Wendy, love the giant choc' egg. Here is a bit of East Egg trivia...
Eggs and Easter have almost become synonymous.
But what is so special in an egg?
It is the influence of the traditional spring rites that made Easter so egg-special. And myths coming down to us from an incredibly distant past have shown man's relationship with the egg to be very deep seated one. This is caught in old Latin proverb: Omne vivum ex ovo. This means "all life comes from an egg". Not just the Latin saying, eggs are just laid well over all corners of the world. From ancient India to Polynesia, from Iran, Greece, and Phonecia to Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, from Central America to the west coast of South America, there are reports of myths of the whole universe created out of an egg. Thus, it is not unusual that in almost all ancient cultures eggs had been held as an emblem of life.
In Europe an egg was hung on New Year trees, on Maypoles, and on St. John's trees in midsummer. Indeed, all meant egg as a symbol of the regenerative forces of nature. Later during the Christian period, it was believed that eggs laid on Good Friday, if kept for a hundred years, would have their yolks turn to diamond. If Good Friday eggs were cooked on Easter they would promote the fertility of the trees and crops and protect against sudden deaths. And, if you would find two yolks in an Easter egg, be sure, you're going to be rich soon. That's
what they believed!
Eggs were said to be dyed and eaten at the spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Persians of that time gave eggs as gifts at the vernal equinox. But it is not very clear how those colored eggs have come in to dominate the Easter basket. In fact, they have become so popular with the Easter celebration, that they even started to dominate the ancient concepts of the symbolism of eggs. It is speculated that it was introduced in Europe, or, rather Western Europe, during the course of the fifteenth century. This was when missionaries or knights of the Crusades are thought to have brought in the concept of the coloring of eggs westwards.
In medieval times there was a superstition: the church bells which had not been heard since Holy Thursday had been to Rome for the Pope's blessings and returned on Easter Eve with colored eggs for everyone. Many of the eggs were dyed red. Red was in memory joyous Easter celebration. Or it was to honor the blood that Christ shed. During the strict Lenten fast of forty days no eggs were eaten. And to show that they have obeyed families
http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/history/icons/easter_egg.htm
But what is so special in an egg?
It is the influence of the traditional spring rites that made Easter so egg-special. And myths coming down to us from an incredibly distant past have shown man's relationship with the egg to be very deep seated one. This is caught in old Latin proverb: Omne vivum ex ovo. This means "all life comes from an egg". Not just the Latin saying, eggs are just laid well over all corners of the world. From ancient India to Polynesia, from Iran, Greece, and Phonecia to Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, from Central America to the west coast of South America, there are reports of myths of the whole universe created out of an egg. Thus, it is not unusual that in almost all ancient cultures eggs had been held as an emblem of life.
In Europe an egg was hung on New Year trees, on Maypoles, and on St. John's trees in midsummer. Indeed, all meant egg as a symbol of the regenerative forces of nature. Later during the Christian period, it was believed that eggs laid on Good Friday, if kept for a hundred years, would have their yolks turn to diamond. If Good Friday eggs were cooked on Easter they would promote the fertility of the trees and crops and protect against sudden deaths. And, if you would find two yolks in an Easter egg, be sure, you're going to be rich soon. That's
what they believed!
Eggs were said to be dyed and eaten at the spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Persians of that time gave eggs as gifts at the vernal equinox. But it is not very clear how those colored eggs have come in to dominate the Easter basket. In fact, they have become so popular with the Easter celebration, that they even started to dominate the ancient concepts of the symbolism of eggs. It is speculated that it was introduced in Europe, or, rather Western Europe, during the course of the fifteenth century. This was when missionaries or knights of the Crusades are thought to have brought in the concept of the coloring of eggs westwards.
In medieval times there was a superstition: the church bells which had not been heard since Holy Thursday had been to Rome for the Pope's blessings and returned on Easter Eve with colored eggs for everyone. Many of the eggs were dyed red. Red was in memory joyous Easter celebration. Or it was to honor the blood that Christ shed. During the strict Lenten fast of forty days no eggs were eaten. And to show that they have obeyed families
http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/history/icons/easter_egg.htm
posted by gwen at 4:37 pm
4 Comments:
Its all very egg-citing! Sorry Gwen that was an awful yoke (joke!).
Sorry I'll give up with the egg jokes now!
Its funny how you find these random things on the internet though - I really enjoyed that artical.
I was reminded of you yesterday with your sculpture-dressing! I got home, and opened the understairs cupboard only to find a rabbit carry box, wearing a grannie cardigan, with a hole in the top for the handle! My Mum had taken the rabbit, who is rather skinny, and scatty and called gnasher due to her biting habit, on the bus to go to the vets in the next village. But she'd been a little worried the rabbit would get cold on the walk to the surgery, so she'd dressed her box in a jumper to keep out the wind!
Hope you're well, and enjoying an easter break, and an egg or two possibly, take care, Wends x
Thanks Wendy you've just had me in stitches relating to and visualising your rabbit carry box as a sculpture (similar to mine); and the name Gnasher is brilliant it reminds me of my story where I named my rabbit Canine. Thanks so much for this brilliant little story - love it!
G x
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all credit to you Gwen - your sculptures seem to be going really well! Something appeals to me in the way they sit in the studio - everyones spaces are somekind of representation of them I suppose. The Croatian students were particuarly interested in yours today. It was interesting seeing the space in a new light; it was good to see yours sitting there, a different function for a studio space; in contast with others it was intriguing-rather than being a appearing as a daily working space them seemed rather to be waiting for something. There was some form of aniticipation - maybe they wait for another friend! keep going, hope this makes sense, its a bit late, all the best wends x
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