With the world sinking into its own mire, the saddest things was the 39 victims frozen to death in a truck yesterday. I have been moved by the sombre and yet humanitarian views expressed by some. The knowledge that we live amongst peace and plenty, and yet all over the world refugees struggle to survive, should surely bring us a warning that complacency is not to be encouraged. These people of whatever nationality died because they were escaping war, hunger, economic displacement and cruel governments. Not a term I use often but may they rest in peace. Paul always wore this CND peace sign on his coat, he had marched in the demonstrations, and even been put in prison for being part of the march...
Today my email box had news of archaeology, some of which I can't pass on.
So what was there? firstly the tympana of St.Margaret and St.James in Cumbria. There be dragons? the story is I believe, that during the Roman invasion their flags had the griffon displayed, and this got interpreted later as dragons. The tympanums, for there were two are Saxon....They look very dinosauris! (Thanks to Ironpolis for drawing my attention to them)
The next thing I saw was a new fact about King Arthur's Hall in Cornwall, a fact culled from an old book. One of the mysteries of KAH is its 'squareness' not fitting anything particularly Bronze Age, but so reminiscence with its large stones of prehistory. Happy holidays, with Paul's cousin, Sue and Geoff, and Roy our indefatigable guide.
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| Bodmin Moor with its granite tors is full of mystery. |
And lastly, but not least, one of the great finds of the 20th century the Nebra Sky Disc, to be taken to London in 202l. This prehistoric calendar of the Bronze Age is beautiful and apparently functional as well.
At the time of writing this comment, it has just been announced that the unfortunate people who died in that refrigerated container were almost certainly Chinese. Perhaps they were simply economic migrants though I guess they could have been Uighurs - an oppressed Muslim minority. It will be interesting to learn more.
ReplyDeleteI saw the headline about the the truck but could not read it. It is all too awful. The plight of all the refugees in this world who have been displaced by war and savagery is growing and growing. The man in charge of my country just created more. Evil, evil, evil!
ReplyDeleteThat Sky Disc is just so very beautiful it lifts the spirits on a day when there is not much to be cheerful about - so thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteRather strange tympanums - the Manticore (I presume it IS one) is strange in having the upper body part like a centaur, flowing into the reptilian body. The dragon looks rather as though someone is describing it to the sculptor.
ReplyDeleteThe other one with the creature with a "bird-topping" is completely weird, again like something being described to the sculptor and not copied from an illustration in a Bestiary. Perhaps meant to be a griffin? The sword, shield and wings - deliverence from such monsters? Or even the Angel of Death? (One small glass of wine has liberated my imagination I fear!
That Nebra Sky Disk is so amazing. I shan't get to see it, apart from as an illustration, more's the pity.
I am not surprised to hear that Paul was part of the CND peace movement.