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Boudicca: Great Queen of the Iceni

cleopasbe11 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:51:47 +0000

Caledonian art in the north flourished during Roman neglect

Why were Roman legions so interested in subduing some tribes and not others? Why build the great edifices of Antonine and Hadrian’s occupations to shut out the northern territories and patrol the borders with encampments, but essentialaly ignore them, when others, like Queen Boudicca of the Iceni, merited wholesale plunder, murder and annihilation?

It was not merely a matter of geography. The Northern Tribes of the Caledonians, in what eventually became Pictland, were hostile but they were no immediate threat to Rome. They were warlike and they were rich in land, but their territories were only worthy of one campaign: that of Julius Agricola in AD77. During that campaign, while he was Consul of Rome and Governor of Britannia, he conquered much of Wales and northern England and made his historic venture into lowland and eastern Scotland to conclude his enterprise at the legendary battle of Mons Graupius, in the Grampian mountains of Aberdeenshire.

Traprain Law, great hilltop stronghold of the Votadini

His marching camps still dot the Aberdeenshire landscape, his successors occupied them in a desultory way, but Agricola ended his campaign in the winter after he began and retired to York. Rome congratulated him for his efforts, but never again ventured farther north than Edinburgh, and Roman armies from that time on until their withdrawal in AD420, mostly remained south of a line drawn from the Tyne in Northumberland towards Dumfries in the west known as Hadrian’s Wall.

So, why were earlier campaigns by Roman generals, consuls and even emperors so concerned with the north of England, North Wales and, in particular, the sacred Brittonic island of Mona?

It is known that Roman emperors, their generals and subalterns were well-versed in local traditions. By the end of Roman occupation, in c. AD420, Britain had become a civilized nation, almost the jewel of the empire, before military collapse and return to Rome. While villas and whole towns were built according to Roman design and the country used as a kind of ’summer vacation’ retreat for some, for others it was a necessary part of living in a conquered nation that they learn the local language and lore.

Part of that education – a largely undocumented source – was learning the ways of Britons in the early years of occupation, when Brittonic tribes were fully in control of their lands and had a hugely successful system of barter and trade among neighboring and interrelated peoples.

On the other hand, Roman learning also included the works of Claudius Ptolomeaius, a Romanized Greek scholar who visited Britain between the campaigns of Hadrian and Antonine in the AD 2nd century; He was historian, geographer, astronomer, physicist, astrologer and a prolific author. His works are the source of much of what has been handed down to modern scholarship.

Ptolemy's map of North Britain

He devised maps of the whole island of Britannia, not altogether unrealistic; wrote histories and in his spare time discovered and recorded the positions of 1022 fixed stars in the cosmos. While unrelated to the conquest of Britannia, this part of his knowledge indicates his intense interest in a multitude of diverse subjects, including local wisdom. In some of his works he refers to a segment of the British culture which was of enormous interest to him, because of their own knowledge of the heavens, the movement of sun, moon and stars and their methods of teaching this knowledge to their pupils.

This body of knowledge was the exclusive realm of the cognoscenti, the magicians and wise men of the Britons: the Druidic class.

Within the Druidic tradition, it took an apprentice 30 years before he was allowed to perform any of the feats which he had been taught by his elders. His education included specific learning of astronomy, the calendar, seasonal festivities and rites, traditions associated with appeasing the sky spirits with fire festivals and propitiation ceremonies; herbalism and magic, the raising and stilling of storms, divination, the calling up of wind and the healing of humans and animals from sickness and disease. In this respect the druid or priest-class was as important as king or queen in any tribe.

In some cases, it is thought the king or prince may himself have served as druid-priest, in order to understand and act as intermediary between his kingdom and his gods. This is the case of the so-called ‘Peat’ or Lindow Man, the princely royal body found in 1984 in a marsh near Liverpool and featured in Anne Ross and Don Robin’s novel: ‘The Life and Death of a Druid Prince‘ published in 1991. His own self-sacrifice by a three-fold death by sword, strangulation, and drowning is thought by the authors to have been the last desperate attempt by the leader of his nation to appease the gods who had sent Roman legions to wipe out his kingdom. In his stomach were found the remains of a burned portion of barley cake, used in sacrifice to denote the portion of one chosen to die. No signs of struggle or binding on his wrists indicated that he died voluntarily.

John Opie's imagined Romanized version of Iceni Queen Boudicca

The story of one Brittonic Queen has been handed down through legend, oral tradition and in the Roman annals themselves. It is one which indicates in part how important was this anointed royal connection to the earth through the monarch’s personal and devoted servant, the druid-priest.

Ynys Mons: island of the mount of Druids, the druidic stronghold of Boudicca's kingdom

It is known that the Roman campaigns of North Britain were particularly interested in finding gold and treasure hoards of which these important men were designated keepers for the community. Caesar, Septimius Severus and Agricola were not totally honest in describing their campaigns in the North as a means of civilizing the barbarian hordes. In the case of subjugating Boudicca, at least, the Queen of the eastern kingdoms was famed for her armies, her powerful druids and her riches beyond compare. These riches, the total wealth of her nation, were held in the Druidic stronghold of Mona, or Ynys Mons, modern Anglesey on the west. A ‘Royal Road’ traversed Britain from the east Anglian nation of her Iceni people to meet the coast in North Wales for the sacred sea-crossing to Mona, where only druidic initiates, their mentors and the monarch might set foot.

Gundestrup cauldron, 17ins x 10ins found in a Danish bog

These ‘ druidic riches’ can only be imagined, but if the Gundestrup Cauldron of Gaulish craftmen is an example of such treasures, Boudicca’s wealth was an enormous incentive to armies and mercenaries to storm Anglesey and demolish the treasure-house of her kingdom. ‘To the victor the spoils’ is not a mere epithet. Roman legions and most Gaulish and Brittonic armies were paid out of treasure they could loot in their campaigns.

Gundestrup Cauldron, which was crafted in Gaul around 100 BC was discovered in a peat bog in Denmark in 1891, where scholars suggest it had been placed as an offering to the deities of Nature in a druidic ritual. The cauldron’s 13 panels recount a Celtic Foundation Myth similar in importance to the Hebrew Genesis cycle, the Egyptian legends of creation by Ra and Nut, the Greek Illiad, and Roman Aeneid. It is only one example of treasures found in the hoards of ancient Britons. Traprain Law near Edinburgh held a similar priceless vault of treasures belonging to the Votadini people of southern Pictland or Roman Caledonia.

Part of treasure hoard found inside Traprain Law, East Lothian

Almost a century after Caesar’s invasion of Britain (55-54 BC), Roman legions again entered Britain under Emperor Claudius in AD43. Roman generals spared Boudicca’s husband Prasutagus, on condition that he would rule her Iceni people. As the Brittonic and Pictish tribes of Britain were faithful to the matrilinear tradition of a female queen, but with men leading armies of both male and female soldiers, this was an insult. However Prasutagus was true to his word and ruled, if only in name, for the next 17 years.

Then in AD 60 and 61, when Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus led a campaign to North Wales, on the pretext of subduing barbarian tribes, but in quest of treasure, the Iceni rebelled. Other tribes joined them. Roman armies were threatening the stronghold of their most revered wise men. Next to threatening their Queen, this was an outrage.

History records how Boudicca’s warriors successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed their capital of Roman Britain, Camulodunum, the modern Colchester. It is from this victorious siege that great myths have seaped through the British imagination and into oral culture, including the famed Camelot, the so-called capital of the Great Briton, Arthur. However, in the first century AD, this tale is told not of a hero, but a heroine.

Boudicca, the great Anglian Queen of the Iceni: her

Boudicca’s armies marched as one body and in the process were described as ‘destroying’ London – Londinium and Verulamium – St Albans, killing hundreds of Roman foot soldiers and mercenaries. The present Roman walls of Colchester were a rebuild by the defeated governor, Suetonius Paulinus, as part of his need to save face after his own retaliation. His armies finally went on to massacre thousands of Britons and his treatment of Boudicca’s family is retold in appalling detail in many histories, including the Annals of Tacitus, written about 50 years later (AD110-120). Her husband Prasutagus was tortured and killed, her daughters raped and her stronghold burned. She herself escaped, but died shortly afterwards, probably from self-administered poison. Her body was never found.

It is interesting to note that the drowned peatbog body of the Druid Prince of Lindow who gave his life willingly for his people was found to date roughly to AD60. He might romantically be thought of as one of Boudicca’s princes, or even her own son.

“She was huge of frame, terrifying of aspect, and with a harsh voice. A great mass of bright red hair fell to her knees: She wore a great twisted golden necklace, and a tunic of many colors, over which was a thick mantle, fastened by a brooch. Now she grasped a spear, to strike fear into all who watched her……”
-Dio Cassius

By the end of Suetonius Paulinus’s campaign, Boudicca and her armies were no more, a Roman road stretched between East Anglia and Anglesey, and Mona’s treasures and emblems of her druidic hierarchy were either looted, destroyed or buried where no Roman eyes might see. Druidic wise men themselves went into hiding, taking their knowledge with them.

Their calendars, astronomical calculations and science disappeared too. With that body of science went the legacy, perpetuated in the thirty-year cycle of medicinal, herbal-spiritual divination and crystalline power, known only to initiates. It is claimed by several esoteric communities today that the knowledge is still alive and becoming reactivated in mankind’s present time of need.

In these times of instantly-accessible information of the written word, it would be a most wonderful and valuable resource to be able to tap into.

Novice British saints, travelling the highways and country tracks of early-historic Britain were challenged by the people to prove their ability in such feats as raising and stilling storms and making ills and tumours disappear by the healing touch. Ninian cultivated the habit of his British antecedents and was able to manifest some miracles. Columba, an Irish saint, was confronted in the palace of Bridei at Inverness by the Pictish king’s druid, criticizing him for being unable to command the wind. It is said Columba thought long and hard on this and went away to learn.

Within the almanac of the present pagan community (‘paganus’, Latin, country person) perhaps it is possible to find a long-lost ability of Druidic heritage which has lain dormant since Boudicca’s untimely death and the desecration of her Druidic compendium of knowledge.

If she were to look down from her regal chariot in the cosmos, she might see a race diminished by the commonplace, belittled by its own intense machinations and obsessed with cultivation of the gods of power and gold. She might say that Man is sadly lacking in versatility if he cannot call upon his ‘unseen’ powers at will: to make amends.

A very mellow equinox

Rhiarti — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:13:17 +0000

Autumn Equinox yesterday, and a somewhat more characteristically cheerful, mellow mood for me than the last festival.

Much of the day was aptly spent in the kitchen, creating wondrous delights from homemade chicken stock to assorted lunches for the week ahead to the most heavenly slow-cooked bolognaise sauce to have with our dinner.

Whilst it inevitably made me a little wistful for my time in Scotland, a soundtrack largely comprising Capercaillie, Old Blind Dogs and Iron Horse made a three hour cooking spree flash by so fast I was completely unprepared for Angus to get home “so early” (slightly later than usual)!

It was good to feel in so much more positive a mood after the last festival I must admit. Sure, there’s plenty about my life I’m not happy with, but what matters is I’m managing to focus on the bits that are good and the bits I can change. The rest will just have to wait its turn to be fixed!

But I’m making good progress with the body sculpting, and was both cheered and furious to find myself comfortably fitting a pair of size 10 jeans at the weekend. Cheered, because not so long ago they wouldn’t have so much as gone over my thighs! Furious because this country is in the grip of the most horrific obesity crisis and there is absolutely no way I’m a size 10 yet. Which means clothing companies are irresponsibly lying to women about their size…

Still, a rant for another time, perhaps.

What is lovely is to feel the initial glimmers of finding buying clothes fun again! Possibly a little too much fun, heh. Suffice it to say if I claim I haven’t a thing to wear for my birthday, I’m telling a wicked great fib and don’t deserve any presents!

Speaking of which, I think that’s another thing that’s made me feel a little more cheerful. I don’t fare well with mundanity. I need regular bursts of fun to keep myself sane. So between the mad shopping spree and planning a mini-break to Bath for my birthday, I’ve had plenty to keep myself entertained!

Only thing I’m finding strangely hard to buy is a new pair of boots. Everyone nowadays seems to make them with zips in. Even pull-on boots?! Very weird style call and very frustrating too. Ah well, I’ll just have to keep hunting!

Superficiality aside, I’m aware I have so much to be grateful for this year. Not least, my health. This time last year I was still very much confined to a wheelchair. Yesterday I abandoned the break-in part of my body sculpting course and moved on to the full workout because I wasn’t finding it challenging enough! On Sunday I raised my cardio workout duration by another five minutes ahead of schedule because the time limit was up and I was having too much fun! This whilst running a temperature and feeling slightly crappy from eating the wrong type of food at a party the night before.

Whilst the neighbours drive me nuts and Angus is not what you might call house-trained, I also have a very lovely home. And a cat, curled up fast asleep on my feet while I write. Human nature to want what you can’t have, what you’ve lost, or what you don’t know how to get… but for the good things I do have I am so very truly grateful.

8/8/09 ZERO1 Results: Sai Wins Fire Festival!

dcrage — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:15:46 +0000

ZERO1 wrapped up it’s annual Fire Festival tournament today at Korakuen, read on for full resu

Natsu Matsuri

Lauren — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:47:05 +0000

I don’t care what anyone says, summer is my favourite time of year here in Japan (or anywhere for that matter). Yes it’s hot. Yes it’s humid. Yes you may feel a bit like the sun is parboiling you for breakfast. But August is also the month of that wonderous thing, the Natsu Matsuri, aka the summer festival.

by suneko

Many matsuris in Ishikawa have a history as long as your arm. Their origins can be traced back hundreds of years to the folk customs and beliefs of the rice farmers that populated this area. As they were originally religious festivals, matsuris nowadays are usually centred around a specific shrine – you’ll know which one by the rows of food stalls leading up to it. Matsuris come in all shapes and sizes, from the Wajima Taisai that draws the whole town out in a three day drinking, drumming and kiriko-carrying frenzy, to the local machi matsuri held at that little shrine up the road from your house.

If you feel up to braving the heat, then these are some of the big matsuris that will be going down in Ishikawa this summer.

by MadSilence the Younger

Shishiku Natsu Matsuri – July 25th-31st

in Tsurugi (Hakusan City)

Seven days of musicians and street performers wandering through the trees at Park Shishiku. This place is worth a visit on any day, matsuri or not – the Shishi (guardian lion) museum and the wood-fire pizzas at the attached restaurant, Mokuyuurin, are more than worth the hassle of getting there.

From Kanazawa station, go one stop south, get off at Nishi-Kanazawa station and walk across the parking lot to the Hokutetsu train line, which will take you to Tsurugi. Depending on where the train terminates, you can get off at Tsurugi station (look at the map outside to get your bearings), or Kaga Ichi-no-Miya station. I recommend the latter simply because the way up to Shishiku will take you through Shirayamahime Jinja, the most sacred shrine in Ishikawa ^_^

by Steph and Adam

Hoto Festival – Sat, August 1st

in Ishizaki (Nanao City)

The Noto is renowned for its kiriko festivals – teams of men carrying giant one tonne lanterns through the often narrow streets of the town, usually until they fall over from all the sake ^_~. The Hoto matsuri in Nanao is probably the best known of the Noto kiriko festivals (though it doesn’t hold a candle to the Abare fire and violence festival).

According to this website, the matsuri is held 10min walk from Wakura Onsen train station.

by *yasuhiro

Kawakita Fireworks – Sat, August 1st

in Kawakita

This is the biggest fireworks display in Ishikawa, and from all accounts it’s spectacular. Unfortunately, without a car, the site is pretty difficult to get to. If you can find someone to drive you, go. If not, head down to Katayamazu for their fireworks fest at the end of the month.

by robizumi

Matto Fire Festival – August 1st-2nd

in Matto (Hakusan city)

The matsuri runs over two days, where straw floats are washed and paraded through the streets on the first day and then burned on the second.

Matto is easily accessible from Kanazawa station: take any train going south, it’s the third stop down.

by hiyang.on.flickr

Katayamazu Fireworks – Fri, August 21st

in Katayamazu (Kaga city)

From the 1st to the 25th, there is a short burst of fireworks every night over the lake in Katayamazu, starting at 9pm. The 21st however is the biggest display, lasting 45min in total and definitely worth catching if you can’t get to Kawakita.

From Kaga-onsen station, the fastest way to get to Katayamazu is by taxi. Fare is between 800-1,100 yen (sorry, my memory’s fuzzy).

by Steph and Adam

Wajima Taisai – August 23rd-25th

in Wajima (Oku-Noto)

Another Noto kiriko festival, the townsmen carry the kiriko lanterns and portable omikoshi shrines through the streets to the sea, to the accompaniment of taiko drums and lots of alcohol. At the end of the festival, a giant bonfire is lit and men in loincloths try to catch any white strips of paper that escape the flames.

There is a bus from Kanazawa station’s east bus terminal (bay #1 or 2) that runs to the Oku-Noto several times a day. A return ticket to Wajima will set you back around 4,500 yen, but if you can organise to stay with someone overnight, all the better.

by kagaworld

Guzuyaki Matsuri – Thur, August 27th

in Iburihashi (Kaga city)

One of the most enjoyable festivals in the prefecture! If you want to see very drunk men, young versus old, fighting with two giant paiper mache fish, then this is the matsuri for you. The fish are paraded through the town and then in front of the train station, the two fish do battle – aka the men run screaming at one another and I believe it’s whoever has the most men still standing is the winner (though rumour has it the results are rigged… ^_~). At the end of the night, the losing team’s fish is burned.

Iburihashi station is on the JR Hokuriku line, about 45min south of Kanazawa. If you want to stay for the fish-burning, organise to stay with someone, as the last train back leaves Iburihashi at 10:43pm

Flame Keeper Lyyra

Lyyra — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:15:52 +0000

That’s right! Lyyra hasn’t fallen off the face of Azeroth (or the Outlands) – she’s alive and well, if not a little dusty. After much debate, I went ahead and finished the few achievements left to get Lyyra her title. Apparently last year she missed desecrating Aerie Peak’s flame in the Hinterlands so that took care of all necessary extinguishing. After being helped by a lovely Troll hunter and some friends of his, she iced the Frost Lord and had only to collect enough blossoms to buy the shoulders and somehow figure out how to juggle the torches for her title. Turns out, they changed the way the juggling works and it’s a million times easier than last year – point and click! DONE.

In celebration of the occasion I also bought her the Swift Pink Hawkstrider. It matched the theme. *cough*

The reasoning behind all this is something from last year that never had the roots made clear to me, but for some reason or another, this time last year as the Midsummer Fire Festival rolled around, I got it in my head that Lyyra needed to have the Captured Flame for a pet. I really don’t know why. I just needed to get Lyyra the pet (despite having not played her for months – my priest was definitely my main at this point) so, I focused all my Fire Festival efforts on Lyyra last year and not my priest. My priest didn’t feel any sort of connection to the holiday the way Lyyra did, so I’m happy that I can come full circle with this and get her the title. Her first title, in fact!

Midsummer Fire Festival

Lisa — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:33 +0000

Torch Tossing may be possible. However, catching seems impossible. For me anyway.
The hints available at World of Warcast Minicast for June 21 and forum and at WoWWiki may help you.
What I’m going to have to do is buy one piece of the outfit per year. Hopefully once I get to Northrend I can get 200 Burning Blossoms in one year so I can get the most expensive piece and get the poledancing achievement.
This makes the pet unobtainable for me.
I’ve been rather sad to find something in WoW I just cannot do. I got frustrated enough to ask my husband to do the quest for me but he wants a break from WoW so he’s rufused thus far. So, how do you cope when something like this comes up and help is unavailable?

Seasonal Power Leveling Service Only for Midsummer Fire Festival!

swagvaultgold — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:15:55 +0000

It’s back! June brings us Midsummer Fire Festival!
Are you curious at the new boss in festival quest? Are you ready to get the most rewards? But don’t forget the festival is only two weeks, we bet you would not waste all the time to search all the torches, get through the quest again and again. More time saved, more pleasure you can enjoy! If you select the seasonal power leveling service, our professional team will help you enjoy the revelry without taking away too much time from the invasion of the scourge.

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Beltane/ May Day

Aly — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:39:00 +0000

Beltane (Beltain, Bel-tane, Walpurgisnact, Celtshaman, Bealtainn or May Eve/May Day) is the Celtic festival of fertility, expectation and the feast of the life.It is a celebration of the fertility and rampant potency of the life-force- it’s about sex and procreation.All of nature is growing and manifesting now, this is a time to celebrate unions of all kinds.For the Celts, this was the night of the greenwood marriage where the union between the Horned God and the Goddess was re-enacted by the men and the women to ensure the fertility of the land.This night was spent in the woods making love under the trees, stay up all night and watch the sunrise, and bathe in the morning dew.Together the God and Goddess represent the great circle of life and death through the seasons.May Day celebrations include dancing around the Maypole, symbolising the interweaving and joining of the male and female energies to bring fertility to all unions.The pole itself is a phallic symbol and the ring placed on top is the female symbol.Also represented at this time was the Green Man or Woman, who represented the spirit of vegetation.Beltane is one of the four great Cross Quarter Fire Festivals.A Bel-tene means a goodly fire.This was a special fire kindled after all the other fires in the community had been put out.Two fires were built where people would drive their cattle and other animals were driven through the smoke as a protection from disease and bring fertility.
Please go to my friends site here and click on event photos.

The Merriest Time of the Year: Celebrating Bealtaine

sinsualjourney — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:11:27 +0000

The Merriest Time of the Year: Celebrating Bealtaine

Bealtaine, or Beltane as it is also known, is one of the two most important Sabbats on the Celtic calendar, the other being Samhain. No matter how you spell it though, Bealtaine is the Sabbat of fertility and life celebrated on the first day of May.

Bealtaine, or May Day, is a joyous and carefree Sabbat. Our ancestors took time away from the fields and work to celebrate and enjoy this time of year. It was the time of year that spring had finally broken the solitude and cold of winter, and the sun warmed the land, allowing them to leave the confines of their dwellings and take in the beauty outside. Flowers bloomed and animals gave birth, giving much to celebrate and give thanks for. This joyous Sabbat has passed down traditions that are still with us today as weprepare to celebrate Bealtaine.

One of the popular beliefs of the origin of the name Bealtaine, is that it is derived from the early Gaelic language of the word for “bale-fire”. Other possible interpretations allude to it meaning “great fire” or “bright burning”. There is no definite source of the origins, but it does not discount from the meaning. Today, as in the past, great bale fires are lit all across Britain and Ireland as well as other western European countries, to signify the changing of the season and to bring good luck and fertility to the people and the land. The royal family of Britain to this day still burns a bale fire on May Eve to continue their family name.

Most traditions remain similar to the old ways, with slight variances from country to country. For instance, in Sweden the bale fire is lit by two people striking flints together, as a symbol of their sexual union. In Slavic countries, young men go door to door collecting items to be burned in the blaze. While, others who wished for healing would throw old wreaths in the fires.

The popular tradition is to bring home some of the Bealtaine fire to light your first summer cooking fires and to bring the blessings of summer to your home. There once was a strong taboo among the people of Ireland that when you took this fire home, you must not ask for it to be a gift. It was a basic belief that the faeiries could not start their own fires, but had to rely on human sources. The Irish believed that these faeiries would visit the Bealtaine fires in human form and ask for the fire as a gift, which would empower the faery over the giver.

Another grand tradition that has not faded with time, is that of the May pole. Couples would dance around the May Pole to bring fertility and good luck. Today, over much of Britain, Ireland, and North America, you can see children dancing the Morris dances around the May pole, wrapping and weaving the red and white ribbons around the pole. At most of these bale fires, or fire festivals, it is also customary to see couples wishing to conceive jumping over cauldrons.

This wonderful, fun-filled Sabbat is a time for feasting, drinking, love making, and celebration. It is a time to bathe your skin in the warm sun and take in all the beauty of a blooming world and life renewed after a long winter. This is a great time to announce engagements, new relationships, plans for children, and a new outlook of hope for the future. So have a party, ignite your fires, and may all your hearts be light. We wish a you all a very merry Bealtaine.

Brought to you by: Sinsualjourney.com, your source for Bealtaine festivities.

Belenus - A God for Beltane

Avalonia LuxNox — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:41:49 +0000

Continuing on in the spirit of Beltane, we thought that we should share a few more extracts on Gods and Goddesses who have associations with this festival from “The Isles of The Many Gods” by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Belenus

Name	Bright or Brilliant
Known Period of Worship	2nd-5th century CE
Place of Origin	Uncertain
Place of Worship	Across Britain
Other Names	Bel

Belenus or Bellinus is a solar god associated with healing whose name means “Bright” or “Brilliant”. He was also known as Bel, and the festival of Beltane (Bel’s fire) on May 1st was sacred to him. The Romans associated him with Apollo.^{^[1]} His worship was widespread, as indicated by evidence from both Gaul and northern Italy. The Roman poet Ausonius refers to sanctuaries of Belenus in Aquitania in the late fourth century CE. Tertullian in the late second century (197 CE) refers to his worship by the Norici tribe in the Alps in his work Apologeticum, and Herodian also refers to his worship in northern Italy in his third century CE work History of the Empire after Marcus.^{^[2]}

The image of a stylised head found at the Roman baths in Bath and mistakenly called a gorgon’s head is actually Belenus, suggesting a possible link with Sulis. He is also identified with the Welsh Beli and the Irish Bilé.

[1] RIB 1027.

[2] Apologeticum 24:7, History of the Empire after Marcus 8.3.6.

Rain Fails to Dampen Japanese Fire Festival Spirit

samuraidave — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:27:56 +0000

Rain Fails to Dampen Japanese Fire Festival Spirit
Kurama Fire Festival in Northern Kyoto

Rain fails to douse giant torches at Kurama’s Fire Festival

Fire and water as a rule generally do not mix as the saying goes. One usually overcomes the other in abundance. Rain has often been the bane of many outdoor-related fire activities from barbeques, to camp fires, to bonfires but the Fire Festival of Mt. Kurama in northern Kyoto refused to be doused despite downpours.

Some of the torches can reach 5-6 meters (15-18 feet) in length

A portable shrine – mikoshi

The Kurama-no-Himatsuri is an ancient festival ritual going back to the late 8th century that come rain or starshine (it’s always at night) is performed every year on Oct. 22. The purpose of the festival is to guide spirits and gods by torchlight along their way through the human world to the spiritual realm. Wayward spirits might remain to cause mischief in our world so the festival served to clear the mountain and the capital below of potentially evil spirits.

Torches of all sizes are carried about the mountain. They range in size from one-handed deals to gargantuan ones that require four or five stout men to carry them. The large torches put off a lot of heat and periodically their bearers are doused with water to keep them from overheating.

A Family’s Treasure on Display

This was my second time at the festival. The first time the mountaintop was crowded with milling residents, tourists, and guiding police. This time the guiding police were still in force but they practically outnumbered the visiting spectators. The reason for this was the rain. For most of the day leading up to the festival, it had been raining quite steadily thus casting a wet blanket over the enthusiasm for visitors to make the journey up the mountain.

An impressive old family heirloom

I almost gave into the suffocating effect of the wet blanket preferring a warm cafe to a cold wet mountain. Fortunately, I was able to cast the blanket off and force myself to make the journey. Not long afterwards, I was quite happy that I had made the effort. Absent were the throngs of visitors that cluttered up the train and mountaintop the last time I had visited. The spirit of the festival, however, was undampened being still “fiery” as ever and this time I could be closer to the action.

Adding to the fun and the surrealness of it all were the number of attending Tengu – Japanese goblins. Kurama’s famous mythical denizen is the Tengu which come in two shapes – redskinned long nose goblins or winged crow-headed goblins. The long-nose goblins make for popular masks and quite a few people were sporting these.

A Tengu Goblin on the way back from Kurama’s Fire Festival

As for the rain, from time to time it did come down but it was only a minor inconvenience. The great torches sputtered and crackled but did not go out. The amount of smoke was considerable though due to this.

Koff! Koff! Must be in the the smoking section!

After the torches reached the shrine, a large bonfire was constructed. Then two large mikoshi – portable shrines – were brought down the steep path from the temple. On their backs rode two men in samurai armor sans helmet. The mikoshi bearers rocked the shrines up and down seemingly trying to knock the fellows off. All around them carrying regular-sized torches were men, women, and children singing the festival’s age-old chant of “sei-rei, sei-ryo!” which means something like “festival, good festival!”

And indeed despite the weather, it was a good festival and I was glad I had made it.

shouldering a hot heavy load

http://samuraidave.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/japanese-fire-festival-on-kyotos-mt-kurama/

July 11-13 Weekend: What’s Happening

Rod — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:58:03 +0000

All events may not be shown here. Consult the GreatNorthwest events calendars for a complete listing of weekend events. Also see the links section in the sidebar for events that may not be listed here.

Friday

Bellingham/Whatcom County:

133rd Army Band Brass Quintet, free concert, Fairhaven Village Green, 12:00pm [map]
133rd Army Band Jazz Combo, free concert on Fairhaven Village Green, 5:00pm

Western Washington:

Vancouver/British Columbia:

Saturday

Bellingham/Whatcom County:

Bellingham Farmer’s Market
Blaine Art & Jazz Street Fair & Kids’ Visual Art Contest
133rd Army Band Jazz Combo, free concert at Blaine Art & Jazz Street Fair, 12:00pm
133rd Army Band Concert Band, free concert at Marine Park, Performance Deck, Blaine, 6:00pm [map]
Free Outdoor Movie @ Milt’s Pizza Place, Lynden [post]
Fairhaven Oudoor Cinema & Evening Music on the Village Green

Western Washington:

Vancouver/British Columbia:

Sunday

Bellingham/Whatcom County:

133rd Army Concert Band @ Maritime Heritage Park, 5:00-6:30pm [map]

Western Washington:

Vancouver/British Columbia:

Uddershock - Rival to Tankcow?

James Reynolds — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:23:38 +0000

Fear not worthy internet space I speak to as if it were a person for I have not left you yet! It is true that I have slacked a bit here and that’s mostly Leslie’s fault since she moved today and is now officially residing in Scumhampton! I shall be going there tomorrow (wireless ADSL router in hand) to see her. I actually gave her my old Tigermax Compy so hopefully if all goes well she’ll be online and pestering us some time soon!

I’ll get the WoW stuff out of the way since there isn’t much of it. As you may know it’s the Midsummer Fire Festival at the moment, what you may not know is that simply putting out the bonfires (i’ve done ALL the Oldworld ones) you can earn yourself a pretty penny and some sick experience. I decided, as an experiment, to see how much experience I could get for my Rogue Dreadmoore currently at level 68. I earned 547,000 Experience for doing nothing but walk around and talk to NPCs/Fires. I won’t lie though, it took me quite some time – but I did ding in the process, get all 4 capital flames and that nifty flaming brazier thing.

Check out the Photobucket Gallery Dreadmoore’s Fire Festival Adventure!

I have also decided I am going to try my hand at leveling an elemental shaman – He’s only level 7 at the moment (Mulgore is SUCH a bastard to level through) – but hopefully the end of this week will see him reaching a level from which I can start getting Mark to repay me all these runs I do for him and pimp him out in the Fang set.

Be sure to chuckle at these Costume shots from the WWI:

Last WoW thing is that if you’re a Fan of Oxhorn Brand Movies like me and were curious as to exactly what he looks like … Then his latest videos feature actually footage of him. Hat, Suspenders and all.

Check Out Oxhorn’s Wegame Page.

On non-WoW related news my next Review game will be Battlefield: Bad Company, a game which has somewhat caught me off guard with it’s surprisingly fun gameplay style. It plays like a traditional Battlefield game … With destructible buildings in a Modern war environment. I certainly look forward to giving it a shot. I’m not sure if I linked it last time but my review of Aces of the Galaxy is up.

Fancy winning some games? There are competitions running on XE all the time!

So Me and Mark were playing some Red Alert 2 recently (no YR) and we decided to do the medium Ally co-op campaign on the internets where you play as the Koreans. It usually proves to be a case of “How Quickly can we lock the map down?”. One level the island literally only joined for about 6 squares in the middle … So at the beginning of the game I rushed my MCV up there and started building a wall. A wall of death some might say. From then on the AI was just easy pickings as we strategy bombed them into the stone-age.

Wall O’ Death.

One last thing I want to talk about before I leave you with a few video links is a series they run on The Escapist called Unforgotten Realms. I don’t really know what to tell you besides you should definitely watch it … It’s about two guys one of whom is obviously a nerd and they do some D&D. The other guy totally takes the piss and much hilarity ensues.

So check it out!

Peace,
JamesR.

It just occurred to me that I absolutely MUST make Sporelings in Spore.

Please note that the Featured Videos will be linked from now on AFTER the break.

To see them just click “Read More”. Thanks!

Beef and Go

Boom De Yada (I know you’ve seen it, but you need to see it again)

Okay first let's try and get this outa the way quick like a nightelf cleavage bounce:

Lactic Acid — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:10:43 +0000

My altaholic twinge kicked in last night, after about a week of resisting and reading tempting blog posts about how wonderful the fire festival season is for levelling alts. Well I caved and I rolled a night elf druid on a (new for me) oceanic PVE server … and I made her all pink and blue which was about the furthest I could get from a hordie look I reckon. I feel like a fairy & sunshine cupcake and I am happy because change is like a vacation … or something.

Anyway my warlock buddy came along for the ride (green cupcake) and we hooked up with the paladin (now a purple cupcake) who was already 8 levels ahead of us … bastard. And we rambled around the night elf starting area for about 3 levels before I had a head/desk episode and remembered that the loot was better over at the island of blueberries (purple cupcake was already over there… bastard.)

There is something novel & fun about being bagless, penniless, guildless, and in my case barefoot. We jigged together a ‘low-budget-guild-channel’ by setting up the usual custom chat channel. The NE episode was probably inspired by the desire to score the black cat form. I mean I have about 4-5 druid characters in the 20-40s but they are all horde – horned lions by day, horny (cough… couldn’t help it) cows by night. I also felt like a making a cupcake, usually I try for a more natural look with the elves (well I try) … have always avoided the colour pink… but eh.

Anyways the warlock pops up with a comment something like “elves jump so much because they gotta run everywhere and it’s boring as all fuck, so you hit the jump key and try for a forward flip and that’s entertaining” – and I was *oooh * epiphany moment.

I mean I had always thought that Blizzard added the night elf jump as some kinda psychological mind game … like: “hey elves are meant to be bouncy” says Blizzard “let’s throw in a flip that expresses the elves athleticism and the players will do the work for us. They will jump around a lot to see the flip. Making them a gay (as in happy) and frolicish race.”

But it’s deeper than mild entertainment, the elf quest, even in the tiny starting zone (pause for warlock quote: “This place used to be bigger… didn’t it?” Me: “nope – outlands changes your perspective on big – oh look a little piggy I wanna tame a little piggy!” ), even in the starting zone you run up to that spider cavern, then back to the tree, then way up the tree, then back to the spider cave, tree, cave, tree… it was worse when they had that really long moonwell quest line.

As you run you get bored, so you bump the jump key… maybe you get a flip… you run a bit more and bump the jump key to entertain yourself and get another flip, you’re still running (this is the NE lands) so you, hmm, bump that jump key again. But you don’t get a flip… foiled you find yourself hitting space bar till you do get the damn flip. Anyhow after you have finished your lvl 1-10 quests you’re a conditioned jump-flip gambling addict.

You will be bumping that space key without being 100% aware you are doing it. You will secretly believe you have the gift of the jump and that there is some kind of special timing to hitting the jump key to get the flip. If you see another elf flip as they run by you will feel a small desire to show them your flip. Like yawning, flipping becomes a contagious social phenomena. You will go from stoic hordie to bouncy-bouncy *oh hell I am having bounce withdrawal I had better bounce again* elf.

Then you log back onto your Orc and find yourself ungracefully jumping over the back of your pet as it returns from the kill during farming runs, and you know it was all some kinda insidious Blizzard mind game.

I'm on Fire!

Zigystardust — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:36:42 +0000

Or: My Thoughts on the Fire Festival

In honor of the summer season (apparently, I’ll admit I haven’t really reasearched much into the fire fest backstory), I ran around Kalimdor last night, honoring Alliance fires and peeing on Horde ones. When the smoke cleared (see what I did there?) I had a bunch of gold and a Brazier of Dancing Flames. I only managed to die three times, once running through Org, once when I fell off the bridge in Thunder Bluff, and once when I was turning in my quests in Darny when a Horde group showed up.

When I compare the Fire Festival to the other seasonal events, I think it ranks below Brewfest and Hallow’s End in terms of fun. I don’t mind wandering accross the world, looking for fires, but the torch tossing and catching quests just seem needlessly annoying, and I find myself longing for Brewfest’s keg deliveries. I’ve only tried the seasonal boss once, and we weren’t able to kill his adds before they swarmed the healer and we all died, so I can’t really compare him to the Headless Horseman, other than to say that I miss the broom mounts the Horseman dropped, and would have liked to see something like that.

I think I’d have a different opinion if I was leveling an alt, though. The 10% extra experience from the Ribbon Dance alone is cause for celebration, not to mention the experience to be gained from visiting bonfires.

Overall, I’m glad Blizzard updated the festival to include Burning Crusade content. I was kind of annoyed when the lunar festival hadn’t changed with the times. Tonight I plan on sneaking into the Undercity and Silvermoon, and completing my collection of fires from the Horde capitals.

Midsummer Festival of Pain

James Reynolds — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:33:13 +0000

Firstly, enjoy this nice slab of Irony.

So I just spent the last 30 minutes attempting the do the “More” juggling quest in WoW for some great little gimmick items and I came to the conclusion that whoever designed it is a fucking retard.

Literally, you throw the torch up the air and it’ll go about 15 feet up allowing you to maneuver into position and it has to land within a few inches of you to count … Then, your character will throw it back up, in a random direction and you have to sucessfuly catch it another 9 times.

The problem is, when your screen is ridiculously busy with all the idiots on their fucking Kodos griefing you and the torch is so unpredictable it is nearly impossible to navigate your character underneath it. The easiest thing to do in my opinion is go to first person view, but then when the torch comes through your camera … It still freaking counts as a miss. It’s obscene.

So here is a video I think fans of Garry’s Mod and those who aren’t will enjoy alike.

Regards,
JamesR.

At what point does “Garry’s Mod” stop being Garry’s Mod.

And keep the music lists coming.

Wednesday: Fire Festival

riverdaughter — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:21:49 +0000

Today is Beltane Eve, that time of year in the Celtic calendar marking the first day of the summer pasture season. It’s also the time when the world of faerie and the world of men collide and unusual things are apt to happen. Beltane celebrations feature fire, a sort of purification symbol, and can range from the ancient rustic innocent where participants dig a hole in the earth, fill it with fire and make egg custards and oatmeal cakes, finishing it off by leaping over the flames, to the wiccan versions where the May Lord and Lady are “united”. (makes you almost want to convert, huh?)

The modern version of the Fire Festival of Beltane is celebrated every April 30 in Edinburgh. There are elaborate processions and rituals and bonfires.

Our own primary season is a trial by fire of sorts. How are our candidates doing this morning?

Hillary Clinton is wearing out her press corps as she leads them in a merry chase from state to state. NPR’s David Greene recounts yesterdays schedule for our Energizer Bunny in A Candidate on the Campaign Trail.
Yesterday, she practiced leaping over some bonfires at her interview with the Indianapolis Star. Her response on China policy will make your jaw drop. (The link is from TalkLeft. Hint for using the player: Click the On Demand link)
Did Obama pull his bacon out of the fire yesterday? The New York Times ponders his problem with Rev. Wright in Obama’s Break with Ex-Pastor Sets Sharp Shift in Tone. The issue now extends to the superdelegates. Is it enough to give them pause? Will they be worried that he won’t be able to withstand the flames of the general election? I’m a little concerned that people are focusing too much on the quality of the excuse and not the credibility. As to the latter, it’s pretty much shot in my estimation. The last part of the NYTimes editorial on the subject was just bizarre:

This country needs a healthy and open discussion of race. Mr. Obama’s repudiation of Mr. Wright is part of that. His opponents also have a responsibility — to repudiate the race-baiting and make sure it stops.

Are they serious?! What kind of fools do they think we are? (don’t answer that) If they want repudiation of race baiting, they need look no further than Obama himself and their own writing on the subject. His “opponents” didn’t start this. Obama did and now it’s coming back to get him. Well, even if the NYTimes doesn’t get this, the voters most likely do. They are the next trial by fire and, right now, Obama looks a bit flammable.
Eriposte at TheLeftCoaster is burning and smoldering over the latest character assassination attempts from Obamaphiles directed towards Rev. Barbara Reynolds, a member of the National Press Club’s board, and by extension, Hillary Clinton. Eriposte thinks along the same lines that I do on the Wright matter: He’s said some pretty preposterous things but he has been a respected preacher for years. It’s a shame that his character has also been destroyed, even if he gave it a little help. Just go read it. These Obama supporters know no shame. I guess they figure we’re just too stupid to know what’s really going on. They must be friends with whoever wrote that ridiculous NYTimes editorial for ttoday. Can we talk about something else now? Like the incendiary price of gas?