Historia est Magistra Vitea.....

.......so let's go.

Historia est Magistra Vitae (or often written like this, which is in a more Latin spirit - Historia magistra vitae est) is a Latin expression, taken from Cicero's De Oratore, which suggests that "history is life's teacher". The phrase conveys the idea that the study of the past should serve as a lesson to the future, and was an important pillar of classical, medieval and Renaissance historiography.

The complete phrase, with English translation, is:

Historia vero testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoriae, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis, qua voce alia nisi oratoris immortalitati commendatur?

By what other voice, too, than that of the orator, is history, the evidence of time, the light of truth, the life of memory, the directress of life, the herald of antiquity, committed to immortality?

(quote from Internet)

 At the mouth of  Galway bay on the west coast, are situated  Aran Islands, group of three islands. From west to east the islands are: the largest Inishmore,  the second-largest Inishmaan, and Inisheer, the smallest. About 1.200 inhabitants primarily speak Irish, the language used in local placenames. Most islanders are also fluent in English.

The islands' geology is mainly karst limestone, related to the Burren in County Clare (to the east), but not the granits of Connemara to the north, and this is most obious in the construction of the walls around

 the fields. 

 

Huge boulders up to 25 metres (80 ft) above the sea at parts of the west facing cliffs are
in some cases an extreme form of storm beach, cast there by giant waves that occur on average once per century, though mpre are glacial erratic.  The fisherman currach boat.  The life in a lot of case are similar as it was through a centuries. 


This is idyllically scenery all over the islands,  and not only,  the same scenery accompained us all the way from Galway back to Dublin, except the ladies behind the spinner loom. The spinning mills usualy were bilt beside the castels, and the traditions goes forward since now 

a days. The results are the Woolly way of Ireland.     
On the islands since today is the tradition of spinning the wooll and left her natural colour, and ladies realised well known knitted Aran jumpers

and is a style of jumper that takes its name from Aran Islands. A traditional Aran Sweater usually is off white in color similar to a sheep's wool and is made from 100% wool and are recognisalble features of a traditional Aran cable patterns on the chest.

The jumpers are distinguished by their use of complex textured stitch patterns, several of which are combined in the creation of a single garment. Some stitch patterns have a traditional interpretation, often of religious significance. The honycomb is a symbol of the hard-working bee. The cable, an integral part of the Aran islander's daily life, is said to be a wish for safety and good luck when fishing. The diamond is a wish of success, wealth and treasure. The basket stitch represents the basket, a hope for a plentiful catch.... 

Myths. 

.. . The moss stitch is said to signify an abundance of growth

.... The blackberry stitch represents nature.

..... The honeycomb is a said to be a lucky stitch, signifying plenty 

.... Lattice or basket stitches to represent the old wicker basket patterns. 

.... The Ladder of Life and Tree of Life represent the stages of life.

It is sometimes said that each Islander (or his family) had a jumper with a unique design, so that if he drowned and was found, maybe weeks later, on the beach, his body could be identified 

This misconception may have originated with J.M. Synge's 1904 play Riders to the Sea, in which the body of a dead Islander is identified by the hand-knitted stitches on one of his garments. However, even in the play, there is no reference to any decorative or Aran-type pattern. The garment referred to is a plain stocking and it is identified by the number of stitches, the quote being "it's the second one of the third pair I knitted, and I put up three score stitches, and I dropped four of them". There is no record of any such event ever having taken place, nor is there any evidence to support there being a systematic tradition of family patterns. There is, however, a long-standing tradition of jumper patterns having a regional or local identification. It is said that the county, or parish, or township of a sailor or an Islander could be identified by his jumper pattern. Additionally, the wearer's initials were traditionally knit into the bottom of the garment, which would have been a far better indication of identity than the stitching pattern. (paraphrased and quoted from Internet).

 

 

And finaly Dublin and  my knitting mania with the help of our gentle tourist guide Peter (thanks Alenka www.Birikina.hr )  was awarded with this. 

Powerscourt Centre is a speciality shopping centre set in an elegant Georgian house centrally located just off Grafton Street.Formally, 59 South William Street was home to Richard Wingfield 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (1730-1788) and his wife Lady Amelia, who bought the Townhouse to entertain guests during Parliament season. Back then, the building was a house for parties, and very much lives up to that reputation nowadays!

The townhouse, designed by Robert Mack, took 3 years to complete at a cost of €80,000 and is the third finest Georgian House in Dublin, with the magnificent Leinster House and Charlemont House leading respectively. The Lord and Lady Powerscourt spared no expense in decorating the house and employed well know artists and craftsmen. In order to dazzle their guests the hallway and landing were decorated in a rococo style and the ceiling in the music room, currently The Town Bride, and in the ballroom, The Powerscourt Gallery, are in a neo classical style.

  

They were designed by Michael Stapleton. Known in Dublin as the ‘French Earl’ because he had made the Grand Tour and returned home wearing the latest Parisian fashions, starting a trend that continues in the building to this day, Richard died here in 1788 and was laid out in state for two days, with the public being admitted to view him.

Over the years, the Government made expansive alterations to the property.  Francis Johnston, architect of the G.P.O. and St. George’s Church, added three groups of buildings around the courtyard for use as a stamp office.  There are other examples of Johnston’s work nearby on Clarendon Street, with the Clock tower and Bell.

The Powerscourt Centre is a fine example of Dublin’s Georgian architecture; the house is unique in showing the transition from rococo style to neo-classic under one roof.  Meldon, in his ‘Views of Dublin’ (1779) said the house ‘ may be considered in point of consequence of appearance and architectural embellishment, as the third private edifice in Dublin.’ With its historic past the centre’s architecture serves as a magnificent setting for browser’s and shoppers alike. The house has become a regular test for students of architecture.  It was no time to discover more about the history of the Powercourt, just  time to award me with wooll, photos and admit to myself that I can't live without learning, reading ..... and this time even a shopping is going together with Historia est Magistra Vitae. 

Let's finished with the photos.

  Hope I didn't bore you,  have a nice time in reading my post: See you next time.

 

Valentine's day

Saint Valentine (Latin: Valentinius), officially Saint Valentine of Rome,[2] is a widely recognized third-century Roman saint commemorated on February 14. Saint Velentine is associated since High Middle Ages with a tradition of courtly love. This love began in the ducal and princesly courts of Aquitaine, Provence, Champagne, ducal Burgundy and the Norman Kngdom of Sicily at the end of the eleventh century. This is the experience beetween erotic desire , spiritual attainment that now seems contradictory as "a love at once illicit and morally elevating, passionate and disciplined, humiliating and exalting, human and transcendent.

Reth and Scarlet.
 

The ladies used to give a favor to a knight before going to battle. In Croatia it was the word Kravata, and is coming from the franch word "croata". Around 1635. about 6000 soldiers and knights arrived in Paris as a support to king Louis XIII., among them a lot of soldier from Croatia.

This soldiers had their traditional uniform, and before leaving the Ladies tied a scarf around their

neks. The scarves were made from diferent clothes, from the coarse cloth to the fine cotton and silk cloth. Around 1650. "this Croatian elegant stile" totaly unknown in that time in Europe was accepted on the French court and as a modern clothing detail. 

  Burt Lancaster and Debora Kerr - From hete to eternity.

But lets return to our Saint Valentine. He was the first bishop in Terni, Umbria, during the pope Victor the first. Burried on the cemetery outside the city walls of Terni. Over his grave during the pope Julius, the first in the 4^th century was built the church,. In the XVII. Was built up a chatedral. In Terni chatedral since now a days is guarded his body. 

Gustav Klimt 

At the latest in the XV. Century this Saint is conected with the festivity of love and lovers.

In the past the rhythm of life goes forward in a connection with a Church feast. No weddings during Christmas and Easter Feast, because they are separate celebration for the whole community. The specialy request was that no noisy celebrations were being hold during the Advent and Lent, but outside this period, and the date is February, 14.

Celebration started in Early Middle Age, first in England and Scotland. and than all over the world.

Titanic

t is know that in the XVI. Century the young men lefted love note and greetings card on the doorsteps of his Lady. The greeting cards were made very carefully, with lace, and probably they were the first cards ever sent in the history.

The old greeks, has a month named Gamelion (from the middle of January to the middle of Febryary), and in that period they celebrated the Holly marriage of Hera and Zeus.
In Ancient Rome on that date was celebratet goddes Junona – rearguard of marriage.
On February, 15 was a date when was celebratet Lupercus, the God of Fertility, and the person also exchanged letters and messages.