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M.R. James and his Long, Ghostly Shadows

M.R. James is widely considered to be one of the greatest ghost story writers in the English language. #gothic #ghoststories

M.R. James (1862-1936) is widely considered to be one of the greatest ghost story writers in the English language. James’ stories are characterised by their subtle, understated horror, their attention to historical detail, and their emphasis on the psychological effects of the supernatural on his characters. His work has influenced generations of horror writers, including H.P. Lovecraft, Ramsey…

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What is Time? The Standardisation of Time

The adoption of a single time standard in 1884 brought timekeeping into a new era of simultaneous communication. What is Time? The Standardisation of Time.

The adoption of a single time standard in 1884 brought timekeeping into a new era of simultaneous communication. (This is the ninth post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) The Greenwich Observatory The Royal Observatory at Greenwich, London was established in 1675 by King Charles II and from those first years it has remained a world authority on matters of astronomy,…

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What is Time? The Race for Accuracy

The last 150 years or so have seen the rapid acceleration of technological advance mirrored by the production of ever more accurate clocks. What is Time? The Race for Accuracy. #Time #thesefantasticworlds

The last 150 years or so have seen the rapid acceleration of technological advance mirrored by the production of ever more accurate clocks. (This is the eighth post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) Master and Slave Clocks Master clock No.17 by William Hamilton Shortt, London c.1929 The discovery of electricity was inevitably harnessed by clockmakers. The electric…

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What is Time? Spring-loaded and Fantastic Clocks

Developments from mechanical to finger-ring mounted clocks took only 200 years of refinement and craftsmanship. #whatistime? #historyofclocks #thesefantasticworlds

Developments from mechanical to finger-ring mounted clocks took only 200 years of refinement and craftsmanship. (This is the sixth post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) Mechanical clocks were large and heavy, made of brass or iron and very expensive to build. As interest in them increased and as technical skills developed, it became possible to make smaller…

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What is Time? The Pendulum Clock

Until the middle of the seventeenth century, clocks did not need a minute or seconds hand because they were only broadly accurate to the hour. What is Time? The Pendulum Clock

Until the middle of the seventeenth century, clocks did not need a minute or seconds hand because they were only broadly accurate to the hour. (This is the seventh post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) In 1582 CE, Galileo is thought to have studied the pendulum’s motion after watching a lamp swing in the Cathedral of Pisa. His designs were not completed however,…

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What is Time? Mechanical Clocks

The emergence of mechanical devices started a revolution in timekeeping, removing the reliance on freezing waterclocks or cloud-obstructed sundials. #thesefantasticworlds #history

The emergence of mechanical devices as a means of telling the time was the start of a revolution in timekeeping, relieving the general public from reliance on freezing waterclocks or cloud-obstructed sundials. (This is the fifth post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) Europe emerged from its Dark Ages, with stability and order spread throughout a landmass that had…

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What is Time? Other Simple Clocks

Quick read in the What is Time? thread. Human ingenuity is highlighted by the many different methods used to measure time, before the development of springs and pendulums. #these fantastic worlds #history

Human ingenuity is evidenced by the many different methods used to measure time, before the development of springs and pendulums. (This is the fourth post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) In the Dark Ages of Western Europe, many of the monasteries isolated from the scholarship and learning of the Arabian Peninsula and the Asia practised some very basic methods of…

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What is Time? Waterclocks

Waterclocks represented a step away from reliance on celestial bodies and are still in use today. Know anything about ancient methods of telling time?

Waterclocks represented a step away from reliance on celestial bodies and are still in use today. (This is the third post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) Clepsydra Amenhetep I and inset drawing, both by Borchardt Waterclocks classically have a hole at the bottom or near the base of a vessel which starts the day full, ending it empty. As the Egyptians discovered,…

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What is Time? Sunclocks

What is Time? Sunclocks, The use of the sun to approximate the time is as old as recorded time itself and there are many different methods of using the shadow created by the sun.

The use of the sun to approximate the time is as old as recorded time itself and there are many different methods of using the shadow created by the sun. (This is the second post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) The first measure of the hours was a simple stick. The Babylonians, in the plains surrounding the Euphrates river before 4000 bc, used such a stick, which…

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What is Time? Clocks and Timepieces

The history of clocks is characterised by the determined search of astronomers and mathematicians to measure the passage of time more accurately. #Clocks #history

Any clock must have a steady repetitive action and be able to display the units of its progress. The later history of clocks is characterised by the determined search of astronomers and mathematicians to measure these units more accurately. (This is the first post of Time and Clocks, the thread that follows Time and Calendars.) A Quick history of Clocks Moroccan Klepsydra, a traditional water…

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#clocks

What is Time? Quick Summary of Calendars in History

What is Time? Quick Summary of Calendars in History. Calendars were created and re-formed by civilisations such as the Egyptians, events such as the French Revolution and religions too. Such calendars are based on the observations of the natural year.

Calendars have been created and re-formed by civilisations such as the ancient Egyptians, individual events like the French Revolution and religions like Islam. All such calendars are based on the observations of natural year cycles. Ancient Egypt A 365-year day was used from at least 4000 bc, divided into 12 months of 30 days, plus five extra days. Three groups of four months followed the…

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The Rise of Afrobeat

Afrobeat is a rare example of African music returning to its home, altered by the sounds of black America, recombined with Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian beats. #onetreemanyroots

You might have heard the term Afrobeats (note the ’s’) or Afropop, Afrofusion. That’s today’s music, of Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Wizkid and it’s super sharp, beat-heavy, sample-laden with classy production and smooth vocals, but its soul is derived from Fela Kuti’s 1970s Afrobeat (no ’s’). In our internet-saturated world, full of savvy musicians who listen to everything from everywhere, this is a…

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The Birth of the Blues

At the beating heart of all modern music, the Blues is a universal musical language for all to enjoy its profound, but liberating simplicity.

The first post in One Tree Many Roots checked the black soul of Jazz and its unique place in modern music, this time we look at the beating heart of all popular modern music, the Blues. It’s a universal musical language for those who can’t read music, and has trained the ears of those who can, to enjoy its liberating simplicity. So, where did it come from come from? And what did it do…

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#africa #black american #ragtime #slavery

The Black Soul of Jazz

The Black Soul of Jazz. The mentors of King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and the melting pot of New Orleans. #onetreemanyroots

It’s often said that history is written by the victors, and for Jazz, much like Rock ’n’ Roll, its cousin of the 1950s, it was the black soul of jazz, the work of black musicians popularised by their white counterparts that brought the thrill of this firecracker new music to the attention of the public, the radio and the newspapers in the early 1900s. The Roots of Jazz The beginnings of what…

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#africa #black american #music

110 - Norse Myths 10 - Ragnarok

New episode on @ApplePodcasts @getvurbl @spotifypodcasts @forpodcasters @GooglePlay @Stitcher #mythology. The tenth of Ten Norse Myths. Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods, the destruction of the worlds, the dramatic death duel of light and dark...

https://thesefantasticworlds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/110-Norse-Myths-010-episode-2022.mp3 The tenth of Ten Norse Myths. Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods, the destruction of the worlds, the dramatic death duel of light and dark… Ragnarok. The end of the world had been prophesied from its beginning, and everyone across the world knew what to expect when Ragnarok fell upon them. For…

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#folklore #human condition #Norse Mythology

109 - Norse Myths 09 - The Death of Baldur

New episode on @ApplePodcasts @getvurbl @spotifypodcasts @forpodcasters @GooglePlay @Stitcher the ninth Norse Myth of ten audio reads, brings us to the death of Baldur, one of the most famous laments of Viking legend...

https://thesefantasticworlds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/109-Norse-Myths-09-Baldur-episode-2022.mp3 The ninth Norse Myth of ten, brings us to the death of Baldur, one of the most famous laments of Viking legend… The Death of Baldur. To Odin and Frigga were born twin sons as dissimilar in character and physical appearance as it was possible for two children to be. Hodur, god of darkness, was…

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#folklore #human condition #Norse Mythology

108 - Norse Myths 08 - The Story of the Volsungs

New episode on @ApplePodcasts @getvurbl @spotifypodcasts @forpodcasters @GooglePlay @Stitcher In This eighth Norse Myth of ten, tells of the dynasty of the Volsungs, the heroes of the North, the family of Sigurd, Sigmund and Sigi, born of Odin...

https://thesefantasticworlds.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/108-Norse-Myths-08-episode-2021.mp3 This eighth Norse Myth of ten, tells of the dynasty of the Volsungs, the heroes of the North, the family of Sigurd, Sigmund and Sigi, born of Odin… The Heroes of the Volsungs. The story of the Volsungs begins with Sigi, a son of Odin, a powerful man, and generally respected, until he killed another…

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#folklore #human condition #Norse Mythology

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