Ivy+B

=**__ Primary Source Quarter 3: __**= Fur Trade and Beaver Hats Before the America's were colonized, Russia was a major supplier of fur pelts throughout the trading system. Originally, Russia exported raw furs, consisting in most cases of the pelts of martens, beavers, wolves, foxes, squirrels and hares. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Russians began to settle in S iberia, a region rich in many mammal fur species, such as Arctic fox, lynx, sable, sea otter and stoat. From the 17th century and well into the 19th, Russia was the lead supplier in fur. Fur played a very important key role in the development of Siberia, Eastern Russia, and the colonies in America that the Russians established, notably Alaska. Ushankas, aka a 'Trooper Hat', is a Russian fur cap that has ears that can be tied up at the top of the head or tied around the chin to keep the face warm in the brutally cold conditions found in this area. It was also used as protection from minor hits to the head because the fur was so dense. Ushankas were used by Russians during war, giving them the distinct advantage of warmth that was so vital to survival during times of invasion and war. Today they are a fashion statement, one that is trendy and warm. Late in the Winter War, Germany actually started wearing these hats and other Russian military garments in order to stay alive long enough to fight. The Ushanka quickly became a widespread symbol and media icon of the Soviet Union. Personally, I think this is a unique symbol for the Russians to be associated with. Being that it's a hat, Russia seems logical yet trendy.

I chose Diogenes because he believed in a life lived in nothing close to luxury but rather poverty, of self-sufficiency and ethical values. He was known for being outspoken and incomparably humorous in the eyes of his peers. He is the father of Cynicism, the school of thought that had a lasting impact in the Renaissance and for time periods beyond it. His philosophical life took place and began in Athens. Diogenes practiced what he preached. He spoke of a life of defying convention and rejecting the artificial life style of Athens at the time. He even went as far as living in an urn-like tub and taking in a mouse for inspiration, a creature of mass adaptability. He was himself called a rodent, but he did not mind, because he was standing up for what he believed. The Renaissance was a time of retrieving knowledge, and therefore many of Diogenes' ideas and outrageous stories were great inspiration to the people of the Renaissance time period. As interest in philosophy, literature and science grew, people studied ancient Greek ideas about these subjects of inspiration created by Diogenes and other Grecian philosophers such as Plato, who nicknamed him "Socrates gone mad".
 * __ School of Athens: Diogenes, a Socrates Gone Mad.  __ **

Suggestion: Aenesidemus
Aenesidemus was a Greek skeptical philosopher who was probably a member of Plato's Academy. He revived the theory of epoche, or suspended judgement. His chief work Pyrrhoneia, discussed four main ideas; the reasons for skepticism and doubt, arguments against causality and truth, a physical theory and an ethical theory. He should have been added to the School of Athens because of his influential philosophical ideas and his connection to many other ancient Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Cicero. Excellent entry Ivy. Well done. Love the "Socrates gone mad...." -SW = = = = = = = __ Unit Two Primary Source: Mongol Weaponry __ =

The primary weapon of the Mongol forces was the Mongol bow. It was a re-curve bow made from materials such as wood, horn, and sinew, and at the time unmatched for accuracy, force, and reach. The bow's geometry allowed it to be made relatively small so it could be used and fired in any direction from horseback. Quivers containing __sixty__ arrows were strapped to the backs of the cavalrymen. The Mongols were extremely skilled with the bow and were said to be able to hit a bird on the wing from a great distance.
 * The Famous Mongol Bow**

Sword
Mongol sword were slightly curved Scimitars which were used for slashing attacks but were also capable of cutting and thrusting, due to its shape and construction, making it easier to use from horseback. The sword could be used with a one or two-handed grip and had a blade that was usually around 2.5 feet in length, with the over all length of the sword approximately at 1 meter.



**Catapults and Machines**
Technology was important in Mongolian warfare. For instance, siege machines were an important part of Genghis Khan's warfare, especially in attacking fortified cities. The siege engines were not disassembled and carried by horses to be rebuilt at the site of the battle like European armies: instead the Mongols would travel with skilled engineers, most of which were captives spared from slaughter for their talents, who would build siege engines from materials on site.



** Kharash **
The Kharash was a commonly used battle tactic for the mongols, even though it was technically not a weapon. During a siege the Mongols would gather a crowd of local residents or soldiers surrendered from previous battles, and would drive them forward in sieges and battles. These "living boards" or "human shields" would often take the brunt of enemy arrows and crossbow bolts, thus leaving the Mongol warriors safer. They were a sort of transportable wall.

The Mongols were brutal conquerors, and because of their unique weapons and tactics, were able to surprise their enemies and defeat them in a way that was never seen before. It really raises a question: what if the Mongols hadn't had such advanced weapons? Would they have been able to defeat as many peoples as they did? Or maybe it was the fact that they had great battle tactics and the weapons were just a bonus to their extraordinary skills.

Sites: http://www.thepicaproject.org/?page_id=522 http://www.coldsiberia.org/monmight.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_military_tactics_and_organization http://silverhorde.viahistoria.com/research/tactics.html

__ ** Unit One Primary Source: Rig Veda Excerpt ** __

Excerpt from Rig Veda, Creation Hymn

Creation Hymn Translation: The 129th Hymn of the 10th Mandala

Nasadiya Sukta with Translation:

नासदासींनॊसदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजॊ नॊ व्यॊमापरॊ यत् । किमावरीव: कुहकस्यशर्मन्नभ: किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥१॥ Then even nothingness was not, nor existence, There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it. What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed? न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या।आन्ह।आसीत् प्रकॆत: । आनीदवातं स्वधया तदॆकं तस्माद्धान्यन्नपर: किंचनास ॥२॥ Then there was neither death nor immortality nor was there then the torch of night and day. The One breathed windlessly and self-sustaining. There was that One then, and there was no other. तम।आअसीत्तमसा गूह्ळमग्रॆ प्रकॆतं सलिलं सर्वमा।इदम् । तुच्छॆनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिना जायतैकम् ॥३॥ At first there was only darkness wrapped in darkness. All this was only unillumined water. That One which came to be, enclosed in nothing, arose at last, born of the power of heat. कामस्तदग्रॆ समवर्तताधि मनसॊ रॆत: प्रथमं यदासीत् । सतॊबन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयॊ मनीषा ॥४॥ In the beginning desire descended on it - that was the primal seed, born of the mind. The sages who have searched their hearts with wisdom know that which is is kin to that which is not. तिरश्चीनॊ विततॊ रश्मीरॆषामध: स्विदासी ३ दुपरिस्विदासीत् । रॆतॊधा।आसन्महिमान् ।आसन्त्स्वधा ।आवस्तात् प्रयति: परस्तात् ॥५॥ And they have stretched their cord across the void, and know what was above, and what below. Seminal powers made fertile mighty forces. Below was strength, and over it was impulse. कॊ ।आद्धा वॆद क‌।इह प्रवॊचत् कुत ।आअजाता कुत ।इयं विसृष्टि: । अर्वाग्दॆवा ।आस्य विसर्जनॆनाथाकॊ वॆद यत ।आबभूव ॥६॥ But, after all, who knows, and who can say Whence it all came, and how creation happened? the gods themselves are later than creation, so who knows truly whence it has arisen? इयं विसृष्टिर्यत ।आबभूव यदि वा दधॆ यदि वा न । यॊ ।आस्याध्यक्ष: परमॆ व्यॊमन्त्सॊ आंग वॆद यदि वा न वॆद ॥७ Whence all creation had its origin, he, whether he fashioned it or whether he did not, he, who surveys it all from highest heaven, he knows - or maybe even he does not know. =‍What Is The Rig Veda?‍= The Rig Vedas is currently being kept at Prune, Maharashtra. The Rig Vedas a sacred Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit Hymns. It is among the four sacred texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas. They are among the world’s oldest texts still used today.Some of its verses are still recited as Hindu prayers, at religious functions and other occasions. The Rig Veda contains mythological and poetical accounts and hymns of the origin of the world, hymns praising the gods, and ancient prayers for life, prosperity, among other things. It is one of the oldest texts in any Indo-European Language. Philosophical and [|l]inguistic evidence indicate that the Rig Veda was composed in the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, roughly between 1700–1100 BC, the early Vedic Period. [|__http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/world_civ/worldcivreader/world_civ_reader_1/rig_veda.html__] [|__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasadiya_Sukta__] __ [] __

=**__//CLASS STARTER//__**=

**Why People Worship Cattle**
Hindus do not technically 'worship' the cow. In better words, they honor and adore them. Cattle are considered sacred creatures in many religions. These religions include Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and for a period of time, Judaism. Ancient civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome also worshiped the cow. To Hindus, the cow is a symbol of wealth, strength, abundance, selfless giving and a long prosperous life on Earth. The slaughter of a cow is prohibited in many places, such as India, and the meat would be considered //taboo.//

The cow has been a symbol of wealth since ancient times. Cattle possibly became so important because Hindus relied on their dairy products and tilling of the fields. It is also believed they are so highly looked upon due to the hallucinogenic mushrooms that are produced on the animals dung. They also used cow dung as a source of fuel and fertilizer. Along those lines, drinking the urine was believed to bring good fortune. Cows are also seen as maternal figures, because they give more than they take, making them motherly and honorable. Hinduism is based on the concept of omnipresence of the Divine, and the presence of a soul in all creatures. In turn, killing any animal is an extreme sin. If one were to kill an animal they would be obstructing the natural cycle of life to death. Because of this, the animal's spirit would be reborn in the same form and have to finish the life cycle entirely due to its unnatural death.

In the Rig Veda, a collection of Hindu poems from before 2000 BCE, the cow figure is frequently referred to as a symbol of wealth, and are also compared with river goddesses.

Rig Veda 10.87.16: “yaḥ pauruṣeyeṇa kraviṣā samaṅkte yo aśveyena paśunāyātudhānaḥ,yo aghnyāyā bharati kṣīramaghne teṣāṃśīrṣāṇi harasāpi vṛśca"

This is loosely translated as: "The fiend who consumes flesh of cattle, with flesh of horses and of human bodies, who slaughters the milk producing cow, O Agni, tear off the heads of such with fiery fury". The milk-giving cow here is described as “Aghnya” which means “that what is not to be sacrificed”. This would imply that sacrifice was practiced in the Vedic period. In simple terms, anyone one crazy enough to kill and eat a cow will have their heads violently chopped off by the god Agni, the two-headed Vedic god of Fire. Agni was also the god who received sacrifices. Cows are decorated in very festive ways at celebrations and parades. == An excerpt from Rig Veda. 10.87.16