PART 1

ESSAY #5c

COMPARE & CONTRAST – Time Travel.

 

INSTRUCTIONS: Find and post the images of the artwork mentioned in the Topic Essay Question.

 

QUESTION: Find examples and describe the similarities and connections between Scythian, Celtic, and Viking iconography. Can you name one other example between three other distinct cultures, time periods, and geographic locations? Describe what other discoveries you made in your research.

 

Summary: Study these cultures and their iconography and base a hypothesis about the meaning behind their artwork on these studies. Not only that but clearly show representations of each cultures unique art, and how they link visually and historically together.

Reason: The reason for asking this question is to help one understand the idea of how ones culture can influence the next, and how a cultures nationalism and pride can affect their own.

Purpose: The purpose behind this question is to better help one understand how small the world really is, how different cultures affect one another without even realizing it, and how we as humans affect one another in small and large amounts.

 

Direction: Studying this topic gave me a better understanding of how small the world really is in the sense that we affect each other without even realizing it, how the beginning of a thought or the basis of an idea can be picked up by another and be embellished further upon.  An idea can go from being mediocre, based on guess work and luck, to excellent, based on study and tedious labor, simply by sticking around long enough and getting mulled over by enough of the right people. We as individuals and as a culture as a whole have a tendency to try to create and move forward. To improve on past ideas or ideals in an attempt to create a bigger, more clear picture of things, a better understanding of the world around us, and another step closer to answering the unanswerable questions.

 

Impressions:  Without differences in cultures or the different ways a cultures ideals can influence another’s, many of the advancements that have been made in our society may or may not have come to exist. One cultures way of thinking might spark a wonderful and fantastic idea in another cultures thought process, where one culture might have missed a key element in a historically influential design. Another culture may inspire the idea that will solve the problem.

PART 2

All of these cultures show an interaction in their art between men, animal, and spirit, as well as the reflections of all three in a spiritual contest combined in their artwork. The basis of one cultures belief in mythological forms and another’s, in my eyes, all come from the same source. I believe that each culture has a similar basis for their separate religions, and that is what I believe to be a strong influence in their art work.

The Scythians, a nomadic people from the Middle East, “lived in Central Asia and parts of Eastern Europe between c. 900 BCE and c. 350 CE. Related to the Persians, but mixed with Turkic Central Asians." (http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryps/g/Who-Were-the-Scythians.htm) The Scythian culture is “famed as warriors, and were among the first peoples to develop horsemanship into an art form."(http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryps/g/Who-Were-the-Scythians.htm) They were also know and are "famous for the incredibly beautiful gold jewelry"(http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryps/g/Who-Were-the-Scythians.htm) the Scythian people "faded away around A.D. 100. The Greek historian Herodotus describes the Scythians as murderous nomads. As for how the Scythians—who did not have a written language—perceived themselves, only their artifacts and human remains are left to speak for them."(http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/25-frozen-siberian-mummies-reveal-a-lost-civilization#.UNJzkJG9KSM)

"The Celt, also spelled KELT, Latin CELTA, plural Celtae, a member of an early Indo-European people who from the 2nd millennium BC to the 1st century BC spread over much of Europe. The people who made up the various tribes of concern were called Galli by the Romans and 'Galatai' or 'Keltoi' by the Greeks, terms meaning 'barbarian' (Celts, Celt, Celtic civilization). It is from the Greek 'Keltoi' that 'Celt' is derived." (http://www.lost-civilizations.net/celtic-civilization.html)

"600BC - Greeks found the colony of Massilia, opening up trade between the Celts of inland Europe and the Mediterranean. First evidence of Britain having a name - Albion - (albino, white - called after the chalk-cliffs of Dover)"http://www.lost-civilizations.net/celtic-civilization.html) Dover being where the Celts organized from.

The Scythian as well as the Celts and the Viking culture who were also a warrior culture and where considered heathens. "VAE VICTUS also known as woe to the vanquished"(http://www.lost-civilizations.net/celtic-civilization.html) which I believe to be a motto fitting of their times. The Viking culture although considered barbarians they founded many civilizations all over the world. "The Viking settlers found the city of Dublin in Ireland. As wall as York in England..." There are a few more examples of this from this link (http://viking.no/e/etimeline.htm)

This brings it all together for me. The Vikings and Celts are both Anglo and Saxon. The Vikings settled all over taking their knowledge with them of such things as metal work and so on. With this the places they invaded and the knowledge that previously existed in these places created new culture and art and so much more. Vikings raided other places for precious materials such as gold and jewels, as well as anything of value.

 

 

“The Vikings inherited the earlier European Germanic interlaced and zoomorphic decorative art, but in their hands it developed into several distinct and highly complex styles. From the baroque sophistication of the Oseberg style, to the highly patterned beasts of the Mammen style and the delicacy of the Urnes style, Viking art was as complex and rich as their poetry.” (http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Thread/31201)

I have noticed a trend in these cultures with zoomorphic art work as well as in Egyptian and Greek artwork. For me this is mans way of showing that we are closer to nature then we think.

 

Bridle Plaque with a Beast of Prey, Scythian, 5th cent. BCE, cast bronze, 10.5 x 9.7 cm, State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

http://effyeaharthistory.tumblr.com/post/1442075022/bridle-plaque-with-a-beast-of-prey-scythian-5th

 

GUARDIAN FIGURES AT GATE A OF THE CITADEL OF SARGON II DURING ITS EXCAVATION Dur Sharrukin 721-706 BCE (text p42)

 

"Stone souls of Scythia"

“Save the stone women that are outside the museum collections in the "Mystetskyi Arsenal" exhibition.”

http://yushchenkoinstitute.org/en/institute/16/27/

This goes back to my statement of their art embodying the soul.

 

http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3780

 

Viking zooantropomorphic

Inuit Mythology and Northern Gods clash

http://ikono.org/2012/09/arctic-voyages-and-inuit-mythology-merge-in-contemporary-art-exhibition/

 

http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Thread/31201

 

 CHI RHO IOTA PAGE FROM THE BOOK OF KELLS
9th Century Oxgall inks pigment on vellum, 12 3/4 X 9 1/2" (text p424)

 

Egyptian
JUDGMENT OF HUNEFER BEFOR OSIRS
Book of the Dead 1285 BCE hight 15 5/8" (text p77)

Greek
MAN AND CENTAUR
750 BCE Bronze, hight 4 6/16" (text p105)

LAPITH FIGHTING A CENTAUR
447-432 BCE marble, hight 56" ( text p132)

 

BATLE OF CENTAURS AND WILD BEASTS HADRIAN'S VILLA
125 CE Mosaic, 23X 36" (text p200)

 

Mask of Mexico

MÁSCARA VIDA-MUERTE Tlatilco.

“An ancient zooantropomorphic ceramic represents a face, half of a living man, the other half a skull. The eye and the orbital zone are pierced. Height cm. 8.5, width. cm. 7.3. (Tlatilco, Mexico, medium Preclassico Period.) (National Museum of Anthropology of City of Mexico.) This maschera is described in the Museum as a characterization of "the dualism life and death."

http://www.enterprisemission.com/ArtTrad.html

 

Two-faced zooantropomorphic sculpture of El Juyo
height cm 35 , wide cm.32,5, thick cm.22,5.

http://www.enterprisemission.com/ArtTrad.html