Ok, lets get this show on the road, see if the pics work out okay..
I love Raven, and crow for that matter. The bird stole my heart.
Raven and crow play a mythical role in many cultures.
In native american (and canadian) lore, the raven is creator of the world, but also the trickster. Raven was once white. When a bad guy stole the sun, noone dared to get it back, exept for raven. He got the sun back and burned.. that's why its black today.
In European lore, Raven is the animal connected to Odin/Wodan, god of the germanic/scandinavian tribes. He had two ravens (Huginn and Munin)who flew all over the world, to see what was going on. When they returned from their flights, they will tell Odin everything they saw.In this way Odin could response to troubles. His daughters, the valkyries, could change into ravens on the battlefield, to bring warriors to walhalla.
The Celtic tribes saw raven as the bird of Morrighan(later called morgaine in the arthur legends), she could change into a raven and collect the souls of warriors on the battlefield.She is a triple goddes: multifunctional woman
Raven and crow are associated with death. That's not strange, because they eat dead things. It cleans up. That's why they got a sinistre reputation, and in the middleages it was associated with the devil.. because of its black colour. Nowadays some people still fear raven and crow.
There is another side to raven and crow, the tricksterside. They can play tricks on you, make fun of you, laugh at you, make a fool out of you. This tricksterside is common in some native american nations, but also in medieval european lore.
Raven is well known and respected by the northwestcoast american nations
..and crows have a lot of humour and are very inventive..
And.. they are simply beautifull..
Raven and crow are known to work together with wolves.
They mate for life, and they also have a ''nanny'': a juvinile animal who learnes the skills by taking care of youngsters from a family. If you see crows, you usually see three: man, woman and nanny.
Crow is connected to transformation, magic, and communications skills. They have a big vocabulary and are very smart.
Only people without fantasy flee into reality
__________________
nothing is the same, since the house fell on my sister...
The owl, night's herald. William Shakespeare 1564-1616 Venus and Adonis [1593], l. 531
In many cultures, owls signal an underworld or serve to represent human spirits after death; in other cultures, owls represent supportive spirit helpers and allow humans (often shamans) to connect with or utilize their supernatural powers. Among some native groups in the Pacific Northwest of USA, owls served to bring shamans in contact with the dead, provided power for seeing at night, or gave power that enabled a shaman to find lost objects (Ray 1939 and Cline 1938, as cited in Keyser et al. 1998).
As with the owls of the ancient Roman statesman Pliny the Elder, many forest owls have played key roles as signalers of death. The mountain tribes of Myanmar (Burma) know the plaintive song of the Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus) in such legends (Smythies 1953, Voous 1988). In one Navajo myth, after death the soul assumes the form of an owl (Saunders 1995).
In India, the Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica), Forest Eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis), and Brown Fish Owl (B. zeylonensis) are found in dense riparian forests of Ficus near streams and ponds, sites often considered as sacred groves, or in cemeteries that bear the last of the largest trees with cavities and hollows in an area (Marcot 1995; B. Marcot, pers. obs.). Old-forest owls, particularly the Forest Eagle-owl, play major roles in many Nepali and Hindu legends. As heard calling at night from cemeteries and sacred groves, such owls are thought to have captured the spirit of a person departed from this world. In one sense, then, many of these owl species can serve as indicators of the religious value of a forest (Marcot 1995); conserving the religious site equally conserves key roost or nest sites.
Members of the animistic Garo Hills Tribe of Meghalaya, northeast India, call owls dopo or petcha. Along with nightjars, they also refer to owls as doang, which means birds that are believed to call out at night when a person is going to die; its cry denotes the death of a person (Nengminza 1996; B. Marcot, pers. obs.).
The aboriginal peoples of North Queensland, Australia, view owls in a similar way. In January 2000, a female aboriginal elder relayed that owls are special to her people. A little apologetically, she added that owls are also considered an ill omen, signifying a death in the family - but only if the owl hung around the home site for several days (R. Loyn, pers. comm.).
Throughout India, owls are construed as bad omens, messengers of ill luck, or servants of the dead. In general, owls often have been treated badly both in daily life and even in Indian literature. For example, in India it is very common to call a foolish person "an owl." But in Indian mythology the owl has been treated at times reverently and given some place of prestige. For instance, Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of money and wealth, rides on an owl. Even in present times, some people of India, particularly Bengali, believe that if a white owl enters a home it is treated as a good omen by relating it to the possible flow of wealth or money into that home (A. Saxena, pers. comm.; also see Box 1).
In India the Forest Eagle-owl is known to take peafowl, junglefowl, hares, jackals, and even young barking deer (Ali 1987). Ali noted that its cry is a low, deep, and far-sounding moaning hoot and a blood-curdling shriek as of a woman in grief, earning this creature the name of "Devil Bird." The call of the Ceylon Forest Eagle-owl subspecies (Bubo nipalensis blighi) consists of "shrieks such as of a woman being strangled" but that "the dreadful shrieks and strangulating noises are merely its 'mating love-song,' which would also account for their rare and periodic occurrence" (Ali and Ripley 1987). In related accounts, Ali described its noises as "a variety of weird, eerie shrieks and chuckles" and a scream "like that of a demented person casting himself over a precipice." Holmgren (1988) also noted that in history, eagle-owls have been variously called Bird of Evil Omen, Death Owl, Ghost Owl, Mystery Owl, Knows-All Owl, and even Rat Owl.
In India, one of us (BGM) was told (see Appendix 1) that the Devil Bird or Devil Owl can be found in graveyards and big dead trees - evidence, albeit anecdotal rather than scientific - that this owl species associates with old forests and big old trees -- and death. Graveyards often contain the last old growth trees, and in India, the Muslims, especially, revere everything in a cemetery including the vegetation. Thus, the eerie cries of the Devil Owl are heard mostly in cemeteries, portending death. And here converge myth, culture, and biology to a consistent whole, as they should for successful conservation of cultures, people, and wildlife.
In China, owlets have been believed to pluck out their mothers' eyes (Saunders 1995). Saunders (1995:112) also noted that "The owl's night excursions, staring eyes and strange call have led to a wide-spread association with occult powers. The bird's superb night vision may underlie its connection with prophecy, and the reputation for being all-seeing could arise from its ability to turn its head through almost 180 degrees." In a similar vein, on Andros Island, Bahamas, an historically extinct species of flightless owl, Tyto pollens, scientifically known only from subfossils, stood one meter tall and may have been the source of old local legends of "chickcharnies" or aggressive leprachaun-like imps that wreak havoc, have three toes, and can turn their heads all the way around (Marcot 1995). This owl likely inhabited the dense stands of old-growth Caribbean pine (Pinus caribbeanensis), so much of which had been clearcut on Andros during the latter 20th century by American companies.
In ancient Egypt, India, China, Japan, and Central and North America, owls were the bird of death. In other cultures and religions, however, such as ancient Greece, they bore the role of supernatural protector. Some Native Americans, for instance, wore owl feathers as magic talismans (Saunders 1995).
Along the northwest coast of Alaska, the Yup'ik peoples made masks for a final winter ceremony called the Agayuyaraq ("way, or process, of requesting"), also referred to as Kelek ("Inviting-in Feast") or the Masquerade (Fienup-Riordan 1996). This complex ceremony involved singing songs of supplication to the animals' yuit ("their persons"), accompanied by the performance of masked dances, under the direction of the shaman. In preparation for the ceremony, the shaman directed the construction of the masks, through which the spirits revealed themselves as simultaneously dangerous and helpful. The helping spirits often took the form of an owl. The majority of masks contained feathers from snowy owls. Carvers strove to represent the helping spirits or animal yuit they had encountered in a vision, dream, or experience. In all cases, the wearer was infused with the spirit of the creature represented. Together with other events, the ceremony embodied a cyclical view of the universe whereby right action in the past and present reproduced abundance in the future.
On Java and Borneo, the Collared Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) has survived thanks in part to the fact that it is viewed in legends there with reverence or as an ill omen (Voous 1988). These owls are taken in China and Korea for medicinal use and many have been lost annually for such purposes (Austin 1948, Gore and Won 1971, Voous 1988).
Shakespeare wrote of "The owl, night's herald" (Venus and Adonis, 1593, Line 531) and recognized the role that owls have as the "fatal bellmen" (Macbeth, 1605-1606, Act II, Scene ii, Line 4) of that final deepest sleep. In this way, owls have been seen as harbingers of eschatology or the ultimate fate of humans.
__________________
zina : As the wind blows, as the eagle soars,
as the wolf runs, such are the ways nature,
from them we must learn, freedom.
The northern lights and folkloreSince time began, through different cultures and whenever they occur, there have been many beliefs about the northern lights. The Inuit around Hudson Bay had the following explanation of what they saw:
The sky is a huge dome of hard material arched over the flat earth. On the outside there is light. In the dome there are a large number of small holes, and trough these holes you can see the light from the outside when it is dark. And trough these holes the spirits of the dead can pass into the heavenly regions. The way to heaven leads over a narrow bridge which spans an enormous abyss. The spirits that were already in heaven light torches to guide the feet of the new arrivals. These torches are called the northern lights
In Middle-Age Europe, the northern lights were thought to be reflections of heavenly warriors. As a kind of posthumous reward, the soldiers that gave their lives for their king and country were allowed to battle on the skies forever. The northern lights were the breath of these brave soldiers as they resumed their fight in the skies.
Otherwise the northern lights were a sign of omen. They warned of illness, plague and death. When red, which is the most common colour at low latitudes, they signalled the outbreak of war.
No such omens are known in North Norway. Up here, people's conceptions were more characterized by awe for this mighty phenomenon. One should tread carefully and in no way should the northern lights be intimidated by waving, whistling, staring or any other form of defiane.
Already several centuries before Christ , detailed descriptions and explanations were put forward. In his book Metereologia, Aristoteles described the northern lights as a light which resembled the flames of burning gas. if these flames spread and at the same time sent out sparks and rays, they were called jumping goats. Without such rays, they were called simply fire.
Even today there are many different theories about the northern lights.
Some say that if you wave to them, they will increase in activity or even reach down and catch you. Or that if you look at them you will damage your eyes. One visitor to the Planetarium in Tromso, Norway wondered how they came right down to the ground. He had seen it happen several times. Another wanted an explanation for the crackling noises he could hear when the northern lights were strong. One common notion is that the lights only appear when it is cold. They are, of course unaffected by the weather, but to see them, it should be dark and the sky cloudless. Under such conditions it is generally cold in North Norway.
The Saami people(also knows as Lapps, but they do not appreciate to be called that) have many folklorisch stories about the lights. They differ from region to region.
If you have the chance to see them, your life will be not the same. Regardless of what you think they are.. they are
beautifull!
__________________
nothing is the same, since the house fell on my sister...
A powwow is a gathering of first nations from North America. If you've never been to one , you really should try to visit one! I have seen some powwows, and the dancing touches your heart. Let the pictures speak for itself.
There are many types of dancing inc matching outfits, this is a fancy shawl dance..
The colours are beautifull. Usually the clothes and regalia are made by the dancer him/herself. or his/her relatives.
On the powwow there are many dance competitions.
Also for the smaller dancers..
But a kid is a kid, sometimes you have to take a break from all this serious bussiness..
There are dance competitions but also competition for best looking outfit..
This is a jingledress, many legends about this type of dress. One legends says every iron cone attached to the dress, represents a good deed. Usually there are 365 cones: one good deed every day.
powwow on veteransday
Have a nice day and do celebrate diversity!
__________________
nothing is the same, since the house fell on my sister...
Coppicing a Cultural Thread from the Past to the Present
by Dino Labiste
The art of Native California basketry reveals a culture's tradition, history and the intimate relationship between the weavers, the environment and the seasonal cycle. The art form speaks of the care and spirit put directly into the basket by its weaver. The woven container shows the mind of the maker and the knowledge of traditional skills to prune, gather, prepare and twine (or coil) the various plant resources.
Coppicing dates back to a time of Native California hunters catching steelhead trout with basket fish traps and gatherers carrying loads of acorns in their burden baskets. Basket weaving is one of the important cultural threads in the Native California communities. A thread that carries with it traditions as well as a respect for the land and its resources. Pruning and fire-setting were the few land management tools that the native weavers used to promote the long, flexible willow withes needed to make a shapely basket.
The elegant combination of functional purpose and aesthetic beauty can be found in a whole shoot, twined willow basket. A basket made of willow has its beginning in a process called coppicing or pruning. Coppicing is a practice of environmental management used by Native California basket weavers. It involves pruning a plant back to its base and removing the weak shoots to encourage vigorous growth. The plant is allowed to regrow from the cut stumps. Willows are coppiced to stimulate the propagation of long, slender and flexible branches or shoots. The willow withes are utilized in the warp elements (lengthwise threads) and weft elements (horizontal threads) of the basket. Coppicing provides an environmentally sustainable source of willow withes through periodic cutting, which actually prolongs the life of the tree. Besides preserving traditional skills, pruning creates a rich mosaic of habitats, attracting a diverse range of flora and fauna.
Coppicing is based on the principles of plant physiology. In order to prune effectively, a weaver has to know something about how a plant grows. A plant has three main structures: roots, stem and leaves. The roots main functions are to absorb water and nutrients, to anchor the plant in the soil and to store food, which is released when required by root cells or distributed to above ground parts. The stem supports other plant parts, such as leaves and flowers. It also transports materials and stores certain materials. The leaves main function is photosynthesis. Photosynthesis converts energy from the sun to chemical energy. It is then synthesized to glucose and other organic compounds necessary for the plant's nutrition.
The stem (also called shoot, trunk, twig, branch or limb) carries water and nutrients from the roots to the plant's growing points (buds, leaves and flowers). It also carries food (sugars) that the leaves make to the roots. Since stems are conveying tubes, it can be cut off to divert the flow of nutrients to other buds and branches. By stopping growth in one direction, growth can be encouraged in other directions.
The willow coppiced in the photos is Hinds willow (Salix hinsiana). It is also called Grey willow. The narrow leaves taper at both ends and are covered with gray, silky hairs. Hinds willow inhabits moist soils of ditches, sandbars and stream banks. Its range is usually confined to California.
Another species of basketry willow is Sandbar willow (Salix exigua). This hardy plant has perhaps the greatest range of all tree willows in the United States. It is found throughout the interior from the Yukon River in central Alaska to the Mississippi River in southern Louisiana. The leaves are very narrow and pointed at the ends. The colors of the leaves are gray-green on both surfaces. Sandbar willow grows in wet soils, especially riverbanks, sandbars and silt flats.
Not all willow withes are as flexible as Sandbar or Hinds willow. To test a willow to see if it is suitable for basketry withes, pick a thin branch or shoot (preferably from one year's growth and no side branches) and try tying an overhand knot without cracking it.
Hinds willow thickets in the wild have dense growth with lots of weak shoots all competing for the light. These dense thickets have the effect of taking all the light away from the plants and grasses growing underneath, eventually eliminating them. Most of the new branches and shoots in the spring become infested with insect larvae that make them undesirable for baskets. To control insect infestation and to cultivate the thin, long branches for basketry withes, a patch of willow is coppiced to provide an indefinite supply of branches. The willow regenerates itself, without the need for a continuous cycle of planting. The willow is pruned back while the plant is in its dormant stage during the winter season or early spring. This is the time of year when the sap is low in the plant. Generally, willows that are native to cool or cold-winter regions are dormant during their leafless period. The best time to coppice is when it will least shock the plant, which is when it is not actively growing.
Besides creating rapid regrowth from the edge of the stumps and removing poor specimens, coppicing Hinds willow has other benefits to the environment. It increases the amount of light on the ground allowing some flora to flourish, which in turn supports more diverse wildlife. Also any diseased growth is cut away before it can spread throughout the whole tree. For the best willow withes, the plant is coppiced severely during its dormant period to promote fast growing, straight shoots for the following year.
Coppicing willow first involves trimming away the small twigs. Then medium stems and large trunks are cut about a foot above ground level. When the stem falls, it does not rip the wood near the final cutting place. All stumps are then cut two inches above ground level. The clean, smooth surface cut is angled, with the top sloping outwards to allow any rainwater to drain away. Successful coppicing required sharp tools, whether using stone spalls or modern pruning saws and loppers.
For whole shoot, twined baskets, one year's growth of willow withes is harvested in late December or January. Gathering is anytime between the dropping of the leaves and the appearance of new buds. Tamara Wilder and Steven Edholm mention a few notes on harvesting willow withes in their article entitled, "Whole-Shoot Willow Baskets":
"If the shoots are gathered in the dormant season (from leaf drop to bud swell), the bark will adhere tenaciously. If they are harvested in early spring (just after bud break), the bark slips off easily. By mid spring, anything that was not cut will begin branching out and will become less desirable. We prefer to harvest during the dormant season and weave with the bark on. This way the shoots are less prone to cracking and have greater wear resistance."
Native California basket weavers understood the importance of gathering during the right time of the year. The shoots have a lot of water when the willow is growing, which causes them to shrink more when drying.
After gathering, the willow withes are completely dried, stored and then reconstituted later for use. This creates a finished twined basket that is stiffer and tighter. To reconstitute willow, the withes are completely submerged in a container of water. Flat stones are used to keep the withes from floating to the surface. After the willow becomes flexible, the material is woven into a utilitarian basket.
State Parks, wildlife preserves and National Parks have laws prohibiting the cutting and gathering of wild plants. Know the laws in your area before attempting to practice any skill. Also, get permission from the landowner before coppicing wild plants on private property. Be responsible to the environment and to the plant. Learning about coppicing skills involves knowing about the growing cycle of the plant and ensuring that the plant will continue to propagate. As Julia Parker, a Coast Miwok/Kashaya Pomo basket weaver, says, "Utilize nature's bounties wisely by not taking more than what is needed and by not wasting what is taken."
__________________
zina : As the wind blows, as the eagle soars,
as the wolf runs, such are the ways nature,
from them we must learn, freedom.
A feast inside a yurt, the traditional home of the nomadic Kyrgyz, now mostly used for celebrations and by sheep herders in summer time.
Kyrgyz family shaking out a curved mosaic Shyrdak felt floor rug, 1975, Afghanistan
The Ger is the typical Mongolian home, similar to a Kazakh yurt. Even in the "cities" like Ulan Bator (UB) many people live in Gers. It is quite simple yet robust construction that takes a couple of guys a few hours to erect (photo 1). They can also be disassembled quite easily, making moving house a much easier prospect (photo 2). These things can withstand extreme weather conditions. Mongolia gets extremely cold, down to minus fifty degrees Celsius. It can also have extremely strong winds and rain and snow and dust storms. The design of the Ger is surprisingly resilient to the onslaught from the elements.
__________________
nothing is the same, since the house fell on my sister...
Sangoma's are healers in South Africa. Most people rather go to a sangoma then a doctor, and nowadays some work together with doctor to heal the client not only fysical, but also spiritual.
In het bergland van Zuid Sulawesi, in Indonesië (het vroegere Celebes), wonen de Toraja's. Toraja komt uit het Buginees en betekent zoveel als 'mannen uit de bergen'. Deze omschrijving klopt, want het Toraja land 3 ligt midden in het bergachtig landschap van Zuid- Sulawesi. Het is een volk met een rijke cultuur. Vroeger werden zij geregeerd door edelen, die zeiden dat hun voorouders rechtstreeks uit de hemel kwamen. Voor de komst van de Nederlanders waren de Toraja's koppensnellers. Dit gebeurde wanneer een jonge man zijn dapperheid moest bewijzen of bij het overlijden van het dorpshoofd om deze in het hiernamaals van slaven te voorzien.
Begrafenisceremonie De Toraja zien de dood als het hoogtepunt van het leven: de bevrijding van de ziel met de banden met de aarde. De begrafenisceremonie is de belangrijkste ceremonie van de Toraja. Een feest maakt het de ziel mogelijk naar het land van de zielen te gaan. Als de begrafenisrituelen niet volledig of niet op correcte wijze worden uitgevoerd, lopen de familieleden van de overledene het gevaar een hoop onheil over zich heen te krijgen. De overledene moet immers naar de andere wereld worden geholpen. Afhankelijk van de status, rijkdom of leeftijd van de overledene kunnen de ceremonies één tot zeven dagen duren. Daarbij zijn vaak honderden gasten betrokken. Net als bij de Balinezen zijn er twee begrafenissen nodig: één onmiddellijk na het overlijden en een tweede als er voldoende voorbereidingen zijn getroffen in verband met ondermeer de financiën, het regelen van vee en hulp van familieleden. Begrafenissen zijn namelijk alles behalve goedkoop. Bij deze tweede begrafenisplechtigheid zijn ook vreemden van harte welkom. Zij geven de plechtigheid meer status omdat zij er een lange reis voor over hebben gehad om bij de ceremonie aanwezig te zijn. Bij begrafenisrituelen worden buffels en grote aantallen varkens geslacht. Voor het oog van de gasten, meestal op een provisorisch opgebouwde binnenplaats, worden de varkens vastgebonden en gespietst. De buffels wordt de nek afgesneden. Het is een indrukwekkend, maar misselijk makend tafereel. De buffel is van oudsher een symbool van rijkdom en macht. Hoe belangrijker de overledene, hoe meer buffels er geslacht worden. Het aantal te slachten buffels kan bij een rijk persoon oplopen tot over de 100. De Indonesische regering probeert dit tegen te gaan door op elke geslachte buffel belasting te heffen, wat echter niet heeft geleid tot een daling van het aantal slachtbuffels. De begrafenisceremonie is ondertussen een toeristische trekpleister geworden. Groepen toeristen worden er naartoe gebracht en kunnen met eigen ogen bekijken hoe de dieren worden afgemaakt.
Soorten graven De Toraja geloven dat je bezittingen kunt meenemen na je dood. Maar de overledenen voorzien van waardevolle materiële zaken leidde tot grafplunderingen. Daarom begonnen de Toraja met het verbergen van de doden in grotten of in uitgehouwen ruimten in de rotsen. Het uithouwen van de rotsen of het aanpassen van de grotten werd uitgevoerd door specialisten die in buffels werden betaald. Aangezien dit karwei minimaal een aantal buffels kostte, konden alleen de rijken zich dit veroorloven. De ruimte die vrij werd gemaakt in de rots, bood genoeg ruimte voor de hele familie. De grafkist werd dan ver achter in de grot geplaatst en in de ruimte voor de grot werd dan, op een soort uitgehouwen balkonnetje, de tau tau geplaatst. De tau tau is een houten grafbeeld die de overledene moet voorstellen. Het maken van de tau tau is een kostbare en tijdrovende zaak en werd alleen voor de hogere klassen gedaan. De gebruikte houtsoort vertelt over de status en rijkdom van de overledene. Hoe duurder het hout, hoe hoger de status. Oorspronkelijk kon je alleen aan de pop zien van welk geslacht de overledene was. Bij de latere tau tau werd meer geprobeerd om het gezicht te laten lijken op de overledene. Na het plaatsen van de tau tau werden er offers bij gelegd.
Tau Tau
Om te voorkomen dat de grafgiften geroofd worden, zijn de graven vaak moeilijk bereikbaar. Vooral de met kostbare geschenken gevulde rotsgraven van de adel liggen hoog in de rotswand. Daarnaast is de positie van het graf bepalend voor het aanzien van de bijgezette voorouder. Des te hoger het graf, des te meer buffels aan de grafbouwers betaald moeten worden. De tau tau bewaken de graven. Ze vormen een schakel tussen de dode en de nazaten.
Tau Tau in rotswand
De erong (hangende graven) worden niet meer gebruikt. Deze familiegraven hebben de vorm van een huis, een boot of een dier en kunnen soms honderden jaren oud zijn. Dit type graf is tot ver buiten de Sa’danvallei in gebruik geweest. Niet alle graven werden aan rotswanden opgehangen, vaak werden ze ook gewoon in rotsnissen bijgezet. Ze werden van verschillende houtsoorten gemaakt, al naar gelang de status van de familie. De hogere adel had kostbare kisten van sandelhout.
Babygraven Als een nooit gezoogde Toraja-baby overlijdt, wordt deze noch begraven, noch gecremeerd. Er wordt een luikje in de Bananyanboom uitgesneden. De baby wordt in bananenbladeren gewikkeld en in de boomstam gelegd. Mettertijd groeit het luikje weer dicht. Voor de moeder betekent het troost dat de baby met de boom mee naar de 'Puya' groeit, de hemel van de Toraja's. Tevens help de boom de moeder om het volgende kind zo sterk als de boom te laten worden en het met groeikracht te begiftigen. In het heilige bos zijn meer 'baby-bomen' te zien. Sommige hebben wel zes of meer dichtgegroeide luikjes in hun stam. Wat een troost moet het de Torajavrouwen geven naar hun baby-bomen te kunnen gaan, hun groeikracht en stavast te aanschouwen en in zich op te nemen.
Babygrafjes in boom
__________________
We moeten bereid zijn het leven dat we gepland hebben op te geven, om het leven te vinden dat op ons wacht.
Brussel's beroemdste standbeeld is Manneken Pis. Hij heeft een heel bijzondere plaats in het hart van de Belgen.
Manneken Pis is het standbeeldje van een kleine jongen, ongeveer 60 cm hoog, die op een sokkel staat vanwaar hij met een constante waterstroom het bassin onder hem vult. Hij staat dichtbij de Grote Markt in Brussel.
Stadsarchieven gaan terug tot de originele Manneken Pis van 1388, maar het beeldje wat je vandaag ziet dateert uit 1619, toen het origineel vernield was en de stad Jerome Duquesnoy opdracht gaf een nieuwe te maken.
Meest van de tijd is hij in 'adamskostuum', maar op speciale gelegenheden is hij verkleed in één van de 600 kostuums. Als bonus plast hij op sommige dagen bier. Enkele voorbeelden van zijn kostuums: Elvis, een voetballer, Mozart, een leger generaal, een samurai. Veel van zijn kostuums waren een gift van overheidfunctionarissen, clubs, folkloristische groepen, en sterren zoals Elizabeth Taylor. Zijn eerste kostuum was een cadeau van Koning Louis XV van Frankrijk in 1747.
Niemand weet waarom hij werd gemaakt. Er zijn veel verschillende verhalen over de legende van Manneken Pis. Eén daarvan is dat hij Brussel redde door de vlammen te blussen van een rampzalig vuur met behulp van zijn goed gemikte straal. Een andere versie is dat hij een lont doofde die een vreselijke ontploffing zou hebben veroorzaakt.
Een ander verhaal luidt dat hij een straat joch was, diedoor de boze heks veroordeeld werd om eeuwig in die hoek te staan plassen omdat hij op de stoep van de heks geplast zou hebben.
Het meest geloofwaardige verhaal is dat het jongetje de vermiste en doodgewaande zoon was van een rijke aristocraat. De vader was zo opgelucht dat hij zijn zoon ongedeerd terugvond, dat hij een beeld liet maken ter ere van hoe hij hem had terug gevonden - een plasje doende tegen een boom.
__________________
We moeten bereid zijn het leven dat we gepland hebben op te geven, om het leven te vinden dat op ons wacht.
Coppicing is based on the principles of plant physiology. In order to prune effectively, a weaver has to know something about how a plant grows. A plant has three main structures: roots, stem and leaves. The roots main functions are to absorb water and nutrients, to anchor the plant in the soil and to store food, which is released when required by root cells or distributed to above ground parts. The stem supports other plant parts, such as leaves and flowers. It also transports materials and stores certain materials. The leaves main function is photosynthesis. Photosynthesis converts energy from the sun to chemical energy. It is then synthesized to glucose and other organic compounds necessary for the plant's nutrition.
is Sandbar willow (Salix exigua). This hardy plant has perhaps the greatest range of all tree willows in the United States. It is found throughout the interior from the Yukon River in central Alaska to the Mississippi River in southern Louisiana. The leaves are very narrow and pointed at the ends. The colors of the leaves are gray-green on both surfaces. Sandbar willow grows in wet soils, especially riverbanks, sandbars and silt flats.
Besides creating rapid regrowth from the edge of the stumps and removing poor specimens, coppicing Hinds willow has other benefits to the environment. It increases the amount of light on the ground allowing some flora to flourish, which in turn supports more diverse wildlife. Also any diseased growth is cut away before it can spread throughout the whole tree. For the best willow withes, the plant is coppiced severely during its dormant period to promote fast growing, straight shoots for the following year.
Brussel's beroemdste standbeeld is Manneken Pis. Hij heeft een heel bijzondere plaats in het hart van de Belgen.
