DAGOBEROVA RAZMIŠLJANJA

Tragovima Atlantide - NASKA LINIJE

27 veljača 2006

Pogled iz aviona na jednu od promatračnica te auto-put Panamerikana, koja siječe Naska linije (u sredini slike se vidi motiv ruku – “manos”). Sedamdesetak biomorfnih figura i preko 300 geometrijskih figura dominiraju kamenom pustinjom Naske i čine je “najvećom astronomskom knjigom na svijetu”.

Kamene pustinje sa juga Perua su zaslužne da se naučna terminologija obogati novim pojmom: geoglifi. Počelo je sa egipatskim hijeroglifima (slikovnim znacima na kamenim tabletima), nastavilo sa petroglifima (slikovnim znacima u stijenama), da bi čuvene Naska linije označile potrebu da se da poseban termin slikama na kamenom pustinjskom tlu.

Doduše, termin se još uvijek ne može naći u rječnicima. Ali, za koje desetljeće će prijeći iz "alternativne" u "znanu" upotrebu.

Vječno razapeto između neba i zemlje, čovječanstvo pokušava da odgonetne kakva ga budućnost čeka.

Istovremeno smo okruženi sa toliko misterioznih i mističnih ostataka drevnih civilizacija da nam se i prošlost čini jako uzbudljivom i zagonetnom. I oni su ispred sebe imali ista pitanja kao i mi danas. Ako bi uspjeli da kreiramo vezu sa našom drevnom prošlošću onda bi razumjeli što se dešavalo u povijesti i što nas čeka u budućnosti.

Niti naša nauka, a pogotovo religija, sa svojim vrijednostima i idejama, nisu dovoljne da bi se dešifrirale tako kompleksne strukture kao, na primjer, Naska linije.

Između visokih Anda i pacifičke obale sjevernog Čilea i južnog Perua, nalaze se suhe visoravni, takozvane "pampe". Ove kamene pustinje nemaju vjetra, a tek nekoliko kapi kiše padne svakih sedam-osam godina. Pampe se s pravom smatraju najsuhljim predjelom na svijetu. I tako je već tisućama godina. Površina pustinja je prekrivena pocrnjelim vulkanskim kamenjem veličine šake. Uklanjanjem površinskih vulkanskih stijena otkriva se donji, znatno svijetliji, kameni sloj. Pijeska nema. Samo kamen. Promatrajući iz zraka, ovaj donji, svijetliji sloj djeluje kontrasno i lako je uočljiv.

Na površini od preko 500 kvadratnih kilometara kamene pustinje nepoznata civilizacija je uklonila vulkanske stijene u ukupnoj dužini od 1300 kilometara.

Gledajući iz zraka, formirali su savršeno ravne linije. Neke od njih su samo petnaest centimetara široke, a neke su široke nekoliko stotina metara.

Uz linije se nalazi i oko 300 geometrijskih figura, kojima dominiraju trapezoidi, trokuti, cik-cak linije i spirale.

I, na koncu, najuzbudljivije su svakako biomorfne figure: životinje, biljke i ljudi. Njihov broj još nije krajnji; jer vjerovalo se do prije par godina da ih je pedesetak. Međutim, nekoliko godina unatrag otkrivene su nove, na padinama kamenih brda, od kojih se neke vide samo u određeno doba dana (ovisno od sunčeve svjetlosti i sjene). Dosada je otkriveno 70 figura čija se veličina kreće od 25 do 275 metara. Najpoznatiji među njima su pauk, majmun, kit, zmija, pas, gušter, cvijet, 18 ptičjih figura i… astronaut.

Figure su vidljive samo (!) iz zraka.

Nekima od figura nisu najsretnije izabrani nazivi (fotografija "Nasca linije, ruke - "manos", pokazuje da ova figura možda označava nešto drugo umjesto ruku; sa ostalim figurama nema problema u prepoznavanju).

Deniken je privukao svijetsku pažnju sa tezom da su vanzemaljci autori figura pokraj gradića Naske; trapezoidi su, navodno, bili njihove sletne staze. Točku na i je stavio sa tvrdnjom da je figura čovjeka sa čizmama i kacigom na glavi, zapravo slika posjetioca iz svemira i objavio ju je na naslovnoj strani svoje knjige, prije više od 30 godina.

U međuvremenu je "astronaut" prozvan "čovjekom sa glavom sove"; brojnim trapezoidima su se pridružili trokuti i spirale … Danikenove teze su se razvodnile.
I ja ne vidim smisla da neko pravi sletnu stazu, a pored nje spirale; gdje sletiti, a odakle poletiti? Bio bi to konfuzni aerodrom. Plus, nikakvi dokazi o drevnim "sletanjima" nisu pronađeni na samoj "pisti".

Međutim, dobro je što smo imali Danikena; dužna pažnja se počela posvećivati i ovom nerazjašnjenom ostatku prošlosti. Moje je mišljenje da Daniken nije daleko od istine; ova kompleksna struktura je djelo čovječjih ruku, ali inspiracija i dizajn nisu ovozemaljskog porijekla.

(Od svoje knjige "Kočije Bogova", Daniken se četvrt stoljeća kasnije javio sa redizajniranom "Dolaskom Bogova" u kome, sa 140 novih fotografija iz Naske, tvrdi da su domaći Indijanci iscrtali linije da bi zadovoljili "Bogove" - sasvim konkretne posjetioce iz svemira.)

Povijesničari uporno pokušavaju da nađu riješenje za kreatore Naska linija koje će zadovoljiti njihovu sliku svijeta. Prevladavajuća službena teorija kaže da je u ovom kraju od prije 2300 godina do prije 1200 godina živjela kultura Naska (pravo ime im ne znaju). Pronađeni su ostaci keramike, alata, hrane…

Međutim, kao i mnogo puta prije, i ovaj put im taj pokušaj ne izdržava ozbiljnu provjeru. Naime, najnoviji rezultati radiokarbonskih testova na algama pronađenim na odgrnutom vulkanskom kamenju pokazuju starost od 4000 godina. Drugim riječima, linije su iscrtavane prije najmanje četiri tisuće godina. Tu pada u vodu ideja da je takozvana Naska civilizacija tvorac ovih figura.

Niz teorija koje pokušavaju objasniti ovaj kompleks ugledao je svijetlo dana od 1920-ih godina, kada su figure prvi put primjećene u preletima aviona. Toliko su različite da ih vrijedi spomenuti.

Nijemac G. von Breunig je 1980. sugerirao da su linije korištene kao trkaće staze. Navodno su lokalne trke kvalificirale pobjednike za nacionalna takmičenja. Našao sam samo jedan argument u obranu njegove teze; naime, sve Naska linije su povučene iz jednog poteza. Tako, na primjer, figura majmuna ili kolibrija nema ni jedne ukrižene linije. Međutim, Breunig-ova ideja o svojevrsnoj Indijanskoj olimpijadi sa stotine različitih trkališta od kojih bi najduža dosezala 65 kilometara… me baš ne impresionira.

William H. Isbell je 1978. izašao sa idejom da se kultura Naska takmičila sa graditeljima piramida na drugim krajevima Perua. Kao, eto i oni mogu da izgrade impozantne komplekse. Usput, po Isbell-u, ovo je i bio način reguliranja broja stanovnika (čitaj, spriječavanja demografskog buma). Mogu i njega djelomično razumjeti s obzirom da je za gradnju kompleksa, prema nekim procjenama, bilo potrebno organizirati rad 20.000 radnika u periodu od 50 godina. Međutim, ako bi se toliko ljudi bavilo samo ceremonijalnim građevinskim aktivnostima, koliko bi onda trebalo ljudi da njih prehrani (uključivo njihove obitelji)? Dvijesto tisuća, pola miliona? Na ovom napuštenom prostoru, koje je škrto prirodnim resursima, nema izgleda da je tako brojna populacija nekad u prošlosti egzistirala.

Arheolog Paul Kosok je, prije 75 godina, promatrao zalazak sunca za vrijeme zimskog solsticija i zapazio da se sunce kreće točno po jednoj od linija. To ga je ponukalo da prave linije proglasi "najvećom astronomskom knjigom na svijetu".

Njegov rad je nastavila njemačka matematičarka Maria Reiche, koja je, počev od 1947., provela 50 godina svog života proučavajući figure. Njen rad je legendaran i poznati su njeni napori u zaštiti ovog kompleksa. Ponekad bi tjerala znatiželjnike koji su nemarno hodali po linijama. Tu je naviku zadržala i u starosti kada je već bila u invalidskim kolicama. Njeni napori su doveli do UNESCO-ve zaštite ovog kompleksa (nešto ranije je, ipak, auto-put Panamerikana presjekao ovu lokaciju na dvije polovice). Uglavnom, nakon pet desetljeća marljivog rada i mjerenja, gospođa Reiche je zaključila da linije predviđaju pozicije Sunca, Mjeseca, planeta i zvijezda… i da su one pokazivale kad treba ići sa sjetvom, kada će se pojaviti voda u rijekama, kada treba obavljati žetvu… Ona je i otkrila tri različite jedinice za mjeru koje su stalno korištene u formiranju figura: 32,6 metara, 26,7 metara i 32,5 centimetra. Za figure i geometrijske oblike našla je ekvivalent na nebu zvjezdanih konstelacija…

Slijedeća teorija se zasniva na značaju irigacije i agrikulture. S obzirom da je voda najznačajniji resurs u životu Andskih civilizacija, a ispod kamene pustinje su postojali podvodni izvori i riječni tokovi, Anthony Aveni je izašao sa teorijom da linije idu duž podzemnih tokova vode. Po meni, ova teorija ima također prihvatljivih stavova, jer je radiestezija dokazala da se uz niz linija zbilja poklapaju vodeni tokovi. (Doduše, ovo objašnjava pojedinačne linije, ali ne i geometrijske i životinjske figure.)

Slijedeća teorija je ona o funkciji linija kao - puteva. Po njima se, dakle hoda. (Naravno, najkompliciranija pitanja u životu imaju najčešće vrlo jednostavne odgovore. Ovo sliči na jedan takav odgovor, ali nedovoljan za potpuno objašnjenje linija.)

Slijedi ona o ceremonijalnoj funkciji linija; naime, smatra se da, kada se hoda po liniji koja predstavlja pticu, onda se ima sasvim drugačiji osjećaj nego kada se ta figura ptice promatra iz zraka. Jer, hodajući po zemlji, u glavi se formira imiđ životinje i slike počinju da se rađaju.

I, na koncu, rad nekoliko astronoma je, u novije vrijeme i uz pomoć satelitskih snimaka, potvrdio da se linije Naske poklapaju sa kretanjem Sunca: izlascima, zalascima, solsticijima, ekvinocijima. Naravno, markirani su i identični datumi za kretanje Mjeseca. Zvjezdani sistem Plejada (ponovo, Plejade) i njihov izlazak na zvjezdanom nebu je također zabilježen u postojećim linijama.

Mi se suočavamo sa limitom kada pokušavamo drugu civilizaciju protumačiti našim vrijednostima i načinom života. U ovom slučaju to nije dovoljno.

S jedne strane, ove linije me podsjećaju na rovokopač koji je prošao po suhoj zemlji. S druge strane, stvoren je takav građevinski kompleks koji traži multi-disciplinarno objašnjenje.

Moramo povezati astronomiju, sakralnu geometriju, astroarheologiju, agrikulturu i irigaciju, infrastrukturu i novu, višedimenzionalnu umjetnost. Potrebna je nova teorija koja će povezati dva svijeta: spiritualni i materijalni. Za objašnjenje više nije dovoljno naše trodimenzionalno viđenje svijeta.

Tragovima Atlantide - KROV SVIJETA

26 veljača 2006

Machu Picchu izaziva osjećaj kao da se nalaziš na krovu svijeta. Planinski vrhovi vječno okruženi oblacima te Sveta dolina u podnožju svjedoče o posebnoj energiji ovog prebivališta civilizacija od Lemurije i Atlantide do Inka i današnjeg Perua.

Neprolazni planinski prevoji, uznemirena rijeka Urubamba koja hita prema Amazoni, gusta šuma koja se neumitno pretvara u prašumu, te planinski vrhovi Anda iznad sloja oblaka - svi oni najavljuju izgubljeni misteriozni grad - Machu Picchu (Ma-cu Pik-cu). A kad se jedamput napokon nađemo u njegovom zagrljaju, kad nas obujmi zrak, prostor i energija Anda, tada se javi osjećaj da se nalazimo na krovu svijeta. Odavde se sve vidi i sva čula ponovo počinju da se bude.

Pitanja koja su dio ove misterije (ko, kada, zašto i kako) dobijaju svoj odgovor. Potrebno je samo da se opustimo i zaklopimo oči na trenutak.

Jutro, tog 24. srpnja 1911., je osvanulo prohladno. Tročlani "tim" se, ne sluteći, uputio strmim liticama prema najvećem arheološkom otkriću XX stoljeća. Naredniku Karasku je prefekt Kuska dao u zadatak da osigurava ljepuškastog profesora sa američkog sveučilišta Yale, Hiram Bingham-a. Rođen na Havajima, Bingham (1875-1956) je diplomirao na elitnom Sveučilištu, da bi prvi put došao u Južnu Ameriku 1908. kao član ekspedicije za Čile. Tokom svoje Peruanske ekspedicije, tri godine kasnije, imao je na umu da pronađe posljednje utočiste Inka, legendarni grad Vilkabamba.

"U društvu samo sa narednikom Karaskom napustio sam kamp u deset sati… Kratko nakon dvanaest sati, potpuno iscrpljeni, došli smo na travnatu zaravan 700 metara iznad rijeke. Tamo smo zatekli dvojicu dobro uhranjenih Indijanaca koji su bili ugodno iznenađeni našim dolaskom. Dali su nam vode i skuhali nekoliko slatkih krumpira. Dva indijanska poljodjelci, Richarte i Alvarez, su nam se pohvalili da su pronašli obilje terasa na kojima uzgajaju svoje kulture. Ovdje su već četiri godine, a, s obzirom na nepristupačnost kanjona, ovi krajevi su izgleda nenaseljeni već stoljećima. Narednik Karasko mi je prevodio i potvrdio da se ruševine neotkrivenog grada nalaze malo podalje… Zbilja, nedaleko od te visoravni, susreli smo se sa neočekivanim prizorom: stotine kamenom ograđenih zemljanih terasa, svaka od njih desetak metara dugačka. Očito je da su ih Indijanci skoro pronašli i očistili… S nama je bio i dječak kao "vodič" koji nam je pokazivao put dalje. Prošli smo kroz netaknutu šumu i pred nama su se ukazali zidovi izgubljenog grada nastali kao proizvod rada najkvalitetnijih majstora koje su Inke imale…"(Hiram Bingham, "Lost City of the Incas").

U svojoj knjizi "Izgubljeni Grad Inka", izdanoj 40 godina nakon otkrića Machu Picchu-a, sada vec legendarni Hiram Bingham, samouvjereno počinje poglavlje o otkriću: "Biti će zapamčeno da je bio srpanj 1911. kada sam ja počeo potragu za posljednjim glavnim gradom Inka…"

I, u pravu je. Taj datum i događaj su vidno obilježeni na ulasku u Machu Picchu sa spomen-pločama u znak sjećanja na Bingham-a te u brojnoj literaturi o ovom Andskom dragulju, na koji je Bingham nabasao gotovo slučajno.

Međutim, u tenutku kada je Bingham pronašao izgubljeni grad nije bio toliko ushićen. U svom dnevniku je napisao te večeri: "Augustin Lizarraga je otkrivač Machu Picchua" (Peter Frost, "Exploring Cusco", 1999). Lizarraga je bio lokalni poljodjelac koji je kredom upisao svoje ime na jednom od kamenih blokova. Tek kasnije Bingham je počeo tvrditi da je Machu Picchu zapravo Vilkabamba, posljednji glavni grad Inka (što će se pokazati netočnim; zapravo sam je Bingham prošao periferijom Vilkabambe dvije godine kasnije, ne sluteći gdje se nalazi; ali je taj grad bio toliko gusto obrastao šumom da mu nije mogao sagledati stvarne dimenzije).

Kada se Bingham vratio na Machu Picchu 1912. napravio je stotine slika čiji su najbolji primjerci završili na udarnim stranicama National Geografic magazina 1913. godine. Odjek je bio senzacionalan, Bingham je postao svjetski popularan, Machu Picchu je s pravom iskočio kao "osmo svjetsko čudo". Bingham kasnije postaje guvernerom i senatorom u američkom Kongresu.

"Dame i gospodo, znate li koliko je koštalo otkriće ovog najljepšeg skrivenog Grada na svijetu?"

"Jedan soles, dame i gospodo. Jedan soles!"

Soles je peruanska valuta. Jedan soles danas vrijedi trećinu dolara. Doduše, soles o kome je riječ je bio peruanski srebrni sol iz Bingham-ovog vremena. Tada je to vrijedilo četiri dnevnice i to je šuma koju je dobio Bingham-ov vodič za ovo sjajno otkriće.

"Ova izvanredna utvrda", piše Sprague de Camp 1946. godine u svojoj "Citadels of Mystery", "nema znanog imena”. Nijedan od španjolskih kronologa je ne spominje. Postala je poznata kao Machu Picchu, prema imenu višeg od dva planinska vrha iznad njega… Večina nižih zidova su od masivnih kiklopskih blokova, dok su viši dijelovi građeni od manjih kamenja…"

Iz ovih nekoliko rečenica se zapravo vrlo malo može saznati. Točno je to da nije poznat stvarni naziv za ovaj grad. Razlog je jednostavan. Datum gradnje prvog grada seže u daleku, davno prohujalu prošlost ove Planete. I vodi nas do Lemurije. Netočno je to da je Machu Picchu izgrađen kao "utvrda". (Dez)informacije o "višim i nižim zidovima" kao da namjerno vode u krivom smjeru. Naime, niži zidovi su građeni znatno ranije i drugačijom tehnikom od gornjih "dijelova".

U Atlasu drevne arheologije (Jacquetta Hawkes, "Atlas of Ancient Archaelogy", 1974), Machu Picchu se opisuje "…više kao selo ili manji gradić nego izgubljeni grad kako je postao poznat u literaturi, ali je bio planiran i izgrađen pod paskom profesionalnih arhitekata Inka. Zgrade su od čvrstog lokalnog granita, obrađene kamenim čekićima i brončanim dlijetima i sjekirama te ugrađeni sa takvom preciznošću da se među stijene nije mogla ubaciti tanka oštrica noža. Ova poligonalna kamena gradnja je karakteristična za kasniji period Inka…"

Stvarno me čudi ovakvo jednostrano viđenje ambicioznog "Atlasa". Očigledno je da su barem četiri različite civilizacije imale svoje prebivalište ovdje. Ona prva je imala građevine uperene prema nebu, otvorene i monumentalne. Ona posljednja, kultura Inka, je zidine pregradila i napravila kućice koje podsjećaju na dalmatinske gradiće. A tvrdnje da se "čvrsti granit može savršeno obrađivati kamenim čekićima i brončanim dlijetima" su besmislene. Treba samo uporediti čvrstoću materijala pa zaključiti da mekani alat ne može obrađivati puno čvršći sirovi materijal. No, "Atlas" je u pravu u jednome: Machu Picchu nema veličinu grada. Za vrijeme Inka u njemu je moglo stanovati između 200 i 1.000 ljudi. A prvobitna građevina, po mom mišljenju, nije ni bila građena kao mjesto za življenje već kao mjesto gdje se tijelo spaja sa prirodom, a duša sa univerzalnom mudrošću.

Simone Waisbard ("The Last Refuge of the Incas - The World's Last Mysteries", Reader's Digest, 1978.) oprezno zaključuje da su "… moderni istraživaći podijeljeni oko pitanja kada je Machu Picchu izgrađen i koja mu je bila svrha". Međutim, ona bezrezervno prihvaća tezu da su Inke izgradile Grad.

Slično postupa i Harold Osborne u svojoj "South American Mythology" (1983.): "Machu Piccu pokazuje izvanredne kvalitete građevinskog umijeća Inka, gdje su ogromni blokovi ugrađivani sa takvom preciznošću da malter nije bio potreban."

"Misterije drevnih Amerika" (Joseph Gardner, Reader's Digest) u svom izdanju iz 1986. samo potvrđuju ortodoksni pristup: "To je bio mali, ali dobro uređeni gradić Inka, sezonski korišten od strane elite iz Kuska, gdje su samo posluga i poljodjelci živjeli preko čitave godine."

Richard Bluer ("Machu Picchu: Fabulous Inca Citadel", 1998.) nudi varijaciju na istu temu: "Machu Picchu je bio ceremonijalni grad gdje su kraljevi Inka i Djevice Reda Sunca izvodili svoje ritualne obrede i dogovarali sa nebom."

Svi navedeni tekstovi su popraćeni sa luksuznim slikama Grada, nevjerovatnih kamenih blokova i okolne prirode. Zašto te lijepe slike ne prate zdravorazumski i kritički tekstovi?

Grad Machu Picchu se nalazi između dva planinska vrha kao sedlo. Ovaj prvi, viši vrh, se zove Stara planina (Machu Picchu), Onaj niži, preko puta, je Mlada planina (Huayna Picchu). Desno je Naranđasta planina (odsjaj sunca od grebena stvara privid naranđaste boje). Iza nje je Mračna planina (vrh joj se ne vidi, jer je stalno u oblacima; a strana okrenuta gradu je stalno u sjeni i ima se dojam da je "mračna"). Kveca Indijanci su ovim planinama davali ova deskriptivna imena; ona su skorašnja, od prije tisuću godina.

Istaknuto mjesto u Gradu zauzima Intihuatana, sveti kamen posvećen Inti-ju, božanstvu Sunca. Isklesan (?) iz jednog bloka, Inke su ga koristile u svojim ceremonijama prilikom prvog dana ljeta. Navodno su oni "lancima vezivali Sunce" da se ne spušta niže na horizontu nego što je to slučaj sa prvim danom ljeta. S obzirom da je ovakav kamen imao svaki centar Inka, ovo objašnjenje Amerikanca Ephraim Squier-a iz XIX stoljeća je ostalo popularno i do danas.

U stvarnosti, jos nema ozbiljne teorije kako su ovi kameni objekti stvarno korišteni. Ali i sa ovo malo informacija s kojima raspolažem, očigledno je da se radilo o interesantnom kamenom instrumentu za astronomska i kalendarska izračunavanja. Intihuatana je centar u kome se istovremeno križaju važni solarni događaji (solsticiji i ekvinociji) i sveti planinski vrhovi (Huayna Picchu na sjeveru, Salcantay na jugu). Sam kamen je i stilizirana reprezentacija Huayna Picchu i kao takav kreira identičnu igru sjena u različitom dobu dana i različitim godišnjim dobima. Pretpostavlja se da je barem jos jedan ovakav kameni instrument bio na Machu Picchu-u (pronađeno je njegovo kameno postolje). Oni su "komunicirali" jedan s drugim, dajući promatraču važne astrološke informacije.

Intihuatana je specijalni kameni instrument za astronomska i kalendarska izračunavanja. Solarni, lunarni i zvjezdani događaji su se mogli pratiti na ovom jedinstvenom instrumentu. Istovremeno, on je i artistička prezentacija obližeg planinskog vrha Huayna Picchu s kojim komunicira preko igre sjena.

Kada je Bingham "otkrio" Machu Picchu, podijelio ga je na zone, a ruševinama dao imena hramova, sakralnih objekata, grobnica, kraljevskih palača… Vrijeme je pokazalo da je bio u krivu, ali kao da nema napora da se ode korak dalje i da stvarna interpretacija.

Primjera radi, Bingham govori o "Hramu tri prozora". Istočni zid ovog "Hrama" je izgrađen na jednoj jedinoj ogromnoj stijeni. Na vrhu su joj tri trapezoidna prozora. Bingham je onda zaključio da ovi prozori simboliziraju "tri pećine odakle su mitska Ayar braća izašla u svijet, i stoga je Machu Picchu rodni grad čitave civilizacije Inka". Međutim, malo bliža razmišljanja lako dokazuju da se u zidu nalazi pet prozora, a ne tri, s tim da su krajnja dva zatvorena.

Trapezodini otvori prozora su identični. Ali su kameni blokovi koji ih formiraju svi različite veličine. Nema dva identična kamena. Poruka koju primam iz davnina: "Bogatsvo je u šarolikosti. Isti rezultat se može dobiti sa sasvim različitim pristupom."

Jasno mi je zašto je Bingham pokušavao da se zadrži na broju tri (sveti broj Inka) i na tri prozora. Naime, prema legendi, kralj Inka Pacakutek je tvrdio da je rođen u "gradu sa tri prozora". To bi Binghamovom otkriću dalo još veće značenje: Machu Picchu bi trebalo biti i mjesto rođenja prvih Inka i mjesto rođenja najznačajnijeg vladara i, na koncu, posljednje utočiste ove civilizacije.

Međutim, mene misli vuku mnogo dalje u prošlost, u doba prije kraljeva Inka. Naime, ispred pet prozora se nalazi pravokutni kameni blok, točno na sredini ovog prostora. Da li se on koristio u pozadini solarnih izračuna?

Plan Grada vjerno prikazuje pticu kondor. Machu Picchu, kao i čitava Sveta dolina, komunicira sa nebeskim svodom. Arhitektura je bila neodvojiva od prirode, Zemlja odsjaj svemira.

Duša se kretala nesmetano prostranstvima materijalne i spiritualne dimenzije. Nisu bile potrebne letjelice da bi se vidjelo što se dešava na površini Zemlje.

Vrijeme ovdje gubi značaj. Misao o jedinstvu sa prirodom se logično nameće.

Na krovu svijeta.

Tragovima Atlantide - SVETA DOLINA

25 veljača 2006

Na vrhu kamenog kompleksa Oljantejtambo šest je gigantskih monolita. Rozi riolit, vulkanski kamen visoke čvrstoće, je savršeno obrađen, a blokovi od po 350 tona su poredani u savršenoj liniji, jedan do drugog. Za prihvatljivo objašnjenje o autoru ove “nezavršene strukture” mora se ući u daleku prošlost Planete.

Hiram Bingham, američki istraživač (1875-1956), profesor sa Yale-a i otkrivač grada Machu Picchu (1911.), nazvao je dolinu rijeke Urubamba "najljepšom dolinom na svijetu". Dolina se pruža dužinom od 300 km i nekad je prolazila srcem kraljevstva Inka, povezujući niz ceremonijalnih i gradskih centara.

Inke su rijeku zvale Vilkamaju - "sveta rijeka". Njen svemirski ekvivalent bio je Mliječni put. Inke su i našu Galaksiju zvali Maju - "rijeka", i ona je bila ključ njihove astronomije. Maju se proteže u smjeru jugoistok/sjeverozapad. Baš kao i Vilkamaju.

Kopiranje noćnog neba na Zemlji ne završava ovdje. Već počinje. Razmještaj zvjezdanih konstelacija u galaksiji Mliječni put bio je orijentir za izgradnju naselja, hramova, zvjezdarnica…

Inke su bile posljednji u nizu naroda koji je shvatio poruke dalekih predaka sa Lemurije i Atlantide i razmještaja sakralnih objekata u Svetoj dolini. Drevne ruševine bi dograđivali dodajući im nove, svakodnevne funkcije.

Iznad Piska leže kilometrima unaokolo razbacane ruševine najvećeg grada/hrama koji su naseljavale Inke. Ostaje zagonetka zašto o njemu nisu ni jednu riječ napisali rani španjolski kroničari, mada su znali za njegovo postojanje. Druga misterija je zašto Inke tu nisu imali uporište za vrijeme sukoba sa Španjolcima, te kasnije pobune, jer je čitava dolina jedna velika tvrđava.

Ovim dijelom Svete doline dominira grad/hram Intiwatana ("mjesto na kome se Sunce zakači"). Očigledna je funkcija ovog hrama kao astronomske zvjezdarnice.

Miješa se nekoliko građevinskih stilova. Ispod gradnje Inka su uočljivi, puno stariji, čudnovati kameni oblici koji kao da su izliveni iz kalupa. (Ponovo se srećemo sa tehnikom "tekućeg kamena"!) Nepotrebno je spominjati da su i ovdje desetine tona teški kameni blokovi prebacivani "nekako" uz strme litice i ugrađivani tako savršeno da oštrica noža ne može se uvući među njih.

(Inače Intiwatanu je visoka 2.800 metara.)

Priložena slika vjerno prikazuje još jedan građevinski poduhvat Andskih naroda. Gole litice pretvarane su u plodne terase uz cijenu prenošenja stotina tona zemlje iz drugih krajeva. Nakon toga bi se kreirao sofisticirani irigacioni sistem koji bi omogućavao obradu parcela. Ovaj postupak bi na prvi pogled izgledao gotovo nemoguć i danas.

Slijedeći korak bio je svojevrstan genetski inženjering koji je omogućio da se u ovim krajevima razviju kulture kukuruza i krumpira i odatle odu prema objema Amerikama i Europi gdje će postati vodeći poljoprivredni proizvod. I ne samo to. Svaka nadmorska visina imala je drugačiju vrstu krumpira i kukuruza. Ukupno: nevjerovatnih tristo vrsta krumpira i dvije i po tisuće vrsta (!) kukuruza. Dvije i po tisuće! (Danas ako znam da postoji 30-40 vrsta kukuruza.)

Uzduž Svete Doline Inka se nalaze nepregledne kamene terase koje su pretvorile ogoljela brda u plodna polja. Kao da je neko u davna vremena od čitavih brda i planina pravio stepenaste piramide… da bi im civilizacije poslije njih, donošenjem tisuće tona zemlje i irigacijom, dale drugačiju, praktičniju zemaljsku svrhu.

Negdje na sredini Svete doline je gradić Urubamba. Iza prašnjavih ulica kriju se topla lica domaćih stanovnika. Lepršava zastava na gradskom holu nosi simbole pume, dvije zmije, dva lokalna drveta, kraljevsku vrpcu Inka i - dvoglavog španjolskog orla.

Vrhunac obilaska Svete doline je na njenom sjeverozapadnom kraju. Odatle se Vilkamaja, odnosno Urubamba rijeka upućuje prema đunglama Amazone da bi se i ulila u rijeku Amazonu. Grad Ollantaytambo (oljan-tej-tambo) ima trapezoidni oblik - omiljeni geometrijski oblik kultura Anda. Ovo je jedini grad u Peruu u kome ljudi još uvijek žive u originalnim kućama Inka.

Impresivne terase, na kojima su ruševine zidina, dominiraju dolinom. Kompleks se sasvim krivo naziva tvrđavom. Ovo je ime ostalo, slično kao i sa Saskajvumanom, jer se tu odigravala jedna od presudnih bitki Inka sa Španjolcima.

Strukture su originalno imale ceremonijalni karakter; prvi graditelji zvanično nisu poznati. Arheolozi i povijesničari pokušavaju podmetnuti da su graditelji došli sa Bolivijske strane, takozvane "kulture Tihuanako" od prije 1500 godina. Ta kultura je, kao i mnogo drugih, jednostavno izmišljena da bi se opravdala gradnja gradova građenih na Bolivijskoj strani jezera Titikaka prije više 12000 godina.

Više od 200 stepenica vode do vrha kompleksa. A na njenom vrhu posebna poslastica - čuvenih šest kiklopskih monolita, izgrađenih od rozog riolita. Riječ je o vulkanskom ekvivalentu granita, posebno visoke čvrstoće. Poredani jedan do drugog, ovaj "nedovršeni zid" se (a, kako bi drugo) naziva "Hramom Sunca". Lako je uočiti da Inke i drugi skorašnji narodi nemaju nikakve veze sa ovim blokovima; ništa od ispupčenih površina, poligonalnih stranica ili kombinacije manjih i većih kamenja koji savršeno pristaju jedan uz drugi. Ovdje je jednostavno riječ o šest ogromnih stijena, savršeno isklesanih (ili izlivenih) i transportiranih na vrh ove visoravni. Kako su stotine tona prenesene na vrh - ovo je pitanje koje se više i ne postavlja, jer prihvatljivog konvencionalnog odgovora nema (misteriozni blokovi su prikazani na gornjoj današnjoj slici).

Uklesane zoomorfske figure (najvjerovatnije pume) su izblijedile.

Arheolozi ovu strukturu proglašavaju "nezavršenom", "remek djelom koje se nikad neće kompletirati".

Ono što ne možemo uklopiti u naše viđenje svijeta i što ne razumijemo, proglasiti će mo misterioznim, religijskim objektom, ili, pak, nedovršenim zidom. A što ako ovih šest kamenih blokova jesu završena arhitektonska cjelina? Da li baš oni predstavljaju vrh podzemnog energetskog strujanja, koji odatle podiže energetski nivo spiritualnih (ljudskih) bića?

Toliko je drevnih kamenih struktura koji će zauvijek ostati "nedovršeni", "bez krova" ili nekog spoja koji im, po našem mišljenju, "nedostaje". A onda bi, tisućama godina kasnije, dolazili neki narodi koji bi na tim "ruševinama" (ili "temeljima") dodavali svoje kamenčiće, pregradnje, slamnate krovove.

Tragovima Atlantide - SACSA UMA

24 veljača 2006

Saksajvuman je građevinsko čudo: na visini od 3.600 metara … tisuća kamenih blokova … teških i po nekoliko stotina tona … među kojima nema dva iste veličine … bez vezivnog materijala … mnogi sa desetak i više isklesanih kutova … savršeno pristaju jedni uz druge.

Sat vremena hoda od imperijalnog grada Kuska, uspon vodi do impresivne visoravni na 3600 metara nadmorske visine. Dah zastaje pred kiklopskim zidovima zvanim Saksajvuman. Oni su različiti od Stonehenge-a, egipatskih i piramida Maja. Drugačiji od bilo kojih pretpovijesnih megalita. Kada su ih prvi put ugledali, španjolski kronolozi su bilježili: "Ove spektakularne zidine nemaju usporedbe u Starom svijetu".

U svibnju 1536. eksplodirala je pobuna Inka predvođenih posljednjim kraljem, Manko Inkom. Nakon tri godine bjesomučne pljačke po nebranjenom kraljevstvu, Španjolci su se uljuljkali u svojoj vojnoj superiornosti. Brojčano nadmoćne Inke su osvojile sve ključne točke svog kraljevstva, osim Lime i Kuska. Kusko su držali u okruženju iz Saksajvumana na vrhu Grada. Izgledalo je da sreća okreće leđa konkvistadorima. Pomoć poslana Kusku, tri Španjolske kolone, bile su masakrirane do posljednjeg čovjeka. Jedini im je izlaz bio probiti obruč oko grada.

Francisko Pizaro, kraljev namjesnik u Peruu i predvodnik okupacije nalazio se u Limi. Obranu Kuska je vodio njegov polubrat, Huan Pizaro.

Konkvistadori su bili nasilni, agresivni, gramzljivi, ambiciozni. Francisko Pizaro će svoju karijeru završiti deset godina po dolasku u Peru ubijen od strane konkurentne frakcije za vlast u Limi. Imao je četiri polubrata od kojih je Huan prvi stradao u borbi, 1536. Drugi polubrat, Hernando, je završio u španjolskom zatvoru u kome je ostao 20 godina do svoje smrti (doduše, tamo je živio kao današnji zatvoreni kraljevi droge; mogao si je priuštiti komforne uvjete zahvaljujući opljačkanom blagu iz Perua). Treći polubrat, Gonzalo, je pogubljen 1548. nakon pobune protiv Krune. Jedino je najmlađi, Pedro, umro u krevetu, nakon što je napisao memoare o osvajanjima.

Natrag u svibanj 1536.

Juan Pizaro traži načina da probije blokadu Grada. Nakon nekoliko tjedana borbi to mu uspijeva za rukom i uspijeva izaći na sjeverozapadni kraj, preko puta Saksajvomana. Strategija Španjolaca je jednostavna: osvojiti ove drevne zidove koje su u sebi imale glavninu vojske Inka. To popodne Huan Pizaro biva smrtno ranjen kamenom iz pračke. Tu noć ga tajno sahranjuju kako Inke ne bi saznale. "Sahranili su ga po noći… jer su ga se Indijanci bojali", sjećao se konkvistador Francisco de Pancorvo.

Slijedećeg dana Španjolci su napali Saksajvuman ljestvama, počeli da osvajaju zidove i pritiskaju Inke dublje u središte kompleksa. Nakon jos dva dana bitka se bližila kraju. Gonzalo Pizaro je preuzeo komandu i prednjačio u pokolju oko 1.500 branitelja. Inke su izgubile najvažniju bitku, a time i rat.

Španjolci su uništili 80% zidova Saksajvumana koristeći kamen za građevine u Kusku.

Španjolski kralj je dodijelio viteški naziv Kusku i nad Saskajvumanom se zavijorila nova zastava: kula sa osam kondora (u znak sjećanja na kondore koji su komadali tijela ubijenih Indijanaca). Ova zastava je napokon skinuta sredinom 1990-ih kada ju je novi gradonačelnik zamijenio novom, sa drevnim motivom pume.

Saksajvuman (Sacsa Uma - "pjegava glava") se sastoji od tri paralelna zida izgrađena na različitim nivoima. Linija im je krivudava ("cik-cak"); odatle sugestija da oni predstavljaju pumine zube. Kameni blokovi korišteni u prvom redu su najveći. Dostižu težinu od preko 360 tona (Hemming, "The Conquest of the Incas"). Oni se svrstavaju u kiklopske po svojoj težini, a nema objašnjenja kako su transportirani na ovu visinu, kada, kako su obrađeni, ko ih je ugradio…

Simbolika je, pak, očita: tri reda zidina mogu predstavljati tri svijeta civilizacija sa Anda: podzemni (Ukju Pacha), površinski (Kay Pacha) i nebeski (Hanan Pacha), odnosno zmiju, pumu i kondora.

Kameni blokovi tako savršeno pristaju jedan uz drugi da se vlat trave ne može ugurati između njih. A pri tome nije korišten nikakav vezivni materijal.

S obzirom da je riječ o desetinama i stotinama tona teškim blokovima, čovjek s nevjericom zastaje pred tim prizorom.

Ni jedan kameni blok nije iste veličine. Što se više gleda to se više smiješi poruka koju su nam ostavili naši preci. Na ovaj način su nam rekli, "…nismo koristili kalupe, a niti smo klesali svaku pojedinačnu stijenu. Razlog što smo ih ovako poredali je očigledan: preživjet će sve potrese i vremenske nepogode. Ali kako smo to napravili… da biste to odgonetnuli, biti će vam potrebno koristiti i druga (spiritualna) čula, osim fizičkih…"

Pokušavajući, ipak, objasniti izgradnju ovih zidova, arheolozi govore o trideset tisuća radnika neprestano angažiranih preko 60 godina. Godinu završetka zidina smještaju u 1508. (25 godina prije dolaska Španjolaca).

Međutim, tu nastaje problem. Prema kroničaru Garcilaso de la Vagi, koji je rođen 1534. i koji je odrastao u Kusku, u njegovo doba nitko nije znao tko je izgradio Saksajvuman.

Što bi sa onih 30.000 radnika koji su navodno 25 godina prije toga završili ovaj građevinski poduhvat?

Ili, prema Vaginim riječima: "Nemoguće je shvatiti kako bi ovi Indijanci, koji nisu znali za alate, opremu i tehniku mogli odsjeći, isklesati, podići i ugraditi ove ogromne blokove tako savršeno… Iz tog razloga, a i zbog toga što su oni toliko bliski sa demonima, ovi građevinski poduhvati se i mogu samo pripisati demonima i zlim duhovima…"

Lako je zapaziti da su prvi redovi zidina građeni od puno većih blokova nego oni pri vrhu. Na vrhu se nalaze pravilni, četvrtasti blokovi koji očigledno pripadaju znatno kasnijem dobu. Unutar zidina, koje su dugačke nekoliko stotina metara, smješteni su ostaci tri kamene kule koje formiraju trokut. Ispred zidina se, prema predanju, krije ulaz u podzemni kompleks labirinta i tunela. Ovaj još neistraženi kompleks navodno povezuje sva ključna mjesta razmještena u Svetoj dolini, s početkom u Kusku i Saksajvumanu.

Oni koji su u prošlosti našli ulaz u podzemne tunele vraćali su se sa artefaktima koji su pripadali prošlim civilizacijama, a mentalno potpuno poremećeni.

(Posljednja rečenica je ujedno i zgodan opis konkvistadora koji su 400 godina pustošili Saksajvuman gradeći svoje mizerne kućice, ulice i crkve, a rušeći ono što nisu razumjeli.)

Priča o kamenim blokovima iz Saksajvumena nas ponovo vrača nekoliko desetina tisuća godina unazad. Pravi autori su oni sa Lemurije i Atlantide. Koji su znali vrijednost Perua kao močne energetske čakre Planete.

Tragovima Atlantide - CUSCO

23 veljača 2006

U središtu Kuska se nalazi Korikanca, najčuveniji hram obje Amerike koji je nekada bio dom Zlatnom Sunčevom Disku. Sa padom imperije Inka Disk je nestao, a Dominikanci su srušili Korikancu i na njenim temeljima izgradili svoju crkvu. Potres iz 1950. je razrušio španjolsku građevinu ponovo otkrivajući superiornu gradnju i trapezoidni kamen drevnih civilizacija.

Kusko (Cusco) je bio glavni grad civilizacije Inka sve do dolaska Španjolaca 1532. godine.

Ova jednostavna rečenica iz školskih knjiga imala je nekad sasvim drugačije značenje; Kusko je bio puno više od materijalnog svijeta kakvog ga mi vidimo. I gradova kakve mi imamo. A ni Inke nisu ono sto mi zamišljamo da su bile.

Centralno svetište Inka je hram Korikanca (Qoricancha). Između kamenih blokova nije bio malter, već izliveno zlato. Prvi konkvistadori su pisali o zidovima na kojima je visilo 700 zlatnih ploča, zlatni oltar težak 100 kg, zlatni Disk Sunca"… Četiri tisuće svećenika su neprestano održavali ceremonije…

Teško je naći prostor na ovoj Planeti koji je bio izložen dolascima toliko različitih naroda i kultura kao Peru. Davno se izgubila granica među njihovim međusobnim utjecajima.

Arhitektura i građevinarstvo su imali centralnu ulogu kod svakog od ovih naroda.

A inspiracija i putokaz za gradnju se nalazio ne u ovom već u spiritualnom svijetu.

Tri su dimenzije koje su Europljani prepoznali nakon što su onako barbarski "osvojili" kraljevstvo Inka: prvi je nebeski svijet, dom duša, oličen u ptici kondoru. Druga je materijalna, vidljiva dimenzija simbolizirana životinjom pumom. Treći, podzemni svijet je predstavljen zmijom, serpentom, mudrošću.

Kusko u prijevodu znači "središte svijeta". Zbilja, strateški smješten između Amazonske prašume na istoku, Anda na sjeveru, jezera Titikaka na jugu, pustinja i Pacifika prema zapadu, on je bio središte poznatog svijeta. Plan grada je pažljivo pripreman, tako da je, kada je Kusko podignut, imao oblik pume. (Plan grada Machu Picchu ima oblik kondora; "Sveta Dolina", koja vodi od Kuska do Machu Picchu, je u obliku serpenta.)

"Glava" pume je bila na brdu iznad grada sa nekoliko redova "zuba" (kameni blokovi Sacsaywaman); "kičma" pume se protezala rijekom Safi, "rep" se završavao na periferiji Grada, hramovi i palače Inka su bile "noge" pume, a glavni gradski trg je bio njena "utroba".

Kusko nije bio grad u današnjem smislu te riječi. Ovo je bilo elitno središte u kome su se neprestano odigravale specijalne ceremonije. Ovdje se nije odvijala trgovina, nije bilo siromašnih dijelova, smeća na ulicama... To je bio sveti grad, centar svijeta sa najvećim hramovima i astronomskim zvjezdarnicama. Svaki bolje stojeći stanovnik kraljevine Inka je nastojao da dobije dozvolu i jednom za života posjeti ovaj Grad.

Riječ Inka u izvornom značenju označava vladara, kralja. Kasnije je naziv proširen na kraljevsku porodicu te "svećenstvo, plemstvo i vojne zapovjednike". U najširem smislu te riječi ovaj naziv se može primijeniti na maksimum 20.000 ljudi. Sasvim pogrešno, moderna povijest ovaj naziv je proširila na čitavu civilizaciju, nazivajući je Inka kulturom. (Prisjetimo se, samo redovna vojska prije dolaska Španjolaca je brojila 200.000 pripadnika; nekoliko miliona stanovnika se protezalo od Argentine i Čilea na jugu do Ekvadora i Kolumbije na sjeveru.)

Jednom godišnje, sve ne-Inke, bi morale napustiti grad Kusko. Diplomatski predstavnici i njihove porodice te pripadnici drugih naroda bi grad napuštali početkom rujna da bi Inke mogle izvršavati svoj ritual "sitwa" - ritualno čišćenje.

Samo su tri Španjolca vidjela hram Korikanca u punom blještavilu, 1532. Pizaro je poslao svoju prethodnicu i oni su bili prvi koji su oskrnavili ovaj hram kradući stotine kilograma zlata. Srećom, nisu ukrali čuveni "Disk Sunca", ali su prijavili njegovo postojanje. Prije nego sto je glavnina konkvistadora pristigla, ovaj Disk je nestao. Kristobal de Molina je pisao 1533: "Indijanci su ga sakrili tako dobro da ga je bilo nemoguće pronaći." U "Conquest of Peru", William Prescott govori da je "Disk bio tako pozicioniran da je hvatao jutarnje sunčeve zrake i bacao ih u Hram; one su se odbijale od zlatnih ploča na zidovima i obasjavale čitav hram. Postojao je i srebrni "Disk Mjeseca" koji je donosio mjesečevu srebrnu svjetlost u Hram Mjeseca. Inke su imale i hramove Munje, Groma, zvjezdane konstelacije Plejada, planete Venere i nebeske Duge.

U Korikanci je svoje sjedište imala sekta Tarpuntaes, kraljevski astronomi. Studirali su zvjezdana tijela, a osobito kretanje Sunca, datume solsticija i ekvinocija (ranodnevnice), predviđali su eklipse. Njihova funkcija je bila vitalna za svakodnevni život, počev od svetih rituala do poljoprivrednih sjetvi. Rani španjolski kronolozi su pisali o postojanju velikih kamenih monolita zvanih "sukankas", raspoređenih na obližnjim planinskim vrhovima. Ti su monoliti bili strateški pozicionirani i vidljivi iz Korikance, označavajući azimute zimskih i ljetnih solsticija.

Priča o zlatnom Disku Sunca seže daleko u prošlost. Prva spiritualna civilizacija na Planeti prije 50000 godina, Lemurija (ili kraljevstvo Mu), širila se sa Pacifika prema Južnoj Americi. U Boliviji (Tihuanako) i Peruu (Kusko) su podigli spiritualne objekte/zvjezdarnice. Nakon potonuća Lemurije, Disk Sunca je prebačen u Tihuanako. Prve, pretpovijesne Inke su saznale za Disk i pokušali doći do njega. Međutim, tek kada su spiritualno bili spremni da Disk koriste za dobrobit svoje populacije, dobili su šansu da ga i koriste.

Inke su u Kusku izgradile Hram Sunca na temeljima drevnog Lemurijskog hrama. Kada je Disk iz Tihuanaka napokon stigao u Kusko, bio je postavljen u Hram i osiguran zlatnim užadima, kao u stara vremena u Lemuriji.

Inke su svoj Hram Sunca zvali Korikanca što je značilo "Zlatni vrt". Zlatne figure ljudi, životinja, biljaka i cvijeća su bile smještene u Hramu. Unutar većeg hrama bilo je 12 manjih hramova posvećenih Mjesecu, planetama, zvijezdama i Bratstvu sedam zraka. Bratstvo je postalo vodeća spiritualna snaga kulture Inka naučivši kako da koriste Disk Sunca iz drevnih uputstava sa Lemurije.

Disk je ostao u Hramu sve do dolaska Pizara kada je sklonjen i sakriven u podzemnom hramu na nepoznatoj lokaciji.

Predanje kaže da će tamo ostati sve do "onog dana kada čovjek bude spreman da ga ponovo primi i krene na put prema duhovnoj harmoniji…"

Tragovima Atlantide - PERUANSKA PIRAMIDA SUNCA

22 veljača 2006

Adobe cigla je bila osnovni građevinski materijal na pacifičkoj obali Perua. Svaka je imala različit “potpis” (linije, lokaciju i broj rupa, krugove i druge geometrijske oblike) i to ih je činilo originalnim. Preko 140 miliona cigli-originala je ugrađeno u peruansku Piramidu Sunca što je zahtijevalo, prema procjenama, rad dvadeset tisuća radnika (?) u periodu preko 300 godina (?).

Od vremena Atlantide, mnoge civilizacije su se pojavile i prohujale Južnom Amerikom. Osvajači su preuzimali građevinska, inženjerska i artistička znanja od osvajanih.

Vojni pohodi Inka prije tisuću godina završili su potpunim osvajanjem prostora od Ekvadora do Čilea. Ratoborne Inke su pokorile razvijeno kraljevstvo Chimu. Svoj socijalni i politički sistem su kopirali od svojih prethodnika, a njihove sofisticirane umjetničke tehnike inkorporirale u svoju kulturu.

Na isti način, mnogo godina prije toga, narod Chimu je učio od starosjedilaca koje su oni pokorili. Drevni narod Moche su bili vješti metalci, graditelji i umjetnici. Njihova znanja su najednom postala vlasništvo vojnički sposobnijih i agresivnijih došljaka.

Idući dalje u povijest, informacije postaju šture i zamagljene; o prethodnicima naroda Moche i kulturama prije njih malo se zna. Sve dok se ne dodje do doba kada su emigranti sa Atlantide počeli da krče prašume Amazone i nastanjuju planinske Ande.

O Inkama postoji slična zabluda kao i o meksičkim Aztecima. Dolaskom Španjolaca učinilo se da se radi o civilizacijskom zenitu van europskog kontinenta. Zbilja, i Inke i Azteci su prije 500 godina umnogočemu nadmašivali tadašnju svijetsku supersilu Španjolsku. Ali, daleko od toga da su bili vrhunac dotadašnjeg razvoja.

Naprotiv.

Militaristički agresivni Azteci i Inke se mogu smatrati civilizacijskim nazatkom u odnosu na svoje prethodnike.

Ljudsko društvo se na ovoj Planeti ne razvija evolutivno. Povijest ljudskog društva je povijest spiritualnog nazadovanja i deklinacije. Od Lemurije, preko Atlantide do post-Atlantskih društava.

Sličice sa srednjeameričkog tla to potvrđuju: od astronomskih genija Zapoteka, Olmeka, Maja i Tolteka do deklinacije u vidu Azteka.

Slično je i u Južnoj Americi: od prethodnika naroda Moche i Chimu pa sve do skorašnje kulture Inka.

Ljubimac engleske kraljice Elizabete Prve, sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618), putovao je u obje Amerike, pokušavajući instalirati nove kolonije za britansku kraljevinu. Zabilježen je njegov neuspio pokušaj da osnuje koloniju u sjevernoj Karolini; između dva posjeta svi njegovi kolonisti su netragom nestali. Izgubivši naklonost novog kralja, James-a I, Walter se našao u zloglasnoj Londonskoj kuli gdje je proveo 13 godina zatvoren. Za to vrijeme je napisao "Povijest svijeta" u kojoj piše: "Smatramo Kralja Španjolske superiornim u odnosu na sve ostale kraljeve i princeze Europe zbog bogatstava koja mu pritiču iz peruanske kraljevine."

Zbilja, Španjolci su u Peruu osnovali novi glavni grad, Limu, preko kojeg su išle tone i tone zlata, srebra i drugih dragocjenosti prema Europi. Vjerovatno najveća pljačka u povijesti ljudskog roda svela se na otimačinu svega dragocjenog od Inka.

Cuzco, glavni grad Inka, primao je prije dolaska Španjolaca, 15.000 aroba zlata i 50.000 aroba srebra godišnje iz svojih provincija. Jedinica za mjeru, aroba, odgovara našim 12 kg. Dakle, 180 tona zlata i 600 tona srebra je dolazilo u Cuzco, desetinama godina. Na svakom koraku su bili predmeti od zlata: tanjuri, noževi, vaze, krune, nakit, statue, kacige, remeni, torbe. Između kamenih blokova se, umjesto maltera, ljevalo zlato.

Njihove tkanine, pamučne i vunene, se smatraju nedostižnim. Na jednom komadu odjeće bi bilo i po 140 "briljantnih duginih" boja (još uvijek je nemoguće takvo što kopirati).

Imperij Inka ("Tawantinsuyu") se protezala 5000 km od juga prema sjeveru, a gradovi su povezivani mrežom puteva, čija je ukupna dužina bila 35000 km! Glavni "auto-put" bio je između prestolnice Cuzco i grada Quito (današnjeg glavnog grada Ekvadora) dužine 2200 km! Širina kamenih puteva bila je 8 metara; kameni blokovi su bili savršeno složeni da se njihov rub jedva vidio. Uz puteve su bili podignuti drvoredi zbog hlada (smrtna kazna za sječu), sa mjestima za odmor i noćenje svakih 20 km. Put su omeđivale kamene vaze u kojima su bili zasađeni kaktusi.

Inke su sebe smatrale "sinovima Sunca", uostalom kao i sve druge kulture od Atlantide, do Sumera, Egipta, srednjeameričkih i južnoameričkih civilizacija.

"Veliko kraljevstvo Chimu" je prethodilo Inkama. Njihov glavni grad Chan Chan je najveći u pretpovijesnom Peruu (u blizini današnjeg grada Truijillo, na pacifičkoj obali). Sve građevine su bile od cigle: piramide, hramovi, javne zgrade.

Svaka cigla je bila posebno ukrašena zlatom, srebrom i bronzom. Impresivna mreža irigacionih kanala uveliko podsjeća na sličnu mrežu koju je imala Atlantida. Dvije žetve godišnje i obilje zelenila darovali su vješti Chimu svom narodu koji se skrasio između vijenca Andskih planina i kamenih pustinja prema Pacifiku.

Rođen u kraljevskoj njemačkoj porodici, Max Uhle (1856-1944) će postati "ocem peruanske arheologije". Preko deset tisuća arheoloških komada će završiti u američkim kolekcijama kao rezultat njegovog rada. Među nalazištima koje je "Mad Max" istraživao su Piramida Sunca i Piramida Mjeseca . Godine su 1898. i 1899.

Unutar piramida pronašao je desetine grobova. Mumije i kosturi su bili uredno složeni jedni na druge. Bilo je lako razlikovati da oni pripadaju trima različitim kulturama. Na vrhu su bili grobovi Inka; ispod njih su bili sahranjeni velikodostojanstvenici kulture Chimu. U trećem redu je bila njemu nepoznata kultura koju je nazvao proto-Chimu.

Arheolog iz Perua, Julio Tello, dao je ovom trećem narodu novo ime. Naime, jezik koji se govorio u ovom području (u vrijeme španjolskih osvajanja) je poznat kao Muchik. Stoga je on nazvao prethodnike Inka i Chimu, narodom Moche. Doba kada su oni živjeli? Nagađa se, prije dvije do četiri tisuće godina.

Ali, kao i u bezbroj drugih slučajeva, pravo ime i jezik će im ostati nepoznato.

Ono što, pak, ostaje poznato je zapis koji su ove kulture ostavili u vezi graditelja ovih piramida. Oni naime, kreatore Piramide Sunca i Mjeseca nazivaju "radom krivovjernika".

Arheolozi pripisuju autorstvo piramida kulturi naroda Moche. Međutim, zašto bi Moche autorstvo pripisivali "nevjernicima"?. Drugim riječima, onima koji ne dijele istu vjeru, istu kulturu, onima koji su različiti od njih.

Prava istina o autorima traži da odemo jos dalje u prošlost. Blize Atlantiđanima, njihovom dobu i njihovim graditeljskim vještinama.

Egipatske piramide su dugo smatrane za najviše i najveće građevine na Planeti. "Otkriće" grada Teotihuacan u Meksiku je donio i otkriće piramida Sunca i Mjeseca koje svojom površinom odgovaraju onima sa platoa Gize. Sredinom prošlog stoljeća su "otkrivene" kineske piramide sa monumentalnom "Bijelom piramidom" koja visinom od 300 metara uveliko nadmašuje Keopsovu.

Dodatna istrazivanja u Meksiku su izbacila na površinu činjenicu da je jedno brdo u Choluli zapravo piramida koja nadmašuje sve dotadašnje.

Mislili smo da površina Zemlje nema više tajni za modernog čovjeka. Dok informacije iz udaljenih pokrajni u Peruu nisu počele dolaziti iz arheoloških krugova.

Ostaci dvije najveće peruanske piramide su monumentalni: Piramida Sunca ("Huaca del Sol") je dugačka 345 metara, a široka 160 metara - površina osam nogometnih igrališta. Piramida Mjeseca ("Huaca de la Luna") je slične površine: 290 metara sa 210 metara.

Procjenjuje se da je za izgradnju svake od piramida utrošeno oko 140 miliona cigli.

Međutim, stvarna veličina ovih piramida će ostati nepoznanica iz dva razloga. Prvo, zbog stalnih kiša, Huaca del Sol je erodirala na svim krajevima. A drugi razlog, još pogubniji, je nerazumni akt španjolskih konkvistadora od prije 500 godina. Naime, oni su, u potrazi za zlatom, skrenuli tok rijeke Moche i usmjerili ga direktno na piramidu. Na taj način su dvije trećine piramide bile potpuno odnesene sa kamenog terena.

Nesumnjivo je da su originalne dimenzije ovih pretpovijesnih građevina bile impozantne. I s pravom ih možemo nazvati najvećim strukturama koje je čovjek izgradio u post-Atlantskom periodu.

A one najveće će zauvijek ostati ispod Atlantskog oceana. Nestale sa potonućem Atlantide i nedostupne oku modernog čovjeka.

Šetnja kroz povijest - PERUANSKA PIRAMIDA SUNCA

Dragon Existence

21 veljača 2006

~ Introduction
~ Dragons were once common
~ Intelligent dragons
~ Bestial dragons
~ Dragons as an elaboration of nature
~ Sea serpents
~ Metaphysical creatures
~ Conclusion

One of the most common, and certainly the most debatable question in circulation over dragons is, "do they exist?". Despite being repeatedly asked, a satisfactory conclusion has never really been offered. The reason is primarily because everyone has a different viewpoint on dragon existence, and due to the controversial nature of the topic, we have so far only really been faced with contradiction. To date, theories regarding dragon existence have ranged from a physical, literal presence; the idea that dragons used to roam the earth but were wiped out by chivalrous knights or human advances. Others believe that dragons are little more than a mixture of the untamed forces of nature and human imagination, or that dragons exist on the astral plane, or that they have found their home in our imaginations.
Our focus in this essay is not to try and directly prove or disprove the existence of dragons, but instead to discuss the main possibilities from which we will draw our own conclusion. However, in the end it will be up to you, the reader, to decide how you believe in dragons.

Surprisingly enough, there are in fact very few theories as to dragon existence; the general consensus of theories regarding their life generally accept one of two conclusions, the first being that they do not exist and never have. The second is centered not around on dragon existence itself, but the absence of dragon kind today.
The latter of these two theories is based on the fact that dragons must have once existed because they feature in almost every culture from around the world. Because of this, details as to their existence are overlooked because the idea rests solely on this assumption, and so the theory promptly details why our world is no longer graced with dragon kind. While this is perfectly acceptable, it does create problems due to the fact that dragons have only been known as dragons since the Hellenic times (Allen & Griffiths, 1979), 800 BC- 338 BC (stark.kent.edu, 2004). Prior to this date the (very broad) term or name was unknown, and so technically, they did not exist. For instance, the common species link between the Western and Chinese dragon lies solely in the word itself and, once stripped of it, the two become like chalk and cheese. (Coincidentally the foreheads of both creatures are of importance, as outlined in the Dragon Properties essay. However, this is more likely to be a cultural similarity [the forehead is a very area], rather than anything to do with the dragons themselves.)
Also, when we really look at the "dragons" of the ancient world, we see that they are in fact little more than modified serpents; such as Quetzalcoatl (or Kukulkan the "Plumed Serpent"), Jormungand or the Mother Serpent. Not only this, but classing some creatures under the dragon title is subjective because the term is not inclusive.
This is not to say that dragons themselves could never have existed, it merely means the logic that dragons must have existed "because they are found all over the world" isn't accurate. If we concentrate on the idea that dragons physically, in their most literal sense did once roam the world (and that's why they feature so regularly in mythology and folklore), then we can instead take a look at why they no longer co-exist with us. There are two standing theories detailing their disappearance or exinction, and they both focus on human intervention.

Dragons were once as common as birds in the sky, but they were wiped out by us, either directly (knights), or indirectly (with the advance of technology and population expansion):
This idea seems an excellent outlet into which we can file the dragon enigma into, however it seems all too easy. Focusing on the former of the two points (the direct elimination of dragon kind by knights), we should consider the actual knights themselves as they are used in this context. It is important to remember that most "dragon-slaying" knights did not operate in the literal sense, as some people mistakenly believe (to be fair, it is an easy assumption to make). Most dragon-slayers in fact overcame an obstacle or had some victory, usually in a religious manner. For instance, St George the dragon-slayer slew the symbolic dragon of false religion.
The word dragon has been (and still is) used frequently to describe some daunting task or opposition, which is not always necessarily "bad" or "evil", though that generally is the theme. During the year 793 AD, disease and famine ran rampant through England, which were heralded by the arrival of "dragons", as Ralph Whitlock describes in his book Here Be Dragons (1983, p.17), "Dreadful prodigies alarmed the wretched nation of the English; for terrific lightnings and dragons in the air and strokes of fire were seen hovering on high, and shooting to and fro, which were ominous signs of the great famine and the frightful and ineffable slaughter of multitudes of men which ensued."
From these two examples, it seems superfluous to even integrate knights into this theory, as we can see the men themselves and their evil foes are metaphorical in nature. It would be a far safer assumption to leave the idea at, "dragons were once as common as birds in the sky, but they were wiped out." This of course is an open-ended sentence, but if we were to add a natural factor into the demise of dragon kind, such as disease or even evolution, then the theory starts rolling in a more plausible direction.
Since we actually have no dragon remains to study, the wiping out of dragons by a disease- either brought on by mankind or just by nature- cannot be disproven (though history documents would have included this, but since they do not, it seems unlikely). To explain why remains of dragons have not been found, is pushed forth the idea of "dragon graveyards". These are places where dragons go to to die, and this explains why we do not find any skeletal remains. Going hand-in-hand with the extinction theory, the "dragon graveyard" has some obvious good points, and clears away a lot of the first questions that come to mind over the remains we should have theoretically found by now.
However, it does not fully explain why we haven't found these dragon graveyards (they would need many graveyards to support the population- and because most dragons are traditionally perceived as huge [even if they were horse-sized as detailed in the Dragon Anatomy, that is still large], the graveyards would also need to cover a large area).
Also, we are left to wonder what happens to the remains of the dragons who do not make it to the graveyards, as there would certainly been a few individuals who would not make it- an "innate" sense of their time to die could explain this, except that there would be exceptional circumstances where a dragon may have been accidentally injured and/ or couldn't make it in time.

When we consider the evolutionary factor, it is possible that dragon kind themselves were meshed somewhere among the advance of life, and so would have fit into the natural turn of time, and would have gone relatively unnoticed (were we to forget the extra set of limbs for the Western dragon). It seems the likeliest time for "dragons" to have existed would have been at some stage in the evolution process from dinosaurs to birds. This is a half-truth; the Archaeopteryx or "ancient wing" (Benton, 1988) was one such flying/ gliding reptile, and when the Chinese first discovered dinosaur bones they believed them to be dragons. Scientifically speaking, this seems the most probable theory- we would simply have to forego our stereotypical view of dragons somewhat, and give leeway to a more basic, wyvern version. This could easily be accomplished, it would simply require us to think outside our comfort zone.
Moving on to the latter part of our primary point, we come to the indirect elimination of dragons by mankind. This theory usually details that humans and dragons lived together peacefully for some time (or at least tolerated one another), until human technology caused dragons to move away until they were pushed into the undiscovered parts of our world. Again, this theory doesn't dispute or theorise that dragons existed, rather, it focuses on their absence from our world today.
First and foremost, this idea seems accurate when we consider that dragons have been well-documented throughout history in factual terms up until recent times, where they're now accepted as fiction. However, when we consider that many dragons mentioned in history are, like the dragon-slayers, symbolic in nature, then this does discount from the number and popularity of the dragons, but the theory still remains.
However, if dragons were to have once existed alongside mankind, then that leaves us to wonder how they managed to disappear without creating much of an impact on ancient or modern history. Theoretically, we should have known about dragon existence up until recent times, since human technology is relatively young and growing fast. Dragon dissapearance should not have happened too far in the past, and if the world was to suddenly (or even gradually) lose a creature such as the dragon, it seems more than a little odd that it was not documented on the large scale the event would domineer.
However, there are two ways to look at dragon disappearance; both require us to view dragon kind in two different lights- as intelligent creatures, and animalistic beings.

Intelligent dragons:
Seeing mankind advance rapidly in both numbers and the technological fields would have been a scary event for the dragon race, and would seriously have made them reconsider their position. Physically, the typical dragon is superior to mankind, but with new inventions coming thick and fast, it would appear brute strength would no longer matter, and the tide of events would be turned. If this were the case, the dragons probably felt rather threatened, and perhaps decided to detach themselves from the society that co-existed alongside them. This would suggest that dragons and mankind may not have been friends, but perhaps at the very least tolerated one another.
This idea is probable, however it does imply the dragon has sub-human intelligence because running away from another rival species is very short-sighted; while the concept of "each to their own" comes into play here regarding the two species, a move of this magnitude would not happen on a whim. The dragons would have had to sit down and think things over first, and this is where the intelligence factor arises. Having been first-hand witness to mankind's encroaching dominance, any far-seeing person can see that, in the future, people would flush them out in one way or another. An entire species, especially one as large and grand as the dragon, would have a very hard time hiding. This also puts into question one stigma concerning the neo-dragons; that they care and love nature. If we were again to consider this idea, we'd have to forego this cliche somewhat as the dragons would, quite literally, be sitting back and allowing mankind to build on the planet. The latter does not reduce dragon intelligence in any way, it simply puts into question their nature.

Bestial dragons:
Keeping our initial theory in mind, if we look at the same idea in another light, it makes quite a lot of sense. If dragons were in fact animalistic creatures, and did not possess the super intelligence legend endows them with, our "operation run away" theory becomes far more likely. An animal whose territory is being threatened by a more intelligent species would most likely be driven out, simply because all animals (predator or otherwise) avoid confrontation as much as possible. Though this does strip the dragon of some of it's nobility (stories would have us envision the dragon gallantly standing it's ground, ready to fight for it's home), it would actually be the smart thing to do- why risk life and exposure for your territory, when you can simply move away and find a new home? And because in this scenario the dragon's intelligence is limited to lower standards, the dragon would not really be capable of considering the fate of it's descendants down the track. It would only understand the here and now of it's own plight. If this idea were to be correct, then perhaps we can anticipate the discovery of a dragon colony some time in the future (this idea would again make us further question their nature, whether they were solitary or gregarious).

Dragons as an elaboration of nature:
Having discussed the possibilities of previous dragon existence, we can look at dragons through a different angle: the dragon represented through purely natural means, ie nature. This theory accepts the fact that dragons have never existed and are purely the work of imagination, with a few outsider prompts. It's main objective is not to disprove (a negative cannot be proven) their existence, but to prove how the legends spawned.
In it's furthest extremes, nature can become highly unpredictable and almost paranormal, even today. So it is no surprise that when we retreat further back in time, events such as storms, fires, floods or natural disasters in general could be labeled as dragons. As we have seen from Whitlock's excerpt regarding human disease and famine, this was in fact the case. Considering it would require a much smaller mental leap to link dragons to nature than it would to disease and famine, this theory should be seriously considered.
Connecting dragons with natural occurrences was not limited to the Western world either. In China, dragons were credited with bringing down storms; on the August Personage of Jade, the dragons were told how much rain to distribute and where (Aldington & Ames, 1959). Having personally heard specific lightning strikes closely resemble what can only be described as the roar of a dragon, this idea seems the most probable. Also, because storms and fire leave little behind in their destruction, and animals and people can hide and become lost in the wilds, there is and would have been nothing to denounce this idea for people both present and past.
Deviating from the natural disaster standpoint very slightly, we should also consider the possibility that the wild imaginations of people past, mixed with the natural life around them, could have spawned dragon kind. This would account for the incredible diversity among dragons, and with this idea, it should become easy to trace their origins.
For example, dragons have traits of different animals, and when we look at dragons through a broad spectrum, we see that they are mostly, if not entirely, composed of different creatures.
Giant butterflies were once often thought to be faerie dragons, while one can see the resemblance between the spiky peluda and the echidna or porcupine. Even Western dragons, thought to be free of any relations between itself and other creatures, shares similarities between others; the spike on it's tail is said to have originated from a scorpion's sting, while one could easily mistake a giant flying bat for a small Western dragon. It's ability to breathe fire could have come from bombardier beetles that spit acid from their abdomens.
Also, the amphithetre is said to have the eyebrows of a jaguar, which is possibly the result of a villager who had an unpleasant run-in with a big cat. Amidst the fear and confusion, it would have been easy to mistake the jaguar for more than it was. The Chinese dragon is said to be contain the properties or body parts of nine different animals (Binder, 1972), and the bunyip of Australia was also composed of different (at times contradicting) animal parts. It's interesting to note that of all the animals credited to the Bunyip, not a single one was native to Australia and, perhaps not so surprisingly, the people who listed it were also not native to Australia (their own culture influenced the way the animal was seen).
This would explain a fair deal, as many dragons have unnatural abilities. At first glance however, it does not fully explain the consistencies through the dragon races (ie. the affiliation Western dragons have to fire), but then we are inclined to remember the world was far more superstitious when these dragons were first introduced- modern science today has done much to help explain the world around us. As a result, most people probably just assumed some strange beast was involved in the local forest fire (such as the Aitvaras whose tail can ignite flames [Nigg, 2002]), rather than realise it was the wind and hot weather that caused the initial spark (or alternatively, the local pyromanic). As we have all been witness to at some stage or other in our lives, rumours spread very quickly and as they have a tendency to do, blow out of proportion.

Sea serpents:
In relation to physical dragon life, the idea of real sea serpents is the most probable theory. Whether or not the sea serpent can be classified as a member of dragon kind, they have shown enough tendencies, physical and characteristic, to lead us to believe they are, at the very least, close kin to dragons. If we were to return to our first point and believe dragons did once exist, then the sea serpent could very well testify to dragon kind world-wide; over the years, due to changing environments, they may have evolved and returned to the waters from whence they first came. Possible evidence for this comes from the dragon traits some creatures of the deep possess, for example, the ability to breathe blue fire, and descriptions such as "a dragon head".
For years we have been graced with blurred photographs, eyewitness accounts (some fake or mistaken, and a few that have stopped and made us think), and of course, unofficial rumours. While there is obviously a lot of "junk" in the sea serpent mix, there is no doubt that the hundreds of people who've reported sightings in the world's water bodies must have seen something, and there has been nothing yet to suggest that sea serpents could not in fact exist, or that every sighting is faked or mistaken.
In regards to our earlier look at dragons as a hybrid version of nature, we can carry this idea over to sea serpents. The natural occurrences of "waterspouts" may help to explain many sightings. When a tornado forms over the sea and touches the water surface it becomes known as a waterspout. Water gets sucked up inside the spinning column, creating the illusion of a dark grey serpent, rising up out of the sea (McKeever, 1993).
While waterspouts would obviously be a major factor for many supposed sightings, it does not satisfactorily explain the enigma of these creatures because weather, especially in more recent times, is taken notice of when recording and documenting paranormal experiences such as the sighting of a sea serpent. Also, some serpents, such as Nessie, have been encountered on land.
Despite the fact that there have been many sea serpent sightings, we must remember that their location makes it virtually impossible to reveal the truth. Most serpents are witnessed in the sea/ lake from a person either on land or in a boat. Water bodies, especially seas and oceans, are incredibly vast and to document one would be near impossible. Therefore, the entire sea serpent myth is in fact very "safe" as water is an unchartered realm and is so big it could hold virtually anything. For example, the Irish country people believed that this world was duplicated underwater (Campbell, 1997), and that's severely limiting the size of the aquatic realm. This means that to say sea serpents exist is a very vague and safe assumption to make. However, this does not make the idea any less legitimate.
Though the accounts of sea serpents differ greatly, sightings of them have remained persistent even to today. They have been seen in oceans, lakes and rivers (and even on land) from all over the globe, and though they have their own differing, individual traits (much like us), they do have a basic body frame and size (again, like people). This consistency would suggest a physical, real creature, and that somewhere these sightings have a truthful basis.
Despite this however, the fact remains that in general, paranormal phenomenon has constantly been a place for hoaxes, and in the past the truth has been embellished for personal gain; this extends to sea serpents, where imagined sightings and lies run rampant. It is because of this, caution and a healthy amount of skepticism is essential when studying sea serpent sightings and making your own decisions regarding them.

Dragons as metaphysical creatures:
Another area of dragon existence extends into the spiritual or astral domain; this area is more controversial and sometimes blotted through with religious undertones. This can make certain ideas and theories less plausible, yet the general overview still stands legitimate and should not be dismissed until closer inspection. Seeing dragons in a spiritual sense is a fairly new outlook on the whole issue, and to date, there is only one real mainstream theory regarding metaphysical existence, with little or no sub-theories attached.
In regards to spiritual dragon existence, the idea of the astral plane has been incorporated into it's base element; D.J. Conway, author of Dancing with Dragons put forth the notion that both dragons and sea serpents in fact exist on the astral plane (an alternate plane of existence where creatures vibrate at a higher rate, and as such, cannot survive in our world), and visit the physical realm from time to time, thus we have sea serpent and, more rarely, dragon sightings. While this does provide a sound explanation for these paranormal sightings, and explains why Nessie never has and never will be found in the loch, the theory itself has many loose ends. Because this theory is presented with no backup or further explanation, we are firstly left to wonder how the creatures can alternate between these planes (physical and astral), especially if they supposedly cannot exist on one. Secondly, a satisfactory explanation as to what vibration has to do with survival on our world or anywhere else has been omitted, and most importantly, it was never explained how a creature who cannot exist on Earth due it's rate of vibration can at the same time visit Earth and come and go as it pleases.
Before these ideas can evolve any further, some extra time, thought and effort will be needed on the theorists' behalf. Perhaps if we look at dragons living in a purely symbolic and mythological sense, then this could be considered as an alternate way of existing. In this sense, the dragon becomes very much a part of our world. Taking this idea away from dragon reality, fiction has always had a significant impact on our lives, so dragons may not even need to exist for them to become a part of our world.

Conclusion:
Theoretically, the most probable theory regarding dragon existence is the elaboration of nature idea. The idea of physical dragon existence is also likely for sea serpents, however the life of dragons has been put in doubt. Still, theory does not always prove to be correct, and there is a difference between idea and reality. There are still undiscovered avenues to be explored, and more arguments to reinforce old theories that have yet to be thought up.
Whether or not the dragon is in fact real, nothing can discount from the fact that they are very much alive in mythology, folklore, ancient societies and religion, right to today, where they have found a home in popular fiction.
Having covered the most common theories regarding the reality of dragon kind, it will be up to you to make your own decisions regarding dragon existence.

~ The End Dragon Story ~

SVE JE STVORENO ZA LJUBAV

20 veljača 2006

Sve je stvoreno za ljubav.
Klas pjeva u polju,
raskoš učvršćuje istinu vremena.
Ukrštaju se riječi znakovi,tajanstveni
tragovi niču iz dubine izgubljenih dana.

Tako život pjeva u ljubavi svijeta;
i sviće jasnoća slična kakvom božanskom licu
u samoći; ili ponoćni blijesak koji,
iznenada, obasja tamna područja zaborava.

Osjećanje sporih ruku
koje rastapaju snijeg,
tajna ljeta,
mekano žamorenje ptica u bijegu.

Jose Ramon Medina (1921)

Šetnja kroz povijest - YAYNO

Planinski vrhovi Cordillera Blanca u Peruu su najviši dijelovi Anda sa visinama blizu 7000 metara. U ovom području vječnog leda potomci su izgradili pretpovijesni grad Yayno čije se šesterokatnice odupiru potresima i vremenskim nepogodama.

Sa potonućem Atlantide, neki od preživjelih stanovnika su se zaputili prema Južnoj Americi. Tamo su se susreli sa potomcima onih Atlantiđana koji su se preselili u ove krajeve nekoliko tisuća godina ranije. Idući dalje prema zapadnom dijelu Južne Amerike susretali su i potomke imigranata iz Azije i sa njima se miješali.

Život za novopridošle izbjeglice je bio vrlo različit u odnosu na visokociviliziranu Atlantidu. Južna Amerika je bila prepuna opasnosti: od bolesti, pomanjkanja hrane, insekata, infekcija, divljih životinja, neraskrčenih predjela. Oni koji nisu uspjeli da se prilagode, nestajali su. Oni najjači i najodlučniji su preživjeli, loveći u malim grupama i obučeni u primitivnu odjeću.

Planinski vijenac Anda se prostire duž zapadne obale Južne Amerike. Planinski vrhovi Cordillera Blanca u Peruu su najviši dijelovi Anda sa visinama blizu 7000 metara. To su područja vječnog snijega, nepristupačni i nedovoljno istraženi. Pokoja ekspedicija uspijeva da se popne na krovove Cordillera Blanca i pri tome imaju priliku da uživaju u veličanstvenom pogledu ispod sebe.

Daleko od puteva, na jednom od vrhova Cordillera, nalazi se pretpovijesni grad pod imenom Yayno. Dvije ekspedicije su posjetile Yayno u zadnjih nekoliko desetljeća. Uspon na planinski vrh je bio posebno težak, jer se bazni logor mogao jedino nalaziti tri dana uspona od ovog vrha. Put je vodio preko dva opasna planinska prelaza.

Međutim, kad se jednom stigne na vrh, svi se ulozeni napori isplate.

Yayno je lociran na samom vrhu planinskog samita i suvereno "vlada" pogledom na obližnje, snijegom prekrivene, planine i prelijepe udoline sa jezerima.

Grad se sastoji od peto- i šestero-katnica. Zidovi su građeni od kamenih blokova teških desetine tona. Struktura i stil gradnje su totalno različiti od skorašnjih kultura, kao što su Inke i njihova arhitektura.

Područje Anda je vrlo trusno i jaki potresi su česti. Uprkos tome, zidovi Yayna odolijevaju prirodnim silama.

Gomila pitanja, naravno, ispliva kada se suočimo sa ovakvim arheološkim nalazom:

- Kako su ove gigantske stijene, potrebne za gradnju višekatnica, prenesene sa dalekih kamenoloma do nepristupačnog planinskog vrha?

- Kako su ljudi te civilizacije preživjeli na planinskom vrhu bez uobičajenih nalazišta vode (rijeke) i hrane (šume i obradiva zemlja)?

- Koja je tehnologija gradnje korištena da se ukroti silina potresa?

- O kojoj je civilizaciji riječ?

Oslonjeni samo na modernu nauku, rješenje bi bilo nemoguće pronaći.

Yayno je, stoga, uvjerljiv dokaz o znanjima i tehnološkom nivou naprednije civilizacije koja je živjela prije desetak tisuća godina. Potomci Atlantiđana su tu ostavili još jedan dokaz o svom postojanju.

Dodatne dokaze o ostacima kulture Atlantiđana je pronašao britanski arheolog Karola Siebert. Istražujuci zabačenu pokrajnu Mancha Valley 1958. godine, Siebert je naišao na kameni monolit visok preko dva metra. Od njega je vodila kamena gomila u obliku potkovice. Potkovica je simbol Vulkana, Boga vatre sa Atlantide. U centru kamene potkovice je oltar. Na obližnjem brdu zasađeni su kaktusi u obliku Posejdonovog trozubca, te u cik cak linijama (simboli vatre i vode). Ostali pronađeni znakovi su uvjerili Sieberta-a da je riječ o simbolici Atlantide koju su mještani slavili tisućama godina. (Karola Siebert, "Atlantis in Peru")

Kameni monoliti u obliku potkovica su prisutni na svim kontinentima koje su posjećivali Atlantiđani: od britanskog Stonehenge-a (potkovica je bila u središtu kamenog prstena) do peruanskog Machu Picchu-a.

Atlantiđali su preferirali za oblik svojih kuća izabirati krug, jer je taj oblik bio kompatibilan sa ljudskim duhom i omogućavao je dobru povezanost sa univerzalnom energijom. Oblik potkovice se susreće kod ceremonijalno-astronomskih objekata koji opet daje specifičnu dodatnu energiju njihovim korisnicima.

Pretpovijesno umijeće geomantije ili kineska praksa Feng Shui su ostaci znanja Atlantiđana, koje su oni koristili da urede svoj životni i radni prostor. Razumijevajući energetsku suštinu svemira i ljudskog tijela, svoje zgrade i interier su prilagođavali energetskim tokovima.

Feng Shui je dio drevne Tao-ističke nauke. Tao promatra svemir kao organsko biće puno života. Simbol mu je zmaj (dragon) koji leti kroz vrijeme, prostor, nebo i Zemlju. Zmaj simbolizira i mudrost i novi život. U obje Amerike ovaj reptil je predstavljan zajedno sa svojim rođakom - zmijom.

Feng Shui eksperti se zovu zmajski (dragon) ljudi, koji shvaćaju principe stvaranja, destrukcije i transformacije.

Slično kao i njihovi Atlantski preci na južnoameričkom krovu svijetu, u Yayno-u, koji su suvereno vladali tajnama života.

Dragon Sightings Mf - Z

19 veljača 2006

~ Mythological Dragon
~ Ogopogo
~ Ponik
~ Salamanders
~ Storsie
~ Tacoma Sea Serpents
~ Zambezi River Water Serpent

There have been hundreds of Sea Serpent sightings reported around the world, but the few listed here were picked for their closer relations to dragons; either in appearance, powers, or actions.

Mythological Dragon:
On the 10th of August, 1932, a man by the name of F. W. Kemp had a paranormal encounter while relaxing on Chatham Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca with his wife and son (thecryptmag.com, 2002). Kemp had sighted a sea serpent or dragon, and confided in only two trusted friends until a year later, the Victoria Daily Times published an article about another man, Major Langley, who'd sighted the same dragon. This tempted not only Kemp to report his sighting, but many more as the editor of the paper, Archie Wills, was flooded with many letters from different people who all claimed to have seen the same creature, but had kept quiet for fear of ridicule and disbelief (thecryptmag.com, 2004).
Kemp's recollection to the Victoria Daily Times conveyed a creature that sounded as though it had been pulled directly from a book of mythology. The recollection was thus: "Imagine my astonishment on observing a huge creature with it's head out of the water traveling about four miles per hour against the tide. Even at that speed a considerable wash was thrown on the rocks, which gave me the impression that it was more reptile than serpent to make so much displacement.
"The channel at this point is about 500 yards wide. Swimming to the steep rocks of the Island opposite, the creature shot it's head out of water on the rock, and moving it's head from side to side, appeared to taking it's bearings. Then fold after fold it's body came to surface. Towards the tail it appeared serrated with something moving flail-like at the extreme end. The movements were like those of a crocodile. Around the head appeared a sort of mane, which drifted round the body like kelp. The Thing's presence seemed to change the whole landscape, which make it difficult to describe my experiences. It did not seem to belong to the present scheme of things, but rather to the Long Ago when the world was young (thecryptmag.com, 2002)."
Kemp described the dragon as obviously having terrific senses of smell, sight and hearing. It's movements were described as "different from anything I have ever seen or heard of." The dragon's length was estimated to be roughly 24 m (80 ft); this was obtained by measuring the length of the rocks the dragon had perched on.
While the shape of the head couldn't be determined, Kemp said that it was thicker than the body (other accounts in the letters received by Wills of the Victoria Daily Times describe a face like a camel or horse). The colour of the dragon was described as a bluish-green in colour, that shone brilliantly in the sun like aluminium (thecryptmag.com, 2004).

Ogopogo:
North America's most famous sea serpent is Ogopogo, who lives in Lake Okanagan in British Columbia (near the Washington State border). Native Americans call Ogopogo N'ha-a-itk or Natiaka (lake beast), and they believe the sea serpent lairs in a cave which they specifically avoid (Suckling, 1998). In previous years, it was customary to sacrifice a live animal by throwing it overboard to appease the lake-dwelling monster, if you had to pass by the cave. The name Ogopogo is derived from a song written in 1926:

'His mother was an earwig,
His father was a whale,
A little bit of head and hardly any tail-
And Ogopogo was his name.'
(Mason, 2001)

Sightings of Ogopogo date back to 1850, and still continue today. Ogopogo is described with a humped back (it's very likely the swimming movements [undulations] would create this humped-back impression), with a long neck and dark colour (theshadowlands.net, 2002)- a description that is rather unremarkable among sea serpents. Fewer accounts describe Ogopogo as an "upturned boat", which seems at odds with the serpentine form, however a number of unforeseen variables may attribute to these clashing accounts.
Ogopogo is said to live primarily on fish and weeds, however natives claim the serpent has attacked and consumed people and horses, and many swimmers in the lake have gone missing. While the lake shore has, in the past, been patrolled by armed men to assure Ogopogo does not come ashore, the sea serpent is protected by British Columbian law, forbidding harm to the creature (Suckling, 1998).

Ponik:
In Lake Pohenegamook, close to the Maine border, there is reported to live an elusive sea serpent, 12 metres (40 ft) in length (theshadowlands.net, 2004). Named after it's home, Ponik is said to have a snake-like body, with three humps along it's back, flippers, and a face like a horse- synonymous with the traditional water monster.
Some theories have been put forth by Cryptozoologists to help explain Ponik away, the most common of which suggest a supernaturally large sturgeon or an extinct plesiosaur, a sea-dwelling dinosaur that lived during the Mesozoic era (theshadowlands.net, 2004). Because the sea serpent's face is said to resemble a horse, this could suggest some ancient linkage to Chinese dragons, though that idea may be stretching descriptions a little too far (especially when we must take into account the adapted aquatic body and the fact the two are from different countries), and it may be more likely that Ponik can be classed as a classic example of a real live sea serpent (though the idea of Chinese dragons sharing some vague linkage to Ponik should at least be given some consideration).

Salamanders:
The largest known species of Salamander live in Japan, and are said to be 1.8 metres (6 ft) in length. However, a handful of fishermen in the Trinity Alps, California, have reported catching Salamanders some 2.4 m (8 ft) in length (theshadowlands.net, 2004). To date, no examples of these large Salamanders have been captured for study.
You can read more on Salamanders in the Dragon Races post.

Storsie:
Storsie (short for Storsjoodjuret, also known as the Great Lake Monster) is a 6m (20 ft) long Sea Serpent believed to dwell in the waters of Lake Storsjon, Sweden. Reports of this sea serpent range from 1635 to the present. The Society for Investigating the Great Lake, founded in 1987, has since accumulated 400 recorded sightings of Storsie; a number which has never stopped growing (Suckling, 1998).
The descriptions of Storsie usually vary slightly, but a few things remain persistent: the body is long and snakelike in appearance, roughly 3-8m (10-25 ft) long, and 1-1.5m (3-5 ft) wide. Storsie has a small head, which has been likened to a horse, dog, lizard and snake, and unlike other sea serpents, Storsie comes complete with two long whiskers, a trait that has sparked controversy and debate over the possibility Storsie is in fact an unnaturally large catfish (Suckling, 1998). The argument, to date, has not been satisfactorily settled, and judging from the different witness accounts, it seems there may be both a large catfish and sea serpent in Lake Storsjon.
The body colour is primarily grey with few colour variations, which include red, yellow and black. As Storsie usually travels at high speeds across the waters, exact details of the creature's appearance are hard to obtain (theshadowlands.net, 2002). In 1994, Karl-Olov Johansson spoke about sighting Storsie in 1910: he'd seen the serpent making it's way back to the water, and thought he'd seen feet moving beneath the body as it swam into the lake. Johansson was quoted, "it didn't move as any known animal. It crawled and at the same time it's back went up and down (Suckling, 1998)."

On the dark bottom of the great salt lake
Imprisoned lies the great snake,
With naught his sullen sleep to break
Norse poem translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Suckling, 1998).

Lake Storsjon and it's local serpent have mythological links dating well into history, when the lake was offered to the goddess of love and fertility, Fro. An island on the lake, Froson Island, is home to a standing runestone which, supposedly, ties Storsie to the lake until someone can decipher the writing (Suckling, 1998).

Tacoma Sea Serpent:
This serpent possesses one of dragon kind's defining abilities; a breath weapon. The Tacoma sea serpent has been described as 45 metres (150 ft) in length, with an oval shaped body (theshadowlands.net, 2004). The top half of the body is covered with thick hair, and from it's head to it's tail ran a series of copper circles that encircled it's body. The serpent's tail resembled that of a propeller, and atop it's head were two long horns.
On the 2nd of July, 1893, an Eastern fisherman and his friend, along well as a few local fishermen whose names were withheld, reported to the July 3 issue of the Tacoma Daily Ledger: "The air was filled with a strong current of electricity that caused every nerve in the body to sting with pain, and a light as bright as that created by the concentrate on of many arc lights kept constantly flashing.
"I turned my head in that direction, and if it is possible for fright to turn one's hair white, then mine ought to be snow white, for right before my eyes was a most horrible looking monster. The monster slowly drew in toward shore and as it approached, it's head poured out a stream of water that looked like blue flame. It's shape was somewhat out of the ordinary insofar that the body was neither round or flat but oval. It had coarse hair on the upper part of the body.
"At about every eight feet fran [sic] it's heat to it's tail a substance that had the appearance of a copper band encircled it's body. Blue flames came from two horn-like structures near the center of the head. The tail was shaped like a propeller.
"Sir, I tell you, in the electrically charged atmosphere birds and insects died. Two of my fellow fisherman became paralysed when licked by the blue flame. They lay on the beach until eventually recovering. At last, the monster submerged into the dark waters and a telltale luminous light betrayed its course (theshadowlands.net, 2004)."
The fisherman made it clear the dragon was not the result of a drunken hallucination, which was proved by the large amount of dead animals and the paralysis that overcame two of the fishermen after being touched by the blue flame.

Zambezi River Water Serpents:
A pair of sea serpents have been said to inhabit the Zambezi River in Southern Africa (theshadowlands.net, 2004). Fishermen in the area have spied what has only been described as large, humped creatures, though details are hard to obtain as the waters are so murky. The serpents are supposedly shy, despite being some 35- 40 m (117- 133 ft) in length, making them larger than the other animals in the river, such as the hippopotami, crocodiles, and all other fish.
The Zambezi River serpents really drew attention to themselves during one dry season, when the female swam upriver with her young, only to find the Kariba dam wall blocking her return route. After several attempts to break the offending wall, she waited until the rainy season when her partner rammed a way through the wall with the help of the flood waters.
Despite these violent actions, the sea serpents have been noted to swim away gently when they feel the presence of people close by. The pair have been described as having humped backs, and some people have reported seeing scales on these serpents, and believe they may be some distant relative to crocodiles (theshadowlands.net, 2004).

Šetnja kroz povijest - TEKUĆI KAMEN

18 veljača 2006

Francuski profesor Joseph Davidovits, osnivač Instituta za geoploimere. Uzburkao je javnost tvrdnjama o umjetnom porijeklu drevnih kamenih blokova u Peruu, Egiptu i Boliviji. Njegova revolucionarna teza je da bi originalni graditelji piramida prvo otopili kamen i izljevali ga u kalupe te bi zagrijavanjem dobili željeni oblik i veličinu.

Fratar Fray Diego de Alcobaso je bio među prvim Španjolcima koji su u 16. stoljeću došli u Peru. Posjetivši Tiahuanaco ostavio je zapise koji svjedoče o njegovoj grandioznosti. "Radnici su koristili savršeno odrezane kamene blokove dugačke po dvanaest metara, teške preko 200 tona, a prevožene iz kamenoloma dalekih osamdesetak kilometara..."

Vrijeme je, izgleda, da provjerimo valjanost klasične teze o "obradi i transportu kamenih blokova iz kamenoloma".

Jozeph Davidovits već deset godina ne daje intervjue niti se pojavljuje na TV. Davidovits je izumio proces geopolimerizacije i svjetski je ekspert za moderne i antičke cemente. Profesor je na sveučilištima u Francuskoj, Njemačkoj, Americi, Kini... a nedavno ga je francuski predsjednik Chirac odlikovao medaljom časti.

Početkom 1980-ih (Simpozij Arheometrije, Bradford University, 1982) profesor Davidovits je uzburkao naučnu javnost svojim tezama o umjetnom porijeklu kamenih blokova sa platoa Tiahuanaco. Tvrdi da je molekularna struktura kamenih blokova re-aranžirana što sugerira njihovo prethodno tekuće stanje.

Drugim riječima, kameni blokovi ovog drevnog grada nisu došli iz kamenoloma desetine kilometara udaljenog u čvrstom stanju. Njegova hipoteza glasi: "Originalni graditelji bi otopili kamen putem kemijskih reakcija, zatim bi ga transportirali u tekućem stanju do gradilista, i na koncu bi ga izlili u kalupe." (www.geopolymer.org/pub3.html )

Najpovoljnija smjesa za rastvaranje kamena nastajala je kombinacijom octene, limunske i oksalne kiseline. Za izvore kiselina korišteno je voće, krumpir, agava, fikus, kukuruz i druge južnoameričke biljne kulture.

Spomenuti bio-reagensi bi se sa otopljenim kamenom nalazili u kalupima. Tamo bi se povećavanjem temperature masa u kalupu stvrdnula u željenoj veličini i obliku.

Davidovits je izazvao prave tektonske poremećaje u krugovima ortodoksnih egiptologa nedugo poslije ovog Simpozija. Godine 1984. je u Manchester-u iznio hipotezu da su kameni blokovi od kojih su građene egipatske piramide također stvoreni ljudskom rukom. Dakle, umjetni, u kalupima, a ne isklesani u kamenolomima i transportirani destinama, pa čak i stotinama kilometara (slučaj Asuanskog granita).

Institut za Geopolimere iz Saint-Quentin-a (sjeverno od Pariza), na čijem je čelu Davidovits, proučavao je uzorke iz šest kamenoloma pokraj Gize i onda ih usporedio sa uzorcima kamena Keopsove, Tetijeve i Seneferuove piramide. Kamenolom je pokazao očekivane rezultate: 96-99% je čisti kalcit, a u tragovima se nađe i kvarc (0.5-2.5%).

Uzorci piramidinih blokova doveli su do šokantnih rezultata. Pored kvarca (85-90%), pronađeni su i elementi koji se ne mogu naći u kamenolomima: opal, siliko-aluminati i hidro-apatit. Neminovan zaključak je bio da kamen od kojih su građene piramide nije prirodni kamen.

Što je to značilo za egiptologe? Ruši se njihov mit pretpostavki o desetinama tisuća robova koji su klesali, vukli i teškom mukom ugrađivali višetonske kamene blokove u piramide po nekoliko desetljeća. Još jedna bajkica je doživjela svoj kraj.

Različit sastav kamenih blokova doveo je do njihovih različitih karakteristika. Za razliku od prirodnih stijena koje imaju izraženu gustoću, ovaj umjetni kameni blok je rijeđji i sadrži brojne zračne balončiće.

Davidovits objavljuje knjigu "The Pyramids, An Enigma Solved" 1988 godine, da bi mu drugo dopunjeno izdanje trebalo izaći krajem (listopad 2002).

Na jednom sve poteškoće u pogledu hipoteza kako su 200-o tonski kameni blokovi dovlačeni iz 800 km udaljenog Asuana, dobijaju svoje drugačije objašnjenje.

Radnici su izljevali kalupe na samoj građevini formirajući ogromne blokove. Veza između njih je bila tako precizna da nije bio potreban nikakav vezivni materijal (mort ili cement), a pri tome se nije oštrica noža mogla uglaviti između dva bloka. Savršeno ravne površine također dobivaju svoje objašnjenje. Umjesto stotina tisuća robova i desetljeća gradnje, sad se dobivaju mnogo realniji rokovi za gradnju.

Davidovits daje objašnjenje za pojavu kamenih vaza i skulptura koje nauka nije mogla objasniti. Naime, nije bilo alata da se obrađuju tako čvrste i tvrde kamene površine iznutra i izvana. Kalupi, uz korištenje prirodnih biljnih ekstrakta, postaju logičan odgovor. Primjera radi, statua faraona Kefrena od prije 4600 godina (danas u Kairskom muzeju), napravljena je od diorita. Egipćani nisu imali ni približno čvrst metalni alat za obradu diorita. Davidovits nudi prihvatljiv odgovor kako je ona napravljena.

Visoko na peruanskim planinskim vrhovima, vračevi potomaka Huanka plemena kreiraju svoje male kamene objekte, a da pri tome ne obrađuju kamen. Kao sirovi materijal koriste komadiće kamena (po sastavu siliko-aluminate) i rastapaju ih u ekstraktima biljnih kiselina. Zatim smjesu izlivaju u male kalupe gdje ih oblikuju prema želji... i zagrijavaju dok ne očvrsnu.

Oni danas prave male kamene statue, a njihovi preci su pravili grandiozne zidove, zvjezdarnice i gradove.

Na drugoj strani svijeta, u Egiptu, drevni Egipćani su koristili znanja Atlantiđana i podizali svoje hramove i građevine kopirajući prastare, savršene objekte sfinge i velikih piramida.

Mjerilo napretka jedne civilizacije nije nivo razvijenosti tehnologije, postojanje burzi i zrakoplova na mlazni pogon.

Naša civilizacija je još u povojima, jer je odavno zaboravila da su svi odgovori u prirodi i nama samima.

U prirodi, jer biljni svijet krije rješenje za sve bolesti, za stanovanje, gradnju, ishranu.

U nama samima, jer nam za putovanja, komunikaciju i sreću nisu potrebni brodovi, telefoni i novac. Duboko u našoj duševnoj supstanci nude se metode putovanja prema svim točkama u svemirskom prostoru i vremenu i za svu komunikaciju koju želimo sa dragim osobama.

TI DOĐI

17 veljača 2006

Ti dođi k meni u proljeće,
Sa cvijetom budi,
Ljepotom cvati kao cvijeće,
Misao mi probudi. . .

Ti zatim dođi k meni ljeti,
sa klasjem putuj,
Žetvenom pjesmom,što poljem leti,
Misao mi obraduj. . .

Ti dođi jesenas zlatnom šumom,
Zvijezdu slijedi,
U dalek kraj sa borovim šumom
Misao mi povedi. . .

Ti dođi k meni zimus zrakom,
Sa suncem budi,
I punom sjaja divnom bajkom
Misao mi probudi. . .

Prođi na koncu mojom humkom,
Sa cvijetom hodi,
Tu vitki javor milom rukom
Darežljivo posadi . . .

Ti dođi!

Janka Kupala (1822-1924)

Dragon Sightings A - Me

~ Alkali Lake Monster
~ Baby dragon
~ Bunyip
~ Canadian Cliff dragon
~ Champ
~ Colossal Claude and Marvin the Monster
~ Horseshoe Falls Mist Dragon
~ Kiao and Shan
~ Loch Ness Monster
~ Megophias
~ Memphre

There have been hundreds of Sea Serpent sightings reported around the world, but the few listed here were picked for their closer relations to dragons; either in appearance, powers, or actions.

Baby dragon:
A baby dragon, suspended in a jar thought to be filled with formaldehyde, was re-discovered in the garage of David Hart (thisislondon.com, 2004) who said, "My father, George, who is dead now, left it at my house when he moved away from London about 20 years ago.
"I was not there when he put it in my garage so I never really looked at it. It was just in the corner with a load of other junk and I found it when I was having a clear-out.
"I had never looked at it so when I saw the dragon it was a huge shock. I remember the crate it was in from when I was a kid because it was in my dad's workshop.
"He just used to say the crate was fragile because it had a glass container in it. But I never saw what was in it.
"I didn't know until recently and when I first saw it I didn't know what to make of it. Such things don't exist do they? It is very odd-looking."

The dragon is thought to be a hoax by German scientists in the 1800's, during a time when there was intense rivalry between the British and themselves. Perhaps hoping to put a dent in their rivals, they fashioned this realistic white baby dragon out of India rubber or wax. The dragon itself stands at 30 cm, though when laid out flat it reaches to a metre, from snout to tail.
Such hoaxes are not uncommon throughout history. In 1648, a nine-headed hydra forged from a snake and weasel had managed to trick people for years until the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus discovered the truth (Legg, 1998). Mermaids made from fish, monkeys or wood also used to pass for the bodies of mermaids that had washed up on shore, and this attracted large crowds who came to see the "corpse" (Mason, 2001).
The dragon was originally headed for the Natural History Museum, but seeing the trick, it wasn't accepted. It was later intercepted by a porter, Hart's grandfather. Closer study of the baby dragon is underway today (thisislondon.com, 2004).
It has long since been known by the Indians living around Alkali Lake, Nebraska, that a sea serpent lairs in the waters (theshadowlands.net, 2002). However, it wasn't until 1923 that a recorded sighting of the Alkali Lake Monster was published in the Omaha World-Herald, after having been sighted by J.A. Johnson (who later went on to claim he knew 40 other people who'd seen the sea serpent) and two friends.
The creature was roughly 12 m (40 ft) in length, and was seen from 18 m (20 yd) away, while camping near the lake. The Alkali Lake Monster was described as similar in appearance to a alligator, albeit with a heavier build, and a dull greyish-brown in colour, with a "horn-like object between it's eyes and nostrils". When the serpent noticed it'd been seen, it thrashed it's tail in annoyance (a gesture dragons are well renowned for), and retreated beneath the waves again (theshadowlands.net, 2002).

Bunyip:
On the 15th November, 1868, Mr Calvert from south-western New South Wales (Australia) reported sighting an animal that bore a striking resemblance to that of a Bunyip (Barnard, 2001).
Mr Calvert was returning home when he saw an unusually large ripple in a river. Taking his horse deeper into the river he saw a large brown animal and tried unsuccessfully to drive the creature into shallow water.

Mr Calvert told a local newspaper, "I pushed my horse ahead of it into the deeper water, half up my saddle flap and soon found it was a large dark brown or sable coloured animal.
"As you may suppose I became deeply interested in the hunt. I tried to drive the thing down stream to a shallow part but after a struggle of about half an hour to try and tramp it down with my horse's feet, I had to give up the contest, as I often got both forefeet of my horse on the back of the animal, which only resulted in my horse being thrown off his legs and getting a ducking. At last it became so unpleasant to myself- as I was not very dry during all this- and the poor nag showed signs of distress, that I gave it up as a very bad job."
Many people dismissed the idea of a Bunyip, while Mr Calvert believes that if it were not a Bunyip then it had to be an unnaturally large otter (Barnard, 2001). On the creature being vicious, he said, "it is all nonsense about it being a savage sort of brute, as it never left a mark on my horse and it was nearly all the time under his feet."

Canadian Cliff dragon:
The Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia are perhaps considered to be one of the best places for dragons to live in. One hiker who sighted a green dragon in the mountains said "there are places in Banff and Jasper that nobody has ever been to, and there are many elk and deer and possibly even bears for it to feed on. Plenty of lakes, and the mountains themselves have many hidden caves and the like (thecryptmag.com, 2004)."
This same hiker described seeing a dragon, deep green in colour, with a long head and large eye ridges. The dragon had two large horns protruding from the back of it's head with a smaller pair beneath. These horns, as well as a smaller horn at the tip of the dragon's nose, shone a dull grey. The dragon looked quadruped, and had dark green dorsal ridges running from the back of it's head to the mid-way point along it's tail. The dragon was estimated to be roughly 4.6 m (15 ft) at the shoulder, though more accurate measurements were not obtained. The hiker said this same dragon was "the most beautiful creature I had ever seen."
The dragon's front legs looked slightly shorter than it's hind legs, and it was seen gripping the edge cliff with determination. Had the dragon not moved it's head or fanned it's wings, it probably would have gone unnoticed. When the dragon realised it had been seen, it tilted it's head to the side in a bird-like fashion, spread it's wings and after flapping them several times, gracefully glided away around the side of the mountain (thecryptmag.com, 2004).

Champ:
The sea serpent of Lake Champlain (bordering Vermont and New York) is called Champ, and has been the basis for 300 documented sightings. The first was mistakenly reported to have been by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1609, however the location of this sighting was inaccurately documented by a reporter as Lake Champlain, when in reality the sighting itself is speculated to have actually occurred off the coast of the St. Lawrence estuary, and thus was not the first sighting of Champ actually in the lake, or even a sighting of Champ at all (the first record of Champ in it's lake home was supposedly witnessed in 1819 by New York settlers [theshadowlands.net, 2002]).
According to de Champlain, Champ was a "20 foot (6 m) serpent thick as a barrel and a head like a horse". Champ is also a 'horned serpent', according to the local Iroquois (Suckling, 1998). Champ was called Tatoskok by another local Indian tribe, the Abanaki, who had known of Champ's presence long before the Europeans, and who had frequently left offerings to the serpent in times past (Para-normal, 2004).
Sightings of Champ were plentiful, and in 1883, Nathan Mooney (the Sheriff of Clinton County), had an encounter with the serpent, who he described as "an enormous snake or water serpent 25 to 30 feet in length (theshadowlands.net, 2002)."
On July 1984, Champ was seen by over 80 passengers aboard the pleasure steamer The Spirit of Ethan Allen, when Champ surfaced nearby (Suckling, 1998). According to the records, Champ showed three to five humps, synonomous with sea serpents, each standing 30cm (1 ft) above the water. The serpent's skin was brown-green and slimy, while Champ's whole body length was estimated to be roughly 9 m (30 ft). Until frightened by a speedboat, Champ followed the steamer for some time.
"Champ fever" has been running rampant around the lake over the years, and hit a high in the mid 1800s, when P.T. Barnum offered $50,000 for the capture of Champ- dead or alive (Para-normal, 2004). Of course, the money remained uncollected, and even today people have offered sums of money, ranging from $500 to $2 million, for proof that the sea serpent actually exists.

Colossal Claude and Marvin the Monster:
Sightings of Oregon's local sea serpent, Colossal Claude, began in 1934 when the serpent was seen happily swimming around the mouth of the Columbia River, to be later sighted frequently by fishermen, ship crew, and random people passing through the area (theshadowlands.net, 2002). L.A. Larson, arguably the first to see Claude (and whose initial sighting heralded a string of many more), described the sea serpent as roughly 2.5 m (8 ft) in length, with a big round body, and a "mean looking tail and an evil, snaky look to it's head". His sighting was confirmed by others who were there to witness the spectacle.
Other accounts of Colossal Claude (this one by skipper Charles E. Graham in 1937) describe a long, hairy, tan coloured serpent, with the head of a horse, and 12 m (40 ft) in length. Another account by Captain Chris Anderson claims the serpent has a bent snout and a face like a camel's, with shaggy grey fur- signs that there are either more than one serpent in question, or that the viewer's shock, eye sight, and time of day/ weather conditions interfered, and would account for the inconsistencies.
Another sighting of Colossal Claude, some years later by captain Chris Anderson of the schooner Arpo, stated that, "his head was like a camel's. His fur was coarse and gray. He had glassy eyes and a bent snout that he used to push a 20-pound halibut off our lines and into his mouth (theshadowlands.net, 2002)."
Marvin the Monster, another serpent of the Columbia River, made his debut at a later date in 1963. Marvin was first sighted by Shell Oil Company divers, and since then has been taped, photographed, and even appeared on television.
Videotapes of Marvin reveal a 5 m (17 ft) long creature that has barnacled ridges along it's back, and swims with corkscrew movements. There are many theories as to what Marvin the Monster is, and these possible explanations (all of which so far have proved unlikely), include an olley fish, a salpida, a jelly fish, and a prehistoric sea creature.
Other sea serpents or monsters have been sighted in the area, and these have been described as having glimmering scales, while others are said to have thick fur. However, one common trait that among these serpents is their face, which is consistently said to resemble that of a camel or horse (theshadowlands.net, 2002).
On the whole, Champ has shown itself to be quite harmless, except in 1930 when it chased a a fishing boat. Perhaps fearing that this "attack" may provoke angry locals, a law was passed three years later by the New York State Assembly forbidding harm to the Lake Champlain Monster (Suckling, 1998).

Horseshoe Falls Mist Dragon:
At Niagara Falls, on the 17th of February, 1998, mist was seen rising from the Horseshoe Falls in the exact shape of a dragon (thecryptmag.com, 2002). An onlooker claimed to have felt an overwhelming sense of protection when they saw the very large dragon rising up. It was described as having wings and was blue-grey in colour. The feeling of protection, and a sense of happiness, remained with the witness for a week.
Whether anyone else witnessed the spectacle or not is unknown, as details of this sighting are sketchy at best (thecryptmag.com, 2002).

Kiao and Shan:
The sea serpents of the east are commonplace in oriental folklore, and are very closely linked to dragons, which are bestowed with the ability to shapeshift (Suckling, 1998). Until recently, ambergris or 'dragon spittle' (which was sold for high prices), was believed to come from sea serpents. Their breath was also said to rise in columns or spires, which we now know is actually whales spouting. In China and Japan the Kiao are said to sprout wings and take to the air when they reach a certain age- much like the Eastern dragon, for whom it takes 4 000 years to change into their final winged form. When they rise up, the Kiao are believed to emit a beautiful sound much like 'singing stones'.
The Kiao resemble both a dragon and serpent, with a small head, fine neck and a width of about 4.6 m (15 ft) at their thickest point. Solitary by nature, these serpents live in lakes. On the other hand, the Shan live at sea, and they are described as serpentine but with ears, horns and a red mane.
These sea serpents, along with many other oriental serpents, were sighted by Europeans in the 19th century, who reported their encounters. The Straits Times Overland Journal published some of these accounts which led to a large debate. One report, dated in September 1876 tells of a sea serpent that was sighted in the Straits of Malacca by the crew aboard the SS Nestor.
The sea serpent rose from the waters around 180 m (200 yd) from the boat, and followed before diving and resurfacing on the other side, staying visible for roughly half an hour. Captain John Webster described the experience as, "it had a square head and a dragon black and white striped tail, and an immense body, which was quite fifty feet (15 m) broad when the monster raised it. The head was about twelve feet (3.7 m) broad, and appeared to be, at the extreme, about six feet (1.8 m) above the water.... The long dragon tail with black and white scales afterwards rose in an undulating motion, in which at one time the head, at another the body, and eventually the tail, formed each in it's turn a prominent object above the water (Suckling, 1998)."

Loch Ness Monster:
The Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie", owes much of her popularity to the decision to build a road along the north shore of the loch in 1933; a small handful of sightings, coupled with the increased number of visitors to the loch and it's new accessibility, allowed for the media to create a big fuss over Nessie (Suckling, 1998). A local water bailiff, Alex Campbell (who was a strong believer in Nessie), believed that a "water kelpie" or "fearsome looking monster" had in fact been living in the loch for generations before, however sightings of Nessie had never previously been circulated outside Scotland (Campbell, 1997).

Although there have been at least 10, 000 known reported sightings (by reported we mean that the witness simply told someone, ie. a friend, family member or so forth) of Nessie, less than a third of these have been recorded. Almost 3, 000 reports have been recorded in written form (Mackal, 1976).
According to 251 eyewitness observations gathered by Roy P. Mackal in The Monsters of Loch Ness, most sightings of Nessie occur at 4:00 pm, with the highest number between the months of July and peaking in August. However, this should not reflect strongly on Nessie's daily behaviour, because human agendas would clearly get in the way- for example, less people would watch the loch during night or midday, and most people would watch the loch during summer (July and August).
Also according to these accounts, the Loch Ness Monster has a neck of 1.5 m (5 ft), of which a frill-like "structure" or mane has often been described around the head and neck area. Four observers have described protrusions on the head, possibly something resembling horns. In other accounts, Nessie's head has been described as flat, with the mouth interior red, and opening and closing periodically- the great variables in description would suggest that there are actually more than one kind of Loch Ness Monster in the lake (there is certainly more than one individual), or that perhaps witnesses are confusing other (possibly unknown) marine life with Nessie.
Nessie's body has been described as having "ridges" or "humps" that show above the water, and the overall length is roughly 7.5 m (25 ft), with varying lengths between adults and juveniles.
The Loch Ness Monster/s have also been attributed to having limbs, usually flipper-like, and they have sometimes been seen on land. Colours range from blackish-brown to light brown or yellowish, sometimes with green reported. The underside is always lighter in colour, and the sea serpents are often seen darting about in sudden speed bursts around the water, which is not uncommon for fish-predating movement patterns (Mackal, 1976).
It would be quite impossible to list all the sightings of the Loch Ness Monster here, even the purely legitimate ones, however the earliest recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was by St Columba, written around 665 AD. St Columba was said to have helped bury a man who'd been bitten to death by the monster, and then with a word, prevented the Loch Ness Monster from later biting another swimmer (Campbell, 1997). While this report has been theorised as purely a religious story by author Steuart Campbell (and then dismissed), based purely on the fact that there have been no other recorded bitings from the Loch Ness Monster, we should keep in mind two things: firstly, there are always exceptions to a species of animal, for example in dogs and cats, where there are very nice or highly aggressive individuals. Secondly, most other sightings of Nessie have been from people on land, observing the water, or by people in a boat. (However, Campbell's claim is actually false, as in 1527 the Loch Ness Monster was claimed to have killed three men in Hector Boece's History of Scotland [Suckling, 1998]).

Other accounts are far more direct in approach, such as R.K. Wilson, a London surgeon who photographed the Loch Ness Monster in 1934 from roughly 230 m (250 yards) from shore, as he'd noticed a disturbance in the water. R.K. Wilson said he'd noticed the head of an animal rise up out of the water. In October 1933 the Inverness Courier listed the sighting of Nessie by William MacGruer, who said that he'd seen a creature emerge from the bush and dive into the water: it was definitely serpentine in appearance, but was heralded with "fairly long legs" (Suckling, 1998)- something which is relatively consistent with Nessie land sightings, however it's unsure if this phenomenon is the same sea serpent living in the loch. Most other Loch Ness Monster sightings simply describe an animal breaking the water, with a long neck, tail and "humps".

Megophias:
During a voyage to collect marine species in the Atlantic in 1860, Peter Karl van Esling, director of The Hague Zoo, later reported a sea dragon that had swum not far from his ship. It was thought to be a serpent, until sailors claimed the presence of legs and claws (Cabral, 2000).
The sea dragon was named 'Megophias' by van Esling and his men, and van Esling described it as; "a gigantic reptile, bright blue and silver in colour. He swam gracefully around the ship before the sailors' eyes, and submerged himself without a splash. His eyes were enormous, with vertical pupils and an intelligent expression. They seemed luminous, but this effect could be due to the reflection from the setting sun." The dragon's length was estimated at roughly 7 metres in length (approx. 23 ft), and the presence of bright blue and green fins extending down it's back was noted (Cabral, 2000). "We baptised him Megophias."

Memphre:
Sightings of a sea serpent in Lake Memphremagog, on the Vermont-Quebec, have been reported for years, dating back to the 1800's (theshadowlands.net, 2002). The sea serpent has been dubbed Memphre, and while the serpent's surface wake is most commonly seen, actual reports describe the creature as having a dragon head, long neck, and an elongated body. A local resident, Barbara Malloy, has reported sighting the serpent or dragon on two occasions, and is just one of many people to have seen the creature swimming in it's lake home.
She described Memphre as being jet black, though colours have ranged from brown, black or green. The estimated size of Memphre ranges anywhere between 1.8 m (6 ft) and 15m (50 ft) (theshadowlands.net, 2004). Due to the large inconsistencies, it's plausible that Memphre is not alone in his lake home, and shares it with young, and therefore, at least one other partner sea serpent. Or, many "sightings" of the sea dragon are in fact large fish or even inanimate objects, as is suggested in the second of Malloy's sightings when she described a hump bobbing up and down in the water (theshadowlands.net, 2004).

Dragon Existence

16 veljača 2006

The dragon has long since been a creature of mystery; while dragons have widely been accepted as pure fantasy, there has always been an unsure element to their elusive existence, suggesting a corporal life. The dragon has never been physically present in our world, yet despite this we still question their non-existence and find ourselves drawn deeper into their mystery. For centuries, dragon existence has been the merging of human imagination, religious beliefs and popular folklore. Their existence has never been proved, yet the dragon remains tantalising close, bordering on the realm of fantasy and paranormal possibility.

To date, there have been hundreds of miscellaneous sightings of strange creatures throughout the world. The sea serpent, which remains a close cousin to the dragon family, has been sighted in countries across the globe. Here, we have dug up some of the odder sightings, those which blur the distinction between dragon and serpent, and present them to you at face-value.

Dragon Sightings A- Me: While there have been numerous sightings around the world, the ones listed here were carefully chosen for their closer relations to dragons, or their popularity.

Dragon Sightings Mf- Z: While there have been numerous sightings around the world, the ones listed here were carefully chosen for their closer relations to dragons, or their popularity.

Dragon Existence Theories: The question do dragons exist? is the most debated question asked of these mighty reptiles. Theories of their existence have ranged from a physical, literal presence, while others believe the dragon enigma goes no further than a case of mistaken identiy, or that dragons exist on the astral plane.

Šetnja kroz povijest - KARNAK

15 veljača 2006

Kameni blok (“menhir”) u francuskoj Bretanji (St. Uzec) sa uklesanim reljefima pri vrhu i skorašnjim križom na vrhu. Kršćanstvo nije razumijevalo funkciju ovih astronomskih megalita, ali ih je sistematski desetkovalo ili “pokrštavalo”.

Foto rekonstrukcija najvećeg megalita u Bretanji pokazuje kiklopske dimenzije: preko 20 metara visine (i dodatnih 4 metra u zemlji) i 350 tona težine koje su prevožene sa daljine od nekoliko desetina kilometara. Četvrt miliona ovih megalita su imali praktičnu astronomsku i geodetsku svrhu u životu potomaka Atlantiđana.

"Koliko ima zvijezda na nebu?"

Nekoliko stotina tisuća (!) megalita stajalo je uspravno na Francuskom krajoliku "pogleda" uperenih prema zvjezdanom nebu. Veliki kameni blokovi, visoki između dva i osam metara, obima nekoliko metara, bili su vješto zabijeni u zemlju. Najteži među njima bio je "Vilin kamen" na zapadu Francuske, u pokrajini Bretanji (ili, kako su je Kelti zvali, Brittany), kraj gradića Locmariaquer-a. Visok preko 25 metara i težine 350 tona (!) danas leži slomljen na četiri komada zahvaljujući potresu iz 1722. godine.

Sistematskim naporima kršćanstva broj megalita desetkovan je na oko 50000.

Međutim, to je još uvijek impresivan broj koji traži odgovor na pitanja tko, kada, kako i zašto?

Jedan od glavnih ciljeva "Alternativne povijesti" je razbiti u djeliće tvrdnje o postepenoj čovjekovoj evoluciji.

Podsjetimo, u razvoju primitivnog čovjeka, znana povijest spominje slijedeće evolutivne faze:

(1) Staro kameno doba (Paleolit) - početak od prije 2,5 miliona godina (novije tvrdnje ga smještaju i do prije 6 miliona godina) sa završetkom 10000 godina prije nove ere

(2) Srednje kameno doba (Mezolit) - trajalo od 10000 godina p.n.e. do 3000 godine p.n.e.

(3) Novo kameno doba (Neolit) - počelo 8000 godina p.n.e. u Aziji, sa trajanjem u Europi od 6000 g.p.n.e. do 2000 godine p.n.e.

(4) Brončano doba - u nekim krajevima, kao Mala Azija, počelo jos 6500 g.p.n.e., u europskim zemljama startalo oko 3000 g.p.n.e. sa Kretskom (Minoanškom) civilizacijom.

(5) Željezno doba - početak oko 1000 godine prije nove ere.

Tabela "Alternativne povijesti" ima potpuno drugačiji pristup.

(1) Doba pred-civilizacije: 6 miliona – 120000 godina prije nove ere. U ovoj etapi se pripremaju tri čovjekove komponente: fizička, kroz razvoj majmunolikog čovjeka; duševna, koja je u svojoj hiperborejskoj fazi i boravku u sasvim drugacijim fizičkim bićima na Planeti od nas; i treća komponenta, utjecaj superiornih spiritualnih bića u pripremi postanka razumnog čovjeka.

(2) Stvaranje kreativnog čovjeka genetskom (DNK) intervencijom superiornih bića; čovjek postaje "nastanjiv" za duševnu materiju; otada duša i fizičko tijelo počinju da ko-egzistiraju. Period: 120000 – 100000 godina prije nove ere

(3) Lemurija - Prva civilizacija čovjeka donekle nalik na ove današnje (to je ujedno i konačna hiperborejska faza u razvoju duše). Čovjek je prije svega duhovno biće. Period: 100000 – 50000 g.p.n.e.

(4) Atlantida - Prva etapa, najnapredniji period Atlantiđana. Čovjek je kombinacija duhovnog (telepatija, levitacija, astralna putovanja) i fizičkog bića (nauka, tehnologija). Period: 55000 – 50000 g.p.n.e.

(5) Atlantida - Druga etapa. Traje do 28000 g.p.n.e. Odlikuje se još uvijek dominantnom ulogom duhovnog.

(6) Atlantida - Treca etapa. Od 28000 – 10000 godina prije nove ere. Materijalna stvarnost preuzima dominaciju; spiritualno se počinje zloupotrebljavati od strane elita. Naučni i tehnološki vrhunci ("zlatno doba", etapa punog prosperiteta i sreće, kako su ga i grčko-rimski povijesničari zvali).

(7) Post-atlantska epoha – 10000 godina prije nove ere - do danas. Ona uključuje pra-indijsku kulturu (stariju od "stare Indije"), slijedi pra-perzijska, egipatsko-haldejska (uključujući Babilonce i Asirijce), grčko-latinska te, kao posljednja, današnja ("materijalističko-kršćanska") kultura.

Osnovna razlika između "znane" i "alternativne" povijesti je u tome da na čovjeka ne gledamo kao na prosto fizičko biće i alate koje koristi.

Bitan zaokret nastaje u momentu kada se na čovjeku vrše genetske promjene koje su ga odvojile od životinjskog carstva. Na taj način su ga načinile podobnim da ga nastanjuju duše, koje prolaze kroz životne lekcije (reinkarnacija) i duhovnu evoluciju. Čovjek, dakle, postaje složeno, kompleksno biće.

Civilizacije koje su slijedile bile su zapravo borba za dominaciju između dvije dimenzije: duhovne na jednoj, te umne i fizičke supstance tog bića, na drugoj strani. Kako je vrijeme odmicalo tako je granica između ova dva svijeta postajala sve čvršća. Duhovni organi i spiritualne sposobnosti su ustupali mjesto fizičkim, čulnim. Korištenje energije duhovnog svijeta i energije Planete Zemlje je zamjenjivano korištenjem gole snage mišića te, vremenom, mašina (industrijske i tehnološke "revolucije").

Zbog toga i tvrdimo da razvoj čovjeka nije evolutivan: nije išao od primitivnog prema naprednom čovjeku. Naprotiv. Zadnjih stotinu tisuća godina se krećemo od naprednog, spiritualnog bića prema primitivnom, fizičkom čovjeku. Pređen je put od svemirske harmonije u društvu i unutar nas, do oholosti i sebičnosti kojom degradiramo prirodu i naše socijalno tkivo.

U dosadašnjim postovima predmet mog interesa je bila epoha prelaza iz treće etape Atlantide u post-atlantsku etapu. Kameni spomenici širom svijeta djelo su Atlantiđana prije 10000 – 12500 godina. Počev od Srednje Amerike (Teotihuacan), Egipta (piramida i sfinge) do Irske (Tara) i Engleske (Stonehenge i Salisbury Tor).

Današnji post prikazat će jedan od najbriljantnijih dokaza Atlantskog uma: megalite u Francuskoj i diljem Europe.

Malo poznati, slabo istraženi i prepušteni zaboravu, tisuće kamenih monumenata od obala Bretanje na Atlantiku do juga Francuske na Mediteranu nažalost ne predstavljaju bog-zna-kakvu turističku atrakciju.

Ne poklanja im se nikakva pažnja.

Nikolina (moja sestrična) me sinoć pitala pa zašto ti Atlantiđani, ako su postojali, nisu ostavili neku kapsulu znanja kao dokaz svoje civilizacije? Jer, naš moderni čovjek takve kapsule šalje i u svemir i ostavlja ih na Zemlji za buduća pokoljenja pokazujući u njima svoja dostignuća.

Da bi se čitale te informacije potrebne su oči, um i kompjuter.

Atlantiđani su bili mudriji. Ostavili su nam dokaze svog postojanja za koje su nam dovoljne samo oči i um. Ne trebaju kompjuteri, CD-plejeri i video rekorderi.

Krenimo od arheoloških nagađanja.

"Preko tri tisuće uspravljenih kamenih blokova, aranžiranih u avenije, predstavljaju najneobičniji megalitski monument u Europi. Ogromni blokovi i zemljani brežuljci podignuti u pretpovijesti svjedoče o svetoj pokrajni oko Karnaka (Carnac) u Francuskoj. Podignute pred više od 6700 godina ove kamene strukture su među najstarijim u svijetu. Da li su imali astronomsku ili religijsku svrhu?" (Nigel Pennick, "The Megalithic Avenues of Carnac", 1998, Barnes & Nobles)

(Nekoliko slika iz pokrajne se može naći na web site-u: http://www.paleologos.com/brittany.htm)

"Okrug Karnak je poznat po pretpovijesnim grobovima i jedinstvenom tipu struktura, kamenim nizovima. Ove avenije su u prosjeku po 1,5 km dugačke i stotinjak metara široke, sagrađene od višestrukih redova kamenih blokova. Pojedini nizovi su dugački i po 6 km i paralelni su sa stranama svijeta. Pojedini nizovi završavaju sa kružnim i kvadratnim formacijama, a pojedini sa natkrivenim blokovima ili podzemnim kamenim odajama. Serija radiokarbonskih testova je otkrila da su grobovi, koji se nalaze uz ove kamene objekte, stari po 5500 godina. Samo pored Karnaka postoji oko 100 podzemnih prolaza čija je starost jos veća (Kercado grobnica potice iz 3800 godine prije nove ere)." (Jacquetta Hawkes, "Atlas of Ancient Archeology", 1975)

"Imam osjećaj čuđenja i frustriranosti: čuđenja zbog motiva koji su insipirirali drevnog čovjeka za takav građevinski poduhvat, a frustracije zbog moje nemogućnosti da shvatim značenje tog poduhvata. Profesora Thom Alexander koji vjeruje da je pronašao jedan od ključeva misterije. Nekoliko milja istočno od Karnaka leže četiri velike stijene, odlomljeni komadi velikog "Vilinog kamena". Dok je bio uspravan, visina mu je bila oko 27 metara. Nakon dužeg proučavanja profesor Thom tvrdi da je ovaj megalit imao funkciju univerzalnog mjerača Mjesečevog kretanja. Ostali kameni nizovi su vjerovatno bili kompleksni grafikoni kao osnova za rješavanje matematičkih i astronomskih problema." (Robert Morrison, "Megaliths: Europe's Silent Stones", 1979)

Teorije da su kameni blokovi podizani u znak "Boginje plodnosti", ili simbol "obožavanja krave" (?), za "obranu od poplava" (?), kao "grobnice" ili slično, nisu vrijedna spomena. Kao ni skrnavljena megalita u rimsko doba (Rimski vojnici bi uklesavali likove svojih bogova) ili u kršćansko doba (cementiranje križeva na vrhovima blokova u posljednjih nekoliko stotina godina).

Nedaleko od Karanaka je mjesto Gavrinis sa svojim kamenim prolazom i centralnom odajom usječenom u zemljanom brežuljku. Ulaz je okrenut sjeveroistoku tako da zraci izlazećeg Sunca padaju u centralnu odaju samo jedanput godišnje - tokom zimskog solsticija. To je istovremeno dan kada Sunce umire i kada se ponovo rađa. U kamenim blokovima su uklesani još nerastumačeni simboli, spirale, krugovi.

Gavrinis je identičan Irskom Newgrange-u. Isti arhitekta, isti građevinar.

Stotine kilometara južno, istočno i sjeverno od Karnaka, leže tisuće i tisuće kamenih megalita: Europa je preplavljena njima.

U Španjolskoj su megaliti od Los Millares-a do Almerie i Menorce; u Italiji idu južno do Sardinije, u Nizozemskoj su trilitoni pronađeni u Drenthe-u, u Belgiji su u Weris-u, u Njemačkoj su u Visbek-u, u Danskoj su u Tustrup-u, u Škotskoj su u Callanish-u. O Irskoj, Engleskoj i Velsu sam već pisao.

Sada je vrijeme da odgovorim na pitanje što su oni stvarno predstavljali?

Megaliti ("gigantski uspravljeni kameni blokovi") su postavljeni od strane Atlantiđana i njihovih potomaka za astronomske i geodetske svrhe.

Zvijezde su korištene za mjerenje Zemlje. I obrnuto. Površina planete Zemlje je korištena da bi mjerila zvijezde.

Megaliti, zemljani humovi, kameni spomenici, kameni prolazi i pećine... su korišteni da označe nebeska tijela na zvjezdanom nebu! Mnogi megaliti imaju uklesane reljefe koji identificiraju pojedine zvijezde prema kojima su megaliti orijentirani. Oblik megalita, uklesani simboli, njihov međusobni odnos i rastojanje... sve to daje dovoljno informacija da se prepozna zvijezda.

Zemljani brežuljci i kameni spomenici su aranžirani u grupama i na taj način oslikavaju pojedine zvjezdane grozdove. Izgled pojedinih kamenih prolaza i raspored pećinskih odaja u umjetnim brežuljcima identificira se sa zvjezdanim konstelacijama (recimo Mliječni Put ili Veliki Magelanov oblak).

Mnogi megaliti imaju probušene rupe, isklesane krugove, elipse i spirale kojima se označavaju eklipse, raspored zvijezda (Sjevernjača, na primjer), zvjezdani i planetarni sistemi, galaksije, solsticiji...

Posebna paznja je poklanjana bojama pojedinih zvijezda. Korišteni su megaliti koji su sadržavali odgovarajuće boje. Na primjer, "Crvena Boginja" (die Rote Gottin) u Njemačkom Traben-Trarbach-u je megalit crveno-naranđaste boje i simbolizira zvijezdu Dubhe. To je jedina velika crveno-naranđasto-žuta zvijezda u sistemu Ursa Major. Slično je i sa dvije velike "crvene" zvijezde Antares i Aldebaran, koje su također predstavljene sa crvenim megalitima.

Engleski krajolik vrvi kamenim spomenicima. Stonehenge predstavlja zvijezdani sistem Plejada. Wiltshire je Andromeda. Kamene pećine u Kentu su Mliječni put, a Devon je Magelanov zvjezdani oblak. Zvijezde Sagitarijusa su u sjevernom Velsu... Uzme li se mapa Engleske sa njenim drevnim arheološkim nalazištima i predstavi se sa njenim astronomskim, nebeskim duplikatima... i zatim presavije, spoje se krajevi i formira lopta (globus)... dobit će se kompletna slika zvjezdanog neba! Sa Južnom polarnom zvijezdom na jednom kraju i Sjevernjačom na drugom. Sa Mliječnim putem i drugim susjednim galaksijama... sa svim glavnim zvjezdanim sistemima koji su imali važnu ulogu u razvoju čovjekove civilizacije (Plejade, Drako, Andromeda, Orion itd.).

Briljantno!

Granice megalita bi označavale manje ili veće zemljopisne regije. Ova, geodetska funkcija megalita, se može pratiti u Škotskoj. Tamo su regije (county) zadržale približnu veličinu, oblik i lokaciju koja odgovara zvjezdanim konstelacijama. Pertshire sadržava ime zvijezde PERSeus u PERTH-u. Megalitska središta u Pertshire-u kao Fowlis Wester simboliziraju zvijezde iz sistema Perzej. Relativna veličina i oblik Pertshire-a je imitacija spomenutog sazvjezđa!

Najviši megalit u srednjoj Europi, Gollenstein kraj Saarbrucken-a, simbolizira aždaju (odnosno sazvjezđe Hydra) koja je poznata kao "najduža" zvjezdana konstelacija. Megaliti se pružaju od Gollenstein-a označavajući drevnu prirodnu granicu sa Francuskom.

U pećinama kraj Torbay-a u Engleskoj pokrajini Kent, u kamenu je uklesano lice čovjeka. Nakon proučavanja modernim grafičkim metodama, otkriveno je da lice skriva u sebi mapu Afrike sa megalitskim simbolima. Profesor Andis Kaulins (University of Trier, Njemačka) se zaputio na put u Centralnoafričku Republiku, u mjesto Bouar, 1982. godine. Tamo je pronašao megalite na mjestu gdje su oni i prikazani na pećinskom licu.

Zašto baš ovdje? Zato što je ovo vrlo važna geodetska točka. Korištenjem metoda triangulacije pronađena je centralna točka Afričkog kontinenta u kojoj se dodiruju najduže kopnene horizontalne i vertikalne distance.

Pećina u Kentu prikazuje zvijezde koje su korištene za ovaj složeni matematički model: te zvijezde su Drako, Cefej (iz galaksije Mliječni put) i Kasiopeja.

Pećina iz Kenta nam govori toliko toga: prvo, da, mi smo bili tamo (u Africi), drugo, da, mi znamo višu matematiku, i treće, da, za nas gotovo da nema tajni na zvjezdanom nebu.

Zbilja nevjerojatno.

Vratimo se pitanju sa početka posta o tome koliko je zvijezda na nebu.

Ako je samo u Europi bilo stotine tisuća megalita, to znači da su Atlantiđani isti broj zvijezda sa noćnog neba obradili i kataloški sređen sa svim osnovnim informacijama. I ostavili ga pred našim očima kao spomenik svojoj mudrosti.

A naša, moderna astronomija je prve planete izvan Solarnog sustava pronašla tek u zadnjih nekoliko godina.

Pred nama je još dug put da počnemo razumijevati ostavštinu Atlantiđana. Koja nam bode oči i (trebala bi da) zaintrigira um.

Šetnja kroz povijest - GLASTONBURY TOR

Mistični brežuljak Glastonbury Tor na jugu Engleske sjecište je močnih podzemnih geomagnetnih tokova. Danas vidljive travnate terase su dio drevnog labirinta od sedam nivoa koji bi podizao energetski nivo potomcima Atlantiđana. Na vrhu Tora je bio kružni hram, a predanja kažu da su ovdje vrata između dvije dimenzije.

...Uglavnom, priča ide ovako: "Sasvim blizu jugozapadnog kraja Engleske, ispod površine mora, leže ostaci otoka Lyonesse. Negdje oko 18000 godina prije nove ere, u doba kada je većina ovdašnje oceanske vode bila dio sjevernih ledenih glečera (tokom posljednjeg ledenog doba), Lyonesse je bio spojen sa Atlantidom. Prolaskom tisuća godina kopno je ustupalo mjesto moru i preživjeli komadi iznad površine mora su nazvani Scilly Isles.

Stanovnici Lyonesse-a su se preselili na jugozapadni kraj Engleske i osnovali svoje "Sveto kraljevstvo Logres". Potomci Atlantiđana su tu živjeli stotinama godina. Bili su poznati po svojim tehnikama geomancije (proučavanje Zemljinih energetskih tokova) čime su ostvarivali svoju harmoničnu vezu sa svemirom. Imajući ogromno tehničko znanje i inžinjerske sposobnosti svojih Atlantskih predaka, oni su formirali zodijake na tlu zapanjujućih dimenzija (Roberts, "Atlantean Tradition in Great Britain").

Najveća takva zemljana skulptura Logres-a se nalazi u kružnoj pedesetokilometarskom okrugu u blizini gradića Glastonbury. Ona je jasno vidljiva (jedino) iz zraka. Dvanaest znakova zodijaka su formirani od brežuljaka, rijeka, puteva, šuma, naslaga zemlje i drugih vodenih tokova. Svaka glava figure zodijaka je okrenuta prema zapadu... prema matičnom kontinentu Atlantidi. Zodijak je tako spretno konstruiran da, u vrijeme kada je izgrađen, voda koju je donosila plima, bi do polovine prekrila zodijački znak ribe...

... Kako su se priče o herojima iz antičkih vremena prenosile kroz stoljeća, dominantne figure prošlosti bi postajale mitski karakteri ili bogovi. Posljednji kralj Atlantide bio je Votan. Milenijumima nakon nestanka Atlantide, Votan je smatran za boga koji je mogao da upravlja prirodnim silama i koji se borio protiv zmajeva (prema mitovima i legendama iz Velsa, Irske i Engleske). Sa dolaskom katoličke crkve u Britaniju počeo je sukob sa poganskim religijama. Sveti Mihajlo se stavlja kao zamjena Votanu. Posvuda se sistematski briše Votanovo ime iz legendi, na temeljima starih hramova se podižu crkve u čast kršćanskog sveca. Nekada su, u čast Votanu, bile obilježene energetski potentne točke u području od 350 km. Dolaskom kršćanstva, na ovim točkama je podignuto deset crkvi koje danas nose ime St. Michael: u Clifton Hampden-u, preko Glastonbury-ja do Land's End-a (Shirley Andrews, "Atlantis, Insights from a Lost Civilization").

Da bi se definitivno uništilo sjećanje na Votana, kršćani su označili drevnog antičkog heroja zlim. Mihajla su okružili dobrim anđelima koji se bori protiv Votana koji je predstavljen u obliku zmaja. Svetac uništava zmaja koji simbolizira đavola. Stotine godina intenzivne kampanje, kipovi i slike crkvenih svetaca koji ubijaju zmajeve i sotone, poslužile su za konačni obračun sa sjećanjem na Atlantidu.

Pitomi zeleni brežuljak nadomak gradića Glastonbury, 220 km zapadno od Londona, zove se jednostavno Tor ("vrh"). Putnici iz daleka su dolazili u ovo mjesto, jer legende kažu da je kralj Artur tu imao svoju utvrdu, da je Isusova sveta krigla ("Holly Grail") tu pohranjena, da je sveti Patrik tu sahranjen, da se tu nalazila prva kršćanska crkva; Tor je bio svetište u doba Kelta i Druida prije 2500 godina i smatran je za vrata prema Svijetu Duhova; Tor je, kako kaže znana povijest, bio svet i u megalitska vremena prije 4000 godina; i, na koncu, labirint Tora je formiran prije 8000 godina, kako kažu neki noviji izvori. Mitovi i legende govore o trokutu koji formiraju Stonehenge, Avebury i Glastonbury Tor. Kameni monumenti na ova tri mjesta su locirali močno svijetsko energetsko čvorište, Planetarnu čakru.

Predanja kažu da je na vrhu Tora nekada bio kameni krug kao i u Stonehenge-u. Iz pisane izjave jednog od lokalnih proroka, sredinom 1970-ih, čitamo slijedeće:

"Tor nije isti danas kao što je nekada bio. Jedan dio na vrhu nedostaje na kome je nekada bio izgrađen hram... kao što su bili Grčki hramovi, samo kružni. Unutar je bio prelijepi mozaik na podu koji je prikazivao zodijačke znakove. Unaokolo je bilo podignuto dvanest bijelih kamenih stupova. Ispod poda se nalazila skrivena odaja sa kružnim plafonom. Sedam čuvara u plavim odorama su neprekidno bdjeli. Park i vodeni izvori su ukrašavali ovo sveto mjesto. Ugodni mirisi su se širili tako da je Tor na svakog posjetioca djelovao ljekovito i smirujuće."

Trideset godina kasnije dolazi do uzbudljivog razvoja. Dvadeset druge veljače 2002. godine arheolozi Nancy i Charles Hollinrake objavljuju da su na vrhu Tora pronašli ostatke temelja koji izgledaju kao kružni antički hram!

Najstarija predanja govore o vilama i vilenjacima kao prvim bićima vezanim za Tor. Doduše, u tim vremenima, vile nisu bile ni nalik na naše današnje predstave o njima. Ova bića su opisivana kao visoka rastom, mladolika izgledom usprkos poodmaklom životnom dobu, i - lijepa ("fairies" odnosno "fair" u prijevodu znači lijep). Vilenjaci su tada povezivani sa određenim zvjezdanim konstelacijama: Plejadama, Sirijusom i Velikim Medvjedom (sedam zvijezda).

(Gle, koje li slučajnosti!? Svi zvjezdani sistemi o kojima pišem u toliko navrata.)

Predanja dalje govore o ovim bićima koja "donose znanje lokalnim ljudima, a posebno o astrologiji i liječenju." Slične mitologije susrećemo širom svijeta.

Tisuće godina su prolazile i sjećanja na ova bića postaju dijelom bajkica. Kelti ova bića personificiraju kroz prirodne sile i životinje. Vremenom, sa pojavom kršćanstva, daje im se negativni predznak, a zatim i osuđuje. Inkvizicija ima vodeću ulogu u suzbijanju narodnih predanja. Neke priče su ipak preživjele. Među njima i one o vilinim brežuljcima koji su bili šuplji. Unutrašnji realm je zvan Avalon (odnosno Annwn). Tako se i za Tor tvrdi da negdje postoji prolaz prema Avalonu, koji je nepoznato i mistično mjesto.

Predanja dalje kažu da postoji opasnost za one koji pokušaju ući u unutrašnjost Tora. Poseban problem je u postojanju razlike u vremenu između dva svijeta. U Avalonu se može izgubiti i skliznuti u prošlost ili budućnost. Srednjovjekovne kronike govore o iskustvima onih koji su, prema vlastitim izjavama, proveli po pola sata u unutrašnjosti Tora da bi, po povratku na površinu, shvatili da su prošla desetljeća u njihovom svijetu. Slijedeća opasnost bila je hrana. Vile su bile ljubazne i nudile su hranu i piće posjetiocima. Ali, oni ljudi koji bi prihvaćali ponudu i uzeli hranu, više ne bi dolazili natrag.

(Naravno, ovdje bi hranu mogli promatrati na simboličnoj razini kao magične moći ili napredno znanje savršenije civilizacije. Jer, tko jednom ovlada tim znanjem ne želi da se vraća na stare načine življenja.)

Kao što nase tijelo ima svoje akupunkturne točke te meridijane koje ih spajaju, tako i naša Planeta ima svoje geomagnetne linije koje spajaju naročito potentne energetske točke.

Atlantiđani su shvatili važnost i ulogu Planete u njihovom dnevnom životu. Geomagnetne linije su koristili za različite forme putovanja i transporta, za prijenos poruka i komunikacije.

Primjer Britanskih drevnih monumenata je naročito važan: antička mjesta su, u kojima se vidi trag napredne Atlantide, povezana putem ovih energetskih linija. A Tor zauzima posebno mjesto, jer se u njemu te energije sastaju, kombiniraju i završavaju. Što se više primiću vrhu tako njihov susret naliči na harmonični svemirski ples koji okončava ujedinjenjem.

(Mapa drevnih energetskih Planetarnih linija se može naći na web site-u: http://www.glastonburytor.org.uk/tor-leymap.html )

Rušenjem antičkih zvjezdarnica i hramova i izgradnjom kršćanskih crkvi, zatire se pravo značenje kamenih objekata na ovim putevima. Desetine novih crkava sa imenima svetog Mihajla i djevice Marije doveli su do toga da ove linije dobijaju ime po njima.

Ali, energetski ples se time nije završio. I danas, kao i proteklih milenijuma, misteriozna svijetla i dalje izranjaju iznad Tora; nekad pojedinačna, nekad u grupi, pojavljujući se i nestajući nepredvidljivo. Ukazuju se pred ljudima u svim bojama, od bijele i crvene do žute i zelene izazivajući interesantan efekat: to više nisu beživotne iskre već svjesna energetska stvorenja.

Gledajući iz zraka, brdašce Tor se doima kao netom donesen na ravnicu Glastonbury-ja. Sliči mi na brod koji se zaglavio u kopnu i samo traži način da ode.
Čitavom njegovom dužinom su travnate terase koje se podižu do sedam nivoa. Počinju na dnu i valovito se kreću ka vrhu Tora. Pažljivim proučavanjem da se zaključiti da je Tor gotovo identičan labirintima pronađenim na antičkim novčićima sa Krete i simboličkim slikama Majke Zemlje kod drevnih američkih Hopi Indijanaca.

Geolozi su jedinstveni u zaključku da Tor nije nastao djelovanjem prirode; terase koje formiraju labirintski put su plod inteligencije (pretpostavljaju da je starosti oko pet tisuća godina, jer se ne usuđuju ići dalje).

Na Kreti je opasni Minotaur bio zatočen u srcu labirinta. Na Toru put preko sedam terasa (koje su simbol sedam zemaljskih, ali i čovjekovih čakri) vodi do središta u kome se svako od nas mora suočiti sa svojom sudbinom: opasnim Minotaurom ili božanskim Ja. Dva i po sata uspona do srca Tora, i sat i po silaska do njegovog podnožja, je ritual podizanja energetskog nivoa kroz koji su prolazili potomci Atlantiđana.

Za obračun sa takvim močnim simbolom Atlantide kao što je Tor, kršćanstvo je osulo paljbu iz oružja najtežeg kalibra. I tvrde:

- Isus Krist je, kao dječak, posjetio Glastonbury Tor sa svojim ujakom Josipom od Arimateje i tamo napravio prvu kršćansku crkvu iznad zemljine površine;

- Nakon Kristovog raspeća, Josip se vratio na Tor, donio svetu kriglu iz koje je Isus pio na "posljednjoj večeri" i u njoj sačuvao Isusovu krv sa raspeća; zakopao je ispod Tora na ulazu u "Podzemni svijet";

- Uskoro je iz zemlje izbio podzemni vodeni izvor crvenkaste boje (zbog Isusove krvi ili zbog jakog prisustva željezne rude?) za koju kažu da donosi vječnu mladost onima koji je piju (čini mi se bliže istini da su Atlantiđani znali za ovaj izvor tisućama godina prije);

- U potragu za "Svetim Gralom" (kriglom) se uključio i "drevni kršćanski kralj" Artur poznat po svom štitu sa velikim križem (u stvarnosti, Artur je ime iz pred-kršćanskih keltskih vremena; još jedan primjer preuzimanja heroja iz narodnih legendi);

- Arturu su se pridružili vitezovi Okruglog stola, njih dvanaest (nažalost, dvanaest je preuzeta simbolika Atlantiđana i dvanaest znakova Zodijaka);

- I da bi priča bila potpuna, Arturu se u njegovim posjetama Toru pridružio (doduše u nekom drugom vremenu) i sveti Patrik, koji je tu provodio mjesece u molitvi i postu, da bi obojica tu bili i pokopani. Drugim riječima, od Tora je napravljeno prvorazredno kršćansko svetilište. (I točka.)

Engleska skulptorica Katharine Maltwood je (nanovo) otkrila postojanje divovskih zemljanih konfiguracija koje predstavljaju znakove Zodijaka. Objavljujući svoju knjigu "The Glastonbury Temple of Star" 1929. godine, detaljno je opisala raspored i konture pojedinih astroloških znakova. Mary Caine, engleska profesorica umjetnosti je, šest desetljeća kasnije, dodala bogatsvo novih detalja u opisu Zodijaka.

I ne samo to. Otkrila je slične zemaljske astrološke konfiguracije pokraj gradića Kingston-na-Temzi (Surrey).

Dvanaest znakova Zodijaka su raspoređeni kružno, u pravilnom nizu: od bika, blizanaca, raka preko lava, djevice i vage... U svojoj veličini mogu biti jasno sagledani samo sa visine od sedam tisuća metara! Obim zodijačkog kruga je oko 50 km!

Koliki je to bio građevinski poduhvat pomicati enormne količine zemlje i graditi umjetna brda, uklapati rijeke, kanale i šume u obrise koje će se moći vidjeti samo sa velikih visina...?

Nakon što su završili sa Projektom Zodijak, Atlantiđani su se upustili u novi: kreirali su svemirsku zvjezdarnicu upotrebom kamenih stojećih blokova. Naravno, mogli su predvidjati sunčeva i mjesečeva pomračenja, raspored pojedinih sazvjezđa...

Mnogi od ovih kamenih blokova su nestali do kraja XIX stoljeća. Kada bi zidovi obližnjih crkvi, krčmi i starih kuća mogli pričati, saznali bi tko ih je sklonio sa Tora, zatim razbio u komade i ugradio u nove objekte.

Ipak, jedan od megalita, zvani "Živi kamen" je i dalje na svom originalnom mjestu, na zapadnoj padini Tora. Postavljen je u smjeru istok-zapad. Postoje izvještaji da se, ako ga se dodirne u zoru ili pred zalazak sunca, može osjetiti blago električno strujanje.

Strujanje koje nam pomaže da ne zaboravimo drevna znanja.

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DJEVIČIN SAN

13 veljača 2006

Jedne večeri sam prešao s tvojom majkom
Prag tvoje sobe,
Opora djevice,
I vidio sam te kako spavaš
Tamo, na krevetu, ležala si nauznak,
Nepokretna bez daha,
Napokon savladana.
Ništa anđeoskog nije bilo u tebi, koja si spavala.
Bez sna, bez duše,
Kao što spava ruža.
I nešto se od tvoje boje
Bilo izgubilo.
Zatvorena lica, ukrućena
U nekom dalekom snu,
I naduta od potajnog previranja,
Rasla si spavajući, kao nekad
U mjačinu krilu.
I ja sam vidio, djevojčice,
Tvoj čudesni san.

Vincenzo Cardarelli (1887-1959)

CARDARELLI Vincenzo, pravo ime Nazareno Caldarelli, tal. književnik; r. 1887, u. 1959. Sa Baldinijem, Bacchellijem, Cecchijem i dr. pokrenuo časopis La Ronda (1919-23), kojim se zauzimao za "povratak redu" u književnosti, za nov, moderni klasicizam i ugledanje na Leopardija i Manzonija. C. piše intimnu liriku o svojem dobu, erosu i osjećaju ravnodušnosti, liriku smirena izraza i prividno hladnu (Pjesme, 1936), dok u lirskoj prozi kratka daha evocira autobiografske motive i tal. gradove i krajolike (Okomito sunce; Nebo nad gradovima).

Dragon Hunting Behaviour

~ Dragons as social, terrestrial animals
~ Dragons as social, aerial predators
~ Dragons as solitary predators
~ Conclusion

This essay will explain the hunting methods that dragons may use; two viewpoints have been taken into consideration when approaching this essay. The first will address dragons hunting in groups, the second looks at dragons as solitary hunters with the Western dragon used as a model.

Dragons hunting as a social terrestrial group:
To understand what hunting methods a group of dragons may use, we must look at the physical attributes of the dragon to determine what kind of pack-hunting animal it resembles today. Because the dragon is an endothermic animal, (and generally a large one) just like mammals and birds, this narrows down the spectrum of pack-hunters it could resemble in behaviour to large mammals; most members of the family Canidae, or dogs, the hyenas, (family Hyaenidae) and the lion, (Panthera leo). (Although male sibling cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus, sometimes form small packs called coalitions, it is not typical behaviour for the majority of cheetahs, so for the purposes of this essay, we will include as large mammalian pack hunters wild dogs, wolves [Canis lupus], hyenas and lions only.)

Between dogs, hyenas and lions, which group of animals would the dragon mimic closest in its hunting behaviour? To answer this question, we first need to take a look at each group and compare each group's physical attributes to those of the dragon.

Dogs, of which the wolf is the largest wild species, generally live in groups that can range in size dramatically. The wolf pack has on average about eight to twelve members, while the African Painted dog (Lycaon pictus) can live in packs of up to forty individuals, hunting twice a day. When moving off in search of prey, dogs mainly use their excellent olfactory powers to guide them to the prey. While dragons too would have an excellent sense of smell, their eyesight is famously their most exquisitely tuned sense. The chase in itself is reliant on the enormous stamina they possess; they have large lungs and heart to supply the necessary oxygen to the muscles. A dragon would also need a huge heart and lungs for the purpose of flight, which is extremely tiring. However, it is likely that dragons wouldn't have as great a stamina when running as opposed to flying, because the folded wings would add extra bulk, wind resistance, and stress on the body. A problem arises when you consider that most dog chases are run over large stretches. Maybe for convenience, dragons might employ an ambush technique to save themselves the added exertion. (Dogs occasionally use ambushing techniques, but it's not the usual scenario.)

The stamina of dogs is also helped by their light build. Here is where the dragon would differ from the dog, because dragons would probably have a highly muscular build. When the dogs catch their prey, their long narrow jaws are used to latch on to it. Their teeth are made more for a tearing action rather than to puncture, which would again differ from a dragon's teeth, which would be sharper and longer, the jaws stronger.

A dog's carnassial teeth are not as specialised for eating meat as those of a cat, reflecting the fact that dogs are not entirely carnivorous. The teeth of a hyena are even less specialised for meat, and are more geared for bone-cracking. Many people can't see dragons as being anything but true carnivores.

Hyenas hunt in roughly the same way as a dog. They are extremely successful hunters, and dispatch the prey quicker than dogs once it is caught. This may be due to their size (bigger than any dog) or their immensely powerful jaws. Dragons may have a build closer to a hyena than a dog, as hyenas have a heavier conformation, with the large jaws that dragons would possess also.

Hyenas are more closely related to cats than they are to dogs. The only cat that typically lives and hunts in groups is the lion. Cats are the most specialised mammalian meat-eaters, with teeth that function as scissors, rather than bone-crackers. They too have short, strong jaws like the hyena. Cat's teeth (and those of dragons) are designed for puncturing. The canine teeth are very long and sharp, and there is a gap (called a diastema) between the canine and incisor teeth to allow the canines to penetrate further into flesh unhindered.

The lion hunting method relies on speed rather than stamina. Cats are faster than dogs, but have comparatively smaller hearts and lungs, and so have less stamina. Here, dragons would differ, as explained previously, it would be necessary to have great stamina for flight. However, lions almost always ambush their prey, and this is directly related to their lack of stamina. Although they have fast acceleration and their top speed matches that of the prey, the prey can keep running for longer and so must be caught within a short time.

(Predatory animals such as cats and dogs get the speed required for running primarily by using the backbone as a spring. Their legs are nowhere near as long as those of horses, deer, and other prey animals, so the have to make up for this by flexing the spine enormously during running, which pushes the fore and hind feet further apart, lengthening the stride. Also, they have many more toes on each foot than the hoofed animals they chase, which also increases friction and slows them down. Cats and, hypothetically, dragons too, have more flexibility in their bodies than dogs and are generally faster. They also have shorter, more muscled limbs, so are able to spring off the mark faster, necessary in an ambush. As stated before, dogs use their qualities as long-distance athletes to catch prey.)

It is more probable that the dragon would use this technique, as its muscular conformation and large wings may make long chases difficult or impossible. The hunting team of dragons would set off together, keeping out of sight as much as possible. Unlike the dog-style of hunting, they would track their prey more through eyesight than scent. (Note: it is curious that lions rarely pay attention to wind direction when hunting; this may be due to their territory reeking of the cats anyway, which raises another interesting question; would dragons have a set territory or be nomadic?) As the dragons neared the prey, they would change formation into a semicircle to enclose the target. The dragons at one end of the circle would charge into the prey, which would run straight into the waiting animals. Because dragons are so powerful with fast reflexes, the prey would have little chance of escape. This is an efficient form of hunting, combining the stealth of a cat hunt with the strength in numbers of a dog hunt. In one hunt, a pride of lions was seen to kill seven wildebeest; which would be a fantastic boon for a group of dragons! As they have high energy demands, the more meat the better, and the more for each individual. The only problem is that after eating, dragons may be too full and sleepy to fly off if attacked, so are more vulnerable than usual. However, as dragons would probably be the top predator around, a group of them is unlikely to run into too much trouble (maybe only from neighbouring dragon groups?).

So, dragons probably utilised their speed and power in a hunt rather than their stamina. As flying animals, it makes sense to conserve as much energy as possible. But then, what if they were group aerial predators?

Dragons hunting in a group in the air:
Because dragons are flying animals, does this mean they would hunt in the air also? Aerial predators such as raptors usually catch smaller prey, because they generally have to fly off with it and a heavy carcass would be near impossible to carry. So dragons hunting in the air would likely hoist their kill off to a secluded spot. Scavengers that may steal the kill would be more likely to see the dragon if it was hovering in the sky than stalking on land, as it wouldn't be able to camouflage itself, and the very nature of aerial hunting means that it must be out in the open for at least a short time. Therefore there is a greater risk for aerial- hunting dragons of having their meal snatched (which is why they'd carry it away; which leads back to them hunting small, light animals).

On the other hand, if there were enough dragons to put up an effective defense, they may well hunt large animals as a team and eat where they kill. It probably depends on the size of the dragon and the size of its competitors. Since we have already discussed how a dragon group may hunt large prey on the ground, we'll focus here about dragon groups catching small animals. Because aerial hunters often kill small animals (in terms of relative size, not weight), each dragon in the group would likely have to kill its own animal.

When hunting in the air, the dragons would have to track their prey from a great height, so they cannot be spotted by the animals they target. It may however be seen by scavengers which generally have more acute vision than prey animals, plus the ability to see in 3-D. Because dragons are very intelligent animals, they may position themselves so that they are in front of the sun. This would make them hard to see against the glare.

After the dragons have chosen their targets, they would probably swiftly dive at once, each onto a different animal to heighten the surprise effect. The impact of a dragon's claws at such high speed may kill instantly, or at least stun. If any caught animals are still alive, the dragons may carry them back to the nest for the offspring to practice their hunting skills on, in much the same way as cheetahs do.

Dragons as solitary hunters:
Group hunting animals tend to have higher success rates than solitary hunting animals from the same family. Lions have a 33% success rate when hunting as a pride (a solitary lion has a 15% success rate, less than half that of a pride), though strictly solitary cats such as tigers, leopards, etc. have a 5-10% success rate. (An exception to this is the cheetah which catches its prey about 40% of the time and usually hunts by itself, but of course this may be to compensate the fact that its kills get stolen so often by stronger predators.) The highest success rate of all belongs to the African painted dog of South Africa, which kills in about 50- 70% of attempts. The difference here is that unlike many other dogs or lions, the size of the pack is directly related to killing success, the more animals, the better. In huge packs of 40 dogs, the success rate can soar up to 90%.

If dragons hunted alone, their physique suits them best to ambush hunting as explained earlier. Ambush hunters such as cats get their target in one in ten attempts. The hunting technique itself would be similar to what we have explored earlier, though the dragon may have to hunt smaller animals than group predators. It may also have to pay more attention to wind direction; because there is only one dragon in the territory instead of a whole group, there would probably be a lot less Draconic scent- markings around. After the animal has been caught, it may have to be dragged into cover, for as a solitary animal, the dragon would be much more prone to getting its kill stolen by packs of scavengers or opportunists. Once this is accomplished, the dragon has the leisure of eating from the carcass over the ensuing few days. If the dragon was to hunt in the air, it would use much the same tactics as a group of aerial dragons would use. It may even be more successful in this case, because one dragon would be easier to hide in the sky than a whole group of dragons.

Conclusion:
Would dragons hunt alone or together? The main animals the dragon resembles, dogs and cats, each have members of their families that go against the norm for the family. Lions are the exception in felines, hunting in a pride, whereas with typically pack- hunting canines, foxes hunt by themselves. Like the aforementioned mammals, it would probably differ between species of dragons, and the areas they habituate. In plains with a plethora of large herd animals, maybe groups of dragons would dominate the scene. In a heavily forested area, the prey is typically smaller, so individual dragons may be the best option. Also, co-ordination of a pack as an efficient unit would be much more difficult in this terrain, as there would be many obstacles such as trees, plants, etc, with visibility highly restricted. In a forested area it may also be unwise to hunt in the air, because prey would be harder to spot through the trees and harder to chase. This is not to say that a dragon couldn't sit in a tree and drop onto its target, a trick favoured by the Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) of South-East Asia and Borneo. On the whole, solitary aerial hunting may be a better option than hunting as a group in the air, for ease of hiding a single dragon in the air as opposed to many dragons.

Moonlight Serenade

12 veljača 2006

I stand at your gate,
and the song that I sing is of moonlight.
I stand, and I wait
for the touch of your hand in the June night.
The roses are sighing
a moonlight serenade.

The stars are aglow,
and tonight, how their light sets me dreaming.
My love, do you know
that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you, and I sing you
a moonlight serenade.

Let us stay till break of day
in love's valley of dreams.
Just you and I, a summer sky,
a heavenly breeze, kiss in the trees.

So don't let me wait-
come to me tenderly in the June night.
I stand at your gate
and I sing you a song in the moonlight.
A love song, my darling-
a moonlight serenade.

Glenn Miller (1904 – 1944)

performed by: Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998)

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Šetnja kroz povijest - STONEHENGE

11 veljača 2006

Atlantiđani su izgradili kameni kompleks Stonehenge koji je istovremeno imao ulogu svemirskog i astrološkog hrama, kompjutera, kalendara i međudimenzionalnih vrata.

Dugovječnost.

Naši preci su, u želji da produže životni vijek, vršili različite eksperimente. Svjesni snage energije u fizičkom svijetu, nastojali su da je ukrote i nađu originalnu primjenu. Prirodni energetski tok je prisutan u svakoj čestici materije i kao takav predstavlja medij kroz koje magnetne i gravitacijske sile mogu imati pozitivno djelovanje na ljudsko tijelo.

Pokojni dr. Wilhelm Reich je (ponovno) otkrio tu energetsku silu za koju su znali naši Atlantski preci i nazvao je orgonskom energijom. Svoje eksperimente je opisao u knjizi "The Discovery of the Orgone".

Britanski otoci su krcati prethistorijskim primjerima u kojima su neposredni potomci Atlantiđana svoje znanje prenosili na europsko kopno. Tu su povećali koncentraciju orgonske energije i izlažući joj se pozitivno djelovali na dugovječnost i zdravlje organizma.

Pripreme su bile složene i tražile su poštovanje strogih procedura. Prvo bi formirali duboku zemljanu komoru (bilo gradeći umjetne brežuljke ili kopajući ispod zemlje). Zatim bi komoru obložili pažljivo izabranim kamenim blokovima koji posjeduju karakteristična svojstva. Nakon gradnje drvenog plafona, pokrivali bi ga sa nekoliko slojeva gline i zemlje. U svakoj etapi bi se birala određena boja i tip zemlje, jer je bilo neobično važno da se izmjenjuju slojevi organske i neorganske materije. Na kraju bi se kompletni objekat obložio zemljom i grmljem.

Sada smo spremni da primimo prve posjetioce. Kandidati se relaksiraju, pročišćavaju i duhovno balansiraju. Odlaze u podzemne prostorije vjerujući da će im energetski tokovi podmladiti tijelo i um.

Iz Barnes & Nobles-ovog izdanja "Atlas of Mysterious Places" (1998), uz sliku povećeg umjetnog brežuljka u engleskom krajoliku citam: "Enigmatski Silburu Hill se diže iznad okoline pedesetak metara visoko na površini od dva hektara. Ovaj umjetni brežuljak je sagrađen oko 2750 godine prije nove ere i njegova namjena ostaje nepoznata."

Kako su doši do te godine ne znam; mogu misliti čuđenje arheologa i povjesničara pitali o svrsi ovog grandioznog građevinskog poduhvata.

Dvadeset šest kilometara južnije nalazi se još jedan pretpovijesni podzemni objekat za podmlađivanje, ali ovog puta kao sastavni dio mnogo poznatijeg kompleksa: Stonehenge.

Moderna oprema otkriva misterioznu energiju u nizu pretpovijesnih britanskih centara. Snaga energije varira sa razlićitim vrstama stijena, godišnjim dobima i dobom dana. Ultrazvučni valovi koje stvaraju kameni blokovi su naročito snažni prilikom izlaska sunca. Primjenom gausmetra, koji mjeri snagu statičnog magnetnog polja, uočava se neuobičajeno visoko prisustvo elektromagnetne energije koja cirkulira u i oko nedirnutih pretpovijesnih kamenih svetišta. Dodatni testovi su otkrili da kamen, sam po sebi, djeluje kao pojačivać energetskih tokova i generira energetske spirale.

Neophodno znanje da se konstruiraju posebno snažni energetski generatori putem kamenih megalita se prenosilo iz generacije na generaciju Atlantiđana. Sa gubitkom matičnog kontinenta, potomci Atlantiđana su zadržali to znanje i održavali ga na drugim kontinentima. Prvo bi izabirali naročito energetski potentna mjesta, zatim podobni građevinski materijal, obrađivali ga (kameni blokovi) i zatim ga transportirali.

I dalje se održavalo vjerovanje da kameni blokovi absorbiraju energiju iz svoje okoline i vraćaju je onima koji na tom mjestu održavaju svoje ceremonije.

Vrlo slični kameni krugovi su izgrađeni u pretpovijesno vrijeme i njihovi ostaci se vide i danas u Francuskoj, Engleskoj, Škotskoj, Irskoj, Meksiku... Ti su krugovi održavani usprkos prolazu vremena i nove civilizacije bi ih obnavljale.

Arheolog Geoffrey Bibby (Bibby, "Testimonu of the Spade") procjenjuje da se čitavih devet kulturnih (i zemljanih) slojeva nalazi ispod kamenog monumenta u Stonehenge-u.

Engleski plemić Earl of Pembroke-a pozvao je 1620. u posjetu svom imanju tadašnjeg kralja, James-a Prvog. Vidjevši u blizini grupu uspravljenih kamenih gromada, kralj je naredio da njegov arhitekta, Indigo Jones, prouči strukturu i podnese mu izvještaj. Jones je studirao arhitekturu u Italiji i dizajnirao nekoliko važnih zgrada u Londonu. Studirajući Stonehenge i uzimajući detaljne mjere, Jones je došao do slijedećeg zaključka: riječ je o ruševini Rimskog hrama posvećenog bogu Kelusu sa datumom izgradnje 79. godine A.D.

Naravno, lako je danas ismijati arhitektu Jones-a koji je morao kralju podnijeti nekakav izvještaj. Ali, četristo godina kasnije, znana nauka nije puno odmakla u svojim objašnjenjima mističnog megalitskog monumenta.

Iz desetljeća u desetljeće datum izgradnje se pomicao unatrag. Sa dvije tisuće na dvije i pol, pa na tri, pa na tri i pol... napokon, arheologija priznaje da je Stonehenge star najmanje 5500 godina, idući i do iznosa od 10000 godina ("English Heritage", Juni 1996).

U odgovoru ko su bili graditelji, ponovo sudjelujemo licitiranju: od Rimljana, pa Kelta prije njih, pa Druida, pa barbarskih plemena... Međutim, kada dođu u doba prije 5500 godina ponestaje im municije. Znana povijest ne priznaje iole napredniju humanu zajednicu tog doba.

U objašnjenju svrhe Stonehenge-a, još uvijek se nojevski drži glava u pijesku: to je, kažu, bio "centar religijskih rituala".

Zapravo odgovorih kroz prva dva pasusa odgovorili na sva ova "otvorena pitanja": tko i kada je izgradio Stonehenge (Atlantiđani prije 12500 godina) i zašto (energetski centar zajednice).

Ali, istina o Stonehenge-u je mnogo kompleksnija.

U središtu kamenog kruga nalaze se blokovi "bluestone"-a (kamen modra galica).

Najbliže nalazište ovog plavkastog kamena teškog 25 tona je u jugozapadnom Velsu, udaljenom 320 km! Centralni krug je izgrađen od sarsenita, sivkastog kamena. Najbliži kamenolom ovih megalita teških do 60 tona je u velškom Wiltshire-u. Zelenkasti kameni blok, "green sandstone", također iz južnog Velsa, ima uloga oltara ispred jednog od trilitona.

Otvara se more pitanja pred modernog čovjeka. Zašto ovoliko različitih vrsta kamena, kako su bili obrađeni, kako su prebačeni preko 300 km (more, rijeke i kopno - sugeriraju povjesničari), kako su postavljani u mjestu, a osobito kako su kamene grdosije podizane jedna na drugu formirajući zatvoreni krug?

Dokazivati da su "primitivni pećinski ljudi" našli načina da riješe ova složena tehnička pitanja bio bi uzaludan poduhvat. Nema sumnje da je jedan od dva odgovora vrijedna pažnje onaj o Atlantiđanima koji su koristili tehnologiju svoje izgubljene civilizacije. Kameni blokovi su lebdjeli po zemaljskim energetskim linijama... u točno određeno doba dana i u određeno godišnje doba kada su energetski tokovi najintenzivniji... i tako su prebacivani iz udaljenih regija.

Stonehenge je istovremeno imao funkciju svemirskog i astrološkog hrama, kompjutera, kalendara, i, na koncu, vrata u svijet duhova.

Astro-arheolog, američki astronom Gerald Hawkins je potvrdio ulogu Stonehenge-a kao zvjezdarnice: prilikom izlaska sunca za vrijeme ljetnog solsticija, sunčeve zrake bi izlazile između centralog kamenog bloka u unutrašnjoj "potkovici" i dva prednja megalita; Originalni Stonehenge je, naime, pored vanjskog kruga imao kamene blokove poredane u obliku potkovice u središtu, sa nekoliko desetaka manjih blokova. Svaki od njih je imao svoju ulogu i označavao je neku od celestijalnih, nebeskih pojava.

Pored ljetnog solsticija, lako se moglo pratiti izlazak i zalazak sunca za vrijeme zimskog solsticija, izlazak i zalazak mjeseca, te kretanja sazvjezđa iz zodijaka.

Sjedeći unutar Stonehenge-a, iskusno oko je moglo ocijeniti gdje će se sunce pojaviti, kakav ce biti raspored zvijezda te noći, koji je datum, kada i gdje mjesec izlazi, itd. U skladu sa kretanjem nebeskih tijela i njihovog utjecaja na našu Planetu, moglo se pripremati za pojedine događaje (sunčeva i mjesečeva pomračenja, efekti na psiholosko i duhovno tijelo, itd.). Dakle, Stonehenge je služio i za predviđanje događaja. Dekodirajuci raspored Stonehenge-a, astronomi su otkrili da postoji 56-o godisnji ciklus sunčevih eklipsi!

Pomicajući manji kameni blok od njegovog inicijalnog položaja, omogućavalo je pretpovijesnim (Atlantskim) astronomima da točno predvide važne mjesečeve i sunčeve događaje stotinama godina unaprijed. Zapravo, ovaj kompjuter se resetirao jednom u 300 godina. Pomakne se kamen za jedno mjesto. Jednostavno.

Nekada je Stonehenge bio površine nogometnog igrališta sa desetinama megalita. Danas je ostala samo četvrtina od kompjuterske mašine prošlosti. Vremenom su mnogi blokovi razbijeni i iskorišteni u građevinske svrhe, za podizanje puteva ili čak u turističke svrhe. Svojedobno su posjetioci mogli iznajmljivati čekiće u selu Amesbury i odvaljivati komade kamenih blokova za uspomenu. (Zapravo je posebna misterija kako je bilo što od Stonehenge-a ostalo u životu pored modernog čovjeka.)

Arheokriptografija je nova nauka koja polako ulazi u trag porukama koje nose drevni monumenti.

Pisao sam o razlozima zašto je prirodan centar Zemaljske zemljopisne (longitudinalne) dužine - Giza. Izbor britanskog Griniča kao nulte zemljopisne dužine je, naravno, bio politički nametnut.

Očigledne poruke drevnih piramida i megalita su prepoznatljive pažljivim istraživačima. Tako, na primjer, piramida Kukulkan ima četiri stepeništa, četiri ugla, 365 stepenica i devet terasa. Produkt množenja je broj 52.560. Ako uzmemo da je stvarna nulta zemljopisna dužina Planete Giza, onda se ova piramida nalazi točno na 119 stupnjeva, 42 minute i 10,51620648 sekundi zapadno. Pomnožimo li ova tri broja dobićemo 52.560. Drugim riječima, promatranjem karakteristika piramide (kamenog objekta) može se odrediti njegov položaj u odnosu na najpotentniju energetsku točku Zemlje - mjesto gdje su Atlantiđani izgradili piramide i sfingu.

Piramida Cuicuilco (o kojoj sam pisao na početku), je najstarija pronađena piramida sa kružnom osnovom. A krug ima 360 stupnjeva. Zemljopisna širina ove piramide je 19 stupnjeva, 18 minuta i točno 01,05263157894 sekundi.

Produkt tri iznosa zemljopisne širine nam daje rezultat od 360 stupnjeva!

Stonehenge je originalno imao 30 kamenih blokova na kojima je ležalo također 30 blokova. Ovih 60 blokova je formiralo perfektni krug (dakle, 360 stupnjeva). Rezultat množenja broja blokova i stupnjeva je (60 x 360) je 21.600. Položaj Stonehenge-a u odnosu na ekvator je 51 stupanj, 10 minuta i 42,3529411764 sekundi. Njihov produkt je također 21.600!

Što nam to govori? Da su graditelji Stonehenge-a znali za ekvator, da su znali da krug ima 360 stupnjeva, da im je globus bio podijeljen na zemljopisnu širinu i dužinu, da su im sve kamene strukture nosile poruku o svom položaju, i, na koncu, da im arhitekte pripadaju istoj školi.

Povjesničar Gerald od Wales-a (Giraldus Cambrensis), pisao je u dvanaestom stoljeću o Stonehenge-u u svojoj knjizi "The History and Topography of Ireland". On ga naziva "Plesom divova", jer je čuo priče da su giganti donijeli ove kamene blokove iz Afrike u Irsku i podigle kameni monument na planini Kildare. Kasnije je Aurelius Ambrosius, kralj drevnih Britona, naredio Merlinu da kamenje prenese iz Irske na Britansko kopno i konstruira Stonehenge.

Znamo da magični prsti Merlinovi nisu učestvovali u kreaciji Stonehenge-a.

Ali zato nam magija Atlantiđana oživi sa pogledom na ovaj vječni spomenik ljudskom znanju.

Imagine

10 veljača 2006

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger, rotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Imagine no possesions
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

John Winston Ono Lennon (1940 - 1980)

Dragon Phylogenetic Classification

~ Introduction
~ Domain to Phylum
~ A variable number of limbs
~ Reptilian ancestors
~ Convergent evolution?
~ Phylogenetic tree
~ Conclusion

Introduction:
Phylogeny: The development or evolution of a kind or type of animal (Concise Macquarie Dictionary, 1982, Doubleday Australia Pty. Limited). Phylogeny can also include taxonomic classification.
The purpose of this essay is to classify the dragon in both taxonomical and evolutionary terms. The main types of dragons that will be classified are as follows:

- Western dragon (four legs, wings either membranous or feathered)
- Eastern dragon (four legs, wingless)
- Faerie dragon (four legs, either one or two pairs of wings)
- Water dragon (four flippers, wingless)
- Dragoon (bipedal, four legs, two wings)
- Wyvern (two legs, wings either bat-like or pterodactyl-like)
- Wyrm (legless and wingless)
- Drake (four legs, wingless)
- Amphithetre (legless, feathered wings)

The dragon races that have multiple heads or other such ridiculous attributes, such as the Hydra, Amphisbaena or Naga will not be addressed in this essay.

For those not familiar with the classification scheme (first proposed by Carlos Linnaeus- who incidentally Latininsed his own name as if to classify himself!), it is explained below.
The main point is to lump organisms together into increasingly larger, more inclusive groups, using a hierarchical method of classification (Strickberger, 2000). Each step up this hierarchy contains more and more organisms, that are more distantly related to each other (ie. their common ancestor, from which they all evolved, is more and more ancient). (The more fundamental a feature is to a group of organisms, the earlier that feature evolved.)
The usual hierarchy is as follows:

- Species: animals that are most closely related to each other and can interbreed with fertile offspring.
- Genus: (plural- genera) groups of closely-related species. These can sometimes interbreed but the progeny is usually sterile (ie. a mule).
- Family: a group of related genera.
- Order: a group of similar families.
- Class: a group of orders that show similar characteristics.
- Phylum: (plural- phyla) a group of classes, although by this stage the features they share in common would be very fundamental.
- Kingdom: a group of phyla.

There are often also sub-phlya, sub-classes, superfamilies, etc(1*).

Domain to Phylum:
A relatively recent level of classification is the domain of life that an organism falls into. The level of the domain separates the Bacteria, Archaea and Eykaryotes. It also gives the bacteria and archaea a bit more importance, instead of classifying them at the same level as multicellular organisms, which they far outnumber both in terms of species diversity/ number and biomass(2*). The dragon is of course multicellular, and is a eukaryote. A eukaryote is an organism whose cell/s exhibit complexity in that they have a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles, as well as large cell size in general (Alberts et al., 1998).

Dragons have been further classified into the Kingdom Animalia. This should be relatively self-explanatory. Basically, animals rely on plants or other animals for food (heterotrophy) and cannot manufacture their own food (autotrophy) (Strickberger, 2000). Animals are also motile, that is, they can move around to better respond to environmental fluctuations. The Kingdom Animalia contains multicellular animals, ie. a jellyfish (phylum Cnidaria). The Kingdom Protozoa contains unicellular animals(3*), ie. a Paramecium (a ciliophorate).

Multicellularity has a lot of advantages. It allows for specialisation, ie. the formation of tissues and organs, each performing a different function. It also allows for greater size of the organism as a whole. Single-celled animals can only reach a certain size, or else their surface area to volume ratio is greatly affected (the more surface area an organism presents to the environment as compared with its overall volume, the more efficient its nutrient uptake). Also, multicellular animals can move much faster and thus their response rate to fluctuating conditions is increased correspondingly (Strickberger, 2000).

The dragon can further be classisifed into the Phylum Chordata. These animals have a hollow dorsal cord (like our spine), with a nerve cord (our spinal cord) running just above. They also possess gill slits at some stage/s of the life cycle, usually during embryogenesis (the more formative stages of growth and development in the embryo) (Mader, 2000).

A variable number of limbs:
Here, the dragons have been given their own class, Draco. Draco is Latin for dragon, and most phylogenetic names are Latinised or in Ancient Greek. Even though dragons have the outward appearance of a reptile, they have been placed into their own class for the following reasons:
Reptiles today are all ectotherms(4*), that is, they cannot regulate their body temperature internally but rely on external heat/ cooling sources instead. They are not "cold-blooded" as is commonly thought.
Reptiles also have a three-chambered heart (with the exception of the crocodile family, Crocodylia). Dragons have a fully developed four-chambered heart just like a bird or mammal. Furthermore, all living reptiles walk with their legs sprawled outwards, unlike dragons which walk with the legs tucked underneath the body (Benton, 1998).

Dinosaurs may had had all these features too, however dragons also have anywhere between 0 and 8 limbs, and breath weapons, which makes them vastly different from other vertebrates including dinosaurs.

Here, the myth of the dragon gets "in the way" of an effective classification. A wyrm and a Chinese dragon are the same type of animal, as is a Faerie dragon. These animals all differ in so many ways, especially with the number of limbs they have. Yet they are all dragons. It's like lumping snakes with lizards. Part of the dragon's beauty lies in its diversity, although this makes it far more complicated to classify.

This is the main reason why dragons have been given their own class, as simply giving them an order under the class Reptilia probably wouldn't be sufficient in describing their variability. Instead, the different dragon orders are based on the number of limbs the dragon has (limbs= legs + wings) and the type of dragon it is. This seems a logical way of putting it. Another way would have been to lump the Western dragons together, the Easterns together, etc. This would result in Drakes and Wyverns being more closely related to each other than Drakes and Chinese dragons. Drakes and Chinese dragons both have four limbs and no wings, whereas Wyverns have two wings and two legs. Both methods have their flaws, however there is no way of telling which is the correct method as there are no dragons to test the theories on!

However, a phylogenetic tree is not interested solely in classification; that in itself can be rather dull. Phylogenetics is also interested in evolution, so where did the class Draco originate from?

Reptilian ancestors:
For starters, the dragon wouldn't have evolved from the class Mammalia. If it had, then it must have taken a few evolutionary backsteps. For instance, mammals have a very efficient, highly insulating body covering: hair (Strickberger, 2000). The whole process of evolution is that originates through chance mutations, whereby some individuals of a species have features that allow them to survive and reproduce more successfully than others. Thus they pass on their genes, and their successful features, whereas other indivuals, less adapted to the environment, die off without reproducing (Mader, 2000). It is highly dubious that a mammal-derived dragon that has evolved to have a scaly hide would be better adapted to the environment than its furry neighbour. In fact, evolution would probably push for the extinction of these non-furred dragons in most circumstances (depending on the environment).

It is for a similar reason that dragons couldn't have evolved from the class Aves. Birds have an even more effective insulator than hair; they have feathers covering almost the whole body. Feathery wings make perfect aerofoils when viewed in cross-section (Attenborough, 1980), whereas the overall aerodynamics of a leathery dragon wing pale in comparism.

Dragons tend to display more features of an extremely advanced reptile than a mammalian or avian throwback, therefore they probably evolved from a reptilian ancestor. They have differentiated teeth, an upright stance, a reduced number of digits on fore and hindfeet, an endothermic metabolism; all of which reptiles in the form of dinosaurs had (or may have) evolved. This doesn't mean necessarily that dragons evolved from dinosaurs, just that reptiles have the capacity for advanced features more at home in the mammals, and so a quadrupedal reptile is the most logical possibility for a Draconic ancestor.

Convergent evolution?:
Here we will explain the confusion that can arise when attempting to classify dragons, citing the Faerie dragon as an example.

Faerie dragons come in two varieties: with one pair of butterfly wings or two. From an evolutionary point of view, this could come about in two main ways, and which one it is would decide how the dragon is to be classified. No-one could ever say for sure exactly how to classify an organism such as this- it has no fossil record to speak of, and as it is a mythical creature, there is no way to conduct DNA tests using molecular techniques either!

The first way is by convergent evolution. This is when two unrelated animals look the same, but only because they have both adapted to the same environmental niche (Strickberger, 2000). The most famous example is sharks and dolphins; both are fast, predatory marine creatures, however one is a fish and the other a mammal. As a result of their similar lifestyles they look the same. The same could be said with the Faerie dragons. The dragons with two pairs of wings may be an ancient lineage that has changed very little during the eons. The dragons with one pair of wings may be closer related to the Western dragon (they have the same number of wings and are phenotypically almost the same animal, just in a different size). The second group of Faerie dragons may have evolved to look similar to the first group because they live in the same habitat and hunt the same prey.

The second way that Faerie dragons may have come to have different numbers of wings is that originally, all Faerie dragons had two pairs of wings. After a while, the hind pair were reduced and disappeared altogether(5*). There would have to be an evolutionary advantage (or at least a neutral effect) for the dragon to lose the hind pair, such as not needing as much energy to fly as they only have to power half the number of wings (although there is less wing surface area left to provide lift). If this is the case, the new two-winged dragons must have been able to co-exist with the four-winged type so as not to drive them to extinction.

If the second theory proposed above is correct and two-winged Faerie dragons evolved from four-winged dragons, it must have happened so long ago that they are distantly related enough today to be considered separate. However, this still doesn't mean that they are more closely related to other six-limbed dragons (ie. the Western) than to the four-winged Faerie dragons.

The two varieties of Faerie dragon have thus been placed in separate orders, separate them from other six-limbed dragons. The reason for this is because both types of Faerie dragon have the same type of wing, a chitinous butterfly-type wing. If two-winged Faerie dragons had evolved from Western dragons, it seems exceptionally unlikely that they would revert from the bat-type wing to the inefficient butterfly-type wing. Therefore they are being separated from all other dragons and from each other, despite the fact that the four-winged variety probably gave rise to the two-winged variety. As stated above, this evolutionary process happened long enough ago for the two Faerie dragon types to be considered separate and classified into different orders.

Phylogenetic tree:
Here a diagram of a typical phylogenetic tree showing the class Draco has been created (fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Scaled phylogenetic tree (cladogram) of the Animal class Draco: Eukarya: Animalia: Chordata: Vertebrata: Draco

Note: To keep this diagram as simplified as possible, only the major families of dragons have been included. This diagram does not delve into genera. Latin names have not been assigned to each dragon family as this would further complicate things and be of very little, if any, relevance.

When reading a phylogenetic tree, it may be easier to start from the right-hand side. The names along the right represent the different dragon families, and the length of the horizontal lines inter-connecting them is indicative of the amount of time that separates those two families of dragons. The most ancient of seperations can be found on the left-hand side of the diagram. Therefore, the Dragoon and Western dragon (with membranous wings) diverged relatively recently from each other as one took to a bipedal stance. The two dragon groups that would eventually evolve feathered wings (Western dragon and Amphithetre) diverged from the other Western-type dragons further back into the past.

Moving to the left-hand side, we see that the first major split in the class Draco occurred when the Faerie dragons split off into their own sub-class, made up of two orders- each consisting of one family. The next dragon order (again consisting of a single family) to branch off were the Water dragons, then all the dragons that would remain wingless, and so on. The line that appears on the far left indicates the common ancestor to all dragons.

For Fig. 1, the assumption has been made that a more inefficient wing type is a result of that type being more ancient. Therefore, the Faerie dragons with two pairs of wings are placed as the oldest dragon type, as the butterfly-wings they have are very inefficient. All the other winged dragons evolved from the Wyvern (with pterodactyl-type wings), and later developed the typical bat-type wing. The last type of wing to evolve included feathers, as this is the most aerodynamic wing of all. Dragons with feathered wings (Western dragons and Amphithetres) would most probably be completely feathered, the former retaining its legs while the latter sacrificing them for increased streamlining, undoubtedly evolving a long muzzle in the process in order to catch prey on the wing.

It should be mentioned that, although dragons with more than four limbs have been included, in reality no vertebrate has ever had more than four. If dragons roamed the skies today, the Wyvern would be most likely all you would see (not that that wouldn't be rewarding!), and the Eastern dragons on the ground. Regarding the feathered-winged dragons, feathers are typically the mark of a bird (class Aves), although some dinosaurs probably possessed them. These dragons, were it not for their breath weapon and extra limbs, could just as easily fit in with the avians or the Archosaurs as in Draco.

Note: a typical phylogenetic tree uses mainly genetic markers (hence the name phylogenetic!) to classify evolution of species, however we obviously don't have the luxury of available dragon genetic information. So, this really is an educated guess. A fair amount of time has gone into planning this tree, so you can be assured it is by no means haphazard. Although we feel this is the most logical classification of the dragon, there are probably multiple ways it could have been achieved.

"Technical" notes:
Although the cladogram is illustrated in the typical molecular phylogenetic format, this is impossible for the dragon and so it was derived using morphological means only. It was diagrammed this way as the typical morphological cladogram cannot map time differences between nodes, whereas for obvious reasons, the molecular cladogram can illustrate divergence times. Making assumptions on divergence times based on morphology of "extant" forms may be folly, however as the dragon is a mythical creature it simply serves to add an extra dimension to the diagram. In Fig. 1, the sister taxa may be grouped as follows: Dragoon with Western dragon/ membranous wings; Western dragon/ feathered wings with Amphithetre, etc.

Conclusion:
It is hoped that this essay has conveyed a greater understanding to the reader about the evolution of the dragon, or at least introduced some new, hopefully interesting, concepts. Although an essay of this type about dragons could never hope to be 100% accurate, we hope it at least partially achieved this. If dragons were alive their evolution may have followed a similar path to the one proposed above.
The reason that the dragon is only separated at the family level and not at the genus or species level (in fig. 1) is that the dragon itself is such a subjective creature, and there are countless portrayals of it. As such, there are also no wrong answers when it comes to classifying it.

1* Here is an example of the classification in use:

- Species: Canis familiaris (the lovable domestic dog).
- Genus: Canis, including dogs, wolves, coyotes, etc.
- Family: Canidae, including the genera Canis as well as others such as Vulpes (foxes).
- Superfamily: Canoidea, (dog-like carnivores) includes canids, bears, mustelids and procoyonids, that all differ from other (cat-like) land carnivores by several anatomical features. (Bay Books, 1972.)
- Order: Carnivora, (mostly) meat eating-animals, including not only the canids, but ursids (bears), mustelids (weasels, stoats, wolverine, etc) and other families of carnivorous mammals.
- Class: Mammalia, animals that possess mammary glands, are endothermic, and are covered in hair or fur.
- Sub-phylum: Vertebrata, the notochord in Chordates in replaced in adults by vertebrae made of bone or cartilage (Strickberger, 2000).
- Phylum: Chordata, possess a hollow dorsal notochord, nerve cord, post-anal tail, and gill slits during embryogenesis.
- Kingdom: Animalia, multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
- Domain: Eukarya, organisms with membrane-bound organelles in the cells.

2* Bacteria and archaea used to be classified in the Kingdom Protista, which put them at the same level as the plants (Kingdom Plantae) and the animals (Kingdom Animalia).
Bacteria and archaea differ from eykaryotic organisms in that they have a much simpler cellular structure, with a single circular chromosome, no membrane-bound nucleus, mitochondria/ chloroplast or other organelles, and the size of the cell itself is also smaller. They can also be termed prokaryotes. All Bacteria and archaea are unicelluar. They also differ from each other in a variety of ways.
3* The term "animal" is applied very loosely here, as "animal", strictly speaking, applies to multicellular organisms.

4* Palaeontologists have been debting for ages the theory of dinosaurs being endotherms, like mammals or birds, and the jury is still out on the verdict. One of the most vocal debaters for endothermy is Robert T. Bakker, with his famous book, "The Dinosaur Heresies".

5* This reduction of the second pair of wings is visible in insects. Some, such as flies and mosquitoes (order Diptera), have the second pair reduced to a pair of knobs called halteres which aid in flight (Pinchin, 1986).

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Dragon Longevity

~ The Heartrate
~ Cellular membranes and free radicals
~ Brain size
~ Telomeres
~ Genetic defects
~ Conclusion

This essay will explore the average lifespan of a typical dragon, bringing into play a discussion on its heartrate compared to comparable animals and also the structure of telomeres and their effects on cellular and individual ageing. Some of this essay concerns genetics, however if you have no prior knowledge, all the genetic terms mentioned are explained.
The 'typical' dragon used for this essay is the Western-type dragon, as it is probably the most famous and the one that normally springs to mind when the word 'dragon' is mentioned.

As this is an anatomy essay and describes the dragon's anatomy through purely scientific means, any form of supernatural longevity has been disregarded. It defeats the purpose of an anatomy essay and provides an all too-easy excuse to explain away some of the dragon's more outrageous traits. However, if you prefer to think of a dragon's lifespan as being extended through these means, you are more than welcome to. In that case, merely regard this essay as an interesting five-minute diversion.

The Heartrate:
It has been stated in countless fictional dragon stories that the beasts live for many eons; many thousands of years. Unfortunately, romantic and appealing though this view is, it is nigh-impossible for the scientifically-minded dragon. Here is why:

Dragons are flying creatures. This requires an enormous amount of energy and results in a fast metabolism (Fox, 2003). During the strenuous ritual of flight, the heart of even the fittest dragon would be beating extremely fast in order to pump oxygen around the body, especially the flight muscles. As dragons aren't the massive, house-sized animals they are often viewed as, as this would make at least powered flight impossible, their heartrate (governed by metabolism, activity level, etc) would be comparable to that of an active mammal of similar size (possibly a horse).
Generally speaking, larger animals have slower heartbeats than smaller animals (Fox, 2003). Mice have far faster heartbeats than us, and we have faster heartrates than a elephant. Disregarding medical interventions and other lifestyle changes in the case of humans, the smaller animals have shorter lifespans than larger animals (Fox, 2003). Mice live for a maximum of five years, whereas an elephant isn't even sexually mature at this age. It has been shown that a heart is only "good" for a certain number of beats, that is, there is potential for a certain number of heartbeats before an animal dies. Obviously it follows that a smaller animal with a faster heartrate would use up its beats faster than a larger creature.

From the above, a dragon may therefore live only about as long as a horse, (maybe a bit extra as it has a more sedentary lifestyle, as do most predators). This gives a maximum age of around thirty years, far from the historical, centuries-old dragon1*. However, there is more evidence to be examined before we can conclude with this figure....

Cellular membranes and free radicals:
Recent research has shown that not only do larger animals have comparatively lower metabolisms, their cellular membranes are far more resistant to the degrading effects of free radicals released from breakdown of foods (Fox, 2003, see also Achenbach, 2003). As Pamplona et al. (2000, p. 169) state: "free radical damage is currently considered a main determinant of the rate of aging", with unsaturated fatty acids (such as those in cell membranes) most vulnerable to oxidisation.
Small animals have far less watertight cell membranes than larger ones, allowing much faster exchanges of gases and nutrients with the bloodstream, but this also means that their cells are damaged easily (Fox, 2003).
This research also discovered that certain components in cell membranes are more or less at risk of being oxidised by free radicals (Fox, 2003). It has been long known that birds enjoy far longer lifespans than mammals of similar size and metabolic rate (Herrero and Barja, 1998). This may be due to the makeup of their cell membranes. The fatty acids found in avian membranes contain less omega-3 PUFA (of an extremely unsaturated type) than mammalian membranes (Fox, 2003). As this fatty acid "tail" is unsaturated, it is quite prone to oxidation by free radicals. As birds have less of this substance, the life of the cells and of the individual may be prolonged, due to the cells suffering less damage as a by-product of normal metabolism (Fox, 2003).

Studies into some cage bird species have shown that the mitochondria (the cellular organelle in animals that is responsible for respiration) leaks fewer free radicals than those of mammals and subsequently produce less hydrogen peroxide (Herrero and Barja, 1998). As a result of less free radical production by the mitochondria, the DNA is exposed to these harmful substances relatively infrequently, and is therefore more protected from damage (Barja,1998). This could lead to the very slow ageing found in birds as compared to mammals, and has been suggested to be more important in determining longevity than metabolism (Herrero and Barja, 1998).

So what implications does this have for dragon longevity? Dragons are essentially composite creatures, and many avian features are incorporated into their anatomy and physiology. It is possible they may share the advantageous cell membrane structure outlined above. Birds live about twice as long as a similar mammal at any given metabolic rate (Fox, 2003). As dragons are partly avian, this could add an extra 10-20 years to their lifespan (as a rough estimate), bringing it up to 40-50 years. "Wear and tear", such as the inevitable injuries sustained while hunting, may whittle this down slightly (though no more than it should for a predatory bird), however it is still far longer than a comparatively sized mammal. Another offset to this long lifespan (as compared to a mammal) is that the dragon must ingest more food than a carnivorous mammal in order to provide enough energy for flight. This would in turn create even more free radicals in the body, which in turn may be limited by the avian-like mitochondria in the cells.

Brain size:
The carnivorous tendencies of the dragon are well-known; and it has already been established in the Western dragon anatomy essay that the creature also is an avid flyer and possesses excellent senses suitable for its role as a top predator. All of these factors would contribute towards a large brain relative to its size. It is probable the dragon would have evolved a brain (the degree of brain development during evolution is termed "encephalisation" [Hofman, 1983]) as large as that of a wild dog (eg. a wolf Canis lupus), which are generally considered to be very intelligent.

Hofman (1983) has theorised that brain size, coupled with metabolism (covered earlier) and body weight, have a limiting effect on the lifespan of mammals. Mammals have the largest brains relative to their size of all animals, and although dragons are not strictly mammals per se, they do share the feature of a large brain and so are comparable in this way more than other vertebrate classes. Hofman's research, when applied to the high degree of encephalisation in the dragon, may limit its lifespan somewhat. This could mean that the 40-50 years stated above should be reduced slightly to take this into account. Perhaps an average dragon would live a couple of years shy of this age? Hofman's statements concerning metabolism rate as a longevity factor in mammals have not been applied to the dragon, as Herrero and Barja (1998, p. 133) say: "birds have a maximum longevity... much higher than mammals of similar body size in spite of their high metabolic rates", and dragons resemble birds with regards to this feature much more than they do mammals.

Telomeres:
Now we come to the theory proposed by geneticists, concerning the effect/s that telomeres may have on ageing.

Telomeres are repeating sequences of DNA that occur at the ends of chromosomes (Achenbach, 2003). Every time our somatic cells divide through mitosis, the DNA needs to be replicated so that there is two copies, enough to go into each of the daughter cells. For the purposes of this anatomy essay, we can say that the telomeres at the ends of the chromosomes become shorter with each cell division (Achenbach, 2003).
It is thought that these telomeres protect the ends of the chromosomes, because without them, the chromosomes tend to start sticking together. This can create problems during mitosis ([somatic] normal cell division) and meiosis ([gametic] reproductive cell division). In fact, it has been shown, as stated by Kanungo (1994), that "critical deletion (of telomeres) causes cell death" (p. 239). Therefore, older or mature individuals would have shorter telomeres than younger individuals, as they have undergone more cell divisions. It is thought that the length of the telomeres has an effect on ageing; as individuals with unnaturally short telomeres (eg. Dolly the cloned sheep) tend to age and die quicker than 'normal' individuals2* (Knight, 2003).

The point is this: the theory is that telomeres have a limiting effect on cell division and therefore the lifespan of the cell and of the individual.
Telomeres may be continually lengthened by the enzyme telomerase. This enzyme is present in reproductive cells (if not, then every time the reproductive cells divided to produce sperm or ova, the telomeres would keep shortening, resulting in offspring with progressively shorter telomeres through successive generations).
Telomerase is also present in stem cells, which give rise to other cell types, and cancer cells. It is the presence of telomerase that helps cancer continue to spread without check where a normal cell would 'suicide' after a while (apoptosis, or programmed cell death).

How could a dragon possibly live for millennia if its cell division was limited by the length of its telomeres? It is very simple: it couldn't. You may argue that dragons may have the telomerase enzyme in all of their cells, but that raises two points:

1) Why dragons? What makes them more special than other creatures? Ignoring their mythological origins, they are the same as any other animal;

2) The incidence of cancer in a species whose cell divisions know no boundaries would be much higher than other beasts (Achenbach, 2003). There are many checkpoints a cell must breach before becoming cancerous, still, inherent unlimited cell division would markedly increase cancer rates.

Genetic defects:
Here we will see why exceptional longevity may be ultimately harmful to an organism. The following section will explain why.

The DNA molecule is made up of 'base pairs' or "nucleotides". The sequence of these nucleotides is unique between individuals, with the result that everyone is different in appearance, behavior, and everyone has a slightly different genome to others, generating genetic diversity. (Even 'clones' don't have exactly the same DNA as their genetic donor- their mitochondrial DNA differs.)
If you are thinking that identical twins are exactly as the name implies because they came from the same fertilised egg, you are half right, and that leads directly into the realm of DNA replication errors and random mutations. It is true that, at first, identical twins are exactly identical, even down to their mitochondrial DNA. However, every time DNA replicates itself in preparation for mitosis, there are substitutions that occur between the base pairs.

The aforementioned nucleotides come in four different types (disregarding Uracil in RNA). These are: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine and Thymine. Adenine pairs with Thymine and Guanine with Cytosine. Sometimes, when DNA is replicating, a nucleotide may be switched with another and even transformed into another. This happens at a very low frequency, as few as once per billion base pairs replicated (there are three billion base pairs in the human genome), however these substitutions can mount up over successive cell divisions, leading to differences in phenotype (the appearance of an individual, a result of the interaction of their DNA and the environment they live in). Therefore identical twins are only truly identical just after fertilisation.
The process of obtaining mutations in the DNA sequence can be sped up by exposure to chemicals, drugs, radiation, etc. These can cause base pair deletions, additions, substitutions, or can affect whole genes or even whole chromosomes (these types of mutations will not be discussed here). These changes in the genes can cause the genes to malfunction, or not produce enough of a certain protein, or produce too much continuously; the effects can be very wide-ranging. When all these mutations build to dangerous levels, the cell will undergo apoptosis, or suicide. This death is to prevent the cell from becoming cancerous or producing certain substances which could endanger the entire organism.

If a dragon lived for thousands of years or even many hundreds of years, then it would gradually accumulate many mutations in its DNA (although, like birds, probably would have a high DNA repair rate [Barja, 1998]). As mentioned earlier, it would need the enzyme telomerase in order to survive this long, and this unlimited cell division in addition to the accumulated genetic mutations would be extremely dangerous to the animal's health.

Research at the University of Michigan has even discovered that certain cells possessing the following types of surface proteins: CD44 and ESA, as well as lacking the protein CD24, commonly gave rise to tumours even when only a small amount were present (Ananthaswamy, 2003). Some stem cells (cells which differentiate into many varied cell types) also contain these proteins (however it should be noted that many other cell types developed into tumours at a much lower frequency) (Ananthaswamy, 2003).

Conclusion:
From the main points of the essay, an estimate of the typical dragon's lifespan has been proposed: 45 years (give or take a bit). This of course is not static, as it differs between individuals depending on their species, lifestyle habits and genetic makeup. Some wingless, sedentary, possibly ectothermic dragons may live as long as the great tortoises of the world, that is, up to two centuries, while small Faerie dragons would probably be the shortest-lived of the dragons, perhaps living as long as a mouse (an average of three years, though five may be a more likely lifespan) (Achenbach, 2003). Dragons that have less stress in their lives, ie. are fighting fewer knights in shining armour, ingesting less pointy jewellery with their virgin maidens, would perhaps enjoy a considerably longer life than their village-plundering brethren.

An extremely long-lived dragon would be at risk of contracting cancer, or would die if its genes were so mutated they were non-functional. If telomerase wasn't present in all cells (and there is a very remote chance it would be) then each division would shorten the telomeres. It could possibly be argued that the telomeres in dragons may be excessively long to begin with, although this still leaves the problem of DNA mutations occurring, as well as the chromosomes themselves taking up too much space in the cell. Obviously telomere length, which has been honed through evolutionary processes, is already well-suited to each organism.

Although the dragon lifespan proposed is far shorter than usual thinking dictates, it doesn't make the creature seem any less noble or magnificent. Also, it is just a theory and you are perfectly entitled to believe dragons can live for millennia; in the end only your own opinion should matter and it is up to you.

1*This estimate is assuming mammalian/ avian style metabolism, rather than reptilian metabolism. Reptiles do live longer than comparably-sized mammals, however the dragon's lifestyle and energy needs doesn't fit with the reptilian model.

2*This is not to say that cloned animals have shorter lifespans than naturally conceived animals, which is the theme of an ongoing debate. Dolly the sheep was cloned from a mammary cell of a six-year-old ewe, and she lived for a further six years before dying (Knight, 2003). The average lifespan of her breed was twelve years, so her telomeres were twelve years old at the time of her death.

Šetnja kroz povijest - IRSKA TARA

08 veljača 2006

Newgrange, drevna Irska astronomska zvjezdarnica. Prvi sunčevi zraci na dan zimskog solsticija prodiru kroz kameni prolaz dramatično obasjavajući detalje na zidovima i svodu.

U razmacima od po nekoliko stotina godina uz Irsku obalu su pristajali brodovi različitih grupa; svi su oni govorili sličnim jezikom, jer im je kultura poticala od jedne, matične: kulture Atlantide.

Nakon potonuća Atlantide prije 12500 godina, vremenski i klimatski uslovi na Britanskim otocima su se znatno promijenili. Nestankom atlantskih planinskih vijenaca vjetar zapadnjak je zapuhao ovim prostorima; nestankom kontinenta, topla golfska struja se pružila do sjevera Europe i rastopila ledene gromade. Kopno je ozelenilo, biljni svijet oživio i privukao životinjski. Napokon se, pred izbjeglicama sa Atlantide, pojavilo novo, privlačno tlo.

Pet je mitskih naroda naseljavalo Irske obale.

Prvi su dosli Partoloni. Oralna tradicija ih spominje kao prve doseljenike koji su ubrzo nestali. Njihovo ime na staroirskom znači "oni koji su odavno otišli na drugu stranu".

Visoki, jaki Nemedi su slijedili. Sebe su zvali "djecom Sunca" i na Irsko kopno su se iskrcali oko 10000 godina prije nove ere. Ovi Atlantiđani su plovili na srebrnim brodovima koji su bili ukrašeni zmijolikim likovima. Bili su predvođeni svojim liderom Nemedom (nemed - "sveta osoba"). Zemlja se počinje obrađivati, životinje (konji, krave) pripitomljavati, tlo fertilizirati, metalurgija buja. Nakon doba razvoja i procvata došlo je do postepenog nestanka i ovog naroda.

Slični po stasu, Fomori postaju slijedećim vladarima. Irske legende se sjećaju spiritualnih Fomora kao "podvodnih ljudi" koji su kontrolirali prirodne sile, a poticali su sa "potonulog otoka". (Roberts, "Atlantians Traditions in Ancient Britain"). Keltski mitovi pobliže objašnjavaju odnose ova prva tri naroda. Govore o tri stotine godina sukoba između Partolona i Fomora u kojima Partoloni konačno stradavaju od epidemije. Ni Nemedi nisu bili bolje sreće u duelu sa Fomorima. Naime, Fomorski kraljevi Mork i Konan su izgradili stakleni toranj na Tory otoku odakle su upravljali svojim kraljevstvom. Od Nemeda su tražili strašni danak: da dvije trećine svoje novorođene djece predaju Fomorima. Ratovi koji su slijedili su uzrokovali desetkovanje Nemeda, a zatim i njihov nestanak.

Stotine godina su prolazile i došlo je do novog vala imigranata. Rasa niskih i snažnih Atlantiđana, tamnije puti, sa nekadašnjih istočnih planinskih vijenaca potonulog kontinenta, dolazi u Irsku. Novi kolonizatori su se zvali Fir-Bolg. Njihova osnovna karakteristika je bila da su znali kako da upravljaju energijom uzduž Zemljanih energetskih tokova i pri tome da pomiću velike količine kamena i tla za izgradnju ceremonijalnih objekata i umjetnih brežuljaka. Često su ova brda podizali u obliku zmije u znak sjećanja na Atlantidu. Jedan od primjera je Glen Flochan u blizini gradića Oban, dugačak preko 100 metara i visok sedam. Naravno, najimpresivniji objekat je Tara hram, gigantskih razmjera: preko 250 metara dugačak i tridesetak metara širok. Tara je korištena za metafizičke proslave u kojima su se praktikovali rituali svete Atlantske Sunčeve magije. Tara je ostala duhovno središte Irske i u narednih jedanaest tisuća godina.

Posljednji, peti, pretpovijesni narod u Irskoj, bili su Tuata-de-danan. Plavokosi i crvenokosi Atlantiđani sa plavim očima, poticali su sa sjevernih predjela Atlantide. Njihovo ime u prijevodu znači "poplava". Koristili su metale, posjedovali nadnaravne moći i ostali upamćeni kao mudar i duhovno superioran narod. Tuate su razumjeli jezik Fir-Bolga, ali nisu bili prijateljski prema njima. Prekinuli su njihovu dominaciju otokom upotrebom "čudnog vatrenog oružja koje bi stvaralo tamni oblak dima" (Gregory, "Gods and Fighting Men"). Tuate su, slijedeći tradicije svojih predaka, bili poklonici kulta Sunca i konstruirali su masivne objekte od kamenih blokova. Prema dostupnim legendama (D.J. Conway "Celtic Magic") Tuate su u Irsku "došli sa neba", dok druge izvori tvrde "sa dalekih otoka". Četiri grada odakle su došli bili su: Findias, Gorias, Murias i Falias...

(Ovdje je riječ o izvoru - gospođi Conway, koja ne vezuje Tuate za Atlantidu. Međutim, njeno spominjanje ova četiri grada nas nedvojbeno vodi na Atlantidu.)

...Sa sobom su "donijeli četiri blaga": Nuadin mač iz Findias-a, strašnu strijelu iz Gorias-a, čarobni kontejner iz Murias-a i kraljevski prijestol iz Falias-a".

Tuate su se iskrcale u Irsku prvog svibnja i pregovarali o miru i podjeli teritorija sa Fir-Bolgima i Fomorima. Ponuda je odbijena. Na ljetni solsticij, nekoliko tjedana kasnije, došlo je do bitke u blizini današnjeg mjesta Cong. Sukob je trajao četiri dana. Nuada, kralj Tuata je izgubio ruku, ali je kralj Fir-Bolga, Eochaid, ubijen. Tuate su odnijelu pobjedu i ponudili petinu Irske svojim protivnicima. Kralju Nuadi je njegov ljekar Diancecht napravio srebrnu ruku koju je mogao pomicati kao i pravu. Godine su prolazile, ova tri naroda su se i dalje sukobljavali, dok Tuate nisu konačno protjerale svoje prethodnike.

Uslijedilo je proročanstvo koje je najavilo dolazak prvih smrtnika i kraj bogova. U Aileachu (današnjem Londonderry-ju) dolaze Milesijanci (prethodnici Gala i Kelta, odnosno Druida). Vremenom, nakon mnogih borbi u kojima će se koristiti magija na obje strane, Tuate se "povlače ispod zemlje".

Mitski, pretpovijesni period Irske je završen. Era bogova je ustupila mjesto eri ljudi.

Još uvijek postoji nekoliko povijesnih tekstova i knjiga koje su ostale sačuvane i pored sistematskih napora inkvizicije da ih uništi. Među njima su Irski mitovi skupljeni u četiri knjige od prije 900 godina (Books of Leinster, Dun Cow, Ballymate i Yellow Book of Lecan). Najstariji Velški dokument je Crna Knjiga iz XII stoljeća i Bijela Knjiga iz XIII stoljeća. U samostanima se pedantno vodila evidencija o lokalnim oralnim tradicijama; zapisivale su se legende koje su se prenosile s koljena na koljeno.

U drevna vremena, svećena lica su pamtila ove priče po cijenu života; onaj koji bi krivo interpretirao događaje iz prošlosti bio bi kažnjavan. Ova usmena predaja bi se oživljavala tokom dugih večeri na kojima bi se okupili pripadnici pojedinih zajednica i prisjećali se svojih predaka.

Nasilnim dolaskom kršćanstva u Irsku sa svetim Patrikom i njegovim vojskama, paljenjem antičkih knjiga i uništavanjem svega što je podsjećalo na razvijenu kulturu predaka, došlo je do novog fenomena: Crkva uvodi nova božanstva, mijenja povijest, a neke od prijašnjih junaka prilagođava svojim potrebama i prisvaja ih. Manipulacija je otpočela i neće stati u narednih 15 stoljeća. Datumi se iskrivljuju, Atlantida i njeni potomci se ignoriraju i prekrivaju zaboravom, radnja od prije desetak tisuća godina se pomiće u onu od prije dvije-tri tisuće.

Radiokarbonsko (C-14) određivanje starosti u jednom momentu daje nadu da će se stvari ispraviti. Ipak, oficijelna povijest se ne mijenja.

Ono što je do sada pušteno u javnost je ohrabrujuće: u centralnoj Irskoj utvrđena je starost drevnog naselja u County Offaly – 8820 godina prije nove ere. Isti rezultati su se ponovili na sjevernoj obali u County Derry. Na sjeveroistočnoj obali, u County Antrim, utvrđeno je da je naselje osnovano 7735 p.n.e. i da je neprestano bilo okupirano u narednih 3000 godina. Slatkovodne školjke pronađene u okolini Dublin-a su stare 7200 godina, a potiču sa Britanskog otoka.

Dakle, potomci Atlantiđana su bili sladokusci koji bi skoknuli do engleskog kopna po večeru.

Tea, supruga Eremona, prvog Milesijanskog kralja Irske, sahranjena je pokraj grandioznog objekta iz prošlosti. Engleskim izgovorom staroirske riječi Teamhair ("Tein grob") nastalo je ime koje će ovo drevno Atlantsko ceremonijalno sjedište zadržati do današnjih dana. Tisuća godine ranije, Fir-bolgi su pokretali desetine tisuća tona zemlje i stotine tisuća tona kamenih blokova gradeći svoje svetište.

Slijedeći drevne građevinske tehnike u izgradnji Tare nije korišten vezivni materijal; obrađeni kameni blokovi su savršeno pasali jedan u drugi bez potrebe za malterom ili cementom. Prepoznatljivi majstori čiji su poduhvati razasuti od Perua i Meksika do Egipta.

Izbor lokacije nije bio slučajan. Mada na niskoj nadmorskoj visini od samo stotinjak metara, sa Tare se vidi 40% teritorija čitave Irske. Ova komandna lokacija je bila uzrokom da "onaj koji vlada Tarom, vlada i Irskom". U novije vrijeme, u posljednja tri milenija, na Tari su okrunjena 142 kralja Irske. Sve dok katolička Crkva, na preporuku Sv. Patrika, nije mjesto proklela.

Danas je malo ostalo od antičke slave Tare: zlatne uspomene, nekoliko zemljanih brežuljaka i ostaci kamenih formacija.

U starom keltskom kalendaru postojala su dva dana (točnije dvije noći) kada se otvarao prolaz između našeg i podzemnog svijeta (duhova): prvi svibanj i prvi studeni. Centralni kameni objekat na Tari je izgrađen tako da sunčeva zraka ova dva dana (i samo ova dva dana u godini), pada točno kroz prolaz i ulazi u glavnu komoru. To je bio znak da je veza između dva svijeta uspostavljena.

Šesnaest kilometara od Tare nalazi se Newgrange. Povijesne knjige ga nazivaju "kamenom grobnicom sa prolazima, vjerojatno izgrađenog prije 5200 godina". Grobnica je zbog toga, jer su tu pronađeni kremirani ostaci stotine ljudi stari preko 5000 godina.

Međutim, arheologija je slobodno trebala otići dublje u povijest od stidljivih 5000 godina.

Fir-bolgi su u svojim građevinskim poduhvatima ostavili iza sebe niz kamenih
struktura i umjetnih brežuljaka: samo u Newgrange-u ih ima 25 za koje je trebalo nevjerojatnih 200 tisuće tona kamena. Prostorije su u obliku hodnika koji vode do centralnih odaja. Stojeći kameni blokovi, teški do desetak tona, formiraju prolaze.
Krovne konstrukcije, također od kamena, su savršeno balansirane i ostale su na svom mjestu dvanaest tisuća godina bez ikakvog vezivnog materijala. Savršeni dizajn, planiranje i izvedba govore u superiornim graditeljima.

Kameni blokovi unutar prostorija te vanjski blokovi, koji u pravilnom nizu okružuju ova ceremonijalna središta, su ukrašeni sa spiralnim, kružnim i cik-cak simbolima. Prva tumačenja (recimo prof. Thomas Molyneux sa Dublinskog sveučilišta iz XVIII stoljeća) su ih označila "barbarskim". Ozbiljnije proučavanje (Martin Brennan, "The Boyne Valley Vision") provedeno na preko 700 isklesanih blokova dovelo je do zaključaka da je riječ o "vrlo kompleksnim astronomskim i svemirskim opservacijama". "Ljudima iz ove doline", piše Brennan, "studije sunčevih, planetarnih i zvjezdanih kretanja su bile vrlo važne. Oni su bili astronomski majstori kamenog doba."

Newgrange je bio i više od zvjezdarnice. Sve upućuje da je riječ o simbolu životne sile i sveg života u svemiru. Naime, originalno su ovi brežuljci podizani u obliku jajeta ("začetak života") sa prolazima koji simboliziraju maternicu. A novi život bi započinjao zahvaljući - Suncu.

Iznad ulaza svih ovih objekata, koji su veći dio godine bili zatvoreni kamenim vratima, nalazila se kamena kutija. Izlazeće Sunce bi slalo svoje zrake kroz ovu kutiju samo za vrijeme zimskog solsticija. (Riječ je o najkraćem danu u godini, vremenu kad počinje nova godina, kada starta novi život, a životna sila počinje da revitalizira uspavanu Zemlju.) Kameni blokovi to simbolično predstavljaju sa isklesanim spiralama: spirale okrenute unutra su simbol mrtvih, a one okrenute prema vani simboliziraju ponovno rađanje. Sunce i novo rađanje prikazuju se oplođivanjem svemirskog jajeta čime se osigurava kontinuitet vječnog ciklusa života i smrti.

Na dan zimskog solsticija, 21. prosinca 1969. godine, profesor arheologije Michael O'Kelly je bilježio događaje unutar kamenog prolaza: "U 9:58 minuta prva zraka Sunca je prodrla sa lokalnog horizonta... Prošla je kroz kamenu kutiju, zatim kroz prolaz i tlom komore došla do samog kraja centralne odaje... Odbijajuci se od glavnog kamenog bloka u dnu odaje, sunčeva zraka se proširila do 17 cm i dramatično obasjala različite detalje na zidovima i kamenom plafonu prostorije... U 10:15 direktni suncevi zrak je ponovo bio odsječen..."

Tisuće godina nakon Fir-borga, galski, keltski i druidski svećenici su prisvojili Newgrange, Taru i druge duhovne katedrale daleke prošlosti (okolni Knowth, na primjer, je omogućavao ulaz u "sid", odnosno podzemni svijet i smatran je za jedno od tri crne duhovne točke u Irskoj). U njima su svećenici kremirali svoje lidere nastojeći im dati vječnost i neprekinutu kraljevsku liniju.

I da ne zaboravimo vezu sa posjetiocima sa Plejada. Logično bi bilo za pretpostaviti da su oni nastavili da pružaju svoje "konzultantske" usluge emigrantima i potomcima sa Atlantide. Brojne kamene strukture podignute u pretpovijesno vrijeme su "usmjerene ka sazvjezđu Plejada, imitirajući smjer njihovog pojavljivanja na nebu, tokom ljetnog i zimskog solsticija" (Roberts, "Atlantean Traditions in Ancient Britain").

Važni datumi u drevnim britanskim kalendarima slave nebesko kretanje sedam zvijezda Plejada, kao što su keltski prvosvibanjski dan, proslavljan u doba kada bi "sazvjezđe izlazilo na nebu sa prvim sumrakom" (Zink, "The Stones of Atlantis").

Interesantna srednjovjekovna legenda Baska "Jaun Zuria", počinje sa radnjom u Irskoj Tari. Godine 867. princ Lemor je bio prognan iz Irske i nastanio se u zemlji Baska. U jednom od dijaloga čitamo i ovo:

Lemor: "Španjolska! Zemlja naših predaka. Oni su došli u Irsku odavdje."

Lekobide: "Da, iako naša krv i jezik više nisu isti, imali smo iste graditelje kamenih krugova i kamenih prolaza ponovnog rađanja... u davnim vremenima koja više nisu ostala u našoj dugoj memoriji".

Uzgred, plavokosi Lemor je predvodio Baske u borbi protiv španjolskih osvajača, porazio ih i oženio lijepu Lekobide-ovu kćer Luz. Postao je prvi vladar Baska (dotada oni nisu imali političku hijerarhiju). Prema povijesnim kronikama zbilja je i došlo do bitke između Spanjolaca sa Baskima godine 867. kraj mjesta Padura.

Kameni blokovi su ostali umazani krvlju osvajača i od tada se ovo mjesto zove Arrigorriaga ("mjesto sa crvenim kamenjem").

A ako bi kojim slučajem došli do prašnjavih crkvenih arhiva u mjesnoj crkvi i usto mogli čitati drevni jezik Euskaru, našli bi na požutjelim listovima stranice koje pokazuju kada je veza između Luz i Lemor-a okrunjena brakom.

Veza između dalekih potomaka Atlantiđana na europskom tlu.

Eastern Dragon Anatomy

07 veljača 2006

~ Skeletal System
~ Internal Organs
~ Muscular system
~ External features

Skeletal System:
Because the Eastern dragon is not a flying creature, lightness is not an issue. The bones of the skeleton are not hollow as in other dragons. In fitting with the snake-like appearance of the Eastern dragon, the vertebrae, especially of the thoracic and lumbar regions, are plentiful and slightly elongated laterally.

As a whole, the Eastern dragon is similar in appearance to a lizard, with short legs, a long neck and tail, and an enormously long body, which has all the suppleness of a serpent. The ribcage is quite shallow dorso-ventrally (but elongated posteriorly), and the sternum is correspondingly reduced when compared to other dragons. The pelvis and scapula is also small, as is the clavicle. The feet are shaped like those of a lizard, with four or five long digits on each foot. Some species have an opposable toe on the forefoot that can be used as an aid to grasp prey. The remaining digits are roughly the same size on both fore and hindfeet. The claws are hooked and sharp. Unlike other dragons, the Eastern dragon is plantigrade.

Fig. 1: Digitigrade vs plantigrade stance.

Digitigrade means to walk on the phalanges only. The carpals and metacarpals are held off the ground, as indicated in Fig. 1. In the plantigrade stance, of which the Eastern dragon is an example, the whole foot, from carpals to phalanges, is placed on the ground.
In Fig. 1, the metacarpals have been colour coded for added clarity. You can see that the Western dragon holds its foot clear of the ground, with only the toes touching. On the other hand (pun not intended), the Eastern dragon makes contact with the ground over its whole foot.

There is a trend in evolution to evolve from the plantigrade stance to the digitigrade stance, and simultaneously reduce the number of toes (Strickberger, 2000). Dragons of course need their toes for prey capture, and so cannot afford to lose them during evolution like prey animals can. Still, more advanced dragon types, such as the Western, exhibit the digitigrade stance. Most dragons also show a reduction from five to four digits (in the forefoot) or to three digits (in the hindfoot).

In more primitive species, the legs project slightly out from the body, as in the pelycosaurs, an early reptile group that predated the dinosaurs (Dimetrodon is a famous example) (Strickberger, 2000). The conformation of the Eastern dragon suggests an animal not capable of long leaps or great speed; however, the dragon excels in climbing, burrowing and swimming.

The skull is where the Eastern dragon marks a distinction from reptiles. The skull is like that of a predatory mammal, with forward-facing orbits, large strong jaws, and specialised dentition (Strickberger, 2000). The canines are elongated, and the incisor teeth are shortened to function as nipping teeth, used to take small bite-size pieces off a carcass. The molars are relatively huge, yet also rather unspecialised, as in bears. They reflect the Eastern dragon's omnivorous diet. The lower jaw, or mandible, is massive in the Eastern dragon, giving it a powerful bite. It sometimes cracks the bones of its prey. The nasal bones inside the muzzle cover a huge surface area, allowing the Eastern dragon a fantastic sense of smell. The braincase is similarly large. Because weight is not a limiting factor for this dragon, there are often large horns and spikes that project dorsally from the spinal column. These make the Eastern dragon look fiercer than it actually is, and may attract the opposite sex when breeding season commences. These spines are larger in male dragons.

Fig. 2: Skeletal

The dentition of the Eastern dragon, including the elongated canines and massive, flat molars, is an obvious feature. The huge processes that run off the dentary, and the prominent zygomatic arch, anchor the jaw muscles which are very well developed in the Eastern dragon. The dentary itself is also impressive. The large orbits are also an easy-to-see feature, and face forward, enabling the dragon to see in three dimensions.
The posterior of the skull sports a large occipital condyle that joins to the cervical vertebrae. Dorsal to this, the nuchal crest forms an attachment point for the neck muscles, immense in Eastern dragons. The scapula is quite big also, and features a lateral spine that runs the length of the bone, serving as a muscle attachment point. Forelimb bones in the Eastern dragon are much larger in girth than those of Western dragons, and relatively shorter. The humerus in particular is extremely strong. Posterior to the forelimb, the sternum (joining to the ribcage on the ventral side) is small, and lacks the huge keel so prominent on Western dragons. This reflects the fact that Eastern dragons do not possess wings.

Internal Organs:
Like all dragons, the Eastern dragon is endothermic. Consequently, it has to eat a large amount of food, as about 80% of food it eats goes directly into maintaining a constant body temperature. The advanced brain with its large cerebral cortex affords the Eastern dragon much intelligence, and a sizeable part of the brain is also devoted to the senses. Overall, the brain is most similar to that of a mammal.

Because the body is essentially laterally flattened, the lungs (and even the kidneys in some extremely snake-like species) are positioned one behind the other. Unlike other dragons, the Eastern dragon has lungs based on a mammalian system, rather than an avian system. This is not as efficient, but meets the dragon's physical needs. The heart is completely four-chambered as in mammals (Strickberger, 2000), and there is no breath weapon with corresponding organ systems. The digestive tract is long, helping to explain the Eastern dragons exceptionally long abdominal region. The digestive system needs to be extensive to digest the plants the dragon sometimes eats, which are harder to digest than meat (Mader, 2000). Like mammals, urine and faeces are expelled through seperate passages. Female dragons possess an additional passage (vagina) for reproduction purposes, through which passes the egg (Mader, 2000). Male dragons, like reptiles, have a hemipenis, and the testes are not externally visible. More primitive species differ from this arrangement. They have only one excretory passage, through which copulation also takes place. This is called a cloaca; modern-day reptiles and birds have this arrangement (Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 1994). The egg is also laid through this passage. [Top]

Muscular System:
The most obvious muscle feature of the Eastern dragon would have to be its wonderfully muscular and flexible back, which allows it to twist in all directions. The neck and tail share this ability. When in motion, the back flexes from side to side, like in monitor lizards (reptile genus Varanus) of today (Frauca, 1982). When the dragon moves its left foreleg forward, the right hindleg moves in unison, and vice versa. The legs are short, but very muscular, having to hold the dragons expansive torso above the ground. The rump and shoulder muscles are not really remarkable, rather, the legs themselves are quite robust and squat, acting like pillars. The jaw is extremely well-muscled to allow the Eastern dragon to crack bone if it wishes. Eastern dragons, like humans, have a jaw that can be moved on all three planes1*. This is much easier if you want to chew your food rather than swallow it in chunks like a Western dragon. It can bring its incisors together to form a sharp edge to take neat bites from plants. Because the Eastern dragon has an omnivorous diet, this jaw structure is suitable.

External Features:
The Eastern dragon can range in size from diminutive to massive. The head is usually flamboyantly decorated with horns, spines, fins and fur. The head is topped off with large ears that are similar to the ears of a cow. The eyes face forward, as said before, and are large and bright. The muzzle often trails a pair of drooping whiskers, one on each side on the nose.

Smaller species do not have scales, instead being covered with leathery skin, and in many cases are brighly coloured. They can switch their bright markings off, so to speak, by the use of cells on their skin called chromatophores. These cells have an "iris" filled with pigment, and can open and close this iris to display or hide the colour. This is similar to the iris of our eyes, which opens and closes in response to light levels. It is necessary to turn off the colour when hunting other animals with colour vision, such as birds and reptiles, or when hiding from danger. The genetics of dragon hide colour is explained in detail in the Western Dragon Anatomy page. Larger, duller species are covered in large oval-shaped keratinous scales that overlap each other. The scales are quite thin though, and therefore flexible enough not to interfere with the dragon's movements2*.

Extra decoration for the Eastern dragon comes in the form of a large fluffy mane, more developed in males. This is present in most species, and acts as a display; to intimidate other dragons and provide protection in fights. The tail is similarly tufted with fur, and the Eastern dragon uses it as a banner for communication.

1* In Western dragons and predators like cats, the lower jaw can only move up and down, or sideways independently to the rest of the skull. In humans, the jaw can move up and down, sideways, and also back to front (ie. we can bring our lower teeth in front of our upper teeth if we wish).

2* Large, scaled dragons have less colour options at their disposal than their smaller, hide-covered cousins; these dragons would be unable to change the colour of their scales at will (chromatophores [colour-changing iris-like pigment cells] are obviously unable to exist on dead tissue such as scales). Therefore larger Eastern dragons would, on the whole, be a less physically vibrant group than small Eastern dragons.

Šetnja kroz povijest - KNJIŽNICA ATLANTIĐANA

Između šapa sfinge je ulaz u podzemne galerije mudrosti. Otkriveni hramovi, komore i prolazi sa znanjima davno izgubljene civilizacije se brižljivo skrivaju od javnosti .

Nakon dugog lutanja podzemnim hodnicima i prostorijama, ulazite u galeriju prepunu:

a. kovčega sa zlatom
b. bankom podataka u kojima su zapisana sva znanja o čovječanstvu i svakom pojedincu iz prošlosti i budućnosti

Pitanje je, naravno, koju riznicu izabrati?

Egipćani su, kao i njihovi prethodnici Atlantiđani, još od najranijih vremena, bili čvrsto uvjereni u reinkarnaciju i neprolaznost duše. Nisu se ustručavali da na svijet gledaju iz svemirska perspektive.

Tako u uvodnom dijelu klasične "Egipatske knjige mrtvih", u himni posvećenoj bogu Ra, može se pročitati: "... Milioni godina su prohujali nad svijetom; ne mogu iskazati broj bića kroz koje si prošao...".

Već nebrojena stoljeća Egiptom kruži priča o zaboravljenoj vremenskoj komori drevnog znanja. Iz izvora povijesnih i ezoteričnih. Svi oni govore o hramovima i komorama ispod velike Piramide i Sfinge u Gizi, koji kriju tehnološka, spiritualna i naučna znanja izgubljene civilizacije... mnogo starije od samog Egipta. Sastavni dio priča su i proročanstva ko i kada će otvoriti tu vremensku komoru.

Moja potraga za izvorima legendi kreće od egipatskih kamenih tableta ili stela.

Čuvena stela Tutmozisa IV, pronađena između šapa sfinge, prikazuje sfingu kako leži iznad podzemne strukture sa vidljivim prolazom. Na jednoj drugoj steli, autora Nezema, koja se čuva u Luvru, uz sfingu je jasno prikazano šest stepenica koje vode prema podzemnim vratima.

Hijeroglifi na Horusovom hramu Edfuu, u južnom Egiptu, upućuju na postojanje izgubljenih dokumenata pod nazivom "Sveta knjiga hramova". Ovi dokumenti su opisali sve glavne hramove uzduž rijeke Nil iz najdavnijih vremena. Oni opisuju izgradnju podzemne knjižnice znanja ispod Gizinog platoa. Svete knjige i objekti su pohranjeni u podzemne prostorije, ulaz je zatvoren, a iznad njega su podignuti velebni građevinski objekti kao njegova zaštita. Jedino su rijetka duhovno inicirana bića imala pristup podzemnim tajnama.

Povjesničar i istraživač drevnih tekstova Zecharia Sitchin prevodeći jedan epski tekst iz doba Osamnaeste egipatske dinastije govori o "...bogu Amunu koji dolazi do božanske sfinge i ulazi u dvije podzemne komore koje se nalaze ispod njezinih šapa."

Čuveni grčki povjesničar Herodot, godine 443 prije nove ere, bilježi svoju prvu posjetu Egiptu nakon koje piše o postojanju "... kompleksnog labirinta koji se prostire daleko ispod piramida, u svim pravcima...".

Rimski povjesničar Marcellinus, u četvrtom stoljeću, piše: "Ispod piramida su smještene podzemne galerije i prolazi u kojima su čuvari drevnog znanja, znajući da potop dolazi, pohranili svoje tajne..."

Suvremenik Marcellinusa, Jamblikus, je pisao o procesu inicijacije povezanim sa sfingom. "Na tajnoj lokaciji, između sfinginih šapa, nalaze se brončana vrata, koja se otvaraju sa skrovitom oprugom. Odavdje kreće serija testova za inicirane koji će, s vremenom, steći status Učitelja..."

Al Masudi, kroničar egipatskih Kopta, je, u desetom stoljeću, pisao o podzemnim prolazima ispod monumenata Gize: "... Svaka piramida je imala svoj podzemni prolaz i vrata..." Židovski povjesničar Josefus je tvrdio da je biblijski Enoh "...izgradio podzemne hramove sa devet svodova, jedan ispod drugog...".

Isac Newton je iskazao specijalni interes egipatskim monumentima, špekulirajući da "...unutrašnji labirint tunela i komora predstavlja proročanski kalendar u kamenu".

Najpoznatiji američki prorok, Edgar Cayce je, u svojim vizijama, vidio da su, u isto vrijeme kada se gradila Velika Piramida, prije više od 12000 godina, uporedo tekle aktivnosti da se sačuvaju svete knjige znanja. Ove knjižnice i galerije mudrosti, koji se tek tebaju ponovno otkriti, bile su smještene ispod Gize, a ulaz im je bio "između šapa sfinge, na mjestu gdje pada sunčana zraka kada se sunce diže iznad Nila."

Američki prorok i mistik H.C. Randall-Stevens, pripadnik elitne organizacije Templarski Vitezovi Akvarijusa, tvrdio je koncem 1920-ih, da od sfinge "... vode stepenice naniže ka ulazu u široki ovalni hram 30 metara ispod zemje. Nekih 200 metara zapadno od sfinge je prolaz u drugi ovalni hram odakle vode tuneli u sve tri piramide." Stevens je iza sebe ostavio skice ovih podzemnih hramova koje je nazvao "Masonskim centrom", tvrdeći da se u njemu redovno održavaju inicijacije pripadnika viših masonskih slojeva.

Spencer Lewis, osnivač Rosikrucijanskog reda, u svojoj je knjizi "The Symbolic prophecy of the Great Pyramid" (1936.) uključio crteže nastale u "... tajnim knjigama koje su ostale iza arhivara mističnih škola Egipta i Orijenta" i koje govore o "...drevnim formama inicijacije održavanih u sfingi i Velikoj piramidi". Lewis objašnjava zašto je postojanje tajnih hramova, prolaza i drevnih znanja "...sustavno negirano od strane egipatskih vlasti, egiptologa i istrazivača iz Europe."

U svojoj knjizi Lewis citira rezultate istraživanja dr. Salima Hassana sa kairskog sveučilišta. "Otkrili smo podzemni prolaz koji su koristili drevni Egipćani prije 5000 godina. On prolazi između druge piramide i sfinge. Širok je 24 metra, a dugačak više od 400 metara! Pored prolaza otrili smo brojne podzemne komore, hramove i druge prostorije, uključujući Kapelu Ponude sa tri kamena stuba u sredini. Na zapadnoj strani kapele je Komora za Inicijaciju i Prijem u kojoj je pronađen veliki mramorni sarkofag. Zidovi su ukrašeni prelijepim crtežima, a mnoge, perfektno isklesane figure, krase podzemne prostorije..." Lewis zaključuje da su svi ovi detalji ostali zabilježeni na slikama koje su dio Hassanovog izvještaja.

Sedamdeset godina kasnije Hassanova otkrića nisu dostupna široj javnosti, ali informacije i dalje dolaze od nezavisnih istrazivača.

Robert Buaval, u svojoj novoj knjizi "Secret Chamber" (1999.), analizira drevne mape i skice masonskih organizacija. Zaključuje da su one "...vrijedne spomena zbog nevjerojatne sličnosti sa realnim otkrićima. Naime, radarska i seizmološka oprema, kao i najnovija istraživanja ispod sfinge, pokazali su da sve te podzemne prostorije zaista postoje."

U ožujku 1998. desilo se važno otkriće. Dannion Brinkley je upoznao javnost da je u zabitoj egipatskoj pokrajni Toushka, oko 700 km jugozapadno od Kaira, pronađen nepoznati hram. Prvi podaci ukazuju da je hram stariji od 10000 godina! Otkrili su ga radnici dok su kopali irigacione kanale. A taj hram sjedi na vrhu ostataka još starije kamene strukture. A obje su okružene dokazima drevnih poplava. Slikovni znaci na zidovima su drugačiji od najstarijih hijeroglifskih formi.

Ovdje se prisjećamo Edgar Cayce-a koji je, prilikom jednog od svojih "čitanja", odnosno posjeta prošlosti, govorio o ostavštini Atlantiđana u Egiptu: "...Zapisi u Knjižnici Znanja će biti kombinirani... u formi najstarijih egipatskih simbola te novijeg jezika Atlantiđana... "

Ovladamo li jezikom Atlantiđana i/ili ranih Egipćana, doći će mo do ključa kako da čitamo dokumente skrivene ispod Gizinog platoa.

Doktor Joseph Martin Schor, geolog i predsjednik Schor Foundation, započeo je svoja istraživanja ispod platoa Gize 1990. godine. Zvanična Egipatska Fondacija Antikviteta ih je odobrila i osigurala punu kooperaciju timu u komu su John Anthony West, dr. Robert Schoch i dr. Tom Dobecki. Njihov tim je nazvan "Tim magičnog oka" (magično oko u piramidi je čuveni masonski simbol).

Nakon sedam godina napornih istraživanja iz Tima nije dolazilo do zvaničnih priopčenja. Sve dok napokon glavni snimatelj ekipe, Boris Said nije odlučio da progovori i otkrije pravu istinu o onome što se dešava. Njegova priča nije objavljena na TV-u, jer je dr. Schor počeo pravnu bitku da se slika i snimljeni materijal ne mogu objavljivati bez njegove suglasnosti. Ali, Boris Said je objavio video-kazetu u privatnoj produkciji i evo što ona sadrži.

Pod naslovom "Iza scene sa Timom magičnog oka na Gizinom platou" video pokazuje originalno otkriće tajne komore početkom 1991. godine uz upotrebu seizmološke opreme. Ekipa na čelu sa dr. Dobeckim je ta otkrića potvrdila 1996. i 1997. koristeći radar, kao i postojanje tunela koji vodi do ispod sfinge. Video prikazuje snimljeni materijal na kome se vidi dno podzemnog tunela dubokog preko 33 metra ispod platoa. Tamo je tim otkrio granitni sarkofagni poklopac koji, prema legendi, zatvara ulaz u tunel... koji vodi direktno do sfingine rampe. Slike na radaru dr. Dobeckog jasno pokazuju postojanje tunelskog prolaza sa kružnim vrhom koji vodi istočno od podzemnog prolaza prema sfingi koja je udaljena 300 metara!

Na videu učestvuje i Tom Danley, konsultant NASA-e i stručnjak za zvučnu levitaciju. (Ovo je vrlo indikativno, jer se pretpostavlja da su pravi graditelji piramida, Atlantiđani, koristili zvučnu frekvenciju za transport kamenih blokova do Gize. Ili, što bi danas rekli, zvučnu levitaciju.)

Niz eksperimenata Tom Danley-a u Kraljevoj komori u Velikoj piramidi i prostorijama iznad Kraljeve komore, sugeriraju da je piramida konstruirana sa zvučnom svrhom. Danley konstatira da postoje četiri osnovne frekvencije koje se čuju u piramidi i kojima odgovara izbor građevinskog materijala od kojeg je sazdana. Na primjer, note F akorda, koje, prema drevnim egipatskim tekstovima, simboliziraju zvuk naše planete. Danley dokazuje da se ova nota/zvuk producira u Kraljevoj komori u opsegu od 16 herca do 1/2 herca (koji je daleko ispod onog što naše uho može da registrira). Ove vibracije izaziva vjetar koji dolazi iz četiri prolaza koji vode na strane piramide. (Zvuk je sličan onom koji se proizvodi kada se puše u vrh boce.)

Zašto je Knjižnica Atlantiđana tako važna? Zašto nam trebaju znanja te davno izgubljene civilizacije?

Odgovor je jednostavan. Život kojim živimo danas je suštinski pogrešan. I protivan istinskoj ljudskoj (točnije, duševnoj) prirodi.

Da bi funkcionirali kao civilizacija već tisućama godina, izgradili smo socio-ekonomski sistem kojim se održava red. Ekonomski model koji je vladajući odražava pokornost profitu. Inovacije, tehnologija, naučna saznanja imaju smisla samo ako povečavaju profite kompanija. A nije im bitno da li te tehnologije zagađuju zrak, izazivaju bolesti, kreiraju nove ratove i razaranja, dovode do mizerije, uništavaju ekološki sistem Planete... Novac je pokretačka snaga današnje civilizacije.

Kako pogrešno.

Što nam Atlantiđani mogu novog dati?

Njihova tehnologija je bila zasnovana, prije svega, na čovjekovom duhu, korištenju snage Majke Zemlje, i univerzalne energije. Granice ljudskog uma i svijesti nisu bile limitirane kao danas. Komunikacija sa Univerzalnom Mudrosti bila je sastavni dio odgoja i edukacije mladih.

U momentu kada bi postali pretežno spiritualnim bićima kao Atlantiđani, morao bi se srušiti nas socio-ekonomski sistem.

Ako bi ponovo ovladali tehnikom telepatije, zašto bi nam trebali telekomunikacijski monopoli, AT&T, MCI, Deutshe Telekom, satelitski i mobilni telefoni?

Ako bi se ponovo počeli liječiti meditacijom, kristalima, ljekovitim travama i ostvarili balans sa prirodom, zašto bi nam trebali skupi doktori i farmaceutski divovi koji truju našu djecu?

Ako bi ponovo razumjeli anti-gravitaciju i elektromagnetni zemaljski sistem zašto bi nam trebali brodovi, rakete, željeznica, Mercedes, FIAT, auto monopoli, promjena ulja, filteri...?

Ako bi nam se vratilo znanje o osnovnoj zemaljskoj magnetnoj sili i tečnoj svjetlosti, zašto bi trebali bušotine za naftu, Texaco, elektro kompanije, plin, dalekovode?

Ako bi nam Knjižnica Atlantiđana ponovo objasnila istinsko značenje života i našu pravu vezu sa Univerzalnim Duhom, spiritualnom evolucijom i reinkarnacijom, zašto bi nam trebala organizirana religija, crkve, pape, hramovi, svećenička hijerarhija?

Ako bi bili u stanju da ponovo razumijemo istinsku povijest ("alternativnu" kako je ja zovem danas), srušile bi se bajkice iz bukvalne interpretacije Biblije i "izabranih naroda".

I, onda, koji odgovor s početka ovog priloga da izaberemo?

Ako izaberemo onaj pod b., "riznicu znanja", što dobijamo s njim?

Ruše se sebični, halapljivi, novcem tjerani ideali. Znanje postaje svojina svih. Istinu tražimo u sebi, a ne kod svećenika. Strah nestaje, svijest o neprolaznosti duše ostaje.

Svijet zasnovan na svemirskim i prirodnim zakonima. Atlantski "Zakon Jednoga".

Ljubav.

(P.S.
Nova civilizacija se ne rađa preko noći. A i gotovo savršena civilizacija skrene na krivi put i dovede do samouništenja. Zbog toga dostupnost znanja sama po sebi nije dovoljna. Drugi korak je naša promjena iznutra. Sve dok pojedinci ne prerastu u većinu i preplave Planetu sa pozitivnom vibracijom.)

TEMPLARI

05 veljača 2006

Petak 13. daleke 1307. godine utjecao je i na jedan od najsjajnih redova i najtajnovitijih organizacija u povijesti zapadnog svijeta - templare, a samim tim i na našu povijest i saznanja. Templari-srednjevjekovni katolički viteškostaleški red osnovan je 1118.g. isprva kao red Siromašnih vitezova Krista i Salomonovog hrama u Jeruzalemu. Njihov je cilj bio da puteve i ceste održe sigurnim i da posebno štite hodočasnike. Nakon deset godina njihova se slava proširila sve do Europe. Godine 1127. većina se templara vratila u Europu, a 1128. godine održan je crkveni sabor u Troyesu gdje su templari službeno priznati i ustanovljeni kao vjersko-vojni red. Hugo de Payen, plemić iz Champagne za kojeg jedna predaja tvrdi da je osnivač ovog reda proglašen je velikim meštrom.

Templari su se zavjetovali na siromaštvo, neporočnost i posluh. Čuveni su i po tome što su morali nositi bijelu odjeću, a najpoznatiji su po svom bijelom plaštu koji je simbolizirao njihovu spremnost da ostave mračan život iza sebe i dušu preporuče Stvoritelju svojim čistim i bijelim životom.

Papa Inocent II 1139.g. izdaje papinsku bulu prema kojoj templari svoju odanost duguju samom papi. Postaju neovisni od svakog miješanja političkih i vjerskih vlasti. Širom Europe u red su stupali sinovi plemića koji su, poput de Payena koji je svoje posjede darovao redu, morali postupiti isto. Dok su mu članovi bili siromašni, red je posjedovao brojna imanja u Francuskoj, Španjolskoj, Engleskoj, Portugalu, Italiji, Njemačkoj, Mađarskoj , Austriji i u Svetoj Zemlji. Čuveni zadebljani crveni križ - la croix pattee na plaštevima templara pojavio se 1146.g. U sljedećih stotinjak godina uključuju se u visoku diplomaciju i postaju sila od međunarodnog značaja. Zadobivaju takvu moć da utječu na postavljanje i rušenje vladara.

Kako su bili u bliskom dodiru s islamskom i židovskom kulturom počeli su promicati nove ideje i nova znanje. Ponoseni vlastitim dostignućima u svim granama tadašnjeg društva postaljali su sve bogatiji i moćniji. No, 1291. g. u bitci kod Akre gube i samu Svetu Zemlju. Okreću se Europi.

Francuski kralj Filip IV.- Filip Lijepi polakomio se za bogatstvom templara, pa je iskoristio to što su templari oslabili vezu s papom. Između 1303. i 1305. godine organizirao je otmicu i ubojstvo pape Bonifacija VIII i dao otrovati papu Benedikta XI. Osigurao je da na papinsko prijestolje sjedne nadbiskup Boredeaux koji se prozvao Klementom V. Kako je Filipu IV. dugovao zahvalnost prva mu je zadaća bila potpuno uništenje vitezova templara. Kralj je vrlo pažljivo isplanirao svoj naum. Prije nego je krenuo u napad sastavio je optužnice u kojima su optuženi za okultne obrede pred bradatom muškom glavom koja im se obraćala i obdarivala ih mističnim moćima, optužio ih je za ubijanja djece, poučavanja žena pobačaju, zavođenje iskušenika, a najnevjerojatnija je bila obredno poricanje Krista te odbacivanje, gaženje i pljuvanje križa. U tajnoj operaciji kralj je zapečaćene, tajne naredbe poslao glavarima plemićkih obitelji. One su se morale otvoriti istodobno i odmah izvršiti.

U zoru na petak, 13. listopada 1307. godine svi templari u Francuskoj trebali su biti uhićeni i zatvoreni, sva njihova zapovjedništva stavljena pod kraljevski pečat, a sva dobra zaplijenjena. Iako brižno i tajno isplanirani, napad je kralja Filipa ostavio bez glavnog cilja - bogatstva templara. Pretpostavlja se da su na neki način ipak bili upozoreni. Predaja kaže da je tadašnji veliki meštar Jakov de Molay dao spaliti knjige i pravilnike, a smatra se da je uz pomoć blagajnika reda noć pred uhićenje organizirano prokrijumčario blago. Uhićene templare podvrgli su strašnim mukama i suđeno im je na temelju već zapisanih optužbi.

Papa Klement službeno ih raspušta 1312. godine službeno raspustio, a sve do 1314. g. Filip IV. je nastavio ispitivati i mučiti zarobljenike. U ožujku 1314. na laganoj vatri do smrti dao je ispeći Jakova de Molaya, velikog meštra i Geoffroia de Charnaya , zapovjednika križarskog samostana.

Red vitezova templara biva proganjan sve do 1522. godine u svim zemljama gdje su imali posjede. Te godine pruski potomci templara, teutonski vitezovi odbacuju vjernost papi i podržavaju buntovnika i heretika Martina Luthera i na taj način se posredno osvećuju Crkvi koja ih je izdala. Tajanstvenost koja je obavijala ovaj red od samih začetaka nije nestala njihovim odumiranjem. Zabilježeno je da je Jakov de Molay kroz plamen izrekao kletvu i pozvao svoje progonitelje papu Klementa i kralja FIlipa da mu se pridruže i polože račun pred Bogom u roku od godine dana. Obojica su umrla iznenada, u roku kojeg izriče kletva. To je samo još više učvrstilo vjerovanje u okultne moći ovog reda koji je u svoje vrijeme umom i saznanjima bio daleko ispred svog vremena, pa su za njih tvrdili da su vračevi , čarobnjaci, alkemičari. Templari su tajnu o skrovištu svog blaga, pa i o samoj prirodi blaga, ostavili netaknutu i možda je taj petak 13. 1307. godine odgodio ili zaustavio prekrajanje povijesti.

komentiraj (6) * ispiši * #

Western Dragon Anatomy

04 veljača 2006

~ Skeletal System
~ Internal Organs
~ The Dragon's fiery breath
~ Muscular system
~ The Dragon's wing
~ Senses
~ External features

Skeletal System:
The skeleton of the Western dragon is an impressive structure, from an engineering viewpoint. At first glance, it has all the hallmarks traditionally associated with the skeleton of a mammal or a dinosaur (see fig. 3). However, upon closer inspection, the bones are hollow, with thin struts of bone criss-crossing the inside, as in birds (class Aves). This bony strutwork adds strength, as do the high calcium and phosphorous levels. Therefore the Western dragon has bones that are not only strong, but extremely light.
Externally, the main features include the long, cat or dog-like limbs, tipped with razor claws. The tail acts as a rudder and counterbalance and is correspondingly lengthened, however it is not very flexible. This stiffness in the tail is due to small pieces of ossified (bony) ligaments that run lateral to the vertebrae, preventing excessive movement due to crosswinds1 (Long, 1998). The tail is also flattened laterally and expanded dorso-ventrally, decreasing wind resistance while not diminishing its use as a rudder.
The thoracic portion of the skeleton also merits further discussion. Like in Aves, Western dragons possess a deep ribcage, with a large keel running off the ventral surface of the sternum (see Fig. 3). This provides anchorage for the enormous flight muscles. The wings (discussed further down the page) are unusual in that they share an attachment point (with the trunk) with the forelimbs, ie. they both connect on the singly paired scapula. Anterior to the scapula runs the paired clavicles and coracoids, necessary for bracing the wings during flight and also for shock absorption during jumping.

The skull is formidable in appearance, and large relative to the overall size. The cranium is large, the orbits face forward, and the zygomatic arches are huge, anchoring the strong jaw muscles that allow the Western dragon to bite down with immense force. The teeth are equally impressive (see fig. 1). Another feature of the skull is the dip anterior to the orbits that allow the eyesight to be unimpeded by the long muzzle.

Fig. 1: Dentition of a typical Western dragon (lower jaw disarticulated from skull)

Legend: I: Incisor - C: Canine - PM: Premolar - M: Molar

The dental formula is usually a descriptive term for mammals only; of extant (living today) organisms, mammals are the only class that show differentiation in their teeth. Most mammals are therefore heterodont (hetero : different, dont : tooth), meaning a single animal can have several different types of teeth, such as in a dog; some teeth are for tearing, some for nipping, others can crack bones (Strickberger, 2000). In contrast, other vertebrates have teeth that are the same3, ie. a lizard has identical, small conical teeth. Thus a lizard would be a homodont (homo : same, dont : tooth) (Strickberger, 2000). The dental formula for the dragon has been worked out for you further down the page.

Although dragons are not classed as mammals, we have given the Western dragon a heterodont-type dentition. The different tooth types are labeled in fig. 1 above, and colour coded for clarity. The reason the Western dragon has been given this dentition is because it is far more suitable to the lifestyle of the dragon, and also because the dragon is generally thought of as an extremely advanced reptile. Therefore it fits that it should have specialised teeth.

Mammals have only two sets of teeth in their lives, the milk teeth and the adult teeth (Bay Books, 1977). This allows for an accurate fit between the teeth of the upper and lower jaws, which would be disrupted if the teeth were continually being shed. Mammalian teeth (and those of crocodiles and dinosaurs) are set into sockets in the jawbone, meaning they are far more stable than the teeth of, say, a lizard. The teeth in most reptiles are fused to the jawbone itself; they sit on top of it rather than in sockets. Correspondingly, they are far more likely to be shed, so reptiles have a constant supply of teeth, with each tooth being replaced after it falls out (or is pushed out by the replacement tooth).

In dragons, there are two sets of teeth only4. Like in mammals, the teeth are set into sockets in the jaw. There are four tooth types found in dragons. The incisors are short and sharp, used for nipping small pieces off meat from bones, allowing the dragon to glean the last scraps of food from its prey. The canines are most obvious, they are massively long, curved and pointed, tapering to a razor tip. Their purpose is clear- they are used to deliver a killing bite or a suffocating throat hold. The next two types of teeth, the premolars and molars, are usually termed carnassial teeth in carnivorous mammals, and the same terminology may be applied here5. From fig. 1, it is clear that the last premolar of the upper jaw and the first molar of the lower jaw are much larger than the other carnassial teeth. These are specialised to form a carnassial shear- that is, they slice against each other to tear off pieces of meat from a carcass with excellent precision.
From fig. 1, the dental formula of a typical Western dragon can be easily worked out. It is determined by counting the types of each tooth found in one half of the upper jaw, and also in one half of the lower jaw. The reason only one half of each jaw is counted is that each half will be a mirror of the other- it will have the same types and numbers of teeth.
So, a Western dragon has six incisors in the upper jaw, and six in the lower, meaning it has three in each half. There is one canine in each half of each jaw, and four premolars. The molars are the only point of difference between the upper and lower jaws, as you can see, there are two molars in the upper jaw and three in the lower.

Fig. 2: Dental formula of the Western dragon

In fig. 2, the first set of numbers refers to the incisors. The number above the line denotes the number of incisors in the upper jaw, whereas the number below the line shows how many incisors are in the lower jaw. The second set of numbers refers to the canines, the third to the premolars and the last to the molars. The number of teeth an organism has can be worked out from the dental formula. All the numbers from fig. 2 can be added up, to give the total number of teeth in one half of the dragons jaws. This can then be multiplied by two to give the total tooth number. So, in the Western dragon, this would be 42.

Typically, Western dragons are depicted as gargantuan creatures, but in reality, probably wouldn't be anywhere near this. A dog-sized dragon is a definite possibility, though hardly awe-inspiring, and a dragon that could carry a human is improbable, but well worth considering.

In fig. 2, the first set of numbers refers to the incisors. The number above the line denotes the number of incisors in the upper jaw, whereas the number below the line shows how many incisors are in the lower jaw. The second set of numbers refers to the canines, the third to the premolars and the last to the molars. The number of teeth an organism has can be worked out from the dental formula. All the numbers from fig. 2 can be added up, to give the total number of teeth in one half of the dragons jaws. This can then be multiplied by two to give the total tooth number. So, in the Western dragon, this would be 42.

Typically, Western dragons are depicted as gargantuan creatures, but in reality, probably wouldn't be anywhere near this. A dog-sized dragon is a definite possibility, though hardly awe-inspiring, and a dragon that could carry a human is improbable, but well worth considering.

Fig. 3: Skeletal system of the Western Dragon

Note the long tail, used for balance on the ground and in the air, the extremely deep keel that anchors the flight muscles, and the massive, expansive wings, membranous in life. The teeth and claws are well developed, as is the braincase. The large orbits support prominent, sensitive eyes.

Internal Organs:
The Western dragon is always endothermic. It would simply not be able to fly if it was an ectotherm. Western dragons have an internal organ arrangement similar to that of predatory mammals. The extremely advanced nervous system, with a well-developed brain, has an especially large cerebrum (associated with higher functions such as abstract thought, memory, language and learning) (Mader, 2000). A large brain consumes a sizeable proportion of the animals total energy (after endothermy). The brain requires a constant temperature to function optimally, thus a Western dragon simply couldn't be ectothermic.
The hydrocarbon storage gland is located dorsally to the hard palate (see fig. 4). This gland stores the chemicals used for breathing fire, which will be discussed in greater detail later. The Jacobson's organ, located also near the mouth, is used primarily by the male dragon to detect pheromones, and thus allows it to determine if a female is on heat. Jacobson's organ is located in the roof of the mouth, and is mainly a reptilian feature although it does occur more rarely in mammals (Coppard, 1998).

The heart of the Western dragon is extremely large, and is four-chambered as in birds or mammals6, which allows for efficient blood circulation with no mixing of arterial and venous blood (ie. oxygenated and unoxygenated blood is separated) (Mader, 2000). Having a very large heart allows the dragon to supply its muscles with the high amounts of oxygen needed during flight.
The dragon's respiratory tract mimics that of avians. The paired lungs are multi-lobed, with an anterior and posterior pair of air sacs branching off from the lungs proper. This system differs to that of mammals in that air circulates in one direction only, before being exhaled. The gas exchange rate of the dragon is very high among terrestrial vertebrates7.
A diaphragm separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities (see fig. 4). The digestive system is quite short, as meat is relatively easy to digest as opposed to plant materials such as cellulose8.
Western dragons reproduce sexually, with internal fertilisation, and lay eggs like typical reptiles (oviparous), which are incubated by both parents and hatch after a few months (the incubation period differs between species). They don't give birth to live young for the same reason that avians don't; carrying a developing young around in the womb would be cumbersome during flight. Egg laying allows the offspring to develop outside the womb in the safety of a hard-shelled egg.

Fig. 4: Internal organs of a female Western Dragon

In fig. 4 the lungs of the dragon are large and efficient. Air sacs that help to make the creature lighter for flight are visible to the front and back of the lungs, and are also large. The intelligence of the dragon is reflected in the large degree of encephalisation exhibited.

The Dragon's fiery breath:
When a dragon eats, symbiotic archea (microorganisms) in the small intestine, called methanogens, break down food into organic materials such as methane, the simplest hydrocarbon compound. The food is broken down into alkanes (saturated hydrocarbons) which are generally unreactive, but are capable of combustion in the presence of oxygen9. Depending on the species of methanogens each dragon possesses in its gut, slightly different compounds are produced, however their amazing reactive properties remain similar.
These hydrocarbons are stored in the hydrocarbon storage vesicle and are released when fire is needed. Upon expulsion from the mouth, these chemicals are exposed to high levels of oxygen, and also high concentrations of ultra-violet light. These factors cause the chemicals to combust into the familiar flame of the Western dragon.
It should be noted here that if the dragon existed today, it would probably have no reason to possess fire-breathing capabilities at all. It is essentially a top predator, and certainly wouldn't need the extra weight that a hydrocarbon storage gland would impose. In short, a dragon would have no need to breathe fire, as its other weapons would be more than enough to allow it to thrive as a predator.

Muscular System:
Starting from the anterior portion of the body, the jaw muscles (eg. the masseter) of the dragon are most impressive and allow the dragon to bite with enough strength to crush bones. The neck muscles (eg. the trapezius) are also very strong without sacrificing flexibility. As dragons attack prey with their teeth, the need for a strong jaw and neck becomes obvious.
The pectoral and shoulder girdle musculature supports the vast wings, with the main flight muscles attaching to the huge sternal keel (see fig. 5). The fore and hindlimbs are suitably well muscled also, with massive deltoid and biceps brachii muscles in the forelimb and a huge sheet of ilio-tibial muscle powering the hindlimb.
The postanal tail is comparatively stiff compared to the rest of the body. Muscles in this area mainly serve to swing it from side to side for steering purposes during flight.
Different species of Western dragon have slightly different muscle arrangements which can be attributed to the presence or absence of wings and/or limbs. The Wyvern, for example, has no front limbs and thus its thoracic region would of course vary from the four-limbed Western dragon.
On the whole, the Western dragon has a strongly muscled body that is very supple, allowing it to groom itself with ease, important for a fastidiously clean creature.

Fig. 5: Musculature of the Western Dragon

It is easy to see how the dragon gets its legendary strength; the muscles powering its forelegs, neck and chest are huge. The tail is also immensely strong and stiff, able to be used equally well as a rudder during flight or a makeshift weapon.

The Dragon's Wing:
The wing is a notable difference between dragons and other large animals. It usually resembles the wing of a bat (mammalian order Chiroptera), consisting of a flexible leathery material that is very elastic stretched over bones. Most Western dragon species possess wings (an exception is the wyrm).
The Western dragon's wing is easily larger than its body, and this is due to the fact that dragons aren't particularly well constructed for flight, if compared with avians. They have a heavy skull with teeth, rather than a light beak; and also have heavy limbs with large claws. Western dragons also possess an extra pair of limbs, and overall they aren't particular aerodynamic. Indeed, the popular view of a dragon is one of a spectacularly unaerodynamic creature. On top of this, the wing itself, being homologous with a bat wing, isn't as effective an aerofoil as a bird wing10. However, dragons have enormous brute strength, with strong flight muscles and expansive wings, and are thus able to succeed in flight despite their shortcomings. Smaller dragons are much more maneuverable in the air than larger ones, and faster compared to their size (this has to do with the surface area of their wings as compared to their weight, smaller dragons invariably have larger wings compared to their body size).
The wing itself is made of the same bones as the forelimbs, except they are elongated and a cross-section of a bone will reveal that it is flattened like a knife blade to provide less wind resistance. There are usually five phalanges which support the distal edge of the wing membrane, each terminating in a highly reduced claw. The thumb is far shorter than the other digits and supports a small membrane. This is the alula, similar to that found in birds, and reduces the possibility of stalling during takeoff. While in flight, the alula is folded against the wing to reduce drag, and when not in use, the wings can be folded neatly next to the body.

Senses:
The Western dragon has extremely acute senses. Like other animals it responds to "four types of stimuli: chemical, mechanical, temperature and light" (Mader, 2000, p. 348).
First we will deal with the special senses. These are the more familiar senses of sight, smell, balance, hearing and taste (Mader, 2000). Sight in the Western dragon is among the most well developed of all its senses. This is fundamental to being an efficient predator of fast-moving prey. As the eyes face forward, vision is binocular. The dragon has a slit-pupilled eye, the iris being able to dilate or contract a great deal. This allows the Western dragon to finely tune its vision to accommodate differing light levels. The lens of the dragon's eye can change shape enormously, allowing the animal to see across huge distances. Behind the retina, lies a reflective layer of cells, called the tapetum lucidum. This layer captures any light not intercepted by the retina and reflects it back, enhancing the dragon's vision (Coppard, 1998).
Dragons have two types of photoreceptors in their eyes. Rod cells are sensitive to low light levels, and coupled with the tapetum, enable the Western dragon to see in the dark. They are also more sensitive to movement than cone cells and help in periphery vision (Mader, 2000). Cone cells are sensitive to colour, and most Western dragons can see in a full colour range, as they have three different types of cone cells, each sensitive to different light wavelengths. Most diurnal dragons have eyes that can see all colours. Each type of dragon has varying levels of vision acuteness; nocturnal species have enhanced night vision, with more rod cells, and diurnal species have more cone cells and thus better colour vision.
A Western dragon also has a highly evolved sense of smell, with many olfactory cells in the folded nasal membranes. Each olfactory cell functions like a neuron, and each cell has a different type of receptor protein on its surface, which responds to different olfactory stimuli (Mader, 2000). There may be up to one hundred different types of olfactory cells.

The hearing of a Western dragon is also exceptionally acute. The outer ear flap, or pinna, can be articulated in any direction to act as an amplifier for sound. Western dragons can also hear over a very wide frequency range, from the squeaks of rodents to the bass rumbles of elephants. Smaller dragons or juvenile dragons generally can hear higher-pitched sounds than adult dragons, but mature dragons can hear lower-pitched sounds. This accurately reflects the sounds made by different sized-prey animals (smaller animals generally make higher-pitched noises, and smaller dragons are more likely to hunt these small animals).
The inner ear's semicircular canals are responsible for balance, and Western dragons have an excellent sense of balance. Balance is one of the somatic senses, which also include senses that monitor muscles, skin and organ systems (Mader, 2000).

Western dragons also have very sensitive skin, with large amounts of chemoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, and thermoreceptors. Chemoreceptors are nerve endings that respond to pain or itching. Mechanoreceptors are sensitive to touch on the skin, or pressure. Thermoreceptors include Ruffini endings, that respond to temperatures above 45 degrees Celcius, and bulbs of Krause that respond to sub-20 degree temperatures (Mader, 2000).
Another specialised type of nerve ending involved in the Western dragon's senses are proprioreceptors, which are located near muscle cells (Mader, 2000). These nerves allow the dragon to be able to tell where its limbs are without looking at them. The close proximity of proprioreceptors to muscle tissue also mean they are able to balance the body by monitoring how contracted each muscle is.

External Features:
The hide of the Western dragon can be either leathery or smooth in texture (see fig. 6), or it may be covered in a pattern of small scales similar to those of a snake. The heavy, ossified plates seen in popular depictions of dragons would, in all likelihood, render it unable to fly. There is a popular view that dragon scales are used as protection, however a dragon has so many other weapons already it would seem superfluous to have plates as an additional feature.
A dragon's claws and small scales are formed of keratin, the same protein that makes up our hair and fingernails. Fins on the back may be used in sexual display and are also made from keratin. They are, in essence, modified neural spines that project upwards from the spinal column. Capillaries running across their membranes allow the dragon to realease excess heat from its body when needed11. These capillaries also run over the surface of the skin, and on hot days become dilated, exactly like in the dorsal fin.

The colour of the skin itself is, famously, found in a wide range of colours. Co-dominant colour genes include those that code for red (including brown), blue and yellow. If one copy of either gene is found in a dragon's genome, that colour will be expressed in the dragon's phenotype. However, whenever a gene of the alleles of blue and yellow are found in a dragon's genetic makeup, the dragon will be green.
Co-dominance means that if a dragon has one of co-dominant genes (eg. blue and yellow), it will result in green which is a mixture of blue and yellow (Alberts, et al., 1998). Similarly, a copy of each of the red and yellow genes will result in an orange dragon, and copies of the red and blue genes will produce a purple dragon. Note: the genes for red, blue and yellow, the primary colours, are the only genes in the Western dragon genome for hide colour that are co-dominant. This helps explain the vast range of hues the creature is found in.

The white phenotype is coded for by a recessive gene. This means that two copies of the white allele must be found at the locus for hide colour in order for the dragon to be white. As a result, white dragons are rarer than coloured dragons. A white hide is different from albino colouration, because white dragons still have pigmented eyes and may even exhibit colour patterns12. Black (includes grey) Western dragons are usually males. This is because the recessive gene for black colour is found only on the X chromosome. Because a male only has one copy of the X chromosome, it follows that only one copy of the black gene is needed for the animal to be black in colour. Females, having two X chromosomes, therefore need two copies in order to be black. (The allele for black colouring is an example of a sex-linked trait. Other examples include colour blindness in humans, which is more prevalent in males [Alberts, et al., 1998].)

Dragons, like all sexually reproducing organisms, inherit one copy of their nuclear genome from the female parent, and the other from the male parent. This mixing of genes in offspring is crucial for evolution. In contrast, it has been said that dragons inherit certain traits exclusively from a specific parent, however this argument is heavily flawed.
For example, say dragons inherited their appearance from the father, not the mother. Automatically, this means that the genes its mother was carrying for external traits are lost immediately in that single generation. Assuming that the number of females equaled the number of males in the population, the gene pool for a dragon's appearance would be halved. For every generation, genetic variability would be halved. Because genetic variability is what allows evolution to occur in a changing environment, the draconic race would cease to evolve and every dragon would essentially look like a clone of one another. The only genetic material that is passed down faithfully through one parental line is mitochondrial DNA through the maternal line (Alberts, et al., 1998). In addition, sons will always get their mothers X chromosome and their fathers Y. Daughters will always get their fathers X and, randomly, one of their mothers X's, however, crossing over during meiosis as well as random assortment of chromosomes to gametes will help to create more diversity at the time of conception (Alberts, et al., 1998). It should be noted that it is assumed in this essay that dragons have the same sex chromosome configuration as mammals, that is, XX and XY, as opposed to other vertebrate groups. XX denotes a female and XY a male13.

In addition to variations in colours and markings, some small Western dragons possess chromatophores on their skin.
Chromatophores are cells in the skin that possess an 'iris', normally closed. In response to a stimulus, this iris may open, displaying the pigment revealed underneath. The dragon may change its colour in response to an intruder, to attract a mate, or to blend in with its surroundings.

Fig. 6: External features of the Western Dragon

Here is where figs. 3- 5 culminate. When the Western dragon is sheathed in thick leathery skin, we can greater appreciate its strength and prowess as a hunter, even if it does only prowl the recesses of our mind.

Šetnja kroz povijest - EDGAR CAYCE

03 veljača 2006

Ispod sfinge i piramida je izgrađena velika knjižnica znanja koja sadrži neizmjerno vrijedne knjige koje dokazuju postojanje Atlantide i tehnologija koje su koristili. Crtež prikazuje prolaz ispod sfingine šape, ulazak u podzemne komore, kružni hram i raskrsće podzemnih tunela koji vode prema tri piramide.

Jednom davno pročitah knjigu od Henry Bolduc-a o hipnotičkim regresijama: "Journey Within". Henry je tokom svojih dvadeset pet godina prakse putem hipnoze stotine ljudi vračao u prošlost i njihove ranije živote. Henry-jev uzor bio je fenomenalni američki istrazivač "duševnog svijeta": Edgar Cayce (1877-1945).

I upravo mi je Cayce potreban da bi nam omogućio prijelaz sa površine platoa Gize... ispod piramida i sfinge koje sam u prethodnom postu opisivao a u ovom ću nastaviti u tom tonu.

Jedino je o Nostradamusu napisano više knjiga nego o američkom "spavajućem proroku". Cayce je putem samo-hipnoze bio u mogućnosti da daje točne i korisne informacije o više od 8.000 različitih ljudi koji su mu se obraćali za pomoć. Od običnih ljudi do američkog predsjednika. Tokom 43 godine ostavio je iza sebe ukupno 14.253 "čitanja". Među njima je otprilike 60% medicinskih dijagnoza, 20% individualnih životnih čitanja i 20% drugih tema (poslovne i dr.)

Činjenica da je Cayce trebao samo ime i trenutno boravište osobe o kojoj je trebao da da medicinsku dijagnozu načinila ga je fenomenom. Preciznost dijagnoza i ponuđeni neortodoksni tretman, te uspješnost u liječenjima, ga je proslavila.

Četvrtina životnih čitanja odnosi se na period Atlantide. Preko 700 inkarniranih duša je detaljno opisano u Cayce-jevim stenogramskim izvještajima. Ovo je omogućilo stvaranje najobimnije dokumentacije o izgubljenoj civilizaciji naših predaka.

Cayce bi običavao govoriti da smo u prošlim životima poznavali večinu ljudi s kojim se i danas družimo. Ovo saznanje, bolje rečeno vibracija (vibra) ili magnetska privlačnost, vuklo bi duše Atlantiđana, jedne prema drugima.

(Čitanje ovog teksta također nije slučajno. U svakom od nas bi mogao probuditi odbljesak naših davno proživljenih života. Pa da vidim da li će mo se nečega sjetiti.)

Vulkanske erupcije, potresi i ljudskom rukom izazvane eksplozije uništavale su civilizaciju Atlantide u tri prošla perioda. Svaka od ovih destrukcija trajala je mjesecima, čak i godinama. Upozorenja prije svake katastrofe su davana Atlantiđanima. Mnogi su, zapravo, i uspijevali pobjeći na sigurno. Neki su odlazili u Europu ili Afriku, a neki su skonište potrazili u Južnoj Americi.

Prva od tri katstrofe se desila 50700 godina p.n.e. Druga je slijedila oko 28000 godina p.n.e., a treća prije 12500 godina.

Cayce opisuje duševne projekcije najstarijih Atlantiđana kao bića "... u kojima su oba spola, muški i ženski, bili prisutni u istom tijelu". (Čime on odgovara na davno pitanje, upućeno samome sebi, čemu mi služe bradavice.)

Iz mnoštva "čitanja" je vidljiva polarizacija u Atlantskom društvu:

1. Na jednoj su strani čista, duhovna i napredna bića - sljedbenici svemirskog "Zakona Jednog". Sve potiče iz univerzalnog produkta, prapovijesnog uma, svemirske svjetlosti. Zakon Jednoga odražava najviše standarde svijesti i vibrira na najvišem nivou svjetlosti i energije, i ostaje vrlo blisko Kreatoru. Filozofija pripadnika Zakona Jednog je totalno filantropska i nesebična. Uvijek su nastojali da podignu i obogate duhovne i fizičke uvjete svoje okoline i... da održavaju balans između svemirskih i planetarnih sila;

2. Na drugoj strani su svećenstvo i pripadnici učenja "Djeca Beliala". Oni su zainteresirani za svoj ego, fizičke užitke, moći hipnoze i vladanja nad drugim ljudima. Duhovna znanja su im bila isključivo u svrsi vladanja nad materijalnim svijetom.

Rani Atlantiđani su živjeli u grupama, a ne u domaćinstvima ili obiteljima kakve ih znamo danas. Postojali su svećenici, radnici, poljodjelci, umjetnici, čuvari vremena i misteriozna grupa koju Cayce naziva "stvarima" ili "mašinama". Tretman i korištenje tih "mašina" je bio kamen spoticanja izmedju pripadnika Zakona Jednog i Djece Beliala.

Postepeno, civilizacija se kreirala na Atlantidi, koja je pretekla sve dotadašnje i buduće imperije po svojim naučnim i ekonomskim dostignućima. Tehnologija Atlantiđana je omogućila razvoj zračnih balona, podmornica, liftova, telekomunikacijskog sustava i, čak, kompjutera. Zrakoplovi i podmornice su imale primjenu u korisne, ali i u rušilacke svrhe. Slično je bilo i sa upotrebom zraka smrti, eksploziva, radioaktivnih snaga i atomske energije.

Kako su Atlantiđani ovladavali ovim destruktivnim silama, prirodni balans se počeo narušavati i približavao se kraj prve civilizacija Atlantiđana.

Jedini datum u čitanjima Cayce-a koji prethodi prvoj kataklizmi je datum održavanja političkog summita između tadašnjih zemalja: 50722 godine p.n.e.

Sastanak je bio posvećen problemu golemih zvijeri na Atlantskom kontinentu.

Nakon sastanka su Djeca Beliala pretjerala u korištenju tehnologije eksploziva u pokušaju da riješe problem... Efekti su bili takvi da su doveli do cijepanja velikog kontinenta Atlantide (između današnje Europe i Amerika) na pet otoka.

Ponovni uspon Atlantiđana im je omogućio da ovladaju putovanjima u zraku, na vodi i na zemlji. Ne samo da su imali zrakoplove, već i letjelice na daljinsko upravljanje. Atlantida je uživala u svakojakim tehnološkim čudima, od kojih mnoga još uvijek nisu "izmišljena" u našem dobu. Mašine i laseri su korišteni za podmlađivanje tijela. Tehnologija je korištena za razvoj psiho i duševnih potencijala koje su uključivale telepatiju i astralna (van-tjelesna) putovanja! (U jednom od prvih pisanja sam napisao da su i prijestupnike putem uklanjanja određenih dijelova mozga smirivali i na taj način ponovo uključivali u društvo. To je poznato pod nazivom lobotomija koja nema više primjene u kaznenom pravosuđu.)

Na vrhuncu svog drugog perioda, nedugo prije kraja 28000 g.p.n.e., Atlantiđani postaju korumpirani i dekadentni. Zakon Jednog i Djeca Beliala imaju duge i ozbiljne nesuglasice. Jedna od njih je i uloga "mašina" (organskih robota). Da li im pomagati u njihovom duhovnom razvoju (Zakon Jednoga) ili ih eksploatirati (Djeca Beliala)?

I, kao i prije prve kataklizme, duhovni zakoni se koriste za materijalne probitke.

Najave katastrofe su se mogle vidjeti, ali večina ih jednostavno ignorira i nastavlja zloupotrebljavati svoju moć i znanje.

Slijedi destrukcija u kojoj se ponovo gubi kopno; dolazi do klimatskih promjena. Preživjeli se Atlantiđani moraju prilagođavati novim uvjetima. Naučna znanja su i dalje značajna, ali se prethodne dvije ere ne dostižu. Umjesto jednog velikog kontinenta, sada je grupa otoka. Najveći među njima su Posejdonija, Arian i Og. Stanje nemira i pobuna postaje trajno. Razlike među dvije glavne grupacije su sve dublje.

Djeca Beliala će dovesti do treće, finalne, destrukcije Atlantide, zlouptrebom destruktivnih energetskih sila. Korupcija, gramzivost, nepostojanje moralnih standarda, sebičnost, zloupotreba zemaljskih resursa... ubrzano su vodili njenom kraju. I mada se finalni čin desio iznenada, najave kraja su davane unaprijed. (Zašto me to podsjeća da nam se već neko vrijeme stalno pokazuju i javljaju određeni znakovi ili upozorenja. Zanima me kako će biti kad se to stvarno desi te u kolikom razvoju će mo tada biti.)

Onima koji su željeli da gledaju.

Prije finalne destrukcije Atlantide, sljedbenici Zakona Jednog, koji su znali za nadolazeću sudbinu svog kontinenta, uspijevali su da se presele u druge zemlje.

Tako, na primjer, u jednom od čitanja, Cayce prati putovanja jedne od duša:

"... na Atlantidi tokom perioda pucanja otoka. Isplovili smo prema Egiptu, ali smo završili na Pirenejima (današnjim Portugalskim, Francuskim i Španjolskim zemljama). U Calais-u se još uvijek mogu vidjeti tragovi na liticama gdje su pripadnici Zakona Jednoga pokušavali da obnove svoje ritualne aktivnosti." (13.06.1934., čitanje 315-4)

Među prvim zadacama je bilo osnivanje velike knjižnice znanja, oko godine 10300 godine p.n.e. u mjestu koje će znatno kasnije postati grad Aleksandrija u Egiptu.

Ova velika knjižnica je sadržavala brojne, neizmjerno vrijedne knjige koje bi danas, van svake sumnje, dokazale ne samo postojanje Atlantide, već i tehnologije koja je daleko ispred naše, dvadeset prvog stoljeća.

Brojni rukopisi su odneseni u Piramide:

"... Prije konačnog uništenja Atlantide, svećenici su dolazili iz Egipta u Posejdoniju (Atlantidu) da bi usavršili svoje shvaćanje Zakona Jednog i da bi sa sobom nosili zapisana znanja. Promatrana osoba se vračala sa svećenikom u Egipat. Tamo se uključio u Egipatsku politiku stajući na stranu mladog princa, a protiv lokalnog kralja Aarat-a. Egipat mu je postao novi dom. Na Atlantidi su nastavljene pobune, a mnogi Atlantiđani su emigrirali u Egipat...

... Osoba je bila među onima koji su čuvali stara znanja sa Atlantide i pripremali izgradnju kuće za inicirane - Veliku Piramidu. (19.06.1041., čitanje 2462-2)

"... osoba je pomagala svećeniku u izgradnji Galerije Znanja koja ce ležati ispod enigme... koja je još uvijek misterij nad misterijima... onima koji istražuju ko je drevnog čovjeka učinio svjesnim bićem i odvojio ga od zvijeri." (16.11.1940., 2402-2)

Gornje čitanje sugerira, a niz drugih izvora to i potvrđuje, da je ispod površine Gizinog platoa, Sfinge i piramida, izgrađena povelika Galerija znanja, knjižnica Atlantiđana.

Cayce je u listopadu 1933. posvetio jedno svoje čitanje odgovoru na pitanje da opiše Galeriju znanja ("Hall of Records"):

"... Tu se nalaze znanja Atlantide od početaka vremena kada je Duh preuzeo ljudsku formu na Planeti; i informacije koje opisuju razvoj čovjeka; i događaji koji su doveli do prve kataklizme i promjene koje su uslijedile; i opisi ljudskih aktivnosti na drugim kontinentima; i izvještaji sa sastanaka predstavnika država i zemalja; i aktivnosti koje su dovele do destrukcije Atlantide; i izgradnja piramide inicijacije; i gdje su skrivena znanja koja su kopija onih sa potonule Atlantide...

... Pozicija skrivenog ulaza je, kada se sunce diže iznad vode, duž linije koja pada između šapa Sfinge; ne dozvoljava se ulaz u podzemne komore sve dok čovjek to svojim iskustvom ne zasluži..."

Knjižnica znanja će, prema ovim navodima, jednom biti dostupna čovjeku. Tada će, očekujemo, dokazi o postojanju Atlantide izaći na svijetlo dana. Ujedno će se otkriti tehnologija i znanje koji su toliko napredni da se ne može ni zamisliti da je tako što moguće i postojalo.

Cayce je prorekao da će se egipatska riznica mudrosti otvoriti između 1998-2001. (No to se još nije dogodilo. Da li su tada njegova predviđanja bila kriva ili smo si sami krivi jer smo još uvijek previše gramzivi i sebični da bi uopće smjeli vladati bilo kakvim znanjima, ipak ne mogu o tome govoriti.)

komentiraj (4) * ispiši * #

Šetnja kroz povijest - GIZA PLATO

02 veljača 2006

Crni granitni ležaj u Kraljevoj komori Keopsove piramide je jedini komad “namještaja”. Tu se koncentrirala energija piramide što bi posebno stimuliralo buđenje spiritualne svijesti kandidata za ulazak u povlašteni krug “prosvjećenih”.

Davno sam rekao da piramide nisu bile grobnice faraona i da nije niti jedna mumija pronađena u njima. A pogotovo ne u tri najveće piramide na platou u Gizi...

Kameni plato u Gizi je, bez sumnje, središte najvažnijih građevina na površini Planete. A odmah ispod njenog nivoa su skrivena znanja od neizmjernog značaja za budućnost naše civilizacije.

Danas nastavljam govoriti o onome što je iznad površine (pored sfinge, tu su piramide). A u slijedećem pisanju ću se spustiti ispod površine platoa.

Zašto Egipćani nisu graditelji kompleksa na Gizinom platou?

Idemo redom:

1. Da bi se izgradio kompleks piramida sa željenom preciznošću, bilo je potrebno imati poravnan kameni plato. S jednog kraja "gradilišta" na drugi kraj, unutar skoro tri kvadratna kilometra, razlika u nivou je manja od dva centimetra! Laserska preciznost i građevinski poduhvat sam za sebe. Temelji Velike Piramide ispoljavaju još preciznije mjere: na preko pet hektara, razlika u nivou je manja od jednog centimetra! Ovo perfektno niveliranje nadaleko premašuje zahtjeve današnjeg ("modernog") građevinarstva (završio sam srednju školu za građevinskog tehničara te neke stvari pomalo razumijem).

2. U Kairskom muzeju se mogu vidjeti primjerci drevnih egipatskih pila, napravljenih od bakra i bronze. Egiptolozi tvrde da su ovakvim alatima stari Egipćani obrađivali kamene piramidine blokove. Ali. Tu dolazimo do novog problema. Naime, prema Mohovoj skali mineralne čvrstoće, bakar i bronza imaju tvrdoću od 3.5 do 4. Tvrdoća kamenih blokova (vapnenca) je od 4 do 5, a granita između 5 i 6. Alati dostupni drevnim Egipćanima bi samo zagrebali površinu vapnenca, a granitu ne bi mogli ništa. Nema arheoloških dokaza o željeznim alatima u faraonskom Egiptu. Današnji najbolji željezni alati imaju tvrdoću od 5.5 i to je nedovoljno da se siječe granit. Tek dijamantni alati mogu biti riješenje za granit i vapnenac. A sad zamislimo koliko bi miliona skupih dijamanata bilo potrebno za nekoliko miliona kamenih blokova od kojih su piramide građene. A da bi izazov bio teži, svi kameni blokovi su obrađeni sa sve četiri strane, a ne samo na jednoj, vanjskoj. Uglavnom, zaključak je da su blokovi za piramidu obrađeni nekom drugom, nama nepoznatom, tehnologijom.

Moh	Mineral	Brinell
10	Diamond
9	Corundum	667
8	Topaz	304
7	Quartz	178
6	Feldspar	147
5	Apatite	137
4	Fluorspar	64
3	Calcite	53
2	Gypsum	12
1	Talc	3

3. O nerješivom problemu transporta blokova sam govorio u ranijim člancima. A kako su kamene gromade od pedeset ili čak 200 tona podizane na visinu od sto ili sto pedeset metara? Golom ljudskom snagom?! Kako su granitni blokovi u glavnim komorama podizani i onda uklapani na prostoru u kome može stati samo šest ljudi? Egiptolozi izbjegavaju odgovore na ta pitanja, jer bi za manevar unutar piramide bila potrebna ljudska snaga od barem dvije tisuće ljudi. A dvije tisuće ljudi ne može stati u jednu malu prostoriju.

4. Površina piramida je bila obložena posebnim blokovima koji su svi bili teži od desetak tona u prosjeku. Obrađivani su i ugrađivani sa takvom preciznošću da ni žilet nije mogao stati izmedju njih. Vezivni materijal (malter) nije korišten.

5. Sugestija egiptologa da su prilikom izgradnje piramida korištene rampe po kojima su se vukli kameni blokovi, rađa nove probleme. Rampa koja bi vodila do vrha piramide bi imala 17.5 miliona kubičnih metara materijala. To predstavlja količinu koja je sedam puta veća od zapremine same piramide. Izgradnja takvih rampi bi zahtjevala 240.000 ljudi u toku Keopsove vladavine, i daljnjih 300.000 radnika i osam godina da se one uklone. I onda novi problem. Gdje se taj materijal nalazi pošto nikakvi tragovi nisu nađeni na čitavom platou?

I, nadalje, ako razmišljamo logikom egiptologa, povlačenje kamenih blokova po rampama bi neminovno oštetilo njihove precizne kutove. Umjesto toga, kameni blokovi su ugrađeni neoštećeni u samu građevinu.

6. Dokazi da Egipćani nisu konstruirali tri piramide na Gizinom platou nalaze se na nižim nivoima piramida. Naime, pronađeni su sedimenti na njihovoj osnovi, zatim tragovi vodenih oštećenja, te kristali morske soli na kamenu. Sedimenti se nalaze na visini do pet metara od piramidinih temelja. Oni sadrže mnoštvo školjki i fosila kojima je određena starost putem radiokarbonske metode. Rezultat: sedimenti su stari dvanaest tisuća godina!

Njihovo prisustvo je moglo biti uzrokovano samo sa dužim prisustvom morske vode i poplava. A faraonski Egipat nema nikakvih zapisa o (biblijskim) poplavama, jer ih jednostavno u njihovo doba nije bilo. Naime, egipatsko kraljevstvo je osnovano osam tisuća godina poslije potopa (i potonuća Atlantide).

Ovo nedvojbeno dokazuje da su objekti na Gizinom platou podignuti prije, najmanje, dvanaest tisuća godina.

Kada je Abdullah Al Mamun, sin bagdadskog kalifa, prvi provalio i iskopao prolaz u Piramidu prije 1200 godina (820 A.D.), pronašao je naslage soli u prizemnom nivou piramide debele dva-tri centimetra. Kemijska analiza vršena u prošlom stoljeću pokazala je da je riječ o soli morskog porijekla. Novi dokaz da je piramida u dalekoj prošlosti (tisuća godina prije Sumera, Babilona ili drevnog Egipta) bila izgrađena, a zatim se, uslijed podizanja visine mora, nalazila u dubokoj vodi. Sve do povlačenja nivoa mora i nastanka pustinje.

7. Stranice piramide su u savršenoj liniji sa stranama svijeta. Preciznost je zapanjujuća: 99,99% (odstupanje je 0,01%).

8. Velika piramida je istovremeno i sunčev kalendar. Dok je sjena na sjevernoj strani, sunčeva svjetlost se odbija na južnoj strani, precizno označavajući godišnje dane solsticija i ekvinocija.

9. Osnovne dimenzije Piramide u sebi sadrže mjere Zemljine veličine i oblika. Piramida je u pravilnom omjeru sa hemisferom; zemljopisna širina (30 stupnjeva na sjever) i dužina (31 stupanj na istok) su posebna točka Planete, jer upravo na tom mjestu svojom dužinom i širinom dodiruju najviše tla, a najmanje mora.

10. Graditelji Piramide su znali geometrijske proporcije Pi (3,1415...), Fi (1,618) i "Pitagorine poučke o trokutu", tisuće godina prije samog Pitagore, "oca geometrije".

11. Atlantiđani su, gradeći piramidu, pokazali da su bili svjesni Zemljinog sferičnog oblika (uključivo malo odstupanje od perfektnog kruga). Osnove piramide su nekoliko centimetara duže od 230 metara čime su pokrili zaravnjenost Zemlje na polovima.

12. Naivne tvrdnje da se sa strana piramide nalaze dva "ventilacijska otvora" palo je u vodu. Minijaturni elektronski robot je prošao uski put od 65 metara od "Kraljeve komore" i potvrdio da ovi otvori gledaju direktno u sazvjezđa Zeta Orionis i Alfa Drakonis. Iz Kraljičine komore otvori gledaju prema Sirijusu i Orionu. Očito je da su Atlantiđani pokazivali prstom prema matičnim planetama posjetioca koji su ostavili traga u razvoju njihove civilizacije.

13. Već klasično djelo Robert Bauval-a "The Orion Mystery" detaljno obrazlaže da raspored tri piramide u Gizi oslikava pozicije tri glavne zvijezde u Orionovoj konstelaciji.

Prema čemu vodi ovo nabrajanje građevinskih čuda sa platoa Gize? Zašto bi drevni graditelji inkorporirali toliko preciznih astronomskih, matematičkih, zemljopisnih, astroloških i drugih (još neotkrivenih) znanja u kamene strukture?

Odgovor na to pitanje bi nas napokon približio odgovoru o stvarnoj funkciji piramida.

Godina je 1798. Napoleon osvaja Egipat i hita u Veliku piramidu sa svojom pratnjom. Dolazi do "kraljeve komore", traži od svojih pratilaca da ga ostave samog i... provodi noć ležeći u granitnom sarkofagu. Ujutro, vidno blijed i uzbuđen, napušta piramidu. Na upit svojih generala o doživljenom iskustvu, odgovara: "I da vam kažem, ne biste mi nikada povjerovali."

Dvadesetak godina kasnije, protjeran na Svetoj Heleni, na isti upit ponovo ne odgovara. Svoju tajnu je odnio sa sobom u grob.

Jedini komad "namještaja" u Kraljevoj komori je granitni ležaj. Dimenzije su mu veće od otvora tako da ovaj granitni blok nije napuštao piramidu od doba građenja. Dimenzije prostorije odgovaraju matematičkoj proporciji Fi (10,46 m x 5,23 m x 5,81 m), a izgrađena je od crvenog granita. Crni granitni ležaj je dugačak 2,25 m i metar širok. Egiptolozi pogrešno tvrde da je ovo zadnje počivalište faraona Keopsa. Pri tome nemaju nijedan, n i j e d a n, dokaz za ovu tvrdnju. Niti mumije, niti kovčega, niti hijeroglifa, kraljevskih oznaka...

Kandidati za ulazak u povlašteni krug "prosvjećenih" prolazili su put dugačak 22 godine. Vrijeme ispunjeno treningom, iskušenjima, učenjima. Kandidati, odnosno inicirani, su morali da dokažu svoju vrijednost. Objašnjeni su im svemirski principi i univerzalni zakoni, čovjekova pozicija i svrha u svemiru.

Ove istine nisu objašnjavane prostom puku, ignorantima, "onima koji nisu mogli da se uzdignu iznad fizičke stvarnosti i koji svijet shvaćaju samo onako kako ga vide". (Peter Tompkins, "Secret of the Great Pyramids", 1971).

Na kraju svog dvadesetdvogodišnjeg perioda metafizičkog učenja, meditacija i priprema, inicirani bi došli do svog posljednjeg testa. Bili bi ostavljeni u granitni kovčeg tri dana i tri noći.

Položaj kovčega i same Kraljeve komore je pažljivo izabran. Tu bi se koncentrirala energija Piramide i posebno bi se pojačavala prilikom različitih Zemljinih konstelacija sa Suncem, Mjesecom, planetarnim i zvjezdanim objektima. To bi posebno stimuliralo buđenje spiritualne svijesti.

Duše kandidata bi tokom tri dana lutale vratima vječnosti, oslobođene svog fizičkog tijela. Pri tome bi otkrivali da je čitav Univerzum život, da je svemir progres, da je svemir vječni rast. Shvaćali bi da je tijelo dom iz kojeg duša može da izađe i u koga može da se vrati i bez fizičke smrti. S tim saznanjem kandidat bi postajao besmrtan.

Nakon tri dana, i fizičkog buđenja, i individualnog iskustva velike misterije, kandidat bi postajao prosvijetljenim. Bio bi obasjan božjom, univerzalnom svjetlošću.

komentiraj (5) * ispiši * #

Dragon Biology

There is simply no creature alive that can match the physical majesty of the dragon. As a six-limbed beast of the land, sea and sky, the dragon is a unique masterpiece among the animal kingdom, and the benchmark against which all other fantastical creatures are compared. The dragon's fiery breath and domination over the elements has crowned the dragon as the ultimate symbol of the powerful, untamed forces of nature. For every ecological niche that exists, there is a dragon to cater for it.

The Dragon Biology section includes essays dealing with various aspects of the dragon, be it longevity or hunting behaviour, skeletal structure or taxonomy. Illustrations and a glossary are included for further reference, and we have used basic explanations where possible. The dragon's supernatural characteristics have been purposely left out of this section- here we have treated the dragon as if it were as alive as any other creature, and invite you to do the same.

Western Dragon Anatomy:
The most detailed of the anatomy essays, this includes a look at the dragon's skeletal and muscular system, along with senses, flight, fire-breath, genetics and external features.

Eastern Dragon Anatomy:
The Eastern dragon is similar in appearance to a lizard, with short legs, a long neck and tail, and an enormously long body, which has all the suppleness of a serpent. The ribcage is quite shallow, and the sternum is correspondingly reduced when compared to other dragons.

Fairy Dragon Anatomy:
The Fairy dragon is very small in size, and often brightly coloured. They live in highly-vegetated areas, although there is one desert-dweller known, and none live in alpine regions where it is far too cold.

Dragon Longevity:
This essay explores the long-debated lifespan of a typical dragon, bringing into play heartrate and also the structure of telomeres and their effects on cellular and individual ageing. Some of this essay concerns genetics, however if you have no prior knowledge, all the genetic terms mentioned are explained.

Dragon Phylogeny:
Here, dragons have been classed in both taxonomical and evolutionary terms. This essay also includes a theoretical cladogram.

Dragon Hunting Behaviour:
This essay will explain the hunting methods that dragons may use; two viewpoints have been taken into consideration when approaching this essay. The first will address dragons hunting in groups, the second looks at dragons as solitary hunters with the Western dragon used as a model.

nedostaješ mi....

01 veljača 2006

Jesi li postala trava ili oblak koji nestaje,
Svejedno.

I na klisurama orlovi te prate
i u vodama i među zvijezdama.

Ne mogu rastaviti oči,
izvore koji istom moru gledaju.

Nema rastanka
Nema smrti.

Ako osluškujem vjetar
čujem tvoj glas.

Ako u smrt gledam
čujem tvoju pjesmu.

(In memoriam, Tina 11.7.1965 - 1.2.1981)

Nedostaješ mi još uvijek mada je prošlo tako mnogo vremena a ni moja ljubav prema tebi nije umrla. Umrlo je jedino sa tobom moje srce.

Dragons: A Changing Personality

Dragons are arguably the most diverse of creatures; they appear in history, mythology, literature, religion, art, and of course, our imaginations. Of all the fantasy creatures, they are the most well-known and they differ so incredibly that it is quite hard to not become intrigued by them. Dragons also appear in almost every culture, civilisation and region.

The two most popular types of dragons are the well-known Western type that frequently appeared in the Middle Ages, and the beneficial snake-like dragons of Ancient China. But the term 'dragon' applies to any creature that is different: for example, the Chimera is a dragon. It has the body and head of a dragon, a goat head on its back and a snake head at the end of its tail. Other creatures made up of different animal parts are also dragons, such as the Mexican dragons which possess traits of jaguars.
This is only partly why dragons so diverse. (Note that dragon is not just a term under which assorted creatures are placed in: these animals, such as the Chimera, have been directly named as belonging to the draconic race.)

The most likely reason why dragons are so well-known and arguably the most famous mythical creature is because their diversity makes them very flexible. In a person's imagination, a dragon can take on virtually any form a person can dream up.
Also, dragons have changed so dramatically over the thousands of years they have been in existence.

Dragons were originally beneficial creatures that were closely linked with the creation and shaping of our world. This image of the creator-dragon is a common theme that has been carried through many cultures and even some religions.
The first dragons belonged to the oldest culture still present today in much the same form; the Australian Aboriginals. Here, they were revered creatures who generally kept to themselves and didn't have much to do with people, except in the case of the creator-dragon, the Rainbow Serpent. Ancient China also featured dragons of much the same temperament in their culture and everyday life.
Other ancient civilisations such as Ancient Egypt and Persia saw the dragon as a symbol of life and death. Here, they had traits of both good and evil, depending on the individual.

However, the dragon is not without its bad side (as they are commonly known for), and have built up an infamous reputation in the past that has, undoubtedly, been a large contributing factor to their popularity.
It was this aspect of the dragon's personality (and more recently their good side, as seen in the Ancient Chinese dragons), which are most commonly remembered.

Dragons are generally seen as holding their own personalities. Today, dragons have become very popular among the fantasy and science fiction genre. However, the recently developed stigma surrounding the dragon (this is one of, "everyone thinks dragons are evil, but I know they're not. No-one understands dragons.") is in most cases false.
The dragon's sinister, bestial side is something which has been embraced by the media, but so too has their gentle, noble aspects. A good example is the movie Dragonheart.
However, without their darker side, the dragon would not be what it is today. Dragons would no longer be a symbol of strength, courage and ferocity, but would essentially become a Unicorn with wings and claws.

Dragons may have had a bad reputation at one stage, but today they are generally seen as creatures with their own personality, their own likes and dislikes, and their own temperaments.
Through the thousands of years, the dragon's personality has changed dramatically. They were first created as good creatures who generally kept to themselves, but as the years passed they came to stand for both good and bad. The creator-dragon was a popular idea which was carried through many cultures and civilizations (Tiamat, Aido-Wedo, Jormungand, etc).
The dragon has always held an element of evil in its image, which was carried through as its personality changed through time.
Dragons have differed in the numerous cultures so incredibly, in appearance and personality alike.

Today, the dragon's image and personality has changed again. Now, they are seen as creatures holding their own personalities and temperaments. They have become much more popular; certainly part of this is due to the bad reputation they held hundreds of years ago.