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Tag Archives: anglo-saxons
Discover Late Antiquity: The Sixth-Century West
1996 French stamp issue featuring Clovis I (r. 496-511)
We've talked about Justinian. What of the West from 500ish to 600ish? Well, it's a dangerous place to visit. While such a statement could be taken literally, I mean it figuratively in this instance. You see, the emergent polities of post-Roman western Europe are often seen as the precursors of their medieval and even modern successors. Visigoths in Spain, Franks in Gaul, Anglo-Saxons in Britannia, Picti in Caledonia. The French Republic celebrated Clovis, the Merovingian King of the Franks (d. 511), on a postage stamp (I own a copy).
Last time we saw how Justinian recaptured Africa, a bit of Spain, and Italy, thus reuniting parts of the western and eastern Mediterranean divided for more than a century. The rest of the West does not join in the Roman imperial fun.
Gaul is dominated in this century by a people group called the Franks — I recommend reading their story in Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, from c. 595. Their king at the turn of the century was Clovis, who was descended from a fifth-century Frankish leader named Merovech; his dynasty is called Merovingian and will last into the 700s. The two most important factoids about Clovis: 1. he unites the various Frankish groups into a single kingdom; 2. when he converts to Christianity, he chooses Catholicism, not Homoian/Arian Christianity. As a third thing to take away, let it be noted that both he and his father claimed to hold titles and offices within Roman administration and acknowledged the headship of the faraway Emperor in Constantinople. Clovis also conquers various parts of southern Gaul previously under Visigothic rule.
Later Franks do the same, in fact. By century's end, Gaul is theirs, and they are pushing increasingly further into Germania. This trans-Rhine world of the Merovingians is highly significant. Previously, because of the Mediterranean focus of Rome, Germania was barely ever taken, most of it not at all. Now the Merovingian Franks are taking over various parts of the trans-Rhine world and incorporating it into their kingdom and administrative system, bringing with them Catholic Christianity, their own coins, taxes, and laws. Germania is thus moving from the hinterland to becoming an integrated part of the European world, politically, culturally, religiously.
Sources: One of the best for the period, besides Gregory of Tours, is the anthology From Roman to Merovingian Gaul by Alexander Callander Murray.
Hispania/Spain
The Third Council of Toledo in Codex Vigilanus (10th-c, my favourite Spanish manuscript)
I'm the sort of person who would normally say, 'Spain', in these conversations, but the piece of Mediterranean geography I'm referring to is the whole peninsula, including Portugal. The Visigoths were the main force in Hispania this century, and they were busily consolidating their power. They were remarkably successful at it, given that the topography of the peninsula tends more towards fragmentation than centralisation. The Visigoths maintained Roman book culture, taxation, and military traditions. They used these to fund battles against the Franks in Gaul. They also hosted a lot of church councils in Toledo starting this century (which only had two, the Second [527] and Third [589]). At the Third Council of Toledo, King Reccared I of Hispania and Septimania, oversaw the adoption of Catholic Christianity within his realms — hitherto, the Visigothic kingdom had been Homoian/Arian.
Sources: I'm less of an expert on Hispania, but primary sources worth looking at are John of Biclaro's Chronicle and Isidore of Seville's History of the Kings of the Goths, both of which are translated by Kenneth Baxter Wolf in Conquerors and Chroniclers in Early Medieval Spain.
Britannia, Caledonia, Hibernia
At the northern edge of the Roman Empire was Britannia; to the North was Caledonia (modern Scotland), and across the Irish Sea was Hibernia (Ireland). Some of the contenders for King Arthur are alleged to have lived in the sixth century. On the whole King Arthur issue, see my review of Guy Halsall's Worlds of Arthur. In the 500s, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Britannia are taking shape and forging themselves into polities. There is little, if anything, Roman about the pagan, Germanic-speaking Anglo-Saxons. Gildas, writing either early or mid-century, says:
Britain has kings, but they are tyrants; she has judges, but unrighteous ones; generally engaged in plunder and rapine, but always preying on the innocent… (ch. 27, trans. J.A. Giles)
Without a lot of archaeology, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for this century is largely unhelpful, sadly. What it does show, however, is that we are still in what might be termed the 'migration period' in Britannia. The mingling of Germanic and Romano-British that would produce Anglo-Saxon culture was ongoing.
Of course, the thing that had the greatest impact on Anglo-Saxon politics occurred at century's end. Here is how it is told by Bede in ch. 66 of The Reckoning of Time (often excerpted as the World Chronicle, as in the Oxford World's Classics translation of the Ecclesiastical History of the English People):
In the thirteenth year of the reign of Maurice and the thirteenth indiction, Gregory, the bishop of Rome and outstanding teacher, assembled a synod of twenty-four bishops at the tomb of the blessed Apostle Peter, to make decisions concerning the needs of the Church. He sent to Britain Augustine, Mellitus and John, and many others, with God-fearing monks with them, to convert the English to Christ. Aethelberht was soon converted to the grace of Christ, together with the people of the Cantuarii over whom he ruled, and those of neighbouring kingdoms. [Gregory] gave him Augustine to be his bishop and teacher, as well as other holy priests to become bishops. However, the people of the Angles north of the river Humber, under Kings Aelle and Aethelfrith, did not at this time hear the Word of life. (trans. Faith Wallis)
Britannia's neighbours were also divided. Eire was an assemblage of small kingdoms that had a variety of different relationships, as we see in the Chronicle of Ireland. Palladius and Patrick had already brought Christianity in the century before. In the thick of dynastic struggles, in fact, a young Irish nobleman named Columba was to take refuge in Pictish lands, bringing Christianity to their kingdom and settling a monastery on Iona. Columba died in 597, and Adomnan's Life of St Columba is worth a read.
All over Britain and Ireland, small kingdoms were vying for power, and coalesced towards century's end in the smaller states that would shape the character of the 600s — see Chris Wickham, The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000, 157-160.
Finally, let us return to the Mediterranean world. One would think that Justinian would be the end of this story, that we could just dust our hands and say, 'Italy = Byzantine.' However, if we were to do that, we'd have to use definition 5 or 6 of 'Byzantine' at Dictionary.com:
5. complex or intricate …
6. sometimes lowercase characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, especially for the gaining of political power or favor …
First, we have to acknowledge the growing local power of the Metropolitan Bishop of Suburbicarian Italy. I mean, the Pope. In Rome. Things for him are complicated because of his continued support for the Emperor in Constantinople, but the tendency of the Exarchate based in Ravenna to interfere in Roman affairs.
Also, the Lombards. They invade northern Italy in 568 and stick around until 774. In the 590s, their invasions push South towards Rome. Italy is not so simple, all of a sudden!
Italy in 572
Thus, we have Ostrogoths under Theoderic in 500. The coming of the East Romans in 535; final conquest of Italy by Justinian's forces in 554. Then we have the coming of the Lombards in 568. They proceed to push ever further south. By Lombard King Alboin's death in 572, Italy has been carved up into different spheres of 'Byzantine' and Lombard influence.
Sources: For the closing decade, most definitely the letters of Gregory the Great. I can't just now think of where else to look for the Lombards besides the eighth-century History of the Lombards by Paul the Deacon. For the early 500s, a most invaluable source are the Variae of Cassiodorus.
Well, I know it was longer than usual, but here you have it. The disconnected, fragmented, post-Roman West. New kingdoms forming, asserting themselves, gathering taxes, fighting each other, entering into diplomatic relations with each other, sharing missionaries with each other. It's a brave, new mediaeval world.
This entry was posted in Ancient World, Christianity, Classics, Discover Late Antiquity, History, Mediaeval, Scotland and tagged anglo-saxons, britain, early middle ages, franks, gaul, germanic kingdoms, hispania, ireland, italy, lombards, post-roman west, visigoths on February 16, 2017 by MJH.
Offa's Dyke
I just watched Episode 3 of Michael Wood's 1981 documentary series, In Search of the Dark Ages, 'In Search of Offa'. This series is an interesting concept — Wood does not popularise history through dramatic re-enactments or even retelling many of the stories associated with the person and time under discussion. Instead, he engages the viewer with a combination of retelling select episodes and many visits and combinations with long-haired, bell-bottomed archaeologists, many of whom are also very well-bearded. The story, then, is told through archaeology.
The most significant archaeological site associated with Offa is not a then-recently-discovered 6-foot-long, 2-foot-high piece of defensive wall in Hereford ('very interesting', 'the most extensive piece of Anglo-Saxon defensive wall found in the whole of the British Isles'), but, of course, the dyke.
Offa's Dyke is a big … dyke … separating the land controlled by this powerful Mercian king and the land of the Welsh. It was 64 miles long, consisting of (and here I quote my Encyclopedia of the Anglo-Saxon World) 'an earthen bank thirty feet (10 m) wide with a ditch six feet (2 m) deep and twelve feet wide (4 m) on the Welsh side.'
In the documentary, the archaeologist with whom Wood is discussing the dyke says that he thinks the dyke was purely defensive. The gates postulated by Fox in the 1930s proved to be later modifications of the original construction. Unlike Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall, there were no points of controlled crossing between one domain and the other. The Welsh were to be kept out. Or at least deterred. Not controlled.
This is all well and good.
However, the archaeologist then proceeded to imagine a palisade atop the dyke, possibly even with towers. And a garrison. My Encyclopedia says that no evidence of a palisade or a fortress has been found in 71 (!) excavations of Offa's Dyke.
My immediate reaction was to question this reconstruction — current thinking doesn't even tend to put a palisade on the Antonine Wall (my post on that here), and it's not as long (37 miles). Furthermore, the idea of armies watching for Welsh raiders and using signal outposts to call up all the locals for a skirmish — this implies a standing army somewhere other than the kings' warbands.
A garrison just sitting around on a fortification like that with nothing to do but keep out cattle-rustlers requires a sophisticated system of taxation and provisioning, as well as a professional army, the likes of which I don't believe King Offa would have had. He was a conqueror — his kingdom was so large and united because he kept killing off other dudes. Not because of marriage alliances or inheritances. Not because he had a long tradition of complicated tax-raising such as Rome had had.
Nonetheless, my Encyclopedia does verify the essentially defensive nature of the dyke. Even without a standing army, a fortification such as this without a single gate would have proven an obstacle to raiding parties. Even if its deep is not as deep as that of the Antonine Wall — 2m vs 6 m — it is an impressive deterrent. And this is part of the function of both the Antonine and Hadrian's Walls — part of controlling movement is keeping out the movement you'd rather not have.
So, even if Offa's Dyke may not have had a standing army, it is still a wondrous piece of military engineering. Well done, Offa of Mercia, one of the few kings Charlemagne considered nearly his equal.
This entry was posted in Ancient World, History, Mediaeval, Scotland and tagged anglo-saxons, antonine wall, archaeology, blackwell encyclopedia of anglo-saxon england, mercia, michael wood, offa's dyke, searching for the dark ages on June 21, 2015 by MJH.
Kingship, reform, and the arts in the Early Middle Ages
Louis the Pious, ca. 826
I've been revising a section of my thesis where I discuss the main driving force behind the Carolingian Renaissance, and thought I'd share some of my findings/thoughts with you. The main driving force, if you were wondering, is correctio — the moral, religious, and legal reform not just of the ruling class but of the entire people. The idea is not Carolingian but Roman.
For examples of the Later Roman Imperial ideal of the princeps providing such reform, the laws in the Theodosian Code (culled from sources dating ca. 312-438) against pagans, heretics, and Jews serve as prime examples of what these emperors thought a good ruler should be up to — such laws are the stick that would promote religious reform, while the tax benefits given to orthodox/catholic clergy are the carrot. Another reflection of the good ruler's commitment to healthy religious life is the long list of churches built and patronised by the emperors, such as St John's Lateran and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (by Constantine) or Old St Peter's Basilica (by his son, Constantius). The Theodosian Code is a tangible example of the secular aspect of correctio, since a ruler's commitment to justice (iustitia) lies in the everyday as well as the sacred.
Hagia Sophia today
Justinian (r. 527-565) is one of our clearest examples. In the secular sphere, he sought out clarification and codification of Roman law in the Institutes and the Digest. He also sought to reintegrate the lost western provinces, not only seeking personal glory, but also following a vision that a good ruler should look out for the interests of his citizens — including those under foreign domination. In the ecclesiastical sphere, he rebuilt Hagia Sophia after its destruction during the Nika Riots as one of the greatest architectural achievements in world history. He also attempted to reconcile Chalcedonians and non-Chalcedonians through various laws and debates and the Second Council of Constantinople (553).
These Late Roman examples are taken up by their 'barbarian' successors. It was seen as good kingship not only to promulgate laws and rule by law, but also to strive for the moral and religious correction of the people. In the secular sphere, we get a few different 'barbarian' law codes beginning in the fifth century that help to establish rule by law.
Lindisfarne Gospels, opening of Matthew
Ecclesiastical reform takes different shapes in these new kingdoms. In Anglo-Saxon lands, it begins in the form of missionary enterprise, as, for example, King Oswald of Deira and Bernicia (Northumbria) inviting St Aidan to evangelise (see Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People 3.3-5). In later years, we see Anglo-Saxon correctio in royal sponsoring of church buildings, church councils, monasteries, and monastic reform. King Alfred the Great sponsored correctio through the translation of 'essential' books into English and the training of the clergy in the liturgy.
In Visigothic Spain, St Isidore of Seville (d. 636) says that 'he who does not correct does not rule' (Etymologies 9.3.4); the Visigoths took this to heart, visible in the vast number of royally-sponsored church councils — eighteen councils were held in Toledo, seventeen of which come after the Visigothic conquest, the last held ca. 702 (Spain fell to the Muslims in 711).
In the Frankish lands which the Carolingians were to rule, early law codes exist such as the Lex Salica which dates to around the lifetime of Clovis I (r. 481-511), the Merovingian who united the Franks under his rule (through war, treachery, and assassination when necessary) as well as defeating his Arian neighbours and eventually ruling all of Gaul. Gregory of Tours, writing in the 590s, sees Clovis' conquest of Arian Gaul as driven by Clovis' religious correctio (see Historiae Francorum 2.37), and when the Burgundian Gundobad converts from Arianism to Catholicism, the bishop of Vienne counsels him not to keep his conversion a secret so that he may publicly encourage his people to religious reform and give them a good example.
However much Merovingians such as Chlotar II (r. 584-629, full power from 597) and Dagobert I (r. 623-629) may have sought correctio, the final decades of the seventh century were a time of cultural decline in Merovingian lands, and the effective power of Merovingian kings to bring about reform was rarely very strong. The results of their inability to produce real correctio in line with these ideals of kingship is visible in the paucity of manuscripts from this period generally as well as the number of reforming councils thought necessary by their successors.
The Carolingians officially supplanted the Merovingians with Pippin III 'the Short' in 751, although they wielded great power since Charles 'the Hammer' Martel, who kept the Muslims out of France at the Battle of Tours (or Poitiers) in 732. Pippin and his brother Carloman were the secular sponsors of the evangelistic and reforming action of St Boniface in the 740s when they were still not officially kings — that is, they sought to fulfil ideals of kingly correctio before they had kingly authority.
Harley Golden Gospels, fol. 109r, from Aachen ca. 800-825
But it is Charlemagne (literally 'Charles the Great', r. 768-814, sole ruler from 771, 'Emperor' from 800), Pippin the Short's son, who takes things into high gear for the Carolingians. He sets about correctio in a big way — the secular law, ecclesiastical law, the activities and authority of his own royal representatives, the rights and privileges of monasteries and bishops, the text of the Bible, the text of the liturgy. All of these felt the touch of Charlemagne's reforming zeal. He got Pope Hadrian I (772-795) to send him copies of canon law books and liturgical books, and the York ecclesiastic Alcuin, whom Charlemagne sponsored on the Continent, is associated with one of the major recensions of the Latin Vulgate Bible. The result is a proliferation of manuscripts of the Bible, canon law, and liturgy, as well as a proliferation of laws, charters, etc, so that everyone could have not only a copy but a correct copy.
Charlemagne's success, in contrast to the Merovingians, lay in his own long reign of political stability, his own effective power to rule the Frankish lands, and his wealth. Charlemagne's wars of conquest, especially the destruction of the Ring of the Avars in the 790s and the addition of their entire national treasury to his own, brought in the wealth necessary to fund the various aspects of correctio — an average manuscript can take 700 sheep- or goat-skins. Books are not cheap — and monasteries and cathedrals cost money, as well as the pay for the royal representatives and advisers. Without a vast treasury at his disposal, Charlemagne would not have been able to promote the reforms throughout his kingdom that occurred.
The knock-on effect of correctio, especially when combined with wealth, was the production not only of manuscripts, but of beautiful ones. And not only of manuscripts of the necessary texts for reform, but of classical texts. And not only of old texts, but of new compositions. The funding of the ecclesiastical realm meant the building of beautiful churches and monasteries and reliquaries and other forms of ecclesiastical art.
The Carolingian Renaissance did not die with Charlemagne — over 7,000 Latin manuscripts date to the ninth century. Only 2,000 exist from before then. This grand production was driven by the royal desire to rule well and make his kingdom better, not a dispassionate funding of 'the arts'. But it did well — many texts that might have been lost were saved. Art and architecture took a new turn that would endure in Europe for a long time to come. All because kings wanted to make the world a better place.
This entry was posted in Ancient World, Books, Christianity, Classics, History, Literature, Mediaeval, Monks and Monasticism and tagged alfred the great, anglo-saxons, carolingian renaissance, carolingians, charlemagne, early medieval art, justinian, kingship, merovingians, visigoths on January 26, 2015 by MJH.


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text:
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace OrchardCore.OpenId.ViewModels
{
    public class OpenIdApplicationsIndexViewModel
    {
        public IList<OpenIdApplicationEntry> Applications { get; } = new List<OpenIdApplicationEntry>();
        public dynamic Pager { get; set; }
    }

    public class OpenIdApplicationEntry
    {
        public string DisplayName { get; set; }
        public string Id { get; set; }
        public bool IsChecked { get; set; }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Twenty years ago astronomers discovered the first planet around a sun-like star, 51 Pegasi b. And in the last 20 years, astronomers have discovered thousands of new exotic worlds, begun to characterize atmospheres of faraway planets, and are developing cutting-edge technology to launch us on our search for alien life. Planets with two suns, rogue planets with no star, close cousins to planet Earth. This is the story of the pioneers in planet-hunting and how those who have followed are now poised to answer one of humanity's most ancient questions: is there life elsewhere in the universe?


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Biden praises the contract with the South Korean battery manufacturer...
Biden praises the contract with the South Korean battery manufacturer as a victory for the American electric vehicle drive
President Joe Biden during remarks on the U.S. work plan in the South Court auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office building on April 7, 2021.
Demetrius Freeman | The Washington Post | Getty Images
President Joe Biden on Sunday proclaimed settlement between two Korean battery manufacturers the victory of American efforts to build a strong supply chain for electric vehicles to create clean energy jobs and curb them climate change.
Settlement over a trade secret dispute between LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation Co. will allow two factories in Georgia to move forward with plans to produce lithium-ion batteries for Ford i Volkswagen.
The companies have agreed to drop the lawsuit in the U.S. and South Korea and will not pursue further lawsuits for ten years. SK Innovation will also pay LG Energy Solution $ 1.8 billion in cash and royalties.
An agreement was reached before the deadline for the Biden administration on Sunday night to annul the decision of the US Commission on International Trade, unless the battery manufacturers reach a settlement.
The settlement is the main gain for the administration which recently presented a comprehensive infrastructure plan that includes spending $ 174 billion on strengthen the electric vehicle market and move away from the gasoline-powered car.
"We need a strong, diverse and resilient supply chain for US-based electric vehicles, so that we can supply the growing global demand for these vehicles and components – creating well-paid jobs here at home and laying the groundwork for tomorrow's business," Biden it is stated in the statement.
The president's proposal includes installing at least 500,000 filling stations nationwide by 2030, incentives for Americans to buy electric vehicles and money to rebuild factories and boost domestic supplies of materials.
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Failure to resolve the dispute could cost thousands of jobs in Georgia and jeopardize the country's electricity market, which accounts for approximately 2% of new car sales.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Het Verdrag van Parijs, ook wel de Vrede van Parijs genoemd, werd op 10 februari 1763 gesloten en beëindigde de Zevenjarige Oorlog. Het werd ondertekend door koninkrijk Groot-Brittannië, Frankrijk, Spanje en Portugal. Vijf dagen later ondertekenden Oostenrijk, Pruisen en Saksen de Vrede van Hubertusburg.

Het leverde Engeland grote gebiedswinst in de koloniale wereld op. Het verwierf er na de Franse en Indiaanse Oorlog zowat alle Franse bezittingen op het Noord-Amerikaanse continent (onder andere Canada) en Florida, dat tot dan toe Spaans bezit geweest was. Hier begon het proces dat gemaakt heeft dat het grootste deel van Noord-Amerika nu Engelstalig is. Het betekende ook het einde van het uitgestrekte Franse koloniale imperium in Noord-Amerika, op Saint-Pierre en Miquelon en de Franse kust van Newfoundland na. De gebieden ten westen van de Mississippi (van Californië tot Texas) waren echter wel Spaans bezit.

In India kreeg Engeland na de Derde Oorlog om de Carnatic ook voet aan wal ten koste van Frankrijk. Dit vormde het begin van de Britse koloniale heerschappij over gebieden in India.

De door de Engelsen in de Slag om Manilla veroverde steden Manilla en Cavite kwamen weer in Spaanse handen.

Externe links
  Yale Law School: Avalon project Treaty of Paris 1763
  L'association Frontenac-Amériques Le Traité de Paris du 10 février 1763

Heilige Roomse Rijk
Parijs 1763
Geschiedenis van Canada
Geschiedenis van Frankrijk
Geschiedenis van Quebec
Zevenjarige Oorlog (1756-1763)
Parijs 1763
Geschiedenis van Parijs
1763

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Can America find its way back to truth and consensus?
The Examiner
J. Martin Kerr, Independence
In the early 1990s I heard a new voice on local talk radio. He was ill informed, mocking, sarcastic, cruel and at times racist. He was viciously ad hominem rather than logically critical. When he referred to Chelsea Clinton as a "dog face," I turned off and thought Rush Limbaugh was destined for the dustbin of radio history.
Little I knew about the trajectory of far-right outrage and disinformation in America, and its minions soon to come with right-wing hate radio, Fox News and a tsunami of social media outlets purveying lies and conspiracies as patriotic creed.
Today we are awash in these conspiracies, half-truths and profound untruths. QAnon, COVID as hoax, Bill Gates' vaccine implants, huge tax breaks for billionaires help the poor, face masks as liberal tyranny, certified elections (by all 50 states) are rigged, global warming as hoax and most recently renewable energy as the cause of blackouts. We have witnessed a cult of personality eclipsing the democratic process.
For four decades, the right-wing propaganda machine, which would make Joseph Goebbels blush, has preached one consistent message: Liberalism/Democrats are an existential threat to all that is good and decent in America, something to be destroyed, not just electorally defeated. Ideas and policy are irrelevant. Thus, the demonization of the left has been a fait accompli. As we are told by our former "great leader," any voice in opposition, such as a free press, is fake and the "enemy of the people."
Lincoln cautioned us that a nation divided cannot stand. Neither can a nation half-delusional and misinformed, and the other half informed or at least intent on seeking truth. Of course we all are entitled to our opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts or "alternative facts."
I fear for our great republic and its frailty as a self-governing system. Are the institutions of civil and public society, the press, courts, separate branches of government, public schools, religion, and our history for 240 years, sufficient to withstand this antidemocratic assault? History tells us that only we – "We the People" – can preserve and protect our great experiment in self-government. Our elected officials and leaders are only as good as we make them be.
George Orwell told us 70 years ago that for democracy to work there need be a "consensus reality … for the necessary minimum of agreement to be reached." A common denominator of truth based on facts and reality recognized by society as a whole or at least a dominant majority of that society is an absolute for society to arbitrate events and to govern themselves as a democracy. That is why one of the first victims of authoritarian regimes is the truth.
Will we meet this challenge to restore us to a workable, honest, cooperative and respectful people, willing to strive for the truth in our lives, seek the general welfare and participate in democracy? All great civilizations, including a few republics, have had their day. Have we had ours?
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Kelly Smith, from Coloma, Michigan, is quite a prolific writer. She's written for magazines, online, and is working on a novel. She's also a teacher with some great tips!
I recently signed up to teach a beginner's quilting class at The Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph, MI. I wrote up my instructions and decided to have a friend be my guinea pig and test them out. My friend is an experienced quilter and didn't need some of the nitty-gritty step-by-step instructions. Still, we did not accomplish as much as I thought we would.
That experience led me to modify my approach somewhat. I hope these tips are helpful to you next time you teach someone to quilt, or to make a new quilting pattern they haven't tried before.
1. Allow plenty of time.
If you can complete the task in five minutes, allow fifteen for a beginner. If you have a large class it can take time for the new quilters to catch up to the others and you want to make sure everyone has learned one task before moving on to the next.
2. Provide detailed instructions, even for common tasks.
Your students may not know how to do many common quilting tasks. For example, when I wrote my first set of instructions, I said, "Make 8 half-square triangles." Upon review I realized that a new quilter would have no idea how to do that. So I had to write instructions for it and include those in the class notes.
3. Use correct terminology, but go easy on the jargon.
Like every hobby, quilting has its own language. There are many words and phrases that you just don't use much (or at all) in everyday life if you are not a quilter. Fat quarter, rotary cutter, scant quarter inch – these are all mysterious words to the non-quilter or new quilter. When you use them, make sure to explain them.
4. Have a sample of each step in the process.
Of course you'll have a sample of the finished product, whether that is a specific pattern, or a quilted item made using the technique you're teaching, but you also want to make samples of each step along the way. For example, if you're teaching how to do fusible appliqué, have some shapes traced onto the fusible, some pressed to the back of the fabric, and some fused onto the background fabric. You might also want some that have already been stitched down.
5. Pack everything you could possibly need.
As I prepared for my class I kept thinking of additional tools I could bring that would help my students work more efficiently or more precisely. Some things I don't normally pack, but which I thought would be helpful were: a ruby beholder for demonstrating value and a Teflon pressing sheet for the fusible appliqué. New students probably will not own these things, but you can suggest them and if they decide to continue quilting, they might want to invest in them.
6. Allow for student questions and feedback during and after the class.
Allow enough time during each segment of the class for people to ask questions. Give the students leeway to ask anything. If they are new to quilting remind them that there are no quilt police and there is no such thing as a stupid question. As for feedback, encourage students to rate you (either in person or anonymously) so that you can improve as a teacher.
Mistakes happen, and it's not the end of the world. Often a "mistake" in quilting can be resolved in a way that makes the finished product even better. For example, my friend somehow managed to sew a pucker into the center of a sunflower she was appliquéing. Instead of taking it apart (which is always demoralizing!), I suggested she stuff the flower center so the little pleat would look intentional as the flower center puffed up. She liked that idea and it worked well.
8. Encourage students to experiment.
9. Be patient and cheer them on.
In every class there will be some people with a bit more experience or who catch on more quickly. There will be people who want to move beyond the basics and go their own way. Do your best to inspire these people by showing them more advanced patterns or techniques they could try, or allowing them to make a small sample where they experiment with techniques. Knowing that there is someone nearby to ask questions of can embolden some students and before you know it, they're off doing their own thing and creating beautiful art.
Kelly Smith is the author of Open Your Heart with Quilting: Mastering Life Through Love of the Patches (Dreamtime Publishing 2008).
She also writes about quilting for Examiner.com, and was published in Quilter's Home magazine's November 2008 issue. You can read her blog at http://www.redheadedquilter.com.
I put her book on my wish list! Thanks, Caron!
Great article. I am currently volunteering teaching 13 year olds how to quilt. We are making a miniture seasonal quilt and I was going to use steam a seam to help with the applique. Your hint about the applique sheet was right on, I got right up and packed it in my supplies. Thanks for saving me from a glue disaster. I am offering a free quilting poster on my website, http://www.beginners-quilting.com. I have found it saves me ton of time.


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Sarah Johnson Teen Killer Murders Her Parents In Idaho
November 19, 2019 Female Teen Killer 6 Comments
1 Sarah Johnson 2021 Information
2 Sarah Johnson Other News
3 Sarah Johnson Photos
Sarah Johnson was sixteen years old when she was charged with her parents murders. According to court documents Sarah Johnson would fatally shoot her mother who was sleeping in her bed and would then fatally shoot her father who was in a bathroom nearby. At trial prosecutors would point to a wealth of DNA evidence in order to convict her. Sarah Johnson would deny that she had anything to do with her parents murders and continues to fight her conviction. The judge would sentence the teen killer to two life terms and she remains in a Idaho prison
Sarah Johnson 2021 Information
POCATELLO WOMAN'S CORRECTIONAL CENTER, UNIT 2
Sarah Johnson Other News
The Idaho Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a Blaine County woman who was convicted of killing her parents while still a teen in 2003.
Sarah Marie Johnson was sentenced to life without parole in 2005 for fatally shooting her father, 46-year-old Alan Johnson, and mother, 52-year-old Diane Johnson. At the time, prosecutors said Johnson killed her parents after fighting with them over her relationship with an older man.
In a ruling handed down Friday, the Idaho Supreme Court said Johnson's two fixed life sentences don't violate the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment, which bars cruel and unusual punishment.×
The unanimous court agreed that two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings forbid mandatory life sentences for juveniles. But they said those rulings didn't impact Johnson's case because the sentencing judge considered her age — 16 years old — as a mitigating factor before sentencing her to life in prison.
That's because the U.S. Supreme Court rulings left it up to states to decide how to enforce the constitutional restrictions on juvenile sentences, essentially requiring that a judge consider the juvenile offender's youth and attendant characteristics before determining that life without parole is appropriate, the Idaho Supreme Court found.
The trial court in Johnson's case held a hearing to determine whether the crime was one that "reflected the transient immaturity of youth," Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Burdick wrote in Friday's ruling. That hearing was the sentencing hearing, Burdick wrote, during which experts testified about the developmental state of an adolescent's brain, among other things. The trial judge also made specific references to Johnson's youth during the sentencing, showing that it was weighed against the heinous nature of her crimes, the high court found.
That's enough to satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Supreme Court rulings, Burdick wrote.
"We recognize the holdings in Miller and Montgomery apply to Idaho, but affirm the district court's ruling that the substantive requirement in those cases — that the sentencing court holds a hearing that considers the youth of the offender — was met," Burdick wrote.
The Idaho Supreme Court also found that Johnson isn't entitled to have new testing run on DNA samples collected after the murders, and that claims that her attorney was ineffective during an earlier post-conviction appeal aren't a sufficient reason to justify a second post-conviction appeal.
Sarah Johnson Photos
Murder Of Diane And Alan Johnson
Sarah Johnson 2020 Update
Sarah Johnson is currently incarcerated at the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center in Idaho
Sarah Johnson Release Date
Sarah Johnson is serving life without parole
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Tags: Female Teen Killers, Idaho, sarah johnson, Teen Killer
This is how I know that Sarah Marie Johnson is not guilty of the murders of her Parents,Alan Scott Johnson & Diane Marie Johnson.
Alan was 6 feet 6 inches tall & Sarah is only 5 feet 2 inches tall,meaning that she was too short to shoot him in the chest by shooting from straight across,while standing flat on the ground.
The actual shooter in this case is Christopher Kevin Hill,who is 6 feet tall,he shot Alan from straight across,while standing flat on the ground,all that he had to do,after he shot Diane,who was sleeping in bed,was aim the rifle straight across at his chest & then with 1 pull of the trigger,he shot him in the chest from staight across.
If she wanted to shoot Alan in the chest,while standing flat on the ground,then Sarah would have had to aim the rifle in the direction of the bullet going up,in order to do that,before pulling the trigger.
If she wanted to shoot Alan in the chest from straight across,then she would have had to stand on either a stool or a stepladder in order to do that & there was no sign of either a stool or a stepladder being placed next to where Diane was sleeping,before she was shot,proving that Christopher Kevin Hill shot them to death & not Sarah.
Although she has always been a model prisoner,Sarah was constantly being abused by the guards at the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center,ever since she first arrived there,back in 2005.
There are multiple ways that Sarah was constantly being abused by those mean guards,like,for some examples,they would slap away at her face,they would pin her against those walls,they would put a wet sponge,with soap suds on it,into her mouth & they would also intentionally infest her cell with bugs,like ants & cockroaches,prompting her to have to stand on the bed,only to keep them from getting onto her feet.
I understand that there is a reason why you might have been pointing the finger at Sarah,regarding those murders,however,if that's the case,then now you need to know that you are pointing the finger at the wrong source.
Sarah didn't do it,she did not pull the trigger,in fact,she never even touched the murder weapon,plus,she never even saw the murder weapon.
You now have to point the finger at Christopher,because it was him,who shot them to death.
On the Morning of September 2,2003,Christopher took the rifle from the guesthouse,that the Johnson Family owned,then he entered the Johnson Family home,while the front door,at their home,was left unlocked,then he shot Diane,who was asleep in bed & then he shot Alan,who was coming out of the shower.
Sarah was awakened by the first shot & then after hearing a second shot,she got down onto the floor to hide behind her bed,to avoid being seen & shot to death,by Christopher & a few minutes later,she got up from the floor,walked slowly to her Parents' bedroom & saw that they were shot to death,prompting her to run out of the house & over to the neighbors' house in a panic.
Sarah had no idea that while she was hiding behind her bed,Christopher grabbed the robe to clean up the blood that was on the floor,next to where Diane was sleeping & that he placed those 3 knives onto the floor & that he tried to hide the murder weapon from the police & that he tried to throw out both the robe & the separate gloves & this,at least,partly explains how she was framed for those murders.
Christopher also got his fingerprints & DNA all over the crime scene,on the Morning of those murders.
If you're wondering why Christopher Kevin Hill shot Alan & Diane to death,then,I can answer that,they told him that he would have to pay them $20,000.00 in rent on the guesthouse,that they owned,with their warning being that if he didn't pay them,by September 2,2003,then they would evict him from the guesthouse & this made him angry,so he falsely told them that he will see them,on the Morning,of September 2,2003,to pay the rent,without telling them that this is the day that he planned on murdering them,because he didn't want to pay them that much in rent.
Alan was obviously taking a shower to prepare himself for when Christopher shows up & he did show up,however,he only showed up to shoot him & Diane to death,instead of paying them the rent.
Now I understand that this other guy named Mel Speegle was out of town,on the Morning of those murders & that it was his rifle that was used in those murders & he was wealthy enough that he was able to afford to pay the rent,on the guesthouse,however,Christopher,who he shared the guesthouse with,didn't want to pay too much in rent,on the guesthouse,especially after Alan & Diane told him that they would evict him from the guesthouse,if he didn't pay the rent & he decided that he would rather murder them,than pay the rent,on the guesthouse,meaning that his motives were his refusal to pay the rent & their threat to evict him from the guesthouse,if he didn't pay the rent.
On another note,if you're wondering why those guards at the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center have constantly been abusing Sarah,then,I can answer that,when she first arrived there,back in 2005,she immediately provided hospitality to her fellow inmates,just by being nice to them & the guards became so jealous,that they started abusing her.
Sarah was always a productive member of society,before she was mistakenly arrested for those murders & so am I.
Sarah is like the Daughter of Jesus,while Christopher is like the Son of Satan & I am very angry that Sarah is incarcerated,instead of Christopher,because it's like if the hen is locked up in a cage,instead of the fox & the system really stole her life.
Sarah will need to be released from this torture chamber called the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center,right now,before those mean guards go right back to abusing her & before it escalates into either Rape,Murder or Rape & then Murder.
Right after she is released from prison,the system owes Sarah a major apology for stealing her life.
I have an idea on what the police can do to get Christopher Kevin Hill to confess to those murders.
To get it started,an officer can go undercover by dressing up like a regular citizen & meet up with Christopher,wherever he would like & while going by any name that he would like,while also wearing a wire,hidden under his outfit.
When the officer meets up with Christopher,he would be pretending that he want to form a bond with him.
What the officer would want to know about from Christopher is why he shot Alan & Diane to death & his answer will be that he owed them $20,000.00 in rent on the guesthouse that they owned & that they were threatening to evict him from the guesthouse,if he didn't pay the rent & this made him angry,so he falsely told them that he will see them,on the Morning,of September 2,2003,to pay the rent,without telling them that this is the day that he planned on murdering them,because he didn't want to pay them that much in rent & then on the Morning of September 2,2003,he carried out his plan by shooting both of them to death.
After the police get this confession from Christopher,they would then be able to arrest him for those murders.
Angela Vazquez
All her DNA was on the murder weapon forensics is a beautiful thing.
Hey,I Already Said About How I Know That An Innocent Woman Is Mistakenly Incarcerated In Idaho,Check Out The Details,Once Again & You Will See How.
How Much Longer Will The Abuse Last?
Sarah Marie Johnson Will Need To Be Released Anyway,Because Of The Ongoing Pandemic,Allowing Her To Keep Safe From The Coronavirus.
If They Don't Get Her Out Of There In Time,Then She Will Get The Coronavirus.
Here's Sara's case, clipped from an episode of Corrupt Crimes:
Sara Johnson, 16 Year Old Killer (8m:15s)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=M7_8XL0Tkjo
https://invidio.us/watch?v=M7_8XL0Tkjo
Msandra
You sound so stupid… you would've been better off saying the boyfriend did it


This review gave us 10 out of 10 on Reevo. "We both enjoyed our stay at Amber, my wife is disabled and managed very well in the cottage finding the lift and rise chair helpful, as this is what lets most holiday cottages down, the shower in the wet room was superb with plenty of space. We both enjoyed peace & quiet at basin howe, with lovely gardens and the sculptures amazing. We will return as there is so much to do in the area a week is never enough.
Our 5th visit to your amazing cottages. Another great relaxing holiday, we can't believe it's been so long between visits. We're coming back next Spring. A big thank you for all your care and friendship. Sunday lunch at the Grapes was very good, had a great family day at the Playdale Farm All the animals had space and was very clean, lots for children to do. A good visit to Bridlington on a sunny 16 degree day, end of October making sandcastles! Enjoyed walks with George in the forest so near. Many thanks.
Great accommodation had a lovely week, Jenna enjoyed her walks, had nice weather, we got out and about Eden Camp, Castle Howard, Scarborough, Whitby. We would come back again.
A wonderful quiet spot for real relaxation and rest. Superb sunsets while we stayed were our highlight! Facilities are as good as they look and seem on the website. Thank you for our short stay.
Our second stay, lovely cottage in a peaceful setting and even the weather was kind to us! Hope to return in the future. Thank you.
A good place for a holiday - spacious, well equipped with comfortable furniture, planning/execution to make it disabled friendly made it very suitable for me in my wheelchair and we have enjoyed staying here.
Once again a great holiday in a perfect, peaceful setting. Thank you Heather & Richard for making our stay perfect. Amber Cottage fits our needs - from the wet room to the new rise & recliner chair, such a bonus! See you next year!


Thanks so much for checking out my blog today. The idea that you are reading by choice along with me is kind of an introvert's hallelujah. What we read says a lot about us. What I read can feel very personal sometimes, and other times it's just a great a thrill to share a newly discovered or rediscovered nugget of solid gold. I love to share the wealth! Here on the blog, I have had fun bringing other voices I appreciate and blogs I read to you recently as a way of exposing my influences, which is a bit vulnerable for me. But this is #31daysoffrailty and I would be remiss if I skipped over how reading feeds my life.
Disclaimer: I don't know how to write about reading. It's sacred ground. For frailty's sake and for you, I'll just have to write about it badly. Thanks for the grace you extend in bearing that burden. It'll be over quick!
Reading is an immensely important part of my day every day. I read to know what I think, grow my perspective, to be lifted from ignorance, and to encounter God. Oh, sure, I read for decadent entertainment, too! But like most people I don't have tons of time to myself so I choose what I'm reading usually from a compelling need the read will feed.
Here are some of my special book friends and why I adore them embarrassingly much. I'll take several days to give these little book bites, just to prolong the fun, but the ones in this picture are some true treasures. It would be such a rush if you would name at least one of your own book crushes in the comments below. Go ahead, be frail.
Desiring God by John Piper. If you read back a bit to the summer, you will know that Piper is a theologian I highly esteem. What I need when I crawl into these pages is the certainty of faith, high intellect, and an experience of the life of Jesus painted in long brush strokes. And no one (human) does it better. That said, I am still wading through this book, sampling it in morsels because I want it never to be over. Even when I am not reading it, it's near.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. How's that for a contrast in literary tastes? I was flabbergasted, too, with how much I loved this series. Good and evil and every twisted incarnation of both, thrown together with a love triangle. I just can't even. I've read the last book in the series twice and I expect I will go back to it again before the final installment comes to theaters this year. I think I love this story because triumph and failure do feel bloody and passionate in real life too, so it's satisfying to experience them that way in print.
Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg. Although I always loved to read, it wasn't until grief confounded me (my mother's death) that I started looking to books for things I couldn't get from people. Like a chain smoker, I went book to book to book and this was one of the stories that held my heart when people couldn't. I'll ever be grateful for this bit of tangible grace and pray I never have to live it.
And on that cheery note….it's your turn. What are you reading? And why are you reading it?
I just finished Ms. Understood and LOVED it…I cant get enough of Jen Hatmaker! I am currently reading Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko mostly because I really like his sermons and want to read about the journey the Lord took him on when he lost his little daughter.
Oh and I totally love that you mentioned the Hunger Games!! I cant get enough of those books! I think I may just start the whole series again tonight! SO good!
OOOOhhh, more titles to add! You've heard of Goodreads, right? The reader's Pinterest….
I'm a psychology professor. With that, students hand me books to read all of the time proclaiming that this book or that changed their life and that I'll love it forever. I'm reading Still Alice (again) because I find the story to be beautiful. The Rosie Effect is on my nightstand too — mostly for comical effect.
I have not read Still Alice, but I think it's one of those books I will find the right moment to open. Worth it? Looks like it will rip my heart out, so I'm hesitant. Let me tell you, when I read Looking For Alaska (John Green) I was ruined. I mean, it was such a great book (I thought) but such a train wreck of a story. I have to pace myself. Thanks for weighing in!
Some wonderfully worded sentences Lynne . I love words and books therefore. John pipers book is on my list to read.
I'm reading Emily Freeman Simply Tuesday . I understand I should read more fiction so looking into this with a book from the library : Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel . This year on a daily basis I read Savor by Shauna am loving the psychology wrapped in the meaning of this daily .


Fine assembly work calls for safety gloves that provide not only reliable protection, but freedom of movement and fingertip sensitivity as well. The Ejendals Tegera 875 Palm Dipped Precision Work Gloves are made from lightweight Lycra and nylon materials, and palm-dipped with nitrile for excellent water and oil resistance.
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News ► Nendoroid Riku Figure Now Available for Pre-Order!
Last month, Good Smile Company announced a new line of Kingdom Hearts Nendoroid Figures, starting with Sora. Now, they've unveiled the next figure in the series: KH1 Riku.
The Nendoroid figure is available for pre-order on AitaiKuji for $40 USD. Each order with them will come with a free gift, just like the Sora figure.
I love Riku so much. His little happy face. Also the fact that he comes with Oblivion pleases me to no end.
I love that he comes with two wooden swords and Oblivion.
That prop they used for the last frame hit me with the feels.
I like that he comes with toys for his friends. I thought I had seen a photo of Sora's Nendoroid with one, but maybe it was just from when this one was announced. He had the paopu. These will be mineee.
God these are so good. Forget about funko pops! Nendoroid's where it's at!
Yes to all of this. Such adorable face, such a smile. Such, beauty.
But aside from that, Oblivioooon!
Nendoroids are much higher quality in both detail and overall appearance, I agree. Only difference is you pay about 2-3 times the cost of a Funko Pop for one Nendoroid, but hey, you're definitely getting your money's worth!


n the information below is a list of the hotels in San Pedro de Atacama that we offer for reservations. The rates are in single and double room in US dollars. Also some hostels listed for cheaper options of lodging. For more information click in each hotel to see it in details.


The carnival route is flooded with police who have been given expansion of powers due to the threat of violence.
This article is part of the Smartphone Channel. Follow this Channel to get all the latest news and engage with a passionate community.
In recent years the huge event of Notting Hill carnival has been marred by outbreaks of violence and criminal activity. As such, the carnival route is set to be flooded with police who have this year, been given extra powers to stop and search any individual in attendance without the need for probable cause.
A Section 60 order has been put in place for the protection of those intending to enjoy the London-based carnival. This order allows police to stop and search people without reasonable suspicion, meaning that they do not have to justify stopping somebody.
Metropolitan Police officials state that this will send a clear message of intent to anybody who may be intending to cause disruption at the Carnival.
According to the Guardian, the police will enacting a zero tolerance policy and will be on high alert for those seeking to commit crimes. However, this Section 60 order is highly controversial, as critics claim that it can be directed largely at African-Caribean people and encourage racial profiling by the police. In addition, commentators argue that the order gives police too much power and hands officers license to interpret the power subjectively, leading them to treat people in any manner they chose.
Police chiefs have justified their issuing of the Section 60 order as part of a massive security operation which is aiming to keep the one million people expected to attend the Carnival safe. Senior officials within the Metropolitan Police have indicated that they have received worrying intelligence in recent days, leading them to believe that there is a high threat of violence breaking-out over the two day period. Whilst the Met have not stated for certain if the extra powers will still be in place tomorrow for the Carnival's second day, it is thought that this is highly likely, largely because the second day is expected to be the louder and busier of the two rather than today's children's day.
There has been a particularly violent build-up to this year's event. In the past two days, there have been five separate shootings occur in the capital whilst another man was stabbed to death on Saturday night in Deptford. This year, the rate of violent crime has risen in London, with the number of killings even surpassing that of New York in February. The number of young people carrying weapons on their person has also become a huge concern with London's Mayor, Sadiq Khan, issuing a number of public campaigns urging young people to stop carrying knives.
BBC notes that the police have also put in place so-called 'knife arches' at strategic intervals along the route which are designed to detect whether people are carrying a concealed weapon. The officer in charge of this massive security operation, Commander Dave Musker, has stated that "the intelligence picture and incidents of violence" which the Met has been dealt with recently have put the officers on high-alert for potential outbreaks of violence and crime as the vibrant carnival carries on along its route through London.


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Revisiting The Master's Message to the Brahmins
In November 1881 – 138 years ago – H. P. Blavatsky received from her Guru, the Indian Mahatma known as "M.", a message intended for A. P. Sinnett to pass on to the Hindu Brahmins who comprised the Prayag Theosophical Society in Allahabad, India.
The letter, transcribed by HPB at Dehradun, was very firm in tone and strong and direct in content. We reproduce the main part of it here:
"The 'Brothers' desire me to inform one and all of you, natives, that unless a man is prepared to become a thorough theosophist i.e. to do as D. Mavalankar did, – give up entirely caste, his old superstitions and show himself a true reformer (especially in the case of child marriage) he will remain simply a member of the Society with no hope whatever of ever hearing from us. The Society, acting in this directly in accordance with our orders, forces no one to become a theosophist of the IId. [i.e. Second] Section. It is left with himself and at his choice. It is useless for a member to argue 'I am one of a pure life, I am a teetotaller and an abstainer from meat and vice. All my aspirations are for good etc.' and he, at the same time, building by his acts and deeds an impassable barrier on the road between himself and us. What have we, the disciples of the true Arhats, of esoteric Buddhism and of Sang-gyas [i.e. the Tibetan name for Buddha] to do with the Shasters and Orthodox Brahmanism? There are 100 of thousands of Fakirs, Sannyasis and Saddhus leading the most pure lives, and yet being as they are, on the path of error, never having had an opportunity to meet, see or even hear of us. Their forefathers have driven away the followers of the only true philosophy upon earth away from India and now, it is not for the latter to come to them but to them to come to us if they want us. Which of them is ready to become a Buddhist, a Nastika as they call us? None. Those who have believed and followed us have had their reward. Mr Sinnett and Hume are exceptions. Their beliefs are no barrier to us for they have none. They may have had influences around them, bad magnetic emanations the result of drink, Society and promiscuous physical associations (resulting even from shaking hands with impure men) but all this is physical and material impediments which with a little effort we could counteract and even clear away without much detriment to ourselves. Not so with the magnetism and invisible results proceeding from erroneous and sincere beliefs. Faith in the Gods and God, and other superstitions attracts millions of foreign influences, living entities and powerful agents around them, with which we would have to use more than ordinary exercise of power to drive them away. We do not choose to do so. We do not find it either necessary or profitable to lose our time waging war to the unprogressed Planetaries who delight in personating gods and sometimes well known characters who have lived on earth. There are Dhyan-Chohans and "Chohans of Darkness," not what they term devils but imperfect "Intelligences" who have never been born on this or any other earth or sphere no more than the "Dhyan Chohans" have and who will never belong to the "builders of the Universe," the pure Planetary Intelligences, who preside at every Manvantara while the Dark Chohans preside at the Pralayas."
It is quite well known that a few years after HPB passed away, the genuineness and legitimacy of this Mahatma Letter was both privately and publicly denied by several leading Theosophists, most notably Col. Olcott and Annie Besant.
The main instigator behind this denial was, perhaps unsurprisingly, one of those orthodox Brahmins of the Prayag Theosophical Society, named G. N. Chakravarti. He attempted to convince William Q. Judge that the Letter was "a pious fraud" concocted by HPB but Mr Judge strongly disagreed. Besant, however, who began to come under Chakravarti's influence in a serious way from 1893, believed what he told her, as she also believed his claim to be a direct agent and representative of the Masters.
As those who have studied the history of the Theosophical Movement are aware, it was during this initial period of Chakravarti's influence, which extended also to Olcott and others, that the Theosophical Society began its attacks against the late HPB and the then still living WQJ, finally culminating in 1895 in Mr Judge's many supporters and allies declaring their complete independence and autonomy from "The Theosophical Society – Adyar." They became an entirely distinct and independent Theosophical organisation, one quite prominent member of which was Robert Crosbie, who would later go on to found the United Lodge of Theosophists.
The above excerpt from the Master's Letter was published by Mr Judge in the March 1895 issue of his magazine "The Path" under the title "A Mahatma's Message To Some Brahmans." He added:
"Now this is a genuine message from the Master, allowing, of course, for any minor errors in copying. [Note: The extract given above in the present article is the accurate version, published from A. P. Sinnett's papers.] Its philosophical and occult references are furthermore confirmed by the manuscript of part of the third volume of the Secret Doctrine, not yet printed. We know also that Master K.H. informed Mr. Sinnett and others that he was an esoteric Budhist; H.P.B. declared herself a Buddhist; on my asking her in 1875 what could the Master's belief be called she told me they might be designated "pre-Vedic Budhists," but that no one would now admit there was any Buddhism before the Vedas, so I had best think of them as Esoteric Buddhists.
"But I am informed that Mrs. Besant has several times privately stated that in her opinion the letter first above printed was a "forgery or humbug" gotten up by H.P.B. I know that Mr. Chakravarti has said the same thing, because he said it to me in New York. It is for Mrs. Besant to deny the correctness of my information as to what she said: she can affirm her belief in the genuineness of the letter. If she does so, we shall all be glad to know. If she merely denies that she ever impugned it, then it will be necessary for her to say affirmatively what is her belief, for silence will be assent to its genuineness. I affirm that it is from one of the Masters, and that, if it be shown to be a fraud, then all of H.P.B.'s claims of connection with and teaching from the Master must fall to the ground. It is now time that this important point be cleared up."
A few months later, in June 1895, Mr Judge published a related article, titled "H. S. Olcott vs. H. P. B." extracts from which are here quoted:
"In the April Theosophist Col. Olcott makes public what we have long known to be his private opinion – a private opinion hinted at through the pages of Old Diary Leaves, – that H.P.B. was a fraud, a medium, and a forger of bogus messages from the Masters. This final ingrate's blow is delivered in a Postscript to the magazine for which the presses were stopped. The hurry was so great that he could not wait another month before hurling the last handful of mud at his spiritual and material benefactor, our departed H.P.B. . . .
"Col. Olcott "stops the press" and rushes off the Postscript, "for the honor of the Masters." He wishes to defend those Masters, who sent H.P.B. as their messenger, by declaring that she "cooked up," forged, and humbugged with, a long and important message to Brahmans at Allahabad in 1881. The Colonel is H.P.B.'s first Western disciple, ignorant to this day of practical occultism and not able to propound a question to the Masters; never heard of Masters except through H.P.B. He now preserves the honor of Masters by blackening the character of their messenger. Splendid defence, this, of the Masters!
"How does he explain the long silence of the Masters since 1881 on the subject? And another very pertinent question is this: How does this "defender of the Masters" explain his own silence in 1881 and since? He was present when the message was sent and knew of it. If he knew then that it was bogus why did he not divulge? If he did not know then, was it because he was unable to tell? If he has since been told by one of the Masters – a la Besant in the Judge case – will he kindly let us know which of the Masters told him, and when?
". . . he has attempted to classify H.P.B. with frauds, forgers and mediums. Hence the Masters who sent her are put by him in similar categories. Observe that the forgery now alleged by him was at the very time H.P.B. was giving out from the Masters the series of messages which have become known to all. If we believe him, then the delivery by this irresponsible medium of one false message must throw doubt on every message. . . . Olcott does not like the one in question because he lives in India, and it is too gallingly true. . . .
"The message condemns bigotry. The persons to whom it was sent were then of the most theologically bigoted families. They were wondering, like Pharisees, how it was possible that the Mahatmas could communicate with a beef-eating, wine-drinking Sinnett and not with them, who took no such things and never shook hands. To these very points, to their superstitions, to their upholding idolatry, to the horrors of caste, the letter adverts. The whole letter rings true and strong. . . .
"If for a moment we accept this view of H.P.B. put forward by Olcott then there is, as she published herself, no certainty about any message. Who is to decide? If she hoodwinked with one message, all may be the same – bogus – and the great force and strength derived from a firm belief in Masters will be swept away, because she, their first messenger to us, is made out a fraud. All this is precisely what Olcott et al wish to do. He cannot tolerate the idea that H.P.B. was greater than himself, so he throws around her memory the dirty cloak of tricky and irresponsible mediumship. That done, anything can be explained and anything accounted for. . . .
"Now let the next and the next come on, so that we may have the lines clearly drawn and the hypocrisies unveiled. . . .
"Mrs. Besant . . . takes up the message from the Master to the Allahabad Brahmans, which Col. Olcott deals with in his April Postscript. She says the message is not genuine, and thus walks beside Col. Olcott in abuse of H.P.B., for everyone with correct information knows that the message came through H.P.B."
Mr Judge was in fact being generous in that article towards his fellow co-founder of the modern Theosophical Movement, Col. Olcott, as he declined to mention that Olcott had gone so far in his Postscript as to strongly suggest and specifically say that at times HPB "was possessed by evil influences," to which he had added, "We know all the weight that such a suggestion carries, and yet repeat it in the full conviction that the discoveries of hypnotic science have already furnished proof of its entire reasonableness."
We do not mean to refer to all this for the sake of purely historical interest. The Theosophical Movement is not something dead and lifeless to be intellectually analysed and coldly dissected by sceptical scholars and so-called "Theosophical Historians."
It is a living thing – one might even say, a living entity and a force in Nature – and those who give any credence to the Theosophical teaching regarding cycles and "Cyclic Impressions and their Return" must surely recognise and accept that events, occurrences, and issues, have a tendency to repeat themselves, albeit never in quite the same form and expression as before, and that causes initiated in the early days of the Movement have still to bear their harvest – if not repeated harvests – of effects.
How many of us, as students of Theosophy, ever stop to think about this or to look at recent and current happenings and influences in the Movement from this perspective and with this principle in mind?
Let us take a look at some of the main points made by the Master in what has become known as the "Prayag Letter":
* One has to earn and deserve the right to come into contact and personal connection with the Masters. Simply being a member of any Theosophical group or organisation does not confer such a privilege, even if the member is of a highly pure life and character. Such a person may still be "building by his acts and deeds an impassable barrier on the road between himself and" the Great Ones.
* If a member knows where to look and what to do, he may endeavour to become "a Theosophist of the Second Section" of the Movement. It is known that HPB stated that the Theosophical Movement consists of three main "sections," the Third being the exoteric and public Theosophical work; the Second being comprised of chelas and lay chelas, i.e. the disciples and lay disciples, probationary and accepted, of the Mahatmas; and the First being the Lodge or Brotherhood of the Mahatmas Themselves. However, no-one is forced or even encouraged to do so.
* Like the Fakirs, Sannyasins and Sadhus, one can be thoroughly devout, consecrated, living a life of self-discipline, self-denial, and self-mastery, engaged in spiritual study, spiritual practice, and spiritual service, and yet even still be "on the path of error." The implication made is that "the only true philosophy upon earth" is something very definite and specific. The Preface of "The Voice of the Silence" makes it apparent that the Trans-Himalayan Esoteric School is distinct and unique from the methods, approach, and systems, of all other Schools of Occult Philosophy. Theosophists of the present day may have noble intentions and high altruistic aspirations. But is it not important for them to make sure that the "Theosophy" they are studying and promulgating is definitely nothing other than or different from that which was given out by these same Mahatmas through the only one They ever called "Our Direct Agent," HPB?
* The Masters will not come to us. We must come to Them, if we wish to know Them, serve Them, and aid Them in Their Great Work. How would one go about doing so? "Those who have believed and followed us have had their reward," says the Master. Do we truly believe the Masters? This is not the same as believing in the Masters. Do we truly follow the Masters, with all that the word "follow" mystically implies? How can we even begin to think that we do so until we give serious, heartfelt, and intellectually honest attention to such matters as –
(1) Who and What are the Masters?
(2) What are the Teachings They have given to the world?
(3) What severed the link between the Masters and the original Theosophical Society?
(4) Does the sacredness and reality of Who and What the Masters are mean that publicising of apparent images or portraits of Them – whether in books, magazines, or on the internet – is inappropriate and disrespectful?
(5) What would be the correct conduct, from the perspective of the Masters and Their principles, in regard to esoteric teachings that may have been given privately and under pledge of secrecy by HPB on Their behalf? Is it appropriate, respectful, and honouring the sacredness of such things, to publicly and openly discuss, refer to, promote, and even publish and sell them?
(6) What is the nature of the relationship between chela and Master?
(7) What vitally important lessons can be learned from the painful yet self-evident fact that all splits and schisms resulting in different "Theosophical Society" groups have been the result, either directly or indirectly, of claims of "Occult Successorship" made by individuals asserting themselves to be the Successor to either HPB or to HPB and WQJ?
* There is "magnetism and invisible results proceeding from erroneous and sincere beliefs." Sincerity and error are not mutually incompatible. An example given, that was particularly applicable to the Hindu Brahmins and still is as applicable to many religionists of many creeds, is belief in God and Gods, which "attracts millions of foreign influences, living entities and powerful agents around" such believers and worshippers.
It must inevitably be the case that "foreign influences, living entities and powerful agents" similarly surround "Theosophical" believers in false Masters and pseudo-entities, for example those invented by C. W. Leadbeater such as the so-called "Lord Christ-Maitreya" (purportedly the Master of all the other Masters, soon to make his "Second Coming") and the anthropomorphic "Planetary Logos" and "Solar Logos." The same would no doubt apply to the Leadbeater/Besant/Bailey reinventions of real Masters, such as their versions of the Master K.H. and Master M., who they present as being subservient to Christ, distinctly pro-Christian and supporting the Christian Church, especially Catholicism. Such statements as this may unfortunately make some students feel uncomfortable but is it not simply an application of the Master's words? We are not to have a merely "Mechanical Theosophy," Mr Judge often advised, but rather to assimilate and make applications to all situations and circumstances of all the Theosophical teachings and principles we have been given.
"All those who do not follow the lines laid down by the Messengers are certain to be misled," wrote Robert Crosbie ("The Friendly Philosopher" p. 36), "Yet the way is clear; the pity of it is that otherwise sincere and devoted persons will not heed the warnings given; will not study, think, and apply what was recorded for them and their guidance."
* There are "unprogressed Planetaries who delight in personating gods and sometimes well known characters who have lived on earth." Anyone who admits the realities of Occultism is aware that there are plenty of entities and influences, of various grades and descriptions, masquerading as "The Masters" and also as HPB. The history of the modern Theosophical Movement clearly shows this, in the many claims that were made and absurdities that occurred within various "Theosophical Society" organisations after the passing of HPB and Mr Judge.
It is not comfortable or pleasant to acknowledge but if we agree that the Masters knew what They were talking about and that the Prayag Letter is genuinely from the Masters, we are bound to acknowledge that there have been – and must of necessity still be – far from savoury influences and entities at work within the Theosophical Movement, unseen save in effect. An occultist will not run or hide from such a fact but will keep it ever in mind when observing events, occurrences, and also individuals and groups.
Reference was made earlier to the severance of the link between the Masters and the original Theosophical Society. Some, primarily members of the Adyar Society, may take issue with this and ask what the basis is for such an assertion.
If acts and facts of historical record were not themselves sufficient, we have the words of the Master K.H. from when the latter informed HPB near the end of her life that under Col. Olcott's influence the Adyar-governed part of the Theosophical Society had unwittingly broken away from the influence of the Masters and become "a soulless corpse" which would be destined to "fall to pieces" after Olcott's death.
Curiously – and to their credit – the Adyar Society's "Theosophical Publishing House" publishes this letter to this very day. Its severe and extremely serious implications, however, seem not to have been considered, neither by that Society nor by some from other Theosophical groups, who now wish to "unite" in various ways with Adyar, as if everything has somehow suddenly become alright and as it should be.
But what can it mean to unite with "a soulless corpse"? Do the Masters use words wastefully or do They say what They mean and mean what They say? Students of Theosophy know from the teachings about the after-death states and processes that a soulless corpse is one which can no longer be revived. In B. P. Wadia's well known statement of resignation from the Adyar Society, titled "To All Fellow Theosophists and Members of the Theosophical Society" he specifically stated that "The Theosophical Society is disloyal to Theosophy" and referred to it as "a soulless corpse," thus echoing the words of the Master. Mr Wadia then associated himself with the United Lodge of Theosophists.
No Theosophical group is exempt or immune from the efforts of undesirable psychic and occult influences. This includes the ULT. The Masters have written of there being special cycles of 100 and 107 years. The year 2009 marked exactly 100 years since the ULT came into being and 2019 marks 100 years since its founder, Robert Crosbie, left this physical plane. The year 2016 was 107 years since the inception of the ULT and 2026 will be 107 years since the time of Mr Crosbie's departure. We would humbly ask therefore that ULT associates in particular re-read and think carefully over this article.
Recalling what HPB's Adept Teacher said in his Letter to the Brahmins, let us pose a question in closing:
Is it at all likely or plausible that the Masters of the Trans-Himalayan School would seek to come together on a basis of "brotherhood," "tolerance," "fraternity," and "unity," with the Hindu Fakirs, Sadhus, and Sannyasis, simply because they are leading a spiritual life and are good people despite promoting philosophies and practices inconsistent with those of the Trans-Himalayan School?
The Masters' words and positions speak for themselves and we have examined these point by point in the above paragraphs.
Perhaps we must be prepared for the legitimacy and genuineness of the Master's Message to the Brahmins to be questioned and denied by some prominent and influential Theosophists once more, more than 100 years on. Ultimately, this can only be a good thing for all, since we all need to know where each other stands in regard to what the Masters, HPB, and Mr Judge called "the original lines," "the original programme," "the original impulse," "the original system," and "the original teachings" . . . "so that we may have the lines clearly drawn and the hypocrisies unveiled."
". . . it is now time that the whole Society should pay a little more attention to the words of those Masters of wisdom who have thus indicated the road, and these are the "original lines" traced out and meant to be followed. All those who do not follow them are those who feel dissatisfied with our work, and those who try to go upon these lines are those who feel and know that help is always given to the sincere Theosophist who ever tries not only to understand the philosophy but also to make it forceful for the proving and the exemplifying of the doctrine and object of Universal Brotherhood." (William Q. Judge, "What The Masters Have Said")
~ BlavatskyTheosophy.com~
SOME ARTICLES RELATED TO POINTS RAISED ABOVE: The REAL Esoteric Buddhism (this shows that the Buddhism referred to in the Prayag Letter is not any of the publicly known forms of Buddhism), Maitreya in the Light of Real Theosophy, Christos – The Christ Principle, The Case against C. W. Leadbeater, Original Theosophy and Later Versions, Tibetan Master or Christian Priest? (Uncovering the real inspiration behind the Alice Bailey Books), B. P. Wadia's Resignation from The Theosophical Society (by B. P. Wadia), The Occult Life of B. P. Wadia, What Does Theosophy Say About God?, Damodar and the Hall of Initiation, The Masters and Madame Blavatsky, The Final Mahatma Letter, Theosophy Undefined?, Blindly Following HPB?, Col. Olcott's Disloyalty to H. P. Blavatsky, Understanding The Importance of Mr Judge, William Q. Judge and The Masters of Wisdom, and Assimilation to The Masters.
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