Horses

Now, when price of oil is the highest in all history, someone can start to think that time, when people didn’t need it. It isn’t so long time. Something about 150 years ago.

Most time of man history, there were horses as main vehicle. And horses are connected with history of the Country.

If you open any book of history, you can find many links and pics, where is man and his horse. Each period didn’t get along without them: Assyria and its militant horse carriages, Egypt and its pharaoh carriages, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire, many wars in Europe, Asia and the other part of the world, colonization of Wild West, etc.

Horse in America

Horses came to America only after arrival’s Christopher Columbus.

I think of that. When people came to America, some thousands years ago, they went through the Bering Strait, I’m sure, they had many domestic animals, besides horses. Why these horses disappeared, that’s a question.

The odds are that Indians were very surprised to see Spanish conquistadors on horseback. From that time, America had horses again. Some horses run away and started to be wild.

And now we came to that time, when men had come to wild area of North America, cowboys drove cattle and rode on horse. During their journey met many batch of horses. Cowboys lassoed horses and tried to domestic them again. And rodeo was here.

Horses in music

Could you tell me someone song, where is horse? Yes, nothing hard. And no one. You know many songs, don’t you. (Oh! Susanna by Simon Carly, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses by U2, Christmas For Cowboys by John Denver, Midnight In Montgomery by Alan Jackson, Orchidej by Rangers, Diego by Spirituál Kvintet, Red River Valley, Blízko Little Big Hornu by Greenhorns, Last Cowboy by span style="font-style: italic;">Michal Tučný, Honec krav, Divoké koně, Růže z Texasu, Píseň o koni, Supi by Waldemar Matuška, Pomalý koně by Martin Maxa, Bedna od whisky by Wanastowi Vjecy, Rychlejší koně by Wabi Daněk, Kovbojuv nářek by Spirituál Kvintet, Nad stádem koní by Buty, Divoké koně by Jaromír Nohavica, Čiže sú to koně ve dvoře - folklore, Holka od koní by Devítka, Národ koní by Druhá Tráva, Hřívy by Hop Trop, Pony Express by K.T.O., Zachraňte koně by Kamelot, Stádo by Alan Mikušek, Ho, Ho Watanay by Pavel Lohonka Žalman, Koně pláčou by Bagr, Cherokee Bill by Nedvědi, Rio Grande by Kabát and many, many others.

Horses go with us through history so long time and it’s incredible they are still our friends, after all things what we did them.

Horses are very clever animals and very nice. That’s why they come a part of many tales, stories and legends each culture in the world. Troy, its destroy and the wood horse. They were so important, that people put it also to the sky.

Someone said: “The most beautiful view on the world is from horseback.” And be sure it’s right.








Arabian Horse Heros


Orchidej


Oh Susanna


Zachraňte koně

Welcome Bratislava - CowParade

What can I tell you about that action? Every year some artists create special sculptures - cows.

Idea of CowParade came by Walter Knapp in 1996. His son Pascal Knapp was the creator of the three cow sculptures in CowParade which had been used in Chicago and New York at the end of the last century. After a lot of modifications, Pascal finished sculpture.

Cows are very authentic, life-size, from fiberglass.

CowParade is the world’s largest public art event.

It isn’t only art, it’s fun and also charity. To paint own cow - it comes to be in, a very prestige (or show how you are rich :o) A specially in Slovakia.)

When cows were in Bratislava, many people walk through the city and tried to find most of them. Some radios made competitions - to find special cow for each day. We walked too and made pictures some of them. You can see them here.

Which cities were this famous presentation - CowParade?

YEAR CITY 1999 Chicago, Illinois, USA 2000 New York City, New York, USA Stamford, Connecticut, USA West Orange, New Jersey, USA 2001 Kansas City, Missouri, USA Houston, Texas, USA Sydney, Australia 2002 London, England Venspils, Latvia Portland, Oregon Las Vegas, Nevada 2003 Atlanta, Georgia San Antonio, Texas West Hartford, Connecticut Tokyo, Japan Isle of Man, UK Dublin, Ireland Brussels, Belgium Auckland, New Zealand 2004 Manchester, UK Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Prague, Czech Republic Stockholm, Sweden 2005 Johannesburg, South Africa Barcelona, Spain Monaco Bratislava, Slovakia Geneva, Switzerland Sao Paulo, Brazil Moscow, Russia Bucharest, Romania 2006 Buenos Aires, Argentina Florence, Italy Lisbon, Portugal Paris, France Edinburgh, Scotland Budapest, Hungary Athens, Greece Boston, Massachusetts Denver, Colorado Wisconsin, USA Belo Horizonte, Brazil Curitiba, Brazil Guadalajara, Mexico 2007 Milano, Italy Vigo, Spain Marseille, France Istanbul, Turkey Copenhagen, Denmark Miami, Florida West Hartford, Connecticut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Bratislava this Summer I

Everytime I wrote and that's why now I decide to present city only by photos. You can decide if it was good decision. And don't afraid, I don't want to change this country blog to travel instruction or travel blog.

John King's Park

In John King's Park

John King's Park

Bratislava Castle

Bratislava UFO

Bratislava UFO

National Theatre

New Bridge

Old Bridge

Apollo Bridge

In the evening

In the evening

In the evening

In the evening

In the evening

Historical festivals in Slovakia

     I'd like to write now about other festivals, festivals of historical fencing.

History of Europe is connected with many wars and wars are connected with warriors. When I stop to think of long-ago, when our ancestors run through ice plains of Europe to hound mammoths or yesteryear, when the wind blew away smell of gun-powder, there is so long time, when our dear ancestors hit together pell-mell.

In history, there exists period, which is more romantic than other, while nobody wants to live there. Dirt, famine, illnesses devastated all villages (black death, cholera, etc.). For invention of aspirin we have to wait for some centuries, same as for dental hygiene (toothbrush and paste are music of the future). To show there, for example with MP3 player or with notebook, you can wait tension on rack and then stake (it equals self-murder).

You can say: Of course, who would bring electronics to Middle Ages? Middle Ages. Dark period inclusive a few centuries and only few lights, which in the darkness lighten some events or persons, about we learned in the school (Battle of Hastings, Charles Great, Clovis I, 100-years war, Magna Charta, Joan of Arc, Marco Polo, Genghis Khan and his empire, etc.).

And what about some trifles, which are common used and we are unconscious of it. What about soap? OK, OK, soap was there, but not in that form, as we know it. It was so hard to wash with it. And why to wash? Hygiene wasn't important and it wasn't common standard in most parts of the world. Arabic world was better in this case.

Can you read? Of course, in the other way you would not be able to read this. This knowledge was, say openly, privilege of small group, same like writing. Knowledge about space, chemistry, biology and other sciences you can forget at home. These experiences should be very expensive for you and you could be nominated for charlatan or philologist. Both were dangerous and you could lose your life.

Despite of these negative facts, we are still fascinated by Middle Ages, with its stone guards in the mountains, with romantic of tournaments and heroism, with love to ladies of the court and troubadour's songs.

Knights, who were they? They were educated horse riders – warriors from aristocratic birth. They took part in crusades, which were declared to save God Grave from misbeliever' s hands (the first crusade was declared by pop Urban II, in November 27, 1095, in Clermont, France).

Usually knights were younger sons, which were out of heritage. Besides knowledge to struggle, the knights had to know also soft art of courteous poetry, straightness, protection of ladies and pure people. Of course, no everybody professed it.

To be knight, boy began to prepare from his 7 years old. He started as a servant in some aristocratic house. Besides his service near tables his lord, he helped him to wear the plate and also he went with lord to battles or tournaments.

On tournaments, knights showed their experiences in war to receive favor and love of his lady. Maybe the famous knight was Richard Lion heart.

The meeting of two different cultures (European and Islamic) had also its positive impact. Thanks collision with high cultured East, to Europe had came paper, glass mirrors, carpets, carrier-pigeon, Arabic numbers, windmills, spinach, artichokes, eggplants, coffee, tea, oil and softie shoe too.

Even also Greek culture and the master works of ancient civilization as Greece or Egypt (Arabic savants translated all works to their language. Thanks to them, many works had been well preserved for next generation), knowledge of astronomy, math and other sciences, which helped to develop Europe science.

During crusades there were established some brotherhood. Their results were protection of wayfarers to Holy land. They took care of wayfarer's finances. Between them, there were for example

Knights-Templar (The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon),

Teutonic knights,


Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta).

Templars became the most powerful from these brotherhoods. During years they climbed to Banker of Europe. This position was disfavor of French king Philip IV, the most powerful monarch. He impeached them from the worst offences and heresy. Many hundreds of Knights were busted and after tortures they were burned at the stakes. Grand Master of brotherhood, Jacques de Molay, invited both king Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V to ordeal within a year. We know, that his divination became the true and both died to the end of year (Pope only 1 month later, king after hunting accident before the end of the year.)

In the 14-th century, after crusade's cancel, knights became to honest courtiers. Tournaments were organized even few years, but the period of knights was closed forever.

     In same time with knights, there grew troubadour tradition. Its origin can be founded in south France, in Poitier, on the court of Eleanor Aquitaine, the mother of Richard Lionheart. The troubadours traveled through Europe, visited the honor courts and castles and everywhere they sing or speak about romantic love to ladies, gallantry, religious and knight exploits.

Same as in other places of Europe, there are many fans in Slovakia. They established many bands of historical fencing. Their art is presented on festivals, which are usual on many Slovak castles, on different anniversaries or celebrations. Their shows are always very fascinated and always have a lot of viewers.

In Festivals, besides shows of battles horse riders or beetle-crushers, there are presentation of historical dances, music, and music instruments and also demonstrations of historical activities and production (smithery, ceramic ware, knitting of baskets, bobbin lace work, etc.) Sometime, there are possibilities for viewers to try some activities such as knitting, bobbin, shooting from bow, ceramic ware, horse riding, carpet making, painting of gingerbreads etc. These creative workshops are very popular for adults and also for children.
At the evening there starts fire show.

Calendar of Historical Festivals:

Date	Place	Name
May 01 – September 01. 2008	Trenčín	Period camp with shooting range a kitchen on Trenčín castle
May 03. 2008	Košice	Košice days, Weapon jangle in Abov
May 24. – 25. 2008	Stará Ľubovňa	Season opening in Stará Ľubovňa
May 17. – 18. 2008	Červený Kameň	Festival of historical fencing, music, dance and crafts Červený Kameň 2008
May 31. – September 06. 2008	Trenčín	Night competition on Trenčín castle
June 18. – September 09. 2008	Bratislava	Cultural Summer and castle celebration
July 28. – August 03. 2008	Trenčín	Castle celebration 2008 – Historical celebration 2008
August 29. – 31. 2008	Devín	Festival of historical fencing, music, dance and crafts Devín 2008
October 20. – November 10. 2008		Fencing symposium + Ball of Fencers

History of Country Music

Country music and country style came from North America. It developed step by step from 18-th century to present day. This type of music consists of several styles, such blues, rock, traditional, folk, etc.

All country music is something like conglomerate of Irish, English, German, French, Spanish, and other language's versions of songs.

People from all these nations migrated to US from their own Europe countries, to find better life. Their first station was in New Island in New York, where was gate to young US. From there they traveled to many towns on the Atlantic coast from North to South. Some of them decided to go to West, but it was so dangerous. There was Terra Incognita. Many of them paid for this decision with theirs own lives. Even though, the land step by step opened them. Suddenly, they found new open areas for their cattle, for their dreams. Some of them had found fortune (gold, silver, oil, etc) there.

They all were immigrants, who were advancing on migrant's way from East to West and were looking for some free lands for them, to start a new life. These migrants brought their traditions, and of course, their own visions.

But life was hard and there wasn't so much time to stay or to relax. The men, who traveled there, had to be tough as a brick. There wasn't place for sickliness. Law was on faster man's side.

There were many people, who wanted to be rich without work. Many of them owned quick guns.

And don't forget Indians. They were also terror to travelers. On the other side, the white outlanders required their soil, and embossed them to wild areas. Also they had broken faith with Indians and failed agreements. Indians badly tolerated these regulations and whereupon there were burning farms, killing men. There were a several bigger and little Indian rebellions (Geronimo, Little Big Horn, etc.). It's possible to say, that at last, both sides found out common language, although both sides indeed lost too much.

The men, who worked hard on the open air, at the evening sat near the fire, ate, drunk and relaxed. Someone played on guitar, others sang. These songs went from site to site, from one fire to another (how the men, especially cowboys, transferred through US West).

At the end, I want only tell you, every day was the battle of survival there. In this atmosphere country was born. Songs help people to survive, made a good time and also gave some messages.

I'm sure, you know no one song about hard working men, about crying cowboy, when he lost his friend (other cowboy, horse, etc) or love, songs about battles, where many men lost their life, about women who waited their never returning boys. Many song sing about bad men, which met their destiny. I can remind you songs such as Ballad of Boot Hill, Five Red Roses, Yellow Flower, Tennessee Waltz, Last Wish, Blizzard, Tom Dooley, etc. Don't think there are only songs about bad or sad things. Some of them are funny; some are about migrant's way, some about love,...