Spilled Notes

Passion

'Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion'

(Hegel)

 Passion, n.

I Senses related to physical suffering and pain.  Including: a narrative of Jesus' Passion; the sufferings of a martyr; a suffering or affliction of any kind.

II Senses relating to emotional or mental states.  Including: any strong, controlling or overpowering emotions; a fit of temper or rage; strong affection; sexual desire or impulses; the zealous pursuit of an aim.

Passion flower, n.

Any plant of the genus Passiflora.  Native to South America, the parts  of the flower were imagined by Europeans to correspond to the instruments and circumstances of Jesus' Passion - nails (stigmas), wounds (stamens), crown of thorns (corona) and apostles (perianth segments - although there are only ten, not twelve, so I'm not sure who got left out).

 Passion fruit, n.

The edible fruit of some species of passion flower.  An egg-shaped berry with purple, slightly wrinkled skin and sweet yellow pulp surrounding small black seeds.  Often used as a source of juice.

 

 (Definitions from OED online; passionflower photo courtesy of Livvey K over at The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon.)

The Amazing Hare Krishna Guitar Maestro

If you've ever visited Edinburgh and walked through Hunter Square or up Nicolson Street, you've probably heard the busking Hare Krishna monk.  Now, before Christmas he used to have an acoustic guitar and only seemed to know two chords.

A few months ago, however, his playing was a lot louder.  And more complex.  Sort of...cool.  When we finally spotted him, he had an electric guitar and a little amp.  Not just any guitar, though - an actual Fender Stratocaster!  And today, when we passed him playing under Potterrow Port (sheltering from the rain) he was playing another, different Fender - and these things don't come cheap.  

 

What I want to know is how he went from two chords to guitar maestro.  I think perhaps someone bought him 'Complete Electric Guitar' (by my teacher, Mel Reeves) for Christmas.  That and what he moonlights as to be able to afford two Fenders.

Now I'm just waiting for him to release an album...

Carnival and Lent

 

I love this painting by Breugel, depicting "The Battle Between Carnival and Lent".  Carnival is shown as a fat man riding a wine barrel, with a spit of meat instead of a lance, while Lent is a thin old woman with a board of fish.  In the background the distinction between the feasting, festive period of Carnival (on the left) and the fasting, austere period of Lent (on the right) can be clearly seen.  

In early modern Europe, Carnival was in opposition to Lent, but was also the opposite of everyday life - 'the world turned upside down'.  It was a time of feasting and revelry, with an emphasis on food, sex and violence, stretching from midwinter to its climax on Shrove Tuesday, before the abstinence of Lent began on Ash Wednesday.