summer haiku d’été – our fair teal sky = le ciel bleu vert

summer haiku d'été – our fair teal sky = le ciel bleu vert

around the ruins of Knossos/ autour des ruines de Knossos





our fair teal sky
the open sea our lush hills –
how the dolphins leap!

auprès des ruines de Knossos

ce ciel bleu vert
la haute mer nos champs verdoyants
que les dauphins sautent !

Richard Vallance

© by Richard Vallance 2020

fresco of the dolphins = fresque des dauphins, Knossos 
  

Origin of the saffron crocus traced back to Greece

Origin of the saffron crocus traced back to Greece: 



Since ancient times, saffron has been giving dishes a golden-yellow hue and an aromatic flavour. The use of the stigmas of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) is depicted in frescos from Crete and Santorini, which are as old as 3600 years. Nowadays, the valuable plant is mainly cultivated in Iran accounting for more than 90% of the saffron production.

For the remainder of this informative article, click on the logo image above.

Saffron:



Map of Ancient Greece illustrating the distribution of saffron:

Translation of Linear B Tablets KN 515 R r 11 & KN 516 Rs 12 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Linear B Tablets KN 515 R r 11 & KN 516 Rs 12 by Rita Roberts:

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 558 R I 61 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 558 R I 61 by Rita Roberts:

Translation of Knossos tablet KN LD (1) 573 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Knossos tablet KN LD (1) 573 by Rita Roberts:



This tablet presents several difficulties. While a literal translation is adequate, we must use our imagination to render a fluent translation. For instance, in line 1.we translate “delivered free” as “tariff free”, since in line 2. the cloth is “foreign”, i.e. “imported”, as well as being “decorated”  or more accurately “embroidered”. In addition in 3. the supersyllabogram WI can mean either simply “leather” or “made of leather”, implying that there is a piece made of leather to go with the imported embroidered cloth. So as we can see, this is far from being a straightforward translation. It is in fact one of the most difficult tablets Rita Roberts has ever had to translate. 

Translation of Linear B tablet, KN 581a R ? 03, Knossos, by Rita Roberts

Translation of Linear B tablet, KN 581a R ? 03, Knossos, by Rita Roberts:

Translation of Linear B tablet, KN 586 Rm 11, Knossos, by Rita Roberts

Translation of Linear B tablet, KN 586 Rm 11, Knossos,  by Rita Roberts:



This is far from being a straightforward tablet to decipher. It presents at least 3 difficulties:

1. the presence of the relatively rare logogram RIYO (see the tablet above) in the putative personal name ARIYOA.
2. the presence of digamma (#) twice in the name on line 2, which could be either the putative personal name, KOWOWEYA or RUWOWEYA, depending on how one is able to decipher the first left-truncated syllabogram on that line, which could be either KO or RU.
3. the presence of  what appears to be the rare syllabogram JU at the end of the second line, but we cannot even be sure of that.

The tablet is damaged enough to raise the questions in 2. and 3. above.

tragic summer haiku d’été – Thera erupts = Théra éclate

tragic summer haiku d’été – Thera erupts = Théra éclate

Thera erupts 
so very far away –
Knossos walloped



Théra éclate,
tellement lointaine –
Knossos détruit

Richard Vallance

In 1370 B.C., the volcano at Thera erupted in a massive explosion, and even though it was far away from Knossos, it set off an earthquake which utterly destroyed the city.

En 1370 av. J.-C., le volcan à Théra a éclaté dans une explosion massive. En dépit de la grande distance entre Théra et Knossos, le volcan a déclenché un tremblement de terre qui a entièrement détruit la ville.

Rita Roberts, translation of Knossos Linear B tablet, KN 556 R o 01

Rita Roberts, translation of Knossos Linear B tablet, KN 556 R o 01:

Rita Roberts, translation of Knossos Linear B tablet, KN 555 R o 05

Rita Roberts, translation of Knossos Linear B tablet, KN 555 R o 05:

Translation of Knossos Linear B tablet KN 554 R o 06 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Knossos Linear B tablet KN 554 R o 06 by Rita Roberts:

Translation of Knossos Linear B tablet KN 552 R o 03 by Rita Roberts

Translation of  Knossos Linear B tablet KN 552 R o 03 by Rita Roberts:

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 525 R l 24 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 525 R l  24 by Rita Roberts




It is to be noted that the supersyllabogram TE, which appears in the text tagged 2. refers to the Linear B word TETUKUOWA = tetu/xu #oa, which literally translated means “well prepared” or “ready”, in other words “finished”  cloth or textile, in this case “finished wool”.

summer haiku d’été – the blue bird fresco = fresque de l’oiseau bleu

summer haiku d’été – the blue bird fresco = fresque de l’oiseau bleu

the blue bird fresco
with wild roses and irises
springs to life



les roses et iris
sur la fresque de l’oiseau bleu
renaissent encore

Richard Vallance

The blue bird fresco is to be seen in Knossos.
La fresque de l’oiseau bleu se trouve à Knossos.

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Summer haiku - Knossos by the sea = Knossos au bord de la mer in Linear B, ancient Greek, English and French



Konoso
para tarasa
anemoiereya 

Knwsso/j
para_ qa&ssash]
a21nemou i'e/ria

Knossos 
by the sea
Priestess of the winds

Knossos
au bord de la mer
prêtresse des vents

Richard Vallance

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 560 R l 12 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 560 R l 12 by Rita Roberts:

Translation of Knossos tablet KN 529 R x 11 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Knossos tablet KN 529 R x 11 by Rita Roberts:

translation of Knossos tablet fragments KN 775 M g 03 & KN 776b M f 01 by Rita Roberts

translation of Knossos tablet fragments KN 775 M g 03 & KN 776b M f 01 by Rita Roberts:

 

 

Translation of Knossos tablet KN 712 M p 01 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Knossos tablet KN 712 M p 01 by Rita Roberts:

 

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 708a M h 02 by Rita Roberts

Translation of Linear B tablet KN 708a M h 02 by Rita Roberts: