Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian

Category Archives: ancient religion


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Jobs of Days Gone by #10 – the Sexton

THE SEXTON

A church caretaker

Sometimes dug graves for the dead

Often rang the bells


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Obscure words explained 102 – ban sidhe

BAN SIDHE (Banshee)

Old Irish, Fairy

Vengeful if one offends them

Clodhna their Queen


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Obscure words explained 91. – panacea

PANACEA

Universal cure

An answer for all problems

Not always the case


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Unusual USA place names 4. – Koo Chi Ching

KOO CHI CHING, Koo Chi Ching County, Minnesota

Sounds Chinese some say

but these are Ojibway words

The place of inlets

Note: The inlets being on Rainy lake and the Rainy River


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Unusual place names in USA 2 – Lac qui Parle

LAC QUI PARLE, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota

French priest translated

Dakota name, lake that Speaks

Into his own tongue

Note: Dakota is a native American nation consisting primarily of Sioux living in South Western Minnesota. the tribal elders took guidance from the voices they heard from the lake.

A late edit: I should have explained that the voices heard were created by the wind across the lake which is situated in a unique geologic formation. And for sports people it’s also considered the best walleye-pike fishing lake in Minnesota.

 


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Obscure words explained 87. – perigree

PERIGREE

Point in the orbit

of a heavenly body

which is nearest earth


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Unusual U. K. place names 83. – Nailsea

NAILSEA, Somerset

Early coal mining

occupied by the Romans

Known for Nailsea glass

 


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Uncommon Sense 1.

I thought I might be useful to change my theme for a while: Considering our pandemic with the corona virus. It’s a very serious matter and our thoughts actions and words should be appropriately aligned.
Therefore, I dug up a book from my library written by Joseph Telushkin entitled “Uncommon Sense”. If you are interested, hi book was published by Shapolsky publishers, New York, 1987.
I will share some of these/those quotes which I think express the importance of our attitude, thoughts and actions during these testing times.
1. The question of bread for yourself is a material question, But the question of bread for your neighbour is a spiritual one.
i. Nkolai Berdyaev 1874-1948

Note: You might find it interesting to check out these people. They had interesting things to say.