TRADITION,CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN GREECE AND RUSSIA BY: ANDREA,NUPUR, SENARA & TRISHA
Published on Nov 18, 2015
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GREECE
Greece is famous for Mythology and architecture & also for the winter Olympics, which were first held in Olympia in 776 BC. It is the home of Pythagoras, the great mathematician, Plato and Alexander the Great. Democracy also began in Greece.
Photo by KJGarbutt
TRADITION,CULTURE AND IDENTITY
IN GREECE AND EGYPT
BY: ANDREA,NUPUR,SENARA, TRISHA Aaaand KHUSHI
Photo by -Reji
GREEK ART
The arts of ancient Greece have exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries all over the world, particularly in the areas of sculpture and architecture. In the West, the art of the Roman Empire was largely derived from. In the East, Alexander the Great's conquests initiated several centuries of exchange between Greek, Central Asian and Indian cultures, resulting in Greco-Buddhist art, with ramifications as far as Japan.
In reality, there was a sharp transition from one period to another. Forms of art developed at different speeds in different parts of the Greek world, and as in any age some artists worked in more innovative styles than others.
Photo by francisco.j.gonzalez
POTTERY
Most Ancient Greek pottery was made for everyday use. Most surviving pottery consists of containers, drinking vessels ,libation bowls, jugs and cups. Painted funeral urns have also been found. Miniatures were also produced in large numbers, mainly for use as offerings at temples.
In earlier periods even quite small Greek cities produced pottery for their own locale. These varied widely in style and standards. Distinctive pottery that ranked as art were produced on some of the islands. low quality. In fact, by the 5th century BC, pottery had become an industry and pottery painting ceased to be an important art form.
Photo by rao.anirudh
GREEK MUSIC
The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Byzantine music, with more eastern sounds. These compositions have existed for millennia: they originated in the Byzantine period and Greek antiquity; there is a continuous development which appears in the language, the rhythm, the structure and the melody. Music is a significant aspect of Hellenic culture, both within Greece and in the diaspora.
Photo by nosha
Greek musical history extends far back into ancient Greece, since music was a major part of ancient Greek theater. Later influences from the Roman Empire, Eastern Europe and the Byzantine Empire changed the form and style of Greek music. In the 19th century, opera composers, like Nikolaos Mantzaros (1795–1872), etc., and symphonists, like Dimitris Lialios and Dionysios Rodotheatos revitalized Greek art music. However, the diverse history of art music in Greece, which extends from the Cretan Renaissance and reaches modern times, exceeds the aims of the present article, which is, in general, limited to the presentation of the musical forms that have become synonymous to 'Greek music' during the last few decades; that is, the 'Greek song' or the 'song in Greek verse'.
Photo by Luz Adriana Villa A.
CLOTHING
Ancient Greek clothing was typically homemade and the same piece of homespun fabric that was used as a type of garment, or blanket.The fabrics were intensely colored and usually decorated with intricate designs.
Clothing for women and men consisted of two main garments-a tunic (either a peplos or chiton) and a cloak (himation). The peplos was a large rectangle of heavy wool fabric,folded over along the upper edge so that the over fold (apoptygma) would reach to the waist. It was fastened at the shoulders with a pin or brooch. The chiton was made of a much lighter linen material. It was a very long and very wide rectangle of fabric sewn up at the sides, and usually girded around the waist. Both the peplos and chiton were usually long enough to be pulled over the belt. Under either garment, a woman might have worn a soft band, called a strophion, around the mid-section of the body.
Photo by Holy455
Men in ancient Greece customarily wore a chiton similar to the one worn by women, but knee-length or shorter. An exomis (a short chiton fastened on the left shoulder) was worn for exercise, horse riding, or hard labor. The himation (cloak) worn by both women and men was essentially a rectangular piece of heavy fabric, either woolen or linen.
Women sometimes wore an epiblema (shawl) over the peplos or chiton. Young men often wore a chlamys (short cloak) for riding. Greek men occasionally wore a broad-brimmed hat (petasos), and on rare occasions, Greek women donned a flat-brimmed one with a high peaked crown.
Footwear
Women and men wore sandals, slippers, soft shoes, or boots, although at home they usually went barefoot.
Photo by Holy455
GREEK DANCE
Greek dance Horos is a very old tradition.There are different styles and interpretations from all of the islands and surrounding mainland areas. Each region formed its own choreography and style to fit in with their own ways. For e.g. island dances have more of a "watery" flow to them, while Pontic dancing closer to Black Sea, is very sharp. There are over 4000 traditional dances that come from all regions of Greece. There are also pan-Hellenic dances, which have been adopted throughout the Greek world. Traditional Greek dancing has a primarily social function. It brings the community together at points of the year, such as Easter,other festivals and weddings. For this reason, tradition frequently dictates a strict order in the arrangement of the dancers, for example, by age. Greek dances are performed often in diaspora Greek communities, and among international folk dance groups.
Photo by cyanopolis
GREEK RELIGION
In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. With formal rituals which included animal sacrifices and libations, myths to explain the origins of mankind and give the gods a human face, temples which dominated the urban landscape, city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek.
Photo by monkeyc.net
GREEK GODS
Polytheistic Greek religion encompassed a myriad of gods, each representing a certain facet of the human condition, and even abstract ideas such as justice and wisdom could have their own personification. The most important gods, though, were the Olympian gods led by Zeus. These were Athena, Apollo, Poseidon, Hermes, Hera, Aphrodite, Demeter, Ares, Artemis, Hades, Hephaestus, and Dionysus. These gods were believed to reside on Mt. Olympus and would have been recognised across Greece, albeit, with some local variations and perhaps particular attributes and associations.
Photo by Pilar Torres
In the Greek imagination, literature, and art, the gods were given human bodies and characters - both good and bad - and just as ordinary men and women, they married, had children (often through illicit affairs), fought, and in the stories of Greek mythology they directly intervened in human affairs. These traditions were first recounted only orally as there was no sacred text in Greek religion and later, attempts were made to put in writing this oral tradition, notably by Hesiod in his Theogony and more indirectly in the works of Homer.Gods became patrons of cities, for example, Aphrodite for Corinth and Helios for Rhodes, and were called upon for help in particular situations.
Photo by Pilar Torres
TEMPLES,RITUALS &PRIESTS
The temple (Naos - meaning dwelling place where the god visited during rituals) was the place where, on special occasions, religion took on a more formal tone. Gods were worshipped at sacred sites and temples in all major Greek communities in ceremonies carried out by priests and their attendants.
Photo by archer10 (Dennis)
At first, sacred sites were merely a simple altar in a designated area, but over time massive temples came to be built in honour of a particular god and these usually housed a cult statue of the deity, most famously the huge statue of Athena in the Parthenon of Athens or Zeus at Olympia. In time, a whole complex of temples to lesser gods could spring up around the main temple, creating a large sacred complex, often built on an acropolis dominating a city or surrounding area. Sacred sites also received financial donations and dedications of statues, fountains and even buildings from the faithful, often to celebrate a great military victory and give thanks to the gods, and larger sanctuaries also had permanent caretakers (neokoroi) who were responsible for the upkeep of the site.
Photo by archer10 (Dennis)
The temple itself, though, was not used during religious practices as these were carried out at a designated altar outside the temple. Ancient authors often show a reluctance to go into explicit details of religious ceremonies and rites as if these were too sacred to be publicised in the written word. What we do know is that the most common religious practices were sacrifice, all to the accompaniment of prayers in honour of the god. The animals sacrificed were usually pigs, sheep, goats or cows and always the same sex as the god which was being honoured.Other such rituals included examining the entrails of sacrificed animals to ascertain signs which could help predict future events.
Photo by archer10 (Dennis)
Priests then, orchestrated the religious ceremonies and delivered prayers. The position was generally open to all and once assuming the role, particularly when wearing the sacred headband, the body of the priest became inviolate. Women could also be priests, which is perhaps surprising given their lack of any other public role in Greek society. Often, the priest was the same sex as the god they represented. Priestesses did have the added restriction that they were most often selected because they were virgins or beyond menopause. Worshippers, on the other hand, could be both sexes and those rituals with restrictions could exclude either men or women.
Photo by archer10 (Dennis)
MYSTERIES AND ORACLES
In addition to the formal and public religious ceremonies there were also many rites which were open to initiated who performed them, the most famous e.g. being the Mysteries of Eleusis. In these closed groups, members believed that certain activities gave spiritual benefits, amongst them a better after-life. Places could also acquire a divine connection; the great oracles such as that of Apollo at Delphi & Zeus at Dodona may well have begun as places considered particularly good to receive signs from the gods. Such places became hugely important centres with their priest oracles consulted by both individuals and city-states so that the rather vague and ambiguous proclamations might help guide their future conduct.
Photo by a n i. Y.
PERSONAL RELIGION
Greek religion was practised everywhere by private individuals in a very personal way. Not only temples but also hearths in private homes was regarded as sacred, for e.g. individuals could also visit a temple anytime they wanted to and it was customary to say a prayer even when just passing them in the street. People left offerings with a hopeful prayer or in gratitude for a past deed. Individuals could also organise their own private sacrifice if they had to. Temples were often visited in order to seek healing, especially at sites associated with Asclepius the god of medicine, at Epidaurus.People also looked for signs from the gods in everyday life and interpret these signs as indicators of future events. Such signs could be birds in the sky or a spoken word between friends said at a particular moment or even a simple sneeze which might be interpreted as an auspicious or inauspicious omen.
Photo by Rohit Chhiber
FESTIVALS AND GAMES
Athletic Games and competitions in music (especially playing the kithara and lyre) and theatre (both tragedy and comedy) were held during festivals such as the City Dionysia of Athens and the Panhellenic games at the most important sacred sites of Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia to honour a particular god. These events were attended by visitors from all over Greece and the experience was perhaps more akin to a pilgrimage rather than that of a mere sports fan. Illustrating their sacred status, warfare was prohibited during these events and pilgrims were guaranteed free-passage across Greece. However, there were also much smaller festivals, sometimes only attended by a very select number of individuals, for example, the Arrhephoria in Athens, where only priestesses and a maximum of four young girls participated.
Photo by Ranjith Shenoy
ANCIENT EGYPT
Egypt's impact on later cultures was immense. Egypt provided the building blocks for Greek and Roman culture, and, through them, influenced all of the Western tradition. Today, Egyptian imagery, concepts, and perspectives are found everywhere. Ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for more than 3000 years and showed an incredible amount of continuity. That is more than 15 times the age of the United States, and consider how often our culture shifts; less than 10 years ago, there was no Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
Photo by tinou bao
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CULTURE
Ancient Egyptian culture flourished between c. 5500 BCE with the rise of and 30 CE with the death of Cleopatra VII, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. It is famous today for the great monuments which celebrated the triumphs of the rulers and honored the gods of the land. The culture is often misunderstood as having been obsessed with death but, had this been so, it is unlikely it would have made the significant impression it did on other ancient cultures such as Greece and Rome. The Egyptian culture was, in fact, life affirming.
Photo by Norm Walsh
RELIGION
About 90% of Egypt's population is Muslim, with a Sunni majority. About 9% of the population is Coptic Christian; other religions and other forms of Christianity comprise the remaining one percent.Religion was an integral part of the daily life of every Egyptian. As with the people of Mesopotamia, the Egyptians considered themselves co-labourers with the gods but with an important distinction: whereas the Mesopotamian peoples believed they needed to work with their gods to prevent the recurrence of the original state of chaos, the Egyptians understood their gods to have already completed that purpose and a mortal human’s duty was to celebrate that fact and give thanks for it.
Photo by David Holt London
An individual’s name was considered of such importance that an Egyptian’s true name was kept secret throughout life and one was known by a nickname. Knowledge of a person’s true name gave one magical powers over that individual and this is among the reasons why the rulers of Egypt took another name upon ascending the throne; it was not only to link oneself symbolically to another successful pharaoh but also a form of protection to ensure one’s safety and help guarantee a trouble-free journey to eternity when one’s life on earth was completed.
Photo by David Holt London
CLOTHING
Outside her home, a married woman traditionally wears a black outer dress over her brightly colored housedress and covers her hair with a long veil, which often sweeps the ground behind her. She wears her dowry of gold necklaces and silver bracelets and anklets, insurance against poverty if her husband divorces her or she becomes widowed. Her husband dresses in a long robe (galabayya), cotton in summer and wool in winter. He often covers his head with a scarf wound like a turban and in the winter adds a wool jacket.
Photo by Lars Plougmann
MUSIC
The music of Egypt has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since antiquity. The ancient Egyptians credited one of the powerfull gods Hathor with the invention of music, which Osiris in turn used as part of his effort to civilize the world. The earliest material and representational evidence of Egyptian musical instruments dates to the Predynastic period, but the evidence is more securely attested in the Old Kingdom when harps, flutes and double clarinets were played.[1] Percussion instruments, lyres and lutes were added to orchestras by the Middle Kingdom. Cymbals[2] frequently accompanied music and dance, much as they still do in Egypt today. Egyptian folk music, including the traditional Sufi dhikr rituals, are the closest contemporary music genre to ancient Egyptian music, having preserved many of its features, rhythms and instruments.
Photo by martinak15
ANCIENT EGYPT ART
Images, whether statues or relief, were designed to benefit a divine or deceased recipient. Statuary provided a place for the recipient to manifest and receive the benefit of ritual action. Most statues show a formal frontality, meaning they are arranged straight ahead, because they were designed to face the ritual being performed before them. Many statues were also originally placed in recessed niches or other architectural settings.
Photo by listentoreason
EGYPTIAN GODS & GODESSESAmun
Amun is one of the most powerful gods in Ancient Egypt. He was call “the King of Gods” by the Ancient Egyptian civilization. Amun was important throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. When he was combined with Ra, the sun god he was even more powerful. He was then called Amun-Ra.
Anubis
Anubis is the god of embalming the dead. His appearance was a man with a jackal head. Since jackals appeared a lot in cemeteries, the Ancient Egyptians believed that Anubis watch over the dead. He was also the god who watched over the process of mummifying people after they died.
Photo by mharrsch
Atum
Atum was the god of creation. The Ancient Egyptians believe that Atum was the first god to exist on Earth, they also believed that he rose from the waters of chaos and created all the gods.
Bastet
Bastet was a protective goddess. She was always seen as a gentle and protective goddess, however she sometimes appeared with the head of a lioness to protect the king in battle. The cat was the symbol of Bastet. She was one of the daughters of the sun god, Ra.
Bes
Bes was the protector of pregnant women, new born babies and families.
Geb
Geb was the god of the Earth. He was the husband of the sky goddess, Nut.
Photo by mharrsch
Hapy
Hapy was especially important to the Ancient Egyptians because he brought he brought the flood every year, which helped the people to grow crops.
Hathor
Hathor was the goddess of love and joy.
Horus
Ancient Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was the living Horus.
Isis
Isis used powerful magic spells to help people in need. Isis was the mother of Horus. Isis is associated with thrones, because her lap was the first lap that Horus (the ruler of Egypt) sat on.
Ma’at
Ma'at was the goddess of truth, justice and harmony. She was associated with the balance of things on earth.
Photo by mharrsch
Ra
Ra was the sun god. He was the most important god of the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians believed that Ra was swallowed every night by the sky goddess Nut, and was reborn every morning. The ancient Egyptians also believed that he travelled through the underworld at night. In the underworld, Ra appeared as a man with the head of a ram.
Nut
Nut was the sky-goddess, whose body created a vault or canopy over the earth.
Photo by mharrsch
THANK YOU!
Photo by ** Maurice **
