#BY-PATHS IN THE BALKANS Excerpt

[titoist]

excerpt of diary entry, october 26th 1:55am

[...] i have no issues with reality, or the world, as it exists, i don't think. i'm actually quite happy with it, if anything. we're on pretty good track, judging it holistically. lots of structural issues, sure, but we're already on the path to untying all the most core contradictions of the current political order, as i see it. what i'm not happy about is this; due to the conditions i'm obliged to exist under, i've not actually gotten to really experience that goodness, stuck in a sort of insular nightmare world. i wanna live, but everything i've ever known is completely disconnected from actually living! more like some funtime mirror distortion of what a society should be like - it's hard to imagine many historical turns it could've taken to get much worse, actually. i think i usually…attempt to avoid being so direct and concrete with describing it all, usually opting for the neutral and noncommittal "milieu", mostly because it's tough to meaningfully describe in plain terms, and usually feels like i'm just going in circles like a headless chicken… but i imagine that this vagueenss may simply be causing more confusion. ok. clasps hands. let's try this "frankness" thing: the point is that the balkans are a poverty-stricken reactionary death vortex filled with nations that have been so systematically destroyed that they only exist on varying levels of personal conceptualization. and i believe that everything else flows from this, pretty much...

last night was strange. not in a particular way that i can particularly ascribe meaning to, either. my instincts lean towards labeling it as bad, but i'm not sure i can do even that much it was just... Strange, with a capital S.

[vampireadamooc]

Notes: 

Basic spell check has been run though transcription. This has not altered the text. Namely, the archaic spelling of gipsy has been changed to gypsy for easy of reading. Errors produced in Archive's automated transcription process have been fixed. (speciahty – specialty, for example) 

While the description and background information given in 1906 might be considered politically incorrect, it has not been rewritten at all.

Pages 70-73, 75-77 are included both as images and transcribed here, along with the books copyright page and a link back to Archive.org's listing, should you be interested in downloading or otherwise tracking down the full book. Page 74 was blank and omitted.

BY-PATHS IN THE BALKANS by W. V. Herbert 1906

(Captain Frederick William von Herbert)

http://www.archive.org/details/bypathsinbalkansOOherbrich

The '* hora " finishes the programme arranged for the mad, midnight - marauding millionaires." But we have been coached. Boldly we ask for the Yellow Cat.

There is consternation, and a deal of hurry, scurry, and flurry. More brandy is passed and more coin dispersed, and the Yellow Cat is produced from under an upturned cart, where she has been sleeping peacefully.

She is neither yellow, nor a cat: simply a maiden of fifteen, but looking twenty in our eyes, who is a little fearful : for she has stabbed a man in a fit of jealousy, and those silly gypsies are still looking for her. What a ridiculous fuss about such a trifle! She has the typical gypsy face, but is not particularly handsome; her rags are not even picturesque. In her eyes there is the green light peculiar to gypsy eyes, and her hair, which reaches to a foot below her waist, is " black as the raven-wings of midnight '' — as Poe has it.

The Yellow Cat is the name of a Turkish edition of an Oriental legend, set to a homespun recitative, the rendering of which is this girl's specialty, and a source of profit and stealthy fame. When the wind howls and the owl screeches and the prowling jackal barks ; when all is inky darkness and no outsider is within earshot : it is whispered, furtively and tremblingly, that this green-eyed maiden of fifteen summers not only

sings the Yellow Cat, but is a yellow cat. Even the trees must not hear this ! For the yellow cat is the Eastern edition of the vampire legend — a woman who can at will assume the shape of a yellow cat (originally a leopard, presumably), and her victims are men, whose blood is her sustenance.

The ballad is sung, without accompaniment, to a semi-recitative. The poem is in alternating dactiles and trochees, and to most of the short syllables one ground-note is allotted (e flat, I think), whilst the accentuated syllables rise and fall, chromatically, or nearly so, above it, according to sense and natural intonation. Again there is no musical division into periods ; the punctuation is that which the division of the text into sentences demands.

That the rendering is masterly is the smallest consideration. The intonation is pure and true, the enunciation perfect ; the wonderful vowel harmony, which makes Turkish to those who have an ear for it the most euphonious language in the world, is an additional charm. The gestures do not seem exaggerated in these wild environments ; facial and verbal expression are those of an actress of consummate skill, and — what is better — of a born actress, one of “God's grace," as the Germans say.

But the intensity of passion baffles description. The girl's eyes blaze green fire. I am not easily frightened — my military record, I think, proves it — but I own she has set me a-quiver. I can understand that gruesome, unnameable tribal fear. The wondrous song with which in the ballad the cat-maiden allures her victim to her den would make the blood of the most sluggish Philistine course faster. It is the old story ; we have it in the "Lorelei," in the 'Erlkings Daughter,'' in the Siren legends, in the "Strange Woman" of the Proverbs, in countless other shapes : frail man in face of the eternally feminine."

Has the reader grasped the incidental object- lesson in splendid atavism? Hore is Nature's own child, fierce and free, speaking, in the language of aeons ago, the eternal truth, and — let us not shirk it — God's own image undefiled : for her faults, her follies, her crimes are those which an artificial civilization has forced on her.

A cynic among American millionaires (I think it was the late lamented Jay Gould) once said he would give a magnificent reward to any one who would discover or invent a new sensation. Let him who is similarly inclined learn Turkish, and travel the length and breadth of the Balkan Peninsula until he has hunted down the Turkish gypsy girl nicknamed "Sari Kedi " — i.e. Yellow Cat. I met her last spring : I hope she is not in prison yet. He will then have such a sensation as will last him to the end of his days.

THE YELLOW CAT

{Translated from the Turkish).

** Dear, the pang is brief,

Do thy part,

Have thy pleasure ! How perplexed

Grows belief !

Well, this cold clay clod

Was man's heart :

Crumble it, and what comes next ? "

Browning ("In a Year"),

THE Yellow Cat on the hilltop stood,

With her eyes of glittering grey.

She longed for a drink of purple blood,

For the noise and joys of the fray.

And all ye good people, remember that :

Beware, if you dare, of the Yellow Cat.

The Yellow Cat is a maiden bold,

A maiden fair and frail;

Her hair has the colour of burnished gold;

'Twas pressed to her breast in the gale.

And all ye good people, remember that :

Beware, if you dare, of the Yellow Cat.

The Yellow Cat can purr and kiss,

And sing a wonderful tune.

The Yellow Cat can scratch and hiss

And bite and strike in the moon.

And all ye good people, remember that :

Beware, if you dare, of the Yellow Cat.

The young man saw the yellow-haired maid,

And heard her entrancing wail.

She purred and fawned and kissed and bade

Him come to her home in the dale.

And all ye good people, remember that:

Beware, if you dare, of the Yellow Cat.

She chanted divinely of earthly bliss,

And heavenly joys ere long,

With a wile and a smile and a lying kiss.

And the call and the thrall of her song.

And all ye good people, remember that :

Beware, if you dare, of the Yellow Cat.

They found the young man, white and stark.

As the morn dawned in gold and in rose.

What are they whispering? what talking of?

—Hark !

" 'Tis he whom the she-devil chose."

And all ye good people, remember that :

Beware, if you dare, of the Yellow Cat.

"What has felled him, sturdy and good?"

"What smote him, passing fair?"

"What is become of his purple blood?"

"What blanched his nut-brown hair?"

Oh, all ye good people, just think of that :

His blood quenched the thirst of the Yellow Cat.  

[thelastdiadoch]

ALEXANDER THE GREAT’S EARLY BALKAN CAMPAIGNS

This is an excerpt from my post, ‘THRACIANS, REAPERS OF THE BALKANS’.

Alexander and the Thracian hill-men at Mount Haemus:

After Philip’s death, his son Alexander III (the Great) sought to quell rebellions and secure the Greek mainland and Balkans before launching his campaign against Persia. In 335 BCE Alexander marched toward the area of the sword-bearing hill-men known as the Dii or ‘Free Thracians’, those who remained out of the control of Philip II’s earlier Balkan campaign. Alexander arrived at a narrow canyon called the Trojan Pass where the Dii awaited them from the summit of the Haemus Mountains; here the Dii had assembled their carts into a stockade. If Alexander were to march uphill through a narrow and restrictive path against a fortified and entrenched foe his losses would be more than he would’ve thought acceptable. Instead Alexander assumed that the Dii would become impatient enough to force the carts downhill towards Alexander’s tightly formed phalanxes in attempt to disrupt them then rush downhill from their advantageous position to attack Alexander. Expecting this to occur, Alexander devised a plan.

“he ordered the heavy-armed soldiers, as soon as the wagons began to rush down the declivity, to open their ranks, and directed that those whom the road was sufficiently wide to permit to do so should stand apart, so that the wagons plight roll through the gap; but that those who were hemmed m on all sides should either stoop down together or even fall flat on the ground, and lock their shields compactly together, so that the wagons rushing down upon them, and in all probability by their very impetus leaping over them, might pass on without injuring them.” – The Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian of Nicomedia, book 1.

It went as planned so with no injured soldiers Alexander ordered his archers to repel and cut down the Dii (Thracians) while his phalanx drove them away. In the end the Dii discarded their arms and fled.

“About 1,500 of them were killed; but only a few were taken prisoners on account of their swiftness of foot and acquaintance with the country. However, all the women who were accompanying them were captured, as were also their children and all their booty.” – The Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian of Nicomedia, book 1.

Alexander and the Triballi:

Alexander then marched from the Haemus mountains into the land of the Triballi (Thraco-Illyrians) whose king (Syrmus), women and children sought refuge at Peuce island on the Danube River to the north. The Triballi who remained in their home territory marched south to a river Alexander had crossed that same day and encamped there. Alexander heard of their operations and led a surprise assault against the Triballian camp. Surprised, the Triballi fled to a nearby “woody glen along the bank of the river” (Arrian, II). Alexander, wishing to utilize his horsemen and phalanx which did better on open ground, sent his archers and stone-slingers to harass and lure the Triballi out of the wood. Again, just as expected, Alexander was able to lure the enemy out of their advantageous position. As the Triballi rushed forward to attack the archers, Alexander sent his cavalrymen to charge the Triballi on their left and right flank while he himself led his phalanx and cavalry forward to the Triballian center. This flanking formation forced the Triballi to flee into the wooded glen.

“at length they turned and fled through the woody glen to the river. Three thousand were slain in the flight; few of them were taken prisoners, both because there was a dense wood in front of the river, and the approach of night deprived the Macedonians of certainty in their pursuit. Ptolemy says, that of the Macedonians themselves eleven horsemen and about forty foot soldiers were killed.” – The Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian of Nicomedia, book 2.

With the Balkans subjugated Alexander would go on to employ Thracians, Illyrians and the Paeonians (Thraco-illyrians). In his army these Balkan peoples took on the role of cavalrymen, scouts and skirmishers who would either defend his armies flanks and cavalrymen or harass and shred the enemies’ numbers.

“He excited the Illyrians and Thracians by describing the enemy’s wealth and treasures” – Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus by Marcus Junianus Justinus, 11.9.

“When Alexander had conquered and subdued Thrace and was setting out for Asia, fearing that after his departure the Thracians would take up arms, he took with him, as though by way of conferring honor, their kings and officials — all in fact who seemed to take to heart the loss of freedom. In charge of those left behind he placed common and ordinary persons, thus preventing the officials from wishing to make any change, as being bound to him by favors, and the common people from even being able to do so, since they had been deprived of their leaders.” – Stratagems by Sextus Julius Frontinus, 2.11.3.

During Alexander’s campaigns against the Persians and even after his death, the Thracians continued resisting Hellenistic rule. The resistance continued until the famed Eastern Gallic invasion of the Balkans where these Celts undermined and fractured Hellenistic rule while securing their dominion over Thrace. The Gallic grip on Thrace held until 212 BCE when the Thracian king Pleuratus led an assault on the Gallic capital of Tylis which resulted in the expulsion of the Gauls and the reestablishment of Thracian rule.

I cover this invasion and these eastern Celts in my posts:

GAULS OF THE EAST: PART 1 – BANDITS OF THE BALKANS. In this post I cover the rarely spoken of Gauls of southeastern Europe, their invasion of Greece, employment as mercenaries under Ptolemaic Egypt, their rebellious and warlike society as well as their little known kingdom of Tylis in Thrace. I will also cover their weaponry, armors and some archaeological finds.

GAULS OF THE EAST: PART 2 – HELLENIZED GALATIANS OF ASIA MINOR. In this post cover the Celts who migrated into Asia Minor, established a Greco-Gallic state, became renowned as warriors and mercenaries, played an integral part in the Hellenistic ‘Game of Thrones’ of the Diadochi (Alexander the Great’s successor), ravaged and terrorized the region, as well as forcing “tribute on the whole of Asia west of the Taurus” (Livy, 38.16.12). I’ll also speak about their armors, weaponry and how they may have inspired some Greek and Roman arms as well as some military units.

Head over to my post, ‘THRACIANS, REAPERS OF THE BALKANS’, to learn about their culture, religion, weaponry, armors, battle tactics, and their influence on the ancient world. Their history as well, from the tales in the Iliad to the era of the Greco-Persian Wars, the rise of Macedon under Philip II (Alexander the Great’s father), and the Roman conquests of the Balkans.

[psychic-readingonline]

Astrology Conferences 2019

Contents

Nitish kumar influence

Offering) convenes january

Balkan international astrology conference

Science journal nature

Astrology conferences, find and compare 160 seminars, roundtables, meetings, summits to attend … List of 16 upcoming astro & vastu conferences in 2019-2020 1.

Astrology Who Will Win 2019 Elections Jul 9, 2016 … Shree Ganesha Namah! It's Bejan Daruwalla's birthday on Monday. That bawdy Parsi astrologer and celebrated Ganpati-bhakt will turn 86. Know How Will nitish kumar influence 2019 Lok Sabha Election … Can BJP Leader Vasundhara Raje win rajasthan election? Predicts Ganesha … Modi will again win the next election. But the chances may Astrology Aspects Drugs Medical astrology (traditionally known as iatromathematics) is an ancient medical system that associates various parts of the body, diseases, and drugs as under … May 6, 2008 … does neptune and pluto in the following aspects indicate an individual with strong inclinations towards substance abuse and drug addiction? Apr 21, 2016 … This “self-medication” may come

United Astrology Conference 2018. MAY 24-29, 2018, CHICAGO Celebrating Earth and Sky Be part of the world's largest gathering of astrologers!

Nov 7, 2018 … The Kepler Conference (a new annual offering) convenes january 24-27, 2019 in Florida. This conference focuses on astrological research …

Astrology Conferences 2019 & 2020. Astrology Conferences are so much fun and educational. You will find others that speak your language.

Astrology Full Moon Calendar The latest in astrological trends by Susan Miller, comprehensive, complete, intelligent, and accurate. Your life in 3D: culture, style, romance, money, real estate … Astrology Answers Books Nov 28, 2017 … Quick thinkers focused on justice and fairness, you have a bubbly, optimistic personality. Here are 5 books you should read that have as much …

Items 1 – 10 … 19th balkan international astrology conference March 08, 2019 – March 10, 2019 . Belgrade, Serbia. "Astrology as Technology of Consciousness.

Cafe Astrology Transits 2017 Where is Mercury Retrograde transiting by house in your natal chart? … uranus completes its retrograde that began on August 2, 2017, in 2018 on January 2nd,  … 2017 planetary overview The Astrology of Year 2017 On this page, you'll find a … Outer planet transits in the year 2017, excerpted from the Day Watch

Note to Astrological Organizations: To include your regional, national or … May 23-27, 2019: Northwest Astrology Conference (NORWAC), Seattle, WA .More Info .

Or is it more a case of toxic masculinity? We asked astrologer Samuel F. Reynolds to explore. On November 15, 2018, VICE published a post titled “Why Straight Men Hate Astrology So Much” which, to nobody’s surprise, caused a stir among astrology followers. We’ve certainly encountered our …

Astrology Answers Books Nov 28, 2017 … Quick thinkers focused on justice and fairness, you have a bubbly, optimistic personality. Here are 5 books you should read that have as much … There are 12 zodiac signs, and each sign has its own strengths and weaknesses, its own specific traits, desires and attitude towards life and people.By analyzing the Astrology Answers Life Path Number Your life path number (lpn) is the most important number in your numerology reading. For most people the result will be a single numeral from 1 – 9. The only two exceptions to the single digit rule are the master numbers 11 and 22. Your life path number can give you general themes about your

The research experiment conducted by Shawn Carlson, “A double-blind test of astrology,” published in the science journal nature in 1985 as an indictment of astrology, is one of the most frequently cited scientific studies to have claimed to refute astrology. A Google search for the title as a quoted string returns over 6,600 links.1 Although […]