THE MUMMERS’ DANCE!

The lyrics of, “The Mummers’ Dance” by Canadian Celtic singer Loreena McKennitt celebrates the specific traditional springtime ritual of the Gaelic May Day Festival of Beltane, observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The “May Day” celebration was commonly held on April 30 through May 1, or midsummer between the spring and summer solstice. It was observed as an important fertility ritual for springtime in May when pagans danced around the maypole with ribbons. The ritual died-out by the mid-20th Century, although some of its customs are still observed by some European countries in present day.

The song was featured in the trailer for the 1998 film, “Ever After: A Cinderella Story,” starring Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott.

The Mummers’ Dance by Loreena McKennitt (Album: The Book of Secrets)

When in the springtime of the year

When the trees are crowned with leaves

When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew

Are dressed in ribbons fair

When owls call the breathless moon

In the blue veil of the night

The shadows of the trees appear

Amidst the lantern light

We’ve been rambling all the night

And some time of this day

Now returning back again

We bring a garland gay

Who will go down to those shady groves

And summon the shadows there

And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms

In the springtime of the year

The songs of birds seem to fill the wood

That when the fiddler plays

All their voices can be heard

Long past their woodland days

We’ve been rambling all the night

And some time of this day

Now returning back again

We bring a garland gay

And so they linked their hands and danced

Round in circles and in rows

And so the journey of the night descends

When all the shades are gone

A garland gay we bring you here

And at your door we stand

It is a sprout well budded out

The work of Our Lord’s hand

The Mummers’ Dance

We’ve been rambling all the night

And some time of this day

Now returning back again

We bring a garland gay

Mad Men’s Season 3, episode 2, entitled “Love Among the Ruins” featured a maypole scene. Don Draper becomes involved with his daughter (Sally’s) elementary school teacher, Suzanne Farrell, who he first saw leading her students in an outdoor maypole dance.

A CELESTIAL ORCHESTRA!

Before me there were none

and after me there shall be no more!

Sail into the dream of new worlds!

~ The Ancient Librarian

The eternal vox of Ireland’s Lisa Gerrard and composer Patrick Cassidy, merging as if every instrument in the ethers integrated into one enormous celestial storm of orchestral myth.  The composition, Sailing to Byzantium was inspired by the poet William Butler Yeats’ poem by the same title.

Yeats wrote the poem in 1926, at the age of around 60. It is definitive of the agony of lost youth, an abyss of pain and inevitability of old age, societal insignificance, and the spiritual and imaginative inner work necessary to remain vital.

Byzantium was an ancient Greek city that later become Constantinople. It was the center of European civilization and the source of its spiritual philosophy. Therefore, Yeats symbolized a metaphorical journey for the spiritual life by a man pursuing his visual quest of eternal life, and the conception of paradise by sailing to the Holy City of Byzantium. Byzantium is now Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey.

Astral Voyage ~ Art Image by Josephine Wall ~ http://www.josephinewall.co.uk

Sailing to Byzantium

That is no country for old men.  The young

In one another’s arms, birds in the trees

— Those dying generations—at their song,

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,

Fish, flesh, or fowl commend all summer long

Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.

Caught in that sensual music all neglect

Monuments of unaging intellect.

An aged man is but a paltry thing,

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing

For every tatter in its mortal dress,

Nor is there singing school but studying

Monuments of its own magnificence;

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come

To the holy city of Byzantium.

O sages standing in God’s holy fire

As in the gold mosaic of a wall,

Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,

And be the singing-masters of my soul.

Consume my heart away; sick with desire

And fastened to a dying animal

It knows not what it is; and gather me

Into the artifice of eternity.

Once out of nature I shall never take

My bodily form from any natural thing,

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make

Of hammered gold and gold enameling

To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;

Or set upon a golden bough to sing

To lords and ladies of Byzantium

Of what is past, or passing, or to come.

Sailing to Byzantium ~ Lisa Gerrard and Patrick Cassidy (Album: Immortal Memory)

 

ANGELS OF THE FALL!

Meditate and look into the cauldron of daydreams and become the fairytale traveler of your twilight fantasies.

Toss a coin into the fountain of dreams, to make a votive offering to the gods and goddesses, and “act as if,” it’s already done!

Listen to the rustling of autumn leaves, and allow your soul to resonate, and drift among the festival of harps.

Daydream about legends, castles and waves crashing against the misty Cliffs of Moher, celtic myths, and angels of the fall.

Live in gratitude everyday for the power of your wishes, and bounty!

I am divinely supported by the Universe in every area of my life — always!

I am grateful!

Bi Liom by Moya Brennan (Clannad)

HYPATIA: SCIENTIA!

The School of Athens (1510-1511) ~ Raphael

Hypatia was born around AD 340-370.  She was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher in 3rd Century Roman Egypt, and the daughter of mathematician Theon Alexandricus. She was the first historically noted female in mathematics, and was head of the Platonist School in Alexandria, Egypt. 

Hypatia was also associated with the Academy of Athens, and taught philosophy and astronomy to a diverse group of students, including pagans, Christians, and foreigners. She was the last Librarian of the Library of Alexandria in the Museum of Alexandria.

Hypatia was murdered by Christian radicals after being accused of inciting religious turmoil, witchcraft and godlessness.

The film Agora, starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, is a historical drama set in Roman Egypt. It is worth watching!

SAMUEL BARBER: A MELANCHOLIC COMPOSER

Samuel Osmond Barber II was born on March 9, 1910, in West Chester, Pennsylvania.  He became profoundly interested in music at an early age, and at ages 6 and 7, composed his first work, Sadness, a 23 measure solo piano piece in C minor.

Composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms were the inspiration for his music.

Adagio for Strings is among his most popular compositions, and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music.  It was one of President John F. Kennedy’s favorite pieces of music, and has been played during several funerals of the rich and famous, as well as films, and televisions shows.

Barber died of cancer in 1981, in New York City at the age of 70.  He was interred in Oaklands Cemetery in his hometown.

Barber ~ Adagio for Strings

 

BETTE DAVIS’ HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN

Ms. Davis earned a reputation for being difficult on the set.  However, she set a new precedent for women.  By 1942, she was the highest paid woman in America.

THE HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN

During World War II, and following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ms. Davis sold two million dollars in war bonds, and later made a considerable contribution to the war effort by lending her assistance to organize the Hollywood Canteen in 1942 to entertain troops passing through Los Angeles.  She also appeared in a film version of the Hollywood Canteen.

New York’s Stage Door Canteen was the inspiration for her vision to transform a once-abandoned nightclub into an inspiring entertainment facility.  In 1980, Ms. Davis was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the Defense Department’s highest civilian award, for running the Hollywood Canteen.  She later commented that the Hollywood Canteen was one of her accomplishments that caused her to beam with pride.

MARLENE DIETRICH: MILITARY SIREN!

Marlene Dietrich was born Marie Magdalena von Losch Dietrich on December 27, 1901, in Berlin, Germany.  She was a German-American actress and singer, whose career flourished in Hollywood under the guidance of the industry’s best directors.  Dietrich achieved 62 years of international fame as an immortal screen goddess in German and American films.

MARLENE AND THE BOYS!

During World War II, Dietrich became one of the first celebrities to raise war bonds.  She toured the United States from January 1942 to September 1943 (appearing before 250,000 troops on the Pacific Coast leg of her tour alone).  It is rumored that she sold more war bonds than any other star.

Dietrich enjoyed entertaining for USO soldiers during World War II, and was made an Honorary Colonel in the United States Army.  She was awarded several medals for her war efforts (the U.S. Medal of Freedom, the French Legion of Honor, and the Belgium Knight of the Order of Leopold) for entertaining Allied troops on the front lines in Algeria, Italy, Britain and France, and traveled to Germany to entertain Generals James M. Gavin and George S. Patton.

She was legendary for her love affairs with famous men and women, as well as soldiers.  Dietrich made 500 USO appearances during the European war.   In 1954, she began her cabaret performances appearing on stages worldwide. Her show business career ended on September 29, 1975, when she fell off the stage and broke her thigh.

Dietrich died of renal failure on May 6, 1992, at the age of 90 in Paris, France.  She was interred near her mother and childhood home in Berlin.

PEARL HARBOR: DORIE MILLER!

 

ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY

Miller was born on October 12, 1919 to Connery and Henrietta Miller.  He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on September 16, 1939, where he became a Mess Attendant, Third Class, one of the few ratings then open to African Americans.  After his training at the Naval Training Station in Norfolk, Virginia, he was assigned to the ammunition ship Pyro, but on January 2, 1940, he was transferred to the battleship West Virginia, where he became the main cook.

On December 7, 1941, Miller awoke at 0600.  After serving breakfast in the mess hall, he proceeded to start his daily duties of collecting laundry.  At 0757, the first of nine torpedoes was launched and hit the West Virginia.  Miller ran immediately to his battle station, an antiaircraft battery magazine amidship, and discovered the blast from the torpedo had destroyed it.

Miller was ordered by a commanding officer to assist him in loading the unmanned #1 and #2, Browning .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine guns.  Although, Miller was unfamiliar with the weapons, he learned quickly, and began firing the starboard gun until it ran out of ammunition.

He was noted for his bravery, and one of the first heroes of World War II, during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  He was the first African American honored with the third highest award, the Navy Cross.

On May 15, 1943, Miller was appointed as a Petty Officer, Ship’s Cook, Third Class, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, and on June 1st, he reported for duty on the escort carrier Liscome Bay.  After training in Hawaii, the Liscome Bay took part in the Battle of Makin Island, beginning November 20th.  On November 24th, the ship was struck in the stern by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine 1-175.

The ship sank within minutes after the aircraft bomb magazine detonated.  Only 272 crew members survived, out of over 900, but Miller was not among them.  He was presumed dead, and two years after his heroic actions at Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1943, Miller’s parents were informed that their son was Missing in Action.

UNITED STATES NAVY: THE SULLIVAN BROTHERS!

 

The Sullivans were an Irish Catholic, American family living in Waterloo, Iowa.  Thomas and Alleta Sullivan had six children named George Thomas, Francis Henry, Joseph Eugene, Madison Abel, Albert Leo, and Theresa.

The Sullivan brothers enlisted in the United States Navy on January 3, 1942, with the stipulation that they serve together.  The Navy enforced a strict policy of separating siblings.  However, in this case, the rule was not strictly enforced and the Navy Department granted official permission for the boys to serve together aboard the USS Juneau, a light cruiser.

On the early morning of November 13, 1942, while sailing across the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the USS Juneau was struck by a Japanese torpedo and forced to withdraw, and left the Solomon Islands with other surviving US warships from battle.  While leaving, the Juneau was struck for the second time by a Japanese submarine.  The Juneau exploded and quickly sank.

All five brothers were lost at sea, and their parents were notified by a lieutenant commander, a doctor and a chief petty officer on January 12, 1943.  The Sullivan brothers were national heroes, and President Roosevelt sent a letter of condolence, and Pope Pius XII sent a silver religious medal and rosary with his message of regret to Tom and Alleta Sullivan, parents of the five brothers.

On behalf of the war effort, Thomas and Alleta Sullivan appeared for speaking engagements at war plants and shipyards, and later Alleta participated in the launching of a Destroyer named after her sons, USS The Sullivans.

The Sullivans were not the only brothers to die on a ship.  The Borgstrom brothers perished within a few months of each other, two years later.  Therefore, as a result of the Sullivans’ death, the U.S. War Department adopted the Sole Survivor Policy, a set of U.S. military regulations designed to protect members of a family from the draft or combat duty if they have already lost family members in military service.

The 1944 biographical film, The Fighting Sullivans, starring Anne Baxter is worth watching!

VETERAN’S DAY!

 

SALUTE TO AMERICA’S VETERANS

In honor of our heroes, who have sacrificed and served throughout the past, present and future of our nation’s history to protect our freedom, as well as the freedom of others with valor and gallantry in action, throughout the day and twilight hours.

Thank you again for your service!