Rouen - And Early Slavery

Rouen, France, gate

Rouen apparently was a favored shipping point for slaves from the 8th to the 11th Centuries.  From Rouen, Irish and Flemish slaves were sent to the Arabian areas. 

Also, the Vikings - operating at that time on into the Norman era, perhaps in the same area of Rouen or more Normandy (Vikings as Northmen or Normans), took Irish and Scots slaves for sale as far as Constantinople, Spain, Russia, Scandinavia.

See this site, with its history of White Slavery in the British Aisles, the enslavement of Irish, Scots (names in early days often used interchangeably) and thte Alba and Picts, at ://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/white_slavery.htm.

Loire Valley - Amboise - The Da Vinci House, Clos Luce, and The Castle. Hats of the World.

I. The Castle at Amboise; St. Hubert's Chapel where Da Vinci is buried;

II. The Manor House, Clos Luce, home of Da Vinci, in the Town;
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III. The Da Vinci Hat and the Afghan Pakul:  Hats of the World

I.  The Castle; St. Hubert's Chapel

Sleep in a little place by the castle walls here, and wake to the brightest array of flags in your face as ever wakened any traveler.  Chateau d'Amboise, with its St. Hubert Chapel. See ://travel.webshots.com/photo/1543070216034271123WFtCsV

This is the place where Leonardo da Vinci is buried, at the chapel on the grounds inside, and his house is in the town. That is fitting because St. Hubert is the patron saint of many things, including mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers, see Hubertus at ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Hubert/

Leonardo -  he is among the greats and the unsung as history's unofficial children,born out of wedlock, see that bit of trivia at Bogomilia, Shadow Children. See the castle at ://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Western_Europe/France/france12.htm/ And there are the flags. We are still asleep beneath them.

Leonardo da Vinci, Amboise, France

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II.  Le Clos Luce, Manoir

Leonardo was invited here in 1516 apparently just for the pleasure of his company, by the King of France. Leonardo was given a pension and lived nearby at Clos Luce Manor House, see ://www.castles-france.net/vinci-clos-luce/ Find there a splendid little museum of recreated inventions -  all those yellowybrown sketches come to life.  Best in show:  the personal tank. See it at Da Vinci Biography at ://www.leonardo-da-vinci-biography.com/da-vinci-invention-tank.html

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III. The Leonardo Chapeau.  Fashion.  

Note the DaVinci Hat. 

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Look back at the sculpture from the castle grounds here.  If I could live trips over again, I would focus on Hats Through the Ages. Our heads largely flap out there uncovered except for the baseball bit, or the chapeau du jour in the catalogues for the sun-smitten. But we hardly would pose for a sculpture of ourselves wearing any hat. Or would we. Unless it is tied to our Persona, our Reason for Being, like a jockey.  

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The Leonardo hat fits flat on top of the head, like a narrower brimmed beret, and hat is highly unstable against the wind. It perches. It does not "fit." 

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So we see the little flap 2/3 the way around, not tight to crip the coffure or restrict or distract thought; but lightly draping, a courtesy perhaps, an apology, just coming to the top of the ear for added stability - I regret inconveniencing you like this Mr. DaVinci, Dr. DaVinci, says the little flap, but being here holds your cap on better. You won't mind in a little while. Just go about your business. 

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Is that a little stickyup ornament in front, like a jaunty starched ribbon? Or is that part of the tree behind.  Looks more like a pin decoration. See? I did not look closely enough. 

He is frowning. Displeased. Chin jutted and set. And he is set with a pension and a house?  Smile, man, smile!

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Hats of the World.  

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The Afghan Pakul.  World's most flexible, useful, comfortable hat. Fine for many weathers: the Afghan pakoul, most commonly worn by men. It has a splendid Renaissance look. Travel opens up the world. Follow the thoughts.

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Imagine Da Vinci's hat with a snug, deep, deep rimband that can be rolled to the satisfaction of the wearer about the forehead, then a flat crown supported by an under ring like a facing, that extends maybe 2-3" out from the band all the way around, to  be tilted, perhaps, shoved back on occasion, and all in comfortable, breathable wool. When the rim is rolled, it can extend out to the same diameter as the crown. The wool, like on the bias, stretches. The hat used to be sold in the J. Peterman's catalogue and we ordered one for a niece, so we have tried one on. Bring it back. We wish we could just enjoy clothing for clothing, apart from messages other people ascribe. The pakul brings with it many ways to individuate, find function for. Do an Images search.

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Women also can wear it, an embroidered version. Depending on the culture in the area. The pakol, or pakul, originated in Nuristan, an area of the Hindu Kush populated as early as 4200 BC by the Aryan peoples, term long predating Hitler, and then leading in a split to the Indo-Iranian, moving even into Hungary; and to Iran; then see the pre-Sanskrit languages group. Then eras of sequential displacements. Many, many languages there, not always intelligible one to the other. The conceit of thinking Western culture is "it." We are shabby respecters of peoples and their history. The area is of particular interest to scholars, researchers, students of history and humanity. 

All that is from an illustrated video lecture by Richard Strand on YouTube at ://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1143391428692281347/  We listened for the full lecture. Do. Live life over? Be an anthropologist, historian, respecter of peoples. See the pakul - worn by most everyone, apparently.

For the hat and other items, see the Afghan-Web shop at ://www.afghan-web.com/shop/ See it also at Zarina's, at ://www.zarinas.com/pakols.shtml/ Find also that burqas come in colors.

Then back to France. France as well as everywhere else is now home to people of all cultures. So this bit on Afghanistan is not totally out of place.

Normandy - Normans - Northmen - Norse - Vikings? What's In A Name

Rollo the Ganger

Hrolf Ganger

Time for recreational tracing hypothetical roots. Don't you love it. Names. Here we follow up the William the Conqueror post at France Road Ways, Caen, Bayeux Tapestry, and William the Conqueror. Looking at William, as the Norman who invaded England successfully; and who he was. Note that we also find that the English on the other side of the channel were likely Norse as well - over time, Harold itself being a Norse name and the Norse having settled in northern and eastern England.

Rollo here was a Norman leader in 911 AD, the Normans being the Northmen who stayed in France after a period of raiding and marauding all thge way up the Seine, into Paris, into Burgundy, etc. The King of the Franks, (tribes going by a variety of names themselves) gave the pests the area of Normandy if they would just quit it. Rollo had to become Christian, and so he did, and Rollo is his Christian name. He had been Hrolf, far more interesting.

In time, this Norse-derived group was governed by one of their own, who became known as the Duke of Normandy - a people apart. Read about them and their most famous Duke, William the Conqueror, at The Normans, at ://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDnormandy.htm/ Not nice as neighbors or conquerors, but those were the times? Or were the Normans fiercer than others.

Meanwhile, other Norse were settling in Northern England - where "Danelaw" and not Saxon law would prevail. There, even the word "thorpe" is Norse for "village." The Yorkshire dialect in early times was "pidgin Norse." See ://members.tripod.com/HistoricalNovelists/norman.htm / Harold or Harald, and Canute (Knut) are Norse.

Migrations of peoples - no boundaries. See also ://www.economicexpert.com/a/Normans.html

Our group seems to have ended in Ireland, where Red Scariff fathered many near St. Lazerian's in County Carlow, branches then all over east, west, down under. This string suggests the Norman connecton, perhaps not a direct Norse settlement. Now back to fixing dinner....
Hrolf Ganger, he is called at ://members.tripod.com/HistoricalNovelists/norman.htm

What's in a name: Try Otkell, son of Skarf, and that surname with its Norse derivations, and this site suggesting either

a) the name appearing in Ireland as part of Norse-Viking settlers; or

b) the name coming with the Normans-Norse to England, and from there, to Ireland through Strongbow. See

Are we Norman? See Finding New Roots, Surname.

Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. Sara la Kali, the Gypsies, Gitans, the Three Marys

Sara la Kali - Traditions of Faith

Patron Saint of the Roma, or Gypsies

Not the same Roman Catholic Saint Sarah

But another

We may head here, if the Euro and the Dollar balance out better.  Airfares are good.

We have a yen for southern France, Pyrenees, whatever.

Aim perhaps: the gypsy festival for Sara la Kali, by tradition, the handmaid who accompanied the Three Marys after the crucifixion, to France, see ://www.interfaithmarianpilgrimages.com/pages/les-saintes-maries-de-la-mer.htm/.  Sara la Kali is represented as black, dark-skinned, whether Egyptian, Ethiopian, or other origin - nonwhite.  In southern France, at Saintes Maries de la Mer, Roma (Gypsies) collect and offer tribute over several days at least, at  the end of May - to celebrate the landing of the Three Marys. Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacob, Mary Salome. Sara-la-Kali, or Sara the Black, with them.

See also ://www.worldeventsguide.com/event/418/Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer-France/Gypsy-Pilgrimage.html/

See what we may or may not know or think we know about the Sara la Kali tradition, and Mary Salome, from a portrait in Gdansk, Poland, and at these sites - Poland's Black Madonna; and Gdansk Church St. Mary the Black; Black Madonnas, Possible Roma Origin.

The Fleur de Lis - Symbol; Edwardian Hatpin

The Fleur de Lis

or "Flower of the Lily"
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There is a long history to this symbol, that we connect with the history of France. However, it originated with the Roman Empire, see ://www.anthemflag.com/itemdetail71.htm This one is a long Edwardian hatpin from our collection, see Hatpins Collection Tour, Fleur de Lis. Some believe it looks more like a lotus.

Stories:

1. An angel presented one to the medieval King Clovis, founder of the Merovingian dynasty, when he converted to Christianity, some say at his crowning as an annointing vial of oil. That led to the idea that French kings were annointed directly by God, no intermediary such as a pope required.  See history and flag at ://www.anthemflag.com/itemdetail71.htm

2. King Louis VI adopted it for his shield (or Louis VII?)

See ://www.fleurdelis.com/fleur.htm

3. English kings used it to demonstrate their claim to the French throne. George III finally removed it in 1801 when he gave up that claim. See ://www.anthemflag.com/itemdetail71.htm

4. Knights appropriated it without any bona fides, so heraldry controls were instituted.

5. We see it in Politics: Joan of Arc used it/ And in Religion: The Roman Catholic Church connects it to the Virgin Mary, that it was a gift blessing in an apparition, see://www.anthemflag.com/itemdetail71.htm; or to the Trinity (the three "arms"); and in War: Some US Army divisions incorporate it to show martial strength.

6. Coats of Arms - for Quebec since 1948, see http://www.anthemflag.com/itemdetail71.htm, many countries, noted families, the Boy Scouts, and a Navy Blue Angels flight pattern. Same site