Jack and the Beanstalk

[Mick Harper]

Speaking of martial arts, here's a relevant Applied Epistemological pub quiz question: which country is responsible for the world's leading martial art?

[hvered]

Morris dancers traditionally blacken their faces which may be relevant to hunting, especially at night. The military and crims come to mind. Masks as worn by actors, who still of course wear make-up, are a more recent form of disguise.

[Chad]

Speaking of martial arts, here's a relevant Applied Epistemological pub quiz question: which country is responsible for the world's leading martial art?

England.

(Boxing.)

[Mick Harper]

That's right, Chad, spoil it for everybody else. Just like Manchester United. We rarely think of boxing as a martial art because it is not exotic enough. Of course boxing itself goes back to the original Greek Olympics but as with almost all today's sports it was the Brits that turned them into properly organised modern activities.

And not just "the Brits" but the British public schools. As readers of The Megalithic Empire know, the English public schools are a cross between those two proudly Megalithic institutions, the Monastery and the University. Come to think of it, the Olympics (both ancient and modern) will prolly turn out to be Megalithic too.

[Boreades]

Speaking of martial arts, here's a relevant Applied Epistemological pub quiz question: which country is responsible for the world's leading martial art?

I know! It's Scotland, and the ancient martial art of Si-U-Jimmi. As practiced in Glasgow pubs, mainly on Friday and Saturday nights.

[Boreades]

Come to think of it, the Olympics (both ancient and modern) will prolly turn out to be Megalithic too.

Of course it is! See the Cursus at Stonehenge. A sports stadium. The same style of stadium (long and thin) was copied by the Greeks.

[Boreades]

Morris dancers traditionally blacken their faces which may be relevant to hunting, especially at night. The military and crims come to mind. Masks as worn by actors, who still of course wear make-up, are a more recent form of disguise.

My thought as well. What kind of hunters need staffs, knives, bells and tamborines? Ones that intend to drive their quarry in chosen directions. Blacked faces are camouflage, to get closer to your prey to start with. Then lots of noise.

As inspired by Sheila McGregor's talk of hunters being away with the Fairies and dancing on hilltops.

[macausland]

Boreades

I've just come across a group of Portuguese 'Morris' dancers in 'kilts' and raggy hangings dancing to bagpipes and drums.

At some point they seem to shoe an animal of some sort and later do some somersaults over a couple of the dancers on the others' shoulders.

Would this be a mixture of hunting and 'bull jumping'?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTvepEP02y4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwBMf0lPi74

[Boreades]

Morris dancers traditionally blacken their faces which may be relevant to hunting, especially at night. The military and crims come to mind. Masks as worn by actors, who still of course wear make-up, are a more recent form of disguise.

Blimey! I've only just remembered! Some people I know (from a dim and distant youthful age in Devon) are in the Beltane Borders Morris Dancers. None of that namby-pamby white frocks and hankies "Dainty English" stuff. This is hard-core. Black face, black hats, black costumes, flaming torches, and events on megalithic and pagan sites in Devon and Cornwall. With large quantities of anything alcoholic being consumed.

I think it's safe to say this is Extreme Morris Dancing, by today's standards, but probably closer to the original styles and meanings?

[spiral]

Morris dancers traditionally blacken their faces which may be relevant to hunting, especially at night. The military and crims come to mind. Masks as worn by actors, who still of course wear make-up, are a more recent form of disguise.

Moors, bells, darkened faces it is mining.