
Every Official Christmas Number 1 ever!
Look back at every Christmas chart-topper of the last 60 years...
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Let’s take a look at all those songs who know just how it feels to be the Number 1s of Christmas past. Yes, it's the list of every Official Christmas Number 1 single in the UK.
The Beatles have the most Christmas Number 1s – they have scored four in total. The first three, I Want To Hold Your Hand, I Feel Fine and Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out topped the Official Singles Chart consecutively from 1963–1965. Hello, Goodbye was the fourth in 1967.
Spice Girls also notched up three consecutive Christmas Number 1s: 2 Become 1, Too Much and Goodbye all reached the snow-topped summit from 1996–1998.
Six Christmas Number 1s have had the word ‘Christmas’ in the title, not including Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody from 1973.
MORE: Check out all the coverage on te 2016 Christmas Number 1 here
Do They Know It’s Christmas? has been Christmas Number 1 three times: for Band Aid in 1984, Band Aid II in 1989, and finally for Band Aid 20 in 2004. The first version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? is the biggest selling Christmas Number 1 of all time, with over 3.7 million copies sold.
Mary’s Boy Child has been a Christmas Number 1 twice for totally different artists. Harry Belafonte topped the Christmas charts with it in 1957 and Boney M took a one-horse open sleigh all the way to Number 1 with in 1978.
The only song to have made it to Christmas Number 1 twice by the same artist is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. It first topped the Christmas charts in 1975 and pulled it off again 16 years later, following the death of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
Click through below to see the artwork of every Official Christmas Number 1 single:
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In 1993, which racing driver became the first person to holdboth Formula One and Champ car titles simultaneously? | No.1 facts and feats from ukcharts.20m.com
Fastest #1s | Slowest #1 (artists) | Slowest #1 (records) | Biggest leaps to #1 | Straight in at #1 before 1995 | Climbs to #1 since 1995 | Longest span of #1 hits | Longest gap between #1 hits | Most successful act not to have reached #1 | Shortest career of a #1 act | Ultimate One Hit Wonders | Most #1 hits | Most weeks at #1 by an artist | Most weeks at #1 by a record | Most consecutive number one hits | Records that returned to #1 | First three or more hits at #1 | Drops from the top | #1 in two or more versions | Longest #1 hits | Family connections | Other number one facts and feats
FASTEST NUMBER ONE HIT
In 1969, The Beatles with Billy Preston debuted at #1 with Get Back. It was their only single to debut at #1 in the official BBC/Record Retailer singles chart and was the debut chart appearence for Preston, who went on to moderate success as a solo artist.
Apart from Preston, and Al Martino, who debuted at number one by default in the very first chart, no act aside from charity collectives scored an instant number one hit until Whigfield nearly 42 years later. Here is the list of acts who have started at the very top since then:
17.09.94 Whigfield Saturday Night
20.05.95 Robson Green and Jerome Flynn Unchained Melody / The White Cliffs Of Dover
27.01.96 Babylon Zoo Spaceman
01.06.96 Baddiel and Skinner and The Lightning Seeds Three Lions
21.12.95 Dunblane Knockin' On Heaven's Door / Throw These Guns Away
25.01.97 White Town Abort, Retry, Fail? EP (Your Woman)
07.06.97 Hanson Mmmbop
13.12.97 Teletubbies Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!
06.06.98 B*Witched C'est la Vie
11.07.98 Billie Because We Want To
24.10.98 Spacedust Gym And Tonic
27.02.99 Britney Spears Baby One More Time
03.04.99 Mr Oizo Flat Beat
01.05.99 Westlife Swear It Again
12.06.99 Baz Luhrmann Presents Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) - The Sunscreen Song
19.06.99 S Club 7 Bring It All Back
06.05.00 Oxide and Neutrino Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty)
26.08.00 Spiller Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
16.09.00 Modjo Lady (Hear Me Tonight)
13.01.01 Rui Da Silva ft Cassandra Touch Me
24.03.01 Hear'Say Pure And Simple
02.06.01 DJ Pied Piper and the Masters Of Ceremonies Do You Really Like It?
18.08.01 So Solid Crew present 21 Seconds 21 Seconds
08.12.01 Daniel Bedingfield Gotta Get Thru This
09.03.02 Will Young Anything Is Possible / Evergreen
30.03.02 Gareth Gates Unchained Melody
11.05.02 Holly Valance Kiss Kiss
10.08.02 Darius Colourblind
09.11.02 DJ Sammy & Yanou ft Do Heaven
28.12.02 Girls Aloud Sound Of The Underground
25.01.03 David Sneddon Stop Living the Lie
The Lightning Seeds had, of course, hit in their own right before. Dunblane were a charity ensemble, but unlike previous charity ensembles they were not made up of previously-charting acts. Babylon Zoo and White Town both debuted at #1 with major-label reissues of previously unsuccessful independent singles. Dunblane, Teletubbies and Baz Luhrmann all debuted at number one with their only single releases.
So Solid Crew's previous single "Oh No (Sentimental Things)" would have charted at #13 the previous year, but was disqualified for having too many tracks. So Solid Crew members Megaman, Lisa Maffia and Romeo had previously appeared on Oxide & Neutrino's hit "No Good 4 Me". All formats of 21 Seconds consistently give the artist credit as So Solid Crew Present 21 Seconds rather than simply So Solid Crew.
The Baz Luhrmann Presents... record has the additional credit "performed by Quindon Tarver" hidden away in the detailed credits. The single is a remix of Tarver's cover of Rozalla's hit Everybody's Free (To Feel Good). Tarver can therefore also legitimately claim to have gone straight in at number one with his first hit.
"Featured" artists who have made their chart debuts at number one are:
28.10.95 Coolio featuring LV Gangsta's Paradise
28.06.97 Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 I'll Be Missing You
06.02.99 Armand Van Helden featuring Duane Harden You Don't Know Me
10.03.01 Shaggy featuring Rikrok It Wasn't Me
22.03.03 Gareth Gates and The Kumars Spirit In The Sky
BeBe Winans' first individual chart credit was as featured vocalist on I Wanna Be The Only One by Eternal, but he had enjoyed (admittedly minor and fleeting) chart action as a member of The Winans.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor's first individual chart credit was as the featured vocalist on Spiller's Groovejet (If This Ain't Love), but she had enjoyed previous chart action as a member of theaudience.
Kelly Rowland's first individual chart credit was in collaboration with Nelly, but she had previously charted as a member of Destiny's Child.
The following artists "debuted" at number one with domestic releases, having previously charted on import:
21.05.98 Run DMC Vs Jason Nevins It's Like That (re-mix)
04.09.99 Lou Bega Mambo No.5 (A Little Bit Of...)
25.09.99 Eiffel 65 Blue (Da Ba Dee)
16.10.99 Christina Aguilera Genie In A Bottle
27.10.99 Wamdue Project King Of My Castle
24.06.00 Black Legend You See The Trouble With Me
22.09.01 DJ Otzi Hey Baby
27.10.01 Afroman Because I Got High
19.10.02 Las Ketchup The Ketchup Song (Asereje)
08.02.03 T.a.t.u. All The Things She Said
And these acts entered at number one having previously appeared on the chart in other guises:
16.08.97 Will Smith Men In Black (previously hit number one in DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince)
26.09.98 Mel B ft Missy Elliot I Want You Back (Melanie Brown is a Spice Girl; Elliot has had solo hits)
17.04.99 Martine McCutcheon Perfect Moment (previously hit with Uno Clio)
28.05.99 Shanks and Bigfoot Sweet Like Chocolate (previously hit as Doolally)
07.08.99 Ronan Keating When You Say Nothing At All (had #1s with Boyzone)
15.04.00 Craig David Fill Me In (previously hit with Artful Dodger)
SLOWEST NUMBER ONE HIT
Four solo artists - all American - have taken more than twenty years to achieve their first number one hit:
Jackie Wilson (29 years 42 days)
Isaac Hayes / Chef (27 years 29 days)
Ben E. King (26 years 19 days)
Cher (25 years 259 days)
Cher, of course, had hit number one as half of Sonny and Cher prior to her solo career.
Several other acts who have never had a #1 hit in their own right have waited a very long time to snatch a moment of chart-top glory in collaboration with others. The most patient of these was Eric Clapton, who first hit as a member of The Yardbirds in 1964 but had to wait 30 years 134 days before he was involved with a #1 hit in collaboration with Cher, Chrissie Hynde and Neneh Cherry. To be fair, The Yardbirds' second hit For Your Love, on which he appeared, was a number one in the NME chart but this was never recognised by Record Retailer. His first official number one was his 30th hit in a variety of guises, not counting three reissues. The only artist to score more hits prior to their first appearance at number one was The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, whose #1 The Most Beautiful Girl In The World was his 39th new hit.
Other people who've waited over 20 years are:
Lulu (29 years 148 days) - first hit solo in 1964, reached #1 with Take That in 1993.
Chubby Checker (29 years 85 days) - first hit solo in 1960, contributed original vocals to Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers' Let's Party in 1989 (having been sampled on the group's two previous #1s).
Gene Pitney (27 years 311 days) - first hit solo in 1961, reched #1 in collaboration with Marc Almond in 1989.
Lou Reed (24 years 201 days) - first hit solo in 1973, hit #1 with Various Artists in 1997.
Emmylou Harris (21 years 268 days) - first hit solo in 1976, hit #1 with Various Artists in 1997.
Joan Armatrading (21 years 44 days) - first hit solo in 1976, hit #1 with Various Artists in 1997.
Bob Dylan (20 years 26 days) - first hit solo in 1965, reached #1 with USA For Africa in 1985.
SLOWEST NUMBER ONE HIT (RECORD)
The recordings that took the longest to reach #1 after their first appearance on the chart are:
29 years 42 days Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town) Jackie Wilson (1957-86)
25 years 244 days Stand By Me Ben E King (1961-87)
25 years 83 days Unchained Melody Righteous Brothers (1965-90)
18 years 356 days He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother The Hollies (1969-88)
8 years 284 days Young At Heart The Bluebells (1984-93)
8 years 166 days Should I Stay Or Should I Go? The Clash (1982-91)
7 years 327 days Living On My Own Freddie Mercury (1985-93)
6 years 63 days Space Oddity David Bowie (1969-75)
5 years 70 days Imagine John Lennon (1975-81)
Between 1986 and 1993, no fewer than nine "golden oldies" topped the chart. They were the seven listed above plus Steve Miller Band's The Joker, which had failed to chart when originally released in 1973, and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, which became the first recording to top the chart on two entirely separate chart runs. The only other recording to match this feat is My Sweet Lord by George Harrison, which took the top slot for a second time in January 2002.
The slowest climb to number one on a single chart run is 14 weeks by Celine Dion with Think Twice.
BIGGEST LEAPS TO NUMBER ONE
Besides those which entered at number one, these are the singles which have made the biggest leaps to number one in a single week:
45-1: Hey Baby DJ Otzi (29.09.01)
33-1: Happy Talk Captain Sensible (03.07.82)
27-1: Surrender Elvis Presley (01.06.61)
26-1: Pass The Dutchie Musical Youth (02.10.82)
22-1: Green Door Shakin' Stevens (01.08.81)
21-1: Hey Jude The Beatles (11.09.68)
21-1: (Just Like) Starting Over John Lennon (20.12.80)
19-1: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Elvis Presley (26.01.61)
19-1: (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice Amen Corner (12.02.69)
19-1: Love Me For A Reason The Osmonds (31.08.74)
19-1: Stand By Me Ben E. King (21.02.87)
17-1: Get Off Of My Cloud Rolling Stones (04.11.65)
16-1: I Hear You Knockin' Dave Edmunds' Rockpile (28.11.70)
16-1: Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep Middle Of The Road (19.06.71)
16-1: Young Love Donny Osmond (25.08.73)
16-1: Dancing Queen Abba (04.11.76)
It should be noted that for most of the 1960s, the Record Retailer chart was out-of-sync with the sales week, meaning that debut positions for records such as Surrender were based on only one or two days' sales. Had the chart reflected a full week's sales, such records would undoubtedly have debuted inside the top ten and maybe even at number one, rather than making such spectacular but misleading leaps in their second week.
Hey Baby tops the list on a technicality. The single had already charted on import, and it went to number one when given a full UK release. Under the chart rules in force at the time, import and domestic releases were (and still are) to be regarded as separate, but because the UK release had the same catalogue number (and presumably barcode) as the import, the computerised chart system was unable to distinguish between them, and credited DJ Otzi with a 44-place climb. Since it would have been nigh impossible to disentangle the two releases, and since it would have been unfair to punish the record company for what was effectively a bug in the chart compilers' computer program, the outcome was allowed to stand.
The 18-place leap by Amen Corner is in part due to the changeover from the old Record Retailer chart to the new official BMRB compilation that week.
Incidentally, if we take the Top 200 into account, then there are several singles which have made even more spectacular climbs, mainly as a result of a small number of copies slipping out before their official release date. As far as this site is concerned, the Top 75 remains the "real" chart, but it may interest visitors to know that the biggest leap to the top within the Top 200 was from #196 by Westlife with Unbreakable in the 50th anniversary chart on 16.11.02. It beat the previous record set just one week earlier by DJ Sammy and Yanou with Heaven which leapt from #191. It still doesn't count though!
The biggest genuine jumps within the top 75 have been:
(70 places) 72-02 It's The Way You Make Me Feel Steps (13.01.01)
(66 places) 68-02 Addicted To Bass Puretone (12.01.02)
(63 places) 74-11 Macarena Los Del Rio (20.07.96)
(62 places) 66-04 Every Loser Wins Nick Berry (11.10.86)
(61 places) 74-13 Star Trekkin' The Firm (13.06.87)
(55 places) 62-07 Coming Up Paul McCartney (26.04.80)
(51 places) 60-09 Only You Flying Pickets (03.12.83)
Of these, Every Loser Wins, Star Trekkin' and Only You reached #1. All the rest peaked at #2.
STRAIGHT IN AT NUMBER ONE
Once upon a time, it was quite a spectacular occurrence for a single to go straight in at number one. It was confirmation of a group or artist's superstar status to sell enough in a single week to secure the top spot - rather than having to start small and build up like all the other acts in the charts. Nowadays, if a single doesn't enter at the top then it has virtually no chance of getting there at all. These are the records which entered at number one back when it really meant something:
01 14.11.52 Here In My Heart Al Martino (#1 in the first chart, so debuted there by default)
02 24.01.58 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley
03 03.11.60 It's Now Or Never Elvis Presley
04 11.01.62 The Young Ones Cliff Richard and the Shadows
05 23.04.69 Get Back The Beatles with Billy Preston
06 03.03.73 Cum On Feel The Noize Slade
07 30.06.73 Skweeze Me Pleeze Me Slade
08 17.11.73 I Love You Love Me Love Gary Glitter
09 15.12.73 Merry Xmas Everybody Slade
10 22.03.80 Going Underground / Dreams Of Children The Jam
11 27.09.80 Don't Stand So Close To Me The Police
12 09.05.81 Stand And Deliver Adam And The Ants
13 13.02.82 A Town Called Malice / Precious The Jam
14 04.12.82 Beat Surrender The Jam
15 26.03.83 Is There Something I Should Know? Duran Duran
16 16.06.84 Two Tribes Frankie Goes To Hollywood
17 15.12.84 Do They Know It's Christmas? Band Aid
18 07.09.85 Dancing In The Street David Bowie and Mick Jagger
19 04.04.87 Let It Be Ferry Aid
20 20.05.89 Ferry 'Cross The Mersey Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman
21 10.06.89 Sealed With A Kiss Jason Donovan
22 16.12.89 Let's Party Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers
23 23.12.89 Do They Know It's Christmas? Band Aid II
24 05.01.91 Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter Iron Maiden
25 26.01.91 Innuendo Queen
26 02.11.91 The Fly U2
27 23.11.91 Black Or White Michael Jackson
28 07.12.91 Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me George Michael and Elton John
29 21.12.91 Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The Days Of Our Lives Queen
30 13.06.92 Abba-Esque EP Erasure
31 01.05.93 Five Live EP Queen and Geoge Michael with Lisa Stansfield
32 17.06.93 Pray Take That
33 09.10.93 Relight My Fire Take That with Lulu
34 18.12.93 Babe Take That
35 19.02.94 Without You Mariah Carey
36 09.04.94 Everything Changes Take That
37 17.09.94 Saturday Night Whigfield
38 15.10.94 Sure Take That
06 and 07 represent the first instance of an act going straight in at #1 with consecutive single releases. 17-20 are all charity fundraising singles. 20 and 21 were the first instance of consecutive chart-toppers entering at the top; 22 and 23 were first such to enter in consecutive weeks. 24 was the first single already available on an album to debut at #1. 25 was the first single to enter at the top and fall every successive week until it dropped out. 26 was the first single to be promoted as being available for a limited time only in order to secure early sales and thus a high entry position. 27-29 were the first instance of three consecutive chart-toppers debuting at #1.
As can be seen from the list above, only two singles entered at number one in the Record Reatiler chart during its first nine years (March 1960-February 1969). By contrast, during the same period all of the following managed the feat in the NME chart:
26.03.60 My Old Man's A Dustman Lonnie Donegan
27.05.61 Surrender Elvis Presley
07.12.63 I Want To Hold Your Hand The Beatles
28.03.64 Can't Buy Me Love The Beatles
18.07.64 A Hard Day's Night The Beatles
21.11.64 Little Red Rooster Rolling Stones
05.12.64 I Feel Fine The Beatles
17.04.65 Ticket To Ride The Beatles
31.07.65 Help! The Beatles
11.12.65 We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper The Beatles
15.07.67 All You Need Is Love The Beatles
Number One singles debuting at the top became the norm from April 1995 onwards. Since then, the only records to climb within the Top 75 to reach number one are:
08.07.95 Boom Boom Boom Outhere Brothers (debut #15, reached #1 in its 4th chart week)
09.09.95 You Are Not Alone Michael Jackson (#3, 2nd week)
20.04.96 Return of The Mack Mark Morrison (#6, 6th week)
25.05.96 Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit Gina G (#6, 8th week)
27.07.96 Wannabe Spice Girls (#3, 2nd week)
21.09.96 Ready Or Not Fugees (#2, 2nd week)
05.10.96 Breakfast At Tiffany's Deep Blue Something (#3, 3rd week)
18.01.97 Professional Widow (It's Got To Be Big) Tori Amos (#2, 2nd week)
12.04.97 I Believe I Can Fly R.Kelly (#2, dropped to 5 then climbed to #1, 3rd week)
01.11.97 Barbie Girl Aqua (#2, 2nd week)
17.01.98 Never Ever All Saints (#3, dropped as low as #6 during its meanderings, 9th week)
30.05.98 Feel It The Tamperer ft Maya (#3, 6th week)
02.01.99 Chocolate Salty Balls Chef (#2, 2nd week)
09.01.99 Heartbeat / Tragedy Steps (#2, dropped as far as #8 before climbing back up, 8th week)
04.12.99 The Millennium Prayer Cliff Richard (#2, 2nd week)
23.12.00 Can We Fix It? Bob The Builder (#2, 2nd week)
22.09.01 Hey Baby DJ Otzi (debuted outside the Top 40 on import sales only, jumped to #1 in its 6th week when released domestically).
LONGEST SPAN OF NUMBER ONE HITS
Elvis Presley (44 years 277 days) 1957-2002
Cliff Richard (40 years 145 days) 1959-99
George Harrison (31 years 2 days) 1971-2002
Righteous Brothers (25 years 286 days) 1965-90
Queen (24 years 250 days) 1975-2000
The Hollies (23 years 105 days) 1965-88
Bee Gees (20 years 34 days) 1967-87
Blondie (20 years 16 days) 1979-99
Michael Jackson (15 years 317 days) 1981-97
Madonna (15 years 36 days) 1985-2000
Kylie Minogue (14 years 248 days) 1988-2001
U2 (12 years 19 days) 1988-2000
If George Harrison's hits with the Beatles are taken into account, then he has a span of 38 years 274 days (1963-2002).
These individuals also have a span of more than 20 years in various guises:
Cher (33 years 112 days) Sonny and Cher 1965 - solo 1998
Tom Jones (32 years 309 days) solo 1965 - Various Artists 1997
Gerry Marsden (26 years 57 days) Gerry and The Pacemakers 1963 - Gerry Marsden and friends 1989
Paul McCartney (26 years 26 days) The Beatles 1963 - Gerry Marsden and friends 1989
Elton John (25 years 147 days) Elton John & Kiki Dee 1976 - Blue & Elton John 2002
Tammy Wynette (22 years 244 days) solo 1975 - Various Artists 1997
David Bowie (22 years 69 days) solo 1975 - Various Artists 1997
Diana Ross (21 years 128 days) The Supremes 1964 - solo 1986
Elton John's recent chart-topping stint with Blue has moved him up from seventh to fifth in this table.
LONGEST GAP BETWEEN NUMBER ONE HITS
Nine regular acts have endured a gap of more than a decade between appearances at the top:
George Harrison (30 years 325 days) 1971-2002
Righteous Brothers (25 years 259 days) 1965-90
Elvis Presley (24 years 258 days) 1977-2002
The Hollies (23 years 65 days) 1965-88
Blondie (18 years 77 days) 1980-99
Diana Ross (14 years 172 days) 1971-86
Frank Sinatra (11 years 238 days) 1954-66
Cliff Richard (11 years 124 days) 1968-79
Kylie Minogue (10 years 148 days) 1990-2000
Diana Ross appeared on the USA For Africa disc toward the end of her exile in 1985; this does not affect her place in the above table. The Righteous Brothers and The Hollies both returned with reissues of previous hits.
Queen waited 14 years 361 days between their own chart-toppers but appeared at #1 in collaboration with David Bowie in the meantime.
25 years 239 days passed between Sonny & Cher's only number one hit and Cher's first solo chart-topper. Tammy Wynette had to wait 22 years 175 days after her only solo #1 to reappear with Various Artists. Gerry Marsden was away from the summit for 21 years 200 days between chart-toppers with Gerry And The Pacemakers and The Crowd. Mick Jagger waited 16 years 9 days from his last #1 with The Rolling Stones to his reappearance in collaboration with David Bowie, who in turn waited 12 years and 55 days before featuring on Various Artists' #1. Eddy Grant hit #1 as a soloist 14 years 13 days after leaving the top spot with The Equals. Elton John waited 13 years 293 days between his #1 with Kiki Dee and his first solo table-topper. Suzi Quatro reappeared as part of Ferry Aid 13 years and 26 days after her last solo #1. There were 10 years 268 days between Smokey Robinson's group (The Miracles) and solo appearances at the top.
MOST SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS NOT TO HAVE REACHED NUMBER ONE
Billy Fury has spent more time on the singles chart than anyone else without a number one hit to their credit, with 281 weeks. However, Depeche Mode have had more hits and are still racking them up. The front-runners as of 1 October 2001 were:
Billy Fury (29 hits, 281 weeks)
Depeche Mode (37 hits, 234 weeks)
Nat King Cole (31 hits + 1 reissue + 1 b-side + 1 uncredited duet with Natalie Cole, 248 weeks)
The Who (28 hits + 3 reissues, 247 weeks)
Other notable non-chart-toppers include Gloria Estefan who has notched up 32 hits in all, including two uncredited as lead singer of Miami Sound Machine, but has never climbed higher than number 6. Siouxsie Sioux and Peter "Budgie" Clark have so far enjoyed 29 hits as part of Siouxsie And The Banshees and a further five as The Creatures. Siouxsie also had a hit in collaboration with Morrissey, bringing her personal total to 35. Morrissey himself has an even more impressive 41 hits without a #1, comprising 17 with the Smiths, 23 solo and the Siouxsie duet.
SHORTEST CAREER OF A CHART-TOPPING ACT
Weeks
10 Joe Dolce Music Theatre
10 Nicole
10 White Town
Band Aid II and Ferry Aid were, of course, charity ensembles including many acts who had hits in their own right. Hale & Pace & The Stonkers and Victoria Wood's only hits were the two halves of a double-A-side. Away from the charts, both are successful comedy acts. Bad II's nine weeks of chart action were on the AA side of The Clash's only number one hit, though their presence on the single went completely ignored at the time, and indeed since. Steve "Silk" Hurley also charted for 6 weeks as half of JM Silk and the Timelords went on to further chart success under a variety of other guises, including another #1 hit as The KLF. White Town and Nicole are the only acts on this list to have had more than one hit - each had 9 weeks on chart with their #1s and one week with a follow-up.
THE ULTIMATE ONE-HIT WONDERS
Back in the days when the Guinness books were still being edited by the GRR(R) team, they used to define a one-hit wonder as an act that has had one number one hit and nothing else - ever. Which is a rather narrower definition of the term than most people would use, but it does throw up an interesting list of acts who've made only one, albeit quite spectacular, impression on the public consciousness. This list, in fact:
1954 Kitty Kallen Little Things Mean A Lot
1956 Dreamweavers It's Almost Tomorrow
1958 Kalin Twins When
1959 Jerry Keller Here Comes Summer
1960 Ricky Valance Tell Laura I Love Her
1962 B.Bumble And The Stingers Nut Rocker
1966 Overlanders Michelle
1968 The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown Fire
1969 Zager And Evans In The Year 2525 (Exordium And Terminus)
1969 Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus
1969 The Archies Sugar Sugar
1970 Matthews Southern Comfort Woodstock
1970 Lee Marvin Wand'rin' Star
1970 Norman Greenbaum Spirit In The Sky
1971 Clive Dunn Grandad
1973 Simon Park Orchestra Eye Level
1974 John Denver Annie's Song
1975 Typically Tropical Barbados
1976 JJ Barrie No Charge
1977 The Floaters Float On
1978 Althia And Donna Uptown Top Ranking
1978 Brian & Michael Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs
1979 Anita Ward Ring My Bell
1979 Lena Martell One Day At A Time
1980 Fern Kinney Together We Are Beautiful
1980 The Mash Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)
1980 St Winifreds School Choir There's No One Quite Like Grandma
1981 Joe Dolce Music Theatre Shaddap You Face
1982 Charlene I've Never Been To Me
1985 Phyllis Nelson Move Closer
1987 Steve "Silk" Hurley Jack Your Body
1987 M|A|R|R|S Pump Up The Volume / Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance)
1989 Robin Beck The First Time
1990 Partners In Kryme Turtle Power
1991 Hale And Pace And The Stonkers The Stonk
1991 Victoria Wood The Smile Song
1994 Doop Doop
1996 Dunblane Knockin' On Heaven's Door / Throw These Guns Away
1997 Teletubbies Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!
1999 Mr Oizo Flat Beat
1999 Baz Luhrmann Presents... Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
2001 Rui Da Silva fetauring Cassandra Touch Me
2001 DJ Pied Piper and the Masters Of Ceremonies Do You Really Like It?
Steve "Silk" Hurley also had minor success as half of JM Silk. John Denver had a minor hit in collaboration with Placido Domingo. Most of these acts released follow-ups which flopped; only The Mash, M|A|R|R|S, Dunblane, Baz Luhrmann and Teletubbies appear to have bowed out voluntarily. As noted previously, the Baz Luhrmann disc credits Quindon Tarver as performer, and he too is therefore a one-hit wonder.
Although Rui Da Silva has gone two years without following up his only hit, he is reportedly planning a comeback and is likely to escape this list before very long. Watch this space!
During the Top 50 era, both Scott MacKenzie and Hugo Montenegro narrowly avoided the one-hit wonders list by charting a follow-up for just one week at #50. The modern equivalent, a follow-up spending just one week at #75, was achieved by the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest winner Nicole.
Other acts who failed to follow-up a number one hit are Charles Aznavour, Bob The Builder, The Firm, Benny Hill, The Jam, Tommy James And The Shondells, Queen, Robson & Jerome, Spice Girls, Steve Miller Band, Kay Starr, Starship, Take That and Wham!. Queen's last hit was a collaboration with Five. Simon And Garfunkel's last original hit went to #1, though they have since charted with other tracks which had not been hits during the duo's active career. Only Bob The Builder, The Jam, Queen, Robson & Jerome, Spice Girls, Take That and Wham! retired of their own volition.
MOST NUMBER ONE HITS
18 Elvis Presley (includes 1 with JXL)
17 The Beatles
12 Shadows (includes 7 backing Cliff Richard)
11 Westlife (includes 1 with Mariah Carey)
10 Madonna
10 Ronan Keating (includes Various Artists)
10 Madonna
Hank Marvin has one more #1 than Bruce Welch because he was credited on Cliff Richard And The Young Ones' remake of Livin' Doll.
Beatles Ringo Starr and George Harrison did not appear on The Ballad Of John And Yoko.
Most number one hits achieved on the RR/MW chart in a calendar year is four, by Elvis Presley in 1961 and 1962; The Beatles in 1964; Spice Girls in 1997 and Westlife in 1999 and 2000. Elvis Presley in 1961 & 1962 and Westlife in 1999 are the only acts to achieve four new chart-toppers in a year; the other instances included chart-topping runs carried on from the year before. Though The Beatles did achieve four number one hits on the NME chart in 1963.
MOST WEEKS AT NUMBER ONE
77 Elvis Presley
69 The Beatles (Paul McCartney +17 solo; John Lennon + 7 solo; George Harrison + 6 solo)
46 Cliff Richard
44 The Shadows (28 backing Cliff Richard, 16 of their own)
32 Frankie Laine
31 Abba
23 Wet Wet Wet
22 Spice Girls (Melanie C + 2 solo; Melanie B + 1 solo; Emma Bunton + 2 solo; Geri Halliwell 20 with the group + 5 solo)
21 Take That (Robbie Williams 18 with the group + 8 solo; Gary Barlow + 2 solo)
21 Queen (includes 2 with David Bowie, 3 with George Michael and 1 with Five)
20 Slade
Totals do not include appearances with charity ensembles.
Freddie Mercury appeared with Queen for only 17 of the group's weeks at #1. He has two solo weeks to his credit for a total of 19.
The Shadows' chart history is made somewhat more confusing by the various line-up changes that occurred during their run of #1 successes. The members' individual totals are as follows:
47 Hank B Marvin was on all of their #1s, plus 3 weeks with Cliff Richard & The Young Ones in 1986.
44 Bruce Welch also appeared on all twelve #1s.
39 Jet Harris (36 as a Shadow, 3 with Tony Meehan).
25 Tony Meehan (22 as a Shadow, 3 with Jet Harris).
22 Brian Bennett (22 as a Shadow).
Brian Locking, who replaced Harris, has 8 weeks at #1.
MOST WEEKS AT NUMBER ONE (RECORD)
18 I Believe Frankie Laine (in three runs at the top 9+6+3)
16 (Everything I Do) I Do It For You Bryan Adams
15 Love Is All Around Wet Wet Wet
14 Bohemian Rhapsody Queen (two runs at the top 9+5)
11 Rose Marie Slim Whitman
10 Cara Mia David Whitfield
10 I Will Always Love You Whitney Houston
9 Here In My Heart Al Martino
9 Oh Mein Papa Eddie Calvert
9 Secret Love Doris Day
9 Diana Paul Anka
9 Mull Of Kintyre / Girls School Wings
9 You're The One That I Want John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
9 Two Tribes Frankie Goes To Hollywood
MOST CONSECUTIVE NUMBER ONE HITS
11 The Beatles (From Me To You through to Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby)
7 Westlife (Swear It Again through to My Love, includes one with Mariah Carey)
6 The Beatles (All You Need Is Love through to Ballad Of John And Yoko)
6 Spice Girls (Wannabe through to Too Much)
5 Elvis Presley (Little Sister / His Latest Flame through to Return To Sender)
5 Rolling Stones (It's All Over Now through to Get Off Of My Cloud)
Gary Barlow appeared on the last four #1 hits for Take That and then had two solo, for a total of six.
During the Beatles' run of 11, two cash-in singles on another label also charted. During their run of six, the double EP "Magical Mystery Tour" reached number two. An EP by Elvis Presley entered the lower reaches of the chart during his run of five #1s.
RECORDS THAT REGAINED THE NUMBER ONE SPOT
Normally, once a record is replaced at number one, there is no way back. But over the years a few records have managed to hang on with enough tenacity to return to the very top. Here's the list:
24.04.53 I Believe Frankie Laine (9 weeks)
24.04.53 I'm Walking Behind You Eddie Fisher and Sally Sweetland (1)
03.07.53 I Believe Frankie Laine (6)
14.08.53 The Song From The Moulin Rouge Mantovani & his Orchestra (1)
21.08.53 I Believe Frankie Laine (3)
06.11.53 Answer Me David Whitfield (1)
13.11.53 Answer Me Frankie Laine (8)
11.12.53 Answer Me David Whitfield / Answer Me Frankie Laine (top equal for 1 week)
12.03.54 I See The Moon Stargazers (5)
16.04.54 Secret Love Doris Day (1)
23.04.54 I See The Moon Stargazers (1)
30.04.54 Such A Night Johnnie Ray (1)
07.05.54 Secret Love Doris Day (8)
08.10.54 Hold My Hand Don Cornell (4)
05.11.54 My Son My Son Vera Lynn (2)
19.11.54 Hold My Hand Don Cornell (1)
07.01.55 Finger Of Suspicion Dickie Valentine (1)
14.01.55 Mambo Italiano Rosemary Clooney (1)
21.01.55 Finger Of Suspicion Dickie Valentine (2)
28.01.55 Mambo Italiano Rosemary Clooney (2)
25.11.55 Rock Around The Clock Bill Haley and his Comets (3)
16.12.55 Christmas Alphabet Dickie Valentine (3)
06.01.56 Rock Around The Clock Bill Haley and his Comets (2)
16.03.56 It's Almost Tomorrow Dreamweavers (2)
30.03.56 Rock And Roll Waltz Kay Starr (1)
06.04.56 It's Almost Tomorrow Dreamweavers (1)
04.01.57 Singing The Blues Guy Mitchell (1)
11.01.57 Singing The Blues Tommy Steele and the Steelmen (1)
18.01.57 Singing The Blues Guy Mitchell (1)
25.01.57 The Garden Of Eden Frankie Vaughn (4)
01.02.57 Singing The Blues Guy Mitchell / The Garden Of Eden Frankie Vaughn (1 week top equal)
28.07.60 Please Don't Tease Cliff Richard and the Shadows (1)
04.08.60 Shakin' All Over Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (1)
11.08.60 Please Don't Tease Cliff Richard and the Shadows (2)
12.09.63 She Loves You The Beatles (4)
10.10.63 Do You Love Me Brian Poole and the Tremoloes (3)
31.10.63 You'll Never Walk Alone Gerry And The Pacemakers (4)
28.11.63 She Loves You The Beatles (2)
The longest gap between runs at the top.
17.06.65 Crying In The Chapel Elvis Presley (1)
24.06.65 I'm Alive The Hollies (1)
01.07.65 Crying In The Chapel Elvis Presley (1)
08.07.65 I'm Alive The Hollies (2)
31.07.68 Mony Mony Tommy James and the Shondells (2)
14.08.68 Fire Crazy World Of Arthur Brown (1)
21.08.68 Mony Mony Tommy James and the Shondells (1)
11.12.68 Lily The Pink The Scaffold (3)
01.01.69 Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da The Marmalade (1)
08.01.69 Lily The Pink The Scaffold (1)
15.01.69 Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da The Marmalade (2)
11.12.93 Mr Blobby Mr Blobby (1)
18.12.93 Babe Take That (1)
25.12.93 Mr Blobby Mr Blobby (2)
01.06.96 Three Lions (Official Song Of The England Football Team) Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds (1)
08.06.96 Killing Me Softly Fugees (Refugee Camp) (4)
06.07.96 Three Lions (Official Song Of The England Football Team) Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds (1)
Three Lions returned to the top when England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup.
28.06.97 I'll Be Missing You Puff Daddy and Faith Evans (3)
19.07.97 D'you Know What I Mean? Oasis (1)
26.07.97 I'll Be Missing You Puff Daddy and Faith Evans (3)
29.11.97 Perfect Day Various Artists (2)
13.12.97 Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh! Teletubbies (2)
27.12.97 Too Much Spice Girls (2)
10.01.98 Perfect Day Various Artists (1)
09.05.98 Under The Bridge / Lady Marmalade All Saints (1)
16.05.98 Turn Back Time Aqua (1)
23.05.98 Under The Bridge / Lady Marmalade All Saints (1)
05.05.01 Don't Stop Movin' S Club 7 (1)
12.05.01 It's Raining Men Geri Halliwell (2)
26.05.01 Don't Stop Movin' S Club 7 (1)
08.12.01 Gotta Get Thru This Daniel Bedingfield (2)
22.12.01 Somethin' Stupid Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman (3)
13.01.02 Gotta Get Thru This Daniel Bedingfield (1)
FIRST THREE (OR MORE) HITS AT NUMBER ONE
In 1963, Gerry And The Pacemakers were the frst act to take all of their first three hits to #1. For many years it was thought that this record might never be beaten, or even equalled, though some acts did come close - Adam Faith had already achieved an opening run of 1,1,2, and Engelbert Humperdinck later took his first three hits to 1,2,1.
But the record was equalled in 1984, by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. By a strange co-incidence, FGTH had covered Gerry And The Pacemakers' Ferry Cross The Mersey (not one of their #1s) as a bonus track on the 12" of their first chart-topper!
George Michael took his first two solo singles to number one in 1984 and 1986, followed by a duet with Aretha Franklin.
In 1989, Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers took their first three hits to number one. The last of these, Let's Party, made its debut at the top.
As the chart became more open to high new entries, it might have been expected that an act who had enjoyed a first number one would find it easier to follow it up with a second and third, but it wasn't until 1996 that a fifth act joined the club. In doing so, Robson & Jerome became the first act to go straight in at number one with their first three singles. As they retired immediately after the third, they also have a perfect 100% record of number one hits. Their final #1 - a triple-A-side - included a cover of Gerry's final #1, You'll Never Walk Alone.
Spice Girls took their first three singles to #1 in 1996, though contrary to popular belief they didn't enter at #1 with the first (it debuted at #3). The group went on to set a new record with all of their first six singles going to the top.
In May 1998, Aqua became the first overseas act to take their first three singles to number one. Their second and third had debuted at the top. They were followed by B*Witched, who became the first group to enter in the top position with each of their first four singles.
Westlife now hold the record, with their first six (seven including a collaboration with Mariah Carey) debuting at number one. Each of their first eleven singles entered in the top two, and each of their first thirteen entered inside the top five, both also new records.
In 2002, the Will Young / Gareth Gates duet The Long And Winding Road completed hat-tricks for both singers. Solo tracks by each artist also appeared on the single, though only the Gates track Suspicious Minds recieved a chart credit. Gates has since gone on to a fourth straight chart-topper.
DROPS FROM THE TOP
Although chart turnover has been faster than ever in recent years, it is still comparatively rare for a single to drop out of the top five from number one. These are the records that have done so:
To number 6:
16.01.53 Here In My Heart Al Martino
20.01.56 Rock Around The Clock Bill Haley & His Comets
23.06.60 Cathy's Clown Everly Brothers
11.04.63 Summer Holiday Cliff Richard and the Shadows
15.06.74 Sugar Baby Love The Rubettes
17.07.76 You To Me Are Everything Real Thing
26.06.79 Bright Eyes Art Garfunkel
10.01.81 There's No One Quite Like Grandma St Winifred's School Choir
14.11.81 It's My Party Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin
30.04.83 Let's Dance David Bowie
23.03.85 You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) Dead Or Alive
10.05.86 A Different Corner George Michael
11.03.89 Belfast Child Simple Minds
18.01.97 2 Become 1 Spice Girls
22.02.97 Discotheque U2
17.05.97 Love Won't Wait Gary Barlow
31.10.98 Gym And Tonic Spacedust
30.01.99 A Little Bit More 911
02.03.02 World Of Our Own Westlife
22.06.02 Light My Fire Will Young
To number 7:
14.03.63 Wayward Wind Frank Ifield
22.09.73 Young Love Donny Osmond
07.05.77 Knowing Me Knowing You Abba
08.02.97 Beetlebum Blur
19.09.98 Bootie Call All Saints
To number 8:
24.01.68 Hello Goodbye The Beatles
18.01.75 Lonely This Christmas Mud
12.04.97 Block Rockin' Beats Chemical Brothers
10.05.97 Blood On The Dance Floor Michael Jackson
15.04.00 Fool Again Westlife
25.11.00 Same Old Brand New You A1
28.04.01 What Took You So Long Emma Bunton
To number 9:
06.01.56 Christmas Alphabet Dickie Valentine
01.06.61 You're Driving Me Crazy Temperance Seven
17.03.66 These Boots Are Made For Walking Nancy Sinatra
19.01.91 Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter Iron Maiden
03.04.99 Blame It On The Weatherman B*Witched
To number 10:
14.01.84 Only You Flying Pickets
To number 12:
10.01.58 Mary's Boy Child Harry Belafonte
Four singles have dropped one place at a time, 1-2-3-4-5: Finger Of Suspicion by Dickie Valentine, It's All In The Game by Tommy Edwards, You Are Not Alone by Michael Jackson and Eminem's The Real Slim Shady. In fact, Finger Of Suspicion followed its week at number 5 with a week jointly at number 5 with a climbing record. Had a modern tie-break been used, Finger would have gone 1-2-3-4-5-6!
Speaking of ol' Dickie, from 1956, Dickie Valentine's Christmas Alphabet solely held the record for the shortest chart run of any number one hit - just seven weeks. This was equalled in 1987 by Ferry Aid's version of Let It Be, and again in 1989 by another charity disc Ferry Cross The Mersey by an all-star conglomeration led by Gerry Marsden. The record was finally beaten in January 1990 by two consecutive chart-toppers, Let's Party by Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers and Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid II, each with just six weeks on chart. In 1991, Iron Maiden brought the record down to just five weeks with their classic Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter. U2 nearly matched this with The Fly later in the year, vacating the chart with a run of just five weeks but then spoiling its record by re-entering for a further week. In 1997, Blur's Beetlebum did likewise, but did set several new records on its way down: it was the first #1 to spend just 2 weeks in the top 20 and 3 in the top 40, and set the record for the biggest drop in the second week by a number one debutant, dropping 1-7 (this record broken only a few weeks later by Chemical Brothers with Block Rockin' Beats which fell to 8; the record is now 1-9 by Blame It On The Weatherman, the fourth and final number one by B*Witched.)
By way of contrast, the single which remained in the charts longest after dropping from #1 is also the single with the most consecutive weeks on chart: Englebert Humperdinck's extraordinary debut hit Release Me. Its last week at number one was its eleventh on chart; it went on to notch up a further 45 chart weeks taking it to an amazing total of 56 weeks on chart.
NUMBER ONE IN TWO OR MORE VERSIONS
One song has been #1 in four versions:
Unchained Melody Jimmy Young; Righteous Brothers; Robson & Jerome; Gareth Gates
Written by Alex North (music) and Hy Zaret (words).
The song was originally recorded by the Alex North Orchestra with vocals by Todd Duncan for the 1955 film Unchained. The movie flopped; the song survived. American singer Al Hibbler was credited with a number one version (with Jimmy Young at 2) in the Record Mirror chart.
Two songs have been number one in three versions:
You'll Never Walk Alone Gerry & The Pacemakers; The Crowd; Robson & Jerome
Written by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (words).
This anthemic singalong first appeared in the musical Carousel in 1948. Popularised in the USA by Louis Armstrong, in the UK it has become strongly associated with football, and especially with Liverpool FC, who have recorded it in various line-ups.
Spirit In The Sky Norman Greenbaum; Doctor And The Medics; Gareth Gates and the Kumars
Words and music by Norman Greenbaum.
Many people wrongly assume that Greenbaum was an evangelical Christian - in fact he was, and still is, Jewish, but thought it would be fun (and a little more profitable) to write a rock song about Jesus. Subsequent versions have kept the joke going by recording it in Pagan and Hindu contexts - but as yet, no Christian version. (Thanks to Jenny for pointing this out.)
The following songs have been #1 in two versions:
Answer Me David Whitfield; Frankie Laine
Baby Come Back Equals; Pato Banton
Can't Help Falling In Love Elvis Presley; UB40
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White Perez Prado & his Orchestra; Eddie Calvert
Dizzy Tommy Roe; Vic Reeves and the Wonderstuff
Do They Know It's Christmas? Band Aid; Band Aid II
Everything I Own Ken Boothe; Boy George
Eternal Flame Bangle; Atomic Kitten
I Believe Frankie Laine; Robson & Jerome
I Got You Babe Sonny & Cher; UB40 with Chrissie Hynde
Killer Adamski; Queen & George Michael (EP track - medley with Papa Was A Rolling Stone)
Lady Marmalade All Saints; Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink
Living Doll Cliff Richard & the Drifters; Cliff Richard & The Young Ones
Mambo No.5 Lou Bega; Bob The Builder
Mary's Boy Child Harry Belafonte; Boney M (medley with Oh My Lord)
Seasons In The Sun Terry Jacks; Westlife
Singing The Blues Guy Mitchell; Tommy Steele
Somethin' Stupid Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra; Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman
Take A Chance On Me Abba; Erasure (EP track)
This Ole House Rosemary Clooney; Shakin' Stevens
The Tide Is High Blondie; Atomic Kitten (medley with Get The Feeling)
Three Lions Baddiel & Skinner & The Lightning Seeds (two different recordings)
Tragedy Bee Gees; Steps
Uptown Girl Billy Joel; Westlife
When The Going Gets Tough Billy Ocean; Boyzone
With A Little Help From My Friends Joe Cocker; Wet Wet Wet
Without You Nilsson; Mariah Carey
Young Love Tab Hunter; Donny Osmond
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice was heavily based on Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie (even though Ice denied it at the time).
I'll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 set new words to the backing of Every Breath You Take by The Police.
We're Going To Ibiza! by Vengaboys set new words to the backing of Barbados by Typically Tropical.
Both Fastlove by George Michael and Men In Black by Will Smith used samples from Patrice Rushen's #8 hit Forget Me Nots - the Smith track using Rushen's backing more heavily than Michael's.
Rise by Gabrielle was based on Bob Dylan's song Knockin' On Heaven's Door, a cover of which had been a #1 hit for Dunblane.
Angel by Shaggy was set to the bassline of The Joker by Steve Miller Band.
Freak Like Me by Sugababes was partly based on Tubeway Army's Are Friends Electric?.
The medley Swing The Mood by Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers incorporated bits of Bill Haley and his Comets' #1 Rock Around The Clock and remakes of Elvis Presley's #1s All Shook Up and Jailhouse Rock.
The medley That's What I Like by Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers included a snippet of Jerry Lee Lewis' #1 Great Balls Of Fire.
I actually had to listen to the Jive Bunny records to get those last two. Can I have my OBE now please?
LONGEST NUMBER ONE RECORD
The Animals caused quite a sensation when, in 1964, their House Of The Rising Sun became the first number one to top the four minute mark. But it wasn't until 1968 that The Beatles set the benchmark for really long number ones with the seven-and-a-quarter minute Hey Jude. Even today, such extent is considered uncommercial, and while long tracks may be released, most have shorter edits alongside to sweeten the pill. The following are therefore the only number one hits to run for more than seven minutes. It is probably fair to say that in all cases, the actual songs have been somewhat swamped by the artist's desire to create an "epic":
9.38 All Around The World Oasis
7.58 I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) Meat Loaf
7.32 D'You Know What I Mean? Oasis
7.15 Hey Jude The Beatles
Don McLean's American Pie (8.27) and Laurie Anderson's O Superman (8.21) both peaked at number two; one place higher and either one would have comfortably made the list above.
The longest chart single, and longest top ten hit, is Blue Room by The Orb with a running time of 39.58 on one of two CD formats, though it was also available in several shorter edits. The longest chart single with no shorter edit available is N-Joi's Live In Manchester, an improvised jam which reached #12 in 1992. The shorter of the two parts is part 1, with a running time of 13.41.
The shortest number one hit is What Do You Want by Adam Faith, with a running time of 1.35. (Thanks to Theo for that one.) The shortest top ten hit is United States Of Whatever by Liam Lynch (1.26). It beat Elvis Presley's Party by one second. I have seen Hayley Mills' Let's Get Together listed as the shortest Top 40 hit but I do not have a precise timing for it.
The US record-holder for shortest Top 40 hit is Some Kinda Earthquake by Duane Eddy, which would have topped (or bottomed?) the list in the UK too - had it not been re-edited from its original 1.17 to a less paltry 2.01 for its UK release.
The shortest Top 75 hit is Millennium Chimes by Big Ben. Yes, that Big Ben.
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
The following combinations of relatives have topped the charts:
Father & Son:
Julio Iglesias (solo 1981) and Enrique Iglesias (solo 2002)
Chip Hawkes (in The Tremeloes 1967) and Chesney Hawkes (solo 1990)
Ringo Starr (in The Beatles 1963) and Zac Starkey (in The Crowd 1985)
Father & Daughter:
Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra (both solo and together)
Mother & Son:
Hilda Woodward and Rob Woodward (both in Lieutenant Pigeon 1972)
Brother & Sister:
Shane Lynch (Boyzone) and Edele and Keavy Lynch (B*Witched).
Chart-topping groups which feature brothers in their line-ups include The Kinks, The Osmonds, The Real Thing, UB40, Oasis, Bee Gees, Spandau Ballet, The Jacksons (well, obviously) and no doubt plenty of others that I've forgotten. (And who'd bet against the The Pipes And Drums And Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards including at least one pair of brothers?). One impressive fraternal feat belongs to brothers Mike McGear and Paul McCartney, the only blood relations to write two consecutive chart-toppers (respectively, Lily The Pink by The Scaffold and Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da as recorded by The Marmalade) and incidentally the only brothers to have both had christmas number ones.
Chart-topping groups featuring sisters include Sister Sledge (uh-huh...), All Saints and B*Witched.
Very few husband-and-wife combinations have topped the charts. Esther and Abi Ofarim, Sonny and Cher, and Enigma were husband-and-wife duos. Abba were uniquely made up of two married couples (at least to start with). The Goombay Dance Band also featured a married couple. Happy couple Gillian Gilbert and Steven Morris of New Order don't count as they didn't marry until several years after their number one hit. Siobhan Fahey of Shakespear's Sister and David A Stewart of Eurythmics were married (to each other, that is) at the time of her chart-topper but not at the time of his.
OTHER NUMBER ONE FACTS AND FEATS
The youngest solo chart-topper remains Little Jimmy Osmond who was just 9 when Long Haired Lover From Liverpool gave him the 1972 christmas number one. However, Dawn Ralph was just 8 when she sang lead on There's No One Quite Like Grandma by St Winifred's School Choir, and it is likely that some members of the choir were even younger. A children's chorus also featured on Clive Dunn's #1 Grandad but I suspect these were older children.
The first act to write their own number one hit was Dreamweavers. Young songwriters Wade Buff and Eugene Adkinson formed the group in desperation after their song It's Almost Tomorrow was repeatedly turned down by music publishers.
The first number one hit to be written, produced and entirely performed by a single person was A Different Corner by George Michael.
The last single to reach number 1 without the benefit of a CD format being available was Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter by Iron Maiden. They did in fact release a CD format a couple of weeks later but it didn't count toward their chart position as the single was already available on the maximum five formats (four vinyl and one cassette).
Only one Nobel Prize winner has ever written a UK number one hit single. US Vice-President Charles Gates Dawes, who won the Peace Prize in 1925, also wrote the melody of Tommy Edwards' 1958 chart-topper It's All In The Game. Carl Sigman wrote the words.
Mr Vain by Culture Beat was the first single since the 1950s to reach number one without being available on vinyl.
Only once since 1955 has there ever been an instance of three consecutive chart-toppers all being covers of previously-charted songs: In September 2001, Too Close by Blue (previously a hit for Next); Mambo No.5 by Bob The Builder (previously a hit for Lou Bega) and Hey Baby by DJ Otzi (formerly a hit for Bruce Channel) each had a week at the top.
Speaking of covers, during 2000, five cover versions reached number one. In four cases, the original had peaked at number 2; the fifth (We Will Rock You) had been the b-side of a number 2 hit.
UB40 enjoyed a string of hits with original material, yet all three of their number one hits were covers.
During the 80s, Neil Diamond's song Red Red Wine and David Gates' song Everything I Own reached the top spot as reggae covers (for UB40 and Boy George respectively). In both cases, the artists who took the song to the top were unaware of the original folk-rock versions and had taken previous reggae-fied covers as their source - namely Ken Boothe's version of Everything I Own and Tony Tribe's remake of Red Red Wine.
The fastest hat-trick of number one hits was by John Lennon - he notched up three number one hits in the space of just eight weeks following his death in December 1980.
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During the Middle Ages, which disease was known as 'King's Evil'as it was thought that only the touch of the King could cure it? | Western Europe: The Middle Ages
Western Europe: The Middle Ages
By Albert S. Lyons | Medical History | Rating:
Western Europe emerged from the Dark Ages about the year 1000 in a spirit of enthusiasm, optimism, and cultural unity difficult for us to understand today, given our knowledge of the horrors, plagues, famine, war, and instability with which the Middle Ages came to an end nearly five centuries later. But in the year 1000 the future appeared bright. French culture, with its combination of faith, feudalism, and chivalry, progressively gave forth a model upon which European civilization was to be patterned, while the Mediterranean world was in temporary disarray.
Medieval philosophers, after a period of oscillation between Platonic concepts of transcendent universals (such as "Good" and "Beauty") and Aristotelian denials of their existence, ultimately sided with Aristotle, especially as interpreted by the Arabists. To them the only reality was individual reality, and the world was a pluralistic collection of individuals and particulars. Drawing upon Boethius (the Roman philosopher and translator of Aristotle through whose work Greek philosophy was transmitted to the early Middle Ages), the medieval philosopher encouraged all to "be yourself�for your personality belongs only to you!" Partly because of this strong tendency toward individuality, the rigid social stratification of a feudal society gained support, for each person had his appropriate function and position.
The Role of the Church
By the year 1200 the mendicant teaching orders of the Dominicans and Franciscans had assumed control of the intellectual life of Paris, and, as before, the Church remained a conduit for personal advancement, even in a feudal society. The first great thinker belonging to the regulares (members of a holy order living by a Rule; in contrast to the seculares) was St. Albertus Magnus (1193?-1280), who assimilated much of the Aristotelian thought imported from the borderlands of Western Christendom: Spain, Sicily, and Byzantium. The traces of neoplatonism which had survived among the Byzantine and Islamic successors of Hellenistic civilization fared poorly in Western Europe, where, nevertheless, virtually all intellectual activity remained deductive.
Near the end of the thirteenth century, Albertus Magnus's pupil St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) had formulated Aristotelian thought so thoroughly that it was impregnable throughout the remainder of the Middle Ages. His refusal to believe that nature abounds in unnecessary things anticipated the pronouncement of William of Occam (1300?-49) that the simplest explanation should be applied to observed natural phenomena. Having based his strongest reliance upon the eternal nature of being (essentia), Aquinas was forced to utilize a sophisticated system to explain the changes often observed in the natural world. In the same way that an acorn's nature is to become an oak, many substances have inherent potency to become something else; thus their essence would not really change but merely be fulfilled. Since no being could will itself a change for which it had no potential, all other changes must derive from some outside influence. It was here that Aquinas fell back on theology: God was the prime mover who became the ultimate source of all change in the natural world�other than the above inherently potential becoming. This doctrine of efficient causation�which became the cornerstone of Aquinas's system, known as Thomism or Scholasticism�gave the supernatural supremacy over the natural, but by implication the natural and supernatural worlds were separate if not independent. Although the brilliant synthesis of Scholasticism was to stultify independent thought during the Middle Ages, by the time Renaissance thinkers came to deny at least ordinary supernatural intervention in the natural world the foundations for the architecture of modern science had already been laid.
The earlier philosophical oscillation between a pluralistic world and one of transcendent universals also had relevance to medieval man, so that the idea of individual nation-states stood in marked contrast for him to the universality of Christendom. This discord was felt most devastatingly in Germany and Italy, where the confrontation of Holy Roman Emperor and Pope ultimately damaged both. Only on the periphery of the continent, and most notably in France, England, and Spain, was the king (or nation) able to assert authority over the Church, though only after long and bitter struggle. Individual loyalties were horizontal as well as vertical, and, in the face of an expanding Islamic world, Europe had to assume a common identity in Western Christendom. In spite of growing nationalism and the development of national languages, kings addressed each other in Latin as "brother," and the rules of chivalry maintained a common bond among the nobility of different countries. However, the Church of Rome was even more capable of crossing state lines, retaining sole authority over all who had taken holy vows. The growing power of the monastic orders led more directly to Rome than the legendary roads of the ancient Empire.
Physicians and the Guilds
In spite of a more ordered system of trade during most of the medieval period, European society remained isolated and rural, based largely on a local agricultural economy. Only the royal and noble courts were mobile, of necessity to maintain control over their vassals. Physicians trained in the universities were available only to the higher ranks of society, and for them entrance into holy orders and celibacy were generally mandatory, although, ironically, Jewish physicians (with freer access to Arabic medicine) became increasingly popular among heads of state and even popes. The masses, however, continued to rely on folk-healers, as well as barber-surgeons and teeth-pullers. Childbirth, a dangerous time for all women until the recent past, remained in the hands of midwives. Even when serious problems arose and doctors were called in, women still remained as intermediaries.
In contrast to the complex medicinal formulations of trained physicians, folk-healers relied on simpler concoctions and rudimentary magic. With the growth of cities in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, there was an increase in the number of apothecaries setting up shop and preparing medications on their own as well as under direction of physicians. Their shops at times were meeting places for doctor and patient, but perhaps were frequented as often for astrological consultation and alchemy.
During the Middle Ages, throughout Europe, men in the same crafts and professions banded together for mutual support and to promote high standards. The old separation of surgeons from other medical practitioners was reinforced and extended by the formation of guilds which were mutually exclusive. This custom was not solely a result of the academics' disdain for surgery but derived from the medieval tendency for crafts to be drawn together by the similarity of their tools and materials rather than the purpose for which they were used. Thus, surgeons' guilds admitted barbers, and physicians were allied to apothecaries and, surprisingly, to artists because of their common use of powders (as pigments for the latter in water-, egg-, and, much later, oil-based paints). The common guild of artists and physicians may have been a significant factor during the early Renaissance in the great advances in knowledge of human anatomy, a subject of great interest to both groups.
Even though the Church retained control of the universities throughout the Middle Ages, monastic medicine declined rapidly, but only in part because of people's growing interest in receiving earthly rather than heavenly rewards. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, control of hospitals and infirmaries was transferred from the Church to municipalities by mutual agreement. From this time date the origins of some of the great hospitals in Europe: the Hotel-Dieu in Paris, Santo Spirito in Rome, and St. Thomas's and St. Bartholomew's in England.
The Crusades
Ironically, at the same time that church councils were forbidding the practice of medicine to those monastic orders once the mainstay of Europe, newer nursing and hospital orders were developing. The stimulus to the founding of these orders was not the need for medical care by indigenous populations but, rather, the Crusades, which ostensibly attempted the return of the Holy Land to Christian control. The Order of the Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, or Hospitalers, was founded in 1099. The order of the Knights of the Temple of Solomon (or Templars) and the Order of Lazarus (which was devoted to the care of lepers) were founded at the start of the twelfth century, while the Order of Teutonic Knights and the Order of the Holy Ghost were established somewhat later. These are only the most famous of a large complement of orders associated with the Crusades, and their later histories diverged widely. The Hospitalers looked after victims of the many epidemics which, we shall see, resulted in no small part from diseases brought home by returning Crusaders. The Templars, which became an increasingly military order, were ultimately subdued by the French state. The Teutonic Order, begun as a field hospital during the siege of Acre in the Third Crusade and approved by Pope Clement III in 1191, was influential in the establishment of formalized medical care in the German lands. Papal approval of the Order of the Holy Ghost (Santo Spirito) led to the founding of a hospital not only in Rome but in nearly every city of Europe. Many other Catholic hospitals were founded throughout Europe, but, unlike their monastic forebears, were almost never independent of the municipalities they were intended to serve.
The Crusaders brought home many things in addition to hospital orders. Exposure, especially of common soldiers, to the sophisticated and sensuous East created a material demand which simple piety was unable to squelch, and a flourishing trade with the East, mostly via Venice and Genoa, was quickly established. Nor did the more elaborate pharmacology of the Islamic East go unnoticed; new medical concoctions and sugar-based syrups began to appear in Europe for the first time.
Leprosy and the Plague
Disease, however, was the most significant import to Europe resulting from the Crusades. Throughout the period of the declining Roman Empire and the Dark Ages, leprosy was endemic at low levels in Western Europe, but after the Crusaders began streaming back home the number of lepers increased tremendously. During the Middle Ages, the stigma of leprosy was not restricted to the disease as we know it today but was applied to a variety of dermatologic diseases, only some of which had any degree of contagiousness. Nevertheless, all individuals called lepers were subjected to total ostracism from society, which was stringently enforced by governmental and ecclesiastical authorities, as in Biblical times. Distinctive clothing was mandatory, as was segregation in places of public assembly, even worship. However, the Order of Lazarus was so sympathetic to the care of lepers that Lazarhouse quickly connoted leprosarium, and thousands were soon built throughout Europe.
Many other contagious diseases were introduced into Europe by returning Crusaders. In spite of an elaborate system of hospices, travel in the medieval period remained arduous and risky; shipwreck, marauding brigands, and poor food added to the physical rigors. Epidemics of typhus, smallpox, and other diseases can be directly traced to returning Crusaders, but by far the most notorious epidemic to be imported from the East was that of the Black Death or bubonic plague.
Although plague had been known intermittently in Western Europe since ancient times, its reappearance in the mid-fourteenth century was dramatic and devastating. In the year 1347, the plague rapidly moved westward across India and southwest Russia. The city of Caffa (present-day Feodosiya), in the southeast Crimea, was besieged by fierce Tartars and appeared to have been saved when the invaders were slaughtered by the plague. However, to disastrous effect, the departing Tartars catapulted corpses of soldiers who had died of plague into the city. (They, too, seemed to understand the meaning of contagion). The Christian defenders may have won the day, but in traveling home nearly all died at sea. Those who did reach Italy started an epidemic which quickly spread throughout Europe (as far away as Greenland), and within a year as much as a quarter of the population of all Europe was stricken. In Marseilles, four-fifths of the inhabitants were claimed within months. Ten years after the plague struck Florence, a superb description was given by Giovanni Boccaccio, author of the Decameron:
In the year of our lord 1348, in Florence, the finest city of all Italy, there occurred a most terrible plague: either because of the influence of the planets or sent from God as a just punishment for our sins, it had broken out some years earlier in the East, and after passing from place to place and wreaking incredible havoc along the way had now reached the West where, in spite of all the means that art and human foresight could suggest, such as keeping the city clear from filth, and excluding all suspected people... Different from what it had been in the East, where bleeding from the nose suggests a fatal outcome, here there appeared tumors in the groins or under the armpits, some as big as a small apple, others like an egg. Afterwards purple spots appeared in most parts of the body... the usual messengers of death. To the cure of this disease, neither the knowledge of medicine nor the power of drugs was of any effect, whether because the disease was itself fatal or because the physicians, whose number was increased by quacks and woman pretenders, could discover neither cause nor cure, and so few escaped. They generally died the third day after the appearance without fever... The disease grew daily by being communicated from the sick to the well... Nor was it [necessary] to converse or even to come near the sick; even touching their clothes or anything they had touched was sufficient... The events and similar others caused various fears among those people who survived, all tending to the same cruel and uncharitable end which was to avoid the sick and everything that had been near them... Some felt it best to live temperately... but others maintained free living and would deny no passion or appetite they wished to gratify... And the public distress was such that all laws, whether human or divine, were ignored... [emphasis added].
Although in typical medieval fashion Boccaccio could not decide between astrological events or divine displeasure as the root evil, he and his society recognized the contagious nature of plague. He obviously also knew that in the East plague was primarily confined to the lungs (pneumonic) and not the lymph glands (bubonic) as in the West.
The general dissolution of societal restraints that resulted from total frustration and impotence in the face of forces beyond control is obvious. Throughout Europe, physicians, when available, protected themselves in elaborate garb and masks with pointed beaks in which they kept vinegar and sweet-smelling potions to counteract the stench of draining buboes and decaying bodies. In Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik), across the Adriatic from Venice, all immigrants were obliged to stay in isolation for thirty and later forty days, giving rise to the term quarantine (from "quaranta," Italian for forty).
Though by all standards the worst, the Black Death was only one of many severe epidemics to traverse Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In 1485 a new disease characterized by severe sweating appeared in England. Known as sudor anglicus, it brought death within days. Ironically, it was strong men who were struck down while old women and children were generally spared. A short time later, outbreaks of the "sweating sickness" appeared in northern Europe, killing many, and, surprisingly, it suddenly vanished forever.
Had contagion been the only affliction to hit Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, things would have been bad enough, but as a result of the Crusades, a growing nationalism, and an influx into the cities, societal controls were already loosening when the Black Death struck. Boccaccio's description of the total collapse of society at the height of the plague eloquently speaks for itself. Afterward, as a markedly reduced population attempted to reconstruct itself, despair and dissolution could hardly be dispelled overnight.
Famines were unusually common, and a malnourished populace was subject not only to decreased resistance to disease but also to social unrest. The tremendous strains upon nearly all the people of Europe at the close of the Middle Ages were more severe on the general population than we can easily imagine. Lacking faith in all institutions, governmental or ecclesiastic, and lacking a tradition of individual closeness with their God, many people, often in desperation, gave up entirely or thrust their futures into the hands of new intercessors. Quacks abounded. Astrology and black magic, always popular, became even more necessary to the confused and terrified masses. Pilgrimages crisscrossed Europe in hopes that certain saintly relics or special blessings of holy water might be the particular mediator of salvation. And yet, could anyone be certain of salvation?
The Saints
God, whose wrath was only too obviously expressed in disease, pestilence, famine, and civil strife, reassumed the stern visage of the Old Testament Jehovah. As the danse macabre became a subject of artistic presentation (especially in the countries north of the Alps), even Christ was depicted more often at the Last Judgment than as the Gentle Shepherd looking after his flock. Cults of the Virgin sprang up in hopes of gaining intercession with her son. Whereas in the Dark Ages intercession had been sought from those saints who were physician-martyrs of the early Church, in the Middle Ages there was a virtual explosion of cults devoted to all kinds of saints who might help cure diseases. Some, like St. Elizabeth and St. Roch, were famous for establishing healing centers or for providing medical care during their lifetimes. The popularity of these two wellborn saints was reinforced not only by the many miraculous cures attributed to them but also by their rejection of exalted station for an ascetic life of devotion to the poor and downtrodden. Elizabeth dared to treat lepers, and Roch (or Rocco, as he is known in Italy) cared for the even more dreaded victims of the plague. There are many other examples.
Most saints gained popularity during the decline of the medieval period. In contrast to physician-martyrs like Cosmas and Damian, the newer saints were increasingly associated with relief from a single disease or condition. A high degree of localism existed, and the connection of a saint to a given disease or part of the body often seems tenuous: St. Teresa of Avila was the protector of cardiac victims because an angel had shot an arrow into her heart.
At times even the individual solace offered by the Church was insufficient, and loss of emotional balance among the people of the Middle Ages led to mass panic, frenzy, and hysteria. Processions of flagellants traversed Europe with the firm conviction that their lashings reflected punishments decreed by God and foretold not only the dissolution of society but even the end of the world in the dread Day of Judgment. Another form of mass hysteria was a dancing madness called St. Vitus's dance, especially common in the German countries: men and women, generally peasants, would form circles and dance round and round frantically as if possessed until they fell to the ground, senseless and foaming at the mouth. Some historians consider the two disastrous "Children's Crusades" as further examples of mass hysteria.
Doctors and Treatment
The major developments during the Middle Ages in medical disciplines were the regulation of physicians' training and organizations, the development of ideas of contagion and policies of public health, and the establishment of ongoing institutions to provide care, if not cure, for the hopelessly ill, aged, or unwanted.
The general populace had little contact with physicians. Thirteenth-century Paris had only a half dozen doctors in public employ, with little time to spend on individual patients. Even in northern Italy and the southern German countries, where physicians were more numerous, it was rare for a sick person to have a continuing therapeutic relationship with a doctor.
The distinction "doctor" in the Middle Ages was restricted to those with high rank and academic connections who spent more time thinking about disease in philosophical terms than in providing care. When supplied with the particulars of a difficult situation, the doctor would compose a consilium, generally at a high fee, but was rarely called upon to carry out his advice. In part, this derives from the later classical period when work with one's hands was considered distinctly inferior to that of the intellect.
Diet was thought extremely important in the treatment of illness, and prescriptions would cover the minutest of details for all sorts of conditions. Perhaps greatest general reliance was placed on broths, milk, and eggs; milk alone was given especial importance in the treatment of consumption. Drugs were used heavily throughout the Middle Ages, and virtually any source might be tapped at one time or another. Plant materials were most often used in the preparation of digestives, laxatives, emetics, diuretics, diaphoretics, styptics, and the like. The most frequently used medication was theriac, which was developed in the ancient world and utilized many ingredients (one of which was viper flesh, thought especially effective against poisons). Numerous imitations, like orvietan, were also used.
Mysticism became more prevalent during the Middle Ages, even as the sciences were more heavily utilized in the development of concepts and treatment of various disease states. Symbolic procedures were thought important not only when used alone (as in the saying of an appropriate chant in the presence of a diseased individual) but even in the preparation of drugs or during surgery. Astrology was also given great weight. Furthermore, with increasing frequency during the later Middle Ages possession by devils was thought to be causally related to specific illness, generally, though not always, with psychological manifestations. For this, only one remedy could possibly be beneficial: exorcism by a priest. Mysticism, however, was extended to many other aspects of medical care. Amulets were commonly used to ward off spirits, and animal parts, especially the genitals, were thought to possess great power. Even the person of the king was thought to be of therapeutic importance, especially in the use of the "royal touch" for the treatment of scrofula (tuberculosis of the neck glands).
Surgery ultimately derived from Greek and Byzantine traditions, at least as transmitted by the Arabists and the schools of Salerno and Montpellier. In general, surgery was limited to wounds, fractures, dislocations, amputations, and the opening of abscesses and fistulas, conditions not easily ignored�at least, not for long. The procedures themselves were generally the most simple and direct possible: cut it off or out. The Arab tradition of using cautery in preference to ligation persisted. Complicated procedures for the most part were eschewed if possible, and the repair of hernias and the removal of bladder stones were uncommon. Suturing (often with human hair for thread) was known but rare. Considerable advances, however, were made in the treatment of eye diseases, as both cataract operations and the use of spectacles became more prevalent.
Although medical treatment in the Middle Ages remains for us a bizarre combination of science and mysticism, this combination was not necessarily problematic to contemporary observers and derived ultimately from a redefinition of the classical conception of humors. It didn't make much difference why there was an excess of a certain quality�or substance�in a portion of the body; it was more important to get rid of the imbalance. If an invocation or a purgative did the job, so much the better for not requiring anything more severe. But at times this would not be sufficient, and more drastic procedures were utilized. The most popular of these was bloodletting. Not unexpectedly, a physician might advise venesection but would rarely think of actually performing it. The surgeons who did this were thought unfit to receive any training beyond the obvious. Slowly, however, during the later medieval period, surgeons began to branch into two groups: those with greater education and those increasingly identified with the barbers. (It is difficult for us today to fathom the wide range of concerns allocated to barbers in the past�not just the care of locks and beard but also tooth-pulling, minor operations, the setting of bones and the like.) In France, the distinction between these two varieties of surgeons was given not only functional but legal definition.
If the pharmacy can be looked upon as the medieval workshop of the physician and of those whose vocations derived from the doctor, the public bath was the environment of the surgeon, although in the reliance of both upon diet a certain intermingling was obvious. There was much variety in the public baths. Many had tubs and vats, others often utilized steam therapeutically. Some baths were not restricted to one sex and gave bathing a notoriety which led to their being closed down. Often after a bath treatment, bloodletting would be performed, and the results were thought to be preferable to either being done separately.
Albert S. Lyons
| Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis |
Which former Derby County, Sunderland and Arsenalfootballer is the only Estonian ever to have played in the Premier League? | What was the King's Evil?
What was the King's Evil?
Charles II touching a patient for the king's evil (scrofula)
Image courtesy of Wellcome Library CC BY 4.0
When touching a monarch was believed to be a cure for illness.
The King's Evil was the name given to scrofula, the swelling of the bones and lymphatic glands in the neck. Now recognised to be tuberculosis.
From the time of Edward the Confessor, King of England 1003-1066, it was a superstitious belief that the disease could be cured by royal touch. This belief of the curing touch of a monarch was to be found only in Britain and France.
Succeeding Kings and Queens would hold ceremonies known as 'Touching for the King's Evil' where hundreds of people suffering from the disease would kneel before them and be touched by the monarch's hand. The ceremonies varied between the two countries. Some monarchs were hesitant to carry out the ceremony when plague and other diseases where ravaging the country, but they also realised the importance of the ceremony for the people and recognised that it could make them unpopular if they did not hold the ceremony.
However, not all held the popular belief in the ceremony. James I of England believed it to be superstition, and during the Commonwealth period after the execution of Charles I, Parliament naturally thought it superstitious.
On the restoration of the monarchy and its traditions, King Charles II restarted the ceremony. During his reign touched almost 100,000 people. On 6 July 1660 one of the ceremonies was witnessed by the diarist Evelyn .
"His Majesty sitting under his state [canopy] in the Banqueting-House, the chirurgeons [surgeons] caused the sick to be brought or led, up to the throne, where they kneeling, the King strokes their faces or cheeks with both his hands at once, at which instant a chaplain in his formalities says, 'He put his hands upon them, and he healed them.'" This is said to every one in particular. When they have been all touched, they come up again in the same order, and the other chaplain kneeling, and having angel [coin] gold strung on white ribbon on his arm, delivers them one by one to his Majesty, who puts them about the necks of the touched as they pass, while the first chaplain repeats, "That is the true light who came into the world."
The ceremony concluded with a reading from the bible, prayers and a blessing. Then the King's hands were washed.
Samuel Pepys, the great diarist, witnessed the ceremony a few months later on 13th April 1661 . He wrote, "I went to the Banquethouse, and there saw the King heal, the first time that ever I saw him do it; which he did with great gravity, and it seemed to me to be an ugly office and a simple one."
In 1712 Queen Anne touched a 2 year old boy. This was Samuel Johnson who later became famous for his dictionary.
The practice in Britain stopped after Queen Anne, but continued in France until 1825.
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Which musical, that opened in 2003 and based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, is set in the fictional land of 'Oz'? | Upcoming Wicked Film to Feature New Songs by Stephen Schwartz - TheaterMania.com
Upcoming Wicked Film to Feature New Songs by Stephen Schwartz
Schwartz has revealed details about the movie version of his iconic musical.
The long-running musical Wicked will finally hit the big screen.
(© Joan Marcus)
While a release date is still not officially set, new details about the upcoming film version of the international hit musical Wicked have been released by composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz.
Based on the novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is set in the land of Oz and tells the story of young girls Glinda and Elphaba, who grow up to become Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively.
At San Diego Comic-Con, Schwartz revealed that he will pen new songs for the film, as well as a cut tune from the Broadway production. He and original book writer Winnie Holzman are collaborating on the screenplay. Stephen Daldry is set to direct.
Featuring music and lyrics by Schwartz and a book by Holzman, the stage production is directed by Joe Mantello. The show has amassed over $4 billion (in May) and been seen by over 50 million people (in March). The show opened October 30, 2003, making it currently the 10th-longest-running production in Broadway history.
Additional details will be released in the future.
| The Wicked |
Which gas is the most chemically reactive to all the elements, to the extentthat water will burn in it? | Wicked Tickets - Buy Tickets to Wicked on Broadway
Wicked
Wicked Tickets
You might not have thought that a play based on a 50-year old classic movie would be a hit, but the producers of Wicked must have known something the rest of us did not. Wicked bills itself as the "Untold Story of the Witches of Oz", and it has quickly become one of the most popular musicals on Broadway. Wicked tickets sell out regularly, proof of the musical's enduring appeal.
Wicked features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, with a book by Winnie Holzman. The pair is responsible for selling countless Wicket tickets during the musical's run. The idea behind Wicked is not new; the concept is based on a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire.
That novel, "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". This parallel story to the original Wizard of Oz book by L. Frank Baum tells a story that is both recognizable and new. Perhaps that is what made is so popular, and what brought it to the attention of the original producers.
Unlike the original Wizard of Oz book and movie, which tells the story of Dorothy, Wicked takes a different approach. Wicked the musical, like the novel that inspired it, tells its story from the point of view of the witches who inhabit the magical land of Oz. You can see the musical and sing along whenever you are in New York City, or you can score Wicked tickets when the touring show comes to your town.
The story told by Wicked the musical starts before the arrival of Dorothy, and it continues after she blows in from Kansas. As you might imagine, the witches have quite a story to tell, and that is what makes Wicked such a creative and entertaining musical - and why so many people are lining up for Wicked tickets.
Wicked tickets first went on sale when the musical opened on Broadway in 2003. The original cast included Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth and Joel Gray. That lineup was a big hit, and Wicked quickly garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success. Wicked won three Tony Awards and six drama awards, and the original cast item garnered a Grammy Award.
The musical recently celebrated its 10 th anniversary, and Wicked tickets are still hot sellers on Broadway. With over 4,155 performances, Wicked is now the 11th longest-running Broadway show in history, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can find the best seats in the house by going to OnlineTicketsUSA.com. The site is your one-stop shop for all things Wicked, from the latest Broadway performances to touring companies currently in production across the country.
If you think you know all there is to know about the Wizard of Oz, think again. You may know the story from Dorothy's point of view, but watching Wicked and singing the infectious songs will give you a whole new take on this classic story.
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The Stephen Sondheim musical 'Sunday In The Park With George' was inspired by a painting by which French artist? | Sunday in the Park with George | Guthrie Theater
Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George
June 17 - August 20, 2017 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage
Single tickets on sale Wed. 2/1/17 at 11 a.m.
music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
book by James Lapine
directed by Joseph Haj
Stephen Sondheim’s artistic masterpiece
Inspired by Georges Seurat’s famous painting, this dazzling musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, two of the greatest musical theater artists of our time, merges past and present into a poignant and sophisticated exploration of what it takes, and what it costs, to be an artist. George is an obsessive painter who risks it all, including his relationship with his lover Dot, to complete his latest masterpiece. A century later, George’s great-grandson is working as an artist in New York City. In search of inspiration, he soon discovers that the answer to his future is painted clearly in his past.
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| Georges Seurat |
Spheniscus mendiculusis the scientific name for the only Penguin to live in equatorial waters; by what name is it commonly known? | Stephen Sondheim | The Stars | Broadway: The American Musical | PBS
Composers, Lyricists & Writers
Stephen Sondheim
Active in major Broadway productions of American musical theater beginning in 1957, composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim (born 1930) redefined the Broadway musical form with his innovative and award winning productions. He continued to be a major force in the shaping of this genre into the 1980s.
American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is mainly known for his stage works, which include “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (1962); “Anyone Can Whistle” (1964); “Company” (1970); “Follies” (1971); and “A Little Night Music” (1973). He is known for his collaborations with Leonard Bernstein as lyricist for “West Side Story” (1957) and “Candide” (1974), and with Richard Rogers on “Do I Hear a Waltz” (1965). Sondheim’s partnership with the director/producer Hal Prince resulted in Tony Awards for Best Musical Scores for three consecutive years (1971-1973), and “Pacific Overtures” (1976) was hailed as a landmark in American musical theater because of its masterful use of traditional Japanese theater elements. In 1984, Sondheim paired himself with James Lapine to put together “Sunday in the Park with George,” a musical inspired by a Georges Seurat painting.
Sondheim was born into a prosperous business family on March 22, 1930. He studied piano for two years while very young and continued his interest in the musical stage throughout his education. Sondheim’s parents divorced in 1942 and his mother took up residence in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, close to the summertime residence of Oscar Hammerstein II. As a friend of Hammerstein’s son, Sondheim was able to ask the famous librettist for an evaluation of his first stage work, a high school production produced at the age of 15. Hammerstein’s critical evaluation of “By George” initiated a four-year relationship that was decisive in formulating the young artist’s style. As Hammerstein’s personal assistant, Sondheim gained entry into the world of professional theater.
While attending Williams College he performed duties in the preparation and rehearsals of the Rogers and Hammerstein productions of “South Pacific” and “The King and I.” Upon graduation he won the Hutchinson Prize, which enabled him to study composition at Princeton University with Milton Babbitt.
Sondheim began his professional career in television by writing scripts for the TOPPER and THE LAST WORD series and incidental music for the Broadway musical “Girls of Summer.” Shortly thereafter he made the acquaintance of Arthur Laurents, who introduced him to Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein as the possible lyricist for “West Side Story,” which was produced in 1957. The young songwriter found himself involved in one of the most successful shows ever produced on Broadway. Sondheim followed this success by collaborating on the Broadway production of “Gypsy” in 1959, distinguishing himself as one of the great young talents in American musical theater.
Intent on broadening his talents, Sondheim sought productions where he could use his musical as well as lyrical expertise. He produced “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 1962 … a bawdy farce based on the plays of Plautus. The show had an impressive run of almost 1,000 performances, won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and was made into a successful film in 1966.
A scene from Sondheim's "A Little Night Music."
Sondheim followed with two less successful ventures: “Anyone Can Whistle” (1964) and “Do I Hear a Waltz” (1965). Although both failed commercially, Sondheim contributed songs of high quality.
In 1970 Sondheim produced “Company,” which once again won him unanimous praise from the critics. The production was awarded the Drama Critics and Tony Awards for Best Musical of the season, and Sondheim received awards for the best composer and best lyricist. One critic commented that “Company” “is absolutely first rate … the freshest … in years … This is a wonderful musical score, the one that Broadway has long needed. …” The following year Sondheim produced “Follies,” a retrospective of the “Ziegfield Follies,” in which the composer blended the nostalgia of popular songs of the past with his own style of sentimental ballad. He was awarded both the Drama Critics and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical of 1971.
In “A Little Night Music” (1973) Sondheim exposed his strong background in classical music. It was described by critics as reminiscent of Mahler, Strauss, Ravel, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. Another Tony Award winner, “A Little Night Music” also included his first commercial hit song, “Send in the Clowns.”
Noteworthy as a relentless innovator, Sondheim collaborated with Hal Prince on “Pacific Overtures” (1976). In an attempt to relate the westernization of Japan with the commercialized present, Sondheim fused the unlikely elements of Haiku poetry, Japanese pentatonic scales, and Kabuki theater with contemporary stage techniques in a production that was hailed as a successful Broadway hit. He followed this with “Sweeney Todd” (1979), the melodramatic story of the demon barber of Fleet Street who conspired with the neighborhood baker to supply her with sufficient barbershop victims for her meat pies. Less funny than tragic, “Sweeney Todd” explored the dark side of the 19th-century English social system.
Sondheim’s talent derived from his ability to cross genres of music and theater to offer Broadway audiences works of remarkable craft on unexpected subjects that challenged and tested the form of the American musical. Sondheim explored issues of contemporary life; marriage and relationships in “Company”; madness and the human condition in “Anyone Can Whistle”; nostalgia and sentiment in “Follies”; Western imperialism in “Pacific Overtures”; and injustice and revenge in “Sweeney Todd.”
Stephen Sondheim
"A Funny Thing Happended on the Way to the Forum"
"Gypsy"
"Sunday in the Park with George"
"Sweeney Todd"
Jerome Robbins
Jule Styne
Sondheim avoided filler in his lyrics and concentrated on direct impact through verbal interplay. His lyrics were witty without his ever sacrificing integrity for superficially clever rhyme. Similarly, he maintained his musical individuality even while operating in the adopted Eastern musical style of “Pacific Overtures.” Sondheim’s consistent ability to merge words and music that hint at the deeper personality beneath the prototype character distinguished him as a composer of rare ingenuity and talent.
“Side by Side by Sondheim,” a musical tribute to the artist, was successfully produced in 1976. Sondheim’s later works included the film score for REDS (1981) and “Sunday in the Park with George” (1984), which won a 1985 Pulitzer Prize. “Into the Woods” was another musical hit on Broadway in 1987.
Sondheim participated on the council of the Dramatists Guild and served as its president from 1973 to 1981. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1983. He won the 1990 Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” from the movie DICK TRACY.
Sondheim composed the music for the ABC television presentation TIME WARNER PRESENTS THE EARTH DAY SPECIAL (1990). In 1992, he declined a National Medal of Arts Award, from the National Endowment for the Arts.
On July 4, 2000, Sondheim was given the Praemium Imperiale award by the Japan Art Association. He was honored for his work in film and theater.
Source: Excerpted from ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD BIOGRAPHY, 2ND ED. 17 VOLS., Gale Research, © 1998 Gale Research. Reprinted by permission of The Gale Group.
Photo credits: Photofest and Martha Swope
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Which metallic element has the highest melting point? | Which Material Has the Highest Melting Point? (with pictures)
Which Material Has the Highest Melting Point?
Last Modified Date: 19 January 2017
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This is a difficult question to answer because new materials and alloys are being created all the time, and the material with the highest melting point now could change as new compounds are synthesized. Currently the record-holder is tantalum hafnium carbide (Ta4HfC5), a refractory compound with a melting point of 4488 K (4215 °C, 7619 °F). By mixing together various metals to create alloys, even higher melting points can be achieved. Materials with such exceptional physical properties are sometimes referred to as superalloys.
The chemical element with the highest melting point is carbon , at 4300–4700 K(4027–4427 °C, 7280–8000 °F). The second highest melting point of the chemical elements is tungsten , at 3695 K (3422 °C, 6192 °F), which is why it is used as a filament for light bulbs. Sometimes tungsten is called the element with the highest melting point because carbon does not actually melt under atmospheric pressure, rather it sublimates (transitions directly from a solid to a gas) at 4000 K (3727 °C, 6740 °F).
When very high melting points are desired in a piece of hardware, sometimes ceramics are used. One example is during Project Pluto in the 1950s, when American scientists attempted to create a nuclear-powered ballistic missile with an unshielded, gigawatt-level reactor. The reactor produced such immense heat that a ceramic chassis and components were necessary.
Under extreme pressures, the melting point increases. The Earth’s inner core of iron, for example, has a temperature of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 °C (>9,000 °F), yet it is solid, because the pressure there is about 3 million times greater than on the surface. Conversely, when the pressure is decreased, so does the melting point. On the surface of Mars, pressure is so low that any liquid water would evaporate almost immediately. This is why we have observed evidence of small temporary springs being created on Mars but no permanent bodies of water.
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Jaime Moreno, who briefly played for Middlesborough in 1995/96 season, is the only footballer from which country to have played in the Premier League? | Melting Points of Metals vs. Nonmetals | The Classroom | Synonym
Melting Points of Metals vs. Nonmetals
by Scott Auerbach
Most elements, except those on the upper right hand corner of the periodic table, are classified as metals.
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The melting point of an element is when it converts from solid form to a liquid. Metals, which are physically flexible elements that can conduct heat and electricity, tend to be solid at room temperature due to their relatively high melting points. Nonmetals, which are physically weak and poor conductors of heat and electricity, can be solid, liquid or gaseous, depending on the element. Melting points of both metals and nonmetals vary widely, but metals tend to melt at higher temperatures.
Melting Point Patterns
Once you include the melting points of all the elements on the periodic table, a pattern emerges. As you move from left to right on a period -- a horizontal row --, the melting point of the elements start to increase, then they peak at Group 14 -- the vertical column with carbon at the top -- and finally they decrease as you approach the right-hand side. As you move from top to bottom on the table, the rise and fall pattern gets smaller, meaning that elements on lower periods have more similar melting points.
Types of Bonding That Increase Melting Point
There are two types of bonding that lead to higher melting points: covalent and metallic. Covalent bonds are when electron pairs are shared equally between atoms, and they pull atoms even closer together if multiple pairs of electrons are involved. Metallic bonds involve electrons that are delocalized: they float between many atoms, not just two, and positively charged nuclei are firmly bound to the surrounding "sea" of electrons.
What Lowers the Melting Point
As strong bonds between atoms give elements higher melting points, it is also true that lower melting points are a result of weaker bonds or a lack of bonds between atoms. Mercury, the metal with the lowest melting point -- -38.9 degrees Celsius or -37.9 degrees Fahrenheit -- cannot form any bonds since it has zero electron affinity. A lot of nonmetals, like oxygen and chlorine are highly electronegative: they have high affinity for electrons and effectively pry them from the other atom, so the bond breaks easily. As a result, these nonmetals have subzero melting point temperatures.
Refractory Metals
Although many metals have high melting points, there is a select group of a few elements that have exceptionally high melting points and are physically strong. These are refractory metals, or metals with a melting point of at least 2,000 degrees Celsius, or 3,632 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result of their tolerance to heat, they are used in a variety of equipment, from microelectronics to rockets. For example, the metals tungsten and molybdenum are being considered for building material at power plants because of their exceptionally high melting points that allow enormous heat resistance.
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Which island in the Inner Hebrides became a burial place for several kings of Scotland, Ireland and Norway? | Iona | island, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom | Britannica.com
island, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Scotland 1980s overview
Iona, island of the Inner Hebrides , Strathclyde region, Scotland . It is 3 miles (5 km) long by 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, with its highest point just under 330 feet (100 m) above sea level, and is separated by the Sound of Iona (0.7 miles [1.1 km] wide) from the large island of Mull . Most of the island is rough grazing land, but there is some permanent pasture, and sheep and cattle are raised. Tourism and crofting (small-scale farming) are the main economic activities.
West facade of the Cathedral of St. Mary, with St. Martin’s Cross, Iona, Scotland
A.F. Kersting
Iona was readily accessible by sea from Ireland , and it was here that St. Columba landed in ad 563 to begin his Christianization of Scotland. From his monastery on Iona, Columba established the Celtic church and sent missionaries throughout mainland and insular Scotland. He died in 597 and was buried on the island.
During the period from 795 to the late 10th century, the pagan Norsemen repeatedly invaded the island. The original monastery was burned down and the monks murdered. Iona’s insecurity led to the transfer in 849 of the relics of St. Columba to the safety of Kells in Ireland. By the 11th century the monastery had been rebuilt and was included by the Norsemen (by now converted to Christianity) in their diocese of Man and the Isles. In 1154 this see was put under the archbishop of Trondheim, in Norway, and it retained this status until 1266, when the Hebrides were ceded to Scotland.
Throughout centuries of invasion and warfare, the reputation of the island as a holy place flourished, and it became the burial place of Scottish, Irish, and Norwegian kings. The monastery was suppressed after the Protestant Reformation, and in 1693 the island passed into the overlordship of the Campbells of Argyll , until 1899, when the 8th duke of Argyll presented the ruined abbey to the Church of Scotland . The abbey was gradually rebuilt and was opened again for public worship in 1912. In 1938 George MacLeod, a Glasgow minister, founded the Iona Community . Pop. (2001) 125.
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| Iona |
Which archipelago of islands, west of the Outer Hebrides,is named after a non-existent saint? | Isle of Iona Travel Guide - Scotland
Isle of Iona Travel Guide - Scotland
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The Isle of Iona is located in the Inner Hebrides of >Scotland. The island only measures one mile by 3.5 miles so you won't have any difficulty walking the full length of the island to enjoy its delights. The original name is Chaluim Chille, or Saint Columba's Isle and it is only a mile from the coast of Mull. Isle of Iona dates back to 563 when St. Columba landed here and founded a monastery. Using this as a base, he and his followers set out to bring Christianity to the rest of Scotland and parts of northern England. Many people from all over the world made pilgrimages to Iona and it became the sacred burial place for the Kings of Scotland, Norway and Ireland. The National Trust of Scotland maintains the island and takes care of all the historic sites and monuments.
There are many that believe The Book of Kells originated on the Isle of Iona. The Benedictine abbey that stands on this island dates back to the 13th century. The religious influence of the island is still being felt in modern times. This is the site of the Iona Community, a religious group of all denominations seeking to find their own way to live the gospel of Jesus. There are three residential centres that welcome anyone who wishes to come and live within this community.
The Iona Abbey is the site of many pilgrimages, even to this day, as people come to see St. Martin's Cross, which dates back to the 8th century. Visit the Iona Nunnery, which also has withstood the test of time since the 13th century. Learn about the lives of the people who have lived on this island throughout the centuries with a visit to the Iona Heritage Museum.
In addition to its religious attractions, this island is a haven for wildlife. Here you can see all kinds of animals roaming freely. Watch the dolphins and whales as they play in the water. You can hire a boat to take you around the island to see the many caves and geological formations, to see the sea birds and seals or to try your hand at handline fishing. If you like to stay on land, rent a bicycle and explore on your own. Take a day sightseeing trip in which you can see and hear the exciting stories about all the places on the island.
The Isle of Iona offers a unique shopping experience to all its visitors. The Iona Abbey Shop, operated by Historic Scotland, has a wide variety of locally made crafts and goods that make excellent souvenirs to take home from your visit. There are also general stores here and several craft stores, bookstores and a shop selling authentic Celtic jewellery. See pottery and ceramics being made that reflect land and seascapes and purchase some of the beautiful pieces to take back home with you. Whether you want to stay in a hotel, a bed and breakfast located in a traditional home or rent a cottage for the duration of your visit, you have these options when you come to Iona.
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The Italian, Guisepe Zanagara was executed for attempting to assassinate which American President? | 20 March 1933 – Giuseppe Zangara | Execution of the day
Execution of the day
20 March 1933 – Giuseppe Zangara
Italian immigrant Giuseppe Zangara was sent to the electric chair for trying to kill the American President.
Having travelled over from Italy to find his fortune in America, he was hit by the depression of the 1920s and early ‘30s. Irritated by his misfortune he turned his anger on the then American President Hoover.
When he was defeated in the polls, Zangara’s ire focused on the successor President Franklin D Roosevelt.
Short arse
As Zangara was only 5ft he couldn’t see over the crowds, so he jumped onto a chair and fired a few indiscriminate shots. The bullets found homes in the mayor of Chicago and four other spectators, but the President escaped unscathed.
The Italian was tried for attempted murder and put away for 84 years and apparently the mayor said that he was glad he’d taken the shot, rather than the president.
Then, as if to test just how glad he was about it, fate dealt him and Zangara a lethal blow.
Although he survived for several weeks, it turned out that Mayor Anton Cermak had taken a fatal shot and when he died from his injuries it meant the State could go after the would be assassin for murder…which they did.
He was found guilty, sentenced to death and a mere 10 days after joining death row, Zangara was unceremoniously plonked on the electric chair in Florida.
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Which telecommunications comany takes its name from the Finnish word for 'Pine Marten'? | Failed Assassins: Would-be Presidential Shooters In History | Nevada Public Radio
Failed Assassins: Would-be Presidential Shooters In History
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Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, 24, tells details of her arrest as she talks through a glass panel in the women's jail at Stockton, Calif. in 1972. Fromme pointed a gun at President Gerald Ford in 1975.
Jul 27, 2016
by:
Rebecca Hersher
A judge granted John Hinckley Jr. his freedom this week, 35 years after Hinckley shot President Ronald Reagan.
His release from a mental hospital comes with a handful of limitations : Hinckley will live with his elderly mother in Williamsburg, Va., he cannot contact his victims, their relatives or the actress he was obsessed with at the time of the shooting, Jodie Foster.
Hinckley is far from the first would-be presidential assassin to be released from incarceration. Leaving aside the fates of the four men who killed U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy, here are some other notable cases of people who tried to kill presidents, but failed.
Notable Would-Be Assassins
1835 - Richard Lawrence — Shot at Andrew Jackson
This was the first case of someone attempting to assassinate a sitting U.S. president. Lawrence, an unemployed house painter, believed he was King Richard III and that the American government owed him money. He was convinced that if Jackson was no longer in office that vice-president Martin Van Buren would establish a national bank, which would then repay him the money he was owed. As Jackson left the Capitol Building, Lawrence pulled a gun on the president but it misfired — twice. The elderly Jackson beat the would-be assassin with his cane before the crowd subdued Lawrence. He was found insane and sent to a mental hospital for the rest of his life. He died in 1861.
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1912 - John F. Schrank — Shot Theodore Roosevelt
Schrank shot Teddy Roosevelt in the chest during a campaign speech in Milwaukee. (At the time of the shooting, Roosevelt was a former president and current candidate for the Republican nomination, which he failed to win.) Roosevelt refused medical care and gave the speech despite the bullet lodged in his chest.
Schrank was found to be suffering from "insane delusions, grandiose in character" and in 1914 he was sentenced to live at a mental hospital, where he stayed for 29 years until he died in 1943, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace historical site.
1933 - Giuseppe Zangara — Shot at Franklin D. Roosevelt
Zangara, an Italian immigrant who fiercely hated politicians, attempted to assassinate Franklin Roosevelt at a rally in a Miami park, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. But at only five-feet tall, he was unable to see over the people in front of him. Standing on a wobbly folding chair, he aimed at Roosevelt but instead shot Chicago's mayor at the time, Anton Cermak. The Chicago Tribune reported that during the ride to the hospital, with Roosevelt at his side, Cermak uttered his famous line: "I am glad it was me instead of you."
Cermak later died from his wounds. Zangara was convicted of murder and died by electric chair just over a month after the shooting.
1950 - Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola — Shot at Harry Truman
Torresola and Collazo were both members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and wanted to gain publicity for independence. When they learned that Truman was staying at Blair House, while the White House was being renovated, they figured he'd be an easy target. But they figured wrong. There was a shoot out at the guard booth. A police officer was killed, as was Torresola.
Collazo was originally sentenced to death for the attack, but Truman commuted the sentence to life in prison. Collazo served 29 years in federal prison before President Jimmy Carter pardoned him in 1979 and he was released, according to his obituary in The New York Times. Collazo died in 1994.
1975 - Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and Sara Jane Moore — Attacked Gerald Ford
Lynette Fromme, known as "Squeaky," attempted to kill Ford in Sacramento, Calif., as he was walking to the California State Capitol building. She was able to get within several feet of Ford, but her semi-automatic pistol failed to fire. Fromme was a follower of the cult leader Charles Manson. Concerned about the fate of California's giant redwood trees, which could be harmed by smog, Fromme wanted to kill the president to set an example to polluters.
Seventeen days later in San Francisco, Sara Jane Moore also attempted to shoot Ford. Her gun fired but her aim was faulty. Both women were sentenced to life in prison , and both have since been released, Fromme in 2009 and Moore in 2007. They were the only women known to have attempted to assassinate an American president.
Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/ .
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In the name of the computing company, for what do the letters 'HP' stand? | Laser Printer Alphabet: C, d, w, t, M, n
Laser Printer Alphabet: C, d, w, t, M, n
by Renee Shipley
Printing is a big part of office life, and purchasing or leasing a laser printer is a big investment for any company. It is important to know the printing needs of your office before you start looking at all the dozens of different printers available. You ll want to consider the type of media you will be printing, the space available where the printer will be placed and how many people in the office will need to print from the same machine.
Once you know the printing needs of your business, it is time to figure out which features come with each laser printer. The laser printer industry has developed an easy-to-understand code that is included in each product name to help consumers quickly identify which features are included with each printer. All those little letters jumbled with numbers do have meaning. Below is a quick rundown on those most commonly used symbols and what they mean.
C The C means that the printer you are researching is a color laser printer. This letter is a bit redundant since most manufactures list color as part of the product name, such as the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise CP4525dn . However, by looking at the product name (CP4525dn) you can quickly determine that it will print in color.
M The opposite of color printers are monochrome laser printers. These printers include M in their product name to show that they only print in black and white. The Samsung ProXpress M3320nd is an example of a laser printer that uses the M to denote monochrome printing.
d The d stands for duplexing. Duplexing is the ability to print on both sides of the paper. A laser printer that has a d in its name will automatically flip the paper and print on the other side, like the Lexmark MS710dn .
n Using the lowercase letter n in a product name means that it has networking capabilities, such as the OKI Data C531dn . Networking allows multiple computers to connect to the same laser printer through the use of cables and a router. Networking is especially convenient if your laser printer supports several operating systems, such as Windows, Mac and Linux. Each of these systems can be connected to the same printer, eliminating the costly need of multiple printers.
w The w stands for wireless. This means you can network multiple users to the same laser printer, such as the Samsung Printer Xpress C410w , without the need for cables. Usually this requires you to purchase a special adapter that attaches to the printer. The number of users that can wirelessly connect to your laser printer depends on the amount of memory that is installed in your machine.
t It isn t often that a manufacturer uses a t in a product name. This letter indicates that the laser printer has a second paper tray. All printers have an input tray that holds the copy paper as it waits to be grabbed and used. Many laser printers have additional input trays that attach to the bottom of the printer and hold even more paper. When a laser printer product name includes a t , like the Lexmark CS410dtn , the machine comes standard with this extra input tray already included.
Now that you know the meaning of those little letters, you will be able to recognize the features of both color, and black and white laser printers at a glance. The more letters that are included in the product name, the more incredible features you will get with the printer. For example, the Brother HL 3170cdw is a color laser printer with duplexing and wireless features, while the Dell 2150cdn can only network with the use of cables. Those little letters are a big help in determining exactly which laser printer you need for your office.
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Which is the only regnal name to be used by British monarchs in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries? | England's Kings and Queens of the 18th Century - 18th Century History -- The Age of Reason and Change
England's Kings and Queens of the 18th Century
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The 18th century was the Age of Revolution. Revolutions in thinking especially in the way, people thought about government and who held the power. We see these changes in the movement towards democracy.
To be sure not the type of Democracy of the 20th century but the beginnings of this form of government. The Roots of Democracy as we know it today can be found in England during the mid-17th century. Parliamentary Democracy challenged and to a certain extent, replaced Monarchial rule.
The Monarchy became a "ceremonial head" of government. Where the government is now in the hands of the Prime Minister , and the monarch only presides at ceremonial and traditional events.
The British Monarchy
The British Empire at the time of the 18th century was just beginning. Today however, all that is left of this once great empire is the Nation and Commonwealth of Great Britain.
Royal Houses
The two main houses of rule during the 18th century were:
1. The House of Stuart
The Stuarts reigned over Britain during the 17th century to the early 18th century. In fact, the Stuarts were forcefully removed from the throne during the Glorious Revolution. In 1689, William and Mary came to power after they agreed to Parliaments conditions. They continued to rule until 1714, when Queen Anne died.
2. The House of Hanover
In 1714, the new house, the Hanoverians of Germany came to the throne of Britain. This House presided over England during the American and French Revolutions. Of all the Kings of this House, George III, actually tried to rule as King of the British Empire. George III was also known as the "Mad King."
The Monarchs
By looking at each monarch, and a few of their accomplishments, gives you an idea of the state of political affairs in the world at this time. However, by no means complete, it will give you an idea on how the world was beginning to view politics. We will begin with the House of Stuart.
House of Stuarts
William III and Mary II (until her death in 1694)
Parliament was careful to lay down conditions for the new sovereigns. William and Mary accepted its Declaration of Rights , and Parliament speedily enacted it into law as the famous Bill of Rights .
The act made the king responsible to Parliament and subject to the law and provided that henceforth no Roman Catholic could wear England's crown. Parliament, and not inheritance or divine right, would determine the succession to the throne.
This was the fruit of the so-called Glorious Revolution , a revolution without bloodshed. John Locke published a defense of the Revolution in which he proclaimed the supremacy of the legislative assembly as the voice of the people.
During their reign, they had resided over the war of the Spanish Succession. Here is William's address to Parliament on the " French Question ."
1702-14
Queen Anne
The most notable event during Anne's reign was The Act of Union (1707), which united England with Scotland into a single kingdom, called Great Britain, and joined their Parliaments. Thereafter the government and the Parliament in London was called British rather than English. Since 1603, the two nations had been loosely associated under the same king.
House of Hanover
George I
George did not speak English, and he was involved in his beloved Hanover that he took little interest in British affairs. He soon began to stay away from meetings of his inner council, or cabinet, and left the government in the hands of Sir Robert Walpole, the able Whig leader.
1727-60
George II, who ruled 1727-60, also stayed away from meetings of his ministers. Walpole, who became the first Prime minister of the government, selected his colleagues, and insisted they work with him or leave the cabinet.
1760-1820
George III
Before the Seven Years' War ended, George III began his 60-year reign, 1760-1820. Determined to "be a king" and quite unfit to be one, he got rid of Pitt and put his own Tory friends in power.
The Tory government imposed new taxes on the American Colonies. The colonists insisted the British Parliament had no right to tax them without their consent. Pitt and Edmund Burke counseled compromise, but George III and his ministers obstinately insisted on their course.
He sent troops to enforce the decrees, and the colonists met force with force. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted a Declaration of Independence. Two years later France entered the war on the side of the colonists. The Americans finally won their independence, and Britain lost the most valuable part of its colonial empire.
George III's attempt at personal rule was completely discredited. Parliament regained its leadership. William Pitt, second son of the earl of Chatham, became prime minister in 1783 and held the position for 17 years.
Biographical Data
For an interesting look into these Monarchs and others that were a part of the British government you can visit Monarchs of Britain at Britannia.com.
This list of famous, or infamous if you prefer, individuals will help you get started.
| George |
As cartographers do not consider Chile to have an Atlantic coastline, which is the only South American country to have both Atlantic and Pacific coastlines? | Will Prince William Be Prince Of Wales? – Royal Central
Besides which, it’s already held by Prince Andrew at the moment…
Jeannie
Right, and the Duke of York will become available only when he passes, because he has 2 daughters, not sons…
denise maguire
Andrew is already the Duke of York, it’s not an open title. Now when he passes who will it go to?
WeAreNotAmused
Prince Edward was created Earl of Wessex until the Dukedom of Edinburgh becomes available. He will be granted the Dukedom of Edinburgh only after the current Duke dies and the Prince of Wales ascends the throne.
Jeannie
I thought the Duke of York was for 2nd sons…I know that Prince Andrew still is the Duke of York. I guess people are living much longer now, at least in the Royal Family….
I like the sound of Prince Henry, Duke of Exeter or Duke of Manchester. (have no idea if they are available.)
Royal Titler
Prince Harry = Baron Bum
Shane
Providing the new King (Charles) creates his eldest son Prince William, The Prince of Wales, there is no reason why Catherine should not be Princess of Wales (being the wife of the Prince of Wales). With all due respect to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, she was not the only Princess of Wales in history nor should she be the last — no one is that ‘great’ or ‘memorable’. I am sure that Diana herself would not want to see her eldest son’s wife be deprived of her rightful title out of some over done homage to her memory.
A. P. Schrader
Of course, it is also perfectly true that HRH The Duchess of Cornwall IS also the Princess of Wales, though she chooses not to use that title out of deference to her husband’s first wife, the mother of her two step-children. I do hope, however, that they will re-think all this ‘Princess Consort’ nonsense. I see absolutely no reason why, when HRH The Prince of Wales becoming King, his wife should not be known by her correct title as ‘HM The Queen’ or ‘Queen Camilla’.
Will Larson
Queen Camilla, Hahahaha!
WeAreNotAmused
A consort is not entitled to be addressed as HM; that designation applies only to regnant queens
Royal Central
Not true: Queens consort have their style matching their husband, therefore the wife of a King would be ‘Her Majesty The Queen’
Steve Warford
Camilla is divorced. I know Charles was too but his ex-wife is dead. I know divorce is more common now in the royal family too. Is her ex-husband still living? Remember the Duchess of Windsor was divorced and caused a royal crisis. They have long memories in Buckingham Palace. It is one thing to be divorced and be royal – it another to be Queen. Of course the Duchess of Windsor was a divorced AMERICAN – a significant difference.
Paula Burton
The reason that Albert was Prince Consort had more to do with 1 him being german and 2 the problems making Mary Tudor’s husband king
Maddie
When Camilla becomes Queen, that’s when Australia and New Zealand will bolt from the Commonwealth.
Michael
No way. ⅔’s of NZ & Aus never marry though they have kids. It’s not an issue. With Wills in line it’s set.
Western Civ
When William ascends to the Throne, he won’t necessarily be King William V. He can choose a different regnal name.
It is widely believed that Prince Charles will take the name of King George VII in honor of his grandfather, George VI. I don’t see how Charles could take his own name (Charles III), given its unhappy association with his Stuart predecessor who lost his head.
But William V has a happy ring to it. King William IV (1830-37) may have been a philanderer, but he rose to the occasion of his unexpected kingship by supporting major reforms, including the abolition of slavery and expansion of voting rights which helped save the British Monarchy from the fate of other monarchies on the continent.
May God extend our present Elizabethan age, and may she not be succeeded for many more years to come!
Royal Central
We are aware Prince William could choose a different regnal name, though it’s almost not worth considering as none of his other names have history in the Monarchy and he’ll surely want to keep his own name.
Prince Charles could be King Charles III, there is really no reason he couldn’t be. For example, Edward VIII abdicated in scandal in 1936, though you can guarantee there’ll be more King Edwards.
Martin Pilon
I think he should be Charles III. It has been over 300 years since the Stuarts. And being the Heir so long has made the name Charles closely associated with him. It would seem foolish to change his name after over 60 years. If he had become a king younger that might have proved a good option, not so late in life.
A. P. Schrader
I would have no problem with ‘King Charles III’ either but it might be a canny move to opt for ‘George VII’, as I think if he sticks with Charles then the popular press will continue to refer to him simply as ‘Charles’ instead of by his correct title as “the King”. You never hear the Queen referred to in the media as ‘Elizabeth’ but it has become commonplace to refer to other members of the Royal Family simply by their Christian names. I actually find this rather impudent and I certainly don’t think the King should ever be referred to as such. I find it hard to believe that, should HRH opt for ‘George VII’ as his regnal name, that the press will start referring to him as ‘George’. A few, may, stick stubbornly with Charles but, actually, I think most would switch to ‘the King’ and we’d finally see an end to references to ‘Charlie Boy’.
Janine Daly
i was not aware that HRH Prince Charles was able to take the throne on the grounds that he was divorced and also married a divorcee as they are very steeped in tradition this states that he should abdicate his position to the throne to his heir which is Prince William.
A. P. Schrader
Show me the Act of Parliament that bars divorcees or those married to divorcees from the throne. Just because the Gov’t in 1936 took one view, does not mean that their successors are bound to take the same view. A previous gov’t took the view that Princess Margaret could not marry Group Captain Peter Townsend because he was divorced but, when the Prince of Wales re-married, the gov’t of the day took a different view. Times change and so should we. It was wrong to force King Edward VIII to abdicate in 1936 because he happened to have fallen in love with a woman who was divorced (God knows there were plenty of other good reasons to force him to abdicate, but not that!). I would like to think we have moved on over the last 78 years. Divorce is very common nowadays – sad to say, but it is – and I don’t think we should hold the Royal Family to an impossible standard. Divorce is a reality. It could prove problematic: Don’t forget, three out of four of the current monarch’s children are divorcees. We start excluding all divorcees from the succession, I think we’re going to run into problems very quickly!
denise maguire
Edward abdicated because the current mindset was that he wanted to marry a divorcee who had 2 living husbands. That was the story. The real reason was that he just didn’t want to be king. And it wouldn’t have sat well to just quit because he just didn’t want to do it. That’s NOT what you do. Stiff upper lip and all that.
Jeannie
Well, it was only a civil marriage, not recognized (only blessed) by the Church.
Vancouverois
That’s an ironic position to take, since it’s based in the Monarch’s position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England… and we all know that Henry VIII started the Church of England in order to grant himself a divorce.
denise maguire
I guess he felt that just killing them off was getting old.. LOL
Jeannie
King Henry vIII created the Church of England to divorce his 1st wife, I thought, then killed some of the others….
A. P. Schrader
You say it’s “not worth considering” but weren’t you as surprised as I when the former Prince of Orange opted to becoming King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands instead of the anticipated ‘King Willem IV’? I know I was. I do agree though, I would think it unlikely that the Duke of Cambridge would choose a different regnal name, for the reason you mention. Though he can choose any name he wants technically. It doesn’t even have to be one of his own given names. He could chose to be ‘King Constantine III’ or ‘King Stephen II’. It’s entirely up to him.
James
Well, he couldn’t call himself Constantine III as there are no Constantine I or II in the history of English and British monarchs. Your point is taken, though.
Vancouverois
Prince Charles could indeed be King Charles III, but I too have heard that he intends to be called George VII. And weren’t both Edward VII and his grandson George VI actually called “Bertie” within their families? I believe it’s become something of a tradition. And I think AP Schrader, below, has a good point as to why it might be a good idea.
Arthur
The title King Charles III would be contentious especially in Scotland. There was enough of a to-do when Elizabeth II ascended the throne as Elizabeth I was not Queen of Scotland. Charles is said to be in favour of being George VIII? Thought to be in honour of his Grandfather. My view is it’s the Scottish thing.
vegastearoom
| i don't know |
In Norse mythology, what type of creatures were 'Toothgrinder' and 'Toothgnasher', who drew Thor's flying chariot? | Characters in Norse Mythology
Characters in Norse Mythology
The sources used in constructing this page include, but are not limited to, An Introduction to Viking Mythology (Grant), Bullfinch's Mythology (Martin), The Children of Odin (Colum), The Downfall of the Gods (Sorenson), Gods and Myths of Northern Europe (Davidson), Myths of the Norsemen (Guerber), Myths of the Norsemen (Green), Nordic Gods and Heroes (Colum), Norse Mythology (Cotterell), Norse Mythology A to Z (Daly), The Norse Myths (Crossley-Holland), The Poetic Edda (Hollander), The Prose Edda (Faulkes), The Prose Edda (Young), Scandanavian Mythology (Davidson), The Usborne Book of Greek and Norse Legends (Blundell).
Personalities Associated with Norse Mythology
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ægir - One of the three sea divinities, the other two being Njord and Mimir . He is said to belong to an older dynasty of gods, for he is not ranked among the Æsir , the Vanir , the giants, dwarfs, or elves, but is considered omnipotent within his realm.
Ai - Great-grandfather. Husband of Edda . (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men ).
Aldsvider - The horse that draws the chariot carrying the moon across the sky.
Alf, Alfs - Elf, elves. This is the name given to the elves in norse mythology. The elves are usually divided into two groups, the light elves and the dark elves. According to some sources the dark elves are the same as the dwarves.
Alfheim - The home of the light elves, this is the world that Freyr ruled over.
Alfrigg - One of the four dwarves who crafted Brisings' Necklace .
Alsvidh - One of the horses that draws the chariot carrying the sun. The other is Arvak .
Alvis - A dwarf who was promised Thrud , Thor's daughter. When Thor heard this he challenged Alvis to a test of knowledge that lasted until the next dawn. When the first rays of dawn struck Alvis, he turned to stone.
Annar - The second husband of Night , father of Earth . (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men ).
Arvak - One of the horses that draws the chariot carrying the sun. The other is Alsvidh .
Asgard - The home of the Æsir , one of the nine worlds of norse mythology. Asgard was the topmost level of the nine worlds. The Æsir gods and goddesses had their mansions and palaces here. Asgard was connected to Midgard by the rainbow bridge, Bifrost . Asgard is surrounded by a strong wall built by a giant. (See Asgard's Wall and the Giant Builder for the story.)
Aud - The son of Night and Naglfari .
Audhumbla, Audhumla - The primal cow, formed at the creation of the world. She appeared at the same time as Ymir who fed off of her milk. She received her nourishment from licking the salty ice that abounded in Ginunngagap . Her licking uncovered Buri , the first ancestor of the gods. (See the Creation for more information.)
Aurvandil - Husband of Groa . He was carried out of Jotunheim by Thor but one of his (Aurvandil's) toes had been sticking out of the basket and was frozen. This toe was taken by Thor and placed into the heavens where it became a star, Aurvandil's Toe.
Balder - The most beautiful of the gods. He is worshipped as the pure and radiant god of innocence and light. His snowy brow and golden locks seem to radiate beams of sunshine which gladdens the hearts of gods and men, by whom he is equally beloved. The god of light is well versed in the science of runes , which are carved on his tongue. The only thing hidden from Balder's radiant eyes is the perception of his own ultimate fate. (See Balder's Death for the story.)
Barley Byggvir - The name of one of Freyr's servants. He is married to Beyla .
Baugi - The giant that Odhinn worked for and used in the retrieval of the Mead of Poetry . (See the story of the Mead of Poetry for more.)
Beli - A giant that Freyr killed with a hart's horn. Freyr used a hart's horn because he had given up his sword before this. (See Freyr and Gerda for the story.)
Bergelmir - Son of Thrudgelmir , grandson of Ymir . Bergelmir and his wife were the only surviving giants after Ymir's death and the flood, which they survived by riding in a hollowed-out tree trunk, the first boat. The frost giants and ogres are all descended from Bergelmir.
Berling - One of the four dwarves who crafted Brisings' Necklace .
Beyla - Wife of Barley Byggvir , servant to Freyr .
Bifrost - The rainbow bridge. Bifrost is the bridge that connects Midgard to Asgard . It is guarded by Heimdall . It is made of fire, air and water and these give the bridge its colors, red, blue and green. The bridge can be seen by those in Midgard as a rainbow connecting heaven and earth.
King Billing - King of the Ruthenians, father of Rinda .
Blodughofi - Blodughofi was the name of Freyr's horse. The horse was loaned to Skirnir when Skirnir travelled to Jotunheim to woo Gerda on Freyr's behalf. (See Freyr and Gerda for more).
Bolthurn, Bolthur, Bolthorn, Bolturon - The jotun father of Bestla and of a son whose name is unknown.
Bor - Son of Buri , husband of Bestla , father of Odhinn , Vili , and Ve .
Bragi - The god of poetry, eloquence and music. Son of Odhinn and Gunlod , husband of Idunn . Bragi is not featured in many of the surviving Norse myths, but it is believed that he is revered by all save Loki .
Because of Odhinn's knowledge of poetry and his adventures with the Mead of Poetry some scholars see Bragi as another facet of Odhinn's personality and not a separate god.
According to other sources Bragi was a poet that was elevated to the rank of god due to the respect that was given to poets.
Brokk and Sindri - The dwarves who crafted Gullinbrusti , Draupnir and Mjollnir . (See the story of the Treasures of the Dwarves .)
Buri - Ancestor of the gods, he appeared at the time of creation and was brought to life by the cow Audhumbla . He was the father of Bor .
Day - Son of Night and her third husband Delling . The gods gave Night and Day each a chariot to ride through the heavens to bring light and darkness at regular intervals.
Delling - The third husband of Night , their son was Day . Delling was related to the sons of Bor , the gods Odhinn , Vili , Ve .
Draupnir - The magical golden ring crafted by Brokk and Sindri . Every nine nights eight golden rings would fall from Draupnir, each having the same weight as Draupnir.
Dromi - The second chain that was used by the gods in an attempt to chain Fenris .
Dvalin - One of the four dwarves who created Brisings' Necklace .
Earl - Son of Mother Lady , husband of Princess . Their descendants became the kings and queens of many lands of the world. Earl was taught the secrets of the runes by Rig . (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men ).
Edda - Great-grandmother. Wife of Ai , mother of Thrall . (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men ).
Eggther - The watchman of the giants. On the day of Ragnarok he will sit on a grave mound and play his harp.
Einherjar - The slain heros that have been gathered in Valhalla . They fight all day and feast all night in preparation for Ragnarok .
Eldir - One of the servants of Ægir . He was at the banquet during Loki's Mocking .
Elivagar - The name given to the eleven rivers that flowed from Niflheim . These rivers flowed south and it was from these rivers that the first life emerged.
Elli - The personification of old age. It was against Elli that Thor wrestled during his journey to Utgard . (See Thor's Journey to Utgard for the story.)
Fafnir - Son of Reidmar , brother of Regin and Otter . (See Otter's Ransom and also the story of the legendary hero Sigurd .)
Farbauti - A giant, the father of Loki . According to some sources, his wife was Laufey the mother of Loki . Laufey was supposed to have given birth after being struck by a lightning bolt unleashed by Farbauti.
Father Squire - Husband of Mother Lady . (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men ).
Fenris, Fenrir - The wolf who was one of the monstrous children of Loki and Angerboda . Brother of Hel and Jormungand . Fenris was so large that when he opened his mouth his jaws stretched from earth to heaven. He was bound by the gods (see Fenris' Binding ) and is doomed to remain chained until the time of Ragnarok .
Fimafeng - One of Ægir's servants. During Ægir's banquet for the gods Loki stabbed Fimafeng and killed him. (See Loki's Mocking .)
Fjalar - One of the dwarves who killed Kvasir and collected his blood to make the Mead of Poetry .
Fjorgyn - Mother of Thor and of Frigg . She was also known as the goddess of the earth.
Forseti - God of justice and conciliation. The son of Balder and Nanna . Forseti sits day after day settling the differences of gods and men, patiently listening to both sides of every question and finally pronouncing sentences so equitable that none ever find fault with his decrees. It is said that his eloquence and powers of persuasion are such that he always succeeds in touching the hearts of his listeners and that he has never failed to reconcile even the most bitter of foes.
Freeman - Son of Afi and Amma , husband of Hassif . Their descendants became the farmers, landholders and craftsmen of the world. (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men ).
Freki - One of Odhinn's wolves. Freki translates as fierce.
Freya - The goddess of love and fertility, she came to Asgard with her brother, Freyr , and her father, Njord . Freya was exceedingly beautiful and many fell in love with her, including giants (see Theft of Thor's Hammer , Asgard's Wall and the Giant Builder , Thor's Duel with Hrungnir ), dwarfs (see Freya and the Golden Necklace ) and men (see Freya, Ottar and the Giantess Hyndla ). Freya is said to have a talent for witchcraft and it is said that when she came to Asgard she instructed the gods about magic charms and potions. Freya also has a warlike side and shares Odhinn's love of battle. She and Odhinn share the slain heroes between them, so that some go to Valhalla and others are chosen by Freya to be entertained at her hall, Sessrumnir. Freya's boar, the gold-bristled Hildisvini , was a symbol of war. As well as a boar chariot, Freya had a chariot pulled by two gray or black cats. She had a falcon skin that she sometimes donned to fly away. She lent the falcon skin to Loki in the stories of Idunn's Apples and The Theft of Thor's Hammer . Her most precious possession is the Brisings' Necklace .
Freyr, Frey - He is the lord of the sun, rain and harvests. He is a shining god, bringing fertility and prosperity to all. Freyr was one of the Vanir gods that went to live in Asgard after the War between the Æsir and Vanir . His home is Alfheim and he is sometimes known as lord of the Alfs (elves). The ship Skidbladnir was given to him as was Gullinbrusti . He also possessed a magic sword that struck out at Jotuns of its own accord. He gave his sword to Skirnir as a price for his wooing of Gerda . (See the story of Freyr and Gerda for more details.)
Frigg, Frigga, Frija, Fricka - The chief of Æsir goddess. She is associated with love, marriage, and motherhood. She is frequently pictured as being very beautiful, wearing a girdle with household keys and weaving clouds on her spinning wheel.
According to some sources Frigg is the mother of Thor .
Also, some sources depict Frigg as a devoted wife and mother, others as a sorceress who wears a falcon skin and sees into the future, and as a wanton woman who covets gold and jewelry and the love of men. Due to these differing depictions it is difficult to get an accurate picture of what Frigg actually stood for. Some sources believe that Frigg and Freya are just various facets of one deity.
Gang - Son of Olvadi , brother of Thiazzi and Idi .
Garm - The howling hound who stands at the gates of Hel's domain. In some tellings he could be quieted only by a piece of cake given to him by those who had given bread to the poor. At Ragnarok Garm will break his chain and run free.
Galar - One of the two dwarves who killed Kvasir and collected his blood to make the Mead of Poetry .
Geirrod (2) - Son of King Hrauding , brother of Agnar . See the story of Geirrod and Agnar .
Gelgia - The chain to which Gleipnir is attached. The chain is anchored to Gioll which is on the island Lyngvi .
Gerda - Daughter of Gymir and Aurboda , sister of Beli . Gerda was beloved by Freyr and was wooed for him by Skirnir . (See Freyr and Gerda for the story.)
Geri - One of Odhinn's wolves. Geri translates as greedy.
Giallar - The horn of Heimdall . The horn can be heard throughout the nine worlds . At the time of Ragnarok , Heimdall will sound the horn and summon the gods and men to battle.
Gialp, Gjalp - Howler. Daughter of Geirrod and sister of Greip .
Gilling - Father of Suttung . Gilling was killed by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar .
Ginunngagap - The vast chasm where the rivers known as the Elivagar met the heat and sparks from Muspelheim and the creation process began.
Gioll - The rock through which Gelgia was passed in order to keep Fenris bound until Ragnarok .
Gleipnir - The silken bond fashioned by the dwarves to bind Fenris . It was made of the sound of a cat's footfalls, the hairs of a maiden's beard, the roots of a mountain, the dreams of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird.
Greip - Grasper. Daughter of Geirrod and sister of Gialp .
Grerr - One of the four dwarves who crafted Brisings' Necklace .
Grid - The giantess who was one of the wives of Odhinn and mother of their son, Vidar . According to some legends it was she who made the shoe that Vidar will wear at Ragnarok .
Groa - Wife of Aurvandil , mother of Svipdag. In the story of Thor's Duel with Hrungnir it is Groa who uses her magic to cure Thor's headache.
Gullfaxi - Hrungnir's steed. It was this steed that raced Sleipnir and that was later given to Magni . (See Thor's Duel With Hrungnir for more.)
Gullinbrusti - The golden bristled boar crafted by Brokk and Sindri during their wager with Loki . (See The Treasures of the Dwarves for more.) The boar is said to be able to run through the air and over the sea, day or night. Also, it shines so brightly that wherever it goes, no matter how gloomy the surrounding, the boar will light the way.
Gungnir - The spear of Odhinn , it was crafted by the sons of Ilvadi . Gungnir never misses its mark. During the War between the Æsir and the Vanir Odhinn hurled Gungnir at the Vanir . Ever after, the Norse imitated this action. It was thought that by hurling a spear over the enemy you would gain Odhinn's protection and would be assured victory.
Gymir - A Jotun , father of Gerda .
Hassif - Wife of Freeman , their descendants became the farmers, landholders, and craftsmen of the world.
Hati - The wolf that pursues the moon across the sky and who will devour the moon at Ragnarok .
Heimdall - The watchman of the gods. Heimdall is the guardian of Bifrost and he possesses the horn Giallar . His horse is Gulltop and his sword is Hofund. He is a great watchman as his eyesight is so sharp that he can see for 100 miles in all directions as plainly by night as by day, his hearing is such that he can hear the grass pushing up from under the earth and the wool growing on a sheep's back and he requires less sleep than a bird. He is also purported to have "second sight" that allows him to see into the future. Heimdall is also a clever god. It was his idea to send Thor to Jotunheim to retrieve Mjollnir from the giant Thrym . (See The Theft of Thor's Hammer for the story). Heimdall was also known as Rig during his journey to Midgard . (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men .)
Hel - Goddess of death and the underworld, daughter of Loki and Angerboda . Sister to Fenris and Jormungand . According to the Prose Edda Hel was terrible to look at, one-half of her was greenish black and the other a livid white, with flesh that seemed to be rotting like that of a corpse and her face was gloomy, grim and sinister.
According to some sources, Hel is also one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology. It is in this world that the creature known as Hel resides.
Hermod - Son of Odhinn and Frigg , Hermod is a bold and brave god. He volunteered to go to Hel's domain to beg for the release of Balder . (See Balder's Death for the story.) Hermod stands at Odhinn's side at the gates of Valhalla to welcome the heroes gathering there.
Hildisvini - Translates as "Battle-Swine". This was the name of Freyr's boar.
Hnossa, Nossa - Daughter of Freya and Odur . Her name means "jewel". According to the Prose Edda she is so beautiful that her name can be given to whatever is precious or lovely.
Hodur, Hod, Hoder - The blind god, son of Odhinn and Frigg , brother of Balder . Hodur unwittingly killed Balder with the help of Loki and was in turn killed by Vali . (See Balder's Death for the story.)
Hoenir, Honir - The god of silence. One of the three original Æsir gods who along with his brothers Odhinn and Lother created the world. After the War between the Æsir and Vanir Hoenir went to live with the Vanir as part of an exchange of gods. Hoenir was accompanied by Mimir . The Vanir became angry when Hoenir appeared to be indecisive and slow-witted, always relying on Mimir to make decisions. As Hoenir was Odhinn's brother the Vanir did not dare to harm him, but instead killed Mimir and sent his head to Odhinn . In the Poetic Edda Hoenir is called Vili and his brother Lodur is called Ve .
Hrimthurs - The giant who was responsible for the building of the walls surrounding Asgard . (See Asgard's wall and the Giant Builder for the story.)
Hrungnir - A giant who was involved in a race with Odhinn and a duel with Thor . (See Thor's Duel With Hrungnir for more.)
Hugin - One of Odhinn's two ravens. The two fly about the nine worlds every day and then return to Odhinn and tell him what they have seen.
Hyndla - The giantess who related Ottar's legacy at the bidding of Freya . (See Freya, Ottar, and the Giantess Hyndla for the story.)
Hyrokkin, Hyrrokkin - The ogress/giantess who launched the longship Ringhorn upon which Balder's funeral pyre was built. (See Balder's Death for the story.)
Idavoll - The plain in Asgard where the palaces of the Æsir stood.
Idi - Son of Olvadi , brother of Gang and Thiazzi .
Idunn, Iduna, Idun - The flaxen-haired goddess who supplies the Æsir with the apples that grant eternal youth. She is the wife of Bragi . She is featured in the story of Idunn's Apples .
Sons of Ilvadi - The two dwarves who crafted Skidbladnir , Gungnir , and the golden hair for Sif . (See the story of the Treasures of the Dwarves .)
Jarnsaxa - One of the wives of Thor , she bore him two sons, Magni and Modi .
Jormungand - The Midgard serpent, offspring of Loki and Angerboda , brother of Fenris and Hel . Jormungand was cast into the sea by Odhinn and was doomed to encircle the earth, his tail in his mouth. Jormungand was the mortal enemy of Thor .
Jotun - Another word for giant.
Jotunheim - One of the nine worlds , a freezing, mountainous land, home of the Jotuns . This world was given to the giants by Odhinn after the creation.
Kvasir - The wisest man in the world, created from the spittle of the Æsir and Vanir after the War between the Æsir and Vanir . Kvasir was slain by two dwarves who mixed his blood with honey to create the Mead of Poetry . According to some stories Kvasir was a Vanir god who came to live in Asgard following the War between the Æsir and Vanir .
Laeding - The first chain the gods used in an attempt to bind Fenris .
Laufey - Mother of Loki . She was a giantess who, according to some sources, gave birth to Loki after being struck by a bolt of lightning sent by Farbauti .
Lit - The dwarf who appeared at Balder's funeral and got in the way as Thor was consecrating the pyre. (See Balder's Death for the story.)
Loki - Loki is known as the trickster god, the mischief maker, the father of lies and deceit. Loki is counted among the Æsir gods, but he is not one of them. Some say that he and Odhinn were blood brothers, which is why none of the gods dared to harm Loki, no matter how mischievous and malevolent he becomes. Loki is associated with the hearth fires and over time came to be associated with evil. It was due to Loki that the gods received the gifts of Ilvadi's sons and of Brokk and Sindri . It was due to Loki's words at Ægir's feast and his hand in the death of Balder that the gods finally set out to capture and punish Loki. (See Balder's Death and Loki's Mocking for the stories.)
Lora, Lorride - Daughter of Thor and Sif , sister of Thrud .
Lother, Lodar - One of the three original Æsir gods who, along with his brothers Odhinn and Hoenir , created the world. In the Poetic Edda Lother is called Ve .
Lyngvi - The island on which Fenris was bound.
Magni - Son of Thor and Jarnsaxa , brother of Modi . After Thor's duel with Hrungnir Magni rescued Thor and was rewarded with Gullfaxi . (See Thor's Duel with Hrungnir for the story.) Magni and his brother will survive Ragnarok .
Mani - The man who drives the chariot that carries the moon across the sky. Son of Mundilfari and brother of Sol .
Mead of Poetry - The wonderous liquid created by Fjalar and Galar out of the blood of Kvasir . (See Mead for more of this story.)
Megingardir, Megingiord, Megingarder - The magic belt/girdle of Thor . When worn, it doubled his already tremendous strength.
Midgard - One of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. It was the home of mankind, the place where men had their home. It was set aside at the time of The Creation for man.
Mimir - A wise god sent by the Æsir to the Vanir following the War between the Æsir and Vanir . Mimir was accompanied by Hoenir who was a brother of Odhinn . The Vanir became upset with Hoenir but dared not harm him. Instead they killed Mimir and sent his head back to Odhinn . Odhinn used his magic to preserve the head of Mimir which ever after imparted wisdom when Odhinn came seeking counsel. It was to Mimir that Odhinn sacrificed his right eye for a drink from Mimir's well .
Mimir's Well - The well of wisdom in Jotunheim . The well is watched over by the head of Mimir . It was here that Odhinn sacrificed his right eye for a draught from the well.
Mjollnir - The hammer of Thor . Crafted by Brokk and Sindri it is a symbol of Thor's strength and of the thunderbolt he personified. The gods considered Mjollnir to be their greatest treasure because it alone could be used to defend Asgard against the giants. When hurled by Thor the hammer will always strike its mark and instantly return to his hand. Mjollnir was not only a weapon, but is also a symbol of fertility. During wedding ceremonies the hammer is always placed in the lap of the bride.
Modi - Son of Thor and Jarnsaxa , brother of Magni . He and his brother will survive Ragnarok .
Mother Lady - Wife of Father Squire , mother of Earl . (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men for the story).
Mundilfari - The man who had two children and named them after the sun and the moon. They were Mani and Sol .
Munin - One of Odhinn's two ravens. The two fly about the nine worlds every day and then return to Odhinn and tell him what they have seen.
Muspelheim - One of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. The home of the fire giants. The border of this world is watched by Surt , he awaits the day of Ragnarok when he will set the world on fire.
Naglfar - The ship made from dead men's nails. It will carry the giants into battle against the gods at Ragnarok . The size of the ship will depend on how many men are buried with their fingernail's uncut. It is also told that Ragnarok can be delayed by making sure that dead men's nails are cut before they are buried, thus delaying the building of Naglfar.
Naglfari - A giant, the first husband of Night . Their son was Aud .
Nanna - One of the Æsir goddesses, wife of Balder , mother of Forseti . After Balder's death, Nanna died of grief and was placed on the funeral pyre next to him. (See Balder's Death for the story.)
Narfi - A giant, the father of Night . Narfi was one of the first giants in Jotunheim .
Narvi - Son of Loki and Sigyn , brother of Vali . (See Loki's Punishment for more on Narvi.)
Nerthus, Hertha - A goddess of fertility, also known as Mother Earth. Some sources say she is the sister-wife of Njord and mother of Freyr and Freya .
Nidavellir - One of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. Nidavellir is the the world of the dwarves.
Night, Nott - The dark-haired daughter of Narfi . She married three times, first to Naglfari , their son was Aud . Her second husband was Annar , their daughter was Earth. Her third husband was Delling , their son was Day . The gods gave Night and her son Day each a chariot to ride through the heavens.
Niflheim - One of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. The world of cold and darkness, where Nithog chewed at the roots of Yggdrasil . From Niflheim flowed the 11 ice-cold rivers, the Elivagar . The rivers flowed into the chasm, Ginunngagap , where the heat and sparks from Muspelheim quickened the yeasty water and started the creation process.
The Nine Waves - The mothers of Heimdall . They are believed to be daughters of Ægir . Odhinn came across the Nine Waves while walking along the beach.
Skrymir - The name taken by Utgartha-Loki upon meeting Thor and his companions during Thor's Journey to Utgard .
Skuld - One of the three Norns . She is associated with the future or what could be.
Sleipnir - Odhinn's eight legged horse, the offspring of Svadilfari and Loki . (See Asgard's Wall and the Giant Builder for more on Sleipnir's conception.) Sleipnir was no ordinary horse. He was capable of galloping over the sea and through the air and could outrun any horse in all the nine worlds .
Sol - Daughter of Mundilfari , sister of Mani . She was stolen away from her father by the gods who put her to work in the heavens. She drives the chariot that carries the sun across the heavens.
Surt - The fire giant who watches at the borders of Muspelheim . His flaming sword will set fire to the world at Ragnarok . At Ragnarok , Surt and Freyr will battle and Freyr will be killed, because he gave up his sword to win Gerda . (See Ragnarok and Freyr and Gerda for the stories).
Suttung - Father of Gunnloth , protector of the Mead of Poetry . Sometimes Suttung is referred to as the father of all the giants.
Svadilfari - The stallion belonging to Hrimthurs . Svadilfari was the father of Sleipnir .
Svartalfheim - One of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. It was the home of the dark elves.
Tanngniost - Toothgnasher, one of the fierce billy goats that drew the cart of Thor . Thor's goats could be killed, eaten and revived the next day. (See Thor's Journey to Utgard .)
Tanngrisnir - Toothgrinder, one of the fierce billy goats that drew the cart of Thor . Thor's goats could be killed, eaten and revived the next day. (See Thor's Journey to Utgard .)
Thiazzi, Tjasse, Thjazi - A powerful storm giant, son of Olvadi , brother of Gang and Idi , father of Skadi . (See the story Idunn's Apples for more on Thiazzi.)
Thokk - Thokk is the name of the one creature in all the worlds that refused to weep over Balder's death. It is believed that Thokk was Loki in disguise. (See Balder's Death for the story.)
Thor, Thunor, Donar - Thor is the wielder of Mjollnir and the defender of Asgard . He is described as a massive red-bearded champion wearing iron gloves and a belt/girdle of might, Megingjardir . He is the only god forbidden to cross Bifrost , for fear that his lightnings could destroy the bridge or that he would set it aflame by the heat of his presence. Thor rides in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngniost (Toothgnasher) and Tanngrisnir (Toothgrinder). The rolling of the wheels of this chariot is said to create the thunder that rolls across the heavens.
Thrall - Son of Edda , husband of Esne . Their descendants became the peasants and laborers of the world. (See Rig-Heimdall and the Classes of Men for the story).
Thrud - Daughter of Thor and Sif , sister of Lora . Thrud was promised to the dwarf Alvis by the gods.
Thrym - A frost giant, he stole Mjollnir . (See The Theft of Thor's Hammer .)
Tyr, Tiwaz, Tiw, Tiv, Ziv - A god of war, the god of martial honor, a sky god, the bravest of the gods. He is concerned with justice and with fair treaties. It is thought that at one time Tyr was even more important than Odhinn , and more ancient. However, by the time the Norse myths were recorded, Tyr's importance had diminished and not much is known about him now. Tyr is always depicted as the one-handed god, due to the fact that his right hand was bitten off by the Fenris wolf after the gods bound him. Tyr is also known as "the shining one". Tyr was also considered the patron god of the sword. (See Fenris' Binding for the story.)
Ull - Son of the goddess Sif , stepson of Thor . Ull is the winter god of skiers and snowshoes, hunting, the bow and the shield.
Urd, Wyrd - One of the three Norns . She is the oldest of the three sisters and is associated with the past or what was.
Urd's Well - Also known as the well of Wyrd, it is where the Norns live and where they gather the water to help keep Yggdrasil healthy. It is also where the gods gather to hold their important meetings.
Utgard - The outer place. The capital of Jotunheim . Thor journeyed to Utgard once. (See Thor's Journey to Utgard .)
Utgartha-Loki - The ruler of Utgard . It was Utgard-Loki who was responsible for the deceiving of Thor and his companions during Thor's Journey to Utgard .
Valhalla - The hall of the slain, built by Odhinn in Asgard to receive the heroes slain in battle. The Valkyries brought the heroes, known as Einherjar , across Bifrost and into Valhalla where they fought all day and feasted all night.
Vali (1) - Son of Odhinn and Rinda , he was Balder's avenger. After Hodur slew Balder , Vali came to Asgard , drew an arrow from his quiver and fired at Hodur , killing him instantly. (See Balder's Death for the story.)
Vali (2) - Son of Loki and Sigyn , brother of Narvi . After the gods captured Loki they turned Vali into a wolf who tore out the entrails of Narvi . (See Loki's Punishment for the story.)
Valkyrie - The Valkyries were warrior maidens of Odhinn . According to some legends the Valkyries were the choosers of the slain, according to other legends they were the collectors of the slain.
Vanaheim - One of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. Home of the Vanir before the end of the War between the Æsir and Vanir .
Vanir - The Vanir are one of two races of gods in Norse mythology, the other being the Æsir . The Vanir are generally earth and water gods and gods of fertility. The Vanir resided in Vanaheim , one of the nine worlds , until the end of the War between the Æsir and Vanir . After the war all the gods were referred to as Æsir. When the Vanir went to Asgard after the war, they took with them their knowledge of magic and witchcraft. Listed among the Vanir are Freya , Freyr and Njord . These were not the only Vanir and this can be shown be looking at the story of Mimir's death.
Ve - Son of Bor and Bestla . Together with his brothers Odhinn and Vili he helped create the world.
Verdande, Verdandi - One of the Norns . She is associated with the present or what is.
Vidar - Son of Odhinn and the giantess Grid . Vidar was known for his silence. However, it is Vidar who will avenge his father's death at Ragnarok .
Vili - Son of Bor and Bestla . Together with his brothers Odhinn and Ve he helped create the world.
Yggdrasil - The world tree, the ash tree that connects all of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology. The tree survives the torment of Nithog nibbling at its roots and of stags and goats tearing leaves and bark from the tree. The Norns sprinkle water from Urd's Well upon the roots which helps the tree stay fresh and green.
Ymir, Aurgelmir - The first giant. He was formed from the ice and fire at the beginning of time in the chasm of Ginunngagap . He was the father of the race of giants. (See The Creation for more details.)
| Goat |
Which actor played Lord Alfred Douglas, opposite Stephen Fry asthe title character, in the 1997 film 'Wilde'? | Norse mythology by Earl DeMott - issuu
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Norse MYTHOLOGY A TO Z
Norse MYTHOLOGY A TO Z Revised Edition
Kathleen N. Daly Revised by Marian Rengel
Norse Mythology A to Z, Revised Edition Copyright © 2004, 1991 by Kathleen N. Daly All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Daly, Kathleen N. Norse mythology A to Z / Kathleen N. Daly ; revised by Marian Rengel. — Rev. ed. p. cm. — (Mythology A to Z) Summary: Alphabetically listed entries identify and explain the characters, events, and important places of Norse mythology. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8160-5156-9 (alk. paper) 1. Mythology, Norse—Dictionaries, Juvenile. [1. Mythology, Norse—Dictionaries.] I. Rengel, Marian. II. Title. BL850.D34 2003 293′.13—dc21 2003045758 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Text design by Joan Toro Cover design by Cathy Rincon Map by Jeremy Eagle Printed in the United States of America VB Hermitage 10
9
Index
115
INTRODUCTION WHAT IS A MYTH? Myths are as ancient as humankind and have their origin in the efforts of primitive people to explain the mysteries of the world around them: thunder and lightning; floods and fire; rain and drought; earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; night and day; the Sun, Moon, and stars; the seasons; the existence of plants and animals, man and woman; and birth and death. Myths fulfill a need in people to believe in some higher being or beings who have power over the daily lives and fate of humankind. Many of the world’s myth systems include a sky god or father of all and an earth mother. In many cases, including the myths of the Norse, people believed in a set of attendant gods and goddesses, as well as villains such as demons, dragons, and other monsters; giants and dwarfs; and supernatural forces. Myths help people structure their lives. The myths reflect their codes of behavior, their cultural customs and rites, and their ways of worship. Myths are basically stories of the struggle between good and evil, between order and chaos. They foretell of the eventual breakdown of order, but also of regeneration. Ancient myths about the creation of the universe and the living creatures on Earth were passed orally from one generation to another, from family to family, and from one community to another. The stories changed according to the whim of the narrator, for it was thousands of years before the stories were written down. As people moved from one part of a continent to another, they adapted their stories to the changing landscape or climate. Stories that may have originated in India, the Middle East, or the south of Europe changed dramatically when people told them in the harsh, craggy, icy lands of the north, where summers were short and winters long and cruel. Finally, myths are part of a moral and ethical, often spiritual, belief system. Many historians of myths and scholars of human social development see myths as part of a religious belief system and an attempt to explain human existence. WHO WERE THE NORSE? The Norse (people of the north) are known today as the Scandinavians—the people of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faeroe Islands. ix
x INTRODUCTION
Mistakenly, Norsemen are often thought of only as the fierce warriors of the Viking Age (A.D. 780–1070); however, Norse culture originated long before the dramatic explorations of the Vikings. It probably started to take root during the Bronze Age (1600–450 B.C.). No written sources describe early Norse culture, but surviving works in metal and stone depict gods and goddesses and provide glimpses of ancient myths and rituals. The Norse were superb shipbuilders and navigators, intrepid explorers, and people with a strong sense of family and clan loyalty. They also loved a good story, a quick wit, and fine craftsmanship, which we can see in the ancient carvings, weaponry, and utensils that have been discovered in a variety of archaeological sites across Scandinavia. The mythology of these strong, lively people was rich, vigorous, and clever. Norse mythology originated, according to experts, in Asia, was modified in the European Mediterranean lands, and eventually was carried north and west by migrating Teutonic tribes, in the third to sixth centuries A.D. during the breakup of the Roman Empire. The roaming tribes included Angles and Saxons, Goths, Visigoths and Ostrogoths, Alemanni, Vandals, Franks, and others. As the migrating tribes settled, the old stories they brought with them began to change with the local geography, climate, and temperament of the people. Later, during the Viking Age, the Norse began to explore and populate countries from the British Isles and the rest of Europe to Iceland, America, the Near East, Byzantium, and Russia, taking with them, too, their myths and their culture. The Norse myths were not written down, however, until the 13th century, by which time Christianity was established in northern Europe and had displaced paganism, that is, the worship and the myths of the
Rock carvings of the earliest Norse ships, from Norway and Sweden (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
INTRODUCTION xi
ancient gods. Thus much of the ancient lore is lost to modern audiences. What remains is fragmented, incomplete, and often distorted by the pious Christian monks who edited the pagan tales as they transcribed them onto parchment for the first time. Although the Norse myths as we know them today are often confusing and contradictory, they still present us with wonderful tales about these northern people. THE SOURCES OF THE NORSE MYTHS The main sources of the Norse myths are • poetry of the early skalds (poets) transmitted orally until the 13th century • Poetic Edda, a collection of verses written by different poets at different times between the eighth and 13th centuries • Prose Edda, a handbook written by the Icelandic poet scholar, historian, and diplomat Snorri Sturluson, around 1220 • Gesta Danorum, written by Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus about 1215 • historical observations by Roman author Tacitus, notably in Germania (end of the first century A.D.), the Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan (10th century A.D.), and the German historian Adam of Bremen (11th century A.D.) • Landnamabok (Book of Settlements), from the 13th century A.D. • the 13th-century Icelandic sagas (about 700 of them), written by unknown authors, which are a valuable source of information about pre-Christian beliefs and practices, kings and bishops, Norse exploration and settlement, and legendary heroes such as Sigurd the Volsung HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The entries in this book are in alphabetical order and may be looked up as you would use a dictionary. In case you are not familiar with the Norse myths, here is a list of the chief characters and the stories in which they are most important. If you look up the entries concerning these characters, you will find a general overview of Norse mythology. The index at the back of the book will help you find the following stories and characters and many more. Within the main text cross-references to other entries are printed in SMALL CAPITAL letters. Some topics with entries in this book are known by more than one name. Alternate names are given in parentheses after the entry headword. Those given in full capital letters are variations of the names from the original language; those appearing in upper- and lowercase letters are English translations. First the gods:
ODIN The one-eyed god, the All-Father, the god of wisdom and poetry, of war and death. Odin plays a principal role in many of the
xii INTRODUCTION
An ancient depiction of Thor (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
myths including those of the CREATION, the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR, “The Death of Balder” (see BALDER), and RAGNAROK, the end of the world.
THOR God of thunder, son of ODIN and FRIGG. He was the strongest of the gods, of fiery temper but well loved. He had a hammer (MJOLLNIR), a magic belt (MEGINGJARDIR), and iron gauntlets and was forever at war with the giants.
LOKI A mischievous god, Loki is involved in many of the myths. Loki often deceives the gods and creates dangerous situations and then comes to the rescue of the gods. He is admired yet distrusted by them. BALDER
Son of ODIN and FRIGG. He was the most beautiful and beloved of the gods. There is only one myth about him but it is one of the best known.
INTRODUCTION xiii
NIORD A VANIR god of the seas and seafarers. Niord has two major roles in the myths: as a hostage sent to ASGARD, the home of the AESIR gods, along with the twin deities FREY and FREYA, his children; and as the husband of the giantess SKADE. FREY A VANIR god, sent to ASGARD as a hostage along with his twin sister, FREYA, and his father, NIORD. Frey was a god of fertility, peace, and plenty, and was much worshiped. TYR One of the most ancient gods and the most mysterious, he was also the bravest and most just of the gods when he undertook to put his hand into the jaws of the terrible wolf, FENRIR. BRAGI Called the god of poetry, he was a minor figure in the surviving myths.
HEIMDALL
The watchman of the gods who guarded BIFROST, the bridge that connected ASGARD (the domain of the gods) with MIDGARD (the Middle Earth). Heimdall had a trumpet, GIALAR, with which he would summon the gods to battle at RAGNAROK. The goddesses play a lesser role in the surviving Norse myths, according to extant manuscripts, but scholars believe they were important to the people who practiced Norse religion.
FRIGG The wife of ODIN. Her greatest role is in the myth of BALDER, her beloved son, whom she tries to protect from death. FREYA The goddess of fertility, the twin sister of
FREY,
and the daughter of NIORD. She is beautiful and has a fatal love of gold. She is loved by DWARFS and giants alike. She may have been acquainted with magic and prophecy, but few facts are known about her.
IDUNN The keeper of the apples of youth, she is known only through the myth “Idunn and the Golden Apples” (see IDUNN). Other females in Norse mythology are the NORNS and the VALKYRIES. The Norns are the three Fates who represent the past, the present, and the future and who determine the destiny of all living creatures. The Norns are more powerful even than the gods. The Valkyries are Odin’s warrior maidens who select the fallen heroes and carry them to Odin’s hall, VALHALLA. The forces of evil are represented chiefly by the offspring of Loki: HEL, queen of death and the underworld; FENRIR, the monster wolf; and JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent who is so huge that he encircles the Earth and holds his tail in his mouth. Other wolves chase after the Sun and the Moon, and numerous JOTUNS try to outwit and outfight the gods.
ARCTIC OCEAN
A
AGNAR Son of
lord of the sea. He was married to his sister, RAN, and was the father of nine daughters, the waves, who were said to be the mothers of the god HEIMDALL. Some stories say that Aegir was the brother of LOKI and Kari (Air). He belonged to a primeval order of gods, predating the AESIR, the VANIR, and the GIANTS, DWARFS, and ELVES. Aegir is usually pictured as an old man with long white hair and clawlike hands. His dwelling is on the island of HLESEY, in coral caves beneath the land. His servants are ELDIR and FIMAFENG. In Anglo-Saxon mythology Aegir was called Eagor. Whenever an unusually large wave approached men at sea, they cried, “Look out, Eagor is coming!” Supposedly, in ancient Saxon times one of every 10 prisoners was sacrificed to Eagor to ensure that the raiders would return safely home. See also “Loki’s Mocking,” under LOKI, which takes place at a banquet in Aegir’s hall; “Otr’s Ransom,” under OTR, in which Loki borrows Ran’s fishing net; and “Thor and Hymir Go Fishing,” under THOR, in which Thor and TYR bring back a cauldron that Aegir uses to brew ale for the feasting of the gods. JOTUN
and brother of GEIRROD (2). When he and his brother were shipwrecked, they were befriended by an old couple who were ODIN and FRIGG in disguise. Frigg took special care of Agnar, who was eventually betrayed by his brother, Odin’s protegé. In later years another Agnar (probably the son of Geirrod) took pity on Odin, who had been captured and slung between two fires. After Agnar had given Odin ale to quench his thirst, Odin chanted a song that was known as the GRIMNISMAL. HRAUDING
ALFODR (All-Father) A name for ODIN used frequently in the POETIC EDDA, SKALDIC POETRY, and SNORRI STURLUSON’s work. Odin is recognized as the father of all the AESIR gods and goddesses, but he has this role in name only. He is also known as the father of all dead warriors. In addition Odin can be considered the father of all human beings, for when Odin and his brothers, VILI and VE, found the shapes of the first man and woman, ASK and EMBLA, on a beach, they gave them the spirit, mental powers, and warmth they needed to become fully human. ALFRIGG One of the four DWARFS who made the
AESIR The race of gods who lived in
for the goddess FREYA. The others were BERLING, DVALIN, and GRERR.
ASGARD
BRISINGAMEN
under the leadership of the chief god, ODIN. Other gods included BALDER, the beautiful; BRAGI, god of poetry; FORSETI, god of justice; FREY, god of fertility; HEIMDALL, the watchman of the gods; NIORD, the sea god; THOR, god of thunder; TYR, a brave sky god; ULL, a winter god; VALI, the avenger; and VIDAR, the silent god. Not many myths survive about the goddesses except for those concerning FREYA, the fertility goddess; FRIGG, wife of Odin; IDUNN, keeper of the apples of youth; and SIF, the golden-haired wife of Thor (see ASYNJUR).
ALSVID (ALSVIN; All-Swift) One of two horses that draw the Sun’s chariot, driven by the fair maiden SOL. The other horse is ARVAKR. ALSVIDER (Rapid Goer) The horse that pulled the Moon’s chariot for MANI. ALVIS (All-Wise) A
tricked by THOR, who was turned to stone. Alvis had come to ASGARD to claim the bride (perhaps THRUD, daughter of the 1
DWARF,
2 AMSVARTNIR
god THOR) whom the gods had promised him. Thor, knowing that Alvis, like many dwarfs, liked to show off his considerable knowledge, lured the dwarf into a lengthy question-and-answer game. Thor asked Alvis for alternative names for the 13 words that were most important in the lives of medieval Scandinavians. These names the dwarf gave according to the four main groups of beings that inhabited the worlds of Norse mythology. Alvis talked as the night wore on. At the end the Sun, which the dwarf had called “DVALIN’S DELIGHT,” came up and turned Alvis to stone, as was the fate of all dwarfs caught in the sunlight. The 13 words for which Alvis gave alternative names are given in the Lay of Alvis (Alvismal) in the Prose Edda. They are as follows:
Alvis Answers with Thor Asks About
Men
high home, fair roof, dripping hall
waverer, whooper, roaring noisewailer traveler, maker blusterer
Giants
AMSVARTNIR The lake in which stood the island of FENRIR.
LYNGVI,
where the gods bound the wolf
ANDHRIMNIR (Sooty Faced) The cook at VALHALLA,
whose job it was to roast the magic boar, SAEHRIMNIR, each night for the feasting of the gods and heroes.
ANDVARANAUT (Andvari’s Loom) The magic ring LOKI stole from the dwarf ANDVARI. The ring worked like a magnet to attract gold (see “Otr’s Ransom,” under OTR). ANDVARI The
whom LOKI, the trickster god, robs of his hoard of gold. Andvari had put a curse upon his treasure, including the ring, which was called ANDVARANAUT. Loki gave the treasure to DWARF
ASGARD 3
the magician his son OTR.
HREIDMAR
in compensation for killing
ANGRBODA (Bringer of Distress) The ogress wife of LOKI and mother of the wolf FENRIR; HEL, the goddess of death; and JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent. Angrboda may also be the same as AURBODA and thus the mother of GERDA and the wife of the giant GYMIR. ANNAR (Second, Another) A giant and the second husband of (1) (Earth).
NOTT.
also refers to a distant ancesnamed Annar in the prologue to
SNORRI STURLUSON
and GYLFAGINNING. THOR
SIF
APPLE The apple tree is common throughout the temperate regions of the world. The tree and its fruit symbolize love, fertility, and youth in many mythologies, including the Norse (see “Idunn’s Apples,” under IDUNN) and the Greek (for example, the tale of Paris and the apple of discord).
ARVAKR (Early Waker) One of two horses that drew the Sun’s chariot across the sky for the fair maiden SOL. The other horse was ALSVID.
ASGARD The realm of the
gods. ODIN presides over Asgard, the topmost level of the NINE WORLDS. Here the gods and goddesses had their palaces and mansions, called halls. Asgard was surrounded and protected by a mighty wall constructed by the GIANT MASTER BUILDER. In the center of Asgard was the green field IDAVOLL, around which stood the 13 halls of the gods: Among them were GLADSHEIM, the main hall of the gods; BILSKIRNIR, the hall of THOR; FENSALIR, which belonged to FRIGG; BREIDABLIK, where BALDER and his wife, NANNA, lived; HIMINBJORG, the abode of HEIMDALL; GLITNIR, where FORSETI presided; SESSRUMNIR, FREYA’s hall; and VALHALLA, where Odin entertained the slain heroes of the world. BIFROST, the Rainbow Bridge, connected Asgard to MIDGARD (Middle Earth). At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, all the beautiful mansions would be destroyed, but the golden playthings of the gods—chess pieces—would remain, and a new world would arise. AESIR
Asgard’s Wall and the Giant Master Builder The Aesir gods wanted to build a new wall around their stronghold, Asgard. The VANIR had destroyed the original wall in the first and last battle between the two races of gods (see WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR). The gods were good at building fine halls and glittering palaces, but to build a fortresslike wall seemed an enormous task. One day a large man trotted his horse over Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, and told Heimdall, the watchman god, that he had a plan to put before the gods. Heimdall reported the news to the chief god, Odin, who assembled all the gods and goddesses together to meet the stranger. The tall man, who was a giant in disguise, said that he would rebuild the wall around Asgard in 18 months. For his fee, Giant Master Builder would take the goddess Freya to be his wife. He would also take the SUN AND MOON. The gods roared with anger. Odin said that he would never part with beautiful Freya nor with the Sun and the Moon, which gave warmth and light to the world. He ordered the mason to leave. LOKI, the sly god, begged the other gods not to be hasty and asked the mason for some time to consider his plan. The mason left the hall, and the gods and goddesses clustered around Loki while Freya began to weep tears of gold. Loki suggested that if they could get the mason to promise to build the wall in six months—before springtime—they would have nothing to fear, for obviously it was impossible for anyone to complete the wall so quickly. But at least the mason could dig the foundation and get a good start on the wall, thus saving the gods a lot of work. And, said Loki, they would not have to pay him a thing. Odin called the builder back into the hall and told him their decision. At first the mason seemed dismayed by how little time he would have to finish the work, but at last he agreed to try, provided that he could have his great stallion, SVADILFARI, to help him. They struck a bargain. As the giant began to build the wall, the gods looked on in amazement. Never had they seen a man cut such huge blocks of stone, nor a horse pull such heavy loads. The wall began to take shape, getting
4 ASH
higher and higher and stronger and stronger. Though the winter was cruel, the tall man labored on undaunted. At last the cold and the snow and the ice abated. The last day of winter was near, and the wall was almost finished. The gods met again. If the mason finished the wall in time, they would lose their treasured Freya and the Sun and the Moon. Suddenly they wondered how they had arrived at this terrible predicament. Then they remembered. They threw dark looks at Loki. Odin commanded Loki to use his cunning once again, this time to save the goddess Freya and the Sun and the Moon. Terrified of Odin’s anger, Loki promised that he would find a way to outwit the builder. That evening, as the mason led Svadilfari toward the pile of stones to be hauled, the stallion pranced gaily. He could smell spring in the air. Suddenly he spied a beautiful young mare. She danced up to him and swished her tail. It was more than Svadilfari could stand. With a mighty bound he broke free of his harness and bolted after the mare. The mason shouted with rage and set off in pursuit, but it was useless. Svadilfari had worked through a long, lonely winter, and now he wanted some lighthearted fun with the pretty mare. Dawn came and with it the end of winter. The wall stood unfinished. The mason lost the bargain and was slain by the thunder god, Thor. When Loki returned to Asgard several months later, he led a handsome young colt. It had eight legs and obviously would grow up to be a magnificent horse. Indeed, its father was the mighty Svadilfari, and its mother was none other than Loki himself, who had disguised himself as the pretty mare. Odin claimed the colt for his own and named it SLEIPNIR, the glider. This myth shows the enmity between the gods and the giants—a theme that occurs in most Norse myths and does not end until Ragnarok. When the giant demands the Sun and the Moon and also Freya, he intends to deprive the gods not only of the four seasons but also of the possibility of regeneration, for Freya was the goddess of love and fertility.
The only complete version of this myth is in SNORRI STURLUSON’s PROSE EDDA.
ASH A tree of the olive family (genus Fraxinus). In Norse mythology the ash, or YGGDRASIL, is considered sacred and is called the World Tree as it plays a dominant part in the makeup of the NINE WORLDS. The AESIR gods created the first man, ASK, by breathing life into the trunk of an ash tree (see also “The First Humans,” under CREATION).
ASK The first man, created from the trunk of an tree by the first three AESIR gods, ODIN, VILI, and (see “The First Humans,” under CREATION). All human beings, it is said in Norse mythology, are descended from Ask and EMBLA, the first woman.
ASH VE
ASYNJUR (ASYNJER)
The AESIR goddesses, the female form of the word Aesir. The most prominent Asynjur was FRIGG, wife of ODIN, who was goddess of love, marriage, and motherhood. The 13th-century chronicler of NORSE myths SNORRI STURLUSON named 20 Asynjur in two separate lists. They are Bil, EIR, FREYA, Frigg, FULLA, GEFION, GERDA, GNA, HLIN, IDDUN, LOFN, NANNA, SAGA (2), SIGYN, SJOFN, SNOTRA, SOL, SYN, VAR, and VOR. Many of these goddesses are considered by scholars to be handmaidens of Frigg. Snorri does not include among the Asynjur the more dominant goddesses, SIF, wife of THOR, or SKADE, wife of NIORD.
AUD (Wealth) The son of NOTT and her first husband, NAGLFARI. Aud is named and referred to only in the works of SNORRI STURLUSON.
AUDHUMLA The first cow, formed at the
CREof the world. Audhumla appeared at the same time as YMIR, the first giant, and fed him with her milk. She herself derived nourishment by licking the salty stones around GINNUNGAGAP, the primeval abyss. As she licked, she uncovered a handsome, manlike creature from the ice. He was BURI, the first ancestor of the gods. In many mythologies the cow is a symbol of the Great Mother and of creation. Audhumla appears in the PROSE EDDA and in the POETIC EDDA. ATION
AUSTRI 5
AURBODA The mother of the giantess
Aurboda was possibly another name for ANGRBODA.
bright star Aurvandil’s toe. (We do not know today which star it is.)
AURORA BOREALIS Shimmering lights or
AUSTRI (East) One of the four
GERDA.
luminescence that sometimes appear in night skies in the Northern Hemisphere. Also called the northern lights. In Norse mythology this beautiful sight was said to be the radiance emitted by GERDA, the JOTUN maiden who became the wife of the god FREY.
AURVANDIL Known as The Brave, he was the husband of the seer GROA. Not much is known about Aurvandil except that the god THOR rescued him from the giants and carried him across the poisonous rivers of ELIVAGAR in a basket. One of Aurvandil’s toes froze. Thor plucked it off and threw it into the sky, where it shone forevermore as the
named after the cardinal compass directions. The others are VESTRI (West), NORDI (North), and SUDRI (South). Though these four dwarfs are mentioned in early Norse poetry, it was Icelandic poet SNORRI STURLUSON who gave Austri and his three companions the job of holding up the four corners of the sky. Austri is a name used often in Norse poetry. In some cases the name refers to a person involved in a conflict who is smaller and weaker than his opponent. In others it refers to the dwarfs who surrendered their MEAD, a strong alcoholic drink, to the giant SUTTUNG. In yet another use Austri refers to the dwarf who steered a ship filled with dwarfs. DWARFS
BALDER The beloved son of the great god
B
or guessed more of the future than an ordinary mortal could, the Volva realized that Vegtam was in fact Odin, ALFODR. She refused to answer any more questions and sank into her tomb, vowing to speak no more until LOKI’s chains were unbound—that is, until the end of the world. Frigg and the Mistletoe When Frigg realized that her son Balder’s life was in danger, she sent her messengers to every corner of the world to extract promises not to harm her beloved son. Stones and metals, water and wind, fish and birds, reptiles and mammals, trees and flowers, insects, spiders, and scorpions, all creatures alive and all objects large and small swore that they would not harm Balder. Only one small green plant, the MISTLETOE, which grew on the mighty OAK tree, was not asked to make the promise, for it was so frail that no one paid attention to it. The Gods at Play Word soon spread through Asgard that Balder was absolutely invulnerable: Nothing could harm him. The young gods, always ready for fun, made a game out of throwing things at Balder: stones, knives, sticks. Whatever they threw glanced off Balder’s body, leaving him totally unharmed, to the merriment of all. Only Loki did not join in the fun. Instead he disguised himself as an old crone and paid a visit to Frigg. Pretending to be astonished and disgusted at the sport the gods were making of Balder, Loki cunningly tricked Frigg into revealing the information he sought: that there was indeed one object in the world that had not taken the vow to be harmless to Balder. That object was the mistletoe that grew on the branches of the oak tree outside VALHALLA. Loki hurried away, plucked a sprig of mistletoe, and hastened to the field of IDAVOLL, where the
ODIN
and his wife, FRIGG. The story of the god Balder is one of the most famous and one of the most complete in Norse mythology. It has been retold many times over the centuries, from SNORRI STURLUSON’s account in the PROSE EDDA, to the story by the Danish scholar SAXO GRAMMATICUS and the poem by the English poet Matthew Arnold (“Balder Dead”). Many scholars think that the portrayal of the beautiful, good, passive god Balder was influenced by early Christian views of Jesus Christ. Balder’s Dreams When Balder became a young man, he began to have fearful dreams that seemed to foretell his death. None of the gods could understand the meaning of these dreams. His unhappiness cast sadness over all who lived in ASGARD, the home of the AESIR gods. Odin’s Visit to the Volva Odin, determined to solve the mystery of his son’s dreams, mounted his horse, SLEIPNIR, and made the long journey to the underworld, NIFLHEIM. There he called up a seeress, one of the VOLVA. When she arose from her tomb, Odin introduced himself as VEGTAM, the Wanderer, son of Valtam. Odin asked the Volva why the halls of HEL were decked with gold and the tables set for a grisly feast. The seeress replied that it was for Balder. Odin asked who would slay Balder. The seeress answered that the blind HODUR would cast a fatal branch at his brother. Odin then asked who would avenge Balder’s death. The seeress answered that Odin would take RINDA as a wife, and their son would be VALI (2), who would take vengeance when he was only one night old. Odin asked who would refuse to weep for Balder. At this question, which revealed that Vegtam knew 7
8 BALDER
merry young gods were still at play. Only the blind god, Hodur, hung back, for he could not see. Loki approached Hodur, put the mistletoe branch into his hands and offered to guide his aim. Hodur gladly accepted. The Death of Balder Hodur threw the fatal weapon and killed Balder. When Balder fell dead a terrible silence fell upon the gods, and then they cried out in a fearful wail. Balder, the good, the beautiful, the god of light, had been snuffed out like a bright candle. The gods would willingly have killed Hodur there and then, but ancient laws forbade that blood should be shed in Idavoll, so Hodur slunk off, alone and weeping. Balder’s Funeral Pyre The gods built a huge funeral pyre on HRINGHORNI, Balder’s dragon ship.
On it they laid the body, surrounding it with rich tapestries, heaps of flowers, vessels of food, clothes, weapons and precious jewels, as was the custom of the Norse. NANNA, Balder’s loving wife, fell grief-stricken over the body and died, so the gods placed her tenderly on the pyre beside her husband. Then they slew Balder’s horse and hounds and placed them beside their master so that he should lack for nothing. One by one all the gods drew near to say farewell to their beloved companion. Last of all came Odin, who took off his magic arm ring and placed it on his son’s body. Then he stooped and put his mouth to Balder’s ear, but nobody knew what he had whispered.
Balder, the shining god, is slain by Hodur, with the help of Loki and a sprig of mistletoe. (Historical Picture Service–Chicago)
BERGELMIR 9
When the gods tried to launch the ship, it was so heavy that not even THOR’s phenomenal strength could move it. The gods accepted the help of HYROKKIN, a giantess who galloped onto the scene riding a huge wolf and holding reins of writhing snakes. Hyrokkin gave the vessel a mighty shove and launched it into the sea. The funeral pyre burst into flames, and Thor went on board to consecrate the fire with his magic hammer, MJOLLNIR. As he was performing the rite, the dwarf LIT got under his feet, and Thor kicked him into the flames, where he burned to ashes along with Balder and Nanna. The ship drifted out to sea, burning brightly, and the gods watched it in mourning until it disappeared and the world became dark. Hermod’s Journey When she had recovered sufficiently to speak, Frigg asked that one of the gods visit Hel in Niflheim and beg her to send Balder back from the land of the dead. Gallant HERMOD, another of Odin’s sons, immediately volunteered to make the dreaded journey. Odin lent him his horse, Sleipnir, and for the second time the brave horse made the journey to the underworld. After traveling for nine days and nine nights and crossing many rivers, Hermod came to a stream, GIOLL. Sleipnir’s hooves made the bridge over Gioll’s stream shudder, and the sentry, MODGUD, challenged the rider. Upon learning that Balder was indeed in Niflheim, Hermod and Sleipnir made a great leap over the gate of Hel and landed safely on the other side. Balder could not leave the land of the dead without Hel’s permission, and Hel refused to let him go unless all the world should rain tears for him. Hermod spent many hours with Balder and his wife, Nanna. They gave him gifts, including Odin’s magic arm ring, DRAUPNIR, to take back to Asgard. Then Hermod left to tell the gods his news. Surely the whole world would willingly weep to set Balder free. Thokk When Hermod returned from the underworld with the news about Hel’s condition for the return of Balder, messengers at once set out for every corner of the earth. Soon every god and goddess, every man and woman, every plant and every animal on land and sea and air, and every stone and metal was shedding tears for Balder.
In a dark cave sat an old woman, the giantess THOKK. She alone remained dry-eyed and hard of heart. “Balder never did anything for me,” she said grimly. “Let Hel keep what is her due, for I have no tears for Balder.” The messengers returned to Odin and Frigg with heavy hearts, and the gods mourned once more, for they knew now that Balder would never return to them. Vali Kills Hodur Vali, Odin’s youngest son, appeared in Asgard on the day of his birth, miraculously grown to full stature and carrying a quiver of arrows. He shot one of these at Hodur, who died. Thus the Norsemen’s code of a death for a death was satisfied, and the Volva’s prophecy was fulfilled. Ragnarok At RAGNAROK, the time of the Regeneration, Balder came back from the dead, leading his blind brother, Hodur. All the survivors returned to Idavoll, where they created a new world.
BARLEY One of the oldest of cultivated cereal grasses, barley is widely distributed throughout the world. In northern lands it was used to make a malt brew and was a symbol of spring growth. FREY and GERDA are married in the barley patch named BARRI.
BARRI (BARRE) The sacred grove where the god FREY and the JOTUN maid The name derives from BARLEY.
GERDA
were united.
BAUGI (Ring-Shaped) A giant, the brother of SUTTUNG.
Baugi employed ODIN, who was disguised as a worker, BOLVERK. Bolverk worked so well that Baugi agreed to lead him to the mountain where the MEAD of poetry was hidden, guarded by GUNLOD, Suttung’s daughter. Baugi drilled a hole in the mountain with his augur, and Odin changed into a serpent and slithered through the hole to find Gunlod and the mead.
BELI The
JOTUN brother of GERDA, FREY’s beloved. Beli challenged Frey, and Frey killed him with a stag horn, as he had given away his magic sword as BRIDE PRICE to GYMIR, Gerda’s father.
BERGELMIR Son of the
(frost giant) Thrudgelmir and grandson of YMIR, the primeval giant who appeared at the CREATION. HRIMTHURSSAR
10 BERLING
Bergelmir and his wife were the only surviving GIANTS after Ymir’s death and the flood. They rode the flood on a hollowed-out tree trunk, the first boat. Because of them, the race of frost giants and ogres was able to survive in JOTUNHEIM.
At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, Bifrost would shatter under the terrible weight of the MUSPELL and frost giants who came to fight the gods on VIGRID, the vast battlefield.
BIL AND YUKI (BIL AND HJUKI; the Waxing BERLING One of the four DWARFS who made the BRISINGAMEN
for the goddess FREYA. The others were and GRERR.
ALFRIGG, DVALIN,
BERSERKERS Savage, reckless, furious warriors of an elite corps who fought for ODIN wearing only bear or wolf skins and no armor. In the sagas they were named after Berserk, a Norse hero of the eighth century who went into battle with his 12 sons. In modern English usage, to go berserk means to “go into a frenzy.”
BESTLA The giantess wife of BOR and mother of three gods, ODIN, VILI, and VE. She was the daughter of the giant BOLTHUR. Bestla appears in SNORRI STURLUSON’s PROSE EDDA.
BEYLA The wife of BYGGVIR. Both were servants of the god FREY who attended a feast given by AEGIR (see “Loki’s Mocking,” under LOKI).
and Waning Moon) The two earth children stolen by MANI, the man of the Moon, to help him drive his chariot across the skies. They were the children of VIDFINN, who had sent them to fetch water from the spring BYRGIR in a pail carried between them on a pole. Legend has it that the shadows we see on the Moon are those of the two children carrying their pail of water. A 19th-century Englishman, the Reverend S. Baring-Gould, in Curious Myths of the Middle Ages (1866) claimed that the popular nursery rhyme about Jack and Jill, who “went up the hill to fetch a pail of water” had its origin in the ancient tale of Bil and Yuki. (See also “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION.)
BILLING In some tellings of the myths Billing is king of the Ruthenians (Russians) and the father of RINDA, who was to be wooed by ODIN (see “Vali, the Avenger,” under VALI [2]). BILSKIRNIR (Lightning)
BIFROST (Trembling Path) The flaming, threestrand bridge between ASGARD and MIDGARD, also called the RAINBOW BRIDGE. Humans see the bridge as a rainbow spanning the distance between heaven and Earth. The AESIR gods skillfully built Bifrost out of fire, air, and water, the three materials that can be seen as the colors of the rainbow: red (fire), blue (air), and green (water). Though it looked fragile, Bifrost was immensely strong. The gods appointed HEIMDALL to be the watchman of the bridge, for his senses were keen and he had a marvelous horn, GIALAR, whose blast would ring throughout NINE WORLDS if the HRIMTHURSSAR set foot on Bifrost. The Aesir gods crossed Bifrost regularly to go to council meetings at URDARBRUNN, a sacred place. Only THOR, the thunder god, could not walk or ride across Bifrost, lest the heat of his lightning harmed the bridge.
THOR’s
dwelling in ASGARD. As befitted the god’s large size and his fondness for giving huge banquets, Bilskirnir, with 540 rooms, was the largest hall in all Asgard.
BLODIGHOFI (Bloodyhoof) The god
FREY ’s magical horse that could leap through flames unharmed.
BOAR A male swine or pig. People have admired the boar since ancient times for its courage. It has been hunted and killed for its succulent flesh, tough bristles, sturdy hide, and sharp tusks; in fact, no part of this creature goes unused by humankind. In Norse mythology and history FREY’s golden boar was named GULLINBURSTI (Golden Bristles). Gullinbursti’s image is found on many helmets and shields worn by ancient warriors as a symbol of good luck in battle. In the winter months a sacrificial boar was offered up to the god Frey. The pagan custom is still remembered in many countries at Yuletide or
BROKK 11
Christmas (see also “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN), where roast pig, pork, or ham may be the festive dish. In Sweden Yuletide cakes are baked in the shape of a boar. In England many inns are called The Boar’s Head in recognition of the ancient custom of serving a boar’s head at Christmas. Also mentioned in Norse mythology is the golden boar HILDISVINI, belonging to Frey’s sister, FREYA, and the boar SAEHRIMNIR, who was nightly sacrificed at ODIN’s VALHALLA for the feasting of the heroes. Saehrimnir came back to life each day.
BODN (Vessel) A jar, one of three containers in which the blood of KVASIR was kept (see also “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN). The other two were called ODRORIR and SON.
BOLTHUR (BOLTHORN, BOLTURON; Thorn of Evil) The JOTUN father of BESTLA and a son whose name is unknown. Bestla married BOR and bore him three sons, ODIN, VILI, and VE. Thus Bolthur was Odin’s grandfather. When Odin hanged himself from the World Tree, YGGDRASIL, to gain wisdom, he learned nine songs from the son of Bolthor, Odin’s uncle (see “Lord of the Gallows,” under ODIN). In Norse mythology and folklore there was often a close bond between a man and his maternal uncle, who sometimes acted as godfather or surrogate father.
BOR (BUR) Son of
BURI,
who was known as the father of the gods. According to early Norse poetry, Bor married BESTLA, the daughter of a GIANT. Bor’s sons killed the first giant, YMIR, and created the world from his body parts. According to SNORRI STURLUSON, Bor’s sons were ODIN, VILI, and VE.
BRAGI The god of poetry, eloquence, and music. Bragi was the son of ODIN and GUNLOD and husband of IDUNN. Bragi does not play a major role in Norse myths. He is pictured as playing on a harp and singing so sweetly that even the trees and flowers are charmed by him. Norsemen called their poets or skalds bragamen or bragawomen. In English the verb to brag means “to boast rather loudly of one’s achievements.” Because Odin had a great knowledge of poetry, some scholars see Bragi as another facet of Odin’s personality.
BREIDABLIK (Broad Gleaming) The shining hall of the god BALDER in ASGARD.
BRIDE PRICE In ancient times, and still among some peoples, the money or goods (dowry) given to the family of the bride by the bridegroom or his family. In the story “Frey and Gerda,” FREY’s magic sword was the bride price for Gerda. In another Norse story the giant THRYM offers THOR’s stolen hammer in return for FREYA as his bride. BRISINGAMEN (Brisings’ Necklace) The golden
BOLVERK (Evil-Doer) The name
ODIN
used
when he went to JOTUNHEIM to steal back the MEAD of poetry. Odin took the form of a tall, strong man. When he found nine slaves working wearily in a field, he offered to sharpen their scythes with his whetstone. The slaves were so impressed with the sharpness of their blades after Bolverk had honed them that they asked for the whetstone. Odin-Bolverk threw it up in the air. As they scrambled to catch it, the nine workers managed to kill each other with their scythes. Thus Odin-Bolverk was able to ingratiate himself with their master, BAUGI, who now had no workers and was glad to employ the stranger. As a reward for his work, Baugi eventually led Odin to the cave where the MEAD of poetry was hidden. The character of Bolverk shows Odin as a devious, cruel being who will shed the blood of others to gain his ends.
necklace given to the goddess FREYA by the four DWARFS ALFRIGG, BERLING, DVALIN, and GRERR. It is not known who the Brisings were. Freya was the goddess of fertility; a necklace is often used as a fertility symbol. Freya lends the necklace to the god THOR in “The Theft of Thor’s Hammer.”
BROKK A DWARF. SNORRI STURLUSON tells the story of how the trickster god LOKI bet Brokk and his brother, EITRI, that they could not make gifts for the gods as wonderful as those that other dwarfs had already made. Brokk accepted the bet and set out with his brother to make a BOAR with golden bristles, a gold ring, and THOR’s hammer. Brokk worked the bellows to blow air on the smith’s fire, and Eitri crafted the objects. Loki, meanwhile, pestered Brokk. As Eitri worked on Thor’s hammer, the last of the
12 BURI
three objects, Loki turned himself into a fly and bit Brokk’s eyelid, causing it to bleed into the dwarf’s eye. As a result Brokk stopped working the bellows and the fire cooled. It was for this reason that Thor’s famous hammer, MJOLLNIR, had a short handle. Despite Loki’s interference Brokk and Eitri won the bet. This story survives only in Snorri’s work. See also TREASURES OF THE DWARFS.
BURI Ancestor of the gods. Buri appeared at the time of the CREATION, when the cosmic cow AUDHUMLA brought him to life from under the primeval
ice. In time Buri had a son named BOR who married the giantess BESTLA and became the father of the gods ODIN, VILI, and VE.
BYGGVIR One of the god
FREY’S
servants. Byggvir is married to BEYLA. The couple served at the feast that AEGIR gave to the gods (see “Loki’s Mocking,” under LOKI).
BYRGIR The well to which the earth children, BIL AND YUKI,
had gone to fetch water before being stolen away by MANI, the man of the Moon.
C
CAT In world mythology the domestic cat is often
The following story of the Creation is from SNORRI STURLUSON’s PROSE EDDA, his major sources being VOLUSPA, GRIMNISMAL, and VAFTHRUDNISMAL. The Chasm There was no Sun, no Moon, no stars, no land or sea. There was only a yawning chasm called GINNUNGAGAP. To the north of Ginnungagap was NIFLHEIM, land of cold mists; to the south was MUSPELLHEIM, the land of fire. From Niflheim’s spring, HVERGELMIR, flowed the 11 poisonous rivers of the ELIVAGAR. They emptied into the chasm, froze, and filled it with venomous ice. From Muspellheim came sheets of fire that turned the ice into mists and dense fog. For millions of years fire and ice interacted with each other until at last there came sparks of life. The first life took the form of a huge, giant, YMIR, and a gigantic cow, AUDHUMLA, that nourished Ymir with her milk. She in turn licked the salty stones around Ginnungagap for nourishment. As Audhumla licked at the icy, salty stones around Ginnungagap, she uncovered the hairs of a man’s head. Soon she uncovered the entire head and finally the whole body of a handsome, humanlike creature. He was BURI, the ancestor of the gods. Buri produced a son named BOR, who married a giantess, BESTLA, who gave him three sons, ODIN, VILI, and VE, the first gods. Meanwhile, as Ymir slept, hordes of hideous giant children sprouted from his body. They were the HRIMTHURSSAR and JOTUNS. Odin and his brothers, the sons of Bor, quarreled with the unruly gang of giants. Finally they attacked and killed Ymir, the father of them all. Immense floods of blood spurted from the fallen giant and drowned all the frost giants except BERGELMIR and his wife, who rode out the flood on a hollowed tree trunk, the first boat.
venerated or feared as a witch in disguise or as a witch’s “creature.” In Norse mythology the goddess FREYA, who had magic powers, had a chariot drawn by two gray or black cats.
CAULDRON A large pot or kettle used for boiling. In “Thor and Hymir Go Fishing,” THOR goes in search of HYMIR’s huge cauldron because the gods need it for brewing ale. Later, in “Loki’s Mocking,” (see under LOKI), the sea god AEGIR gives a banquet for the gods. He brews the ale in the cauldron that Thor and TYR took from Hymir. The cauldron features in many medieval tales, especially those where witches brew magic broths.
CODEX REGIUS A manuscript found in the 17th century in a farmhouse in Iceland and presented by Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson to the king of Denmark, where it was part of the royal collection for several centuries. About one-half of this collection is the poems that make up the POETIC EDDA, a primary source of stories and information on Norse mythology. The manuscript was preserved in the Royal Library in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is now preserved in Iceland. COW This female mammal is noted for the nurturing properties of her milk. In many world mythologies she is the symbol of the Great Mother and of CREATION. In the PROSE EDDA and the POETIC EDDA of the Norse, the cow is AUDHUMLA.
CREATION The mythology of each people has its own story of how the world was created. In Norse mythology, at the beginning there was a swirling chaos of mists and fog, freezing cold, howling winds, and terrifying fire. 13
14 CREATION
Odin, Vili, and Ve dragged Ymir’s huge body to Ginnungagap, and there they set about creating the world. They made the earth from his flesh, mountains and hills from his bones, and rocks and boulders from his teeth. His curly hair became leafy trees and all vegetation. The lakes and seas and oceans were made from his blood. Sky Then they made the sky’s dome from Ymir’s skull and flung his brains aloft to make the clouds. Snorri says the four DWARFS NORDI, SUDRI, AUSTRI, and VESTRI held up the four corners of the sky. The four points of the compass, North, South, East, and West, are named after these dwarfs. The gods took sparks and embers from Muspellheim’s fires and made the Sun, Moon, and stars. Jotunheim The sons of Bor gave the new generation of giants, the race founded by Bergelmir, the land named JOTUNHEIM. They bade the giants stay there. Midgard Then they put Ymir’s eyebrows around a green piece of land, forming a pleasant enclosure they called MIDGARD, or Middle Earth. Night and Day Once the gods had created the world and placed the Sun and Moon in the sky, they made night and day. NOTT (Night) was a beautiful giantess with a dark complexion and hair of midnight black. She was the daughter of NARFI, one of the first giants. She married three times. Her first husband was NAGLFARI, father of AUD. Her second was ANNAR, father of FJORGYN (1). With her third husband, DELLING, she had a fair son named DAG (Day). The gods sent Nott and Dag up into the heavens in horse-drawn chariots to ride around the world. They created darkness and light, as one followed the other through the skies. Nott drove first, with her lead horse, HRIMFAXI. The froth from his bit fell to Earth as dewdrops. After Nott came Dag with his horse, SKINFAXI. His golden glow lit up the heavens and the Earth. Sun and Moon The gods placed the Sun and the Moon in chariots, drawn by splendid horses. The horses were driven by SOL and MANI, the daughter
and the son of a man from Midgard whose name was MUNDILFARI. Sol’s horses were ARVAKR and ALSVID. A shield, SVALIN, in Sol’s chariot protected her from the Sun, whose brilliant rays would have burned her to a cinder. Mani’s horse was ALDSVIDER. Mani, the man of the Moon, stole two earth children to help him drive his chariot. Their names were BIL AND YUKI. SUN AND MOON could never pause in their journeys across the heavens, for they were forever pursued by the terrible wolves SKOLL and HATI. Each month Hati, it was said, took a bite out of the Moon and tried to gobble it up. But the Moon escaped and grew whole again. In the end the wolves will devour both Sun and Moon and cast the world into darkness at RAGNAROK. The First Humans The first man was ASK (Ash) and the first woman, EMBLA (Elm). The first three AESIR gods, Odin, Vili, and Ve, created them. The gods were walking along the seashore when they saw two tree trunks lying at the edge of the water. The forms of the trees were beautiful. Odin breathed life into them. Vili gave them the ability to speak and think. Ve gave them warmth and color and movement. The gods gave them Midgard in which to live. All human beings were descended from them. HEIMDALL later created the different social classes of men and women. The Dwarfs The gods made gnomes and dwarfs from the grubs in Ymir’s rotting corpse. They gave them human form and endowed them with brains, but they were ugly, misshapen little creatures, greedy and selfish. The gods gave them SVARTALFHEIM, the dark realm underground, and put them in charge of the earth’s treasures of gold, other precious metals, and gems. The dwarfs were master smiths. See also TREASURES OF THE DWARFS. Asgard The gods created for themselves the beautiful realm of ASGARD, home of the Aesir gods. It was linked to Midgard by BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE, and it was sheltered by the great World Tree, YGGDRASIL, which touched all the worlds.
D DAG (Day) The son of NOTT and her third husband, DELLING. ODIN set Nott and Dag in the sky to ride around the world, bringing darkness and light at regular intervals. Dag’s horse was SKINFAXI (Shining Mane) whose golden glow lit up the Earth. See also “Night and Day,” under CREATION.
DENMARK A nation in northwestern Europe consisting of the Jutland peninsula and many nearby islands in the Baltic Sea. Denmark is part of SCANDINAVIA and shares a common history with NORWAY, SWEDEN, and ICELAND. They are all home to NORSE mythology. The VIKINGS are the ancestors of the people in these modern-day nations. According to a story by SNORRI STURLUSON, the goddess GEFION plowed the island for Zealand (Sjaelland in Danish) from the mainland of Sweden, using the strength of her four sons, who were giant oxen. Important archaeological finds concerning Norse myths have come from this country; Zealand, for example, has an important collection of rock carvings from the late Bronze Age, which began around 1000 B.C., that portray religious scenes. Two elaborately carved little wagons, which would have carried the gods, came from a site near Dejberg on the Jutland peninsula. Also a tree coffin, where the trunk was carved out to make room for the body, was found near Egtved. The National Museum of Denmark houses many Norse artifacts.
DAIN (1) A
DWARF mentioned only in HYNDa part of the POETIC EDDA, as one of the creators of the gold-bristled boar HILDISVINI. According to this poem Dain and his brother, NABBI, made the magical boar. LULJOTH,
DAIN (2) (Dead) An elf, perhaps a DWARF, who was talented at writing and reading RUNES.
DAIN (3) A fully grown male deer, or stag, that lived among the branches of Tree, and ate its leaves.
YGGDRASIL,
DAINSLEIF (Dain’s Heirloom) A sword made by the
DWARF DAIN (1),
according to SNORRI STURLUSON. This sword was cursed: Once drawn, it must kill a man before it could be returned to the sheath. A blow from this magical sword never failed to kill or cause a wound that never healed. To rescue his daughter Hild, the legendary warrior and king Hogni drew Dainsleif to kill her abductor, Hedin Hjarrandason.
DISIR Female guardian spirits associated with death. The Disir (singular, Dis) watched over individuals, families, and perhaps entire neighborhoods. Some experts believe the Disir were malicious, harmful spirits, who sought bad things for the people they watched over; however, other experts suggest that the NORSE people also believed in a positive influence of the Disir in a person’s life and that a Dis brought good to a home and its family. The goddess FREYA was also referred to as Vanadis, which means the “Dis of the VANIR.”
DELLING (Dawn, Dayspring) The third husband of NOTT. Their son was called DAG. Delling was related to the sons of Bor, the gods ODIN, VILI, and VE. See also “Night and Day,” under CREATION.
15
16 DIVINATION
This type of spirit is mentioned in the Eddic poem GRIMNISMAL, and the Disir play an important role in the Saga of Tryggvason. More information about them survives in place-names in SCANDINAVIA and in histories written in later centuries.
ful and evil wolf. Only the magical third chain, GLEIPNER, successfully secured Fenrir until the time of RAGNAROK, the conflict that brought an end to the world of the gods.
DVALIN The
DIVINATION The act or practice of predicting the future, particularly through a ritual or ceremony. The ancient NORSE people held strong beliefs in the ability of some people, animals, and objects to predict the future. They sought omens and warnings from sacred horses, performed ceremonies full of chants and singing and led by a seeress to learn what would happen in battle, and studied the arrangement of twigs to learn of their fates. Divination was closely connected with the magical art form known as SEID. DRAGON A mythical beast, usually represented as a large, winged, fire-breathing reptile similar to a crocodile or a SERPENT. In Norse myth the dragon NITHOG feeds on the root of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL. In Norse and Germanic legend, from which Norse mythology evolved, the dragon FAFNIR guards his ill-gotten treasure and is eventually slain by the young hero SIGURD.
DRAUPNIR (Dropper) The golden ring or arm ring made for the great god ODIN by the dwarfs EITRI and BROKK (see TREASURES OF THE DWARFS). Every ninth night, eight other rings dropped from Draupnir, each as heavy and bright as the first. In the story “Frey and Gerda” (see under FREY), Gerda was not tempted by the ring. In “Balder’s Funeral” (see under BALDER), Odin placed Draupnir on the funeral pyre; it was then returned to him by HERMOD, the messenger god who had gone to the underworld to try to bring Balder back to the living. DROMI The second of three chains with which the gods tried to bind the dangerous wolf FENRIR. Though stronger than the first chain (LAEDING), this ordinary metal chain could not hold tight the power-
who with his three brothers, ALFRIGG, BERLING, and GRERR, fashioned the golden BRISINGAMEN coveted by the goddess FREYA. The other three dwarfs are never heard of again, but the story of ALVIS makes reference to Dvalin, who was turned to stone by the rising Sun. See also DVALIN’S DELIGHT. DWARF
DVALIN’S DELIGHT The ironic name given by the DWARFS to the Sun. Dwarfs, gnomes, trolls, and other denizens of underground caves are terrified of the Sun, for it turns them to stone. They must never be caught aboveground in daylight. See also ALVIS.
DWARFS The small, misshapen creatures made at the CREATION from the grubs in the giant YMIR’s dead body. They were given the realm of SVARTALFHEIM (land of the dark ELVES) in which to live. The gods put them in charge of Earth’s underground treasures: precious metals and gems. They were master craftsmen and fashioned many treasures for the gods (see TREASURES OF THE DWARFS). SNORRI STURLUSON lists dozens of names of dwarfs, but few of them are ever heard of again in the surviving records of Norse myths. Among the more memorable ones are who like many of the dwarfs had a vast store of knowledge and poetically listed the various names for the 13 most important words in medieval Scandinavian vocabulary • BROKK and EITRI, who fashioned various gifts for the gods • DVALIN, one of the dwarfs who made the BRISINGAMEN coveted by the goddess FREYA and who was turned into stone at sunrise • ANDVARI, the dwarf who was tricked by LOKI into giving up his gold hoard upon
•
ALVIS,
DWARFS 17
Deep under the earth, dwarfs crafted metals and gems into treasures for the gods and goddesses. (Historical Picture Service–Chicago)
which he then placed a curse (see “Otr’s Ransom,” under OTR) • LIT, the dwarf who was inadvertently cremated on BALDER’s funeral pyre
•
NORDI, SUDRI, AUSTRI, and VESTRI, the four dwarfs who were bidden to hold up the four corners of the sky
E
EAGLE A symbol of strength and death in Norse
EDDA,
sometimes known as the Snorra Edda or Younger Edda. The Eddas are the main source of knowledge about Norse mythology. The Poetic Edda is a collection of poems on mythological and legendary themes, written down at different times and by different poets between the eighth and 13th centuries. They were discovered in 1643 by the Icelandic bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson. (The Poetic Edda was sometimes called Saemund’s Edda in the mistaken belief that it had been written by the medieval bishop SAEMUND SIGFÚSSON.) The Prose Edda, “younger” because it was not put to paper until around 1220, was written by Icelandic poet, historian, and diplomat SNORRI STURLUSON. It is a handbook of Norse mythology, designed as a guide for poets to encourage them to write in the style of the ancient poets of the Viking age. These two great books helped keep alive the memory of the ancient gods and their exploits, which otherwise might have been lost forever with the coming of Christianity to the northern lands.
mythology. The eagle was also an image of the battlefield, for it often ate at the dead bodies. An eagle was one of the three birds of ODIN—the other two were RAVENs—who was the god of death, among other things. Odin is often pictured with an eagle. He occasionally took on the form of an eagle, as did other gods and GIANTs. An eagle also sat on the topmost branches of YGGDRASIL, the World Tree, where it flapped its wings and created the winds in MIDGARD, the world of HUMANS. Many images of the eagle appear in stone carvings dating from the era of the Norse gods and found in SCANDINAVIA. They also appear frequently on helmets and small brooches. The eagle’s curved beak distinguishes this bird from ravens, which have straight beaks.
EARTH In Old
NORSE,
both Jord and FJORGYN (1) mean “earth.” Both are names of mythological beings and are used at times to refer to the land or the soil. Jord is the most frequent name used for the giantess who was the mother of THOR, son of ODIN; in this role she is sometimes known as Fjorgyn. Jord is also found in SKALDIC POETRY as a name for the celestial body Earth.
EGGTHER Watchman of the giants. At
RAG-
NAROK,
the end of the world, he sat upon a grave mound and grimly played his harp.
EARTH MOTHER (Earth Goddess) A general EGIL Two characters with this name appear in
name for a female spirit or deity worshiped by peoples all over the world. Believers prayed to her for fine weather and good crops, for food and shelter, and for numerous sons and daughters. In Norse mythology the first Earth goddesses had no distinct form but later were identified with FJORGYN (1), FRIGG, and FREYA.
EDDAS, THE Two distinct works: the EDDA,
also called the Elder Edda, and the
Norse mythology. The existing documents leave it unclear whether each use of the name referred to one figure or to different people. Egil, apparently, was a common name in the folklore of SCANDINAVIA. One person named Egil was a servant of THOR, according to SNORRI STURLUSON. He guarded Thor’s goats while the god was visiting the giant HYMIR. This Egil may have been the father of Thor’s human servants THIALFI and ROSKVA.
POETIC PROSE
19
20 EIKTHYRNIR
Another Egil is the subject of a popular Icelandic SAGA, or epic story, known today as Egil’s Saga. He was a very skilled and talented archer, and the brother of Weland, the blacksmith.
EIKTHYRNIR (Oak Thorny) The fully grown male deer, or stag, that stood on the roof of VALHALLA, ODIN’s famous palace, and nibbled at the leaves of the great oak tree LAERAD, around which the hall had been built. Drops of an unnamed fluid dripped from Eikthyrnir’s antlers, and from it came all of the great rivers of the world. Besides being named in Norse manuscripts, Eikthyrnir is portrayed on a 10th-century carved stone cross from Cumbria, England.
scholars that Eir once played an important role in Norse religion.
EITRI A dwarf who helped create three of the precious objects of the gods. In a competition, the trickster god LOKI bet the dwarf BROKK and his brother, Eitri, that they could not make anything as fine as the gifts another group of dwarfs had already made for the gods—a golden headpiece, a ship, and a spear. With Brokk at the bellows Eitri successfully crafted a boar with golden bristles, GULLINBURSTI; a gold ring, DRAUPNIR; and THOR’s hammer, MJOLLNIR. Experts working in the later part of the 20th century agree that earlier scholars had mistakenly applied the name Sindri to the brother of Brokk, Eitri. See also TREASURES OF THE DWARFS.
EINHERJAR (Lone Fighters) The fallen HUMAN warriors chosen by ODIN to live and revel with him in VALHALLA until the end of time, known as RAGNAROK. These special warriors are described in many written sources from ICELAND. Older poems and stories describe them as special warriors of Odin who are served by the VALKYRIES. In other works, including the PROSE EDDA written by SNORRI STURLUSON, the Einherjar are dead warriors who go to live in Valhalla with Odin. There they feast each day on the meat of the magical boar SAEHRIMNIR and practice their warfare in preparation for Ragnarok, the final conflict between the gods and the giants. Scholars suggest that the image of the Einherjar is based on a very ancient cult that worshiped Odin, the god of the dead and of battle. Many kings and princes of SCANDINAVIA were followers of this cult and dedicated themselves and the people they killed in battle to Odin.
EIR A goddess and healer or physician. Little is now known of Eir. She appears in the works of SNORRI STURLUSON and is mentioned once in the older POETIC EDDA. Eir is one of the 12 or 13 highestranking goddesses, according to Snorri’s list of deities. She is also one of the handmaids of the beautiful giantess MENGLOD. Eir means “peace,” “mercy,” or “clemency,” traits some see as important to her role as a physician. That Snorri and others even named this goddess suggests to
ELDER EDDA See POETIC EDDA. ELDHRIMNIR (Soot-Blackened) The name of the cauldron at VALHALLA in which the magic boar, SAEHRIMNIR, was cooked every night for the feasting of the gods and heroes. ELDIR (Man of Fire) One of the two servants of the ancient sea god AEGIR. Eldir was on duty as the gatekeeper, or outer guard, to Aegir’s castle when LOKI tried to return to the banquet where he had killed Aegir’s other servant, FIMAFENG. Eldir challenged Loki, the trickster god, by making him feel guilty for his acts, but Loki convinced Eldir to allow him back into the castle.
ELIVAGAR The collective name for 11 venomous rivers that surged from the spring HVERGELMIR in the underworld, NIFLHEIM. The rivers had fearsome NAMES that related to howling and boiling and storming: Fimbulthul, Fjorm, Gjoll, Gunnthra, Hrid, Leipt, Slid, Syol, Sylg, Vid, and Ylg. The rivers froze and roared into GINNUNGAGAP, the abyss, as glaciers. The first giant, YMIR, was formed from the frozen poison of the Elivagar (see CREATION). In the story “Thor’s Duel with Hrungnir,” THOR tells of carrying AURVANDIL in a basket across the Elivagar. In the story “Thor and Hymir Go Fishing,” Thor and TYR journey to the east of the Elivagar in Thor’s GOAT chariot.
EMBLA 21
ELJUDNIR (ELVIDNIR; Damp with Sleet) The hall of the goddess HEL in her realm, NIFLHEIM, the underworld. Eljudnir was a great home with very high walls, high banisters, and huge gates. Her maidservant in this palace was GANGLOT, and GANGLATI was her manservant. Some sources say that it was in Eljudnir that Hel met with the god HERMOD when he traveled to the underworld to rescue the spirit of the god BALDER.
example, the Vanir god FREY was sometimes called Lord of the Elves. The domain of the elves was Alfheim. When the dwarf ALVIS cited the 13 most important words in the language, he mentioned the elves only twice. In some accounts of BALDER’s funeral the elves came to mourn, along with the gods, giants, and dwarfs. The Dark Elves, whose domain was SVARTALFHEIM, seem to be indistinguishible from DWARFS.
ELLI (ELLE) Old age in the form of an old woman
EMBLA The first woman, who was created from
whom the god THOR wrestled at UTGARD-LOKI’s hall. Thor was, of course, defeated, for no one can win against old age.
an alder or elm tree by the first three AESIR gods, ODIN, VILI, and VE (see “The First Humans,” under CREATION). In Norse myth, all HUMANS were descended from Embla and ASK, the first man.
ELVES In Norse mythology elves do not play an active part; they are mentioned only in passing. For
FAFNIR Son of the magician
F
Fenrir and the Gods FENRIR was so huge and hairy that the AESIR, the gods of ASGARD, were frightened of him. Only TYR was brave enough to befriend the monster wolf and feed him. But as Fenrir grew bigger, the gods decided to protect themselves and chain him. One chain was called LAEDING, another, DROMI. Fenrir easily broke the chains. Then the gods sent SKIRNIR, the servant of the god FREY, to seek the help of the DWARFS, who lived in the earth. The dwarfs fashioned a silken bond, called GLEIPNIR, from
and brother of REGIN and OTR. Fafnir killed his father for his hoard of gold, then turned himself into a dragon to guard the gold. He was himself killed by the hero SIGURD. HREIDMAR
FALCON A bird of prey that hunts during the day. Like its relatives the hawk and the EAGLE, the falcon has extraordinary eyesight and powers of flight. In Norse mythology the goddess FREYA possessed a suit of falcon feathers that enabled her to travel wherever she wanted. Freya lent her suit of feathers to LOKI so that he might rescue IDUNN and again so that he might find MJOLLNIR, the hammer (see “The Theft of Thor’s Hammer,” under THOR). On another occasion, in “Thor and the Giant Geirrod,” Loki borrowed a falcon suit from FRIGG, the wife of ODIN.
• • • • • •
FARBAUTI (Cruel Striker) A giant, or
the sound of a cat’s paws the hairs of a maiden’s beard the roots of a mountain the dreams of a bear the breath of a fish the spittle of a bird
Because none of these things seems to exist on Earth, no person or thing could break this bond. The gods persuaded Fenrir to go with them to a lonely island, LYNGVI, in the middle of Lake AMSVARTNIR. They asked Fenrir if he would allow himself to be tied up once more and use his mighty strength to break the bond. He agreed to be bound if one of the gods would put a hand into Fenrir’s mouth and guarantee that the wolf would be set free. Tyr, the most fair-minded of the gods, agreed to put his hand into Fenrir’s mouth. Once secured in Gleipner, Fenrir could not break the bond. He clamped down on Tyr’s hand and bit it off. The gods attached Gleipnir to a heavy chain, GELGJA, and passed the chain through a hole into a large rock named GIOLL (1). Then the gods thrust a sword into the wolf’s mouth so that it would remain wide open. There Fenrir remained bound
JOTUN, the father of the trickster god, LOKI. Loki’s mother was the giantess LAUFEY, according to SNORRI STURLUSON. Some say that Farbauti struck Laufey with a bolt of lightning, after which she gave birth to Loki.
FENRIR (FENRIS) The WOLF who was the offspring of the trickster god, LOKI, and the ogress ANGRBODA. He was the brother of HEL and of JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent. Fenrir was so huge that when he opened his mouth, his jaws stretched from Earth to heaven. He was eventually bound by the gods and doomed to remain in chains until RAGNAROK (the end of the world), when he would kill the great god ODIN. Fenrir in turn would die at the hand of VIDAR, one of Odin’s sons. (SNORRI STURLUSON’s vivid version of this myth in the PROSE EDDA is the only surviving source.) 23
24 FENRIR
Fenrir, the monster wolf, bit off the hand of the god Tyr. (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
FREKI 25
and gagged until the fatal day of Ragnarok, when Fenrir got his revenge and killed the chief god, ODIN. For the Norsemen of Scandinavia the wolf was an ever-present danger.
FENSALIR (Water, Sea, or Bog Hall) The palace or home of the goddess FRIGG, wife of ODIN and mother of BALDER. In this hall, the god LOKI tricked Frigg into revealing that her son’s one vulnerability was MISTLETOE. Some experts suggest that Fensalir was located in a swamp or bog because followers of Frigg worshiped near a spring.
FJORGYN (2) (FJORGYNN) The father of the goddess FRIGG, according to the works of Icelandic poet SNORRI STURLUSON. According to modern experts in the Old NORSE language, the similarity between the feminine form of this word, which was the name of a giantess (see FJORGYN [1]), and masculine form is a result of transliteration, the methods of using the alphabet of one language to replicate the sounds of another language. In Old Norse spelling, there are distinctions between the names for the mother of THOR and the father of Frigg that are not evident in modern English.
FLOOD At the time of
FIMAFENG (Swift) One of the servants of AEGIR,
the sea god. Fimafeng was stabbed to death by the trickster god, LOKI, at Aegir’s banquet for the gods.
FIMBULVETR (Fimbul Winter, Mighty Winter) The winter of winters, the worst of all possible winters. The Fimbulvetr lasted for three years without respite and took place just before RAGNAROK, the end of the world. It brought terrible hardships, with driving snowstorms from all four points of the compass, vicious winds, bitter cold, and unyielding ice. People starved and lost all hope and goodness as they fought for their lives. They committed terrible crimes and started many wars.
FJALAR (1) (All-Knower) The beautiful red rooster that crowed to the giants at the beginning of RAGNAROK, the end of the world. FJALAR (2) One of the wicked DWARFS (along with GALAR) who killed KVASIR, the wise man (see “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN).
CREATION in Norse mythology, the giant YMIR was killed by the gods. His spurting blood created a flood. All the giants were drowned except BERGELMIR and his wife, who created a new race of giants. Oceans, seas, and lakes were formed from Ymir’s blood. In the Old Testament Bible (Genesis), Noah and his family and pairs of animals are the only survivors of a flood. Stories of floods occur in many mythologies around the world, from India and Russia to New Guinea and North and South America.
FOLKVANGER (Field of Folk) The part of in which the hall of the goddess FREYA was situated. In the hall, SESSRUMNIR, she welcomed the slain heroes she shared with ODIN. ASGARD
FORNJOT (Destroyer) A giant. Thirteenthcentury Icelandic author SNORRI STURLUSON identified Fornjot as the father of the wind. Modern scholars believe him to be a very old giant, perhaps one of the oldest figures in Norse mythology. Fornjot may also have been father of the HRIMTHURSSAR, or frost giants.
FJOLSVID The giant who guarded the gate in waited
FORSETI God of justice and conciliation. Forseti
FJORGYN (1) (FJORGVIN; Earth) One of two
was the son of BALDER and NANNA. His hall was Not much is known about Forseti, but place-names such as Forsetlund, near Oslo Fjord in Norway, suggest that he once may have been an important god.
behind which the fair for her lover, SVIPDAG. JOTUNHEIM
MENGLOD
GLITNIR.
names (the other being Jord) for the giantess who was the mother of THOR, the thunder god and son of ODIN, the most powerful god. The word fjorgyn is also used in Norse mythology to refer to the “land” or “earth.”
FREKI (Ravenous) One of the wolf companions of the god
ODIN.
whose name also
26 FREY
means “ravenous.” Odin fed the wolves all the meat that was given to him, for he needed only to drink divine MEAD to survive. The wolves attended him at HLIDSKIALF, his high seat, and also at VALHALLA.
FREY (FREYR; Lord) One of the great gods of the Norse. His name means “lord” (as his sister FREYA’s means “lady”). Frey was the lord of the Sun, rain, and harvests. He was a shining god, bringing fertility and prosperity to all. Son of the VANIR god NIORD, Frey was one of the hostages asked to live in ASGARD after the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR. His home was ALFHEIM (elfland), and he was sometimes known as Lord of the Elves. Among the TREASURES OF THE DWARFS that went to Frey were the ship SKIDBLADNIR, which could carry all the gods and their horses and armor and yet be folded small enough to fit in a pouch; the golden boar GULLINBURSTI, which plowed the earth and made it green; and a magic sword that struck out at JOTUNS and trolls of its own accord. Frey gave this sword as a BRIDE PRICE to GERDA’s father, GYMIR. He would regret its loss at RAGNAROK, when he battled with the fire demon SURT and lost his life. Frey wed Gerda after his servant SKIRNIR had wooed her for him. Many scholars interpret the story “Frey and Gerda” as a legend about the wooing of the frozen Earth (Gerda) by the warm Sun (Frey). Historically, the worship of Frey was widespread and persistent, especially among the people of SWEDEN. Around the year 1200 there was a magnificent statue of Frey (called there Fricco, the Lover) alongside the two other great gods ODIN and THOR in Uppsala, Sweden. Frey and Gerda One myth has it that Frey dared to climb onto the Odin’s high seat, HLIDSKIALF, where no one but the great god and sometimes his wife, FRIGG, were allowed to sit. From this vantage point Odin could see all the NINE WORLDS. Frey looked about him, and his gaze was transfixed by a dazzling vision. He saw GERDA, the fair daughter of the giant Gymir. As she opened the gates to her palace, her shapely arms shone with such radiance that the Earth and the sky around her shimmered. Frey left Odin’s palace feeling sad and desolate. He knew that because Gerda was a Jotun, a daughter
Frey astride his golden boar, Gullinbursti (Anthony Mercatante)
of one of the hated GIANTS, and he, Frey, was Lord of the Elves, he could never win her. Besides, it was said that her heart was as frozen as a seed in the hard winter earth. Frey was so unhappy that he could not eat, sleep, or speak. Everyone was troubled for him. Trees lost their leaves, and flowers faded. All nature mourned for Frey. At last Frey’s father, Niord, sent Skirnir to speak to his son. Skirnir was Frey’s friend and trusted servant. It did not take him long to find out what troubled Frey. Skirnir said that he would go to woo the maiden for Frey if Frey would lend him BLODIGHOFI, the wondrous horse that could leap through fire unharmed, and Frey’s magic sword that struck giants and trolls of its own accord. Frey agreed, and Skirnir set off to JOTUNHEIM, the land of the giants. When he came to a wall of fire, Blodighofi leaped with Skirnir through the flames. They both came out unscathed. Outside Gymir’s hall huge hounds set up a fearsome barking, howling like the winds of winter. Skirnir asked an old shepherd for advice but the man offered no help. Instead he told Skirnir that he had no hope of winning Gerda, for her heart was made of ice. He said that Frey was doomed to failure and death.
FREYA 27
Skirnir knew that the NORNS had decided his fate and when he should die. There was nothing he could do except to go about his duty with hope and courage. Inside her hall, Gerda looked coldly at Skirnir. First he offered her golden apples if she would give her love to Frey, but Gerda had plenty of gold. Then he offered her Odin’s magic ring, DRAUPNIR, but Gerda had plenty of jewels. Next Skirnir tried threats: He would cut off her head with the magic sword. Gerda replied that her father would kill Skirnir first and keep the magic sword for himself. Skirnir followed by drawing from his belt a wand and a knife. He said he would carve the most terrifying magic RUNES upon the wand and strike her with it. The runes would be curses that doomed her to be forever lonely and filled with longing. She would have no friends, no husband, no children. Only the horrible frost giant HRIMGRIMNIR would pursue her with foul corpses for companions. Food and drink would taste loathsome to her. She would always be cold and miserable and would slowly dry up like a dying thistle, trampled underfoot and forgotten by all. At this dreadful threat Gerda at last promised to marry Frey. Skirnir left Frey’s magic sword behind as a bride price for Gymir and rode back to Frey with the happy news that Gerda would wed him in nine days at the sacred BARLEY patch, BARRI. (In Norse mythology nine days symbolize the nine months of a northern winter.) The long delay dismayed Frey until he should meet his bride. It is said that after they were married Frey and Gerda were the happiest couple in the world, for the warmth of Frey’s love had melted Gerda’s icy heart, just as the sun of spring thaws the frozen earth and brings forth the plants from seeds hidden inside it. The story of Frey and Gerda is a moving love poem. It exemplifies the deep longing the Norse had for the sunshine and warmth of spring after the long, frozen winters of their native lands.
FREYA (Lady) The goddess of love and fertility. Freya was the daughter of the VANIR god NIORD and his sister-wife, NERTHUS, and the sister of FREY. Freya came to ASGARD with her brother and father after the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR ended
Freya had a chariot pulled by two cats. (Anthony Mercatante)
in an eternal peace treaty. Freya’s home in Asgard was in FOLKVANGER in a hall named SESSRUMNIR. Freya was married to OD, but this mysterious character (whose name means “roamer”) disappeared. Freya was said to roam the earth looking for him and shedding tears that turned to pure gold. Freya and Od had a daughter named HNOSSA, which means “jewel.” Freya was exceedingly beautiful and many fell in love with her, including GIANTS, DWARFS, and HUMANS. Like most of the Vanir, Freya had a talent for witchcraft. It is said that when she came to Asgard, she instructed the gods in the magical arts of SEID. Freya also had a warlike side and shared Odin’s love of battle. It is said that she and Odin divided the slain heroes between them so that some went to Odin’s VALHALLA while others went to Sessrumnir. Freya’s boar, the gold-bristled HILDISVINI, was a symbol of war. Its name means “Battle Boar.” Freya possessed a boar chariot and a chariot pulled by two gray or black CATS. She also had a FALCON skin that she sometimes donned to fly away. She lent the falcon skin to LOKI, the trickster god, in the stories “Idunn’s Apples” (see under IDUNN) and “The Theft of Thor’s Hammer” (see under THOR). Her most precious possession was the BRISINGAMEN. The sixth day of the week, FRIDAY, is named after Freya.
28 FREYA
Freya, Ottar, and the Giantess Hyndla Freya, goddess of love and fertility, was loved by many, including the human male OTTAR. In the LAY OF HYNDLA (see HYNDLULJOTH) from the POETIC EDDA, Freya transforms Ottar into the shape of her boar, Hildisvini, and visits the giantess HYNDLA in her cave. Hyndla is a powerful seeress. Freya cajoles and bullies Hindla into telling Ottar all about his ancestors from far back so that he may win a wager with another mortal, Angantyr. In Norse times, it was very important to know one’s lineage; proof of it was often used to settle disputes over land and other property. One of Ottar’s ancestors turned out to be SIGURD, the greatest of Germanic heroes, so he was sure to win his bet. Once Hyndla had finished reciting the list of Ottar’s ancestors, she wanted to leave Freya and her “boar.” Freya used witchcraft to persuade Hyndla to brew some “memory beer” for Ottar, so that he would remember every detail of what Hyndla had told him. Freya caused flames to dance around the giantess until she gave Ottar the brew. Freya and the Golden Necklace Freya had an enormous greed for gold and jewelry of all kinds. One day she went to the cave of the black DWARFS ALFRIGG, BERLING, DVALIN, and GRERR. These master craftsmen had made a golden necklace of outstanding beauty. Freya knew at once that she would do anything to get the necklace that the dwarfs called the Brisingamen. She offered the dwarfs gold and silver, but as Dvalin pointed out, they already had all the precious metals and gems of the underworld for the taking. Freya began to weep golden tears. At last Dvalin said they would give her the necklace if she would agree to spend a day and a night with each of the dwarfs. Freya was so overcome with greed that she gave herself to the company of the four ugly little creatures for four days and four nights. When she went back to her palace at Folkvanger, she was wearing the Brisingamen around her neck. Now Loki, the mischief maker, had followed Freya to SVARTALFHEIM, the home of the dwarfs, and had seen everything that had happened. He ran to tell ODIN. Odin was furious when he heard the story. He bade Loki to take the necklace from Freya and bring it to him.
Loki had a hard time getting into Freya’s sleeping chamber at Sessrumnir, her palace, for all the doors and windows were tightly shut. At last the shape-changer turned himself into a small fly and entered the room through a hole as small as a needle’s eye. Loki saw that Freya was wearing the necklace around her neck, with the clasp underneath her so that he could not reach it. Never at a loss, Loki turned himself into a flea and bit the goddess on her cheek. She turned restlessly in her sleep and exposed the clasp. Quickly Loki turned back into his own shape, removed the necklace, unlocked the door, and crept out. When Freya discovered her loss she ran to Odin and told her story, weeping bitterly. Cold with anger at Freya’s tale of greed and lust, Odin said that he would retrieve the jewel for her only if she would agree to stir
Freya visited the dwarfs to obtain the Brisingamen, her golden necklace. (Anthony Mercatante)
FYLGIE 29
up a terrible war between two powerful chieftains on Earth. He demanded that there should be killing and bloodshed. Afterward Freya should bring the slain heroes back to life. Freya willingly agreed to the terms, for like Odin, she had the gift of sorcery and a lust for battle and heroes. Then Odin sent for HEIMDALL, the watchman of the gods, and told him to go after Loki and bring back Freya’s trinket. Loki turned himself into a seal and swam to a rock near SINGASTEIN, but a moment later Heimdall, too, had become a seal. The two fought a fierce battle. In the end Heimdall, with the necklace in his hand, led the dripping Loki out of the water and back to Odin. The story of the Brisingamen is from the 10thcentury skaldic poem Husdrapa and the 15th-century Flateyjarbok (Book of the Flat Island).
FRIDAY In English, Friday, the sixth day of the week, takes its name from of love and fertility.
FREYA,
Frigg, attended by her handmaidens, spun clouds on her spindle. (Anthony Mercatante)
the Norse goddess
FRIGG (FRIGGA, FRIJA) The chief
goddess; wife of ODIN; daughter of FJORGYN (1), the earth goddess. Frigg herself is called EARTH MOTHER. She is associated with love, marriage, and motherhood. Frigg is frequently pictured as being very beautiful, wearing a girdle hung with household keys and weaving clouds on her spinning wheel. Eleven handmaidens attended her in her hall, FENSALIR. Frigg was the mother of BALDER, and according to some sources, she was also the mother of THOR, the thunder god, and of HODUR, the blind god who unwittingly slew Balder. Because of the fragmentary nature of the Norse EDDAS and SAGAS, there are conflicting views of Frigg. Besides her portrayal as a devoted wife and mother, Frigg also appears as a sorceress who wears a falcon skin and sees into the future, and as a wanton woman who covets gold and jewelry and the love of men. She and the goddess FREYA have a lot in common. Some believe that they are various facets of the same deity. AESIR
FULLA (FYLLR, FYLLA; Bountiful) One of the female goddesses, or ASYNJUR, named by 13th century Icelandic writer SNORRI STURLUSON in his work GYLFAGINNING. Fulla wore her hair loose, with a golden band around her head. A virgin, Fulla served the goddess FRIGG by carrying her basket, tending her shoes, and keeping her secrets. Fulla was one of the three goddesses to whom the dead god BALDER sent gifts from HEL. She received a gold ring. Some scholars believe Fulla was an ancient goddess of fertility modified over time into the smaller role of Frigg’s servant. FYLGIE (Follower) As well as the
NORNS,
or Fates, the Norse ascribed to each human being a guardian spirit or double, which accompanied a person throughout his or her life. The Fylgie had a human or animal shape but was invisible except in dreams or at the moment of death. When the Fylgie appeared to a person who was awake, it was a sign of that person’s death. When a person died, the Fylgie passed on to another member of the family.
G
herself as a beggarwoman. She asked GYLFI, the king of SWEDEN, to give her some land. The king told her that she could have as much land as she could plow in a day and a night. The old woman went off to find her four sons, who were huge oxen that had been fathered by a giant. Gefion hitched the oxen to a plow and proceeded to cut deeply into the land of Sweden. Then she and the oxen towed the land into the sea where it is now known as the island of Zealand, part of DENMARK.
GAGNRAD One of the many names used by the god ODIN. He used this one when he went to visit the wise giant Vafthrudnir (see VAFTHRUDNISMAL.)
GALAR One of the two
(the other was FJALAR [2]) who killed the wise man KVASIR and collected his blood to make the MEAD of poetry (see under ODIN). DWARFS
GANG One of the storm giants, brother of THIAZZI and IDI. Their father, OLVALDI, had left piles of gold to be divided among his sons (see “Skade and Niord,” under SKADE).
GANGLATI
GEIRROD (1) The giant who, with the help of the trickster god LOKI, persuaded the god THOR to visit him without his famous weapons. It was a trap, but thanks to the friendly giantess GRID, Thor was able to kill Geirrod and his two ogress daughters, GIALF and GREIP.
HEL’s
slow-moving manservant in ELJUDNIR, Hel’s hall in the underworld.
GANGLOT ELJUDNIR,
HEL’s slow-moving woman servant in Hel’s hall in the underworld.
GEIRROD (2) Son of King
and brother of AGNAR. Geirrod betrayed his brother and took his throne. Later he killed himself by falling upon his own sword, as ODIN, his benefactor, had prophesied in GRIMNISMAL (“Lay of Grimnir”). Geirrod and Agnar The two brothers, Geirrod and Agnar were the sons of King Hrauding of the Goths. When the children were eight and 10 years old, respectively, their little fishing boat was wrecked in a storm. The boys landed on an island and were taken care of by an old couple who were Odin and FRIGG in disguise. Frigg took special care of Agnar and Odin took care of Geirrod, giving them many words of advise before sending them back to their own land. As their boat approached shore, Geirrod leaped out, taking the oars with him, and shoved the boat back out to sea. Geirrod was welcomed home, and because his father had died, he became king in place of Agnar, who was presumed dead.
GARM The fearsome, howling hound who stood at the gates of HEL’s realm, guarding the kingdom of the dead. In some stories, Garm could be quieted only by a piece of cake given to him by those who had already given bread to the poor. In The Lay of Grimnir (see GRIMNISMAL), Garm is described as the fiercest of all hounds. In “Balder’s Dreams” (see under BALDER), when ODIN went to the underworld to consult a seeress, the blood-caked hound of Hel howled at him, but Odin went on, undeterred by the hideous noise. At RAGNAROK Garm fought with one-handed TYR, and they killed each other. Garm is sometimes thought to be another name for the WOLF FENRIR.
GEFION (Giver) A goddess of fertility, associated with the plow. In one myth told by SNORRI in the PROSE EDDA, Gefion disguised
STURLUSON
HRAUDING
32 GELGJA
Many years went by before Odin and Frigg thought about the two boys they had rescued from the sea. Then Odin boasted that his foster son, Geirrod, was king of a great country, while Frigg’s Agnar was a nobody who lived in a cave. Frigg retorted that Geirrod was mean and treacherous. When Odin decided to go to MIDGARD to test Geirrod, Frigg sent her maidservant, FULLA, to warn Geirrod that he was not to trust the visitor who was coming to him, wearing a sky-blue cape. Geirrod heeded the warning. Odin arrived wearing a sky-blue cape. He called himself GRIMNIR, but more than that he would not say. In a fit of rage at what he considered insolence, Geirrod had Grimnir slung between two fires. There he stayed for eight days and nights, without food or drink. Then Agnar, the son of Geirrod, named after his lost uncle, took pity on Odin-Grimnir and quenched his thirst with ale. Grimnir began to chant a song that was known as Grimnismal (The Lay of Grimnir). The song contained a great deal of knowledge about ASGARD, the home of the gods, and about the gods themselves and their possessions, especially about Odin and his many names. When Geirrod finally realized that his captive was Odin, he leapt up to release him, but he fell on his own sword and killed himself. Then Odin disappeared, and Geirrod’s son, Agnar, became king and ruled for many peaceable years.
GELGJA The name that 13th-century Icelandic writer SNORRI STURLUSON gave to a very strong chain used to help secure FENRIR, the giant, monstrous WOLF. After learning that Fenrir, a son of the god LOKI, would eventually help destroy them, the gods decided to chain the wolf to a huge rock and keep him captive forever. Finally, through magic, they managed to get the rope GLEIPNIR around the wolf’s neck. They fastened Gleipnir to Gelgja, a shackle or chain. Some experts believe Gelgja, too, was made of magical materials. Finally, the gods fastened Gelgja to the rock GIOLL (1). GERDA (GERD; Enclosed Field) The daughter of the JOTUN GYMIR and AURBODA, the sister of BELI, and the wife of FREY, whose servant SKIRNIR, wooed and won the giantess for his master. Gerda spurned apples and gold but finally gave in at the terrible
threat of eternal cold and loneliness, thus personifying winter giving in at last to the warm sunshine of spring. The nine nights of waiting between her consent to become Frey’s bride and the actual union is symbolic of the long nine months of hard winter, in northern countries, before spring arrives. In some mythologies the radiance of Gerda personifies the AURORA BOREALIS (northern lights).
GERI (Ravenous) One of the
WOLF companions of the god ODIN. The other was FREKI, whose name also means “ravenous.” Odin fed the wolves all the meat that was served to him, for he needed only to drink divine MEAD for sustenance. The wolves attended him at HLIDSKIALF, his high seat, and also at VALHALLA.
GESTA DANORUM A 16-volume history of the Danish people from prehistoric days to the 13th century written by SAXO GRAMMATICUS, a Danish scholar and historian. Books 10 through 16 are strictly historical, and scholars believe Saxo wrote these first. Books 1 through 9 record the oral myths and legends of the NORSE people, who included those living in DENMARK. Saxo apparently learned these stories from well-educated and well-traveled men from ICELAND. The Gesta Danorum is considered a very important source of information on the legends, myths, and religions of the Scandinavians.
GIALAR (GJALLAR; Ringing Horn) The trumpet horn of the god HEIMDALL that sounded throughout the NINE WORLDS. Heimdall sometimes left Gialar beside MIMIR’S WELL. At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, the sound of Gialar would summon gods and men to battle. Gialar is usually pictured as a lur, the ancient bronze trumpet of SCANDINAVIA, dating back to about 1000 B.C. Lurs were made in pairs, twisting in opposite directions so that the two held side by side looked like the horns of a large animal. Some lurs have been excavated from the peat bogs of DENMARK and can still be played.
GIALLARBRU (GJALLARBRU) The bridge that crosses the river GIOLL (2) and connects the worlds of the living with the worlds of the dead. The
GIOTUNAGARD 33
god HERMOD must cross the Giallarbru to rescue the spirit of the recently deceased BALDER, son of ODIN and FRIGG.
GIALP (GJALP; Howler) Daughter of the giant GEIRROD (1), and sister of GREIP. She tried to drown the god THOR and, later, to crush him to death against the roof rafters, but Thor killed Gialp and her sister.
GIANT MASTER BUILDER The giant who tricked the gods into hiring him to build a new wall around ASGARD, intended to protect the gods from the GIANTS. The old wall had been destroyed in the war with the VANIR. This unnamed giant took the form of an ordinary builder and traveled to Asgard, his great stallion pulling a wagon. He told the gods he could complete the job for them in three years if they paid him by giving him the SUN AND MOON and the fertility goddess, FREYA. Mischief maker LOKI persuaded the gods to accept the offer under the condition that the builder complete the task in less than half a year. The giant accepted the new terms. Once the builder started working, the gods discovered that he was a giant, aided by a giant stallion. They grew dismayed and fearful that they might indeed lose their goddess and the Sun and Moon in a very bad arrangement. Three days before the wall was completed, Loki, the SHAPE-SHIFTER, turned himself into a mare and lured the stallion away from the construction site, thereby spoiling the giant’s plan.
GIANTS Giants play a central role in Norse mythology, mainly as the enemy of the gods but also as the race from which the gods most likely were offspring. The different roles that giants play in the surviving stories are so confusing that some experts suggest that in Norse religious beliefs, the giants were gods themselves or perhaps the gods were giants. The giant YMIR was the first being in the cosmos, according to 13th-century writer SNORRI STURLUSON’s version of the Norse CREATION myth. Details from Snorri’s PROSE EDDA tell how Ymir evolved from the heat and cold in the beginning times, and from the parts of his body were born the JOTUN (giants) and the HRIMTHURSSAR (frost giants). At the same time that Ymir came into being, the first cow, AUD-
HUMLA,
formed out of the chaos. She licked at a salt block and uncovered BURI, whose son BOR mated with BESTLA, one of the first giantesses. From these latter two, one a giant, came the first gods: ODIN, VILI, and VE. This shared ancestry of gods and giants has caused much curiosity among modern scholars, though no answers to the puzzle exist in surviving records. Most commonly, the giants are interpreted as representing the wild forces of nature that threatened people living in northern climates more so than those in southern lands. The giants lived in mountains and often hurled huge boulders at one another. They loved darkness and often confronted the gods at night. (See also JOTUN.)
GILLING The giant killed by the dwarfs
FJALAR
and GALAR (see “The Mead of Poetry,” under He was the father of SUTTUNG.
ODIN).
GIMLÉ The court of the gods after the end of the world (see “Regeneration,” under RAGNAROK). Stories describe Gimlé as fairer than the Sun and roofed in gold. There the rulers would live at peace with one another.
GINNUNGAGAP The gaping pit that lay (the place of mists and ice) and (the world of raging fire). It existed before land or sea, heaven or Earth. It was in Ginnungagap that the first living creatures were formed: YMIR, the first giant, and AUDHUMLA, the cow (see CREATION). between
NIFLHEIM
MUSPELLHEIM
GIOLL (1) (GJOLL) The rock to which the bonds of the WOLF FENRIR were attached after the gods had captured him.
GIOLL (2) (GJOLL) The river that divides the worlds of the living from the afterlife. The bridge GIALLARBRU crosses this river. The god HERMOD crossed the Gioll over Giallarbru as he hurried to rescue the spirit of BALDER, ODIN’s son, shortly after Balder’s death.
GIOTUNAGARD (GRJOTUNAGARDAR, GRIOTUNAGARD; Place of Stones, Stone Fence
34 GLADSHEIM
House) The place where the duel between the god THOR and the giant HRUNGNIR took place.
GLADSHEIM (Joyous Home) The hall in where all the AESIR gods had their high seats or thrones. It was thatched in silver and stood in the green plain of IDAVOLL. The principal seat, HLIDSKIALF, was that of the god ODIN. ASGARD
surface. Archaeologists believe the images were carved in the sixth century A.D. and were originally painted. One famous raised picture stone from Alskog Tjangvide shows what appears to be SLEIPNIR, ODIN’s eight-legged horse. The carving has been dated the eighth century A.D.
GREIP (Grasper) Daughter of the giant
GEIRand sister of GIALP. The giant sisters tried to kill the god THOR but were instead crushed to death by him. ROD (1)
GLEIPNIR The magic chain made by the DWARFS to bind FENRIR, the WOLF.
GLITNIR The hall of
who was the son of the god BALDER. Forseti dwelled in this hall of gold and silver and helped settle arguments and fights.
GRERR One of the four dwarfs who made the
GNA One of the minor goddesses of the
AESIR,
GRID The giantess who was one of the wives of
according to 13th-century writer SNORRI STURLUSON. Gna ran errands for the goddess FRIGG, ODIN’s wife. When she needed to deliver a message in a hurry, Gna rode her horse, Hofvarpnir (Hoof-Thrasher), through the air. Her Old NORSE name came to refer to very high things or something that soars high.
the god ODIN and the mother of their son, VIDAR. Friendly to the gods, she helped THOR by lending him her magic gloves, girdle, and staff when Thor visited the giant GEIRROD (1). Some legends say that she also made the shoe that Vidar wore at RAGNAROK to slay the wolf FENRIR.
GOAT A mammal related to the sheep family. In
GRIM (GRIMNR) One of the god
FORSETI,
Norse mythology the god THOR had a cart drawn by two billy goats, TANNGNIOST and TANNGRISNIR. These goats could be killed and eaten and then revived again the next day.
BRISINGAMEN
for the goddess FREYA. The others were and DVALIN.
ALFRIGG, BERLING,
ODIN’s
many nicknames. It is found in many English place-names (for example Grim’s Ditch, Grim’s Dyke, Grimsby, and Grimesthorpe).
GRIMNIR (Hooded One) One of the god ODIN’s GOTHS A Germanic tribe that in the third and fifth centuries invaded and settled in parts of the Roman Empire. In the story “Geirrod and Agnar” (see under GEIRROD [2]), HRAUDING was king of the Goths. His son Geirrod succeeded him.
GOTLAND An island in the Baltic Sea, part of and southeast of that nation’s coast. Many archaeological finds that are important to the study of Norse mythology are located on this large island. Most prominent are the rock carvings and pictures that appear to portray scenes from Norse myths. They are similar to the rock carvings found throughout much of SCANDINAVIA. In one set of rocks on Gotland, the background was carved away leaving the images raised above the SWEDEN
many names. When he went to MIDGARD to visit his foster son, GEIRROD (2), Odin wore a sky-blue hooded cape. Odin chanted the GRIMNISMAL, while he was held captive at the hall of Geirrod.
GRIMNISMAL (The Lay of Grimnir)
GRIMNIR, who was the god ODIN in disguise, was captured by GEIRROD (2) and tied between two fires. Geirrod’s son, Agnar, quenched Grimnir’s thirst with horns of ale, and Odin rewarded him by singing this lay. Grimnir’s song told of the halls of the gods in their realm, ASGARD, including YDALIR, GLADSHEIM, and especially VALHALLA, with details about the hall itself and the cook, boar, and sooty cauldron in which the boar was cooked to feed the slain heroes of Valhalla. It also told of Odin’s animal companions, the WOLF and the RAVEN, and of VALGRIND, Valhalla’s
GUNLOD 35
outer gate, through which 800 warriors could march, side by side. The song continues about Valhalla and then names all the rivers of the HVERGELMIR. The song explains how the gods gallop over BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE, to meet the council at the well URDARBRUNN. It also tells of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL, and of those who prey upon it. It mentions the names of the VALKYRIES who wait upon the dead heroes of Valhalla. Other features of the song include the names of the horses that draw the chariots of the Sun and Moon, the terrible wolves that chased the chariots, the giant YMIR and how his flesh and bones and hair created Earth (see CREATION), and TREASURES OF THE DWARFS. And finally the captive Grimnir tells of the many names of Odin. It is then that Geirrod realizes that his prisoner is the great god Odin himself. Geirrod rises up to release his prisoner but falls upon his own sword and kills himself. Grimnismal was a mnemonic poem (a sort of memory bank) for storytellers, poets, and minstrels who passed on information about myths, legends, and folktales to people from one generation to another, and in different communities all over SCANDINAVIA. Much of the information in Grimnismal is not found elsewhere. Grimnismal is part of the POETIC EDDA and is quoted by SNORRI STURLUSON.
GROA The wife of AURVANDIL the Brave and mother of SVIPDAG, who visited her for advice in NIFLHEIM after her death in the poem SVIPDAGSMAL, part of the POETIC EDDA. In another story Groa uses her magic spells to cure THOR’s headache but fails to remove the whetstone fragments from his skull. GULLFAXI (Golden Mane) The giant
GULLINKAMBI (Golden Comb) The bright red rooster that crowed to the gods and heroes at VALHALLA to tell them that RAGNAROK had begun.
GULLINTANI (Golden-Toothed) A name sometimes given to HEIMDALL, who was supposed to have golden teeth and, hence, a dazzling smile. GULLTOPP (Golden Tuft, Gold Top) One of the 10 horses the AESIR gods rode each day to YGGDRASIL, the World Tree, which grew at the center of the universe. The gods came here on horseback each day to sit in judgment at the spring, or well, named URDARBRUNN. Gulltopp is the only horse to be named in the poems that tell of this journey. According to SNORRI STURLUSON, Gulltopp belongs to HEIMDALL, the god of light and guardian of the gods.
GULLWEIG (GULLVEIG; Power of Gold) The beautiful witch who came to ASGARD and was probably the cause of the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR. The AESIR burned her three times, but she rose up each time to cause trouble among the gods. Also called HEID (Shining One), Gullweig is thought by most scholars to be an aspect of the VANIR goddess FREYA, who also loved gold and had magical powers.
HRUNG-
NIR’s
powerful stallion that was defeated in a race by the god ODIN on his steed, eight-legged SLEIPNIR. Gullfaxi was then given to MAGNI, a son of the god THOR.
GULLINBURSTI (Golden Bristles) The golden made by the DWARFS BROKK and EITI from a pigskin and thousands of pieces of gold wire, and given to the god FREY (see TREASURES OF THE DWARFS). Frey could ride on the boar or hitch his wagon to it, and Gullinbursti would speed across the BOAR
Earth, sky, or sea faster than any horse. Its golden rays shone like the Sun and made plants grow everywhere. With its tusks Gullinbursti raked the earth and showed men how to plow the land. Warriors wore the image of Frey’s golden boar on helmets and shields as protection and good luck. Archaeologists found a seventh-century helmet topped by a boar in Benty Grange, in Derbyshire, England.
GUNGNIR
ODIN’s magic spear, made by the sons of Ivaldi. Gungnir never missed its mark. It was a symbol of Odin as the god of war. Odin flung his spear at the VANIR gods in the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR. Norse warriors threw their spears at the start of a battle to invoke Odin’s protection in war. DWARF
GUNLOD (GUNNLOD) Daughter of the giant SUTTUNG,
who commanded Gunlod to guard the
36
GYLFAGINNING
of poetry, made from the blood of KVASIR. She became a wife of ODIN when he visited the cave on HNITBORG Mountain to steal the mead. She bore Odin a child, BRAGI, who went to ASGARD and became the god of poetry and the husband of IDUNN. MEAD
GYLFAGINNING (The Deceiving, or Beguiling, of Gylfi) One of four main parts of the PROSE EDDA written by the 13th-century Icelandic historian, scholar, and chief SNORRI STURLUSON. Some scholars argue that Gylfaginning is Snorri’s most important work. The main character, GYLFI, a king of SWEDEN, disguises himself as an old wayfarer when he comes across a magnificent hall. In the hall sit three beings on high chairs. A servant invites Gylfi to stay and talk with the three beings. He sits and begins asking questions of the beings, who, Snorri tells the readers, are actually gods calling themselves High One, JustAs-High, and Third. Snorri uses the question-andanswer session to teach his readers about the
beginnings of all existence, the gods and goddesses, and the end of time. Snorri draws heavily on the works in the older POETIC EDDA, most notably the VOLUSPA (or The Sibyl’s Vision, as Snorri calls it) and GRIMNISMAL (Lay of Grimnir), to present this account of many Norse myths.
GYLFI King of
who was tricked by the goddess GEFION into giving her some of his land. In another myth Gylfi travels to ASGARD, the home of the gods, where he meets three beings called High One, Just-As-High, and Third. He questions them about Asgard, its creation, the doings of the gods and goddesses, and the end of the world. The three figures answer his questions at length. The poet SNORRI STURLUSON uses this story about Gylfi as a way to begin GYLFAGINNING, the first part of the PROSE EDDA.
GYMIR A GERDA,
SWEDEN
JOTUN, or GIANT, and the father of who became the wife of the shining god, FREY.
H
HARBARD (Gray Beard) One of the god ODIN’s
HAVAMAL (Words of the High One) A poem,
many names. In the Harbardsljoth, or Lay of Harbard, Harbard is a ferryman with one eye, a big hat, and a cape. He arrogantly refuses to take THOR, who does not recognize him as Odin, across the water on his ferry. The two fling insults and taunts at each other, and in the end Thor has to find another way across. The Lay of Harbard appears in the CODEX REGIUS and a part of it is in the Arnamagnean Codex. Both of these works are included in the POETIC EDDA.
part of the POETIC EDDA. Havamal contains many proverbs and advice on good living from the High One, who is the god ODIN. Some of it is addressed to the mortal LODDFAFNIR. Havamal also contains the lament of Odin for BILLING’s daughter and the story of how Odin obtained the MEAD of poetry.
HEID (Shining One) Another name for
GULL-
WEIG,
a witch or seeress. Gullweig called herself Heid when she used her magic or powers to see into the future.
HATI One of the names given to the terrible WOLF that pursued the chariot of the Moon across the heavens and devoured it at RAGNAROK, the end of the world (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION). This wolf is also known as MANAGARM. The 13th-century Icelandic historian SNORRI STURLUSAN wrote that Hati is the son of Hrodvitnisson. Both names mean “famous wolf,” which has led some experts to suggest that Hati, or Managarm, is the offspring of FENRIR, the monster wolf, himself son of the god LOKI. The existing manuscripts of the Norse age are unclear on the exact name of the wolf that chases the Moon. Hati is also the name of a giant who appears as a character in Icelandic poems. See also SKOLL.
HEIDRUN (HEITHRON) The lively shegoat who nibbled the leaves of LAERAD, the tree of VALHALLA. She produced a never-ending supply of MEAD for the gods and heroes at their nightly feasts in ODIN’s hall.
HEIMDALL WATCHMAN OF THE GODS. Heimdall was mysteriously born of nine mothers and the god ODIN. Heimdall was tall and handsome, with a dazzling smile. He was sometimes called the god of light, the shining god, or the white god. Heimdall had a wonderful horn called GIALAR, whose blast could be heard all over the NINE WORLDS, and that Heimdall blew at RAGNAROK, the end of the world. His horse was GULLTOP (Golden Tuft), and his sword was HOFUND. He lived in a fortresslike hall called HIMINBJORG (Cliffs of Heaven). Heimdall had amazing abilities. His eyesight was so sharp that he could see for 100 miles all around him. Some said he could see even farther or that he had “second sight” that allowed him to see into the future. It is certain that he saw all the comings and goings of those who crossed BIFROST, the RAINBOW
HAUSTLONG A poem by Thiodor of Hvini, a ninth- or 10th-century Norwegian poet. It describes pictures painted on a shield thus is called a SKALDIC POEM, or shield poem. The surviving 20 verses of Haustlong are preserved in the PROSE EDDA. Thirteen of the verses tell the myth of IDUNN and THIAZZI; seven describe THOR’s duel with HRUNGNIR. Both stories portray gods carrying out bold exploits against the GIANTS of JOTUNHEIM. 37
38 HEIMDALL
Heimdall, the watchman of the gods, rides Gulltop and brandishes his horn, Gialar. (Historical Picture Service–Chicago)
that led from ASGARD, the home of the gods, to MIDGARD (Middle Earth). Heimdall spotted sly LOKI from afar, after the trickster god had stolen FREYA’s necklace and escaped with it into the sea, where he changed himself into a sleek seal. Heimdall, too, was able to change his shape. He dived, seal-like, into the water, barking and nipping. Heimdall vanquished Loki and took the necklace back to Freya. He and Loki were enemies from then on and in the end would kill each other at RAGNAROK. Heimdall was clever, too. He had the brilliant idea of sending the thunder god, THOR, to JOTUNHEIM dressed as a girl in bridal dress in order to get back Thor’s magic hammer from the giant THRYM, who had stolen it. Heimdall’s hearing was so acute and finely tuned that he could hear the grass pushing up from under the earth and the wool growing on a sheep’s back. Heimdall needed so little sleep that it seemed he was always awake and alert. BRIDGE
Heimdall’s Nine Mothers One obscure and fragmented myth, related in the HYNDLULJOTH of the POETIC EDDA, told the following story about the origins of Heimdall, the watchman of the bridge Bifrost. One day when the great god Odin walked along the seashore, he came across nine beautiful giantesses, sound asleep on the sand. They were the wave maidens, daughters of the sea god, AEGIR. Their names were Alta (Fury), Augeia (Sand Strewer), Aurgiafa (Sorrow-Whelmer), Egia (Foamer), GIALP (Howler), GREIP (Gripper), JARNSAXA (Ironstone), Sindur (Dusk), and Ulfrum (She-Wolf). Odin was so enchanted with their beauty that he wedded all nine of them, and together the nine giantesses brought forth a beautiful son named Heimdall. The nine mothers nurtured their son on the strength of the earth, the moisture of the sea, and the heat of the Sun. The new god thrived so well on this diet that he was soon tall enough and strong enough to hasten to ASGARD, the home of the gods.
HIMINBJORG 39
There, the gods endowed Heimdall with marvelously keen senses and a trumpet called Gialar, and named him guardian of the Rainbow Bridge, Bifrost.
HEL (HELA; Hell) The goddess of death and the underworld. Hel was the daughter of the god LOKI and the ogress ANGRBODA. Her brothers were FENRIR, the wolf, and JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent. According to SNORRI STURLUSON, Hel was terrible to look at, for one-half of her was greenish black and the other a livid white, with flesh that seemed to be rotting like that of a corpse, and her face was gloomy, grim, and sinister. The great god ODIN cast Hel down to NIFLHEIM, the realm of cold darkness and death. He bade her
look after all the wicked and miserable souls who had died of sickness, corruption, and old age. (Dead heroes went to Odin’s glorious hall, VALHALLA.) Hel’s palace was called ELJUDNIR, and here she entertained the dead in a grisly kind of way: Her table was called Hunger; her knife, Starvation; her bed, Sickness; and the curtains around it, Misfortune. It was said that in times of famine and plague Hel left her ghastly realm to roam the Earth on her threelegged white horse and to rake up the survivors and sweep them with her broom down to Niflheim. Although the gods looked upon her with loathing, Hel had more power than Odin; once someone was in her power, no one, not even Odin, could reclaim that soul unless Hel gave her permission. In the story of BALDER, who was killed and went to Niflheim, Hel refused to give him up, even though Odin and FRIGG sent the god HERMOD to plead and bargain with her. The early Christians so feared Hel that they borrowed her name to describe the place of everlasting torment reserved for the souls of the wicked—Hell.
HERMOD Son of ODIN and FRIGG. Hermod was bold and brave. It was he who volunteered to go to HEL’s underworld and beg her to release his dead brother, BALDER. In some versions of the myths, Hermod also goes at Odin’s bidding to visit the wizard ROSTIOFF in Lapland (see “Vali, the Avenger,” under VALI). Hermod stands at Odin’s side at the gates of VALHALLA to welcome the dead heroes. HILDISVINI (Battle Boar) The goddess FREYA’s BOAR. His golden bristles showed the way in the dark. He was created for Freya by the dwarfs DAIN (1) and NABBI. Freya’s human lover, OTTAR, took the form of Hildisvini to visit, with Freya, the giantess HYNDLA.
Hel, queen of the underworld, is shown here with her hound, Garm. (Illustration by Johannes Gehrts, Anthony Mercatante Collection)
HIMINBJORG (Cliffs of Heaven, Heaven Mountain) The eighth great hall, or palace, in ASGARD, kingdom of the AESIR god. Himinbjorg is the home of the god HEIMDALL. The palace stands near BIFROST, the bridge between heaven and Earth. From his vantage point overlooking this passage between the three worlds of the universe, Heimdall carries out his duty to watch over the lives of the other gods.
40 HIMINBJORG
Hermod, atop Odin’s eight-legged steed, Sleipnir, rides to the underworld to try to rescue Balder from the dead. (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
HOENIR 41
HIMINBRIOTER (Heaven Bellower, Sky Bellower) The black ox killed by THOR and used as bait to catch JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent.
though, once disobeyed the rules. From the high perch he spotted the JOTUN maid GERDA and fell in love with her.
“HJADNINGAVIG” (“Battle of the Followers of
HLIN (Protectress) One of the minor goddesses of
Hedin”) A story of endless battle preserved in three separate sources: a SKALDIC POEM written in the ninth century by Bragi Boddason, the 13th-century works of Icelandic writer SNORRI STURLUSON, and most fully in the late 14th-century SAGA Sorlathattra. Through the magic of the goddess FREYA or an unknown witch, the armies of two kings, Hogni and Hedin Hjarrandason, engage in a battle that goes on day after day for 143 years. The war begins after Hedin abducts Hild, Hogni’s beautiful daughter. Hedin is about to return the woman but is too late, for Hogni has already drawn the dread sword, DAINSLEIF, which must kill a man before it can be returned to its sheath. Each day the warriors fight. At night, the magic restores even the most severely injured, those who would normally die in a battle that was not bewitched. According to some sources the end of this tedious battle comes at RAGNAROK, the final war between the GIANTS and the gods at the end of time. Others say it ends with the arrival of King Olaf I Tryggvason, who ruled NORWAY from A.D. 995 to 1001 and forced the conversion of many people to Christianity. Modern scholars see parallels or opposites between the horror described in this battle and glorious life of the EINHERJAR, the souls of HUMAN warriors in VALHALLA.
the AESIR, according to 13th-century Icelandic historian SNORRI STURLUSON. FRIGG assigned Hlin the job of protecting from danger anyone Frigg chose. The name Hlin appears often in the poem VOLUSPA, but her character remains unclear to modern scholars.
HLESEY The island under which the sea giant, AEGIR, and his wife, RAN, lived in their coral cave. Experts believe actual site of Hlesey may be the island of Laeso, in the Kattegat (cat’s throat), a strait between the islands of Jutland and Zealand in DENMARK.
HNITBORG The mountain stronghold where the giant SUTTUNG hid the MEAD of poetry (see under ODIN), which he had stolen. Suttung’s daughter, GUNLOD, stood guard over the vessels containing the mead. HNOSSA (NOSSA) The daughter of the goddess Her name means “jewel.” SNORRI STURLUSON wrote that she was so beautiful that her name could be given to anything that is precious or lovely. FREYA
and
OD.
HODDMIMIR’S WOOD Another name for the sacred tree YGGDRASIL, used in VAFTHRUDNISMAL (Lay of Vafthrudnir). It was from Hoddmimir’s Wood that the two humans LIF and LIFTHRASIR emerged at the end of the world, after RAGNAROK.
HODUR (HOD) The blind god. His father was ODIN;
his mother, FRIGG; and his brother, BALDER. Hodur unwittingly killed Balder with the help of the trickster god LOKI, and a sprig of MISTLETOE. Hodur in turn was killed by VALI, the avenger, another son of Odin. After RAGNAROK (the end of the world), Hodur and Balder were reconciled and together returned from HEL’s underworld to the new world.
HOENIR (HONIR) The god of silence. He was HLIDSKIALF (LIDSKJALF; High Seat)
ODIN’s throne in the high tower of his palace, VALASKIALF, in ASGARD, the home of the gods. From here Odin could see all that occurred in the NINE WORLDS. He had his RAVENS, HUGIN and MUNIN, to help him, and the wolves GERI and FREKI to keep him company. No one but Odin was allowed to sit on Hlidskialf with the exception of his wife FRIGG. The god FREY,
one of the three original AESIR gods who, along with his brothers ODIN and LOTHUR created the world (see CREATION). In his PROSE EDDA, SNORRI STURLUSON calls him VILI and Lothur VE. After the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR, Hoenir went to live with the VANIR as part of an exchange of gods. With him went the wise MIMIR. The Vanir gods became angry when Hoenir appeared
42 HOFUND
to be indecisive and not quick-witted, always relying on Mimir to make decisions. Because Hoenir was Odin’s brother the Vanir did not harm him but instead killed Mimir and sent his head back to Odin. Hoenir is associated with Odin and LOKI in the stories “Idunn’s Apples” (see under IDUNN) and “Otr’s Ransom” (see under OTR), when he accompanied the two gods on journeys to Earth. Hoenir survived RAGNAROK, the end of the world. Not much is known about this silent god.
HOFUND The sword of the god HEIMDALL. HORSE The horse plays an important role as helper in Norse mythology, but archaeological and historical evidence suggests that the ancient people of SCANDINAVIA also worshiped the horse. The Germanic tribes that were the ancestors to the NORSE regarded horses as mouthpieces of the gods and tried to learn about the future from their snorts and neighs. Evidence from Scandinavia suggests that the Norse sacrificed large numbers of horses and even made horses fight each other as a way of determining which to sacrifice. People also saw a link between horses and fertility. Horses provided a medium for the gods to travel between the lands of the living and the dead. Famous horses in Norse mythology include ODIN’s eightlegged horse, SLEIPNIR, and GULLTOPP, the horse HEIMDALL rode to warn the gods of the coming of RAGNAROK. HRAFNAGALDUR ODINS (Odin’s Raven Chant) An Old NORSE poem that was once considered part of the POETIC EDDA but has long been left out of editions and translations of those poems. Hrafnagaldur Odins is preserved in several 17th-century manuscripts now in the royal libraries in Stockholm, NORWAY, and Copenhagen, DENMARK. Since the late 1800s when an expert declared it to be a forgery, Hrafnagaldur Odins has received little scholarly attention. Research by Old Norse experts working in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, however, has contradicted that much older opinion. Some modern experts now include this poem as part of the Poetic Edda. Hrafnagaldur Odins is proving to be a confusing poem for scholars to interpret and understand.
Essentially, it tells the story of the gods’ visit to the underworld and their questioning of a goddess who dwells there.
HRAUDING King of the Goths, father of ROD (2)
GEIR-
and AGNAR.
HREIDMAR (REIDMAR) A master magician. His sons were REGIN, FAFNIR, and OTR. His daughters were LOFNHEID and LYNGHEID. Otr was killed by the trickster god, LOKI. As compensation for his son’s death, Hreidmar was given the DWARF ANDVARI’s treasure of gold. Hreidmar was killed by Fafnir, who stole the treasure and turned himself into a dragon. HRIMFAXI (Frosty Mane) The name of
NOTT’s
horse, from whose bit fell the froth that nightly bedewed the Earth (see “Night and Day,” under CREATION).
HRIMGRIMNIR (RIMEGRIM; Frost Mask) The frost giant who will pursue GERDA if she refuses to marry FREY. He is the personification of the cruel cold of northern winters.
HRIMTHURSSAR The frost
who lived in JOTUNHEIM, enemies of the gods. The Hrimthurssar represented the changing seasons and the coming of the eternal night, cold, and danger of the long winters of northern climates. Their names represent the harshness of winter: THIAZZI (Ice), THRYM (Frost), SKADE (Destruction), Jokull (Glacier), Frosti (Cold), and others. The Hrimthurssar are descendants of YMIR, the first great giant, formed from the ice and fire that existed at the beginning of time. Ymir represented, in part, the numbing cold of the Artic. GIANTS
HRINGHORNI (Ring Horn) The longship of the god BALDER. It was perhaps named for the intricate curving ring designs with which it (like many Norse ships) was adorned. When Balder was slain, the funeral pyre for his body was built on Hringhorni. THOR set the fire ablaze, and the ship was sent out to sea. See also SHIPS AND SHIP BURIALS.
HYROKKIN 43
HRUNGNIR Strongest of the GIANTS; described as large and stone-headed. Hrungnir bet his horse (Golden Mane) in a race with ODIN’s eight-legged steed SLEIPNIR. He lost the race, then engaged in a duel with THOR, in which he was killed. SNORRI STURLUSON draws upon HAUSTLONG, a shield poem, or form of SKALDIC POETRY, for this tale.
traveled north, settling his sons into kingships in the lands that would become SCANDINAVIA. Members of royal families also attempted to link their ancestry to the gods, often developing elaborate genealogies back to some of these stories and hiring poets to write SAGAs that would show how a human king was actually related to a god.
HRYM The frost giant who stood at the helm of
HVERGELMIR (Roaring Cauldron) The well
GULLFAXI
NAGLFAR,
the ship made of dead men’s nails, which headed toward the battlefields of RAGNAROK at the end of the world.
HUGI (Thought) The young giant who outran fleet-footed THIALFI, servant of the god THOR, at the court of UTGARD-LOKI. Hugi was, it turned out, the embodiment of thought, and no one can move faster than thought. HUGIN (Thought) One of the god
ODIN’s two The other was MUNIN (Memory). Each morning Odin sent the two ravens to fly about the NINE WORLDS, then return to HLIDSKIALF, Odin’s high seat. They would perch on his shoulders and tell him what they had seen. RAVENs.
HUMANS According to Norse mythology, the first humans were carved from trees by ODIN and his brothers VILI and VE (see “The First Humans,” under CREATION). They cut down an ASH tree and from it made the first man, ASK. From an elm tree they carved the first woman, EMBLA. Then the three gods gave the first humans spirit and life, understanding and movement, speech, hearing, and sight. These humans lived in or surrounded by MIDGARD, which was either the land in which they dwelled or the protective wall that surrounded the Earth. The souls of human warriors went to VALHALLA or SESSRUMNIR, the great halls of ODIN and FRIGG, respectively, where they lived until they were called upon to help the gods fight at RAGNAROK, the battle at the end of time. Many of the surviving manuscripts of Norse mythology include attempts to give the gods human origins. Thirteenth-century writer SNORRI STURLUSON, for example, writes in his prologue to GYLFAGINNING that Odin was first a great leader from Asia who
or spring in NIFLHEIM from which gush the 11 rivers called the ELIVAGAR. The third root of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL, hangs over the poisonous vapor that rises from Hvergelmir. Nearby lives NITHOG, the corpse-eating dragon that nibbles on the roots of the sacred tree.
HYMIR (Dark One) A sea giant who owned a large cauldron that the gods wanted for brewing their ale. The gods TYR and THOR won the cauldron from Hymir and then killed him. HYNDLA The giantess visited by the goddess FREYA,
who asked Hyndla to reveal the lineage of her human lover, OTTAR. The story is told in the POETIC EDDA in HYNDLULJOTH (specifically, the Lay of Hyndla).
HYNDLULJOTH (HYNDLULJOD; Lay of Hyndla) A poem found in the POETIC EDDA. This poem was included in an Icelandic manuscript compiled in the late 14th century, but it was most likely written down in the 12th century. Hyndluljoth contains many stories. One is of FREYA’s visit to HYNDLA, who is apparently the bride of a giant, lives in a cave, and rides a WOLF. It also presents information on the main AESIR gods. Part of this poem is known as the “Shorter Voluspa.” Hyndluljoth, like the full Voluspa, perhaps the most important poem in the Poetic Edda, contains a question-and-answer session and tells a story of LOKI, the trickster god. HYROKKIN The giantess who launched the longship HRINGHORNI, the funeral pyre of the slain god BALDER. She rode an enormous WOLF using serpents as reins. The BERSERKERS killed the wolf, but Hyrokkin pushed the ship into the water with her own strength.
ICELAND An island nation in the Arctic and
I
North Atlantic Oceans, about 570 miles west of Iceland is considered part of SCANDINAVIA and the Nordic nations, and as such it shares language and cultural histories with Norway, SWEDEN, and DENMARK. Norwegians settled this volcanic island in the middle of the ninth century A.D. The settlers took with them their old religion and the stories of the gods and goddesses of the NORSE. In their isolation, the peoples of this rugged land maintained their beliefs in the old gods longer than their relatives in Europe, who converted to Christianity in the 10th century. Iceland became a Christian land during the 11th century; however, for some reason unclear to modern historians and literary experts, the stories of the old Norse gods thrived in Iceland until well into the 13th century, long after they had faded from the cultures of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Most of the surviving manuscripts about the mythology of the Norse were created by artists living in the ninth and 10th centuries and recorded by scribes living in Iceland in the 13th, 14th, and later centuries. The great stories in the POETIC EDDA were composed by anonymous poets and later written down by people skilled in the new art of writing and manuscript creation. These poems are part of the CODEX REGIUS, a manuscript written in the late 13th century and found in a farmhouse in Iceland in the 17th century. SNORRI STURLUSON, the author of the PROSE EDDA, was a scholar, historian, and chieftain in Iceland who wrote his works in the early 1200s in an effort to preserve the stories for later generations. He based his work on older poems and prose SAGAs, stories of heroes from Scandinavia that provide clues and details concerning the beliefs of these people. The language of these manuscripts, NORWAY.
known as Old Norse or Old Icelandic, is closely related to the modern languages of Scandinavia, particularly modern Icelandic. Very little archaeological evidence of the beliefs in the AESIR and VANIR gods remains in Iceland, for it was settled late in the age of the Nordic people. While rock carvings and burial sites in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark from the Bronze Age (3500–1000 B.C.) and later provide scientists with additional evidence of the beliefs of these people, very few such carvings exist in Iceland.
IDAVOLL The plain or field in
where the shining palaces of the AESIR gods stood. It was here that the young gods played games such as chess, and it was here that the god BALDER was slain by his blind brother, HODUR. After RAGNAROK (the end of the world), Idavoll became green again at the Regeneration. New halls were built by the surviving gods. It is said that they found the golden chess pieces of their slaughtered friends and looked at them in wonder as they remembered the past. ASGARD
IDI One of the storm giants, brother of
THIAZZI
and GANG and son of OLVALDI, who left piles of gold to be divided among his sons (see “Skade and Niord,” under SKADE).
IDUNN (IDUNA) The golden haired goddess who supplied the AESIR gods with apples that gave them eternal youth. Idunn was the wife of BRAGI, the god of poetry. She was probably an important goddess, but the only myth that survives about Idunn is the one in which she is kidnapped by the giant THIAZZI. In the PROSE EDDA SNORRI STURLUSON bases his retelling of the myth partially on the poem HAUSTLONG, by 45
46 IDUNN
mid-nineth- to early-10th-century Norwegian poet Thiodor of Hvini. Idunn’s Apples The goddess Idunn supplied the gods with the apples that kept them forever young. One day Idunn and her apples were stolen away. According to Snorri, the great god ODIN, his brother HOENIR, and LOKI, the sly one, went exploring. When they became hungry they killed an ox, built a fire, and started to cook the meat. But no matter what they did, the meat remained raw and inedible. A huge EAGLE landed on a tree nearby and said that he would make their fire burn like a furnace to cook the meat if only he could have a share of the food. The hungry travelers agreed to the bargain, the fire burned bright, the meat cooked, and the eagle ate almost all of it in a gulp. Loki, quick to anger, swiped at the eagle but got carried away in its talons. The eagle dragged Loki
over rocks and thorns until he begged for mercy. The eagle would not let Loki go until he promised to deliver to him Idunn and her apples of youth. Loki agreed at once and the eagle dropped him back to Earth. After Loki limped back to his companions, he did not tell them of his promise to the eagle, who he had realized was the giant Thiazzi in disguise. Back in ASGARD, Loki wasted no time, for he was terrified of the fierce Thiazzi and knew he must somehow keep his promise. Loki ran to the peaceful orchard that Idunn tended with her husband, Bragi. He told her that he had found some apples in MIDGARD that looked just like hers. He urged her to bring her basket of apples and accompany him to Midgard, so that they might compare apples. Sweet Idunn was glad to follow Loki. She would be very happy to find more apples for the gods to eat.
Idunn’s magic apples promise eternal youth to the gods and goddesses. (Historical Picture Service–Chicago)
IRONWOOD 47
As soon as Idunn and Loki were across BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE, and into Midgard, the giant eagle swooped down, seized Idunn and carried her away. Once in THRYMHEIM, his fortress, Thiazzi shut the golden maiden in the highest tower. Without the magic apples, the faces of the Aesir and ASYNJUR—the gods and goddesses—began to wrinkle and sag, their rosy cheeks faded, their hair grew white and thin, and their joints stiff and creaky, for these gods and goddesses were ancient. The gods and goddesses met to decide what to do. Everyone was there except Loki. The gods immediately concluded that Loki must have been up to some mischief. They searched for him and found him. Odin ordered Loki to bring back Idunn and her apples under threat to his life. Loki fled in terror to the goddess FREYA to borrow her flying suit of FALCON feathers. With this, he flew off to Thrymheim. Fortunately for Loki, Thiazzi had gone fishing, and Idunn was unguarded. Loki used his magic to turn the maiden and her basket of apples into a small nut, which he grasped in his claws. Odin, the all-seeing, caught sight of the falcon from afar and saw that behind him came an enormous eagle—Thiazzi. “Quickly build a pile of shavings and kindling at the gates of Asgard,” Odin commanded. Just in time, Loki flew over the walls of Asgard. The eagle was so close behind that he got caught in the flames that roared up when the dry kindling was lit. The eagle fell to the ground, and the gods slew him. Then Loki said the magic words, and Idunn stood before them once more, offering her wonderful apples with a happy smile.
It is of particular interest to mythologists that Loki turns Idunn into a nut. This symbol of eternal youth is often found in old Scandinavian burial sites. Idunn may have been a VANIR goddess of fertility, youth, and death. This is the only surviving myth about her.
ING In Norse mythology Ing was a name associated with the god FREY, who was a god of the VANIR until he was sent to ASGARD as part of the exchange that ended the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR. Ing was a term of respect that preceded Frey’s name, as in Ingunar Frey, which is found in the surviving NORSE literature. Ing is also a hero of an Old English RUNE poem and the name of the Norse rune that represented the “ng” sound (see YNGVI). The word is a common element in many place-names in SCANDINAVIA. Scholars suggest that Ing was a Germanic god or hero. One old tale tells of the wagon of Ing traveling eastward over the ocean waves. Some suggest that the wagon carried the Sun through the underworld during the night hours to return it to the east, where it would rise the next morning. Other scholars suggest that Ing was a son of MANNUS, who was the first human in Old German mythology, a source of Norse mythology. Ing may have been a name of the Germanic people known as the Ingvaeones or Ingaevones.
IRONWOOD The forest east of
MIDGARD. In Ironwood lived the wicked witch whose children were werewolves, trolls, and the wolves SKOLL and HATI, who would devour the Sun and the Moon at the last battle, RAGNAROK.
J JARNSAXA (Ironstone) One of the wives of the god THOR. She bore him two sons, and MODI (Courage).
MAGNI
They had heads of stone and feet of ice. Many were known as HRIMTHURSSAR, or frost giants, and their names referred to frost, storms, snow, and ice, the scourges of northern winters. They could transform themselves into an EAGLE or WOLF; however, in many of the Norse myths they also assume shapes resembling those of normal people or gods. Many of the giantesses were beautiful and more than friendly to the gods. The beautiful GERDA married the god FREY. The giantess GRID, friend of the great god ODIN, loaned THOR weapons to defend himself against the giant GEIRROD (1). HYROKKIN singlehandedly pushed BALDER’s ship, HRINGHORNI, into the sea at Balder’s funeral. Thor married the giantess. JARNSAXA, who bore him two sons, MODI and MAGNI. SKADE, the daughter of the giant THIAZZI, married the Vanir god NIORD.
(Mighty)
JORD See FJORGYN (1). JORMUNGAND The giant serpent—also known as the Midgard Serpent, Midgard Snake, or Midgard Worm—offspring of LOKI and the ogress ANGRBODA. Jormungand is the brother of the WOLF FENRIR and HEL, the goddess of death. The huge serpent was cast into the sea by ODIN and doomed to encircle the Earth, his tail in his mouth. Jormungand and THOR were mortal enemies. On one occasion Thor caught the serpent using an oxhead for bait, but the giant HYMIR snipped the line and the serpent disappeared beneath the waves. The serpent appeared again at RAGNAROK and made his way onto the land, spewing venom. Thor killed the serpent but was himself poisoned by the deadly venom.
JOTUNHEIM (JOTUNNHEIMAR; Giant Land) The mountainous, freezing lands of the JOTUN, or GIANTS. Many manuscripts of Norse myths use the plural form, Jotunnheimar, to refer to the lands of the giants. Some scholars suggest that people viewed the giants as living in places that surrounded the edges of the world of HUMANS. Others say that people saw Jotunheim as one single place, just as they regarded ASGARD, the realm of the gods, as one place. One of the three huge roots of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL, reached into Jotunheim. The great thunder god, THOR, traveled often to Jotunheim to battle the giants.
JOTUN The Scandinavian word for “giant.” The lived in JOTUNHEIM. The first giant was YMIR, formed at the beginning of time out of fire and ice, long before the first gods and humans. The first gods, ODIN, VILI, and VE, destroyed Ymir and created the world from his body (see CREATION). The giants were constantly at war with the gods of ASGARD. At the end of the world, or RAGNAROK, gods, giants, and monsters fought a final battle and nearly all died. Giants were generally thought of as personifications of destructive forces, huge, ugly, and fierce. GIANTS
49
KENNING A poetic technique used most fre-
standing that much about Norse mythology is lost to modern audiences.
quently by the NORSE writers of SKALDIC POETRY, who created their art from about A.D. 700 to 1100. Essentially a kenning is a type of metaphor, using a set of words to represent a common noun. For example, for sword, the poet might use the NAME of a famous sword such as DAINSLEIF, which means “Dain’s heirloom.” Or a poet might refer to gold as “Sif’s hair,” which would remind the audience of the myth of the golden hair the god LOKI had the DWARFS make after he cut off the locks of the goddess SIF, wife of THOR. Many kennings contain names and objects important to Norse mythology and provide scholars with hints and clues of stories that have been lost over time. At the same time, however, kennings are often the only mention of a name, and modern scholars and students have no other information to understand the meaning of that kenning. Kennings at the very least provide experts with the under-
KVASIR (Spittle) A wise man who was created from the spit of the AESIR and the VANIR gods after their battle (see WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR). Kvasir walked the world spreading his great wisdom to any who asked for it. He was slain by two DWARFS, FJALAR (2) and GALAR, who mixed his blood with honey to make a powerful MEAD that inspired any who drank it to talk with wisdom and poetry (see “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN). In another story Kvasir was a Vanir god noted for his great wisdom. He went to live in ASGARD after the war between the gods, along with the Vanir NIORD, FREY, and FREYA. The word kvas (or quaso) means “strong beer” in many parts of eastern Europe and Russia, and “crushed fruit” in Danish. In British English a similar word, squash, denotes a fruit drink.
51
L
LAEDING The first of three chains with which
ning bolt thrown by Farbauti struck her. Laufey apparently did not raise Loki, since Icelandic author SNORRI STURLUSON and others say that the trickster god was a foster brother of ODIN, the most powerful Norse god. In Sorlathattra, a Norse SAGA more ancient than Snorri’s 13th-century PROSE EDDA, Loki’s mother is named Nal, which means “needle.” In this story, his mother is slender and weak.
the gods tried to muzzle and secure the dangerous Laeding and the second chain, DROMI, were made of ordinary metal, and Fenrir broke them easily. Only the magical third chain, GLEIPNER, was strong enough to hold the wolf. Fenrir remained chained until the time of RAGNAROK, the battle that brought an end to the world of the gods. WOLF FENRIR.
LAERAD The great tree around which
ODIN’s hall, VALHALLA, was built. The she-goat HEIDRUN, who produced an endless supply of MEAD for the gods and heroes, and the stag EIKTHYRNIR nibbled at its branches.
LAY A short lyric or narrative (storytelling) poem, especially one intended to be sung, usually by traveling minstrels. These minstrels thus kept alive ancient stories dealing with mythology, history, or legendary adventures. In Norse mythology many of the poems in the POETIC EDDA are lays, such as the Lay of Thrym, or THRYMSKVITHA.
LAEVATEINN (Guileful Twig) The magic sword that the god LOKI forged beneath the gates of death using magic RUNES. Only this sword could kill the cock Vidofnir, who sat in the branches of YGGDRASIL, the World Tree.
LIF The man who with his wife,
survived RAGNAROK and repeopled the earth. During the fearful holocaust they took shelter in HODDMIMIR’S WOOD, another name for the World Tree, YGGDRASIL. They were nourished by the morning dew. They emerged from the tree unhurt when they saw the new SUN shining. They had children and started a new life for humankind. The story appears in the VAFTHRUDTNISMAL.
LANDVAETTIR (Land Wights) Spirits that protected the land (that is, the soil or ground). According to stories, huge crowds of Landvaettir might inhabit a place. They were invisible to people unless someone looked very closely in the right light at the right time. A law in ICELAND prohibited ships with dragonhead carvings on their bows from coming toward shore in case the huge monsters frightened away the Landvaettir. These wights (creatures that are neither mortals nor gods) are similar to land ELVES, though more connected to the soil than to an area.
LIFTHRASIR,
LIFTHRASIR (Eager for Life) The woman, wife of LIF, who survived RAGNAROK and with Lif began to repeople the earth. Lif and Lifthrasir hid in the World Tree, YGGDRASIL, during the holocaust that caused the end of the world. The myth forms part of the VAFTHRUDNISMAL.
LAUFEY (Tree Island) A giantess and mother of LIT The
LOKI, whose father, FARBAUTI, was also a giant. Some stories say Laufey gave birth to Loki when a light-
BALDER’s
DWARF who suddenly appeared at funeral and got in the way of THOR, who
54 LODDFAFNIR
was consecrating the funeral pyre with his magic hammer, MJOLLNIR. Hot tempered as always and stricken with sorrow at Balder’s death, Thor kicked Lit into the flames of the pyre. Lit gained immortality in mythology by being burned to ashes along with the god Balder and his wife, NANNA.
LODDFAFNIR A man from MIDGARD (Middle Earth), that is, a human. In the Lay of Loddfafnir, part of the poem HAVAMAL from the POETIC EDDA, Loddfafnir tells his fellow men many words of wisdom. He had somehow found his way to the URDARBRUNN, a sacred place, where he heard the words of the High One (ODIN). Loddfafnir recounted these words to fellow mortals. The words contained much good advice. For example, beware of a witch’s sweet words, always carry food if you have to cross a mountain, cherish your friends and be loyal to them, stay away from evil people, doing good deeds will make you feel happy, hold to your promises, and respect the wisdom of the elderly. There were also words full of ancient superstitions, such as those for warding off the curses made by witches. LOFN A minor goddess, counted by
SNORRI
among the main ASYNJUR, or goddesses of the AESIR. Lofn was portrayed as gentle and good. ODIN and FRIGG gave her permission to help people find love. In many ways Lofn served as a matchmaker. She might help young people tell each other of their love or fulfill the dreams of a man or woman whose love of another was not returned. Lofn means “praise” or “praised.” STURLUSON
LOFNHEID One of two daughter of HREIDMAR, a farmer who receives from the gods gold in compensation for their killing of Hreidmar’s son OTR. The other daughter is LYNGHEID. Though the story of Hreidmar is also told in the legendary VOLSUNGA SAGA, Lofnheid and her sister are named only in the poem Reginsmal, part of the POETIC EDDA. Another of Hreidmar’s sons, FAFNIR, kills his father as his sisters look on. Their father begs his daughters for help, but they declare themselves powerless against their brother. REGIN is their third brother.
LOGI (Flame) The young giant who defeated the trickster god, LOKI, in an eating contest at the court of the giant UTGARD-LOKI. It turned out that Logi was the embodiment of fire, which can consume anything and everything with great rapidity. (See also “Thor’s Journey to Utgard,” under THOR.)
LOKASENNA A poem in the POETIC EDDA, part of the CODEX REGIUS. It consists of a “war of words” between LOKI and the other gods and goddesses.
LOKI Loki is known as the trickster god, the mischief maker, the father of lies and deceit, and the shape changer. He is the personification of both aspects of fire: the merry but potentially dangerous hearth fire and the destructive fire of forest and volcano. Loki was the son of the giant FARBAUTI and of the giantess LAUFEY or Nal. He had two wives. The first was the fearful ogress ANGRBODA, with whom he had three monstrous offspring: HEL, the goddess of death and the underworld; JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent who encircled the world; and FENRIR the wolf. His wife in ASGARD was SIGYN, with whom he had two sons, NARFI and VALI (1). Loki was counted among the AESIR gods, but he was not one of them, as he was born among the JOTUN, the gods’ enemies. Some say that he and the great god ODIN were blood brothers, which is why none of the gods dared to harm Loki, no matter how mischievous and malevolent he became. Loki was handsome and could be amusing. He made the goddess SKADE laugh even while she mourned for her father, THIAZZI. Loki was sometimes helpful to the gods, for he was quick witted and always had an answer for everything, but often the gods would regret taking his advice. It was Loki who accompanied THOR to JOTUNHEIM to retrieve Thor’s magic hammer. Loki also thought of a way to outwit the giant who built Asgard’s wall (see GIANT MASTER BUILDER). However, his solution was nothing but fraud and resulted in Thor committing murder within Asgard; such behavior was against the code of the Aesir. Loki stole FREYA’s necklace and cut off SIF’s golden hair, yet it was he who went down to the underground caves of the DWARFS and brought back wonderful treasures for the gods (see TREASURES OF
LOKI 55
Loki had three monstrous children: Fenrir, the wolf; Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent; and Hel, queen of the underworld. (Anthony Mercatante)
THE DWARFS).
Loki double-crossed both the giant Thiazzi and the Aesir when he delivered IDUNN and her apples to the giant and then, disguised as a FALCON, carried Idunn back to Asgard, leading Thiazzi to his death. Not only could Loki change himself into other creatures at will, such as a seal, a salmon, a fly, a falcon; he could also change his sex. As a mare, he was the mother of SLEIPNIR, Odin’s eight-legged steed. He became an old crone when he tricked FRIGG into telling him that MISTLETOE was the only object on earth that could harm the gentle god BALDER. Even though Loki was the principal cause of Balder’s death, the Aesir took no action against him. However, when Loki came to AEGIR’s banquet and flung vicious insults at all the gods and goddesses, the Aesir finally decided to punish the evil creature that Loki had become. At RAGNAROK (the day of doom), Loki led the forces of evil against the gods, and he and HEIMDALL killed each other.
Loki’s Mocking Loki could be playful and charming, but as time went on, he became sinister, evil, and bad tempered. The story of Loki’s mocking of the gods and goddesses, part of the LOKASENNA in the POETIC EDDA, shows Loki at his worst. Aegir, the Jotun lord of the sea, invited the gods to a banquet in his coral caves under the island of HLESEY. He brewed the ale in the huge cauldron that Thor and TYR had taken from the giant HYMIR. It was soon after the death of BALDER and the gods were subdued, talking quietly among themselves. Loki listened impatiently as they praised Aegir’s servants, FIMAFENG and ELDIR. Suddenly Loki sprang up and stabbed Fimafeng with his knife, then fled. He soon returned, and this time his targets were the gods and goddesses and his weapons were poisonous words. He insulted BRAGI, the god of poetry, by calling him a soft coward. One by one he accused each of the goddesses, Idunn, GEFION, Frigg, FREYA, and SIF, of
56 LOKI
being deceitful and unvirtuous. He laughed at NIORD for being a hostage from the VANIR gods and at Tyr for losing his hand in the jaws of the wolf Fenrir. No one escaped, not even FREY’s servants, BYGGVIR and his wife BEYLA, nor HEIMDALL, who was mocked as being a mere servant of the gods. Even the great god Odin did not escape Loki’s evil tongue. Loki sneered at him for once having turned himself into a witch, “a woman through and through.” At last Thor, who had been absent, entered the hall. His eyes glowed with rage, and his whiskers bristled when he heard Loki’s vicious insults. He threatened to kill Loki there and then with his hammer, and Loki swiftly left. The Pursuit of Loki-Salmon After Loki insulted the gods and goddesses at a feast given by Aegir, the sea god, he fled from the wrath of the gods and built himself a hut in the mountains. The hut had doors on all four sides so that Loki could escape easily, for he knew that the gods wanted to punish
him for his evil words and also for the death of the gentle god Balder. By day Loki the SHAPE-SHIFTER turned himself into a salmon and swam in the mountain torrent at Franang’s Falls. To distract himself in the evening, he fashioned a fine net—some say, the first fishing net. (In other poems the sea ogress RAN, Aegir’s wife, invented the fishing net to catch drowning sailors and bring them to her domain under the waves.) From his high seat, HLIDSKJALF, Odin could see far and wide over all NINE WORLDS. When he finally saw where Loki was hiding and in what guise, Odin went with a party of gods to capture the troublemaker. Loki saw them coming and quickly threw the fishing net into the fire, then sprinted down to the stream and leapt in as a salmon. The gods entered the hut and saw the remains of the net. KVASIR, a very wise god, concluded that a finished net might be very useful to the gods for catching slippery Loki-Salmon. The gods sat up all
Loki mocks the gods and goddesses with poisonous words at Aegir’s feast. (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
LYNGVI 57
them. Once Loki was firmly bound, they changed the horrid bonds into iron. Then the icy goddess Skade placed a serpent over Loki’s upturned face so that its venom would drip onto him. Only Sigyn, Loki’s faithful wife, stayed with Loki in the miserable cave. She held a bowl to catch the drops of venom, but when she turned aside to empty the poison, the drops fell on Loki’s twisted face. He writhed with pain and terror, causing the Earth to tremble and quake. So Loki, the Norse myths say, is the cause of the earthquakes that terrify us. Loki remained a prisoner until RAGNAROK, when he took his revenge on the gods, and they on him.
LORA (LORRIDE) Daughter of THOR and SIF and sister of THRUD (1).
LOTHUR (LODUR) According to the
VOLUSPA, part of the POETIC EDDA, one of the three original AESIR gods who, along with his brothers ODIN and HOENIR created the world (see “The First Humans,” under CREATION). In his PROSE EDDA, SNORRI STURLUSON identifies Lothur as VE and Hoenir as VILI. Some mythologists have tried to identify Lothur with LOKI, but virtually nothing is known about this god.
A serpent drips venom onto the face of Loki, whom the gods have bound to a rock. (Anthony Mercatante)
night repairing and completing the net. At dawn they set out to catch Loki. Loki escaped their clutches for quite a while, as they used the net to drag the stream, but in the end Thor caught him in midair as he made a flying leap over the net. To this day, the salmon is noted for its slender tail, a reminder, Northmen say, of how strongly Thor had held Loki in his powerful hand. Loki’s Punishment After the gods captured Loki, they dragged him into a dark cave. They changed Loki’s son Vali into a WOLF who immediately attacked his brother Narfi and killed him. The gods took Narfi’s intestines and bound Loki with
LYNGHEID A daughter of the farmer HREIDMAR. Lyngheid looked on with her sister, LOFNHEID, as their brother FAFNIR killed their father for the hoard of gold he protected. The gods had given the gold to Hreidmar as compensation for their killing OTR, another son of Hreidmar. Lyngheid and her sister are mentioned only in Reginsmal, part of the POETIC EDDA, though the story of Otr and Hreidmar is also told in the legendary VOLSUNGA SAGA.
LYNGVI (Heathery) The island in the middle of the lake AMSVARTNIR (Red-Black) where ODIN and the gods bound the WOLF FENRIR. On Lyngvi, Fenrir waited for RAGNAROK, the battle at the end of time, when he would be freed to fight on the side of the giants.
M
MAGNI (Mighty) One of the two sons of the god
the first ancestor of the Norse gods, BURI. Mannus, however, is said to be human, while Buri’s exact nature is unclear in the surviving Norse sources. Mannus was the father of three human sons, who in turn were the fathers of the three Germanic tribes, the Ingvaeones (see ING), the Herminones, and the Istvaeones (or Iscaevones or Istraeones), all of which became important in the stories of Norse mythology. Some scholars suggest that these sons were godlike heroes rather than humans.
and the giantess JARNSAXA. His brother is MODI. At an early age Magni was strong enough to rescue his father from under the leg of the giant HRUNGNIR. As a reward Thor gave him the magnificent horse GULLFAXI, which had belonged to the giant. Magni was one of the seven AESIR who survived RAGNAROK, the end of the world, and inherited, with his brother, Thor’s hammer, MJOLLNIR. THOR
MANAGARM (Moon Dog) A name used by 13th-century Icelandic historian SNORRI STURLUSON for one of the horrible wolves that destroy the SUN AND MOON at the time of RAGNAROK. The other WOLF was SKOLL. Managarm was also known as HATI. Managarm was one of the many sons of an old giantess, all of whom were wolves. See also IRONWOOD.
MEAD An alcoholic drink made by fermenting
MANI The man who drove the chariot that car-
honey and water. The creators of the Norse myths considered mead superior to the usual beer and ale (made by fermenting cereals flavored with hops) drunk by ordinary people. In VALHALLA mead was supplied in a never-ending flow by the she-GOAT HEIDRUN, and the gods and heroes never lacked the heavenly brew. See also “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN.
MUNDILFARI
ried the Moon across the sky. He is the son of and the brother of SOL. For company, Mani stole two children from MIDGARD (Middle Earth). Their names were BIL AND YUKI (Waning and Waxing). Some say that on a clear night the children in the Moon can be seen as dark shapes on the Moon’s face, as they eternally carry a pail of water on a pole (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION). At RAGNAROK, the WOLF HATI, which pursues the chariot across the skies, will devour the Moon.
MEGINGJARDIR (MEGINGJORD, MEGINGIORD, MEGINGARDER; Power Belt) The name SNORRI STURLUSON gave to the god THOR’s magic belt. When the thunder god fastens it on, his already great powers become twice as strong. Megingjardir was one of three of Thor’s great treasures, which included his mighty hammer, MJOLLNIR, and iron gloves. The belt is described in older Norse sagas, but only Snorri calls it Megingjardir.
MANNUS The first HUMAN according to the sto-
MENGLOD
(MENGLOTH; Necklace-Happy) A very beautiful giantess who was served by eight maiden goddesses, including EIR. SVIPDAG fell in love with Menglod and traveled to the underworld to learn from his dead mother how to win the love of this maiden.
ries of Old Germanic mythology, which influenced the development of Norse mythology. He was the son of Tuisto, a mythical figure about whom little is known today. Tuisto may have been a hybrid creature capable of giving birth to his own children, much like 59
60 MIDGARD
MIDGARD (Middle Earth) The world of
HU-
MANS. It was midway between ASGARD, the home of the gods, and JOTUNHEIM, the home of the GIANTS. Midgard was connected to Asgard by BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE. It was surrounded by an ocean in which lived JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent. The first man and woman to live in Midgard were ASK and EMBLA. One of the three roots of the sacred tree, YGGDRASIL, was embedded in Midgard. Midgard was formed from the body of the giant YMIR.
MIDSUMMER EVE In northern countries, June 21, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, was BALDER’s Day, celebrated with bonfires and the observance of the sunset and sunrise. In many countries it was the custom to gather MISTLETOE on this day. Scientifically, it is the day of the summer SOLSTICE.
MIMIR In one myth Mimir is a wise god sent by the AESIR to the VANIR after the war between the two races of gods (see WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR). Along with Mimir went HOENIR, who was rather slow witted. The Vanir were annoyed with Hoenir, and with the Aesir for having sent him, but did not dare harm him, for he was ODIN’s brother. Instead they cut off Mimir’s head and sent it to Odin. Odin used his magic to preserve the head, which from then on imparted its wisdom when Odin came to seek counsel of it. Another myth says that Odin sacrificed one of his eyes to Mimir, the guardian of the well of knowledge. Mimir granted Odin permission to drink from the well to gain wisdom and poetic inspiration.
MIMIR’S WELL The well of wisdom under the second root of the tree YGGDRASIL in JOTUNHEIM. The head of MIMIR resides beside the well. The god ODIN visited the well seeking wisdom. HEIMDALL, the WATCHMAN OF THE GODS, left his horn there until he needed it to announce RAGNAROK, the end of the world. MISTLETOE A European plant (Viscum album) that grows as a parasite on trees. In Norse mythology it is known as the sprig that was hurled at the god BALDER by his blind brother, HODUR. Because mistle-
A sprig of mistletoe killed the god Balder. (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
toe has weak stems, some scholars suggest that the trickster god, LOKI, used his magic arts on the mistletoe to make it strong and sharp enough to kill Balder.
MJOLLNIR The hammer of the god THOR. It was made by the DWARFS BROKK and EITRI. The hammer was a symbol of Thor’s strength and of the thunderbolt he personified. The hammer had a massive head and a short handle and was shaped somewhat like a cross. The TREASURES OF THE DWARFS tells the reason for its peculiar shape. While Eitri was shaping the hammer in the foundry, LOKI, who had changed himself into a gadfly, pestered Brokk, who worked the bellows for his brother. At a crucial point in the making of the hammer, Loki stung Brokk on his eyelid; the dwarf was distracted and let go of the bellows. The fire died and Eitri did not have enough heat to finish the handle. For many centuries Norsemen wore the hammer’s likeness as an amulet. Many of these amulets have
MUSPELL 61
been discovered in archaeological digs in SCANDINAVIA and England. Many ancient gravestones and rune stones also depict Thor’s hammer. The gods considered Mjollnir to be their greatest treasure, for it alone could be used to defend ASGARD against the GIANTS. When Thor hurled it, it always struck its mark and returned instantly into his hand, like a boomerang. Although mighty in size, it could be magically shrunk to fit inside Thor’s shirt. The hammer was a symbol of fertility. In “The Theft of Thor’s Hammer,” Thor dressed himself as a bride when he went to visit the giant THRYM, who had stolen the hammer. Thor knew that at some point in the wedding ceremony a hammer was always placed in the lap of the bride, for such was the custom of the Norse. When Thrym placed Mjollnir in Thor’s lap, Thor retrieved his hammer. Mjollnir was also a symbol of resurrection. In “Thor’s Journey to Utgard,” when Thor waves Mjollnir over the skin and bones of his dead goats, the goats spring back to life. Mjollnir was used at funerals as well. When BALDER lay on his funeral pyre, Thor consecrated the funeral with his hammer. With Mjollnir, Thor killed the giant HRUNGNIR and also the GIANT MASTER BUILDER, who built Asgard’s wall. The only time that the hammer seemed to be ineffectual was when Thor struck the giant SKRYMIR with it. Skrymir said that he thought he was being assaulted by delicate leaves and twigs. However, it turned out that the hammer had made huge dents in a hillside instead of in Skrymir’s head, thanks to the giant’s clever magic. After RAGNAROK, the end of the world, Thor’s sons, MAGNI and MODI, inherited Mjollnir.
MODGUD The keeper of GIALLARBRU, the bridge over the GIOLL (2) River on the way to the underworld. HEL challenged the god HERMOD, who was searching for his slain brother, BALDER. Modgud told Hermod that Balder was in NIFLHEIM and told him how to get there. MODI (Courage) One of the two sons of the god and the giantess JARNSAXA. Along with his brother, MAGNI, Modi was one of the seven AESIR
THOR
gods to survive RAGNAROK. He and Magni inherited Thor’s hammer, MJOLLNIR.
MOKKURKALFI (Mist Calf) The clay monster as a second, or substitute, for HRUNGNIR in his duel with the god THOR. Mokkurkalfi was nine leagues tall, or about nine miles. The Jotuns equipped Mokkurkalfi with the heart of a mare. Thor’s servant, THIALFI, hacked the clay figure to pieces.
made by the
MOON See CREATION; SUN AND MOON. MUNDILFARI (Turner) A man from
MIDGARD
who named his daughter SOL (Sun) and his son MANI (Moon). The gods were outraged that a HUMAN should have the nerve to call his children after the Sun and the Moon. They stole the children and set them to driving the chariots of the Sun and the Moon eternally through the heavens (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION; SUN AND MOON).
MUNIN (Memory) One of the god
ODIN’s
two RAVENs. The other was HUGIN (Thought). Each morning Odin sent the two ravens to fly about the NINE WORLDS. Then they returned to HLIDSKIALF, Odin’s high seat, perched on his shoulders, and told him what they had seen.
MUSPELL A group of people or creatures from the fiery lands of MUSPELLHEIM who would ride their horses against the gods at RAGNAROK, the battle at the end of time. SNORRI STURLUSON tells of “the sons of Muspell” and “the people of Muspell” in the PROSE EDDA. He also says that NAGLFAR is Muspell’s ship. The fact that the name Muspell is also used to refer to the same groups in some works of the POETIC EDDA suggests to modern experts that Muspell was an important figure in ancient Norse myths. Some say Muspell was apparently a giant that ruled over a vast world of evil creatures. He may have ruled a land of heat and flame and thrown fire as his weapon in battle. Surviving stories do not contain enough information to answer these questions. Muspell’s sons are many—enough to form a vast army or a horde of warriors at the end battle between
62 MUSPELLHEIM
the gods and giants. They fight with the weapons of the land in which they lived: fire, light, and heat. In the early 20th century, scholars believed Muspell referred to a place, and that that place was named after this very old mythical giant.
MUSPELLHEIM (Home of Destruction) The realm of fire. Heat from
MUSPELL’s
fires and ice from
helped to form the first living beings at the CREATION of the world. Muspellheim was ruled over by the fire giant, SURT, who guarded it with a flaming sword. At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, Surt burst through a crack in the dome of the sky and destroyed the world by fire. The forces of evil that fought the gods at Ragnarok are called the sons of Muspell. NIFLHEIM
NABBI One of the two
N
NANNA
who fashioned FREYA’s gold-bristled boar, HILDISVINI. The other was DAIN (1). DWARFS
goddess, wife of BALDER and mother of FORSETI. After Balder’s death Nanna died of grief, and the gods placed her on his funeral pyre to burn with him. She accompanied Balder to NIFLHEIM, the realm of HEL, and gave gifts to HERMOD for him to take back to ASGARD.
NAGLFAR (Conveyance Made of Nails) The ship made from dead men’s nails. It carried the GIANTS into battle against the gods at RAGNAROK. Naglfar’s size would depend on how many men had been buried with unpared fingernails. According to SNORRI STURLUSON, an ancient superstition said that the nails of the dead must be cut to keep the size of the fatal ship small and thus give the gods a better chance in battle.
AESIR
NARFI (NARI) The son of
LOKI and SIGYN and the brother of VALI (1). Narfi was killed by his brother, who was turned into a WOLF. His entrails are used to bind Loki to the rocks of an underground cave (see “Loki’s Punishment,” under LOKI).
NASTROND (Strand of Corpses) The gruesome band of NOTT (Night). They had a son named AUD. The only information about this giant comes from the stories of 13th-century Icelandic poet SNORRI STURLUSON in GYLFAGINNING.
shore in HEL’s underworld where the corpses of the evil dead washed up and where the dragon NITHOG feasted. After RAGNAROK (the end of the world) there was still a Nastrond and a Nithog to feed upon the bodies of the dead.
NAMES Norse mythology is rich with meaning-
NERTHUS (HERTHA; Earth) A north German
ful names. Gods may have dozens of names; the supreme god ODIN, for example, was known by more than 150 names or titles. Each character, whether human or supernatural, received his or her own name and often many different names. In Norse poetry, swords, chains, wells, animals, and even bridges received names. Many names of the gods, DWARFS, and GIANTS reflect what scholars see as a strong tradition among the NORSE to give significant names to the objects of mythology. Scholars, however, suggest that some of the names in the manuscripts that have survived to modern times reflect a tendency among some editors and scribes of the stories to poke fun at the Norse tradition of naming objects.
goddess, an EARTH MOTHER, worshiped as a goddess of fertility. Some say that she was the sister-wife of the god NIORD and the mother of FREY and FREYA. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that when Nerthus appeared in her wagon, drawn by oxen, it was a cause for rejoicing throughout the land, and sacrifices were made in her honor.
NAGLFARI (Darkling) A giant, the first hus-
NIDAFJOLL (Dark Mountains) Two interpretations for this name exist in Norse poetry. One is a mountain range in the underworld, a place from which the dragon NITHOG flew, carrying corpses in his claws. The other interpretation, from the works of SNORRI STURLUSON, is that Nidafjoll was the shining 63
64 NIDAVELLIR
land that survived the devastation of RAGNAROK, the final battle between the AESIR gods and the GIANTS. In this land stood the magnificent hall known as SINDRI. The righteous people who survived the conflict would dwell in Nidafjoll, a new world.
NIDAVELLIR (Dark Crags) The home of the DWARFS.
Not much is known about the location of Nidavellir in the NINE WORLDS. It may have been an area within SVARTALFHEIM, the home of the dark elves.
NIFLHEIM (World of Fog) A vast waste of frozen fog, brutal cold, and endless night. Niflheim was the lowest region of the underworld. From its poisonous fountain, HVERGELMIR, flowed 11 ice-cold rivers, the ELIVAGIR. The rivers poured into the huge chasm, GINUNGAGAP, and froze. Fiery clouds from MUSPELLHEIM melted the ice and turned it into mist. From the whirling mist and fire came the first giant, YMIR (see CREATION). The goddess HEL ruled over this land of the dead. Niflheim was the home of the dragon NITHOG and other serpents. They nibbled on one of the roots of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL, that reached into the underworld. After MIDGARD (Middle Earth) was created, the gods pushed Niflheim deep into the ground so that its terrible cold would not freeze the Earth. NINE WORLDS In Norse mythology the Nine Worlds were broken into three levels. • At the top level were ASGARD, the home of the AESIR; VANAHEIM, the home of the VANIR; and Alfheim, the home of the light ELVES. • At the middle level, and connected to Asgard by BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE, were MIDGARD (Middle Earth), the home of HUMANS; JOTUNHEIM, the home of the JOTUNS, or GIANTS; and SVARTALFHEIM, the home of the dark elves. • In the underworld were NIFLHEIM, world of the dead, cold, and misty, whose citadel was Hel, home of HEL, queen of the dead; and MUSPELL-
HEIM,
world of fire, presided over by the fire god, SURT.
In some tellings of the myths there was also at the middle level; it was cited as the home of the DWARFS and may have been part of Svartalfheim. The World Tree, YGGDRASIL, connected all Nine Worlds. From his high seat, HLIDSKIALF, the great god ODIN could see what was happening in all Nine Worlds with the help of his ravens HUGIN and MUNIN. (See also RAVEN.) NIDAVELLIR
NIORD (NJORD) The Norse god of the sea and seafarers, and also a fertility god. Niord was a VANIR god. He went to live in ASGARD after the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR. He took with him his twin children, FREY and FREYA, both fertility gods. In some tellings Niord’s first wife, and the mother of the twins, was NERTHUS, his sister. As the AESIR did not approve of marriage between brother and sister, Niord had to leave Nerthus behind. According to SNORRI STURLUSON, Niord’s second wife was SKADE, goddess and giantess of winter. Niord’s home was NOATUN, a bustling shipyard, noisy with the sound of the wind and the sea and the seabirds. Skade and Niord could not live happily together, for Skade hated the cheerful shipyard, while Niord felt unhappy at Skade’s grim, cold mountain home. After spending nine nights together in each other’s lands, the two decided to live apart.
NITHOG (NIDHUG; Corpse Tearer)
The DRAGON that lived in NIFLHEIM at the foot of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL, and gnawed at its roots. The squirrel RATATOSK brought gossipy messages between the EAGLE at the top of the tree and the dragon at the roots. As well as feeding upon the roots of the sacred tree, Nithog fed on the corpses washed down from NASTROND into the bubbling cauldron of HVERGELMIR. At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, Nithog would harvest many corpses and survive to live in the new world.
NORWAY 65
NOATUN (Ship Haven) Hall of the
god NIORD when he came to live in ASGARD. It was on the seashore. Niord, god of seafarers, loved the sound of the waves and the seabirds and the noises of the shipyard, but his wife SKADE did not.
NORDI (North) One of the four
VANIR
who held up the sky. The other three are SUDRI (South), AUSTRI (East), and VESTRI (West). These dwarfs are named in early Norse poetry, but only 13th-century Icelandic poet SNORRI STURLUSON assigned Nordi and his three companions the job of holding up the four corners of the sky.
NORFI A giant, the father of
DWARFS
NOTT.
Norfi was
group. Old Norse is a dead language; no group of people speaks it today as their first language. It is part of the North Germanic group of languages in the IndoEuropean language family; this group is also known as the Norse, or Scandinavian, languages. Old Norse is related to modern Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and Faeroese, the language of the Faeroe Islands. Most of the surviving manuscripts of the mythology of SCANDINAVIA, such as the CODEX REGIUS, were written in Old Norse. Norse also refers to ancient peoples who lived in the region of northwest Europe known as Scandinavia, particularly those who spoke Old Norse or one of its dialects. One group of Norse people were known as Norsemen or VIKINGS.
one of the first giants in JOTUNHEIM.
NORWAY One of the three principal nations of NORNS (NORNIR; Fates) The three spirits of destiny who spun a thread of life for every living being, including gods, men, giants, and DWARFS. They shaped the life of each one from the first day to the last. The three sisters lived near the URDARBRUNN (Well of Urd) at the foot of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL. Each day they watered the roots of Yggdrasil with the well’s sacred water. The names of the three sisters were URD (Past), VERDANDE (Present), and SKULD (Future). Urd is the oldest of the sisters; often she is pictured as looking backward. Verdande looks straight before her. Skuld usually wears a mysterious veil and carries a scroll in her hands. The three sisters were more powerful than the gods, for the thread they spun was the destiny of the universe. They measured time and controlled it, and the gods were helpless against them. The gods held all their important meetings by the Well of Urd, a sacred place to them. In northern folklore the Norns sometimes appear as spinners, and the spider is therefore associated with them. The Norns are mentioned in both the PROSE EDDA and the POETIC EDDA.
NORSE The name of a specific language group and the people who spoke the languages in that
SCANDINAVIA, Norway occupies the western side of the Scandinavian peninsula in northwestern Europe. People have made this land their home since the last great ice age ended more than 13,000 years ago. Norway features many archaeological sites to provide evidence of the worship of the Norse gods. Bronze Age rock carvings near Kalnes, Norway, show men in boats and sun images. At least three burial ships from the VIKING age (about A.D. 800–1000) have been uncovered near Oslo. The Oseberg ship, considered the oldest Viking ship yet found, was built between 850 and 900. It was buried for about 1,000 years and discovered by archaeologists in the early 1900s. The boat itself was elaborately carved. It contained small wagons for carrying “gods,” an ornately decorated sleigh or sled, and a narrow tapestry portraying scenes from mythology. An elaborate bucket onboard contained APPLEs, a symbol of fertility. Many of these artifacts are on display in museums in Oslo. Churches in Hallingdal and Hegge, meanwhile, contain evidence of the “gods,” including carvings that experts believe are representations of ODIN. Some of Norway’s contributions to NORSE history and literature are actually preserved in the manuscripts from ICELAND. The SAGAS, lays, and poems found in Iceland tell of Norway’s kings and warrior heroes. Few manuscripts of the Norse age have actually been found in Norway itself.
66 NOTT
Ships were important to the ancient Norse people, not only as a means of transportation, but also as a symbol of the voyage from life to death. Shown here is the Oseberg ship, the oldest known Viking ship to survive to the present day. (©University Museum of Cultural Heritage—University of Oslo, Norway; photographer unknown)
NOTT (Night) The dark-haired daughter of NORFI,
one of the first giants of JOTUNHEIM. She married three times. Her first husband was NAGLFARI (Darkling); their son was AUD. Her second husband was ANNAR (Another); their daughter was Earth.
Her third husband was DELLING (Dawn); their son was DAG (Day). The gods gave Nott and her son Dag each a chariot to ride through the heavens (see “Night and Day,” under CREATION). Nott’s lead horse was HRIMFAXI.
O
he rode into battle he wore an EAGLE helmet and armor. When he wandered peacefully on Earth (as he often did), Odin wore a sky-blue cape and a broadbrimmed hat. Odin had only one eye, for he gave his other eye to MIMIR in exchange for wisdom. Odin could compose poetry, for he had drunk the MEAD of poetry. Odin was also thought of as a magician, for he knew the secrets of the RUNES (the earliest alphabet used by the Norse), which he had obtained by hanging himself from the World Tree, YGGDRASIL. For this reason he is sometimes called Lord of the Gallows (see below). Odin had another palace, named VALHALLA, where he entertained heroes who had fallen in battle and who would help him fight the frost giants (HRIMTHURSSAR) at RAGNAROK, the end of the world. But Odin and most of his warriors would be killed at Ragnarok; Odin, by the monster-wolf, FENRIR. Many wonderful tales are told about Odin, the greatest of the gods. He had as many as 200 different NAMES and attributes. Odin, along with Thor, FREY, and Tyr, was worshiped for many years after the coming of Christianity to northern Europe. Lord of the Gallows Odin was called Lord of the Gallows, God of the Hanged, and God of the Spear, among many other names. Odin was the god of knowledge but paid dearly for his wisdom. In one poem (HAVAMAL, or Words of the High One), Odin hanged himself from the branches of Yggdrasil, the sacred tree. He wounded himself with his spear and hung there for nine days and nine nights, without nourishment. At the end of that time he came back to life and picked up the magic runes that had dropped from the tree. The runes brought secret
OAK The largest tree of the forests that covered
northern Europe, the oak was sacred to THOR, god of thunder and lightning, and a symbol of strength and endurance. There were no great oaks in Iceland, but early settlers from the Norse lands brought oak pillars with them and set up shrines to Thor. Early Christian missionaries such as Boniface (eighth century) considered it their duty to destroy oak trees and groves where the pagan gods had been worshiped.
OD (ODUR) The husband of
FREYA and father of Od left Freya to roam the Earth; it is said that Freya wept golden tears for her lost husband. Some scholars think that Od may have been the god ODIN in one of his many guises. HNOSSA.
ODIN Chief of the
gods. The god of war and death, as well as a sky god and the god of wisdom and poetry. Odin is sometimes called ALFODR, the father of the gods. He was descended from one of the earliest gods, BOR, and the giantess BESTLA. His brothers were VILI and VE (also called HOENIR and LOTHUR, respectively). (See CREATION.) Odin’s Aesir wife was FRIGG. His sons included THOR, VALI, and possibly TYR. Odin had many other wives and children. Odin’s hall in ASGARD was VALASKIALF. From his throne, HLIDSKIALF, in the hall’s high tower, Odin could survey all NINE WORLDS. His RAVENs, HUGIN and MUNIN, brought Odin news. He gave his food to his two wolves GERI and FREKI (see WOLF), for Odin needed nothing but the sacred MEAD for nourishment. Odin’s eight-legged steed was called SLEIPNIR. GUNGNIR was Odin’s spear. On his arm Odin wore the marvelous ring DRAUPNIR, from which dropped eight other rings every nine nights. When AESIR
67
68 ODIN
This carved stone from Gotland, Sweden, shows Odin on his eight-legged steed, Sleipnir, and warriors aboard a Viking longship. (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
ODRORIR 69
knowledge to Odin. He passed on this wisdom to both gods and humans. In later years men would make human sacrifices to Odin by hanging prisoners and victims on gallows. It was said that Odin and his ravens would visit the victims and talk to them. The Mead of Poetry The mead of poetry was the wondrous liquid created by the gods after the WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR. Whoever drank the mead would acquire wisdom and the inspiration to make poetry. After the truce between the two races of gods (the Aesir and the VANIR), each god and goddess spat into a great jar to put a seal on their friendship. According to a myth in the PROSE EDDA and Havamal in the POETIC EDDA, the Aesir then carried off the jar, and out of the spittle they fashioned a man, KVASIR, who walked the world spreading great wisdom to all who asked for it. The wicked DWARFS FJALAR (2) and GALAR killed Kvasir, collected his blood in three vats, and mixed it with honey to make a powerful mead, which they shared with no one. One day, in a fit of rage, the dwarfs murdered the giant GILLING and his wife. They were forced to give the mead to Gilling’s angry son, SUTTUNG, in exchange for their lives. Suttung built a strong underground cave in the mountain HNITBORG, where he lived. There he placed the three containers of mead and entrusted his daughter, GUNLOD, to guard them. Because Suttung was a boastful, bragging kind of giant, it was not long before the Aesir heard what had happened to the divine mead. Odin, a master of disguise, turned himself into a giant of a man and went to JOTUNHEIM, calling himself BOLVERK. There, he sharpened the scythes of nine slaves who were at work in the fields owned by the giant BAUGI, Suttung’s brother. The slaves managed to kill one another with their carefully honed scythes. As Baugi now had no fieldhands, he agreed to let Odin-Bolverk work for him, for the one-eyed man looked very strong and seemed to need no rest. Odin put his magic to use. He worked better than nine men, for Baugi had promised to try to persuade his brother to allow Odin a sip of the famous mead as a reward for his work.
When the work was done, Baugi talked to his brother, but of course Suttung refused to part with even one drop of mead. Baugi then drilled a hole into the mountain with the auger RATI, and Odin quickly turned himself into a slender serpent and squirmed his way into the chamber where Gunlod guarded the treasure. When lonely Gunlod saw Odin, once more in the shape of a tall, handsome man, she forgot all the promises she had made to her father and entertained Odin for three days and three nights. At the end, she even offered Odin a sip of the precious mead from each of the three containers, BODN, ODRORIR, and SON. To her dismay, Odin gulped down the entire contents of the vats, turned himself into an eagle, and flew off to Asgard. He was closely pursued by Suttung, who had tasted the mead and so knew some magic and could change his shape to that of a powerful eagle. But the gods had lit a great fire just outside the walls of Asgard. Suttung fell into this and was burned to death. Odin spat the precious mead into the vessels that the gods eagerly held out, but in his haste to escape Suttung, he spilled some of the mead, which fell to Earth (MIDGARD). That is how some lucky humans acquired the gift of poetry. Mimir: How Odin Lost His Eye Mimir was an ancient being noted for his wisdom. According to one myth, Mimir was the guardian of a sacred well (known as MIMIR’S WELL) that gave knowledge to those who drank from it. Odin so coveted wisdom that he gave up one of his eyes to Mimir to gain the privilege of drinking from the well. Mimir placed the eye in the well, where it shone as brilliantly as the Moon. Odin’s Names Odin had more than 150 names and attributes. Here are just a few of them: Alfodr, All-Father, Father of the Gods Baleyg, Flaming-Eyed Bileyg, Shifty-Eyed Fjolnir, Wide in Wisdom GRIMNIR, Hooded One Valfodr, Father of the Slain Ygg, Awful
ODRORIR A cauldron. One of the three containers into which the DWARFS poured the MEAD of
70 OLVALDI
poetry (see under BODN and SON.
OLVALDI
ODIN).
The others were called
father of storm giants THIAZZI, IDI, and GANG. Olvaldi left such a large amount of gold to his sons that no scales could weigh it, so the sons measured it out in giant mouthfuls after their father’s death. See also “Skade and Niord,” under SKADE. JOTUN
OTR Son of
HREIDMAR and brother of REGIN and Otr was a SHAPE-SHIFTER and usually took the form of an otter. He was killed by the trickster god, LOKI. Hreidmar demanded as ransom enough gold to cover the dead otter’s pelt and to fill its insides. This myth is told by SNORRI STURLUSON in the PROSE EDDA and is mentioned in the POETIC EDDA and the late 13th-century VOLSUNGA SAGA. In the Reginsmal, part of the Poetic Edda, the story of Otr also forms a preface to the SIGURD legends, in which Hreidmar is murdered by his sons REGIN and FAFNIR. Fafnir then steals the dwarf’s treasure for himself and turns himself into a frightful dragon, the better to guard it. In the end, the hero Sigurd slays the dragon. Otr’s Ransom Something of a magician, Otr often took the form of an otter. One day ODIN, his brother HOENIR, and his blood brother LOKI were walking by a stream in MIDGARD. They saw an otter. Loki threw a stone at it and killed it. Then he picked up the otter and flung it over his shoulder. The three came to the prosperous farmhouse of Hreidmar and asked for shelter for the night. At first Hreidmar was welcoming enough, but when he saw the otter, he shouted in rage and grief, for the dead creature was his son. Hreidmar summoned his other two sons, Regin and Fafnir. Then, with his magic spells, he disarmed the gods and bound them. Now the gods recognized Hreidmar as the master magician of the trolls and DWARFS. He was very powerful indeed. Odin told Hreidmar that he and his companions would pay whatever ransom he asked, for they had slain his son—but unknowingly, thinking that the creature was a real otter. Justice demanded that Hreidmar should be paid for his misfortune, but there was no need to start a blood feud. Calmed by Odin’s fairness, Hreidmar and his sons demanded that the otter’s skin should be stuffed with FAFNIR.
gold inside and the outside covered with gold until not a whisker could be seen. Odin and Hoenir agreed among themselves that, sly and cunning as he was, Loki would be the best one to go out and find enough gold for the awesome task, for the otter skin was growing bigger by the minute. Freed of his bonds, Loki went straight to the place where he had killed the otter and stared down into the water. Soon he saw what he was looking for, an enormous pike guarding the entrance to an underwater cave that gleamed with gold. The pike was the dwarf ANDVARI, keeper of the fabled treasure. Quickly Loki sped to the island of HLESEY where RAN, the ogress of the oceans, lived with her husband, AEGIR, god of the sea. Loki borrowed from her the cruel net with which she dragged drowning sailors to her underwater realm. With the net, Loki had no difficulty scooping up the pike. He landed it on the bank where it lay gasping and gradually changed into the ungainly shape of the dwarf. To save his life, Andvari gave up his entire hoard of gold but for a single ring. This he begged Loki not to take from him. Loki snatched up the ring and put it on his finger. Andvari laid a terrible curse upon the ring, vowing that anyone who wore it would be smitten with ill fortune and death. The eyes of Hreidmar and his sons glittered greedily when they saw the gold. Odin, Hoenir, and Loki stuffed the otter’s pelt and then made a blanket of gold all around the outside of it. Hreidmar examined it critically then pointed out a whisker that was exposed. Odin had seen Andvari’s ring on Loki’s finger. Loki pulled it off and laid it on the whisker. Thus was Otr’s ransom paid and the three travelers allowed to go, but not without a parting shot from Loki. He told Hreidmar that he and his sons were doomed to ill fortune and death, for that was the curse of Andvari.
OTTAR The human lover of the goddess
FREYA.
He built an altar to Freya and offered sacrifices. Freya helped him win a bet by turning him into her BOAR, HILDISVINI, and taking him to visit the giantess and seeress HYNDLA. Hyndla revealed that Ottar was the son of Instein and the priestess Hledis and that SIGURD, the greatest of Germanic heroes, was among his ancestors.
P
POETIC EDDA A collection of poems on
mythological and legendary themes, written down from the oral tradition by many different poets at different times between the eighth and 13th centuries. The Poetic Edda was called the Elder Edda because most of its material predates the 13th-century PROSE EDDA by SNORRI STURLUSON. Among other manuscripts, the Poetic Edda consists of
• Reginsmal (Lay of REGIN) • RIGSTHULA (Lay of Rig) • SKIRNISMAL (Lay of Skirnir) • SVIPDAGSMAL (Lay of Svipdag) • THRYMSKVITHA (Lay of Thrym) • VAFTHRUDNISMAL (Lay of Vafthrudnir)
Other poems in the Poetic Edda deal with mortal heroes (rather than gods) of the Northlands, for example SIGURD.
• The CODEX REGIUS, which contains some 30 mythical and heroic poems, probably written about 1270 and discovered by Icelandic bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson in 1643. It was erroneously called Saemund’s Edda in old references, after the Icelandic bishop SAEMUND SIGFÚSSON, who was once thought to have written the poems. • The Arnamagnean Collection, another, smaller group of poems that includes “Balder’s Dreams” (see under BALDER). • The VOLUSPA, an account of the origins of the world, its present state, its destruction at RAGNAROK, and the new world.
PROSE EDDA A manual for poets and scholars written circa 1220 by Icelandic poet, historian, and chieftain SNORRI STURLUSON (1179–1241). It is a handbook of Norse mythology, designed as a guide for poets to encourage them to write in the style of the ancient poets of the VIKING Age. Because it was written later than the POETIC EDDA (eighth–13th centuries), it was known as the Younger Edda and sometimes as the Snorra Edda. The Prose Edda consists mostly of (The Deceiving of Gylfi), which tells the myths of the Norse gods and GIANTS. It is an important source for some of the tales. • SKALDSKAPARMAL (Poetic Diction), a listing of the condensed metaphors, called KENNINGS, frequently used in Viking poetry. Two examples of kennings are “Sif’s hair” for “gold” (see TREASURES OF THE DWARFS), and “Kvasir’s blood” for “poetry” (see “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN). This work also contains some mythological and legendary tales. • Hattatal (The Meters of Poetry) A poem by Snorri about King Haakon and Duke Skuli of NORWAY during the years 1221 and 1223. •
Poems of the Poetic Edda include • Alvismal (Lay of ALVIS) • Flateyjarbok (Book of the Flat Island, source of the myth about HYNDLA) • GRIMNISMAL (Lay of Grimnir) • Harbarthsljoth (Lay of HARBARD) • HAVAMAL (Words of the High One) • Hymiskvitha (Lay of Hymir, see under THOR) • HYNDLULJOTH (Lay of Hyndla) • LOKASENNA (Loki’s Mocking) 71
GYLFAGINNING
72
PROSE EDDA
For mythologists, the major interest of the Prose Edda is in Gylfaginning. Snorri wrote this guide to old Icelandic poetry and mythology when Christianity was well established in Iceland and knowledge about the old gods
and their adventures was dying out. He sought to preserve the ancient knowledge. Sometimes Snorri quotes from sources that are still available to modern scholars. At other times he quotes from poems and stories that are now lost.
R
RAGNAROK (Doom of the Gods) The final
blood on the Earth. Hati devoured the Moon. The stars fell out of the sky, and the darkness was complete. Then the Earth began to tremble and quake, and the WOLF FENRIR broke from his bonds, ready to seek vengeance on the gods who had tricked him. Loki, too, broke free. GARM, HEL’s hound, was set free. Evil and destruction were loose on the land. EGGTHER, the watchman of the giants, struck a note on his harp. The red cock FJALAR (1) crowed to the giants, while GULLINKAMBI screeched to the gods in VALHALLA and a third rooster, rust red, awakened all the dead in NIFLHEIM. HEIMDALL, the watchman of the gods, lifted his horn, GIALAR, and blew it. All the AESIR and the Einherjar sprang up and donned their armor, ready for the battle to end all battles. First Odin galloped off on SLEIPNIR to MIMIR’S WELL to seek his wisdom. The NORNS regarded him with veiled faces, their web of life rent into shreds. No one knew what Odin learned from MIMIR the Wise. He rejoined the waiting army with a grim, sad face and led them into battle, holding aloft his magic spear, GUNGNIR. The sea began to boil like a cauldron, and its waves crashed on the shore, for JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent, had risen up from the deep and was lashing and writhing his way toward the land, spewing venom from his jaws. The horrid ship NAGLFAR, made from dead men’s fingernails, drifted loose, packed with giants and steered by HRYM. It headed toward the battlefield, which was called Vigrid. The crew and passengers of Loki’s ship were all the pale dead from the underworld. Hel, the goddess of death, left Niflheim to join the fray, followed by the hound Garm and the dragon NITHOG, who flew over the battlefield gathering corpses for his sustenance.
battle between the gods, headed by ODIN and the EINon the side of good, and LOKI and the HRIMTHURSSAR (frost GIANTS) on the side of evil. It took place on the plain called VIGRID. Nearly all the participants were slain. The Sun and Moon were swallowed by wolves, the stars vanished, the sacred tree YGGDRASIL trembled, the ocean boiled, and SURT set the world on fire so that everything was reduced to cinders. However, BALDER and HODUR rose up from the underworld; VALI, VIDAR, MODI, MAGNI, and some others survived to live in a regenerated world. A HUMAN couple, LIF and LIFTHRASIR, also survived and repeopled Earth. Ragnarok is dealt with in the Icelandic poem VOLUSPA (Sibyl’s Prophecy) and in the PROSE EDDA. Ragnarok, the Day of Doom Ragnarok was the end of the world, the twilight of the gods, the final battle between the forces of good (the gods) and the forces of evil (the giants and the monsters of the underworld). After the death of Balder, the gods banished Loki, the evil one, to MIDGARD (Middle Earth), but it was too late. The god of light and innocence had been killed. The gods knew that the day of doom was at hand and that they and all their worlds would perish. First came a wave of ghastly crimes and bloody wars in Midgard. Brothers fought against brothers; there was murder and looting and other evil deeds. Then came FIMBULVETR the worst of all winters. It brought bitter cold and driving snow, screeching winds and black darkness. The Fimbulvetr lasted three years. People shivered and starved and lost all hope and goodness. From IRONWOOD came the ravenous wolves SKOLL and HATI . Skoll caught up with SOL ’s chariot and swallowed the Sun, spilling her HERJAR
73
74 RAGNAROK
Loki led the terrible army of evil. As they crossed BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE, it trembled and broke beneath them, but not before they had reached Vigrid. Odin, the mighty leader of the gods, attacked first. He joined battle with the monster-wolf, Fenrir, whose slavering jaws grew wider and wider, stretching from heaven to Earth, until they swallowed up Odin. Nearby THOR, the god of thunder, wrestled with Jormungand. In the deathly struggle, Thor killed the serpent, but Thor, too, died a gasping death from the beast’s fatal venom. Loki and Heimdall, lifelong enemies, killed each other. FREY, the god of fertility, grappled with the fire god, SURT, in a lengthy battle. Frey had given away his magic sword long ago for love of GERDA, and now, without it, he was killed by the fire demon.
TYR,
who had only one hand, fought bravely against Garm, and the two killed each other. All around the battle raged, and all were doomed to perish. But Vidar, a son of Odin, avenged his father. On his foot he wore a boot made from all the strips of leather snipped off and saved by good cobblers for just this purpose. Vidar crushed his magic boot onto the lower jaw of Fenrir, and, using all his strength, tore the wolf apart. With Odin and most of the other gods, heroes, giants, and monsters dead, Surt (who some say was Loki in another shape) flung his brands of fire all over Earth so that there was a great and terrible conflagration. All NINE WORLDS went up in flames, and at last the Earth sank into the boiling sea. The idea of Ragnarok is similar to Christian and Asian conceptions of Judgment Day or doomsday.
At Ragnarok, Thor attacks the Midgard Serpent with his hammer while Odin does battle with Fenrir, the wolf. (Anthony Mercatante)
RAVEN 75
However, the dramatic descriptions of darkness, earthquakes, flood, fire, and ashes undoubtedly came straight from the Icelandic poets’ own experiences of volcanic eruptions in their native land. The Regeneration After the terrible destruction of Ragnarok, all was not lost after all, for there was a rebirth: Two HUMANS emerged, some of the gods survived, green plants grew, and a new world was born. Before she was devoured by the wolf, Sol had given birth to a daughter, as brilliant and burning as she. As this new Sun appeared, darkness vanished, and a new day dawned in a world that gradually, magically, became green and pleasant, with fields of corn growing where no seeds had been planted. From the remains of the sacred tree, Yggdrasil, stepped a human man, Lif, and a human woman, Lifthrasir. They had been nourished by dew and were unhurt by Surt’s fire. They would repeople the Earth. Vidar and Vali survived, as did Modi and Magni, Thor’s sons, who inherited his hammer, MJOLLNIR. Balder came back from the dead, leading his blind brother, Hodur. HOENIR (VILI) appeared and so did LOTHUR (VE), Odin’s brothers. They went to IDAVOLL, which had remained unscorched, and there they built new mansions, the greatest of which was GIMLÉ, roofed with gold. Another was Brimir, on the place called Okolnir (Never Cold). SINDRI rose up in the mountains of NIDAFJOLL. All these places were good. But there was also a hall on NASTROND, the shore of corpses. All its doors faced north to greet the shrieking winds. The walls were made of writhing snakes that poured their venom into a river that flowed through the hall. This was the new underworld, full of murderers and thieves, and when they died, NITHOG, who had survived, was there to feed upon the corpses. The AESIR walked on the new green grass of Idavoll and talked about the past and their dear, perished friends. They played chess with the golden pieces that they found on the ground, and they thought with wonder about the new life of the Earth.
RAINBOW BRIDGE The common name for BIFROST, the bridge that stretched between the human world and the world of the gods, between Earth and heaven. This bridge was made by the gods in three colors—red, blue, and green—giving Bifrost its common nickname.
Only in the writings of 13th-century Icelandic historian SNORRI STURLUSON was the image of the rainbow associated with Bifrost, according to Old Norse experts. Earlier forms of this Norse myth refer to the Milky Way as the bridge that joins heaven and Earth.
RAN (Robber) The wife of AEGIR, JOTUN lord of the sea. She lived with Aegir beneath the island of HLESEY, in coral caves. She dragged drowning sailors down to her realm in her fishing net, which either she or LOKI invented. Her halls were lighted only by the gleam of gold, reminiscent of the phosphorescent glow of the sea. It is said that she felt kindly toward dead sailors who had some gold in their possession to help her light her halls. In “Otr’s Ransom,” (under OTR), Loki borrows Ran’s drowning net to catch the DWARF ANDVARI; in “The Pursuit of Loki-Salmon,” Loki himself is trapped in a net. RATATOSK The squirrel who scampered up and down the World Tree, YGGDRASIL. He spread gossip and carried insults between NITHOG, the dragon who nibbled at the roots of the tree, and the EAGLE who sat in the topmost branches. RATI The name of the auger used by the giant to drill a hole into the mountain (see “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN). BAUGI
HNITBORG
RAVEN A large, black bird, Corvus corax, a member of the crow family. The raven is commonly found in northern Europe, North America, and northern Asia. The raven was a symbol of ODIN, chief god among the AESIR gods. Odin kept two ravens, HUGIN (Thought) and MUNIN (Mind). Odin sent these ravens out into the world each daybreak, and they returned by breakfast time to tell Odin of what they had seen and learned. In an early NORSE poem, HRAFNAGALDUR ODINS (Odin’s Raven Chant), Odin sends the ravens to the underworld to investigate the disappearance of the goddess IDUNN. The raven was a common symbol in many mythologies, sometimes as a sign of evil owing to its habits as a scavenger and sometimes as a sign of good. In Norse mythology, ravens played both roles. As representatives of Odin’s mind and thoughts, ravens
76 REGIN
symbolized his power to see into the future. As symbols of the battlefield, they represented Odin’s welcoming to his palace VALHALLA the spirits of slain HUMAN heroes who died in battle. Viking war flags carried symbols of ravens, as Odin’s servants.
REGIN Son of the magician
HREIDMAR and brother of FAFNIR and OTR. After Fafnir killed Hreidmar and stole his treasure, Regin adopted the young hero, SIGURD, and ordered him to kill Fafnir, who had turned himself into a dragon. Regin was later killed by Sigurd.
RIG The main character in
RIGSTHULA, an ancient poem, part of the POETIC EDDA. The introduction to this poem in the surviving manuscripts says Rig is HEIMDALL, but modern scholars agree that an editor of the manuscript made that assumption and addition. Rig-Heimdall and the Races of Men Heimdall was the WATCHMAN OF THE GODS. He seldom left his post on BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE. But one day, at ODIN’s suggestion, Heimdall went down to MIDGARD (Middle Earth) disguised as a mortal man. He left behind his horn, GIALAR, his sword, and his golden-topped steed, and took the name Rig. Rig wandered along the seashore at the edge of the world. When evening came he saw a rickety old hut. Rig knocked and the door creaked open. It was dark and smoky inside, but Rig-Heimdall with his keen eyes could see Ai and Edda (Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother) and gave them his golden smile. They shared their miserable meal with him. Rig was so courteous and friendly that they shared their bed, too, allowing the sweet-talking god to sleep warmly between their two thin bodies. He shared their food and their bed for three days and three nights, then went on his way. Nine months after the god’s visit Edda gave birth to a son. His parents named him Thrall. The boy was sturdy and strong and grew to be very good at all the hard and heavy chores that laborers must do: chopping wood, digging the earth, building huts, tending the pigs and GOATS, gathering food, burning peat. When Thrall grew up he married Esne, another hard worker, and their children and their children’s children were the peasants and laborers of the world.
The evening after leaving Ai and Edda, Rig came to a big farm where he found Afi and Amma (Grandfather and Grandmother). Afi’s beard was neatly trimmed and Amma’s hair was smooth and silvery. They both wore clean and simple clothes. Rig gave them his golden smile. They shared their nourishing meal with him. Rig was so courteous and friendly that they shared their bed, too, allowing the sweet-talking god to sleep warmly between their sturdy bodies. He shared their food and their bed for three days and three nights, then went on his way. Nine months after the god’s visit, Amma gave birth to a son. The parents named him Freeman. The boy was healthy and ruddy, and he grew to be very good at all the work that a proud farmer must do: building fine houses and sturdy barns and learning the skills of the blacksmith, the reaper of corn, and the tender of fine animals. When Freeman grew up he married a strapping girl named Hussif. She knew how to spin and weave; she sewed a fine seam and baked good bread. Their children and their children’s children became the farmers, landholders, and craftsmen of the world. The evening after leaving Afi and Amma, Rig came to a great mansion where he found Father Squire and Mother Lady. Their clothes were rich and glittering with jewels. Rig gave them his golden smile, and the handsome couple invited him to dinner. A long table was covered with a linen cloth and set with silver wine jugs and goblets and pewter platters. The servants brought in mounds of delicious meats and fruits. Rig was so courteous and friendly that Lady and Squire shared their luxurious bed with him, allowing the sweet-talking god to sleep warmly between their two shapely bodies. Rig shared their food and their bed for three days and three nights, then went on his way. Nine months after the god’s visit, Lady gave birth to a son. The parents named him Earl. The boy was tall and handsome, with golden hair and a golden smile, and he grew to be a fine horseman, skilled with both spear and sword as well as with a bow and arrow. When Earl grew up he married a rich and graceful girl named Princess. Her skin was soft and her fingers long. She played beautifully on the lute and her voice was the envy of the nightingale. She made Earl very rich and happy. Their children and their children’s children became the kings and queens of many lands of the world.
RUNES 77
Rig-Heimdall transported himself to the time when Earl was still a young lad. The god appeared before Earl in a forest grove, bringing with him some sticks with strangely carved markings on them. Rig taught Earl, his son, the secrets of the RUNES and much wisdom about the good and evil in the world so that Earl and his children and grandchildren could become fine and just rulers of their kingdoms.
RIGSTHULA An ancient poem found in the POETIC EDDA that tells the story of the beginnings of humankind and of the classes within society. The importance of this poem in understanding Norse mythology is heavily debated among scholars and experts. The introduction to the 14th-century manuscript in which this poem was found says that RIG, the main character, is actually the god HEIMDALL, who watched over the land of the gods; however, nowhere in the poem itself is Rig identified with Heimdall, and many scholars question why others say Rig is Heimdall. Modern experts also suggest that the poem is older than its introduction and that the editor of the manuscript chose to give Heimdall credit for being Rig. In the manuscript in which it was found, the end of the Rigsthula is missing. Experts are unsure of the age of the poem. Some say it was written as early as the ninth century A.D., others as late as the 13th century.
ROWAN A mountain ash tree of the rose family, not related to the common ASH tree. A sturdy tree, it has dense white blossoms and clusters of red fruit well loved by birds. Old superstitions say that the tree has protective qualities, especially against witches. (It is sometimes called witch wood or witchen tree). In Scotland to this day, it is often planted near the front door of a house. In Norse mythology it is called “Thor’s Salvation” or “Thor’s Tree of Deliverance” because it saved THOR from drowning in the VIMUR River.
RUNES (That Which Is Secret) Ancient letters or symbols used in the earliest alphabets of the German tribes of northern Europe, including the NORSE, from the second to the 12th centuries. Runic inscriptions occur most commonly in SCANDINAVIA and
RINDA (RIND) Daughter of BILLING, king of the Ruthenians; mate of the god ODIN; mother of VALI (2). She appears only once in the existing Norse manuscripts, as the temporary wife of Odin. Rinda is a personification of the hard frozen rind of the Earth. At first, she resists the wooing of Odin (the Sun) but finally succumbs to his warmth and gives birth to Vali, the light god of spring. ROSKVA The farmer EGIL’s daughter who becomes the god THOR’s servant, along with her brother THIALFI. Thor took the brother and sister to be his eternal servants after Thialfi had disobeyed his command not to mutilate the bones of his goats. ROSTIOFF In some tellings of the myths Rostioff is the wizard who prophesied that from the union of ODIN and RINDA a son, VALI (2) , would be born and that Vali would avenge the death of BALDER. The wizard lived in Lapland.
Examples of runic alphabets (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
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parts of the British Isles. The characters consisted of perpendicular, slanting, and curved lines, well adapted to being carved on wood, stone, and metal. Magical and mysterious powers were associated with runes. According to Norse mythology, knowledge of runes was introduced by the god ODIN, who hanged himself from the branches of the sacred tree,
YGGDRASIL,
for nine days and nine nights until fallen twigs from the tree spelled out the secrets of the runes. After the establishment of Christianity in the north, runes were looked down upon as pagan. Nonetheless, in Scandinavia their use continued after the Middle Ages in manuscripts as well as in inscriptions on stone, metal, and wood.
SAEHRIMNIR (Sooty) The magic
BOAR
S
Before 1900, literary scholars and experts believed Saemund wrote the POETIC EDDA, a collection of ancient Norse poetry found in the CODEX REGIUS. They referred to these poems as Saemund’s Edda. Based on detailed studies of the language and style of these old poems, experts no longer believe that Saemund had any connection to the Poetic Edda.
that
each day was killed and cooked by ANDHRIMNIR (Sooty Faced) in the giant cauldron ELDHRIMNIR (Soot Blackened), and eaten by the gods and heroes at VALHALLA.
SAEMING A son of the great Norse god
ODIN, perhaps invented by the 13th-century Icelandic historian SNORRI STURLUSON or by rulers of ancient NORWAY. According to Snorri in the introduction to three of his great works, Odin was a powerful leader from central Asia who traveled north through Europe to SWEDEN, establishing two of his sons as rulers of kingdoms along the way. Near the end of his journey, Odin traveled north to the coast. There he made his son Saeming king. This interpretation of myths as the stories of real HUMANS is known as euhemerism. Many historical rulers of Norway traced their ancestry to Saeming, and he became a father figure, a great ancestor, to the powerful families in that region. Scholars believe the rulers of the lands in SCANDINAVIA may have created the stories of Saeming and his brothers to connect their histories to the legends of the gods. In another part of his PROSE EDDA, Snorri also wrote that SKADE, daughter of the frost giant THIAZZI, was Saeming’s mother.
SAGA (1) An Old
word meaning “story.” The sagas were stories in prose or verse dating from the early 11th to the mid-14th centuries, first written down about 1200. There were family sagas about early Icelandic settlers; sagas of the kings, which were semihistorical stories about the kings of Norway; and heroic sagas, which told of legendary heroes and fantastic adventures. The VOLSUNGA SAGA (late 13th century) is a good example of a heroic saga. NORSE
SAGA (2) A female goddess, one of the ASYNJUR. (The first a in her name is a long a, making the pronunciation different from SAGA [1], a type of story.) Little is known of Saga except that she lived in the great hall known as Sokkvabekk, where she often spent the day drinking from golden goblets with ODIN. Some scholars suggest that Saga was another name for FRIGG, Odin’s wife, for Saga means “she who knows all things” and this was a trait Frigg shared with her husband.
SAXO GRAMMATICUS Danish scholar of the 13th century who wrote GESTA DANORUM, a multivolume, partly mythical history of the Danes. In it Saxo recounts many myths of DENMARK (including that of Hamlet) and NORWAY. Saxo’s approach to the myths and the people in them was rather harsh and unsympathetic compared to that of the Icelandic writer SNORRI STURLUSON.
SAEMUND SIGFÚSSON (Saemund the Wise, Saemund the Learned) (1056–1133) Icelandic historian and Catholic priest; author of an important history of the kings of Norway that has been lost. Later authors made use of Saemund’s history and discussed its importance in their own works. 79
80 SCANDINAVIA
SCANDINAVIA A region in northwestern Europe. NORWAY and SWEDEN form the great peninsula once known as Scandia and now known as the Scandinavian peninsula. DENMARK’s Jutland peninsula and the islands the lie between it and the Scandinavian peninsula, as well as the Faeroe Islands and ICELAND, which lie in the Atlantic Ocean to the west and northwest of Norway, are often considered part of the region. The people of Scandinavia share similar languages, histories, and cultures. Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Icelandic all share roots with the Germanic languages. Their ancestors spoke Old NORSE, a name that has often been used to refer to the people of Scandinavia as well as the ancient language. In 400 B.C., the Germanic peoples of north central Europe began moving northward and building settlements in Scandinavia, living next to or pushing aside the native people of those lands. By A.D. 600, nationstates had begun to take shape in these regions, and language changes separated these immigrant peoples from the cultures of their origins. Around this time the VIKINGS, a powerful people, began centuries of conquest across northern Europe, including England, Finland, and parts of eastern Russia. Much of the information of the mythology of the Norse has survived in the records and manuscripts of the Scandinavian nations and on the intricate and complex stone carvings found throughout the region. Scholars have pieced together the stories of the gods, goddesses, enemies, and kingdoms of this mythology from scattered sources. From Iceland to the west and Finland to the east, the Arctic Circle to the north and the bogs of low-lying Denmark to the south, archaeologists have for almost two centuries uncovered the story of Scandinavia’s past, including the spectacular finds of SHIPS AND SHIP BURIALS near Oseberg, Norway, in 1904 and at Sutton Hoo in East Anglia, England, first excavated in 1939.
SEID A special form of magic or witchcraft, often socially objectionable, containing highly ritualistic ceremonies and oaths. In powerful cultic ceremonies, priestesses summoned this magic so they could see into the future; arrange bad luck, illness, or death for an enemy; or transfer the mind and strength of one person into another. Often leaders would seek out the help of people with these magical powers in times of crisis.
Women were the primary practitioners of seid, which reportedly had a strong sexual impact on the magicians. In the ceremonies, the priestess wore a special costume made of fur and featuring a prominent headdress. According to Norse mythology, FREYA, a VANIR goddess, shared the gift of seid with the great AESIR god ODIN and the other gods and goddesses. Odin became the chief practitioner of this magic among all of the Aesir gods. Freya is said to have never used her powers.
SERPENT Word often used in mythology, religion, and folklore to denote nonspecific reptiles, such as snakes and dragons and also sea monsters. In Norse mythology, the DRAGON NITHOG chewed at the roots of the sacred tree, YGGDRASIL, and JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent, encircled the Earth with his tail in his mouth and spewed poisonous fumes at RAGNAROK. The great god, ODIN, turned himself into a serpent to enter the cave where he found the MEAD of poetry. FAFNIR turned himself into a dragon to guard his treasure (see “Otr’s Ransom,” under OTR). The gods placed a serpent over LOKI’s head after they had bound him to a rock.
SESSRUMNIR (Rich in Seats) The hall of the goddess FREYA where she welcomed the spirits of slain warriors and heroes, whom she shared with the war god, ODIN. Sessrumnir was located in the part of ASGARD known as FOLKVANGER, the realm of Freya. It is said to have had as much room for its guests as did VALHALLA, the palace where Odin welcomed his share of fallen warriors. SHAPE-SHIFTER (Shape Changer) Gods and GIANTs magically change form often within the stories of Norse mythology. This was a complete physical transformation, not merely a surface disguise. Most commonly they took the shape of EAGLEs or FALCONs to fly swiftly over land. The supreme god ODIN had the power to change shape at will and took on many different identities to walk among humans. He and FREYA preferred the form of the hawk for their supernatural travels. LOKI, though, was the most famous shape changer, for he would change gender as well as form. In the story of the GIANT MASTER BUILDER, Loki became a mare to
SHIPS AND SHIP BURIALS 81
lure away the giant’s stallion. In the story of the making of the TREASURES OF THE DWARFS, he became a fly to pester the dwarfs. Giants, too, changed shape. One became an eagle to steal the gods’ dinner. Another took the shape of a man to trick the gods.
SHIPS AND SHIP BURIALS Ships were an important part of NORSE culture. The Norse depended on ships not only for fishing and trading but for expanding their empires. The VIKING seafarers roamed from their northern strongholds as far south as the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal), Italy, and Sicily and as far east as Russia, Constantinople, and Baghdad. A Viking navigator, Leif Eriksson, sailed to North America in about the year
1000, almost five centuries before Christopher Columbus set foot in the Americas. The Vikings also colonized ICELAND and Greenland. Viking ships were longships, with graceful, upwardcurving bows and sterns, often carved with elaborate designs. They were powered by oarsmen and sails. Ships were so venerated that when a distinguished person died, he was put aboard his ship, which was then set afire and sent out to sea. In the myth of BALDER, the god was set aboard his ship, HRINGHORNI, along with his dead wife, his horse, and some of his treasures. Hringhorni was then set afire and sent out to sea. In recent years archaeological digs have uncovered various burial ships in SCANDINAVIA and England. Along with the bones of dead people and
This graceful vessel, found at the Gokstad, Norway, burial site, probably belonged to a ninth-century Viking chieftain. (©University Museum of Cultural Heritage—University of Oslo, Norway; photographed by Mittet)
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animals, they contained ancient weapons, chariots, jewelry, ornaments, food, and utensils—all the necessities for the comfort of the dead in the afterlife. In Sutton Hoo, in East Anglia, England, the remains of an 80-foot ship were uncovered along with treasures but no bones of the dead. It is thought that the hero may have disappeared at sea, or perhaps he had been given a Christian burial while his treasures were buried according to a more ancient pagan custom. The Sutton Hoo ship dates from the seventh century. Other graves found in East Anglia were the tombs of humble people, including children who were buried with toylike ships. In early English literature the account in Beowulf (recorded about A.D. 1000) describes the voyage of Skyld, first king of the Danes, on his funeral ship. The ship was so important in Norse culture that it was carried as a symbol in processions long after Christianity had become established. Medieval craftsmen built mock ships (symbols of life and of death and of the journey in between) to be carried in religious processions. So beautiful and elaborate were these ships that eventually they were made collapsible to be folded up and stored inside the church until the next procession. It is thought that this medieval practice may have influenced the description of SKIDBLADNIR, the marvelous ship made for the god FREY. Skinbladnir could be shrunk and folded to fit inside a pouch when not in use.
SIGYN (SIGUNN, SIGRYN, SIGUNA; Victory Giver) The wife of the trickster god, LOKI, and the mother of NARFI and VALI (1). When the gods finally trapped Loki and bound him, placing a SERPENT over his head, Sigyn stayed by her husband’s side. In a bowl she caught the venom that dripped from the serpent’s jaws. When she turned aside to empty the bowl, some venom fell on Loki, and he writhed with pain, causing earthquakes on MIDGARD. Sigyn stayed with Loki until RAGNAROK, the end of the world.
SIEGFRIED See SIGURD. SIF THOR’s golden-haired wife, goddess of grain and of fertility. She was the mother of ULL, Thor’s stepson. The mischiefmaker LOKI cut off Sif’s hair while she slept. He was forced to replace it with strands of gold crafted by the DWARFS (see TREASURES OF THE DWARFS). SIGURD (Siegfried, in German) A human hero of Germanic legend, possibly of historical origin. He is the chief character in the 13th-century VOLSUNGA SAGA and in Reginsmal (see POETIC EDDA). The Sigurd stories are prefaced by the Norse myth “Otr’s Ransom” (see under OTR), though it is believed that originally there was no connection between the two.
In this 12th-century carving from Hylestad, Norway, Regin, the smith, repairs Sigurd’s sword. (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
SKADE 83
SKADE (SKADI; Destruction) Daughter of the (frost giant) THIAZZI and wife of the VANIR god of the seas and of sailors and fishermen. Skade was the goddess of winter, skiers, and hunters. After her father’s death she went to ASGARD, the home of the gods, to choose a husband from among them. She and Niord found that they could not live happily together, for Skade did not like Niord’s seashore home, NOATUN, and Niord did not like the bleak cold of THRYMHEIM, Skade’s home. In the story “Loki’s Punishment” (see under LOKI), Skade placed a venomous serpent over the head of the trickster god. She is the personification of the cold-hearted northern winter that can be touched only briefly by the warmth of the summer sun (Niord) and the cheerful hearth fire (Loki). Skade and Niord In SNORRI STURLUSON’s PROSE EDDA, the story of the marriage between Skade, goddess of winter, and Niord, the god associated with the seas and seafarers, immediately follows “Idunn’s Apples” (see under IDUNN), in which Thiazzi, Skade’s father, is killed by the gods after stealing the apples. At the news of his death, Skade was full of rage. She put on her shining armor and her weapons and strode across BIFROST to ASGARD, the home of the AESIR. The gods were at peace, glad to feel young again now that Idunn was back with her magic apples of youth. They asked Skade if she would take gold in payment for her father’s death, for such was the custom of the Norse. Skade scornfully replied that she had all the gold she needed. When OLVALDI had died, he had left much gold to his sons, Thiazzi, GANG, and IDI, and now she had all of Thiazzi’s share. Instead, she demanded a husband from among the gods. The gods conferred and agreed it would be wise to let the icy giantess have her way. There was one condition: Skade must choose her husband by the look of his feet, not by his face. Skade agreed, but she, too, had a condition. The gods must make her laugh, for she was full of rage and her heart was cold. The strange bargain was struck, and the gods stood barefoot behind a curtain that hid all but their feet. One pair of feet at once struck Skade as more HRIMTHURSSAR NIORD,
Loyal Sigyn, Loki’s wife, catches venom from the serpent that hangs over Loki’s head. (Anthony Mercatante)
SIMUL The pole on which BIL AND YUKI carried their pail of water (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION).
SINDRI (Sparky, Slag) The name of the magnificent golden hall that will stand shining upon a mountain after RAGNAROK, the final battle between the gods and the GIANTS at the end of time. Sindri also refers to the good and righteous people who will dwell within this splendid palace.
SINGASTEIN The place where
and HEIMDALL, transformed into seals, fought over FREYA’s necklace, which Loki had stolen. LOKI
SJOFN A female goddess named by 13th-century Icelandic historian SNORRI STURLUSON in his prose work GYLFAGINNING. Very little is known of Sjofn except that, according to Snorri, she had the job of influencing people to fall in love with each other.
84 SKALD
Niord took his new wife to his home, NOATUN, by the seashore. Skade did not like the sunshine, the sea, the sound of the waves, or the cry of the gulls. Niord then went with Skade to Thrymheim, her sunless, freezing mountain home, but Niord did not like the howling of the wolves, the wind, the bare mountains, or the terrible cold. The two tried to divide their time between the two homes: nine days in Niord’s Noatun and nine in Skade’s Thrymheim. But Skade spent more and more time in the cold mountains, a dark shape speeding over the snow in her snowshoes, bringing death to wolves and bears from her quiver full of arrows. She is the goddess of skiers and hunters. ULL, son of SIF and stepson of Thor, is also the god of winter and of skiers and hunters, but, as far as we know, Skade and Ull were not related.
SKALD (SCALD) In Old
Skade chose her husband by pointing to the feet that she liked best. (Anthony Mercatante)
beautiful than the rest. They must belong to the beautiful god BALDER, she thought. She announced her choice. Out stepped NIORD, the VANIR god, lord of the seas and of seafarers, and the father of FREY and FREYA. Skade was disappointed. Bitterly, she asked the gods to make her laugh. LOKI, the trickster god who had been partially responsible for Thiazzi’s death, had set his quick mind to work as soon as he had heard Skade’s requests. Now he led forward one of THOR’s rambunctious billy GOATS, and the two played such lively and hilarious antics that Skade and all the gods laughed until their sides ached. As a wedding present for Skade, ODIN took Thiazzi’s eyes from his pouch and hurled them into the heavens, where they shone brightly as twin stars.
NORSE,
a poet. In the study of Norse mythology, the term refers to a specialist among poets who served in the courts of kings, powerful rulers, and chieftains. These poets often wrote about the great deeds of their leaders and of the gifts the leaders gave them. Skalds used complex, elaborate patterns and KENNINGs to create a distinct form known today as SKALDIC POETRY. The oldest of the known skalds, Bragi Boddason inn gamli (Bragi Boddason the Old), lived in the ninth century A.D. Scholars believe he was the court poet of the Swedish king Björn. His poem Ragnarsdrapa describes scenes from mythology as portrayed on a shield, including THOR fishing for JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent; GEFION plowing away part of SWEDEN; and the story of Hild encouraging her father Hogni and Hedin, her abductor, to fight, as told in the HJADNINGAVIG.
SKALDIC POETRY A complex form of
NORSE
poetry that relies on precise numbers and stresses of syllables in each half-line of the poem. Skaldic poetry mainly consists of KENNINGs, or poetic, often mythical, metaphors, to present meaning to the audience. Much information about Norse mythology is preserved in this form of poetry. Skaldic poems are distinct from the works in the POETIC EDDA in several important ways. Most skaldic poems are the works of named SKALDs, or specialist
SKRYMIR 85
poets. Eddic poems, on the other hand, are anonymous and timeless. Skaldic poets counted syllables carefully, while eddic poets wrote in a freer verse. Skaldic poets used myth to praise real heroes, and eddic poems are about the myths themselves. Existing skaldic poetry is preserved in ancient manuscripts written centuries after the lives of the poets, who were part of a preliterate oral tradition. Some poems have survived in full, but of others only a stanza has survived.
SKALDSKAPARMAL (Poetic Diction) A section in the PROSE EDDA; the source of the story “The Mead of Poetry” (see under ODIN). SKIDBLADNIR (Wooden-Bladed) The magic
trip to woo the JOTUN maid GERDA for his master, FREY. In the Arnamagnean Codex the story is incomplete.
SKOLL The terrible
WOLF born in IRONWOOD, who pursues the chariot of the Sun and in the end, at RAGNAROK, devours it (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION). See also HATI and MANAGARM.
SKRYMIR (Big Fellow) A very large giant encountered by THOR and LOKI and their servants on their way to UTGARD. Skrymir, sometimes called Vasty in English retellings, was most likely UTGARDLOKI in disguise. He was so huge that Thor and his companions mistook his mitten for a large cabin, where they spent the night.
ship made by the DWARFS sons of IVALDI, and brought to FREY by LOKI (see TREASURES OF THE DWARFS). The ship was big enough to hold all the gods and their horses and equipment, yet small enough to be folded up and put away in a pouch when not in use. It could sail over land or through the air, as well as on the sea, and has been compared to a swift-moving cloud or a magic carpet. See also SHIPS AND SHIP BURIALS.
SKINFAXI The name of DAG’s horse. Considered to be the best of horses, Skinfaxi pulled the day, that is, the Sun, through the sky. His gleaming mane lit up the heavens and the Earth.
SKIRNIR (Shining) The servant of the shining god, FREY. He borrowed Frey’s horse and sword and went on a long journey to woo the JOTUN maid GERDA for his lovesick master. In another myth, Skirnir was sent by the gods to ask the DWARFS to make them a magic chain with which to bind the wolf, FENRIR.
SKIRNIR’S JOURNEY Poem in the Codex Regius, which forms part of the POETIC EDDA. Called “For Skirnis” in Icelandic, the poem tells of SKIRNIR’s wooing of GERDA for his master, FREY. SKIRNISMAL (Lay of Skirnis) Poem in the Arnamagnean Codex, which forms part of the POETIC EDDA. Like SKIRNIR’S JOURNEY, it tells the story of SKIRNIR’s
The giant Skrymir (Utgard-Loki) towers over the God Thor. (Anthony Mercatante)
86 SKULD
SKULD (Future) One of the three
or Fates. She is pictured wearing a veil and carrying a scroll in her hands.
SKY In the Norse
NORNS,
myth, the sky was made from the dome of the giant YMIR’s skull. It was held up at the corners by four DWARFS, NORDI, SUDRI, AUSTRI, and VESTRI. It was lit by the SUN and the Moon (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION); the stars were created from sparks borrowed from MUSPELLHEIM, the land of fire; and it was shaded by clouds made from Ymir’s brains. CREATION
Younger Edda or the Snorra Edda. It gives the only complete picture of Norse mythology dating from the Middle Ages. The Prose Edda had great influence on medieval Icelandic literature and helped to preserve the ancient skaldic tradition.
SNOTRA (Clever) One of the minor goddesses named by SNORRI STURLUSON, who described her as clever and well behaved. Scholars suspect that she might have been created by Snorri.
SOEG The pail in which BIL AND YUKI carry water (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION).
SLEIPNIR (Glider) ODIN’s eight-legged horse, the offspring of SVADILFARI and LOKI, the SHAPESHIFTER god who disguised himself as a mare to tempt Svadilfari away from his work for GIANT MASTER BUILDER (see “Asgard’s Wall and the Giant Master Builder,” under ASGARD). Sleipnir was no ordinary horse. He could gallop over the sea and through the air as well as on land and could outrun any horse in all the NINE WORLDS, including GULLFAXI. Sleipnir was able to journey to the world of the dead; he carried both HERMOD and ODIN there. At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, Sleipnir carried Odin into battle and was presumably killed by FENRIR, the WOLF, along with his master. SNORRI STURLUSON (1179–1241) A leading figure in Norse literature, Snorri Sturluson was ICEmost distinguished author. He was the author of the PROSE EDDA, of Heimskringla (a history of Norwegian kings), and of Hattatal (a poem in praise of King Haakon and Duke Skuli of NORWAY), plus various sagas. One of Iceland’s greatest chieftains, Snorri came from the powerful Sturlung dynasty. He was educated at Iceland’s foremost cultural center, Oddi, where he received strong training in law, history, poetry, and the telling of sagas. He became renowned as a lawyer and a SKALD, or poet. Politically ambitious, Snorri was welcomed at all the Scandinavian courts. He acquired great wealth and power but was involved in numerous disputes and battles. He was finally slain in a political coup at the command of the king of Norway. It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of the Prose Edda, sometimes called the LAND’s
SOL (Sun) According to 13th-century Icelandic poet SNORRI STURLUSON, a servant of the SUN. Sol was the daughter of the human MUNDILFARI and the sister of MANI. The gods stole Sol and Mani from their father when they were children—or perhaps young adults, since Snorri says Sol was married to a man named Glen. The gods were offended that a HUMAN, Mundilfari, had named his children after the Sun and the Moon. In Snorri’s telling of their story, the gods put Sol to work in the heavens where she drove the chariot that carried the Sun through the sky. Two horses, ARVAKR and ALSVID, pulled the chariot. To protect the horses and Sol from the flaming heat of the Sun, which would burn up anything that came too close to it, the gods placed the shield SVALIN between them and the Sun. The huge, evil WOLF SKOLL chased Sol and the Sun’s chariot through the sky until RAGNAROK, when he caught and devoured the Sun. Sol is rarely given human characteristics in Norse poetry. Only Snorri tells the story of her work in the heavens. An older poem, part of the POETIC EDDA, identifies Sol as the Sun, not a servant, and only names her and the Moon as children of Mundilfari. The Sun played only a small role in Norse mythology.
SOLSTICE The times of the year when the Sun reaches its extreme northern or southern points in its journey across the heavens. In the Northern Hemisphere the summer solstice is around June 21, and the winter solstice is around December 22. The
SUN AND MOON 87
word solstice is made up of two Latin words, sol, meaning “sun,” and sistit, meaning “stands,” because the Sun appears to stand still before it turns back on its apparent course. The longest day occurs at summer solstice and the shortest day at winter solstice. Both these days are times of rejoicing, especially in NORSE countries. MIDSUMMER EVE, on June 21, was Balder’s Day, celebrated with bonfires and the observance of sunrise and sunset. Yuletide occurred at the time of the winter solstice, when people celebrated the beginning of the end of the winter months.
SON A jar. One of the three containers into which the DWARFS poured the MEAD of poetry (see “The Mead of Poetry,” under ODIN). The other containers were called BODN and ODRORIR.
STARKAD A famous Norse hero who was both blessed and cursed by the gods. Starkad was the name of the main character of many heroic legends, and scholars suggest there may have been several different heroes with the same name. In the stories that survive there are two Starkads. One was the descendent of GIANTS who himself had six or eight arms. This Starkad, who had the last name Aludreng, was the grandfather of the most famous Starkad, the foster son of the god ODIN. Odin remained in disguise as he helped raise the younger Starkad. Once Starkad witnessed a gathering of the gods, 12 of them sitting in chairs with an empty chair in the gathering. Only when Odin joined the gathering and sat in the empty chair did Starkad recognize his foster father for the god he was. The mighty thunder god, THOR, hated Starkad. On one occasion, Odin wanted to honor the bravery of the warrior Starkad, but Thor wanted to harm the hero he so hated. Odin bestowed many blessings upon Starkad, among them success in battle, invincibility, great wealth, and great skill as a poet. Thor countered each positive gift with a negative consequence, causing Starkad to be seriously hurt in every battle, never enjoy his wealth, and never have anyone know of his poetry. As a result of the conflicting favor and disfavor bestowed on him by the two gods, Starkad lived to be
very old, but he committed notorious deeds, including killing the king whom he had earlier served with much honor. Many sagas from ICELAND tell of the adventures of Starkad. In them, he is portrayed as old, misshapen, and gray haired.
STARS After they had created the Earth and the sky, ODIN and his brothers caught glowing embers and sparks from MUSPELLHEIM and threw them up into the SKY to be stars (see “The Sky,” under CREATION). As time went on, they created new stars. See also THIAZZI.
SUDRI (South) One of the four
named after the four cardinal compass directions. The others are AUSTRI (East), VESTRI (West), and NORDI (North). These four dwarfs are mentioned in early NORSE poetry, but only SNORRI STURLUSON gave Sudri and his companions the job of holding up the four corners of the sky. DWARFS
SUN The Sun is mentioned frequently in Norse mythology, but only in one poem in the POETIC EDDA and in SNORRI STURLUSON’s PROSE EDDA is it given the names SOL. Only Snorri tells the story of Sol’s life, and in that story, she is a servant of the Sun. The Sun disk, however, was a popular image in rock carvings and on brooches and ornaments from the Norse age. The disk was also carved into memorial stones. The Sun is also often represented as a wheel, both in objects made during the Norse age and in the surviving poetry from that time. The Sun is referred to as the “wheel of heaven.” FREY appears to be the god most closely connected to the Sun. Scholars often see his courtship of and marriage to the giantess GERDA as a legend of the Sun pursuing the frozen Earth (see CREATION).
SUN AND MOON The children of
MUNDILwho named his daughter SOL, which means “sun,” and his son MANI, which means “moon.” Older NORSE poems identify Mundilfari as the father of these children but do not discuss where he lived or what type of being he was. The 13th-century Icelandic poet SNORRI STURLUSON in his PROSE EDDA FARI,
88 SURT
described Mundilfari as a HUMAN father. According to Snorri, the gods grew angry with this presumptuous human, stealing his children and putting them to work in the sky.
went to ask the dwarfs, who were skilled craftsmen, to produce treasures for the gods (see TREASURES OF THE DWARFS).
SVIPDAG (Swift Day) The human son of the SURT (Black) The fire god with the flaming sword who set fire to the world at RAGNAROK. He is called the leader of the sons of MUSPELLHEIM, land of fire. Surt and the god FREY fought a long battle at Ragnarok, and Surt killed Frey.
SURTSEY An island south of and belonging to ICELAND,
named for the Norse fire god, SURT. It was formed by a volcanic eruption from an underwater volcano, Sutur. The eruption began in 1963 and ended in 1967. Surtsey, the newest island on Earth, is now a nature reserve.
SUTTUNG (Heavy with Broth) A giant. Suttung was the son of
GILLING,
who was murdered by the and GALAR, and the brother of BAUGI. His daughter was GUNLOD, the guardian of the MEAD of poetry (see under ODIN). Suttung hid the three containers of the MEAD in an underground cave of the mountain HNITBORG, where he and Gunlod lived. He would share it with no one. Odin, using his magic, succeeded in getting into the cave and stealing away the mead. Suttung was able to change himself into an EAGLE to chase Odin (who was also in eagle form), but Suttung fell into a fire that the gods had made at the walls of ASGARD, their home, and perished. DWARFS FJALAR (2)
SVADILFARI The stallion belonging to the who built the ASGARD wall. Svadilfari was a mighty animal, immensely powerful. He was lured from his task of helping the builder by a pretty mare (LOKI in disguise) and became the sire of SLEIPNIR, ODIN’s eight-legged horse. GIANT MASTER BUILDER
SVALIN (Iron Cool) The shield placed in
SOL’s
chariot to protect her from the flames of the Sun (see “Sun and Moon,” under CREATION).
SVARTALFHEIM (DARKALFHEIM) The realm of the black, or dark, elves, who were also called DWARFS. It lay deep underground, beneath the roots of the World Tree, YGGDRASIL. It was there that LOKI
seeress GROA and the hero of SVIPDAGSMAL (Ballad of Svipdag) in the POETIC EDDA. Svipdag goes to NIFLHEIM to seek the advice of Groa. He summoned her from the grave to ask her the best way to woo and win MENGLOD, the fair maiden he loves. Groa chants him a series of charms that will protect him in his travels. Svipdag sets off to seek Menglod. In JOTUNHEIM he finds a massive gate guarded by the giant FJOLSVID. After a series of questions and answers in which Svipdag learns about the gods and giants and their worlds, the giant finally lets Svipdag enter the gates, where he finds the beautiful Menglod waiting for him with open arms.
SVIPDAGSMAL (Ballad of Svipdag) A poem found in the POETIC EDDA. It tells the story of SVIPDAG, the human son of the witch GROA, who seeks help from his dead mother to win the love of the beautiful giantess MENGLOD. Modern experts believe that the existing manuscript combines two older poems, Grogald and Fjolsvinnsmal, into one story. SWEDEN A nation in northern Europe forming the eastern half of the Scandinavian peninsula. Sweden is part of SCANDINAVIA, which includes NORWAY, making up the western part of the peninsula, DENMARK, ICELAND, and the Faeroe Islands. Together these nations form the home of the NORSE culture and its mythology. Archaeological finds and a significant number of Norse artifacts from Sweden have helped scholars piece together the stories of the gods and goddesses of the northlands. Huge burial mounds of ancient kings of Sweden—three located in Old Uppsala, about 50 miles north of Stockholm—have provided scientists with significant information about the Nordic people and their religious beliefs. Even farm fields in Sweden have been rich sources of information. Amulets, brooches, and stone carvings have been plowed up, uncovered, and preserved to provide information and greater understanding of the age of Norse mythology.
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One of the richest sites of archaeological information is the Swedish island of GOTLAND, which lies in the Baltic Sea near the southern end of the peninsula. Here outlines of ships made with huge rocks still dot the landscape, and some of the most prominent rock carvings of ancient Scandinavia stand as reminders of this earlier age.
SYN (Refusal, Denial) One of the
ASYNJUR,
or female goddesses. Syn guarded the door of FRIGG’s great hall, SESSRUMNIR, keeping out all unwelcome visitors. Syn also was called upon to guide or protect defendants in trials.
T
TANNGNIOST (Toothgnasher) One of the two
THOKK (Coal) The giantess who refused to
fierce billy goats that drew the cart of the god THOR. The other GOAT was TANNGRISNIR (Toothgrinder). To people on Earth, the rumble of the cart was heard as thunder. Thor’s goats could be killed and eaten and then revived again the next day.
weep for BALDER, thus ensuring that he would remain in HEL’s realm until RAGNAROK. Some mythologists believe that Thokk was LOKI, the trickster god, in disguise. Thokk personifies the darkness of the underground (where coal is formed) that will not weep for the light of the Sun (Balder).
TANNGRISNIR (Toothgrinder) One of the THOR (Thunderer) The god of thunder and
two fierce billy goats that drew the cart of the god THOR. The other GOAT was TANNGNIOST (Toothgnasher). Thor’s goats could be killed and eaten and then revived again the next day.
storms. His father was ODIN, his mother FJORGYN (1) (Earth). Thor had two wives: JARNSAXA (Ironstone), who bore him two sons, MODI and MAGNI; and golden-haired SIF, who gave him two daughters, LORA and THRUD (1). His realm was THRUDHEIM; his hall was BILSKIRNIR (Lightning), which had 540 rooms, fittingly large for this giant of a god who loved to feast and entertain. Thor was strong and fiery of temper, but he was well loved by the gods, respected by the GIANTS, and worshiped by the ordinary people. Thor did not ride a horse; instead he had a chariot pulled by two enormous billy GOATs, TANNGNIOST and TANNGRISNIR. The wheels of the chariot made a noise like thunder when Thor raced across the heavens. Thor’s greatest possession was his hammer, MJOLLNIR. When he hurled it, the hammer always hit its mark and then returned to Thor like a boomerang. Mjollnir was not only a weapon but a symbol of fertility, used at weddings, and of resurrection, used at burials. Thor also had iron gauntlets with which he could crush rocks, and a belt, MEGINGJARDIR, which doubled his mighty strength. At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, Thor killed JORMUNGAND, the Midgard Serpent, his ancient enemy, but himself was killed by the poisonous fumes of the dying serpent. Worship of Thor continued for centuries after the coming of Christianity. The great OAK trees of central
THIALFI Son of the farmer
EGIL and brother of He became THOR’s servant because he had disobeyed Thor’s command not to break any of the bones of the goats on which he and his family were feasting in “Thor’s Journey to Utgard.” Thialfi was long legged and fleet of foot, but he was outrun in a race with HUGI (Thought) in Utgard. Thialfi was also Thor’s companion in the duel with the giant HRUNGNIR. He easily vanquished the clay giant, MOKKURKALFI, which the stone-headed giants had created in an attempt to frighten Thor. ROSKVA.
THIAZZI (TJASSE, THJAZI) A powerful storm giant. He was the son of OLVALDI, brother of GANG and IDI, and father of SKADE. He lived in THRYMHEIM. Disguised as an EAGLE, Thiazzi tricked LOKI into helping him kidnap IDUNN, the goddess in charge of the magic apples of youth. In turn, Loki tricked the giant and returned Idunn to ASGARD. Thiazzi was killed at the gates of Asgard. His daughter, Skade, was given as a husband the VANIR god NIORD as compensation for her father’s death. The great god ODIN threw Thiazzi’s eyes into the heavens to stay there forever as gleaming stars. 91
92 THOR
Thor is shown here with his magic hammer, Mjollnir. (illustration by W. G. Collingwood, Anthony Mercatante)
and western Europe were sacred to the god. Worshipers of Thor made wooden oak chairs with high backs, called “high seats,” to ensure Thor’s blessing on the house (protecting it from lightning) and the well-being and fruitfulness of the family and its lands. As well as bringing thunder and lightning and storms, Thor sent the rain that made the fields fertile. Evidence of Thor’s popularity is found in the name Thursday (the fifth day of the week), and in numerous English place-names, such as Thundersley, in Essex; Thunderfield, Surrey; Thundridge, Hertfordshire; and many others in England and elsewhere. There are many myths about Thor taken from the POETIC EDDA and the PROSE EDDA. In Richard WAGNER’s opera Der Ring des Nibelungen, Thor appears as Donner. Thor is also found in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Saga of King Olaf,” part of Tales of a Wayside Inn. The only source of the myth of the theft of Thor’s hammer is the poem THRYMSKVITHA (Lay of Thrym) from the Poetic Edda. It is considered a masterpiece of burlesque. The Theft of Thor’s Hammer Thor, the god of thunder, was the personification of strength and
manliness. His hammer, Mjollnir, was a potent weapon, the gods’ only real defense against the giants. Thor was seldom separated from his hammer, so it is not surprising that he went into a fury when the hammer disappeared. LOKI, the trickster god, heard Thor’s shouts and knew that for once he must be helpful rather than mischievous. He rushed to FREYA, the beautiful goddess, and borrowed her suit of FALCON feathers. Then Loki flew to JOTUNHEIM, the home of the giants. THRYM, the huge and ugly king of the frost giants, was in a good mood, plaiting gold thread to make leashes for his colossal hounds. He greeted Loki cheerfully. Loki asked him if he had stolen Thor’s hammer, and the giant admitted that he had. With a chilling laugh, he said that he had hidden it eight miles under the earth where no one would find it. The only way to get it back would be to send him Freya as his bride. Even Loki was shocked at the thought of sending the fair goddess to this monster. Loki flew quickly back to ASGARD on his falcon wings and told Thor
Thor rode a chariot pulled by two billy goats. The wheels of the cart made a noise like thunder, and lightning flashed around them. (Anthony Mercatante)
THOR 93
the news. Together they went to Freya and told her of the giant’s request. Freya was so furious and agitated that she broke the clasp of her golden BRISINGAMEN. The starry beads scattered across the floor. Never, never would she be the bride of Thrym, she vowed. Then all the gods got together for a meeting. They knew that it was only a matter of time until all the giants found out that Thor no longer had his hammer and would come marching on Asgard. The gods were worried. Only HEIMDALL, the watchman who stood at BIFROST, the RAINBOW BRIDGE, and could see far into the future, remained calm. He said that Thor must be dressed as a bride and go to meet Thrym. The gods roared with laughter at the thought of the mighty, red-bearded Thor dressed as a woman, and Thor let out a shout of rage. But gradually he saw the wisdom of the plan and allowed the goddesses to fit his large frame into a long dress and drape a veil over his shaggy head. Freya’s necklace was repaired and placed around his thick neck, a girdle hung with jingling keys encircled his waist, and his manly chest was covered with glittering jewels. Loki was dressed as a bridesmaid. Together the peculiar pair climbed into Thor’s chariot, and the two billy goats took off at great speed, making the wheels rumble like thunder. Thrym was overjoyed when he heard that Freya was on her way. He ordered the halls to be swept, new straw laid down, and a gargantuan feast prepared. Thor was well known for his great appetite, but Thrym was astonished to see what he thought was a maiden eating such huge helpings of fish and meat and downing large goblets of MEAD. Quick-witted Loki explained that the bride had not eaten or drunk for eight days, so anxious was she to meet her groom. Delighted, Thrym reached over to lift the bride’s veil and kiss her, but when he saw Thor’s flashing, redrimmed eyes glaring at him through the veil, he fell back in dismay. Once again sly Loki whispered an explanation. The bride had not had a wink of sleep for eight nights, so anxious was she for her wedding night. At that, Thrym ordered that the hammer be brought to his bride and the wedding ceremony commence at once, as it was the custom of the Norse to invoke the blessing of Thor’s hammer at their wed-
dings. No sooner was Mjollnir placed upon his lap than Thor leapt up, tore off his veil, and started to slay every giant in sight. Thor and the Giant Geirrod The tale of how the god Thor destroyed the formidable giant GEIRROD and his two fearsome daughters is a popular myth, told several times in Norse literature, including in the SKALDSKAPARMAL in the Prose Edda and in SNORRI STURLUSON’s retelling of THORSDRAPA. One day Loki put on a suit of falcon feathers and flew to the hall of the giant Geirrod, one of the meanest of the JOTUNS. Geirrod caught sight of the handsome falcon and ordered the bird to be brought to him. It took several of the trolls to capture Loki, for he hopped about the wall, always just out of reach. When at last he tried to take flight, he found himself stuck fast to the wall by some evil spell. He was set before Geirrod, who knew at once that this was not a real falcon. He locked Loki in a cage and kept him without food and water until at last Loki confessed who he was. The giant set Loki free on the condition that he would bring him the thunder god, Thor, without any of his weapons. Faint with hunger, Loki agreed to bring Thor to Geirrod. Off he flew, his trickster’s mind already devising a plan. Once safe in Asgard, Loki prattled on to anyone who would listen about the wonders of Geirrod’s castle and how the giant was eager to meet the mighty Thor, to introduce him to his two beautiful daughters, GIALP and GREIP, and to entertain him royally. Of course, Thor heard the gossip and, being a simple soul, could not long resist the temptation to visit Geirrod, his new admirer. At Loki’s urging, Thor left his weapons, even the magic hammer, Mjollnir, behind and set forth, with Loki at his side to show the way. As the distance was long, they stayed overnight with the kindly giantess GRID. She was friendly to the AESIR gods and liked Thor. When Loki had gone to sleep, she warned Thor about Geirrod and loaned him her belt of power, iron gloves, and magic staff. The next day when Thor and Loki were crossing the rushing torrent of the VIMUR, the river began to rise higher and higher. Thor hung onto the magic staff, and Loki hung onto Thor, almost drowning in the blood-red river. Up ahead Thor saw the giantess
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Gialp. It was she who was making the waters rise. Thor threw a rock at her, and she ran off, howling. Then Thor pulled himself to shore with the help of the small ROWAN tree, or mountain ash. When they arrived at Geirrod’s hall, Thor was shown into a small room. He sat down wearily in the only chair and closed his eyes. Suddenly he felt himself rising toward the roof. Quickly he rammed Grid’s staff against the roof beam and pushed. Then down he came, right on top of Gialp and Greip, who had been trying to raise the chair and crush Thor against the roof. The two ugly, evil creatures were themselves crushed to death by Thor’s weight. Thor went straight to Geirrod. Geirrod shouted an ironic welcome, raising his hand in mock greeting and throwing a redhot lump of iron at Thor. Thor caught it in Grid’s iron gloves and threw it back at Geirrod, who leaped behind a pillar. The hot ball went right through the pillar, through Geirrod’s head, and through the wall into the yard, where it bored deep into the earth. Thus Thor once more triumphed over treachery and guile—with the help of the giantess Grid. Thor’s Journey to Utgard This story is one of the best known of the Norse myths. It is also one of the longest and most richly told myths written by Snorri in the Prose Edda, its only source. One day the god Thor decided to go to UTGARD, stronghold of the largest giants in Jotunheim. Because its chief, UTGARD-LOKI, was known to be a master of trickery, Thor brought along Asgard’s own trickster god, Loki. As it grew dark Thor’s chariot, drawn by two billy goats, stopped at a small farmhouse. The farmer and his wife were very poor and had little to eat. With a wave of his magic hammer, Mjollnir, Thor killed Tanngniost and Tanngrisnir, his goats, and put them on the fire to cook. Thor told the peasants to eat their fill when the meat was ready but to be sure not to break any of the bones. They should be placed carefully onto the goatskins that Thor had stretched on the floor. THIALFI, the farmer’s son, disobeyed Thor and cracked a leg bone to suck out the delicious marrow. Next morning, when Thor was ready to leave, he waved Mjollnir over the piles of bone and skin and up sprang the goats, as lively as ever, but one of them
had a limp. Thor yelled in fury, for he knew that someone had disobeyed him. However, he accepted the terrified farmer’s offer and took Thialfi and his sister, ROSKVA, to be his servants. He left the goats for the farmer to take care of until his return. Thor and Loki and the two youngsters journeyed all day. That night they came to a forest in Jotunheim where the trees were so tall that their tops were lost in the clouds. They saw a strangely shaped cabin that seemed to have no door. They crept inside to shelter from the cold and were soon asleep. In the middle of the night they sprang awake as the Earth shook, and there was a frightful crashing sound, followed by a steady rumble and a whistling wind. Even Thor was frightened. He, Loki, and the youngsters crept into a narrow side room in the cavernous hall, Thor clutching his hammer to his chest. At first light, Thor went outside and saw the cause of all the noise. At the foot of a tree lay the biggest giant Thor had ever seen. He was fast asleep and snoring mightily. Thor put on the magic belt given to him by the giantess Grid to double his strength. He held his hammer even more firmly, though the giant was so big that Thor decided not to throw it hastily. Soon the giant woke up. He picked up what the travelers had mistaken for a large cabin or cave. It was a giant glove. The side room was the thumb. When the giant stood up, Thor and his companions had to crane their heads back to look at him. The giant introduced himself as SKRYMIR, sometimes called Big Fellow or VASTY. After they had eaten breakfast—a poor one for Thor and his friends, a huge one for Skrymir—they set off again, this time with the giant crashing through the trees ahead to show them the way to Utgard. By nightfall they were exhausted and hungry. The giant flung down his huge food bag, telling the other travelers to help themselves. Try as they might, Thor, Loki and the farmer’s son and daughter could not untie the knots that secured the bag, so they lay down, hungry, and tried to shut out the sound of Skrymir’s thunderous snores. At last Thor could not stand it any longer. He hit Skrymir on the head with his hammer. Skrymir opened one eye and complained that a leaf had fallen on his head. He was asleep again in a second.
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Furious, Thor hit him again. Skrymir mumbled something about an acorn. Beside himself, Thor took a running jump and hurled the hammer with all his might onto the giant’s head. Skrymir finally sat up and rubbed his head. He decided that there must be some birds above his head. Skrymir got up and picked up his bag. He told the travelers to watch their step in Utgard, for the giants there were really big. The four travelers breathed a sigh of relief as Skrymir lumbered off through the trees. When they reached Utgard, the giants had assembled to meet them. They decided to engage in contests with the travelers. Loki immediately announced that no one could beat him at eating. One of the giants placed a huge platter in front of Loki and sat down on the other side of it. The two began gobbling and in no time bumped heads as they met in the middle of the platter—or what was left of it. The giant had eaten his half of the wooden dish, along with all the bones, so he won the contest. Next, young Thialfi claimed that he was the fastest runner in the world. Utgard-Loki called forth a young giant named HUGI, and marked out a racecourse. Thialfi was indeed as swift as the wind, but he was no match for Hugi. Thialfi lost the race and retired to Loki’s side, humiliated. Thor strode forward, claiming that he was well known as a mighty drinker. The giants placed before him a long, curved horn. Confidently Thor took a huge drink, but when he looked at the horn, it was still brimming over with liquid. Once again he raised the horn to his lips. He opened his throat and let the liquid pour down until he was red in the face, but the horn was still almost full. After the third try, Thor put down the horn, mortified and angry. Utgard-Loki shook his head sadly, remarking that the mighty Thor was not so mighty after all. Every one of his men could empty the horn at one draft. He suggested that Thor try his hand at something easier, like lifting a cat from the floor. Grimly Thor put his hand under the cat’s belly to lift it. It felt as heavy as a ton of lead. By using both his hands and all the strength of his mighty arms, he was able to raise the cat so that one paw was an inch off the floor. Then he fell back, exhausted.
Angry at the laughter of the giants, Thor shouted that he was the finest wrestler in all Asgard and would take on anyone. The giant shook his head doubtfully. He could not think of a Jotun who would be bothered to fight such a weakling until he remembered his old foster mother, ELLI, and he summoned her to the hall. Embarrassed, Thor put his hand out to grasp the arm of the skinny old crone, not meaning to hurt her. Suddenly he was flying through the air. He landed flat on his back. The wizened old woman cackled and the giants shouted with laughter. Then Thor wrestled the old woman in earnest, but no matter what he did the hag outplayed him, until at last he gave up and slunk away. The next morning Utgard-Loki led the crestfallen travelers to the gates of Utgard. There, the giant admitted that he had practiced magic on them. First, he had disguised himself as Skrymir. He had used troll magic to tie the food bag with strands of iron. Then, when Thor thought he was hitting the giant’s head with his hammer, he had been in fact hitting a hard rock. He told Thor that on his way home he would see the rock, a hillside with three very deep dents in it. In the contests, too, he had used spells and trickery. LOGI, the giant who had beaten Loki in gluttony, was in fact Fire, which consumes everything in its path. The runner, Hugi, was Thought, and no one can move as fast as thought. The drinking horn was anchored in the seas of the world. No one can drain the oceans, but from then on, said the giant, the tides would ebb and flow, just as they had when Thor drank so mightily. Finally, the cat was Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, who is so big that he encircles the world. When Thor had made the “cat” lift its paw, the serpent’s back had almost touched the sky. Thor was so angry at the trickery that he raised his hammer to strike the giant, but Utgard-Loki vanished into the air. So did the castle and its walls and all the other giants. Although in this myth Thor is upstaged by Utgard-Loki, he is not totally humiliated, for he did create dents in the hillside and the ebbing and flowing of the tides. Thor and Hymir Go Fishing The myth of the fishing expedition of Thor and the giant HYMIR and Thor’s battle with Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent,
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In this picture, Thor grapples with the Midgard Serpent while the giant Hymir cringes in terror. (New York Public Library Picture Collection)
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was a favorite and was retold many times, not only in SCANDINAVIA. In Gosforth, England, carvings on two stone slabs clearly show Thor fishing with an ox’s head and fighting with the serpent. The Lay of Hymir is in Hymiskvitha, a poem of the Poetic Edda, and part of Snorri’s Prose Edda. The AESIR gods loved to eat and drink. No sooner was one feast over than they were making plans for the next. One evening they cast RUNES that told them that their next gathering should be at the abode of AEGIR, the Jotun lord of the sea. Aegir lived under the waves with his wife, RAN. Aegir complained that he did not have a cauldron big enough to brew ale for all the gods. TYR, the one-handed god, declared that he knew where he could find a cauldron a mile deep. With Thor as his companion, Tyr set off to find Hymir, who lived east of ELIVAGAR in Jotunheim, the land of giants. When they came to Hymir’s dwelling, an ogress with 900 heads blocked their path, but there was another Jotun, beautiful and kind, and she welcomed Tyr as her son, and she welcomed Thor. She said she would try to help them and advised them to hide underneath the biggest cauldron in the hall. Hymir lumbered into the hall, icicles dangling from his busy beard, and his eyes sparkling dangerously. He sensed the presence of strangers. The Jotun woman explained that Tyr had come to visit and had brought a friend and that they were hiding under the big cauldron, being a little nervous of Hymir. Hymir’s eyes swept the hall. At his ferocious glance pillars fell down and cauldrons shattered. But the biggest cauldron stayed whole, and Thor and Tyr crawled out unharmed. Thor was an awesome sight, with his bristling red hair and beard. Hymir quickly ordered three oxen killed for their supper. Thor, who was famous for his huge appetite, ate two of the oxen. Hymir said that they would have to go hunting for the next meal. Thor suggested that they should fish for it instead. For bait Thor took the head of a mighty black ox, HIMINBRIOTER (Skybellower). While Hymir rowed and caught a whale or two, Thor readied his tackle and cast his line into the water. Almost at once the terrible head of Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, appeared above the waves, the ox’s head in its mouth. Hymir’s eyes bulged out in terror, but
Thor coolly held the line and flung his hammer, Mjollnir, at the ghastly head. Again and again the hammer struck its mark and flew back to its master. Terrified, Hymir cut the line and the bloodied serpent sank beneath the waves. Shaken, Hymir rowed back to the shore as fast as he could. Once safely on land, he decided to test Thor’s strength. He asked him to either haul in the boat and tackle or carry the two whales up the cliff to the house. Without wasting a word, Thor took hold of the boat, dragged it out of the water and carried it, whales, and all to the house. Tyr and the Jotun woman congratulated Thor on his feat of strength, but Hymir had yet another test for Thor. He handed him his goblet and asked Thor to try to break it. Thor hurled the goblet at the wall. Stone and rubble tumbled from the hole made in the wall, but the goblet remained intact. Thor threw the goblet over and over again until the hall was in ruins. Then the giant’s lovely wife whispered to him to throw the goblet at Hymir’s head, which was the hardest object for miles around. Sure enough, when the goblet hit Hymir’s stony head, it shattered into pieces, though the giant’s head remained without a dent. Then Hymir said that Thor could have the cauldron if he could carry it. Tyr tried to lift the cauldron but could not move it. Mighty Thor picked up the huge cauldron easily and wore it like a helmet. Then he and Tyr set off for home. On the way they were attacked by Hymir and many-headed Jotuns, but Thor wielded his magic hammer and put an end to Hymir and his ugly followers. The Aesir gods drank deep from Hymir’s cauldron in Aegir’s halls for many a night to come. Thor’s Duel with Hrungnir This story is from Snorri’s Prose Edda; Snorri based his telling of this legend partly on the poem HAUSTLONG. The story of the god Thor’s duel with the mighty giant HRUNGNIR begins with a horse race between Odin and the giant. On one of his journeys Odin, mounted on his eightlegged horse, SLEIPNIR, had met Hrungnir, the strongest of the giants. Hrungnir challenged Odin to a race on his splendid horse, GULLFAXI Odin agreed and was off in a flash, with Hrungnir close behind. Sleipnir knew the way home well and streaked through VALGRIND, the gate of VALHALLA, Odin’s hall.
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THORSDRAPA
Gullfaxi was going too fast to stop until he and his master were well within Asgard, the realm of the gods. The laws of hospitality dictated that the gods could not hurt their guest, Hrungnir. The goddess FREYA gave Hrungnir Thor’s great drinking horn and filled it to the brim. (Thor was away that day, fighting trolls in IRONWOOD.) Freya had to keep refilling the horn, for Hrungnir emptied it in huge gulps and soon became noisy and quarrelsome. He boasted that he would take all of Valhalla under his arm and carry it back to Jotunheim for a plaything. He would take Freya and golden-haired SIF, Thor’s wife, to be his own wives and servants. At this the gods grew angry, and Odin had a hard time keeping them from attacking their unpleasant guest. Just then Thor burst into the hall, brandishing Mjollnir, his hammer. He, too, wanted to attack the giant. Instead, he agreed to meet the giant at GIOTUNAGARD, the Place of Stones, to fight a duel. Hrungnir clambered onto Gullfaxi and rode back to Jotunheim with the news. The giants were uneasy, even though Hrungnir was the strongest of them all. They put their heads together and came up with a plan. They would frighten Thor by making a huge clay giant, nine leagues high. They named the clay giant MOKKURKALFI and put inside it the heart of a mare, which was the biggest heart they could find. Hrungnir’s heart was made of stone, sharp-edged and three-cornered. His head, too, was made of stone, and so were his shield and club. Together, Mokkurkalfi and Hrungnir made a fearful sight as Thor and his servant, Thialfi, drew near. Thialfi was quick witted as well as fleet of foot. He ran up to the giant and advised him to hold his shield low rather than high, in case Thor attacked him from below. The stone-headed giant flung his shield to the ground and stood on it with his big feet. Then he threw his club at Thor. Thor threw his thunderbolt hammer at the giant’s head at the same time. Club and hammer met in midair with an awesome crack and a sizzling bolt of lightning. The giant’s stone club shattered into a thousand pieces and fell to the earth, where to this day, it is said, the splinters may be found in quarries. But Thor’s hammer zoomed on and struck the giant, who
immediately fell dead. His outflung leg pinned Thor’s head to the ground. Thialfi, who had already hacked Mokkurkalfi to pieces, tried to release Thor, but the giant’s leg was so huge and heavy that even when Odin and the other gods came to help, they could not move it an inch. Thor lay groaning, for a piece of Thialfi’s club (made of WHETSTONE) was stuck in his head. Along came Magni, Thor’s son who was only three years old but already enormous. He lifted Hrungnir’s leg easily, and Thor was at last able to roll free. Thor gave Magni Hrungnir’s horse, Gullfaxi, as a reward. Thor’s head still hurt, so he sent for the clever witch, GROA. She cast some rune stones, and whispered some magic words, and the pain went away. Thor was so relieved that he wanted to make Groa happy. He told her that he had rescued her lost husband, AURVANDIL. He had carried him across the poisonous stream ELIVAGAR. Now Aurvandil was safe and waiting for Groa. Groa was so happy at the news that she ran from the hall. In her excitement she forgot to cast a magic spell that would remove the stone from Thor’s head. Hrungnir was the strongest of Thor’s adversaries, so the giants were uneasy about the outcome of the battle. With the defeat of Hrungnir, the war between the gods and the giants came to a turning point. Some mythologists believe that the giants now gave up hope of killing Thor and of storming Asgard.
THORSDRAPA A late 10th-century poem by Eilif Guthrunarson. SNORRI STURLUSON included Thorsdrapa in his PROSE EDDA for an alternative version of the myth “Thor and the Giant Geirrod” (see under THOR).
THRUD (1) (Strength) Most likely the daughter of the god THOR and his golden-haired wife, SIF. Little is known of Thrud, whose name survives in the KENNINGs, or metaphors, used by Old NORSE writers of SKALDIC POETRY. In one poem Thor is described as “father of Thrud.” Scholars speculate from these kennings that the giant HRUNGNIR abducted Thrud, for he is referred to in one poem as the “thief of Thrud.” As Thor’s daughter, Thrud would be a half sister of MAGNI and of MODI and LORA’s sister. Some experts
TREASURES OF THE DWARFS
also believe she is the person described in the POETIC EDDA as the betrothed to the DWARF ALVIS.
THRUD (2) The name of one of the
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ful image, much like the pounding of the hammer of a blacksmith and the strength a man needed to swing such a hammer.
VALKYRIES
who offers ale to the spirits of the dead warriors ODIN brings to live in VALHALLA.
THURSDAY The fifth day of the week, named
THRUDHEIM (THRUDVANG; Place of Might)
TREASURES OF THE DWARFS The story of
THOR’s
how the gods came to acquire the treasures for which they were famed is one of the most popular of the Norse myths. It opens with the mischievous LOKI creeping into the bedroom of SIF, THOR’s wife, and cutting off her golden hair while she sleeps. When Thor discovered that Loki had cut off and stolen Sif’s dazzling hair, Thor threatened to tear Loki into small pieces. The sly trickster put on a fine show of remorse and promised to bring back not only hair made of real gold for Sif, but other treasures as well, so Thor let him go. Loki immediately made his way to SVARTALFHEIM, the underworld caverns where the DWARFS lived. These misshapen, undersized creatures were ugly and bad-tempered, but they were master craftsmen when it came to mining and shaping gold and the other metals found in their darkling realm. Loki went first to the cave of the sons of Ivaldi. He begged them to make golden strands so real that they would grow out of Sif’s head. This feat the dwarfs accomplished with their magic, and while the furnace was still hot they made other magical treasures for Loki to carry home to the gods. SKIDBLADNIR was a marvelous ship for FREY. It could fold up small enough to fit into a pouch and yet expand to a size large enough to carry all the AESIR gods and their equipment. It could sail on land or sea or air. For ODIN they made GUNGNIR, a strong and slender spear that always flew straight to its target. On his way home Loki stopped at the cave of BROKK and EITRI. These two dwarfs wanted to show that their work was much finer than that of the sons of Ivaldi. Loki was happy to let them try. The more treasures he retrieved from the gods, the more they would feel like forgiving him for all his mischief. Loki bet his head that Brokk and Eitri could not do better work than the Ivaldi brothers. Then, in spite of Loki’s teasing (he turned himself into a gadfly and kept stinging poor Brokk as he
realm in ASGARD. It was the site of his huge hall, BILSKIRNIR.
THRYM A
HRIMTHURSSAR, or frost giant, sometimes called the king of the frost GIANTs. He stole THOR’s hammer and demanded the goddess FREYA for his wife if the hammer was returned. With the help of the trickster LOKI, Thor won back the hammer at a wedding ceremony in which the thunder god posed as the bride. Once MJOLLNIR was in his possession Thor killed Thrym.
THRYMHEIM (Noisy Place) The mountain home of the giant THIAZZI and his daughter, SKADE. It was a cold and lonely place, noisy with the howling of wind and of WOLF. In the story of “Skade and Niord,” the god NIORD hated the place. The god LOKI came here to rescue IDUNN after she had been kidnapped by Thiazzi.
THRYMSKVITHA (Lay of Thrym) A poem in the POETIC EDDA that is the only source of the story “The Theft of Thor’s Hammer” (see under THOR). THUND (Roaring) The torrent or great river that flows just outside VALHALLA. Thund is also one of the many names of the great god ODIN. It is included in HAVAMAL, one of the poems in the POETIC EDDA. SNORRI STURLUSON, the 13th-century author of the PROSE EDDA, included Thund in the list of Odin’s names he recounts near the beginning of GYLFAGINNING, his major work on Norse mythology.
THUNDER Thunder represented the power of nature and was an important part of many mythologies, including that of the Greeks. In Norse myths, THOR was known as the god of thunder, as well as of many other aspects of nature and life. This connection to the roar of thunder gave Thor a strong, power-
after the god THOR.
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pumped the bellows), the dwarfs made GULLINBRUSTI, a BOAR with bristles and mane of shining gold, which Loki gave to Frey, and DRAUPNIR, an arm ring of gold that, on every ninth night, dropped eight more rings just as beautiful as the first. Draupnir became Odin’s favorite arm ring. Finally the dwarfs produced MJOLLNIR, a massive iron hammer. The hammer had a short handle because Loki, as a gadfly, had made Brokk pause for an instant at the bellows, causing the fire to cool. Nonetheless, the hammer had the magic property of always reaching its mark and then returning at once to its owner, Thor. When Loki presented the treasures, the gods agreed that the wondrous hammer was the most powerful treasure of all, for it could guard the gods against the giants. Brokk claimed that he was the winner of the bet and that Loki owed him his head, but as usual, Loki used fast talk and cunning and escaped with nothing worse than sore lips when Brokk tried to sew up his wicked mouth. Sif was delighted with her new growth of precious gold hair. The term Sif’s hair was used in Norse myths as a KENNING, or condensed metaphor, for “gold.” This story plays an important part in the Norse myths, for it makes clear the origins of the associations such as Thor and his hammer and Odin and his spear that had existed for as long as the gods had been known in SCANDINAVIA.
Of all the gods, Tyr was the only one brave enough to feed Fenrir, the monster wolf. (Anthony Mercatante)
TUESDAY The third day of the week. It is named after the one-handed war god, TYR.
TYR (TIW, TIV, ZIV) A god of war and the sky god, the bravest of all the gods. He was concerned with justice and with fair treaties. It is thought that at one time Tyr was even more important than ODIN, and more ancient. By the time the Norse myths were written down, Tyr’s importance had diminished, and not much is known about him. In some stories, Tyr is the son of the giant HYMIR; in others he is the son of Odin.
Tyr was the only god brave enough and fairminded enough to put his hand into the jaws of the terrible WOLF FENRIR. When the other gods broke their word to Fenrir and tied him up, Fenrir bit off Tyr’s hand. That is why Tyr is always depicted as the onehanded god. At RAGNAROK, the end of the world, Tyr and GARM, Hel’s hound, killed each other. Tuesday (in Old English Tiwesdaeg) was named after Tyr.
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| i don't know |
Which Algerian-born fashion designer, awarded the rank of Commander of the Legion d'Honneur by Jacques Chirac, died in June 2008? | The Parisian Girl
The Parisian Girl
Yves Saint Lauren
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent, known as Yves Saint Laurent (August 1, 1936 – June 1, 2008), was an Algerian-born French fashion designer who was considered one of the greatest figures in French fashion in the 20th century. In 1985, Caroline Rennolds Milbank wrote, "The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its sixties ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable".
Yves Mathieu-Saint-Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, which at the time was a French colony. According to Alice Rawsthorn, his family was among the most prominent in Oran. His father, Charles, a descendant of Baron Mathieu de Mauvières (who officiated at the wedding of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais), was the president of an insurance company and the owner of a chain of movie theatres. His mother, Lucienne-Andrée (née Wilbaux), the daughter of a Belgian engineer and his Spanish wife, passed her sense of fashion and style on to her son. Yves was the oldest child, born just over a year after his parents' marriage; two daughters, Michèle and Brigitte, followed.
Unlike most French children, Yves and his sisters were not directly affected by World War II, as their father was not called up and Algeria was far enough away from France that it was spared the worst of its defeat and occupation. Yves was severely bullied while at school; he once told a reporter, "Whenever they picked on me, I'd say to myself, 'One day you'll be famous'. That was my way of getting back at them." He found a refuge at home, where his parents allowed him to use an empty room to act out performances of plays by Molière and Giraudoux for his family. He eagerly devoured the theatre reviews in the French magazine Vogue, and became fascinated not just by the descriptions of the plays but also by the descriptions of the costumes. This led him to study the fashion sections of Vogue as well, and soon he was as interested in fashion design as he was in the theatre.
In 1950, Yves submitted three sketches to a contest for young fashion designers organized by the International Wool Secretariat. He won third prize and was invited to attend the awards ceremony in Paris in December of that year. While he and his mother were in Paris, they met Michel de Brunhoff, editor-in-chief of the Paris edition of Vogue. de Brunhoff, a kindly man who enjoyed encouraging new talent, was impressed by the sketches Yves brought with him and suggested he eventually consider a course of study at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, the council which regulated the haute couture industry and provided training to its employees. Yves followed his advice and, leaving Oran for Paris after graduation, began his studies at the Chambre Syndicale, but he found the syllabus frustrating and left after a few months.
Later that same year, Yves entered the International Wool Secretariat competition again and won, beating out his friend Fernando Sanchez and a young German student named Karl Lagerfeld. Shortly after his win, he brought a number of sketches to de Brunhoff who recognized in them close similarities to sketches he had been shown that morning by Christian Dior, a leading haute couturier. Knowing that Dior had created the sketches that morning and that the young man could not have seen them, de Brunhoff sent him to Dior, who hired him on the spot.
Although Dior recognized his talent immediately, Yves spent his first year at the House of Dior on mundane tasks, such as decorating the studio and designing accessories. Eventually, however, he was allowed to submit sketches for the couture collection; with every passing season, more of his sketches were accepted by Dior. In August 1957, Dior met with Yves's mother to tell her that he had chosen Yves to succeed him as designer. His mother later said that she had been confused by the remark, as Dior was only 52 years old at the time. Both she and her son were surprised when in October of that year Dior died at a health spa in northern Italy of a massive heart attack.
Yves found himself at the age of 21 the head designer of the House of Dior. His Spring 1958 collection almost certainly saved the House from financial ruin; the straight line of his creations, a softer version of Dior's New Look, catapulted him to international stardom with what would later be known as the 'trapeze dress'. It was at this time that he shortened his surname to "Saint Laurent", as the international press found his hyphenated triple name difficult to spell.
His Fall 1958 collection was not greeted with the same level of approval as his first collection had been, and later collections for the House of Dior featuring hobble skirts and beatnik fashions were savaged by the press. In 1960 Saint Laurent found himself conscripted to serve in the French Army during the Algerian War of Independence. Alice Rawsthorn writes that there was speculation at the time that Marcel Boussac, the owner of the House of Dior and a powerful press baron, had put pressure on the government not to conscript Saint Laurent in 1958 and 1959, but reversed course and asked that the designer be conscripted after the disastrous 1960 season so that he could be replaced.
Saint Laurent lasted twenty days in the military before the stress of hazing by fellow soldiers led him to be sent to a military hospital, where he received the news that he had been fired by Dior. This merely added fuel to the fire, and he ended up in Val-de-Grâce, a sadistic French mental hospital, where he was given large doses of sedatives and other psychoactive drugs and subjected to electroshock therapy. Saint Laurent himself traced the history of both his mental problems and his drug addictions to this time in hospital.
After his release from the hospital in November 1960, Saint Laurent sued Dior for breach of contract and won. After a period of convalescence Dior and his lover, industrialist Pierre Bergé, started their own fashion house with funding from Atlanta millionaire J. Mack Robinson. The couple split romantically in 1976 but remained business partners. During the 1960s and 1970s, the firm popularized fashion trends such as the beatnik look, safari jackets for men and women, tight pants and tall, thigh-high boots, including the creation of arguably the most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, the Le Smoking suit. He also started mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, '30s and '40s. He was the first French haute couturier to come out with a full pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) line; although Alicia Drake credits this move with Saint Laurent's wish to democratize fashion, others point out that other couture houses were preparing pret-a-porter lines at the same time; the House of Yves Saint Laurent merely announced its line first. The first of the company's Rive Gauche stores, which sold the pret-a-porter line, opened on the Rue de Tournon in Paris on September 26, 1966. The opening was attended by Yves Saint Laurent, and the first customer was Catherine Deneuve.
He was also the first designer to use black models in his runway shows, and one of the first to use Asian and Pacific Islander models.
Many of his collections were received rapturously by both his fans and the press, such as the Spring 1967 collection that introduced the Le Smoking tailored tuxedo suit. Other collections raised great controversy, such as his Spring 1971 collection which was inspired by 1940s fashion. Some felt it romanticized the German Occupation (one Saint Laurent did not himself live through), while others felt it brought back the ugly utilitarianism of the time. The French newspaper France-Soir called the Spring 1971 collection "Un Grand Farce!"
During the 1960s and 1970s Saint Laurent was considered one of Paris's "jet set". He was often seen at clubs in France and New York such as Regine's and Studio 54, and was known to be both a heavy drinker and a frequent user of cocaine. When he was not actively supervising the preparation of a collection, though, he spent time at his second home in Marrakech, Morocco. In the late 1970s he also bought a home in Normandy, near the vacation home Marcel Proust visited as a child and wrote about in Remembrance of Things Past.
The pret-a-porter line became extremely popular with the public (if not with the critics), eventually earning many times more for Saint Laurent and Bergé than the haute couture line. However, Saint Laurent, whose health had been precarious for years, became erratic under the pressure of designing two haute couture and two pret-a-porter collections every year, turning more and more to alcohol and drugs. At some shows he could barely walk down the runway at the end of the show, having to be supported by models. After a disastrous 1987 pret-a-porter show in New York City which featured $100,000 jeweled casual jackets only days after the "Black Monday" stock market crash, he turned over the responsibility of the pret-a-porter line to his assistants. Although the line remained popular with his fans, it was soon dismissed as "boring" by the press.
In 1983, Saint Laurent became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition. In 2001, he was awarded the rank of Commander of the Légion d'Honneur by French president Jacques Chirac. He retired in 2002 and became increasingly reclusive, living at his homes in Normandy and Morocco with his pet French Bulldog Moujik.
He also created a foundation with Pierre Bergé in Paris to trace the history of the house of YSL, complete with 15,000 objects and 5,000 pieces of clothing.
Among his muses were Loulou de la Falaise, the daughter of a French marquis and an Anglo-Irish fashion model; Betty Catroux, the half-Brazilian daughter of an American diplomat and wife of a French decorator; Talitha Pol-Getty, who died of drug overdose in 1971; Catherine Deneuve, the French actress; Nicole Dorier, a top model of the House between 1978 and 1983 when she became one of the master's assistants dedicated to organizing his runway shows and then the "memory" of his house when it became a museum, the Guinean-born Senegalese supermodel Katoucha Niane, the daughter of writer Djibril Tamsir Niane; and supermodel Laetitia Casta, who was the bride in his shows from 1997 until 2002.
He died on June 1, 2008 of brain cancer at his residence in Paris. According to The New York Times, a few days before he died, Saint Laurent and Bergé were joined in a same-sex civil union known as a "civil pact of solidarity" in France. He was also survived by his mother and sisters; his father had died in 1988.
Saint Laurent's body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in Marrakech, Morocco in a botanical garden that he often visited to find influence and refuge. His partner Bergé said during the funeral service: “But I also know that I will never forget what I owe you, and that one day I will join you under the Moroccan palms.”
Yves Saint Lauren famously said that "Fashion will not survive without me" and perhaps he was right. It surely is not what it used to be.
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Which comedian played Charlie Chaplin in Peter Bogdanovitch's 2001 film 'The Cat's Meow'? | Yves Saint Laurent (designer) : Wikis (The Full Wiki)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent in the 1950s
Born
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent, known as Yves Saint Laurent (
French pronunciation:
[iv sɛ̃ loʁɑ̃]; 1 August 1936 – 1 June 2008) [1] [2] , was an Algerian -born French fashion designer who was considered one of the greatest figures in French fashion in the 20th century [3] . In 1985, Caroline Rennolds Milbank wrote, "The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its sixties ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable".
Contents
5 External links
Young designer
In 1953, Yves submitted three sketches to a contest for young fashion designers organized by the International Wool Secretariat. He won third prize and was invited to attend the awards ceremony in Paris in December of that year. While he and his mother were in Paris, they met Michel de Brunhoff,editor-in-chief of the Paris edition of Vogue magazine. de Brunhoff, a kindly man who enjoyed encouraging new talent, was impressed by the sketches Yves brought with him and suggested he eventually consider a course of study at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, the council which regulated the haute couture industry and provided training to its employees. Yves followed his advice and, leaving Oran for Paris after graduation, began his studies at the Chambre Syndicale, but he found the syllabus frustrating and left after a few months.
Later that same year, Yves entered the International Wool Secretariat competition again and won, beating out his friend Fernando Sanchez and a young German student named Karl Lagerfeld . [4] Shortly after his win, he brought a number of sketches to de Brunhoff who recognized in them close similarities to sketches he had been shown that morning by Christian Dior , a leading haute couturier. Knowing that Dior had created the sketches that morning and that the young man could not have seen them, de Brunhoff sent him to Dior, who hired him on the spot.
Although Dior recognized his talent immediately, Yves spent his first year at the House of Dior on mundane tasks, such as decorating the studio and designing accessories. Eventually, however, he was allowed to submit sketches for the couture collection; with every passing season, more of his sketches were accepted by Dior. In August 1957, Dior met with Yves's mother to tell her that he had chosen Yves to succeed him as designer. His mother later said that she had been confused by the remark, as Dior was only 52 years old at the time. Both she and her son were surprised when in October of that year Dior died at a health spa in northern Italy of a massive heart attack. [4]
Yves found himself at the age of 21 the head designer of the House of Dior. His Spring 1958 collection almost certainly saved the House from financial ruin; the straight line of his creations, a softer version of Dior's New Look, catapulted him to international stardom with what would later be known as the 'trapeze dress', which included dresses with a narrow shoulder and flared gently at the bottom. It was at this time that he shortened his surname to "Saint Laurent", as the international press found his hyphenated triple name difficult to spell.
His Fall 1958 collection was not greeted with the same level of approval as his first collection had been, and later collections for the House of Dior featuring hobble skirts and beatnik fashions were savaged by the press. In 1960 Saint Laurent found himself conscripted to serve in the French Army during the Algerian War of Independence . Alice Rawsthorn writes that there was speculation at the time that Marcel Boussac, the owner of the House of Dior and a powerful press baron, had put pressure on the government not to conscript Saint Laurent in 1958 and 1959, but reversed course and asked that the designer be conscripted after the disastrous 1960 season so that he could be replaced.
Conscription, illness, and independence
Saint Laurent lasted twenty days in the military before the stress of hazing by fellow soldiers led him to be sent to a military hospital, where he received the news that he had been fired by Dior. This merely added fuel to the fire, and he ended up in Val-de-Grâce , a French mental hospital , where he was given large doses of sedatives and other psychoactive drugs and subjected to electroshock therapy . [5] Saint Laurent himself traced the history of both his mental problems and his drug addictions to this time in hospital. [4]
After his release from the hospital in November 1960, Saint Laurent sued Dior for breach of contract and won. After a period of convalescence Saint Laurent and his lover, industrialist Pierre Bergé , started their own fashion house with funding from Atlanta millionaire J. Mack Robinson. [1] The couple split romantically in 1976 but remained business partners. [6] During the 1960s and 1970s, the firm popularized fashion trends such as the beatnik look, safari jackets for men and women, tight pants and tall, thigh-high boots, including the creation of arguably the most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, the Le Smoking suit. He also started mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, '30s and '40s. He was the first French haute couturier to come out with a full pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) line; although Alicia Drake credits this move with Saint Laurent's wish to democratize fashion, [7] others point out that other couture houses were preparing pret-a-porter lines at the same time; the House of Yves Saint Laurent merely announced its line first. The first of the company's Rive Gauche stores, which sold the pret-a-porter line, opened on the Rue de Tournon in Paris on 26 September 1966. The opening was attended by Yves Saint Laurent, and the first customer was Catherine Deneuve . [4]
He was also the first designer to use black models in his runway shows, [8] and one of the first to use Asian and Pacific Islander models.
Many of his collections were received rapturously by both his fans and the press, such as the Fall 1965 collection of Piet Mondrian shift dresses and the Spring 1967 collection that introduced Le Smoking tailored tuxedo suit. Other collections raised great controversy, such as his Spring 1971 collection which was inspired by 1940s fashion. Some felt it romanticized the German Occupation (one Saint Laurent did not himself live through), while others felt it brought back the ugly utilitarianism of the time. The French newspaper France-Soir called the Spring 1971 collection "Une Grande Farce!". [4]
During the 1960s and 1970s Saint Laurent was considered one of Paris's "jet set". [7] He was often seen at clubs in France and New York such as Regine's and Studio 54 , and was known to be both a heavy drinker and a frequent user of cocaine. [4] When he was not actively supervising the preparation of a collection, though, he spent time at his second home in Marrakech , Morocco . In the late 1970s he also bought a home in Normandy , near the vacation home Marcel Proust visited as a child and wrote about in Remembrance of Things Past .
The pret-a-porter line became extremely popular with the public (if not with the critics), eventually earning many times more for Saint Laurent and Bergé than the haute couture line. However, Saint Laurent, whose health had been precarious for years, became erratic under the pressure of designing two haute couture and two pret-a-porter collections every year, turning more and more to alcohol and drugs. At some shows he could barely walk down the runway at the end of the show, having to be supported by models. After a disastrous 1987 pret-a-porter show in New York City which featured $100,000 jeweled casual jackets only days after the "Black Monday" stock market crash , he turned over the responsibility of the pret-a-porter line to his assistants. Although the line remained popular with his fans, it was soon dismissed as "boring" by the press. [4]
Later life and death
In 1983, Saint Laurent became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition. In 2001, he was awarded the rank of Commander of the Légion d'Honneur by French president Jacques Chirac . He retired in 2002 and became increasingly reclusive, living at his homes in Normandy and Morocco with his pet French Bulldog Moujik.
He also created a foundation with Pierre Bergé in Paris to trace the history of the house of YSL, complete with 15,000 objects and 5,000 pieces of clothing.
Among his muses were Loulou de la Falaise , the daughter of a French marquis and an Anglo-Irish fashion model; Betty Catroux , the half-Brazilian daughter of an American diplomat and wife of a French decorator; Talitha Pol-Getty , who died of drug overdose in 1971; Catherine Deneuve , the French actress; Nicole Dorier, a top model of the House between 1978 and 1983 when she became one of the master's assistants dedicated to organizing his runway shows and then the "memory" of his house when it became a museum, the Guinean-born Senegalese supermodel Katoucha Niane , the daughter of writer Djibril Tamsir Niane ; and supermodel Laetitia Casta , who was the bride in his shows from 1997 until 2002.
He died on 1 June 2008 of brain cancer at his residence in Paris. [9] According to The New York Times , [10] a few days before he died, Saint Laurent and Bergé were joined in a same-sex civil union known as a " civil pact of solidarity " in France. He was also survived by his mother and sisters; his father had died in 1988.
Saint Laurent's body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in Marrakech , Morocco in the Majorelle Garden , a botanical garden that he often visited to find influence and refuge. [11] His partner Bergé said during the funeral service: “But I also know that I will never forget what I owe you, and that one day I will join you under the Moroccan palms.” His funeral was attended by Empress Farah Pahlavi, Madame Chirac, French President and his wife. [12]
Sale of art collection
In February 2009, an auction of 733 items was held by Christie's at the Grand Palais , ranging from paintings by Picasso to ancient Egyptian sculptures. Saint Laurent and Bergé began collecting art in the 1950s, with Bergé commenting that the decision to sell the collection was taken because without Saint Laurent "it has lost the greater part of its significance," with the a proceeds proposed to being used to create a new foundation for AIDS research.
Before the sale commenced, the Chinese government tried to stop the sale of two 18th Century bronze Chinese zodiac sculptures, which were stolen from the Old Summer Palace by the French and British Forces during invasion of China in 1860. A French judge dismissed the claim. The sculptures - a rabbit's head and a rat's head - both sold for €15,745,000 ($20,117,073) [13] , but it later transpired that the bid had been placed by Cai Mingchao, a representative of China's National Treasures Fund who are seeking to repatriate the items back to China; he claims that he will not pay for them. [14]
On the first day of the sale, Henri Matisse 's work Cuckoos on a blue and pink carpet broke the previous world record set in 2007 for a Matisse work, selling for 32m Euros. Auctioneers said the collection could fetch up to 300m euros (£260m). [15]
References
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Which African country has coastlines on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean? | Africa
Africa
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African state. With a total border length of 3,192 kilometers (1,984 miles), Burkina Faso is bordered by Mali to the north and west; Niger to the east; and Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire to the south.
Cameroon
Located on the west coast of Central Africa, Cameroon covers an area of 475,400 square kilometers (183,695 square miles), slightly more than California. Land boundaries extend for a total of 4,591 kilometers (2,853 miles) between Nigeria to the northwest, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) to the east, and the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea to the south.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is an archipelago of 10 islands and 5 islets situated 483 kilometers (300 miles) due west of Dakar, Senegal, in the North Atlantic Ocean. Cape Verde's total land area is 4,033 square kilometers (1,557 square miles), which makes it slightly larger than the U.S.
Central African Republic
The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari, now the Central African Republic (CAR), is well named; it is a landlocked country in the center of the African continent. Land boundaries extend for 5,203 kilometers (3,233 miles) connecting Cameroon to the west, Chad and Sudan to the north, and the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the south.
Chad
The former French colony of Chad, a landlocked country located in northern Central Africa, is more than 3 times the size of California. The country has an area of 1,284,000 square kilometers (495,755 square miles), with a land boundary length of 5,968 kilometers (3,708 miles).
Congo, Republic of The;
The Republic of the Congo (ROC) is located in Western Africa and has an area of 342,000 square kilometers (132,000 square miles). It has a modest coastline of 169 kilometers (105 miles) along the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest and shares land borders with Gabon, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic on the west and north.
Côte D'ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire (which means "Ivory Coast") is a West African country bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Ghana and Liberia. It has an area of 322,460 square kilometers (124,502 square miles) of which 318,000 square kilometers (122,780 square miles) are occupied by land while water occupies the remaining 4,460 square kilometers (1,722 square miles).
Djibouti
Djibouti is situated in the Horn of Africa, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, bordering the Gulf of Aden. To the north lies Eritrea with a shared border of 113 kilometers (70 miles); to the north, west, and southwest lies Ethiopia, with a border length of 337 kilometers (209 miles); and to the southeast lies Somalia, with a border length of 58 kilometers (36 miles).
Egypt
The Arab Republic of Egypt is located in North Africa, bordering on the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya to the west, the Gaza Strip to the east, and Sudan to the south. With an area of 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,659 square miles) and a coastline of 2,450 kilometers (1,522 miles), Egypt is slightly more than 3 times the size of New Mexico.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is a small West African nation of 28,051 square kilometers (10,830 square miles), roughly the same size as Maryland. It consists of a mainland enclave called Río Muni, on the west coast of Africa bordering Cameroon and Gabon, and 5 small islands off the coast of Cameroon in the Bight of Biafra: Bioko, Annobón, Corisco, and the 2 small islands known together as Islas Elobey.
Eritrea
Eritrea is an eastern African country occupying an area of 121,320 square kilometers (46,841 square miles), which makes it slightly larger than the state of Pennsylvania. It borders Sudan to the north and west, Ethiopia and Djibouti to the south, and the Red Sea to the east.
Ethiopia
Located in the Horn of Africa— the pointy peninsula-like landmass that emanates out of the eastern part of the continent—Ethiopia has a total area of 1,127,127 square kilometers (935,183 square miles), rendering it slightly less than twice the size of Texas. A landlocked country completely surrounded by other states, Ethiopia has a total border length of 5,311 kilometers (3,300 miles).
Gabon
The Gabonese Republic lies along the equator on the west coast of Africa with a border length of 2,551 kilometers (1,585 miles) and a coastline of 885 kilometers (550 miles). Gabon is bounded to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by Equatorial Guinea (350 kilometers/218 miles) and Cameroon (298 kilometers/185 miles), and to the east and south by the Republic of the Congo (1,903 kilometers/1,183 miles).
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia measures 11,295 square kilometers (4,361 square miles) and consists of a long narrow ribbon of land sitting astride the river Gambia, one of the major waterways in West Africa. Apart from the 50-kilometer (31-mile) stretch of coastline on the Atlantic ocean, it is entirely surrounded by Senegal.
Ghana
The Republic of Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, is a West African country lying on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a total border of 2,093 kilometers (1,300 miles), including 548 kilometers (341 miles) with Burkina Faso to the north, 688 kilometers (428 miles) with Côte d'Ivoire to the west, and 877 kilometers (545 miles) with Togo to the east.
Guinea
Guinea lies on the West African coast, bordered by Sierra Leone and Liberia to the south, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal to the north, and Mali and Côte d'Ivoire inland to the east. It has 320 kilometers (199 miles) of coastline, and a land area of 245,857 square kilometers (94,925 miles).
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau lies on the west coast of Africa, with Senegal to the north and Guinea to the east and south. With a total area of 36,120 square kilometers (13,946 square miles), the country is a bit less than 3 times the size of the U.S.
Kenya
Located in east Africa, Kenya has a total area of 582,650 square kilometers (224,962 square miles), rendering it slightly larger than twice the size of Nevada. With a coastline of 536 kilometers (333 miles), Kenya borders the Indian Ocean to the east, Somalia to the northeast, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, and Tanzania to the south.
Malawi
Malawi is located in southeast Africa, landlocked between Mozambique to the east and south, Zambia to the west, and Tanzania to the north. Malawi is separated from Mozambique and Tanzania to a large extent by Lake Malawi, which lies on the country's eastern edge.
Mali
Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa covering an area of 1.24 million square kilometers (478,764 square miles), of which 1.22 million square kilometers (471,042 square miles) is occupied by land and 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) is occupied by water. Its border is 7,243 kilometers (4,500 miles) long.
Mauritania
Located in northwestern Africa, bordered by Western Sahara (occupied by Morocco) and Algeria on the north, by Mali on the east and south, by Senegal on the southwest, and by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the country has an area of 1,030,700 square kilometers (398,000 square miles), making it slightly larger than 3 times the size of New Mexico. Its total estimated boundary length is 5,828 kilometers (3,622 miles), including 754 kilometers (469 miles) of coast on the Atlantic Ocean.
Mozambique
Located in southeast Africa, Mozambique has a total area of 801,590 square kilometers (309,493 square miles)—an expanse which is slightly less than twice the size of the state of California. The coastline of the country, which spans 2,470 kilometers (1,535 miles) along the entire eastern frontier, borders the Mozambique Channel and the Indian Ocean.
Namibia
The Republic of Namibia lies across the Tropic of Capricorn in the south of Africa and covers an area of 824,292 square kilometers (318,259 square miles), making it slightly more than half the size of Alaska. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Botswana and Zimbabwe on the east, Angola on the north, and the South Atlantic Ocean on the west.
Rwanda
The Republic of Rwanda is a land-locked country located in central Africa. It is bordered on the east by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with which it shares the shores of Lake Kivu; on the north by Uganda; on the west by Tanzania; and on the south by Burundi.
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe is located in the Gulf of Guinea 290 kilometers (180 miles) west of Gabon, which is located on the western edge of Africa. The 2 mountainous main islands of the republic are São Tomé and Príncipe; other rocky islets include Caroco, Pedras, and Tinhosas off Príncipe Island, and Rolas off São Tomé Island.
Senegal
A relatively small country located in West Africa, Senegal has a total area of 196,190 square kilometers (75,748 square miles), making it slightly smaller than the state of South Dakota. Water composes 4,190 square kilometers (1,618 square miles) of this area, while the coastline, which borders the North Atlantic Ocean, stretches for 531 kilometers (330 miles).
Seychelles
The Seychelles are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean about 925 kilometers (575 miles) northeast of Madagascar. The country consists of 115 small islands with a total land area of 455 square kilometers (176 square miles) and a total coastline of 491 kilometers (305 miles).
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is located in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, with an area of 71,740 square kilometers (27,925 square miles) and a total coastline of 402 kilometers (250 miles). The country shares a border with Guinea in the north and east and with Liberia in the southeast.
Somalia
Somalia, formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a coastal country covering a land area of 637,657 square kilometers (246,199 square miles) and a water area of 10,320 square kilometers (3,985 square miles), with a land-bordered circumference of 2,366 kilometers (1,470 miles). It has a coastline of 3,025 kilometers (1,880 miles) stretching along the Indian Ocean to the southeast and along the Gulf of Aden in the southern mouth of the Red Sea to the north.
South Africa
South Africa is situated at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. Ranging from west to east across its northern border are the neighboring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; Mozambique lies to the east, as does the small nation of Swaziland, which is nearly encircled by South Africa.
Sudan
Sudan is located in North Africa. Sudan borders the following countries: Central African Republic (1,165 kilometers, 724 miles), Chad (1,360 kilometers, 845 miles), Democratic Republic of the Congo (628 kilometers, 390 miles), Egypt (1,273 kilometers, 791 miles), Eritrea (650 kilometers, 404 miles), Ethiopia (1,606 kilometers, 998 miles), Kenya (232 kilometers, 144 miles), Libya (383 kilometers, 238 miles), and Uganda (435 kilometers, 270 miles).
Swaziland
Swaziland is a small landlocked country in southern Africa, with an area of 17,363 square kilometers (6,704 miles), extending 176 kilometers (109 miles) north to south and 135 kilometers (84 miles) east to west. By comparison, it is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey.
Tanzania
A relatively large country located in East Africa, Tanzania has a total area of 945,087 square kilometers (364,900 square miles), rendering it slightly larger than twice the size of California. The area of Tanzania includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Unguja; the latter 2 form a semi-autonomous region called Zanzibar that is part of an official union with the republic of Tanzania.
Tunisia
Situated in northern Africa, Tunisia is bordered by Algeria on the west and Libya on the southeast and by the Mediterranean Sea on the north, where it has a coastline of 1,148 kilometers (713 miles). Tunisia has an area of 163,610 square kilometers (63,169 square miles), making it slightly larger than the state of Georgia.
Uganda
A landlocked state in Eastern Africa, west of Kenya and east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire), Uganda has an area of 236,040 square kilometers (146,675 square miles) and a total land boundary of 2,698 kilometers (1,676 miles). Comparatively, the area occupied by Uganda is slightly smaller than the size of Oregon.
| Morocco |
Which ice hockey team defeated the 'Pittsburgh Penguins' to win their 11th Stanley Cup in June 2008? | Africa travel guide - Wikitravel
Cities[ edit ]
Johannesburg
Algiers — the capital of Algeria ,northernmost capital and biggest city on the south mediterranian coast,a mix of europian colonial architecture and arabian medina.
Accra — the capital of Ghana and one of the most accessible cities in West Africa for travellers
Addis Ababa — the huge capital of Ethiopia and a major hub for NGOs and the African Union
Cairo — the largest city in Africa with major monuments of Ancient Egypt nearby
Cape Town — the iconic Mother City of South Africa with Table Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope and numerous other attractions
Dakar — the capital of Senegal and the westernmost city in Africa
Johannesburg — South Africa's largest city and perhaps the continent's key financial and economic centre
Luanda — the capital of Angola, which has been through a huge renaissance in the past decade
Marrakech — a blend of the ancient and modern in Morocco
Nairobi — the capital of Kenya and the largest city in East Africa
Other destinations[ edit ]
Victoria Falls
Aksum — the ancient capital of Ethiopia, famous for its stelae and the ruins of various palaces
Hoggar and Tassili national parks in Algeria with breathtaki g old volcanoes and one of the best sunsets in the world.
Dogon Country — a region of south-central Mali renowned for its secluded villages embedded on cliffs and a very distinct culture
Kruger National Park — a well managed and very popular national park in South Africa
Leptis Magna — extensive Roman ruins in Libya
Mount Kilimanjaro — Africa's highest mountain and a great trekking destination in Tanzania
Serengeti National Park — huge national park in Tanzania, perhaps the archetypal African game park; becomes the Maasai Mara National Reserve over the border in Kenya
History[ edit ]
The pyramids at Giza : the most famous Pharonic relic and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Modern humans, homo sapiens, are believed to have originated in East Africa somewhere between Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite this long history of habitation, there is very little (or little known about) African history prior to the second millennium AD outside of North Africa, Sudan & Ethiopia, as most were hunter-gatherers similar to some cultures still found today on the continent, with no writing systems nor lasting structures, arts, or crafts (aside from some cave paintings). North Africa, on the other hand, has a recorded history dating back several millennia with bountiful structures, writings, arts, and crafts which have survived to this day. The ancient Pharonic civilization centred in modern-day Egypt is recognized as the longest-lasting and one of the, if not the, greatest ancient civilizations lasting from around 3300BC until the invasion of Persians in 525BC. Today, their legacy lives with many of their cities well-preserved and now popular tourist attractions along with a few museums hosting their artefacts. Modern Jews believe themselves to be descendants of slaves in ancient Egypt and much of the Hebrew Bible, religious texts for both Jews and Christians, was based and written in the region. The other great early civilizations on the continent were the Nubians in northern Sudan and southern Egypt, who were very similar to the ancient Egyptians, leaving behind the city of Meroe in Sudan, and the Aksumite Empire from the 4th century BC until the 7st century AD in modern-day Ethiopia and eastern Sudan which was important to trade between India and the Roman Empire and an important centre of early Christianity.
Roman theatre at Leptis Magna , Libya
Meanwhile, the 300s BC brought about the first (and less famous) invasions of Europeans to the continent. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great invaded Persian-occupied Egypt, establishing the famous city of Alexandria which would go on to serve as an important centre of scholarship and Greek culture for many centuries. Meanwhile, the Romans conquered much of the Mediterranean coastline to the west, leaving behind such ruins as Carthage and Leptis Magna . In the first century AD, Christianity spread through much of the region, first to Egypt, then Nubia, Ethiopia, and on to the Roman Empire.
The Muslim invasion changed the cultural landscape of Northern Africa and large parts of Eastern and Western Africa. The newly-formed Arab caliphate invaded North Africa and the Horn of Africa within a few decades. In the west, Berbers would intermarry with the Arab invaders to become the Moorish population that would later invade the Iberian peninsula. When Damascus was invaded in the early eighth century, the Islamic religious and political centre of the Mediterranean shifted to Kairouan in Tunisia. Their progress was limited only by the dense forests of West and Central Africa and to coastal areas in the East. The last region to come under Muslim influence was that of Nubia (moden-day northern Sudan) in the 14th century.
Old Mogadishu which reached its height as a commercial center in the 13th century.
The 7th-9th centuries would be a time contributing significant changes to the history of sub-Saharan Africa. In the west, there was a rise of large and powerful inland kingdoms, such as the Ghana (in Mali & Mauritania, no relation to modern Ghana), Dahomey (which lasted until French capture in 1894, now Benin), Za/Gao (in Mali and Niger), Kanem (in Chad), and Bornu (in Nigeria). As many of these kingdoms converted to Islam, trans-Saharan trade grew as salt and gold were transported to Libya and Egypt in large caravans—a trade made possible by the introduction of camels from Arabia in the 10th century and would support much of the area from northern Nigeria west to Mali and Mauritania until the 19th century. During the 13th-16th centuries, many of these early kingdoms were replaced with new empires, chief among them the Mali (in Mali, Guinea, and Senegal) and later Soghay (in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger) and a plethora of small, single-tribe kingdoms and city-states sprouted. Many of Mali's popular tourist destinations, including Timbuktu , Djenne , and Gao , rose to prominence during this period as they became centers of trade and Islamic scholarship during this period. The Hausa tribes in northern Nigeria began organizing in walled city states, of which remnants remain in Kano . Coastal, forested West Africa remained largely unorganised, with the exceptions of a few Yoruba city-states of Benin, Ife, & Oyo along with small Dahomey and Igbo empires all in modern-day Benin and Nigeria.
Meanwhile, East Africa saw a rise of Islamic influence and prosperity from Indian Ocean trade as ships from Arabia, Persia, India, and as far as Southeast Asia dropped anchor in major ports from Somalia down to Mozambique bringing spices and in return for slaves and ivory. Between the 7th and 19th centuries, over 18 million people were taken from the region as part of the Arab slave trade—roughly twice as many as the Atlantic slave trade would take to the Americas. Today, that influence remains in the culture and gastronomy of many places, most notably on the Indian Ocean islands such as Zanzibar, Comoros, the Seychelles, and Mauritius.
Ruins at Great Zimbabwe
Southern Africa remained undeveloped, with primarily nomadic hunter-gatherers such as the San people and some small kingdoms. The Kingdom of Zimbabwe (namesake of today's state) was one of the most notable, constructing the greatest stone structures in pre-colonial sub-Saharan Africa at their capital Great Zimbabwe . The Kingdom of Mapungubwe in modern eastern South Africa also left smaller stone ruins. Both profited from the trade in gold and ivory with Arab and Asian merchants.
While a few Genoese, Castillian, and French explorers managed to reach parts of West Africa in the Middle Ages, European exploration of the continent truly began when Prince "Henry the Navigator" set out to acquire African territory for Portugal in the mid-15th century. The Portuguese reached Cape Verde in 1445, and by 1480, had charted the course to and began trade with the entire Guinea coast (modern Guinea-Bissau to Nigeria). In 1482, Diogo Cão reached the mouth of the Congo River, in 1488 Bartolomeu Dias reached the Cape of Good Hope (the southern tip of Africa), and in 1498 Vasco da Gama sailed up the eastern coast, where in Kenya his expedition set up a trading post at Malindi before finding a guide to take them to India. The Portuguese set up numerous forts along the African coast and established a highly profitable trade, (initially) held good relations with locals, and remained the dominant European power in the region until the 17th century while Spain, France, and Britain began exploring the Americas.
Slaving castle in Cape Coast , Ghana
The lucrative trade and large amounts of gold obtained by the Portuguese lured other nations to the continent. As the demands for labour in the Americas grew, Portuguese sailors began taking shiploads of slaves to the Americas, beginning the Atlantic slave trade. In the early 17th century, the Dutch fought the Portuguese to win control of most of their West and Central African ports, some (like Luanda ) would be retaken later, and established a couple dozen forts of their own, notably at Goree Island in Dakar and at the Cape of Good Hope—a port they hoped to use for trade routes to East Asia and which has become modern-day Cape Town . In 1642, the French built their first fort on Madagascar (which they claimed in 1667) and in 1663, the British built their first fort on the continent in the Gambia . Swedish merchants established a fort on Cape Coast , which later was overpowered by the Danish nearby at modern Accra.
In the 19th century, European attention shifted from establishing coastal ports for trade to fighting one another to colonize the continent and explore its uncharted interior. With slavery abolished by Britain and their strong efforts to thwart slavery around the world, Europe began to look for other sources of wealth on the continent. The most successful European colony, the Dutch Cape Colony, was seized by the British in 1795. Napoleonic France conquered Egypt in 1798, notably discovering the Rosetta Stone, only to be forced out by the British and then the Turks. France invaded a significant amount of coastal West Africa and the Barbary states in Algeria, cutting rampant piracy in the region. Accounts of brave adventurers travelling inland to find places such as Mount Kilimanjaro and rumored "inland sea" (the Great Lakes) and city of gold on the Nile sparked a wave of exploration in the mid-century primarily by Catholic and Jesuit missionaries in the Southern, Eastern, & Great Lakes regions of Africa. Chief among explorers was the British national hero David Livingstone, who as a poor missionary with few porters explored much of Southern and Eastern Africa, flowed down the Congo River from its sources, and sought the source of the Nile. In West & Central Africa, French, Belgian, & Spanish explorers ventured into the Sahara to find the legendary Timbuktu and Malian gold mines and the Congo in search of the Pygmies and hairy, large peoples (gorillas) of Greek legend.
Colonial division of Africa, 1914
As accounts of Africa's interior reached Europe, nations and merchants began to view the continent as a major source of commerce and wealth, similar to their Asian exploits, while the philanthropic and missionary class saw a great opportunity to "Christianize" and "civilize" the savage people of Africa. With social Darwinism introduced, many countries saw Africa as a great opportunity to establish colonial empires and establish their pre-eminence among other European nations, chiefly Germany to catch up with other European nations and France, to regain glories lost in North America and under Napoleon. Britain and Portugal joined this Scramble for Africa when they saw their interests threatened. In 1885, the Berlin Conference brought together European colonial powers to carve up the continent into defined colonial territories with many straight lines and no input from any African kingdom or settlement.
At the turn of the 20th century, Britain began a series of deadly South African Wars from their Cape Colony into surrounding African and Boer (white descendants of the Dutch) lands in modern South Africa, which brought Cecil Rhodes to fame for his vision to conquer and bring unite Africa from Cairo to Cape Town. The dense jungles of Central Africa lured Joseph Conrad, who wrote the novel Heart of Darkness from his experience. World War I saw one battle in German East Africa (Tanzania) which the British lost, although post-war, German possessions were divided amongst France, Belgium, & the UK. The Union of South Africa was granted independence from the UK in 1930. World War Two saw Ethiopia invaded by Italy along with major fighting in North Africa in which the Nazis were eventually evicted by the Allies. It was the social changes stemming from the war, in which tens of thousands of Africans fought for their colonial power, along with the Atlantic Charter which led to the spread of nationalistic movements post-war.
Dates of independence across Africa.
The decolonization of Africa began with Libyan independence from Italy in 1951. Colonial powers employed varying means of control over their colonies, some granting natives representation in the government and cultivating a select few civil servants while others maintained a firm grip with an all-European government. In some countries, nationalist movements were quashed and their leaders killed or jailed while others were able to peacefully achieve independence. In the 1950s, Guinea, Ghana, & North African nations gained independence non-violently with the exception of Algeria, where France violently fought independence movements until 1963. With the establishment and new constitution of France's Fifth Republic in 1958, French West Africa & French Equatorial Africa ceased to exist and, after a brief "community" with France, the countries of these regions gained independence in 1960. By 1970, all but a handful of African nations were independent. The Portuguese bitterly fought to maintain their African possessions until 1975, all but one of whom gained independence through war. Zimbabwe was the last major colony to gain independence, in 1980. In 1990, semi-autonomous Namibia gained independence from South Africa and in 1993, Eritrea separated from Ethiopia following a protracted war. South Africa remained under firm control by its white minority, suppressing its black population under a system called apartheid until 1994. Morocco maintains control over Western Sahara, despite an established independence movement and remains a point of contention between Morocco and Algeria. South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011.
Europe divided Africa with complete disregard for the cultures and ethnic groups in Africa, often dividing a peoples between 2 or more countries and forcing peoples with a history of fighting or differing religions into one country. Additionally, a lack of training in civil service before and even after independence left most countries with dysfunctional governments and leaders tended to reward their own ethnic groups with jobs and money and in many cases suppressed ethnic minorities. This has been a cause of much strife post-independence across most of sub-Saharan Africa and has led to dozens of prolonged civil wars (notably in Sudan, Angola, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Nigeria), countless coups, and a countless number of inept, corrupt leaders. The discovery of valuable natural resources such as oil, uranium, diamonds, and coltan, has produced numerous independence movements post-independence citing the taking value of resources from their land to benefit the entire country (notably tiny, oil-rich Cabinda in Angola). Fortunately, there are numerous examples in Africa where past conflict has made way for functional governments, offering some hope for the future of African self-government.
Climate[ edit ]
As the second largest continent, there is a wide range of climates to be found. However, since the continent is nearly centred on the equator, much of the continent is quite warm/temperate with very few, small areas on the continent experiencing any temperatures that can be considered "cold". In the temperate regions (parts of northern Morocco & the Mediterranean coast as well as South Africa), temperatures generally range from the 10s C to the mid-30s°C (40s-90s°F) year round. Closer to the equator and on islands like Cape Verde or Mauritius, temperatures may only vary less than 20 degrees Celsius (15-35°C/65-95°F) throughout the year. In the deserts and arid regions like the Sahel and Horn of Africa, temperatures routinely hit 40°C+ (and even 50°C+ in the heart of the Sahara) but because sand does not retain heat like most soil does, those same places can easily fall down to 15°C at night. There are a few bastions of cooler weather, however. Higher elevations, such as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco & Algeria or in Lesotho, are quite cold and snowy during winter and Mount Kilimanjaro, almost on the equator, is cold year-round (cold enough to support glaciers!). Peaks on islands such as Reunion , the Canary Islands , Mount Cameroon and more are cool enough to necessitate a jacket much of the year.
A far more important factor to consider when travelling to Africa is when the rain/monsoon season occurs. Timing varies a bit even in neighbouring countries, so check the page of the country you are visiting for more info. In West Africa the season starts in March around Cameroon, but not until June in Senegal or the Sahel and ends around September. While rain may not be a huge factor when travelling to southern or East Africa, it is very problematic in West Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean. In West Africa, rains will often flood and make many roads and railways impassable and, due to poor drainage, can literally result in rivers of water flowing down streets and sewage lines to overflow. In the Sahel, it can result in flash floods in low-lying areas.
The largest weather-related dangers for travellers to Africa are lightning and tropical cyclones. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has more lighting strikes each year than any other country on earth, especially in the eastern part of the country near Goma . Lightning risk is highest from western Kenya/Tanzania and Ethiopia west to Senegal and south to Angola and Zambia. Tropical cyclones affect the islands of the Indian Ocean, with the season running from 15 Nov-30 Apr (15 May in the Seychelles and Mauritius). Tropical cyclones also infrequently affect the horn of Africa near Djibouti & Somalia, but when they do, the arid land results in major flooding. Tropical cyclones often form off the coast of western West Africa (Guinea/Senegal) during the early part of the Atlantic Hurricane Season (June-August) and will rarely impact Cape Verde , for which these particular storms are called "Cape Verde-type hurricanes".
By plane[ edit ]
Air fares to Africa can be very expensive, but there are ways to save. The best way to get great airfare to the continent is fly directly to an African country from its former colonial rulers. For example, it can easily cost hundreds of euros/dollars more to fly from London to a former French colony, or conversely from Paris to a former British colony. About the only exceptions are Egypt, which has plentiful, cheap connections with the Middle East & Europe and a handful of West African destinations (e.g. Cape Verde, Morocco) popular with British tourists and accessible with cheap holiday flights.
Airline consolidators can also be used for discounted air fares. If you have additional travel time, check to see how your total fare quote to Africa compares with a round-the-world fare . Don't forget to add in the extra costs of additional visas, departure taxes, ground transportation, etc. for all those places outside of Africa.
See your destination's article for more specific information on flights. Bear in mind that many African countries only offer a few international flights each day, or in some cases, each week. While it isn't hard to reach South Africa or Egypt, getting to Malawi or Togo can be quite a challenge.
From Europe[ edit ]
There are more flights to Africa from Europe than from any other continent. Popular holiday destinations such as Egypt, Morocco, Cape Verde, & South Africa are well-served from Europe's major cities, even with discount and charter airlines. Royal Air Maroc, Afriqyah Airlines, Jet4you & EgyptAir have a good selection of European destinations and Ethiopian, Kenyan, South African, & Arik Air serve a couple of major cities (London, Paris, etc.). The cheapest flights to African cities are often through the African country's former colonial power. Cities with large immigrant populations such as London, Marseilles, & Paris have a good number of flights to Africa.
Chief among European airlines flying to Africa are:
Air France is the best (although not cheapest) carrier serving French-speaking Africa, with service to most major cities of West, Central, & North Africa along with service to Johannesburg, Cairo, Tripoli, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, & Djibouti.
British Airways is the best (although not particularly cheap) way to fly to former British colonies, they have service to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, & Egypt along with Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritius, & Angola.
Brussels Airlines flies from Brussels to most francophone countries in West and Central Africa along with Entebbe (Uganda), Nairobi, & Luanda.
Lufthansa flies to major cities in North Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ethiopia, & Eritrea.
TAP Portugal flies to former Portuguese colonies (Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome & Principe, Mozambique, Angola) and South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, & Senegal.
Many European discount airlines serve major tourist destination in Africa (especially Morocco, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Egypt, & the Gambia), including Jetairfly, EasyJet, & Corsairfly.
From the Americas[ edit ]
The only countries with direct flights to Africa are the United States , Canada , Cuba , Brazil , Argentina , & Venezuela .
From the United States, these are routes operated as of January 2012:
New York-JFK : Delta Air Lines to Abuja, Accra,& Dakar; South African Airways to Johannesburg; EgyptAir to Cairo; Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca; & Arik Air to Lagos.
Washington-Dulles : South African Airlines to Johannesburg (via Dakar); Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa (via Rome); & United Airlines to Accra
Atlanta : Delta Air Lines to Johannesburg, Accra, & Lagos
Houston : United Airlines to Lagos; charter flights for oil workers to Nigeria and Angola
Outside the peak travel times to Europe (eg summer) you might be able to get a good deal to London or Paris and book a fare from there to Africa separately on a European travel website. But don't book the United States to Europe portion until you get confirmed on the Europe to Africa portion first. Through fares to Africa from the United States can be quite expensive, so avoiding peak travel times to Europe can sometimes save a lot. However, since new non-stop flights to Africa have recently been added, and Europe is much more expensive than it used to be, try getting a direct quote first, then see if you can do better. Another growing option is flying through the Middle East on Emirates or Qatar, which both serve a reasonable selection of African & American cities.
In Canada, Montreal is connected to Casablanca by Royal Air Maroc and Algiers by Air Algerie. Toronto is connected to Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Airlines, and service to Cairo resumes in 2013 with EgyptAir. TAAG Angolan Airlines offers weekly service to Havana—the last of the heavily-subsidized communist friends routes Cuba has to Africa (former routes include Tripoli, Maputo, & Conakry).
Connections from South America are:
São Paulo : South African Airways to Johannesburg; TAAG Angolan Airlines to Luanda; Ethiopian to Addis Ababa and Lomé.
Rio de Janeiro : TAAG Angolan Airlines to Luanda
Caracas : Santa Barbara Airlines to Tenerife-North (seasonal)
From Asia & the Middle East[ edit ]
If you're flying to a small African country, Africa's major airlines all have extensive coverage in Africa and fly to a handful of Asian destinations:
Ethiopian Airlines: Bahrain, Bangkok, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Kuwait, Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Aden, Sana'a
Kenyan Airways: Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Beijing, Mumbai, Dubai
South African Airways: Mumbai, Hong Kong
Nearly all North African countries along with Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, & Somalia have extensive connections with the Middle East. And similarly, countries with large Muslim populations are likely to have a connection to Jedda/Mecca either year-round or seasonal (e.g. during hajj). North African destinations aside, connections with the Middle East include:
Emirates flies from Dubai to: Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dar Es Salaam, Durban, Entebbe, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Lagos, Luanda, Mauritius, Nairobi, & Mahe.
Qatar Airways flies from Doha to: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam, Mahe, & Lagos.
Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul to: Dakar, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Cape Town, & Johannesburg.
Other flights from East and South Asia include the following: Cathay Pacific flights to Hong Kong. Furthermore, due to increased Chinese investment many cities have service from Beijing, cities with direct flights to Beijing-Capital include Luanda, Algiers, Lagos, Khartoum, Addis Ababa, & Harare. Malaysian Airlines serves Johannesburg from Kuala Lumpor. Korean Air serves Cairo from Seoul. Air Austral flies to Bangkok seasonally from Reunion. Air Seychelles flies to Singapore and Male from Mahe. Air Madagascar flies from Antananarivo to Bangkok & Guangzhou.Air Mauritius flies from Mauritius to Bangalore, Chennai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, & Singapore. Singapore Airlines flies to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The best option to fly from East or South Asia is likely on Emirates or Qatar, both of which have a decent selection of destinations in Asia & Africa, or via Europe on airlines such as British Airways, Air France, or Lufthansa which all offer an extensive number of destinations across Africa.
There are only a handful of connections to Australia:
Qantas between Johannesburg & Sydney.
South African Airways between Johannesburg and Perth
Air Mauritius operates flights from Mauritius to Sydney, Melbourne, & Perth.
Air Austral flies a triangle service to Sydney & Noumea, New Caledonia from Saint Denis, Reunion (ends in March 2012).
Qantas' flight is one of only two commercial routes that pass over sea ice near Antarctica (the other is Qantas between Buenos Aires [Santiago after March 2012]& Sydney). International aviation rules require polar gear that takes up several rows of seats to fly over Antarctica (specifically, south of 72 degrees), so there are no commercial routes over the continent. The 747 flies close on the westward journey, Sydney-Jo'burg, because there are very strong tailwinds near Antarctica (flight-time is 11.5 hours westward vs. 14 eastward). With a clear sky and a window seat—especially on the left—you should be able to see a vast expanse of sea ice and perhaps even continental Antarctica near the horizon! Other airlines fly further north because their 2-engine planes must remain closer to diversion airports in Western Australia/the Mascarene Islands, in case of engine failure. A New Zealand-South Africa flight would be only route where the Great Circle (shortest) route would pass over continental Antarctica, but no airline has ever flown this route.
By road/ferry[ edit ]
The only land connection to another continent is the 163km-wide Isthmus of Suez, which is found in Egypt (although the Sinai peninsula is sometimes considered a part of Africa for geopolitical reasons). Thus the only way to drive into Africa is to drive through Egypt. Most people driving from the Middle East to Africa travel through Jordan and take a short car ferry to Egypt to avoid transiting Israel, since Egypt's two African neighbours (Sudan & Libya) deny entry for persons with Israeli stamps or Egyptian/Jordanian stamps indicating travel to Israel.
Despite there being just one, narrow land crossing into the continent, there are other ways to bring vehicles into Africa by short car ferries. The short crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco is crossed by several ferries daily and relatively inexpensive. Other car ferries include:
Italy - Tunisia ferries are operated by a couple of different companies: [1] . However, you must pass through Algeria to Mauritania/Niger -or- Libya to Egypt, both very expensive and difficult to enter with a car.
Spain / France to Algeria car ferries are run by Algerie Ferries. Their website is in French only .
Yemen-Djibouti ferries may be running weekly or more frequently (information about this crossing is little and conflicting) to avoid Egypt (because of the extremely high import taxes) or Sudan (as the Ethiopian-Sudan border is prone to banditry). It is also possible to cross by dhow in motorcycles or small/light vehicles.
Port Said , Sudan to Jeddah , Saudi Arabia car ferries are run daily and are a great way to avoid the very high tariffs to enter Egypt, although visas for SA are difficult to obtain.
Several overland trucks make journeys which cross between Europe or the Middle East and Africa, these companies are listed below under "Get around/Overland trucks".
By ship[ edit ]
Many Mediterranean cruises stop in North African countries such Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, the Canary Islands, & Cape Verde. Some ocean liners will stop in the Canary or Cape Verde Islands on trans-Atlantic crossings or in South Africa, Madagascar, Zanzibar, the Seychelles, or Mauritius on round-the-world trips.
Elsewhere is Africa, cruises are limited to luxury or 'boutique' cruise lines often aboard small vessels and quite expensive or " freighter cruises " which do not offer much to "passengers" but may spend a few days in a handful of ports. Grimaldi Freighter Cruises, [2] , has weekly departures to West Africa making the round-trip from Amsterdam in 38 days.
The Seychelles, Reunion, & Mauritius are popular destinations for yachts and private vessels, but piracy around the Horn of Africa has kept a lot of the European vessels away.
For a truly unique experience, take the RMS St Helena [3] from the UK to Cape Town via St Helena-one of the world's most remote islands!
Visas[ edit ]
Africa is plagued by visa bureaucracy and policies that differ widely from country to country. However, there are currently four customs unions in effect in Africa:
Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland)
West Africa (Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote D'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Niger, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone)
Central Africa (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Gabon)
East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi)
By plane[ edit ]
There are a number of reliable airlines that ply the African Continent. Chief among them are certainly:
South African Airways (SAA) ( Johannesburg , South Africa ), [4] , has daily flights to most major Southern, Eastern, & Central African political and economic hubs. If you're flying from the Northern Hemisphere to somewhere north of South Africa , don't forget to check how much backtracking you'll have to do, and if it's worth it. The flight from Washington, D.C. does stop in Senegal , but if you get off there, SAA has no connections to anywhere else.
Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), [5] carries more passengers than any other African airline and offers a direct service from many European cities, Washington, and Toronto to its hub Addis Ababa . From there it has a very good coverage to many cities in Africa. The flight from/to Washington refuels in Rome. Its mileage can be used on Lufthansa services & Lufthansa miles can also be used on Ethiopian.
Kenya Airways (Nairobi, Kenya), [6] , partly owned by Royal Dutch KLM, offers good service and frequent flights to all East African countries and many other major African destinations.
There are also many airlines which are noteworthy in particular regions, such as TAAG Angola Airlines (South/Central Africa), Arik Air(Nigeria), Afriqiyah Airways (Central/West Africa, but their hub is in Tripoli), Royal Air Maroc (West/Central/North Africa, but hub is in Morocco), Air Mali (West Africa), Air Burkina (West Africa), Air Austral (Indian Ocean), Air Mauritius (Indian Ocean), Tunis Air (North Africa), and more. Many other African carriers offer flights to more remote locations.
Consider airline safety when flying in Africa. Although SAA, Ethiopian Airlines, & Kenya Airways all meet EU & FAA safety standards, the same isn't true for all airlines, especially smaller domestic carriers in countries where political stability may be lacking, tenuous or only recently reintroduced. Check with the EU Commision on Air Safety [7] for a list of airlines that do not meet their safety standards.
Bloukrans Bridge along South Africa's Garden Route
If you want to drive your own car around Africa, see also Carnet de Passage .
Driving in Africa can be a hair-raising adventure. It should not be undertaken personally unless you are already comfortable driving in developing countries.
The best roads, the best rental cars, and the (relatively) least insane driving can be found in South Africa and Botswana, but even then, driving in those countries is still a far cry from what visitors from First World countries are accustomed to.
For sightseeing trips, it may be less expensive to hire a taxi than to rent a car, but be sure to negotiate taxi fares beforehand. Travel on rural roads can be slow and difficult in the dry season and disrupted by floods in the rainy season. If you plan on travelling in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, avoid the rainy months of May through October above the equator and the rainy months of November through April below the equator. Some roads may be flooded or washed out during these months.
Travel by car outside large towns can be dangerous. Major roads are generally well maintained but there are few divided highways in Africa. In addition, rural auto accidents are fairly common because of high speed limits and the presence of wildlife in these areas. Night driving, especially in rural areas, is not recommended. Visitors are encouraged to hire reputable tour operators for safaris or other game viewing expeditions. Although self-drive expeditions in national parks sound like a great way to save money, you will change your mind quickly if an elephant overturns your car or sits on it with you inside.
By bus[ edit ]
Bus service is extensive in Africa and in almost all countries it is the main means of transportation for locals and tourists alike. Styles of buses and minibuses vary across the continent, refer to country pages for more info.
By thumb[ edit ]
Many locals hitchhike in countries throughout Africa, often paying a small fee to the driver. It is best to check the political and social climate of each region before travelling.
In the whole of Africa it is possible to flag down cars and pay them a required fee and get a lift in return. That is just the way public transport works in this part of the world - he who has a means of transportation, that is a car or minibus, is automatically expected to give lifts to others and of course charge them a small amount of money for the favour. The idea of it has nothing to do with the Western idea of hitchhiking.
Overland trucks[ edit ]
Some people with limited amounts of time or who would prefer not to make their own arrangements opt for the "overlander" experience. Many operators run tours in large trucks that are comfortable and equipped with facilities for around 8-30 persons. They're generally run on a pretty tight schedule and cover a lot of distance, such as "Nairobi to Johannesburg in six weeks". These tours are run throughout the whole continent but East and Southern Africa are by far the most popular destinations. Accommodation is mostly camping with tents provided. Most meals are arranged and many are prepared by those on the trip (cooking duties rotated throughout the trip), and free time (like everything else) is scheduled. However, there is plenty of time to participate in the adventure activities that certain areas of Africa are famous for such as Victoria Falls , Swakopmund , Zanzibar, and Serengeti National Park . Some people really enjoy these tours, especially when they do not have enough time to organize all travel arrangements themselves. Others loathe the very thought of travelling in a group and think that they keep you way out of touch with the "real" Africa. Whatever the case, they're a very different way to travel through Africa. The people that go on these tours tend to be young at heart and slightly adventurous; these tours are not luxury trips.
By train[ edit ]
A train in Zambia
Passenger railways in Africa are sparse and the majority are short and within one country. South Africa and Egypt are the two countries with significant passenger railway services. There is also a handful of interconnected railways running from Botswana through Zimbabwe & Zambia to Tanzania (which will connect to Rwanda by 2012). Morocco has two modern, fast train lines connecting most major cities. In Kenya , there is a Mombasa -Nairobi- Kisumu line which is popular for wildlife spotting. Namibia has a line running from Swakopmund to Windhoek and south to near the South African border. In South Africa the five star Blue Train ranks amongst the best luxury trains in the world. The Blue Train travels from Cape Town to Victoria Falls. The Gautrain is a modern fast train connecting major areas of Johannesburg, OR Tambo International Airport and the administrative capital city of South Africa, Pretoria.
There are also a handful of very old, slow trains in Africa: Wadi Halfa -Khartoum, Sudan (with a short ferry on Lake Aswan, you can continue north to Cairo); Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso- Abidjan , Cote d'Ivoire; Dakar, Senegal- Bamako , Mali (stopped running summer 2009); a couple trains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and short lines in Cameroon & Gabon. The Chinese are currently building railway lines in Angola which should open in the next few years.
For a unique experience, you can ride the longest train in the world in Mauritania in either the guard's van or atop open iron ore carriages.
By boat[ edit ]
Pirogue on the Niger River in Mali
Where there is water, there are usually boat services to some extent. In the DRC, boats are the primary means of transportation due to the extensive network of rivers and both the lack of any roads at all and the extreme ruttedness of those that do exist. Some noteworthy river travels in Africa are:
Along the Niger River small, wooden pirogues varying in design from a 2 person canoe to wider craft carrying about passengers with a canopy and rudimentary toilet. Travelling by pirogue is slow, but the Sahelian scenery and people you meet on the boat and during stops make this a memorable African experience. Due to cataracts, pirogues on the Niger only operate in Mali and Niger bordering Benin and then again in Nigeria after Gaya (Niger) . If you can blend in with the locals, you may avoid border formalities this way.
Along the Congo River large, old and often overcrowded ferries connect cities along the river in the Congo , DRC, & Central African Republic . Small boats from villages come out and moor themselves to these ferries to sell food and merchandise and the boat is a bustling marketplace of hundreds of people much of the time. Conditions aboard these ferries are poor and bearable only by the most seasoned of travellers. Talk to the captain to see if you can use one of the handful of rooms to sleep.
Talk[ edit ]
There is no dominant language in Africa, but if you are travelling in West or Central Africa, French will be the most useful across these nations and regions apart from English. Arabic is the dominant language in North Africa, though French is also widely spoken. English is also useful in many countries. Swahili is the most useful language in East Africa. In Ethiopia, most people speak Amharic , which is indigenous to the nation. Even if you know a blanket language like French, it is always a good idea to bring phrasebooks for the native languages. In Senegal , for example, despite being part of Francophone Africa, visitors are likely to find Wolof very useful and sometimes necessary when dealing with residents. The more you wish to interact with locals or go out of the cities, the more important it will be for you to have resources to communicate in the local African language.
Flora & Fauna[ edit ]
A giraffe in Niger
Natural Wonders[ edit ]
Mt. Nyiragongo's lava lake, viewed from the rim.
Africa is home to many famous natural wonders, from the Nile River, the world's longest river, to Victoria Falls . The continent is home to two of the world's four volcanoes with permanent lava lakes—the dramatic Mount Nyiragongo which rises hundreds of metres above Goma , DRC and Erta Ale in Ethiopia 's stark Danakil Depression (the others are Mt.Erebus in Antarctica & Kilauea in Hawaii ). Both volcanoes can be climbed by the adventurous tourist to stand at the rim gazing in awe at the bubbling lava below, an especially incredible sight at night!
Historical civilizations[ edit ]
While the continent's diverse and unique wildlife is often all that is mentioned in regards to African travel, as home to the oldest civilizations on the planet, Africa has equally impressive cultures and history. The most famous civilization on the continent, and arguably in the world, is that of ancient Egypt. From the southern city of Abu Simbel to Luxor and all the way north to Alexandria and Cairo, including the Pyramids of Giza , the only surviving of the original Seven Wonders of the World and the most iconic symbols of this ancient kingdom. Sites from the Nubian-Kushite Kingdom that broke away from Egypt can be found in Sudan, such as Gebel Barkal and many other pyramids in Meroe.
Ethiopia offers many ruins from the ancient Axumite Kingdom where the Queen of Sheba ruled. The obelisks and Dungur ruins in Axum were built prior to the kingdom's conversion to Christianity, while many other great monuments, such as the Ezana Stone and the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, where the Arc of the Covenant is said to be stored, were built after the conversion as religious sites. Other famous Christian structures built later by the kingdom's successor, the Abyssinian Empire, especially during the 12th and 13th centuries, can also be found in Lalibela .
In West Africa, structures from the ancient Mali Empire can be found in Timbuktu and Djenne . Although there are Islamic influences, the architectural style of the Malian Kingdom's mosques are still quite unique and recognizably African. The cliff dwellings in Mali's Dogon Country , built by the Dogon people, are also impressive ancient structures in Mali . Often overshadowed by Africa's other monuments, Sungbo's Eredo in Ijebu Ode , Nigeria , built by the Yoruba people, is actually the largest pre-colonial structure remaining on the continent. Today it towers over the city, covered in vegetation.
Ruins from the ancient Swahili culture can be found in the coastal areas of East Africa, particularly in Kenya and Tanzania. The Swahili structures combines elements of African architecture with Islamic architecture, which was quite prominent around the 14th century. Some of the most famous Swahili structures include the Gedi Ruins and Pillar Tombs around Malindi and Kilwa Kisiwani . Zanzibar's Stone Town features Swahili structures spanning hundreds of years from its early days to the 18th century.
In Southern Africa, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe have fascinated visitors ever since Europeans discovered them. No one had believed that the inhabitants of black Africa were capable of creating any great monuments on their own until the ruins of this ancient culture were discovered.
Roman structures are scattered throughout North Africa, with the ancient city of Carthage being the most well-known abroad. Many cities, such as Leptis Magna , Timgad , and Dougga feature Roman ruins as impressive as those in Europe itself. Many other European structures can be found throughout the continent, dating back to the earliest days of imperialism.
Do[ edit ][ add listing ]
Safari is the swahili word meaning to travel , however many outsiders interpret "safari" to mean a visit a game area to interact with African wildlife. The most common types of safari are "hunting safaris " where game is mainly hunted for trophy , and "photographic safaris" where wildlife is primarily watched and photographed, and the goal is often to see the Big Five.
Photographic safaris can be in the form of dry or wet safaris ; dry being driving safaris and walking safaris ; wet being safaris from various types of water vessels. The best place for safari is on the African continent in the countries of Kenya, Tanzania , Zambia , Zimbabwe , Botswana ,Namibia , and South Africa , where there are dozens of parks , reserves , sanctuaries , etc , set aside for safari. Discerning safari enthusiasts will arrange their safari around the safari jurisdiction , the time of year , the type of safari vehicles, the proficiency of the guides , the camps and food , the size of the travel party, etc. A good resource for African safaris is Lion Dog African Safaris based in North America , and the African Travel Resource based in Europe .
Climbing[ edit ]
Africa does not have tall, jagged mountain ranges comparable to the Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, or Alps and there are very few mountains requiring technical gear. The Atlas Mountains across Morocco, Algeria, & Tunisia; the Drakensberg in South Africa & Lesotho; the Semian Mountains in Ethiopia; and the Rwenzori Mountains between Uganda & the DRC are the only considerable mountain ranges on the continent, all with numerous peaks which can be easily climbed. Additionally, there are some tall volcanoes along the Great Rift Valley, on the Indian Ocean islands, & in Cameroon. Some of the continent's most climbed or unique mountains are:
Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m) in Tanzania near the Kenya border is the continent's highest peak, the world's tallest free-standing mountain, and perhaps the most climbed mountain on the continent, owing to its accessibility and the lack of need of technical gear. The range of scenery one passes from base to peak makes it a destination almost all climbers have on their wish list.
Mount Kenya (5199m) is Kenya's tallest mountain and also popular climb with many non-technical walking and climbing routes through lush scenery and is less than 100km from [airobi. The surrounding national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Jbel Toubkal (4167 m) near Marrakech , Morocco is the tallest peak in the Atlas Mountains and can be climbed without technical gear in summer.
Mount Cameroon (4040 m) in Cameroon is an active volcano that rises straight out of the ocean and is covered in tropical forest and almost always shrouded in clouds/mist. Fast-paced hikes to the top and back are possible in a day.
Mount Nyiragongo (3470 m) in the DRC on the Rwanda border is one of just 3-4 volcanoes in the world with a lava lake in its crater. A climb takes ~8 hours and involves camping on a ledge at the top—a safe 700 m above the lake—for the night (of course, the steaming, bubbling lava is more spectacular at night).
Abseiling and rock climbing can be done in many parts of Africa, with many opportunities in South Africa.
Trekking & hiking[ edit ]
Most of Africa's mountain ranges and highlands are suitable for trekking. The Drakensberg in South Africa & Lesotho, Ethiopian Highlands, and Mali's Dogon Country are the most popular trekking destinations in Africa and most guidebooks to these countries describe the most popular routes. In the dense jungles of the CAR & DRC treks, almost always organized, to pygmy settlements are available. Established trekking routes exist in the forests of Guinea's Fouta Djallon highlands and Cameroon.
The Aïr Massif in Niger is popular for hiking around its sand scraped rock formations and oases, usually short distances from your camel or vehicle transport. Hiking can also be done in many forests with established paths. In Uganda, Rwanda, & the adjacent DRC, hiking to see the endangered mountain gorilla is a major tourism draw, although permits are US$500 to spend hours hiking through tropical forests to spend 1 hour in close proximity to the gorillas.
Diving[ edit ]
There are a good number of great scuba diving sites across Africa. The Red Sea off Egypt offers clear, tranquil waters. Diving in the Indian Ocean is common off all islands and on the continent from Kenya south. Diving in South Africa is most famous for "shark dives", where divers are lowered in cages to watch sharks feed on bait, although other diving opportunities exist. Few locations inland are popular with divers; Lake Malawi—which is clear, deep and filled with unique species—is the only lake with a significant number of dive operators.
Relax on a beach[ edit ]
Africa has a very long coastal line with thousands of beautiful beaches as it is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Sports[ edit ]
Football is the most widespread and popular sporting event with games between countries usually drawing tens of thousands of patriotic, cheering fans filling basic stadiums. Watching a football match in Africa is a must; try to dress in the colours of the home team and join the cheering celebration with your neighbours! The quadrennial African Cup of Nations (Angola in 2010) is the continent's premier championship. South Africa played host to the first African FIFA World Cup in 2010.
Rugby is played by several former British colonies in Southern and Eastern Africa.
Money[ edit ]
CFA franc usage: West African (green), Central African (red)
The three easiest currencies to exchange within Africa are the euro, US dollar, and pound sterling. In some countries with a large tourism sector Australian and Canadian dollars and Japanese yen may be exchanged at large banks and some currency exchanges, but you will receive a poor exchange rate as these currencies are uncommon and more troublesome for the banks in turn to exchange. The continent is roughly split between a blocks where the US dollar is easiest to exchange and use and where the euro is.
Due to concerns about counterfeiting, money exchangers, banks, and most likely even merchants will not accept US dollar banknotes that are worn or older than 2001. As strange as that sounds, it seems to be a steadfast rule amongst anyone dealing much in dollars and you will find it difficult or even impossible to dispose of worn or pre-2001 dollar banknotes. The same does not seem to hold true for euros, but may for other non-African currencies.
With few exceptions, African currencies are generally not accepted by banks or money changers outside their native territory, or at least not at a decent exchange rate. The currencies of some smaller countries are non-exchangeable and become worthless abroad, with some countries prohibiting export of their currencies and confiscating and even fining people leaving the country with currency (most notably the Angolan kwanza).
There are three currency unions in Africa:
Common Currency Area (using South African rand): South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, & Zamibia.
West African CFA franc (XOF): Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, & Togo.
Central African CFA franc (XAF): Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, & Gabon
Despite sharing the same name and same exchange rate (655.957 CFA francs = €1), the two "CFA franc" currencies are issued by different banks and are NOT interchangeable. A 1000 CFA franc banknote from Gabon will not be accepted by a merchant in Benin, and vice versa. Indeed, even with banks and money changers it will likely be easier (and you'll receive a better exchange rate) to exchange euros or even US dollars. Given the fixed exchange, if visiting any of these countries, euros will receive a more favourable exchange rate.
The Mauritanian ouguiya & Malagasy ariary are the only two non-decimal currencies currently in use in the world, divided into 1/5th fractions known as khoums & iraimbilanja, respectively.
US dollar[ edit ]
The US dollar has been the de facto currency of Zimbabwe since the collapse of the Zimbabean dollar and allowance of foreign currency as tender in January 2009. The Djiboutian franc (117.721=USD1) and Eritrean nakfa (16.5=USD1) are pegged to the dollar.
The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange (and may receive a better exchange rate compared to the euro) in Southern Africa and East Africa, as well as the DRC , Nigeria, & Liberia. Many tour operators, tourist attractions, and hotels in these regions set their prices in dollars, some even going as far as to offer poor exchange rates for or even refuse local currency. Also, many countries in these regions set their visa prices in dollars and will only accept dollars (or perhaps pound sterling).
Euro[ edit ]
The euro is the official currency of France's Mayotte & Reunion territories and Spain's Canary Islands. The West & Central African CFA francs are pegged to the euro at 655.975 (formerly, simply 100 to the French franc). The Moroccan dirham is pegged (with a fluctuation band) to the euro at roughly 10 dirhams to one euro. The Cape Verdean escudo is pegged at 110.265 to one euro and the Comoran franc is pegged at 491.9678 to one euro. The Sao Tome and Principe dobra was fixed at 24500 to 1 euro in 2010 to guarantee stability—it was worth just 12000 per euro in 2004.
The Euro is the easiest currency to exchange and receives the best exchange rate in countries whose currencies are fixed to the euro, with strong European ties, and/or where the majority of tourists are European. This generally corresponds with North Africa, the Sahel , West Africa, & Central Africa with the exceptions of Egypt, Sudan, & Ghana, neither the euro nor dollar is better, and Nigeria, the DRC, & Liberia. Due to the relevantly recent creation of the Euro and long-standing status of the dollar, beware that there are some regions of Africa where people either have never heard of the euro or will see it as worthless.
South African rand[ edit ]
The South African rand is an official currency and widely circulated in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, & Namibia. Although the latter three issue their own currencies, they are pegged 1:1 with the rand and are not legal tender in the other countries as is the SA rand. The rand has also been accepted in Zimbabwe since the Zimbabwean dollar's demise, but not as widely as the U.S. dollar. It is also readily exchanged (and sometimes accepted for payment) in Botswana and Mozambique as well as most of the tourist spots in Botswana and Zambia.
Markets[ edit ]
Durban South Africa boost of markets, visit Warwick Junction precinct which houses a bustling market area. Here you will find the Bovine Head Cookers, the Early Morning Market, Herbalists’ Bridge, Music Market, Clay Market and the Hazrath Badshaw Peer Market/Brook Street Market as well as the Victoria Street Market and the Brook Street Bead Sellers Market. The streets and pavements are lined with traders of all kinds and the Berea Station offers more shops.for more tours around Durban contact Durban City Tour Guides
Prohibited items[ edit ]
Trade in ivory is prohibited by nearly all countries in the world, with hefty penalties and even jail time for offenders. Many animal products (some commonly found in fetish markets) are also banned by western countries, such as tortoise shells, tusks of any animal, or any part of or item made with an endangered species. Some African countries keen on conservation will prosecute all violators to the fullest extent of the law...so be careful when purchasing animal products unless you want to spend years in an African prison. Keep in mind that even if an item may be exported from an African country it may be illegal to import into a Western country; both the EU and US have strict laws on importing animal products in the name of conservation.
Some medications which may be purchased without a prescription in Western countries or parts of Africa may contain ingredients considered illegal narcotics or controlled substances in some countries. In particular, diphenhydramine is a "controlled substance" in Zambia and several Americans have been fined and jailed on drug-trafficking charges for possession the over-the-counter allergy medicine Benadryl (elsewhere called Dimedrol) and the pain reliever Advil PM whose main active ingredient is diphenhydramine.
Drug trafficking is as common an offense as in most Western countries. The list of what substances are considered drugs varies from country to country. Beware khat which is readily grown and consumed in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa is considered a drug in most other African countries. Organized drug trafficking is a major problem in Guinea, & Guinea-Bissau en route from South America to Europe.
As with most countries, check local laws concerning antiquities before trying to leave the country with anything that appears to be over 100 years old.
Stay safe[ edit ]
Although Africa previously dealt with ruthless dictators, more recently the continent has seen a rise in militant Salafi groups. Nonetheless, most of Africa is safe for travel and nearly all tourist attractions on the continent are far from conflict. There are also jihadists and radical Islamists operating in various countries. Some jihadi groups cooperate.
Somalia, where warlords have fought for control since the collapse of the central government in 1993, and the Central African Republic, where general lawlessness and rebels exist throughout most of the country, should only be visited by experienced travellers who are very competent regarding the dangers that exist. Otherwise, these areas should be considered no-go regions. Exceptions are Somaliland which is de facto independent and quite safe and the CAR's isolated Dzanga Sangha National Reserve .
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the second largest jungle after the Amazon and most of the country is impassable by land. The eastern and northeastern regions are home to rebels and general lawlessness and have recently been home to the bloodiest conflict since World War 2. Safe regions are the west (incl. Kinshasa ), south (near Zambia border, incl. Lubumbashi ), and a few spots on the border, such as Goma , Bukavu , & Virunga National Park .
The Central Sahara is host to numerous problems, notably that a growing presence (or at least impact) of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in much of Saharan Algeria, northern Mali (north of Timbuktu, east of Gao, and near the Nigerian border), and far eastern Mauritania has resulted in several kidnappings (incl. one Briton beheaded, kidnapped near the Mali-Niger border) and a couple of suicide bombings in Nouakchott . A Tuareg uprising has left much of the area around Agadez , once a popular tourist destination, off-limits and unsafe. Several borders in the Sahara are closed or very unsafe as a result of banditry: Libya-Sudan (closed), Libya-Chad (closed), Chad-Sudan (unsafe due to Darfur conflict), Chad-Niger (banditry), Libya-Niger (banditry), Mali-Algeria (no road crossings, AQIM), Algeria-Mauritania (AQIM), & Algeria-Morocco (closed).
Portions of Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Chad are home to rebels and it is important to obtain up-to-date information on which parts of these countries are safe to visit (see warnings on those pages). Nigeria has a poor reputation for conflict largely based on events 20+ years ago and, at present, only a small region around the Niger Delta is unsafe to visit. Similarly, in Sudan, only the western Darfur regions and south-central "boundary" between the conflicting North-South are dangerous.
As of February 2010, the authoritarian governments of Eritrea & Guinea have been hostile to the West following harsh condemnations of authoritarianism, massacres of civilians, & refusal of food aid. Niger had a coup in February 18 2010 and instability (especially in the capital) is possible in coming months. While it is physically safe & possible to visit these countries, beware of political unrest.
As of 2011, the states of North Africa have been swept by a wave of popular unrest, with Egypt and Tunisia experiencing revolutions and Libya descending into a civil war, and all other countries going through some sort of unrest. While travel to much the region is perfectly safe now, protests still sometimes turn violent, and travel to Libya should be avoided.
Crime[ edit ]
Africa can certainly be a dangerous continent just like others. Check the "stay safe" areas of the individual countries you are going to.
Wildlife[ edit ]
In most parts of Africa dangerous wildlife should be of only very minor, if any, concern at all. In some parts of East Africa and South Africa large abundances of potentially dangerous animals can be found, but the majority of the time any traveler would most likely be perfectly safe in a vehicle with their tour guide. Nonetheless, attacks and deaths do occur (rarely with foreigners, but commonly with locals) and it is best to be well-informed. Nile crocodiles can be extremely dangerous and swimming is not an option in most low-lying portions of East Africa. Lions and leopards can be dangerous, but you are unlikely to encounter them on foot unless you are being extremely foolish. Large herbivores such as elephants and rhinos can also be very dangerous if aggravated, even while in a vehicle. Venomous snakes exist and are plentiful, but are very shy and you are unlikely to even see one let alone be bitten by one. Most insects in the country are no more dangerous than what you would find in any other country, and the spiders are mostly harmless to humans. Despite all of this, easily the most dangerous non-human animal in the entire African continent is the mosquito.
Politics[ edit ]
Many countries are authoritarian regimes, so exercise caution in what you say. Freedom of speech and assembly are not necessarily guaranteed.
LGBT Travellers[ edit ]
LGBT travellers should exercise extreme caution when travelling to Africa as many African countries outlaw homosexual activity and same-sex marriage. Places such as Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia have strict laws against homosexuality and same-sex marriage, Penalties can range from small fines to the death sentence.
Stay healthy[ edit ]
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of HIV and AIDS infection on Earth. A 2005 UN Report says over 25 million infected, over 7% of adults, for the continent as a whole. Be extremely cautious about any sexual activity in Africa. Especially note that the rates of HIV infection among sex workers is phenomenally high.
Bushmeat from gorillas, monkeys, chimpanzees, & mandrills should be avoided. Due to their similarity to humans, a number of diseases (including yet-undiscovered or poorly-studied ones) can be spread by consuming their flesh, especially if not heated hot enough. HIV is undoubtedly the most famous disease transmitted from primates, but others include ebola, anthrax, yellow fever, and more. [8]
| i don't know |
Which Welsh Indie group's 1996 hit 'The Man Don't Give A ..' contained, with 49 examples, the most expletives of any charting song? | Shakethrus: 2005 - Shaking Through.net: Music: Reviews
Shaking Through.net
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl
Red Ink, 2005
Rating: 3.4
It's a terrible box we put rock 'n' roll bands in. We want them to continually update their sound, to stay fresh, to reinvent themselves. But the minute they actually do that, we flinch as if we've been struck. That's an over-simplification, of course, and in the case of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, one could argue that fans were eager for the trio to refine its signature, hard-edged drone-rock, not abandon it. But the band takes a hard right turn with Howl, and it's a smart move. BRMC's past two albums each sported a handful of moments where everything clicked just so -- clearly, a recharging of the batteries was in order. On Howl, the group strips back the layered atmosphere of feedback, noisy guitar and swirling rock psychedelia that earned it endless comparisons to the Jesus & Mary Chain, revealing a surprisingly traditional, rootsy songwriting foundation. Back-porch boot-stomps, slide guitars and dollops of old-time religion (gospel-tinged choruses, lots of references to the devil, restless sinners and so on) owe much more to, say, The Basement Tapes than the Velvet Underground. Yes, there are some more familiar rock moments here, like the title track, but even those take a step back from the endearingly derivative echoes that defined the group's best moments on previous efforts. It's a startling change at first, but one that gradually feels relaxed and right (although some songs, notably "Ain't No Easy Way," lack a certain necessary urgency, and the album as a whole feels about four songs too long). Whether the shift is a reaction to recent troubles -- since 2003's Take Them On, On Your Own , the band was dropped by Virgin and nearly torn apart by internal squabbles -- it's certainly a refreshing and revelatory palate-cleanser.
Fall Out Boy: From Under the Cork Tree
Island, 2005
Rating: 3.5
At its best, Fall Out Boy's second full-length effort winningly synthesizes elements of punk-pop and that hard-to-define ethos (as much lyrical worldview as musical genre) some call "emo" into a hyperactive tangle of self-aware quips, smartly executed time changes and random blasts of pop-cultural trivia. Although the end result can feel a bit forced (with song titles like "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" and "Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner"), when the quartet scores -- as on the ubiquitous single "Sugar We're Goin Down" -- it scores big, with grappling hooks, soaring background vocals and meaty mouthfuls of verbose lyricism that stop short of drowning the melodies. It's a busy record, occasionally ambitious, with whiplash-inducing breaks that dip into heavy metal and show-tune aesthetics. But lyricist/bassist Peter Wentz can get bogged down in the kind of trite teen-journal-entry poetics that he succinctly punctures elsewhere with lyrics like "I'm the first kid to write of hearts, lies and friends" (from the laboriously titled "I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"). That's even more disappointing given his brief winks at the self-importance of so many similar bands -- "Yeah we're friends/ Just because we move units," singer/guitarist Patrick Stump sneers on "Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends." During the opening "Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued," Stump issues the following warning: "Take my advice 'cause we are bad news / We will leave you high and dry / It's not worth the hearing you'll lose." Cork Tree (mostly) gives the lie to that assertion, and holds out the promise that this capable quartet will, sometime soon, fully transcend its breast-beating teen-angst trappings and record an album truly worthy of a little tinnitis.
Load, 2005
Rating: 4.4
Best way to enjoy music by Lightning Bolt: Crank and surrender. Hypermagic Mountain�s second track, �Captain Caveman,� all atomized vocal distortion and no-Ritalin-allowed rhythmic riffage, announces everything you need to know about the latest earsplitting noisefest from the high-revving bass and drum duo of Brian Gibson and Brian Chippendal. For those who thought 2003�s Wonderful Rainbow seemed extreme in its pulverizing level of intensity, Hypermagic Mountain reduces it to the equivalent of a by-the-numbers Bread rehearsal. Hypermagic Mountain�s sum effect eclipses its redline-obliterating parts, but special dispensations must be given to the leaking madness of �Megaghost,� with its yelping, wounded-animal sound effects and furiously tight interplay between guitar and drums. And it would be criminal to overlook the amazing proficiency exhibited on "Bizarro Zarro Land," which nimbly flirts with control and chaos, dexterously catapulting from one treacherous musical peak to next without once losing its footing. Hypermagic Mountain will be a tidal shock of relentless jackhammer threats to the non-discriminating music fan. For the initiated, there�s true primal joy to be heard in this mammoth creation. You�ve just got to be willing to shed those tightly guarded notions and listen.
Sub Pop, 2005
Rating: 3.7
As regrettable as it is to trot out the old �strong first half, weak back half� reviewers� clich�, the Constantines� third release, Tournament of Hearts, cruelly forces the issue. Running a snug thirty-seven minutes, Hearts absolutely outshines (sorry) 2003�s Shine a Light -- or so the first five of its ten tracks would lead the eager listener to believe. There�s the pulse-quickening kickstarter �Draw Us Lines,� the impressively subtle rhythms of �Hotline Operator,� the lived-in blues riffs of �Love in Fear,� and the meaty force of �Lizaveta,� with its emphatic declaration �We were born to live!� The cycle closes with the moping, countryish �Soon Enough,� a nice change-of-pace number. Shame the Constantines fail to sustain the momentum. The obvious �70s hard-rock workout �Working Full Time� and the pedestrian �Good Nurse� start the slide toward mediocrity, and by the time we reach the penultimate �You Are a Conductor,� with its lame J. Giles-esque, �Love Stinks� beat, Tournament of Hearts has sunk from "Holy Cow!" gobsmacked status to a "What�s All The Fuss Then?" shrug-worthy ranking. Incredible initial run, though. If the group can maintain such energy across an entire album, then more enjoyable reviewer clich�s will surely be employed in the future.
Fat Cat, 2005
Rating: 3.5
The last track on Animal Collective�s Feels is called �Turn Into Something.� This turns out to be an appropriate title, because the song actually progresses, moving from a rumbling, twangy stomp to an ecstatic, airy finish. The same cannot be said for preceding cuts �Loch Raven,� �Daffy Duck� and �Banshee Beat,� which meander with unfocused dream-logic vocals and no discernible sonic payoff. Granted, Animal Collective doesn�t have to follow a standard verse-chorus-verse structure to be effective. But such improvisational-sounding music translated better in the back-porch setting of the acoustic Sung Tongs (created by the duo Avey Tare and Panda) than the electric, full-band effort (plus a host of guest artists) exhibited throughout Feels. Opening shot �Did You See the Words� starts with a peculiarly Mercury Rev, expansive-harmony vibe, then collapses into a shambling mess, complete with tinkling piano breakdown. If the material was revelatory in its unpredictability, offering something heretofore unheard in the world, then such willy-nilly compositions could be forgiven. But Feels doesn�t trump earlier, more intimate Animal Collective releases. It�s just louder and messier.
Kill Rock Stars, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Deerhoof has it backwards. Its earlier, mondo-prog releases ran roughly thirty minutes yet possessed the density of albums twice as long. The Runners Four, by contrast, is twice as long yet is comprised of short pop tunes. Not that the stylistically hyperactive San Francisco quartet will ever be confused with manufactured, American Idol-style top 40 confections. Rather, The Runners Four is simply another interesting collection of tunes from a group that refuses to curtail its trespasses across musical boundaries. �Running Thoughts� sports a cool Stereolab-meets-Enon spacey groove. And singer Satomi Matsuzaki manages to make what could be annoying vocalizations (like those heard on the suitably titled �Chatterboxes�) affecting in a whimsically playful manner. Echoes of past efforts can be heard, especially on the epic guitar squalls of �You're Our Two.� But this is Deerhoof trying out pop fripperies and capably managing what many preprogrammed radio acts fail to convey: a sense of adventure and fun from start to finish.
Six Organs of Admittance: School of the Flower
Drag City, 2005
Rating: 3.5
School of the Flower, Ben Chasny�s seventh release under the Six Organs of Admittance moniker, flows effortlessly. The gauzy weightlessness of �Words for Two� transitions seamlessly into the acoustic plucking of �Saint Cloud.� The noodle and drone of the near fourteen-minute title track ends with a thick layer of fuzz that somehow makes sense (in a loopy kind of way) given that the follow-up track�s called �Thicker Than a Smokey.� School of the Flower is as pretty as its titular place of higher learning intimates and as substantive as bongsmoke. Peace way out.
XL, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Consider the crossover demographic potential: an all-Spanish-language Devendra Banhart record, a protest record -- plus a generous dollop of the trippier-hippie fare reminiscent of his earlier work -- all rolled into one genre-trumping smorgasbord of musical delights from the de facto leader of the free/freak/nu-folk movement. Devendra Banhart�s 22-song fourth album, Cripple Crow, delivers so many styles and moods that it�s impossible to label. This is probably the point. Consistency of material is another matter, however. As nice as his cover of Simon Diaz's "Luna de Margaerita" is, there�s the lovely but overlong �Santa Maria De Feira� detracting from the artist�s native-language cuts. Likewise, the spaciously epic peacenik-anthem title track is affecting for what it doesn�t say as opposed to the youthful obviousness of �Heard Somebody Say� (�It�s simple / We don�t want to kill�). And the gentle folk number �Queen Bee� conveys far more pastoral sentiment than the goofy wild-child chant of �Hey Mama Wolf� (complete with wolf calls!). The best moments are among the most straightforward, with languid brooder �Now That I Know� and the beautiful piano closer �Canela� standing out. Cripple Crow does a wonderful job expressing the range of Devendra Banhart�s musical interests, uneven though the actual payoff may be.
Ryan Adams: Jacksonville City Nights
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 3.9
Pure country from Ryan Adams (working once again with solid backing band The Cardinals) and that�s not a bad thing. Jacksonville City Nights finds Adams retuning to his hometown , lamenting busted personal relationships and still trying to come to terms with his native soil. Adams isn�t pushing any envelopes or performing cross-genre tricks; this is late �60s Jerry Lee Lewis interpretive territory (though Adams is still not in that rarified league, it�s nice to see him paying due respect to the masters of the form). Last-call barroom laments like �A Kiss Before I Go� and �My Heart Is Broken� hit their intended targets. �Dear John,� a seemingly marketing-driven duet with Norah Jones, fares better than expected, and at a lean forty-five minutes and change, the economy of the set (especially compared to the bloated Cold Roses ) is noteworthy. There aren�t as many memorable cuts as on Adams' stellar solo debut, Heartbreaker, but Jacksonville City Nights reveals an older, more seasoned performer.
Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary
Subpop, 2005
Rating: 3.1
Endorsed by Isaac Brock and fans of The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade�s debut Apologies to the Queen Mary gets by more on energy than chops. Manic tracks like �You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son� and highlight �Shine a Light� deliver high-replay-value excitement. But a dearth of compositional ideas and reliance on repetitive hooks dooms the harder-to-attain Groundbreaking Quotient. As a first effort, Apologies to the Queen Mary shows undeniable promise. This is not the Holy Grail of Canadian art pop, however. Wait for a second salvo, and then we�ll see what these lads are truly made of. Until then, it�s obvious who should be opening for Brock and Modest Mouse on their next tour.
Anti-, 2005
Rating: 3.4
The backward complement to 2002's breakthrough Blazing Arrow , Blackalicious� The Craft has that old-school vibe scientifically perfected. The smooth flow of "World of Vibrations" and the groovy populism of "Supreme People" set a no-crumb-out-of-place table. Tracks like "Automatique" might be admitting too much about the thought process behind the creation of the album but at least on the sobering "The Fall & Rise of Elliott Brown" the listener can feel the pain and loss beyond the clinical studio setting. Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab know exactly what they�re doing, and The Craft reinforces the mastery of their craft. But a little less formula and more personal expression would have gone a long way toward making this one an essential addition to their discography.
Elbow: Leaders of the Free World
V2, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Leaders of the Free World, Elbow�s successor to the attention-garnering Cast of Thousands kicks off with a fine, bombastic statement of purpose. The triumphant "Station Approach" is clearly buoyed by passionate optimism and ringing guitar parts (the tour is over and the boys are clearly stoked about future prospects). "Picky Bugger" lowers the dynamism altitude, an anti-excess stop sign. "The Stops" (appropriately named) apes Nick Drake and conveys all the dour misery the tragic artist�s name intimates, while the title track marks the beginning of a downward spiral. George Bush is too easy a target, and slamming him just doesn�t carry the activist weight it might have, say, pre-Iraq invasion. The back end of the album trundles along, failing to rival the opening energy or offer anything as interesting as the non-anthemic detours.
Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series, Volume 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack
Columbia / Legacy, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Evenly split between Dylan�s folk and rock periods, the two-disc No Direction Home returns to the bootleg/alternate-take format of the original three-volume bootleg series release (and also serves as a handy tie-in to the carefully controlled, Martin Scorsese-assembled film of the same name). The first disc is dominated by Dylan the earnest disciple of Woody (check the wonderfully understated interpretation of Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land"), questing traveler and endearing fabricator of a more romantic upbringing than Hibbing, Minnesota could provide. Other gems include the first complete take of �Mr. Tambourine Man� from June 1964, and a politically ambiguous, quasi-amorous �Blowin' in the Wind� from April 1963. The second disc is dominated by the frizzy-haired, electrified wordsmith Dylan, who hit his peak in the mid-�60s with the matchless trio Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. It offers a few moderately, historians-only alternate cuts from those seminal efforts. But it�s the kiss-off electric �Maggie's Farm,� from the July 1965 Newport Folk Festival, that carries the most punch. Dylan�s allegiance was always to the artistic muse, and here the first Great Disappointment to more agenda-minded types (unplugged purist Pete Seeger, in particular) backfires in the face of those who presumed Dylan ever intended to be pigeonholed. The second disc, on the whole, is less interesting than the first, but overall No Direction Home is a solid addition to the legacy-conscious framing of early and transitional Dylan-alia.
Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better
Sony, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Franz Ferdinand keeps the frenzy level pumped to 10 on its sophomore effort, You Could Have It So Much Better. At its best when working under the three-minute mark, the Scottish four-piece still has nothing relevant to say, but has managed to serve up a tighter collection than its crazily hyped debut . The fast and furious, guitar-driven �This Boy� and frantic stomper �Evil and a Heathen� ensure the rave won�t run out of electric juice before the buzz wears off. A few wrinkles add welcome variety to the familiar design: the stylish menace of �Walk Away� features Morrissey-incanting lines like �I am cold / Yes I�m cold / But not as cold as you are,� and serves as a nice change of pace to the patented high-energy antics. �Eleanor Put Your Boots On� (apparently about the Fiery Furnaces� Eleanor Freidberger) is surprisingly endearing in its delivery. But the heatedly delivered title track typifies the too-cool-to-slow-down clip. You Could Have It So Much Better? Perhaps, but why bother when you�re having this much fun?
Tenth Hour Calling: Tenth Hour Calling
Independent, 2004
Rating 4.3
"This is not a band compiled on a whim, but a band put together with great care and thought towards the spiritual and musical aspect of performing." That's what the bio on the Web site for Tenth Hour Calling says, and it could not be stated more perfectly. This five-piece Christian rock band uses rhythms, harmonies and technical brilliance seldom heard in any genre. It's better than the sum of its parts, and since most of the members have degrees in music, that's saying something. On songs like the funky groove of "I See" and the Eagles-esque "Last Time," Tenth Hour Calling has managed to pool its collective talents to make the debut album of the year. The intensely fierce and technically flawless "Rain" and the lyrically brilliant and spiritually cleansing "Color Me" are the two best tracks on the album, and two of the best songs to come from the Christian music world this year. If Tenth Hour Calling keeps up this level of quality on future releases, it could end up being one of the most technically sound and talented bands ever.
Iron & Wine / Calexico: In the Reins [EP]
Overcoat Recordings, 2005
Rating: 3.7
In the Reins finds Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) collaborating with Calexico (primarily Joey Burns and John Convertino), and the end result is a seven-song mini-album that successfully marries Beam's hushed, Southern-haunted romanticism with Calexico�s dusty Southwestern, Mariachi-influenced sound. Stylistically, a considerable amount of ground is covered in just over thirty minutes. The tethered restraint of �He Lays In Reins� gives way to the high-lonesome lament �Prison on Route 41,� which infuses just enough energy to not make the sun-brightened horns of the toe-tapping, showy �History of Lovers� sound like a complete shock to the senses. Middle-track dud �Red Dust� is a faux-bluesy, forced roadhouse boot-stomper, but the closing three tracks, especially the sadly strumming, gorgeous bend and bow of �16, Maybe Less� more than recovers the fumble. In the Reins will please fans of both Beam and Calexico, and perhaps bring crossover business to each.
The Dandy Warhols: Odditorium or Warlords of Mars
Capitol, 2005
Rating: 3.3
The Dandy Warhols' first two releases featured intermittently rewarding wasted jams; the second two, commercial-friendly pop hooks. For their fifth album, The Dandy Warhols split the difference. But that doesn�t mean they make it easy for deadline-blowing reviewers scrambling for easy, analytical angles. The assertion that the first half of Odditorium or Warlords of Mars represents the initial, indulgent and unfocused stage of the Dandys' development and the back half covers the more sales-conscious post-2K Dandys doesn�t hold water. While Odditorium is rife with inaccessible feedback squalls (�Love Is the New Feel Awful�) and meandering snoozers (�Easy�), the presence of the short hoe-down stomp �The New Country� thankfully breaks up the drugged-out excesses and reveals just how good the band can be when it actually bothers to play actual songs with a discernible structure and winning hook. That's something the second half of Odditorium possesses in spades, from the comparatively tight �Everyone Is Totally Insane� to the swinging �more cowbell!� brilliance of album highlight �Down Like Disco.� There�s even a suitably trippy closer, �There Is Only This Time� -- only it isn�t the end. Reverting to the lame wastefulness of the first half, we get the near twelve-minute, tepid �A Loan Tonight.� So Odditorium contains the best and worst aspects of the Dandy Warhols. This is somehow appropriate for a band that has never quite broken through to the mainstream and ultimately sounds like its members couldn�t care less if the brass ring ever fits their fidgety, non-committal fingers.
Super Furry Animals: Love Kraft
XL / Beggars Banquet, 2005
Rating: 3.6
The sound of guitarist Huw Bunford diving into a swimming pool is the first thing you hear on the Super Furry Animals' incredibly laid-back seventh album, Love Kraft. Recorded in Spain and completed in Rio de Janeiro, Love Kraft is unhurried, smooth and easy on the ears. Opener "Zoom!" does just the opposite of its titular promise, transmitting space-junk frequencies over stoned grinner melodies. The loose and shambolic sing-along stomp of "The Horn" works in some fibrous harmonica and hammered dulcimer, but it's more Gomez-style harmless trippy blues than Exile on Main Street-period Rolling Stones lethal indulgences. The closest the band gets to the zany inventiveness of Radiator-era Furries is "Psyclone!," a rumbling, hilarious declaration of extinction that opens with a Woody Guthrie-worthy send-up: "Pterodactyl, brontosaurus, tyrannosaurus gather 'round..." Overly synthesized tracks like the flow-busting "Lazer Beam" and the fuzzy "Frequency" detract from the weenie-roast beach-chill vibe. Notably, Love Kraft is the first Furries album to feature the writing and singing of all band members, which means less frontman Gruff Rhys and presumably more variety. But aside from the noted exceptions, Love Kraft is a solidly unified-sounding work: No political rants or social observations, and, regrettably, no Welsh-language detours. Just the Furries kicking it in warmer climes and putting aside deeper concerns for the time being. Perhaps On Vacation would have been a more apt title.
Sigur R�s: Takk...
Geffen, 2005
Rating: 3.8
It�s fascinating how the intentional repetition of 2002�s ( ) -- variations on a theme that moodily shifted from bright to darker elements -- retains a freshness and stirring immediacy, while Takk..., Icelandic quartet Sigur R�s� optimistically uplifting fourth release, shifts into a cruise-control comfort zone, blissfully coasting on what has come before. If the material on Takk... rivaled the best moments on sophomore breakthrough Ag�tis Byrjun, such redundancy can easily be brushed aside as progressive refinement on a notably inventive template. The opening title track�s ethereal, alien harmonics are followed by the familiar stacked resonance and gargantuan swells of �Gl�s�li,� pretty but well shy of the altitude attained by Ag�tis Byrjun standout �Svefn-G-Englar.� And the awesome fragility attained by the nearly nine-minute �S� Lest� ultimately peters out and drains whatever momentum Takk... has established. The high points are the most conventional (and un- Sigur R�s-like). The refreshingly brief �Me� Bl��nasir� features some bracing drum effects at the end, while �Gong� retains backbone thanks to a recognizable rhythm section that prevents it from being overwhelmed by expansively synthesized melodramatics. Takk... is a beautiful-sounding record and it�s obvious Sigur R�s isn't intentionally aping its musical language to cash in on what still remains far left of mainstream art rock. To quote painter Georgia O�Keefe: �To create one's own world in any of the arts takes courage.� No doubt Sigur R�s has done just that. This works great for the locals but can leave tourists a tad restless after experiencing a similarly themed ride yet again.
V2, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Dubbed an �Everly Brothers� project by Ron Sexsmith, Destination Unknown, the singer-songwriter�s collaboration with longtime drummer Don Kerr, proves to be just that: lots of slow, honey-coated two-part harmonies about love found and (more obviously) love lost. At its best -- opener �Listen� and the (comparatively) jaunty �Diana Sweets� -- Destination Unknown glides with respectfully earnest ease through the guileless sounds of yesteryear. Indeed, on �Lemonade Stand,� Sexsmith celebrates the simplicity of micro-capitalism and, more importantly, an unfussy, youthful outlook. There�s not a shred of sarcasm in lines like �a heart must have a reason where eyes don�t understand,� from �One Less Shadow.� But the slow, shuffling pace doesn�t make for the most invigorating listen. Obviously, it isn�t meant to. This is an album intended to carry people back to another, less complicated period in their lives. Just look at the album cover: Big car in the background, adorable tyke behind the wheel of a mini-cruiser coming right at us. Consistent to a fault and imbued with an aching loveliness, Destination Unknown is a misnomer of a title, for Sexsmith and Kerr know exactly where they want this music to take us. A few bumps along the way might have helped make for a more memorable journey, though.
Barsuk, 2005
Rating: 3.7
The post-9/11 world is a scary place, but the interior of one�s heart is even more frightening. Such weighty thematic underpinnings fuel Pixel Revolt, John Vanderslice�s fifth album. Vanderslice opens from an abstract perspective with �Letter to the East Coast,� which touches on the notion of a time-traveling Joan Crawford and how lonely that can be. �Plymouth Rock� grounds itself to the modern reality of a solider in Iraq who (understandably) has second thoughts about combat after getting shot his first night out (�I lost the reason I�m here�). �Exodus Damage� cleverly ties descending tones to its lyrical conceit (�Let it fall down / I�m ready for the end�) about a wannabe anti-government terrorist, while the shimmering, tight groove-oriented �Peacocks in the Video Rain� explores the mindset of a pop star�s ultra-obsessive biggest fan. The mellotron- and Moog-powered �Trance Manual� concerns a journalist in Iraq seeking a little physical comfort from a prostitute and features one of the album�s sharpest lines: �You are a flag of a dangerous nation.� The back half of Pixel Revolt is more personal in nature -- the elegantly fragile �New Zealand Pines� recalls happier days with a former flame; the anti-depressant lament �Dead Slate Pacific� staves off suicidal thoughts while longing for a distant love. But it's pieces like �Radiant with Terror,� Vanderslice�s updating of Robert Lowell�s poem �Fall 1961� (in which dirty bombs replace nuclear war), that potently express a societal dread and prove far more resonant than the heartsick tales that are positioned to leave a deeper impression. Pixel Revolt doesn�t reconcile the political and personal, and that may be the point. But it nonetheless makes for a frustratingly uneven listening experience.
The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema
Matador, 2005
Rating: 4.1
Imagine if the New Pornographers listened to their modern peers for inspiration (specifically the Shins) and also absorbed (and regurgitated in bite-sized pop nuggets) the expansive progressiveness and experimental artiness of Genesis, Brian Eno and John Cale. The end result might sound something like Twin Cinema, the Vancouver-based nontet�s (welcome to the fold, singer-pianist Kathryn Calder and vocalist Nora O'Connor) third release. Twin Cinema has the winning distinction of being the most rocking set from the Pornographers to date -- and also the strangest. The opening title cut plays it safe, offering a burst of loud, pop and proud high-energy righteousness. Then, just when you think the waters are safe, over the edge they go with �The Bones of an Idol,� with its persistent piano chords and bizarre lyrical imagery of people on rafts fleeing with their ancient artifacts. (Allusions to the current political climate, perhaps, but obvious explanation would detract unnecessarily from the obliquely skewed enjoyment quotient.) �The Jessica Numbers� is an untamed combination of percussion and spit, elastically prog harmonies and wiggy guitar parts. �Falling Through Your Clothes� is the spookiest tune the Shins wish they�d recorded. The hard beats on the otherwise pedestrian �Use It� and fantastic �Jackie, Dressed in Cobras� imbue Twin Cinema with more muscle than prior Pornographers releases. But it�s the psychotropic, wild-abandon approach to songcraft that makes this one a keeper. If Clear Channel ignores the pop gems filling Mass Romantic and Electric Version , they�re never going to get it, so the band might as well indulge their weirder tendencies. Corporate radio�s loss is the discriminating listener�s gain.
Kanpai Records, 2005
Rating: 3.9
The debut album from California duo Indicia takes the listener to an underground groove made famous by groups like Moloko and Sneaker Pimps. Identifying Marks begins with the undeniably catchy �It�s Coming Around,� which could have actually been an outtake from the Sneaker Pimps' Becoming X. Vocalist Betsy Ullery conveys a sexy sincerity that even makes the repetitive chorus of �Corners� (�I can�t reach you� is repeated 16 times) sound genuine. While Ullery sexes up the album, David Ward meshes his influences -- Uberzone, Dubtribe and Bassbin Twins among others -- and lays a sonic backdrop perfect for a rave, relaxing on the couch or that seedy brothel downtown. Ward and Ullery have created a sonic wonder that is perfect for anyone who thinks that electronic music is just the rehashing of one beat. Don�t be surprised if Indicia starts invading more clubs around the nation soon.
Michael Penn: Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947
spinART, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Michael Penn�s wife, Aimee Mann, released The Forgotten Arm earlier this year. Mann�s album is apparently set in the 1970s and examines a relationship played out against a cross-country travelogue. Penn�s Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947 is even more explicit about its thematic point and setting. And, unlike Mann�s, Penn�s cover art and liner-note background imagery accurately reflect the post-World War II America in question. But, like his significant other, Penn uses his lyrical brush to add the barest detail to this work about busted relationships and renewed hope for finding warmth in the comforting arms of another. Aside from name-checking well-known landmarks and referencing familiar street names, brief, instrumental pieces �The Transistor� (1947 being the year of its invention) and �18 September� (the date the Department of Defense was created) and the charming �The Television Set Waltz� are as obvious as Penn comes to linking his words to the Los Angeles of yesteryear. The main focus is connecting lines like �Every good thing I had abandoned me,� from opener �Walter Reed,� with �Lose some more / Show him it�s worth dying for� from �Room 712, The Apache� before reaching the upbeat conclusion that for every ending, there�s a beginning (�On Automatic�). Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947 is Penn�s most unified sounding record (impressive considering it�s long gestation period and the varied blend of styles employed), and despite sounding overly mannered in spots (�Your Know How�), marks a welcome return from an artist whose solo work rates high regardless of the time or place it�s set in.
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 2.7
It makes sense. Sweden's Caesars had to make their lead single the most addictive song on the album. �Jerk It Out� was everywhere for a couple of months this spring -- on the radio, iPod commercials and every record store listening station. Now where are Caesars? Did they fall off the earth? Not yet, but it�s coming quickly. If �Jerk It Out� is taken off their fourth album, Paper Tigers -- as it should, since that song has appeared twice before on Caesars releases -- then the chances of this Swedish quartet being known amongst casual listeners, especially in the states, is remote. Although the music hints at the Stooges and Soundtrack of Our Lives, the album fails to warrant repeated listens. With the exception of �Jerk It Out,� �Spirit� and �It�s Not the Fall that Hurts,� the entire album is forgettable. By the halfway point, it becomes too easy to zone out and for the music to fade into the background. After a couple of listens, the slicked-up monotone becomes monotonous and repetitive, as do vocalist Cesar Vidal�s echoed vocals. The Strokes, the White Stripes and the Hives have exhibited staying power with albums that are solid from beginning to end, and Caesars try to ride the wave. Unfortunately for them, that wave has ended and the undertow will suck them back into the ocean of bands, to be forgotten just as quickly as they were found.
Bob Mould: Body of Song
Yep Roc, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Body of Song is an apt title for Bob Mould�s post-H�sker D� career-summarizing solo release. Hankering for Workbook-worthy self-examinations? The slow, simmering �Circles� (�My circle of friends is shrinking down�) and straight-ahead power rock of �Underneath Days� deliver the goods. Club kids will feel right at home with post- Modulate offerings, from the vocoderized vocals and pumping beat vitalizing �(Shine Your) Light Love Hope� to the more guitar-oriented �I Am Vision, I Am Sound.� But it�s fans of Mould�s power pop-rock trio Sugar who�ll reap the greatest reward from Body of Song. Short and cutting, �Best Thing� offers a healthy dose of sourpuss Sugar (�You just lost the best thing you never had�). Even with the excessively treated keyboard effects, the upbeat and passionately delivered �Paralyzed� is classic verse-chorus-verse Sugar. Despite being overly repetitive, �Missing You� nonetheless serves up fat power chords and signature Sugar harmonies. The duds stand outside obvious classification: �High Fidelity� is a pokey, acoustic-based ballad featuring weirdly out-of-place tubular bells; closer �Beating Heart the Prize� is a ponderously over-long, muddled exhibition of indulgent guitar parts. Body of Song is patchwork and spotty, dappled with a handful of sparkling additions to Mould�s estimable catalog. On the whole, however, it falls short of either his solo or Sugar-fueled efforts.
Sparkwood Music, 2005
Rating: 3.9
What if Moby had a hankering for the Beach Boys and decided to do a little remix? Jalopy Pop could very well be the result of such an endeavor. With the exception of the first and last tracks (which make up 15 of the disc's 56 minutes), Jalopy Pop is a dissertation on 1960s surfer rock complete with summer lovin' and groovin' on the beaches -- "Nichole's Overture," "In Your Lovin' Arms" and "Miles Away" could easily be outtakes taken right off a long-lost Beach Boys album. Bart Padar, the mastermind behind Austin, Texas-based trio, takes the '60s doo-wop sound of "Cruel World" and refreshes it by adding cryptic lyrics like, "Sometimes I wish that life as we know it would end." Overall, the mixture of electronica with the catchy rhythms of 60s surfer rock makes for an undeniably entertaining album, and will introduce another generation to just how much fun surfer rock can (and used to) be.
Parchman Farm: Parchman Farm [EP]
Jackpine Social Club, 2004
Rating: 2.3
Remember how the radio couldn't get enough of Jet's "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" The public seemed to like the fact that the band took everything that was sacred about classic rock, sucked the life out of it and made it radio-friendly. Now take Parchman Farm, a quartet from California that, within the five-tracks of this EP, manages to take Jet and suck the remaining life right out of it. Didn't think that was possible? Take a listen. The band invites comparisons to Kings of Leon, but is closer to a dirtier version of Jet, with a raspier and more annoying vocalist (Eric Shea), who plays the harmonica like he can't quite find his lips. Parchman Farm's fuzzed-out rock sounds so dirty that a shower is necessary after every listen. Thankfully, this is only five songs long. Hopefully, Parchman Farm has realized its mistake and won't come out with a full album. One soul-sucking band per generation is plenty.
Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins
Polyvinyl, 2005
Rating: 3.8
The Kevin Barnes Experience (or Of Montreal, on official documents) continues to get the funk out with The Sunlandic Twins, a worthy successor to 2004�s impressive Satanic Panic in the Attic. While still stylistically varied, and utilizing multiple movements in many of the songs, Sunlandic Twins� highlights are the ones that coax you to dust off the dancing shoes. In this respect, �Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games),� featuring a steadily pumping beat and sharp melodic ticking shift toward the end, and the punkier �I Was Never Young� work best. Big pop hooks are still very much in the mix, as well, from the energetic opener �Requiem for O.M.M.2� to the intricately structured �Forecast Fascist Future.� Barnes also can�t resist tossing out overly literary similes (�I�ve been a gloomy Petrarch with a quill as weepy as Dido,� from �So Begins Our Alabee�), and the second half lacks the spirited kick of the first. But, on the whole, The Sunlandic Twins is another laudable effort from Barnes and company.
Merge, 2005
Rating: 3.7
More akin to the gray-skied mood of Songs from Northern Britain than the energized pep of Grand Prix, Teenage Fanclub�s seventh full-length release, Man-Made, doesn�t hit you over the head with immediately accessible hooks and Bandwagonesque-memorable melodies. This is a mature, reflective work (read: repeated spins are expected to reveal the deeper layers), the sound of a veteran group content with its cult status and simply playing to its strengths: Smartly crafted guitar-pop that will appeal to the faithful and perhaps add an adherent or two. Tortoise�s John McEntire produces, but doesn�t impose overt studio gimmickry on the twelve tracks (evenly distributed among the trio of principal singer-songwriters -- Norman Blake, Gerard Love and Raymond McGinley); rather, McEntire�s mix is understated, exhibiting a not-quite-samey but uniformly smooth flow. Blake, once again, stars, with nary a dud among his four contributions (the lone rocking cut �Slow Fade� being the best). But balance is key, and thus we get "Only With You," McGinley�s lovely (if plodding) ode to monogamy, followed by "Cells," Blake�s delightfully uncomplaining ode to decay. Love�s contributions are defined by excellent arrangements, from the shimmering taffeta guitar work that closes �Time Stops� to the buttery-smooth rhythms of �Save.� Thanks to McEntire�s tight rein on the production and the still-formidable skills of the players, Man-Made finds Teenage Fanclub successfully keeping middle-age spread at bay.
Echo, 2005
Rating: 3.2
�One In Seven� is the best song on the London-based four-piece Engineers' self-titled long player. Guitars soar, drums pound, and a sense of urgency swells dramatically, ending in a powerfully symphonic cavalcade of wannabe-anthemic rock. The problem: �One In Seven� is the last song on the album. The ten tracks preceding it simply don�t measure up (though opener �Home� lands nearest). Not that there�s anything particularly horrendous with the drowsy haze of �Waved On� or the spaciously placid �New Horizons.� But for a band clearly capable of righteous storms of sound to hunker down rather than embracing their obvious gift for bombastic melody seems wasteful. The rousing �One In Seven� can�t be called a tease so much as a missed opportunity to arrest listeners� senses early on, thus keeping them involved for the duration. There�s a reason the strongest material is typically sequenced near the front: Forty minutes in, attention spans tend to drift. Engineers has structural issues; hopefully its successor will follow a better blueprint.
R�yksopp: The Understanding
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 3.8
More alive and texturally diverse than its subdued electronic debut Melody A.M., R�yksopp�s The Understanding reveals Norwegian duo Torbj�rn Brundtland and Svein Berge building on the percolating energy of Melody�s "R�yksopp's Night Out" and fearlessly expanding its musical boundaries. Melody A.M. may be a more unified listening experience, but The Understanding is considerably more invigorating. The biggest complaint here stems from the excessive emphasis on vocals, which too often fall into overlapping Pet Shop Boys tripe (�Only This Moment� being the most obvious offender). Chelonis R. Jones brings soulful resonance to �49 Percent� and The Knife�s Karin Dreijer offers an evocative, otherworldly turn on �What Else Is There?� But it�s the non-vocal tracks that leave a lasting imprint, with the jazzy, confidently expressive opener �Triumphant� and the elongated, Kraftwerk-pulsing �Alpha Male� earning the highest marks. The Understanding is one of those bold sophomore efforts that will most likely split fans of the duo into two camps, with the Air/Boards of Canada downbeaters lamenting the new direction and the dance-oriented, Basement Jaxx set reveling in the unexpected vibrancy of R�yksopp�s present sound. Let the anticipation begin for the (hopefully) anything-goes third release.
Laura Cantrell: Humming By The Flowered Vine
Matador, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Nashville-born, New York-based Laura Cantrell is obsessed with finding a pure country sound. Not the latest marketing-driven Toby Keith patriotic anthem or sugary pop confection perfected by Shania Twain: Cantrell prefers dirt-free, articulate production, with an emphasis on the stories behind the songs, a truth that goes beyond contrived lonesome ballads or Saturday night shit-kicker stomps. Humming By The Flowered Vine, her third album, is a well-sequenced blend of interpretations, originals and covers. The traditional �Poor Ellen Smith,� about a man sent to the gallows futilely professing his innocence, is imbued with an unvarnished, acquiescent insight -- as when the condemned narrator gazes from the bars of his cell and studies the grave of the woman he�s accused of murdering. The Cantrell-penned �California Rose� pays tribute to honky-tonk singer Rose Maddox, who agonized over leaving the family singing group to strike out on her own, and moves at a quick but measured clip, conveying a lot of information with easy sincerity. Cantrell brings a guarded toughness to Lucinda Williams� �Letters,� backed by some suitably sturdy guitar lines. Obviously, the peerless craft and genuflecting reverence are beyond reproach; those desiring a more progressive form are out of luck. Cantrell is all about keeping the flame of the past alight, and in that respect Humming By The Flowered Vine burns with dazzling clarity.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Self-released, 2005
Rating: 3.8
New York five-piece Clap Your Hands Say Yeah�s self-released, self-titled debut is a concrete example of a young band aping its influences and still managing to convey a discernible identity. Two major reasons lead singer/songwriter Alec Ounsworth and crew overcome sounding so familiar without offering anything unique: good taste and chops. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (CYHSY) kick things off with the appropriately titled �Clap Your Hands!,� a drunker carnival barker swoon that recalls Black Rider-period Tom Waits. The controlled minimalism of �Over and Over Again (Lost and Found),� which offers the strangely appealing couplet �A clean shave in the morning / And a full beard with no warning,� has Ounsworth affecting less-frantic David Byrne-esque vocalizations. The peppier �The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth� and �Is This Love?� find Ounsworth summoning an unholy Gordon Gano-meets-Isaac Brock strangulated yelp. CYHSY has crafted a whatever-sticks debut with meritorious replay value. The brief instrumental interludes (�Sunshine and Clouds and Everything Proud� and �Blue Turning Gray�) are fairly insubstantial, but they add variety to an already impressively eclectic mix. Slot this one under: Bands whose record collections you�d want to borrow from.
Xiu Xiu: La For�t
5 Rue Christine, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Nocturnal, nightmarish and fantastic are worthy adjectives to describe La For�t (or �The Forest� for you non-Francophiles sleeping in the back), the discordantly anti-commercial outfit Xiu Xiu�s latest psychological meltdown masquerading as a pop-rock album. Singer/programmer Jamie Stewart is still all about heavy melodramatics (�It�s impossible to just keep on living,� he professes on the relationship-gone-sour opener �Clover� as an ominous vibraphone plays), but La For�t expresses such sentiments in more creative ways than prior Xiu Xiu efforts. �Muppet Face� moves from airy synth to spookily moody rhythms and, ultimately, industrial shrieking. �Baby Captain� utilizes twisted lyrical dream logic to manifest emotional frailties in the forms of �black Phoebe� and a �white gold girl.� The aggressively violent imagery of �Saturn� (arrows stabbed through the bottoms of mouths) draws on the mythological tale of Zeus freeing his siblings from his father�s belly. La For�t�s least interesting numbers are, unsurprisingly, the most straightforward (the guitar-and- bass-driven �Pox�) and those that go overboard on the metal-scraping production elements (�Dangerous You Shouldn't Be Here� and the closing �Yellow Raspberry�). That La For�t is ultimately a difficult, uneven work fits the Xiu Xiu M.O. to a T. This isn�t a band looking to be loved so much as it desires a swift kick in the teeth. Alas, reaction to such obvious sadomasochistic goading exceeds the energy threshold of this reviewer.
The Magic Numbers: The Magic Numbers
Heavenly/EMI, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Siblings Romeo and Michele Stodart and Sean and Angela Gannon comprise the Magic Numbers, a group enamored with sweet harmonies and lovelorn melodies. The quartet�s self-titled debut displays an impressive range of styles, from the soulful pop devotional �Mornings Eleven� (�I would die for you�) to country-tinged ballads (�Wheels On Fire�). And while the lyrics tend toward the generic and vapid (�She don�t love me like you,� from �Love Me Like You�), the primary appeal of Magic Numbers is the lovely harmonizing, especially the back-and-forth interplay between Romeo and Angela on �I See You, You See Me.� The closing �Hymn For Her� -- tacked onto �Try� after a pointless stretch of silence akin to far too many so-called "hidden tracks" -- is a wonderful ode to love�s redemption (�I've been hurt before, but all the scars have rearranged�). It packs an emotional wallop that blows away the superficially polished preceding tunes; it's here that the �magic� of the Magic Numbers glows brightest. With more tracks like this one, the nascent foursome will truly have an album worth crowing about.
Atlantic, 2005
Rating: 3.3
If it ain't broke, don�t fix it. Not the most original axiom, but it's an appropriate one, considering the criticism lobbed at the Missy Elliott-Timbaland tandem for recycling prior efforts. 2003's This is Not a Test! sold poorly and didn�t wow the reviewing cognoscenti (this site being an exception). Hence, something had to change. The Cookbook is the Big Shakeup in the Missy Elliott camp: Producer Timbaland has been cut back to two tracks, and an army of other producers ushered in to collaborate with Elliott. Aside from breaking any uniform flow the album might have had, this only reinforces just how strong the artistic symbiosis between Elliott and Timbaland is. It�s hardly a coincidence that the first two tracks belong to Timbaland and stand as high as anything else offered. The amusing, thematic table-setting �Joy� has Elliott trying out a bizarre Jamaican-Romanian accent that doesn�t really work, but does allow her to list the numerous guest-star �ingredients� featured in the mix. It�s Timbaland's stripped-clean beats that stand out, masterfully rising and falling behind the raps of Elliott and Mike Jones. �Party Time� is a high-energy dance-floor explosion, with Timbaland ratcheting up the beat and setting the bar for the subsequent club tunes. Those that measure up include the '80s-beat sampling �Lose Control� and the Rich (�Crazy in Love�) Harrison-produced banger �Can't Stop.� The Neptunes-engineered �On & On� is less successful, with its overly familiar revving-power-plant rhythms doing little to complement Elliott�s razor-sharp rhyming. �Click Clack� is a raunchy �in da club� throwaway that craters due to a tired beat and lame flow. Toss in a handful of ballads with R&B songbirds (the uneven, intermittently brilliant �My Struggles� being the highlight), and The Cookbook is complete. Too bad the final dish is an over-baked confection that falls well below its primary chef�s abilities.
Son Volt: Okemah and the Melody of Riot
Transmit Sound/Legacy, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Okemah and the Melody of Riot (Okemah being a tip of the cap to Woody Guthrie�s Oklahoma hometown and "Melody of Riot" being, well, an indication of the rollicking melodies to be found within) is nominally the fourth studio effort from Jay Farrar's Son Volt. It's also the first in nearly seven years, not counting the recent Retrospective from a few months back. Of course, considering that lead singer/songwriter Farrar is the sole returning original member, you could call it Son Volt 2.0. That's not likely to matter to Farrar's faithful fans: Despite the revamped lineup, Okemah sounds like a Son Volt record. That is, there are little of the exacting production tics that defined Farrar�s intervening solo albums, and lots of pedal steel and slide guitar. Regardless, it�s all tied together by the signature sound of Farrar�s untreated, nasally warble and crypto-Americana lyrics (like �Updated consciousness / knocking on doors,� from the mid-tempo opener �Bandages & Scars�). Whether making a refreshingly non-finger-pointing anti-war statement (�Endless War� and its �same result, different name� outlook -- �Still trying to understand / How another wrong makes a right�) or waxing nostalgic for a musical/mythical America long gone (�Afterglow 61� and the aforementioned �Bandages & Scars� which includes the affectionate acknowledgement �The words of Woody Guthrie ringing in my head�), Farrar imbues the material with genuine and passionate concern. This is not a man who stands in the mirror, affecting the perfect pose before gigs. And, despite taking few chances thematically or musically, the reincarnated Son Volt delivers a tight, nothing-wasted set. And if it drums up some additional tourism for Woody Guthrie�s birthplace, well, so much the better.
Waterproof Blonde: The Morning After the Night Before
Crash Avenue Entertainment, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Waterproof Blonde is a tease. On its debut album The Morning After the Night Before, the band briefly exudes the raw intensity that shot Garbage and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs into the big time (although its sound is more bluesy and less electronic or fuzzed-out, more like the Donnas or the lesser-known Honey Tongue), before kicking back into rock/pop mode and coasting the rest of the way. Gritty tracks like "Hold Me Down" and "Feel" showcase singer Rachel Hagen's vocals, which are the audio equivalent to a kick in the head. Unfortunately, those are the only two tracks -- which happen to be the first two on the album -- to do so. The middle of the album tends to drag, especially on "Parade" coming right after "Fall on Her" -- both reminiscent of No Doubt's "Simple Kind of Life" in that they don't really climax, but are decent enough to satisfy most musical palates. Note to Waterproof Blonde: If you have two songs that sound exactly the same, don't put them right next to each other. The band tries to bring the same intensity at the end of the album with "Supermodel Craving" and "Tackle Queen," but it seems canned and uninspired. Overall, The Morning After the Night Before isn't bad, but the promise of the first two tracks is never fulfilled.
Warp, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Multiply is Jamie Lidell�s tribute to �60s soul and �70s funk. The erstwhile Super_Collider collaborator hasn�t entirely lost touch with his techno roots, however. Multiply successfully melds programmed beats with Lidell�s fearlessly elastic croon. Check out the overdubbed, digitized baritone and faux falsetto on �A Little Bit More� or the spot-on Otis Redding homage of the title track, complete with Otis-aping lines like �Stuck between my shadow and me� as the synthetic beat keeps perfect time. The brassy funk of �Newme� and the whir-and-shuffle, stuttering shout-speak of �When I Come Back Around� also merit special mention. Multiply sacrifices cohesion in its quest for stylistic diversity, but it�s a bravura tour through the smooth sounds and hot jams of yesteryear.
Fountains of Wayne: Out-of-State Plates
Virgin, 2005
Rating: 3.0
The cover of Out-of-State Plates, Fountains of Wayne�s sprawling two-disc compilation of B-sides, rarities and previously unreleased material, shows a collection of junked cars. Well, at least the band�s honest about the contents. Simply put, barring a few notable exceptions, these are the songs that either weren�t good enough or didn�t fit into any of the New Jersey-based group�s proper releases. Older cuts -- the brief, heartfelt �Places� and the only slightly longer, closing �Imperia,� which, according to the liner notes, pays tribute to singer Chris Collingwood�s grandfather -- leave an impression, as do a pair of new songs: the classic power-pop gem �Maureen� and "The Girl I Can't Forget," a playful ode to drunken confusion. For those who didn�t spend time and money tracking down decent but hardly revelatory songs like �California Sex Lawyer� or �Elevator Up� and are eager to hear a too-serious stab at Britney Spears� �...Baby One More Time,� Out-of-State Plates capably does its palate-cleansing job, setting the table for the eagerly awaited successor to Welcome Interstate Managers . Besides, one person�s junk is another person�s treasure. Happy hunting.
Transdreamer, 2005
Rating: 3.4
To accurately describe Dressy Bessy's style, one might well use the term "bubblegum punk". "Pop punk" currently has too much of a connection to teenage angst, and there's hardly a song on Electrified that can be considered less than exuberant. (When was the last time liner notes listed band members as playing "guitarz", or a lyricist used the phrases "wiggin' out" or "stop foolin'"?) The band addresses traditional pop concerns like fame, bad relationships and falling in love, while coating Tammy Ealom's sung-spoken vocals with some nice hooks, guitars for texture, and dependable drums and bass for the rhythm. Britt Myers keeps the production fairly minimal, adding some piano and vocal dubbing, but otherwise this is the raw guitar rock of youth. The problem is that uncomplicated joy mixed with uncomplicated rock can be taken for only so long. While "Side 2", "Stop Foolin'" and "Electrified" contribute an excellent one-two-three opening, and "Who'd Stop The Rain" is a lovely country break from the rest of the album's summery vibe, on the whole Electrified offers too much syrup. "HelloHelloHello" sports the saddest guitar hook in the world, possessed of such exuberance but paired with a melody that just weighs it down. "It Happens All The Time" merits extra points for pulling the album out of the perceived second-half slump, but it's not quite enough. If Dressy Bessy were a girl, she'd be charming, endearing and cute, and you'd spend dates in some combination of trips to the malt shop and making out in the back seat of your car. But after getting home each night you'd read Goethe for a few hours to make up for the lack of conversation.
Pernice Brothers: Discover a Lovelier You
Ashmont, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Discover a Lovelier You, the fifth Pernice Brothers record, bears familiar hallmarks of the band�s previous efforts. There�s English Lit vocabulary (�Tontines and silly oaths and hyperbole,� from �Sell Your Hair�), cheeky, pop-culturally relevant titles (�My So-Called Celibate Life�), and Biblical allusions (�Fingered wounds proved I had been dead,� from �Pisshole In The Snow�), all tied together by unlucky-in-life-and-love story-song sketches. Where Discover a Lovelier You falls short is in the hooks department. Yours, Mine and Ours was just as literate and lovelorn, but enjoyed far more memorable choruses. �Saddest Quo� is Discover's classic Pernice Brothers track, catchy and quick-witted, despite some baffling declarations like �Wandering through like a head of tetra cyclic cattle.� Despite lead singer/songwriter Joe Pernice�s MFA-backed smartness of songcraft, the Pernice Brothers slot solidly alongside bands serving up one three-minute pop gem after another, like the Magnetic Fields and the New Pornographers. In that regard, Discover a Lovelier You is a modest triumph, and certainly not indicative of the group�s best work.
Geffen, 2005
Rating: 3.8
On the title track of Van Morrison�s Magic Time, the nothing-left-to-prove Irish troubadour sings, �You can call it nostalgia / I don�t mind.� Boy, doesn�t he. Morrison continues to revel in some quasi-romantic, pre-1970s period of pop culture, a Brigadoon of Celtic-flavored, misty-eyed blues-rock. Opening the album with a song called �Stranded� and announcing how adrift he feels in modern times might be stating the obvious, especially when Morrison follows it with a track called �Celtic New Year,� whose title and Astral Weeks-period sound veers dangerously near self-parody. It�s also rather confounding to pick up the tempo with a determined tune like �Keep Mediocrity at Bay� and then follow it up with safe, to-the-half-note-faithful Frank Sinatra and Perry Como covers (�This Love of Mine� and �I'm Confessin',� respectively) that neither update nor transform the compositions into distinctively Morrison-esque interpretations. But, missteps aside, Magic Time delivers that familiar blanket on a chill winter�s day vibe, and Morrison fans will thankfully bury themselves under it. �Evening Train,� with its steady chug-along beat and familiar harmonica, and the par-for-the-course �Gypsy in My Soul� won�t move mountains in the search for something unexpected and daring, but they more than do their jobs. Besides, at this point, the notion of Morrison using a vocoder and musing about dark futures over detached electronic beats just wouldn�t seem right. We�ll call it nostalgia and accept that Magic Time isn�t meant to overreach its guaranteed target market.
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian just want to break free on JackInABox, the South London pop-folk duo Turin Brakes' third release. On �Fishing for a Dream� they seek �somewhere where we can be ourselves.� On �Over and Over,� Knights urges, �let�s get lost in space� because �I�m stuck in a rat race.� �Above the Clouds� reinforces the desire to escape the terrestrial binds of work and traffic jams, emotionally draining personal entanglements and dead-end encounters. Even the warm ode to bustling city life, �Building Wraps Round Me,� exudes a claustrophobic heaviness. At its best, JackInABox manages a smooth flow undercut by genuine pain. �Road to Nowhere� offers no false sentiments with lines like �everyone�s dying or curling up in pain.� Elsewhere, �Last Clown� features a jazzy coda that takes Turin Brakes� sound into an adventurously fresh direction. Undermining these positive elements are tracks like �Forever,� with cloying, trite lines like "I�m infected by your love," with the narrator declaring himself "chemically changed" by the experience. Turin Brakes' stab at funkier material, �Asleep With the Fireflies,� sounds like a send-up of Counting Crows (�I�ve been hanging around / My head in my hands and my feet on the ground�). In a nutshell, JackInABox lacks the consistent flow of The Optimist LP and doesn�t match the sturdy songcraft of Ether Song .
Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock and Roll
Fierce Panda / The Orchard, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Sex, drugs and rock �n� roll is so over as a lifestyle choice for the aspiring musician. The South London quintet Art Brut claims as much throughout its charming, almost-but-not-quite-there-yet debut, Bang Bang Rock and Roll: �I just want a girl to hold my hand,� moons singer Eddie Argos on the title track, while the hopeful bent of leadoff single �Formed A Band� aspires to bring peace to the world. Art Brut�s sharp guitar lines and hefty beat won�t win many points for originality, but it�s hard not to root for a band that so guilelessly examines the awkward romantic entanglements of youth. Reticence in the heat of the moment is nakedly exposed on �Rusted Guns Of Milan,� and the thrill of finally hitting a horizontal home run is deliriously celebrated on �Good Weekend,� with its dizzy-headed pronouncements (�got myself a brand new girlfriend�) and chest-thumping, Tarzan holler of a chorus (�I�ve seen her naked, twice!�). Art Brut�s best move, however, is dedicating a song to the one that got away -- �Emily Kane,� in this particular instance, with its endearing sentiment, �I hope this song finds you fame.� Frenzied throwaways like �Modern Art� and vapid observations like �popular culture no longer applies to me,� from �Bad Weekend,� keep Bang Bang Rock and Roll from attaining that rarified feel of unveiling something truly special. But on the strength of its virginally gobsmacked confessional numbers, Art Brut undoubtedly merits �remember the name� grading.
Young God/ Revolver, 2005
Rating: 3.3
If Iron & Wine�s Sam Beam formed a barbershop quartet, it might sound something like the warm and fuzzy folk stylings peppering Akron/Family�s self-titled debut. Backing up this notion are the roundabout, yearning �Suchness� and gentle love paean �I'll Be On The Water,� which professes to have �Lightning bolts in my chest� for its object of affection. Akron/Family favors far messier production techniques than Beam, however. Sounds of fiddling with the tape machine, presumably for authenticity�s sake, and assorted digital blips and bird samples abound. While this formless and free approach has an undeniable lo-fi charm, the canned effects emphasize the artificiality of the recording process, not the �in the wild� spontaneity seemingly aimed for. But thanks to artists like Joanna Newsome and Devendra Banhart, sun-glazed folk with idiosyncratic flourishes is the sound du jour for many in the indie rock community; just don�t imagine you�re intercepting something never intended for a ten-dollar latte-sipping public. Akron/Family has definite talent, but less forced naturalness, tighter song structures and greater emphasis on appealing harmonies could only help the group in its quest to conquer the known musical universe, or, at the very least, the corner organic foods mart.
Okkervil River: Black Sheep Boy
Jagjaguwar, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Austin rock outfit Okkervil River�s fourth release, Black Sheep Boy, is verbose and labored. Singer and songwriter Will Sheff has no trouble tossing out SAT-approved vocabulary words like "abecedarian," but the biggest problem stems from a lack of groove. Black Sheep Boy never flows, despite the seamless transition between tracks and obvious thematic links concerning helpless lambs, royal archetypes and stone-cold lovers. On �The Latest Toughs,� Sheff wedges in an awkward �author�s note� and encourages listeners to fill in the subsequent pause with their own musings. Such meta-participatory gimmicks undermine the emotional heft Black Sheep Boy so earnestly tries to impart. The least wordy tracks, unsurprisingly, prove the most effective, as on �In a Radio Song,� where the music is allowed to shift and expand without being bound to some ruler-straight notebook of pronouns and synonyms. Black Sheep Boy has bold ambitions, but Okkervil River hasn�t quite reached the point where polished execution equals or surpasses preliminary concept. Prescription: Less abecedarian, more instinctive melody.
Brian Eno: Another Day on Earth
Hannibal, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Here�s an easy summation of Brian Eno�s latest solo album, Another Day on Earth: A seamless integration of early, post-Roxy Music vocals and later, moodier ambient compositions. But that doesn�t tell the whole story. Another Day on Earth does feature the heaviest vocal work from Eno in more than a quarter of a century (discounting his 1990 collaboration with John Cale). But the majority of the vocals are so tweaked and treated, morphed and modulated as to simply lose any sense of the man himself. Underscoring this point is Eno�s least processed performance on �How Many Worlds,� which features a tinny piano and Eno�s voice refreshingly front and center, asking unanswerable questions like, �How many people will we feed today?� Tellingly, the least affected-sounding track is one of the most affecting of the bunch. Mostly, though, we get words buried beneath trance-like ambient snowdrifts (�And Then So Clear,� �Going Unconscious� and �Caught Between�). The most powerful moment arrives at the end, and isn�t even performed by Eno. Aylie Cooke�s eerily detached spoken-word work on �Bone Bomb,� about a young suicide bomber, hits hard and ends the album on a powerful note. Those eager for another �Baby�s On Fire� from Eno will have to satiate themselves with this gut-punch of a highlight.
ATO, 2005
Rating: 3.4
It�s rather fitting that bluesy rock outfit Gomez�s first release for Dave Matthews� ATO label is a double live set. Spotlighting the group�s jam-oriented tendencies and leaning heavily on material from the British sextet�s first two albums -- the Mercury Prize-winning debut Bring It On and the similarly structured Liquid Skin -- Out West works best when it extends the studio cuts. �Here Comes the Breeze� and �Revolutionary Kind� especially benefit from this sweaty-workout approach, allowing greater interplay between band members and a more spontaneous sound. The two covers prove hit-and-miss, with a meatier stab at Nick Drake�s �Black Eyed Dog� segueing nicely into Bring It On�s �Free To Run.� A growling attempt at Tom Waits� �Going Out West� buttresses just how great the original is. Out West�s main drawback is pacing; despite being drawn from a trio of sold-out shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco earlier this year, there�s little sense of momentum. Even simply taking the highlights from the three performances and stitching together a set list that builds to a rousing finish (greater crowd feedback, clearly delineated encores, and so forth) would have helped convey what a Gomez live show feels like. Instead, its rousing peaks and studio-same-y valleys defeat the entire purpose of a live document.
Domino, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Kieran Hebden�s fourth Four Tet album, Everything Ecstatic, jumps all over the musical map, from crashing cymbal-squalling frenzies (�A Joy�) that trigger recollections of fellow laptop composer Dan �Caribou� Snaith�s work, to deliriously explosive percussion that could put on smile on the face of peerless jazz drummer Rashied Ali. But the overall sound of Everything Ecstatic pushes in fresh directions for the compositionally questing Hebden. Familiar folktronica structures have been torched for insurance money now financing a new, freewheeling approach that can loosely be summed up as jazzy Orientalism. Touches of this stylistic shift colored 2003�s Rounds , but Everything Ecstatic proves an emphatic break with the charged-particle, pastoral energy so prevalent on Dialogue and Pause. The breakneck, Polynesian tribal rhythms of �High Fives� and the metropolitan pulse of Hong Kong on �Turtle Turtle Up� are the most obvious examples of Ecstatic�s strong Asiatic focus, but everything crystallizes on the closing, intimate �You Were There With Me,� which conjures images of meditating on a peaceful Sunday afternoon as lazily swaying chimes play. The low-energy, nocturnal hip-hop vibe of �And Then Patterns� fails to mesh nearly as well, and the dispensable �Fuji Check,� doesn�t have enough time to develop into an interesting detour or serve as a transitional segue between more substantial tracks. Consequently, Everything Ecstatic doesn�t come together as solidly as prior Four Tet releases, but it unquestionably contains the blueprint for far greater explorations to come.
System of a Down: Mezmerize
Columbia, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Mezmerize is the first of two System of a Down (SOAD) releases due out this year (the second, Hypnotize, drops in the fall). Like the genre-hopping metal band�s previous releases, Mezmerize is unapologetically up-front about its politics -- case in point: "B.Y.O.B.," with strident anti-war couplets like �Why don't presidents fight the war? / Why do they always send the poor?� And, as has been the case since the group�s self-titled 1998 debut, the melodies have progressively become more integral to the overall mix of angrily opinionated lyrics and rapid-fire chord changes. "B.Y.O.B." alternates between a jarring Red Hot Chili Peppers-style refrain ("Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time / Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine"), frantic thrashing, and Elmer Fuddian "Lalala"s. �Sad Statue� manages to make the chorus �You and me / We'll all go down in history / With a sad Statue of Liberty� hummable. �Violent Pornography� serves up the choice finger-snapper �Choking chicks and sodomy.� But it�s when SOAD takes a more bizarre slant that the band�s originality and sense of humor shine. �This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song� features the Zappa-worthy verse �There's nothing wrong with me / There's something wrong with you / Don't eat the fish,� while �Radio/Video� may be the world�s first accordion-based metal song. More tracks like this would help offset the exhaustive laundry list of pissed-off concerns. Mezmerize is on par with 2001�s Toxicity as SOAD�s best offering to date. Hopefully, Hypnotize will up the ante further while easing up on the lead-foot activist pedal.
Belle & Sebastian: Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
Matador, 2005
Rating: 3.9
Fans of the Scottish pop group Belle & Sebastian have been waiting for its new compilation, Push Barman To Open Old Wounds, for quite a while now. The band is famous for releasing singles and EPs filled with exclusive material (excepting "The State I Am In", off of Tigermilk) -- a trend reversed with the string of singles from Dear Catastrophe Waitress -- and Push Barman is a self-proclaimed "budget priced" double CD that compiles the seven singles/EPs released on Jeepster: Dog On Wheels, Lazy Line Painter Jane, 3...6...9... Seconds of Light, This Is Just A Modern Rock Song, Legal Man, Jonathan David and I'm Waking Up To Us. In addition to simply being a package for the band's more obscure tracks, the album nicely spans its shift from folksy, melancholy introspectiveness to light summer-pop, with the former contained on the first disc and a mix of the two styles on the second. The songs all sound less cleanly produced than any of the full albums, so this is probably not the best introduction for neophytes. At the same time, it's an excellent bridge between the band's two styles for someone who owns just one album, and is enough of a blend of sweet, sad, happy and romantic to last for quite a few spins. On "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song", singer Stuart Murdoch claims, "We're just four boys in corduroy / We're not terrific but we're competent." Push Barman is a pleasant confirmation that this line sells Belle & Sebastian short.
At the Drive-In: Anthology: This Station Is Non-Operational
Fearless, 2005
Rating: 3.9
Given that At the Drive-In split into two diametrically opposed bands -- the conventional rock outfit Sparta and aggressively outr� The Mars Volta -- the career retrospective Anthology: This Station Is Non-Operational is a welcome refresher course on what solid music can come from the tension born of competing musical philosophies. Running (mostly) chronologically, Non-Operational opens with the raw, frenetic �Fahrenheit� and evolves to the discrete, start-stop dynamics of the band�s final studio release, 2000�s Relationship of Command, personified by the bracing �One Armed Scissor.� As the El Paso-based group�s proficiency increased, so did the experimental nature of its sound. The recorded turning point of ATDI, 1999�s Vaya EP, is well represented here by �Metronome Arthritis� and �198d.� This is where the battle between easily discernible melodies and more progressive jams plays out most obviously: a tug-of-war that ends in a draw but results in an incredibly thrilling listening experience. The non-LP material that fleshes out the rest of the anthology is less rewarding. �This Night Has Opened My Eyes� is a comparatively straight cover of the Smiths� original, as is a suitably wiggy workout of Pink Floyd�s �Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk.� Also, the only cuts represented before 1997�s El Gran Orgo is a more inspired live rendition of Acrobatic Tenement�s �Initiation" -- there's nothing from the early EPs Hell Paso and Alfaro Vive, Carajo! While that's hardly essential stuff, it still would have been nice to have a track or two included, thus presenting a more thorough overview of ATDI�s career.
MCA, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Be is an appropriate title for Common�s latest release. Short, assertive, and to the point, it�s a perfect header for an album filmed with equally concise, self-assured and message-heavy tracks. Clocking in at less than 43 minutes (in comparison to the hour-and-twenty-minute, brilliant but uneven Like Water for Chocolate and 2002�s near-75-minute, eclectic, captivating, Electric Circus), Be finds Common (Lonnie Rashied Lynn), along with producers Kanye West and Dilla, avoiding filler and excessive guest appearances in favor of tight rhymes and soulful, homogeneously smooth beats. The joy of sex (�Go!�) and respecting the Almighty (�Faithful�) coexist peacefully in Common�s musical universe. One curious choice, given the appealing flow, is the inclusion of a live version of �The Food,� jarringly noticeable thanks to an introduction by Dave Chappelle and before-and-after audience reaction. Perhaps Common wanted to shake up the effortless vibe, but it definitely throws off the warm consistency present throughout. Be won�t win many points for daring, but in terms of user-friendly hip-hop charged by a refreshingly positive undercurrent, it more than hits its hard-to-miss mark.
Smog: A River Ain't Too Much to Love
Drag City, 2005
Rating: 3.0
The parentheses bracketing his performing handle may be gone, but Bill Callahan's 12th Smog album, A River Ain't Too Much to Love, follows a wearyingly familiar template: Deliberately ruminative vocals; spare arrangements; welcome faster-tempo songs offering a brief respite from barren stretches of snail-paced tracks. Death and redemption (�Say Valley Maker�), a supportive family (�Rock Bottom Riser�) and recollections of youth (�Drinking at the Dam�) form the thematic center of the album. At times, Callahan's penchant for clever phrasings gets the better of him, as on �I'm New Here,� which comes off like a less inventive Silver Jews cut, offering such Dave Berman-lite lines as �She said I had an ego on me / The size of Texas� and �No matter how far wrong you�ve gone / You can always turnaround.� With its skipping beat and lively fiddle, �The Well� is a highlight, even if the notion of confronting one�s self while staring down a dark well falls flat. The album's other highlight, the closing �Let Me See the Colts,� features some solid drumming by Jim White of the Dirty Three, while Callahan asks �Is there anything as still as sleeping horses?� Yes, Bill, there is: a motionless river.
Saddle Creek, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Maria Taylor (one half of Azure Ray and a member of Now It's Overhead ) steps squarely to the fore on 11:11, an enjoyable if not arresting debut. Moving from electronically tweaked dream pop (�Leap Year� and the lovely, hook-laden �Song Beneath the Song�) to folky, monochromatic pieces reminiscent of M. Ward�s recent work (�Speak Easy�), Taylor ties it all together with her understated, graceful pipes. �One for the Shareholder,� the album's highlight, sports a noticeable dance-floor groove, complete with breathy vocalizations, references to a �cold box of cheap red wine� and noncommittal sex. This no-strings-attached moment hits hard and leaves a bruise. The bulk of 11:11, however, is diluted by the liberally applied digital sheen glistening off the majority of the gauzily abstract arrangements.
Interscope, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Steady as she goes, with a lyrically apocalyptic bent, defines The Wallflowers� fifth full-length release, Rebel, Sweetheart. Jakob Dylan and company have never strived to make anything grander than good old-fashioned, guitar-driven rock records. And producer Brendan O�Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) delivers an immaculately crafted, every-note-in-place recording that is as confidently executed as it is formulaically inoffensive. Rebel, Sweetheart�s main point of interest lies in Dylan's topically doom-and-gloom outlook. �Days of Wonder� cynically wishes the war in Iraq a happy birthday; �The Passenger� claims, �I�m not responsible for how lost we are.� �Here He Comes (Confessions of a Drunken Marionette)� bitterly contends, �A guilty conscience means at least you�ve got one.� At its bleakest, �We're Already There� grimly observes, �No amount of nightmares would ever compare / To the thought of only silence in this ghost-filled air.� At times, Dylan overreaches with his imagery, as on the tenebrous �God Says Nothing Back,� singing, �As teardrops from a hole in heaven come / Overhead like ravens dropping down like bombs / Through the morning silver-frosted glow.� Obviously Dylan enjoys the Wallflowers setup, but it�s interesting to consider what a solo album, less burnished and pristine, might sound like from the son of arguably the most famous solo artist in rock history.
The Coral: The Invisible Invasion
Deltasonic, 2005
Rating: 3.8
The Coral�s third full-length release (or third-and-a-half, if you count last year�s mini-album Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker ) reveals a band that has outgrown the youthful exuberance exhibited on "Spanish Main," from the Hoylake sextet�s debut . Likewise, the spirited optimism of "Pass It On," from 2003�s Magic and Medicine , is ill-suited for the paranoid, edgy and deliriously unsettled tenor pervading The Invisible Invasion. Singer James Skelly is convinced there�s a �conspiracy in the corridors� on the moodily catchy �Cripples Crown,� all the while dodging snooping satellites overhead. The frantic �The Operator� deals with an unlucky chap who�s taken away and has his head drilled into. �Leaving Today� is stuck with �sorrows until tomorrow.� But such unhinged material is simply a warm-up for the strangest yet most assured song the group�s recorded. Lyrically surreal, yet pointedly relevant given the hotspot of today�s global conflicts, �Arabian Sand� builds on insistently humming keyboard lines and fierce middle-bridge guitar histrionics to Skelly�s defining, whisper-to-a-mad-raver line: "Can you dance with the lepers in the madman's house?" It�s political commentary devoid of the obviousness of a polemic -- and the hook is fantastic. The Invisible Invasion is far from a masterpiece (tracks like the unimaginative jangle-rock number �So Long Ago� and the underdeveloped, dispensable �In The Morning� help to ensure that), but it encouragingly signals a definite progression in the Coral�s thematic and arrangement skills. Let�s hope the world isn�t such a scary place to live in come the band�s next release.
Dave Matthews Band: Stand Up
RCA, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Stand Up, the Dave Matthews Band�s first collection of brand new material since 2001�s Glen Ballard-produced Everyday (2002�s Busted Stuff being re-recordings of earlier songs), is a more rough-hewn, randy affair than its overly slick, pop-polished predecessor. The most obvious difference is Matthews� vocal style, which isn�t artificially treated or Pro Tools-masked, but more raspy and weather-beaten (if not an outright drunken slur, as on the opening �Dreamgirl,� which finds Matthews crooning, �And after a good, good drunk / You and me wake up and make love after a deep sleep�). Musically, Stand Up may not be as obviously pop-oriented as Everyday, but producer Mark Batson (India.Arie, The Game, 50 Cent) does his best to coax radio-friendly, if uninspired, rhythms from the band. �Hello Again� adds some welcome funk into the mix, and for the live DMB diehard, there�s the extended jam closing out �Louisiana Bayou.� On "Stand Up," Matthews urges listeners to do just that, but it sounds like he�s trying to convince himself. Lack of energy and a dearth of hooks adds up to one of the most tepid releases Matthews and his crew have released. Must be worn out from all those live gigs.
Zoe, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Being the daughter of Katie McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III -- and the sister of Rufus -- all but guarantees that Martha Wainwright will have to contend with high expectations for her debut. And despite too-frequent instances of heavy-footed production, which buries Wainwright�s gorgeous, sandpapery vocals, Martha Wainwright delivers a one-to-listen-for unveiling. The best moments are the least adorned, with the unsubtly titled �Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole� (Clear Channel certainly wouldn't approve) towering over the remaining twelve tracks. The opening line ("Poetry has no place for a heart's that's a whore") sets a confessional tone that punches holes through the professional artifice of the studio and exposes an utterly vulnerable Wainwright, her guitar and spare accompaniment. �Who Was I Kidding?� manages a similar if less emotionally potent effect. Imagining an all-acoustic version of Martha Wainwright hints at the true potential lurking beneath the strings and high-calorie programmatic flourishes that, while undeniably pretty, detract unnecessarily from the eponymous focal point. Here�s hoping for a considerably more naked second act.
Virgin, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Four years, G-sides and remix collections and several million units moved find Gorillaz in a surprisingly downbeat mood. For the collective�s sophomore effort, Demon Days, "Clint Eastwood" has been replaced by the actor�s grim, vigilante-with-a-badge character �Dirty Harry.� The intro samples from the Dawn of the Dead soundtrack, which segues into the moribund �Last Living Souls.� That primary primate Damon Albarn has swapped Dan The Automator for Grey Album baker Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton as his chief collaborator, and brought in a Who�s Who roster of guest stars (from an Ike Turner piano solo on �Every Planet We Reach Is Dead� to actor Dennis Hopper reciting the terrible fate of the Happy Folk in �Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head�) belies the �just a fun side project for the Blur frontman� image. Gorillaz is big business now, and what may have started out as a virtual cartoon cooking up a dub-hip-hop-indie-electronica stew has boiled over into a too-serious stab at global commentary sprinkled over gristle-tough beats. The aforementioned �Dirty Harry,� with its funky rhythms and thankfully not-too-heavy-handed strings, and �Feel Good Inc.� (featuring De La Soul) are worthy of the debut. But �Kids With Guns� and �O Green World� both exhibit their woe-is-the-world message too obviously, offering flavorless tasters. Granted, the world isn�t exactly better off since since the last Gorillaz album, but that doesn�t mean we need to be reminded of it by a loose collaborative outfit that will never be mistaken for the Clash when it comes to political or social consciousness. If anything, Albarn should have never lost the �sunshine in a bag� he carried around on the last album; we could really use some of it now.
Monade: A Few Steps More
Too Pure, 2005
Rating: 3.2
So distinctive is Laetitia Sadier�s weightlessly elegant singing style -- easily slipping between Anglo and French vernaculars -- that any side project is invariably going to be judged against her day job as the voice of Stereolab. In the case of the first Monade release, 2003�s Socialisme ou Barbarie: The Bedroom Recordings, Sadier took six years on the project and it came across as a low-key, personal collection that revealed a more intimate portrait of its creator. A Few Steps More is just that... only with a full band supporting the vocalist this time around, and from the opening, lounge-y bars of �Wash and Dance,� it�s near impossible not to judge the material against recent Stereolab offerings. And, other than a pair of under-a-minute sketches (�Dittysweep� and �Dittyah�), what�s heard is a less-adventurous-sounding Stereolab. The spacey grooves of the title track and the hushed melodies of �Paradoxale� are pleasant enough, but simply don�t resonate as strongly. Besides, Sadier�s already got a full-time band, which is part of what made The Bedroom Recordings so appealing and different in the first place. Fleshing out Monade only reinforces what great chemistry Stereolab possesses. And that�s a few steps in the wrong artistic direction, especially if Sadier�s interested in distinguishing herself apart from the Groop.
The Dresden Dolls: The Dresden Dolls
8ft., 2004
Rating: 4.1
Goth rock and cabaret? Well, the Dresden Dolls call it Brechtian punk cabaret. On their self-titled debut, they manage to bring a gothic edge to a piano/cabaret sound not normally heard in any type of music, except select theater attractions. Pianist/vocalist Amanda Palmer displays the sarcasm and lyrical wit of a P.J. Harvey or Fiona Apple, especially on �Gravity� (�If I could attack with a more sensible approach / Obviously that�s what I�d be doing... right?!�) and the opener �Good Day� (�You�d rather be a bitch / Than be an ordinary broken heart�). But it's the other half of the Dolls, Brian Viglione, who steals the show with very brief, subtle solos and sounds; on �Coin-Operated Boy� as Palmer sings �I can even take him in the bath,� the percussionist inserts a perfectly placed rubber-duck squeak. The Dresden Dolls excel in the unexpected, going from head-bobbing kiss-offs like �Good Day,� �Bad Habit,� and �Gravity� to gender-questioning full-throttle assaults like �Girl Anachronism� and �Coin-Operated Boy.� The piano-and-drum sound is fuller than one would expect; first-time listeners will find it hard to believe that the Dolls are only a duo. Based on the talent on The Dresden Dolls, they could become one of the few acts to sell out stadiums with a cult following instead of mainstream appeal.
Quasimoto: The Further Adventures of Lord Quas
Stones Throw, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Helium-inflated vocals? Twenty-six tracks, most subdivided into a scatterbrained series of micro-skits? Ultra-smooth, jazzy beats and vintage synthesized samples? Yes, the following hip-hop profile can only fit one suspect: Lord Quas, underground champion of 2000�s The Unseen, and alter-ego of super producer Madlib (who will one day cash Social Security checks as Otis Jackson Jr.). Still operating out of the Lost Gates neighborhood, a stoned state of mind located near Oxnard, CA, Quasimoto celebrates getting high (most overtly on �Greenery,� although memory-impairing recreational excursions inform the entire experience), not being played by women (�Hydrant Game�), nuclear destruction and alien invasions (�Civilization Day�) and environmental disasters (�Tomorrow Never Knows�). Throughout, Madlib impressively manages to keep the proceedings from slipping into total chaos. Even so, there�s a frustrating sense of intentional subterfuge throughout. Obviously, that�s Lord Quas� modus operandi: ADD-rattled observations on life, the universe and every hallucinogenically-lacquered blunt ever rolled. But it can�t help but undermine the momentum, especially on pieces like the two-minute, criminally truncated �Strange Piano,� which fuses a spacey composition with Quas� dissociative pop-cultural name dropping (Dennis Hopper and Chewbacca?). Such are the mad beauty and aggravatingly gratuitous throwaway gems to be found on The Further Adventures of Lord Quas. Normality has no known address in this proficiently skewed neighborhood.
Petra Haden: Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
Bar/None, 2005
Rating: 3.5
On Petra Haden�s first solo album, 1996's Imaginaryland, the accomplished violinist recorded a multi-tracked a cappella record, complete with an Enya cover and music by Bach. The Who Sell Out provides an even greater challenge for Haden�s vocal mimicry. From the opening, vocodered �seven days of the week� announcement on �Armenia City in The Sky� to the soaring rhythmic gymnastics of �I Can See For Miles,� Haden near-flawlessly replicates the structure of the veteran British band�s acclaimed 1967 album. Obviously, given the personnel and equipment limitations, Haden�s Who Sell Out isn�t as full-bodied or emotionally gripping as the original. But it is a marvelous display of overlapping solo voice, taking an artistic gamble that could too easily have come up snake eyes and delivering more than a mere novelty, Richard Cheese-style subversion of popular music. For Haden�s next dare, how about Who�s Next, or, at the very least, an a cappella stab at �Baba O'Riley�?
Geffen, 2005
Rating: 1.7
It�s somehow fitting that a line from Shakespeare�s The Tempest, quoting Prospero renouncing the use of magic, appears in the liner notes of Weezer�s fifth (and weakest) release, Make Believe. For whatever enchantment the quartet cast on listeners over the past decade has a good chance of being completely dispelled thanks to this overblown yet paradoxically self-deprecating effort. Singer Rivers Cuomo writes meek lyrics better suited to acoustic guitar accompaniment and little more. Indeed, Make Believe might sound more sincere if the precision-metal production didn�t steamroll Cuomo�s lyrical misery in bombastic arrangements featuring factory-issue power chords and a MOR-safe rhythm section. Big label bucks are invested in Weezer�s endearing brand of geek rock, no matter how incompatible with the whiney, cowering-in-a-corner content of Cuomo�s songs. �Perfect Situation� embodies this paradox, marrying peppy handclaps to lines like �I don�t want to be lonely for the rest of my days on the earth.� �Pardon Me� features Cuomo offering apologies to everyone he�s ever even remotely offended anywhere, backed by a supercharged pop arrangement. Maladroit may have been unfocused and inconsistent, but at least it rocked. And even Pinkerton -- which if anything managed to be even more miserable -- served up memorable hooks. The breezy (with the occasional threatening storm cloud) �Blue� and �Green� self-titled releases retain solid replay value. Make Believe is an unappealing mix of by-the-numbers product smothering a battered psyche. It simply doesn�t work. On the blandly obvious �This Is Such A Pity,� Cuomo asks, �How did things get so bad?� If Cuomo's lucky, he'll get a chance to answer that question on the next album.
Lucinda Williams: Live at the Fillmore
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Ah, let us revisit the self-indulgent double live album, staple of hard rock acts in the �70s, from Thin Lizzy, who more than delivered the goods with Live and Dangerous, to Led Zeppelin�s bloated, dreary The Song Remains The Same. Thanks to the storage capabilities of the compact disc, double live releases today can be even more overstuffed and unrestrained. Left-of-center country luminary Lucinda Williams� Live at the Fillmore offers the best and worst aspects of the format. Fillmore is a cherry-picked assortment of songs from three November 2003 shows and, unsurprisingly, heavily features cuts from her last two studio albums, Essence and World Without Tears -- (18 of the 22 songs featured here, to be exact). This being Williams� first live release, it would have been nice to hear more of her earlier material, especially considering that several of the high points come from the underrepresented back catalog. �I Lost It� (which first appeared on Happy Woman Blues before receiving its definitive recording on the classic Car Wheels on a Gravel Road) kicks off the brawnier, more engaging second disc, followed by an excellent rendition of Sweet Old World�s �Pineola� and, later, a fierce, stretched-out interpretation of Car Wheels� �Joy,� which finds a jazzed Williams proclaiming �We got the mojo workin� tonight.� Fillmore�s first set suffers from a samey repetitiveness, all sad-slow ballads and too-intimate sketches that fail to quicken the pulse the way a live album should. Closing with an assertively rocking version of �Changed the Locks� and the dirty boogie �Atonement� help redeem the disc (somewhat). Considering that Fillmore isn�t drawn from a single show, it�s baffling as to why the slower numbers are bunched together and the more exhilarating songs pushed nearly an hour into the listening experience. As a result, the album falls somewhere between Thin Lizzy and Zeppelin on the double live barometer.
Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth
Nothing/Interscope, 2005
Rating: 3.8
It's been five years since The Fragile, Nine Inch Nails' last proper studio effort. That engaging album revealed NIN maestro Trent Reznor to be more concerned with expanding the sonic experimentation heard on 1994's landmark The Downward Spiral than with solidifying his status as a generation's icon of fetishistic misery -- a Morrissey for the Ministry set, if you will. With Teeth is a half-step backward, largely streamlining his electro-metallic compositions and, in the process, giving more prominence to lyrics designed to resonate with isolated types who derive some measure of identity from the psychic toll of strained relationships (whether they're romantic, familial or just plain fucked-up in nature). Tight, thudding drums (courtesy of Dave Grohl) and crisp arrangements occasionally give way to abrupt swells and semi-jarring turns, but the effect is understated, not calling attention to itself the way grandiose songs on Spiral and The Fragile often did. While that makes the songs less immediately memorable -- there's no "Closer" or "Head Like a Hole" here -- they're nonetheless ingratiating, and the album as a whole takes less time to digest than those earlier, more ambitious efforts. Reznor can still rage with textbook efficiency, as on "You Know What You Are?," but With Teeth's most affecting moments are those where he pulls back a little, as exemplified by the talk-singing cadence and almost funky rhythm of "Only." Reznor doesn't attempt to bludgeon the listener with either overreaching musical ambition or awkward lyrical poignancy, making With Teeth that rare animal: a Nine Inch Nails record that doesn't force a false sense of visceral urgency.
The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday
Frenchkiss, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Singer/lyricist Craig Finn and his fellow Hold Steady players revisit much of the same turf first heard on the band�s impressive 2004 debut, Almost Killed Me . Separation Sunday is less a sophomore effort than a continuation of Finn�s documenting of people he has known and the group�s desire to unapologetically rock out. Characters like the morally loose Halleluiah (called Holly by her friends), menacing pusher-pimp Charlemagne and freewheeling Gideon (the �cowboy on the cross-town bus� from Almost�s �Sweet Payne�) make return appearances. And Finn�s juxtaposition of the sacred and profane has been sharpened to a fine point: �Your Little Hoodrat Friend� mentions Jesus and a tattooed phrase on a girl�s lower back that confidently proclaims �Damn right you'll rise again.� There are literary references, from Nabokov�s pedophiliac Humbert Humbert on opener �Hornets! Hornets!� to a diverse group of writers (William Butler Yates and William Blake, being two of the more notable ones) name-checked on the frenetic �Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night,� not to mention repeated lists of saints and kids desiring to be saved before destroying themselves. Separation Sunday isn�t quite on par with Almost Killed Me, primarily because it won�t stun listeners with its freshness. Only the next record will tell whether Finn exhausts his reservoir of tales before consumers lose interest.
Yep Roc, 2005
Rating: 4.1
Oceans Apart, The Go-Betweens ninth album -- and third in the last five years -- finds dual front men Grant McLennan and Robert Forster (ably backed by the rhythm section of drummer Glenn Thompson and bassist/keyboardist Adele Pickvance) exploring everything from the distance between London (where the bulk of the album was recorded) and the Australian band�s home base of Brisbane to the beauty and solitude of Tasmanian geography. It�s also the most self-assured album McLennan and Forster have made since reuniting after an extended hiatus during the 1990s. Forster�s �Here Comes a City� kicks things off with a moody tale of train travel that features aggressively bristling guitar lines and wickedly barbed observations like �Why do people who read Dostoevsky always look like Dostoevsky?� McLennan�s �Boundary Rider� reaches back to his Queensland legacy, revisiting the same terrain as the band�s �80s-period single �Cattle and Cane,� cleverly juxtaposing the fences meant to keep cattle hemmed with a young man�s yearning to escape the rural world of his forbearers and find a greater purpose in life. Forster makes similar observations on �Born to a Family,� working off of a nice change-of-pace skiffle beat and sketching the story of a bright-bulb lad not cut out for blue collar life. Other highlights include Forster�s recollection of �Darlinghurst Nights,� nearly two decades back, when a colony of artists and bohemians operated on the fringe outside Sydney, and McLennan�s romantically melancholy �The Statue,� which somehow manages to pull off a line like �The sunrise seeks you through a maze of dragons� with straight-faced aplomb. If 2000's The Friends of Rachel Worth was a tentative warm-up and 2002's Bright Yellow, Bright Orange an encouraging but inconsistent workout, Oceans Apart is the sound of two artists hitting a self-assured and motivated stride.
Stereolab: Oscillons from the Anti-Sun
Too Pure, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Stereolab�s brilliantly titled Oscillons from the Anti-Sun is a three-disc, 35-song box set (plus a no-frills DVD of band videos and television appearances) that culls from eight EPs and, presumably, frustrates dedicated followers who�ve spent hundreds of dollars over the years tracking down this hard-to-find and import only material. Guitarist/programmer Tim Gane sequences the tracks in non-chronological order, thus depriving listeners of easily charting Stereolab�s sundry stylistic shifts over the years. Regardless of mode, however, there�s no mistaking the distinctive Stereolab sound -- from the dense, Velvet Underground-aping �Golden Ball� to the experimental electronic noodling found on �Les Yper Yper Sound,� the signature blend of Laetitia Sadier's and Mary Hansen�s airy harmonies, backed by Gane and the rest of the band�s agreeable electro-rock rhythms, remains intact. Gane deserves credit for spacing the band�s more familiar pieces (�Cybele's Reverie,� �Jenny Ondioline,� �The Noise of Carpet�) across the three discs, which avoids front-loading the obvious selections and helps spotlight lesser-known but equally impressive songs like �Off On� and �Escape Pod.� A convenient way for novices to discover what all the fuss is about and veteran fans to round out their collections, Oscillons is another valuable addition to the copious Stereolab catalog.
Architecture in Helsinki: In Case We Die
Bar None, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Aussie octet Architecture in Helsinki progresses dramatically in ambition and proficiency on In Case We Die, the successor to Fingers Crossed, the exuberantly eclectic pop band�s 2004 debut. Hand and power tools are listed among the numerous instruments; vocal duties are handled by committee, often overlapping and serving up choral group-sized harmonies. Stylistically, In Case We Die is like a Jackson Pollock drip painting, chaotic and bustling. The peppy stamp of �It'5!� is balanced by the start-stop restlessness of "Frenchy, I'm Faking." Likewise, the piano drone of �Maybe You Can Owe Me� offers temporary calm before the horn-blast dance stunner �Do The Whirlwind� hits. The sub-four-minute title track (complete with the amusingly appended �Parts 1-4�) and subsequent, scatterbrained �The Cemetery,� which moves from country to new wave to punk in rapid fire succession, affirm Architecture in Helsinki�s determination to avoid being pigeonholed. Somehow, like Pollock�s art, this swirling, colorful melodic kaleidoscope works. Rhythmic continuity is so over.
Edan: Beauty and the Beat
Lewis, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Scratches and samples, bubbling sci-fi synth effects and liberal usage of a mini-Moog define the sound of hip-hop historian/DJ Edan�s Beauty and the Beat. Refining the ideas at play on his blueprint-sketching debut, Primitive Plus, Edan ventures into deep space for its successor, perhaps trying to catch the signals that left Earth back in the �80s, carrying the sound of MC heavyweights like Big Daddy Kane, Ice Cube and KRS-One beyond the humble confines of the Milky Way. Not that Edan limits himself exclusively to battle-rap artists from two decades back: Beauty and the Beat finds Edan spitting, and featured MCs like Mr. Lif and Insight rhyming over hard-rock chords and acid-drenched psychedelic rhythms. �Rock And Roll� conveys a sense of going to a light show while listening to Pink Floyd�s Dark Side of the Moon. The overall feel is of an academic exercise in hip-hop cultural anthropology -- Edan doesn�t want people to forget the nascent years of the movement. �Open your ears and listen,� he urges on the introductory �Polite Meeting.� Not to worry. Based on the lesson plan laid down here, future classes should fill up quickly.
Aimee Mann: The Forgotten Arm
Superego, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Aimee Mann�s The Forgotten Arm has been billed as a concept album about an ex-Vietnam vet and boxer named John, and Caroline, a woman he meets at the Virginia State Fair and winds up driving across the country with in the early 1970s. Based on the pulpy, late-�40s style artwork by Owen Smith decorating the liner notes and a dearth of era-specific details contained within the lyrics, there�s very little grounding Mann�s concept to the period in question. If anything, lines like "The King of the Jailhouse and the Queen of the Road" hearken to a much earlier timeframe, and even the few �70s-style cultural references we do hear (like Calvin Klein jeans) barely register. Essentially, Mann is rehashing familiar themes prevalent throughout her work: Co-dependent relationships, crippling addictions and emotional upheavals. Once the contrivance of The Forgotten Arm�s vaguely sketched plot device crumbles, there are still solid tracks to be found. �Goodbye Caroline� features a beautiful melody and lively arrangement; �Video� shows off Mann�s gift for clever lyrical turns (�It�s all loops of seven-hour kisses, cut with a couple near-misses�). Producer Joe Henry manages to move things along with a consistent (though a tad samey) flow, and the brass by West End Horns on �King of the Jailhouse� adds a welcome shine to the primarily guitar- and piano-based compositions. For better or worse, The Forgotten Arm, lyrically and musically, sounds like yet another Aimee Mann album. Which is great for fans, though even they may start wondering at what point Mann takes greater chances with her material than providing it with a superficial facelift.
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 2.9
Ryan Adams had something to prove with his 2000 solo debut, Heartbreaker. Taking what he�d learned from alt-country bellwether Whiskeytown and showing he could capably strike out on his own, Adams crafted an album that remains the finest of his still-budding career. But then Gap commercials and the energy-draining fame game supplanted musical progression in favor of neatly slotting into a People magazine personality configuration. Despite such distractions, Adams remains as prolific as ever, with the double-disc Cold Roses (credited to Adams and his backing band, the Cardinals) being the first of three releases this year. Cold Roses� first set is by-the-numbers, brokenhearted MOR fare, sometimes maudlin (�When Will You Come Back Home?�), infrequently dramatic (the piano-driven �How Do You Keep Love Alive�) and mostly forgettable. The second disc redeems Cold Roses from an even-less-enthusiastic recommendation. It�s looser and more jam-oriented than the first half, not nearly as constrained by Adams� mournful examinations of love, life and lies. And the Cardinals finally make a discernible impression, especially on �Easy Plateau� and the lively, surefire single candidate �Let It Ride.� The larger issue is what Adams plans to do with his talent over the long haul. He can craft catchy, just-left-of-traditional country-rock tunes in his sleep. The problem is, there�s no great award for songwriting prolificacy. Cold Roses displays an artist on auto-pilot, with the intermittent flash of genuine originality reaffirming why Adams continues to have the cachet to record with febrile abandon.
Warp, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Autechre�s eighth full-length, Untilted, reveals electronic tunesmiths Sean Booth and Rob Brown reclaiming the digital groove of the duo�s fertile mid-�90s period. The catch is that it still sports the dehumanized metallurgist influence of 21st-century Autechre releases Confield and Draft 7.30 , which challenges listeners to burrow deep down the digital rabbit hole in order to tease out the densely layered melodies. Initial salvo �LCC� provides a good example of this technique; jumping off with a repetitive stamp, like some unattended machine pounding out beats only automated equipment can truly appreciate. Halfway through, things shift to a spikier groove, which adds a brief respite from the opening, mechanized melodic onslaught. There�s a greater sense of motion as sounds are elongated and allowed a little welcome breathing room. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the intense �Augmatic Disport,� where mulch beats are obliterated almost as soon as they burst into existence. Closing, quarter-hour long �Sublimit� manipulates stark 4/4 beats and elicits a near-hypnotic sense of propulsion -- just don�t worry over the destination, for only the Autechre brain trust knows for certain. Untilted lives up to its title, finding Booth and Brown unbowed in their belief that clinical repetition and street-smart hip-hop beats can coexist in the universe. But it�s a big universe, and there are times when locking onto the exact coordinates Autechre�s transmitting from can be a long, cold and lonely chore.
The Books: Lost and Safe
Tomlab, 2005
Rating: 4.2
Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto find pale shelter in retreating from a fight on the duo�s third Books release, Lost and Safe. Though it's never explicitly stated, it�s not a big stretch to correlate the album�s title and quoting of recursive phrases like �I want all of the American people to understand that it is understandable that the American people cannot possibly understand� as a reaction to America's current Homeland Security-trumps-personal freedoms climate. The Books find folly in not fighting back, facetiously claiming, �We know to seek success is utter nonsense� on the stark, aptly titled �A Little Longing Goes Away.� The sharper-edged �Be Good to Them Always� grimly portends �This great society is going to smash.� �Smells Like Content� succinctly sums up red-colored, East and Left Coast election-night despair: �Expectation leads to disappointment.� Musically, Lost and Safe is the Books� most lyrically verbose release. Not that the duo�s familiar use of pop-cultural touchstone samples and cut-and-paste approach to song construction has fallen by the wayside (though �If Not Now, Whenever� suffers from a channel-surfing approach, never establishing a sustainable rhythm). Lost and Safe may be about outing those reticent to challenge the established world order, but it�s paradoxically the most confident the Books have sounded. For a prime illustration of this, listen to �An Animated Description of Mr. Maps� (which sounds like the twosome broke into Tom Waits� tool shed for some welcome percussive assistance), a clever description of an everyman and no-man, a person so excessively detailed as to be practically non-existent by song�s end. 2002�s Thought for Food and 2003�s The Lemon of Pink established the Books as a brainy collaborative with a talent for assembling interesting snippets of found sounds and hip dialogue; Lost and Safe is an expression of two artists who are neither lost nor playing it safe.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: B-Sides and Rarities
Mute, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Pity the diehard Nick Cave fan who's spent the last twenty years striving mightily to get his hands on every flexi-disc, 7-inch platter and stray compilation on which the priapic Australian tunesmith�s songs have appeared. Conversely, kudos to the latecomer who�s new to the savage wit and crimson-soaked wisdom of Cave, who along with his backing band, the Bad Seeds, have made some of the most viscerally exciting, literate and idiosyncratically arresting music of the past two decades. The unsurprisingly hit-and-miss B-Sides and Rarities collects 56 tracks that run the gamut from the expected alternate or acoustics takes of familiar tunes to howling-mad peculiarity (�King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O� being the ideal representative of this particular type). B-Sides and Rarities can best be summed up by a five track run that comes near the end of the second of its three discs. The cartoonishly lurid, three-part (plus reprise) �O'Malley's Bar� (slotting into the justifiably underrepresented �massacre ballad� genre) and beautiful �Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum� (which cheerily translates to "Dread the passage of Jesus for he will not return") succinctly embody both the range of Cave�s talent and his excessiveness to the point of self-parody. B-Sides and Rarities is a loosely chronological run through the history of a band that has never been easily pigeonholed. While two discs might have been more effective, the sheer overkill of this collection is par for the course for Cave and his supporting players. When things have gone too far, Cave�s just warming up. Beware all ye who enter here.
Damien Jurado: On My Way to Absence
Secretly Canadian, 2005
Rating: 3.8
On My Way to Absence is Damien Jurado�s self-described "tribute to jealousy," a 12-track exploration of one of humankind�s most volatile and destructive emotions. Hardly fallow territory for any artist, and certainly familiar turf for the Seattle-based urban-folk singer (see Jurado�s last full length, Where Shall You Take Me? ). On My Way to Absence addresses its main thematic inspiration in both frustratingly sketchy (�Lion Tamer� and its unresolved wordplay, �The gun in the drawer / The long distance call / A story to tell�) and bluntly direct (�I�m a sinking ship tied to my lover�s waist,� from the string-laden �Night Out For The Downer�) ways. And Jurado makes every word count, blessed with a guilelessly raspy delivery -- underdog pipes singing for outcast truth-seekers everywhere. The most interesting aspect of Absence is Jurado�s co-production with long-time collaborator Eric Fisher. From the prevalence of nakedly obvious strings to the use of brass on �Icicle,� it�s obvious Jurado was looking to make use of the studio for more than recreating a stripped-down busker�s street-corner environment. Ironic, or unsurprising, then, given his strengths, that Absence�s best moments are the least fussed over. The direct, affecting �Fuel� is simply Jurado and his guitar; �Lottery� finds Jurado and Rosie Thomas (who joined Jurado on Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska) handily employing their vocal talents, backed by an uncomplicated arrangement. Not that Jurado�s studio experimentation is a total bust. The elemental fuzz-rocker �I Am The Mountain� successfully marries treated vocals and roaring guitars to excellent effect. But Jurado�s arrangements will never be confused with Radiohead�s; Kid Absence, this is not. What Absence is, is another solid addition to Jurado�s commendable catalog.
Sanctuary, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Mick Jagger was definitely onto something when he famously sniffed that he couldn't imagine singing "Satisfaction" well into his old age, even if he hasn't yet followed through on that idea just yet. There comes a point at which rockers "of a certain age" simply look ridiculous plowing the same furrows that made them famous some 20 or 30 years earlier. But Billy Idol, apparently, is not one of those rockers. Devil's Playground, his first release since 1993's forgotten Cyberpunk, finds the sneering, spiky-haired punk-pop icon partying like it's 1984, when songs like "Rebel Yell" and "Flesh for Fantasy" made him a bona-fide star. (He's even recruited guitarist Steve Stevens, who jumped ship after Rebel Yell, to provide some much-needed guitar muscle, making the record a little more metal-based than punk.) But it's not just the music that hearkens back to the '80s, it's Idol himself, who sounds as if he's gotten his hands on Dorian Gray's portrait and stashed it in a vault with all those unsold copies of Whiplash Smile. "Rat Race" agreeably approximates the power-balladry of "Eyes Without A Face," while "World Comin' Down" is a spirited, likable throwaway homage to 1970s punk-pop. "Sherrie" is his version of Iggy Pop's "Candy," a sugar-sweet pop number that embeds itself in the memory long after you'd expect it to evaporate. Songs like "Scream" and "Body Snatcher" sag a bit due to some trite lyricism, but they're enjoyable enough, and "Romeo's Waiting" is a surprisingly engaging tale of unrequited lust. "Cherie" and "Lady Do Or Die" even sport a low-key country-ish vibe, for which Idol proves disarmingly suited. Sure, Billy Idol's always been a bit of a cartoon character, but on songs like the balls-out pop-metal opener "Super Overdrive," a questionable cover of "Plastic Jesus" and the abominable yule log "Yellin' at the Christmas Tree," he's wise enough to embrace that status just enough to make it work for him rather than against him. This is just well-executed, fun rock 'n' roll. Devil's Playground sounds like the album he should have (and could have) recorded 20 years ago to follow up 1983's breakthrough hit Rebel Yell. If he had, there's a good chance Idol's career would have taken a much different path.
Brendan Benson: The Alternative to Love
V2, 2005
Rating: 3.5
The Alternative to Love, Brendan Benson�s third and most polished full-length release, doesn�t sport as many memorable tunes as 2002�s Lapalco . In terms of execution and craft, however, it reveals just how far the singer-songwriter has come since his 1996 debut, One Mississippi. The opening couplet from �Gold into Straw� (�I'm writing the words to this song with a poison pen / I'm turning straw into gold and then back again�) and epic-pop, Phil Spector-worthy production of �The Pledge� reinforce Benson�s standing as one of the finest.�60s pop-classicist tunesmiths currently working. Lyrically, Benson retreads Lapalco�s exuberantly downbeat examinations of love and loss. �Spit It Out� tries to assume a brave face in regards to moving beyond a failed relationship (�Start all over when it's all over�); �Cold Hands� plays on the contradictory emotions so common to working through a bad patch in a partnership, from claiming �There's no future for us� to wanting to go back to the way things were. What a Benson album will sound like if the artist ever decides to articulate a feeling of happy suburban commitment is anyone�s guess. For a winning formula primer, he might want to get a hold of Ben Folds� number.
Amon Tobin: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory OST
Ninja Tune, 2005
Rating: 3.2
Chaos Theory, Amon Tobin�s soundtrack for the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3 video game, is built on repetitive beats, befitting level replays deep into the night. As such, it�s hardly the most inspired release by the talented electronic composer -- although the moodily cinematic opener �The Lighthouse,� complete with suggestively menacing strings and shimmering rhythms, stands proudly alongside Tobin�s better compositions. Additionally, the complementary �Kokubo Sasho Stealth� (all snaky, jazzily couched reserve) and �Kokubo Sasho Battle� (assertive and climactically rousing) impressively reveal Tobin�s versatility in regards to balancing mood and tempo. But the bulk of the album is dominated by situational loops, from the pulse-quickening �Ruthless� to the watery, sonar-blipping �Theme From Battery� and the glitchily familiar �Displaced�. An unnecessary, denuded reprise of �Ruthless� further amplifies the dearth of ideas at play here. There�s little doubt that Chaos Theory does what it's meant to do: provide solid background noise to special-ops, night vision-wearing virtual stealth warriors. Compared to the rest of Tobin�s catalog, however, it�s merely a mildly engaging diversionary maneuver.
Glen Phillips: Winter Pays for Summer
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 3.6
On his second solo studio album following the dissolution of 1990s pop-rock powerhouse Toad the Wet Sprocket, Glen Phillips cements his musical post-Toad identity in a way that his previous effort, 2001's Abulum, didn't quite accomplish. Winter Pays for Summer showcases the singer's knack for insinuating melodies, married to lyrical explorations that manage to be introspective without being self-obsessed. That thoughtful bent translates into some slower numbers whose melodies aren't as immediate as one would expect ("Courage"), although "Half Life" proves winsome even without a buoyant pop hook. Clearly, Phillips is aiming for a higher ground, one where his songs don't rely solely on their hummability. That's a worthy goal, and a roster of respected guest performers known for intelligent pop � among them Jon Brion, Dan Wilson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic), Ben Folds and Andy Sturmer (Jellyfish) -- helps Winter reach it more often than Philips has done in the past. Occasionally, however, the album is hampered by an occasionally simplistic lyric (the opening "Duck and Cover," from which the album's title comes, suggests that life's ups and downs "cancel each other out") or slightly self-serious moment ("Gather"). Still, at its best -- the ingratiating "Thankful," the slowly rousing "Cleareyed," "Easier" -- Winter offers intelligent, catchy rock with a slight folksy undercurrent (this is a Lost Highway release, after all) that rewards repeated listening.
British Sea Power: Open Season
Rough Trade, 2005
Rating: 3.0
If Brighton-based quartet British Sea Power�s 2003 debut The Decline of British Sea Power was wildly all over the place in terms of musical cohesiveness and spot-the-influence name-checking, its sophomore salvo Open Season is more clearly defined, though far less adventurous. The group has narrowed its focus to unmemorable guitar-driven rock numbers that fail to inspire repeated listens. Once again, the shade of Ian McCulloch in his Echo & The Bunnymen prime hovers over singer Yan�s English moor-haunted, wounded romantic vocals, with occasional possessions reminiscent of Psychedelic Furs (�Be Gone�) and Belle and Sebastian (�The Land Beyond�). �It Ended On An Oily Stage� makes the strongest impact, conveying a sense of urgency that the rest of the album never quite rivals. The busy �How Will I Ever Find My Way Home?� is overly repetitive, while the pretty, generic �Please Stand Up� lacks any lyrical specificity. British Sea Power might be enamored with Anglophilic history (�Victorian Ice�) and fragmented Antarctic ice shelves (�Oh Larsen B�) but, despite obvious talent and wit, it fails to leave more than a marginal impression.
Kathleen Edwards: Back to Me
Zoe, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Back to Me, Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards� follow-up to her 2003 country-infused debut, Failer , is an apt title. The notion of returning home, be it to family, a lover, or oneself, permeates the 11 tracks. Lyrically, Back to Me could be labeled Back to Failer, as many of the songs rework/refine the busted-romance angle Edwards apparently only scratched the surface of the first time around. �In State� echoes Failer�s "Six O'Clock News," involving a woman fed up with her outlaw lover who turns him in, truculently observing �Maybe 20 years in state will change your mind.� The spurned heroine of �What Are You Waiting For?� proves just as cutting, with lines like, "You say you like me in your memory / You've got to be fucking kidding me." The best moments, unsurprisingly, are among the freshest. �Pink Emerson Radio� skillfully interweaves moving to a new city with the recollection of escaping from a fire and struggling with which possessions to save and which to forsake. The closing �Good Things� simply celebrates the reliable security blanket that is one�s family. Musically, the title track is a bluesy rocker that adds welcome variety to the mid-tempo flow, and the addition of brass on �Somewhere Else� helps brighten the back end of the collection. Overall, Edwards' touring band -- and especially producer/guitarist Colin Cripps -- provides a tougher, more expressive sound than the studio-buffed Failer set. Back to Me is a solid successor to Failer, though at some point Edwards is going to have to toss aside the sour-relationship crutch if she truly wants to distinguish herself from the rest of the country-rock crowd.
M83: Before The Dawn Heals Us
Mute, 2005
Rating: 3.9
The galaxy of electronic pop-meisters M83 has been cut in half. Nicolas Fromageau has left the fold, leaving Anthony Gonzalez to his own dark devices. Before The Dawn Heals Us is the blood-quickening nocturnal complement to Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts � sun-drenched, sky-watching reticence. If Dead Cities was an electronic soundtrack to a moderately engaging nature film, Before the Dawn Heals Us is the reasonably successful score to an artsy French thriller. Gonzalez opens big with the cosmic awesomeness of �Moonchild,� layering big drums and spacious synthesized �ohms� behind spoken-word claptrap involving creation and meaning, being and... well, you get the idea. Cojones audaciously displayed, Gonzalez shifts to the more earthbound �Don't Save Us From The Flames,� featuring a shrieking explosion of percussive, scorching metal and electronic fuzz. The most uplifting moment is one of the least dramatic, however: �Farewell / Goodbye,� a breathy duet between Ben & Cyann�s Ben and Big Sir singer Lisa Papineau, proves genuinely affecting thanks to the performers' abilities to convey heartbreak with whispered understatement. The antithesis of that understatement is �Car Chase Terror!,� in which actress Kate Moran acts out the imperiled-victim-in-a-car routine, serving up cringe-worthy lines like �Mom is going to keep the Devil away.� Gonzalez may have wanted Moran�s bit to be intentionally cheesy, but it simply falls flat. On the whole, Before The Dawn Heals Us is a more unified, singular vision than Dead Cities. Despite losing half its energy, the galaxy of M83 burns twice as bright.
Kings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak
RCA, 2004
Rating: 3.8
Ah, the vagaries of sudden fame. No two people are affected quite the same. In the case of Kings of Leon, the U.K.'s enthusiastic reception of the Southern-flavored quartet�s debut, Youth and Young Manhood , has left the group slightly bewildered but mostly emboldened. The band�s sophomore effort, Aha Shake Heartbreak, documents the insane pressure-cooker life of a young touring band. From meaningless hook-ups (�Slow Nights, So Long� and its jaded observation �I hate her face, but enjoy the company�) to the zoned-out weariness of �Rememo� and its intimation of staring out a plane window, too wired to sleep but too exhausted to do anything but vegetate, the three Followill brothers (and cousin Matthew) have clearly been on a whirlwind ride for the past two years. Fortunately, the band has grown tighter and considerably more confident in its musicianship. The starkly naked �Milk� is whittled to a bare-bones rhythm and singer Caleb�s nearly inarticulate, tersely delivered lyrics. �Razz� is a funkier number, with lines like �Sweet mutilations of a sold to nothing man / Lord have mercy / Shake is falling through your hand� that sound like transcribed glossolalist hymns. And it�s that primitive, spontaneously interpretative vibe that makes Aha Shake Heartbreak such a peculiarly distinctive record. If Youth and Young Manhood was Kings of Leon tentatively using well-tested implements, Aha Shake Heartbreak is the sound of a group boldly forging a unique identity from common tools that have been stripped of all pretense and decoration.
Beggars Banquet / XL
Rating: 3.8
The back-story on Maya �M.I.A.� Arulpragasam can easily overshadow whatever artistic endeavors the young, London-based MC pursues. Forced to flee her native Sri Lanka at age 10, leaving behind a father who was a Tamil freedom fighter (and whose nom de guerre provides the title for M.I.A.�s debut), Arulpragasam grew up in a tough council estate, learned English, and soon discovered music and painting as outlets for dealing with her turbulent upbringing. Unsurprisingly, then, Arular can be interpreted from a variety of angles. On the one hand, it�s an electronically infused dance record with a predilection for stripped-down Banghra and Jungle beats. It�s also a stridently militant record, offering slogan-like lyrics (�Every gun in a battle is a son and daughter too�), delivered by M.I.A. with liberated gusto in a unique ESL-bent, staccato chant. The notion of sex as a weapon is explored in lines like �Load up, aim, fire fire, pop� from �Fire Fire�, as well as in surprisingly blunt demands like �You can stick me / Stab me / Grind me or wind me,� from �Hombre,� a song about a woman�s self-destructive relationship with a married man. Sometimes, though, a weapon is just that: injurious and often lethal. The two singles that got M.I.A. noticed, the suicide bomber ode �Sunshowers� and the ridiculously bouncy �Galang,� close the album and remain among the strongest tracks she�s done. Arular is an impressive first outing, even if it does suffer from repetitive drill syndrome (see: �10 Dollar�) and too often favors a smart hook over offering anything politically relevant to say (�I got the bombs to make you blow / I got the beats to make it�). Considering where she�s been, however, there�s no question that brighter days lay ahead for M.I.A., regardless of how long she engages the music business.
V2 / Mute
Rating: 3.7
In the liner notes to Hotel, Moby states that, whether he likes it or not, he�s �messy and human.� (As opposed to, say, the more efficient but less entertaining tidy and robotic.) And Hotel easily lives up to that assessment. Forsaking samples, Moby shifts his focus this time around to harder beats and radio-friendly pop hooks. His voice is also nakedly exposed, unmodulated and free of Pro Tools reconfiguration. Dueting with Laura Dawn (formerly of the all-girl punk ensemble Fluffer), Moby, for better or worse, gets his groove on. If Play was gospel music for the �no time for church� digital set and 2002�s 18 a cosmic-flavored initial stab at more straightforward dance-pop, Hotel is the culmination of Moby�s shift from detached electronic noisemaker to, well, a Vegan-friendly Bono. Positive tracks like �Lift Me Up,� with its pumping rhythm, and the inspiring �Beautiful� are catchy, emotionally charged sketches celebrating the chaotic business of being human. Despite working in a more organic setting, Moby still finds time to pay tribute to heroes of synthesized mood music from yesteryear: �Spiders� is so derivative of the mid-�70s collaborations between Davie Bowie and Brian Eno that Moby should consider paying the pair royalties. The New Order cover �Temptation,� on the other hand, is a completely new song, less urgent and more repentant. To appease Moby�s inner robot, there are the graceful structures populating a bonus disc filled with more than an hour�s worth of expansively smooth ambient compositions. Hotel is Moby�s �comfortable in his own skin� release. It's certainly not the most bracing thing he's ever done, but it's hardly disposable pop dreck. For a guy who once put out an album called Everything Is Wrong, he currently sounds like everything is, if not ideal, at least noticeably upgraded.
Damon & Naomi: The Earth Is Blue
20/20/20, 2005
Rating: 3.7
The Earth Is Blue, the sixth release from ex-Galaxie 500 members Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, is a dewy dream-pop affair that favors vaguely defined lyrical sketches of people, places and things over concrete foundations and specific arrangements. Ghost guitarist Michio Kurihara continues his collaboration with the duo, adding some inventive fills (especially on a narcotized cover of George Harrison�s �While My Guitar Gently Weeps� and some decorative E-Bow-ing on the closing title track). Lyrics like �The cracks and emptiness in your life / The desert you cultivate inside,� from the graceful �House of Glass,� typify The Earth Is Blue�s disconnect from tactile reality. This is mood music for the electric traces of the daydreaming mind. A couplet from the subsequent �A Second Life� (�I want you as I wished you�d be / But not as who you were�) might skew the preordained �what will be, will be� message found in tracks like "Beautiful Close Double" ("We are who we are until the end"), but Krukowski and Yang manage a consistency of tone that holds steady throughout.
Matador, 2005
Rating: 3.0
On its fourth album, Feathers, Dead Meadow comes across like a more jam-oriented Oasis (case in point: the sleepy, yawning chasm-span of �Heaven�) with Trail of Dead -worthy lyrical pretensions (�Through one thousand lives the moon will rise,� from �Stacy's Song�). This isn�t necessarily a bad thing; it's just hardly as revelatory as Dead Meadow so earnestly strives to make Feathers sound. Serious-minded references to an otherwise-undefined �Allmighty� abound, as do biblical (Abraham) and mythological allusions (�Don't Tell the Riverman�). And then there�s the gaze-into-the-cosmos-and-witness-the-infinite guitar and drum solos, somewhat restrained on �Let's Jump In� and �Let It All Pass,� but totally unhinged on a closing, nearly 14-minute long untitled excursion into parts known. Space-rock aficionados will dig the zero-G atmosphere, but it meanders through excessive pockets better left unexplored.
Antony and the Johnsons: I Am A Bird Now
Secretly Canadian, 2005
Rating: 4.0
If Antony and the Johnsons� self-titled 2000 debut was a showcase for the singer�s distinctive, tremulous tenor gasping falsetto-rarefied air, I Am A Bird Now is a celebration of the collaborative arts and furthers the group�s desire to see a world more sympathetic to those who don�t subscribe to a strictly heterosexual way of life. While the first half of the disc falls in line with the debut (lots of dramatic piano chords and anguished expressions of longing), it�s on the stronger back end that Bird spotlights its inspirations. Antony duets with childhood hero Boy George on the impassioned (a word that quickly becomes redundant in describing this cabaret pop group) �You Are My Sister�; Rufus Wainwright handles vocal duties on the brief, languorously expansive �What Can I Do?�; Lou Reed introduces �Fistful of Love� with a short poem recital. In the most inspired pairing, folk wonder Devendra Banhardt joins Antony on the strangely enchanting �Spiralling.� The oddest detour comes courtesy of band member Julia Yasuda, who taps out Morse code and performs an intriguing, short spoken-word piece called �Free at Last.� Antony returns on the final track, �Bird Girl,� the transformation hinted at during the beginning of the album complete, and expressed via appropriately racing strings and soaring vocals. I Am A Bird Now is a beautiful-sounding record, and though it doesn�t contain anything as remarkable and emotionally piercing as the debut�s �Cripple and the Starfish,� it nonetheless reveals a band and lead artist refining a musical universe populated by drag queens, cabaret dancehalls and a tolerant and open community.
Daft Punk: Human After All
Virgin, 2005
Rating: 3.0
It�s official: The robots have won. Daft Punk�s ironically titled Human After All sheds all pretense of the human emotion and desire that fueled 1997�s insanely beat-driven Homework and 2001�s blissful, late-night disco comedown Discovery. What�s left are robots (and lazy robots at that) who�ve taken over the Paris studio of Thomas Bangalter and Guy Manuel de Homem Christo and figured out how to loop synth and guitar lines with monotonous simplicity. The title track opens with vocoderized vocals and then falls into a catalytically pointless cycle. �Robot Rock� takes a promisingly groovy guitar line and jams the repeat button for nearly five minutes. �Make Love� is digital smooth looping; �The Brainwasher� favors wiggy loops; �Technologic� is Discovery�s �Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger� recast as a helium-binging jabberfest bereft of clever hooks. Perhaps Tom and Guy managed to untie themselves in time to finish the closing �Emotion,� which suffers from the same repetitive disorder as the preceding tracks but at least works in more elaborate loops and a warmer sense of production. No telling, really. The robots may have won, but that doesn�t mean we have to cheer their victory lap.
50 Foot Wave: Golden Ocean
Artist Direct, 2005
Rating: 4.0
50 Foot Wave�s 11-track, full-length debut, Golden Ocean, includes eight originals and three songs from the trio�s 2004 self-titled mini-album ; the three recycles (�Long Painting,� �Clara Bow� and �Dog Days�) benefit from a fuller sound that melds seamlessly with the overall sharper production. Golden Ocean expands upon the stripped-bare hard rock template of the elementally charged, self-titled release, featuring Kristin Hersh�s arresting vocals and lively guitar work and a rhythm section comprised of bassist Bernard Georges and drummer Rob Ahlers. Hersh�s lyrics deal with the same themes and concerns she�s been examining/wrestling with for years. �El Dorado� deftly articulates intermittent flashes of domestic madness (�Life and a cup of instant chaos by the window�). �Pneuma� (Greek for �soul�) includes such sexually charged lyrics as �I tongue a socket / You feel the jolt.� �Bone China� evokes PJ Harvey�s �Sheela-Na-Gig� with the line �Gonna wash that man right out of my head,� but with a clever turn: �And soap him into my eyes.� Golden Ocean�s watershed moment comes on �Petal,� a cathartic time bomb conveyed via blunt lyrics (�I don't think / We were supposed to sleep together�) and soul-scraping-raw delivery, impressively held together by a fluidly inviting guitar groove. While it�s doubtful Hersh will ever attain the naked emotional intensity of �Hate My Way� from her early Throwing Muses days, �Petal� is as furiously exposed as she's been on record in quite some time. Not everything works, though: �Diving� is lyrically substandard to the surrounding material (�Sunbleached, like I'm free / Independent as a leech�), and the closing title track doesn�t find its sea legs until the very end with a dense, suitably powerhouse peak. No matter what vehicle Hersh utilizes as an outlet, it�s obvious her creative wave has yet to crest.
RCA, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Compared to No Wow, The Kills' 2003 full-length debut, Keep on Your Mean Side , was positively baroque. Whittling things down to the bare essence, No Wow finds the duo of Alison �VV� Mosshart and Jamie �Hotel� Hince seeking the core of their maroon-colored blues sound. Unapologetically basic guitar riffs, dependably chugging bass lines and a tireless drum machine constitute the album's bone-saw naked rhythm. Mosshart handles the heavy lifting in the vocals department, sounding like a jaded lover waking up in a roadside motel after a particularly rough night with a lover known on a first-name basis only. �Gonna have to step over my dead body before you walk out that door� is the opening line on the record, and Mosshart certainly sounds like she means it. The panicky �Love Is a Deserter� and the white-poker-heated �I Hate the Way You Love� typify the bare-knuckled romantic battle royal at play throughout. �Rodeo Town� is the closest The Kills come to anything remotely introspective here; it�s a half-throttled, country-tinged gem that wouldn�t sound out of place on a Lucinda Williams record. Problem is, No Wow could have benefited from more unexpected detours like this. It�s one thing to strive for the primal truth of a particular sound; it�s another to vainly bludgeon a thoroughly pulverized style in search of unsullied beats.
Sage Francis: A Healthy Distrust
Epitaph, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Having examined where he�s been on 2002�s Personal Journals, rapper Sage Francis turns his aggressive form of self-analysis on the world with A Healthy Distrust. �The Buzz Kill� is a manic assault, indicting Clear Channel for its bland formatting choices and bluntly assessing that the �U.S.A. has cracked.� This being the first track, it seems unlikely Francis will be able to sustain the intensity level throughout. Guess again. A Healthy Distrust is near-relentless in its laundry list of global concerns, touching on everything from guns as a metaphor for male inadequacy (�Gunz Yo�) to bringing the troops overseas safely home (�Slow Down Gandhi�). What keeps the record from being overbearing (one of the tracks is unsubtly called �Product Placement�) and, hence, single-rotation listenable, are Francis� creative detours (a collaboration with indie-rock troubadour Will Oldham on �Sea Lion�) and solid production (notably the beats conjured by Danger Mouse and Sixtoo). The most affecting moments come when Francis sticks close to his own emotional core (the piano-backed �Crumble�) or relates a relationship built on the threat of violence (�Agony in Her Body�). Levity comes in the form of �Sun Vs Moon,� a celestial battle-rap showdown decided by God, who is cartoonishly described as an inebriated �big white guy in the sky.� The closing �Jah Didn't Kill Johnny� pays respect to country legend Johnny Cash by attempting a bizarre country-rap fusion that simply falls apart, especially when the sad harmonica cues up. A Healthy Distrust reinforces Sage Francis� standing as one of the most verbally gifted rappers currently in the game, but it lacks the cohesive flow of Personal Journals and complains about a host of worldly ills without offering much in the way of a positive solution. If it could all be fixed with a battle rap, the smart money would definitely be on Francis.
Subliminal Sounds, 2004
Rating: 3.9
Gustav Ejstes� latest Dungen release, Ta Det Lugnt (Take It Easy), is a loose, jam-oriented, �damn good times� throwback to an era when psychedelic folk and prog-rock held sway over the musical landscape. If this album had a fashion sense, it would tend toward acid washes and tie-dyes. Musically, there are few boundaries Ta Det Lugnt fails to brush up against: �Panda� kicks things over with cocksure posturing, all emphatic vocals (the entire album is sung in Ejstes� native Swedish tongue) and rolling drum fills; �Gjort Bort Sig� is a sun-baked pop nugget featuring some tangy guitar lines. But it�s on the back-to-back assault of �Du E F�r Fin F�r Mig� and the title track that Ejstes puts his multi-instrumentalist skills to best use, moving from mournful violin to guitar flameout, thunderous prog explorations to a jazzy horn-and-piano finish. It�s a powerhouse display, and unavoidably reduces the rest of the album to an anticlimactic comedown, though the beautiful piano and flute number �Det du T�nker Idag �r du I Morgon� shines, as does the assertive closer �Sluta F�lja Efter.� Ejstes is a remarkable talent, and it will be worth listening to hear if he leaves his ardently retrograde Dungen identity behind and pushes toward more forward-leaning concepts.
Wilco: A Ghost Is Born [Bonus EP]
Nonesuch, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Appearing on a bonus disc as part of the re-released European version of A Ghost Is Born -- and as a free download from Wilco�s website for those already possessing a copy -- this five-track EP of Ghost outtakes and live cuts is a reasonably fair deal. A bookend pair of non-album tracks proves palatable: The casually played, moody �Panthers� finds chief lyricist Jeff Tweedy mediating on familiar themes (�I'm proving death again�), while the bratty, fun �Kicking Television� delivers an adrenalized shot of punk energy that seems caged by the sterilized studio setting. (Fortunately, live bootlegs of the track are readily available to even the most novice trader.) The middle trio of live renditions is from an October 2004 show at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wisconsin. �At Least That's What You Said� and �The Late Greats� don�t deviate dramatically from their studio counterparts; �Handshake Drugs,� however, benefits from scorching guitar breaks that add a primitive immediacy to the otherwise mid-tempo piece. The Ghost EP is a slightly stronger collection than 2003�s similarly intentioned More Like the Moon download. Give Wilco credit for keeping fans sated in between albums -- honestly, though, it�s about time for an official live release. Hopefully, one of the powers that be at Nonesuch will read this and greenlight such an effort.
Boom Bip: Blue Eyed in the Red Room
Lex, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Exceptions trump the rules on Boom Bip�s Blue Eyed in the Red Room. Bryan Hollon (Boom Bip�s check-cashing name) built his reputation on creative sampling and collaborations with rappers like Anticon's Doseone. His 2002 release Seed to Sun marked a shift for Hollon, comprised mostly of abstract and experimental instrumentals. Blue Eyed in the Red Room continues this trend, but with barely any samples and an emphasis on live instrumentation. What stands out, however, are a pair of isolated vocal tracks. Gruff Rhys� �Do's and Dont's� gives the set a much needed jolt of energy, trading on chant-like lyrics and an intricate foundation of clattering percussions and warm electronics. Nina Nastasia�s �The Matter (of Our Discussion)� wins best in show, detailing two lovers traveling in emotionally opposite directions (�I might leave tomorrow to feel the joy of a new start�). Hollon fills in the spaces with delicate tones, like digital waves gently breaking upon an isolated beach. The instrumental tracks primarily feature easy-bake guitar lines repeating with soothing insouciance. The penultimate �Aplomb� displays a little backbone, more angular and dissonant, distinguishing itself from its softer-edged neighbors. Blue Eyed in the Red Room doesn�t quite congeal, primarily because Hollon�s two collaborative efforts are the most impressive moments. Reverse the 8:2 ratio of instrumental to vocal cuts, and we might be talking a long-striding keeper.
Stars: Set Yourself on Fire
Arts & Crafts, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Fusing elements of Human League�s sophisticated new romantic aesthetic and Belle & Sebastian�s unapologetically arty preciousness, Montreal-based Stars deliver their most consistent effort with Set Yourself on Fire. Songs about ex-lovers reunited, intoxicated bliss in the suburbs and sundry love games predominate. Singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan play their respective roles well, he the indifferent but controlling cad (�He doesn�t want her but he just won�t let her go�), she the masochistic tender heart (�She started breaking but she still won�t let it show�), the soundtrack to their will they/won�t they romance drenched in strings, euphonious glockenspiel and an appealing digital hum. The anti-war �Celebration Guns� is a misstep more due to its thematic incompatibility than its unsubtle lyrics (�One by one you cage them in your freedom / Make them all disappear�). �Calendar Girl� falls victim to structural contrivance, as the months are counted down and a new leaf is turned over for our plucky heroine (�January, February, March, April, May / I�m alive!�). Set Yourself on Fire is solidly executed and will undoubtedly serve as a worthy musical complement to those pining for the one that got away.
Thrill Jockey, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Archer Prewitt -- illustrator, creator of the Sof� Boy comic, guitarist for The Sea & Cake and (time permitting) drummer for Edith Frost -- isn�t lacking for food on his artistic plate. But that hasn�t stopped Prewitt from releasing four solo albums. Wilderness, his latest, furthers the summery pop explorations of 2002's charming Three. Overcast clouds have settled in, however, as Prewitt dedicates the album to his recently deceased father (and pays tribute to him on the affecting �O, KY�), and the upbeat mood that permeated Three is ratcheted down a few notches. Lead track �Way of the Sun� is an excellent example of Prewitt�s ability to serve up a memorable hook but deliver it in the most understated manner; Prewitt�s undeniably passionate about his subject, but doesn�t resort to obvious musical bluster or vocal histrionics to convey his carefully chosen sentiments. The lyrics are urgent, but the delivery is complacent, and that makes for an odd (yet strangely rewarding) listening experience. Glad he found the time.
Andrew Bird: The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Righteous Babe, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Andrew Bird�s The Mysterious Production of Eggs is the anti-Swimming Hour. In contrast to that stylistically helter-skelter 2001 effort, here Bird keeps all of his musical eggs in one basket (so to speak). The Mysterious Production of Eggs has a lazy, staring-at-the-sky-on-a-summer-day vibe. Even when Bird ramps up the wattage, as on the hammily Beatle-esque �Opposite Day� and the grandly theatrical �The Naming of Things,� Eggs rarely causes a fuss. Drummer Kevin O'Donnell and singer Nora O'Connor, members of Swimming Hour backing band Bowl of Fire, return, but Eggs is clearly more akin to Weather Systems, Bird�s solo mini-album from 2003, in terms of consistency of tone and laid-back bearing. Though overlong, Eggs flows nicely from a somber introduction to the grim tidings of the closing �The Happy Birthday Song.� Bird still prefers the collegiate thesaurus to the standard edition (�And they�re acting on vagaries / with their violent proclivities�) and trotting out impossible-to-relate-to metaphors (such as feeling like he�s �living in a Russian play�). As a result, Eggs fails to engage with the unpredictable inventiveness of Swimming Hour, and lacks the skillful brevity of Weather Systems. Ultimately, Eggs is an easier album to admire (thanks to the commendable craftsmanship) than to actually adore with repeated listens.
The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute
Universal, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Proponents of Mars Volta�s Frances the Mute will claim that anyone who doesn�t like the album simply can�t handle the lyrical depth and amazingly multi-layered musical complexity; critics who pan the release will claim it�s overlong, indulgent, and -- did we mention indulgent? The truth, as usual, falls somewhere in between. What main members Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala and a host of guest musicians, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers� Flea (on trumpet, no less) to renowned salsa pianist Larry Harlow, have created is a dizzyingly expressive, near-77-minute aural journey inspired by former band member Jeremy Ward (who died of an alleged overdose in May 2003) and a diary he found in the backseat of a car while working as a repo man. The diary details an adopted child�s search for his birth parents, so, yes, Frances the Mute is a quest album of sorts. Not that the lyrics (�I�ve always wanted to eat glass with you again,� is a representative example) lay out Frances� journey in linear terms. Frances the Mute can be admired for its astonishing technical proficiency: ADD time signatures, like those found on the band�s debut De-Loused in the Comatorium , are prevalent throughout. But it�s the sheer range of styles that impresses, from the jazzy grooves and metal-scraping guitar work on �L� Via L� Viaquez� to the moody rhythms and eerie melodies permeating �Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore.� The multi-part, almost 33-minute-long closer �Cassandra Gemini� is the obvious magnum opus, however. Mars Volta pours every bit of its accumulated musical knowledge into the piece, from shifting dynamics to watery, vocoder-ized vocals. Too much? Absolutely. Give the band credit, though for following its dark-tinged muse with apocalyptic zeal.
Aesop Rock: Fast Cars, Danger, Fire & Knives [EP]
Definitive Jux, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Aesop Rock's Fast Cars, Danger, Fire & Knives is a solid collection of tracks that should tide over even the hungriest of the New York rapper's fans. Honestly, though, what makes this EP essential (at least to the first 20,000 or so fans who get their hands on a copy) is the accompanying 80-page booklet containing lyrics from all of Aesop's major releases. While it's easy to admire the prolific wordsmith's ability to turn a phrase, it has often proved cryptologist-difficult to decipher every word Aesop spits. Thankfully, the Rosetta Stone (or Rock, in this particular case) has arrived. Obviously, Def Jux could have offered the booklet with a bunch of filler tracks from past releases. Instead, you get seven new cuts that show off the diversity of Aesop's flow and some solid backing from a team of talented producers. Blockhead-engineered "Number Nine" is a hurly-burly slice of digitized funk; "Winners Take All" features dense head-bobbing production courtesy of Rob Sonic; and the self-produced, smooth-flowing "Zodiaccupuncture" contains quintessential Aesop rhymes like "And it looks like war / Quacks like war / So it's Occam's Razor and I'm swazye out the door." The back-and-forth banter between featured vocalists CamuTao and El-P on "Rickety Rackety" seems staid in comparison to the more impressive aural structures surrounding it. Fast Cars is volatile, angry, and certainly unappreciative of the current administration (especially its war policy). Fortunately, Aesop Rock manages to criticize without losing the beat. Those who pick this CD up after the lyrics booklets are gone will still find much to appreciate -- even if you can't understand every line.
Merge, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Matt Ward's follow-up to 2003's praiseworthy Transfiguration of Vincent doesn't contain as many memorable hooks and doesn't engage one's attention as directly. But it's a deeper, more rewarding listen, rivaling End of Amnesia for Ward's strongest release to date. Playing like a covers record (which it partly is) and thematically linking the demise of diverse material carried along radio waves with the bleary-eyed, non-tour-bus traveling musician, Ward conveys the image of an artist making due with a portable radio locked onto a distinctly American frequency, playing tunes both familiar and ancient. "To all the people underground / Listening to the sound of the living people breathing the air today," from "One Life Away," could easily stand in for the modern radio format, in which Clear Channel dictates what is heard and buries non-major-label artists from ever reaching a broader audience. Stylistically, Ward continues his exploration of 20th century American musical forms -- with one notable exception at the very end. His countrified guitar instrumental reworking of the Beach Boys' "You Still Believe In Me" would have sounded right at home on Bill Frisell's Nashville, while the endearing "Sweethearts on Parade" pays tribute to the vocal charms of Louis Armstrong. Standout track "Fuel For Fire" is a heartfelt reworking of Kris Kristofferson's widely-covered "Help Me Make It Through the Night," and ghosts of the Carter Family are channeled on "Oh Take Me Back," with its intentionally muffled mix and cavern-deep harmonizing. Interestingly, Ward's classical pretensions rise to the fore on a closing performance of Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier." This might just be a brief side note, or an intriguing indication of where Ward's musical interests are taking him next. Can M. Ward's Americanized Gregorian Chant be far off?
Crooked Fingers: Dignity and Shame
Merge, 2005
Rating: 4.1
Expanding on Red Devil Dawn 's use of brass and building a fuller sound via a larger cast of talented supporting players, Eric Bachmann's fourth Crooked Fingers album, Dignity and Shame, is his strongest yet. Rather than leaning on his appealingly gruff Neil Diamond pipes to articulate personal stories of drunkenness and hardscrabble redemption, Bachmann takes a more imaginative approach here. "Andalucia" alludes to the tragic tale of a bullfighter who promises to give up the sport for his ladylove, only to be subsequently gored to death in the ring. "Sleep All Summer" offers the practical rather than typically pleading line "Why won't you fall back in love with me," to a lover fast running out of alternatives. Gifted Australian singer Lara Meyeratken joins Bachmann on several tracks, most impressively on "Call to Love," in which Bachmann attempts, in classic John-Cusack-in-Say-Anything style, to convince Meyeratken to ditch the man she's with and run off with him into the sunset. Musically, Dignity and Shame exhibits a fascination with Latin arrangements second only to recent Calexico offerings . "Twilight Creeps" is decorated with bright mariachi horn flourishes, while the opening instrumental "Islero" features some dexterous Spanish guitar. Dignity and Shame finds Bachmann embracing the band ideal in a way not evident even during his Archers of Loaf days. Putting out what had ostensibly been solo records under the name Crooked Fingers is starting to sound like a really smart move now that Bachmann's filled out the band.
Gruff Rhys: Yr Atal Genhedlaeth
Placid Casual, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Super Furry Animals ringleader Gruff Rhys' first solo album Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (The Stuttering Generation) -- performed in Welsh -- has a shambling, informal quality about it. It's obvious this brief, thirty-minute release, in which only three songs crack the three-minute mark, isn't part of some big marketing scheme or grand ego stroke on Rhys' part. What you've got is a collection of fun, percussive stompers ("Gwn Mi Wn"), cheeky ruminations on the afterlife ("Rhagluniaeth Ysgafn"), and dewy, synth-drenched pop songs ("Ni Yw Y Byd"). The electronic futzing on "Caerffosiaeth" breaks the album's off-the-cuff flow, but Rhys mostly eases back on the more experimental tendencies typical to a proper Super Furries release. Yr Atal Genhedlaeth sounds like a one-off; a palette cleanser for the Furries' frontman. It doesn't rise to the level of Rhys' work with his day job, but then again, it isn't meant to. Diehards and fans of Welsh pop will find fair returns on their investments. More casual listeners are best advised to wait for the next SFA full length.
Wichita/V2, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Much has been made of Bloc Party's influences (think Gang of Four, New Order, PiL). But based on the London-based quartet's debut, Silent Alarm, the group has more in common with Boy-era U2 than some post-punk call-to-arms revolution in rock. Not that Bloc Party particularly sounds like early U2, but the basic template bears notable similarities to the Irish chart-toppers: There's charismatic front man Kele Okereke, capable of infectious pleading ("Like Eating Glass") and soulful ballads ("So Here We Are"); sharp-edged guitarist Russell Lissack (showing off quite nicely on "She's Hearing Voices"); a competent bassist and a dependable, keep-the-beat drummer. Like pre-world conquering U2, Bloc Party fights to contain its excess energy, reining in indulgent impulses (although the left-right channel-panning vocals on "This Modern Love" are overkill) and gets by on Spartan, three-chord arrangements. In short, there's genuine stadium potential here. Whether there's a Joshua Tree or an Achtung, Baby in the band's future is a far trickier prediction. Bloc Party will almost certainly find success. Based on Silent Alarm, however, it won't be as innovators or firebrands, but as purveyors of familiar hooks, passionately delivered and smartly promoted. And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to� Kele?
Iron & Wine: Woman King [EP]
Sub Pop, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Sam Beam's new Iron & Wine release, Woman King, slots in with prior lyrical concerns (Biblical references, rural imagery, family life), while adding some welcome new wrinkles to his sonic repertoire, making for a comfortably progressive listening experience. The title track finds Beam exploring harder rhythms, with percussion pushed to the fore. There's also a heretofore-unheard intensity and edge to his words: "Sword in hand / Swing at some evil and bleed." The more reserved "Jezebel" transforms the Biblical personification of a wicked woman ("born to be the woman we could blame") into an alluring, forever-out-of-reach lover. The clattering, shimmy-shake rock of "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" namechecks Mother Mary and blinded Samson, transporting the tale of the virgin birth from the Holy Land to the gnarled forests of some imaginary, primeval Deep South. Califone's Jim Becker provides some distinctive violin sawing on "Grey Stables" and "Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song)," and Beam's sister Sarah harmonizes beautifully with her sibling across the disc. Woman King is an ideal transition record for Beam, interweaving colorful new threads into a familiar pattern and hinting at powerful and majestic songcraft to come on his next full-length.
Mogwai: Government Commissions: BBC Sessions (1996-2003)
Matador, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Government Commissions (a compilation of tracks culled from BBC Sessions Mogwai cut between 1996-2003) opens with an endearing moment: recently departed DJ John Peel introducing the group's "Hunted By A Freak." The May 2003 performance offers a slightly more aggressive tempo, but retains the evocative sense of mystery evident on the original (from Happy Songs for Happy People ). Beyond the nice tip of the cap to Peel, however, Government Commissions is a less than memorable affair. This is primarily due to the fact that while Mogwai hasn't altered its basic template dramatically since its inception, the Scottish quintet nonetheless makes albums that have a specific flow and mood. And since the grouping here isn't chronological, there's an unavoidably scattershot feel to the set list. Young Team's epic, nearly 12-minute "Like Herod" gets a protracted workout, some 18-and-a-half minutes of crushing force that then inharmoniously gives way to Rock Action's "Secret Pint," with its gentle guitar strum slowed down even further than the part on the LP version, more unassuming and supple. The two-part "New Paths To Helicon" improves on the studio versions, with crisper sound and more organic interplay between members. Government Commissions is hardly an essential addition to the Mogwai catalogue (diehards excluded, of course), basically serving as a decent slot-filler until the follow-up to Happy Songs arrives later this year.
Domino, 2005
Rating: 3.8
The glitch-rock of Hood's last album, 2001's distinctive Cold House , has largely been put aside on its new release in favor of moodier, acoustic-guitar noodling, buried beneath murky horns and synthesized squalls. Lyrical allusions to distance and distress -- like traveling via train through rainy (preferably English) countryside pondering that special someone who's fallen out of easy reach -- permeate the band's new album, Outside Closer. Where Cold House obsessed over the memory and things dead and past, Outside Closer is more immediate, reacting to events that may have occurred mere hours before the journey begins. "End of One Train Working" asks "Where is the hope I had?," and none of the remaining songs bother to answer with any positivity: Among other like tracks, "Still Rain Fell," with its lazy guitar strum and doleful outlook, doesn't offer much chance of light at the end of the tunnel of love. Breakout single "The Lost You" stands tall here: stuttering and urgent, it's far and away the one song of the bunch guaranteed to create a rise in blood pressure. But Outside Closer isn't built to fill stadiums with sing-along anthems. This is a particular brand of miserablism only the British seem capable of pulling off without veering too far to the periphery of the average listener's attention span. It demands the right frame of mind, temperament and that ideal rainy-day traveling environment, in which nothing works out. When you're in the middle of such a moment, Hood's there to provide the soundtrack for your emotional nosedive.
Capitol, 2005
Rating: 4.2
Here's the challenge for LCD Soundsystem main brain James Murphy: On your full-length debut, try to top the bonus disc including three brilliant arty dance punk singles (2002's "Losing My Edge" and "Give It Up," and 2004's "Yeah") and their respective B-sides. Murphy certainly seems up to the challenge on lead track "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House," with crunk-funk guitar and pulse-wave rhythms supporting his patented, couldn't-care-less sing-speak vocals. (Honestly, if Daft Punk really was setting up its P.A. system in Murphy's hipster pad, you'd think he'd sound a little more enthused.) Keeping the heat on the strong bonus disc, Murphy follows up with a diverse trio of solid tracks: The too-low-for-zero, hypnotically drowsy "Too Much Love;" the up-tempo mash-beat-obsessed "Tribulations;" and the caffeinated, spaz-rocker "Movement." The spacey, Lennon-esque "Never as Tired as When I'm Waking Up" draws a little too much attention to its primary influence, and the intentional drone of "On Repeat" grows wearisome long before its eight minutes are up -- though it does make a good candidate for a closing track, if you're willing to shuffle the lineup. Of course, that would mean moving the chosen end piece "Great Release" somewhere else, and that just doesn't seem right, as its somber, pre-Airport/Furniture/Linoleum-phase Brian Eno sound, with doleful piano and epic sense of quiet space, really does end things on an appropriate comedown note. LCD Soundsystem doesn't quite overcome the high bar set by its bonus disc. That might sound rough, but fortunately, just compiling all of Murphy & Co's singles on one handy CD provides a valuable service for newcomers to his eclectically retro style.
Righteous Babe, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Executing a complete 180 from last year's entirely solo Educated Guess, Ani DiFranco's Knuckle Down marks the first time the laudably independent folk-rocker has invited another producer into the studio. Joe Henry gets tapped for this unique distinction, and his presence ensures Knuckle Down a fuller sound than the typical DiFranco release. There are some wonderful string arrangements throughout, with Tony Scherr and Andrew Bird doing particularly exceptional work on the closing "Recoil." Julie Wolf's appropriately evocative melodica enlivens the questing "Minerva," and Todd Sickafoose's throbbing upright bass slots in perfectly with the loose jam of "Seeing Eye Dog." But Knuckle Down is still clearly Ani's show. Unlike Jim White, who seemed to be devoured by Henry's production on his recent solo release , DiFranco maintains the primacy of her lyrical content and, especially on the opening title track, works in her signature slap-percussive guitar work for good measure. From "Parameters," an arresting spoken-word description of a woman returning home and discovering an intruder waiting for her, to "Paradigm," which pays tribute to her immigrant parents, DiFranco never lets the music overwhelm her highly personalized wordplay. Not everything works: "Lag Time" proves an apt title, as the song meanders with no discernible payoff, while "Manhole" lacks the lyrical focus so keenly exhibited in the bulk of DiFranco's songcraft. Still, Knuckle Down holds together quite well, revealing an artist still developing a powerful and engaging self-analytical aesthetic nearly a decade and a half into her remarkable career.
The Chemical Brothers: Push the Button
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Push the Button, like The Chemical Brothers' essential 1997 release Dig Your Own Hole, runs just over an hour and sports 11 tracks. It also opens with a powerhouse single, "Galvanize," featuring A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and some pretty Arabian strings courtesy of Najat Aatabu. While "Galvanize" is not on the same level as the pulverizing "Block Rockin' Beats," it nonetheless sets the stage for what sounds like a Chemical Brothers record on par with the duo's mid-'90s triumphs. Other than a few impressive moments, however -- like "Close Your Eyes," a winningly lighthearted collaboration with indie popsters The Magic Numbers, and "Marvo Ging," filled with well-integrated backward loops and some moody harmonica -- Push the Button proves less than inspiring. "Believe" gets tripped up on a repetitive vocal from Bloc Party's Kele Okereke (despite utilizing some smart digital filigree), while the equally recursive "Come Inside" treads familiar waters (get inside, already!). The worst (and soon to be most dated) offender is the bludgeoning political tirade "Left Right," in which guest ranter -- er, rapper -- Anwar Superstar barks about Bush and Saddam being the same, and how bad war is. (Save it for the political rallies as opposed to the dance floor, guys). Texturally, Push the Button is more a singles collection than a cohesive statement (in that respect, it's much different from Dig Your Own Hole). And if you're going to do a singles collection, it had better include more hits than the stray few exhibited here.
XL, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Lemon Jelly toughens up its sound on '64-'95 (the title refers to the time span in which the albums that Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen sample here were released). And the results are surprisingly successful, though perhaps not as inventively praiseworthy as 2002's Mercury Prize-nominated Lost Horizons. Comparisons to those French purveyors of smooth-flowing electronica Air are blown completely out of the water on "'88 aka Come Down On Me," a hard-charging metal track that could be mistaken for a Queens of the Stone Age epic rather than the aquifer-fresh, chill-out creations for which the duo is known. "'68 aka Only Time" eases back on the accelerator, but still sports a metronomic pulse better suited to the Autobahn than the easy chair. "'95 aka Make Things Right" falls in line with the band's earlier concoctions, and thus disrupts the high-energy pace. Druggy dance grooves are well represented by the repetitively infectious "'75 aka Stay With You" and the slightly more introverted "'76 aka The Slow Train." "'64 aka Go," featuring vocals by William Shatner, is campy and fun, yet still imbued with enough dark menace to serve as a fitting curtain closer to another excellent offering from these gifted British sound collagists.
Rough Trade/Sanctuary, 2005
Rating: 4.0
As an easily digestible taster for the sprawling, conceptually ambitious full length releases of The Fiery Furnaces, the mini-album EP, more than does its job. Siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger manage to collect B-sides and stray tracks without the resulting assemblage seeming too slapdash. The primary reason for this is the near-uniform brevity of the songs, averaging out to a tidy four minutes each. There's also a playful pop evanescence underlying "Single Again," "Here Comes the Summer" and "Evergreen," which adds to the replay value. Not everything works, however: "Duffer St. George," a goofy take on the old minstrel tune "Jimmy Crack Corn," grates; "Smelling Cigarettes," featuring jarring tempo changes like those that defined the band's recent Blueberry Boat , sounds out of place amongst the less adventurous cuts surrounding it. But for those devotees who haven't the funds or access to track down everything the Fiery Furnaces have recorded, EP is an imminently enjoyable and bargain-priced addition to the duo's burgeoning catalog.
The Citizens: Are We There Yet?
Yellow Ball, 2004
Rating: 2.8
The short answer to this album's title: No. The New York-based Citizens go for the "all styles" approach over an individual statement of purpose on their debut, Are We There Yet? Epic pop meltdowns ("What's Happening At the Seams"), drunken piano warblers ("Deck Full of Jokers") and an inexplicable cross-pollination of muzzled spoken-word and unrepentant metal croon ("Mussolini's First Crush") jostle for the listener's attention, but fail to achieve any rarified form of distinction. The dirty-rocking, delightfully horndog "A Thing For You" wisely exploits the talents of rhythm section Jason DiMatteo (bass) and John Bollinger (drums), while "In B For Backward" offers an impressive stomp and roiling beat with some effective tinkling piano and on-cue background harmonies. But this stylistic-tryout grab-bag exposes a quartet that has yet to find a voice solely its own. The good news is, there's very little chance of a sophomore slump. File under: Promise of better things to come.
The Decemberists: Billy Liar [Single]
Kill Rock Stars, 2004
Rating: 3.0
Billy Liar features a pair of songs from the Decemberists' Her Majesty the Decemberists album, as well as two non-album tracks. The title track, a jaunty tune about a carefree layabout dreaming of a Japanese Geisha, is one of the weaker efforts from Her Majesty. Fortunately, "Los Angeles, I'm Yours," a conflicted take on surrendering to the charms and vices of the City of Angels, serves as a sturdy reinforcement. "Everything I Try To Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right" and "Sunshine" aren't exactly lost gems, but both help round out the collection, the first offering a bleak assessment of an awkward romantic hook-up ("And we both had some fun / Though I twice bit my tongue / And it lasted too long for my taste") and the second an upbeat ditty you could imagine the group singing in the back of the van as it travels between gigs. As singles go, Billy Liar is a serviceable space filler until the next full-length arrives.
Spin Art, 2004
Rating: 3.5
Trashcan Sinatras' Weightlifting (the Scottish band's fourth release, and first since 1996's A Happy Pocket) is bipolar and gorgeous. As clich�d as it sounds, it's a summery record, as evidenced by frequent seasonal lyrical references, warm, gauzy guitar interplay and shimmering beats. But the emotional landscape is moody as hell. "Welcome Back" comes roaring out of the gates, all fist-pumping optimism and ringing endorsements ("Everyone's alive / Everyone survived"), but that's as musically assertive as Weightlifting gets. The rest of the album is locked into slow or mid-tempo grooves that prove lamentably innocuous, especially during the middle third. "Freetime" champions the "beauty in life," followed by "Usually," which retreats down a melancholy slide. "It's a Miracle" swings back to the affirmative, only to be clobbered back into submission by the dour "A Coda." The record's peak achievement is its title track, a devastatingly beautiful paean to letting one's burdens down and embracing the immediacy of life. Weightlifting, then, is a triumph tempered by doubt, an accomplished collection of conflicted feelings and guarded optimism. Don't call it a comeback, so much as a cautious outreach to a (hopefully) appreciative audience.
Merge, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Lou Barlow certainly took his time recording his first official solo album. Of course, the hyper-prolific artist could hardly be considered a procrastinator -- those who've followed his work with/as Sebadoh, Sentridoh, The Folk Implosion, The New Folk Implosion probably couldn't care less which name Barlow uses for a new release. That he chose to use his given name and call the album Emoh ("Home," inverted) lends credence to the argument that Barlow has reached a comfortable groove in his career. Emoh definitely feels homespun, with its primarily steel- and vinyl-string acoustic guitar arrangements and Barlow's warm, unhurried vocals. But while it's appealing to hear Barlow sound so contented as he approaches middle age, Emoh can't help but lack in the emotional immediacy so typical of Barlow's earlier, non-eponymous work. "Monkey Begun" opens with the incongruous, sedately delivered line "For balance and control, a battle rages in my soul." Barlow's cover of '80s metal-glam band Ratt's primary hit "Round and Round" removes all teeth from a genuinely menacing song. Of course, Barlow can still toss off brilliant lines like "Smiling through denial my specialty" from the aching "Legendary," and obviously isn't afraid of offending the Christian faithful, as evidenced by "Mary," sung from the point of view of the true father of Jesus, grateful that Mary has contrived the whole immaculate conception angle: "Blame it on an angel, they'll believe." Emoh is relaxed-fit Barlow: a little older, a tad wiser, definitely no longer worried if he'll ever be the "Natural One" again.
Sub Pop, 2005
Rating: 4.0
David Fridmann and Low. Try and imagine that collaboration five years ago, back when the Duluth, Minnesota trio of guitarist Alan Sparhawk, his wife and drummer Mimi Parker, and bassist Zak Salley were recording with nothing-wasted, minimalist producer Steve Albini. Fortunately, just as Albini is maestro of the "more with less" aesthetic, Fridmann is his full-girdled complement on the other end of the spectrum. The Great Destroyer, Low's seventh full-length album, is its noisiest to date. Slayer still has nothing to worry about, but from the opening drone of "Monkey," it's obvious that this is not the same band that released Secret Name half a decade ago. The new sense of urgency in Low's sound has been building since 2001's stellar Things We Lost in the Fire and 2002's stylistically diverse Trust . Thus, songs like the elegant, doom-laden "Silver Rider" sport a sharper edge. Of course, Low goes overboard at points, and detrimentally so. "When I Go Deaf" ends with jarring feedback that, while undeniably adventurous, torpedoes a truly beautiful and haunting tune. The dissonance and harmonies mostly gel, however, especially on the moody "Pissing" and the spirited finale "Walk Into The Sea." The Great Destroyer is as close to a bridge-burning tempo shift as Low's ever released for mass consumption; give the band credit for taking the well-worn adage "to create, you must destroy" to heart.
Self-released, 2004
Rating: 4.3
For those who've been craving some dreamy, sitar-flavored rock with a folk influence, the self-titled debut from The Violettes is just the ticket. This Minneapolis quartet, fronted by the beautiful Sarah Khan, sounds as if its members just came back from a Ravi Shankar study session, adding an extra dimension to their style of ethereal rock. Khan, who sounds eerily like the female vocalist from Chumbawumba combined with Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, makes every song a gorgeously meditative hymn. On "Awkward Moment," there are no drums, just heavenly vocals intertwined with upright bass, acoustic guitar, sitar and lightly glistened cymbals -- enough to put anyone into their own alternate reality. But the Violettes can groove as well: "Heavenly White Roses" starts off like a remake of Deee-Lite's "Groove is in the Heart," but instead of taking the beat and making it another generic club song, the group adds a sitar for a sound more from India than from Minnesota, while still managing to make the end result sound club-worthy. The Violettes can also play straight-ahead, guitar driven rock ("Full Spectrum," "In Sh'Allah") as well as anyone. The Violettes is like the soundtrack to a dream: the Violettes excel at creating music that's perfect for meditation, casual listening, or going into your own personal universe. The Violettes is a beautiful album that should hypnotize anyone who listens to it.
Mike Watt: The Secondman's Middle Stand
Columbia Records, 2004
Rating: 2.0
Mike Watt's The Secondman's Middle Stand is set up much like one of Watt's favorite books, Dante's The Inferno, and it chronicles Watt's own personal hell. In 2000, he suffered a fever that lasted 38 days, which ended, almost fatally, with an abscess bursting in his perineum. The first section of Middle Stand is set during Watt's fever, before the abscess bursts; the second, as he's going through therapy and fighting for his life. The third focuses on Watt's contemplation of life, death and ultimately surviving. To create an album that recreates what he went through is a wonderful thought -- if only it didn't sound so chaotic. "Pissbags & Tubing" and "Boiling Blazes" taper off several times into a chaotic mess with no rhythm or key to speak of. Either Watt's trying to recreate the intense pain of his experience, or he's a modern-day Dadaist. The Secondman's Middle Stand (a play on words: Watt was a member of the seminal punk group the Minutemen, and the ordeal is his middle, as opposed to his last, stand) is ultimately like listening to someone writhe in pain, or the after effects of when he "Puked to High Heaven." In short, it's excruciatingly difficult to sit through. No one should go through the pain that Watt did, so why should they be subjected to the rock opera version of it? This album should have two reviews. Concept: 4.0. Music: 0.0.
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Commonly used by the Zulu and Nguni tribes, what name is given to the short, broad-bladed spear that has a name deriving from the Berber word for 'spear'? | Shakethrus: 2005 - Shaking Through.net: Music: Reviews
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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl
Red Ink, 2005
Rating: 3.4
It's a terrible box we put rock 'n' roll bands in. We want them to continually update their sound, to stay fresh, to reinvent themselves. But the minute they actually do that, we flinch as if we've been struck. That's an over-simplification, of course, and in the case of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, one could argue that fans were eager for the trio to refine its signature, hard-edged drone-rock, not abandon it. But the band takes a hard right turn with Howl, and it's a smart move. BRMC's past two albums each sported a handful of moments where everything clicked just so -- clearly, a recharging of the batteries was in order. On Howl, the group strips back the layered atmosphere of feedback, noisy guitar and swirling rock psychedelia that earned it endless comparisons to the Jesus & Mary Chain, revealing a surprisingly traditional, rootsy songwriting foundation. Back-porch boot-stomps, slide guitars and dollops of old-time religion (gospel-tinged choruses, lots of references to the devil, restless sinners and so on) owe much more to, say, The Basement Tapes than the Velvet Underground. Yes, there are some more familiar rock moments here, like the title track, but even those take a step back from the endearingly derivative echoes that defined the group's best moments on previous efforts. It's a startling change at first, but one that gradually feels relaxed and right (although some songs, notably "Ain't No Easy Way," lack a certain necessary urgency, and the album as a whole feels about four songs too long). Whether the shift is a reaction to recent troubles -- since 2003's Take Them On, On Your Own , the band was dropped by Virgin and nearly torn apart by internal squabbles -- it's certainly a refreshing and revelatory palate-cleanser.
Fall Out Boy: From Under the Cork Tree
Island, 2005
Rating: 3.5
At its best, Fall Out Boy's second full-length effort winningly synthesizes elements of punk-pop and that hard-to-define ethos (as much lyrical worldview as musical genre) some call "emo" into a hyperactive tangle of self-aware quips, smartly executed time changes and random blasts of pop-cultural trivia. Although the end result can feel a bit forced (with song titles like "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" and "Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner"), when the quartet scores -- as on the ubiquitous single "Sugar We're Goin Down" -- it scores big, with grappling hooks, soaring background vocals and meaty mouthfuls of verbose lyricism that stop short of drowning the melodies. It's a busy record, occasionally ambitious, with whiplash-inducing breaks that dip into heavy metal and show-tune aesthetics. But lyricist/bassist Peter Wentz can get bogged down in the kind of trite teen-journal-entry poetics that he succinctly punctures elsewhere with lyrics like "I'm the first kid to write of hearts, lies and friends" (from the laboriously titled "I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"). That's even more disappointing given his brief winks at the self-importance of so many similar bands -- "Yeah we're friends/ Just because we move units," singer/guitarist Patrick Stump sneers on "Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends." During the opening "Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued," Stump issues the following warning: "Take my advice 'cause we are bad news / We will leave you high and dry / It's not worth the hearing you'll lose." Cork Tree (mostly) gives the lie to that assertion, and holds out the promise that this capable quartet will, sometime soon, fully transcend its breast-beating teen-angst trappings and record an album truly worthy of a little tinnitis.
Load, 2005
Rating: 4.4
Best way to enjoy music by Lightning Bolt: Crank and surrender. Hypermagic Mountain�s second track, �Captain Caveman,� all atomized vocal distortion and no-Ritalin-allowed rhythmic riffage, announces everything you need to know about the latest earsplitting noisefest from the high-revving bass and drum duo of Brian Gibson and Brian Chippendal. For those who thought 2003�s Wonderful Rainbow seemed extreme in its pulverizing level of intensity, Hypermagic Mountain reduces it to the equivalent of a by-the-numbers Bread rehearsal. Hypermagic Mountain�s sum effect eclipses its redline-obliterating parts, but special dispensations must be given to the leaking madness of �Megaghost,� with its yelping, wounded-animal sound effects and furiously tight interplay between guitar and drums. And it would be criminal to overlook the amazing proficiency exhibited on "Bizarro Zarro Land," which nimbly flirts with control and chaos, dexterously catapulting from one treacherous musical peak to next without once losing its footing. Hypermagic Mountain will be a tidal shock of relentless jackhammer threats to the non-discriminating music fan. For the initiated, there�s true primal joy to be heard in this mammoth creation. You�ve just got to be willing to shed those tightly guarded notions and listen.
Sub Pop, 2005
Rating: 3.7
As regrettable as it is to trot out the old �strong first half, weak back half� reviewers� clich�, the Constantines� third release, Tournament of Hearts, cruelly forces the issue. Running a snug thirty-seven minutes, Hearts absolutely outshines (sorry) 2003�s Shine a Light -- or so the first five of its ten tracks would lead the eager listener to believe. There�s the pulse-quickening kickstarter �Draw Us Lines,� the impressively subtle rhythms of �Hotline Operator,� the lived-in blues riffs of �Love in Fear,� and the meaty force of �Lizaveta,� with its emphatic declaration �We were born to live!� The cycle closes with the moping, countryish �Soon Enough,� a nice change-of-pace number. Shame the Constantines fail to sustain the momentum. The obvious �70s hard-rock workout �Working Full Time� and the pedestrian �Good Nurse� start the slide toward mediocrity, and by the time we reach the penultimate �You Are a Conductor,� with its lame J. Giles-esque, �Love Stinks� beat, Tournament of Hearts has sunk from "Holy Cow!" gobsmacked status to a "What�s All The Fuss Then?" shrug-worthy ranking. Incredible initial run, though. If the group can maintain such energy across an entire album, then more enjoyable reviewer clich�s will surely be employed in the future.
Fat Cat, 2005
Rating: 3.5
The last track on Animal Collective�s Feels is called �Turn Into Something.� This turns out to be an appropriate title, because the song actually progresses, moving from a rumbling, twangy stomp to an ecstatic, airy finish. The same cannot be said for preceding cuts �Loch Raven,� �Daffy Duck� and �Banshee Beat,� which meander with unfocused dream-logic vocals and no discernible sonic payoff. Granted, Animal Collective doesn�t have to follow a standard verse-chorus-verse structure to be effective. But such improvisational-sounding music translated better in the back-porch setting of the acoustic Sung Tongs (created by the duo Avey Tare and Panda) than the electric, full-band effort (plus a host of guest artists) exhibited throughout Feels. Opening shot �Did You See the Words� starts with a peculiarly Mercury Rev, expansive-harmony vibe, then collapses into a shambling mess, complete with tinkling piano breakdown. If the material was revelatory in its unpredictability, offering something heretofore unheard in the world, then such willy-nilly compositions could be forgiven. But Feels doesn�t trump earlier, more intimate Animal Collective releases. It�s just louder and messier.
Kill Rock Stars, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Deerhoof has it backwards. Its earlier, mondo-prog releases ran roughly thirty minutes yet possessed the density of albums twice as long. The Runners Four, by contrast, is twice as long yet is comprised of short pop tunes. Not that the stylistically hyperactive San Francisco quartet will ever be confused with manufactured, American Idol-style top 40 confections. Rather, The Runners Four is simply another interesting collection of tunes from a group that refuses to curtail its trespasses across musical boundaries. �Running Thoughts� sports a cool Stereolab-meets-Enon spacey groove. And singer Satomi Matsuzaki manages to make what could be annoying vocalizations (like those heard on the suitably titled �Chatterboxes�) affecting in a whimsically playful manner. Echoes of past efforts can be heard, especially on the epic guitar squalls of �You're Our Two.� But this is Deerhoof trying out pop fripperies and capably managing what many preprogrammed radio acts fail to convey: a sense of adventure and fun from start to finish.
Six Organs of Admittance: School of the Flower
Drag City, 2005
Rating: 3.5
School of the Flower, Ben Chasny�s seventh release under the Six Organs of Admittance moniker, flows effortlessly. The gauzy weightlessness of �Words for Two� transitions seamlessly into the acoustic plucking of �Saint Cloud.� The noodle and drone of the near fourteen-minute title track ends with a thick layer of fuzz that somehow makes sense (in a loopy kind of way) given that the follow-up track�s called �Thicker Than a Smokey.� School of the Flower is as pretty as its titular place of higher learning intimates and as substantive as bongsmoke. Peace way out.
XL, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Consider the crossover demographic potential: an all-Spanish-language Devendra Banhart record, a protest record -- plus a generous dollop of the trippier-hippie fare reminiscent of his earlier work -- all rolled into one genre-trumping smorgasbord of musical delights from the de facto leader of the free/freak/nu-folk movement. Devendra Banhart�s 22-song fourth album, Cripple Crow, delivers so many styles and moods that it�s impossible to label. This is probably the point. Consistency of material is another matter, however. As nice as his cover of Simon Diaz's "Luna de Margaerita" is, there�s the lovely but overlong �Santa Maria De Feira� detracting from the artist�s native-language cuts. Likewise, the spaciously epic peacenik-anthem title track is affecting for what it doesn�t say as opposed to the youthful obviousness of �Heard Somebody Say� (�It�s simple / We don�t want to kill�). And the gentle folk number �Queen Bee� conveys far more pastoral sentiment than the goofy wild-child chant of �Hey Mama Wolf� (complete with wolf calls!). The best moments are among the most straightforward, with languid brooder �Now That I Know� and the beautiful piano closer �Canela� standing out. Cripple Crow does a wonderful job expressing the range of Devendra Banhart�s musical interests, uneven though the actual payoff may be.
Ryan Adams: Jacksonville City Nights
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 3.9
Pure country from Ryan Adams (working once again with solid backing band The Cardinals) and that�s not a bad thing. Jacksonville City Nights finds Adams retuning to his hometown , lamenting busted personal relationships and still trying to come to terms with his native soil. Adams isn�t pushing any envelopes or performing cross-genre tricks; this is late �60s Jerry Lee Lewis interpretive territory (though Adams is still not in that rarified league, it�s nice to see him paying due respect to the masters of the form). Last-call barroom laments like �A Kiss Before I Go� and �My Heart Is Broken� hit their intended targets. �Dear John,� a seemingly marketing-driven duet with Norah Jones, fares better than expected, and at a lean forty-five minutes and change, the economy of the set (especially compared to the bloated Cold Roses ) is noteworthy. There aren�t as many memorable cuts as on Adams' stellar solo debut, Heartbreaker, but Jacksonville City Nights reveals an older, more seasoned performer.
Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary
Subpop, 2005
Rating: 3.1
Endorsed by Isaac Brock and fans of The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade�s debut Apologies to the Queen Mary gets by more on energy than chops. Manic tracks like �You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son� and highlight �Shine a Light� deliver high-replay-value excitement. But a dearth of compositional ideas and reliance on repetitive hooks dooms the harder-to-attain Groundbreaking Quotient. As a first effort, Apologies to the Queen Mary shows undeniable promise. This is not the Holy Grail of Canadian art pop, however. Wait for a second salvo, and then we�ll see what these lads are truly made of. Until then, it�s obvious who should be opening for Brock and Modest Mouse on their next tour.
Anti-, 2005
Rating: 3.4
The backward complement to 2002's breakthrough Blazing Arrow , Blackalicious� The Craft has that old-school vibe scientifically perfected. The smooth flow of "World of Vibrations" and the groovy populism of "Supreme People" set a no-crumb-out-of-place table. Tracks like "Automatique" might be admitting too much about the thought process behind the creation of the album but at least on the sobering "The Fall & Rise of Elliott Brown" the listener can feel the pain and loss beyond the clinical studio setting. Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab know exactly what they�re doing, and The Craft reinforces the mastery of their craft. But a little less formula and more personal expression would have gone a long way toward making this one an essential addition to their discography.
Elbow: Leaders of the Free World
V2, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Leaders of the Free World, Elbow�s successor to the attention-garnering Cast of Thousands kicks off with a fine, bombastic statement of purpose. The triumphant "Station Approach" is clearly buoyed by passionate optimism and ringing guitar parts (the tour is over and the boys are clearly stoked about future prospects). "Picky Bugger" lowers the dynamism altitude, an anti-excess stop sign. "The Stops" (appropriately named) apes Nick Drake and conveys all the dour misery the tragic artist�s name intimates, while the title track marks the beginning of a downward spiral. George Bush is too easy a target, and slamming him just doesn�t carry the activist weight it might have, say, pre-Iraq invasion. The back end of the album trundles along, failing to rival the opening energy or offer anything as interesting as the non-anthemic detours.
Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series, Volume 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack
Columbia / Legacy, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Evenly split between Dylan�s folk and rock periods, the two-disc No Direction Home returns to the bootleg/alternate-take format of the original three-volume bootleg series release (and also serves as a handy tie-in to the carefully controlled, Martin Scorsese-assembled film of the same name). The first disc is dominated by Dylan the earnest disciple of Woody (check the wonderfully understated interpretation of Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land"), questing traveler and endearing fabricator of a more romantic upbringing than Hibbing, Minnesota could provide. Other gems include the first complete take of �Mr. Tambourine Man� from June 1964, and a politically ambiguous, quasi-amorous �Blowin' in the Wind� from April 1963. The second disc is dominated by the frizzy-haired, electrified wordsmith Dylan, who hit his peak in the mid-�60s with the matchless trio Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. It offers a few moderately, historians-only alternate cuts from those seminal efforts. But it�s the kiss-off electric �Maggie's Farm,� from the July 1965 Newport Folk Festival, that carries the most punch. Dylan�s allegiance was always to the artistic muse, and here the first Great Disappointment to more agenda-minded types (unplugged purist Pete Seeger, in particular) backfires in the face of those who presumed Dylan ever intended to be pigeonholed. The second disc, on the whole, is less interesting than the first, but overall No Direction Home is a solid addition to the legacy-conscious framing of early and transitional Dylan-alia.
Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better
Sony, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Franz Ferdinand keeps the frenzy level pumped to 10 on its sophomore effort, You Could Have It So Much Better. At its best when working under the three-minute mark, the Scottish four-piece still has nothing relevant to say, but has managed to serve up a tighter collection than its crazily hyped debut . The fast and furious, guitar-driven �This Boy� and frantic stomper �Evil and a Heathen� ensure the rave won�t run out of electric juice before the buzz wears off. A few wrinkles add welcome variety to the familiar design: the stylish menace of �Walk Away� features Morrissey-incanting lines like �I am cold / Yes I�m cold / But not as cold as you are,� and serves as a nice change of pace to the patented high-energy antics. �Eleanor Put Your Boots On� (apparently about the Fiery Furnaces� Eleanor Freidberger) is surprisingly endearing in its delivery. But the heatedly delivered title track typifies the too-cool-to-slow-down clip. You Could Have It So Much Better? Perhaps, but why bother when you�re having this much fun?
Tenth Hour Calling: Tenth Hour Calling
Independent, 2004
Rating 4.3
"This is not a band compiled on a whim, but a band put together with great care and thought towards the spiritual and musical aspect of performing." That's what the bio on the Web site for Tenth Hour Calling says, and it could not be stated more perfectly. This five-piece Christian rock band uses rhythms, harmonies and technical brilliance seldom heard in any genre. It's better than the sum of its parts, and since most of the members have degrees in music, that's saying something. On songs like the funky groove of "I See" and the Eagles-esque "Last Time," Tenth Hour Calling has managed to pool its collective talents to make the debut album of the year. The intensely fierce and technically flawless "Rain" and the lyrically brilliant and spiritually cleansing "Color Me" are the two best tracks on the album, and two of the best songs to come from the Christian music world this year. If Tenth Hour Calling keeps up this level of quality on future releases, it could end up being one of the most technically sound and talented bands ever.
Iron & Wine / Calexico: In the Reins [EP]
Overcoat Recordings, 2005
Rating: 3.7
In the Reins finds Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) collaborating with Calexico (primarily Joey Burns and John Convertino), and the end result is a seven-song mini-album that successfully marries Beam's hushed, Southern-haunted romanticism with Calexico�s dusty Southwestern, Mariachi-influenced sound. Stylistically, a considerable amount of ground is covered in just over thirty minutes. The tethered restraint of �He Lays In Reins� gives way to the high-lonesome lament �Prison on Route 41,� which infuses just enough energy to not make the sun-brightened horns of the toe-tapping, showy �History of Lovers� sound like a complete shock to the senses. Middle-track dud �Red Dust� is a faux-bluesy, forced roadhouse boot-stomper, but the closing three tracks, especially the sadly strumming, gorgeous bend and bow of �16, Maybe Less� more than recovers the fumble. In the Reins will please fans of both Beam and Calexico, and perhaps bring crossover business to each.
The Dandy Warhols: Odditorium or Warlords of Mars
Capitol, 2005
Rating: 3.3
The Dandy Warhols' first two releases featured intermittently rewarding wasted jams; the second two, commercial-friendly pop hooks. For their fifth album, The Dandy Warhols split the difference. But that doesn�t mean they make it easy for deadline-blowing reviewers scrambling for easy, analytical angles. The assertion that the first half of Odditorium or Warlords of Mars represents the initial, indulgent and unfocused stage of the Dandys' development and the back half covers the more sales-conscious post-2K Dandys doesn�t hold water. While Odditorium is rife with inaccessible feedback squalls (�Love Is the New Feel Awful�) and meandering snoozers (�Easy�), the presence of the short hoe-down stomp �The New Country� thankfully breaks up the drugged-out excesses and reveals just how good the band can be when it actually bothers to play actual songs with a discernible structure and winning hook. That's something the second half of Odditorium possesses in spades, from the comparatively tight �Everyone Is Totally Insane� to the swinging �more cowbell!� brilliance of album highlight �Down Like Disco.� There�s even a suitably trippy closer, �There Is Only This Time� -- only it isn�t the end. Reverting to the lame wastefulness of the first half, we get the near twelve-minute, tepid �A Loan Tonight.� So Odditorium contains the best and worst aspects of the Dandy Warhols. This is somehow appropriate for a band that has never quite broken through to the mainstream and ultimately sounds like its members couldn�t care less if the brass ring ever fits their fidgety, non-committal fingers.
Super Furry Animals: Love Kraft
XL / Beggars Banquet, 2005
Rating: 3.6
The sound of guitarist Huw Bunford diving into a swimming pool is the first thing you hear on the Super Furry Animals' incredibly laid-back seventh album, Love Kraft. Recorded in Spain and completed in Rio de Janeiro, Love Kraft is unhurried, smooth and easy on the ears. Opener "Zoom!" does just the opposite of its titular promise, transmitting space-junk frequencies over stoned grinner melodies. The loose and shambolic sing-along stomp of "The Horn" works in some fibrous harmonica and hammered dulcimer, but it's more Gomez-style harmless trippy blues than Exile on Main Street-period Rolling Stones lethal indulgences. The closest the band gets to the zany inventiveness of Radiator-era Furries is "Psyclone!," a rumbling, hilarious declaration of extinction that opens with a Woody Guthrie-worthy send-up: "Pterodactyl, brontosaurus, tyrannosaurus gather 'round..." Overly synthesized tracks like the flow-busting "Lazer Beam" and the fuzzy "Frequency" detract from the weenie-roast beach-chill vibe. Notably, Love Kraft is the first Furries album to feature the writing and singing of all band members, which means less frontman Gruff Rhys and presumably more variety. But aside from the noted exceptions, Love Kraft is a solidly unified-sounding work: No political rants or social observations, and, regrettably, no Welsh-language detours. Just the Furries kicking it in warmer climes and putting aside deeper concerns for the time being. Perhaps On Vacation would have been a more apt title.
Sigur R�s: Takk...
Geffen, 2005
Rating: 3.8
It�s fascinating how the intentional repetition of 2002�s ( ) -- variations on a theme that moodily shifted from bright to darker elements -- retains a freshness and stirring immediacy, while Takk..., Icelandic quartet Sigur R�s� optimistically uplifting fourth release, shifts into a cruise-control comfort zone, blissfully coasting on what has come before. If the material on Takk... rivaled the best moments on sophomore breakthrough Ag�tis Byrjun, such redundancy can easily be brushed aside as progressive refinement on a notably inventive template. The opening title track�s ethereal, alien harmonics are followed by the familiar stacked resonance and gargantuan swells of �Gl�s�li,� pretty but well shy of the altitude attained by Ag�tis Byrjun standout �Svefn-G-Englar.� And the awesome fragility attained by the nearly nine-minute �S� Lest� ultimately peters out and drains whatever momentum Takk... has established. The high points are the most conventional (and un- Sigur R�s-like). The refreshingly brief �Me� Bl��nasir� features some bracing drum effects at the end, while �Gong� retains backbone thanks to a recognizable rhythm section that prevents it from being overwhelmed by expansively synthesized melodramatics. Takk... is a beautiful-sounding record and it�s obvious Sigur R�s isn't intentionally aping its musical language to cash in on what still remains far left of mainstream art rock. To quote painter Georgia O�Keefe: �To create one's own world in any of the arts takes courage.� No doubt Sigur R�s has done just that. This works great for the locals but can leave tourists a tad restless after experiencing a similarly themed ride yet again.
V2, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Dubbed an �Everly Brothers� project by Ron Sexsmith, Destination Unknown, the singer-songwriter�s collaboration with longtime drummer Don Kerr, proves to be just that: lots of slow, honey-coated two-part harmonies about love found and (more obviously) love lost. At its best -- opener �Listen� and the (comparatively) jaunty �Diana Sweets� -- Destination Unknown glides with respectfully earnest ease through the guileless sounds of yesteryear. Indeed, on �Lemonade Stand,� Sexsmith celebrates the simplicity of micro-capitalism and, more importantly, an unfussy, youthful outlook. There�s not a shred of sarcasm in lines like �a heart must have a reason where eyes don�t understand,� from �One Less Shadow.� But the slow, shuffling pace doesn�t make for the most invigorating listen. Obviously, it isn�t meant to. This is an album intended to carry people back to another, less complicated period in their lives. Just look at the album cover: Big car in the background, adorable tyke behind the wheel of a mini-cruiser coming right at us. Consistent to a fault and imbued with an aching loveliness, Destination Unknown is a misnomer of a title, for Sexsmith and Kerr know exactly where they want this music to take us. A few bumps along the way might have helped make for a more memorable journey, though.
Barsuk, 2005
Rating: 3.7
The post-9/11 world is a scary place, but the interior of one�s heart is even more frightening. Such weighty thematic underpinnings fuel Pixel Revolt, John Vanderslice�s fifth album. Vanderslice opens from an abstract perspective with �Letter to the East Coast,� which touches on the notion of a time-traveling Joan Crawford and how lonely that can be. �Plymouth Rock� grounds itself to the modern reality of a solider in Iraq who (understandably) has second thoughts about combat after getting shot his first night out (�I lost the reason I�m here�). �Exodus Damage� cleverly ties descending tones to its lyrical conceit (�Let it fall down / I�m ready for the end�) about a wannabe anti-government terrorist, while the shimmering, tight groove-oriented �Peacocks in the Video Rain� explores the mindset of a pop star�s ultra-obsessive biggest fan. The mellotron- and Moog-powered �Trance Manual� concerns a journalist in Iraq seeking a little physical comfort from a prostitute and features one of the album�s sharpest lines: �You are a flag of a dangerous nation.� The back half of Pixel Revolt is more personal in nature -- the elegantly fragile �New Zealand Pines� recalls happier days with a former flame; the anti-depressant lament �Dead Slate Pacific� staves off suicidal thoughts while longing for a distant love. But it's pieces like �Radiant with Terror,� Vanderslice�s updating of Robert Lowell�s poem �Fall 1961� (in which dirty bombs replace nuclear war), that potently express a societal dread and prove far more resonant than the heartsick tales that are positioned to leave a deeper impression. Pixel Revolt doesn�t reconcile the political and personal, and that may be the point. But it nonetheless makes for a frustratingly uneven listening experience.
The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema
Matador, 2005
Rating: 4.1
Imagine if the New Pornographers listened to their modern peers for inspiration (specifically the Shins) and also absorbed (and regurgitated in bite-sized pop nuggets) the expansive progressiveness and experimental artiness of Genesis, Brian Eno and John Cale. The end result might sound something like Twin Cinema, the Vancouver-based nontet�s (welcome to the fold, singer-pianist Kathryn Calder and vocalist Nora O'Connor) third release. Twin Cinema has the winning distinction of being the most rocking set from the Pornographers to date -- and also the strangest. The opening title cut plays it safe, offering a burst of loud, pop and proud high-energy righteousness. Then, just when you think the waters are safe, over the edge they go with �The Bones of an Idol,� with its persistent piano chords and bizarre lyrical imagery of people on rafts fleeing with their ancient artifacts. (Allusions to the current political climate, perhaps, but obvious explanation would detract unnecessarily from the obliquely skewed enjoyment quotient.) �The Jessica Numbers� is an untamed combination of percussion and spit, elastically prog harmonies and wiggy guitar parts. �Falling Through Your Clothes� is the spookiest tune the Shins wish they�d recorded. The hard beats on the otherwise pedestrian �Use It� and fantastic �Jackie, Dressed in Cobras� imbue Twin Cinema with more muscle than prior Pornographers releases. But it�s the psychotropic, wild-abandon approach to songcraft that makes this one a keeper. If Clear Channel ignores the pop gems filling Mass Romantic and Electric Version , they�re never going to get it, so the band might as well indulge their weirder tendencies. Corporate radio�s loss is the discriminating listener�s gain.
Kanpai Records, 2005
Rating: 3.9
The debut album from California duo Indicia takes the listener to an underground groove made famous by groups like Moloko and Sneaker Pimps. Identifying Marks begins with the undeniably catchy �It�s Coming Around,� which could have actually been an outtake from the Sneaker Pimps' Becoming X. Vocalist Betsy Ullery conveys a sexy sincerity that even makes the repetitive chorus of �Corners� (�I can�t reach you� is repeated 16 times) sound genuine. While Ullery sexes up the album, David Ward meshes his influences -- Uberzone, Dubtribe and Bassbin Twins among others -- and lays a sonic backdrop perfect for a rave, relaxing on the couch or that seedy brothel downtown. Ward and Ullery have created a sonic wonder that is perfect for anyone who thinks that electronic music is just the rehashing of one beat. Don�t be surprised if Indicia starts invading more clubs around the nation soon.
Michael Penn: Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947
spinART, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Michael Penn�s wife, Aimee Mann, released The Forgotten Arm earlier this year. Mann�s album is apparently set in the 1970s and examines a relationship played out against a cross-country travelogue. Penn�s Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947 is even more explicit about its thematic point and setting. And, unlike Mann�s, Penn�s cover art and liner-note background imagery accurately reflect the post-World War II America in question. But, like his significant other, Penn uses his lyrical brush to add the barest detail to this work about busted relationships and renewed hope for finding warmth in the comforting arms of another. Aside from name-checking well-known landmarks and referencing familiar street names, brief, instrumental pieces �The Transistor� (1947 being the year of its invention) and �18 September� (the date the Department of Defense was created) and the charming �The Television Set Waltz� are as obvious as Penn comes to linking his words to the Los Angeles of yesteryear. The main focus is connecting lines like �Every good thing I had abandoned me,� from opener �Walter Reed,� with �Lose some more / Show him it�s worth dying for� from �Room 712, The Apache� before reaching the upbeat conclusion that for every ending, there�s a beginning (�On Automatic�). Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947 is Penn�s most unified sounding record (impressive considering it�s long gestation period and the varied blend of styles employed), and despite sounding overly mannered in spots (�Your Know How�), marks a welcome return from an artist whose solo work rates high regardless of the time or place it�s set in.
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 2.7
It makes sense. Sweden's Caesars had to make their lead single the most addictive song on the album. �Jerk It Out� was everywhere for a couple of months this spring -- on the radio, iPod commercials and every record store listening station. Now where are Caesars? Did they fall off the earth? Not yet, but it�s coming quickly. If �Jerk It Out� is taken off their fourth album, Paper Tigers -- as it should, since that song has appeared twice before on Caesars releases -- then the chances of this Swedish quartet being known amongst casual listeners, especially in the states, is remote. Although the music hints at the Stooges and Soundtrack of Our Lives, the album fails to warrant repeated listens. With the exception of �Jerk It Out,� �Spirit� and �It�s Not the Fall that Hurts,� the entire album is forgettable. By the halfway point, it becomes too easy to zone out and for the music to fade into the background. After a couple of listens, the slicked-up monotone becomes monotonous and repetitive, as do vocalist Cesar Vidal�s echoed vocals. The Strokes, the White Stripes and the Hives have exhibited staying power with albums that are solid from beginning to end, and Caesars try to ride the wave. Unfortunately for them, that wave has ended and the undertow will suck them back into the ocean of bands, to be forgotten just as quickly as they were found.
Bob Mould: Body of Song
Yep Roc, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Body of Song is an apt title for Bob Mould�s post-H�sker D� career-summarizing solo release. Hankering for Workbook-worthy self-examinations? The slow, simmering �Circles� (�My circle of friends is shrinking down�) and straight-ahead power rock of �Underneath Days� deliver the goods. Club kids will feel right at home with post- Modulate offerings, from the vocoderized vocals and pumping beat vitalizing �(Shine Your) Light Love Hope� to the more guitar-oriented �I Am Vision, I Am Sound.� But it�s fans of Mould�s power pop-rock trio Sugar who�ll reap the greatest reward from Body of Song. Short and cutting, �Best Thing� offers a healthy dose of sourpuss Sugar (�You just lost the best thing you never had�). Even with the excessively treated keyboard effects, the upbeat and passionately delivered �Paralyzed� is classic verse-chorus-verse Sugar. Despite being overly repetitive, �Missing You� nonetheless serves up fat power chords and signature Sugar harmonies. The duds stand outside obvious classification: �High Fidelity� is a pokey, acoustic-based ballad featuring weirdly out-of-place tubular bells; closer �Beating Heart the Prize� is a ponderously over-long, muddled exhibition of indulgent guitar parts. Body of Song is patchwork and spotty, dappled with a handful of sparkling additions to Mould�s estimable catalog. On the whole, however, it falls short of either his solo or Sugar-fueled efforts.
Sparkwood Music, 2005
Rating: 3.9
What if Moby had a hankering for the Beach Boys and decided to do a little remix? Jalopy Pop could very well be the result of such an endeavor. With the exception of the first and last tracks (which make up 15 of the disc's 56 minutes), Jalopy Pop is a dissertation on 1960s surfer rock complete with summer lovin' and groovin' on the beaches -- "Nichole's Overture," "In Your Lovin' Arms" and "Miles Away" could easily be outtakes taken right off a long-lost Beach Boys album. Bart Padar, the mastermind behind Austin, Texas-based trio, takes the '60s doo-wop sound of "Cruel World" and refreshes it by adding cryptic lyrics like, "Sometimes I wish that life as we know it would end." Overall, the mixture of electronica with the catchy rhythms of 60s surfer rock makes for an undeniably entertaining album, and will introduce another generation to just how much fun surfer rock can (and used to) be.
Parchman Farm: Parchman Farm [EP]
Jackpine Social Club, 2004
Rating: 2.3
Remember how the radio couldn't get enough of Jet's "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" The public seemed to like the fact that the band took everything that was sacred about classic rock, sucked the life out of it and made it radio-friendly. Now take Parchman Farm, a quartet from California that, within the five-tracks of this EP, manages to take Jet and suck the remaining life right out of it. Didn't think that was possible? Take a listen. The band invites comparisons to Kings of Leon, but is closer to a dirtier version of Jet, with a raspier and more annoying vocalist (Eric Shea), who plays the harmonica like he can't quite find his lips. Parchman Farm's fuzzed-out rock sounds so dirty that a shower is necessary after every listen. Thankfully, this is only five songs long. Hopefully, Parchman Farm has realized its mistake and won't come out with a full album. One soul-sucking band per generation is plenty.
Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins
Polyvinyl, 2005
Rating: 3.8
The Kevin Barnes Experience (or Of Montreal, on official documents) continues to get the funk out with The Sunlandic Twins, a worthy successor to 2004�s impressive Satanic Panic in the Attic. While still stylistically varied, and utilizing multiple movements in many of the songs, Sunlandic Twins� highlights are the ones that coax you to dust off the dancing shoes. In this respect, �Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games),� featuring a steadily pumping beat and sharp melodic ticking shift toward the end, and the punkier �I Was Never Young� work best. Big pop hooks are still very much in the mix, as well, from the energetic opener �Requiem for O.M.M.2� to the intricately structured �Forecast Fascist Future.� Barnes also can�t resist tossing out overly literary similes (�I�ve been a gloomy Petrarch with a quill as weepy as Dido,� from �So Begins Our Alabee�), and the second half lacks the spirited kick of the first. But, on the whole, The Sunlandic Twins is another laudable effort from Barnes and company.
Merge, 2005
Rating: 3.7
More akin to the gray-skied mood of Songs from Northern Britain than the energized pep of Grand Prix, Teenage Fanclub�s seventh full-length release, Man-Made, doesn�t hit you over the head with immediately accessible hooks and Bandwagonesque-memorable melodies. This is a mature, reflective work (read: repeated spins are expected to reveal the deeper layers), the sound of a veteran group content with its cult status and simply playing to its strengths: Smartly crafted guitar-pop that will appeal to the faithful and perhaps add an adherent or two. Tortoise�s John McEntire produces, but doesn�t impose overt studio gimmickry on the twelve tracks (evenly distributed among the trio of principal singer-songwriters -- Norman Blake, Gerard Love and Raymond McGinley); rather, McEntire�s mix is understated, exhibiting a not-quite-samey but uniformly smooth flow. Blake, once again, stars, with nary a dud among his four contributions (the lone rocking cut �Slow Fade� being the best). But balance is key, and thus we get "Only With You," McGinley�s lovely (if plodding) ode to monogamy, followed by "Cells," Blake�s delightfully uncomplaining ode to decay. Love�s contributions are defined by excellent arrangements, from the shimmering taffeta guitar work that closes �Time Stops� to the buttery-smooth rhythms of �Save.� Thanks to McEntire�s tight rein on the production and the still-formidable skills of the players, Man-Made finds Teenage Fanclub successfully keeping middle-age spread at bay.
Echo, 2005
Rating: 3.2
�One In Seven� is the best song on the London-based four-piece Engineers' self-titled long player. Guitars soar, drums pound, and a sense of urgency swells dramatically, ending in a powerfully symphonic cavalcade of wannabe-anthemic rock. The problem: �One In Seven� is the last song on the album. The ten tracks preceding it simply don�t measure up (though opener �Home� lands nearest). Not that there�s anything particularly horrendous with the drowsy haze of �Waved On� or the spaciously placid �New Horizons.� But for a band clearly capable of righteous storms of sound to hunker down rather than embracing their obvious gift for bombastic melody seems wasteful. The rousing �One In Seven� can�t be called a tease so much as a missed opportunity to arrest listeners� senses early on, thus keeping them involved for the duration. There�s a reason the strongest material is typically sequenced near the front: Forty minutes in, attention spans tend to drift. Engineers has structural issues; hopefully its successor will follow a better blueprint.
R�yksopp: The Understanding
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 3.8
More alive and texturally diverse than its subdued electronic debut Melody A.M., R�yksopp�s The Understanding reveals Norwegian duo Torbj�rn Brundtland and Svein Berge building on the percolating energy of Melody�s "R�yksopp's Night Out" and fearlessly expanding its musical boundaries. Melody A.M. may be a more unified listening experience, but The Understanding is considerably more invigorating. The biggest complaint here stems from the excessive emphasis on vocals, which too often fall into overlapping Pet Shop Boys tripe (�Only This Moment� being the most obvious offender). Chelonis R. Jones brings soulful resonance to �49 Percent� and The Knife�s Karin Dreijer offers an evocative, otherworldly turn on �What Else Is There?� But it�s the non-vocal tracks that leave a lasting imprint, with the jazzy, confidently expressive opener �Triumphant� and the elongated, Kraftwerk-pulsing �Alpha Male� earning the highest marks. The Understanding is one of those bold sophomore efforts that will most likely split fans of the duo into two camps, with the Air/Boards of Canada downbeaters lamenting the new direction and the dance-oriented, Basement Jaxx set reveling in the unexpected vibrancy of R�yksopp�s present sound. Let the anticipation begin for the (hopefully) anything-goes third release.
Laura Cantrell: Humming By The Flowered Vine
Matador, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Nashville-born, New York-based Laura Cantrell is obsessed with finding a pure country sound. Not the latest marketing-driven Toby Keith patriotic anthem or sugary pop confection perfected by Shania Twain: Cantrell prefers dirt-free, articulate production, with an emphasis on the stories behind the songs, a truth that goes beyond contrived lonesome ballads or Saturday night shit-kicker stomps. Humming By The Flowered Vine, her third album, is a well-sequenced blend of interpretations, originals and covers. The traditional �Poor Ellen Smith,� about a man sent to the gallows futilely professing his innocence, is imbued with an unvarnished, acquiescent insight -- as when the condemned narrator gazes from the bars of his cell and studies the grave of the woman he�s accused of murdering. The Cantrell-penned �California Rose� pays tribute to honky-tonk singer Rose Maddox, who agonized over leaving the family singing group to strike out on her own, and moves at a quick but measured clip, conveying a lot of information with easy sincerity. Cantrell brings a guarded toughness to Lucinda Williams� �Letters,� backed by some suitably sturdy guitar lines. Obviously, the peerless craft and genuflecting reverence are beyond reproach; those desiring a more progressive form are out of luck. Cantrell is all about keeping the flame of the past alight, and in that respect Humming By The Flowered Vine burns with dazzling clarity.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Self-released, 2005
Rating: 3.8
New York five-piece Clap Your Hands Say Yeah�s self-released, self-titled debut is a concrete example of a young band aping its influences and still managing to convey a discernible identity. Two major reasons lead singer/songwriter Alec Ounsworth and crew overcome sounding so familiar without offering anything unique: good taste and chops. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (CYHSY) kick things off with the appropriately titled �Clap Your Hands!,� a drunker carnival barker swoon that recalls Black Rider-period Tom Waits. The controlled minimalism of �Over and Over Again (Lost and Found),� which offers the strangely appealing couplet �A clean shave in the morning / And a full beard with no warning,� has Ounsworth affecting less-frantic David Byrne-esque vocalizations. The peppier �The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth� and �Is This Love?� find Ounsworth summoning an unholy Gordon Gano-meets-Isaac Brock strangulated yelp. CYHSY has crafted a whatever-sticks debut with meritorious replay value. The brief instrumental interludes (�Sunshine and Clouds and Everything Proud� and �Blue Turning Gray�) are fairly insubstantial, but they add variety to an already impressively eclectic mix. Slot this one under: Bands whose record collections you�d want to borrow from.
Xiu Xiu: La For�t
5 Rue Christine, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Nocturnal, nightmarish and fantastic are worthy adjectives to describe La For�t (or �The Forest� for you non-Francophiles sleeping in the back), the discordantly anti-commercial outfit Xiu Xiu�s latest psychological meltdown masquerading as a pop-rock album. Singer/programmer Jamie Stewart is still all about heavy melodramatics (�It�s impossible to just keep on living,� he professes on the relationship-gone-sour opener �Clover� as an ominous vibraphone plays), but La For�t expresses such sentiments in more creative ways than prior Xiu Xiu efforts. �Muppet Face� moves from airy synth to spookily moody rhythms and, ultimately, industrial shrieking. �Baby Captain� utilizes twisted lyrical dream logic to manifest emotional frailties in the forms of �black Phoebe� and a �white gold girl.� The aggressively violent imagery of �Saturn� (arrows stabbed through the bottoms of mouths) draws on the mythological tale of Zeus freeing his siblings from his father�s belly. La For�t�s least interesting numbers are, unsurprisingly, the most straightforward (the guitar-and- bass-driven �Pox�) and those that go overboard on the metal-scraping production elements (�Dangerous You Shouldn't Be Here� and the closing �Yellow Raspberry�). That La For�t is ultimately a difficult, uneven work fits the Xiu Xiu M.O. to a T. This isn�t a band looking to be loved so much as it desires a swift kick in the teeth. Alas, reaction to such obvious sadomasochistic goading exceeds the energy threshold of this reviewer.
The Magic Numbers: The Magic Numbers
Heavenly/EMI, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Siblings Romeo and Michele Stodart and Sean and Angela Gannon comprise the Magic Numbers, a group enamored with sweet harmonies and lovelorn melodies. The quartet�s self-titled debut displays an impressive range of styles, from the soulful pop devotional �Mornings Eleven� (�I would die for you�) to country-tinged ballads (�Wheels On Fire�). And while the lyrics tend toward the generic and vapid (�She don�t love me like you,� from �Love Me Like You�), the primary appeal of Magic Numbers is the lovely harmonizing, especially the back-and-forth interplay between Romeo and Angela on �I See You, You See Me.� The closing �Hymn For Her� -- tacked onto �Try� after a pointless stretch of silence akin to far too many so-called "hidden tracks" -- is a wonderful ode to love�s redemption (�I've been hurt before, but all the scars have rearranged�). It packs an emotional wallop that blows away the superficially polished preceding tunes; it's here that the �magic� of the Magic Numbers glows brightest. With more tracks like this one, the nascent foursome will truly have an album worth crowing about.
Atlantic, 2005
Rating: 3.3
If it ain't broke, don�t fix it. Not the most original axiom, but it's an appropriate one, considering the criticism lobbed at the Missy Elliott-Timbaland tandem for recycling prior efforts. 2003's This is Not a Test! sold poorly and didn�t wow the reviewing cognoscenti (this site being an exception). Hence, something had to change. The Cookbook is the Big Shakeup in the Missy Elliott camp: Producer Timbaland has been cut back to two tracks, and an army of other producers ushered in to collaborate with Elliott. Aside from breaking any uniform flow the album might have had, this only reinforces just how strong the artistic symbiosis between Elliott and Timbaland is. It�s hardly a coincidence that the first two tracks belong to Timbaland and stand as high as anything else offered. The amusing, thematic table-setting �Joy� has Elliott trying out a bizarre Jamaican-Romanian accent that doesn�t really work, but does allow her to list the numerous guest-star �ingredients� featured in the mix. It�s Timbaland's stripped-clean beats that stand out, masterfully rising and falling behind the raps of Elliott and Mike Jones. �Party Time� is a high-energy dance-floor explosion, with Timbaland ratcheting up the beat and setting the bar for the subsequent club tunes. Those that measure up include the '80s-beat sampling �Lose Control� and the Rich (�Crazy in Love�) Harrison-produced banger �Can't Stop.� The Neptunes-engineered �On & On� is less successful, with its overly familiar revving-power-plant rhythms doing little to complement Elliott�s razor-sharp rhyming. �Click Clack� is a raunchy �in da club� throwaway that craters due to a tired beat and lame flow. Toss in a handful of ballads with R&B songbirds (the uneven, intermittently brilliant �My Struggles� being the highlight), and The Cookbook is complete. Too bad the final dish is an over-baked confection that falls well below its primary chef�s abilities.
Son Volt: Okemah and the Melody of Riot
Transmit Sound/Legacy, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Okemah and the Melody of Riot (Okemah being a tip of the cap to Woody Guthrie�s Oklahoma hometown and "Melody of Riot" being, well, an indication of the rollicking melodies to be found within) is nominally the fourth studio effort from Jay Farrar's Son Volt. It's also the first in nearly seven years, not counting the recent Retrospective from a few months back. Of course, considering that lead singer/songwriter Farrar is the sole returning original member, you could call it Son Volt 2.0. That's not likely to matter to Farrar's faithful fans: Despite the revamped lineup, Okemah sounds like a Son Volt record. That is, there are little of the exacting production tics that defined Farrar�s intervening solo albums, and lots of pedal steel and slide guitar. Regardless, it�s all tied together by the signature sound of Farrar�s untreated, nasally warble and crypto-Americana lyrics (like �Updated consciousness / knocking on doors,� from the mid-tempo opener �Bandages & Scars�). Whether making a refreshingly non-finger-pointing anti-war statement (�Endless War� and its �same result, different name� outlook -- �Still trying to understand / How another wrong makes a right�) or waxing nostalgic for a musical/mythical America long gone (�Afterglow 61� and the aforementioned �Bandages & Scars� which includes the affectionate acknowledgement �The words of Woody Guthrie ringing in my head�), Farrar imbues the material with genuine and passionate concern. This is not a man who stands in the mirror, affecting the perfect pose before gigs. And, despite taking few chances thematically or musically, the reincarnated Son Volt delivers a tight, nothing-wasted set. And if it drums up some additional tourism for Woody Guthrie�s birthplace, well, so much the better.
Waterproof Blonde: The Morning After the Night Before
Crash Avenue Entertainment, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Waterproof Blonde is a tease. On its debut album The Morning After the Night Before, the band briefly exudes the raw intensity that shot Garbage and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs into the big time (although its sound is more bluesy and less electronic or fuzzed-out, more like the Donnas or the lesser-known Honey Tongue), before kicking back into rock/pop mode and coasting the rest of the way. Gritty tracks like "Hold Me Down" and "Feel" showcase singer Rachel Hagen's vocals, which are the audio equivalent to a kick in the head. Unfortunately, those are the only two tracks -- which happen to be the first two on the album -- to do so. The middle of the album tends to drag, especially on "Parade" coming right after "Fall on Her" -- both reminiscent of No Doubt's "Simple Kind of Life" in that they don't really climax, but are decent enough to satisfy most musical palates. Note to Waterproof Blonde: If you have two songs that sound exactly the same, don't put them right next to each other. The band tries to bring the same intensity at the end of the album with "Supermodel Craving" and "Tackle Queen," but it seems canned and uninspired. Overall, The Morning After the Night Before isn't bad, but the promise of the first two tracks is never fulfilled.
Warp, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Multiply is Jamie Lidell�s tribute to �60s soul and �70s funk. The erstwhile Super_Collider collaborator hasn�t entirely lost touch with his techno roots, however. Multiply successfully melds programmed beats with Lidell�s fearlessly elastic croon. Check out the overdubbed, digitized baritone and faux falsetto on �A Little Bit More� or the spot-on Otis Redding homage of the title track, complete with Otis-aping lines like �Stuck between my shadow and me� as the synthetic beat keeps perfect time. The brassy funk of �Newme� and the whir-and-shuffle, stuttering shout-speak of �When I Come Back Around� also merit special mention. Multiply sacrifices cohesion in its quest for stylistic diversity, but it�s a bravura tour through the smooth sounds and hot jams of yesteryear.
Fountains of Wayne: Out-of-State Plates
Virgin, 2005
Rating: 3.0
The cover of Out-of-State Plates, Fountains of Wayne�s sprawling two-disc compilation of B-sides, rarities and previously unreleased material, shows a collection of junked cars. Well, at least the band�s honest about the contents. Simply put, barring a few notable exceptions, these are the songs that either weren�t good enough or didn�t fit into any of the New Jersey-based group�s proper releases. Older cuts -- the brief, heartfelt �Places� and the only slightly longer, closing �Imperia,� which, according to the liner notes, pays tribute to singer Chris Collingwood�s grandfather -- leave an impression, as do a pair of new songs: the classic power-pop gem �Maureen� and "The Girl I Can't Forget," a playful ode to drunken confusion. For those who didn�t spend time and money tracking down decent but hardly revelatory songs like �California Sex Lawyer� or �Elevator Up� and are eager to hear a too-serious stab at Britney Spears� �...Baby One More Time,� Out-of-State Plates capably does its palate-cleansing job, setting the table for the eagerly awaited successor to Welcome Interstate Managers . Besides, one person�s junk is another person�s treasure. Happy hunting.
Transdreamer, 2005
Rating: 3.4
To accurately describe Dressy Bessy's style, one might well use the term "bubblegum punk". "Pop punk" currently has too much of a connection to teenage angst, and there's hardly a song on Electrified that can be considered less than exuberant. (When was the last time liner notes listed band members as playing "guitarz", or a lyricist used the phrases "wiggin' out" or "stop foolin'"?) The band addresses traditional pop concerns like fame, bad relationships and falling in love, while coating Tammy Ealom's sung-spoken vocals with some nice hooks, guitars for texture, and dependable drums and bass for the rhythm. Britt Myers keeps the production fairly minimal, adding some piano and vocal dubbing, but otherwise this is the raw guitar rock of youth. The problem is that uncomplicated joy mixed with uncomplicated rock can be taken for only so long. While "Side 2", "Stop Foolin'" and "Electrified" contribute an excellent one-two-three opening, and "Who'd Stop The Rain" is a lovely country break from the rest of the album's summery vibe, on the whole Electrified offers too much syrup. "HelloHelloHello" sports the saddest guitar hook in the world, possessed of such exuberance but paired with a melody that just weighs it down. "It Happens All The Time" merits extra points for pulling the album out of the perceived second-half slump, but it's not quite enough. If Dressy Bessy were a girl, she'd be charming, endearing and cute, and you'd spend dates in some combination of trips to the malt shop and making out in the back seat of your car. But after getting home each night you'd read Goethe for a few hours to make up for the lack of conversation.
Pernice Brothers: Discover a Lovelier You
Ashmont, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Discover a Lovelier You, the fifth Pernice Brothers record, bears familiar hallmarks of the band�s previous efforts. There�s English Lit vocabulary (�Tontines and silly oaths and hyperbole,� from �Sell Your Hair�), cheeky, pop-culturally relevant titles (�My So-Called Celibate Life�), and Biblical allusions (�Fingered wounds proved I had been dead,� from �Pisshole In The Snow�), all tied together by unlucky-in-life-and-love story-song sketches. Where Discover a Lovelier You falls short is in the hooks department. Yours, Mine and Ours was just as literate and lovelorn, but enjoyed far more memorable choruses. �Saddest Quo� is Discover's classic Pernice Brothers track, catchy and quick-witted, despite some baffling declarations like �Wandering through like a head of tetra cyclic cattle.� Despite lead singer/songwriter Joe Pernice�s MFA-backed smartness of songcraft, the Pernice Brothers slot solidly alongside bands serving up one three-minute pop gem after another, like the Magnetic Fields and the New Pornographers. In that regard, Discover a Lovelier You is a modest triumph, and certainly not indicative of the group�s best work.
Geffen, 2005
Rating: 3.8
On the title track of Van Morrison�s Magic Time, the nothing-left-to-prove Irish troubadour sings, �You can call it nostalgia / I don�t mind.� Boy, doesn�t he. Morrison continues to revel in some quasi-romantic, pre-1970s period of pop culture, a Brigadoon of Celtic-flavored, misty-eyed blues-rock. Opening the album with a song called �Stranded� and announcing how adrift he feels in modern times might be stating the obvious, especially when Morrison follows it with a track called �Celtic New Year,� whose title and Astral Weeks-period sound veers dangerously near self-parody. It�s also rather confounding to pick up the tempo with a determined tune like �Keep Mediocrity at Bay� and then follow it up with safe, to-the-half-note-faithful Frank Sinatra and Perry Como covers (�This Love of Mine� and �I'm Confessin',� respectively) that neither update nor transform the compositions into distinctively Morrison-esque interpretations. But, missteps aside, Magic Time delivers that familiar blanket on a chill winter�s day vibe, and Morrison fans will thankfully bury themselves under it. �Evening Train,� with its steady chug-along beat and familiar harmonica, and the par-for-the-course �Gypsy in My Soul� won�t move mountains in the search for something unexpected and daring, but they more than do their jobs. Besides, at this point, the notion of Morrison using a vocoder and musing about dark futures over detached electronic beats just wouldn�t seem right. We�ll call it nostalgia and accept that Magic Time isn�t meant to overreach its guaranteed target market.
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian just want to break free on JackInABox, the South London pop-folk duo Turin Brakes' third release. On �Fishing for a Dream� they seek �somewhere where we can be ourselves.� On �Over and Over,� Knights urges, �let�s get lost in space� because �I�m stuck in a rat race.� �Above the Clouds� reinforces the desire to escape the terrestrial binds of work and traffic jams, emotionally draining personal entanglements and dead-end encounters. Even the warm ode to bustling city life, �Building Wraps Round Me,� exudes a claustrophobic heaviness. At its best, JackInABox manages a smooth flow undercut by genuine pain. �Road to Nowhere� offers no false sentiments with lines like �everyone�s dying or curling up in pain.� Elsewhere, �Last Clown� features a jazzy coda that takes Turin Brakes� sound into an adventurously fresh direction. Undermining these positive elements are tracks like �Forever,� with cloying, trite lines like "I�m infected by your love," with the narrator declaring himself "chemically changed" by the experience. Turin Brakes' stab at funkier material, �Asleep With the Fireflies,� sounds like a send-up of Counting Crows (�I�ve been hanging around / My head in my hands and my feet on the ground�). In a nutshell, JackInABox lacks the consistent flow of The Optimist LP and doesn�t match the sturdy songcraft of Ether Song .
Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock and Roll
Fierce Panda / The Orchard, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Sex, drugs and rock �n� roll is so over as a lifestyle choice for the aspiring musician. The South London quintet Art Brut claims as much throughout its charming, almost-but-not-quite-there-yet debut, Bang Bang Rock and Roll: �I just want a girl to hold my hand,� moons singer Eddie Argos on the title track, while the hopeful bent of leadoff single �Formed A Band� aspires to bring peace to the world. Art Brut�s sharp guitar lines and hefty beat won�t win many points for originality, but it�s hard not to root for a band that so guilelessly examines the awkward romantic entanglements of youth. Reticence in the heat of the moment is nakedly exposed on �Rusted Guns Of Milan,� and the thrill of finally hitting a horizontal home run is deliriously celebrated on �Good Weekend,� with its dizzy-headed pronouncements (�got myself a brand new girlfriend�) and chest-thumping, Tarzan holler of a chorus (�I�ve seen her naked, twice!�). Art Brut�s best move, however, is dedicating a song to the one that got away -- �Emily Kane,� in this particular instance, with its endearing sentiment, �I hope this song finds you fame.� Frenzied throwaways like �Modern Art� and vapid observations like �popular culture no longer applies to me,� from �Bad Weekend,� keep Bang Bang Rock and Roll from attaining that rarified feel of unveiling something truly special. But on the strength of its virginally gobsmacked confessional numbers, Art Brut undoubtedly merits �remember the name� grading.
Young God/ Revolver, 2005
Rating: 3.3
If Iron & Wine�s Sam Beam formed a barbershop quartet, it might sound something like the warm and fuzzy folk stylings peppering Akron/Family�s self-titled debut. Backing up this notion are the roundabout, yearning �Suchness� and gentle love paean �I'll Be On The Water,� which professes to have �Lightning bolts in my chest� for its object of affection. Akron/Family favors far messier production techniques than Beam, however. Sounds of fiddling with the tape machine, presumably for authenticity�s sake, and assorted digital blips and bird samples abound. While this formless and free approach has an undeniable lo-fi charm, the canned effects emphasize the artificiality of the recording process, not the �in the wild� spontaneity seemingly aimed for. But thanks to artists like Joanna Newsome and Devendra Banhart, sun-glazed folk with idiosyncratic flourishes is the sound du jour for many in the indie rock community; just don�t imagine you�re intercepting something never intended for a ten-dollar latte-sipping public. Akron/Family has definite talent, but less forced naturalness, tighter song structures and greater emphasis on appealing harmonies could only help the group in its quest to conquer the known musical universe, or, at the very least, the corner organic foods mart.
Okkervil River: Black Sheep Boy
Jagjaguwar, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Austin rock outfit Okkervil River�s fourth release, Black Sheep Boy, is verbose and labored. Singer and songwriter Will Sheff has no trouble tossing out SAT-approved vocabulary words like "abecedarian," but the biggest problem stems from a lack of groove. Black Sheep Boy never flows, despite the seamless transition between tracks and obvious thematic links concerning helpless lambs, royal archetypes and stone-cold lovers. On �The Latest Toughs,� Sheff wedges in an awkward �author�s note� and encourages listeners to fill in the subsequent pause with their own musings. Such meta-participatory gimmicks undermine the emotional heft Black Sheep Boy so earnestly tries to impart. The least wordy tracks, unsurprisingly, prove the most effective, as on �In a Radio Song,� where the music is allowed to shift and expand without being bound to some ruler-straight notebook of pronouns and synonyms. Black Sheep Boy has bold ambitions, but Okkervil River hasn�t quite reached the point where polished execution equals or surpasses preliminary concept. Prescription: Less abecedarian, more instinctive melody.
Brian Eno: Another Day on Earth
Hannibal, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Here�s an easy summation of Brian Eno�s latest solo album, Another Day on Earth: A seamless integration of early, post-Roxy Music vocals and later, moodier ambient compositions. But that doesn�t tell the whole story. Another Day on Earth does feature the heaviest vocal work from Eno in more than a quarter of a century (discounting his 1990 collaboration with John Cale). But the majority of the vocals are so tweaked and treated, morphed and modulated as to simply lose any sense of the man himself. Underscoring this point is Eno�s least processed performance on �How Many Worlds,� which features a tinny piano and Eno�s voice refreshingly front and center, asking unanswerable questions like, �How many people will we feed today?� Tellingly, the least affected-sounding track is one of the most affecting of the bunch. Mostly, though, we get words buried beneath trance-like ambient snowdrifts (�And Then So Clear,� �Going Unconscious� and �Caught Between�). The most powerful moment arrives at the end, and isn�t even performed by Eno. Aylie Cooke�s eerily detached spoken-word work on �Bone Bomb,� about a young suicide bomber, hits hard and ends the album on a powerful note. Those eager for another �Baby�s On Fire� from Eno will have to satiate themselves with this gut-punch of a highlight.
ATO, 2005
Rating: 3.4
It�s rather fitting that bluesy rock outfit Gomez�s first release for Dave Matthews� ATO label is a double live set. Spotlighting the group�s jam-oriented tendencies and leaning heavily on material from the British sextet�s first two albums -- the Mercury Prize-winning debut Bring It On and the similarly structured Liquid Skin -- Out West works best when it extends the studio cuts. �Here Comes the Breeze� and �Revolutionary Kind� especially benefit from this sweaty-workout approach, allowing greater interplay between band members and a more spontaneous sound. The two covers prove hit-and-miss, with a meatier stab at Nick Drake�s �Black Eyed Dog� segueing nicely into Bring It On�s �Free To Run.� A growling attempt at Tom Waits� �Going Out West� buttresses just how great the original is. Out West�s main drawback is pacing; despite being drawn from a trio of sold-out shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco earlier this year, there�s little sense of momentum. Even simply taking the highlights from the three performances and stitching together a set list that builds to a rousing finish (greater crowd feedback, clearly delineated encores, and so forth) would have helped convey what a Gomez live show feels like. Instead, its rousing peaks and studio-same-y valleys defeat the entire purpose of a live document.
Domino, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Kieran Hebden�s fourth Four Tet album, Everything Ecstatic, jumps all over the musical map, from crashing cymbal-squalling frenzies (�A Joy�) that trigger recollections of fellow laptop composer Dan �Caribou� Snaith�s work, to deliriously explosive percussion that could put on smile on the face of peerless jazz drummer Rashied Ali. But the overall sound of Everything Ecstatic pushes in fresh directions for the compositionally questing Hebden. Familiar folktronica structures have been torched for insurance money now financing a new, freewheeling approach that can loosely be summed up as jazzy Orientalism. Touches of this stylistic shift colored 2003�s Rounds , but Everything Ecstatic proves an emphatic break with the charged-particle, pastoral energy so prevalent on Dialogue and Pause. The breakneck, Polynesian tribal rhythms of �High Fives� and the metropolitan pulse of Hong Kong on �Turtle Turtle Up� are the most obvious examples of Ecstatic�s strong Asiatic focus, but everything crystallizes on the closing, intimate �You Were There With Me,� which conjures images of meditating on a peaceful Sunday afternoon as lazily swaying chimes play. The low-energy, nocturnal hip-hop vibe of �And Then Patterns� fails to mesh nearly as well, and the dispensable �Fuji Check,� doesn�t have enough time to develop into an interesting detour or serve as a transitional segue between more substantial tracks. Consequently, Everything Ecstatic doesn�t come together as solidly as prior Four Tet releases, but it unquestionably contains the blueprint for far greater explorations to come.
System of a Down: Mezmerize
Columbia, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Mezmerize is the first of two System of a Down (SOAD) releases due out this year (the second, Hypnotize, drops in the fall). Like the genre-hopping metal band�s previous releases, Mezmerize is unapologetically up-front about its politics -- case in point: "B.Y.O.B.," with strident anti-war couplets like �Why don't presidents fight the war? / Why do they always send the poor?� And, as has been the case since the group�s self-titled 1998 debut, the melodies have progressively become more integral to the overall mix of angrily opinionated lyrics and rapid-fire chord changes. "B.Y.O.B." alternates between a jarring Red Hot Chili Peppers-style refrain ("Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time / Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine"), frantic thrashing, and Elmer Fuddian "Lalala"s. �Sad Statue� manages to make the chorus �You and me / We'll all go down in history / With a sad Statue of Liberty� hummable. �Violent Pornography� serves up the choice finger-snapper �Choking chicks and sodomy.� But it�s when SOAD takes a more bizarre slant that the band�s originality and sense of humor shine. �This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song� features the Zappa-worthy verse �There's nothing wrong with me / There's something wrong with you / Don't eat the fish,� while �Radio/Video� may be the world�s first accordion-based metal song. More tracks like this would help offset the exhaustive laundry list of pissed-off concerns. Mezmerize is on par with 2001�s Toxicity as SOAD�s best offering to date. Hopefully, Hypnotize will up the ante further while easing up on the lead-foot activist pedal.
Belle & Sebastian: Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
Matador, 2005
Rating: 3.9
Fans of the Scottish pop group Belle & Sebastian have been waiting for its new compilation, Push Barman To Open Old Wounds, for quite a while now. The band is famous for releasing singles and EPs filled with exclusive material (excepting "The State I Am In", off of Tigermilk) -- a trend reversed with the string of singles from Dear Catastrophe Waitress -- and Push Barman is a self-proclaimed "budget priced" double CD that compiles the seven singles/EPs released on Jeepster: Dog On Wheels, Lazy Line Painter Jane, 3...6...9... Seconds of Light, This Is Just A Modern Rock Song, Legal Man, Jonathan David and I'm Waking Up To Us. In addition to simply being a package for the band's more obscure tracks, the album nicely spans its shift from folksy, melancholy introspectiveness to light summer-pop, with the former contained on the first disc and a mix of the two styles on the second. The songs all sound less cleanly produced than any of the full albums, so this is probably not the best introduction for neophytes. At the same time, it's an excellent bridge between the band's two styles for someone who owns just one album, and is enough of a blend of sweet, sad, happy and romantic to last for quite a few spins. On "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song", singer Stuart Murdoch claims, "We're just four boys in corduroy / We're not terrific but we're competent." Push Barman is a pleasant confirmation that this line sells Belle & Sebastian short.
At the Drive-In: Anthology: This Station Is Non-Operational
Fearless, 2005
Rating: 3.9
Given that At the Drive-In split into two diametrically opposed bands -- the conventional rock outfit Sparta and aggressively outr� The Mars Volta -- the career retrospective Anthology: This Station Is Non-Operational is a welcome refresher course on what solid music can come from the tension born of competing musical philosophies. Running (mostly) chronologically, Non-Operational opens with the raw, frenetic �Fahrenheit� and evolves to the discrete, start-stop dynamics of the band�s final studio release, 2000�s Relationship of Command, personified by the bracing �One Armed Scissor.� As the El Paso-based group�s proficiency increased, so did the experimental nature of its sound. The recorded turning point of ATDI, 1999�s Vaya EP, is well represented here by �Metronome Arthritis� and �198d.� This is where the battle between easily discernible melodies and more progressive jams plays out most obviously: a tug-of-war that ends in a draw but results in an incredibly thrilling listening experience. The non-LP material that fleshes out the rest of the anthology is less rewarding. �This Night Has Opened My Eyes� is a comparatively straight cover of the Smiths� original, as is a suitably wiggy workout of Pink Floyd�s �Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk.� Also, the only cuts represented before 1997�s El Gran Orgo is a more inspired live rendition of Acrobatic Tenement�s �Initiation" -- there's nothing from the early EPs Hell Paso and Alfaro Vive, Carajo! While that's hardly essential stuff, it still would have been nice to have a track or two included, thus presenting a more thorough overview of ATDI�s career.
MCA, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Be is an appropriate title for Common�s latest release. Short, assertive, and to the point, it�s a perfect header for an album filmed with equally concise, self-assured and message-heavy tracks. Clocking in at less than 43 minutes (in comparison to the hour-and-twenty-minute, brilliant but uneven Like Water for Chocolate and 2002�s near-75-minute, eclectic, captivating, Electric Circus), Be finds Common (Lonnie Rashied Lynn), along with producers Kanye West and Dilla, avoiding filler and excessive guest appearances in favor of tight rhymes and soulful, homogeneously smooth beats. The joy of sex (�Go!�) and respecting the Almighty (�Faithful�) coexist peacefully in Common�s musical universe. One curious choice, given the appealing flow, is the inclusion of a live version of �The Food,� jarringly noticeable thanks to an introduction by Dave Chappelle and before-and-after audience reaction. Perhaps Common wanted to shake up the effortless vibe, but it definitely throws off the warm consistency present throughout. Be won�t win many points for daring, but in terms of user-friendly hip-hop charged by a refreshingly positive undercurrent, it more than hits its hard-to-miss mark.
Smog: A River Ain't Too Much to Love
Drag City, 2005
Rating: 3.0
The parentheses bracketing his performing handle may be gone, but Bill Callahan's 12th Smog album, A River Ain't Too Much to Love, follows a wearyingly familiar template: Deliberately ruminative vocals; spare arrangements; welcome faster-tempo songs offering a brief respite from barren stretches of snail-paced tracks. Death and redemption (�Say Valley Maker�), a supportive family (�Rock Bottom Riser�) and recollections of youth (�Drinking at the Dam�) form the thematic center of the album. At times, Callahan's penchant for clever phrasings gets the better of him, as on �I'm New Here,� which comes off like a less inventive Silver Jews cut, offering such Dave Berman-lite lines as �She said I had an ego on me / The size of Texas� and �No matter how far wrong you�ve gone / You can always turnaround.� With its skipping beat and lively fiddle, �The Well� is a highlight, even if the notion of confronting one�s self while staring down a dark well falls flat. The album's other highlight, the closing �Let Me See the Colts,� features some solid drumming by Jim White of the Dirty Three, while Callahan asks �Is there anything as still as sleeping horses?� Yes, Bill, there is: a motionless river.
Saddle Creek, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Maria Taylor (one half of Azure Ray and a member of Now It's Overhead ) steps squarely to the fore on 11:11, an enjoyable if not arresting debut. Moving from electronically tweaked dream pop (�Leap Year� and the lovely, hook-laden �Song Beneath the Song�) to folky, monochromatic pieces reminiscent of M. Ward�s recent work (�Speak Easy�), Taylor ties it all together with her understated, graceful pipes. �One for the Shareholder,� the album's highlight, sports a noticeable dance-floor groove, complete with breathy vocalizations, references to a �cold box of cheap red wine� and noncommittal sex. This no-strings-attached moment hits hard and leaves a bruise. The bulk of 11:11, however, is diluted by the liberally applied digital sheen glistening off the majority of the gauzily abstract arrangements.
Interscope, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Steady as she goes, with a lyrically apocalyptic bent, defines The Wallflowers� fifth full-length release, Rebel, Sweetheart. Jakob Dylan and company have never strived to make anything grander than good old-fashioned, guitar-driven rock records. And producer Brendan O�Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) delivers an immaculately crafted, every-note-in-place recording that is as confidently executed as it is formulaically inoffensive. Rebel, Sweetheart�s main point of interest lies in Dylan's topically doom-and-gloom outlook. �Days of Wonder� cynically wishes the war in Iraq a happy birthday; �The Passenger� claims, �I�m not responsible for how lost we are.� �Here He Comes (Confessions of a Drunken Marionette)� bitterly contends, �A guilty conscience means at least you�ve got one.� At its bleakest, �We're Already There� grimly observes, �No amount of nightmares would ever compare / To the thought of only silence in this ghost-filled air.� At times, Dylan overreaches with his imagery, as on the tenebrous �God Says Nothing Back,� singing, �As teardrops from a hole in heaven come / Overhead like ravens dropping down like bombs / Through the morning silver-frosted glow.� Obviously Dylan enjoys the Wallflowers setup, but it�s interesting to consider what a solo album, less burnished and pristine, might sound like from the son of arguably the most famous solo artist in rock history.
The Coral: The Invisible Invasion
Deltasonic, 2005
Rating: 3.8
The Coral�s third full-length release (or third-and-a-half, if you count last year�s mini-album Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker ) reveals a band that has outgrown the youthful exuberance exhibited on "Spanish Main," from the Hoylake sextet�s debut . Likewise, the spirited optimism of "Pass It On," from 2003�s Magic and Medicine , is ill-suited for the paranoid, edgy and deliriously unsettled tenor pervading The Invisible Invasion. Singer James Skelly is convinced there�s a �conspiracy in the corridors� on the moodily catchy �Cripples Crown,� all the while dodging snooping satellites overhead. The frantic �The Operator� deals with an unlucky chap who�s taken away and has his head drilled into. �Leaving Today� is stuck with �sorrows until tomorrow.� But such unhinged material is simply a warm-up for the strangest yet most assured song the group�s recorded. Lyrically surreal, yet pointedly relevant given the hotspot of today�s global conflicts, �Arabian Sand� builds on insistently humming keyboard lines and fierce middle-bridge guitar histrionics to Skelly�s defining, whisper-to-a-mad-raver line: "Can you dance with the lepers in the madman's house?" It�s political commentary devoid of the obviousness of a polemic -- and the hook is fantastic. The Invisible Invasion is far from a masterpiece (tracks like the unimaginative jangle-rock number �So Long Ago� and the underdeveloped, dispensable �In The Morning� help to ensure that), but it encouragingly signals a definite progression in the Coral�s thematic and arrangement skills. Let�s hope the world isn�t such a scary place to live in come the band�s next release.
Dave Matthews Band: Stand Up
RCA, 2005
Rating: 3.0
Stand Up, the Dave Matthews Band�s first collection of brand new material since 2001�s Glen Ballard-produced Everyday (2002�s Busted Stuff being re-recordings of earlier songs), is a more rough-hewn, randy affair than its overly slick, pop-polished predecessor. The most obvious difference is Matthews� vocal style, which isn�t artificially treated or Pro Tools-masked, but more raspy and weather-beaten (if not an outright drunken slur, as on the opening �Dreamgirl,� which finds Matthews crooning, �And after a good, good drunk / You and me wake up and make love after a deep sleep�). Musically, Stand Up may not be as obviously pop-oriented as Everyday, but producer Mark Batson (India.Arie, The Game, 50 Cent) does his best to coax radio-friendly, if uninspired, rhythms from the band. �Hello Again� adds some welcome funk into the mix, and for the live DMB diehard, there�s the extended jam closing out �Louisiana Bayou.� On "Stand Up," Matthews urges listeners to do just that, but it sounds like he�s trying to convince himself. Lack of energy and a dearth of hooks adds up to one of the most tepid releases Matthews and his crew have released. Must be worn out from all those live gigs.
Zoe, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Being the daughter of Katie McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III -- and the sister of Rufus -- all but guarantees that Martha Wainwright will have to contend with high expectations for her debut. And despite too-frequent instances of heavy-footed production, which buries Wainwright�s gorgeous, sandpapery vocals, Martha Wainwright delivers a one-to-listen-for unveiling. The best moments are the least adorned, with the unsubtly titled �Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole� (Clear Channel certainly wouldn't approve) towering over the remaining twelve tracks. The opening line ("Poetry has no place for a heart's that's a whore") sets a confessional tone that punches holes through the professional artifice of the studio and exposes an utterly vulnerable Wainwright, her guitar and spare accompaniment. �Who Was I Kidding?� manages a similar if less emotionally potent effect. Imagining an all-acoustic version of Martha Wainwright hints at the true potential lurking beneath the strings and high-calorie programmatic flourishes that, while undeniably pretty, detract unnecessarily from the eponymous focal point. Here�s hoping for a considerably more naked second act.
Virgin, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Four years, G-sides and remix collections and several million units moved find Gorillaz in a surprisingly downbeat mood. For the collective�s sophomore effort, Demon Days, "Clint Eastwood" has been replaced by the actor�s grim, vigilante-with-a-badge character �Dirty Harry.� The intro samples from the Dawn of the Dead soundtrack, which segues into the moribund �Last Living Souls.� That primary primate Damon Albarn has swapped Dan The Automator for Grey Album baker Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton as his chief collaborator, and brought in a Who�s Who roster of guest stars (from an Ike Turner piano solo on �Every Planet We Reach Is Dead� to actor Dennis Hopper reciting the terrible fate of the Happy Folk in �Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head�) belies the �just a fun side project for the Blur frontman� image. Gorillaz is big business now, and what may have started out as a virtual cartoon cooking up a dub-hip-hop-indie-electronica stew has boiled over into a too-serious stab at global commentary sprinkled over gristle-tough beats. The aforementioned �Dirty Harry,� with its funky rhythms and thankfully not-too-heavy-handed strings, and �Feel Good Inc.� (featuring De La Soul) are worthy of the debut. But �Kids With Guns� and �O Green World� both exhibit their woe-is-the-world message too obviously, offering flavorless tasters. Granted, the world isn�t exactly better off since since the last Gorillaz album, but that doesn�t mean we need to be reminded of it by a loose collaborative outfit that will never be mistaken for the Clash when it comes to political or social consciousness. If anything, Albarn should have never lost the �sunshine in a bag� he carried around on the last album; we could really use some of it now.
Monade: A Few Steps More
Too Pure, 2005
Rating: 3.2
So distinctive is Laetitia Sadier�s weightlessly elegant singing style -- easily slipping between Anglo and French vernaculars -- that any side project is invariably going to be judged against her day job as the voice of Stereolab. In the case of the first Monade release, 2003�s Socialisme ou Barbarie: The Bedroom Recordings, Sadier took six years on the project and it came across as a low-key, personal collection that revealed a more intimate portrait of its creator. A Few Steps More is just that... only with a full band supporting the vocalist this time around, and from the opening, lounge-y bars of �Wash and Dance,� it�s near impossible not to judge the material against recent Stereolab offerings. And, other than a pair of under-a-minute sketches (�Dittysweep� and �Dittyah�), what�s heard is a less-adventurous-sounding Stereolab. The spacey grooves of the title track and the hushed melodies of �Paradoxale� are pleasant enough, but simply don�t resonate as strongly. Besides, Sadier�s already got a full-time band, which is part of what made The Bedroom Recordings so appealing and different in the first place. Fleshing out Monade only reinforces what great chemistry Stereolab possesses. And that�s a few steps in the wrong artistic direction, especially if Sadier�s interested in distinguishing herself apart from the Groop.
The Dresden Dolls: The Dresden Dolls
8ft., 2004
Rating: 4.1
Goth rock and cabaret? Well, the Dresden Dolls call it Brechtian punk cabaret. On their self-titled debut, they manage to bring a gothic edge to a piano/cabaret sound not normally heard in any type of music, except select theater attractions. Pianist/vocalist Amanda Palmer displays the sarcasm and lyrical wit of a P.J. Harvey or Fiona Apple, especially on �Gravity� (�If I could attack with a more sensible approach / Obviously that�s what I�d be doing... right?!�) and the opener �Good Day� (�You�d rather be a bitch / Than be an ordinary broken heart�). But it's the other half of the Dolls, Brian Viglione, who steals the show with very brief, subtle solos and sounds; on �Coin-Operated Boy� as Palmer sings �I can even take him in the bath,� the percussionist inserts a perfectly placed rubber-duck squeak. The Dresden Dolls excel in the unexpected, going from head-bobbing kiss-offs like �Good Day,� �Bad Habit,� and �Gravity� to gender-questioning full-throttle assaults like �Girl Anachronism� and �Coin-Operated Boy.� The piano-and-drum sound is fuller than one would expect; first-time listeners will find it hard to believe that the Dolls are only a duo. Based on the talent on The Dresden Dolls, they could become one of the few acts to sell out stadiums with a cult following instead of mainstream appeal.
Quasimoto: The Further Adventures of Lord Quas
Stones Throw, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Helium-inflated vocals? Twenty-six tracks, most subdivided into a scatterbrained series of micro-skits? Ultra-smooth, jazzy beats and vintage synthesized samples? Yes, the following hip-hop profile can only fit one suspect: Lord Quas, underground champion of 2000�s The Unseen, and alter-ego of super producer Madlib (who will one day cash Social Security checks as Otis Jackson Jr.). Still operating out of the Lost Gates neighborhood, a stoned state of mind located near Oxnard, CA, Quasimoto celebrates getting high (most overtly on �Greenery,� although memory-impairing recreational excursions inform the entire experience), not being played by women (�Hydrant Game�), nuclear destruction and alien invasions (�Civilization Day�) and environmental disasters (�Tomorrow Never Knows�). Throughout, Madlib impressively manages to keep the proceedings from slipping into total chaos. Even so, there�s a frustrating sense of intentional subterfuge throughout. Obviously, that�s Lord Quas� modus operandi: ADD-rattled observations on life, the universe and every hallucinogenically-lacquered blunt ever rolled. But it can�t help but undermine the momentum, especially on pieces like the two-minute, criminally truncated �Strange Piano,� which fuses a spacey composition with Quas� dissociative pop-cultural name dropping (Dennis Hopper and Chewbacca?). Such are the mad beauty and aggravatingly gratuitous throwaway gems to be found on The Further Adventures of Lord Quas. Normality has no known address in this proficiently skewed neighborhood.
Petra Haden: Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
Bar/None, 2005
Rating: 3.5
On Petra Haden�s first solo album, 1996's Imaginaryland, the accomplished violinist recorded a multi-tracked a cappella record, complete with an Enya cover and music by Bach. The Who Sell Out provides an even greater challenge for Haden�s vocal mimicry. From the opening, vocodered �seven days of the week� announcement on �Armenia City in The Sky� to the soaring rhythmic gymnastics of �I Can See For Miles,� Haden near-flawlessly replicates the structure of the veteran British band�s acclaimed 1967 album. Obviously, given the personnel and equipment limitations, Haden�s Who Sell Out isn�t as full-bodied or emotionally gripping as the original. But it is a marvelous display of overlapping solo voice, taking an artistic gamble that could too easily have come up snake eyes and delivering more than a mere novelty, Richard Cheese-style subversion of popular music. For Haden�s next dare, how about Who�s Next, or, at the very least, an a cappella stab at �Baba O'Riley�?
Geffen, 2005
Rating: 1.7
It�s somehow fitting that a line from Shakespeare�s The Tempest, quoting Prospero renouncing the use of magic, appears in the liner notes of Weezer�s fifth (and weakest) release, Make Believe. For whatever enchantment the quartet cast on listeners over the past decade has a good chance of being completely dispelled thanks to this overblown yet paradoxically self-deprecating effort. Singer Rivers Cuomo writes meek lyrics better suited to acoustic guitar accompaniment and little more. Indeed, Make Believe might sound more sincere if the precision-metal production didn�t steamroll Cuomo�s lyrical misery in bombastic arrangements featuring factory-issue power chords and a MOR-safe rhythm section. Big label bucks are invested in Weezer�s endearing brand of geek rock, no matter how incompatible with the whiney, cowering-in-a-corner content of Cuomo�s songs. �Perfect Situation� embodies this paradox, marrying peppy handclaps to lines like �I don�t want to be lonely for the rest of my days on the earth.� �Pardon Me� features Cuomo offering apologies to everyone he�s ever even remotely offended anywhere, backed by a supercharged pop arrangement. Maladroit may have been unfocused and inconsistent, but at least it rocked. And even Pinkerton -- which if anything managed to be even more miserable -- served up memorable hooks. The breezy (with the occasional threatening storm cloud) �Blue� and �Green� self-titled releases retain solid replay value. Make Believe is an unappealing mix of by-the-numbers product smothering a battered psyche. It simply doesn�t work. On the blandly obvious �This Is Such A Pity,� Cuomo asks, �How did things get so bad?� If Cuomo's lucky, he'll get a chance to answer that question on the next album.
Lucinda Williams: Live at the Fillmore
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Ah, let us revisit the self-indulgent double live album, staple of hard rock acts in the �70s, from Thin Lizzy, who more than delivered the goods with Live and Dangerous, to Led Zeppelin�s bloated, dreary The Song Remains The Same. Thanks to the storage capabilities of the compact disc, double live releases today can be even more overstuffed and unrestrained. Left-of-center country luminary Lucinda Williams� Live at the Fillmore offers the best and worst aspects of the format. Fillmore is a cherry-picked assortment of songs from three November 2003 shows and, unsurprisingly, heavily features cuts from her last two studio albums, Essence and World Without Tears -- (18 of the 22 songs featured here, to be exact). This being Williams� first live release, it would have been nice to hear more of her earlier material, especially considering that several of the high points come from the underrepresented back catalog. �I Lost It� (which first appeared on Happy Woman Blues before receiving its definitive recording on the classic Car Wheels on a Gravel Road) kicks off the brawnier, more engaging second disc, followed by an excellent rendition of Sweet Old World�s �Pineola� and, later, a fierce, stretched-out interpretation of Car Wheels� �Joy,� which finds a jazzed Williams proclaiming �We got the mojo workin� tonight.� Fillmore�s first set suffers from a samey repetitiveness, all sad-slow ballads and too-intimate sketches that fail to quicken the pulse the way a live album should. Closing with an assertively rocking version of �Changed the Locks� and the dirty boogie �Atonement� help redeem the disc (somewhat). Considering that Fillmore isn�t drawn from a single show, it�s baffling as to why the slower numbers are bunched together and the more exhilarating songs pushed nearly an hour into the listening experience. As a result, the album falls somewhere between Thin Lizzy and Zeppelin on the double live barometer.
Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth
Nothing/Interscope, 2005
Rating: 3.8
It's been five years since The Fragile, Nine Inch Nails' last proper studio effort. That engaging album revealed NIN maestro Trent Reznor to be more concerned with expanding the sonic experimentation heard on 1994's landmark The Downward Spiral than with solidifying his status as a generation's icon of fetishistic misery -- a Morrissey for the Ministry set, if you will. With Teeth is a half-step backward, largely streamlining his electro-metallic compositions and, in the process, giving more prominence to lyrics designed to resonate with isolated types who derive some measure of identity from the psychic toll of strained relationships (whether they're romantic, familial or just plain fucked-up in nature). Tight, thudding drums (courtesy of Dave Grohl) and crisp arrangements occasionally give way to abrupt swells and semi-jarring turns, but the effect is understated, not calling attention to itself the way grandiose songs on Spiral and The Fragile often did. While that makes the songs less immediately memorable -- there's no "Closer" or "Head Like a Hole" here -- they're nonetheless ingratiating, and the album as a whole takes less time to digest than those earlier, more ambitious efforts. Reznor can still rage with textbook efficiency, as on "You Know What You Are?," but With Teeth's most affecting moments are those where he pulls back a little, as exemplified by the talk-singing cadence and almost funky rhythm of "Only." Reznor doesn't attempt to bludgeon the listener with either overreaching musical ambition or awkward lyrical poignancy, making With Teeth that rare animal: a Nine Inch Nails record that doesn't force a false sense of visceral urgency.
The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday
Frenchkiss, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Singer/lyricist Craig Finn and his fellow Hold Steady players revisit much of the same turf first heard on the band�s impressive 2004 debut, Almost Killed Me . Separation Sunday is less a sophomore effort than a continuation of Finn�s documenting of people he has known and the group�s desire to unapologetically rock out. Characters like the morally loose Halleluiah (called Holly by her friends), menacing pusher-pimp Charlemagne and freewheeling Gideon (the �cowboy on the cross-town bus� from Almost�s �Sweet Payne�) make return appearances. And Finn�s juxtaposition of the sacred and profane has been sharpened to a fine point: �Your Little Hoodrat Friend� mentions Jesus and a tattooed phrase on a girl�s lower back that confidently proclaims �Damn right you'll rise again.� There are literary references, from Nabokov�s pedophiliac Humbert Humbert on opener �Hornets! Hornets!� to a diverse group of writers (William Butler Yates and William Blake, being two of the more notable ones) name-checked on the frenetic �Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night,� not to mention repeated lists of saints and kids desiring to be saved before destroying themselves. Separation Sunday isn�t quite on par with Almost Killed Me, primarily because it won�t stun listeners with its freshness. Only the next record will tell whether Finn exhausts his reservoir of tales before consumers lose interest.
Yep Roc, 2005
Rating: 4.1
Oceans Apart, The Go-Betweens ninth album -- and third in the last five years -- finds dual front men Grant McLennan and Robert Forster (ably backed by the rhythm section of drummer Glenn Thompson and bassist/keyboardist Adele Pickvance) exploring everything from the distance between London (where the bulk of the album was recorded) and the Australian band�s home base of Brisbane to the beauty and solitude of Tasmanian geography. It�s also the most self-assured album McLennan and Forster have made since reuniting after an extended hiatus during the 1990s. Forster�s �Here Comes a City� kicks things off with a moody tale of train travel that features aggressively bristling guitar lines and wickedly barbed observations like �Why do people who read Dostoevsky always look like Dostoevsky?� McLennan�s �Boundary Rider� reaches back to his Queensland legacy, revisiting the same terrain as the band�s �80s-period single �Cattle and Cane,� cleverly juxtaposing the fences meant to keep cattle hemmed with a young man�s yearning to escape the rural world of his forbearers and find a greater purpose in life. Forster makes similar observations on �Born to a Family,� working off of a nice change-of-pace skiffle beat and sketching the story of a bright-bulb lad not cut out for blue collar life. Other highlights include Forster�s recollection of �Darlinghurst Nights,� nearly two decades back, when a colony of artists and bohemians operated on the fringe outside Sydney, and McLennan�s romantically melancholy �The Statue,� which somehow manages to pull off a line like �The sunrise seeks you through a maze of dragons� with straight-faced aplomb. If 2000's The Friends of Rachel Worth was a tentative warm-up and 2002's Bright Yellow, Bright Orange an encouraging but inconsistent workout, Oceans Apart is the sound of two artists hitting a self-assured and motivated stride.
Stereolab: Oscillons from the Anti-Sun
Too Pure, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Stereolab�s brilliantly titled Oscillons from the Anti-Sun is a three-disc, 35-song box set (plus a no-frills DVD of band videos and television appearances) that culls from eight EPs and, presumably, frustrates dedicated followers who�ve spent hundreds of dollars over the years tracking down this hard-to-find and import only material. Guitarist/programmer Tim Gane sequences the tracks in non-chronological order, thus depriving listeners of easily charting Stereolab�s sundry stylistic shifts over the years. Regardless of mode, however, there�s no mistaking the distinctive Stereolab sound -- from the dense, Velvet Underground-aping �Golden Ball� to the experimental electronic noodling found on �Les Yper Yper Sound,� the signature blend of Laetitia Sadier's and Mary Hansen�s airy harmonies, backed by Gane and the rest of the band�s agreeable electro-rock rhythms, remains intact. Gane deserves credit for spacing the band�s more familiar pieces (�Cybele's Reverie,� �Jenny Ondioline,� �The Noise of Carpet�) across the three discs, which avoids front-loading the obvious selections and helps spotlight lesser-known but equally impressive songs like �Off On� and �Escape Pod.� A convenient way for novices to discover what all the fuss is about and veteran fans to round out their collections, Oscillons is another valuable addition to the copious Stereolab catalog.
Architecture in Helsinki: In Case We Die
Bar None, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Aussie octet Architecture in Helsinki progresses dramatically in ambition and proficiency on In Case We Die, the successor to Fingers Crossed, the exuberantly eclectic pop band�s 2004 debut. Hand and power tools are listed among the numerous instruments; vocal duties are handled by committee, often overlapping and serving up choral group-sized harmonies. Stylistically, In Case We Die is like a Jackson Pollock drip painting, chaotic and bustling. The peppy stamp of �It'5!� is balanced by the start-stop restlessness of "Frenchy, I'm Faking." Likewise, the piano drone of �Maybe You Can Owe Me� offers temporary calm before the horn-blast dance stunner �Do The Whirlwind� hits. The sub-four-minute title track (complete with the amusingly appended �Parts 1-4�) and subsequent, scatterbrained �The Cemetery,� which moves from country to new wave to punk in rapid fire succession, affirm Architecture in Helsinki�s determination to avoid being pigeonholed. Somehow, like Pollock�s art, this swirling, colorful melodic kaleidoscope works. Rhythmic continuity is so over.
Edan: Beauty and the Beat
Lewis, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Scratches and samples, bubbling sci-fi synth effects and liberal usage of a mini-Moog define the sound of hip-hop historian/DJ Edan�s Beauty and the Beat. Refining the ideas at play on his blueprint-sketching debut, Primitive Plus, Edan ventures into deep space for its successor, perhaps trying to catch the signals that left Earth back in the �80s, carrying the sound of MC heavyweights like Big Daddy Kane, Ice Cube and KRS-One beyond the humble confines of the Milky Way. Not that Edan limits himself exclusively to battle-rap artists from two decades back: Beauty and the Beat finds Edan spitting, and featured MCs like Mr. Lif and Insight rhyming over hard-rock chords and acid-drenched psychedelic rhythms. �Rock And Roll� conveys a sense of going to a light show while listening to Pink Floyd�s Dark Side of the Moon. The overall feel is of an academic exercise in hip-hop cultural anthropology -- Edan doesn�t want people to forget the nascent years of the movement. �Open your ears and listen,� he urges on the introductory �Polite Meeting.� Not to worry. Based on the lesson plan laid down here, future classes should fill up quickly.
Aimee Mann: The Forgotten Arm
Superego, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Aimee Mann�s The Forgotten Arm has been billed as a concept album about an ex-Vietnam vet and boxer named John, and Caroline, a woman he meets at the Virginia State Fair and winds up driving across the country with in the early 1970s. Based on the pulpy, late-�40s style artwork by Owen Smith decorating the liner notes and a dearth of era-specific details contained within the lyrics, there�s very little grounding Mann�s concept to the period in question. If anything, lines like "The King of the Jailhouse and the Queen of the Road" hearken to a much earlier timeframe, and even the few �70s-style cultural references we do hear (like Calvin Klein jeans) barely register. Essentially, Mann is rehashing familiar themes prevalent throughout her work: Co-dependent relationships, crippling addictions and emotional upheavals. Once the contrivance of The Forgotten Arm�s vaguely sketched plot device crumbles, there are still solid tracks to be found. �Goodbye Caroline� features a beautiful melody and lively arrangement; �Video� shows off Mann�s gift for clever lyrical turns (�It�s all loops of seven-hour kisses, cut with a couple near-misses�). Producer Joe Henry manages to move things along with a consistent (though a tad samey) flow, and the brass by West End Horns on �King of the Jailhouse� adds a welcome shine to the primarily guitar- and piano-based compositions. For better or worse, The Forgotten Arm, lyrically and musically, sounds like yet another Aimee Mann album. Which is great for fans, though even they may start wondering at what point Mann takes greater chances with her material than providing it with a superficial facelift.
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 2.9
Ryan Adams had something to prove with his 2000 solo debut, Heartbreaker. Taking what he�d learned from alt-country bellwether Whiskeytown and showing he could capably strike out on his own, Adams crafted an album that remains the finest of his still-budding career. But then Gap commercials and the energy-draining fame game supplanted musical progression in favor of neatly slotting into a People magazine personality configuration. Despite such distractions, Adams remains as prolific as ever, with the double-disc Cold Roses (credited to Adams and his backing band, the Cardinals) being the first of three releases this year. Cold Roses� first set is by-the-numbers, brokenhearted MOR fare, sometimes maudlin (�When Will You Come Back Home?�), infrequently dramatic (the piano-driven �How Do You Keep Love Alive�) and mostly forgettable. The second disc redeems Cold Roses from an even-less-enthusiastic recommendation. It�s looser and more jam-oriented than the first half, not nearly as constrained by Adams� mournful examinations of love, life and lies. And the Cardinals finally make a discernible impression, especially on �Easy Plateau� and the lively, surefire single candidate �Let It Ride.� The larger issue is what Adams plans to do with his talent over the long haul. He can craft catchy, just-left-of-traditional country-rock tunes in his sleep. The problem is, there�s no great award for songwriting prolificacy. Cold Roses displays an artist on auto-pilot, with the intermittent flash of genuine originality reaffirming why Adams continues to have the cachet to record with febrile abandon.
Warp, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Autechre�s eighth full-length, Untilted, reveals electronic tunesmiths Sean Booth and Rob Brown reclaiming the digital groove of the duo�s fertile mid-�90s period. The catch is that it still sports the dehumanized metallurgist influence of 21st-century Autechre releases Confield and Draft 7.30 , which challenges listeners to burrow deep down the digital rabbit hole in order to tease out the densely layered melodies. Initial salvo �LCC� provides a good example of this technique; jumping off with a repetitive stamp, like some unattended machine pounding out beats only automated equipment can truly appreciate. Halfway through, things shift to a spikier groove, which adds a brief respite from the opening, mechanized melodic onslaught. There�s a greater sense of motion as sounds are elongated and allowed a little welcome breathing room. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the intense �Augmatic Disport,� where mulch beats are obliterated almost as soon as they burst into existence. Closing, quarter-hour long �Sublimit� manipulates stark 4/4 beats and elicits a near-hypnotic sense of propulsion -- just don�t worry over the destination, for only the Autechre brain trust knows for certain. Untilted lives up to its title, finding Booth and Brown unbowed in their belief that clinical repetition and street-smart hip-hop beats can coexist in the universe. But it�s a big universe, and there are times when locking onto the exact coordinates Autechre�s transmitting from can be a long, cold and lonely chore.
The Books: Lost and Safe
Tomlab, 2005
Rating: 4.2
Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto find pale shelter in retreating from a fight on the duo�s third Books release, Lost and Safe. Though it's never explicitly stated, it�s not a big stretch to correlate the album�s title and quoting of recursive phrases like �I want all of the American people to understand that it is understandable that the American people cannot possibly understand� as a reaction to America's current Homeland Security-trumps-personal freedoms climate. The Books find folly in not fighting back, facetiously claiming, �We know to seek success is utter nonsense� on the stark, aptly titled �A Little Longing Goes Away.� The sharper-edged �Be Good to Them Always� grimly portends �This great society is going to smash.� �Smells Like Content� succinctly sums up red-colored, East and Left Coast election-night despair: �Expectation leads to disappointment.� Musically, Lost and Safe is the Books� most lyrically verbose release. Not that the duo�s familiar use of pop-cultural touchstone samples and cut-and-paste approach to song construction has fallen by the wayside (though �If Not Now, Whenever� suffers from a channel-surfing approach, never establishing a sustainable rhythm). Lost and Safe may be about outing those reticent to challenge the established world order, but it�s paradoxically the most confident the Books have sounded. For a prime illustration of this, listen to �An Animated Description of Mr. Maps� (which sounds like the twosome broke into Tom Waits� tool shed for some welcome percussive assistance), a clever description of an everyman and no-man, a person so excessively detailed as to be practically non-existent by song�s end. 2002�s Thought for Food and 2003�s The Lemon of Pink established the Books as a brainy collaborative with a talent for assembling interesting snippets of found sounds and hip dialogue; Lost and Safe is an expression of two artists who are neither lost nor playing it safe.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: B-Sides and Rarities
Mute, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Pity the diehard Nick Cave fan who's spent the last twenty years striving mightily to get his hands on every flexi-disc, 7-inch platter and stray compilation on which the priapic Australian tunesmith�s songs have appeared. Conversely, kudos to the latecomer who�s new to the savage wit and crimson-soaked wisdom of Cave, who along with his backing band, the Bad Seeds, have made some of the most viscerally exciting, literate and idiosyncratically arresting music of the past two decades. The unsurprisingly hit-and-miss B-Sides and Rarities collects 56 tracks that run the gamut from the expected alternate or acoustics takes of familiar tunes to howling-mad peculiarity (�King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O� being the ideal representative of this particular type). B-Sides and Rarities can best be summed up by a five track run that comes near the end of the second of its three discs. The cartoonishly lurid, three-part (plus reprise) �O'Malley's Bar� (slotting into the justifiably underrepresented �massacre ballad� genre) and beautiful �Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum� (which cheerily translates to "Dread the passage of Jesus for he will not return") succinctly embody both the range of Cave�s talent and his excessiveness to the point of self-parody. B-Sides and Rarities is a loosely chronological run through the history of a band that has never been easily pigeonholed. While two discs might have been more effective, the sheer overkill of this collection is par for the course for Cave and his supporting players. When things have gone too far, Cave�s just warming up. Beware all ye who enter here.
Damien Jurado: On My Way to Absence
Secretly Canadian, 2005
Rating: 3.8
On My Way to Absence is Damien Jurado�s self-described "tribute to jealousy," a 12-track exploration of one of humankind�s most volatile and destructive emotions. Hardly fallow territory for any artist, and certainly familiar turf for the Seattle-based urban-folk singer (see Jurado�s last full length, Where Shall You Take Me? ). On My Way to Absence addresses its main thematic inspiration in both frustratingly sketchy (�Lion Tamer� and its unresolved wordplay, �The gun in the drawer / The long distance call / A story to tell�) and bluntly direct (�I�m a sinking ship tied to my lover�s waist,� from the string-laden �Night Out For The Downer�) ways. And Jurado makes every word count, blessed with a guilelessly raspy delivery -- underdog pipes singing for outcast truth-seekers everywhere. The most interesting aspect of Absence is Jurado�s co-production with long-time collaborator Eric Fisher. From the prevalence of nakedly obvious strings to the use of brass on �Icicle,� it�s obvious Jurado was looking to make use of the studio for more than recreating a stripped-down busker�s street-corner environment. Ironic, or unsurprising, then, given his strengths, that Absence�s best moments are the least fussed over. The direct, affecting �Fuel� is simply Jurado and his guitar; �Lottery� finds Jurado and Rosie Thomas (who joined Jurado on Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska) handily employing their vocal talents, backed by an uncomplicated arrangement. Not that Jurado�s studio experimentation is a total bust. The elemental fuzz-rocker �I Am The Mountain� successfully marries treated vocals and roaring guitars to excellent effect. But Jurado�s arrangements will never be confused with Radiohead�s; Kid Absence, this is not. What Absence is, is another solid addition to Jurado�s commendable catalog.
Sanctuary, 2005
Rating: 3.7
Mick Jagger was definitely onto something when he famously sniffed that he couldn't imagine singing "Satisfaction" well into his old age, even if he hasn't yet followed through on that idea just yet. There comes a point at which rockers "of a certain age" simply look ridiculous plowing the same furrows that made them famous some 20 or 30 years earlier. But Billy Idol, apparently, is not one of those rockers. Devil's Playground, his first release since 1993's forgotten Cyberpunk, finds the sneering, spiky-haired punk-pop icon partying like it's 1984, when songs like "Rebel Yell" and "Flesh for Fantasy" made him a bona-fide star. (He's even recruited guitarist Steve Stevens, who jumped ship after Rebel Yell, to provide some much-needed guitar muscle, making the record a little more metal-based than punk.) But it's not just the music that hearkens back to the '80s, it's Idol himself, who sounds as if he's gotten his hands on Dorian Gray's portrait and stashed it in a vault with all those unsold copies of Whiplash Smile. "Rat Race" agreeably approximates the power-balladry of "Eyes Without A Face," while "World Comin' Down" is a spirited, likable throwaway homage to 1970s punk-pop. "Sherrie" is his version of Iggy Pop's "Candy," a sugar-sweet pop number that embeds itself in the memory long after you'd expect it to evaporate. Songs like "Scream" and "Body Snatcher" sag a bit due to some trite lyricism, but they're enjoyable enough, and "Romeo's Waiting" is a surprisingly engaging tale of unrequited lust. "Cherie" and "Lady Do Or Die" even sport a low-key country-ish vibe, for which Idol proves disarmingly suited. Sure, Billy Idol's always been a bit of a cartoon character, but on songs like the balls-out pop-metal opener "Super Overdrive," a questionable cover of "Plastic Jesus" and the abominable yule log "Yellin' at the Christmas Tree," he's wise enough to embrace that status just enough to make it work for him rather than against him. This is just well-executed, fun rock 'n' roll. Devil's Playground sounds like the album he should have (and could have) recorded 20 years ago to follow up 1983's breakthrough hit Rebel Yell. If he had, there's a good chance Idol's career would have taken a much different path.
Brendan Benson: The Alternative to Love
V2, 2005
Rating: 3.5
The Alternative to Love, Brendan Benson�s third and most polished full-length release, doesn�t sport as many memorable tunes as 2002�s Lapalco . In terms of execution and craft, however, it reveals just how far the singer-songwriter has come since his 1996 debut, One Mississippi. The opening couplet from �Gold into Straw� (�I'm writing the words to this song with a poison pen / I'm turning straw into gold and then back again�) and epic-pop, Phil Spector-worthy production of �The Pledge� reinforce Benson�s standing as one of the finest.�60s pop-classicist tunesmiths currently working. Lyrically, Benson retreads Lapalco�s exuberantly downbeat examinations of love and loss. �Spit It Out� tries to assume a brave face in regards to moving beyond a failed relationship (�Start all over when it's all over�); �Cold Hands� plays on the contradictory emotions so common to working through a bad patch in a partnership, from claiming �There's no future for us� to wanting to go back to the way things were. What a Benson album will sound like if the artist ever decides to articulate a feeling of happy suburban commitment is anyone�s guess. For a winning formula primer, he might want to get a hold of Ben Folds� number.
Amon Tobin: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory OST
Ninja Tune, 2005
Rating: 3.2
Chaos Theory, Amon Tobin�s soundtrack for the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3 video game, is built on repetitive beats, befitting level replays deep into the night. As such, it�s hardly the most inspired release by the talented electronic composer -- although the moodily cinematic opener �The Lighthouse,� complete with suggestively menacing strings and shimmering rhythms, stands proudly alongside Tobin�s better compositions. Additionally, the complementary �Kokubo Sasho Stealth� (all snaky, jazzily couched reserve) and �Kokubo Sasho Battle� (assertive and climactically rousing) impressively reveal Tobin�s versatility in regards to balancing mood and tempo. But the bulk of the album is dominated by situational loops, from the pulse-quickening �Ruthless� to the watery, sonar-blipping �Theme From Battery� and the glitchily familiar �Displaced�. An unnecessary, denuded reprise of �Ruthless� further amplifies the dearth of ideas at play here. There�s little doubt that Chaos Theory does what it's meant to do: provide solid background noise to special-ops, night vision-wearing virtual stealth warriors. Compared to the rest of Tobin�s catalog, however, it�s merely a mildly engaging diversionary maneuver.
Glen Phillips: Winter Pays for Summer
Lost Highway, 2005
Rating: 3.6
On his second solo studio album following the dissolution of 1990s pop-rock powerhouse Toad the Wet Sprocket, Glen Phillips cements his musical post-Toad identity in a way that his previous effort, 2001's Abulum, didn't quite accomplish. Winter Pays for Summer showcases the singer's knack for insinuating melodies, married to lyrical explorations that manage to be introspective without being self-obsessed. That thoughtful bent translates into some slower numbers whose melodies aren't as immediate as one would expect ("Courage"), although "Half Life" proves winsome even without a buoyant pop hook. Clearly, Phillips is aiming for a higher ground, one where his songs don't rely solely on their hummability. That's a worthy goal, and a roster of respected guest performers known for intelligent pop � among them Jon Brion, Dan Wilson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic), Ben Folds and Andy Sturmer (Jellyfish) -- helps Winter reach it more often than Philips has done in the past. Occasionally, however, the album is hampered by an occasionally simplistic lyric (the opening "Duck and Cover," from which the album's title comes, suggests that life's ups and downs "cancel each other out") or slightly self-serious moment ("Gather"). Still, at its best -- the ingratiating "Thankful," the slowly rousing "Cleareyed," "Easier" -- Winter offers intelligent, catchy rock with a slight folksy undercurrent (this is a Lost Highway release, after all) that rewards repeated listening.
British Sea Power: Open Season
Rough Trade, 2005
Rating: 3.0
If Brighton-based quartet British Sea Power�s 2003 debut The Decline of British Sea Power was wildly all over the place in terms of musical cohesiveness and spot-the-influence name-checking, its sophomore salvo Open Season is more clearly defined, though far less adventurous. The group has narrowed its focus to unmemorable guitar-driven rock numbers that fail to inspire repeated listens. Once again, the shade of Ian McCulloch in his Echo & The Bunnymen prime hovers over singer Yan�s English moor-haunted, wounded romantic vocals, with occasional possessions reminiscent of Psychedelic Furs (�Be Gone�) and Belle and Sebastian (�The Land Beyond�). �It Ended On An Oily Stage� makes the strongest impact, conveying a sense of urgency that the rest of the album never quite rivals. The busy �How Will I Ever Find My Way Home?� is overly repetitive, while the pretty, generic �Please Stand Up� lacks any lyrical specificity. British Sea Power might be enamored with Anglophilic history (�Victorian Ice�) and fragmented Antarctic ice shelves (�Oh Larsen B�) but, despite obvious talent and wit, it fails to leave more than a marginal impression.
Kathleen Edwards: Back to Me
Zoe, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Back to Me, Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards� follow-up to her 2003 country-infused debut, Failer , is an apt title. The notion of returning home, be it to family, a lover, or oneself, permeates the 11 tracks. Lyrically, Back to Me could be labeled Back to Failer, as many of the songs rework/refine the busted-romance angle Edwards apparently only scratched the surface of the first time around. �In State� echoes Failer�s "Six O'Clock News," involving a woman fed up with her outlaw lover who turns him in, truculently observing �Maybe 20 years in state will change your mind.� The spurned heroine of �What Are You Waiting For?� proves just as cutting, with lines like, "You say you like me in your memory / You've got to be fucking kidding me." The best moments, unsurprisingly, are among the freshest. �Pink Emerson Radio� skillfully interweaves moving to a new city with the recollection of escaping from a fire and struggling with which possessions to save and which to forsake. The closing �Good Things� simply celebrates the reliable security blanket that is one�s family. Musically, the title track is a bluesy rocker that adds welcome variety to the mid-tempo flow, and the addition of brass on �Somewhere Else� helps brighten the back end of the collection. Overall, Edwards' touring band -- and especially producer/guitarist Colin Cripps -- provides a tougher, more expressive sound than the studio-buffed Failer set. Back to Me is a solid successor to Failer, though at some point Edwards is going to have to toss aside the sour-relationship crutch if she truly wants to distinguish herself from the rest of the country-rock crowd.
M83: Before The Dawn Heals Us
Mute, 2005
Rating: 3.9
The galaxy of electronic pop-meisters M83 has been cut in half. Nicolas Fromageau has left the fold, leaving Anthony Gonzalez to his own dark devices. Before The Dawn Heals Us is the blood-quickening nocturnal complement to Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts � sun-drenched, sky-watching reticence. If Dead Cities was an electronic soundtrack to a moderately engaging nature film, Before the Dawn Heals Us is the reasonably successful score to an artsy French thriller. Gonzalez opens big with the cosmic awesomeness of �Moonchild,� layering big drums and spacious synthesized �ohms� behind spoken-word claptrap involving creation and meaning, being and... well, you get the idea. Cojones audaciously displayed, Gonzalez shifts to the more earthbound �Don't Save Us From The Flames,� featuring a shrieking explosion of percussive, scorching metal and electronic fuzz. The most uplifting moment is one of the least dramatic, however: �Farewell / Goodbye,� a breathy duet between Ben & Cyann�s Ben and Big Sir singer Lisa Papineau, proves genuinely affecting thanks to the performers' abilities to convey heartbreak with whispered understatement. The antithesis of that understatement is �Car Chase Terror!,� in which actress Kate Moran acts out the imperiled-victim-in-a-car routine, serving up cringe-worthy lines like �Mom is going to keep the Devil away.� Gonzalez may have wanted Moran�s bit to be intentionally cheesy, but it simply falls flat. On the whole, Before The Dawn Heals Us is a more unified, singular vision than Dead Cities. Despite losing half its energy, the galaxy of M83 burns twice as bright.
Kings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak
RCA, 2004
Rating: 3.8
Ah, the vagaries of sudden fame. No two people are affected quite the same. In the case of Kings of Leon, the U.K.'s enthusiastic reception of the Southern-flavored quartet�s debut, Youth and Young Manhood , has left the group slightly bewildered but mostly emboldened. The band�s sophomore effort, Aha Shake Heartbreak, documents the insane pressure-cooker life of a young touring band. From meaningless hook-ups (�Slow Nights, So Long� and its jaded observation �I hate her face, but enjoy the company�) to the zoned-out weariness of �Rememo� and its intimation of staring out a plane window, too wired to sleep but too exhausted to do anything but vegetate, the three Followill brothers (and cousin Matthew) have clearly been on a whirlwind ride for the past two years. Fortunately, the band has grown tighter and considerably more confident in its musicianship. The starkly naked �Milk� is whittled to a bare-bones rhythm and singer Caleb�s nearly inarticulate, tersely delivered lyrics. �Razz� is a funkier number, with lines like �Sweet mutilations of a sold to nothing man / Lord have mercy / Shake is falling through your hand� that sound like transcribed glossolalist hymns. And it�s that primitive, spontaneously interpretative vibe that makes Aha Shake Heartbreak such a peculiarly distinctive record. If Youth and Young Manhood was Kings of Leon tentatively using well-tested implements, Aha Shake Heartbreak is the sound of a group boldly forging a unique identity from common tools that have been stripped of all pretense and decoration.
Beggars Banquet / XL
Rating: 3.8
The back-story on Maya �M.I.A.� Arulpragasam can easily overshadow whatever artistic endeavors the young, London-based MC pursues. Forced to flee her native Sri Lanka at age 10, leaving behind a father who was a Tamil freedom fighter (and whose nom de guerre provides the title for M.I.A.�s debut), Arulpragasam grew up in a tough council estate, learned English, and soon discovered music and painting as outlets for dealing with her turbulent upbringing. Unsurprisingly, then, Arular can be interpreted from a variety of angles. On the one hand, it�s an electronically infused dance record with a predilection for stripped-down Banghra and Jungle beats. It�s also a stridently militant record, offering slogan-like lyrics (�Every gun in a battle is a son and daughter too�), delivered by M.I.A. with liberated gusto in a unique ESL-bent, staccato chant. The notion of sex as a weapon is explored in lines like �Load up, aim, fire fire, pop� from �Fire Fire�, as well as in surprisingly blunt demands like �You can stick me / Stab me / Grind me or wind me,� from �Hombre,� a song about a woman�s self-destructive relationship with a married man. Sometimes, though, a weapon is just that: injurious and often lethal. The two singles that got M.I.A. noticed, the suicide bomber ode �Sunshowers� and the ridiculously bouncy �Galang,� close the album and remain among the strongest tracks she�s done. Arular is an impressive first outing, even if it does suffer from repetitive drill syndrome (see: �10 Dollar�) and too often favors a smart hook over offering anything politically relevant to say (�I got the bombs to make you blow / I got the beats to make it�). Considering where she�s been, however, there�s no question that brighter days lay ahead for M.I.A., regardless of how long she engages the music business.
V2 / Mute
Rating: 3.7
In the liner notes to Hotel, Moby states that, whether he likes it or not, he�s �messy and human.� (As opposed to, say, the more efficient but less entertaining tidy and robotic.) And Hotel easily lives up to that assessment. Forsaking samples, Moby shifts his focus this time around to harder beats and radio-friendly pop hooks. His voice is also nakedly exposed, unmodulated and free of Pro Tools reconfiguration. Dueting with Laura Dawn (formerly of the all-girl punk ensemble Fluffer), Moby, for better or worse, gets his groove on. If Play was gospel music for the �no time for church� digital set and 2002�s 18 a cosmic-flavored initial stab at more straightforward dance-pop, Hotel is the culmination of Moby�s shift from detached electronic noisemaker to, well, a Vegan-friendly Bono. Positive tracks like �Lift Me Up,� with its pumping rhythm, and the inspiring �Beautiful� are catchy, emotionally charged sketches celebrating the chaotic business of being human. Despite working in a more organic setting, Moby still finds time to pay tribute to heroes of synthesized mood music from yesteryear: �Spiders� is so derivative of the mid-�70s collaborations between Davie Bowie and Brian Eno that Moby should consider paying the pair royalties. The New Order cover �Temptation,� on the other hand, is a completely new song, less urgent and more repentant. To appease Moby�s inner robot, there are the graceful structures populating a bonus disc filled with more than an hour�s worth of expansively smooth ambient compositions. Hotel is Moby�s �comfortable in his own skin� release. It's certainly not the most bracing thing he's ever done, but it's hardly disposable pop dreck. For a guy who once put out an album called Everything Is Wrong, he currently sounds like everything is, if not ideal, at least noticeably upgraded.
Damon & Naomi: The Earth Is Blue
20/20/20, 2005
Rating: 3.7
The Earth Is Blue, the sixth release from ex-Galaxie 500 members Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, is a dewy dream-pop affair that favors vaguely defined lyrical sketches of people, places and things over concrete foundations and specific arrangements. Ghost guitarist Michio Kurihara continues his collaboration with the duo, adding some inventive fills (especially on a narcotized cover of George Harrison�s �While My Guitar Gently Weeps� and some decorative E-Bow-ing on the closing title track). Lyrics like �The cracks and emptiness in your life / The desert you cultivate inside,� from the graceful �House of Glass,� typify The Earth Is Blue�s disconnect from tactile reality. This is mood music for the electric traces of the daydreaming mind. A couplet from the subsequent �A Second Life� (�I want you as I wished you�d be / But not as who you were�) might skew the preordained �what will be, will be� message found in tracks like "Beautiful Close Double" ("We are who we are until the end"), but Krukowski and Yang manage a consistency of tone that holds steady throughout.
Matador, 2005
Rating: 3.0
On its fourth album, Feathers, Dead Meadow comes across like a more jam-oriented Oasis (case in point: the sleepy, yawning chasm-span of �Heaven�) with Trail of Dead -worthy lyrical pretensions (�Through one thousand lives the moon will rise,� from �Stacy's Song�). This isn�t necessarily a bad thing; it's just hardly as revelatory as Dead Meadow so earnestly strives to make Feathers sound. Serious-minded references to an otherwise-undefined �Allmighty� abound, as do biblical (Abraham) and mythological allusions (�Don't Tell the Riverman�). And then there�s the gaze-into-the-cosmos-and-witness-the-infinite guitar and drum solos, somewhat restrained on �Let's Jump In� and �Let It All Pass,� but totally unhinged on a closing, nearly 14-minute long untitled excursion into parts known. Space-rock aficionados will dig the zero-G atmosphere, but it meanders through excessive pockets better left unexplored.
Antony and the Johnsons: I Am A Bird Now
Secretly Canadian, 2005
Rating: 4.0
If Antony and the Johnsons� self-titled 2000 debut was a showcase for the singer�s distinctive, tremulous tenor gasping falsetto-rarefied air, I Am A Bird Now is a celebration of the collaborative arts and furthers the group�s desire to see a world more sympathetic to those who don�t subscribe to a strictly heterosexual way of life. While the first half of the disc falls in line with the debut (lots of dramatic piano chords and anguished expressions of longing), it�s on the stronger back end that Bird spotlights its inspirations. Antony duets with childhood hero Boy George on the impassioned (a word that quickly becomes redundant in describing this cabaret pop group) �You Are My Sister�; Rufus Wainwright handles vocal duties on the brief, languorously expansive �What Can I Do?�; Lou Reed introduces �Fistful of Love� with a short poem recital. In the most inspired pairing, folk wonder Devendra Banhardt joins Antony on the strangely enchanting �Spiralling.� The oddest detour comes courtesy of band member Julia Yasuda, who taps out Morse code and performs an intriguing, short spoken-word piece called �Free at Last.� Antony returns on the final track, �Bird Girl,� the transformation hinted at during the beginning of the album complete, and expressed via appropriately racing strings and soaring vocals. I Am A Bird Now is a beautiful-sounding record, and though it doesn�t contain anything as remarkable and emotionally piercing as the debut�s �Cripple and the Starfish,� it nonetheless reveals a band and lead artist refining a musical universe populated by drag queens, cabaret dancehalls and a tolerant and open community.
Daft Punk: Human After All
Virgin, 2005
Rating: 3.0
It�s official: The robots have won. Daft Punk�s ironically titled Human After All sheds all pretense of the human emotion and desire that fueled 1997�s insanely beat-driven Homework and 2001�s blissful, late-night disco comedown Discovery. What�s left are robots (and lazy robots at that) who�ve taken over the Paris studio of Thomas Bangalter and Guy Manuel de Homem Christo and figured out how to loop synth and guitar lines with monotonous simplicity. The title track opens with vocoderized vocals and then falls into a catalytically pointless cycle. �Robot Rock� takes a promisingly groovy guitar line and jams the repeat button for nearly five minutes. �Make Love� is digital smooth looping; �The Brainwasher� favors wiggy loops; �Technologic� is Discovery�s �Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger� recast as a helium-binging jabberfest bereft of clever hooks. Perhaps Tom and Guy managed to untie themselves in time to finish the closing �Emotion,� which suffers from the same repetitive disorder as the preceding tracks but at least works in more elaborate loops and a warmer sense of production. No telling, really. The robots may have won, but that doesn�t mean we have to cheer their victory lap.
50 Foot Wave: Golden Ocean
Artist Direct, 2005
Rating: 4.0
50 Foot Wave�s 11-track, full-length debut, Golden Ocean, includes eight originals and three songs from the trio�s 2004 self-titled mini-album ; the three recycles (�Long Painting,� �Clara Bow� and �Dog Days�) benefit from a fuller sound that melds seamlessly with the overall sharper production. Golden Ocean expands upon the stripped-bare hard rock template of the elementally charged, self-titled release, featuring Kristin Hersh�s arresting vocals and lively guitar work and a rhythm section comprised of bassist Bernard Georges and drummer Rob Ahlers. Hersh�s lyrics deal with the same themes and concerns she�s been examining/wrestling with for years. �El Dorado� deftly articulates intermittent flashes of domestic madness (�Life and a cup of instant chaos by the window�). �Pneuma� (Greek for �soul�) includes such sexually charged lyrics as �I tongue a socket / You feel the jolt.� �Bone China� evokes PJ Harvey�s �Sheela-Na-Gig� with the line �Gonna wash that man right out of my head,� but with a clever turn: �And soap him into my eyes.� Golden Ocean�s watershed moment comes on �Petal,� a cathartic time bomb conveyed via blunt lyrics (�I don't think / We were supposed to sleep together�) and soul-scraping-raw delivery, impressively held together by a fluidly inviting guitar groove. While it�s doubtful Hersh will ever attain the naked emotional intensity of �Hate My Way� from her early Throwing Muses days, �Petal� is as furiously exposed as she's been on record in quite some time. Not everything works, though: �Diving� is lyrically substandard to the surrounding material (�Sunbleached, like I'm free / Independent as a leech�), and the closing title track doesn�t find its sea legs until the very end with a dense, suitably powerhouse peak. No matter what vehicle Hersh utilizes as an outlet, it�s obvious her creative wave has yet to crest.
RCA, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Compared to No Wow, The Kills' 2003 full-length debut, Keep on Your Mean Side , was positively baroque. Whittling things down to the bare essence, No Wow finds the duo of Alison �VV� Mosshart and Jamie �Hotel� Hince seeking the core of their maroon-colored blues sound. Unapologetically basic guitar riffs, dependably chugging bass lines and a tireless drum machine constitute the album's bone-saw naked rhythm. Mosshart handles the heavy lifting in the vocals department, sounding like a jaded lover waking up in a roadside motel after a particularly rough night with a lover known on a first-name basis only. �Gonna have to step over my dead body before you walk out that door� is the opening line on the record, and Mosshart certainly sounds like she means it. The panicky �Love Is a Deserter� and the white-poker-heated �I Hate the Way You Love� typify the bare-knuckled romantic battle royal at play throughout. �Rodeo Town� is the closest The Kills come to anything remotely introspective here; it�s a half-throttled, country-tinged gem that wouldn�t sound out of place on a Lucinda Williams record. Problem is, No Wow could have benefited from more unexpected detours like this. It�s one thing to strive for the primal truth of a particular sound; it�s another to vainly bludgeon a thoroughly pulverized style in search of unsullied beats.
Sage Francis: A Healthy Distrust
Epitaph, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Having examined where he�s been on 2002�s Personal Journals, rapper Sage Francis turns his aggressive form of self-analysis on the world with A Healthy Distrust. �The Buzz Kill� is a manic assault, indicting Clear Channel for its bland formatting choices and bluntly assessing that the �U.S.A. has cracked.� This being the first track, it seems unlikely Francis will be able to sustain the intensity level throughout. Guess again. A Healthy Distrust is near-relentless in its laundry list of global concerns, touching on everything from guns as a metaphor for male inadequacy (�Gunz Yo�) to bringing the troops overseas safely home (�Slow Down Gandhi�). What keeps the record from being overbearing (one of the tracks is unsubtly called �Product Placement�) and, hence, single-rotation listenable, are Francis� creative detours (a collaboration with indie-rock troubadour Will Oldham on �Sea Lion�) and solid production (notably the beats conjured by Danger Mouse and Sixtoo). The most affecting moments come when Francis sticks close to his own emotional core (the piano-backed �Crumble�) or relates a relationship built on the threat of violence (�Agony in Her Body�). Levity comes in the form of �Sun Vs Moon,� a celestial battle-rap showdown decided by God, who is cartoonishly described as an inebriated �big white guy in the sky.� The closing �Jah Didn't Kill Johnny� pays respect to country legend Johnny Cash by attempting a bizarre country-rap fusion that simply falls apart, especially when the sad harmonica cues up. A Healthy Distrust reinforces Sage Francis� standing as one of the most verbally gifted rappers currently in the game, but it lacks the cohesive flow of Personal Journals and complains about a host of worldly ills without offering much in the way of a positive solution. If it could all be fixed with a battle rap, the smart money would definitely be on Francis.
Subliminal Sounds, 2004
Rating: 3.9
Gustav Ejstes� latest Dungen release, Ta Det Lugnt (Take It Easy), is a loose, jam-oriented, �damn good times� throwback to an era when psychedelic folk and prog-rock held sway over the musical landscape. If this album had a fashion sense, it would tend toward acid washes and tie-dyes. Musically, there are few boundaries Ta Det Lugnt fails to brush up against: �Panda� kicks things over with cocksure posturing, all emphatic vocals (the entire album is sung in Ejstes� native Swedish tongue) and rolling drum fills; �Gjort Bort Sig� is a sun-baked pop nugget featuring some tangy guitar lines. But it�s on the back-to-back assault of �Du E F�r Fin F�r Mig� and the title track that Ejstes puts his multi-instrumentalist skills to best use, moving from mournful violin to guitar flameout, thunderous prog explorations to a jazzy horn-and-piano finish. It�s a powerhouse display, and unavoidably reduces the rest of the album to an anticlimactic comedown, though the beautiful piano and flute number �Det du T�nker Idag �r du I Morgon� shines, as does the assertive closer �Sluta F�lja Efter.� Ejstes is a remarkable talent, and it will be worth listening to hear if he leaves his ardently retrograde Dungen identity behind and pushes toward more forward-leaning concepts.
Wilco: A Ghost Is Born [Bonus EP]
Nonesuch, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Appearing on a bonus disc as part of the re-released European version of A Ghost Is Born -- and as a free download from Wilco�s website for those already possessing a copy -- this five-track EP of Ghost outtakes and live cuts is a reasonably fair deal. A bookend pair of non-album tracks proves palatable: The casually played, moody �Panthers� finds chief lyricist Jeff Tweedy mediating on familiar themes (�I'm proving death again�), while the bratty, fun �Kicking Television� delivers an adrenalized shot of punk energy that seems caged by the sterilized studio setting. (Fortunately, live bootlegs of the track are readily available to even the most novice trader.) The middle trio of live renditions is from an October 2004 show at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wisconsin. �At Least That's What You Said� and �The Late Greats� don�t deviate dramatically from their studio counterparts; �Handshake Drugs,� however, benefits from scorching guitar breaks that add a primitive immediacy to the otherwise mid-tempo piece. The Ghost EP is a slightly stronger collection than 2003�s similarly intentioned More Like the Moon download. Give Wilco credit for keeping fans sated in between albums -- honestly, though, it�s about time for an official live release. Hopefully, one of the powers that be at Nonesuch will read this and greenlight such an effort.
Boom Bip: Blue Eyed in the Red Room
Lex, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Exceptions trump the rules on Boom Bip�s Blue Eyed in the Red Room. Bryan Hollon (Boom Bip�s check-cashing name) built his reputation on creative sampling and collaborations with rappers like Anticon's Doseone. His 2002 release Seed to Sun marked a shift for Hollon, comprised mostly of abstract and experimental instrumentals. Blue Eyed in the Red Room continues this trend, but with barely any samples and an emphasis on live instrumentation. What stands out, however, are a pair of isolated vocal tracks. Gruff Rhys� �Do's and Dont's� gives the set a much needed jolt of energy, trading on chant-like lyrics and an intricate foundation of clattering percussions and warm electronics. Nina Nastasia�s �The Matter (of Our Discussion)� wins best in show, detailing two lovers traveling in emotionally opposite directions (�I might leave tomorrow to feel the joy of a new start�). Hollon fills in the spaces with delicate tones, like digital waves gently breaking upon an isolated beach. The instrumental tracks primarily feature easy-bake guitar lines repeating with soothing insouciance. The penultimate �Aplomb� displays a little backbone, more angular and dissonant, distinguishing itself from its softer-edged neighbors. Blue Eyed in the Red Room doesn�t quite congeal, primarily because Hollon�s two collaborative efforts are the most impressive moments. Reverse the 8:2 ratio of instrumental to vocal cuts, and we might be talking a long-striding keeper.
Stars: Set Yourself on Fire
Arts & Crafts, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Fusing elements of Human League�s sophisticated new romantic aesthetic and Belle & Sebastian�s unapologetically arty preciousness, Montreal-based Stars deliver their most consistent effort with Set Yourself on Fire. Songs about ex-lovers reunited, intoxicated bliss in the suburbs and sundry love games predominate. Singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan play their respective roles well, he the indifferent but controlling cad (�He doesn�t want her but he just won�t let her go�), she the masochistic tender heart (�She started breaking but she still won�t let it show�), the soundtrack to their will they/won�t they romance drenched in strings, euphonious glockenspiel and an appealing digital hum. The anti-war �Celebration Guns� is a misstep more due to its thematic incompatibility than its unsubtle lyrics (�One by one you cage them in your freedom / Make them all disappear�). �Calendar Girl� falls victim to structural contrivance, as the months are counted down and a new leaf is turned over for our plucky heroine (�January, February, March, April, May / I�m alive!�). Set Yourself on Fire is solidly executed and will undoubtedly serve as a worthy musical complement to those pining for the one that got away.
Thrill Jockey, 2005
Rating: 3.6
Archer Prewitt -- illustrator, creator of the Sof� Boy comic, guitarist for The Sea & Cake and (time permitting) drummer for Edith Frost -- isn�t lacking for food on his artistic plate. But that hasn�t stopped Prewitt from releasing four solo albums. Wilderness, his latest, furthers the summery pop explorations of 2002's charming Three. Overcast clouds have settled in, however, as Prewitt dedicates the album to his recently deceased father (and pays tribute to him on the affecting �O, KY�), and the upbeat mood that permeated Three is ratcheted down a few notches. Lead track �Way of the Sun� is an excellent example of Prewitt�s ability to serve up a memorable hook but deliver it in the most understated manner; Prewitt�s undeniably passionate about his subject, but doesn�t resort to obvious musical bluster or vocal histrionics to convey his carefully chosen sentiments. The lyrics are urgent, but the delivery is complacent, and that makes for an odd (yet strangely rewarding) listening experience. Glad he found the time.
Andrew Bird: The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Righteous Babe, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Andrew Bird�s The Mysterious Production of Eggs is the anti-Swimming Hour. In contrast to that stylistically helter-skelter 2001 effort, here Bird keeps all of his musical eggs in one basket (so to speak). The Mysterious Production of Eggs has a lazy, staring-at-the-sky-on-a-summer-day vibe. Even when Bird ramps up the wattage, as on the hammily Beatle-esque �Opposite Day� and the grandly theatrical �The Naming of Things,� Eggs rarely causes a fuss. Drummer Kevin O'Donnell and singer Nora O'Connor, members of Swimming Hour backing band Bowl of Fire, return, but Eggs is clearly more akin to Weather Systems, Bird�s solo mini-album from 2003, in terms of consistency of tone and laid-back bearing. Though overlong, Eggs flows nicely from a somber introduction to the grim tidings of the closing �The Happy Birthday Song.� Bird still prefers the collegiate thesaurus to the standard edition (�And they�re acting on vagaries / with their violent proclivities�) and trotting out impossible-to-relate-to metaphors (such as feeling like he�s �living in a Russian play�). As a result, Eggs fails to engage with the unpredictable inventiveness of Swimming Hour, and lacks the skillful brevity of Weather Systems. Ultimately, Eggs is an easier album to admire (thanks to the commendable craftsmanship) than to actually adore with repeated listens.
The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute
Universal, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Proponents of Mars Volta�s Frances the Mute will claim that anyone who doesn�t like the album simply can�t handle the lyrical depth and amazingly multi-layered musical complexity; critics who pan the release will claim it�s overlong, indulgent, and -- did we mention indulgent? The truth, as usual, falls somewhere in between. What main members Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala and a host of guest musicians, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers� Flea (on trumpet, no less) to renowned salsa pianist Larry Harlow, have created is a dizzyingly expressive, near-77-minute aural journey inspired by former band member Jeremy Ward (who died of an alleged overdose in May 2003) and a diary he found in the backseat of a car while working as a repo man. The diary details an adopted child�s search for his birth parents, so, yes, Frances the Mute is a quest album of sorts. Not that the lyrics (�I�ve always wanted to eat glass with you again,� is a representative example) lay out Frances� journey in linear terms. Frances the Mute can be admired for its astonishing technical proficiency: ADD time signatures, like those found on the band�s debut De-Loused in the Comatorium , are prevalent throughout. But it�s the sheer range of styles that impresses, from the jazzy grooves and metal-scraping guitar work on �L� Via L� Viaquez� to the moody rhythms and eerie melodies permeating �Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore.� The multi-part, almost 33-minute-long closer �Cassandra Gemini� is the obvious magnum opus, however. Mars Volta pours every bit of its accumulated musical knowledge into the piece, from shifting dynamics to watery, vocoder-ized vocals. Too much? Absolutely. Give the band credit, though for following its dark-tinged muse with apocalyptic zeal.
Aesop Rock: Fast Cars, Danger, Fire & Knives [EP]
Definitive Jux, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Aesop Rock's Fast Cars, Danger, Fire & Knives is a solid collection of tracks that should tide over even the hungriest of the New York rapper's fans. Honestly, though, what makes this EP essential (at least to the first 20,000 or so fans who get their hands on a copy) is the accompanying 80-page booklet containing lyrics from all of Aesop's major releases. While it's easy to admire the prolific wordsmith's ability to turn a phrase, it has often proved cryptologist-difficult to decipher every word Aesop spits. Thankfully, the Rosetta Stone (or Rock, in this particular case) has arrived. Obviously, Def Jux could have offered the booklet with a bunch of filler tracks from past releases. Instead, you get seven new cuts that show off the diversity of Aesop's flow and some solid backing from a team of talented producers. Blockhead-engineered "Number Nine" is a hurly-burly slice of digitized funk; "Winners Take All" features dense head-bobbing production courtesy of Rob Sonic; and the self-produced, smooth-flowing "Zodiaccupuncture" contains quintessential Aesop rhymes like "And it looks like war / Quacks like war / So it's Occam's Razor and I'm swazye out the door." The back-and-forth banter between featured vocalists CamuTao and El-P on "Rickety Rackety" seems staid in comparison to the more impressive aural structures surrounding it. Fast Cars is volatile, angry, and certainly unappreciative of the current administration (especially its war policy). Fortunately, Aesop Rock manages to criticize without losing the beat. Those who pick this CD up after the lyrics booklets are gone will still find much to appreciate -- even if you can't understand every line.
Merge, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Matt Ward's follow-up to 2003's praiseworthy Transfiguration of Vincent doesn't contain as many memorable hooks and doesn't engage one's attention as directly. But it's a deeper, more rewarding listen, rivaling End of Amnesia for Ward's strongest release to date. Playing like a covers record (which it partly is) and thematically linking the demise of diverse material carried along radio waves with the bleary-eyed, non-tour-bus traveling musician, Ward conveys the image of an artist making due with a portable radio locked onto a distinctly American frequency, playing tunes both familiar and ancient. "To all the people underground / Listening to the sound of the living people breathing the air today," from "One Life Away," could easily stand in for the modern radio format, in which Clear Channel dictates what is heard and buries non-major-label artists from ever reaching a broader audience. Stylistically, Ward continues his exploration of 20th century American musical forms -- with one notable exception at the very end. His countrified guitar instrumental reworking of the Beach Boys' "You Still Believe In Me" would have sounded right at home on Bill Frisell's Nashville, while the endearing "Sweethearts on Parade" pays tribute to the vocal charms of Louis Armstrong. Standout track "Fuel For Fire" is a heartfelt reworking of Kris Kristofferson's widely-covered "Help Me Make It Through the Night," and ghosts of the Carter Family are channeled on "Oh Take Me Back," with its intentionally muffled mix and cavern-deep harmonizing. Interestingly, Ward's classical pretensions rise to the fore on a closing performance of Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier." This might just be a brief side note, or an intriguing indication of where Ward's musical interests are taking him next. Can M. Ward's Americanized Gregorian Chant be far off?
Crooked Fingers: Dignity and Shame
Merge, 2005
Rating: 4.1
Expanding on Red Devil Dawn 's use of brass and building a fuller sound via a larger cast of talented supporting players, Eric Bachmann's fourth Crooked Fingers album, Dignity and Shame, is his strongest yet. Rather than leaning on his appealingly gruff Neil Diamond pipes to articulate personal stories of drunkenness and hardscrabble redemption, Bachmann takes a more imaginative approach here. "Andalucia" alludes to the tragic tale of a bullfighter who promises to give up the sport for his ladylove, only to be subsequently gored to death in the ring. "Sleep All Summer" offers the practical rather than typically pleading line "Why won't you fall back in love with me," to a lover fast running out of alternatives. Gifted Australian singer Lara Meyeratken joins Bachmann on several tracks, most impressively on "Call to Love," in which Bachmann attempts, in classic John-Cusack-in-Say-Anything style, to convince Meyeratken to ditch the man she's with and run off with him into the sunset. Musically, Dignity and Shame exhibits a fascination with Latin arrangements second only to recent Calexico offerings . "Twilight Creeps" is decorated with bright mariachi horn flourishes, while the opening instrumental "Islero" features some dexterous Spanish guitar. Dignity and Shame finds Bachmann embracing the band ideal in a way not evident even during his Archers of Loaf days. Putting out what had ostensibly been solo records under the name Crooked Fingers is starting to sound like a really smart move now that Bachmann's filled out the band.
Gruff Rhys: Yr Atal Genhedlaeth
Placid Casual, 2005
Rating: 3.5
Super Furry Animals ringleader Gruff Rhys' first solo album Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (The Stuttering Generation) -- performed in Welsh -- has a shambling, informal quality about it. It's obvious this brief, thirty-minute release, in which only three songs crack the three-minute mark, isn't part of some big marketing scheme or grand ego stroke on Rhys' part. What you've got is a collection of fun, percussive stompers ("Gwn Mi Wn"), cheeky ruminations on the afterlife ("Rhagluniaeth Ysgafn"), and dewy, synth-drenched pop songs ("Ni Yw Y Byd"). The electronic futzing on "Caerffosiaeth" breaks the album's off-the-cuff flow, but Rhys mostly eases back on the more experimental tendencies typical to a proper Super Furries release. Yr Atal Genhedlaeth sounds like a one-off; a palette cleanser for the Furries' frontman. It doesn't rise to the level of Rhys' work with his day job, but then again, it isn't meant to. Diehards and fans of Welsh pop will find fair returns on their investments. More casual listeners are best advised to wait for the next SFA full length.
Wichita/V2, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Much has been made of Bloc Party's influences (think Gang of Four, New Order, PiL). But based on the London-based quartet's debut, Silent Alarm, the group has more in common with Boy-era U2 than some post-punk call-to-arms revolution in rock. Not that Bloc Party particularly sounds like early U2, but the basic template bears notable similarities to the Irish chart-toppers: There's charismatic front man Kele Okereke, capable of infectious pleading ("Like Eating Glass") and soulful ballads ("So Here We Are"); sharp-edged guitarist Russell Lissack (showing off quite nicely on "She's Hearing Voices"); a competent bassist and a dependable, keep-the-beat drummer. Like pre-world conquering U2, Bloc Party fights to contain its excess energy, reining in indulgent impulses (although the left-right channel-panning vocals on "This Modern Love" are overkill) and gets by on Spartan, three-chord arrangements. In short, there's genuine stadium potential here. Whether there's a Joshua Tree or an Achtung, Baby in the band's future is a far trickier prediction. Bloc Party will almost certainly find success. Based on Silent Alarm, however, it won't be as innovators or firebrands, but as purveyors of familiar hooks, passionately delivered and smartly promoted. And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to� Kele?
Iron & Wine: Woman King [EP]
Sub Pop, 2005
Rating: 4.0
Sam Beam's new Iron & Wine release, Woman King, slots in with prior lyrical concerns (Biblical references, rural imagery, family life), while adding some welcome new wrinkles to his sonic repertoire, making for a comfortably progressive listening experience. The title track finds Beam exploring harder rhythms, with percussion pushed to the fore. There's also a heretofore-unheard intensity and edge to his words: "Sword in hand / Swing at some evil and bleed." The more reserved "Jezebel" transforms the Biblical personification of a wicked woman ("born to be the woman we could blame") into an alluring, forever-out-of-reach lover. The clattering, shimmy-shake rock of "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" namechecks Mother Mary and blinded Samson, transporting the tale of the virgin birth from the Holy Land to the gnarled forests of some imaginary, primeval Deep South. Califone's Jim Becker provides some distinctive violin sawing on "Grey Stables" and "Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song)," and Beam's sister Sarah harmonizes beautifully with her sibling across the disc. Woman King is an ideal transition record for Beam, interweaving colorful new threads into a familiar pattern and hinting at powerful and majestic songcraft to come on his next full-length.
Mogwai: Government Commissions: BBC Sessions (1996-2003)
Matador, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Government Commissions (a compilation of tracks culled from BBC Sessions Mogwai cut between 1996-2003) opens with an endearing moment: recently departed DJ John Peel introducing the group's "Hunted By A Freak." The May 2003 performance offers a slightly more aggressive tempo, but retains the evocative sense of mystery evident on the original (from Happy Songs for Happy People ). Beyond the nice tip of the cap to Peel, however, Government Commissions is a less than memorable affair. This is primarily due to the fact that while Mogwai hasn't altered its basic template dramatically since its inception, the Scottish quintet nonetheless makes albums that have a specific flow and mood. And since the grouping here isn't chronological, there's an unavoidably scattershot feel to the set list. Young Team's epic, nearly 12-minute "Like Herod" gets a protracted workout, some 18-and-a-half minutes of crushing force that then inharmoniously gives way to Rock Action's "Secret Pint," with its gentle guitar strum slowed down even further than the part on the LP version, more unassuming and supple. The two-part "New Paths To Helicon" improves on the studio versions, with crisper sound and more organic interplay between members. Government Commissions is hardly an essential addition to the Mogwai catalogue (diehards excluded, of course), basically serving as a decent slot-filler until the follow-up to Happy Songs arrives later this year.
Domino, 2005
Rating: 3.8
The glitch-rock of Hood's last album, 2001's distinctive Cold House , has largely been put aside on its new release in favor of moodier, acoustic-guitar noodling, buried beneath murky horns and synthesized squalls. Lyrical allusions to distance and distress -- like traveling via train through rainy (preferably English) countryside pondering that special someone who's fallen out of easy reach -- permeate the band's new album, Outside Closer. Where Cold House obsessed over the memory and things dead and past, Outside Closer is more immediate, reacting to events that may have occurred mere hours before the journey begins. "End of One Train Working" asks "Where is the hope I had?," and none of the remaining songs bother to answer with any positivity: Among other like tracks, "Still Rain Fell," with its lazy guitar strum and doleful outlook, doesn't offer much chance of light at the end of the tunnel of love. Breakout single "The Lost You" stands tall here: stuttering and urgent, it's far and away the one song of the bunch guaranteed to create a rise in blood pressure. But Outside Closer isn't built to fill stadiums with sing-along anthems. This is a particular brand of miserablism only the British seem capable of pulling off without veering too far to the periphery of the average listener's attention span. It demands the right frame of mind, temperament and that ideal rainy-day traveling environment, in which nothing works out. When you're in the middle of such a moment, Hood's there to provide the soundtrack for your emotional nosedive.
Capitol, 2005
Rating: 4.2
Here's the challenge for LCD Soundsystem main brain James Murphy: On your full-length debut, try to top the bonus disc including three brilliant arty dance punk singles (2002's "Losing My Edge" and "Give It Up," and 2004's "Yeah") and their respective B-sides. Murphy certainly seems up to the challenge on lead track "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House," with crunk-funk guitar and pulse-wave rhythms supporting his patented, couldn't-care-less sing-speak vocals. (Honestly, if Daft Punk really was setting up its P.A. system in Murphy's hipster pad, you'd think he'd sound a little more enthused.) Keeping the heat on the strong bonus disc, Murphy follows up with a diverse trio of solid tracks: The too-low-for-zero, hypnotically drowsy "Too Much Love;" the up-tempo mash-beat-obsessed "Tribulations;" and the caffeinated, spaz-rocker "Movement." The spacey, Lennon-esque "Never as Tired as When I'm Waking Up" draws a little too much attention to its primary influence, and the intentional drone of "On Repeat" grows wearisome long before its eight minutes are up -- though it does make a good candidate for a closing track, if you're willing to shuffle the lineup. Of course, that would mean moving the chosen end piece "Great Release" somewhere else, and that just doesn't seem right, as its somber, pre-Airport/Furniture/Linoleum-phase Brian Eno sound, with doleful piano and epic sense of quiet space, really does end things on an appropriate comedown note. LCD Soundsystem doesn't quite overcome the high bar set by its bonus disc. That might sound rough, but fortunately, just compiling all of Murphy & Co's singles on one handy CD provides a valuable service for newcomers to his eclectically retro style.
Righteous Babe, 2005
Rating: 3.8
Executing a complete 180 from last year's entirely solo Educated Guess, Ani DiFranco's Knuckle Down marks the first time the laudably independent folk-rocker has invited another producer into the studio. Joe Henry gets tapped for this unique distinction, and his presence ensures Knuckle Down a fuller sound than the typical DiFranco release. There are some wonderful string arrangements throughout, with Tony Scherr and Andrew Bird doing particularly exceptional work on the closing "Recoil." Julie Wolf's appropriately evocative melodica enlivens the questing "Minerva," and Todd Sickafoose's throbbing upright bass slots in perfectly with the loose jam of "Seeing Eye Dog." But Knuckle Down is still clearly Ani's show. Unlike Jim White, who seemed to be devoured by Henry's production on his recent solo release , DiFranco maintains the primacy of her lyrical content and, especially on the opening title track, works in her signature slap-percussive guitar work for good measure. From "Parameters," an arresting spoken-word description of a woman returning home and discovering an intruder waiting for her, to "Paradigm," which pays tribute to her immigrant parents, DiFranco never lets the music overwhelm her highly personalized wordplay. Not everything works: "Lag Time" proves an apt title, as the song meanders with no discernible payoff, while "Manhole" lacks the lyrical focus so keenly exhibited in the bulk of DiFranco's songcraft. Still, Knuckle Down holds together quite well, revealing an artist still developing a powerful and engaging self-analytical aesthetic nearly a decade and a half into her remarkable career.
The Chemical Brothers: Push the Button
Astralwerks, 2005
Rating: 3.3
Push the Button, like The Chemical Brothers' essential 1997 release Dig Your Own Hole, runs just over an hour and sports 11 tracks. It also opens with a powerhouse single, "Galvanize," featuring A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and some pretty Arabian strings courtesy of Najat Aatabu. While "Galvanize" is not on the same level as the pulverizing "Block Rockin' Beats," it nonetheless sets the stage for what sounds like a Chemical Brothers record on par with the duo's mid-'90s triumphs. Other than a few impressive moments, however -- like "Close Your Eyes," a winningly lighthearted collaboration with indie popsters The Magic Numbers, and "Marvo Ging," filled with well-integrated backward loops and some moody harmonica -- Push the Button proves less than inspiring. "Believe" gets tripped up on a repetitive vocal from Bloc Party's Kele Okereke (despite utilizing some smart digital filigree), while the equally recursive "Come Inside" treads familiar waters (get inside, already!). The worst (and soon to be most dated) offender is the bludgeoning political tirade "Left Right," in which guest ranter -- er, rapper -- Anwar Superstar barks about Bush and Saddam being the same, and how bad war is. (Save it for the political rallies as opposed to the dance floor, guys). Texturally, Push the Button is more a singles collection than a cohesive statement (in that respect, it's much different from Dig Your Own Hole). And if you're going to do a singles collection, it had better include more hits than the stray few exhibited here.
XL, 2005
Rating: 4.3
Lemon Jelly toughens up its sound on '64-'95 (the title refers to the time span in which the albums that Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen sample here were released). And the results are surprisingly successful, though perhaps not as inventively praiseworthy as 2002's Mercury Prize-nominated Lost Horizons. Comparisons to those French purveyors of smooth-flowing electronica Air are blown completely out of the water on "'88 aka Come Down On Me," a hard-charging metal track that could be mistaken for a Queens of the Stone Age epic rather than the aquifer-fresh, chill-out creations for which the duo is known. "'68 aka Only Time" eases back on the accelerator, but still sports a metronomic pulse better suited to the Autobahn than the easy chair. "'95 aka Make Things Right" falls in line with the band's earlier concoctions, and thus disrupts the high-energy pace. Druggy dance grooves are well represented by the repetitively infectious "'75 aka Stay With You" and the slightly more introverted "'76 aka The Slow Train." "'64 aka Go," featuring vocals by William Shatner, is campy and fun, yet still imbued with enough dark menace to serve as a fitting curtain closer to another excellent offering from these gifted British sound collagists.
Rough Trade/Sanctuary, 2005
Rating: 4.0
As an easily digestible taster for the sprawling, conceptually ambitious full length releases of The Fiery Furnaces, the mini-album EP, more than does its job. Siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger manage to collect B-sides and stray tracks without the resulting assemblage seeming too slapdash. The primary reason for this is the near-uniform brevity of the songs, averaging out to a tidy four minutes each. There's also a playful pop evanescence underlying "Single Again," "Here Comes the Summer" and "Evergreen," which adds to the replay value. Not everything works, however: "Duffer St. George," a goofy take on the old minstrel tune "Jimmy Crack Corn," grates; "Smelling Cigarettes," featuring jarring tempo changes like those that defined the band's recent Blueberry Boat , sounds out of place amongst the less adventurous cuts surrounding it. But for those devotees who haven't the funds or access to track down everything the Fiery Furnaces have recorded, EP is an imminently enjoyable and bargain-priced addition to the duo's burgeoning catalog.
The Citizens: Are We There Yet?
Yellow Ball, 2004
Rating: 2.8
The short answer to this album's title: No. The New York-based Citizens go for the "all styles" approach over an individual statement of purpose on their debut, Are We There Yet? Epic pop meltdowns ("What's Happening At the Seams"), drunken piano warblers ("Deck Full of Jokers") and an inexplicable cross-pollination of muzzled spoken-word and unrepentant metal croon ("Mussolini's First Crush") jostle for the listener's attention, but fail to achieve any rarified form of distinction. The dirty-rocking, delightfully horndog "A Thing For You" wisely exploits the talents of rhythm section Jason DiMatteo (bass) and John Bollinger (drums), while "In B For Backward" offers an impressive stomp and roiling beat with some effective tinkling piano and on-cue background harmonies. But this stylistic-tryout grab-bag exposes a quartet that has yet to find a voice solely its own. The good news is, there's very little chance of a sophomore slump. File under: Promise of better things to come.
The Decemberists: Billy Liar [Single]
Kill Rock Stars, 2004
Rating: 3.0
Billy Liar features a pair of songs from the Decemberists' Her Majesty the Decemberists album, as well as two non-album tracks. The title track, a jaunty tune about a carefree layabout dreaming of a Japanese Geisha, is one of the weaker efforts from Her Majesty. Fortunately, "Los Angeles, I'm Yours," a conflicted take on surrendering to the charms and vices of the City of Angels, serves as a sturdy reinforcement. "Everything I Try To Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right" and "Sunshine" aren't exactly lost gems, but both help round out the collection, the first offering a bleak assessment of an awkward romantic hook-up ("And we both had some fun / Though I twice bit my tongue / And it lasted too long for my taste") and the second an upbeat ditty you could imagine the group singing in the back of the van as it travels between gigs. As singles go, Billy Liar is a serviceable space filler until the next full-length arrives.
Spin Art, 2004
Rating: 3.5
Trashcan Sinatras' Weightlifting (the Scottish band's fourth release, and first since 1996's A Happy Pocket) is bipolar and gorgeous. As clich�d as it sounds, it's a summery record, as evidenced by frequent seasonal lyrical references, warm, gauzy guitar interplay and shimmering beats. But the emotional landscape is moody as hell. "Welcome Back" comes roaring out of the gates, all fist-pumping optimism and ringing endorsements ("Everyone's alive / Everyone survived"), but that's as musically assertive as Weightlifting gets. The rest of the album is locked into slow or mid-tempo grooves that prove lamentably innocuous, especially during the middle third. "Freetime" champions the "beauty in life," followed by "Usually," which retreats down a melancholy slide. "It's a Miracle" swings back to the affirmative, only to be clobbered back into submission by the dour "A Coda." The record's peak achievement is its title track, a devastatingly beautiful paean to letting one's burdens down and embracing the immediacy of life. Weightlifting, then, is a triumph tempered by doubt, an accomplished collection of conflicted feelings and guarded optimism. Don't call it a comeback, so much as a cautious outreach to a (hopefully) appreciative audience.
Merge, 2005
Rating: 3.4
Lou Barlow certainly took his time recording his first official solo album. Of course, the hyper-prolific artist could hardly be considered a procrastinator -- those who've followed his work with/as Sebadoh, Sentridoh, The Folk Implosion, The New Folk Implosion probably couldn't care less which name Barlow uses for a new release. That he chose to use his given name and call the album Emoh ("Home," inverted) lends credence to the argument that Barlow has reached a comfortable groove in his career. Emoh definitely feels homespun, with its primarily steel- and vinyl-string acoustic guitar arrangements and Barlow's warm, unhurried vocals. But while it's appealing to hear Barlow sound so contented as he approaches middle age, Emoh can't help but lack in the emotional immediacy so typical of Barlow's earlier, non-eponymous work. "Monkey Begun" opens with the incongruous, sedately delivered line "For balance and control, a battle rages in my soul." Barlow's cover of '80s metal-glam band Ratt's primary hit "Round and Round" removes all teeth from a genuinely menacing song. Of course, Barlow can still toss off brilliant lines like "Smiling through denial my specialty" from the aching "Legendary," and obviously isn't afraid of offending the Christian faithful, as evidenced by "Mary," sung from the point of view of the true father of Jesus, grateful that Mary has contrived the whole immaculate conception angle: "Blame it on an angel, they'll believe." Emoh is relaxed-fit Barlow: a little older, a tad wiser, definitely no longer worried if he'll ever be the "Natural One" again.
Sub Pop, 2005
Rating: 4.0
David Fridmann and Low. Try and imagine that collaboration five years ago, back when the Duluth, Minnesota trio of guitarist Alan Sparhawk, his wife and drummer Mimi Parker, and bassist Zak Salley were recording with nothing-wasted, minimalist producer Steve Albini. Fortunately, just as Albini is maestro of the "more with less" aesthetic, Fridmann is his full-girdled complement on the other end of the spectrum. The Great Destroyer, Low's seventh full-length album, is its noisiest to date. Slayer still has nothing to worry about, but from the opening drone of "Monkey," it's obvious that this is not the same band that released Secret Name half a decade ago. The new sense of urgency in Low's sound has been building since 2001's stellar Things We Lost in the Fire and 2002's stylistically diverse Trust . Thus, songs like the elegant, doom-laden "Silver Rider" sport a sharper edge. Of course, Low goes overboard at points, and detrimentally so. "When I Go Deaf" ends with jarring feedback that, while undeniably adventurous, torpedoes a truly beautiful and haunting tune. The dissonance and harmonies mostly gel, however, especially on the moody "Pissing" and the spirited finale "Walk Into The Sea." The Great Destroyer is as close to a bridge-burning tempo shift as Low's ever released for mass consumption; give the band credit for taking the well-worn adage "to create, you must destroy" to heart.
Self-released, 2004
Rating: 4.3
For those who've been craving some dreamy, sitar-flavored rock with a folk influence, the self-titled debut from The Violettes is just the ticket. This Minneapolis quartet, fronted by the beautiful Sarah Khan, sounds as if its members just came back from a Ravi Shankar study session, adding an extra dimension to their style of ethereal rock. Khan, who sounds eerily like the female vocalist from Chumbawumba combined with Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, makes every song a gorgeously meditative hymn. On "Awkward Moment," there are no drums, just heavenly vocals intertwined with upright bass, acoustic guitar, sitar and lightly glistened cymbals -- enough to put anyone into their own alternate reality. But the Violettes can groove as well: "Heavenly White Roses" starts off like a remake of Deee-Lite's "Groove is in the Heart," but instead of taking the beat and making it another generic club song, the group adds a sitar for a sound more from India than from Minnesota, while still managing to make the end result sound club-worthy. The Violettes can also play straight-ahead, guitar driven rock ("Full Spectrum," "In Sh'Allah") as well as anyone. The Violettes is like the soundtrack to a dream: the Violettes excel at creating music that's perfect for meditation, casual listening, or going into your own personal universe. The Violettes is a beautiful album that should hypnotize anyone who listens to it.
Mike Watt: The Secondman's Middle Stand
Columbia Records, 2004
Rating: 2.0
Mike Watt's The Secondman's Middle Stand is set up much like one of Watt's favorite books, Dante's The Inferno, and it chronicles Watt's own personal hell. In 2000, he suffered a fever that lasted 38 days, which ended, almost fatally, with an abscess bursting in his perineum. The first section of Middle Stand is set during Watt's fever, before the abscess bursts; the second, as he's going through therapy and fighting for his life. The third focuses on Watt's contemplation of life, death and ultimately surviving. To create an album that recreates what he went through is a wonderful thought -- if only it didn't sound so chaotic. "Pissbags & Tubing" and "Boiling Blazes" taper off several times into a chaotic mess with no rhythm or key to speak of. Either Watt's trying to recreate the intense pain of his experience, or he's a modern-day Dadaist. The Secondman's Middle Stand (a play on words: Watt was a member of the seminal punk group the Minutemen, and the ordeal is his middle, as opposed to his last, stand) is ultimately like listening to someone writhe in pain, or the after effects of when he "Puked to High Heaven." In short, it's excruciatingly difficult to sit through. No one should go through the pain that Watt did, so why should they be subjected to the rock opera version of it? This album should have two reviews. Concept: 4.0. Music: 0.0.
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Which German author wrote the novels 'The Glass Bead Game' and 'Siddharta'? | Hermann Hesse | German writer | Britannica.com
Hermann Hesse
Nelly Sachs
Hermann Hesse, (born July 2, 1877, Calw, Ger.—died Aug. 9, 1962, Montagnola, Switz.), German novelist, poet, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, whose main theme deals with man’s breaking out of the established modes of civilization to find his essential spirit. With his appeal for self-realization and his celebration of Eastern mysticism, Hesse posthumously became a cult figure to young people in the English-speaking world.
Hermann Hesse, 1957.
Wide World Photos
At the behest of his father, Hesse entered the Maulbronn seminary. Though a model student, he was unable to adapt, so he was apprenticed in a Calw tower-clock factory and later in a Tübingen bookstore. His disgust with conventional schooling was expressed in the novel Unterm Rad (1906; Beneath the Wheel), in which an overly diligent student is driven to self-destruction.
Hesse remained in the bookselling business until 1904, when he became a freelance writer and brought out his first novel, Peter Camenzind, about a failed and dissipated writer. The inward and outward search of the artist is further explored in Gertrud (1910) and Rosshalde (1914). A visit to India in these years was later reflected in Siddhartha (1922), a poetic novel, set in India at the time of the Buddha , about the search for enlightenment.
During World War I , Hesse lived in neutral Switzerland , wrote denunciations of militarism and nationalism , and edited a journal for German war prisoners and internees. He became a permanent resident of Switzerland in 1919 and a citizen in 1923, settling in Montagnola.
A deepening sense of personal crisis led Hesse to psychoanalysis with J.B. Lang, a disciple of Carl Gustav Jung . The influence of analysis appears in Demian (1919), an examination of the achievement of self-awareness by a troubled adolescent. This novel had a pervasive effect on a troubled Germany and made its author famous. Hesse’s later work shows his interest in Jungian concepts of introversion and extraversion, the collective unconscious, idealism, and symbols. The duality of man’s nature preoccupied Hesse throughout the rest of his career.
Der Steppenwolf (1927; Steppenwolf ) describes the conflict between bourgeois acceptance and spiritual self-realization in a middle-aged man. In Narziss und Goldmund (1930; Narcissus and Goldmund), an intellectual ascetic who is content with established religious faith is contrasted with an artistic sensualist pursuing his own form of salvation. In his last and longest novel, Das Glasperlenspiel (1943; English titles The Glass Bead Game and Magister Ludi), Hesse again explores the dualism of the contemplative and the active life, this time through the figure of a supremely gifted intellectual.
Learn More in these related articles:
| Hermann Hesse |
Deriving from the Italian for 'trouse leg', what name is givento a folded pizza? | Hermann Hesse (author) - Quora
Quora
Written Dec 22
Where does this quote, attributed to Hermann Hesse ,come from?
I am not sure whether it is attributed to Hermann Hesse nor do i know where it comes from.
What i do know is that i have read books that...
Written Dec 27
HH has his own style and no one really can be similar to him 100 % and I have let myself go and let the books and ideas come to me. With time, i had read/seen things and experienced what life has t...
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Who did William the Conqueror appoint as his first Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070? | Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
▼ Primary Sources ▼
Archbishop of Canterbury
In about 575 a monk called Gregory saw some young men in the Rome slave-market. He spoke to them and discovered that these men were from England. After talking to these slaves he was shocked to discover that there were very few Christians living in England. Gregory was determined to change this situation and when he became Pope he sent his friend Augustine and forty monks to England to convert the inhabitants to Christianity.
Augustine arrived in England in 596. He made his way to Canterbury, the home of King Ethelbert. Within a few weeks Augustine had converted Ethelbert and most of his household to Christianity. Pleased by his success, the following year Pope Gregory appointed Augustine as Bishop of Canterbury, and Archbishop of the English people.
William the Conqueror was a devout Christian. After he conquered the country he did what he could to spread the Christian religion in England. William accepted that the Archbishop of Canterbury was the leader of the Christian Church in England, but was determined that this post should come under his control.
In 1070 Lanfranc , a monk from Caen in Normandy, and one of William's friends, replaced Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury. Over the next few years he rebuilt Canterbury Cathedral on the model of St. Stephen's in Caen.
Lanfranc was unimpressed with the quality of the English clergy and during William's reign supported his policy of promoting foreigners to high office in the Church. Lanfranc also ordered that in future no married man was to be ordained as a priest. However, he allowed existing priests to keep their wives.
When Henry II became king in 1154, he asked Archbishop Theobald for advice on choosing his government ministers. On the suggestion of Theobald, Henry appointed Thomas Becket as his chancellor. Becket's job was an important one as it involved the distribution of royal charters, writs and letters. The king and Becket soon became close friends. Becket carried out many tasks for Henry II including leading the English army into battle.
In 1162, Henry II chose Thomas Becket as his next Archbishop of Canterbury. The decision angered many leading churchmen. They pointed out that Becket had never been a priest, had a reputation as a cruel military commander and was very materialistic (Becket loved expensive food, wine and clothes). They also feared that as Becket was a close friend of Henry II, he would not be an independent leader of the church.
After being appointed Thomas Becket began to show a concern for the poor. Every morning thirteen poor people were brought to his home. After washing their feet Becket served them a meal. He also gave each one of them four silver pennies.
Instead of wearing expensive clothes, Becket now wore a simple monastic habit. As a penance (punishment for previous sins) he slept on a cold stone floor, wore a tight-fitting hairshirt that was infested with fleas and was scourged (whipped) daily by his monks.
In 1163, after a long spell in France, Henry II arrived back in England. Henry was told that, while he had been away, there had been a dramatic increase in serious crime. The king's officials claimed that over a hundred murderers had escaped their proper punishment because they had claimed their right to be tried in church courts.
Those that had sought the privilege of a trial in a Church court were not exclusively clergymen. Any man who had been trained by the church could choose to be tried by a church court. Even clerks who had been taught to read and write by the Church but had not gone on to become priests had a right to a Church court trial. This was to an offender's advantage, as church courts could not impose punishments that involved violence such as execution or mutilation. There were several examples of clergy found guilty of murder or robbery who only received "spiritual" punishments, such as suspension from office or banishment from the altar.
The king decided that clergymen found guilty of serious crimes should be handed over to his courts. At first, the Archbishop agreed with Henry on this issue but after talking to other church leaders Thomas Becket changed his mind. Henry was furious when Becket began to assert that the church should retain control of punishing its own clergy. The king believed that Becket had betrayed him and was determined to obtain revenge.
In 1164, the Archbishop of Canterbury was involved in a dispute over land. Henry ordered Becket to appear before his courts. When Becket refused, the king confiscated his property. Henry also claimed that Becket had stolen £300 from government funds when he had been Chancellor. Becket denied the charge but, so that the matter could be settled quickly, he offered to repay the money. Henry refused to accept Becket's offer and insisted that the Archbishop should stand trial. When Henry mentioned other charges, including treason, Becket decided to run away to France.
| Lanfranc |
The American television series 'Angel' was a spin-off of which other hugely popular show? | William the Conqueror Biography – 1st Norman King of England
Ethnicity
Norman
William the Conqueror (c. 1028-1087), also referred to as William the Bastard, or William of Normandy, was the first English King of Norman origin. He reigned from 1066 to 1087. William was an illegitimate son of Duke Robert I and Arletta (Tanner’s daughter), probably the reason why his contemporaries decided to refer to him as “William the Bastard.” William became famous after he killed and defeated the very last Anglo-Saxon king of England during the Battle of Hastings.
Early Life
William the Conqueror was born in 1028 in Falaise, Normandy. It is believed that William’s mother was one of the members of the Ducal household. However, she never married Robert and instead became the wife of Herluin de Conteville. Robert I became Duke on August 6, 1027, after succeeding Richard III, his elder brother.
Rising to the Throne
Before his death, Robert had convened a council early in January 1035 where the assembled Norman magnates swore fealty to William as his successor. Robert died on his return journey to Normandy in July, 1035 at Nicea, after embarking on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
By the time his father died, William was only 7 years old, which was a major challenge for him in becoming the duke. Another complication was that he was an illegitimate son. Fortunately, he received support from King Henry I of France and Archbishop Robert (William’s great uncle). The support of these two prominent figures enabled William to inherit his father’s duchy.
Authority of Duke William continued to get more established as he matured. In 1047, he won a battle at Val-es-Dunes and became a master of Normandy. William married Matilda in 1053, and together they raised 4 sons and 4 daughters. Matilda was Baldwin V’s daughter (the Count of Flanders).
From 1047 henceforth, William succeeded in dealing with rebellion in Normandy that involved his kinsmen. He also dealt with external threats successfully, including the 1054 attempted invasion by King Henry I. William’s military experience, success, and political expertise enabled him to elevate the powers of the Duke of Normandy to a whole new level. In 1063, he finished the conquest of Maine, and in the following year, he was acknowledged as overlord of Brittany.
Conquest of England
England’s King Edward died in early 1066 and was succeeded by Harold, who was the Earl of Wessex. Edward was William’s distant cousin. In 1051, Edward had promised William the throne and Harold swore to support that claim. So, when Harold was crowned as the new king, William became very furious.
On September 28, 1066, William went to England and established a camp near Hastings. At that time, Harold was in the northern region where he was fighting king Hardrada of Norway, who had invaded England. Harold defeated Hardrada at Stamford Bridge and then marched quickly south. On October 14, 1066, Harold’s army met William’s and the two were involved in a close-fought battle that lasted all day. During the battle, Harold was hit by an arrow and died on the spot. In addition to that, his two brothers were also killed and the English army collapsed.
On December 25, 1066, William was crowned in Westminster Abbey. With his victory came many changes. Many members of the local English leaders were replaced with Normans. Other changes included a more strictly controlled system of feudal government and castle construction.
The feudal system of governing was unheard of in England before the conquest but was very prominent in northern France. King William and his followers managed to secure their position during the next four years, especially after 1069 Yorkshire rising. At Yorkshire, William destroyed a lot of crops, livestock and houses, making sure that the area remained deserted and indigent for many years. He took over large parts of land that was seized from Saxon rebels and the old royal estates. He kept about 1/4 of the earnings from the land to himself.
Governing England
William spent his first years of reign in England destroying any resistance and establishing his borders. He maintained authority of Anglo-Saxon law and gave little legislation. The famous Laws of William were not assembled until the Twelfth century. He placed the local government resolutely under his command and made use of recognized land tax and broad commitment to military service.
King William also exercised powers over the church. In 1070, he appointed Lanfranc (abbot of Saint Stephen’s Abbey) as the archbishop of Canterbury. Henceforth, Lanfranc became William’s agent and trusted adviser.
With William’s support, Lanfranc managed to promulgate many verdicts in a succession of councils that planned to bring the English Church in proportion to developments abroad. However, William persisted on his civil liberties to have authority over the church as well as its associations with the papacy. In fact, he would not allow a pope to be acknowledged and papal letters would not be given without his permission. In addition to that, he presided over the selection of prelates and did not allow bishops to excommunicate his tenants-in-chief or officials without his permission.
Domesday Book
One of William’s most noteworthy acts was the commissioning of the Domesday Survey on December 25, 1086 that catalogued England’s population. Primarily, the survey was carried out so as to record accountability to the land tax. The results of the survey were recapitulated in the 2 great volumes called the Domesday Book. Six months after this, William demanded for pledges of fealty from vast landowners regardless of whether they were tenants-in-chief or not. This way, he was affirming his rights not just as a feudal aristocrat over vassals, but as a king over his subjects.
Final Years and Death
After making sure that his kingdom was well settled, King William went to Normandy, where he spent his last 15 years. He left his regents, mostly clergymen, to run the government of England. He spent his last few months of reign fighting the French under leadership of King Philip I.
On September 9, 1087 at Siege of Mantes, William fell from his horse and died from injuries received. Prior to his death, King William had divided his land between his 2 sons, with William Rufus getting the land in England and Robert receiving the one in Normandy. Soon after his death, a war broke between his sons William and Robert over control of Normandy as well as England.
King William was treasured for his interest in reforming the church, his efforts to uphold order, and his fair judgment in political matters.
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| i don't know |
Which type of bread takes its name from the Italian for 'slipper'? | What is Ciabatta Bread? (with pictures)
What is Ciabatta Bread?
Last Modified Date: 18 December 2016
Copyright Protected:
Top 10 amazing movie makeup transformations
Ciabatta bread is an Italian bread which is also popular in other parts of the world, thanks to its versatility and distinct flavor. Around Italy, numerous regions lay claim to the invention of the bread, and slightly different versions of it are baked in different areas. Many bakeries both inside and outside of Italy carry a version of the bread, since it is highly popular. It is also possible to make ciabatta bread at home, although it can be difficult to wade through warring recipes, and only experienced bakers should attempt it, with the aid of a good bread book.
There are a number of different ways to make ciabatta bread. The most simple uses a basic yeast and white flour recipe, although it tends to be lacking in complexity. Most bakers use a biga or sourdough starter to make a bread with an open crumb and slightly soured flavor. For cooks who are not familiar with making rustic or artisan breads, attempting ciabatta can be very frustrating, and it may take multiple tries. It is generally considered to be a poor choice of bread for beginners. When made well, this bread has a moist crumb and a crackly, crisp crust.
Ad
In Italian, ciabatta means “slipper,” leading some people to call the bread “slipper bread.” The name is a reference to the shape, which does sort of resemble a slipper. Ciabatta bread tends to be short, wide, and long, which makes it ideally suited to sandwiches. It is also offered with olive oils and other dips, since the crumb absorbs dips and liquids very well, and it may be toasted when served for this purpose. Dried ciabatta bread can also be turned into excellent croutons .
Some bakers add herbs, oil, or olives to their ciabatta bread before baking it, turning out a bread which slightly resembles focaccia , although it has a less dense crumb. Others may make it with milk, producing ciabatta al latte , and a whole wheat version is also available. Panini, the classic grilled Italian sandwiches on hearty breads, are often made with ciabatta.
Like many artisan breads, ciabatta bread tastes best when it is fresh. People should try and purchase it freshly baked on the day they intend to use it, although wrapping it in plastic can help it to last longer. However, plastic wrapping will tend to make the bread slightly soggy, which can be an undesirable or unacceptable trade-off. To refresh ciabatta bread which is slightly stale or soggy, it can be sprinkled with water and toasted in an oven immediately before serving. Otherwise, stale ciabbata bread can be allowed to go truly stale and turned into croutons.
Ad
anon991881
Post 20
Our local Winn-Dixie had the best genuine ciabatta rolls, crackly, crispy crust, firm but airy crumb, heavenly taste and smell when toasted, reasonably priced. Then, some corporate accountant must have found a way to save a few pennies by screwing up ingredients and baking process. Now their ciabattas (and the Tuscan boules) have the texture and the taste of all the usual American sponge bread: stale, tasteless and probably no nutritional value. But I am sure the shareholders like it!
anon325162
Post 19
Ciabatta is one of the easiest breads to make as it is essentially a "no knead bread" with a very wet dough. Doubt me, just look up no knead bread, make it and you'll have a wonderful huge crumb-crunchy crust ciabatta loaf with very little effort.
anon252902
Very tasty bread. Love it.
anon91593
Pronunciation: "cha-bah-Tah". Emphasis on the two T's. Sono Italiano!
anon72038
Post 14
Don't buy Ciabatta rolls from Marks & Spencer. They put chilli pepper in it and it burns the mouth!
anon60764
Post 13
I have heard several pronunciations of ciabatta. What is the correct one for english speaking people?
anon60064
Post 12
The nice crumb as stated before is from a number of things the dough must be quite wet. almost too wet to handle. You need good fresh yeast of the instant (rapid rise) variety. Use all purpose flour as opposed to bread flour, and you must let the dough proof (rise) in stages. the first proof should be about an hour, then fold it over itself a few times then let sit 30 min then fold again. repeat, shape it then let it proof again and so on, there should be lots of bubbles.
don't deflate it if you can help it. bake at a high temperature, 450 F. use a baking stone if you have one and preheat the
oven with it in it so you're not wasting valuable oven spring time (when baked goods rise once exposed to heat) heating up the stone. and finally commercial ovens have steam injectors that will shoot moisture into the oven during the baking and that is what gives it the crisp crust.
To do this at home, get a spray bottle with water and once or twice lightly spray the buns during the first five minutes of baking.
anon59465
Post 11
Who makes ciabatta bread? Just professionals or people in the community? I know that anyone can make it, but usually who makes it?
anon51679
Does anyone know how to soften ciabatta bread?
anon43101
what are the nutrition facts on ciabatta bread, like calories, fat content, carbs, etc.?
anon28205
Post 7
the large holes in the crumb come from a couple of different things......high hydration levels.... a long rise time....and do *not* degas the dough....cut it with a knife ....handle it very gently....fold it on itself when ready to shape it....3 times both directions...most importantly handle as little as possible....every air pocket in the dough expands in the heat of the oven as gas expands when it is heated....lastly let the dough rest while the oven is preheating....hope this helps .....Donald
anon24926
| Ciabatta |
Who was the Archbishop of York who crowned William theConqueror, King of England? | What is Ciabatta Bread? (with pictures)
What is Ciabatta Bread?
Last Modified Date: 18 December 2016
Copyright Protected:
Top 10 amazing movie makeup transformations
Ciabatta bread is an Italian bread which is also popular in other parts of the world, thanks to its versatility and distinct flavor. Around Italy, numerous regions lay claim to the invention of the bread, and slightly different versions of it are baked in different areas. Many bakeries both inside and outside of Italy carry a version of the bread, since it is highly popular. It is also possible to make ciabatta bread at home, although it can be difficult to wade through warring recipes, and only experienced bakers should attempt it, with the aid of a good bread book.
There are a number of different ways to make ciabatta bread. The most simple uses a basic yeast and white flour recipe, although it tends to be lacking in complexity. Most bakers use a biga or sourdough starter to make a bread with an open crumb and slightly soured flavor. For cooks who are not familiar with making rustic or artisan breads, attempting ciabatta can be very frustrating, and it may take multiple tries. It is generally considered to be a poor choice of bread for beginners. When made well, this bread has a moist crumb and a crackly, crisp crust.
Ad
In Italian, ciabatta means “slipper,” leading some people to call the bread “slipper bread.” The name is a reference to the shape, which does sort of resemble a slipper. Ciabatta bread tends to be short, wide, and long, which makes it ideally suited to sandwiches. It is also offered with olive oils and other dips, since the crumb absorbs dips and liquids very well, and it may be toasted when served for this purpose. Dried ciabatta bread can also be turned into excellent croutons .
Some bakers add herbs, oil, or olives to their ciabatta bread before baking it, turning out a bread which slightly resembles focaccia , although it has a less dense crumb. Others may make it with milk, producing ciabatta al latte , and a whole wheat version is also available. Panini, the classic grilled Italian sandwiches on hearty breads, are often made with ciabatta.
Like many artisan breads, ciabatta bread tastes best when it is fresh. People should try and purchase it freshly baked on the day they intend to use it, although wrapping it in plastic can help it to last longer. However, plastic wrapping will tend to make the bread slightly soggy, which can be an undesirable or unacceptable trade-off. To refresh ciabatta bread which is slightly stale or soggy, it can be sprinkled with water and toasted in an oven immediately before serving. Otherwise, stale ciabbata bread can be allowed to go truly stale and turned into croutons.
Ad
anon991881
Post 20
Our local Winn-Dixie had the best genuine ciabatta rolls, crackly, crispy crust, firm but airy crumb, heavenly taste and smell when toasted, reasonably priced. Then, some corporate accountant must have found a way to save a few pennies by screwing up ingredients and baking process. Now their ciabattas (and the Tuscan boules) have the texture and the taste of all the usual American sponge bread: stale, tasteless and probably no nutritional value. But I am sure the shareholders like it!
anon325162
Post 19
Ciabatta is one of the easiest breads to make as it is essentially a "no knead bread" with a very wet dough. Doubt me, just look up no knead bread, make it and you'll have a wonderful huge crumb-crunchy crust ciabatta loaf with very little effort.
anon252902
Very tasty bread. Love it.
anon91593
Pronunciation: "cha-bah-Tah". Emphasis on the two T's. Sono Italiano!
anon72038
Post 14
Don't buy Ciabatta rolls from Marks & Spencer. They put chilli pepper in it and it burns the mouth!
anon60764
Post 13
I have heard several pronunciations of ciabatta. What is the correct one for english speaking people?
anon60064
Post 12
The nice crumb as stated before is from a number of things the dough must be quite wet. almost too wet to handle. You need good fresh yeast of the instant (rapid rise) variety. Use all purpose flour as opposed to bread flour, and you must let the dough proof (rise) in stages. the first proof should be about an hour, then fold it over itself a few times then let sit 30 min then fold again. repeat, shape it then let it proof again and so on, there should be lots of bubbles.
don't deflate it if you can help it. bake at a high temperature, 450 F. use a baking stone if you have one and preheat the
oven with it in it so you're not wasting valuable oven spring time (when baked goods rise once exposed to heat) heating up the stone. and finally commercial ovens have steam injectors that will shoot moisture into the oven during the baking and that is what gives it the crisp crust.
To do this at home, get a spray bottle with water and once or twice lightly spray the buns during the first five minutes of baking.
anon59465
Post 11
Who makes ciabatta bread? Just professionals or people in the community? I know that anyone can make it, but usually who makes it?
anon51679
Does anyone know how to soften ciabatta bread?
anon43101
what are the nutrition facts on ciabatta bread, like calories, fat content, carbs, etc.?
anon28205
Post 7
the large holes in the crumb come from a couple of different things......high hydration levels.... a long rise time....and do *not* degas the dough....cut it with a knife ....handle it very gently....fold it on itself when ready to shape it....3 times both directions...most importantly handle as little as possible....every air pocket in the dough expands in the heat of the oven as gas expands when it is heated....lastly let the dough rest while the oven is preheating....hope this helps .....Donald
anon24926
| i don't know |
The American television series 'The Lone Gunmen', which centred on a group of investigators who ran a conspiracy theory magazine, was a spin-off of which other succesful series? | WWOMB :: Fandom Listings
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The Beast [4] A veteran FBI agent is assigned a new partner, unaware that he was recruited as a double agent to investigate his activities.
Beastmaster [26] The sword and sorcery adventures of a wandering adventurer who has the ability to communicate with animals.
Beauty And The Beast [3] The adventures and romance of a sensitive and cultured lion-man and a crusading District Attorney assistant.
Beauty And The Beast: 2012 [0] A modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist
Becker [8] Dr. John Becker goes through his daily routine of being a doctor, stopping at his favorite diner, and other various situations, all the while hating life and everything around him
Being Human - UK [2] A werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost try to live together and get along.
Bedlam [0] Drama and supernatural chills in this series centered around a haunted insane asylum-turned-apartment building.
Being Human - US [4] Three twenty-somethings share a house and try to live a normal life despite being a ghost, a werewolf and a vampire
Ben 10: Alien Force [1] 15 year old Ben Tennyson must utilize the Omnitrix yet again in order to locate his missing Grandpa Max, along with his cousin Gwen and former enemy Kevin 11.
Benson [1] Jessica Tate's sharp-tongued former butler, Benson DuBois, moves up in the world, becoming first the governor's "director of household affairs," then the state's budget director, then lieutenant governor and candidate for the executive mansion.
The Beverly Hillbillies [6] A nouveau riche family of hillbillies move to Beverly Hills and refuse to conform and shake up privileged society there.
Bewitched [3] A witch married to an ordinary man cannot resist using her magic powers to solve the problems her family faces.
The Big Apple [1] The FBI and the New York Police Department battle to keep the mob from taking a bite out of the Big Apple.
The Big Bang Theory [5] A woman who moves into an apartment next door to two brilliant but socially awkward physicists shows them how little they know about life outside of the laboratory.
The Big Valley [63] Victoria Barkley heads her adult brood on the Barkley Ranch in California's San Joaquin Valley.
Big Wolf On Campus [18] The week before he returns to school for his senior year, popular High School jock Tommy Dawkins is bitten and turned into a werewolf.
Biker Mice from Mars [2] Martian Mice, who ride motorcycles, crash land on Earth and help fight against the Catatonians.
The Bill [23] Episodes follow uniform officers and detectives from an inner London police station as they enforce law and order on a day to day basis.
The Bill Engvall Show [1] A comedy centered on the life and work of therapist Bill Pearson (Engvall).
Bionic Woman - 2007 [2] A female athlete is given bionic strength.
The Black Adder [7] British sitcom set in Regency times.
Black Books [0] Bernard Black runs his own bookshop even though he doesn't much like people who buy books and hates having customers.
Black Scorpion [0] The City of Angels is falling apart, and crime pervades the city to the core.
The Blacklist: 2013 [7] Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. Reddington will cooperate, but insists that he will speak only to Elizabeth Keen, a rookie FBI profiler
Blade the Series [8] The adventures of the half human/vampire vampire hunter.
Blake's 7 [52] The adventures of a small group of freedom fighters trying to escape the tyranny of the Federation.
Blind Justice [3] NYPD Detective Jim Dunbar returns to work after being blinded in the line of duty.
Blossom [1] A teenage girl living in a house run by men dreams what life would be like if she lived in a more conventional family
GHOST WHISPERER FIC
G.I. Joe [1] YO JOE!!! They fight for freedom where ever there's trouble, G.I. Joe is there! G.I. Joe, a real American hero, G.I. Joe is there! It's G.I. Joe against Cobra and Destro, fighting to save the day! He never gives up, he's always there fighting for freedom over land n' air! G.I. Joe, a real American hero, G.I. Joe's there! G.I. Joe is the codename for America's daring highly trained special mission force. Its purpose To defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. He never gives up, he'll stay till the fights won, G.I. Joe will dare! G.I. Joe, a real American hero, G.I. Joe!!!!!
Gilligan's Island [7] Gilligan's Island centered around a group of people who where stranded on an uncharted deserted island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. They all were on a boat tour, which found itself in the middle of a storm leading them to crash on an island! Those stranded include, Gilligan, the Skipper, a millionaire (Thurston Howell III) and his wife (Lovey Howell), a movie star (Ginger Grant), a professor (known as "The Professor"), and Mary Ann. Gilligan was the first mate on the boat, the SS Minnow. Most episodes dealt with the castaways trying to get off the island, but their attempts seemed to always be foiled by Gilligan.
Gilmore Girls [5] The Gilmore Girls are Lorelai and her daughter Rory, who live in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut
Girl From U.N.C.L.E [2] This spinoff from "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." features the adventures of sexy spy April Dancer, who works for an international agency called the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, which is dedicated to protecting the world from evil doers such as those who work for THRUSH. April's sidekick is the Brit Mark Slate, and their boss is the crusty Mr. Waverly.
GOOD VS EVIL CHAT AND FIC
The Golden Girls [46] Four previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.
The Good Guys [1] Jack is an ambitious, by-the-book detective whose habit of undermining himself has resulted in a dead-end position at with the Police Dept. His partner Dan, a drunken, lecherous cop hangs onto his job only because of a heroic act years before.
Gormenghast [1] At the Castle of Gormenghast, the Groan family has ruled with dusty ceremony for more than seventy generations. A clever and ambitious new kitchen boy, Steerpike, begins to insinuate himself into the affections of Lady Fuchsia Groan and to murder his way to power...
HIGH CHAPPARAL CHAT AND FIC
High Mountain Rangers [7] High Mountain Rangers is a show about a group of highly trained search and rescue law enforcement officers in Tahoe.
Highlander The Series [283] "He is Duncan MacLeod. . . the Highlander. Born in 1592 in the highlands of Scotland, and he is still alive; he is Immortal. For 400 years, he's been a warrior. . . a lover. . . a wanderer. . . constantly facing other Immortals in combat to the death. The winner takes his enemy's head-- and with it, his power. "I am a Watcher, part of a secret society of men and women who observe and record, but never interfere. We know the truth about Immortals -in the end, there can be only one. May it be Duncan MacLeod. . . the Highlander."
HOMICIDE LIFE ON THE STREET CHAT AND FIC
Horatio Hornblower [26] Eager young midshipman Hornblower becomes the commander of a division of seamen, but in the process he must overcome his tendency toward seasickness and fight a duel with a sadistic bully.
Hostages: 2013 [0] The family of a doctor, who will be doing surgery on the United States President, is taken hostage by a rogue FBI agent.
The Hour - BBC - 2011 [0] Set in Cold War-era England that centers on a journalist, a producer, and an anchorman for an investigative news program.
House M.D [141] House is a great hospital drama with a twist, sarcsism and comedy all coming from the leader, Dr. Gregory House. Dr. House and his team of handpicked experts all specialize in diagnosing their very ill-fated patient and solving the very mysterious and critical case of the unknown sickness. Only the most serious and unheard of cases of sicknesses go in their direction. The team will make the diagnosis, legal-or-not and just about everyhting they can think of to save their patients lives and not have to put another one in a bodybag. But through all of this drama, Dr. House and the crew still keep their comical side and crack a few jokes, to entertain themselves or their patients, but that's just how Dr. House is. The team includes neurologist Dr. Eric Foreman, who might have past with some suspicions; immunologist Dr. Allison Cameron; and former money intensevist Dr. Rorbert Chase. House's other good friend Dr. James Wilson, an oncology specialist with whom Dr. House goes to and consults on a daily term.
SLASH HOUSTON KNIGHTS (squidge)
Human Target [16] The cases of a unique bodyguard/private detective who interferes with murder attempts by impersonating the intended victims to draw the killers' fire.
Hunted [0] Meet Sam. A spy. A hunter. And herself hunted by an enemy more ruthless and determined than any she's ever known.
Hunter [1] Detective Sergeant Rick Hunter and his partner, Detective Sergeant Dee Dee McCall. Hunter and McCall investigate homicides for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Hustle [43] Hustle follows the fortunes of a gang of five expert con artists let loose on the streets of London. They are specialists in the way of the grifter and all are keen to liberate cash from the amoral and undeserving. From faking film sets and expensive paintings to double-crossing the duplicitous head of a bank's security system...THE CON IS ON
I Dream Of Jeannie [14] Austronaunt Major Anthony Nelson discovers a bottle on the sandy beach and leanrs the truth behind the myth
Click to join Jake2-0_Slash
Jane by Design [0] A case of mistaken identity has a dateless high school outsider living a double life as a twenty-something career girl in the fashion world.
Jeeves and Wooster [0] Based on the well-loved novels of P.G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse, this British series chronicles the misadventures (romantic and otherwise) of the impeccably dressed Bertie Wooster and his trusty and sagacious valet, Jeeves. Peppered with sporting dialogue and memorable, dim-witted and eccentric characters.
Jeremiah [6] 15 years after a virus wiped out everyone who had passed puberty, the survivors are living on the scraps of the old world. Now they must either continue the downward slide, or begin to rebuild the world, taking responsibility for themselves and the world and each other
Jericho [4] After a nuclear disaster caused by several terrorist attacks that destroyed 23 American cites, residents of a small Kansas town must come to terms with a new and very different reality as they wonder if they are the only ones left alive.
The Jetsons [4] The misadventures of a futuristic family.
Joan Of Arcadia [2] follows a typical family facing atypical situations, not the least of which is their teenage daughter's conversations with God. A tough but soft-hearted police detective in Arcadia, Will Girardi dreams of providing a safe haven for his family and community. An outbreak of serious crime in his idyllic new town has challenged Girardi's desire for order, as have the ups and downs he faces with his family. Daughter Joan, an average teenager, has been acting a little strange. Most don't know that it has to do with the unusual way various people keep popping up, introducing themselves as God and then giving her specific directions to do things, such as get a job, join the debate team or volunteer with children. The appearances are hard for her to believe, even more so as she never knows who's going to turn up next. One minute it's a cute boy her own age, the next it's the lunch lady or a little girl. She had been keeping it a secret from everyone but she has finally revealed it to her artistic and sensitive boyfriend, Adam, who believes she's been experiencing hallucinations. Rounding out the Girardi family are her art-teacher mother, Helen; her 16-year-old science-geek brother, Luke, and her newspaper writer brother, Kevin, a former high school sports star who is in a wheelchair as a result of a car accident. Joan's unlikely best friend is her publicly caustic and rebellious, but privately insightful and supportive classmate, Grace. Unsure of what God wants, if God exists, and if she's even sane, Joan tentatively follows God's cryptic directives, all the while trying to retain a normal teenaged existence
John Doe [3] The series is about the life of John Doe, a mysterious man who rises from the primordial waters of an isolated island, possessing knowledge of literally everything in the world, yet having no memory of who -- or even what -- he is. Doe quickly finds his way to Seattle, where he befriends the police and uses his special gift to help them solve "impossible" crimes each week, while continuing his unending quest to uncover who he is and where he came from. Despite his considerable charm, Doe is an emotional island unto himself. Want to know the population of Peru in 1853? How many blue cars there are in the state of Washington? Or better yet, predict which horse will win every race at the track based on knowing all the variables? Doe has all the answers. But what is he like? Family man or loner? Hero or villain? What is truly in his soul? Doe doesn't have a clue. In his search to unlock the key to his past, He may be a government agent, an extra-terrestrial or perhaps just a regular John Doe with a bout of amnesia. Whatever secrets his past holds, Doe is now the man who knows everything -- a gift that will forever change his destiny
Johnny Bravo [1] The misadventures of a dumb blond egomanaic who is deluded about his own manliness.
Johnny Test [1] The adventures of average suburban boy Johnny Test, who wittingly plays test subject for his genius twin sisters' various experiments, reluctantly fighting evil villains in the process.
Jonathan Creek [1] While writing a piece about the death of a prominent artist, investigative journalist Madeline Magellan enlists the help of Jonathan Creek, a man who makes a living inventing tricks for magician Adam Klaus, and who has a brilliantly lateral mind. The pair work together to solve the case and strike up a friendship as they go on to solve a series of baffling murders. When Maddy becomes a successful writer, Creek enlists the support of theatrical agent Carla Borrego as he carries on his freelance investigations.
Joey [1] Joey says goodbye to a time when his friends were his family and welcomes the chance to turn his family into his friends. After reuniting with his high-strung sister Gina, a strong and sexy hairdresser, Joey moves in with her genius 20-year-old son, graduate student Michael, who literally is a rocket scientist. What Joey lacks in book smarts, however, he more than makes up for with his people skills, making him the best new friend his nephew could ask for.
Jonny Quest [4] Jonny Quest and his father Dr. Benton Quest. Along for the adventure is the multi-faceted "Race" Bannon, the mystical Hadji, and Jonny's dog, the irrepressible Bandit. They solve mysteries and try to thwart the evil of Dr. Zin.
Jonny Zero [2] Jonny is freshly released from prison for drug possession and is now caught between his need to redeem himself in the eyes of his family, and the temptations and influences of his own dark past. Jonny goes back to work for his former boss, shady club owner Joseph Garret but this time he uses his criminal knowledge of New York's club scene to solve crimes. Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to force him to go undercover and bust his old friends in the underworld.
Judging Amy [1] A single mother leaves New York behind to become a Family Court judge in Hartford, Connecticut. Judge Amy Gray is divorced and raising her young daughter, Lauren. They live with Amy's very opinionated mother Maxine, a social worker who is often at odds with her boss, Sean. Amy has re-established relationships with her younger brother Vincent, her older brother Peter, and his wife Gillian. Assisting Amy in the courtroom are her Court Services officer, Bruce Van Exel, and her eager court clerk turned lawyer, Donna Kozlowski.
Justice [1] Justice is a legal drama on FOX that revolves around the world of high-profile celebrity attorneys in the Los Angeles law firm of Trott, Nicholson, Tuller & Graves, who will go to any lengths to free their rich and powerful clients
Just Shoot Me [1] Set in the New York editorial offices of the fictional fashion magazine Blush, "Just Shoot Me" follows the lives of Blush's colorful staff, including Maya Gallo, a serious journalist who is determined to change the magazine's "fluffy" tone despite the efforts of her father, Blush publisher Jack Gallo, who remains focused solely on his bottom line and the things he feels women want. Also on staff are beauty and fashion editor Nina Van Horn, a fast-living, neurotic ex-model; Blush's commitment-phobic, in-house photographer, Elliott DiMauro; and Jack's wisecracking, power-hungry assistant, Dennis Finch
Justice League Unlimited [10] Seven of the most formidable heroes form arguably the most powerful team ever
Justified [2] Old-school U.S. Marshal Raylen Givens is reassigned from Miami to his childhood home in the poor, rural coal-mining towns in Eastern Kentucky.
K-9 [0] K-9 is set in near-future London, with 14-year old characters Starkey and Jorjie, alongside a Professor Gryffen, who is experimenting with a Space-Time Manipulator, and an "artful dodger" 15-year-old Darius who runs errands for Gryffen. K-9 Mark I follows the villainous reptilian warrior Jixen who come through a space-time portal created by the professor's experiments and saves the Londoners. While protecting them, K-9 is forced to self-destruct, but is able to give Starkey instructions to rebuild and regenerate himself into a more advanced form. K-9 and the humans then form the front line defense against alien menaces from outer space and other times
K-Ville [1] Police officers patrol the streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Karen Sisco [0] Karen Sisco is a United States Federal Marshal on Miami's Gold Coast. Karen must track down fugitives, throughout the southern Florida area. Marshall Sisco is Karen's father, who is a semi-retired private investigator. Marshall wanted Karen to follow a safer path, but law enforcement was in Karen's blood. Veteran Federal Marshal Amos Andrews is Sisco's boss, who likes to give her challenges.
Keen Eddie [3] Keen Eddie looks upon the life of Eddie Arlette, who is a down-on-his-luck New York City police detective. Just dumped by his girlfriend, and is responsible for a drug bust gone bad. Eddie is sent to England to clean up the mess he made from his botched narcotics sting. He takes his dog Pete with him to England to start a new life.
Keeping Up Appearances [1] Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced "bouquet") continually looks for opportunities to climb the social ladder
Keeping Up With The Kardashians [6] A peek inside the private family life of twenty-something socialite Kim Kardashian, the daughter of the late L.A. power attorney Robert Kardashian.
Kevin Hill [0] 28-year-old, self-made, hotshot entertainment lawyer in New York City with the ultimate bachelor life -- a high-power job, plenty of pretty ladies and enough money to buy whatever he wants. Through all of his exploits, he is joined by his two buddies, the charming and witty Dame. But, Kevin's whole life turns upside down when he's left to raise the six-month-old daughter of his cousin, who unexpectedly passed away.
The Kid Superpower Hour With Shazam! [2] The adventures of a high school for superheroes while the Marvel Family fights evil with the power given to them by the wizard, Shazam
Kids In The Hall [0] The Kids In The Hall are a hilarious sketch comedy troupe. They got their name from a comedian named Jack Benny, who would often end a joke by saying: "I got this from the kids in the hall", referring to the amateur comedians who would hang around outside his office.
Killer Instinct [0] Killer Instinct details the chilling stories behind the bizzare and deviant crimes cimmited by San Francisco's most aberrant criminals and the detectives who's job it is to stop them. The Series centres around Detective Jack Hale of the S.F.P.D's deviant crime unit. Hale has chosen to be on the front line of the city's toughest division after taking a hiatus from the force following the death of his partner, whom he had a personal relationship with in the line of duty. Intesnse and Private, Hale is haunted by his own personal demons and fights to save his sanity and career.
Kim Possible [13] teenage crime fighter has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day.
Kindred: The Embraced [11] Kindred: The Embraced was a dark and seductive show that revolved around the lives and loves of the vampire society of San Francisco. With a fantastic ensemble cast Kindred really deserved to last longer than its 8 episode run. )
King: 2011 [0] As a Homicide Detective, Jessica King sees things that everyone else misses
The King Of Queens [1] Delivery man Doug Heffernan has a good life: He's got a pretty wife (Carrie), a big TV and friends to watch it with. Then Carrie's goofy and annoying father Arthur moves in with them
Kingdom Hearts [19] Kingdom Hearts begins on the lush, tropical islands called "Destiny Islands", home to the main characters Sora, Riku, and Kairi. The trio wish to leave the islands that they have been confined to all their lives, so they build a raft to escape. The night before their planned voyage a storm sweeps through the island, and evil shadow-creatures called the Heartless appear. The three friends are separated. When Sora finds Riku surrounded by darkness, Riku disappears and Sora has to fight the Heartless. After the battle, Sora receives his weapon, the mystical Keyblade, and sets out to defeat the Heartless and reunite with his friends. From the Destiny Islands, Sora lands in Traverse Town, where he joins Goofy and Donald Duck in their quest to find King Mickey Mouse and defeat the Heartless. During their adventure the trio explore many Disney-themed worlds, including Aladdin's Agrabah and The Little Mermaid's Atlantica. Along the way they lock "keyholes" in each of the destinations they visit, preventing the Heartless from consuming these worlds. Standing in their way, however, is a cabal of Disney villains, with Maleficent as their leader and none-other than Riku as her apprentice. Seeing Sora as apathetic towards Kairi's fate, Riku has taken responsibility into his hands and struck a deal with Maleficent in order to help Kairi regain her heart. The goal of Maleficent and her group is to collect seven maidens of the purest heart, the "Princesses of Heart", in order to open the pathway to Kingdom Hearts, which is supposedly a repository of power and knowledge Maleficent intends to use in her plan to rule all worlds.
King & Maxwell [0] Sean King and Michelle Maxwell aren't your typical pair of private investigators. Both are former Secret Service agents.
Kings [1] A modern day, alternate-reality drama about a hero who rises to become the King of his nation, based on the biblical story of King David.
Knight Rider [8] The adventures of Michael Knight and his incredible super-car K.I.T.T., Knight Industries 2000. Selected by a dying billionaire Wilton Knight, Michael now works for the Foundation of Law and Government with the job of routing out evil that is above the law, with only his trusty car!
Knight Rider (2008) [0] Mike Traceur is tracked down by his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Graiman after her father, Dr. Charles Graiman, is kidnapped. Mike and Sarah rescue her father and Mike discovers that his father is Michael Knight. Mike decides to stick with Sarah and Dr. Graiman and together with KITT, an artificially intelligent Ford Shelby GT500KR, they fight crime. Also partnered with this trio is Carrie Rivai and Alex Torres, FBI consultants and Billy Morgan and Zoe Chae providing technical support. During their first mission, Mike's past comes back to haunt him and Carrie and Alex decide to fake his death. Mike Traceur ceases to exist and Michael Knight is reborn.
Kojak [2] Lt. Theo Kojak is the main character in this popular television police drama. Kojak is a tough cop, but his trademark is a fondness for lollipops. Despite his difficult work, he tirelessly brings criminals to justice while staying upbeat and good-natured.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker [1] featured the adventures of Carl Kolchak, a down-on-the heels reporter who ran afoul of a vampire in Las Vegas and an alchemist in Seattle. These movies proved popular enough that they were spun off into a series, which placed Kolchak in Chicago with the Independent News Service. Each week for 20 weeks he investigated various supernatural and supranatural creatures, ranging from aliens to vampires to Aztec sacrificial cults.
Kung Fu [0] From the tiger, he learns tenacity and power. From the white crane, gracefulness. And the dragon teaches him to ride the wind. It could take a lifetime to master just one of the many Kung Fu disciplines. But young Kwai Chang Caine knows them all. He was educated in a Shaolin monastery around 1800 by the monks. Against all forms of violence he face his ultimate challenge when his preferred master was killed by the hands of the imperial forces. After avenging the death of his teacher, as a Shaolin monk, he flees China to the American West and helps people defending the weak and fighting against the evil while being pursued by Chinese bounty hunters.
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues [22] Kwai Chang Caine was a priest at a Shaolin temple, where his son Peter also lived and studied. The temple was destroyed and father and son each thought the other had perished in the fire.
Kyle XY [11] KYLE XY follows a mysterious boy who looks like a teenager, but otherwise appears to be a newborn. The Trager family takes him in as one of their own
Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger [1] Five young warriors from an ancient civilization of Dinosaur-evolved Humans are awakened during the present day after 170 million years of suspended animation when their sworn enemy, Bandora the Witch, is inadvertently released from her magical container on Planet Nemesis by two astronauts.
L.A Heat [5] Meet Chase McDonald and August Brooks. Two guys who will do anything to keep L.A. safe . . . even if it means blowing half of it up. L.A. Heat is an explosive crime drama that follows the action-packed cases of robbery/homicide detectives McDonald and Brooks, who are as different as night and day. Chase, with seven years on the force, likes the thrill of adrenaline and is always looking for action. August, a seasoned veteran with sixteen years on the force, often acts as the voice of reason for his young partner. Together they clean up the streets of Los Angeles to try to make the city a little bit safer. Utilizing the natural backdrops of the city (from the beautiful beaches to the rougher areas), the series contains more action in one episode than most series do in an entire season, making it possibly the most action-packed series ever created for television. THE CHARACTERS Chase McDonald: A risk-taker, Chase likes living on the edge and is passionate about his work. Though a born leader, he often needs the guidance of someone with his partner's experience to keep him out of trouble. His enjoys metal sculpting in his spare time and resides in a beachfront home in Malibu, where he lives with his girlfriend, Jodi Miller. August Brooks: In his youth, August was a promising boxer, but after he was forced to throw his first pro fight, he became disillusioned with the sport and left to join the police academy. He found he was a natural at police work and quickly rose through the ranks to become a detective. A Vietnam veteran, he also runs the Hoover Street Youth Boxing Center in his spare time, a recreation area for underprivileged children, providing an alternative to gang life. Jodi Miller: Chase's girlfriend, she was never happy with his job and tried repeatedly to talk him into quitting the force, to throw himself completely into his art. When she got a job offer to manage an art gallery in Texas, she began pressuring him even more to quit and come with her. Chase refused, insisting they could work things out, but ultimately, Jodi had to leave. Kendra Brooks: August's loving wife, she works at the Hoover Street Youth Boxing Center, where she helps the kids with their problems. Captain Jensen: The high-tempered superior of Chase and August. Despite the aggravation they often cause him, he still considers them his best detectives.
La Femme Nikita: 1997 [16] Section One, a clandestine anti-terrorist organization, fakes the death of a jailed, convicted murderer and, trains her in the fighting skills necessary to succeed in her new job.
Lady Chatterly's Stories [2]
Lady Chatterley entertains friends and guests with erotic stories and games leading to their involvement in sensuous activities.
Lancer [43] Set in California during the 1870's, Lancer was the story of the Lancer family running a ranch in the San Joaquin Valley. The family did not grow up together. When Murdoch Lanch was struggling against "land pirates" who were trying to take over this property by force, he contacted his two sons (from different marriages) who came to the ranch to help their father, in exchange for 1/3 of the ranch. The half brothers had never met each other and had widely divergent backgrounds. Johnny was a drifter/gunfighter who had spent most of his life wandering around the border towns of the Southwest. Scott was a sophisticated Harvard graduate who had been living in Boston. Despite their differences, they learned to respect each other and help their father manage his vast real estate holdings. Rounding out the family is Teresa, Murdoch's ward and daughter of his murdered best friend. Jelly Hoskins was the crochety old ranch hand added during the 1st season.
Land Of The Lost [2] Rick Marshall is a park ranger who takes his two kids, Will and Holly, on a rafting trip down a river. During the trip, an earthquake occurs which somehow opens up a rift in time, propelling the Marshalls into a land populated by dinosaurs, ape-men, and the dreaded Sleestak. Later in the series, Rick manages to find his way home and is replaced by Uncle Jack (who had rafted down the same river looking for his family).
Laramie [0] Laramie is about two brothers and a drifter who come together to run a stagecoach stop for the Great Central Overland Mail.
Laredo [0] Rustlers, bank robbers, and their own wild schemes: a band of Texas Rangers keeps getting in and out of trouble, under the jaundiced eye of Captain Parmalee.
Las Vegas [13] Las Vegas is a fast-paced, sexy drama that follows the elite Las Vegas surveillance team charged with maintaining the security of one of "Sin City's" largest resorts and casinos. Big Ed Deline, former CIA, is the head of the surveillance team for the Montecito Resort & Casino, as well as the newly appointed President of Operations. His right-hand man is Danny McCoy, an ex-U.S. Marine and Las Vegas native. They deal with card-counting cheaters, costly streaks of random luck and rival casinos stealing their big-money players. Also at the Montecito is Mary Connell, Danny's longtime childhood friend and the new special events coordinator, Mike Cannon, the all-knowing head valet, Nessa Holt a.k.a. "The Ice Queen," the sleek pit boss, Delinda Deline, maitre d' for the high-class restaurant Mysitque, and Samantha Marquez, the elusive former competitor who is now casino hostess to all the high rollers. Danny's return to Vegas hasn't been easy on him, as both family and friends criticize him for having left them for a military career. Mary Connell is one of those friends. Danny's recent relationships with Delinda and Sam have caused old feelings in Mary to resurface. She confesses to him that if Danny hadn't gone off to the Marines, that maybe something could have developed between them. Now, they just try to get through their jobs and try to put "what could have been" behind them.
Lassie [1] Karen Cabot, moves back to her old Home Town, Hudson Falls VT, with her son Timmy. There she runs a veterinary clinic. Timmy, her son, finds a dog, a collie. He names her Lassie, and they get into all kinds of trouble
Last Resort [0] A US sub picks up Navy SEALs then receives an order for a nuke launch, which the captain refuses to carry out, putting him at odds with Command.
Law And Order [89] "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups -- the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories." These words at the beginning of each episode perfectly summarize the premise of the show. The first half presents the police investigation of a crime that's often "ripped from the headlines", while the second half focuses on the trial of the accused.
Law And Order: Criminal Intent [32] In New York City's war on crime, the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the detectives of the Major Case Squad. These are their stories."
Law & Order: LA [0] Welcome to the Wild West.
Law And Order: Special Victims Unit [193] In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."
Law & Order: Trial by Jury [0] For the first time, a "Law & Order" series is told not only from the point-of-view of the prosecutors and police -- but also from the perspective of the defense attorneys, defendants, judges and jurors. "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" shows the inner workings of the judicial system, beginning with the arraignment, and continuing through the prosecutors' complicated process of building a case, investigating leads and preparing witnesses for trial. The series stars Bebe Neuwirth ("Cheers," "Chicago") as Assistant District Attorney, Tracey Kibre and Amy Carlson ("Third Watch") as Assistant District Attorney, Kelly Gaffney. Reprising their "Law & Order" roles will be Fred Dalton Thompson as District Attorney Arthur Branch and the late Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe, a retired police detective working as an Investigator for the District Attorney and Kirk Acevedo ("Band of Brothers") also stars as Briscoe's partner, DA Investigator Hector Salazar.
Law & Order: UK [5] UK version of the long-running U.S. TV drama that tells the stories of two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.
Lawman - 1958 [0] he story of Marshal Dan Troop of Laramie, Wyoming and his deputy Johnny McKay an orphan Troop took under his wing.
Lazytown [1] The main character is Stephanie who arrives in town and urges her new friends Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy, and Pixel to go outside and be active, instead of staying inside and playing video games all day. Her uncle, the bumbling Mayor Milford Meanswell, enlists the help of Sportacus 10, a self-described "slightly-above-average hero". It is Sportacus' job to inspire the kids to play outside, and to help solve low-key emergencies that occur from time to time.
Legend of the Seeker [3] In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help...and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence. In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword-to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed...or that their time has run out. This is the beginning. One story. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.
Level 9 [2] Federal hackers vs psychotic crackers is a cool premise, but the most disturbing? It's entirely based on today's news. No joke. The stuff that Level_9 deals with can be seen in your morning paper, depending on where you are.
Leverage [152] A crew of high-tech crooks attempt to steal from wealthy criminals and corrupt businessmen
Laverne & Shirley [2] The misadventures of two single women in the 1950's and '60's.
Lexx [10] A cowardly security guard, an undead assassin, a female with a body designed for sex and a robot head madly in love with her all make up the crew of the spaceship Lexx, the most powerful weapon in the two universes.
Lie To Me [1] this FOX drama tells the tale of a deception expert who helps uncover the truth for the FBI, local police, law firms, corporations, and individuals. Dr. Cal Lightman and his team are effectively human polygraph machines, and no truth can be concealed from them.
Life [6] a former police officer who, after years of false imprisonment, returns to the force with a decidedly different philosophy.
Life On Mars [4] A detective chief inspector from 2006 is investigating a serial killer when he is knocked over by a speeding car. Waking up, he finds himself mysteriously transported back in time to 1973. Initially struggling to come to terms with his situation, he has to come to terms with the old-fashioned technology and attitude of the day, while figuring out how he came to be trapped in the past. The actor John Simm described the show as "a cross between Back to the Future and The Sweeney ", and it makes effective use of the disorientation of the unwitting time traveller while taking a post-modern romp through 1970s fashions and technologies, with due tribute paid to the classic police dramas of the day to fashion a truly unique programme
Lilo And Stitch [2] The rambunctious human and alien duo must hunt down Dr. Jumba Jookiba's 625 other experimental creatures infesting Hawaii
Lilyhammer [3] A New York mobster goes into hiding in rural Lillehammer in Norway after testifying against his former associates.
Lipstick Jungle [0] Lipstick Jungle tracks three powerful career women who are willing to do almost anything for success in the business world: Wendy Healy, president of Parador Pictures, Victory Ford, a high profile fashion designer, and Nico Reilly, editor-in-chief of a hot selling fashion magazine named Bonfire Magazine.
Little Britain [1] Welcome to "Little Britain" The British countryside of the United Kingdom. From Britain's cities to the highlands of Scotland, "Little Britian" is home to a numerous group of quirky characters. Among them are: Teenage troublemaker Vicky Pollard, Caregiver Lou Todd who doesn't know Andy Pipkin, the lazy fat man who sits in a wheelchair he looks after can walk, Sebastian Love, the gay assistant of the Prime Minister, Ray McCooney, eccentric manager of a Scottish hotel, Majorie Dawes, the cruel leader of the "Fat Fighters" who makes fun of fat men and women in her diet class, Overweight woman Bubbles De Vere, Former Welsh children's TV presenter Des Kaye who works in a DIY superstore, Gay Welshman Daffyd Thomas who claims he is "The Only gay in the village" and many more. Each week, we travel through Little Britian and visit each character as we are joined by the Narrator who gives us his comments and helps explain about the culture of Little Britain
Living Lohan [3] E! cameras take us inside the Lohans' lives, following matriarch and manager Dina as she focuses on launching the music and acting career of her other daughter, Ali, while keeping on top of Lindsay's busy schedule
Lizzie Maguire [3] the ordinary and not-so-ordinary adventures of a junior high student and her two best friends as they try to deal with the ups and downs of school, popularity, boys, parents, a bratty little brother--just life in general. And if Lizzie leaves anything unsaid, you can bet that her cartoon alter ego will say it for her!
Lois And Clark, The New Adventures Of Superman [8] Lois and Clark is based on Superman being a Generation X man. In his twenties somewhere Clark must experience life as a pre-thirties pupil. Lois, as always, is by his side at the Daily Planet, adding that oh-so-ever romantic side to his life. The relationship between Lois and Clark, is as always, a platonic but on the edge of mad love, type of experience.
The Lone Gunmen [59] Spin-off of The X-Files featuring the trio of computer-hacking conspiracy geeks popularly known as The Lone Gunmen. Never ones to stray far from the center of corporate and government intrigue, the threesome of John Byers, Melvin Frohike, and Richard Langly play like a misguided Mission Impossible team, embarking on a series of comic adventures that simultaneously highlight their genius and ineptitude. While their newfound independence inspires them to investigate even the most shadowy of conspiracies, their social skills remain stagnant, which only makes their lives more difficult when they learn their chief competitor in the "information business" is the brilliant and beautiful Yves Adele Harlow. Perpetually short of funds to publish The Lone Gunmen newspaper, Byers, Frohike and Langly begrudgingly take on Jimmy Bond as an unlikely benefactor who bankrolls their missions and joins them in their investigations to uncover the truth.
The Lone Ranger [1] The lone surviving Texas Ranger who was nursed back to health by the Indian Tonto rides with him, on Silver and Scout, throughout the West, doing good while living off a silver mine which supplies him with income and bullets.
Longmire [4] Walt Longmire is the dedicated and unflappable sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. Widowed only a year, he is a man in psychic repair but buries his pain behind his brave face, unassuming grin and dry wit.
Loonatics Unleashed [2] The futuristic descendants of the Looney Tunes characters become superheroes when the aftershock of an alien meteor grants them each with strange new powers.
The Looney Tunes Show [3] Looney Tunes is a show that reruns classic cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Sylvester, Pepe le Pew, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Foghorn Leghorn and more.
Lost [67] Out of the blackness, the first thing Jack (Matthew Fox, Party of Five) senses is pain. Then burning sun. A Bamboo forest. Smoke. Screams. With a rush comes the horrible awareness that the plane he was on tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island. From there it's a blur, as his doctor's instinct kicks in: people need his help. Stripped of everything, the 48 survivors scavenge what they can from the plane for their survival. Some panic. Some pin their hopes on rescue. A few find inner strength they never knew they had -- like Kate, who, with no medical training, suddenly finds herself suturing the doctor's wounds. Hurley, a man with a warm sense of humor despite the desperate situation, does his best to keep his cool as he helps those around him to survive. Charlie is a faded rock star who harbors a painful secret. Sayid is a Middle Eastern man who must wrestle with the racial profiling directed at him by some of his fellow survivors. Jin and Sun are a Korean couple whose traditions, values and language are foreign and thus causes much to get lost in the translation. Sawyer has an air of danger surrounding him, and his intense sense of mistrust for everyone around him could prove to be fatal to his fellow castaways. Michael has just gained custody of his nine-year-old son, Walt, after the death of his ex-wife -- they are a father and son who don't even know each other. Locke is a mysterious man who keeps to himself, and who harbors a deeper connection to the island than any of the others. And self-centered Shannon, who actually gives herself a pedicure amid the chaos, and her estranged controlling brother, Boone, constantly bicker and must learn to get along if they are to survive. The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But the island holds many secrets, including the intense howls of the mysterious creatures stalking the jungle, which fill them all with fear. Fortunately, thanks to the calm leadership of quick-thinking Jack and level-headed Kate, they have hope. But even heroes have secrets, as the survivors will come to learn.
Lost Girl (2010) [2] Lost Girl focuses on the gorgeous and charismatic Bo, a supernatural being called a succubus who feeds on the energy of humans.
Lost In Space - 1965 [9] A space colony family struggles to survive when a spy and accidental stowaway throws their ship hopelessly off course.
The Lost World [22] At the dawn of the 20th century, a band of adventurers are part of an expedition to prove the existence of a lost world isolated from the modern world. Disaster happens and the band find themselves trapped and isolated in this dangerous land with only the help of a young wild woman who was stranded in the land herself as a child. Together, the band fight to survive against the fearsome dinosaurs and other dangers that land has as they search for a way to escape.
Luther (BBC) [1] John Luther is a Detective Chief Inspector working for the Serious Crime Unit
M.A.S.H [65] From June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, America waged war with Korea. To tend to the wounded, the government sent the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital to the front lines to nurse the soldiers. In the camp called the 4077th, Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce witnesses this ferocious yet pointless fight go on while trying to keep the mood light with wise-cracking and practical jokes. He meets many illustrious people, such as the near-psychic company clerk Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, the short-tempered Head Nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, Maxwell Q. Klinger who will do anything to be sent home, stern Colonel Henry Blake, the neurotic Major Frank Burns (Hawkeye's roommate), likeable Father Francis Mulcahy, countless other doctors and nurses, and Hawkeye's best friend, fellow fun-loving prankster Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre. During the war, Hawkeye sees many changes occur around him: Trapper, Frank and Radar are sent home, Klinger takes over as company clerk, B.J. Hunnicutt becomes Hawkeye's new best friend and plays around with him instead, arrogant but educated Charles Emerson Winchester III becomes Hawkeye's new roommate, and Blake's plane is shot down over the Sea of Japan, spinning in and killing him. He is replaced by Colonel Sherman Potter, an experienced man who becomes a father figure, albeit a strict one, to the group. Countless doctors and nurses appear throughout, and you can always count on the insane Colonel Samuel Flagg to try to screw everything up.
MI-5 [4] They do not exist, you will never know their names and they are all that stand between you and those who would do this country harm. Take a trip into the world of deceipt and espionage that is Mi5
MacGyver [8] Angus Macgyver is a secret agent with a difference. He is quiet, mild mannered, deeply principled and refuses to carry a gun on his missions. Fortunately, the last detail is unimportant when compared to his astounding mind. Drawing on a vast practical knowledge of science, Macgyver is able to make use of any mundane materials around him to create unorthodox solutions to any problem he faces. The enemies of world peace and justice continually learn that underestimating this man is a fatal mistake for their plans.
Made in Jersey [0] A working-class woman uses her street smarts to compete with her more polished colleagues at a top New York law firm.
Magic City [0] Centers on Miami mobsters and other characters from Miami Beach in the late 1950s.
The Magnificent Seven - 1998 [344] They were seven - And they fought like seven hundred!
Magnum P. I. [1] Former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum resigns his commission to become a private investigator on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He lands a home in the guest house on the estate of millionaire author Robin Masters in exchange for testing the estate's security, but is forced to work under the strict and ever watchful eye of Jonathan Higgins, a former British Army soldier who serves as the estate manager, and constantly patrols the grounds with his two "lads" Zeus and Apollo, who are loyally trained Doberman Pinschers always ready to pounce on Magnum. Magnum makes good use of the perks that come with working on the estate, including driving Masters' sporty red 308 GTS Ferrari, Audi, and all-terrain Jimmy, as well as equipment such as high-end cameras and telescopes. Of course, all of these expensive toys are under the keen scrutiny of Higgins, and Thomas often finds himself at the end of Higgins's hard bargaining to secure their loan. Although Magnum's carefree ways often clash with Higgins's stricter manner, their mutual respect forms a strong basis for their working relationship. Two of Magnum's former Vietnam comrades and friends live and work nearby. T.C. Calvin owns "Island Hoppers", a helicopter tour company, and Rick Wright manages the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beach front club. T.C.'s piloting skills and Rick's shady underworld contacts often get them roped into Magnum's cases. Others in Magnum's circle include Naval officers Mac MacReynolds, Maggie Pool, and Buck Greene; Hawaii P.D. officers Nolan Page and Yoshi Tanaka; Dr. Ibold; Higgins's fellow Brit Agatha Chumley; Rick's underworld contact "Ice Pick"; and Deputy D.A. Carol Baldwin. Robin Masters was never fully seen, ultimately leading Magnum to the conclusion that Higgins was actually Masters, though this theory was never fully proven.
Maigret [3] An intuitive detective, Maigret often investigated his cases by watching and listening, getting to know everyone on his list of suspects until someone made a slip or broke down and confessed
Major Crimes [2] The Closer spin-off series which follows Capt. Raydor of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Make Me a Supermodel [1] Over a 12-week period, 14 models compete for $100,000 and a modeling contract.
Malcolm in the Middle [1] MALCOLM is a regular high school kid trying to navigate his way through life despite the various obstacles thrown in his way – a complete misunderstanding of girls, the constant burden of masterminding plans to get himself and his brothers into or out of trouble, and a miserable job at the Lucky Aide… not to mention a severe case of teen angst.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. [175] Napoleon Solo and Illya Kullyakin are the two agents of the United Network Command for Law Enforcement, who fight evil (primarily an organization of Bad people called, THRUSH) and use charm, wit, and a never ending assortment of gadgets.
Married With Children [16] The Bundys are a stereotypical American family. Al is a shoe salesman who is fond of frequently reliving his doubtful 15 seconds of fame on the football field. Al is terrified of the all-to-frequent amorous advances his ditsy wife Peggy, a woman who must spend most of Al's wages at the salon and the mall. They have two children: Kelly, the stunning but superficial party animal, and Bud, who is too wrapped up in himself to realize his goal of "scoring" with a girl.
Martial Law [5] A Shanghai cop who is a master of martial arts fights crime in the Los Angeles Police Dept.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show [2] The lives and trials of a young single woman and her friends, both at work and at home.
Maude [1] This "All In The Family" spin-off centers around Edith's cousin, Maude Findlay. She's a liberal independent woman living in Tuckahoe, NY with her fourth husband Walter; owner of Findlay's Friendly Appliances
Max Headroom [26] In the post-apocalyptic future where television sets are more important than food, TV ratings are the all important currency of the nation. A new technique of preventing viewers from channel surfing proves somewhat detrimental to particularly sedentary couch potatoes. The top studio becomes concerned: dead viewers make for low ratings. Edison Carter, top news reporter, is sent to find out more. After a motorcycle accident, his mind is preserved by wizz-kid Bryce and becomes his wise cracking, computer generated alter-ego: Max Headroom, who manages to boost ratings above those of any live hosts to date. This made for TV movie was later remade (sanitized version) as the first episode of the series.
Max Steel [0] Josh McGrath was as ordinary as a kid can be when your father runs a secret intelligence organization. That changed after an encounter with a malevolent cyborg code named Psycho. In that meeting, Psycho shattered a container holding a mass of nanotechological machines and those contents enveloped Josh and integrated with his body. After an initial examination and a scare when they learned that the nanites needed to be recharged periodically or Josh would die, the advantages come to light. Josh learns the nanites give him increased strength for brief periods, the ability to turn near invisible and the ability to change his appearance at will among other abilities. Now Josh fights against the enemies of peace as the mighty Max Steel for his father's organization while still putting up with the usual headaches that having a secret identity entails.
McHale's Navy [47] These are the adventures of the misfit crew of PT-73 during World War II. They're one of the best fighting crews in the Navy, but break regulations when it suits them. Their commander, LCDR McHale, is at times as roguish as his crew, but he puts his foot down when things go too far. They are assigned an XO, Ensign Parker, who is by-the-book, but too much of a klutz to command too much respect. They have a house-boy Fuji, who deserted the Japanese Navy, who wears a POW outfit just in case he's caught so he won't be shot at. Their nemesis is CAPT Binghamton and his aide LT Carpenter. They're initially stationed in the South Pacific, but move to Italy in the last season.
McKenna [1] Jack McKenna is the rugged owner of McKenna Wilderness Outfitters, a tour guide agency in Bend, Oregon, who gets help from his failing business by the return of his estranged son Brick who arrives after the death of Jack's eldest son to help his father get back on track.
Medical Investigation [18] Members of a mobile medical team from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are summoned in a heartbeat to scope out -- and hopefully snuff out -- outbreaks of unexplained and fearful diseases. These specialists drop out of the sky anywhere and have government carte blanche to take charge when people start dying, which requires them to medically re-construct grisly events to prevent the next epidemic, plague or contagion. Dr. Stephen Connor is the leader of the team whose take-charge attitude has enabled him to save the lives of millions, but in the process, has sadly cost the separated Connor his family. Dr. Natalie Durant specializes in pathology and epidemiology and works under the supervision of Connor, a man whom she respects, but is willing to stand up to in any life-threatening situation. The elite team also includes Specialist Frank Powell, a quiet but intense medical inspector who is friends with Connor. Likewise, Powell works well with Dr. Miles McCabe, the newest and youngest member of the team who tries to prove his "wunderkind" reputation is deserved -- but struggles to mature and keep pace with his colleagues in the big leagues. The NIH's publicity liaison Eva Rossi is woman who uses unconventional methods to keep the media at bay in the middle of a crisis.
Medium [3] Allison DuBois is a strong-willed young mother of three, a devoted wife and law student who begins to suspect that she can talk to dead people, see the future in her dreams and read people's thoughts. Fearing for her mental health, she turns for support to her husband Joe, an aerospace engineer, who slowly comes to believe that what his wife is telling him just might be true. The real challenge is convincing her boss, D.A. Devalos -- and the other doubters in the criminal justice system -- that her psychic abilities can give them the upper hand when it comes to solving violent and horrifying crimes whose mysteries often reside with those who live beyond the grave.
Memphis Beat [0] Memphis Beat centers on Dwight Hendricks, a quirky Memphis police detective with an intimate connection to the city, a passion for blues music and a close relationship with his mother.
Men In Trees [0] A relationship-advice guru (Heche), upon learning that her fiance is cheating on her, decides to stay in a small town in Alaska, the most recent stop on her book tour. It's in this remote town, where the ratio of men to women is ten to one, she realizes she can truly learn about the subject she thought she knew so well -- how to find, and keep, a good man.
The Mentalist [9] A mentalist turned private investigator uses his skills to help the police.
Merlin (BBC) [37] Set in the mythical City of Camelot, the story follows young Merlin's dangerous journey as he comes face to face with legendary and fantastical characters.
Metalocalypse [6] Dethklok is the biggest, baddest, and most famous heavy metal band in the world. The quintet, consisting of Americans Nathan Explosion (vocals), William Murderface (bass), and Pickles the Drummer, along with Scandinavian guitarists Toki Wartooth and Skwisgaar Skwigelf, have to deal with their fame and other situations in their lives, all the while being monitored by a government organization out to destroy them.
Miami Medical [1] Miami Medical is a medical drama about a team of expert trauma surgeons who shine brightest when working under pressure against the clock to save critically injured patients.
Miami Vice [27] two Miami, Florida vice detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs who deal with the same things such as drugs, gambling, and prostitution.
Midnight Caller [0] Jack Killian is an ex-cop in San Francisco. He quit the police force after accidentally shooting his partner. He was approached by Devon King, the manager of a local radio station, and accepted a job as a talk-back host. Ever the humanitarian, Jack (together with his side-kick Billy Po) often gets personally involved with the plight of those who call his show.
Midsomer Murders [10] Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby of the Causton C.I.D., a laconic, down-to-earth detective who faces many ingenious and remarkable murders (usually several in each episode) amid the eccentric denizens of Middle England. For the first twenty-nine episodes Barnaby's partner in detection was Sergeant Gavin Troy. Troy was then replaced by Sergeant Dan Scott, who again has been replaced by DC Jones. Other regulars include Tom's wife Joyce and his daughter Cully, who sometimes get mixed up in the plot
Millennium [6] blends mystery, action and horror is about an ex FBI agent who tracks serial killers. He has a psychic ability which lets him see the murders through the killers eyes. He must catch the killers after this happens and keep his sanity all at the same time.
Minder [1] Arthur Daley, a small-time conman, hires former boxer Terry McCann to be his 'minder', so Terry can protect him (Arthur) from other, small-time, crooks. While Terry is trying his hardest to satisfy his employer's demands, and putting his own life at risk, Arthur is busy exploiting Terry for all he is worth. For, when other people hire Terry's services, through Arthur, Arthur usually keeps most of Terry's share of the money for himself, by misleading the hard-working Terry as to the amount of money, he (as Terry's agent) is receiving on Terry's behalf.
Miracles [1] Paul Callan is an investigator of modern miracles. While consistently disappointing hopeful believers by finding simple explanations for "miraculous phenomena", Paul finds his own faith sorely tested.
Misfits [0] A group of young offenders doing community service get struck by lightning during a storm, and begin to develop superpowers.
Mister Sterling [0] William Sterling Jr., son of a popular former governor of California, is working as a teacher in the prison system when he is tapped by Gov. Marino, the present governor of that state, to finish the term of the recently deceased senior U.S. Senator. Trouble ensues immediately when it is discovered he is an Independent and not a Democrat, as was presumed by Gov. Marino. Mister Sterling recounts the daily trials and tribulations of a political novice trying to survive in the turbulent, ultra-insider dominated environment of Capitol Hill. He must rely on his instincts, integrity and the knowledge of his experienced staff to get him through. He must also learn when to apply certain "tricks of the trade" and when to compromise if he is going to survive.
The Mod Squad [4] Three young outsiders fight crime as undercover agents for the police.
Modern Family [6] A satirical look at three different families and the trials they face in each of their own uniquely comedic ways.
Moloney [4] Moloney is a crime drama about a police detective who is also a psychologist.
Monk [25] A former San Francisco police detective suffering from an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder is called in to investigate an apparent assassination attempt of a mayoral candidate and the subsequent murder of his bodyguard.
The Monkees [11] Disclaimer: The authors are not using the real person here, rather the stage persona portrayed in concert, TV and movies
Monster Rancher [2] Monster Rancher is about a kid named Genki who gets sucked into his favorite videogame. There he meets Moochi, Holly, Suezo, Tiger, Golem and Hare, together they go on a journey find the Phoenix and stop Moo's diabolical plan.
Monty Python [3]
Moonlight [78] Moonlight follows Mick St. John, an immortal vampire and private investigator and his struggle to exist after he was bitten 60 years ago by his vampire bride on their wedding night.
Motive: 2013 [0] A feisty Vancouver homicide detective tracks down the most cunning of killers by trying to figure out the motive to the crime.
The Mountain [2] Boundary Mountain is an escapist playground for wealthy tourists and extreme sports enthusiasts, but to the Carver family, it's home. The Mountain chronicles the larger-than-life saga of the Carvers, whose colorful patriarch, David Carver, Sr. founded the town and its internationally famous ski resort after winning the land in a poker game. When this legendary man unexpectedly dies, his choice of an heir sends shockwaves throughout the community. Free-spirited David Carver, Jr. left home years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a world-class motocross racer, while his older brother Will diligently attended business school with every expectation of taking over the family empire. No one, least of all the brothers themselves, expected David to inherit the Mountain. Now, David finds himself saddled with a responsibility he never wanted and a brother who rightly feels betrayed. On top of this, he is torn between two women and suddenly immersed in a power struggle with a neighboring family. David just wants to run, until he realizes his grandfather may have had bigger things in mind. Through the episodes to come, David will begin to reconnect with his mother Gennie and teenage sister Shelly, and he will uncover long-buried secrets about his co-workers, his town and even his own family mythology.
Mulberry [1] Mulberry, the cheerful Cockney son of Death and Springtime, starts his "career" as the Grim Reaper's apprentice when he is sent to collect the acerbic and reclusive Miss Farnaby. He instead joins the staff in her creaky manor house, becomes her personal servant, and endeavors to help her enjoy life during the three month extension grudgingly granted by his dad. What will happen when winter ends and spring arrives? Will life go on?
The Munsters [2] A family of friendly monsters have misadventures never quite realising why people react to them so strangely
The Muppet Show [3] After the success of Sesame Street in 1969, Muppet creator Jim Henson wanted to have a chance at his own series. In 1974, Henson shot a Muppet special called The Muppets' Valentine Show, which would later become a precursor for The Muppet Show. The special starred famous muppet, Kermit the Frog, with a cast of new muppets including: George the Janitor, Droop the Anteater, Crazy Donald (later named Crazy Harry), Brewsters the oldtimer, Mildred the goose, and Rufus (later named Muppy). Many of these characters were used during the first season of The Muppet Show, and quickly faded away to background characters.
Murdoch Mysteries [2] In the late 1890s, police Inspector William Murdoch takes a new, more scientific approach to solving crimes. Assisted by coroner Dr. Julia Ogden and Constable George Crabtree, Murdoch introduces such concepts as finger marks and lie detecting machines.
Murphy Brown [1] The misadventures of a tough female television journalist and her friends.
Mutant X [80] secret government project to create genetic mutants results in them being released into the general population. One of the scientists responsible, Adam, has sworn to try and help them, while his co-partner, Mason Eckhart, plans on using the project for his own ends. Adam assembles four mutants and forms the group "Mutant X" to help mutants everywhere, and oppose Eckhart.
My Dad The Rock Star [1] The son of an famous and eccentric heavy metal rock star tries to lead a normal life.
My Fair Brady [1] My Fair Brady is a celebrity reality television show on VH1 that follows Christopher Knight, who played Peter Brady on The Brady Bunch, and Adrianne Curry, who won the first season of America's Next Top Model, a year after they met and fell in love on the reality show The Surreal Life.
My Own Worst Enemy [0] Henry Spivey, an efficiency expert, lives a typical suburban life, right down to the wife, two kids, dog, and minivan. In contrast, Edward Albright is a lethal, multilingual operative. It would seem the two men have nothing in common -- except for the fact that they inhabit the same body. When each personality finds himself out of his element, things go awry.
My Two Dads [1] My Two Dads began airing in the fall of 1987 on NBC Sunday nights at 8pm. The sitcom starred Greg Evigan and Paul Reiser, who later starred in the acclaimed TV comedy "Mad About You". The two played lifelong friends, Joey Harris and Michael Taylor resepectively. Rounding out the star cast ensemble was newcomer Staci Keanan (real name: Anastasia Sagorsky) in her first ever starring role playing Nicole Bradford, the possible daughter of one of the dads. A long time ago, Joey and Michael were seeing the same woman, Marcia Bradford. Soon, Maricia was pregnant with Nicole but died shortly after giving birth. Unable to determine who the father was, both Michael and Joey were appointed Nicole's legal guardians.
Mystery Woman [0] Brought up on a steady diet of mystery fiction by her Uncle Bob, Samantha Kinsey inherits his bookstore, complete with its live-in expert, retired former CIA agent Ian Philby. Now, in her new position, mysterious murders seem to occur all around her. Fortunately, she is the perfect person to solve them, because of all her years of reading about every possible fictional crime.
Mystic Knights Of Tir-Na-Nog [4] The story is based on Celtic legends. When a tyrant queen from the land of Temra invades the peaceful land of Kells, King Conchobar must rely on an ancient legend which foretells of an orphan who will find the mighty warrior Draganta and "bring peace to Kells for 1000 lifetimes." The legend also tells of the four Mystic Armors and Pyre the fire dragon. The recipients of the Armors are Angus, a miscreant of sorts; Ivar, a Moorish prince; Deirdre, Princess of Kells; and Rohan, a destiny-bound druid's apprentice and the young man foretold in the legend. They are joined by Aideen, a young fairy; Fin Varra, the king of Tir Na Nog; and Garrett, the eventual fifth Mystic Knight. Together, the five Mystic Knights continue to defend Kells from the Queen Maeve and all her evil magic.
N.C.I.S [2534] The team from the Naval CIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service), the government agency that investigates all crimes involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position
NCIS (French) [4] L'équipe de la CEI Navale (le Service Criminel Naval D'investigation), l'agence gouvernementale qui enquête sur tous les crimes impliquant le personnel de Corps Bleu marine et Marin, sans tenir compte du grade ou de la position
NCIS: Los Angeles [22] The Office of Special Projects (OSP) is a clandestine division of NCIS and is located in Los Angeles, California.
NCIS: New Orleans [0] A spin-off of "NCIS" that is set in the Crescent City. The cases and lives of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service's New Orleans branch, which consists of Senior Special Agent Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride, Special Agent Christopher LaSalle, and Special Agent Meredith Brody.
N.Y.P.D Blue [4] Each week viewers see the gritty reality of life in a New York City Police unit as the officers go about their work with a grim determination. Two partners, Detectives Andy Sipowicz and John Kelley (later replaced by Bobby Simone), are the central characters in this weekly police drama, and personify very different approaches to their difficult job. Sipowicz's brash gruffness (covering an emotional vulnerability) is tempered by the precise and controlled demeanor of the two partners with whom he has worked.
The Nanny [3] Fran Fine, a whiny, nasal-voiced Jewish woman from Queens, has just been fired from her job and abandoned by her boyfriend. She ends up selling cosmetics in Manhattan. This takes her to the home of Maxwell Sheffield, a rich, English, widowed Broadway producer. She is mistaken to be applying for the job of nanny to Maxwell's three children and is hired for that purpose. She becomes quite attached to the children, named Maggie, Brighton, and Grace, and becomes great friends with the butler, Niles. There is sexual tension between her and Mr. Sheffield, which is complicated by the fact that his partner, C.C. Babcock, likes him.
Nash Bridges [3] Nash is a smart-alecky police inspector who's seen fighting crime on the streets of San Francisco, while driving around in his screaming yellow 70ish Plymouth Hemi Barracuda. He's the typical super-cop on the beat, who always wins in the end. Unfortunately, his personal relationships leave much to be desired. He has two ex-wives, a 16-year-old daughter needing a lot of supervision, and a father with Alzheimer's disease who keeps getting kicked out of retirement homes and dropping by to visit.
Necessary Roughness [0] A Long Island psychotherapist whose personal life unravels when she finds her husband cheating.
Nero Wolfe [4] Genius detective Nero Wolfe and his right-hand man, Archie Goodwin, solve seemingly impossible crimes
New Amsterdam [0] New York City homicide detective John Amsterdam is cursed with immortality because he stopped the murder of a Native American girl in 1642 by stepping in front of a sword. Due to this act of kindness, the girl rescued Amsterdam from the stab wound by making him immortal, but warns that it is a curse that will only be lifted when John meets his true love
The New Batman Adventures [3] The further and darker adventures of Batman with a new Robin, a closer association with Batgirl and the previous Robin now as Nightwing.
New Girl [0] After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men.
The New Professionals [2] CI5, the British squad formed by George Cowley to combat 'anarchy, acts of terror, crimes against the public', has developed into an international force with operatives hired from around the world by the 1990s. With connections to the FBI, CIA and other law-enforcement agencies, CI5 operates outside borders with a group of specialists under a similar brief.
The New WKRP in Cincinnati [1] A spinoff of the original WKRP in Cincinnati. Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson still runs the lagging station. When his latest program director is fired for violating FCC regulations, he hires Donovan Aderhold. Donovan has so many fresh ideas, it boggles the mind of the boss. The new WKRP included Morning DJs Jack Allen and Dana Burns and the sultry night DJ, Mona Loveland. From time to time past WKRP alumni would return to visit, showing that their lives had turned out better since they left. Advertising director Herb Tarlek (bad suits and all) and Les Nessman were also returning regulars to the show.
New York Undercover [2] Two cops fight the evils of New York streets
The Newsroom [1] A news anchor has found a safe niche with his cable show, "News Night", but his life is stirred up when he is forced to work with a new team of colleagues.
Night Court [14] Judge Harold T. Stone presides over "Night Court", a court which deals with petty crimes which can be dealt with in a dime-a-dozen manner. Invariably, the cases appearing before the court are bizarre, but that's ok because Judge Stone is not your regular judge. He's assisted by a motley crew of clerks and District Attorneys who often create as much chaos as the criminals they bring in for trial.
Night Gallery [1] Similar in format to Serling's much more famous "Twilight Zone" series. Each week we get a new tale, represented by a painting in an old museum. Whereas the tales in "Twilight Zone" were more science fiction, these tales have a darker, more horrific edge.
The Night Manager [0] The night manager of a Cairo hotel is recruited to infiltrate an arms dealer's inner circle.
The Night Shift [0] A group of doctors from the Army return to work the night shift at a hospital in San Antonio.
Night Stalker [1] Crime reporter Carl Kolchak is partnered with Perri Reed at The Beacon, a Los Angeles newspaper. Together they investigate a string of strange murders...all of which may be related to the death of Kolchak's wife 18 months earlier in a similarly bizarre manner. A murder that the FBI consider Kolchak the primary suspect. Stalker revolves around a hardboiled journalist, Carl Kolchak, and his investigations into freakish occurrences.
NIghtmare Cafe [0] Frank Nolan and Fay Peronivic find themselves in a mysterious all-night cafe following a brush with death - but they soon learn that they did, in fact, die, and have been brought back to life by the cafe. Frank and Fay are given the opportunity to correct something in their lives that went wrong the first time, and upon their success, they stay on as the cafe's new cook and waitress. With the aid of Blackie, the enigmatic owner of the cafe, Frank and Fay find themselves dispensing hot coffee, daily specials, justice and second chances to the many imperiled and troubled souls that the cafe is somehow able to attract as it travels from place to place
Nikita [4] La Femme Nikita goes rogue.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King [3] A girl with special powers is being hunted by an assassin.
Nip/Tuck [32] Sean McNamara and Christian Troy are two plastic surgeons running a partnership in Miami, Florida with different issues to life. Sean is a wishy-washy, weak-kneed, family man who distances himself with work to avoid his dysfunctional home life which includes his needy and spiteful wife Julie, and his rebelious teenage son Matt. The more slicker Christian is an arrogant, narcissistc, unethical, ladies man who worships wine, women, and the all mighty dollar, and will do just about anything to get what he wants (lie, cheat, steal, blackmail, seduce, even commit murder) and has no qualms about practically anything.
No Ordinary Family [1] A typical family has special abilities.
Noah's Arc [1] Set in Los Angeles, the show features the lives of four black gay friends dealing with everyday trials, tribulations, triumphs and tragedies
Northern Exposure [1] Joel Fleishman is fresh out of medical college, and fresh out of luck. Failing to read the fine print in his scholarship conditions, he finds he has no choice but to move to the remote and somewhat eccentric town of Cicely, in the wilds of Alaska. Once there, he is welcomed by the peculiar locals who are not keen to see him go, most especially Maurice Minnifield, the ex-NASA astronaut. Despite Joel's adamant denials, one gets the impression that he enjoys life in Cicely more than he admits
Now And Again [3] When Michael Wiseman is killed in a tragic subway accident, the U.S. government covertly makes him an offer he can't refuse; they "keep his brain alive" and place it into a new, genetically bio-engineered body. The doctor in charge of the experiment has grand plans for him, but all Michael wants is to get back to his grieving wife and daughter. For security reasons, the government forbids such contact... not that Michael is going to let that stop him.
Nowhere Man [0] "My name is Thomas Veil, or at least it was. I'm a photographer, I had it all: a wife, Alyson, friends, a career. And in one moment it was all taken away, all because of a single photograph. I have it; They want it; and they will do anything to get the negative. I'm keeping this diary as proof that these events are real. I know they are. They have to be."
Numb3rs [410] People Lie... Numbers Don't Inspired by actual cases and experiences, "Numb3rs" depicts the confluence of police work and mathematics in solving crime. The story of an FBI agent who recruits his mathematical genius brother to help solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles from a very distinctive perspective.
Nurse Jackie [0] A nurse struggles to find a balance between the demands of her frenetic job at a New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas.
The O.C [4] Ryan Atwood is a troubled teenage youth from the wrong side of the tracks in Los Angeles whom finds himself on his own after he is thrown out of his own house. He finds a place to stay in the posh home of the Cohens in the wealthy community of Newport Beach, the O.C. (Orange County), California. Ryan is accepted by the stern but compassionate Sandford "Sandy" Cohen, a lawyer whom represented Ryan in the past for his mis-deeds. But Sandy's wife, Kirsten, aware of Ryan's criminal history, is wary of this new houseguest. The Cohen's son Seth bonds with Ryan quickly and shows him the ropes of the community and vice versa for Ryan giving advice to Seth about life and love. Ryan develops a crush on Marissa Cooper a neighbor girl whom lives down the street and has problems with her not-so-sheltered existance in dealing with her distant father Jimmy and weak-willed mother Julie. Also, Marissa best friend, Summer is obvivious to the crush that Seth has on her, while taking a likeing to Ryan. And so begins a new life for Ryan, the Cohens, the Coopers, and basically everyone else in the wealthy, picturesque, secretive, turbulent community of Orange County.
The Odd Couple [0] Felix and Oscar are an extremely odd couple: Felix is anal-retentive, neurotic, precise, and fastidiously clean. Oscar, on the other hand, is the exact opposite: sloppy and casual. They are sharing an apartment together, and their differing lifestyles inevitably lead to some conflicts and laughs.
Odyssey 5 [6] The astronaut crew of a space shuttle looks on in horror as they witness the violent destruction of the Earth. However, they are given a chance to change humanity's fate when a sympathetic alien sends them five years into the past. Their mission--find out who's responsible for the plot to destroy the planet. Can they deal with their own pasts while saving the world from the mysterious organism known only as "Leviathan?"
Off the Map [0] A trio of doctors seek a new start.
The Office [1] A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.
Oh Grow Up [0] This series centers on three guys who were friends in college and are still close to this day and are living together. Hunter, a construction worker and womanizer who discovers that he has a teenage daughter, Chloe, who is going to school in the city that he lives in. Norris, a struggling artist. And Ford, a lawyer whose revelation of being gay ended his marriage to Suzanne, who has trouble accepting that Ford is gay, and how she could have been married to him.
Once A Thief [77] Mac, LiAnn, and Vic are recruited by a top-secret government agency, working out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They have many (mis)adventures together, and soon, they are joined by Jackie Janczyk, a teenage mob boss.
Once And Again [0] Set in Chicago, Rick Sammler is a divorced architect who meets Lily Manning, an about-to-be divorced on-line salesperson whom both find a lot of comfort with each other and they soon begin a romantic courtship, always compounded and hammpered by their personal lives. Rick deals with his spitefull ex-wife, Karen, whom unfairly blames him for their divorce as well as his two teenage children, the tough but soft-hearted hunk Eli, and the troubled Jessie. Lily deals with her estranged, selfish, restaurateur husband Jake and her daughters whom include the insecure teenager Grace, and the young, troubled Zoe.
Once Upon A Time [6] A woman with a troubled past is drawn into a small town in Maine where the magic and mystery of Fairy Tales just may be real.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland [0] In Victorian England, the young and beautiful Alice tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of a rabbit hole.
One Life To Live [1] centering on the lives of the citizens of the fictional town of Llanview, PA. Concentrating on the wealthy Lord family, and the middle-class Woleks and Rileys, the show was one of the first daytime dramas to depict people from all sorts of backgrounds. The show was the first to depict an interracial relationship, and among the first to explore drug addiction. It has also depicted dissociative identity disorder, cultism, out-of-body experiences, international espionage, time travel, and even underground cities!
One Tree Hill [10] Besides a love for hoops, it would seem that Lucas and Nathan are two young men with little in common - except for the dark secret that they share the same father. Arrogant and assured, Nathan is the star of the high school basketball team and hails from the wealthiest family in town. Quiet, brooding and driven, Lucas is a loner, the only child of a single working mom. He's always kept his distance from Nathan. But their lives collide when a twist of fate puts Lucas on Nathan's team. The rumor that's haunted the boys since childhood now becomes more than just whispers as the half-brothers compete not only for control of the court, but also for the heart of Nathan's girlfriend. So unfolds a deep and bitter conflict that's been years in the making; one that will play itself out in their homes, their hearts and at school as they struggle to come to terms with who they really are - and the fact that they may have more in common than they ever imagined.
Onedine Line [0] James Onedin marries Anne Webster in order to get his hands on a ship. However the marriage turns out to be one of true love. James is ruthless in his attempt to get a shipping line started in Liverpool of the 1860s.
The Originals [0] Series will focus on The Original family of vampires from Vampire Diaries.
The Others [1] College student Marian Kitt is terrified to discover that she has the power to see into the "other side." Word of Marian's vision spreads to Professor Miles Ballard, a student of paranormal and psychic phenomena. He introduces Marian to "the others," a group of individuals with the ability to vicariously experience the feelings, thoughts and experiences of others, and to help them understand paranormal phenomena. Famed medium Elmer Greentree is their spiritual leader and a mentor figure for Marian, whose potential to see "all of the light" is strong. With Marian now among them, they will help each other understand their abilities as they encounter otherworldly, often frightening, alternative dimensions. And all the while, a dark force looms over them.
Outcasts [BBC} [1] Outcasts is set in the year 2040 on the fictional Carpathia, a so-called "Goldilocks planet" five years' travel from Earth. Carpathia has been colonised by a succession of spaceships fleeing destruction and nuclear conflict back on Earth.
The Outer Limits [1] There is nothing wrong with your television. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
Outsourced [1] The show focuses on Todd Dempsy and a number of his employees working for the Mid America Novelties call center, along with other call center managers in the same building.
Over There [0] Over There is a dramatic show about a sergeant and his platoon stationed in Iraq and how the lives of their families are affected at home.
oz [70] Oz is the name on the street for the Oswald State Penitentiary. Our wheelchair-bound narrator Augustus Hill takes us through the wacky world of Emerald City, the experimental unit started by Tim McManus. There's shankin' and lovin' and cussin' and fightin' but in the end, HBO makes a damn fine prison drama. I tried to get through this whole intro without calling the show 'gritty' but I just can't. It's gritty. And there you have it.
Pacific Blue: 1996 [1] Sexy cops on bicycles patrol Santa Monica's beach district.
Painkiller Jane [1]
Jane Vasco, a DEA agent who discovers that she has an amazing ability to heal rapidly from any injury. She is recruited by a secretive government agency that tracks down genetically enhanced individuals.
Partners: 2012 [0] Although they couldn't be more different, Louis and Joe are lifelong friends and partners in an architecture firm.
The Partridge Family [10] Suburban widow Shirley and her kids tour the country in a wildly painted bus performing music as a family. Their agent Reuben hates kids, so Danny gives him a bad time.
Passions [2] In the world of power and money, the wealthy and powerful Crane family rule the town of Harmony from their mansion on Raven Hill. But behind the money are many lies and secrets. Most of what the Cranes do affects the other core families: the working class Bennets, the Russells and the Lopez-Fitzgeralds. The wealthy Hotchkiss family cause's a lot of problems in Harmony. They are heavily involved with the much wealthier Crane family. And everyone must watch out for Tabitha Lenox, who is thought to be the crazy neighbor of the Bennets, but is actually a 300 year old with who plays god with everyones life.
Rich Man, Poor Man [1]
The Riches [1] The Riches centers around a traveling family of con artists. After completing a 2-year stint in prison, a married couple are now dealing with a drug addiction and begin to question their marginal lifestyle. Along with their three children, they assume the identities of a normal, higher-income bracket family.
Ringer [0] A young woman on the run from the mob poses as her wealthy twin sister to try and evade them, but soon discovers that her sister has a price on her head as well.
Ripper Street [1] A new drama set in the East End of London in 1889 during the aftermath of Jack The Ripper murders.
Riptide [3] Three vietnam veterans (Nick Ryder, Cody Allen and Murray Bozinsky) now work as private eyes in sunny southern California. Nick and Cody are the muscles and Murray is a computer wizard of the trio and together they solve even the hardest cases.
Rizzoli And Isles [15] Little girls are sugar and spice...and everything vice.
Roar [1] In the year 400 A.D., a young Irish man, Conor, sets out to rid his land of the invading Romans, but in order to accomplish it, he must unite the Celtic clans. Roar chronicles the extraordinary life of a reluctant 20-year-old orphaned Prince who is forced to rise above tragedy to lead his people to freedom. Conor's allies include his trusted advisor, Galen (a wise man who possesses the secrets of magic and power), Tully (a cocky teenage troublemaker), Catlin (a beautiful former slavegirl but now a fearful fighter) and Fergus (Conor's devoted protector). Their enemy is Longinus, appearingly a normal 30-year-old man but who is actually the 400-year-old Roman Centurion sorceror of the evil Queen Diana. In this fight for freedom, what's most important for Conor and his people is the Roar - the roar of the land, the roar of the people - a voice that echoes through every living creature and is the power of life.
Robin Hood (2006) [15] An updated series following the life of Robin Hood and his Merry Men in Sherwood Forest. Together they steal from the rich and give to the poor--all the while avoiding their enemies Sir Guy of Gisborne and the Sheriff of Nottingham
Robin Of Sherwood [10] Robin of Loxley is chosen by the mystical Herne the Hunter to become his 'son' and champion the oppressed. Gathering a band of comrades around him he fights a guerilla campaign against their Norman dictators, particularly the Sheriff of Nottingham and his deputy, Guy de Gisburne. Later he is succeeded by Robert of Huntingdon, renegade nobleman. This retelling of the legend introduces a strong fantasy element, with black magic and the old religion.
The Rockford Files [1] The cases of an easy going private investigator.
The Rocky And Bullwinkle Show [1] The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Rome [6] "Rome" is the saga of two ordinary Roman soldiers and their families. An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, it chronicles epic times that saw the fall of a republic and the creation of an empire. The series begins in 52 BC, as Gaius Julius Caesar has completed his masterful conquest of Gaul after eight years of war, and is preparing to return to Rome. He heads home with thousands of loyal battle-hardened men, huge amounts of loot in gold and slaves, and a populist agenda for radical social change. Terrified, the aristocracy threatens to prosecute Caesar for war crimes as soon as he sets foot in Rome. Caesar's old friend and mentor, Pompey Magnus, attempts to foment mutiny in order to maintain the balance of power. Two of Caesar's soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, thwart Pompey's plan and in the process, win the eternal gratitude of Caesar and the Julian clan, affording the two plebian officers an intimate view of the ruling class. The fates of Pullo and Vorenus become entwined with those of Caesar, Mark Antony, Cleopatra and the boy Octavian, a strange and awkward child who, by political guile and bloody force, will become the first emperor of Rome.
Roswell [8] Living among the citizens of the infamous New Mexico city of Roswell are four who are not there by choice. They are there to follow a destiny given to them by the members of their dying race, a race that they are someday destined to save. This is the background behind the WB series "Roswell". Max Evans, Isabel Evans, Michael Guerin and Tess Harding are teenage humans with extraordinary gifts - gifts that are "not-of-this-earth". They are human/alien hybrids, sent here as replacements for the royalty of an alien race. Their counterparts have already perished in a war of attrition, thus one day, the "royal four" will return to their home planet and save their race. Before a fateful day in 1999, the teens hid their gifts. The event that forever changed their lives was when Max healed Liz Parker (a classmate) after she was fatally shot in the stomach in a dispute between two customers at the restaurant where she waitresses. A close relationship then developed between Max and Liz. It was later mirrored by a relationship between Liz's best friend Maria Deluca and Michael. Central to the first season were the relationships between the hybrids and their human companions. That focus has shifted during the drama's second season. "Roswell" is now distinctly a science-fiction show built on the relationships between humans and aliens.
Route 66 (1960} [2] Two young adventurers in a Corvette explore early 60's social problems and changing mores, looking for the right place to settle down while seeking themselves.
Royal Pains [3] centers on a young E.R. doctor who, after being wrongly blamed for a patient's death, moves to the Hamptons and becomes the reluctant "doctor for hire" to the rich and famous. When the attractive administrator of the local hospital asks him to treat the town's less fortunate, he finds himself walking the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others.
S.W.A.T [1] An arrested drug kingpin is transported by a Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team led by Jackson's character out of the city and into federal custody. Plans go awry when the kingpin offers $100 million to anyone who can free him.
The SWAT Kats [186] Mechanics by day, the masked Swat Kats trio are a crack force defending Megakat City from criminal masterminds and monsters. Well-crafted, meticulously-animated children's science-fiction in faithful anime style, with well-rounded characters, ongoing storylines and rakes of humour.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch [16] When Sabrina Spellman is informed by her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, on her 16th birthday, that she is a witch, she is hesitant to believe them. Having been sent to live with them in Massachusetts by her warlock father and mortal mother, Sabrina learns the tricks of magic in order to receive her witch's license. Along the way, she gets into many scrapes while figuring out how certain spells work
The Saint [3] The Saint is a modern day Robin Hood of sorts. He steals from rich criminals (gangsters and the like) and keeps the loot for himself. And he usually manages to get the rich criminals put behind bars after he's stolen their goods. Of course, Chief Inspector Claude Eustace Teal regards him as a common thief, regardless of who he steals from, so the Saint must always stay one step ahead of the doggedly persistent Inspector Teal. Fortnately, his wit, charm, and savoir faire make this a fairly easy task, and the series chronicles his various exploits
Sanctuary [9] Stem cells, gene therapy, transplants, cloning; The very meaning of the word "humanity" changes daily in the modern world. But there is a darker side to the evolution of mankind, a truth only a few brave souls are willing to face: There are monsters loose in the world. And they are the key to the future of our race.
Sapphire And Steel [3] Sapphire and Steel was a unique blend of science-fiction and thriller. The series concerned two time detectives (played David McCallum and Joanna Lumley) who rectified time disturbances and their bizarre effects. The fact that they often used less-than-decent means to achieve their aims meant that the viewer never entirely trusted them.
The Sarah Jane Adventures [0] The Sarah Jane Adventures features the previous companion of the Third and Fourth incarnation of the Doctor from the original series of Doctor Who, Ms. Sarah Jane Smith! Elisabeth Sladen reprises her role once again and is back in action, discovering alien plots to take over the world, or simply helping a lost one get home... Sarah Jane and her new friend Maria Jackson, and her newly (and genetically grown) adopted son Luke Smith have no problem taking on any challenge!
Saturday Night Live [0] A late-night comedy show featuring several short skits, parodies of television commercials, a live guest band, and a pop-cultural guest host each week. Many of the SNL players have spun off successful independent comedy and/or movie careers from here.
Saved By The Bell [34] Saved By the Bell focused on Zack Morris and his friends: Samuel "Screech" Powers, Kelly Kapowski, Jessie Spano, A.C. Slater and Lisa Turtle. They had adventures and funny moments at Bayside High School in Palisades, California. They often tried to fool the gullible principal, Mr. Richard Belding, but also sometimes got advice from him. They regularly hung out at a burger joint called "The Max," which was owned in the first season by a magician named Max.
Saving Grace [1] A respected officer, Grace Hanadarko can't seem to run her personal life with the same sort of finesse she has in the field. Can a unlikely divine stranger influence her to get her life back on track?
Saving Hope [0] After a car crash on the way to his wedding, the Chief of Surgery, Charlie Harris, of Toronto's Hope Zion Hospital ends up in a coma.
Scandal [0] Olivia has left her role as White House Communications Director for the President to start her own crisis management firm. She is a professional 'fixer' who makes problems go away before anyone even knows they exist.
Scarecrow and Mrs King [3] Amanda King is a divorced woman with two children. One day, a man named Lee Stetson, who is a government agent code name, Scarecrow, was running from enemy agents. He then asked for Amanda's help. Now instead of it being a brief encounter, Amanda got into the thick of his mission, and when it was all over, Stetson's boss Billy Melrose made her a part of the agency.
Scorpion [2014] [0] An eccentric genius forms an international network of super-geniuses to act as the last line of defense against the complicated threats of the modern world.
Scoundrels [1] A crime family tries to go straight when the patriarch goes to prison.
Scream: The TV Series [0] What starts as a YouTube video going viral soon leads to problems for the teenagers of Lakewood and serves as the catalyst for a murder that opens up a window to the town's troubled past
Scrubs [9] Three interns learn the ins and outs of medicine at the mildly psychotic Sacred Heart hospital.
Seaquest [63] Captain Nathan Bridger is hauled out of retirement to command the new submarine SeaQuest, under the authority of the United Earth/Oceans Organization. His ship goes up against pirate forces commanded by Marilyn Stark, a former SeaQuest captain who tried to instigate a war.
The Secret Adventures Of Jules Verne [8] Starving French playwright Jules Verne never had a play remain open for longer than three days. One day, one of the doodles he made of a vehicle that can tunnel through the ground ends up being built by a shadowy organization that seeks to keep Europe under the heels of absolute monarchy. He links up with British secret agent Phineas Fogg, his cousin Rebecca, and his valet Passepartout to combat this organization and keep Europe in peace and scientific enlightenment.
Spongebob Squarepants [0] The misadventures of a fast-food restaurant working sponge who lives under the sea.
Sports Night [31] It's about sports. The same way Charlie's Angels was about law enforcement.
Spyder Games [1] Spyder Games was set in the town of Fort Kent and revolved around the wealthy Carlisle family's live, affairs, secrets, and business Spyder Games. Spyder Games was the family's video game company created by Boris Carlisle. Natalia, Boris' only daughter worked at the company and wanted to run it. Her brother, Ivan, also worked there. Dmitri, Boris' golden child, moved to LA and came back to the show for his brother wedding to Julie and stayed to solve his father's murder. The youngest Carlisle, Sasha, wanted nothing to do with the company. He wanted to become a rock star and the only one who supported him in that was Natalia, for a shocking reason we find out at the end of the show
Star Trek [746] Space...The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. Its 5-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before!"
Star Trek The Next Generation [94] Set decades after Captain James Tiberas Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers in a new Enterprise set off on their own mission to go where no one has gone before.
Star Trek Deep Space 9 [40] When the Cardassian occupation of Bajor ended in 2369, the mining space-station Terok Nor was left abandoned, its systems ripped out. By invitation of the provisional Bajoran government, Starfleet stepped in to oversee the rebuilding and day-to-day operations of the newly christened Deep Space Nine. Starfleet's position was a tentative one, many Bajorans suspicious and unwelcoming as a result of Cardassian oppression and brutality. However the alliance held and soon DS9 was a centre of travel and commerce thanks to a newly found stable wyrmhole, leading to the largely unexplored Gamma Quadrant. Then after two years, the Dominion - a hierarchy of three seperate species, the xenophobic Changelings, the diplomatic but shify Vorta and genetically-bred soldiers, the Jem'Hadar - made their presence known. Seeing these new travellers coming through the wyrmhole as a threat to their powerbase, they decided to bring their version of order to the alpha quadrant... by conquering it. So began the war. At first fought covertly, then in plain sight, the war would soon drag each of their major powers in as their governments struggled against paranoia and shifting loyalties, thanks to Changeling infiltrators. This war wasn't for territory or power, it was for freedom.
Star Trek Voyager [138]
The Federation starship USS Voyager, chasing a band of Maquis rebels, enters the dangerous space nebula known as the Badlands. Both ships are transported by a distant space probe to the Delta Quadrant, 75,000 light-years from Federation space. Voyager's crew and the Maquis form an uneasy truce to rescue crewmen of both ships, kidnapped by the probe's builder, the powerful, dying Caretaker. The Maquis ship is destroyed in a battle with the warlike Kazons. To prevent a Kazon aggression against a helpless world, Voyager destroys the space probe. Without the probe, it will take 75 years for Voyager to travel back to Federation space. With the differences between them rendered meaningless by time and distance, The Federation and Maquis crews unite aboard Voyager. Together, they embark on their new mission: to boldly go - home.
Star Trek Enterprise [157] Enterprise is the latest entry in the Star Trek saga and takes place during the mid-22nd century. Under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer, the crew of the first warp five starship (the NX-01 Enterprise) begin to explore the galaxy. As their mission progresses, the crew encounter familiar races like the Klingons and Andorians as well as some new ones. Starting in the first episode, the Enterprise crew discover their time has become a front in the mysterious Temporal Cold War. They sometimes find themselves up against the Suliban, an aggressive race that is apart of a faction of the war and given orders by an unknown being from the future. In the second season finale, things take a deadly turn when an alien race named the Xindi attack Earth. With the Xindi preparing another attack and humanity facing destruction, the Enterprise crew have only one option. The third season sees the crew searching the mysterious Delphic Expanse for the Xindi and trying to stop them before their next attack.
Star Wars - Clone Wars [2] The events and battles of the Old Republic's last major war is recounted.
Star-Crossed: 2014 [0] About an epic romance between a human girl and an alien boy when he and eight others of his kind are integrated into a suburban high school 10 years after they landed on Earth and were consigned to an internment camp.
Stargate SG-1 [908] A secret military team, SG-1, is formed to explore the recently discovered StarGates.
Stargate Atlantis [714] The discovery of an amazing city left behind by the Ancients in the most unlikely of places, leads a new Stargate team to the distant Pegasus galaxy. Once there, the new team encounters a planet of primitive humans being decimated by a terrible alien race - the Wraith.
Stargate Universe [2] The Previously unknown purpose of the "Ninth Cheveron" is revealed, and ends up taking a team to an Ancient ship "Destiny", a ship built millions of years ago by the Ancients, used to seed Distant galaxies with Stargates. This team, led by Dr. David Rush and Colonel Everet Young, are trapped on the ship, unable to change its programmed mission, and encounter new races, new technology and new enemies, as the runaway ship takes them to the far ends of the Universe.
Starhunter [1]
Starhunter follows the exploits of the crew of a retired liner refitted to serve a bounty-hunting crew. The owning company's name "Trans-Utopia Cruiseship Lines," was painted on her side but has faded, leaving some letters readable while obliterating others. The letters that remain have become her nickname, so she is casually known as Trans Utopian or as Tulip.
Starsky And Hutch [163] Set in the 1970s in a metropolis called "Bay City," this is the tale of two police detective partners, Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and Dave Starsky, who always seem to get the toughest cases from their boss, Captain Dobey, rely on omniscient street informer Huggy Bear (Dogg) and race to the scene of the crimes in their souped-up 1974 Ford Torino hot rod
Starsky And Hutch (Spanish) [2]
The State Within [8] Ambassador to Washington is the pinnacle of success in the Foreign Office and the position is offered to only the brightest and the best. But Ambassador Mark Brydon finds his skills tested to the limits when, following a major diplomatic incident, he is thrust into a web of tangled relationships and conflicting interests. In a world of high stakes, where manipulation of information means ultimate power, the question is: who can he trust?
Static Shock [5] Quick-witted Virgil Hawkins finds himself imbued with electromagnetic superpowers after being exposed to a mutanic gas and takes on the guise of Static, an urban hero of his own creation. He confronts real problems and issues faced by today's kids, such as peer pressure, gangs and growing up in an ethnically diverse urban neighborhood. Learning to control his powers, figuring out how to patrol the skies at night and still make it home in time to study for his chemistry class, Virgil's greatest discovery becomes the real "charge" he gets in helping people and making a positive difference in his community - Dakota City.
Step By Step [6] Frank Lambert is a construction worker and a single father of 3 kids: J.T., Alicia "Al" and Brendan. Carol Foster, a beautician, also has 3 children: Dana, Karen and Mark. After Frank and Carol run into each other on vacation and spontaneously get married, they and their children (who appeared to have known and hated each other) have to learn to live together and love each other. It's not easy, but they are trying to do this step by step . . .
Stingers [1] Stingers, a long running and popular Australian drama series, is inspired by the life of a real undercover operative, Stingers is about undercover cops: people with covert lives and constantly changing identities. It reveals the shadowy and ambiguous life of police who work behind enemy lines, always without a badge and frequently without protection. The show focused on the members of the undercover unit, their professional, and their personal lives.
Stingray [2] A district attorney is kidnapped by a criminal who then has a deranged doctor do something to him that leaves him with the mind of a child. His assistant seeks out a man who is only known by the car he drives, a Stingray. He helps people who have problems and in return, they owe him a favor that he will collect later.
The Strange Calls [0] Hot Fuzz meets Haven, Aussie-style: A lighthearted, supernatural cop show set in a fictional Australian seaside community called Coolum. A young constable arrives to take the night shift, answering calls from the residents who apparently have some special problems at night. His girlfriend dumps him; his office is a beat-up trailer; and his side-kick is an elderly gentleman who favors a Dungeons-and-Dragons style board game. "It can get pretty weird around here when the sun goes down."
Strange Luck [4] A photojournalist who, as a child, was the sole survivor of an airplane crash, finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. Saving other lives while risking his own, he has incredibly good,incredibly bad, incredibly Strange Luck .
Street Time [1] A dramatic series that focused on the lives of parole officers and the parolees who report to them. Kevin Hunter is a former smuggler, who is now on parole after being in prison for five years. Now that he has a new chance, Kevin will do his best to stay out of trouble, trying to reconcile with his wife Rachel. However, the sins from his past will come back to haunt him, and James Liberti, Kevin's parole officer, will do his best to save Kevin.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip [8] A behind-the-scenes look at a fictional sketch-comedy TV show
Sue Thomas FB Eye [2] Sue Thomas:F.B.Eye follows the adventures of Sue Thomas at the FBI in Washington, D.C. She's one hard-headed, soft-hearted woman whose talent for reading lips helps crack crimes and bag the bad guys in places listening devices can't penetrate. With her hearing-ear dog, Levi, Sue's a glutton for jeopardy - and there's (almost) nothing she won't do to bring notorious criminals to justice. This remarkable, edge-of-your-seat drama is an inspiring tribute to the ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity and achieve great things.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody [8] Half hour Disney Channel series. Featuring Zack and Cody Martin a set of twins living in a hotel,were their mom is cabaret singer.
Suits [8] On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City's best lawyers.
Superman: The Animated series [1] Set in present day Metropolis against the backdrop of a bright, urban landscape, the ageless superhero combats sinister villains and rescues innocent victims in exciting new stories based on universal themes encompassing the same time-honored tradition of the classic Superman legend.
Supernatural [739] Dean and Sam Winchester, two brothers who travel the country looking for their missing father and battling evil spirits along the way
The Surreal Life [1] A reality show about fading celebrities who were hot back in the day, and how they live their day to day lives in one Los Angeles mansion.
Survivor Exile Island [1] competitors survive in the wild dealing with the elements of a hostile environment for over a month while competing against one another in a variety of competitions for rewards and advantages in the game. Each week one contestant is voted out by other people in their "tribe" until one remains as the sole Survivor
Survivor Guatemala [1] Reality based game show on an island setting
Survivors - BBC - 2008 [1] Set in the present day, this BBC drama follows the survivors of a devastating virus which has killed most of the world's population.
Swingtown [11] This new period drama takes viewers back to the 1970s for a look at suburban households testing the murky waters of sexual revolution following swingers throughout open marriages, "key parties" and other swingers extravaganzas.
Switched At Birth [0] Tells the story of two teen girls who discover that they were accidentally switched at birth.
Taggart [0] The Maryhill CID investigates gruesome murders against the bleak backdrop of the city of Glasgow.
T.J. Hooker [2] The weekly adventures of tough-as-nails veteran police officer Sgt. T.J. Hooker, who rides the beat with his rookie partner Vince Romano
Take The High Road [1]
a soap opera set in the fictional village of Glendarroch
Taken [2] Prepare to be Taken... Taken is a sweeping sci-fi adventure that weaves together the story of three families over three generations and their crucial roles in the history of alien abductions. Set against the backdrop of actual history and UFO lore, Taken creates a powerfully emotional and evocative tale of mankind's encounters with extraterrestrials.
TaleSpin [12] Talespin is an Exciting, family-filed and Adventerous world of batting Air Pirates, receiving treasure, helping others and rescuing the Innocent from the dreaded yet charming, Don karnage. Baloo is a lovable single male bear who devotes his heart to the ones he loves, and others in other locations and events.
Taxi (1978) [1] The staff of a New York City taxicab company go about their job while they dream of greater things.
Teen Titans: 2003 [1] Robin leads a team of teenage superheroes.
Teen Wolf [2011] [18] A somewhat awkward teen is attacked by a werewolf and inherits the curse itself, as well as the enemies that come with it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [38] The adventures of a quartet of humanoid warrior turtles and their friends
TekWars [0] The plot is centered on Tek, an addictive, computerized mind-altering drug. The hero, Jake Cardigan is framed for dealing in the drug four years before the start of the story. Having been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, he is released early.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [12] Set after the events in 'Terminator 2' Sarah Connor and her son John, trying to stay under-the-radar from the government as they plot to destroy the computer network Skynet in hopes of preventing Armageddon.
Terra Nova [3] Centers on the Shannons, an ordinary family from 2149 when the planet is dying who are transported back 85 million years to prehistoric Earth where they join Terra Nova, a colony of humans with a second chance to build a civilization.
That 70's Show [37] Eric Forman is a typical high school student growing up in Wisconsin in 1976 with his family and his friends. Together, they have the same kind of joys and sorrows that just about every teenager has while growing up. This show parodied many of the attitudes, events and fads of the 70's, along with those who grew up at the time and are now in their 30's-40's
Thief Takers [0] The life and adventures of the members of The Armed Robbery Squad. Amid numerous security van robberies, bank robberies and gem heists with a lot of car chases, shouting and guns blazing, the squad members private lives are revealed in slices. From the uxorious D.I.Scott to womanizing D.S.Tate, and the sharp capable D.C.s Harris, Dryden, and Ash, every plot possibility is explored.
Third Rock From The Sun [2] A group of aliens have come to Earth to learn about its population, customs, etc. To avoid detection, they have taken on human form which gives them human emotions, physical needs etc. WITHOUT the understanding of what they mean or the inhibitions normally present in humans. Their leader takes the position of a college professor, their military expert as his sister, their intelligence expert, supposedly oldest of group takes form of his teenage son. The uninhibited reactions turn everyday events into unusual situations.
Third Watch [8] The exploits of a group of men and women who serve the City of New York as police officers, firemen, and paramedics in the fictional 55th Precinct.
ThirtySomething [2] Hope and Michael are a married couple in their thirties, living in Philadelphia, and struggling with everyday adult angst. Michael runs an ad agency with his friend Elliot, whose marriage to Nancy is beginning to show the cracks of age, as is the friendship between Hope and her best friend Ellyn. Michael's best friend, Gary, on the other hand, is trying to get on with his womanising life, and get over the mutually-destructive affair he had with Michael's cousin, Melissa. It all sounds like just another soap, but is given a unique atmosphere by the production team (the Bedford Falls company, also responsible for 'My So Called Life') whose intelligent scripts, believable characters and frequent dips into the slightly surreal world of the character's minds places the series as one of the highlights of the late 1980s
Threat Matrix [2] In a deep underground bunker called 'The Vault' located somewhere in Washington D. C. a group of CIA, FBI and NSA agents work together as part of the USA Homeland Security Force to keep the America safe from terrorists and other threats that the US President receives in a series of classified documents code titled the 'Threat Matrix'. The leader of this unit is Special Agent John Kilmer, a brilliant 42-year-old former FBI agent whom has White House authorization to call upon the technical skills, firepower and the specialist agents. Kilmer reports only to Colonel Roger Atkins, the gruff and shrewd operations liaison to the President. Kilmer is always conflicted by the presence of his ex-wife, Special Agent Frankie Ellroy-Kilmer, on his team. Frankie is a 35-year-old, ruthless and highly trained CIA interrogation expert and 'profiler' whose skills allow her to crack even the most hardened enemies. The rest of Kilmer's team make up of Mohammad 'Mo', a 34-year-old Egyptian-American former CIA operative stationed in the Middle East; Lia 'Lark' Larkin, a 36-year-old former FBI forensics specialist; Tim Vargus, a 28-year-old ex-DEA agent from Miami; Jelani, a 24-year-old African-American computer genius who intercepts phone, fax and radio signals from around the world and supports the team with the latest NSA technology, as well as the hearing-impaired, but equally intelligent Holly Brodeen, a young NSA computer tech expert who coordinates with Jelani.
Three Inches [0] rofessional daydreamer and underachiever, Walter Spackman is struck by lightning, and develops a unique “super” power — the ability to move any object using just his mind… but only a distance of three inches.
The Three Stooges Show [1] The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce[1] comedy punctuated by quickly-delivered one-liners, within outrageous storylines.
Three's Company [16] The misadventures of two women and one man living in one apartment and their neighbors.
Threshold [0] In the middle of the ocean, a cargo freighter makes a chilling discovery: an extraterrestrial craft has landed on earth. Enter Molly Anne Caffrey (Carla Gugino), recruited to await the planet's first contact, along with a carefully assembled team made up of a brilliant physicist with strong religious beliefs, a language and communications expert and a highly trained covert operative. Together they implement the long-gestating Operation: Threshold, charged with finding out the purpose of the landing and the fate of the ship's crew, and preparing for the worst-case scenario of an alien invasion.
Thundarr The Barbarian [13] A barbarian and his companions wander a devastated future Earth and fight evil where ever they find it.
Thunderbirds [3] In the 21st century, the Tracy family operate a unique private mechanized emergency response service.
Thundercats [7] Thundera is a world in crisis in a distant galaxy. The plant has become unstable and while collapse soon. The people of Thundera, known as Thundercats, flee the dying planet in their spaceship. During the flight their ship is damaged when they are attacked by evil mutants. The eldest aboard, Jaga, sacrifieces himself to ensure that the ship lands safely on Third Earth. The remaining Thundercats (Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra, WilyKat, WilyKit, Snarf and Lion-O with the use the magic of the Sword of Omens) form a headquarters at a place they name Cat's Lair. From there, they fight the evil mutants with the goal of saving themselves and restoring peace to Third Earth. Meanwhile, the mutants have found a powerful new leader, Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living. This will not be an easy fight.
The Tick [2] An invulnerable, somewhat dim, superhero protects The City from all manner of evil-doers.
Time Trax [0] Darian Lambert searches out criminals from the future hiding out in our time. He is armed with a credit card that houses a powerful computer which helps holographic image Darian search out threats to the present
The Time Tunnel [1] Scientists Tony Newman and Doug Phillips are the young heads of Project Tic-Toc, a multi-billion dollar government installation buried beneath the desert. They have invented a Time Tunnel, which will allow people to visit anywhere in time and space. While testing the tunnel for an impatient senator, Newman and Phillips became trapped in time, and each week coincidentally found themselves at the site of an important historical event, be it the Siege of Troy, the sinking of the Titanic or an assassination attempt on President Lincoln. Sometimes they traveled into the future, and battled alien invaders. Ann MacGregor, Gen. Kirk and Dr. Swain are the scientists trying to fix the malfunctioning Time Tunnel and bring Doug and Tony back to the present
Tin Man [5] DG finds herself trapped in a place called the O.Z. or the Outer Zone. There she searches for her parents and is joined in her travels by Glitch, a man who has had half of his brain taken away because of something he knew, Raw, a member of a species called the "viewers" who read emotions and heal, and Cain - a "Tin Man" (which was the name of the police force in the O.Z. before the witch, Azkadellia took over, taken from their sheriff's tin badges) who seeks revenge for the damage done to his heart.
Tokyo Ghost Trip [1] Setsu and Souwa are members of the Inui family, descended from itako. Their high school graduation is coming up, but the head of the Inui family suddenly runs away. Their older brother Kai, a priest who studied exorcism abroad, becomes their guardian, and Setsu and Souwa are forced to take over the family business of dealing with spirits
The Tomorrow People [1] They're teenagers blessed with the powers of teleportation, telekenesis, and telepathy. Together they protect Earth from alien threats, and work towards bringing mankind into its future, where communication with other worlds is the norm. But their gifts come with one limitation: They cannot kill, even to save themselves.
Viper [0]
Metro was under siege from a crime wave that was begun by "The Outfit," a crime group led in the pilot by a man known only as Mr. Townsend), and later led by Lane Cassidy. The Metro Police Department, or MetroPol, was unable to get a handle on the situation. This led to the creation of the Viper Project, a special top secret task force created by the federal government to fight the wave of violence sweeping Metro.
The Virginian [0] The Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Col. MacKenzie.
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea [45] Admiral Nelson takes a brand new atomic submarine through its paces. When the Van Allen radiation belt catches fire, the admiral must find a way to beat the heat or watch the world go up in smoke. So begin the adventures of the Nelson and his brave crew
Voyagers! [4] A member of a league of time travelers and a boy travel through time repairing errors in world history.
W.I.T.C.H. [1] Five teenage girls learn that they have been chosen to guard the walls between parallel universes. For this purpose, they have been given the powers of the elements.
Wagon Train [0] Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts and Rocky Mountains. The first treks were led by gruff, but good-at-heart Major Seth Adams, backed up by his competent frontier scout, Flint McCullough. After Adams and McCullough, the wagon train was led by the avuncular Christopher Hale along with new scouts Duke Shannon and Cooper Smith. Many stories featured the trustworthy assistant wagonmaster Bill Hawks, grizzled old cook Charlie Wooster and a young orphan, Barnaby West.
Waiting For God [2] Eccentric Tom Ballard moves to Bayview Retirement Vilage. He moves next door to a former reporter, Diane Trent, a fiesty old woman who complains about everything. Harvey Baines, the head of Bayview, constently finds himself in conflict with the two old folks. They want decent living standards, while Baines prefers everything that will save money.
Walk On Water [2] Eyal, an Israeli Mossad agent, is given the mission to track down and kill the very old Alfred Himmelman, an ex-Nazi officer, who might still be alive. Pretending to be a tourist guide, he befriends his grandson Axel, in Israel to visit his sister Pia. The two men set out on a tour of the country during which, Axel challenges Eyal's values
Walker: Texas Ranger [19] Cordell Walker is a contemporary Texas Ranger working out of the Dallas office who believed in dealing with criminals the old-fashioned way--by beating them up. Despite the rules that governed the way law-enforcement officers were supposed to act. Walker's approach closely resembled the "eye for an eye" school of crime fighting.
The Walking Dead: 2010 [7] Police officer Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.
Wanted: 2005 [28] An elite team of crime fighters from various federal and local law enforcement agencies track down the city's 100 most wanted fugitives.
Wanted Dead or Alive [2] A Civil War veteran with a sawed-off rifle as a holstered weapon makes a living as a bounty hunter in the Wild West of the 1870s.
The War At Home [1] Parents struggle to raise their teens
War Of The Worlds [3] At the end of the 1953 film "War of the World", earth is saved from alien invaders when they are apparently killed by common bacteria. However, what if the aliens weren't really dead? In "War of the Worlds" the aliens from the 1953 invasion are brought out of suspended animation when radiation kills the infecting bacteria. Now the aliens launch a genocidal war against an unsuspecting Earth, using their ability to take over human bodies to allow them to move freely. Dr. Harrison Blackwood teams up with microbiologist Suzanne McCullough, computer programmer Norton Drake, and army Lt. Colonel Paul Ironhorse to save the world from this alien menace. In the second season, Harrison and Suzanne are joined by mercenary John Kincaid, who help them fight in a post-apocalyptic urban wasteland against a second wave of invaders dedicated to the death of all life on earth.
Warehouse 13 [7] After saving the life of an international diplomat in Washington D.C., a pair of U.S Secret Service agents are whisked away to a covert location in South Dakota that houses supernatural objects that the U.S. Government has collected over the centuries. Their new assignment: retrieve some of the missing objects and investigate reports of new ones.
Wayward Pines [0] A Secret Service agent goes to Wayward Pines, Idaho, in search of two federal agents who have gone missing in the bucolic town. He soon learns that he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive.
Welcome Back Kotter [4] A compassionate teacher returns to his inner city high school of his youth to teach a new generation of trouble making kids.
West Wing [77] Inside the lives of staffers in the west wing of the White House.
What about Brian [1] a contemporary, heartwarming ensemble show about a group of supportive friends in various stages of romantic relationships and friendships living in Los Angeles.
What I Like About You [1] When their dad took a job in Japan, teenage livewire Holly Tyler and her straight-laced (twentysomething-year-old) sister, Valerie, move in together in New York City
Who Wants To Be A Superhero [3]
Eleven hopefuls create their own superhero alter ego in a competition judged by comic book maestro Stan Lee; the winner will be immortalized in a new comic book to be created by Stan Lee himself and released by Dark Horse Comics.
As with all reality based fiction posted to this site, the characters do NOT represent the real person, but rather the free-styling real persona portrayed on the television series
Who's The Boss? [3] A TV show about Tony Micelli, the housekeeper, Angela Bauer, the career-woman, their kids Samantha and Jonathon, and Mona, Angela's man-crazy mother.
| The X-Files |
Which French author wrote the novels 'The Counterfeiters' and 'The Immoralist'? | Tenerife weekly issue 99 by Tenerife Weekly - issuu
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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PUB QUIZ (Page 34) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Friday, The Day of Frig David Lloyd George 23 El Dorado The Black Death (Bubonic Plague) 6. Melbourne 7. Siam 8. Robert Burns 9. Heathcliff 10. Lilies 11. The ostrich
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Editorial
Hats off to the members of the public who apprehended a bag thief in Los Cristianos this week – News On The Rock page 4. How nice to hear about people standing up to criminals. However, was it a wise move? Possibly yes in Tenerife, however I can imagine the outcome being a little different elsewhere in the world. Police had to come and rescue the thief after he received a battering from witnesses and the bag was recovered.
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013 So, a survey by supermarket Morrisons has “revealed” that most of us are seriously unadventurous when it comes to creating meals, see page 27. Ok, hands up, I am guilty, but I cook the food that I like, ok so some of it is positively unexciting, but I like it. Like many of you, I don’t have the time to start faffing around and creating, unlike Marc Craig, who puts us all to shame with his creations. But at least I know that I am not alone, there’s thousands like me! EXCITED. Downton Abby is back, pages 28-29. This Sunday will see me
Continued from page 1
J
onay and Rebecca are a couple in limbo. They are currently suffering the kind of nightmare most of us don’t even want to dream of, and the resolution depends on a number of faceless officials in Madrid and Moscow. But maybe peoplepressure can help.
Jonay and Rebecca are married and live in Callao Salvaje. This Canarian couple have one over-riding wish – to be parents. They have suffered many disappointments, some extremely personal, and after years of setbacks decided to adopt. They looked at all the possibilities and opted for an international adoption. The process is a long and frustratingly slow one. “To get the first piece of paper from the regional government took six months”, Jonay explained. They were questioned and assessed as a couple, outsiders decided whether they would be fit parents or not, their home was visited, and fact Rebecca said their inspectors
probably ended up “knowing more about us than we know ourselves”. But they put up with all the probes and questions knowing that it was for a good reason. And finally,
last May, after two years of officialdom and waiting, they were told their future child had been potentially identified. They set off to meet their son-to-be. Travelling from Tenerife to Madrid, Madrid to Moscow and then flying up to Siberia took its toll, but at the end of the journey was the promise of a week in the company of a young boy, two and a half years old, who took to them almost immediately and them to him. Jonay explained that this is the time when you decide if this is the child for you “and we were ready to sign on the first day”. Leaving him behind to return to Tenerife was extremely difficult. “I cried at every airport, each time thinking I was leaving him further behind, until my husband asked me to stop as people would think he was hitting me” jokes Rebecca, but the emotion is tangible through the smiles. They returned, with difficulty, to their daily lives waiting for the call that would give them a date for the final court appearance in Russia when they could then bring their son, their Daniel home. It was approaching, and Jo-
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curled up on the sofa glued to my television. Anything else can just go to hell; I love this series not only that, filming has started for the new series of Mr Selfridge. It is what I call real television, not the usual reality rubbish we are plagued with. Mind you, I have a guilty secret… Am I the only one who watches the auditions for X Factor and prefers them to the Live Selection shows?
See you all next week.
Lorna Eade
the car people
competition Last week’s The Car People Competition was the last one for the time being. Thank you from all our winners to The Car People for helping make this such a success. The correct answer to the question; What make was the car driven by Vin Diesel in his role as Dominic Toretto in Fast & Furious 6? The answer is a Dodge Charger. Congratulations go to Kevin Hall who was the lucky
nay was buying their tickets to fly over at the end of September when the bombshell dropped. “In fact I phoned the agency to check some detail and they told me to wait and not buy our tickets.” There was a problem. Spain, it would appear, failed to renew the adoption agreement with Russia at the end of August and all adoption processes between the two countries have been stopped. They were going nowhere for now. Devastation, heartbreak, despair. But this couple don’t take problems lying down, and within days the pair had gone online and discovered
winner. We look forward to seeing him with his family at the Sunday Carvery at Vivo, where they will also be treated to a round of mini golf each.
there were about 500 couples throughout Spain in a similar situation. They don’t think the hiccup has anything to do with current bigger political gamesmanship. “Other countries did renew their agreements and adoptions are going ahead”, says Jonay, agreeing that it seems like Spain simply took its eye off the foreign adoption ball, with disastrous consequences for 500 families and children. So they joined the campaign and began a whirlwind round of interviews with local media as well as urging people to sign an on-line petition http://www.change.org/es/
peticiones/urge-la-firma-delconvenio-de-adopcion-entreespaña-y-rusia, as they hope that will bring extra pressure to bear when the two countries sit down to renegotiate the treaty on October 4th. They and the other couples don’t want special treatment; they just want to bring their children home. If you see the petition online, please do sign it and join the voices asking for help to make this happen. Daniel’s room is decorated; the toys are sitting there waiting to be played with. All that’s missing is their young owner. Help Jonay and Rebecca bring their son home.
Miss World Tenerife 2013 On Saturday September 14th, Photo: © GERARD ZENOU Virginia Victoria Álvarez Millón, aged just 18, from Guía de Isora, was chosen as Miss World Tenerife 2013 at a gala evening in her home town. The young chemistry student, who wants to be a researcher, will now go on represent the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the contest of Miss World Spain next year.
The new Miss World Tenerife was crowned by the outgoing representative, Constanza Márquez, after which the Mayor of Guía de Isora, Pedro Martin, presented Virginia with her winners sash. In addition to two parades on stage by the 26 candidates, one in swimsuit and another dressed in evening dress, the gala evening included musical performances by Dangelo and DKuba. The latter interpreted their known success ‘A lo loco’. The runners up were named as Miss Puerto de la Cruz, Diana Katy Moreno; Miss Taoro, Sharon Ortega; Miss La Palma, Fiamma Hernández; and Miss Costa Adeje, Tamara Adán.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
news On THe rOCK
The Guardia Civil has broken up a heroin smuggling ring based in the Canaries, the Netherlands and Conakry-Guinea. Arrests have been made of 29 individuals for organized crime activities. The arrested come from Spain (11), Guinea (16), and one each from Cameroon and Sierra Leona. Distribution networks have been uncovered in both Tenerife and La Palma. The police operation, named “Caballo Negro’ (Black Horse) and run in collaboration with Belgian police, started in October 2012 when La Palma Guardia Civil detected a notable increase in illegal heroin traffic to the island. Now, the smugglers are under arrest, the networks broken up, and police have seized some 1.610 grams of heroin, 1,800 of hash, informatic and communication material, more than 1.5m Euros in cash, and financial products and property. The whole operation has been organized by the European Police Cooperation Office, EUROPOL. Between May and august adeje initiated 49 denuncias against “aggressive touting” on the municipality’s streets in accordance with the new bylaw. The Ayuntamiento says that enforcement of the regulations has been increasingly and progressively successful, as local companies realized the council was serious in its determination to control the practice for “the peaceful enjoyment of Adeje’s tourists”. Some dozen or so officials have been patrolling the promenades and beach areas, and will continue to do so. Police say that although minor pickpocketing and street vending continues, as is inevitable to some degree in such an area, the summer has been “quite quiet”: they say that they will continue to monitor the areas to minimise the nuisance, particularly to avoid drinks sellers and masseurs in Adeje’s beaches, so as to ensure the area maintains its 5* image. Three teenagers between 14 and 16 have been arrested after a spate of robberies in Callao Salvaje. Adeje Guardia Civil say that the trio, a Spaniard, an Italian and a French youth, took advantage of people being off their guard to commit ten or so burglaries in several complexes including Callao Garden, Tropical Park and Sueño Azul. The youngsters rang doorbells and checked out the type of person who answered, asking for someone at random to explain why they’d called, and waited until their victims had gone out: those who had left their property vulnerable in any way were burgled. The thieves themselves were not careful enough, however, because they were eventually identified by security cameras. a street thief had to be rescued by Arona Policía Local after almost being lynched by angry passers-by in central Los Cristianos around 10am Sunday morning. The 20 year old had just made off with a handbag snatched off a woman’s shoulder when he was set upon by the public, and was in the middle of receiving quite a beating when police turned up. The handbag had been recovered and returned to the woman by that point, and the bruised and battered thief’s day got worse as police carted him off to the cells at the southern Comisaría to await an appearance at the Courts. Twelve people were slightly injured when a tourist bus carrying 50 passengers came off the road. The accident happened around 5am on Tuesday, on the approach road that leads to Reina Sofia airport in the south of Tenerife. The injured were treated at the scene by emergency services and transferred to the Special Care Center at El Mojon and the Hospiten private hospital.
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tenerife’s new president, Carlos alonso
unday 15th September was the final day for President Ricardo Melchior’s mandate at the head of the Tenerife Cabildo. Sr Melchior stood down on Monday after 14 years as president in favour of his hand-picked successor. Sr Melchior’s time in office has been productive for Tenerife, not least in terms of his janetanscombe.com avuncular image and multilingualism – he speaks English and German fluently. Recently he has hit the headlines for his support of the Tenerife train project, and his call for fellow CC member Paulino Rivero similarly to step aside as President of the Canarian Government. His successor, Carlos Alonso, is a younger switched-on family man, whose main interest is communication technology. In this, he’s seen as “next generation” to Ricardo Melchior, whose main focus for much of his presidency was renewable energy. Both men are generous with the press, and regularly make themselves available for questions or interviews. Unlike Melchior, however, Alonso is unlikely to be at the helm in Tenerife for over a decade: he is on record as saying he won’t end his career in the Canaries, and that he’ll be moving on, perhaps to the mainland or even the EU in a few years. Good luck to both men, one for an enjoyable retirement, and the other for a further successful step in what seems likely to be something of a stellar career over the next thirty years.
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From Beyond the Grave By Marc Craig
T
his article was written with the full cooperation and approval of Jordan’s mother, Karen Walchester. Special thanks to Janet Anscombe for allowing me to use her articles as reference and for passing my enquiries on to Karen. On 12th September 2010 the body of a young man was found at around 8am on Las Americas beach, it was determined fairly quickly that the deceased was around 30 years of age and British. Initial reports claimed he may have died as a result
of a fight, this assumption quickly changed to suspicions of “foul play”. Within a week the body was identified as Jordan Walchester, 24, from Stoke-on-Trent, Jordan was on holiday with 2 friends and had visited a hospital after feeling unwell but had released himself upon hearing an overnight stay would cost 2,000 Euros. The group were due to leave the island within 24 hours after they had decided to cut short their “disastrous holiday” by a week. Jordan had left their apartment for food and to check his bank balance and didn’t return. His body was found by
a passer-by who alerted the authorities. What followed for the grieving family was a yearlong battle with the authorities to be allowed access to documents concerning his death, including the police report and post mortem results the family had only been told that Jordan’s death had been ruled as death by drowning, however due to the presence of a wound to the back of his head, the family feared he may have been attacked as indeed the police originally suspected. This, the family believed was more than likely as in addition to the wound, his phone, a gold ring and a few hundred euros were never recovered. After an online campaign (Justice for Jord, with over 1,500 people joining up), and multiple letters to the British Ambassador to Spain in Madrid, they were finally sent copies
Changes To REF Concern Local Business
newsinthesun.com There are rumours in business circles that the talks between the Government of the Canary Islands and Madrid on the reform of the special Canarian Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF) are not going at all well. The President of the Government, Paulino Rivero , said recently that there were some points, especially related to procurement bonuses related to residents, the central executive did not accept .
In fact, there are indications that the proposals from Madrid are enough to bring tears to the eyes of the local politicos. The president of the Provincial Confederation of Employers
of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (CEOE- Tenerife), José Carlos Francisco, says the progress of the REF negotiations is a major concern to their members. The entrepreneurs are asking the Canarian Government for more transparency about the negotiations, as they are worried about possible changes to the tax regime, which they say is “fundamental “ to social cohesion and economic development of the Islands. As a first step , the CEOE and their counterparts from the province of La Palma, the CCE are seeking a meeting with the Minister of Economy, Finance and Security, Javier González Ortiz, to “make him understand that government and business must work together on this matter”.
of the documentation, which were translated and handed to a British coroner who arranged an inquest. The documents stated that Jordan did not drown, nor was he attacked, he died after sustaining a head injury due to falling on rocks. It would take another 2 months (February 2012) before the family received the toxicology report which was both drug and alcohol free, leaving them still mystified as to what actually happened a suggestion that he “banged his head on the rocks due to tiredness” seemed too vague and quite unlikely. It wasn’t until May this year that a British Coroners Court dismissed the Spanish police report and deemed the cause of death as “unascertained”. There was not enough evidence to clarify whether he was attacked, drowned or had just fallen. Jordan’s family had to resign themselves to the possibility that they would never know what truly happened that night in September 2010.
Out of the Blue So it was an unexpected visit to a medium that finally gave Karen, Jordan’s mother, some of the closure she had been hoping for, for so long. A young medium from Hull named Lucy, was visiting friends of Karen’s, a group of paranormal investigators called “Stoke on Trent Ghost Hunters” and the visiting medium said she needed to speak with her, as Jordan had been coming through with a message for them. When Karen and her husband met with the medium, they were very quickly convinced that this was the real thing, she said that Jordan was with his uncle Gary and an older man whose nickname was Gangang this
was Karen’s husband’s granddad. But it was the mention of a humble bar snack that really convinced them, Jordan had told Lucy he loved Twiglets, in Karen’s letter she told me; “what she said just blew me away. Jord loved twiglets, he ate mountains of them!” At this point Lucy began talking of what the message was that Jordan needed to give to them, he told Lucy that his death wasn’t natural and that he had been murdered, that it was over very quickly and that they shouldn’t take it any further as they had suffered enough. He also said that the man responsible couldn’t be brought to justice, as shortly after he committed this awful crime he was hit by a car and was killed himself. He also felt some sympathy for his killer, “but that was the type of young man he was, he wasn’t a fighter he was a gentleman, kind and considerate”, she said. Karen went on to say: “I had thought this all along and tried and tried to get to the bottom of what happened to my child, all the family didn’t want to believe it and kept saying he must have been ill.” Karen is convinced that the authorities knew this was the case and believes it was played down so as not to harm tourism. Karen also stressed to me that the medium didn’t take any money for this and that she often works with police on missing persons cases and that she is still trying to obtain more information such as the man’s name and what exactly happened So, whatever you believe about mediums, spirit messages and voices from beyond the grave at least this medium’s words gave a woman who has lost her child, a degree of comfort and closure. Thank you again Karen for allowing me to share this story.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Happy 5th Birthday Siam park
SIaM Park, the best theme park with water attractions in the world, is celebrating its 5th birthday.
Over three million visitors visited the park and numerous national and international awards mark Siam Park as the most spectacular and modern theme park in the world. The water kingdom has been recognized on several occasions, by experts from the leisure sector, as well as by the visitors themselves, who have evaluated and voted on Trip Advisor for Siam Park as the best water park in the world, resulting in the park being awarded with the Travellers Choice Award, beating other establishments with larger investments. Almost 5 years have passed since the princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn from Thailand visited Tenerife to inaugurate Siam Park, the innovative water kingdom which quickly evolved into the best free time activity in the South of Tenerife. This is proved by the numerous visitor comments from different countries, who write their opinions every day on various social networking sites as well as more than 80.000 fans who comment on the Siam Park page on Facebook. Exciting slides and magical attractions, together with mysterious areas surrounded by rich vegetation and the biggest artificial wave in the
world. All that after just 5 years. • Gánigo Award 2007 (CIT – Tenerife Tourist Board, south Tenerife area) • “Friends of Tourism and Civic Awareness 2008” Award (CIT – Tenerife Tourism Board, Santa Cruz de Tenerife) • The British Guild of Travel Writers Tourism Awards – Globe Award 2010 • Award Adeje Lustral Emprendedores Turísticos 2010 (Iluste Ayuntamiento de la Histórica Villa de Adeje) • Blue Award 2011 – Especial Award “Environmental Responsibility” (TUI)
world, make this park an unforgettable place which can be visited at any time of the year thanks to the mild climate of the Canary Islands. Since its opening in 2008, Siam Park has been recognised as the best water park and promotes Tenerife’s’ image as a holiday destination. Siam Park offers an extensive range of activities and novelties for the whole family, like the recently opened attractions Kinnaree and Sawasdee. Excellent installations, technical complexity, the ecological awareness and the different recognitions received over the past five years are key factors for its international position as one of the best
water parks in the world. Among the most important recognitions is the Award as The Best Waterpark in Europe won for two consecutive years (2012/2013), and for the most outstanding attractions such as The Dragon. Siam Park has also received the Blue Award, the Executive Board Award and the Globe Award 2010, amongst others. Furthermore, Siam Park has high standards regarding the environment, just like the Loro Parque and uses newly developed technologies for each detail. These philosophies as well as the strong environmental awareness represent the main factors for its leading position in the
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FOC69413_Tenerife_Weekly_Ad_W.C_16.09.13_HP_FV-3.indd 1
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janetanscombe.com
n the year 2011, the Canary Islands Government initiated the special plan to eradicate illegal holiday rentals in the Canary Islands. This plan is known as PLAN DE ACTUACION ESPECIAL DE INSPECCION DE CONTROL DE ESTABLECIMIENTOS TURISTICOS Y DIAGNOSTICO DE ALOJAMIENTOS SIN AUTORIZACION.
In accordance with the Government, the inspection department of the Tourist Board has initiated more than 7,000 inspections resulting in 959 fines. The Government also alleges that it has collected information regarding 1,452 units which might be illegal and could be exposed to potential fines. Finally as per information published in the media, the Government had issued fines for more than 2.3 million euros in 2011 alone. In years 2012 and 2013 the said plan has continued being implemented, more fines have been issued. A great many of these fines are currently being enforced by the tax department of the Canary Islands Government (Consejería de Hacienda), while some owners have already paid their fines. The current position is now as follows: • There are owners who received the letters with the proposed fines and have not paid the fines nor presented any appeals; they could be now exposed to losing their properties in public auction. • There are also a significant numbers of owners who have been fined but who never received the letters from the Government, therefore the fines have been published in the Canary Islands Official Gazette (BOC); the fines could now be enforced against their properties without their knowledge. • In 2011 TFL lawyers (José Escobedo & Santiago Saenz) were contacted by many owners in different tourist areas in the Canaries. Those owners have been fined in the amount of 18.000 Euros for illegal holiday rentals. This is when we started a legal battle to contest these fines. As part of TFL lawyers’ strategy
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Alotca Announcement
to defend clients rights, we created the association known as ALOTCA (Asociación de Afectados por la ley de Ordenación del Turismo de Canarias). We registered the association with the Government and convened 2 presentations to discuss the legal consequences of the said plan. We also invited Government representatives to explain the same to affected owners. More than 60 owners trusted their defence (appeals and class action) to ALOTCA lawyers and following an extremely complicated legal procedure which finalized with a resolution from “Presidencia del Gobierno de Canarias (reducing the fine to 13.800 Euros), these reduced fines ended up in a class action being dealt by the 4 Administrative Courts at Santa Cruz. At the 1st hearing, the judge asked the parties involved in this class action to come to an out of court solution. The Judge appointed TFL lawyers to lead these negotiations. This initiative was initially accepted by the Canary Islands Government and subsequently, (after consulting with the top representatives of the Government) rejected and therefore TFL lawyers requested in writing to re-start all legal procedures against these fines. Now our class action is starting with the 1st trials taking place in September. On 12 September 2013 TFL lawyers received a final resolution from Presidencia del Gobierno de Canarias signed by the top legal department of the Canary island Government which clearly states that all the inspections carried out on the internet are illegal and consequently null and void. The resolution is supported by a legal report issued by the Consejo Consultivo de Canarias, the main legal advisory department of the Canary Islands Government. The above resolution creates a precedent and has extremely important consequences for the following owners: 1. Owners who have been fined and are already included in our class action (as the Government has now admitted that the inspections carried out mainly on the
internet are illegal): the judges who are dealing with the Court cases will see that the legal arguments in our appeals have now been accepted by the Government. 2. Owners who have been fined but have presented no appeals: we are still on time to nullify these fines and even get their money back should the fine have already been paid. 3. Owners who have been fined but never received the letter from the Government and whose fines
have therefore been published in the Canary Islands Official Gazette (BOC). For all the above owners, it is important to note that they are now on time to nullify the fines by following the special procedure and class action designed by ALOTCA lawyers, provided that they have been fined by illegal inspection carried out on the internet by the Tourist Board Inspectors. Owners who have not presented a defence on time might be affected by embargoes placed against their
Children’s Sports Initiative
The sports department for the Arona Town Hall has developed a wide range of activities for sports initiation for boys and girls, for the 2013-14 academic year, pursuing the following objectives: • To encourage the participation of children in sports activities. • To promote sport as an instrument of education and transmission of values to children. • To promote the personal and physical development of children. • To contribute through sport to create healthy lifestyle habits and healthy use of leisure time
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within the child population. • To adapt sports to psychic and physical characteristics of these ages. Registration: Parents may register in the following ways: By telephoning the Arona Town Council, by calling the 010 or 922761600 from 8.am to 8pm hours, Monday to Friday and from 9am 2pm on Saturday. In person, by contacting the office of information for the complex sports Jesus Dominguez “grillo” de Los Cristianos, Avenida Chayofita, 12, Los Cristianos. All the sports activities will start in the first week of October, depending on its first day of activity. Sports aerobics, athletics, bas-
ketball, table tennis, football, skating and line hockey and volleyball the price is 60 Euros for the school year 2013-2014, which includes directed activity with sports equipment with monitor, accident insurance, complementary activities in friendly or official competitions, transport for follow-up activities and closing parties. For these activities there is the option to split the payment in two instalments, 50% at the start of the activity and the other 50% in the first half of February. The basic physical education activity and pre-sport price is 30 Euros for all the school year 20122013, except fight Canaria which is free. These activities include: with
sporting equipment, activity monitor, accident insurance and closing party. Participants ages: Sports aerobics, athletics, basketball, table tennis, football, skating and Hockey line and volleyball are provided for the following ages: 9 to 11 years (from 4th to 6th grade) and if remaining squares, beginning October 10 is wide squares up to 3º of primary. For Base physical education ages are: from 4 to 6 years (4 and 5 children and 1 primary school). Pre-sport activities for ages are: aged 6 to 8 (from 1 ° to 3 ° of primary). Phone: 010 (922 761 600 if calling from outside Arona)
properties and these could be sold in public auction if the illegal fines are not paid on time or nullified by means of this special procedure. Conclusion: It is not necessary to take this matter to European Courts as some legal sources are suggesting in a local newspaper, the solution to this problem is here in the Canary Islands, you just need to instruct lawyers to action the right legal procedure to nullify these fines.
More information: [email protected]
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
vivo.9964
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CrYptiC CroSSWord
1. Cleans spilt liquid and deals with leftovers (4,2) 4. Turns aside but affirms holding tee (6) 9. Grammatical term for certain item sounds deaf- in a tar tickle (8,7) 10. Performing duo? It’s where records are made (6) 11. Prevent rooster from making valve in pipe (8) 12. Henry Fielding hero is a Welsh singer (3,5) 14. Incidents such as inserting flue in two directions (6)
15. In the East, a ticket is stationary (6) 18. Big monkey is monarch twice? The second swapped for ring (4,4) 21. Society for readers to reserve cudgel (4,4) 22. Friend to have a go? It’s not worth considering! (6) 24. Rarely made one sinner bloom, Moon said (4,2,1,4,4) 25. Employ acronym simply in leap year (6) 26. Low moral state in the heart of winter (6)
1. We left Mae West with heart of Europe expert (7) 2. Snooped about? Sounds like arrogance! (5) 3. Lion’s adversary whether in tunic or not (7) 5. Observe characters that are long-winded (7) 6. Postponement offer for Spooner’s chain wreck (4,5) 7. It’s so legitimate to drum up custom! (7) 8. It comes between opponents and
between lovers, usually (6) 13. Jerks ties about they scoot across the water (3-6) 16. Thrash out counter (7) 17. Gaddafi or Sanders, for example: the Spanish (7) 18. Babe returns in kegs, eg leaving skewers (6) 19. Roman rules the sea from distant planet (7) 20. Uneasy over sun disturbance (7) 23. Restrict some slim Italians (5)
DOWN
Av Rafael Puig 7, Playa De Las Americas Arona ( In Front Of Hotel Tenerife Sol)
Answer to the CRYPTIC CROSSWORD is on page 2
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Luxury Marina They’d Like To For Garachico Take The Shirt
The Canarian ports authority has awarded the contract to construct and operate a multifunctional leisure and commercial centre in the new marina at Garachico to a local company, Panorama GIGA SL.
newsinthesun.com
Off Your Back
Several activists from the Tenerife group, Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH), stripped down to their underwear in a Santa Cruz branch of the Santander bank on Monday to protest against evictions.
The project has a budget of 3.4 million euros and is expected to generate annual fees of 60,000 euros and 52 jobs. The design is on three levels and takes into account bioclimatic criteria in order to minimize energy consumption and keep down the demand for air conditioning.
The new centre will house a laundry, supermarket, four restaurants, a local produce shop and will have space available for a bank. Outside space includes a plaza for public use, paddle courts and 103 parking spaces. The contract will cede the concession for a period of 30 years, once it is ratified by early next year. However
it may be some while before the luxury marina at Garrachico becomes a reality. The managing director of the ports authority, Juan Jose Martinezs, explained they are still seeking investment for other parts of the project and have yet to put the construction of the drydock and petrol station out to tender.
Tenerife Paedophile – Victims Asked To Come Forward
National Police have asked for potential victims of a paedophile operating in Tenerife to come forward, they believe his offences may go back to the early 1990’s.
The man, identified only by the initials JMGH, was arrested last July in El Fraile, Arona, for an alleged crime of possessing and distributing child pornography. He has had regular contact with minors for many years, working as a martial arts teacher and school bus driver in the south of Tenerife. The National Police said in a statement they have found clear evidence
that five children aged between 2 and 9 years have been victims of sexual abuse. According to investigators, the detainee did not threaten, but slowly won the confidence of victims over a period of time, promising rewards in exchange for sexual favours. He focused on children from problem families. The National Police have requested the assistance of the public to provide any information that may lead to the identification of possible further victims. The Tech Crime Group can be contacted on 922 849 572 or email [email protected]
Literally demonstrating that the banks would like the shirt off your back and chanting slogans such as; ‘Not one more eviction, Enough! No more homeless, No more houses without people!’ and displaying a banner with the slogan “When they take everything - all you have left is yourself”. The group was there to settle the 1,500 euro arrears of the Francisco Cardenas
Santos. Santos added that Adeje and Guía de Isora are areas where there is” more land available and so offer more opportunities.” Russian investment, said Santos, is also extending its tentacles towards the capital of the island, where there are several projects planned, but he would not give details. Local Councillor for Tourism, Hec-
family to stop them being evicted. The funds had been raised by the PAH together with the Candelaria People’s Solidarity group and the Facebook campaign “looking for a Robin Hood” (Se Busca a Robin Hood) under the cents for
a miracle, #centimosparaunmilagro campaign, which has collected more than 700 kilos of small denomination coins. The organisations have so far managed to cover the overdue mortgage payments of four Tenerife families facing eviction.
Six Tenerife Hotels Among Best 100 In World
janetanscombe.com Six hotels in Tenerife have been recognized by German tour operator TUI Holly as among the best 100 in the world.
Three are in Puerto de la Cruz, namely the 5* Botánico, and the 4* RIU Garoé and Tigaiga Las Aguilas, with the other three being in the south. These are all 5*: the Jardines de Nivaria and the Vincci Selección La Plantación del Sur on the Costa Adeje, and the Roca Nivaria Gran Hotel in Playa Paraiso. New Tenerife Cabildo
Cueva del Polvoski?
A group of Russian businessmen are set to invest millions of euros in a 250,000 square meter project for a “super luxury ” hotel complex located at Cueva del Polvo , between El Varadero and Alcala, in the southern municipality of Guia de Isora, according to the head of Tenerife Tourism, Miguel Angel
newsinthesun.com
tor Gomez, told reporters that both the local authority and the Island Cabildo have held several meetings with this group of businessmen to discuss the plan , however, he said, the plan is not yet approved and must follow through the usual feasibility and appropriateness procedures . The goal of the Tenerife Tourist Board is to continue with the current high growth rates of Russian tourists, which they hope will
president Carlos Alonso said that the awards recognize the work that hoteliers have made to offer the maximum quality and to make Tenerife tourism
newsinthesun.com
a competitive destination leader. TUI Holly has been awarding these prizes, based on the popularity of resorts among their clients, since 1994.
in turn bring investors. The forecast for this year suggests that the number of Russian tourists will exceed 180,000, a figure that has increased over 36 % compared to last year. Moreover, according to the latest data from the department of statistics, the average expenditure by a Russian tourist exceeds 168 euros a day, well above the British or Germans and of course, the national market. Russians have high purchasing power and a “will to spend” they often have extended stays in hotels of 4 or 5 stars.
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update news on Schengen Visa roaming in europe
aS Tenerife is such a multi-cultural Island, this week we discuss about the Schengen Visa which makes it easier for non-EU member to travel around whilst holidaying in EU Countries.
By Sylvia from Crystal Clear Solutions
The Schengen Visa has made travelling between its 25 member countries (22 European Union states and 3 non-EU members) much easier and less bureaucratic. Travelling on a Schengen Visa means that the visa holder can travel to any (or all) member countries using one single visa, thus avoiding the hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas for each country. This is particularly beneficial for persons who wish to visit several European countries on the same trip. The Schengen Visa is a “visitor visa”. It is issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain a visa before entering Europe. The purpose of the visit must be leisure, tourism, or business. Upon the issuance of the visa, the visa holder is allowed to enter all member countries and travel freely throughout the Schengen area. It is strongly recommended to plan your journey within the timeframe of the Schengen Visa as extensions can be very difficult to obtain, thus forcing you to leave to stay in compliance with the Schengen rules and regulations. A Schengen Visa allows the holder to travel freely within the Schengen countries for a maximum stay of up to 90 days in a 6 month period. The following 25 countries are Schengen Visa members: Austria, Belgium, Czech, Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Neth-
adeje
By Sylvia from Crystal Clear Solutions
BaCK in June this year Crystal Clear Solutions submitted an article to the Tenerife Weekly and added an update on the 31st of July on their FB Business Page (www.facebook.com/ CCSTenerife), regarding roaming in Europe, now MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) call for an end of these fees by 2015. erlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain; including The Canary Islands, Sweden, Switzerland. All Schengen countries are in Europe. However, it should not be confused with the EU (European Union). Schengen and European Union are two different agreements between European countries. A total of 25 countries, including all European Union countries (except Ireland and United Kingdom) and three non-EU members (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland) have signed the Schengen agreement. However, only 15 countries have implemented the common border control and visa provisions. Important: The Schengen Visa holders are not allowed to live permanently or work in Europe. Schengen Visa holders only have the right to travel as a temporary visitor to the member countries. If you have any questions about the Schengen Visa or wish to apply for one, please contact us: +34 922 085 124 to arrange an appointment. Crystal Clear Solutions…Making Things Crystal Clear!
Icod de los Vinos
La orotava
El Sauzal
C/ Grande 1, 38670, Adeje. Plaza Luis de León Huertas, Tel: 922 756 200 - 922 710 1, 38440, Icod de los Vinos. 120 - 922 710 420 Tel: 922 869 600 - Fax 922 869 643
arona
Plaza del Cristo, s/n, 38640 Arona. Tel: 922 725 100 y 922 725 125 - Fax: 922 725 478
Granadilla de abona
C/ San Francisco, 14, 38600, Granadilla de Abona Tel: 922 759 953 y 922 759 902 - Fax 922 759 965
Guía de Isora
Plaza General Franco, s/n, 38300, La Orotava. Tel: 922 324 444 - Fax 922 334 512
Puerto de la Cruz
C/ Santo Domingo, s/n, 38400, Puerto de la Cruz. Tel: 922 378 400 - Fax 922 375 253
El Rosario
C/ del Ayuntamiento, 4, 38680, Guía de Isora. Tel: 922 850 100 - Fax 922 850 354
Plaza del Ayuntamiento 1, 38290, El Rosario. Tel: 922 297 447 - Fax 922 548 280
Güímar
Ctra. de Los Abrigos 30, 38620, San Miguel de Abona. Tel: 922 700 000 y 922 700 001 - Fax 922 167 168
Plaza del Ayuntamiento, 4, 38500, Güímar. Tel: 922 526 100 y 922 526 101 - Fax 922 526 102
San Miguel de abona
C/ la Placeta 10, 38436, Santiago del Teide. Tel: 922 863 127 y 922 863 150 - Fax 922 863 212 C/ La Constitución 3, 38360, El Sauzal. Tel: 922 570 000 y 922 570 24 - Fax 922 570 973
El Tanque
Avda. Príncipes de España 24, 38435, El Tanque. Tel: 922 136 715 y 922 136 623 - Fax 922 136 766
Tegueste
Plaza de San Marcos 1, 38280, Tegueste. Tel: 922 541 799 y 922 541 851 - Fax 922 540 903
Vilaflor
C/ Doctor Pérez Cáceres 1, 38613, Vilaflor. Tel 922 709 002 - Fax 922 709 151
Roaming fees for making mobile phone calls, sending texts or downloading data while abroad must end by 2015, Parliament said in a vote last Thursday, in its reaction to the legislative telecoms package presented by the Commission last Wednesday. More and more people own a smartphone or a tablet which they often have to switch off when they travel abroad to avoid high roaming fees. Europe pioneered the global mobile industry in the early 1990’s, but today our industry can barely sell to a continent lacking in 4G and consumers miss out on the latest technological and device improvements,” said Jens Rohde (ALDE, DK), author of the resolution, adding: “We want to put an end to this fragmented market which is not fit for global competition.” Roaming free in the EU by 2015 - Large price differences between using your mobile phone at home and abroad, caused by “unbalanced profit margins on roaming” are one of the main reasons why a single telecoms market currently does not exist, MEPs say. In many cases, roaming accounts for about 10% of EU operators’ revenues, which means that industry and consumers pay double the price for roaming calls that operators have to pay in the wholesale market. The gap between
roaming and national tariffs should therefore be closed by 2015, MEPs say. Digital jobs and internet access - To make full use of the potential of the digital economy – currently growing at seven times the rate of the rest of the economy – MEPs propose a series of other measures to reduce barriers and improve access to internet. Education and access to finance could help fill the expected 700 000 to 1 million high-quality ICT job vacancies (Commission estimates, and make it easier for people who want to start their own businesses, MEPs say. The EU should also invest in fast internet broadband so that, in 2020, all EU households are connected with broadband connections delivering at least 100 megabits/second, MEPs say MEPs also call on the Commission and member states to open up more radio spectrums, which are now free since TV has gone digital, for mobile internet. Next steps - The European Council will discuss the digital agenda on its meeting on 24 and 25 October. The European Commission put forward a legislative package in the telecoms area last Wednesday Parliament and national governments will now examine this proposal.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Things to do in Tenerife – Tours
http://queeniesdailysnippets.wordpress.com
Free Guided walking tour around Santa Cruz old town that will take you through the following places: Iglesia de la Concepción/ Teatro Guimerá/ Plaza del Chicharro/ Plaza del Príncipe/ Iglesia de San Francisco/ Plaza de la Candelaria/ Plaza de España. Mondays and Wednesdays starting from the Plaza de la Concepción at 11.00h for more information contact: [email protected]
Until December 7th Visits the Historic and Artistic Heritage of the town and port of Garachico, in which you will discover the events that unfolded in what was Main Port of the Island during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Its cobbled streets, convents, churches, stately homes, its castle mingle with people who come from another era will make you go back in time and to experience first-hand the true history of this town and port. A place that has been through fire, storm surges, plague epidemics, floods and volcanic eruptions even believe it has much to tell. Information and registration Assoc Lunae Theatre Soc phone 616 809 937/670 989 749 or email [email protected] Garachico City Council Tel: 922 830 000 ext 258. Routes dates: October 12, November 10 and December 7. To March 2014 Dramatised Routes: “A place called Orotava” is a show that moves through the streets of the town telling its history there are three routes in Spanish, English and German which takes about an hour. The routes are on the last Thursday of each month in the afternoon, from November will be
fortnightly (Thursday or Friday. To take part register interest through the Tourist Office of La Orotava (tel: 922 323 041). The price per person for the route is 15 Euros . Clash of the Titans Tour Tenerife Tourist Board has started to develop a series of routes following scenes in major films that have used Tenerife as a location. The programme starts with Wrath of the Titans. From the link, www. webtenerife.co.uk/clash-of-thetitans you will be taken to a click
to read brochure, a Google map of the route and of course slideshow of the film. It encourages tourists to see the island through the eyes of Perseus and discover what Tenerife has to offer, with desert landscapes, subtropical forests, lava fields, beaches, and spectacular cliffs all co-existing side by side. The tour starts at the former capital La Laguna before heading to the hills and pine forests where some
scenes were shot. From there the action moves to the crater floor beneath Mount Teide and the seat of the gods. After leaving the crater, you head for where Perseus battled with the Calibos. The route ends on the west coast where sea scenes were filmed at Playa San Juan and beneath the cliffs of Los Gigantes. All Year - La Ruta del Gofio Visit one of the oldest “gofio” mills of the island and try the specialities of the
restaurants that participate on this initiative. Besides enjoying the good local cuisine, you may also visit the Plaza San Pedro mill and get to know how one of the most emblematic food of the Canary Islands is produced. www.granadilladeabona.org “Guide to the senses” La Orotava Information can be viewed in Spanish, English, French and German at ww.villadelaorotava.org/ pdf/guiasentido_orotava_idiomas_ red.pdf. The new guide is based on a colour code for each sensory experience Look, Touch, Smell, Listen, Taste. It is now easy to identify points of interest such as the restaurants in the town, streets where most of the shops are located as well as the historical centre as a place to visit monuments, gardens, squares and old houses. Visit The Ancient Walls Of Castillo San Cristobal – Plaza de España Santa Cruz. The remains of the old defensive city walls of San Cristobal castle have been preserved. The underground gallery has display boards and maps in several languages bringing the history of Santa Cruz to life and you can also see the Tiger canon that played such a big part in repelling the attempted invasion of Lord Nelson. The FREE attraction is open from 10 am to 8 pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Castles Route 1st Saturday of every month Experience history from the inside. This is a streamlined path, with actors and guides who will take you into the first major fortifications of the island and tour the castles of Santa Cruz bay, witness of some of the most important episodes in the history of the Canary Islands. Discover stories of pirates or the famous battle in which Admiral Nelson was ejected by the Spaniards. Information and reservations: 922 825 949 www. museosdetenerife.org
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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expats urged to tell friends and families to research thoroughly Before purchasing a place in Spain
new foreign office video offers top tips to help prospective buyers
B
RITISh expats who know someone planning to buy a place in the sun should tell their friends or family members back in UK to make sure they get free and helpful advice from the British Embassy staff who will be at a Place in the Sun Live at the national Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 27th to 29th September. Potential property buyers in Spain can also get lots of consumer-friendly information from a new Foreign Office video to be found on YouTube, on gov.uk and other websites that are packed with advice on how to do your homework before taking the plunge. Spain continues to be amongst the most popular choices for Britons buying homes overseas, despite the economic crisis and well-publicised property scandals. According to the Spanish College of Registrars*, over the past three years Britons have bought more than 12,000 properties in Spain, representing nearly one in five of all properties bought by foreigners. Most have bought properties
without experiencing any issues. But this is little comfort to the minority caught up in serious property problems who suffer the emotional distress and personal and financial effects. British Ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman, explains what the British Embassy has been doing: “Although we cannot take action on individual cases, we continue to engage with the Spanish authorities at all levels to encourage them to address property issues affecting British nationals.
“We have seen the devastating effect property problems can have and we want to help prospective buyers avoid the potential pitfalls. They can visit the Spain-specific property advice pages on gov.uk, watch the FCO’s new video on YouTube and talk to our staff at the ‘A Place in the Sun’ exhibition. “All three offer helpful tips that will help future buyers purchase safely so that they can enjoy all the wonderful things that living in Spain can offer.” Mr Paxman concludes: “One thing
range of advice on buying property and living in Spain, including: • Buying property in Spain: www. gov.uk/how-to-buy-property-inspain • Property advice video - ‘Living the Dream’: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=ZjBhE5PhE80 &feature=youtube_gdata_player • Living in Spain: www.gov.uk/living-in-spain
* Table below gives number of Britons buying in recent years. Source: Spanish College of Registrars annual statistics.
2006
1,986
Clean 9 detox programme
LaST week we talked about the clogging up of our colon and the related side effects. This week we will look at how our Clean 9 programme can help detox your colon.
Forever Living’s Clean 9 programme is based around our aloe vera drinking gel in conjuction with our protein shakes and the additional benefits of our natural bee pollen tablets. As the name suggests, the programme lasts for 9 days, and best results are achieved when combined with a small amount of daily exercise. Forever Living’s aloe vera drinking gel is 100% natural with no artificial additives, and as part of our Clean 9 programme, it is used as an effective detoxifying and purifying agent to colon health. Aloe vera cleanses the colon effectively without any harmful or unwanted effects. It contains a multitude of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that can help remove toxins from your body, and especially those that have built up in your intestines over a period of time. Aloe vera tones up the bowels and helps them to better absorb the nutrients
that just about everyone affected by property problems says is that they want to make sure other people don’t go through the same situation. People already living here can play an important role, by encouraging friends and family to do their research and get impartial legal advice before moving abroad.” Foreign Office staff will be on Stand B32 at ‘A Place in the Sun Live’. More information about the event can be found at www.aplaceinthesun.com The Foreign Office publishes a
found in the food you eat. Forever Living’s aloe vera drink is very gentle on the gastrointestinal tract and produces no unwanted side effects; in fact, it can help by boosting the immune system and aid in a revival of energy levels. With the help of our aloe vera drinking gel, you can restore your bodily hormones and enzymes, especially within the colon or intestines. Aloe vera is proven to be an agent that can enhance the metabolism in the body thus offering optimum health to the bowels. Don’t carry excess baggage with you - get rid of it by joining our Clean 9 programme and drinking our aloe vera gel!
Additional information about this programme and also about our many other quality products will be available at Bamboo Hair Salon in La Caleta on Wednesday 24 September from 7pm until 9pm where Beverley Vaness (salon owner) will be hosting an open evening with wine and nibbles!. The full range of Forever Living products will be on display for you to try. In order to avoid disappointment and to ensure that we are able to cater for everyone, we ask that you phone the salon on 922 702 546 to confirm your attendance. We look forward to seeing you then and to introducing you to the wonderful world of Forever Living.
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eVenTs On THe rOCK
II Campeonato de Pesca de Canarias 2013 – Canarian Fishing Championship in Las Galletas The second Campeonato de Pesca de Canarias will be held in Las Galletas on 11, 12 and 13 October. A range of activities will complement the various angling competitions, and there will be entertainment for children and live music in the evenings. Competitors need to register and pay the entry fee of 50 Euros before 25 September – the entry form can be downloaded at www.marinadelsur.es/images/stories/ inscripcion.pdf. For those who just want to watch, of course, it won’t cost a thing! as part of the celebrations for Santísimo Cristo de La Salud en arona 2013, Arona town hall has organised a children´s festival which will be held on Tuesday October 8th. Anyone who would like to take part needs to register now. Participants will need a Model 005. More information is available at Oficina de Atención Ciudadana de Arona (SAC), Phone: 010 (922 761 600 if calling from outside of the municipality)
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Live arico news
dog of the Week..... Bonnie the playful pup
BonnIE is a three month old little girl who was found running near the road in Tijoco. She is a terrier cross who won’t be a big dog. Can you be her forever home? The standard adoption fee of 140 Euros applies which covers all her vaccinations and sterilisation when she is old enough. She is waiting for you..... call Sue on 629 388 102 for more information.
Autumn Events For Your Calendar
DaTE ChanGE: The Tamaimo Campeonato de Tenerife will now take place on october 13th The Municipal Department of Fiestas in the Town Hall of Arona invites everyone to visit Fiestas Mayores en Honor al Santísimo Cristo de la Salud y Ntra. Señora Virgen del Rosario en Arona 2013. Celebrations start on September 28th until October the 8th. A full programme of events is available at: www.arona.org, but includes entertainment and parades.
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Next Saturday the 28th September from 8pm, we will be back on the Top Square, Golf del Sur for our three monthly fund raising spectacular. The event will also feature a fashion show of items from our shops, which can be bought at the event. There will be lots of entertainment from Johnny Cash, Aidy Evans, Vicky Denton, Robbie Dominic, and Caroline on the squeezebox, Alfie on the guitar and surprises along the way. The rule is, we have to better the fun each and every time. It’s a challenge. So, you never know what will happen next. Come and see..... Sunday the 6th October sees us back at Horse Riding Adventures, Aldea Blanca, for Katie´s BBQ number 2. Can it possibly be as good as the last one? Probably, because it coincides with a show jumping competition, which starts at 10am. Live Arico PAWS will be hosting a BBQ lunch at 1, and as the day coincides with the birthday of one of Katie´s sponsors, Sally from Tenerife Angels, there will be live entertainment from Sebastian and more. Come and enjoy the day. On Saturday the 19th
October we will be having a bit of a posh do. Get your best togs out for our black tie and posh frock fundraiser at Vivo, Playa de las Americas, from 7pm. Be entertained by the world class Bitter and Twisted, whilst you enjoy a two course meal with wine, beer and soft drinks at the table. Later, chill out on the terrace with Marc Craig and maybe some special guests. Tickets priced at just 25 Euros each (12.50 Euros for children), call Sue quickly on 629 388 102 as they are going fast already. We have also organised a bus from the Golf del Sur at just 5 Euros per person return, but obviously places are limited so call quick to ensure your seat. The dress code is of course optional, come as you please, but we thought we needed an excuse to dress up for a change, haha. In any event, don’t miss it; it will be a night to remember.
K9 20th anniversary Celebrations 110 SUPPoRTERS converged on El Rancho restaurant at Palm Mar on Saturday (14th September) for the 20th anniversary celebrations of K9 animal Refuge.
Entertainment was provided by Aidy Evans, John Ashford and Nigel Walker, and their range of singing styles ensured there was plenty of dancing going on, or foot tapping for those who preferred to remain seated. The main course of Chicken, Pork and Canarian Potatoes was preceded by a wonderful array of several starters, something for everyone. This was washed down with a plentiful supply of house wines (decent quality) soft drinks and water, the staff attentive in supplying further bottles as necessary. The pearl with white gold necklace, generously donated by Tenerife Pearl, was won by Pat from Callao Salvaje and was presented with her prize half way through the evening. Tickets for this prize had been selling for several weeks and a fantastic 600 Euros was achieved so many thanks to Tenerife Pearl and to all those who bought tickets. There were 20 items for the raffle and K9 are indebted to Showtime, Muscat, Studio 5 amongst others who donated some fantastic prizes and a brilliant 595 Euros was raised from the raffle. Thanks are also due to the various guests who brought donations of treats for the four legged, wet nosed brigade resident at the kennels. The Cook at El Rancho made a huge cake depicting the K9 20th Anniversary and the first cut was made by Elsie Clinton-Leslie, K9 President, who along
with a couple of friends were founder members of the organisation. An emotional Elsie thanked everyone for their attendance this evening and support for K9. Forthcoming events: 1. Sunday 17th november. Open Day at the K9 Kennels 2pm till 4pm. Various stalls and the opportunity to see the reasons why every euro donated is gratefully received. 2. Monday 18th november. Annual Sponsored Walk from Alcala to Playa San Juan & return, followed by an entertaining afternoon at Alcala Plaza from 2pm. 3. Saturday 30th november. Christmas Buffet Fundraiser at El Marquese, Puerto Santiago from 8pm. Tickets 20 Euros. Includes live entertainment. 4. Saturday 14th December. K9 Christmas Dinner with Bitter & Twisted at Vivo, Playa de las Americas from 7pm. Tickets at 25 Euros are now on sale and limited to 90 guests. Further info about events 1 and 4 from Hazel 667 638 468 or k9mikey@ gmail.com Events 2 and 4 from Christine at 669 613 675 or Mikey as above.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Canarian oil prospecting off eastern islands
Monday 2nd December . . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Thursday 5th December . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 6th December . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 7th December . . . . . * Christmas Special SOLD OUT Sunday 8th December . . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 9th December . . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Thursday 12th December . . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 13th December . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 14th December . . . . * Christmas Special SOLD OUT Sunday 15th December . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 16th December . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Tuesday 17th December . . . . . * 2nd Anniversary Special Thursday 19th December . . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 20th December . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 21st December . . . . * Christmas Special Sunday 22nd December . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 23rd December . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Tuesday 24th December . . . . * Christmas Eve Special Wednesday 25th December . .* Christmas Day (12pm or 7pm) Thursday 26th December . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 27th December . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 28th December . . . . . Saturday GALA Night Sunday 29th December . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 30th December . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Tuesday 31st December . . . . * New Years Eve Special
* Discount vouchers are not accepted for these dates
REGaRDLESS of whether Spain explores or drills for oil off the eastern Canaries, Morocco is going ahead with exploitation of the parallel oil fields in any case. The scale of the whole thing is shown in the graphic above, taken from the website of Scottish firm Cairn Energy, who will be carrying out the drilling. Given that the Moroccan oil fields border the Canarian ones, if a disaster happens, it won’t much matter whether Spain was actually responsible or not.
It will lend huge impetus to the development lobby in this country given that there seems no reason now not to exploit the Canarian fields and take the money. Chief executive of Cairn Energy, Simon Thompson, said that the Moroccan exploration will be taking place at a depth of between 500 and 2,000 metres, and will be in the areas of the oil field known as Foum Draa and Juby Maritime.
janetanscombe.com
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
The 5th John Lowe Classic Charity Golf Day took place at Amarilla Golf Course, on Saturday 14th September in support of Amate, breast cancer care in Tenerife.
29 teams of 4 took part in the event playing a Texas Scramble format with many of the teams decked out in pink in support of the charity. Taylors Bar had put up 1,000 Euros for a hole-in-one with 500 Euros going to any player to achieve the once in a lifetime feat and 500 Euros going to Amate. Support from local business was immense. Blacktower Financial Management sponsored the event and every tee was individually sponsored with many offering up refreshments to the players.
On the 1st tee Coast FM started proceedings off with a glass of bubbly for the lead team featuring darts legends John Lowe and Bob Anderson with Tony Hoylake and Amarilla Club Captain Simon Shovlar. During the game rumours started going around that a player had achieved the impossible and holed his tee shot on the Par 3 12th hole and it was soon confirmed that Troy Short from the Island Connections team had indeed scored an ace on the picturesque hole overlooking the San Miguel Marina. Upon completion of the round players and guests enjoyed a BBQ while the cards were marked in preparation for the prize giving. Fenix Golf sponsored the Ladies and Gents Longest Drive on the 13th tee which was won by Sally Anderson and Tony Banks. The Paul James Trophy for Nearest the Pin on the 5th was won by Tony Banks. Nearest the Pin on the 12th hole was Troy Smart with his Hole in One! Troy won a box of 12 balls
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John Lowe Classic Charity Golf Day
courtesy of Dinastia for the Nearest to the Pin. He also won the 500 Euros courtesy of Taylors Bar for the Hole in One and an Amarilla Golf shirt, signed by John Lowe. There was a further charity donation of 500 Euros to Amate by Taylors Bar for the Hole in One.
Team prizes were split into 2 divisions with the team from The Chipeque Pool Bar of Dell Boy, Liam O’Reilly, Alex McNeil and Shammy coming out on top in Division 2 with 56.8pts. The Winners of Division One and The John Lowe Classic 2013 were the team from The Hole
In The Wall featuring Fergal Flaherty, Conor Flaherty, Phil James and Tam Balantyne with 54.8pts. John Lowe then held an auction of donated prizes from various hotels, golf courses and excursions which raised a whopping 3,570 Euros followed by the draw for the
raffle. A total of 10,139 Euros was raised on the day, a remarkable feat and one that everyone taking part should be proud of! Sir old golfer Bill supplied all the photographic services for the day free of charge.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
SUDoKU Every Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically.
Enter numbers into the blank spaces so that each row, column and 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.
answers to the SUDoKU are on page 2.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Mainland Divorcing Couple Ordered News In To Split Home 50/50 Brief Spanish house prices fell 0.8% in the second quarter from a quarter earlier, official data has shown the smallest drop since the fourth quarter of 2010 and a sign the five-year property bust may be turning a corner. National housing prices have risen only once on a quarterly basis since the third quarter of 2007 after the sudden end of a decade-long property boom spun Spain’s economy into a deep recession from which it is only just starting to emerge. On an annual basis, housing prices fell 12%, the lowest drop since the end of 2011, the Statistics Institute said. Industry estimates suggest there are around a million unsold new homes in Spain, many of which are in the hands of banks struggling to raise capital levels. Lawmakers have passed amendments to beef up Spain’s first freedom of information law, intended to attack corruption and restore plummeting public trust in politics and government. A series of scandals has highlighted a lack of accountability in political parties and even the watchdogs charged with keeping them clean. Spain is the only European Union nation without a law which guarantees citizens a right to information on how public funds are spent. The bill is expected to pass both houses of parliament within the next few weeks. The original draft left out key institutions, including political parties, the royal family, lobbies, unions and employers’ associations, which were included in the amendments. Under the new law, all levels of government will have to provide clearer public records on which companies have government contracts. Opinion polls show political parties are the least trusted of any public institutions in Spain. The royal family’s image has also suffered as the king’s son-in-law is charged with embezzling six million euros in public funds. Spanish authorities have seized over 800 kilos of cocaine from a yacht in the Atlantic, smashing a ring that smuggled drugs from Latin America to Europe, the interior ministry said. Police arrested 16 people and seized the yacht as well as a catamaran, several vehicles, a gun and cash in the probe, the ministry said in a statement. Spanish authorities intercepted the yacht on September 2nd in international waters north of Portugal’s Azores islands and arrested its four crew members — two Estonians, a Serbian and a Spaniard — after finding more than 800 kilos of cocaine on board. Police arrested another 12 people in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia suspected of involvement in trafficking of the narcotics. Twenty bulls went missing from stables in Spain the night before a festival in which the town hunts one of the animals, authorities said. The animals went missing from their stables Saturday night, ahead of the Toro de la Vega festival in the town of Tordesillas, The Local.es reported. As part of the festival, hundreds of people take on one of the bulls with spears. If the animal makes it past the fighting zone limits and is standing, the bull is pardoned. Organizers of the fighting tradition said animal rights protesters may have freed the bulls as thousands of people in Madrid protested the festival before they went missing.
The economic crisis in Spain has had a further unintentional consequence of forcing couples who cannot afford divorces to remain together. A judge in Seville has ordered a divorcing couple to split their 2,700-square-foot apartment right down the middle.
The property belongs to the husband’s parents, but the judge ordered the man to bisect it to create two independent abodes, citing economic considerations and the well-being of the couple’s two daughters, ages 6 and 7, according to the written ruling released by the court this month. Josep Maria Torres, a family law expert at Roca & Junyent, a leading law firm in Barcelona, said that the ruling was highly unusual. “It is an extraordinary decision that could encourage other judges to seek similarly extreme solutions,” he said. “Spain’s economic crisis has changed everything.” The potential for awkward encounters between the couple in the stairwell presented “the lesser of two evils in view of the economic situation presented by both parties,” the judge wrote, referring to the couple’s complaint that the crisis had decimated their earnings. The couple were not available for comment. In her ruling, the judge reasoned that since the husband’s parents had not taken any action against their daughter-
in-law, it was evident that they did not want to evict her and her two daughters from the apartment. She said that the husband had his offices downstairs from the apartment and that the proximity would benefit his daughters. The ruling requires the husband to pay for the division, but doesn’t specify whether he must erect walls or can simply put tape across the floor, a pennypinching solution that some splitting couples have tried. However this family does not seem to be troubled with money worries, when the judge ordered the family to cut down on expenses, she noted that horse-riding and sailing lessons for the girls were unnecessary extravagances. The ruling noted that until now the
husband had insisted that his wife stay at home, but the financial crisis could now compel her to find a job. The ruling did not specify whether she should get rid of the maid.
Intelligent Guitar
A Spanish company has invented an intelligent guitar that can teach beginners to play and help skilled musicians practice, improvise, and even mix.
The company, Smart Spanish Guitar has christened the instrument the F Home Studio: a traditional guitar equipped with an electronic device, a palm screen, and intelligent software with genres ranging from pop to jazz to flamenco. ‘’Musicians can now experiment, record on multiple tracks, and mix in Wav format onto a computer through a USB connection’’, co-creator Paco Ortega told reporters of his revolutionary brainchild, which he created along with famous singer-guitarists and company partners, Alejandro Sanz and Jesus Bola.
The instrument took three years to invent, is hand-made by Spanish luthiers, and will market at an estimated 4,500 euros. ‘’It has an entire home studio in-
corporated, with multiple tracks and recording and reproduction functions. It’s something special’’, US guitarist Chuck Loeb commented after trying the F Home Studio. ‘’We wanted to develop a system that would put avant-garde technology at the service of the guitar, without losing its natural sound’’ said Ortega of his brainchild, which comes equipped with a ‘’live’’ mode for concerts. The prototype was presented in 2011 and the intelligent guitar hits the world market this year. This marvellous instrument, which has already been test-run by artists of the calibre of Pat Metheney and Paco de Lucia, can be seen on http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XFgs4hlBcEs.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Baby Killed on Conveyor Belt a FIVE-MonTh-oLD baby died on Wednesday night after a horrific accident on a baggage collection conveyor belt at a Spanish airport.
The boy’s family had just arrived at the Alicante-Elche Airport for their holidays in nearby Denia on Spain’s Costa Blanca when tragedy struck. Some reports suggest that the family was British, others that they were American and touring Europe. After leaving the plane from London Gatwick - shortly before midnight, they entered the terminal and arrived at the baggage collection area. Exact details of what happened next have not yet been revealed, but
sources at the airport say that the baby ‘suffered an accident on the belt.’ Paramedics rushed to save the child’s life, but it was too late. It is believed the accident happened on the special baggage belt area - which is reserved for the collection of larger suitcases, pushchairs and musical instruments. His parents, who are also believed to have another older child, are currently staying at the hotel where they were due to be holidaying. Red Cross volunteers are on hand for ‘psychological’ help. A Guardia Civil spokesman said it was investigating the incident, but said it was currently being listed as ‘an accident.’
Spanish town makes nYt front Cover R ESIDEnTS in the small town of alameda in southern Spain woke up to find themselves on the front page of The new york Times alongside US President Barack obama. The town of around 5,500 residents made the front cover of the prestigious US daily because of its innovative “lottery for jobs” scheme.
Almost every month for the last four years, Alameda has raffled off a number of municipal jobs to out-of-work locals. It’s a scheme designed to help a town particularly hard hit by the crisis, where unemployment is almost 50%. “All the men who were working in construction lost their jobs and now many of them aren’t entitled to government benefits,” town mayor about Juan Lorenzo Pinera told the BBC in 2010. In 2012, Alameda’s lottery provided work for 35 people in jobs ranging from being the lifeguard at the local pool to bricklaying to cleaning council buildings. The NYT interviewed some of those lucky winners including bus driver Antonio Conde who had just been given one month’s construction work .Before the draw, he was so convinced he wouldn’t
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win he chose not to attend: “I’ve never had any luck at that kind of thing before, so I didn’t bother,” he told the US paper. “But winning was really uplifting. It raises your spirits. It’s a good feeling to have work.” The mayor says he isn’t interested in being a celebrity: “Sharing the front page of the NYT with Obama isn’t one
of the goals of this town hall,” Pineda told local Malaga daily Diario Sur. But plenty of people in Alameda have been asking where they can get their hands on a paper copy of the story about their town. “We have only seen it on the internet, but now we don’t know where to buy a copy!” Pineda told Diario Sur.
www.tenerife-weekly.com ChILDREn who are given Paracetamol could be at risk of developing asthma, according to a study by researchers from the University of Da Caruna in northern Spain.
Parents of 10,371 children aged six and seven, and 10,372 children aged 13 and 14 were asked if their children had asthma and how severe it was. Parents were also asked how often they gave their children Paracetamol in the last year and how often when they were infants. Those in the younger age group who were given the medicine at least once a month were reportedly more than five times more times likely to have asthma while those given it just once a year were 70% more at risk. But although the research suggested an association between Paracetamol use and asthma symptoms, parents were advised not to automatically assume the drug causes asthma. One health expert said parents should not be overly concerned by the research as there is still no conclusive evidence the
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paracetamol Could increase Child asthma
drug is to blame. Paracetamol is the main ingredient of several brands of children’s liquid medicine sold in the UK, including Calpol, Medised, Disprol and Junior Parapaed. Parents are advised to give children Paracetamol in liquid form until the age of 12 when they can begin taking tablets. One doctor said children with asthma could simply become ill more frequently and are thus given Paracetamol more often by their parents. A spokesperson from the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK drugs watchdog, said it was carefully reviewing the data and would consider whether to take any action.
Costa Concordia Salvage operation Begins
T
hE Costa Concordia grounded near the port of Giglio in January 2012, killing 32 people, after its captain, Francesco Schettino, smashed it into coastal rock during a so-called “sail past”.
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he is now standing trial on charges of manslaughter and abandoning his ship.
Twenty months later the ship has finally been raised from the Mediterranean after a successful £500m salvage operation A series of giant pulleys hauled the cruise ship back to an upright position during a19-
hour operation, exposing a section of the white ship’s exterior stained by rust and algae after months under water. By 4am on Tuesday, the 950-foot-long, 114,000ton vessel had been pulled through 65 degrees to stand on a bed of over 1,000 concrete sacks and six huge underwater platforms.
Italy’s civil protection Chief Franco Gabrielli speaking at a press conference on Giglio, where he was applauded and cheered by residents, said: “The rotation has finished its course, we are at zero degrees, the ship is resting on the platforms.” Franco Porcellacchia, an engineer working on the salvage for ship owner Costa
Cruises, said: “It could not have gone better than this. It was a perfect operation.” 4,200 passengers and crew scrambled into lifeboats or plunged into the sea after the ship ran aground and came to rest impaled on its side on two underwater outcrops of granite. The operation started
on Monday morning, 6,000 tons of pressure was required to pull the ship free from the rock, which had penetrated 18ft into the hull. As it rose out of the water in the early hours of Tuesday, two large indentations could be seen on the side of the ship where it had been pinioned on the rocks. The ship was then slowly turned until 11 massive metal boxes welded to the exposed side of the ship, some the height of 11-storey buildings, splashed into the water. By midnight, salvage workers were able to switch off the pulleys and open valves in the boxes to allow water in at 1,000 cubic feet a minute, adding the necessary ballast to bring the ship down onto the platforms. When the ship is deemed stable, metal boxes will also be added to the formerly submerged side of the ship. Then, water will be pumped out of the boxes, floating the vessel so it can be towed next spring to a port, probably on the Italian mainland, for breaking up. Mr Porcellacchia said: “We have already looked at the side of the ship to see where the boxes will go and we will quantify the work to do. The starboard side looks pretty bad, as we expected.” Fears that a polluted slick of paint, residual fuel, small quantities of heavy metal and rotting food would emerge from the ship, proved unfounded, officials said on Tuesday. Sergio Girotto, the project manager for Italian salvage firm Micoperi, which has managed the salvage with US firm Titan Salvage, said: “Now we will see what support and adjustments the ship needs.
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Bamboo towels & Sheets ThEy are brand new to Tenerife; in fact, they are brand new to anywhere! you may not have heard of Bamboo towels or sheets before, but they are here and they are fabulous. Take an opportunity to discover the benefits of having bamboo bath towels. Picture yourself getting out of the bath or shower and wrapping yourself in pure heaven, in possibly the softest bath towel ever. Bamboo towels allow you to dry yourself off quickly due to their premium absorbent properties while also giving you the luxurious feeling of the softest fabric you have ever felt against your body. Imagine sleeping on pure heaven, now you can with the amazing Bamboo sheets that are now also available in a selection of different colours. Experience the ultimate in sleep comfort. Pure cotton can often feel a bit rough to the touch; not only will you find that the towels are exceptionally soft and absorbent, but you will also find that they are durable for everyday use. They are also perfect for people who want to maintain a hygienic environment, because they
are naturally odour resistant due to the fibres fast-drying characteristics. So say goodbye to that disgusting mildew smell you get from other towels from time to time, and bathe in serenity. Bamboo fabric is created from the bamboo pulp and is 100% biodegradable. It is also anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic; bamboo is naturally antibacterial and resists mould, mildew, fungi and dust mites. These properties remain intact, making it suitable for those with eczema, hyper-sensitive skin or hay fever caused by dust mite. Even better news is that bamboo fabric require less frequent washing, it needs no more than a 30ËšC wash and dries in half the time of cotton. Tumble dry low and remove from dryer as soon as it stops to avoid unnecessary creasing. The only place that actually stocks these delicious items is Antiquities Tenerife in Las Chafiras. The have stock in three different colours, soft brown, grey and aubergine. Pop in and see them and feel the difference for yourself.
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www.tenerife-weekly.com A 41-year-old British man has been arrested on Spain’s Costa del Sol on suspicion of assisting police killer Dale Cregan. Marvin Herbert was held on a European Arrest Warrant at a gym in Puerto Banus, near Marbella, by Spanish police.
He is now awaiting extradition proceedings from Madrid to the UK. Herbert, 41, who was born in Liverpool, is wanted on suspicion of conspiracy to assist Cregan in the murders of father and son David and Mark Short. Cregan, 30, killed Mark Short in a Manchester pub on May 25 last year, but failed to kill his father, who was in the toilet. On August 10, 2012, Cregan, with fellow killer Anthony Wilkinson, shot David Short outside his house in Clayton. After killing the father and son, Cregan went on the run. He was hunted by the police for 39 days before killing two unarmed officers on September 18 last year. The oneeyed killer lured them to a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester, with a hoax call. Within an hour he had gunned them down, and then threw a grenade at the dying offic-
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Brit Arrested In Spain For Aiding Police Killer
Most Dangerous Cyber Celebrity
Lily Collins has been named as the riskiest celebrity to look up online. The actress, whose films include The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Mirror, Mirror, replaced Harry Potter star Emma Watson, who previously held the title awarded by security company McAfee.
Online searches for her name along with the words “free app download” or “nude pictures” result in more links to “risky” websites than any other celebrity, according to the firm. Collins, the daughter of Phil Col-
lins, tops a string of figures whose names are most likely to link to a website that has tested positive for threats such as spyware and viruses. Second on the list is singer Avril Lavigne who is followed by actress Sandra Bullock. American actor Jon Hamm, who starred in Bridesmaids, was the only male celebrity in the top 10, according to the study. McAfee’s Raj Samani said: “We have got used to accessing the latest gossip and pictures of our favourite celebrities on demand. But we need to remember that cyber-criminals take advantage of the latest cultural trends, new movies and hit TV shows to target unsuspecting consumers seeking more information. “These criminals want to lure us to unsafe sites that can severely infect computers and devices and even steal personal data.” The top 10 “dangerous” celebrities this year are: 1. Lily Collins 2. Avril Lavigne 3. Sandra Bullock 4. Kathy Griffin 5. Zoe Saldana 6. Katy Perry 7. Britney Spears 8. Jon Hamm 9. Rita Ora 10. Adriana Lima
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ers. Greater Manchester Police paid tribute to WPCs Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, on the first anniversary of their deaths on Wednesday. Two other men have also been charged with helping Cregan. Samuel Willbye, 28, from Hannet Road, Manchester, and Jack Willbye, 57, from Chapel Street, Herne Bay, are accused of conspiring to assist an offender. Both were remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on September 25. Cregan was jailed for life at Preston Crown Court in June, and sentenced to a whole of life prison term. Earlier this month, he was moved to maximum-security Ashworth Hospital - where Moors Murderer Ian Brady is serving his sentence - from Strangeways jail in Manchester because of his behaviour. While in HMP Manchester, he was segregated from other prisoners for fear of reprisals. Reports suggest there is an underworld bounty of £20,000 on his remaining eye. In protest, Cregan is said to have started refusing food. He was put in the hospital wing at the jail before his transfer to Ashworth.
HillsboroughSecond Police Force Investigated
West Midlands Police are being investigated for possible criminal conduct after a police watchdog said there were “differences” in statements taken by football fans at the Hillsborough disaster. Investigations revealed that information given by some eyewitnesses were not the same as statements they made later to West Midlands Police force.
Senior IPCC investigators say there is evidence to suggest that “amendments or changes” were made to some witness statements. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) says it now wants to hear from thousands of fans who were at the stadium as part of its investigation into the aftermath of the disaster. The disaster, which killed 96 Liverpool fans in 1989, is now at the centre of the biggest inquiry into police wrongdoing in the UK. Chris Mahaffey, a senior investigator for the IPCC, said: “This is a criminal investigation and we are now investigating what processes were put in place to gather original evidence. We must assess whether there was any criminal conduct. Our analysis of the
large number of questionnaires is when you make comparisons against other documents which appear to come from the same person - there are differences.” The huge new IPCC investigation has already uncovered a mass of statements given by police officers on the day that were doctored by South Yorkshire Police. Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC, said the damning report by the Hillsborough Independent Panel had already raised “serious questions” over the work done by the West Midlands Police force. Calling on witnesses to come forward, she said: “It may be difficult for you to believe that after 24 years you can make a difference. But we need your help. And your help will make a difference.”
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Benefit fraud: no excuses for Stealing from the taxpayer a BEnEFIT fraudster who claimed his wife was really his sister, and another who said she needed the cash for satellite TV, are among the latest examples of strange excuses that Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) benefit fraud investigators have heard over the last year. Other odd stories told to DWP officers include a claimant who, using a fake ID, said her skin colour had changed after a road accident; a man who blamed his evil twin; and a woman who claimed she wasn’t in a relationship but just had a three-night stand resulting in three children over five years. These unlikely stories are revealed as the Government announces a new campaign to target benefit fraudsters - encouraging claimants to come clean about any changes to their circumstances and urging the public to report suspicions about possible fraudsters to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline. The campaign, starting this autumn, will remind claimants to report all changes in their circumstances at the time that they happen and before DWP investigators turn their attention to their claim. Examples of changes in circumstances include moving or buying property abroad, moving in with a partner or starting work. Members of the public living in Spain
can report suspected fraud anonymously via the Benefit Fraud Hotline on 900 554 440 or online at: www.dwp.gov.uk/ benefit-thieves-spain. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8am-4pm and all calls are free and confidential. Minister for Welfare Reform David Freud said: “Hardworking taxpayers lost an outrageous £1.2 billion in benefit fraud last year. “Our investigators are stepping up and taking advantage of the latest technology so fraudsters can be identified, traced and caught. “The minority of claimants attempting to siphon off benefit cash need to know our teams are cracking down on them. Bare-faced lies are frankly transparent in the face of the evidence.” Richard West, DWP Head of Fraud Investigations, said: “We are used to fraudsters telling tall tales to hide their crimes. “When faced with the evidence, most people hold their hands up and admit what they’ve done. But some people refuse to admit they have been caught
stealing. Some people will keep on trying to lie as a way out – even to the point of ridiculousness. They usually just end up digging them themselves deeper into a hole.” This summer DWP investigators were asked for the strangest excuses they have heard from benefit fraudsters. Here are some of the best: • A claimant in West Lothian tried to explain her reason for falsely claiming: “I needed the money to pay for TV in each of the five bedrooms, as the kids have ADHT, and I have to keep them in.” She failed to mention the children no longer lived with her. • A Glasgow claimant tried
t o explain excessive income: “ A n y
wages under £200 are mine but any over £200 must belong to someone else.” • A Bilston claimant questioned about a ‘living together’ fraud: “I don’t know why you’re interviewing me, I’m bisexual!” • In Liverpool a claimant insisted that she didn’t have a relationship with a man who stayed most nights of the week. When it was pointed out that they had 3 children together in a 5-year period, she said: “We’re all entitled to a one night stand aren’t we?” She was again reminded that there were three children. Her answer: “Well, a three-night stand then”. • A claimant from Worcester tried to say: “It’s not my partner, it’s my sister.” When the investigator held up their wedding certificate, he replied: “That was a drunken mistake.” • A man interviewed in Folkestone regarding a failure to declare his nightwatchman job said: “I only claim benefits during the day; what I do at night is my own business”. • Another claimant from Folkestone was interviewed regarding failing to declare her partner: “He doesn’t live here, he just comes every morning to collect his sandwiches and kiss me good morning before going to work”. • A woman when asked why her husband’s belongings were in a wardrobe in her Highgate bedroom, after
failing to mention a partner in her benefit claim, said: “It’s a spare wardrobe. I never look in a spare wardrobe”. She pleaded guilty in court and was given a community work order for 12 months. • A Gloucester jobseeker filled in his application form and said he didn’t have a partner living with him: His excuse: “It’s her property so she doesn’t live with me, I live with her.” • In an identity fraud trial, the alleged fraudster from London claimed she was a white female depicted in photos even though her skin colour was black and suggesting her face had changed shape following a car crash. • Said a claimant from Glasgow: “You have me confused with my evil twin brother. He lives in Pakistan and visits the UK regularly.” The man had two Pakistani passports, one in his own name and the other in the identity of his ‘twin’. Both passports listed all his own children. The excuse? “My brother has children born on the same dates with the same names.” • “I didn’t tell you about my private pension because it’s private.” • A North East DLA claimant asked why she claimed she was incapable of cleaning her own house when she was working as a full-time bus cleaner: “By the time I come in from work, I’m that knackered.” • And finally: “It’s Christmas so I should be able to keep the extra money.”
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anti-Smoking allen to receive Campaigner dies golden globe Honour
TERRy hall, the woman who featured in a graphic US antismoking campaign has died from cancer at the age of 53. She was described as “a public health hero” who helped as many as 100,000 americans to give up smoking by taking part in the Tips From Former Smokers campaign.
Ms Hall suffered oral and throat cancer caused by her cigarette smoking that began in high school, health officials said. By summer, the cancer had spread to her brain and she died in hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The former smoker, whose voice box was removed years ago, took a leading role in the campaign that showed how smoking-related cancer ravages the body. Her first advert showed her putting false teeth in, and then placing a wig on her scalp before covering a hole in her throat with a scarf. It was the campaign’s most popular spot by far, receiving more than 2.8 million views on YouTube. In another advert, she advised smokers to make a video of themselves reading a children’s book or singing a lullaby: “I wish I had,” her voice growled as she spoke using her artificial voice box. “The only voice my grandson’s ever heard is this one.” Dr Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which carried out the campaign this year and in 2012, said: “She was a public health hero. “She may well have saved more lives than most doctors do.”
PRInCE harry spent the night in a giant freezer in preparation for a charity polar trek. he joked it was a cold night’s sleep after staying inside for 20 hours to simulate the gruelling conditions he will face on the 208-mile South Pole trek this winter.
Emerging from the huge testing facility, in which temperatures dropped to as low as -55C (-67F) with wind-chill, the 29-year-old blew into his hands and rubbed them together to warm up as he chatted with his teammates over tea and biscuits. The cold chamber is based at Mira in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, where cars and military vehicles are put through their paces, it simulates blizzards, high winds, and sudden extreme temperature drops. When asked what the worst part had been Harry, patron of the Walking With The Wounded charity, said: “Going in.” The Prince is due to take part in a race with a team of injured
oRGanISERS of the Golden Globe awards have announced they will honour Woody allen with the 2014 Cecil B DeMille award for his contributions to filmmaking. a tribute to the 77-yearold will be included in the 71st annual Golden Globe ceremony on January 12.
freezing Conditions for Harry
British servicemen and women against US and Commonwealth groups. Alongside his four teammates - all of whom are amputees after
sustaining injuries in Afghanistan - Harry practised with the clothing he will wear on the expedition and learned how to avoid frost-nip and frost-bite in the in-
hospitable climate in Antarctica. The Virgin Money South Pole Allied Challenge will begin in late November and last around 15 days. The teams will trek be-
“There is no one more worthy,” said awards organiser Theo Kingma. Allen’s much-honoured films include Annie Hall, Hannah And Her Sisters and Midnight In Paris, which won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for its screenplay last year. His latest movie, Blue Jasmine, is his 49th and stars Cate Blanchett as a socialite whose life changes dramatically during the finan-
cial crisis. Allen made his debut as a Broadway playwright with the Cold War farce Don’t Drink The Water in 1966. He has won four Oscars for films including The Purple Rose Of Cairo and Crimes And Misdemeanours. Morgan Freeman and Martin Scorsese are among the previous recipients of the Cecil B DeMille Award. Jodie Foster won it last year.
tween nine miles and 12 miles each day. Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard, star of True Blood, will head the US team, while English actor Dominic West, star of hit series The Wire, will race alongside the Commonwealth team. Harry, who took part in the Walking With The Wounded trek to the North Pole in 2011 for five days, is patron of the Antarctica expedition. He missed out on an attempt to conquer Mount Everest with the group last year because of his military commitments, and he withdrew early from the successful North Pole expedition to attend his brother’s wedding. Maj Philp, from Knightwick in Worcestershire, said Harry was a “good extra pair of hands” dur-
ing the training exercise. The 35-year-old Royal Artillery officer said having the prince with the team was “great”. “He’s experienced at this, having spent some time at the North Pole also,” she said. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s got his military training, and it’s very, very easy, so he’s a good extra pair of hands.” Asked if Harry mucks in with the team, she said: “Oh God, absolutely. We wouldn’t let it be any other way and he wouldn’t want it to be any other way. It’s great having Harry along, and hopefully he appreciates it too. It’s a chance not just for him to experience all the practical stuff that we’ve just done as well, but for us to get together as a team and start to get to know each other better.”
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www.tenerife-weekly.com Police chiefs have given their backing to privately-run drunk tanks where drunken revellers are kept overnight and made to pay for their stay. Chief Constable Adrian Lee, the national policing lead on alcohol harm, said drunken individuals should be held in “welfare centres” run by a commercial company.
Mr Lee, head of Northamptonshire Police, said: “The cost of policing for arresting and taking positive action for people who are drunk and disorderly and bringing them into custody cells is significant and not necessarily the best place for people who are drunk to be. We would ar-
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rest them, they would go to a welfare centre and when they were sober the police would return to deal with the criminality of their behaviour and there might well be a bill to pay. “I think the impact of that would be a deterrent effect on people who choose to go out and get so drunk that they’re incapable of looking after themselves.” He said the number of extra officers his own force used to police town centres on Friday and Saturday nights had increased from five to as many as 18 in the last 10 years because of binge drinking. At the launch of a weeklong campaign aimed at highlighting alcohol harm, Mr Lee also criticised the Government for failing to implement minimum pricing for a unit of
Drunk Tanks Get Police Backing
alcohol in England and Wales. Sir Peter Fahy, vice president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), said binge-drinking was putting a massive strain on police and health services: “Cheap drink and later opening hours only adds to the problem,” he said. The drunk tank idea came as it emerged that bouncers in pubs and clubs across the UK are to be trained to protect people who are too drunk to look after themselves. The Home Office has instructed the Security Industry Authority to teach all 100,000 licensed door-staff how to prevent “vulnerable” people from coming to harm. Bouncers, who must be trained by the SIA to work in licensed premises, will be given a checklist of actions. These include reuniting people with friends, helping them get a taxi home and, as a last resort, calling the police. Acting Superintendent Bruce Storey, from Northumbria Police, said the new training for bouncers had helped reduce crime in Newcastle since being introduced earlier in the year: “If people have had too much to drink, quite clearly their inhibitions go, their ability to be aware of their surroundings tends to be diminished and the consequences of that are obvious.”
The Drunk Tank Around The World US
The phrase drunk tank originates in the US, where various facilities operate in towns and cities across the country. In Santa Barbara, California, the city council pays a private company to run the Santa Barbara Sobriety Center, where police take drunks as an alternative to jail. Officers can take intoxicated individuals there if they determine that they have not committed any other offence and will not put up resistance. Those lucky enough to end up there are likely to get a warm blanket and counselling from staff before leaving hours later without a stain on their character. But in neighbouring Isla Vista, anyone suspected of public intoxication is immediately arrested and locked up at Santa Barbara County Jail until they sober up. Inmates are generally sent to the tank - designed to be easily hosed down - because they are too drunk to complete the booking process.
Australia
The New South Wales Government has been trialling “sobering up centres” in Sydney, with drunks at risk of being locked up in two locations in the city. A mandatory police-run facility in the city’s Central Business District has sparse cells measuring approximately 8ft x 8ft, while another non-mandatory centre in Coogee is run by a non-government agency. The police-run approach sees people judged to be drunk and disorderly locked up and ordered to pay a
charge for their time in the cells. The non-government centre requires drinkers to agree to their stay, with no charge or fine attached. But the plan has met with opposition from politicians and campaigners who said it was a dangerous, retrograde step. Similar centres already operate in Victoria, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum, who have been charged with drug trafficking in Peru could return to the UK to serve their sentences if they plead guilty, prosecutors have confirmed.
qualify for a lighter sentence, which could be served in their home country: “The British citizens agree to the position of the Public Ministry, if they continue with their strategy
they can go to trial. “However, they are able to qualify for an early termination, which means they probably could get a sentence of six to eight years maxi-
Poland
Poland opened the first of its drunk tanks - called Izba Wytrzezwien - to clear unseemly intoxicated people from the streets in 1982. The system survived the fall of communism - and became a hazard for stag do revellers as Western tourism increased. Civil rights organisations have complained that locking people up for 24 hours - sometimes strapped to a bed before charging an £80 release fee, is a gross violation of human rights. The practice of stripping inmates and hosing them down with cold water in an effort to sober them up was banned in 1996 after a visit from European antitorture authorities. But the greatest threat to the Polish drunk tank is government cuts. Austerity measures have seen the number of centres fall from 64 in 1994 to just 34 as councils struggle for funds, with hospitals forced to absorb the problem in many cases. The main hospital in the central town of Kielce saw an increase in drunk admissions from a dozen per month when it had a drunk tank to 160 after the facility shut down.
Peru Pair Could Serve Prison Term In UK
The women, both aged 20, were stopped with cocaine worth £1.5m hidden in food packets in their luggage while trying to board a flight to Spain in August. Reid, from Glasgow, and McCollum, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, both claim they were forced to carry the 11kg (24lb) of drugs by an armed gang which threatened them and their family members. Peruvian counter narcotics prosecutor Luis Mendoza has suggested the pair could plead guilty and
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mum. It’s very possible that they may complete their sentence in the United Kingdom. There is an agreement in our country that those convicted can choose an early ter-
mination procedure, assuming their guilt and paying civil damages and agreeing to the judgement, meaning there is no kind of appeal.” Reid’s family have said she is prepared to plead guilty to drug smuggling charges to “play the game” and avoid a longer sentence. Her father, Billy Reid, told ITV that she is negotiating a plea in the hope she will be sentenced to less than seven years in jail, which would allow her to be transferred to the UK to serve her time. Her mother, Debbie Reid, said she speaks to her daughter every second day over the phone for 10 minutes: “We still believe she was coerced into it, but obviously now we realise she needs to plead guilty, just to get her home basically,” she said. Mr Reid said the plan is to work with the Foreign Office and other agencies to fast-track his daughter’s return to the UK. Reid and McCollum are being held in the notorious Virgen de Fatima prison in the Peruvian capital Lima. They have reportedly told the Peruvian authorities they were working in Ibiza and did not meet before they were both kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to travel to Majorca.
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the man Who Broke actors’ Last Supper ali’s Jaw dies
BRITISh actors have recreated Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper for a photograph for the national Portrait Gallery. The photograph is inspired by Leonardo’s original 15th-century work which shows the moment Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him.
KEn norton, who famously defeated Muhammad ali in 1973, has died at the age of 70. The former heavyweight champion had been in poor health for the last few years after suffering a series of strokes, according to a friend. his son announced he had died on Wednesday at a care facility.
Gene Kilroy, who was Ali’s former business manager, said he was sure Norton was “in heaven now with all the great fighters”. Norton broke Ali’s jaw during their first fight, beating him by a split decision in 1973 in a non-title bout in San Diego. Six months later they fought again, with Ali narrowly winning on another split decision. They met for a third time on September 28, 1976, at Yankee Stadium and Ali narrowly won again to keep his heavyweight title. Norton fought 50 times during his career, winning 42 matches and losing seven. He held the WBC Heavy-
Emergencies
weight Title in 1977 after he was awarded it when Leon Spinks chose to refight Ali in-
All services 112 National Police 091 Local police 092 Ambulance 061 Fire Brigade 080 Guardia Civil 062 Citizen information 010 Lost property 092 Postal services 902 197 197 International operator 11825 Local operator 11818 Tourist information 922 605 590
stead of then top contender Norton, but he lost it to Larry Holmes the following year.
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Among the names who posed for the photograph is Robert Powell, who played the title role in the TV miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. Julie Walters, Sir Michael Gambon and Steven Berkoff are also included. Photographer Alistair Morrison said: “My first two choices were Robert Powell who had to be Jesus … and Julie Walters, who was asked to play Mary Magdalene. Their enthusiasm and influence helped to bring together this outstanding group of actors.” Prints of the photograph, called Actors’ Last Supper, will be sold at the central London gallery’s new prints sales section. Prices will range from £12,375 for a limited edition work to £2.99 for a postcard. Portraits of Kate Moss, Bob Dylan and David Bowie will
also be on offer. The National Gallery is to put 10% of the proceeds into
its portrait fund, which pays for new work to be added to the collection.
www.tenerife-weekly.com Budget airline Ryanair has been voted as having the worst customer service out of Britain’s 100 leading brands. A league table compiled by consumer champion Which? saw energy giant Npower and phone provider Talk Talk jointly take second-last place.
All were given a customer satisfaction rating and judged out of five stars in three categories – knowledge, staff attitude and dealing with issues. Ryanair was rated lowest, at 54%, and given two stars in each category. Npower and Talk Talk’s customer satisfaction levels were 5% higher than Ryanair, and apart from Npower’s three-star rating for knowledgeable staff, all other categories were rated two-star. Cosmetics firm Lush came top with five stars for all three categories, and a customer rating of 88%, just ahead of shopping chain Lakeland. John Lewis, First Direct, RAC, Waitrose and Amazon followed. The best supermarket was Waitrose, beating Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer and Asda. Richard Dilks, Which? policy adviser, said: ‘Outstanding service can leave you feeling positive, valued and likely to want to repeat the experience. Terrible customer service can leave you feeling stressed, frustrated, angry and, in many cases, never wanting that experience again.’ Many brands that fail to impress
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Ryanair – Worst Customer Service
are guilty of the top-ten customer service irritations compiled by Which?, including automated telephone systems, staff trying to sell you products you do not want, being passed around and annoying ‘hold’ music. Long queues, rude staff, standard responses to problems and staff lacking knowledge of their products or services were also featured. Eight out of ten of the 3,331 people polled said friendly, helpful, knowledgeable staff and a quick resolution of problems are influential when deciding which companies to use, with 86% claiming they would leave a brand that treated them poorly. Four in ten would be happy to pay more for a brand that delivered better customer service. The no frills airline brushed off the Which? rating. A spokesman said: ‘In August, we had less than one complaint per 1,000 passengers and 99% of them were answered within seven days. ‘Our customer service statistics speak for themselves.’
Record Breaking Grand Theft Auto V
Take-Two Interactive, distributor of Grand Theft Auto V, has reported that the game grossed a record-breaking £496m ($800m) in just 24 hours, almost three times the £170m ($274m) budget used to create and promote the game from Edinburgh-based developer Rockstar North.
It beats the record for single-day game sales, which was set last November by Call
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Of Duty: Black Ops II, which made £310m ($500m). The company’s chief executive, Strauss Zelnick, said: “Once again, the team at Rockstar Games have outdone themselves, setting the entertainment industries new standard for creativity, innovation and excellence.” The game has not yet been launched in some major markets, including Japan and Brazil. Mr Zelnick added: “Beginning at midnight on Monday, consumers around the world gathered in anticipation to be among the first to experience the evolution of this remarkable series. “In North America alone, more than 8,300 stores opened their doors at midnight to welcome fans.” The game has received widespread critical acclaim. Games website IGN called it a “masterpiece”, and one of the greatest video games ever made, and Edge magazine called it a “remarkable achievement” that sent a message to the rest of the industry - “Beat that”.
A report into eating habits by supermarket Morrison has revealed that many of us are stuck in a ‘repeat meal rut’
Never mind the numerous cookery programmes on TV, the research shows that half of us eat the same meal at least twice a week; we eat an average of just five dishes on rotation and are scared to experiment. The Italian dish spaghetti Bolognese is the most popular meal, followed by a roast dinner, and sausage and mash. A staggering 55% of us are stuck in the past; eating the same meals we did ten years ago. One in three Brits (31%) spend just 20 minutes or less a day preparing their meals. Half (49%) describe their cooking skills as ‘average’ or ‘below average’, and 18% say this is the reason they stick to what they know. Almost half (46%) blame their limited cooking on a lack
Are You Stuck In A Repeat Meal Rut?
of time, the study of 1,000 people found. One in four is ‘unlikely’ to cook a new dish, preferring to stick to traditional British meals like roasts, bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie. This is because we find them easier to prepare (50%), and know they taste good (44%). However, a third of diners (29%) say they do try a new recipe once every three months in a bid to broaden their eating habits.
THE UK’S FAVOURITE REPEAT MEALS
1. Spaghetti Bolognese (59%) 2. Roast beef/lamb/chicken (47%) 3. Bangers and mash (45%) 4. Shepherd’s pie (40%) 5. Chicken stir fry (39%) 6. Casserole (37.5%) 7. Chilli Con Carne (37) 8. Lasagne (34%) 9. Steak and chips (29%) 10. Pie and veg (27%) Neil Nugent, from Morrisons, said: ‘We’re often creatures of habit and it’s understandable many of us stick to what we know, particularly as working hours and family commitments increase.’
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doWnton aBBeY – a For just one dinner, Heathcote made 90 mini-jellies because she knew they’d melt during filming. If the Crawley’s have lamb chops, she cooks 80, ‘because the actors have to eat them or at least push them around the plate, and the meat starts to look a bit sad.’ Continuity is vital. What is prepared in kitchen scenes must match ex-
T
hE sumptuous meals the Crawley family dine on in style at Downton abbey, are all thanks to food economist Lisa heathcote, she uses period books such as Mrs Beeton’s Book of household Management as inspiration for the menus.
A house like Downton would also have had its own cook book with recipes passed down through generations of cooks. Mrs Patmore and her staff in the kitchen produce a lot of classic French cuisine for the family, says Heathcote, though the ingredients would have been home-grown, meat from their own farm and vegetables from the walled garden.
Food is presented just as it would have been in the period, so poultry arrives at the table with its feet still attached, while a simple pudding of fruit, biscuits and cream looks like an edible masterpiece. ‘They had a finickety way of presenting things to show off their culinary skills – and it’s fun,’ says Heathcote, ‘like painting with food.’ She also prepares the dishes we see on screen but, as delicious as they look, you might not want to eat some of her creations, given the tweaks to ensure they last through long hours of filming. A cake might have a polystyrene base; what looks like whipped cream is likely to be a sturdier pudding mix, while some dishes are so heavily glazed they are ‘solid as a rock!’ Vast quantities of food are required to refresh plates for repeated takes.
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A Feast For The Eyes actly with what appears on the table upstairs, though the scenes may be filmed weeks apart, because the kitchen scenes are filmed at Ealing studios and the dining scenes at Highclere. ‘On screen we see a dish in the kitchens, and then seconds later above stairs. But we don’t film it until three or four weeks later, so I’ve got to recreate the same dishes, and make sure they look exactly the same,’ says Heathcote. The food itself has to be served in manageable portions. Joints of meat
are avoided in case several takes of the scene are needed. ‘Once you start carving, you create problems,’ says food economist Lisa Heathcote. ‘You have to think about how many times you’re going to be slicing them up.´ As for the dining room scenes, some actors, she says, like to tuck in, ‘but they have to remember that once they start eating they’ve got to keep doing it on each take.’ So she always puts ‘something inoffensive like watercress or cucumber on the plate so they can push it around a bit’ and look
as though they’re eating. Meanwhile, below stairs, the staff eat simply. ‘They tend to get a lot of bread and cheese, and stew and porridge,’ says Heathcote. The cast admit to nibbling on the dishes that pass through the kitchen on their way to the Earl’s table. ‘But you always regret it!’ says Sophie McShera, who plays Daisy: ‘You start to wonder, “How many people have touched that?”’ When it comes to dining etiquette, historical adviser Alastair Bruce is most particular about table manners. The
effect has been lasting on Michelle Dockery, who plays Mary. She says, ‘We’re always reminded of how we must present ourselves, how we should move and how we must eat at the dinner table – and it definitely influences you in your daily life. When Laura Carmichael (Edith) and I were out for dinner one night I remember someone commenting that we were sitting with our hands off the table, as we had been taught to do on Downton.’ Downton’s dinner parties would make the most practised host fret. ‘If you are doing a dinner party scene,’ Jim Carter, who plays Mr Carson, explains, ‘you have to reset the levels of the glasses, the food on the plates, the candles, in every shot for continuity. It’s relentless.’ In the new series, there’s a controversial new addition to the Downton kitchen – an electric mixer. One from
the right vintage was sourced from America on eBay, sent to prop makers who restored it, it was rewired by an electrician – to make it safe and to make it work. Mrs Patmore hates it. It’s her young and ‘modern’ assistant Daisy who insists the kitchen needs one. ‘Mrs Patmore loathes the mixer, which scares her, but Daisy doesn’t,’ says Sophie McShera, who plays Daisy. ‘She makes soufflés with it, She’s happily embracing the modern technology.’ What the older woman fears is not just the machine but that aids like it will reduce the need for staff. ‘The introduction of electronic devices scares her because she doesn’t know where it will end,’ says Lesley Nicol, who plays Mrs Patmore. ‘Time will later confirm her fears.’
Behind The Scenes At Downton is out now, published by HarperCollins
HOT NEWS IN 1922
• At the turn of 1922 Charlie Chaplin had just returned from America after seven years in which he’d become a millionaire. Massive crowds were at Waterloo Station to meet him, and 40 police had to help him make his way to the Ritz hotel. Meanwhile, Queen Mary was having an 8ft high dolls’ house built, designed by Sir Edward Lutyens to have hot and cold running water. The coming year was to be another tumultuous one in London... • Composer Richard Strauss complained his room at the Savoy was too hot. When a window was opened and thick yellow fog rolled in, he said brightly, ‘I have represented fog musically.’ • The Duke of Leinster won a £3000 bet when he drove his RollsRoyce from London to Aberdeen in 14½ hours, accompanied by a huge wolfhound. Morgan Jones, MP for Caerphilly, asked if the duke would be prosecuted for speeding. • To accusations that the Grand National was too brutal, the Earl Of Derby spoke out, saying ‘I consider the suggestion it is a cruel race a ridiculous one. I hope the fences will in no way be altered.’ • The Dean of St Paul’s, Dr Inge, preached a gloomy Easter Sunday sermon. ‘The war has not improved the moral tone of our people,’ he declared. ‘We are threatened with an outburst of licentiousness.’ • Northern Ireland adviser Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson was shot dead on his doorstep. He was in full uniform, having returned home from unveiling a war memorial and eye witnesses said he had drawn his sword against his attackers.
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united airlines free tickets Blunder
United airlines has confirmed it will honour tickets it accidentally gave away for free.
The decision is good news for people who snapped up the tickets after United accidentally listed airfares at $0. Several customers got tickets for $5 or $10, paying only the cost of a security fee. Airlines have posted so-called “mistake fares” before and generally decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not to honour the ticket. United has not revealed how many free tickets it accidentally gave away, or how much the mistake cost. The $0 fares were available on the airline’s website for a few hours last Thursday. United eventually stopped taking bookings on the site until the problem was fixed.
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frog photobombs naSa Launch
a FRoG was caught mid-flight by a camera taking pictures of the launch of nasa’s LaDEE spacecraft. The camera on a sound trigger captured the flying amphibian silhouetted against the smoke and flames of the spacecraft taking off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
“The photo team confirms the frog is real and was captured in a single frame by one of the remote cameras used to photograph the launch,” Nasa said on its Instagram page. The unlucky creature, possibly living in local wildlife refuge which consists mainly of salt marsh and woodlands, strayed into a “high-volume water deluge pool” thinking it was a giant pond. The pool prevents fires and cuts noise as a rocket takes off. Nasa said that the fate of the frog after its giant leap was “uncertain” The rocket launch pad is within the 3,000 acres of Wallops Island, much of which is the wildlife refuge. “Nasa’s launch facilities, roads, and facilities take up a small percentage of the area,” the space agency
said. “The rest of the area remains undeveloped and provides excellent habitat for wildlife. During launches, short term disturbance occurs in the immediate vicinity of the launch pads, but the disturbance is short-
lived allowing space launches and a wildlife habitat to coexist.” The unmanned LADEE mission, or Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, will measure the thin lunar atmosphere from orbit.
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entertainment
By Marc Craig
Trekkers R2 Annoyed!!
Trekkers the name given to the most loyal of Star Trek fans are fuming at the discovery of yet another trespass of rival franchise, Star Wars, beloved Astromech Droid R2D2, in the latest instalment of ‘Trek!!!
Eagle eyed geeks had spotted C3P0’s stumpy little pal in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek, directed by J.J Abrams a full 4 years before he was given the reins to the biggest space saga of all time,(for those of you who been living in space, he’s directing the new instalment of Star Wars). R2 had been craftily snuck into a space battle scene by cheeky spe-
cial effects people and now in the sequel, Star Trek-Into Darkness the little fella´s back, in a scene where he’s sucked into space along with space debris, 17 minutes in. I’ve seen both clips and he’s clearly there when it is slowed down, magnified, frozen and pointed to by the cursor god knows who originally spotted it you need to get out more and, you know, meet girls!! The latest Star Trek movies aren’t the first movies, TV series and even posters in which hidden things have been placed in the hope a keen eyed fan will spot it: 1: R2 also pops up in “Close Encounters” as part of the rear of the mothership he and his golden BFF, C3P0, also pop up in “Raiders of the
Spin off City! Lost Ark” as hieroglyphics on a tomb wall. 2: When the “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull” was in production every effort was made to keep the plot details secret, but in this poster on display over a year before the movie was released, if you look closely between the skull eye socket, an alien figure can be seen! 3: Pixar are experts at inserting characters from their other movies often ones that are not yet made like Nemo popping up 2 years early in “Monsters Inc.” Mr Incredible shows up in “Finding Nemo” and Dug the dog from “Up” chases Remy the rat in “Ratatouille”! 4: “Apocalypto”, Mel Gibson’s Mayan epic has a scene (only in the theatrical cut, it was removed on the DVD) in which the camera pans over a mass grave with literally hundreds of bodies, one frame reveals someone lying atop the corpses dressed as Waldo! 5: Anyone who’s ever seen “ET, The Extraterrestrial” will remember the little girl dressed as Yoda for Halloween. Apparently George Lucas promised Steven Spielberg that he would return the favour by including ET in Star Wars episode 1. Sure enough, years later in a scene at the Galactic Senate you can clearly see 3 ET’s (known in the SW universe as Grebleips-try reading it backwards). 6: I can find no proof at all of this but according to a lot of Star Wars reference books (and I’ve read a lot) in the forests of Endor scene in “Return of the Jedi” a matte painter has painted Winnie the Pooh into one of the trees!!
Pain & Gain
Showing daily at 19:00 hr - 129 min Comedy/Crime/Drama Rated 15 Starring Mark Wahlberg - Daniel Lugo Dwayne Johnson - Paul Doyle Based on the true story of Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) a Miami bodybuilder who wants Information Correct at time of going to press, however to live the American dream. He would like film may change during the week. Check our Facebook to have the money that other people have. page or contact the cinema for further information. So he enlists the help of fellow bodybuilder Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and exconvict, Christian bodybuilder Paul Doyle.
Tel: 922 713 858
All good things must come to an end unless it’s the world of popular TV and Film ´cos then all good things get their own spinoff!!
With the critically acclaimed AMC series “Breaking Bad” drawing to a close, the cable channel has announced that fans of Walter White and the world created around him, will be getting a chance to see one of the show’s most popular supporting characters, criminal lawyer Saul Goodman in his own prequel/ spin-off. “Better Call Saul” will focus on the characters early career before he became Walter White’s lawyer. This announcement comes only a couple of weeks after it was announced that “Supernatural “, the story of monster/demon hunters Sam and Dean Winchester, now into its 9th season, will receive a spinoff focusing on a different group of hunters based in Chicago. “The Vampire Diaries” already has a sister show in the can, “The Originals” set to air this October, focusing on ancient vamp Klaus and his family, and Warner Bros obviously weren’t going to let the cash cow that was “Harry Potter” dry up-the studio and J.K. Rowling have announced they are making a series of movies centred around the Hogwarts textbook “Fantastic Beasts
and Where to Find Them”. Starting 70 years before Harry’s story, it will centre on the adventures of the book’s writer, Newt Scamander and will be based in New York. Of course, the spin-off is nothing new, many of us will remember watching “Happy Days” after school, but did you know that it was a spin-off from a series called “Love, American Style” and spawned a huge SEVEN of its own (Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Joanie loves Chachi, Out of the Blue, Blansky’s Beauties and two animated series). “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” a TV series adapted from a movie of the same name had a successful spin-off based around the Vampire with a soul “Angel”. “Frasier” was a character in “Cheers” but there was a 2nd series “The Tortellis” based around Carla’s ex-husband (no, I’ve no idea either!). Few will remember that “The Simpsons” started life as a weekly
sketch on “The Tracey Ullman Show” which lasted 4 seasons Homer & Co. are on their 24th season making it the longest running TV show in American History, not bad for 3 minute animated sketch!! But for every “Frasier” there is a “Joey” (“Friends”) for every “Simpsons” a “Lone Gunmen” (“X-Files”), you can’t just hang on the coat tails of your parent show, fresh writing and interesting characters are essential unless you want to be the spin-off that tea-time forgot!
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eurovision fix Claims investigated
oVER the years, British complaints that the Eurovision Song Contest is fixed have always been dismissed as sour grapes. however, it seems that our concerns may have been justified. organisers are investigating claims that several countries bought votes from others at this year’s final.
SeptemBer 2013 Friday 20th September . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 21st September . . . . Saturday GALA Night Sunday 22nd September . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 23rd September . . . . Decades Spectacular Thursday 26th September . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 27th September . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 28th September . . . . Saturday GALA Night Sunday 29th September . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 30th September . . . . Decades Spectacular
oCtoBer 2013 Thursday 3rd October . . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 4th October . . . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 5th October . . . . . . . . Saturday GALA Night Sunday 6th October . . . . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 7th October . . . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Thursday 10th October . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 11th October . . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 12th October . . . . . . . Saturday GALA Night Sunday 13th October . . . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 14th October . . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Thursday 17th October . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 18th October . . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 19th October . . . . . . . Saturday GALA Night SoLD
oUT
Sunday 20th October . . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 21st October . . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Thursday 24th October . . . . . . Decades Spectacular Friday 25th October . . . . . . . . . Bitter & Twisted Experience Saturday 26th October . . . . . . . Saturday GALA Night Sunday 27th October . . . . . . . . ViVO Sunday Carvery Monday 28th October . . . . . . . Decades Spectacular
SOUL IN THE SUN If you are interested in Soul Music and want to join us during the week of the 1st till the 8th November, please contact us in advance.
Second-placed Azerbaijan, which has been awarded the maximum 12 points by Malta for four years running, has been accused of attempting to bribe jury members as well as paying Lithuanian students to vote multiple times. Macedonia has been accused of trying to set up a vote-swapping scheme with other countries to ensure a high place in the competition. The claims have been made by an anonymous official involved in this year’s competition, which was held in Malmo, Sweden. The insider was contacted by several delegations keen to arrange voterigging schemes; they told Swedish newspaper Skanska Dagbladet. The executive, from an unknown delegation, claimed the Azerbaijani contingent offered ‘enough money to
live for a year’ in return for high points. The source added: ‘I know of at least three other countries that are doing this kind of agreement backstage, even if they have not contacted me personally.’ In May the Azerbaijani delegation was accused of handing out mobile phone SIM cards to Lithuanian students and paying them to vote. Lithuanian news website 15min published a secretly recorded film which allegedly shows them being offered 20 Euros each by Russian-speaking men to support Azerbaijan in this year’s final. The country, which hosted last year’s Eurovision and won in 2011, regularly receives maximum points from countries including Lithuania, Malta, Bulgaria and Israel. The Azerbaijani entry this year, which finished second
to Denmark, was Hold Me sung by Farid Mammadov. In June this year’s UK entrant Bonnie Tyler claimed she overheard Russians asking why they didn’t get votes they had bought. The singer, who came 19th out of 26, said: ‘The next day the Russians were complaining to Azerbaijan – “Why didn’t you give us the ten points we paid for?” ’ Another source said: ‘I am not surprised by the claims. On the night, Bonnie got the biggest reaction in the arena, and all over Malmo she was mobbed. It was almost impossible for her to get such a bad score.’ Eurovision Song Contest event supervisor Sietse Bakker said the corruption claims were being investigated by the European Broadcasting Union.
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SharpLeS in SeSSion By John Sharples
trial By press monster Hit
ThE trials of the rich and famous have begun. Just last week Michael Le Vell of Coronation Street walked free from court having been found not guilty. Bill Roach will be in court in January and it looks like Dave Lee Travis and Rolf harris will appear soon too.
I was delighted that Michael was found to be not guilty but have become concerned by the opinions of some people about the result of the case. A small number of people have spouted that “there is no smoke without fire”. Well, all I can say is that the legal system has to be respected and remember one thing! It is the responsibility of the prosecution to prove that a crime has been committed and not the defence’s responsibility to prove a person’s innocence. Any one of us could end up in court accused of all manner of crimes that we hadn’t committed. Just imagine what a nightmare it would be to live through two years of hell, waiting for a trial, not knowing whether you can ful-
ly trust the system to work for you. Being someone in the public eye, Michael could have lost his job and he would have had great difficulty finding any work at all. I believe that the time has come to make sure that the accused people are protected as much as the accusers. They are able to keep their names and faces out of the press and media. Until a person is found guilty, their faces and names should be kept secret. We have all seen people’s lives ruined by that old
adage “muck sticks”! Michael Barrymore was found innocent of any crimes and the press ruined his career for him and lost us one of our funniest entertainers. Peter Adamson was found innocent years ago (Len Fairclough in Coronation Street). He lost his job and went down the pan very quickly. The same has happened to many others. I hope that Michael Le Vell is able to pick himself off and get back to work and put the whole charade behind him.
french fries Back on the menu
REMEMBER when the american people fell out with France. They renamed their chips freedom fries. The word on the street is that they are once again being called French fries since France has shown support for President obama in the Syria crisis. I don’t know why they don’t just call them chips and be done with it!
By the way! French Fries are probably Belgian. It is thought that the name French fries was used because the language being spoken in the region of Belgium that invented them was French. Just think, they could have been called Flem fries which doesn’t really sound very appetizing. There are others who believe that they were invented in Spain. Wherever they were invented or whatever the Americans call them, I will stick with good old fashioned “Chips” ……. Oh and a pot of mushy peas please!
I LoVED the Jurassic Park movies. Their blockbuster effects and great stories made millions of pounds around the world and millions want to see more. The powers that be, including Mr Spielberg
are rebooting the movie franchise and setting the story in a modern day working theme park. Something is bound to go wrong and there will be bedlam on the screen once again. The movie was originally planned for 2014 but it looks like it will raise its ugly head in 2015 now. I for one can’t wait!
old Bags!
EVERy time I go shopping and I see that a carrier bag costs 5 cents for environmental reasons I get annoyed. It costs 5 cents so that the shop can make more money.
They don’t donate all the money to green causes at all. If only I could remember to put some old bags in the car. Then when I arrive at the supermarket, if only I could remember to take the flipping things into the shop, I have more carrier bags than Sainsbury’s at home. Maybe I should stand outside Mercadona supermarket giving out my old carrier bags as a good deed for the day!
Crazy World Continued! a CoMPany in the United States has come up with a £250 glueon mask for women which they say acts as an alternative to plastic surgery or having to spend time getting made up.
The mask is called a “Uniface” and its inventor Zhuoying Li who is a graduate at the New School for Design in New York says that the mask offers a “lifetime’s worth of confidence” “Uniface is a dream
fulfilling face that satisfies today’s beauty standards,” according to the company’s website. It has giant anime eyes, long lashes
and a high nose bridge. The chin and cheeks are narrow and cartoon like. The makers say that it is “an all in one product for a lifetime’s worth of confidence.” They say “Simply spray on our cell-blending glue, and put on the mask. Your beautiful life will start from here! I can think of a few women who might benefit from this ground breaking technology! What a load of old clack. I might get Lorna the editor one, what do our readers think?”
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1,300-Year-old tomb discovered
aRChaEoLoGISTS have unearthed the 1,300-year-old tomb, near the airport in xianyang in China’s north eastern Shaanxi province, of one of ancient China’s most powerful women.
However, the tomb of Shangguan Wan’er, was empty of a coffin or any relics. The tomb was around 36 metres long and 10 metres deep with skylights, a corridor and several vaults. A carved epitaph inside the tomb described in detail Shangguan’s fam-
ily background and achievements. Archaeologists believe the rest of the chamber’s contents were lost during co-ordinated, intentional “tomb destroying”, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Shangguan, who lived between 664 and 710, was a close aide of
Question one: Which day of the week is dedicated to the Old English goddess of love?
Question Two: After World War 1, which British PM became embroiled in an “honours for cash” row?
Question Three: How long does it take for blood to circulate round the average body: 23, 53, 83, 113, or 143 seconds? Question Four: Early explorers believed that a city of fabulous wealth existed in the interior of South America. Name it. Question Five: In the mid-14th century, what killed around a third of Europe’s population? Question Six: The Olympic games of 1956 were held in which Australian city?
Question Seven: By what name was Thailand (“land of the free”) known in the West before 1939?
Question Eight: Which famous Scottish poet’s birthday is celebrated on
25 January?
Question nine: Who is the central male character in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”? Question Ten: Which flowers are represented by the fleur-de-lys? Question Eleven: Which of the world’s birds lays the largest eggs?
Facebook.com/TenerifeWeekly Wu Zetian, the country’s only female empress. She is celebrated in Chinese literature and poetry and is commonly referred to as a prime minister, such was her standing within the Tang dynasty. Yu Gengzhe, a professor of history and humanities at Shaanxi Normal University, said: “Shangguan Wan’er’s life had two key characteristics: “One is that she was highly talented, her poetry and writings were widely respected. The other is that she was powerful. She was a confidential secretary of Wu Zetian and
because of this, whatever the empress did had great influence upon her. After Zetian, there were a large number of women who yearned for power. Shangguan Wan’er was one of them.” The rapid urbanisation of China in recent decades has revealed countless new artefacts and tombs. Previous discoveries have included a fossilised mammoth’s skull, paved surfaces dating back 200,000 years and the vast Liuzhuang ruins in Henan province, where hundreds of tombs have been excavated.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
35
gardening and Nature
Y
ou probably think that you know what a fig is and that it is a juicy fruit of the fig tree and that is correct but there are fig species that are not called figs! Some are called banyan trees and one is the Indian rubber plant.
You see there is a very large genus of plants known to botanists as Ficus with at least 850 species in it and Ficus really means fig. The common fig we all know and that is grown all over the island is Ficus carica. This is the species that has been cultivated to produce the fruit we can buy. There are many more shrubs, vines and trees that are called figs and most of them have edible fruits though these may be very small or not really suitable for eating. However, some fig species we know by names that do not indicate that they are in the Ficus genus. The India rubber tree, which is often grown as an indoor plant in many parts of the world, is F. elastica. It
By Steve Andrews - aka Green Bard
When Is A Fig Not A Fig? Fruit of the Australian banyan
Australian Banyan
grows very well outside here on Tenerife and can make a very large tree. The Australian banyan (F. macrophylla) grows on the island too and there are magnificent specimens in
Icod de los Vinos in the main square and in Puerto de la Cruz in the botanic gardens. This tree is also called the Moreton Bay fig which reveals what family it really belongs to. The Australian banyan is a good
Ficus elastica
Aerial roots on Ficus elastica
example of a “strangler fig” and this means a type of fig that starts life as an epiphyte growing in the branches of a tree or in a crack in its trunk. It soon gets bigger and bigger and eventually covers and can kill the host. It does this by throwing down aerial roots and these thicken and form new trunks. I know of a palm tree in Puerto where this is happening. The seed of an Australian banyan has germinated in a crevice where the old leaves were high on the trunk of a palm and is already putting its roots down towards the ground and shooting its branches upward. It is right alongside a road so it will be cut back or even destroyed but if it was left to develop naturally eventually the palm would get smothered by all the branches, trunks and roots of the strangler fig that had made it its victim. There are many more species of fig grown on Tenerife that are ornamental trees. One that is commonly seen is the fiddle-leaved fig (F. lyrata). It has very big violin-shaped evergreen leaves. These leaves go brown and fall off when dead and often lie on the ground under these trees. The sycamore fig (F. sycomorus) forms a very large tree with smooth grey bark. It has evergreen leaves too and smallish fruit that are eaten in Africa. It can reach 20 metres in height so is only grown in parks and squares. As a matter of interest it is the sycamore tree mentioned in
Uses for the Common Fig
Figs are grown for their fruit and also as an ornamental plant for parks and gardens. The common fig can be grown in the UK.
Figs can be eaten fresh or dried. The dried fruits are often sold packaged and, like dates, are popular foods to be eaten at Christmas in Britain. Figs are used to make the fruity filling for the biscuits known as fig rolls. Syrup of figs is taken as a laxative. Figs are very healthy fruit to eat. They have antioxidants, many minerals and are a good source of dietary fibre.
Ficus lyrata
the Bible. The Indian laurel (F. nitida) also has grey bark and can become a large tree. It has small evergreen leaves and is often planted in squares. Sadly it often gets covered in an infestation of mealy bugs that cover the leaves with whitish sticky powder.. The weeping fig (F. benjamina) is another species of fig tree that is often planted in Tenerife and also grown as an indoor plant when planted in large pots. A variegated form exists which is very popular. The clown fig (F.aspera) also has variegated leaves that are mottled with dark and light green and whitish-cream. This makes it another shrub that is often grown as a houseplant because of its very attractive looks. The Chinese banyan is known to botanists as Ficus microcarpa. Like the other banyans it can grow very big and should not be planted near buildings. Fig species are unusual in not having ordinary flowers with petals but instead have their tiny florets enclosed inside a receptacle known as a syconium that after fertilization becomes the fruit. Pollination of figs is done by tiny fig wasps that lay their eggs inside and what is really incredible is that each type has its own species of wasp. If these insects are not present then the fruit cannot develop normally. Ficus species also all have a whitish or yellowish sap that bleeds if they are cut. In the Indian rubber tree it is collected and turned into the material we can use. This is not done anywhere near as often though as it was in the past because the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is the species usually grown now for commercial rubber production. What a fascinating family of trees the figs and banyans are!
Millipede in a ripe fig
Also known as the Bard of Ely, the Green Bard has a Green Beard, as can be seen in the photo. He is an expert on nature and loves to write about wildlife and conservation. He has a very wide knowledge of edible plants, foraging and herbs.
He was quoted as a “Weed expert” in The Ecologist. The Green Bard, though originally from Cardiff in Wales, is currently based in Tenerife where he has successfully reared many Monarch butterflies on plants grown on his apartment balcony. In May, 2012, at the English Library in Puerto de la Cruz he gave a talk on the Flora and Fauna of Tenerife to a full house and has been invited back to be a guest speaker again.
Keep up to date with him at: http://greenbard.hubpages.com/
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
aquarius 20 January to 18 February
A chat with a friend could give you a fresh perspective on how to deal with any career or job challenges. Be open to changing your point of view. This may be necessary in order to take advantage of current progressive influences. On another note, don’t let fear or insecurity make you lash out, especially if someone is trying to help you. A Full Moon in your shopping zone midweek might encourage you to want to spend in order to feel good. Enjoy it, but go easy!
Pisces 19 February to 20 March
Life happens when you take a walk on the wild side. Something inside may be urging you on and encouraging you to let go of patterns that have kept you down. You are so much bigger in reality, and in your heart you know it. You might have to lose something in order to gain something, and that could be security, which may be an illusion anyway. Enjoy this week’s Full Moon in your sign. It could coincide with the fulfillment of a desire, goal, or dream.
aries 21 March to 19 April
Managing resources could be a theme this week. You might want to change tactics if you have debts or other financial issues. Cooperating with key people may be essential to your success. Career matters could make a leap in progress, especially if you make a key decision. Just when you need to be at your shrewdest and most practical a Pisces Full Moon, which is great for parties and celebrations, could give you that spaced-out feeling while bringing a secret to light.
Taurus 20 April to 20 May
Relationships could be intense and also need careful handling. You could be dealing with someone who wants to play their cards close to the chest, so you will need to read between the lines. You could be working with aspects of the law, too. If so, be sure to read the fine print on any documents. The Full Moon could bring things to a head, but try not to overreact even if you’re tempted to. You could be delighted by some upbeat news on the work front, however!
Gemini 21 May to 21 June
You may be very businesslike and eager to get what you want, but someone else may be equally determined. Don’t tiptoe around this week - you could lose out. You might have to work on a strategy that pulls no punches. However, the Full Moon on September 19 could dash your resolve by highlighting your emotions when you really need to be strong. Keep your focus on your goal and try not to let it waver. The Sun’s move into Libra might bring romantic opportunities, too.
Cancer 22 June to 22 July
Even though Saturn in your romance zone and Pluto in your relationship zone make a friendly angle this week, you may still wonder what’s hit you. Intense emotions, which could contain traces of anger or resentment, might make it hard to show your caring and loving side. Perhaps something needs to change. However, any changes you do make might have to be quite radical. The Pisces Full Moon could bring a positive and powerful insight if you can be still long enough to catch it.
Leo 23 July to 22 August
You might be ready for action, but you might need a stronger approach to getting things done if you want to make headway this week. Issues linked with home and lifestyle affairs could be in need of some sort of transformation. This might even equate to structural changes to your place so that you can move ahead with new plans. Despite this being a no-nonsense week, it does have a spiritual quality to it. It could make you aware that whatever is happening has a reason and a purpose.
Virgo 23 August to 22 September
You might need to go back to the drawing board concerning a possibly flawed creative project. This could be a week of intense discussions and ongoing conversations around the issue of what should be done next. What you eventually decide may be nothing like your original plan. A romance could also start to unravel, but it might be saved by the Pisces Full Moon, as it encourages expression of those deeper feelings. Surrender to the magic and it may all be OK.
Libra 23 September to 23 October
You may want to cut back on expenses and consider ways to recycle more things. There’s a rather intense energy focused on your personal financial zone that’s encouraging you to make the most of what you have while learning how to be more resourceful. In fact, you may be applying these ideas to your home and family life. Although the Sun entering your sign this week brings an energy boost, consider taking a more relaxed schedule on September 19 to coincide with the Full Moon.
Scorpio 24 October to 21 November
You could find this to be a rather intense week, but then you might also enjoy the challenges that come with it. You could be moving through a period of change, and the current influences seem to be bringing this to a head. Over the coming days don’t be surprised if you feel so squeezed in a certain situation that the decision to do something about it morphs into practical action. Romantic options are showing up for you, too, although you might be busy with other things.
Sagittarius 22 November to 21 December
If you find yourself quietly seething over some incident, it could be because you failed to stand up for yourself or compromised too much and now regret it. Perhaps what the current setup is trying to tell you is that it’s time to be clear about who you are and what you want. Get ready for a Full Moon in your home zone, which might make this a great week for a party or get-together, so long as you’re prepared for it to be fun and noisy.
Capricorn 22 December to 19 January
Pluto turns direct in your sign this week, so you may feel like you’re heading for a mini rebirth over the coming weeks and months. Plus, other powerful influences could be encouraging you to take stock of your needs, especially in connection with your social circle. Whether you make a decision to distance yourself from certain people or it happens naturally, see it as a sign that the transformation has already begun. It’s onward and upward from here as new friends could come with exciting benefits.
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Big Yin’s Cancer Surgery
BILLy Connolly, 70, has undergone surgery for prostate cancer, a spokeswoman for the star has confirmed. he is also being treated for the “initial symptoms” of Parkinson’s disease it has been revealed.
The actor and comic, who first made his name on the Scottish folk music circuit, will continue to work in TV and on stage. His spokeswoman said: “Billy Connolly recently underwent minor surgery in America after being diagnosed with the very early stages of prostate cancer. The operation was a total success, and Billy is fully recovered. “In addition, Billy has been assessed as having the initial symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, for which he is receiving the appropriate treatment. Billy has been assured by experts that the findings will in no way inhibit or affect his ability to work, and he will start filming a TV series in the near future, as well as undertaking an extensive theatrical tour of New Zealand in the New Year.” The Glasgow-born star, affectionately known as the Big Yin, began his working life in the Clyde shipyards before moving into entertainment with folk singing and comedy performances. A string of appearances on Michael Parkinson’s chat show made him a household name and helped launch a career that saw him perform sell-out stand-up shows around the world, present a series of documentaries and become an in-demand character actor. He is married to New Zealand-born actress, comedienne and psychologist Pamela Stephenson, whose biography of her husband, simply called Billy, was a huge bestseller. He is one of around 127,000 Britons with Parkinson’s disease, which is caused by a loss of brain cells that produce a chemical messenger called dopamine. Symptoms differ from case to case but often include a tremor or fine shake while the person is at rest, rigidity of muscles, slowness of movement and unsteady balance. Other possible symptoms can include memory loss. Earlier this year, Connolly admitted he had started to forget his lines during
performances. He said at the time: “This is ******* terrifying. I feel like I’m going out of my mind.” Actor Bob Hoskins announced his retirement last year after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Michael J Fox was diagnosed with the disease more than 20 years ago and continues to act. There is no cure for Parkinson’s and
scientists have been unable to work out why people get the condition. Symptoms can be controlled using a combination of drugs, therapies and occasionally surgery, but often more care and support may be needed as they progress. Connolly was made a CBE in the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours and awarded the freedom his home city in 2010.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
pugh´s pantry
37
By Barry Pugh
Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate – which do you prefer? I got a request a while back by some regular customers at Vivo who visit our Carvery every Sunday and asked for “something really Chocolatey” as a special dessert the following week. I settled for melt in the middle chocolate puddings, and after incorporating them as a special; it was such a success that we are now serving them each Sunday. One week you might get a Dark chocolate one – the following week it maybe a white chocolate one you never know! This inspired me to look at some other chocolate ideas…. Here are a great couple of things for you to try… There is a cheat with the croissants, but I will let you into that one a little later!
Chocolate Fever!
Chocolate Croissants Ingredients:
Yeast mix: 20g plain flour 1 package of instant yeast 80ml of warm milk Croissant base: 300g plain flour 40g icing sugar 1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs 80g soft butter
Filling: 12 teaspoons of Nutella Glaze: 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon milk
Method: It is very easy to make and it will only take you 30 minutes. Firstly, prepare the yeast, mix the yeast, flour, milk, cover and let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the dough. In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt and sugar. Add butter, egg and mix until you obtain a firm, smooth
dough. Knead for a dozen minutes then add the yeast and continue to knead for 5 minutes. Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover and let it rise until it doubles its volume. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5 mm so to obtain a circle. Using a cutting wheel, cut 12 triangles and put a teaspoon
of nutella on the base of each triangle. Start to roll the dough base until the end. Then transfer them to a plate covered with baking paper. Allow them time to double their volume again. Whilst the dough is rising, mix the egg yolk with the tablespoon of milk and brush the surface of your croissant with the egg-milk mixture. Cook them in a preheated oven at 180°C degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Chocolate Bowls
Ssshhhhhhhh….. Here’s the cheat! – Lidl are selling the most wonderful croissant dough in a can! It is fantastic stuff, open the tin, and the dough pops out,,, all you have to do is cut the scored lines and fill it with the chocolate spread, roll them up and bake the croissants a little cooler in the oven than the recommended time on the tin! Available in the fridge section at all Lidl supermarkets across the island.
Method:
Blow up the balloons (you want them small and round, like little bowls). Melt the chocolate in a plastic heat proof bowl set on top of a pan of hot water. Chocolate, Chocolate & Chocolate - Dark, Milk Whilst it melts, get a sheet of baking paper and lay it on a flat surface; now place a small amount of or White – whatever you prefer! Balloons! chocolate on the paper and spread it into little disks to form a sort of base to stop your bowls from tipping over. Next, carefully dip each balloon (about 1/2 to 3/4 of balloon) into the melted chocolate and set on top of the chocolate disks on parchment paper. When you have made the batch pop them into the fridge for 30 minutes to cool properly. Remove them and carefully snip the top of the balloon with scissors to deflate the balloon. Remove all evidence of the balloon and fill with freshly whipped cream and strawberries or whatever you prefer!
Ingredients:
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
hInK PInKS
What’s a Hink Pink you ask?
Hink Pinks are fun rhyming word riddles. The answer to the riddle is a pair of words that rhyme with each other. For example: Large Feline would be Fat Cat.
1. Sightless brain _________________________________________________________ 2. Twist the female ______________________________________________________ 3. Ebony tartar ___________________________________________________________ 4. Certain bird’s cage _____________________________________________________ 5. a box for holding worms for fishing ____________________________________ 6. Luggage label __________________________________________________________ 7. Sofa slump _____________________________________________________________ 8. Unrefined young guy _____________________________________________________________________ 9. Despair chamber _________________________________________________________________________ 10. a tired nerd _____________________________________________________________________________ 11. Farm animal vessel ______________________________________________________________________ 12. Intelligent dessert _______________________________________________________________________ 13. obese cap _______________________________________________________________________________ 14. Salary madness __________________________________________________________________________ 15. Vibrant bee home _______________________________________________________________________
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Motoring News
39
By Lingy
It’s funny to think that the Aston Martin DB5 was not actually intended to be called anything of the sort. This extensive evolution of the DB4 was actually supposed to be called the Series 6, until a last minute change of heart.
It’s difficult to envisage telling the DB5’s story without mentioning the James Bond films, Goldfinger and Thunderball, not least the newer films in which it has made a cameo but as its maker proclaimed the DB5 ‘the most famous car in the world’ after the films, it’s a matter of fact that they have a bearing on values and classic appeal. The DB5’s styling was much smoother than the DB4’s - clearly evolutuionary, but also a step forward, with more faired-in headlamps, and a smoother rear end. And for many, the DB5 ended up being the ultimate incarnation of this family of Aston Martins. The engine was upgraded to 4.0-litres, too, and offered 282bhp as standard, with314bhp for the Vantage. Disc
Aston Martin DB5 (1963 - 1966)
brakes were fitted all-round, and all but the very earliest cars had five gears – less entertaining were the autos. As before, it was possible to buy the DB5 in a number of body variations. As well as the rare Radford DB5 shooting brake estates, it was also possible to buy an open-topped DB5 - although Aston Martin still had yet to apply the Volante name to these cars. Additional bracing added structural rigidity and compensated for the lack of a roof, although the complex superleggera structure meant the DB5 could cope well with some of its original strength removed. Production of the coupe (which Aston Martin called a saloon) ended in 1965 but 37 convertibles were built afterwards. Aston Martin would subsequently use the Volante name to describe all its soft-tops. The Superleggera construction is as the DB5 saloon’s and the styling was carried over to the DB6 Volante.
New Fiat 500L MPW
The latest member of the Fiat 500L range has now arrived.
This newcomer combines the Fiat 500 charm and agility with the comfort and contents of a C-segment car but with the space and versatility of a people carrier. It is available in either a five seat or an optional 5+2 seat configuration. As a people carrier it is the most compact 5+2-seater in its segment, measuring just 4,352mm in length, 1784mm in width and 1,667mm in height, while still offering the same kind of
load-carrying versatility of the five-seat version when its rearmost seats are folded flat and stored neatly under the boot the floor. The new Fiat 500L MPW will be offered in two trim levels: Pop Star and Lounge. The Pop Star version includes air conditioning, cruise control, 16-inch alloy wheels, a 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Uconnect, six airbags, a full suite of stability and traction control safety systems as well as rear parking sensors. The Lounge version has all the specification of the Pop Star but
adds rear electric windows, front fog lights, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, rain sensors, front seats with seat back tables and storage nets, an electro-chromatic rear view mirror, rear privacy glass, floor mats and an electric glass sunroof. The new
Fiat 500L MPW offers equipment worthy of a car in a much higher segment. Four engine options are available the 95hp 1.4-litre petrol (5-seat only) the 105hp 0.9 TwinAir petrol the 85hp 1.3 MultiJet (also available with the Dualogic automatic transmission) and
the 105hp 1.6-litre MultiJet. There are nine different exterior colours to choose from plus a variety of contrasting roof and mirror colour combinations. To complete the look there is also a range of alloy wheels in different sizes to choose from. Fiat recently launched the
Mercedes Benz new Mile Tracker App
Mercedes Benz has launched a brand new App ‘the mile tracker app’ which has been created to support everyday business travel. It can
calculate fuel costs, summarise journey details and even locate a vehicle once it is parked. The app is free and available for iP-
Fiat 500L in March and the 500L Trekking in June, this latest release from Fiat really can be considered a family car it is extremely spacious and can obviously get plenty in the boot. It will not only appeal to families but also to the younger generation due as it still portrays a fun style.
hone and Android users, the key elements include the ‘GPS-based Mileage Tracker’, the ‘Journey Log’ and the ‘Locate My Car’ function. It will also include a ‘Fuel Station Finder’ when released to Mercedes Benz customers later in the year. Nick Andrews, Head of Fleet for Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars, said “we developed the new MercedesBenz Mile Tracker to be the first app to combine GPS-based mileage tracker with a journey and expenses log and parking locator. The new app shows our continued commitment to providing efficient fleet solutions to company car drivers and everyone involved in running a successful fleet operation.” A great time waster for car drivers is arriving in unfamiliar territory parking and then finding the way back to where they parked. Again this fantastic app comes to the rescue. The ‘Locate my Car’ feature simply saves the location on the app’s map, writing a description of the location, and setting a ticket time reminder which uses the smart phone’s functionality. When returning to the vehicle, users simply press the ‘route’ button to be shown the quickest way back to the car. This could be an app that we all would like especially in those supermarket car parks when you leave the store and just can’t make out where you left the car.
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20 September
Friday - TV 06:00 09:15 10:00 11:00 11:45 12:15 13:00 13:45 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:30 17:15 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:35 23:05 23:40
06:00 06:55 07:25 08:10 08:40 09:40 10:35 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:00 16:10 17:05 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:55 22:00 22:55 23:50
TREASURE ISLAND TV GUIDE
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Breakfast Rip Off Britain Homes Under the Hammer Street Patrol UK Claimed & Shamed Bargain Hunt BBC News at One Doctors Perfection Escape to the Country Wanted Down Under Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Pointless BBC News at Six The One Show Ronnie’s Animal Crackers EastEnders Miranda Big School Mrs. Brown’s Boys BBC News at Ten Would I Lie to You? John Bishop’s Britain She’s Out of My League
08:20 09:00
Fake Britain Flog it! Trade Secrets 10:00 Question Time 11:00 BBC News 12:00 The Daily Politics 13:00 Mastermind 13:30 Sailing 14:15 Great British Menu 14:45 Oceans 15:45 Elephant Diaries 16:15 Incredible Animal Journeys 17:15 Cash in the Attic 18:00 Eggheads 18:30 James Martin’s Food Map of Britain 19:00 The Hairy Bikers’ Best of British 20:00 Mastermind 20:30 Gardeners’ World 21:00 David Attenborough’s Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates 22:00 QI 22:30 Newsnight 23:05 Later... with Jools Holland
Emmerdale Life’s Funniest Moments Jeremy Kyle Show You’ve Been Framed! Dinner Date Real Housewives of New York City Real Housewives of Vancouver The Millionaire Matchmaker Emmerdale Life’s Funniest Moments Jeremy Kyle Show Real Housewives of Vancouver The Millionaire Matchmaker Dinner Date You’ve Been Framed! The X Factor USA Paranormal Activity FYI Daily Paranormal Activity Funny People FYI Daily
06:00 06:10 07:00 08:10 09:10 09:35 10:05 10:30 11:35 12:35 13:35 14:40 15:50 16:20 16:55 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:05 00:10 02:45
Movies Now Heartbeat The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Dickinson’s Real Deal Judge Judy Judge Judy Judge Judy Murder, She Wrote The Father Dowling Mysteries Heartbeat Wild at Heart The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Upper Hand Home to Roost Downton Abbey Murder, She Wrote Agatha Christie’s Poirot The Bletchley Circle Scott and Bailey Law and Order: UK Changeling The Father Dowling Mysteries
th
06:00 08:30 09:25 10:30 11:25 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:35 00:55 03:00
06:00 06:15 07:05 07:55 08:55 10:00 11:00 11:55 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00
23:00 02:40
Daybreak Lorraine Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning ITV News This Morning Loose Women ITV News and Weather Storage Hoarders Alan Titchmarsh Show Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street Gino’s Italian Escape Coronation Street Piers Morgan’s Life Stories ITV News at Ten and Weather Miami Vice Jackpot247 Columbo
World of Sport The Professionals Minder The Saint Kojak Magnum, P.I. Highway Patrol Cycling: Tour of Britain Cycling Kojak Magnum, P.I. The Professionals UEFA Europa League Highlights Cycling: Tour of Britain Storage Wars The Glimmer Man Action thriller about a government agent who is asked to resume his old role as a police officer to help catch a serial killer. The Green Mile Movies Now
06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:05 12:40 15:10 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:55 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:05 00:10 00:15
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The Hoobs According to Jim Will and Grace Frasier Everybody Loves Raymond Big Bang Theory A Place in the Sun: Home or Away Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals McLintock! Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News 4thought.tv Celebrity Fifteen to One 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Alan Carr: Chatty Man Rewind the Tube Random Acts Crossing Over
Radical Highs Shark Tank The Gadget Show Top Gear Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness Ace of Cakes Top Gear Top Gear Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness Ace of Cakes Ace of Cakes Top Gear Top Gear Have I Got a Bit More News for You Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Have I Got a Bit More News for You Earth: Milton Jones Live Universe Tour Mock the Week Al Murray’s One Night Stand Have I Got a Bit More News for You
06:00 08:15 08:25 08:35 08:45 09:00 09:15 11:10 12:10 12:15 13:15 13:45 14:15 15:15 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:40
06:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 12:30 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:30 17:30 17:45 18:00 18:30 19:30 22:00 22:30 23:30 00:00
Children’s TV Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Toby’s Travelling Circus Bananas in Pyjamas Tickety Toc The Wright Stuff Cowboy Builders 5 News Lunchtime Police Interceptors Home and Away Neighbours The Mentalist The Staircase Murders 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away Newstalk Live The World’s Strongest Man Monster Moves Celebrity Super-Spa Hens Behaving Badly Piranha Super Casino
Good Morning Sports Fans FL72 Barclays Premier League World European Tour Golf Football’s Greatest FL72 Barclays Premier League World The Fantasy Football Club European Tour Golf Football Gold Football Gold Champions League Weekly The Fantasy Football Club Super League Play-Off Barclays Premier League Preview The Fantasy Football Club Champions League Weekly Rugby Super League
19:00 Snog, Marry, Avoid? 19:30 Great Movie Mistakes 19:35 Shrek 21:00 Orphan Black 22:30 EastEnders 23:00 Family Guy 23:45 American Dad! 00:10 Sweat the Small Stuff 00:40 Bad Education 01:10 Boom Town 01:40 Don’t Tell the Bride 02:40 Snog, Marry, Avoid?
11:00 13:05 14:50
17:25 19:15 21:00 01:00
06:00 06:15 06:30 07:30 08:30 10:30 11:30 11:45 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00
King Solomon’s Mines The Million Pound Note Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Brighton Rock Jumper Titanic Alien 3
Football Gold Football Gold FL72 The Fantasy Football Club ITM Cup Rugby The Rugby Club Football Gold Football Gold NFL Super League Play-Off The Rugby Club Thinking Tackle Super League Play-Off NFL Tour Championship Golf European Tour Golf Tour Championship Golf Sporting Greats Sporting Greats European Tour Golf Tour Championship Golf
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
TREASURE ISLAND TV GUIDE
S a t u r d ay - T V 06:00 10:00 11:30 12:00 12:15 12:50 15:00 15:30 17:15 18:30 18:45 19:30 20:40 20:50 21:40 22:10 22:30 23:50 01:05
06:00 06:10 08:20 11:10 12:10 13:10 14:10 15:15 15:45 16:15 16:45 17:15 19:00 21:00 22:00 22:50 23:50 00:20 01:25 02:15
Breakfast Saturday Kitchen Live Home Cooking Made Easy BBC News Football Focus Match of the Day Live Inspire: The Olympic Journey Final Score F1: Grand Prix Qualifying BBC News I Love My Country When Miranda Met Bruce The National Lottery Draws Casualty Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow BBC News Match of the Day The Football League Show Weatherview
06:00 07:25 08:40 10:10
The Hot Desk Coronation Street Omnibus Emmerdale Omnibus The X Factor The Xtra Factor The X Factor USA Girlfriends You’ve Been Framed! You’ve Been Framed! You’ve Been Framed! You’ve Been Framed! Johnny English Uncle Buck The Xtra Factor Celebrity Juice The Magaluf Weekender Crazy Beaches The X Factor The Xtra Factor All Star Family Fortunes
06:00 06:10 06:35 07:35 08:35 09:35 10:40
10:40 11:30 12:00 12:45 12:50 14:45 15:45 16:15 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 23:10 00:55 02:20
11:45 12:55 14:45 16:55 18:55
This is BBC Two The Lost Squadron Yellowstone Kelly Reel History of Britain The Private Life of Plants University Challenge The A to Z of TV Cooking Coast EastEnders Omnibus The House That £100k Built Urban Jungle Flog It! The Wonder of Dogs Dragons’ Den Dad’s Army Count Arthur Strong The Making of Merkel Mock the Week The Awakening The Ring Quatermass 2 This is BBC Two
Drama Trails Barbara Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote The Royal The Royal Agatha Christie’s Poirot Agatha Christie’s Poirot The Great St Trinian’s Train Robbery Agatha Christie’s Marple Inspector Morse Foyle’s War
21:00 Midsomer Murders A glassware factory in Midsomer Magna faces ruin after the death of its coowner Alan King. 23:00 Wire in the Blood 00:35 Inspector Morse 02:20 ITV3 Nightscreen 02:30 Teleshopping
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21 S e p t e m b e r st
06:00 09:00 09:25 09:30 10:25 11:25 11:35 12:35 13:20 14:05 15:05 16:05 17:45 17:55 18:10 18:45 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:15 00:20
06:00 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:50 09:25 10:25 10:55 13:00 14:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:15 01:10
CITV Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ITV News Saturday Cookbook Murder, She Wrote ITV News and Weather Surprise Surprise All Star Family Fortunes Catchphrase Doc Martin The X Factor Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed ITV News London ITV News and Weather You’ve Been Framed! Stepping Out The X Factor Through the Keyhole ITV News and Weather City Slickers Jackpot247
World of Sport: Kings of the Canvas The Professionals Motorsport UK Bundesliga UEFA Champions League Weekly World Rally Championship Highlights DTM: German Touring Car Highlights The Sweeney Cycling: Tour of Britain Cycling Highway Patrol British Touring Car Championship Highlights Driven to Extremes Cycling Hornblower Carlito’s Way World’s Wildest Police Videos
06:10 06:35 07:05 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:30 16:10 16:40 17:10 17:40 18:10 18:40 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:25 02:05
07:10 08:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:40 22:20 23:00 00:00 00:40 01:20
The Hoobs Caterham Motorsports Mobil 1 The Grid FIM Superbike World Championship The Morning Line The American Football Show Frasier Everybody Loves Raymond Big Bang Theory The Simpsons Undercover Boss USA Channel 4 Racing Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Channel 4 News Double Your House for Half the Money Grand Designs Iron Man Man on Fire Hollyoaks
06:00 Children’s TV 07:45 Little Princess 08:00 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 08:20 Angelina Ballerina 08:35 Rupert Bear 08:50 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:10 Toby’s Travelling Circus 09:20 Roary the Racing Car 09:35 Jelly Jamm 09:50 Power Rangers: Megaforce 10:25 Slugterra 10:50 Animal Maternity 11:50 You’ve Got Mail 14:05 Columbo: Uneasy Lies the Crown 16:05 5 News Weekend 16:15 Fort Worth 17:50 The Great Escape 21:00 Hang ‘Em High 23:25 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 00:15 Super Casino
19:00 Great Movie Mistakes 19:15 Doctor Who 20:00 Pop’s Greatest Dance Crazes 21:00 Streetdance 22:35 Russell Howard’s Good News 23:05 Family Guy 23:55 Orphan Black 01:25 Boom Town 01:55 Bad Education 02:25 Live at the Electric 02:55 Live at the Electric
Meat Men Top Gear Storage Hunters Lizard Lick Towing The World of Stupid Criminals The World of Stupid Criminals Top Gear Top Gear Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Motorway Cops Top Gear Top Gear Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Have I Got a Bit More News for You Gavin and Stacey Gavin and Stacey Gavin and Stacey Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish Red Dwarf Red Dwarf QI
06:30 07:00
06:00 06:30
07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 14:30 15:00 17:00 20:00 22:00 23:30 00:00 01:00 02:30
Football Gold Champions League Weekly Barclays Premier League Preview The Fantasy Football Club Game Changers Soccer A.M. Football Saturday Team Talk Gillette Soccer Saturday Ford Saturday Night Football Live SNF: Game of the Day Saturday Night Football Match Choice FL72 Saturday Reloaded Saturday Night Football Match Choice Saturday Night Football Match Choice
11:00 13:00 14:50 17:35 19:20 21:00 22:55 00:50 02:25
08:30
18:00 19:00 21:00
00:00 01:00
Black Narcissus Failure to Launch The Quiet Man Ice Age: The Meltdown Hot Shots! Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 28 Weeks Later Scary Movie 2 Ils
Football’s Greatest ITM Cup Rugby Wellington and Canterbury clash at the Westpac Stadium. ITM Cup Rugby Taranaki do battle with Bay of Plenty at Yarrow Stadium. Football Gold Football Gold yB40 Cricket Final Yorkshire Bank 40 - Final. Lord’s hosts the 2013 Yorkshire Bank 40 final. NFL La Liga Fight night Derry Mathews defends his Commonwealth lightweight title against Curtis Woodhouse at the Liverpool Olympia. Tour Championship Golf La Liga
When Miranda Met Bruce Editor Recommends BBC 1 - 19:30 - 21:40 In a one-off special to celebrate Sir Bruce Forsyth’s 70 years in show business, award-winning comedy writer and actress Miranda hart interviews the legend that is Sir Bruce. From reliving his days at the London Palladium to game show glory, When Miranda Met Bruce will celebrate the formidable career of one of the nation’s most-loved entertainers.
Featuring a mixture of archive material and special performances throughout the show, Miranda will delve under the skin of Sir Bruce to find out the key
to his success and longevity in the challenging world of entertainment. Filmed at BBC Television Centre’s Studio One, the same studio in which Strictly Come Dancing is filmed, the programme will be a glorious romp through Sir Bruce’s career, celebrating some of his famous performances and some moments that not many people know about. As Sir Bruce recounts his childhood inspirations, career highlights - such as singing with Nat King Cole - and treats the audience to an impromptu tap dance and piano solo, Sir Bruce reveals his passion for the genre to which he has contributed so much of his life.
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Sunday - TV
06:00 07:40 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:15 13:00 13:15 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:15 16:25 17:00 18:30 18:50 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:15 22:25 23:50 02:00 02:05
06:00 06:45 09:30 12:00 13:00 14:50 17:00 18:00 19:00
21:00 22:00 23:00 01:10 02:05
TREASURE ISLAND TV GUIDE
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Breakfast Match of the Day The Andrew Marr Show Sunday Morning Live Sunday Politics MOTD2 Extra BBC News Bargain Hunt Flog It! Escape to the Country Points of View Lifeline Songs of Praise F1: Grand Prix BBC News BBC London News Countryfile Antiques Roadshow By Any Means BBC News BBC London News Match of the Day 2 Lone Star Weatherview BBC News
Beauty and the Geek Emmerdale Omnibus Coronation Street Omnibus America’s Got Talent America’s Got Talent Happy Feet The X Factor The Xtra Factor Evan almighty God appears before a sceptical congressman to tell him that his destiny is to be the modernday Noah and build an ark capable of withstanding a mighty flood. The Xtra Factor The Big Reunion: On Tour Pitch Black The X Factor The Xtra Factor
07:30 08:30 09:00 09:30 11:00 13:30 14:00 14:45 15:15 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:45 00:20
06:00 06:50 08:55 09:55 10:55 13:35 14:45 16:55 19:00
21:00
00:05 02:15
Around the World in 80 Gardens Gardeners’ World Beechgrove Garden Saturday Kitchen Best Bites James Martin’s Food Map of Britain The Incredible Spice Men The Hairy Bikers’ Best of British Inspire: The Olympic Journey Sailing Canoeing Rugby League The Great British Bake Off Hunt v Lauda: F1’s Greatest Racing Rivals The Crane Gang The Story of the Jews QI XL A Single Man Countryfile
Murder, She Wrote Agatha Christie’s Marple Heartbeat Heartbeat The Count of Monte Cristo Agatha Christie’s Poirot Agatha Christie’s Poirot Foyle’s War Lewis Lewis and Hathaway are called in to investigate when religious fanatic Steven Mullan is found scalded and drowned in his bath. Ray Jamie Foxx’s Oscar winning performance sees him playing Ray Charles. The Witches of Eastwick Wycliffe
06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:35 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:25 09:30 10:25 12:25 12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 18:35 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:30 22:45 23:45 00:40
06:00 06:10 06:45 07:10 08:10 09:10 10:10 11:10 12:15
16:00 18:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:55 02:10 02:35 02:45
Matt Hatter Chronicles Dino Dan Canimals Sooty Horrid Henry Bottom Knocker Street Fish Hooks Big Time Rush ITV News Ade in Britain Columbo ITV News Murder, She Wrote The X Factor Big Star’s Little Star Happy Birthday E.T E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial ITV News Surprise Surprise The X Factor Downton Abbey ITV News Perspectives Rugby Highlights The Store
World of Sport World’s Wildest Police Videos Highway Patrol Kojak Kojak Cycling The Saint Driven to Extremes Spartacus Stanley Kubrick’s critically acclaimed historical epic, set in 73 BC, about a violent slave rebellion against the mighty Roman Empire. Cycling Mark Cavendish: Born to Race Rugby Highlights Cycling Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment The Big Lebowski Highway Patrol Movies Now ITV4 Nightscreen
www.bonadea2catamaran.com
Tel. 922 714 500 Whale Watching Puerto Colon 2 Hours 22 Euros
06:15 06:40 07:35 08:30 09:00 09:30 12:25 13:20 14:20 16:40 17:40 19:25 19:55 20:00 21:00 22:35 23:35 00:25 01:10
07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:20 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:55 23:55 00:55 01:55
Ironman 2013 The American Football Show American Football Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Sunday Brunch Big Bang Theory The Simpsons Take the Lead Location, Location, Location The Spiderwick Chronicles Channel 4 News The Political Slot Kevin McCloud’s Man Made Home Big Fat Quiz of the 80s Alan Carr: Chatty Man The Last Leg Paddy’s TV Guide American Football Live
Later Live... with Jools Holland Crash Top Gear Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Motorway Cops Red Dwarf QI Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Storage Hunters Red Bull X-Fighters 2013 QI XL QI XL QI XL Have I Got a Bit More News for You QI XL QI XL Red Bull X-Fighters 2013 Dave’s One Night Stand
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06:00 08:20 08:25 08:45 09:00 09:15 09:25 09:45 10:00 10:35 11:00 11:25 12:25 13:30 15:15 16:55 17:00 18:50 21:00 23:15 01:05
06:00 07:30 08:30 09:00 10:30 12:30
15:30
18:55 20:00 22:00 23:30 00:00 00:30
September
Children’s TV Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures Angelina Ballerina Rupert Bear Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom Toby’s Travelling Circus Roary the Racing Car Jelly Jamm Power Rangers: Samurai Slugterra Monkey Life Police Interceptors The True Story Thunderbirds The Hunchback of Notre Dame 5 News Weekend Big Momma’s House 2 Ocean’s Eleven Conan the Barbarian Drive Angry Super Casino
Saturday Night Football Match Choice Game Changers FL72 The Sunday Supplement Goals on Sunday Ford Super Sunday Arsenal welcome Stoke City to the Emirates Stadium. Ford Super Sunday Manchester City meet Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. La Liga La Liga Ford Football Special Scottish Football League Champions League Weekly La Liga
19:00 Robin Hood 19:45 Great Movie Mistakes IV: May the Fourth be with You 20:30 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider 22:00 Family Guy 22:45 Bad Education 23:20 American Dad! 00:00 Seann Walsh’s Late Night Comedy Spectacular 01:00 Live at the Electric
11:00 13:00 14:50 17:40 19:20 21:00 23:05 01:45
The Mark of Zorro Meet Dave Anna and the King Fantastic Mr. Fox Hot Shots! Part Deux Limitless Lolita Franklyn
06:00 Watersports World 07:00 Football Gold 07:15 Football Gold 07:30 La Liga 08:30 Tour Championship Golf 09:30 Fight Night 12:30 European Tour Golf Day four of the 70th Open d’Italia from Golf Club Torino. 16:30 Tour Championship Golf Day four of the Tour Championship from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. 23:00 European Tour Golf 00:00 Tour Championship Golf 01:00 Sporting Greats 01:30 Sporting Greats 02:00 European Tour Golf 03:00 Tour Championship Golf
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
TREASURE ISLAND TV GUIDE
23 September
M o n d ay - T V 06:00 09:15 10:00 11:00 11:45 12:15 13:00 13:45 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:15 17:15 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:35 23:05 00:05
Breakfast Rip Off Britain Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs are Coming Claimed & Shamed Bargain Hunt BBC News at One Doctors Perfection Escape to the Country Country Show Cook Off Flog It! Pointless BBC News at Six The One Show Inside Out EastEnders Panorama Motorway Cops BBC News at Ten Room 101 Who Do You Think You Are? Weatherview
06:00 Emmerdale 06:25 Coronation Street 07:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 08:10 You’ve Been Framed! 08:40 Dinner Date 09:40 Real Housewives of New York City 10:35 Real Housewives of Vancouver 11:30 The Millionaire Matchmaker 12:30 Emmerdale 13:00 Coronation Street 14:00 Jeremy Kyle Show 16:10 Real Housewives of Vancouver 17:05 The Millionaire Matchmaker 18:00 Dinner Date 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 19:30 You’ve Been Framed! 20:00 The X Factor 21:00 Peter Andre: My Life 22:00 Couples Retreat 00:20 Girlfriends 01:20 The Vampire Diaries 02:05 Life’s Funniest Moments
09:05 10:05 10:35 11:30 13:00 13:30 14:15 14:45 15:45 16:15 17:15 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:20 23:50
06:00 06:10 06:35 07:30 08:40 09:40 10:05 10:35 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:05 15:05 16:15 16:50 17:20 17:55 18:55 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:05
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Watchdog Robbed, Raided, Reunited Click Daily Politics Conference Special Mastermind The Weakest Link Great British Menu Oceans Elephant Diaries Incredible Animal Journeys Cash in the Attic Eggheads James Martin’s Food Map of Britain The Hairy Bikers’ Everyday Gourmets University Challenge Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food The Midwives Never Mind the Buzzcocks Newsnight Today at Conference The Story of the Jews
Movies Now Home to Roost Heartbeat The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Dickinson’s Real Deal Judge Judy Judge Judy Judge Judy Murder, She Wrote The Father Dowling Mysteries Heartbeat Wild at Heart The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Upper Hand Home to Roost George and Mildred Heartbeat Murder, She Wrote Mr Selfridge The Specsavers Crime Thriller Club DCI Banks Law and Order: UK The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
06:00 08:30 09:25 10:30 11:25 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:35 23:35 00:30 03:00
06:00 06:50 07:40 08:05 08:40 09:40 10:50 11:40 12:45 13:50 14:50 15:55 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 00:35 01:05 02:05
Daybreak Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning ITV News This Morning Loose Women ITV News Dickinson’s Real Deal Alan Titchmarsh Show Tipping Point The Chase ITV News Emmerdale Coronation Street Countrywise Coronation Street Doc Martin ITV News at Ten Through the Keyhole Piers Morgan’s Life Stories Jackpot247 UEFA Champions League Weekly
The Professionals Minder Police, Camera, Action! Police, Camera, Action! Kojak Magnum, P.I. Highway Patrol The Professionals The Saint Cycling Kojak Magnum, P.I. The Professionals Minder Cheers Cheers Storage Wars Storage Wars Driven to Extremes Bundesliga Rugby Highlights Nitro Circus Nitro Circus Motorsport UK World’s Wildest Police Videos
06:00 07:25 07:55 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:05 12:35 15:10 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:55 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:20 00:25
07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:20 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:40 23:20 00:00 00:40 01:40
Children’s TV Will and Grace Frasier Everybody Loves Raymond Four Rooms US A Place in the Sun: Home or Away Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals The Hunt for Red October Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News 4thought.tv Jamie’s Money Saving Meals Gadget Man The Fried Chicken Shop Sex: My British Job Educating Yorkshire Random Acts
Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness Megatruckers Hardliners Top Gear Megatruckers Megatruckers Three Men Go to New England Top Gear Top Gear Megatruckers Megatruckers Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness Top Gear Megatruckers Megatruckers Top Gear QI XL Would I Lie to You? Mock the Week Never Mind the Buzzcocks Have I Got News for You QI XL Would I Lie to You?
06:00 08:35 08:50 09:00 09:15 11:10 12:10 12:15 13:15 13:45 14:20 15:15 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:55 00:55
06:00 09:00 09:30 10:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 01:30
Children’s TV Toby’s Travelling Circus Bananas in Pyjamas Tickety Toc The Wright Stuff Cowboy Builders 5 News Lunchtime Hustling America Home and Away Neighbours CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away Newstalk Live Hustling America Police Interceptors Phoebe Prince: The Final Verdict Under the Dome The Thomas Crown Affair Super Casino
Good Morning Sports Fans FL72 La Liga Ford Football Special La Liga The Fantasy Football Club Highlights Ford Football Special Game Changers The Fantasy Football Club Highlights Soccer A.M. The Best Bits FL72 Boxing Football The Footballer’s Football Show Boxing FL72 SPFL Round Up FL72
19:00 Don’t Tell the Bride 20:00 Pop’s Greatest Dance Crazes 21:00 Fazer’s Urban Takeover 22:00 Russell Howard’s Good News 22:30 EastEnders 23:00 Family Guy 23:45 American Dad! 00:30 Fazer’s Urban Takeover 01:30 Don’t Tell the Bride
08:00 11:00 12:40 14:40 16:50 18:55 21:00 23:05 01:00
06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 15:30
18:30 19:30 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30 01:30
50/50 Passport to Pimlico Victim Operation Pacific Jungle Book Employee of the Month Transporter 3 The Joneses Quills
FL72 Football Gold WWE Bottom Line NFL YB40 Cricket Final NFL NFL Sporting Greats Fight night Derry Mathews defends his Commonwealth lightweight title against Curtis Woodhouse at the Liverpool Olympia. Super League Fulltime Elite League Speedway Sporting Greats Super League Fulltime Sporting Greats Elite League Speedway Super League Fulltime
The Fried Chicken Shop Editor Recommends Channel 4 - 21:00 - 22:00
The series delving into the world of fried chicken, the staff who serve it and the huge variety of customers who buy it continues.
All walks of life cross in the Fried Chicken Shop as people tell their life stories, friendships are formed and love and laughter spill out into the early hours. Rayon is an absent father out for lunch with his best mate’s children, while, on the other side of the counter, Chicken Shop manager Zahid has left his family behind in Pakistan to fulfil his dreams and provide for his family’s future: similar issues in different lives with different perspectives come
together in the same place. Love is captured and played out in The Chicken Shop, from three girls on the pull flirting with boys over cheesy chips to a new couple snogging and declaring undying love over a tub of mayonnaise. Race and opportunity are explored over a takeaway in Brixton. Hopeful rapper Paul from the first episode returns, showing off his French rhyming skills. And Rayon defends the honour of Captain Jack Sparrow when trouble kicks off. The ever-present cameras capture every moment of life over one hot month in The Fried Chicken Shop.
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Tu e s d a y - T V
06:00 09:15 10:00 11:00 11:45 12:15 13:00 13:45 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:15 17:15 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:25 22:35 23:35 01:35 01:40
TREASURE ISLAND TV GUIDE
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Breakfast Rip Off Britain Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs are Coming Claimed &Shamed Bargain Hunt BBC News at One Doctors Perfection Escape to the Country Country Show Cook Off Flog It! Pointless BBC News at Six The One Show EastEnders Holby City New Tricks BBC News at Ten BBC London News Girls Behind Bars Hart’s War Weatherview BBC News
06:00 Emmerdale 06:25 Coronation Street 07:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 08:10 You’ve Been Framed! 08:40 Dinner Date 09:40 Real Housewives of New York City 10:35 Real Housewives of Vancouver 11:30 The Millionaire Matchmaker 12:30 Emmerdale 13:00 Coronation Street 14:00 Jeremy Kyle Show 16:10 Real Housewives of Vancouver 17:05 The Millionaire Matchmaker 18:00 Dinner Date 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 20:00 Peter Andre: My Life 21:00 The Magaluf Weekender 22:00 Crazy Beaches 22:30 Celebrity Juice 23:20 Paranormal Activity 01:10 America’s Got Talent 01:55 Up All Night
09:05 10:05 10:35 11:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 16:00 16:15 17:15 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:20
06:00 06:10 06:35 07:30 08:40 09:40 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:05 15:05 16:25 16:55 17:25 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:10 01:55 02:30
th
Britain’s Big Wildlife Revival Robbed, Raided, Reunited HARDtalk BBC News Mastermind Great British Menu Daily Politics Conference Special Coast Incredible Animal Journeys Cash in the Attic Eggheads James Martin’s Food Map of Britain The Hairy Bikers’ Everyday Gourmets The Great British Bake Off The Wrong Mans The Sarah Millican Television Programme Later Live... with Jools Holland Newsnight Today at Conference
06:00 Daybreak 08:30 Lorraine 09:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30 This Morning 11:25 ITV News 11:30 This Morning 12:30 Loose Women 13:30 ITV News 14:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 15:00 Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:00 Tipping Point 17:00 The Chase 18:00 ITV Newsr 19:00 Emmerdale 19:30 Aussie Animal Island 20:00 Ade in Adland 21:00 Being Paul Gascoigne 22:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 22:35 When Ali Came to Britain 23:35 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 00:20 Jackpot247 03:00 Loose Women
Drama Trails Home to Roost Heartbeat The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Dickinson’s Real Deal Judge Judy Murder, She Wrote The Father Dowling Mysteries Heartbeat Wild at Heart The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Upper Hand Home to Roost George and Mildred Heartbeat Murder, She Wrote Midsomer Murders DCI Banks Law and Order: UK The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Father Dowling Mysteries ITV3 Nightscreen Teleshopping
06:00 06:50 07:35 08:05 08:35 09:40 10:40 11:10 11:40 12:40 13:45 14:45 15:55 16:55 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 01:00
The Professionals Minder Cheers Cheers Kojak Magnum, P.I. Highway Patrol Highway Patrol The Professionals Minder The Saint Kojak Magnum, P.I. The Professionals Minder Cheers Cheers Celebrity Chase River Monsters Nitro Circus Nitro Circus The Glimmer Man Richard Bacon’s Beer and Pizza Club 01:40 Minder 02:30 ITV4 Nightscreen 03:00 The Store
06:10 08:05 09:05 10:00 11:00 12:05 12:35 12:40 15:10 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:35 00:35
06:00 07:10 08:10 09:10 10:15 11:50 12:50 13:50 15:30 16:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:40 00:20 01:20 02:20 02:50
Children’s TV Frasier Everybody Loves Raymond Four Rooms US A Place in the Sun: Home or Away Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals Kirstie’s Vintage Gems The Devil at 4 O’Clock Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Double Your House for Half the Money My Big Fat Gypsy Ladies’ Day London Irish 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Rewind the Tube Random Acts
Home Shopping Ray Mears Goes Walkabout Megatruckers The Gadget Show Top Gear Megatruckers Three Men Go to New England Top Gear Megatruckers Top Gear Megatruckers Storage Hunters QI XL Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish QI The Rob Brydon Show QI XL Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish QI The Rob Brydon Show
06:00 Children’s TV 08:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:00 Tickety Toc 09:15 The Wright Stuff 11:10 Cowboy Builders 12:10 5 News Lunchtime 12:15 Animal Maternity 13:15 Home and Away 13:45 Neighbours 14:15 Law and Order: Criminal Intent 15:15 Love Will Keep Us Together 17:00 5 News at 5 17:30 Neighbours 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Newstalk Live 19:00 Monkey Life 19:30 Highland Emergency 20:00 Cowboy Builders 21:00 CSI: NY 22:00 Castle 22:55 Body of Proof 23:50 Law and Order: Criminal Intent 00:40 True Crimes: The First 72 Hours
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30
18:00 19:00 22:00 22:30 23:30 00:30 01:30 02:00 02:30
Good Morning Sports Fans Good Morning Sports Fans Good Morning Sports Fans SPFL Round Up Boxing Johnny Nelson and Richie Woodhall discuss the upcoming heavyweight bout between David Haye and Tyson Fury. Football Asia Behind the Ropes: Haye Behind the Ropes: Haye Revista de la Liga Barclays Premier League Review Capital One Cup Football Behind the Ropes: Haye Football Asia Revista de la Liga
19:00 The Insider 20:00 Motorway Cops 21:00 Don’t Tell the Bride 22:00 Bad Education 22:30 EastEnders 23:00 Family Guy 23:45 American Dad! 00:10 American Dad! 00:30 Bad Education 01:00 Don’t Tell the Bride 02:00 Fazer’s Urban Takeover 03:00 Don’t Tell the Bride
11:00 12:45 14:55 16:50 19:10 20:50 21:00 22:55
The Million Pound Note Hombre Appointment in London Knights of the Round Table Airplane II: The Sequel How I Live Now Interview Special Whiteout Into the Wild
06:00 Football’s Greatest 06:30 Football Gold 07:00 WWE Afterburn 08:00 FL72 09:00 PGA Tour Golf 10:00 European Tour Golf 11:00 Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf 12:30 SPFL Round Up 13:00 FL72 14:00 FL72 15:00 The Footballer’s Football Show 16:00 Boxing 17:00 Barclays Premier League Review 18:00 Golfing World 18:30 Revista de la Liga 19:30 Football 22:00 Super League Backchat 22:30 A League of Their Own 23:30 Golfing World 00:00 Behind the Ropes: Haye 00:30 Super League Backchat
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
TREASURE ISLAND TV GUIDE
We d n e s d ay - T V 06:00 09:15 10:00 11:00 11:45 12:15 13:00 13:45 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:15 17:15 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:35 23:05 00:05 00:10
Breakfast Rip Off Britain Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs are Coming Claimed &Shamed Bargain Hunt BBC News at One Doctors Perfection Escape to the Country Country Show Cook Off Flog It! Pointless BBC News at Six The One Show Watchdog Who Do You Think You Are? BBC News at Ten Father Figure The League Cup Show Weatherview BBC News
06:00 Emmerdale 06:25 The Xtra Factor 07:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 08:10 You’ve Been Framed! 08:40 Dinner Date 09:40 Real Housewives of New York City 10:35 Real Housewives of Vancouver 11:30 The Millionaire Matchmaker 12:30 Emmerdale 13:00 The Xtra Factor 14:00 Jeremy Kyle Show 16:10 Real Housewives of Vancouver 17:05 The Millionaire Matchmaker 18:00 Dinner Date 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 20:00 Totally You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Girlfriends 22:00 Bridget Jones’s Diary 00:00 Fake Reaction 00:50 America’s Got Talent 02:20 Teleshopping
07:00 07:45 08:15 09:30 10:30 11:00 13:00 13:10 13:40 16:10 17:10 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:20 23:50 00:50
06:00 06:10 06:35 07:30 08:40 09:45 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:05 16:15 16:50 17:20 17:55 18:55 20:00 21:00 21:35 22:00 23:35 00:35
25 September th
The Sheriffs are Coming Claimed & Shamed Inspire: The Olympic Journey Wild Shepherdess with Kate Humble See Hear BBC News Lifeline Great British Menu Cycling Incredible Animal Journeys Cash in the Attic Eggheads James Martin’s Food Map of Britain The Hairy Bikers’ Everyday Gourmets The House That £100k Built Science Britannica The Culture Show Newsnight Today at Conference The Midwives See Hear
06:00 Daybreak 08:30 Lorraine 09:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30 This Morning 11:25 ITV News 11:30 This Morning 12:30 Loose Women 13:30 ITV News 14:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 15:00 Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:00 Tipping Point 17:00 The Chase 18:00 ITV News London 18:25 Party Political Broadcast by the Labour Party 18:30 ITV News 19:00 Emmerdale 19:30 Coronation Street 20:00 Big Star’s Little Star 21:00 Whitechapel 22:00 ITV News at Ten 22:35 Great Night Out 23:35 James Nesbitt’s Ireland 00:05 Jackpot247 03:00 Columbo
Movies Now Home to Roost Heartbeat The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Dickinson’s Real Deal Judge Judy Murder, She Wrote The Father Dowling Mysteries Heartbeat Wild at Heart The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Upper Hand Home to Roost George and Mildred Heartbeat Murder, She Wrote Agatha Christie’s Poirot Love Your Garden Love Your Garden Wire in the Blood Law and Order: UK The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
06:00 06:50 07:40 08:05 08:35 09:40 10:45 11:10 11:40 12:40 13:40 14:45 15:50 16:55 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:05 00:20 01:25 02:15 02:40 03:00
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The Professionals Minder Cheers Cheers Kojak Magnum, P.I. Highway Patrol Highway Patrol The Professionals Minder The Saint Kojak Magnum, P.I. The Professionals Minder Cheers Cheers British Superbike Championship Highlights An Audience with Billy Connolly Green Street River Monsters Minder Highway Patrol ITV4 Nightscreen The Store
06:10 07:05 07:30 07:55 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:05 12:35 15:10 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:50 23:50 23:55 00:50 01:50
The Hoobs According to Jim Will and Grace Frasier Everybody Loves Raymond Four Rooms US A Place in the Sun: Home or Away Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals Reach for the Sky Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Three Day Nanny Grand Designs Gogglebox Bouncers Random Acts Itunes Festival 2013 Shameless USA Chaudhvin Ka Chand
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:30 12:30 13:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:40 23:40 00:20 01:25 02:00 02:50
Home Shopping Ray Mears Goes Walkabout Megatruckers Storage Hunters Top Gear Megatruckers Storage Hunters Top Gear Megatruckers Storage Hunters Red Bull X-Fighters 2013 Top Gear Megatruckers Lizard Lick Towing Russell Howard’s Good News Extra Mock the Week Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish Would I Lie to You? Russell Howard’s Good News Extra Mock the Week Lizard Lick Towing Megatruckers
06:00 08:35 08:50 09:00 09:15 11:10 12:10 12:15 13:15 13:45 14:15 15:15 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:55
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00
18:00 18:30 18:45 19:00 22:00 23:00 23:30 23:45 00:00 01:00
Children’s TV Toby’s Travelling Circus Bananas in Pyjamas Tickety Toc The Wright Stuff Cowboy Builders 5 News Lunchtime The Railway: First Great Western Home and Away Neighbours NCIS A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away Newstalk Live Robson’s Extreme Fishing Challenge Animal Maternity CSI: NY Wentworth CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Inside Hollywood
Good Morning Sports Fans Good Morning Sports Fans Good Morning Sports Fans Capital One Cup Football Behind the Ropes: haye A look at David Haye’s preparations for his upcoming heavyweight bout against the unbeaten Tyson Fury. Haye is a former two-weight world champion. FIFA Futbol Mundial Football Gold Football Gold Behind the Ropes What’s the Story? Behind the Ropes Football Gold Football Gold Capital One Cup Football Football Gold
19:00 19:05 19:50 22:00 22:30 23:00
11:00 12:50 14:40 16:40 19:15 21:00 23:35 01:40
06:00 06:30 06:45 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 09:45 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 22:15 23:15 00:15 01:15
Pop’s Greatest Dance Crazes Great Movie Mistakes IV: May the Fourth be with You Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Staying in with Greg and Russell Russell Howard’s Good News Family Guy
Brighton Rock The Long Memory The Fighting Seabees Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Jumper Million Dollar Baby Cocktail The Wrestler
Football’s Greatest Football Gold Football Gold WWE Vintage Collection Revista de la Liga Football’s Greatest Football Gold Football Gold Barclays Premier League Review Football Asia Revista de la Liga Capital One Cup Football Barclays Premier League Review Revista de la Liga V8 Supercars Behind the Ropes: Haye Showjumping Boots ‘n’ All Football Boots ‘n’ All Sporting Heroes Showjumping Total Rugby
The Three Day Nanny Editor Recommends Channel 4 - 20:00 - 21:00
Professional nanny Kathryn Mewes helps restore peace and calm to households in distress using her unique three day plan for families. In this episode, it’s triple trouble as Kathryn is in Horley in Surrey to meet the Woods family, where the lives of parents Sam and Jason are blighted by the daily barrage of tantrums and bad behaviour of their four-
year-old triplets Abbey, Chloe and Emma. With the couple in danger of splitting up over how to discipline - dad believes in smacking, while mum firmly disagrees - the family are at breaking point. Nanny Mewes moves into the family home to implement her three day action plan. When Kathryn’s focus quickly shifts from the girls onto Sam and Jason, will her suspicions that the parents are the root of the family’s problems prove true?
46
Thursday - TV
06:00 09:15 10:00 11:00 11:45 12:15 13:00 13:45 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:15 17:15 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:35 23:35 00:20 00:25
06:25 06:50 07:25 08:10 08:40 09:40 10:35 11:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 16:10 17:05 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 22:50 23:50
TREASURE ISLAND TV GUIDE
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Breakfast Rip Off Britain Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs are Coming Claimed &Shamed Bargain Hunt BBC News at One Doctors Perfection Escape to the Country Country Show Cook Off Flog It! Pointless BBC News at Six The One Show EastEnders Waterloo Road Super Giant Animals BBC News at Ten Question Time This Week Holiday Weatherview BBC News
08:20
Coronation Street Life’s Funniest Moments Jeremy Kyle Show You’ve Been Framed! Dinner Date Real Housewives of New York City Real Housewives of Vancouver The Millionaire Matchmaker Emmerdale Coronation Street Life’s Funniest Moments Jeremy Kyle Show Real Housewives of Vancouver The Millionaire Matchmaker Dinner Date You’ve Been Framed! The X Factor USA Celebrity Juice The Magaluf Weekender Crazy Beaches
06:00 06:10 06:35 07:30
09:05 10:05 10:35 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:15 14:45 15:45 16:15 17:15 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:20 00:20
08:40 09:40 10:05 10:35 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:15 16:45 17:20 17:50 18:55 20:00 22:00 23:00 00:05 01:05
The A to Z of TV Cooking Flog it! Trade Secrets Raymond Blanc: How to Cook Well HARDtalk BBC News The Daily Politics Mastermind The Weakest Link Great British Menu Oceans Elephant Diaries Incredible Animal Journeys Cash in the Attic Eggheads James Martin’s Food Map of Britain The Hairy Bikers’ Everyday Gourmets The Wonder of Dogs Peaky Blinders Mock the Week Newsnight Science Britannica The Review Show
Drama Trails Home to Roost Heartbeat The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Dickinson’s Real Deal Judge Judy Judge Judy Judge Judy Murder, She Wrote The Father Dowling Mysteries Heartbeat Wild at Heart The Return of Sherlock Holmes The Upper Hand Home to Roost George and Mildred Heartbeat Murder, She Wrote A Touch of Frost afterlife Law and Order: UK The Specsavers Crime Thriller Club The Return of Sherlock Holmes
06:00 08:30 09:25 10:30 11:25 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:35 23:35 00:30 03:00
06:50 07:40 08:40 09:40 10:45 11:40 12:45 13:45 14:45 15:50 16:55 18:00
19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 00:55
26 September th
Daybreak Lorraine Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning ITV News This Morning Loose Women ITV News and Weather Dickinson’s Real Deal Alan Titchmarsh Show Tipping Point The Chase ITV News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale Pat and Cabbage Women Behind Bars ITV News at Ten and Weather Ade in Adland Goodwood Revival 2013 Jackpot247 Tonight
Minder Cheers Kojak Magnum, P.I. Highway Patrol The Professionals Minder The Saint Kojak Magnum, P.I. The Professionals Minder Arthur and Ray discover life’s not always fair at the fairground when Arthur swops the novelty contents of his lock-up for a fruit machine full of stolen money. Cheers Cheers Driven to Extremes Goodwood Revival 2013 Sleepers Green Street
06:10 07:05 07:30 07:55 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:05 12:35 12:40 15:10 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:05 00:10
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:20 16:50 17:20 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:40 22:20 23:00 23:40 00:40 01:20 02:00 02:30 03:00
The Hoobs According to Jim Will and Grace Frasier Everybody Loves Raymond Four Rooms US A Place in the Sun: Home or Away Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals Kirstie’s Vintage Gems 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Location, Location, Location Educating Yorkshire My Tattoo Addiction The Fried Chicken Shop Sex, Lies and Rinsing Guys
Home Shopping Ray Mears Goes Walkabout Lizard Lick Towing Top Gear Megatruckers Lizard Lick Towing Top Gear Top Gear Ray Mears Goes Walkabout Lizard Lick Towing Lizard Lick Towing Top Gear Megatruckers Megatruckers QI XL Not Going Out Not Going Out Extras Mock the Week QI XL Not Going Out Not Going Out Extras Mock the Week Megatruckers
06:00 Children’s TV 08:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:00 Tickety Toc 09:15 The Wright Stuff 11:10 Cowboy Builders 12:10 5 News Lunchtime 12:15 Robson’s Extreme Fishing Challenge 13:15 Home and Away 13:45 Neighbours 14:15 NCIS 15:15 Polar Storm 17:00 5 News at 5 17:30 Neighbours 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Newstalk Live 19:00 The True Story 20:00 The Railway: First Great Western 21:00 CSI: NY 22:00 Amanda Knox Trial: 4 Key Questions 23:00 Law and Order: Criminal Intent 23:55 Inside Hollywood 00:00 Super Casino
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00 00:00
Good Morning Sports Fans Good Morning Sports Fans Good Morning Sports Fans Capital One Cup Football Behind the Ropes What’s the Story? Capital One Cup Football Behind the Ropes European Tour Weekly European Tour Golf Barclays Premier League World Ringside Capital One Cup Review Super League Play-Off School of Hard Knocks Capital One Cup Review NFL
19:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:45 00:30 01:00 01:30
11:00 13:05 15:25 17:15 19:10 20:50 21:00 23:35 02:10
06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 18:00
19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 01:00 02:00 03:00
Football Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents Live at the Apollo EastEnders Family Guy American Dad! Russell Howard’s Good News Russell Howard’s Good News Staying in with Greg and Russell
The World of Apu Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. Cottage to Let The Enemy Below Fantastic Mr. Fox How I Live Now Interview Special The Lovely Bones Pride and Glory 44 Inch Chest
Football’s Greatest Football Gold WWE Experience Boots ‘n’ All Transworld Sport Total Rugby Sporting heroes Gary Newbon talks to former West Indies bowler Joel Garner about his prolific cricketing career. IAAF Athletics ATP Tour Uncovered The Rugby Club Ringside The Fantasy Football Club World Wrestling Entertainment Late Night Raw WWE NXT Super League Play-Off Capital One Cup Review
www.tenerife-weekly.com
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
a LIonS and England rugby player has apologised to Prime Minister David Cameron after making a “bunny ears” gesture behind his head during a photocall.
Manu Tuilagi, 22, played the prank while standing next to the Prime Minister as the British and Irish Lions team posed for pictures in Downing Street. The players had been invited to Number 10 after their series victory over Australia this summer, which they won 2-1. As they gathered on the steps outside, with a large toy lion on the floor in front of them, Tuilagi reached out to hold his fingers behind Mr Cameron’s head. After the event, the Leicester Tigers player took to his Twitter page to express his remorse. He wrote: “Apologies for
messing around on Lions photo. No offence intended. Great Day at Downing Street. Thanks to Prime Minister for hosting us.” It is not the first time that Tuilagi, who was born in Samoa, has been at the centre of controversy. He was fined £3,000 by the Rugby Football Union for jumping from a ferry during England’s World Cup campaign in New Zealand in 2011. He was cautioned by police on that occasion and disciplined by then England coach Martin Johnson. After the Downing Street prank, teammates also reacted through Twitter. Ben Youngs, a fellow Lions, England and Leicester player, wrote: “The man @Manutuilagi just couldn’t stop himself.” Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns tweeted: “Great bottle from Manu Tuilagi! Haha. #chief.”
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Bunny ears apology
grandpa Wins armstrong Hands Back medal tour of Spain
DISGRaCED cyclist Lance armstrong has handed back the bronze medal he won at the Sydney olympics in 2000 to the US olympic Committee. The International olympic Committee stripped armstrong of the time-trial medal in January after he confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.
ChRIS horner, nicknamed ‘Grandpa’ by his peers, made more than one landmark when he won the Tour of Spain on Sunday at the age of 41.
American Horner is the first rider from the United States to win cycling’s third Grand Tour. Andy Hampsten won the Giro d’Italia in 1988 and Greg LeMond took the Tour de France in 1985. At almost 42, it makes Horner the oldest Grand Tour winner by a large margin. The father-of-three, who lives in Bend, Oregon, outstrips the Vuelta’s oldest previous winner, Tony Rominger of Switzerland in 1994, by nine years, and he is almost six years older than the Tour de France’s most senior winner, Fermin Lambot of France in 1922. “How long will I continue racing? I have no idea. At least two or three years would be good,” the RadioShack rider told the press before the start of Sunday’s final stage: “If my legs are still turning the same way, I will continue. “But I hope people appreciate everything I’ve done, it’s so complicated to get to this level. This is the hardest victory of my career so far,” added Horner, a professional of 19 years, who said he did not yet have a contract for 2014. The problem is my age. If I was 20, it would be very different, 50 different teams would be offering me a job.”
In 2005, aged 33, he took part in his first three-week stage race, the Tour de France, finishing 33rd, and then raced for two years as a team worker with Belgian squad Lotto. Horner’s breakthrough in Grand Tour racing came when he finished ninth in the Tour de France in 2010, the same year that he took his first major stage race, the Tour of the Basque Country. In 2011, after winning the biggest race in the United States, the Tour of California, a bad crash put him out of the Tour de France, although the following year at RadioShack Leopard, his current team, he finished 13th. 2013 started badly for him, a knee injury wiped out almost the first half of the
season. However, a victory in the toughest mountain stage of the Tour of Utah in August and second place overall showed that the American had rising form for his one Grand Tour of the season, the Tour of Spain. Famous for his love of hamburgers,, chocolate and his upbeat temperament, Horner’s nickname in the peloton of the Tour of Spain is ‘el abuelo’ - ‘Grandpa’ “I’ve always been underrated or not quite given the leadership when I think I should have had it for different reasons,” Horner said earlier this week. “Maybe (because of) my age or maybe I’m not brass enough, but there’s always something in my career that made people think I’m not as good as I am.”
He tweeted: “The 2000 bronze is back in possession of @ usolympics and will be in Switzerland asap.” Armstrong had denied doping for years until his confession after a detailed report released last year by the US Anti-Doping Agency. He has also been stripped of the seven Tour de France titles he won from 1999-2005.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
2 Bits Held In Tennis Player Aussie Match Suspended Fix Scandal
Two British footballers have been arrested and charged in Australia on suspicion of being involved in a multimilliondollar match-fixing ring. Joe Woolley, 23, and Reiss Noel, 24, were taken into custody in Melbourne by detectives investigating “Australia’s biggest ever scandal”.
The pair had been playing for AFC Hornchurch, according to the club’s website both left in July to head to Australia to play for Southern Stars in the state of Victoria’s Premier League. Amongst the six men charged are Southern Stars’ goalkeeper and coach. Police allege the men were involved in match-rigging which netted more than AU$2m (£1.2m) of betting winnings by manipulating scores of the bottom-placed club. Detectives say their investigation began in August and had been prompted by information received by the game’s national body, the Football Federation of Australia. One of those charged was Malaysian national Gerry Gsubramaniam, 45, who is accused of acting as a middle-man and instructing players in the Southern Stars team to either win or lose. He faces 10 charges, including five counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts or could cor-
53
Croatian tennis player Marin Cilic has been suspended from playing for nine months for breaking doping laws. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) says the suspension will be backdated to May 1 so he will be able to return to the tennis circuit on January 31, 2014.
rupt the outcome of a betting event, and five charges of facilitating conduct that corrupts or could corrupt the outcome of a betting event. Acting Senior Detective Sergeant Scott Poynder told a court hearing Gsubramaniam had received payment for giving Southern Stars players information on how the games were to unfold. “He is the contact point,” Mr Poynder said. “He receives phone calls. He is given advice on how the Southern Stars players are to perform.” Mr Poynder said at least five games had been identified as being “highly suspicious”. “Video showed some of the players were doing some unusually poor play,” he said. “For that work (Gsubramaniam) received payment. Some of the bets are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Joe Woolley faces eight charges including four counts of engag-
ing in conduct that could corrupt the outcome of a betting event, and four charges of facilitating conduct that could corrupt the outcome of a betting event. Reiss Noel faces the same charges. Both were released on bail to appear again in court on September 20. Three other men, including the team’s 36-year-old coach, were bailed to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to face the same set of charges as Noel and Woolley. More charges are expected in coming days. Four other men arrested on Sunday morning were released pending further enquiries. The Stars have played 21 games this season, losing 16 and drawing four. Their only win was a 1-0 victory over top side Northcote City on August 18. The Stars had lost their previous four matches, conceding a total of 13 goals and not scoring any.
Record Breaking – Loudest Cheer Recorded
American football fans set a new world record for the loudest cheer at a sports stadium. The achievement - endorsed by Guinness World Records - came during Sunday night’s NFL game between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
Volume 12, a Seahawks fan group, announced on its Facebook page it had set the mark late in the first quarter. They said the decibel reading taken during a sack of San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick was 131.9 decibels. They then went one better in the third quarter in
Cilic tested positive in Munich for nikethamide, a stimulant that affects the user’s respiratory cycle. The ITF says an independent tribunal found Cilic “ingested the nikethamide inadvertently as a result of taking Coramine glucose tablets, and did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so”. The 24-year-old has not played since withdrawing from his second-round match at Wimbledon in June. He was ranked as high as number nine in the world in early 2010 after reaching the semi-finals at that year’s Australian Open. Cilic is currently ranked 24 in the world.
Madine Facing Jail For Assaults
Championship footballer Gary Madine is facing jail after punching two men in separate nightclub attacks.
The Sheffield Wednesday striker shook his head after he was found guilty of causing Sheffield United fan Reece Hall grievous bodily harm at Leeds Crown Court. The 23-year-old was earlier convicted of causing Wednesday fan Daniel Beresford actual bodily harm after a week-long trial. Madine, who has a previous conviction for knocking out a man in a Carlisle pub, punched Mr Beresford in the Paris Bar in Sheffield city centre in February last year, breaking his nose. Four weeks later, he punched bricklayer Mr Hall in the face at the Viper Room club in Sheffield, breaking his cheekbone. The jury cleared Madine – nick-named by some Wednesday fans as Goal Machine - of the more serious charge of causing Mr Beresford grievous bodily harm. He was also found not guilty of causing Mr Hall grievous bodily harm with intent. Madine was on bail for the first offence when he attacked Mr Hall on March 11, 2012. Prosecutors told the jury of seven men and five women that Madine turned into “an arrogant, violent thug” when drunk. The court heard how he stared at Mr Beresford in the Paris Bar
and when the keen Owls fan asked why, he walked over and punched him on the nose. Mr Beresford was knocked to the floor, banged his head and was unconscious for between two and five minutes after the assault. Mr Hall was attacked after Madine started a conversation with him in the Viper Room toilets and asked: “Wednesday or United?” Madine, who is 6ft 3in tall and weighs 14st, was granted bail but Judge Rodney Jameson QC told him: “You must understand that an immediate custodial sentence is very likely.” He said he agreed with all the jury’s verdicts, adding: “I think you’ve got it absolutely spot on.” He adjourned the case for sentencing so reports can be prepared. No date for sentencing was fixed. Madine has not played for Wednesday this season due to the court case.
Seattle when they reached 136.6 decibels. The sound was as loud as a military jet aircraft taking off from an aircraft carrier. The group’s Twitter feed read: “Congratulations Seahawks 12th man! You are officially the loudest fans in the world!” The Hearing, Speech and Deafness
Centre worked with Volume 12 to distribute thousands of free earplugs to fans at the game. The previous record for “loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium” was 131.76 decibels, set in 2011 in Turkey at the Ali Sami Yen Sport Complex Turk Telekom Arena during a football match between Galatasaray SC and Fenerbahce.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
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the SportS SCene By Colin Kirby
Cd tenerife Look pablo Suspended after miles away red end to Blue Victory from Winning CD MaRIno should have spent this week celebrating another great win, this time 0-1 over CD Tenerife B at their Geneto training complex, but they grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons after Pablo Barroso got a red card for taking on some fans for abusing his family behind the goal.
IT was supposed to be a golden opportunity to get back on track, away at Zaragoza, a club struggling on the pitch and beset by financial problems off it. CD Tenerife looked by far the worse team and could have no complaints about sinking 3-0 with player’s heads down and creative ideas hard to come by.
There were a few flickers early on, Loro found Aridane’s head from a corner but a home defender deflected the ball away, and then Loro tried to curl a shot in but went wide of the goal. Zaragoza came out of their shell and Bruno had to make a well timed tackle to stop a goal charge, and a free header also gave cause for concern. Sergio Aragoneses made a good two handed save after Zaragoza easily opened up the Tenerife defence. Even Lady Luck seems to have deserted Tenerife, home keeper Leo Franco knew nothing about the Suso shot that bounced off his shoulder and clear of the goal. Raul Llorente set up Aday Benitez for a header that didn’t trouble the goalie and Suso was always on a loser with his penalty appeal late in the first half. Once again Tenerife had kept a clean sheet in the first half, last season that would have been the springboard for better things but at Zaragoza it was followed by a nosedive. Carlos Ruiz crudely flattened a Zaragoza player with his knees in his chest and from the free kick Victor’s shot dipped over the jumping defensive wall and settled in the back of the net. A double change saw Quique Rivero and Rico come off the bench to replace Suso and Loro, it had no time to make an impact before a Zaragoza shot bobbled into the Tenerife goal off the outstretched boot of Ruiz. It was not a good day for central defender Carlos Ruiz, he was caught flat footed as Victor slipped in for the third goal, Tenerife were a shapeless mess and looked ripe for a good stuffing. Sergio was Mr Dependable holding back the tide, Victor was cursing him for denying his hat trick with a tip over and then late in the game taking the ball off his feet in front of goal. Ayoze was brought on and had Tenerife’s best chance with a late header but the keeper took it cleanly and brought a grim afternoon to an end. Could things get worse? They
Inigo Ros certainly could, Aday Benitez was found to have an injury that will sideline him for up to four weeks and accusations emerged that Tenerife players hadn’t been paid their promotion bonuses for last season. They were promised 4,000 each and a watch, so far they only have the second half of the deal – at least they wont be late for training. Coach Alvaro Cervera knows the vultures will soon be hovering but he has two consecutive home games to boost Tenerife up the table starting with Lugo this Saturday at 5pm and Inigo Ros should be fit for a full time return to the midfield.
aridane
The final whistle saw the ugly scenes unfold and on Monday morning the incriminating photos were all over the media, not just in Tenerife but also on mainland television and in Marca the national sports newspaper. CD Marino acted quickly and suspended Pablo for his “severe reaction” while an internal investigation takes place. The referee will no doubt make his own report and the 23-year-old right back from Vilaflor can expect the league to take tough action. It was a shame that it overshadowed another big stride in CD Marino’s revival, its three wins and a draw so far and they Pablo are second to Mensajero only on goal difference. They made a lightning start forcing Franco to put the ball in his own goal as he tried to recover from a fine piece of individual skill from Balduino from outside the area after 6 minutes. Marino’s defence has been a revelation this season and they held off Tenerife particularly in the second half when goalie Alberto denied Alejandro from a corner. This Saturday there’s another tough test when Atletico Granadilla make the short journey to Playa de Las Americas. Marino full back Roberto Carlos will be relishing the chance to play against his former club. Kick off is at 8pm and entry is 8 euros and free for kids.
Balduino
www.tenerife-weekly.com It’s difficult to say who had the most fun at the World Waterski Racing Championships in Puerto Colon. Of course the Australians were delighted to make it a wipe out by adding the F2 Men (Ben Gulley) and F2 Women (Sarah Teelow) titles to scoop up all six categories. The great spirit and harmony between riders and nations in the pits area didn’t detract from the fiercely competitive racing, and the sheer pleasure and numbers of the thousands of spectators who flocked to this free spectacle confirmed that Tenerife has taken waterski racing to its heart.
Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
55
Swept Up In The Waves Of Glory
Leanne Campbell - Australia
The final Saturday started with the womens racing, Trudi Stout already had her Open title tucked away but was back in action with the same determination, and she was a whole lap faster this time. Much of the attention was on the battle for the F2 title, Sarah Teelow was the favourite but had tough opposition especially from Leanne Campbell a surprise Australian wildcard
Australia - Sarah Teelow
Rachel Stapleton - Junior Champion
Ben Gulley - F2 Winner
who skillfully weaved her way into contention. Leanne was in the British boat Stand And Deliver, it was agreed before the tournament that boats could leap team boundaries to give every skier the best possible chance. Sarah held her nerve and was soon celebrating but made time to talk to The Tenerife Weekly. “That was amazing, my first title since moving up from junior level in 2008, I’ve been racing since I was 13 but started out on skis at just 3-years-old as it was in the family. When I go home to Australia, its back to University where I’m studying to be a physio.” What next on the racing scene? “I guess the next move is up to the Open category, that’s a big jump, the engines are unlimited in power but my Dad already has a F1 boat so that will help.” As we spoke Sarah was unpeeling the ankle strapping that all water skiers wear, it’s obviously for a good reason: “I broke my ankle last year which was a bit of a setback and a month ago I broke a rib, again it affected my training but I feel fine now even after these four days of intense competition.” The juniors were next up, Jack Harrison and Rachel Stapleton had secured their crowns a few days before but another great tussle ensued as skiers battled for places. The final event was the mens racing, Wayne Mawer, already champion, underlined his legendary status by holding off a gutsy challenge from the USA’s Todd Haig in a real thriller, Darren Kirkland of GB boosted his reputation with a storming 4th place. The F2 still had to be decided, leader Ben Gulley had the added pressure of sealing the Australian grand slam, Andy Anderson and Cameron King of the USA were expected to be his main rivals but it was a fellow Aussie Jake Tegart who put the pressure on after storming through the chasing pack. Ben clinched the win and the master Wayne Mawer was the
first to congratulate him. It was a great day to round off the championship, even the forecast storm did the decent thing and side stepped Tenerife. Finally free
of the random drug testing and the sweltering body suits, the beer and champagne was able to flow, cheers to all those involved in putting on such a show.
Sikma Is An Instant Hit For CB Canarias
Another court, another season but the same winning style for CB Canarias as they started their pre basketball season campaign with a trophy. The Tacoronte Tournament was a good chance to look at new signings and the fans must have liked what they saw as they crushed Palma AE 96-63.
Nico Richotti led the scoring with 17 points and Fotios Lampropoulos added 15 but the man of the match was new American capture Luke Sikma, his 9 points was just part of an all round game that promises much for the new ACB season. Tonight (Friday 20th) CB Canarias play Frankfurt in an international friendly at the amended time of 8.30pm at the Las Torres Sports Centre.
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Tenerife Weekly - 20th September 2013 - 26th September 2013
Facebook.com/TenerifeWeekly
D
utch cyclist, Sebastiaan Bowier, has pedalled his way into the record books, hitting more than 83mph as he sped through the nevada desert, he clocked 133.78kmh (83.13mph) on his recordbreaking run at Battle Mountain.
The 23-year-old beat the previous bicycle speed record set by Canadian Sam Whittingham at the same location in 2009 by just 0.6kmh (0.37mph). He clocked his top speed on a 200-metre stretch of road after an 8km run-up. Wouter Lion, manager of Mr Bowier’s Human Power Team, said: “When you break the record after three evenings of bad weather and at the last possible chance, it feels incredible.” The horizontal bike used by Mr Bowier was designed by students at the Delft University of Technology and VU University Amsterdam, and was tested in a wind tunnel before being taken to the track. Known as the VeloX3, it has a carbon fibre frame which is shaped to reduce the air resistance encountered by normal road bikes. The wheels and the frame are enclosed in a streamlined chassis, which is covered with the same type of coating used on Formula One cars.
QuiCK CroSSWord
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Which famous fictional character was first introduced in the 1887 edition of 'Beeton's Christmas Annual'? | Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 - the first Sherlock Holmes publication: A Checklist by R. Stock
Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887:
By Randall Stock , November 24, 2012
Sherlock Holmes first appeared in the 1887 issue of Beeton's Christmas Annual.� It is now a rare collectible and considered the most expensive magazine in the world, with a Beeton's 1887 selling for $156,000 at Sotheby's in 2007.� This checklist provides a description of the 1887 issue, some historical sale prices, a list of extant copies and their owners, and information on facsimiles.� It serves as an annotated guide to additional sources of information on the magazine in general and on specific known copies.
News: 125 Years of Sherlock with Beeton's 1887 Celebrated in Portsmouth
If you know of other copies or have additional information about the ones listed here, please contact me .
Index of Copies:��� Confirmed ��� Excluded
Beeton's 1887 Issue Description
Beeton's Christmas Annual was a paperback magazine published from 1860 (volume 1) through 1898 (volume 39).� Each issue also carried a distinctive title reflecting that season's contents.� The 1887 edition, entitled "A Study in Scarlet," was approximately 8.5" x 5.5" and had color pictorial wrappers (cover).� It was issued in November at a price of one shilling and sold out before Christmas.� Besides the adjacent image of an original copy at Occidental College, there are photographs of many other copies online .� The magazine included three works:
"A Study in Scarlet" by A. Conan Doyle, pp. 1 � 95.
"Food for Powder" by R. Andr�, pp. 96 � 114.
"The Four-Leaved Shamrock" by C. J. Hamilton, pp. 115 � 138.
Pagination:
[i-ii] cover;� [1-12] ads;� [13] Title;� [14] ad;� [15] CONTENTS;� [16-32] ads; [33] blank;� [34] frontispiece;� [1]-138 text; 139-168 ads;� [iii-iv] back cover.�
Notes:
1) The inside front cover and back cover contained advertisements.� The outer covers were in color.
2) Arabic numerals are used above for simplicity in describing the preliminaries (front matter) but these pages did not show page numbers.�
3) The back matter advertisements did show page numbers.�
4) This pagination matches the Edgar W. Smith copy (R15) and its associated Baker Street Irregulars facsimile edition .� William S. Hall reported copy R20 with eight fewer pages of front-matter advertising before the title page.
Binding Notes:
Beeton's Christmas Annual was issued as a paperback-style magazine although of course it did not use the modern paperback binding process.� Some collectors had their copy bound.� These bound copies typically contain the literary text portion of the magazine, but frequently do not include the original pictorial cover (wrappers), preliminaries or back matter advertising sections.� Pages were usually trimmed along the edges as part of the binding process.
Variants:
On page 90, line 23 (second paragraph, fourth line): Some copies are lacking the "I" of "I fancy that he suspected..."
In his 2011 BSJ article , Constantine Rossakis says copies lacking the "I" are the true first edition, first issue of this magazine.
D. H. Friston (engravings by W.M.R. Quick) for "A Study in Scarlet."
R. Andr� for "Food for Powder."
Matt Stretch for "The Four-Leaved Shamrock."
Title page:
BEETON'S CHRISTMAS ANNUAL. | TWENTY-EIGHTH SEASON. | [short rule] | A | STUDY IN SCARLET | By A. CONAN DOYLE. | CONTAINING ALSO | Two Original Plays for Home Performance. |� I. | "FOOD FOR POWDER." | By R. ANDR�. | II. | "THE FOUR-LEAVED SHAMROCK." | By C. J. HAMILTON. || With Numerous Original Engravings | BY | D. H. FRISTON, R. ANDR�, AND MATT STRETCH || WARD, LOCK AND CO. | LONDON: WARWICK HOUSE, SALISBURY SQUARE, E.C. | NEW YORK: BOND STREET. | [All rights reserved.]
Prices for the Beeton's 1887 Issue
The Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide describes Beeton's 1887 as "the most expensive magazine in the world."� As with any rare collectible, prices vary based on factors such as condition, inscriptions, and association value.� There have been a number of sales over the past thirty years.
2008: $36,500 at Bonhams Oxford for a bound copy without wrappers and most advertisements
2007: $156,000 at Sotheby's New York for a complete copy with spine in facsimile and some restorations and repairs
2004: $153,600 at Sotheby's New York for a complete copy that is creased and worn, with a small hole in the front wrapper
2001: $17,625 at Christie's New York for a bound copy without wrappers or advertisements
1995: $33,120 at Sotheby's London for a copy with the spine and rear cover in facsimile
1995: $14,375 at Christie's New York for a copy without wrappers or advertisements and bound in contemporary cloth
�
1991: $23,100 at Sotheby's New York for a copy with facsimiles of two pages of advertisements and the rear cover
1990: $125,000 advertised by Peter L. Stern for a complete copy in excellent condition
1990: $57,200 at Sotheby's New York for a copy that is chipped and somewhat loose, signed by Vincent Starrett and "Barnaby Ross" / "Ellery Queen" on the title-page
1987: $15,000 from a Pasadena collector
1983: $18,000 at the 23rd Antiquarian Book Fair in New York
Note: Auction prices include the buyer's premium.� Currency converted to US dollars.
Summary of Recorded Copies
This checklist identifies 33 copies of the 1887 Beeton's Christmas Annual.� Libraries hold 21 of them.� The University of Minnesota holds four copies.� Yale has three copies and may have previously held another two.� All other recorded owners have only a single copy.
Eleven copies are complete, including original wrappers and advertisements, although one of these has been bound and another has the spine in facsimile.� Twenty-two are known to lack original wrappers and/or advertisements.� Some of those have facsimile replacements for the missing originals.� Of the copies believed to be privately held, R21 and� R28 are complete, and R22 is complete with spine in facsimile and some restoration to wrappers.
Two copies are known to be signed by Conan Doyle ( R19 , R20 ).� A third copy contained an unsigned inscription by him, but that page was stolen and is now missing ( R16 ).�
Fourteen copies lack the "I" of "I fancy" on page 90 while the "I" is present in seventeen copies.� This variant information is not available for two copies.
Confirmed Copies of Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887
R1.� Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia)
This copy is part of the Glover-Greene Victorian Detective Fiction Collection.� It can be found in their discoverE online catalog using "Study in Scarlet" as the title.
Library Catalog Record: Manuscript Archive Rare Book PR4622 .S76 1887
Notes: Elegantly bound in full red morocco and with a red slipcase.� Spine with six panels, with gilt ornaments in odd-numbered panels and other panels lettered in gilt as "A | STUDY | IN | SCARLET", "CONAN | DOYLE", and bottom panel with ornament above "BEETON'S | CHRISTMAS | ANNUAL | 1887."� Woodruff Library bookplate on front paste-down crediting Ruth Candler Lovett Endowment Fund.� Copy lacks original wrappers, table of contents and most advertisements.� Previously owned by Graham Greene and Dorothy Glover (Craigie).� Without "I"
References: Phillip Bergem 8/19/08 e-mail;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR22;� Bergem #12.�� (Last updated 3/18/12)
R2.� Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Once part of the Harold Wilmerding Bell collection, this copy is owned by The Speckled Band of Boston and has been placed on deposit at Harvard's Houghton Library.� It can be found in their HOLLIS Catalog using "Beeton's Christmas" as the title.� The catalog record provides a detailed description of this copy.
Exhibited: "Ever Westward": Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in American Culture (May 5�August 8, 2009)
See their exhibit summary for nice photo of the cover , or Harvard's Conan Doyle Sesquicentennial Symposium page for a somewhat smaller photo of the cover of this copy.
Notes:� Complete, original wrappers and ads. Front cover missing triangular-shaped area of cover design in lower right corner and small portion of upper right corner.� Spine lacking top layer of paper and thus appears blank.� Without "I"
References: Personal notes 5/6/09;� John Bergquist 5/5/07 report & 10/26/07 email;� Personal correspondence with a Speckled Band member;� Pull;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR9;� Bergem #15.�� (Last updated 3/18/12)
R3.� Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana)
This copy is held in the Lilly Library for rare books and was from the personal collection of J.K. Lilly, Jr.� It can be found in the University IUCAT online catalog using "Study in Scarlet" as the title.� The Lilly Library has an outstanding online exhibition of Holmes material as noted below.
Bloomington by Gaslight: Sherlock Holmes in the Lilly Library: http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/holmes/
Beeton's and the origin of Holmes: http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/holmes/origin.shtml
See detailed images of the Lilly Library Beeton's copy cover and an interior illustration .
Notes: Complete copy with original wrappers and ads.� The catalog record indicates only 95 pages, but this refers only to the Holmes story in the issue.� Per Rossakis, includes "I"
References: Catalog;� Rossakis CR4;� Bergem #14;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/18/12)
R4.� University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota contain the world's largest collection of Sherlockiana.� They are part of the Special Collections and Rare Books Department.� This copy can be found in the Classic MNCAT online catalog using a Keyword Search for "Beeton" in Title Keywords and then looking for an entry with the year "1887."� Click the "Full View" link to see the record summary, then within that summary click the "Availability" link with call number to see specific item details.� Note that the catalog also lists some other issues of Beeton's and three facsimile editions of the 1887 issue.� The new MNCAT has less information than the Classic version.� Copy viewed Sep. 2005 and Oct. 2000.� Minnesota also holds copies R5, R6, and R7.
Library Catalog Record: PR4622 .S76 1887 [copy 1]
U Media Archive photos of the binding , bound front cover , Starrett signature and bookplate , front endpapers , and rear endpapers .
Notes: Bound in full red Morocco with gilt lettering and edges.� Includes original front cover but lacks the back cover and most ads. �Vincent Starrett's second copy, with his signature and bookplate.� The Clendening-Starrett copy.� Gift of Philip Hench.� Includes "I"
References: Personal notes Sep. 2005 & Oct. 2000;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR20;� Bergem #2;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/18/12)
R5.� University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
See Minnesota copy R4 for collection and library details.� Copy viewed Sep. 2005 and Oct. 2000.� Minnesota also holds copies R4, R6, and R7.
Library Catalog Record: PR4622 .S76 1887; copy 2
Notes: Partial original front cover, nearly complete copy lacking only first leaf of ads and the back cover.� A facsimile front cover is tipped onto the original front cover.� The Lord Donegall Christmas card copy.� Gift of Philip Hench.� Includes "I"
References: Personal notes Sep. 2005 & Oct. 2000;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR17;� Bergem #3;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/18/12)
R6.� University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
See Minnesota copy R4 for collection and library details.� Copy viewed Sep. 2005 and Oct. 2000.� Minnesota also holds copies R4, R5, and R7.
Library Catalog Record: PR4622 .S76 1887; copy 3
Notes: Bound in burgundy cloth, with original text but most other parts in facsimile.� The front cover and the full-page illustration facing the first page of text are facsimiles.� Bookplate of� 6th Marquis of Donegall.� Gift of Philip Hench.� Without "I"
References: Personal notes Sep. 2005 & Oct. 2000;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR18;� Bergem #4;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/18/12)
R7.� University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
See Minnesota copy R4 for collection and library details.� Copy viewed Sep. 2005 and Oct. 2000.� Minnesota also holds copies R4, R5, and R6.
Library Catalog Record: PR4622 .S76 1887; copy 4
U Media Archive photos of the bound covers , binding spine , front pastedown with Kern bookplate , title page , table of contents , the opening illustration , and illustrations on page 20 , page 56 , and page 72 .� Other images can be found by searching for Beeton's Christmas AND Kern.
Notes: Bound in red cloth, without wrappers or ads but does have the original title page, contents, and illustration facing the first page of text.� Lacks pp. 139-168.� Bookplate of Jerome Kern.� Gift of Philip Hench.� Includes "I"
References: Personal notes Sep. 2005 & Oct. 2000;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR19;� Bergem #5;� Blau.�� (Last updated 11/24/12)
R8.� The Newberry Library ( Chicago, Illinois)
This is part of the C. Frederick Kittle Collection of Doyleana at The Newberry Library.� It is listed in their Voyager ILCSO ILLINET online catalog under the title "Beeton's Christmas Annual."� The catalog entry provides an excellent detailed description of their copy.� The Kittle / Newberry copy cover is reproduced on page 109 of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes: Essays and Art on the Doctor and the Detective by Donald J. Terras.� The March 1997 Caxtonian at < http://www.caxtonclub.org/reading/doyle.html > also provides information on Dr. Kittle and his collection.� Stanley MacKenzie used this copy for his 1987 postcard.
Exhibited:
�� 1951 Sherlock Holmes Exhibition at Abbey House Baker Street (May � September 1951)
�� 1952 The Sherlock Holmes Exhibition [New York, 1952]
�� Newberry Library: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Sherlock Holmes (April 9 � July 12, 2003)
Previous Owners:
�� C. Frederick Kittle, purchased from Sotheby's 1995
�� Sold at Sotheby's London 7/24/95 from the MacKenzie collection, after his Feb. 1995 death
�� Stanley MacKenzie, purchased from Rowe in April 1958
�� A.E. Rowe, purchased before 1951 for one shilling from a street-market barrow
Notes: Complete copy except back wrapper in facsimile.� Without "I"
References: Nick Utechin 2/6/12 e-mail;� Kittle phone call 3/29/09;� Newberry staff 9/10/03 & 9/11/03 e-mail;� March 1997 Caxtonian;� Sotheby's London 7/24/95 catalog;� Rossakis CR10;� Bergem #13.�� (Last updated 3/26/12)
R9.� Occidental College (Los Angeles, California)
This copy is part of the Ned Guymon Mystery and Detective Fiction Collection in the Special Collections Department.�� It is listed in the OASys online catalog under the title "A Study in Scarlet."
Notes: Complete copy with original wrappers and ads.� Includes "I"
References: Stock 'Citings' R9a ;� Occidental staff 1/22/03 e-mail;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR2;� Bergem #6.� (Last updated 3/18/12)
R10.� University of Oxford (Oxford, England)
The Bodleian Library lists this copy in their SOLO Catalogue, and it can be found by searching for titles containing keywords "Beeton's Christmas."� Until 2014, consult it at RSL/SCRR with at least 24 hours notice.
Library Catalog Record: Bodleian Library Arch. AA e.155 (1887)
Notes: Complete copy, bound with original wrappers and ads in a single binding containing #26-29 (1885-1888).� The 1887 issue carries a Bodleian date-stamp of "29 Feb. 1888."� This copy was used to produce Gibson's Centenary Facsimile edition.� Includes "I"
References: Bodleian staff 3/20/12 e-mail; Catalog;� Rossakis CR23;� Bergem #18;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/21/12)
R11.� Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey)
This copy is held in the Department of Rare Books.� It can be found in the Princeton University Library Main Catalog using "Beetons" as the title.� After finding the entry, choose "Long View" to see details on its acquisition and description.
Library Catalog Record: Rare Books (Ex) PR4622 .S88 1887
The Detective Fiction section of Princeton's online Guide to Selected Special Collections includes a short entry about their Beeton's copy.� It also has a large photograph of the cover .
Notes:� Complete copy with original wrappers and ads.� Gift of Howard T. Behrman (1986).� Per Rossakis, includes "I"
References: Catalog,� Rossakis CR6;� Bergem #16.�� (Last updated 3/19/12)
This copy is listed in their online Main Catalogue and may be found by searching for the title "Beeton's Christmas."
Library Catalog Record: Shelfmark: RB.s.2611
Notes: Bound in blue cloth with the first 16 pages of front-matter, all literary content and back-matter advertisements, but without wrappers or the plate (illustration) facing the first page of text.� Prior ownership stamp of the Advocates Library (Scotland).� Without "I"
References: Stock 'Citings' R12a ;� Phil Bergem 8/25/05 e-mail;� NLS staff 9/9/03 e-mail;� Catalogue;� Rossakis CR25�� (Last updated 3/19/12)
R13.� Stanford University (Stanford, California)
This copy is part of the Kenyon Law Starling collection in the Department of Special Collections.� It is listed in both their SearchWorks and Socrates online catalogs as a book under the title "A Study in Scarlet."� Copy viewed December 2000.�
Library Catalog Record: SPEC-COLL 71 05310 CB
Notes: Bound without original wrappers or advertising sections but including title page and table of contents.� Per Rossakis, without "I"
References: Stock 'Citings' R13a ;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR21;� Bergem #7.�� (Last updated 3/19/12)
R14.� University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
This copy is held in the Harry Ransom Center and is part of The Ellery Queen Collection of Mystery and Detective Fiction.� It's listed as a book in the general UT library catalog under keyword "Beeton's Christmas" and limit search to the Harry Ransom Center.� This copy is briefly described in An Exhibition on the Occasion of the Opening of the Ellery Queen Collection (Austin, 1959).
A UT blog about their Conan Doyle holdings includes a photo of their Ellery Queen Collection Beeton's
Notes: Complete copy, original wrappers and ads with some restoration.� Front cover worn and creased, with corners missing.� Per Rossakis, includes "I"
References: UT blog 5/3/12;� Exhibition;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR8;� Bergem #17;� Blau.�� (Last updated 6/2/12)
R15.� Toronto Reference Library (Toronto, Canada)
The Toronto Reference Library has an entire collection devoted to Arthur Conan Doyle.�� This copy is held in that collection and can be found by searching for the keyword "Beeton's Christmas" in their online catalog and then looking for the 1887 publication date.
2006 Conference & Exhibit : includes a medium-sized Beeton's photo
2001 Footprints of the Hound Exhibit : The second page of the "Publications" section of the virtual exhibit contains an entry for their copy of Beeton's, and a thumbnail image s to a large detailed cover photo .
Notes: Complete copy with original wrappers and ads except missing lower left front cover.� This copy was used by Edgar W. Smith to produce the 1960 BSI Facsimile edition.� Without "I"
References: Catalog;� Rossakis CR5;� Bergem #19;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/20/12)
R16.� Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)
Yale holds three Beeton's copies and may have held more in the past.� In 2003 their Orbis online catalog listed two copies in the Sterling Memorial Library Stacks.� However, those were probably old records for copies that are now in the Beinecke Library under different call numbers, and those Sterling entries don't seem to be in Orbis in 2012.� See the possibly "missing" Yale copies RX2 and RX3 .� To find the confirmed Yale copies in Orbis, search for "Beetons Christmas" in the title.� Yale also holds copies R17 and R18.
Library Catalog Record: Beinecke Tinker 847
The Beinecke Digital Collection has a large photo of this copy in its case .
Notes: Imperfect copy, portions loose/disbound with some front-matter ads out of sequence, but includes title and contents pages.� Lacks original wrappers, 10 pages of front-matter ads, frontispiece illustration, text leaf [1]/2, and ads on 167/168.� Bookplate of Chauncey Brewster Tinker.� Without "I"
Formerly inscribed "With the Author's Compliments" by ACD on the first text page, but not signed.� In March 2003 it was reported that this first leaf of text had been removed.� As of April 2012 this inscribed leaf was still missing.� If you hear of a made-up copy of Beeton's with the first text page inscribed "With the Author's Compliments" or of the leaf by itself, please report it to Kevin Repp, Curator, Modern Books and Manuscripts, [email protected] , (203) 432-2967.
References: Phillip Bergem 2/12/06 report;� Dr. Richard Sveum 3/13/05 e-mail;� Yale staff 4/19/12, 3/10/05, 12/03 and 11/03 e-mail and 11/13/03 phone call;� Constantine Rossakis 4/6/03 phone call;� Beinecke Digital Collection;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR14;� Bergem #8.�� (Last updated 4/19/12)
R17.� Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)
See Yale copy R16 for collection and library details.� This copy (R17: Beinecke 1974 89) was reported as having originally been held in Sterling as SML Stacks In D772 887Sc ( RX3 ), with the call number changing when it was transferred to Beinecke, but that has not been confirmed.� See the possibly "missing" Yale copies RX2 and RX3 .� Yale also holds copies R16 and R18.�
The Beinecke Digital Collection has a large photo of the front wrapper of this copy.
Notes: Heavily conserved incomplete copy that includes the front cover, title and contents pages, and all text.� Lacks first 12 pages of front-matter ads, frontispiece illustration, all back-matter ads, spine, and back cover.� Many pages frayed and torn.� Includes "I"
References: Phillip Bergem 2/12/06 report;� Yale staff 11/03 and 12/03 e-mail and 11/13/03 phone call;� Constantine Rossakis 4/6/03 phone call;� Beinecke Digital Collection; Catalog;� Rossakis CR15;� Bergem #9.�� (Last updated 3/21/12)
R18.� Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)
See Yale copy R16 for collection and library details, and the possibly "missing" Yale copies RX2 and RX3 .� Yale also holds copies R16 and R17.
The Beinecke Digital Collection has a large photo of the red leather cover of this copy.
Notes: Bound in red leather by Sangorski & Sutcliffe with all text and frontispiece illustration but without other front-matter, wrappers, and most back-matter ads.� Paul K Fodder bookplate.� Without "I"
References: Phillip Bergem 2/12/06 report;� Stock 'Citings' R18a ;� Dr. Richard Sveum 3/13/05 e-mail;� Yale staff 11/03 and 12/03 e-mail and 11/13/03 phone call;� Beinecke Digital Collection;� Catalog;� Rossakis CR16�� (Last updated 3/21/12)
Current Owner: Estate of Dame Jean Conan Doyle, November 1997 � present (August 2007)
Previous Owners:
�� Dame Jean Conan Doyle, died November 1997
�� Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, died July 1930
Notes: Bound, text of only A Study in Scarlet pp. 1-95 (lacking original front/back covers, advertisements, and other literary matter).� A number of contemporary reviews of A Study in Scarlet are pasted onto extra leaves at the rear of the bound copy.� Signed by ACD on first page with "Return to Dr A. Conan Doyle."� Per Rossakis, includes "I"
References: Jon Lellenberg 8/2/07, 11/21/05, 10/16/03 e-mail;� Pollock & Lellenberg;� Rossakis CR13;� Bergem #1;� Blau.� (Last updated 3/24/12)
Current Owner: Not Identified
Previous Owners:
�� Private Collector in New England, 1998 (or earlier) � 2010, sold privately ca. October 2010
�� Estate of William R. Smith, sold prior to 1998
�� William R. Smith, owned as of 1987, died March 1993
�� William S. Hall, purchased "some years before" 1963, died Sept. 1971
�� A British bookseller, sold to Hall "some years before" 1963
Photos of the original Beeton's cover and signed inscription
Notes: Bound by Zaehnsdorf in three-quarter morocco gilt, with wrappers and all except 4 leaves of ads.� Inscribed and signed by ACD "This is the very first | independent book of | mine which ever was | published | Arthur Conan Doyle. | Jan 9 / 14" on an extra leaf.� Includes "I"
References: Beeton's at Sotheby's 2010 ;� Stock 'Citings' R20a ;� Personal correspondence 11/8/10;� Owner's 6/3/06 & 1/22/03 e-mails & 5/16/10 phone call;� Hall;� Scuttlebutt March 1993;� Rossakis CR24;� Bergem #21;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/25/12)
Current Owner: Constantine Rossakis, 22 June 2002 � present (March 2012)�
Previous Owners:
�� Russell H. McMains, purchased at auction on June 15, 1990;� sold 22 June 2002�
�� J. Bliss Austin, sold at auction on June 15, 1990 after his death
�� "Barnaby Ross" / "Ellery Queen" (Frederic Dannay)
�� Vincent Starrett
�� A. H. Wheeler & Co., booksellers
Notes: Complete copy, with original wrappers and ads.� Unrestored and in near-fine condition.� Starrett's first copy.� Inscribed by Starrett on first leaf of advertisements as "First issue, First Edition, of this Impossibly rare book. V.S."� Signed by Starrett ("Vincent Starrett") and twice by Frederic Dannay (as "Barnaby Ross" and "Ellery Queen") on the title page.� The "9" of page "90" is complete.� Without "I"
The front wrapper of this copy was reproduced with a 1937 Associated Press story by Charles Honce about the fiftieth anniversary of the Holmes stories.� Distributed for publication starting on April 18, 1937, the story appeared on various dates in different newspapers, including on May 9, 1937 in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.� Honce later reprinted the article (without the photo) in A Sherlock Holmes Birthday and Other Bookish Stories Conceived in the Form of News (1938),
References: Stock 'Citings' R21a ;� Rossakis 9/10/12, 3/22/12, 6/4/06, 1/13/03 e-mail;� Blau e-mail Sep.-Oct. 21012;� Scuttlebutt June, Aug. 1990;� Sotheby's catalog 15 June 1990;� Rossakis CR3;� Bergem #20.�� (Last updated 11/24/12)
Current Owner: Not Identified, 21 June 2007 � present (July 2007)
Previous Owners:
�� Heir of Walter Pond, sold at auction June 2007
�� Walter Pond, purchased December 1975, died January 2003
�� Lew David Feldman, purchased in 1975 and sold to Pond
�� Donegall Estate, sold to Feldman
�� Sixth Marquis of Donegall, died May 1975
Notes: Complete copy with spine in facsimile and some restoration to wrappers, repairs to margins of some preliminary advertisements and the frontispiece.� Without "I"
References: Sotheby's NY 6/21/07 catalog;� Scuttlebutt June, Apr. 2007, Jan. 2003;� Rossakis CR11;� Bergem #23;� Blau.�� (Last updated 3/22/12)
R23.� Portsmouth Central Library (Portsmouth, England)
Richard Lancelyn Green bequeathed his entire Conan Doyle collection, including his fine copy of Beeton's, to Portsmouth's library service.� It can be found in their online catalogue using "Beetons Christmas" as the title.
�� Richard Lancelyn Green, 1990 � 2004, died 27 March 2004
�� Peter L. Stern, sold in 1990 to Green
�� Marvin P. Epstein, purchased in 1987, died March 1988
�� Otto Penzler, purchased in 1987 and sold to Epstein
�� Private collector in California, sold in 1987 to Penzler
Library Catalog Record: Conan Doyle reference 823 DOY - Z000025715
Exhibited: Portsmouth 125th Holmes Anniversary (24 November 2012 � 31 January 2013)
Photos on my Portsmouth Celebrates 125 Years of Sherlock with Beeton's 1887 page, and a smaller photo in the Collection's Autumn 2005 newsletter (PDF).
Notes: Complete copy in superb condition.� Per Rossakis, includes "I"
References: Beeton's 125 Years ;� Portsmouth City Council 11/20/12 & 8/5/04 press releases;� Library Autumn 2005 newsletter;� Green 12/13/03 e-mail;� Scuttlebutt Aug. 2004, March 2004, March 1988;� Library Online Catalogue;� Rossakis CR1;� Bergem #24;� Blau.�� (Last updated 11/24/12)
Current Owner: Garth Hazlett, Spring 2005 � present (May 2006)
Previous Owners:
�� Peter L. Stern (book dealer), 2001 � Spring 2005
�� Sold at Christie's NY auction, 17 April 2001
�� David Waxman, a book dealer, 1999 � 2000
�� Sold at Phillips, Son & Neale auction, 5 November 1999
�� Private collector in England, ca. 1940 � 1999
Notes: Bound in late 19th century cloth with all text pages (1-144), contents page, and the illustration facing the first page of text, but lacking wrappers, ads and title page.� Private library ink stamps on front free endpaper and blank recto of frontispiece illustration.� Also bound with Bow Bells Annual for 1870.� Without "I"
References: Stock 'Citings' R24a ;� Hazlett 5/1/06 letter to me;� Stern 4/6/05, 10/23/03 e-mail;� Scuttlebutt May 2000;� Rossakis CR26;� Bergem #26 & note.�� (Last updated 7/17/07)
R25.� Not Identified (Liebman copy)
Current Owner: Not Identified
Previous Owners:
�� Charles J. Liebman, sold at auction on Feb. 22, 1995 after his death
�� Claremont (on the Contents leaf)
�� Walter Schatzki (bookseller's slip)
Notes: Bound without wrappers or ads.
References: Scuttlebutt March 1995; Rossakis CR28;� Bergem #27.�� (Last updated 3/22/12)
Current Owner: Not Identified, 12/3/04 � present (December 2004)
Previous Owners:
�� Natalie K. Blair (Mrs. J. Insley Blair), died 1952, sold from her library at auction Dec. 2004
Notes:� Complete copy in good condition, with some wear and loss to front wrapper.� Per Rossakis, without "I"
References: Sotheby's NY 12/3/04 catalog;� Scuttlebutt Dec. 2004; �Rossakis CR7�� (Last updated 3/22/12)
R29.� University of Wyoming (Laramie , Wyoming)
This is part of the Frederick W. Toppan Collection in the Toppan Library at the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center.� It can be found in their online catalog using "Study in Scarlet" as the title.
Library Catalog Record: AHC - Toppan Rare Books PR4622 .D6 1887
Notes: Bound in navy morocco leather by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath with all edges gilt and marbled endpapers.� Includes all text pages 1-138 and frontispiece illustration, but lacks original wrappers, title page, contents page, and advertisements.� Includes "I"
References: Stock 'Citings' R29a ;� Toppan Library staff 8/06 e-mails;� Catalog; Rossakis CR29�� (Last updated 3/21/12)
Current Owner: Private collector, 5/20/08 � present (March 2012)
Previous Owners:
�� Oxfam International (by anonymous donation in 2003, sold in 2008)
�� George Arthur Hodgson (from bookplate)
Notes:� Bound in contemporary half morocco, with title and Contents pages, the frontispiece illustration, the complete text body (pp. 1-138), and some of the back-matter advertisements (pp. 139-144).� It lacks the original wrappers and other advertisements (except those on verso of title and Contents).� Also bound with four other magazine Christmas numbers.� Includes "I"
References: Oxfam Beeton's at Bonhams 2008 ;� Owner's 3/26/12 e-mail;� Bonhams 5/20/08 catalogue;� Scuttlebutt Apr., May 2008;� Rossakis CR30�� (Last updated 3/26/12)
Copy reported by Australian Book Auctions
Current Owner: Not Identified
Previous Owners:
�� Reported as offered by an Australian book dealer in November 2011
�� Reported as purchased in a box of books bought in Victoria, Australia
�� Not owned by John Loder, although offered in an auction with his books
See photos of the binding and title page
Notes:� Bound by Aquarius in half red morocco, with title, Contents, frontispiece illustration and all text.� Includes most advertisements but lacks original wrappers, three leaves of front-matter ads and adverts from pp. 157-168.� Includes "I"
References: Beeton's at Australian Book Auctions 2011 (with additional information);� Australian Book Auctions 30 May 2011 catalog;� Australian Book Auctions staff 6/30/11, 6/2/11, 5/17/11 e-mail;� Book dealer 11/23/11 e-mail;� Rossakis CR32�� (Last updated 3/25/12)
R33.� Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Part of the William B. Wisdom Collection, which also includes the 1888 Study in Scarlet.
Library Catalog Record: Jones Hall Rare Books PR4622 .S76 1887
Notes:� Nearly complete copy, bound in green leather, lacking only the original front cover and frontispiece illustration.� The front-matter advertisements are bound-in at the end along with the original spine (repaired) and back wrapper.� With bookplates of Alain de Suzannet and William B. Wisdom.� Without "I"
References: Stock 'Citings' R33a ;� Tulane staff 3/19/12 e-mail;� Catalog.�� (Last updated 3/20/12)
The following items have been reported but do not qualify as confirmed Beeton's copies for a variety of reasons.� If you have additional information about these copies or know about other copies, please contact me .�
RX1.� The British Library (Copy Destroyed)
The British Library in London served as a copyright depository in 1887 and presumably received its copy of Beeton's at the time of publication.� Although it is still listed in the BLPC online catalog under the title "Study in Scarlet," this copy no longer exists.� References: Catalog;� Bergem reference;� 9/2/02 e-mail to ACD Discussion List from M.C. Black via Bergem;� Blau;� Hall (editorial note).��� (Last updated 11/25/02)
Library website: http://www.bl.uk/
Notes: Destroyed by enemy bombs during World War II.� The record suggests it may have been a bound copy with text only.� (P.P.6704)
RX2.� Yale University (Copy Missing)
See Yale copy R16 for collection and library details.� This copy was reported missing in March 2003 and was still missing in December 2003.� The Orbis catalog entry is somewhat confusing as it also refers to another item (Ia107 B393 13-15) that includes three earlier Beeton's volumes as well as two related volumes.� However, it does not appear that the Holmes issue (Ia107 B393 28) was bound with any other material.� Yale also holds copies R16, R17 and R18 as well as "missing" Yale copy RX3.� References: Yale staff 11/03 and 12/03 e-mails to me;� Constantine Rossakis 4/6/03 phone call;� Catalog;� Bergem #10.��� (Last updated 12/18/03)
Notes: No description available.� Missing copy.� (SML Stacks Ia107 B393 28)
RX3.� Yale University (Missing or ghost copy)
See Yale copy R16 for collection and library details.� This copy (RX3: SML Stacks In D772 887Sc) was reported as having been transferred to Beinecke and given the new call number "Beinecke 1974 89" (Yale copy R17 ).� However, a later message from the Yale staff indicates that this is still under investigation.� The Orbis online catalog entry for "SML Stacks In D772 887Sc" may therefore be for historical purposes and only indicates a "ghost copy," or it may be that RX3 is a distinct copy and is missing.� Yale also holds copies R16, R17 and R18 as well as "missing" Yale copy RX2.� References: Yale staff 11/03 and 12/03 e-mails to me;� Yale staff 11/13/03 phone call;� Constantine Rossakis 4/6/03 phone call;� Catalog;� Bergem #11.��� (Last updated 12/18/03)
Notes: No description available.� Missing or ghost copy.� (SML Stacks In D772 887Sc)
RX4.� York University (Copy Missing)
York University in Toronto, Canada may have held a Beeton's copy.� An 1887 copy is listed in their online catalog under the title "Beetons Christmas" and was apparently held in the regular collections of Scott Library.� However, it was reported missing in September 2003 and the catalog has been revised to show that status.� References: York staff 9/9/03 e-mail to me;� Catalog.� (Last updated 12/20/03)
Notes: No details available.� (AP 101 B4 1887)
RX5.� James Holroyd's copy (possibly R26)
According to an editorial note to Hall's 1963 BSJ article, James Holroyd owned a Beeton's copy in 1963.� It's possible that this is one of those already listed as a confirmed copy, and Richard Lancelyn Green once identified it as copy R26 above.� That copy does match the description of textual variants noted for Holroyd's copy.� References: Personal correspondence;� Hall (editorial note).��� (Last updated 4/6/05)
Notes: The "9" of page "90" was defective.� Includes� "I"
RX6.� University of Colorado (BSI Facsimile)
The Chinook online catalog for the University of Colorado at Boulder lists a copy under the periodical title "Beeton" held in their Special Collections.� While not indicated in the online record, this is actually a BSI facsimile edition.� References: CU staff 9/5/03 e-mail to me;� Catalog.� (Last updated 12/20/03)
Notes: BSI facsimile edition with associated dust jacket.� (AP 101 B4)
RX7.� California State University Chico (No record)
It's been reported that CSU Chico held a copy of Beeton's 1887.� However, there is no record of this in the online catalog and the Department Head of Special Collections stated that they had never held "this particular Annual."� References: CSU staff 12/3/01 e-mail to me;� Catalog.� (Last updated 12/19/03)
RX8.� Rollin Hadley's copy (status unknown)
I've been told that Rollin Van Nostrand Hadley owned a copy of Beeton's.� Hadley, a BSI who died in 1992, had a fine collection of Conan Doyle material including the manuscript for "The Abbey Grange."� He may have purchased his Beeton's from Lew David Feldman, who was a prominent Sherlockian dealer from the 1950s to the 1970s.� A private collector in the Midwest may have purchased this copy in the 1990s.� It's also possible that Vincent Starrett, who definitely owned two other copies ( R4 and R21 ) at different times, once owned this copy as well.
This copy is probably not accounted for on this checklist, but it's not a distinct "confirmed" copy until more details are available or current ownership is verified.
Please contact me if you have any information about this copy.� References: Personal correspondence;� Scuttlebutt Feb. 1992.��� (Last updated 4/6/05)
RX9.� Southern Methodist University (No record)
According to Peter E. Blau, a copy at SMU was listed in OCLC in 1992.� SMU could not locate this copy in 1992, but noted that some materials had been stolen from their collection.� It's possible their 1992 catalog entry was in error.� As of 2012, there is no OCLC entry for a Beeton's at SMU and no entry in the SMU library catalog.� References: Peter Blau 5/28/11, 5/23/11 e-mail; Catalogs.�� (Last updated 3/27/12)
RX10.� Carl H. Anderson - First Copy (Destroyed)
Carl Anderson purchased his first Beeton's from England via Philadelphia book dealer Mabel Zahn.� It was bound up with other material, and destroyed with Anderson's library in a 1960 fire.� He acquired his second copy ( R15 ) when he bought Edgar W. Smith's collection from Smith's widow.� References: Peter Blau 5/28/11 e-mail.�� (Last updated 3/27/12)
Current Owner: A "Private Collector" is identified but requested anonymity for this online census
Copy Descriptions: Descriptions are based on multiple sources, and where conflicting, rely on the most authoritative source(s).� Points from library online catalogs are used only when no other sources were available.
"Complete" copies: May be bound, but must have original wrappers (excluding the spine) and all leaves present.�� Some leaves may have minor restoration or small pieces missing.
Library Catalog Record: Provides the call number and, when available, a permalink to the online record.� I also list the search field and term used to locate the copy at the beginning of the entry for each library copy.
Other Checklists: Rossakis (2011), Bergem (2002), and Blau (1987) may provide additional information on subjects or points not covered in this checklist.� Where our entries conflict, I believe this checklist contains more current information.� All their copies are cross-referenced in the relevant entry here.
References: Lists the principle references for each copy.� Some entries include links to additional information and sources about that copy.
Dates: Abbreviated dates are given in the American form of month/day/year.�
Private/ Unique Copies: Multiple sources indicate that all entries reflect distinct copies, even when the current owner is not known.� It's likely that a few privately held copies are not yet identified on this checklist.� If you know of other copies or have additional information about the ones listed here, please contact me .�
Occasionally people prefer that some of the information they provide, or their identity, be kept private.� I've done that for them and would similarly respect your wishes.
Sources & Acknowledgements
This checklist accounts for and cross-references all copies identified by Rossakis (2011), Bergem (2002), and Blau (1987), and it includes copies not listed in their reports.� While it contains some corrections and updates to their information, their reports have other useful material that is not repeated here.� See also the Key to Census Entries & Terms .
Bergem, Phillip G .� "The 1887 Beeton�s Christmas Annual: A History and Current Census."� The Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota Christmas Annual 2002, (December 2002): 8-18.� This update to Blau's 1987 census includes a short history of the magazine, a collation for the 1887 issue, and a table with 28 numbered copies along with their descriptions and prior ownership information.� The copies in the article are cross-referenced in this checklist, but Bergem's table includes additional provenance and descriptive material.
Blau, Peter E .� "Prolegomenon to a Census of Beeton's Christmas Annual."� Baker Street Miscellanea, No. 52 (Winter 1987): 16-19.� A preliminary census identifies 14 copies and notes that 10 others have been reported.� While Bergem's 2002 article updates the census, this article remains a useful reference for its provenance information and collecting anecdotes.� This article is on the BSM CD-ROM .
De Waal, Ronald Burt.� The Universal Sherlock Holmes. Edited by George A. Vanderburgh.� Foreword by John Bennett Shaw.� Illustrated by Betty and George Wells. Toronto: Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library, 1994.� The ultimate guide to all things Sherlockian indexes Beeton's as C1226 and the associated facsimiles as C1227, C1228, and C1229.� It's available from George Vanderburgh's Battered Silicon Dispatch Box website .� An electronic version of this work is available online from the University of Minnesota .
Green, Richard Lancelyn, and John Michael Gibson. A Bibliography of A. Conan Doyle.� First revised edition.� New York: Hudson House, 2000.� The definitive Conan Doyle bibliography recounts the relevant publication history on pages 9-11 and 713.� Gibson produced the Centenary Facsimile noted elsewhere.
Hall, William S.� "An Enquiry into the Nature of a Certain Nineteenth Century Beeton's Christmas Annual." The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 13, No. 2 (June 1963): 112-114.� (BSJ CD-ROM Disk 2, file 68).� Hall highlights some differences between the BSI facsimile of Beeton's and the original.� Purchase information for the BSJ CD-ROM is available from the Baker Street Journal website.
Occidental College.� Special Collections Department.� Photo of Beeton's cover from the Guymon Collection, used with permission.
Pollock, Donald K. and Jon L. Lellenberg.� "A Study in Scarlet: The Early Critics."� Baker Street Miscellanea, No. 52 (Winter 1987): 1-5.� Briefly describes copy R19 and provides excerpts of some reviews pasted into this copy.� This article is on the BSM CD-ROM .
Pull, John, ed.� A Catalogue of Sherlockian Books and Manuscripts.� Boston: The Speckled Band, 1994.� This catalogue lists material at Harvard including the Beeton's deposited by The Speckled Band of Boston.
Rossakis, Constantine .� "A Re-Enquiry into the Nature of a Certain Nineteenth Century Beeton's Christmas Annual: Determination of the True First Issue."� The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 61, No. 4 (Winter 2011): 6-16.� Rossakis checks 30 copies for the "I" in "I fancy" on page 90, as well as other points, and concludes copies that "lack the 'I' of 'I fancy...' and have a complete or nearly complete '9' character on page 90, are the true first edition, first issue run."� He also classifies copies as complete and unrestored; unbound and restored, or bound and incomplete.� His copy numbers CR1-CR32 are cross-referenced with each entry above.� Article reprints are available at the BSJ website .
Russell , Richard and Elaine Gross Russell.� Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide.� Iola, Wisconsin: kp books, 2005.� Includes more than 1,000 full-color photos, capsule histories of magazines and people who make issues collectible, and average retail prices for many issues.� More details on Amazon .
Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press by Peter E. Blau, various issues.� This invaluable Sherlockian newsletter is available online for 1985+ via < http://redcircledc.org/index.php?id=39 >.
Stanford University.� Department of Special Collections, Green Library.� One bound copy of Beeton's.
Stock, Randall.� "Stock 'Citings': Updates on Copies of Beeton's Christmas Annual."� Privately published, 2012, < http://www.bestofsherlock.com/ref/stockcit.htm > (March 28, 2012).� This supplement to the checklist provides additional notes on newly identified copies and significant new information on widely-known copies.�
Stock, Randall.� "A Sherlock Holmes Census: What's Really Out There." In Papers at an Exhibition, edited by Peter X. Accardo, John Bergquist, and Dan Posnansky, 175-200.� New York: The Baker Street Irregulars in cooperation with Houghton Library, 2009.� Discusses how a census is constructed, provides details and history on a number of copies, and includes a condensed version of this census.� Based on a paper presented at the Harvard Conan Doyle Symposium in May 2009.
University of Minnesota.� The Sherlock Holmes Collections, Elmer L. Anderson Library.� Four copies of Beeton's.
For background on Samuel Beeton and a short history of his Christmas Annual, see Bergem's article and/or "Mr. and Mrs. Beeton's Christmas Annual" by Mary S. Cameron in the 1957 BSJ Christmas Annual (also on the BSJ CD-ROM).� Robert Veld's "Beeton's Christmas Annual: Enter Sherlock Holmes" in The Passengers' Log, Vol. 10, No. 4 (7 August 2007), pp. 9-16 provides an excellent illustrated review of the 1887 edition, its history, its facsimiles, and Beeton's in Australia.
I started this checklist in the fall of 2001 and expanded it in November 2001 as a result of an online discussion of A Study In Scarlet with The Hounds of the Internet .� The checklist was first posted in December 2002 for the Hounds next discussion of the story.� The December 2003 edition was reformatted and included a number of revisions and additions.� The edition for the April 2005 discussion lists one additional copy and updates ownership and descriptions for many entries.� A November 2005 revision includes new details about the copies at the University of Minnesota and about the facsimile editions.� The June 2006 edition provides new information about the Hazlett copy and the three Yale copies, along with minor updates on a few others.� An August 2007 revision added two more copies, updated the Pond copy, and included new details about several others.� The October 2008 census added one more copy to the list and new details on five other copies.� A May 2010 update provided minor details on three copies along with info about the Sotheby's auction of R20.� The March 2012 census added copies R32 and R33, and updated most of the existing entries.� A minor update for November 2012 included more details on five copies, highlighted by the 125th Anniversary of Sherlock Holmes at Portsmouth (R23).
As noted in the checklist entries, staff members at many of the libraries and some auction houses provided invaluable assistance.� The Occidental College Special Collections Department also made this checklist better by allowing me to include a photo of their copy.� Thanks go to Beth Bogle (University of Minnesota), Jane Carpenter (Newberry Library), Gavin de Lacy (Australian Book Auctions), Elizabeth Frengel (Yale), Ken Hernden (York University), Timothy Johnson (University of Minnesota), Bill Jones (CSU Chico), Jessica Jones (Tulane), Stephen C. Jones (Yale), Anne Marie Lane (University of Wyoming), Simon Luterbacher (Bloomsbury Auctions), James L. Mitchell (National Library of Scotland), John Mustain (Stanford), Judy Parker (Yale), Simon Roberts (Bonhams), Peter Selley (Sotheby's), Mike Sutherland (Occidental College), Jenny Schwartzberg (Newberry Library), Michelle Visser (University of Colorado), John Walwyn-Jones (Bonhams), and Sarah Wheale (Oxford).
In addition, many private collectors and Sherlockians graciously offered their expertise and knowledge.� I'm indebted to Bill Barnes, Rosie Beer, Phillip Bergem, John Bergquist, Peter E. Blau, Steve Clarkson, Alan Denner, Doug Elliott, Richard Lancelyn Green, Hugh Harrington, Garth Hazlett, Les Klinger, Jon Lellenberg, Ken Lowe, Jerry Margolin, Randee Mia, Constantine Rossakis, Peter L. Stern, Dr. Richard Sveum, Carolyn Tate, Nick Utechin, Robert Veld, , Ian Wood, Doug Wrigglesworth and others who preferred to remain anonymous.
While this checklist could never have been made without everyone's help, I am solely responsible for any errors or omissions.� If I omitted your name, please be assured it was inadvertent and let me know so I can correct it.
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In which city in Texas is the fortress known as 'The Alamo', to be found? | Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - E-bok (9780307834409) | Bokus
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume I
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Sherlock HolmesThe Complete Novels and StoriesVolume ISince his first appearance in Beetons Christmas Annual in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created. Now, in two paperback volumes, Bantam presents all fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Conan Doyles classic hero--a truly complete collection of Sherlock Holmess adventures in crime!Volume I includes the early novel A Study in Scarlet, which introduced the eccentric genius of Sherlock Holmes to the world. This baffling murder mystery, with the cryptic word Rache written in blood, first brought Holmes together with Dr. John Watson. Next, The Sign of Four presents Holmess famous seven percent solution and the strange puzzle of Mary Morstan in the quintessential locked-room mystery. Also included are Holmess feats of extraordinary detection in such famous cases as the chilling The Adventure of the Speckled Band, the baffling riddle of The Musgrave Ritual, and the ingeniously plotted The Five Orange Pips, tales that bring to life a Victorian England of horse-drawn cabs, fogs, and the famous lodgings at 221B Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes earned his undisputed reputation as the greatest fictional detective of all time.
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Which famousfictional character was first introduced in a December 1927 edition of 'The Royal Magazine'? | Jane Marple | Agatha Christie Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Edit
Miss Jane Marple is an elderly lady who lives in the little English village of St. Mary Mead. She looks like an ordinary old lady, dressed neatly in tweed and is frequently seen knitting or pulling weeds in her garden. Miss Marple sometimes comes across as confused or "fluffy", but when it comes to solving mysteries, she has a sharp logical mind, and an almost unmatched understanding of human nature with all its weaknesses, strengths, quirks and foibles. In the detective story tradition, she often embarrasses the local "professional" police by solving mysteries that have them stumped.
The name Miss Marple was derived from the name of the railway station in Marple, on the Manchester to Sheffield Hope Valley line, at which Agatha Christie was once delayed long enough to have actually noticed the sign.
The character of Jane Marple in the first Miss Marple book, The Murder at the Vicarage , is markedly different from how she appears in later books. This early version of Miss Marple is a gleeful gossip and not an especially nice woman. The citizens of St. Mary Mead like her but are often tired by her nosy nature and how she seems to expect the worst of everyone. In later books she becomes more modern and a kinder person.
Miss Marple never married and has no close living relatives. Vicarage introduced Miss Marple's nephew, the "well-known author" Raymond West . His wife Joan (initially called Joyce), a modern artist, was introduced in 1933 in The Thirteen Problems. Raymond tends to be overconfident in himself and underestimates Miss Marple's mental powers. In her later years, Miss Marple has a live-in companion named Cherry Baker , who was first introduced in The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side.
Miss Marple is able to solve difficult crimes not only because of her shrewd intelligence, but because St. Mary Mead, over her lifetime, has given her seemingly infinite examples of the negative side of human nature. No crime can arise without reminding Miss Marple of some parallel incident in the history of her time. Miss Marple's acquaintances are sometimes bored by her frequent analogies to people and events from St. Mary Mead, but these analogies often lead Miss Marple to a deeper realization about the true nature of a crime.
Miss Marple also had a remarkably thorough education, including some art courses that involved study of human anatomy through the study of human cadavers. Although she looks like a sweet, frail old woman, Miss Marple is not afraid of dead bodies and is not easily intimidated. She also has a remarkable ability to latch onto a casual comment and connect it to the case at hand.
This education, history, and experience are hinted at in the Margaret Rutherford films, in which Miss Marple mentions her awards at marksmanship and fencing (although these hints are played for comedic value).
Christie wrote a concluding novel to her Marple series, Sleeping Murder , in 1940. She locked it away in a bank vault so it would be safe should she be killed in The Blitz. The novel was not published until shortly after Christie's death in 1976, some thirty-six years after it was originally written.
While Miss Marple is described as 'an old lady' in many of the stories, her age is never mentioned. Excluding "Sleeping Murder", forty-one years passed between the first and last-written novels, and many characters grow and age. An example would be the Vicar's son. At the end of The Murder at the Vicarage, the Vicar's wife is pregnant. In The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, it is mentioned that the son is now grown, successful and has a career. The effects of aging are seen on Miss Marple, such as needing vacation after illness in A Caribbean Mystery or finding she can no longer knit due to poor eyesight in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side.
Novels featuring Miss Marple
Edit
Although popular from her first appearance in 1930, Jane Marple had to wait thirty-two years for her first big-screen appearance. When she made it, the results were found disappointing to Christie purists and Christie herself. Murder, She Said (1962, directed by George Pollock) was the first of four British MGM productions starring Dame Margaret Rutherford , a magnificent comic actress but too boisterous and loud to fit the prim and birdlike character Christie created in her novels. This first film was based on the 1957 novel 4:50 from Paddington (U.S. title, What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!), and the changes made in the plot were typical of the series. In the film, Mrs. McGillicuddy does not see anything because there is no Mrs. McGillicuddy. Miss Marple herself sees an apparent murder committed on a train running alongside hers. Likewise, it is Miss Marple herself who poses as a maid to find out the facts of the case, not a young friend of hers who has made a business of it.It is interesting that Joan Hickson played the part of the home help in this film so can claim to have appeared in two Miss Marple series.
The other Rutherford films (all directed by George Pollock) were Murder at the Gallop (1963), based on the 1953 Hercule Poirot novel After the Funeral (In this film, she is identified as Miss JTV Marple, though there were no indication as to what the extra initials might stand for); Murder Most Foul (1964), based on the 1952 Poirot novel Mrs McGinty's Dead ; and Murder Ahoy! (1964). The last film is not based on any Christie work but displays a few plot elements from They Do It With Mirrors (viz., the ship is used as a reform school for wayward boys and one of the teachers uses them as a crime force), and there is a kind of salute to The Mousetrap. Rutherford also appeared briefly as Miss Marple in the spoof Hercule Poirot adventure The Alphabet Murders (1965).
Rutherford, who was 70 years-old when the first film was made, insisted that she wore her own clothes during the filming of the movie, as well as having her real-life husband, Stringer Davis appear alongside her as the character 'Mr Stringer'. The Rutherford films are frequently repeated on television in Germany, and in that country Miss Marple is generally identified with Rutherford's quirky portrayal. Each of the Margaret Rutherford "Marples" is wonderfully entertaining, but they simply aren't Christie.
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In 1980, Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd (EMI, directed by Guy Hamilton), based on Christie's 1962 novel. However, Lansbury is only on screen for a short time, the bulk of the film being taken up with the machinations of an all-star cast that included Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Geraldine Chaplin, Tony Curtis, and Kim Novak. Edward Fox appeared as Inspector Craddock, who did Miss Marple's legwork. Lansbury's Marple was a crisp, intelligent woman who moved stiffly and spoke in clipped tones. Unlike most incarnations of Miss Marple, this one smoked cigarettes.
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In 1983, Estonian stage and film actress Ita Ever starred in the Russian language film adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel A Pocket Full of Rye (using the Russian edition's translated title, The Secret of the Blackbirds) as the character of Miss Marple.
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American stage and screen legend Helen Hayes portrayed Miss Marple in two American made-for-TV movies, both for CBS: A Caribbean Mystery (1983) and Murder with Mirrors (1984). Sue Grafton contributed to the screenplay of the former. Hayes's Marple was benign and chirpy.
Rakhee
The Bengali actress Rakhee played Miss Marple in the 2003 film Shubho Mahurat , the Indian film adaption of The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side directed by Rituparno Ghosh.
Television, stage and radio adaptations
Edit
American TV was the setting for the first dramatic portrayal of Miss Marple. Gracie Fields , a legendary British actress, played her in a 1956 episode of Goodyear TV Playhouse based on A Murder Is Announced, the 1950 Christie novel.
In 1970, the character of Miss Marple was portrayed by Inge Langen in a West German television adaptation of The Murder at the Vicarage (Mord im Pfarrhaus).
In September 1977, veteran actress and authoress Dulcie Gray played the Miss Marple character in a stage adaptation of A Murder Is Announced at the Vaudeville Theatre in London, England.
From 1984 to 1992, the BBC adapted all of the original Miss Marple novels as a series titled Miss Marple . Joan Hickson played the lead role. (Coincidentally, Hickson had played a cook in the first film in which Margaret Rutherford played Miss Marple.) These programs, which are actually a set of 12 feature-length TV movies rather than a TV series in the usual sense, followed the plots of the original novels more closely than previous film and television adaptations had, and Joan Hickson has come to be regarded by many as the definitive Miss Marple (indeed Agatha Christie herself once remarked years earlier that she would like Joan Hickson to play Miss Marple).
Angela Lansbury , after playing Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd, went on to star in the TV series Murder, She Wrote as Jessica Fletcher, a mystery novelist who also solves crimes. The character was based in part on Miss Marple and another Christie character, Ariadne Oliver .
Starting in 2004, ITV broadcast a new series of adaptations of Agatha Christie's books under the title Agatha Christie's Marple , usually referred to as Marple, with Geraldine McEwan in the lead role until her retirement after the third series. She will be replaced with actress Julia McKenzie . The adaptions are notable for changing the plots and characters of the original books (e.g. incorporating lesbian affairs, changing killer identities, re-naming or removing significant characters, and even using stories from other books where Miss Marple didn't originally feature). Two series have so far aired, with a third yet to finish airing in the UK.
From 2004 to 2005, Japanese TV network NHK produced a 39 episode anime series titled Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple , which features both Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot . Miss Marple's voice is provided by Kaoru Yachigusa.
Radio
BBC Radio 4 dramatised all of the novels from 1993-2001 with June Whitfield as Miss Marple.
Gallery
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In which Europeancity would you find the giant monument called 'The Atomium'? | Miss Marple - WOW.com
Miss Marple
Illustration by Gilbert Wilkinson of Miss Marple (December 1927 issue of The Royal Magazine)
First appearance
Isabella Parriss (playing young Miss Marple)
Julie Cox (playing Miss Marple as a young woman.)
Information
Lady Ethel Merridew (cousin) [2]
Thomas (uncle)
British
Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in 12 of Agatha Christie 's crime novels and in 20 short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective . Alongside Hercule Poirot , she is one of the most loved and famous of Christie's characters and has been portrayed numerous times on screen. Her first appearance was in a short story published in The Royal Magazine in December 1927, " The Tuesday Night Club ", [3] which later became the first chapter of The Thirteen Problems (1932). Her first appearance in a full-length novel was in The Murder at the Vicarage in 1930.
Contents
13 External links
Origins
The character of Miss Marple is based on Christie's step grandmother, or her Aunt (Margaret West), and her cronies. [4] Agatha Christie attributed the inspiration for the character of Miss Marple to a number of sources, stating that Miss Marple was "the sort of old lady who would have been rather like some of my step grandmother's Ealing cronies – old ladies whom I have met in so many villages where I have gone to stay as a girl". [5] Christie also used material from her fictional creation, spinster Caroline Sheppard, who appeared in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd . When Michael Morton adapted the novel for the stage, he replaced the character of Caroline with a young girl. This change saddened Christie and she determined to give old maids a voice: Miss Marple was born. [6]
There is no definitive source for the derivation of the name 'Marple'. [7] The most common explanation is that the name was taken from Marple railway station in Stockport , through which Christie passed. Alternatively, Christie may have taken the name from a family named Marple, who lived at Marple Hall near her sister Madge's home at Abney Hall. [7] [8]
Character
The character of Jane Marple in the first Miss Marple book, The Murder at the Vicarage , is markedly different from how she appears in later books. This early version of Miss Marple is a gleeful gossip and not an especially nice woman. The citizens of St. Mary Mead like her but are often tired by her nosy nature and how she seems to expect the worst of everyone. In later books she becomes more modern and a kinder person.
Miss Marple solves difficult crimes because of her shrewd intelligence, and St. Mary Mead, over her lifetime, has given her seemingly infinite examples of the negative side of human nature. Crimes always remind her of a parallel incident, although acquaintances may be bored by analogies that often lead her to a deeper realization about the true nature of a crime. She also has a remarkable ability to latch onto a casual comment and connect it to the case at hand. In several stories, she is able to rely on her acquaintance with Sir Henry Clithering , a retired commissioner of the Metropolitan Police , for official information when required.
Miss Marple never married and has no close living relatives. Her nephew, the "well-known author" Raymond West appears in some stories including Sleeping Murder and Ingots of Gold, which also feature his wife Joan, a modern artist (though prior to their marriage she is referred to as "Joyce Lemprière", in the The Thirteen Problems stories). Raymond overestimates himself and underestimates his aunt's mental acuity. Miss Marple employs young women (Clara, Emily, Alice, Esther, Gwenda and Amy) from a nearby orphanage, whom she trains for service as general housemaids after the retirement of her long-time maid-housekeeper faithful Florence. She was briefly looked after by her irritating maid, Miss Knight. In her later years, companion Cherry Baker, first introduced in The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side, lives in.
Miss Marple has never worked for her living and is of independent means, although she benefits in her old age from the financial support of Raymond West, her nephew ( A Caribbean Mystery , 1964). She is not herself from the aristocracy or landed gentry, but is quite at home among them and would probably have been happy to describe herself as "genteel"; indeed, a gentlewoman . Miss Marple may thus be considered a female version of that staple of British detective fiction, the gentleman detective . She demonstrates a remarkably thorough education, including some art courses that involved study of human anatomy through the study of human cadavers. In They Do It with Mirrors (1952), it is revealed that Miss Marple grew up in a cathedral close , and that she studied at an Italian finishing school with Americans Ruth Van Rydock and Caroline "Carrie" Louise Serrocold.
While Miss Marple is described as 'an old lady' in many of the stories, her age is mentioned in "At Bertram's Hotel", where it is said she visited the hotel when she was fourteen and almost sixty years have passed since then. Excluding "Sleeping Murder", 41 years passed between the first and last-written novels, and many characters grow and age. An example would be the Vicar's nephew: in The Murder at the Vicarage, the Reverend Clement's nephew Dennis is a teenager; in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, it is mentioned that the nephew is now grown and successful and has a career. The effects of ageing are seen on Miss Marple, such as needing a holiday after illness in A Caribbean Mystery .
Little is known about Marple's background, except that she has two younger sisters. One of them is the mother of Raymond , and the other is mother to Mabel Denham, a young woman who was accused of poisoning her husband Geoffrey ( The Thumb Mark of St. Peter ).
Novels featuring Miss Marple
Sleeping Murder (written around 1940, published 1976)
Miss Marple short story collections
The Thirteen Problems (1932 short story collection featuring Miss Marple, also published as The Tuesday Club Murders)
Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories (short stories collected posthumously, also published as Miss Marple's Final Cases, but only six of the eight stories actually feature Miss Marple) (written between 1939 and 1954, published 1979)
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories, published 1985, includes 20 from 4 sets: The Tuesday Club Murders , The Regatta Mystery , Three Blind Mice and Other Stories , and Double Sin and Other Stories .
Miss Marple also appears in Greenshaw's Folly, a short story traditionally included as part of the Poirot collection The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960). Four stories in the Three Blind Mice collection (1950) feature Miss Marple: Strange Jest, Tape-Measure Murder, The Case of the Caretaker, and The Case of the Perfect Maid.
The Autograph edition of Miss Marple's Final Cases includes the 8 in the original plus Greenshaw's Folly.
Books about Miss Marple
The Life and Times of Miss Jane Marple – a biography by Anne Hart
Films
Margaret Rutherford
Although popular from her first appearance in 1930, Jane Marple had to wait thirty-two years for her first big-screen appearance, starring Margaret Rutherford . These were popular and successful light comedies, but were disappointing to Christie herself. Nevertheless, Agatha Christie dedicated the novel The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side to Rutherford.
Rutherford presented the character as a bold and eccentric old lady, different from the prim and birdlike character Christie created in her novels. As penned by Christie, Miss Marple has never worked for a living, but the character as portrayed by Margaret Rutherford briefly works as a cook, a stage actress, a sailor and is offered the chance to run a riding establishment-cum-hotel. Her education and genteel background are hinted at when she mentions her awards at marksmanship, fencing and equestrianism (although these hints are played for comedic value).
Murder, She Said (1961, directed by George Pollock ) was the first of four British MGM productions starring Rutherford. This first film was based on the 1957 novel 4:50 from Paddington (U.S. title, What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!), and the changes made in the plot were typical of the series. In the film, Mrs. McGillicuddy is cut from the plot. Miss Marple herself sees an apparent murder committed on a train running alongside hers. Likewise, it is Miss Marple herself who poses as a maid to find out the facts of the case, not a young friend of hers who has made a business of it.
The other Rutherford films, all directed by Pollock, were Murder at the Gallop (1963), based on the 1953 Hercule Poirot novel After the Funeral (in this film, she is identified as Miss JTV Marple, though there was no indication as to what the extra initials might stand for); Murder Most Foul (1964), based on the 1952 Poirot novel Mrs McGinty's Dead ; and Murder Ahoy! (1964). The last film is not based on any Christie work but displays a few plot elements from They Do It With Mirrors (viz., the ship is used as a reform school for wayward boys and one of the teachers uses them as a crime force), and there is a kind of salute to The Mousetrap. Rutherford also appeared briefly as Miss Marple in the spoof Hercule Poirot adventure The Alphabet Murders (1965).
The music to all four films was composed and conducted by Ron Goodwin and is still played on radio today. The same theme is used on all four films with slight variations on each. The main theme has a distinct 1960s feel to it and is known to be a highly complex piece of music due to the quick playing of the violin . The score was written within a couple of weeks by Goodwin who was approached by Pollock after Pollock had heard about him from Stanley Black . Black had worked with Pollock on "Stranger in Town" in 1957 and had previously used Goodwin as his orchestrator.
Rutherford, who was 70 years old when the first film was made, insisted that she wear her own clothes during the filming of the movie, as well as having her real-life husband, Stringer Davis , appear alongside her as the character 'Mr Stringer'. The Rutherford films are frequently repeated on television in Germany, and in that country Miss Marple is generally identified with Rutherford's quirky portrayal. [9]
Angela Lansbury
In 1980, Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd (EMI, directed by Guy Hamilton ), based on Christie's 1962 novel. The film featured an all-star cast that included Elizabeth Taylor , Rock Hudson , Geraldine Chaplin , Tony Curtis , and Kim Novak . Edward Fox appeared as Inspector Craddock, who did Miss Marple's legwork. Lansbury's Marple was a crisp, intelligent woman who moved stiffly and spoke in clipped tones. Unlike most incarnations of Miss Marple, this one smoked cigarettes.
Lansbury later starred in the TV series Murder, She Wrote as Jessica Fletcher , a mystery novelist who also solves crimes. The character of Jessica Fletcher is thought [9] to be based on a combination of Miss Marple, Agatha Christie herself, and another Christie character, Ariadne Oliver , who often appears in the Hercule Poirot mysteries.
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes starred in two Miss Marple films for television: A Caribbean Mystery (1983) and Murder with Mirrors (1985), near the end of her decades long acting career. She had earlier appeared in a TV movie adaptation of the non-Marple Christie story Murder Is Easy, playing an elderly lady somewhat similar to Miss Marple.
Ita Ever
In 1983, Estonian stage and film actress Ita Ever starred in the Russian language film adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel A Pocket Full of Rye (using the Russian edition's translated title, The Secret of the Blackbirds) as the character of Miss Marple. [10]
Television
American TV was the setting for the first dramatic portrayal of Miss Marple with Gracie Fields , the legendary British actress, playing her in a 1956 episode of Goodyear TV Playhouse based on A Murder Is Announced, the 1950 Christie novel.
In 1970, the character of Miss Marple was portrayed by Inge Langen in a West German television adaptation of The Murder at the Vicarage (Mord im Pfarrhaus). [10]
American stage and screen actress Helen Hayes portrayed Miss Marple in two American made-for-TV movies, both for CBS : A Caribbean Mystery (1983) and Murder with Mirrors (1985). Sue Grafton contributed to the screenplay of the former. Hayes's Marple was benign and chirpy.
In 2015, CBS plans a "much younger" version of the character, a granddaughter who takes over a California bookstore. [11]
Joan Hickson
Main article: Miss Marple (TV series)
From 1984 to 1992, the BBC adapted all of the original Miss Marple novels as a series titled Miss Marple. Joan Hickson played the lead role. In the 1940s, Joan appeared on-stage in an Agatha Christie play, Appointment with Death , which was seen by Christie who wrote in a note to her, "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple". [12] (Coincidentally, Hickson had played a housekeeper in Murder, She Said , the first film in which Margaret Rutherford played Miss Marple.) [12] In addition she portrayed a maid in the 1937 film, Love from a Stranger , which starred Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone, another Agatha Christie play adaptation. As well as portraying Miss Marple on television, Hickson also narrated a number of Miss Marple stories on audio books. In the "Binge!" article of Entertainment Weekly Issue #1343-44 (26 December 2014–3 January 2015), the writers picked Hickson as "Best Marple" in the "Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple" timeline. [13]
Listing of the TV series featuring Joan Hickson:
Main article: Agatha Christie's Marple
Beginning in 2004, ITV broadcast a series of adaptations of Agatha Christie's books under the title Agatha Christie's Marple, usually referred to as Marple. Geraldine McEwan starred in the first three series. Julia McKenzie took over the role in the fourth season.
The adaptations are notable for changing the plots and characters of the original books (e.g. incorporating lesbian affairs, changing the identities of some killers, renaming or removing significant characters, and even using stories from other books in which Miss Marple did not originally feature). In the Geraldine McEwan series it is revealed that when she was young, Miss Marple had an affair with a married soldier, Captain Ainsworth, who was killed in action in World War I, in December 1915. It is also said (in A Murder Is Announced ) that she served as a nurse during World War II.
Listing of the TV series featuring Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie:
1
8 December 2001
Miss Marple was also referred to several times in the episode "Paris" of the BBC Radio 4 comedy programme Cabin Pressure .
Other appearances
Marple, as she appeared in volume 20 of Case Closed
Marple was highlighted in volume 20 of the Case Closed manga's edition of "Gosho Aoyama's Mystery Library", a section of the graphic novels (usually the last page) where the author introduces a different detective (or occasionally, a villain) from mystery literature, television, or other media.
In the 1976 Neil Simon spoof Murder By Death , Miss Marple is parodied as "Miss Marbles" by Elsa Lanchester .
See also
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Which village on the Wirral Penisula was built in 1888 to house workers at the Lever Brothers factory? | Port Sunlight Village, England - The Fabulous Times- Lifestyle BlogThe Fabulous Times- Lifestyle Blog
Port Sunlight Village, England
Published April 12, 2015 | By Christine
Port Sunlight is a model village suburb on the Wirral Peninsula near Cheshire. We spent a day exploring the picturesque village and taking in some culture at the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
Port Sunlight was built in 1888 by the Lever Brothers to house the workers of their thriving soap factory, some of you may be familiar with Sunlight Soap?
Port Sunlight contains an incredible 900 Grade II listed buildings, walking around it’s like walking into a classic English period drama.
Port Sunlight is perfectly maintained with razor sharp manicured lawns, two bowling greens, fabulous flowerbeds and lots of green communal space for the residents to enjoy such a pretty village.
William Lever personally supervised the planning of the village, including allotments, a cottage hospital, the Lady Lever Art Gallery, schools, concert hall, an open air swimming pool, church and temperance hotel as well as 800 houses were built to house 3,500 residents.
Lever championed education and entertainment among his workforce and encouraged recreational organisations that promoted art, science, literature and music.
Walking around it’s impressive to see such a unique array of properties that sit together so beautifully. Each block of houses was designed by a different architect. The back of the houses cannot be seen from the road and each house is unique in terms of architectural features, so different to the identikit Victorian workers terraces in Yorkshire and Lancashire!
Opened by Princess Beatrice in 1922 The Lady Lever Art Gallery was designed to house Lever’s art collection. Today the art gallery has a brilliant selection from the traditional collection right through to the modern-day pieces including furniture, paintings, sculptures and ceramics. Walking up to the huge art gallery it reminded me of some of the buildings in Washington, America with the large columns and grand scale.
Following our jaunt around the Lady Lever Art Gallery we headed to the only pub in the village and enjoyed the sunshine. Walking around the village I couldn’t help but feel like I was featuring in an episode of Mid Sommer Murders and half expected to bump in to Detective Inspector Barnaby.
If you’re a history lover looking for a fascinating step back in time I’d recommend a day out in Port Sunlight, if you’re into art then the Lady Lever Gallery is well worth a visit too.
Happy travels
| Port Sunlight |
Which King of England was imprisoned by the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI, and held for a ransom of 150,000 marks? | 44 Property for sale in Bebington | Adzuna
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Bebington
The small town of Bebington lies on the Wirral Peninsula, just south of Birkenhead. It has excellent rail transport links to both Birkenhead and Liverpool, with easy access to the M53 motorway. Around 13,000 people call Bebington home.
If you're looking for Victorian terraces or townhouses, try the New Ferry and Rock Ferry districts. The rest of Bebington is characterised by 1930s and 1950s housing, with some more modern and recent new building, too. Try lower Bebington if you're in the market for a flat or an apartment. The Bebington Village area might suit, if you want to be close to shops and amenities.
Bebington is also famous for Port Sunlight, a model village built by the Lever Brothers in 1888 to house workers at their soap factory. Port Sunlight is now a suburb of Lower Bebington, with many charming, picturesque, red-brick cottages, surrounded by 130 acres of parkland. Today, Port Sunlight is a conservation area and nearly every building is Grade II listed.
Bebington offers a modest range of local shops, around Church Road and Village Road, as well as plenty of open green space, with no less than 18 public parks and gardens.
Fun facts for Property in Bebington
76% of the live properties are houses, however 24% of them are flats.
Agents presently offering property available in Bebington include Whitegates, Clive Watkin.
The average house price for Bebington flats and houses is currently £152,738, 58% lower than the national average value for all homes which is £363,165.
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Andros, Naxos, and Syros all belong to which Greek island group? | Best Beaches in Cyclades islands - Greeka.com
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List with the best 10 beaches in Cyclades
In any case, all Cyclades beaches have its own special charm. Either organized like the beaches of Mykonos and Paros, or secluded like the fantastic beaches in Amorgos and Folegandros, they provide fantastic location for relaxing and enjoying the Greek sun. Discover the best beaches in Cyclades: Super Paradise in Mykonos, Plaka in Naxos, Kolymbithres in Paros, Tsigrado in Milos, and more.
1. Super Paradise beach in Mykonos island
Super Paradise beach in Mykonos island is among the most beautiful beaches in Cyclades and generally in Greece. This is a large bay on the south eastern side of Mykonos. One side is organized with sunbeds, umbrellas, beach bars, taverns and watersports, and this is the most popular part of the beach. There is also a more secluded side with fewer tourists. The soft golden sand and the crystal water makes Super Paradise among the most fantastic beaches in Cyclades islands.
Super Paradise beach
2. Plaka beach in Naxos island
Plaka beach in Naxos island is among the largest beaches in Cyclades. With soft white sand and exotic waters, it attracts many visitors but it never gets packed due to its large size. Some parts of Plaka beach are organized with sunbeds, umbrellas, taverns and watersports, but the largest part of the beach is not organized and ideal for total relaxation and privacy.
Plaka beach
3. Tsigrado beach in Milos island
Located on the southern side of Milos island , Tsigrado beach is difficult to reach but totally worth the effort. The soft white sand and the amazing water of Tsigrado make a fantastic place to swim. This beach is totally unorganized and visitors should take their own supplies with them. In order to reach this stunning place, people have to get down to the beach through a short cliff.
Tsigrado beach
4. Mylopotas beach in Ios island
Located in close distance to the port and main capital of Ios , Mylopotas is the most popular beach on the island. Due to the many watersports centres and the beach bars that line up the sandy coast, Mylopotas is a great place for young visitors. Many beach parties are organized in summer nights, creating a cheerful atmosphere. The soft golden sand and the crystal waters of Mylopotas attract many tourists.
Mylopotas beach
5. Elia beach in Mykonos island
Elia is among the largest beaches of Mykonos island. Located on the south eastern side of Mykonos, this is the last stop of the boats that depart from Mykonos Town and go to the southern beaches of the island. Elia is organized with many umbrellas, sunbeds, restaurants and bars but it is more quiet than other Mykonos beaches. It distinguishes for the fantastic water and the soft sand.
Elia beach
6. Kolymbithres beach in Paros island
Kolymbithres beach in Paros island is located right opposite the bay of Naoussa, on the northern side of the island. This is not actually a large beach but small coves with soft sand and crystal waters. The most impressive thing about Kolymbithres are the white rocks that separate the coves and which are frequently used for sunbathing. This place can be reached by bus or boat from the port of Naoussa.
Kolymbithres beach
7. Red beach in Santorini island
Red beach is the most famous beach in Santorini island . Although the seabed can be pretty unconvenient due to the pebbles, it offers an impressive landscape with red cliffs and evident volcanic background. Red beach gets very popular, especially in high season. Part of the beach is organized with sun beds and umbrellas. Next to the Red beach is the White beach, with white cliffs and nudism-friendly.
Red beach
8. Agia Anna beach in Amorgos island
Agia Anna beach is among the most beautiful spots of Amorgos island . It became famous since scemes from the movie The Big Blue were shot there. This is a small pebbled bay with fantastic waters and can be reached by climbing down a hiking path from the Monastery of Hozoviotissa, the most important landmark of Amorgos. The beach of Agia Anna and other pebbled bays around are secluded, nudism-friendly beaches in Amorgos.
Agia Anna beach
9. Agios Prokopios beach in Naxos island
Agios Prokopios in Naxos is among the most organized beaches on the island. It is found in close distance to the main town and the port and gets very popular with visitors. A part of Agios Prokopios is lined up with umbrellas, sun beds, beach bars, taverns and watersports centres, while other parts are not organized at all. Many hotels and apartments are also found in walking distance from the beach.
Agios Prokopios beach
10. Kolona beach in Kythnos island
Although Kythnos is among the least developed islands of the Cyclades, it is home to a fantastic beach, Kolona. Located in a secluded spot on the north western side of the island, Kolona is actually a peninsula with two sandy shores that connects Kythnos with the tiny islet of Saint Minas. Right before Kolona is another great beach, called Fykiada.
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In which 1978 horror movie does the killer wear a William Shatner mask that has been painted white? | Ferries.gr Greek Ferries routes from to Italy Greece and Greek islands Albania Turkey. Greek Ferry Tickets. Ferries in Greece. Sea Travel Ferries to Greek islands. Greek Ferries Boat Ship Schedules for Italy Greece Albania Turkey & Greek Islands. Greek Ferries Info.
From RHODES (Rodos) to Kastelorizo, Chalki, Symi, Panormitis, Tilos, Nisyros, Kos, Kalymnos, Leros, Lipsi, Patmos, Arki, Agathonisi, Fourni, Samos, Ikaria.
Piraeus (Athens), Sifnos, Serifos, Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, Sikinos.
Click on " International ferry routes " to search for all Greek Ferries ( Anek Lines, AnekSuperfast, Agoudimos Lines, Blue Star Ferries, Bodrum Express Maritime, European Seaways, Grimaldi Ferries, Minoan Lines, Superfast Ferries, Sea Service, Ventouris Ferries, Snav Ferries, Grandi Navi Veloci ..etc) connecting Greece with other east Mediterranean countries ( Greece, Italy, Albania, Turkey ). Also you can make your booking request for Greek ferries by filling in this " International ferry Lines Reservation Form ".
Click on " Group Reservation Form " to request the best Group offers for international routes. Click on " Domestic ferry routes " to search for Greek islands ferries schedules, connections, prices, availability and make your booking on-line for all Greek ferry companies ( Hellenic Seaways - Hellas Flying Dolphins, Hellas Ferries, Sea Jets, Minoan Lines, Anek Lines, AnekSuperfast, Blue Star Ferries, Lane Lines, Saronic Ferries, Nel Lines, Dodekanisos Seaways, Alpha Ferries, Anen Lines, Saos Lines, Strintzis Ferries, Euroseas, Ventouris Sea Lines, Aegean Speed Lines, Agoudimos Lines, Anes Ferries, Levante Ferries, Nova Ferries, Ionian Ferries, Small Cyclades Lines, Ionian Group, Cyclades Fast Ferries, Zante Ferries, Sea Service, Karystia ferries ..etc.) connecting Greece and Greek islands, Also you can make your booking request for Greek islands ferries by filling in this " Domestic ferry Lines Reservation Form ". Click on every shipping company listed below to browse. its pages.
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In which novel by George du Maurier does the character | Trilby: A Novel by George Du Maurier (eBook) - Lulu
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Trilby is a novel by George du Maurier and one of the most popular novels of its time, perhaps the second best selling novel of the Fin de siècle after Bram Stoker's Dracula. Published serially in Harper's Monthly in 1894, it was published in book form in 1895 and sold 200,000 copies in the United States alone Trilby is set in the 1850s in an idyllic bohemian Paris. Though it features the stories of two English artists and a Scottish artist, one of the most memorable characters is Svengali a Jewish rogue, masterful musician and hypnotist. Trilby O'Ferrall, the novel's heroine, is a half-Irish girl working in Paris as an artists' model and laundress; all the men in the novel are in love with her. The relationship between Trilby and Svengali forms only a small portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of a milieu but it is a crucial one.
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| Trilby |
Which Channel 4 sit-com is set in the offices of 'Reynholm Industries', a fictitious British corporation in central London? | Trilby: A Novel by George Du Maurier (eBook) - Lulu
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Price: $3.99
Trilby is a novel by George du Maurier and one of the most popular novels of its time, perhaps the second best selling novel of the Fin de siècle after Bram Stoker's Dracula. Published serially in Harper's Monthly in 1894, it was published in book form in 1895 and sold 200,000 copies in the United States alone Trilby is set in the 1850s in an idyllic bohemian Paris. Though it features the stories of two English artists and a Scottish artist, one of the most memorable characters is Svengali a Jewish rogue, masterful musician and hypnotist. Trilby O'Ferrall, the novel's heroine, is a half-Irish girl working in Paris as an artists' model and laundress; all the men in the novel are in love with her. The relationship between Trilby and Svengali forms only a small portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of a milieu but it is a crucial one.
Available in PDF Format
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Signature is required.
(Your digital signature is as legally binding as a physical signature. If you use a digital signature, your signature must exactly match the First and Last names that you specified earlier in this form)
This form does not constitute legal advice and nothing that you read or are provided on this web site should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel.
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In which country did the 'Boxer Rebellion' occur? | Boxer Rebellion - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com
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Boxer Rebellion: Background
By the end of the 19th century, the Western powers and Japan had forced China’s ruling Qing dynasty to accept wide foreign control over the country’s economic affairs. In the Opium Wars (1839-42, 1856-60), popular rebellions and the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), China had fought to resist the foreigners, but it lacked a modernized military and suffered millions of casualties.
Did You Know?
America returned the money it received from China after the Boxer Rebellion, on the condition it be used to fund the creation of a university in Beijing. Other nations involved later remitted their shares of the Boxer indemnity as well.
By the late 1890s, a Chinese secret group, the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists (“I-ho-ch’uan” or “Yihequan”), had begun carrying out regular attacks on foreigners and Chinese Christians. (The rebels performed calisthenics rituals and martial arts that they believed would give them the ability to withstand bullets and other forms of attack. Westerners referred to these rituals as shadow boxing, leading to the Boxers nickname.) Although the Boxers came from various parts of society, many were peasants, particularly from Shandong province, which had been struck by natural disasters such as famine and flooding. In the 1890s, China had given territorial and commercial concessions in this area to several European nations, and the Boxers blamed their poor standard of living on foreigners who were colonizing their country.
Boxer Rebellion: 1900
In 1900, the Boxer movement spread to the Beijing area, where the Boxers killed Chinese Christians and Christian missionaries and destroyed churches and railroad stations and other property. On June 20, 1900, the Boxers began a siege of Beijing’s foreign legation district (where the official quarters of foreign diplomats were located.) The following day, Qing Empress Dowager Tzu’u Hzi (or Cixi, 1835-1908) declared a war on all foreign nations with diplomatic ties in China.
As the Western powers and Japan organized a multinational force to crush the rebellion, the siege stretched into weeks, and the diplomats, their families and guards suffered through hunger and degrading conditions as they fought to keep the Boxers at bay. By some estimates, several hundred foreigners and several thousand Chinese Christians were killed during this time. On August 14, after fighting its way through northern China, an international force of approximately 20,000 troops from eight nations (Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) arrived to take Beijing and rescue the foreigners and Chinese Christians.
Boxer Rebellion: Aftermath
The Boxer Rebellion formally ended with the signing of the Boxer Protocol on September 7, 1901. By terms of the agreement, forts protecting Beijing were to be destroyed, Boxer and Chinese government officials involved in the uprising were to be punished, foreign legations were permitted to station troops in Beijing for their defense, China was prohibited from importing arms for two years and it agreed to pay more than $330 million in reparations to the foreign nations involved.
The Qing dynasty, established in 1644, was weakened by the Boxer Rebellion. Following an uprising in 1911, the dynasty came to an end and China became a republic in 1912.
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Dance at Le Moulin de la Gazette and Umberellas are famous works by which painter? | In what country did the Boxer Rebellion occur? ... - Brainly.com
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The Boxer Rebellion occurred in China.
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Which Scotch whisky is named after the man who started to sell it in his grocer's shop in Ayreshire in 1820? | Home Distillation of Alcohol (Homemade Alcohol to Drink)
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Scotch Whisky
It is a matter of conjecture as to who were the first to distill whisky, the Scots or the Irish; both claim the honor. The Scots may however, have been the first to practice aging, and it was their discovery and use of blending spirits that transformed Scotch whisky from a somewhat earthy, highly distinctive product to the lighter product known today as blended Scotch whisky, or more simply, Scotch whisky.
The British description of Scotch does not offer many clues as to why it is the distinctive and highly regarded product it is - "Spirits described as Scotch Whisky shall not be deemed to correspond to that description unless they have been obtained by distillation in Scotland from a mash of cereal grain saccharified by the diastase of malt and have been matured in warehouse in cask for a period of at least three years." Neither does the U.S. Standard of Identity which requires only that it be a distinctive product of Scotland, manufactured in Scotland in compliance with the laws of Great Britain regulating the manufacture of Scotch whisky for consumption in Great Britain and containing no distilled spirits less than three years old. In addition, if it is a mixture of whiskies, it must be labeled blended Scotch whisky or Scotch whisky - a blend.
Blended Scotch is unique because its processing is quite different from the whiskies we have described. To begin with, it is a blend of two types of whisky; one type is made entirely from malted barley, the other from mixtures of grain similar to American and Canadian whiskies. With Scotch, it is the malt whiskies which provide its distinctive characteristics and an understanding of how the malts are produced is necessary to fully appreciate Scotch whisky.
History of Scotch Distillation
When, exactly, distilling first reached Scotland is uncertain. It is known that the Ancient Celts practiced the art and called their high-proof liquid "uisge beatha" - the water of life. They used this spirit in clan rituals, before and after battles, and to aid the tired and revive falling spirits. Initially lauded for its medicinal qualities, whisky eventually became part of everyday life.
The first recorded mention of the distillation industry dates back to 1494 when a Scottish tax document noted the "delivery of eight bolls [approx. 1� tons] of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aquavitae..." Initially, distillation was an alternate activity for farmers. They grew barley and during the winter months it was a profitable and useful activity to distill the barley into a spirit. Many farmers were also distillers and many of the present distilleries were once working farms.
The increasing popularity of whisky eventually attracted the attention of the Scottish Parliament who sensed an opportunity to generate revenue. In 1707, after The Act of Union with England, newly instituted taxation on malt and whisky drove most of the distillers underground. Smuggling became standard practice for some 130 years; without any apparent disrepute. The result was that, by 1777, there were only eight licensed distilleries in the City of Edinburgh while nearly 400 unregistered stills were producing half again as much whisky. By the 1820's more than half the whisky consumed in Scotland was produced in illicit stills even though the government was confiscating up to 14,000 illegal stills each year.
Finally the government realized that it was fighting a senseless battle and in 1823 set reasonable licensing and production fees per gallon of spirit distilled. This made legal distillation profitable and smuggling died out almost completely.
Thus, the earliest founding date given for any of the distilleries is 1824 because that is when the government began taxing spirits and issued distilling licenses. Glenlivet was the first to obtain one and they, consequently, date from 1824. However, distilling had been going on there for many years prior to that.
There were two significant occurrences in the last century which helped advance the Scotch Whisky industry. The first took place in 1831 when Aeneas Coffey developed the Coffey or Patent Still which enabled a continuous process of distillation. With this kind of still, distillers were able to use corn, wheat and other grains as new sources of fermentable sugars and produced a light, sweet whisky. A direct result of this was that Andrew Usher & Co. blended malt and the less intense grain whisky together for the first time in the 1860's. Blending allowed the production of large, consistent quantities of a lighter flavored whisky and led to the establishment of a much wider market for Scotch whisky.
The second significant occurrence was that, in the 1880s, the vineyards of France were devastated by phylloxera and, within a few years, there were virtually no existing stocks of wine and brandy. By the time the French industry recovered, Scotch Whisky had replaced brandy as the preferred drink of European society. The French currently consume more Scotch Whisky in one month than Cognac in one year.
Opening Of The US Market
The U.S. was opened to imported spirits with the ending of Prohibition in 1933. Domestic producers were unable, at least initially, to provide an adequate supply of quality whisky and the Scots took full advantage of the opportunity. This new export market was further developed following the end of World War II when American Gl's returned with a taste for Scotch Whisky.
Today there are some 100 distilleries producing Scotch Whisky. Ninety-two of these produce malt whisky; eight distill grain whiskies. The exact numbers change from time to time as distilleries cease production and others come on line again. Collectively, they hold about 660 million gallons of mature and maturing whisky; equivalent to nearly nine years sales. Unfortunately, this level of reserves has resulted in the closing or "mothballing" of several distilleries; 19 in the past 17 years. Were the market to increase substantially however, they could easily be brought back into production.
Today, Scotch Whisky is a $3 billion per year industry, employing some 15,000 people. About 190 million gallons of both grain and malt whiskies were produced in Scotland in 1994. Over ninety-five percent of that production was shipped in the form of blended Scotch Whisky; the remainder was used for Single Malt and Single Grain whiskies. By the end of the century, the percentage used for Single Malts had increased to nearly 10 percent.
Scotch whisky is exported to over 200 countries and represents over 20% of the total value of Scotland's manufacturing exports. Over 85% of the production is exported. Most of the 100 distilleries operating in Scotland today are linked in corporate ownership. United Distillers, which belongs to Guinness, owns 29 distilleries; Allied Distillers, part of Allied Domecq, owns 16; and Seagram's of Canada owns 9. Guinness owns and produces Johnnie Walker and Dewar's blended whiskies, Allied the Ballantine's blend, and Seagram, the Chivas Regal blend. Over two-thirds of Scotland's whisky is provided by these three companies..
Malt Scotch Processing
1. Malting
Barley, mostly 2-grain barley, preferably from Scotland, is steeped in whatever water the distillery uses. This water is very important and each distillery has a unique source. Except for Glenmorangie, which oddly, has hard water, the water is always soft. It also may be peated to some extent, depending on what it passes over and through. The springs and rivers often pick up significant peat.
The ideal barley will be low in nitrogen and have about 4-5% moisture. The distillers want the nitrogen to be as low as possible because this is an indication of the protein content. The more protein the grain has, the less starch it will contain. Since the starch is converted into sugar for fermentation, it is obvious that high protein barley has less alcohol production potential than does low protein barley. An interesting experiment was made by Macallan. The traditional barley of Scotland was a variety called Golden Promise but as the years passed and the demand grew, farmers tried other varieties which assured them of higher yields and distillers, as pointed out, were interested in varieties with more fermentable sugars. Macallan made a batch with Golden Promise and one with a higher-yield variety. There was a significant difference between the two; the high-yield variety produced an inferior whisky. It was thinner in body, "dusty" and almost metallic tasting.
After the grains are steeped or soaked in water, they are allowed to germinate. This process is called malting, and the person who does it is called a maltster. The germinated barley is called malted barley or, simply, malt. It must be turned regularly to prevent the build up of heat. Traditionally, it was spread on concrete floors (floor malting) and tossed into the air with wooden shovels in a malt barn attached to the kiln. Tossing or turning the malt was necessary to maintain consistent temperatures because germination generated heat. There was also the problem of rootlets becoming entangled and of non-uniform rootlet growth. This was a very labor intensive and inefficient process, and distilleries long ago began centralizing malting. There are a few distilleries who still do malting, even floor malting, but, even in those cases, they only supply part of their malt needs. Most malt is now made in large central maltings. The malting is of sufficient importance however, that the distilleries, even though they no longer do their own malting, have their own detailed specifications as to how it will be done. Purchased malt is available in a full range of styles and degrees of peatiness. There are only eight distilleries that still malt some or all of their own barley in the traditional fashion: the Balvenie, Benriach, Bowmore, Glendronach, Glenfiddich, Highland Park, Laphroaig, and Springbank.
During germination, the starches are converted from an insoluble form to a soluble one. There are also enzymes produced that will eventually change the grain starch to sugar. After 7-14 days the barley is said to be green malt and has to be dried. This is done in the kiln. Traditionally, the green malted barley was placed on screens and dried over peat fires. Peat, a natural fuel, is cut from the moors and was traditionally used to fire the kilns for the drying process. It is a product of organic material deposited in marshy conditions over the centuries. The "peat reek" from this fire imparts a distinctive aroma contributing to the character of the whisky.
Green malted barley has little rootlets called culm. The heat stops the germination process and the smoke from the peat added to the fire imparts flavor. After years of experience, the maltster can judge the quality of the malt by biting a grain to test its texture and sweetness. Today, kilning is done by indirect heat, as in an oven, although peat may still be used in the early drying stages. The amount of peat used during the drying is an important aspect of each distilleries malt specification. There are only three distilleries that use unpeated malt: Deanston, Glengoyne and Tobermory.
The barley steeping process takes from 2 to 4 days. Mechanical devices are used for the turning of the steeping, or germinating, or sprouting, grains. The malt kilns traditionally had the pagoda-styled roofs which made distilleries so instantly recognizable. Although nearly no distilleries do any malting today, they have retained the roofs. In many cases, the no-longer needed malting floors have been converted to visitor centers and gift shops. The pagoda shaped kiln roof has been adopted as the visual symbol of a distillery. It, for example, is on the signs along the Speyside Whisky Trail, and will usually be on the distillery sign.
2. Mashing
The dried malt is ground into a coarse mixture called grist. It is composed of husk, flour and other materials. If the flour content is too high, they may have trouble during the mashing due to excessive stiffness of the mixture. This is similar to the development of gluten during breadmaking except in this case, that is about the last thing they want to happen.
The grist is mixed with hot water as it pours into the mash tun. The character of the pure Scottish water is a critical quality factor to the distillers. Many sources of water are used; always what is available locally. Wells, streams, springs and rivers are all used. Distillery location was often dependent on a specific water supply and the distillers feel much of the unique character of their whiskies is due to their water. Water will be added to the mash tun three or four times and the temperature gets hotter and hotter each time. The purpose of mashing is to solubilize the starches and convert them to sugar. The mash is stirred with paddles built into the mash tun. The floor of the mash tun is lined with flat wedge-shaped screens that will allow the sugary water to be removed from the bottom but will retain the solids. The water is removed and held; a second water is added (at a higher temperature) and the process is repeated. This water, not as sugary as the first, will also be removed and mixed with the first. The combination of the first two waters is called wort. Wort is a fermentable liquid because of its sugar content. Nearly all distilleries add a third water and, sometimes, even a fourth. Only the first two are sent to the fermentation tanks. The third (and fourth, if added) are drained off and mixed with fresh water in a new mashing. The spent grains are called draff and will be processed into cattle feed. Sometimes, the draff will simply be removed from the mash tun and sent out immediately for feed. In this form, it is perishable and has to be used quickly. Other times, it will be dried and processed into feed pellets.
3. Fermentation
The wort has to be cooled before adding yeast. Following cooling, it is pumped into large tanks called washbacks. Yeast is added and fermentation begins. Both cultured yeasts and brewers yeasts are used. Cultured yeasts are excellent for initiating fermentation but, since they have never been exposed to heat or alcohol, they have no staying power. Brewers yeast, skimmed off the top of a beer fermentation, can withstand the rigors of heat and alcohol and are superior for sustaining the fermentation.
The washbacks are traditionally made of Oregon pine or larch wood although some distilleries are replacing them with stainless steel fermenters which are easier to clean and sanitize. Many distillers, however, are adamant about the use of wood washbacks, considering them to be an important quality factor.
The fermenting mixture froths, sometimes rather violently, due to the production of carbon dioxide. Revolving switchers or blades, cut the head to prevent it from overflowing. After anywhere from 48 hours to 60 or more, the fermentation will be finished and is now called wash. The alcohol content of the wash is usually about 6 to 8.5 percent and it is sent to holding containers called wash chargers to await distillation.
4. Distillation
Malt Scotch whisky receives two distillations (Auchentoshan and Benrinnes triple distill) and they are performed in separate stills, a wash still, and a spirit still. The two stills are not the same size, the wash still being the larger of the two. The size and shape of the stills vary from distillery to distillery and are responsible, particularly the shape, for the unique characteristics displayed by the many malts. The shape is of such importance that when stills have to be replaced, as they do from 15 to 30 years of age, they are exactly duplicated. This includes bumps, patches, and dents if any. In some mysterious way, the shape affects the character of the individual malt whisky. A still with a short neck will produce a whisky with heavier oils and an intense flavor; stills with long or high necks make lighter-bodied whiskies - less heavy oils and lighter flavors. Some distilleries now have their exact dimensions stored in computers to make it easier to duplicate them and some will replace the still part by part rather than the entire still.
Traditionally, the stills were heated from below with coke, gas or oil but most today have steam-heated coils inside the still. This provides the distiller with better control over the temperature and this is critical. Excessive temperatures cause the wash to boil up into the swans neck at the top and from there into the condenser, which is disastrous. The wash stills have port-hole windows on the swans neck through which the distiller can see how high the wash is rising. Vapors rise through the swans neck to the condenser or a worm - a large copper coil immersed in cold running water. Whether a condenser or a worm is used also influences the character of the whisky.
The wort is sent first to the wash still and the distillate is called low wine. The low wine will physically pass through an apparatus called the spirit safe. This is a brass (usually) framed glass enclosure through which the stillman can visually observe the distilled spirits and check their temperature and alcoholic level. The spirit safe is required to be kept locked when distillation is going on. This is a government tax regulation. Theoretically, if it were not locked, newly distilled whisky could be removed. There would be no other place in the process where it could be removed. From the wash still, the low wine runs off into a receptacle called a low wines charger where it will be held for a second distillation in the spirit still.
Low wine plus foreshots and feints (mostly feints) from a previous 2nd distillation are placed into the spirit still. The stillman will carefully watch the temperature and alcohol level and the early portion of easily volatilized components will be collected as foreshots and sent to the low wines charger. When the middle cut or alcoholic portion begins to come over, the stillman will turn a handle on top of the spirit safe, and the freshly distilled spirit will be diverted to the spirits receiver. Only the pure center cut, or heart of the run, is collected in the spirit receiver. The still-man would begin the collection of the middle cut at about 70 to 75 percent alcohol and direct the flow to the low wines charger at about 64 percent. These are general figures, the specifics are part of the art of the stillman along with the heat at which he operates the still, which in turn influences how long this all takes. The water, yeast and other waste matter from the wash still is called pot ale and is saved for use in animal feeds.
To summarize the distillation process:
The product of fermentation, wort, is sent to a wash still.
The distillate from a wash still is called low wine. It has about 20% alcohol.
The low wine is mixed with foreshots and feints from a previous 2nd distillation and sent to the spirit still.
The distillate from the spirit still is divided into three fractions: the easily volatilized foreshots, the alcoholic middle cut (malt Scotch whisky), and the difficult to volatilize feints.
The foreshots and feints, as pointed out, are mixed with low wine for redistillation. This is done because they may still contain small amounts of useful alcohol which can be recovered.
5. Maturation
Before being placed in cask, the alcoholic strength of the spirit is reduced to 63 percent with the same water with which it was made. This strength, 126 proof, is part of Scotch tradition. Distilleries have experimented with higher proofs, but without any success. It is interesting that the legal requirement for Bourbon whisky aging, not more than 125 proof, is nearly exactly the same.
The newly distilled, colorless fiery spirit, is filled into oak casks which will have been used before, either for American bourbon whisky, sherry wine, or Scotch malt or grain whisky. These latter are called whisky refill casks. The specific types of barrels used are:
Re-Made Hogsheads
- they have a capacity of 250 liters (66 gallons) and are made (reassembled) from staves from Bourbon barrels. They are often quaintly referred to as "Hoggies."
Bourbon Barrels
- The entire barrel is imported and used. These have a smaller capacity, about 200 liters (52 gallons).
Sherry Barrels
- These have been used for the maturation of Sherry wine (fino, amontillado & oloroso) for about 4 years. They are much larger and have a capacity of 500 liters (132 gallons) and are made of Spanish oak.
Most malt whisky is matured in hogsheads or Bourbon barrels; only about 4 percent is in sherry butts. Macallan is the only distillery which uses sherry wood exclusively for all its whisky although there are some who do use it exclusively for their own brand single malt. They, however, would use Bourbon barrels for some or all of the remainder of their production (intended for blending). This usually amounts to from 90 to 95 percent for the majority of the distilleries. Macallan is also unusual here in that about 50 percent of their production goes into their own single malt. Some distilleries may do the basic aging in Bourbon wood, then "finish" it in sherry wood. Balvenie Double Wood Single Malt is an example. Glenmorangie does finish aging in both Sherry and Port barrels.
Sherry wood is the one first used in Scotland. It is a mountainous country with a lot of forests and woods but little oak. The English had a great taste for sherry and imported it in barrel which meant that there was a plentiful supply of Spanish sherry oak barrels available at attractive prices. What started from pragmatism soon led to preference because it quickly became apparent that the barrels and the whisky had an affinity for each other. They made the whisky richer and rounder. The barrel source eventually dried up due to a declining English interest in sherry and, more important, the decision in Spain to bottle the wines in the growing areas (an economic decision; it provided more jobs). That was when the move to Bourbon barrels came. Bourbon, of course, must always be matured in new wood, so America provided a useful source of casks. One difference between American oak (Bourbon barrels) and Spanish oak (sherry barrels) is that the American species has a tighter grain, is harder and consequently matures whisky more slowly. Spanish oak also contains more resin which affects the flavor.
Recent research by Dr. Jim Swan at the Pentlands Scotch Whisky Research Institute (owned by the industry) and at his own company indicates that "oxidation increases the complexity and intensity of pleasant flavors in whisky, especially fragrant, fruity, spicy, and minty notes. As in the production of all alcoholic drinks, the flavors emerge from a complex series of actions and reactions. Traces of copper from the stills are the catalyst. They convert oxygen to hydrogen peroxide , which attacks the wood, releasing vanillin. This promotes oxidation, and additionally pulls together the various flavors present. These processes vary according to the region of origin of the wood, and its growth patterns." (Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion, Dorling Kindersley, London, NY, Stuttgart, 3rd Edition, 1994)
This type of research has caused distillers to evaluate not only the differences between sherry and Bourbon wood (and the respective countries from which they come), but also the growth region within a country. In the US and in Spain, there can be significant differences according to where the trees were grown. For example: in the western part of the United States barrel oak regions (Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas), the conditions are demanding due to poor soil and a dry climate. This optimizes spring growth and the trees have the most open texture resulting in faster whisky maturation.
While maturing, the whisky becomes smoother and more flavorsome, and draws its golden color from the cask. A proportion of the higher alcohols turns into esters and other complex compounds, which subtly enhance each whisky's distinctive character. By law whisky must be matured in oak for at least three years (if less than 3 years, it is not whisky but spirits). Most single malts lie in wood for 8, 12, or even 15 years and there are some that go well beyond even that. About 2 percent of the whisky evaporates from the cask each year - the angel's share. Unlike wine, whisky does not mature further once bottled. The barrels, theoretically, can be used for up to 100 years (Cognac barrels often are), but after two or three fillings, much of what the wood can contribute is gone and single malt bottlings are usually made from first or second fill barrels. Older barrels are not necessarily discarded however, they are useful for maturing grain whiskies and for holding blends for "marrying.''
The warehouse where the whiskies are stored is also very important. Unlike Bourbon warehouses, where temperature variations are encouraged, Scotch warehouses emphasize temperature stability. They are low, one story as opposed to the 7 story ones used in Kentucky, have thick stone walls and dirt floors to increase humidity. The barrels are only stacked three high (contrasted to 21 high in a 7 story Bourbon warehouse). There are modern warehouses in Scotland similar to those described for Bourbon but most of the distilleries mature their own label single malt on site in traditional warehouses. In them, evaporation is fairly low because of the humidity, but alcohol evaporation is high and the strength falls. In the modern type of warehouse, the evaporation is higher, but the strength remains more consistent; again, similar to what happens with Bourbon. Whisky stored in coastal warehouses, with more consistent climates than inland locations, will usually age more steadily and consistently.
Water: Should it be Added or Not?
Tap water is not regarded as an ideal mixing component with malt whisky. Water safety is not an issue; tap water is safe to drink in most countries. Rather it is the quality of the water that is in question. The water may have a lot of mineral deposits or a high chalk content or have various additives (chlorine, fluoride and so forth) added for reasons of public health and sanitation.
Most of the distillers do recommend adding water; the amount being a matter of personal taste, but they feel that adding perhaps one-third water enhances the aroma and cuts the hotness and bite of the alcohol. The best water is, of course, the water that the whisky is made from. The whiskies are usually evaluated at 20 to 40 proof. The water seems to allow the esters and aldehydes to vaporize more easily and thereby be perceived and enjoyed. This dilution also minimizes the drying and anesthetizing effect of the alcohol on the tissues of the mouth, again enhancing the flavors. One distiller, in reply to the question of whether to add water or not said "of course, but we are talking about Scottish water, not London water!" Unless you are drinking the whisky at the distillery this is not a practical recommendation. In that case, they advise using a good bottled water, and to avoid sparkling and flavored waters.
Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distilleries
Aberfeldy
(Central Highlands. Est. 1896)
This distillery produces malts primarily for use in Dewar's blended whisky. The 17-Year-Old, Cooper's Choice Bottling ( 43% Alc) has a very sweet, caramel/sherry nose that translates onto the palate with a thick, weighty mouth-feel and a fruity malt finish..
Aberlour
1826
Pronounced: Aberlower. This Speyside distillery is located in the town of the same name.
The 10- Year-Old, Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a fruity bouquet of citrus, apple, toffee and clove. These same flavors are round and rich on the palate with the addition of a pleasant floral note that carries through to the elegant, sweet finish.
The sixth largest selling single malt in the world and the only single malt to win the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Gold Medal and Pot Still Trophy twice. An interesting fact is that St. Drostan's Well, a famous well, which had dried up, flowed once again. The water source is spring water from the nearby Ben Rinnes mountain.
The aroma is of almonds and wine (from the sherry casks). The flavor is meaty and complex with notes of malt and fruit. Kindred Spirits' gives it a *** (recommended) rating.
The distillery was rebuilt following a fire in 1898 and much of the existing structure dates from that time although there were extensions made in 1945 (when purchased by Campbell Distillers) and modernization done (when they were acquired by Pernod-Ricard) in 1974. They use only Scottish barley. An unusual practice is the use of cork bungs in the barrels rather than wooden ones. They believe this allows the harsher vapors to evaporate more easily.
The base malt for the Clan Campbell blends, Aberlour has two sets (four stills) of stills and they date from 1973. The peat comes from Aberdeenshire and is only lightly used. Between 25-50% of the spirit is matured in sherry, the remainder in bourbon wood.
The well-known single malt tasting glass made by the Austrian glass designer, Georg Riedel, was based on a collaboration with Aberlour.
Ardmore
. (Eastern Highlands, Est. 1898)
This Highland distillery produces malts primarily for use in the blending of Teacher's Highland Cream, little or none is bottled by the distillery itself. The 1977 Vintage, 12-Year-Old Single Cask, Glenhaven Bottling ( 59.3% Alc) has a rich, smoky nose and a palate of dry, malt and spice flavors -- it is bold, smoky and chewy.
Auchentoshan
. (Lowlands, Est. 1800)
Pronounced: Ochentoshen. This distillery is one of just two remaining that triple-distill a lightly peated Single Malt. The 10-Year-Old Distillery bottling (40% Alc) has a sweet, caramel/malt nose with hints of apple, lime and flowers. It is light and fresh with similar flavors and a light, refreshing finish ($25). The 21- Year-Old, Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a very sherried bouquet of vanilla, oak, mint, anise and honey. The similar flavors are delicate, with medium weight, and a bright floral/ citrus finish.
Balmenach
. (Speyside, Est. 1824)
Pronounced: BalMAY-nach. It has 4 stills and the water comes from the Cromdale Burn. The distillery was shut down in 1993. The 1981 Vintage, 12-Year-Old Single Cask! William Cadenhead Bottling (62.7% Alc) has a full-bodied bouquet and palate of smoky peat and floral notes -- intense and chewy but with a delicate touch of sweetness.
Balvenie
(Speyside, Dufftown; owned by William Grant & Sons; Established 1892)
Balvenie Doublewood
: Aged in two different casks: one traditional whiskey oak, one sherry oak producing a deep more complex flavor. Rich, mellow flavor with depth and complexity.
Balvenie Single Barrel
: One of no more than 300 yielded by a single cask and matured for 15 years. Each bottle is hand numbered. Each cask has a slightly different flavor and only those with the most interesting and individual character are selected.
Benriach
. (Speyside, Est. 1 898)
This distillery is part of the Seagram Co. and its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Heritage Selection." The majority of the malts produced are primarily for use in the blending of Chivas Regal. The 10 Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a light floral nose tinged with sherry, apple and honey. The palate is sweet and peppery, with a medium-long chocolate/coffee finish.
Benromach
. (Highlands, Est. 1898)
This distillery, purchased and renovated in 1992, will reopen at full production early in 1996. The 1966 Vintage, 27-Year-Old Single Cask! William Cadenhead Bottling (53.6% Alc) has a rich, caramel-edged bouquet of peat, smoke and spice. The palate is rich and bold with similar flavors and a touch of flowers.
Bowmore
. (Islay, Est. 1779)
This distillery was awarded the prestigious "Distiller of the Year" at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in 1995. This award recognizes excellence in the art of distilling -- not just for Scotch Whisky, but for any and all distilled spirits, worldwide. Bowmore is the oldest surviving legal distillery on the island, and is now the world's largest selling Islay Single Malt. The Legend (no age statement) -- Distillery Bottling (40% Alc) has a nose of peat, sherry and a touch of geranium. The palate is a robust expression of smoky malt and peat flavors that gradually trail off in a gently smoky finish. The 12-Year-Old, Distillery Bottling (40% Alc) has a peaty nose with hints of sherry and lemon zest. The palate is smooth with malt, peat, smoke and iodine flavors that ebb nicely with a long chocolate finish. The 17-Year-Old Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a full bouquet of sherry, peat and citrus. The palate richly echoes the nose with the addition of chocolate, toffee and malt that fade on a suggestion of salt spray. The 21-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a bold, pungent nose of dry sherry, smoke and iodine that translates well to the palate with the addition of brine, peat and apple. The finish is quite dry and complex, but with hints of sweetness and chocolate. The 25 Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a complex bouquet of smoky peat, sherried fruit and hints of vanilla and spice. The palate is dry and spicy, with subtle notes of malt, chocolate and wood that fade gradually over minutes. The 30Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a soft, rich bouquet of caramel, vanilla, roses and oak. The chewy, full-bodied palate is rich with nutty sherry and dry smoky tones. The finish adds a pleasant briny tang.
Braes of Glenlivet
. (Speyside, Est. 1973)
This distillery has recently changed the name of its Single Malt to "Breval" to avoid confusion with its famous neighbor. The 1979 Vintage, 1 6-Year-Old Single Sherry Cask Whyte & Whyte Bottling (59.2% Alc ) has a bright, sherry nose tinged with dry, peaty notes. The palate reflects the nose with bold, smoky overtones and a rich, malty finish.
Brora
. (Northern Highlands, Est. 1819)
This distillery was known as "Clynelish" until 1967 when the new "Clynelish" was built next door. From 1967 through 1983 (when the distillery closed) the casks were labeled 'Brora." The 1982 Vintage! 13-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (59.2% Alc) has a very pungent nose of citrus, peat and brine. The tangy palate echoes the nose with an added note of apple that carries through on the finish.
Bunnahabhain
(Islay):
The lightest of the Islay malts, but its body has a distinctive oiliness. Gold color, fresh 'sea air' aroma, light to medium yet firm body. Gentle, clean flavor with a nutty-malty sweetness. Full flavor finish. Scored 77 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Caol Ila
. (Islay, Est. 1846)
Pronounced: Kaal-eela. This distillery produces malts primarily for blending with little or none bottled by the distillery itself. The 14-Year-Old. Cooper's Choice Bottling (43% Alc) has a robust, peat and iodine nose that extends to the rich, full-bodied palate. It is smooth, spicy, pungent and smoky -- a true Islay from briny nose though peaty finish.
Cardhu
Founding Date:
1824
Pronounced: Kar-doo, in Gaelic it means "black rock." This distillery produces malts primarily for use In both Johnnie Walker's Red and Black. Michael Jackson says that "the slightly syrupy, sweetish whisky of Cardhu has always been the soft heart of the Johnnie Walker blends (in which it is balanced by the feistily evident Talisker, among many others)."
The 12-Year-Old, Distillery Bottling (40% Alc) has a rich nose and full-bodied palate, both delicately balanced with sweet malt, peat and an herbal character.
John Cumming leased Cardhu farm in 1811 and, as a skilled distiller, produced spirit on a part-time basis. Since his was not a legal activity he was caught and convicted many times and some of the court judgments now hang framed on the wall of the distillery manager's office. The distillery was eventually licensed and he built a successful business.
He died in 1846 and left the farm to his son Lewis, who in turn died in 1872 leaving the farm and distillery to his wife Elizabeth. She ran the business for nearly 20 years and became known as "the queen of the whisky trade." Realizing that, due to the great demand for blending malts, the distillery had to be expanded and updated, she acquired a lease of four acres of land next to the farm and built a new distillery in 1886. By 1888, Cardhu was in demand by blenders and was being sold in London as a single malt called 'Cardow'. The success of the business attracted much takeover interest but she turned them down on the grounds that the distillery should be retained by the family.
Cardhu had been supplying whisky to the John Walker firm of Kilmarnock and the distillery was sold to them in 1893 (Walker was their major customer) shortly before the Johnnie Walker blended brands were launched. Part of the deal was that her son John would become a salaried director of Walker while remaining at Cardhu to manage the distillery.
John Cumming retired from the board in 1923 when John Walker became a public company and was succeeded on the board by his son Ronald - later Sir Ronald � who eventually became chairman of Walker & Sons and then of its parent company, DCL. During WWII and the post-war period of barley shortage, all the production went into the Walker blends, but in the 1960's, Ronald Cumming reintroduced Cardhu as a single malt. It is now among the world's top ten sellers and is United Distiller's best-selling single malt.
The distillery underwent an extensive modernization in 1965. There are six stills.
Notes From Distillery Visit
Washbacks made of larch. No intention of ever replacing with stainless steel.
Washbacks cleaned and sanitized with steam and hot water.
Washbacks can last for 50 or more years.
Pipe from wash still to condenser is tilted to catch reflux and send it back to the still. This refines the distilled spirit.
The wash stills have glass windows to observe the boil up if the temperature is too high.
38% of wash becomes low wine at 21-22% alcohol.
Whisky comes from spirit still at 62%.
Purchase rebuilt bourbon barrels.
The single malt is aged in bourbon barrels; the sherry barrels are used for the blends.
Cardhu is the primary component of Johnny Walker Blends. Johnny Walker had traditionally used Cardhu in the blend and, to insure continued supply, bought Cardhu in 1893.
Only about 5% of production is single malt.
Evaporation: 1st year = 3%, then 2% of residual.
Cut to 63.5 for aging but, after 12 years, it will drop to 58-59%.
Clynelish
. (Northern Highlands, Est. 1967)
Pronounced: Klynleesh. Prior to the establishment of this distillery in 1967, the adjacent Brora distillery sold their product as "Clynelish." The 1982 Vintage. 12-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (64.2% Alc) has a nose lively with citrus and smoke, and pungent with honey and green apple. The palate reflects the nose with a touch of spice and a long, honeyed finish
Convalmore
. (Speyside, Est. 1894)
A Speyside distillery -- closed in 1985 The 1962 Vintage- 30 Year-Old Single Cask, William Cadenhead Bottling (46.5%Alc) has a fabulous bouquet of smoky wood, spicy peat, and sweet malt. On the palate these same flavors are bold and assertive, and end with an elegant finish.
Cragganmore
Founding Date:
1869
This distillery is part of the Guinness Group and its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Classic Malts" Portfolio.
The 12-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (40%Alc) has a light, malty bouquet accented with scents of flowers and honey. The palate is soft and peaty, blending in with the malty sweetness and lingering finish.
The 1982 Vintage. 12-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (60.2% Alc) has an intense bouquet and flavors of malt, peat and citrus, with a long, dry finish.
Cragganmore
: A Speyside malt aged 12 years. Golden color, firm body with medium smokiness. Very complex aroma. Delicate, clean flavor with large range of herbal flowery notes. Long finish. A malt for the serious devotee. Scored 90 out of 100 by Michael Jackson who says "One of the great Speyside malts . . . This is a whisky for the connoisseur."
The distillery was founded by John Smith, an extremely experienced whisky man. He had been manager of the Macallan, Glenlivet, and Wishaw distilleries and was lessee of Glenfarclas when, in 1869, he obtained the land to build a new distillery. The distillery was named "Cragganmore" which is the name of the hill behind the distillery, whose springs provide the water. This was the first distillery to be deliberately located with the idea of rail transport in mind and they build a private siding on the Speyside railway transport (it thus was the first distillery in Speyside not to be built in conjunction with a farm). John Smith was an enthusiast of railway travel but his weight (300 pounds +) caused him to have to travel in the guard's van. He was too wide to enter a railway passenger carriage. He died in 1886 and the business passed to his son Gordon. Under his direction, the distillery was largely rebuilt in 1901.
Gordon Smith's widow sold the distillery to a subsidiary of White Horse Distillers (Cragganmore) and when White Horse merged with DCL in 1965, Cragganmore became a wholly owned subsidiary.
Until United Distillers selected Cragganmore to be the Speyside representative in the Classic Malts Series in 1988-89. Prior to that, it was not well-known as a single, being used mostly as the base malt for the blends of the licensed distiller D&J McCallum (McCallum's Perfection and the Old Parr blends).
They now have four stills; having added two in 1964. The spirit stills have an unusual flat top and L-shaped pipes rather than the normal swan necks. These factors, along with its use of relatively hard water, probably account for the complexity of the malt whisky.
Notes From Distillery Visit
:
Takes 4-5 hours to complete the wash still distillation and 6 hours for the spirit still.
Their stills have different shapes. See photos (flat head on spirit still and a bulge between the still itself and the vapor tube or swans neck.
Finished whisky drawn off at 60-70%.
Peat is a brown fibrous substance.
For their single malt, they use sherry barrels and only the second filling is single malt (1 = sherry; 1st whisky = blends such as Johnny Walker, 2nd whisky = single malt).
They own their own sherry bogeda. Leave the sherry in for 6 months, empty the barrels and ship to Scotland.
1/3rd of their production is for single malt; 2/3rds for blending.
Bourbon barrels are only used for blends, never for single malts.
Yearly production = 1.2 million liters.
2 sets of rollers for milling.
Waters:
Founding Date:
1897
The distillery was originally named Strathspey but was renamed Dalwhinnie when sold in 1898. This distillery is part of the Guinness Group and its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Classic Malts" Portfolio.
The 15-Year-Old Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has the strong scents of honey, flowers, malt and faint smoke that translate to the palate with round richness and a long sweet, honeyed finish.
Gentle northern Highlands malt with a light taste and fruity sweet aroma. Hint of heather and honey. Gold color. Firm, slightly oily body. Aged 15 years. Very long finish. Scored 76 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Highest (elevation � 1073 ft) distillery in Scotland. The whisky has long been an important component of the Buchanan blends. It was badly damaged by fire in 1934 and did not resume production again until 1938. The single malt had only a local reputation until 1988-89, when United Distillers chose it for their Classic Malts of Scotland series.
Notes From Distillery Visit
is term used for fermenting tubs. They are 18 feet deep and hold 32,000 liters.
Washbacks made of Siberian Larch (although she suspects some may have come from Oregon).
Fermentation takes about 60 hours at which time it is allowed to settle for 72 hours.
Dalwhinnie has only been a brand name for some 17, 18 years. They are owned by UDL and were traditionally used for blends, primarily Black and White.
Do not bottle on site (few do, apparently).
Dalwhinnie single malt is 15 yrs old, the malt for B&W is 8 years old, for Buchanan Deluxe (big in S America), it is 12 yrs old.
Low wine = 20%; spirit still =70%.
Condensers are outside. They consist of large wooden barrels with copper coils inside which contain the hot vapors from the still. The barrel is filled with cold water and the vapors condense back to a liquid.
Dalwhinnie stopped malting in the 1960's.
Now employ only 12 people; used to be 100.
Used bourbon barrels, shipped in staves, rebuilt and recharred.
Definition of a dram: a dram is an amount of whisky which depends on the generosity of the pourer!
They purchase dried yeast.
In storage, unlike in Ky., the warehouses do not have fluctuating temperatures. Earth floors, thick walls, damp, cool, consistent. These types of warehouses would be much to expensive to duplicate today and new ones more resemble those used in Kentucky. Some differences in the results are more consistency in the Scotch warehouses; one does not see the often dramatic differences in maturation due to location in the warehouse. Another is that Bourbon barrels have more evaporation than do Scotch barrels but their (Bourbon) alcohol level goes up, not down.
Dalwhinnie claims to lose 2% per year; called the "Angels Share."
Produce approximately 1 million liters a year (260,000 gallons +; 110,000 cases +[750 ml] ).
Dalwhinnie means "Dale of the meeting." Historically, it was a place where roads met and cattle drovers met.
Glenfiddich
(Speyside):
The best selling single malt whiskey in the world. (The Glenlivet is the best selling in the USA.) Very pale color. Light, fresh, fruity aroma. Light, firm but smooth body. Dryish, pear-like flavor with hints of smokiness, fruit and malt. Restrained finish. Scored 75 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Glenfiddich Cask
: Single malt scotch from the most widely known producer of single malts in the world. Produced in the Speyside area of the Highlands in Scotland. Aged for 15 years and cask strength (102 proof compared to 80 of regular Glenfiddich). Light amber/golden color. Creamy, biscuity, buttery aromas. Deep robust flavor with notes of sweetness, honey, toffee and nuts. The higher alcohol level is felt during the finish that has an edge. 'Kindred Spirits' gives it a **** (highly recommended) rating
Notes From Distillery Visit
:
5 wash stills; 8 spirit stills.
Do own bottling (only Speyside distillery to do so). How many malt distilleries are there in Scotland that have a bottling facility??
3 waters during mashing.
Founding Date:
1836
In Gaelic, Glenfarclas means "the valley of the green grass." This distillery pioneered Cask Strength whiskies with their "105" bottling. The 105 refers to the proof on the distiller's Sikes scale, equating to approximately 63% abv. Glenfarclas is also one of the few distilleries using 100% sherrywood cooperage for their aging.
Established in 1836, the distillery was acquired by John Grant in 1865 and, except for from 1865-1870 when it was leased to John Smith of Cragganmore and Glenlivet fame, the family has operated it ever since - five generations worth. The family was particularly hard hit by the Whisky Crash of 1899 because Pattison's, whose failure caused the collapse, were the family's partners (John Grant's grandsons, John and George, took over the operation in 1895 and formed the Glenfarclas-Glenlivet Distillery Co., Ltd. In partnership with the Leith blenders Pattison, Elder & Co.). They eventually repaid their creditors and survive to this day as one of the very few family-operated distilleries in Scotland. John Grant retired following WWI, but George remained in sold control until 1947 when he formed J. & G. Grant Ltd.. He died in 1949 and the distillery went to his sons George Scott Grant and John P. Grant. Although the latter died in 1960, the family remains in control of the distillery.
They also produce Highland Cattle, a vatted malt, and a second label single malt called Eagle of Spey which is aged exclusively in new oak barrels rather than in sherry as is Glenfarclas.
It was expanded from two to four stills in 1960, and to six in 1976. The stills are the largest in Speyside. In 1973, Glenfarclas opened one of the first visitors centers in Speyside.
The malt whiskies are made available at a number of ages and they have an unusual (for Scotland distillery single malts) cask strength expression. This is bottled at 60% abv which, in the unusual English proof system, is 105 proof. The older the bottlings are, the more the sherry character emerges.
The 105 (no age statement) Distillery Bottling (60% Alc) has a concentrated nose of caramel, spice and spirit. The palate is slightly sharp with good malt and sherry flavors that finish quite dryly.
The 1977 Vintage, 17-Year-Old Single Cask Glenhaven Bottling (53.2% Alc) has a robust nose and palate of sweet, creamy, malt, nut and peat flavors that gradually fade in a long, powerfully rich finish -- an excellent whisky.
Notes From Distillery Visit
: 1839
This distillery produces malts primarily for use in blending.
The 1971 Vintage, 23-Year-Old Single Cask Glenhaven Bottling (58.3% Alc) has a fruity nose of sherry, peat, malt and smoke. The palate is sweet, moderately peated and ends with a long, spicy finish.
The 24-Year-Old Cooper's Choice Bottling (43% Alc) has a fruity nose of sherry, peat and malt. The palate has these same elements with moderate weight and a long, dry, peated finish.
The distillery was founded by Alexander Matheson with wealth acquired in the tea and opium trade in Hong Kong. He bought Andross farm, north of Inverness, put in a still and hired a tenant to make whisky. The Mackenzie family, who worked on Matheson's estate, bought the distillery in 1886 and they mainly supplied the firm of Whyte and Mackay and they continue to supply one of the base malts for the Whyte and Mackay blends. Most of the output goes into blends. The distillery uses both Bourbon and sherry casks; about 85% is matured in Bourbon � mostly first-fill with the remaining in oloroso and amontillado butts. During WWI, it was retooled for the production of naval mines. During that period a large part of the distillery burned down and whisky production did not resume until 1922.
They expanded from 4 to 8 stills in 1966. The wash stills have an unusually conical upper chamber and the spirit stills are cooled with water � which is also unusual. Two of the stills dates back to 1874.
Deanston
. (Highlands, Est. 1965)
This distillery is one of only three that use unpeated barley as their malt. The mild peatiness that does show in the whisky results from the local water source, the River Teith. The 1977 Vintage 17-Year-Old Single Cask, William Cadenhead Bottling ( 55.0% Alc) has a bright, heathery bouquet of sweet malt and smoke. The rich palate echoes the nose with good depth and a delicately sweet finish.
Dufftown
. (Speyside, Dufftown, Est. 1887)
This distillery's malts were in great demand for blending. The 1982 Vintage, 11-Year-Old Single Cask Glenhaven Bottling (60.0% Alc) has the rich aroma of very sweet sherry, smoke and nuts. The palate is light and sweet with citrus and honey, followed by a long, clean finish.
Edradour
. (Central Highlands, Est. 1825)
Pronounced: Edradower. This distillery is the smallest in Scotland and the last distilling by hand. Three people run the entire process and produce less than 500 casks of whisky per year. Most of the production is used as "top dressing" in blends with just a scant 2,000 cases bottled as their own Single Malt. The 10 Year-Old, Distillery Bottling (40% Alc) has a sweet sherry nose underlain with delicate fruity nuances. The palate is rich and smooth with malt, caramel and an elegant, citrus finish. The 1976 Vintage, 19-Year-Old Single Cask, William Cadenhead Bottling (53.5% Alc) has the scents and tastes of citrus, flowers and peat. It is rich and has a medium-long finish.
Glendronach
. (East Highlands, Est. 1826)
This distillery produces the primary malt used in the blending of Teacher's Highland Cream. The 12-Year-Old Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a rich bouquet of malt, honey and faint smoky tones. The full-bodied palate is rich with sherry, malt, spice and peat flavors with a nutty finish.
Glendullan
. (Speyside, Est. 1897)
The last of those distilleries built in Dufftown. Reportedly the favorite whisky of King Edward the VIII. The 17-Year-Old. Cooper's Choice Bottling (43% Alc) has a nutty nose of sherry, malt and spice with a subtle note of violets. The palate is sweet and clean, with good depth of malty fruit flavors and a dry, peppery finish.
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Glen Elgin
. ((Speyside, Est. 1898)
This distillery produces malts primarily for use in the White Horse blend, little or none is bottled by the distillery itself. The 1971 Vintage 22-YearOld Single Cask William Cadenhead Bottling (50.3% Alc) has an elegant bouquet of heather, spice, smoke and honey. These same components are rich on the palate, with good depth and a smooth, captivating finish.
Glenesk
. (Est.1897)
This Highland distillery closed in the mid-1980s. While open, they produced malts primarily for use in the Vat 69 blended whisky, with very little being bottled as a Single Malt. The 1982 Vintage 13-Year-Old Single Cask, William Cadenhead Bottling (66.5% Alc) has the fresh aromas of green apple, citrus, malt and herbs. The palate is light and sweet with malt and apple flavors that end in a clean, lingering finish.
Glen Garioch
. (East Highlands, Est. 1785)
Pronounced: Glen Gee-ree. This distillery, one of the oldest in Scotland, closed in 1995. The 8 Year-Old Distillery Bottling (43%Alc) has fresh, leafy scents that meld nicely with sherry honey and floral tones. The palate echoes the nose with fresh, clean flavors and a good peppery finish. The 21-Year-Old Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has an intense nose of honey, flowers, smoky malt and peat. The full-bodied palate has good depth of malt, spice and peat flavors that carry through to a long, spicy finish.
Glenglassaugh
. (Eastern Highlands, Est. 1875)
Pronounced: Glen-glass-och. This distillery though established last century, has only been in serious production for the last decade -older stocks are therefore very rare. The 1977 Vintage, 15-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (58.8% Alc) has a subtle bouquet of floral-edged peat and smoke. The palate is rich, medium-bodied, and has a smoky, woodsy finish.
Glen Keith
. (Speyside, Strathisla, Est. 1957)
This distillery is part of the Guinness Group and its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Heritage Selection." The majority of the malts produced are primarily for use in blends. The age statement reads "Distilled before 1983" Distillery Bottling (43% Alc). It has a lightly malty nose with notes of apple and peat. The palate is moderately rich with vanilla, peat and creamy malt flavors that end with a medium-sweet finish.
Founding Date:
1837
This distillery is operated by John Haig & Co., is owned by United Distillers and is widely distributed as part of their "Classic Malts" Portfolio. The majority of their malts are used in the Haig blends.
Glenkinchie -10 yr.: A Lowland malt. Light delicate nose. Light to medium body. Pale color. Smooth, slightly dry taste with a hint of smoke. Warm spicy finish. Scored 76 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Scotland was in the forefront of European agricultural research in the 19th century and the barley produced in the Lowlands near Edinburgh was of superior quality. Glenkinchie began as a part-time function to use the fine crops in the surrounding fields and the distillery was built in 1825 as Milton Distillery and has been operating under the name Glenkinchie since 1837. It became one of the more distinctive Lowland malts, and is noted for its untypical dryness. It is the principal component in Haig's Dimple blend. They have two stills. Owned by John Haig & Co. (United Distillers).
The entire output was used for blending until 1989 when the 10 year old distillery bottling was released as part of The Classic Malts series.
In the 1950's and 60's, the distillery manager bred prize-winning cattle; feeding them with the spent grains from the distillery.
The name is a corruption of de Quincy, the name of a family that once owned large amounts of land in this area.
The Glenlivet
Founding Date:
1824
This distillery is by far the most famous in the Glen and the only one recognized by that name alone. In fact, despite the rampant use of the term, there are few distilleries actually operating in the glen of the River Livet itself. One, Tomintoul, is in the adjoining Avon valley but is generally regarded as belonging to the Livet district. Tamnavulin, which is unconnected to The Glenlivet, and Braes of Glenlivet, which is owned by Seagram are both in the glen of the Livet. Michael Jackson says that "What Grande Champagne is to Cognac, the glen of the River Livet is to Speyside." Owned by the Seagram Co. this Single Malt is the best selling in the entire world -- in the US alone it accounted for over 43% of all Single Malt sales in 1994-95. The malt whiskies produced in and around the glen are all regarded as "delicate and elegant" by Michael Jackson and these characteristics are often taken as representative of the "glen" style. The glen provides the kind of water that produces especially delicate whiskies. It is the distilling district most deeply set into the mountains and its water rises from granite and frequently flows underground for many miles. The mountain setting also provides the climate favored by whisky producers. This is because, when distillation is proceeding, the condensers work most efficiently if cooled by very cold water and in a matching climate.
In 1823, an act was passed that encouraged the licensing of distilleries by cutting duty dramatically and permitting weaker washes (making for better distillates). Prior to this time, the Highlanders were permitted to distill only on a domestic scale; the English market was closed to them. The act was promoted by the Duke of Gordon and he encouraged one of his tenants, George Smith, to build a legal distillery on his farm. Prior to this time, the Glen of the Livet was a hotbed of illegal stills; it is estimated that there were some 200 illegal stills in the area in 1815. This was considered to be an act of resistance against hated British rule. The Scottish national poet Robert Burns put it as follows "Freedom and whisky go together." George Smith, like most of his neighbors, had been an illegal distiller and smuggler but saw what he considered to be an opportunity; he was aware however, of the dangers of forging ahead on his own. He wrote in his journal "The outlook was an ugly one. I was warned that they meant of burn the distillery to the ground and me in the heart of it. The laird of Aberlour presented me with a pair of hair-trigger pistols worth ten guineas, and they were never out of my belt for years. ." One of the reasons for his success, apart from his skill as a distiller and businessman, was that he had the support of the landed nobility eager to assert its authority over the stubborn Highlanders.
In 1858, George Smith and his son, James Gordon Smith, by now his partner, built a larger distillery to meet the growing demand for their product, mostly from Andrew Usher & Co. the blending pioneers. They sold their first bottle of The Glenlivet south of the Scottish/English border in 1863.
By the time John Smith succeeded his father (who died in 1871), the name Glenlivet had become so famous that is had been added by some 18 other distilleries to their names. Unfortunately, none of these were actually located in the famous glen itself. There was a saying that the Glen Livet was "the longest valley in Scotland." John Smith sought legal protection and, in 1880, was rewarded with a court ruling that there was only one Glenlivet. Since that time, the whisky has proudly called itself The Glenlivet. Other distilleries could only use the term as a suffix to their brand-names.
Following the death of John Grant, the distillery was operated by his nephew, Colonel George Smith Grant and, in 1921, his son, Captain Bill Smith Grant took control. Captain Grant promoted the American market, even before the end of Prohibition, and laid the foundation for what has become the distilleries primary market. He merged with Glen Grant Distillery in 1953 and in 1970 this company merged with Hill, Thomson & Co. to form The Glenlivet Distilleries, a company acquired by Seagram in 1978. With their marketing strength, The Glenlivet has come to dominate the market in America for single malt Scotches.
The Glenlivet has 8 stills, making it one of the larger malt distilleries.
The 12-Year-Old Distillery bottling (40% Alc) has a light nose of citrus, hay and malt. The palate is dry, moderately pealed, and has a good balance of sherry/honey flavors and a faintly peated finish.
The 1977 Vintage. 17Year-Old Single Cask Glenhaven Bottling (56.5% Alc) has an intense nose of citrus, sherry and malt and a rich, full-bodied palate with great balance and a long smoke and sherry finish.
The 1973 Vintage 22- Year-Old Single Cask William Cadenhead Bottling (53.1%Alc) has a sweet bouquet of geranium, malt, spice and lemon. The palate is full, yet bright and fresh with honey, malt and nutty sherry flavors and a lightly smoky finish.
The best selling single malt in the USA, from the Speyside district of the Highland region. Pale gold color. Flowery, clean nose. Light to medium body, firm and smooth. Flowery, peachy taste with notes of vanilla. A delicate balance between sweetness and malty dryness. Restrained but long finish. Scored 85 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Glenlivet 18 yr.
: Single malt scotch from the Speyside region of the highlands. Glenlivet is the #1 selling single malt in the U.S. Deep gold color. Rich, sweet floral nose. Full, sweet flavors of nuts, dried apricots, vanilla and sherry with spicy overtones. Full, extended finish of toffee and nuts. Body is medium weight, soft and mellow. 'Kindred Spirits' gives it a **** (highly recommended) rating.
Notes From Distillery Visit
:
Malting specs are for low protein barley, no peat in the kilning. The peat that their spring water flows over is sufficient.
They have a capacity of 400,000 metric tons of barley storage. A metric ton is 1,000 kilograms or 2,112.5 pounds. They use 300,000 MT per week, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Require one kg barley to produce one bottle (750 ml).
The mill can handle 5 metric tons an hour.
Milled barley is called grist.
Milling consists of passing the malted barley grains through two (usually) rollers.
Residue is used for cattle feed.
Production is approximately 300,000 bottles weekly.
Mash Tun:
Founding Date:
1936
Aged for 12 years in sherry casks. It has won the gold medal for best single malt under 15 years by the International Wine & Spirits competition for 1994 and 1995. Smooth with a slight sweetness. Scored 76 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
They mix heather in with the peat used in kilning the malt and this is believed to impart a dry, rooty flavor. Operated by J. Dewar & Sons since 1924 (United Distillers). Most of the output is used in Dewar blends. Over the years it has been known as Glenordie and Ord. Michael Jackson feels this uncertainty regarding the name of the distillery is at least partly responsible for the lack of suitable recognition and respect for the whisky. The distillery itself is known as Ord or Muir of Ord. They expanded in 1966 and increased from 2 to 6 stills and also operate a malting house that produces malt for other distillers also. Until 1993, when the whisky was distributed widely as a single malt, it had only a local reputation.
Notes From Distillery Visit
Founding Date:
1843
Pronounced: Glen MORanjee. This Highland distillery is one of the smallest in Scotland and all of its production is bottled as their own Single Malt (i.e. almost none is made available for blending or Merchant Bottlers). Another unusual aspect of this distillery is the fact that the whisky has been available as a single malt since the 1920's.
The 10-Year Old Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a lovely bouquet of almond, apple, herbs and smoke. The palate is sweet and smooth with these rich, elegant flavors and has a long, peaty finish.
The 12 Year-Old Port Wood Finish Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a sherry/chocolate nose with hints of plum and herbs. The palate is weighty with soft, round fruit and smoke flavors and a long chocolate finish.
The 18-Year-Old Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has an elegant bouquet of orange peel, sweet spice, hay and apple. The palate is rich and complex with these same smooth flavors and a long, fruity/smoky finish.
The Limited Release Distilled in 1971, Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has an incredibly rich aroma of caramel, nuts, apple and smoke. On the palate these same flavors are rich, rounded and smooth and finish on a long, spicy note. A French perfume house once reported finding 26 distinctive fragrances in the whisky.
Second best-selling Scotch single malt in the world and the top seller in Scotland. The name comes from Gaelic for "valley of calm." Distillation can be traced back to the 1730's on the site and at one time also brewed beer and produced lemonade. Licensed whisky production began in 1843. They were the first to use steam coils in the stills; something that has now become common.
The majority of the whisky is matured exclusively in Bourbon barrels. They mature exclusively in Bourbon barrels for their basic 10 year old malt. Finishing maturation is often done in other types of wood as explained below. To insure continued availability and quality control, they acquired an oak forest in Missouri and ships its new barrels to Bourbon distillers for conditioning. They have such an arrangement with Maker's Mark. In fact, they also have a maturing experiment going with Maker's Mark. A barrel of their Bourbon is maturing in Scotland while a barrel of Glenmorangie malt whisky is maturing in Kentucky. Additional experiments resulted in finishing the whisky in Port and Madeira barrels.
Notes From Distillery Visit
Porteus
grain mills here, as in nearly all the distilleries.
Hard water; picks up a lot of minerals In the decades (100 years) it takes to seep through the rock. The use of hard water is unusual in Scotland.
Use S/S washbacks.
46,000 liter wash = 5,000 liters of spirit. They claim that this is less than typical.
8 stills. Very tall (16'10.25"); claim to be tallest in Scotland and probably are. Each still has a bulge in the neck (called a "boil pot" and this, with the height, helps to deliver only the most refined vapors to the condensers. They are also known for taking a very narrow "cut." This also increases the refined and elegant nature of the whisky.
Glenmorangie uses bourbon barrels; they are shipped disassembled to Scotland where they are reconstructed into hogsheads of 250 liters.
The barrels are used three times @ 10 years each. They use different colors for the barrel ends. Red are labeled 1st Fill and are used for 10 years; black are labeled 2nd Fill and are 20 years old when finished. The 3rd Fill barrels are colored gray and are 30 years old when completed. They are then discarded (planters and so forth).
When a marriage is made, they select from all three barrel colors (1st fill, 2nd fill, and 3rd fill barrels).
If you pay �21 for a bottle of Scotch whisky, the government gets �14 in taxes.
The 18 year Glenmorangie malt gets 16 years in bourbon oak and 2 years in sherry wood. It is darker (which they attribute to the sherry wood, not giving much credit to the additional 6 years in bourbon oak), richer, smoother and has a more complex bouquet.
Glen Mohr
. (Highlands, Est. 1892) Pronounced: Glen Voar. This distillery was closed in 1983. The 1982 Vintage, 12-Year-Old Single Cask Glenhaven Bottling (64.2% Alc) has a rich nose of sherry, smoke and citrus. The palate is sweet and fruity, has moderate weight and a pleasant, caramel-toned finish.
Glen Rothes
Founding Date:
1878
This distillery, producing malts mostly for use in the blending of Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark, is also remembered for a tremendous fire in 1922, in which 2,500 casks of whisky flowed, flaming into the countryside.
The 1979 Vintage 15-Year-Old, Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has an herb-tinged nose of sweet sherry, malt and citrus that are echoed on the palate with a lively pungent character and a long, fruity/herb finish.
From the Glen Rothes Web Site
The Glenrothes Vintage Single Malt Whisky takes its name from the Glenrothes Distillery, in the heart of Speyside, the Highland area of Scotland made famous by the quality and style of its single malt whiskies. The Glenrothes Distillery first began production in 1879 and is recognized by expert distillers as producing one of the finest and most accomplished malt whiskies.
The Glenrothes Vintage has been distilled during one particular year and the vintage and year of bottling are shown on each label. Only the best and most carefully selected casks of Glenrothes will be chosen for this special malt whisky which is released when it is at the peak of maturity. The result is a single malt whisky of great nobility and complexity with a smooth, long-lasting flavor.
The Glenrothes is one of the few naturally-colored whiskies. This natural color is gently drawn from the lengthy aging in oak casks.
The simple, yet distinctive, packaging for Glenrothes is based on the shape of the original bottles found in the Scotch whisky Sample Room. The label too comes from the Sample Room where the "checking slip" was used to record important facts about whisky samples and where the Glenrothes Vintage is given the signature of approval.
The following vintages have been released: 1972, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1985.
To appreciate this excellent vintage malt, use a good sized glass and add a little pure still water to release its aroma and lingering taste.
Tasting Note
:
The Glenrothes Vintage is a naturally amber-colored malt with an aroma of finesse hinting delicately of peat. The years spent maturing in oak casks have resulted in a good balance of softness and quality to the palate with a smooth, long-lasting flavor.
Glentauchers
(Speyside)
Pronounced: Glen-tockers. A Speyside distillery. The 1976 Vintage. 18Year-Old Single Cask. Glenhaven Bottling (63.2% Alc) has a fresh, floral nose and a full-bodied palate of sweet, smoky flavors that trail off in a long, warm and smoky finish.
Highland Park
Founding Date:
1798
Highland Park and its neighbor, Scapa are the only two distilleries on the northern Orkney islands. Highland Park, in fact, is the most northerly whisky distillery in the world. Despite the remote location (still classified as part of the Highlands), their whiskies have always been sought after both as Single Malts and for top-dressing blends, where it is thought to function as a catalyst, bringing out the flavors of the other contributing malts. The whisky has been promoted as a single malt since the early 1970's. Michael Jackson refers to it as "the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky."
The 1984 Vintage. 10-Year-Old Single Cask. Glenhaven Bottling (59.8% Alc) has a fruity/floral nose of green apple, malt and smoke. These same flavors are rich and creamy, and finish on a dry smoky note.
The 1978 Vintage. 14-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (55.0% Alc) has an elegant bouquet of peat, smoke, honey and a delicate floral note. The flavors are rich, full and complex, with a long, elegant, smoke-etched finish.
Owned by James Grant & Co. a subsidiary of Highland Distilleries Co. James Grant, whose father was the distillery manager of Glenlivet, became managing partner and later owner, in 1888. Highland Distilleries bought it in 1937.
The distillery is located on the exact spot where the legendary smuggler and churchman Magnus Eunson operated an illegal still. He is reputed to have been the first to hide his illegal whisky in coffins to avoid tax collections. His pulpit is supposed to have been used for this purpose also. One story goes that "the church was to be searched for whisky by a party of exisemen, Eunson had the kegs removed to his house. They were placed in the middle of the room and covered with a clean white cloth. Under the cloth was a coffin lid, and as the Excise officers approached, Eunson knelt with his bible, and the others with their psalm books. As the door opened they set up a wail for the dead. Eunson indicated that there had been a death and one of the attendants whispered 'small-pox'. The Excise officers evaporated."
The distillery operates its own malting floors and peating operations and has 4 stills. The peat is cut more shallow than usual in order to impart a light, rooty character. The peat is mixed with heather, which is said to add a distinctive note to the whisky.
They have four stills (expanded from two in 1898).
Imperial
. (Speyside, Est. 1897)
This distillery produces malts primarily for use in the blending of Johnnie Walker, none is bottled for itself. The 1980 Vintage, 14-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (64.9% Alc) has a smoky, malty bouquet with hints of vanilla and spice. The similar flavors offer good richness, depth and elegance ($95). The 1979 Vintage, 15-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (62.3% Alc) has a lively nose of fruit, malt, smoke and herbs. The palate is smooth and woody with spicy malt, sweet peated tones and an herbal finish
Jura
. (Isle of Jura, Est. 1810)
This distillery is the sole manufacturing enterprise on the island of Jura (population 225). While the island is located just north of Islay, its whisky shares more with the Highlands in character. The 10 Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (40% Alc) has a nose of citrus, smoke and malt. The palate is dry and delicate and malty with flavors of sherry, spice and smoke that ebb gradually on the finish. The 1983, 10-Year-Old Single Cask. Cadenhead Bottling (63.9% Alc) has a bright, malty bouquet with smoke and iodine. These same high-toned flavors have a pleasant fruity finish. The 1984. 10-Year-Old Single Cask. Cadenhead Bottling (58.8%Alc) has a lightly peated nose of vanilla, lemon and faint notes of the sea. These same flavors are joined by rich, sweet caramel and chocolate tones.
Isle of Jura
:
Golden color. Light, dry nose with a hint of sherry. Soft light body. Slightly sweet, salty flavor. Finish has a little malt and some saltiness. Considered a Highland malt. Scored 71 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Knockando
Founding Date:
1889
Located overlooking the River Spey it draws its water from the Cardnach Spring which is described as an especially fine source and is used only for Knockando. The name comes from the Gaelic for "black hillock, or a little black hill."
The distillery was purchased in 1898 by Gilbey. This firm, with Justerini & Brooks, created the IDV (International Distillers & Vintners) in 1904. J&B is responsible for production and uses Knockando as an important base malt for its blends and Knockando is the best-known of IDV's malt whiskies. The distillery has four stills and ages its whisky for a time in sherry casks. It was first exported as a single malt in 1977-78.
Their practice is not to bottle at a specific age, but only when the casks are felt to be "at their peak" and the label states the dates of distillation and bottling. This practice is based on the recognition that whiskies do not develop evenly and that the desired degree of maturation is not always reached in equivalent periods of time. The objective is to produce whiskies that, while they may not be of the same age, have the same taste; a consistently mature whisky where one vintage does not differ dramatically from another.
Lagavulin
Founding Date:
1816
This distillery has long produced malts for use in Johnnie Walker, and the White Horse blends and as part of the Guinness Group its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Classic Malts" Portfolio. Over the last few decades, the Single Malt has developed a very loyal following among those seeking a rich expression of the powerful Islay style.
The 16Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a bold, pungent nose of smoke, peat and burnt herbs. On the palate these same flavors are dry, peaty and smooth, with a smoky finish.
Robust 16-year-old malt from the Islay region. Full amber color. Powerful sherry aroma. Full, smooth body. Smoky, peaty taste. Huge finish. Scored 95 out of 100 by Michael Jackson. He describes it as he classic Islay whisky, with the driest start of any single malt."
The distillery, like all those on Islay, was built on the shoreline to facilitate incoming merchandise and outgoing whisky. The name is Gaelic meaning the mill in the hollow (or the hollow where the mill is). It is recorded that on this location in the late 1700's, there were up to ten illegal stills. By the 1830's there were two distilleries remaining and they were merged to form Lagavulin Distillery in 1837. From 1908 until 1960, a second distillery within Lagavulin was operated. It was called Malt Mill and made whisky using ultra-old-fashioned methods and the whisky was different from Lagavulin. Lagavulin has four stills.
Laphroaig
Founding Date:
1815
Pronounced: Lafroyg. This distillery makes a strongly peated whisky sought after for both blending and as a Single Malt. So unique is its pungent peatiness, that it has a reputation for being either loved or hated.
The 10-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (40% Alc) has a sharp, peaty nose, with notes of brine and iodine, yet still hints of sweetness. The palate is bold and forward with heavy peat, iodine and smoke flavors that grip the palate and linger in the throat.
They still produce some of their own malt and cut their own peat. The producers believe that the high content of moss in the peat gives the whisky its unique flavor. Aging is done exclusively in Bourbon wood. They have 7 stills and maintain their own floor maltings at the distillery. It is owned by D. Johnston & Co., a subsidiary of Allied Distillers (Allied Domecq). Laphroaig provides one of the base malts in the blends Islay Mist and Long John.
An interesting historical note is that one of the founding brothers, Donald Johnston, drowned in a vat of fermenting wash in 1847.
From the Laphroaig Web Site
The Distillery
Laphroaig is Gaelic for "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay" - boasts, as its name demands, an idyllic setting for a Distillery, with its own sea loch and peninsula.
Established in 1815 by the brothers Donald and Alec Johnston, the Distillery passed through the family, with much in-fighting along the way, until being sold to Long John Distillers in the early 1960s. It had the distinction of being run by a lady distiller, Mrs. Bessie Campbell, from 1954 to 1972. Long John were taken over by Whitbread, the brewers, in 1975. However, D Johnston & Co still remains on the label as Distiller and Bottler.
The Distillery Today
Many of the original buildings remain, including the traditional malting floors where the malt is regularly turned by hand to maintain an even temperature throughout the 7-day germination period.
Laphroaig goes from strength to strength as part of Allied Distillers' portfolio and received the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1994.
The Whisky
Laphroaig's peat bogs on the Glenmachrie Peat Moss and its water source, the Kilbride Dam, combine in the distilling process to produce the characteristically peaty and full-colored whisky that features in the top five best-selling malts today.
Its unique taste saw it prosper in America during the Prohibition (1920-1933) where its import was permitted as a 'medicinal spirit' - aqua vitae indeed!
Tasting Notes
A hint of sherry quickly gives way to the Islay intensity and distinctively oily body with a big peaty-smoky flavor. A round, dry and warming finish renders Laphroaig the perfect night-cap, but not one for the weak-kneed . . . .
Brand Information:
Founding Date:
1894
Located just 2.5 miles south of Elgin near the village of Longmorn. The distillery was established by John Duff in 1894 at the height of the whisky boom. It is one of the few distilleries in continuous production since that time. The site was attractive for distilling because it had an ample supply of local peat and abundant spring water from the Mannoch Hill. The distillery was acquired by James R. Grant in 1898 who was succeeded by his sons, P.J. Grant and R. L. Grant and they did business as the Longmorn Distillery Co. In 1970, the Grants of Longmorn and of Glen Grant were united when Hill Thompson & Co. Ltd., a noted blending and merchant firm in Edinburgh, merged with The Glenlivet and Glen Grant distilleries under the name of The Glenlivet Distilleries. This company was then purchased by Seagram Distillers in 1978.
It was expanded from four to six stills in 1972, and to eight in 1974, making it one of the larger malt distilleries. The whisky has long been overshadowed by other Chivas properties (The Glenlivet and Glen Grant) but began to be more aggressively marketed during the late 1990's. It won gold medals in the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 1993 and 1994.
This distillery produces a rich, malty whisky in high demand as a Single Malt and for top-dressing blends. Part of the Seagram Co., its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Heritage Selection."
Michael Jackson describes Longmorn as "admired for its complexity, its combination of smoothness and fullness of character, and from its big bouquet to its long finish. It is noted for its cereal-grain maltiness and oily flavors, reminiscent of beeswax."
The 15-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (45% Alc) has a rich, full, nose of creamy malt and fresh, appley fruit. These similar flavors are soft, smooth and creamy, with delicate notes of smoke and peat that linger sweetly on the finish -- an exceptional value in Speyside Single Malts.
The 1972 Vintage. 23-Year-Old Single Sherry Cask. Signatory Bottling (56.6% Alc) has a concentrated bouquet of sweet malt, citrus peel, and pleasant tones of smoke and peat. The palate is rich, full and weighty with creamy malt and nutty sherry flavors and a long malt and honey finish, with notes of smoke and peat.
Longmorn 15yr.: Full, gold color. Big, slightly oily nose with barley and flowery notes. From the Speyside district of the Highlands. Medium to big but smooth body. Clean, fresh flavor with cereal grain maltiness. Clean, malty, nutty finish. Scored 87 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
The Macallan
Founding Date:
1824
This distillery, which started out in a farmhouse early last century, is now one of the largest in Scotland. They were one of the first to promote the use of sherry casks to mature their whisky and have continued with that tradition ever since. In 1983, when the Spanish government decreed that all Sherry must be bottled in Jerez and Sherry butts are now reusable by the Jerezanos, this led to competition for used Sherry casks, which are now a considerable cost to the whisky distiller. The difficulty in procuring quality Sherry casks proved so great to Macallan that they once bought and imported for resale, thousands of gallons of Oloroso Sherry every year - but they did get to keep the empty casks. since the Spanish government has since required all exports to be in bottles � not casks � they now purchase the casks in Spain and lend them to sherry producers for seasoning.
Their stills are small, probably the smallest in Speyside and they never use caramel for coloring. These factors, along with the exclusive use of sherry casks, account for the distinctive character of the malt whisky and its popularity not only as a malt, but for use in blending. Achieving a standard color by mingling whiskies from different casks is quite difficult and is among the secrets of Macallan.
The distillery was established in 1824 and built a great reputation. It is a certainty that illegal distilling was practiced in this location for many years since there is no other explanation for its reputation and popularity in the south immediately following legal licensing of the distillery. In 1892, Roderick Kemp, owner and manager of Talisker, sold his share and purchased Macallan. Allan Shiach, who is directly descended from Kemp, was chairman of the company until his retirement in 1996. Mr. Shiach also writes Hollywood screenplays as Allan Sharp � one was Don't Look Now starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie.
In the 1970's, the distillery ran into financial difficulties. At that time Seagram was one of its main customers; Macallan had been an important component in the Chivas Regal blend. Seagram however, changed the formula and Macallan lost a major client. Up to that time Macallan had been mostly only locally appreciated as a single malt but this turn of circumstances forced them to concentrate on its marketing as a single and they have been very successful. Despite the success of the decision to concentrate on their branded single malt, it was considered a bold one at the time because of the high regard blenders had for the whisky. It was usually ranked in the top three for "top dressing" malts. The decision to mature their single exclusively in sherry wood came about at this time also.
The first batch was released in 1980 and it currently sells at the number three position in the UK malt whisky market and number five in the world.
The distillery has been expanded several times. They doubled from six to twelve stills in 1965, to eighteen in 1974 and to twenty-one in 1975. Michael Jackson said that they "build more (stills) rather than making them bigger." In 1990, they built what is now the largest single-roofed whisky warehouse in Europe.
The 12-Year-Old Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has bright floral aromas of spice, citrus, pear and honey. The similar flavors are rich and elegant with good depth and a pleasant, expansive finish.
The 1976 vintage. 18-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a fabulous bouquet and palate of caramel, smoke, Puts, spice and citrus peel. It is smooth and well-focused, with exceptional depth and a long, fruity, peaty finish.
Macallan
12 year: Amber color. Sherry and honey nose. Full smooth body. Taste has hints of currant. Rounded finish. From the Speyside district. Scored 91 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Macallan
18 year: Full amber color. Perfumy nose. Full round body. Complex, full flavor with currant and calvados-like notes. Finish is slow at first then oaky and powerful. Scored 94 out of 100 by Michael Jackson
Notes From Distillery Visit
:
Macallan is a place.
They specify the type of barley and that little or no peat be used in the kilning.
Water source flows over bedrock; no peat. Wells next to the Spey.
Mash tun = 6-7 metric tons.
3 washes; total of 4 hours.
S/S washbacks; have used for many years. Do not believe that use of wood has anything to do with the character of the whisky. "After all, it is only in there for 48 hours."
The wash is 7%.
2 still rooms.
15 stills, sets of three, unlike the others. Two spirit to each wash still. The reason is because their spirit stills are small, probably the smallest in Scotland.
The shape and size of the stills are critical to the eventual whisky. Even dents and imperfections can be critical. When stills are replaced, they go to great lengths to reproduce them exactly.
50% single malt; 50% blended.
Whisky distillers are in a difficult marketing position; they have to predict the demand 10 to 25 years ahead. Not only the demand for whisky, but for single malts vs. blends, for Macallan single malt, for 10, 12, 18, 25 years of age.
Fill some 350-400 casks daily.
Lose 3 million bottles yearly in evaporation.
Historical reason for sherry casks. Sherry, always hugely popular in England, was originally imported in barrel. When the wine was bottled, there was nothing to do with the barrels so they were inexpensive. Some enterprising whisky maker, no one knows who, thought to use them for maturing whisky because they were cheap. They were found to be ideal for maturing malt whisky but they are no longer inexpensive nor are they readily available since sherry is bottled in Spain and exported in bottles.
Macallan purchases casks in Spain and lends them to bodegas who fill them with oloroso, fino and amontillado sherry and mature for 2-4 years. They are then emptied and sent to Scotland.
They not only control what type of sherry goes into the barrels, but all aspects of the process. The making of the barrels themselves, length, how they are stored and so forth. This, along with a steady and continuous supply of suitable casks is the advantage of their system.
The main disadvantage is cost. They spend �1 million yearly in Spain; the barrels are 3-4 X as expensive as bourbon barrels.
They only use the casks once. Regardless of whether it was used for 10 yr., 12 yr. and so forth, they discard it after that use.
Bring in the entire barrel.
No recharring, although the barrels are charred for sherry use.
Smelled a 1954 in cask - fabulous; rich, very sherryish.
They marry and send for bottling about every 10-14 days.
A specialist company comes to the distillery and tests the staff for "nosing" ability. This is a complex and extensive process and takes a couple of days. They test the ability to recognize, differentiate and so forth many odors, not just whisky ones. A nosing panel will then be assembled from those who are the most highly qualified. What they do at Macallan has nothing to do with the selection; it is strictly based on their ability to nose. The initial decisions as to which barrels to marry for a particular bottling are made by management but then the panel of nosers will check the "blend" and compare with previous bottlings of the same type. They will compare with a sample of the last 10 yr. old for example, and samples from last year, the year before and so forth. The decision that it is satisfactory must be unanimous or they have to make whatever adjustment are necessary until it is.
The nosers add water; and at Macallan, they believe that water should be added to malt whisky for drinking also (but not, as was expressed to me, "London water!").
I nosed four samples:
Whisky aged in oloroso sherry wood.
Whisky aged in fino or amontillado wood.
Whisky aged in bourbon wood.
Impressions: unaged is colorless, harsh and lacks any particular whisky characteristics. The oloroso was a dark and rich amber/mahogany color and had a distinctive sherry nose, the malt character was reduced relative to the fino/amontillado which was also lighter in color (actually, the color of an amontillado sherry). The bourbon one was the lightest of all, had none of the sherry quality, but was also sort of muted and did not exhibit any vanillin or wood.
They distill 7 days a week, around the clock.
Once the bottling marriage is completed, the whisky is held at Macallan for 3-4 months until shipped to the bottling plant.
Mannochmore
. (Speyside, Est. 1971)
This modern distillery produces a malt whisky primarily for use in the blended whiskies of Haig. The 12-Year-Old. Cooper's Choice Bottling (43% Alc) has a smoky, peaty nose that balances well with the clean, fruity palate. It has a smooth, medium-bodied sweetness and a lingering smoky finish.
Oban
Founding Date
1794
Known as "The Gateway to the Isles", this distillery is part of the Guinness Group and its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Classic Malts" Portfolio. It has the reputation of being one of the more enigmatic of all Scotch Whiskies. The nose and palate are more akin to an Islay, but the finish and body have the sweet creaminess of the Highlands. The malt whisky has contributed to the various John Hopkins blends, including one that is called "Old Mull."
Acquired by Dewar in 1923. The distillery was silent from 1931 to 1937 and from 1969 to 1972, when a new stillhouse was built. They established their Visitor's Center in 1989 and were selected for promotion as a Classic Malt in 1990. They have two stills.
The 14 Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) melds the delicate, fruity aromas of citrus and pear with the muscular scents of peat and iodine. The palate reflects this blending of flavors with good depth and a long, smooth finish.
Oban - 14 yr.: Amber color. Peaty, smoky aroma. Rich, smooth body. Dry, smoky flavor with malty and fruity undertones. Aromatic, smooth finish. Scored 79 out of 100 by Michael Jackson.
Notes From Distillery Visit
Black = Heart or Middle Cut.
Use whisky refill casks; both hogsheads and butts.
About 5% of production is used for Oban Single Malt.
The primary blend into which Oban goes is Bell's.
About 26,000 visitors a year.
Port Ellen
. (Islay, Est. 1825)
This distillery has been closed since 1983, but the facility still produces malt for all the Islay distilleries and Jura. The 1983 Vintage. 12-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (57.8% Alc) has both scents and flavors heavy with peat and brine. The palate is rich and layered with notes of malt and caramel that follow through on the finish. The 1977 Vintage. 18-Year-Old Single Cask. Signatory Bottling (60.4% Alc) has a sharp nose of peat, iodine and smoke. The complex palate echoes the nose, and adds a note of malt and citrus flavors that carry through on the smoky finish.
Royal Lochnagar
. (Highlands, Est. 1845)
This distillery acquired its Royal Warrant after a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert from the nearby Balmoral Castle. It is said that Queen Victoria enjoyed a daily dram in her tea. The 12-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has the fresh, bright aromas of apple, smoke, citrus and leather. On the palate these same flavors are bright and distinct, a bit racy and conclude with a smooth, peaty finish.
Scapa
Founding Date:
1885
The distillery is located on the north shore of Scapa Flow, where the German High Seas Fleet scuttled itself at the end of WWI. It was a famous Allied Naval base during both the World Wars.
The distillery ceased operation in 1993. It has been marketed as a single malt only since 1995; previously it was used only for blending although some bottlings were available from Independents. Scapa has been owned by Hiram Walker since 1954. Its current availability as a single malt is dependent on how long its supplies last.
Scapa had two stills. A note of distinction for this distillery is that the water it used was so peaty that they did not kiln the malted barley with peat. Aging was done exclusively in Bourbon barrels. A distinctive feature is the rare Lomond-type still used for the first distillation. It has a stubby top and yields heavier spirits than longer-necked stills would. This is a significant malt in Ballantine's and Ambassador Blended Scotches.
Speyburn
Founding Date:
1897
The distillery is located in a pretty wooded glen just outside the town of Rothes. Due to the tightness of the space available, the distillery has two and three story buildings which is unusual. Mostly, distilleries in Scotland feature ground-level construction around a central courtyard.
The distillery was built in 1897 and the owners were eager to release some whisky with that date since it was the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. They were successful � barely. They began production the last week of the year and doors and windows still had not been fitted to the stillhouse. To add to the difficulty, a snowstorm was sweeping the district and the employees had to work in overcoats and mufflers. The result was that they were able to produce only one barrel with the coveted 1897 date.
It is now owned by Inver House Distillers who purchased it from United Distillers in 1992. Under United Distillers, the output was used nearly entirely for blending with single malts usually only available from Independent Bottlers. Inver House uses the malts in their blends and they do bottle a single malt under the distillery name.
Speyburn is a small distillery; operating just two stills. They were the first to install drum maltings although these were closed in 1968.
Notes From Distillery Visit
:
Incoming barley should have 4-5% moisture.
58% cultured yeast; 42% brewers yeast. Cultured yeast has never been exposed to heat and alcohol whereas brewers yeast has. Therefore the cultured yeast starts the fermentation adequately while the brewers yeast sustains it. Brewers yeast is skimmed of fermenting beer.
3 waters.
Founding Date:
1828
Springbank is located on the Mull of Kintyre and was famed (infamous?) for illicit distillation from the earliest times. There are even some who maintain that the art of distilling was brought here from Ireland in the 6th century. This may be stretching it a bit since it cannot be proven that Ireland was actually distilling a grain spirit (as opposed to a fruit spirit � brandy) at that time. At any rate, Campbeltown was one of the first centers of the commercial distilling industry in Scotland. There remain today only two distilleries (Springbank and Glen Scotia) but, between the 1880's and the 1920's, there were 34 working distilleries here. A third brand is produced (Longrow) but it is made at Springbank using different malt (peatier).
This distillery has been in continuous family ownership since its founding in 1828 As a family enterprise, the distillery's production techniques are steeped in tradition and slow to change. In fact, Springbank is the only remaining distillery to complete the entire production, from floor malting to bottling, on their own premises. There is only one other distillery in Scotland that even bottles its single malt on the premises - Glenfiddich. It is one of the last, along with Glenfarclas, family-owned distilleries in Scotland.
They have three stills which are used in a complicated sequence but it is double-distilled, not triple. What they do is distill the feints of the first distillation in the third still. They claim this produces a milder whisky. It is a medium-peated whisky but the distillery does produce a heavier malt (the already-mentioned Longrow) which is double distilled.
Maturation is done in a mix of Bourbon and Sherry casks and it is manually filtered rather than chill filtering. This latter is the usual process today in Scotland. The temperature of the spirit is lowered so that microscopic particles which might make the whisky cloudy when mixed with ice or water are suspended and removed.
Springbank is highly regarded by blenders. It has a reputation with some for being indispensable for combining together the many components of a complex bland.
The 12Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) is has a bright pear and citrus aromas on a base of malt and woody vanilla. The palate is brash and medium-bodied with the same flavors that linger on the finish.
The 21-Year-Old Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has a rich bouquet of malt, smoke and salt air. The palate is rich and smooth with these same flavors and a smoky/peaty finish. The 25-Year-Old Single Cask, Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has an attractive bouquet of citrus, spice, malt and herbs. The rich, full-bodied palate expresses the same flavors with good depth and a very long smoky finish.
The 30-Year Old Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) is has a fabulous bouquet of dry citrus, apple, spice and heather. These flavors are smooth and elegant on the palate and with an exceptionally long spice and wood-touched finish.
The 1979 Vintage Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has a nose of spice, smoke and peat, with an underlying floral note. The palate is sweet with light, malt, citrus and peat flavors that trail off in a rich, smoky finish.
The 1972 Vintage. Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has a bright, woodsy nose of dried fruit, malt and peat. The flavors are fresh, rich and expansive, with good depth and a spicy/woodsy finish.
The 1969 Vintage Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has a spicy, floral bouquet with hints of wood and malt. The palate echoes these flavors with richness, complexity and a long smooth finish.
The 1965 Vintage. Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has a malty bouquet of peat, spice and wood, with a distinct briny note. These same flavors are rich, with good depth and a long, smooth, faintly briny finish.
The 1962 Vintage. Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has the sweet, malty scents of dried peach, butterscotch, wood and tar. The palate is intense with citrus, peat and creamy malt flavors that glide into a long, spicy finish � terrific.
The 1958 Vintage. Single Cask. Distillery Bottling (46% Alc) has a refined bouquet of smoke, peat, wood and brine. The similar flavors have a rich caramel note and a bold, spicy finish. See Springbank article by John Hansell.
SPRINGBANK: The Campbeltown Classic
Founding Date:
1786
Pronounced: Stratheye-la. This distillery is part of the Seagram Co. and its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Heritage Selection". The majority of the malts produced are primarily for use in blending. The Single Malt is the heart of their Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and 100 Pipers blends.
The distillery was acquired by Chivas Brothers (a subsidiary of Seagram) at an auction in 1950. The distillery was auctioned off due to the jailing of the former owner for non-payment of taxes and black marketeering and the subsequent dissolution of his firm. What happened was that, shortly after the outbreak of WWII, a London financier, Jay Pomeroy, bought the distillery and began sending the entire production direct to London. The Customs and Excise people became suspicious when it was discovered that the buyers were fictitious. An inquiry followed and Pomeroy was found to be selling the whiskies under different names through the black market. In addition to losing his firm he was jailed and fined a substantial amount for that time � �111,038. The distillery was in the hands of receivers throughout the war and, as mentioned, auctioned off in 1950.
Prior to Seagram's ownership the distillery was still known as Milton (originally, Milltown) but Chivas changed it back to Strathisla. Seagram undertook extensive modernization following the acquisition and in 1965 expanded it from two to six stills.
The distillery is one of, if not the most, attractive in Scotland with its unusual twin pagoda chimneys and waterwheel. The water comes from a spring called Broomhill and it has been highly regarded since the 13th century when Dominican monks used it for their beer brewing.
The 12 Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (43% Alc) has a robust nose of peat, oak and caramel. The full-bodied palate is rich with nutty sherry and herb flavors that carry through on the finish ($39).
Notes From Distillery Visit
Founding Date:
1830
This producer is the sole distillery on the island of Skye. As part of the Guinness Group, its Single Malt is widely distributed as part of their "Classic Malts" Portfolio.
This 10-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (45.8% Alc) has the intense aroma of smoke, peat and iodine, balanced by hints of citrus, apple and cinnamon. The palate is bold and forward with smoke, peat and citrus flavors delivered in a full-throttle style.
The 1979 Vintage. 14-Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (64.3% Alc) has a bright smoke and malt bouquet with hints of wood and spice. These same flavors are weighty on the palate with good depth and long, complex finish of wood, smoke and citrus.
Talisker
- 10 Yr.: From the only distillery from the Isle of Skye. Amber-red color. Pungent, slightly smoky aroma. Full body. Smoky with distinctive peppery character. The taste explodes on the palate and has a huge, long finish. Scored 90 out of 100 by Michael Jackson. He says that "What the bigger examples of Zinfandel are to wine, Talisker is to single malts. It has a distinctively peppery character."
The distillery at one time belonged to the Kemp family, which now operates Macallan (they bought it in 1892). The distillery is highly regarded both for their single malt and for blending. Most of the whisky is used in the Johnnie Walker blends. Talisker operates 5 stills and, up to 1928, triple-distilled its whisky. The water comes from Cnoc nan Speireag, a hill whose high peat content gives the water a rusty tint. The distillery was partly rebuilt in 1960, following a stillhouse fire.
The unusual lyne arms going from the stills to the traditional worm tubs outside the still-house have a unique kink in them, like an inverted "U", and as a result, only a small amount of vapor passes over to be condensed. The remainder (perhaps 80%) returns to be re-distilled. This is a critical aspect of the character of the whisky. See the note below on the distillery managers comments regarding this "crazy pipework."
Notes From Distillery Visit
�300 = barrel (3.6%)
�8,300 = total cost
Whisky that matures in the warehouse at the top of the hill is a little different from that which matures at the one at the bottom, by the water.
The freshly distilled spirit has some 260-270 identifiable compounds; after aging, it is 1,200 to 1,500!
The air pressure changes continuously and dramatically on Skye. This influences the aging. There is much more variation in air pressure than on the mainland. Mike says "I've seen the barometer swing both ways 3 or 4 times a day."
5,688 casks maturing in 3 warehouses.
There is an underground stream running diagonally under one of the warehouses. The casks over the stream have a thick mold over them (which the others do not) and the whisky is smoother and fuller.
Tamdhu
. (Speyside, Est. 1897)
Pronounced: TamDOO. This distillery produces a Single Malt that is very popular in the UK Much of their production is used in the Famous Grouse blended whisky. The 1963 Vintage. 30Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (48.2% Alc) has an elegant bouquet of malt, peat, caramel and rich nutty notes. The similar flavors have a distinct citrus tone that adds to the complexity. It is smooth and full-bodied, with rich flavors and a captivating finish.
Tamnavulin
. (Speyside, Est. 1966)
Pronounced: Tamna-VOO-lin. This distillery, the only one actually on the River Livet, was sadly moth-balled early in 1995. The 10-Year-Old. Distillery Bottling (40% Alc) has a light, elegant bouquet of sweet malt, sherry and flowers. The palate is also light and sweet but with the added notes of spice, peat and oak that carry through on the finish.
Tamnavulin is p
roduced in the village of Glenlivet in the Highlands (not to be confused with the Glenlivet distillery). Very pale 'white wine' color. Nose has hints of peat and barley, oily. light, smooth body. Grassy, currant flavor with hint of lemon. Aromatic finish. Scored 76 out of 100 by renowned scotch critic Michael Jackson in his 'Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch'.
Tobermory
. (Highlands, Est. 1798)
This distillery is one of only three that use unpeated barley as their primary malt. However, a small quantity of Single Malt made with peated barley is produced each year and bottled under the name Ledaig. Ledaig. Pronounced: Led-chig. The 1972 Vintage. 22Year-Old Single Cask. William Cadenhead Bottling (54.0% Alc) has a woodsy, herbal nose with notes of malt and spice. The palate shares these same flavors and adds a good dose of peat and smoke on the finish.
Tomintoul
. (Speyside, Est. 1964).
Pronounced: Tomintowel. This distillery, located just upriver from the famous Glenlivet, is the only other distillery actually operating in the glen itself. The 1969 Vintage. 2s-year-old Single Cask Glenhaven Bottling (56.6% Alc) has a bold bouquet of rich, nutty sherry, peat and oak. The full-bodied palate is rich with these same forward flavors that linger with a soft, warm glow.
Taste Scores
(Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion, Dorling Kindersley, London, NY, Stuttgart, 3rd Edition, 1994)
The scores are based on a maximum of 100 points. One in the 50's indicates a malt lacking in balance or character, and which was probably not intended to be bottled as a single malt; rather as a blending malt. The 60's indicate an enjoyable but unexceptional malt; the 70's, particularly 75 or over, are well worth tasting. The 80's are distinctive and exceptional and the 90's are the great malts.
90 or Above
(Islay); 18 year old Master of Malt (90); 18 year old Cadenhead's (91)
Bowmore
(Islay); 21 year old (90); Black Bowmore 1964 (90)
Cragganmore
(Speyside); 12 year old (90)
Glenturret
(Midlands); 1972 (90); 1966 (91)
Highland Park
(Orkney); 12 year old (90); 24 year old (93)
Lagavulin
(Islay); 16 year old (95)
The Macallan
(Speyside); 12 year old (91), 1975, bottled 1994 (94); 25 year old (95)
Springbank
((Campbeltown); 30 year old (92); 1966 (93); 1974 (90)
Talisker
(Skye); 10 year old (90)
80 or Above
(Speyside); 10 year old (83); Antique - no age statement (84); 1970 (85)
Ardbeg
(Islay); 10 year old (85); 1974 Connoisseurs Choice (88)
Auchentoshan
(Western Lowlands); 10 year old (85); 21 year old (86)
The Balvenie
(Speyside); Founder's Reserve 10 yr. (85); Dbl. Wd (87); Single Barrel (86)
Bladnoch
(Lowlands); 8 year old (85) Now out of business (as of 1993)
Bowmore
(Islay); 10 year (82); 12 year (87); Bicentenary (87); 25 year (89); 29 year (80); 30 year (88); Legend (80)
Caol Ila
(Islay); 15 year old (80)
Clynelish
(N. Highlands); 14 year old (81), 25 year 1965 (82)
Dallas Dhu
(Speyside); 10 year old (80)
Dalmore
(N. Highlands); 50 year old cask strength (80)
Edradour
(Midlands); 10 year old (81); 1968 Signatory (80)
Glenfarclas
(Speyside); 105 (88); 10 year (86); 12 year (87); 15 year (88); 17 year (88); 21 year (89); 25 year (88); 30 year 1988 (88)
Glenfiddich
(Speyside); 21 year old (81); 30 year old (86)
Glen Garioch
(E. Highlands); 21 year old (80)
Glen Grant
(Speyside); All Gordon & MacPhail; 15 year (80); 21 year (81); 1965 (82); 1960 (81)
The Glenlivet
(Speyside); 12 year old (85); 18 year old (87); 21 year old (88)
Glenmorangie
(N. Highlands); 10 year (80); 18 year (80); 21 year (85); 1972 single barrel (85); Port Wood Finish (87)
Glen Rothes
(Speyside); 8 year old (80)
Glen Scotia
(Campbeltown); 14 year old (87)
Glenturret
(Midlands); 15 year old 40% (81); 15 year old 50% (82); 1967 (86)
Highland Park
(Orkney); 8 year old (85)
Lagavulin
(Islay); 12 year old (89)
Laphroaig
(Islay); 10 year (86); 15 year (89); 1974 Signatory (87)
Linkwood
(Speyside); 12 year old (83)
Littlemill
(W. Lowlands); 8 year old (83)
Lochnagar
(E. Highlands); 12 year old (80); Selected Reserve, no age statement (83)
Longmorn
(Speyside); 12 year old (85); 15 year old (87)
The Macallan
(Speyside); 7 year old (81); 10 year old 40% (87); 10 year old 57% (89)
Mortlach
(Speyside); 16 year old (81); 15 year old (81)
Springbank
(Campbeltown); 12 year (84); 15 year (88); 21 year (87); 25 year (88)
Talisker
(Skye); 8 year old (89)
All 80's & 90's Scores
Flavoring Malts, AKA Top Dressings
Packers
The Base Malts are the heart of the blend around which the blend is constructed. They are usually produced at the distilleries owned by the blending company.
Top Dressings
are malts that have exceptional flavoring qualities. Some malts have had long standing reputations for their use here. They would not comprise a large part of the blend, but have sufficient character to influence the final product.
The Packers are used to fill the blend. They are not inferior whiskies, but do not have distinctive aroma qualities and do not influence the flavor of the blend one way or another.
The amount of malts in the blends today seldom exceeds 35% and that much would be considered a high-quality blend. Teacher's has a brand called "60" which indicates the percentage of malt whiskies in the blend.
Blends that have relatively high proportions of malts can use a high ratio of Lowland whiskies to produce a lighter palate but this is most often done with grain whiskies. Classic examples of this style are Chivas Passport, J&B Rare, and Cutty Sark.
The objective in blending is to create a mixture that balances the characteristics of the components. Nothing should stand out, as, for example, would be the case with a single malt, all of which have their own distinctive aroma and flavor characteristics. One writer refers to a "flavor complex" that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The blender does not have a fixed "recipe" to be used at all times. Malts can change over time and barrels age unpredictably. The task of the blender is, with his nose, to assemble the various constituents of the blend. He will be guided by his experience, by samples, by the usual recipe or formula and so forth. When the assemblage is decided upon, the various casks will be brought to the blending site. There, they will all, malts and grains, be "nosed" to assure they are exactly what was expected. The nosing characteristics can be compared to a library of samples and to the vast experience of the blender who has memorized the attributes of scores of whiskies. When the components are finally approved, the casks will be dumped and mixed in large blending vats. It is the usual practice to allow the blends to marry for up to six months before bottling.
Vatted Malts �
These are blends of malt whiskies. The objective is to merge the characteristics of particular Single Malts together without the light sweetness of a grain whisky. For example, the softness of a Lowland with the rustic nature of an Orkney Highland. Vatted Malts may not contain grain whiskies, or they are then designated as blends. Neither can they be labeled as a "single malt" whisky. Chivas introduced a brand in the 1990's called Chivas Century of Malts; a blend of malt whiskies from 100 distilleries.
Merchant Bottlers �
These are independent bottlers who are not affiliated with any distilleries. They purchase aged and unaged malt whisky and age, blend, bottle and market their own brands. They are noted more for their own bottlings of single malts than for their blends. The best known firms today are: Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory, Whyte & Whyte, Glenhaven and William Cadenhead. Al1 of these companies bottle rare Single Malts from many of the better known distilleries. Some even offer very old whiskies from distilleries long since closed.
The Merchant Bottlers generally only bottle a cask or two at a time, which leads to observable variations between bottlings of each Single Malt, a fact that concerns the distilleries to this day. Each distillery is proud of their whiskies and their unique characteristics, and they go to great effort to ensure their consistency. They know that each cask has its own individual personality which is why they blend together several carefully selected casks to create a uniform product. The Single Cask bottlings cannot possibly have the same consistency of style and taste as the distillery's own malts. The feeling of the distilleries is that the Merchant bottlers market whiskies that do not represent the classic characteristics of each specific malt. Two additional factors should also be considered. One is the possibility that the distillers would not sell their best casks to the Merchant Bottlers and the other is that, if the barrel ages somewhere other than where it was distilled; is it the same whisky?
Scotland's Regions And Their Whiskies
Lowland
: Lowland malts are made south of an imaginary line drawn from Dundee in the east to Greenock in the west. Glasgow and Edinburgh are the most populated and industrialized areas in the country and both are located in the Lowlands. Seven of the country's eight grain distilleries are located within a 50 mile radius of Glasgow, however, only four Single Malts are produced here.
Lowland malts are pale in color and light-bodied. They are said to have a nose which is hay-like or grassy, often with malty or cereal notes; the flavor tends towards dryness, or finishes dry. These whiskies are often drunk as digestifs, and have been compared to fino sherries. These are light whiskies which generally have fewer individual differences than the whiskies from other regions.
Islay
: The strongest smelling and tasting whiskies. They tend to be medium-bodied, dry and full of peat, smoke, and iodine. Much of the Isle of Islay is peat and this influences the water. Some distilleries draw their water from springs to avoid this and produce a lighter-flavored whisky; some use heavily peated malt to reinforce it. These are the weightiest, most pungent and most heavily peated and are therefore generally the easiest to identify. The peat and the coastal location gives them what is often described as a seaweedy, medicinal taste and a distinct peaty flavor.
Campbeltown
: Although there are today only two distilleries in Campbeltown (Glen Scotia and Springbank), there were once 32, and the category is still recognized. Campbeltown whiskies are medium-bodied, and have a slightly smoky or misty taste, with a trace of salt on the palate. Based on its history and geographic locale it may be classified as sharing partial characteristics with the Highlands and the Lowlands, along with the smokiness of the Islays. Today, the character is determined by the two remaining distilleries.
Highland
:
North Highland: These vary considerably. They tend to be medium-bodied, sweetish (often with a dry finish) and fresh -flavored, with heathery, nutty, spicy or citric notes.
West Highland and Island: These come from the islands off the north and west coasts of Scotland: Orkney (north), Skye, Jura, and Mull (west). Lighter-bodied, with some peaty or phenolic characteristics, and some spice. Some could be said to more closely resemble Islay malts while others are more like Northern Highland whiskies.
South and East Highland: These are mainly in Perthshire (south of Speyside and bordering the Lowlands) and Aberdeenshire (the area between the North Sea and Speyside). They can be light, medium or full-bodied; they often have flowery or herbal notes, sometimes with a trace of peat.
Speyside
: Geographically, this is part of the Highlands but, because of the great number of distilleries located there (46), as well as its classic style, the region has its own classification. The whiskies are noted for their complexity and diversity.
Light bodied: Tending to be estery and floral scented, with some cereal-notes.
Medium bodied: These are like Highlands, but more fruity/fragrant, and some are on the dry side.
Full bodied: These are sometimes powerfully sherried, rich and redolent of chocolate or fruit-cake; great after-dinner whiskies.
Blended Scotch Whisky Descriptions
Expressions
:
In 1825, Thomas Sandeman (of the famous port family) established a small shop in Perth, trading as a whisky merchant. He was joined by Arthur Bell, who, by the late 1840s, had become sole partner. Bell was a cautious, modest, highly moral man - a member of a religious sect whose motto was 'work to the best of your light and play fair'.
He was one of the first to recognize the potential of blending malt and grain whisky. "Several fine whiskies blended together please the palates of a greater number of people than one whisky unmixed", he wrote. His confidence led him to appoint a London agent for his brands as early as 1863 - the first whisky firm to do so and he brought in his sons, Arthur Kinmond and Robert, to look after the domestic and overseas markets respectively. By the I880s the firm's focus was blended whisky. A number of blends were offered, but Arthur Bell's modesty prevented them registering a brand under the family name until 1896 - "I have long adopted the practice and allowed the qualities of my goods to speak for themselves", he said. Arthur Bell died in 1900. Robert went to Australia and New Zealand and also established agencies in India, Ceylon, Italy and France. A.K. Bell ran the business in Perth, and made a lengthy trip to North America in 1908. But Bell's remained a small brand compared to the Big Three.
The last whisky baron
Under the chairmanship of William Govan Farquharson - described as 'the last whisky baron'- Bell's joined the big league. Farquharson had joined the company in 1942, the year that both the Bell brothers died. He began to promote Bell's Extra Special more vigorously, advertising under the slogan 'Afore Ye Go' in the USA and at home. By 1970 it was the leading brand in Scotland, and a decade later the leading brand in the U.K., a position it still holds. In 1985 Bell's was acquired by the Guinness Group, which two years later took over DCL to become United Distillers.
Black Bottle:
Black Bottle Ten Year Old Deluxe owes more than a little of its character to the place that gives it its heart - Islay, a beautiful wind-swept island off the west coast of Scotland. Steeped in history and abounding with natural wonders, Islay is known the world over for its unique, distinctive and flavorsome Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. It is these which form the backbone of Black Bottle 10 Year Old and give it its unique taste of Islay.
Black Bottle Ten Year Old Deluxe challenges the rules of deluxe Scotch whiskies � its heart is made entirely of Islay malts from each of the island's seven distilleries, blended with the finest grain whiskies. Distinguished from their mainland counterparts by a deep intensity and powerful smokiness, Islay whiskies reach their prime at 10 years old. Which is why Black Bottle Ten Year Old Deluxe completely embodies the most fulsome and satisfying taste of Islay. It will stimulate the palate, warm the heart and fire the imagination.
Appearance: Rich gold with a sparkle of light Bouquet: Peaty, smoky and warming - classic Islay Palate: A full, rich flavor surrounding a distinct smoky center Finish: Long, dry and powerful
Michael Jackson's tasting notes:
Royal Salute 21 year
Chivas Century of Malts � Vatted malt
The number one selling deluxe blended Scotch in the U.S. and the fifth best-selling brand in the world as well as the top-selling premium Scotch. A blend of 12 year old Scotch whiskies, each distilled twice in copper pot stills. Produced at Strathisla, Scotland's oldest continuously operated distillery, located in the Speyside region of the Highlands. Gold/amber color. Aromas of apricots, pears and heather. Smoky, peaty flavors. Finishes with flavors of vanilla and butterscotch that linger. 'Kindred Spirits' gives it a **** (highly recommended) rating.
Chivas Regal
is a very popular blend owned by the Seagram Co. of Canada. This 12 year old 80-proof blend is a combination of over thirty whiskies from every region in Scotland, but the heart of their blend is the Strathisla Single Malt. It combines the light, sweet character of the grain and Lowland whiskies with a moderate dose of smoke and peat from the Islay and Highland malts. The core malt is, as mentioned, Strathisla, but Glenlivet, Glen Grant, and Longmorn are also important.
In 1801, William Edward established himself as a wine merchant in Aberdeen. His success resulted in taking on James Chivas, who joined the firm in 1837. In 1841, William Edward died and Chivas formed a new partnership with another wine merchant but it was unsuccessful and the relationship was dissolved in 1857. The business went fine however, largely because Queen Victoria regularly had provisions sent down from Chivas' shop to her summer home in Balmoral. Building on this, the firm was soon sending provisions, including whisky, all over Britain and abroad.
The first blend was called Glen-Dee (early 1870's) and James Chivas later produced Royal Strathythan with which he became purveyor of Scotch to the Hapsburg court in Vienna.
In 1858, James took his brother John as a partner and the firm was renamed Chivas Brothers. John died only five years later but James continued to build the reputation of the firm. By the time James died in 1886, whisky had become a key element of the firms business.
He was succeeded by his son, Alexander, but he died in 1893, followed by his wife three days later and control of the firm passed to his assistant, Alexander Smith. He managed the firm on behalf of the Chivas' trustees and brought Charles Steward Howard into the business.
Howard was an experienced whisky business man, having worked for J&P Stewart & Co. in Edinburgh. By this time, the retail side of the firms business had become secondary to the whisky trade. They had a good supply of well-matured malt whiskies and, under Howard's guidance, created new blends and exported them all over the world. The Chivas Regal blend first appeared in 1891 and was introduced to Canada and the United States in 1909.
Smith and Howard both died in 1935 and Chivas Brothers became a limited liability company. By the time Seagram acquired the company in 1949, Chivas Regal had become one of the most successful brands in the world.
In 1950, Seagram bought the Strathisla distillery, and turned over the operation of it to Chivas Brothers.
Royal Salute
was introduced in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Its name and age refer to the 21-gun salute fired from the ships of the royal fleet. It won a gold medal at the 1996 International Wine & Spirits Competition awards. In the beginning it was only available in the American market but today the brand is available over 100 countries and it is the best-selling super-premium Scotch in the world. The base malts are Strathisla, The Glenlivet, Longmorn, and Glen Grant.
Chivas Century of Malts
is a vatted malt consisting of the whiskies of 100 malt distilleries. It was released in 1996, at that time especially for the duty-free market but is now widely available in the United States.
Cutty Sark Scotch
Expressions
:
Blended Scotch made with 100% Scotch whiskies and aged for 12 years. Distilled and bottled in Scotland. First created in 1923. Green/gold color. Dry nose that blossoms as it aerates. Aromas of oak and cereal. Flavors of butter and raisins. Woody finish. A firm, well-structured blend. 'Kindred Spirits' gives it *** (recommended) rating.
The following is from the Cutty Sark Web Site
Cutty Sark Scots Whisky History
On 23rd March 1923 at a luncheon in the pine-paneled parlor of their early 18th century premises at 3 St. James's Street London, the partners of Wine and Spirit Merchants Berry Bros. were discussing the launch of a new Scots Whisky. A family-run business and Royal Warrant holders, Berry's had been established at No. 3 since the 1690's. Francis Berry, the senior partner, had a strong preference for whiskies which were naturally light in color. He insisted that only the very finest of Scotland's classic malt whiskies should be selected for the new blend and that the whisky should be naturally light in color. The partners' lunch guest that day was James McBey, a well-known Scottish artist. All the new Scots whisky lacked was a name and a symbol.
At the time the famous clipper ship "Cutty Sark" was much in the news as she had just returned to England after many years' sailing under the Portuguese flag. McBey, who was a keen sailor, suggested that this would be an admirable name for the new whisky.
The name "Cutty Sark" was an inspired choice for a Scots Whisky. It was the name of the most famous and fastest of all the Scottish-built clipper ships. Appropriate too, for nothing could seem more Scottish, the name being taken from Robbie Burns' poem "Tam O'Shanter". (Cutty Sark means short shirt in the old Scots language.) McBey also volunteered to design the label which remains today almost exactly as he originally drew it, even to the hand-drawn lettering and the use of the correct descriptive word "Scots" rather than the more common "Scotch". Only the color of the label is different. McBey had suggested a creamy shade to imply age. The printers, by accident, used a bright yellow so striking in its effect that the partners decided to keep it.
The Story Behind The Name "Cutty Sark"
The origins of the name "Cutty Sark" lie deep in Scottish folklore. The epic "Tam O'Shanter" by Robert Burns, Scotland's famous eighteenth century poet tells the story in verse. A farmer named Tam (or Thomas) was riding mare home late one stormy night after a hard evening's drinking with friends. As he was nearing Alloway churchyard he heard the wailing of bagpipes so reined his horse for a closer look.
To his astonishment he saw a group of ugly, old witches dancing frenziedly. He was just about to move on when a young beautiful witch emerged from the shadows of the tombs, scantily dressed in a "Cutty Sark" or short shirt. As her dancing became wilder and more abandoned he involuntarily cried out "Weel done, Cutty-Sark!"
There was a flash of lightning followed by pitch darkness. Terrified, Tam spurred his stubborn mare and fled for his life, hotly pursued by the beautiful young witch. Miraculously he remembered that witches cannot cross running water, so made straight for the nearby bridge. Just as he reached it, the young witch reached out and grabbed the tail of the mare, which came clean off in her hand.
That is why, years later in 1869, when the sleek clipper ship was launched in Scotland, her owners named her "Cutty Sark" after Burns' fleet-footed witch and placed a figurehead of the witch with outstretched arm on the clipper's bow. In her racing days, after a fast passage, the apprentices would sometimes make a mare's tail from old rope, teased out and rubbed with gray paint to put in the figurehead's hand.
The Clipper Ship "Cutty Sark"
Of the hundreds of majestic clipper ships which used to cross the oceans of the world during the golden age of sail in the nineteenth century, only the "Cutty Sark" remains. "Cutty Sark" was built in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869.
Built for speed, "Cutty Sark" began her career in the China Tea trade when the first clipper reaching London with each season's new crop received the highest prices for her cargo. She also raced against her great rivals to bring the season's first wool home from Australia, braving the mountainous seas of the "roaring forties". The fastest clipper ship of her time, "Cutty Sark" was to make many memorable voyages and to this day she still holds the record for the run from Australia to England of 69 days in 1887. During her career she also made several voyages to the U.S.A. bringing wool from Australia to New York in 1880, and jute from the Philippines in 1881.
"Cutty Sark" at Greenwich
In 1922, at the end of an illustrious career, she was purchased by a retired English sea captain who devoted much time and money to re-rigging and lovingly restoring her. During the late 1930's and 1940's she became a Merchant Navy training vessel. Later funds were raised and a trust established for "Cutty Sark" to be preserved in dry dock in Greenwich, London. In 1957 she was opened to the public by Her Majesty The Queen and has now become one of London's major tourist attractions visited by half a million people each year.
Cutty Sark, "The Real McCoy"
In January 1920, the United States Government banned the making, importation, sales and consumption of all alcoholic drinks. This "Prohibition" quickly led to rum running, speakeasies and gangsterism on a grand scale. The Bahamas Islands, only a few hundred miles off the U.S. East Coast were to prove the ideal base for liquor smuggling to New York, the Carolinas and New Jersey. Among the smugglers operating out of Nassau in the Bahamas was Captain William McCoy. An American, he was one of the first entrepreneurs to buy whisky and to sail it into the east coast of the U.S.A. McCoy's most remarkable asset was his integrity. At a time when many bootleggers were selling spirits of highly dubious quality he built up a reputation for absolute honesty, personally guaranteeing the quality of the product he was selling it was always the "Real McCoy".
Sensing good business, Francis Berry had in 1921 already made his first visit to the firm's old-established agents in the Bahamas, which made a handy base for the North American mainland. The view taken by the firm and many others, too, was that while it would be unwise to meddle in the USA's internal affairs by attempting any whisky-running themselves, it would be only sensible, without asking questions, to sell to various "agents" in Nassau. Thus, despite Prohibition, Cutty Sark soon began to establish a reputation in the United States. So much so that in the late 1920's the legendary Prohibition gangster Jack "Legs" Diamond personally called at Berry's shop at 3 St. James's Street, London, to place an order and to remove the consignment in a fleet of taxis.
From this unusual beginning during Prohibition, Cutty Sark was to go on to become one of the brand leaders in the U.S.A., a position it holds to this day.
Cutty Sark Brands
Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky
Cutty Sark Scots Whisky, one of the world's most successful and widely distributed scotch whiskies, is owned by the independent family-owned wine and spirit merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd which have traded from 3, St. James's Street, London since 1698.
Cutty Sark Scots Whisky is shipped to over 120 countries around the world and more than 23,000,000 bottles of Cutty Sark are sold each year. Cutty Sark is one of the most popular whiskies in the USA, Greece, Spain, Korea, Puerto Rico, Portugal, France and Japan.
Cutty Sark Scots Whisky stands out from other whiskies due to its natural color and distinctive taste. To blend this special whisky, the Cutty Sark Master Blender chooses up to 30 malt whiskies from the principal whisky producing areas of Scotland: Highland, Speyside and Islay. These whiskies have all been aged in oak casks for a minimum of four years. The Glenrothes Vintage malt whisky is also part of the Cutty Sark family as it is one of the principal whiskies in the Cutty Sark blend.
The selected malt whiskies are then blended together with grain whisky and returned to cask to 'marry' for up to six months before bottling. Marrying allows the malt and grain whiskies to harmonize and develop a smoother more balanced taste. After this time the whisky is awarded the famous yellow label, distinctive against the green bottle.
Cutty Sark Scots Whisky's name and label originate from a lunch held at Berry Bros. in 1923. James McBey, a famous Scottish artist, had been invited by the partners to discuss potential names for their 'new' scotch whisky. James McBey suggested the name 'Cutty Sark', after one of the most famous and fastest of all Scottish-built clipper ships. The 'Cutty Sark' was headline news at that time as she had just returned to England.
Cutty Sark Emerald
The 'Cutty Sark' clipper was famous for being one of the fastest clipper ships in history. To celebrate her achievements during the latter part of the nineteenth century, when she sailed on the Tea Route from China and the Wool Route from Australia, Cutty Sark Scots Whisky developed the deluxe 12 Years Old whisky - Cutty Sark Emerald.
Cutty Sark Emerald has a character all of its own - one of uncompromised quality and elegance - embodying the nineteenth century traditions of quality and craftsmanship associated with the famous clipper ship.
The maturation of the whiskies for many years in hand-crafted oak casks allows them to mellow, take on the characteristics of the wood, become elegant and rounded. To create a twelve year old blend of the highest standard, the Cutty Sark Master Blender selects whiskies which have reached the peak of perfection, many of which are considerably older than twelve years.
The whiskies in the Cutty Sark Emerald blend are returned to cask for a further nine months to allow the whiskies to 'marry' together. The blend is nosed to ensure quality and consistency up to six times before it is bottled. Cutty Sark Emerald is then awarded the Cutty Sark yellow shield as a guarantee of the whisky's quality.
The distinctive packaging of Cutty Sark Emerald reflects the brand's nautical heritage. Both the bottle and gift box are decorated with original paintings of the 'Cutty Sark' clipper in ports of call around the world. The unique ten-sided bottle, inspired by the rarity and beauty of emeralds, adds a timeless elegance to this mature scotch whisky.
Tasting note:
Cutty Sark Emerald is a naturally golden scotch whisky with a soft honeyed fruit aroma, a hint of sweetness on the palate and an elegant rounded lengthy finish.
Cutty Sark Golden Jubilee
Cutty Sark Golden Jubilee is a blend of mature rare whiskies which have been selected from the owners, Berry Bros. & Rudd's, private reserves in Scotland by the Master Blender.
Having carefully chosen the whiskies he blends them together to create Cutty Sark Golden Jubilee which is then returned to oak casks to allow the whiskies to age further and 'marry' together for up to ten years.
Once the Cutty Sark Golden Jubilee blend has reached perfection it is bottled in a dark green glass bottle; a replica of a traditional hand-blown nineteenth century port wine bottle. It is then packaged in a luxurious gift box featuring illustrations of famous people and events which took place during Queen Victoria's reign.
Tasting note
Cutty Sark Golden Jubilee is golden colored with a rich, fruity nose that has a mellow smooth taste resulting from many years of aging in oak casks.
Cutty Sark Discovery
Cutty Sark Discovery is a blend rich in fine aged malt whiskies from the Highland and Speyside regions of Scotland.
To create this special blend the Cutty Sark Master Blender carefully selects whiskies that have spent a minimum of eighteen years maturing in oak casks.
Once the individual whiskies have been selected they are returned to cask for up to nine months of 'marrying' which allows the blend to harmonize and create a whisky with smooth balanced flavor and a deep amber color.
Cutty Sark Discovery's nautical heritage is symbolized by the 'Cutty Sark' clipper etched on the ten-sided bottle. The distinctive gift box is reminiscent of an old leather travel flask used by explorers on voyages of discovery. Cutty Sark Discovery captures the spirit of an age of discovery when sailing ships offered a freedom few could enjoy and appeals to people searching for quality and the essence of adventure.
Tasting note
Cutty Sark Discovery has a lightly, smoked peat aroma with a rich full flavor on the palate and hints of oak on the finish.
Copyright © Cutty Sark Scots Whisky 1997
Dewar's
Johnnie Walker Pure Malt 15 year � Vatted malt
Johnnie Walker
: Taken from an article by Giles MacDonogh
Some of Scotland's heroic blenders have become household names, while others have been unfairly forgotten: William Edward of Aberdeen, the founder of the grocery business that became Chivas Brothers; George Ballantine of Edinburgh; Francis and Walter Berry of London, the grocers who formed Cutty Sark; John Dewar and Matthew Gloag of Perth; Robert McNish and William Teacher in Glasgow. The most famous of all, however, "born 1820--still going strong," was John Walker. He was born in 1805 on Todrigg's Farm near Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, in the Western Lowlands of Scotland. (Johnnie Walker whiskies are still bottled within sight of Walker's old dairy farm.) Walker was every inch a grocer, trading in anything and everything. Tea was his specialty; at a time when the British were planting China tea bushes in India, tea had had become a patriotic drink. He also sold raisins, vinegar and, of course, Scotch. By 1850, he was offering customers Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, which soon attracted a small but loyal following. Its reputation grew as merchants and travelers on the new London to Glasgow railway line (which went through Kilmarnock) spread the word.
Although he gave his name to the whisky, John Walker was a far less important figure to the brand than his son, Alexander. A disastrous flood in Kilmarnock in 1852 had destroyed all of Walker's stock, and when Alexander joined the business in 1856, he persuaded his father to abandon the narrow realm of the grocery trade and to go into wholesale trading.
At the beginning, the firm offered a range of spirits: Campbeltown whisky from the Kintyre Peninsula; whisky from the Inner Hebridean Island of Islay, with its pungent smoky flavor; patent still, or grain, whisky; and "Glenlivat" (sic), Speyside whisky. Even so, whisky sales under John Walker represented just 8 percent of the firm's income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent.
Scottish-based United Distillers, the present-day owners of the brand, possess the complete series of Alexander's stock-taking books from 1857 to 1886. The books show the transformation of a small grocery business to an international firm; they also give insights into Alexander Walker.
Alexander Walker was an astute businessman. In 1867, he registered his label, a design almost identical to the present Black Label, with the Stationers' Hall in the City of London. As soon as "trade marks" became available in 1876, Walker was quick to avail himself of that added protection. By that time, Walker's whisky was already in its characteristic square bottle with its distinctive (and easily seen) slanting label. There were no advertisements at the time, and it was important that the whisky's growing following could identify it at a distance. The shape of the bottle, incidentally, had nothing to do with marketing; it allowed the maximum number of bottles to be packed into the freight car of a railway train.
The blend of whisky that Alexander Walker created in the late 1860s, which later became Black Label, was a spirit for the serious whiskey drinker who wanted nothing more than a drop of water to enhance the taste of his favorite drink. He had timed it right. The 1870s in Britain was a period of great prosperity. The British Empire was in full swing, and it was thirsty work running a realm on which the sun never set. As Britain's paladins sweltered in the midday heat, they made sure they had a tumbler of soda and whiskey, Scotch or Irish, at their elbows. It was, after all, cheaper than brandy, and it was British.
There were few flights of fancy about Alexander Walker as a person. In public, he was a dour Calvinist Scot who worked hard. Yet in private, he loved getting together with friends, enjoyed the company of children and horses, and built himself a house in Troon where he could indulge in a little golf. In those days, Australia was his biggest export market. Once, his agents there reported that they were losing market share to a cheaper brand. Alexander thundered back: "Other brands may come into the market for a while, but as far as we're concerned, we will make John Walker and Sons of such a quality that no other whisky shall come before it."
He passed on the business to his three sons: John, George Paterson and Alexander, the eldest son of his second wife. Jack looked after the business in Australia, where his administration was not a success. George was sent to clean up after him, and that was all to be said of Jack. According to Nicholas Morgan, the archivist at United Distillers, "There was considerable sibling rivalry between the three brothers." George chiefly restricted his activities to marketing, while Alexander mostly confined his interests to blending the whisky.
Unlike other whiskey barons of the day, who graduated from humble grocers and wine merchants to peers of the realm and who lived for the turf and fritted away their money on slow horses and fast women, the Walkers had few such ambitions. The elder Alexander Walker was offered a title but turned it down. His son George married the daughter of the manager of the small Clydesdale Bank in Kilmarnock, showing good sense more than ambition.
From the 1880s onward, the younger Alexander was based in Scotland, while George preferred London. In 1893, Alexander purchased the Cardhu distillery on Speyside from the Cumming family. The Cardhu's output became the heart of Black and Red Label.
The first advertisements for John Walker's whisky appeared in the 1880s. Archivist Morgan notes one of the earliest: a disconsolate Scotsman with a broken bottle of whisky, its contents in a pool on the ground. The real breakthrough occurred in 1909, when the company was looking for a logo. George Walker and another company director, James Stevenson (a friend of Winston Churchill's), commissioned the well-known illustrator Tom Browne to create one; the resulting design was alleged to be a likeness of John Walker. Browne's rendering, with knee breeches, frock coat, eyeglass, hat and cane, has over the years worked its way, with occasional modifications, into the popular imagination. (This past year, the logo underwent a major revision to a more stylized version of "The Striding Man.") The illustration inspired either Walker or Stevenson (the records are not clear) to provide the accompanying legend: "Born 1820--still going strong."
It was now up to Alexander to a make a suitable whisky to match the advertising. He was an indefatigable experimenter. Starting in 1906, Walker offered three blends of "Old Highlands Whisky": the basic blend with a white label, "Special Old Highland" with a red label and "Extra Special Old Highland," 12 years old, with a black label. It had already become common practice to ask for the whisky by the color of the label. In 1909, the brands were rechristened to take this into account: Johnnie Walker White, Red and Black.
But the early 1900s was a harrowing time for whisky. In the unlikely setting of the Islington Court in London, a case was launched in 1905 to find out precisely what whisky was. Samples procured in various pubs revealed that in the main, it was simply grain whisky of the cheapest sort. Three years later came the Royal Commission, and the Walkers, along with all other blenders, had to defend the integrity of their product before Parliament. According to Morgan, Alexander's statements, in which he stressed the Walkers' insistence on the highest quality blends, make interesting reading. His testimony was the most detached of all, fitting in with his severe portrait (with his "intense regard") in the family photograph album and the no-nonsense language that frequently came booming out of his office in Kilmarnock.
By the end of the First World War, Alexander's name had been embellished by a knighthood for his service to the nation in the Ministry of Munitions during the war. White Label had died�the Walkers were trying to target more affluent drinkers--and the company was facing the challenge of "going global." Morgan argues that it achieved this before even Coca-Cola, which he contends in the 1920s had a puny tally of international markets compared to the Walkers.
Curiously, Prohibition was a godsend for the Walkers. Before Prohibition, of the Scotch whisky distillers only Dewar's had secured large markets in the United States, with Americans preferring American or Irish whiskey to the Scotch imports. While the Irish civil war during the early 1920s effectively curbed Irish exports, American whiskey was knocked out by the Eighteenth Amendment.
The quality of Scotch was infinitely more reliable than bootleg local hooch. The Calvinist Sir Alexander was not at all put out by the idea that he was helping Americans to break the law. He referred to shipments in board meetings as "the special trade." (There was talk of Johnnie Walker bottles being concealed in square loaves of bread.) Vast shipments of Johnnie Walker were made to desolate islands off the Canadian coast for easy shipment into the United States. By the time the Volstead Act was repealed in 1933, Americans were truly hooked.
Other markets were being developed after the First World War, and the Walkers' reputation continued to spread. In Hedda Adlon's history of the Adlon Hotel in Berlin, the author recounts the amazement of a hotel guest coming away from another room in a stupefied state: "The fellow's got a whisky, something that I haven't drunk these five years." "How was it then?" came the response. "Excellent," he replied. "Johnnie Walker."
That was in 1919, when Joachim von Ribbentrop, the future Nazi foreign minister, was running a German wine and spirits distributorship owned by his father-in-law. Ribbentrop became Alexander's agent and a friend (they even kept the same dogs). When he was ambassador to Britain during the late 1930s, Ribbentrop flew up to Troon to visit the Walkers, landing his airplane on their lawn. The Walkers were impressed. Adolf Hitler named Ribbentrop his foreign minister in 1938, a post he held until the Nazis' defeat seven years later. After Ribbentrop was hanged for war crimes in 1946, the Walkers commiserated with his widow on a visit to Germany.
By that time, John Walker and Sons had merged with the Distillers Co. Ltd., a holding company for a number of large blending firms; each business operated independently. The arrangement, begun in 1925, lasted until the late 1980s, when the holding company, which changed its name to United Distillers, merged with Guinness.
Alexander Walker's retirement in 1939 signaled the family's exit from the whisky trade, but the Cummings, who had worked with Walker since 1893, stayed in the business. Sir Ronald Cumming served as chairman and managing director of the company until the late 1960s and his son was active in the export operations until the mid '80s.
During the Second World War, most of the whiskey available in the United Kingdom was shipped to America. When the United States entered the war in 1941, the GIs assured themselves of a warm welcome in Britain by bringing nylons and bottles of Johnnie Walker.
By war's end, Johnnie Walker had become a fashionable accessory. Duke Ellington ate haggis and drank Red Label on his first visit to the United Kingdom. Ernest Hemingway and Spencer Tracy were photographed in Cuba clutching their respective bottles. Red Label was the No. 1 brand of Scotch whisky. Sales jumped from a million cases in 1945 to five million in 1958.
Red Label was the younger Alexander's greatest legacy. His father had made Black, but Red was to be the drink for another age, for the middle-of-the-road, whiskey-and-soda drinker. In United Distillers' archives there are four pocket notebooks with jottings by Alexander, giving the rough specifications for Red and Black Label, as well as Swing whisky (the bottle rocked back and forth), which was created in 1932 and is still made today.
But Alexander's bequest was not to end there: Gold Label was created in 1995 from some of his notes, as well as from a few experimental square bottles found lying around in Kilmarnock. It has a touch of sweetness to it, an alternative to the light-mixing Red Label or the solid, masculine Black.
Blue Label, created in 1992, was a more ambitious project altogether. It was an attempt to recreate John Walker's original blend, using 15 whiskies of all ages from the distilleries Walker himself most likely bought from, particularly old Islay malts.
With four whiskies marketed in the United States, Johnnie Walker is a status drink for many Americans. As Jorge Hevia, a vice president at Schieffelin & Somerset Co., a subsidiary of United Distillers, puts it, an American can "work his or her way up the Walker ladder." The first step is Red ($18), which despite its comparatively modest price, is seen as a premium whiskey. Its comparative lightness lends itself to mixed drinks, but it is most popular simply with soda water.
At $25 a bottle, "Black is a status symbol for young consumers," says Hevia. "Black is seen as high quality in the range of contemporary blends." The next in the range, Gold, is a big leap up. It sells for about $65 a bottle, but that in no way deters American consumers; Hevia says the company is hard-pressed to keep up with demand. Gold has "a more honeyed, creamy flavor," he says, with some of the character of the malt from Clynelish, the distillery at Brora on the northern Scotland coast. It has only recently come onto the market, and so far there has been no advertising, yet its fame is growing.
Then there is Blue, which at $160 to $180 a bottle makes it an inspirational drink. Hevia calls Blue Label the "Nirvana of Scotches...an indescribable experience." But there is, of course, another factor: it appeals to those who want to show that they can afford the luxury of the most expensive Scotch on the list.
Both Blue and Gold compete with malt whiskeys on the American market. Hevia sees the two Walker whiskies as having a more "layered flavor" and a "wider variety of taste experience."
Johnnie Walker has earned his place in history. Winston Churchill was so obsessed with Black Label during the dark days of the Second World War that he painted still lives of the bottles. Graham Greene has an inept spy mix it with White Horse, another whisky, in his novel, The Human Factor, and christens his blend a "White Walker." He dies as a result. In recent times, Superman drank Johnnie Walker in the movies and Harrison Ford showed off some futuristic packaging for it in the film Blade Runner. A humble grocer had shown us the way to make Highland hooch into one of the indispensable props of our civilization.
Giles MacDonogh writes about food and drink for the Financial Times of London.
Copyright © 1998 Cigar Aficionado. All Rights reserved.
From the Walker Web Site
Johnnie Walker Red Label
The Best Selling Scotch Whisky In The World
Johnnie Walker has more than a 175 years experience - a unique achievement. Red Label expresses the traditional taste of Scotch Whisky because it has :
a distinctive character
and a fullness of flavor that sets it apart from other brands.
We are especially proud of Johnnie Walker's distinctive character, it's robust and full-bodied taste and the authenticity of the brand. Since the 19th century we have used only the finest ingredients to produce Johnnie Walker Red Label :
First of all, the golden barley, which grows in the rough Scottish climate
Peat is used to fire the drying process to give the malted barley it's characteristic taste
The pure and fresh highland water
The specially selected sherry and oak-casks we used to mature the whisky
Finally the complex selection of whiskies used by the masterblender; powerful Western Isles Malts, best Highland Malts and finally Cardhu Single Malt, with its warmth and cleanness of taste, often referred to by the experts as "silkiness".
Then Johnnie Walker Red Label is filled into its square-shaped bottle with its characteristic slanted label, which not only distinguishes the brand from it's competitors, but is well recognized as the classical symbol of quality and style in Scotch Whisky.
Johnnie Walker Black Label
In 1909 George Paterson and Alexander II took the Walkers blend "Extra Special Old Highland" and relaunched it under the name "Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years old".
Johnnie Walker Black Label has a greater complexity and depth of flavor than any other DeLuxe Scotch Whisky.
There are qualities that can rarely be combined in a blend :
- the full-bodied and rich taste
- the extraordinary smoothness
The complexity and depth of flavor is achieved by the blending of more than 40 whiskies:
The fullness of flavor comes from the inclusion of a high proportion of powerful Islay malts , more than in any other twelve year old DeLuxe Whisky.
The richness is imparted by the inclusion of a number of whiskies from the other distilling regions, some of which have been matured in specially selected sherry casks. These casks have previously been used to mature sherry and have given the wood a warm, rich sweetness that in turn will give an exceptionally rich and mellow flavor to the whisky matured in them afterwards.
Finally, at the heart of the blend is the secret to Johnnie Walker Black Label's smoothness: the addition of the single malt Cardhu. Cardhu is the cornerstone of the blend around which the many nuances of flavor are constructed. It imparts a taste which is referred to by experts as "silky."
All the whiskies selected to go into the Johnnie Walker Black Label blend have been matured for a minimum of twelve years (and some longer than that!) and are selected individually by the master blender for the final blend.
Johnnie Walker Black Label is the World's leading DeLuxe Brand of Scotch Whisky and has won international acclaim.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
John Walker, in the early 19th century used to occasionally blend exclusive whiskies in his local shop in Kilmarnock specially for the specific tastes of a few highly valued customers.
In 1987 the master blender at John Walker & Sons was given access to some exceptional stocks of very rare and mature whiskies from the warehouse. He decided to recreate the character of the whiskies of the 19th century, using as reference, recipes from the original records of Alexander Walker. Using the prized rare stocks he was able to create a unique smoothness and maturity of taste reminiscent of John Walkers earliest whiskies.
A unusual high proportion of Islay malt whiskies gives Blue Label it's underlying peaty taste
Full bodied and Highland Whiskies have been chosen for their strong distinctive flavor, challenging the most expert palate.
The selection and use of Cardhu single malt in the blend, renowned for its silkiness of taste gives the blend its characteristic smoothness.
The blend also contains a high proportion of whiskies matured in sherry oak casks, which give it a characteristic richness of flavor.
Finally, this master blend comes in a original Walker bottle, blue-green flint glass made in a unique tapering "square sided" style. Blue Label's unique origin and rarity means that supplies are limited in availability, each bottle is individually numbered, and comes in a satin-linked presentation box.
Johnnie Walker Gold Label
The newest member of the Johnnie Walker Whisky family introduced to the South African market late last year, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, is unique in that it is literally touched with gold.
Clynelish, the rare malt whisky which is at the heart of the Johnnie Walker Gold Label blend of 15 distinguished malts, derives its water from the Clynemilton Burn in which prospectors panned for gold in the 1880's and into which traces of gold still wash. Other important malt whiskies in the blend are Cardhu, which has a silky smoothness, Talisker, which contributes intensity and depth and Royal Lochnagar, which imparts fragrance and richness.
Johnnie Walker Gold Label is also distinctive in that it has its origins in the blending notes compiled 75 years ago by Sir Alexander Walker, grandson of the founder of the company. His aim at that time to create a blend of exceptionally mature malts for Johnnie Walker's centenary were thwarted by a shortage of these rare products following World War I.
In 1950 when the master blender who inherited Sir Alexander's notebooks wished to blend a tribute to him, he in his turn was hampered by problems of supply resulting from the disruption of World War II. The production of Extra Special Old Reserve which ensued was of necessity very limited and reserved for the exclusive use of the company's blenders and directors.
Now with small stocks of some of the rarest and most mature whiskies required for Sir Alexander's blend to hand, his secrets have at last been revealed in Johnnie Walker Gold Label. Blended in limited quantities for Johnnie Walker's 175th anniversary last year, it is now available at selected outlets in South Africa - a connoisseur's delight. The elegant packaging features a square-shaped bottle with a slanted silver and gold label.
One of the oldest blenders of Scotch Whisky is the House of Walker. Their series of Johnnie Walker Labels are some of the world's best selling blends.
Walker was Winston Churchill's favorite whisky and he wrote a famous memo at the end of WWII warning against depriving the Scotch whisky industry of its supplies of barley.
Johnnie Walker Red Label
emerged from WWII as the world's leading whisky brand and sales increased five times by 1955. In 1977, Red Label had to be withdrawn from the UK market due to EC rules, but is available today. The withdrawal was prompted by the banning by an EC Commission Directive in December, 1977 of the common practice of charging more in the UK market for certain brands to compensate their sales agents in the EC. Haig & Haig Dimple was also withdrawn at this time. To compensate for the lost sales, DCL introduced John Barr and The Buchanan Blend.
Johnnie Walker Black Label
is an 80 proof, 12-year-old blend of over 40 whiskies. A medium bodied, moderately sweet whisky with a touch of smoke and peat -- the Cardu Single Malt is said to be a major constituent.
Gold Label
is their new 80 proof, 18-year-old blend of 15 malts, and grain whiskies. This full-bodied blend has a marked creaminess and greater complexity than the Black Label. The malty character is said to come from extensive use of the Clynelish Single Malt.
Blue Label
is the firm's top product. Although no age statement is given on the bottle, this 80 proof blend is said to contain whiskies of up to 60 years old. It is extremely rich and complex, with balanced sweetness and smoky, nutty tones.
Swing
was created in 1932 by Sir Alexander Walker who is considered to be one of the great blenders of all time. This was a rich-flavored blend originally designed to appeal to transatlantic-travelers and the North American market. The unusual bottle shape was designed with a convex base, so that it could 'swing' as the ocean liner rocked back and forth. During the 90's, the marketing has been directed towards the far Eastern markets and the original has been joined by even more deluxe expressions (Superior and Premier). The brand is very prestigious in Taiwan, Japan and the Far East.
John Barr Finest Scotch
100 Pipers
100 Pipers
has been on the market since 1965 and is particularly successful in Spain, Latin America, and the Far East. Its market positioning was as a price-competitive, popular brand. The base malts are The Glenlivet, Glen Grant, and Longmorn. Unlike most of the other Seagram blends, the licensee for 100 Pipers is Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, not Chivas Brothers.
The Seagrams were originally farmers and innkeepers from Wiltshire who emigrated to Canada in the early 19th century. The next generation was invol ed in grain-milling and distilling. In 1857, Joseph Seagram established the family distilling business in Waterloo, Ontario. His company soon became the largest distiller of Canadian rye whisky. Following his death, control of the company was divided among his family, and in 1928, his own shares were acquired by The Distillers Corporation of Canada. This company was headed by Sam Bronfman.
During WWI, Canadian distilleries were closed down and the only whisky obtainable was from Scotland. Desiring to retain this market following the War, Bronfman invited DCL of Scotland to purchase shares in The Distillers Corporation. Thus, he acquired not only supplies of Scotch, but also the rights to several brands of Scotch.
By 1928, when he purchased Seagram, Bronfman was sure theat Prohibition would end soon in the United States and began increasing production of whiskies, built warehouses and began assembling large stocks of mature whiskies.
At this time, DCL decided to concentrate on Scottish distilling and sold its shares back to Bronfman. A few years earlier, Bronfman had gone to Scotland and bought the Robert Brown Company and began to lay down stocks of Scotch.
The purchase of Chivas Brothers and Strathisla Distillery took place in 1949 along with land at Keith, Paisley and Dalmuir where he built warehouses and bottling plants. Paisley is now The Distilleries Corporation, Seagram's headquarters in Scotland, and maintains one of the largest stocks of Scotch whisky in the world.
In 1957, Seagram built Glen Keith Distillery; Braes of Glenlivet in 1973 and Alt a'Bhainne in 1975. In 1978, they acquired the prestigious distillery The Glenlivet.
White Horse Blended Scotch Whisky
:
:
Scoresby Very Rare Scotch
: America's #1 selling U.S.-bottled Scotch (#4 overall) is bottled by Barton Distilling in Bardstown, Kentucky. This is a blended scotch with a higher malt content for a richer flavor. According to Kindred Spirits, it has a tawny/honey color, aromas of sweet corn and cream, medium weight, is well-balanced and has a silky texture.
Beauty and the Blend
An article by Jack Kenny
What shall we enjoy this evening? We've been building this collection of single malt whiskies for some time now, and it's looking grand, isn't it? Something delicate and airy from the Lowlands? Something fey from Spey? Perhaps a sledgehammer from Islay? Don't you wish, sometimes, that we could taste them all, all at once?
When an American begins a career as a Scotch whisky drinker, the liquor most always is a blend. The drink is sometimes raped by cola or lemon. After a while a few become devotees, learning to drink it just with water, or with ice alone. Many are called but few are chosen to try malt whiskies, and even fewer are elected to appreciate them.
And most often that's it. The lofty world of the single malts becomes the final resting place of palate. The blended whisky becomes part of the drinker's past, looked back upon -- down upon, often -- as something less. Not quite as noble. Common, even.
It isn't that way in Scotland. The developed whisky nose knows that the blends possess magic, heritage and tastes of their own. The developed whisky nose, which strives for objectivity, is pleased when the subtleties of a special blend start a ceilidh in the olfactory. Blending does not signify cheapened whisky. A vatted malt is a blend, and single malts are actually blends themselves from the same estate. Rare is the single barrel whisky in Scotland.
"I've heard the malt whiskies described in the States as the treasures of Scotland. I really do believe, quite honestly, that the treasures of Scotland are Johnnie Walker, Dewar's, J&B Rare, The Famous Grouse, Ballantine's, Cutty Sark, and so on."
This is Jim Milne, master blender of the whiskies produced by Justerini & Brooks, better known as J&B. He is, after all, a blender, but listen: "Here's why I say that. A distiller produces a bottle of malt whisky, a fine product, but it's just one. A blend, however, is crafted by blenders to produce a specific product. All of the blends I've mentioned I suspect have 40 to 50 different distilleries, different volumes, different ages. All the combinations of these combine to form a unique product. There is a single malt for everyone: heavy, lighter, fruity. I appreciate that. But what we're talking about is two different categories.
"It is a fallacy that Scotland retains its treasures and sends out these blends. That's nonsense. The finest whiskies in Scotland are the Dewar's, the Chivas Regals, the J&B Rares."
What is it about a blend that makes it less in the eyes of the single malt commando? Because it's Uncle Louie's favorite drink? Because it's mass produced, available globally and on phone booth ads? Because it contains the dreaded grain whisky? Heaven forfend.
Blended whiskies were invented more than a century ago to appeal to a broad audience, an appeal that manifested itself both in taste and price. Malt whiskies were loved and drunk throughout Scotland, but in the southern part of the island the English were a bit shy of that dark and smoky liquor. Indeed, the blends were created in part to round out some of the edges of the powerful malt whiskies. Since Andrew Usher first blended a few grains and malts in the 1860s, the art and science of blending has come a great distance. (Producers of malt whiskies and blends have not always had a smooth relationship. See "Scotch: A Wee Dram," Malt Advocate, Volume 3, No. 3.)
By law, all of the component whiskies in a blend are distilled in Scotland and matured in Scotland for a minimum of three years. If the bottle says eight years old, that's the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. The rules are the same for blends, malts and grains.
A good blended whisky contains between 40 and 50 different whiskies. All but a few of those are single malts. The ratio of grain whisky to malt whisky ranges today from 60:40 to 65:35. Special or limited quantity blends usually have a higher percentage of malt whisky.
Example: J&B Rare, a well known blend in this country and abroad, contains a minimum of 42 whiskies. Of those, 36 are single malts, and six are grain whiskies.
"It's not just the quality of the malts that determine the quality of the finished product," says Milne. "There are reasons for the grain whiskies having the greater percentage. The grains contribute freshness and liveliness to the product that otherwise might not be there."
So what is grain whisky? Grain whisky has been with us since the mid-1800s, not long after the development of the continuous still (as opposed to the pot still, from which the malts are produced). The continuous still, also known as the patent still or Coffey still, was perfected in the 1830s by Aeneas Coffey, a Dubliner who learned all about whisky from his years as Ireland's top revenue man. Grain whisky contains a bit of barley, both malted and unmalted, but the rest is wheat, corn or other grain. Today's grain distillates are said to be more than 80 percent wheat.
There is no romance at a grain distillery. They are gigantic factories that produce a spirit that is 94 percent alcohol. The grain is not dried over peat fires. Yet it is put in oak hogsheads and butts just like the malt whisky and aged for similar periods, and it comes out with a nose that says Made in Scotland. Today there are seven grain distilleries in operation, each with its distinctive whisky.
Richard Paterson is the master blender for Whyte & Mackay, a century-old company that owns several malt distilleries (Dalmore and Fettercairn among them) and bottles many blends. Like Milne and other master blenders, Paterson has a finely developed sense of smell, but he has something that they don't have: He began the training of his nose at the age of eight at the knee of his father, the master blender for Whyte & Mackay, who learned his craft at the knee of his father, the master blender for Whyte & Mackay.
"In my grandfather's day, the ratio was 50:50," says Paterson. "During my father's time it was 60:40 grain to malt. Today it's up to 65 percent grain. It's not the quantity, though, that makes the whisky. It's the quality of the malts."
Paterson suggests that we approach blending as we would if we were the host of a dinner party. "When you make the seating arrangements, you decide who will get on with whom, and you seat them accordingly. You don't want guests to start fighting each other. You want total unification."
To make that party perfect, he says, you invite malt whiskies from the four main producing areas of Scotland: Lowlands, Highlands, Campbeltown, and Islay.
"The Lowland whiskies are known for their lightness, their fragrance, their charm and elegance, but more important for their femininity," Paterson says. "For that reason they are known as 'The Lowland Ladies'. If you put all of the Lowland malts into one blend, you will have a light and fragrant blend.
"Now, the malt whiskies of Scotland change with the countryside. The Highland malts are all guts and glamour, meat and muscle. If the Lowland malts are the Burgundies, then the Speyside and Highland malts can be the Bordeaux. It depends on the age, where the cask is lying, which distillery it comes from, everything else. All the characteristics change as you move throughout the Highlands. In the Scapa malt, from the Orkneys, for example, there is a characteristic of salt."
Only two whiskies remain in the Campbeltown region, that long finger in the southwestern part of Scotland. "But these two -- Springbank and Glen Scotia -- are very complex," says Paterson. "They are highly individualistic, and have to be used very subtlety in a blend."
And finally, the dinner guests we've all been waiting for, the fellows from Islay. "You have to be careful of them," warns Paterson. "They're the vandals. They gatecrash the dinner party. Again, they're not all the same. Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich are softer and easier to blend, while Lagavulin and Laphroaig are smoky and peaty."
In a similar fashion, grain whiskies from North British, Cameron Bridge, Dumbarton, and the others are seated around the dinner table. "They all play their own part; they all have a contribution to make."
One of the jobs of a blender, when he is not blending, is to make sure that the stocks of whiskies are kept up to date, and to acquire those that he thinks will make important contributions in years to come. Why do blenders employ so many whiskies in a blend? The best answer is insurance.
"In many respects it is much easier to achieve a consistency if you're dealing with many distilleries," says Jim Milne of J&B. "If you were dealing with only one malt and one grain, it would be almost impossible to achieve a consistent product."
Though the recipe for a blend no doubt is written down and placed in a vault somewhere, in large part it remains in the mind of the master blender. "The recipe is not sacrosanct," Milne adds. "The recipe changes daily. The objective of the blender is to reproduce daily the same product. On Monday the blend might contain 50 whiskies, 49 on Tuesday, and 51 on Wednesday. Perhaps we don't have a particular whisky that is the right age. Perhaps another whisky is not mature to the exact level. Therefore it must wait and we will use something else. With 50 whiskies, you can imagine the permutations: If you're missing one, it might require two to make up the difference.
"It's a dynamic thing," Milne declares. "It's not as if there was a recipe that you could reproduce. If you paid a million dollars for the recipe, you'd have to pay a million dollars for the blender himself."
Milne has been busy on new blends recently. Justerini & Brooks launched a new one last year that they call J.E.T., a high-end blend with a concept that aims "to get away from the traditional styles of Scotch whisky, and more appropriate for today's market," says Milne. He describes it as "very fresh, very lively. I use the word fruity -- apple and pear fruitiness, as opposed to berries or that type of fruit." In this case, the marketing department has a strong hand in the development of the blend. "When I reduced the blend, I already knew what the marketing concept was, which is unusual for a blender. I produced a blend that would fall into place in their marketing concept.
"And yet, I had to try to make it still be a product that was recognizable as coming from the house of Justerini & Brooks, and also to make it different from the products that were around. The way I approached it was this: If you say to a blender, 'We want you to produce a deluxe whisky', you don't say you want it to be 12 years old or 15 years old. I said we would make the grains 12 years old, which is ideal to retain the fresh and lively aroma. Then the Highland and Lowland malts would be 13 to 15 years old, but all the high-class Speyside malts would be over 15 years old. So the concept is different: The youngest are 12, and the oldest are 16 and 17.
"In itself it is a different concept," Milne observes. "To some extent the Scotch whisky industry gets locked into age."
J.E.T. took Milne between five and six months of work, either in his laboratory "or thinking about it." The whisky marries in wood for a minimum of six months, "in larger casks so we get a lower whisky contact to wood, and get a very slow maturation. We're hoping for very little, just enough so that the whiskies settle down and get enhanced with a little softness in the marriage period. That marriage period is the difference between a quality whisky and a really great whisky."
One can only imagine the exhaustive records that the blenders keep as they go along, pouring this and nosing that. "Over the years I've developed a system wherein I know what contribution each individual distillery in Scotland should make to the finished product, and if one is not available, I know which other one, two or three should come close to that product."
So with 50 whiskies in a blend, we're tasting quite a range of what Scotland has to offer. But we want to taste all the whiskies, don't we? Jim Milne had the same thought about eight years ago, and began working in earnest to develop a new blend about two years ago. It is called Ultima. You can buy it in the United Kingdom for the equivalent of about $75, and it will be available here toward the end of 1995.
"Ultima has 128 distilleries in it," says Milne. "It has all the distilleries that are currently operating, and some that are no longer there -- those that have been knocked down and are now restaurants or car parks or whatever. But the whiskies are still here. This blend has in it all the whiskies that are available to me: 116 malts and 12 grains. The oldest is 1965, and the youngest is 1984. It's a wide range of ages. I wasn't after an aged blend, as such. I was after perfecting a blend."
Jim Milne is a modest man, and beyond saying "It was my idea" he won't blow his own horn about the taste of Ultima. "I suppose the blender has to rely on others to say if they're pleased. They seem to be."
_____________________________________________
Jack Kenny lives in Norwalk, Connecticut and writes about the beer and whisky business.
Copyright 1995, Malt Advocate. No material herein may be reprinted without permission of the Malt Advocate. Distributed On the W3 For personal, non-commercial enjoyment and use only. Cheers
!
An increasing amount of Scotch (and Canadian) whisky is being imported in barrel for tax and marketing purposes. Since the United States tax is on 100o proof spirits, the tax on bottled whisky is higher than on barreled spirits. This is because Scotch is bottled at less than 100o proof and barrels are shipped at the finished aging proof which is in excess of 100o. The importer also pays less in shipping costs since the reduction to bottling proof is done in the United States. The result is lower prices to the consumer. This is not an option with the premium blends.
Whisky from Japan
| Johnnie Walker |
In which country did the 'Mau Mau Uprising' occur? | Dr.Whisky: February 2007
Bullocks to Blends? (Part 1)
Some people have noted that we have a lot of blends on our shelf. Well, thanks for reading, and you are right. Many have asked "why all the blends?", "Who cares about them?" Well, I do. And maybe you should. They taste good, have left an often hilarious trail of adverts over the years, and are cheap. If that's not enough, the history of blended scotch whisky is really the history of the whisky industry as a whole. So, I am going to take the time and do my best to tell that story. Over the next few weekends I will cover history, current status and trends, and ultimately, the future.
Many of us take the current climate of whisky industry for granted. Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a worldwide phenomenon today, but it has not always been that way. Blended whisky, which makes up 90% of total worldwide Scotch whisky sales, has helped make the 'single malt revival' possible. And while blends sales are about 25% less today than they were in 1980, it is the history of blended whisky that tells the story of whisky’s international popularity, of why more than 10 bottles of Scottish whisky are sold every second.
So, why do blends sell better than singles?
We all have this idea that blends are ‘blands’, made on the cheap
with cheap ingredients for cheap tastes. This is not (necessarily) the case. The pure ambition of blending is to create whisky that is more than the sum of its parts producing a distinct, dense and satisfying dram suited to many different moods and tastes. This is why blending is often called an art, why every blending family or house or whatever has a 'style', and why every blender has their own analogy or metaphor to describe their product, their craft, and their art.
Colin Scott of Chivas Brothers says that making their blend "is like building a house; with malts as the bricks, grains as the mortar and Strathisla as the foundation. Chivas Regal is one shape of house, 18-year-old is grander and Oldest is a castle!" Robert Hicks of Ballantine's and Teacher's blends subscribes to the more musical analogies (clichés circulate that single malts are soloists and blends are the orchestra), saying "You can play as many tunes with grains as you can with the malts." Turnbull Hutton who has had his hand in all of the biggest of Diageo's current blends(Johnnie Walker, J&B, Bell's) echoes this sentiment, saying that in blending, "there's a lot of tunes you can play." And John Ramsay of Edrington(Famous Grouse) is quoted in 2000: "It's like putting together a good soccer team. you need a strong central core, then you can tack the stars around that." He goes on to say that, "a blend is a bit like a pasta with sauce. The grain is the pasta, edible, but bland, and the malts are the sauce, a bit strong on their own, but together, they're a great combination." This last one resonates with me. Like Kristin says when I ask her what she wants for dinner, "I can always eat spaghetti bolognese."
Single malt whisky is very rich, strong, holds distinct and often powerful characteristics, and the taste of it is rather different from one distillery to the next, and can even be from year to year. In recent years, growing numbers of people have become fascinated with exploring the variety of separate and individual flavours single malts provide for these very reasons. But it is also for these reasons that the selling of whisky was very limited for a long time. 150 years ago, people outside Scotland were not really interested in these strong, distinctive, and varying tastes. Irish whisky was the thing, and Scots took, and still do take, great pride in the 'strength' of their spirit; "It's not for everyone , thank the Lord." The main reason why Irish whisky is seen as 'smoother' is due to ingredients and chemistry: Unlike single malt Scottish whisky, most Irish whisky is not made from barley alone, and Scottish single malt whisky is always made in copper pot stills with the wash being distilled twice(usually). Irish whisky is (again, usually) distilled three times, and that produces a 'lighter' spirit that is higher in alcohol, and the higher the alcohol, the fewer the congeners , and congeners give us flavours.
In the 1820s a new form of still was invented by Robert Stein(John Haig’s cousin), a continuous still, which produced spirit in a continuous stream as long as wine, beer or some such mildly alcoholic wash was fed into it. A Dublin Excise officer, Aeneas Coffey, attended a demonstration of the new still, took the idea and developed it further, and it was Coffey's version of the continuous still that eventually caught on around the spirit producing world. It was first put into commercial production at John Haig’s Cameron Bridge distillery in Fife. The distillation method produced grain whisky using some malted barley but mainly maize and wheat, creating a different, less intense spirit than the malt whisky produced in copper pot stills. This invention was first exploited by Andrew Usher & Co who, in 1853, blended malt and grain whisky together for the first time to produce a lighter flavoured wh
isky - extending the appeal of Scotch Whisky to a wider market.
Many blends started in the shops of family grocers. Others began at the hands of enterprising wine merchants. Glass bottles were taxed and therefore expensive, so merchants were not branding by the mid 19th century. Instead, customers would use their own bottles or receptacles or even buy their own small casks or whisky jars called pigs, and fill them up with what the grocer had in stock. In this era, consistency and quality control was in the hands of the retailers and there were many reports of bulking up goods with flour, with bone dust or dried mashed potatoes, tea with dried tree leaves, and whisky with sherry, glycerine or green teas.
The Spirit Act of 1860 made it possible to produce large volumes of blended whisky in bonded warehouese, ie. without having to pay duty. Many spirits merchants and grocers began to specialise in producing blends with the aim of having a very broad appeal, drinks which had a lighter character than malt whisky, but were more substantial than grain whisky.
Creating a flavoursome drink out of grain whisky yielded many economic advantages, none of which were missed by the many merchants who took up blending.
Since they were now able to achieve greater consistency of flavour by mixing these products, it also became desirable long term to brand their creations and promote them.
Members of certain blending families, like Alexander Walker and Tommy Dewar, promoted their businesses by travelling extensively and securing contracts for their products in England and abroad.
Whisky was slowly taking the place of Brandy and Cognac in the snifters of the middle and upper classes in England and abroad, but it still had a reputation of being a rough drink, hot and fiery, for savage higlanders and was therefore not easily seen as something suitable for clubs and salons of the south. This is where the branding and marketing genius behind the early blenders came into play addressing the two big obstacles of acceptability and respectability.
It was an open air drink, fine when fishing on the river or hunting grouse, but not proper enough for the evening affairs of elite Londoners.
This is why it was important for names like Walker's, Dewar’s, Teacher’s, etc. to earn a currency of respect because over time this branding would guarantee accountability on consistency of each bottle which is what the desired market demanded.
Between the late 1870s and the turn of the century a handful of innovative and vigorous Scots promoted their new blended whiskies, first in London and then
around the world to great success.
They were assisted by a number of factors. First was the appeal of the product, I mean, whisky tastes goooood. Second was the growing fashion for all things Scottish, led by Queen Vicloria herself. Third, well established rail and sea routes which made transportation far easier than it was previously. Fourth was by the existence of the British Empire, the biggest free market in the world. Fifth, and most significantly was a bug, Vastetrix, which devastated the vineyards of France between the mid-1860s and the late 1880s.
By 1865, phylloxera had spread to vines in Provence. Over the next 20 years, it inhabited and decimated nearly 70% of the vineyards of Europe. Many methods were attempted to eradicate phylloxera: flooding, where possible, and injecting the soil with carbon bisulfide, had some success in checking the louse, but were costly and the pests came back as soon as the treatments stopped.
Production of Cognac virtually ceased. Brandy became almost unavailable. And brandy (with soda) was the drink of the English middle classes.
Blended whisky (and soda) was there to replace it.
[Sources: many human beings (within and without the whisky industry), a few websites(many great whisky nerds have graced this e-world with their knowlege before me. Slainte and thanks), and serveral books: Jim Murray's 'Classic Blended Scotch', Dave Broom's 'Handbook of Whisky', Helen Arthur's 'Whisky', John Hughes' 'Scotland's Malt Whisky Distilleries', ALL of Charlie Maclean's work , and the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2006 and 2007]
more soon...
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The Dance Class and Absinthe are famous works by which painter? | Edgar Degas - The complete works
Self portrait
Edgar Degas (19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917), born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (pronounced [ilɛʀ ʒɛʁmɛ̃ ɛdɡɑʀ dœˈɡɑ]), was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist. A superb draughtsman, he is especially identified with the subject of the dance, and over half his works depict dancers. These display his mastery in the depiction of movement, as do his racecourse subjects and female nudes. His portraits are considered to be among the finest in the history of art.
Early in his career, his ambition was to be a history painter, a calling for which he was well prepared by his rigorous academic training and close study of classic art. In his early thirties he changed course, and by bringing the traditional methods of a history painter to bear on contemporary subject matter, he became a classical painter of modern life.
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Impressionism
Impressionism
A movement in painting that first surfaced in France in the 1860s, it sought new ways to describe effects of light and movement, often using rich colors. The Impressionists were drawn to modern life and often painted the city, but they also captured landscapes and scenes of middle-class leisure-taking in the suburbs.
Realism
Realism
Realism is an approach to art that stresses the naturalistic representation of things, the look of objects and figures in ordinary life. It emerged as a distinct movement in the mid-nineteenth century, in opposition to the idealistic, sometimes mythical subjects that were then popular, but it can be traced back to sixteenth-century Dutch art and forward into twentieth-century styles such as Social Realism.
Louis Lamothe
Louis Lamothe
Louis Lamothe was a nineteenth-century French academic and history painter, and instructor at the École des Beaux-Arts. A former pupil of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Lamothe never made much of an impression with his own art, but did go to instruct a host of highly renowned artists, including Edgar Degas, Henri Regnault and James Tissot.
Ingres
Ingres
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres was a French Neoclassical painter. Although he considered himself to be a history painter in the tradition of Nicolas Poussin and Jacques-Louis David, it was Ingres's portraits, both painted and drawn, that were recognized as his greatest legacy.
Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet was a French painter and chief figure in the Realist movement of the mid-nineteenth century. His paintings often contained an emotional bleakness, and were praised for their precision and use of light. Along with Delacroix, Courbet was a key influence on the Impressionists.
Renaissance
Renaissance
In the Renaissance, artists rediscovered techniques like rational space, three-point perspective, and plastic forms. Paintings frequently emphasized the human figure, allegory, classical mythology, and Christian themes.
Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo was a Renaissance artist working in Italy in the sixteenth century. Although first a sculptor, he is perhaps best known for his large-scale painted frescos in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. He is celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings and drawings. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period.
Titian
Titian
Titian was the leading painter of the Venetian school in sixteenth century Italy, spanning a more than sixty-year career. His wide range of subject matter and deep interest in color has heavily influenced further developments in Western art.
Diego Velazquez
Diego Velazquez
Diego Velazquez was a Spanish artist, court painter for King Philip IV, and one of the leading figures in the Baroque period. Known as a master of detail and light, Velazquez's work has been a significant influence on generations of artists and movements, from Realism to Surrealism.
Edouard Manet
Edouard Manet
Edouard Manet was a French painter and a prominent figure in the mid-nineteenth-century Realist movement of French art. Manet's paintings are considered among the first works of art in the modern era, due to his rough painting style and absence of idealism in his figures. Manet was a close friend of and major influence on younger artists who founded Impressionism such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the leading figures of French Impressionism during the late-nineteenth century. Renoir tended to favor outdoor scenes, gardens bathed in sunlight, and large gatherings of people. Known as a master of light, shadow and color, Renoir was also highly esteemed for his depiction of natural movement on the canvas. In terms of the French Impressionists' lasting popularity and fame, Renoir is perhaps second only to Monet.
Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a French artist who helped pioneer the painterly effects and emphasis on light, atmosphere, and plein air technique that became hallmarks of Impressionism. He is especially known for his series of haystacks and cathedrals at different times of day, and for his late Waterlilies.
Camille Pissarro
Camille Pissarro
Camille Pissarro was a French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painter. Known as the "Father of Impressionism," he used his own painterly style to depict urban daily life, landscapes, and rural scenes.
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter, commonly associated with the Post-Impressionist period. As one of the most prolific and experimental artists of his time, van Gogh was a spontaneous painter and a master of color and perspective. Troubled by personal demons all his life, many historians speculate that van Gogh suffered from a Bipolar disorder.
Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin was a French Post-Impressionist artist who employed color fields and painterly strokes in his work. He is best known for his primitivist depictions of native life in Tahiti and Polynesia.
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was an influential French Post-Impressionist painter whose depictions of the natural world, based on internal geometric planes, paved the way for Cubism and later modern art movements.
Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix was a mid-nineteenth-century French painter and pioneer of European Modernist painting. Known primarily as a Romantic, Delacroix's paintings were passionate in their depictions of love, war and human sensuality, earning the artist both praise and controversy in his time. His preoccupation with color-induced optical effects and use of expressive brushstrokes were crucial influences on Impressionism and Pointillism.
Honoré Daumier
Honoré Daumier
Honore Daumier was a French painter, sculptor and printmaker during the mid-nineteenth century. Although an accomplished artist in several media, Daumier is most well-known for his political caricatures and satirical art. He was also a key figure in the painterly movement of French Naturalism.
Eugéne Boudin
Eugéne Boudin
Eugéne Boudin was a French marine and landscape painter who worked primarily in the second half of the nineteenth century. His reputation steadily grew throughout his long career, eventually being awarded the Legion of Honor in 1892. His plein air method of working had a significant influence on the young Monet and consequently the Impressionist movement.
Henri Fantin-Latour
Henri Fantin-Latour
Henri Fantin-Latour was an Academy painter at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He was best known for his still-lifes and group portraits of his Parisian artist and writer friends.
Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was a nineteenth-century movement that celebrated the powers of emotion and intuition over rational analysis or classical ideals. Romantic artists emphasized awe, beauty, and the sublime in their works, which frequently charted the darker or chaotic sides of human life.
Japonisme
Japonisme
Japonisme describes the influence of Japanese art, especially woodblock prints, on French artists in the second half of the nineteenth century. Many Post-Impressionists were influenced by the flat blocks of color, the emphasis on design, and the simple, everyday subject matter.
Walter Sickert
Walter Sickert
Walter Sicket was a German-born, English painter and a co-founder of the Camden Town Group, a collection of British Post-Impressionist artists that also included Wyndham Lewis and Augustus John. Sickert's oeuvre favored urban scenes and portraits of ordinary people, often in moody or somewhat macabre settings, yet painted with a soft Victorian sensibility. Sickert was also something of an eccentric and aloof character, and due to some circumstantial evidence, is considered by some historians to be the infamous Jack the Ripper - a theory that isn't without controversy.
Mary Cassatt
Mary Cassatt
Mary Cassatt was an American painter and printmaker active in France in the late nineteenth century. She was closely associated with Impressionism, and her signature subjects were intimate, domestic scenes of women, mothers, and children.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a Post-Impressionist artist who depicted the dancers, prostitutes, drinkers, and other characters of fin-de-siecle Paris. He is known for his paintings, his caricatures of friends, and his well-designed posters for Parisian dance halls.
Post-Impressionism
Post-Impressionism
Post-Impressionism refers to a number of styles that emerged in reaction to Impressionism in the 1880s. The movement encompassed Symbolism and Neo-Impressionism before ceding to Fauvism around 1905. Its artists turned away from effects of light and atmosphere to explore new avenues such as color theory and personal feeling, often using colors and forms in intense and expressive ways.
Symbolism
Symbolism
Symbolism is an artistic and literary movement that first emerged in France in the 1880s. In the visual arts it is often considered part of Post-Impressionism. It is characterized by an emphasis on the mystical, romantic and expressive, and often by the use of symbolic figures.
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'Dr. Robotnik' and 'Knuckles the Echidna' are characters in which video game series? | Knuckles the Echidna | Fictional Characters Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
[ show ]
Concept and creation
During conception of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 , the development team wanted to create a new rival for Sonic. [1] The final design of Knuckles was the result of dozens of possible designs inspired by numerous different animals. [1] [2] The emphasis of the character was to break walls. [3]
Ever since the character appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, he has been thought of as an "intimidator" because of his powerful abilities. The character was given a headlining role in the next game, Sonic & Knuckles, [4] where fans had the opportunity to play as Knuckles for the very first time.
History
Knuckles was born and lives on Angel Island, which hovers in the sky due to the power of the Master Emerald . His duty is to guard the Master Emerald, and he is the last surviving member of the Echidna people who once inhabited the island.
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 , Knuckles thought Sonic was attempting to steal the Master Emerald, and that the mad scientist, Doctor Eggman, was trying to protect it. However, Dr. Eggman had lied to Knuckles, and was planning to use the Emerald to repair his space station, the Death Egg. In Sonic & Knuckles , in the Hidden Palace Zone, Eggman's betrayal was revealed when the doctor stole the Master Emerald with a modified Egg-O-Matic and attacked Knuckles. Since then, Knuckles has repeatedly joined Sonic and Tails throughout their many adventures to help stop Dr. Eggman .
He also can be played in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 when that game is plugged into the Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cartridge.
Aside from appearances in the main Sonic series, Knuckles featured prominently in Knuckles' Chaotix , a relatively unknown spin-off title developed for Sega 32X . The game also introduced Team Chaotix , a group of detectives.
In Sonic Adventure , the Master Emerald shatters when Dr. Eggman frees Chaos and Tikal's spirit from within it, causing Angel Island to fall. Knuckles' goal is to reassemble the Master Emerald from its shards. These levels are large, explorable areas in which players must hunt various Action Stages for three shards per stage.
In Sonic Adventure 2 , Knuckles the Echidna is guarding the Master Emerald when Rouge the Bat attempts to steal it. In the middle of their argument, Dr. Eggman snatches the emerald. Knuckles then shatters it in order to prevent Dr. Eggman from using its power. Knuckles then sets off to find the pieces and restore the Master Emerald before Rouge the Bat . The gameplay is similar to the first Adventure title.
In other Sonic titles, he has been seen away from the Master Emerald at times, such as in Sonic Heroes , where Knuckles joins forces with Sonic and Tails, becoming the power member of Team Sonic.
Knuckles has appeared either as a playable character or in a supporting role in almost all Sonic titles, although not always with a particularly major role in the storyline. He did, however, have an important part to play in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood ; a portion of the game's story centers around Knuckles being kidnapped by the Nocturnus Clan, as well as the story making connections to both his clan and the Nocturne.
He makes a cameo appearance in Sega Superstars Tennis in the Green Hill court, and in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (in the unlockable Green Hill Zone stage where he, Tails, and Silver run/fly through the shuttle loop in the background).
Knuckles was confirmed to appear in the game Sonic Unleashed . However, he never made it to the final version. [5] He is also a playable character in the Wii game Sonic & the Black Knight ; portrayed as Sir Gawain of the Knights of the Round Table , where he brandishes two swords.
He also appears in Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing . He rides a red quad bike and his All-Star move is using the power of the Master Emerald to beat his opponents. [6]
He's also appeared in the DS version in Sonic Colors . [7]
Comics
Sonic the Comic
In Sonic the Comic, Knuckles is depicted as (at first) being the last of his kind, and bears the burden of guarding the Chaos Emeralds alone. When the Death Egg crashed on Angel Island, Knuckles was briefly tricked by Doctor Robotnik into believing Sonic was a dangerous villain who plotted to steal the island's Chaos Emeralds. The echidna thus allowed Robotnik to place his Badnik armies on the island and also construct a Launch Base Zone to rebuild his Death Egg, and assisted him in fighting Sonic and stealing Sonic's own six Chaos Emeralds so they could be combined with Knuckles' into one set of Emeralds. Knuckles, however, didn't trust Robotnik enough to tell him that he had the "missing" Grey Emerald which could control the others, and when Robotnik tried to absorb the Emeralds' power into himself, Knuckles used the Grey Emerald to defeat him. From that point on, he works as an ally against Robotnik, but not necessarily always "with" anyone else.
His design in the comic is different to that of the game universe: the green and yellow of his shoes are inverted and his white crescent birthmark is a white/silver medallion in the comic series.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics)
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics, Knuckles is the eighteenth guardian of the Floating Island, and a member of the Brotherhood of Guardians , a secret society that defends the island. He lives on the planet Mobius on the flying landmass known as Angel Island. He is supported by the Chaotix , and often works together with Sonic the Hedgehog and the Freedom Fighters.
While currently in the series, Knuckles' situation is closer to his other incarnations, being the last of his kind and stuck on the island, during most of the comics, this has not always been the case.
When he was first introduced he was a lone defender of the island, Knuckles was recently abandoned by his father, Locke; he was later iconically tricked by Robotnik into believing that Sonic and Tails were on their way to steal the Chaos Emerald and its powers. After a short melee, Robotnik blatantly betrayed Knuckles, causing him to join Sonic in a begrudging team-up, which eventually grew into a strong friendship.
Not too long after that, he formed the Chaotix along with Vector, out of the few refugee inhabitants on Angel Island at the time and would leave the island to their care if he ever had to leave. The Chaotix at the time were Knuckles the Echidna, Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, Mighty the Armadillo, Charmy Bee, Heavy, and Bomb, but later saw the addition of Ray the Flying Squirrel, Julie-Su the Echidna, and Saffron Bee (Charmy's betrothed), while Heavy and Bomb departed and later joined the King's Secret Service.
Knuckles struggles with internal conflict as he tries to defend Angel Island and aid the Freedom Fighters at the same time.
Animated series
Sonic Underground
Knuckles appeared in four episodes of the cartoon Sonic Underground . "Friend or Foe" echoes the usual storyline of his initial meetings with Sonic, as he is tricked by Dr. Robotnik 's cohorts and goes after Sonic and his siblings. In keeping with the constantly reenacted scenario, Knuckles came to realize that he had been tricked, and teamed up with Sonic and his siblings ( Sonia and Manic the Hedgehog ) to save the Floating Island. Afterwards, Knuckles revealed that he had met the siblings' mother, Queen Aleena , who left a message stating that Knuckles would be the first of many allies to join with them against Robotnik.
However, Sonic Underground ended before the plots could be resolved, and so Knuckles appeared in only four episodes. Knuckles was voiced by Ian James Corlett .
Sonic X
He appears in all three seasons of Sonic X . He takes guarding the Master Emerald seriously and has a fearsome temper with a "chip on his shoulder". After being stranded in the new world with Sonic, his only desire is to get back home quickly. [8] He spends most of the first season traveling alone, but, after returning home for the third season, he joins Sonic on the spaceship, "Blue Typhoon", which is captained by Tails.
Characteristics
Official profiles have said that, as the last survivor of his clan, The Knuckles Clan, [9] Knuckles lived most of his life in seclusion on Angel Island, [10] an island floating in the air; as such he is something of a loner. [9] His honesty and one-track mind leave him very gullible. [11] Knuckles is shy around girls; [12] while some official sources claim that Rouge the Bat has a secret crush on Knuckles that she would never admit to. [13] Although he is cool and determined in battle; [14] his short temper gives rise to situations in which Knuckles, often instigated by the trickery of Dr. Eggman, begins fighting Sonic the Hedgehog. [9] Additionally, Knuckles has been tasked all his life as being the Guardian of the Master Emerald, [15] as only descendants of his tribe are capable of controlling it. [11] If Sonic exemplifies the wind, then Knuckles is the mountain: stern and anchored to his duty. [11] [14] Although they started as antagonists, [16] Knuckles sees Sonic as a friend. [17] He finds Sonic's adventurous lifestyle enviable [14] and considers him a rival. [18] He is also described as hating strong light. [12] Various literature from the early games list his favorite food as being fruit, [12] or to be more specific, grapes. [19]
Knuckles is physically one of the strongest characters of the Sonic series, if not, as some official sources claim, the strongest. [9] His brute strength is often depicted as equivalent to that of Sonic's speed. [9] His extraordinary physical strength enables him to perform feats such as shattering boulders with his fists. [11] Additionally, he is a master of martial arts [11] with a specialty in punching. He uses Spin Attacks like Sonic, [20] which are variations on the tendency for echidnas to roll into tight spiny balls for protection. Knuckles can also breast stroke to swim in water. [17] By trapping air under his dreadlocks, Knuckles can glide for short distances. [11] Knuckles is also a proficient burrower, [11] and can use the spikes on his eponymous knuckles to climb walls. [11]
Like several other characters in the Sonic games, Knuckles can make use of the Chaos Emeralds to transform into a Super Form named Super Knuckles, giving him "ultimate power". [21] Knuckles is last of three characters to use the Super Emeralds.
Robotic versions
Two robotic versions of Knuckles have appeared (similar to Metal Sonic ); Metal Knuckles in Sonic R , as an unlockable character, and Mecha Knuckles in Sonic Advance , as a boss. The robotic Knuckles in Sonic Advance looks exactly like Knuckles, only with a pinker hue and yellow gloves at first, and has virtually every move Knuckles has. After being struck a few times, his "armor" will fall off, revealing a metallic echidna with glowing red eyes underneath. In this "form", the robot is faster and can fire homing missiles from its mouth.
In the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comics, the Freedom Fighters were once forced to roboticize Knuckles to combat a roboticized version of Sonic, and the robotic Knuckles was dubbed "Mecha Knuckles". After a drawn out battle, both combatants were eventually restored to normal.
Voice actors
In Sonic Underground (1999–2000), he was voiced by Ian James Corlett .
In Sonic X (2003–2006), he is voiced in Japanese by Nobutoshi Canna and in English by Dan Green .
Movie
In Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1999), Knuckles is voiced in Japanese by Yasunori Matsumoto and in English by Bill Wise .
Video games (US)
Beginning with Sonic Free Riders (2010), he is voiced in English by Travis Willingham .
Reception
According to IGN, fans "seemed legitimately happy" with the addition of the character of Knuckles, who was popular enough to get marquee billing in Sonic & Knuckles , but the writer felt that characters that came after him were going "overboard." [22] IGN's Colin Moriarty singled out the introduction of both Knuckles and Tails as when the series became "iffy" and listed them and all other characters in the series, sans Sonic and Robotnik, as being 2nd most in need to "die" on his top 10 list. [23] According to official Sonic Team polls, Knuckles is the fourth most popular character in the series, following behind Tails , Shadow , and Sonic. [24] Screwattack listed Knuckles number 18 on their list of 'Top 20 Manliest Men'. One of their reasons was that 'he punches walls to climb them'.
Theme songs
The Sonic the Hedgehog video games have featured several theme songs for the character. Most of the tracks are attributed to the rap genre of music.
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What was the title of Harper Lee's only novel? | Knuckles the Echidna | Sonic Satam Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
The Final Battle (series finale)
Knuckles the Echidna (voiced by Brian Drummond) - He is 16 year old. Sonic's friendly rival. First introduced in the Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles lives on Angel Island, which hovers in the sky due to the power of the Master Emerald. As the last surviving member of the Echidna people who once inhabited the island, his duty is to guard the master Emerald.
Knuckles the Echidna was said to appear in the third season of the series, but it was canceled. Thanks a lot, ABC, voice by Brian Drummond .
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What is the SI unit of electrical conductance? | Enter a value into either text box and select units using the drop-down boxes.
=
What is Electrical Conductance?
Electrical conductance is a measure of the flow of electricity through an electrical component for a given potential difference. The SI unit of conductance is the siemens. It is the inverse of electrical resistance so that the conductance, G = 1/R, where R is resistance in ohms (hence a playful alternative name for the SI unit is the âmhoâ). Electrical conductance should not be confused with the related measure of conductance, which is a property of the material itself.
Conductance is also connected to susceptance and admittance in AC (Alternating Current) circuits.
Y= G + jB or G = Re(Y),
Where Y= Admittance, j is the imaginary number and B is the Susceptance. When Kirchhoff's voltage law is applied we find that the voltage is the sum of the voltages across each conductance:
G = (G1.G2) / (G1+G2)
In semiconductors the conductance of components such as diodes and transistors is usually evaluated for small signal conditions with appropriate bias so that operation is in the linear region of their characteristics. The conductance is therefore the inverse of the small-signal resistance.
The electrical conductance is represented by the symbol G. Electrical conductance is a very useful concept when dealing with parallel DC circuits. For this reason, the inverse of impedance is defined as admittance and is similarly useful in parallel AC circuits. Generally when there are resistive and reactive elements then the equation that is formed for G is R/(R2 + X2), where X is reactance.
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Conductance
Definition - What does Conductance mean?
Conductance serves as the measure of how efficiently electricity travels along a particular pathway via an electrical component. It is measured by the SI unit siemens.
However, this should not be mistaken for conduction, the charge flow mechanism or the conductivity of materials. It is best to think of it as the ease with which electric currents flows throughout a particular matter.
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Corrosionpedia explains Conductance
By definition, resistance refers the degree of friction, carries the symbol "R" and is measured in ohms. Conductance, is the opposite of resistance. It is easier to understand electrical properties if it is viewed as how easily the electrons pass through components rather than the other way around. If resistance is used to represent how the electrons flow, a more suitable word to express the ease of the flow of electron is conductance.
In mathematical terms, conductance is actually the inverse or reciprocal of resistance. With this, the higher the resistance, the lesser the degree of conductance. With this idea, a symbol was derived for conductance, "G," and is measured in siemens (S).
Conductance is vital in the monitoring of parallel circuits and electrical flow. It is also beneficial in the petrochemical industry. For instance, petroleum permeability against spongy rock can be interpreted by means of a conductance graph. When weights are on the edges and extra weights are added, the reciprocal weights are summed up if the weight is in resistance form.
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What was the title of Oscar Wilde's only novel? | Oscar Wilde - Biography - IMDb
Oscar Wilde
Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trivia (9) | Personal Quotes (51)
Overview (4)
30 November 1900 , Paris, France (acute meningitis, following an ear infection)
Birth Name
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde
Height
6' 3" (1.91 m)
Mini Bio (1)
A gifted poet, playwright and wit, Oscar Wilde was a phenomenon in 19th-century England. He was illustrious for preaching the importance of style in life and art, and of attacking Victorian narrow-mindedness.
Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1854. He studied at Trinity College in Dublin before leaving the country to study at Oxford University in England when he was in his early 20s. His prodigious literary talent was recognized when he received the Newdegate Prize for his outstanding poem "Ravenna". After leaving college his first volume of poetry, "Patience", was published in 1881, followed by a play, "The Duchess of Padua", two years later. It was around this time that Wilde sparked a sensation.
On his arrival to America he stirred the nation with his flamboyant personality: wearing long silk stockings--an unusual mode of dress--long, flowing hair that gave the impression to many of an effeminate and a general air of wittiness, sophistication and eccentricity. He was an instant celebrity, but his works did not find recognition until the publication of "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" in 1888. His other noted work was his only novel, was "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890), which caused controversy as the book evidently attacked the hypocrisy of England. It was later used as incriminating evidence at Wilde's trial, on the basis of its obvious homosexual content.
Wilde was a married man with children, but his private life was as a homosexual. He had an affair with a young snobbish aristocrat named Lord Alfred Douglas. Douglas' father, the Marquess of Queensberry, did not approve of his son's relationship with the distinguished writer, and when he accused Wilde of sodomy, Wilde sued the Marquess in court. However, his case was dismissed when his homosexuality--which at the time was outlawed in England--was exposed. He was sentenced to two years hard labor in prison. On his release he was a penniless, dejected man and soon died in Paris. He was 46.
Wilde is immortalized through his works, and the stories he wrote for children, such as "The Happy Prince" and "The Selfish Giant", are still vibrant in the imagination of the public, especially "The Picture of Dorian Gray", the story of a young handsome man who sells his soul to a picture to have eternal youth and beauty, only to face the hideousness of his own portrait as it ages, which entails his evil nature and degradation. The book has been interpreted on stage, films and television. In 1997 Stephen Fry played the lead in Wilde (1997) and Jude Law as Lord Alfred Douglas.
( 29 May 1884 - 7 April 1898) (her death) (2 children)
Trivia (9)
Oscar was the great-nephew of author Charles Maturin, an Irish clergyman and author whose gothic novel "Melmoth the Wanderer" inspired Oscar's pseudonym 'Sebastian Melmoth', which he lived under for three years from his release from prison to his death.
Sons: Cyril, born in June 1885, who died in World War I, and Vyvyan, born in November 1886. Vyvyan became a writer using the surname Holland, and his own grandson, Merlin Holland , has written two books about his grandfather, "Wilde Album" and "After Oscar: The Color of his Legacy." Merlin's son Lucien is a classics major at Oxford, just like Oscar Wilde.
Appears on the sleeve of The Beatles ' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.
Separated from his wife not long after their second child was born. Was a homosexual. Tried and convicted, alongside Alfred Taylor, a procurer of young men, in 1895 for indecent acts, as homosexuality was then outlawed in the UK. All of his possessions and property were confiscated following the ruling, which resulted in prison for the playwright. Moved to Paris after he finished his sentence and lived as a pauper, writing his autobiography and works that never found an audience. Died in a cheap Paris hotel.
He published several books of stories for children, originally written for his own sons.
Relying on the generosity of friends, he went to live in France, adopting the name of Sebastian Melmoth.
Wilde attempted to woo the son of the Marquess of Queensberry, and Lord Queensberry retaliated by circulating a note which accused Wilde of Sodomy. Wilde sued for libel, but after three days in court, he realized he was losing, and he dropped the suit.
Both Wilde and his procurer (of young boys) were tried twice for "public indecency". The first trial ended in a hung jury. The second convicted him.
Wilde served two years at hard labor for public indecency.
Personal Quotes (51)
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
I adore persons better than principles and persons with no principles more than anything else in the world.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Men can be analyzed, women ... merely adored.
I couldn't help it. I can resist everything except temptation.
I must decline your invitation owing to a subsequent engagement.
It is only by not paying one's bills that one can hope to live in the memory of the commercial classes.
Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong.
In the old days men had the rack. Now they have the Press.
Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
One would have to have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing.
[on his deathbed in a Paris hotel room] Either this wallpaper goes, or I do!
The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.
Only the shallow know themselves.
[upon taking a glass of champagne on his deathbed] I am dying beyond my means.
The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing.
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
[his defense at his trial] "The Love that dare not speak its name" in this country is such a great affection of an elder for a younger man as there was between David and Jonathan, such as Plato made the very basis of his philosophy, and such as you find in the sonnets of Michelangelo and [ William Shakespeare ]. It is that deep, spiritual affection that is as pure as it is perfect . . . It is in this century misunderstood, so much misunderstood that it may be described as "the Love that dare not speak its name", and on account of it I am placed where I am now. It is beautiful, it is fine, it is the noblest form of affection. There is nothing unnatural about it, and it repeatedly exists between an elder and a younger man, when the elder has intellect, and the younger man has all the joy, hope and glamor of life before him. That it should be so, the world does not understand. The world mocks at it and sometimes puts one in the pillory for it.
She wore too much rouge last night and not quite enough clothes. That is always a sign of despair in a woman.
Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.
I am not young enough to know everything.
Imagination is a quality given a man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.
I love acting. It is so much more real than life.
Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.
The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.
Women have a much better time than men in this world. There are far more things forbidden to them
[Upon arriving at US Customs in 1882] I have nothing to declare except my genius.
Anybody can be good in the country.
[on Frédéric Chopin ] After playing Chopin, I feel as if I had been weeping over sins that I had never committed, and mourning over tragedies that were not my own. Music always seems to me to produce that effect. It creates for one a past of which one has been ignorant, and fills one with a sense of sorrows that have been hidden from one's tears.
A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.
Crying is the refuge of plain women, but the ruin of pretty ones.
What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Women have a wonderful instinct about things. They can discover everything except the obvious.
Young men want to be faithful, and are not; old men want to be faithless, and cannot.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.
We Irish are too poetical to be poets; we are a nation of brilliant failures, but we are the greatest talkers since the Greeks.
The public has an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing.
Moderation is a fatal thing... nothing succeeds like excess.
It is only the shallow people who do not judge by appearance.
[on his room in the Ritz Hotel in Paris] A harsh and ugly light, enough to ruin your eyes, and not a candle or lamp for bedside reading. And who wants an immovable washing basin in one's room? I do not. Hide the thing.
Bernard Shaw has no enemies but is intensely disliked by his friends.
[on fellow writer Emile Zola] Mr. Zola is determined to show that, if he has not got genius, he can at least be dull.
[as he was being led in handcuffs to Reading Gaol] If this is how Her Majesty treats her prisoners, she doesn't deserve to have any.
The young are always ready to give to those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their inexperience.
Make people laugh when you tell them the truth, or they will kill you.
Seriousness is the last refuge of the shallow.
If I can't be famous I'll be notorious.
Man is many things, but he is not rational.
The conscience of an editor is purely decorative.
See also
| The Picture of Dorian Gray |
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Oscar Wilde, First Edition
Results (1 - 30) of 2377
1
Published by London: Ward, Lock, 1891 (1891)
Used Hardcover First Edition
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Item Description: London: Ward, Lock, 1891, 1891. First English Edition; trade issue. Publisher's vellum-backed boards; an exceptional copy; fine in the rare dust jacket. There are some small chips and tears. Six old tape mends have been removed from inside the corners and edges of the dust jacket, leaving stains that have bled through to the surface. We have previously either had two copies in dust jacket, or a single example twice. Whichever is the case, it certainly is a rarity in dust jacket. In a custom quarter-morocco slipcase. Bookseller Inventory # 26950
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Published by London: Leonard Smithers and Co, 1899 (1899)
Used First Edition Signed
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Item Description: London: Leonard Smithers and Co, 1899, 1899. Square octavo. Original pale purple cloth, gilt lettered spine, gilt floral motifs from designs by Charles Shannon on spine and covers, edges untrimmed, pages uncut. Housed in a custom black quarter morocco and cloth solander box. Spine slightly faded, faint water mark and a little bubbling of cloth to front cover, some slight wear to tips, internally fresh. An excellent copy. First edition, signed limited issue, number 87 of 100 large paper copies signed by the author. This copy is from the library of Wilde's Swedish translator, Michael Gripenberg, with his bookplate to the front pastedown. The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde's last play, opened to great acclaim on Valentine's Day 1895 but was withdrawn after Wilde's failed libel suit against Lord Queensbury led to his arrest. The subsequent "utter social destruction of Wilde" (ODNB) meant that the play was not published in book form until February 1899, after Wilde's release from prison. Richard Ellmann comments that Smithers's handsome editions of Earnest and An Ideal Husband "brought Wilde a little money". Mason 382. Bookseller Inventory # 115498
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Item Description: Paris & London: Librairie de l'Art Independant; Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1893, 1893. Octavo (200 × 143 mm). Contemporary purple hard-grain half morocco, spine lettered in gilt, gilt rules, marbled paper sides and endpapers, top edge gilt, original purple wrappers lettered in silver bound in. A little rubbing to extremities, central vertical crease where originally folded by Archer, wrappers with inevitable marginal fading, an excellent copy. First edition, trade issue, one of 600 copies thus (there were 50 on handmade paper), presentation copy to the influential drama critic William Archer (1856�1924): inscribed by Wilde on the half-title "William Archer, with the author's compliments, Feby 93." A superb association. The play was published on 22 February 1893, to be blasted the next day by The Times as "morbid, bizarre, repulsive," though admittedly "vigorously written in some parts". Archer, who championed Ibsen and the New Drama, had been the only major critic, except for Shaw, to attack the prior decision of the Examiner of Plays not to license Salomé. Calling the Examiner "the Great Irresponsible", Archer defended the play as "a serious work of art" in a letter to the Pall Mall Gazette (1 July 1892, reprinted in Letters of Oscar Wilde, ed. Hart-Davis, p. 317; see Wilde's letter of appreciation to Archer in Letters, p. 319). Wilde wrote to Archer on publication date to "hope you have received Salome in her Tyrian purple and fading silver ", but had to write to his publishers the following month to give them a nudge that Archer, among other intended recipients, had not actually received his promised copy yet. When Archer finally received his copy and put his review of the play into print, in Black and White (11 May 1893), it was a rave: "I have read Salomé twice in two hours; in other words, I have added two hours to the tale of that life within our life, which alone, in the long run, is really worth living � the life of the imagination. Hypnotised by the poet � for what is the magic of poetry but a form of hypnotism? � I have lived through 'the loveliest thing in the world � a drama in the air.' There is at least as much musical as pictorial quality in Salomé. It is by methods borrowed from music that Mr. Wilde, without sacrificing its suppleness, imparts to his prose the firm texture, so to speak, of verse Salomé has all the qualities of a great historical picture � pedantry and conventionality excepted. Its suppression by the Censor was perfectly ridiculous, and absolutely inevitable The atmosphere of the play is certainly none of the healthiest; but if an artist sets forth to paint a fever jungle, we can scarcely complain if his picture be not altogether breezy and exhilarating. As well look for a bracing sirocco or a tonic miasma. Salomé is an oriental Hedda Gabler; and who could portray such a character in the hues of radiant health?". Bookseller Inventory # 74770
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Item Description: London, 1898. 1 vols. 8vo. First edition, ONE OF 30 COPIES on Japanese vellum. 1 vols. 8vo. One of 30 Copies of the Rare First. First edition of Wilde's legendary poem, written while he was in jail, in its rarest state - being one of only 30 copies printed on Japanese vellum.This copy comes from the distinguished library of the actress LENA ASHWELL (1872-1957), who as a young actress toured in Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan in 1891, later becoming actor-manager of the Savoy Theatre. According to her biographer, Margaret Leask (Lena Ashwell: Actress, Patriot, Pioneer. Univ. of Hertfordshire Press, 2012), Ashwell was particularly troubled by the news of Wilde's arrest, and wrote later: "? the atmosphere of London was horrible and cruel. His plays were so very brilliant, and I had seen this when I was in Ladt Windermere's, so I felt that he was a friend and in desperate trouble." Later, during WWI, she is known to have pioneered the organization of entertainments on a large scale for the British troops in France.An excellent association copy of an essential Wilde rarity. Mason 372 Cinnamon-colored cloth, vellum spine. Covers show slight insect damage and minor soiling, spine a bit soiled, otherwise a very good copy in a quarter blue morocco slipcase with chemise and with the bookplate and signature of actress LENA ASHWELL on the front pastedown First edition, ONE OF 30 COPIES on Japanese vellum. Bookseller Inventory # 259158
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Item Description: London, David Nutt. Number 60 of only 75 numbered copies signed by the publisher and Oscar Wilde., 1888. Hardcover. Book Condition: Fine. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Number 60 of only 75 numbered copies signed by the publisher and Oscar Wilde. First edition. Size of the binding: 7 3/4 in. x 11 1/4 in. Signed limitation page; half-title; title-page in red and black; 116 pp. + printer's page. The illustrations include three by Walter Crane (each of which is in two states) and a smaller illustration at the beginning of each story; each illustration is mounted. Bound in full, brown, crushed morocco by Stikeman with its stamp, featuring five raised bands on the spine, gilt titling, and a richly gilt design on the covers; inner green morocco doublures, dentelles, and gray silk endpapers; top-edge gilt. An extremely fine copy in a brown cloth-covered slipcase. The slipcase edges show light wear. [Limitation Statement]: "Seventy-five copies of this Edition have been printed, sixty-five of which are for sale. All are numbered and signed by the Publisher." [signed]: Oscar Wilde. This Copy is No. 60 [signed]: D Nutt. Signed by Author(s). Bookseller Inventory # L-39
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Item Description: Elkins Mathews & John Lane / Copeland & Day, London / Boston, 1894. Beardsley, Aubrey (illustrator). Small quarto. (x), 66, (2)pp., + 13ff. plates. First English and first illustrated edition. One of 125 copies on Japan vellum. In addition to the ten black & white plates after drawings by Aubrey Beardsley listed at the front of the book, this copy contains all three of the suppressed plates. The first, "John and Salome," was replaced in the final book with "The Black Cape." The other two plates are earlier versions of "Enter Herodias" and "Toilette of Salome," which were deemed too risqué for publication and were altered. Although Wilde commissioned Beardsley to illustrate his translation of Salome, he was shocked by the end result and felt that the images overpowered his text. Beardsley mocked Wilde in several of the illustrations, depicting him as the "Woman in the Moon" and as a jester in "Enter Herodias." This copy was specially bound for Dr. Charles Carpenter, with his engraved bookplate, in gilt-decorated vellum, with brown leather onlays to the spine, gilt-stamped turn-ins, and blue marbled paper endpapers. An extremely fine copy of a book rarely encountered with all suppressed plates. (Gallatin, pp. 46-49; Lasner 59). Bookseller Inventory # 25696
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Item Description: Leonard Smithers and Co, London, 1899. First edition, signed limited edition. Octavo, original lavender publisher's cloth. One of 100 large paper copies signed by Oscar Wilde. In very good condition with some light rubbing and darkening to the extremities. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Wilde's play premiered in January 1895 to an audience that included the Prince of Wales, and was an immediate success. Together with The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband is often considered Wilde's dramatic masterpiece. After Earnest, it is his most popularly produced play. It has been adapted to film several times, first in 1935, most recently in 1999 starring Julianne Moore, Minnie Driver, Cate Blanchett and Rupert Everett. Mason 385. Bookseller Inventory # 16085
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Item Description: [New York: privately printed for the author,] 1882, 1882. Octavo. Original grey-blue wrappers printed in black. Housed in a purple cloth slipcase and chemise. Wrappers a little rubbed and tanned, closed tear to lower joint, small chip from corner of upper wrapper. A very good copy. Interleaved with blank leaves as issued. First American edition, the second overall and the sole lifetime edition to print the complete text. Vera - Wilde's first play - is one of the legendary rarities in modern literature. First issued in an unprocurable edition in 1880, the work was then revised by Wilde, who added an entirely new prologue; it is this version which was printed for the production copies in New York in 1882. This printing, important in its own right, is known in only a handful of copies and represents the earliest procurable dramatic text by the most important English language dramatist of the century. Bookseller Inventory # 74741
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Item Description: London A. R. Keller & Co., 1907. Edition De Luxe, One of 200 Copies With Plates in Two States WILDE, Oscar. The Writings of Oscar Wilde. Illustrated. London: A. R. Keller & Co., 1907. Edition de Luxe of the Uniform Edition. One of 200 numbered copies, of which this is number 14. Complete in fifteen octavo volumes. (Measures 7 1/4 x 5 in.). Illustrated in black and white, with plates in two states, each with a descriptive tissue guard. Title and limitation pages on Japanese vellum, printed in black and red, with additional engraved title pages in each volume. Finely bound in modern full green levant morocco. Spines tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, with a red morocco gilt floral inlay, four raised bands, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. A fine set. This very early edition precedes the 1908 Ross edition of Wilde's works, often described as the first collected edition. HBS 67715. $13,500. Bookseller Inventory # 67715
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Item Description: 1882. ?Fourth edition? [i.e. fourth state of the first edition.] 8vo., original parchment, covers and spine decorated with a prunus blossom design. London, David Bogue. Spine rather darkened, and covers a little used. With an attractive presentation inscription on the verso of the half title, facing the title page (and indeed spreading on to it) ?A.A. Hayes from his friend Oscar Wilde. June 3rd '82. In memory of some pleasant hours. Boston?.Hayes was a travel writer and journalist, who specialised in accounts of life in the West, particularly Colorado: in 1880 he wrote an essay on Leadville, Colorado, where Wilde later had his most unlikely social triumph, charming silverminers underground. According to Ellmann he lived in some style in New York, and was Wilde's host on the celebrated evening when Wilde upstaged the New York production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience: ?At first Wilde kept to the back of the box, out of sight, but self-effacement was not his way, and eventually he moved forward. When J.H. Ryley came on stage as Bunthorne, the whole audience turned and stared at Wilde. Bunthorne was made up as Whistler in England, as Wilde in America. Wilde now smiled at one of his women companions and commented patronizingly. 'This is one of the compliments that mediocrity pays to those who are not mediocre.' ?. Bookseller Inventory # 134503
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Item Description: Thomas Shrimpton, Oxford, 1878. paperback. Book Condition: very good(+). First. The Newdigate Prize Poem. First issue of Wilde's first book, with the crest on the front wrapper & title page, and autographed- "with the author's compliments". As with the other very small number of inscribed copies, this one has a vertical crease down the middle as if once folded to fit in the pocket of someone who attended the reading. Now housed in a half morocco slipcase. Recited in The Theatre, Oxford, June 26, 1878. 16p., grey-green wrappers, faded at the edges, with one short closed tear, and a tiny chip at the lower corner. Oxford: Thomas Shrimpton, 1878. Bookseller Inventory # 208364
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Item Description: John Lane at the Sign of the Bodley Head in Vigo Street, London, 1894. First edition, one of 50 Large Paper copies. 154, [1] pp. Printed by T. and A. Constable, Edinburgh. 1 vols. 4to. Large Paper Copy, One of 50. An attractive large paper copy. Wilde's witty and urbane satire of the English upper class. This was written and produced in 1893 near the height of Wilde's career, between Salome (1891) and his masterpiece The Importance of Being Ernest (1895). Mason 365. Provenance: Arthur Chester Rhodes Original buckram gilt. Spine and extremities darkened, endleaves with some paste darkening, else fine, in a custom purple half-morocco slipcase and chemise 154, [1] pp. Printed by T. and A. Constable, Edinburgh. 1 vols. 4to First edition, one of 50 Large Paper copies. Bookseller Inventory # 256986
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Item Description: Editions de la Plume, 1902. Couverture rigide. - Editions de la Plume, Paris 1902, 14x19cm, relié. - Edition originale de la traduction française, un des 7 exemplaires numérotés sur Japon, tirage de tête après 3 Chine. Reliure en demi maroquin bordeaux à coins, dos à cinq nerfs sertis de filets dorés orné de doubles caissons dorés richement décorés, filets dorés sur les plats de papier marbré, gardes et contreplats de papier à la cuve, couverture et dos conservés, tête dorée, élégante reliure signée de Maylander. Ouvrage illustré de deux portraits d'Oscar Wilde. Provenance : de la bibliothèque de Charles Hayoit avec son ex-libris encollé en tête d'un contreplat. Très bel exemplaire parfaitement établi. [AUTOMATIC ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS] First edition of the French translation, one of 7 numbered copies on Japan paper, the tirage de tête after 3 on China paper. Elegant half dark red morocco over marbled paper boards by Maylander, spine in six compartments, gilt fillets around raised bands, richly decorated double gilt compartments, gilt fillets to covers, marbled endpaper and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt. With two portraits of Oscar Wilde. Provenance : from the library of Charles Hayoit with his ex libris pasted to top of pastedown. A fine copy in a handsome binding. Bookseller Inventory # 53271
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Item Description: 1962. First Edition. WILDE, Oscar. L�Anniversaire de l�Infante. Illustrations par Alastair. Paris: The Black Sun Press, 1928. Folio, original cream paper wrappers, original glassine, original marbled slipcase. $8500.Rare limited deluxe first edition, number II of only 10 copies on Japon Impérial out of 110 printed, with nine full-page illustrations by Alastair and published by Harry and Caresse Crosby�s Black Sun Press.This special edition of Wilde�s "The Birthday of the Infanta," originally published in English in The House of Pomegranates in 1891, was designed entirely by Alastair, with nine full-page and numerous marginal illustrations by him. "Alastair" was the pseudonym of Baron Hans Henning Voight, German-born artist, dancer and mime, who derived his provocative style of illustration directly from Aubrey Beardsley. His pictures are known for their combination of "decorative elegance with a fascination with the perverse, sinister and satanic" (Peppin & Micklethwait). Caresse and Harry Crosby�s Black Sun Press "is one of those happy combinations of husband and wife working together, which always lend added charm to a private press and they make a point of providing interesting illustrations" (Ransom, 178). With forward by Harry Crosby. Text in French. Book fine, illustrations vivid and beautiful. Only light edge-wear to original glassine and slipcase. A fine copy. Rare. Bookseller Inventory # 61697
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Item Description: London: David Nutt, 1888. Hardcover. Book Condition: Near Fine. Crane, Walter; Hood, Jacomb (illustrator). 1st Edition. Illustrated by Walter Crane and Jacomb Hood. First edition. One of 1,000 copies. Paper covered boards, with an illustration by Hood to the front board in black, decoratively lettered in red. An excellent copy, with some light rubbing to the extremities, minor toning to the spine, a few tiny chips to the spine head, a few spots of light soiling to the otherwise bright boards, minor crease to the rear board, tiny split to the paper hinge inside the front cover, otherwise tight and sturdy binding with bright and clean pages. Overall, a lovely and unsophisticated copy of an extremely fragile book. Housed in a custom folding box. Mason 313. The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a collection of fairy tales and fables, including "The Happy Prince," "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Selfish Giant," "The Devoted Friend," and "The Remarkable Rocket." Although they are primarily geared toward children, the stories in this volume are laden with Wilde's signature wit and have a melancholy and sometimes sarcastic undertone. This volume is beautifully illustrated in black and white by Walter Crane and Jacomb Hood. Specifically, Crane illustrated the full-page plates (including the frontispiece), and Hood created the in-text illustrations for the chapter headings and the front cover. Bookseller Inventory # OW032
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Item Description: Methuen & Co. (1908), London, 1908. Hardcover. Book Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket. First Edition. Some minor spotting and discolouration to vellum. Some shelf rubbing and dust stains to lower page edges. Minor spots of foxing. Page edges a little darkened on "The Picture of Dorian Gray". A nice set. ; 14 volumes. 13 volumes with the Methuen imprint, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" with Paris imprint of Charles Carrington. All volumes from the edition of 80 copies only, printed on Japanese vellum (a kind of handmade paper), and bound in full limp vellum bindings. Gilt italic lettering on spines and front covers. Front covers with three circular gilt decorations designed by Charles Ricketts. Page dimensions: c.205 x 145mm. Individual volume titles: The Duchess of Padua; Salomé. A Florentine Tragedy. Vera; Lady Windermere's Fan; A Woman of No Importance; An Ideal Husband; The Importance of Being Earnest; Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Prose Pieces; Intentions and the Soul of Man; Poems; A House of Pomegranates, The Happy Prince and Other Tales; De Profundis; The Picture of Dorian Gray; Reviews; Miscellanies. [Bibliographical reference: Mason, pp. 459-490.] [Provenance: 13 volumes William H. Horton, (1877-1954, surgeon in Auckland, New Zealand). All 13 of these with Horton's blind address-stamp, and Ex-libris bookplate. The 14th volume, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", acquired separately to complete the set. No owner's markings in this volume.]. Bookseller Inventory # 17954
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Item Description: Falaize, 1952. couverture souple. - Falaize, Paris 1952, 11,5x17,5cm, broché. - Nouvelle édition de la traduction française établie par Jacques Bour et édition originale de la célèbre préface d'Albert Camus, un des 50 exemplaires numérotés sur vélin Madagascar, tirage de tête. Précieux envoi autographe signé d'Albert Camus : "A Michel Simon grand artiste avec les voeux chaleureux d'un de ses vieux admirateurs" enrichi d'un envoi autographe signé du traducteur Jacques Bour : "A Michel Simon qui ferait crouler tous les murs!" Rare et bel exemplaire. [AUTOMATIC ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS] New edition of the French translation by Jacques Bour and the first edition of Albert Camus' famous preface. One of 50 numbered copies on Madagascar paper, tirage de tête. A fine autograph inscription from Albert Camus: "A Michel Simon grand artiste avec les voeux chaleureux d'un de ses vieux admirateurs [For Michel Simon, a great atist, with warmest wishes from an old fan]," and an autograph inscription from the translator Jacques Bour : "A Michel Simon qui ferait crouler tous les murs! [For Michel Simon, who raised all the roofs!]" A rare and very good copy. Bookseller Inventory # 53361
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: London: John Lane at the Sign of The Bodley Head, 1894. Hard Cover. Book Condition: Near Fine. Shannon, Charles (illustrator). First Edition. First edition, one of 50 large-paper copies printed on handmade paper. Original publisher's yellow buckram boards with gilt decorations by Charles Shannon to covers and spine, spine lettered in gilt. Covers toned along outer margin, spine toned, only the slightest trace of rubbing to the extremities, former owner bookplate to front pastedown, and light offsetting to endpapers. A very good, tight and clean copy. An extremely scarce book in the large-paper format. Mason 365. A Woman of No Importance was published simultaneously in two formats: small octavo (the standard edition of 500 copies) and quarto (the "Large Paper" issue of 50 copies). While both constitute the first edition of A Woman of No Importance, the large paper copies are decidedly rarer than the octavos; intended to be more exclusive and deluxe publications, large paper formats were typically produced using higher quality materials, lacked the publisher's advertisements, and were printed in small print runs. Because they were intended as collectibles from publication, large paper copies of Wilde's plays are exceedingly scarce. A Woman of No Importance is a four-act play that was first produced in London at the Haymarket Theatre on April 19, 1893. Like many of Wilde's plays, it satirizes the English upper-class and criticizes Victorian society. The title "a woman of no importance" refers to the character Mrs. Arbuthnot who bears the illegitimate son of Lord Illingworth. Although societal conventions deem her a sinful woman, Wilde proves Arbuthnot a respectable widow who is rewarded with a son who treats women respectfully. In contrast, Illingworth, one of Wilde's archetypal dandy figures, is rejected by his son and may of the women in the play, making him a "man of no importance.". Bookseller Inventory # OW018
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: Not published, Paris, France, 1895. Unbound. Book Condition: Very good condition. First Edition. One page letter, dated March 26th (no year) and signed "Oscar Wilde." Written from the Hotel Voltaire in Paris, to C. Harry Meltzer Esq. at Rue Jouffroy, it reads: Dear Sir, I do not know whether it is quite in my power to give you the information you ask for, but I will be at home on Wednesday at 12:30 and will be very glad to receive any friend of Mr. Leonard's. I remain, Dear Sir, yours truly [signed] Oscar Wilde. The letter was folded into quarters, and the top and bottom creases are lightly discolored through exposure to moisture which has caused the ink to run, not affecting the signature. Framed with a nice image of Wilde, and altogether an attractive ensemble. I would like to be able to say that Wilde is referring to Mr. Leonard Smithers the publisher of Avant-garde and erotic works, but my research cannot substantiate that possibility. Size: Octavo (8vo). Signed. Bookseller Inventory # 017090
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According to the Bible, in which city in modern-day Turkey was Paul the Apostle born? | Turkey in the Bible
If You Know Your Bible, You Know More About Turkey Than You Thought!
OLD TESTAMENT
In 2002, we were privileged to spend two weeks in Turkey. Although I knew that this country played a major role in the New Testament, I was surprised to learn how frequently the region of Turkey is mentioned in the Old Testament.
Turkey is a Cradle of Civilization, as verified by early cave drawings and archeological artifacts which have been discovered in this region. Wedged between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Turkey has always been an important center of civilization and trade. Camel caravans have crossed this region for thousands of years and you can find many impressive ruins of ancient �caravan hotels�, which provided accommodations and food for camel caravans. Some of these have been restored and are used for cultural functions today. The Tigrus and Euphrates River, often mentioned in the Bible, have their beginnings in Turkey and flow through Iraq. Noah�s arc landed on Mt. Ararat (Genesis 8:1-5) and after leaving Ur, Abraham and his family lived for a while in Haran (Genesis 11:31).
Many other ancient peoples named in the Bible were entirely or partly in Turkey. The Hittite Kingdoms (Gen. 10:15; 15:19�21), are especially worth mentioning. Until the twentieth century, the Hittites were known only from biblical accounts and skeptics pointed to these references as proof of the Bible�s unreliability. Secular Egyptian and Assyrian texts have been recently found and confirmed by archaeological discoveries. The Hittites are identified as the Kheta or Hatti. Their capital was at Hattusas (modern Boghazko�uy), east of Ankara in Turkey. Hittite history is divided into two basic periods: the Old Kingdom (to c. 1500 B.C.) and the Empire (beginning c. 1460 B.C.). The two great periods of power and influence were around 1650 until 1500 and about 1380 to 1200 B.C..
Assyrians, mentioned frequently in the biblical narrative, have vanished from the face of the earth, but in the same region lives a mysterious people without a national government or territory. These are called Kurds and the area in which they live is called Kurdistan. Kurdistan covers the same area as ancient Assyria, partly in Iraq and Syria, but most Kurds live in Turkey. One of the most fascinating unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible is found in Isaiah 19:23 25. According to this prophecy, Assyria, Egypt and Israel will become friendly allies, enjoying the Lord's favor and worshiping together!
NEW TESTAMENT
Except for a brief stay in Egypt as an infant, Jesus lived, ministered and died within the borders of Israel, but much early church history following Pentecost took place in Turkey. The birthplace of the Christian Church may be Jerusalem, but Turkey is where the Church first thrived. In fact, many of the Jewish pilgrims who were on hand at Pentecost had traveled from Turkey (Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia and Pamhylia).
The first recorded persecution of Christians was carried out by a radical Jewish Pharisee named Saul, who later converted to Christianity and became known as the Apostle Paul. Paul was born in Tarsus, �no mean city� in what is now Turkey. Timothy was from Lystra, not far from Tarsus. The disobedient prophet, Jonah, also set out for Tarsus instead of Nineveh (in modern Iraq).
The Apostle Peter wrote his first epistle to Christians scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bythinia. All these places are found in Turkey.
The region of Cappadocia is particularly interesting. Thousands of Christians fled bitter persecutions in Jerusalem and Rome under Nero, reaching a climax under Marcus Aurelius, and finally ending when Constantine decreed the Peace of Milan in 313. Many of them found refuge in Cappadocia, where they carved homes out of the unusually shaped lava-stone mountains. Or they built and occupied underground cities, 100 of which still exist.
Paul was not only born and raised in Turkey, but most of his ministry took place in Turkey! With the exception of Salamis and Pathos (in Cyprus), all the places Paul visited on his first missionary journey were in Turkey (Perge, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe and Attalia). Most of his second and third missionary journeys were also in Turkey.
Paul wrote epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians, churches in Turkey. Philemon, I & II Timothy were written to recipients in Turkey. Colossae is now buried beneath a large mound of dirt on which sheep graze. It has not yet been excavated and only a bullet riddled sign marks the site.
After Paul visited Paphos on Cyprus (where a sorcerer named Elymas was blinded), he sailed to Perge in Pamphylia, which was an important port city. Today, Perge lies several miles from deep water, but you can still visit a large amphitheatre, a stadium used for chariot races, and the well-preserved agora (market place). Tourists may also inspect the spring of water and watering system which flowed through the main thoroughfare, providing drinking water, cool baths on hot days, and water for cleaning the streets. In addition to the ruins of an Artemis Temple, there are ruins of two Christian churches dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries in Perge.
When Paul preached all night in Troas, a young man fell asleep and plunged from an open window to the ground below. He was taken up dead, but Paul revived him and continued his sermon until daybreak. After all this stress, Paul insisted on walking 25 miles to Assos on the following day while his companions took a ship. Talk about physical fitness!
Paul changed ships in the port of Patara on his voyage from Miletus to Tyre. Patara has magnificent city gates and a large theatre. Paul encouraged the elders of Ephesus in Miletus before sailing off to Jerusalem. Miletus boasts a theatre seating 25,000.
Near Miletus, one can view the ruins of Xhanthos. Here, stands a mysterious stone monument covered with hieroglyphics, which have never been deciphered. There is also a large theatre where they had bull fights and other events.
On the voyage to Rome, with Paul as prisoner, the Roman Centurion found a ship from Alexandria sailing to Italy in the port city of Myra. This city boasts a gigantic theatre and extensive cliff graves. Aspendosis, which means �Horse Place,� is not far from Myra. It has a well-preserved theatre seating 20,000, which is still used for cultural events. Another nearby city is Didyma, where there is a very large Apollo Temple. We were amazed at the immensity of the marble pillars and stones. One marble block was about 5 feet square and 30 feet long!
Attalia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Cnidos and Cos (Islands), Derbe, Galatia (Galatians), Hierapolis, Iconium, Pamphylia, Lysia, Lycania, Phrygia, Pontus, Lydia, Mysia, Perga are just a few places in Turkey mentioned in the New Testament. Iconium (Acts 13-16 and II Tim. 3:11) is now called Konya. A large Muslim monastery is located here, where the famous Whirling Derwishes learn their dances. At least 16 places in ancient times were called Antioch, including Antioch of Pisidia (in Turkey) and Antioch in Syria near Damascus, which are mentioned in the Bible.
According to reliable traditions, the Apostle John left Jerusalem to become the Bishop of Ephesus. In obedience to Christ�s command, he took Mary, the mother of Jesus with him and cared for her until her death.
John was later banned to exile on the Turkish Island of Patmos. It was here that he had a vision and wrote the book of Revelation. We can thus conclude that a major portion of the New Testament was either written to Christians in Turkey or written on Turkish soil.
LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES (Revelation 2-3)
One of the most extensive and well-preserved archeological sites is the ancient city of Ephesus, where Paul spent more than two years (Acts 19:1-10). The Apostle John was bishop of the Ephesian church before he was exiled to Patmos. The traditionally accepted tombs of John and Mary, the mother of Jesus, are located in Ephesus. The oldest church dedicated to Mary is located here, dating to around 350! There is a large 8-sided baptismal pool clearly intended for adult baptisms in this church! Once an important seaport with 250,000 citizens and 50,000 slaves, the ruins of the city now lie 5 miles from water. It was in the theatre of Ephesus that Paul was accused by members of the silversmith gild of ruining their trade by his preaching. More than 24,000 people could be seated in this theatre, but the public toilet in Ephesus only seated 20 persons judging by the number of keyhole-shaped openings in the stone benches! Men of the city would sit here and talk politics or close business deals. The latrine even had running water and was pure luxury compared to a typical Turkish toilets today (holes in the floor that you squat over). Tourists can recognize the prevailing wickedness of ancient Ephesus in the ruins of a large brothel located across the street from the ornate and well preserved library. (now read Revelation 2:1-7)
Smyrna, is now the thriving seaport city Izmir. It is located on the Aegean Sea and only a few marble columns, the remains of a heathen temple, are left from Bible times. (read Revelation 2:8-11)
According to Revelation 2:13, �Satan�s throne� was located in Pergamum. Today, one can view a large theatre and several heathen temples in the extensive ruins of this city (read Revelation 2:12-17).
Thyratira (now Akhisr) was the home of Lydia, the purple seller who helped the Apostle Paul. A small enclosed area in the center of the modern city contains what is left of the ancient city (read Revelation 2:18-29).
Sardis had a reputation that it lived, but was dead. Today, one can view the well-preserved and partly restored ruins of this once magnificent city. It contains a large Apollo Temple, perhaps the largest synagogue in Asia Minor, a fantastic gymnasium, sports arena, bath house and theatre (read Revelation 3:1-6).
Philadelphia, now called Alasehir, received the highest praise and no negative comment from the Lord. All that is left of the �City of Brotherly Love� today, however, is the ruins of an early Christian church dedicated to St. John (c. 600 AD - read Revelation 3:7-13)
The acres of ruins in what was once Laodicea give an idea of the former size and importance of this city. Water was piped from the hot springs of Hierapolis to this city, but it was lukewarm and contaminated by the time it reached Laodicea. The poor water quality of the city was renowned and we can begin to realize why Christ said that Laodicea would be "spewed out" because it was neither cold nor hot (read Revelation 3:14-22).
TURKEY IN CHURCH HISTORY
Except for the Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15, the fist eight important church councils were all held in Turkey. Emperor Constantine made Byzantium capital of the Roman Empire in 330. It was then renamed Constantinople. Contrary to popular belief, it was not Constantine, but his successor to the throne, Emperor Theodosius, who made Christianity the official religion of the empire. Turkey became a bastion of Christianity and Constantinople the religious heart of the Holy Roman Empire until 1453. During this period, a great part of Eastern Europe was evangelized by missionaries from Turkey.
The famous Christian basilica Hagia Sophia was built in 537 by Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora. When the Muslims took control, it was converted into a mosque, but it has since been declared a museum in order to show it off to millions of Christian tourists. The nearby �Blue Mosque� (the name foreigners use, but it is actually called the Sultan-Ahmet Mosque) was built 500 years later, but both are marvels of architecture.
The famous limestone terraces of Pamukkale and thermal baths of Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13) have been popular tourist attractions and goals of pilgrimages for centuries. The cemetery of Hierapolis (called �city of the dead�) was larger than the �city of the living!�
Although not mentioned in the Bible, Demra was the birthplace of St. Nicholas, patron saint of fishermen. He is better known in America as Santa Claus. A Basilica named after him and built in the first half of the 4th century is located here, but his casket is empty. Italians stole his body and reburied it near the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
Alexander the Great conquered Turkey in 334 BC and controlled this land until his death in Babylon in 323 BC. Greek culture has had a great influence on Turkey, especially in its architecture. In 284, the Roman Emperor Diocletion, set up his throne in Nicomedia near Istanbul and the territory remained under Roman rule until Justinian. Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 and made Byzantium capitol of the Roman Empire in 330. By the middle of the fifth century, Mohammed�s followers had conquered much of Turkey including the present day capital, Ankara. They also laid a four year siege on Constantinople 654-658, but were unable to take the city until 1453. The city�s name was then changed to Istanbul.
MODERN TURKEY
Istanbul, with its 7 million inhabitants, is the major city of modern Turkey. A small part of Istanbul is located on the European continent, but the bulk of the country is in Asia (called Asia Minor in New Testament). Still, Turkey would like to join the European Union. With 67 million inhabitants and an area twice the size of unified Germany, it would become the EU�s most populated member nation if admitted.
The initial request for acceptance was turned down by the openly godless EU in 2002, which argued that Turkey was intolerant of other faiths and therefore did not fit. The present government is under tremendous pressure to change this situation without causing an uproar among influential Muslim clerics. These are opposed to membership, for the Islamic religion recognizes only one form of government and that is an absolute Islamic dictatorship.
When one considers the fact that Turkey is 99% Islamic, one can not help but wonder why Turkey should want to belong to the EU. One answer of course is the desire for economical advantages, but that cannot completely explain this phenomenon. Most Turks, especially young people, want to be recognized as Europeans, and the main reason is a man called Atat�rk.
Atat�rk�s real name was Mustafa Kemal Pascha. Although he died in his thirties, Atat�rk (a title which means �Father of Turkey�) is the beloved founder of the modern Turkish Republic. He came to power in 1922 after the country had been reduced to great poverty under the rule of the last Sultans. He was convinced that there was no viable future for Turkey unless the nation could wrench itself from the death-grip of Muslim fanaticism and tradition.
Soon after coming to power, Atat�rk formed a Republic (1923) and although he ruled only 15 years (his early death in 1938 was at least partly due to heavy drinking), he succeeded in turning Turkey toward Europe. He did away with the Arabic alphabet and introduced Latin letters. For this reason, Turks now have computer skills that are unmatched in the rest of the Arab Muslim world. Wearing of the traditional Muslim �fes� headpiece was forbidden. He adopted the Gregorian calendar, forbade polygamy, closed Muslim religious training centers and ordered the people to take last names. Women were allowed to unveil their faces, to vote and even hold office. These changes paved the way for a woman (Mrs. Ciller) to become President of Turkey in 1993, something that would be impossible in most Muslim nations today. Ciller�s greed and alleged corruption, however, didn�t make her very popular with the people.
�Religion: Muslim� is still printed in every Turkish passport, but this will have to change when Turkey joins the EU. It is estimated that there are perhaps 3,000 true born-again Christians in Turkey. There are only 51 protestant �churches� and many of their members are foreigners. Turkish Christians are allowed to assemble and have meetings, but they may not be called �churches�. The legal name of the Christian church in Antalia, for example, is �Cultural Club of St Paul.� Although Turkey claims to grant religious freedom and earns much money from Christian tourists who follow the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul, missions is virtually impossible today. Three years ago, the �Cultural Club of St. Paul� received permission to purchase and restore the ruins of an ancient Orthodox church, but they were forbidden to use it for worship!
Officially, there are no Christian missionaries in Turkey, but around 1000 foreign Christians work as �tent-makers� in hopes of leading Turks to Christ. Christians are no longer being persecuted openly, however, and the government is gradually giving more freedoms in order to improve their standing with the European Union.
Other Interesting Facts About Turkey
The ruins of Troy (actually several cities built on the same site) date back at least 5,000 years and according to Homer, Troy was taken by the Greeks through trickery - sneaking the proverbial Trojan Horse through the gates of the city.
Most of us have heard about King Midas and the �Midas touch�, of flying carpets, Ala Baba and the thirty thieves and other tales.
The �Whirling Dervishes� are male dancers that still perform their rituals today. They can spin for hours without getting dizzy. The learn how to do this in the large monastery of Konya (Iconium).
Emperor Marc Anthony and Cleopatra were married in Turkey.
Turkey�s most famous industry is making Oriental carpets. They even raise silk worms, capture the silk thread and made it into carpets. Most carpets, however, are of wool and cotton. Angora wool is named after Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. One of the finest museums in the world is located here.
The �Topkapi,�or Sultan�s Palace of Istanbul, has many elaborate rooms, a harem, several museums and a park overlooking the Golden Horn and Bosphorus Strait. The museums contain among other things, a large collection of rare ceramics, the Kasikey Diamond and a hair from Mohammed�s beard.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Turkey is proud to be a nation of stark contrasts which manage to co-exist and sometimes thrive side by side. In the cities, one can find old architecture and modern skyscrapers, women with head scarves and young girls in jeans and sweaters, ornate Mosques and modern businesses, all existing side by side in seeming tranquility.
But there is still an underlying fear of the Muslim clerics. Islam came to power through violent means and the threat of violence is still its most effective weapon. There have been violent attacks against Kurds and Armenians in the past, which brought much bloodshed and suffering. The tension between the government and Kurds in the East remains to some extent, but many Kurds have been assimilated into the Turkish culture and all aspects of life. Some of the highest ranking government officials are Kurdish. The government has recognized the error of neglecting to invest in the eastern part of the nation where many Kurds live. Large irrigation projects and hydroelectric plants are being built to encourage industrialization and agriculture.
For photos of Turkey, click here: PHOTOS
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Matola and Beira are the second and third largest cities in which African country? | Paul, Apostle - Amazing Bible Timeline with World History
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November 11, 2016
Paul, Apostle
The apostle Paul was one of the most prolific early Christian writers of the New Testament. He would be regarded as one of the pillars of Christianity for his role in spreading the good news about Jesus Christ . From his role in the persecution of Christianity’s newest converts early in his career to his conversion on the road to Damascus and to his death in Rome , he would remain as one of the Bible’s most dramatic transformation stories, and he would be remembered as Christ’s most zealous spokesman after his death.
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Saul: The “True” Jew
Saul was raised in the Greco-Roman city of Tarsus in Cilicia (located in modern-day southern Turkey ), a crossroads in Asia Minor where trade, religion, and different ideas converged. While it was located in Asia Minor, Tarsus was a province of Rome which made Saul, a man of Jewish descent, a Roman citizen. Although he and his family lived in Tarsus, he was aware of and even proud of his Jewish heritage. He boasted that he was “a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin —a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.” (Philippians 3:5) He received the highest possible Jewish education under Gamaliel when he was sent to Jerusalem at the age of 13 and soon became a high priest in the same city (Acts 22:2-5).
“Saint Paul delivering the Areopagus sermon in Athens”
He first appeared in the book of Acts (7:58) after he gave the approval for the brutal stoning of Stephen . He became one of the fiercest opponents of budding Christianity. He personally saw to it that the new converts were taken from their homes and imprisoned. He sought to wipe out new converts in other places, so he asked for letters from a high priest which authorized him to take them back to Jerusalem as prisoners. On the way to Damascus, Jesus appeared to him in a vision and told him to go into Damascus. A bright light which blinded Saul accompanied this vision and he had to be led into the city by his companions. This blindness was taken away when a man named Ananias was commanded by the Lord to place his hands on Saul. This was the start of Saul’s complete 180-degree turn from zealous persecutor to Christianity’s leading spokesman.
He stayed in Damascus for several days and preached in the local synagogue that Jesus is the Son of God—an event that baffled the disciples and other Jews who knew him as someone who brutally hounded the believers. The Jews planned to kill him at the city walls but Saul learned of this plot, and his followers helped him escape to Jerusalem by lowering him in a basket through a hole in the wall. He went to Arabia to come to terms with this event in his life and stayed there for three years before he returned to Jerusalem (Galatians 1:13-24). Unlike the other disciples who were wary of Saul, Barnabas extended the hand of friendship to the new apostle . Saul joined the other apostles and preached around Jerusalem about Christ in the city. He had to be sent first to Caesarea and then back to Tarsus after he got into trouble with the Grecian Jews. Barnabas later went to Tarsus to look for Saul and both set off to meet the new believers in Antioch (in Syria ) where they would be first called Christians (Acts 11).
First Missionary Journey
Paul’s first missionary journey would take him, as well as Barnabas and John Mark, from Antioch in Syria to the major cities of central Asia Minor and back again to Antioch where they started.
From Antioch, they traveled to Seleucia in Syria and sailed on to Salamis and Paphos in Cyprus. They sailed to Perga in Pamphylia and traveled to Pisidian Antioch where they preached about Christ to the whole city and converted many to the faith. But they were expelled when the local Jews saw how successful they were in the conversion of many people. They traveled onward to Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe where persecution also followed them. However, they gained more followers for Christ in these cities.
They returned to Antioch in Turkey, then Perga in Pamphylia, and down to Attalia. Finally, they sailed back to Antioch in Syria and reported what happened to them along the way to the members of the church, as well as the success they had in preaching to the Gentiles.
Second Missionary Journey
After a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas about John Mark (he abandoned them during the first missionary journey in Pamphylia), both apostles decided to separate ways. Paul took with him Silas, and they were later joined by Timothy while Barnabas sailed off to Cyprus with John Mark. Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cilicia, then went to Derbe and Lystra with Timothy. They passed through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, as well as the borders of Mysia and Bithynia. They went to Troas and after a vision of a man of Macedonia who begged them to come over.The men left Asia Minor for Europe and sailed off to the Greek island of Samothrace and Neapolis. They departed for the Roman Colony of Philippi and met the first European convert named Lydia on the city gate leading to the river.
Paul and Silas were thrown in prison in Philippi after Paul freed a slave girl from a spirit which enabled her to tell fortunes and earn money for the people who owned her. This angered her owners who felt that Paul robbed them of a source of income and both men were brought to the authorities. They were stripped, beaten, and imprisoned with their feet fastened in stocks to prevent them from any attempts to escape. They were freed after a powerful earthquake shook the prisons doors open and their shackles came loose. Thia caused the jailer to despair when he thought that his charges had escaped. The jailer attempted to kill himself, but the Paul and Silas ministered to the jailer and converted him and his family to the Christian faith.
They departed Philippi after they were released and passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia; they continued to Thessalonica and preached there but were met with opposition especially from the Jews. They were sent to Berea for their own safety and were met with success there, but the Jews who opposed them in Thessalonica followed them to Berea after they heard about Paul and Silas’ success. Paul was sent to Athens and preached there while Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Berea. He then departed for Corinth where he met two Jewish tentmakers named Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. He stayed with them as he was also a tentmaker by trade while waiting for the arrival of Silas and Timothy. Unfortunately, the Jews in Corinth also brought trouble for Paul. He was hauled to the court of the proconsul of Achaia. The proconsul Gallio let Paul go despite the accusations and he sailed for Syria along with Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Paul dropped off Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus, then traveled to Caesarea and Antioch.
Third Missionary Journey
Paul traveled around the regions of Galatia and Phrygia and ministered in these places for some time. He went back to Ephesus and ministered there, but went away to Macedonia after a riot in Ephesus. He traveled through Macedonia and Greece but decided to sail from Philippi to Troas. They stayed there for seven days and traveled to Assos, Mitylene, Kios, Samos, and Miletus but skipped Ephesus as Paul wanted to reach Jerusalem before the Pentecost.
Paul’s visit to Jerusalem after the Third Missionary Journey would be his last after he was accused of bringing Gentiles into the temple. He was dragged out of the place by the Jewish mob. He surrendered to the Roman centurions, and they transported him to a Tribune. They then had to take him to Caesarea Maritima after a plot to kill Paul was revealed. Paul appealed to the governor to send him to Rome instead so he could defend himself as a Roman citizen, his request was granted.
Trip to Rome: The End of the Road
Paul sailed to Rome as soon as his request was granted but was shipwrecked in Malta after a storm. They survived the shipwreck and sailed to Rome after three months in Malta where the people showed him kindness. The ship docked in Syracuse, Rhegium, and Puteoli; then they traveled to the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns before they reached Rome. He stayed in Rome for many years and preached there under the watchful eyes of the Roman guards. The book of Acts is quiet about Paul’s death but according to the Acts of Paul (an apocryphal text), the Roman emperor Nero had Paul beheaded sometime during his reign.
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References:
Picture By Raphael – Royal Collection of the United Kingdom, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1718078
Stamps, Donald C., and J. Wesley. Adams. The Full Life Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1992
Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1999
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Who is the oldest man ever to be elected President of the USA? | Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton: Presidential Age Chart
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A chart of every president by his age when first elected to office
If Bernie Sanders succeeds in his bid for the presidency, which he confirmed on Wednesday , he will be the oldest person ever to be elected president. The junior senator from Vermont will turn 75 two months before the 2016 general election–if he were to win the nomination (one leading online gambling site puts the odds of that happening at 50-to-1.)
The person most likely to stand in Sanders’s way, Hillary Clinton, will be 69 on the day of the generation election. Only Ronald Reagan was older when first elected.
In fact, the 2016 nomination fight currently looks like a teachers-versus-students charity basketball game. The Republicans who have declared their candidacy consist of two people who would be 45 when elected–Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio–and Rand Paul, who at 53 would still be on the young side for a president.
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Which chemical element is named after the discoverer of X-rays? | Oldest Presidents of United States Of America Information of the world
Oldest Presidents of United States Of America
Home » Countries » Oldest Presidents of United States Of America
The history of United States started in 1787 with the signing of first American constitution. The first president of United States was George Washington. U.S history has seen 44 presidents till 2012 and out of this list four died in office of natural causes (William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding, and Franklin D. Roosevelt), one resigned ( Richard Nixon ), and four were assassinated (Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy). The list of top ten oldest presidents has been compiled in thei webpage.
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911– June 5, 2004) was the oldest president of United States of America. When he was elected as President in 1980 he was 69 years old. As 40th President of U.S.A he served from 1980 to 1989 for two terms. He was among the most popular and uncontroversial Presidents of United States Of America.
William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773 – April 4, 1841) was not only the second oldest Presidents of U.S.A but also he had shortest tenure as President in the history of United Sates. He was elected as 9th President of U.S.A at the age of 68 years on 4th March 1841 and died (due to cold desease) only after 31 days on 4th April 1841.
James Buchanan, Jr. (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was elected as President of U.S.A in 1857 when he was 66 years old and remained in the office till 1861. Uptill now he is the only President from the state of Pennsylvania. American Civil War was started in his tenure and due to ineffecient efforts towards war he lost his popularity. He was the third oldest president after Ronald Reagan and William Harrison.
George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of U.S.A and he became the President at the age of 65. He ramained in the office from 1989 to 1993. He is famous for first Iraq war and his son G.W. Bush was elected as the 43rd President of U.S.A in 2000.
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) became the 12th President of U.S.A in 1849 at the age of 65. He was American Military Leader and served in U.S Army for 40 years. This brave Military Leader was also known as “Old Rough and Ready” and played key role in Compromise of 1850. In 1850 he died only after 16 months of his Presidential term. It was suspected that he was poisened with arsenic but nothing was proved in this regard.
Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War 2. He was among the oldest Presidents in the histroy of U.S.A because he was 63 years old when he became the President of U.S.A. This Five Star General of U.S.A Army remained the President of U.S.A. till 1961.
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the founder of modern Democratic Party. He became the President of U.S.A at the age of 62 years in 1829. This 7th President of U.S.A was a tough leader and also served in American Army. His views were liberal as well as conservative and he was against slavery.
John Adams, (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was one of the founding fathers of U.S.A and he was also the first Vice President of U.S.A. (1789 – 1797). When he became the 2nd President of U.S.A. in 1797 he was 62 years old. During the American War of Independence he played very important role along with George Washington.
Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr (July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) became 38th President of U.S.A in 1974. He was 61 years of age when he became the President. G.R. Ford was the only President of U.S.A who was neither elected as Vice President or President because he became the Vice President under 25th Amendment of U.S. Constitution and became President when Richard Nixon resigned.
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) remained the President of U.S.A from 1945 to 1953. He was the 33rd President of U.S.A. and also one of the oldest Presidents of country because he was 61 years old when he entered in the White House as a President. He is considered as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents because he reconstructed the econmy of U.S.A after the destruction of World War 2.
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In Greek mythology, Heracles' First Labour was to slay which creature? | Greek Mythology/Stories/Labours Of Heracles - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
Greek Mythology/Stories/Labours Of Heracles
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The Labours of Heracles (also Labours of Hercules) was given to Heracles as his penance for unintentionally killing his wife and children because of his great anger. In order to purge his sin from doing that crime, he voluntarily became the servant of his cousin who is also the king of Mycenae, Eurystheus. It was said that the labours were actually urged by Hera to Eurystheus and she devised the difficult tasks.
Contents
The First Labour[ edit ]
Slay the Nemean Lion
The Nemean lion was a fierce creature which could not be hurt by any mortal weapon. Heracles finished it by beating it with his club and strangling it. Upon killing the animal, Hercules used the lion's own claw to remove the weapon-proof skin, providing an impenetrable cloak seen in many paintings and sculptures of the hero.
The Second Labour[ edit ]
Slay the Hydra
The Hydra was a huge serpent which lived in a swamp in Lerna. The Hydra had 9 heads, with very long necks. It had a poisonous bite which was fatal. Its central head was immortal. When one of the mortal heads was cut, two additional heads would grow immediately to replace it. Heracles finished them off by burning the eight mortal heads, and then with the help of his nephew, Iolaus, he buried the only immortal head under a huge rock.
The Third Labour[ edit ]
Bring back a Stag with Golden Horns and Bronze Hoofs alive
The stag had to be brought back alive, when Heracles could have easily killed it. Thus, for him bringing it back was not an easy task. The stag, which lived in the forests of Cerynitia, was scared easily and fled to Artemis. Heracles hunted the stag for a whole year before he succeeded. He then captures the animal, puts it in a net and carries it back to king Eurystheus.
The Fourth Labour[ edit ]
Captured A Great Boar in Mount Erymanthus
Heracles chased the boar from one place to another for a long time, until he was exhausted of running and having to chase the boar. He finally succeeded when he drove the boar into deep snow and trapped it there.
The Fifth Labour[ edit ]
Clean the Augean Stables in One Day
Cleaning the Augean Stables would take thirty days because it held thousands of cattle. The stalls had not been cleared out for a year. Heracles accomplished the fifth labour by diverting the flow of two rivers through the stables, creating a great flood which instantly washed out the stables, cleaning them. Hercules finished this labour quickly enough to have a little extra free time, with which he started the early Olympic Games to honour Zeus who granted Hercules a wish because of it.
The Sixth Labour[ edit ]
Drive Away the Stymphalian Birds
The Stymphalian birds are plaguing the people of Stymphalus of its number. They are man-eating birds with bronze beaks, claws, and wings. Heracles accomplished this labour with the help of Athena. Together they drive the birds out and while flying away he shot them.
The Seventh Labour[ edit ]
Caught the Savage Bull
The savage bull was sent by Poseidon to Minos to terrorise Crete. Hercules released the bull into the countryside of Tyrins, where it caused damage and wreaked havoc until it arrived in Marathon where Theseus caught it and sacrificed it.
The Eighth Labour[ edit ]
Bring Back the Mares of Diomedes
Heracles killed Diomedes, King of Thrace. He fed the king to the horses, which cured them of their man-eating ways, then he drove away the no longer man-eating mares, to Mycenae. Mycenae dedicated to give them to Hera. The goddess chose to turn them loose on Mount Olympus where they were eventually eaten by wild beasts.
The Ninth Labour[ edit ]
Bring Back the Girdle of Hippolyta
Hippolyta was the Queen of the Amazons. When Heracles met her, she was willing to give her girdle. But Hera intervened and convinced the Amazons that Heracles had come to abduct their queen. Heracles killed Hippolyta thinking she was the responsible for the attack and was able to fight off others and take the girdle away. Eurystheus wanted the girdle of Hippolyta as gift for his daughter.
The Tenth Labour[ edit ]
Bring Back the Cattle of Geryon
Geryon was a three-bodied monster living in Erythia. As a memorial of his journey, Heracles built up two great rocks, called the Pillars of Hercules. He got the cattle and took them to Mycenae in a golden cup, loaned to him by Helios (the Sun).
The Eleventh Labour[ edit ]
Bring Back the Golden Apples of Hesperides
The eleventh labour was the most difficult so far. Heracles did not know where to find the golden apples. Hesperides was the daughter of Atlas and she guarded a tree which was said to have golden leaves and golden apples, guarded by a dragon. Heracles asked Atlas where to find the golden apples. He offered to support the world, which Atlas always supported, while Atlas retrieved it for him. Atlas, who saw a chance to relieve the heavy burden of carrying the world, gladly agreed to the offer. When Atlas came back with the golden apples, he did not give it to Heracles but Heracles was to continue carrying the world while Atlas would be the one to bring them back to Eurystheus. But Heracles tricked Atlas, Heracles said to Atlas that he will give all his strength and power for carrying the world if Atlas would carry it for a moment so that he could put a pad on his shoulder to ease the burden of the pressure from the weight of the world. Because of Atlas' stupidity, he agreed and Heracles picked up the apples and went off to Mycenae.
The Twelfth Labour[ edit ]
Bring Cerberus Up From the Underworld of course
This is the most difficult task of all. Heracles went off to the underworld to take the three-headed dog, the Cerberus, up from the underworld. Hades gave him permission if Heracles would not use any weapons. Heracles managed it and captured Cerberus, went to Mycenae, and later brought Cerberus back to the underworld.
After finishing the twelve labours Heracles felt peace and tranquility with his life because he had repented from killing his wife and children. But Heracles never was peaceful after the labours.
| Nemean lion |
Of the all time top ten scorers in Premier League history, three have played for Manchester United. Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and who else? | Heracles
Heracles
Heraclids
Heracles (Ἡρακλἣς) was the mightiest and most famous of the Greek heroes. Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. The Romans identified him as Hercules. In fact modern scholars preferred to use his Latin name than the original Greek name. His name (Hercules) became synonymous for prodigious strength, courage, or size, eg. Herculean.
In the Etruscan mythology, his name was Hercle. Instead of being a son of a mortal woman Alcmene, both of his parents were immortal. He was the son of Tin or Tinia and of Uni . Tin was identified with the Roman Jupiter or the Greek Zeus, while Uni was Tin's wife and consort, who happened to be the Etruscan equivalent of the Roman Juno or the Greek Hera .
His deeds were fabulous for the courage and strength, which he displayed in performing them. His strength and courage, while he was performing the Twelve Labours and aiding the gods in their war against the Giants , had earned him immortality and lived among the gods at Olympus.
Yet, his strength would also cause him trouble, especially when he experienced one of his sudden and extremely frightening outbursts of rage that could have tragic consequences to those who happened to be near him. Though after the rage had passed, he showed a great deal of remorse and guilt that he would humbly submit to any punishment inflicted upon him. Yet, no hero submitted to so many punishments. He would even submit to punishment that most heroes would find too degrading, such as cleaning stable or serving as slave to a queen, who made him wear effeminate dress. Without his consent no one would have been able to punish him.
His stepmother, Hera , had always made Zeus' other lovers and children suffered for her husband's infidelities, but none were persecuted more at the hand of the goddess than Heracles.
Later writers tend to show Heracles in a more unflattering and comical light, yet his name and his deeds had being immortalised through timeless myths.
Birth of Heracles
Alcmene (Ἀλκμόνη) was the daughter of Electryon , king of Tiryns, and Anaxo. She married Amphitryon (Ἀμφιτρόων), son of Alcaeüs (Alcaeus).
According to the Shield of Heracles, Electryon's death was no accident; Amphitryon had violently killed the king, because he was angry over some oxen.
While Apollodorus says that Electryon's death was an accident. Taphians had raided the cattle from Electryon's pastures. Electryon's nine sons went to retrieve the stolen cows, but the sons of Electryon and the sons of Taphius killed one another in a battle. Electryon went on an expedition with Amphitryon to avenge his sons' death and recapture his cattle. Electryon had made Amphitryon promise not to have sex with his new wife until they returned from the expedition.
They had recovered the cattle from the Teleboans, when a bull had suddenly charged at the king and his newly married son-in-law, Amphitryon. Amphitryon tried to defend himself, swung his heavy club at the bull, but the weapon rebounded off the horn, hitting the king in the head. According to Shield of Heracles, Hesiod says that it was no accident. Apparently Electryon and Amphitryon had an argument over some oxen.
Sthenelus took advantage of his brother's death, seized power and exiled his nephew Amphitryon. Alcmene and her half-brother Licymnius fled with Amphitryon to Thebes.
At this time, Creon was king of Thebes, after the death of Laius . Creon purified Amphitryon for the killing the king and gave his daughter Perimede in marriage to Licymnius. According to Pausanias, Amphitryon and Alcmene lived near the Electran Gate, one of the seven gates of Thebes.
Alcmene remained faithful of her brothers' memory by refusing to lay with her husband until he avenged them against Taphian pirates. With Creon's aid, Amphitryon successfully led a campaign against the Taphians, but before his return, Zeus visited Alcmene in her husband's form and shared her bed.
Upon Amphitryon's return, slept with Alcmene, but discovered that she was no longer a virgin. The Theban seer Teiresias cleared up the mystery, that she was visited by a god and not to blame for losing her virginity prematurely.
Nine months after Zeus' visit, Zeus boasted that a day had come where a child would be born with his lineage that would rule the land around him. The goddess Hera's implacable hatred for all of Zeus' children had fathered on mortal women, made him swear that it would be so.
No sooner Zeus had sworn this vow, Hera arranged with her daughter Eileithyia , goddess of childbirth, to delay the delivery of Alcmene. Eileithyia sat outside of the room where Alcmene was in labour. By sitting with her legs cross and fingers intertwined, Eileithyia prevented Alcmene from pushing the babies out of her womb, for seven agonizing days.
Hera saw to that Sthenelus' son Eurystheus was born before Heracles. Eurystheus was born prematurely. Therefore, Eurystheus would be king of Mycenae and Tiryns, Zeus was furious at Hera, but could not revoke his vow.
Alcmene might have died in childbirth had not an attendant Galanthis tricked Eileithyia that the child have been delivered, surprising the goddess from holding back the delivery. Galanthis paid a high price for loyalty to Alcmene, when she tricked the goddess of childbirth. Eileithyia transformed Galanthis into a weasel. Alcmene bore twins, Heracles (Ἡρακλἣς) and Iphicles (Ἴφικλης); the second was a son of Alcmene by Amphitryon.
Alcaeüs was the name given to Heracles at birth (Heracles was named after his grandfather; Heracles didn't change his name until he went to Delphi for the first time).
According to Pausanias, the room that Alcmene gave birth to Heracles was called Alcmene's Chamber. His version about the hero's birth was slightly different to the usual account. Pausanias says that Hera had sent the Witches to delay or prevent Alcmene from giving birth, not Eileithyia. Also, it was Historis, Teiresias' daughter, who tricked the Witches, not Alcmene's servant Galanthis.
Having failed to prevent the birth, the goddess sent two snakes to kill the infants in their crib. Iphicles screamed in terror, but Heracles strangled both snakes, one in each hand. Amphitryon realised that Iphicles was his child, but Heracles belonged to the god. Other writers say that Amphitryon himself send the snakes to the infants' room to identify which child belong to the god.
According to Diodorus Siculus, Alcmene fearing Hera's wrath, abandoned her infant in the woods. Athena rescued the infant and brought the baby to Hera. Athena managed to persuade or dupe Hera into nursing the infant. Hera allowed the baby (Heracles) to suckle on one of her breasts, until the child bit very hard on her nipple. The goddess pushed the baby away from her nipple, spilling her milk across the heaven, forming the Milky Way. (So that was how this galaxy was created!)
The goddess told Athena to give the baby back to her mother to nurse. Athena returned child back to Alcmene, telling the mother to rear her own child. The irony of this situation is that Hera had actually saved her hated stepson's life by breast feeding him from her own breast.
Early Life
At some point of his young life, his name was changed from Alcaeus to Heracles (Ἡρακλἣς), which means Glory of Hera. The name means that he would obtain glory through Hera's enmity.
Many famous men were involved with his education. Amphitryon taught Heracles how to drive a chariot and Castor trained him in fencing. While the thief Autolycus , the son of Hermes, taught him how to wrestle, while another son of Hermes, Harpalycus of Phanotè, trained him in boxing. Eurytus , king of Oechalia, taught him archery. and Linus, son of the Muse Calliope or Urania , taught Heracles music. According to Theocritus, it was Eumolpus, son of Philammon, who taught the young hero play the lyre, as well as how to sing.
Teaching him music had end up in disaster, when his teacher, Linus struck the youth for his poor attention to music lessons. Heracles retaliated by striking him in the head with the lyre, killing Linus instantly. Heracles was acquitted of murder, but Amphitryon sends him to tend sheep on the farm in the countryside near Thespiae, to keep him out of trouble.
Here, at the foot of Mount Cithaeron, he killed a lion without weapon that were killing flocks of Thespius, king of Thespiae. The king was so impressed by his feat that Thespius entertained the youth as his guest for fifty nights. Each night Thespius would send one of his fifty daughters to the hero's room. Other writers say that he slept with all the king's daughters in a single night. Only one of Thespius' daughters refused to sleep with Heracles. Two of the girls bore twins to Heracles, and Heracles had total of fifty-one sons. After Heracles' death, these sons migrated to the island of Sardinia.
Madness of Heracles
Heracles heard news about the Minyan army from Orchomenus had defeated and disarmed the Theban army. Heracles led a group of Theban youths, armed with old weapons from a temple. Heracles defeated the Minyan army, killing Erginus, king of Orchomenus.
Creon , king of Thebes gave his daughter's hand in marriage to the hero who had saved Thebes from slavery. Megara bore him three sons: Therimachus, Deicoon and Creontiades.
The marriage did not last long. The goddess Hera had inflicted Heracles with sudden fit of madness, causing him murder his own children. Some writers claimed that he had also killed his wife Megara as well.
According to Pausanias (quoting from Stesichoros of Himera), Heracles would have killed his stepfather, Amphitryon as well, but Athena intervened by knocking Heracles unconscious, with a stone; a stone known as the Sober stone.
When he returned to his senses, he suffered from great sorrow and remorse. The king and the Theban citizens were unwilling to punish the hero, so Heracles exiled himself from Thebes. Thespius purified him for the murder. In Euripides' tragedy called the Madness of Heracles, the young hero would have committed suicide, but his cousin and friend, Theseus , persuaded Heracles that suicide would be cowardly act. Theseus took the Heracles to Athens where he was purified for his crime.
Heracles still saw the need to expiate his grave crime or sin, so he went to Delphi to consult with the oracle. The oracle of Delphi told him that he need to serve his cousin, Eurystheus , king of Tiryns and Mycenae, who would devised ten labours (later twelve), as his punishment for his crime of murdering his own family.
I believed that it was in Delphi that he received a new name – Heracles, meaning "Glory of Hera". His name at birth – Alcaeüs – was never used again in his lifetime.
Library was written by Apollodorus.
Heracles or Madness of Heracles were written by Euripides.
Theogony was written by Hesiod.
The Shield of Heracles and Catalogues of Women were possibly written by Hesiod.
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First Labour (Nemean Lion)
The first labour required Heracles to kill the Nemean Lion . The lion was invulnerable to all weapons, being offspring of the monsters Orthus and Echidna .
Heracles stayed at Cleonai with a labourer by the name of Molorchus, before heading out to Nemea. Molorchus wished to be an altar to Heracles, and sacrifice to the young hero. Heracles advised Molorchus to sacrifice to Zeus, if he completed his first mission within thirty days, otherwise Molorchus should sacrifice to him as a hero.
Heracles trapped the lion in a cave near Nemea. Since all the weapons were ineffective against the lion, Heracles decided to tackle the beast, unarmed. After an intense struggle, Heracles strangled the lion with his bare hand. Heracles skinned the lion and used the pelt or hide as a cloak.
Molorchus was about to sacrifice to Heracles as a hero, when the hero arrived with the lion's hide. Molorchus changed his dedication, so the labourer sacrificed to Zeus.
(It was said that Eurystheus was frightened by Heracles' appearance in lion cloak that the cowardly king hid in bronze jar. Eurystheus ordered Heracles to present all completed task outside the city gate in the future. However this incident was more likely to happen at the Four Labour .)
The second labour, Heracles had to kill the Hydra that lived by a spring near Lerna, Argolis.
The Hydra was a creature had many heads. The number of heads varied depending on the authors. Usually there were nine heads. One of the heads was immortal. The other heads were more deadly: when the head was cut off, two heads would grow in its place.
Heracles also had to fight off a giant crab sent by Hera. Heracles had to kill the crab first before he could face the Hydra. Hera rewarded the crab for its service, by placing the crab in a constellation, known as Cancer.
With the help of his nephew and companion, Iolaüs (Iolaus, ´Ιολαος), whenever Heracles cut off one of its head, Iolaüs would use the burning brand to cauterize the neck, to prevent some more heads to sprout out.
The immortal head was more easily to dispose. Heracles then buried the immortal head under a huge boulder. The venom from the Hydra was universally fatal to any victim. Heracles coated Hydra's blood on to his arrows. (This venom would later cause his own death.)
Eurystheus, however, refused to count this labour because he had help from Iolaüs. Heracles was required to do an extra labour.
Third Labour (Cerynitian Hind)
The third labour, he needed to fetch the Cerynitian hind that lived at Oinoe or the forest of Cerynitia, and was sacred to the goddess Artemis . The Cerynitian hind had golden antlers and brazen hooves.
The Pleiad Taÿgete had given the hind to Artemis, in return for trying to hide her from Zeus, even though Artemis was unsuccessful. Artemis had changed her to a doe with golden horns.
The Alexandrian poet, Callimachus, give us a different description about the Cerynitian Hind. In the Hymn to Artemis, the still young goddess found five hinds at the banks of Anaurus, below the Parrhasian hills. Artemis marvelled at the size of these deer, larger than bulls and with golden horns on their heads. Artemis managed to capture four of them, which yoked them to pull her golden chariot. The fifth hind escaped the forest of Cerynitia, where it became known as the Cerynitian Hind, sacred to the goddess.
According to the poet Pindar (in Olympian III), the Cerynitian hind was indeed Taÿgete, where Heracles chased all the way north. Here, Heracles came upon the land of Hyperboreans, where he found himself in the lovely grove of olive trees. The hero liked the trees so much that he brought them back with him, planting the olive trees around the race course in Olympia.
This labour should have been easy, but it took Heracles over a year to capture the hind. Heracles brought down the hind with an arrow aimed at its hoof, without killing the creature.
As Heracles was returning to Tiryns with the hind, Artemis spotted the hero carrying off her favourite animal. Artemis would have attacked the hero, but Heracles explained to the angry goddess of his task: how he had not wanted to harm the creature. Heracles brought the Cerynitian hind to Tiryns, alive and unharmed, at the goddess' request.
Library was written by Apollodorus.
Olympian III was written by Pindar.
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Fourth Labour (Erymanthian Boar)
The fourth labour, Heracles needed to fetch Erymanthian Boar . On this trip, he visited a Centaur, named Pholus , who lived in Mount Pholoë (Pholoe), which was named after the Centaur. Pholus had some wine with odour to attract the boar. Unfortunately this wine attracted the other Centaurs around the mountain.
The Centaurs originally lived in Magnesia, Thessaly, until the Lapiths drove them out, after the wedding of Peirithous and Hippodameia . The Centaurs lived around Mount Pholus, in Arcadia.
The angry Centaurs attacked Heracles. Heracles had to kill some of the Centaurs and drove the rest of them away. Heracles would later meet two Centaurs, later in his life – Eurytion and Nessus . His host, Pholus, accidentally dropped the poisoned arrow on his hoof and died. Another friendly Centaur named Cheiron also died. Cheiron was another of Heracles' friend. Cheiron was a wise Centaur who taught many heroes hunting and combat skills, including Jason and Achilles . Heracles accidentally wounded Cheiron. Cheiron being immortal couldn't die, but he suffered great agony from the Hydra's venom. Cheiron later gave up his immortality to the Titan, Prometheus and went to Hades.
Later, Heracles captured the boar and delivered it alive to Eurystheus. Eurystheus was such a coward that he hid inside a bronze jar. Heracles released it at Eurystheus' request. Eurystheus ordered Heracles that he would show him his successes of his labours on the other side of the city wall.
Heracles and the Argonauts
According to Apollonius and few other writers, hearing news that Jason gathering a crew to fetch the Golden Fleece, Heracles joined the Argonauts . During this adventure, a tribe of six-armed, earthborn giants, known as the Gegenees, attacked the ship, near Bear Mountain. Heracles killed several the Gegenees. But the hero was later abandoned at Mysia, while he searched for his missing squire and lover, Hylas.
In a different version, written by the historian Diodorus Siculus , Heracles was the main hero in the Quest, not Jason. Several other heroes played more important parts in the Quest than Jason. Jason's only contribution to the Quest is having the ship built for their voyage to Colchis and bringing Medea back to Iolcus with him, because he had promised to marry the Colchian sorceress.
After the Quest (Diodorus' version), Heracles was said to established the Olympian Games in honour of Zeus, for their homecoming. Heracles had also suggested that any hero should not among themselves and to come to the aid of a former Argonaut, who needed help. This contradicts most myths, where Heracles had killed Calais and Zetes, who had abandoned him in Mysia.
The mythographer generally outlined Apollonius' epic, but also had other sources that differed from Apollonius' account. In one source from Herodotus, Apollodorus wrote that Heracles couldn't participate in the adventure, because the hero was serving Omphale as slave at the time. While according to his source from Pherecydes and from The Marriage of Ceyx, a fragmented poem attributed to Hesiod, the Argonauts abandoned Heracles near Aphetae in Magnesia, not in Mysia.
Again, Apollodorus quoted from Demaratus that Heracles sailed all the way to Colchis and back, but in another source, from Dionysius that Heracles was the captain of the Argonauts.
The mention of Heracles being abandoned at Aphetae, raises the question that Apollonius' version about Hylas was actually a later tradition.
Fifth Labour (Stables of Augeias)
Angry at Heracles for running off seeking new adventure with the Argonauts , Eurystheus decided that the fifth labour would be the most humiliating of his tasks: cleaning the Augeian stables in single day.
Augeias was the king of Elis and owned the largest herd of cattle. Heracles wanted a tenth of the cattle as payment for cleaning the stable. Augeia readily agreed, not believing that it was possible to so in a single day.
The task was enormous, because of the number of stalls of the stable, as well as the sheer size of building. Heracles completed this task by diverting the water on the rivers Alpheius and Peneius to flow the stable.
Augeias, however, refused to honour his bargain, because the king had found out that the hero was performing one of the labours for Eurystheus. Only Phyleus, Augeias' eldest son, supported Heracles, asking his father to not break his promise to the hero. Augeias angrily banished son from Elis. Phyleus left the city Elis, and settled in Dulichium.
Angry at being cheated of his payment that was promised to him, Heracles vowed to make war upon Elis, when he is released from his services with Eurystheus. Augeias realising he had made powerful enemy, allied himself with the general Amarynceus and the Moliones, Augeias' nephews. See the Wars in the Peloponnesus .
Again, Eurystheus refused to count this as a labour. Eurystheus told Heracles, he must do any labour without payment. Therefore, Heracles had to do another extra task.
Dexamenus, king of Olenus (in Arcadia or Achaea?), entertained Heracles as his guest. While he was at court in Olenus, the Centaur Eurytion tried to force Mnesimache, daughter of Dexamenus, to marry him. Heracles repaid his host, by killing Eurytion.
Sixth Labour (Stymphalian Birds)
The sixth labour, Heracles was required to chase away Stymphalian Birds that were ravaging the countryside around the lake called Stymphalus, in north-eastern Arcadia.
The Stymphalian birds were so numerous that Heracles was at loss on how to drive the birds away. He knew that he would not have enough arrows and javelins to kill all the birds.
Athena, again, came to his aid, and gave a rattle that should frighten the birds into flight.
Heracles used the rattle to make loud noise from the mountain that frightened the birds into flight. Heracles shot down a number of birds, before driving the rest away.
They may have been the same birds that infested the barren island, sacred to Ares. The Argonauts encountered these birds, where Oileus was wounded by one of the deadly feathers. Amphidamas of Arcadia, had remembered how Heracles drove away the Stymphalian Birds, with loud noises.
Seventh Labour (Cretan Bull)
The seventh labour, Heracles needed to fetch the Cretan Bull , the bull that belonged to Minos , king of Crete. This bull was sacred to Poseidon, and had the ability to walk and run on the surface of the sea.
When Minos had gained the bull from Poseidon , but refused to sacrifice the bull to the sea god. To punish Minos for his broken promise, Poseidon caused Pasiphaë , daughter of Helius , to fall in love with beast. So the Cretan Bull had fathered upon Pasiphaë, the monster Minotaur .
Embarrassed from the offspring and union between his wife and the bull, Minos no longer wanted the Cretan Bull. So Heracles had Minos' consent to take the bull. The only problem was that the bull would not go aboard a ship.
So Heracles rode on its back, while the bull crossed the sea, from Cnossus, in Crete, all the way back to Greece.
Heracles released the bull after showing the creature to Eurystheus. The Cretan bull left the Peloponessus, and roamed all the way to Marathon, in Attica. The Cretan bull then became known as Marathonian bull.
The Marathonian bull continued to ravage the country on the plain of Marathon, until Theseus killed the bull.
Eighth Labour (Mares of Diomedes)
The eighth labour was to fetch flesh-eating mares of Diomedes. Diomedes (Διομήδης) was the king of the Bistones, in Thrace, who feeds human flesh to his horses. Heracles threw Diomedes to the mares, which they killed and ate the king.
There was a youth named Abderus, who was a son of Hermes. He was a squire (and possibly lover) to Heracles. Heracles set Abderus to guard the mares. When Heracles had returned, he found that the mares had devoured the youth. Heracles built a Thracian city called Abdera, named after Abderus.
Admetus and Alcestis
Admetus (Ἄδμητος) was the king of Pherae and husband of Alcestis (Ἄλκηστις), daughter of Pelias .
When the sun god Apollo had to serve Admetus for one year as his servant, Admetus had treated the god well, because Admetus was known for being the most pious ruler in Greece. Apollo was been punishment for killing a Cyclop who made thunderbolt for Zeus. Apollo had killed the Cyclops because Zeus had killed his son, Asclepius (see Asclepius ).
Due to his kindness, Apollo helped Admetus in winning Alcestis' hand in marriage, where he successfully harnessed wild animals, a lion and a wild boar, to a chariot; it was a task set by Pelias.
Apollo also rewarded him by telling that his death would come soon. Admetus could avoid his fate, if he could find someone willing to die in his place. None of his advisors or subjects were willing to die for him. Neither of his aged parents, because they value their lives.
Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, realising how much her husband wanted to live, told him that she was willing to die in his place, because of her love for Admetus.
I'm not sure if Heracles was journeying north or coming back home with the mares, when Heracles decided to visit Admetus in Thessaly. Heracles was unaware that Alcestis would die that night. Admetus allowed Heracles to enjoy feast, while Admetus was secretly mourning for his wife in the other room.
When Heracles realised he had been enjoying himself during funeral of his friend's wife; Heracles went to the tomb and wrestled with Thanatos ("Death"), while the god was trying to carry Alcestis' shade away from the tomb. Heracles overpowered Thanatos, until the god of death gave up Alcestis. Heracles happily restored Alcestis to her husband.
According to Apollodorus, this took place after Heracles was a suitor to Iole, daughter of Eurytus and won the archery contest, but before Heracles killed Eurytus' son, Iphitus (see Death of Iphitus ). However, Heracles fought Hades, not Thanatos, in this version.
Apollodorus also mentioned a different version, where Heracles was not involved with Admetus and Alcestis at all. The goddess Kore (Persephone) taking pity on Admetus and Alcestis, sent her back to her husband.
Ninth Labour (Hippolyte's Girdle)
The ninth labour required him to go to Amazons land to fetch Hippolyte's belt, for Eurystheus' daughter, Admeta or Admete. Heracles either went there alone or with the heroes Theseus and Telamon (Τελαμών).
The Amazon queen, named Hippolyte (Ἱππολύτη), ruled in the city of Themiscyra on the mouth of the River Thermodon. The belt had belonged to Ares, and symbolised the power of leadership.
The Queen warmly received Heracles, but Hera stirred the Amazons against Heracles. Disguised as an Amazon warrior, Hera spread rumour that Heracles had come to abduct their queen. The Amazons armed themselves and attacked Heracles' ship. Thinking that Hippolyte was secretly plotting against him, Heracles killed the queen and took her belt.
According to some writings, Antiope (Melanippe), the sister of Hippolyte, fell in love with Theseus. Antiope betrayed the Amazons and the city of Themiscyra. Antiope helped Heracles and his followers to fight his way out of the Amazon country. Others say that Theseus had abducted Antiope.
According to another different version by Apollonius, where Heracles killed no one in this venture. Heracles had ambushed and captured Melanippe (Antiope) sister of Hippolyte. Heracles only released Melanippe, when Hippolyte paid Heracles a ransom – her girdle.
On his return home, he found a Trojan princess, Hesione, about to be sacrifice to a sea monster, sent by Poseidon and Apollo. Heracles agreed to save Laomedon's daughter in return for the king's immortal horses or the gold vine as his reward. But after killing the monster, Laomedon refused to pay. Again, Heracles vowed vengeance upon another king. He would return later with an army to destroy Laomedon. See Heracles' war upon Troy .
According to Diodorus Siculus, Heracles rescued Hesione on his journey towards Colchis, with Jason and the Argonauts. See Argonauts, Diodorus' Version .
As he continued his journey home, Polygonus & Telegonus, the two sons of Proteus challenged Heracles into a wrestling match. Heracles killed the two brothers.
Tenth Labour (Cattle of Geryon)
The tenth labour, Heracles was required to fetch cattle of Geryon . Geryon (Γηρυονεύς) was the king of Erytheia (Cadiz), in Spain.
The cattle were guarded by Geryon's herdsman and the two-headed hounded, called Orthus (Ὄρθρος).
The journey was uneventful, until he reached the Strait of Gibraltar. Heracles began piling rocks on the European side and African sides of the straits. The erection of these rocks became known as the Pillars of Hercules.
The work was long and hard, so Heracles became overheated from the sun. Heracles pointed his arrow at the sun, threatening to shoot the sun. Helius, the god of the sun, was far from offended by the impetuous hero. In fact, Helius so admired the hero's boldness that the sun-god gave Heracles the Sun-cup made of gold. This gold cup was large enough for Heracles to sail past the Pillars of Hercules and into the Atlantic Ocean.
(According to Diodorus Siculus, the hero Heracles completely destroyed a race of woman warriors, called the Gorgons (similar to the Amazons), in Libya. His great grandfather, Perseus had earlier defeated the Gorgons and killed their queen, Medusa .)
Arriving at Erytheia, Heracles had to kill the herdsman, Eurytion and the two-headed hound Orthus with his club, near the peak of Mount Abas. Menoetes, herdsman of Hades, witnessed all this, and went to Geryon with news of Heracles raiding his cattle. Geryon, who had three heads, was also killed when he pursued the hero to River Anthemus. Heracles then tried to make his home.
Passing through Abderia, the south of Spain, Heracles then entered the land of the Ligurians. Near Massalia (modern Marseille), Ialebion and Dercynus, the sons of Poseidon, who wanted to steal the cattle, attacked him. Heracles killed them, but he was wounded, fighting the Ligurian army. Zeus sends a shower of stone, which Heracles used to pelt his enemies.
The giant Cacus also stole some of the cattle in Italy. Heracles had to leave the rest of cattle behind, to search for the missing cattle and kill Cacus.
At Rhegion, one of his bulls left the other cattle, jumped and swam across the Strait of Messina. Heracles asked the locals if they seen the missing bull, and they told him where it had gone off. The locals referred to the bull as italus, so Heracles called the entire Italian peninsula, Italy. The missing bull was the finest of the stock, so Heracles left the rest of cattle behind to fetch the one in Sicily.
When he found the bull, he found them among the herd of a notorious boxer named Eryx (Ἔρυξ), in Eryx, Sicily. According to Apollonius Rhodius, Eryx was a son of the Argonaut Butes and Aphrodite , or according to Apollodorus, a son of Poseidon. Eyrx had the habit of challenging a traveller into boxing match in which would kill his opponent. Eryx would only agree to return the bull to the hero, if Heracles could defeat him in a boxing match. Eryx, however, was no match for Heracles and was killed during their bout.
Heracles recovered his bull and returned to the other cattle. New problem arose, upon reaching Greece. Hera sent gadfly that stung the cattle, dispersing them out in all direction, but most of the cattle fled to the Thracian mountains. Heracles was forced to pursue, and have managed to recover some of the cattle. Those left behind became wild. He brought the rest to Eurystheus, who offered sacrifice to Hera.
There is another person stole and hid the cattle from Heracles. According to a 1st century BC Greek poet, Parthenius, the Celts were descendants of Heracles.
As Heracles travelled back to Greece with the cattle of Geryon, Celtine, daughter of Bretannus, saw and fell in love with the hero. One day, she hid the cattle, and would not tell Heracles their whereabout until he made love to her. Heracles slept with her, and Celtine became the mother of Celtus, ancestors of the Celts.
Diodorus Siculus also recorded the same myth about the origin of the Celts, except that Diodorus didn't give name to the maiden whom Heracles slept with. The only description we are given is that she was from Alesia, and her son was named Galates or Gaul. Greek and Roman authors have frequently interchange Celts with Gauls and Galatae.
Eleventh Labour (Apples of Hesperides)
The eleventh labour, Heracles had to fetch the golden apples of Hesperides. The Hesperides ("Daughters of the Evening Star") were the daughters of the Titan Atlas and Hesperis (Evening Star). How many daughters there were, really depend on the authors. Some say three, four or seven. They cared for the grove of trees that bore the golden fruits. The trees were guarded by a serpent or dragon with a hundred heads, known as Ladon , offspring of Typhon and Echidna .
On his journey, at Caucasus Mountains, he killed the Caucasian Eagle that fed on Prometheus' liver and freed the Titan from his bond. Prometheus told him that the tree and apples were guarded by Ladon , a dragon or serpent. The Titan advised him to let his brother Atlas to fetch the apples, to avoid Ladon.
He then continued his journey south, travelling through Phoenica and Palestine. Heracles killed Busiris, king of Egypt, who was sacrificing foreign travellers. Some says that Heracles also killed Emathion, king of Arabia, son of Eos and Tithonus, and brother of Memnon.
In Libya, Heracles wrestled and killed Antaeüs (Antaeus), the son of Poseidon and Gaea, who remained invincible as long as he has contact with earth. Antaeüs would often let his opponent to throw him on the ground, only to spring up, even stronger than before. Heracles had to keep Antaeüs off the ground before crushing his opponent to death.
Finally he arrived where the Titan Atlas bore the weight of heaven on his shoulder. Heracles asked Atlas where the fruit were. Atlas told the hero that he would fetch the golden apples for him, if Heracles would carry the heaven on his shoulder. Heracles agreed and carrying the sky for Atlas.
Atlas returned with apples but did not want to bear the burden of heaven on his shoulders, and told the hero he will take the apples to Eurystheus for the hero, trapping Heracles - to bear the burden of heaven.
But Heracles was by far clever than the Titan. Heracles cunningly told Atlas that he was willing to carry the heaven, provided that the Titan would hold the heaven for a moment. Heracles told the Titan he wished to roll his lion cloak as a cushion for his shoulders. So while Atlas was holding the sky once again, Heracles walked away with apples.
In another version of the story, Heracles actually went into the garden of the Hesperides and killed Ladon .
(In the Argonautica , not long after he left the Garden of Hesperides, the Argonauts arrived. Their ship, Argo, was stranded in the middle of the Libyan desert.
According to Apollonius of Rhodes, the Argonauts were running short out of water. At the garden, the nymphs directed the Argonauts to where a spring sprouted from a boulder. Heracles had kicked the boulder, which split in half and fresh water gushed out from underneath the rock. Heracles had unknowingly saved his former comrades, the Argonauts, from dehydration.)
After showing the apples to Eurystheus in Tiryns, Heracles gave the apples to Athena, who returned them to garden of Hesperides, since they really belonged to Hera.
Twelfth Labour
The twelfth labour, Heracles needed to go to Hades and fetch the Cerberus. Cerberus was the three-headed hound with snake's head at the end of its tail. The dreaded hound guarded the gates of Hades, to keep the dead in the Underworld. Cerberus was an offspring of Typhon and Echidna .
To enter the world of dead, Heracles had to undergo the Mysteries rites, performed by Eumoplus at Eleusis. The rite was to purify Heracles for the murder of the centaurs. According to the Diodorus Sicilus, it was the goddess Demeter herself who performed the purification. Heracles then has to travel to Tainaron in Laconia, where there was an entrance to the Underworld.
Heracles met Hermes, who offered to guide him into the Underworld. Most of the shades (souls) fled from Heracles, all except the hero Meleager and the Gorgon Medusa . Heracles would have attack Medusa with his sword, but Hermes reassured the hero that the Gorgon was harmless here.
Heracles also rescued his friend and cousin Theseus , by pulling him off the Chair of Forgetfulness. Hades had set a trap for Theseus and his friend, Peirithoüs, when they planned to abduct Persephone, Hades' consort. Heracles could not save Peirithoüs; Heracles had to leave Peirithoüs behind.
He wrestled with Menoetes, the cowherd of the Hades' cattle, when Heracles killed one of the cows. Heracles had wanted to use the cow's blood to talk to the dead. Menoetes' ribs could be heard cracking between Heracles' arms. Heracles would have killed Menoetes had Persephone not asked the hero to spare her husband's cowherd.
With Hades' permission, Heracles was allowed to take Cerberus, provided that he did so without the use of weapon. Heracles had to wrestle and drag the hound to the world of the living, and to Tiryns before Eurystheus. Eurystheus terrified by the hell-hound and seeing his cousin complete all his tasks, gave one last command to the hero: to send the hound back to the Underworld.
A few say that Heracles wrestled with Hades himself, but this may be confused with the story of Admetus and Alcestis , where Heracles wrestled with Thanatos , god of death.
Death of Iphitus
Having performed all twelve labours Heracles was now free from any more obligations to Eurystheus . He was left to his own device. Eurytus (Εὐρυτίων), king of Oechalia, was offering his daughter's hand in marriage (Iole, Ἰόλη), if one of the suitors could defeat him or his sons in the archery contest. While Heracles was receiving education, Eurytus had taught archery to the young Heracles, which the king was soon to regret.
Heracles won the competition, but Eurytus refused to give his daughter away. Eurytus was afraid that Heracles might kill her daughter as the hero had killed his sons in madness. To make matter worse, some of his cattle were stolen by Autolycus , the master thief, but Eurytus had accused Heracles of the theft.
Heracles left Oechalia in anger, while Eurytus' son, Iphitus (Ἰφιτος) tried to persuade his father that the hero had won Iole's hand fairly. Eurytus banished his own son from his kingdom. Iphitus went to talk Heracles out of waging a war against his father, but Heracles again, possibly struck by madness, caused by Hera, murdered Iphitus in Tiryns.
(According to Homer, Eurytus died young, when he challenged Apollo into an archery contest. Eurytus lost to Apollo and the god killed him for challenging him. Also Iphitus was alive and gave his father's bow to the hero Odysseus . Later, Iphitus was killed by Heracles who took Iphitus' horses.)
He tried to get Neleus , king of Pylus and then later Hippocoön (Hippocoon), king of Sparta, to purify him for the murder of Iphitus, but both kings refused. These two kings became his mortal enemies.
A terrible disease then struck Heracles. He sought advice from Xenocleia, the current Pythia of Delphi, to help cure his disease, but she refused to give advice.
Heracles angrily took the tripod and told her he will set up his own oracle. Apollo came to his priestess' aid and would have fought Heracles, had not Zeus separated the two with a thunderbolt.
Heracles just wanted advice from the oracle, not a fight with Apollo. While Apollo felt admiration for Heracles' boldness, the god ordered his priestess to response to the hero's request. The oracle told Heracles, he must sell himself as a slave, as punishment for the murder and a cure for his disease.
Hermes made the arrangement to sell Heracles. Heracles was sold to Omphale (Ὀμφάλη), daughter of Iardanes and queen of Lydia. Omphale had become queen, after the death of her husband, Tmolus. All the gold from the transaction was given to Eurytus as compensation for the murder of the king's son, though Eurytus refused to accept it.
She made him dressed in women clothing and doing needlework with the other ladies. However, Apollodorus never wrote anything about the hero being made to wear women clothing; it was only found in Roman sources, like Statius' Achilleid, and Ovid's Heroides and Fasti.
According to Fasti, Faunas, a woodland god and follower of Pan and Dionysus, tried to rape Omphale. He entered the chamber at night, and felt woman's silken garment. Faunas was astonished to feel hairy bottoms, when he lift what he thought was queen's garment. Before he could penetrate the supposed queen, Heracles immediately woke and pushed Faunas very hard that the god couldn't get up. When Heracles and Omphale could see the intruder in the light, they laughed at the embarrassed god. It was for this reason, he wanted all his followers to come to his rites, naked.
She freed the hero after three years of slavery, after a number of services.
Heracles captured and killed the Cercopes at Ephesus. The Cercopes were said be dwarfish monkey-like or ape-like men. They were renown for their knavery. According to a short fragmented poem, named after them, The Cercopes. Their names were Passalus and Acmon, and they were the sons of Oceanus and Theia. Theia was a daughter of Memnon, an unknown figure. Theia warned her troublesome sons to avoid Blackbottom. They were captured in Thessaly, by Heracles. He had tied, and hanging upside-down on a pole, which Heracles was carrying over his shoulder. From this angle, they could see this person was the one their mother warned them about - Blackbottom. They laughed and joke about Heracles' hairy bottoms. Far from being offended, Heracles released them. Zeus would later turn them into stone, because they were trying to deceive the god.
At Aulis, Syleus and his daughter, Xenodice, forced travellers to hoe Syleus' vineyard; the hero killed both father and daughter. He also captured and razed the city, Itoni. And lastly, according to Hyginus in Poetic Astronomia, Heracles killed a giant serpent for Omphale that inhabited the river Sagaris and killing Lydians near the water.
Heracles was said to have renamed the island of Doliche to Icaria, after finding the body of Icarus , a son of Daedalus . Daedalus was Athenian inventor, formerly in the services of Minos , king of Crete.
Queen Omphale married Heracles and had a son named Lamus. Heracles left Lydia shortly after this, to continue his adventures.
Apollo and Heracles Fights Over the Tripod of Delphi
Attic hydria with black figures of the Painter of Madrid. c. 510 BC Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid
Troy
Once freed from slavery to Omphale, Heracles gathered an army to capture Troy and was joined by the hero, Telamon , son of Aeacus . At this time, Telamon was expecting a baby from his wife, Eeriboea. Heracles prayed to his father that Telamon's son would be brave. Zeus sent an eagle , as a sign of accepting his prayer. Telamon named his son, Aias ( Ajax ), after the eagle (aietos). Aias became one of the leading warriors who fought at the Trojan War.
Laomedon had refused to pay him, when Heracles rescued Hesione from the sea monster. Heracles had vowed vengeance. Poseidon and Apollo having to build the wall around much of Troy, making it quite impregnable. The only weakness to the wall were section built by Aeacus , Telamon' father. It was most likely that Telamon knew where the weakness is.
Landing in Troy with eighteen ships, they set about attacking Troy. It was Telamon who broke through wall (the part built by his father), leading the attack against Trojans. Heracles felt insulted and jealous, that Telamon would breach the wall before him.
The hero would have killed his lieutenant, had Telamon not had the foresight to stop fighting and started piling stones. When the hero asked what Telamon was doing, Telamon replied that he was building an altar to Heracles. Heracles forgot his anger, since Telamon had flattered his vanity.
Laomedon and all his sons but the youngest, Podarces (Priam), were killed in the fighting. Heracles allowed Hesione to ransomed only one of the captives. Hesione ransomed Podarces by giving up one of her veil. Hesione was given to Telamon as a concubine, while Podarces stayed behind in Troy, succeeded his father, and changed his name to Priam .
(According to Diodorus Siculus, Heracles' war at Troy was set on his return journey from Colchis, during the Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece. See Argonauts, Diodorus' Version .)
As Heracles sailed with his ships to return home, Hera sent a violent storm that left Heracles stranded in Cos. This action angered her husband so much, that Zeus had Hera bound by the wrist, hanging from the heights of Olympus.
The Coans thought the Greeks were pirates so they attacked them. The Greek took the city. Heracles killed their king Eurypylus, but the Coan champion, Chalcodon, wounded the hero. Zeus rescued and spirited his son safely away, where Heracles was healed of his wounds.
Library was written by Apollodorus.
Metamorphoses was written by Ovid.
The Iliad was written by Homer.
Great Eoiae was possibly written by Hesiod.
Description of Greece was written by Pausanias.
Nemean III, Nemean IX and Isthmian VI were written by Pindar.
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War of the Giants
While the god healed him, he was brought to Phlegra, in Thrace (some say in Sicily), where the gods were warring against the Giants (Gigantes), and sprawned by blood of the castrated Uranus that fell to the earth ( Gaea ). In order to defeat the Giants, the gods, required by the oracle, the help of a mortal hero.
Heracles killed Alcyoneus by shooting the giant with his lethal arrow, before dragging its body outside of Pallene, where the giant was mortal. Apollo and Heracles each shot one eye of Ephialtes, with their arrows.
Athena killed Pallas and flayed the giant, using its hide for her shield. Athena also killed Enceladus, who had fled west. She crushed Enceladus by throwing the island of Sicily on top of him. Poseidon did the same thing to Polybotes, crushing the giant with the island of Nisyrus.
With Zeus' help, Heracles even killed Porphyrion, who tried to rape Hera ; the same goddess who had incessantly persecuted him evens before his birth.
The twelve labours Heracles had performed and aiding the gods in this war, Heracles had earned his place among the gods in Olympus.
Wars in Peloponnesus
Returning to Greece, Heracles attacked Augeias (Αὐγείας), the king of Elis, with his army from Tiryns. Earlier, Augeias had refused to honour his agreement and pay the promised fee to the hero, during Heracles' fifth labour , so the hero had vowed to capture Elis. See the Fifth Labour of Heracles .
But Heracles' army suffered a defeat at the hand of Augeias' allies, Amarynceus and the Moliones (Μολιοίδαι), (Siamese) twin sons of Actor. Heracles may have lost the battle, because he was ill at the time. Heracles' half-brother, Iphicles, may have died in this war or else Iphicles was killed in the war against Sparta.
Heracles returned to Tiryns to raise a new army, only to be banished by his weak cousin Eurystheus, because the king thought and feared that Heracles was raising an army against him. Heracles settled in Pheneüs (Pheneus), Arcadia.
Later, during the Isthmian games, Heracles ambushed and killed the Moliones. Augeias could not defend his kingdom on the second invasion, when Heracles raised a new army in Arcadia, possibly killing the king.
Heracles then set the exiled son of Augeias, named Phyleus, to the throne of Elis. According to Apollodorus, Heracles was also said to have established the Olympic Games , though the founder was usually said to be Heracles the Dactyl from Mount Ida, Crete. Heracles set a shrine for the Olympian gods, as well as a smaller shrine to Pelops , who was his great-grandfather.
Heracles next attacked Pylus (Πύλας). Here, Hera took Neleus' side and was wounded by Heracles. Hades and Ares also aided Pylus; Heracles wounded both gods, during the battle.
Heracles killed eleven of the twelve sons of Neleus, as well as the king himself. Heracles encountered Periclymenus (Περικλύμενος), eldest son of Neleus (Νηλεύς). Periclymenus was given the ability by his grandfather (Poseidon), to change his shape. Periclymenus attacked Heracles as lion, snake and bee. When Periclymenus changed himself into the form of an eagle, Heracles finally shot him down with his arrow.
The youngest and only surviving son of Neleus, Nestor , because he was staying in Gerenia during the war; Nestor became the new king of Pylus.
Heracles then turned his attention to Hippocoön (Hippocoon, Ἱπποκόων). Hippocoön had also refused to purify him for Iphitus' murder. Hippocoön also killed Oeonus, a cousin of Heracles, who accidentally kicked the king's dog. Hippocoön had usurped the throne from his brother, Tyndareüs (Tyndareus), who was now residing in Calydon. (See the genealogical tree of the House of Sparta )
Heracles enlisted the aid of Cepheus (Κηφεύς), the king of Tegea, promising his protection in case of attack. During his stay in Tegea, he ravished the Cepheus' sister, Auge (Αὔγη), who bore the hero a son, Telephus (Τήλεφος). (See the genealogical tree of the House of Arcadia )
In the battle that followed, Cepheus and his sons were killed, as well as Heracles' half brother, Iphicles. Heracles himself was wounded, but he killed Hippocoön and all of his sons, and restored Tyndareüs to the throne of Sparta.
Heracles had his brother's body brought to the city of Pheneus, where Iphicles was worshipped as a hero.
Deïaneira
Heracles then stayed in court of King Oeneus in Calydon; he fell in love with Deïaneira (Deianeira or Δηιάνειρα), the king's daughter.
Deïaneira was the sister of the hero, Meleager . When Heracles went to the Underworld to fetch Cerebus ( 12 labour ), he met the shade of Meleager, one of two ghosts who didn't fear Heracles' presence. Heracles and Meleager were former companions, who had sailed with Jason. Heracles promised the shade Meleager that he would marry Deïaneira.
Deïaneira had many suitors, but none of them would want to compete against the hero, except the river-god Acheloüs (Achelous). Heracles had to fight one of his rivals, the river-god Acheloüs (Achelous), also a suitor of Deïaneira. Neither god nor hero would back down on wanting to marry the Calydonian princess. Acheloüs would not back down to a mortal rival; otherwise he would be disgraced as a coward. So they fought one another in a wrestling match.
The god has the ability to change his shape, and during the wrestling match, Acheloüs had changed himself into a man with head of a bull (minotaur), and then snake. With each transformation, Heracles overcame Acheloüs. Finding that he losing the contest to a mortal, the river-god changed himself into a bull. Heracles defeated Acheloüs when he broke the horn from the god's head.
Acheloüs surrendered to Heracles, in return for getting his broken horn back. Acheloüs exchanged this with the horn of Amaltheia that was filled with endless supply of fruit and drink of all sorts, which was known as Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty).
Heracles then married Deïaneira. (See genealogical tree of the House of Calydon )
While living in Calydon, Heracles helped Oeneus in his wars against their neighbours. Heracles took the city of Ephyra in Thesprotia (part of Epirus). King Phylas had a daughter, named Astyoche, whom the hero slept with. Astyoche bored the hero a son named Tlepolemus.
It was said that at this time, Heracles had sent three of his sons from the daughters of King Thespius to the city of Thebes, seven were to remain in Thespiae with their grandfather (Thespius), but the rest (40) migrated to the island of Sardinia.
Returning to Calydon, a victory banquet was held in honour of the hero. Heracles accidentally killed the king's cupbearer and young relative, named Eunomus, the son of Architeles.
Though the king and the father forgave the hero, because it was an accident, Heracles could not forgive himself. Since, Oeneus was unwilling to punish the hero, so Heracles took matter into his own hands, and decided to go into exile, leaving Calydon with his wife.
During their journey, they encountered a Centaur named Nessus , who offered to ferry Deïaneira across the river of Evenus. As Deïaneira reached the other side of the river on Centaur's back, he tried to rape her. Heracles was still in the middle of the river, when he heard his wife's scream.
Heracles shot down Nessus with his poisoned arrow. As Nessus, lay there dying, the Centaur told Deïaneira to use his blood as love potion on Heracles, so that he would never leave her. Deïaneira knowing that Heracles liked to seduce beautiful maiden, collected the Centaur's blood, unaware that the blood was contaminated with the Hydra's deadly venom.
Living in Trachis
Heracles and Deïaneira (Deianeira) moved to Trachis, where he befriended Ceyx , the king of Trachis. They had four sons: Hyllus , Glenus, Ctesippus and Odites.
Here, Heracles aided Ceyx against the king's neighbours. Heracles killed the Dryopian king, Laogoras, and drove his people from Doris. He also defeated the Lapiths and killed their king, Coronus, son of the Lapith hero Caeneus .
On his way home with Iolaus to Trachis, they encountered Cycnus, son of Ares and Pelopia, blocked the road in Itonus (in Phthiotis). Cycnus, who like his father, delighted in challenging travellers in single combat, before killing them. Heracles killed Cycnus in combat.
Ares was overcome with grief over his son, the war god attacked Heracles. Heracles, for the second time, seriously wounded Ares. His sons and constant companions in war, Deimus (Fear) and Phobus (Panic), took Ares in their chariot and returned to Olympus to be healed.
In Ormenium, a city of Magnesia, Heracles also killed the king Amyntor, who refused to allow Heracles travelled through his land. Heracles seduced Astydameia or Deïdameia, Amyntor's daughter, who bore him a son, named Ctesippus.
Shield of Heracles and Catalogues of Women were possibly written by Hesiod.
Library was written by Apollodorus.
Olympian X was written by Pindar.
Related Articles
Death of Heracles
His last adventure began, when he went to war against Eurytus , whom he never forgave for refusing him his daughter Iole (Ἰόλη), whom he had won fairly in archery contest. Leaving Deïaneira (Deianeira or Δηιάνειρα) in Trachis, he raised an army and defeated Eurytus, taking Iole as his concubine.
Heracles may have killed Eurytus and his sons in the war, but according to Homer, Apollo killed Eurytus, when the king challenged the god in an archery contest. Eurytus' son Iphitus gave the bow to Odysseus . Odysseus had used this very bow to kill Penelope's suitors in the palace.
Observing rites of sacrifice for the victory in war, he sent his herald Lichas to get a fresh tunic at home. Deïaneira realising that Heracles may discard her in favour of Iole as his wife, Deïaneira smeared Nessus' supposed love charm on to his tunic.
When Heracles put the tunic on, the Hydra's venom began searing his skin and flesh. In agony, he tore it off, killing the innocent Lichas, who gave him the shirt. Dying, Heracles returned home to Trachis. Learning what she had done to her husband, Deïaneira killed herself.
Building a pyre for himself on Mount Oeta, Heracles asked his son Hyllus to set it alight. But neither his son, nor other mourners would do so, until either Poeas or his son Philoctetes , set the fire to pyre. He rewarded him with his powerful bow, which would later be used by Philoctetes , in the Trojan War. Lightning struck the pyre and when the fire died down; the mourners could not find the great hero's remains.
Theogony was written by Hesiod.
Women of Trachis and Philoctetes were written by Sophocles.
Library was written by Apollodorus.
Metamorphoses was written by Ovid.
Related Articles
Among the Gods
According to Pausanias, it was Athena who brought Heracles from the funeral pyre at Mount Oeta to Olympus, home of the gods.
Heracles became a god, living in Olympus, because he had performed the twelve labours and aiding the gods in their war against the Giants . Since he saved Hera from being rape by the giant Porphyrion , Hera had little choice but to reconcile with Heracles. Hera allowed the hero to marry her daughter, Hebe , goddess of youth, and Heracles became father of Alexiares and Anicetus.
When Iolaüs (Iolaus) defended Heracles' children (Heraclids) against Eurystheus' persecution, Heracles and Hebe helped Iolaüs to win the battle. To read some more about Heracles' children, see Heraclids .
Heracles had also visited Philoctetes and persuaded the archer to rejoin the Greeks forces in the war against Troy. Philoctetes, at first, was reluctant, because Odysseus and Agamemnon were responsible for abandoning him on the island of Lemnos, when he was bitten by snake. For nine years, he had lived on the island, alone, and bitterly resented those who had left him behind. Odysseus had gone back to bring him back, because Heracles had given the bow to him, before he died. The Greek seer, Calchas had foretold that Troy can never be taken without the bow of Heracles. Philoctetes would have shot down and kill Odysseus, had the god Heracles not intervened. (See Fall of Troy , about Philoctetes).
When Odysseus went to the Underworld, Heracles was the last shade to speak to him. While his immortal soul went to Olympus, his mortal half went to the Underworld. He was also placed amongst the stars in the sky as a constellation Engonasin ("Kneeler", but this constellation is now called Hercules).
The cloak from the lion's pelt he had always wore, helped to identify Heracles in the classical art, with the hood over his head. He was normally depicted carrying either his club or bow and arrows.
| i don't know |
Of the all time top ten scorers in Premier League history, three players have played for Liverpool. Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and who else? | Premier League Top Scorers | Most Premier League Goals
Barrie 25 May, 2012 Best of SL , English Premier League , Football Stats , Lists
Who are the the all time Premier League top scorers? Which Premier League players have scored 100 goals or more? Who has scored the most goals in each Premier League season? And who is the top Premier League scorer this season?
Below we’ve answered all of the above questions – all players in the Premier League 100 club, the golden boot winners from previous Premier League seasons and the goalscoring charts from the most recent (2013/2014) Premier League season.
The top five Premier League goal scorers get their own little write up and a link to video of their goals. Everyone outside of that gets just their name, the clubs they played and scored for (or club, in the case of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Matt LeTissier) and, of course, their total number of Premier League goals.
You can also jump directly to the Premier League Golden Boot winners and Most Premier League goals this season sections.
Premier League Top Scorers This Season
All Time Premier League Top Scorers
The top ten all time Premier League top scorers are:
1. Alan Shearer: 260 goals in 434 appearances
2. Andy Cole: 187 goals in 408 appearances
2. Wayne Rooney: 187 goals in 374 appearances *
4. Frank Lampard: 177 goals in 586 appearances
5. Thierry Henry: 175 goals in 258 appearances
6. Robbie Fowler: 163 goals in 375 appearances
7. Michael Owen: 163 goals in 362 appearances
8. Les Ferdinand: 150 goals in 347 appearances
9. Teddy Sheringham: 147 goals in 407 appearances
10. Robin van Persie: 144 goals in 314 appearances
*Still playing
———————————————————————————————————-
ALAN SHEARER: Blackburn (1992-1996), Newcastle (1996-2006)
Alan Shearer, OBE, was born on 13th August 1970. Having started his career at Southampton, he went on to become one of the most prolific scorers of all time with Blackburn and his beloved Newcastle.
Great in the air, predatory from close range and deadly from distance, Shearer was at one time the complete striker. A series of knee injuries robbed him of some pace, but Shearer adapted his game in his later years and continued to find the net.
After the first ten years of the Premier League, Shearer was named as the outstanding player of the decade. He is also listed in the FIFA 100 greatest living footballers.
Shearer played 63 times for England, scoring 30 goals. He captained the side on 34 occasions.
Now working as a pundit on BBC television’s Match of the Day, Shearer had a brief spell as Newcastle United manager in 2008/9, when he took charge for the last eight games but was unable to save the club from relegation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqkfzH7A8Ow
ANDY COLE: Newcastle (1993-95), Manchester Utd (1995-2001), Blackburn (2001-04), Fulham (2004-05), Man City (2005-06), Portsmouth (2006-07), Birmingham (2007), Sunderland (2007-08)
Andy Cole, or Andrew Cole, as he now prefers to be called was born on 15th October 1971. He began his career with Arsenal, but played just one game before moving to Bristol City. His goal scoring exploits for The Robins caught the attention of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, who signed the striker in 1993. Cole partnered Peter Beardsley, won the First Division and continued scoring in the Premier League for he following two seasons.
He was sold controversially to Manchester United in 1995, where he went on to achieve huge success. He was the top scorer in Europe for United in the treble winning season of 1998-99, a season in which he and Dwight Yorke contributed 53 goals between them overall. Cole scored the goal that won the Premier League title, and the goal that took them to the Champions League final. He has five Premier League winners medals, one Champions League winners medal and two FA Cup winners medals.
Since leaving United Cole has played at Blackburn, Fulham, Mancheser City, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Sunderland, without quite recapturing his best goal scoring form. Cole finished his career with a loan move to Burnley and a brief spell at Nottingham Forest before retiring in 2008.
Cole was awarded the PFA Young player of the year award in 1994, and played 15 games for England, scoring just one goal.
WAYNE ROONEY: Everton (2002-04), Manchester United (2004-present)
Wayne Rooney was born on 24th October, 1985 and made his international debut in 2003 as the youngest player to represent England, until Theo Walcott debuted.
Widely regarded as the country’s best player, he has won the England Player of the Year award twice. In his 89 international caps, he has scored 38 goals and along with David Beckham, he is the most red carded player for England.
Rooney joined the youth team of Everton at the age of nine and he made his professional debut in 2002. He spent two years with the senior team at the Merseyside club before Sir Alex and Manchester United scooped him up for £25.6 million in 2004. Since then, United have won the Premier League four times, the 2007/08 Champions League and two League Cup.
On 17 October, a brilliant pass from Ander Herrera helped Rooney find the back of the net against his former club Everton. It was the third goal for Red Devils, who won the tie 3-0 at Goodison Park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbPH1AIc14w
FRANK LAMPARD: West Ham Utd (1995-2001), Chelsea (2001-2014), Manchester City (2014-2015)
Frank Lampard was born on 20th June, 1978 to the former West Ham player and manager, Frank Lampard, Sr’; Harry Redknapp is Lampard’s uncle. He is considered to be one of the best English footballers of his time.
Lampard is a box-to-box midfielder and is known for his work-rate, range of passing and exceptional goal-scoring ability. He began his career at West Ham United and secured a place in the first team in his third season with the club. The following season, he helped the team finish in the highest ever Premier League placing, at 5th.
In 2001, Lampard moved to rival club Chelsea for £11 million and he has been ever-present in the Chelsea first team since his debut. He holds a record of consecutive 164 English Premier League appearances.
In 2008, he signed a new contract with the West London club and became the highest paid Premier League footballer at the time. He had his most prolific season with Chelsea in 2009/10, where he won the Premier League title, the FA Cup, scored 22 league goals and assisted another 17 goals.
In the 2011/12 season, Lampard captained Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League title. Lampard is the only midfielder to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League and he is second in the Premier League’s all-time assists table with 91 assists.
He left Chelsea as a free agent and joined Major League Soccer outfit New York City FC. He returned to Premier League on a short loan spell, joining Manchester City.
On the international level, Lampard has been capped 103 times by England since 1999 and he has scored 29 goals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPwdH_t4DTA
THIERRY HENRY: Arsenal (1999-2007), Arsenal (2012)
Thierry Henry was born on 17th August 1977. He moved to Arsenal after a relatively successful career in France and Italy, but was regarded by many as an overrated wide player. Arsene Wenger converted Henry to be a striker and the rest, as they say, is history. Pacy, classy, goalscoring history.
Henry’s goals won the Premier League twice for Arsenal, including the 30 league goals he scored as Arsenal’s famous Invincibles went the entire 2003/4 season unbeaten. Henry was twice awarded the PFA Players Player of the Year award, and also won the Football Writers Player of the Year award on two occasions.
For France, Henry scored 51 goals in 123 appearances and has World Cup and European Championship winners medals.
Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, where he won La Liga, the Champions League, Copa Del Rey and the Club World Cup. He currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. Henry made an emotional loan return to Arsenal in January 2012, playing for 7 weeks and scoring a few crucial goals, including 2 in the league.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX5vpIok0j0
ROBBIE FOWLER: Liverpool (1993-2001), Leeds Utd (2001-03), Manchester City (2003-06), Liverpool (2006-07), Blackburn (2008)
Robbie Fowler was born on 9th April 1975. He grew up in Toxteth, a rough area of Liverpool, and went on to become one of the best players ever to represent the Reds. In 1995 and 1996 he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Renowned for his natural finishing ability, in 1994 Fowler scored three times in 4 minutes, 33 seconds against Arsenal, still the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history. His goal scoring exploits were always matched by the controversy surrounding him. He was particularly criticised when after scoring a goal he pretended to snort the paint from the six yard line, following rumours of a cocaine addiction. Presenting his backside to Graeme Le Saux, rumoured to be gay, was also an episode that Fowler should not be proud of.
Fowler left Liverpool for Leeds United and then Manchester City, but was back at Anfield for one more year in 2006/7. Fowler went on to play for Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers before moving to Australia in 2009, where he played a season for North Queensland Fury before moving to current club Perth Glory.
Fowler played 26 times for England scoring 7 goals.
MICHAEL OWEN: Liverpool (1996-2004), Real Madrid (2004-05), Newcastle United (2005-2009), Manchester United (2009-12), Stoke City (2012-13)
Michael Owen began his youth career in Liverpool in 1991. He progressed through the ranks and on his debut with the senior team in 1997, he scored. In his first full season in the English Premier League, he finished the season as the joint top-scorer with 18 goals.Michael James Owen was born on 14th December, 1979 in Chester, England. He is the son of a former forward of the 1970s, Terry Owen.
Liverpool won a cup treble of the UEFA Cup , FA Cup and the Football League Cup and Owen was awarded the Ballon d’Or. He went on to score 118 goals for the Reds in the Premier League.
In 2004, Owen moved to Real Madrid and was frequently used as a substitute. The following season, he returned to England to Newcastle United with the highest goals scored to number of minutes played ration in Spain.
He scored another 26 Premier League goals for Newcastle until he was picked up as a back-up striker by Alex Ferguson. To this day, he plays for Manchester United.
LES FERDINAND: Queens Park Rangers (1992-95), Newcastle (1995-97), Tottenham (1997-2003), West Ham (2002-03), Leicester (2003-04), Bolton (2004-05)
Like Shearer, Ferdinand was the complete package. Fast, strong, deadly in front of goal, and absolutely unbeatable in the air. After two years at Newcastle he moved on to Tottenham, where he spent six successful years before playing for West Ham, Leicester, Bolton and Reading.Les Ferdinand, MBE, was born on 8th December 1966. He began his career scoring goals galore for lower league Hayes, and continued to do so wherever he went. His first big move was to top flight Queens Park Rangers, where he spent eight years banging in goals from 1987 to 1995 before earning a high profile move to Newcastle United. On Tyneside, Ferdinand developed a frightening strike partnership with Alan Shearer.
Ferdinand was awarded the PFA players player award in 1996 and scored 5 goals for England gaining 17 caps.
TEDDY SHERINGHAM: Nottingham Forest (1991-92), Tottenham (1992-97), Manchester United (1997-01), Tottenham (2001-03), Portsmouth (2003-04), West Ham (2004-07)
Text:
ROBIN VAN PERSIE: Arsenal (2004-12), Manchester United (2012- 2015)
Premier League Topscorers: Other 100 club members
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: 127 goals (Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic)
Robbie Keane: 126 goals (Coventry City, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United, Aston Villa)
Nicolas Anelka: 125 goals (Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion)
Jermain Defoe: 124 goals (West Ham United, Portsmouth, Tottenham)
Dwight Yorke: 123 goals (Aston Villa, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sunderland)
Ian Wright: 113 goals (Arsenal, West Ham United)
Steven Gerrard: 111 goals (Liverpool)
Dion Dublin: 111 goals (Manchester United, Coventry City, Aston Villa)
Emile Heskey: 110 goals (Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa)
Ryan Giggs: 109 goals (Manchester United)
Paul Scholes: 107 goals (Manchester United)
Darren Bent: 106 goals (Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Fulham)
Matthew Le Tissier: 100 goals (Southampton)
Didier Drogba: 100 goals (Chelsea)
———————————————————————————————————-
1. Sergio Agüero Manchester City 26
2. Harry Kane Tottenham Hotspur 21
3. Diego Costa Chelsea 20
4. Charlie Austin Queens Park Rangers 18
5. Alexis Sánchez Arsenal 16
6. Saido Berahino West Bromwich Albion 14
6. Olivier Giroud Arsenal 14
6. Eden Hazard Chelsea 14
9. Christian Benteke Aston Villa 13
10. Graziano Pellè Southampton 12
———————————————————————————————————-
Golden Boot winners
The following table is a list of winners of the Premier League Golden Boot per season, detailing their club, goal tally, actual games played, and their strike rate (goals/games).
Key to symbols:
† – denotes the award was shared that season
C – denotes the club were also League Champions that season
E – denotes the player also won the European Golden Shoe that season
(x) – denotes multiple winners of the award and their running total
Season
| Robbie Keane |
Which chemical element is named after the inventor of Dynamite? | Premier League Top Scorers | Most Premier League Goals
Barrie 25 May, 2012 Best of SL , English Premier League , Football Stats , Lists
Who are the the all time Premier League top scorers? Which Premier League players have scored 100 goals or more? Who has scored the most goals in each Premier League season? And who is the top Premier League scorer this season?
Below we’ve answered all of the above questions – all players in the Premier League 100 club, the golden boot winners from previous Premier League seasons and the goalscoring charts from the most recent (2013/2014) Premier League season.
The top five Premier League goal scorers get their own little write up and a link to video of their goals. Everyone outside of that gets just their name, the clubs they played and scored for (or club, in the case of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Matt LeTissier) and, of course, their total number of Premier League goals.
You can also jump directly to the Premier League Golden Boot winners and Most Premier League goals this season sections.
Premier League Top Scorers This Season
All Time Premier League Top Scorers
The top ten all time Premier League top scorers are:
1. Alan Shearer: 260 goals in 434 appearances
2. Andy Cole: 187 goals in 408 appearances
2. Wayne Rooney: 187 goals in 374 appearances *
4. Frank Lampard: 177 goals in 586 appearances
5. Thierry Henry: 175 goals in 258 appearances
6. Robbie Fowler: 163 goals in 375 appearances
7. Michael Owen: 163 goals in 362 appearances
8. Les Ferdinand: 150 goals in 347 appearances
9. Teddy Sheringham: 147 goals in 407 appearances
10. Robin van Persie: 144 goals in 314 appearances
*Still playing
———————————————————————————————————-
ALAN SHEARER: Blackburn (1992-1996), Newcastle (1996-2006)
Alan Shearer, OBE, was born on 13th August 1970. Having started his career at Southampton, he went on to become one of the most prolific scorers of all time with Blackburn and his beloved Newcastle.
Great in the air, predatory from close range and deadly from distance, Shearer was at one time the complete striker. A series of knee injuries robbed him of some pace, but Shearer adapted his game in his later years and continued to find the net.
After the first ten years of the Premier League, Shearer was named as the outstanding player of the decade. He is also listed in the FIFA 100 greatest living footballers.
Shearer played 63 times for England, scoring 30 goals. He captained the side on 34 occasions.
Now working as a pundit on BBC television’s Match of the Day, Shearer had a brief spell as Newcastle United manager in 2008/9, when he took charge for the last eight games but was unable to save the club from relegation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqkfzH7A8Ow
ANDY COLE: Newcastle (1993-95), Manchester Utd (1995-2001), Blackburn (2001-04), Fulham (2004-05), Man City (2005-06), Portsmouth (2006-07), Birmingham (2007), Sunderland (2007-08)
Andy Cole, or Andrew Cole, as he now prefers to be called was born on 15th October 1971. He began his career with Arsenal, but played just one game before moving to Bristol City. His goal scoring exploits for The Robins caught the attention of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, who signed the striker in 1993. Cole partnered Peter Beardsley, won the First Division and continued scoring in the Premier League for he following two seasons.
He was sold controversially to Manchester United in 1995, where he went on to achieve huge success. He was the top scorer in Europe for United in the treble winning season of 1998-99, a season in which he and Dwight Yorke contributed 53 goals between them overall. Cole scored the goal that won the Premier League title, and the goal that took them to the Champions League final. He has five Premier League winners medals, one Champions League winners medal and two FA Cup winners medals.
Since leaving United Cole has played at Blackburn, Fulham, Mancheser City, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Sunderland, without quite recapturing his best goal scoring form. Cole finished his career with a loan move to Burnley and a brief spell at Nottingham Forest before retiring in 2008.
Cole was awarded the PFA Young player of the year award in 1994, and played 15 games for England, scoring just one goal.
WAYNE ROONEY: Everton (2002-04), Manchester United (2004-present)
Wayne Rooney was born on 24th October, 1985 and made his international debut in 2003 as the youngest player to represent England, until Theo Walcott debuted.
Widely regarded as the country’s best player, he has won the England Player of the Year award twice. In his 89 international caps, he has scored 38 goals and along with David Beckham, he is the most red carded player for England.
Rooney joined the youth team of Everton at the age of nine and he made his professional debut in 2002. He spent two years with the senior team at the Merseyside club before Sir Alex and Manchester United scooped him up for £25.6 million in 2004. Since then, United have won the Premier League four times, the 2007/08 Champions League and two League Cup.
On 17 October, a brilliant pass from Ander Herrera helped Rooney find the back of the net against his former club Everton. It was the third goal for Red Devils, who won the tie 3-0 at Goodison Park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbPH1AIc14w
FRANK LAMPARD: West Ham Utd (1995-2001), Chelsea (2001-2014), Manchester City (2014-2015)
Frank Lampard was born on 20th June, 1978 to the former West Ham player and manager, Frank Lampard, Sr’; Harry Redknapp is Lampard’s uncle. He is considered to be one of the best English footballers of his time.
Lampard is a box-to-box midfielder and is known for his work-rate, range of passing and exceptional goal-scoring ability. He began his career at West Ham United and secured a place in the first team in his third season with the club. The following season, he helped the team finish in the highest ever Premier League placing, at 5th.
In 2001, Lampard moved to rival club Chelsea for £11 million and he has been ever-present in the Chelsea first team since his debut. He holds a record of consecutive 164 English Premier League appearances.
In 2008, he signed a new contract with the West London club and became the highest paid Premier League footballer at the time. He had his most prolific season with Chelsea in 2009/10, where he won the Premier League title, the FA Cup, scored 22 league goals and assisted another 17 goals.
In the 2011/12 season, Lampard captained Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League title. Lampard is the only midfielder to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League and he is second in the Premier League’s all-time assists table with 91 assists.
He left Chelsea as a free agent and joined Major League Soccer outfit New York City FC. He returned to Premier League on a short loan spell, joining Manchester City.
On the international level, Lampard has been capped 103 times by England since 1999 and he has scored 29 goals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPwdH_t4DTA
THIERRY HENRY: Arsenal (1999-2007), Arsenal (2012)
Thierry Henry was born on 17th August 1977. He moved to Arsenal after a relatively successful career in France and Italy, but was regarded by many as an overrated wide player. Arsene Wenger converted Henry to be a striker and the rest, as they say, is history. Pacy, classy, goalscoring history.
Henry’s goals won the Premier League twice for Arsenal, including the 30 league goals he scored as Arsenal’s famous Invincibles went the entire 2003/4 season unbeaten. Henry was twice awarded the PFA Players Player of the Year award, and also won the Football Writers Player of the Year award on two occasions.
For France, Henry scored 51 goals in 123 appearances and has World Cup and European Championship winners medals.
Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, where he won La Liga, the Champions League, Copa Del Rey and the Club World Cup. He currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. Henry made an emotional loan return to Arsenal in January 2012, playing for 7 weeks and scoring a few crucial goals, including 2 in the league.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX5vpIok0j0
ROBBIE FOWLER: Liverpool (1993-2001), Leeds Utd (2001-03), Manchester City (2003-06), Liverpool (2006-07), Blackburn (2008)
Robbie Fowler was born on 9th April 1975. He grew up in Toxteth, a rough area of Liverpool, and went on to become one of the best players ever to represent the Reds. In 1995 and 1996 he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Renowned for his natural finishing ability, in 1994 Fowler scored three times in 4 minutes, 33 seconds against Arsenal, still the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history. His goal scoring exploits were always matched by the controversy surrounding him. He was particularly criticised when after scoring a goal he pretended to snort the paint from the six yard line, following rumours of a cocaine addiction. Presenting his backside to Graeme Le Saux, rumoured to be gay, was also an episode that Fowler should not be proud of.
Fowler left Liverpool for Leeds United and then Manchester City, but was back at Anfield for one more year in 2006/7. Fowler went on to play for Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers before moving to Australia in 2009, where he played a season for North Queensland Fury before moving to current club Perth Glory.
Fowler played 26 times for England scoring 7 goals.
MICHAEL OWEN: Liverpool (1996-2004), Real Madrid (2004-05), Newcastle United (2005-2009), Manchester United (2009-12), Stoke City (2012-13)
Michael Owen began his youth career in Liverpool in 1991. He progressed through the ranks and on his debut with the senior team in 1997, he scored. In his first full season in the English Premier League, he finished the season as the joint top-scorer with 18 goals.Michael James Owen was born on 14th December, 1979 in Chester, England. He is the son of a former forward of the 1970s, Terry Owen.
Liverpool won a cup treble of the UEFA Cup , FA Cup and the Football League Cup and Owen was awarded the Ballon d’Or. He went on to score 118 goals for the Reds in the Premier League.
In 2004, Owen moved to Real Madrid and was frequently used as a substitute. The following season, he returned to England to Newcastle United with the highest goals scored to number of minutes played ration in Spain.
He scored another 26 Premier League goals for Newcastle until he was picked up as a back-up striker by Alex Ferguson. To this day, he plays for Manchester United.
LES FERDINAND: Queens Park Rangers (1992-95), Newcastle (1995-97), Tottenham (1997-2003), West Ham (2002-03), Leicester (2003-04), Bolton (2004-05)
Like Shearer, Ferdinand was the complete package. Fast, strong, deadly in front of goal, and absolutely unbeatable in the air. After two years at Newcastle he moved on to Tottenham, where he spent six successful years before playing for West Ham, Leicester, Bolton and Reading.Les Ferdinand, MBE, was born on 8th December 1966. He began his career scoring goals galore for lower league Hayes, and continued to do so wherever he went. His first big move was to top flight Queens Park Rangers, where he spent eight years banging in goals from 1987 to 1995 before earning a high profile move to Newcastle United. On Tyneside, Ferdinand developed a frightening strike partnership with Alan Shearer.
Ferdinand was awarded the PFA players player award in 1996 and scored 5 goals for England gaining 17 caps.
TEDDY SHERINGHAM: Nottingham Forest (1991-92), Tottenham (1992-97), Manchester United (1997-01), Tottenham (2001-03), Portsmouth (2003-04), West Ham (2004-07)
Text:
ROBIN VAN PERSIE: Arsenal (2004-12), Manchester United (2012- 2015)
Premier League Topscorers: Other 100 club members
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: 127 goals (Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic)
Robbie Keane: 126 goals (Coventry City, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United, Aston Villa)
Nicolas Anelka: 125 goals (Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion)
Jermain Defoe: 124 goals (West Ham United, Portsmouth, Tottenham)
Dwight Yorke: 123 goals (Aston Villa, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sunderland)
Ian Wright: 113 goals (Arsenal, West Ham United)
Steven Gerrard: 111 goals (Liverpool)
Dion Dublin: 111 goals (Manchester United, Coventry City, Aston Villa)
Emile Heskey: 110 goals (Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa)
Ryan Giggs: 109 goals (Manchester United)
Paul Scholes: 107 goals (Manchester United)
Darren Bent: 106 goals (Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Fulham)
Matthew Le Tissier: 100 goals (Southampton)
Didier Drogba: 100 goals (Chelsea)
———————————————————————————————————-
1. Sergio Agüero Manchester City 26
2. Harry Kane Tottenham Hotspur 21
3. Diego Costa Chelsea 20
4. Charlie Austin Queens Park Rangers 18
5. Alexis Sánchez Arsenal 16
6. Saido Berahino West Bromwich Albion 14
6. Olivier Giroud Arsenal 14
6. Eden Hazard Chelsea 14
9. Christian Benteke Aston Villa 13
10. Graziano Pellè Southampton 12
———————————————————————————————————-
Golden Boot winners
The following table is a list of winners of the Premier League Golden Boot per season, detailing their club, goal tally, actual games played, and their strike rate (goals/games).
Key to symbols:
† – denotes the award was shared that season
C – denotes the club were also League Champions that season
E – denotes the player also won the European Golden Shoe that season
(x) – denotes multiple winners of the award and their running total
Season
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Which composer wrote the operas 'The Barber Of Seville' and 'William Tell'? | Exam 4 Music - StudyBlue
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Exam 4 Music
This composer’s most famous operas today are The Barber of Seville and William Tell.
: Gioachino Rossini
This composer is known as the “poet of the piano” and considered a national hero in Poland.
Frederic Chopin
What is meant by the Italian term “Risorgimento”?
A movement for a united Italy free of foreign domination
During his lifetime he was the most popular opera composer in Europe and even today his operas are performed more than those by any other composer
Giuseppe Verdi
This genre is a short, one-movement composition designed to improve one or more aspects of a performer’s technique
Etude
The Italian term for “beautiful singing” is:
bel canto
This term, literally meaning “total art work,” describes the unification of all the arts (poetry, music, acting, set design, etc.) for a single dramatic purpose.
Gesamtkunstwerk
Based on the success of an early opera, Rienzi, he was offered the post of director for Dresden’s opera theater; he eventually fled that city due to accumulated debt and his radical political activities.
Wagner
What is the typical subject matter of realistic opera?
Treats issues of everyday life in a realistic way.
The German genre that is a musical comedy or light musical drama is:
He achieved his first triumph at the age of thirty-five with Manon Lescaut; further successes followed in rapid succession, but after he became famous and wealthy, he grew a bit complacent, composing less frequently and his last opera was left unfinished at his death from throat cancer.
Puccini
Who are the lovers in La bohème?
Rodolfo and Mimi (like Rent)
What is the term for the Italian form of realistic opera?
Verismo Opera
. Musical nationalism was expressed through
National anthems, native dances, protest songs, and victory symphonies.
Which diagram represents modified strophic form?
Advertisement
Identify the genre of program music that consists of a single movement that gives expression to the emotions and events associated with a story, play, political event, or personal experience.
Symphonic poem (also known as a tone poem)
At her marriage she surpassed her husband in international fame, but put aside her career to be a wife and mother. After her husband’s death and needing money to pay the bills, she resumed her career as a touring piano virtuoso, playing in mourning black until she ceased her career in the 1890s.
Clara Wieck Schumann
Known for an iconoclastic musical style, his compositions call for an enormous number of musicians. He experimented with new instruments and wrote a treatise on musical instruments that is still used as a textbook in music conservatories around the world.
Hector Berlioz
Which genre typically precedes an opera or a play and consists of a single movement that encapsulates the essence of the drama?
Dramatic Overture
The idée fixe is associated with what object or idea?
the protagonist’s beloved (Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique)
Felix Mendelssohn
the most “classical” of the great Romantic composers, he used traditional forms such as sonata-allegro, a colorful but conservative harmony, and a distinctive orchestration featuring a light, dancing string sound. The influence of romanticism in his works is observed in literary influences and the use of program music, with nature and travel providing the impetus for many of his most famous orchestral compositions.
Identify the theme from the fifth movement of the Symphonie fantastique
Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath (His own personal Hell)
Which pedal shifts the position of the hammers on a piano, thereby reducing the dynamic level?
The soft pedal
Which genre of piano music suggests moonlit nights, romantic longing, and a certain painful melancholy?
Nocturne
This piano virtuoso traveled throughout Europe between 1839-1847, playing more than one thousand concerts and establishing the format of the modern-day piano recital. Audiences responded to his concerts with near hysteria: women tore at his clothing and fought for a lock of his hair.
Franz Liszt
This composer was a member of “The Mighty Handful,” or Russian Five, a group of young composers who rejected the influence of Western music and composed in a distinctly Russian style; he was the most original and least Western in musical style of this group.
Modest Mussorgsky
Which composer brought the orchestral Lied to maturity?
Franz Schubert
Terrified at the prospect of his works competing with those of Beethoven, it was many years before this composer wrote the first of his four symphonies. Although his formal education never went past primary school, he was awarded honorary degrees from Cambridge University and Breslau University.
Johannes Brahms
He was offered a substantial sum of money to become the Director of a new conservatory in New York City; while in the United States he composed his “American” Quartet and a ninth symphony, entitled “From the New World.”
Antonin Dvorak
most prolific composer of late-nineteenth-century program music, wrote in every genre of nineteenth-century music, but excelled in music requiring a large orchestra. The musical strengths of his compositions lie in their sweeping melodies, colorful instrumentation, dramatic contrasts,grand gestures.
Peter Tchaikovsky
Some of his most famous compositions are Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker.
Peter Tchaikovsky
Which composer had the greatest success in writing Lieder?
Franz Schubert
Which instrument was not added to the orchestra during the Romantic period?
Which instrument was not added to the orchestra during the Romantic period?
100+ musicians
Instrument led to all sorts of fanciful and lurid rumors?
Which term describes when a performer momentarily alters the tempo to enhance the expressive quality of the music?
rubato
Why did orchestras begin requiring a conductor during the early years of the nineteenth century?
The larger ensemble required someone to coordinate the effort.
A song for solo voice and piano accompaniment with high artistic aspirations. Art song was a frenzy of poetic activity during the nineteenth century
an art song
| Gioachino Rossini |
Which composer wrote the operas 'The Flying Dutchman' and 'Parsifal'? | Gioachino Rossini Sheet Music - Download Printable Music - OnlineSheetMusic.com
Home » Gioachino Rossini
Immensely popular in his own day, Italian composer Gioachino Rossini wrote several of the most famous and beloved operas in history. Download and print Rossini sheet music, including “Una Voce Poco Fa” from “Il barbiere di Siviglia” (The Barber of Seville), selections from “Tancredi” and “La Cenerentola,” and the “William Tell Overture.”
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During the reign of which king did the 'Model Parliament' sit? | Changes under Edward I - UK Parliament
Changes under Edward I
Elizabethan Parliaments
Changes under Edward I
Edward I made the meeting of Parliament a more frequent event and over the course of his reign of 35 years (1272-1307) he summoned it on 46 occasions. For the first 20 years of his reign it met regularly - almost twice a year. From 1278 official records were kept of its proceedings and decisions, written up and sewn together in long scrolls, the Rolls of Parliament.
Edward 1's first Parliament
In 1275 Edward I called his first Parliament. He summoned nobles and churchmen, but also issued orders (known as writs) for the election of two representatives from each county (the knights of the shire) and two from each city or town (the burgesses) to attend.
They were called on primarily to listen to and approve the King's plan for a new tax. Over the following years it became an accepted rule that the representatives of those who were going to be most affected by taxation had to give their consent to it in Parliament.
Model Parliament
However, the practice of summoning these representatives did not become standard for many years. The next time the burgesses were summoned along with the knights of the shire was in 1295. This was to become known as the Model Parliament, because its representation of two knights from each county and two burgesses from each town became normal for (almost) all future Parliaments.
Parliament and taxation
Parliament developed in the 13th and 14th centuries largely through the desire of Edward I and his successors to wage war. This needed more money than they had from their own wealth and they had to levy "extraordinary" taxes, with Parliament's assent, to raise the funds. But each time the King requested assent to a tax from Parliament, it could ask a favour back again and often used the King's desperation for money to get what it wanted.
Representatives of the people
Since January 1327 when Parliament removed Edward I's son, Edward II, from the throne every Parliament has included representatives of the people. The pattern was now set for Parliament always to comprise three bodies: Lords, Commons and the Monarch.
External links
The original parchment rolls of Parliament from the thirteenth century are at the National Archives at Kew.
| Edward I of England |
Which horse won the 2009 Epsom Derby? | Government | S-cool, the revision website
S-cool, the revision website
The structure of government
The structure of government in the fifteenth century was very different to what we are used to today. Parliament was used infrequently often for writs, issued by the King to suit himself (usually when he needed money!).
Although it was the King who would call parliaments and establish councils, this did not mean that he had absolute, arbitrary rule. It was accepted that the King was subject to the laws of the land, and for that reason, those who were ruled by Henry VII, and the other Tudors for that matter, considered constitutional law supreme. This idea went right back to the Magna Carta of 1216.
The Royal Household
This was the centre of government. It is sometimes referred to as the King's court - it's the same thing. Henry appreciated the need to make his own household a majestic and glittering court. Where he was frugal with money in other areas of government, he spent enormous amounts of money on his court.
Every noble would have had a household for the administration of their property and the localities over which they presided. This was the highest household in the land, and many nobles would have spent much of their time at court, rather than in their own households, especially if they had a central role in the running of the country. It was mobile, following the King wherever he went, but for most of the time the court was in one of the palaces in London.
As the King owned much of the land in the Kingdom, he had to administer the collection of rents and other dues. The household had another role in that it was where the informal business of government took place. Many issues would have been discussed along the corridors of the palace, and these informal chats could have a significant impact on legislation and cases brought before the numerous courts. This aspect of the Royal household also made it a melting pot for political intrigue and faction.
The Councils and Great Councils
A council was a group of individuals (councillors) who met on a regular basis to provide advice to the King, to be the centre of national administration, and to be a judicial court. It supervised the economic and religious life of the country also. (To a limited extent Henry already had a council when he became King as he had a number of advisors who had been resident at his court in Brittany, and who helped him win the backing of the French King for his invasion of England.) For most of the time the court was involved with day-to-day mundane tasks, only occasionally was it the centre of high politics.
Historians writing earlier in the Twentieth century held the view that Henry's councils constituted a new way of governing the country, however, nowadays, most historians are agreed that there are not many differences between the councils of Edward IV and Henry VII. Nevertheless, one of the differences was that Henry created offshoots form the main council to deal with specific areas of administration, thereby increasing effectiveness. An example of one of these was the 'Council Learned in Law' established in 1495.
Henry's councils were large (here we see continuity with councils of the past). He had over 240 councillors. Not all of these would meet at one time. Attendance records show that around 24 would meet at any one sitting.
The Great Councils were used later on in Henry's reign. These were more carefully selected men, and they would discuss issues at the heart of policy-making, like how much taxation to levy, foreign affairs and military campaign tactics. The notion of a Great Council, while not Henry's own idea, was a medieval institution that had fallen out of use by fifteenth century monarchs. Towards the end of his reign he ruled with the Council Learned only. John Guy maintains that this was 'personal monarchy at its height'.
The Court of Star Chamber
So called because the room that this group met in had stars on the ceiling. The role of this group was to preside over the hearings of poor men's legal suits, known as 'requests'. The role of the Court of Star Chamber was increased in Henry's reign to include two tribunals, one of 1487, and the other of 1495. The 1487 court dealt with laws against rioters and the likes. The court of 1495 was set up to deal with offences of perjury. Neither of these tribunals survived Henry's death.
Parliament had the crucial role of being a point of contact between the Royal household and the localities.
Local representatives would sit in parliament to petition the king with grievances.
Parliament would also levy taxation. The members were in an ideal position to know how much money their constituency was able to raise.
The role of parliament was to pass laws that would go into the Statute Book.
However, it was not a permanent institution. Remember that it met only when the King summoned it. Typically, they were used by all of the Tudor monarchs when the King or Queen was short of money. This gave to parliament what historians call 'the power of the purse'. In all, the parliaments of Henry VII met 7 times, and for a total of 24 weeks out of a reign of 24 years. It was an institutionused far more at the beginning of his reign than later on. This was not crucial to Henry since he was careful with money, and he did not pursue an aggressive foreign policy.
What historians say about Henry's use of parliament:
S.B. Chrimes: "Little or nothing of much significance occurred in the history of parliament in the reign of Henry VII...The precedents already set over the previous century or so were followed."
R.L. Storey: "The history of parliament in Edward IV's reign is very similar to what it was in Henry's."
J. Loach: "The parliaments of Henry VII's reign, and indeed, those of Henry VIII before 1529, were very like those of the Yorkists...Henry VII's parliaments were much more concerned with the needs of the monarch and his greater subjects than they were with the good of the country as a whole."
M.A.R. Graves: "Chrimes might dismiss the legislative record of Henry VII's parliaments because few of the 192 Acts were of major importance to the crown. Yet their intrinsic significance should not be denied. Over twenty Acts restored attainted persons. The lawyers' hands were writ large in legal reforms concerning murder, abduction, bail, fraud and counterfeit"
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Which cat-sized carniverous marsupial used to be known as the 'native cat' but is now usually known by its Aboriginal name? | Quoll Facts For Kids: Information, Pictures & Video
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Quoll Facts For Kids
The Quoll is a carnivorous marsupial. It is easily recognised by its distinctive pale spots. The quoll is native to Australia and New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss and the spread of invasive species (in particular the Cane Toad). This page contains quoll facts for kids and adults, and is part of our Australian Animals series.
Read on to find out all about this sharp-toothed marsupial …
Quoll Facts For Kids & Adults
Quolls are carnivorous (meat eating) marsupials.
Quolls are endemic to Australia and New Guinea (this means that they are only found in these areas).
There are 6 species of Quoll; 4 are found in Australia, 2 are found in New Guinea.
The largest species of Quoll is the Spotted-Tail Quoll (also called the Tiger Quoll), the smallest is the Northern Quoll.
The Northern Quoll is rated ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List. The other 5 species are rated ‘Near Threatened’.
Quolls are easily identified by the spots on their fur.
Quolls eat a range of animals, including insects, worms, lizards and rabbits. They will also feed on carrion.
‘Quoll’ is an Aboriginal name. Captain Cook saw Quolls in 1770, and heard local people using the name.
Quolls are good climbers, and are often found in trees.
Quolls are threatened by the spread of the poisonous Cane Toad and other non-native animals such as foxes.
Male Northern Quolls don’t live for very long. In some areas all of the males die after the breeding season, leaving only the females and their young.
Some people think that Quolls should be kept as pets, as this would increase their numbers.
What Do Quolls Look Like?
Quolls have distinctive white patches on their coats.
The quoll is around the size of a small cat. Its face is pointed, and its mouth is filled with sharp teeth. It has a moist, pink nose and bright eyes.
A quoll’s fur can range in colour from brown to black. Its coat is dotted with lighter patches. The spotted-tailed quoll is the only quoll species that also has spots on its tail.
The Quoll has ridges on the bottom of its feet to help it climb. It is unable to use its long tail to grip onto branches as monkeys do.
You can see an Eastern Quoll in the video below:
Nocturnal Hunters
The Quoll is mainly nocturnal, and tends to stay in its den during the day.
Quoll Species
There are six species of Quoll. Four are found in Australia and / or Tasmania , the other two are found in New Guinea . The six species of Quoll are listed below.
Are Quolls Endangered?
Five of the six species are rated ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List , and one is rated ‘Endangered’.
Quolls Found In Australia (with IUCN rating)
Eastern Quoll: Near Threatened. Found in Tasmania.
Northern Quoll: Endangered. Found in separate colonies in northern parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and in eastern Queensland.
Spotted-Tail Quoll (also called Tiger Quoll) Near Threatened. The largest species of quoll. Found in southeast Australia and Tasmania. A separate subspecies is found in eastern Queensland.
Western Quoll: Near Threatened. Found in southwest Western Australia.
Quolls Found In New Guinea (with IUCN rating)
Bronze Quoll: Near Threatened
New Guinean Quoll: Near Threatened
We’ll have a closer look at the 6 species of Quoll further down the page.
How Big Are Quolls?
Quolls vary in size. The smallest species are kitten-sized or smaller. The largest are a similar size to cats and small dogs.
There is quite a large size difference between Quoll species. The smallest Australian Quoll is the Northern Quoll, the largest the Spotted-Tailed Quoll. Northern quolls are the size of kittens, whereas Tiger Quolls are the size of full-grown cats or small dogs.
Tiger Quolls are the second largest carnivorous marsupial, and the largest on mainland Australia. The largest is the Tasmanian Devil, which is only found in Tasmania. Because of their long tails, Tiger Quolls are the longest carnivorous marsupial. Male Tiger Quolls can grow well over 1 metre (40 in) in length (including the tail).
Male Quolls are larger than females.
Marsupials
Quoll facts: Quolls are carnivorous marsupials.
Marsupials are mammals that give birth to relatively undeveloped young. The young (called joeys) climb into their mother’s pouch immediately after being born. Here they continue to develop, while feeding on their mother’s milk, until they are ready to fend for themselves.
The only species of quoll to have a full pouch is the Tiger Quoll. The other species have folds of skin on their undersides which develop into a pouch during the breeding season.
Quolls give birth to more joeys than they can carry in their pouches, which can hold only six joeys. They other babies perish.
Quoll joeys spend around 2 months in their mother’s pouch. They are then carried around on her back for around 6 weeks. The young Quolls use their sharp teeth to cling on to their mother.
Quoll Facts For Kids: What Do Quolls Eat?
Quolls are carnivorous, which means they eat meat. The larger the quoll, the larger its potential prey. Smaller quoll species eat insects, worms, frogs, lizards and small mammals. The Tiger Quoll also eats larger animals such as Possums, Rabbits and Hares. Quolls will also eat carrion, fruit and grass.
Quolls And Cane Toads
Quolls are threatened by the spread of poisonous Cane Toads in Australia.
Cane toads were deliberately introduced in Australia in 1935. Farmers hoped that the amphibians would control the number of Grey-Backed Cane Beetles damaging their crops.
The scheme was unsuccessful. There are now millions of Cane Toads in Australia, and they are spreading out from where they were originally introduced. Native predators such as the Quoll have no natural defences against the toad’s poison.
Sadly, Quolls are likely to be tempted by a nice juicy Cane Toad. Upon eating a Cane Toad, a Quoll will become very sick or die. Along with habitat loss, the Cane Toad is one of the main reasons that Quolls are becoming endangered.
Watch the video below to find out more about the effect Cane Toads have on Quolls.
You can find out more about Cane Toads here: Cane Toad Facts .
Quoll Species
Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus)
The Eastern Quoll is also known as an Eastern Native Cat. This medium-sized Quoll is now extinct in mainland Australia, but is widespread in Tasmania. Unlike all other Quolls, the Eastern Quoll only has four toes on its hind feet.
Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus)
The Northern Quoll is the smallest species of Quoll. All quolls have relatively short life spans, and the male Northern Quoll are particularly short-lived. In some areas, all adult male Northern Quolls die after the breeding season, leaving only female quolls and their young.
Spotted-Tailed Quoll (also called Tiger Quoll) (Dasyurus maculatus)
The Spotted-Tailed Quoll is also known as the Tiger Quoll. It is the largest Quoll, and the only one to have spots on its tail. There are two subspecies of Tiger Quoll. Dasyurus maculatus maculatus is found in southeast Australia, and Dasyurus maculatus gracilis is found in east Queensland.
(Subspecies are very closely related species. Differences between them are minimal, and they usually live in different places.)
Western Quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii)
The Western Quoll used to be found in 70% of Australia, but is now only found in a small area in southwest Australia. It is the second-largest Quoll. The Western Quoll is similar to the Eastern Quoll but has five toes on its hind feet.
Quolls Found In New Guinea
Little is known about the Quolls of New Guinea. The Bronze Quoll (Dasyurus spartacus) lives in the savanna and grasslands of southern New Guinea.
The New Guinean Quoll (Dasyurus albopunctatus) lives in the forests of northern New Guinea.
Quoll Facts For Kids Conclusion
We hope that you have enjoyed learning about this fierce little marsupial. You can learn about more amazing Australian animals here: Australian Animals .
| Quoll |
'21st. Century Break Down' was a 2009 number one hit album for which group? | ARKive blog 2012 January -
Australia , mammals , Marsupial
Australia Day is an annual celebration to mark the first arrival of ships in Sydney Cove from Great Britain in 1788. Held on the 26th January every year, Australia Day began as an anniversary dinner for the original colonists, to celebrate the love of the land they lived in. The name ‘Australia Day’ was not used until 1935, but today the anniversary still celebrates everything that’s great about Australia.
Here at ARKive, we thought we’d get into the spirit by celebrating some of Australia’s more unusually named critters…..
Quokka
Similar to a kangaroo or wallaby in appearance, the quokka was given its peculiar name by the Aboriginal people living in Western Australia. The quokka is a species of marsupial, and therefore has a pouch in which the young are raised.
Quokka (Setonix brachyurus)
Chuditch
A small cat-sized marsupial, the chuditch is nocturnal and spends its days sleeping in hollow logs or burrows. This species is Western Australia’s largest endemic carnivore, and will feed on a wide range of things from small mammals, to lizards, frogs and birds!
Chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii)
Crest-tailed mulgara
This desert marsupial mouse is well-adapted to its arid habitat. Having evolved kidneys capable of producing highly concentrated urine, the crest-tailed mulgara does not even need to drink, with its food providing it with adequate water.
Crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda)
Tasselled wobbegong
The highly unusual looking tasselled wobbegong is superbly camouflaged among sun-dappled coral by its beautiful mosaic markings. The scientific name of this shark roughly translates to ‘well fringed nose with shaggy beard’, and you can see why!
Tasselled wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon)
Greater bilby
With its long, slender hind legs and oversized ears, the greater bilby is certainly a comical looking animal. To add to this appearance, the tail is carried as a stiff banner during the bilby’s cantering run.
Greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis)
Dibbler
The rare dibbler is a small carnivorous marsupial, with strong jaws and sharp teeth which it uses to capture its prey of invertebrates and other small ground-dwelling creatures.
Dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis)
Kowari
Newborn kowaris measure a mere 4 millimetres long at birth, and remain in the female’s pouch for around 56 days. After this, the young are left in the nest or ride on the female’s back, until weaned at about 95 to 100 days.
Kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei)
Golden bandicoot
Now who wouldn’t find these young golden bandicoots cute?! These well presented bandicoots have fused toes on their hind feet, which form a comb for grooming.
Golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus)
Spotted any other unusually named Australian critters on ARKive? Let us know!
Celebrate Australia Day by taking a look at some of the other wonderful species found there .
Becky Moran, ARKive Species Text Author
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Which battle of 10th October 732 AD saw Charles Martel lead the Franks to a decisive victory against the Moors? | Charles Martel | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Charles Martel (c. 688 – 22 October 741) was a Frankish statesman and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace , was de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
The illegitimate son of Frankish strongman, Pepin of Heristal , and a noblewoman named Alpaida , Martel successfully asserted his claims to power as successor to his father as the power behind the throne in Frankish politics. Continuing and building on his father's work, he restored centralized government in Francia and began the series of military campaigns that re–established the Franks as the undisputed masters of all Gaul. In foreign wars, Martel subjugated Bavaria, Alemannia , and Frisia , vanquished the pagan Saxons, and halted the Islamic advance into Western Europe at the Battle of Tours . [6]
Martel is considered to be the founding figure of the European Middle Ages . Skilled as an administrator and warrior, he is often credited with a seminal role in the development of feudalism and knighthood. Martel was a great patron of Saint Boniface and made the first attempt at reconciliation between the Papacy and the Franks. The Pope wished him to become the defender of the Holy See and offered him the Roman consulship. Martel refused the offer, but it was a sign of the things to come . [7] [8]
Although Martel never assumed the title of king, he divided Francia, like a king, between his sons Carloman and Pepin . The latter became the first of the Carolingians , the family of Charles Martel, to become king. Martel's grandson, Charlemagne , extended the Frankish realms to include much of the West, and became the first Emperor since the fall of Rome . Therefore, on the basis of his achievements, Martel is seen as laying the groundwork for the Carolingian Empire . [9] [10] In summing up the man, Gibbon has written, Martel was "the hero of the age ," whereas Guerard describes him as being the "champion of the Cross against the Crescent ." [11] [12]
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Martel was born as the illegitimate son of Pepin of Herstal and his concubine Alpaida . [13] [14] He had a brother named Childebrand , who later became the Frankish dux of Burgundy . The brothers, being illegitimate, were not considered to be part of their father's paternal family, the Pippinids , who since the early seventh century had dominated the politics of Francia .
After the reign of Dagobert I (629-639) the Merovingians effectively ceded power to the Pippinids, who ruled the Frankish realm of Austrasia in all but name as Mayors of the Palace. They controlled the royal treasury, dispersed patronage, and granted land and privileges in the name of the figurehead king. Martel's father, Pepin, was the second member of the family to rule the Franks. Pepin was able to unite all the Frankish realms by conquering Neustria and Burgundy . He was the first to call himself Duke and Prince of the Franks, a title later taken up by Charles.
Pepin died of old age in 714. His legitimate grandchildren (his legitimate sons having predeceased him) claimed themselves to be his true successors and, with the help of Pepin's legitimate wife, Plectrude , tried to assume power in the realm. Pepin had agreed to name one of them, Theudoald , heir to Francia. Plectrude subsequently imprisoned Charles to secure matters. But he managed to escape. Charles was able to gather an army for himself, having gained favour among the Franks, primarily for his military prowess. Indeed, he was nicknamed Martel, meaning "the hammer" in French, by later, 9th century chronicles. [15] Although he was entirely neglected in his father's will, being a bastard son, Martel was now determined to become the ruler of all Francia.
Contesting for power
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The Frankish kingdoms at the time of the death of Pepin of Heristal. Aquitaine (yellow) was outside Arnulfing authority and Neustria and Burgundy (pink) were united in opposition to further Arnulfing dominance of the highest offices. Only Austrasia (green) supported an Arnulfing mayor, first Theudoald then Charles. The German duchies to the east of the Rhine were de facto outside of Frankish suzerainty at this time.
In December 714, Pepin of Herstal died. Prior to his death, he had, at his wife Plectrude's urging, designated Theudoald , his grandson by their son Grimoald , his heir in the entire realm. This was immediately opposed by the nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age. To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him imprisoned in Cologne, the city which was destined to be her capital. This prevented an uprising on his behalf in Austrasia , but not in Neustria .
Civil war of 715-718
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In 715, the Neustrian noblesse proclaimed Ragenfrid mayor of their palace on behalf of, and apparently with the support of, Dagobert III , who in theory had the legal authority to select a mayor, though by this time the Merovingian dynasty had lost most such powers.
The Austrasians were not to be left supporting a woman and her young son for long. Before the end of the year, Charles Martel had escaped from prison and been acclaimed mayor by the nobles of that kingdom. The Neustrians had been attacking Austrasia and the nobles were waiting for a strong man to lead them against their invading countrymen. That year, Dagobert died and the Neustrians proclaimed Chilperic II king without the support of the rest of the Frankish people.
In 716, Chilperic and Ragenfrid together led an army into Austrasia. The Neustrians allied with another invading force under Radbod, King of the Frisians and met Charles in battle near Cologne, which was still held by Plectrude. Charles had little time to gather men, or prepare, and the result was the only defeat of his life. According to Strauss and Gustave, Martel fought a brilliant battle, but realized he could not prevail because he was outnumbered so badly, and retreated.
He fled the field as soon as he realized he did not have the time or the men to prevail, retreating to the mountains of the Eifel to gather men, and train them. The king and his mayor then turned to besiege their other rival in the city and took it and the treasury, and received the recognition of both Chilperic as king and Ragenfrid as mayor. Plectrude surrendered on Theudoald's behalf.
Military brilliance
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At this juncture, however, events turned in favour of Charles. Having made the proper preparations, he fell upon the triumphant army near Malmedy as it was returning to its own province, and, in the ensuing Battle of Amblève , routed it. The few troops who were not killed or captured, fled. Several things were notable about this battle, in which Charles set the pattern for the remainder of his military career: first, he appeared where his enemies least expected him, while they were marching triumphantly home and far outnumbered him.
He also attacked when least expected, at midday, when armies of that era traditionally were resting. Finally, he attacked them how they least expected it, by feigning a retreat to draw his opponents into a trap. The feigned retreat, next to unknown in Western Europe at that time — it was a traditionally eastern tactic — required both extraordinary discipline on the part of the troops and exact timing on the part of their commander. Charles, in this battle, had begun demonstrating the military brilliance that would mark his rule. The result was an unbroken victory streak that lasted until his death.
In Spring 717, Charles returned to Neustria with an army and confirmed his supremacy with a victory at the Battle of Vincy , near Cambrai. He chased the fleeing king and mayor to Paris, before turning back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne. He took her city and dispersed her adherents. He allowed both Plectrude and the young Theudoald to live and treated them with kindness—unusual for those times , when mercy to a former gaoler, or a potential rival, was rare.
On this success, he proclaimed Chlotar IV king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the archbishop of Reims , Rigobert , replacing him with Milo , a lifelong supporter.
Consolidation of power
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After subjugating all Austrasia , he marched against Radbod and pushed him back into his territory, even forcing the concession of West Frisia (later part of the county of Holland). He also sent the Saxons back over the Weser and thus secured his borders—in the name of the new king Clotaire, of course. In 718, Chilperic responded to Charles' new ascendancy by making an alliance with Odo the Great (or Eudes, as he is sometimes known), the duke of Aquitaine , who had made himself independent during the civil war in 715, but was again defeated, at the Battle of Soissons , by Charles.
The king fled with his ducal ally to the land south of the Loire and Ragenfrid fled to Angers. Soon Clotaire IV died and Odo gave up on Chilperic and, in exchange for recognising his dukedom, surrendered the king to Charles, who recognised his kingship over all the Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his mayoralty, likewise over all the kingdoms (718).
Foreign wars from 718-732
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The Saracen Army outside Paris, 730-32, in an early nineteenth-century depiction by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
The ensuing years were full of strife. Between 718 and 723, Charles secured his power through a series of victories: he won the loyalty of several important bishops and abbots (by donating lands and money for the foundation of abbeys such as Echternach ), he subjugated Bavaria and Alemannia , and he defeated the pagan Saxons.
Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia. Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser, the Lippe , and the Ruhr. He defeated them in the Teutoburg Forest . In 719, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the Frisians , who had been subjects of the Franks but had seized control upon the death of Pippin. Although Charles did not trust the pagans, their ruler, Aldegisel , accepted Christianity, and Charles sent Willibrord , bishop of Utrecht , the famous "Apostle to the Frisians" to convert the people. Charles also did much to support Winfrid, later Saint Boniface , the "Apostle of the Germans."
When Chilperic II died the following year (720), Charles appointed as his successor the son of Dagobert III, Theuderic IV , who was still a minor, and who occupied the throne from 720 to 737. Charles was now appointing the kings whom he supposedly served, rois fainéants who were mere puppets in his hands; by the end of his reign they were so useless that he didn't even bother appointing one. At this time, Charles again marched against the Saxons. Then the Neustrians rebelled under Ragenfrid, who had left the county of Anjou. They were easily defeated (724), but Ragenfrid gave up his sons as hostages in turn for keeping his county. This ended the civil wars of Charles' reign.
The next six years were devoted in their entirety to assuring Frankish authority over the dependent Germanic tribes. Between 720 and 723, Charles was fighting in Bavaria, where the Agilolfing dukes had gradually evolved into independent rulers, recently in alliance with Liutprand the Lombard . He forced the Alemanni to accompany him, and Duke Hugbert submitted to Frankish suzerainty.
In 725 and 728, he again entered Bavaria and the ties of lordship seemed strong. From his first campaign, he brought back the Agilolfing princess Swanachild, who apparently became his concubine. In 730, he marched against Lantfrid , duke of Alemannia, who had also become independent, and killed him in battle. He forced the Alemanni capitulation to Frankish suzerainty and did not appoint a successor to Lantfrid. Thus, southern Germany once more became part of the Frankish kingdom, as had northern Germany during the first years of the reign.
But by 731, his own realm secure, Charles began to prepare exclusively for the coming storm from the south and west.
In 721, the emir of Córdoba had built up a strong army from Morocco, Yemen, and Syria to conquer Aquitaine, the large duchy in the southwest of Gaul, nominally under Frankish sovereignty, but in practice almost independent in the hands of the Odo the Great , the Duke of Aquitaine , since the Merovingian kings had lost power. The invading Muslims besieged the city of Toulouse, then Aquitaine's most important city, and Odo (also called Eudes, or Eudo) immediately left to find help.
He returned three months later just before the city was about to surrender and defeated the Muslim invaders on June 9, 721, at what is now known as the Battle of Toulouse . This critical defeat was essentially the result of a classic enveloping movement by Odo's forces. After Odo originally fled, the Muslims became overconfident and failed to maintain strong outer defenses and continuous scouting. Thus, when Odo returned, he was able to launch a near complete surprise attack on the besieging force, scattering it at the first attack, and slaughtering units caught resting or that fled without weapons or armour.
Raising an army
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Due to the situation in Iberia, Martel believed he needed a virtually full-time army—one he could train intensely—as a core of veteran Franks who would be augmented with the usual conscripts called up in time of war. (During the Early Middle Ages , troops were only available after the crops had been planted and before harvesting time.) To train the kind of infantry that could withstand the Muslim heavy cavalry, Charles needed them year-round, and he needed to pay them so their families could buy the food they would have otherwise grown.
To obtain money he seized church lands and property, and used the funds to pay his soldiers. The same Charles who had secured the support of the ecclesia by donating land, seized some of it back between 724 and 732. Of course, Church officials were enraged, and, for a time, it looked as though Charles might even be excommunicated for his actions. But then came a significant invasion.
Eve of the Battle of Tours
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The "Age of the Caliphs", showing Umayyad dominance stretching from the Middle East to the Iberian peninsula, including the port of Narbonne, c. 720
Historian Paul K. Davis wrote, "Having defeated Eudes, he turned to the Rhine to strengthen his northeastern borders - but in 725 was diverted south with the activity of the Muslims in Acquitane." [16] Martel then concentrated his attention to the Umayyads, virtually for the remainder of his life. Indeed, 12 years later, when he had thrice rescued Gaul from Umayyad invasions, Antonio Santosuosso noted when he destroyed an Umayyad army sent to reinforce the invasion forces of the 735 campaigns, "Charles Martel again came to the rescue." [17] Charles Martel could have pursued the wars against the Saxons—but he was determined to prepare for what he thought was a greater danger.
The Muslims were not aware, at that time, of the true strength of the Franks, or the fact that they were building a disciplined army instead of the typical barbarian hordes that had dominated Europe after Rome's fall. The Arab Chronicles, the history of that age, show that Arab awareness of the Franks as a growing military power came only after the Battle of Tours when the Caliph expressed shock at his army's catastrophic defeat.
Battle of Tours
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It was under one of their ablest and most renowned commanders, with a veteran army, and with every apparent advantage of time, place, and circumstance, that the Arabs made their great effort at the conquest of Europe north of the Pyrenees. [18]
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World
The Cordoban emirate had previously invaded Gaul and had been stopped in its northward sweep at the Battle of Toulouse , in 721. The hero of that less celebrated event had been Odo the Great , Duke of Aquitaine, who was not the progenitor of a race of kings and patron of chroniclers. It has previously been explained how Odo defeated the invading Muslims, but when they returned, things were far different. The arrival in the interim of a new emir of Cordoba , Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi , who brought with him a huge force of Arabs and Berber horsemen, triggered a far greater invasion.
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had been at Toulouse, and the Arab Chronicles make clear he had strongly opposed the Emir's decision not to secure outer defenses against a relief force, which allowed Odo and his relief force to attack with impunity before the Islamic cavalry could assemble or mount. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had no intention of permitting such a disaster again. This time the Umayyad horsemen were ready for battle, and the results were horrific for the Aquitanians .
Odo, hero of Toulouse, was badly defeated in the Muslim invasion of 732 at the battle prior to the Muslim sacking of Bordeaux, and when he gathered a second army, at the Battle of the River Garonne —Western chroniclers state, "God alone knows the number of the slain"— and the city of Bordeaux was sacked and looted. Odo fled to Charles, seeking help. Charles agreed to come to Odo's rescue, provided Odo acknowledged Charles and his house as his overlords, which Odo did formally at once. Charles was pragmatic; while most commanders would never use their enemies in battle, Odo and his remaining Aquitanian nobles formed the right flank of Charles's forces at Tours.
The Battle of Tours earned Charles the cognomen "Martel" ('Hammer') for the merciless way he hammered his enemies. Many historians, including Sir Edward Creasy , believe that had he failed at Tours, Islam would probably have overrun Gaul, and perhaps the remainder of Western Europe. Gibbon made clear his belief that the Umayyad armies would have conquered from Japan to the Rhine, and even England, having the English Channel for protection, with ease, had Martel not prevailed. Creasy said "the great victory won by Charles Martel ... gave a decisive check to the career of Arab conquest in Western Europe, rescued Christendom from Islam, [and] preserved the relics of ancient and the germs of modern civilization."
Gibbon's belief that the fate of Christianity hinged on this battle is echoed by other historians including John B. Bury , and was very popular for most of modern historiography. It fell somewhat out of style in the 20th century, when historians such as Bernard Lewis contended that Arabs had little intention of occupying northern France. More recently, however, many historians have tended once again to view the Battle of Tours as a very significant event in the history of Europe and Christianity. Equally, many, such as William E. Watson , still believe this battle was one of macrohistorical world-changing importance, if they do not go so far as Gibbon does rhetorically.
Contemporary historians
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Bataille de Poitiers, en octobre 732, by Charles de Steuben from 1834 to 1837.
In the modern era, Matthew Bennett and his co-authors of Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World, published in 2005, argue that "few battles are remembered 1,000 years after they are fought ... but the Battle of Poitiers, (Tours) is an exception ... Charles Martel turned back a Muslim raid that, had it been allowed to continue, might have conquered Gaul." Michael Grant, author of History of Rome, grants the Battle of Tours such importance that he lists it in the macrohistorical dates of the Roman era.
It is important to note however that modern Western historians, military historians, and writers, essentially fall into three camps. The first, those who believe Gibbon was right in his assessment that Martel saved Christianity and Western civilization by this battle are typified by Bennett, Paul Davis, Robert Martin, and educationalist Dexter B. Wakefield who writes in An Islamic Europe:
A Muslim France? Historically, it nearly happened. But as a result of Martel’s fierce opposition, which ended Muslim advances and set the stage for centuries of war thereafter, Islam moved no farther into Europe. European schoolchildren learn about the Battle of Tours in much the same way that American students learn about Valley Forge and Gettysburg." [19]
The second camp of contemporary historians believe that a failure by Martel at Tours could have been a disaster, destroying what would become Western civilization after the Renaissance. Certainly all historians agree that no power would have remained in Europe able to halt Islamic expansion had the Franks failed. William E. Watson , one of the most respected historians of this era, strongly supports Tours as a macrohistorical event, but distances himself from the rhetoric of Gibbon and Drubeck, writing, for example, of the battle's importance in Frankish and world history in 1993:
There is clearly some justification for ranking Tours-Poitiers among the most significant events in Frankish history when one considers the result of the battle in light of the remarkable record of the successful establishment by Muslims of Islamic political and cultural dominance along the entire eastern and southern rim of the former Christian, Roman world. The rapid Muslim conquest of Palestine, Syria, Egypt and the North African coast all the way to Morocco in the seventh century resulted in the permanent imposition by force of Islamic culture onto a previously Christian and largely non-Arab base. The Visigothic kingdom fell to Muslim conquerors in a single battle at the Battle of Guadalete on the Rio Barbate in 711, and the Hispanic Christian population took seven long centuries to regain control of the Iberian Peninsula. The Reconquista, of course, was completed in 1492, only months before Columbus received official backing for his fateful voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Had Charles Martel suffered at Tours-Poitiers the fate of King Roderick at the Rio Barbate, it is doubtful that a "do-nothing" sovereign of the Merovingian realm could have later succeeded where his talented major domus had failed. Indeed, as Charles was the progenitor of the Carolingian line of Frankish rulers and grandfather of Charlemagne, one can even say with a degree of certainty that the subsequent history of the West would have proceeded along vastly different currents had ‘Abd ar-Rahman been victorious at Tours-Poitiers in 732. [20]
The final camp of Western historians believe that the importance of the battle is dramatically overstated. This view is typified by Alessandro Barbero, who writes, "Today, historians tend to play down the significance of the battle of Poitiers, pointing out that the purpose of the Arab force defeated by Charles Martel was not to conquer the Frankish kingdom, but simply to pillage the wealthy monastery of St-Martin of Tours". [21] Similarly, Tomaž Mastnak writes:
Modern historians have constructed a myth presenting this victory as having saved Christian Europe from the Muslims. Edward Gibbon, for example, called Charles Martel the savior of Christendom and the battle near Poitiers an encounter that changed the history of the world... This myth has survived well into our own times... Contemporaries of the battle, however, did not overstate its significance. The continuators of Fredegar's chronicle, who probably wrote in the mid-eighth century, pictured the battle as just one of many military encounters between Christians and Saracens - moreover, as only one in a series of wars fought by Frankish princes for booty and territory... One of Fredegar's continuators presented the battle of Poitiers as what it really was: an episode in the struggle between Christian princes as the Carolingians strove to bring Aquitaine under their rule. [22]
However, it is vital to note, when assessing Charles Martel's life, that even those historians who dispute the significance of this one battle as the event that saved Christianity, do not dispute that Martel himself had a huge effect on Western European history. Modern military historian Victor Davis Hanson acknowledges the debate on this battle, citing historians both for and against its macrohistorical placement:
Recent scholars have suggested Poitiers, so poorly recorded in contemporary sources, was a mere raid and thus a construct of western myth-making or that a Muslim victory might have been preferable to continued Frankish dominance. What is clear is that Poitiers marked a general continuance of the successful defense of Europe (from the Muslims). Flush from the victory at Tours, Charles Martel went on to clear southern France from Islamic attackers for decades, unify the warring kingdoms into the foundations of the Carolingian Empire, and ensure ready and reliable troops from local estates. [23]
After Tours
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In the subsequent decade, Charles led the Frankish army against the eastern duchies, Bavaria and Alemannia, and the southern duchies, Aquitaine and Provence. He dealt with the ongoing conflict with the Frisians and Saxons to his northeast with some success, but full conquest of the Saxons and their incorporation into the Frankish empire would wait for his grandson Charlemagne, primarily because Martel concentrated the bulk of his efforts against Muslim expansion.
So instead of concentrating on conquest to his east, he continued expanding Frankish authority in the west, and denying the Emirate of Córdoba a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus. After his victory at Tours, Martel continued on in campaigns in 736 and 737 to drive other Muslim armies from bases in Gaul after they again attempted to expand beyond Al-Andalus.
Wars from 732-737
Charles Martel depicted in the French book "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum" by Guillaume Rouille , published in 1553.
Charles Martel's military campaigns in Aquitaine, Septimania and Provence after the Battle of Tour-Poitiers (734-742)
Between his victory of 732 and 735, Charles reorganized the kingdom of Burgundy, replacing the counts and dukes with his loyal supporters, thus strengthening his hold on power. He was forced, by the ventures of Radbod , duke of the Frisians (719-734), son of the Duke Aldegisel who had accepted the missionaries Willibrord and Boniface, to invade independence-minded Frisia again in 734. In that year, he slew the duke, who had expelled the Christian missionaries, in the battle of the Boarn and so wholly subjugated the populace (he destroyed every pagan shrine) that the people were peaceful for twenty years after.
The dynamic changed in 735 because of the death of Odo the Great, who had been forced to acknowledge, albeit reservedly, the suzerainty of Charles in 719. Though Charles wished to unite the duchy directly to himself and went there to elicit the proper homage of the Aquitainians, the nobility proclaimed Odo's son, Hunald of Aquitaine , whose dukedom Charles recognised when the Umayyads invaded Provence the next year, and who equally was forced to acknowledge Charles as overlord as he had no hope of holding off the Muslims alone.
This naval Arab invasion was headed by Abdul Rahman's son. It landed in Narbonne in 736 and moved at once to reinforce Arles and move inland. Charles temporarily put the conflict with Hunold on hold, and descended on the Provençal strongholds of the Umayyads. In 736, he retook Montfrin and Avignon, and Arles and Aix-en-Provence with the help of Liutprand, King of the Lombards . Nîmes, Agde , and Béziers , held by Islam since 725, fell to him and their fortresses were destroyed.
He crushed one Umayyad army at Arles, as that force sallied out of the city, and then took the city itself by a direct and brutal frontal attack, and burned it to the ground to prevent its use again as a stronghold for Umayyad expansion. He then moved swiftly and defeated a mighty host outside of Narbonnea at the River Berre, but failed to take the city. Military historians believe he could have taken it, had he chosen to tie up all his resources to do so—but he believed his life was coming to a close, and he had much work to do to prepare for his sons to take control of the Frankish realm.
A direct frontal assault, such as took Arles, using rope ladders and rams, plus a few catapults, simply was not sufficient to take Narbonne without horrific loss of life for the Franks, troops Martel felt he could not lose. Nor could he spare years to starve the city into submission, years he needed to set up the administration of an empire his heirs would reign over. In addition, he faced strong opposition from regional lords such as the patrician Maurentius, from Marseille, who revolted against the Frankish leader. Moreover, the Aquitanian duke Hunald threatened his lines of communication with the north, so deciding him to withdraw from Septimania and destroy several strongholds (Béziers, Agde, etc.). [24] He left Narbonne therefore, isolated and surrounded, and his son would return to conquer it for the Franks.
Notable about these campaigns was Charles' incorporation, for the first time, of heavy cavalry with stirrups to augment his phalanx . His ability to coordinate infantry and cavalry veterans was unequaled in that era and enabled him to face superior numbers of invaders, and to decisively defeat them again and again. Some historians believe the Battle against the main Muslim force at the River Berre, near Narbonne, in particular was as important a victory for Christian Europe as Tours. [25]
Further, unlike his father at Tours, Rahman's son in 736-737 knew that the Franks were a real power, and that Martel personally was a force to be reckoned with. He had no intention of allowing Martel to catch him unaware and dictate the time and place of battle, as his father had. He concentrated instead on seizing a substantial portion of the coastal plains around Narbonne in 736 and heavily reinforced Arles as he advanced inland.
Abdul Rahman's son planned from there to move from city to city, fortifying as they went, and if Martel wished to stop them from making a permanent enclave for expansion of the Caliphate, he would have to come to them, in the open, where, he, unlike his father, would dictate the place of battle. All worked as he had planned, until Martel arrived, albeit more swiftly than the Moors believed he could call up his entire army. Unfortunately for Rahman's son, however, he had overestimated the time it would take Martel to develop heavy cavalry equal to that of the Muslims.
The Caliphate believed it would take a generation, but Martel managed it in five years. Prepared to face the Frankish phalanx, the Muslims were totally unprepared to face a mixed force of heavy cavalry and infantry in a phalanx. Thus, Charles again championed Christianity and halted Muslim expansion into Europe. These defeats, plus those at the hands of Leo in Anatolia, were the last great attempt at expansion by the Umayyad Caliphate before the destruction of the dynasty at the Battle of the Zab , and the rending of the Caliphate forever, especially the utter destruction of the Umayyad army at River Berre near Narbonne in 737.
Interregnum
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In 737, at the tail end of his campaigning in Provence and Septimania , the king, Theuderic IV, died. Martel, titling himself maior domus and princeps et dux Francorum, did not appoint a new king and nobody acclaimed one. The throne lay vacant until Martel's death. As the historian Charles Oman says (The Dark Ages, pg 297), "he cared not for name or style so long as the real power was in his hands."
Gibbon has said Martel was "content with the titles of Mayor or Duke of the Franks, but he deserved to become the father of a line of kings," which he did. Gibbon also says of him, "in the public danger, he was summoned by the voice of his country."
The interregnum, the final four years of Charles' life, was more peaceful than most of it had been and much of his time was now spent on administrative and organisational plans to create a more efficient state. Though, in 738, he compelled the Saxons of Westphalia to do him homage and pay tribute, and in 739 checked an uprising in Provence, the rebels being under the leadership of Maurontus. Charles set about integrating the outlying realms of his empire into the Frankish church.
He erected four dioceses in Bavaria ( Salzburg , Regensburg , Freising , and Passau ) and gave them Boniface as archbishop and metropolitan over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at Mainz. Boniface had been under his protection from 723 on; indeed the saint himself explained to his old friend, Daniel of Winchester, that without it he could neither administer his church, defend his clergy, nor prevent idolatry. It was Boniface who had defended Charles most stoutly for his deeds in seizing ecclesiastical lands to pay his army in the days leading to Tours, as one doing what he must to defend Christianity.
In 739, Pope Gregory III begged Charles for his aid against Liutprand, but Charles was loath to fight his onetime ally and ignored the Papal plea. Nonetheless, the Papal applications for Frankish protection showed how far Martel had come from the days he was tottering on excommunication, and set the stage for his son and grandson to rearrange Italian political boundaries to suit the Papacy, and protect it.
Death (741)
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14th century depiction of the death of Charles Martel.
Charles Martel died on October 22, 741, at Quierzy-sur-Oise in what is today the Aisne département in the Picardy region of France. He was buried at Saint Denis Basilica in Paris. His territories were divided among his adult sons a year earlier: to Carloman he gave Austrasia and Alemannia (with Bavaria as a vassal), to Pippin the Younger Neustria and Burgundy (with Aquitaine as a vassal), and to Grifo nothing, though some sources indicate he intended to give him a strip of land between Neustria and Austrasia.
Gibbon called him "the hero of the age" and declared "Christendom ... delivered ... by the genius and good fortune of one man, Charles Martel."
Legacy
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At the beginning of Charles Martel's career, he had many internal opponents and felt the need to appoint his own kingly claimant, Clotaire IV. By his end, however, the dynamics of rulership in Francia had changed, no hallowed Meroving was needed, neither for defence nor legitimacy: Charles divided his realm between his sons without opposition (though he ignored his young son Bernard ). In between, he strengthened the Frankish state by consistently defeating, through superior generalship, the host of hostile foreign nations which beset it on all sides, including the non-Christian Saxons, which his grandson Charlemagne would fully subdue, and Moors, which he halted on a path of continental domination.
Charles Martel divides the realm between Pepin and Carloman. Grandes Chroniques de France. Bibliothèque Nationale.
Though he never cared about titles, his son Pippin did, and finally asked the Pope "who should be King, he who has the title, or he who has the power?" The Pope, highly dependent on Frankish armies for his independence from Lombard and Byzantine power (the Byzantine Emperor still considered himself to be the only legitimate "Roman Emperor", and thus, ruler of all of the provinces of the ancient empire , whether recognised or not), declared for "he who had the power" and immediately crowned Pippin.
Decades later, in 800, Pippin's son Charlemagne was crowned emperor by the Pope, further extending the principle by delegitimising the nominal authority of the Byzantine Emperor in the Italian peninsula (which had, by then, shrunk to encompass little more than Apulia and Calabria at best) and ancient Roman Gaul, including the Iberian outposts Charlemagne had established in the Marca Hispanica across the Pyrenees, what today forms Catalonia. In short, though the Byzantine Emperor claimed authority over all the old Roman Empire , as the legitimate "Roman" Emperor, it was simply not reality.
The bulk of the Western Roman Empire had come under Carolingian rule, the Byzantine Emperor having had almost no authority in the West since the sixth century, though Charlemagne, a consummate politician, preferred to avoid an open breach with Constantinople. An institution unique in history was being born: the Holy Roman Empire . Though the sardonic Voltaire ridiculed its nomenclature, saying that the Holy Roman Empire was "neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire," it constituted an enormous political power for a time, especially under the Saxon and Salian dynasties and, to a lesser, extent, the Hohenstaufen . It lasted until 1806, by which time it was a nonentity. Though his grandson became its first emperor, the "empire" such as it was, was largely born during the reign of Charles Martel.
Charles was that rarest of commodities in the Middle Ages: a brilliant strategic general, who also was a tactical commander par excellence, able in the heat of battle to adapt his plans to his foe's forces and movement — and amazingly, to defeat them repeatedly, especially when, as at Tours, they were far superior in men and weaponry, and at Berre and Narbonne, when they were superior in numbers of fighting men. Charles had the last quality which defines genuine greatness in a military commander: he foresaw the dangers of his foes, and prepared for them with care; he used ground, time, place, and fierce loyalty of his troops to offset his foe's superior weaponry and tactics; third, he adapted, again and again, to the enemy on the battlefield, shifting to compensate for the unforeseen and unforeseeable.
Gibbon, whose tribute to Martel has been noted, was not alone among the great mid era historians in fervently praising Martel; Thomas Arnold ranks the victory of Charles Martel even higher than the victory of Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in its impact on all of modern history:
Charles Martel's victory at Tours was among those signal deliverances which have affected for centuries the happiness of mankind.
—History of the later Roman Commonwealth, vol ii. p. 317.
13th-century tomb of Charles Martel, Basilique Saint-Denis [26]
Tomb of Charles Martel, Basilique Saint-Denis (detail).
German historians are especially ardent in their praise of Martel and in their belief that he saved Europe and Christianity from then all-conquering Islam, praising him also for driving back the ferocious Saxon barbarians on his borders. Schlegel speaks of this "mighty victory" in terms of fervent gratitude, and tells how "the arm of Charles Martel saved and delivered the Christian nations of the West from the deadly grasp of all-destroying Islam", and Ranke points out,
as one of the most important epochs in the history of the world, the commencement of the eighth century, when on the one side Mohammedanism threatened to overspread Italy and Gaul, and on the other the ancient idolatry of Saxony and Friesland once more forced its way across the Rhine. In this peril of Christian institutions, a youthful prince of Germanic race, Karl Martell, arose as their champion, maintained them with all the energy which the necessity for self-defence calls forth, and finally extended them into new regions.[ citation needed ]
In 1922 and 1923, Belgian historian Henri Pirenne published a series of papers, known collectively as the "Pirenne Thesis", which remain influential to this day. Pirenne held that the Roman Empire continued, in the Frankish realms, up until the time of the Arab conquests in the 7th century. These conquests disrupted Mediterranean trade routes leading to a decline in the European economy. Such continued disruption would have meant complete disaster except for Charles Martel's halting of Islamic expansion into Europe from 732 on. What he managed to preserve led to the Carolingian Renaissance , named after him.
Professor Santosuosso [17] perhaps sums up Martel best when he talks about his coming to the rescue of his Christian allies in Provence, and driving the Muslims back into the Iberian Peninsula forever in the mid and late 730s:
After assembling forces at Saragossa the Muslims entered French territory in 735,[ citation needed ] crossed the River Rhone and captured and looted Arles. From there they struck into the heart of Provence, ending with the capture of Avignon, despite strong resistance. Islamic forces remained in French territory for about four years, carrying raids to Lyon, Burgundy, and Piedmont. Again Charles Martel came to the rescue, reconquering most of the lost territories in two campaigns in 736 and 739, except for the city of Narbonne, which finally fell in 759. The second (Muslim) expedition was probably more dangerous than the first to Poitiers. Yet its failure (at Martel's hands) put an end to any serious Muslim expedition across the Pyrenees (forever).[ citation needed ]
Skilled as an administrator and ruler, Martel organized what would become the medieval European government: a system of fiefdoms, loyal to barons, counts, dukes and ultimately the King, or in his case, simply maior domus and princeps et dux Francorum. (" Mayor of the Palace , Duke of the Franks ") His close coordination of church with state began the medieval pattern for such government. He created what would become the first western standing army since the fall of Rome by his maintaining a core of loyal veterans around which he organized the normal feudal levies. In essence, he changed Europe from a horde of barbarians fighting with one another, to an organized state.
Beginning of the Reconquista
Further information: Reconquista
Although it took another two decades for the Franks to drive all the Arab garrisons out of Septimania and across the Pyrenees, Charles Martel's halt of the invasion of French soil turned the tide of Islamic advances, and the unification of the Frankish kingdoms under Martel, his son Pippin the Younger, and his grandson Charlemagne created a western power which prevented the Emirate of Córdoba from expanding over the Pyrenees. Martel, who in 732 was on the verge of excommunication, instead was recognised by the Church as its paramount defender. Pope Gregory II wrote to him more than once, asking his protection and aid, [27] and he remained, till his death, fixated on stopping the Muslims.
Martel's son Pippin the Younger (Pepin II, The Short) kept his father's promise and returned and took Narbonne by siege in 759. His grandson, Charlemagne , actually established the Marca Hispanica across the Pyrenees in part of what today is Catalonia, reconquering Girona in 785 and Barcelona in 801. Carolingians called this region of modern-day Spain "The Moorish Marches", and saw it as more than a simple check on the Muslims in Hispania.[ citation needed ] It formed a permanent buffer zone against Islam and became the basis, along with the efforts of Pelayo (Latin: Pelagius) and his descendants, for the Reconquista .
Military legacy
Edit
Stained glass window depicting Charles Martel at Strasbourg Cathedral .
Victor Davis Hanson argues that Charles Martel launched "the thousand year struggle" between European heavy infantry and Muslim cavalry . [28] Of course, Martel is also the father of heavy cavalry in Europe, as he integrated heavy armoured cavalry into his forces. This creation of a real army would continue all through his reign, and that of his son, Pepin the Short, until his Grandson, Charlemagne, would possess the world's largest and finest army since the peak of Rome. [29] Equally, the Muslims used infantry - indeed, at the Battle of Toulouse most of their forces were light infantry. It was not till Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi brought a huge force of Arab and Berber cavalry with him when he assumed the emirate of Al-Andulus that the Muslim forces became primarily cavalry.
Martel's army was the first standing permanent army since the fall of Rome in 476. [29] At its core was a body of tough, seasoned heavy infantry who displayed exceptional resolution at Tours. The Frankish infantry wore as much as 70 pounds of armour, including their heavy wooden shields with an iron boss. Standing close together, and well disciplined, they were unbreakable at Tours. [30] Martel had taken the money and property he had seized from the church and paid local nobles to supply trained ready infantry year round.
This was the core of veterans who served with him on a permanent basis, and as Hanson says, "provided a steady supply of dependable troops year around." While other Germanic cultures, such as the Visigoths or Vandals, had a proud martial tradition, and the Franks themselves had an annual muster of military aged men, such tribes were only able to field armies around planting and harvest. It was Martel's creation of a system whereby he could call on troops year round that gave the Carolingians the first standing and permanent army since Rome's fall in the west.
Charles Martel's most important military achievement was the victory at Tours. Creasy argues that the Martel victory "preserved the relics of ancient and the gems of modern civilizations." Gibbon called those eight days in 732, the week leading up to Tours, and the battle itself, "the events that rescued our ancestors of Britain, and our neighbours of Gaul [France], from the civil and religious yoke of the Koran." Paul Akers, in his editorial on Charles Martel, says for those who value life and freedom "you might spare a minute sometime today, and every October, to say a silent 'thank you' to a gang of half-savage Germans and especially to their leader, Charles 'The Hammer' Martel." [31]
Martel analysed what would be necessary for him to withstand a larger force and superior technology (the Muslim horsemen had adopted the armour and accoutrements of heavy cavalry from the Sassanid warrior class, which made the armored mounted knight possible). Not daring to send his few horsemen against the Islamic cavalry, he had his army fight in a formation used by the ancient Greeks to withstand superior numbers and weapons by discipline, courage, and a willingness to die for their cause: a phalanx. He had trained a core of his men year round, using mostly Church funds, and some had been with him since his earliest days after his father's death. It was this hard core of disciplined veterans that won the day for him at Tours.
Hanson emphasizes that Martel's greatest accomplishment as a general may have been his ability to keep his troops under control. Iron discipline saved his infantry from the fate of so many infantrymen - such as the Saxons at Hastings - who broke formation and were slaughtered piecemeal. After using this infantry force by itself at Tours, he studied the foe's forces and further adapted to them, initially using stirrups and saddles recovered from the foe's dead horses, and armour from the dead horsemen.
The defeats Martel inflicted on the Muslims were vital in that the split in the Islamic world left the Caliphate unable to mount an all-out attack on Europe via its Iberian stronghold after 750. His ability to meet this challenge, until the fragmentation of authority within the Muslims, is considered by most historians to be of macrohistorical importance, and is why Dante writes of him in Heaven as one of the "Defenders of the Faith."
H. G. Wells says of Charles Martel's decisive defeat of the Muslims in his "Short History of the World:
The Muslim when they crossed the Pyrenees in 720 found this Frankish kingdom under the practical rule of Charles Martel, the Mayor of the Palace of a degenerate descendant of Clovis, and experienced the decisive defeat of Poitiers (732) at his hands. This Charles Martel was practically overlord of Europe north of the Alps from the Pyrenees to Hungary." [32]
However, when the Muslim first crossed the Pyrenees, Aquitaine was actually an independent realm under duke Odo's leadership and the Gothic Septimania remained out of Frankish rule. Odo, who was Charles's southern rival, had struck a peace treaty after the Frankish civil wars in Neustria and Austrasia, and garnered much popularity and the Pope's favour for his victory on the 721 Battle of Toulouse against the Moors. On the eve of the Muslim expedition north (731), Charles Martel crossed the Loire and captured the Aquitanian city of Bourges, while Odo re-captured it briefly after.
John H. Haaren says in “Famous Men of the Middle Ages”
The battle of Tours, or Poitiers, as it should be called, is regarded as one of the decisive battles of the world. It decided that Christians, and not Moslems, should be the ruling power in Europe. Charles Martel is especially celebrated as the hero of this battle.
Just as his grandson, Charlemagne, would become famous for his swift and unexpected movements in his campaigns, Charles was renowned for never doing what his enemies forecast he would do, and for moving far faster than his opponents believed he could.
It is notable that the Northmen did not begin their European raids until after the death of Martel's grandson, Charlemagne. They had the naval capacity to begin those raids at least three generations earlier, and constructed defenses against counterattacks by land, but chose not to challenge Martel, his son Pippin, or his grandson, Charlemagne. This was probably fortunate for Martel, who despite his enormous gifts, would probably not have been able to repel the Vikings in addition to the Muslims, Saxons, and everyone else he defeated.
Conclusion
Edit
J.M. Roberts says of Charles Martel in his note on the Carolingians on page 315 of his 1993 History of the World:
It (the Carolingian line) produced Charles Martel, the soldier who turned the Arabs back at Tours, and the supporter of Saint Boniface, the Evangelizer of Germany. This is a considerable double mark to have left on the history of Europe."
Gibbon perhaps summarized Charles Martel's legacy most eloquently: "in a laborious administration of 24 years he had restored and supported the dignity of the throne... by the activity of a warrior who in the same campaign could display his banner on the Elbe, the Rhone, and shores of the ocean."
Family and children
| battle of tours or poitiers |
What is the state capital of New South Wales? | Charles "Martel", Mayor of the Palace (686 - 741) - Genealogy
Ancestors of Charlemagne
Charles "Martel", Mayor of the Palace
Dutch: Karel "Martel", hofmeier van het Frankische Rijk, French: Charles "Martel", maire du palais, German: Karl "Martell", fränkischer Hausmeier, Latin: Carolus "Martellus", Maior domus
Also Known As:
"the hammer", "maior domus of austrasia", ""The Hammer""
Birthdate:
Herstal, Liège, Walloon Region, Belgium
Death:
in Quierzy, Aisne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, France
Place of Burial:
Half brother of Drogo, duc de Champagne et Bourgogne and Grimoald II the Younger
Occupation:
Mayor of the Palaces of Austrasia & Neustria 714-741, Duke of the Franks 717, Commander of the Franks at the Battle of Tours 732, Duke and Prince of the Franks, fränkischer Hausmeier, Herzog der Franken, Kuningas, Duc des Austrasiens, Frankish King
Managed by:
Oct 22 741 - Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
Parents:
Pepin Ii Mayor The Palace Deheristal, Aupais Deheristal (born Alpaide)
Siblings:
Childebrand De Heristal Martel, Childebrand I Autun
Wife:
Rotrude Detrêves Martel (born Dethurgovierotrude Chrotrude Ruodhaid Rotru Of)
Children:
...I Martel D'heristal Of Austrasia, Bernard Bernhard Count Abbot Of Saint-quentin Duke Of The Franks, King Pepin Iii Carolingian "...
Oct 22 741 - Ciersy, France
Parents:
Pepinus D'heristallus Ii Duke Of Austrasia, Unknown Duke Of Austrasia (born Aupais)
Wife:
Chrotrud King Of Franks (born Of Alemania)
Children:
Oct 22 741 - Ciersy, France
Parents:
Pepinus D'heristallus Ii Duke Of Austrasia, Unknown Duke Of Austrasia (born Aupais)
Wife:
Chrotrud King Of Franks (born Of Alemania)
Children:
Oct 22 741 - Quiercy-sur-Oise
Parents:
...iordomus In Austrasia And Neustria And Bourgogne 680,, Alpais Maiordomus In Austrasia (719-741), Duke Of Franks (737-741) (Sol. Of Childe...
Wife:
Unknown Maiordomus In Austrasia (719-741), Duke Of Franks (737-741)
Son:
Oct 22 741 - Ciersy, France
Parents:
Pepinus D'heristallus Ii Duke Of Austrasia, Unknown Duke Of Austrasia (born Aupais)
Wife:
Chrotrud King Of Franks (born Of Alemania)
Children:
Pippin Ii (El. Pépin) De Héristal King Of Franks
Wife:
Rotrude Daughter Of Leudwinus Duke Of Franks
Son:
Rotrude ou Rothrude ou Chiltrude DE HERSTAL (born DE THURGOVIE ; DE TREVES)
Son:
Pipin Ii Duke Of Franks
Son:
Pipin Ii King Of Franks
Son:
Pipin Ii Maiordomus In Austrasia King Of Franks
Son:
Pipin D Ii. Og Fede Af Herstal, Alpaida (Elfide, Chalpaida) Af Herstal
Son:
Between Jan 4 688 and Jan 3 689 - Liege, Liege, Belgium
Death:
See Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-cPxNkrD9k
Charles "The Hammer" Martel was the defacto King of the Franks from 737-741 (Officially he was Duke and Prince of the Franks). He was also known as a great general, and is most famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
Please add to Discussion if you want to change the locked naming fields.
Martel was the son of Pepin II and his concubine, Alpaida.
Around 670, Pepin had married Plectrude, who had inherited substantial estates in the Moselle region. She was the mother of Drogo of Champagne and Grimoald, both of whom died before their father. However, Pepin also had a mistress named Alpaida (or Chalpaida) who bore him two more sons: Charles and Childebrand. Charles had gained favor among the Austrasians, primarily for his military prowess and ability to keep them well supplied with booty from his conquests. Despite the efforts of Plectrude to silence her rival's child by imprisoning him, he became the sole mayor of the palace --and de facto ruler of Francia-- after a civil war which lasted for more than three years after Pepin's death.
Martel was also grandfather to Charlemagne.
Charles Martel married twice:
His first wife was Rotrude of Treves, (690-724) (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Bishop of Treves). They had the following children:
Hiltrud (d. 754), married Odilo I, Duke of Bavaria
Carloman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Martel
Maire du Palais D'Austrasie, Duc Des Francs
Carlos Martel (*Heristal, Bélgica, 23 de agosto de 686 – 22 de octubre de 741) fue Mayordomo de palacio del reino de Austrasia desde el año 715 hasta su muerte. Era hijo no matrimonial de Pipino de Heristal (llamado el Joven o Pipino II) y de su concubina Alpaïde de Bruyères.
CHARLES MARTEL
[O.Fr.,=Charles the Hammer], 688?–741, Frankish ruler, illegitimate son of Pepin of Heristal and grandfather of Charlemagne. After the death of his father (714) he seized power in Austrasia from Pepin's widow, who was ruling as regent for her grandsons, and became mayor of the palace. He subsequently subdued the W Frankish kingdom of Neustria and began the reconquest of Burgundy, Aquitaine, and Provence. Charles Martel defeated the Spanish Muslims at the battle of Tours (732–33) and began the military campaigns that reestablished the Franks as the rulers of Gaul. Although he never assumed the title of king, he divided the Frankish lands, like a king, between his sons Pepin the Short and Carloman.
See F. Lot, The End of the Ancient World and the Beginnings of the Middle Ages (1927, tr. 1961); E. James, The Origins of France: Clovis and the Capetians, a.d. 500–1000 (1982).
____________________
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Charles "The Hammer" Martel (, ) (ca. 688688
Events...
– 22 October 741741 Summary
Sorry, no overview for this topic
) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace and ruled the Franks in the name of a titular King. Late in his reign he proclaimed himself Duke of the FranksFacts About Duke of the Franks
The title dux et princeps Francorum, or duke and prince of the Franks, was the title adopted by Pepin of Heristal ...
(the last four years of his reign he did not even bother with the façade of a King) and by any name was de facto ruler of the Frankish Realms. In 739739
Events...
he was offered an office of Roman consulRoman consul
Consul was the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic and the Empire....
by the Pope, which he rejected possibly not to conflict with Theodatus Ursus who already occupied the office by appointment of the Byzantine emperor Leo III the IsaurianLeo III the Isaurian
Leo III the Isaurian or the Syrian , was Byzantine emperor from 717 until his death in 741....
. He expanded his rule over all three of the FrankishFranks
The Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Germanic federations....
kingdoms: AustrasiaAustrasia
Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of pr...
, NeustriaNeustria
The territory of Neustria originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating mos...
and BurgundyFacts About Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts , Romans , and various German...
. Martel was born in HerstalHerstal
Herstal is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Lige....
, in present-day BelgiumBelgium
The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France and is...
, the illegitimate son of Pippin the MiddlePippin of Herstal
Pippin of Herstal , also known as Pippin the Middle, Pippin the Younger , or Pippin II, was the grandson ...
and his concubine AlpaidaAlpaida
Alpaida was also known as Chalpaida....
(or Chalpaida). He was described by Louis Gustave and Charles Strauss in their book "Moslem and Frank; or, Charles Martel and the rescue of Europe" as a tall, powerfully built man, who was more agile than his size would lead men to believe.
He is best remembered for winning the Battle of ToursBattle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic The Court of Martyrs was fought n...
in 732732
732 is also an area code in the state of New Jersey....
, which has traditionally been characterized as an event that halted the Islamic expansionism in EuropeEurope Overview
Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
that had conquered IberiaIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe....
. "Charles's victory has often been regarded as decisive for world history, since it preserved western Europe from Muslim conquest and Islamization."
In addition to being the leader of the army that prevailed at Tours, Charles Martel was a truly giant figure of the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
. A brilliant general, he is considered the forefather of western heavy cavalryHeavy cavalry
Heavy cavalry refers to heavily armed and armoured mounted troops, as opposed to light cavalry, in which the riders are rela...
, chivalryChivalry
Chivalry refers to the medieval institution of knighthood and, most especially, the ideals that were associated with it....
, founder of the Carolingian EmpireFacts About Carolingian Empire
The term Carolingian Empire is sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the dynasty of the Carolingians....
(which was named after him), and a catalyst for the feudal systemFeudalism
Feudalism refers to a general set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility of Europe during t...
, which would see Europe through the Middle Ages. Although some recent scholars have suggested he was more of a beneficiary of the feudal system than a knowing agent for social change, others continue to see him as the primary catalyst for the feudal systemFeudalism Summary
Feudalism refers to a general set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility of Europe during t...
.
Birth and Youth
The following tale is told of Charles, and the origins of his name: in 686, Pippin II and his wife Plectrude were talking together in a room when they were intruded upon by a messenger, bringing news that the Mayor's mistress, AlpaidaAlpaida
Alpaida was also known as Chalpaida....
, had given birth to a son at Herstal.The messenger, fearful of arousing the wrath of Plectrude, decided not to announce the news directly. Instead, he said: "Long live the king, it is a carl" ('man'). Pippin, equally cautious of his wife, dismissed the messenger as follows: "A carl, is it? Then let him be called that." This was done, and, so legend claims, the child was named "Carl". Alpaida also bore Pippin another son, Childebrand.
Contesting for power
In December 714, Pippin the Middle died. Prior to his death, he had, at his wife PlectrudePlectrude
Plectrude or Plectrudis was the wife of Pepin of Heristal, the mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, from about ...
's urging, designated TheudoaldTheudoald
Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria ...
, his grandson by their son Grimoald, his heir in the entire realm. This was immediately opposed by the nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age. To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him gaoled (jailed) in CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Feder...
, the city which was destined to be her capital. This prevented an uprising on his behalf in AustrasiaAustrasia
Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of pr...
, but not in NeustriaNeustria
The territory of Neustria originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating mos...
.
Events...
, the Neustrian noblesse proclaimed RagenfridRagenfrid
Ragenfrid was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy from 715, when he filled the vacuum in Neustria caused by the...
mayor of their palace on behalf of, and apparently with the support of, Dagobert IIIDagobert III
Dagobert III was Merovingian king of the Franks....
, the young king, who in theory had the legal authority to select a mayor, though by this time the MerovingianMerovingian
The Merovingians were a dynasty of Frankish kings who ruled a frequently fluctuating area in parts of present-day France and...
dynasty had lost most such powers.
The Austrasians were not to be left supporting a woman and her young son for long. Before the end of the year, Charles Martel had escaped from prison and been acclaimed mayor by the nobles of that kingdom. The Neustrians had been attacking Austrasia and the nobles were waiting for a strong man to lead them against their invading countrymen. That year, Dagobert died and the Neustrians proclaimed Chilperic IIChilperic II
Chilperic II, born Daniel, the youngest son of Childeric II, was king of Neustria from 715 and sole king of the Franks...
king without the support of the rest of the Frankish people.
In 716716
For the area code see Area code 716 ...
, Chilperic and Ragenfrid together led an army into Austrasia. The Neustrians allied with another invading force under Radbod, King of the FrisiansRadbod, King of the Frisians
Radbod was the duke of Frisia from 680 to 719....
and met Charles in battle near Cologne, which was still held by Plectrude. Charles had little time to gather men, or prepare, and the result was his only defeat. According to Strauss and Gustave, Martel fought a brilliant battle, but realized he could not prevail because he was outnumbered so badly, and retreated. In fact, he fled the field as soon as he realized he did not have the time or the men to prevail, retreating to the mountains of the EifelFacts About Eifel
The Eifel is a hilly region in Germany....
to gather men, and train them. The king and his mayor then turned to besiege their other rival in the city and took it and the treasury, and received the recognition of both Chilperic as king and Ragenfrid as mayor. Plectrude surrendered on Theudoald's behalf.
Magnanimous in victory
At this juncture, however, events turned in favour of Charles. Having made the proper preparations, he fell upon the triumphant army near MalmedyMalmedy
Malmedy is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Lige....
as it was returning to its own province, and, in the ensuing Battle of AmblèveBattle of Amblève
The Battle of Ambl?ve took place in 716 near Amel....
, routed it and it fled. Several things were notable about this battle, in which Charles set the pattern for the remainder of his military career: First, he appeared where his enemies least expected him, while they were marching triumphantly home and far outnumbered him. He also attacked when least expected, at midday, when armies of that era traditionally were resting. Finally, he attacked them how they least expected it, by feigning a retreat to draw his opponents into a trap. The feigned retreat, next to unknown in Western Europe at that time—it was a traditionally eastern tactic—required both extraordinary discipline on the part of the troops and exact timing on the part of their commander. Charles, in this battle, had begun demonstrating the military genius that would mark his rule, in that he never attacked his enemies where, when, or how they expected, and the result was an unbroken victory streak that lasted until his death.
In Spring 717717
Events*March 21 - Battle of Vincy between Charles Martel and Ragenfrid....
, Charles returned to Neustria with an army and confirmed his supremacy with a victory at the Battle of VincyBattle of Vincy
The Battle of Vincy was fought at Vincy, near Cambrai, in the modern dpartement of Aisne....
, near CambraiCambrai
Cambrai also written Cambray is a French town and commune, in the Nord dpartement, of which it is a sous-prfectu...
. He chased the fleeing king and mayor to ParisParis
native_name = Ville de Paris|common_name = Paris...
, before turning back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne. He took her city and dispersed her adherents. However, he allowed both Plectrude and the young Theudoald to live and treated them with kindness—unusual for those Dark AgesDark Ages
In historiography the phrase the Dark Ages is most commonly known in relation to the European Early Middle Ages....
, when mercy to a former jailer, or a potential rival, was rare. On this success, he proclaimed Clotaire IVClotaire IV
Clotaire IV, king of Austrasia, was installed by the mayor of the palace, Charles Martel, as an ally during the civil war th...
king of AustrasiaAustrasia Summary
Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of pr...
in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the archbishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with Milo, a lifelong supporter.
Consolidation of power
After subjugating all Austrasia, he marched against Radbod and pushed him back into his territory, even forcing the concession of West Frisia (later HollandHolland
Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands....
). He also sent the SaxonsSaxons Summary
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
back over the Weser and thus secured his borders—in the name of the new king Clotaire, of course.
In 718718 Summary
Events...
, Chilperic responded to Charles' new ascendancy by making an alliance with Odo the Great (or Eudes, as he is sometimes known), the duke of AquitaineFacts About Duke of Aquitaine
The persons who held the title of Duke of Aquitaine ...
, who had made himself independent during the civil war in 715, but was again defeated, at the Battle of SoissonsBattle of Soissons (718)
The Battle of Soissons of 718 was the last of the great pitched battles of the civil war between the heirs of Pepin of Heris...
, by Charles. The king fled with his ducal ally to the land south of the LoireLoire
See also Loire Valley.Loire is a dpartement in the east-central part of France occupying the Loire River's upper r...
and Ragenfrid fled to AngersAngers Overview
Angers is a city in France in the dpartement of Maine-et-Loire, 191 miles south-west of Paris....
. Soon Clotaire IV died and Odo gave up on Chilperic and, in exchange for recognising his dukedom, surrendered the king to Charles, who recognised his kingship over all the Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his mayoralty, likewise over all the kingdoms (718).
Foreign wars from 718-732
The ensuing years were full of strife. Between 718 and 723, Charles secured his power through a series of victories: he won the loyalty of several important bishops and abbots (by donating lands and money for the foundation of abbeys such as EchternachEchternach
Echternach is a commune with city status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in east...
), he subjugated BavariaBavaria
The Free State of Bavaria , with an area of 70,553 km and 12.4 million inhabitants, forms the southernmost state...
and Alemannia, and he defeated the pagan SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
.
Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia. Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser, the LippeLippe
ame=Lippe|state=North Rhine-Westphalia|...
, and the RuhrFacts About Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany having its source at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet near the to...
. He defeated them in the Teutoburg ForestTeutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, ...
. In 719719
, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the FrisiansFrisians
The Frisians are an ethnic group of northwestern Europe, inhabiting an area known as Frisia. ...
, who had been subjects of the Franks but had seized control upon the death of Pippin. Although Charles did not trust the pagans, their ruler, Aldegisel, accepted Christianity, and Charles sent WillibrordWillibrord
Saint Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary, known as the Apostle to the Frisians in modern Netherlands....
, bishop of Utrecht, the famous "Apostle to the Frisians" to convert the people. Charles also did much to support Winfrid, later Saint BonifaceFacts About Saint Boniface
Saint Boniface , the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at Crediton in Devon, England, was a...
, the "Apostle of the Germans."
When Chilperic II died the following year, Charles appointed as his successor the son of Dagobert III, Theuderic IVTheuderic IV
Theuderic IV was the Merovingian King of the Franks from 721 until his death in 737....
, who was still a minor, and who occupied the throne from 720 to 737. Charles was now appointing the kings whom he supposedly served, rois fainéants who were mere puppets in his hands; by the end of his reign they were so useless that he didn't even bother appointing one. At this time, Charles again marched against the Saxons. Then the Neustrians rebelled under Ragenfrid, who had been left the county of Anjou. They were easily defeated, but Ragenfrid gave up his sons as hostages in turn for keeping his county. This ended the civil wars of Charles' reign.
The next six years were devoted in their entirety to assuring Frankish authority over the dependent Germanic tribes. Between 720 and 723723
Events* Saint Boniface fells Thor's Oak near Fritzlar, marking the decisive event in the Christianization of the northern Germani...
, Charles was fighting in Bavaria, where the Agilolfing dukes had gradually evolved into independent rulers, recently in alliance with Liutprand the Lombard. He forced the Alemanni to accompany him, and Duke HugbertHugbert of Bavaria
Hugbert ' of the Agilolfings was 724 - 736 duke of Bavaria....
submitted to Frankish suzerainty. In 725725
Events...
and 728728 Summary
Events*Liutprand, King of the Lombards occupies all of the exarchate....
, he again entered Bavaria and the ties of lordship seemed strong. From his first campaign, he brought back the Agilolfing princess Swanachild, who apparently became his concubine. In 730730
Events...
, he marched against LantfridLantfrid
Lantfrid was duke of Alamannia under Frankish sovereignty from 709 until his death....
, duke of Alemannia, who had also become independent, and killed him in battle. He forced the Alemanni capitulation to Frankish suzerainty and did not appoint a successor to Lantfrid. Thus, southern Germany once more became part of the Frankish kingdom, as had northern Germany during the first years of the reign.
But by 730, his own realm secure, Charles began to prepare exclusively for the coming storm from the south and west.
In 721721
, the emir of Córdoba had built up a strong army from MoroccoMorocco
The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa....
, YemenYemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a Middle Eastern country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asi...
, and SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in the Middle East....
to conquer Aquitaine, the large duchy in the southwest of Gaul, nominally under Frankish sovereignty, but in practice almost independent in the hands of the Odo the Great, the Duke of Aquitaine, since the Merovingian kings had lost power. The invading Muslims besieged the city of Toulouse, then Aquitaine's most important city, and Odo (also called Eudes, or Eudo) immediately left to find help. He returned three months later just before the city was about to surrender and defeated the Muslim invaders on June 9, 721721
Events...
, at what is now known as the Battle of ToulouseBattle of Toulouse (721)
The Battle of Tolouse was a victory of a Frankish army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad army besieging the city ...
. This critical defeat was essentially the result of a classic enveloping movement by Odo's forces. (After Odo originally fled, the Muslims became overconfident and, instead of maintaining strong outer defenses around their siege camp and continuous scouting, they did neither.) Thus, when Odo returned, he was able to launch a near complete surprise attack on the besieging force, scattering it at the first attack, and slaughtering units caught resting or that fled without weapons or armour.
Due to the situation in Iberia, Martel believed he needed a virtually fulltime army --one he could train intensely-- as a core of veteran Franks who would be augmented with the usual conscripts called up in time of war. (During the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages are a period in the history of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, spanning roughly...
, troops were only available after the crops had been planted and before harvesting time.) To train the kind of infantry that could withstand the Muslim heavy cavalry, Charles needed them year-round, and he needed to pay them so their families could buy the food they would have otherwise grown. To obtain money he seized church lands and property, and used the funds to pay his soldiers. The same Charles who had secured the support of the ecclesia by donating land, seized some of it back between 724 and 732. Of course, Church officials were enraged, and, for a time, it looked as though Charles might even be excommunicated for his actions. But then came a significant invasion.
Eve of Tours
Historian Paul K. DavisPaul K. Davis
Paul K. Davis is an historian specializing in military history....
said in 100 Decisive Battles "Having defeated Eudes, he turned to the Rhine to strengthen his northeastern borders - but in 725 was diverted south with the activity of the Muslims in Acquitane." Martel then concentrated his attention to the Umayyads, virtually for the remainder of his life. Indeed, 12 years later, when he had thrice rescued Gaul from Umayyad invasions, Antonio SantosuossoAntonio Santosuosso Summary
Antonio Santosuosso is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
noted when he destroyed an Umayyad army sent to reinforce the invasion forces of the 735 campaigns, "Charles Martel again came to the rescue". It has been noted that Charles Martel could have pursued the wars against the Saxons—but he was determined to prepare for what he thought was a greater danger.
It is also vital to note that the Muslims were not aware, at that time, of the true strength of the Franks, or the fact that they were building a real army instead of the typical barbarian hordes that had infested Europe after Rome's fall. They considered the Germanic tribes, including the Franks, simply barbarians and were not particularly concerned about them. The Arab Chronicles, the history of that age, show that Arab awareness of the Franks as a growing military power came only after the Battle of Tours when the Caliph expressed shock at his army's catastrophic defeat.
Battle of Tours
Main article Battle of ToursBattle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic The Court of Martyrs was fought n...
.
Leadup and importance
The CordobaCórdoba, Spain Overview
Crdoba, also called Crdova, is a city in Andaluca, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Crdoba....
n emirateEmirate
Etymologically an emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir....
had previously invaded GaulGaul
Gaul was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, B...
and had been stopped in its northward sweep at the Battle of ToulouseBattle of Toulouse (721)
The Battle of Tolouse was a victory of a Frankish army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad army besieging the city ...
, in 721. The hero of that less celebrated event had been Odo the Great, Duke of Aquitaine, who was not the progenitor of a race of kings and patron of chroniclers. It has previously been explained how Odo defeated the invading Muslims, but when they returned, things were far different. The arrival in the interim of a new emir of Cordoba, Abdul Rahman Al GhafiqiAbdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
Abu Said Abdul Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Bishr ibn Al Sarem Al 'Aki Al Ghafiqi, variously known as Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi'...
, who brought with him a huge force of Arabs and BerberBerber people
The Berbers are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family....
horsemen, triggered a far greater invasion. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had been at Toulouse, and the Arab Chronicles make clear he had strongly opposed the Emir's decision not to secure outer defenses against a relief force, which allowed Odo and his relief force to attack with impunity before the Islamic cavalry could assemble or mount. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had no intention of permitting such a disaster again. This time the Umayyad horsemen were ready for battle, and the results were horrific for the Aquitanians. Odo, hero of Toulouse, was badly defeated in the Muslim invasion of 732732
732 is also an area code in the state of New Jersey....
at the battle prior to the Muslim sacking of Bordeaux, and when he gathered a second army, at the Battle of the River GaronneBattle of the River Garonne
The Battle of the River Garonne was fought in 732 between an Umayyad army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, governor of Al-And...
—where the western chroniclers state, "God alone knows the number of the slain"— and the city of Bordeaux was sacked and looted. Odo fled to Charles, seeking help. Charles agreed to come to Odo's rescue, provided Odo acknowledged Charles and his house as his Overlords, which Odo did formally at once. Thus, Odo faded into history while Charles marched into it. It is interesting to note that Charles was pragmatic; while most commanders would never use their enemies in battle, Odo and his remaining Aquitanian nobles formed the right flank of Charles' forces at Tours.
The Battle of ToursBattle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic The Court of Martyrs was fought n...
earned Charles the cognomenCognomen
The cognomen was originally the third name of a Roman in the Roman naming convention....
"Martel", for the merciless way he hammered his enemies. Many historians, including the great military historian Sir Edward CreasyEdward Shepherd Creasy
Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy, historian, was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University and called to the Bar in 1837....
, believe that had he failed at Tours, IslamIslam
Islam is a monotheistic religion based upon the Qur'an, which adherents believe was sent by God through Muhammad....
would probably have overrun GaulGaul
Gaul was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, B...
, and perhaps the remainder of western Christian Europe. GibbonEdward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament....
made clear his belief that the Umayyad armies would have conquered from Rome to the Rhine, and even England, with ease, had Martel not prevailed. Creasy said "the great victory won by Charles Martel ... gave a decisive check to the career of Arab conquest in Western Europe, rescued Christendom from Islam, [and] preserved the relics of ancient and the germs of modern civilization." Gibbon's belief that the fate of Christianity hinged on this battle is echoed by other historians including John B. Bury, and was very popular for most of modern historiography. It fell somewhat out of style in the twentieth century, when historians such as Bernard Lewis contended that Arabs had little intention of occupying northern France. More recently, however, many historians have tended once again to view the Battle of Tours as a very significant event in the history of Europe and Christianity. Equally, many, such as William Watson, still believe this battle was one of macrohistorical world-changing importance, if they do not go so far as Gibbon does rhetorically.
In the modern era, Matthew Bennett and his co-authors of "Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World", published in 2005, argue that "few battles are remembered 1,000 years after they are fought...but the Battle of Poitiers, (Tours) is an exception...Charles Martel turned back a Muslim raid that had it been allowed to continue, might have conquered Gaul." Michael Grant, author of "History of Rome", grants the Battle of Tours such importance that he lists it in the macrohistorical dates of the Roman era.
It is important to note however that modern western historians, military historians, and writers, essentially fall into three camps. The first, those who believe Gibbon was right in his assessment that Martel saved Christianity and western civilization by this Battle are typified by Bennett, Paul Davis, Robert Martin, and educationalist Dexter B. WakefieldDexter B. Wakefield
Dr. Dexter B. Wakefield is an assistant professor and 1st Vice-President at the Southern Illinois University....
who writes in An Islamic Europe
The second camp of contemporary historians believe that a failure by Martel at Tours could have been a disaster, destroying what would become western civilization after the RenaissanceRenaissance
In the traditional view, the Renaissance was understood as a historical age in Europe that followed the Middle Ages and ...
. Certainly all historians agree that no power would have remained in Europe able to halt Islamic expansion had the Franks failed. William E. WatsonWilliam E. Watson
William E. Watson is a historian who works for the nonprofit organization De Re Militari....
, one of the most respected historians of this era, strongly supports Tours as a macrohistorical event, but distances himself from the rhetoric of Gibbon and Drubeck, writing, for example, of the battle's importance in Frankish, and world, history in 1993:
The final camp of western historians believe that Tours was vastly overrated. This view is typified by Alessandro Barbero, who writes, "Today, historians tend to play down the significance of the battle of Poitiers, pointing out that the purpose of the Arab force defeated by Charles Martel was not to conquer the Frankish kingdom, but simply to pillage the wealthy monastery of St-Martin of Tours". Similarly, Tomaž Mastnak writes:
However, it is vital to note, when assessing Charles Martel's life, that even those historians who dispute the significance of this one Battle as the event that saved Christianity, do not dispute that Martel himself had a huge effect on western history. Modern military historian Victor Davis HansonVictor Davis Hanson
Victor Davis Hanson is a military historian, columnist, political essayist and former Classics professor, best known as a s...
acknowledges the debate on this battle, citing historians both for and against its macrohistorical placement:
Battle
The Battle of Tours probably took place somewhere between Tours and PoitiersPoitiers
Poitiers is a town located in west central France....
(hence its other name: Battle of Poitiers). The Frankish army, under Charles Martel, consisted mostly of veteran infantryInfantry
Infantry is a term for soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units....
, somewhere between 15,000 and 75,000 men. While Charles had some cavalry, they did not have stirrups, so he had them dismount and reinforce his phalanx. Odo and his Aquitanian nobility were also normally cavalry, but they also dismounted at the Battle's onset, to buttress the phalanx. Responding to the Umayyad invasion, the Franks had avoided the old Roman roads, hoping to take the invaders by surprise. Martel believed it was absolutely essential that he not only take the Umayyads by surprise, but that he be allowed to select the ground on which the battle would be fought, ideally a high, wooded plain where the Islamic horsemen, already tired from carrying armour, would be further exhausted charging uphill. Further, the woods would aid the Franks in their defensive square by partially impeding the ability of the Umayyad horsemen to make a clear charge.
From the Muslim accounts of the battle, they were indeed taken by surprise to find a large force opposing their expected sack of Tours, and they waited for six days, scouting the enemy and summoning all their raiding parties so their full strength was present for the battle. Emir Abdul Rahman was an able general who did not like the unknown at all, and he did not like charging uphill against an unknown number of foes who seemed well-disciplined and well-disposed for battle. But the weather was also a factor. The Germanic Franks, in their wolf and bear pelts, were more used to the cold, better dressed for it, and despite not having tents, which the Muslims did, were prepared to wait as long as needed, the autumn only growing colder.
On the seventh day, the Umayyad army, mostly Berber and Arab horsemen and led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, attacked. During the battle, the Franks defeated the Islamic army and the emir was killed. While Western accounts are sketchy, Arab accounts are fairly detailed in describing how the Franks formed a large square and fought a brilliant defensive battle. Rahman had doubts before the battle that his men were ready for such a struggle, and should have had them abandon the loot which hindered them, but instead decided to trust his horsemen, who had never failed him. Indeed, it was thought impossible for infantry of that age to withstand armoured cavalry.
Martel managed to inspire his men to stand firm against a force which must have seemed invincible to them, huge mailed horsemen, who, in addition, probably vastly outnumbered the Franks. In one of the rare instances where medieval infantry stood up against cavalry charges, the disciplined Frankish soldiers withstood the assaults even though, according to Arab sources, the Umayyad cavalry several times broke into the interior of the Frankish square. The scene is described in Bishop Isidore of Beja's Chronicle (translated passage from Fordham University's Internet Medieval Source Book):
"And in the shock of the battle the men of the North seemed like a sea that cannot be moved. Firmly they stood, one close to another, forming as it were a bulwark of ice; and with great blows of their swords they hewed down the Arabs. Drawn up in a band around their chief, the people of the Austrasians carried all before them. Their tireless hands drove their swords down to the breasts of the foe."
Both accounts agree that the Umayyad forces had broken into the square and were trying to kill Martel, whose liege men had surrounded him and would not be broken, when a trick Charles had planned before the battle bore fruit beyond his wildest dreams. Both Western and Muslim accounts of the battle agree that sometime during the height of the fighting, with the battle still in grave doubt, scouts sent by Martel to the Muslim camp began freeing prisoners. Fearing loss of their plunder, a large portion of the Muslim army abandoned the battle and returned to camp to protect their spoils. In attempting to stop what appeared to be a retreat, Abdul Rahman was surrounded and killed by the Franks, and what started as a ruse ended up a real retreat, as the Umayyad army fled the field that day. The Franks resumed their phalanx, and rested in place through the night, believing the battle would resume at dawn of the following morning.
The next day, when the Umayyad army did not renew the battle, the Franks feared an ambush. Charles at first believed the Muslims were attempting to lure him down the hill and into the open, a tactic he would resist at all costs. Only after extensive reconnaissance by Frankish soldiers of the Umayyad camp—which by both accounts had been so hastily abandoned that even the tents remained, as the Umayyad forces headed back to Iberia with what spoils remained that they could carry—was it discovered that the Muslims had retreated during the night. As the Arab Chronicles would later reveal, the generals from the different parts of the Caliphate, Berbers, Arabs, Persians and many more, had been unable to agree on a leader to take Abd er Rahman's place as Emir, or even to agree on a commander to lead them the following day. Only the Emir, Abd er Rahman, had a FatwaFatwa
Definition A fatwa plural fatawa , is a legal pronouncement in Islam, done by a law specialist on an issue....
from the Caliph, and thus absolute authority over the faithful under arms. With his death, and with the varied nationalities and ethnicities present in an army drawn from all over the Caliphate, politics, racial and ethnic bias, and personalities reared their head. The inability of the bickering generals to select anyone to lead resulted in the wholesale withdrawal of an army that might have been able to resume the battle and defeat the Franks.
Martel's ability to have Abd er Rahman killed through a clever ruse he had carefully planned to cause confusion, at the battle's apex, and his years spent rigorously training his men, combined to do what was thought impossible: Martel's Franks, virtually all heavy infantry, withstood both mailed heavy cavalry with 20 foot lances, and bow-wielding light cavalry, without the aid of bows or firearms. This was a feat of war almost unheard of in medieval history, a feat which even the heavily armored Roman legions proved themselves incapable of against the Parthians, and left Martel a unique place in history as the savior of Europe
and a brilliant general in an age not known for its generalship.
After Tours
In the subsequent decade, Charles led the Frankish army against the eastern duchies, Bavaria and Alemannia, and the southern duchies, AquitaineAquitaine
Aquitaine now forms a rgion in south-western France along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the bo...
and ProvenceProvence
Provence is a former Roman province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent t...
. He dealt with the ongoing conflict with the FrisiaFrisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea....
ns and SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
to his northeast with some success, but full conquest of the Saxons and their incorporation into the Frankish empire would wait for his grandson Charlemagne, primarily because Martel concentrated the bulk of his efforts against Muslim expansion.
So instead of concentrating on conquest to his east, he continued expanding Frankish authority in the west, and denying the Emirate of Córdoba a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus. After his victory at Tours, Martel continued on in campaigns in 736736
Events...
and 737737
Events...
to drive other Muslim armies from bases in Gaul after they again attempted to get a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus.
Wars from 732-737
Between his victory of 732 and 735735
EventsBirths*Alcuin, missionary and bishop...
, Charles reorganized the kingdom of BurgundyBurgundy
Burgundy is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts , Romans , and various German...
, replacing the counts and dukes with his loyal supporters, thus strengthening his hold on power. He was forced, by the ventures of RadbodRadbod, King of the Frisians
Radbod was the duke of Frisia from 680 to 719....
, duke of the FrisiansRulers of Frisia
Of the first historically verifiable rulers of Frisia, whether they are called dukes or kings, the dynasty below is establis...
(719-734), son of the Duke Aldegisel who had accepted the missionariesMissionary Summary
A missionary is traditionally defined as a propagator of religion who works to convert those outside that community; someone...
Willibrord and Boniface, to invade independence-minded Frisia again in 734734
Events...
. In that year, he slew the duke, who had expelled the Christian missionaries, in the battle of the BoarnBattle of the Boarn
The Battle of the Boarn was an eighth century battle between the Franks and the Frisians near the mouth of the river Boarn ...
and so wholly subjugated the populace (he destroyed every pagan shrine) that the people were peaceful for twenty years after.
The dynamic changed in 735 because of the death of Odo the Great, who had been forced to acknowledge, albeit reservedly, the suzerainty of Charles in 719. Though Charles wished to unite the duchy directly to himself and went there to elicit the proper homage of the Aquitainians, the nobility proclaimed Odo's son, Hunold, whose dukedom Charles recognised when the Umayyads invaded Provence the next year, and who equally was forced to acknowledge Charles as overlord as he had no hope of holding off the Muslims alone.
This naval Arab invasion was headed by Abdul Rahman's son. It landed in NarbonneNarbonne Overview
Narbonne is a town and commune of southwestern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon rgion....
in 736 and moved at once to reinforce ArlesArles
Arles is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhne dpartement, of which it is a sous-prfecture, in the f...
and move inland. Charles temporarily put the conflict with Hunold on hold, and descended on the Provençal strongholds of the Umayyads. In 736, he retook MontfrinMontfrin
Montfrin is a village of the Gard dpartement, in southern France....
and AvignonAvignon
Avignon is a commune in southern France with an estimated mid-2004 population of 89,300 in the city itself and a popul...
, and Arles and Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-Provence
Aix, or, to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, Aix-en-Provence is a city in southern France, som...
with the help of Liutprand, King of the LombardsFacts About Liutprand, King of the Lombards
Liutprand was the king of the Lombards from 712 to 744 and is chiefly remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, and his ...
. NîmesNîmes
Nmes is a city and commune of southern France, prfecture of the Gard dpartement. ...
, AgdeAgde
Agde is a commune of the Hrault dpartement, in southern France....
, and BéziersBéziers
Bziers is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France....
, held by Islam since 725725
Events...
, fell to him and their fortresses were destroyed. He crushed one Umayyad army at Arles, as that force sallied out of the city, and then took the city itself by a direct and brutal frontal attack, and burned it to the ground to prevent its use again as a stronghold for Umayyad expansion. He then moved swiftly and defeated a mighty host outside of Narbonnea at the River Berre, but failed to take the city. Military historians believe he could have taken it, had he chosen to tie up all his resources to do so—but he believed his life was coming to a close, and he had much work to do to prepare for his sons to take control of the Frankish realm. A direct frontal assault, such as took Arles, using rope ladders and rams, plus a few catapults, simply was not sufficient to take Narbonne without horrific loss of life for the Franks, troops Martel felt he could not lose. Nor could he spare years to starve the city into submission, years he needed to set up the administration of an empire his heirs would reign over. He left Narbonne therefore, isolated and surrounded, and his son would return to liberate it for Christianity. Provence, however, he successfully rid of its foreign occupiers, and crushed all foreign armies able to advance Islam further.
Notable about these campaigns was Charles' incorporation, for the first time, of heavy cavalry with stirrups to augment his phalanxPhalanx formation
A phalanx is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, or...
. His ability to coordinate infantry and cavalry veterans was unequaled in that era and enabled him to face superior numbers of invaders, and to decisively defeat them again and again. Some historians believe the Battle against the main Muslim force at the River Berre, near Narbonne, in particular was as important a victory for Christian Europe as Tours. In Barbarians, Marauders, and Infidels, Antonio SantosuossoAntonio Santosuosso
Antonio Santosuosso is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a coeducational, non-denominational, research-intensive university located in London, O...
, and considered an expert historian in the era in dispute, puts forth an interesting modern opinion on Martel, Tours, and the subsequent campaigns against Rahman's son in 736-737. Santosuosso presents a compelling case that these later defeats of invading Muslim armies were at least as important as Tours in their defence of Western Christendom and the preservation of Western monasticismChristian monasticism
Monasticism in Christianity is a family of similar traditions that began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, ...
, the monasteries of which were the centers of learning which ultimately led Europe out of her Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
. He also makes a compelling argument, after studying the Arab histories of the period, that these were clearly armies of invasion, sent by the Caliph not just to avenge Tours, but to begin the conquest of Christian Europe and bring it into the Caliphate.
Further, unlike his father at Tours, Rahman's son in 736-737 knew that the Franks were a real power, and that Martel personally was a force to be reckoned with. He had no intention of allowing Martel to catch him unawares and dictate the time and place of battle, as his father had, and concentrated instead on seizing a substantial portion of the coastal plains around NarbonneNarbonne
Narbonne is a town and commune of southwestern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon rgion....
in 736 and heavily reinforced ArlesArles
Arles is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhne dpartement, of which it is a sous-prfecture, in the f...
as he advanced inland. They planned from there to move from city to city, fortifying as they went, and if Martel wished to stop them from making a permanent enclave for expansion of the Caliphate, he would have to come to them, in the open, where, he, unlike his father, would dictate the place of battle. All worked as he had planned, until Martel arrived, albeit more swiftly than the Moors believed he could call up his entire army. Unfortunately for Rahman's son, however, he had overestimated the time it would take Martel to develop heavy cavalry equal to that of the Muslims. The Caliphate believed it would take a generation, but Martel managed it in five short years. Prepared to face the Frankish phalanx, the Muslims were totally unprepared to face a mixed force of heavy cavalry and infantry in a phalanx. Thus, Charles again championed Christianity and halted Muslim expansion into Europe, as the window was closing on Islamic ability to do so. These defeats, plus those at the hands of Leo in Anatolia were the last great attempt at expansion by the Umayyad Caliphate before the destruction of the dynasty at the Battle of the ZabBattle of the Zab
The Battle of the Zab took place on the banks of the Great Zab river in what is now Iraq on January 25, 750....
, and the rending of the Caliphate forever, especially the utter destruction of the Umayyad army at River Berre near Narbonne in 737.
Interregnum
In 737, at the tail end of his campaigning in Provence and SeptimaniaSeptimania
Charlemagne found Septimania and the borderlands so devastated and depopulated by warfare, with the inhabitants hiding among the ...
, the king, Theuderic IV, died. Martel, titling himself maior domus and princeps et dux Francorum, did not appoint a new king and nobody acclaimed one. The throne lay vacant until Martel's death. As the historian Charles OmanCharles Oman
Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman was a notable British military historian of the early 20th century....
says (The Dark Ages, pg 297), "he cared not for name or style so long as the real power was in his hands."
Gibbon has said Martel was "content with the titles of Mayor or Duke of the Franks, but he deserved to become the father of a line of kings," which he did. Gibbon also says of him, "in the public danger, he was summoned by the voice of his country."
The interregnum, the final four years of Charles' life, was more peaceful than most of it had been and much of his time was now spent on administrative and organisational plans to create a more efficient state. Though, in 738Facts About 738
Events...
, he compelled the Saxons of WestphaliaWestphalia Overview
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Bielefeld, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Mnster, and Osnabrck a...
to do him homage and pay tribute, and in 739 checked an uprising in Provence, the rebels being under the leadership of Maurontus. Charles set about integrating the outlying realms of his empire into the Frankish church. He erected four dioceses in Bavaria and gave them Boniface as archbishopArchbishop
In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop....
and metropolitanMetropolitan bishop
In hierarchical Christian churches, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan ...
over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at MainzMainz Summary
Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate....
. Boniface had been under his protection from 723 on; indeed the saint himself explained to his old friend, Daniel of Winchester, that without it he could neither administer his church, defend his clergy, nor prevent idolatry. It was Boniface who had defended Charles most stoutly for his deeds in seizing ecclesiastical lands to pay his army in the days leading to Tours, as one doing what he must to defend Christianity. In 739739
Events...
, Pope Gregory IIIPope Gregory III
Pope Gregory III, pope , a Syrian by birth, succeeded Gregory II in March 731....
begged Charles for his aid against Liutprand, but Charles was loathe to fight his onetime ally and ignored the Papal plea. Nonetheless, the Papal applications for Frankish protection showed how far Martel had come from the days he was tottering on excommunication, and set the stage for his son and grandson literally to rearrange Italy to suit the Papacy, and protect it.
Death
Charles Martel died on October 22, 741741
Sorry, no overview for this topic
, at Quierzy-sur-OiseFacts About Quierzy-sur-Oise
Quierzy-sur-Oise is a French commune in the dpartement of Aisne, in the rgion of Picardie, straddling the Oise River...
in what is today the AisneAisne
Aisne is a dpartement in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River. ...
départementDépartements of France
The dpartements are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties....
in the PicardyPicardy
Picardy is an historical province of France, in the north of France....
region of France. He was buried at Saint Denis BasilicaSaint Denis Basilica
The Basilica of Saint Denis is the famous burial site of the French monarchs, comparable to Westminster Abbey in England....
in ParisParis
native_name = Ville de Paris|common_name = Paris...
. His territories were divided among his adult sons a year earlier: to CarlomanCarloman, son of Charles Martel
Carloman was the son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud....
he gave Austrasia and Alemannia (with Bavaria as a vassal), to Pippin the YoungerPippin the Younger
Pippin the YoungerPippin's name can be very confusing....
Neustria and Burgundy (with Aquitaine as a vassal), and to GrifoGrifo
Grifo was the son of the Frankish major domo Charles Martel and his second wife Swanahild....
nothing, though some sources indicate he intended to give him a strip of land between Neustria and Austrasia.
Gibbon called him "the hero of the age" and declared "Christendom ... delivered ... by the genius and good fortune of one man, Charles Martel." A strong argument can be made that Gibbon was correct on both counts.
Legacy
At the beginning of Charles Martel's career, he had many internal opponents and felt the need to appoint his own kingly claimant, Clotaire IV. By his end, however, the dynamics of rulership in Francia had changed, no hallowed Meroving was needed, neither for defence nor legitimacy: Charles divided his realm between his sons without opposition (though he ignored his young son Bernard). In between, he strengthened the Frankish state by consistently defeating, through superior generalship, the host of hostile foreign nations which beset it on all sides, including the heathen Saxons, which his grandson Charlemagne would fully subdue, and Moors, which he halted on a path of continental domination.
Though he never cared about titles, his son PippinPippin the Younger
Pippin the YoungerPippin's name can be very confusing....
did, and finally asked the PopePope Overview
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and, as Successor of Saint Peter, is the head of the Catholic Church....
"who should be King, he who has the title, or he who has the power?" The Pope, highly dependent on Frankish armies for his independence from Lombard and ByzantineByzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the...
power (the Byzantine emperor still considered himself to be the only legitimate "Roman EmperorRoman Emperor
"Roman Emperor" is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the ...
", and thus, ruler of all of the provinces of the ancient empireRoman Empire Summary
The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
, whether recognised or not), declared for "he who had the power" and immediately crowned Pippin.
Decades later, in 800800
Events...
, Pippin's son CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was the King of the Franks who conquered Italy and took the Iron Crown of Lombardy in 774 and, on a visit to ...
was crowned emperor by the Pope, further extending the principle by delegitimising the nominal authority of the Byzantine emperor in the Italian peninsula (which had, by then, shrunk to encompass little more than ApuliaApulia
Apulia is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the S...
and CalabriaCalabria
Calabria , is a region in southern Italy which occupies the "toe" of the Italian peninsula south of Naples....
at best) and ancient Roman Gaul, including the Iberian outposts Charlemagne had established in the Marca HispanicaMarca Hispanica
The Marca Hispanica was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, first set up by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive b...
across the PyreneesPyrenees
[Image:Pic de Bugatet.jpg|thumb|250px|Pic de Bugatet in the Nouvielle Natural Reserve....
, what today forms CataloniaCatalonia
The Autonomous Community of Catalonia , known throughout history simply as Catalonia, is today one of the 17 autonomou...
. In short, though the Byzantine Emperor claimed authority over all the old Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
, as the legitimate "Roman" Emperor, it was simply not reality. The bulk of the Western Roman EmpireWestern Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 286....
had come under Carolingian rule, the Byzantine Emperor having had almost no authority in the West since the sixth century, though Charlemagne, a consummate politician, preferred to avoid an open breach with Constantinople. An institution unique in history was being born: the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a mainly Central European conglomeration of lands in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, ...
. Though the sardonic VoltaireVoltaire
Franois-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, deist and p...
ridiculed its nomenclature, saying that the Holy Roman Empire was "neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire," it constituted an enormous political power for a time, especially under the Saxon and Salian dynastiesSalian dynasty
The Salian dynasty was a dynasty of germanic kings, also known as the Frankish dynasty after the family's origin and r...
and, to a lesser, extent, the Hohenstaufen. It lasted until 1806, by then it was a nonentity. Though his grandson became its first emperor, the "empire" such as it was, was largely born during the reign of Charles Martel.
Charles was that rarest of commodities in the Middle Ages: a brilliant strategic general, who also was a tactical commander par excellence, able in the heat of battle to adapt his plans to his foe's forces and movement — and amazingly, to defeat them repeatedly, especially when, as at Tours, they were far superior in men and weaponry, and at Berre and Narbonne, when they were superior in numbers of fighting men. Charles had the last quality which defines genuine greatness in a military commander: he foresaw the dangers of his foes, and prepared for them with care; he used ground, time, place, and fierce loyalty of his troops to offset his foe's superior weaponry and tactics; third, he adapted, again and again, to the enemy on the battlefield, shifting to compensate for the unforeseen and unforeseeable.
Gibbon, whose tribute to Martel has been noted, was not alone among the great mid era historians in fervently praising Martel; Thomas Arnold ranks the victory of Charles Martel even higher than the victory of ArminiusFacts About Arminius
Arminius was a war chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Fore...
in the Battle of the Teutoburg ForestBattle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in the year 9 when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius , the son o...
in its impact on all of modern history:
"Charles Martel's victory at Tours was among those signal deliverances which have affected for centuries the happiness of mankind." [History of the later Roman Commonwealth, vol ii. p. 317.]
German historians are especially ardent in their praise of Martel and in their belief that he saved Europe and Christianity from then all-conquering Islam, praising him also for driving back the ferocious Saxon barbarians on his borders. Schlegel speaks of this " mighty victory " in terms of fervent gratitude, and tells how " the arm of Charles Martel saved and delivered the Christian nations of the West from the deadly grasp of all-destroying Islam", and Ranke points out,
"as one of the most important epochs in the history of the world, the commencement of the eighth century, when on the one side Mohammedanism threatened to overspread Italy and Gaul, and on the other the ancient idolatry of Saxony and Friesland once more forced its way across the Rhine. In this peril of Christian institutions, a youthful prince of Germanic race, Karl Martell, arose as their champion, maintained them with all the energy which the necessity for self-defence calls forth, and finally extended them into new regions."
In 1922 and 1923, Belgian historian Henri PirenneHenri Pirenne
Henri Pirenne was a leading Belgian historian....
published a series of papers, known collectively as the "Pirenne Thesis", which remain influential to this day. Pirenne held that the Roman Empire continued, in the Frankish realms, up until the time of the Arab conquests in the 7th century7th century
The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era....
. These conquests disrupted Mediterranean trade routes leading to a decline in the European economy. Such continued disruption would have meant complete disaster except for Charles Martel's halting of Islamic expansion into Europe from 732 on. What he managed to preserve led to the Carolingian RenaissanceCarolingian Renaissance Overview
The Carolingian Renaissance was a period of intellectual and cultural revival occurring in the late 8th and 9th century, wit...
, named after him.
Professor Santosuosso perhaps sums up Martel best when he talks about his coming to the rescue of his Christian allies in Provence, and driving the Muslims back into the Iberian Peninsula forever in the mid and late 730's
"After assembling forces at Saragossa the Muslims entered French territory in 735, crossed the River Rhone and captured and looted Arles. From there they struck into the heart of Provence, ending with the capture of Avignon, despite strong resistance. Islamic forces remained in French territory for about four years, carrying raids to Lyon, Burgundy, and Piedmont. Again Charles Martel came to the rescue, reconquering most of the lost territories in two campaigns in 736 and 739, except for the city of Narbonne, which finally fell in 759. The second (Muslim) expedition was probably more dangerous than the first to Poiters. Yet its failure (at Martel's hands) put an end to any serious Muslim expedition across the Pyrenees (forever)."
In the Netherlands, a vital part of the Carolingian Empire, and in the low countries, he is considered a hero. In France and Germany, he is revered as a hero of epic proportions.
Skilled as an administrator and ruler, Martel organized what would become the medieval European government: a system of fiefdoms, loyal to barons, counts, dukes and ultimately the King, or in his case, simply maior domus and princeps et dux Francorum. ("First or Dominant Mayor and Prince of the Franks") His close coordination of church with state began the medieval pattern for such government. He created what would become the first western standing army since the fall of Rome by his maintaining a core of loyal veterans around which he organized the normal feudal levies. In essence, he changed Europe from a horde of barbarians fighting with one another, to an organized state.
Beginning of the Reconquista
Although it took another two generations for the Franks to drive all the Arab garrisons out of SeptimaniaSeptimania
Charlemagne found Septimania and the borderlands so devastated and depopulated by warfare, with the inhabitants hiding among the ...
and across the PyreneesPyrenees
[Image:Pic de Bugatet.jpg|thumb|250px|Pic de Bugatet in the Nouvielle Natural Reserve....
, Charles Martel's halt of the invasion of French soil turned the tide of Islamic advances, and the unification of the Frankish kingdoms under Martel, his son Pippin the Younger, and his grandson Charlemagne created a western power which prevented the Emirate of Córdoba from expanding over the Pyrenees. Martel, who in 732 was on the verge of excommunication, instead was recognised by the Church as its paramount defender. Pope Gregory IIFacts About Pope Gregory II
Pope Gregory II, pope from 715 or 716 to February 11, 731, succeeded Pope Constantine, his election being variously dated Ma...
wrote him more than once, asking his protection and aid, and he remained, till his death, fixated on stopping the Muslims. Martel's son Pippin the YoungerPippin the Younger
Pippin the YoungerPippin's name can be very confusing....
kept his father's promise and returned and took Narbonne by siege in 759759
Events...
, and his grandson, CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was the King of the Franks who conquered Italy and took the Iron Crown of Lombardy in 774 and, on a visit to ...
, actually established the Marca Hispanica across the Pyrenees in part of what today is Catalonia, reconquering Girona in 785785
Events*Widukind and many other Saxons are baptized....
and Barcelona in 801801 Overview
Sorry, no overview for this topic
. This sector of what is now Spain was then called "The Moorish Marches" by the Carolingians, who saw it as not just a check on the Muslims in Hispania, but the beginning of taking the entire country back. This formed a permanent buffer zone against Islam, which became the basis, along with the King of Asturias, named Pelayo (718-737, who started his fight against the Moors in the mountains of CovadongaCovadonga
Covadonga, from Latin Cova dominica, "Cavern of the Lady", is a village in Asturias, northwestern Spain, among the Picos...
, 722) and his descendants, for the Reconquista until all of the Muslims were eradicated from the Iberian Peninsula.
Military legacy
Heavy infantry and permanent army
Victor Davis Hanson argues that Charles Martel launched "the thousand year struggle" between European heavy infantry, and Muslim cavalry. Of course, Martel is also the father of heavy cavalry in Europe, as he integrated heavy armoured cavalry into his forces. This creation of a real army would continue all through his reign, and that of his son, Pepin the Short, until his Grandson, Charlemagne, would possess the world's largest and finest army since the peak of Rome. Equally, the Muslims used infantry - indeed, at the Battle of Toulouse most of their forces were light infantry. It was not till Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi brought a huge force of Arab and Berber cavalry with him when he assumed the emirite of Al-Andulus that the Muslim forces became primarily cavalry.
Martel's army was known primarily for being the first standing permanent army since Rome's fall in 476, and for the core of tough, seasoned heavy infantry who stood so stoutly at Tours. The Frankish infantry wore as much as 70 pounds of armour, including their heavy wooden shields with an iron boss. Standing close together, and well disciplined, they were unbreakable at Tours. Martel had taken the money and property he had seized from the church and paid local nobles to supply trained ready infantry year round. This was the core of veterans who served with him on a permanent basis, and as Hanson says, "provided a steady supply of dependable troops year around." This was the first permanent army since Rome. " While other Germanic cultures, such as the Visigoths or Vandals, had a proud martial tradition, and the Franks themselves had an annual muster of military aged men, such tribes were only able to field armies around planting and harvest. It was Martel's creation of a system whereby he could call on troops year round that gave the Carolingians the first standing and permanent army since Rome's fall in the west.
And, first and foremost, Charles Martel will always be remembered for his victory at Tours. Creasy argues that the Martel victory "preserved the relics of ancient and the germs of modern civilizations." Gibbon called those eight days in 732, the week leading up to Tours, and the battle itself, "the events that rescued our ancestors of Britain, and our neighbors of Gaul [France], from the civil and religious yoke of the Koran." Paul Akers, in his editorial on Charles Martel, says for those who value Christianity "you might spare a minute sometime today, and every October, to say a silent 'thank you' to a gang of half-savage Germans and especially to their leader, Charles 'The Hammer' Martel."
In his vision of what would be necessary for him to withstand a larger force and superior technology (the Muslim horsemen had adopted the armour and accutraments of heavy cavalry from the Sassanid Warrior Class, which made the first knights possible), he, daring not to send his few horsemen against the Islamic cavalry, used his army to fight in a formation used by the ancient GreeksAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history which lasted for around one thousand years and ended with the rise of Christia...
to withstand superior numbers and weapons by discipline, courage, and a willingness to die for their cause: a phalanx. He had trained a core of his men year round, using mostly Church funds, and some had literally been with him since his earliest days after his father's death. It was this hard core of disciplined veterans that won the day for him at Tours. Hanson emphasizes that Martel's greatest accomplishment as a General may have been his ability to keep his troops under control. This absolute iron discipline saved his infantry from the fate of so many infantrymen - such as the Saxons at Hastings - who broke formation and were slaughtered piecemeal. After using this infantry force by itself at Tours, he studied the foe's forces and further adapted to them, initially using stirrups and saddles recovered from the foe's dead horses, and armour from the dead horsemen.
Development of heavy cavalry
After 732, he began the integration into his army of heavy cavalry, using the armour and accoutrements of heavy armoured horsemen, training his infantry to fight in conjunction with cavalry, a tactic which stood him in good stead during his campaigns of 736-737, especially at the Battle of Narbonne. His incorporation of heavy armoured cavalry into the western forces created the first "knights" in the west.
Brilliant generalship
Martel earned his reputation for brilliant generalship, in an age generally bereft of same, by his ability to use what he had and by integrating new ideas and technology. As a consequence, he was undefeated from 716 to his death against a wide range of opponents, including the Muslim cavalry (at that time, the world's best) and the fierce barbarian Saxons on his own borders -- and all this in spite of virtually always being outnumbered. He was the only general in the Middle Ages in Europe to use the eastern battle technique of feigned retreat. His ability to attack where he was least expected and when he was least expected was legendary. The process of the development of the famous chivalry of France continued in the Edict of PistresEdict of Pistres
The Edict of Pistres is often held up as one of the few examples, if not the sole example, of good government from Charles t...
of his great-great-grandson and namesake Charles the BaldCharles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and king of West Francia , was the youngest son of Emperor Louis the Pious, by his ...
.
The defeats Martel inflicted on the Muslims were vital in that the split in the Islamic world left the CaliphateCaliphate
A caliphate, , is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world....
unable to mount an all out attack on Europe via its Iberian stronghold after 750750
Events...
. His ability to meet this challenge, until the Muslims self-destructed, is considered by most historians to be of macrohistorical importance, and is why DanteDANTE
DANTE is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the var...
writes of him in Heaven as one of the "Defenders of the Faith." After 750, the door to western Europe, the Iberian emirate, was in the hands of the Umayyads, while most of the remainder of the Muslim world came under the control of the Abbasids, making an invasion of Europe a logistical impossibility while the two Muslim empires battled. This put off Islamic invasion of Europe until the TurkishOttoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire , is also sometimes known in the West as the Turkish Empire....
conquest of the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of southeastern Europe....
half a millennium later.
H. G. WellsH. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was a British writer best known for his science fiction novels such as The Time Machine, The War...
says of Charles Martel's decisive defeat of the Muslims in his "Short History of the World:
"The Moslim when they crossed the Pyrenees in 720 found this Frankish kingdom under the practical rule of Charles Martel, the Mayor of the Palace of a degenerate descendant of Clovis, and experienced the decisive defeat of Poitiers (732) at his hands. This Charles Martel was practically overlord of Europe north of the Alps from the Pyrenees to Hungary."
John H. Haaren says in “Famous Men of the Middle Ages”
”The battle of Tours, or Poitiers, as it should be called, is regarded as one of the decisive battles of the world. It decided that Christians, and not Moslems, should be the ruling power in Europe. Charles Martel is especially celebrated as the hero of this battle.”
Just as his grandson, Charlemagne, would become famous for his swift and unexpected movements in his campaigns, Charles was legendary for never doing what his enemies forecast he would do. It was this ability to do the unforeseen, and move far faster than his opponents believed he could, that characterized the military career of Charles Martel.
It is notable that the Northmen did not begin their European raids until after the death of Martel's grandson, Charlemagne. They had the naval capacity to begin those raids at least three generations earlier, but chose not to challenge Martel, his son Pippin, or his grandson, Charlemagne. This was probably fortunate for Martel, who despite his enormous gifts, would probably not have been able to repel the Vikings in addition to the Muslims, Saxons, and everyone else he defeated. However, it is notable that again, despite the ability to do so, (the Danes had constructed defenses to defend from counterattacks by land, and had the ability to launch their wholesale sea raids as early as Martel's reign), they chose not to challenge Charles Martel.
Conclusion
J.M. Roberts says of Charles Martel in his note on the Carolingians on page 315 of his 1993 History of the World:
It (the Carolingian line) produced Charles Martel, the soldier who turned the Arabs back at Tours, and the supporter of Saint Boniface, the Evangelizer of Germany. This is a considerable double mark to have left on the history of Europe."
Gibbon perhaps summarized Charles Martel's legacy most eloquently: "in a laborious administration of 24 years he had restored and supported the dignity of the throne..by the activity of a warrior who in the same campaign could display his banner on the Elbe, the Rhone, and shores of the ocean."
Family and children
Charles Martel married twice:
His first wife was Rotrude of Treves, (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Bishop of Treves). They had the following children:
HiltrudHiltrud
Hiltrud is a daughter of Charles Martel and Rotrude of Treves....
(d. 754), married Odilo IOdilo of Bavaria
Odilo, of the house of Agilolfing, ruled Bavaria from 736 until his death in 748, succeeding Duke Hugbert of Bavaria....
, Duke of Bavaria
CarlomanCarloman, son of Charles Martel
Carloman was the son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud....
Landrade (Landres), married Sigrand, Count of Hesbania
Auda, Aldana, or Alane, married Thierry IV, Count of Autun and Toulouse
Pippin the Short
His second wife was SwanhildSwanachild
Swanachild was the second wife of Charles Martel, who brought her back from his first campaign in Bavaria in 725, along with...
. They had the following child:
GrifoGrifo
Grifo was the son of the Frankish major domo Charles Martel and his second wife Swanahild....
Charles Martel also had a mistress, RuodhaidRuodhaid
Ruodhaid was a concubine or mistress of Charles Martel with whom she had the following children:...
. They had the following children:
Bernard (b. before 732-787)
Remigius or Remedius was the illegitimate son of Charles Martel and probably Ruodhaid....
, archbishop of RouenArchbishop of Rouen
The Archbishop of Rouen is Primate of Normandy and one of the fifteen Archbishops of France....
(d. 771)
"Ian" is the Scottish Gaelic version of John....
(d. 783)
Ancestors
External links
Ian Meadows, 'The Arabs in Occitania': A sketch giving the context of the conflict from the Arab point of view.
http://www.standin.se/fifteen07a.htm Poke's edition of Creasy's "15 Most Important Battles Ever Fought According to Edward Shepherd Creasy" Chapter VII. The Battle of Tours, A.D. 732.
Richard Hooker, 'Civil War and the Umayyads'
The Battle of Tours 732, from the "Jewish Virtual LibraryJewish Virtual Library
The Jewish Virtual Library is an online encyclopedia published by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise....
" website: A division of the American-Israeli Cooperative.
Tours,Poiters, from "Leaders and Battles Database" online.
Robert W. Martin, 'The Battle of Tours is still felt today', from about.comAbout.com
About.com is a network of sites on about 540 topics that relies on paid human "Guides" to cover a specific topic by providin...
Medieval Sourcebook: Arabs, Franks, and the Battle of Tours, 732
Arabs, Franks, and the Battle of Tours, 732: Three Accounts from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Medieval Sourcebook: Gregory II to Charles Martel, 739
Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
Charles Martel (Latin: Carolus Martellus) (ca. 688 – 22 October 741),
Martel was born in Herstal, in present-day Belgium, the illegitimate son of the mayor and duke Pippin II and his concubine Alpaida.
Family and children
Charles Martel married twice:
His first wife was Rotrude of Treves, (690-724) (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Bishop of Treves). They had the following children:
* Hiltrud (d. 754), married Odilo I, Duke of Bavaria
* Carloman
* Landrade (Landres), married Sigrand, Count of Hesbania
* Auda, Aldana, or Alane, married Thierry IV, Count of Autun and Toulouse
* Pippin the Short
His second wife was Swanhild. They had the following child:
* Grifo
Charles Martel also had a mistress, Ruodhaid. They had the following children:
* Bernard (b. before 732-787)
* Remigius, archbishop of Rouen (d. 771)
* Ian (d. 783)
Called Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum (737–43) at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks.
In 739 he was offered the title of Consul by the Pope, but he refused.[6] He is perhaps best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
A brilliant general—he lost only one battle in his career (the Battle of Cologne)
Painting:
Charles Martel is primarily famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, his stopping the Umayyad invasions of Europe during the Muslim Expansion Era, and his laying the foundation for the Carolingian Empire. (oil on canvas, painted by Charles de Steuben from 1834 till 1837)
Charles Martel (Latin: Carolus Martellus)
(ca. 688 – 22 October 741), called Charles the Hammer,
was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum (737–43)
at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks.
In 739 he was offered the title of Consul by the Pope, but he refused.
He is perhaps best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
A brilliant general—he lost only one battle in his career (the Battle of Cologne)—he is a founding figure of the Middle Ages, often credited with a seminal role
in the development of feudalism and knighthood, and laying the groundwork for the Carolingian Empire.
He was also the grandfather of Charlemagne.
BIRTH AND YOUTH
Martel was born in Herstal, in present-day Belgium,
the illegitimate son of the mayor and duke Pippin II and his concubine Alpaida.
The following tale is told of Charles and of the origins of his name: in 676, Pepin of Herstal and his wife
Plectrude were talking together in a room when they were intruded upon by a messenger, bringing news
that the Mayor's mistress, Alpaida,had given birth to a son at Herstal.
The messenger, fearful of arousing the wrath of Plectrude,
decided not to announce the news directly.
Instead, he said: "Long live the king, it is a carl" ('man').
Pepin, equally cautious of his wife, dismissed the messenger as follows: "A carl, is it? Then let him be called that."
This was done, and, so legend claims, the child was named "Carl". In German-speaking countries he is known as Karl Martell.
Alpaida also bore Pepin another son, Childebrand.
CONTESTING FOR POWER
At the time of the death of Pepin of Heristal.
Note that Aquitaine (yellow) was outside of Arnulfing authority and Neustria and Burgundy (pink)
were united in opposition to further
Arnulfing dominance of the highest offices.
Only Austrasia (green) supported an Arnulfing mayor,
first Theudoald then Charles.
Note that the German duchies to the east of the Rhine
were de facto outside of Frankish suzerainty at this time.
In December 714, Pepin of Heristal died.
Prior to his death, he had, at his wife Plectrude's urging,
designated Theudoald, his grandson by their son Grimoald, his heir in the entire realm.
This was immediately opposed by the nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age.
To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him gaoled in Cologne,
the city which was destined to be her capital.
This prevented an uprising on his behalf in Austrasia, but not in Neustria.Civil war of 715-718
In 715, the Neustrian noblesse proclaimed Ragenfrid mayor of their palace on behalf of, and apparently with the support of Dagobert III, the young king, who in theory had the legal authority to select a mayor, though by this time the Merovingian dynasty had lost most such powers.
The Austrasians were not to be left supporting a woman and her young son for long.
Before the end of the year, Charles Martel had escaped from prison and been acclaimed mayor by the nobles of that kingdom.
The Neustrians had been attacking Austrasia and the nobles were waiting for a strong man to lead them against their invading countrymen.
That year, Dagobert died and the Neustrians proclaimed Chilperic II king without the support of the rest of the Frankish people.
In 717, Chilperic and Ragenfrid together led an army into Austrasia.
The Neustrians allied with another invading force under Radbod, King of the Frisians and met Charles in battle
near Cologne, which was still held by Plectrude.
Charles had little time to gather men, or prepare, and the result was the only defeat of his life.
According to Strauss and Gustave, Martel fought a brilliant battle, but realized he could not prevail because he was outnumbered so badly, and retreated. In fact, he fled the field as soon as he realized he did not have the time or the men to prevail, retreating to the mountains
of the Eifel to gather men, and train them.
The king and his mayor then turned to besiege their other rival in the city and took it and the treasury,
and received the recognition of both Chilperic as king and Ragenfrid as mayor.
Plectrude surrendered on Theudoald's behalf.
Magnanimous in victory
At this juncture, however, events turned in favour of Charles.
Having made the proper preparations, he fell upon the triumphant army near Malmedy as it was returning to its own province, and, in the ensuing Battle of Amblève,
routed it and the few troops who were not killed or surrendered, fled.
Several things were notable about this battle, in which Charles set the pattern for the remainder of his military career:
First, he appeared where his enemies least expected him, while they were marching triumphantly home and far outnumbered him.
He also attacked when least expected, at midday, when armies of that era traditionally were resting.
Finally, he attacked them how they least expected it, by feigning a retreat to draw his opponents into a trap.
The feigned retreat, next to unknown in Western Europe at that time—it was a traditionally eastern tactic—required both extraordinary discipline on the part of the troops and exact timing on the part of their commander.
Charles, in this battle, had begun demonstrating the military genius that would mark his rule, in that he never attacked his enemies where, when, or how they expected, and the result was an unbroken victory streak
that lasted until his death.
In Spring 717, Charles returned to Neustria with an army and confirmed his supremacy with a victory at the Battle of Vincy, near Cambrai.
He chased the fleeing king and mayor to Paris, before turning back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne.
He took her city and dispersed her adherents.
However, he allowed both Plectrude and the young Theudoald to live and treated them with kindness
—unusual for those Dark Ages, when mercy to a former jailer, or a potential rival, was rare.
On this success, he proclaimed Clotaire IV king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the archbishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with Milo,
a lifelong supporter.
After subjugating all Austrasia, he marched against Radbod and pushed him back into his territory,
even forcing the concession of West Frisia (later Holland).
He also sent the Saxons back over the Weser and thus secured his borders—in the name of the new king Clotaire, of course.
In 718, Chilperic responded to Charles' new ascendancy by making an alliance with Odo the Great (or Eudes, as he is sometimes known), the duke of Aquitaine, who had made himself independent during the civil war in 715,
but was again defeated, at the Battle of Soissons, by Charles.
The king fled with his ducal ally to the land south of the Loire and Ragenfrid fled to Angers.
Soon Clotaire IV died and Odo gave up on Chilperic and, in exchange for recognising his dukedom, surrendered the king to Charles, who recognised his kingship over all the Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his mayoralty, likewise over all the kingdoms (718).
The Saracen Army outside Paris, 730-32 AD
Foreign wars from 718-732
The ensuing years were full of strife. between 718 and 723, Charles secured his power through a series of victories: he won the loyalty of several important bishops
and abbots (by donating lands and money for the foundation of abbeys such as Echternach),he subjugated Bavaria and Alemannia, and he defeated the pagan Saxons.
Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia.
Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser, the Lippe, and the Ruhr.
He defeated them in the Teutoburg Forest.
In 719, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the Frisians, who had been subjects of the Franks but had seized control upon the death of Pippin.
Although Charles did not trust the pagans, their ruler, Aldegisel, accepted Christianity, and Charles sent Willibrord, bishop of Utrecht, the famous "Apostle to the Frisians" to convert the people.
Charles also did much to support Winfrid, later Saint Boniface, the "Apostle of the Germans."
When Chilperic II died the following year (720),
Charles appointed as his successor the son of Dagobert III, Theuderic IV, who was still a minor, and who occupied the throne from 720 to 737.
Charles was now appointing the kings whom he supposedly served, rois fainéants who were mere puppets in his hands; by the end of his reign they were so useless
that he didn't even bother appointing one.
At this time, Charles again marched against the Saxons. Then the Neustrians rebelled under Ragenfrid, who had left the county of Anjou.
They were easily defeated (724), but Ragenfrid gave up his sons as hostages in turn for keeping his county.
This ended the civil wars of Charles' reign.
The next six years were devoted in their entirety to assuring Frankish authority over the dependent Germanic tribes.
Between 720 and 723, Charles was fighting in Bavaria,
where the Agilolfing dukes had gradually evolved into independent rulers, recently in alliance with Liutprand the Lombard.
He forced the Alemanni to accompany him, and Duke Hugbert submitted to Frankish suzerainty.
In 725 and 728, he again entered Bavaria and the ties of lordship seemed strong.
From his first campaign, he brought back the Agilolfing princess Swanachild, who apparently became his concubine.
In 730, he marched against Lantfrid, duke of Alemannia,
who had also become independent, and killed him in battle.
He forced the Alemanni capitulation to Frankish suzerainty and did not appoint a successor to Lantfrid.
Thus, southern Germany once more became part of the Frankish kingdom, as had northern Germany during the first years of the reign.
But by 730, his own realm secure, Charles began to prepare exclusively for the coming storm from the south and west.
In 721, the emir of Córdoba had built up a strong army from Morocco, Yemen, and Syria to conquer Aquitaine,
the large duchy in the southwest of Gaul, nominally under Frankish sovereignty, but in practice almost independent
in the hands of the Odo the Great, the Duke of Aquitaine,
since the Merovingian kings had lost power.
The invading Muslims besieged the city of Toulouse,
then Aquitaine's most important city, and Odo (also called Eudes, or Eudo) immediately left to find help.
He returned three months later just before the city was about to surrender and defeated the Muslim invaders on June 9, 721, at what is now known as the Battle of Toulouse.
This critical defeat was essentially the result of a classic enveloping movement by Odo's forces.
(After Odo originally fled, the Muslims became overconfident and, instead of maintaining strong outer defenses around their siege camp and continuous scouting, they did neither.)
Thus, when Odo returned, he was able to launch a near complete surprise attack on the besieging force,
scattering it at the first attack, and slaughtering units caught resting or that fled without weapons or armour.
Due to the situation in Iberia, Martel believed he needed a virtually fulltime army—one he could train intensely
—as a core of veteran Franks who would be augmented with the usual conscripts called up in time of war.
(During the Early Middle Ages, troops were only available after the crops had been planted and before harvesting time.)
To train the kind of infantry that could withstand the Muslim heavy cavalry, Charles needed them year-round,
and he needed to pay them so their families could buy the food they would have otherwise grown.
To obtain money he seized church lands and property, and used the funds to pay his soldiers.
The same Charles who had secured the support of the ecclesia by donating land, seized some of it back between 724 and 732.
Of course, Church officials were enraged, and, for a time, it looked as though Charles might even be excommunicated for his actions.
But then came a significant invasion.
EVE OF TOURS
Historian Paul K. Davis said in 100 Decisive Battles "Having defeated Eudes, he turned to the Rhine to strengthen his northeastern borders - but in 725 was diverted south with the activity of the Muslims in Acquitane."
Martel then concentrated his attention to the Umayyads, virtually for the remainder of his life.
Indeed, 12 years later, when he had thrice rescued Gaul from Umayyad invasions, Antonio Santosuosso noted
when he destroyed an Umayyad army sent to reinforce the invasion forces of the 735 campaigns, "Charles Martel
again came to the rescue".
It has been noted that Charles Martel could have pursued the wars against the Saxons—but he was determined to prepare for what he thought was a greater danger.
It is also vital to note that the Muslims were not aware,
at that time, of the true strength of the Franks,or the fact that they were building a real army instead of the typical barbarian hordes that had dominated Europe after Rome's fall.
They considered the Germanic tribes, including the Franks, simply barbarians and were not particularly concerned about them.
The Arab Chronicles, the history of that age, show that Arab awareness of the Franks as a growing military power came only after the Battle of Tours when the Caliph expressed shock at his army's catastrophic defeat.
BATTLE OF TOURS
Leadup and importance"It was under one of their ablest
and most renowned commanders, with a veteran army,
and with every apparent advantage of time, place,
and circumstance, that the Arabs made their great effort
at the conquest of Europe north of the Pyrenees."
—Edward Shepherd Creasy , The Fifteen Decisive
BATTLES OF THE WORLD
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MAR&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GScntry=7&GSsr=3881&GRid=8183688&
Charles "The Hammer" Martel was the defacto King of the Franks from 737-741 (Officially he was Duke and Prince of the Franks). He was also known as a great general, and is most famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
Please add to Discussion if you want to change the locked naming fields.
Martel was the son of Pepin II and his concubine, Alpaida.
Around 670, Pepin had married Plectrude, who had inherited substantial estates in the Moselle region. She was the mother of Drogo of Champag
Om Charles Martel "the Hammer" (Norsk)
Karl var rikshovmester og reell konge over de tre frankiske kongedømmene.
Martell var født i Herstal i det som nå er Wallonia i Belgia og var den uekte sønnen av Pipin av Herstal og hans konkubine Alpaida.
Hans far Pipin av Herstal døde i desember 714. Han hadde på oppfordring fra sin kone Plektrude, satt Teodobald, sitt barnebarn, som arving over hele riket. Adelen satte seg umiddelbart i mot dette, for Teodobald var en gutt på åtte år. Plektrude var en energisk kvinne og tok umiddelbart Karl Martell, hennes manns eldste gjenlevende sønn, en uekte sønn, og satt ham i fengsel i Köln, byen som var utpekt til å være hennes hovedstad. Dette forhindret et opprør på hans vegne i Austrasia, men ikke i Neustria.
Borgerkrigen 715-718, Dette førte til en borgerkrig som varte i tre år. Karl møtte motstanderne i et slag i Köln, men tapte og flyktet til fjellene i Eifel. Karl flyktet fra slagmarken så snart han innså at han ikke hadde nok tid eller menn til å forberede slaget og ikke hadde sjanse til å vinne. Ved dette tidspunktet vendte hendelsene til Karls fordel. Han gjorde de nødvendige forberedelsene og angrep den triumferende hæren nær Malmédy idet den vendte tilbake til sin egen provins. I slaget ved Ambléve ble den tidligere seirende hæren omringet og måtte flykte. Heretter var praktisk talt Karl ubeseiret til han døde. Etter at han seiret skal det merkes at han til tross for at hans nevø hadde blitt utropt til arving i Karls sted og barnets bestemor, Karls stemor, hadde fengslet ham i sitt navn, lot han dem leve og behandlet dem med vennlighet. En sjeldenhet i middelalderen, hvor nåde mot tidligere rivaler var sjelden.
Kriger i utlandet 718-732 De følgende årene var full av stridigheter. Mellom 718 og 723 sikret Karl sin makt gjennom en rekke seiere. Han vant lojaliteten til flere viktige biskoper og abbeder (ved å donere land og penger til grunnleggelsen av klostre som Echternach), han underla seg Bayern og Alemannia og han beseiret de hedenske sakserne.
Selv om han først og fremst huskes som lederen for den kristne hæren som vant ved Tours, er Karl Martell virkelig en gigantisk personlighet i tidlig middelalder. Han var en svært dyktig general i en tidsepoke som manglet andre store generaler, han er den første forfaderen til vestlig tungt kavaleri (ridderskap), grunnleggeren av det som skulle bli Frankerriket og satte i gang føydalsystemet som preget Europa i middelalderen
Han er mest kjent for at han vant slaget ved Poitiers i 732, hvor han stoppet et maurisk invasjon ledet av guvernøren av al-Andalus. Med denne seieren satte han en stopper for videre muslimsk innflytelse i Frankrike.
Det skal merkes at akkurat som hans barnebarn Karl den store ville bli berømt for sine raske og uventede bevegelser i sine kampanjer, var Karl legendarisk for å være hvor han ikke var ventet, og han gjorde aldri det hans fiender forventet han skulle gjøre. Det var denne evnen til å gjøre det uforutsette og bevege seg mye raskere enn hans motstandere trodde han kunne som karakteriserte Karl Martells militære karriere.
Det er også interessant at vikingene ikke startet sine forferdelig plyndringsraid før etter at Martells barnebarn, Karl den store, døde. De hadde sjøfartskapasiteten til å begynne disse toktene minst tre generasjoner tidligere, men valgte å ikke utfordre Martell, Pipin eller Karl den store. Dette var antagelig heldig for Martell som til tross for sine enorme begavelse, antakelig ikke ville klart å slå tilbake vikingene i tillegg til muslimene
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In which of Shakespeare's plays do the characters 'Viola' and 'Malvolio' appear? | Twelfth Night | Shakespeare: Plays & Sonnets | Educator.com
Shakespeare: Plays & Sonnets
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Shakespeare: Plays & Sonnets Twelfth Night
II. Plays: Lecture 9 | 19:08 min
Lecture Description
In this lesson, our instructor Rebekah Hendershot teaches Twelfth Night. Youll go over the complete background of the play, the setting, and the characters. Rebekah explains each character in detail, including Viola, Sebastian, Orsino, Olivia, Malvolio, Maria, and everyone in between. Youll learn each element of the plot from the shipwreck to the happy ending. Themes, major passages, and essay topic jumping-off points are also discussed. With Rebekah youll discuss topics such as gender roles, the comical characters, and the idea of mistaken identity. The lesson concludes with a few secrets to make understanding Shakespeare a lot easier.
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Last reply by: Professor Hendershot
Wed Jan 29, 2014 1:14 PM
Post by veda chanda on January 18, 2014
Is Antonio ever released from prison?
Twelfth Night
First Things First
This lesson will teach you how to read and understand a play by William Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights in the history of the English language (and the man who invented quite a lot of it).
These videos are not a substitute for reading Shakespeare, listening to Shakespeare, or watching Shakespeare performed.
Seriously. Don’t be that guy.
Background
Written for a Christmastime celebration
Lots of cross-dressing and craziness
Not published during Shakespeare’s lifetime (First Folio, 1623)
A response to the “boy- plays”?
Setting
Eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea
Ragusa? Croatia?
Characters
Viola / Cesario—A young noblewoman who assumes a male identity after being separated from her twin brother, Sebastian. Loves Orsino. Is loved by Olivia.
Sebastian—A young nobleman, twin brother of Viola. Friends with Antonio. Marries Olivia.
Orsino—Duke of Illyria and pompous blowhard. Woos Olivia (unsuccessfully). Falls in love with “Cesario.”
Olivia—A countess who refuses to marry on account of her brother’s recent death. Self-indulgent. Falls in love with “Cesario,” and later Sebastian.
Malvolio—Olivia’s priggish servant. His coworkers make him believe Olivia is in love with him.
Maria—Olivia’s clever maid. Plays pranks on Malvolio and eventually marries Olivia’s uncle.
Antonio—A sea captain who rescues Sebastian and seems to be in love with him.
Sir Toby Belch—Olivia’s drunken uncle. Marries Maria.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek—Suitor to Olivia and friend to Sir Toby. Fatuous idiot.
Feste—A jester. Probably the wisest character in the play.
Plot
A page in the service of Orsino
A visit to Olivia
Viola delivers Orsino’s message
Olivia falls in love with “Cesario”
The gift of a ring
A prank on Malvolio
Viola and Orsino—can a woman love a man as much as a man can love a woman?
Olivia tries to woo “Cesario”
Antonio and Sebastian appear in town
Malvolio tries to woo Olivia
Sir Andrew picks a fight with Viola
Antonio rescues “Sebastian”, and is arrested
Sebastian is challenged, courted, and married
The clown mocks Malvolio
The marriage and the beating are revealed
The twins are reunited (after Viola messes with Sebastian’s head)
Orsino falls for Viola
The prank on Malvolio is revealed
Everyone has a laugh and a song
Themes
Shape-shifting, disguise, and mistaken identity
Love as a cause of pain
Gender-bending
“If music be the food of love, play on …”
-Act I, Scene 1, 1-15
“Make me a willow cabin at your gate …”
-Act I, Scene 5, 237-245
“…Make no compare
Between that love a woman can bear me
And that I owe Olivia.”
-Act II, Scene 4, 91-101
“… Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times
Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.”
-Act V, Scene 1, 258-266
Jumping-Off Points
How does Shakespeare experiment with gender roles in this play? How does he portray the intelligence, power, and faithfulness of men and women?
Twelfth Night, the holiday for which the play is named, was a topsy-turvy time of cross-dressing and role reversal. How does this play out in the story?
What role do the explicitly comical characters—Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Feste, etc.—play in the story? Why did Shakespeare include them?
Is Malvolio a comical character, a tragic figure, or both? Explain.
By the end of Twelfth Night, everyone seems to have a happy ending—except Malvolio and Antonio. What effect does this have? Why do you think Shakespeare chose to write his ending this way?
Compare Orsino and Olivia. How are their attitudes toward love the same? How are they different? Both seem to be in love with the idea of being in love more than with any particular person. What statement is Shakespeare making about romantic love?
Shakespeare uses mistaken identity throughout the play, yet Sebastian and Viola are very different characters. How does their physical similarity highlight their personal differences?
The Secret of Understanding Shakespeare
Watch it performed (or on film if you can’t get to a theatrical production). All of Shakespeare makes more sense when it’s spoken by actors who have lived his words and know, bone-deep, what he’s talking about. Never underestimate the power of performance. Remember that this is how Shakespeare meant his work to be seen …
Twelfth Night
Lecture Slides are screen-captured images of important points in the lecture. Students can download and print out these lecture slide images to do practice problems as well as take notes while watching the lecture.
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Olivia tries to woo Cesario
Antonio and Sebastian appear in town
Malvolio tries to woo Olivia
Sir Andrew picks fight with Viola
Antonio rescues Sebastian, is arrested
Sebastian is challenges, courted, married
The clown mocks Malvolio
Prank on Malvolio is revealed
Laughing and singing
Act I, scene 1, 1-15
Act I, scene 5, 237-245
Act II, scene 4, 91-101
Act V, scene 1, 258-266
Jumping-off Points 16:28
| Twelfth Night |
In which of Shakespeare's plays do the characters 'Ariel' and 'Prospero' appear? | How does Shakespeare use the theme of disguise and concealment to dramatic effect in Twelfth Night? - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com
How does Shakespeare use the theme of disguise and concealment to dramatic effect in Twelfth Night?
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
How does Shakespeare use the theme of disguise and concealment to dramatic effect in 'Twelfth Night'? Disguise and concealment are major features in Twelfth Night. Shakespeare uses these themes as the basis for this play. Shakespeare has been able to manipulate and use disguise and concealment in whatever way he likes; to usually portray comedy, misunderstanding, affection and also to give information to the audience without the characters knowing. Shakespeare is very clever in the way that he creates certain contrasting dramatic effects such as comedy, tragedy and uneasiness through disguise and concealment. Concealment is used strongly throughout the play. Viola - one of the main characters is the most obvious example of this. At the very start of the play, Viola asks the Sea Captain to change her appearances. 'Conceal me what I am'. The sea captain then helps her to conceal herself and change her entire appearance to that of a man. Viola also needs the male appearance to survive. She is shipwrecked in a strange land, she is a virgin, and only possessing wit and intelligence. She has no male company for safety, only the captain's friendship. ...read more.
Middle
An example is, as Malvolio reads through the pretend letter, he images himself as Count Malvolio. Malvolio, being a puritan; dislikes Sir Toby's way of life and drunkenness. Sir Toby is often drunk and insults Malvolio. Malvolio says aloud when reading the letter: 'You must amend your drunkenness' and 'you waste the treasure of your time with the foolish knight'. Malvolio speaks with pride and smugness as he imagines Sir Toby curtsying before him. This concealment is dramatically effective because of its comedy. Such comedy continues with the encouragement of Malvolio dressing in yellow stockings - as Maria explains 'he will come to her in yellow stockings, and 'tis a colour she abhors, and cross- gartered, a fashion sense she detests'. Here is even more dramatic irony as the audience know that Maria wrote the letter, that Olivia hates the colour yellow and that Malvolio believes that the letter is actually written by Olivia herself. Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Fabian are all concealing the truth about the letter and this creates comedy. In addition, by the four characters hiding in the box tree; it exposes Malvolio's true intentions - that he does not love Olivia for who she is, but for his personal status and gain. ...read more.
Conclusion
He sings a song of unfulfilled love, which puts forth the idea of what could happen in another situation. While the other characters have all been unmasked, Feste's mask can never be discarded due to his role in Olivia's palace as her clown. As Olivia's clown, his job is to be merry and witty on demand for Olivia's personal entertainment. As he resides in Olivia's palace, this fa�ade and persona has to be kept up all the time. As Feste ages, his is scared about losing his job and therefore his true self can never be exposed. Therefore, Feste is the only character in 'Twelfth Night' who does not eventually show something which he is concealing, be that identity or in his case - personality. This makes the last stanza very emotive and meaningful as he unmasks the atmosphere and quotes: 'but that's all one, our play is done.' This helps the audience to return back to reality where everyone is who they say they are - where the sea often kills, mistaken marriages are rarely happy, and where Viola's rarely marry dukes. The theme of disguise and concealment is used to dramatic effect to cause action, plot development, uneasiness, intrigue, misunderstandings, the highlighting of personality flaws, tragedy and comedy. ?? ?? ?? ?? ...read more.
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'West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum' was a 2009 number one hit album for which group? | West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum: Amazon.co.uk: Music
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Follow up to 2006's number one 'Empire', the third album from the English alternative rock band is an electronica-indie rock style fusion: a mix of intense melodies, electro-punk riffs and kaleidoscopic lullabies. The album includes the singles 'Fast Fuse', 'Vlad the Impaler' and 'Fire'.
Amazon.co.uk
Kasabian arrived with a bang and a half early this century, brandishing a slew of ever more dynamite singles and a rigorously assembled debut album that straddled dancefloors and festival fields with monumental ease and a glint in its bloodshot eyes. It was all very post- Xtrmntr , whilst avoiding much of the seriousness that could have entailed. Whether anyone expected them to chase Oasis’ coat-tails with such keenness is by the by now; they have since been ordained as an anthemic rock colossus of the UK rock scene. That has almost certainly gone to their heads and as years and albums pass they move further away from their original chemical reaction and into attempting to elbow their way onto the table of some of the greats--early Pink Floyd (the well meaning, but slightly aimless "Swarfiga"), The Kinks (the blatant "Thick As Thieves", though it doesn’t take much to imagine Noel Gallgher bashing it out either) and The Rolling Stones ("Happiness", see also Primal Scream). West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum finds them in an exploratory mood even if it struggles to lift off like either their own early material or the greats they aspire to emulate. Still, "Fast Fuse" is a rabid burst of tinny psychedelic punk and "Vlad The Impaler" intriguingly dark and electric. Not as weird or as wired as they purport to be, but given the kind of brain-numbing predictability normally peddled by bands at their level, we should be grateful for the ambition of this album. --James Berry
| Kasabian |
In which organ of the body would you find the 'Islets of Langerhans'? | Kasabian on Apple Music
To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music.
Biography
Kasabian took the British press by storm in the early 2000s by mixing traces of the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, and Primal Scream with Oasis-sized confidence and DJ Shadow-influenced electronics. Named after Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson's getaway driver turned state witness, the Leicester-based group also stole a page from the Band by moving into a remote farmhouse to brew its music. Communal life and a slew of shared influences produced an electronic, rock-oriented sound that harked back to the Madchester days of baggy pants and druggy dancing. Kasabian expanded that sound on later albums, but the band's foundation remained rooted in swaggering, fragmented dance textures and boisterous rock & roll. With his acerbic approach to interviews, swaggering lead singer Tom Meighan quickly became a darling of the press during the band's infancy, and Kasabian's revolutionary logos and sleeve art only added to the excitement. Foldout poster sleeves, 10" versions, and hand-stenciled covers accompanied singles like "Club Foot," "L.S.F," and "Processed Beats." The hype paid off as Kasabian's self-titled debut cracked the Top Five in October 2004, just one month after its U.K. release. Four singles landed in the Top 20 within six months, establishing the bandmates as rock & roll royalty in the process. Founding guitarist Chris Karloff left the lineup two years later, citing creative differences with the remaining members. Kasabian's second album, Empire, had already been recorded, and guitarist Jay Mehler was brought aboard to replace Karloff during live performances. (Mehler eventually became an official member in 2008.) Empire was ultimately released in August 2006 and debuted atop the U.K. charts, with the title track soon becoming the band's third Top Ten hit. The band took home an NME Award in 2007 and began work on another album later that year. Dan the Automator was brought in to share production duties with Sergio Pizzorno, and the resulting U.K. chart-topper West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum appeared in 2009. Automator would return for the 2011 album Velociraptor!, featuring the leadoff single "Switchblade Smiles." In 2013, Mehler left the group and joined former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher in his group Beady Eye, but the band carried on as a four-piece and recorded a new album with Pizzorno in the producer's chair. Named after the album's total running time, 48:13 arrived in 2014, featuring the lead single "Eez-eh." ~ David Jeffries
Top Albums
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In which town in Greater Manchester is the TV series 'Shameless' set? | Shameless | Shameless Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Number of Series
11
Shameless is a BAFTA award winning British drama television series set in the fictional Chatsworth Council Estate , Stretford, Greater Manchester in England. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven episode series started airing on 13 January 2004. The comedy drama, centered on British underclass and working class culture has been accorded critical acclaim by various sections of the British media, including The Sun newspaper and Newsnight Review on BBC Two. The programme was created and partially written by Paul Abbott .
The show was officially announced to be ending after it's 11th Series by Channel 4 on October 9, 2012. The final series began on 26 February 2013 and ended on 28 May 2013, the show's10th year in production. [1]
Contents
[ show ]
General Plot
The series charts the lives of Frank Gallagher , an intelligent but wasteful alcoholic and his large, dysfunctional family, but as the show progressed it also widened the scope to include other occupants of the Chatsworth Estate . Central characters in the Gallagher family include eldest daughter Fiona ( S1.1 - S2.11 ), eldest son 'Lip' ( 1.1 - 5.1 ), plus younger Ian ( S1.1 - S7.16 ), Carl , Debbie ( S1.1 - S6.16 ), Liam ( S1.1 - S8.5 ) and baby Stella who grows up as the show continues.
The Gallagher family reside at 2 Windsor Gardens on the fictional Chatsworth Estate , a council estate in Stretford, near Manchester. Originally the show was filmed on location on a council estate in West Gorton and in the Pie Factory Studios in Salford. Since Series 5 , the show has been filmed from a purpose built set on the Roundthorn Industrial Estate in South Manchester on the site of an old Umbro warehouse, and around Wythenshawe and Sale.
Series Overview
Series 1 consisted of eight episodes ending with a Christmas special (23 December 2004). Series 2 followed with a longer run of ten episodes (4 January – 8 March 2005). Channel 4 introduced 'First Look' to their scheduling of Shameless from Series 2 onwards, enabling viewers to see all but the first episode a week early on their sister channel E4. The preview screening immediately following the Channel 4 episode, allowing two consecutive episodes to be watched in quick succession.
Series 3 began with a New Year special (3 January 2006), with seven further episodes (10 January – 21 February 2006) completing the run. Series 4 comprised eight episodes (9 January – 27 February 2007), but it was also announced that Series 5 would see the series expanded to sixteen episodes (1 January – 15 April 2008). Series 6 continued the lengthened sixteen-episode format (27 January – 12 May 2009).
Series 7 began on 26 January 2010, and introduced Pauline McLynn and Valerie Lilley as daughter and mother Libby and Patty Croker . It again consisted of sixteen episodes.
Series 8 began on 10 January 2011, and is the longest run to date, with 22 episodes. Channel 4 broke Series 8 into two parts, with separate over arching storylines, with Episodes 1 to 13 being shown between 10 January 2011 and 8 March 2011 and Episodes 14 to 22 being shown between 30 August 2011 and October 25, 2011. Some scenes in Series 8 were filmed in Lancashire.
Series 9 began airing on 9 January 2012, it was meant to continue the format of 22 episodes split into two parts of 11 with a break in-between. However in August 2012 it was announced that after the first 11 episodes aired and the break had finished Series 10 would begin instead. The reasons for this change are unknown.
Series 10 began airing on 12 September 2012, creator and executive producer Paul Abbott is said to be taking a more active role than he has in recent years. [2]
Series 11 is the final series, with a run of 14 episodes, and aired from 26 February 2013, with the final episode shown on 28 May 2013. A number of former cast members returned for the final episode. [1]
Critical Reception
In April 2005, the programme's first series won the Best Drama Series category at the British Academy Television Awards. It was also nominated for 'Best British Drama' at the 'National Television Awards 2007', but lost out to Doctor Who. Shameless won an award at the 'Royal Television Awards Society North West Awards 2007' where it beat Coronation Street to the 'Best Continuing Drama Award'.
Shameless has won over 30 awards in its run at major ceremonies worldwide including: BAFTA, RTS, International Emmys, Monte Carlo TV Festival, Prix Italia, Broadcast Press Guild, South Bank Show Awards, British Comedy Awards, Broadcast Awards, Indie Awards, RTS North West Awards, Irish Film & Television Awards, Televisual's Bull Dogs, Remark Awards and a British Sign Language Award and a MIND Mental Health Media Award for specific storylines.
The programme has been sold overseas, where it airs on channels such as SBS One (Australia), UKTV (New Zealand), Acht (Belgium), Showcase Television (Canada), Virgin 17 (France), Nederland 3 (Netherlands), YLE FST5 (Finland), SIC Radical (Portugal), RTÉ Two (Ireland), BBC America (only aired the first series) and Sundance Channel (United States), yes+ (Israel), I.Sat (Latin America) and Jimmy (Italy).
End
Shameless was announced to be ending after it's 11th series on 9 October 2012. Creator and executive producer Paul Abbott stated that "Its 10th anniversary seems a fitting time to shut the book on Shameless." and cited the death of his father, who was his core inspiration for creating the show, as being part of his decision.
Series 11 had a run of 14 episodes, and began airing on 26 February 2013, with Paul Abbott being more involved in the storylining of the series (although he did not write any of the episodes).
Notes
The series theme tune is simple named "Shameless" and was composed by the famous British composer Murray Gold. He is known for his work on many TV shows including Doctor Who , Torchwood and Queer as Folk .
American Version
Main article: Shameless US
Despite mixed opinions from fans, an American series of Shameless was produced in 2011 and was received well in the US with many of the first seasons episodes being directly adapted from the original series. The show went on to have a second season , and continues to have more seasons. Currently, IMBD rates it at 8.7/10. As of 2017, the show is preparing for it's eighth season.
Links
| Stretford |
In which organ of the body would you find 'Bowman's Capsule'? | Shameless | Shameless Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Number of Series
11
Shameless is a BAFTA award winning British drama television series set in the fictional Chatsworth Council Estate , Stretford, Greater Manchester in England. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven episode series started airing on 13 January 2004. The comedy drama, centered on British underclass and working class culture has been accorded critical acclaim by various sections of the British media, including The Sun newspaper and Newsnight Review on BBC Two. The programme was created and partially written by Paul Abbott .
The show was officially announced to be ending after it's 11th Series by Channel 4 on October 9, 2012. The final series began on 26 February 2013 and ended on 28 May 2013, the show's10th year in production. [1]
Contents
[ show ]
General Plot
The series charts the lives of Frank Gallagher , an intelligent but wasteful alcoholic and his large, dysfunctional family, but as the show progressed it also widened the scope to include other occupants of the Chatsworth Estate . Central characters in the Gallagher family include eldest daughter Fiona ( S1.1 - S2.11 ), eldest son 'Lip' ( 1.1 - 5.1 ), plus younger Ian ( S1.1 - S7.16 ), Carl , Debbie ( S1.1 - S6.16 ), Liam ( S1.1 - S8.5 ) and baby Stella who grows up as the show continues.
The Gallagher family reside at 2 Windsor Gardens on the fictional Chatsworth Estate , a council estate in Stretford, near Manchester. Originally the show was filmed on location on a council estate in West Gorton and in the Pie Factory Studios in Salford. Since Series 5 , the show has been filmed from a purpose built set on the Roundthorn Industrial Estate in South Manchester on the site of an old Umbro warehouse, and around Wythenshawe and Sale.
Series Overview
Series 1 consisted of eight episodes ending with a Christmas special (23 December 2004). Series 2 followed with a longer run of ten episodes (4 January – 8 March 2005). Channel 4 introduced 'First Look' to their scheduling of Shameless from Series 2 onwards, enabling viewers to see all but the first episode a week early on their sister channel E4. The preview screening immediately following the Channel 4 episode, allowing two consecutive episodes to be watched in quick succession.
Series 3 began with a New Year special (3 January 2006), with seven further episodes (10 January – 21 February 2006) completing the run. Series 4 comprised eight episodes (9 January – 27 February 2007), but it was also announced that Series 5 would see the series expanded to sixteen episodes (1 January – 15 April 2008). Series 6 continued the lengthened sixteen-episode format (27 January – 12 May 2009).
Series 7 began on 26 January 2010, and introduced Pauline McLynn and Valerie Lilley as daughter and mother Libby and Patty Croker . It again consisted of sixteen episodes.
Series 8 began on 10 January 2011, and is the longest run to date, with 22 episodes. Channel 4 broke Series 8 into two parts, with separate over arching storylines, with Episodes 1 to 13 being shown between 10 January 2011 and 8 March 2011 and Episodes 14 to 22 being shown between 30 August 2011 and October 25, 2011. Some scenes in Series 8 were filmed in Lancashire.
Series 9 began airing on 9 January 2012, it was meant to continue the format of 22 episodes split into two parts of 11 with a break in-between. However in August 2012 it was announced that after the first 11 episodes aired and the break had finished Series 10 would begin instead. The reasons for this change are unknown.
Series 10 began airing on 12 September 2012, creator and executive producer Paul Abbott is said to be taking a more active role than he has in recent years. [2]
Series 11 is the final series, with a run of 14 episodes, and aired from 26 February 2013, with the final episode shown on 28 May 2013. A number of former cast members returned for the final episode. [1]
Critical Reception
In April 2005, the programme's first series won the Best Drama Series category at the British Academy Television Awards. It was also nominated for 'Best British Drama' at the 'National Television Awards 2007', but lost out to Doctor Who. Shameless won an award at the 'Royal Television Awards Society North West Awards 2007' where it beat Coronation Street to the 'Best Continuing Drama Award'.
Shameless has won over 30 awards in its run at major ceremonies worldwide including: BAFTA, RTS, International Emmys, Monte Carlo TV Festival, Prix Italia, Broadcast Press Guild, South Bank Show Awards, British Comedy Awards, Broadcast Awards, Indie Awards, RTS North West Awards, Irish Film & Television Awards, Televisual's Bull Dogs, Remark Awards and a British Sign Language Award and a MIND Mental Health Media Award for specific storylines.
The programme has been sold overseas, where it airs on channels such as SBS One (Australia), UKTV (New Zealand), Acht (Belgium), Showcase Television (Canada), Virgin 17 (France), Nederland 3 (Netherlands), YLE FST5 (Finland), SIC Radical (Portugal), RTÉ Two (Ireland), BBC America (only aired the first series) and Sundance Channel (United States), yes+ (Israel), I.Sat (Latin America) and Jimmy (Italy).
End
Shameless was announced to be ending after it's 11th series on 9 October 2012. Creator and executive producer Paul Abbott stated that "Its 10th anniversary seems a fitting time to shut the book on Shameless." and cited the death of his father, who was his core inspiration for creating the show, as being part of his decision.
Series 11 had a run of 14 episodes, and began airing on 26 February 2013, with Paul Abbott being more involved in the storylining of the series (although he did not write any of the episodes).
Notes
The series theme tune is simple named "Shameless" and was composed by the famous British composer Murray Gold. He is known for his work on many TV shows including Doctor Who , Torchwood and Queer as Folk .
American Version
Main article: Shameless US
Despite mixed opinions from fans, an American series of Shameless was produced in 2011 and was received well in the US with many of the first seasons episodes being directly adapted from the original series. The show went on to have a second season , and continues to have more seasons. Currently, IMBD rates it at 8.7/10. As of 2017, the show is preparing for it's eighth season.
Links
| i don't know |
Winning the US Masters in 2003, who was the last Canadian to win a golf 'Major'? | Official World Golf Ranking - News
NEWS
14TH APRIL 2003 07:46 AM
Week 15 - Mike Weir Wins The US Masters And Moves Up To World No.5
In the first Major Championship of 2003, Mike Weir became the first Canadian and the first left-handed golfer ever to win the US Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. Weir overcame a three-shot deficit on the back nine Sunday and went on to beat Len Mattiace at the first extra play-off hole. As a result, the 67th US Masters Champion moves up 5 positions on the Official World Golf Ranking to World No.5 – his highest ever career position and the highest position ever held by a Canadian golfer on the World Ranking.
Weir started 2003 at World No.46 but victories in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the Nissan Open and the US Masters have meant an accumulation of 260.03 World Ranking points – more than any other golfer in the world.
Phil Mickelson, playing in his 43rd Major Championship, finished outright third and he makes a welcome return to the World No.3 slot while runner-up Len Mattiace improves 31 positions this week to World No.26 – the highest position of his career. Third-round leader Jeff Maggert finished fifth but he makes a return to the Top-100 at No.81 while Jim Furyk posted his third career Top-10 finish at Augusta National and remains at World No.9.
| Mike Weir |
Which is the only country that has a flag consisting of just one colour? | Official World Golf Ranking - News
NEWS
14TH APRIL 2003 07:46 AM
Week 15 - Mike Weir Wins The US Masters And Moves Up To World No.5
In the first Major Championship of 2003, Mike Weir became the first Canadian and the first left-handed golfer ever to win the US Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. Weir overcame a three-shot deficit on the back nine Sunday and went on to beat Len Mattiace at the first extra play-off hole. As a result, the 67th US Masters Champion moves up 5 positions on the Official World Golf Ranking to World No.5 – his highest ever career position and the highest position ever held by a Canadian golfer on the World Ranking.
Weir started 2003 at World No.46 but victories in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the Nissan Open and the US Masters have meant an accumulation of 260.03 World Ranking points – more than any other golfer in the world.
Phil Mickelson, playing in his 43rd Major Championship, finished outright third and he makes a welcome return to the World No.3 slot while runner-up Len Mattiace improves 31 positions this week to World No.26 – the highest position of his career. Third-round leader Jeff Maggert finished fifth but he makes a return to the Top-100 at No.81 while Jim Furyk posted his third career Top-10 finish at Augusta National and remains at World No.9.
| i don't know |
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