Sunday, December 15, 2013

Great Zimbabwe and its Birds


Great Zimbabwe is perhaps the most famous stone building of southern Africa. The origin of Great Zimbabwe is relatively uncertain. This castle-like structure was most likely the center of a people that ruled a large area between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers and was the center of great commercial trade. Found around the buildings were stone carvings of birds. The birds have been identified as symbols of the spiritual image of the capital and have become a symbol of Zimbabwe. Because of the importance of Great Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe birds, an image of the bird is on the Zimbabwean flag.

For all you Sherlock Holmes’ fans



If you are fan of the stories of Sherlock Holmes and you find yourself in London, head on down to 221b Baker Street. There you will find a museum dedicated to the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books about the fictional famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. The museum itself is small, but contains various forms of exhibits about the individual crimes solved by Sherlock. The museum is about 3 or 4 stories tall. After you’ve had your fill of the museum. Sit by their fireside and have someone take your picture wearing a deerstalker cap while holding a pipe in the manner of the detective.

November 22nd, 1963



During this past November 22, popular media jointly mourned the 50th anniversary of the death of JFK (and rightfully so). However, JFK was not the only person whom influenced the world to die on that day. C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley both died on November 22nd, 1963. C.S. Lewis was more than just the author of the Chronicles of Narnia, he was a great Christian apologist. He wrote books such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. He was a dear friend of J.R.R. Tolkien. In fact, Lewis was a profound atheist until Tolkien led him to Christianity. During their time as professors at Oxford, they formed a group (which they called The Inklings) with a few other great minds of literature, such as Charles Williams and Owen Barfield. This distinguished group met at a small pub (The Eagle and Child) for many decades. The relationship between Lewis and Tolkien is truly one of the greatest stories in the history of English literature.

A Tolkien Museum



Another article I found in commemoration of the new Hobbit movie talks about a Tolkien museum in Jenins, Switzerland. The Greisenger Museum marks the end of a tour called “In the Footsteps of Tolkien.” The museum contains the world’s largest private collection of Tolkien art, books, and collectibles. It contains 600 paintings and 3500 books. The museum director chose the Alps as the location for this museum partly because the region evokes images of middle-earth. good decision