The Colossal Head Essays (1310 words) - Africa, Egyptology

The Colossal Head The Colossal Head When we think of ancient Egyptian art, we think of deteriorating stone statues, bits and pieces of old architecture, and faded paintings of animals in dark caves and caverns. All of these ancient ruins are part of what shaped Egyptian culture back in the times of Dynasties. Their artwork not only revealed so much of their religion, rituals, and culture, but it also served as a basis for developing and advancing art. The Colossal Head, found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was one of the many early sculptures of Egypt. It came from the late Third or early Fourth Dynasty (2600-2530 B.C.E.). It's no more than two feet high and is made of Red Granite stone. The face of the sculpture has a fleshy, full look to it and most of the features are very blunt, giving it a very healthy, powerful appearance. The eyes are empty as are the eyes of most ancient sculptures so as not to give them any particular focus or expression, and they are styled with regular upper and lower curves, making them semicircular. The mouth is long and fine-lipped which is typical of Fourth Dynasty kings. It curves neither up nor down, showing no emotion whatsoever, creating a very vacant, placid stare. The Seated Statue of Gudea and The Female Head from Uruk are just a couple of other statues with the same empty, expressionless stare. However, the rest of the features of the sculpture and the thick neck are more like images fro m the Third Dynasty. The tops of the ears and the tip of the nose have been broken off either with carelessness or with time, both of which cause the damage of many ancient sculptures. The statue of Senmut with Princess Nefrua is another of the many sculptures that had been broken over time. Although it has not been proven, the sculpture has been identified as King Huni who best fits the style of this image of an early Old Kingdom Pharaoh. This particular sculpture matches the description of so many others, almost like a generic pattern. Nearly every sculpture from the Third and Fourth Dynasties has the bold facial features, the vacant eyes, and the emotionless face. They were never intended to impress, but to simply be a devotion to a higher power or ruler. While each statue is always slightly different than the next, they seem to all fall into the same category and have the same style, always very modest and usually religious. Egypt is a land of dazzling buried treasure and quiet tomb secrets. Only the dead can experience these treasures however, for they were gifts from the living for the afterlife. The Egyptians, like so many other cultures, were polytheistic and firmly believed in life after death. To make the transition from life to death, the Egyptians would bury their dead with some of their favorite items to take with them to the afterlife. Some of these treasures were very extravagant and valuable. It seemed almost as if the afterlife was more important than actually living. They spent their existence preparing for what came next. Whole temples and enormous statues were constructed as dedication to the deceased. The Stepped Pyramid of King Zozer, measuring three hundred ninety-four feet by three hundred sixty feet, was just one of the many pyramids built in honor of a pharaoh or ruler. The term Pharaoh comes from the bible. When we hear this word we think of government, religion, and a way of life. The scriptures used this name to designate rulers in Egypt. It was also used to describe the Great House, the royal palace where all orders affecting the civil and religious life of the Egyptians were issued. Eventually, the king began being referred to as the Great House or Pharaoh and it soon became customary to combine this name with the king's personal name. From then on, Egypt always had a pharaoh ruling over them. By doing this, Egypt had developed one of the first great civilizations that was literate, bureaucratic, and technologically advanced. It centered all it's power and aspirations around a single divine pharaoh who was the master of ceremonies and who

Amish Religious Customs essays

Amish Religious Customs essays In the last few decades, tourists have discovered the Amish. Each year, people travel to places like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, hoping to catch a glimpse of Amish life. From the buggies and the plows, to the simply dressed people, the Amish have become fascinating to the non-Amish. The Amish population is around 140,000 and continues to grow. But who are the Amish and what makes their unique way of life so interesting, and why does the population continue to flourish? What advantages have the Amish found to rejecting traditional American culture, and keeping life so simple? These questions can begin to be answered by studying the Amish history, and how their values, customs and traditions tie into their religion. In the year 1517, a Catholic monk in Germany named Martin Luther, advocated church reform and new doctrines. Several German princes supported him, but government and religion still operated together. A group of Christians in Zurich, Switzerland, believed government and religion should be completely separate. They also believed that Christians should model themselves after the Beatitudes that Jesus of Nazareth discussed in his Sermon on the Mount, which discusses being peacemakers and clean of heart. Another belief was that church members should be baptized as adults, when they have a true commitment to Christianity. So this small group re-baptized each other. This earned them the name Anabaptists, which started out as a nickname meaning re-baptizer (Inge, 2000). Within a few decades, the Anabaptists in northern Europe became known as the Mennonites, named after the Roman Catholic priest Menno Simons. By the late 1600s, the Anabaptists still maintained their goal of remainin g separate from the world, but Jakob Ammann, a Swiss church elder, thought the discipline was not strict enough. His actions and leadership formed a new church. These members were...

Amish Religious Customs essays

Amish Religious Customs essays In the last few decades, tourists have discovered the Amish. Each year, people travel to places like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, hoping to catch a glimpse of Amish life. From the buggies and the plows, to the simply dressed people, the Amish have become fascinating to the non-Amish. The Amish population is around 140,000 and continues to grow. But who are the Amish and what makes their unique way of life so interesting, and why does the population continue to flourish? What advantages have the Amish found to rejecting traditional American culture, and keeping life so simple? These questions can begin to be answered by studying the Amish history, and how their values, customs and traditions tie into their religion. In the year 1517, a Catholic monk in Germany named Martin Luther, advocated church reform and new doctrines. Several German princes supported him, but government and religion still operated together. A group of Christians in Zurich, Switzerland, believed government and religion should be completely separate. They also believed that Christians should model themselves after the Beatitudes that Jesus of Nazareth discussed in his Sermon on the Mount, which discusses being peacemakers and clean of heart. Another belief was that church members should be baptized as adults, when they have a true commitment to Christianity. So this small group re-baptized each other. This earned them the name Anabaptists, which started out as a nickname meaning re-baptizer (Inge, 2000). Within a few decades, the Anabaptists in northern Europe became known as the Mennonites, named after the Roman Catholic priest Menno Simons. By the late 1600s, the Anabaptists still maintained their goal of remainin g separate from the world, but Jakob Ammann, a Swiss church elder, thought the discipline was not strict enough. His actions and leadership formed a new church. These members were...

Amish Religious Customs essays

Amish Religious Customs essays In the last few decades, tourists have discovered the Amish. Each year, people travel to places like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, hoping to catch a glimpse of Amish life. From the buggies and the plows, to the simply dressed people, the Amish have become fascinating to the non-Amish. The Amish population is around 140,000 and continues to grow. But who are the Amish and what makes their unique way of life so interesting, and why does the population continue to flourish? What advantages have the Amish found to rejecting traditional American culture, and keeping life so simple? These questions can begin to be answered by studying the Amish history, and how their values, customs and traditions tie into their religion. In the year 1517, a Catholic monk in Germany named Martin Luther, advocated church reform and new doctrines. Several German princes supported him, but government and religion still operated together. A group of Christians in Zurich, Switzerland, believed government and religion should be completely separate. They also believed that Christians should model themselves after the Beatitudes that Jesus of Nazareth discussed in his Sermon on the Mount, which discusses being peacemakers and clean of heart. Another belief was that church members should be baptized as adults, when they have a true commitment to Christianity. So this small group re-baptized each other. This earned them the name Anabaptists, which started out as a nickname meaning re-baptizer (Inge, 2000). Within a few decades, the Anabaptists in northern Europe became known as the Mennonites, named after the Roman Catholic priest Menno Simons. By the late 1600s, the Anabaptists still maintained their goal of remainin g separate from the world, but Jakob Ammann, a Swiss church elder, thought the discipline was not strict enough. His actions and leadership formed a new church. These members were...

Native American Two-Spirit

Native American Two-Spirit In many Native American communities, the term Two Spirit- sometimes twospirited, depending on the source- is used to refer to indigenous members who fall outside of traditional gender roles. This term is not a substitute for homosexuality; instead, it applies to people who are considered to be a third gender, and typically hold a sacred ceremonial role within their culture. Two Spirit Key Takeaways Two Spirits are Native American or First Nations individuals who identify with both male and female genders.There is some question about the historical context of Two Spirits, because there are hundreds of Native tribes, all of which have their own unique cultural traditions.It is inappropriate for a non-Native individual to use the term Two Spirit to describe themselves. Origins and Definition of the Term Prior to the 1990s, Native people who identified as a third gender were known by the pejorative anthropological term  berdache, which is a non-Native word typically associated with male prostitutes. However, at a Winnipeg conference for gay and lesbian Native Americans in 1990, the term Two Spirit was coined to refer to Natives who define themselves as having both masculine and feminine spirits. Since that time, according to John Leland of the  New York Times, Two-Spirit societies have formed in Montana as well as in Denver, Minnesota, New York State, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Tulsa, and elsewhere, organized around what members assert was once an honored status within nearly every tribe on the continent. Male-bodied Two Spirit people are found in many Native American and First Nations communities. In the past, they fulfilled traditionally male roles, such as fighting in wars and going to historically male activities like sweat lodge ceremonies. However, at the same time, they took on traditionally female tasks as well- cooking, washing, and childcare, for example- and often wore female dress. Author Gabriel Estrada says in Two Spirits,  Ndleeh, and LGBTQ2 Navajo Gaze that while not all indigenous nations have rigid gender roles, among tribes that do, the range includes feminine woman, masculine man, feminine man, and masculine woman. In many Native nations, the Two Spirit person found a role in their community as a shaman, visionary, keeper of oral traditions, matchmaker or marriage counselor, mediator in time of disputes, and caretaker of the vulnerable, such as children, the elderly, or injured warriors. They were often seen as sacred beings, whose dual genders were a gift from the Great Spirit. Historical Accounts We Wha (1849-1896), a Zuni, full length portrait. Photographer  John K. Hillers  /  Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  / Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons During the colonization of North America, indigenous groups were still maintaining their traditions orally; there was no written history among the tribes. However, there was a fair amount of documentation among European invaders, many of whom kept journals of their travels. In California, Don Pedro Fages led a Spanish expedition into the territory during the late eighteenth century. He wrote in his diary of homosexual practices among the indigenous populations he encountered, describing Indian men who, both here and farther inland, are observed in the dress, clothing, and character of women- there being two or three such in each village. In 1722, a French explorer, Claude-Charles Le Roy, also called Bacqueville de La Potherie, described that among the Iroquois, there was an awareness of a third gender in other tribal groups. He said, Perhaps these male Iroquois are so horrified by [doing] women’s work because they have seen among the nations of the south some men who act like women, and give up men’s clothing for those of women. You see this very rarely among the Iroquois and they condemn this way of life by the light of Reason. It is likely that the group he referred to was the Cherokee Nation. A fur trader named Edwin T. Denig spent two decades with the Crow Nation in the early 1800s, and wrote that men who dressed as women and specialized in womens work were accepted and sometimes honored... Most civilized communities recognize but two genders, the masculine and feminine. But strange to say, these people have a neuter. Denig also wrote of a woman who led men into battle and had four wives. It is likely he was referring to a warrior known as Woman Chief. She was adopted by the Crow at age ten, and by all accounts was a tomboy, and only interested in male pursuits. Her adoptive father, whose sons had all been killed, encouraged her, and when he died, she took over his lodge and led men into battle against the Blackfoot. Details of Woman Chiefs exploits were chronicled by traders and other contemporaries, and it was generally acknowledged that she was a Two Spirit. Although the term Two Spirit itself is relatively new, the concept is not. There are numerous tribal-specific names, traditions, and roles among the different Native nations. The Lakota winkte were viewed as people who were neither male nor female, and whose androgyny was an inborn character trait, or the result of a sacred vision. They often occupied a distinct spiritual role in the community, fulfilling ceremonial duties that could not be performed by individuals who were male or only female. The winkte took on roles as seers, medicine people, healers. During times of battle, the visions of a winkte could guide warriors into their fight, and help determine steps taken by war chiefs. Among the Cheyenne, the HÄ“Ä“ mÄÆ'n Ä•h held a similar position. They accompanied warriors into battle and treated wounds after the fighting had ended, and cured the sick during times of peace. Wewha was a Zuni two-spirited person, or lhamana, who lived in the nineteenth century. She performed historically masculine spiritual and judicial roles, such as guiding religious ceremonies and serving as a mediator in disputes. However, she also spent time on traditionally feminine activities- sewing dresses, making pottery, weaving baskets, and other domestic pursuits. Controversy Over Scholarship There is some controversy in the Native community about Two Spirits- not about their existence, but about the modern notion that Native peoples historically described LGBTQ folks as two-spirited and celebrated them as healers and shamans. Mary Annette Pember, who is a journalist and member of the Ojibwe Nation, says that while Two Spirit is some empowering terminology, it also comes with some questionable scholarship. Pember points out that Native culture is based upon oral tradition, and much of what has been decided by anthropologists is based upon the writings of European conquerers, painting all Native tribes with the same brush. She says: [This] conveniently overlook[s] distinct cultural and language differences that Native peoples hold crucial to their identity... Years of colonization and appropriation by European invaders, as well as the well-intentioned religious hegemony that demonized our spirituality and way of life... has made Indian Country much like the rest of rural America in terms of enlightened treatment of LGBTQ folks. In fact, some tribes  have created laws  specifically banning same-sex marriage. Gender-variant individuals have a hard way to go, in and out of Indian Country. Although not all indigenous tribes viewed Two Spirit people the same way, overall it does appear that they were accepted as a perfectly routine part of the community. In general, each individual was judged for their contributions to the tribe, rather than for conformity to rigid gender roles. Two Spirits Today Jean Decay attends the Two-Spirit Pride Party at the Inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration. Chelsea Guglielmino / Getty Images Todays Two Spirit community is actively taking both new and traditional spiritual roles in their various nations. Tony Enos, of  Indian Country Today,  points out that Claiming the role of Two Spirit is to take up the spiritual responsibility that the role traditionally had. Walking the red road, being for the people and our children/youth, and being a guiding force in a good way with a good mind are just some of those responsibilities. He adds that service to the elders and youth of the community is an important part of maintaining the old cultural traditions. Modern Two Spirits publicly embrace the mixture of masculine and feminine within them, and there are Two Spirit societies all over North America. Gatherings, including powwows which are open to the public, are held regularly as a way of not only building community, but also of educating non-Natives about the world of the Two Spirit. Todays Two Spirits are taking on the ceremonial roles of those who came before them, working to facilitate spiritual events in their communities. They also work as activists and healers, and have been instrumental in bringing GLBT health issues to the forefront among the hundreds of Native tribes. By bridging the gap between gender roles and indigenous spirituality, todays Two Spirits are continuing the sacred work of their ancestors. Sources Estrada, Gabriel. â€Å"Two Spirits, Ndleeh, and LGBTQ2 Navajo Gaze.†Ã‚  American Indian Culture and Research Journal, vol. 35, no. 4, 2011, pp. 167–190., doi:10.17953/aicr.35.4.x500172017344j30.Leland, John. â€Å"A Spirit of Belonging, Inside and Out.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Oct. 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/fashion/08SPIRIT.html?_r0.Medicine, Beatrice. â€Å"Directions in Gender Research in American Indian Societies: Two Spirits and Other Categories.†Ã‚  Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, vol. 3, no. 1, 2002, doi:10.9707/2307-0919.1024.Pember, Mary Annette. â€Å"Two Spirit Tradition Far From Ubiquitous Among Tribes.†Ã‚  Rewire.News, Rewire.News, 13 Oct. 2016, rewire.news/article/2016/10/13/two-spirit-tradition-far-ubiquitous-among-tribes/.Smithers, Gregory D. â€Å"Cherokee ‘Two Spirits’: Gender, Ritual, and Spirituality in the Native South.†Ã‚  Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Jo urnal, vol. 12, no. 3, 2014, pp. 626–651., doi:10.1353/eam.2014.0023.

Reforming America 1815-1860 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reforming America 1815-1860 - Essay Example She was a staunch defender of the true message and essence of the Declaration of Independence. As others saw the independence movement as the liberation of the American people from the colonial government and the dominion of great American men in shaping the nation’s early history, women activists such as Girmke were critiques of men’s monopoly over the political affairs of the country. She published her letters in 1838 during the administration of President Martin Van Buren of the Democratic Party. The historical context of her letters was indeed important because the existing federal government supported the policy of slavery in the southern states. Girmke’s letters, in line with the liberal principles of the Abolitionist movements, were justifiable as women were looked down upon not only in terms of political field but also in the society. The collection of Girmke’s letters was addressed to the president of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, Mary S . Parker. In this respect, the prominent activist was addressing her concerns to the whole women population of the American nation who, like her, experienced discrimination and oppression based on gender biases.2 In her first letter to Parker entitled â€Å"The Original Equality of Woman†, she admits that according to the Bible God (Jehovah addressed in her letters) created man as the resident and caretaker of His Paradise. This means that man is superior to all living things including animals, plants and others that dwell in the world. However, the Scriptures tell that the opposite sex is not an inferior being to man. God created woman second to man in this chronological order alone, but never second in God’s favour. Girmke goes on by citing Biblical stories to defend her thesis. She retells the case of Adam and Eve as her example. She argues that Adam and Eve fell into sin and damnation but never from equality. The author admits that it was woman who commits sin firs t and influences man into temptation by following her example of eating from the Tree of Knowledge. Therefore, man and woman worked hand-in-hand in their decline from God’s Word. Inequality and bias towards men would only be justified if Adam had scolded Eve in her succumbing to temptation and ultimately if Adam had persuaded Eve to repent and ask God for forgiveness.3 In her second letter to Parker entitled â€Å"Woman Subject only to God†, Girmke deepens her argument not only with the illegitimate construct of man dominating the woman but also with the thought that woman was never subject to man’s obedience. She argues that before the establishment of a patriarchal society, the Scriptures themselves manifest that woman was created as an independent being, free from the clutches of men.4 Clearly, the examples of Girmke’s letters take evidence from the Scriptures which make her thesis more compelling due to the gravity of the Holy Word. She makes use of B iblical cases that clearly show that from the very beginning, there was no formal or official establishment of a patriarchal society. She makes it clear that God had created man and woman in equal terms and was supposed

Jessica Banks Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jessica Banks Case - Essay Example ame, it has to be understood that Haywards has not said that Banks cannot have access to the data she had generated, and she can still try to get a copy with his consent if she approaches this issue in a more mature way. Secondly, it has to be discussed whether Bank has a right to continue with the research which she has been working on in Haywards lab even after she quit that job and joined in another institution (Bebeau 24). In that case, the contribution of the student and the mentor have to be assessed regarding the generation of the data before a decision is made (Bebeau 24). Also, the spirit of research has always been that of a collective effort (Bebeau 24). Thirdly, it has to be decided how she could maintain her independence and at the same time, her collegiality and her personal integrity regarding this issue (Bebeau 25). Both these interests seem to be mutually conflicting in this particular context Bebeau 25). Here, the major thing is that usually the mentors role has the risk of being undervalued by beginner researchers (Bebeau 25). And also, a researcher needs to have the support of the mentor to pursue a successful career on a long term basis (Bebeau 25-26). Finally, in this part of solving the problem, Banks is faced with another conflict in which she has to decide whether she should fulfill her obligation to respect her mentor at the cost of loosing her research data generated so far or whether she should refuse to obey her mentor and fulfill her perceived obligation to warn other students who have a possibility to be in a similar situation (Bebeau 26). As far as this question is concerned, the basic premise has to be that the mentor should clearly communicate to the students, the legal obligations regarding the research work and the student should also try to learn such matters in the beginning of the research itself (Bebeau 26). In Bebeaus four-part approach, the second aspect of the problem lies in determining who the interested