The Saga Of Biorn from The Animation Workshop on Vimeo.
Pictish Tattoo Perspectives.
Some of you may of noticed that my blog entries on PICTISH TATTOOING are not visible?
Don’t worry, they are not deleted, when i get around to it they will be updated and revised.
Much more information has come to light and to be honest the findings are exciting! I will try to compile this new information as soon as possible, spending time researching and studying ancient writings is precarious at times, particularly when you have very limited language abilities, Bi or multi-lingual i am not, reading latin, gaelic or olde’ english is confusing, so i am at the mercy of other peoples translations! So, a great deal of comparitive work is being attempted, though some of the sources i have discovered and had shared with me is truly revelatory and paints a compelling picture of Pictish tattoo practices.
To all the nay sayers who would believe that the Picts did not tattoo, hold onto your history it just may well be re-written!
Cheers,
Mike
Red hair & Red shanked.
According to Tacitus ( a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire), Calgacus (sometimes Calgacos or Galgacus) was a chieftain of the Caledonian Confederacy who fought the Roman army of Gnaeus Julius Agricola at the Battle of Mons Graupius in northern Scotland in AD 83 or 84. His name can be as interpreted as Celtic *calg-ac-os, “possessing a blade” or “possessing a penis”.
Not making fun of Galgacus here, just put him in animated, whimsical form, though enough heart to realise he is one serious dude?
Just a thought also, it was the battle of Mons Grapius, where supposedly 30,000 Caledonians against some 17,000 to 30,000 Roman soldiers fought. It was recorded that the Calendonians (PICTS) suffered a great loss? A tremendous defeat? An estimated 10,000 Picts lay dead upon the battle field, as the remianing 20,000 ran for thier lives, all at the hands of just 360 auxiliary troops, for the rest of the legions were not even engaged in the battle?
Hhmmmmm, can we believe such a report? And where were the weapons of mass destruction? hehehehehe! No i think this is wishful thinking on behalf of a senator and a Roman society moving towards Empirical status, just propaganda!
Following this final battle, it was proclaimed that Agricola had finally subdued all the tribes of Britain and the constructing of we have the building of the Antonine Wall in 142Ad and some 20 years later in 122Ad .C the Hadrian Wall as the lines of the Roman frontier withdrew from a tenacious enemy and hardly defeated or broken people.
And if such a solid and no doubt pyschological defeat took place at Mons Grapius, why build a wall in the first place? Why aren’t these walls littering the whole British isles?
I think Rome needed to hear a good report, just as thier leaders good not hear report of thier own legions defeat!
The wall was not a reminder of a defeated people, but of an outpost that the Rome could not take and a people they could not colonise!
Galgacus’ speech maybe fantasy and lends itself to the creation of a noble savage and the reluctant surrender of a people; for the roman elite to imagine over. But, the words in context of a writer torn between two realities rings true all the same!
| “ | Whenever I consider the origin of this war and the necessities of our position, I have a sure confidence that this day, and this union of yours, will be the beginning of freedom to the whole of Britain. To all of us slavery is a thing unknown; there are no lands beyond us, and even the sea is not safe, menaced as we are by a Roman fleet. And thus in war and battle, in which the brave find glory, even the coward will find safety. Former contests, in which, with varying fortune, the Romans were resisted, still left in us a last hope of succour, inasmuch as being the most renowned nation of Britain, dwelling in the very heart of the country, and out of sight of the shores of the conquered, we could keep even our eyes unpolluted by the contagion of slavery. To us who dwell on the uttermost confines of the earth and of freedom, this remote sanctuary of Britain’s glory has up to this time been a defence. Now, however, the furthest limits of Britain are thrown open, and the unknown always passes for the marvellous. But there are no tribes beyond us, nothing indeed but waves and rocks, and the yet more terrible Romans, from whose oppression escape is vainly sought by obedience and submission. Robbers of the world, having by their universal plunder exhausted the land, they rifle the deep. If the enemy be rich, they are rapacious; if he be poor, they lust for dominion; neither the east nor the west has been able to satisfy them. Alone among men they covet with equal eagerness poverty and riches. To robbery, slaughter, plunder, they give the lying name of empire; they make a solitude and call it peace.[1] | ” |
Perhaps this is but the mixed conscience of Tacitus writing in a manner that would both offend and slightly please Roman sensibilities; if it indeed blatantly came from one of romes own?
*And you will notice for the sensitive nature of many women folk, an elaborately woven lap lap covers scotlands greatest weapon…………. for……. “Here’s tae us, Wha’s like us, Damn few. And they’re a’ deid, Mair’s the pity!
( I have taken a fair share of whats written here from WIKIPEDIA. Save me going through books for a wee’ blog entry!)
Animated Goodness.
Why is it, that many of the animated movies that have been created over the past century till now, have the ability to draw the attention of so many in ways that many movies can not? Perhaps it is the meld of childish and mature messages, the colour and movement of pixel and paint that creates emotion and excitement and the drawn line that illuminates fantasy and reality to a willing family audience? in it all we forget our day and reflect on what is nice, good, bad, fun, fantastic or real? Perhaps animated movies reveal more heart, ingenuity, talent and art then other forms of entertainment? What ever the reasons; here are some of my favourites!
STARWARS – Holiday Special.
* There are plenty more, but who wants to scroll down all day long?
Filed under Illustration, Movies
Serpent & Z Rod.
Just knocked off this little pictish ditty the other night and thought i’d share it wid ya’ll?
I designed it primarily for a T-Shirt, i just can not justify paying some big name brand $50 or more for a one colour font based design on a t-shirt, all you become is a walking billboard and you are paying them for the priviledge, crazy!
So i have got into the habit of doing my own t-shirts via redbubble.com when my t-shirt supplies are wearing out!
This print available here<<<
This design is from a stone carving, the design has been entitled by researchers as a SERPENT & Z ROD.
There are a number of versions of the SERPENT or SNAKE & Z ROD, though this one is found in Inverurie Parish and is called the Brandsbut Stone, located in Aberdeenshire .
It is considered a class1 stone and includes writing in Ogham, a written language first developed in Ireland and later used in Scotland. The Brandsbutt Stone was at one time broken in pieces, it was going to be used to build a field dyke, but the pieces have since been put together and such stones treasured more highly. Who knows how many other stones have been lost this way?
A new design, a different form of the Serpent & Z Rod. 7/9/10.
Little Fly.
Esperanza Spalding with a new release, gee i love what this girl does.
Filed under Uncategorized
DOS EQUIS & Kaws.
This DOS EQUIS advertisment in terms of it’s editing, soundtrack and the way they gave it that feel of 1960′s come 70′s oceans eleven appeal; most definitely creates a good piece of marketing, with a flow that is pretty cool indeed!
the artist that appears in it is Kaws, he got a pretty sweet deal out of this and most of the effort does not appear to be on his behalf?
Just a question though??
How did he get the gig and why did they choose him?
….. was the ad’ better then the graphic design and where is the most interesting man in the world?
P.S; I love Dos Equis… its not a bad drop!
and why do i find myself saying more and more “Kunst ist tot”
Filed under Art Criticism, MEDIA
A little bit of Pollock to Rockwell.
What do you get when you cross a
with a
Answer=
Filed under Art, Art Criticism, History
RIO.
This animated movie called ‘Rio’ is yet to be released sometime in 2011. The makers of the ‘Ice Age’ seem busy indeed? 20th Century Fox put out a trailer for Blue Sky’s animated movie which is below.
It intially looks great, but i hear concerns from some Brazilians.. “will it be in Spanish, coz we don’t speak spanish”….. “what lame stereotypes will they hang on us again?”
Lets wait and see huh? Brazil is a complex place, a country supposedly growing economically whilst many wallow in squalor, where favela’s sprawl, violence path its streets and the richer get richer, whilst all clammer for the relief of once a year throwing it all away for carnivale’.
The beauty and granduer that is brazil would make for many a movie and so i wait anxiously for what i hope is an animated jem!
Filed under Uncategorized
