Paris and the Golden Apple

"Helen the face that launched a thousand ships"

The history of the "apple" - fruit of temptation which linked woman to the fall of man is known in many different cutlures and has its parrallels in Greek mythology.

The wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the hero and sea-goddess, was celebrated on Mount Pelion. All of the Gods and Goddesses were invited, with the noted exception of Eris, the Goddess of Discord and Strife. Angered at being left out of the nuptuals she strode into the middle of the wedding feast and threw a golden apple in the assembled company. It landed between the three most powerful goddesses, Hera, Athene and Aphrodite. Picking it up, Zeus found it was inscribed ‘For the Fairest’. Wisely deciding not to judge between the three deities himself, Zeus nominated the handsome Paris as arbiter, Paris agreed and so a time was set for the three goddesses to appear to him on Mount Ida.

Hera appeared to him first, radiant with glory, she promised Paris great wealth and power if he was to award the apple to her. Hera tapped into Paris' weakness of ambition.

Next Athena appeared to him, and promised him victory in all battles, together with glory and wisdom - the three most precious gifts a man could have. She had catered to his weakness of power.

Finally Aphrodite appeared and offered Paris the gift of Love. You will possess the most beautiful woman in the land, a woman equal to me in perfection of form. Paris, overpowered by the intoxication of her words and her beauty, found himself handing her the apple without even pausing to reflect on his decision, guided only by the strength of his desire. Which Aphrodite, had realised was his biggest weakness.

So it was that Paris awarded the Apple of Discord to Aphrodite, and Hera and Athene became his implacable enemies. True to her promise, Aphrodite gave him Helen, the most beautiful woman living on the earth.

But their union catalysed one of the biggest wars of time, between the Trojans and the Greeks, lasting ten years. Paris himself lost his life in that war.

The Corset

The corset came about in the 18th Century, and was thought of a as a medical necessity. It was believed that a woman was very fragile, and needed assistance from some form to hold her up. Girls as young as three or four were laced up into bodices.

Gradually these garments were lengthened and tightened, as the girls grew. And by the time they were teenagers, the girls were unable to sit or stand for any length of time without the aid of a heavy canvas corset, reinforced with whale bone or steel. The corset deformed the internal organs making it impossible to draw deep breaths. This led to women in the Victorian era fainting often.

Most working class women wore looser and lighter corsets that were not laced so tight. The higher up in class a lady was, the more confining her clothes were. This was becuase they didn't need the freedom to do household chores, as women in other classes.

The corsets were so tightly laced, that there have been reports of waists between 18 and 14 inches and sometimes even 12. Severe tight-lacing was practiced, and some corsetieres specialised in cultivating very small waists. Men's preferences alterted during this time and it was acceptable for womwn to have very small waits. The corset was then, what the wonder bra is now!

A Hot Toddy

Cough mixture and tablets, do cure colds, but nothing makes you feel better than an old fashioned "Hot Toddy".

Discovered centuries ago, the word derrivates from the Hindu word "tari", which is used for a sweet alcoholic drink made of palm sap. The word travelled to Scotland, where Robert Burns makes use of it in a poem and changes the meaning to a generic alcoholic drink.

Nowadays the word is used to describe a hot, sweetened drink of spirits and water.

Ingredients:

• 3 and a half tablespoons of a strong alcohol like:-

• Whisky
• Bourbon
• Dark Rum
• Brandy

• 3 and a half tablespoons of boling water
• Half a teaspoon of honey
• A dash of lemon (and cloves if desired)

STIR WELL

Drink it slowly and allow it to take effect. Hot toddys should be drunk hot, and letting the drink to go cold will defeat the purpose of it (it also doesn't taste good cold). Ensure that the mug you use insulates heat well and will allow the drink to stay hot.

There are no grand medical claims attached to this recipe. And it is not proven to cure your cold, indeed alcohol can deplete your immune system, but a hot toddy will make you feel better!

Women of Mythology

Godesses of all cultures and religions have facinated mankind for generations with tales of compassion, beauty and strength. Here are but a few of the many women who represent different facets.

• Calliope

First of the muses, she is the muse of epic poetry and is believed to have inspired Homer's great works. The oldest and wisest of the muses, she is often depicted with a scroll or a golden crown.

• Euturpe

The muse of lyric poetry and music. She is one of the daughters of Zeus and is ususally holding a flute.

• Clio

The muse of historical poetry. Also known as the Proclaimer, she is sometimes represented by a parchment scroll or writing tablet.

• Erato

The muse of love poetry, lyrics and hymns. And is often portrayed playing a lyre. Her name also means "lovely".

• Melpomene

The muse of tragedy, although her name means "to sing". She is often depicted wearing a tragic mask and boots, known as cothurnus (worn bu actors in Greek tragedies).

• Polyhymnia

The muse of sacred poetry and eloquence. Often shown as a quiet, serious woman and dresses in a long cloak and veil.

• Terpichore

The muse of dance and choral song. Quite apt for her, as her name means "delight of dance".

• Thalia

The muse of comedy. She is known for her good cheer personality and her masked face and shepard's crook.

• Urania

The muse of astronomy. Meaning "heavenly", she is able to fortell the future by reading the stars. She is usually dresses in a cloak embroided in stars.

• Aphrodite

Also worshipped as Venus by the Romans, Aphrodite is the famous and beloved goddess of love and beauty.

• Kali

The Hindu goddess which represents violence and destruction, Kali - meaning "black" - is worshipped for the special powers she bestows.

• Hera

The Greek goddess of marriage, Hera is the wife of Zeus, and is worshipped for fertility, birth and death.

• Tara

Also knowns as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan, Tara is a Buddhist goddess associated with Tantric practices, and represents success and achievement in work.

• Isis

Egyptian Goddess and wife of Osiris. Literally meaning "Queen of the Throne", Isis is worshipped as a queen, mother and protector.

• Kwan Yin

The Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Despite sometimes being depicted as a male Indian Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara, Kwan Yin is more often portrayed in China as a woman in a long white robe holding a willow branch.

• Devi

The Sanskrit word for "goddess". Devi comes in many aspects and is worshipped as the mother of all living things. She is believed to be the goddess of fertility, rain, health and nature, and also holds the entire universe in her womb.

• Gaia

The Greek Goddess personifying the earth, Gaia is worshipped as the Mother Earth and oaths sworn in her name were considered the most binding and powerful of all.

"These are few of my Favourite Things..."

Postcards

Ribbons

Tea Time

Christmas

Sundays

Snow

Daisies

Fairy Lights

Apple Pie

Daphne Du Maurier

Platipus

Vintage Furniture

Ladybirds

Early Morning Dew

Hot Baths

Dried Roses

Old Photos

Cake

Notebooks

Cuddles

Balloons

Skipping

Big Duvets

Gnomes

Bare feet

Muse of the Month: Vivien Leigh

Lauded for her beauty and noteably remembered for performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, and Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Vivien Leigh is undoubtedly one of the best Hollywood actresses of all time.

Vivien Leigh was born on November 5th 1913 in her parent's home in Darjeeling, India. As a child she enjoyed the elements of fantasy and drama and quickly became fond of authors such as Rudyard Kipling, Hans Christian Andersan, and Lewis Carroll. At the age of six she moved to England.

Educated in a British convent school, it was there that Vivien decided to become an actress.

Her first role in 1935 was in the British motion picture The Village Squire. That same year Vivien also appearered in the movie, Things are Looking Up.

In 1938, Vivien went to the US to see, Laurence Olivier, whom she was romantically involved with at the time. In the states Vivien was introduced to the Selznick brothers, who were filming, Gone with the Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's novel.

The role of Scarlett O'Hara had yet to be cast and she was invited to take a chance and try out. Some big names had tried out for the part, such as Norma Shearer and Katherine Hepburn. Casting Vivien Leigh was a controversial move, as she was British and many fans of the novel felt the role should be played by an American. In addition, she didn't get along with her co-star, Clarke Gable. None the less, the film became one of the most celebrated in the annals of cinema. Not only did it win Best Picture during the Academy Awards, but Vivien Leigh won Best Actress.

In 1940, she married Laurence Olivier, and graced the silver screen in Waterloo Bridge. The following year she and her husband co-starred in That Hamilton Woman.

By the time of her role as Cleopatra, her life began to unravel. She had suffered two miscarriages, contracted tuberculosis, and was diagnosed with Bipolar. However, her performance was still flawless.

Her next signature role as Blanche DuBois won her a second Oscar in A Streetcar Named Desire opposite Marlon Brando.

But in 1960, her marriage fell apart, as Olivier left her. And she died at the age of 53 after a severe bout of tuberculosis on July 7, 1967.