Thursday, June 28, 2012
History Trivia, Not Trivial History
This blog is a good starting point for lessons in the classroom or for home school. It is also a great fix for those of you who love trivia. The focus of the blog is the origin of the objects around us and the whys of names and how things are done. For example: Why is cotton fabric sold in 44 inch widths? It is the length of a cotton thread spun from large upland American cotton boles. Why is some fabric made in 36 inch widths? A yard is the length of a linen fiber from a flax plant that has been pulled up by the roots in order to harvest all the fiber length. Linen is a fiber derived from fibers in the plant stalk, rather than a product produced in connection with seed production as cotton is. There are a number of posts to read and more are planned for the future.
The Garden of Time
Take a walk through a flower garden and walk through, see, and smell time. Each of those well known flowers has a story that takes their introduction to the garden back to a specific time and place. If you know their history, a walk through a flower garden is a walk through time.
The tall hollyhocks returned from the Crusades in the saddlebags of knights in the mid 1100's A.D. In fact, Eleanor of Aquitaine may have brought back hollyhock seeds from the second Crusade, which she went on while queen of France.
The word tulip comes from a Persian word meaning turban. Tulips arrived in Europe in the 1500's as gifts carried by Turkish ambassadors. They are natives of the Persian mountains and were domesticated by gardeners there.
Nasturtiums were introduced to Europe from South America in the 1500's. They were first used in salads, rather than as a garden flower.
The Aztecs planted golden marigolds in their gardens, in Mexico. The Spanish carried marigold seeds back to Europe in the 1500's.
Geraniums came back to Holland on Dutch trading vessels that had stopped at the South African port on the Cape of Good Hope, on their voyage out to the Spice Islands and India and on their return trip back to Amsterdam, in the 1600's.
The large roses we send on Valentine's day are expensive, but they were once a gift only an empress could afford. They were imported by Empress Josephine for her garden, during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800's.
Pansies were developed through crossbreeding violas, to obtain larger more colorful flowers, by an English woman Lady Elizabeth Bennet in 1812.
Perhaps you will take a second look and have a thought for history the next time you walk past those common garden flowers at your local store.
The tall hollyhocks returned from the Crusades in the saddlebags of knights in the mid 1100's A.D. In fact, Eleanor of Aquitaine may have brought back hollyhock seeds from the second Crusade, which she went on while queen of France.
The word tulip comes from a Persian word meaning turban. Tulips arrived in Europe in the 1500's as gifts carried by Turkish ambassadors. They are natives of the Persian mountains and were domesticated by gardeners there.
Nasturtiums were introduced to Europe from South America in the 1500's. They were first used in salads, rather than as a garden flower.
The Aztecs planted golden marigolds in their gardens, in Mexico. The Spanish carried marigold seeds back to Europe in the 1500's.
Geraniums came back to Holland on Dutch trading vessels that had stopped at the South African port on the Cape of Good Hope, on their voyage out to the Spice Islands and India and on their return trip back to Amsterdam, in the 1600's.
The large roses we send on Valentine's day are expensive, but they were once a gift only an empress could afford. They were imported by Empress Josephine for her garden, during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800's.
Pansies were developed through crossbreeding violas, to obtain larger more colorful flowers, by an English woman Lady Elizabeth Bennet in 1812.
Perhaps you will take a second look and have a thought for history the next time you walk past those common garden flowers at your local store.
Magic Number 7
Have you ever wondered where all those references to a magic or important number 7 come from--seven days in the week, 7 wins in dice games, 7 rungs on the Alchemist's ladder? Seven is the number of heavenly bodies in the sky that move about quickly on a regular basis--the sun, moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury. In fact, the word planet is derived from the Greek word meaning wanderer.
When it comes to the days of the week, Sunday for the sun and Monday for the Moon are obvious. Saturday for Saturn is not much of a stretch, but the others are less obvious. With the German barbarian invasion of Rome, Thursday came into play as Thor's Day with his thundering hammer, replacing Jupiter with his lightening bolts, as the symbol for that day. Friday comes from Freya, replacing Venus as the symbol of that day. Tuesday comes from the Germanic god Tiw or Tyr, the god of single combat, replacing Mars as the day's symbol. Wednesday comes from the Germanic god Woden, replacing the Roman Mercury.
Furthermore, each of the heavenly bodies is linked to a metal and appears as a rung on the alchemist's ladder. The top rung is gold for the sun, the second rung is silver for the moon, lead for Saturn, tin for Jupiter, iron for Mars, copper for Venus, and mercury for the planet Mercury.
When you think of the 7 days of the week, I hope you will have a new more historic take on them. It turns out they are heavenly days. As the dice players say, "Come on seven!"
When it comes to the days of the week, Sunday for the sun and Monday for the Moon are obvious. Saturday for Saturn is not much of a stretch, but the others are less obvious. With the German barbarian invasion of Rome, Thursday came into play as Thor's Day with his thundering hammer, replacing Jupiter with his lightening bolts, as the symbol for that day. Friday comes from Freya, replacing Venus as the symbol of that day. Tuesday comes from the Germanic god Tiw or Tyr, the god of single combat, replacing Mars as the day's symbol. Wednesday comes from the Germanic god Woden, replacing the Roman Mercury.
Furthermore, each of the heavenly bodies is linked to a metal and appears as a rung on the alchemist's ladder. The top rung is gold for the sun, the second rung is silver for the moon, lead for Saturn, tin for Jupiter, iron for Mars, copper for Venus, and mercury for the planet Mercury.
When you think of the 7 days of the week, I hope you will have a new more historic take on them. It turns out they are heavenly days. As the dice players say, "Come on seven!"
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Music Man
Creating music seems to be one of the hallmarks of our humanity.
Bone flutes have been found in European caves that date from 42,000 B.C.E. The flute played the modern diatonic scale. Also, caves have been shown to have the best acoustical spots marked--band over here; )
Excavations at Ur unearthed harps dating from as early as 2,750 B.C.E. A cuneiform tablet found at Nippur gives instructions on how to play a harp song that is made up of harmonies of thirds on the diatonic scale.
Songs and instruments have been found in the digs of all ancient cultures including: the Indus River valley culture, Mesopotamia, Egyptian, Minoan, and Chinese.
Bone flutes have been found in European caves that date from 42,000 B.C.E. The flute played the modern diatonic scale. Also, caves have been shown to have the best acoustical spots marked--band over here; )
Excavations at Ur unearthed harps dating from as early as 2,750 B.C.E. A cuneiform tablet found at Nippur gives instructions on how to play a harp song that is made up of harmonies of thirds on the diatonic scale.
Songs and instruments have been found in the digs of all ancient cultures including: the Indus River valley culture, Mesopotamia, Egyptian, Minoan, and Chinese.
Viking Ireland
Dublin, Ireland was founded in 841 B.C., at the mouth of the River Liffey, by Viking invaders as a port and trade center. Dubh Linn means black pool in Old Norse. Many captured Irish became slaves on Viking farms. Genetic traits such as red hair found in Ireland and Scotland actually come from the Vikings.
The town had timber sidewalks like American frontier towns.
The town had timber sidewalks like American frontier towns.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Common Places
The word bungalow, describing a small house of one to one and a half story with a large veranda, came from the Hindi word "Bengali" meaning a house in the style of the Bengal region. The term was first used in an English document in 1696, to describe houses built for English sailors, working for the East India Company in India.
The shotgun style house comes from a house style originating in Africa, with the Yorba Tribe. The long narrow house with, generally 3 rooms in a row, opening into one another, allowed air to pass through the length of the house and cool the rooms. Slaves brought this style to America.
The shotgun style house comes from a house style originating in Africa, with the Yorba Tribe. The long narrow house with, generally 3 rooms in a row, opening into one another, allowed air to pass through the length of the house and cool the rooms. Slaves brought this style to America.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Celery: a History
King Tutankhamen's mummy was adorned with a a garland of willow and olive leaves, wild celery, lotus petals, and cornflowers. Homer speaks of the horses of Troy feeding on celery. Celery is an ancient Greek word that came to English from French. It grows wild in marshy areas in Europe and the Near East.
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