Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Makes You Think

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Stonehenge, a place which has always fascinated me. Perhaps it's the Celt in me, but this place stood before my people had arrived in those Sceptered Isles. There is evidence of human habitation in the area of the standing stones from as early as 8000 BC. Yes, over 10,000 years ago.

Who raised those stones? Why?
Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge, such as how it was built and which purposes it was used for, remain subject to debate. A number of myths surround the stones. The site, specifically the great trilithon, the encompassing horseshoe arrangement of the five central trilithons, the heel stone, and the embanked avenue, are aligned to the sunset of the winter solstice and the opposing sunrise of the summer solstice. A natural landform at the monument's location followed this line, and may have inspired its construction. The excavated remains of culled animal bones suggest that people may have gathered at the site for the winter rather than the summer. Further astronomical associations, and the precise astronomical significance of the site for its people, are a matter of speculation and debate. (Source)
I'm nearly finished with an interesting, and most entertaining, fictional account of how and why Stonehenge was built. Bernard Cornwell's work never fails to entertain.

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I'm quite sure the stones were raised in paean to the gods of the ancients. Humankind has ever sensed a presence in the Universe far greater than ourselves.

I'm sure the Sassenachs thought of tearing down this ancient monument. Our own modern barbarians would, no doubt, approve. Yet it still stands, mute witness to the passage of time.

A bit of Jethro Tull seems in order. My brain is mush, need a vacation.



Cup Of Wonder
Ian Anderson

May I make my fond excuses
for the lateness of the hour,
but we accept your invitation, and we bring you Beltane's flower.
For the May Day is the great day, sung along the old straight track.
And those who ancient lines did ley
will heed the song that calls them back.
Pass the word and pass the lady, pass the plate to all who hunger.
Pass the wit of ancient wisdom, pass the cup of crimson wonder.

Ask the green man where he comes from, ask the cup that fills with red.
Ask the old grey standing stones that show the sun its way to bed.
Question all as to their ways,
and learn the secrets that they hold.
Walk the lines of nature's palm
crossed with silver and with gold.
Pass the cup and pass the lady, pass the plate to all who hunger.
Pass the wit of ancient wisdom, pass the cup of crimson wonder.

Join in black December's sadness,
lie in August's welcome corn.
Stir the cup that's ever-filling
with the blood of all that's born.
But the May Day is the great day, sung along the old straight track.
And those who ancient lines did lay
will heed this song that calls them back.
Pass the word and pass the lady, pass the plate to all who hunger.
Pass the wit of ancient wisdom, pass the cup of crimson wonder.

Word has it that these two little ladies will be paying us a visit for Thanksgiving...


I cannot wait.


The junior and senior granddaughters were at their Uncle's wedding earlier in September. The youngest was supposed to be the flower girl. I understand she declined the honor, vehemently. Big sis volunteered to walk with her. Ah, to be young again...

22 comments:

  1. My unpublished theory explains how the way cows align themselves has caused the earth's magnetic poles to shift.

    I was doing fine until you mentioned Jethro Tull. Now I will be sitting on a park bench for a while.

    During my time as an INS guy at the airport Jethro Tull arrived on British Airways and as we were processing the flight, one of my very young coworkers raised his voice a bit and asked, "So which one of you is Jethro Tull." Sigh.

    Now I'm headed for the tube of you to listen to a couple of Tull songs.

    Enjoy the time with family.

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    Replies
    1. The cows are causing global warming too. All those cow farts go into the atmosphere, and, and...

      A bit of Tull is always good for what ails me. Nice to know I'm not alone.

      Delete
  2. Lovely Granddaughters you have there, Sarge. I'm jealous.

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  3. Thanks for the post. Granddaughters, an old man's joy.

    Paul L. Quandt

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  4. Mine are all grown up now. Sweet and adorable they are. I miss the years that they were the ages of yours, but I'm grateful to have had those years. Treasure them, time is fleeting. I always think of the old saw, "Had I known grandkids were this great, I'd have had them first."

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  5. They will get smarter, prettier and sweeter, but they will never be cuter.

    Enjoy!

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  6. Stonehenge has always fascinated me. Anytime an ancient civilization could do things that boggle modern men is good for me. Mrs. Andrew has found my goat in the stupid 'Ancient Aliens' shows about how man could not think of farting, let alone anything else, without some space dude telling him how to do it. I have always believed in the power of the human mind to adapt and overcome the environment. Pyramids? Pyramids are easy. Now Gothic Cathedrals, with man-powered cranes and other tools, that's a miracle of human power.

    As to the 'Henge, well, here's a video about how some smart dude has outwitted all those massive college-trained brainiacs over how the stones could have been moved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P4HwmmhykI Simple, once you think about it.

    And, yes on J the Tull. Always liked them better than the 'Moody Blues' any day of the week.

    Cute kids, too. You have a very blessed life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very few TV shows incite the same urges in me to scream and throw things as "Ancient Aliens" does...

      By the rules of the show, the host must be visited by aliens every morning - surely, nobody that dumb can figure out how to crawl out of bed without extraterrestrial help.

      Delete
    2. My question was always, "And where did all those extraterrestrials come from? Who assisted them?"

      Yeah, not a fan.

      Delete
  7. Stonehenge was a practical joke that got out of hand. Local frat boys, not having a college or a frat or a Volkswagen to carry to to the top of the administration building, stacked a lot of large stones in a circle and then claimed it was left there by a UFO.
    This is said to be the origin of the term "permanent record".

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Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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