DOCSLIB.ORG

The End Is Coming in “2012”?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The End Is Coming in “2012”? The End Is Coming in '2012'? by Jonathan Crow June 17, 2009 Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Few people have destroyed the world more than Roland Emmerich. In his mega-hit "Independence Day," aliens laid waste to pretty much every metropolitan center on the planet, and in his eco- thriller "The Day After Tomorrow," much of the northern hemisphere finds itself buried under ice. In his third crack at presenting the apocalypse, this fall's "2012," Emmerich taps into the angst of thousands of astrologers, doomsday enthusiasts, and conspiracy theorists who fear that a massive cataclysm will strike the earth on December 21 of that year. Yet unlike previous dates tied to the Earth's expiration, this one has its roots in various sources throughout history including interpretations of the Mayan calendar, astrology, and the ancient Chinese fortune-telling text the "I-Ching." The Mayan Calendar 2012 gained the patina of doom with the best-selling 1966 book "The Maya" by Harvard archeologist Michael D. Coe. He noted that the Mayan culture's famously complex "Long Count" calendar simply ends on 12/21/12, speculating that civilization might come crashing down on that date. Other scholars argue, however, that the Mayan calendar would merely flip over like an odometer that reached 100,000 miles. Galactic Alignment Astrologers have also pointed out that during the winter solstice of 2012, the orbital planes of the solar system and the twelve Zodiacal constellations will intersect with the "Dark Rift" -- a black bit of the Milky Way located next to Sagittarius. Some argue this intersection is precisely why the Mayans -- who were brilliant astronomers -- ended their calendar when they did. But other astrologers believe that this conjunction will usher in a great shift in consciousness. Timewave Zero And then there's ounterculture thinker Terence McKenna whose Timewave Zero theory -- drawing off of elements from the "I-Ching," the teachings of philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, and modern fractal mathematics -- which determined that 12/21/12 is, you guessed it, the exact date of a profound change in world. Roughly speaking, the Mayans, astrologers and McKenna are all predicting global doom or the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Sunspots and Pole Problems So if the apocalypse is set just in time for holiday shopping season three years from now, how exactly will the world end? One theory that actually has some traction in the scientific community is that a solar flare will cause a sudden shift in the magnetic orientation of the Earth's poles, causing all kinds of planetary problems like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. NASA is predicting strong solar activity around 2012 and there's evidence that the magnetic poles are slowly weakening, something that reportedly presages a reversal. Of course, most scientists think that this reversal will take centuries, not days, to occur. So how does Roland Emmerich end the world in his upcoming epic "2012"? "Pole reversal," he said in an interview this week. "All kinds of stuff going on. But it's basically major earthquakes and volcano eruptions which kind of cause this global flood." "We found this obscure theory of 'Earth crust displacement,' written in the '50s by someone called Professor Hapgood. Albert Einstein wrote the foreword to his book. It pretty much [says] every X number of years the whole Earth's crust shifts, all together. We thought that that was a great underlining theory that can explain why there can be a flood." And what is the director going to do in preparation for that fated date? When asked he said, "I'm a pretty down to earth guy. Even [though] I made movies about aliens, I don't believe in aliens. And I don't believe that the world will come to an end in 2012, but it's a great scenario." To get a peek at the devastation Emmerich is bringing to the screen in "2012," which he says has more visual effects than any of his previous films, watch the exclusive trailer below. The Bast Theory Prelude There are two obvious camps whenever Ancient Mysteries are debated - those that cite a lack of hard physical evidence, and those that trust their instincts. Prime examples are the pyramids and flood myths. These were global phenomenons in ancient times, and the similarities appear obvious to the layman, which is why so many books on the subjects are published and sold. Serious academics, who went through university adhering to strict scientific principals, will argue that there isn't enough evidence to show that ancient societies were in contact with each other. Flood myths apparantly arose from local flooding, and global pyramids... it's all just a coincidence, they say. It is as if 100 people witnessed a murder, and knew the murderer personally. The murderer fled. Each witness told their children, who in turn told their children. Amazingly, two generations later, the murderer returns to hand himself in. Hundreds of grandchildren of the original witnesses know who he is and that he is guilty, because of the details they had been told. But he will not be punished, because there is no physical evidence, and no original witnesses. There is little likelihood of anything surviving the ravages of time unless it was specifically designed to do so. Even today, we are finding that we are unable to contain nuclear waste forever, and settle for a few hundred years of safety ( see here ). Ancient texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls have come to us only through a fluke of circumstances. In the search for answers I have decided that starting with evidence and then developing theories is the wrong path. There is unlikely to ever be enough definitive evidence, and if there was, scientists and academics are the best qualified to do so. So I have begun with a theory, based on instinct and obviousness, and am now trying to gather enough proof to convince the majority of humans that are sane, regular people. I have little desire to change the opinions of academics, but I have respect for some of their methods and standards - where appropriate I will choose to quote academics over laymen, and as much as possible I will provide verifiable references for anything I find. Which means any mentions of Zacharia Sitchin or Erich von Daniken are unlikely, regardless of how well meaning and intelligent they appear to be. I also choose not to mention UFOs. I wouldn't be too surprised if we had alien visitors from time to time, but evidence is lacking. And it would be difficult for me to remain a non-fiction author with the number of possibilities they allow. The Starting Point In its purest form my theory is based on these assumptions: Ancient cultures communicated with each other in some way Mysterious Elders have appeared from time to time to guide us Pyramids and mounds had a purpose other than burying royalty Evolution doesn't generally occur in small stages Global cataclysms have occurred within the last 12,000 years Our galactic neighbor hood could be more dangerous than is commonly acknowledged These assumptions are certainly not unique, and many books have been written on each, with perhaps the last being debated less often than the others. The Theory In One Sentence: Every so often a force from space causes global cataclysms and mass mutations. The Anicent Mayan Calendar ends in 2012. We would be very foolish to ignore this warning, a doomsday date that may have been given to the Maya by others Pole shifts have occurred in the past and will occur again. There is no known terrestial mechanism that can cause pole shifts, so the trigger could well be extra-terrestial. With the universe being the mystery that it is, we should accept that anything is possible. Mass extinctions and rapid evolution occur at the same time as cataclysms. Rapid evolutionary change can only be achieved via extremely high rates of mutations, and by mutations that are not random. Unicorns and dragons once actually existed, they were mutant strains that didn't survive very long. Cosmic rays cause mutations. A huge influx of cosmic rays would cause high rates of mutations. Although scientists are unsure about where all the cosmic rays come from, the source might be the same as what powers the pole shifts. The ancients were aware of the dangers of cosmic rays and cataclysms and encoded information about them into their calendars, myths and monuments. I also believe that pyramids may have been designed as cosmic ray shelters. All of these topics are, or will be, dealt with in-depth within these pages. Why am I investigating these ideas? As a human it is not surprising that I like humans. I don't want them to be wiped out. And I prefer them just how they are, as opposed to any mutant strain that might occur. The Mayan end-date is not far off, and if it happens to be the date of the next cataclysm, I would like to help some of us to prepare, and survive. 2012 2102 The Alchemy of Consciousness in Time Prophecies throughout time have named this as the end time, movement to a golden age, gold referencing the alchemy of time and consciousness. To examine the accelerating physical Earth changes and consciousness of humanity, recognizing and healing its issues, is to understand this evolutionary process and what is occurring. There are many factors linked to December 21, 2012 back into light, from which the human biogenetic came. The best barometer for you, is your own intuition, which will allow you to sense great changes.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Stepping out of Brunelleschi's Shadow
    STEPPING OUT OF BRUNELLESCHI’S SHADOW. THE CONSECRATION OF SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE AS INTERNATIONAL STATECRAFT IN MEDICEAN FLORENCE Roger J. Crum In his De pictura of 1435 (translated by the author into Italian as Della pittura in 1436) Leon Battista Alberti praised Brunelleschi’s dome of Florence cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore [Fig. 1], as ‘such a large struc- ture’ that it rose ‘above the skies, ample to cover with its shadow all the Tuscan people’.1 Alberti was writing metaphorically, but he might as easily have written literally in prediction of the shadowing effect that Brunelleschi’s dome, dedicated on 30 August 1436, would eventually cast over the Florentine cultural and historical landscape of the next several centuries.2 So ever-present has Brunelleschi’s structure been in the historical perspective of scholars – not to mention in the more popular conception of Florence – that its stately coming into being in the Quattrocento has almost fully overshadowed in memory and sense of importance another significant moment in the history of the cathedral and city of Florence that immediately preceded the dome’s dedication in 1436: the consecration of Santa Maria del Fiore itself on 25 March of that same year.3 The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugenius IV (r. 1431–1447), and the ceremony witnessed the unification in purpose of high eccle- siastical, foreign, and Florentine dignitaries. The event brought to a close a history that had begun 140 years earlier when the first stones of the church were laid in 1296; in 1436, the actual date of the con- secration was particularly auspicious, for not only is 25 March the feast of the Annunciation, but in the Renaissance that day was also the start of the Florentine calendar year.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Using Gregorian Calendar Dates in Systems That Adapt Localization: in the Case of Ethiopia
    IOSR Journal of Computer Engineering (IOSR-JCE) e-ISSN: 2278-0661,p-ISSN: 2278-8727, Volume 19, Issue 6, Ver. III (Nov - Dec 2017), PP 01-07 www.iosrjournals.org The impact of using Gregorian calendar dates in systems that adapt localization: In the case of Ethiopia Getnet Mossie Zeleke1, Metages Molla Gubena2 1,2Department of Information Technology, College of Technology, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia Abstract: Ethiopian calendar has 13 months in which 12 months have 30 days equal and the 13th month has 5 or 6 days length. Date is one of the inputs for web or desktop applications. Java Development Kit(JDK) and Joda- Time Date Time package have been used for date manipulation in java based applications developed for local use in Ethiopia. Besides, Gregorian calendar date time pickers have also been used in web applications. This leads the application developers not to fully adapt localization. To fill this gap we developed JavaScript Date Picker and date manipulator java package in Ethiopian calendar basis. The first product consists of Amharic week day and month names which enable users to pick Ethiopian date as an input in web applications. The second product is used to manipulate Ethiopian date in java desktop and web applications. In the package different methods are defined to perform date related activities such as date calculations, extraction of date element in a given date, presentation of date in different date formats like መስከረም 12, 2010 etc. Unlike other date time java packages, dealing with Ethiopian dates using our date package does not require date conversion.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethiopian Calendar from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
    Ethiopian calendar From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Ethiopian calendar (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ዘመን አቆጣጠር?; yä'Ityoṗṗya zämän aḳoṭaṭär) is the principal calendar used in Ethiopia and also serves as the liturgical year for Christians in Eritrea and Ethiopia belonging to the Orthodox Tewahedo Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches and Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. It is a solar calendar which in turn derives from the Egyptian Calendar, but like the Julian Calendar, it adds a leap day every four years without exception, and begins the year on August 29th or August 30th in the Julian Calendar. A gap of 7–8 years between the Ethiopian and Gregorian Calendars results from an alternate calculation in determining the date of the Annunciation. Like the Coptic calendar, the Ethiopic calendar has 12 months of 30 days plus 5 or 6 epagomenal days, which comprise a thirteenth month. The Ethiopian months begin on the same days as those of the Coptic calendar, but their names are in Ge'ez. The 6th epagomenal day is added every 4 years, without exception, on August 29 of the Julian calendar, 6 months before the corresponding Julian leap day. Thus the first day of the Ethiopian year, 1 Mäskäräm, for years between 1900 and 2099 (inclusive), is usually September 11 (Gregorian). It, however, falls on September 12 in years before the Gregorian leap year. In the Gregorian Calendar Year 2015; the Ethiopian Calendar Year 2008 began on the 12th September (rather than the 11th of September) on account of this additional epagomenal day occurring every 4 years. Contents 1 New Year's Day 2 Eras 2.1 Era of Martyrs 2.2 Anno Mundi according to Panodoros 2.3 Anno Mundi according to Anianos 3 Leap year cycle 4 Months 5 References 6 Sources 7 External links New Year's Day Enkutatash is the word for the Ethiopian New Year in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, while it is called Ri'se Awde Amet ("Head Anniversary") in Ge'ez, the term preferred by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Moon of Intention • Noos-Letter of the Foundation for the Law of Time
    Solar Moon of Intention • Noos-letter of the Foundation for the Law of Time • Issue #34 Sign up! • Unsubscribe • Change your address Trouble viewing? Click here to view online • Share! Welcome to the Solar Jaguar Moon Edition of the Noos-letter Welcome to the Solar Jaguar Moon of Intention, the ninth moon of the Planetary Service Wavespell. "Do not underestimate the power of your own clear mind thought and actions. Through the synchronic codes of the Law of Time, we are all activating the noosphere, an invisible action to pay off in the manifestation of the Rainbow Bridge." –Valum Votan We have now entered the third of seven Mystic Moons – the Moon of the Yellow Solar Seed. Yellow Solar Seed, Kin 204, is the galactic signature of the great Russian diplomat, scientist, visionary artist and peace worker, Nicholas Roerich, who shares his solar birthday (Gregorian October 9) with John Lennon. Roerich and his wife, Helena, went to Central Asia in the 1920s in search for Shambhala, the enlightened society. The Roerich's returned from their journey with the Banner of Peace, which has since been adopted by the World Thirteen Moon Calendar Change Peace Movement as one of its official standards. Song of Shambhala - by Nicholas Roerich Shambhala is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Kalachakra, the wheel of time. The Kalachakra ends in the Kali yuga, the dark age of ignorance and destruction of the Earth because humans are living in artificial time. 1987 fulfilled the cycle of prophecies of Kalachakra and Quetzalcoatl (Harmonic Convergence). 2012 signaled the closing of the cycle and the phasing out of a particular galactic beam, 5,125 years in diameter.
    [Show full text]
  • Governance and Leadership
    Dr. Vaishnavanghri Sevaka Das, Ph.D. Director, Bhaktivedanta College of Vedic Education Affiliated to ISKCON, Navi Mumbai 1 Governance and Leadership Governance “the action or manner of governing a state, organization, etc. for enhancing prosperity and sustenance” Leadership “the state or position of being a leader for ensuring the good Governance” 2 Four Yugas and Yuga Chakra Our Position (Fixed) Kali Yuga Dwapara Yuga 4,32,000 Years 8,64,000 Years 10% 20% 1 Yuga Chakra 43,20,000 Years 40% 30% Satya Yuga Treta Yuga 17,28,000 Years 12,96,000 Years 1000 Rotations of the Yuga Chakra = 1 Day of Brahma Ji 1000 Rotations of the Yuga Chakra = 1 Night of Brahma Ji 3 Concept of Four Quotients Spiritually Intellectually Strong Sharp Physically Mentally Fit Balanced 4 Test Your Understanding of the Four Quotients • Rakesh is getting ready for his final semester exam. Because of his night out he is weak and tensed. • Rakesh’s father Rajaram came from morning jogging with heavy sweating and comforted his son with inspirational words. • Rakesh’s mother Shanti did special prayers to Lord Ganesha for all success to her son but she is also very tensed. • Rakesh’s sister Rakhi gave best wishes to him and put a tilak. She reminded him of his strengths and also warned him of weakness of getting nervous. • Rakesh got onto his bike and started speeding towards his college. He is tensed as his thoughts were also speeding on top gear. • Rakesh stopped on the road when he saw his classmate Abhay with whom he never spoke.
    [Show full text]
  • When Did Kali Yuga Start, How Long Is/Was It, and When Will It (Or Did It) End?
    When did Kali Yuga start, how long is/was it, and when will it (or did it) end? In the book The Holy Science (1894) Sri Yukteswar clarified that a complete Yuga Cycle takes 24,000 years, and is comprised of an ascending cycle of 12,000 years when virtue gradually increases and a descending cycle of another 12,000 years, in which virtue gradually decreases (See the above figure). Hence, after we complete a 12,000-year descending cycle from Satya Yuga -> Kali Yuga, the sequence reverses itself, and an ascending cycle of 12,000 years begins which goes from Kali Yuga -> Satya Yuga. Yukteswar states that, “Each of these periods of 12,000 years brings a complete change, both externally in the material world, and internally in the intellectual or electric world, and is called one of the Daiva Yugas or Electric Couple.” Unfortunately, the start and end dates as well as the duration of the ages are not agreed upon, and Sri Yukteswar (who I have deep faith in) is one of many individuals that have laid out differing dates, times, and structures. “In spite of the elaborate theological framework of the Yuga Cycle, the start and end dates of the Kali Yuga remain shrouded in mystery. The popularly accepted date for the beginning of the Kali Yuga is 3102 BCE, thirty-five years after the conclusion of the battle of the Mahabharata.” This quote is taken from a well-researched article, “The End of the Kali Yuga in 2025: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Yuga Cycle in the New Dawn online magazine which can be found HERE.
    [Show full text]
  • Cpc/3082/2015 Administrative Appeals Chamber
    SW v SSWP (SPC) [2016] UKUT 0163 (AAC) IN THE UPPER TRIBUNAL Case No. CPC/3082/2015 ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS CHAMBER Before: M R Hemingway: Judge of the Upper Tribunal Decision: The decision of the First-tier Tribunal made on 11 June 2014 at Fox Court in London under reference SC242/13/1992 involved the making of an error of law. I set the decision aside. I remake the decision. My substituted decision: The appellant was born on 22 May 1950 and, accordingly, is not disentitled to pension credit on age grounds. REASONS FOR DECISION What this appeal is about 1. The issue raised by this appeal is whether the appellant meets the age requirement in relation to eligibility for state pension credit. She says that she was born on 23 May 1950 but the respondent believes that she was born on 1 January 1963. If the former is right then she is not debarred from qualifying on age grounds but if the latter is correct she is. In addressing the issue I make a number of comments concerning the approach to be taken when considering documentary evidence which has been obtained abroad (see paragraphs 28 and 41) which may be of more general interest. Matters which appear to be well established or which are uncontested 2. The appellant was born in Ethiopia and was a national of that county. At some point she obtained an Ethiopian passport which indicated her date of birth as being 1 January 1963. In July 2003 she was granted entry clearance to come to the UK as a domestic worker in a private household.
    [Show full text]
  • The Chronicle of Dino Compagni / Translated by Else C. M. Benecke
    #m hbl.stx DG 737.2.C613 le i?mnP/!f? of Dino Compagni / 3 1153 0DSMS117 t, % n WRITTEN •T$' FIRST PRINTED • IN • 1726- PLEASE NOTE It has been necessary to replace some of the original pages in this book with photocopy reproductions because of damage or mistreatment by a previous user. Replacement of damaged materials is both expensive and time-consuming. Please handle this volume with care so that information will not be lost to future readers. Thank you for helping to preserve the University's research collections. THE TEMPLE CLASSICS THE CHRONICLE OF DINO COMPAGNI Digitized'by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/chronicleofdinocOOcomp mmyi CHRPNICE 92DINO COMPAGNI TRANSITED ^ELSE CM. BENECKE S§ FERRERS HOWELL MDCCCCVI PUBL15H6D- BY-^M D6NT- •AMP-CO : ALDlNe-HOUSe-LOMDON-W-O PRELIMINARY NOTE vii PRELIMINARY NOTE Though Dino Compagni calls his work a Chronicle, it is not (like Giovanni Villani's, for example) a Chronicle in the sense in which the term is now used to express a particular kind of narration dis- " tinguished from a history ; the terms " chronicle and "history" being in Dino's time interchange- able. Dino's book is in form the history of a particular fact, namely, the division of the Guelf party in Florence into the White and the Black Guelfs, with its attendant circumstances, its causes, and its results : but under this form is unfolded at the same time the history of the steps by which the wealthy traders of Florence (jfropolani, popolani grassi, and collectively popolo grasso) organised in the greater guilds (see Appendix II.) acquired and retained the control of the machinery of govern- ment in the city and its outlying territory (contado), excluding (practically) from all participation therein on the one hand the Magnates (i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • Time Structure of Universe Chart
    Time Structure of Universe Chart Creation of Universe Lifespan of Universe - 1 Maha Kalpa (311.040 Trillion years, One Breath of Maha-Visnu - An Expansion of Lord Krishna) Complete destruction of Universe Age of Universe: 155.52197 Trillion years Time remaining until complete destruction of Universe: 155.51803 Trillion years At beginning of Brahma's day, all living beings become manifest from the unmanifest state (Bhagavad-Gita 8.18) 1st day of Brahma in his 51st year (current time position of Brahma) When night falls, all living beings become unmanifest 1 Kalpa (Daytime of Brahma, 12 hours)=4.32 Billion years 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 71 Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas Chaturyugas 1 Manvantara 306.72 Million years Age of current Manvantara and current Manu (Vaivasvata): 120.533 Million years Time remaining for current day of Brahma: 2.347051 Billion years Between each Manvantara there is a juncture (sandhya) of 1.728 Million years 1 Chaturyuga (4 yugas)=4.32 Million years 28th Chaturyuga of the 7th manvantara (current time position) Satya-yuga (1.728 million years) Treta-yuga (1.296 million years) Dvapara-yuga (864,000 years) Kali-yuga (432,000 years) Time remaining for Kali-yuga: 427,000 years At end of each yuga and at the start of a new yuga, there is a juncture period 5000 years (current time position in Kali-yuga) "By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of Brahma's one day [4.32 billion years].
    [Show full text]
  • The Calendars of India
    The Calendars of India By Vinod K. Mishra, Ph.D. 1 Preface. 4 1. Introduction 5 2. Basic Astronomy behind the Calendars 8 2.1 Different Kinds of Days 8 2.2 Different Kinds of Months 9 2.2.1 Synodic Month 9 2.2.2 Sidereal Month 11 2.2.3 Anomalistic Month 12 2.2.4 Draconic Month 13 2.2.5 Tropical Month 15 2.2.6 Other Lunar Periodicities 15 2.3 Different Kinds of Years 16 2.3.1 Lunar Year 17 2.3.2 Tropical Year 18 2.3.3 Siderial Year 19 2.3.4 Anomalistic Year 19 2.4 Precession of Equinoxes 19 2.5 Nutation 21 2.6 Planetary Motions 22 3. Types of Calendars 22 3.1 Lunar Calendar: Structure 23 3.2 Lunar Calendar: Example 24 3.3 Solar Calendar: Structure 26 3.4 Solar Calendar: Examples 27 3.4.1 Julian Calendar 27 3.4.2 Gregorian Calendar 28 3.4.3 Pre-Islamic Egyptian Calendar 30 3.4.4 Iranian Calendar 31 3.5 Lunisolar calendars: Structure 32 3.5.1 Method of Cycles 32 3.5.2 Improvements over Metonic Cycle 34 3.5.3 A Mathematical Model for Intercalation 34 3.5.3 Intercalation in India 35 3.6 Lunisolar Calendars: Examples 36 3.6.1 Chinese Lunisolar Year 36 3.6.2 Pre-Christian Greek Lunisolar Year 37 3.6.3 Jewish Lunisolar Year 38 3.7 Non-Astronomical Calendars 38 4. Indian Calendars 42 4.1 Traditional (Siderial Solar) 42 4.2 National Reformed (Tropical Solar) 49 4.3 The Nānakshāhī Calendar (Tropical Solar) 51 4.5 Traditional Lunisolar Year 52 4.5 Traditional Lunisolar Year (vaisnava) 58 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Silver Or Gold: the Color of Brass Instruments in the Late Middle Ages
    1 Silver or Gold: The Color of Brass Instruments in the Late Middle Ages Timothy J. McGee The purpose of this article is to lay out some details I have gathered about brass instruments during the late Middle Ages as a way of requesting assistance from the readers of this jour- nal. As will become immediately evident, I am using the word "brass" in its meaning as a synonym for "cup-mouthpiece instruments," because my question has to do with the actual material the instruments were made of. In the process of researching the activities of the civic musicians of Florence during the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries, I have encountered considerable confusion about the material used for trumpets and trombones, and about the symbolism intended by the use of particular metals. Here is what I have found. The earliest reference to the employment of civic musicians in Florence is from gov- ernment documents of 8 February 1292' naming six trumpet players (tubatores) along with a player of the cenamella (probably a double reed) and another who played cimballella (undoubtedly the cymbals). The civic ensemble, known as the trombadori, was part of the ceremonial presence of Florence, participating in all official functions such as the frequent processions welcoming distinguished foreign visitors to the city, civic celebrations in honor of saints' days, or assemblies in which the governing executive appeared in public. The trombadori also accompanied the military in the field, and acted as representatives of the city of Florence by participating in celebrations in other cities. The earliest reference is as follows: ..
    [Show full text]
  • CALENDRICAL CALCULATIONS the Ultimate Edition an Invaluable
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-05762-3 — Calendrical Calculations 4th Edition Frontmatter More Information CALENDRICAL CALCULATIONS The Ultimate Edition An invaluable resource for working programmers, as well as a fount of useful algorithmic tools for computer scientists, astronomers, and other calendar enthu- siasts, the Ultimate Edition updates and expands the previous edition to achieve more accurate results and present new calendar variants. The book now includes algorithmic descriptions of nearly forty calendars: the Gregorian, ISO, Icelandic, Egyptian, Armenian, Julian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Akan, Islamic (arithmetic and astro- nomical forms), Saudi Arabian, Persian (arithmetic and astronomical), Bahá’í (arithmetic and astronomical), French Revolutionary (arithmetic and astronomical), Babylonian, Hebrew (arithmetic and astronomical), Samaritan, Mayan (long count, haab, and tzolkin), Aztec (xihuitl and tonalpohualli), Balinese Pawukon, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Hindu (old arithmetic and medieval astronomical, both solar and lunisolar), and Tibetan Phug-lugs. It also includes information on major holidays and on different methods of keeping time. The necessary astronom- ical functions have been rewritten to produce more accurate results and to include calculations of moonrise and moonset. The authors frame the calendars of the world in a completely algorithmic form, allowing easy conversion among these calendars and the determination of secular and religious holidays. Lisp code for all the algorithms is available in machine- readable form. Edward M. Reingold is Professor of Computer Science at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Nachum Dershowitz is Professor of Computational Logic and Chair of Computer Science at Tel Aviv University. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-05762-3 — Calendrical Calculations 4th Edition Frontmatter More Information About the Authors Edward M.
    [Show full text]