Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Not mother?


Since next Wednesday is Earth Day, I was wondering why we
sometimes speak of Earth as "great Mother Earth". Among almost
all peoples, the Earth was at one time reverenced as the "mother"
of all. The Romans, for example, tell the story of how the two sons
of Tarquinius, together with Junius Brutus, asked the local Delphic
Oracle which one of them would succeed to the throne of Rome.
The oracle replied, "He who shall first kiss his mother." The two
Tarquinius sons raced home to find their mother, but the clever
Junius Brutus fell to the ground saying, "Thus I kiss thee, oh Earth,
great mother of us all." And the rest is history. Brutus, indeed, did
become the ruler of the Roman Empire.

Well, there you have it, dear bloggy friends. I knew you were just
craving this earthy little tidbit of knowledge, weren't you? And on
a lighter note, here's one of the funniest scenes from the film Dirty
Rotten Scoundrels. "Not mother?"


51 comments:

  1. I suppose earth must be mother earth as she nurtures all the plants and through them the animals. As with most things Fathers hardly get a mention!

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  2. Willow....you are just a wealth of knowledge! I loved that movie!Ah..
    Mother Earth, just the though of her smell makes one smile!

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  3. I haven't seen that movie. Steve Martin can be soooo funny.

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  4. eeek. I'm probably doing Gaia for Theme Thursday. Are you?

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  5. bb, oh, you've got to see it. It's hilarious. Probably his funniest movie.

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  6. Clever Pup, no, it's going to be a lovely helping of Edna St. Vee for TT!

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  7. that is an interesting tidbit of information

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  8. oh my gosh, this is hilarious!! love this scene!

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  9. 'Tu quoque, Brutus?' ;-)

    Beautiful post. I have always regarded Earth as a woman, a mother and a companion. Many thanks. Loved the clip.

    Greetings from London.

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  10. I'm wonderin' what mushroom goodness was cookin' up over at the Manor Monday night. Do tell. Love mushrooms. xo S & les Gang

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  11. I see Antonia's Line is coming up...that's a great one!

    That Oracle, sure knew its stuff!

    Kat

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  12. Poor Ruprecht. Funny movie.
    We are having salmon and red potatoes, too!

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  13. Hello this Holly, Lance Collins' wife. Carrole told me I would love your blog and sure enough she was right. I recently read the story of Junius Brutus to the kids from Famous Men of Rome. Thanks for the afternoon get away. I look forward to engaging and hearing your thoughts. Thanks!!!

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  14. I hadn't heard that particular story before-- it sounds very oracle like! Thanks.

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  15. LOVE Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and that is one of my favorite scenes!

    Signing off as
    Demeter

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  16. I have a love affair with Earth!

    I love that movie, too!

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  17. I guess father is the sun. without him, mothers plants etc would not live. interesting story. where do you find these?

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  18. The great nurturer, this sweet planet. There's a comfort to the sound of her title, Mother Earth.

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  19. Holly! Hello! What a pleasant surprise! email me at willow.willowmanor@gmail.com

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  20. nice warm up for TT. i hope some of us treat our real mothers better than we do her. great tidbit. and love the clip.

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  21. I always assumed that where there's a mother there must be a father too. ;-)

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  22. Happy Earth Day, Willow.But, unfortunately, I'm afraid too many have lost site of the reverence due one's mother.

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  23. Had not heard that story--sly Oracle, clever Brutus. And I love Steve Martin! Thanks!

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  24. Loved this story and the clip; Steve Martin cracks me up!

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  25. I always like your bits of knowledge and this bit about our dear mother earth. Loved the film clip and like you mentioned in your sidebar...sleepy. It's windy here and it seems to make me sleepy, I can hardly keep my eyes open!

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  26. Not to take any of Clever Pup's Thunder from Theme Thursday (say those last four words ten times fast) ...
    I just wanted to toss in that Homer actually wrote a hymn to Gaea (Gaia, Ge, Gea) ...It begins, "I will sing of well-founded Earth, mother of all, eldest of all beings."
    So this mother earth concept goes way back! Tune in Thursday as Clever Pup tells all!!!
    Have a great evening, Willow and all her Willowers!

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  27. Thoroughly enjoyed this but found no father anything.

    Gobsmacks

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  28. I love that movie. Steve Martin is so versatile. Now I have to go find this movie and watch it again!!

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  29. We are true Mother Earth worshippers around here.

    And I absolutely love Dirty Rotten Scoundrels! It's one of my go to movies when I need a little cheering up! I also love Cold Comfort Farm!

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  30. interesting! i've read a lot of indian lore and know that they were very reverential about mother earth.

    steve martin cracks me up! he is my favorite comedian of all time!

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  31. So that's why the pope keeps kissing the ground...he stil hopes to become emperor.

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  32. "Mother Earth and Father Time...." that sweet song from Charlotte's Web...

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  33. Willow - nearly the perfect post. If somehow you were able to infuse the aroma of bacon then . . . well I don't know if the cyberspace would of handled that.

    Were going to celebrate Earth day with the new Disney movie coming out.

    DRS is one of my favorites. . . Great post.

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  34. this post makes me nostalgic for Earth Day in Davis, Cali...me and my B street apartment...the artists...the stinky armpits...dreads...babies hanging openly from nipples...drums...barefeet...handmade jewelry...speeches...meditations...dances...drum circles...me and Trace, Texas and Wisconsin, long time Californians, near natives, staring at the oddest moments

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  35. Gaia. Wow - I didn't realize Wednesday was Earth Day.
    Thanks for the reminder.

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  36. That movie always just cracks me up. Thanks for the laugh and reminder of it.

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  37. That's one of the best scenes ever filmed in the history of movies.

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  38. That is one of the funniest movies ever Willow, xv.

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  39. smart (wise-ass)little fellow this Brutus. haha!

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  40. Hello Willow,

    Isn't it true that all things that work hard or are complicated pieces of machinery are referred to as "she"?!

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  41. "Why is the cork on the fork"...you certainly started my morning off with a smile(more like a laugh out loud)!

    My daughter and all her friends have always called me Earth Mother, even back when it didn't mean a thing to most...always respect your Mother, I would say...don't think they got it.

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  42. You do find the most interesting tidbits to share...

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  43. Ah, another bit of knowledge to add to my magpie mind. Only got to read your last week of blogs today. That cake looks superb! Must try out the recipe soon.

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  44. Ah, another bit of knowledge to add to my magpie mind. Only got to read your last week of blogs today. That cake looks superb! Must try out the recipe soon.

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  45. Have a good Earth Day! Out here in Iowa we are having a nice, warm and sunny day!

    Perfect weather to fly a kite!

    Take care.

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  46. Nurturing, compassionate and caring, even when her off -spring are less so in return. Nature and Earth could only be female deities.
    Love the clip too.

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  47. The things you know! I must be out of touch because I have not heard of earth day.

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  48. I looked at the date of your post.
    Puzzled, I checked my calendar: yes, it is April 15th! *drats*

    Are you in line at the post office, perchance? ;-)

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  49. That is a wicked scene, indeed, from Dirty, Rotten..but that movie is in a class by itself..
    now .."Mother" Earth..perhaps because she receives the seed, nurtures it, encourages the growth, and when it's finished, takes it back into herself??

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  50. The Great Earth Mother is a favourite in the land of BPG. Lovely post Willow, as always. :)

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  51. We must respect mother earth, we must teach our children to respect mother earth and our grandchildren, only by doing this can we protect mother earth.

    With no mother earth there would be none of us.

    Loved the clip

    Thank you for the story and sharing the clip.

    God bless.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)