The Rogue's Gallery |
Off The Cuff for PnP Gallery
-contributed by RoseBud
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"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is much more than the familiar holiday song. Traditionally, Christmas festivities end on Christmas Day. People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian year that lasts for twelve days, beginning December 25 and ending January 6, the Day of Epiphany, when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi. During the last half of the sixteenth century, identified as the Elizabethan period, Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. Underground Jesuits wrote "The Twelve Days of Christmas" encoded with secret catechisms that would allow the children to continue their learning, and could be vocalized in public without risk of persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation -- the surface meaning, plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality. "On
the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me" ... "my
true love" is God. ... 1.
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ; the tree itself representing
the cross. Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith: I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; (he descended into hell*); the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I
believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church**, the communion
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen. The Apostles' Creed, the basic creed of reformed churches, is traditionally attributed to the twelve apostles each contributing one clause before setting out on their respective missions. Like most Christian creeds it contains three paragraphs, one for each person of the Trinity. The first paragraph begins, "I believe in God the Father Almighty"; the second begins, "I believe in Jesus Christ"; the third begins, "I believe in the Holy Spirit." These three affirmations correspond to the three questions that were addressed to candidates for baptism in the early church. Until the 15th century, it was believed that the Apostles' Creed was written by the apostles. It is now believed that the title is not because of it's apostolic origin, but rather it's antiquity. It is suggested that each clause of the creed can be traced to New Testament references and that the creed originated very early, perhaps a half-century or so from the last writings of the New Testament. It's immediate ancestor is Old Roman Creed, which is based on a Greek formula of faith dating to the early 2nd century. The first creed so named was adopted at the first Council of Nicaea in AD325 to settle a controversy concerning the persons of the Trinity. It was intended to cover debated questions as to the divinity of Christ, and it introduced the word homoousios (Greek, "of the same substance") to correct the error of the homoiousian ("of like substance") party. To it were added several clauses against Arianism. Popularly known as the Nicene Creed, it is more properly called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan or Constantinopolitan Creed. It is based on a 4th-century creed that was made under the influence of the bishop of Jerusalem, St. Cyril, and edited in a Nicene sense. It is contained in the Ancoratus of St. Epiphanius of Salamis and is traditionally but erroneously attributed to the first Council of Constantinople, which met in 381. Of the 178 words in the original of this second "Nicene Creed," only 33 are positively taken from the creed of AD325. The second creed is received as ecumenical by the Eastern and Roman communions and by the majority of the Reformed churches. It employs the singular form of the words used for expressing assent, "I believe, I hope, I confess." At the Council of Toledo (589), the Western church added the filioque clause and inserted the preposition "in" before the words "one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." In the Book of Common Prayer, the preposition "in" is omitted, and by an accident the word "holy" does not appear; the phrase reads there "I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church." Today it is widely agreed that the Apostles' Creed developed as the baptismal confession of faith. A similar, but not identical, confession appears in the baptismal liturgy contained in The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (215). Similar but various versions are also found in the writings of Irenaeus and Tertullian, in which they are called "rules of faith." A form identical with what is now called the Apostles' Creed did not emerge until the early 8th century, in the writings of St. Pirminius. The Apostles' Creed continues to be used as the baptismal profession of faith in most Western churches; Orthodox churches prefer to use the later Nicene Creed. In Roman Catholic practice, the Apostles' Creed is also recited in the daily offers, before the first and after the last service each day. In most Protestant churches, it is used periodically at Sunday worship. Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists use this affirmation of faith regulary in morning (matins) and evening (evensong) prayer Twelve Points of belief in the Apostles' Creed Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; *Traditional use of this creed includes "he descended into hell" or "he descended into death" **The word "catholic" refers not to the Roman Catholic Church, but to the universal church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fruits of the Spirit Love
"...but the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind, and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself..." Galatians 5:22-23 Back Beatitude: Any of the declarations of blessedness made by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, 7). Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Back There are three versions of the Ten Commandments in the Hebrew scriptures
of the Old Testament. They appear in Exodus 20:2-17; Exodus 34:12-26;
and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Back My resource defines "INDIAN GIVER" as someone who demands the return of an object he was thought to have offered as a gift; thus, a two-faced person. The Smithsonian Institute references this saying to Handbook of American Indians (1907) and ascribes the saying to "an alleged custom among Indians of expecting an equivalent gift or otherwise its return." In 1764 Nathaniel Ames used the term in a letter: "We Americans well know what is meant by an Indian gift -- that is, to make a present but expect more in return than we give." While those may be the traditional credits to origination of the phrase, I agree with and prefer to believe the definitions shared in the following comments from members of Prose'n'Poems Board: "...of course, when I said "Indian Giver" I was referring to an American term we always used as children (meaning if someone gives you a gift, then if they 'take' that gift back, they were coined as an Indian Giver.I always wondered about this term...wondering why that term originated in the first place; since American Indians were honorable people, and were known for 'keeping' their 'WORD' ......yet this term was 'very' commonly used.!! .....as my own personal preference, still chose tah' use the term American Indian for myself. I 'do' state w/ much pride, to say I'm a member of the Cherokee Tribe, thus officially hold dual citizenship as a U.S. Citizen .!!" "My understanding of the phrase 'Indian giver" is that it was not refering to the Indian it was refering to the way the US Goverment was always giving the Indians a section of land and then taking it back. In other words you gave it to me and now you're taking it back just like I was an Indian, hence Indian Giver" "I think you may have gotten me a little fired up with this one - "Indian Giver" ... This term "Indian Giver" evolved into a negative connotation to the "Red Man" - Though it was actually a cut down of the "White Man" ... During the time in which the "Americans" settled this fine nation - There were many, many treaties with the "Indian People" ... These treadles were given to the Red Man as a promise - But then the White Man would break it or take it back or change their mind ...Thus the term "Indian Giver" ..." Thanks to Gem, Pam, and CCB, respectively,for permission to use their comments. Back Forgotten History -- The Trail of Tears (An Addendum to OFF THE CUFF - Indian Giver) In the beginning, the Cherokee believed that the earth was covered with water and that beavers came from the sky to drag the mud from the oceans bottom and bring it to the top. The beavers attached it to the sky and created the land. The "great buzzard" then flew to the ground where he flapped his wings and the valleys and mountains were formed. It was on one of these flights that the "great buzzard" created the land on which the Cherokees lived. The Cherokees had taken to the white man's ways. They were farmers who cultivated the land while living peacefully with those around them. But this was not good enough for some, who envied their land, and others like President Andrew Jackson, whose racial hatred towards the natives drove them to rationalize any excess. In 1829, the Georgia legislature passed laws that would extend its authority over the land of the Cherokees. The Indians were given a choice either the Cherokees could leave the state or they could succumb to white rule. Chief John Ross protested against this unjust policy. He went to President Jackson and asked for federal protection. The Cherokees had signed a treaty with the U.S. government that promised them protection but their protest fell on deaf ears. Jackson not only refused their request but the old Indian hater, who once carried a pouch made from a squaws breast, sent his Secretary of War, Lewis Cass to negotiate a new treaty with a minority faction of the tribe who favored removal. The removal faction was granted $3,000,000 in payment. The treaty had to be ratified by the whole nation so Cass proclaimed that only the pro-removal faction would be eligible to vote. The vote was a sham with only about 4% of the Cherokee nation approving of the treaty. Congress, despite protests from Chief Ross, quickly passed the accord. This set off a tidal wave of land grabbers who plundered the new land often killing the natives in the process. Most of the Cherokees refuse to leave and federal troops under the command of General Winfield Scott were sent in to remove the natives. Their tactics could only be described as genocide. The Cherokees were given no time in which to gather their belongs before they were ordered on a forced march in which 25% of the tribe would perish. Their homes were ransacked as plunderers stole their belongings and then sold them right in front of their eyes. The sellers and the buyers conspired to cheat the Cherokee. The march took place in the middle of the winter as one of the exiles commented: "Looks like maybe all will be dead before we get to new Indian country." The removal took them from their sacred home where the "great buzzard" had come and left them in a land that they knew nothing about. Their land went to speculators and slave owners. The Cherokee were left alone for a while but white settlers would again take their land in the Oklahoma land rush at the end of the century. This injustice haunts our history, reparations have never been made to the Cherokee, maybe it is time they should?
Back Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy
was elected to Congress in 1946. Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960. The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters. Both were particularly concerned with civil rights. Both wives lost their children while living in the White House. Both Presidents were shot on a Friday. Both were shot in the head. Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy. Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln. Both were assassinated by Southerners. Both were succeeded by Southerners. Both successors were named Johnson. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908. John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839. Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939. Both assassins were known by their three names. Both names comprise fifteen letters. Booth ran from the theatre and was caught in a warehouse. Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theatre. Booth and Oswald were both assassinated before their trials. A week before Lincoln was shot he was associated with Monroe, Maryland. A week before Kennedy was shot he was associated with Marilyn Monroe.
Back The title, Poet Laureate, was first used in the days of Edward IV. The title went to an appointed member of the Royal Household for the purpose of writing an ode in celebration of the King's birthday. This practice was later extended to include honoring the Royal Family and other special occasions. The lifelong title was sinecure, providing pay but requiring minimal work. Poet: An imaginative thinker or writer; one skilled in metrical composition Laureate: Honored for excellence; crowned with a wreath of laurel Poet Laureate: A creative writer worthy of the greatest honor At English Universities, when someone received a degree in grammar, inclusive of poetry and rhetoric, they were honored with the distinguished presentation of a wreath of laurel. This symbolic gesture is still used today with the use of laurel sprigs on awards and medals. The title "laureate" applies beyond the literary field, as there are Nobel Laureates, Medical Laureates, etc. So, what is a Poet Laureate? A poet honored for his or her excellence or receiving recognition as most representative of a group. PNP Board has it's own Poets Laureate I am sure you all agree Pam should wear a crown of laurel And so should CeeCeeBee.
Back To accept an idea or buy something without having seen it or being sure of what it is. The poke was a small bag, pouch or pocket ...and the pig was a small pig. As related in Thomas Tusser's Five Hundredth Good Pointes of Husbandrie (1580), the game was to put a cat in the poke and try to palm it off in the market as a pig, persuading the buyer that it would be best not to open the poke because the pig might get away. If the buyer insisted on seeing what he was getting, and the seller opened the poke, he "let the cat out of the bag." The expression was around in the 14th century when the Douce Manuscript offered: "When me proferreth ye pigge, opon the pogh."
Back ... we feel the chill as the lone bugle cries out its tune ... the lump in our throat grows ... our eyes fill with tears ... If you don't know the story behind the song, I think you will be touched by this story of its humble beginnings. I was, and now have an even deeper respect for the familiar tune. Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomachthrough the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment. When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army. The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted. The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate! But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician. The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform. This wish was granted. The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" used at military funerals, was born. (Copied) Back In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on massive bed frames by ropes. When the ropes were pulled, the mattress tightened, making the bed more firm. Hence the phrase "sleep tight". In the nineteenth century this practice was continued, but instead of the mattress being secured by the ropes, the actual frame the mattress rested on was held together by ropes. The same principle applied in that the ropes were pulled or slacked to adjust the firmness of the mattress. Rope beds are credited to Shakers.
Back There are many theories regarding the origination of "honeymoon". This is only one: Over four thousand years ago, it was the accepted practice in Babylon that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his new son-in-law with all the mead (honey beer) he could drink. Their calendar was lunar based, so this period was called the month of honey, or what is commonly known today as the honeymoon.
Back WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE Show your emotions or feelings plainly. It was once a custom for a young man to attach to his sleeve a gift from a young lady he loved, thus displaying his feelings. These tokens of love were often pins fashioned from precious metals into a familiar heart shape, somewhat resembling a small medal. Some were woven from the hair of their loved one. Shakespeare alludes to the practice in Othello, where Iago says: "For when my outward action doth demonstrate The native act and figure of my heart In compliment extern, 'tis not long after But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve." Back Miserable ... really laid low. Every creature is sick occasionally, so why is this analogy given to a dog? The saying apparently originates from the Bible. "As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly." (Proverbs 26:11) "The dog is turned to his own vomit again." (II Peter 2:22) Back Excuse me for uttering a curse word. This clearly English expression alludes to an out-of-place unacceptable word being injected into a conversation, i.e., a word foreign to the conversation. It is thought that "Pardon my French" was used rather than "Pardon my German ... Pardon my Spanish ... etc." because the French were somewhat known for their uninhibited reputation. Back Remain stoic ... maintain one's courage ... do not show emotion in an adverse situation. John Neal used the phrase in Down Easters (1833): "What's the use of boohooin'? ... Keep a stiff upper lip; no bones broke -- don't I know?" The saying derives from the fact that before crying, the upper lip often trembles, so the advice of the expression is to keep the upper lip firm and not weep. Back |
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