Eagle Blog Supplemental….Mayfly Love….
by Bernie Bell - 09:10 on 23 May 2023
Eagle Blog Supplemental…
I sent my blog post about seeing an Eagle flying over our garden to some folk that I thought might be interested, saying…..
“This got me thinking that Eagles might be seen flying over the Ness of Brodgar again before too long - or even the Eagle Cairn - and wondering, did the ancient folk see them as messengers?”
I had some interesting responses…
From Andrew Appleby….
“I’m sure they did. Claudius held out his arms and a baby wolf was dropped by an eagle on high. A message that he’d be emperor one day.
I don’t know if the wolf survived.”
And from Eamonn Keyes, who wrote…
“They did. In almost every culture.
The Greeks thought them messengers from Zeus, hence the constellation of Aquila - the Eagle.
The Romans thought the same, heralding their use as a legionary standard.
The North Americans regarded it as the creature closest to the Creator. Hence the value of eagle feathers and the bravery required to get them.”
Which got me remembering ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’ by Rosemary Sutcliffe which I first read many years ago….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eagle_of_the_Ninth
It’s about one person’s search to discover the fate of the Ninth Legion of the Roman army in Britain, and its Eagle standard. It’s a good read at any age.
Also, getting a response from Eamonn reminded me of his encounter with an eagle….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/08/03/brief-encounter-10/
I thought that, with the permission of those who sent them, I’d put together the responses as another blog entry as it could be an interesting addition/discussion.
If I get any more, I’ll continue to post them.
Fact is - Mike is off work with Hyper-tension, not able or allowed to be active, which is why he was sitting about so much – he’d usually be gardening and we would probably not have seen the Eagle at all.
Hmmmmmm.
And finally – anything by me about Eagles would not be complete without a mention, or two, of my previous ramblings about The Eagle Cairn in South Ronaldsay….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/05/13/the-tomb-of-the-eagles/
http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16190
********************************************************************
Mayfly Love….
Bartholomew Barker does it again…
Her texts were once filled with emojis
smiling little faces — red hearts
arrived hourly
Now I'm lucky to get one a day
but I'm building a callous
I'm just the mayfly who forgot
to politely die in the twilight
of her affection
One of the many bees in my bonnet is how Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, text-speak is eroding real human interaction.
People are suddenly ‘friends’ - and just as suddenly ‘un-friended’. They don’t have to face the person – the reality of another human being and the emotions of another human being.
Emojis aren’t a lot to do with emotion – they’re an empty, trivial way of dodging real expression of real emotion.
It’s easier for people to be dismissive when texting etc. than when speaking face to face, or even on the phone. GGGGRRRRR….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/01/26/poetry-corner-life-lived-as-an-emoji/
The choice of a Mayfly is just right – skittering about – un-thinking – then – drops at the end of its day in the sun.
Addendum...
Biologist Bell saw this and said... "Did you know that the scientific name for mayflies as a taxonomic group is - Ephemeroptera?"
I didn't - did you?
********************************************************************
Here’s one I made earlier…. https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/10/10/for-brochtober-we-visit-eves-broch/
In a way, not very seasonal, but the orchids should be out soon by the broch.
Add your comment
