The Symbolism of the Parrot

 An Introduction

The Parrot is often portrayed in films as being the sidekick or apprentice.  More common than not the bird is an annoyance who can only perform echoing tricks and eat copious amounts of salted crackers; however, the birds are highly intellectual.  Throughout history, this species of bird has captivated humans with their beauty and personalities.  The marvelous creatures influence legends, myths, religious teachings, literary writings, art, music, ceremonies, and other cultural activities.

 Symbolism in Petroglyphs

The depictions of parrots in the petroglyphs are indications of the extent that people traveled between native cultures of the American Southwest, most likely due to trade routes.  It is common to find illustrations of species of parrots in places where they are not indigenous.  For example, the image below is from rock art somewhere in Southwest America; however, this parrot from the picture is a species that is not indigenous to this area.  They are related to Meso-America, so this shows that the birds were imported from the jungles of a southern country.  This may seem like a minuscule detail, but it links cultures together.

A Theme in Cultures

Additionally, the parrot plays a reoccurring theme in historic civilizations.  In one Mayan myth, there was only Tepeu and Gucumatz.  Think of them as God, except there is two of them.  Whatever they imagined, they created.  They thought about tall, rocky hills.  Mountains came into existence.  They imagined nature, so the trees and the sky were formed.  The landscape was not enough to fulfill their desires, so they created objects.  First the objects were made from clay, but they were destroyed with water, so next they created objects with wood.   Still, the formation of objects was not successful, so they created a flood to clean their slate and start over.  To fashion better ideas, the two Gods created four more Gods out of a Mountain Lion, Coyote, Cow, and Parrot.

Species of the parrot are integrated in Indian mythology and folktales, specifically the Indian parakeet.  The parrot is associated with Kama, the God of love.  This is because the green and red colors are associated with fertility. The red beak represents the red earth, the foundation, and the green feathers represent the color of the earth after it has been watered and fed.  In life, red represents an unfilled desire, while green represents fulfillment.

Spiritual Significance

Spiritually, the parrot is regarded as a wise teacher, knowing when to use words and when to speak with silence.  When quiet, the bird is seen as thoughtful, using the mind to dominate decision making.  When using words, the parrot is honored as truthful and only speaking from the center of the heart.  This is because the parrot speaks back the words it has heard, so you are hearing your own words without a filter.  This is a powerful form of self-actualization because you can recognize the truth and discord of your own thoughts and words.

Our Photograph 

The man is dressed in a three-piece suit with a matching overcoat and hat, and while the weather appears to be quite sunny, his face is partially obscured by the dark shadows behind him. His calm energy seems to have a positive effect on his parrots, as they continue to rest on his hands and look entirely undisturbed. The parrot on the man's right hand stares into the background, while the one on his right faces straight ahead. Additionally, the parrot on the left has much longer, lighter feathers than its companion. The dark shadows in combination with the exotic birds creates a very odd, mysterious ambiance in this photograph.

From the collection of Fred Bodin of Gloucester MA. Fred was a long time resident and well-known photographer of Gloucester and had one of the best private collections of New England nautical photographs in private hands. Fred was a photojournalist having graduated with this degree from Syracuse University and worked for Yankee Magazine. Fred passed away in 2016 and HIP purchased his collection from his estate. 

Resources: 

"Parrot Symbolism"- Universe of Symbolism

"Parrots in Culture"- Parrot Encyclopedia 

Where did Skull and Crossbones Originate?

The Skull and crossbones symbol is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two longer bones crossed together either underneath or behind the skull.  The design dates to the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages.  The Templars were a wealthy and powerful Catholic military order endorsed by the Catholic Church in 1129.  According to Masonic legend, the skull and crossbones are that of Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights.  The rumor is that Molay was burned alive by the Church, and when three Templars came looking for his bones, the only remains were his skull and femurs.  This became a symbol for remembering death, earning the name “The Jolly Rodger”.

Funerary Symbol

Toward the Late Middle Ages, Christians frequently adopted the Skull and Crossbones to symbolize death, or ore specifically the passing from life.  The symbol has been discovered in Christian catacombs and crypts throughout Rome, Italy.  It also came to be a representation for the Latin phrase Memento mori. “What You Are, We Once Were, What We Are, You Will Be”.  It remembers the death but also it reminds the living to be a good Christian before it is too late.

The symbolize extends from beyond the catacombs and crypts.  The Skull and Crossbones symbol is a universal symbol, often warning for possible death, decorating the lapels of the SS, and by appearing on the labels of poisonous materials.  Additionally, there are the vanitas paintings, still life that includes a skull among other inanimate objects.  These paintings represent death and ephemerality as a reminder of the inevitable. The difference between a vanitas and a memento mori is that the memento mori has some religious affiliation.

Significance With WWII

In the German language, the skull and crossbones word is "Totenkopf", meaning "dead's head".  The symbol is an old international symbol for death, danger, or the dead.  During the Nazi era, Hitler's Schutzstaffel adopted the a particular version of the symbol as a common hate symbol.   

The Organization

The Skull and Crossbones is not just a symbol for death.  Rumor has it that there is also a secret society in America at Yale University.  The organization is called “Skull and Bones” and was founded in 1832 at Yale University.  The organization prevails through generations by tapping a total of fifteen seniors each year, all who are expected to be some of the most powerful, influential members of society.  The induction into the society is one of the mysterious and interesting components of the rumor, not because of how obscene the stories are but because there is no record of which one is actually true versus which is an exaggeration.  There are a few variations of the story that the imitation takes place inside of a coffin.  In some versions, initiates are carried in the coffin through a crypt to the chant of “reborn, “reborn”.  Other versions describe the initiates having to lie naked and describe their sexual history to their future brothers and then having to wrestle other initiates in piles of mud.  Despite the true initiation process, the group clearly takes the symbolism seriously.  Why is this?  Many conspiracy theories believe that this secret society was created to build a modern Illuminati to carry out a dystopia in the country.  What do you think?

Sources:

How the Skull is an Ally in Art- Art and Archives

Inside Skull & Bones, The Elite "Openly Secret" Society With Highly Influential Members- Jacob Shelton

“Native American Woman Selling Souvenir Pottery, 1910”

About the Photograph

This photograph is derived from a negative of the Bodin collection (1910). Sitting on the ground, this native American woman is crafting some pottery that she can sell as a beautiful souvenir. Wearing dark-colored clothes and a hat, she is intensely focused on her task and aims to produce her product with the utmost dedication. In front of her is a box with several souvenirs that she has already finished, which are on display for sale. She is probably sitting in a popular tourist destination, but there are no other people visible in the photograph. As she sits along the side of the road, her feet dangle along the ground below her. In the background, tall grass grows along gently-rolling hills.

I personally love this category of artistic work.  It is so fascinating because thousands of years before the Americas were even “discovered”, Native Americans were creating these objects for every day use, not for art.  Some of the earliest creations being arrowheads and baskets, and of course, pottery.  Such items were necessary for the culture, since the people were hunters and gatherers; however, today they are collected for the fine craftsmanship and aesthetic.

History of the Native American Pottery

The most widely known Native American pottery is from civilizations of the American southwest, but the older Native American pottery comes from a small island near Augusta, Georgia.  Researchers are unsure whether the pottery in the United States was brought there by other indigenous people, or if it developed there on its own. 

Most Native American pottery is hand constructed through the coil and slab technique.  This is where clay is gathered, debris removed, and temper and water is added.  The temper is included to prevent the clay from shrinking and cracking as it dries.  You can only wonder how many pots must have cracked until the people figured this out.  After this step, the clay is wedged and smoothed to eliminate air bubbles.  Once dry, the surface is sanded and then decorated and fired.

The decorations are why I love this art as much as I do.  I used to think the simplistic coloring was quite bland; however, after analyzing it for a little, I realized that the earthy tones symbolized how resourceful the people were.  Most cultures also had their own signature decorations or mark to distinguish tribes. 

Check out the video link provided to learn a little bit more about these pottery techniques!

As we grow closer to the changing of the leaves and the crisping of the air, we also near the fall fairs.  The autumnal equinox will soon take place once again, marking the end of the summer heat and the start of the fall season.  Before we referred to this time as “autumn”, it was known as the “harvest season” because it was the time to reap all the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains that were planted and labored over since the spring.  If anything, this glorious season is a time to celebrate the end of hard work and to appreciate the finer things in life, such as college football, pumpkin carving, and fall festivals.

History of Fall Festivals

Just as people across the United States now enjoy the crisp chill in the evening air and the bright colored leaves that hang from the trees, previous generations did as well.  These photographs of the 1918 circus provide us with a glimpse into the past. The images reveal that despite the country has made technological and social advancements, people have not changed much over the past century.  In modern times, people get just as excited to drive past the fair or festivals as the people of a hundred years ago.  It is hard not to when you think of viewing the unique animals, obscene performers, and the wonderful smell of fair food throughout the air.

Here, we have a midget and an escape artist standing on a platform, anticipating giving their performance in front of the large crowd.  Children and adults stand in wonder as they anticipate the start of the performance. Children stand towards the front with curious expressions on their faces, as the adults are mostly huddled towards the back and make casual side conversations. On the platform, the midget is dressed in a clown costume and smiles as he turns his head towards the camera behind him. The escape artist appears to be a young girl, and she stands in front of a T-shaped pole made of wood. In the background, various signs and advertisements line the wall of the room.

 Although there have been big changes in traveling, education, and the economy over the past one hundred years, something that has yet to change is people’s enjoyments of the fall festivals.  Weather you go to bob for apples, munch on some funnel cakes, ride some questionable rides, or witness main attractions, there is a little bit of magic for children and adults alike.  The enchanting change in season reminds us of the beauty that results from working diligently, just as photos remind us that even with a tremendous amount of change, some beautiful things about human nature stay static.

For the locals, here is a list of the best fall festivals happening this season:

• Home By Dark Concert series - Alpharetta, GA - Aug 25 to Dec 13, 2018
  A concert experience like no other, Home By Dark delivers original music, storytelling, hope, laughter, and evidence that “A Song Can Change Your Life.”
• Sandy Springs Festival - Sandy Springs, GA - Sep 22 to Sep 23, 2018
  A tradition since 1984. Artists Market, 5K/10K, live musical entertainment, food, pet parade and children’s park (petting zoo, inflatables, face painting and more).
• North Georgia Folk Festival - Athens, GA - Sep 29, 2018
  Music, arts & crafts, food, kids activities and more, held at Sandy Creek Park (with its dinosaur playground!)
• Georgia National Fair - Perry, GA - Oct 4 to Oct 14, 2018
  An annual, family friendly event since 1990 with agricultural exhibits, fireworks, midway rides, concerts and street entertainers.
• Atlanta Oktoberfest - Atlanta, GA - Oct 6, 2018
  Location: Der Biergarten, 300 Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30313

9/11

On September 11, 2001 militants associated with the Islamic extremists group Al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and attacked the United States.  The terrorists flew two of the planes into buildings that were apart of the World Trade City, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth into Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This attack robbed the country not only of its safety but of life.

Who Attacked Us?

A total of nineteen terrorists hijacked the four planes on September 11, 2001.  All the men were reported to have been from the Middle East, and they belonged to a terrorist group called Al Qaeda.  The group is a militant Sunni Islamist multi-national organization founded by Osama bin Laden, and one of their primary purposes before this attack was to drive the United States armed forces out of Saudi Arabia and Somalia by violence.  The motives for this treacherous act were stated before and after the attacks, including a declaration of a holy war against the United States made be Osama bin Laden.

The World Trade Center

Two of the hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m. on a Tuesday morning.  The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the top of the 110-story skyscraper, killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in floors above.  Less than two hours after, the north building of the twin towers collapsed.  Only six people in the towers at the time of the collapse survived. 

How Many People Died in 9/11 Attacks?

A total of 2,996 people were killed in the attacks, including the 19 terrorists.  Over 2,500 of the deaths resulted from the attacks made on the Twin Towers, including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers, and 37 Port Authority police offices were attempting to evacuate the buildings and save the workers trapped on the higher floors.

How Did America Respond to 9/11?

The night of the attacks President George W. Bush, who was in Florida at the time of the attacks, delivered a televised address from the Oval Office declaring, “Terrorist attacks can hake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”  Meanwhile, people turned to their faith to help make sense of attacks.  Americans were called to become stronger through the struggle to rebuild on a solid foundation and to love as if everything depended on it.

How Has American Changed Since 9/11?

Following this event, the United States Government took many steps in increasing its safety.  The security at airports and public buildings is much stricter due to the passing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which unified the security at airports across the country.  TSA implanted procedures that included stricter guidelines on passenger and luggage screenings.  Now, only ticket passengers are allowed pass security.  Additionally, new machinery and procedures were installed to check for weapons and destructive items.

Not only have the safety procedures advanced but the government has also changed.  More than 130 pieces of 9/11 related legislation were introduced in 2002.  Aside from the Transportation Security Act, the Enhanced Border and Security and the Visa Entry Reform Act were also introduced.

The Encyclopedia of 9/11. New York Magazine.

September 11^th Terror Attacks Fast Facts. CNN.              

9/11 Attacks.  The History Channel.

What Happened on 9/11.  Scholatic.