The Sabbath night draws to a close.
I set my face this morning to avoid mirth, put on my darkest outfit, my black frock coat, clenched a black bible firmly in my hand and unsmilingly went forth to celebrate the joy of the Lord. How terrible I thought to see people smiling and rejoicing in the sunshine, at least the sunshine between rain that is. Women wore bright colours, though on occasion not as bright as some young men were wearing, dogs were being walked and children were heard laughing in the park opposite, cars were being driven and shops were open. It appears some people were turning the Lords day into a day of joy, surely that should be stopped?
Actually it was not quite like that.
The sun and rain was correct however, with added wind chill. The church was full of happy people even though I was called upon to do the reading which featured men being circumcised with flint knives. Instead of saying 'This is the word of the Lord,' all I could say after reading that bit was 'Amen!' A glance around the congregation revealed men in uncomfortable positions. No-one questioned the mistake I made, showing how knowledgeable this lot are, nor the use of flint knives. Knives made of flint are probable sharper than those in most kitchens and around 1200 BC they were used to making them so they would be precision tools. It was all about getting ready to serve Gods purpose and preparing to be one nation together and all of one heart or something along that line. We were all rather happy afterwards, relief I suppose!
All week my knees have been irking me and today was no exception, for much of the week I have done little and been out only occasionally. Having Saturday indoors was boring, no football, so I forced myself out twice the second time to see the fancy exciting market. It was not that exciting.
As Christmas shopping demands increase more market stalls will appear as entrepreneurs set up to make a killing with their home made delights. My delight is finishing the shopping, writing the cards and having all lined up waiting to go. Just one or two odds and ends to finish off nearer the time.
I am preparing the smug grin for when people inform me how difficult shopping at Christmas can be. I am happy to be ignored and despised, I'm used to it.
What a difference winter makes when it arrives. Curtains drawn, heater on, electric light instead of natural window light, the atmosphere changes completely. Only a few decades ago candles and oil lamps were prevalent in so many dwellings, especially those far from big cities. This town still had gas street lighting someone claimed until 1956 a claim I have yet to confirm. It does seem unlikely but it is possible. Some people find this atmosphere 'cosy' others find it like a prison. Either way it is different and already I am looking forward to December 21st when the nights begin to get shorter.
The season also offers one advantage that of the clocks changing by going back one hour, a very good idea but spoiled by my body clock not being aware of this and waking me at the usual and now wrong time. Few people appear to have been caught out and it is early in the year when the clocks change that mistakes are made, as I once found out. Now we endure the ghastly needless Halloween followed by total Christmas shop desperation until financial suicide and Brexit sorry Christmas arrive. Hopefully the second referendum on that arrives soon after Christmas, although I would be happy to have one now, well at least in the legal six weeks time. That would be fun!
"Hard work never killed anybody" Or so stupid people used to say. These were usually stupid people who were not involved in 'hard work.' I however was so involved today. Before I even started I had to check things were in place, put right the mess left from before and then sort some things out for the lass running the kids 'Stone Age' lessons today.
Then I opened the door!
This art exhibition is bringing them in. Numbers of them came early this morning, in small groups, and ones and two's to wander round purring at the exhibition. We are becoming used to this. Art lovers come some distance often passing through other galleries to stare contemplatively at the offerings. So far none have grumbled and as they come specifically to see it I suppose they wouldn't. Again they spoke of the capture of village life and again I wondered if any of them appreciated what working on a farm during the 'between the wars years' was really like. Middle class artists painting and drawing on quiet roads can be appreciated but had I been up to my knees since dawn amongst turnips or cabbages I might not keep my silence when a chap suggests I pose for him.
The visitors do however inform us, and I inform the curator, that it is a well laid out exhibition and a credit to her and the museum. When I tell her off this she gets defensive and through gritted teeth demands to know what I want!
Wimmen eh?
Talking of wimmen my colleague came in while I was burdened and behind my weary back ensured the heater was on full blast, I of course was sweating like a pig having run around for an hour, and she removed my excellent music and replaced it with a new one of her own! This so she could sing along to the entire CD all day! At least she made the tea, twice! I might have died without it.
However, while I was busy, she then disappeared to help the kids and left me listening to this music while facing the hordes of visitors while she chatted happily to the kids and teachers! Good job I am not one to complain.
One mum, gran actually, brought in a child not yet two and controlled by reins. Watching her struggle to browse the shop while not letting little Johnny destroy it innocently was enjoyable. He did try mind. While putting her card through for the goods purchased the Town hall clock rang twelve so we had to await the pin number while she took him outside to hear it ringing. Good job the only other customer was also a grannie.
One of the false gods loved by the Romans was found in a pit under what is now a shopping precinct. In days of yore this was thought to contain Roman dwellings and this may have belonged to an individuals house and who knows why it was dumped. Maybe they became Christian and threw it away. There are several items from that 'dig' on display, coins from that time and before, stone age stone axes, and a lovely Mammoths tooth found down the road where such beasts once had their dinner.
Having been buried near the wee man on a horse and now behind glass this has not come out too well but does show the kind of thing Romans liked in their house. Whether goddess or not I canny say but statues meant a lot to Romans. Famous or commended people had statues built for them and placed in prominent places as a reward for whatever. This one shows what the well dressed Roman lass would look like while looking down her nose at others not quite so well off.
On the way home I came across this Rose on a bush in a garden. I canny make up my mind it if is late from last year or a sign of Spring being around the corner? I do hope it's the latter as it appears to have other buds ready to show nearby.
I bought some reduced price books from the museum a few weeks ago and have been enjoying myself pondering life here several thousand years BC. After the 'Ice Age' went away, and some occasionally fear may not have gone that far away, the land soon sprouted grasses, trees, animals and human life. At that time the British Isles was connected to the European landmass until the melting ice caps flood water created the North Sea and flooded the area now known by some as 'Doggerland.' Fishermen regularly collect bones of Mammoths and other long dead creatures from this area, the depth not being great.
Peoples spread from the continent and made their way to the very tip of the land mass. However it was not until around 6000 BC or so that they took to creating the many mammoth monuments that dot the land. These often took the form of tombs, sometimes containing bones, sometimes not, and when bones were found these were often incomplete! Later occasional pieces of pottery were to be found. Different areas offered a variety of such tombs, some containing several niches, others additional tombs were added much later and the 'barrow' increased on size, often by a large mass. Usually these comprised earth piled high, in northern regions stones expertly worked together creating very large barrows. Many still remain almost untouched, others have been flattened by farming methods over many centuries.
Questions remain regarding the ceremonies that took place at such places, no writing was left, and the lack of personal material implies we may never know what really went on there. A few years ago a man from Madagascar was taken to one area of 'Standing Stones.' He was informed that no-one could understand their meaning. In surprise he mentioned that it was obvious, these were commemorating the dead! That is what happens in his society, and it is a decent enough observation, although no other evidence appears. Did thousands gather to remember their dead, the past generations? Could it be that these Barrows and Standing stones were less to do with the solstice and more to bring peoples together? Today we so similar. Families gather at weddings and funerals. Nations gather at Armistice Day, or around major national events. Sometimes football matches can be used in this manner. Did Stone age man use ceremonies, possibly sporting or other activities, and certainly feasting at some places, to unite the peoples of an area, sometimes a quite large area at that? What a shame they did not write this down.
What happened before such tombs were built is generally unknown. Hunter gatherers left little in the way of memorials,and possibly were constantly on the move. It would be a more static society that combined to erect large monuments. Possibly these were stating this was their area to outsiders, possibly it helped them sink roots deep into the land through their ancestors. Nations need a 'myth' to build their self esteem. The Athenians held to the belief that they had 'always belonged in Attica,' even though historians indicate they actually moved in from the north some years before. The 'Myth' keeps the nation together. Whatever the reason almost suddenly things changed. Possibly it was wealth, or an increased population, but most likely ideas coming through contact with the continent. The large works, which may have taken generations to build, were no longer constructed. These continued to serve as places for ceremonials however, but individual tombs began to appear, and these began to contain grave goods.
All this changed when the Romans arrived. Not only did the world around them become Romanised, the incoming gods accepted, but the arrival of Christianity saw the end of any connection with past ceremonials. The Druids concerned were probably wiped out by Paulinus before Boudica began her revolt. She and hers followed almost immediately. Six, seven or ten thousand years ago people just like you and me wandered the land, hunting, farming, building shelters, developing tools, and going forth and multiplying, and evidence for that is found amongst some items left at the meeting places! Did they have a philosophy? Did they sit at the door of their round huts or cave dwellings staring at the sky and wondering? Was the daily struggle such that little time was left for cogitation, or did they just wish they could watch TV and read the tabloid press? One thing is sure, the women gossiped, the men boasted of their imported stone hammer from Poland, someone was proud of their expensive pot with intriguing design brought from far away. Human nature never changes, whatever the culture.
I find them fascinating, and several 'Time Team' programmes this week on one of the obscure channels have encouraged my fascination, with their existence in those days. How trees could be felled by brute force and stone axes, flint could be made into a razor sharp knife, and deer antlers could be used to create the huge embankments and Barrows, and later hill forts, all makes me wonder at the human ability to make the best of the circumstances. Great stuff, but I am glad I live in the days of photography and laptops myself. Especially when the weather is rough.
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