spring haiku – HRH Argentée = SAR Argentée

spring haiku – HRH Argentée = SAR Argentée

HRH Argentée
on her forest path  –
queen of trilliums




SAR Argentée
sur son sentier forestier  –
la reine des trilles

Richard Vallance

HRH Argentée, my gorgeous Maine Coon mix, died on March 14 2019, just one month short of her 16th. birthday. She walked on a leash all over Ottawa and the Gatineaux Hills some 1,200 times in her life. Her ashes box is inscribed, Libre Esprit (Free Spirit). I miss her terribly!

SAR Argentée, ma Maine Coon mixte super belle, est morte le 14 mars 2019, seulement un mois avant son 16ìeme anniversaire. Elle marchait au moins 1.200 fois à la laisse pendant se vie à Ottawa et parmi les Collines du Gatineax. Sa boîte funéraire est inscrite, Libre Esprit. Elle me manque tellement. 

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By Many Roundelays, a sonnet

By Many Roundelays, a sonnet



for Ludwig van Beethoven, and his Symphony no. 6
in F major, “La Pastorale”, III, Allegro, “Sturm” 

Our Earth, from space, goes spinning, Queen of Spheres,
composing clouds in rounds of roundelays,
so thrilling them they rain allegro tears
all over greening fields by stormed-in bays.
As stallions madly wing on lightning hooves,
they beat the Seven Seas, and break the calm.
They race to hem the hale moon in, that moves
their fears to tear us from our smug aplomb.
Our prayers are vain! They’ll never acquiesce
in any urge to quell our fears of gales,
our foibles sins to them, the stallionesque!
For who can take to heart their stunning tales?
   If they run mad, though I may be God’s fool,
   would poets foam for them where full moons rule?


Richard Vallance, © 2013

Linear A haiku, violets parallel to violets for Kaniami, from her father, in Linear A, archaic Greek, English and French

Linear A haiku, violets parallel to violets for Kaniami, from her father, in Linear A, archaic Greek, English and French:

As can clearly be seen from the original inscription on this exquisitely crafted golden pin from the A.Y. Nikolaos Museum, Crete, the text of the haiku closely follows the original:

 

Exquisite golden pin Zf 1 (Ayios Nikolaos Museum) fully deciphered in New Minoan

Exquisite golden pin Zf 1 (Ayios Nikolaos Museum) fully deciphered in New Minoan: 





This inscription, which appears to be entirely in Mycenaean derived New Minoan, is one of the loveliest I have ever come across, whether in Minoan or Mycenaean. There are similar inscriptions on Linear B tablets from Phaistos. The text waxes almost poetic and is quintessentially suited to the magnificent craftsmanship of this exquisite golden pin. The text in its entirety is utterly coherent, and is probably spot on. The syntax of the Greek had to be adjusted to meet the grammatical exigencies of the Minoan language. This explains the anomaly of qakisenuti, which is probably Minoan instrumental, hence “with (fine) craftsmanship”. And the craftsmanship is certainly that!

This decipherment lends greater credence than I had previously imagined to the distinct probability that at least a few Minoan inscriptions were in fact written entirely in Mycenaean derived proto-Greek with the syntax adjusted to the requirements of the Minoan language. I have already fully addressed this phenomenon in a previous post, which I urge you to reread, in order to place this decipherment in its proper perspective. You can read that post here:

Partial decipherment of Partial decipherment of Linear A tablet ZA 15 (Zakros) and the phenomenon of orthographic adjustment of superstratum words in the substratum language:

https://linearbknossosmycenae.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/partial-decipherment-of-linear-a-tablet-za-15-zakros-and-the-phenomenon-of-orthographic-adjustment-of-superstratum-words-in-the-substratum-language/

I am therefore finally convinced that decipherment of Mycenaean derived New Minoan is an eminently attainable goal.

Minoan Costume History synopsis: a wonderful site!

Minoan Costume History synopsis: a wonderful site!



You simply have to check this site out! I have never seen such an in-depth study on Minoan costume, female and male alike, on the Internet. Here is just a small excerpt:

An era of great development, contemporaneous with the civilization of ancient Egypt and Phoenicia, and which may be dated about 2000-1500 B.C., had preceded the civilization that came from Asia Minor into Crete and Greece. Such fragments of Cretan culture as have come down to us reveal a beauty of technique and a delicate sense of form to which no contemporaneous civilization provides any parallel. (italics mine). It is certainly true that the Minoans were far more style-conscious than people of any other contemporaneous civilization, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Hittites. No question about it.

Owing to the lack of written records, the processes and methods of manufacture are still wrapped in obscurity, but although we are thus reduced to surmise regarding the materials used, the dress of that time is of the highest interest in view of its connexion with the costumes of other peoples. Our attention is especially attracted by the dress worn by the women. The slim, wiry figures of the men are clothed almost universally with a loincloth, richly patterned and splendidly decorated. Here and there we see wide cloaks that clothe the whole body, giving it a large appearance. Women also, it would seem, wore the short loincloth, but we find them wearing in addition skirts put together in an almost fantastic manner that betrays a highly developed knowledge of the technique of dressmaking. These skirts are constructed in tiers, separated by strips of rich ornamentation. 

Illustrations from this site (there are many more, just as striking as these!)

Comprehensive Architectural Lexicon, Knossos & Mycenae (Part B)

Comprehensive Architectural Lexicon, Knossos & Mycenae (Part B):



Part B of our architectural lexicon in Linear B presents only a few little problems. First of all, pokironuka = decorated with different studs, would appear to refer to studs which are jutting ornamentations on buildings, but I cannot be sure of this. Ponikiyo is almost always translated as palm tree, but I suspect it also means Phoenician, i.e. an architectural style. For the three * asterisked notes, see the lexicon above. Just one more point on samara. Samara is an actual ancient city. One Linear B lexicon defines it as points, but I have not the faintest idea what that is supposed to mean. The alternative meaning is monuments, which is completely acceptable. But I have added the additional signification, burial mounds, because these appear in some numbers at Mycenae alone.