A table for two

In the last years I couldn’t help to notice an increasing demand and attention for quality food: bio products and organic fruits and vegetables. Which is a very good thing. Step by step we’re getting closer to what agriculture should be, to what it used to be for us, for our animals and for the lands.

At the same time I couldn’t help to notice an increasing tendency towards sickness. And even though medicine developed a lot, technologically speaking, giving the possibility of tracking down severe diseases in very early stages of evolution, and new drugs are to be found in hospitals and pharmacies, we get sicker and sicker as years go by.

Sure, the factors are numerous: air pollution, radiations, noise pollution, the city hastiness, the apparent lack of time that makes us constantly live in a hurry and so on… But we all want a better life and for that maybe the easiest thing to be changed is our way of feeding.

What we seem not to have noticed yet is that the way we eat and the attitude we have during our meals are just as important as food itself if not more important.

It matters if we are calm and comfortable when we sit down to eat, it matters if we eat consciously and by that be aware of how our meal really tastes, aware of whether we really like it not, aware of the effect it has on our body and aware of whether the kind of food we eat is a necessity for us or not. It matters if we are grateful for the generous gifts of the land or for the sacrifice of the animal who's meat we are consuming. 

If we don’t keep in mind these “minor details” as well, no matter how bio or organic our food is it will always be ineffective. 

It will always be alimentation instead of nourishment.   

Am remarcat in ultimii cativa ani, o tot mai mare cerere si atentie pentru alimente de calitate:  produse bio si fructe si legume organice. Ceea ce este un lucru foarte bun. Ne indreptam astfel incet, incet catre ceea ce ar trebui sa insemne agricultura, catre ceea ce a insemnat agricultura odata. Pentru noi, pentru animalele noastre, pentru pamant.

In acelasi timp, am mai remarcat si o tendinta crescuta catre a ne imbolnavi. Si chiar daca medicina a evoluat mult din punct de vedere tehnologic, oferind posibilitatea depistarii unor boli extrem de grave in stadii incipiente de evolutie, iar noi si noi medicamente pot fi gasite in spitale si farmacii, devenim tot mai bolnavi pe zi ce trece.  

Desigur, factorii sunt numerosi: aerul poluat, radiatii, poluarea fonica, graba neintrerupta a orasului, aparenta lipsa a timpului ce ne determina sa ne traim vietile mereu pe fuga s.a.m.d… Insa cu totii ne dorim o viata mai buna, iar in acest sens, poate cel mai usor lucru de facut este sa ne schimbam obiceiurile alimentare.

Ceea ce insa nu pare ca am fi remarcat inca, este faptul ca modul in care mancam si atitudinea ce-o avem in timpul mesei sunt la fel de importante ca mancarea insasi, daca nu chiar mai importante.

Conteaza daca ne simtim calmi si confortabili cand ne asezam la masa, conteaza daca mancam in mod constient, putand simti astfel adevaratul gust al mancarii, daca aceasta ne place cu adevarat sau nu, ce efect are ea asupra organismului nostru si daca alimentele pe care le mancam ne sunt necesare sau nu. Conteaza daca suntem recunoscatori pentru poamele generoase ale pamantului sau pentru sacrificiul animalului a carui carne o consumam. 

Daca nu vom avea  in vedere si aceste “mici detalii” , indiferent de cat de bio sau organica ne este mancarea, acesta va fi mereu ineficienta.  

Va fi mereu doar alimentatie, nu hranire.  

Yanni - Nightingale

Earth day. Every day.

The sweet smell of a great sorrow lies over the land

Plums and smoke rise and merge into the leaden sky

A man lies and dreams of green fields and rivers,

But awakes to a morning with no reason for waking.

He's haunted by the memory of a lost paradise

In his youth or a dream, he can't be precise

He's chained forever to a world that's departed

It's not enough, it's not enough.

His blood has frozen and curdled with fright

His knees have trembled and given way in the night

His hand has weakened at the moment of truth

His step has faltered.

One world, one soul

Time pass, river roll...

And he talks to the river of lost love and dedication

And silent replies a swirl invitation

Flow dark and troubled to an oily sea

A grim intimation of what is to be.

There's an unceasing wind that blows through this night

And there's dust in my eyes that blinds my sight

And the silence that speaks so much louder than words,

Of promises broken...

Oua incondeiate / Written eggs

Legat de practica religioasa a sarbatorilor de primavara, obiceiul si in acelasi timp arta incondeierii oualor este un fenomen stravechi pe teritoriul tarii noastre, fiind insa intalnit si la alte popoare din Europa de Est. Preluat de crestinism, dar cu un continut si o semnificatie diferite, incondeiatul oualor constituia pentru lumea antica un simbol al primaverii, al reinnoirii si reinvierii naturii.

Epoca de cand dateaza obiceiul de a inrosi oua este greu de stabilit. Oua rosii de piatra s-au gasit in morminte din vremuri foarte indepartate. Chinezii intrebuintau ouale rosii cu 2000 de ani inainte de Christos, iar obiceiul era o mostenire din timpuri si mai vechi.  Religiile tuturor popoarelor au introdus oul rosu in ceremoniile cultului lor. Egiptenii aveau un obicei special la echinoctiul de primavara, cand ofereau oua zeului creator. Persii aveau acelasi obicei la sarbatoarea Anului Nou, obicei despre care povesteste un calator chiar si pentru anul 1704, care spune ca de Anul Nou (20 Mai), persii se felicitau daruindu-si oua in diferite culori. Oul avea mare insemnatate si la romani, care faceau jertfe speciale cu oua colorate (cf. Ovidiu, Juvenal si Pliniu) la sarbatorirea echinoctiului de primavara.

Incondeierea oualor s-a executat acasa, intotdeauna de catre femei, ornamentica oualor fiind extrem de variata, de la motive geometrice, la motive ce reprezinta omul, universul si natura inconjuratoare. Cel mai frecvent intalnit este cel solar, reprezentat printr-o serie de motive concentrice, cu numeroase raze. Insa inepuizabila imaginatie creatoare a marilor maestri in acesta arta creeaza o adevarata betie de motive, izvorate din gandurile lor, din viata sau natura precum: bradul, vita de vie, spicul, frunza stejarului, dar si stilizari zoomorfe – pestele, paianjenul, radasca, albina – ori reprezentand uneltele de munca – sapa, grebla, fierul plugului. Dintre motivele religioase, cel mai frecvent intalnit este cel al crucii.   

De asemenea, in vechime, culorile folosite la vopsirea ulterioara a oualor erau obtinute din surse naturale: coji de ceapa rosie si pudra de sfecla pentru rosu, coji de ceapa sau coaja de mar salbatic pentru galben, cucuta pentru verde, coaja de arin pentru negru.

Tehnica incondeierii se realizeaza cu ceara de albine topita, pe ouale intregi spalate (sau pe oua golite de continut), cu ajutorul unui instrument numit chişiţã - un bat de lemn ce are atasata cu sarma la unul dintre capete, o mica palnie din alama. Dupa “scrierea ”oualor, acestea se vopsesc. In final, ceara se inlatura de pe oua prin stergere cu o carpa infierbantata ori prin apropierea acestora de o sursa de caldura, apoi se ung cu grasime pentru a le da stralucire.  

bibliografie:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/77386809/ORNAMENTICA-OU%C4%82LOR-INCONDEIATE-DIN-JUDE%C8%9AUL-OLT

***

Part of the spring celebrations religious practices, the custom of written eggs is an ancient phenomenon within our country, but it is also known in other countries from Eastern Europe. Adopted by the Christianity, but with different content and significance, the custom of written eggs was a symbol of springtime, of nature’s renewal and rebirth for the entire ancient world.

It’s difficult to say when the habit of dying eggs with red colour appeared first. Red stone eggs had been found buried in very old tombs. The Chinese utilized red eggs 2000 years before Christ and the custom was a legacy from even older times. All religions introduced the egg into their cult’s ceremonies. The Egyptians had a special tradition during the spring equinox when they offered eggs to their god-creator.  The Persians had the same tradition when celebrating New Year (the 20th of May) - tradition registered even in 1704 according to one traveller’s testimony – the time when they congratulated each other and shared gifts of coloured eggs. The egg was very important for Romans as well, who used to bring special offerings with coloured eggs when celebrating spring equinox, according to poets Ovidiu, Juvenal and Pliniu.

The “writing” of the eggs is a home activity, done almost exclusively by women, using a large variety of ornaments from geometrical motifs to others representing man, the Universe and the surrounding nature. The most common motif is the solar one represented by a series of concentric drawings with a large number of rays. But the fertile, endless imagination of the greatest artisans of this tradition had created a true exhilaration of motifs sprung from their thoughts, their daily life and nature such as: the fir, the vine, the oak leaf, the wheat ear, as well as abstract zoological motifs – the fish, the bee, the spider – or representing the daily tools – the hoe, the rake, the plough. Among religious motifs, the cross is the most frequent.

Furthermore, in ancient times the colouring of the eggs was done with natural, plant-obtained colours: red onion layers and beetroot powder for red, yellow onion layers or wild apple bark for yellow, hemlock for green and alder bark for black.

The technique of egg writing is done with melted pure bee wax on whole, washed eggs (or egg shells), using an instrument called chisita – a wooden stick with an attached small cone made of copper at one end. After the writing, the eggs are being coloured. In the end, the bee wax is removed by wiping using a heated piece of cloth, than the eggs are oiled with natural grease for shining. 

bibliography (only in Romanian): http://www.scribd.com/doc/77386809/ORNAMENTICA-OU%C4%82LOR-INCONDEIATE-DIN-JUDE%C8%9AUL-OLT

and a pattern inspired by my constant obsession - Cucuteni Culture... 

Ei bine, anul asta am primit in dar o chisita, dar si “virusul” incondeiatului. Impreuna e mai frumos si mai cu spor, dar si de unul singur e bine. Eu am folosit oua goale, ce pot fi agatate cu panglici in casa ori afara, in gradina, pentru belsug si prosperitate.
Iti multumesc, Szusszanás, pentru asa o mare bucurie! Postarea asta iti este dedicata! 

*** 

Well, this year I received a chisita as a gift, along with the “virus” of egg writing. It’s better to do it together, but it’s also fun to do it on your own. I used egg shells, which can be hung with ribbons as ornaments inside the house or outside, in the garden, for abundance and prosperity.
Thank you, Szusszanás, for such a great joy! This post is dedicated to you!

Drumuri catre acasa...

Construit in urma cu mai bine de 1800 de ani si aflat la peste 3000 de kilometri distanta, pe granita de piatra ce despartea odinioara Scotia de Britania, fortul Banna (sau Birdoswald, in prezent) poarta inca amprenta vie a sufletului… romanesc. Ridicat de mainile celor 1000 de soldati daci din Cohorta I Aelia Dacorum Militaria, reconstruit si ranforsat de cateva ori de-a lungul timpului, transformat in ferma si locuit pana in 1984 de catre urmasii celor ce-au stapanit pamanturile aride ale acestor locuri, Banna este cel mai bine pastrat fort din cele 16 construite, ca parte a sistemului defensiv frontalier Zidul lui Hadrian.

Cum au ajuns insa dacii atat de departe de tara? Si ce i-ar fi putut determina sa-si lase in urma pamanturile mult-iubite, pentru acest capat de lume, aspru si prea putin prietenos? Motivul din pacate, a fost o obligatie, nicidecum o alegere. Obligatia de a furniza imperiului roman trupe auxiliare, ca urmare a infrangerii suferite in urma celor doua campanii ale imparatului Traian – 101-102 e.n si 105-106 e.n – si a transformarii a 14% din teritoriul Daciei in provincie romana. In consecinta, o cohorta a fost formata si trimisa in Britania, cel mai probabil la scurta vreme de la cucerire. Stationata la Bewcastle pe timpul domniei lui Hadrian, aceasta a construit Valul de intarire a Zidului, iar la inceputul secolului al III-lea, unitatea s-a mutat la Birdoswald, pentru 200 de ani.

***

Built more than 1800 years ago and 3000 kilometres away, based on the stone border that once separated Scotland from Britain, Banna Fort (or Birdoswald, in present day) still carries the intense mark of the… Romanian soul. Built by the hands of 1000 Dacian soldiers, known as Cohors I Aelia Dacorum Militaria (the first cohort of Dacians, Hadrian’s Own, 1.000 strong), rebuilt and reinforced through time, turned into farm and inhabited until 1984 by the descendants of those possessing the thirsty lands of this area, Banna is the best preserved fort out of 16 forts built as part of Hadrian’s Wall frontier system.

But how did Dacians get so far away from their country? What possibly could have made them leave their beloved lands for this remote corner of the world, harsh and unfriendly? The reason, unfortunately, was duty rather than free choice. The duty to give the Roman Empire auxiliary troops, as a consequence of the defeat suffered after  the two campaigns of Emperor Trajan – 101-102 AD and 105-106 AD – and of transforming 14% of Dacia’s territory into Roman province. Reductively, one cohort was formed and sent to Britain, most probably shortly after the conquest. Stationed at Bewcastle under Hadrian, it built the Vallum (earthworks) of Hadrian’s Wall, and in the early third century, the unit moved to Birdoswald, where it was based for 200 years. 

Aici a reusit sa intemeieze o asezare unica intre toate celelalte forturi romane, ale carei constructii continua sa uimeasca si-n prezent prin ingeniozitatea si firescul lor, chintesenta a mileniilor de viata, cultura si creatie ale poporului dac si ale inaintasilor acestora. De pilda, hambarele construite din piatra aveau podele inaltate, cu gauri de ventilatie, astfel incat granele sa se mentina permanent uscate si aerisite. Totodata, aceasta combinatie dintre zidurile groase de piatra si sistemul de ventilatie constituia mediul ideal - uscat si racoros - pentru depozitarea alimentelor perisabile.  

Dar poate cea mai neobisnuita constructie din interiorul fortului o reprezinta basilica exercitatoria, o biserica destinata exercitiilor militare, unica in tot imperiul roman, in care dacii, adevarati soldati ai lui Zalmoxe increzatori in nemurirea sufletului, se pregateau intru onoarea si bucuria unei morti in lupta. In prezent, mai bine de jumatate din ruinele sale sunt ingropate sub ferma muzeu, doar coltul de sud-vest mai putand fi vazut, chiar in fata turnului fermei. 

***

Here the unit established a unique settlement amongst the other Roman forts, a settlement whose buildings continue to amaze through their inventiveness and artlessness, a true quintessence of Dacian people’s culture and creation, inherited and developed over millennia. For instance, they built stone granaries with raised floors and slots in the walls so that cool air could circulate to keep the grain fresh. At the same time, this combination between the thick stone walls and the ventilation system, offered the ideal environment – cool and dry – for the storage of perishable goods.

       

But maybe the most unusual development within the fort is represented by the basilica exercitatoria, a temple for military exercises, unseen in any other part of the whole Empire, in which the Dacians, true soldiers of Zalmoxis, believing in the immortality of the soul, trained into the honour and joy of a death on the battle field. Now, about half of it lies under the farmhouse and only the south-west corner can be seen in front of the farmhouse tower.

In timp, multe inscriptii purtand marca si numele cohortei I Aelia Dacorum au fost descoperite la Birdoswald, insa din nefericire, nici una nu este expusa in perimetrul fortului ori in vreun muzeu din Marea Britanie. Una dintre ele, flancata de o frunza palmata si de mult-temutul falx – sabia curbata a dacilor -, dedicata tribunului dac Menander, este prezenta doar sub forma unei fotografii in incinta muzeului.

***

Many other inscriptions bearing the badge and the name of cohort I Aelia Dacorum had been discovered at Birdoswald in time, but unfortunately none of them is being exhibited within the fort’s perimeter or in any other museum in the United Kingdom. One of them, flanked by a palm frond and the much-feared falx (the Dacian curved sword), dedicated to the Dacian tribune Menander, is presented only as a picture inside the museum.  

O alta inscriptie, atestand denumirea romana a fortului – Banna, se afla expusa in holul muzeului si reprezinta un altar dedicat zeului geto-dac al padurilor (mai tarziu si al romanilor), Silvanus, de catre “Venatores Bannienses” .

***

 Another inscription, showing the fort’s Roman name – Banna, is displayed in the museum’s hallway, representing an altar dedicated to the Dacian god of forests (as well as Roman, later on), Silvanus, by the “Venatores Banniens”, the hunters of Banna.

De restul, nu se mai stie nimic. Depozitate cine stie unde, intentionat sau nu, condamna la tacere si uitare prin “pierderea” dovezilor arheologice, o civilizatie de teama careia, imparatul Traian si-a aruncat in lupta toate fortele pentru a o cuceri. Cand a pornit razboiul, pana si trupele din cele mai indepartate colturi ale imperiului au fost chemate la lupta…

***

The rest of them… no one knows. Dumped into who knows which museum’s basement, deliberate or not, doom to silence and oblivion by “losing” the archaeological evidence, a civilization so feared by the Emperor Trajan, that he unleashed almost all of his military forces to conquer Dacia. When he started the war, he even called the troops from the farthest corners of the empire…  

the view, pretty much unchanged since Roman occupation...

Legati prin juramant sa apere Britania si Roma pentru 200 de ani, aproape 2000 de ani mai tarziu, dacii de la Banna inca traiesc. Continua sa fie un model pentru cei de acasa si de pretutindeni, traind dincolo de moarte la fel cum si-au trait si viata: simplu si autentic, curajos si discret, cu bucurie, onoare si credinta.

Departe de templul impadurit al Carpatilor, departe de toate cele dragi si sfinte, au hranit cu oasele lor pamanturile ce i-au primit, lasand in urma un strop dintr-o uriasa mostenire de stiinta si filosofie de viata, alaturi de numele marelui rege Decebal, taiat in piatra funerara  a unui copil nascut si mort aici, la Banna, si numit dupa neinfricatul erou si conducator al Daciei libere.

O mostenire care ne obliga si pentru care nu stiu cat de vrednici mai suntem noi, nepotii lor de astazi…   

***

Sworn by an oath to protect Britain and Rome for 200 years, almost 2000 years later, the Dacians of Banna still live. They persist to be a role model for those back home and all around, living beyond death just as they had lived their lives: simple and authentic, brave and discreet, with joy, honour and faith.

Far away from the rich wooded temple of Carpathians, far away from everything they held dear and sacred, the Dacians of Banna fed with their bones the lands that welcomed them, leaving behind a small part from a great legacy of knowledge and life philosophy, along with the name of the great king Decebal, carved on the funeral stone of a child born and died here, at Banna, called Deceballus after the fearless hero and last leader of free Dacia.

A legacy which commits us and for which I truly don’t know how worthy we, their nephews, still are…

   

Mai multe detalii despre aceste locuri incarcate de istorie puteti citi, intr-o frumoasa si emotionanta marturie, aici: http://www.formula-as.ro/2008/842/societate-37/dacii-de-la-capatul-lumii-10366