The Moon rules the months: this month’s span ends With the worship of the Moon on the Aventine Hill.
Fasti by Ovid
Cycle of the Moon, sketched from photo.
The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills of Rome, named after a mythical King Aventinus. It is the hill where Hercules pastured his cattle. They were stolen by Cacus. According to Virgil in his Aeneid, the monstrous Cacus lived in a cave on a rocky slope near the River Tiber. Cacus was the son of Vulcan, the artificer God. He was, also, a fire breathing Giant who eat human flesh and stuck their skulls on the door of his house. When Hercules wrestled with him, Hercules hugged him so tight Cacus’ eyes popped out of his head.
The worship of Minerva also took place on the Hill. You can take a Google Earth fly past if you follow this link – also some nice photos.
The Aventine Hill & Romulus
Aventine Hill in a detail of the ‘Panorama of Rome From the Janiculum Hill’ in miniature mosaics by Antonio Tesca 1800-25 , Gilbert Collection V&A Photo K Flude. You can see the Walls of Rome in the Background. The Tiber runs across the middle but is not clearly visible.
The Hill is famous in the mythology of Rome because it is associated with Romulus. He and his twin Brother Remus, were born to the vestal virgin, Rhea Silvia, in the pre-Roman City of Alba Longa, not far away. Rhea was the daughter of former King Numitor. Her uncle, killed Rhea’s brother and forced her to be a vestal Virgin. Thus ensuring Numitor’s line died out.
But, in her sacred grove she was put to sleep by Somnus dripping a sleeping draft into her eyes and then raped by the God Mars. This was a terrible breaking of the taboo for Vestal Virgins. Rhea gave birth to the twin boys. They had to be hidden from the wrath of their Granduncle.
The Palatine & the Lupercal
The Seven Hills of Room (Facebook)
The boys were saved by the River God Tiberinus and then by being suckled by a Wolf in a cave called the Lupercal, which is at the foot of the Palatine Hill in Rome. A ‘grotto’ under Augustus’ Palace on the Palatine, has been claimed as the original Lupercal, but it is disputed. (see www.digitalaugustanrome.org/records/lupercal/.
When the boys grew up, they helped their Grandfather (Numitor) reclaim the throne of Alba Longa. The boys, being the children of the War God, were obviously excellent at the art of war. Then they decided to found their own City, but they could not decide upon which hill to build it or whom to name it after (accounts vary!). Remus favoured the Aventine, Romulus the Palatine (some accounts say vice versa).
So they decided to let the Gods decide. Remus claimed to have won when he saw a flight of 6 auspicious birds. Romulus saw 12 and declared himself the winner. And Rome was named in his honour. It was on his choice of Hill – the Palatine Hill. The Aventine hill was, originally, outside the City boundary.
The two quarrelled. Remus was killed. This story was first written down in the Third Century BC. The traditional foundation date of Rome is 753BC. These mythical foundation stories continue are retold and celebrated. In Britain, we largely ignore our creation myths. Despite our legendary Founder, King Brutus, being a relative of Romulus and Remus.
The ‘Panorama of Rome From the Janiculum Hill’ in miniature mosaics by Antonio Tesca 1800-25 , Gilbert Collection V&A Photo K Flude. It took 20 years to make.
You didn’t think I’d leave you with just a detail of the superb map did you? And to see a much better photo of it look at the V&A’s photo. It is part of the Gilbert Collection which I introduced in this post.
First written in 2023 and revised March 30th 2024, 2025, Object of the Day added 2026
Palm Sunday (Yew Sunda) by Giotto. Entry into Jerusalem from the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padova (sent to me by Lucia Granatella)
Yew Sunday (Domhnach an Iúir in Irish) is the medieval name for Palm Sunday. This is the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph on a donkey, with palm leaves being laid in front of him. It has always been very curious to me, this triumph preceded such heavy and heartbreaking tragedy. It is the Sunday before the Betrayal, which leads to the Crucifixion on Good Friday and the Resurrection on Sunday. A busy week for the Church.
I got a little insight into the powers of the procession when on a Field trip to Nice with Students from Central Saint Martins College. We set the Students the task of creating an ‘art intervention’. They came up with the idea of a Procession to the Mayor. It was extraordinary how deploying a few placards, saucepans as drums, and some chanting could create an instant event,. It made people smile and join in, even if clueless about the cause!!
Palms
Palm Sunday can be celebrated by making crosses out of palms, or with processions bearing palm branches or eating special cakes. There is always room in any ritual for cake). But in the North, where do you get your Palms from? So, it was often substituted by Box, or Olive or Willow and particularly, in Britain and Ireland, by Yew. Yew is evergreen and is so long-lived as to be a symbol of everlasting life. (I wrote more about the Yew here). See also my post on Ash Wednesday.
Giotto Bondone
Giotto was a Florentine painter of the 14th Century of whom Giorgio Vasari, in his essential guide to the artists of the Renaissance, ‘The Lives of the Artists‘ said of the 10 year old:
One day Cimabue, going on business from Florence to Vespignano, found Giotto, while his sheep were feeding, drawing a sheep from nature upon a smooth and solid rock with a pointed stone, having never learnt from any one but nature. Cimabue, marvelling at him, stopped and asked him if he would go and be with him. And the boy answered that if his father were content he would gladly go. Then Cimabue asked Bondone for him, and he gave him up to him, and was content that he should take him to Florence.
There in a little time, by the aid of nature and the teaching of Cimabue, the boy not only equalled his master, but freed himself from the rude manner of the Greeks, and brought back to life the true art of painting, introducing the drawing from nature of living persons, which had not been practised for two hundred years; or at least if some had tried it, they had not succeeded very happily.
Written in 1550.
Giotto & The Development of Perspective
If you look at the painting, above. you will see, even the faces of the people are rounded and, and at least somewhat, individual. The crowd scene, particularly, to the right, has some depth. The people further away seem to recede from the viewer. This contrasts with the Byzantine style of paintings, where figures either float or seem to stand on or support themselves on each other’s shoulders. The Gate into Jerusalem has been rendered by an arist who has seen something that he believes has the key to realistic scenes. One day it will be rediscovered, and named single-point perspective.
Yes, Giotto doesn’t know the secret but he is working to find out what the trick is. The people in the trees are also in the distance. These are the giant strides that Vasari is referring to in the quotation above. Realistic people, in spaces with depth. The donkey is quite sweet too! Cimabue, Giotto’s Master was particularly good at painting Crucifix scenes.
For more on early attempts at creating perspective, see my post on Duccio and the Annunciation here.
Digital tour of the Cappella degli Scrovegni
The Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padova is a World Heritage Site decorated by Giotto and his team. They covered all the walls and ceiling with frescos. Depicting the Life of Jesus, the Life of Mary, and the Last Judgement.
Giotto, The Last Judgement. Cappella degli Scrovegni, In Padova. Wikipedia
Here is a real Digital Heritage treat – a 360 Degree tour of the Chapel! Follow the link below. If it seems to be taking a long time to load press the information button. Once pressed will allow the panorama to load immediately.
Marie Antoinette was about 28 when this portrait was made, She was about 10 years from her death by guillotine. The painting featured in the V&A’s exhibition about the Queen of France which has just finished. It was not my favourite V&A block-buster exhibition. I think mainly because I came out not knowing very much more about Marie, than when I went it. But I had seen countless extravagant dresses. Yes, she commissioned a lot of dresses, and as patron and model influenced French fashion. And, yes, she wasn’t the air-head of the ‘let them eat cake’ version of history. But I’m not much the wiser.
I’m more interested in the painter, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. This is what Wikipedia says about her:
‘She enjoyed the patronage of European aristocrats, actors, and writers, and was elected to art academies in ten cities. Some famous contemporary artists, such as Joshua Reynolds, viewed her as one of the greatest portraitists of her time, comparing her with the old Dutch masters.’
And I have never heard of her, I’m fairly sure nor have you! You might like to see my post on 17th female painter Mary Beale. My original shortlist for Object of the Day were these two items from the Exhibition:
Guilotine blade from the French Revolution, purchased by the sons of Madame Tussaud as the blade that killed Marie Antoinette. Photo Kevin FludeSketch of the Triumph of Liberty Hairdress, associated with Marie Antoinette. It is her most famous headress. Created to celebrate the victory of the French over the British Navy in the American War of Independence.
Both these objects did no favours to the Queen’s neck! And lastly, those a few of those dresses:
Centre piece of the V&A exhibition on Marie Antoinette, photo K Flude.
The Stormy Borrowing Days of March
Sir Walter Scott recorded that ‘the last three days of March are called the borrowing days; for as they are remarked to be unusually stormy, it is feigned that March has borrowed them from April to extend his sphere of his rougher sway.’
There are various traditions and poems that record the borrowing days, and this is in the Scotch dialect:
March borrowed from April Three Days, and they were ill: The first was frost, the second was snaw, The third was cauld as ever’t could blaw.
The Borrowing Days in Spain
There is a Spanish story which explains this a little more. A shepherd asked March to calm the winds to suit his flock of sheep, in return for a lamb. March compiled but, then, the Shepherd refused to hand over the lamb. So, March borrowed three days from April and made them fierce and stormy. Versions of this tale are known from Staffordshire, North England and Scotland. (Source ‘Weather Law’ by Richard Inwards 1994 (first published 1893).
Warm days at the end of March or the beginning of April bring the Blackthorns into bloom. This can be followed by a cold snap which is known as a ‘Blackthorn Winter.’
February 2023 in Haggerston Park, London showing early blossom (Blackthorn?) Photo K Flude
For more on blossom and Haggerston Park follow my link to haggerston-park/
On This Day.
Photo of cover of Chambers Book of Days
2024– I purchased the Chamber’s Book of Days, updated from the original 1864 publication, and began adding occasional ‘On This Day’ epilogues to my posts.
1461– The Battle of Towton, England’s bloodiest battle, in which Edward IV defeated the Lancastrian forces of Queen Margaret, thus securing the throne for the Yorkists. Margaret, her husband, Henry VI, and son, fled to Scotland.
1871 – Official Opening of the Royal Albert Hall
1912 – Captain Scott’slast entry in his diary.
‘We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far, It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.’
The expression ‘Mad as a March Hare’ comes from the displays of hare boxing that takes place as the Hare mating season begins. And no, it’s not the male March Hare fighting in the spirit of romantic rivalry. It is the female hares fighting off unwanted attention from the males. Hares are solitary creatures, and the mating season is, perhaps, particularly difficult for them. The Country File website has more on the subject. www.countryfile.com
Not only March Hares but March Kittens too
There are also March Kittens and March Chickens. Edward Topsell in his ‘History of Four-footed Beasts‘ 1607 says the best Kittens to keep are those born in March. ‘The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened‘ 1669 says:
‘Keep a black cock hatched in March as a protection against evil spirits: his crowing terrifies them.’
He also gives a recipe for Cock Ale:
Eight gallons of Ale, a boiled March Cock, four pounds of stoned Raisins, half a pound of dates, nutmegs, mace. Beat the ingredients in a mortar, add to two quarts of Sherry. Add to the ale. Stop it in a container for 6 or 7 days. Bottle it, drink after a month.
Very weird. I challenge my readers to try it and let me know how it goes?
Was the March Hare Sacred?
But it’s not only March Hares because the hare itself was a sacred animal. It was sacred to Aphrodite because of their prodigious ability to have offspring:
‘For you know, I imagine, what is said of the hare, that it possesses the gift of Aphrodite to an unusual degree. At any rate it is said of the female that while she suckles the young she has borne, she bears another litter to share the same milk; forthwith she conceives again, nor is there any time at all when she is not carrying young.’
Classical Texts Library. Philostratus the Elder, ‘Imagines’ Book 1.1-15 c 3rd Century AD. Translated by Arthur Fairbanks.
Divine Celtic & Neolithic Hares
Research reported by Exeter University suggests that hares were worshipped in pre-Roman Britain. Julius Caesar wrote:
“The Britons consider it contrary to divine law to eat the hare, the chicken, or the goose.”
‘The Battle for Gaul’ Translation by Wiseman, Anne, Wiseman, T. P. Published by Penguin Random House, 1980 ISBN 10: 0701125047 (TP Wiseman was my professor for Classical Studies at Leicester University).
Hares are thought to be the original Easter Bunny. But finding good evidence before Germany in the early modern period is difficult. There is a tradition that witches can be scared away at Easter. Exactly, how this works is not at all clear to me. But it has been said that witches could take on the form of a hare. So eating Hare Pie at Easter helps rid the land of the witches.
Jugged Hares
You could have a jugged hare. Jugging is cooking a whole animal in a container over water. Follow this link for a recipe for jugged wild hare. Remember, you are not allowed to shot or trap them on a Sunday or on Christmas Day! For a discussion of hares and folklore, click here:
Hare’s Feet Totems
A jointed hare’s foot was considered very lucky and a remedy against gout, stomach pains and insomnia. (The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore by Charles Kightly, which I have used several times in this piece.) You can buy one on eBay. (Don’t click the links, it’s not an advert but a picture of an advert). I remember friends having rabbit feet which they carried around with them for luck. The foot would often be on a key rings.
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (Johann Heinrich Hurter after Angelica Kaufman). Photo by K Flude of the miniature at the Victoria and Albert Museum
The Gilbert Collection has been re-displayed in the V&A in London. It has just opened, and is one of the most opulent displays you could hope to see! But, I loved this miniature of Georgiana. She was one of the richest women in Britain, a compulsive gambler, and a powerful political force for the Whig Party. And despite the Georgian Hairstyle the artist has contrived to make a very down to earth portrait. I can imagine bumping into her at the local Overground Station! She became better known after the bio graphy by Amanda Foreman, followed by the Film starring Keira Knightly. The Museum label says the portrait is ‘after Angelica Kaufman’. But I cannot find a Kaufman of Georgiana, that has this charming informality.
I have just heard news that the Arts Council wants to charge overseas visitors to visit our wonderful free national Museums, while allowing British Citizens free entry. Now, there are lots of arguments to be made about it, particularly in a time where money is in short supply. But, one result will be longer waits to get into Museums and Galleries. I am not sure how we Brits, are going to be asked to prove our nationality. If they have to inspect our Electricity Bills, Drivers Licenses, Passports, Library Cards, or Bank Statements, expect chaos.
One more object from the Collection is made of minature mosaics, and the V&A has several, But I have chosen this fabulous image of the Colosseum in Rome:
Colosseum by Domenico Moglia c1851
First published March 28th 2023, revised 2024, 2025. 2026 Object of the Day added and post revised 2026
Study for Lady Lilith, by Rossetti. 1866, in red chalk. Now in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Wikipedia) Lilith born at The Beginning of the Universe
This is now my most popular post. March 25th is the Annunciation—the day that the Archangel Gabriel tells Mary she is pregnant. (to see some very fine paintings of this meeting, look at my other March 25th post march-25th-feast-of-the-annunciation/). When I first wrote this post I was discovering how it all fitted together as I wrote. So I’m leaving it the way it was, proof reading and clarifying if necessary, but keeping the thrill of the discovery of the the significance of March 25th as the day that saw the Beginning of the Universe.
March 25th is also the anniversary of the birth of Adam and Eve (and Lilith); the death of Jesus Christ; the anniversary of the Immolation of Isaac; the Parting of the Red Sea; the Fall of Lucifer; and, (until 1752 in the UK) the beginning of the Year.
Of course, it isn’t. Or to put it another way, no one can, or ever could, prove any of these dates except 1752. So what they speak to is the way the Church saw the world as logically structured by God. Christian thinking about the year, the world, the universe, creation, developed over many years and took influences from many cultures. It is also very complicated to work out the sequence, so I’m going to summarise what I know (or at least what I think I know).
Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus.
Christians chose Christmas Day as the Birthday of Jesus, probably partly because it was a prominent birthday already shared with several Gods. Particularly, Attis, Mithras, Saturn and the Unconquered Sun. It was approximately at Solstice, the beginning of the Solar Year, and close to one of the main festivals of the Roman World, the Saturnalia. So it made it easier for new converts who could retain elements of their festivals after conversion.
December 25th might have been selected by the pagan religions because it is the time when the Sun begins to rise further north each day. The days stop shortening and start lengthening, light increases with the promise of warmer weather and budding plants. It was considered a rebirth of the Sun.
Solstice Anniversaries
So, Jesus was born on/or around the Solstice, so he must have been conceived approx. 9 months earlier. This is approximately at the Spring Equinox.
Ah, you are thinking! But today isn’t the equinox. It’s a few days after the equinox. Surely, God doesn’t do approximately?
I have always thought that the 4 or 5 days difference between the Solstice, the Equinox and the Christian festivals was down to the fact that the Calendars were not well coordinated with the actual movements of the Sun (because the Sun does not circle the earth in 365 days, or in 365 and a quarter days, but 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes. Unless corrected for this means dates slip from their proper place in the Solar Year. It also makes lunar Calendars difficult to align with the Sun cycles, and vice versa.
But when I first wrote this a sudden revelation dawned upon me which will be revealed in the next few paragraphs.
So, God sends his Son to save the human race. God is a logical being, so she would send her Son at an appropriate time? If Jesus is born at or near the Solstice, which is an appropriate time for the Son of the Creator, then conception 9 months earlier, March 25th, is near the Equinox. This is the beginning of Spring. For many people, Spring is a new beginning, for example, the Anglo-Saxons saw Winter as the death of the year, and Spring as the young Year. It all makes sense.
The Creation
So to the Creation. God, having a free choice, would have created the world at the beginning of Spring. In fact, if you think about it, God creates everything necessary for life at the creation in 6 days. As soon as it has all been created and put together, it is bound to immediately spring into new life. The first season must, therefore, be Spring? Right? So March 25th?
This gives a nice symmetry with Jesus’s Life. Conceived on March 25th, born December 25th, and died 30–40 years later, according to the Church, at Easter, on March 25th. (the only other famous person I know, born and died on the same day is William Shakespeare).
Easter
Easter, when Jesus is martyred, isn’t March 25th I hear you saying. But remember, Easter is a lunar festival, so its date varies each year. In fact the next time is 2035. Births and deaths, on the other hand, are fixed to the Solar Calendar. Therefore, the Church chooses March 25th as the most appropriate day to pin the death of Jesus, on the anniversary of his conception and the anniversary of the creation of the Earth. I am guessing that this is also the preferred date for the Day of Judgement.
It is also the Birthday of Adam, and his first wife Lilith (or so some say), and Eve. More about Lilith below. I hope this is all making sense?
Why was Adam born on March 25th?
I had thought this date was just one of the parallels that the Church liked, Jesus and Adam born on the same day. But, I have just worked out why Adam is born on March 25th, and why these dates are not the Equinox, March 20th/21 but March 25th, which has been bugging me.
Let’s go back to the beginning of Creation as described in Genesis. It has the following sequence of Seven Days, beginning with the Equinox March 20th. I have added dates to the 6/7 day sequence of Creation:
Day 1: Light – March 20th
Day 2: Atmosphere / Firmament – March 21st
Day 3: Dry ground & plants – March 22nd
Day 4: Sun, moon & stars – March 23rd
Day 5: Birds & sea creatures – March 24th
Day 6: Land animals & Adam, Lilith and Eve – March 25th
So there you have it! Adam, Eve (and Lilith) were created on Day 6 with the Land Animals – March 25th. Jesus conceived, also on this date, and so 9 months later is born on December 25th. It all makes sense, and aligns the Jesus’s Life, the Christian year fully with the Solar Year and the Creation!
And that, dear Reader, is the very first time anyone has been able to explain to me why Christmas is not at the Solstice, and why the Annunciation was not at the Equinox. Maybe you all know this, but it is very exciting to work this out for myself. And believe me, I have done a lot of reading about calendars and not spotted an explanation.
When was the Creation?
The Anno Munda‘s is a Jewish Calendar which begins counting from a year before the Creation – the Year of Emptiness. This was 5500 years plus 2026 years ago so 7526 Before the Present. And it was supposed to have ended in 600AD, 6000 years after the Creation. So, they got that wrong.
Dionysius Exiguus replaced the Anno Mundo year with the AD/BC system in the 6th Century AD). This became popular when the Venerable Bede used it in his writings in the 8th Century.
Beginnings of the year
The Celts chose October 31st, Julius Caesar chose January 1st, other cultures have other dates, and the Spring Equinox is another choice sometimes made. The Church and Dionysius Exiguus choose March 25th, although secular society also recognised the claims of January 1st. Britain kept to March 25th until 1752 when we adopted the Gregorian Calendar. But people like Samuel Pepys celebrated New Year’s Eve on 31st December. So January 1st was the secular New Year, but the Christian year number did not change until March 25th. So King Charles I thought his head was being cut off on January 30th 1648; while history books will tell you it was cut off on January 30th 1649. Same day, same head, different reckonings.
January 1st, the New Moon and New Year
December 31st/January 1st is essentially a Solstice New Year Festival. And I have, previously, used the difficulty of keeping calendars as to why these days has slipped out of alignment with the Solstice. But, today I realised that it is as likely that the reason is the Solar/Lunar nature of our time keeping. The year, and its festivals, is largely arranged around the Solar Cycle. But our weekly and monthly cycles are orginally derived from the Moon.
The first of a month, was called the Kalends by the Romans, the Nones the half moon, and the Ides signified the New Moon. The kalends of January is then, originally, the First New Moon after the Winter Solstice. So, January 1st is not a slightly misdated Solstice Festival it is a Festival celebrating the first New Moon of the New Year! Sorry, to seem excited but this is the first time I have realised this.
Over time societies give up trying to sync the lunar and solar calendars. Roman and Christian cultures gave up and fixed the moon months, completely abandoning any attempt to keep the months to the actual lunar cycle. This is our current system, in which only Easter and festivals that depend on Easter remain true to the movements of the moon festival, much to our perennial confusion.
Maybe you all know this, but it’s put many things into perspective for me!
Lilith
The April 2023 Issue of ‘History Today’ had a short piece called ‘The Liberation of Lilith’ which suggests that the story of Lilith, a figure from Jewish Folklore, is first attested in a Medieval satirical text called ‘The Alphabet of Ben Sira’. The story goes that Lilith is created from the same clay as Adam. Adam then demands she lies below him during sex. She refuses, saying that they are both made from the same stuff and, therefore, equal. Adam refuses to accept this, and so Lilith leaves the Garden of Eden. So the story goes.
The story of Lilith, Sarah Clegg suggests, is one of a series of similar stories found around Europe and Asia. And Clegg assumes that it is gradually modified to make Lilith a demon who will kill babies unless the names of three angels are spoken out loud.
The story survived as a charm to keep babies safe, and perhaps to remind people of equality among the sexes. But this causes problems for, OK, let’s call them out, the Patriarchy. Lilith cannot be equal to Adam so she is made into a monster, not made from the same clay as Adam but from the scum and waste left over from Adam’s creation. I imagine the story then went on to propose that God creates Eve from Adam’s rib, and so she is created from Adam, and is, therefore, not equal, but subservient to him, although not as bad as Lilith. Lilith is now a significant figure in feminist folklore circles.
Attached to the watercolour of Lilith by Rossetti (at the top of the page), was a label with a verse from Goethe‘s Faust as translated by Shelley. (Wikipedia)
“Beware of her fair hair, for she excells All women in the magic of her locks, And when she twines them round a young man’s neck she will not ever set him free again.”
The model is Fanny Cornforth, Rossetti’s mistress. He painted another version a few years later, but the model in that is Alexa Wilding. His models are arguably more interesting than the man himself and include: Elizabeth Siddall, Jane Morris and Fanny Cornforth. Christina Rossetti, his poet sister, modelled for Rossetti’s painting, Ecce Ancilla Domini which you can see here.
For more on the Annunciation, look at my other March 25th post here.
I think I might have enough material to begin my own Cult.
Duccio’s The Annunciation. Egg Tempera on Wood c 1307-11
The Annunciation by Duccio
Today, is the anniversary of the conception of Jesus Christ, called the Annunciation. I told some of this story yesterday which was St Gabriel’s Day. So, sorry for any repetition but I think the extra detail makes it worthwhile! There is a third post in my Annuciation series where I go into the wider implications of the date March 25th, and how it has a fundamental place in Christian Theology.
The picture above is by Duccio, from Sienna in Italy. It shows the Archangel Gabriel bringing Mary the news that she is to give birth to the Son of God. It is in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery. This was the second painting on the National Gallery tour I used to give. The Tour told the story of the development of perspective. I had been reading a book on the subject by David Hockney.
The painting shows that Duccio does not understand single-point perspective. But then, no one could do perspective at that time in Europe. This skill was lost following the Roman Period. But at the beginning of the 14th Century, painters like Duccio from Sienna, and Giotto from Florence, were groping towards more realistic representation.
You might say they wanted a more human depiction, in which events are shown in spaces that are trying to look real. Filled with more realistic looking people and beginning to show on their faces real emotions. Previously, the Byzantine style produced iconic, storytelling images, that were somewhat cartoon-like rather than realistic. Here, is a detail from one such.
The Annunciation, St Catherine’s Monastery, 12th Century.
The encounter takes place in a space that is not very real. But it does tell the story effectively.
Moving towards Perspective
Now, look at the Duccio, he uses the arcading at the top of the painting to give an impression of this being an encounter in a real space. The Archangel Gabriel is moving through that space decisively. This is not just a picture with a story, it shows Duccio’s interest in capturing a fleeting but incredibly emotional moment. It happens to be the most important moment in the history of the world (from a Christian view point), the moment that the son of God is conceived as a human.
Gabriel is striding purposefully towards Mary, who has come out of her house to see him. He saying ‘Hey, you are going to give birth to the Son of God.’
She looks overwhelmed, (as you would) holding her arm protectively towards her. ‘What me?’ she might be saying. But she is also pointing at the Bible where this moment in time is predicted by Isaiah. Their faces are quite realistic, Mary is clearly emotional.
Also, if you look at Gabriel’s feet he is quite well grounded unlike many other medieval paintings, where people often seem to be floating above the ground. Mary, too is firmly, anchored, although you cannot see her feet.
It is by no means ‘perfect’ because they don’t yet know the rules of perspective. Neither have they discovered they could use lenses to create ‘photorealistic’ portraits. But they are searching for methods that can bring spaces and people towards realistic life. It mirrors a humanistic trend to see Mary not as a sort of Goddess, but as a real mother. A key point in the Renaissance. (For more on perspective, see my post on Giotto and Palm Sunday. )
The Moment of Conception
Above the arcading can be seen a small sphere of blue sky from which emanates several ‘rays’ and a tiny Holy Dove. As I told the story, yesterday, the rays are coming from Heaven to her womb which is hinted at by the red of her dress. The National Gallery commentary, which you can read here, suggests ‘The conception takes place at the moment she hears the words, which is why a tiny white dove, representing the Holy Ghost, flies towards her ear‘.
This made me stop and think – the tiny dove is heading to her ear is it? Really? Why? Gabriel is the messenger saying the words, the words head to the ear. The Holy Dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Its role, in the painting, is to show that God is the Father. So why, would the Holy Spirit enter by the ear?
I have been using a ruler to try to see if the National Gallery are right! It’s difficult to be sure with a reproduction. but my ruler says the rays from Heaven are neither heading to the ear nor directly to the womb but in the general direction of her body. If they are right that the rays from heaven are heading for her ear, then is this rather the moment she is being told she will conceive rather than the moment of conception?
The Conception in St Luke
Veronese ‘The Annunciation’
But the National Gallery text accepts that it is the moment of conception that is shown. So, I’ve looked at Luke 1:26-38:
‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.‘
On first reading he is telling her she will conceive, but reading it more carefully he is saying ‘now, you will conceive’. So Duccio is paying very careful attention to the Gospel. By the time Gabriel finishes his sentence, she will have been impregnated by the Holy Dove. Looking at other paintings of the Annunciation the rays from heaven head generally towards the virgin, sometimes to her head, nothing suggesting the ear. In the St Catherine’s Monastery’s Annunciation, above, the ray is going to Mary’s back. Veronese’s ‘The Annunciation’ is similarly going towards Mary’s Back, shoulder, or breast. The Annunciation by the Master of the Judgement of Paris which I showed yesterday has the ray heading to Mary’s lap.
Rossetti’s Annunciation
The Annunciation by Rossetti originally known as Ecce Ancilla Domini! 1849 – 1850
I’ve included a 19th Century Rossetti painting because it is so beautiful. It shows a lilly representing purity, instead of the rays, pointing to Mary’s womb. The use of white throughout also represents Mary’s ‘purity’. While the Blue is the traditional colour for Mary. The use of the primary colours red and blue with the predominant White, gives a vivid clarity to the picture. At the time, showing the Virgin as a red-head was quite controversial.
By the way, look at the feet in the Rossetti’s painting. This is an early Rossetti painting, who was a poet and I’m not sure he yet had the skills to ground feet. But he takes advantage of it in this case and confirms Gabriel’s supernatural status by giving Gabriel fiery feet but no wings. Subsequently, Rossetti concentrated on paintings of women from the waist up. Since, first writing this, I have visited an exhibition of Rossetti’s drawings, and they show a very capable draughtsman.
For more on March 25th and the Universe and everything, see my post here (which will be revised later today).
On This Day
If Easter fell on March 25th it was thought to be bad news, particularly if on Good Friday. As the world was created, according to Christians, round about March 25th, God being a logical being, would end it on its anniversary. And all those people who went to the top of the hill, to see out the Day of Judgement, had to trudge down again, murmuring ‘Maybe next time.’ Hampstead Heath was a popular place for Apocalyptaphiles to go in London, the Green next to White Stone Pond, to be precise.
1306 – Robert the Bruce crowned King of Scotland.
1807 – The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act became law.
1843 – the first Tunnel built under a River was opened at Rotherhithe designed by Marc Isambard Brunel, and helped by his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I managed the Brunel Engine House for a few years, which was the steam engine house to pump out the water from the tunnel. In fact, a Babylonian (?) Queen built the first tunnel under a River, but what she did was divert the river, build the tunnel, redirect the River back to its original course. So strictly, the Brunels built the first tunnel constructed under a River while the River was still flowing above. I find that most firsts are much more complicated that you think!
1949 – Hamlet became the first British Film to win the Oscar for Best Film. Lawrence Olivier also won the Best Actor Oscar and he was the Director of the Film too. Olivier was the first person to achieve this double feat, and the only one until 1998, when Roberto Benigni won both Oscars in Life Is Beautiful.
Source: Chambers Book of Days
First published 2024, revised 2025, Revised and On This Day added 2026
Baptist Hicks and his, wife, Elizabeth in their Chapel at St James Church, Chipping Campden (Photo Kevin Flude)
This anniversary commanded my attention because I spend a few weekends each summer in the Cotswolds. There I see the ruins of Campden House in Chipping Campden. This was burnt down in 1645. So, when I read about the burning down of Campden House in the 19th Century, it had to be another one. And it turns out this one is in Kensington, London, Both Campden Houses were built for Sir Baptist Hicks, Viscount Campden.
Baptist Hicks Rise to Aristocracy
Baptist Hicks is an example of the flexibility of the British system of aristocracy. Hicks was a commoner, the son of a wealthy Mercer from Cheapside in the City of London. A mercer traded in prestige clothes imported into England. When Hicks’ Father died, his mother, who is said to have been a moneylender, was resourceful enough to take over their mercery business. She made a success of it and eventually passed it on to her son.
The family shop was on the corner of Cheapside and Soper Lane. Soper Lane is where Queens Street is. Their shop was signposted by the sign of the White Bear. Soper Lane was in the Cordwainers Ward. It was the haunt of soap makers and shoemakers (cordwainers got their name from their use of Spanish Cordovan leather). But Cheapside, itself, was the home of Goldsmiths and generally a wealthy area.
Hicks was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and at the Inner Temple in London. But despite the education as a lawyer, he chose to continue in the family business. He supplied members of the Aristocracy with silk, velvet, taffeta, and other expensive fabrics. He rose to be Mercer to Queen Elizabeth I in 1598, and supplied James VI of Scotland. Indeed, he provided velvet, damask, and satin for the coronation of James 1st on 25 July, 1603.
As his business grew, he was able to lend large sums of money to the aristocracy and the King. He was duly knighted in 1603. He was still running his shop but was elected as an MP. Now, Hicks needed a country estate to further his transition to the aristocracy. So, in 1608, purchased the manor in Chipping Campden. Here he built a splendid new Mansion.
Baptist Hicks and Campden House, Kensington
At about the same time, he won a game of cards with Sir Walter Cope of the Strand. Cope was engaged in building himself a mansion (Holland House) on top of the Hill in Kensington. Hicks won a few acres of the Estate at cards. And he asked Cope’s architect John Thorpe to design him a house, which Hicks called Campden House after his Cotswold estate. Thus, Kensington became fashionable, and Campden Hill got its name. Campden Hill runs into Notting Hill.
After Baptist Hicks death there were many tenants of the house. One was Princess Anne before she became Queen Anne. Also Lady Burlington and her son, Richard Boyle, who became Britain’s first Palladian Architect.
Hicks was made a Baron in 1620 and Viscount of Campden in 1628. (a viscount is 4th in the ranks of aristocracy, being below an Earl and above a Baron). He died in 1629. He was buried in a very impressive marble monument in St James Church, Chipping Campden shown above.
Campden House, Chipping Campden
Sketch from a display of Campden House, Chippping Campden. St James Church at the back, House in the Centre, Banqueting Houses in front of, and other side of the house. (A Banqueting House was originally where you had your pudding.)
After his death, the house in Chipping Campden was held by the Royalists in the Civil War. But the Parliamentary Army forced the King’s men to retreat towards Oxford. Prince Maurice ordered the house to be burned down. All that survives of the property are two banqueting houses, and the entrance. All show what a fine building it was.
Sketch from photo of the entrance to Campden House, Chipping Camden.
Behind the wall can be seen the fire reddened ruin of the Banqueting House of Campden House, Chipping Campden. Photo of the other Banqueting House to follow in April
The fire at Campden House on 23rd March, 1862 gutted the building. It is really well described in this post. Briefly, a neighbour saw the fire. A fire engine was summoned. But before it could arrive, a servant appeared at a window. Her son tried to push past her, and she fell out of the window but survived. When the fire engine arrived, it was too late. So the house and its wonderful contents were destroyed. The owner was sued by the Insurance Company for fraud, but they lost the case.
Sketch from contemporary Magazine,showing the servant dropping out of the window. )In reality it was a first floor window.)
The English Year Almanac
I came across the anniversary of the fire in a secondhand book I picked up. It is by my old boss, Sir Roy Strong. The book is called ‘The English Year’. It is co-written by Julia Trevelyan Oman. The contents are ‘A Personal Selection from Chambers’ Book of Days’. Last year I also purchased the Chambers book on Abebooks for £2.10!) Both have been a useful source of information for my Almanac of the Past.
Sir Roy Strong was the Director of the V&A. Sir Roy is a dapper dresser you might almost call him a neo-Georgian. Certainly, a bit of a dandy. I always thought he resembled Charles 1, one of our most ineffectual Kings. I didn’t really have much contact with him, being a lowly Assistant Keeper at the V&A. But at the one Keepers’ Meeting I did attend he seemed rather ineffectual as the chairman of the meeting. But this is mere gossip! And I mention it to show how wrong one can be, in judging people.
Because, when I consider the revival of the V&A under his tenure, my judgement was facile. Sir Roy transformed the V&A. The Museum had been damaged by years of under-investment in the building since WW2. Sir Roy began a campaign to restore the rich and very beautiful old Victorian interior design. The original Victorian Restaurant was transformed. The shop turned into a retail paradise. Generally, the V&A ceased to be dusty and old under his tenure. The wonders of the Victorian Museum shone again with rich and vibrant colours. It reminds me that good leadership is allowing beneficial change to happen. It’s not about the leader being a dynamic leader. It’s about moving an institution positively forward, which Sir Roy certainly did.
1769 – William ‘Strata’ Smith was born. (died 28 August 1839) Smith is known as the Father of English Geology. He was a Canal and Mining Engineer and created ‘the first detailed, nationwide geological map of any country’. (Wikipedia). He worked in a town just down the road from Chipping Camden, and there is a plaque to him in Stow-on-the-Wold which I will write up at some point.
1839 – OK, this is the anniversary of the first appearance in print of the word OK! OK? OK, so, I see you want more of an explanation. The editor of the Boston Morning post had an interest in abbreviations. Charles Gordon Greene in a satirical article about the editorial practices of the rival Providence Journal coined OK as an abbreviation for “oll korrect,” or “all correct”. The rest is history. For more on this story, go to the Smithsonian here. OK?
1861 – The first Trams plied London’s Streets.
London Trams, London Transport Museum (Photo KFlude)
1919 – Fascism invented when Mussolini founded the Italian Fascist Party. The repercussions of which led to World War II and the estimated deaths of 65 – 75 million people.
2020 – The UK’s first Covid-19 national lockdown ordered by Boris Johnson.
The day after the Equinox we look at the cardinal points of the compass:
“chief, pivotal,” early 14c., from Latin cardinalis “principal, chief, essential,” (online etymological dictionary).
The Importance of South
On its annual cycle, the Sun is always on the move. At the Equinox the Sun now rises due East, and sets due West. It then rises every day further towards the north and sets further to the South until the Solstice. The Solstices mark the extreme Northerly and Southerly rising and settings. Dawn and Dusk vary accordingly.
So, the only real fixed point in the Sun’s entire journey (as seen from Earth) is Noon. Every day of the year, every day of our lives, the Sun is at the highest point at Noon. And this is the definition of South. But the Sun never strays into the North. So the North is the polar opposite of the South- cold, remote, more mysterious.
To my mind, it makes, of the Cardinal Points, the South very special. At Stonehenge, there are two exits. The biggest is aligned to the Midsummer Sunrise and Midwinter Sunset axis. But there is a smaller second entrance and this aligned due South. There is also a uniquely small standing stone in the main circle of Sarsens, which is aligned to the South. (Although we don’t know if this stone is original). However, there was some sort of corridor heading South through the mysterious wooden phase which precedent the stone Stonehenge. So, we can be sure South was important at Stonehenge.
Sketch of Stonehenge showing the smallest Sarsen stone near the Southern Entrance
Noon, derives from ‘nona hora’ in Latin and is ‘one of the seven fixed prayer times in traditional Christian denominations.’ (Wikipedia)
The Predominance of the North?
And yet, North, has come to be the principal of the cardinal points. It is shown on virtually all modern maps. It is the direction that people of my generation and hemisphere think of as being ‘up’.
The Google generation sees things differently. There are countless tourist maps on walls or plinths where North is no longer at the top. Up is shown as being the way you are facing. Users have to fight with Google Maps to put North at the top of the map. My children mock me when I say ‘Out of the Tube station, turn up the High street northwards.’ Their view of maps is completely contextual. They do not see any reason to know where the cardinal points are. I point out that the Tube probably has two exits on either side of the road. So, it doesn’t work to say ‘turn left out of the tube’.
There may also be an element of sexual difference, with men more likely to have a cardinal point view while women navigate more by landmarks. ‘Walk past the M&S, turn left to the Park and straight on’. One paper says: ‘during spatial navigation, women typically navigate an environment using a landmark strategy, whereas men typically use an orientation strategy.’
Although I see this decline of the north as being part of the Decline of the West. I also ‘things were better in my day’. But in fact it is simply returning to the way maps were produced in the past. Here is an example below, which has East at the top.
Representation of a Roman Map with the top being roughly East.
I have since looked further on this subject of North and Maps, particularly finding my answers on this web site: why-is-north-up-on-maps. It tells me that the earliest map the Turin Papyrus, has South at the top. This is probably because the Nile was the fount of all things in Egypt so it is in pride of place at the top of the Map. Other maps tend to have East at the top. The thinking is that the North was cold and who would want to go there?, The West was where the Sun went down, so the Sunrise direction should be at the Top. Often Jerusalem was in the middle with the East at the top. To this day, we talk about orienting ourselves, which means literally means finding your direction eastwards. But the 16th Century things flipped, and North became the top of the map. Was this because the Age of Exploration depended on the North Star? Maybe not because it was used for navigation for a long time before the 16th Century. Was it because of the use of the compass which pointed North? Perhaps not because the compass was first used in the 10th Century. The answer seems to be that Flemish geographer and mapmaker Gerardus Mercator in 1569 put North on top of the map. His projection became the most used map, and everyone started to follow suit.
Mercator projection of the world between 85°S and 85°N. Note the size comparison of Greenland and Africa, and the massive inflation of Antarctica’s landmass. CC BY-SA 3.0
The Magnetic Poles
Of course, there is another version of the cardinal points: the magnetic cardinal points. The magnetic North wanders over time. It does not necessarily coincide with geographic north. In recent times they are close enough. But in the past there have been huge variations. Occasionally, the earth has had geomagnetic reversals when the North Pole has pointed in different directions, including south. The last one was 780,000 years ago. On average, they take place very roughly every 500,000 years.
The magnetic pole is caused by the molten iron in the earth’s core and mantle, which creates a dipole. Fluctuations in the dynamo flow of the molten iron cause occasional reverses. The science is very complicated and, even now, not entirely understood. Is it a random consequence of flow dynamics? Or do external events, like sinking continents, or meteor strikes cause the reversal?
Since the first use of compasses for navigation in the 11th/12th Centuries, the magnetic pole hasn’t wandered enough to be of concern to navigation. It has wondered a few hundred miles over the last 500 years. Now, it is speeding up, from 9km a year to 52km (since 1970). This Wikipedia page is pretty good at an explanation.
My Job Tracking the Cardinal Points
My first proper job after university was as a technician then research assistant at Oxford University studying these phenomena. I say ‘proper’ because when I left University, I became an itinerant archaeologist. This led me to digs in Switzerland, Northampton, East Anglia and Nottingham. Then, I got the job at the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, at Keble College, Oxford.
I worked for Dr. Mike Barbetti who was an expert on the wanderings of the Magnetic Pole. His interest was firstly in the pure science of the subject. But he was keen to explore the applied uses in Archaeology as well. So, after being appointed as a Research Fellow at Oxford, he set up an epic journey from his native Australia to Oxford. It went via some of the iconic sites of Palaeolithic Archaeology, including Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. The site of excavations by Mary and Louis Leakey.
To plot the movements of the magnetic north, scientists needed dated samples. Early human sites provided dated sites over a long time span. Also, archaeomagnetism, as the discipline became known, offered the possibility of dating sites. Another application was to determine whether deposits were fired or not. One of the sites Mike sampled was a candidate for the first evidence of fire in human existence.
Cutting up Samples
As I said, Mike’s interest was discovering how the magnetic field of the earth changed over time. And, more importantly, what was the mechanism. He shipped back to Oxford samples of soil cast in Plaster of Paris. My job was to cut the samples up. I cut them up with an electric saw in a shed in the backyard of the Laboratory. Then we measured the direction and intensity of the magnetic field in the samples.
Soil contains particles of iron, and they align randomly. So a sample of soil has a low magnetic intensity and a random direction of magnetic field. But once heated up, the iron particles align to the current direction of the magnetic pole. Its intensity is proportional to the intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field. These measurements provide a method of plotting the changes of the magnetic field over time. And from these data, models can be constructed explaining how the iron in the earth’s core worked as a giant magnet.
Once we had built a reference curve for the movements and intensity of the magnetic pole over time, we hoped to develop another dating method. Other methods such as radio carbon, thermoluminescence, and tree ring dating, were being developed at the Research Laboratory in Oxford at the same time.
My part in Digital Heritage Part 1
Having got the results, I took them to the Oxford University Computer Centre. There, I typed them up onto machine-readable cards. Added a copy on cards of our computer programme written in Fortran, and gave them to the Computing Staff. The program and data were run through the Centre’s mainframe computer. (probably an IBM or ICL computer, the size of a house!) 24 hours later, I received a print-out to proofread.
I located mistakes, ran an editing run of punched cards, essentially instructing the computer: ‘on card two replace 2.5 with 2.6, and run the programme again’. I would pick up the results 24 hours later. It seems extraordinarily primitive now, but then it was an enormous saving of time.
And that, patient reader, was my early contribution to Digital Heritage and pure science. Mike published many articles of which I was joint author of three articles, two in the prestigious Science Journal Nature. And it is annoying that my citations in the groves of academia are still dominated by articles I co-wrote in the late 1970s/80s!
Mike’s work was important in the development of the study of the earth’s magnetic field. However, the use of archaeomagnetism has never risen above strictly limited. Occasionally, in specific circumstances, it can be useful. But those circumstances tend to be times when no other methods have worked. Most often, it is used in attempting to date kilns.
These are the papers:
Barbetti. M and K. Flude, ‘Palaeomagnetic Field Strengths from Sediments baked by Lava flows of the Chaine des Puys, France.’ Nature, Vol. 278 No 5700. 1979
Barbetti M., Y. Taborin, B. Schmider and K. Flude ‘Archaeomagnetic Results from Late Pleistocene Hearths at Etoilles and Marsangy, France’. Archaeometry 22. 1980
More on my contribution to Digital Heritage in posts to come.
OnThis Day
630 – Emperor Heraclius returns the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem. (see my post on the True Cross and Roodmas)
1152 – Annulment of the marriage of King Louis VII of France and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. She went on to marry Henry II of England which makes this one of the most amazing events of the medieval period. The transfer of lands from French control to English control as a result was huge. She eventually was imprisoned by her new husband for supporting their children’s rebellion.
1556 – Former archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer executed for heresy in Oxford. He had recanted, but recanted his recantation when he discovered there were still going to burn him. By rights, he should have been reprieved, but Queen Mary was determined to make an example of the man who help Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell make England a Protestant state. The fire was on Broad Street, and he is said to have thrust his arm that signed the recantation into the fire, calling it ‘that unworthy hand.’
1829 – Duel Day is celebrated at Kings College when the Duke of Wellington fought a duel against George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea, because of disagreement about Roman Catholic Emancipation. The duel took place in an asparagus fields which would later become Battersea Fields. Wellington shot first and either missed or deliberately shot wide, and Winchilsea aimed high. He then apologised to Wellington. For more details see www.kcl.ac.uk/duel-day.
First written March 2023, revised 21st March 2024, Revised and Mercator added 2026
Video by Heike Herbert of Druids at the Spring Equinox at Tower Hill, London
New content will be found at the bottom in the ‘On This Day section.’ So, Spring has sprung, not only meteorologically speaking but also astronomically. We are 20 days into the meteorological Spring which started on 1 March (see my post here.) Today, we are starting the astronomical or solar Spring.
The 20th of March is the Spring Equinox, or Vernal Equinox, midway between the Winter Solstice and the Summer Solstice. The sun has been rising further north each day since December 21st. Today it rises due East, and sets due West. The day and night are roughly equal in length (although by no means exactly). At 14:45 today, the Sun is directly overhead at the Equator.
The term vernal comes from the Latin for Spring, and today is the Primavera, the first day of Spring. The Anglo-Saxons originally used the word lencthen (Lent) for Spring. But later adopted the idea of the ‘springing’ of the year when the plants bud. In Middle English, the word Spring is also used for sunrise, the waxing of the moon and the rising tides. These are called spring tides. But also for the sprouting of the beard and the first appearance of pubic hair! Happy Spring Time!
Printemps
Up to the 15th Century, the English also used the French term ‘prime-temps’ in the sense of ‘first times’. This follows the idea that the year is young, while Winter represents old age. As we shall see, on March 25th, there was also a belief that the world was created in Spring at the Equinox. Jesus was also conceived at this point of the annual cycle. (see my post /march-25th-the-beginning-of-the-universe-as-we-know-it-birthday-of-adam-lilith-eve-conception-of-jesus-start-of-the-year)
Zodiacally, if that is a word, Spring is Aries (brave and impulsive); Taurus (sensual and stubborn), and Gemini (dynamic and talented).
Druids at Tower Hill
Druids at the Spring Equinox Tower Hill London, Photo by Heike Herbert
The Druids have a ceremony at Tower Hill every year on the Spring Equinox. When I last attended I remember the druid costumes were often made with nylon sheets, and their footware was mostly tennis shoes. I see from the photos the nylon has at least been replaced with cotton, and the plimsolls with trainers. Not quite sure what that pair of black trainers are doing in the picture!
As my photos are getting long in the teeth, I have used photos by Heike Herbert. She attends most years. The ones above from 3 years ago. In 2025, she reported that the atmosphere has been affected by a street food market,. This restricted the space for the Druid Circle. The food stalls are there every Thursday, so it only impacts the Druid assembly once every 7 years! In 2026 the Druids meet at Tower Hill at 12 noon.
Tower Hill, Spring Equinox, 2025 and street food, Photo by Heike Herbert
Modern Druids
I say modern druids because there is no convincing evidence that the modern fellowships of Druids can trace their origins back to prehistory. Druidry was reinvented in the 18th Century — for example, the Ancient Order of Druids was formed in 1781. They were set up as societies in the tradition of the Freemasons. They held to belief in the fundamental importance of nature. However, one group, the British Circle of the Universal Bond, claim descent from a group persecuted by the Bishop of Oxford in 1166. Look at their website for more details and for an idea of their beliefs.
Prehistoric Spring Equinox
When did the Equinox first had importance for human society? The answer is, probably, at least as long as we have been reasoning creatures. On January 14th, I draw attention to a recent discovery by an amateur ‘citizen scientist’. He suggested there was evidence in Cave Painting for the use of a Palaeolithic Calendar. Follow this link to see the post.
Stonehenge and the Sun
At Stonehenge, in the old Car Park, they found three huge Pine post-holes in a line. Dating evidence shows they were erected in the Mesolithic period, thousand of years before Stonehenge. They align to the direction of the Mid-Summer Sunrise and Mid-Winter Sunset (NNE/SSW). If, and it’s a big if, you were sighting from Stonehenge itself, which was built some 5000 years in the future.
Imaginary reconstruction of the Carpark Postholes
It is a bit of a stretch using two pieces of evidence so far apart in time. But recent excavations have revealed that there are natural periglacial striations in the soft chalk bedrock at Stonehenge. These lines point to the Solstices. They not only predate Stonehenge but also the three post holes. The striations may well have been visible from the time they were created when the glaciers melted.
Around 12,000 years ago (date from my memory so approximate), the climate changed and the glaciers melted. This left a lot of water rushing around the landscape. At Stonehenge, it gouged out striations in the chalk. By chance, or as ordered by the Gods/Goddesses/Divine Nature, the striations pointed to the Solstice Axis. Richard Jacques excavations in the Stonehenge area revealed that the aurochs came to the Stonehenge area for grazing and water. Aurochs are huge wild cows with enough meat on them to feed 200 people. So, the solar axis is near a place where the Gods/Goddesses/Divine Nature provided super-abundance in the guise of herds of Aurochs.
Foreground shows the periglacial striations aligned on the Solstice. Source Current Archaeology?
Burial Mounds aligned to the Equinox
That the major movements of the Sun were of interest to Neolithic and Bronze Age society is confirmed by the alignment of many megalithic monuments dating from 3,600 BC onwards, including, of course, Stonehenge. All around the UK are long barrows and other burial mounds, many of which are indeed sited/sited E-W to the Equinoxes. Many are fairly approximate. But at Loughcrew, County Meath in Ireland the Vernal Equinox shines right into the burial chamber. The sun’s light shines onto a stone marked by stone carvings. Similar alignments exist at Knowth and Dowth in the Boyne Valley. More about Loughcrew in my post here)
Harmony & the Spring Equinox.
The Equinox also has another role, which is to be the anchor of the cardinal points. The world is orientated to North, South, East, West. The Equinox is a time when there is a harmony, a balance in the universe. Therefore, it is a fortunate, a lucky time, a time to fall in love or undertake notable undertakings. But, in the Christian world marriage traditionally had to wait a little longer, until after the commemoration of the death of the Messiah,
On This Day
Today, is The International Day of Happiness. This was set up by the UN on 28 June 2012. This year’s theme:
‘explores the relationship between social media and happiness, highlighting thepotential challenges for our wellbeing as well as ways we can all use tech for good.‘
Go to the web site for more information. But these are the three steps they suggest: (I’ve cut and pasted them from the site)
Step 1: Choose
Be mindful of if, when and how much you are on social media.
Pause and ask yourself, “What do I really want to do right now?” Keep a list of analogue activities you can do instead, like playing music, drawing, gardening or going outside for a walk.
Set a timer so scrolling is a short snack rather than a wormhole.
Give your mind space to think, keep the bedroom phone free, try a ‘digital sabbath’.
Step 2: Connect
Don’t let scrolling be a substitute for real connection.
Phone a friend for a chat, or send some voice notes, instead of scrolling.
Make plans offline, get excited about your next adventure with loved ones.
Use social media to connect with supportive friends and communities that are meaningful to you.
Step 3: Curate
Personalise your experience to support your wellbeing.
Share and amplify uplifting stories, messages and ideas, be aware of misinformation.
Be kind in the comments, it matters more than you think.
If you have found this useful, spread the word and encourage others to do the same. Use the hashtag #InternationalDayOfHappiness.
The World Happiness Report
This is published annually by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. More details here. Finland is top for the 9th year in a row. US is 23rd, UK is 29th. These are the top 25 happy countries:
Peak Cherry Blossom Photos by Natalie Tobert (to see her fantastic sculptures, look here:)
This year, I don’t think it is yet Peak Blossom. Last week of March, first weeks of April, my best bet. But I’m going to keep this post here to encourage you to get out there and take joy from the Blossom season. Or Sakura as the Japanese call it.
In 2024, it was early, around March 19th, 2025, two weeks later. There are many suggested places, and I enclose a couple of web links with more details. But my friend, Natalie Tobert, posted in 2024 about Japanese people queuing up to photo cherry blossom in Swiss Cottage, which you can see above.
Sakura and Peak Cherry Blossom
For the Japanese Cherry Blossom represents both the beauty of life and its brevity. Sakura are honoured by the Samurai, and were on the badges of KamiKazi Pilots in World War 2. The Japanese began their blossom time with Plum Blossom. They can be difficult to tell apart from Cherry but it is much more fragrant. It blossoms earlier can also be white!).
Cherry trees consist of 430 species in the genus Prunus. Wild Cherry and Bird Cherry are native to the UK. Normal blossom time is April. In mild winters and sheltered places like London they can blossom as soon as February. The flowers are known as Sakura in Japan, and viewing them is ‘Hanami’. Bird Cherry usually flowers in May. Recent blossoming is over 7 days earlier than the average for the previous 1,200 years.
The Woodland Trust has a great web page about blossom in general and I include their useful table of blossom time, below. www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Trust also have a ‘nature’s calendar’ program. ‘Citizen Scientists’ can participate in projects to track the progress of the sessions in nature. https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk.
Feast day of St Joseph. Father? Step-Father? Guardian? of Jesus. I see that religious sites like to use the expression ‘Earthly father’. Images of the Annunciation, suggest a divine impregnation at the time that the Archangel Gabriel turned up to tell Mary what was going to happen. See my post on the Annuciation. Joseph is for fairly obvious reasons, patron saint of carpenters, working men, fathers, families and virgins. Emigrants, travellers and house hunters. But also pastry cooks, attorneys and barristers, for reasons I know not.
In Medieval Mystery plays, the scene where Joseph is told by Mary she is pregnant was played strictly for laughs. When Mary gives him the news that he is carrying ‘Gods and his (Joseph’s) child’. He warns all old men not to take young wives, and laments that his name is ruined. Nor is he very impressed when Mary tells him an angel told her the news. Below is a Middle English version of a section of the N-Town Plays, Play 12 Joseph’s Doubt. (these 15th Century Passion Plays are not linked to any particular town or author, hence their name). It is in middle english but just give it a go, don’t worry about the words you cannot understand. You will be able to guess enough of them to make sense of what is going on. If you follow the link below you will get help with particularly difficult words. y’s are often i’s. O’s can be a’s.
N-Town Plays, Play 12 Joseph’s Doubt
MARIA Sekyr, sere, beth nowth dysmayde, Ryth aftyr the wyl of Goddys sonde.
JOSEPH That semyth evyl, I am afrayd: Thi wombe to hyghe doth stonde! I drede me sore I am betrayd. Sum other man thee had in honde Hens sythe that I went. Thy wombe is gret; it gynnyth to ryse! Than has thu begownne a synful gyse! Telle me now in what wyse Thyself thu ast thus schent! Ow, dame, what thinge menyth this? With childe, thu gynnyst ryth gret to gon? Sey me, Mary — this childys fadyr, ho is? I pray thee, telle me and that anon!
MARIA The Fadyr of Hevyn and ye it is; Other fadyr hath he non. I dede nevyr forfete with man, iwys. Wherfore I pray yow, amende youre mon: This childe is Goddys and youre!
JOSEPH Goddys childe — thu lyist, in fay! God dede nevyr jape so with may! And I cam nevyr ther, I dare wel say, Yitt so nyh thi boure.
But yit I sey: Mary, whoos childe is this? MARIA Goddys and youre, I sey, iwys!
JOSEPH Ya, ya, all olde men to me take tent And weddyth no wyff, in no kynnys wyse, That is a yonge wench, be myn asent, For doute and drede and swych servyse! Alas, alas, my name is shent! All men may me now dyspyse And seyn: “Olde cokwold, thi bow is bent Newly now after the Frensche gyse!” Alas, and welaway! Alas, dame, why dedyst thu so? For this synne that thu hast do, I thee forsake and from thee go For onys evyr and ay!
