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dandelion-turtle · 3 years

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Hyakinthos

Hyakinthos was a Spartan prince, most prominently known in Amyclae with a decent cult following. there are a couple of different people listed as being his parents, but the most popular is King Amyclus and Diomedes. if Amyclus was his father, that would also make Daphne, another of Apollo’s lovers, Hyakinthos’s sister. it seems like he would be quite simple, he has a relatively small story with one of the earliest written records from Hesiod. in this version there is no love rival, just an accident. written in the 7th century BC, it was merely one, albeit long, sentence.

”. . ((lacuna)) rich-tressed Diomede; and she bare Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus), the blameless one and strong . . ((lacuna)) whom, on a time Phoibos (Phoebus) [Apollon] himself slew unwittingly with a ruthless disk.”

however, the most famous version, and one that most will know, comes from Ovid’s Metamorphosis. written somewhere between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD, this sentence long story grew to be paragraphs long. in which Ovid describes the love Apollo and Hyakinthos have for each other — which was the ultimate demise for the young prince. with parts of it coming from the perspective of a mourning Apollo, Ovid writes how Hyakinthos was turned into a flower with “ai, ai” written on the petals to express Apollo’s sadness. and the version that we all have come to know including betrayal and jealous rage from Zephyros (the West Wind), is hinted at in Pausanias’ “Description of Greece”.

”[In the temple of Apollon at Amyklai (Amyclae) Nikias (Nicias) [painter fl. c. 320 B.C.], son of Nikomedes, has painted him [Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus)] in the very prime of youthful beauty, hinting at the love of Apollon for Hyakinthos of which legend tells . . . As for Zephyros (the West Wind), how Apollon unintentionally killed Hyakinthos, and the story of the flower, we must be content with the legends, although perhaps they are not true history.”

despite this seemingly clear-cut story, there’s a lot more than meets the eye with Hyakinthos. according to many historians the -nth part of his name is pre-Hellenic and comes from the Mycenaean era. another word like that would be Corinth — a pre-Greek polis that was destroyed and rebuilt. this leads many to believe that Hyakinthos was around BEFORE Apollo. he would have been a chthonic vegetation god — almost like the male equivalent to Persephone. this leads to a few different theories, but before I get to that, let me tell you the story of Hyakinthos as told by Ovid and Lucian’s “Dialogues of the Gods”. ═══════════════════════════

⊰ The Myth ⊱

Hyakinthos was a beautiful Spartan prince. he had many lovers, but the one that had eventually won his heart was Apollo. the god taught beautiful long-haired Hyakinthos how to play the lyre, how to use a bow and arrows, a little bit on prophecies, and gave him a swan chariot. the two were incredibly in love, but sadly, there was someone who didn’t like that. Zephyros, the west wind, was jealous for he too loved Hyakinthos. he had tried to woo him but it really was no match for Apollo. he watched the two men play again and again until he had eventually had enough of it. he ultimately created one of the most tragic love stories. like most days, Apollo and Hyakinthos were together, playing around and having mild competitions throwing a discus. Apollo wanted to show off for Hyakinthos so he could see just what a god could do. he threw a discus high into the air, clearing the clouds away and it disappeared into the sky. Hyakinthos wanted to impress his lover as well, so he chased after the discus laughing. Zephyros in a fit of rage at the two men enjoying themselves changed the course of the discus. as it came to land, the force was so strong that it bounced off the ground and smashed into Hyakinthos’s face. Apollo ran to his lover and tried every kind of medicine and healing he could think of. he even placed ambrosia on his lover’s lips but blood flowed freely from the wound. there was no way for him to stop a wound of Fate. in his despair, he turned Hyakinthos into a flower, but seeing that wasn’t good enough, he wrote his grief upon the petals. ═══════════════════════════

⊰ Symbolism From The Myth ⊱

Taking A Temple as mentioned before, it’s very likely that Hyakinthos was an older deity from the pre-hellenic period. something that many Greek writers did, was create a myth of how a deity began their worship in a specific place. we know the temple that Apollo was worshipped at in Amyclae was older than when his worship would have started. one theory behind this myth then, is how Apollo came to be worshipped over Hyakinthos at the temple and area; by killing the previous deity. it sounds sad, but it’s actually happened several times, and even with Apollo specifically. the most famous example I can think of would be at Delphi. originally the temple was in honor of the titan Gaia. Apollo came in valiantly and killed the Python (which is what gives Apollo’s priestesses their name) and inevitably took the temple over with his worship. what this doesn’t account for, is the fact Hyakinthos is still worshipped at the temple heavily, his and Apollo’s worship having mingled and being near inseparable. it is even said that upon his death and burial, Apollo said to give him (Hyakinthos) all offerings first. now, if you know a thing or two about Greek worship, the first portion of the offering was incredibly important, especially considering hero worship was probably closer to chthonic sacrifices in practice; though they were not considered to be ‘dead’. within my research so far, I have yet to find this happening somewhere else, but I will update this if I ever do. now all of this is unusual with the theory that this myth symbolizes one deity taking over. if that were the case, why continue to worship Hyakinthos? Duality some of you may not know this about me, but I am a sucker when it comes to duality, specifically with lovers. this myth may be a symbol for the growing season and harvest of the crops. while it may be a common motif, especially among the Greeks, I think it’s a sweet and somber story giving personification to an important aspect of Greek life. I also believe the duality is less about the exacts of what they rule over, but the way they were worshipped. the closest example I can think of also comes from Delphi with the duality between Apollo and Dionysos (who, shockingly enough, was the only other god historians believe was present during the Hyakinthia festival besides Apollo and Hyakinthos). as a hero, or simply for his chthonic aspect, the ritual and practice would have been far different than that for Apollo. while this isn’t exactly backed by anything I can find specific to duality, I personally feel a reason both Apollo and Hyakinthos were worshipped together in Amyclae is due to that duality between them. Hyakinthos would have been a chthonic deity probably for vegetation or agriculture, whereas Apollo here is a god of light (not the sun) representing life, health, and the ultimate grief. their worship in Amyclae was always together once Apollo was introduced (to some this hinted that they were possibly the same person representing a cycle, but most disagree with this theory). the duality is clearly a theme already for Apollo, and I think what happened at Delphi with Dionysos is the same for Amyclae and Hyakinthos. together they represent loss and mourning but also happiness and life — love. ═══════════════════════════

⊰ Hyakinthos Associations ⊱

okay, now that I have bored you all to death, let’s talk about some less heavy things. due to their worship being completely together, I would say that nearly anything related to Apollo can also be associated with Hyakinthos and vice versa. however, we love individuality in this house, so let’s talk about the things either associated with him through the various, limited texts we have and some UPG. Associations ➳ larkspurs/hyacinths ➳ swans ➳ bow and arrow ➳ summer! ➳ new spring growth ➳ chiton’s (they were offered to him by the women of Sparta) ➳ death ➳ rebirth/cycles ➳ chariot’s ➳ blood ➳ blue/purple/red colors ➳ discus (sorry) ➳ lavender ➳ lyre ➳ lapis lazuli ➳ amethyst ➳ black tourmaline ═══════════════════════════ Devotional Activities ➳ keeping a garden ➳ maybe even an indoor garden ➳ go to parks and feed the swans/birds ➳ archery ➳ sports ➳ making a chiton ➳ writing poems ➳ taking care of those around you ➳ growing larkspurs/hyacinths ➳ get a devotional journal ➳ create a playlist (sad songs for the most part) ➳ fall in love deeply ═══════════════════════════

⊰ Deity Or Divine Hero? ⊱

I don’t know if this question can be answered for a fact honestly. what we do know is that he was at least worshipped as a hero, that much can be said. anything further than that comes at a later time and from the outside perspective. a lot of ancient Greek writers didn’t write down certain things because they saw them as common knowledge. this doesn’t help us looking back now. what we can say, is that some of the offerings given to him were not common with hero worship and would have been reserved for the gods. this is according to Angeliki Petropoulou, a professor in ancient greek studies/religion, and the author of “Hyakinthos and Apollo of Amyklai: Identities and Cults. A Reconsideration of the Written Evidence” pages 153-161. Within this, she makes the argument that Hyakinthos has gone through ‘apotheosis’. this is the action of a mortal, usually a hero, becoming a god. note: ‘βουθυσία’ is a traditional oxen sacrifice.

“The βουθυσία for Hyakinthos, which is indicative of his new immortal status, should be placed on the third day too. Oxen are costly victims, the bull being the most “noble” sacrificial animal. After mourning for Hyakinthos’s death and making a propitiatory sacrifice at his tomb, they honoured him with a bull sacrificed as if to a god. Yet the geographical range in which he was regarded as god was rather circumscribed and did not spread beyond the borders of Lakedaimonia. The βουθυσία for Hyakinthos would have been instituted after the construction of the altar on which Apollo received sacrifices; for the only altar excavated, in an area filled with remnants of burnt sacrifices, is attributed to Apollo.”

so there you have it. most places will probably call him a hero, and that wouldn’t be wrong. others may call him a deity, which also isn’t wrong. I’ll tell you what I’m personally going to go with, and everyone can make their own decision based on the information listed through this post and the readings I’ll link at the bottom. no matter your conclusion, the relationship you have will be completely yours, and it’s ok! if anything, I encourage that over taking my word for it. ══════════════════════════ for me, I think I consider him a deity. I know that I heavily romanticize the story, and with Apollo being so near to my heart, him having a terrible love life hurts my soul. while I don’t exactly want to rewrite any myths, I won’t claim that they are married, I will say that I believe them to be happy. their worship in Amyclae was so intertwined and based completely around each other from the history we know, that, for me, it makes sense to also honor them together. I’ll leave you all on one more incredibly sad quote from Lucien’s “Dialogue of the Gods” (that I referenced from earlier).

”Apollon : Well, my loves never prosper; Daphne and Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus) were my great passions; she so detested me that being turned to a tree was more attractive than I; and him I killed with a quoit. Nothing is left me of them but wreaths of their leaves and flowers.”

it’s ok to cry, I do nearly every time I read that.

⊰ For Further Reading ⊱

➳Hyakinthos theoi ➳Apollo theoi ➳Hyakinthos Wiki ➳My Hellenic Research Google Drive this also contains the Sparta book I reference and a few others worth a read.

#mine #greek #greek gods #greek mythology #greek paganism #hellenism #pagan #apollo #hyakinthos #greek pagan #theoi

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othernecessarythings · 4 years

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back on my bullshit again

and once more!! if you happen to stumble across these posts of mine, please just ignore them.. they’re a way for me to reflect on my life (and improve my english), and while i can’t stop you from reading them, can i say that you probably wouldn’t benefit much from it lol. anyways let’s go

1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up.

my lots of songs list: the love club-lorde, river en vacker dröm-håkan hellström, living dead-marina, why we ever-hayley williams, snälla bli min-veronica maggio, take this lonely heart-nothing but thieves

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

oof um the person who will be the love of my life? no lol but like zendaya would be pretty cool ig

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

“... and the top was red-and-white striped, and it all zipped up in the front.”

4) What do you think about most?

hmm my friends maybe?

5) Ever had a poem or song written about you?

not that i know of

6) Do you have any strange phobias?

nah i feel some trypophobia (?spelling) sometimes but that’s it

7) What’s your religion?

i’m kinda christian, but like i choose which parts to believe in and not, like i believe in the message of doing good and love, but not like homophobia or an actual god lol

8) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

sitting in the sun, listening to music

9) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

ah probably paramore, yeah it must be them

10) What was the last lie you told?

eh kinda basic but “i’m fine” i guess

11) Do you believe in karma?

ooh that’s a questioning worth discussing, no i don’t believe in the actual the-universe-is-constantly-judging-our-actions, but like that people who do good tend to get good things back? yeah that makes sense

12) What does your URL mean?

my main (neon-places) is from perfect places by lorde, and just neon bc it sounds cool

13) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

oh god if i only knew,,, i really need to improve my empathy, but my systematical skills are quite good

14) Who is your celebrity crush?

hayley williams

15) How do you vent your anger?

i don’t get mad😌😌 no but like when i get irritated do i just close my door to my room and like listen to music in headphones and solve a puzzle or something lol

16) Do you have a collection of anything?

i kinda collect things that mark an important/memorable event in my life, like my first pride bracelet, my favorite jeans from when i was like 15, lots of birthday cards,, yeah it’s not so unique, but they’re important to me

17) Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

yes!!!! me a few years ago would’ve never thought that i’d be like this now, but i’m proud of myself and what i’ve become!!

18) What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

fun fact i HATE sleeping to the sound of rain. it makes me really anxious,, i love the sound of waves though, or my little sisters pure laugh :,)

19) What’s your biggest “what if”?

what if i’m just faking everything, what if this is not actually me but something i put up to please others around me

20) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

not ghosts really, but there must be some sort of life in the whole fucking space,, while maybe not what we traditionally would categorize as “life”, must it exist something, somewhere

21) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

i’m in my bed so like. my nightstand to the right, my wall to the left

22) Smell the air. What do you smell?

absolutely nothing, i’m so used to the smell of my house

23) What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

oo idk??? i’m usually quite content with wherever we’re going, although fotografiska in stockholm was shitty though

24) Most attractive singer/s of your opposite gender?

oh um like tyler joseph maybe? gerard way, frank iero? yeah i’m an emo slut

25) To you, what is the meaning of life?

no don’t go there,, thereisnomeaningoflifesoitsallaboutmakingasmuchaspossibleandliveashappilyaspossiblyuntilourfleetingexistenceonthisearthisover

26) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

.. yeah you could say that i drove, i have a driving license after all, and i’ve never crashed but i’ve been stopped by police a few times lol

27) What was the last movie you saw?

no idea, i never watch movies... or wait!! we had legally blonde on at my friends house a few days ago when we got home from a party, i didn’t exactly watch it but it was playing

28) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

i’ve had some bad allergic reactions in form of severe eczema

29) Do you have any obsessions right now?

‘the devil and god are raging inside me’ by brand new, doing my makeup a special way

30) Ever had a rumor spread about you?

yeah, that i’m gay and together with my earlier best friend (we were not)

31) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

not really,, i’m really fucking scared of conflicts so i simply forgive and move on, it’s easier that way

32) What is your astrological sign?

pisces baby

33) What’s the last thing you purchased?

a blue skirt second hand!! v cute

34) Love or lust?

um idk i’ve never really experienced any of them, but maybe love

35) In a relationship?

nope

36) How many relationships have you had?

a whopping amount of zero

37) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

I DONT KNOW someone tell me please how to get someone to like me,, but like more friendship-like is it usually to always choose my words very carefully to not upset anyone, it usually gets me quite far

38) Where is your best friend?

where? i hope she’s home? well like we took the bus home together a few hours ago, so i guess she’s home

39) What were you doing last night at 12 AM?

aha ha funny,, i was having a small mental crisis so i sat and did math (by free will, school has ended for summer) while listening to melodrama.. yes

40) Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

i don’t know, this is so hard.. but like. no? or it wouldn’t really work to have someone like me as a close friend, i’m to introvert, i tend to surround myself with extroverts who bring me with them to do stuff

41) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

oh um i call 112 (the swedish 911) and make sure someone else notice the dog too and help it while i hurry to my job

42) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

a) yes, i think so. only my closest though, to give them a chance to say goodbye properly, but i wouldn’t really like other just acquaintances to reach out just bc of the circumstances

b) i try to travel as much as possible, party all i can, tell everyone i love how much they mean to me and just. live

c) of course, i would be scared to death (see what i did there) but i wouldn’t have any other choice but to fully live my last month

43) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

hard times by paramore!! it always makes me want to dance

44) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

45) How can I win your heart?

show any whatsoever interest in me lol

46) Can insanity bring on more creativity?

i guess,, i’m like the opposite of insanity though, i’m constantly numb and completely lacking any creativity, so it may work the other way too

47) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

hmm maybe my school application? i’m so fucking happy with my choice

48) What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

hmm nothing too special i guess, just the usual loved and missed and so

49) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “heart.”

like the anatomy and stuff,,, i really like biology, more than romances lol

50) Basic question; what’s your favorite color/colors?

usually different shades of blue, but right now all pastel colors, especially purple

51) What is your current desktop picture?

my locked screen is two of my best friends, and my home screen is paramore ofc

52) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

trump would be pretty nice

53) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

oh um like “name a few things you don’t like about me” or something, bc as i said, i hate conflicts

54) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

the ability to change the probability!!! it’s the ultimate superpower!!!

55) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

my tøp concert maybe? i was really euphoric then, and i haven’t really felt like that since, but i’m afraid i’ll destroy that memory if i could go back so idk

56) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

i’ve had quite a happy life yet, there’s no big thing i’d like to erase,, no i feel like every experience in my life has leaded me to where i am today, so i wouldn’t like to erase anything

57) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

hmm idk maybe alex turner. idk i feel like it would be pretty nice

58) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

italy maybe? my friends and i planned to go there this summer before the corona hit, so i’d like to go there lol

59) Ever been on a plane?

yeah several times

60) Give me your top 5 hottest celebrities.

idk idk i’m not really.. attracted to anyone rn? it’s kinda weird but there’s no one where i’m like wow this person is HOT,, nah i don’t really feel anything like that at the moment

#julias mind #just for my own sake #self development

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daddymenrah · 8 years

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Open To Interpretation: Negan x Reader

Masterlist

Warnings: Inappropriate teacher/student relationship (student is of legal age in the US and UK), smut, the usual. Also, I wrote the character a little more like myself bc I feel like I keep writing the same kind of reader and its getting tedious. Hit my inbox if this is you af. ALSO HIT MY INBOX IF YOU’VE EVER HAD ANY KIND OF TEACHER/STUDENT RELATIONSHIP? SPILL THE TEA I’M NOSY.

Word count: 4448

“Preserving innocent life, orderly living in society, worshipping god, educating children, and reproducing.” His deep, gravelly voice fills the lecture hall. All his students are enraptured, a rare thing for many teachers. He pauses before continuing. “What are the issues with these precepts that Aquinas put forward?”

You bite your lip anxiously. Answering questions in class isn’t an issue for you, in fact your teachers often tell you to give the other students a chance, but your Philosophy and Ethics professor makes you somewhat nervous. Tall, late forties, gorgeous black beard with silver streaks and piercing hazel eyes. The recipe for a crippling medley of anxiety and attraction.

Despite this, impressing him and getting your grade is often the reason you manage to pluck up the courage to respond to his queries, his opinion of you is something you are very conscious of. You glance around the room to see no one has raised their hand. You decide to take one for the team, slowly lifting your arm from the desk.

Professor Negan’s head turns in your direction, a somewhat predatory grin spreading across his handsome features.

“Y/N. Let ‘em have it.” You try not to smile too hard at his confidence that you’ll give a good answer, but it proves to be rather difficult when he’s urging you on with one of his own infectious smiles.

“I think a lot of issues arise with these precepts, mainly that there are too many grey areas and not everyone agrees with the idea that these should be prioritised by society as a whole.” A small smirk plays at the corners of his lips. “Not to mention everyone has different ideas as to what these precepts involve.”

“Such as?”

“The definition of orderly living in society differs massively from person to person. For example, someone might consider a party going on past twelve as relatively orderly, but their neighbours might disagree.” Professor Negan along with the rest of the lecture hall chuckle at your scenario.

After spurring the sharing of ideas and opinions, the rest of your classmates were more agreeable to putting their own out there. The opinions differed massively, and Negan appeared to be having fun listening to everyone debate heatedly. The class was so animated, that it almost drew into lunch break.

“Alright fuckers, I think you’ve assaulted my ears enough today. Go do whatever it is the youth of today does on their break.” He shooed all of you out of the room, but just as you were leaving he caught your arm. “Hold up a sec, Y/N.”

Most people who come into some form of contact with you on a daily basis know not to touch you without being on a certain level of closeness with you, but professor Negan is an exception to this rule. You really couldn’t care less that you don’t know all that much about him other than his name, penchant for cursing, and views on the subjects he taught, his touch sets your entire being on fire.

Once the class is empty, he backs up against the front of his desk, resting his backside on the edge and his hands either side of him for support.

“I marked last weeks essays…” He begins.

“You realise you set those two weeks ago.” You correct him. His eyes widen slightly, and then he sighs.

“Shit, whatever. Anyway, I marked those. What I wanted to tell ya was that yours was ridiculous.” Your heart drops in embarrassment, and it must have shown on your expression. Professor Negan chuckles. “Don’t cry kid, I meant ridiculous as in ridiculously fuckin’ good. You thinkin’ of doing a masters by any chance?”

You sigh in relief.

“I haven’t given my masters much thought.” You admit. He nods in acknowledgment.

“Well, when you get round to it, I’d consider this. That’s if ya haven’t got another master in mind.” He winks, your jaw almost falls right open at what he’d just insinuated. Surely he couldn’t have meant that?

He slips his glasses off and wipes the lenses with the hem of his t-shirt, then nudges them back onto his gorgeous face. You can never decide whether you like him better with or without specs. Not that it matters, since you’d screw him either way.

“Have I got somethin’ on my face?” He teases, eyebrow cocked.

“Other than your glasses?” You say, praising yourself internally for coming up with a witty response. He chuckles deeply and waggles his insanely long index finger at you.

“You better watch I don’t give ya a detention for sassin’ me.”

‘Yeah cuz, that’d be a real punishment.’ You think, biting back a smirk.

“Woah, what?” Professor Negan’s expression is shocked, but his lips are quirking at the edges as if trying to hold in a smile.

“Hm?” You reply.

“Did you just flirt with me, Y/L/N?” And then you realise, with dismay, that your thought had subconsciously vocalised. Your cheeks warm but you roll your eyes playfully in an attempt to hide your embarrassment with nonchalance.

“Interpret it how you want.” You shrug, then adjust your bag on your shoulder and make a move to leave the hall.

“Well shit, I ain’t complainin’.” You hear him mutter, and you turn right back around. Professor Negan has his arms folded and a mischievous smirk sitting shamelessly his features.

“Don’t look so fuckin’ shocked. You’re an attractive girl.” He laughs.

“And also one of your students?” You retort, still in disbelief that he was being so blatantly inappropriate with you. However, it wasn’t an unpleasant disbelief.

“You’re of legal age. You can do what you want.” You like how he phrased that.

“I’m pretty sure there are still rules regardless of age.” You reply, Negan simply shrugs.

“I once knew this smart chick who said, ah what was it… Interpret it how you want?” At this point your stomach is doing multiple flips and there’s a giant smile threatening to break out on your face.

You’ve fantasised about how this might come to happen, but it’s so different now that it really is. There’s thinking about it while in bed at night, touching yourself to the thought of Negan’s voice saying your name, and then there’s standing right in front of the real thing as he propositions you.

He pushes off the desk and takes a few steps towards you.

“You’re a big girl, you know what it is you want.” He murmurs, lifting your chin with his thumb and forefinger so that you’re forced to look him in the eye. “And you know how to get it.” His lips are tantalisingly close to yours, but he doesn’t move any further. “I have an evening class that finishes at six. Do with that information what you wish.”

You left Negan’s classroom feeling choked up with a mixture of shock and excitement. You wanted to tell someone, anyone, especially your best friend who you knew was on her lunch break too. But you restrained yourself. You trusted her of course, but you didn’t want to tell her only for nothing to come of it. You had to make a decision first.

It was your last lecture of the day so you left the building and made your way to your car. Setting your things down on the passenger seat, you started the ignition and began the drive back to your apartment you shared with the aforementioned friend. You tried to distract yourself from the decision you had to make by listening to some of your favourite songs.

Much to your dismay, virtually every song had some kind of reference to a significant other or a love interest, and you found your mind flashing back to Negan each time. You knew the excited sickness in your stomach wasn’t going to go away unless you declined professor Negan’s proposition, or you went and found out what was in store.

Honestly, you desperately wanted to agree. There was a very clichéd, romance, drama movie type feel to your situation. You felt as though you were the troubled heroine of the film, walking the fence between right and wrong, following the rules and following your desires. You shook your head at your own melodramatic musings and focussed on finding a parking space.

Once you’d parked up, you grabbed your stuff and hurried through the apartment building lobby, and into the lift. You tapped your foot impatiently as it took you to your floor. You were restless, there was a sense of time running out. Whether you went or not, you still had to make a decision, the sooner the better.

As you rushed out of the elevator at your floor and powerwalked to the door of your apartment, you continued to ponder this. A quick glance at your phone in your hand told you it was already one o’clock. You had about three hours to make a decision that would allow you to get ready and arrive at six. You nearly smacked yourself in the forehead, the way you were thinking was already in agreement to the idea of actually going.

You dropped your bag down by the door and shoved your sneakers off. You went to make yourself a drink before settling down on the couch and thinking the whole predicament through properly.

What exactly would meeting with professor Negan alone entail? ‘Oh come on’ You think to yourself. You know damned well what it’ll entail. Well, to an extent. The man exuded sexual confidence. The way he’d swagger back and forth while explaining something, or when he’d stagger crotch-first when something made him laugh.

Maybe you were just dirty-minded and presumptuous, but the reality was it was highly likely that if you went, you were going to have some kind of sexual encounter with your philosophy and ethics professor.

And that excited you to no end.

It’s half past five and you’re taking a last glance at yourself in the mirror before leaving. You’ve sex-proofed your makeup, should what you think is going to happen, happens. Smoothing down your outfit, that consists of tight black jeans and a flattering blouse with just enough cleavage showing, you leave the apartment.

The sensation that’s gripped your entire being is one of trepidation. Akin to the feeling of sneaking out for the first time, or smoking weed unbeknownst to your parents. You know you shouldn’t be doing it, and you damned well you could get in trouble for it, but you also know that it could be one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life.

And that is what powers your legs to walk out your building and to your car, key in ignition, engine on. When you spot your college in the distance, you play that one song that makes you feel irresistible, strong, sexy. By the time you’ve found a parking spot near to the building, you feel less nervous, and more ready. The anticipation alone is turning you on.

Professor Negan is inside finishing up a class, probably thinking about whether or not you’re going to show. You wonder which he thinks is more likely. Despite being what you like to think is subtly flirtatious in class, you doubt he thinks you really have the guts to come here after hours and potentially fuck your teacher. Do many people have that kind of rebellious streak?

You’re walking through the doors and nodding to the receptionist, and your mind flicks back to the lesson this morning. Negan’s words replay in your mind. ‘Orderly living in society.’ This sure as fuck wasn’t considered orderly living in society. Aquinas was an idiot in your opinion if he really thought this was the way humans should live to get the most out of life.

But as you spot Negan’s class filing out of the room, that lurching feeling in your stomach returns. You feel almost short of breath, but you surge on, weaving through the yawning students, complaining about evening classes and how they just want to get home. It’s ironic in a way, they’re all desperate to leave while you’ve been on edge virtually all day about coming back.

You dither by the door momentarily, listening to see if there are any students left in there. You can’t hear anything, so you walk in. Negan is sitting at his desk chatting to another teacher. Your throat closes up, but you act as normal as you possibly can. You can’t let it seem like you shouldn’t be here.

“Hi professor, I’m here to grab that essay you revised for me?” You say as confidently as you can.

Negan’s head turns to look at you, that grin, slow as molasses, spreads across his lined face. He looks you up and down before giving you a more PG smile.

“Rick, this is one of my best philosophy students. Y/N L/N.” He states, indicating to you with an open-handed gesture. The teacher smiles and nods to you.

“Hello, Y/N. I’m Professor Grimes from the law department.” He has a slow, southern drawl that could put you to sleep if you listened to it for too long.

He isn’t too bad looking himself, about the same age as Negan, but clean shaven with sharp blue eyes. He has a no-nonsense look about him.

“Nice to meet you.” You smile back politely. He turns back to Negan.

“Well, I’ll let ya’ll get on with whatever it is you big thinkers get up to.” He jokes.

“Oh we have plenty of fun.” Negan assures him.

You’re almost shocked by his brazenness, but it’s professor Negan. Once professor Grimes has left the classroom, Negan stands and follows the man’s path. He pulls the blind down over the small window in the door. At this point, it’s beginning to feel very, very real. Once he’s facing you again, he groans, letting his eyes wander slowly from your face right down to your jeans that are clinging to every curve of your legs.

“The hell are you tryna do to me?” He mutters, prowling towards you like a lion to its prey. Standing only several inches away from you, he inhales sharply. “Can I touch you?” You nod a little too eagerly, and he chuckles darkly. “Oh sweetheart, I can tell you’ve been achin’ at the thought of this all day.” Your cheeks warm substantially, and his large hands go to rest on your hips. He squeezes them just a little, a sound coming from his throat that sounds almost like a purr.

“I’ve been wantin’ to touch you for so long. You’re a fuckin’ tease, Y/N.”

“I am not.” You reply indignantly. Negan laughs loudly.

“Alright then, you’re a fuckin’ liar too. Leanin’ over the desk just so in your low cut shirts, suckin’ on the tip of your pen, droppin’ your papers right in front of me and bending down to pick ‘em up. I got the hint, sweetie.”

You decide to play coy for a little longer.

“The hint of what?” He pulls you flush against him and leans down so his lips are beside your ear.

“The hint that you want me to bend you right over this desk and fuck you so hard that you’ll never forget ol’ professor Negan.” Your jaw goes slack. “You’re the only one of my students that calls me professor. I think you know that it gets my dick real hard.”

His potty mouth has always made you warm between the legs, but now you can quite literally feel yourself soaking through your underwear. Normally you’re relatively confident in sexual encounters, but you’re utterly speechless at this moment in time.

“But you know, there’s something else I’ve always wanted to hear you call me.” Negan adds, feigning pensiveness.

“What’s that?” You manage to ask.

“I really fuckin’ like the thought of havin’ you over my knee, callin’ me daddy while I spank that round ass of yours.” As soon as he says that, it’s all over for you. You moan involuntarily.

“Please professor Negan, spank me.” You beg, not even sure if it’s you saying these words to your teacher.

“You better pull those tight pants down and get on my lap, baby. I think it’s about time I punished you for all this fuckin’ teasin’ you’ve made me endure.” Negan plants a quick, but hard, kiss to your lips, then goes to pull his chair out from under his desk and sits on it. You go to undo your jeans, but he stops you. “Uh uh.” He shakes his head. “Put on a fuckin’ show for daddy.”

You turn away from him, slowly wiggling out of your jeans. Once the waistband goes below your ass, you bend right over to step out of the pant legs. The feel of Negan’s eyes on your backside has your entire body burning.

“Get over here.” He demands. You do just as he says, walking slowly towards him. “You just fuckin’ love to tease daddy don’t you? I’ll teach you a god damn lesson you’ll never forget.”

Negan settles you over the thighs of his long, muscular legs. He tugs on your panties, you’re wearing your sexiest black pair.

“Mm, is this the kind of shit you’re wearing underneath those clothes in my class?” He hit then nail right on the head. You nod, lip drawn between your teeth in anticipation. “You bad, bad, fucking girl.”

And without warning, he brings his palm down hard on your bare ass cheeks.

“I want you to count, baby.” He whispers.

“One.” You say, still relatively composed. He repeats the action, ever so slightly harder. “Two.” It hurts in a delicious way, but you crave something more, something harder. Before he goes to smack you again, you speak up.

“Professor Negan?” You glance up at him.

“You better have a damned good reason for interruptin’ me while I’m spanking that sweet ass of yours.” He replies, eyebrow cocked in a playful glare.

“Do you… Do you think you could use your belt?” Negan simply stares at you in disbelief. You can feel yourself turning red from embarrassment, this is not how you wanted it to go down.

“Would you look at my dirty girl, askin’ to be spanked with my belt.” He sighs dreamily. Relief floods your body. He unbuckles his belt and slides it carefully from his trousers, not wanting to make you slide off his lap. He then proceeds to loop it around his hands, you’re breathing heavily with excitement.

The first time the leather snaps against your skin, the sensation is new, and stings like a bitch, but in the best way possible.

“Please professor, more.” You moan, surprising yourself with how needy you sound.

“Doesn’t sound like much of a punishment but because you look so fuckin’ good right now I’ll let you off easy.” Negan chuckles.

He does it again, and again, and again. Harder and harder each time. You bite down hard on the base of your thumb to stop yourself from crying out too loud. Just as you’re mentally preparing yourself for the next blow, a knock on the door gets both of your attention.

“Get under the fuckin’ desk!” Negan hisses, helping you under.

You try to keep absolutely silent.

“Come on in.” You hear Negan call out. His legs are stretched out either side of you under the desk. Your eyes travel up them, until you spot an unmistakable bulge at the zipper of his pants. You hear footsteps approaching the other side of the desk and a voice you recognise from earlier. It’s professor Grimes if you’re not mistaken.

Negan pushes himself further under the desk as he converses with Grimes. You can hear them discussing some kind of issue with covering shifts during exam season. You’re pretty crushed under the table, if you were to stretch the upper half of your body into his lap, you’d feel a little less squashed…

You shift as carefully as possible, moving forward onto your knees. You feel Negan twitch slightly at the feeling of you moving. You gently undo the button of his jeans, and unzip his pants as quietly as possible. Negan coughs to cover the sound of the metal teeth coming apart.

“Is that your belt?” You hear professor Grimes say.

“Oh, yeah. Gotta get comfy for a long evening of marking, am I right?” Negan laughs. You wouldn’t be able to sense there was anything wrong from the tone of his voice. At least not until you pull his dick out of his pants and slip the huge appendage into your mouth.

Negan makes a strange noise and starts choking violently.

“You okay, Negan?” You hear professor Grimes.

“Yeah, just fuckin’ peachy.” He replies, sounding somewhat strained. You would smirk if your mouth wasn’t stuffed with Negan’s cock. You begin sucking, swirling your tongue around his thick tip.

You hear professor Grimes continue you to talk as you take Negan’s dick further into the back of your throat, when all of a sudden Negan interrupts.

“Hey man, as much as I’m enjoyin’ this fuckin’ riveting conversation, I got a lot of shit to do.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll be on my way.” Professor Grimes sounds irritated, but you can make out the noises of his footsteps leading away from his desk.

“Have a good evening, Rick!” Negan yells after him, then pulls you from out under the desk, his dick popping out of your mouth in the process. “You,” He breathes, “are gonna get me in a whole lot of fuckin’ trouble.” He yanks you up hard and bends you over the desk. He rips your panties down and shoves his jeans to the floor. “I’m gonna fuck you so fuckin’ hard you’ll never be able to look at this fuckin’ desk again without creamin’ your fuckin’ undies.”

“Oh god, please do.” You gasp, feeling his tip tease your soaking wet pussy.

“God? Close, but sweetheart, daddy works just fine.” And with that he pushes violently inside you. He thrusts in and out of you at an unforgiving speed, groaning profanities as he goes. All you can bring yourself to do is hold on tight to the edge of the desk and moan his name.

“You’re gonna be thinkin’ about this when you limp into class tomorrow, I can fuckin’ assure you.” He threatens. “I’m gonna tear your dripping cunt to shreds.”

“Yes please, daddy.” You cry, tears of sheer pleasure pooling in your eyes.

“And you better not try and skip because your pretty, little pussy is achin’. I’ll be givin’ you detention all week.”

“I won’t daddy, I promise.”

“I wanna see that ass sittin’ up straight at her desk, ready to take in knowledge, then take in this dick once everyone’s gone.” “I will, daddy, I will.” You whine. His thrusts are becoming quicker, more erratic.

“Shit, this young pussy is gonna make me cum.”

“Wait, you’re not wearing-“

“I wanna see that cunt dripping with my cum.” Negan pulls you up, off the desk and then shoves you against the whiteboard, re-entering you with no difficulty whatsoever thanks to how wet you are.

He keeps your wrists behind your back with one of his hands and the other tight around your throat.

“Are you gonna cum all over this dick for daddy?” He growls in your ear.

“Yes, oh fuck yes.” You’re practically screaming in ecstasy.

“Cum. Cum for me right fucking now.”

And though you never thought it possible, his words bring you right over the edge into writhing, sweating, heaven. He follows very soon after, his cock pulsing inside you, painting your walls with his thick, white cum.

“Holy fuckin’ shit.” He pants, sliding out of you. You’re frozen against the whiteboard, the very whiteboard you’ve copied notes from many times.

You vaguely hear Negan rifling in his desk for something, then you spot him underneath you.

“Mm look at that.” He purrs. You realise with horror that he’s watching his own ejaculation drip out you, holding tissue directly beneath, ready to catch it. “That is a fuckin’ sight to see.”

There’s not really much you can do other than wait till the majority of Negan’s cum has left your body, then pull your stretched panties up and find your jeans.

“Shit darlin’, that might just have been the best fuck I ever had.” Negan grins at you, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

You smile awkwardly.

“I’m inclined to agree with you there.”

“Hey what happened to ‘daddy’ and ‘professor Negan’?” He teases you. He narrows his eyes at you in jest. “Ah, I see how it is. Once you get off, all that nasty shit goes away.” You’re bright red for what feels like the millionth time today. “Hey, that’s totally fuckin’ cool with me. A sweetheart in class, but a dirty whore when it comes to the ass.”

“Please stop.” You groan. Negan laughs softly, all signs of playfulness gone from his face. He looks weirdly calm.

“You need a ride home or anything, princess?”

“I’m good, I drove.” You smile back.

“You know I was jokin’ about you not being allowed to skip right? If you’re hurtin’ I want you to stay your ass at home.”

And just when you thought you’d been sexually sated for life, Negan’s caring side made you want to hop on his dick all over again.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Alright, alright, strong woman. You get home and go to sleep.”

“It’s after class, don’t tell me what to do.” You joke, walking towards the door.

“Oh yeah? Sounds like you want me to show you who’s boss again.” He calls after you.

“Interpret it how you want.” You wave, smirking to yourself and closing the classroom door behind you.

PART 2

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countrymadefoods · 6 years

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History of Tea - Origin of Tea

“Though there are many literary writings about tea it's hard for historians to exactly pinpoint when tea was exactly discovered. A part of the problem is that the Chinese character for tea 'cha'（茶）is actually a relatively new character that only appeared in a Chinese dictionary around 350 A.D. Before the Chinese character 'tu' covered the meaning, describing infusions made from different plants including the tea plant. The appearance of a separate character is an indication that tea had become such a popular drink that needed its own character at that time.”

“After a decade of research, the Archeologists published in 2015 that these roots are about 6,000 years old. This confirmed it must have been the Hemudu culture, flourishing in 7,000 BC and 6000 BC, that started cultivating and brewing tea...By the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-906 AD) tea was the national drink of China, spreading from court circles to be popular throughout Chinese society. It was during this time that the practice developed of sending finest teas to the emperor's court as a tribute to him...Though loose leaf tea existed, most tea drinkers where still buying and storing tea in compressed form.”

“Tea was a drink that would take on literary, artistic and even religious overtones. This can be traced to the literary work 'Cha Ching', The Classic of Tea, by Lu Yu. His work was the single most influential work on the cultural significance of tea. The Classic of Tea was strongly influenced by the Taoist faith was central to culture in eighth century China. Taoists believed that every detail of life was an act of living that was worthy of celebration, and that one should attempt to find beauty everywhere in the world. Thus the emphasis on tranquility and harmony in the preparation and drinking of tea was recognition of its part in the masterpiece of life.”

“Due to a lack of good transportation method tea was initially only traded locally starting with Tibet and neighbouring order regions of other countries. This shipped to border regions were also known as 'border sales tea (bian xiao cha)'. Later it were Turkish traders who arrived at the Mongol border in 473 A.D. to bargain for tea.

Emperor Saga, who ruled Japan from 809 to 823, is known to be the first to be served tea. While Saga loved it, tea wasn't directly a hit in Japan. It too many more years until powdered tea was made during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In 1191, the Japanese monk Eisai brought powdered tea back to Japan, where it became integrated in Zen Buddhism. The Japanese called powdered tea 'Matcha' and it became immensely popular among the aristocrats. However, in 1618 Chinese ambassadors presented the Russian Czar Alexis with many treasure boxes of tea, which were refused as useless.”

“The discovery of black tea soon further spurred the growing demand farther abroad. It was the Portuguese who introduced tea Europe in the 16th century and controlled most European trade with India and the Far East (an area known then as the Indies). Jan Huyghen van Linschoten also copied and revealed Portuguese trade secrets including navigational routes. The revelation of such routes allowed the British and Dutch East India Company to break the 16th century monopoly enjoyed by the Portuguese.”

“The demand for tea flourished in the 17th century. On the 20th of March 1602, the Dutch reorganized its overseas trade by merging the 6 existing East India Companies into one called the VOC (or United East India Company), also referred to as the Dutch East India Company...The success of the VOC can partially be attributed by the fact that it was the first company ever in history to offer an IPO (initial public offering) of shares to the public, allowing them to raise a vast amount of capital and financial power to compete internationally with larger countries.

The Dutch were the first to ship tea from Japan and China to Europe at the beginning of the 17th century. While initial trade focused on gold, silk and porcelain, the significance of tea began in the beginning of the 18th century.With more competition from the British East India Company, the Dutch started to reorganize their trade routes. Instead of shipping via Batavia, they established a direct trade route to the Netherlands. This allowed them to stabilize the prices and provide more consistent quality. In the period from 1729 to 1794 tea became the lifeblood of trade with China. It made up about 70 percent of the total trade purchased from Canton, China.”

“In 1600 Queen Elizabeth I gave a royal charter to a new trading company, the East India Company, by which it was given a monopoly over all British trade with the Indies. The Company soon began competing with the Portuguese and Dutch and distributed tea all over the world. Initially The British East India Company was almost pushed out by the Dutch, but made a comeback when it became responsible for the government of much of the vast Indian sub-continent...the British East India Company successfully copied tea cultivation from the Chinese in India, which allowed them to offer tea at much lower prices.”

“Both the creation of a monopoly by Queen Elizabeth I and the success in India was crucial to the success of the British East India Company in the history of tea trade...In the past, all the tea in the world came from China. In the 1800′s, Britain controlled 1/5 of the worlds, but what they couldn't control was the price and quality of tea. In the mid 1800′s, a British group of businessmen started to create a tea producing region in a place that they did control: India. The Scottish botanist was sent to China, to bring the secrets of tea production and seeds to India.

The tea bag basically made 2 important contributions: To make a brewing tea more convenient;To reduce the time to clean up as one can simply throw away the bag. Most people believe that it was an American tea merchant named Thomas Sullivan, who shipped out samples of tea in silk pouches in 1908. Some of his customers misunderstood this, and soaked the tea together with the pouches in hot water. They found it so convenient that they asked Thomas for more.A few years later though, a couple named Roberta C. Lawson and Mary Molaren filed a patent for a 'tea leaf holder'. Their invention used a mesh fabric that was stitched together into a bag that just fits enough tea for a single cup.”

(via History of Tea - Origin of Tea | Teasenz)

Empress of China Becomes First US Ship to Trade with China

“The Empress voyage was the brainchild of John Ledyard, who had sailed to the Pacific with British explorer Captain James Cook. He hoped to trade for furs in the Pacific Northwest and carry them to China. He found backers including Philadelphia merchant Robert Morris, financier of the American Revolution...Ledyard backed out when the fur plan fell through, but Morris suggested ginseng as a valuable replacement cargo. The Chinese prized the root as a cure for all manner of ills.

The Empress needed six months to make the 18,000-mile trip to Canton (modern Guangzhou) and four months to trade its cargo for tea and export porcelain. Returning home in five months, reaching New York in May 1785. Soon dozens of ships each year were plying the seas between the United States and China, helping build fortunes in New York and New England. The desire for speed in this trade gave birth in the 1830s to the magnificent clipper ships that were the fastest sailing ships ever built.”

(via Empress of China becomes first US ship to trade with China | OUPblog)

The Boatload of Ginseng That Launched the China Trade

“The Empress of China launched the China trade on Feb. 22, 1784, when she sailed out of New York Harbor loaded with ginseng, lead, Spanish silver coins and woolen cloth. The Treaty of Paris had been signed, America and Britain were at peace and America was free for the first time to trade with China...Not only were Americans enamored of Chinese tea, silks and home goods, but traders didn't have too many other options. The British had cut off American trade with the West Indies, and European nations had set up daunting trade barriers.

John Green, an Irishman from Philadelphia, was the Empress of China’s captain. Samuel Shaw, a 29-year-old Bostonian who had served as Gen. Henry Knox’s aide-de-camp, served as his senior business agent, or supercargo.”

“On Aug. 23, 1784, the ship sailed up the Pearl River in South China. The sailors aboard the ship were thrilled to see the Stars and Stripes unfurled for the first time in that part of the world. The French, the Danes, the Dutch and the British all greeted them politely. But the Chinese restricted them to a section of Canton where goods were exchanged in large factories, or hongs, their ships moored nearby.

The Chinese didn't know what to make of the Americans. They called them the ‘New People.’ (Later they would call them the ‘Flowery-Flag Devils' because the stars on the flag looked to the Chinese like flowers.) Shaw showed them a map of the United States and explained the size and possibilities of the new country. The Chinese, he wrote, ‘were not a little pleased at the prospect of so considerable a market for the productions of their own empire.’ “

“The Chinese had less interest in buying foreign goods than in selling their own. They did, however, prize ginseng, used as a curative, energy booster and aphrodisiac. Ginseng grew in only a few places: eastern Asia and parts of North America, including Canada, the mountains of New England, New York and Appalachia.”

“It took three months to scour the eastern United States for nearly 30 tons of ginseng to ship aboard the Empress of China. It was the largest shipment ever to arrive in Canton. Unfortunately for the Americans, the Europeans had also brought large amounts of the root. The price plummeted.”

“The Empress of China left Canton on Dec. 28, 1784 and arrived in New York Harbor on May 11, 1785. She carried 800 chests of tea, 20,000 pairs of nankeen trousers and a huge quantity of porcelain. Newspapers announced her return, and stores up and down the East Coast sold her cargo. That's where the Americans learned how to make real money in the China trade: the sale of Chinese export goods to Americans.

All told, the voyage earned a 25 percent return on investment. They'd hoped for more, but they made enough to spawn a new era of commerce with China.Shaw gave a complete report of the voyage to John Jay, the U.S. foreign minister. Jay shared his findings with Congress. Members of Congress responded with ‘a peculiar satisfaction in the successful issue of this first effort of the citizens of America to establish a direct trade with China.’”

(via The Boatload of Ginseng That Launched the China Trade | New England Historical Society)

Getting to the Root of Ginseng

“Sang, or Panax quinquefolius, is the American version of Asian ginseng (P. ginseng), which the Chinese have usedto treat a wide variety of ills for several thousand years. In Chinese medicine, Asian ginseng is considered “hot” (a mild stimulant), while its American cousin is “cool” (a calming tonic). Both contain compounds known as ginsenosides, but in different proportions.

In 1713, Pierre Jartoux, a Jesuit missionary in China,wrote in a letter that after eating ginseng, “I found my Pulse much fuller and quicker, I had an appetite, and found myself much more vigorous...After an hour, he reported feeling like a new man. In his letter, almost as an afterthought, he noted that ginseng might well grow in similar environments, such as Canada.”

“By chance, Jartoux’s letter came to the attention of a Jesuit brother visiting Quebec. An amateur medical botanist, Joseph Francois Lafitau soon after discovered a Canadian specimen that matched the plant in Jartoux’s drawing. A short time later, Canadian suppliers began shipping tons of it to China, resulting in over-harvesting within a few decades. The Chinese began looking to the South for an alternate source.

They found it in southern Appalachia, where the Cherokee were already using ginseng medicinally. The Indians believed that it was sentient, able to make itself invisible to people unworthy of it. They so valued ginseng that they dug up only one in four plants and replenished each harvested root with a bead, a prayer and a new seed. When the Canadian supply faltered, the Cherokee stepped up production. By the 1750′s, ports in Virginia and South Carolina were doing a brisk trade in the Cherokee’s Appalachian ginseng. Shipped to China, it eclipsed Canadian varieties.”

”George Washington, conducting a survey of his lands in the autumn of 1784, made note of the trend. “I met numbers of Persons & Pack horses going in with Ginsang; & for salt & other articles at the Markets below,” he wrote. The United States had no trade agreements with the Far East or even consulates there, so ginseng traders went through British middlemen.”

(via Getting to the Root of Ginseng | Smithsonian Magazine)

THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN GINSENG INDUSTRY IN MARATHON COUNTY AND ITS MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS WITH CHINA.

“In Wisconsin, Indians used American ginseng as a medicine long before white colonists arrived. By the 1840s, white settlers acquired American ginseng extensively from Indians for export. The ginseng trade in Marathon County started relatively late, starting in the 1870s, but played an extremely important role in the subsequent export of American ginseng. From the 19th century to the 20th century, most of the wild American ginseng was sold to China...Wild American ginseng, however, is a fragile plant that takes a long period of growth and neither Indians nor whites have any idea how to breed it. Indians used to be less dependent on ginseng in the past so this plant has been able to reproduce naturally for centuries but once soon large-scale export acquisitions begin, the American ginseng resources in Wisconsin are quickly...depleted.

In the 1880s, American George Stanton successfully cultivated American ginseng for the first time. His success led to the “ginseng fever” of the late nineteenth century. From the west coast of the United States to the Midwest, many American farmers use the original farmland for American ginseng cultivation...Part of the success of the American ginseng industry is due to the Fromm brothers who studied wild American ginseng and its habitat. From year after year trials, Fromm brothers master a better, newer approach to American ginseng cultivation. In addition to the Fromm brothers, there were three other companies in the Marathon County that were involved in the plantation of American ginseng in 1913. The results of these three companies were not immediately apparent and they were not the leaders of the American ginseng industry until 1919.”

Keemun

“is a famous Chinese black tea. First produced in late 19th century, it quickly became popular in the West and is still used for a number of classic blends... Other varieties include those specifically tailored for the Gongfu tea ceremony (Keemun Gongfu, or Congou or Kung Fu- 祁門工夫) and Keemun Xin Ya (祁門新芽), an early bud variety, said to have less bitterness.”

Wong Chin Foo was born as Wong Sa Kee ( 王歲奇 or Wang Sa Kee or Huang Sa Kee.) Wong Sa Kee’s family had once been a wealthy tea merchant, who betrayed the Emperor Xianfeng during the Taiping Rebellion, which left Wong’s family impoverished and outcast. Prince Gong was in charge following Xianfeng’s death, Wong Sa Kee was transferred to Prince Gong’s list. Officially, applying for citizenship as Wong Chin Foo in 1874.

Being the son of a tea merchant (Hong) like Moy Kee, he was able to own a Chinese restaurant, in New York on Pell Street called Mon Lay Won “The Chinese Delmonico” and introduced Americans to the term “Chop Suey.” Wong Chin Foo also introduced the martial arts Kung Fu to Americans. Wong Chin Foo later served as a translator for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Service.

Wong Chin Foo was friends with Sun Yat Sen who had an office above the Port Arthur Chinese Restaurant on Mott Street. The Emperor Guangxi had a list of people he wanted to bring back to China to be executed. Wong Chin Foo and Sun Yat Sen’s efforts to overthrow the Qing dynasty earned them a place on that list, while avoiding being killed by the Tongs.

THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF THE “FIRST CHINESE AMERICAN”

“Chinese have been in the United States in sizeable numbers since the California Gold Rush. They were shamefully mistreated, denied rights for most of a century and are generally thought to have borne everything the American establishment dished out passively and without much protest. This canard does an injustice to a little-known Bucknell alumnus, however. Nineteenth-century Chinese in America had a leader and a fighter in Wong Chin Foo (1847–98), a compelling and controversial figure whose story is a forgotten chapter in the history of the struggle for equal rights for all...He was the first to employ the term "Chinese American." He published New York's first Chinese-language newspaper. He established America's first association of Chinese voters and was probably the first Chinese ever to testify before Congress.”

“He was born Wong Sa Kee to a once-wealthy but impoverished family and spent his teenage years in the care of Sallie Little Holmes, an American Baptist missionary who arrived in his native Shandong Province in 1860. He mastered colloquial American English and was baptized by age 20. Foreseeing a promising future for him as a preacher, his benefactress brought him to America in 1867 to complete his education. And after a stint in Washington, D.C., and some travel, he transferred to Lewisburg, where he studied for nearly a year.”

”Wong settled in New York and became a journalist, and in 1883 launched the first Chinese-language newspaper east of the Rockies. Its English name — The Chinese American — marked the first recorded use of the term...He wrote scores of articles demystifying Chinese life that appeared in newspapers across the country. And in an essay on Chinese food, he was the first to introduce "chop suey" to American readers.”

“Wong took on the most famous of America's China critics, California's Denis Kearney. A demagogue and a skillful public speaker, the Irish-born Kearney personified the "Chinese Must Go" movement...In a public confrontation in 1887, he was judged victorious. "The mandarin got the better of the San Francisco orator in the intellectual contest, and drove Kearney from position to position," one newspaper declared.”

“After the passage of the Exclusion Act, Wong became active in politics...He began to focus on securing citizenship for Chinese willing to "Americanize" — that is, learn English, adopt Western dress, shave off their queues and give up gambling and opium smoking...When Congress renewed the Exclusion Act for a second decade in 1892, it added a requirement that Chinese register with the government and be photographed. Infuriated, America's Chinese resolved to see the new law retracted or declared unconstitutional. Wong established a new organization, the Chinese Equal Rights League, to get the law repealed. Under its aegis, he testified before a committee of Congress, but despite his soaring rhetoric, the effort failed.“

“Wong Chin Foo believed deeply in justice, equality and enfranchisement, and challenged Americans to live up to these values that they so freely espoused, but so utterly failed to apply to the Chinese in their midst. More than 70 years before Dr. King dreamed of an America that judged people according to the "content of their character," Wong declared that only "character and fitness should be the requirement of all who are desirous of becoming citizens of the American Republic."

”Although it took until 1943, nearly a half-century after his death, for America to repeal the prohibition against naturalization of Chinese, no one deserves more credit than Wong for waging the good fight against it. He set a pattern for what he thought being "Chinese American" should mean that is more or less what it has come to mean for millions. He deserves to be remembered not merely for envisioning and articulating the goal, but also for the creative means he employed, and the boundless energy he expended, in trying to achieve it.”

(via THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF THE “FIRST CHINESE AMERICAN” | Bucknell University)(via History of Tea - Origin of Tea | Teasenz)

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