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The History of the Green Man
Who is the Green Man?
The Green Man is the representation of a face which is covered by leaves. These faces can take many forms but the most popular examples are to be found in sculptures and drawings. His leaves change colour depending upon the season he belongs to and from these leaves can sprout branches and/or other vegetation.
Roots of the Green Man
Trying to trace the origins of the Green Man is almost
impossible to do. There are no records to show where he emerged from
and so the original symbolism he held remains a mystery.
The earliest records we have of the Green Man start
somewhere around 100AD in the Roman Empire. By the year 500, the Green
Man was beginning to be used by the Christian church after the Bishop,
Nicetius, salvaged some Green Man ruins from a Roman temple to decorate
his cathedral.
| An example of a green man plaque.
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During the Reformation when the Roman religion of
multiple Gods worship was replaced with Christianity throughout the
Roman Empire, the Green Man was not used. However, with time he made a
reappearance and can now been seen on many churches and cathedrals
where he is used for decoration.
In fact, nobody actually knows what the original name was for the Green Man. It was the scholar, Lady Raglan, who coined the term whilst writing an article on him. She struck on the name after likening the Green Man to other cultural figures and believed the Green Man deserved cultural status too!
The Green Man in Culture
Different cultures view the Green Man in wildly different ways. Whilst Pagan culture considers the Green Man a symbol of life, death and rebirth other faiths have not been so kind to him. For example, in Medieval Christian churches the Green Man takes on an autumnal appearance suggesting a nearness of death. He was considered a demon which represented the 'fall' of nature. Over time, the Christian churches began to adopt the Green Man as a symbol of life, death and rebirth also.
The Green Man today has a different meaning for most where he represents the cycle of nature. He is used to decorate many pubs and houses and, in fact, 'The Green Man' is one of the most popular pub names within the UK.
Gary Mullen from The Green Man.
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Origins and History of Singing Bowls
Where it all started
| Although no one can be sure as to when the singing bowl
first came into use there is evidence to suggest that they did not
originate, as many would assume, in Tibet. Countries on the Asian
continent were using metal bowls to produce sounds as far back as
1100BC. Over the years that followed the study of sound and vibration
had grown so advanced that by 500BC China was producing 'fountain
bowls'. These bronze bowls had two handles and
could be filled with water. When the two handles were rubbed together a
fountain of water would rise up and the bowl would produce a humming
sound. | An example of a hand-beaten singing bowl
|
The
knowledge of singing bowl production would have spread throughout Asia
along established trade routes. Many believe that the Buddha, Padmasambhava,
crossed the Himalaya mountains from India into Tibet. He bought the
teachings of the Buddha into the country and also the knowledge of
singing bowls. Contrary to popular belief, singing bowls were not used
during any religious practices but were used instead as begging bowls
and for food. During this period monasteries only used the singing bowl
as a chalice.
Why were they produced?
If the singing bowl was not produced for religious practice then the obvious question is: what
were they used for? There are accounts of travelling smiths who would
make the bowls with materials gathered during their travels. Other
theories suggest it was the monks themselves that produced the bowls.
If so though, why were they used for eating and not meditation? What
was the reason for having the bowls 'sing'? The fact is no one can be
entirely sure who produced the earliest singing bowls as there is no
concrete evidence to support either theory.
 However, there are theories that the monks did
in fact use the bowls for religious purposes. But, rather than being used during mediation the bowls were used instead as sacrificial
dishes. The singing from the bowls was to reinforce them message that each sacrifice was being offered harmoniously. Therefore,
even though the bowls would never be rung they still had to be pure in
every respect. |
How were they made?
Ancient
singing bowls were traditionally made of
seven various metals, each one symbolising a different planet in the
solar system. The sound produced by the singing bowls would vary
depending upon how the different quantities of metals were mixed
together. The metals would be combined to form an alloy which would be
left to cool before being beaten into the familiar bowl shape. However,
each of these ancient bowls varies and can have more or less than the
seven traditionally used metals. This would support the theories that
it was the travelling
smiths who produced the bowls as, during their travels, not all the
metals
would have been available which explains why each bowl might be of a
different composition.
Today's singing bowls are either made by machine or are hand beaten into shape. Here is a selection from HandcraftedUK; Tibetan singing bowls.
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An Introduction to Various African Instruments
Introduction
Africa
is a vast continent with an immense history and numerous cultures. As
such, there are also a great number of different instruments throughout
the land. This article will introduce some of the most common ones and
their place in African culture. The Instruments
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Cabasa
(also known as axatse or shekere) - The cabasa is an African instrument
made from gourd and is covered with seeds or shells. It is played by
striking on the legs and hands in different combinations. Hitting the
top of the instrument produces a deep drum-like tone.
Because gourds are used to make the instruments, and they all differ in shape, no two cabasas ever produce the same sound.
The instrument is used in folkloric music, particularly by the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
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Agog? (also known as cowbell or gonkogui) - Like the cabasa, the agog? is an African instrument that has it's roots in Yoruba music. The two bells on the agog? differ in size; the smaller bell produces a high tone whilst the larger bell produces a low tone.
The agog? is considered to be among the oldest
samba instruments and is used in many Yoruba religious ceremonies.
Through African slavery, the instrument was introduced into other
countries and used in new religions established outside the African
continent.
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Djembe
- The djembe is an African instrument that emerged in the Mali Empire
during the 12th Century. The drums vary in size but all have a skin
covering which, when beaten with the hands in various rhythms, produces
a wide range of tones.
Many djembe drums are made from a single carved piece of wood and covered with a toughened goat skin.
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Juju
- The juju is an African instrument made from dried palm nut shells and
wood. The instrument is played very similar to a maraca with the
shaking of one producing a percussive sound.
Like many African
instruments, the Juju is used during many Yoruba ceremonies. Today, it
is used very frequently in Nigerian music.
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Talking Drum
- The talking drum is a West African instrument which is shaped like an
hourglass. Both ends of the drum have a head which is beaten with a
stick. Tightening the strings of the drum can change the tone to such
an extent that some tribes use the differing tones as a means of
communication.
The Talking Drum originated in the ancient Ghana Empire over one thousand years ago.
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Thumb Piano
- There are hundreds of different thumb pianos on the African
continent. The Mbira (left) is one such instrument. Constructed from
hardwood and metal, the instrument is played by supporting the piano
with one hand whilst using the thumb and index finger of the other hand
to pluck the keys.
Thumb pianos hold much religious and social
significance in Africa. The Shona people of Zimbabwe have been using
the Mbira for over 1500 years during their religious and social
ceremonies.
|
The
six instruments introduced above are just a few of the many that are
used throughout Africa. There are literally thousands of different
instruments used by hundreds of different tribes so obviously, we would
be unable to cover every one of them!
African Instruments from HandcraftedUK.
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The Origins and History of the Djembe
The Early History | The djembe is believed to date back as early as the 5th
century. Many believe that blacksmiths from the Mandinka and Susa
peoples were the ones who created the drums. Over time, the migration
of these blacksmiths throughout West Africa is believed to have been
the reason the djembe became more widespread across West Africa.
However, it was not until the emergence the Mandinka people of the Mail
Empire that recorded history of djembe began. In Mali, the drums are
considered an instrument that can be played to create an ambience
during important ceremonies. The drums are so named because they were
originally constructed with wood from the jem tree; trees found in Mali
that have a very dense wood. The wood is carved into an hourglass shape
before being skinned with goat hide. | 
A typical example of a djembe drum
|
In
fact djembe wasn?t even the original name given to the drums!
Originally called jembe's, it was the French colonists who modified the
spelling to djembe. The reasoning behind this is that, in the French
language the 'j' sound has a different pronunciation to the English.
So, in order to highlight the hard 'j' sound the ?d? was introduced to
the beginning of the word.
Many historians believe cryptic
messages were communicated between people using djembe?s. Because the
djembe can be played to produce a variable range of tones, these
variables can be used to construct a musical language. Through varying
the tones, 'hidden' messages could be passed between groups of people.
Outsiders were unaware of the code and this made the djembe an
invaluable tool to communication during periods of African oppression.
Recent History
It
took many years for the drums to be introduced to countries outside of
West Africa. They reached Paris in the 1940's, but became more popular
in the 50's and 60's with the world tour of Les ballets Africains; a
ballet company who use the stage to help their audience form an
understanding of African culture. Within the last twenty years numerous
drumming circles have incorporated djembe drums into their ensembles.
The
djembe is now widely available throughout the world. The instrument
that started life as a drum which cultural significance to many West
Africans has now been embraced by people from all walks of life.
Djembe from HandcraftedUK.
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