The month of September holds a lot of significance for the Cayman Islands as well as the United States of America.

During this month we had the passing of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 in the USA.

Hurricane Ivan

Hurricane Ivan which hit the Cayman Islands on the 11th September 2004 was the 6th strongest hurricane over the land in history.

According to the British Foreign Office, winds of over 150 miles per hour, hit the islands on the Sunday night, demolishing buildings and official shelters.

The center of the category five hurricane passed within 30 miles of Grand Cayman, which is one of three islands of the British dependency and residents were left without electricity and running water.

Two humanitarian advisers from Britain were said to have been in the Caribbean at the time to assess the situation.

Initial estimates by the Department for International Development suggested that 15-20% of residential houses on the islands had been completely destroyed and 20% had major damage.

One World Trade Center

Now September 11, 2001 was also one of the most pivotal days in world history for the United States of America. Its impact will be felt for years to come.

One World Trade Center rises from Ground Zero – the same area where on September 11, 2001 the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers occurred. 

One World Trade Center has a total of 104 floors, a gigantic lobby, and an observation platform. The observation platform of One World Trade Center – One World Observatory – opened May 29, 2015.

Personal Memories

I remember watching in horror the replay of the attack of the twin towers at the bank on their main television screen in the lobby area. I was understandably interrupted from my work that memorable day.

Even though I had never and still have never lived in the US, my heart ached for the families and friends who were victims of such a tragic event.

https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks

On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum

The National September 11 Memorial is a tribute of remembrance and honor to the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.

The National September 11 Memorial Museum serves as the country’s principal institution for examining the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of those events and exploring the continuing significance of September 11, 2001.

The Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibition space is located within the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center site – telling the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts.

The lives of every victim of the 2001 and 1993 attacks are commemorated as visitors have the opportunity to learn about the lives of the men, women and children who died.

The monumental artifacts of the Museum provide a link to the events of 9/11, while presenting intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning and recovery that are central to telling the story of the attacks and the aftermath.

For more information please visit: https://www.911memorial.org/

WARS

Wars are much less frequent in these days than they used to be and are also shorter in duration.

Although more destructive while they last, because of their infrequency and short duration, wars in today’s society, has the sum total of human misery at a lower percentage than in the earlier times.

As the engines of war increase in destructiveness, they usually become more costly. weapons of war become more expensive to make and are even more expensive to use. The fearful costliness of modern wars are thankfully one very great restraint upon any nation to use it.

Apparently this is probably one of the reasons why in America, it has never been thought wise to try to prevent the free application of invention to the improvement of the weapons and engines of war.

WORLD WAR I

As Germans were marshaling their military to fight in World War I, their scientists scored one of the war’s most infamous military accomplishment-the invention of the deadly chlorine poison gas weapon.

At 4 p.m. on April 22,1915, the International Peace Conference’s prohibition on the use of chemical weapons in war was officially broken.

On a battlefield just outside the town of Ypres, Belgium, German troops opened the valves of 4,000 chlorine cylinders that were pointed in the direction of two French divisions and a Canadian division.

In short, the horror of death from this weapon of poison was immensely agonizing as the white troops slowly suffocated and their bodies curled inward helplessly on the ground, heaving powerfully from nausea at short intervals.

It is estimated that 125,000 tons of chemical weapons were used by all sides in World War I.

JAY WINTER

For more fascinating information about the awesome Yale University visit: https://www.yale.edu/

Jay Winter, a Yale University Historian and Expert on World War I, states that what happened in the first World War can be seen as the model for the rest of the twentieth century.

He states that:

“You can’t support a major war effort without realizing that you will violate moral claims. It has to happen. It has always happened. The longer the twentieth century goes on, the worse it becomes.”

The industry of war gets bigger. The moral problems gets bigger, but the solutions are negligible and the interactions are still not effective enough. He continues to state that its very important to realize that all states that have chemical weapons programs are engaged in state terror. All states.

However. here is an idea that I found to be most disturbing- usually, enabling a man in uniform to surrender was and still is an act of decency towards human life, however, that no longer applies once killing becomes the sole purpose of battle.

Now we find ourselves dealing with something more monstrous, something previously unthinkable, now we are dealing with a different type of warfare. Now warfare has become a form of extermination rather than a form of politics. It’s no longer politics by any means. It’s now terror by any means.

Religion and Violence: After 9-11

Prior to September 11, 2001, concerns about “Religions” potential for violence had focused largely on those religions that people often labeled as cults. Satanists were often accused of acts of particularly gruesome violence.

By the turn of the century, popular concerns about religions potentially dangerous underside had already come to focus largely on the Catholic Church, a firmly established part of mainstream religion in most peoples minds.

Unfortunately the multiple scandals of sexual misconduct and abuse by priest provided ample fear, mistrust and angry towards religious people.

Then of course, the planes on September 11 tore into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and life for most people in the United States changed forever.

Fear about religions potential for violence shifted abruptly to the interface of Religion and Nationalism, and especially to the relationship between religion and violence in Islam.

The Muslim Response

Many Muslims lived in the United States for many decades before 9-11. In the days immediately following the attacks, law enforcement agencies received hundreds of reports of incidents of harassment, discrimination and attacks on Muslim people and places. Mosques were defaced and threatening messages left on their voice mail.

Anyone who even “looked Muslim” was afraid to leave the safety of their homes for fear of being attacked. Even Muslim children had to stay at home from schools for a long time.

A study by the Council on American Islamic Relation (CAIR) showed a 15% increase in the number of incidents and experiences of anti-Muslim violence, discrimination and harassment during 2002.

At the same time, although some non-Muslim Americans reacted with hatred, most responded differently, realizing that the terrorist did not represent mainstream Islam.

Why Religious Violence?

It is important to remember that worldwide, in the last decade, we have seen violence perpetrated by people who claimed affiliation with religions other than Islam.

According to Religious Studies Scholars, Mark Juergensmeyer and Catherine Wessinger, the shooting of doctors who performed abortions, the bombing of abortion clinics, and the destruction of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma by right-wing Christians, were a clear example of religious violence.

Violence has erupted between various Jewish groups and has been perpetrated by Jews against Palestinians as well as Palestinians against Jews. Sikhs in India have also been involved in assassinations, most notably that of Indira Ghandi. There was also the Japanese radicals who claimed affiliation with both Hinduism and Buddhism, they left deadly nerve gas in a Tokyo subway.

See my previous article:

https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2019/03/17/terror-in-tokyo-aum-shinrikyo/

Please note however that all religious violence has not been directed at persons and groups outside the perpetrators own faith. There has also been violence within Muslim groups, Jewish groups, as well as Christian groups.

Religious violence, no matter where they have occurred, have become a part of nearly everyone’s life as they have been reported and shown in graphic detail on international television.

Dualism: Divine or Cosmic Warfare

One thing that seems clearly evident to violent tactics in the name of religion is a sharp dualistic worldview. This view divides the world sharply and clearly into us and them, good and evil, God vs. Satan.

According to my studies, dualism can lead into the concept of divine or cosmic warfare. this variable is a popular element in many religions. Sometimes this image is linked with real-world political confrontations in which Nationalism or Tribalism plays a large role.

Imagery can be so powerful and persuasive, the symbolic significance can not be ignored.

This is therefore a segue into my next topic: Artificial Intelligence and Movies, where powerful imagery is highly effective and stimulating to the senses.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is an expert system or real-world applications of artificial intelligence (AI).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. These processes include learning (the acquisition of information and rules for using the information), reasoning (using rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions) and self-correction.

AI is a group of technologies that attempts to mimic our senses and emulate certain aspects of human behaviours, such as reasoning and communicating.

AI is unlike conventional economic theories as it uses reasoning to evaluate and dictate its conclusion.

Expert Systems (ES) also called knowledge-based systems, became one of several system development methodologies.

Telecommunications Firms use them to diagnose switching circuits and Financial Services Firms use them to choose financial planning and tax planning alternatives.

AI Goes to the Movies: A History of Artificial Intelligence in Film

For nearly 100 years, the film industry has presented us with a number of onscreen representations of artificial intelligence. These AI characters vary from big to small, from good to evil, and from anthropomorphic to clearly robotic.

The early years of AI in film: 1920s-1960s

The first filmed appearance of anything resembling AI may not be what you expect. The 1927 silent German expressionist film Metropolis features a robot made in the image of a human, whose intent is to take over the city of Metropolis. The robot is programmed by its scientist creator to incite chaos throughout the city.

However, an angry mob burns what they believe to be a human at the stake, only realizing the creature is a robot when the flames reveal its true nature.

This first portrayal of AI technology was negative and without a trace of nuance, which may or may not say something about how humans have typically viewed this technology.

For more creative and interesting information visit:

https://enlightened-digital.com/90-years-of-ai-in-the-movies-whats-changed-and-what-hasnt/

Example of a movie based on Artificial Intelligence Technology:

Holy Wars

Some Astrophysicists (a scientist who specializes in studying space, stars, planets, and the universe) state that history reveals a long and combative relationship between religion and science. It all depends on who happens to be in control of the society at the time.

The claims of science rely on experimental verification, while the claims of religions rely on faith.

Just as in any hostage negotiation, it is probably best to keep both sides talking to each other.

Great scientific minds, from Claudius Ptolemy of the second century to Isaac Newton of the seventeenth century, invested their formidable intellects in an attempt to deduce the nature of the universe from the statements and philosophies contained in religious writings.

Isaac Newton is said to have written more words about God and religion than about the laws of physics. Wow!

All of it done in an attempt to use biblical chronology to understand and predict events in the natural world. Many people have tried to successfully predict the physical world by using content found in religious documents.

However, many times whenever people have used these religious documents to make detailed predictions about the physical world or future, they have been famously wrong.

Trying to predict or make a precise statement about the untested behavior of objects or phenomena in the natural world that gets logged or recorded “before” the event takes place is very rare.

Please understand and note that when your experimental model predicts something only after it has happened then you have instead made what is called “post diction”.

I also learnt that post dictions are the backbone of most creation myths and provide explanations of everyday phenomena s of what is already known.

In the business of science, a dozen post dictions are barely worth a single successful prediction.

For example, the most famous and popular prediction are those who claim to know when the world will end. Lol!

Supernatural Power and Cultural Evolution

Anthony Tobin Layng (1932-2011), was an emeritus professor of anthropology.

A life-long religious skeptic, he graduated from Solebury Prep School, completed undergraduate work at Rollins College and Columbia University, and received an M.A. from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Case Western Reserve.

He was awarded a Purple Heart as a U.S. Marine in the Korean War. He was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi for four years and was a leader for Operation Crossroads Africa in Lesotho. 

Mr. Layng has written that all human cultures appear to include faith in supernatural power and that this tradition has played an active and essential role in influencing how our ancestors perceive and adapt to their environment. He believed that this relationship between human belief and adaptive behavior may have played a critical role in shaping cultural evolution.

The history of any society can demonstrate how sacred beliefs have changed over time. How they were created or borrowed, consciously or unconsciously, and how they may be subsequently abandoned.

Beliefs about the natural environment and the supernatural environment are part of a larger system of learned ideas and customs that make up a culture.

Guess what else is possible? An entire culture can change over time in the same way their beliefs do. The human population no longer adapts to environmental changes by evolving genetically. We now adapt to change by altering our beliefs and behaviors.

The evolutions of beliefs have come to determine which population has the greatest capacity to survive.

Cultural and Group Beliefs

At an early stage in cultural evolution, all societies began to believe in supernatural powers, the common denominator of all religious beliefs.

Tribal societies studied by anthropologists have provided numerous examples of belief systems that may be similar to those of our ancient ancestors.

However, even though modern society makes us more intellectual and we are living in a more industrialized society, we can safely conclude that all if not most human cultures today include faith in some spiritual beings or forces.

Individuals and small groups are also capable of cherishing beliefs that are detrimental to their physical welfare. For example, the followers of Heaven’s Gate in California

Heaven’s Gate in California

Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones

Cults often begin by promoting behavior that is antithetical (something that is opposite) to the physical well-being of members.

However, I strongly believe that healthy established denominations evolve by becoming less exclusive and more reflective and sensitive to their members needs and the surrounding culture.

Using this method, I believe would naturally cause each member to abandon their self-destructive behaviors for more healthy, engaging and liberating experiences which would then be beneficial for all parties involved.

Please note however, that individuals and fringe groups may hold religious beliefs that compromise their survival, but beliefs that are traditional and generalized throughout a healthy, normal society are likely to enhance the survival of that society.

Once again, unfortunately we will still have individuals who are really ignorant and apparently can afford to be ridiculously stupid and do stupid and sometimes deadly things. That’s inevitable.

Nevertheless, I pray that the collective wisdom of any healthy and resilient society will be strong enough to be far more practical and mindful of the emotional, spiritual and psychological well-being of its members.

Nobody really wakes up and say, “Today I am going to save the world!”

Many of us are just too tired, stressed-out and ridiculously annoyed with various affairs in our life to add additional duties to our ever-expanding list of community goodwill. Lol!

Don’t get me wrong, I like to acknowledge people in our community who clearly are deserving of recognition, but I know many of them were not doing it for recognition in the first place, they were really just being who they inherently were created to be.

Many times, in life we might have committed to do something in our community and our commitment started with a “bang” but along the way we encountered obstacles like discouragement, rejection, suffered poor self-esteem, sickness, financial struggles or even spiritual warfare.

But how many of you know that with the Holy Spirit you can make it?

I have learnt that unclean spirits, without exception and regardless of their names or where they act, are all agents of death.

But how can you distinguish between the Spirit of God and the spirits of the devil if many of them talk about love, light and good works?

Here is one clue:

• Demonic spirits always cause problems that deprive people of any joy, especially on special occasions. In fact, they never allow their followers to have peace. The Holy Spirit, however, is peace. He rejoices when we are happy. It is written,

“For the joy of the Lord is my strength” Nehemiah 8:10

We must learn how to bind the strong man in our lives.

Jesus gave us his authority over the devil and his evil cohorts, yet I have learnt that we must be motivated to use it if we want to see results.

Let us consider what Jesus taught his followers:

In the book of Matthew Chapter 16:19, it says,

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

To bind evil spirits means to restrain them by addressing them directly and forbidding them to continue their destructive activity.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our words will weaken or remove the person from the enemy’s bondage and in prayer we then ask the Holy Spirit to minister to his or her needs.

Our prayers should then be directed to God, and our warfare at the enemy.

According to the authors, Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock of A Woman’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare, this tactic of binding evil spirits is especially effective when praying in agreement with a prayer partner.

The following is a hypothetical story to illustrate how we can become more effective in our everyday life:

Cadia is a spiritual warrior who’s learned to use this important tactic. One day she went to visit her twenty-year-old daughter Lisa, who had gone away to college. Not finding her at her designated residence, she went on in.

Appalled at the mess she found, she began to clean the apartment-straightening, dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing. She even cooked a meal, then washed all the dirty clothes lying around.

She knew her daughter was still adjusting to college life, but she was shock that her normally tidy and preppy daughter would have allowed her apartment to be reduced to such a deplorable state.

While putting things in order, Cadia found a bundle of torn and bloody undergarments amongst a small bag of “unknown substance” beside a used syringe and a small hand gun. It had one bullet in it.

At that moment, Cadia knew her daughter’s intent was to shoot herself and based on the evidence, the reason was obvious.

As a mother in the natural, she was devastated, but as a prayer warrior in the spirit, she was furious!

At that very moment, Cadia began to do serious spiritual battle for her daughter’s life.
She said,

“Thank you, Lord, for giving us authority to use your name to set captives free. I plead the blood of Jesus over Lisa, and ask you to protect her life.

I come against the strong man of rejection operating against my daughter, and bind your power over my daughter in Jesus’ name.

I come against the spirit of suicide, you will not have my daughter.

I come against the spirit of deception and psychosis, you will not have my daughter.

I bind all spirits of rejection, madness, hate, anger, murder, and suicide, in Jesus’ name.

I bind all unclean spirits associated with drug abuse, rape and chaos, and cut Lisa loose from past hurts and from unhealthy relationships.

I command the spirits that are binding and controlling her to release her, in Jesus’ name.

Lord, let your peace permeate her apartment. Show Lisa how much you love her and desire to set her free from the bondage of the enemy.

Thank you, Lord, for protecting her life and drawing her into fellowship with you in Jesus’ name.

Amen”.

Cadia then began singing and filling the apartment with praises to the Lord as she continued to cook and clean.

Before leaving that day, she left a note:

“Lisa- I did this today because I love you. No strings attached. Mom”.

A few weeks went by before Lisa decided to visit her mom in person and upon arrival her mother noticed she had lost weight and seemed nervous.

But Cadia did not judge or harass her daughter because she knew if she had not prayed for her daughter’s deliverance and shown unconditional love, her daughter might not have been alive today.

Perhaps one day her daughter will find the courage to share her story and seek professional help.

For now, she was glad Lisa had come home for the holidays. Cadia also knew she was greatly missed by her friends in the community and at church.

Many people go to church just for the service- the feast, or ceremony- and some go to meet with God.

Some go only for the lavish worship while some truly worship by the Spirit of God.

Some people go to church because they like the pastor’s eloquent and obviously gifted way with words, while some people truly need to hear from God.

I have learnt that sometimes God remains silent and withholds communication in order for Him to receive the glory once a promise has been fulfilled.

Have you heard of prophetic jealousy?

It’s similar to professional jealously and I believe it exist among those who have a reputation for being gifted with a word of knowledge, or prophecy.

I strongly believe that people who are known for their prophetic gift sometimes are placed under pressure to perform and maybe also pressured to deliver ‘a word from the Lord’.

After-all the people expect it!

Then after a while their followers or the people in the congregation take it for granted and if someone other than their leader has a word that doesn’t include them – or confirm them- they are often ungracious or downright hateful.

Many may say, “It can’t be from God, or I would know”.

God was powerfully at work in Jerusalem and Jesus was the center of it all.

Not even his own parents- or those who knew him best- were aware of what was happening.

Hear me when I say, God can use you yesterday, but remain silent today.

He can use me today, but speak through someone else tomorrow.

It may be someone everybody has heard of- but don’t particularly like or even someone who no one has heard.

Why? God is sovereign.

Being used by God does not require any of the following:

Ed.D. – (Doctor of Education), Th.D. (Doctor of Theology), Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), LL.D. (Doctor of Laws) or any other sophisticated titles we all have sacrificed to attain.

See my previous article: Are you wasting your time? (The Age Clock Concept: In Time with your Lifespan)

I believe it’s important to have a purpose in life and as soon as you have figured it out-get moving!

The Bell Curve

According to my recent studies, the normal curve, also known as THE BELL CURVE because of its unique shape, is said to be shaped like a bell and is often the way in which certain characteristics such as intelligence, weight or height may be represented in the population.

The highest point on the curve typically represents the average score in any distribution.

Now distributions aren’t always normal in shape, just like people! Lol!

Some distributions are described as skewed. This occurs when the distribution is not even on both sides of a central score with the highest frequency.

Instead some scores are concentrated toward one side of the distribution.

For example, we might observe a study of people’s water drinking habits and it eventually reveals that most people drink between 4 and 8 16oz bottles of water daily, with no one drinking more than 8 bottles.

So, you may be asking, how does the above information tie into my message?

Well, if we were to start sieving through an enormous pile of professional profiles of people in our community who have been nominated for awards on Heroes day next year, one of the requirements should be- how have they used their intelligence to make a difference in their community.

Cayman Islands

National Heroes Day is a public holiday celebrated in the Cayman Islands on the fourth Monday in January.

Unlike other National Heroes Days in the Caribbean, the same people aren’t always celebrated on this day each year.

Instead, a committee comprised of public and private sector representatives meet to choose the theme for the following year’s holiday.

Different award categories are then established and the public is then allowed to nominate suitable individuals.

The National Heroes Day committee is then entrusted with the awesome but serious responsibility of deciding on all who are deserving recipients of the awards. Cool!

The theme chosen for 2018 was sports, with members of the public being invited to nominate people in the community who had made outstanding contributions to sports in the Cayman Islands.

The theme chosen for 2017 was Tourism, honoring the important role that the business sector plays in the economy of the Cayman Islands, and the 2016 theme was agriculture with over 300 people being honored for their contribution to farming in the Cayman Islands.

National Heroes Day has been a public holiday in the Cayman Islands since 2003.

Jamaica

Every third Monday of October is National Heroes Day in Jamaica. This public holiday is dedicated to the memory of Jamaica’s seven official national heroes.

On National Heroes Day, six heroes and one heroine will still be remembered for their heroic deeds that led to greater freedom and economic growth and prosperity for their homeland.

For example, Alexander Bustmante was Jamaica’s first prime minister. Three other heroes were hanged after leading revolts against oppression and “social injustice”. And heroine “Nanny of the Maroons” led a group in resistance and raids against the British colonialists. Wow!

See the following link for more information: https://jis.gov.jm/information/heroes/

Jamaica celebrates Independence on August 6 each year, in commemoration of its first Independence Day on August 6, 1962. The period leading up to the public holiday is crammed with parties and activities celebrating the island’s culture.

For more exciting and educational information about the beautiful Island of Jamaica see my previous article:

https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator/the-independence-of-jamaica-and-the

Rwanda

Guess what else is happening around the world?

Every 1st February is National Heroes Day in Rwanda and it is a day selected to remember numerous officially designated national heroes who lost their lives in the cause of their country.

Rwanda’s previous flag was a red-yellow-green tricolor with a large black letter “R” (to distinguish it from the otherwise identical Flag of Guinea). Derived from the flag of Ethiopia, the colors green, yellow, and red represented peace; the nation’s hope for its development; and the people.

What does the Rwandan flag mean?

Now the green is symbolic of the country’s prosperity, the yellow is symbolic of potential and real economic development, and the blue is symbolic of happiness and peace. The sun and its rays are said to represent enlightenment. Awesome!

I have learnt that Rwanda is a country with a diverse culture and rich heritage. The Rwandan cuisine is famous all-over East Africa, with its signature East African dish – Ugali and vegetables. Yum-Yum in my tummy!

How wealthy is Rwanda?

Rwanda is reported to have the 35th-highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) among African countries (20.32 million International dollars).

The top 10 African countries by GDP (PPP) are: Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania. Wow!

France

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the flag of France (French: Drapeau français) is a tricolor flag featuring three vertical bands coloured blue (hoist side), white, and red.

It is known to English speakers as the French Tricolour or simply the Tricolour (French: Tricolore).

The Tricolour has become one of the most influential flags in history, with its three-colour scheme being copied by many other nations, both in Europe and the rest of the world.

The royal government used many flags, the best known being a blue shield and gold fleur-de-lis (the Royal Arms of France) on a white background, or state flag. Early in the French Revolution, the Paris militia, which played a prominent role in the storming of the Bastille, wore a cockade of blue and red, the city’s traditional colours.

According to French general Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, white was the “ancient French colour” and was added to the militia cockade to create a tricolour, or national, cockade.

This cockade became part of the uniform of the National Guard, which succeeded the militia and was commanded by Lafayette.

The colours and design of the cockade are the basis of the Tricolour flag, adopted in 1790. The only difference was that the 1790 flag’s colours were reversed. A modified design by Jacques-Louis David was adopted in 1794.

The royal white flag was used during the Bourbon restoration from 1815 to 1830; the tricolour was brought back after the July Revolution and has been used ever since 1830.

The French National Day is the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution, as well as the Fête de la Fédération which celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France.

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was one of many world landmarks illuminated in the French flag colors after the November 2015 Paris attacks.

Hundred Years of War

During the Hundred Years’ War, England was recognized by a red cross, Burgundy, a red saltire, and France, a white cross.

This cross could figure either on a blue or a red field. The blue field eventually became the common standard for French armies. The French regiments were later assigned the white cross as standard, with their proper colours in the cantons.

The French flag of a white cross on a blue field is still seen on some flags derived from it, such as those of Quebec and Martinique.

The flag of Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years’ War is described in her own words,

“I had a banner of which the field was sprinkled with lilies; the world was painted there, with an angel at each side; it was white of the white cloth called ‘boccassin’; there was written above it, I believe, ‘JHESUS MARIA’; it was fringed with silk.”

Joan’s standard led to the prominent use of white on later French flags.

From the accession of the Bourbons to the throne of France, the green ensign of the navy became a plain white flag, the symbol of purity and royal authority. The merchant navy was assigned “the old flag of the nation of France”, the white cross on a blue field.

The Panthéon

The Panthéon is a building in the Latin Quarter in Paris, France. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens.

In 1885, when the ashes of Victor Hugo were brought there in honor of that great man after the national outpouring of emotion caused by his death, the Pantheon became the final resting place of those who have become known as Les Grands Hommes (The Great Men).

The Panthéon is also home, in its immense entrance hall, to Foucault’s pendulum, named after a French physicist, designed to demonstrate the Earth’s rotation in relation to a frame of reference by Galileo. Cool!

72 illustrious personalities reside there today:

Among them:

– Jean Jaurès (1859-1914), the father of French socialism, assassinated in 1914.
– Emile Zola (1840-1902), an important writer and journalist.
– Jean Moulin (1841-1941), a hero of the French Resistance during the Second World War.
– André Malraux (1901-1976), writer and minister for Culture, whose ashes were brought there in 1996.
– Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), an important popular writer, whose ashes were brought there in 2002.
– Jean Monnet (1888-1979), a politician who worked to create the European Community in the wake of World War II.
– René Cassin (1887-1976), the spiritual father and principal author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948.
– Pierre (1859-1906) and Marie (1867-1934) Curie, Nobel prizewinners for physics for their work with radium.

What was the Pantheon used for?

Roman Pantheon. The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved and influential building of ancient Rome. It is a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome. As the brick stamps on the side of the building reveal it was built and dedicated between A.D 118 and 125.

What is the pantheon made of?

The Pantheon that Hadrian created is a circular temple made of concrete faced with brick, with a Greek-style façade and a magnificent dome rising from its walls. The most striking feature of the building is the 27-foot circular hole (the oculus, or eye) atop the dome.

What does the pantheon symbolize?

The Pantheon is still discussed today as a building clouded in mystery. The original purpose of the building is unknown. Although the temple is dedicated to all Greek gods the scale and size of the temple emphasized power and Roman duty. There is also celestial symbolism present in the temple.

What does the pantheon say above?

Here is some history that I was pleased to locate:

In 1744, Louis XV decreed the building of a prestigious basilica in honor of Sainte-Geneviève to whom he attributed his healing after a serious illness.

The architect Soufflot was awarded the project in 1755. This project was also part of the political will of Louis XV. The basilica had to rival that of Saint Peter’s in Rome and above all re-establish the prestige of a divided church.

Soufflot placed the basilica in a monumental square in the very heart of the area of religious contestation, where the Jansenists officiated at Saint-Médard.

The architecture of the basilica is a sign of the architectural renewal and experimental research that was prevalent at the time and during the centuries of the Enlightenment.

Indeed, the ornamental vocabulary and the central plan in the shape of a Greek cross were inspired by ancient Greek architecture, the lightness of the structure of the vault is evocative of gothic art and the dome speaks of the Renaissance. The light entered through forty-five tall windows.

During the Revolution: the basilca become the Panthéon National.

In 1791, the basilica became the Panthéon National to house the ashes of the nation’s great men: Voltaire in 1791, Jean-Jacques Rousseau in 1794, great men from the century of Enlightenment whose writing contributed to the changes wrought by the Revolution.

The high windows were also sealed to emphasize its role as a tomb. Very interesting.

When all is said and done, I like learning and I like sharing what I have learnt.