Practice makes Perfect

        Ignoring the argument that really only PERFECT practice makes perfect, I would like to apply this title phrase to our civilization class.  While striving to teach a class about four different knowledge institutions, our professors have put into practice these variant types of knowledge and created a perfect class.  But maybe only in the Greek sense of the word, how Christ used it in Matthew, meaning to be complete, finished and fully developed.  We received a complete class, combining all the types of knowledge together to create the ideal environment.  By bringing in guest speakers and lecturers, sending us off on field trips, putting us in familial groups to learn together, and giving atypical assignments we experienced the different types of knowledge, instead of just learning about them.

Questions, With No Real Answers

So what does it mean to "write it down"? To save a piece of information by putting it in a book, on a sticky note, or in a planner? To write/(take) notes instead of just listening? To send a handwritten letter or card, as opposed to a store-bought one, or even an email? How does the significance of writing versus memorization compare in our time? How would it have compared in the time periods we are discussing?

I really didn't do much research for this post, but I am enjoying the thought experiment.  "Critically" thinking about what we have learned about writing so far, and how it has changed our perspective on the world, and how it must have changed the ancients' perspectives.  So I am basically answering the previous questions with my personal, educated opinions, and I want this post to open the blog to yours too.

A Roman Alphabet and Arabic Numerals

Sorry to break the trend, but I am going to step away from the idea of mediums ... and into the realm of numbers.

The Evolution of Numbers

I don't know if I have said this previously, but I love the etymology of words, and knowing the origins of things and what that can teach us about the thing itself, whether it is whole words or letters or numerical symbols.  That's partly why I was so happy I got the Phoenician civilization, because it had the first alphabet (basically).  But as I have continued to study the alphabet and where ours came from (if you can't find "Letter Perfect" at the library, it is because I have it :-),  the thought occurred to me: if we use the Roman alphabet, why don't we use Roman numerals too?  Where did the Arabic ones come from?

The Origins of the Alphabet, Phoenician Style

In the beginning, there were Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mesopotamian cuneiform.  From that sprung the 22-letter Phoenician alphabet that is the Mother of every other alphabetic system known to man.

#2 - Talking to an Academic Professional

During my research on the Phoenicians, I had the opportunity to explore several aspects of their culture and understanding. My interview with Professor Hamblin here at BYU confirmed a lot of my knowledge about the culture and their educational practices, and also brought to light a few of the details that I missed.  Overall, it was an interesting experience to meet with him, because I didn't know him at all, and he didn't know me, (I don't think he even learned my name) and the first time we talked I called him and asked if I could interview him (after doing my research on different professors' specialties).  So picture this, well, awkward setting, when I show up to speak to him during his office hours, though it is an appointment, and he is late because of a department staff meeting, and we finally sit down and I start asking questions and he gives answers and I take some very messy notes.  Below is basically what I learned from our discussion about the Phoenicians and their culture and oral tradition.  

Choices, Choices! #1 - Children’s Stories, From Africa to Mulberry Street

I hope that over the course of today, I will be able to add the other two blog posts that I hope to write, and you can pick which one you would like to comment on (though if you are feeling adventurous, you can comment to all three).  The other two will be a response to Dr. Burton's post on Syllabi and a commentary about my interview with an Ancient Near Eastern Studies Professor on the Phoenicians.  I am excited to write them and share my experiences, and I hope you enjoy reading.  

This past Friday, I did something atypical, and got a few strange looks because of it.  I attended the weekly Storytime at the Museum of Peoples and Cultures, and learned about the role of spiders in African and Caribbean folklore.  The other patrons at the event were mothers and grandmothers of toddlers, and of course the children themselves.  After the stories, we made our own spiders by tracing our hands without our thumbs and I helped a mother of 3 cut out her son’s paper hands.  It was a neat experience for me, and something I would like to repeat. 

A) True B) False C) Other

The last few weeks I have posted a bit about the Hopi and their oral history.  First I gave a bit of an overview of their beliefs and then I posted more about their story and legends of how the Hopi people came to arrive here.  This week I want to talk a little more about how these stories are passed on and may evolve over time.  The picture below is of some Hopi kachina dolls.  Kachina in the Hopi tradition are spirit beings that represent anything in the natural world or in the cosmos.  They are said to have power over the many elements.

Hopi Kachina Dolls

The Travelers

In last week's post I introduced the native-american Hopi culture.  The Hopi are a native-american people who currently live in the "four-corners" area of the United States (principally in Arizona).  After talking just a bit with my sister who has done some research and has an interest in the Hopi, I also decided that I would like to learn more.  I drove over to her house in American Fork and borrowed her copy of Book of the Hopi by Frank Walters which i mentioned last week.  This past week I have been reading it and have learned a lot about the oral tradition of the Hopi people.

This is the emergence symbol.
It symbolizes Mother Earth and her enveloping arms.

I will try to briefly summarize the basic oral history of the Hopi here.  Basically, under the direction of the supreme Creator, Taiowa, his nephew, Sótuknang, and the Spider Woman created various worlds.  Humans were then placed lived in the First World.  When the people that lived there became corrupt and stopped living up to the purpose of their creation, the First World was destroyed by fire and only those who had kept the "door on the top of their heads" open were saved by entering a kiva and living with the ant people while the Second World was created. (The "door" is the soft spot that babies have and is symbolic of being spiritually in tune with with Sótuknang because it is the path of spiritual communication with him.)

Phoenicia = Purple

The Phoenicians are famous in history for a variety of things - the invention of the "first" alphabet, their amazing purple dye, the cedars of Lebanon, and their great trading ships.  However, oral histories and educational institutes were apparently not one of them.  Or at least not any that we are aware of today, because although they invented a 26- and 22-letter alphabet system that simplified the Egyptian language, they kept their records mostly on papyrus, which decays over time.  Though based on other aspects of their society, I will try and construct some understanding of what their education and oral tradition might have been like.

The Cedar is an important carry-over from ancient times, and is on the modern flag of Lebanon.

Popol Vuh and the Mayan language

The mysterious Mayan civilization was an advanced society that thrived between 1500BC and 900AD with its height around 250BC. Study of Mayan civilization remained untouched until the 1830s until we started discovering and deciphering glyphs from temples and other sites.

some glow stick fun

The ancient (well actually very modern) art of rave glow sticking is wrought with intricacies. At my friend’s request, it was my task to teach her those intricacies in one afternoon.  And after some smacking of oneself with the glow sticks, mostly on her part, she managed to learn two tricks! It was a very fun experience!