Governments, if the endure, always tend increasingly toward aristocratic forms. No government in history has been known to evade this pattern. And as the aristocracy develops, government tends more and more to act exclusively in the interests of the ruling class - whether that class be hereditary royalty, oligarchs of financial empires, or entrenched bureaucracy.
Chapter heading from Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Sunday, 11 December 2011
The Codex Gigas (AKA The Devils Bible)
Another enigmatic manuscript. Created in the 12th century it has a most strange history. The book is 92 cm x 50 cm and the largest known medieval manuscript in the world. It consists of the Bible with demonic exorcist spells next to the many pages and strange illustrations including a full page illustration of the Devil not presiding over hell, but, seemingly enclosed in a cell.
The legend of its creation says that a monk did something so bad he was sentenced to death. It is never said what he did. He pleaded for his life and said that if he was spared he would create a manuscript that included the Bible and all human knowledge and would do so in one night. This was accepted, but, thought impossible. During the night he realised he could not do it and so made a pact with the Devil. In the morning it was completed.
It has a strange history, was given by the Black Monks to the White Monks, captured in battles and finally ended up in Prague.
Not long ago research was done into it. Samples of ink were taken from it and analyzed. At the time of its writing two types of ink were used, one made from metal and the other from crushed insect nests. It was found that it was made from crushed insect nests and the same throughout indicating it was done in one place. Next a graphologist analysed the writing to find out if it was done by one person or a few. The findings showed it had been created by one person. Considering how long one line of text takes to copy this indicates it could have taken between 30 to 50 years to write.
Wikipedia entry on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Gigas
The complete Codex Gigas in images
The legend of its creation says that a monk did something so bad he was sentenced to death. It is never said what he did. He pleaded for his life and said that if he was spared he would create a manuscript that included the Bible and all human knowledge and would do so in one night. This was accepted, but, thought impossible. During the night he realised he could not do it and so made a pact with the Devil. In the morning it was completed.
It has a strange history, was given by the Black Monks to the White Monks, captured in battles and finally ended up in Prague.
Not long ago research was done into it. Samples of ink were taken from it and analyzed. At the time of its writing two types of ink were used, one made from metal and the other from crushed insect nests. It was found that it was made from crushed insect nests and the same throughout indicating it was done in one place. Next a graphologist analysed the writing to find out if it was done by one person or a few. The findings showed it had been created by one person. Considering how long one line of text takes to copy this indicates it could have taken between 30 to 50 years to write.
Wikipedia entry on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Gigas
The complete Codex Gigas in images
Friday, 30 September 2011
Thae Voynich manuscript - The Most Mysterious Manuscript In The Worl.
Carbon dated to the 15th Century it has baffled cryptographers throughout the world including those that cracked the Enigma Code. Many people come to the conclusion it is a hoax created to sell a manuscript to collectors, but, if so it would take many years to create it to the extent that it is logical within itself and pointless as no one at the time period of the hoaxer could tell the difference between a simple hoax and something as elaborate as this.
Wikipedia Article on it.
Downloadable Photos in various sizes
The book in readable form:
Wikipedia Article on it.
Downloadable Photos in various sizes
The book in readable form:
Monday, 4 October 2010
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