Moore's Musings |
| by Thomas Moore The following are the writings of Thomas Moore, an esoteric scholar and Theosophist whom we are fortunate to call friend. We find the information he presents, and his opinions, both interesting and thought-provoking. Enjoy.... February 2012 SPACE AND TIME DETERMINISM VS FREE WILL: This issue has been fought over in philosophy and religion. Today mostly we believe in Free Will. At least the spiritual view is that people can make Choices. As with the Unitarian motto: "There are no Answers, only Choices". Determinism has been a factor in our history. It was one of the issues that caused Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island to separate. If I remember correctly, it was the sermon stressing determinism in Massachusetts by Cotton Mather, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", that caused a third of the congregation to commit suicide after the church service. In a way both Determinism and Free Will are true. I had a vision once in which I saw a representation of the Universe and Eternity. At one instance of Time, the Universe is Determined. But in the next instant of Time, things have changed. Look at it like this: you take a photograph. Once taken, it is Fixed. But in the instant after you take the photograph, things have changed. The Universe is sort of like that. Some Psychics can look into the future because it is like seeing the future based on a "photograph" of the present instant. But the further one looks into the future, the more blurred and uncertain it is. In time, the future is not fixed. The future is also Indeterminant because of random movement of molecules and subatomic particles. On a large scale, it is like the weather. Certain random factors make weather prediction limited. The same applies to the solar furnaces. So, sun spots are predictable in a limited way but not entirely. We are being bombarded right now by a solar flare as reported on the news. In the long run we can predict but not know for sure when a sun will go nova. Asteroid movement is also so complex, that just a slight change in orbit can cause a collision that could send an asteroid on collision with Earth. One bus-sized asteroid just passed close to Earth. Only a slight change in orbit and Earth would have had an Extinction event like the one 65 Million years ago. I remember one video, in which just a slight breeze felt caused a person to pause just a second, and as a result changed the timing of their walk by just a second. This one second delay in timing caused the person to bump into someone of opposite sex as they walked later. And this bump led to acquaintance and marriage. Just a slight random movement of air changed the person's fate. Just the opposite could happen. A one second delay could cause a person to miss an opportunity. CHOICES: Even animals occasionally make conscious choices. I have observed cats stop and think about it before deciding what to do. On the other hand, some people make little or no conscious choice in their life. One psychic I took classes from once, previously gave readings, but stopped. One of the classmates asked why he stopped giving readings. He replied that common people were so predictable, that it was boring to give them readings. On the other hand, spiritually aware people were by their nature unpredictable because they made conscious choices. THE UNIVERSE: The Ancients and Mystics believe that Space is a substance-a very fine substance to be sure. It has been referred to as the Fifth Element, Akasha, Aether, Ein Soph. Nineteenth Century Materialism and so-called scientific thinking rejected this idea and believed space was an absolute nothing, a void. Now, physicists treat space as if it is a substance but refuse to openly say so. Physicists speak of black holes that bend space, worm holes, Gravity Well, and dark matter they cannot find. They still say space is a nothing however. But if it can be bent then it cannot be a nothing. The substance of space accounts for the mysterious dark matter. People still speak of the material world and space as having three dimensions. But actually it has four. If the three dimensional Universe can be bent and deformed by gravity, then it has four dimensions. The shape of the Universe is still being argued. Also argued is whether it is finite or infinite. I will pass on that argument for now. But I had a vision once in which for an instant I saw the Universe as a whole. I could not retain the image. It is not possible to retain a 4 dimensional image in a three dimensional brain. It is like an artist drawing an image on paper. Some artists are better than others, but still one cannot fully represent a three dimensional object on a two dimensional paper. A hologram comes closer. In fact, some psychologists and brain specialists believe that the brain operates as sort of a hologram producer in making images we visualize. I can describe what I saw as sort of an analogy, the way one draws on paper an object they want to represent. I saw the Universe as sort of a skin like the surface of a ball over a fiery chaotic interior. Not a smooth ball. Black Holes are dents. Matter bends space. There are then Gravity Wells. There are also cracks where new matter is expelled. Astronomers see these cracks in space where new stars are formed in a line. String Theory relates to this also. I have read of others writing similar to what i saw. Maybe my vision was not a true vision but a picture of what others have written. I don't know. Gurdjieff wrote his picture of the Universe similar to what I visualized. I have heard others speak the same. I think that people who get glimpses of a spiritual reality are like getting glimpses of higher dimensions. The cannot completely describe what they see because a person cannot retain more than three dimension images in their brain. That is why it has been said that certain things cannot be spoken of but only analogies given. Jesus and others have said that they have to speak in parables for common people to understand. High psychics who can temporarily transcend the physical in a spirit body must do so to communicate on a higher plane. When Prince Arjuan asked Krishna for a glimpse of the God's real self he saw just fiery chaotic colors and forces that he could not comprehend. When John asked Christ to grant him a vision of His true self, he saw the same, just fiery chaotic colors and forces. Christ told John: "What I am, thou cannot comprehend." Moses saw God as a fiery bush. Ezekiel saw God as incomprehensible wheels within wheels. I knew a person who tripped out of the Earth plane in their mind. They later could not describe it except as incomprehensible chaos. It is like for a baby that when born, all is chaos. They have to learn to see and hear. Which reminds me of what Jesus said once: "They have eyes but cannot See, ears but cannot Hear". I do not know about ghosts and ascended spirits. I have not seen any. I have felt presences and have heard things, but never seen what others report. I have sometimes thought something shadowy in corner of my vision, but when I turn to look, see nothing. I did see some spirit lights once as balls of colored light. I wonder if the angels and fairies people see in more or less human form is their own brain are visualizing in terms their brain can understand. I don't know. I just toss out this idea since I saw only balls of colored light.. Events and things that are Supernatural on the Earth plane are not necessarily supernatural when the higher planes are figured in the equation. January 2012 ASTROLOGY: SYMBOLISM OF THE ZODIAC Disclaimer: This is not an academic essay. It is just off the cuff musings. Remember that the 5 H's, or should be the focus, whatever the Zodiac sign: HONOR, HONESTY, HEALTHINESS, HAPPINESS, HOLNESS (or Holiness, if you're religious). An Evolved High Minded person will always try to act HONORABLY and HONESTLY, regardless of Zodiac sign and sexual preferences or behavior. Men and Women differ in many ways, as most people know.. This is true of Zodiac also. I did not attempt in this brief musing to analyze the differences. Many other factors affect behavior, such as genetics (heredity), health, ambient culture, social and religious conditioning, past experiences good, bad, traumatic). I have made comments about sex in the essay. People are complex. Behavior can range from one extreme to the other regardless of zodiac sign. The Tropical System is based on Agricultural Imagery at the core. The Astrological year begins with the Spring Equinox. The Signs are based on Agricultural Imagery and represent progressive stages in personal development. It must be stressed that there are other dimensions of Intellectual and Spiritual sophistication and maturity. There are high and low expressions of each sign. For example, Aries is the beginning and most basic of the signs, but according to one analysis, Jesus was an Aries. Jesus was born at a time of the end of the Age of Aries and beginning of the Age of Pisces. Christianity appears to express itself in these two signs. Aries is reflected in the popular Christian song "Onward Christian Soldiers" and the expression "church militant". The modality of Christianity is Faith, a characteristic of Pisces. And the fish symbol is commonly used by Christians. INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL: The first six signs of the Zodiac are called the Day signs and refer to progressive Individual Development. The second six signs are referred to as the Night Signs and refer to Social Development. INSTINCTIVE, PERSONAL, AND UNIVERSAL: Another analysis refers to the first four signs as concerning Instinctive Development. The second four signs are concerned with Individual Self Awareness. The last four are concerned with Universal Awareness. Each group of four are in the order Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. CYCLES OF EXPRESSION: The signs of the zodiac are also divided four ways of three signs each. The first sign in each group is called CARDINAL, the second FIXED, and the third MUTABLE. Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are expressive, impulsive, initiating. Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are focusing. concentrative, possessive, controlling. The Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are utilizing, distributive, critical. In other words, what is expressed in the Cardinal signs, is focused and concentrated in the Fixed signs, and distributed, analyzed, criticized, and utilized in the Mutable signs. Astrologers have in-jokes. Jokingly, the Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable are referred to as the Bitches, Heavies, and Wishy-Washies. The zodiac signs are reflected in the playing card deck (if you didn't know, the playing card deck is derived from the Tarot cards during the Middle ages). Clubs are the Fire Signs. The Diamonds are the Earth Signs, Hearts are the Water Signs, and Spades are the Air Signs. The Kings are the Fixed Signs. The Queens are the Cardinal Signs. The Jacks are the Mutable Signs. Thus, Leo would be the King of Clubs. Scorpio is the King of Hearts. Capricorn is the Queen of Diamonds. And so forth. The Tarot deck has four face cards in each suit. The Princes and Prince (or Knight) have been combined as the Jack in the Playing card deck. Some people use the playing card deck the way the Tarot deck is used. Some modern Tarot systems have different Astrological associations with each face card but this is the original association. MALE AND FEMALE: Sign also alternate Male and Female. Considering all these different divisions of descriptions together will give a picture of each sign. THE AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS ARIES: Aries is the time of planting. Aries is the Laborer. It is also the foot soldier, the worker. It also represents the primal male procreative sexual energy. Sex is primitive and uncomplicated. TAURUS: Although the Bull is a male symbol, Taurus is a Female sign. It represents the basic procreative female sexual energy. It represents the nurturing of the sprouting crops, the flowers of Spring. We see this in the love of Nature and flowers by Taurus women. The Spring festivals are celebrated in late Aries or early Taurus after the seeds are planted. Taurus have strong sex urges. There is importance of home and family. GEMINI: Gemini are the children, the offspring. Gemini are often considered playful. The plants are growing nicely. Gemini ends with the Summer Solstice, another party time. Gemini are very changeable. Sometimes doing two things at once. Gemini are talkers. One joke is Gemini can talk on two telephones at same time. Gemini love variety and are playful, like kids, and this can apply socially. CANCER: The height of Summer is a time of rapid growth of the crops. Cancer is the Earth Mother. Cancer the crab is chosen as a symbol because of the extreme fertility of the crab, which lays many thousands of eggs. Cancer represents growth and expansion. It is also the sign of the Home and core Family. Cancers often have a psychic connection with everything, often primitive and uncontrolled. Which can be confusing. Movement and travel are common. One often finds Cancer changing careers. I have heard that frequently Cancer (especially Cancer Ascendant people) combine home and travel by being van owners. Earth energy associated with Summer is strong. LEO: One representation of Leo is the Earth Father. It is a time of protection of the nicely maturing crops. Crops must now be protected against predators, both human and animal, as well as from weeds. It is a time when disputes may arise over what crops belong to whom. Leos are protective, controlling, possessive as well as nurturing. Fine sign men are often motorcycle owners in contrast to the van owners of Cancer and Earth people. Leos tend to display Self Interest, but the best nurture. Pride is strong in Leo and can be a factor in behavior. Honesty, Honor and Generosity are positive virtues Leo must cultivate if not already exhibited. Charm is a common characteristic of most Leos. They can be consummate actors. Many Leos display vitality and may like sports or Adventure. VIRGO: in the North Temperate zone, Virgo is a time of harvest of grain and leaf crops The original symbol of Virgo is three wheat stalks being cut by a scythe. This looks like the M with a J attached. As the last sign of the Day half, it is time of analysis and criticism of the Individual growth. Virgos are critical of both themselves and others. It is a time of doing something with what has been learned in the Individual growth phase. Virgos are often businessmen or scientists, mechanics, and inventors. Virgos may be very conservative and focused on their work, but they can be a social rebel and also having a high degree of curiosity. LIBRA: Libra is the Autumn harvest festival. It is party time. Octoberfest in Germany begins with the Autumn Equinox. Thanksgiving in Canada occurs in Libra. The personality of Libra people sometimes is like a party. The symbol of Libra is a Sunset, a half circle over two lines. This represents the beginning of the submergence of the Self into Social Awareness. The first step is superficial socializing. Autumn Festival is a time of party. But Love is the key to Libra. Libras can be either shy or outgoing, often at first like a social butterfly. Their goal is eventually to find True Love. However their early experiences can be superficial. They are also often popular targets for predators because of their shyness or naivete. Sometimes due to the superficiality and fear of involvement, behavior is distorted into activities or occupations involving superficial or symbolic love. However, as it is the first step into Social Awareness, it is a necessary phase in the search for Real Love. Libras can be very volatile, making quick choices, and changing them again. Some remain too shy all life, and never relate socially. Some Libras remain concerned with fashion and other superficial things. Other evolve into Artists. Venus, planet of beauty and love, rules Libra. Once Libra truly loves, it is sweet and giving. SCORPIO: The crops are harvested. Scorpio is a time of plowing under the fields. This plowing under of the dead fields is sometimes inappropriately associated with death. It is a time of preparing for rebirth. Scorpio is a time of Transformation. The old is buried, plowed under. An unevolved Scorpio will be secretive and possessive. An Evolved Scorpio realizes the sex is a tool and means for developing personal and social Awareness. Scorpio is the most sexual of the signs, but as non-procreative sex. It can be sex just for pleasure or as a medium of psychic connection. Scorpios can be very psychic. Sex is also a means and method of Transformation and Spiritual growth. Scorpios may not be so promiscuous because they are more concerned with control and possessiveness, but if they break loose, sex with some can get wild and weird. They can be generous and giving in sex. SAGITTARIUS: This is the quiet time in Agriculture. There is Nothing to do. It is time to sit around the fire and think or sing. It is a time of philosophy or bull shitting. Scorpio's Possessiveness is transformed into Independence. The highest Sagittarius are Philosophers (especially Social Philosophers) and Musicians. The lowest are gang leaders, psychopaths and criminals. Sagittarius are adventurers and pioneers, both earthly and/or mentally. Often Sagittarius like to retain independence in marital relationships. Sagittarius, often do not like to be tied down or controlled by others. They are rebels. If you tell a Sagittarius that he or she cannot do something with another person, they will do it with other person just to rebel. The Mutables (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius) are most likely ones to have Friendly Sex also. CAPRICORN: Agriculturally, Capricorn is a time of husbanding the grain and animals. Seed stock and breed animals must be preserved. Common people may eat all the grain and slaughter all the animals for food, leaving nothing for starting the next season. Christian Lent is the expression of this. People must fast and do without in order to preserve the seed grain and animal stock. Socially, beyond sex and independence of Scorpio and Sagittarius, Capricorn builds real relationships. Individuality must be controlled and organized to preserve the stability of society. Capricorn can be the organization leader. AQUARIUS: February is a time of ice and cold. One must endure. It is a time of the Mind. It is a low point in the physical realm. A low Aquarius is rigid, cold emotionally, concerned with superficial material things, likes fashion, their image and status. Empire building is an expression of superficial concerns. But the high minded Aquarius is tuned into the Eternal Spiritual world. Aquarius is the Water Bearer astrologically. But it is NOT physical water. It is Spiritual Water. Aquarius is an Air Sign. Air represents the Mind. A really evolved Aquarius has well evolved mind control, first of themselves, then of or for others. These evolved Aquarius can project their thoughts and enter psychic bonding with others. Aquarius can be an individual channel of materializing spiritual energy. This is why when people talk about the Age of Aquarius, they are referring to people individually tuning into the spiritual energy rather than following the Faith based organized religions. Aquarius range from being totally cold to having too vivid Imagination and Independent. Feelings and Passion begins in the Mind with Aquarius, not in the groin as with Aries and Taurus. As an expression of Social and Spiritual Awareness, an Evolved Aquarius is the least likely to be a jealous or possessive lover. Although a low Aquarius can be a tyrant in relationships. Many Aquarius are not jealous or possessive. They also expect partner not to be possessive or jealous. Some women are late bloomers. Aquarius is a Fixed Air. A Low Aquarius may remain prejudiced, stubborn, inflexible about beliefs. A High Aquarius will flow with Spiritual Energy and attain high Spiritual or Metaphysical ideas, and be very open minded. PISCES: March is the time of melting ice and snow. A time of mud and rain. It is the end of the Social part of the cycle and well as the end of the year cycle. It is said that the best or worst expressions are seen in Pisces. Either they have learned the lessons of the cycle and are Saints, Lovers, Beautiful people, or they have spiraled down into evil, depravity, perversion and madness. A low Pisces is materialistic, territorial, possessive, superficial and greedy. A high Pisces is charming, loving, selfless, generous, passionate, spiritual. A Pisces is often psychic. They can be Vampires or Angels, depending on their level of maturity and spiritual evolution. There is no telling what Pisces may do or not do in regard to love or sex. And they probably won't tell you. I am reminded of the expression: "when she is good, she is very, very good, but when she is bad she is horrid". Don't forget that people are influenced by more than one zodiac sign. Moon signs and Ascendants are important as well as Sun Sign or other planets. Depending on Aspects and positions, the Sun sign might not be the more important. Patterns and Aspects are important. Left side of chart is Introvert or Self. Right side Extrovert or Others. Top half of chart is Conscious and Social. Lower half is Unconscious and Instinctive. Strong planets may resonate with other people as other than Sun Sign. And certainly Genetics, Social or Religious conditioning, Prior Experience or Trauma may very well overshadow any Astrological influences. I will mention that every sign has even extreme different ways of expressing. People say guess my sign. Well, its difficult, since each sign can express in extremely different ways, as well as high or low. It is the motivation and style which makes a difference. There are saints and sinners of every sign. Like the saying goes: "It isn't WHAT you do, it is HOW or WHY you do it (or don't do it)." Think of Astrology in this way. Many people sublimate sexual energy into socially acceptable and productive channels successfully. Many do not. One need only watch News Casts to see all the murder and other violence, relationships problems, perversion, twisted behavior, abused and abandoned children, which more than anything else is due to sexual frustration or dysfunctional sex. Psychologists have long known of the interaction between violence (including wars) and sexual maladjustment and frustration. There are two factors common to all cases of one type of severe schizophrenia: twisted or unrealistic attitudes about sex, and conservative religious fanaticism. There is a link between sexual energy and psychic and spiritual energy. I decided to wait for another essay to go into that. One could write a book on that topic. December 2011 EVOLUTION AND SPREAD OF MAN-PART 9 OTTOMAN EMPIRE: I wrote some about the Ottoman Empire before. By the 12 Century, the Turks had occupied about half of what is now European Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan. In the 13th and 14th century they were occupying Bulgaria, Serbia, Southern Romania, Moldova, Ukraine. In the 15th century, the Turks had taken the rest of Romania (which was part of Hungarian Empire), most of the Hungarian Empire, Southern Poland, Czech Republic, part of Slovakia, and Eastern tip of Austria. Things did not look good for Europe. Europe had been weak after the Crusades. England and France were weak from their 100 year war. However, the Turks steadily began to loose ground in the 16th-19th century, from technological advances and improvements in military strategy and techniques in Europe. By the end of the 19th century, they controlled only a small strip of southern Russia. Austria and Hungary drove out the Turks from their area. They lost all of the Balkans. Bulgaria had gained independence and was establishing its own small Empire. Serbia likewise was expanding. The Ottoman Empire allied itself with its former enemies, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Germany in World War I, in order to fight and attempt to reconquer land in Russia. Of course this led to their defeat and the end of the Ottoman Empire. LITHUANIA: As mentioned previously, The ethnic Lithuanians were descended from two Finn-Ugric tribes of Belarus that escaped the Slavic conquest by fleeing to the coast. During the crusades, the Teutonic Knights separated themselves for other Europeans over religious differences. The established a small kingdom in Lithuania, uniting Lithuania in the 12th century. They were considered very progressive for the time. A castle they built featured the first ever indoor plumbing in a castle. Lithuania united informally with Poland in 1386. In 1410, ethnic Lithuanians overthrew the Teutonic Knights. From 14th to 16th century, Lithuania expanded. They expanded into Belarus, Russia, Slovakia. They liberated Ukraine from the Turks. Their territory stretched from the Black Sea to the Baltic and in Russia almost to Moscow. They occupied Latvia and part of Estonia. For a while Lithuania was the largest country in Europe. In 1569, Lithuania formerly united with Poland. Unfortunately, Lithuania-Poland suffered troubles. Wars with Sweden were devastating to the economy. Lithuania suffered greatly from the plagues. 40% of the population died. Internal disputes arose. Toward the end of the 18th century, Lithuania-Poland began negotiations with their former enemy, Sweden (including Finland, which at that time was a part of Sweden) to unite in one great Empire. However, they were still very weak as described above. So in 1772, Prussia (one of the German states), Austria-Hungary, and Russia seeing the vulnerability of Lithuania-Poland made alliance to simultaneously invade and carve up Lithuania-Poland. By 1795 they succeeded. Russia took Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Lithuania, their land in Russia, and part of Ukraine. Austria took part of Ukraine, Slovakia, Moldova. Prussia took most of Poland. Russia continued on to take Finland from Sweden in 1805. Russia attempted to crush the Lithuanian people and Russify the area. The Lithuanian people kept their spirit even when crushed by Russia. Lithuania core area became independent in 1918 under German protectorate. The Soviets annexed Lithuania again in 1940. Was liberated by German 1941-44, and again annexed by Soviets in 1944. Lithuania finally became independent in 1991. WORLD WAR ONE: I am not going into a detailed description. It is recent enough that it is described in current history books. I mention some things maybe overlooked. France and Germany or separate German states had since the break up of the Charlemagne Kingdom been at odds with each other. Interestingly the ruling class in France were descended from the Germanic tribe of Franks , after whom the country is named. The Franks originally controlled only about a third of what is now France. After almost loosing, they eventually took the Norman land and other provinces Normans controlled, including the Aquitaine Kingdom, which included the original Aquitaine land plus areas conquered by Aquitaine stretching from Spanish border to almost Brittany. Aquitaine had been loosely allied with France until Henry II of England married the Queen of Aquitaine and obtained Aquitaine for England. France's desire to take Aquitaine as well as England's Norman lands led to the 100 year war. Always France wanted the rich provinces of Alsace-Lorraine, Moselle, Basrhin, and Rhine which one or another of the German states owned. Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle had passed back and forth between France and German states since the time of Charlemagne, but most often belonging to a German state. This was also a motivation of Napoleon to take German lands. France again lost these lands in war with Prussia. Why do I mention all this? World War I was provoked by Russia and France. Certainly the Weimar Republic (which united the German states for first time since Middle Ages) was developing military strength and had no hesitation to teach those arrogant aggressive French a lesson. Otherwise Germany did not have that much to gain from World War I, except liberation of the Baltic countries from Russia. Russia wanted to take the rest of Ukraine and more land Westward, and continue the liberation of their Southern land. World War I was started when a Russian spy assassinated the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, Arch Duke Ferdinand, during a good will tour to Serbia. Austria declared war on Serbia. Serbia was allied with Russia. Bulgaria was enemy with Serbia. Ottomans were enemy with Russia. France hated Austria and Germany. And so it went. I don't know enough of the history to explain England's support of France, their traditional enemy, except England and France had become cultural allies. The Queen of England was actually related to German royalty. Maybe England feared the greatly growing German power. I will have to research that more later. After reading this history and previous parts, it interesting how countries keep switching sides. It is too bad so much of history consists of political leader just wanting to take land from neighbors. MIDDLE EAST: The Ottoman Empire was dissolved after WWI. Local leaders asserted independence in places. The country of Turkey was established but much of Eastern Turkey which was populated by Armenians and Kurds was given to Armenia. Anatolia in Western Turkey was given to Greece. However shortly after WWI, Turkey seized the Greek and Armenian land to establish the current Turkish boundary. Genocide was conducted on the Armenians. Kurds were suppressed, which continues today. Land South of Turkey was divided into the Sanjak of Alexandretta just South of Turkish border, the State of Aleppo East of that, the State of Damascus, South of Aleppo, Jabal Druze between Damascus and Jordan, Greater Lebanon, Alawite State between Sanjak of Alexandretta and Lebanon, Transjordan the same as Jordan today, and Palestine (80% of the occupied land belonged to Israeli people thru land purchase*). Damascus soon seized the Sanjak of Alexandretta, Alawite, Aleppo, Jabal Druze, and part of Lenanon to make modern Syria. The British administered Palestine until 1947, when they decided to divide the Israeli and unoccupied lands. So called Palestinians, who were land squatters of Syrian lineage sheep herders and owned no land according to Ottoman Islamic law, protested they wanted all Palestine. The British administrator favored the Palestine squatters in the division and supplied the Palestinian with weapons. Palestinians stated their objective of riding the land of Israeli and Jews. Much misinformation about subsequent events appeared in American press, favoring the Palestinians. The Israeli people successfully defended their half of the divided land. About 50,000 Palestine people moved East into Palestine controlled land. About 70,000 Israeli refugees moved West into Israeli controlled half. In addition, many Jewish people from Europe and North Africa relocated for their safety to Israeli land. The big difference was refugees to Israel were given land to settle on. The Palestine refugees were mostly kept in refugee camps in order to brain wash the next generation. Contrary to Islamic propaganda, two to three times as many Jews were refugees, including North Africans and Europeans, as were Palestinians. I could go on and on about this, but it would take a whole book. Information and books are available. Just be aware their has been much slanting of news. * Under Islamic law in the Ottoman Empire, muslim people were not allowed to own land but also paid no taxes. Jews and Christians were allowed to purchase land from the Sultan, and actually were encouraged to do so, since the Sultan needed funds for the wars, and land owning Jews and Christians therefore had to pay property taxes. November 2011 about Halloween Thought I would make some comments about Halloween-some things you might not know. The word Halloween is derived from phrase All Hallows Even (even being same as evening). Pope Gregory III in 8th Century declared 1 November as All Hallow Day. All Saints Day was 2 November. Later somehow the two became one. The origin of celebration on 31 October seems to be from several sources. One source is the Roman Parentalia (festival of the Dead). Another source (and strangely independently similar) is the Celtic Sanhein ( or Samvin or Samvien). The word is derived from Old Irish Gaelic (Celtic), meaning Summer's End. It was the end of the growing season. The Celtic New Year begins 1 November. Pumpkins, corn husks, haystacks, scarecrows were harvest symbols. Carving Pumpkins' for Halloween didn't originate until 19th century in America but were derived from old European custom of carving turnips as way of remembering souls in purgatory. The Samhein celebration consisted of lighting a large sacred bonfire and dressing in costumes, mostly of animals. Individual's home hearth fires were lit from coals from the sacred central bonfire. The Celts believed that the Boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead became blurred on 31 October at their year's end. It became possible for ghosts to walk the Earth. Celtic Priests (Druids) were able to make predictions of the future at this time. Trick or Treating: In Scotland "Guising" was practice of children singing songs or telling stories to get treats. Late Mediaeval "Souling" was the custom of poor people going from door to door to receive food on HallowMas (1 November), in exchange for their saying prayers on All Soul's Day (2 November). The commercial comic style Halloween we know now developed in 20th century. In some Eastern European mostly Orthodox areas, 31 October remains in it's original form of remembering ones ancestors and other dead with flowers on graves. CATS: Cats, especially black cats, are a popular participant in Halloween today. I remember a few years ago my Torti cat, who looked black in the dark, sitting on my front porch railing next to a pumpkin I had there and thought how appropriate. Cats were early associated by the Roman Catholic Church with evil and Paganism and later witchcraft. This probably happened right from the start after Council of Nicea, when it was decreed to stamp out all paganism, heresy, as well as all non christian history (official version), philosophy and science. Since Egypt was the primary source of what they called paganism and cats were considered sacred and Bast was even considered a god, then it seems that cats became associated with anything evil. As a result, the Catholic church decreed all cats must be killed. Soon, the Catholic church began giving bounty for every dead cat bought in. By the 13th century, cats were almost exterminated entirely from Europe. The extermination of cats had the result of allowing for rats and mice to propagate unhindered. This had two effects. Stored grain was ravished by mice and rats. This resulted in starvation in some places. The fleas on the rats and mice carried Plague. One fourth of the population of Europe died from Plague. In some places 40-50% or more of the population died. Many survivors were horribly scarred. Nice example of group Karma. It was a death sentence to be caught keeping or caring for a cat. Well, it happened that little old widows or matrons lived on edge of town or in or near the woods. Being there no welfare at the time, little old widows had to fend mostly for themselves, picking mushrooms, wild berries, herbs, edible plants in the woods and fields. Maybe a poor hungry cat which had fled from the town came to beg food scraps. Our kind little old lady feeds the cats and eventually is caught, convicted as a witch and burned at the stake. Of course there may have been some real witched (practitioners of Wiccan), but history reports that most were "political prisoners", Jews, rich businessmen (both Jewish and Gentile) who didn't bribe the mayor sufficiently, allowing the mayor to accuse him of witchcraft and seize his assets, and little old ladies who acted weird. Also declared to be a witch were women who had large sexual charisma or appetite. Sex was considered mostly evil by the church. So a woman who was highly sexual tempted the good men of the village, even in thought or word, if not in deed. A temptress who was obviously a witch. Especially significant was the fact that women were not suppose to enjoy sex at all. So, a woman who enjoyed sex was a witch. Even in my youth, girls were taught that, and were told never to show sex was enjoyable. A proper lady did not enjoy sex and just lay flat without moving and showed no sign she enjoyed it if she did. Now there is a tradition that cats were the Medium for witches. I do not know if that myth or not, but I have had some very psychic cats. WITCH RIDING BROOMSTICK: Well, if you haven't seen the Freudian significance of that yet, let me fill you in. Little Old Lady. Broomstick. Get it yet? Yes, she rode the broomstick and it made her "fly"!!! But not in the way the Disney Channel would show it. Sometimes they call it dancing with the broom. Sort of a Medieval version of pole dancing. The rural people here where i live do not practice the door to door trick or treating. I have been told that is way it is in some rural areas in USA. October 2011 EVOLUTION AND SPREAD OF MAN-PART 8 INTERLUDE: Study of History Philosophy: Contemporary Philosophies of self development stress living in the present. "Be Here Now". Forget the past, it is gone. Don't worry about tomorrow, it hasn't come yet. Live in the Present. These viewpoints have roots in the Eastern Philosophies of Buddhism and Hinduism. One should avoid Attachment. Do not become attached to the fruits of one's action. There is value in this. Personally, I have difficulty dropping the past, and I suffer for it. But there is one thing to consider. The advice refers to Emotional Attachment. One should however intellectually remember and consider one's Past, both in this life and any former life and one's Genetic endowment.. It is also said that if one has not learned from one's past mistakes, one is doomed to repeat them. If one's life i\s full of Sunshine and Joy, then nothing to worry about. But if one's life is not joyful and trouble free, then one might consider one's past, genetic endowment, environmental influences, past lives, etc. One's past is one's Karma, or rather creates one's Karma. If one gives no thought to tomorrow, then one is blown willy-nilly by whatever comes one's way. Plan and objectives can keep one on one's path. Dharma refers to the Path on should be taking. Now, what applies to individuals applies to groups of people also-one's clubs, churches, organizations, Nations. Certainly we have seen Nations involved with destructive actions, repeat mistakes, in other words not learn from the past. I hear politicians say things that they should know better than to say, repeating same old mistakes, both in domestic policy and foreign policy. Our country and others. I hear religious leaders say things that are obsolete attitudes, dogma that is suppressive of individuals, etc. We are part of these collective groups. What our associations do affects us. And sometimes we can affect the groups. Nations and churches have their Karma and Dharma also. So the study of history may give us some insight into what is happening, and why, and what is right or wrong, smart or stupid. It is true we have to change ourselves before we can change the World. But too often both religious organizations and sometimes spiritual systems focus too much on only Self Improvement or Self Awareness and neglect what is happening with their group as a whole or with their associations. We are Known by our Actions and Awareness. But also the groups are known by the Actions of its members, and individuals are known by their Associations. THE CROSS: The cross is a common symbol in religion and metaphysics. I will identify it with our discussion. The circle with a dot in the middle is a common symbol of the Sun. The circle with cross inside represents life on Earth, as the cross represents the Earth with all life coming from the Sun. The four arms of the cross are this. The left arm is the past and Karma. The right arm is the future and Dharma. The upward arm is man's intended spiritual connection. The downward arm is one's connection to the Earth. This is the cross on which we all find ourselves. We must balance the past (Karma), with our future (Dharma), our spiritual connection, and our life on Earth, and lived centered in the present. Now here is an example of how ignorance played a role in WW II. Hitler used the leftward spinning cross (Swastika) as his emblem. In Tibet, the spinning cross has meaning. The cross spinning Deosol (to the right) represents man's activity in support of Evolution and in tune with Nature (sometimes called White Magic). The left spinning cross represents a persons intent to act against Nature and Evolution for his own Control and self Centered goals (sometimes called Black Magic). Now Hitler was known to some even then to have metaphysical interests. His use of the Swastika was an advertisement clear as day of his use of Black Magic. Some people recognized this but no Allied government did. Even when Hess defected to England and told the British, he was not believed, but locked up for life as insane. Books and videos now have been published about it, but the ignorance of the Allies then caused much misdirected energy. One note: now some people not knowing the significance of which way the cross spins, sometimes use the wrong one. September 2011 EVOLUTION AND SPREAD OF MAN-PART 7 As I stated in previous parts, this essay is necessarily superficial. There is no way I can be comprehensive in this essay. It would take a whole library of books to be comprehensive. SOME REVIEW: The Turkic people originated in Turkistan area and began spreading early into Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, down into Iran and Turkey. The Arians/Cauasians/Hittites spread from India to Europe, North into Russia and South into middle East. Rome and Persia fought bitter war from 4th to 8th Century, depleting both Empires. The Western Roman Empire was in tatters by 5th century. Center of power moved to Gaul/France, then to Germany. Islam arose in the 8th century and quickly became aggressive and Imperialistic, with the purpose of conquering the World for Islam. Rome and Persia no longer had the resources or manpower to resist Islam. Islam quickly absorbed all the Persian Empire and most of the Roman Empire, taking North Africa, Turkey the Middle East and eventually Spain. The Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) hung onto Greece, a small area of Southern Italy and the city of Ravenna, and the city of Constantinople for a while. Western Europe eventually fractured into smaller countries but were united by the Roman Catholic Church, which broke with the Eastern Orthodox church. A series of Crusades to recapture the Middle East Holy Land met with some limited success for short while but eventually lost completely. Islamic lands were divided into Sultanates, but united by Islamic faith. Islam spread to SE Asia also. The Crusades followed by wars within Europe weakend the Kingdoms of Europe. There were also problems with Plague. Thus it wasn't a done deal that Europe could resist the Turks. OTTOMAN EMPIRE: One of the strongest Sultanates was that of the Ottoman Empire centered in Turkey and at its height owned North Africa, Egypt, all the Middle East, part of Iran, Armania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, portion of southern Russia, Crimea, Southern Ukraine, part of Greece, Iraq, parts of Saudi Arabia and Arabian peninsula, the Balkans (Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Cosovo, Slovenia), Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and most of Hungary ( The Hungarian Empire included, Slovakia, Moldova, parts of Ukraine, Wallachia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia.), Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. The Ottoman Empire lasted until end of World I. After having taken most of the lands East and South of Constantinople from Rome, and eventually Constantinople, the next frontier of aggression was the Balkans. Bulgaria and Albania were taken. In the 14th century, Serbian resistance was hard and bloody. And as a matter of fact, hatred of Albanians by some Serbs today dates back to the 14th century because of aid and assistance given to the Turks by the Albanians. This antipathy was noted in the recent distress in Cosovo and Bosnia. Also, you may not know that the reason Russia was excluded from the peace keeping mission in Cosovo was because Russia was giving secret aid to Serbia in Bosnia when they were suppose to be neutral. The alliance of Serbia with Russia is also the reason why in a recent survey taken in all countries, Albania rated highest in hate of Russia. (followed second by Finland). I point this out because so many people (including unfortunately politicians) do not understand the historical precedents for much that goes on in the world. In the 15th century, Count Dracula's clever and bloody resistance in Wallachia, a province of the Hungarian Empire and part of Romania, to Turkish invasion was very costly to the Turks, and is considered a factor in the Turks not being strong enough to successfully invade Austria and hold Hungary when the remnants on the fringes of the Hungarian Empire united with the Austrians and repelled and defeated the Turks, pushing them out of the Balkans. I have told the story of Count Dracula in another essay. That is another historical point not widely understood. Some histories say that Count Dracula's resistance was crucial in saving Europe from Islam. The Roman Catholic Pope gave his blessing and regards to Count Dracula for his resistance. Count Dracula of course was the source, although inaccurately, of all the vampire stories spun out since Bram Stoker wrote the first vampire novel in 1897, inspired by the legend of Count Dracula. Count Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, was a real person, and his main castle is a tourist attraction today. And by the way, the source of the vampire image was the Black Dragon which was the emblem of Vlad. Dracula in Romanian language means "son of the Dragon". Greece was divided between the Serbian and Bulgarian Empires for a while, until the Turks took Serbia and Bulgaria. It was also the combined effort of Austria with the survivors in the fringe of the Hungarian Empire the led to the creation of the Austria-Hungarian Empire after the defeat of the Turks in the Balkans. However, Hungary declined to take administration of Moldova, Southern Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Serbia, and Albania. These areas remained within the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman Empire became ally of Germany in World War I, probably because of opposition to and conflict with Russia. Bulgaria joined the alliance with Germany probably due to conflict with Serbia which had become an ally with Russia. Bulgaria was between Hungary and Turkey. Of course World War I was provoked by Russia in the hope of taking territory from Austria-Hungary, from the Ottoman Empire, and from Germany, which the defeat of Germany allowed them to do. What they didn't take, they were given in the post war settlement. (It worked so well for them in WW I, they manipulated for it again in WW II). It was the defeat of Ottoman Empire that led to Israel/Palestine becoming a British Protectorate, as well as the division of the Ottoman Empire into the modern countries we know today, and the areas taken by or given to Russia. BULGARS: The Bulgars were originally Turkic people with some Iranian blood who migrated from Central Asia in about 4th century. Two Bulgar states were established within area now Russia, the Volgar Bulgars and the Pontic-Casper Bulgars. Both now assimilated into the Russian people. Another group migrated to the area where is now the country of Bulgaria. Prior to the arrival of the Bulgars, the Odrysian Kingdom uniting the Tracian tribes existed in that area until subjugated by Alexander of Macedonia. The name Bulgar seems to be derived from the Turkic word "bulga" meaning to mix, shake or stir, or the related word "bulgak", meaning to revolt or disorder, or the related Mongolian verb "bulgarak", meaning to separate or split off, referring to the Bulgars splitting off from the other Turkic-Mongolian tribes, or their later splitting off from the Huns, who were Turkic-Mongolian in origin. The Bulgar language was recorded by one Goth writer as being heard as one of the several languages spoken by the Hun hordes, so some have theorized that the Bulgars that arrived in their current area were one of the groups assimilated by the Huns and later went their own way (split off) after the Hun Empire suddenly disintegrated. Some of the Slavic people who spread out from their origin in Northern Ukraine came to the Balkans in the 6th century. Some assimilated with the local Bulgars and Tracians. Others assimilated with the locals that were ancestors of the Serbs. The Bulgars remained the elite in the area. First Bulgarian Kingdom: A peace treaty with Byzantium (Eastern Roman Empire) in 681 established a Bulgarian Empire. It declined in the 10th century, weakened by wars with Croats, Serbs, Magyars, and other locals, and invasions by Rus (Rus were Slavicized Belarus tribes). By 1018, Byzantium completed conquest of Bulgaria. Second Bulgarian Kingdom: After a period of revolt, Bulgaria won independence from Byzantium in 1185. During the period 1207-14, Bulgaria conquered and annexed the part of Serbia around Belgrade and Nish, conquered Macedonia, Albania, Cosovo, and Macedonia and Thrace in Greece. Bulgaria included the part of Romania SE of Wallachia along the coast. However Tartars invaded in 1257, followed by Hungarian and Byzantium invasions. Then in 1393 the Ottoman Turks, after disposing of Byzantium, captured the Bulgar capital of Tarnovo. The Turks completed the conquest of the reast of Bulgaria South of the Danube by 1423. The remaining Bulgars North of the Danube remained free under Wallachian princelings. These free Bulgarians later reestablished the Bulgar culture and language which had been crushed out during the brutal Turkish suppression and torture. Bulgarian uprisings against the Turks occurred 1396-1423. Romanians and Bulgars united with Russians in the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78 which aided Bulgar independence. Bulgaria became fully independent in 1908 after defeating Serbs for Eastern Romalia. Bulgaria allied with Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire in World War I. As punishment for loss, Bulgaria had to cede land to Serbia and Greece to become as it is today. Although the Bulgar language and culture dominates, genetic studies show that the people are mostly racially Mediterranian. SLAVS: The Slavs arose in Northern Ukraine. The spread out rapidly and aggressively and became very mixed with other peoples, so it's hard to identify any pure type. They spread throughout Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Siberia. One group moved North and mixed with Sami in Northern Finland and on into Norway. Two notable migrations were to Balkans where they mixed with all locals but to greater extent with those who became ancestors of the Serbs. The other and strongest conquest was just to their North in Belarus. The Belarus tribes were originally Finn-Ugric people. They defeated and absorbed the Belarus tribes, except for two tribes that fled Westward to the coast, where is now Lithuania. These two escaping tribes absorbed the locals and became the ancestors of the original Lithuanians. Thus it might surprise some Lithuanians and Finns to know they are blood relatives. Anyway, the Slavicized Rus continued the Slav aggression expanding and raiding. They expanding in earnest to the East into what is today Russia. In fact, it seems the name Russia is derived from the Slavicized Rus from Belarus. Russia at the time consisted of many diverse racial people: Turkic, Bulgars, Magyars, Volgars, Vikings, Finn, Sami, Samoyedic, Kirghiz, Tuvans, Tatars, Makits, Tungusic, Khakhass, Paleo- Siberians, Mongols, Maimans, Uyghurs, Kara Khitars, Seljuks, Huns, Bashirs, Alaris, Georgians, and the Rus. The Novgorod Republic, Kapchak (Cuman) Khantes, Khwareznian Shahdom also held territory. The Rus rapidly gained territory and established principalities in large area. Well, in time, kingdoms, republics, and other territories merged or were assimilated, although areas of ethnic individuality still exist. Russia now considers itself a Slavic country, although gene analysis shows Slavic genes are well diluted, in general. Some people, like Stalin, may have more Slavic genes. The Serbs also consider themselves Slavic, which has been a factor in the unrest and problems in the Balkans. After Marshall Tito died in 1990, Yugoslavia began to degenerate under Tito's successsors, and Serb Slavic prejudice and discrimination led to Slovinia, Croatia, and Bosnia declaring independence, and the problems in Bosnia and Cosovo. Genetic analysis of Serbs show higher percentage of one Slav gene marker, but low on a second marker. As noted before ethnic genetics has been well stirred in the European pot. There are no pure types and few almost pure types. Sometimes we may see someone appearing to be a stereotype, and there may be some ethnic genetic factors, but most often the persons appearance is cultural instead of hereditary. There may occasionally be a few genetic "bad seeds" and some geniuses and saints. Some cultures and religions may have higher percentage of difficult or dangerous personalities, promote bad attitudes, and be more limiting to individual's growth, consciousness and awareness. HOWEVER, it is necessary to ALWAYS judge an INDIVIDUAL by that individual's OWN conduct, attitude, ethics, and treatment of others, animals and the planet, not the reputation of the group the person came from. Although it is true that a person is known by the company one keeps (or chooses). One cannot choose one's relatives. It is always questionable to stereotype, since within any group there is always a variety of types. And sometimes a person is different inside than they appear because they have been suppressed, or it is dangerous where they are to express how they really think or feel. This does not mean we should be stupid to dangers. One needs to be smart. We pick and choose according to higher standards. Spiritual discrimination is different from politically incorrect discrimination. By the way. Stalin was born in Georgia. August 2011 EVOLUTION & SPREAD OF MANKIND-PART 6 SCANDINAVIA AND VIKINGS As I have said before, what I write is cursory and incomplete. Whole books have been written about what I briefly mention. Scholars have made life studies of just one aspect. So I make no claim to be thorough. I just try to write enough to stimulate interest, bring up points that you readers never knew, and stimulate some thought. Scandinavia began to be settled after the last Ice Age around 15,000 or more years ago (ya) as the ice retreated. It is estimated that Norway in the North began getting settlers of hunters-gathers around 11,00 ya. The name Norway means North Way, Northward, or Reaching North, or something like that. I stated before that the characteristic blonde hair and blue eyes of the original Scandinavians, except for the original Lappis who came from the East, are due to the Cro-Magnon genes. The Cro- Magnons lived and thrived during the Ice Ages, on the areas South of the Ice, many of them on the fringe of the Ice. As the ice retreated they spread Northward. People of Norway and Sweden remained hunter-gathers until about 1800 B.C.E. Their Bronze Age was from about 1800 B.C.E. to 400 B.C.E. Tiny scattered kingdoms arose. Denmark became developed earlier due milder climate and longer growing season. According to one source Norway was part of Danish Empire, or at least the tiny kingdoms there paid homage to Denmark. Norway was independent during the Viking Era 800-1066 C.E. and afterwards during the civil war period, 1130-1240 C.E. in which the king and heirs killed each other to extinction. One of the last remaining heirs allied with Denmark, which allowed Christian missionaries into Norway. Norway again came under Denmark rule. Denmark had been forced to allow Christian missionaries earlier due to pressure from the strong Holy Roman Empire in Germany to their South. Denmark occupied what is now Southern Sweden, but the Northern part remained tiny kingdoms of no account. Previously in earlier part, I mentioned how Angles (a Danish tribe), as well as Saxons, had been making colonies on the coasts of England, and finally defeating the Bretons around 5th century, supplanted the Bretons as dominant culture in England, except for Wales and part of Cornwall. As Denmark became unified, England became a territory of Denmark (occasionally a local king was given self-rule), until the Normans invaded and defeated the English in 1066. However to keep the peace, Dane law ruled in the North of England for several more centuries. From 1396 to 1536, all of Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, and Finland belonged to Denmark, known as the Kalmar Union. Denmark also for a while owned also Estonia, but sold it to raise money for their constant wars. Sweden fought and won independence and retained Finland until Russia took it from them in 1809. Denmark retained Norway until 1814. Denmark was forced to give Norway to Sweden as punishment for being ally of Napoleon. Finland's pre-history is a little different. It was settled about 8500 B.C.E. by hunter- gatherers but by people apparently from the East. The Neolithic period began about 3200 B.C.E. There were two cultures, the Battle Axe (or Single Grave) Culture who were Indo-European speaking, and the Cord Ceramic Culture , showing similarities with the Neolithic cultures of Denmark, lower Sweden, parts of Northern Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and adjacent Russia. The two cultures merged. During the Comb Ceramic period the spoken language was Finno-Ugric. During the Bronze Age starting about 200 B.C.E., language evolved into Proto-Baltic-Finn along the coastal areas and Proto-Sami in land and in the North.. Archeological finds show influences from all directions. During the Viking and post Viking era, Norwegian ships sailed to Sami area around Archangel Russia to collect tribute from Sami. There was no unified Sami government. Finnish/Sami people and culture included a large area of Northeastern Russia and South to below modern St Petersburg, and Estonia. During the Viking era, Viking colonies were established along Southern coast of Finland. Finnish history says a new group of people came from the East fleeing the spreading Mongols in 12th century. They say the similarity to the Estonian language and Finnish language is a result of the arrival of this new people to Estonia and Finland. However as I noted, the aboriginal Sami "Finns" occupied an area which included Estonia going back to the beginning of the Iron Age, and before that it was territory of the Finnish Battle Axe Culture. The Sami people resemble people from Mongolia, Eastern Siberia, and American Eskimos. There apparently were related people all along the far Northern Artic rim. Maybe related is the fact that the Reindeer of Finland are genetically identical to the Caribou of North America. The Lappi in Finland today are descended from the Sami culture. One should note that the study of ancient pot shards and grave sites leaves many unanswered questions. This comment has general importance, but to use Finland as an example did the finding of Cord Ceramic pots and shards along the Southern coast of Finland mean there was a culture there similar to Southern Sweden, Denmark, Northern Germany, Poland, Belarus and adjacent Russia, or did it only mean that the Finn-Ugric people just traded furs for pots from sea traders. However, Swedish people began settling along the Southern coast of Finland about 500 B.C.E. who may have brought the Cord Ceramic Culture. The Iron Age which began about 500 B.C.E. marks the Swedish occupation of Southern Finland. The Volgograd Empire from Southern Russian began taking over Finnish Sami land in the North of Russia. The Volgograd Empire was the seed of the Russian Empire. They also repeatedly attempted takeover of Finland proper, but were repulsed by the Swedes. Finland was eventually taken by Russia in 1809. Finland declared Independence in 1917, and won it with blood shed. The Soviets attempted to take Finland in World War II. Stalin committed many divisions of troops and tanks in the attempt. One fact never told the Russian people is that Stalin could have defended St Petersburg from invading Germans, but chose instead to use a large force to try to again invade Finland in 1943 and 1944. It was in fact the embarrassing defeat of a strong tank led force in 1939 by a small band of Finnish defenders that later convinced Hitler to break treaty with Stalin and invade Russia. Stalin did not care about St Petersburg. Stalin's strategy was that if Finland could be taken, then so could the rest of Scandinavia. I spoke with one woman from Russia. She knew nothing about the invasion of Finland. Even today, Russia still has hopes of retaking Finland someday, somehow, evidenced by their aggressive propaganda, political bribes and intimidation. Russia today applauds that only 65% of Finnish people now hate Russians, a big improvement from 60 years ago when 100% of Finnish people hated Russia. One little side comment (you know how I love doing that): During WW II, of course French and Germans generally hated each other. However, France was a traditional ally of Finland, although they could not send much help to Finland because Sweden would not allow over flights to Finland. But when Finland was out of supplies and ammunition after the 1943 Soviet invasion, Nazi Germany offered to help Finland repel the Soviets. (They wanted Finland to take St Petersburg from the North and cut the Murmansk railway, by which the USA was supplying Russia, but Finland refused to push beyond their border). Another fact not told the Russian people, and later censored from American press after the Cold War began, was that the USA was supplying the Soviets with arms, ammunitions, food and even trucks and tanks built in USA to Russian specifications. Yes, that is right, most Russian tanks built after Nazis began invading Russia were actually built in USA from blueprints supplied by Stalin, complete with Russian lettering and shipped to Murmansk. Without the American supplies Russia would have been defeated by Germany, and the Soviets never would have made the counter offensive which led to the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe. Yea, that's really a bitch. The USA gave the Soviets the means to defeat the Germans and occupy Eastern Europe. Sorry about that, but it seemed like a good idea at the time to American political leaders, although Churchill tried to warn America not to trust Stalin. When Germans and French were fighting each other in Western Europe, French and German soldiers fought side by side as allies in Finland. At the Yalta Conference in 1945, decisions were made about the end of WW II. Finland was force to give Russia 13% of its territory (including their Northern port and land separating Russia from Norway, giving Russia a border with Norway, Northern land containing valuable copper and Uranium deposits, some farm land in middle, and the port of Vyborg and large area of Karelia), and pay them large war debt, because Finland accepted help from Germany in defense against Soviet invasion. Roosevelt backed the Soviet demand in return for Stalin's support in establishing the United Nations with headquarters in New York. VIKINGS: History records that the Viking period lasted from 800-1066 C.E. We think of Vikings in their horned helmets in long boats raiding various places for plunder. This indeed happened. But it was only a part of the story. Sometimes they went to places like they did to the Finns in Archangel for tribute and recreational fun, not violence. An important aspect not generally mentioned was sending out Vikings as a way to get rid of contentious sons. Too often in history in many places, relatives killed each other to establish inheritance and the crown. Sons killed brothers and cousins. Mothers poisoned or had killed rivals to establish their sons as rulers. Note how when the Viking period ended, civil war broke out in Norway lasting over 100 years. Sending out the more ruthless and violent sons, kept the peace at home. Very clever. But imagine small boats crowded with smelly unwashed men, and loaded with plunder so no room even to move around. Some took the plunder home. But some decided life in the crowded boat with stinking companions really was a drag. And what to do with all the plunder? And what about sex? There was occasional rape of local women during raids but long days alone in boats, crowded and boring. So, most Vikings eventually figured out that settling on new land and getting permanent women for pleasure was a good idea. Thus, Viking settlements began to be made. Normandy France was a Viking settlement. Estonia was settled by Danish Vikings. The coast of Finland had a Viking colony. Viking raiders to Scotland, Ireland and England eventually decided to stay and make a home. Iceland, Greenland, Vineland, and other Islands were settled. One place not often mentioned but was very significant settled by Vikings was Sicily. Viking Sicily became the most cosmopolitan, open, peaceful, non-prejudiced multicultural and economically successful society in the Mediterranean for 100 years. They became successful sea traders. They established outposts in various place in the region. They established a colony in the Crimea, I think Sevastopol, establishing the first sea route linking trade route to Asia, later copied centuries later by Italians, making some Italian rulers very rich and powerful. Vikings also made trade colonies deep inside Russia using river ways. The red hair that sometimes happens in Russians is a result of the genes spread around by the Vikings. Red hair was a mutation that occurred sometime early in Norwegian history. That is also the source of red hair in Scotland and Ireland. July, 2011 EVOLUTION & SPREAD OF MANKIND-PART 5: GOTHS, HUNS, FRANKS & HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE Part V As stated previously, this brief essay is by necessity superficial. It is intended only as introduction for people who are not historians. Some difference exist with what I wrote earlier due more infomation being discovered as I research. As i mentioned before there are even differences between different authorities. I try, given the limitations. GOTHS: Some of the information about Goths was mentioned in writing about other cultures. I won't repeat everything. Goths are considered to be an East German tribe that appeared on the Roman Danube frontier in 328 C.E. They seemed to have began their development much earlier in Gothisscandza, lower Vistula region in Pomerania (modern Poland), spreading from there to Scythia on coast of Black Sea (modern Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova). However, some sources feel that the original Goths came to Poland from Scandza (lower Sweden) and specifically from the island of Gotland. By the 3rd and 4th Century, Goths had extended their influence over much of Europe, including Eastern and Southern part of Russia . They ran into conflict with the Romans in 375-382. However, in the late 4th century, the Huns invaded Europe in massive groups of diverse tribes. The Goths then became allies of the Romans. By fifth century, the Huns had destroyed Gothic dominance in most of Europe. The Ostrogoths occupied Italy and Visigoths retained possession of Aquitaine and Iberia, except for Basque area and Suevain Kingdom in NW Spain and Portugal. Although the Goths occupied Rome for some time, they were allied with the Roman Empire. After the Hun Empire fell apart in 453, Goths controlled most of what remained of the Western Roman Empire which included parts of Spain, Southern France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia. However the Roman Emperor decided to retake Italy, and sent Army in 535. The war lasted until Goth defeat in 554 C.E. Goths were driven out of Italy. The Franks had pushed the Goths out of the Aquitaine in 507. The Goths had converted to Christianity early by a missionary who was half Roman and half Gothic. However it was not the Orthodox version, but was called Arian Christianity. Goths converted to the Roman Church in late 6th century after the Roman church had established a degree of independence from the Orthodox Church. Spain fell to Muslim Arabic North African (called Moors by the Goths) invaders in the 8th century. In other parts of Europe what remained of Gothic culture and language blended in with local tribal groups or other cultures and disappeared from history as a separate culture. As late as 16th century a small remnant of Gothic language survived in the Crimea. Many ethnic groups had comprised the Gothic culture as was typical in those early days. As new cultures expanded they absorbed other small tribes and cultures. Modern day mostly teen ager (or mentally teen age adults) have adopted what they call a Gothic style, which affects piercing, tattoos, colored hair, dark clothing, chains and other weirdness. These affectations have nothing to do with real Gothics of history. Gothics were actually fairly refined for the times. Also, the Middle Ages is sometimes called the Gothic Era, and is pictured as a dark time of dungeons, gloomy castles, ignorance, religious persecution. But this was because of the Roman Catholic Church. The Goths as a separate culture had disappeared by then. And in contrast to the darkness of ignorance and religious persecution, the late Gothic period is known for fantastic church architecture and very refined music. It may be that the Middle Ages are called the Gothic Era due the fact that the Goths are the best known of the Germanic tribes of former times. HUNS: The Huns were the nasties of that period. The original Huns appeared to have originated someplace around Mongolia several centuries before appearing or the edge of Europe, East of the Volga River, in 370 C.E.. They became a rape and pillage collection of diverse tribes that accumulated as they spread. Survivors of defeated tribes and tribes surrendering without fight were invited to join. They affected scarred and flattened faces. The faces were flattened by tightly binding babies heads with strips of cloth. This may have developed as way to shape the head of tribal members to resemble the originating Huns who appear to be from area of Mongolia and of Mongolian-Turkic blood. One Gothic writer said he noticed six different languages spoken by Hun tribe members in addition to Hun, including Latin, Gothic, Bulgar, Scythian, Proto-Slavic, Chuvash. The were noted as savage fighters on horseback, and were herdsmen. Their scarred flattened faces became a terrifying trademark. A council of tribal chieftans or Nobles coordinated activities. There was no real central organization until Attilla assumed overall leadership in 434 C.E. and established an empire. The Empire included most of Germany, Poland, a narrow strip of Eastern Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belerus, Ukriane, Southern Russia, Moldova, Western Kazakhstan, Northern Fringe of Serbia, Romania, and tentative holdings in Southern Lithuania. Hun raiders had penetrated into France but could not hold it. Attila established the Capitol of his Empire in Hungary (which appears to be why Hungary is named Hungary today). Having taken some of the Roman territories, Huns appeared to be a major threat.. However, Attila died in 453 C E. Since he had centralized government with himself, the Hun empire immediately fell apart upon Attillas death. Different language and cultures comprising the Huns reasserted dominance. The separate tribes scattered. Local tribes and governments were able to defeat individual former Hun tribes piecemeal. The non Hun tribes that had comprised the Hun Pax dropped the Hun affectations and tried to blend in or hide in remote valleys. One day the Huns were a threat to all Europe, the next day, poof, gone like a puff of smoke. Since the scarred flat faces were artificial, the next generation no longer resembled the formerly feared Huns. One effect of the scattering of the former affiliated Hun tribes is that it scattered and mixed various blood lines throughout most of Europe. Remnants of real Huns and maybe some affiliates retained some small kingdoms in Ukraine and Southern Russia for a while. A few years ago I read article in National Geographic how cultural anthropologists found villagers in remote Switzerland valley having noticeable Mongolian racial traits and customs. END OF WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE: In 476, Odocoer deposed the Western Roman Emperor. The Ostergoths had become allies of the Eastern Roman Empire in the war against the Huns. The Ostergoths now had control of the Balkans under Theodoric as foedarati to Rome. The Eastern Roman Emperor asked Theodoric to retake Rome from the usurper Odoacer. Italy thus came under Gothic rule, and Theodoric ruled as Viceroy of Rome. He left the Roman aristocracy alone, so Italy had a dual legal rule. The Visigoths had already taken most of Spain by then. In 533, the new Roman Emperor Justinian readily retook North Africa from the Vandals. This emboldened him to decide to retake Italy from the Goths. He bribed the Franks with gold to help. The Frank assistance was effective since the Goths did not realize they were allies of Rome. The Gothic War lasted from 535 to 554. Rome eventually won and the Goths exited North and blended in with other Germanic tribes. Although Rome won, it was excessively costly, and they could not hold Italy. The Lombardi ( a Germanic tribe from around area of Austria) took Italy three year later, except for an area around Ravenna and strip of land around Naples. Ravenna fell in 751. The Eastern Roman Empire held small area in Southern Italy until 11th century. By the 5th century Rome had withdrawn from Gaul. The Franks began their suppression of Celts and establishing an Empire. They pushed the Visigoths out of the Aquitaine in 507. The Roman Empire had never subdued the Germanic tribes and has conquered only the land West of the Rhine River, in addition to most of Gaul (the Romans didn't pay any attention to Brittany, and parts of SE Gaul like parts of Aquitaine.). These Germanic lands the Romans did occupy included Saarland, Rhineland, Hinsruck, Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle. Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle were borderland between formerly Celt and Germanic people. After the defeat of the Huns, Germanic people began uniting and becoming strong. Probably because of Goth inclusion, they became Arian Christians. The Goths and other Germanic people became Catholics around the 8th century. The Council of Nicea, which made Christianity the unofficial state religion of Rome decreed 4 area Patriarch (Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople). Jerusalem soon became a fifth. The Roman Patriarch was the "first among equals". The Second Ecumenical Council of 381 made the Patriarch of Constantinople supreme. The title Pope came in use as synonym for Patriarch. When Emperor Theodosius I died in 395, the Empire split for final time. After the political split, followed a growing split in the Church. There had always been difference of opinion between Rome and Constantinople, but with the political split the religious disagreements became more open and vocal. Rome refused to accept more than a few edicts by Constantinople. Several attempts at reconciliation failed. In year 1054, the final official irrevocable split came, and the Roman Catholic Church became totally separate church. Long before that the Roman Church was acting on it's own about many things. As the civil leadership in the Western Empire dissolved, the Roman Church took on civil leadership functions. Before long, the Church assumed the authority of approving civil leaders, even kings. Then, even Kings and Emperors had to be anointed by the Pope. It was this vacuum of civil leadership that the church took opportunity to fill that was reason eventually the church was able to dominate and dictate so many aspects of individual's lives. As civil authority was restored, it was only with the approval of the church. Of course in the late Middle Ages and later, certain families, such as the Borgia and de Medici families, controlled the Papacy. One initial and continuing disagreement the Bishop of Rome had with the Orthodox Church was that the Bishop of Rome felt he was vested as leader of Christianity by God Himself. Whereas, the Roman Emperors made it clear that the Patriarchs were appointments by the Emperor. The Bishop of Rome could not voice this openly until the final fall of the Roman Empire with the Goth takeover in 476. Although there was not a final split until later, the Roman church began making its own rules and defying Constantinople. The official Roman Catholic history states there was a Roman Catholic church and Pope going back to Peter. This is obviously fiction. The first Pope/Patriarch was established in 325 at the Council of Nicea, and even then they were 4, then 5, of them, and they could make no claim of divine appointment "officially" until after the fall of the Western Empire. There were a number of kingdoms and shuffling around of territories during and after the disintegration of the Western Roman Empire., which I will skip. FRANCIA: The Franks were Christianized in the 6th Century. Francia, ruled by the Merovingians, became the most powerful kingdom in Europe, and were successors of the Western Roman Empire. The Merovingians became weak rulers. In 687, Pippin of Herstal, mayor of the Austrasia castle, took power and became sole governor of all Fancia. Pippin was succeeded by his illigitimate son, Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer). Charles Martel was succeeded by two sons, Carloman and Pippin the Short. These two brothers put a Merovingian descendant, Childeric III on the throne to quell unrest on fringe of the Empire. However in 751, with approval of the Pope, Pippin deposed Chileric III. Thus the Corolingian dynasty replaced the Merovingian. Charlemagne (Charlemaine) was the son of Pippin the Short. The kingdom was split between Charlemagne and his brother Carloman to administrate. But this led to civil war, rebellion, and political problems. Eventually Carloman died and a degree of peace returned. But Charlemagne had almost constant strife. There was war with Saxons, Danes, Bretons, and Slaves in area now Czech Republic. There were rebellions in various places. Charlemagne expanded the Frank Empire by conquering Italy and Lombardi Kingdom. He invaded Spain in 778 to drive out the Islamic Moors, but only after long and complicated war and politics. Not until 812 was most of Spain liberated (for which he is mostly remembered, and of which books and films have been made). Charlemagne was anointed Roman Emperor in 800 by the Pope, a technicality, since there was no Western Roman Empire anymore, except if one calls the Frankish Empire the Roman Empire. Charlemagne gave portions of his kingdom to his two youngest sons. Carloman was made king of Italy, crowned by Pope, and his name changed to Pippin. Louis was made king of Aquitaine. His sons fought much in support of their father, including the liberation of Spain. His oldest son, Pippin the Hunchback was banished for making rebellion. Charlemagne died in 814. His son Louis was crowned a year before as successor to Charlemagne. Charlemagne was the progenitor of the line of kings of both France and Germany. The Frankish Kingdom was divided between the three sons of Louis into what became France and Germany, and the middle portion which fractured into what eventually became Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Lorraine Switzerland, Lombardy, various departments of France, and Jura Massif. There was some shuffling around of borders and rulership in the years to follow. HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE: The Eastern German half of the Frank Empire grew in strength. In year 962, the Germanic Emperor, Otto I, declared that the Empire was to be called the Holy Roman Empire. By this time the Germanic Empire covered Northern Italy, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Lichenstein, Slovenia, fringe of Eastern France (including Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle, which is important to remember as this relates to later events including causes of World War I in 20th Century), Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Fringe of Poland. The Holy Roman Empire did not finally dissolve until 1800, although it had begun to fracture into independent states before final dissolution. It was the major political power for many centuries. The Holy Roman Empire was influential in spreading Christianity. Political pressure it exerted on the Danish Empire to the North to take Christian missionaries led to the spread of Christianity to Scandanavia and England. Resistance to accepting Christianity led to the establishment of the Lithuania. Other countries under their control became Christian if they were not already. The Franks desired Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle and Germanic territories West of the Rhine. The territory of Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle has been a bone of contention between France and Germany ever since the Frankish Empire split. Alsace-Loraine and Moselle was sometimes semi independent, sometimes under the control of France, but most often under the control or part of Germany or one of the German states. It was always the desire of the Franks and the French they became to obtain the lands West of the Rhine and access to the very important Rhine waterway leading to the North Sea. The French desire to take Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle from Germany in World War I was one of the motivations for France declaring war on Germany. This is not mentioned in official history books since history is written by the winners. Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle are very valuable wine producing areas and also have some important industrial towns. Most town names are Germanic not French. Architecture, music and customs have noticeable German influence. June, 2011 EVOLUTION AND SPREAD OF MAN- PART IVA: EUROPE AFTER THE CAUCASIAN INFLUX I will have to start a little before the Caucasians to be complete. DISCLAIMER: Because of the extreme complexity of movement and mixing of people in Europe, my brief essay will necessarily be somewhat superficial and probably contain some errors. Even the experts do not agree about a number of things. I will do the best I can. And will probably be revising it later. I discover new information as I go along. Note I use the contemporary B.C.E. instead of B.C., and C.E. instead of A.D. Cro-Magnon: I stated before that the blonde hair and blue eyes originated with the Cro-Magnon. No one knows the details. Were all the Cro-Magnon blonde and blue or just some? We now know that there were more than one race of pre-modern men. Some appear to have retained brown hair and brown eyes. In any case the earliest migrants to Scandinavia as the ice melted were all or almost all blonde and blue. Since the Cro-Magnon were people that existed near the ice in Europe, I feel that the original Scandinavian and North Germans (Saxons) were the purest descendants of the Cro-Magnon. British Isles: The original migrants to the British Isles as the glaciers began to melt and withdraw were a large number of related tribes of smaller darker people unlike the blonde hair blue eye Scandinavians. They established a number of late stone age and early iron age kingdoms. The British isles were connected to mainland Europe by land bridge until oceans rose enough. The Romans who occupied the British Isles called the natives in Scotland the Picts, but the name they called themselves is unknown. Hadrian's wall that the Romans built was for defense against the Picts and other Scottish tribes that resisted the Roman occupation. Celts occupied Britain long before the Romans entered. It appears that these "Picts" were descended from other pre-modern people other than Cro-Magnon or Neanderthal. Although as we noted before, there was cross-breeding between the different races. IBERIA: In Europe after the Caucasians and later Celts, were over 20 ethnic groups and many sub-groups, consisting of 6 major language groups: Pre-Celtic Caucasian, Celtic, Iberian, Turdetarian, Aquitanian- Basque, Tartessian. The Iberians and Turditani occupied the Southern coast. The Caucasian Lusitani, Celtic languafge Turduli Oppianni, Celtici, Courrei, and Caucasian-Celtic mix of Callaeci occupied where Portugal is now plus adjacent areas. Many Celtic speaking groups occupied the central part of Iberia and Northern areas mixed with Basque. The Tartassian speaking Courrei occupied the Atlantic coast of Southern Portugal and adjacent area, occupying same area as Turdetarians, and appear to be residuals of an earlier group. Some ethnic groups evolved from mix with adjacent groups, for example the Celtiberians are Celtic language group evolved from mix with Iberians. I had previously said the Caucasians did not make it into Iberia. However this other source shows their influence. Carthage began establishing colonies along the coast about 600 b.c.e or earlier, for purpose of obtaining metal ores. The Phoenicians, who were active in the Mediterranean allied with the Celtiberians in 410 b.c.e, and declared independence from Carthage. Carthage invaded and occupied about half of Iberia, South and Central in 300 b.c.e. The Romans took Iberia in the Second Punic War of 218-201 b.c.e. Goths entered Iberia about third century C.E. About 8th century C.E.. North African Muslims conquered Spain and established the Oayyed Emeirate and ruled for about 400 years until French Christians expelled them. After that there were separate kingdoms in Spain for a while. Even today, different regions of Spain retain different dialects, due different historical occupations. Only the Basque retain a unique individual language, evolved from an Aquitaine-Basque language. The Aquitaine has been overrun and fought over many times. Basque is still spoken in a small coastal area of France and in Northeast corner of Spain. Portuguese differs from Spanish because Portugal established an independent nation early enough so that the language influences there, developed into a separate language. In Spain the various kingdoms eventually merged and the dialect that developed in Castille became the official language of Spain, although there still exist some differing dialects in various mostly rural parts. One woman from Southern Spain I met on airplane said she cannot understand some people in other parts of Spain. The Turdetarians and the Celti were reported by Romans as the most refined and civilized. The Turdetarians and their predecessor the Tartessos had a civilization going back 6000 years in area now Andalusia. The period from about 800 b.c.e. for about 6 centuries more or less, the Greek city states, Carthage, and Phoenicia, and the later expanding Romans were competing Empires. Rome eventually won out. Interest in math and science began creeping back into Medieval Europe due the Arabic influence in Spain. Ignorance had been bliss in Medieval Roman Catholic cultures. However for several centuries the Inquisition still persecuted people interested in knowledge. The Spanish Inquisition preferred torture, whereas in Germany simple burning at the stake was preferred. One source said the Vandals passed though Iberia on way to North Africa, rather quickly because there was little there to vandalize and later sailing to Rome to sack it. Another source said they went through Italy and Rome, where they sacked it on way to North Africa. That is the source of our word vandalize. The Vandals were a strictly rape and pillage tribe, established a kingdom for short while where Carthage formerly was, but dissolved and disappeared from history. Vandals were Germanic. Caucasians: The Caucasians spread throughout most of Europe from Russia to France, beginning around 2000 B.C.E. It appears that they did not spread much into Scandinavia, or British Isles, and only in part of Iberia. Scandinavian languages are influenced by the Germanic tongues which were influenced by Caucasian, however. To review, the Caucasians originated around the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia and Southern Russia. European languages retain the influence of the Caucasians. It is also why white Europeans are also called Caucasian. The Caucasians appear to have been brown haired and brown eyed with a darker white complexion, possibly mixed with later arrivals out of Africa. The brought more brown hair back into Europe. Celts: The earliest Celtic evidence occurred about 800 B.C.E. One source states they originated in mountainous Austria, which may be reason they were typically blue eyed. Maybe in the mountainous areas the Caucasians did not penetrate as much. Another source states however, that the Celts originated in Southwest Germany. Celt spread Eastward into Eastern Europe, Westward into France, into Southern Germany, and into Iberia. They spread into the British Isles. Whether or not they were blonde or not to begin with, the typical Celt became light brown haired and blue eyed. They slowly mixed with local tribes and split into many separate Celtic tribes. Celts also settled Northern Italy. The modern city of Milan Italy was founded by Celtics. I was surprised once years ago meeting a very blue eyed and blonde haired Italian from Milan. I asked about his hair and eyes. He very proudly stated that he was pure Italian, and thank you very much, he could trace his ancestry back to before the Romans. Skin, eye, and hair color in Italy gets darker as one goes South. Mostly peaceful, the Celts did come in conflict with the Romans who were expanding Northward. Celts allied with the Etruscans in two wars with Romans. Etruscans inhabited Italy before the Greek invaders became the first Romans. The Celts lost, but much blue eyes and blonde hair remains in North Italy. Romans defeated Etruscans in 510 b.c.e. and established their first Republic. Most notable of the Celtic influence is in France and British Isles, spreading there around 6th and 5th century B.C.E. The Romans called the Celts, Gaul or Gael. The word Gaul is the root of the present word Gaelic used in Ireland and Scotland. Celts are also called Druids by some people. Druids were the priest class of Celt. By the way, there were no French in France at that time. I will get to that later. One tribe of Celts were the Bretons or Britons. Great Brittain, is named for the Briton Celts that immigrated to that Isle. They were the dominant culture at the time of King Arthur. Likewise Brittany France is named from same source. Brittany was not influenced by the Romans. The Welch and some in tip of Cornwall England are remnants of the Breton. One map does not show Celtic influence reaching North Germany. However , another map shows Southern Sweden called Gaeland. So maybe Celts reached Sweden via England. Today there exist a mostly non political alliance of the Celtic people: Brittany France, Cornwall, and Wales are one branch, and Ireland, Scotland, and Isle of Man constitute another. Ireland: The Celts blended with the aboriginals. One source said that some of the Goths who had settled in Iberia, moved on to Southern Ireland. About the same time the Vikings were raiding Northern Ireland, then settling in, resulting in two large kingdoms and two small kingdoms of differing people. Irish people today still speak of the "black Irish". So Ireland is a mix of aboriginal, Celt, Goth, and Norse people. At some time, a red hair mutation occurred in the Norse line. One story is that in one of the internal power struggles in Ireland, one side had more of the red hair. As it became apparent the red hairs were losing the struggle, they picked up and sailed to Scotland, bringing the red hair to Scotland. Scotland also was being colonized by Norse, as well as trying to invade Northern England. Britain: The Brit Celts were having a terrible time from the first to 5th century. Picts were invading from the North, Irish were invading from the West. Saxons were invading from the Southeast. Angles (Danish) were invading from the East. Norse were invading from the Northeast. For a while after Romans occupied Britain, they held the line. Half of the Roman army was withdrawn about third century to fight elsewhere. Two plagues ravished the country during that time. Final withdrawal of Roman soldiers occurred at beginning of fifth century. The King Arthur of history was born about 465. However, the earliest legend of Arthur was written by a Frenchman several centuries later and contained elements from different time periods and could have been a fabulous composite. More recent research gives a different version of the legend. In any case, at the time of Arthur, the Celts were more or less in power. Arthur united the Brits, possible made alliance with the Picts, and held the Saxon to a few colonies along the coast. After the death of Arthur, there was no organized resistance to the flood of Saxon and Angles into Britain. So, the country became Anglo-Saxon. I do not hear the phrase now, but when I was younger, the term Anglo- Saxon for white people of English descent was still used. The title WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) was in vogue. So around the beginning of the sixth century, Britain became Angle Land, since the Danish Angles dominated. Yes, today the word England is derived from Angleland. Angleland or England became a Danish territory, with some off and on self rule by a local king in small part of the South, until the Normans successfully defeated the Danish-English army in 1066. However, to keep the peace and avoid civil war, Dane Law still was the rule in Northern England for several centuries. The Normans were the ruling class and the Anglo-Saxon the surfs. There are many stories from that period, and some popular films. Shakespeare wrote several famous plays set in that period. The films Braveheart, Timeline, Lion In Winter, A Knight's Tale were set in that period from 12-14th century. Lion In Winter is based on Shakespeare's Henry II. England: These stories also have relevance for mainland Europe. When the Norman's successfully invaded England in 1066, they were the masters of part of what we call modern day France. Normandy France retains their name. Most of the states in "France" are named for the dominating historical tribes. The Normans also controlled several adjacent states in Western France. Henry II married Catherine of Aquitaine, and obtained the Aquitaine. Thus about half of "France" belonged to England or controlled at the time. The dispute that arose with the French part of "France", led to the 100 year war, which at first England was winning, but later lost all of their mainland territory. Many of the histories and stories seem to imply that the English were the invader in France, and were righteously driven out of France. But England owned the land fair and square. The French were the invaders. What the personal qualities of the commanders were I don’t know. Now, how did France get to be France? France: Now I need to double back some. I cannot relate an exact timeline because it would really be confusing. The Roman Emperor Theodosius I, was the last emperor of a completely united Roman Empire. By the fifth century, the Western Empire was falling apart. The last of the Roman army was withdrawn from England in the beginning of the fifth century. The various Celtic (Gaul) tribes were giving the Romans a hard time in Gaul. Romans began withdrawal from Gaul, but wanted to retain possession. Supposedly they tried to make peace with a Gaul united under one strong Celtic leader but failed. One version is that they hired Germanic Franks as mercenaries in Gaul. Another similar version is Romans made treaty with Franks to allow Franks to invade the Celts at same time Romans fought them. In any case as the Romans withdrew, Germanic Franks and other German tribes to lesser extent moved in to Eastern Gaul. Now it is ironic that for so long that the French have hated the Germans, their country is named for a German tribe. The Franks were from area in North of Germany but apparently expanded Southward around modern Frankfurt (Franks Fort) Germany. Rome: I won't go into much detail about Rome since it is a better known part of history. But at maximum extent it occupied England, Spain, France, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Southern half of Eastern Europe. On the Eastern front it butted up against the Persian Empire. There were off and on minor wars and disputes with the Persians. But after Christianity was made the state religion by Constantine at the Council of Nicea, dispute and war with Persia heated up to all out conflict. The war lasted 400 years until both Empires were depleted and exhausted. At the same time, the Western Roman Empire began losing out to the Germanic tribes. The Vandals sacked Rome and moved on to North Africa. The Goths moved into Rome and stayed for about 75 years. They acknowledged the Roman Emperor in Constantinople as their superior, but ruled in Italy. They were eventually driven out of Rome and merged with other Germanic tribes. Another branch of Goths were pecking away at the Romans in the East, but Romans made treaty with them as allies against the much worse nasty Huns that invaded Europe and threatened the Empire. The Goths had also become Christians, although as Arian Christians, not Orthodox. Arian Christianity was later declared heresy, and Goths later became Roman Catholic in the West. By the sixth century the Western Empire was in tatters. In the eighth century, over the issue of Iconoclasm, final relationship with the Eastern Empire was severed. However, by then the power in the West had shifted to Germany. In 962 German Emperor, Otto I, declared the Empire to be The Holy Roman Empire. This is another irony. The Holy Roman Empire was not Roman but German. It is supposed it was so named because by then Germany had become Roman Catholic, which had split from the Orthodox Church of Rome in the fifth century and severed all ties in the eighth century. Incidentally, that there was a Roman Catholic Church before the fifth century is a fabrication by the Roman Catholic Church. The Bishop of Rome was subordinate to the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church. There was no Pope as such until after the final split with the Orthodox Church, which the Bishop of Rome accomplished when the Empire divided in the fifth century. That is why the Pope is also called the Bishop of Rome: to give continuity back to the second or third century. It was the 400 year war with the Persian Empire, which exhausted and depleted both, that left a power vacuum for the new Islam to breeze right into, wasting no time taking all the Persian Empire, and much of the Roman, including North Africa and Spain. By the 12th century, only Greece and the city of Constantinople, and some of the Balkans and some of Eastern Europe remained Orthodox Christian. Constantinople fell in 14th century. Islam had much earlier taken Spain. The Turks took the Balkans and Hungary in the 15th century, but suffered such losses in Romania and Serbia, that Austria came to the assistance of remains of Hungarian Empire, and drove the Turks out of the Northern part of Balkans. Only Albania remained Islamic. But Serbia, Moldova, Southern part of Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Bosnia remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 19th century. Austria-Hungary declined to administer those areas because their Empire was already so big and full of people. Russia began taking interest however. I will continue in Part IVB about Vikings, Huns, Goths, and some more recent times. Part IVB Before I continue with the topic of Part 4, I want to relate some information I just read in the current copy of National Geographic, which I received a few days ago, 25 May. The article is titled The Birth of Religion, The World's First Temple. However, it is some of the information in the article which interests me besides the theme of excavation of oldest known temple. A hill site in Southern Turkey near the Syrian border, near the very old town of Sanliurfa, which Biblical scholars believe was the location of Abraham, was noticed in 1960, but passed over as thought to be an old fort ruins. In 1996, a German archeologist became curious and began excavation, which is still ongoing. He found a circular array of stone monuments vaguely similar to Stonehenge. I won't go into details. If interested read the article. However for my purpose, the site, named Gobekli Tepe (two dots over the o), is older than any other known monumental architecture, about 9,500 B.C.E. That predates the beginning of the Neolithic. By comparison, the Great Pyramids of Egypt began being built about 2500 B.C.E. The article contains some time lines and dates. Neolithic means "new stone", so refers to the New Stone Age. The Neolithic is associated with the beginning of animal domestication and a little later with cultivation of grain. The beginning of the Neolithic occurred in the "Fertile Crescent" of the land from the area around the mouth of the Tiger and Euphrates river mouth of Iran and Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. The mountains of Turkey are to the North and the deserts of Arabia are to the South. The period before the Neolithic is called the Natufian and is characterized by "hunter gatherers" and villages consisted of stacked stone huts with animal hide roofs, animal hide tents, or mud huts. Community size is estimated to be about 16 people. Pre-pottery Neolithic A is dated about 10,000-8,500 B.C.E. and is characterized by the firs domestication of goats and sheep at first, then pigs and cattle about thousand years later. Villeges consisted of mud brick huts, community food storage and consisted of estimated 90 people. Jericho noted in the Bible was Neolithic A dated 9600-7500 B.C.E. Gobekli Tepe is dated 9,600-6,200 B.C.E. Pre-pottery Neolithic B is dated about 8,500-6,500 B.C.E. and is characterized by development of farming. Villages usually consisted of multiroom homes, often connected and with hard roofs. Small walled cities sometimes later were developed holding up to maybe thousand people, although sometimes people might live outside the walled area and the walled enclosure used as a refuge. What I have stressed in former essays is that the size of communities is small beyond our conception. The whole population of the Middle East in the Neolithic would fit into one football stadium. Many of the confusions we have dealing with history relate to our not understanding population size. I have seen videos and photos of excavations of ancient villages. A whole village is smaller than one Hollywood actors home. The article raises questions of how can hunter gatherers living in small groups of less than 20 people scattered over large distances have come together to build Gobekli Tepe and why? The article also mentions the same thing I have said before. New finds are turning archeology (and anthropology) upside down. I just wish more resources were devoted to these fields rather than to war, welfare, construction and expansion of urban areas. Already many valuable sites are under a shopping center or apartment complex. People still idolize birth rate and fertility. Also agricultural areas are being destroyed for housing development. Pollution is becoming a major problem. Religions and political leaders encourage members to have more babies. World population has now reached 7 billion. Well, I could go on and on about this, but if you don't see it, you never will. ******************************** May, 2011 EVOLUTION AND SPREAD OF MAN-PART III SOME COMMENTS: When we speak of the early spread of humans , we need to realize that the spread was a slow process lasting thousand of years just for one group. Also, traditional anthropology states modern man flowed out of Africa about 20,000 years ago. Well, we know humans and humanoids were out of Africa long before that. The Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man were in Europe and Northern Asia at least 180,000 ya (years ago). There were early humans in Asia and SE Asia by then. I believe, and now there is some evidence that suggests a number of varieties of humanoids co-existed in Europe and Asia very early. I feel that there were more than one wave of human and humanoids coming out of Africa, and probably a constant trickle of individuals spreading out ever since humanoid and pre- humanoids began to walk on two feet, maybe even million years ago or more. We can observe the behavior of modern people, and the behavior of animals, especially carnivores and draw conclusions. Hunters follow the game. And as populations increase beyond what the food supply will support, some of the individuals move on. And maybe, even in animals, there are a few adventurous individuals that just keep moving. The spread of pioneers in our country's early days is an example also. I will use modern place names mostly for ease of understanding. Place names were usually different in ancient times. SPREAD INTO ASIA, SIBERIA AND EUROPE: Most likely a tribe or village would move a ways, or split as populations increased, and one part move on for new hunting grounds, or along the coast for fishing, maybe just far enough to find new game of fishing spots. Humans spreading to SE Asia probably took thousands of years as the "pioneers" from one group moved only as far as needed along the coast each generation. Hunters going inland after game may have moved farther with each move following game. How far and how fast probably depended on the game. Periods of drought resulting in scarcity would prompt movement. Game animals move as needed for grazing, and predators follow. We know there have been numerous climate changes all through Earth's history, that has prompted evolutionary changes and migrations. New conditions usually require new skills and adaptations. The earliest humans in SE Asia, some of whom still exist today, differ in appearance and sometimes skills from later arrivals. Stone age cultures still exist in isolated places. The Abo of Australia and some isolated tribes in the jungles and mountains in other places in SE Asia are mostly darker and shorter. They are rapidly disappearing due to contact with more modern people with more modern tools. The same is true in South America. I made two trips to Philippines in last 5 years, and the first one lasted 3 months. I traveled around Luzon, and becoming intimate with people. I learned some things relevant to what I am discussing. When the Spaniard conquistadors arrived in Philippines a few hundred years ago, the Philippines was populated by 100 different groups of mostly stone age cultures. Some showed some advanced stone and farming development. The Philippines are a collection of many islands, a few large, most small. Also the largest two islands are divided by several mountain ranges. One hundred different languages were spoken, not just dialects but languages. And the physical appearance varied. It is evident that the various native tribes came from many different places. The modern Philippine is a mix of the Spanish and the natives, the same like happened in Central and South America. Only the Nobility brought their own families. The commoner and soldier had to make do with breeding with the local women. It is not known why these primitive tribes migrated to the Philippines and other isolated places in SE Asia. Maybe they decided to move on and find new places as more advanced cultures began to dominate the mainland. But this is not just a study of history in Philippines. There exist in the hills still a few of the original natives, who have chosen not to mix with the Philippine. In one place I visited in the mountains, some of the natives, mostly the elderly, come down to trade and have become sort of a tourist attraction. Even though many of the original tribes have disappeared, their legacy lives on in the different languages spoken by the Philippine people and the genes of the original natives. The Spanish and later the Americans who won the Philippines from Spain in the Spanish American war came in conflict with some of the tribes, who had been converted to Islam by earlier Arabic missionary/invaders and immigrants from Indonesia and Malaysia, mostly in the Southern part. Islamic terrorists continue until the present with murder, bombings and kidnapping in the Philippines. Four states in the South have been granted Autonomy and self rule to the Islamics, but they continue the terrorism in neighboring states with the objective of taking all of the Philippines. Only a few years ago a large number of Western tourists were kidnapped from a resort on Middle Philippines. Two and three years ago in Mindanao two shopping centers were blown up and many people killed. One was in town where lived woman with whom I was corresponding and who had invited me to visit her. It appears that the different native cultures came from different places, some migrating over from China, some from various places in SE Asia, some from other islands in the Pacific. Some of the languages still exist today, but since the Philippines gained full independence, Tagalog has become the national language, as it is the native language of the area around Manila. And all business is conducted in Tagalog and English, and the TV is broadcast in Tagalog. But there are about 8 different languages spoken in Northern Luzon, the area in which I traveled, in addition to mostly unknown languages of some hill people still unabsorbed. Now about half the population of Philippines lives in or around Manila. The young come there for work or social reasons. They speak Tagalog and forget the mother tongue. In the provinces, some of the mother tongues are still spoken. One woman told me she cannot understand a word what her in-laws speak because she is from another area and can only communicate in the common Tagalog. English has been kept as second official language in Philippines, since until spread of TV, many provincials did not understand Tagalog, except as a foreign language taught in school. A similar situation exists in India, where English is the official language. There are about six distinct ethnic and language groups there, and the smaller groups refused to accept Hindi, the most common language, as a national language. It might be that these isolated natives are left from earlier waves or immigrants to Asia. And the taller Asians are second wave.. But in Asia, even the second wave differ. Look at China. People from Inner Mongolia, or Manchuria, differ quite a bit from Southern Chinese. Well, China only recently has become unified. There were several separate kingdoms earlier, plus annexed Tibet. Other SE East countries are also a combine of different original cultures. Many regional differences are now disappearing everywhere in world with the globalization and the immigration of people from one place to another. EUROPE AND NEAR EAST: From an ethnic point of view Europe is much more difficult to analyze, since there has been much mixing of the ethnic pot. Also, early remains are scarce since remains do not preserve easily in moist climates, as well as scavengers probably destroyed most remains. Neanderthal and Cro-magnon: Neanderthal remains have been found in Europe 180,000 year old. The ancestor of Cro-magnon had to have split off before that. Cro-magnon and Neanderthal have been found only in Europe, Northern Asia and the Middle East. Neanderthal disappeared sometime about 30,000 years ago. At least no remains younger than that found. Cro-magnon and Neanderthal did sometimes interbreed. Analysis of European and Asians show 1-4 % Neanderthal DNA. The earliest Cro-magnon remains are 35,000 year old. There is reason to believe that blue eyes and blonde hair originated with Cro-magnon. There is reason to believe that the earliest Europeans, of various varieties, ancestors of Neanderthal and Cro-magnon and maybe other long extinct or absorbed varieties, going back 300,00-600,00 had light or white skin. The mutation that created white skin may have been the motivation to go North out of Africa, since the hot African sun would have been uncomfortable. There is in fact a legend with one African tribe that God cursed some people with white skin, and so those people left Africa. The blue eyes and blonde hair of Cro-magnon is one reason why it appears today in some European, Russian and Siberian people. Cro-magnon genes have been mixed with other later arrivals throughout Middle East, Europe and Siberia. Since the Cro-magnon were ice age people, living close to the ice in the North, then when the glaciers of the last ice age receded in Europe, it is reasonable to assume that some of the Cro-magnon as well as variety of animals would have spread into the new vacant land of the North. This is why I feel that the blonde blue eyed Scandinavians and North Germans are the purest descendants of Cro-magnon. Later waves of modern man coming out of Africa may be the ancestors of the typical Mediterranean and Middle Eastern type, and the later immigrants to Asia. AMERICAS: Humans as well as animals have been crossing the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska for many thousands of years. As the ocean level rose and fell, there have been times where Siberia and Alaska were joined by land bridge. Most large animals in the Americas originated in Asia, some crossing many millions of years ago, some later. Ancestor cats have gone back and forth many times between Asia and Americas. Traditional anthropologists say the earliest man began crossing about 20,000 years ago as last ice age began ending. There were several windows of opportunity as enough glaciers melted to provide passage, but before all melted and ocean level rose. But there have been 4 ice ages in last 100,000 years. There is evidence that ancestors of some animals crossed to the Americas many millions of years ago, so there were land bridges also in the far distant past. It is widely believed now that the meteor crash 65 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs world wide and all larger life forms in North America and the Northern part of South America landed in and created what is now the Gulf of Mexico. There are human remains in South America older than 20,000 ya, so obviously man crossed earlier also, probably between each of the four ice ages. There is suggestion that oriental fishermen and women swept by the Japanese current landed in Mexico earlier than 20,000 ya. In the traditional immigration occurring after 20,000 ya, there seems to have been two waves of a number of various tribes. The fact of ethnic and language differences suggest many different people. The earliest immigrants seems to have gone Eastward and are ancestors of the Native American tribes in the Eastern part of Canada and USA. The second wave of immigrants went South and are ancestors of Western American and Middle American, and maybe some of the South American natives. Some split off either group and stayed in the North. It is interesting that the American Eskimo show racial similarities to Mongolian, Northern Siberian people all the way to original Finnish (Lappi) people. Other immigrants to Americas show different traits. EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST: Linguists note there were many many different original languages, most now lost. Once the land was settled, different ethnic tribes probably retained there own identity. Various tribes mostly kept to themselves, although there may have been customs of taking brides or husbands from other tribes, and the custom of sometimes adopting abandoned infants, as well as the occasional inter- tribal war in which men are killed and women are taken as slaves or wives. We see that in Africa and Amazon today. Even contemporary cultures are jealous of their identity, and wars fought over ethnic pride. Ironic that because of all the racial mixing to be discussed, the ethnic identity of Europeans is much more cultural that genetic. Even if trade between tribes (and there was probably much less wars than today), tribal identity as well as isolation allowed for language drift and distinct languages to evolve. Often when I read about this group moving into that area in early days, nothing is said about indigenous people already there. It seems the land still sparsely populated that the newcomers just found vacant land and eventually absorbed the original locals without incident. The stronger, or more technological, and the ones with horses just became the dominant, and more often fathering children on local women. RECENT TIMES (MORE OR LESS): One of the earliest noted were the Turks. The Turks probably originated about 3000 b.c.e in the Altay mountains of Western Turkestan called Sogdiana. The Turkic (Turkmens) included Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Khazars, Kyrgys, Hazara, Uyghurs, Tatars in Russia, Crimea, Ukraine, and Xiajiang, but not the Tajiks and Russians. Tribal Empires of the Turkic people include Uighur Empire, Turkic Kaganate, Kara-khanid Khanate, Great Seljuk Empire, Mogal Empire, Golden Horde, and Kazakh Khanate. The early Greeks are suspected to have originated in area now Iran, and migrated to Greece to escape the Turk expansion. Some of the Turkic Empires mentioned above occurred more recently, for example the Golden Horde, but I just lumped all together in last paragraph. HITTITES: Mdm Blavatsky identifies the rise of the Hittites as the onset of the Aryan Age or Age of Iron, and the end of the Atlantian Age. Although the Turks arose prior to that. The Hittites arose before 2000 b.c.e. by 1800 b.c.e. they had established empire in Anatolia (Turkey), displacing or absorbing an earlier Hattians, and extending into NW Syria, Lebanon, Upper Mesopotania. The Hittites are mentioned in the Bible and identified as Canaanites. The Hyksos who occupied lower Egypt and ruled Egypt for 100 year are considered to be Syro-Palistanian, and were either people fleeing Hittite or a branch of Hittites. The Hittites arose in an area around the Caucasus Mountains in lower Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. The Hittites included tribes named Aryan and Caucasian. The Caucasians spread Westward into Europe, but stopping short of Spain, British Isles and Scandinavia.. The Aryans spread Eastward as far as Northern India. Both absorbed local tribes as they went They do not appear to have been particularly warlike, just more advanced. Some say they were one of the earliest users of iron tools and weapons.. Because of their dominance they influenced the local languages. Our major language group is called Indo- European language group because of that. Similar root words can be noted in all European languages, (except the Basque), and in Hindi, Persian, Russian. Of course they spread their genes along the way. Unlike the Hittites, the Caucasians established no empire, but just absorbed and blended. It is the reason white people are named Caucasian. The Aryans influenced culture and religion in India. The Caucasians appear to have been brown haired and medium brown or hazel eyed, although undoubtedly had some Cro- Magnon genes. Have fun testing your friends. Ask them if they know why white people are called Caucasians or where are the Caucasus Mountains where Caucasians originated. It is ironic that "white" is called "caucasian", but the whitest of the white, the original Scandanavian, have the least amount of "caucasian" genes, and that lighter colored Afro-Americans, who have some "white" ancestors have a greater amount of true "caucasian" genes than the original ultra-white blonde, blue eyed Scandinavians. So, a medium dark Afro-American is more caucasian than a blonde Scandinavian, from a genetic point of view. There is much irony in history. Part IV to follow will be the more interesting and surprising discussion of European people after the Caucasian influx. April, 2011 EVOLUTION AND SPREAD OF MAN, PART TWO SOME BACKGROUND AND PRELIMINARY COMMENTS One Anthropologist stated that "Modern Man" came out of Africa 20,000 yeas ago. I think that there were earlier waves of Early Man coming out, and evidence that Modern Man evolved outside Africa as well as in Africa. There appears to be instances of parallel evolution. Also the term "Modern Man" is rather fluid. I used the term Pre-Modern Man in my last essay. Just what is meant by Modern? Ask a teen ager. He or she will say it started with the invention of the cell phone. Most older people will say it started with the invention of the Atomic Bomb in World War II. (Atomic energy was discovered before that. I will get back to that). Some will say it began with the Industrial Age in 19th Century. Historians usually equate the Modern Era with the invention of Writing and Early Civilization. Some refer to what they call the Age of Iron. This corresponds roughly with what Mdm Blavatsky calls the Aryan Age (which was preceded by the Atlantian Age. I want to make some comments about that since so much fiction has been written about that subject, including the crude fantasy film by Walt Disney). Anthropologist refer to Modern Man from a genetic point of view however. This puts the beginning of Modern Man about 20,000-40,000 years ago. So first I want to dispel many misconceptions people have about what I just mentioned. Granted some things are just not taught in school. ATOMIC ENERGY: Most people think Atomic Energy was discovered during WWII. I digress here, but that's OK. I observe just how ignorant most people are about history. And more than that, they don't want to know things. Now, I hated History in High School because it was boring and was concerned mostly with which Army or country beat which other Army or country in war. Most of what I have become interested in and learned about I did on my own. So, I don't mind sharing a little. Some have said about "those who do not remember history will be doomed to repeat it". I certainly notice politicians and leaders making the same mistakes over and over in history. Like the TV promo says: "The more you know". OK, so here are some facts. Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1875, and studied Uranium in 1995. Piere and Marie Curie studied Uranium starting in 1895. Max Planck studied radiation and atomic theory starting 1899. Ernest Rutherford studied radioactivity starting in 1899. Albert Einstein wrote his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905, and wrote a comprehensive treatise on Atomic Energy about 1915. Niel Bohr described Quantum Theory in 1913. It is quite possible that ancients may have known things, although probably couched in religious or metaphysical symbolism, that has been "lost". Certainly we know much was lost due to the Christianized Romans destroying the Library at Alexandria, and burning or destroying all which was different from the officially accepted version of Christianity, as well as murdering all who disagreed or did not accept their new Christianity, or who studied history, science, or other religions. One example is that the folk at Alexandria not only knew the Earth was round, but Ptolomy, using geometry, accurately measured the Earth's circumference within 5% accuracy and estimated the distance to the Sun. They knew the Earth circled the Sun. Then for a thousand years, anyone who did not accept the official Christian belief that the Earth was flat and the Sun circled the Earth was burned at the stake, or otherwise killed. We learn in school about Christopher Colombus who in 1492, after years of trying in vain to get a sponsor for him to sail West to prove the world round, only got the sponsorship because Queen Isabel had a crush on him. Very few believed him. We observe that highly developed Yogis seem to have supernatural powers. We see that the few remnants of high Shamanic practices connect with forces and energies outside the purely physical. For example, the ancient traditions of the Amerindian and Australian Abo. Psychic energies and forces underlie all life. Various talents crop up all the time in people of all sorts. Primative cultures seem more connected to subtle forces and seem more in tune with subtle forces. This may be partly genetic, but I am sure it has to do with living closer to nature, not being distracted by the noise of the "modern" world, and the distractions of civilization, and the corruption of modern religious practices. Primitive cultures centered around their shamanic religions to a great degree. There was also the time of the White Goddess in pre-history in parts of the world, and the Wiccan and Gaian religious practices. But its also true that the more "sensitive" and intellectual individuals have suffered and died to a greater degree due to the wars and slaughter that has characterized the "modern" world. In other words, we may be suffering a genetic setback on the Evolutionary roadway. It has been noted from Cro-Magnon skull measurements, that the brain size of Cro-Magnon appears to average 1500 cc, where modern man brain size averages 1300 cc. Sample size may be small that we cannot be too sure of accuracy, but it suggests that we have lost some potential since Cro-Magnon. So, this does suggest that ancient mankind may have had better psychic connection, although like today, may be limited to the more advanced. ATLANTIS: Plato mentioned that an Island of Atlantis did exist in the Mediterranian Sea. That mention was all but forgotten until Madam Blavatsky in about 1888 mentioned that Atlantis did exist (however she said it was a continent that sank 850,000 years ago, giving rise to the Atlantis legend). She named the Era prior to the current Era the Atlantian Age, or Age of Atlantis. Much has been spun off about it. Fictional themes about Atlantis often tell of mystical powers, or fantastic civilizations. This is mostly imaginative Caca. There is a grain of truth however. As mentioned in the last paragraph, we may have suffered some losses in the present Era. Several models tell of a period of decline, fall from Grace, or fall from a Golden age or whatever. We must remember also that the description of Era or Ages is a model. It is not like one day the world was Atlantian, and the next day the world was Aryan. Also, it is not the same everywhere. There are still a few stone age cultures in the World. And in the modern world there are more than a few individuals whose mentality is still stone age, even if they drive a Mercedes, sit on corporate boards, hold political office, or make 50 million dollars a year as film actors or sports stars. Madam Blavatsky's time line seems off a lot. And her comments about different blood lines being at different levels of Evolution was worded poorly and sounding racist to some people. But she asserts we are ALL one Blood and Species, all one Brotherhood, regardless of differences. And as we will discuss, several bloodlines may have been separate for 100,000 years or more. Madam Blavatsky thought that man arose much, much further back in time, ans Atlantis was a continent which sank beneath the ocean 850,000 years ago so that the sinking of Atlantis, if true, occurred near the beginning of the Atlantis Age, not the end, by modern time lines). It is true that fossil evidence found in the 20th century supports the idea that primates in general and man in particular arose much later and much more rapidly than earlier thought suggested. So here's the skinny. We do not have to go to fantasy to learn about Atlantis. Ancient Egypt, Babylon, and ancient China and India are examples of the final phase of the Age. Although there were emperors, the age is characterized by a religious and spiritual dominated culture that began with the cave man's first wondering about the forces of nature and the development of Shamanism. Exactly when that started is unknown. But Shamanism is the root of all modern religions. Even the Roman and Greek gods started out as personifying forces of nature and human personalities. There was also a high culture in Crete, and on the island of Atlantis. Atlantis was completely destroyed by gigantic volcano explosion, and it disappeared beneath the sea. Geological history does record that an island was destroyed in the Mediterrian that way, although recorded history relates nothing about that island. Some speculate that Atlantis existed in the Atlantic. The Island of Atlantis did not, but since we identify the Atlantian Age with Shamanism which has existed world wide, and covers a span of a million or more years, and the Island of Atlantis is identified with the final phase of the Age of Atlantis, then we assume that the Atlantis Age is a state of mind, not a place. Blocks of carved square stone have been located beneath the sea near Burmuda, which cause some to speculate Atlantis was there. Also, the traditions of the MesoAmerican cultures such as the Aztec and Mayan speak of a prophet who came from foreign lands long before the rise of their culture and taught religion, philosophy and metaphysics. I met with one author about 40 years ago who published a book about the connection between Mayan and other MesoAmerican cultures and ancient Egypt. Others have speculated the same. So, it not too much stretch of imagination to speculate that there was connection with an Atlantian culture. But remember, that for the bulk of the Atlantian Age, society was non-techno, starting with Cave Men and slowly developing through Agricultural societies. An Age starts with Crude expressions and inquiry, develops throuth highly successful practices and rituals (the high point of shaminism), and ends with overly superficial expressions and less true understanding, as in Egypt where bigger and bigger pyramids and monuments were made, but less understanding of what they symbolized, and a priest class more concerned with ritual and material wealth. Those that kept the ancient truths had to become more secretive (as the Thebes Brotherhood did in Egypt, and the TransHimalyan Brotherhood did in Tibet). The Ayrian Age began with the crude outpouring of conquest with the new weapons (tools) of Iron, and progressed to our Industrial Age, and hopefully on to the sub-era of "Appropriate Technology", and new concerns of Ecological balance.. No record remains of any older real civilizations. However since they were not "technological", they would have left scant remains. Before Babylon , there was Sumer, like the Old Kingdom in Egypt, before 3200 years ago, there was less construction of monumants but more metaphysical reality. Some Judo- Christian scholars think their "Garden of Eden" legend had its inspiration or really existed in the beginnings of the Sumer culture. There was found in Iraq some years ago, impressions made in clay, like many of the oldest tablet writings, of what is felt is one of the oldest found writings to date, which was named the Culhar Fragments. It tells of a story of a civilization "ancient at the time of the telling". So here we have the oldest known writing telling of a civilization ancient even at that time. Of course it could have just been a "story". ARYAN: Madam Blavatsky named our current Age the Aryan Age. Describing that will be getting ahead of ourselves a bit but does get back around to the main topic. That term has been sadly misused and misinterpreted as well. Some of the readers will recall how Adolf Hitler used that term. Hitler had read Occult literature and was trained in Black Magic, which interprets things backwards. He proceeded to twist, turn upside down and grievously misuse what he read. Besides, Hitler was functionally insane. The real inside story of Hitler is not a secret now, although few know about it, and would be surprised. But that is a whole different topic, so I won't elaborate on it now. But I will describe what is really meant by Aryan. About 2000 years ago, there was a great outpouring or warriors from the region now know as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, formerly in Soviet Russia, and adjacent Southern Russia. This was something quite different from the previous Empires of the Late Atlantian Age which slowly grew. And this type of warrior conquest was repeated by other groups since then, and later by gross Empire building, usually by military conquest, and as time went on large and larger scale wars. This new thing is sometimes called by others the Age of Iron. Blavatsky called this new thing the beginning of the Aryan Age. The name is derived from the fact that three of the groups of tribes from this area were the Aryan, Caucasian, and Hittite tribes. The Aryans went East conquering all, spreading their seed, and absorbing local tribes as far as India. They changed the nature of civilization and religion of India, but were absorbed. It is generally thought it is the reason why in India today, that the people in the North of the country are tall, and the further South you go in India the shorter and darker are the people, since the Aryans came in from the North into India. But there is still some dispute about it, somewhat because of pride. The Indo-Irianians were also descended from Aryans. The Hittites migrated into Anatolia (Turkey) and displaced or absorbed prior residents, extended their empire into Syria, Lebanon, and Mesopotamia. They are mentioned in Homer's Iliad. They are mentioned in the Bible and identified, rightly or wrongly, with Canannites. The Hittites, unlike the other two groups of tribes, actually established a kingdom, although were also known for raiding. The Hyksos who migrated into Egypt and established rule in Lower Egypt for 100 years are thought to be Syro-Palestinians and could therefore be Hittites or Syro-Palestinians fleeing Hittite expansion. The Caucasians spread West, overrunning Europe. They created no Empire, but they spread their seed and language throughout Europe except for Iberian peninsula. Their influence appears to have been less in Scandinavia. The Caucasians apparently were brown haired. Do you know that the reason white people are sometimes called Caucasians is because of that!!!! That is another example of what I mean. What? Many people who call themselves Caucasians, don't know why or where the term originated. Duh!!! Their overrunning and absorbing almost all is why, in description of language, our major language group is called the Indo-European language group. Root words and similarities in language can be observed from India to all European languages including Russian. There are some notable differences due to later migrations, and the one notable exception is the Basque language, due to the fact that being secure behind the Pyrenees mountains they, or at least some of them, missed out on all the fun and games of conquest, wars, rape and pillage going on for a long time. Once, their tribes were the original inhabitants of all of "Spain". To this time they retain a portion of their original territory in NE Spain (although part of Spain) in spite of the OsterGoths, later Romans, later the Arabs, and finally the French (who liberated Spain from the Arabs). Even today, they still speak their own language in their homes, and want their independence, which has lead to some civil problems for Spain, which like almost all nation,s will fight rather than grant anyone independence. One thing to remember about ancient times, is that the world's population was very small compared with today. What might be described as masses of people in ancient times would seem like a handful to us. Some of the ruins of ancient towns uncovered are smaller than the homes of some of our rich film actors. Villages over run by Hittite and Caucasian warriors in Europe at the time may have consisted of 10-12 huts. EVOLUTION OF MAN: It was previously thought that various pre-human Australopithecus species (4 to 2 mya {million years ago}) gave rise to the first human species Homo Habilis or "Handy Man" (oldest remains found about 2.3 mya) which gave rise to H. Erectus or "Upright Man", which gave rise to H. CroMangum about 40,000 years ago, and the first H. Sapien about 20,000 years ago. It now is revealed much more complicated. A new species of Australopith, A. Sediba, with small ape brain and long monkey like arms, has more evolved hips like H. Erectus but dated as 1.9 mya, younger that the oldest H. Habilis find. Remains earlier than Australopiths, named Ardipithecus Ramidus (4.4 mya) have been found that some feel are the common ancestors of man and chimpanzees. Others think "Ardi" is a side branch. The well publicized "Lucy" was an Australopithecus Afarensis. There are at least 6 species of Australopithecus. Four are identified as "Graciles", and two as "Robustus". In Part one of this series, I described how the Robustus drove the Graciles out of the jungle, which stimulated evolution. A bone fragment found recently in Siberia 40,000 year old has mitachondrial DNA so different from CroMagnon or Neanderthal, that researchers feel a common ancestor must be 1 million years ago, taking that back to earliest human days. This suggests human and maybe pre-human ancestors or side branches have been coming out of Africa very much earlier than traditional thinking had suggested, and that there were side lines of humans co-existing in Europe and Asia, and maybe interbreeding. If we could do extensive DNA research on present day humans and on all fossil finds, I think there would be surprises. And I think if we can find more remains of fossils, there will be more surprises. Of course now, there has been extensive interbreeding between various tribes, especially in Europe, DNA samples would be confusing. I would like to see studies on the Orangutan of SE Asia. How did it's ancestors get there from Africa. And what is the DNA relationship with what we are finding now about our ancestors. PART THREE: I had planned this essay to be two part, but now find it needs a Part Three. To Be Continued. March 2011 Part I: Early Evolution; Part II: Modern Man PART I: EARLY EVOLUTION The jungles of Africa periodically shrank and spread with climate changes. Some five million years ago, overpopulation forced the more slender apes (graciles) onto the plains by the robust. This probably happened several times and maybe an ongoing thing. Some researchers think that earlier none survived. But at some point some survived digging roots and eating bugs or rodents they could catch. They found caves to shelter in. Life was severe on the plains. Mortality would have been very high. It might have been many thousands of years before more than a handful survived. Survival required more smarts than required in the jungle. Only the quickest and smartest survived. Changes occurred by mutation. Maybe there were times of severe solar storms that caused increased mutations. Most mutations are fatal or non adaptive. But sometimes mutations are favored, like increased brain size, upright stance, loss of body hair. There were apparently a variety of early pre-men. Maybe some got a more upright posture, allowing for faster running after game. Some with larger brains, figured out new ways of doing things or seeing value in things they find, like flint with sharp edges or fire hardened sticks or taking embers from wild fires back to their caves to make their own warming fire. Loren Eisley felt larger brain and upright stance came all at once with a mutation called Neotony. But there is fossil evidence of pre-men with upright stance but no large brain, and other evidence of pre-men with larger brain but no upright stance, so there was some variety. Maybe cross breeding produced some of the offspring with advantages of both parents. Whatever, eventually we had the earliest "men" with upright stance and somewhat larger brain who were using primitive tools such as sharp chipped flint and fire hardened pointed sticks, which allowed hunting larger game. Man continued to evolve over millions of years and spread through Africa from the earliest times around the Olduvai Gorge. There was some publicity not too long ago about "Lucy", the fossilized remains of a woman 3.2 million year old, who was touted as the common ancestor of all humans alive today. But there were older upright but small brained tool using fossils 4.4 million years old. Gomg that far back, we are probably related to all of those million plus year old pre-humans. We don't know for sure that man evolved around the Olduvai Gorge area. It is just that the gorge cliffs which are 5.3 million years old have provided much and the oldest fossils. There is little that is older. But the deepest levels show a very primitive pre-man, probably not much removed from common ape ancestors. It is believed that a pre-modern man began to spread out from Africa about half a million years ago. It appears that some spread along coast lines to Asia, maybe preferring fishing. Some spread inland, maybe preferring hunting large game. There is a suggestion from the advent of proto-Neanderthal that very early man must have been in Europe at least 350,000 year ago, although no fossils have been found that early in Europe. There were pre-modern men in Asia and Europe. The earliest fossils of a pre-modern man found in Australia dates 140,000 year ago (Mongo Man). Fossils do not survive in moist jungle areas, so it is guess work about earlier habitation in SE Asia. But since Australia is sort of "end of the trail", and the spread took many thousands of year, then pre-modern man would have been in Asia long before Australia, and before that in India and Northern Asia. The ancestors of the modern Australian Bushman, who are more evolved, arrived much later. An almost modern man is believed to have evolved in East Africa about 100,000 to 200,000 years ago, and spread out of Africa about 60,000 years ago. There seems sometimes to be conflicts in dating, due to the fact that we don't have solid continuous fossil evidence. So sometimes we have to use intuitoion to fill in the gaps. Like one set of evidence is that pre- modern man was in Europe 350,000 years ago. But other evidence suggests he emerged from Africa 200,000 year ago. Well, both could be true. Two different lines. And maybe in Europe they merged. I think that much of the arguing between different anthropologists, is the lack of some to use their intuition and imagination to fill in the gaps or see connections. This is true among researchers in many different fields, from physics, to psychology to metaphysics. Sometimes even very intelligent scientists and historians do not see what is right beneath their noses. And most common people "see" very little of anything. Researchers feel that the earliest proto-Neanderthal traits appeared between 600,000-350,000 years ago and complete Neanderthal traits appeared about 180,000 years ago. The significance of this is that Neanderthal appears only in Europe, the Western Mediterranean, and Siberia. Therefore the common ancestors of Neanderthal and pre-modern man must have occurred at least 350,000 years ago in Europe. Neanderthal did not occur in Africa. The first homo sapiens (Cro-Magnon, or European modern man) appeared about 80,000-50,000 years ago in Europe. Cro-Magnon spread throughout Europe, Siberia and the Middle East. Another implication is that races of a modern man (homo sapiens)evolved independently in Asia (and maybe other places), since pre-modern man was there before Cro-Mangon arose in Europe, and Cro-Magnon did not spread to Asia except Siberia. There are still isolated tribes of primitives living in Asia that in appearance are quite different from Cro- Magnon. In Philippines in the hills and on isolated islands are still some. I have seen them myself when I was in Philippines. They are very short. And skin tone and facial features varies from one part of Philippines to another. There were originally about 100 different tribes which had immigrated from different places to Philippines with distinct cultures and languages. The Spanish conquistadors (mostly men) who colonized the Philippines used the natives as agricultural slaves and interbred with them, producing the modern Philippine. Some of the original tribal languages are still spoken in the homes, and Philippines still distinguish between people with different tribal heritage. Now with almost half the population living in and around Manila, distinctions are becoming blurred. Tagalog, which was the language in the area that became Manila has become to national language. There are 10-12 different languages still spoken on the island of Luzon alone in addition to the national Tagalog. English is the second official language spoken by educated people, and many in urban areas. There are similar situations in a few other parts of Southeast Asia, and in Oceania. The natives who immigrated to Philippines many thousands of years ago from many different places differ from the Asians and Oceanians in the places they came from, indicating that later waves of modern or pre- modern man spread throughout Asia. There was probably a great deal of crisscrossing of migrations in SE Asia and Oceania. The interesting thing about the Philippines is that it remained isolated from earliest times when the early immigrants came until the Spanish conquistadors arrived. So, it gives us a glimpse into early history of people. Either Cro-Magnon or an earlier type of man spread across the land bridge that existed between Asia and Alaska when the ocean level was lower due the ice accumulation in the glaciers. As the glaciers began to melt and retreat but before the oceans rose too much, tribes of primitives cross the land bridge from Asia beginning about 20,000 to about 12,000 years ago. Successive waves of immigrants dropped out to make their home along the way or spread onward. Some remained in the North, ancestors of the Eskimos, others went South or East. The earliest wave is thought to have gone East across Canada and Northern USA to settle in that area and the Eastern states. A later wave went South and settled Western USA, and into Central and South America. There are and were many different languages spoken by Native Americans in North America in about 6-7 major language groups reflecting the different waves of immigrants. The generic name for the primitive ancestors of all the tribes that settled the West is called Clovis Man, from one of the earliest fossil remains. Clovis Man was very destructive of the environment. Many species of large animals native to the Western hemisphere became extinct due their game hunting. More recently as the climate became more dry and desert and fewer species of large game were available, the Native American tribes learned to live more in tune with nature. . The are curious finds of remains of human habitation in Central and South America that predate any possible crossing of the land bridge 20,000 years ago. This raises some unanswered questions. One hypothesis is that since the Japanese current flows upward from Asia and across to North America and down the coast all the way to Central America, that early Asian fishermen (who must have had women with them) were swept along the current to Central America. Indeed, some of the natives of the lower Mexican coast display some oriental features. Another hypothesis is that since there have been 4 ice ages some very very early men crossed a land bridge many thousands of year earlier. This would explain how it seemed the spread throughout South America occurred so fast, when in fact they were already there. In Europe Cro-Magnon's mental superiority over Neanderthal eventually drove Neanderthal to extinction about 30,000 year ago. But there are fossils showing Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon interbred. Modern humans descended from Cro-Magnon have some Neanderthal genes (measured between 1 to 4 % in people of European ancestry). People of other backgrounds would also have Neanderthal genes if their ancestors bred with people of European ancestry. Neanderthal ranged throughout Europe except Scandanavia, in the Middle East and in Siberia. Neanderthal did not range into Africa or SE Asia. The extinct Neanderthal was not probably brutish in character, and some researches think they were gentle of nature. By the way, 4% is a very significant amount. Anthropology have been drastically rewritten in last 50 years. Both from new finds and from new tools such as DNA analysis. And there are still mysteries and unanswered questions. The race of 4 foot pygmies of Africa have become extinct only recently. And very recently a 2 foot tall fully developed human remains only 1000 years old was found in Indonesia. (So maybe the legends of Elves is not just fantasy). And we still are wondering about the 9 to 10 foot tall elusive and shy Sasquatch of Western USA. Recently a ten foot tall one was seen in hills of North Carolina. Reports exist as early as 1970 of sightings in North Carolina. The article I read said Sasquatch sightings have been reported at one time or another in all USA states except Hawaii. Maybe many are bogus sightings, but I am sure some are real. Photos and videos have sometimes been taken. Although, most of the video clips on internet are spoofs. Much joking and comedy has been made of BigFoot. The Yeti of the Himalayas are the same. Human evolution still has a long way to go. We are not "there" yet. Part II will describe a rough history of the migrations and conquests of modern man. January 2011 EARLY CHRISTIANITY: OBSCURE INFORMATION, Part II "Any Religion begins with a moment of transforming Truth. That moment quickly shatters into falsehoods and shame and stagecraft, bitter comedy, sometimes murder. Thieves catch hold of any chance for Power. The Early Years of Faith are best not too closely examined by its Faithful. But with the passage of enough time, the lie becomes truth again, the broken mirror flows together as though it were never liquid. The nasty commonplace facts erode away and leave the white marble bones of the myth, beautiful certainty beyond proof." -Kage Barker -The Life in the World to Come THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA, THE THERAPAUTAE AND THEOSOPHISTS As Alexander the Great approached Egypt as part of his design of World conquest, Egypt welcomed him as a liberator (from Persia). He was declared Pharoah in 332 B.C. E. In 331 B.C.E. he declared that a city should be built and called Alexandria. He declared that a Great Library should be built to house the wisdom of the world's philosophy and science, and should be a center of learning. When Alexander died in 323 B.C.E, probably poisoned by his countrymen who objected to his apparent desire to make Babylon his Capitol and his concern more with people of other cultures more than his native Macedonia. His close relatives and supporters were either murdered or fled. Ptolemy, his close friend and half brother went (fled) to Egypt and assumed the Pharoahship. Ptolemy and his son and grandson (all named Ptolemy) vigorously began the project of building the Great Library and accumulating documents. The Libraries of other places, like Athens, were borrowed and copied. All ships docking in Egypt were required to loan their libraries for copying. Alexandria soon became the world Center Alexander envisioned. Wise men, Holy men, Philosophers, Scientists, Historians from all over gathered there. There existed already in Egypt a mystical tradition. The Serapium, one of the centers of the Thebes Brotherhood apparently, was built there also. It became the center of the network of all who Know and were Known. The group of Religious persons there took the name Therapautae. They were healers among other things. The Magi of Babelon associated there also. Two branches of the Therapautae were Hebrews in Israel: one were the Essenes, the other the Therapauts. Mary and Joseph and some of their relatives were Essenes. The fact that Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus fled to Egypt (rather than some other place) to escape the Slaughter of the Innocents is no surprise. Mary and Joseph already had a connection there and knew there would be sanctuary. The whereabouts of Jesus during the 16 missing years is still in dispute. Most Christians just ignore the problem. Some hold He went to India and Tibet (wow, another Buddhist connection). But it is likely one of the places he would have gone is Alexandria. After all it was THE place for Holy men from around the world. It was a place for Him to study and meditate and exchange with other Wise and Holy persons. Gender Equality and Vegetarianism were practices of the Therapautae. Some of the Initiates were women. Hypatia, known as the last Theosophist, the last leader of the Order, was a woman. TheTherapautae renamed themselves Theosophists in about second century C.E. If I use the term Holy men, I mean to include women also. The Input of Buddhism Asoka (c 300-232 B.C.E.) began his rule in 270 B.C.E. and extended it over almost all of what is modern India with the final conquest of Kalinga in 362 being especially bloody. He felt much remorse over this and converted to Buddhism in 360. His Buddhism was very simplified. He just emphasized practical aspects of the Eight Fold Path and interpreted the Dharma as law, duty, righteousness, not killing animals or people, social welfare, observe ethical behavior, and religious tolerance. Two things he did which became noteworthy. One, he had constructed all over India many stone pillars inscribed with rules of ethical conduct and proper behavior. So today we see what he said without any distortions of time to spread Buddhism and Buddhist ethics throughout the world. This is how Buddhism spread to China, Japan, Korea, and SE Asia. But also some of these Buddhist missionaries came to the Middle East, influenced the Greek Mystery school founded by Pythagoras, with which Plato was later associated, joined with and contributed input to the Therapautae of Alexandria, and according to one tradition became the Nazarenes in Israel. Although the term Nazarene may have been a generic term for anyone practicing austerities. Nazar is a term for a person who goes to the desert, fasts, and meditates. I mentioned in Part I how the baptism of Jesus by John might have been an initiation into a tradition with roots in Buddhism. There is also another suggestion of Buddhist influence, besides the Essene connection of Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, and James, and others. The Disciple Thomas was known as the intellectual of the Disciples and His theological advisor. After the Ascension and the Disciples' split up and scattered, Thomas went to Sri Lanka and joined the Buddhists there. His activity with the Buddhists is recorded in Sri Lanka histories. The Second most Holy place in Sri Lanka is a place called the Footprint of Thomas. Early Christians Early Christians today are portrayed as devout believers living simple pious lives. In a sense they were more in tune with the teachings of Jesus. They consisted of small groups scattered around the Middle East. Eventually group leaders emerged and were called Bishops. But there was no Organized Religion. Each group differed from others. There were different versions of the Gospels, and some different customs. The groups argued among themselves over issues of dogma and which versions of scriptures were correct. The group in Rome developed a larger membership due to the greater concentration of population. The religion was spreading widely but not in large numbers by the fourth century, but it was not until the Council of Nicea in 325 when Constantine made Christianity the official state religion that Christianity could be called an Organized Religion. It is maybe ironic that the person responsible for organizing Christianity and maybe saving it from remaining a minor religious movement was not a Christian himself. Constantine was a believer in Sol Invictus (Apollo). It was because his wife, the Empress, had become a Christian in 313 that Constantine declared for Christianity instead of the more popular Zoroasterism, when he decided that for Rome to hold together it needed one state religion. Constantine's rise to power was marked by infighting, arguing over religion, rebellion, and wars. He wanted no more of that strife. More about the Council of Nicea in Part III. The Gospels Most researches feel the Gospels were composed sometime between 30 and 70 years after the time of Jesus. There is much dispute about who composed the Gospels and whether or when they were actually written down. It was reported in other scriptures that John was illiterate. Researchers also think that the Gospel of John is a composite of two or three different authors. Many researchers feel that the Gospel of Mark was actually the composition of John Mark, who was a disciple of Peter in Rome and was what John Mark remembered of Peter's teachings. Others think that Gospel was written later in Syria. Luke elaborates on Matthew and is considered a secondary source. The oldest written copy known is dated around year 200. It is probably the oldest written Gospel in existence. Matthew is the only Gospel describing the geneaology and early life of Jesus and was composed around year 100. It may have been that the Gospels continued as oral traditions that differing versions were held by different groups of believers. That no existing copies of earlier Gospels still exist may have been that Constantine, after deciding which versions were to be incorporated into a Bible, ordered all other copies burned. Because there is much controversy, anyone serious about this should do their own research. Since the Council of Nicea, the Bible has undergone revisions and editing also. The Cross The Crucifix and Cross, which are almost universally used today as symbols of Christianity, did not come into existence until much later. Early Christians used the fish symbol, undergoing a revival of use, especially among Fundamentalists. After the Council of Nicea, the Chi Rho symbol which had become the emblem of Constantine in 313, and the emblem of Rome when Constantine defeated his final rival in 324. It became the official symbol of Christianity in 325. The earliest depiction of any cross was on the ceiling painting of the Cathedral of Ravinna, painted between year 533-549. Jesus is depicted below with a flock of sheep. The first known Crucifix was a stylized bronze Irish book cover, hardly recognized as a crucifix, sometime in the 8th Century. Another book cover of the Lindau Gospels dated 870 showed a crucifix. The first known crucifix in a church is a wood carving, the Gero Crucifix, dated 975-1000 C.E. in the Cathedral of Koln (Cologne). The crucifix was never a really very popular item until quite recently. Only large Cathedrals with large budgets could afford a sculpture. Simple churches used a simple cross. Part Three: next month will describe more about the Establishment of Christianity, starting mostly with Constantine and the Council of Nicea. December 2010 When the Master points, the Wise student looks where the Master points; the ignorant person and the animals look at the finger!!! EARLY CHRISTIANITY: OBSCURE INFORMATION PART I Many modern Christians know very little about their own religion, except what is repeated from their version of the Bible by their preacher, who may or may not know much about their own religion. Faith is another thing. Faith can work, even if the facts are wrong. So, I will not get involved with the issue of Faith. I might describe myself as a Theosophical Buddhist Christian Unitarian. I respect Christians whose religion makes them a better person and practice Christian virtues. I do not respect people who call themselves Christians but who talk the talk but do not walk the walk, who are prejudiced, narrow minded, hypocritical, and intolerant. I can enjoy the Christmas season, regardless of how the customs originated. A true Christian is known by how they live their lives, not by what they think they know. NAZARETH: Modern Christians usually call Jesus "Jesus of Nazareth", where Nazareth is a town His family was supposedly from. The Gospel of Luke found in the current versions states it was the home of Joseph and Mary. The Gospel of John states however that the Holy Family went to Nazareth after returning from Egypt, supposedly to fulfill the ancient Hebrew prophesy that a savior will come out of Galilee. However the word Nazareth does not appear in that form until about the 4th Century. The first historical record of a town in that location appears about year 200. Archeological excavations of pot shards shows there was some habitation earlier however. The town was called "en Nizira", "Japhia", "Nazaret", "Yaftien", or "Nasra". Place names were fluid due the many dialects and languages of the early people. So Jesus might have been called "Jeshua ben Nasra", but NOT "Jesus of Nazareth". There is another version of the origin of the word Nazareth. Jesus was Baptized by a John, who Christians now call John the Baptist. He may or may not have been called that at the time. What is known is that John was a Nazar, which means a person who fasts, meditates, and practices austerities, usually alone in the desert. A group of people practicing austerities were called Nazarenes or Nazarites. Baptism or ritual cleansing was a first initiation. The ritual cleansing of Jeshua (Jesus) by John was an initiation as a Nazarene. One tradition states that the Nazarenes were occupants of the Qumran site near the Dead Sea, which is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were located. Most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were copies of the Old Testament of the Hebrews, a few of which differed greatly from the versions in the Bible today. But some of the scrolls dealt with internal matters of the group, one of which suggests John was a member. Jesus later went into the desert and fasted and meditated just as was done by the Nazars. So, it is possible that Jesus was called Nazareth later due to his being a Nazar, rather than being from Nazareth. Although it is also possible that since Nasra was at most a very small village, then it could have been occupied by Nazars or their families. Nazarene may have been a generic term for persons who practiced austerities. Many researchers think the group that occupied the Qumran site were Essenes, one of two sects that were Hebrew but kept apart from mainstream Hebrew culture, practiced austerities, and had ties to the Therapautae of Alexandria. Another tradition states the Qumran site was occupied by descendants of Buddhist missionaries from India who came about 250 B.C.E., who were known to have been sent out in all directions by Emperor Asoka, who converted to Buddhism in 260 B.C.E. (It was these missionaries that spread Buddhism to China, Japan, and SE Asia about the same time.) CHRISTMAS: Christmas is celebrated in the West today on 25 December as the birth date of Jesus. The Orthodox Church celebrates on 6 or 7 January*. But the early Christians had no idea of when Jesus was born, and cared less. The date of 25 December as the birth date of Jesus was an invention of some Bishop of Rome in about the 3rd century to compete with the Saturicon (or Saturnalia), which was a very wild time of excesses of violence, rape, uninhibited sex, property damage, and public drunkenness during 17-25 December in Rome. 25 December was considered the beginning of the Solar year, the New Year. Actually the Sun reaches its Nadir on 21 December, but the Sun appears to remain stationary 17-25 at the Nadir with the primitive instruments of the Romans. This period was called the graveyard of the Sun. Then the Sun was born again on 25 December. It was an annul time of permissiveness for blowing off steam permitted ordinary citizens (as well as nobility) who lived poor lives the rest of the year. Besides the violence, it was especially obnoxious to the Christian leadership to have good Christian girls indulging in uninhibited sex during that week. So Christmas was invented, and Christians were told they must fast and pray the week before Christmas. After Christianity became the state religion of Rome, Saturnalia became official Christian holiday, and Christians were allowed to party the week before Christmas (but of course in a much more restrained manner without the violence and sexual excesses). Todays vestige of Saturnalia is the New Years Eve partying. A few Christian sects ban Christmas celebration because they know of its pagan origin. The Puritans of our history also banned Christmas observances. BIRTH OF JESUS: The earliest Gospel to be written down in about year 65 was that of Mark, which begins with the Baptism of Jeshua (Jesus). Early oral traditions had no mention of His birth. Because of this some scholars, admitting there was a Jesus who taught 30-33 CE, and was crucified, feel the stories of His birth and early life until about age 14 which were written later are entirely fiction but written to fulfill ancient Hebrew prophesy. There are discrepancies in the Gospels later written down. Luke 3:1,23 states Jesus was 30 in 15th year of rule of Tiberius, making Him born in 28th year of Augustus rule. Luke 1:5 states Jesus was born in the days of Herod, but Herod died in the 24th year of Augustus rule. Our current calendar supposedly starts with the birth of Jesus. However Dionysius Exigous who converted the Roman calendar to a Christian one made a 6 year error. Also, strange as it seems for the great engineers Rome produced, Romans did not believe in a zero. Minus one was followed by plus one. Thus, Jesus would have been born in year 7 B.C.E. according to our modern calendar, which is equivalent to year zero. This means the Millennium would have begun 1993, not 2000. The earliest mention of a birth date of Jesus was by Clement (Titus Flavius Clenens, 150-215), Bishop of Alexandria, a remarkably intelligent person. He felt Jesus was born 18 November. The Depascha Computus, believed written around year 243 states Jesus was born 28 March. Fairly recently, Joseph A Fitzmyer, Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Catholic University of America and former President of the Catholic Biblical Association, and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission guesses Jesus was born 11 September 3 B.C.E. (incidentally making Him born under the sign Virgo (the Virgin). In 1968-1970, I subscribed to a monthly magazine, American Astrology. One month there was an article by a noted Astrologer, who attempted to combine known facts with Astrology. (We know the Magi who traveled to meet newborn Jesus were Astrologers). In the year 8 B.C.E in September, three planets came close together, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Astrologers could calculate that these planets would come together again so close they appeared as one bright star in the sky on April 7 of the next year (7 B.C.E.). Also related facts are that shepherds grazed their sheep outside in the Spring, not in Winter. The Magi, who would have taken some time to gather, organize, and travel to Bethlehem, could not have just popped over to Bethlehem suddenly when a star appeared. Magi refers to the Wise men of Babylon. The other two probably came to join the Magi and travel together. How they selected Bethlehem is not known. Maybe their Astrology hinted that was the place. But also as I will discuss later. Both the Magi, and Mary and Joseph (who along with relatives were Essenes) had connections in Alexandria. Word probably had gotten around about what was anticipated. So, anyway, I feel that 7 April B.C.E. (which does correspond to year zero considering the calendar error) is a reasonable choice of a date. Also, I think Jesus did exhibit some Aries-like traits. VIRGIN BIRTH: Jesus today is considered to have been born of a virgin, according to contemporary meaning of the word virgin. In ancient Hebrew language, a virgin was an unmarried girl. Of course in the strict patriarchal Hebrew culture, no respectable family let their unmarried daughter roam free, so they were probably intactus. However there are other things to consider. In ancient cultures, especially from India (later I will explain how Christianity has been influenced by and is connected to Buddhism), the soul or spirit is considered to enter the fetus at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy. There are those that still celebrate their birth dates as 6 months before physical birth. And the official birth date of some Holy men is the same 6 months before physical birth. This is the time when the nervous system of the fetus is developed enough to "quicken". It is interesting that modern medical practice takes the same view. The laws on abortion in most US states allows abortion only in first trimester. The fetus becomes a person after three months. In some cultures, an aborted fetus receives a name if after the first trimester, but not before. Well, according to this discussion then, the Annunciation to Mary by the Angel would have occurred at the end of the first Trimester of pregnancy. This eliminates the whole dispute about the virgin birth of Jesus. The bottom line is it does not really matter. What matters is the Message, not so much the Messenger. CHRISTMAS TREES: The use of Christmas trees and decking the halls with boughs of holly and other evergreens was adopted from the Norse and other pagan religions of the North when Christianity invaded the Northern areas. Decorating the trees with lights and colored balls commemorates the Nature Spirits which appear like balls of colored lights to psychics which gather around certain fur trees in Winter. I have seen these balls of energy around a fur tree while hiking at night in Winter in the mountains. Some psychics see them as fairies. Some Christians do not put up Christmas trees because of the pagan origin of the custom. However many Christians are ignorant. Every year I receive several messages from devout but ignorant Christians who say people who do not put up Christmas trees are unchristian. My own mother was of this type, who called people unchristian who did not put up "Christmas" trees. Ironic, since Yule trees are from pagan origin. SANTA CLAUS & SAINT NICOLAS: In pre-Christian Rome, the most despised citizens were compelled to bring gifts and offerings at Saturnalia. But Nicolas, born 270, who became Bishop of Myra and one of the most senior Bishops at the Council of Nicea, gave gifts to the poor instead. Nicolas died 6 December 345 C.E. There existed in what would become Italy the custom of filling children's stockings with toys according to one pagan female deity. A group of sailors, who idolized Nicolas, in year 1087 C.E., thought up the idea of replacing the female pagan deity with Nicolas, thereby making the custom of giving toys on 6 December a Christian event. As the Nicolas cult spread North, and Christianity merged with the pagan German and Celtic religions, Nicolas took on the appearance of Wooden, who was pictured with a long white beard flying through the sky on a horse, and shedding his Mediterranean clothing for Northern Winter wear. In a bid to market Christianity to the Northern pagans, the Catholic Church adopted the Nicolas cult and changed the day of gift giving to 25 December. Nicholas was made a Saint in the 12th or 13th century, I think. In 1822, Clement Moore published a poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas", plagiarizing a Finnish legend of Juulo Pukki (Yuletide Clown), who delivered toys to kids in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Thus Saint Claus was invented, merging with the Nicolas tradition. Thomas Nast from 1862-1886 drew cartoon figures based on Clement Moore's poem. Our contemporary image of Santa Claus dates from a 1931 Coca Cola advertisement in full color depicting Santa Claus drinking a Coke. Even the word Yuletide (or Juletide) for the Christmas season and used by Christians is of pagan origin. Contrary to what some of our less intelligent Christians think, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, was NOT at the manger when Jesus was born. MISTLETOE: Norse legend recounts how the God Balder was killed by a mistletoe arrow. Druids used mistletoe to poison sacrificial victims. Christian use of mistletoe is a merging of the sexual license of Saturnalia with the Druid sacrificial cult. But mistletoe was also hung over doors to appease woodland spirits, and was used as a healing herb. (many herbs are used either for healing, a psychedelic, or as a poison depending on the strength of preparation). * I wondered why the Orthodox church celebrates Christmas on 6 or 7 January (depending on country). While researching this essay I discovered reason. It has to do with the difference between the Julian Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar. In ancient Rome, calendars were a mess. Length of the year and number of months depended who was favored. Months were added or deleted on whims. Julius Caesar, influenced by the Egyptians, designed a stable calendar in 45 B.C.E. In an attempt to allow for the Precession of the Equinox, one day was subtracted every 128 years. The Council of Nicea corrected the Julian Calendar in 325 C.E. so that the Spring Equinox always falls on 21 March. (more or less). This "modern" Gregorian calendar is what is used almost universally today. However, most countries still used the Julian Calendar until the end of the Middle Ages when they converted to the Gregorian calendar. But the Eastern Orthodox countries continued to use the Julian Calendar. So, 25 December, Christmas, in the Julian calendar is 6 or 7 January in the Gregorian calendar, depending how an individual country converts the dates. To accommodate those with short attention span, I decided to continue this discussion in Part II, next month. Any opinions or comments you may wish to make regarding Thomas' writings, you may send by contacting us. |
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