15 October 2017
Haw Par Villa – Unusual Singapore Theme Park
If You Have Never Wanted to Visit Northwestern China, You Will After You Watch This
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The Disappearance of Willie Bingham
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Fox and the Whale
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11 October 2017
The Deadly Dewdrops of the Drosera
This Way Up
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If You Have Never Wanted to Visit London, You Will After Watching This
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Watch the Big Bang but Don’t Know the Theory? Take a Look at This…
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7 October 2017
Tightrope Walking – The Great Mid-Air Gamble
Of course, that leaves the rest of us on the ground looking up, emotions a strange mix of awe and dread, as these brave souls traverse the distance from one point of safety to another. People have been doing this for thousands of years – in fact the term funambulism is Latin in its roots. However, it was never considered enough of a sport to be considered as an Olympic event – neither in the way back when or in modern times (which is something of a shame, don’t you think?).
There have also been periods in history when rope-walkers were actively discriminated against. In Post-Roman France they were forbidden to tightrope in the vicinity of churches. This doesn’t seem much of a loss until you realise that traveling fairgrounds always pitched up as near to the largest building in a town or village as possible and this was almost inevitably the local church. So, this was effectively a ban on the activity.
However, there were times in history when tightrope walkers received the acclaim that they deserved and often became famous. There were rope walkers at the coronations of many European monarchs including one at the investiture of Queen Isabeau of France in 1389. This particular rope walker went from the spires of the cathedral to the tallest house in the city. One can only imagine what was going through his mind as he traversed his dizzying route – what sort of bad omen would it have been, in the minds of the medieval onlookers, had he fallen?
Yet tightrope walkers persevered and there was even a tradition at the Venice Carnival for an acrobat to walk between Saint Mark’s bell tower and the Piazza. Yet it wasn’t long before they were once again associated with a criminal element and in the England of the 1700s they were looked upon with some suspicion (although it has to be said that most of those involved in the performing arts were considered immoral by the very choice of their profession).
Swings and roundabouts – by the 19th and 20th centuries the reputation of tightrope walkers was once again untainted and they were able to pursue fame in their own inimitable if breath-taking way. They would often appear in casinos, walking the rope high above the gamblers below – one can only wonder if there was any irony intended…
Entire families would emerge as tightrope stars, including the Wallandas (above) who continue to this very day – in to the seventh generation of tightrope walkers. Although this intergenerational gambling with the lives of an entire family might seem to be risk-taking taken to a ridiculous degree, the fact that they have persevered through seven generations says an awful lot about their natural or even innate skills. As you can see from these pictures, bravery can often be associated with a sense of fun and perhaps therein lies the secret of the tightrope walker. They really do keep the fun in funambulism!
First Image Credit
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5 October 2017
Radiation Therapy Explained for Kids
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1 October 2017
The Story of Martin Luther
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Africa’s Unique Volcano: Ol Doinyo Lengai
23 September 2017
Wind
If you live in a windy place you might find yourself nodding in agreement at the sight of the daily lives of these people living in possibly the windiest place on the planet! They might seem helplessly exposed to the weather. However, the inhabitants have learned to deal with their difficult living conditions. The wind creates a natural system for living. Wind was directed by Robert Löbel.
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7 Things You May Not Know About Egypt
Egypt is a country which is considered to have one of the longest histories in the world. Today, with its over 92 million residents, Egypt is the 15th most populated country on Earth. So, aside from pharaohs, pyramids and the Sahara Desert, what other interesting facts are there to know about Egypt?
"Tarot Reading Night!" (CC BY 2.0) by Kelly Hunter
It’s believed that ancient Egyptian women had more privileges and rights than any other women in the ancient world. While men in ancient times were most certainly the dominant sex in many other countries, Egyptian women were allowed to own a business, own property and even divorce their husbands. Egyptian women that were born into wealthy families had the opportunity to become priestesses or doctors in the time of Cleopatra and the Pharaohs.
Tarot cards are believed to have originated from Egypt. Now also a popular subject in the Western world, tarot readings are carried out to give a person guidance, foresight and clarification. The theory is that the tarot cards are thought to be hieroglyphical keys to life and the book of Tarot was believed to have survived the great fire that burned down the libraries in ancient Egypt.
The ancient Egyptians were the first country to have 365 days per year that were divided by 12 months and they also developed clocks. They had three different calendars – a farming calendar that had four months and three seasons, a lunar calendar that helped priests to know when to carry out ceremonies for the moon god Khonsu, and lastly, the astronomical calendar that helped them to observe the star Sirius which appeared at the beginning of the flood season.
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It’s believed that ancient Egyptian women had more privileges and rights than any other women in the ancient world. While men in ancient times were most certainly the dominant sex in many other countries, Egyptian women were allowed to own a business, own property and even divorce their husbands. Egyptian women that were born into wealthy families had the opportunity to become priestesses or doctors in the time of Cleopatra and the Pharaohs.
Tarot cards are believed to have originated from Egypt. Now also a popular subject in the Western world, tarot readings are carried out to give a person guidance, foresight and clarification. The theory is that the tarot cards are thought to be hieroglyphical keys to life and the book of Tarot was believed to have survived the great fire that burned down the libraries in ancient Egypt.
The ancient Egyptians were the first country to have 365 days per year that were divided by 12 months and they also developed clocks. They had three different calendars – a farming calendar that had four months and three seasons, a lunar calendar that helped priests to know when to carry out ceremonies for the moon god Khonsu, and lastly, the astronomical calendar that helped them to observe the star Sirius which appeared at the beginning of the flood season.
"Pyramid" (CC BY 2.0) by friutbildning
Ancient Egyptians made the wig a fashion accessory, often indicating social status. History shows that both men and women would shave their heads and wear a wig to stay cool in the hot weather and to avoid lice. Richer people would wear wigs that were made from human hair, while the poorer men and women had wigs made from vegetable or wool fibres.
The Sahara is the largest desert in the world stretching over 3,630,000 square miles. It was once a grassland and fertile savannah, home to many animals and plants, but it began to dry out with climate change in 8000 B.C, changing it from lush green land to dry desert. The Sahara Desert is now a vast expanse of gravel plains, sand dunes, valleys and oases.
"Cat" (CC BY 2.0) by kevin dooley
The ancient Egyptians believed in many gods and had unique gods for many different things. Depending on what danger they were faced with or what challenges they had in life, with over 2,000 gods to worship, their life and beliefs were balanced and met.
Many ancient Egyptian families had cats which were thought of as a sacred animal. Egyptians believed that owning a cat as a pet brought families good luck. The Egyptians also worshipped a cat goddess known as Bastet which was believed to be half woman and half cat. Hurting or killing a cat was considered very serious, with severe punishment and penalties.
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10 September 2017
Take a Stroll in Paris with Two Top Ballet Dancers
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When Rock, Paper and Scissors Come to Life, Who Will Win?
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Ex Libris
The short film stars two very talented and versatile Welsh actors. If you are a regular reader of Kuriositas then you will probably recognize Robert Pugh (Thomas) from his roles in Game of Thrones, Doctor Who and Torchwood. Melanie Walters is perhaps best known for her role of Gwen West in the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey but has also appeared in numerous British TV series as well as the movie Submarine.
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