* Welcome to My Blog *
Here is where I share about some histories and theories that I have come across! Hopefully the short write-ups will enthuse you to find out more on your own!
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Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Crystal Skulls>
Recently, I picked up a New Age book from the library entitled “The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls: Unlocking the Secrets of the Past, Present, and Future” by Chris Morton and Ceri Louise Thomas. It was a really fascinating read and I would like to share my interesting findings on the subject here. Like many other items of mysterious qualities, controversies abound. Below are just some theories and information I have read from the book. Hopefully, the write-up would arouse interest in readers to find out more about this subject. Ok, so here goes…
An old Native American legend has it that there existed 13 life-sized crystal skulls with movable jaws which were left behind by our earliest ancestors. These crystal skulls were each carved from one single piece of solid quartz crystal and were thought to be a treasure trove of information on life, universe, history and evolution of mankind and above all, knowledge about our true purpose and destiny.
The crystal skulls were believed to have been brought to earth by extra-terrestrials during the time prior to the appearance of Homosapiens. The Native American’s answer to our “missing link” in evolutionary history was extra-terrestrial’s positive interference. It was said that with evolution and development, the brain size of Neanderthals grew bigger (due to increase in stored genetic memories which grew with each generation) and hence resulted in their increasing head sizes. The bigger head size caused difficulties for females in labour and many females died in childbirth. This posed a threat to the survival of the species. It was at this time when extra-terrestrials from the Pleiades, Orion and Sirus came to earth with their crystal skulls while on their quest for a new home. The crystal skull served as a template for a new species, a blueprint for humanity. The memories which had been storing in the brain were transferred to our DNA and hence our heads did not have to grow bigger. The extra-terrestrials, upon knowing they would not be able to live long in our atmosphere, spliced the genes of the Neanderthals with their own to ensure the survival or both species. This resulted in our double-helix DNA system -- one strand contained our Earth memories, the other of our celestial ancestors.
The reason why people nowadays were drawn to the crystal skulls was because silicon was introduced to our blood by the extra-terrestrials (we were previously a solely carbon-based life form) and hence when we looked at the crystal skulls, they triggered our inner knowledge that we were both carbon and silicon in structure. As the universe was believe to be an enormous web of crystalline structure, the silicon in our blood would link us to this web and the rest of the galaxy.
The 13 crystal skulls had been passed down through generations until the Spanish Conquest of America during the time of the Atzecs. The Atzecs were thought to have carried away the crystal skulls to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Spanish and as a result, the 13 crystal skulls were separated for the first time. The prophecy said that the 13 crystal skulls would come together again at a time of great crisis for humanity and together, they would reveal their sacred knowledge which would be vital to our survival as a species.
So that’s legend. Are there really crystal skulls in reality? Well, amazingly, there are! The most famous one of all would be the crystal skull found by Anna Mitchell-Hedges in 1924 in Lubaantun.
TBC…
12:01pm
Saturday, September 22, 2007
England’s Monarchy - Stuart Dynasty Part 1>
The House of Stuart was a royal house of the Kingdom of Scotland. With James VI of Scotland taking over the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, Stuart’s rule in England began. The Stuart Dynasty (1603-1714) lasted 111 years, with an 11-year English Interregnum (1649-1660) in between. *The English Interregnum will be expounded on in later parts*
James VI of Scotland was crowned James I of England. History would know him as James VI & I. However, for simplicity sake, I would be addressing him as James I of England.
Upon ascension to the English throne, James I ended the Anglo-Spanish war which had dragged on intermittently for 20 years since the time of Queen Elizabeth I. In the ensuing peace conference, England and Spain signed the Somerset House Treaty. However, the signing of the treaty brought much discontent among the religious community in England. Protestants were shocked to find Protestant England at peace with Catholic Spain. Catholics, on the other hand, was disappointed that Spain did not request for Catholic toleration as a price of peace. Seeing that they had lost support of a foreign ally, Catholics in England began to take drastic actions on their own and that included numerous assassination attempts on James I.
James I had tolerated Catholics during his early reign, however, the Gunpowder Plot proved to be the last straw. The Catholics had made a failed attempt to kill the royal family and the English politicians in a single bombing attack on the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening (opening of parliament) on 5 November 1605. After the plot had been foiled, the assasins trialed and executed, James I reinforced stricter penalties against Catholics for a period of time.
With regards to religious contributions, James I left behind the legacy of an English Bible that is still greatly in use today. The English translation, publication and distribution of the King James Bible was authorised by none other than King James I himself in 1604!
James I had an ambitious dream of uniting England and Scotland as one Anglo-Scottish Kingdom “Britain”. Though England and Scotland were now under the rule of one monarch, they remained as independent states. The union of the crown was merely a dynastic union but James I was determined to materialise his dream. He proclaimed himself the King of Great Britain, restyled the royal coat of arms and created the British flag, known as the Jack after the Latin version of his name. However, all his efforts were met with opposition from parliaments of both countries. In the course of pursuing the creation of Great Britain, clashes between the King and the parliaments were frequent and relations rapidly soured.
James I died in 1625, with his dream unfulfiled.
Ok..I KNOW this is quite a horrible write-up. It doesnt quite flow smoothyl. That is because I am utterly convulsing in confusion. haha, ok, that is abit too exaggerated. anyway, I think this part would be subject to further modifications as I study more. For now, here it is!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Chartres Cathedral Special>
Today’s entry shall be dedicated to the finest Gothic church ever built in ancient Europe, The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, or more commmonly known as the Chartres Cathedral.
The Chartres Cathedral is located in the town of Chartres, France. Construction began in 1194, after a fire burnt down the previous church on the site. It was believed that the old church housed the Sancta Camisia, or the tunic of Virgin Mary. The existence of the tunic was the reason for Chartres’ prosperity as the tunic attracted pilgrims from all over the world. Despite the furious fire that burnt the church down, the tunic miraculously survived, thanks to the priests who took it with them as they hid in the underground vaults during the fire. With the sacred relic rescued from disaster, the local bishop ordered work to start on a new cathedral to house it. The result was the Chartres Cathedral.
The Chartres Cathedral is special because firstly, the usage of architectural features such as the pointed arches (inspired by the rounded arches from the Colosseum) and the flying buttresses was a first in construction history. Its construction also resulted in the invention of hoisting cranes to lift stones to an unprecedented height of 36 metres. In pursuit of perfection, the local bishop also ordered the creation of a special colour for use on the stained glass windows of the cathedral. After numerous colour experimentations, a deep intense blue was created. This blue, now known as the Chartres blue, is so unique and ethereal that replication has never been possible, even with modern technology.
The Chartres Cathedral took 66 years to be completed. It was finally opened in a grand ceremony by King Louis IX in Oct 24, 1260. Since 1979, this magnificant cathedral has been catalogued as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Chartres_1.jpg
Friday, September 14, 2007
England’s Monarchy – Tudor Dynasty Part 3>
Over a span of 11 years since Edward VI’s succession to the throne, the Church of England had alternated between the polar extremes of Protestantism and Catholism under two drastically different rulers. Queen Elizabeth I, with her Elizabethan Religious Settlement, would be the much-needed balancing act for religious harmony to begin.
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement, also known as “The Revolution of 1559” saw two Acts passed by the Parliament of England. The first was The Act of Supremacy 1559 which re-established the Church of England’s independence from Rome. With the Oath of Supremacy (imposed by The Act of Supremacy 1559), people were to acknowledge Elizabeth I as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The second act was The Act of Uniformity 1559. It drafted the form which the Church of England would now take on. The Act also established the Book of Common Prayer as the prayer book to be used in all churches across England. With this settlement, the English Reformation came to an end. During Elizabeth I’s reign, the Church of England became Protestant in doctrine but Catholic in appearance and this set the foundation for the concept of Anglicanism.
England had witnessed how the sucessions of religiously differing monarchs disrupted peace in the country and many feared history would repeat itself if a Catholic monarch were to succeed Elizabeth I. Hence, the most pressing issue at hand was for Elizabeth I to produce an heir. However, Elizabeth I was strongly against marriage for she had seen how a wrong choice of husband (Mary I’s marriage to Philip II of Spain had caused widespread hostility towards the Monarchy) could jeopardise her position of power. Determined for England to “have one mistress and no master”, Elizabeth I would stay single throughout her life and be known as the “Virgin Queen” in history.
A throne with no known heir would only spell trouble for the country. Civil war could ensue and tear the country apart again. With clear reminders of the tumultuous times during the War of Roses, the Parliament continuously urged the Queen to name her heir, but Elizabeth I, having been “second person” herself, knew the dangers her heir would be exposed to and objected to placing anyone in that precarious position. The Queen was also aware of the risk of assassination she would put herself at should she openly declare an heir, for the only obstacle between her heir and the throne would be her own life.
Despite not declaring an heir, Elizabeth I did however, privately assure her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots of her legitimacy to the throne due to her bloodline. In May 1568, Mary Queen of Scots fled from Scotland to England after a rebellion against her arose in her own country. Whilst in England, Mary deliberately played up her Catholic faith in a political maneuver aimed at forcing Elizabeth to hand over the throne. Though Mary gained support from the local Catholics, the Parliament of England was determined not to let the country slip back into pure Catholism again. Mary was thus lured into giving her explicit consent to an assassination plot against Elizabeth I and executed publicly. Her death showed that as Protestantism took root in England, any monarch or heir that stood by a contrary faith would never be tolerated.
Eventually, with death closing in on the Queen after 45 years of rule, Parliament decided to take matters into their own hands. The leading ministers began to pave the way to throne for James, son of Elizabeth I’s cousin, Mary Queen of Scot. James’ succession to throne would mean the end of the Tudor dynasty and the start of the Stuart Dynasty.
This has been a very difficult part to write. There are so much information and therefore making it extremely tedious for me to truncate. Took me nearly 3 hours to finish!
Monday, September 10, 2007
England’s Monarchy – Tudor Dynasty Part 2>
Proudly presenting....Part 2!
Henry VIII, the second ruler of the Tudor Dynasty, had three children, namely Edward, Mary and Elizabeth. In a bid to secure the Tudor succession, Henry VIII named all three children as his heirs in both his will and under the Act of Succession 1543. As the son, Edward would, of course, be first in line to the throne. However, in the event that Edward were to die childless, the throne would go to his elder sister Mary. If Mary were to die childless as well, her younger sister Elizabeth would be queen.
On 20 February 1547, three weeks after his father’s death, nine-year-old Edward ascended the throne and became King Edward VI. The Council of Regency, designated by Henry VIII, was to rule on behalf of Edward VI until the young king reached maturity at age 18. However, that did not mean Edward VI was a mere figurehead for Edward VI, brought up as a thorough Protestant, was determined to complete the Reformation that his father started.
The English Reformation culminated during Edward VI’s rule. Edward VI believed that his father’s stand on religious moderation was what marred his rule and he sought to differ. Protestantism fully replaced Catholism for the first time in England’s history. All rituals and imageries characteristic of, and essential to Catholism were stripped in every church across England. In 1549, the Latin mass was replaced by the English in “Book of Common Prayer”. This caused widespread discontent and resulted in the Prayer Book Rebellion, which was put down eventually.
As Edward VI’s frail body continued to fail, Edward VI began to worry about the issue of succession. According to the Act of Succession 1543, his elder sister Mary was to be Queen after his death. However, Mary, a stauch Catholic, posed every threat possible to Edward VI’s vision of a Protestant England. Determined to preserve his reforms, Edward VI drafted the Device to Alter the Succession to put Lady Jane Grey (his Protestant Cousin) and her sons as successors to the throne instead of both his sisters. However, the Device was not passed by Parliament and was a flagrant flout of the law. This resulted in Lady Jane Grey’s weak claim to throne after Edward VI’s death.
Edward VI never had the chance to rule England on his own as he died at a tender age of 15. On 10 July 1553, according to Edward VI’s Device, sixteen-year-old Lady Jane Grey became Queen. However, she was disposed of in less than a fortnight as Mary’s legitimacy and strong support from her people soon put her on the throne.
Having ascending the throne, Queen Mary I quickly returned England to Catholism. She was most famous for her vigorous prosecution of Protestants in what was known as the Marian Prosecutions. For three years starting from February 1555, more than three hundred Protestants were burnt at the stake in an attempt to purge Protestantism. Because of these persecutions, Mary I gained the notorious nickname of “Bloody Mary”.
Mary I died childless on 16 November 1558. According to the Act of Succession 1543, Elizabeth, her half-sister, would be the next Queen of England.
Stay tuned to part 3……
Friday, September 7, 2007
Konnichiwa/England's Monarchy - Tudor Dynasty (1)>
A big HELLO to all who chanced upon my blog.
This is my first post! *throws confetti* Here is a brief introduction to my blog. I will be concentrating mainly on European, Russian and Ancient Egyptian History. I am no history major. This is just purely out of self interest. I find writing out (or the attempt to do so) helps in learning and consolidating facts and hence the blog is born! Don't start yawning there! Haha, there will of course be some posts on my life and things I find interesting enough to share.
Currently, I am doing a self-study on the monarchy of England, from the Tudors to the Windsors. So, today the first chapter starts!
The Tudor dynasty (1485-1603) was founded by Henry Tudor (aka Henry VII of England) The dynasty lasted 118 years, with Queen Elizabeth I as its final ruler.
Prior to the Tudor Dynasty, there was the War of Roses, where two rival houses (Lancaster and York) fought for the throne. The Yorkist had won initially, however, internal power struggles resulted in the death of all Yorkist brothers but Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Richard, the last of the Yorkist brothers was ultimately defeated by Henry Tudor, a Lancastrian. Henry Tudor then claimed the throne and became known as Henry VII of England.
Henry VII married Elizabeth of York on January 18 1486, thereby unifying the two rival houses. The unification also saw the creation of a heraldic symbol of the Tudor Rose, which was a combination of the white rose of York and red rose of Lancaster. Henry VII also ordered the manufacture of Crown Imperial, which would become the imperial crown of England.
Out of 6 children that Queen Elizabeth of York bore for the king, three died young. The remaining children were: Henry VIII, Margret Tudor and Mary Tudor.
On 15 April 1509, after a twenty-four years’ reign, Henry VII died. Succeeding the throne was his second son, crowned as Henry VIII (the first son died in 1502). One of the more notable events to happen during Henry VIII’s reign was the English Reformation. The English Reformation refers to a series of events in 16th century England, which led to its church breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church and the authority of the Pope. It all started with Queen Catherine’s (the first of six queens that Henry VIII eventually married) inability to bear an heir to the throne. Henry VIII was forgiving at first, however as he gradully fell out of love with Catherine and became interested in the sexy Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII wanted his marriage to Catherine annulled. However, Pope Leo X, then Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, refused to grant the annulment. Henry VIII, therefore, had to look to other ways to get around the problem.
Coincidentally, Henry VIII’s new love interest, Anne, was a Lutheran sympathiser and an avid reader of heretical books. She brought these books to the attention of the then stauch catholic King. One of the books, Tyndale’s Obedience of the Christian Man, provided Henry VIII with a new vision of Kingship. He now took to Tyndale’s argument that kings had rights as spiritual leaders. Henry VIII fought for and eventually won the Royal Supremacy (“legal sovereignty of the civil laws over the laws of the Church in England” – wikipedia) under the first Act of Supremacy 1534. He was now ‘the only supreme head on earth of the Church in England’. With the Act of Supremacy, the English Reformation which had been brewing since 1527, was finally made official. Thereafter, England became divided between conservatives who wanted a reconciliation with the Roman Catholic Church and the radical Protestants who wanted to complete the reformation of the church. Henry VIII, with his power, held the country together with his midway stance between the two extremes. However, this delicate peace would be shattered in the future, with the succession of Edward VI and subsequently Mary I.
Ok, here is the end of part 1. C & C welcome! Please correct me if I am wrong because I am still learning.