Αbsinthe...το πικρόγλυκο δηλητήριο των καλλιτεχνών

Γυρίζοντας από μια έκθεση αφίσας, στο Θησείο, θεώρησα υποχρέωση μου να πιω και ‘γω ένα Absinthe.
Πιο κάτω αφίσες και άλλα διάφορα για το δηλητήριο των καλλιτεχνών, την πράσινη νεράιδα, που σε μια στιγμή γίνετε ξωτικό κακόβουλο και θανατερό!!!

(Absinthe) Αψέντι
Ετυμολογία
αψέντι < γαλλική, absinth(e) + -ι < λατινική, absinthium < αρχαία ελληνική, ἀψίνθιον (ἄψινθος) (αντιδάνειο)
Ποτό υψηλής περιεκτικότητας σε αλκοόλ (55-75% Vol) με πράσινο σμαραγδί χρώμα, το οποίο μετατρέπεται σε λευκό ομιχλώδες όταν αναμιγνύεται με νερό. Είναι απόσταγμα διαφόρων βοτάνων αλλά κυρίως του ARTEMISIA ABSINTHIUM, το οποίο είναι η κύρια πηγή της αμφιλεγόμενης ουσίας θυϊόνη.

Ιστορία
Ο Ιπποκράτης και ο Πυθαγόρας ήταν οι πρώτοι που συνιστούσαν το πικρό αυτό φυτό σαν φάρμακο για πολλές ασθένειες. Ο Γάλλος γιατρός Dr. Pierre Ordinaire, ο οποίος ζούσε στην πόλη Couvet της Ελβετίας, παρασκεύασε το 1792 ένα ελιξίριο από εκχύλισμα του φυτού ARTEMISIA ABSINTHIUM και διαφόρων άλλων βοτάνων, το οποίο καθιερώθηκε ως φάρμακο για κάθε πάθηση. Τότε πήρε και το χαϊδευτικό «Η Πράσινη Νεράιδα» (La Fee Verte).
Ήταν το 1797 όταν ο Henri-Louis Pernod, στον οποίο έφτασε η συνταγή του Dr. Ordinaire, άνοιξε τον πρώτο αποστακτήρα στο Couvet της Ελβετίας. Το 1805 μετακόμισε στο Pontarlier της Γαλλίας ξεκινώντας τη μαζική παραγωγή του πιο γνωστού, πιο αγαπημένου και πιο αμφιλεγόμενου ποτού στην ιστορία.
Χρησιμοποιήθηκε ως φάρμακο κατά του πυρετού από τα Γαλλικά στρατεύματα στον πόλεμο της Αλγερίας (1844-1847). Η επιστροφή των στρατευμάτων μαζί με την προτίμησή τους για το Absinthe βοήθησε στη γρήγορη διάδοση και τη μαζική κατανάλωσή του.
Σήμερα γνωρίζουμε ότι το ενεργό συστατικό στο Absinthe είναι νευροτοξικό. Ειδικότερα, πρόκειται για έναν αναστολέα του γ-αμινοβουτυρικού οξέος. Το μόριο αυτό ρυθμίζοντας τη διέλευση ιόντων χλωρίου στα νευρικά κύτταρα ελέγχει την ενεργότητά τους. Απενεργοποιημένο από την κατανάλωση Absinthe το γ- αμινοβουτυρικό οξύ χάνει τη ρυθμιστική ικανότητά του και τα νευρικά κύτταρα διεγείρονται ανεξέλεγκτα.
H κατανάλωση του ποτού αυτού μπορεί να ενίσχυσε τις επιληπτικές κρίσεις του Βαν Γκογκ αλλά και τη δημιουργικότητά του. Μπορεί επίσης να είχε επίδραση στην ψυχική κατάσταση η οποία τον ώθησε να κόψει το αφτί του... Πάντως εκείνη τη χρονική περίοδο το Absinthe ήταν της μόδας μεταξύ καλλιτεχνών: ο Τουλούζ Λωτρέκ έπινε Absinthe το οποίο μετέφερε σε ένα ειδικά κατασκευασμένο μπαστούνι, ενώ ο Ντεγκά απαθανάτισε τον πότη της πράσινης νεράιδας (Absinthe Drinker).

Το 1859 ο Manet ζωγράφισε τον πρώτο μεγάλο πίνακα με θέμα το Absinthe, με τίτλο “Πότης Absinthe”. Δημιουργήθηκε σκάνδαλο στην έκθεση του 1859, και η επιτροπή αρνήθηκε την έκθεση του έργου.
"Μετά το πρώτο ποτήρι, βλέπεις τα πράγματα όπως θα ήθελες να είναι. Μετά το δεύτερο, βλέπεις τα πράγματα όπως δεν είναι. Τέλος, τα βλέπεις όπως πραγματικά είναι, και αυτό είναι το πιο φρικτό πράγμα στον κόσμο"- Oscar Wilde.
Όταν γνωρίστηκαν, ο Paul Verlaine και ο Arthure Rimbaud μασούλαγαν χασίς και μεθούσαν συνειδητά με Absinthe, λαχταρώντας να υπερβούν τα όρια μιας λογικής που είχε αποδείξει ότι δεν χρησίμευε σε τίποτε.
Το αριστούργημα του Ernest Hemingway “Για ποιόν χτυπάει η καμπάνα ”γράφτηκε υπό την επήρεια της “πράσινης νεράιδας”.Το γεγονός ότι έγινε το αγαπημένο ποτό και η πηγή έμπνευσης πολλών καλλιτεχνών και διανοουμένων -ΜΠΟΕΜ- της εποχής (Van Gogh, Picasso, Manet, Baudelaire, Emil Zola, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, όπως και οι δικοί μας Κώστας Καρυωτάκης και Νίκος Καββαδίας κ.α.) καθιέρωσε το Aabsinthe σαν σύμβολο έμπνευσης, τόλμης και αμφισβήτησης εκτοξεύοντας την κατανάλωσή του στις αρχές του περασμένου αιώνα στα 36 εκατομμύρια γαλόνια το χρόνο, μόνο στη Γαλλία.

Απαγόρευση
Οι περίεργες ιδιότητες / παρενέργειες για τις οποίες κατηγορήθηκε η ουσία Thujone, ήταν η αφορμή για τον ανελέητο πόλεμο εναντίον του Absinthe. Τοξικότητα, εάν καταναλωθεί μεγάλη ποσότητα, εθισμός μετά από μακροχρόνια χρήση, πρόκληση παραισθήσεων και παρανοϊκής συμπεριφοράς ήταν το βασικό κατηγορητήριο. Ας σημειωθεί ότι η θεωρία αυτή στηρίχτηκε κυρίως σε ενδείξεις και εικασίες, αλλά δεν κατάφερε να τεκμηριωθεί επιστημονικά.
Σύμφωνα με πολλούς μελετητές του φαινομένου Absinthe, η πραγματική αιτία του πολέμου και τελικά της απαγόρευσής του ήταν το γεγονός ότι για σχεδόν 30 χρόνια κατείχε μια εντελώς μονοπωλιακή θέση στην αγορά, εκτοπίζοντας ουσιαστικά οποιοδήποτε άλλο αλκοολούχο ποτό καθώς και το κρασί.
Η Αμερική ήταν η πρώτη χώρα που απαγόρευσε την «πράσινη πληγή της Γαλλίας» όπως αποκαλούσαν το Absinthe στις 25 Ιουλίου του 1912. Ακολούθησαν σχεδόν όλες οι χώρες στις οποίες κυκλοφορούσε. Το τελευταίο κάστρο ήταν η Γαλλία όπου απαγορεύτηκε το 1915.
Στη δαιμονοποίηση του Absinthe ήρθε, το 1986, να προστεθεί ένας ακόμη αστικός θρύλος.
Σύμφωνα με την Αποκάλυψη του Ιωάννη, «κατά το τρίτο σάλπισμα, έπεσε από τον ουρανό άστρο μεγάλο σα λαμπάδα στο 1/3 των ποταμών και στις πηγές των νερών. Το όνομα του άστρου είναι αψιθιά. Το ένα τρίτο των νερών έγινε αψιθιά και πολλοί άνθρωποι πέθαναν από το νερό διότι έγινε πικρό».
Στα ουκρανικά, Τσέρνομπιλ ονομάζεται ένα φυτό παρεμφερές με την αψιθιά, η λατινική ονομασία του οποίου είναι Artemisia vulgaris –ενώ της αψιθιάς Artemisia absinthium.
Λεπτομέρεια που παραλείφθηκε όταν οι New York Times δημοσίευσαν ένα σχετικό άρθρο μετά το πυρηνικό ατύχημα, στο οποίο ένας Ρώσος συγγραφέας, το όνομα του οποίου δε δόθηκε στη δημοσιότητα, φερόταν να λέει πως Τσέρνομπιλ στα ουκρανικά σημαίνει αψιθιά, προσφέροντας έδαφος για τη δημιουργία του μύθου.
Πέρασαν σχεδόν 75 χρόνια όπου η «Πράσινη Νεράιδα» πετούσε παράνομα σε πολλές χώρες, αλλά και νόμιμα σε κάποιες άλλες , κυρίως στην Ανατολική Ευρώπη.
Το 1998 με την οδηγία EEC 88/388 Appendix II, η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση καθόρισε τα όρια περιεκτικότητας σε Thujone (10mg / Kg για τα Liqueur και 35mg/Kg για τα Biter spirit) τα οποία καθιστούν το Absinthe νόμιμο.

Αψιθιά (Αρτεμισία, Τραχούρι, Εστραγκόν, Αψέντι)

Αρωματικό φυτό, Artemisia Absinthum γνωστό και ως Γένια του Γέρου ή Απιστία ή αψέντι. Συναντιέται σε ξερά εδάφη και είναι γνωστό από την αρχαιότητα. Είναι μικρό φυτό με όμορφα κίτρινα λουλούδια διατεταγμένα σε στάχυα τα οποία ανθίζουν από τον Ιούλιο έως τον Αύγουστο. Χρησιμοποιούνται οι ανθισμένες κορυφές του, τα φύλλα και οι ρίζες.
Η αψιθιά είναι γνωστή από την εποχή του Ιπποκράτη και θεωρείται ένα από τα πιο αρωματικά φυτά παρόλη την πικρή της γεύση. Στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα την ονόμαζαν Αρτεμισία, ενδεχομένως προς τιμή της Θεάς Αρτέμιδος και την χρησιμοποιούσαν σε περιπτώσεις αμηνόρροιας. Άλλοι λαοί όπως οι Άραβες, οι Αιγύπτιοι, οι Κέλτες την χρησιμοποιούσαν ως ορεξιογόνο.
Κατά τον μεσαίωνα αποδώσανε αρκετές ''μαγικές'' ιδιότητες στην αψιθιά και πίστευαν ότι η ύπαρξή της σε ένα σπίτι το προφυλάσσει από τα από τα κακά πνεύματα. Πίστευαν ακόμη ότι βάζοντας φύλλα αψιθιάς στα παπούτσια μπορείς να περπατήσεις πολλά χιλιόμετρα.
Η αψιθιά χρησιμοποιείται στην παρασκευή και στον αρωματισμό ποτών και διαφόρων λικέρ, στην αρτοποιία, την ζαχαροπλαστική αλλά και στην φαρμακοποιία, . κατά της παχυσαρκίας και του σακχάρου - κατά της αναιμίας - αντιπυρετικό -ανθελμινθικό - αντισηπτικό - εμμηναγωγό - έχει νευροτονωτική δράση - κατάθλιψη - ένταση.
Είναι γνωστό ότι το αψέντι, κρασί αρωματισμένο με αψιθιά, είναι τοξικό για νευρικό σύστημα όταν χρησιμοποιείται υπερβολικά.
Προσεκτική πρέπει να είναι και η χρήση του αφεψήματος της αψιθιάς γιατί μπορεί να προκαλέσει διάφορες διαταραχές όπως πονοκεφάλους, σπασμούς, αποβολή εμβρύου, καρδιολογικές διαταραχές μέχρι και θάνατο.
Η χρήση της στην μαγειρική είναι πιο ασφαλής και είναι προτιμότερο να χρησιμοποιείται φρέσκια και όχι ξερή. Μπορεί να διατηρηθεί αποξηραμένη σε γυάλινα βαζάκια ή ακόμη σε ένα μπουκάλι ξύδι

cocktails με Absinthe

martini drinks
starry night
• 2 1/2 oz. Chocolate Vodka • 1/2 oz. ABSINTHE• 1/2 oz. simple syrup• Crushed chocolate cookie on rim• Garnish = Chinese Star Anise floating• Glassware = Martini GlassIn an iced filled shaker, add the Vodka, ABSINTHE and simple syrup. Shake thoroughly and strain into the chocolate crumbed rim martini glass. Add the Chinese Star Anise

night cat
• 1 oz. ABSINTHE• 1 oz. simple syrup• 1 oz. orange juice• 1 oz. spring water• Garnish = black licorice lace (cat tail)• Glassware = Martini GlassShake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a Martini glass. Add the black Licorice lace. Garnish option = cut a black licorice into a "cats eye"

ABSINTHE martini
• 1.5 oz. ABSINTHE• 2 oz. VodkaShake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a martini glass.
shooters
absinthe minded
This shooter demonstrates the classic method of drinking Absinthe in a modern, less time consuming way. Line up shot glasses, fill halfway with ABSINTHE, shake water and sugar or simple syrup with ice and strain into each glass.Glassware = Shot glass

witch doctor
• 1 part ABSINTHE• 1 part sugared water• 1 part grenadine• 2-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters• Glassware = shot glassIn a shot glass, start with the ABSINTHE then add ice cold water that has been shaken with sugar or simple syrup, this will change the ABSINTHE - now add the grenadine, it will sink to the bottom to form the lower "layer" - next float the dashes of bitters on top to form the top layer.
tall drinks

ABSINTHE and RED BULL®
• 1 1/2 oz. ABSINTHE• Top with Red Bull®• Glassware = Highball glassPour ABSINTHE over ice into the highball. Add Red Bull® to taste.

the mint muse
• 1 1/2 oz. ABSINTHE• 2 oz. Pineapple juice• Muddled mint leaves and lime wedge• Topped with Sprite or 7-Up• Garnish = mint sprigMuddle 6-8 mint leaves with the lime wedge along with the ABSINTHE. Add ice, the 2 oz. of pineapple juice and shake briefly. Top with Sprite or 7-up and add the mint sprig. This name is a play on "The Green Muse"

Classic Style Absinthe Cocktails
Corpse Reviver #2

• 3/4 oz gin• 3/4 oz lemon juice• 3/4 oz Cointreau• 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc• ABSINTHE rinse

Add all of the ingredients except the ABSINTHE into a mixing glass filled with iceShake and strain into a chilled coupe rinsed with ABSINTHEN garnish

Sazerac
• 2 oz rye• 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters• 2 dashes Angostura bitters• 1/2 oz simple syrup or 1 sugar cube• 1/4 oz of ABSINTHEFill a rocks glass with ice and set asideAdd a sugar cube and the bitters to a mixing glass and crush the cube with a muddlerAdd the Rye and ice and stir to chill and dissolve the sugar (20 seconds)Dump the ice out of the rocks glass and rinse with ABSINTHE, discard excessPour the contents of the mixing glass into the ABSINTHE rinsed rocks glassTwist a lemon peel over the surface of the drink and rub around the rimDiscard lemon twist

Chrysanthemum
• 2 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth• 1/4 oz Benedictine• 3 Dashes of ABSINTHEAdd all of the ingredients to a mixing glass filled with iceStir and strain into a chilled coupeGarnish with a twist of orange

'75 Cocktail
• 1 teaspoon of Grenadine• 2 Dashes of ABSINTHE• 2 oz Calvados• 1 oz GinAdd all of the ingredients to a mixing glass filled with iceShake and strain into a chilled coupeNo Garnish
Earnest Hemingway's Death In The Afternoon Cocktail
Pour 1 oz of ABSINTHE into a champange coupe or flute"Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness."

Absinthe Cocktail
Van Gogh Cocktail
• 2 1/4 oz. gin• 3/4 ounce ABSINTHE• 1/4 oz. black currant syrupShake with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Death Over Canal
• 1 oz. Red Hook Rye• 1/2 oz. ABSINTHE• 2 dashes Don’s szechuan bitters• Brut ChampagneStir rye, absinthe, and bitters over cracked ice. Strain into chilled flute. Top with Champagne. Garnish with orange peel.




ΚΙΝΗΜΑΤΟΓΡΑΦΙΚΕΣ ΤΑΙΝΙΕΣ ΜΕ ΑΝΑΦΟΡΕΣ ΣΤΟ ABSINTHE
Van Helsing: Stephen Sommers, 2004
Alfie: Charles Shyer, 2004
EuroTrip: Jeff Schaffer, 2004
Bright Young Things: Stephen Fry, 2003
XXX: Rob Cohen, 2002
Murder by Number: Barbet Schroeder, 2002
Moulin Rouge: Baz Luhrmann, 2001
From Hell: Allen & Albert Hughes, 2001
The Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails: Mark Romanek, 1999
Deceiver: Jonas Pate, Joshua Pate, 1998
Wilde: Brian Gilbert, 1997
Bram Stoker's Dracula: Francis Ford Coppola, 1992
Sleepy Hollow: Tim Burton, 1999
Total Eclipse: Agnieszka Holland, 1995
Pretty Baby: Louis Malle, 1978

Δικτυακό μουσείο για το Absinthe
ιστοτόπος αφιερωμένος Absinthe
ιστότοπος με πολλές φωτογραφίες για το Absinthe
ΑΠΟ ΜΗΧΑΝΗΣ ΘΕΟΣ ιστολόγιο με πολύ καλό post για το Absinthe

Το Absinthe στο λαικό μας τραγούδι

"Φτιάξε εύθυμο φαρμάκι για το γλέντι,

με μισή μεζούρα τζιν και λίγο αψέντι"
Δημήτρης Μητροπάνος

"Αψέντι το φιλί

χαράζει σα γυαλίστα χείλη σου η Ανατολή.

Εικόνες ζωντανέςτου πόθου οι φωνές

όταν με καις

όταν με καις"...

(στίχοι: Κώστας Μπαλαχούτης - "Αψέντι το φιλί")

may the force be with you
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

χειμερινο ηλιοστασιο, WINTER SOLSTICE, YULE, HANUKKAH, MAKAR SANKRANTI

ΑΣΤΡΟΝΟΜΙΚΟΣ ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΜΟΣ

Ηλιοστάσιο ή Τροπή ονομάζονται τα δύο σημεία της εκλειπτικής στα οποία βρίσκεται ο Ήλιος στις 22 Ιουνίου (Θερινό Ηλιοστάσιο) και 22 Δεκεμβρίου (Χειμερινό Ηλιοστάσιο), στα οποία έχει τη μεγαλύτερη και τη μικρότερη απόκλιση του: 23 27' και -23 27', αντίστοιχα. Όταν ο Ήλιος βρίσκεται στα Ηλιοστάσια φαίνεται σα να έχει σταθερή θέση ως προς την απόκλισή του. Εκεί οφείλεται το όνομα "ηλιοστάσιο". Ενώ το όνομα "Τροπή" οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι ο Ήλιος αλλάζει φορά κίνησης, διότι ενώ τις προηγούμενες μέρες πριν το θερινό ηλιοστάσιο, για παράδειγμα, έχει ανοδική πορεία, στις επόμενες του θερινού ηλιοστασίου έχει καθοδική. Η ευθεία που ενώνει τα δύο ηλιοστάσια λέγεται γραμμή των τροπών και είναι κάθετη στη γραμμή των ισημεριών.

ΔΩΔΕΚΑΘΕΙΣΤΕΣ


Η Εκκλησία των Ελλήνων στο θρήσκευμα αποστέλλει,
Θερμές Ευχές σε όλους τους Έλληνες απανταχού της Γης,
για ένα χαρούμενο εορτασμό του Χειμερινού Ηλιοστασίου,
του Τριεσπέρου και του ερχομού του Θεανθρώπου.

Υπενθυμίζουμε ότι ως Έλληνες εορτάζουμε κατά τα Πάτρια Ειωθότα,
το Χειμερινό Ηλιοστάσιο την 10η Φθίνοντος μηνός Ποσειδεώνος (21η Δεκεμβρίου).
Την 7η Φθίνοντος μηνός Ποσειδεώνος (25η Δεκεμβρίου) εορτάζουμε το Τριέσπερον,
προς τιμήν των Πυρφόρων και Ηλιακών Θεοτήτων Ηρακλέους και Ηλίου.

Ευδαιμονείτε και καλωσορίστε τον ερχομό του Θεανθρώπου μας Διονύσου,
που αυτές τις ημέρες έρχεται στον Κόσμο από την σεμνή Μητέρα Του Σεμέλη.

Έρρωσθε

ΠΑΓΑΝΙΣΤΕΣ

ΤΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΕΟΡΤΑΣΜΟΙ ΠΑΓΑΝΙΣΤΙΚΟΙ!

Η 25η Δεκεμβρίου συμπίπτει παραδοσιακά με το χειμερινό ηλιοστάσιο,
δηλαδή με τη νύχτα με τη μεγαλύτερη διάρκεια.
Η επόμενη νύχτα είναι θεωρητικά μικρότερη για κάποια δευτερόλεπτα,
καθώς ο ήλιος ανατέλλει νωρίτερα και δύει αργότερα, ενώ μέχρι την ημερομηνία αυτή συμβαίνει το αντίθετο (λόγω όμως των εκατοντάδων χρόνων που έχουν περάσει από την καθιέρωση της ημερομηνίας αυτής, αυτή δεν είναι πια σωστή, καθώς μετακινείται αργά ¾η ακριβής ημερομηνία του χειμερινού ηλιοστασίου του 1999 είναι το ξημέρωμα της 22ης Δεκεμβρίου).
Όλοι οι πολιτισμοί είχαν καθιερώσει γιορτές για αυτή την ημερομηνία, καθώς πίστευαν πως είναι η μέρα της ανάστασης του ηλιακού θεού.
Η αρχαιότερη απόδειξη της σημαντικότητας της ημερομηνίας αυτής, για τους αρχαίους λαούς, είναι το μεγαλιθικό μνημείο του Newgrange στην Ιρλανδία, το οποίο θεωρείται παλιότερο από τις πυραμίδες και είναι ένα κυκλικό πέτρινο κατασκεύασμα απίστευτης τεχνικής.
Φτιαγμένο, υποτίθεται, από πρωτόγονους, είναι παρόλα αυτά έτσι χτισμένο, που ο κεντρικός του θάλαμος φωτίζεται κάθε χειμερινό ηλιοστάσιο και μόνο. Η ακτίνα του ήλιου περνά μέσα από πολλά μέτρα πέτρας και φωτίζει μια λεκάνη στολισμένη με ηλιακά σύμβολα και σπείρες.
Σήμερα δε γνωρίζουμε ποιο σκοπό εξυπηρετούσε και τον τρόπο με τον οποίο κατασκευάστηκε. Οι Σουμέριοι και οι Μεσοποτάμιοι γιόρταζαν το ηλιοστάσιο σαν την ημέρα της μάχης του Μαρντούκ με τις δυνάμεις του Χάους. Επειδή, μάλιστα, η παράδοση απαιτούσε, την αυτοκτονία του βασιλιά τους για να «μεταφερθεί» στο πλευρό του Μαρντούκ και να τον βοηθήσει, ανακήρυτταν βασιλιά τους για την περίοδο του δωδεκαήμερου κάποιον τυχαίο
και αφού του πρόσφεραν βασιλικές τιμές, τον έσφαζαν τη δωδέκατη μέρα τελετουργικά.
Οι Βαβυλώνιοι και οι Πέρσες εκτελούσαν την ίδια περίοδο παρόμοιους εορτασμούς,
στους οποίους οι άρχοντες και οι δούλοι άλλαζαν τίτλους.
Οι Σκανδιναβοί, που αντιμετώπιζαν νύχτες μεγαλύτερες από 25 ώρες(!), γιόρταζαν το Yuletide, κατά το οποίο οι κυνηγοί έφευγαν στα ψηλά βουνά, για να δουν πρώτοι την επιστροφή του Ήλιου που είχε χαθεί για μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα.
Ο πρώτος που θα την αντίκριζε έφερνε τα καλά νέα στους καταυλισμούς και ήταν επικεφαλής στο πλούσιο γλέντι που διοργανωνόταν στην επιστροφή του.
Στα ίδια μέρη του Βορρά, έδεναν μήλα στα κλαδιά των δέντρων για να υπενθυμίζουν πως η άνοιξη θα γυρίσει, ξεκινώντας ίσως έτσι την παράδοση του χριστουγεννιάτικου δέντρου.
Δεν ήταν μόνο ο Χριστός και ο Μίθρας ηλιακοί θεοί που λέγεται πως γεννήθηκαν τη μέρα αυτή, αλλά και ο Όσιρις, ο Ώρος, ο Διόνυσος, ο Άδωνις, ο Δίας και ο Jupiter, ο Tammuz, ο Ηρακλής και όλοι οι ηλιακοί ημίθεοι.
Η περσική μυστηριακή θρησκεία του Μίθρα, που μέχρι την επίσημη καθιέρωση του χριστιανισμού, ήταν η βασική θρησκεία των Ρωμαίων στρατιωτών, την ονόμαζε «Ημέρα της Γέννησης του Ήλιου».
Οι αρχαίοι Έλληνες και οι Ρωμαίοι γιόρταζαν την περίοδο αυτή τα Σατουρνάλια και τα Κρόνια, τις γιορτές που ήταν αφιερωμένες στο χθόνιο θεό της γης, τον Κρόνο.
Οι εορτάζοντες φώναζαν στους δρόμους «Ιώ Σατουρνάλια!», αντάλλασσαν δώρα και γλυκά και διοργάνωναν γλέντια με φαγητό.
Θεωρούσαν πως η εποχή της κυριαρχίας του Κρόνου ήταν η Χρυσή Εποχή της ζωής,
μια παραδείσια κατάσταση ευδαιμονίας, που την έκλεψε και τη σταμάτησε ο Δίας,
όταν μαχαίρωσε τον Κρόνο για να του αποσπάσει την εξουσία.
Σαν χθόνιος θεός, ο Κρόνος ήταν ταυτόχρονα και θεός του θανάτου και του σκότους.
Έτσι, οι εκδηλώσεις είχαν αρκετά σκοτεινά σημεία.
Σε συνδυασμό με τους εορτασμούς του Βάκχου Διόνυσου που γίνονταν την ίδια εποχή,
πολλοί «μετατρέπονταν» σε σάτυρους και κρατώντας τεράστιους φαλλούς, επιτίθονταν στους περαστικούς με σκοπό να τους τρομοκρατήσουν.
Η υποχρεωτική δωροδοκία ήταν ο κανόνας, για να τους αφήσουν τελικά στην ησυχία τους.
Ο σάτυρος, που μιμούνταν τον Βάκχο, υποδυόταν την εμφάνιση που σήμερα θεωρούμε μορφή του διαβόλου: φορούσε κέρατα, τριχωτά ενδύματα, προβιές και οπλές κατσίκας.
Η «τραγωδία», τα τραγούδια των τράγων δηλαδή, ήταν στην πρώτη τους μορφή μέρη των πρωτόγονων αυτών εορτασμών.
Αν νομίζετε πως τελικά εξαφανίστηκαν με την έλευση του χριστιανισμού,
έχετε μεγάλο λάθος!
Θα σας περιγράψω το τυπικό που ακολουθούσαν πχ. έξω από τη Θεσσαλονίκη, στα Κουφάλια μέχρι πρόσφατα, το 1950: Τις μέρες των Χριστουγέννων, τα παιδιά έπαιρναν ξύλα στα χέρια τους και έβγαιναν στους δρόμους φωνάζοντας «Κόλιεντα!» (Κόλεντα ή Κόλιεντα ονομάζονταν και οι σλάβικες τελετές προς τιμή του Τρίγκλαβ, που σημαίνει Τρικέφαλος). Μετά χτυπούσαν τις πόρτες των σπιτιών και απαιτούσαν φιλοδώρημα, απειλώντας τους σπιτονοικοκύρηδες με το ποιηματάκι αυτό: «Δώσε μπάμπω μια κουρούδα (μπισκότο ή κουλούρι ή γλύκισμα) μη σε βγάλ’ απ’ την καμινούδα (καμινάδα)», που φυσικά συσχετίζεται με την δοξασία πως η καμινάδα κρύβει μια μαγική είσοδο-έξοδο.
Μετά όμως οι μεγαλύτεροι σε ηλικία εκδικούνταν τα παιδιά, καθώς ντύνονταν «καμήλες», φορούσαν κακομούτσουνες στολές με δερμάτινες μάσκες και κουδούνια και τρομοκρατούσαν τα μικρά παιδιά, απαιτώντας χρήματα.
Παρόμοιες παραδόσεις κρατούσαν σε όλη την Ευρώπη σε κάθε τόπο, παραδόσεις που σταμάτησαν ξαφνικά καθώς τα Χριστούγεννα μετατράπηκαν στην αμερικανική έκδοσή τους, που είναι στο μεγαλύτερο μέρος της κατασκευασμένη για εμπορικούς σκοπούς.
Ο Μέγας Κωνσταντίνος, που επέβαλε το χριστιανισμό έχοντας μόνο πολιτικούς σκοπούς,
στην προσπάθειά του να σιγάσει τους εορτασμούς του Μίθρα που συνεχίζονταν κρυφά και μετά την επιβολή του χριστιανισμού, διέταξε το 336 μ.Χ. τον επίσκοπο της Ρώμης, Ιούλιο Α΄, να επιβάλει την 25η Δεκεμβρίου σαν τη μέρα των Χριστουγέννων.
Ο σκοπός του ήταν να «υπεξαιρέσει» τους εορτασμούς των Μιθραϊστών και των υπόλοιπων παγανιστών, επειδή δεν μπορούσε να τους σταματήσει με άλλο τρόπο.
Αν είστε φανατικός χριστιανός και βυθίζεστε κάθε χρόνο στον υπερβατικό εορτασμό της γέννησης του Χριστού, καλό είναι να διατηρείτε και ένα σεβασμό προς το παγανιστικό,
λλά απελευθερωτικό και ευφάνταστο παρελθόν αυτής της περιόδου που παλεύει για την επιβίωσή του και τα καταφέρνει εδώ και χιλιάδες χρόνια…

ΦΑΝΑΤΙΚΟΙ ΑΚΡΟΔΕΞΙΟΙ ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΟΙ

"...Δεν νοιαζόμαστε για εμάς σ' αυτήν την αβεβαιότητα της αυγής , που το τσουχτερό κρύο παραλύει τα δάχτυλα, ώστε να εγκαταλείψουμε τον αγώνα ή να μετανιώσουμε. Νοιαζόμαστε, περισσότερο από ποτέ, να παραμείνουμε πιστοί σ' αυτό που υπήρξε το δίκαιο, και που συνεχίζει να παραμένει ακόμη.

Και το δίκαιο δεν βρίσκεται από την πλευρά των παλιών ψευδαισθήσεων της δημοκρατίας, της δεξιάς ή της αριστεράς, δεν βρίσκεται από την πλευρά του εγγλέζικου κεφαλαίου ή του σοβιετικού τρόμου: το δίκαιο βρίσκεται σ' αυτή την γηραιά γωνιά της Ευρώπης απ' όπου ξεκίνησε εδώ και χιλιάδες χρόνια, ο Λευκός πολιτισμός, κατοικεί στη θέληση ενός κόσμου στον οποίο το δίκαιο και η δύναμη θα βασιλέψουν, αδιαφιλονίκητα, το ένα δίπλα στον άλλο. Είναι στην επανάσταση του 20ου αιώνα". Rombert Brasillach - Χριστούγεννα του 1942 .
Περί την 21ην Δεκεμβρίου εκάστου έτους ζούμε την μεγαλύτερη νύκτα του χρόνου. Ζούμε την στιγμήν της "ΣΤΆΣΕΩΣ" και της τροπής του Ηλίου. Του Φωτοδότη Πατέρα της Λευκής Ράτσας, του Ζωοδότη Πατέρα των Ελλήνων, που λατρεύτηκε με πάθος μέσα στους αιώνες πότε σαν Απόλλωνας Μουσηγέτης, Αλεξίκακος και Εκδικητής και πότε σαν Άη-Γιώργης Τροπαιοφόρος και Δρακοκτόνος προστάτης του Πεζικού μας, κεντημένος με χρυσή κλωστή πάνω στις Τιμημένες Σημαίες των Συνταγμάτων Πεζικού, του Αιματοβαμμένου Πεζικού του Δοξασμένου Στρατού μας. Χειμερινό Ηλιοστάσιο, η ημέρα του Ανίκητου Ηλίου, ο Σωτήρας του κόσμου γεννιέται την στιγμή ακριβώς που στον σκοτεινό ορίζοντα εμφανίζεται το σημείο της Παρθένου.
Χειμερινό Ηλιοστάσιο, ο Σωτήρας του κόσμου, ο Αιώνιος Ήρωας γεννιέται. Το Φώς νικά το σκοτάδι, η ελπίδα ξαναγεννιέται στις καρδιές των ανθρώπων και μία νέα μάχη αρχίζει. Όλα αυτά αποκτούν στις ημέρες μας μια ιδιαίτερη σημασία. Αποκτά η ελπίδα του ήλιου, η ελπίδα της νίκης του φωτός κατά του σκότους μία ιδιαίτερη σημασία μέσα στην απόλυτα σκοτεινή εποχή μας. Στην εποχή μας, όπου ήρωες πια δεν υπάρχουν, όπου κάποιοι γκρίζοι και θλιβεροί τύποι, διακινώντας άχρηστα χαρτιά, που το μοναδικό τους αντίκρισμα είναι η χολή και το μίσος, εξουσιάζουν τους λαούς μας, σκυλεύουν τα ιδανικά μας, λεηλατούν τις ψυχές μας, ευτελίζουν τον πολιτισμό μας, βεβηλώνουν κάθε τι Ιερό και Άγιο αυτού του αιματοβαμμένου τόπου.
Ο τροχός του Ηλίου αρχίζει και πάλι να γυρνά φέρνοντας τον άνθρωπο πιο κοντά στη ζωή, παρά στον θάνατο. Το κακό εξορκίζεται και οι δαιμονικές μορφές απομακρύνονται μακριά από την οργή της ιεράς πυρράς, που καίει στην Εστία κάθε τιμημένης οικίας σε όλην την διάρκεια των Αγίων αυτών ημερών.
Γιορτάζουμε την ημέρα του Ανίκητου Ηλίου, γιορτάζουμε την νίκη του Φωτός κατά του σκότους και αν όλα γύρω μας φαντάζουν σκοτεινά, μια φλόγα καίει στις καρδιές μας και είναι αυτή η φλόγα η μοναδική ελπίδα για το "Αύριο", που έρχεται. Κάποτε θα επιστρέψουμε, θα επιστρέψουμε και η Γη θα τρέμει! "Εμπρός, πάντα εμπρός, μιας Νέας Δόξας ανατέλλει ο καιρός".

ΘΕΟΣΟΦΙΣΤΕΣ

Winter and the Tide of Water - midpoint Oimelc, Festival of Lights, Candlemas

The Winter Solstice represents the Midnight Sun and Solar Power communicating with the human spirit and its drawing in and concentration into the heart of each individual, the incarnation of the spirit, spiritual fire coming down and making intimate contact with the Earth.
The spiritual sub-plane of the Earth Mother is contacted at the Winter Solstice. This contact brings through the highest levels from which the Earth first drew her forces. They include the Logoidal powers which operate at Christmas and the great Pan force which operates at the Winter Solstice. The nativity of Mithra as well as of Jesus.
And with the passing of the Winter Solstice comes the great Cleansing or Water tide. The contact of the Water tide acts upon the emotional body of each one of us. Its action tends to eliminate all those things which prevent the intensity of the feelings, for the action of water may bring about a much wider, broader, comprehensive range of feeling, so that we may learn in time to feel with a blade of grass, with an angel, or with any of God's creatures. Anything that comes between ourselves and the way of personal destiny or service may be swept away by the Water Tide. And because it brings about a gradual expansion of feeling, a broadening of the range of sympathy, it has tended to become associated with emotional discomfort and pain, hence its former alternative title of the Tide of Destruction. It is in fact more a spring cleaning of the soul for the new life to come in at the Vernal Equinox, when a new cycle of life in the initiate's year can be started.
The half point is Oimelc, loosening of winter's grip, new lambs born, ewes in milk, the Feast of Brigit or St. Bride. A popular game played on a chequered board saw an old witch armed with a dragon and a lion doing battle with a fair maiden armed with a lamb and a hail storm, representatives of the Cailleach or Hag of Winter and Brigit the Spring Maiden, for which reason she was later credited with being foster mother of the Christ child. This time also marks the feast of the Purification of Blessed Virgin Mary or her Presentation at the Temple, which took the place of a very ancient Festival of Isis, when little boats bearing candles were set forth upon the waters.
In the Christian year the close of this Tide coincides with the period of Lent, a time of introspection, spiritual preparation, fasting and repentance. The element of renewal is also marked by the Feast of St Matthias on 24th February, who was the disciple elected to replace Judas amongst the twelve. All these teachings have application within the human soul, within ourselves, and so at this time we look to abandon all in which we have fallen short in the past and to take on the new as we seek to enter upon another new year in the cycle of the Elemental Tides.
As one of the inner plane adepti responsible for this teaching recorded: "We who are the Adepts of the Elements and know their actions and work with them, hope and strive to bring you all to a greater realisation and awareness of the action of the forces. So that by co-operating with them you can rejoice and be glad, even in the very midst of conflict and pain. It is a very necessary part of the Aquarian plan. It is not enough that you should accept the actions of the various phases, but you should be able to accept them with gladness and not sorrow. There is a very great deal of difference between acceptance with joy that comes of understanding and the ability to get behind the action, and the one who accepts in ignorance and is swept along blindly by the currents of the forces."

WICCAN & neo-PAGAN

History of Yule

A Festival of Light: Many cultures have winter festivals that are in fact celebrations of light. In addition to Christmas, there's Hannukah with its brightly lit menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, and any number of other holidays. The holiday called Yule takes place on the day of the winter solstice, around December 21. On that day (or close to it), an amazing thing happens in the sky. The earth's axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the sun reaches at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. As a festival of the Sun, the most important part of any Yule celebration is light -- candles, bonfires, and more.

Origins of Yule: In the Northern hemisphere, the winter solstice has been celebrated for millenia. The Norse peoples viewed it as a time for much feasting, merrymaking, and, if the Icelandic sagas are to be believed, a time of sacrifice as well. Traditional customs such as the Yule log, the decorated tree, and wassailing can all be traced back to Norse origins.

Celtic Celebrations of Winter: The Celts of the British Isles celebrated this midwinter holiday as well. Although little is known about the specifics of what they did, many traditions persist. According to the writings of Julius Caesar, this is the time of year in which Druid priests sacrificed a white bull and gathered mistletoe in celebration.
Roman Saturnalia: Few cultures knew how to party like the Romans. Saturnalia was a festival of general merrymaking and debauchery held around the time of the winter solstice. This week-long party was held in honor of the god Saturn, and involved sacrifices, gift-giving, special privileges for slaves, and a lot of feasting. Although this holiday was partly about giving presents, more importantly, it was to honor an agricultural god.

Welcoming the Sun Through the Ages: Four thousand years ago, the Ancient Egyptians took the time to celebrate the daily rebirth of Horus - the god of the Sun. As their culture flourished and spread throughout Mesopotamia, other civilizations decided to get in on the sun-welcoming action. They found that things went really well... until the weather got cooler, and crops began to die. Each year, this cycle of birth, death and rebirth took place, and they began to realize that every year after a period of cold and darkness, the Sun did indeed return.
Winter festivals were also common in Greece and Rome, as well as in the British Isles. When a new religion called Christianity popped up, the new hierarchy had trouble converting the Pagans, and as such, folks didn't want to give up their old holidays. Christian churches were built on old Pagan worship sites, and Pagan symbols were incorporated into the symbolism of Christianity. Within a few centuries, the Christians had everyone worshipping a new holiday celebrated on December 25.
In some traditions of Wicca and Paganism, the Yule celebration comes from the Celtic legend of the battle between the young Oak King and the Holly King. The Oak King, representing the light of the new year, tries each year to usurp the old Holly King, who is the symbol of darkness. Re-enactment of the battle is popular in some Wiccan rituals.

JEWISH

Hanukkah - Jewish Festival of Lights:
Hanukkah (Hanukah / Hanuka / Chanukah) is a festival of lights that is symbolized by the candelabrum known as a menorah. Hanukkah celebrates a lighting miracle when one night's worth of oil lit candles for 8 days. Special foods and gift-giving are also a part of Hanukkah.

Definition: Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Temple in 164 B.C. The Seleucids came to control Judaea in the aftermath of the division of the empire of Alexander the Great. At first the Seleucids let the Jews practice their religion, but eventually a ruler, Antiochus IV, who came to the throne in 176 B.C., reversed the policy of tolerance, and polluted their Temple. Under the Maccabees (aka Hasmoneans), the Jews rebelled and won. They then had to re-consecrate their Temple. There wasn't enough oil to keep the candles lit throughout the night as was required, but by a miracle the oil that should have lasted one day lasted eight days, which was enough time to acquire a new supply, and so the holiday of Hanukkah commemorates this event.
zSB(3,3)
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days beginning with the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.

ΖΩΡΟΑΣΤΡΙΣΤΕΣ

Dies Natalis Solis Invicti :
Mithras was an Iranian Zoroastrian god who was popular with Roman soldiers. Mithras was created by the chief deity, Ahura-Mazda, to save the world. The day of the virgin birth of Mithras was December 25 (the solstice) it was also referred to as Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which means the birthday of the unconquered sun.

ΙΝΔΟΥΙΣΤΕΣ

MAKAR SANKRANTI

The great diversity of Indian religious beliefs is projected through the various festivals that are celebrated in our country. They arise from the innate desire of man to seek diversion from humdrum activities and they help in symbolising, reflecting and enriching social life in a specific cultural setting.
The festival of Makar Sankrant traditionally coincides with the beginning of the Sun's northward journey (the UTTARAYAN) when it enters the sign of Makar (the CAPRICORN). It falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Solar Calendar. This day has a very special significance because the day and night on Makar Sankrant are of exactly of equal hours. This day is celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans and is looked upon as the most auspicious day by the Hindus.
The evidence of this festival being lucky is found in our great epic Mahabharat wherein it is told that the great warrior-hero, Bhishma Pitamaha even after being wounded and lying on the bed of arrows, lingered on till Uttarayan set in, to breathe his last. It is believed that the person who dies on this auspicious day of Sankrant escapes the cycle of birth and re-birth and that his soul mingles with the Almighty.
This festival is celebrated differently in different parts of the country yet the use of til that is sesame is found everywhere. Til or sesame seed contain lot of oil and they therefore have a quality of softness in them. Therefore, firstly the use of til in sweets is good for health and secondly being soft their exchange means exchange of love and tender feelings.
In Maharashtra on the Sankranti day people exchange multi-coloured tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery. Til-polis are offered for lunch and these are specialities of Maharashtra. Maharashtrian women are proud of their excellence in preparing these delicacies. While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill people greet each other saying - "til-gul ghya, god god bola" meaning "accept these tilguls and speak sweet words". The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends. This is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called "Haldi-Kumkoo" and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on that day.
In Gujarat Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. The Gujarati Pundits on this auspicious day grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and philosophy. This festival thus help the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.
In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankrant and which is celebrated as "LOHARI". Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. The following day, which is Sankrant is celebrated as MAGHI. The Punjabi's dance their famous Bhangra dance till they get exhausted. Then they sit down and eat the samptions food that is specially prepared for the occasion.
In Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh this festival of Sankrant is known by the name "SUKARAT" or "SAKARAT" and is celebrated with great pomp merriment accompanied by lot of sweets.
In South Sankrant is known by the name of "PONGAL", which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk, and this festival has more significance than even Diwali. It is very popular particularly amongst farmers. Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee and milk is offered to the family deity after the ritual worship. In essence in the South this Sankrant is a "Puja" (worship) for the Sun God.
In Uttar Pradesh, Sankrant is called "KICHERI". Having bath on this day is regarded as most important. A mass of humanity can be seen bathing in the Sangam at Prayagraj where the rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswathi flow together. At the confluence of these holy rivers every year Kumbh Mela is held for full one month.
In Bengal every year a Mela is held at Ganga Sagar where the river Ganga is believed to have dived into the nether region and vivified the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of King Bhagirath. This mela is attended by a large number of pilgrims from East India.
The tribals in our country start their New Year from the day of Sankrant by lighting bonfires, dancing and eating their particular dishes sitting together. The Bhuya tribals of Orissa have their Maghyatra in which small home-made articles are put for sale.
There is also a fair in the Western Ghats at a place called Shabari Mala, where the temple of the Community Goddess is decorated with dazzling lights. The Goddess is worshipped by touchables and un-touchables both and the "bhog" to the Goddess is cooked in the touchables and un-touchables both. These tribals participate in the Mela and enjoy all together as if they belong to one single family. May be therefore, the experts pine that this festival of Makar Sankrant comes to us from those olden times when the caste system did not exist in India as it emphasises or communal harmony.
Thus we see that this festival occupies a significant place in the cultural history of our country and symbolises the victory of ORDER over CHAOS and of Love over Hate.

OI ΑΘΕΟΙ, ΟΙ ΑΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΙΣΤΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙ ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΟΙ.

THE SOLSTITIAL AND EQUINOCTIAL SEASONS
by Frank R. Zindlergraphics

by Ann E. Zindler

As astronomers reckon time, it happened over four and one-half eons ago. A cloud of cosmic proportions, composed of the dust and gases left over from the wreckage of early stars, condensed and coalesced to form a new star, with its retinue of planets, moons, and comets. That star was our sun, and one of those planets was the earth. As might be expected from a knowledge of its chaotic origin, the solar system that resulted from this reassembly of stardust intermixed with primal matter fell somewhat short of geometric perfection. When all the forces that shaped the early earth had been resolved, they left it spinning on an axis tilted 23.5 degrees away from the perpendicular. Although the points in space to which the north and south poles of that axis aim change slowly over a period of 26,000 years, Earth's orientation in space remains essentially unchanged as it completes any particular revolution about the sun. This means that as the earth orbits the sun , there is a point where its north axial pole is tilted maximally toward the sun (around June 21) and a point where that pole is tilted maximally away from the sun (around December 21).............

.................. At the winter solstice when the north pole is tipped 23.5 degrees away from the sun, an observer moving along with the Northern Hemisphere will spend more time in darkness than in light - for the simple reason that less than half of the Northern Hemisphere is illuminated. At the equinoxes , when the earth's axes are tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, observers all over the planet spend the same amount of time in darkness and in daylight.
Even though the solstices and equinoxes do not mark the motions of a god travelling across the heavens, they do mark the progress of the space-ship we call Earth in its passage through the void. They note the natural pulse of life as it has been evolved, sustained, and carried along the same celestial path for time out of mind. As we pass these four milestones on our annual journey about the life-sustaining fusion-fires of the sun - the only star known that heats the blood of self-conscious beings - we reflect upon our astronomical uniqueness. We appear to be alone, in a universe devoid of plan or purpose. There is no cosmic intelligence that counts how many rides we complete on the merry-go-round whose axle is the sun. Only we can do the counting.We only have each other. For this reason, it is the custom for many as they mark the passage of the solstices and equinoxes to pause for celebration: to celebrate and cherish their fellow travelers, to celebrate the wondrous fact that they are part of the human species - the only species known that can understand and appreciate the implausibility of its own existence.

ΘΑ ΜΠΟΡΟΥΣΑ ΝΑ ΠΑΡΑΘΕΣΩ ΚΑΙ ΑΛΛΕΣ ΔΟΞΑΣΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΟΓΜΑΤΑ ΣΤΑΜΑΤΑΩ ΕΔΩ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΜΕΝΩ ΤΑ ΣΧΟΛΙΑ ΣΑΣ

AWAITING YOUR COMMENTS

may the force be with you
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Space: 1999

ΕΝΑ ΔΙΑΣΤΗΜΙΚΟ ΠΑΡΑΜΥΘΙ, ΠΟΥ ΚΡΑΤΗΣΕ ΛΙΓΟ ΑΛΛΑ ΜΑΣ ΕΚΛΕΨΕ ΤΙΣ ΚΑΡΔΙΕΣ.

ΔΕΝ ΗΤΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΣΟ ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΑ ΤΕΚΜΗΡΙΩΜΕΝΟ, ΑΛΛΑ ΕΙΧΕ ΚΑΛΕΣ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΩΤΟΤΥΠΟ ΣΕΝΑΡΙΟ.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia








Space: 1999 (ITC Entertainment, 1975-77) is a British science-fiction television show about the journey of the occupants of a Moon base after the Moon is knocked out of orbit by a nuclear explosion. The series was the last produced by the partnership of Sylvia and Gerry Anderson, famous for the TV series Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5, and UFO. The Andersons' marriage foundered during production of Space: 1999, and the end of production of the first series marked an end to their working association.
Series overview
Space: 1999 was the first attempt since the demise of Star Trek in 1969 at producing a large-scale weekly science fiction series, and the show drew a great deal of visual inspiration (and technical expertise) from the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The show's special effects director Brian Johnson had in fact previously worked on both Thunderbirds (as Brian Johncock) and 2001.
It was the last in a long line of successful science-fiction series that the Andersons produced as a working partnership, beginning with Supercar in the early Sixties and including the famed marionette fantasy series Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, and Joe 90, as well as the gritty live-action alien-invasion drama UFO. Space: 1999 owes much of the visual design to pre-production work for a never-made second series of UFO which would have featured a more extensive Moonbase. It has since become a cult classic, and is available on DVD.
Special effects, set design, costumes and music
The special effects in the show were highly regarded. The show featured many well designed and intricate scale models including the Eagle and the Moon Buggy, a lunar shuttle. Dozens of models for the various alien spaceships, along with the Mark IX Hawk from the "War Games" episode, were built by model maker Martin Bower, who would later also work on Alien, the 1980 production of Flash Gordon, and Outland. Special effects director Brian Johnson and most of his team went on to work on Ridley Scott's Alien, followed by Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
Costumes for the first season were designed by Rudi Gernreich. The opening credits for the first season featured a dramatic fanfare composed by Barry Gray; it was Gray's final composition for Anderson. The second season was scored by composer Derek Wadsworth.
Unlike the darkly lit sets often used in more modern science fiction, Space 1999's Moonbase Alpha set design was typically bright, white, acrylic and quite unusual among the sci-fi genre. Signage in a space-age font, rarely seen today, was used throughout the sets to create the impression of a computerized environment.


Format
In common with many Lew Grade presentations vying to break the American market, the first season of Space: 1999 used the cold open popular in US action-adventure series followed by an economical title sequence that managed to convey prestige for its two main stars (both separately billed as 'starring'), give the audience some 30 plus fast cut shots of the forthcoming episode and explain the premise - all in just over a minute. The second season eliminated the montage of episode scenes.
Casting and guest appearances
Session musician Jim Sullivan made a cameo appearance in the opening sequence of "The Troubled Spirit"
The headline stars of Space: 1999 were American actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, who were married at the time and had previously appeared together in Mission: Impossible. In an effort to appeal to the huge US television market, perhaps to sell the series to one of the major American networks [1], Landau and Bain were cast at the insistence of Lew Grade against the strong objections of Sylvia Anderson. Also appearing as regular cast members were Barry Morse (as Professor Victor Bergman in the first season) and Catherine Schell (as the alien Maya in the second season). The programme also brought Australian actor Nick Tate to public attention. Over the course of its two series the programme featured guest appearances by many notables including Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Ian McShane, Leo McKern, Patrick Troughton, Sarah Douglas, and Brian Blessed. Roy Dotrice appeared in the first episode as Commissioner Simmonds, and at the end of the episode it appeared that he would be a regular character, however by the second episode the character had vanished without a trace, only to appear midway through the first season in the episode "Earthbound", his only other appearance on the show.
Original broadcast
The series premiered in 1975, although the first episode had actually been filmed in 1973. Live action was filmed at Pinewood Studios and special effects at Bray Studios. There were two seasons of 24 episodes each made by Gerry Anderson for ITC Entertainment. The first season was co-produced by the Italian state broadcaster, RAI. In Britain the series was originally seen on ITV stations but never simulcast nationally.
In the US, efforts to sell the television series to the major networks failed and as a result it was syndicated to local stations. In the months leading to the beginning of the fall (autumn) 1975 television season (in the US, September is traditionally the month in which new TV series begin), Landau and Bain participated in special preview screenings in select cities [2]. Landau is said to have personally contacted editors of the widely read and influential TV Guide magazine in some markets to secure coverage of Space: 1999 in its pages upon learning of ITC's somewhat poor promotional efforts. While most of the US stations which aired Space: 1999 were independent (such as powerful Los Angeles station KHJ-TV, Chicago's WGN-TV and New York's WPIX-TV), a handful were affiliated with the major networks (such as San Francisco's KRON-TV, at the time a strong NBC affiliate) and sometimes pre-empted regular network programming to show episodes of the series; most US stations broadcast the episodes in the weekday evening hour just before prime time or on weekends.

The series was broadcast in 96 countries, mostly from 1975-79. However, in very few countries was it aired in its entirety and without long gaps between first run and rerun or even within first run, and rarely in a coherent episode sequence.
It was shown in Italy as Spazio: 1999, France as Cosmos: 1999, Denmark as Månebase Alpha, Portugal (broadcast in 1976 and 1977, it gathered a vast audience) as Espaço: 1999, Brazil as Espaço: 1999, Germany as Mondbasis Alpha 1, Spain as Espacio: 1999, Sweden as Månbas Alpha 1999, Poland as Kosmos 1999, Finland as Avaruusasema Alfa and in Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico as Odisea 1999. The series was also broadcast in 1976 in South Africa as Alpha 1999, dubbed into Afrikaans by Leephy Atlejees in Johannesburg.
Countries where the show was popular include Ethiopia, South Africa, Turkey, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. One of the first previews of the series was in Australia on the Seven Network in July 1975, but the station later split the first series into two seasons. The second season was shown in 1979.
In the UK, the episodes of the show's second season were shown sporadically over a period of a couple of years, starting in 1976 while the last episodes still in production. In some regions the final first-run episodes appeared in 1978, more than a year after they were produced; in other regions of the UK, the second series was never shown. In many countries, including the US, UK and Germany, individual episodes were cut to reduce the running time.
The series has recently been broadcast on ITV4 and ITV HD in the U.K and on the Portuguese cable channel SIC Radical.
Basic premise
The underlying storyline of Space: 1999 centered on the plight of the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha following a calamity on September 13, 1999 (hence the title). A huge nuclear waste dump on the far side of the Moon detonates in a massive thermonuclear explosion initiated by the build up of magnetic radiation which was released causing a nuclear chain reaction. The force of the explosion causes the Moon to be sent hurtling out of Earth's orbit and into deep space at colossal speed, stranding the 311 crew members, in effect becoming the "spaceship" on which our heroes travel, looking for a new home. During their interstellar journey, the Alphans encounter a vast array of alien civilizations, dystopian societies, and strange phenomena previously unseen by man.
The concept of traveling through space encountering aliens and strange worlds is similar to Star Trek and Lost In Space, although the production's visual aesthetics were heavily influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey. In another nod to Kubrick's epic the first series of Space:1999 tended to explore mystical and metaphysical themes, although the re-vamped second series would centre on more "action-oriented" plots.Space1999 was and still is a series regarded as being made before its time and introducing technology like the communication device (comlock)showing the face of the person you are talking too something that has only been possible to the masses since the introduction of 3G mobile phones.

Series flaws and criticisms
Scientific inaccuracy
Isaac Asimov pointed out that any explosion capable of knocking the Moon out of its orbit would actually blow it apart, and even if it did leave orbit it would take hundreds of years to reach the nearest star.[1]
Harlan Ellison pointed out that any explosion on the far side of the moon capable of knocking it out of its orbit would not send it hurtling off into space, but rather crashing down upon the earth.
The moon would take many thousands of years to reach another star (or planet). The writers introduced various "space warps", including a "Black Sun", to abruptly shift the Moon to another area of space (often with other dramatic effects). The series occasionally implied there being an omnipotent entity controlling the Moon's travel (presumably including the times when they enter planetary orbit and leave again).
Some series writers, including head writer Johnny Byrne, have stated that had the series been totally rooted in actual physics, the Moon would have never left orbit. Some suspension of disbelief -- and physics -- is required for Space: 1999 to work.
Rise and fall of Year 2
Following the departure of Sylvia Anderson after her separation and subsequent divorce from husband Gerry, Fred Freiberger was brought in to help guide the series as producer. Freiberger produced the third and last season of Star Trek and later seasons of The Six Million Dollar Man. Freiberger also produced 8 episodes of the first season of The Wild Wild West (including one in which Martin Landau guest-starred) before being dismissed. (To be fair, other producers that season—Collier Young, John Mantley and Gene Coon—did not last long, either.)
With Freiberger's arrival, numerous changes were made for Year 2. The most visible change was the absence of Professor Bergman (Barry Morse). Morse's departure was due to a salary dispute, but he was glad to leave, and told Anderson: "I would rather play with grown-ups for a while." (Morse 2004, pp. 287-288) With Morse gone, this led to the addition of Catherine Schell as the resident alien Maya. Her character could provide "outside observation of human behavior" as provided by the character of Mr. Spock on Star Trek. Maya shared Spock's logical approach to problem-solving, but differed in that she was a fully emotional person. Most importantly, however, her abilities as a shapeshifter, which allowed her to molecularly transform into any creature for an hour at a time, were designed to add a certain "wow" factor to the newly-revamped series. (Ms. Schell had previously guest starred in the Year 1 episode Guardian of Piri).


In addition to Bergman, Year 1 secondary characters Paul Morrow (Prentis Hancock), David Kano (Clifton Jones) and Tanya Alexander (Suzanne Roquette) also disappeared from the cast (Paul and Tanya's disappearance was explained in the Powys Media book The Forsaken by John Kenneth Muir). Dr. Mathias (Anton Phillips) was present in the first two Year 2 episodes, was mentioned in the third episode, and then also disappeared without a trace. His character was initially replaced by Dr. Ben Vincent (Jeffrey Kissoon), and by Dr. Raul Nunez (Raul Newey) for one episode, but towards the end of the season, the role of Dr. Russell's colleague in Medical Center was filled by Dr. Ed Spencer (Sam Dastor). Like Dr. Mathias, Alan Carter (Nick Tate) was also to have been written out of the series, but he had become so popular with fans that he remained. Sandra Benes (Zienia Merton) remained with the series as well, but her name was shortened to "Sahn" and her character was rather minimized in its role, when she did sporadically appear. To make matters more confusing, the novelisations of the second series written by Michael Butterworth had Sahn referred to as an Asian male character. Butterworth didn't realise Sandra and Sahn were the same character.[2]
Along with Maya, Tony Anholt was added to the cast in Year 2 as Security Chief Tony Verdeschi, a character who neither appeared nor was ever mentioned in Year 1. His character was designed to serve primarily as a secondary male action hero, and to provide a romantic interest for Maya.
No on-screen explanations were offered for these cast changes. One scene in The Metamorph mentioning Bergman's death was scripted and filmed, but cut from the final edit. The Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual explains that Bergman died due to a faulty spacesuit, an explanation also mentioned in passing in the Year 2 novel Planets of Peril. Likewise, it was mentioned in the Year 2 Writers' Bible that Morrow and Kano had died in an Eagle crash between seasons, but this backstory was, again, never referred to onscreen. The Technical Manual also explains that Dr. Mathias, supposedly Alpha's psychiatrist (although he seems to be more Russell's assistant) transferred to another section of the base. Once again, this was never stated onscreen.
Other changes included the main titles and theme music. The montage of events from Breakaway and the episode about to unfold featured in Year 1 was dropped in favor of a special-effects sequence depicting the Moon being blown out of orbit into space. With Morse gone, Schell was featured in his place as a regular alongside Landau and Bain, and all three were depicted in action-oriented images as opposed to the mannequin-like stances Landau and Bain had assumed in the Year 1 main titles. New series composer Derek Wadsworth's new theme dropped Barry Gray's alternation between stately, orchestral passages and funky rhythmic ones in favor of a more consistently contemporary piece.
Rudi Gernreich's minimalist costumes were considerably modified from their original unisex design to include an optional skirt for women and much more detail work on the tunic portion, including stripes, patches and photo ID badges. In addition, colorful jackets – generally red, blue or orange – became part of most characters' ensembles. The more expansive Main Mission set, with its balcony and glass windows revealing the lunar surface, was scrapped in favor of a more compact Command Center, supposedly deep underground. (Once again, this change was explained in the Year 2 Writers' Bible and Technical Notebook as necessary for security, but never shared with viewers). The Medical Center and Alphans' living quarters became smaller, while the interior of the Eagle Transporter was updated with additional buttons, flashing lights and viewscreens, while the Eagle also lost a section of corridor between the passenger module and the cockpit. The somber mood created in Year 1 by the effective use of light and shadow in the filming of Moonbase Alpha interiors was abandoned in favor of a generally brighter cinematography, and even the lettering used in signage and costuming—most noticeable on spacesuits and Eagle Transporter doors—changed to a simpler, less futuristic style.
Freiberger emphasized action-adventure in Year 2 stories to the exclusion of metaphysical themes explored in Year 1. Of Year 1, he commented, "They were doing the show as an English show, where there was no story, with the people standing around and talking. In the first show I did, I stressed action as well as character development, along with strong story content, to prove that 1999 could stand up to the American concept of what an action-adventure show should be." (Starlog 40 1980, pp. 58-61) Since Year 1 was quite serious in tone, one of Frieberger's ways to accomplish this objective was to inject humor into Year 2 stories whenever possible, but much of it seemed to fans as forced, especially at the conclusion of an episode, where the Alphans were seen as jovial and light-hearted despite whatever violent or tragic events may have previously befallen them.


Members of the Space: 1999 cast became disenchanted with the scripts. Martin Landau: "They changed it because a bunch of American minds got into the act and they decided to do many things they felt were commercial. Fred Freiberger helped in some respects, but, overall, I don't think he helped the show, I think he brought a much more ordinary, mundane approach to the series." (Starlog 108 1986, pp. 44-47). Under the pseudonym of Charles Woodgrove, Fred Freiberger wrote three episodes, The Rules of Luton, The Beta Cloud and Space Warp, known pejoratively as the "Woodgrove Trilogy" for its simplistic approach to storytelling. One particular episode (All That Glisters, which dealt with the threat of an intelligent rock) was of such allegedly deficient quality that it sparked a confrontation between Freiberger and the cast. Landau disliked the story so strongly that he wrote the following notes on his copy of the script: "All the credibility we're building up is totally forsaken in this script!"; "...Story is told poorly!"; and "The character of Koenig takes a terrible beating in this script — We're all shmucks!" Anholt revealed that, "the more the cast complained about a script's flaws, the more intractable and unyielding Freiberger became."
Year 2 did nevertheless fare admirably on CBC Television in Canada, airing in English in a family viewing period, late Saturday afternoons, with a mostly undisrupted run and rerun of all 24 episodes from September, 1976 through September, 1977. And Year 2 episodes ran in French Canada-wide during the same broadcast year, in early evening on Saturdays. Ratings were sufficient for a full additional year's transmission of Year 1 in the English CBC Saturday programming slot in 1977-1978. Episodes of both Year 1 and Year 2 were repeated regionally in Canada in English and French through the early-to-mid-1980s, to an enthusiastic reception by the general viewing audience. YTV Canada broadcast both seasons with reportedly good ratings in 1990-1992, in a late Saturday afternoon airtime closely matching that of the CBC English network in the 1970s.




Alas, the presentation of Year 2 was not as consistent elsewhere in the world. Some Year 2 episodes did not air in the UK until nearly two years after they were produced. Plans were nevertheless put in place for a third season, including a spin-off series featuring Maya[citation needed], but dropping ratings and a resulting lack of syndication and commercial sponsor sales led to the series' cancellation. Landau later faulted ITC Entertainment president Lew Grade's foray into film production; the projected budget for the third season was, coincidentally, equivalent to the advertising budget for Raise the Titanic!, and it came down to one or the other (Starlog 108 1986, pp. 44-47).
The abortive year three
While the third season of Space: 1999 never actually entered production, the producers and studio were initially quite interested in continuing the show. As Year Two continued it became more and more apparent that this was simply not going to happen, and eventually the series simply came to a stop with the episode "The Dorcons". However, during the first half of the second series, a number of details about the shape of the third year began to emerge.
The third year would have been far shorter than the previous two, with only 13 episodes. This was intended as a budgetary compromise between the quantity and quality of episodes, similar to the way the BBC currently works with shows like the current iteration of Doctor Who.
Tony Anholt was displeased with both his character and his working environment and said that he would not be returning for a third year on the Moonbase. Hence, his character would have been absent as well.
Maya was considered to be the breakout character of the series, and very early on the producers began grooming her for her own spinoff show, which was at one point intended to run concurrently with series 3 of Space: 1999. Had this project gone ahead, Maya would have also been absent from Space: 1999. This "Maya" series was also intended to run for 13 episodes a year.


Koenig, Russell, and Carter were the principal characters who would have been returning for the additional season. It seems likely some new characters would have been brought in to flesh out the cast, but no details on this, or who they might have been, have surfaced.
Message from Moonbase Alpha
Filmed August 29, 1999 "Message From Moonbase Alpha" was first shown at Space: 1999 Breakway Convention in Los Angeles, California on September 13, 1999 -- the day the events in episode 1 of the series were supposed to take place. "Message From Moonbase Alpha" is on the "SPACE: 1999 Bonus Disk" which is available in the US and Canada only. It is also on the UFO Space:1999 documentaries DVD produced by Fanderson.
The seven minute clip features only Zienia Merton reprising her role as Sandra Benes delivering a final message to Earth as the only crew member left while a massive exodus to a habitable planet takes place with the rest of the crew. This basically gave the series the finality it never had in its initial run.
"Message from Moonbase Alpha" is now considered by fans of the show to stand as the 49th episode, becoming part of the canon of the series.



may the force be with you