Lemuria the Ancient Roman Day of the Dead

The upcoming holiday of Halloween may  derive, in part, from the Celtic holiday of Samhain. However, the Celts weren’t the only ones to appease their dead. The Romans did so at numerous festivals, including the Lemuria, a rite that Ovid traced back to the very founding of Rome. Lemuria and Ancestor Worship The Lemuria took place on three different days in May. On the ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth of that month, Roman householders gave offerings to their deceased ancestors to make sure their ancestors didn’t haunt them. The great poet Ovid chronicled Roman festivals in his Fasti. In his section on the month of May, he discussed the Lemuria. Ovid alleged that the festival got its name from â€Å"Remuria,† a festival named for Remus, Romulus’s twin brother whom he killed after founding Rome. Remus appeared as a ghost after his death and asked his brother’s friends to make future generations honor him. Said Ovid, â€Å"Romulus complied, and gave the name Remuria to the day on which due worship is paid to buried ancestors.† Eventually, â€Å"Remuria† became â€Å"Lemuria.† Scholars doubt that etymology, however, instead of supporting the likely theory that Lemura was named for the â€Å"lemures,† one of the several types of Roman spirits. The Ceremony for Celebrating the Dead The Romans believed that there could be no knots present during the ceremony. Some scholars theorize that knots were forbidden to allow natural forces to flow properly. The Romans are known to take off their sandals, and walk in their bare feet while making a sign to ward off evil. This gesture is called mano fica  (literally fig hand).   They would then clean themselves with fresh water and throw black beans (or spit black beans from their mouth). Looking away, they would say, â€Å"These I cast; with these beans, I redeem me and mine. By throwing away beans and what they  symbolize or contain, ancient Romans believed they were removing potentially dangerous spirits from their home. According to Ovid, the spirits would follow the beans and leave the living be. Next, they would wash and bang together pieces of bronze from Temesa in Calabria, Italy. They would ask the shades to leave their home nine times, saying, Ghost of my fathers, go forth! And youre done. Its not black magic as we think of it today, which Charles W. King explains in his essay â€Å"The Roman Manes: the Dead as Gods. If the Romans even had such a concept, it would have applied to â€Å"invoking supernatural powers to harm others,† which doesnt happen here. As King observes, the Roman spirits in the Lemuria arent the same as our modern ghosts. These are ancestral spirits to be propitiated. They might harm you if you don’t observe certain rites, but they’re not necessarily inherently evil. Types of Spirits The spirits Ovid mentions aren’t all one and the same. One particular category of spirits is  the manes, which King defines as the â€Å"deified dead†;  in his Roman Gods: a Conceptual Approach,  Michael Lipka terms them â€Å"the venerable souls of the past.† In fact, Ovid calls the ghosts by this name (among others) in his Fasti. These manes, then, aren’t just spirits, but a kind of god. Such rituals as the Lemuria aren’t only apotropaic—representative of  a type of magic to ward off negative influences—but also  negotiate with the dead in different ways. In other texts, the interaction between the human and the manes is encouraged. Thus, the Lemuria provides an insight into the complexities of the ways the Romans regarded their dead.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But these manes  arent the only sprits involved in this festival.  In Jack J. Lennon’s Pollution and Religion in Ancient Rome, he author mentions another kind of spirit invoked in the Lemuria. These are the  taciti inferi, the silent dead. Unlike the manes, Lennon says, â€Å"these spirits were labeled as harmful and malicious.† Perhaps, then, the Lemuria was an occasion to propitiate different kinds of gods and spirits all at once. Indeed, other sources say the gods worshippers placated at the Lemuria werent the manes, but the lemures or the larvae, which were often conflated in antiquity. Even Michael Lipka terms these different types of spirits â€Å"confusingly similar.† The Romans likely took this holiday as a time to appease all the ghost-gods. Although Lemuria isnt celebrated today, it might have left its legacy in Western Europe. Some scholars theorize that modern All Saints’ Day derives  from this festival (along with another ghostly Roman holiday,  Parentalia). Though that assertion is a mere possibility, Lemuria still reigns supreme as one of the deadliest of all Roman holidays.

Anemia and Disorders Blood Tests - 1710 Words

Lethargy 1. A lowered level of consciousness, with drowsiness, listlessness, and apathy. Lethargy is a fairly imprecise description of the feeling or slowness, sluggishness, tiredness, or lack of energy. Lethargy in common usage may mean many things, including fatigue, drowsiness (sleepiness), lethargy, tiredness, malaise, listlessness, or weakness (including muscular weakness). The causes of these other similar symptoms also need to be investigated in researching a symptom of lethargy. Nevertheless, any type of lethargy symptom can indicate a serious medical condition and needs prompt medical investigation. Diagnosis of Lethargy * Blood tests * Full blood count and ESR * Electrolytes including calcium and magnesium -†¦show more content†¦* CBC * CRP * Ferritin, iron saturation * LFT- liver disease * Creatinine with eGFR * Electrolytes * Calcium, phosphate * TSH- Thyroid dsy function * Fasting glucose – Type 2 diabetes * Urinalysis- Renal impairment * ANA Comments: This wide range of test reflects the increased risk that older people have of many diseases and the difficulty of reaching a diagnosis in chronic tiredness. http://www.bpac.org.nz/resources/campaign/tiredness/bpac_tiredness_clinical_audit_wv.pdf Pallor Pallor is abnormal paleness or loss of skin color, which may develop suddenly or gradually. Although generalized pallor affects the entire body, its most apparent on the face, conjunctiva, oral mucosa, and nail beds. Localized pallor commonly affects a single limb. How easily pallor is detected varies with skin color and the thickness and vascularity of underlying subcutaneous tissue. At times, its merely a subtle lightening of skin color that may be difficult to detect in dark-skinned persons; sometimes its evident only on the conjunctiva and oral mucosa. Causes of Paleness: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Paleness. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms. * Stress * Physical exertion * Lack of sun exposure * Normal genetic variation * Illness * Fever * Some causes of sudden pallor include: * Fainting * Shock *Show MoreRelatedEssay on Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia1020 Words   |  5 Pages2002). Consequently, autoimmune disorders are the results of a breakdown of the bodys ability to acknowledge its own cells from foreign cell that causes it to produce an immune response against itself. This, in turn, triggers the bodys own defense mechanism to produce antibodies that attack the bodys own tissues and cells. (Franz, 2006, Laberge, Davidson, 2007). The immune system’s mission is to act as a defense mechanism against infections. An autoimmune disorder is the result of the body’s immuneRead MoreBlood Disorders1013 Words   |  5 Pages Blood Disorders Amanda Swindell HCA/240 August 9, 2015 Dr. Monica Chase Blood Disorders Blood is one of the most essential elements within the body. Blood is made up of plasma, red blood cells, and platelets. Blood is vital to the body functioning correctly, and it is important to understand that there are many types of blood disorders that can cause people to get sick. 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It happensRead MoreImmune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia ( Imha )1614 Words   |  7 PagesImmune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) is one of the most severe autoimmune disorders that kills between 29-77% of dogs each year [1]. The disease is usually found in large and middle aged dogs. IMHA is a pathologic process that results in premature destruction of red blood cells when an immune response directly or indirectly targets red blood cells of all ages[ 2]. IMHA can be caused by various factors, but categorized in two ways. IMHA can be an idiopathic autoimmune event (primary IMHA) or associatedRead MoreHow Blood And The Body Is Made Up Of Many Different Components876 Words   |  4 PagesBlood Disorders Natasha Hurndon HCA/240 Janet Jowitt October 13, 2014 The blood in the body is made up of many different components. The components of the blood include red blood cells, plasma, and platelets, each having a specific function. 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Equality Legislation Essay Sample free essay sample

The followers is a usher merely to the statute law presently in topographic point that impacts on equality and diverseness issues. and is non a comprehensive list. 1970 The Equal Pay Act ( EPA ) ( as amended ) . makes it improper for employers to know apart between work forces and adult females in footings of their wage and conditions ( including wage. holiday entitlement. pension etc ) where they are making the same or similar work ; work rated as equivalent ; or work of equal value. 1974 The Health and Safety at Work Act places a general responsibility on employers to protect the wellness. safety and public assistance of their employees. Employers may besides be in breach of contract for neglecting to protect workers’ wellness and safety. 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act ( SDA ) ( as amended ) . makes it improper to know apart on evidences of sex or matrimonial position in countries such as employment. instruction and the proviso of goods and services. 1976 The Race Relations Act ( RRA ) ( as amended ) makes it improper to know apart on evidences of coloring material. race. nationality. cultural or national beginning. The Race Relations ( Amendment ) Act 2000 outlaws favoritism in all public authorization maps. and places a general responsibility on public governments to advance race equality and good race dealingss. There is besides a specific responsibility to bring forth a Race Equality Policy and undertake race equality impact appraisals. 1994 Under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. it is a condemnable offense to mean to do torment. dismay or hurt. 1995 The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill ( amendment to Public Order Act 1986 ) . extends the racial hatred offenses in the 1986 Act to cover stirring up hatred against individuals on racial or spiritual evidences. 1995 The Disability Discrimination Act ( DDA ) ( as amended ) makes it improper to know apart on evidences of disablement in the countries of employment. the proviso of goods and services and instruction. The 2005 Regulations provide new definitions of direct favoritism and torment and widen the responsibility to do sensible accommodations. 1995 The Occupational Pensions ( Equal Treatment ) Regulations ( as amended ) addendum the demands for equal intervention under the Pensions Act 1995. In peculiar they provide for the Equal Pay Act to hold consequence in relation to an equal intervention regulation. The Regulations allow a tribunal or tribunal to do a declaration as to an applicant’s rights to equal intervention. The 2005 Regulations amend the clip bound for conveying proceedings before a tribunal to procure equal intervention under an occupational pension strategy. 1995 The Pensions Act requires occupational pension strategies to detect the rule of equal intervention between work forces and adult females. 1996 The Employment Rights Act ( as amended by the Employment Relations Act 1999 ) covers many issues including an employee’s entitlement to pregnancy go forth. paternity leave. acceptance leave. parental leave and the right to bespeak flexible working agreements. It besides outlaws hurt in employment and affords employees a right non to be below the belt dismissed and to have a redundancy payment ( supplying measure uping standards are met ) . Further Regulations elaborate on these. 1997 The Protection from Harassment Act makes harassment both a civil civil wrong and condemnable offense. and although originally drafted to supply protection from stalking. screens other signifiers of torment. both in and out of the workplace. 1998 The Malicious Communications Act makes it an offense to direct an indecent. violative or baleful missive. electronic communicating or other article to another individual and the Telecommunications Act ( 1984 ) makes similar commissariats in regard of telephone messages. 1998 The Working Time Regulations ( as amended ) purpose to better wellness and safety by commanding working hours. The Regulations afford basic rights and protections to workers non merely employees. including minimal paid one-year leave entitlements. rights to rest periods at work and bounds on hebdomadal working clip. 1998 The Human Rights Act gives consequence to rights and freedoms guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights. The statute law makes it improper for a public authorization to transgress convention rights. unless an Act of Parliament prevents it from moving otherwise. 1999 The Sex Discrimination ( Gender Reassignment ) Regulations make it improper to know apart against a individual for the intent of employment or vocational preparation on the land that that individual intends to undergo. is undergoing. or has at some clip in the past undergone gender reassignment. In peculiar. the Regulations give transexuals the right to be protected from direct favoritism. 2000The Part Time Workers ( Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment ) Regulations make it improper for employers to handle part-timers less favorably in their footings and conditions of employment than comparable full-timers ( unless that intervention is objectively justified ) . The Regulations require an employer to use a ‘pro-rata’ rule to certain contractual entitlements such as wage and vacation. so that parttime staff are non treated less favorably than full clip staff. 2001 The Particular Educational Needs and Disability Act ( SENDA ) extends the DDA ( 1995 ) to include the proviso instruction ( including Higher Education ) . It makes it illegal to know apart in the proviso of instruction on the evidences of a student’s disablement. It is now mostly incorporated within the DDA ( 2005 ) . 2001 The Sex Discrimination ( Indirect Discrimination and Burden of Proof ) Regulations widen the definition of indirect favoritism and clarifies that in a tribunal claim it is first up to the employee to set up factsthat could represent sex favoritism. The load of cogent evidence so shifts to the employer to demo that there is a non-discriminatory ground for its actions. 2002 The Employment Act makes proviso for rights to paternity and acceptance leave and pay ; amends the jurisprudence associating to statutory pregnancy leave and pay ; makes proviso for the usage of statutory processs in relation to employment differences ; and covers the right to bespeak flexible working. 2003 The Employment Equality ( Religion and Belief ) Regulations make it improper to know apart on evidences of faith or spiritual belief in employment and vocational preparation. 2003 The Employment Equality ( Sexual Orientation ) Regulations make it improper to know apart on evidences of sexual orientation in employment and vocational preparation. The Regulations protect homophiles. straight persons and bisexuals. 2004 The Civil Partnership Act defines a new legal relationship. which can be registered by two people of the same sex. It gives same-sex twosomes the ability to obtain legal acknowledgment for their relationship and affords them equal intervention to get married twosomes in a broad scope of legal affairs. 2004 The Gender Recognition Act 2004 gives legal acknowledgment to a transsexual’s acquired gender. For illustration. a male-to-female transexual will be lawfully recognised as a adult female in English jurisprudence. 2005 Disability Discrimination Act makes significant amendments to the 1995 Act. It introduces a responsibility on all public organic structures to advance equality of chance for handicapped people. In peculiar. public organic structures have to bring forth a Disability Equality Scheme to advance disablement and to explicate how they intend to carry through the responsibility to advance equality. It besides extends the definition of disablement. Part four of the DDA now mostly supercedes the SENDA ( 2001 ) . 2005 The Employment Equality ( Sex Discrimination ) Regulations are concerned with the rule of equal intervention of work forces and adult females as respects entree to employment. vocational preparation and publicity. and working conditions. It makes alterations to the definition of torment at work and indirect favoritism. and besides prohibits favoritism on the evidences of gestation and pregnancy leave. 2006 The Employment Equality ( Age ) Regulations make it improper to know apart against employees. occupation searchers or trainees on evidences of age in employment and vocational preparation. They prohibit direct and indirect favoritism. exploitation. instructions to know apart and torment. They introduce a minimal retirement age of 65 ; a responsibility on employers to react to petitions to work beyond retirement age ; and take the upper age bound for claiming a redundancy payment or unjust dismissal. 2006 The Equality Act makes proviso for the constitution of the Equality and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC ) by unifying the Equal Opportunities Commission. the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission. The EHRC is responsible for advancing equality and diverseness and will work towards extinguishing favoritism on the usual evidences ( including faith and belief. sexual orientation. age. gender. disablement. race and gender reassignment. It besides creates a responsibility on public governments to advance equality of chance between work forces and adult females by necessitating public organic structures to bring forth a Gender Equality Scheme. 2007 The Equality Act ( Sexual Orientation ) Regulations 2007 make it improper to know apart on the evidences of sexual orientation in the proviso of goods. installations and services. instruction. disposal and direction of premises and the exercising of public maps. This papers was reviewed by the University’s canvassers in November 2007. nevertheless where necessary please seek advice and elucidation from a legal expert. Further information on equality and diverseness issues can be found at World Wide Web. staffs. Ac. uk/diversity

St. Augustine’s spiritual journey of divine reverence as evidenced in his Confessions Essay Example

St. Augustine’s spiritual journey of divine reverence as evidenced in his Confessions Paper Although Augustine of Hippo’s early life was disordered and undisciplined, his adult life is marked by maturity and spiritual searching. His steadfast spiritual journey – one identified with penance and dedication – will lead him to a profound understanding of the message of Christ. He attains a refined reverence for the omnipotent will of God. Although St. Augustine lived at an age that was far removed from St. Francis Assisi’s, some of the values cherished and preached by the latter is easily applicable to the former’s life. Reverence is one such Franciscan value that is represented by Augustine’s lifelong spiritual journey. The rest of this essay will highlight this connection by citing relevant passages from the Confessions as well as scholarly commentary given upon it. One of the early influences on St. Augustine was the Greek theologian Plotinus, whose famous words ‘alone with the Alone’ made an impact on the young aspirant. This peculiar theory appeared so valid to the young Augustine because it relieved him from the moral conundrums upon which he was entangled. Further, â€Å"by articulating God as the distant and perfect One, it allowed Augustine to think of ultimate reality apart from materialistic and this–worldly categories. Further, by removing God from this obviously ambiguous realm through a series of ontological buffers, it allowed Augustine to see how God is not directly implicated in evil. He could breathe easy again.† (Barron, 2007) St. Augustine of Hippo’s early years was marked by confusion and unscrupulous behaviour. As a result there was no scope for spiritual development. In his early youth he believed in the Manichaean religion which was full of superstition. His blind belief in astrology also hampered his intellect. It was not until his conversion to Christianity that Augustine came to realize his true calling. His reverence for life and its divine purpose began to dawn at that moment. One of the turning points in St. Augustine’s progress is when he committed to upholding eternal matters – that which is spiritual and heavenly – over the temporal. He believed that Christian emperor Constantine’s rise to power â€Å"was not necessarily the answer to biblical prophecy or a show of God’s providence in an eternal Roman Empire.† (Smither, 2007) This shows that Augustine was able to separate theology from surrounding politics at an early stage of his monkhoo d. We will write a custom essay sample on St. Augustine’s spiritual journey of divine reverence as evidenced in his Confessions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on St. Augustine’s spiritual journey of divine reverence as evidenced in his Confessions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on St. Augustine’s spiritual journey of divine reverence as evidenced in his Confessions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The sixth chapter of the Confessions is particularly helpful in understanding St. Augustine’s spiritual growth. Here, shedding his adherence to ascetic isolation, Augustine contends that a spiritually fulfilling life is possible both in the presence of God as well as in the company of people. Thus, Augustine’s outwardly ‘selfish’ pursuit of God â€Å"charitably benefited others while also exposing the deficiencies of humans to love. This, in turn, led him back to the presence of God for genuine satisfaction.† (Smither, 2007) It is interesting to look at Augustine’s philosophical antecedents in the lead up to his conversion in 386 A.D. Prior to this period he and his close friends tried living a ‘happy life’ as a community in Milan (Chadwick, 2008). It is a sign of his inner strength and conviction that despite the failure in Milan, he initiated similar philosophical and spiritual communities at Cassiciacum numerous other towns in the months preceding his baptism in 387. In this communal context â€Å"of pursuing God in the company of others, Augustine broke with Cicero’s classical idea of friendship (amicitia) toward a uniquely Christian understanding that he eventually termed caritas.† (Smither, 2007) Of the thirteen books that comprise the Confessions, it is only in the later half that St. Augustine contemplates Christianity in full measure. That too, it is in the eighth book that he finally converts to the religion. This shows that most of St. Augustine’s spiritual journey is one of seeking than finding answers. The totem that the journey is itself the destination is true in this case, for all the years that was spent wandering in search of religious truth were not wasted. They were the rites of passage toward spiritual salvation. All the early struggles had actually increased St. Augustine’s reverence for the Christian God. Understanding the nature and will of the Christian God was a central Augustinian preoccupation. For, everything else, including â€Å"culture, politics, nature, human relationships–is properly understood only in the measure that ultimate reality is grasped with at least a relative adequacy.† (Barron, 2007) In the tradition of other Christian luminaries of his time, St. Augustine his entire spiritual quest was cantered on that question. At the end of his questioning, Augustine found a truth that liberated from ignorance. The dialectical process through which Augustine achieved spiritual wisdom is remarkably relevant to our time, and â€Å"that finding for ourselves the truth that he found is of great moment not only for our personal spiritual fulfillment but also for the health of our Church and culture.† (Barron, 2007) Works Cited Barron, R. (2007). Augustine’s Questions: Why the Augustinian Theology of God Matters Today. Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, 10(4), 35+. Smither, E. (2007). The Way That Leads There: Augustinian Reflections on the Christian Life. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 50(3), 665+. Chadwick, Henry(2008). Saint Augustine: Confessions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-953782-8.