Peony Moss: December 2006 Archives

Print, read, annotate, and heed:

Pray without Ceasing: A Daily Plan of Attackhttp://www.lumengentleman.com

This is a really interesting article.

Modern specialists in the science of heraldry suspect, however, that this blazon (coat of arms) of the blackamoor is instead the very opposite of a negative symbol. In the last decade or two it has been pointed out that the moor's head quite possibly could have referred to St. Maurice, the black patron saint of the Holy Roman Empire from the beginning of the 10th century.

Because of his name and native land, St. Maurice had been portrayed as black ever since the 12th century. The insignia of the black head, in a great many instances, was probably meant to represent this soldier saint since a majority of the arms awarded were knightly or military. With 6,666 of his African compatriots, St. Maurice had chosen martyrdom rather than deny his allegiance to his Lord and Saviour, thereby creating for the Christian world an image of the Church Militant that was as impressive numerically as it was colourwise.

Here, no doubt, is a major reason why St. Maurice would become the champion of the old Roman church and an opposition symbol to the growing influence of Luther and Calvin. The fact that he was of the same race as the Ethiopian baptized by St. Philip in Acts of the Apostles was undoubtedly an important element to his significance as well. Since this figure from the New Testament was read as a personification of the Gentile world in its entirety, the complexion of St. Maurice and his Theban Legion (the number of which signified an infinite contingent) was also understood as a representation of the Church's universality - a dogmatic ideal no longer tolerated by the Reformation's nationalism. Furthermore, it cannot be coincidental that the most powerful of the German princes to remain within the Catholic fold, the archbishop Albrecht von Brandenburg, not only dedicated practically all the major institutions under his jurisdiction to St. Maurice but in what is today one of the most important paintings of the Renaissance, had himself portrayed in Sacred Conversation with him....

...it is likely that St. Maurice and his Theban Legion became associated with Prester John as the ideal soldiers for the ideal state. It should be pointed out, furthermore, that, heraldically, since he was the only monarch who could claim the 'Sang Real' or the 'Royal Blood' of Christ because of his descent from Solomon, Prester John was the only individual deemed worthy of the right to bear as arms the image of the Crucifix. Even the earring traditionally worn by the blackamoor is a reference to this sacred privilege.

I believe a little of this came up after the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

aka Book 7, the title of which has been revealed to be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I have no idea what that means.

Jane Austen!

I came across this Friday special today when I was trolling around Amazon:

This looked like a pretty good deal to me. Today's the last day to get the free shipping and still have it arrive by Christmas.

I was also pleased to see one of Hambet's favorite library books at a pretty good price:

Having read this book around two hundred times, I can vouch for the beauty and detail of the illustrations and the drama of Pteranodon's life. And yes, T. rex does make an appearance.

(yes, we're affiliates. Shop through our link -- keep baby Felicity in frilly pink dresses!)

Are introverts oppressed?

Introverts may be common, but they are also among the most misunderstood and aggrieved groups in America, possibly the world.

I know.... I am an introvert.

Oh, for years I denied it. After all, I have good social skills. I am not morose or misanthropic. Usually. I am far from shy. I love long conversations that explore intimate thoughts or passionate interests. But at last I have self-identified and come out to my friends and colleagues. In doing so, I have found myself liberated from any number of damaging misconceptions and stereotypes. Now I am here to tell you what you need to know in order to respond sensitively and supportively to your own introverted family members, friends, and colleagues. Remember, someone you know, respect, and interact with every day is an introvert, and you are probably driving this person nuts.

Jeane Kirkpatrick died on December 7. I have her 1984 speech to the Republican National Convention in 1984 in the Extended Entry. I'll never forget hearing it -- I think that was the first Presidential election where I was paying attention and was conscious of the issues.

Dear, dear Saint Anthony, PLEASE help me find Paul's school pictures!

Your faithful correspondent,
Peony

And how do I get it out?!

I was tagged by the dyspeptic one. Here are the rules:

1) Go to Wikipedia.
2) In the search box, type your birth month and day but not the year.
3) List three events that happened on your birthday.
4) List two important birthdays and one death.
5) One holiday or observance (if any).

Three events:

-- 1152: Henry II marries Eleanor of Aquitaine.
-- 1268 - The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Battle of Antioch; Baibars' destruction of the city of Antioch was so great as to permanently negate the city's importance.
-- 1863 - American Civil War: The Siege of Vicksburg begins, ending on July 4.

Two important birthdays...

-- Karol Józef Wojtyła
-- Chow Yun-Fat

...and one death:

-- Leroy Anderson, American composer

One holiday or observance:

-- Festival of the god Pan in Ancient Greece
-- feast of Pope St John I

TAG:

The Summas, Coucoumelle, and anyone else who wants to participate.

Ah, birthdays. A chance to look back over your life and savor the memories of the good times, whether those good times actually happened or not.

So let's honor Pansy with the "This is Your Life" meme! Via Mrs Darwin (who herself just celebrated a birthday):

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL MEMORY OF YOU AND PANSY MOSS.

It can be anything you want--good or bad--BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE.

When you're finished, post this paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON'T ACTUALLY remember about you.

Hambet is five (six in February -- !). For Christmas, he deserves a big, shiny, solitary lump of coal. But Santa is a softie and wants to leave a little bit more than that.

My question is -- what? Hambet doesn't seem to have a particular wish this year, and he seems to be at kind of a transition period -- beginning to outgrow some of his preschool toys, but not quite ready for the Big Kid toys.

I know he likes building toys, and I was thinking about a marble run, but Grandma's got the Tinkertoys covered this year.

What about Playmobil -- how long do little boys play with those?

Whatever it is, I'd like it to be something that promotes healthy play and that is not an ugly robot.