Post Cards From the Past

Chauvet Caves of Forgotten Dreams - Must See

2011-05-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

My wife and I go to the movies nearly every Friday. This week we had our fill of superhero, techno-effect, CGM montages. So, when I saw the ad for Werner Herzog’s documentary about a 32,000 year old cave in Southern France decorated with perfectly preserved Paleolithic art, my heart sang with eager anticipation.

The film, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, is about the Chauvet Cave discovered by(guess who?) Chauvet in 1994. Thousands of years ago the cave was hermetically sealed by a landslide so the paintings inside are as fresh as they day they were painted. So fresh, in fact, that originally some thought they had to be fraudulent, until they noticed the paintings were under a thin mineral deposit that would take thousands of years to form.

Ok, the film was a little boring and the music was a little irritating. Herzog, as usual, is over the top trying to romanticize the preservation and finding of the cave. His film makes the images seem black and white when they are actually very colorful, and yet—and yet, when you see masterful images and the realization sets in that men made this images 32,000 years ago, it stuns the senses. When the images were made Neanderthals were roaming around the same area and much of Europe was under a massive sheet of ice. The drawings look as if Degas, Monet, or maybe even Picasso had grabbed a vine of charcoal and attacked the cave wall.

A key point of the film that stuck in my mind was that a major difference between Homo-sapiens, Neanderthals, and other animals is that Homo-sapiens are driven to express themselves and communicate with images. Its not using tools or building fire as was proposed in the Anthropology 101 class I sat years ago.

Historical Battle of Telamon – Wilder Than Fiction

2011-04-01T09:26:00.002-05:00

Insubre Warrior

Every now and then, we discover a historical incident more exciting and fascinating than anything fiction and fantasy writers can create. One such event was the historic battle of Telamon, Italy. Telamon is a hill near Pisa where two Roman armies managed to trap and annihilate a huge force of Gallic warriors in 224 B.C. According to Polybius (2, 28-3) 40,000 Celtic warriors from Boii, Taurisci, and Insubres, tribes were slain and 10,000 were captured, securing Roman domination of the area known as Cisalpina Gallia, which was largely northern Italy.

The Celtic tribes from Transalpina Gallia(France) crossed the Alps to join forces with the Celtic tribes of Cisalpina Gallia and swept into Etruria (Tuscany). The Celts attacked Etruria because they feared Roman domination and saw an opportunity to fill their wagons with Roman treasure. But another reason for the attack may have been encouragement from the Carthaginians. This was during the years of Rome’s struggle with Carthage. Several of Rome’s Legions were engaged in Spain struggling for dominance with the Carthaginians. The threat at home forced Rome to agree to less than desirable terms, withdraw her legions, and return to Italy to meet the Celtic threat.

Initially, the Celtic tribes had a free rein, pillaging their way across Etruria, easily defeated Etruscan militias, and Roman legions led by Consul-General, Lucius Aemelius Papus. It looked dark for Rome, and many were certain the invaders would sack their beloved city, just as the Celtic Chieftain, Brennus, had done in 387 BC.

Nothing stood in their way until Consul-Genereal Caius Atilius Regulus returned from Spain, landing his legions at Pisa. Hard luck for the Celtic invaders. Now Atilius' legions were ahead of them and Amelius’ regrouped legions were behind them. The Roman vise squeezed tight dooming and the Celtic horde.

What captivated me about the battle was that Atilius was fighting in the front ranks of his soldiers. This was a Roman Consul-General commanding multiple legions, over 20,000 men. It would be like Patton personally leading the charge in WWII. Atilius, heroically stormed up Telamon hill, leading a contingent of cavalry and ran head on into Celtic Calvary. Sadly, Atilius’ reward for his bravery was decapitation, a time honored Celtic tradition. Yes, his head was taken as a trophy. It infuriated his legions and they continued the attack ferociously without him. At the end day, Rome was the undisputed power in Cisalpina Gallia and this was the beginning of the end for a Celtic dominated Europe.

It was such a great story that it inspired me to include it in my novel, Cult of Camulos, which begins with a depiction of this decisive, but not so famous battle. In, "Cult of Camulos", I depict Atilius having single combat with the foremost Celtic warrior, which is suggested in some accounts, but not well documented. However, there is a documented account of a Celtic Chieftain challenging the Roman general Marcus Claudiau to single combat at the battle of Clastidium three years earlier. Marcus fared better than Atilius, easily slaying his opponent. Little has been published on the battle of Telamon, but if you are interested in further reading, you might start with Simon James. He presents an excellent account in his book “The World of the Celts”.

Visual Wonder - Cathedral at Cordoba

2011-03-05T17:39:00.004-06:00

About a year ago, we were on tour in Spain. Of course food and wine was beyond words. Vino tinto and tapas—does it get any better? I was, at least, remotely aware of the most famous attractions before I got there. But one sight caught me completely off guard, the Cathedral at Cordoba.

This Christian cathedral was originally built by Visigoths in the 6th century. Moslems demolished it in 785AD and erected a monumental mosque in its place, modeled after a famous Mosque in Damascus. They kept expanding on it and improving on it until it became the mosque of reference and exceeded the grandeur of the mosque in Damascus.
When you step inside the small doorway in the plain brick exterior, your gaping mouth will hit the floor. It is like walking inside an Escher painting the size of a football field. Optically it dazzles your senses--makes you feel like you are looking into a mirror of infinitly reflected images. In every direction you look, beautifully tiled archways recede into space.

But this is not the end of the story. In 1236, King Ferdinand III reconquered Cordoba. He recognized the beauty and wonder of the Islamic mosque and rather than destroy it, he built a full size Christian cathedral right in the middle of it. When you make your way through the myriad of endless Moslem archways, you emerge into the Christian Cathedral with Gothic arches reaching towards the heavens.

Most my neighbors have been on tour in Spain. Oddly, they all missed the Cathedral at Cordoba. If you are lucky enough to visit southern Spain, be sure to take the side tour and see the cathedral at Cordoba.

Orange Triumphal Arch - Symbolic of Roman-Celtic struggle.

2010-08-16T16:53:00.003-05:00

When a book is accepted for publication, it sets off an agonizing search, primarily by the author, for a cover idea. Sure, the publisher hires an artist, but nobody is really in a position to understand what the story is about and what images best convey the content of the book to the reader. The adage about judging a book by its cover may or may not be true, but the cover and a twenty-word blurb are about all you have to convince a prospect to purchase your story.

The other problem is that nobody wants to spend any money on stock photography or elaborate illustrations. I was really stumped on what to convey to the artist for "Cult of Camulos". As with most novels, there are a myriad of scenes and images that the author can chose to promote the work. By chance, I was looking through some old photos of a trip my wife and I had made to France several years ago. As I thumbed down the stack, I lingered on a photo of the Roman Triumphal Arch that sits in the city of Orange. I remembered how impressed I was with the structure and studying the freeze that depicted a great battle between the old Gallic residents of the area and Rome’s legions, a fitting image for a novel in which I tried to bring to life a great battle between Romans and Celts on the plain of Telemone, Italy.

I scanned the photo, zoomed into it, and there it was, three figures in pitched battle still clearly visible despite years of erosion and even bullet holes from WWII, not to mention the extreme magnification of the relief. It was a striking image that conveyed everything I wanted the reader to feel about novel.

The freeze and triumphal were created during the reign of Augustus Caesar(about 35 BC) to commemorate the victory of Julius Caesar over the Gallic tribes. The battle of Telemone happened about 200 years before this, but the freeze is symbolic of the struggle between Roman and Celtic culture.

More Ancient or Modern Art

2010-06-19T09:59:00.002-05:00

About a month ago I posted a bit on modernistic art found in the ancient world. That posting jogged my memory of some interesting pieces that I viewed in the Museum of Athens from the Cyclades Islands that are near Greece in the Agean Sea. The Cycladic culture was a mysterious Neolithic culture that existed into the early Bronze Age, until about the time that the volcano sunk a good part of Santorini (Thira) in 1490 BC. Not much is known about this culture except that the white sculptures they left behind were used in funerary rites. When you look at them, you cannot help but be amazed at their modern look. Their designs seem somewhere between, Rodin, Moore, and Brancusi.

The work speaks for itself. Look at the photos and decide if the intellect and artistic drives of men and women have changed much over the past ten thousand years. Looking at these, I wonder if Brancusi did not find inspiration some of these pieces. I know what I want for Christmas and it is a replica of one of these pieces.

Stonehenge at Hunt, Texas, One of Two.

2010-06-03T10:38:00.005-05:00

About a year ago the Celtic Myth Pod Show ( www.celticmythpodshow.com) had a blurb on the two replicas of Stonehenge that had been built in Texas. One I knew, the one in Odessa, but it is far from my home in Georgetown. It would be like driving from Paris to Berlin. However, I was not aware of the other one, located in Hunt, Texas, less than one-hundred miles away. The morning was bright and my wife was willing (you have to act on those moments). We headed across the winding highways through Texas Hill Country.

An unexpected bonus was Texas peaches. The harvest was in and we stopped at a roadside stand to buy a basket. Impetuously, I grabbed a peach and chomped into it as soon as we were back on the road. The peaches are small and oh so sweet, but a word of caution. Driving and Texas peaches do not mix. The nectar runs down your cheeks, covers your hands, and gets the steering wheel sticky.

It was about a two-hour ride when we arrived at Hunt. It is small burg consisting of a gas station and restaurant. We found the “turn off” and headed west. We thought there would be sign of some sort to direct us. If there was, we did not see it. Just when we were thinking that we would never find the thing, presto, there it was. Just like the one in Salisbury, close to the highway, nestled on a vast misty plain.

It is not a replica of the real Stonehenge, but more of an emulation of what the original structure might have looked like about 1500 BC. It was commissioned by Al Shepperd and built by Doug Hill in 1989 and only took about nine months to complete. The one in Salisbury was erected in phases over the course of five-hundred years or more. The stones of this structure are about two-thirds the size of the original and only approximately the same shapes, not duplicates.

The Original Stonehenge is an ancient ruin of eroded and fallen megaliths. This adds to its mystique and makes for wonderful photos, but it hard to visualize how it might have been. In this one, when you stand surrounded by the inner ring of giant blue stones, and outer ring of sarsen stones, you feel the temple-like quality and grandeur of the original one.

Perhaps you can catch a wisp of what motivated those Neolithic tribes to drag stones that weighed so many tons such great distances. The outer ring of the Salisbury stones were transported about twenty miles and the huge blue stones used in the inner ring were transported over two-hundred and forty miles. These were stoneage people. I do not even think they had the invention of the wheel to help them.

I guess Al and Doug had more time and money than they knew what to do with to build something like this. If you are in the area, it is an attraction worth seeing. Did I mention it is free? There is only a small box asking for modest donations to help maintain the site.

The Harp - Why would Ireland pick such a wimpy national symbol?

2010-05-11T11:14:00.002-05:00

Do you ever wonder why the Irish Harp is the symbol on the flag of Ireland or the symbol of Guiness Beer. I didn’t know either until my wife and I went to Branson, Missouri this spring. It is a great place and April is a great time to visit. Traffic is manageable, good seats are available at the shows, and the golf courses were open. We spent a sunny day in Silver Dollar City, which is sort of an amusement park with rides and live shows. One of the venues featured a renowned harpist, Dearbhail Finnegan, who played as et of traditional Irish songs and few show tunes on the Irish Harp.

The first song she played, and my favorite, was called “Brian Boru.” Dearbhail explained that when she attended harp school it was a seven-year curriculum and she was required to learn “Brian Boru” proficiently to graduate. The piece symbolizes the last great battle fought by Brian Boru against the Danes in about 1015 AD.
Brian Boru was one of the most exciting figures in world history. Born around 930 AD, he fought countless battles unifying Ireland and driving out the Danes. No small feat considering the rest of Europe and Britain were paying huge sums of Dane Gold to keep the Vikings from pillaging their cities and churches.
Brian’s greatest battle was the battle of Clontarf where he literally ran the Danes off the Emerald Isle. Historians believe that this great warrior was in his 70’s when he actively led his forces into battle. After the battle, he was accosted in his tent by a group of stray Danes and he still managed to cut the legs off one of his attackers before they killed him.

So why is song named after this famous High King, Ard Righ of Erin? He played the harp. Dearbhail Finnegan says that her school taught her he was a master harp player, so much so that the famous old harp preserved at Trinity College in Dublin is named the Brian Boru harp. Yes, named after him. That harp was actually crafted much later in the 15th century, but it the oldest Irish Harp inexistence.
I can only find fleeting references to Brian’s mastery of the instrument. Still, the legend is well accepted. You have to admit it is amazing that such a striking historical figure, noted as a supreme tactician, statesman, and warrior, would also be remembered as a master harpist. The song and harp are symbols at the very core of Ireland’s national identity. So if, like me, you thought the harp was chosen as Ireland’s national symbol because it was used by silly little Leprechauns, you were mistaken.

Below is a youtube harpist playing Brian Boru’s haunting March. The harpist is not quite as good as Mrs. Dearbhail, but you will get the idea. Take a moment and listen to the heart of Erin.

How modern is modern art, really?

2010-04-26T08:54:00.003-05:00

What exactly is so modern about modern art? This sounds like a silly question. Everyone assumes that the idea of spontaneous expression, free from the fetters of religious dogma and political agendas were phenomena that developed at the end of nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. I have a deep appreciation of the things that artists like Picasso and Matisse accomplished, but in many respects their creations resembled works found in much earlier ages.

I believe examples of what we could call modern art existed in the ancient world. We rarely see them because the art that survives is predominately created in media that is able to withstand the ravages of time. The art painted on the walls of Egyptian tombs or chiseled into Greek stone reliefs and Roman columns are examples of art that endured, but this is art created for strict religious and political purposes.

In the 1960’s the Bronze Age city of Akrotiri was uncovered on the island of Thira(Santorini), just south of Crete. Speculation ran rampant that this might have been the fabled Atlantis. When a volcano erupted on the island in about 1490BC, Akrotiri was buried under 30 feet of volcanic ash that nearly perfectly preserved the city. Ironically, Akrotiri with its multi-story buildings, indoor plumbing and paved streets may have only been a secondary city to the main city that was totally lost when the explosion sunk a good part of the island and spread havoc across the Mediterranean.

This is one of the few places in the ancient world where the decor on the interior walls of dwellings has survived. The designs are freely stylized and as colorful as any Fauvist color scheme. Some of the spontaneity, projected by the works may be the result of the medium they used for painting. Water based fresco would have required a confident hand and quick application, but the freedom of the designs and use of color suggests that the artist was free to create an original work without many cultural preconditions influencing his choices. The results are works that could be hung in a gallery next to Matisse and Picasso and not look out of place.

A Little Night Music

2010-04-03T08:58:00.002-05:00

I am not what you would call a classical music lover and when my wife suggested that we attend a Mozart Concert in Vienna, I agreed trying not to show my lack of enthusiasm. I enjoy listening to all types of music, but going to live concerts is not my thing. Why do people spend hundreds of dollars to sit in a torturously hard seat with no legroom to watch their favorite performers on a “jumbotron”, because you need binoculars to see them on the distant stage? I am good for about thirty minutes before I start to squirm and wish I did not have to crawl over thirty people to get to the snack bar … even at the George Strait concert last year.

We were headed to Vienna on a tour, it was Mozart’s hundredth birthday or something; so what the heck.

We broke away from the tour and somehow we found the tiny concert hall buried in a monastery, no less. It was the monastery of the German Teotonic Order. Mozart actually lived there in about 1781. Recognizing his genius, Archbishop Colloredo, invited him to live and work there rent-free. From time to time, he gave concerts in a tiny chapel that was converted into a miniature concert hall that would only seat about 50 people.

Since, Mozart was sort of “New Age” in his time, the bishop redecorated the room to Mozart’s wishes, covering the walls with flamboyant baroque nude figures … interesting choice for a monastery.

We took our seats on hard chairs, crowded together. The musicians entered the room and stepped up on a small riser that was located where the altar would have been in the chapel. It was quartet with a flute, violin, cello, and a viola (I think) and they were dressed in costumes of the period. Then they started to play with no introduction.

The acoustics were phenomenal and being within a few feet of the players, I could feel every vibrato and resonant note in my chest. The strings literally made my heart sing. There was no squirminess or discomfort in my knees, no urge to get to the snack bar. In what seemed like a few minutes it was over … I wanted more.

I finally understood, at least, a little of what the big flap about Mozart was all about.

Child-Eating Monster Terrorizes Town

2010-03-20T09:28:00.004-05:00

The town was Tarascon in Provence, France, located on the Rhone River, just a few miles north of the Mediterranean. People of Tarascon swear that in about 46AD a child-eating monster terrorized the town. The people in the region called the monster Tarasque and described the beast as having six short legs, the shell of turtle, the head of a lion, and a scaly tail, tipped with a scorpion’s sting. They believed the monster had come from Galatia (Asia Minor). The legend of the monster had been established in local lore for many years, because statues of the Tarasque have been found that date back to the 3rd and 2nd century BC. The people of Tarascon must have believed that the legendary monster had awaken like a sleeping dragon to prey on their peaceful community.

The story goes that children playing by the river disappeared. Finally, a child saw a playmate pulled into the river by the monster and the towns people rallied to slay the beast. Their efforts failed; they could not find it. Finally, St. Martha came upon the beast along the riverbank and enchanted it so it sat submissively. While in this helpless state, the townsmen attacked the monster and hacked it to pieces. In gratitude for St. Martha’s help everyone in the town converted to Christianity and they renamed their town Tarascon after the beast. St. Martha welcomed the converts into the church, but scolded them for killing the helpless animal instead of capturing it. Perhaps, Martha thought the beast was tamed and no longer a threat.

The most plausible explanation for the story is that a crocodile escaped when a Roman ship filled with exotic animals bound for the Coliseum floundered. Perhaps one of the creatures swam to shore and found its way up the Rhone river a few miles.

Strip away the fanciful embellishments, and you might be able to see a crocodile. The behavior of the Tarasque is more compelling. Pulling children into the river is very crocodile-like. In Africa they lie just below the surface and pull young antelope into the water and drown them. Being cold blooded, a crocodile may have appeared to be enchanted and helpless, while trying to warm up on a riverbank.

Fact or fiction, people in the town swear the story is true and the town celebrates the conquest of St. Martha with a grand festival parading monster-like creations are through the streets.

Photo from Wikipedia

Kiss the Stone, But Cut the Blarney

2010-03-13T12:49:00.002-06:00

The line started in front of the tower’s door and wound up uncountable turns to the top of the spire. Looking down into the ring of stairs made me dizzy. I had to keep my eyes on my feet and a hand on the rail. Slowly we proceeded, step by step, round and round, emerging at the top of the ramparts of Blarney Castle. The vast panorama of Eire came into view, lush emerald fields, endlessly checkered with hedges and stone walls.

The line edged forward slowly. Ever determined, Jan moved eagerly with each advance. Finally, we were there. Jan stepped forward. Two strong young men grabbed her forcefully ready to sling her backwards under the ramparts and over the wall. She would hang in space, nearly upside-down, fifty or sixty feet above the ground. They assured me there was no danger. A net of chicken wire had been placed ten feet below the stone several years ago to catch her fall.

A gentle blush filled her cheeks. Her hazel eyes dazzled with expectation. Over and under she went, lips pursed, ready to grace the legendary stone. I gasped as her lovely head and supple figure disappeared under the ramparts. She strained and stretched for her reward. Her body taut with with exertion, then suddenly relaxed. Beaming and bright, she emerged from under the wall having kissed the Stone at Blarney Castle.

She hugged me tightly and I whispered in her ear,

"Oh, what great beauty, does thou possess?
To grace this world with your sweet breath
To grace this hand with your gentle touch
To grace this soul with your discerning glance
To pierce this heart with love’s sharp lance."

Her silky voice, soft as morning dew, caught my ear, “Cut the Blarney you old fool.”

You Call This History? - by Joan Upton Hall

2010-03-04T16:23:00.003-06:00

I enjoy traveling through William Russeth’s blog as an armchair tourist when he takes us to ancient sites via photos of structures and stories of their uses. That I write books and articles on historical buildings in the state of Texas, U.S.A. might seem laughable by comparison. Our civilization is too wet behind the ears to have a long history. Texas didn’t become a Republic until 1836 and then a state in the U.S. in 1845. Even the few Spanish Missions that Texas inherited are young by European standards. As for ruins left by Native tribes, while there are wonderful examples in other states, Texas’s original inhabitants were mostly nomadic rather than builders.

My goal in writing about our oldest buildings is to keep “progress” from tearing them down by recording what happened there.

Mighty temples? No.

Inspiring cathedrals? No.

Coliseums? No. Owners regularly tear our sports arenas down to build “state-of-the-art” structures every few years.

So what institutions am I talking about? Jails—whether you call them “hoosegows,” “calabooses,” or “correctional facilities.”

As soon as our founding fathers established a county seat, a lockup claimed top priority, sometimes even before the courthouse (or inside it). Early Texas methods for incarcerating criminals sound extreme and inhumane by today’s standards, but few law-abiding citizens lived much better themselves. They simply did the best they could. The first jail may have been little more than a chicken coop, but subsequent buildings remain today as architectural and historical attractions.

Why are so many of these structures beautiful as well as strong? Historians I interviewed point out that builders took pride in the appearance because these symbols of authority had to excel in strength and were meant to stand for generations. Considering the measures employed to make them escape proof, demolition of the buildings might wear out a wrecking ball or two. At least one jail laced its outer walls with small cannon balls mortared between the stone blocks, and others used steel pins. Other ingenious systems came into use such as metal cages within the walls that could be locked simultaneously without the jailer having to risk going inside. Bars were invented that cannot be sawed through, and jailers devised surveillance devices to observe prisoner activity.

Quite a bit of instruction turns up at the museums regarding the correct procedure for death by hanging, and one sheriff drew diagrams to show it. These how-to explanations didn’t result from sadistic preoccupation, but from a genuine concern to make the execution as quick and painless as possible. The expression, “dancing at the end of a rope,” meant the person died of slow strangulation.

Why aren’t these jails still employed for their original intention? Because they either cannot be upgraded to today’s standards of comfort and decency, or they pose a threat to the jailers. Unrecognized as the valuable tourist attractions they are, quite a few still stand neglected to the point of ruin, or they become relegated to mere storage facilities. Some have even been destroyed.

But thanks to innovative minds with an appreciation for history, the jails featured in my book have realized their potential as town attractions. Aren’t we all curious about the stories those mighty walls could tell? And hearing the stories, don’t we want to see what it’s like inside those walls? How fitting that the buildings which once kept folks safe from outlaws now serve us as museums, libraries, restaurants, hotels or B&Bs. One artist/photographer I know even turned one into a charming home. Former jails now open their doors to the public, the oldest dating back to 1850.

Just think, at last, you can go to jail and like it!

See Joan’s books at: http://www.joanuptonhall.com/books.htm

About Joan

This month I am excited to feature a renowned guest author, Joan Upton Hall. Joan taught English for twenty-eight years, was an editor, and even did some cartooning before becoming a full-time freelance writer. She also instructs creative writing classes, is in demand as a conference speaker, and is active in the San Gabriel Writer's League and Writers' League of Texsas.

Joan is the Author of several books. Two of them are an exciting blend of apocalyptic Sci Fi and Arthurian mythology. “Arturo El Rey” and “Shadow of Excalibur” are thrilling adventures with plenty of action and the right touch of romance. I keep her grammar books within arm’s reach. They are the easiest to understand and the most practical references I have found. She has also taken on the task of documenting bits of Texas history. Her book, “Just Visitin’ Old Texas Jails” is sure to be full of fascinating facts and details about these unappreciated keystones of Texas history. For more information on Joan’s books, drop by her website at:

http://www.joanuptonhall.com/

Joan’s Books:

Arturo El Rey
Shadow of Excalibur
Just Visitin’ Old Texas Jails
Ghostly Tales from American Jails
Grand Old Texas Theaters
Rx for Writing Ills
50 Writer’s Tips

“Mad Dog” Hero Said to Have Discovered America

2010-02-18T10:18:00.000-06:00

A while back I was introduced to an author, William Tolliver, in a Yahoo reading group who has a book out titled “The Mad Dog Connection”. It is a catchy title, but the group’s focus is centered on Arthurian fiction and I did not see how it could possibly relate to Arthuriana. It turns out that the story starts with a distant relative of the original King Arthur finding Arthurian relics in the Southwestern United States. The hero is drawn into a series of wild adventures and intrigues. It is a fun read and I recommend it, but the Mad Dog Connection aroused my curiosity.

According to William, Mad Dog was a variation from the Welsh name Madoc. In Welsh folklore Madoc was a Welsh Prince who sailed to America in about 1170 AD, three hundred years before Columbus. The story goes that to flee the violent lifestyle of the times, he formed an expedition and sailed west looking for a more peaceful land. After finding a promising new land, he returned to Wales and recruited ten ships of colonists and sailed west never to be seen or heard from again. Madoc’s most likely landing place has been speculated to have been on Mobile Bay in Alabama with a settlement established in Fort Mountain, GA.

Madoc's Wall in Ft. Mountain, Georgia

Where it gets interesting is that even though Madoc was never heard from again, tales of blue-eyed, fair skinned, Welsh speaking Indians abound. The explorer Captain Christopher Newport reported in 1608 that the Eastern Siouan and Mononcan spoke a language similar to Welsh. Algonquin Indians were aware of a tribe they called the “Mandoag” tribe, which is a pronunciation very close to Madoc or Mad Dog. Reverend Thomas Lloyd claimed to have been captured by Indians in 1669. He further claimed he conversed with the Indians in Welsh. Welsh speaking tribes were said to have been found near Louisville, Kentucky. One of Lewis and Clark’s assignments was to determine if the Mandan Indians in the Dakotas, which were said to have blue eyes and fair skin, could have been related to the Madoc expedition. In Fort Mountain State Park in Georgia there is a stone wall that Cherokee Indian legend says was built by a “Moon-eyed, fair skinned” tribe called “Welsh.” Even a plaque has been erected in the park inferring that Madoc colonists may have built the wall. The legend was revived in the 1850’s when Zuni and Hopi Indians were said to have ties to Welsh settlers.

The list of inferences and incidents is very extensive and are discussed in the Wikipedia and internet in much greater detail than I present here. Just type “Madoc” into the Bing search engine to find a myriad of sources.

Sadly, all the legends and stories are labeled hearsay or anecdotal. None of the sources have historical teeth. Yet, the legend lives on. I guess I am a gullible, romantic and somehow find it easy to believe that a Welshman fed up with war and killing tried to escape to a more peaceful world.

A word on William Tolliver’s “Fireblade” Series:

Whether you believe the Madoc legend was fact or fiction, William Tolliver’s “Fireblade” trilogy should not be missed. One critic has said the series is part edgy Mickey Spillane and part suspenseful Dan Brown. The series is action-adventure with historical overtones, all grounded in the present day and seen from the viewpoint of a very reluctant hero. The three books are titled The Mad Dog Connection, The Camelot Tapes, and Last Plane to Avalon. They are available from the publisher at www.publishamerica.com, or can be ordered by any bookstore.

Professor Rhod Evans encounters deadly conflict when he finds that the supposed suicide of his best friend was actually murder. Pres Davies, his murdered friend, had refused to reveal to Lucius Valentine, a billionaire art pirate, where he had hidden King Arthur’s treasures, which he had found in America. Evans is forced to do battle with the same forces that overthrew Arthur in the sixth century. He finds allies in a priest, who is an expert with automatic weapons and a beautiful, enigmatic British lady. A man of peace must become a warrior, and more than that — he must find Arthur’s treasures before his enemy uses them to become the most dangerous man in the world.

Further information on the author and the series may be obtained at the author’s website: www.spanglefish.com/sirbilly

To purchase "The Mad Dog Connection" Click Here

The World's Longest Work in Progress - The Temple of Zeus in Athens

2010-02-12T20:11:00.002-06:00

You may remember the bridge to "nowhere" that was built in Alaska. It did not connect to anything and became political fodder to discredit Sarah Palin. I do not want to talk about politics. The thing is that governments have been wasting money on “loser” projects ever since they erected the first two mud huts and called them a village. The city of Athens was no exception. The temple of Olympian Zeus was a project started in the 6th century BC. At the time, it was envisioned to be a temple to rival the great temples of the world, particularly the famous Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, but the project was never completed until the 2nd century AD. That is over 600 hundred years from concept to completion. Think about that. Our country has existed for less than 300 years.

The sons of the tryant Pisistraus, Hippias and Hipparchos started the temple on 520 BC to honor their father. They envisioned a colossus temple. It is located below the Acropolis, 500 meters south and east. The platform was 41 m x 353 m, about the same size as an NFL football field. Majestic columns would stand 55.5 feet high. Some are 6 feet in diameter. Work halted in 510 BC when the tyrants were overthrown and Hippias was exiled. The temple sat with only the platform and a few columns completed until 174 BC. That is 336 years! In 174 BC, Antiochus IV became king of Athens. He thought that he was actually a reincarnate of Zeus and decided to finish the structure. Sadly, he died when it was only half finished

When the Romans took over, they sacked Athens in 86 BC and sent columns and statues from the partially completed work back to Rome for use in their own Temple of Jupiter. It was not until Hadrian took power in the 2nd century that he committed the resources to complete the work in grand style. It is sad there are no photos or paintings to show us its grandeur. Great works never seem to last. The temple was damaged in 267 AD when Athens was sacked yet again and finally fell into disuse as Christianity took over.

Today the magnificence that might have been stands stoically in the center of Athens. The platform and columns that remain are enough to take your breath away.

Aquae Sulis - Comfort at the Edge of the Empire

2010-01-25T11:07:00.001-06:00

When I blogged about the ancient city of Ephesus, I was impressed with the number of baths. At least four bath complexes were found in the city. All that remains are skeletal structures of partial brick walls, so you do not get a feeling for the grandeur of Roman Baths.

Bathing was a major pastime in the Roman World. I think the city of Rome had over 600 baths. And they were public baths that anyone could visit. Patricians and plebeians bathed side by side bringing their slaves and servants. However, I would suspect, with 600 baths, class separation must have existed. I guess a typical Roman worked till about noon, then headed for some light exercise and several baths before returning home for dinner.

This triggered my memory of a visit to the Roman Baths and museum located in the town of Bath in Somerset, England. Much of the site has been restored to nearly original condition. The main pool, fed from natural hot springs, was a revered site by the Pre-Roman Celtic population, who deemed the steaming waters to be a sacred place of their goddess, Sulis. The Romans, who knew a good thing when they saw one, quickly identified Sulis with the Roman Goddess Minerva and constructed a temple and bath around 60AD. They continued to improve the bath complex the next 300 years of their occupation in Britain.

There are several baths still filled with water, which include the main bath that fed by the natural 114 degree (F) spring water and is about the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The Romans also constructed a calderarium, which is heated artificially and a fridgidarium which is cold to refresh and close your pores after the hot baths and exercise.

The pool and structure is lavishly designed and decorated. It makes most the public pools that I have swam in look shabby in comparison. Perhaps something in Las Vegas would compare to it. The marble pillars, the lavish mosaics and refined statuary are something that our culture has lost the desire to produce and the will to finance. The most mind boggling thing about this bath is that it was at the far edge of the empire. Aquae Sulis was about as far from Rome as you could get. If this is what they could do on the fringes of the empire, imagine what the baths in Ephesus or Rome were like?

Terracotta Warriors Found in Texas

2010-01-15T06:55:00.001-06:00

If the headline sounds like cheap sensationalism to gain attention, I plead guilty. However, like many news headlines it is misleading, but based on fact. I am not going to claim that the Chinese were among the list of Pre-Columbian visitors to America. Last year a small part of the famed Terracotta Army that was uncovered in China was exhibited in Houston. It was a wonderful exhibit, well worth the 3-hour drive from Austin. But it was very small, featuring 50 or so of the best pieces and cameras were not allowed. On the return, my neighbor had the foresight to include a stop at an attraction called the Forbidden Gardens in Katy, Texas, which is very close to Houston. Forbidden Gardens is comprised of two exhibits: a 1/20 scale reproduction of the Forbidden City and a 1/3 reproduction of the tomb of the terracotta warriors. The Forbidden City is interesting, but the terracotta warrior exhibit is breathtaking.

A wealthy Chinese importer, who immigrated to States, created the attraction to introduce a bit of China’s illustrious history and culture into America. He imported over 6,000 replicas of the warriors found in the famous tomb of Emperor Qin of China and recreated the site in detail.

The real army was buried with the Emperor of Qin in about 209 BC. He is given credit with being the first emperor to unify China. Ironically, he may have died prematurely drinking potions to extend his life. As the Emperor aged, he desparately searched for and elixir that would make him immortal. When he died, he was certain he would be an Emperor in the next world and buried the army to help him rule in afterlife. His main tomb has not been excavated because of high mercury levels in the soil. Archaeologist think that he tried to recreate a small world inside his tomb that included oceans and rivers made of liquid mercury. If they ever manage to excavate the tomb, I sure it will be amazing.

I know this sounds like an ad, but if you are into ancient things, and you are in the Houston area, drop by the Forbidden Gardens in Katy, you will not be disappointed.

Pre-Columbian Visitors to Chichen Itza?

2010-01-08T12:14:00.003-06:00

Chichen Itza was a late classic and post classic city, ( no, it is not a fast food franchise) which means that it it flourished after most of the Mayan civilization, had started to crumble. The Toltec tribe moved down from Mexico in about the year 1000 AD and took it over. They may have been pushed out by Aztecs, but they gave the city a second life and a Toltec makeover.The ruins are as impressive as any I have ever seen in the world. The step pyramid, El Castillo, rivals the grandeur of the great pyramids in Egypt. The ball court is the size of an NFL football field. There is even a building archaeologists think was an astronomical observatory, not bad for a civilization that had not yet found its way out of the Stone Age. That is right, these Mayan/ Toltecs were just beginning to work with soft metals like gold and silver. They did not even have copper or bronze implements. Iron was lightyears away from discovery. One of the great enigmas is that they had written language, books, sophisticated calendars, advanced agriculture, and highly developed engineering skills, but they never thought about putting wheels on a cart to pull things around.

I will get back to Chichen Itza in future blogs but today I want to focus on one engraving that I had photographed a few years ago and recently rediscovered. On the wall inside one of the temples, an image was etched into the wall that our guide claimed was a Pre-Columbian drawing of a ocean going ship. Much has been made that when Cortez arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs took him to be Quetzalcoatl, the famed white god that helped create the world and gave these people, books, agriculture, calendars, etc. Since my visit, it has been shown that the idea of Native Americans thinking Cortez was a god came mainly from Cortez. After all Pocahontas and Squanto were not fooled a minute. Never the less, Quetzalcoatl was widely worshipped by Aztecs, Mayans and Toltecs . The legend has it that after doing all these wondrous things, he made a raft of snakes and sailed off into the East promising to return. Our guide proudly pointed to the carving on the wall inside the dark temple and said, “See!” I flashed a quick picture out of pity, so he would not feel bad, but frankly I did not see it. I remember the guide's name, Caesar. Caesar went on to say that it was an image of an ocean sailing vessel carved into the wall hundreds of years before Columbus, Cortez, or Montejo were in the Americas. Montejo was the conquistador who ravaged the area around Chichen Itza.

A few weeks a ago, I came across the photo. For some crazy reason I took the photo and scanned it into Photoshop, bumping up the contrast and then connecting the dots and tracing over the lines. My mouth went agape when I viewed the result. To me, it looks like a European or Mediterranean sailing vessel. What do you think? The thing is that the style and look of the image was identical to all the other images in the temple that were know to be Pre-Columbian. Could it have been carved after Cortez arrived? Perhaps. The site was still in use, though decaying, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico. In 1524 AD. Cortez stopped in Cozumel, but bypassed the Yucatán Peninsula where Chichen Itza is located. Toltecs fought their last civil war in about 1480 AD and had pretty much stamped out the last vestiges of Mayan/Toltec civilization by that time.. Still, Native Americans lived around the city when Montejo invaded in about 1697. He used the ruins for protection while the locals attacked him and initially drove him out.

I would like to think that the carving is an image of a vessel from Europe or some Mediterranean source and that the Americas were visited by many people from across the Atlantic, Vikings, Welshman, Irishmen, and Phoenicians to name a few. Columbus was just the first to do it up “right” and provide proper documentation. People have been sailing from the Mediterranean to Britain in very sophisticated sailing ships for over 3000 years. Is it so hard to believe that from time to time an adventurous soul did not sail off into the West or was blown off course to the new world long before Columbus?

Looking Back a Few Million Years

2010-01-01T13:33:00.010-06:00

Since New Year’s is a time of retrospect, I thought it might be a good time to look across time at an object that profoundly changed my outlook on the world and life. It is common knowledge today that when we are looking at the stars, we are looking into the past. They are so far away, it takes many years for their light to reach us so we are seeing them as they were ages ago. That is a fairly deep concept for me, but it never really hit home until one night about twenty-five years ago I discovered the Andromeda Galaxy in my binoculars.

My interest in astronomy was sparked when Halley’s Comet last visited. I was living in the north edge of Austin, Texas and the skies were still very dark at night --- no big shopping malls, parking lots or buildings were in the immediate vicinity. I had purchased a cheap telescope, but I cannot say for sure that I ever really found Halley’s Comet. My wife, who is smarter than I am, journeyed to a local camera shop and told the sales person she had a husband interested in astronomy and was frustrated with his cheap $69 dollar , 300X Jasco Telescope. He handed her a $30 or $40 pair of 10 x 50 binoculars. You see, for viewing the heavens, it is not the magnification but the light amplification ability of the instrument that is most important.. The 10 x 50 binoculars were much more efficient than my cheap telescope. In plain talk, I could see dim objects.

One night I was scanning the sky and I discovered a large fuzzy oval. Holy crap, I thought I had really discovered something. I ran into the house, checked a computer program that told me where and what was in the sky that night. Low and behold, I was the discoverer of the Andromeda Galaxy. Sadly, I quickly learned that others had already found it, cataloged it and named it. In fact, there are written records of it from the 10th century AD. Greeks Romans, Egyptians, etc., all must have been aware of it. The reason is that, if you are under a really dark sky, like northern Minnesota or western Texas, the Andromeda Galaxy is viewable with the naked eye. Nothing is required, not even a t-shirt --- that’s if you are way out in the boonies.

Here is the life changing part. M-31, as people in astronomy circles refer to it, is an object in the sky the same size as a full moon. That is correct, it is the same size as a full moon. Generally, we do not notice it because it is faint. It is faint because it is 2.5 million light years away from us. To put it into perspective, most the bright stars in the sky we see are only a few thousand light years away. If people in the Andromeda Galaxy could view earth, they would see dinosaurs walking around. For an object to be the size of the full moon in our sky and to be 2.5 million light years away, it would have to be pretty big, right? Andromeda is about 170,000 light years across. That is about 3 or 4 times larger than our own Milky Way Galaxy.

The idea that I could see something so distant and so vast, struck me deeply, perhaps even spiritually. When the nights get a little warmer, find a dark sky, grab your binoculars, and find Andromeda. Look for the big square that comprises the body of Pegasus. It is bright and easy to find. It rises early in the East in the Spring. Andromeda is just above it. Of course, it will not be a breath taking image, like the ones you see taken with the Hubble Telescope, it will just be an unremarkable faint, fuzzy oval, 2.5 million light years away, about the size of a full moon.

Good King Wenceslas, Not a Brit?

2009-12-24T13:42:00.002-06:00

Back in ’06 my wife and I visited the Czech Republic. We spent a day or two wandering around the streets of Prague, which is a wonderful place to visit. As we strolled through the never-ending blocks of shops and cafes, we stumbled on Saint Wenceslas Square.

I had always thought the “Good King Wenceslas” of song was from Britain. It is a British Christmas Carol, right? It seems that the good king was actually Saint Wenceslas I, duke of Bohemia. He may not have even been a king. He came to power in about 925 AD. During this period the Holy Roman Empire dominated the European Continent, with Prague situated its eastern edge.

Wenceslas had a pagan mother, but his father was Christian and he adopted Christianity. He is known as a great warrior, but all I could find on the internet was that he capitulated to the Holy Roman Empire without fighting and agreed to pay them tribute. Maybe he was just smarter than most warrior leaders. He became most famous for running around barefoot across winter’s snow delivering alms to poor widows, prisoners, and sick people, which is really a strange thing for a warrior king to be doing. One can only guess that he was deeply smitten with doing “good works”. This is the part of the legend that was captured in a Czech poem and put to song by John Mason Neala in England in the early 1800 hundreds.

Because of his good deeds and piety, his story spread across Europe quickly. After his death, he became a foremost example of a “Righteous King.” Hence, Wenceslas was known in places as far away as Britain. I propose his Arthur-like traits promoted his popularity, particularly in England and France. His legend even predicts that, like Arthur, he will return with his great sword and defend the land against invaders.

Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, good my page. Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.

Ephesus: Harbor Street, Where is the Harbor?

2009-12-18T10:48:00.005-06:00

We ramble around the courtyard of the library. I sit on the steps for a moment, a welcome relief to feet that have been milling around for over two hours. The guide calls and the group assembles under the Gate of Mithriadates, which is on the north side of the plaza. Three stone arches embellished with intricate reliefs must have been the main gate into the city coming from the harbor side. We pass through the gates and see the great theater a hundred yards farther down the marble street. The procession of tour groups flows down the columned boulevard toward the huge theater. This is some stadium. It has a capacity of 25,000 spectators. The theater was used for religious festivals, theater and gladiatorial combats. Do you remember the comment about the gladiator who committed suicide by choking on a latrine sponge rather than fighting in the arena? The must have been where he fought. St. Paul preached in this arena between gladiatorial combats. If you are going to spread the “good” word, an audience of 25,000 captive listeners is a good thing. Sadly, he got carried away denouncing paganism, Artemis and probably a few other deities. Also, I doubt he endorsed the butchery going on in the stadium before and after his sermons. Eventually, he irked enough residents that he had to flee the city.

When we do an about face in front of the theater, we are looking down harbor street. This is a broad avenue lined with columns and the main thorough fair for transporting goods to and from the harbor. It is easy to imagine the hustle and bustle of pushcarts and cargo. When dignitaries like Alexander arrived, they would have disembarked their vessels and entered the city following this street. No doubt, the crowds and pageantry would have rivaled a visit from the pope.

Now we look down the “”harbor” street and can see no harbor because the ocean is several miles away. How strange that even without any interference of industry that this grand city, the center of finance and religion in the ancient world fell to global cooling. The cooler climates in the 5th and 6th century increased the size of the ice caps causing the Mediterranean ocean to recede. This is an example of what can happen without us fooling around with mother nature. Who knows? If nations cannot learn to work together, Ephesus may be harbor city once again as the ice caps melt.

Ephesus, The Library of Celsus

2009-12-11T18:14:00.000-06:00

Just a few yards from the brothel, baths and public latrine we follow the marble street to the great Library of Celsus. We descend a few steps into an elegant plaza. On the left, the masterful two-story facade of the library looms over us. A governor-general named C.Celsus willed 25,000 denarii for its construction and the honor of being entombed in it. The bible says that a denarius was equal to a day's wages for a common laborer. At $6.00 an hour low level worker would earn about $48 per day in the US. At this rate, 25,000 denarii would be the equivalent of about $12 million dollars in our world. About enough to fund a decent library.

The library was erected in 135 AD. It is showing its age, but the sophisticated design, elegant pillars and stylish pediments would be a credit to any modern government building. Statues guard the portals into the building, symbolizing justice, and virtue. The portals face east to capture the morning sun so that scholars can work in the cool morning. It is estimated that it held 12,000 thousand scrolls. We can only guess at the accumulation of knowledge that was contained here. The guide says the Romans used the library for public records as well as literary and scientific documents. The library is important for a second reason. The existence of this library is proof that the Romans considered public libraries an important component of the cities they governed. The trademarks of Roman occupation include public baths, theaters, and libraries and you find these amenities in Roman cities throughout Europe. It is ironic to me that Romans are most noted for cruel, hateful and immoral things, yet, as we sift through the remains of their world, everywhere we turn we find libraries, theaters and baths. It just seems so very civilized to me. When future generations sift through the remnants of our world, I wonder if it will seem as civilized.
I had to laugh at the newspaper headline today, "Obama Stresses Need For War at Peace Conference."
It sounds like something out of Julius Caesar's "Gallic Wars."

Ephesus, Footsteps to the Brothel

2009-12-04T11:01:00.000-06:00

We are getting closer to the famous library and we can get a good view as its two-story façade is plainly in view. A person in our the tour group looks down on the marble street and notices a foot print clearly etched in the beautiful marble. “Who would be so despicable as to deface such rare and beautiful remnant of antiquity?” she asks. Our guide gathers the group together over the footprint, smiles wryly and tells us that the foot print was carved in the paving stone to lead strangers to the brothel. Being a port city and a city known for religious visitations, Ephesus was sure to have had a fair number of visitors. Someone, my guess is the major proprietor, carved the footprints in the street to lead clients to the brothel, which was just ahead of us. Prostitution was big business in the ancient world, bringing significant income to the city. It was taxed heavily. Morally, I believe it was one of those things disdained in public but practiced by those who had the money.

Next to the brothel, the bricks of a large bath and public latrine resided. To my regret, I did not get pictures of these. The city planners placed the baths conveniently for a visit after some fun at the brothel and the latrine’s close proximity must have helped reduce accidents in the public pools. The latrine was a large bench cut out of marble with a dozen or more holes for people sit on. It was much like an outhouse, but completely out in the open. There were no walls or roof and it was communal. Yes, the Ephesians were literally rubbing knees with their fellow citizens when they used the latrine. A refinement not seen in modern outhouses was the trough of running water under the bench carrying away the waste. Our guide tells us that wooden sticks with sponges on the tips were used wipe your private parts. The group winces a bit when she adds that the wiping sponges were communal. Winces change to gags when she reveals we know this because it was written that a famous gladiator stuffed one of these sponges down his throat to commit suicide rather than fight in the arena. Hmmm.

I also find it interesting that the brothel is but a stone’s throw from the library and across the street from where many fine homes once stood. I suspect that the brothel was the true center of town.

Ephesus, Exploring Curetes Street

2009-11-27T22:35:00.000-06:00

The marble paved street we follow is a wonder. Modern archeologists have refitted the stones, guessing at their original placement. They are almost perfectly fit and level. One can image how smoothly finished they were two thousand years ago. The marble street is lined with tall columns and each column has a life-size statue before it. Such splendor. It is easy to visualize a majestic procession of ornate chariots followed by maidens scattering rose petals in honor of Alexander or Anthony and Cleopatra.

The next stop is the Temple of Domitian. It was a two story structure, with shops and warehouses on the first floor and the temple on the second floor. A large relief of the goddess Nike, Goddess of Victory, was found near the temple, but the significance of the work is lost. Usually Nike is associated with winning games, contests or wars. The figure is holding a wreath similar to ones awarded to athletes. Perhaps gladitorial processions passed by this temple.

Across from it is the Memorial to Memmius, which was a fountain. Richly carved statues form a rectangular structure. Water was not scarce in Ephesus. A wealthy patron by the name of Pollio sponsored the building of a huge aqueduct during the Roman period that carried water to numerous fountains and baths. This would be like Donald Trump offering to rebuild the Brooklyn Bridge at his own expense to win favor with New York resisidents and officials. I guess the modern way is to just create an off shore bank account for people you want to influence.

Midway down the marble street a beautifully sculpted arch and facade of the Temple of Hadrian has been resurrected. Hadrian was Roman Emperor that visited Britain and ordered a wall be constructed across the island to keep out the Scots and give the legions something constructive to do. Our guide adds that they have recently unearthed homes of wealthy patricians and even a couple of high class boarding houses in front of the temple. You might be asking yourself, "Why a temple for an Emperor?" Roman Emperors were considered gods. To win favor and keep in good standing citizens and officials would build temples to honor the Emperor.

Ephesus, Peristyle House, a restored villa

2009-11-21T22:43:00.000-06:00

The sun continues to rise and we start to feel the heat. It is late September and you can tell by this autumn day that any midsummer day would rival those 100 plus degree days in Texas.

During the Roman period Ephesus had a population of about two hundred thousand people. I remember from another journey that Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztecs, had a population of about two hundred thousand prior to the conquest. Florence at the time, which was considered the thriving center of European Culture, had a population of only twenty thousand. Ephesus, like Tenochtitlan, was about ten times larger than Florence.

We follow he guide down the gravel spur. She mentions that the flat area across from the palace was the agora (market place). It is not much to see. I do not even take a photo. Then a broad street lined with columns and paved with marble slabs captures our attention. It is amazing. The entire group stands agape. This is Curetes Street, which is the main avenue leading into the center of the city. We are eager to follow the lavish avenue, but our tour director stops us at the Peristyle House. At the time, it appeared to be another ruined Roman villa. Our eyes keep returning to the broad street paved in marble and lined with beautiful columns extending into the distance.

What our guide does not point out is that this ruin has been reconstructed. I suppose due to time restraints, she decided to bypass it. Later I learn it is one of the most striking features of this ancient town. Much of the dwelling has been restored in all of its grandeur, including frescoed walls and lavish pools. I have pimped a photo from a guidebook that I purchased to show you. I have this realization about the Roman sets created by Hollywood in movies like "Spartacus or Cleopatra."; the sets are no exaggeration. Many of these homes must have resembled Hyatt hotel lobbies. The lesson here is to purchase the gift shop guidebook before the tour starts and make sure all the key points of interest are covered.

Interior reconstruction of Peristyle house.

The center atria of the house featured a water filled pool surrounded by various rooms. The pool must have cooled and moistened the hot summer air. Water was plentiful in Ephesus. Several fountains, baths, and latrines service the city. Homes of the very wealthy had private plumbing, which is an extravagance almost beyond belief.

The ornate corinthyian pillars, elegant arches, and intricate mosaics decorate the structure. Walls are covered with colorful frescos, often illustrating myths. This is truly a residence in which a 20th century family could live in comfortably.

Ephesus Continued

2009-11-14T21:23:00.000-06:00

We follow our tour guide down a narrow gravel path. Glimpses of the ancient metropolis come into view and we learn that Ephesus has had many transformations; initially it was Greek, then Hellenistic, then Roman, and finally Byzantine. During the Hellenistic period, that’s the period after Alexander(301-30 BC), the city flowered into a major center of commerce and culture. I am thinking it must have been similar to cities in our world like Taiwan or Singapore. We do not consider them as being world powers; yet, they have become huge centers of commerce featuring monumental architecture.

I raise my eyes from the gravel path and I am looking at a beautifully preserved amphitheater called the Odeon, which means that it is a small theater or concert hall. It held 1500 people. There is no system for water drainage and archeologists think it was a roofed structure. As with all of these ancient theaters, the acoustics are amazing. People conversing in center stage are easily heard the top row.

A few steps down the path we find the Prytaneion or the Palace of the Council. This was a complex of buildings used for civic meetings and was the residence of the governing family. Because of its close proximity, I suspect that the Odeon may also have been used for voting and civic oratory.

The main structures of the Prytaneion consisted of a front garden and a walkway that led though the columns shown in the photo to the inner garden or atrium, which was an uncovered garden surrounded by rooms. I assume the rooms, as with other Roman style homes, were used for meetings, cooking, sleeping, entertaining and eating. A few pillars and stones outlling the foundation are all that remain.

In this area two temples have also been uncovered beneath buildings constructed during the Byzantine era. The temples are dedicated to, guess who? If you said Artemis, you are right. It is not surprising that Christians would build over a pagan temple, but we should note that thousands of deities were worshiped in the ancient world. Wise rulers, like Xerxes, Alexander and Caesar knew toleration of religious beliefs defused insurgency. Well, that and decimating the population of any city that fostered an uprising. Insurgency was punished with slavery, torture, and death, but different religious beliefs were generally well tolerated until the Christian era.

I find it ironic that the city thrived despite being occupied by Persians, Romans and Byzantines. It did not die until the ocean receded and it could no longer be used as a seaport. Instead of a harbor, a huge mucky swamp eventually extended in front of the city.

Ephesus, Part I

2009-11-08T22:04:00.000-06:00

The Temple of Artemis

The harbor of Kusadasi is large, several cruise ships are docked on our pier. We exit the ship via the gangplank into a mist of warm morning air and follow the mob of people into the customs building for the cursory review of credentials needed to enter Turkey. The customs building is large with duty free shops and I make a note to pick up a couple liters of Bell’s Scotch on the way back. The local officials are geared up to handle the large crowds. We breeze through the procedure and emerge into a parking lot full of buses. Our tour bus is easily found and the guide patiently waits at the bus door. We hand her our passes and step up into the plush air conditioned coach, a brief head count and we are on our way.

The landscape is dry but not barren, trees and groves of trees are scattered about. There are large flat areas with plowed furrows. The guide explains that the harbor extended several miles inland during the classical period and we are driving across the ancient ocean floor. This is the same as Pompeii, which was a sea port in Roman times but is now seven miles or so inland. The climate was warmer in the ancient world; the ice cap was smaller and the seas were higher.

We continue on the bus. Soon hills rise around us and small mountains appear in the distance. The drive seems short, an hour or so and we are filing off the bus in front of the ancient site.

The guides tells us Ephesus was populated since Neolithic times, but did not become an Ionian city until the tenth century when it was settled by Athenian colonists. During the wars between Greece and Persia the city was an ally of Athens and became part of the Delian League. Because of its proximity to Perisa, Ephesus fell under Persian influence. When Alexander the Great conquered Persia, he was welcomed as a liberator in Ephesus and treated like a god.

The guide continues , but my mind reels. We will be walking down the same streets trod by Alexander the Great. She goes on to say that Anthony and Cleopatra made a stop here and that St. Paul and St. John lived in Ephesus. Then she offers a "side trip" to the home of the Virgin Mary. I am not an academic, but I have always had a strong interest in ancient history. How did the significance of this wondrous metropolis escaped me?

The Temple of Artemis

In the ancient world Ephesus was known for a huge temple dedicated to the mother goddess, Artemis. It was considered one of the Seven Wonders of Ancient World. The worship of the mother figure, Artemis, may go way back to the Neolithic era. The goddess was probably renamed Artemis by the Ionian Greeks that colonized the area. Sadly, today there is nothing left of the temple save one solitary column standing stoically in a grassy field.The original temple was wood and burned down just prior to Alexander's arrival. A new stone temple was under construction when he arrived in about 334 BCE. The stone structure was destroyed by Goths in 263 AD. With the popularity of Christianity growing, the temple was never reconstructed after that. In its glory it had a base of 625ft x 220ft, was 60ft tall, and was supported by 120 giant columns. The new temple was in use for nearly six hundred years. The famous figure of Artemis that was found is shown above. Some say the bulbs on her chest are breasts; others see them as eggs, or even bull testicles. She was considered the mother goddess responsible for fertility, bountiful harvests and plentiful hunting. Those are her hunting hounds at her feet.

Next; Walking the streets as Alexander and Anthony did.

Fires of Belenus Reviewed in Renaissance Magazine

2009-01-01T20:55:00.000-06:00

The following review will be published in the January 2009 Issue of Renaissance Magazine: Fires of Belenusby William H. Russeth ISBN: 978-1597057523 Wings ePress / 2007 Fires of Belenus is the debut historical novel of William H. Russeth and a remarkable tale of the ancient Celts. The novel stays very true to the nature of these complex and fascinating people, while still adding a sense of wonder. The basic plot of Fires of Belenus involves a sword forged from metal taken from within a fallen meteorite that, according to prophecy, will forge the destiny of the world for generations to come. Everyone in the land wants control of this seemingly mystical blade, from the warrior chieftains to the numinous druids. It becomes the task of Eoan, a young man barely out of his childhood, to find the sword. To make matters even more desperate, he also has to save the girl he loves. The world of the Celts can be quite harsh at times, and Russeth does not shy away from violence where it is necessary for characterization and plot. Not wanting to give away anything too important to the story, I can say that early in the book one of his druid characters has an encounter where he comes away a few bloody digits short. Yet, Russeth never uses violence simply to liven up a scene. Even though the novel takes place in a rather brutal era, the author seems to know just what a scene needs without going overboard and relying on violence to titillate the audience. Romance is integral to the tale and plays a large part in the book as well. Again, the author does a good job of weaving it into the narrative – it feels like a very natural part of the story and is never dull. One of the greatest things about the novel, however, is how the subjects of druids are viewed by the populous and how their "magic" is handled. Russeth takes a very realistic approach to the subject and it comes across as very plausible. Readers will find quite a few surprises where the author takes an event or being that seems to be supernatural or otherworldly and explains the reality behind it. This melding of the magical into the real world is done quite well. If you enjoy a great historical adventure story with characters that you care about and a good dose of romance added into the mix, then you should give Fires of Belenus a read. It is gripping and executed well. You won't be disappointed. Jason M. Tucker, Renaissance Magazine, January 2009

Fires of Belenus Promotional Trailer

2008-09-24T23:17:00.001-05:00

Listen to Fires of Belenus Excerpt

2008-07-05T18:09:00.000-05:00

Listen to Free Excerpt and a Great Show A chapter from my novel "Fires of Belenus" was selected and read on the British internet program the "Celtic Myth Pod Show". The show is done live from, Eastbourne by the Sea. The reading is done by Gary Colcombe, moderator of the show. Gary is known for bringing Celtic tales and myths to your fireside in the finest bardic tradition. As story tellers go, there is none better. The story appears in Summer Special part II and it is the second feature in the program. The narration has been enhanced with sound effects and music, a truly professional job. Tune in. Just click on the link below to the pod show's site. The show is available in every format available. Once you on the site it will lead you to the program. http://www.celticmythpodshow.com/ Take Care William Russeth "Fires of Belenus" Wings-Press: http://www.wings-press.com/ For more information and excerpts visit my website:http://mysite.verizon.net/resr5omo/whrhomepage/

2008-04-20T21:49:00.000-05:00

Review from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction. Title: Fires of Belenus 4/10/08Author: William H RussethGenre: Historical Adventure/RomanceLength: 377 PagesPublisher: Wings ePress (Dec 2007) In Fires of Belenus, William H। Russeth pens an adventurous tale smartly written. You will shiver in the presence of Druids, cower before merciless warriors, and hope in the true spirit of one young man named Eoan. With a little romance to soften this ancient Celtic world, Mr. Russeth weaves a story that is not only entertaining, but surprising in its revealing and intriguing conclusion. I do so want to tell you the ending, but I must refrain. All I can say, is, read the book! You won’t be disappointed. Reviewed by Lynda Coker, Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction

Origin of the Easter Egg

2008-03-25T13:46:00.000-05:00

Note: this was taken from a post on the Celtic Myth Pod Show There is a direct link to this site on my web page: http://mysite.verizon.net:80/resr5omo/whrhomepage/ Check it out. I think you will enjoy it. How the Easter Egg Came to Be - Published by Ruth at 10:59 am under Celtic Mythology, Fire Festival, Folklore, Holidays The modern belief that eggs are delivered by a rabbit, comes from the legend of the Goddess Eostre. Eostre was walking one fine Spring day and came upon a beautiful little bird. The poor bird’s wing was badly injured and Eostre, feeling great compassion for the little creature, wanted to heal it. But the little bird’ wing was so badly damaged that Eostre knew it would never be able to fly again even after She healed it. So, Eostre decided to help the bird by healing it in a way that would give it mobility and a little something more? She turned it into a rabbit! During the transformation, the rabbit retained the ability to lay eggs. The rabbit was so grateful to Eostre for saving its life that it laid a sacred egg in Her honor, joyously decorated it and then humbly presented it to the Goddess. She was so pleased and so touched by the rabbit’s thoughtful gift that She wished all humankind to share in her joy. In honoring her wishes, the rabbit went all over the world distributing these beautifully decorated little gifts of life and continues to do so even today.

2008-03-06T16:40:00.000-06:00

Author of "Fires of Belenus" Wings-Press: www.wings-press.com For more information and excerpts visit my website:http://mysite.verizon.net:80/resr5omo/whrhomepage/

An Irish monk may have discovered America

2008-02-29T11:20:00.000-06:00

Did you know the Irishman, St. Brendan, really discovered America Did you know an Irish Monk may actually have discovered America years before the Leif Erickson or Christopher Columbus. It is true. In 583 AD, St. Brendan used a boat fashioned from an ash framework and tanned hides treated with pitch to sail across the North Atlantic Ocean. The boat was called a currach and this type of vessel is still used on Ireland’s west coat. St. Brendan documented his voyage with a manuscript describing his visits to many islands in search of the ‘Promised Land’ that is still in publication today. Christopher Columbus visited Ireland a few years before his famous voyage to read the St. Brendan Manuscript. In 1976 Tim Severin built a currach and using a stepping stone path across the North Atlantic, he stopped at the Aran Islands, Hebrides, Faroes and even Iceland to prove the small, but durable currach was capable of making the trip. That’s the story. May the worst thing in your day be a blessing and drink with care this St. Patrick’s day. Remember you cannot drink all day, unless you start in the morning. William Russeth Author “Fires of Belenus” Wings ePress, www.wings-press.com Check out my website for excerpts and info. http://mysite.verizon.net/resr5omo/whrhomepage

Fires of Belenus - Now Available

2007-12-12T18:34:00.000-06:00

THE "FIRES OF BELENUS", NOW AVAILABLE

"**** This delightful pre-historical story is a fast moving adventure of human lusts and willful deceptions. It’s very entertaining. I highly recommend it - JoEllen Conger, Conger Book Reviews" TITLE: Fires of Belenus AUTHOR: William H Russeth, Georgetown, Texas PUBLISHER: Wings ePress ISBN: 978-1-59705-271-9, PAGE COUNT: 377, AUDIENCE: 18 and up(mature themes with some sex and violence)

ORDER:

Wings Press - http://www.wings-press.com/ (Look under new releases) Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1597057525 PREMISE: “Fires of Belenus” is a romantic tale, that tantalizes readers with "edge of your seat action" and rational portrayals of mythical events found in the Cú Chulainn and Arthurian legends. The Sword in the Stone, Lady of Lake, and Cú Chulainn’s stand at the river ford are brought to life in plausible new ways that make the work unique. It is a tale of Historical Romance and Adventure, made believable by accurately portraying ancient Celtic culture. SYNOPSIS: When a meteorite plunges deep into the heart of Celtica, the blinding flash turns night into day and the impact flattens miles of countryside. A great sword is forged from the sky stone that is prophesized to shape the destinies of future generations. Warrior chiefs and scheming Druids vie for ownership of the wondrous blade, cutting a trail of blood and murder across the Celtic World. It falls on Eoan, a mere boy on the edge of manhood, to embark on a quest, against insurmountable odds, to retrieve the sword and rescue his love, Roisin, from the sacrificial fires of Belenus. Pitted against Cimbri mercenaries and ruthless warlords, he races against time to save her. Beguiled by Roisin’s mesmeric beauty, he is not even sure that she loves him in return. He only knows he must follow the path of the sword to fulfill his destiny. Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested in this novel. AUTHOR'S WEB PAGE: http://mysite.verizon.net/resr5omo/whrhomepage/ or http://myspace.com/oserixPUBLISHER'S WEB PAGE: http://www.wings-press.com/