It's an all too familiar scenario. You are sleeping and comfortable,
snuggled in your bed while dreaming wondrous visions. Perhaps
you are a fairy, flying about with your perky little wings,
sprinkling some sort of radiant dust. Or maybe you just received a
parachute package from your luxurious CEO job, relaxing on the beach as
your colleagues are unanimously arrested. Or, perhaps, your band just
signed with Atlantic records, and....and....Suddenly your cellphone
ringtones an old school Kevin Federline masterpiece, waking you crudely
from your slumber. It is, of course, your mother.
"It's time!" she says gleefully, "Go wash your face in the dew!"
You
groan. You resist. But in the end, you drag yourself up, stumble out in
the backyard, and wash your face in the crisp morning dew. It is, after
all May Day, and who are you to break hundreds of years of tradition?
"But
what IS May Day?" you ask, beckoning into the burning hue of the rising
sun. "Where does it come from - and what's with that GIANT POLE?"
Well,
here are a few items to ponder as your your face dries. It should be
noted that May Day is somewhat elusive - some of these may be more
legend than historical fact. Perhaps the thing to do is just take a
Valium and go with it.
- May Day celebrations go back
to pre-Christian Europe, particularly with the Celtic Beltane
celebration and the Germanic Walpurgis-Night. Beltane marked the
beginning of the Gaelic pastoral season, and involved dancing around
fires, baking cakes and burning effigies. Walpurgis coincides with an
older Germanic holiday, but is named after St. Walburga, the Abbess of
the monastery in Heidenheim who died in 779 AD. Celebrations included
bonfires and singing. Both celebrations were notoriously rockous and may
be the origin of the phrase "BYOM" (Bring Your Own Mead).
-
The maypole is possibly a phallic symbol originally associated with the
worship of Germanic figures such a Freyr. However, a more likely
association is with the Yggdrasil or "World Tree" linking various realms
in Norse Mythology. To be sure, Germanic peoples had an affinity for
giant trees such as Thor's Oak and massive carving decorations. As
Gorgok the Pig-Enthusiast used to say, "Sometimes a pole is just a
pole."
- In Sweden, the maypole is called
"Midsommarstång," and usually appears as a cross with two rings hanging
from the cross-beams. The pole is considered male, and the rings female.
No symbolism to see here (wink), please move on.
-
Common maypole-dancing is ancient and dates to the early pagan
festivals. However, the ribbon dancing most associated with it today
originated in the 18th century, deriving from French and Italian art
dances which spread to England.
- May Day is half a
year from November 1st, which is associated with the pagan festival of
Samhain. This is just a little random info for the loin-cloth-frolicker
in you.
- As Europe transitioned into the Christian era
(or the "Great-Last-Call," as the Pagans say), the traditions of May
Day became increasingly secularized. The Puritans in England, of course,
outlawed Maypole dancing, but as soon as Cromwell was out Maypoles
sprung up across London like a giant Chia Pet.
- The
May 1st "Roodmas" took place in England at midnight every year. A
Christian mass, it's likely origin was to counter the pagan traditions
still ingrained in the population. The legend spread that witches and
warlocks gathered on May 1st to honor the devil and diminish Christian
sacraments. But then, up in the sky, along came....Roodmas!
-
The May Queen, or the Goddess of Spring, is a symbol of the power of
nature (Led Zeppelin unavailable for comment). It is unknown how long
celebrations have been crowning a May Queen, but the tradition continues
to this day in many parades and festivities.
- The tradition of
washing ones face in the morning-dew possibly goes back to Beltane, and
is said to restore beauty and revive freshness. As Mother Goose
famously said: "The fair maid who, the first of May, Goes to the
fields at break of day, And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, Will
ever after handsome be." Although first marketed as "Ye Olde
Botoxe," the morning dew industry had to shut down from numerous
lawsuits by dissatisfied Countesses.
- May Day
celebrations spread to the Americas, and remained a steady part of
American holiday tradition. Some parts of the United States adopted the
custom of weaving baskets and placing them outside the door filled with
candy. If anyone still does this, please contact me and send the
candy-filled basket as proof.
- In the last century,
May Day is also celebrated as "International Workers Day", associated
with the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago. In 1889 the congress of the
Second International in Paris called for a demonstration to commemorate
the Chicago riots. Since then, May Day was been sort of a focal point
for labor demonstrations as well as various worker's riots. Although
there may not be a lot of prancing going on, they certainly get points
for enthusiasm.
- The distress call "Mayday" comes from
the french word "m'aider". It was chosen by Fred Mockford in 1923 when
asked to think of a distress signal. Incidentally, it has absolutely
nothing to do with May 1st (but spawned a cool nickname for Grace Jones'
James Bond character).
- In Hawaii, May Day is also
known as "Lei Day." In 1928 Don Blanding suggested creating a holiday
for the Hawaiian custom of wearing Lei. Since then, Lei Day has been a
major celebration of Hawaiian culture.
- Common May Day
celebrations today include the traditional as well as the new. Parades,
pageants, and public dances have translated the ancient traditions into
modern terms. At the high school May Day dances, kids may not get their
"groove on" in exactly the same way, but in essence they are following a
tradition many hundreds of years old. This is fun information to share
with students, and is sure to get an enthusiastic response of "Like, whatever."
Today May Day is a major holiday throughout
the world. Although not vastly celebrated in the United States, elements
such as May dances and general celebrations have manifested into our
common culture. Whether you wash your face in the dew, dance around your
co-workers in a loin cloth, or erect a giant pole in your front lawn, join the celebration this year - now that's truly old school!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Why Easter Eggs? Some History....
Well all know the story. A giant rabbit, possibly escaped from a mental hutch, runs amok and plants eggs for children to find. We're sure he means well, but why colored eggs? What's going ON here, anyway? Who is this rabbit, and why is he terrorizing the local chickens with his egg-stealing racket? Well, here are a few fun-facts to put your mind at ease.
- Like many holiday traditions, decorated eggs go further back than the holiday itself. Both eggs and rabbits are ancient symbols of fertility (rabbits tend to mate like, well, rabbits). The Persians painted eggs for their New Years celebration, which for them fell around the Spring Equinox (Humpty Dumpty's favorite Halloween costume? "Persian Egg").
- The inclusion of eggs may have emerged to symbolize the ending of lent, since some Christian groups prohibited eggs and dairy products during the period.
- Legend has it that Mary Magdalene presented the Roman Emperor with a red-colored egg, symbolizing Christ's breaking out of his tomb and his blood saving the world.
- Although the origins of the Easter Bunny are not clear, the big fellow began showing up in the United States around the 18th century. The Pennsylvania Dutch called him "Osterhase", which aside from being far more cool sounding, indicates his identification in their tradition as a "hare" rather than rabbit. Unfortunately, Elmer Fudd is currently in hunting litigation and unavailable for comment.
- There are modern references to the Germanic Goddess Eostre concerning the Easter Bunny. According to the ancient writer Bede, Eostre and her worship is the origin of the name "Easter". A recent Pagan tradition tells of Eostre finding a wounded bird in the snow, then transforming it into a rabbit so it can survive. However, it retained the ability to lay eggs (Platypus quoted by friends as "totally jealous").
- The White House Easter Egg Roll dates back at least to the early 19th century. Dolley Madison may have first suggested doing a public egg-roll, although the first official White House Lawn Egg Roll took place in 1878. Today, hundreds of kids hit the lawn each year in a fun-filled celebration, safe in the knowledge that the Easter Bunny is thoroughly frisked by Homeland Security.
Well, that's all for now. There is more to the story, of course, but who needs that when there are chocolate bunnies out there? What are you waiting for...those cute little bunnies are staring at you, aren't they? Their delicious little ears are poking out, beckoning. You want those ears. You need those ears. It is useless to resist...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Leprechans With Botox: The History Of Saint Patrick's Day In America
It wasn't your fault. You had no idea traditional Irish music consisted of synth-guitars and double-bass drum kits until you went to the local "pub" and found out through a series of electrified power rifts. "The Verdant Braes Of Skreen," apparently, is traditionally screamed into the microphone while wearing a pair of leather chaps - dyed green of course. You also didn't know that the best way to honor America's legacy of Irish ancestry was to drink as much green beer as possible while howling incoherent phrases with a bunch of fat guys. Arm in arm, frothing, stumbling - it all starts to make sense. Eventually, it seems reasonable that not only did leprechauns exist, but they did indeed have PR agents. Yes, "Shamrock Shakes" are deeply historical, and yes, Saint Patrick would have wanted it that way...if you could remember who he was.
'Wait a minute,' you think to yourself after Jean-Pierre from accounting shows up in a green beret, 'what is this St. Patrick's Day thing anyway, and why do we celebrate it?' Well, here are a few highlights to win that next 3:00 am bar-bet:
- Saint Patrick was born Maewyn Succat in Britain in 389 A.D. His father Calpornius was a deacon and his grandfather Potitus was a priest (note: do not mention British ancestry in actual Irish pub)
- At the age of 16, Patrick was captured by pirates and sold into slavery for six years. Being sold into slavery was generally considered "a real bummer", but luckily Patrick had the gift of vision. He "saw" the ship that directed him to his escape, leading him to France where he became a priest (for God's Sake, do not mention the "French thing")
- Much later in life, Patrick returned to Ireland as a missionary with the vision to convert the Irish to Christianity. This may be seen as the "ultimate mid-life crisis," although it should be noted that red sports-carriages weren't involved. Through preaching, working with royal families, and setting up monasteries, Patrick was extremely successful in his mission.
- Patrick's missionary work upset many Celtic Druids, and he was arrested several times during his tenure. To make matters worse, he was constantly sued by animal-rights groups for his "anti-snake" theories.
- Patrick died on March 17, 461. Upon learning this, many Americans are amazed at the coincidence that he "actually died on ST. Patrick's Day". By the seventh century Patrick had become the patron saint of Ireland and recognized as the founder of Irish Christianity. The Druids, of course, referred to him as "Mr. Big-Party-Pooper".
- The Irish celebrated St. Patrick's Day as a religious holiday, although it became increasingly secular and proclaimed an Irish public holiday by the Bank Holiday Act in 1903. In many parts of Ireland, it is still considered largely a religious holiday.
- Irish Immigrants brought the traditions of St. Patrick's day to the 13 colonies as early as the 18th century. The first public celebration took place in Boston in 1737, with the tradition spreading to New York by 1756. These early celebrations were mostly upper-class, although belching loudly and rude scratching were still encouraged.
- The first New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade took place in 1762 by Irish troops in the British Army.
- In 1780, George Washington allowed his troops of Irish descent to take holiday on March 17, becoming known as the "St. Patrick Day Encampment." Some say the "British-fop-joke" record set that night is unbeaten to this day.
- In 1827 restrictions on Irish emigration were lifted by the British government - by 1835 over 30,000 Irish had come to the United States. Politicians across the country held hands and formed an actual shark-circle as they swarmed in on the new voting block. St. Patrick's Day become a mandatory endorsement for any politician hoping to win office.
- With the large number of uneducated and impoverished immigrants, "Irish Aid Societies" formed in major cities, each one holding their own celebration with music, dancing, or parades. Eventually, many of these societies merged their festivities, giving root to the larger celebrations seen today.
- During the 20th century, St. Patrick's Day took on an increasingly commercialized tone in the US. As celebrations spread, various industries seized upon the incredible marketing potential, altering their goods to reflect support of the unofficial holiday. Green Beer, Shamrock Shacks, Leprechaun Toilet-Paper - everything became fair game. Eventually, St. Patrick's Day came to be celebrated by everyone, regardless of nationality. This is generally considered a good thing, giving people an excuse to kiss multiple co-workers.
- In the 1970's St. Patrick's Day took on an activist tone, with various charity fund-raising and attention to the troubles in Ireland. In the 1980's gay-rights organizations protested the parade in New York, run by the "Ancient order of Hibernians." The Hibernians refused to let them march, giving a hand-circle with two snaps to the right.
- In 1998 Bill Clinton invited political parties of the Irish conflict to Washington for a peace initiative, resulting in the Good Friday Accord which called for sharing political power in Northern Ireland. Clinton gave FOUR snaps to the right followed by a full-on head-bob.
Today, America's St. Patrick's Day celebration is one of the largest celebrations in the world. With Irish and non-Irish alike united in the common cause of drinking cheap beer and thinking of excuses to miss work the next day, St. Patrick's Day has taken on a uniquely American meaning. For better or worse, we have taken it, loaded it into Bubba's shotgun, and blown it far across our amber waves of grain. And that is what we do. Were else can you eat green tofu and not throw up half an hour later?
In the end, despite it's shameless commercialism and 20-foot styrofoam clovers, St. Patrick's Day has somehow managed to unite us. Go to the bar on the 17th, take a look around. We are all there, all Americans, laughing together, telling stories, getting along for at least one brief moment.
Yes, St. Patrick may be turning over in his grave, but I like to think that he's doing so with just a hint of a smile.
'Wait a minute,' you think to yourself after Jean-Pierre from accounting shows up in a green beret, 'what is this St. Patrick's Day thing anyway, and why do we celebrate it?' Well, here are a few highlights to win that next 3:00 am bar-bet:
- Saint Patrick was born Maewyn Succat in Britain in 389 A.D. His father Calpornius was a deacon and his grandfather Potitus was a priest (note: do not mention British ancestry in actual Irish pub)
- At the age of 16, Patrick was captured by pirates and sold into slavery for six years. Being sold into slavery was generally considered "a real bummer", but luckily Patrick had the gift of vision. He "saw" the ship that directed him to his escape, leading him to France where he became a priest (for God's Sake, do not mention the "French thing")
- Much later in life, Patrick returned to Ireland as a missionary with the vision to convert the Irish to Christianity. This may be seen as the "ultimate mid-life crisis," although it should be noted that red sports-carriages weren't involved. Through preaching, working with royal families, and setting up monasteries, Patrick was extremely successful in his mission.
- Patrick's missionary work upset many Celtic Druids, and he was arrested several times during his tenure. To make matters worse, he was constantly sued by animal-rights groups for his "anti-snake" theories.
- Patrick died on March 17, 461. Upon learning this, many Americans are amazed at the coincidence that he "actually died on ST. Patrick's Day". By the seventh century Patrick had become the patron saint of Ireland and recognized as the founder of Irish Christianity. The Druids, of course, referred to him as "Mr. Big-Party-Pooper".
- The Irish celebrated St. Patrick's Day as a religious holiday, although it became increasingly secular and proclaimed an Irish public holiday by the Bank Holiday Act in 1903. In many parts of Ireland, it is still considered largely a religious holiday.
- Irish Immigrants brought the traditions of St. Patrick's day to the 13 colonies as early as the 18th century. The first public celebration took place in Boston in 1737, with the tradition spreading to New York by 1756. These early celebrations were mostly upper-class, although belching loudly and rude scratching were still encouraged.
- The first New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade took place in 1762 by Irish troops in the British Army.
- In 1780, George Washington allowed his troops of Irish descent to take holiday on March 17, becoming known as the "St. Patrick Day Encampment." Some say the "British-fop-joke" record set that night is unbeaten to this day.
- In 1827 restrictions on Irish emigration were lifted by the British government - by 1835 over 30,000 Irish had come to the United States. Politicians across the country held hands and formed an actual shark-circle as they swarmed in on the new voting block. St. Patrick's Day become a mandatory endorsement for any politician hoping to win office.
- With the large number of uneducated and impoverished immigrants, "Irish Aid Societies" formed in major cities, each one holding their own celebration with music, dancing, or parades. Eventually, many of these societies merged their festivities, giving root to the larger celebrations seen today.
- During the 20th century, St. Patrick's Day took on an increasingly commercialized tone in the US. As celebrations spread, various industries seized upon the incredible marketing potential, altering their goods to reflect support of the unofficial holiday. Green Beer, Shamrock Shacks, Leprechaun Toilet-Paper - everything became fair game. Eventually, St. Patrick's Day came to be celebrated by everyone, regardless of nationality. This is generally considered a good thing, giving people an excuse to kiss multiple co-workers.
- In the 1970's St. Patrick's Day took on an activist tone, with various charity fund-raising and attention to the troubles in Ireland. In the 1980's gay-rights organizations protested the parade in New York, run by the "Ancient order of Hibernians." The Hibernians refused to let them march, giving a hand-circle with two snaps to the right.
- In 1998 Bill Clinton invited political parties of the Irish conflict to Washington for a peace initiative, resulting in the Good Friday Accord which called for sharing political power in Northern Ireland. Clinton gave FOUR snaps to the right followed by a full-on head-bob.
Today, America's St. Patrick's Day celebration is one of the largest celebrations in the world. With Irish and non-Irish alike united in the common cause of drinking cheap beer and thinking of excuses to miss work the next day, St. Patrick's Day has taken on a uniquely American meaning. For better or worse, we have taken it, loaded it into Bubba's shotgun, and blown it far across our amber waves of grain. And that is what we do. Were else can you eat green tofu and not throw up half an hour later?
In the end, despite it's shameless commercialism and 20-foot styrofoam clovers, St. Patrick's Day has somehow managed to unite us. Go to the bar on the 17th, take a look around. We are all there, all Americans, laughing together, telling stories, getting along for at least one brief moment.
Yes, St. Patrick may be turning over in his grave, but I like to think that he's doing so with just a hint of a smile.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Dragonscale Custom Vampire Stake
Here is my latest custom vampire stake. I decided to incorporate dragon scales into it because, well, sometimes one needs dragon scales... (Zebrawood with Tung-oil finish)
Friday, November 26, 2010
Functional Sweeney Todd Prop Razor
Here is one of a pair of working Sweeney Todd prop razors I made for a local theater production. The one had a blood tube which when squeezed spurted on the throat of the actor. Looked very real. If you are doing a production of Sweeney Todd I am happy to make you a pair - just email me (on my profile) or visit my site: www.jarodkearney.com
Friday, November 19, 2010
Custom Harry Potter Wand
Here is a custom Harry Potter style wand I made for a customer with a snake wrapped around the handle - carved from a single piece of walnut - definitely for the Slytherin wizard!
The next wand is carved out of a single piece of cocabola wood for a customer. It should vanquish the
enemy! If you want one, check out my wood carving page and I'm happy to make it to your specifications!Check out my site for my other handmade crafts: www.jarodkearney.com
Monday, November 15, 2010
Handmade Custom Vampire Stake
I carve
d this vampire stake out of apple wood. It has a Celtic knot patten handle and tung-oil finish. You never know when you need protection against a vampire attack!
For this and my other woodcarvings/weapons/knives check out my site:
www.jarodkearney.com
d this vampire stake out of apple wood. It has a Celtic knot patten handle and tung-oil finish. You never know when you need protection against a vampire attack!For this and my other woodcarvings/weapons/knives check out my site:
www.jarodkearney.com
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