This week's Share Spotlight comes from the British Museum's blog.
Viking women, warriors, and valkyries
The British Museum opened an exhibition on Vikings last month, called Vikings: life and legend. Their blog post this weeks covers a little discusses aspect of the Vikings: their women. Viking women certainly were a more diverse group than most of their continental counterparts. However, the idea of warrior women among the Vikings is something Jesch, the author of this post flatly denies.
So, how to explain the Valkyries? Jesch contends that they are simply "creatures of fantasy rooted in the experience of male warriors." The Valkyries certainly wouldn't be the first. Athena in Greek mythology would be a similar figure.
What do think? Can such a pervasive mythological figure exist without a real life model? How do you think that such figures are created?
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Share Spotlight: Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants
This week's Share Spotlight comes from the Civil War Trust.
Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants
After last week's post about the White Elephant in Thailand, I thought I would share a related story. During the Civil War, the King of Siam offered to send elephants (though not White ones) to President Lincoln. You can read President Lincoln's response in today's Share Spotlight post.
What do you think of Lincoln's diplomatic refusal? How do you think Elephants could have been used in the Civil War? Does this change how you see the global perspective on the Civil War?
Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants
After last week's post about the White Elephant in Thailand, I thought I would share a related story. During the Civil War, the King of Siam offered to send elephants (though not White ones) to President Lincoln. You can read President Lincoln's response in today's Share Spotlight post.
What do you think of Lincoln's diplomatic refusal? How do you think Elephants could have been used in the Civil War? Does this change how you see the global perspective on the Civil War?
Friday, April 11, 2014
The White Elephant
We're in Southeast Asia again this week, this time for the story of the royal symbol of Thailand.
In Thailand, as well as Siam, Thailand's predecessor, the White Elephant is a symbol of the royal line. All White Elephants belong to the king and are ceremonially presented to him.
White Elephants, also sometimes called Pink Elephants or Auspicious Elephants, are not actually white. They are generally a light reddish-brown, sometimes turning pink when wet. The elephants are not actually albino and the determination of a White Elephant is made by palace experts.
White Elephants are found almost entirely among Indian Elephants and are extremely rare or nonexistent in African Elephants.
Despite the English use of the phrase White Elephant, there is no evidence to support the idea that the King would give a White Elephant to someone in order to bankrupt them. In fact, all White Elephants belong to the King, so one would never have been given away.
To the people of Thailand, these White Elephants are priceless. A White Elephant even appeared on the flag of Thailand from 1855 to 1916, over 60 years.
In Buddhism, the dominant religion in Thailand, the Buddha's mother dreamed of a White Elephant on the night before the Buddha's birth. The White Elehphant is a symbol of wisdom and purity in Buddhism and of prosperity and good fortune throughout Southeast Asia.
The current King of Thailand owns 10 White Elephants, six males and four females. The male and female elephants are kept in separate facilities, since they are not allowed to breed.
There is currently only one confirmed White Elephant living in the wild. Called Sudu Aliya, which means white elephant, she lives in Sri Lanka. She is currently being monitored by the Center for Conservation and Research of Sri Lanka and was last seen in 2012.
I found the website of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center very helpful in writing this article. The Conservation Center cares for all of the royal White Elephants.
In Thailand, as well as Siam, Thailand's predecessor, the White Elephant is a symbol of the royal line. All White Elephants belong to the king and are ceremonially presented to him.
White Elephants, also sometimes called Pink Elephants or Auspicious Elephants, are not actually white. They are generally a light reddish-brown, sometimes turning pink when wet. The elephants are not actually albino and the determination of a White Elephant is made by palace experts.
 |
| A White Elephant at Naypyidaw's Uppatasanti Pagoda (Wikimedia) |
White Elephants are found almost entirely among Indian Elephants and are extremely rare or nonexistent in African Elephants.
Despite the English use of the phrase White Elephant, there is no evidence to support the idea that the King would give a White Elephant to someone in order to bankrupt them. In fact, all White Elephants belong to the King, so one would never have been given away.
To the people of Thailand, these White Elephants are priceless. A White Elephant even appeared on the flag of Thailand from 1855 to 1916, over 60 years.
 |
| The Flag of Thailand, 1855-1916 (Wikimedia) |
In Buddhism, the dominant religion in Thailand, the Buddha's mother dreamed of a White Elephant on the night before the Buddha's birth. The White Elehphant is a symbol of wisdom and purity in Buddhism and of prosperity and good fortune throughout Southeast Asia.
The current King of Thailand owns 10 White Elephants, six males and four females. The male and female elephants are kept in separate facilities, since they are not allowed to breed.
There is currently only one confirmed White Elephant living in the wild. Called Sudu Aliya, which means white elephant, she lives in Sri Lanka. She is currently being monitored by the Center for Conservation and Research of Sri Lanka and was last seen in 2012.
I found the website of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center very helpful in writing this article. The Conservation Center cares for all of the royal White Elephants.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Share Spotlight: The Story of One
This week's share spotlight is a BBC documentary.
The Story of One
Something a little different this week for the Share Spotlight: a documentary. This documentary is a bit silly, but still one of my all time favorites. Terry Jones, a former member of Monty Python (which explains the silliness) takes the viewer through the journey to our modern number system. From notching marks on a bone to the binary system that underlies all our modern technology, this documentary explains the major steps in the history of numbers.
My only real complaint is that Terry Jones fails to mention that the zero was actually invented twice. Once in India and once in Mesoamerica by the Mayans. The Mayan number system is fascinating and on my list of things to write about.
Other than that, what a great way to bring a little bit of History into Math! As much as I love math, this documentary really helped me get a good handle on why we use the numbers we do.
What did you learn about the history of numbers in school? What do you think about bringing a little bit of History into Math? Or vice versa?
The Story of One
Something a little different this week for the Share Spotlight: a documentary. This documentary is a bit silly, but still one of my all time favorites. Terry Jones, a former member of Monty Python (which explains the silliness) takes the viewer through the journey to our modern number system. From notching marks on a bone to the binary system that underlies all our modern technology, this documentary explains the major steps in the history of numbers.
My only real complaint is that Terry Jones fails to mention that the zero was actually invented twice. Once in India and once in Mesoamerica by the Mayans. The Mayan number system is fascinating and on my list of things to write about.
Other than that, what a great way to bring a little bit of History into Math! As much as I love math, this documentary really helped me get a good handle on why we use the numbers we do.
What did you learn about the history of numbers in school? What do you think about bringing a little bit of History into Math? Or vice versa?
Friday, April 4, 2014
Letters from the Seams of a Skull
Devanagari is one of the widely used scripts in the world
Devanagari is used for Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali languages and so is used all over the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding areas.
Devanagari is an abugida alphabet or alphasyllabary, which means that there are distinct vowels and consonants, but that vowels are also used to modify the consonants, which unmodified have a certain syllable sound.
Devanagari is most easily recognized by the bar that runs across the top of the script, from which all the letter seem to descend.
Devanagari has been used from about the 12th century CE. There are about 50 letters in the Devanagari script, not counting the numerous derivations caused by combining the consonants with vowels. Devanagari is read from left to right.
The Vedas, the Hindu scriptures are generally written in Devanagari and the word "Devanagari" derives from deva, deity, and nagari, city.
In Hindu myth, the Devanagari script comes from Brahma. When Brahma went to write down his teachings, he found that there was no system to record them with. In order to share his teachings, he invented writing, using the seams of the skull as a pattern for the letters.
In some forms of the myth, it is Sarasvati, Brahma's wife, who invents the letters. Sarasvati (sometimes Saraswati or Saraswathi) is the goddess of knowledge, music, and arts, so writing would fall within her purview.
For the first post in my Writing Systems series, see The Beginning of History.
Devanagari is used for Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali languages and so is used all over the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding areas.
Devanagari is an abugida alphabet or alphasyllabary, which means that there are distinct vowels and consonants, but that vowels are also used to modify the consonants, which unmodified have a certain syllable sound.
Devanagari is most easily recognized by the bar that runs across the top of the script, from which all the letter seem to descend.
 |
| Some consonants in Devanagari. (Wikimedia) |
Devanagari has been used from about the 12th century CE. There are about 50 letters in the Devanagari script, not counting the numerous derivations caused by combining the consonants with vowels. Devanagari is read from left to right.
The Vedas, the Hindu scriptures are generally written in Devanagari and the word "Devanagari" derives from deva, deity, and nagari, city.
In Hindu myth, the Devanagari script comes from Brahma. When Brahma went to write down his teachings, he found that there was no system to record them with. In order to share his teachings, he invented writing, using the seams of the skull as a pattern for the letters.
In some forms of the myth, it is Sarasvati, Brahma's wife, who invents the letters. Sarasvati (sometimes Saraswati or Saraswathi) is the goddess of knowledge, music, and arts, so writing would fall within her purview.
 |
| Svarasvati, holding a string of crystals, a book of the Vedas, and playing the veena (Wikimedia) |
For the first post in my Writing Systems series, see The Beginning of History.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Share Spotlight: Understanding Ukraine
This week's Share Spotlight comes from the Vlogbrothers.
Understanding Ukraine: The Problems Today and Some Historical Context
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia keeps rolling on. Frankly, I've lost track of what's actually happening. But here's John Green, author and all around amazing person to give you a quick summation of the background of the conflict in Ukraine.
And, as a bonus, here's Mid-Revolution: Ukrainian Museum Updates from The Uncataloged Museum, which is from a month or so back and talks about the particular challenges of being a museum on the front lines of a revolution.
What do you think of everything that's been going on? Have you been keeping track? What do you think the best outcome is at this point?
Understanding Ukraine: The Problems Today and Some Historical Context
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia keeps rolling on. Frankly, I've lost track of what's actually happening. But here's John Green, author and all around amazing person to give you a quick summation of the background of the conflict in Ukraine.
And, as a bonus, here's Mid-Revolution: Ukrainian Museum Updates from The Uncataloged Museum, which is from a month or so back and talks about the particular challenges of being a museum on the front lines of a revolution.
What do you think of everything that's been going on? Have you been keeping track? What do you think the best outcome is at this point?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)