Trolaan is an interesting form created by Valerie Peterson Brown. It consists of four quatrains (a stanza of four lines, each line having a similar number of syllables). Each line of the quatrain begins with the same letter and the rhyme scheme is abab.
Starting with the second stanza you use the second letter of the first line of the first stanza to start each line of the second stanza.
On the third stanza you will use the second letter on the first line of the second stanza to begin each line of the third stanza.
On the fourth stanza you will use the second letter on the first line of the third stanza to begin each line of the fourth stanza.
My example turned out a little darker than I’d intended, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes.
Fallen Angel
Cold wind snaking through the night
Cutting the air with a wicked knife;
Capering snowflakes, like a blight
Cover a world devoid of life.
Obsequious spirits dance and sway,
Oft cast shadows looming near,
Ousting warmth they seek to stay,
Oblivious to the dangers here.
Balefire moon shines high o’er head
Bewitching in its awesome light.
Beguiling ice is swiftly spread
Banishing dreams in a blaze of white.
Abandoned hopes lay scattered ‘round
Adorning landscapes bleak and sere;
Angel lost and gone to ground
Alone, betrayed by life and fear.
Dec 31, 2009
Dec 30, 2009
Whimsical Wednesday
I'd like to take the credit for this, but I didn't write it, I just had it sitting in my files.
Twas the Month after Christmas
'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste,
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared,
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared.
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt,
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt.
I said to myself, as I only can,
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
'Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick,
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore,
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot,
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
* * * * * * * * * *
Everyone should have a resolution or two, this year I decided to make some I might actually have a prayer of keeping:
1. Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
2. Stop exercising. Waste of time.
3. Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.
4. Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
5. Take a vacation to someplace important: like, to see the largest ball of twine.
6. Get in a whole NEW rut!
7. Start being superstitious.
8. Personal goal: bring back disco.
9. Sleep more.
10. Include chocolate with every meal.
* * * * * * * * * *
At one time I resolved to no longer make resolutions. Instead I made the following affirmations for the New Year:
1. I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.
2. I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else's fault.
3. In some cultures what I do would be considered normal.
4. My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of wisdom and judgment.
5. I need not suffer in silence while I can still moan, whimper, and complain.
6. When someone hurts me, I know that forgiveness is cheaper than a lawsuit, but not nearly as rewarding.
7. I am at one with my duality.
8. Blessed are the flexible, for they can tie themselves in knots.
9. I honor and express all facets of my being, regardless of state and local laws.
10. Today I will gladly share my experience and advice, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so!"
11. A scapegoat is almost as good as a solution.
12. Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my underwear. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom.
13. I will no longer waste my time reliving the past; I will spend it worrying about the future.
14. The complete lack of evidence is the surest proof that the conspiracy is working.
15. Before I criticize a man, I walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.
Twas the Month after Christmas
'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste,
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared,
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared.
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt,
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt.
I said to myself, as I only can,
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
'Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick,
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore,
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot,
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
* * * * * * * * * *
Everyone should have a resolution or two, this year I decided to make some I might actually have a prayer of keeping:
1. Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
2. Stop exercising. Waste of time.
3. Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.
4. Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
5. Take a vacation to someplace important: like, to see the largest ball of twine.
6. Get in a whole NEW rut!
7. Start being superstitious.
8. Personal goal: bring back disco.
9. Sleep more.
10. Include chocolate with every meal.
* * * * * * * * * *
At one time I resolved to no longer make resolutions. Instead I made the following affirmations for the New Year:
1. I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.
2. I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else's fault.
3. In some cultures what I do would be considered normal.
4. My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of wisdom and judgment.
5. I need not suffer in silence while I can still moan, whimper, and complain.
6. When someone hurts me, I know that forgiveness is cheaper than a lawsuit, but not nearly as rewarding.
7. I am at one with my duality.
8. Blessed are the flexible, for they can tie themselves in knots.
9. I honor and express all facets of my being, regardless of state and local laws.
10. Today I will gladly share my experience and advice, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so!"
11. A scapegoat is almost as good as a solution.
12. Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my underwear. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom.
13. I will no longer waste my time reliving the past; I will spend it worrying about the future.
14. The complete lack of evidence is the surest proof that the conspiracy is working.
15. Before I criticize a man, I walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.
Dec 29, 2009
The Origins of New Years
Before we get to the trivia, I have an important announcement. Those who participated in the Kissing Day Blogfest last week had so much fun that Frankie Mallis is hosting the No Kiss Blogfest on Jan 2, 2010 over on her site Frankie Writes .
To participate, write a post about the No Kiss Blogfest to let everyone know you’re participating and that they should too. Then sign up by filling in the Mr. Linky over on Frankie’s blog. Like the kissing scene, the non-kissing scene can be one from your WIP, one you just wrote, or one from a book, movie or tv show, just so long as you post it on January 2, 2010. To see Frankie’s original post and to sign up, go HERE
New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay
There are many theories about the origin of the word Hogmanay. The Scandinavian word for the feast preceding Yule was "Hoggo-nott" while the Flemish words "hoog min dag" means "great love day". Hogmanay can also be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon, Haleg monath, Holy Month, or the Gaelic, oge maidne, new morning. But the most likely source seems to be the French. "Homme est né" or "Man is born" while in France the last day of the year when gifts were exchanged was "aguillaneuf" while in Normandy presents given at that time were "hoguignetes". Take your pick!
Historians believe that we inherited the celebration from the Vikings who paid even more attention to the passing of the shortest day. In Shetland, where the Viking influence was strongest, New Year is called Yules, from the Scandinavian word.
There are traditions before midnight such as cleaning the house on 31st December (including taking out the ashes from the fire in the days when coal fires were common). There is also the superstition to clear all your debts before "the bells" at midnight.
An integral part of the Hogmanay partying, which continues very much today, is to welcome friends and strangers, with warm hospitality and of course a kiss to wish everyone a Guid New Year. The underlying belief is to clear out the vestiges of the old year, have a clean break and welcome in a young, New Year on a happy note.
"First footing" (that is, the "first foot" in the house after midnight) is still common in Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house, the first foot should be male, dark (believed to be a throwback to the Viking days when blond strangers arriving on your doorstep.
New Year’s Day
The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).
The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations. New Year's Day was observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar still in use today, setting January 1 as New Year's Day.
To participate, write a post about the No Kiss Blogfest to let everyone know you’re participating and that they should too. Then sign up by filling in the Mr. Linky over on Frankie’s blog. Like the kissing scene, the non-kissing scene can be one from your WIP, one you just wrote, or one from a book, movie or tv show, just so long as you post it on January 2, 2010. To see Frankie’s original post and to sign up, go HERE
New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay
There are many theories about the origin of the word Hogmanay. The Scandinavian word for the feast preceding Yule was "Hoggo-nott" while the Flemish words "hoog min dag" means "great love day". Hogmanay can also be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon, Haleg monath, Holy Month, or the Gaelic, oge maidne, new morning. But the most likely source seems to be the French. "Homme est né" or "Man is born" while in France the last day of the year when gifts were exchanged was "aguillaneuf" while in Normandy presents given at that time were "hoguignetes". Take your pick!
Historians believe that we inherited the celebration from the Vikings who paid even more attention to the passing of the shortest day. In Shetland, where the Viking influence was strongest, New Year is called Yules, from the Scandinavian word.
There are traditions before midnight such as cleaning the house on 31st December (including taking out the ashes from the fire in the days when coal fires were common). There is also the superstition to clear all your debts before "the bells" at midnight.
An integral part of the Hogmanay partying, which continues very much today, is to welcome friends and strangers, with warm hospitality and of course a kiss to wish everyone a Guid New Year. The underlying belief is to clear out the vestiges of the old year, have a clean break and welcome in a young, New Year on a happy note.
"First footing" (that is, the "first foot" in the house after midnight) is still common in Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house, the first foot should be male, dark (believed to be a throwback to the Viking days when blond strangers arriving on your doorstep.
New Year’s Day
The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).
The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations. New Year's Day was observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar still in use today, setting January 1 as New Year's Day.
Dec 28, 2009
Missing Monday - Almost
Not quite, but I almost missed posting today. Truth of the matter is, the holidays have me so turned around I forgot it was Monday.
So how was everyone's holiday? Lots of fun, or lots of stress? Enjoying family or annoying family? Wish it would never end, or can't wait for it to end?
I spent a lot of my time wishing I could be writing instead, and then when I did get some writing done I felt guilty because I should have been doing other things. I did a heck of a lot of reading as well, for which I felt no guilt at all. :-)
Last Monday I didn't really post any goals, so I don't have much to recap, other than the fact that we're halfway through the holidays and my sanity is still intact - more or less. This is in spite of cooking five individual game hens for Christmas Eve dinner, having to drive to every convenience store in town on Christmas Day to find something to use as filling for the pies I forgot I was supposed to take to the sister-in-law's, a bake-a-thon to get all my baking done, and driving to Hamilton and back to visit more family.
And I'd like to point out I did all this without my traditional Christmas snow. In fact, it poured rain on Christmas Day. Boxing Day there was water everywhere. And what is it doing today, now that it's too late? Snowing.
I lost my internet connection off my lap top briefly, but was able to fix it myself. And despite all that, I managed to do my Christmas trivia posts, a poetry post, my favorite holiday videos, and chapter 19 of the Space Opera. I think I even managed to comment on a few blogs here and there.
This Week's Goals
For tomorrow's random post I'm going to explore some New Year's traditions. If there's a lot of them I'll carry them over for Wednesday's post as well. Thursday will be the poetry form of Trolaan, and Friday, of course, will be another chapter of the Space Opera.
The rest of my time will be spent editing, figuring out how to program the phones we got for Christmas, and probably copious amounts of reading.
So how about you? Any big plans for the New Year? Anyone else off this week? Are you kicking back or catching up? Inquiring minds want to know! :-)
So how was everyone's holiday? Lots of fun, or lots of stress? Enjoying family or annoying family? Wish it would never end, or can't wait for it to end?
I spent a lot of my time wishing I could be writing instead, and then when I did get some writing done I felt guilty because I should have been doing other things. I did a heck of a lot of reading as well, for which I felt no guilt at all. :-)
Last Monday I didn't really post any goals, so I don't have much to recap, other than the fact that we're halfway through the holidays and my sanity is still intact - more or less. This is in spite of cooking five individual game hens for Christmas Eve dinner, having to drive to every convenience store in town on Christmas Day to find something to use as filling for the pies I forgot I was supposed to take to the sister-in-law's, a bake-a-thon to get all my baking done, and driving to Hamilton and back to visit more family.
And I'd like to point out I did all this without my traditional Christmas snow. In fact, it poured rain on Christmas Day. Boxing Day there was water everywhere. And what is it doing today, now that it's too late? Snowing.
I lost my internet connection off my lap top briefly, but was able to fix it myself. And despite all that, I managed to do my Christmas trivia posts, a poetry post, my favorite holiday videos, and chapter 19 of the Space Opera. I think I even managed to comment on a few blogs here and there.
This Week's Goals
For tomorrow's random post I'm going to explore some New Year's traditions. If there's a lot of them I'll carry them over for Wednesday's post as well. Thursday will be the poetry form of Trolaan, and Friday, of course, will be another chapter of the Space Opera.
The rest of my time will be spent editing, figuring out how to program the phones we got for Christmas, and probably copious amounts of reading.
So how about you? Any big plans for the New Year? Anyone else off this week? Are you kicking back or catching up? Inquiring minds want to know! :-)
Dec 25, 2009
Merry Christmas
I apologize if you've come here looking for the next installment of my Space Opera - it's been unavoidably delayed until at least tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite Christmas videos.
I didn't even realize there was a video for this one, it's truly a Christmas Classic.
I was disappointed I couldn't find a video of Nat King Cole singing this, but at least you get to hear his angelic voice.
This is a newer Christmas song, but another favorite.
And of course, what would Christmas be without my all time favorite, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
I didn't even realize there was a video for this one, it's truly a Christmas Classic.
I was disappointed I couldn't find a video of Nat King Cole singing this, but at least you get to hear his angelic voice.
This is a newer Christmas song, but another favorite.
And of course, what would Christmas be without my all time favorite, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Dec 24, 2009
The Form of Parody
A parody, in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation.
According to Aristotle, Hegemon of Thasos was the inventor of a kind of parody; by slightly altering the wording in well-known poems he transformed the sublime into the ridiculous. In ancient Greek literature, a parodia was a narrative poem imitating the style and prosody of epics "but treating light, satirical or mock-heroic subjects"
Roman writers explained parody as an imitation of one poet by another for humorous effect. In French Neoclassical literature, parody was also a type of poem where one work imitates the style of another for humorous effect.
To compose the parody poem you start by choosing a poem as a source of inspiration. The original work may be a classic or a contemporary piece. It is best to use poetry that is well known and that you love. Ideally, you should have parts of the original committed to memory.
Study the style and tone of the original. As you learn how to write a parody poem, you also learn a greater appreciation to the poetic devices found in the original. Make note of the rhyme and meter but also look out for other patterns in the language that makes the work unique.
Read examples of other parody poetry. Note how the parody imitates but uses the language to completely transform the text.
And now, my example:
A Visit From the Computer Tech
’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, just the optical mouse;
The cords were all strung to the PC with care
In hopes the technician soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of interwebs danced in their heads;
The wife couldn’t take any more of this crap
So she went to bed while I took a nap.
When there on the screen there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the chair to see what was the matter.
Away to the keyboard I flew like a flash,
Grabbed up the mouse and gave it a bash.
The monitor gleamed with a brilliant blue glow
Seeming to mock me as I lowly moaned, “No!”
And what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a security warning that made my eyes tear.
With an attack on my drivers, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment my computer was sick.
More rapid than eagles the popups they came,
And I whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now Trojan, now Wormy, now BankerFox vixen!
A technician’s coming, my computer he’s fixin’.
By installing protection ,a blocker, a wall!
And then he’ll delete you, delete one and all!”
And then, in a twinkling, I heard it oncemore,
A van pulling up, then a knock on the door.
I opened the door with a feeling profound,
And into the house came the tech with a bound.
He was dressed all in blue from his head to his toe
And his jacket was covered with a sprinkling of snow.
A box full of tools was grasped in his hand
And he looked like an angel, come down to land.
His eyes, they were bloodshot, his face was unshaven
From his pocket he pulled a business card graven.
He was balding and old, and I think he had fleas,
And I said to him, “Sir, this way, if you please.”
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And in a few moments pulled the plug with a jerk.
“The mother board’s fried,” he said, shaking his head.
“And the rest of your hard drive looks like it’s dead.”
Then he packed up the tower and picked up his tools
“Gotta watch these old ‘puters, they’re stubborn as mules.”
He walked to his van, my computer in hand
And I had to admit, this did not go as planned.
And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, no more surfing to-night.”
Had I but known what the future held before I started my parody, I might have chosen The 12 Days of Christmas. Something along the lines of:
On the first day of Christmas my bad luck gave to me
a virus for my lap top PC.
Yes, that's right. My Precious is having problems again. I was halfway through writing the parody last night and started getting security pop-ups. And honestly, I have no idea where they came from this time. Anyway, I ran my spyware software and got rid of it all, but when I rebooted I had no internet connection. *sigh*
Is it just me, or does my luck with computers seem exceptionally bad?
According to Aristotle, Hegemon of Thasos was the inventor of a kind of parody; by slightly altering the wording in well-known poems he transformed the sublime into the ridiculous. In ancient Greek literature, a parodia was a narrative poem imitating the style and prosody of epics "but treating light, satirical or mock-heroic subjects"
Roman writers explained parody as an imitation of one poet by another for humorous effect. In French Neoclassical literature, parody was also a type of poem where one work imitates the style of another for humorous effect.
To compose the parody poem you start by choosing a poem as a source of inspiration. The original work may be a classic or a contemporary piece. It is best to use poetry that is well known and that you love. Ideally, you should have parts of the original committed to memory.
Study the style and tone of the original. As you learn how to write a parody poem, you also learn a greater appreciation to the poetic devices found in the original. Make note of the rhyme and meter but also look out for other patterns in the language that makes the work unique.
Read examples of other parody poetry. Note how the parody imitates but uses the language to completely transform the text.
And now, my example:
A Visit From the Computer Tech
’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, just the optical mouse;
The cords were all strung to the PC with care
In hopes the technician soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of interwebs danced in their heads;
The wife couldn’t take any more of this crap
So she went to bed while I took a nap.
When there on the screen there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the chair to see what was the matter.
Away to the keyboard I flew like a flash,
Grabbed up the mouse and gave it a bash.
The monitor gleamed with a brilliant blue glow
Seeming to mock me as I lowly moaned, “No!”
And what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a security warning that made my eyes tear.
With an attack on my drivers, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment my computer was sick.
More rapid than eagles the popups they came,
And I whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now Trojan, now Wormy, now BankerFox vixen!
A technician’s coming, my computer he’s fixin’.
By installing protection ,a blocker, a wall!
And then he’ll delete you, delete one and all!”
And then, in a twinkling, I heard it oncemore,
A van pulling up, then a knock on the door.
I opened the door with a feeling profound,
And into the house came the tech with a bound.
He was dressed all in blue from his head to his toe
And his jacket was covered with a sprinkling of snow.
A box full of tools was grasped in his hand
And he looked like an angel, come down to land.
His eyes, they were bloodshot, his face was unshaven
From his pocket he pulled a business card graven.
He was balding and old, and I think he had fleas,
And I said to him, “Sir, this way, if you please.”
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And in a few moments pulled the plug with a jerk.
“The mother board’s fried,” he said, shaking his head.
“And the rest of your hard drive looks like it’s dead.”
Then he packed up the tower and picked up his tools
“Gotta watch these old ‘puters, they’re stubborn as mules.”
He walked to his van, my computer in hand
And I had to admit, this did not go as planned.
And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, no more surfing to-night.”
Had I but known what the future held before I started my parody, I might have chosen The 12 Days of Christmas. Something along the lines of:
On the first day of Christmas my bad luck gave to me
a virus for my lap top PC.
Yes, that's right. My Precious is having problems again. I was halfway through writing the parody last night and started getting security pop-ups. And honestly, I have no idea where they came from this time. Anyway, I ran my spyware software and got rid of it all, but when I rebooted I had no internet connection. *sigh*
Is it just me, or does my luck with computers seem exceptionally bad?
Dec 23, 2009
A Few Christmas Origins, Part II
The Origin of Christmas Tree
Legend has it that in 722, the German Saint Boniface encountered some Pagans who were about to sacrifice a child at the base of a huge oak tree. He cut down the tree to prevent the sacrifice and a Fir tree grew up at the base of the oak. He then told everyone that this lovely evergreen, with its branches pointing to heaven, was a holy tree - the tree of the Christ child, and a symbol of His promise of eternal life.
Research, however, tells us a different tale. The ancient Pagans, Druids, Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews celebrated the Winter Solstice, (Dec. 21st) by bringing greenery into their homes to usher in a fertile time of planting and bountiful harvests. The evergreen tree represented eternal life and the promise of replenishment during the cold winter months.
Apples and other fruit were hung upon the tree to represent the plentiful food to come. Candles were lighted to symbolize the warmth and brightness of the sun. While the Christmas tree is generally associated with Christ, it predates this religious figure by many centuries.
Later, Germans hung wafers on the tree along with the apples to represent the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In the Victorian era, the apples were replaced by red glass balls and candles and the representation signified both Adam and Eve along with the fire of life. The Christmas tree was also used to scare away evil forces for the new year.
After the beginning of the New Year, January 1, the Pagans would take the chopped decorated Christmas tree down and burn the "Yule" log in remembrance of the past year. They would rejoice in song and dance for the goals that had been completed and in jubilation for the coming of the Spring and life. Furthermore, New Year's resolutions were constructed at a later date from the Pagans setting of the goals.
From St.Nicholas to Santa Claus
Nicholas was born in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE and later became Bishop of Myra. He died in 345 CE on December 6th. He was only named a saint in the 19th century.
In 1087, a group of sailors who idolized Nicholas moved his bones from Turkey to a sanctuary in Bari, Italy. There Nicholas supplanted a female boon-giving deity called The Grandmother, who used to fill children's stockings with her gifts. The Grandmother was ousted from her shrine at Bari, which became the center of the Nicholas cult. Members of this group gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicholas’ death, December 6.
The Nicholas cult spread north until it was adopted by German and Celtic pagans. These groups worshipped a pantheon led by Woden –their chief god and the father of Thor, Balder, and Tiw. Woden had a long, white beard and rode a horse through the heavens one evening each Autumn. When Nicholas merged with Woden, he shed his Mediterranean appearance, grew a beard, mounted a flying horse, rescheduled his flight for December, and donned heavy winter clothing.
In 1809, the novelist Washington Irving wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled Knickerbocker History. The satire refers several times to the white bearded, flying-horse riding Saint Nicholas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus.
Dr. Clement Moore, a professor at Union Seminary, read Knickerbocker History, and in 1822 he published a poem based on the character Santa Claus: Moore innovated by portraying a Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys.
In 1863, during the Civil War, political cartoonist Thomas Nast began a series of annual black-and-white drawings in Harper's Weekly, based on the descriptions found in the poem and Washington Irving's work. These drawings established a rotund Santa with flowing beard, fur garments, and an omnipresent clay pipe.
Nast's Santa supported the Union and President Lincoln believed this contributed to the Union troops' success by demoralizing Confederate soldiers. As Nast drew Santas until 1886, his work had considerable influence in forming the American Santa Claus. Nast also gave Santa a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of the good and bad children of the world. Along with appearance changes, the saint's name shifted to Santa Claus—a natural phonetic alteration from the German Sankt Niklaus.
In 1931, the Coca Cola Corporation contracted the Swedish commercial artist Haddon Sundblom to create a coke-drinking Santa. Sundblom modeled his Santa on his friend Lou Prentice, chosen for his cheerful, chubby face. The corporation insisted that Santa’s fur-trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red. And Santa was born – a blend of Christian crusader, pagan god, and commercial idol.
Legend has it that in 722, the German Saint Boniface encountered some Pagans who were about to sacrifice a child at the base of a huge oak tree. He cut down the tree to prevent the sacrifice and a Fir tree grew up at the base of the oak. He then told everyone that this lovely evergreen, with its branches pointing to heaven, was a holy tree - the tree of the Christ child, and a symbol of His promise of eternal life.
Research, however, tells us a different tale. The ancient Pagans, Druids, Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews celebrated the Winter Solstice, (Dec. 21st) by bringing greenery into their homes to usher in a fertile time of planting and bountiful harvests. The evergreen tree represented eternal life and the promise of replenishment during the cold winter months.
Apples and other fruit were hung upon the tree to represent the plentiful food to come. Candles were lighted to symbolize the warmth and brightness of the sun. While the Christmas tree is generally associated with Christ, it predates this religious figure by many centuries.
Later, Germans hung wafers on the tree along with the apples to represent the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In the Victorian era, the apples were replaced by red glass balls and candles and the representation signified both Adam and Eve along with the fire of life. The Christmas tree was also used to scare away evil forces for the new year.
After the beginning of the New Year, January 1, the Pagans would take the chopped decorated Christmas tree down and burn the "Yule" log in remembrance of the past year. They would rejoice in song and dance for the goals that had been completed and in jubilation for the coming of the Spring and life. Furthermore, New Year's resolutions were constructed at a later date from the Pagans setting of the goals.
From St.Nicholas to Santa Claus
Nicholas was born in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE and later became Bishop of Myra. He died in 345 CE on December 6th. He was only named a saint in the 19th century.
In 1087, a group of sailors who idolized Nicholas moved his bones from Turkey to a sanctuary in Bari, Italy. There Nicholas supplanted a female boon-giving deity called The Grandmother, who used to fill children's stockings with her gifts. The Grandmother was ousted from her shrine at Bari, which became the center of the Nicholas cult. Members of this group gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicholas’ death, December 6.
The Nicholas cult spread north until it was adopted by German and Celtic pagans. These groups worshipped a pantheon led by Woden –their chief god and the father of Thor, Balder, and Tiw. Woden had a long, white beard and rode a horse through the heavens one evening each Autumn. When Nicholas merged with Woden, he shed his Mediterranean appearance, grew a beard, mounted a flying horse, rescheduled his flight for December, and donned heavy winter clothing.
In 1809, the novelist Washington Irving wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled Knickerbocker History. The satire refers several times to the white bearded, flying-horse riding Saint Nicholas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus.
Dr. Clement Moore, a professor at Union Seminary, read Knickerbocker History, and in 1822 he published a poem based on the character Santa Claus: Moore innovated by portraying a Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys.
In 1863, during the Civil War, political cartoonist Thomas Nast began a series of annual black-and-white drawings in Harper's Weekly, based on the descriptions found in the poem and Washington Irving's work. These drawings established a rotund Santa with flowing beard, fur garments, and an omnipresent clay pipe.
Nast's Santa supported the Union and President Lincoln believed this contributed to the Union troops' success by demoralizing Confederate soldiers. As Nast drew Santas until 1886, his work had considerable influence in forming the American Santa Claus. Nast also gave Santa a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of the good and bad children of the world. Along with appearance changes, the saint's name shifted to Santa Claus—a natural phonetic alteration from the German Sankt Niklaus.
In 1931, the Coca Cola Corporation contracted the Swedish commercial artist Haddon Sundblom to create a coke-drinking Santa. Sundblom modeled his Santa on his friend Lou Prentice, chosen for his cheerful, chubby face. The corporation insisted that Santa’s fur-trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red. And Santa was born – a blend of Christian crusader, pagan god, and commercial idol.
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