Motivational
The Origins of Christmas trees and Xmas Worship + a Sad Fairy Christmas Fairytale
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As I told in my previous post some of the posts I will share in December are going to have a very Christmas or Yuletide (Winter) vibe. I am myself a December child as I was born mid December, so for me it's a very special time of the year, a time of new resolutions.
I write this article to draft a glimpse of the background story behind this tradition of using "Evergreen" during the closing of the year, Winter or Yule. But also I take the chance to say how sad is that millions of trees are chopped just for the sake of this tradition. If you must use a real tree, please consider to buy it in a pot instead of chopped off, even deprived of light it might make it if you plant it again after the festivities are over.
There are always ways to do things with balance.
I understand that for some people this is a very important tradition and I respect... I only call for moderation... There will be always be debate as Faux plastic trees are a poor alternative and also rise another kind of environmental concern... so as I say there are pros and cons... still sharing just my personal approach and then moving on to the origins. I'm also aware of the jobs that it provides in rural areas but there is something very sad in a "clone forest" perfectly programmed to be consumed, used and thrown away.
As for me, trees belong to the woods (not farms), growing and living
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That is why I always take a fallen branch from the forest floor or use a tiny faux tree as ornament. Most of live Christmas trees that are sold as objects have grown for over a decade just to be used and neglected after a handful of days. I also cover one particular sad XIX century fairytale "The Fir Tree" by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (who wrote also The Little Mermaid) which actually contemplated this very thought almost two centuries ago and that broke my heart at a very tender age. I include a synopsis and a link to a full read of the tale (now public domain) at the end of the article. I want to say that this is my personal opinion, and I'm not trying to preach anything to the ones following this tradition but always a call to moderation, because as usual things are getting environmentally out of hand (even Amazon will sell live trees this year) and vast surfaces in protected rainforests being replaced by Christmas tree farms, which is just sad. It could be argued that fake trees in fact (most of them ) are made of plastic which are even worse for the environment... but still we can be recycle it many years or be creative and use other materials like paper or fallen foraged materials from the woods. Growing 10 years just to be adorned and then cut down or burnt after a few days is sad. There are some that can be replanted and come in pots, but people usually want the bigger more sumptuous one. More than 30 million trees are cut down and sold in USA alone each year. Oh but they plant trees right... yes but that land takes away from wild forests land with higher diversity... so yes, there are pros and cons. and again this is just my opinion and is not intended to generate debate, keep on reading because this article is not only about my personal opinion but about the origins, stories and curiosities behind this tradition.
The Origins of Christmas Trees
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The origins of of Christmas trees date to pre-Christian era, for thousands of years evergreen plants (mistletoe, holly) and trees (pine, spruce, fir) has been used during winter as "promise" of the life to come after the bleak winter, and thus keeping evergreen plants (including holly and mistletoe) is meant to brighten our spirits during the stark bare winter. They are symbols too of everlasting life.
Boughs of evergreen would adorn the doors of houses to keep away evil spirits.
It was considered in many cultures that the Sun God was weaker or ill during Winter. Egyptians would use evergreen palm rushes. Old Vikings also provided special powers to evergreen plants for the same reason so did the Druids of Ancient Celts.
Evergreen plants were used by Romans in Saturnalia Festivals (17th -23rd of December), and also by countries in the far North of Europe who used Evergreen as a token of "hope" during the bleak Yule and usually included December and January. Nowadays Yule starts 21st of December (Winter's Solstice) and last for 12 days... those are the 12 days of Christmas. There is no real evidence of Jesus being born the 25th of December though it felt sensible to adapt the already existing "Pagan Winter Feast" as after the Solstice days become longer and they could relate it with the light of God entering the World. But just to say date was picked as convenient and not as accurate
Christians later changed this meaning of "evergreen" to represent the everlasting love of god. And thus Yuletide became Christmastide.
Impressions of Yuletide season, the green and reds, and holy another evergreen used in Chirstmas that also date back to pre-Christian traditions.
First Christmas Trees as we know them were originated in Lavonia (now Latvia and Estonia) and placed in the Square for everyone to enjoy. First indoor trees are usually placed in Germany.
Later on Martin Luther , 16th-century Protestant reformer Luther was credited for starting to decorate the trees with "candles" to resemble the trees against the starry sky. This was the origin of the Christmas Tree lights (despite a very dangerous practise that was finally replaced by safer electric lights in the XX century). If you are a traditionalist and still use real candles on your tree, never leave them unattended... custom was responsible of a great deal of unintended casualties though no electric light can replace the warm vibe of those vintage Christmas Trees that our ancestors remember.
The origin of tinsel and the story of the Christmas Spider
As for the famous tinsel , the word means spark and before being made of plastic it was extruded from real silver hammered into a thin foil and then cut into strips.
It is believed that the idea of tinsel came from the sparkling frosted cobwebs. And thus in many European countries spiders are considered good luck and are related with Christmas this way. There is even an Ukrainian folk tale about the "Spider of Christmas Cobweb" that tells the story of a very poor family that found their bare Christmas tree all adorned by iridescent cobweb woven by the spiders during the night and how they never felt poor again grateful for the gifts life had provided them. That is why some ornaments are shaped as cobwebs, especially in Ukraine where the legend is originated. I will talk more about this in another post as I have a collection of frosted cobwebs I've made myself, but meanwhile it's not difficult to imagine how tinsel was inspired by it.
Frosted cobweb on fir tree around my neihbourhood some winters ago
Oh Christmas Tree: The Christmas Carol
"O Tannenbaum" (literally "The Fir Tree") is a german traditional folk son which origin can be tracked back to the XVI century though was provided the modern lyrics by Ernst Anschütz in 1824. The song that now we know as "Oh Christmas Tree" was not related with Christmas but to the evergreen quality of the fir tree to represent the faithfulness in love. And thus "true" was replaced by "green" in the English translation as it became a Christmas song. There are many English variants. But I'll include here an excerpt of the original.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
How steadfast are your branches!
Your boughs are green in summer’s clime
And through the snows of wintertime.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
How steadfast are your branches!
Hans Christian Andersen tale: The fir Tree (very sad fairytale, very real though)
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Above an illustration of The Fir Tree in one of the Andersen compilations I own
For me one of the saddest and more pessimist fairy tales that Danish author Hand Christian Andersen ever wrote and one that as a child (as Andersen was the first book I ever owned) made me opt for a faux tree or just a fallen branch token. Childhood trauma about Christmas trees... ;-) But still a must-read.
The tale is about a fir tree anxiously looking to grow up, aspiring to grow tall, and it is told as if the tree has a will and awareness. And as sparrows chant of trees in warm rooms with decorations and being worshipped, the tree longs to be cut... until one day it happens and feels the delight of being admired with all the decorations then to be abandoned in a dark room.
That night many people gathered in the room around the little fir tree. They sang and told stories. They placed gifts at his feet. And the fir tree, trembling with joy, listened to the stories they told.
"I wonder what will happen tomorrow?" he thought. He longed for the next day to come.
The people returned the next day. This time they removed the popcorn and the candles and the dolls and the angels from the little fir tree's limbs. Then they lifted him up in the air and carried him up a flight of steps, into a dark, airless room.
And there in the attic is left forsaken, withered in the darkness until one day it's taken outside, and the fresh air reminds it of the forest, but then it's chopped and burnt...
Did I mention this was a traumatic fairy tale for me as a child? This was likely the origin of my conviction. LOL You are warned... if you are curious it's just a short read and as it's Public Domain it's available at Project Gutenberg Online Library at this link:
My Christmas Decorations
So here a snippet of my usual Christmas Decorations that will go up of course with Fufunchis. It's just a small faux tree, something symbolic and humble.
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Fufunchis have already decorated their Christmas tree
The Power of Christmas / Yule Spirit transcends our beliefs
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I confess I'm not religious but spiritual, and also I'm not pagan but I celebrate Yule, The Closing of the Year. For me it represents the Wheel of the Year coming to an end, also Winter's solstice is the shortest day, but also the day light starts to return, days will become longer as Winter reigns... such contradiction and quandary... that the "dark season" is precisely the bringer of light.
And wether you are religious or not, whatever your beliefs are, this is a season to reconsider what we've done during the year, to build new resolutions and determinations... The year closes and it's always a time to think thoroughly of what it has yielded... To start afresh with new dreams and resolutions, to fix whatever we did wrong... It's a time of new hopes and new chances... As weather turns cold outside and we spend more time indoors it is a time to organize, to enjoy our family and friends along with a hot mug of chocolate. It provides a reason to gather, to go home, to hug our beloved, to be giving...
So if you ask me if I believe in Christmas Spirit, as an excuse to bring us together and remember the power of kindness, yes I believe in its power.
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I wrote in my own song Grow
As seasons flow,
once more it all
turns bare and cold
but save green in your heart
And that's all the green I need in Winter
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So let me think of Christmas trees like this
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All pictures taken by me or in collaboration with Héctor Corcín.
PD. My collar is faux fur. I don't wear real fur.
Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com
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Haunted: New Official Videoclip and Locations / Photoshoot
MP3 of this new version free for patrons at http://patreon.com/yidneth
You know that there are places you’d better not roam alone in. You can feel that weird sensation that alerts you. What if the ghost in a haunted place is the place itself? Cross the fence and enter into the desolate feelings of an abandoned house. Places are not haunted by ghosts but by desolation.
I have not been much around these last few weeks because I was working on this music video. It took a lot of work and I battled with my old computer, but finally it is here, and right for Samhain/Halloween, though It stays as an official video for my original song Haunted remixed with new cello, vocals, and instruments and with a video filmed throughout this year.
Haunted is in fact one of my favourite songs of mine, but with its weird chord progressions and dark tone it was never one of my popular ones... still it's often on my performing set lists because It is one of the poems I'm more proud of and the whole theme works as a metaphor of desolation and abandonment. It's the house itself singing, not a ghost. Yidneth the female character of my story that usually appears in the different CDs sometimes dreams she is a ghost... and she wanders surrounded by moths... She is sometimes afraid to fall sleep and become a ghost.
The vocals have several layers, one is my pure voice untreated, the other two me singing with vocal fry as a creaking door and another layer whispering, so it feels I'm dubbing over the abode's voice.
The House would work itself as a big "Underliving" something living but not alive. This term and concept gave name to my second album theunderliving.com and keeps on being recurrent throughout my entire works.
This is a new videoclip for my song Haunted, the original version was released in Ancient Shadows (2006) but this is a new video and version was recorded this year (2018) and features a longer cello line and many more backing vocals as well as a a new videoclip filmed on an abandoned Palace on top of a Hill, an abandoned village and other locations. I premier it as fitting for Samhain as the veil is thin but remains as an official music video for the song. This new version slightly different than the one that was officially published will be listed free for patrons at patreon.com/yidneth and also here on Dsound in forthcoming for my Steemit followers. Here so far the music video.
Haunted (Lyrics / Poem)
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My crumbling walls groan and complain
the ivory gleam is now turned to grey
no steps on my dusty floors
No one sleeps in the musty bed
I feel alone and desolate
Deprived of the splendour of the elder days
my baleful halls... an ode to decay
the piano still plays itself
that off-key melody
that makes the shadows dance and boil
in that frantic ball
Shelter of the nameless gods and ghostly shades
the wild moan of wind warns I shall not be dwelt in…
…in the starless... dismal nights...
... I am... haunted
The garden grows wild
the ivy crawled and hid all the gates
and pallid blooms of rancid scent
took place when roses withered away
The abyss of nightmare lurks in each hole
and things unseen behind every door
but I cannot help but miss
the laughter of children
oh come again... cross the fence... to play with me
(Hide and seek)
All the yearning sins and secrets I may keep
still invoke and build that hideous fantasy
ah everyone knows... I am... haunted
And centuries run...
this rotten core will never fall down
laid my foundations deep in the ground
Defiant and silent I shall await....
while everyone says...
I am... haunted
Locations: Aizkolegi Palace, Tiermas and Ordesa
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Aizkolegi Palace stands on top of a hill, 842 meters high surrounded by lush and dark woods with gnarled trees. It was built over a century ago by Pedro Ciga, last owner of "El Señorío de Bertiz", the natural Park where it stands now abandoned.
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It was built as a second house uphill with amazing views of the surrounding valleys covered in beechwoods. On a clear day you are able to see the sea afar. Pedro installed a telescope on it to "observe and admire the wonders of Nature" but now it's closed and in ruins.
In his testament it was told it had to be preserved "its way" yet now inhabited, the windows and doors have been closed with planks and only some open windows upstairs offer an uneasy ominous black glimpse of its core. I wonder what's inside but I can only imagine it. There are several signals that warns of the dangers as the abode has been left to the elements and slowly breaking apart for a long time. Yet still stands, decaying and haunted by its own solitude. Thus it was perfect to portray my little story. The song had already been released on my first album Ancient Shadows, but being one of my favourites I couldn't help but film a new video and re-record voices, choirs and more instruments in this brand new updated version. The music video was filmed earlier this year before Spring opened its new leaves.
The house must be indeed HAUNTED because we got lost on our way downhill for several miles, had to go uphill again back to it to find our way through the dark woods... very ominous
Additional sequences were filmed a month ago in Tiermas Village, an abandoned town in Tiermas. The scenes at the waterfalls belong to the the Natural Park of Ordesa, the waterfall "Las Gradas" resembles somehow a construction, and the flow of water somehow represents the flow of time.
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Of course yet again my obsession for moths... I never miss the chance to film one when the visit me...
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And its obsession for a flame... like a ghost to the living... like an empty house for inhabitants
And thus there are moths in this video as there are usually in my drawings and the imagery since Ancient Shadows (my first album) where this song was first included in an older version. Moths and the ghost will reappear again in my third and forthcoming album Fear no More and I took the chance to re-made Haunted to rescue many of the elements that will be recurrent.
Credits
Music and lyrics by Priscilla Hernandez @yidneth
All arrangements, piano, synth, lead and backing vocals by Priscilla Hernandez @yidneth
Cello by Francina Turon and Biel Fiol
Video edit by Priscilla Hernandez
Camera work by @hedac
Special thanks to my friend Naliam who filmed an additional footage of me in Tiermas.
The piano plays itself that off key melody that makes the shadows dance and boil in a franctic ball
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Suspended: A moody Autumn story illustrated with photographies....
A little freewrite moody poem and a leaf that caught my eye last weekend. So I go on with my slightly darker tone this October. I have been collecting some leaves and saving them in books. I do this every Autumn, but somehow the words rushed into my mind and I had to share them. Poem and photos by myself. It is not really a song but I'm kind of thinking of recording a spoken word version along with a melancholic music instrumental piece... what do you think?
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Suspended
I am suspended
I refuse to fall
I refuse to glide down to be scattered among many
I refuse to be left to frostbite and dampness
I refuse to decay under a bare naked tree
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I am suspended against logic
Held by invisible forces
By simple yet powerful magic...
A gust of wind
A thread of cobweb
Safety lines
That also tie me to their capricious will
Because you should know
There is a price I pay...
NOT to fall
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I am suspended
Almost motionless for a second
and then I begin my journey
Swirling up and down
Avoiding fate until being found
Or maybe someone will treasure me
And press me inside an old book
before I dry and wrinkle
Just a perfect fallen leaf,
Preserved but fragile
And suspended in time too
Like a memory of light
An echo of bright green days
Gone long ago
Stuck in these pages
Waiting for you to read my story
And trees will grow new leaves
But they wont be me
So I hope you like it... sometimes there is an overwhelming beauty in simple things... some kind of comforting sadness.
I am preparing a special "haunting" post and it's taking me a long time to make... I've not been that much around but I am working in something special. Stay tuned.
All photos / words © Priscilla Hernandez
Suspended leaf GIF by Hector Corcin Thank you !
Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com
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TBT: Making of the videoclip Ethereal a song about lucid dreaming. Easter eggs, anecdotes and more
Ethereal is inspired in all things clear. Sometimes when you you are in lucid dream I feel that my feet can float, that I'm like air, foam, sparkling dewdrops, ethereal.
Light as a feather
And when I feel I'm drowning in darkness I try to remember the light in myself. And I remember I know a way to rise
we grow wings out of our abyssal fins to take flight and feel ethereal.
Watch and listen the music video while you keep on reading
Do you ever dream you fly? What is Lucid dreaming?
I have quite a lot of sleep disorders, some like sleep paralysis are frightening. False awakenings are confusing... But then there is lucid dreaming those dreams where you are aware you are the *dreamer" and you have control of how the dream unfolds before you. As I had a history with night horrors, nightmares, and sleep paralysis I learned almost naturally how to do this. I even use it to practise music... but of course mostly to travel, fly, and shape a world of my own. So I learned to "dream" without fear. Of course sometimes I still lose control of them and I go back to terrifying nightmares, but for me being able to "shape my dreams" to create stories and living them, being the c
Like transparent waters and clear lucid reams
Sweet wonders unfolding, I'm conscious
I take flight... my soul feels unclouded
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A whole world in my hands... a world I shape, my own enclosed Universe.... my DreamsMaking of the videoclip: Feathers, glitter, fabric
Again it was the result of Héctor and I teamwork... And lots and lots of glitter. A combination of indoors and ourdoors locations and lots of diy and practical effects. It started out selecting the right feathers...
And lots of time floating on freezing ponds, walking barefoot in the forest, and fighting with the wind machines! :)
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Making of the dress and overall look
I made my own dress. I used white coloured fabrics. The skirt was made with a handkerchief patterns, several squares or organza fabric layered. The bodice was a work of patience though, cutting shapes and using a hot glue gun.. at the end it felt more like an "armour" very rigid... and sparkly All is very glittery in this video.
I completed my look using a light gray wig and doing a very sparkly make up with rhinestones and transparent droplets glued to my skin like dew.
I also made a heavy white cloak with the help of my friend Cristina.
For some additional dancing sequece I was gifted a pair of Silk chiffon Isis Wings that seemed to fly around me courtesy of "Dancing Wings" which one one of the elements that was not self-made
Another part of the costume (especially at the end where the videoclip moves to water to air and stars) is the fairy wings. Though I made the design of these fairy wings and drew the pattern it was done custom-made for me by a company called "Enchanted Costumes" who gently endorsed them for my concerts and shows. So those white wings are the ones I usually use on stage and also appeared at the end of the video. This is a promotional shoot wearing the wings and fabrics, it represents the last third of the music video when we have already "taken flight"
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We filmed both indoors and outdoors.
We needed to float on water so we scouted for locations in Nature and found some lovely ponds in Catalonia. I remember my friend Wui (who also helped me with make up that day) and I ended up swimming back through ponds under the light of the full Moon because we wouldn't venture to hike back the edges in darkness. So the atmosphere in the video of floating under the Moon was very real
We also filmed in the forest of Orgi (Navarre) additional scenes wearing the hood
For the indoors we used a green screen and black background. Lots of glitter, crystals, cobweb and a wind machine... And believe me wind machies love to tangle floating fabrics... :) The number of bloopers and funny takes was insane. Luckily enough many takes were ethereal Enough. We used blue lights to provide ambience to the scenes. It also enhanced enhanced the iridescent make ups.
Easter Egg I had not previously shared (In memory)
By the time I released this video two of my rats (aka. "fufunchis") Tuula and Ritva had said their good byes. The final third of the video is very "AIR". In fact there is a transition of elements from water to air. We included nebulae among the stars... and here is the Easter Egg, at some points those nebulae were generated by using pictures of Tuula and Ritva blurred, of course they are part of the "Heavens" now and still and forever part of the Universe I've lived in. You may require to watch several times to spot them... but if you do, let me know in comments.
Lyrics / Poem
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Pure and serene...
Ethereal
Like dew on a cobweb of delicate silk
and sheer threads of silver
are the weft of the fabric of dreams
gauzy and fragile (gauzy and fragile)
like thin ice (thin ice)
oh floating dust (oh floating dust)
in open skies (in open skies)
I feel... hyaline
hyaline...
Ethereal
Like transparent waters
(They tenderly held me...)
and mother of pearl
(with gentle sway...)
those moon like pale opals
(all covered...)
I feel...
(...with moonbeams while drifting)
Hyaline...
while drifting
Our trails of afterglow
pulse like shimmering stardust
and the patterns that they draw
lead the way out of darkness
We grow wings from abyssal fins
to take flight and feel
Ethereal
Like transparent waters
(Sweet wonders unfolding)
and clear lucid dreams
(I'm conscious)
Iridescent and pale
insect wings
(to take flight)
Hyaline
(unclouded)
My soul feels
Unclouded
We get ready now
for life under the light
(Sweet wonder...)
I feel
We get ready now
for life under the light
(I'm conscious...)
I feel...
we get ready now
for life under the light
(to take flight
light as a feather)
hyaline
unclouded
I feel
ethereal
Don't you feel ethereal?
unclouded
Don't you feel ethereal?
Pure and serene
My essence...
Ethereal
This song will be included in my third album Fear no more so feel free to support us by purchasing the song from Bandcamp:
Song Credits:
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Gauzy and Fragile like thin Ice
Music and lyrics and arrangements: Priscilla Hernandez
Priscilla Hernandez: composition, vocals, synth, keyboard, piano, flute, kantele
Héctor Corcín: Percussion, Oscar Tribalthunder, additional electronic arrangements
Armen Vartanyan: violín
Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com
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I went looking for the Moon and found a thousand fallen Suns: Sunflowers. Apollo and Clytie. Ligo Sneak peak.
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I went to see the Moon but I found a thousand fallen suns
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Posting today as part of colorchallenge WEDNESDAY YELLOW challenge
All this pictures were taken last Saturday (late July 2018). Me and my partner Héctor Corcín went on a stroll trying to see the Moon Eclipse that took place last 27th of July. Sadly clouds didn't allow to appreciate the eclipse in its full red moon glory and we only caught it as the Moon grew back to full brightness again, but we found this location and we went the day after to take these pictures featured in this article.
So even if weather boycotted a little bit our sighting of the Blood Moon, at least it worked to find this lovely location. Above, not the best eclipse picture but what we glimpsed :)
Location and filming for forthcoming video
Location is close to an abandoned village called Guendulain (Navarre, Spain). To see the sunflowers spreading and just the ruins emerging from them was rather magical. As we had just found it the day before and I am finishing editing a videoclip of Latvian folk song Līgo (encouraged by fellow steemian friend Linda from Latvia, who encouraged me to learn a song of her country). It is a overall a worship of Summer hymn and I had still a few gaps in the video so location was perfect to shoot some final scenes). I will share that here shortly but meanwhile here. Almost done, I will share it soon.
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Enchanted sunflower, thou
Who gazest ever true and tender On the sun’s revolving splendour
Pedro Calderon de la Barca (Poet)
A symbol of strength, endurance and loyalty
They look like thousands of fallen suns blooming in Summer... so yellow and vibrant, a representation of our life giving star. The petals of a sun flower are also known as "rays" for that reason. Unmistakable with their brilliant and vibrant appearance and amazingly large size. There are different varieties of different sizes but some are as large and tall as I am, glorious giant flowers.
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As to give a sunflower to your beloved it represents warmth, long life and endurance. Sun flowers remain in full bloom for a long time enduring the hottest days of Summer and tolerating lack of rain and droughts. The upright and strong stem also represent the strength of bonds and loyalty. It is usually given as a gift on the 3rd anniversary of a wedding.
I love a sunflower and I believe in love power
(Tears for Fears, quote from the lyrics of "Sowing the Seeds of Love")
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Vitality, hope, renewal... LIGHT
It was worshiped by Incan Empire priestesses who used to wear replicas made of gold in their garments.
In China, Royalty used to eat sunflower seeds in order to have a long life and are related with vitality and luck. In China in fact they are a symbol of *lasting happiness" The symbolism of "yellow" colour that I covered in previous article also apply for this "light bringer". It is easy to think why these flowers are usually associated with "happy" feelings.
They are not only strikingly beautiful but also useful providing and numerous edible sunflower seeds (at least the most common Helianthus annus which we grow for that purpose) and oil for cooking and beauty treatments. Crops and fields of these beauties, also a symbol of "abundance".
Sunflowers also known for their symmetry based on Fibonacci numbers
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Above: the disk of a sunflower are made of made up of many little flowers that will become seeds.
Moving into the Light and the Legend of Clytie and Apollo
Sunflowers belong to the family Asteraceae and genus Helianthus (helios=Sun, Anthos=flower) and they move and stretch moving towards the light by phototropism. or heliotropism. Sunflowers are one of several plant species that make optimum use of light by turning to face the sun. It is like a "solar tracking" triggered in fact by phyto-hormones (Auxins) presents in the stems. This happens until the flower is "mature" and the seeds begin to ripen. Then they usually stop growing and droop downwards and stop their movement.
But let's explain it in a more romantic way
Clytie in Green mythology was a water nymph (daughter of Oceanus, the Water god and Tethys) that turned into a flower grieving over here unrequited love for the God of the Sun, Apollo (son of Zeus), and thus she is always facing the sun looking for her love return for her in his Chariot. She fell in love with him but was ignored by Apollo who fell for another Water Nymph (Daphne). Clytie sat on a rock and spent nine days without food or water until she transformed into a flower, and even to this day, she keeps looking at her beloved sun from dawn to sunset. Thus sometimes Sunflowers are used as symbols of "platonic love". At the beginning the Greek legend transformed her into a turnsole (Heliotropium) as in fact all sunflowers (Helianthus) are native from America, but modern retelling and famous Victorian and Prerraphaelite painting used "Sunflowers" to represent the grieving nymph.
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Although Clytie's love was not corresponded as Apollo fell in love with Daphne due to an Eros (God of love) arrow, the irony of it is that he was despised by Daphne who wished herself to be transformed into a laurel tree not to be bothered by Apollo unsolicited love. Apollo had an argument with Eros and he was struck by an arrow who made him fall in love with the water nymph but Daphne was hit by a lead arrow who made her despise Apollo as strongly as he loved her. Finally she prayed for help to her father and was transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo was heartbroken and remained faithful and it made laurel leaves "evergreen" because of his love.
Poor Clytie, if it had not been for the interference of love arrows...
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Dandelions are floating in evergreen fields...
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The meaning of the dandelion flower is a promise of faithfulness. Their resistance echoes endurance. Dandelions are related with purity, innocence and nostalgia. I share this appreciation post for these lovely ubiquitous yellow flowers. It's a post that will end up in a very personal note if you care to read until the end. These small and considered insignificant by many are maybe my favourite flowers and you are going to know why.
In Spain we call them "dientes de Leon" (Lion's teeth) from which "dandelion" word comes from.
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And splatters of a myriad of yellow blooms show the path I will follow (from my song Sentinel)
A common flower not lacking importance or meaning
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Properties
Dandelions belong to the genus Taxaracum and Asteraceae Family, being the most common *Taxaracum officinale" (common dandelion) also known as Lion's tooth, Irish daisy, blowball, puff ball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock, witch's gowan, milk witch, lion's-tooth, yellow-gowan, monks-head, priest's-crown, and puff-ball and other less romantic names as common pee-a-bed
The entire plant, roots, leaves and flowers are edible. There are evidence of their use as food as medicine since Prehistory. The roasted roots can be used to make a caffeine free drink. Flowers too can be added as ornament to salads, and the heads are used to make wine and liquors, petals are used to make dandelion wine with sugar, yeast and citrus fruits peels. It has several medicinal uses mostly as digestive aid or to boost liver function, and it's available as tea, tincture and capsules. Of course if you forage dandelions make sure you don't take them from your local park where they can be covered in pesticides... wild meadows or grow your own as seeds grow easily on your garden or pots. There is evidence it helps to manage sugar and lipid levels in animals who eats them. And it has phytonutrients that can help to prevent cancer as well as many antioxidants, Vitamin A and C. It's used also against inflammation. It is also very diuretic... I wonder if the French word Pissenlit (wet the bed) is related to it. Medicinal use is considered safe though allergic reactions should be checked as it's possible though rare.
You can also get yellow and green dye out of them... I particularly like to dye my clothes in nature colours.
Yes they are common... and that's why very often underrated. But as you see they have a wealth of properties... Also being among the first flowers appearing in Spring they're key for the survival of bees. Next picture is one shared recently by my partner @hedac on his feed and featuring a cute bumblebee frolicking with dandelion pollen. :)
Even the most common flower can have such an enormous importance
Bumblebee on dandelion. Macrophotography courtesy of @hedac
As it can easily colonize an area it's usually considered as a weed by many gardeners, but I think they are absolutely beautiful. It really makes me sad when local gardeners come with the land mowers to get rid of them and get their perfect "polished" but spiritless grass... As much as may think of these little blooms a nuisance my heart is happy to greet the yellow dots on the green grass.
A symbol of sheer joy
A symbol of joy and faithfulness and of course of light. For Native American was a representation of the Sun being the petals the rays of the Sun at the beginning of Spring. It is not difficult to guess why... they look like little glowing sun... and it strikes to me then than they are like stars in the green meadows... painting a starry sky where you can run, and dance and jump and remember how you loved to do so when a child and how your inner child still loves to do it.
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Above: Me barefoot jumping and dancing on a dandelion fields
Endurance
A symbol of endurance they are also perennial and bloom a rather long time. Endure!
You will often find them growing even in cracks on the pavements... a reminder of life thriving
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No life is free from struggles... but we learn to live. Treasure the moments of peace, the moments of health, the moments of happiness...
You're only a dream away, my sweet Kira
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post it's a flower related with faithfulness and what's more faithful and loyal that your dog companion. It's the flower I usually relate to my Siberian Husky Kira (1995-2003). I always dream of her running in her favourite fields full or yellow blooms. She has one song in each one of my already published music albums. And whenever I mention "yellow blooms" in a song is a hidden clue related to her. So I recurrently dream I am in a field full of dandelions and that she appears... sometimes I chase her I am slightly aware she's gone and I am dreaming... that is when usually my dream become lucid. I will write more about her soon but I had to mention.
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Dandelions are floating in evergreen fields
Those yellow flowers incoiling to buds
gently inviting to sleep
Good Night Kira
Here is a drawing I made myself of me and Kira... the drawing is made on a watercolour background where I pressed too a real dandelion flower from those fields she used to love.
So through the years the "fields" became like a private place I go when I dream... And because of my longing (and mourning) there I can see sometimes also my fufunchis (my rats) and all the animal companions that blessed my life... That is a place I go often in dreams to be with them... But when I try to chase them they usually scattered in different directions... I feel still the urge to protect but at the same time I'm aware I am dreaming and that I need to let them go
But there they are waiting for me.
I let you go, I let you leave
though I shall wait for you
all life long
till the end and beyond
If I could describe Heaven that is the dandelion field where I play with you
I love you
So if you could make a wish...
We all have picked those fluffy seeded flowers, those silver tufted blowballs, and have made a wish...
Blowing and scattering the seeds into the winds we make our wishes travel. Do you know they grow on every continent? Such travelers those wishes are too.
Have you ever tried to blow one?
If it's not the right time you have to blow hard... even in that they teach a lesson. Be patient!
So if you had a wish... what would it be?
I'd wish that place of my dream to be real but as I cannot rewind time... I will wish for a home. Home is not a roof, is not a place, it's a shelter of the soul, a comfort of the spirit, a sense of belonging. That is why up to this day I call Kira and fufunchis my home...
But as long as I keep moving forward my feet will lead me ahead...
I'm sure I'll find my way home
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Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com
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Gifts from my friend Kelly Miller Lopez and article about BEAR OR WILD GARLIC flowers
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Above: Me wearing all the gifts from a dear friend and laying on a field of wild garlic. Story and article about Wild garlic below. All pictures taken last weekend (20h of May) where I lay on a carpet of wild garlic flowers
I have been sharing too also my love for Nature. There is a series of article blog posts I have been sharing called "The blooming series" and here is another entry :)
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A surprise box full of love from a dear friend
As introduction of this post I wanted to say that these year has been a bit complicated for me. So my friend Kelly Miller (singer from Neofolk band Woodland and solo project Rosa Mundi), my sweet fairy sister from overseas sent me a surprise box full of "love" to cheer me up.
I opened the parcel and the first thing I found were Rowan berries added for its protection (and it did made it safe all across the ocean that separates us) and a necklace made out of them. There was a note inside...
so you don't forget the Goddess that you are
I started sobbing... I have not felt that well these past few months and I confess I have felt everything but so...
I know she also refers to "Yidneth" my story... my alter ego almost... She wishes me well and strong... special
And I try not to forget... I dried my tears and kept on exploring that little box from so far away... She often hums to me back my own song Don´t be sad. As if I needed someone else to utter my own words.
So the rest of the box had more treasures... a moon silver circlet made by herself and a matching moon choker, and the most gorgeous organic cotton green lace dress... Of course it had to be green. She knows me well.
And finally some chocolates and candy (pear, my favourites).
All the little details and notes... It was like if a Fairy Godmother had put there a dress for Cinderella. But Cinderella had to do her chores a little bit longer and was very tired to attend to the ball... She probably missed it, but as forest nymph I prefer a solitary dance beneath the shady canopy, that at this time of the year shines almost fluorescent green as newborn leaves unfold into lush green
A picture of Kelly and me And Showhite and Rose Red (Grimm Fairytale) (I love you tons!)
So the box awaited for the right moment, just some days ago... And they made a magical transformation, just like Cinderella but from the inside...
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The Spring Forest
Last weekend as usual I hiked with Héctor, and we stumbled upon a lovely location. I had brought the gift box with me, because I wanted to send my friend some pictures of me wearing the gifts she had bestowed upon me, and I don't mean the dress or the crown, but the confidence, the love and her thoughts for my well being an protection.
I hurried to try it on, the light was getting dim and the moment was fleeting but we managed to take these shots.
The aroma of wild garlic was strong... and there I laid until the last rays of golden light engulfed the forest floor in darkness. All was covered in white pallid flowers... These posts are about blooming after all... but flowers are sometimes just the metaphor.
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Above: A carpet of blooms... Allium Ursinum growing on a beechwood in Navarra (May 2018)
These carpets appear usually on damp but well drained soil in deciduous forests protected by the shade of the canopy when the new leaves grow in Spring. I confess I would always chose and prefer a wild flower over a garden cultivated one... :)
I love hiking and I do every weekend... It heals me... I have posted about forest bathing before... I always feel rejuvenated afterwards.
Wood Garlic or Bear's garlic
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Alium ursinum also known as "wild garlic", "bear garlic" or "ramsons" is a bulbous perennial plant native of Europe and Asia, belonging to the Liliaceae family and relative to the chives. They have semiespherical umbel-like inflorescence that holds up to 20 star shaped white flowers clusters on leafless stalks. The leaves are born from the bulb itself. They bloom mid Spring and early Summer. The species spread by rhizomes and self-seeding forming these amazing colonies on the Spring forest floor.
Culinary use of Wild garlic
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The small elongated bulbs are a favourite of bears, that is why its latin name is Allium Ursinum comes from Ursus (Bear) as brown bears use to dig for the bulbs that they find invigorating and it helps to cleanse toxins after their winter slumber).
Wild boars also love them. Sadly bears disappeared recently from my region forests but there are still boars. Deer usually ignore them and dislike the taste.
The whole forest floor was covered with them like a tapestry! And the smell of garlic was noticeable. Both leaves and flowers are edible and can be used in salads but you have to be careful not to mistake them as there are similar plants that are poisonous like Lilly of the Valley or Wild Arum (Lords and Ladies) . In case of doubt the smell of garlic in Allium Ursinum is unmistakeable and distinct if you pick one of them. Their taste is a mix of onion and garlic. Dry leaves can be turned into crisp snacks. You can even boil the stems and eat them as spaghetti, once cooked the taste is less pungent. In many European countries soup is made of it (the same way nettle soup is done) but a cream-like pesto is also popular for seasoning. Usually the bulbs are too small for cooking so only the leaves are collected and once it's in bloom they can taste already a little bit bitter. In the XIX it was given to cows so the milk used to make butter would taste slightly like garlic. It was also told to protect the cattle from disease as it can protect against viruses. Then it was removed precisely because of the flavour as it lost popularity. There are evidence of foraying these flowers since the Mesolithic.
Medicinal properties
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Eat leeks in Lide March and ramsins in May
And all the year after physitians may play.
(XVII century proverb)
It is very known for this reason and its medicinal properties in Ireland to ward off respiratory diseases like flu or cold or even to apply on wounds. In Ancient Greek it was used also against snake bite, and a myriad of uses is reported all throughout the countries it grows in. It is a heart protector and blood purifier, detoxifies and improves digestion helping in stomach problems and even skin disorders as it boosts our immune system. They're properties are even stronger than the domesticated garlic relative and it was named "Plant of the year" in 1992
They have been proved to lower your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, including arthritis. It can be taken orally or also applied as ointments and poultices.
And the most important thing of all ;-)
In folklore they are told to be used to bring good luck as it deters fairies and goblins.
And remember Mother Nature is wise and giving. Be grateful.
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Above: me with my hand made Lunula circlet in silver, gift from my dear friend Kelly Miller-Lopez
PD: I have been told that this happens also in the British Isles with bluebells, sadly we don't have them here (North of Spain) but I would love to behold such glorious spectacle one Spring.
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May is the time of the roses
May is here opening all the buds that unfurl into roses. Red Roses represent love and passion. Whatever you do, do it with both, never halfway through.
They need care and nurturing... they need work and perseverance, but if you give, you will receive... they will gift the beauty of blooming in return.
Whatever you do, do it with all admiration and devotion
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Red is a bold empowering blazing colour. It conveys deep emotions. It is an emotionally intense. And it is not linked with love only but to your own determination and endurance.
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A little sprite inside a rose
And to finish this small post (which is the one of quite a few "blooming" posts happening this month of May. A close up of a rose, in which I found a fairy. :)
A pareidolia is a psychological phenomena in which our mind found a pattern, usually faces...
I found a little fairy inside this rose... do you see her?
Post your comment if you do
Unfurl...
It's time to bloom
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Happy Belated Unicorn Day: The last Unicorn cover, Unicorn pics, movies, books and more!
LISTEN TO THE LAST UNICORN ON SOUNDCLOUD
Happy Belated National Unicorn Day
9th of April was Unicorn day and though I am a little bit late for the Unicorns party, I have taken this celebration as an encouragement to write this article. So I am sharing some Unicorn photography, my own version of "The Last Unicorn" soundtrack main theme (one of my favourite movies ever) as well as my Unicorn books, movies, thoughts and musings.
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A magical and mythological creature
Gentle, pure, magical... the Unicorn is often portrayed as a white a horse or goat-like creature with hooves and a single spiral horn. Thus it has been depicted in countless cultures, tales and legends from different times and places since Antiquity. As mysterious as recurrent, it is probably one of the best known mythical creatures. As Unicorns does not exist (sorry) they are considered a "cryptozoology" creature and there are no fossil records to prove their existence. Still they are mentioned in many medieval field notebooks and Naturalist manuscripts. In fact in the Middle Ages, Unicorn horns allegedly had power to heal any sickness and to clean poisoned water. The Tusk of the cetacean narwhal was sometimes sold as unicorn horn in apothecaries and markets.
Happy Belated National Unicorn Day
9th of April was Unicorn day and though I am a little bit late for the Unicorns party, I have taken this celebration as an encouragement to write this article. So I am sharing some Unicorn photography, my own version of "The Last Unicorn" soundtrack main theme (one of my favourite movies ever) as well as my Unicorn books, movies, thoughts and musings.
A magical and mythological creature
Gentle, pure, magical... the Unicorn is often portrayed as a white a horse or goat-like creature with hooves and a single spiral horn. Thus it has been depicted in countless cultures, tales and legends from different times and places since Antiquity. As mysterious as recurrent, it is probably one of the best known mythical creatures. As Unicorns does not exist (sorry) they are considered a "cryptozoology" creature and there are no fossil records to prove their existence. Still they are mentioned in many medieval field notebooks and Naturalist manuscripts. In fact in the Middle Ages, Unicorn horns allegedly had power to heal any sickness and to clean poisoned water. The Tusk of the cetacean narwhal was sometimes sold as unicorn horn in apothecaries and markets.
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Above: Always on the hunt... the horns of Unicorns hold great power
Unicorns are symbols of purity and magic. I started this year in some sort of purification journey with hopes and dreams renewed. Unicorns are often associated with the Moon and feminine energy.
My cover of The Last Unicorn main theme
The song you are listening to in this article is Fan-tribute cover of one of my favourite animated movies "The Last Unicorn" (1982) based in the book by Peter. S. Beagle. (Not listening? press PLAY at the beginning of the post)
The original was performed by folk rock band "America" (guess where they were from) and composed by Jimmy Webb. The original version is so lush, symphonic and pretty, please be sure to check it out, as well as this rare lovely movie from the early 80s. The entire soundtrack is incredible, includes orchestration by the London Symphony Orchestra and several songs performed by America band. Other tracks featured the voice actors of the film as guests, including stars like Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury and Christopher Lee. I love film music and I was an avid collection of soundtracks.
Does the Irish whistle riff reminds you to popular Titanic main theme? Well, this one was made many years prior and certainly do your research of the original, as my version is rather spontaneous and humble. It is a rare movie but remembered by many with fondness. Did you know it? Highly recommended for those who love fantasy.
I recorded a more Celtic version of the main theme, all in one afternoon and It is not even properly mixed or mastered. My skills at the guitar are limited but I'm sort of proud I could layer it up. I have been considering to record this song again or at least improve the sound, but I honestly did it for fun as a shout-out to one of a fond childhood memory. I am aware the audio quality is not the best, and the reverb too wet but I hope you enjoy the recording all the same. It's me acoustic on guitar, harp, Irish low whistle and recorder. Then I added a few layers of backing vocals. Nothing too pretentious, it doesn't eclipse the original which is absolutely delightful. My take on it is maybe a bit more "ethereal" and folk-ish sounding.
The Last Unicorn (Lyrics)
When the last eagle flies over the last crumbling mountain
And the last lion roars at the last dusty fountain
In the shadow of the forest though she may be old and worn
They will stare unbelieving at the last unicorn
When the first breath of winter through the flowers is icing
And you look to the north and a pale moon is rising
And it seems like all is dying and would leave the world to mourn
In the distance hear the laughter of the last unicorn
I'm alive, I'm alive
When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning
And the future has passed without even a last desperate warning
Then look into the sky where through the clouds a path is torn
Look and see her how she sparkles, it's the last unicorn
I'm alive, I'm alive
Written by Jimmy Web
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Above: Recent pictures of me as an Unicorn in the magical beech wood of Urbasa (Navarre, Spain). The pictures are inspired in this sentence from the lyrics When the first breath of Winter through the flowers is icing they will stare unbelieving at the last Unicorn. These were taken recently.
Unicorn in movies: The Last Unicorn
Theatrical Official poster of the Fantasy animated Movie "The Last Unicorn" (1982) showing The Last Unicorn against the antagonist "The Red Bull". Based on the novel by Peter S. Beagle and produced and directed by Rankin/Bass Productions, an artistic team and company that provided us with wonderful animated jewels like "The Hobbit", "Flight of Dragons" (that I will cover in another blog post) and "The Last Unicorn" among others.
The book that is based upon is even more superior. Written by screenwriter and novelist Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968, it tells the story of "The Last Unicorn" on her quest to find others of her kin. On her journey she is transformed into a beautiful maiden Lady Almathea**** on her journey she discovers friendship, also love and regret. It is a bittersweet story and it has many elements of tragic romance. But I do not want to spoil it writing down in depth details of the plot. Curiously during my life I've been frequently compared to Lady Almathea and Princess Melisande, both NOT Disney's but Rankin Bass animated movies female leads, from The Last Unicorn and Flight of Dragons respectively. I am not going to deny I love the comparison as the geeky fantasy nerd I am.
You can strike your own time, and start the count anywhere. When you understand that — then any time at all will be the right time for you.― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn
Below: Me cosplaying "Lady Almathea" In the movie she has almost white hair and a lilac gown. Lady Almathea is the last of her kin, an unicorn disguised in "maiden" shape.
Read more info about this movie here The Last Unicorn
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Other Unicorn movies: The Last Unicorn, Legend and Unico
There are movies including these mythical and mystical creatures as key. Always on the hunt and endangered due to the magic powers bestowed upon them. A representation of light, of what is pure.
Another good example of movie featuring Unicorns in its plot is Legend directed by Ridley Scott in 1985 and starring Tom Cruise, Tim Curry and Mia Sarah. Though enchanted and a remarkable example of fantasy cinema, Legend suffered its own ambition and its irregular and at points even tedious. It suffered several edits and even a confusing change of the entire score when re-released (from orchestral soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith to electronic ambient by Tangerine Dream). The result was uneven yet I found fit to mention. Click here to find more info about
Legend
Unicorns make cameos now and then, like in the more recent fantasy movie Stardust (2007) and The Secret of Moonacre (2008).
I will highlight though another remarkable example, the cute manga from the 70s Unico (ユニコ Yuniko) by Osamu Tezuka, that was translated into Anim. Probably the best known out of several adaptations was the movie "The Fantastic Adventures of Unico" (1981). More info about this movie on IMDB here
If you want to share other appearances... please drop them in the comments :)
My favourite books about Unicorns: De Historia et Veritatis Unicornis
Above: my copy of De Historia et veritatis Unicornis and an Unicorn pendant I made myself.
Literally translated from Latin as "On the History and Truth about Unicorns" An irresistible and delicious treat... A book presented in the shape of a XV century manuscript, a Codex Unicornis describing the symbolism, their habits, all lushly illustrated in a way you really believe you are reading to an old document from the Renaissance. The drawings draw inspiration from Leonardo Da Vinci. The handwritten plates, the sketches... all the details are taken into account to make it look like a facsimile, something not meant to be shared or found... an occult knowledge, a secret unveiled. In fact we are teased to believe that the artist and illustrator Michael Green only handed the document, previously protected by a secret Brotherhood. There are even conspiracy theories wanting to make this book real
Now a rare find, some editions are really pricey. I bought my copy in the late eighties and it still remains as one of my highlighted reads in my "myths and legends" library and archive.
Besides Peter S. Beagle novel that I mentioned before which I already stated is another one of my childhood fiction favourites... another book I would highlight is "The Book of the Unicorn" illustrated by Linda and Roger Garland.
And that's all...
Weave magic
Drift to that place where Unicorns, mermaids, ghosts are real...
right there... where you can imagine them...
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We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream.
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn
All photographs (c) Priscilla Hernandez
Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com
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El Parque de los Desvelados (Sleepless Park) in Navarra: an eerie park devoted to Death
All that remains
All that decays
Into dust once again
The eeriness of abandoned places
A few weeks ago, me and @hedac visited this eerie and very unusual abandoned park "El Parque de los Desvelados" located in Estella (Lizarra), South West of Navarre, in Spain.
I have always felt a strange attraction for "abandoned" places and its weird energy. I don't think places are haunted by ghosts but by desolation and decay, an imprint of sorrow maybe... I even wrote a song called "Haunted" inspired by this theory. I have a fondness for them... as if I'm a long awaited spectator of the stories they still whisper. Old houses, abandoned villages, old ruins... I can imagine their stories. I love when they are claimed back by Nature and get covered in ivy and moss.
Last month we visited one of these abandoned park, yet it was not an ordinary park...
Located in Estella (Spain) this bizarre place is known as Parque de los Desvelados (o de las calaveras) (translated as "Park of the Sleepless (or the Skulls)).
El Parque de los Desvelados: The Sleepless Park
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The word desvelado means "those who don't sleep"... I find the name curious to start with, as the insomniac I am.
There is though another way to interpret it "Those who never rest" and here is when it gets tainted by a melancholic vibe.
As much as I like abandoned places I have to say this is one of the weirdest and creepiest I've ever been to. We had had intentions to visit it for a long time so I wanted to take the chance also to prepare a photo shoot.
The crown I'm wearing was a birthday gift from my friend and illustrator Lisselotte Eriksson, and as she has a fascination for dark fairies (The "Unseelie Court") I thought the place approppiate to surprise her with some photos.
So early March, a few weeks ago, being late for a proper hike in the Wilderness, we found convenient to pay a visit to it as it is rather close to us.
We parked the car in Estella, I put my garments in a rucksack and uphill we went in an area called "San Lorenzo", the path surrounded by orchards and ominous dark pine forests covered in vines. The alarm call of countless Black Birds as we walked by filled our ears. Half an hour later we stumbled upon "Los Desvelados Street" and a few meters away an open fence with a signal that says : This is private property, feel free to enter Please, Respect!
There was only a couple there (weird place for a picnic) as soon as they saw me with my horned piece and dark goth make up they started to talk loudly about Nephilim (The Fallen Ones), bad omens, Demons and religious talk not minding I was listening. They stared at me a few times while they loudly talked about these topics, the moment was too awkward to engage conversation to explain we were there just for a photo shoot.
I was not going for a super dark look, more a "goth" spectral ghostly Unseelie fairy look, or even a "romantic symbolism" of Death as it is the main topic the park is based upon. I love ghostly and spectral tales from the XIX century after all. The place itself does not call for vivid colours. So there I was cloaked in black. Skulls and bright polka dresses wouldn't make a good combination right?
A family with small kids got in the place, they were laughing enthusiastically at the skulls, as if something "funny". Talk about eerie, skulls and children's laughters! One of the youngest pointed at me and said! "Look, mum" A witch! -he squeaked. I smiled back and the older kid with huge specs hid shyly behind his mother. I smiled again and they both giggled nervously. It felt a bit empowering, I must say.
Above: the headpiece was a handmade birthday gift from my friend Liselotte. Neither a Nephilim nor a Witch though.
Above: me beside one of the Skulls so you can appreciate the scale
The 7 massive sculptures of distorted skulls and skeletons made by artist Luis García Vidal transform the landscape into an eerie giant’s boneyard and scattered here and there, almost as junk piles we can also find other odd creepy shrines.
The size of some of the sculptures is jaw dropping, it won't leave you indifferent. They large hollow orbits taring as fathomless wells... The experience is rather haunting.
They look somehow like something out of Edward Gorey's or Tim Burton's illustrations. A hint of macabre even.
The sculptures are distorted and out of proportion, there are also some laying from the floor or looks like being engulfed by it or rotting away.
A memento-mori
All things that live must die
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Julio García Vidal was born in Melilla the 24th of December, 1927. As a teenager her moved to Madrid to learn Sculpture and then to Paris where he met his wife that was from Estella. The would spend every winter there working in this strange and curious place. Created between 1971 and the artist’s death in 2009, they are meant to serve as a memento-mori (from Latin "remember you have to die"). The whole park is an Ode to Death and a reminder of the inevitability of it, of the transient Nature of our existence on Earth.
Slowly bushes have taken over and all is succumbing into decay. He spent 38 years working on this park... carefully building and restoring continuously his structures made of twigs and branches of "sumac" (very small trees and shrubs from the genus Rhus) wrapped in chicken wire and covered with gypsum and white paint.
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Above: Details of the materials used to build the structures
His brother Alberto, also an artist, died of cancer and very poor. He sculpted the skull above with a plaque that reads that his brother ended up like "human garbage" but accepted Death with courage as if passing away had been some kind of solace for him. I found it extremely sad, maybe even resentful for the words chosen, compelling though.
He also was involved himself in a car crash. You can see ruined cars scattered in the Park. There are signs of his "obsession" incorporating also other objects that had been involved in accidents.
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Walking through this desolate place we stumble upon this:
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The quote along the crushed baby pram shrine suddenly turns macabre.
"Cuando sea mayor seré futbolista, si el destino quiere". "When I become older I will be a football player if fate allows". A reminder that sometimes life is taken from us way before fulfillment.
The message is clear... in life and death there are things we can't choose, there are things we can't control, there are things that aren't fair... but that's the way things are
A place vanishing into Oblivion
Only a decade after his death Nature starts to claim back the place, the white paint on the schools is wearing out, the wire holding their structures become undone, some of the Sumac taking life again.
All the pictures in this article were taken a few weeks ago, early March 2018. I found online photographs from a few years ago and some of the structures are almost unrecognizable now. They are left to the elements.
Above: some of the skulls are now just a bunch of twined twigs, yet you can infer its former shape
Some years from now from now the whole place will vanish into oblivion. Maybe that is a final lesson that the artist wanted to portray, that his work was "alive" with him, and it would decay back into Nature once he was gone. I think it was the way he intended it so in this he succeeded to leave a final lesson
I think the creator wanted us not only to think about Death but also about Life.
Death is something that we all will have in common, somehow an equalizer. It doesn't matter how rich or famous you are, or the struggles and miseries you've gone through... we are all going to meet the same end eventually.
Overcoming our Fear of Death
First the cradle then the grave... as sure as the souls just flow from Birth to the Death. (lyrics of my song Through the Long way)
I do believe both Life are Death are in balance in Nature... Romantification of Death can be dangerous, though we often find it in old poetry and literature, in tales of cross hearted lovers like Romeo and Juliet...
I accept Death, it´s just a natural process, it is key to keep balance, yet I confess I find the moment of "ceasing" or "disruption of life" is sad. I've seen Death, I've been close to it too, I have experienced loss and mourning, and the only romantic thing about it is that it taught me "love" lasts beyond Death. As long as we remember, the ones that we have loved and lost live in us still.
Thanatophobia (fear of death) is a condition that describes the fear and anxiety in the awareness of our mortality, a fear of "ceasing to exist". The name Thanatophobia takes from the Greek figure of death known as Thanatos.
Or fear of death is a primal instinct, to fear Death is a natural thing... after all that is why we are equipped with our "fight or flee" response to protect our lives. We long to live. Yet being anxious and overwhelmed by that fear is not a good thing. We must not forget the joy in living.
Our ways to manage this fear differ, some seek comfort in religion and somehow overriding Death into an afterlife. I am not exploring this, as I think it´s a beautiful comforting thought yet what lies beyond is unknown...
Sometimes it's so hard to see death as a positive thing. Many of us have experience loss. Death is often a taboo topic, and something difficult to accept no matter how natural it is. The first time I saw a bird dying as a child my heart clenched. It was terrible. How quickly all it was extinguishes, that "something" gone. I have been vegetarian since 8 years old because I cannot bear the thought of anything dying for my sake.
I saw all my pets die while being held and close to my heart... In many ways they taught me to accept it because they were gone embraced in love.
Still both Life and Death are part of Nature, both balance its cycles. Still it is only logical and rational that we must accept that we will all eventually die. Why should we fear something that is so inevitable, and somehow needed?
Like fungi grow on dead trees... Nature teaches us Life just transform... we are all part of an endless cycle...
I remember a chapter of "The Storyteller" 80s TV series "The Soldier and the Death" The fairy tale tells of a Soldier that tricks the Devil playing cards and earns a magic sack in which he finally traps Death inside. But though he successfully kidnaps Death he sees what would happen in the world if no one and nothing could die...
It´s all about "balance". It's about cycles.
The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust! (Nietzche)
I do admit I do fear to die... but somehow I have understood that fear better, that maybe we are afraid to run out of time having not lived to the fullest. So wherever you are at:
Seek happiness, seek for meaning, LIVE fully and wisely...! Cherish and be grateful!
Until then... LIVE :)
Till Death do us part
But until then... LIVE
Seize the Day
"For Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return"
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I hope you found it curious, it is not that well-known... if you ever visit the area it is worth a walk by even if only because of its "oddity". In no way and despite its dark Nature I am meaning to be ominous... on the contrary, I hope it has awakened some food for thoughts too.
Above: a final farewell shot taken with my phone
Disclaimer: All the pictures in this post are taken by me or in collaboration with my partner @hedac. All Rights Reserved.
Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com
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