The disposal of human waste has been a messy problem throughout history. Food being the joy that it is also causes a heap of trouble after the human body transforms it from a savory, delicious commodity into stinky, bacteria-laden goo. As a result, a great deal of ingenuity has been devoted to finding ways to make the emergence of it more pleasant, as well as to its collection and disposal.
Of course, primitive peoples used nature itself, but as they came together into people groups, they began to designate certain places within their living areas for toilet purposes. The first indication of plumbing dates back to 8000 B.C. in Scotland in the form of pipes or troughs that carried water and wastes to a nearby creek. Around 4000 years later in Iraq, evidence was found that appears to be cesspits under homes. Another discovery indicated that from 3000 to 2000 B.C., peoples in the area of modern-day Pakistan began reserving separate latrine rooms in their houses. Also during that time, flush toilets started to be used on the Isle of Crete. These were overhead reservoirs filled and flushed by servants or slaves.
According to Webster's, the word "toilet" comes from the French "toilette," meaning "a cloth covering used in shaving or hairdressing." Somewhere in the course of history, the name of this dressing room item became a modest word referring to relieving oneself.
The building of special infrastructures came to a halt following the fall of Rome, but the search continued to provide some means of indoor waste collection. Inventors came up with the chamber pot, close stool, and necessary chairs, which solved the problem of having to go outdoors but created another of how the waste was to be carried away. Then the tossing of wastes out of doors or overhead windows came into practice. The courtesy of a man walking nearest the street when accompanying a lady on a sidewalk came about so that he could take the hit instead of her from any wastes being thrown out. The street was also cleaner nearest the buildings. Shouting "Gardez L'eau" ("watch out for the water") became the polite thing to do when tossing waste. This remains in British vocabulary today with "loo" being slang for the toilet. One could also legally collect damages from being hit by wastes.
During the course of history, people became accustomed to the stench, although at one point, the Thames River was so full of sewage that it became a dead river. In 1857, the stench from it was such that the English parliament could not meet. Even heavy curtains soaked in lime and hung over the windows could not keep the odor out.
During Roman times, urinal pots were placed on street corners, which periodically were emptied by fullers who used the urine for laundering and bleaching togas and tunics. Roman public toilets might seat as many as 100 people on benches with holes. Romans were not squeamish about defecating in public and sat on the public toilets with their long robes draped around them. Sponge sticks were used instead of toilet paper. These communal sticks were rinsed off in a water trough between uses. In time, the sticks evolved into the shape of a hockey stick. This practice gave rise to the saying, "getting hold of the wrong end of the stick." Read more about Roman customs at Roman Sanitation.
In 1526, the scholar Erasmus published a book on manners entitled "De Civilitate." In it, he established that it was rude to observe people as they relieved themselves, indicating how common a practice public elimination was at that time.
The castle moat was another means of disposing wastes, and this might even have contributed to securing the castle. The sloping sides of the moat combined with an accumulation of waste might not have afforded much of a foothold for an enemy. According to David Macaulay in his book, "Castle," castle toilets were called garderobes. Garderobes on the outside wall were suspended over the moat on corbels. The seat was a stone slab with a round hole cut into it and allowed wastes to go directly into the moat. Garderobes within the castle were built over vertical shafts leading to cesspits which had to be cleaned out periodically. The ebb and flow of rivers were the only flushing mechanism for moats, the lack of which would cause their waters to become a thick, soup-like consistency. A brave soldier indeed was he who had the courage to swim a moat and traverse the wall by climbing up the shaft of a garderobe!
The garderobe began as a toilet room but became the forerunner of the wardrobe, a storage place for clothing. People began to hang their clothes in the garderobe as a means of pest control. They used the garderobe's noxious fumes much like we do moth balls.
The perfection of our modern-day toilet began in 1596 when Sir John Harrington of England invented what he called a "water closet" for Queen Elizabeth I. He only made one, however, and it took 200 years for Alexander Cummings, a London watchmaker, to come along and create the "S" trap for the water closet. This trap holds a bit of water in it and prevents odors from coming back into the house. Joseph Bramah and Thomas Twyford go down in the Toilet Hall of Fame for patenting elements for the flushing system and inventing the first one-piece toilet, respectively. Thomas Crapper, a plumber in England, gave us a more efficient system to flush toilets. Up until that time, water would continuously flow through a toilet, depleting the water supply. His invention allowed for water to go through only when the toilet was flushed, It is not clear how his name became slang words for the toilet as in "crapper" or "crap." One theory is that soldiers during World War I saw his name on toilet tanks and started calling them "crappers." For an excellent article about the contribution of Thomas Crapper, visit Flushed With Success.
In the mid-1800's, Parisian ladies and gentlemen took Sunday afternoon cruises in boats through their sewer pipes. The boats helped to scrape the sides of the pipes clean. These tours continued for 100 years until 1970. You can still visit the Paris Sewer Museum, however. The entrance is near the Eiffel Tower. You can find information about this tour as well as tours of other European Sewers at European Sewer Safari.
One familiar icon of Americana is the old-fashioned outhouse. Many are familiar with its spider webs, reeking atmosphere and old Sears Robuck catalog serving as toilet paper. Do you know why an outhouse is almost always depicted with a half moon on the door? An excellent explanation can be found at The Straight Dope. The contents of old outhouses can also be a historian's dream. Read about that at Musings of a Privy Digger.
We have come a long way in the development of convenient, sanitary toilets, collection pipelines, and wastewater treatment plants. Space age technology has entered the world of waste control on the Space Shuttle and Space Station. Indeed, kings and queens would envy us.
Some historical facts for this article were obtained from "Evidence of Indoor Plumbing Dates as Far Back as 8000 B.C." by Joyce Everhart Jungelaus which appeared in the November, 1998, issue of the APWA Reporter.
Showing posts with label Little Known Facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Known Facts. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2009
Friday, April 4, 2008
A Day in the Life of an Angel
Right away, I'm in trouble using this title for the post. Of course, angels are not subject to time such as day or night. They are immortal beings. But these ones figure into our mortal days and nights throughout history.
Thousands of angels are named in folklore and literature. They are included in the beliefs of every religion on earth and are primarily categorized as either holy or evil. Even though vast numbers of angels are said to be all around us, we humans do not have the faculties to see them unless they choose to make themselves known. What might these ones be doing right now behind the scenes? What is on their schedules for us today? What do we know about them and where did that information come from?
Angels are invisible, supernatural, created beings who can take on different forms. They can visibly appear as humans, animals, or beings of light, fire or lightning. Sometimes they have wings and sometimes, not. Their primary purpose is to be an intermediary or messenger between God and mankind. They give guidance, inflict judgment, and protect. Their characteristic trait is stealth in their encounters with mankind. They do not attempt to draw attention to themselves, and an angel's motivation (at least a holy angel) is to pass any glory they might receive to God and never be worshipped themselves. An angelic visitation is a brief glimpse into the invisible spiritual world.
In Hebrew, the word for angel is "malakh," meaning messenger, and messenger in the Greek is "angelos." In Persian, it is "angaros," meaning courier. The Western concept of angels comes primarily from the mythologies of Babylonia and Persia.
Angels are key figures throughout the Christian Bible, yet only two angels are named, Michael and Gabriel. Raphael is named in the apocryphal Book of Tobit, so the Catholic Church forbids the use of names other than these three. Other works in the Apochrypha and Pseudepigrapha give names to many, many other angels.
For Egyptians, Greeks, Hebrews, Assyrians, Essenes and Gnostics, the proper names of angels held great mystical and magical powers. They believed the vibrations of spoken words released this power. Angelic names were used in prayers, incantations and on amulets in order to access the powers represented by the angel's name. The power of their names was determined by the use of gematria, which is where numerical values are assigned to each letter of the alphabet. The sum of the values of each letter in a particular name is given meaning by comparing it with the same numerical value of other words. Gematria was also used to interpret scripture. For example, early Christians viewed the dove as the symbol of Jesus because the Greek word for dove adds up to 801, the same as the sum of the letters in the Greek words for alpha and omega, representing the Beginning and the End. The possible first use of gematria was by the Babylonian King Sargon II in the 8th century B.C. He built a wall, the length of which corresponded to the numerical value of his name.
Along with names, angels are ranked into groups. The Bible names the groups as angels, archangels, principalities, powers, dominions, virtues, thrones, cherubim and seraphim. Throughout history, theologians, philosophers and artists have built upon these groupings and established hierarchies based upon what they interpreted as angelic duties. Those who wrote about these hierarchies include Pseudo-Dionysius, St. Ignatius Martyr, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose and Gregory the Great. The best-known hierarchy is an arrangement by Pseudo-Dionysius of nine choirs in three tiers. The term "choir" also means "an organized group" as well as referring to singers; therefore, it is not limited to the idea of singing. Following is a brief breakdown of his ideas about each choir of angel and their duties:
* Seraphim - Are closest to God. "Seraphim" means "fire makers," "carriers of warmth" or "ardor." They are the only angels above the throne of God, and they constantly glorify Him, saying "holy, holy, holy." They can appear in a form with four heads and six wings-two for flying, two to cover their faces and two to cover their feet.
* Cherubim - From the Hebrew "kerub," meaning "fullness of knowledge" or "one who intercedes." Cherubim are thought to be the voice of divine wisdom and possessing insight into God's secrets, which they pass on to lower levels of angels. Ezekiel described Cherubim as having four faces-a cherub, a man, a lion and an eagle. In Revelation, they are the living beasts, having many eyes and six wings.
* Thrones - These are the chariots of God which are driven by the Cherubs. God himself rests upon them and they are depicted as wheels with many eyes.
* Dominions - Angels who regulate the duties of other angels and make known God's commandments.
* Virtues - Angels who carry out the orders of Dominions. They are in charge of miracles and provide courage, grace and valor.
* Powers - Angels who fight against evil spirits, protect divine plans initiated by Dominions and carried out by Virtues.
* Principalities - Angels who watch over and govern the visible world of nations and cities and are the protectors of religion.
* Archangels - Angels who are in charge of Heaven's armies and are the supervisors of guardian angels. The Archangel Michael is the only one specifically named as an archangel in the Bible. However, the seven angels spoken of in Revelation 8:2 are thought to be archangels.
* Angels - Angels who are closest to the earth. They go between realms, delivering prayers to God and God's answers and other messages to mankind.
Much difference of opinion exists about the question of whether people have a specific angel attached to them as a guardian angel. Cultures other than Judeo-Christian believe in guardian spirits and spirit guides as well. Guardian angels are not specifically named in the Bible, but the Church fathers agreed on the existence of personal angels even though they disagreed on various aspects of those attachments.
While the ministry of a guardian angel is carried out unbeknownst to us, many have experienced the appearance of a mysterious stranger, who appears out of nowhere, interacts in the current problem, and then disappears into thin air. There is nothing that differentiates these mysterious strangers from the average Joe or Jane on the street. Only their appearance and disappearance after solving the problem at hand creates that sense of awe, of entertaining an angel unaware, after the hair on the back of your neck settles down!
I have often wondered why God created angels. He is all-powerful. Why would he need angels to do anything? But I can see that rather than God needing angels, perhaps he created them because people need them. God only knows how many times his angels have kept us from horrible accidents or ministered peace to us in the dark hour of the night. Even though some angels decided not to keep the place where God placed them, far more angels are committed to staying right there. May we not worship these magnificent beings but work together with them in the accomplishment of God's purposes.
Sources:
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen (1996). Encyclopedia of Angels. New York: Facts On File, Inc.
A History of Angels in Western Thought
The Straight Dope: What's the deal with angels?
Ministering Spirits: Terms and Descriptions of Angels
Thousands of angels are named in folklore and literature. They are included in the beliefs of every religion on earth and are primarily categorized as either holy or evil. Even though vast numbers of angels are said to be all around us, we humans do not have the faculties to see them unless they choose to make themselves known. What might these ones be doing right now behind the scenes? What is on their schedules for us today? What do we know about them and where did that information come from?
Angels are invisible, supernatural, created beings who can take on different forms. They can visibly appear as humans, animals, or beings of light, fire or lightning. Sometimes they have wings and sometimes, not. Their primary purpose is to be an intermediary or messenger between God and mankind. They give guidance, inflict judgment, and protect. Their characteristic trait is stealth in their encounters with mankind. They do not attempt to draw attention to themselves, and an angel's motivation (at least a holy angel) is to pass any glory they might receive to God and never be worshipped themselves. An angelic visitation is a brief glimpse into the invisible spiritual world.
In Hebrew, the word for angel is "malakh," meaning messenger, and messenger in the Greek is "angelos." In Persian, it is "angaros," meaning courier. The Western concept of angels comes primarily from the mythologies of Babylonia and Persia.
Angels are key figures throughout the Christian Bible, yet only two angels are named, Michael and Gabriel. Raphael is named in the apocryphal Book of Tobit, so the Catholic Church forbids the use of names other than these three. Other works in the Apochrypha and Pseudepigrapha give names to many, many other angels.
For Egyptians, Greeks, Hebrews, Assyrians, Essenes and Gnostics, the proper names of angels held great mystical and magical powers. They believed the vibrations of spoken words released this power. Angelic names were used in prayers, incantations and on amulets in order to access the powers represented by the angel's name. The power of their names was determined by the use of gematria, which is where numerical values are assigned to each letter of the alphabet. The sum of the values of each letter in a particular name is given meaning by comparing it with the same numerical value of other words. Gematria was also used to interpret scripture. For example, early Christians viewed the dove as the symbol of Jesus because the Greek word for dove adds up to 801, the same as the sum of the letters in the Greek words for alpha and omega, representing the Beginning and the End. The possible first use of gematria was by the Babylonian King Sargon II in the 8th century B.C. He built a wall, the length of which corresponded to the numerical value of his name.
Along with names, angels are ranked into groups. The Bible names the groups as angels, archangels, principalities, powers, dominions, virtues, thrones, cherubim and seraphim. Throughout history, theologians, philosophers and artists have built upon these groupings and established hierarchies based upon what they interpreted as angelic duties. Those who wrote about these hierarchies include Pseudo-Dionysius, St. Ignatius Martyr, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose and Gregory the Great. The best-known hierarchy is an arrangement by Pseudo-Dionysius of nine choirs in three tiers. The term "choir" also means "an organized group" as well as referring to singers; therefore, it is not limited to the idea of singing. Following is a brief breakdown of his ideas about each choir of angel and their duties:
* Seraphim - Are closest to God. "Seraphim" means "fire makers," "carriers of warmth" or "ardor." They are the only angels above the throne of God, and they constantly glorify Him, saying "holy, holy, holy." They can appear in a form with four heads and six wings-two for flying, two to cover their faces and two to cover their feet.
* Cherubim - From the Hebrew "kerub," meaning "fullness of knowledge" or "one who intercedes." Cherubim are thought to be the voice of divine wisdom and possessing insight into God's secrets, which they pass on to lower levels of angels. Ezekiel described Cherubim as having four faces-a cherub, a man, a lion and an eagle. In Revelation, they are the living beasts, having many eyes and six wings.
* Thrones - These are the chariots of God which are driven by the Cherubs. God himself rests upon them and they are depicted as wheels with many eyes.
* Dominions - Angels who regulate the duties of other angels and make known God's commandments.
* Virtues - Angels who carry out the orders of Dominions. They are in charge of miracles and provide courage, grace and valor.
* Powers - Angels who fight against evil spirits, protect divine plans initiated by Dominions and carried out by Virtues.
* Principalities - Angels who watch over and govern the visible world of nations and cities and are the protectors of religion.
* Archangels - Angels who are in charge of Heaven's armies and are the supervisors of guardian angels. The Archangel Michael is the only one specifically named as an archangel in the Bible. However, the seven angels spoken of in Revelation 8:2 are thought to be archangels.
* Angels - Angels who are closest to the earth. They go between realms, delivering prayers to God and God's answers and other messages to mankind.
Much difference of opinion exists about the question of whether people have a specific angel attached to them as a guardian angel. Cultures other than Judeo-Christian believe in guardian spirits and spirit guides as well. Guardian angels are not specifically named in the Bible, but the Church fathers agreed on the existence of personal angels even though they disagreed on various aspects of those attachments.
While the ministry of a guardian angel is carried out unbeknownst to us, many have experienced the appearance of a mysterious stranger, who appears out of nowhere, interacts in the current problem, and then disappears into thin air. There is nothing that differentiates these mysterious strangers from the average Joe or Jane on the street. Only their appearance and disappearance after solving the problem at hand creates that sense of awe, of entertaining an angel unaware, after the hair on the back of your neck settles down!
I have often wondered why God created angels. He is all-powerful. Why would he need angels to do anything? But I can see that rather than God needing angels, perhaps he created them because people need them. God only knows how many times his angels have kept us from horrible accidents or ministered peace to us in the dark hour of the night. Even though some angels decided not to keep the place where God placed them, far more angels are committed to staying right there. May we not worship these magnificent beings but work together with them in the accomplishment of God's purposes.
Sources:
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen (1996). Encyclopedia of Angels. New York: Facts On File, Inc.
A History of Angels in Western Thought
The Straight Dope: What's the deal with angels?
Ministering Spirits: Terms and Descriptions of Angels
Thursday, April 3, 2008
That Mysterious First Kiss
I watched a documentary on television on the subject of kissing which pointed out that this physical act reduces stress, produces a peaceful feeling of being loved, and even boosts our immune systems. With all the benefits and pleasures of the act of kissing, does history reveal when humanity's first kiss took place?
Years ago, scientists thought that when two lips met during kissing an electric current was generated. They now know that this is completely untrue. Scientific fact is that kissing signals our brains to produce oxytocin which is a hormone that causes a good feeling. One study stated that our brains are equipped to help us find our lover's lips in the dark.
German physicians and psychologists say that those who kiss their spouses each morning before leaving for work miss less work because of illness than those who do not. Those who kiss also have fewer auto accidents on the way to work, earn 20-30 percent more per month and live approximately five years longer.
So who invented kissing? Anthropologists think kissing's origins are to be found in primitive times when mothers chewed food and transferred it directly from their mouths to their babies' mouths, a method of preparing baby food that is still practiced in some cultures today. Another theory comes from the Ziller Valley of Central Europe where pre-chewed tobacco was exchanged between males and females. The man would hold a piece of tobacco between his teeth and invite a girl to grasp it with her teeth which would cause her to press her mouth on his.
Perhaps the origins of kissing came from another source. Indications are from as early as 2000 B.C., various cultures believed that bringing the mouths together signified the joining of two souls.
According to one anthropologist, Vaughn Bryant, Jr., the first erotic kiss was exchanged in about 1500 B.C. in India. Prior to that no clay tablets, cave paintings or written records say anything about kissing.
Kissing is frequently shown in Egyptian art. Scholars believe kissing would have been associated with "giving life" in the ancient Egyptian culture.
The Celts had no word for kiss. The Romans are attributed with perfecting the kiss as we know it today. They kissed each other hello on the mouth or on the eyes, kissed robes, rings and statues of gods to indicate submission and respect. One Roman emperor ranked a person's importance by the body part he allowed them to kiss. Important nobles kissed his lips, less important ones kissed his hands and the least, kissed his feet. Romans assigned words for different types of kisses: osculum meaning a friendship kiss; basium meaning passionate kiss; and savium meaning deep kiss. Today, some natives of African tribes honor their chief by kissing the ground he walks over.
Kissing became the means by which many a bargain was sealed throughout history. In the feudal system, a vassal would kneel before his overlord, put his hands in those of the lord and declare himself his man. Then the overlord bound himself by kissing the vassal and raising him to his feet. Russians may have been the first to incorporate the kiss into the marriage ceremony.
France was the first to accept kissing in courtship. In the sixth century, dancing was a way to display affection and each dance was sealed with a kiss. Of course, the French are attributed with the invention of the French kiss. According to the Online Encyclopedia, the term, maraichinage, is a prolonged kiss, often lasting for several hours and originates from residents of Pays de Mont in Britanny, the Maraichins, who popularized the practice. It is the likely predecesser of what is now commonly referred to as french kissing. A maraichinage often lasts for several hours, and involves a profound exploration of the mouth of one's partner. French kiss is also known as tongue wrestling and tonsil hockey. In British slang, this type of kissing is commonly known as snogging.
Kissing shows up in religious practice as well. It is recorded throughout the Bible in approximately 46 references in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus was betrayed by a kiss. The Holy Kiss is encouraged in the New Testament between believers. Kissing of relics is practiced by many religions including Islam. The Black Stone housed at Mecca is worn hollow by centuries of veneration and is now held together with a silver band. The act of blowing kisses with the hand comes from old religions where they blew kisses' to the gods.
Nature has its assassin bug, also known as the kissing bug, which bites its victims around the mouth. Mononucleosis is called the kissing disease because it is spread by kissing. The longest kiss in film history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, "You're in the Army Now," lasting 3 minutes and 5 seconds. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe is thought to originate with the Druids and other early Europeans. Read about that at Mistletoe History.
Probably one of the most famous legends involving kissing is from a small city of Cork, the village of Blarney. It is not completely known how this originated, but one legend has it that an old woman put a spell on one of the stones of the castle of Blarney in an almost inaccessible place near the top that would bestow the gift of eloquence to all who kissed it. In times past, people were hung by their heels over the edge of the parapet to kiss the stone, but this stopped when one person fell to his death. From then on, anyone kissing the blarney stone must lie on their back, grasp two iron rails on each side and be lowered backward into position.
Perhaps one of the most important health aspects about kissing is that mothers transfer beneficial bacteria to their babies by kissing them. Fathers do as well, but scientists have found that babies do not receive as much bacteria as they could from their fathers simply because they do not kiss them very often.
Alas, we may never know when humanity's mysterious first kiss occurred, but hopefully armed with all this information, each of us will keep practicing.
Sources:
Kissing Chronicles
Why Do We Kiss?
Kissing Trivia
see more crazy cat pics
Years ago, scientists thought that when two lips met during kissing an electric current was generated. They now know that this is completely untrue. Scientific fact is that kissing signals our brains to produce oxytocin which is a hormone that causes a good feeling. One study stated that our brains are equipped to help us find our lover's lips in the dark.
German physicians and psychologists say that those who kiss their spouses each morning before leaving for work miss less work because of illness than those who do not. Those who kiss also have fewer auto accidents on the way to work, earn 20-30 percent more per month and live approximately five years longer.
So who invented kissing? Anthropologists think kissing's origins are to be found in primitive times when mothers chewed food and transferred it directly from their mouths to their babies' mouths, a method of preparing baby food that is still practiced in some cultures today. Another theory comes from the Ziller Valley of Central Europe where pre-chewed tobacco was exchanged between males and females. The man would hold a piece of tobacco between his teeth and invite a girl to grasp it with her teeth which would cause her to press her mouth on his.
Perhaps the origins of kissing came from another source. Indications are from as early as 2000 B.C., various cultures believed that bringing the mouths together signified the joining of two souls.
According to one anthropologist, Vaughn Bryant, Jr., the first erotic kiss was exchanged in about 1500 B.C. in India. Prior to that no clay tablets, cave paintings or written records say anything about kissing.
Kissing is frequently shown in Egyptian art. Scholars believe kissing would have been associated with "giving life" in the ancient Egyptian culture.
The Celts had no word for kiss. The Romans are attributed with perfecting the kiss as we know it today. They kissed each other hello on the mouth or on the eyes, kissed robes, rings and statues of gods to indicate submission and respect. One Roman emperor ranked a person's importance by the body part he allowed them to kiss. Important nobles kissed his lips, less important ones kissed his hands and the least, kissed his feet. Romans assigned words for different types of kisses: osculum meaning a friendship kiss; basium meaning passionate kiss; and savium meaning deep kiss. Today, some natives of African tribes honor their chief by kissing the ground he walks over.
Kissing became the means by which many a bargain was sealed throughout history. In the feudal system, a vassal would kneel before his overlord, put his hands in those of the lord and declare himself his man. Then the overlord bound himself by kissing the vassal and raising him to his feet. Russians may have been the first to incorporate the kiss into the marriage ceremony.
France was the first to accept kissing in courtship. In the sixth century, dancing was a way to display affection and each dance was sealed with a kiss. Of course, the French are attributed with the invention of the French kiss. According to the Online Encyclopedia, the term, maraichinage, is a prolonged kiss, often lasting for several hours and originates from residents of Pays de Mont in Britanny, the Maraichins, who popularized the practice. It is the likely predecesser of what is now commonly referred to as french kissing. A maraichinage often lasts for several hours, and involves a profound exploration of the mouth of one's partner. French kiss is also known as tongue wrestling and tonsil hockey. In British slang, this type of kissing is commonly known as snogging.
Kissing shows up in religious practice as well. It is recorded throughout the Bible in approximately 46 references in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus was betrayed by a kiss. The Holy Kiss is encouraged in the New Testament between believers. Kissing of relics is practiced by many religions including Islam. The Black Stone housed at Mecca is worn hollow by centuries of veneration and is now held together with a silver band. The act of blowing kisses with the hand comes from old religions where they blew kisses' to the gods.
Nature has its assassin bug, also known as the kissing bug, which bites its victims around the mouth. Mononucleosis is called the kissing disease because it is spread by kissing. The longest kiss in film history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, "You're in the Army Now," lasting 3 minutes and 5 seconds. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe is thought to originate with the Druids and other early Europeans. Read about that at Mistletoe History.
Probably one of the most famous legends involving kissing is from a small city of Cork, the village of Blarney. It is not completely known how this originated, but one legend has it that an old woman put a spell on one of the stones of the castle of Blarney in an almost inaccessible place near the top that would bestow the gift of eloquence to all who kissed it. In times past, people were hung by their heels over the edge of the parapet to kiss the stone, but this stopped when one person fell to his death. From then on, anyone kissing the blarney stone must lie on their back, grasp two iron rails on each side and be lowered backward into position.
Perhaps one of the most important health aspects about kissing is that mothers transfer beneficial bacteria to their babies by kissing them. Fathers do as well, but scientists have found that babies do not receive as much bacteria as they could from their fathers simply because they do not kiss them very often.
Alas, we may never know when humanity's mysterious first kiss occurred, but hopefully armed with all this information, each of us will keep practicing.
Sources:
Kissing Chronicles
Why Do We Kiss?
Kissing Trivia
see more crazy cat pics
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Beginning and Ending of Trees
Trees, tall and short, grow silently in backyards, parks and hills. These beautiful, towering organisms have been around since the beginning of time. People love trees, sometimes worship them, and other times obliterate all the trees they can. What is it with trees?
As I contemplated that question, my thoughts turned to why we have such a regard for trees. I believe one reason we are fascinated with trees is that they appear to us as embodiments of time. Even today, we mark special events and peoples' lives with the planting of a tree, expecting that these living memorials will remain far longer than a single lifetime. We also use the concept of a tree in genealogies, our Family Trees.
The beginning of time has trees and the ending of time has trees. The Bible states that trees were created on the third day of creation even before lights in the heavens. Man was then placed in the Garden of Eden to tend trees but fell by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Fast forwarding through the Bible, the end is with a tree as well in the last chapter of Revelation. It is written that the Tree of Life will be planted on both sides of the River of God, with twelve varieties of fruit and its leaves for the healing of the nations.
Trees stir emotions in people. Some have even gone so far as to chain themselves to a tree trunk in order to keep the tree from being cut down. At our core, we have a primordial respect for trees. They have sheltered us from the elements, given us warmth from burning their wood, and provided us food from their fruits. Actually, if our homes are made of wood, we are living in a tree. When that basic respect for trees breaks down, one symptom is the elimination of the rain forests. When respect escalates, veneration of trees is the result.
This veneration of trees appeared throughout history in ancient cultures. Sacred Trees are often believed to be guarded by dragons or serpents. Trees of significance included oaks which were sacred to Druids, and the tamarisk in Egypt which was often planted around temples.
In Celtic tradition, trees were looked to as a source of wisdom and hope, a link between upper and lower worlds. The grove was the center of their religion. The Celtic Tree of Life appears on Celtic crosses and in the manuscript, the Book of Kells. The Celtic Green Man joins man with tree in a kinship symbolizing the cycle of renewal and birth.
During a trip to Ireland, a friend and I drove past a curious looking tree next to one road in the countryside. A quick turnaround brought us back to inspect it. Here was one of Ireland's "rag trees." All manner of articles of clothing and personal belongings draped every bough and the trunk of the tree. Baby bonnets, men's socks, women's scarves, and every other item of clothing imaginable testified of each person's belief that this tree has spiritual powers of healing.
Hinduism, the world's oldest religion still practiced today, reveres the tree as a symbol of abundance. World Trees appear as universal symbols in many cultures representing life and credited with bringing everything into existence. The World Tree shows up in different forms of the same thing such as in the Hebrew Kabbala's Sephirothal Tree of Life, the Rosicrucian's Rose, and the Scandinavian Ash or Yggdrasil of the Eddas.
In Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Fangorn forest stands as an important element in the plot. In the movie, Legolas, the elf, comments that the forest is old and angry and the trees are speaking to one another. The character of Treebeard is an Ent, a guardian of the forest. He and other Ents do battle against Saruman at Isengard. Ents are mythical creatures resembing trees which were invented by Tolkien.
The belief in spirits inhabiting trees, however, do appear in many religions. The ancient Chinese believed spirits of the dead and various gods resided in trees planted in the vicinity of tombs and temples. What is called the faerie triad of trees is a belief that where oak, ash and thorn grow together, faeries live. Animism is the belief that spirits inhabit animals, trees and other objects.
Some of the most well-known customs involving trees are totem poles, Maypoles and Christmas trees. Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest Coast are known for their totem poles. According to dictionary.com, a totem is "an animal, plant, or natural object serving among certain tribal or traditional peoples as the emblem of a clan or family and sometimes revered as its founder, ancestor, or guardian." A totem pole is the trunk of a tree which is carved with various totems. Totem poles fall into three categories: a central post of houses, a memorial pole, or a monument for the dead.
The Maypole was used in ancient British fertility rites which ushered in spring and was believed to ensure a good crop and increase in livestock. The Maypole may be a phallic symbol. A tree was cut from the forest and its trunk set up in a central place and decorated. Then the people danced around it. Maypoles were banned in the sixteenth century as being heathenistic.
The decorated Christmas tree came to Briton by way of the marriage of Prince Albert, a German, to Queen Victoria. Legend has it that Martin Luther of Germany started the custom of decorating evergreens, but many ancient cultures would feel right at home with the veneration of the evergreen. The ancient Egyptians worshipped it. Romans and Scandinavians all had customs involving the evergreen, comparable to the customs of Druids who regarded evergreen holly as meaning eternal life. In other superstitions, evergreen branches placed over the door kept out witches and evil spirits.
Sequoia Redwoods, the King of Trees, are the oldest living organisms on earth. They can live to be 2,000 years old. Interestingly, their reproduction depends upon fire which causes their cones to open and release the seeds. Unfortunately, other trees are under "fire" and this fire in the Rain Forests is causing their demise.
Having visited Iceland, I have seen a place where there are no large trees, only smaller shrubs. Beautiful as Iceland is, I would miss trees if I lived there. So what is it with trees? Beauty. Time. History. I've recently tried tree hugging at the risk of appearing quite mad and am astonished that it is possible to feel living energy coming from the tree. Try it sometime, especially hugging the very old ones.
Resources for this article:
Sacred Trees, Oghams & Celtic Symbolism
Ireland's OWN: Celtic Symbols, The Celtic Tree of Life
Forum on Religion & Ecology, Introduction to Hinduism
World Trees
Totem Poles
Ask Yahoo: What is the history of the Maypole?
Captain Jack's Christmas Tree Farm - Traditions - Trees & Ornaments
California Pictures - Sequoia Natonal Park
As I contemplated that question, my thoughts turned to why we have such a regard for trees. I believe one reason we are fascinated with trees is that they appear to us as embodiments of time. Even today, we mark special events and peoples' lives with the planting of a tree, expecting that these living memorials will remain far longer than a single lifetime. We also use the concept of a tree in genealogies, our Family Trees.
The beginning of time has trees and the ending of time has trees. The Bible states that trees were created on the third day of creation even before lights in the heavens. Man was then placed in the Garden of Eden to tend trees but fell by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Fast forwarding through the Bible, the end is with a tree as well in the last chapter of Revelation. It is written that the Tree of Life will be planted on both sides of the River of God, with twelve varieties of fruit and its leaves for the healing of the nations.
Trees stir emotions in people. Some have even gone so far as to chain themselves to a tree trunk in order to keep the tree from being cut down. At our core, we have a primordial respect for trees. They have sheltered us from the elements, given us warmth from burning their wood, and provided us food from their fruits. Actually, if our homes are made of wood, we are living in a tree. When that basic respect for trees breaks down, one symptom is the elimination of the rain forests. When respect escalates, veneration of trees is the result.
This veneration of trees appeared throughout history in ancient cultures. Sacred Trees are often believed to be guarded by dragons or serpents. Trees of significance included oaks which were sacred to Druids, and the tamarisk in Egypt which was often planted around temples.
In Celtic tradition, trees were looked to as a source of wisdom and hope, a link between upper and lower worlds. The grove was the center of their religion. The Celtic Tree of Life appears on Celtic crosses and in the manuscript, the Book of Kells. The Celtic Green Man joins man with tree in a kinship symbolizing the cycle of renewal and birth.
During a trip to Ireland, a friend and I drove past a curious looking tree next to one road in the countryside. A quick turnaround brought us back to inspect it. Here was one of Ireland's "rag trees." All manner of articles of clothing and personal belongings draped every bough and the trunk of the tree. Baby bonnets, men's socks, women's scarves, and every other item of clothing imaginable testified of each person's belief that this tree has spiritual powers of healing.
Hinduism, the world's oldest religion still practiced today, reveres the tree as a symbol of abundance. World Trees appear as universal symbols in many cultures representing life and credited with bringing everything into existence. The World Tree shows up in different forms of the same thing such as in the Hebrew Kabbala's Sephirothal Tree of Life, the Rosicrucian's Rose, and the Scandinavian Ash or Yggdrasil of the Eddas.
In Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Fangorn forest stands as an important element in the plot. In the movie, Legolas, the elf, comments that the forest is old and angry and the trees are speaking to one another. The character of Treebeard is an Ent, a guardian of the forest. He and other Ents do battle against Saruman at Isengard. Ents are mythical creatures resembing trees which were invented by Tolkien.
The belief in spirits inhabiting trees, however, do appear in many religions. The ancient Chinese believed spirits of the dead and various gods resided in trees planted in the vicinity of tombs and temples. What is called the faerie triad of trees is a belief that where oak, ash and thorn grow together, faeries live. Animism is the belief that spirits inhabit animals, trees and other objects.
Some of the most well-known customs involving trees are totem poles, Maypoles and Christmas trees. Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest Coast are known for their totem poles. According to dictionary.com, a totem is "an animal, plant, or natural object serving among certain tribal or traditional peoples as the emblem of a clan or family and sometimes revered as its founder, ancestor, or guardian." A totem pole is the trunk of a tree which is carved with various totems. Totem poles fall into three categories: a central post of houses, a memorial pole, or a monument for the dead.
The Maypole was used in ancient British fertility rites which ushered in spring and was believed to ensure a good crop and increase in livestock. The Maypole may be a phallic symbol. A tree was cut from the forest and its trunk set up in a central place and decorated. Then the people danced around it. Maypoles were banned in the sixteenth century as being heathenistic.
The decorated Christmas tree came to Briton by way of the marriage of Prince Albert, a German, to Queen Victoria. Legend has it that Martin Luther of Germany started the custom of decorating evergreens, but many ancient cultures would feel right at home with the veneration of the evergreen. The ancient Egyptians worshipped it. Romans and Scandinavians all had customs involving the evergreen, comparable to the customs of Druids who regarded evergreen holly as meaning eternal life. In other superstitions, evergreen branches placed over the door kept out witches and evil spirits.
Sequoia Redwoods, the King of Trees, are the oldest living organisms on earth. They can live to be 2,000 years old. Interestingly, their reproduction depends upon fire which causes their cones to open and release the seeds. Unfortunately, other trees are under "fire" and this fire in the Rain Forests is causing their demise.
Having visited Iceland, I have seen a place where there are no large trees, only smaller shrubs. Beautiful as Iceland is, I would miss trees if I lived there. So what is it with trees? Beauty. Time. History. I've recently tried tree hugging at the risk of appearing quite mad and am astonished that it is possible to feel living energy coming from the tree. Try it sometime, especially hugging the very old ones.
Resources for this article:
Sacred Trees, Oghams & Celtic Symbolism
Ireland's OWN: Celtic Symbols, The Celtic Tree of Life
Forum on Religion & Ecology, Introduction to Hinduism
World Trees
Totem Poles
Ask Yahoo: What is the history of the Maypole?
Captain Jack's Christmas Tree Farm - Traditions - Trees & Ornaments
California Pictures - Sequoia Natonal Park
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Was the Mad Hatter really mad?
The image of the Mad Hatter has been indelibly imprinted upon our minds ever since childhood when we sat cross-legged in front of our television sets. Walt Disney gave us the hatter's classic face and large felt hat. The Mad Hatter will live on not only in memory but also by his name on the signs in front of countless hat and novelty shops.
Just how did a hatter come to be known as mad? Lewis Carroll's book, "Alice in Wonderland" was written in 1865. In it, the Cheshire cat alludes to two characters, the Hatter and the March Hare, as: "they're both mad." The phrase "mad as a hatter" was in common use during the lifetime of Lewis Carroll, although in his book, the phrase is not actually used.
This brings us to a mysterious implication. Was there a reason that Carroll made this particular character to be mad? Some say that the phrase "mad as a hatter" could have been a corruption of "mad as an adder." However, examining the origins of the process of making felt for hats will give us a clue to this mystery.
Felt is a cloth formed when its fibers are matted together. Instead of being produced by knitting or weaving, the cloth fibers are worked together either by pounding or beating or through a process of pressure, heat, chemical action or some other means. The result is a fuzzy material with a heavy insulating property.
From the early days of felt making, fur fibers of animal skins were matted together using a liquid solution. It started in Turkey where camel hair was felted for tents, and camel urine was applied to speed up the matting process. After the practice migrated to Western Europe during the Crusades, perhaps either from convenience or a lack of camel urine, workers came up with the idea of urinating on the fur fibers themselves.
The story is told that one day in the life of the felt makers, one worker, who was being treated with mercury for a venereal disease, discovered that his urine matted the fur fibers faster and better than the others. Thus, mercury became the secret ingredient in making felt.
Although the practice of urinating on the fur fibers ended sometime during the history of felt making, the use of mercury did not. This ingredient was so secret in the art of felt making that it became known as the "secretage." This secretage was passed down and finally resided with only a few French Huguenots, and when they fled to England in 1685, they took the secret with them. The result was that English felt hats were considered to be the finest and most fashionable to own. The English hat makers cornered the felt hat market until sometime in the 18th century when a French hatter stole the secretage and took it back to France.
Although mercury may have been good for making felt, it turned out to be the cause of what became commonly known as the Hatter's Disease or mercury poisoning. And what are the symptoms of mercury poisoning? Depression, mood swings, temper tantrums, loss of motor control, schizoid tendencies, and brain damage, just to name a few. In short, it causes one to appear quite "mad." No doubt making hats was considered to be a profession fraught with madness before medical science was able to determine the source of the problem. It was not until 1941 that the use of mercury was banned from the hat industry in the United States.
We can see from this evidence that the case for the Mad Hatter actually being mad is questionable. If he had been a real hatter, he most probably would have been suffering from mercury poisoning.
See also:
Mad as a Hatter
Just how did a hatter come to be known as mad? Lewis Carroll's book, "Alice in Wonderland" was written in 1865. In it, the Cheshire cat alludes to two characters, the Hatter and the March Hare, as: "they're both mad." The phrase "mad as a hatter" was in common use during the lifetime of Lewis Carroll, although in his book, the phrase is not actually used.
This brings us to a mysterious implication. Was there a reason that Carroll made this particular character to be mad? Some say that the phrase "mad as a hatter" could have been a corruption of "mad as an adder." However, examining the origins of the process of making felt for hats will give us a clue to this mystery.
Felt is a cloth formed when its fibers are matted together. Instead of being produced by knitting or weaving, the cloth fibers are worked together either by pounding or beating or through a process of pressure, heat, chemical action or some other means. The result is a fuzzy material with a heavy insulating property.
From the early days of felt making, fur fibers of animal skins were matted together using a liquid solution. It started in Turkey where camel hair was felted for tents, and camel urine was applied to speed up the matting process. After the practice migrated to Western Europe during the Crusades, perhaps either from convenience or a lack of camel urine, workers came up with the idea of urinating on the fur fibers themselves.
The story is told that one day in the life of the felt makers, one worker, who was being treated with mercury for a venereal disease, discovered that his urine matted the fur fibers faster and better than the others. Thus, mercury became the secret ingredient in making felt.
Although the practice of urinating on the fur fibers ended sometime during the history of felt making, the use of mercury did not. This ingredient was so secret in the art of felt making that it became known as the "secretage." This secretage was passed down and finally resided with only a few French Huguenots, and when they fled to England in 1685, they took the secret with them. The result was that English felt hats were considered to be the finest and most fashionable to own. The English hat makers cornered the felt hat market until sometime in the 18th century when a French hatter stole the secretage and took it back to France.
Although mercury may have been good for making felt, it turned out to be the cause of what became commonly known as the Hatter's Disease or mercury poisoning. And what are the symptoms of mercury poisoning? Depression, mood swings, temper tantrums, loss of motor control, schizoid tendencies, and brain damage, just to name a few. In short, it causes one to appear quite "mad." No doubt making hats was considered to be a profession fraught with madness before medical science was able to determine the source of the problem. It was not until 1941 that the use of mercury was banned from the hat industry in the United States.
We can see from this evidence that the case for the Mad Hatter actually being mad is questionable. If he had been a real hatter, he most probably would have been suffering from mercury poisoning.
See also:
Mad as a Hatter
The Eggcellent Egg Eggsplained
The egg is the star of many legends and old wives' tales. Eggs have been revered, exchanged, and used in rituals since ancient times and continue to this day as metaphors of possibility whether of ideas or the start of new things.
Just where did our love affair with the egg begin?
May we first answer the age-old question, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Actually, the answer to that is the egg came first. Eggs existed before chickens were chickens. They were not the first to lay them. The domestication of the chicken came about before documented history, but the earliest known date is 3,200 B.C. recorded in Indian history. Egyptian and Chinese records indicate 1,400 B.C.
One of the first known reptiles to lay an egg was the Hylonomus of Nova Scotia in Canada. The earliest unhatched bird fossil ever found was unearthed in China. It is estimated at 121 million years old. The extinct elephant bird, a 10 ft. flightless bird in Madagascar, laid the largest egg of all. At 24 lbs., its contents would fill a two-gallon bucket.
Beginning in ancient times, eggs were considered to be symbols of life. Many cultures in history believed an egg was involved in creation. This egg is called the cosmic egg. One example is from Greek and Roman mythology where a goddess born from chaos created a serpent partner. She laid a huge egg which the serpent fertilized. Everything then hatched from this egg.
Tibetan creation myth includes a primordial cosmic egg as well. Some of the elements differ, however. One version of this egg story has a luminous egg that can fly with no wings, and it could see, hear and speak even though it had no eyes, ears or mouth. When this egg hatched, a man came out who ordered the world. He was given the name "He Who Assigns" or "the Elect, He who Knows the Visible World." Many different versions of this story and other stories of eggs, including magic eggs, appear in Tibetan myth.
African egg myths follow along the same basic lines with many variations in their stories. Hindus have a twist in their cosmic egg in that it contained a spirit that would be born, then die and be reborn. Phoenicians had the birth of heaven and earth from two halves of a huge egg as well. The Egyptians had their god, Ptah, as creator of an egg made from the sun and moon.
Caves inside Uluru, a massive rock formation which is a sacred site of the Aboriginies of Australia, have formations which resemble eggs. Uluru is believed to be the Great Rainbow Serpent that came from higher spirit realms of the universe and brought forth a great rainbow. To the Aboriginies, the eggs at Uluru represent fertility.
Strange customs with eggs include one from Slavic myth where they believed a sorcerer could be forced to flee by holding the first egg of a young hen in someone's outstretched hand while in a church. Nero's consort Livia warmed an egg on her bosom to foretell the sex of her unborn child. When it hatched, the sex of the chick predicted the sex of the child. Because of an egg's association with life, they sometimes were considered aphrodisiacs. Peasants used to rub eggs on their ploughs in Central Europe to improve their harvest. Brides in France broke eggs on the doorsteps of their new homes before entering to guarantee they would have many children. At certain times in history, young girls presented their suitors with eggs, the amount representing how much they loved them.
More than one legend has been handed down regarding how eggs came to symbolize Easter. Egyptians and Persians dyed eggs in the spring and gave them as presents signifying renewed life. The rabbit or hare was the symbol of fertility, new life and the moon in Egypt as well, so it may have become connected to Easter because the date of Easter is determined by the cycle of the moon. Traditions abound regarding the coloring of eggs. A Polish legend, for example, says that on the way to market to sell his eggs, a man set his eggs down and helped Christ carry the cross. When he went back for the eggs, he found them decorated in beautiful colors and designs. Some of the most well-known decorated eggs are by Carl Faberge, the most famous court jeweler in history. Faberge designed an Easter egg for the wife of the Czar in 1884. It was so well received that he made another egg each year for the next eleven years until the Czar died. The tradition was continued with the Czar's son.
Ukrainian Easter egg decorating dates from 1,300 B.C. These are hand decorated eggs made by a process using wax. Words are encoded on the egg by way of the symbols and colors.
These days, Oology is the study of eggs. In the bird kingdom alone, 9,000 kinds of birds each lay their own kind of eggs. Hummingbirds lay the smallest; Ostriches and Kiwis, the largest. Why do different species lay different colored eggs? The color of an egg depends upon where it is laid. White eggs are normally hidden, but colored eggs match the colors in the environment of the nest for camouflage.
A vast amount of life comes from eggs of all kinds whether incubated internally or externally. The earth itself resembles an egg with a crust (shell), magma (egg white) and core (yolk). No matter what may change, the egg remains prime to our continued existence.
Sources:
Various Authors (1997-1999). Myth and Mankind: Vols. Greek & Roman, Tibetan & Mongolian, Slavic, African Myths. London: Duncan Baird Publishers/Time Life Books
History of the Easter Egg
Landhotels Austria - Austrian Easter Traditions
History and Symbolism of Ukrainian Easter Eggs
National Geographic News - Earliest Unhatched Bird Fossil Found
Veggs Australia - Egg Facts and Fun
Australian Sacred Sites
The Sacramento Zoo - Egg Layers
How the Egg Came to Symbolize Easter
Treasures of the World - Faberge Eggs
Just where did our love affair with the egg begin?
May we first answer the age-old question, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Actually, the answer to that is the egg came first. Eggs existed before chickens were chickens. They were not the first to lay them. The domestication of the chicken came about before documented history, but the earliest known date is 3,200 B.C. recorded in Indian history. Egyptian and Chinese records indicate 1,400 B.C.
One of the first known reptiles to lay an egg was the Hylonomus of Nova Scotia in Canada. The earliest unhatched bird fossil ever found was unearthed in China. It is estimated at 121 million years old. The extinct elephant bird, a 10 ft. flightless bird in Madagascar, laid the largest egg of all. At 24 lbs., its contents would fill a two-gallon bucket.
Beginning in ancient times, eggs were considered to be symbols of life. Many cultures in history believed an egg was involved in creation. This egg is called the cosmic egg. One example is from Greek and Roman mythology where a goddess born from chaos created a serpent partner. She laid a huge egg which the serpent fertilized. Everything then hatched from this egg.
Tibetan creation myth includes a primordial cosmic egg as well. Some of the elements differ, however. One version of this egg story has a luminous egg that can fly with no wings, and it could see, hear and speak even though it had no eyes, ears or mouth. When this egg hatched, a man came out who ordered the world. He was given the name "He Who Assigns" or "the Elect, He who Knows the Visible World." Many different versions of this story and other stories of eggs, including magic eggs, appear in Tibetan myth.
African egg myths follow along the same basic lines with many variations in their stories. Hindus have a twist in their cosmic egg in that it contained a spirit that would be born, then die and be reborn. Phoenicians had the birth of heaven and earth from two halves of a huge egg as well. The Egyptians had their god, Ptah, as creator of an egg made from the sun and moon.
Caves inside Uluru, a massive rock formation which is a sacred site of the Aboriginies of Australia, have formations which resemble eggs. Uluru is believed to be the Great Rainbow Serpent that came from higher spirit realms of the universe and brought forth a great rainbow. To the Aboriginies, the eggs at Uluru represent fertility.
Strange customs with eggs include one from Slavic myth where they believed a sorcerer could be forced to flee by holding the first egg of a young hen in someone's outstretched hand while in a church. Nero's consort Livia warmed an egg on her bosom to foretell the sex of her unborn child. When it hatched, the sex of the chick predicted the sex of the child. Because of an egg's association with life, they sometimes were considered aphrodisiacs. Peasants used to rub eggs on their ploughs in Central Europe to improve their harvest. Brides in France broke eggs on the doorsteps of their new homes before entering to guarantee they would have many children. At certain times in history, young girls presented their suitors with eggs, the amount representing how much they loved them.
More than one legend has been handed down regarding how eggs came to symbolize Easter. Egyptians and Persians dyed eggs in the spring and gave them as presents signifying renewed life. The rabbit or hare was the symbol of fertility, new life and the moon in Egypt as well, so it may have become connected to Easter because the date of Easter is determined by the cycle of the moon. Traditions abound regarding the coloring of eggs. A Polish legend, for example, says that on the way to market to sell his eggs, a man set his eggs down and helped Christ carry the cross. When he went back for the eggs, he found them decorated in beautiful colors and designs. Some of the most well-known decorated eggs are by Carl Faberge, the most famous court jeweler in history. Faberge designed an Easter egg for the wife of the Czar in 1884. It was so well received that he made another egg each year for the next eleven years until the Czar died. The tradition was continued with the Czar's son.
Ukrainian Easter egg decorating dates from 1,300 B.C. These are hand decorated eggs made by a process using wax. Words are encoded on the egg by way of the symbols and colors.
These days, Oology is the study of eggs. In the bird kingdom alone, 9,000 kinds of birds each lay their own kind of eggs. Hummingbirds lay the smallest; Ostriches and Kiwis, the largest. Why do different species lay different colored eggs? The color of an egg depends upon where it is laid. White eggs are normally hidden, but colored eggs match the colors in the environment of the nest for camouflage.
A vast amount of life comes from eggs of all kinds whether incubated internally or externally. The earth itself resembles an egg with a crust (shell), magma (egg white) and core (yolk). No matter what may change, the egg remains prime to our continued existence.
Sources:
Various Authors (1997-1999). Myth and Mankind: Vols. Greek & Roman, Tibetan & Mongolian, Slavic, African Myths. London: Duncan Baird Publishers/Time Life Books
History of the Easter Egg
Landhotels Austria - Austrian Easter Traditions
History and Symbolism of Ukrainian Easter Eggs
National Geographic News - Earliest Unhatched Bird Fossil Found
Veggs Australia - Egg Facts and Fun
Australian Sacred Sites
The Sacramento Zoo - Egg Layers
How the Egg Came to Symbolize Easter
Treasures of the World - Faberge Eggs
Thursday, March 20, 2008
A Visit From Auntie
Featured website for this article is the Museum of Menstruation. Special thanks goes to Harry Finley for allowing me to glean information from his site for use throughout my article. Every woman should make a pilgrimage to the Museum of Menstruation.
What could be more curious than a person who bleeds on average every 28 days and does not die? That one ability put women in a whole different category since the beginning of time. Let us look at the history of how women dealt with their menstrual cycles through the ages.
The embarrassment surrounding menstruation developed many code phrases to refer to it. You may have heard your grandmother tell someone about "a visit from auntie" or the time she was "on the rag." "Falling off the roof" and "riding the white horse" are examples of other slang phrases.
According to The Red Spot, "only humans, apes and some monkeys menstruate. Mammals like dogs and cats sometimes bleed a little when they are in heat, which is when they ovulate and mate, but they do not have menstrual cycles."
On average, a woman loses about four tablespoons of blood each month. To deal with the mess of it, women used grass, sponges, cotton wads and other absorbent materials to catch the blood. What is hard for us to imagine, however, is that the custom of some in history was to bleed into their clothing with nothing to catch it. In earlier times, open-crotch undergarments allowed secretions to pass away from the body and provided ventilation. It was not all "lavender and lace" under those long skirts! Today's "crotched" underwear is a fairly modern invention.
Nothing is written about the practices of American pioneer women other than hints about it in diaries where dark colors were recommended for wearing. Therefore, pioneer women may have bled into their clothing as well since they would have done the same as women in their homelands. In some cultures, women still bleed into their clothing today.
Records indicate that historically, menstruating women left a trail of blood. Factories where women worked used rushes on the floor to catch it. One might imagine that the odor was terrific, but during the 18th century at least, menstrual odor was considered seductive. At certain times in history, odor was evidence of a young girl's ability to have children. At other times, it spoke of a woman's infertility.
When considering the average woman in early history, poor nutrition, the lack of birth control, and the fact women breastfed their children, make it entirely possible that she did not menstruate very many times during her life, if at all. We must remember that the norm was not even to live until menopause.
In the period of roughly 1700-1900, washing or changing underclothing was considered unhealthy. Women feared blocking the flow or causing intense bleeding. Then around 1880-1890, German doctors began proposing menstrual devices for women to wear to improve their health. American patents for menstrual devices began in 1854 for a belt with steel springs to hold a pad, but the products really didn't start gaining in popularity until the 1870's.
What is in menstrual blood? The answer to that question is subject to debate. One opinion is reported at the Museum of Menstruation which states that "laboratory tests have found a certain toxin (appropriately called "menotoxin") in the various body fluids of a menstruating woman. This toxin is believed to manifest itself in large quantities, just before and during the first few days of the onset of the monthly period. Research has revealed that menotoxin has an inhibitory effect on the growth of roots, stems, living seedlings, yeast and affects the geotropic properties of seedlings."
I emailed my doctor and got his opinion on menotoxins. He said, "Menstrual flow is simply blood and tissue sloughed from the endometrium, or lining of the uterus. There are no more toxins in that blood than in any other blood; nor does it contain any bacteria except 'good bacteria' found naturally in the vaginal canal as the blood exits. The existence of any sort of 'menotoxin,' or toxin in the menstrual flow, has never been proven by any reproducible studies. Certainly, menstrual blood, like any bleeding, can harbor viruses like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. However, most transmission of blood-borne disease comes not from contact with the menstrual blood but from contact with blood either from the cervix or from microscopic tears in the vaginal wall. Almost every time a pap is done (removing cervical mucus for cells), the scraping action on the cervix causes some bleeding from the cervix (not the endometrial lining)."
In certain myths, menstrual blood was believed to be life-giving and to have healing properties. It was included in the recipes for drugs and ointments and was also supposed to be cleansing in nature.
Petra Habiger presents a wealth of information in her article, Menstruation, Menstrual Hygiene and Woman's Health in Ancient Egypt. She writes that one example of a "negative" career was a laundry worker who had to wash the "loincloth of a menstruating woman." Be sure and read this fascinating article.
Pieces of cloth, called "Granny Rags," made from old sheets, pillowcases or other surplus material, then folded and pinned into underwear, served the average woman for years before the advent of commercially made disposable pads. Sears, Robuck sold sanitary aprons in their catalog for those with the money to buy them. Rags were washed after each use, hung out to dry, and used over and over. When odor became an issue, the remedy was to boil the rags 5-10 minutes to get rid of the problem. Women travelers either took their cloth pads home to wash them or burned them in the fireplace. England had special portable burners in the 1890's specifically to burn menstrual pads.
Tampon-like materials have been around since ancient times. Hippocrates wrote of their usage. Egyptians probably used grass or papyrus as tampons. An interesting fact is that the letters "O.B." in modern-day OB Tampons means ohne binde or "without a pad."
Timeline for important developments of disposable pads and tampons:
* 1890 - could buy disposable pads - "Lister's Towel" by Johnson & Johnson
* late 1920s-early 1930s - 1st commercial tampons
* 1920 - Curads disposable
* 1921 - Kotex disposable
* 1970 - adhesive pads
* 1996 - menstrual cup - first popular model after several unsuccessful products
Kotex pads (cotton-texture pad) came from bandages made in WWI for American soldiers in France by Kimberly-Clark. American nurses tried the bandages and liked them. These sold well after women were allowed to put money in a container on the store counters without speaking to a clerk. They then selected their boxes and took them home.
Other brand names for menstrual products included Fax, Fibs, Holly-Pax, Moderne Women, Nappons, Nunap, Slim-Pax, Tampas, and Wix. See pictures of these products at the Museum of Menstruation.
Attitudes about menstruation varied greatly. One way of dealing with it was to put women in seclusion in special menstrual huts. These are still in use today in some cultures.
The ability to bleed and not die equated to control of life powers in some religions. In goddess worship, a woman's menses determines the status of her power in the maiden, mother and crone figures. Menopausal women are sometimes revered and looked to for a wealth of knowledge and experience.
The Roman author, Pliny, in his Natural History wrote that a woman can turn wine sour, cause seeds to be sterile, wither grafts, cause garden plants to become parched and fruit to fall from a tree she sits under.
Jewish tradition regards a woman as ritually impure during menstruation and anyone or anything she touches becomes impure as well. As time went on, more items were added to include her breath, spittle, footprints, voice and nail clippings. Read about one Jewish tradition in The Tradition of Slapping Our Daughters.
Under Islamic law, a menstruating woman is not allowed to pray, fast or have sex. She is not allowed to touch the Koran unless it is a translation (the Koran is only a Koran if it is in Arabic).
A Hindu woman abstains from worship and cooking and stays away from her family.
Is there any scientific evidence that a woman becomes physically different during her menses, other than bleeding? One report hints at it. Pictures taken in Kirlian photography, which photographs the energy flow of the body, shows that the aura or personal atmosphere of a menstruating woman becomes darker and denser.
If you are worried about attracting sharks with menstrual blood, read Blood in Belize's Blue Hole before going into the water.
Where would mankind be without those regular visits from auntie? Long gone, I'm afraid, yet I am one thankful woman to be living in this day and writing about how they used to handle it rather than living that way. Let's celebrate this part of women's history, too.
What could be more curious than a person who bleeds on average every 28 days and does not die? That one ability put women in a whole different category since the beginning of time. Let us look at the history of how women dealt with their menstrual cycles through the ages.
The embarrassment surrounding menstruation developed many code phrases to refer to it. You may have heard your grandmother tell someone about "a visit from auntie" or the time she was "on the rag." "Falling off the roof" and "riding the white horse" are examples of other slang phrases.
According to The Red Spot, "only humans, apes and some monkeys menstruate. Mammals like dogs and cats sometimes bleed a little when they are in heat, which is when they ovulate and mate, but they do not have menstrual cycles."
On average, a woman loses about four tablespoons of blood each month. To deal with the mess of it, women used grass, sponges, cotton wads and other absorbent materials to catch the blood. What is hard for us to imagine, however, is that the custom of some in history was to bleed into their clothing with nothing to catch it. In earlier times, open-crotch undergarments allowed secretions to pass away from the body and provided ventilation. It was not all "lavender and lace" under those long skirts! Today's "crotched" underwear is a fairly modern invention.
Nothing is written about the practices of American pioneer women other than hints about it in diaries where dark colors were recommended for wearing. Therefore, pioneer women may have bled into their clothing as well since they would have done the same as women in their homelands. In some cultures, women still bleed into their clothing today.
Records indicate that historically, menstruating women left a trail of blood. Factories where women worked used rushes on the floor to catch it. One might imagine that the odor was terrific, but during the 18th century at least, menstrual odor was considered seductive. At certain times in history, odor was evidence of a young girl's ability to have children. At other times, it spoke of a woman's infertility.
When considering the average woman in early history, poor nutrition, the lack of birth control, and the fact women breastfed their children, make it entirely possible that she did not menstruate very many times during her life, if at all. We must remember that the norm was not even to live until menopause.
In the period of roughly 1700-1900, washing or changing underclothing was considered unhealthy. Women feared blocking the flow or causing intense bleeding. Then around 1880-1890, German doctors began proposing menstrual devices for women to wear to improve their health. American patents for menstrual devices began in 1854 for a belt with steel springs to hold a pad, but the products really didn't start gaining in popularity until the 1870's.
What is in menstrual blood? The answer to that question is subject to debate. One opinion is reported at the Museum of Menstruation which states that "laboratory tests have found a certain toxin (appropriately called "menotoxin") in the various body fluids of a menstruating woman. This toxin is believed to manifest itself in large quantities, just before and during the first few days of the onset of the monthly period. Research has revealed that menotoxin has an inhibitory effect on the growth of roots, stems, living seedlings, yeast and affects the geotropic properties of seedlings."
I emailed my doctor and got his opinion on menotoxins. He said, "Menstrual flow is simply blood and tissue sloughed from the endometrium, or lining of the uterus. There are no more toxins in that blood than in any other blood; nor does it contain any bacteria except 'good bacteria' found naturally in the vaginal canal as the blood exits. The existence of any sort of 'menotoxin,' or toxin in the menstrual flow, has never been proven by any reproducible studies. Certainly, menstrual blood, like any bleeding, can harbor viruses like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. However, most transmission of blood-borne disease comes not from contact with the menstrual blood but from contact with blood either from the cervix or from microscopic tears in the vaginal wall. Almost every time a pap is done (removing cervical mucus for cells), the scraping action on the cervix causes some bleeding from the cervix (not the endometrial lining)."
In certain myths, menstrual blood was believed to be life-giving and to have healing properties. It was included in the recipes for drugs and ointments and was also supposed to be cleansing in nature.
Petra Habiger presents a wealth of information in her article, Menstruation, Menstrual Hygiene and Woman's Health in Ancient Egypt. She writes that one example of a "negative" career was a laundry worker who had to wash the "loincloth of a menstruating woman." Be sure and read this fascinating article.
Pieces of cloth, called "Granny Rags," made from old sheets, pillowcases or other surplus material, then folded and pinned into underwear, served the average woman for years before the advent of commercially made disposable pads. Sears, Robuck sold sanitary aprons in their catalog for those with the money to buy them. Rags were washed after each use, hung out to dry, and used over and over. When odor became an issue, the remedy was to boil the rags 5-10 minutes to get rid of the problem. Women travelers either took their cloth pads home to wash them or burned them in the fireplace. England had special portable burners in the 1890's specifically to burn menstrual pads.
Tampon-like materials have been around since ancient times. Hippocrates wrote of their usage. Egyptians probably used grass or papyrus as tampons. An interesting fact is that the letters "O.B." in modern-day OB Tampons means ohne binde or "without a pad."
Timeline for important developments of disposable pads and tampons:
* 1890 - could buy disposable pads - "Lister's Towel" by Johnson & Johnson
* late 1920s-early 1930s - 1st commercial tampons
* 1920 - Curads disposable
* 1921 - Kotex disposable
* 1970 - adhesive pads
* 1996 - menstrual cup - first popular model after several unsuccessful products
Kotex pads (cotton-texture pad) came from bandages made in WWI for American soldiers in France by Kimberly-Clark. American nurses tried the bandages and liked them. These sold well after women were allowed to put money in a container on the store counters without speaking to a clerk. They then selected their boxes and took them home.
Other brand names for menstrual products included Fax, Fibs, Holly-Pax, Moderne Women, Nappons, Nunap, Slim-Pax, Tampas, and Wix. See pictures of these products at the Museum of Menstruation.
Attitudes about menstruation varied greatly. One way of dealing with it was to put women in seclusion in special menstrual huts. These are still in use today in some cultures.
The ability to bleed and not die equated to control of life powers in some religions. In goddess worship, a woman's menses determines the status of her power in the maiden, mother and crone figures. Menopausal women are sometimes revered and looked to for a wealth of knowledge and experience.
The Roman author, Pliny, in his Natural History wrote that a woman can turn wine sour, cause seeds to be sterile, wither grafts, cause garden plants to become parched and fruit to fall from a tree she sits under.
Jewish tradition regards a woman as ritually impure during menstruation and anyone or anything she touches becomes impure as well. As time went on, more items were added to include her breath, spittle, footprints, voice and nail clippings. Read about one Jewish tradition in The Tradition of Slapping Our Daughters.
Under Islamic law, a menstruating woman is not allowed to pray, fast or have sex. She is not allowed to touch the Koran unless it is a translation (the Koran is only a Koran if it is in Arabic).
A Hindu woman abstains from worship and cooking and stays away from her family.
Is there any scientific evidence that a woman becomes physically different during her menses, other than bleeding? One report hints at it. Pictures taken in Kirlian photography, which photographs the energy flow of the body, shows that the aura or personal atmosphere of a menstruating woman becomes darker and denser.
If you are worried about attracting sharks with menstrual blood, read Blood in Belize's Blue Hole before going into the water.
Where would mankind be without those regular visits from auntie? Long gone, I'm afraid, yet I am one thankful woman to be living in this day and writing about how they used to handle it rather than living that way. Let's celebrate this part of women's history, too.
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