Midsummer is a misnomer. The Anglo-Saxons called it “midsumor.” They apparently stole the term “midsommar” from the Swedes (who may have themselves stolen it from the Germans). Unlike what your instinct tells you, it’s not really about the middle of the summer. It’s about the summer solstice. That would be the beginning of summer.
But don’t blame the Old English. The blame goes to the Romans, who, to be fair, once ruled the province of Britannia. In the strictest chronological terms, this would fall under the category of “Older than Old England.” Julius Caesar first invaded the island in 55 BC. About a century later, in 43 AD, Emperor Claudius formally conquered it. Rome would hold the land that would become Great Britain for nearly four hundred years.
A lot of things can happen in four centuries. For one thing, the conquered can assimilate the Continue Reading “Midsummer Musings”
Thoughts Beyond The Milky Way
If it inspired Vincent van Gogh, then it’s obviously not just me. I think it’s a lot of people. In fact, it’d be a lot more people if they just stopped paying attention to clickbait news for a moment. Imagine the awe they’d experience if they spent a clear night on the highest hill well above the tree line.
Their minds free, they’d see what Plato saw so many centuries ago. A wonder so great can’t help but focus one’s thoughts on pure, unadulterated introspection.
Would that calm frayed nerves? Or would it only make things worse?
I’ve always fallen into the first category. Do you?
For as long as I can remember, the stars have captivated me. Not just the stars. Not just the space between the stars. But what was beyond those stars.
Think of it as the moral equivalent of thoughts evoked when contemplating what lies beyond Continue Reading “Thoughts Beyond The Milky Way”