tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post4869570598303175310..comments2024-03-22T21:58:18.933+00:00Comments on ShukerNature: CHRISTMAS CREATURESAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15628598508836601012noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-80255230712847258142012-12-27T03:20:43.229+00:002012-12-27T03:20:43.229+00:00Krampus is a demonic figure from Alpine Christmas ...Krampus is a demonic figure from Alpine Christmas folklore as opposed to a creature linked to Christmas folklore.Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-29375541409652777052012-12-24T22:00:28.589+00:002012-12-24T22:00:28.589+00:00No Krampus?No Krampus?Kyle Van Helsinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05840837232330721038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-66200776214507836762011-12-24T01:02:27.615+00:002011-12-24T01:02:27.615+00:00Thanks very much, Jerry, for posting the above inf...Thanks very much, Jerry, for posting the above info - the fly agaric/reindeer info in particular was fascinating, and totally new to me. All the best, and Happy Christmas!Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-61405111682527580422011-12-24T00:31:25.106+00:002011-12-24T00:31:25.106+00:00The fifth-century Christian poet, Aurelius Prudent...The fifth-century Christian poet, Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, is credited with the idea of giving animals human voices, enabling them to join angels in adoration on the arrival of the Messiah.In 1223 St Francis of Assisi received Papal permission to use live animals to recreate the nativity of Jesus for the benefit of the inhabitants of Grecio. As the popularity of nativity plays spread across Europe, folklore credited God with granting animals of the stable the ability to speak for an hour at midnight on Christmas Eve. In Eastern European countries it is considered very bad luck to catch them at it, as they often predict the death of their masters.<br /> <br />Christian tradition differs over whether the previously unmarked hide of the donkey received its dark, cross-shaped stripes for providing the transport that got a heavily pregnant Mary as far as Bethlehem or for carrying Jesus into Jerusalem. <br /><br />Nomadic Sami tribesmen had a tradition of gathering the hallucinogenic fly agaric toadstool and feeding it to their reindeer. The reindeer's digestive system removed any poisons, leaving hallucinogens intact in urine. Drinking the urine induced an effect similar to LSD, so not only the reindeer were flying high!BFilmFanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05771363098895738608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-66446207258864081672010-12-27T06:46:04.759+00:002010-12-27T06:46:04.759+00:00Hi everyone, On BBC1's 'Songs of Praise...Hi everyone, On BBC1's 'Songs of Praise' Christmas special today, Boxing Day (26 December) 2010, British composer Howard Goodall claimed that 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' was indeed originally concerned exclusively with birds, thus supporting Chris A's suggestion. However, whereas Chris A claimed that 'Five Gold Rings' referred to ring-necked pheasants, Goodall stated that it was probably a corruption of a similar-sounding French word for the goldfinch. If so, the line would thus have originally read 'Five Goldfinches'.Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-37625715891236925772010-12-19T12:09:33.070+00:002010-12-19T12:09:33.070+00:00Hi Tim,
The Australianised version of 'The Twe...Hi Tim,<br />The Australianised version of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' sounds wonderful! If you could post it here, we'd all love to read it!!<br />All the best, KarlDr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-11495295287104033442010-12-19T07:20:01.014+00:002010-12-19T07:20:01.014+00:00An Australian Christmas tradition I remember from ...An Australian Christmas tradition I remember from a young age, was that on television, they used to broadcast an "australianised" version of the 12 days of Christmas. All of the verses were replaced by various Australian animals, what fun.<br /><br />Also, animals of Christmas as far as Australia goes should mention that, being in summer, a popular Christmas lunch or dinner is lobster and prawns.Timothy-Donald-Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00297140670811904034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-27631793312287753762010-01-08T01:09:27.271+00:002010-01-08T01:09:27.271+00:00Thanks for all the encouraging comments, and hopin...Thanks for all the encouraging comments, and hoping that you all have a great 2010 !!Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-80250585758964683412010-01-07T10:36:44.025+00:002010-01-07T10:36:44.025+00:00very nice and interesting information but i wish y...very nice and interesting information but i wish you could say more about christmas creatures generally,not only about animals...anyway...i enjoyed your article a lot!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-9970442264567762472009-12-25T02:22:43.457+00:002009-12-25T02:22:43.457+00:00sorry, but i have a slight problem with the first ...sorry, but i have a slight problem with the first one...isn't christmas, the date, added later? i mean, we don't really know when the birthdate was...and didn't this date come from pagan holiday to begin with? it would seem then that the animals, getting the ability to talk, would be doing so originally from a pagan celebration...just wondering...<br /><br />thanks - jimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-68653273314259662972009-12-24T21:58:54.483+00:002009-12-24T21:58:54.483+00:00A great christmas special for animal lovers, which...A great christmas special for animal lovers, which is seldom shown is Nestor the long eared donkey'. look for it. peace!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-82247449237682221542009-12-24T16:16:38.443+00:002009-12-24T16:16:38.443+00:00I remember one Christmas eve,I had just finished t...I remember one Christmas eve,I had just finished the tree,every one else was asleep my dog Agatha looked at me and said nice job.<br />Well needless to say I was stunned,then she asked for a gin and tonic like the ones I had been drinking all day.<br />Well it was quite a night,we talked about a lot of different things but mostly she complained about not having thumbs, how she couldn't open bottles and how, if she saw a coin on the ground she couldn't pick it up .<br />I reminded her that even if she could pick it up she had place to put it..I mean you have no pockets your not a kangaroo.<br />Yup,Quite a night<br />Merry christmas, <br /> MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-23231554337092679342009-12-24T13:04:37.950+00:002009-12-24T13:04:37.950+00:00Great article I do have a comment though isnt the ...Great article I do have a comment though isnt the original version of twelve days, French ? Why couldnt calling birds refer to Call Ducks?Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17005182801141582617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-77865752351806435852009-12-24T00:44:45.665+00:002009-12-24T00:44:45.665+00:00This was my first visit to your blog, and I was de...This was my first visit to your blog, and I was delighted to read this article and the comments. I'm a theology professor and take great pleasure in examining the origin of religious customs. I'll certainly be visiting again. <br /><br />Thanks so much, and have a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with God's peace!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-91085434837990526962009-12-24T00:14:25.128+00:002009-12-24T00:14:25.128+00:00Hi everyone, Thanks for your comments, I'm del...Hi everyone, Thanks for your comments, I'm delighted that you have enjoyed my article so much! I was very interested, Chris, in yout theory that the whole of The Twelve Days of Christmas song may well be about birds, as I hadn't read anything about that before. However, after giving it some thought, who knows, if so then perhaps the nightjar may explain the maids-a-milking line, as its alternative name is the goatsucker, due to the folk belief that it sucks the milk from nanny goats. And in the past (and now once again), Britain was home to the crane as a breeding species, a bird well known for its mating dances and elegant appearance. Indeed, one European species is so maiden-like that it is called the demoiselle crane, so perhaps the crane could explain the ladies dancing? All the best, and Happy Christmas! KarlDr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-20318642614172407272009-12-23T22:30:35.093+00:002009-12-23T22:30:35.093+00:00"In many lands, there is an age-old folk beli..."In many lands, there is an age-old folk belief that from midnight on Christmas Eve until dawn breaks on Christmas Day morning, animals are blessed with the gift of human speech,"<br />There was I thinking I had gone crackers or tasted too much sherry last Christmas eve. I was sure my dog asked if Santa had been yet.Sydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15633341353878192556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-64145745503931851342009-12-23T20:31:01.639+00:002009-12-23T20:31:01.639+00:00Wonderful! Thak you for these stories Dr. Shuker, ...Wonderful! Thak you for these stories Dr. Shuker, one or more of them my even find their way into a Christmas Sermon or two.<br />Peace and Blessings for this great feast.<br />Brother RichardBrother Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08223453411431482037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-78727689388803126892009-12-23T18:58:24.674+00:002009-12-23T18:58:24.674+00:00Speaking of the Twelve Days of Christmas, the &quo...Speaking of the Twelve Days of Christmas, the "Five Golden Rings" are ring necked pheasants. In fact the whole song is most certainly about birds. The "Drummers drumming" are grouse, "Lords a leaping" are male cock pheasants. I've never figured out what birds "maids a milking" and "ladies dancing" refer to, but I'm convinced it is referring to birds.Chris A.noreply@blogger.com