Harry Potter :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harry Potter books, by J.K. Rowling, are fun filled books with werewolves, wizards, and witches. It is a series of seven books total. The books mainly are about Harry and his ongoing conflict with becoming a wizard and dealing with his arch nemesis, Lord Voldemort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These books would be classified as fantasy, but could be classified as also romance, action, adventure, mystery, and sci-fi. It has romance when Harry falls in love with Cho Chang, a girl in Ravenclaw, another house at Hogwarts, Harryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s school. There is action and adventure in every book (Harry fights Voldemort, discovers a werewolf, joins a tournament, etc,). Mystery rises when a mysterious person rights with blood on the wall about murder. It has a lot of sci-fi like dragons, trolls, werewolves, and dementors (soul-sucking demons).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first book, The Sorcererà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Stone, Harry first finds out heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a wizard and finds out his parents were killed by Voldemort. He also firsts goes to Hogwarts, and defeats the spirit of Voldemort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the second book, The Chamber of Secrets, Harry goes back to Hogwarts for the second time and then a finds a diary, sees weird writing on the wall, and battles Lord Voldemort as a kid (his name was Tom Lorov Riddle).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the third book, The Prisoner of Askaban, Harry finds out about Sirius Black, an escaped convict. He then finds out his teacher is a werewolf and Ronà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ rat is actually an animagus, a person who can transform into an animal (Ron is Harryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s best friend and the youngest of 5 brothers).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the forth book, The Goblet of Fire, Harry returns to school and joins the tri-wizard tournament, a contest that only happened 100 years ago. He then gets transported in the middle of the final round to a cemetery where he sees Lord Voldemort get resurrected from the dead and Cedric Digory get murdered by Wormtail, Ronà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s rat in human form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the fifth book, The Order of the Phoenix, Harry gets a new teacher, Dolores Umbridge, a teacher who is as sour as a pickle. She then takes over Hogwarts and bans Harry from playing Quiditch, a sport on broomsticks. Then Harry and his friends travel to The Department Of Mysteries, the place where a prophecy about him and lord Voldemort is kept. He then battles Lord Voldemort and his death eaters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last 2 books have not been released yet but the 6th book is to be called The Half Blood Prince.

In Todays Society :: essays research papers

In today’s society the public branding of the Gap name can be found everywhere. Go to any big city in North America and there will be public branding of the Gap name. Almost any major company will participate in public branding of their name. Gap keeps on public branding their name more and more effectively. Sides of buses, large billboards downtown, benches and subway stations will have the Gap name branded all over them. These are examples of public branding. Public branding is good for marketing . This is clearly illustrated by Gap because one of the main reasons for their successful marketing is their use of public branding. The goal of publicly branding is to get your company’s name known and for it to become popular . If your company becomes known and popular then your advertising program will be successful. Public branding keeps on getting more visible in today’s society. Names of a new brand that convey easily understood product attributes in short snappy wa ys are the best. Gap sales this year were the best in company’s history , largely due to the public branding of their name. It is evident that public branding is a big and important part of Gap’s marketing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The other aspect of branding is personal branding. Personal branding clothes are articles of clothing that you wear that brand the company’s name on the clothes. Personal branding has is a relatively new concept. Up until 30 years ago personal branding was unheard of . The concept of personal branding is very popular among teenagers . Some of the reasons for this are: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s society it is considered in style to wear personal branding clothes. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You let people know that you bought this article of clothing from that company. If they consider that company to be prestigious then you will want people to know that they bought your article of clothing from that company. This is the case with Gap. Most people consider Gap to be a prestigious store so they will wear personal branding clothes from the Gap. This is evident because the top three selling articles of clothes from Gap are personal branding clothes. Some reasons for this are because personal branding clothes provide free advertising. These types of clothes are in style today. At the Gap this is especially true. It is important to keep on selling these type of clothes because most people (especially teenagers) feel that if a product is marketed well, there is a better chance they will buy it.

Theoretical Application

There is a criminal phenomenon that has been under continuous study by criminologists and has also pre-occupied American society, â€Å"criminal gangs†. When the general public thinks of the term â€Å"gangs†, the thought inevitably evokes feelings and images predominately associated with criminal activity that aids to the dilapidation of their neighborhoods and social settings. The term gangs and the crime associated are often viewed differently by the media and law enforcement personnel and even more distinctively by politicians. There is little debate that understanding what a gang is or is not facilitates the identification of variant types of gangs and subsequently aids in developing policies and tactics for communities to address their gang problems. These problems associated with the criminal phenomenon of gang activity range from petty thefts and graffiti â€Å"tagging† to drug use, distribution and homicide. The ailments to a neighborhood caused and/or associated with gang activity are of a social disorder that is no longer considered a localized issue. Gangs have become broadly interconnected with separate chapters across the United States and even have a presence transnationally. Gangs are a criminological problem because the dilemmas of gang activity have grown beyond large cities and urban environments and found a home also in smaller cities and suburban life. According to an FBI study, criminal gangs commit as much as 80 percent of the crime in many communities and gang members are migrating from urban areas to suburban and rural communities, expanding the gangs’ influence in most regions (2009 National Gang Threat Assessment). The various criminal street gangs in the United States range from small neighborhood-oriented petty units to much larger international and commercial gang oriented establishments. Gangs present a nationwide problem and the related issues are magnified by the continuous recruitment of local youth into gangs which are transnational and internationally based. Many suburban and rural communities are facing an increase in criminal acts attributed to gangs and their immediate influence on the social structure of the neighborhoods they reside in. Los Angeles is one such city that has long been plagued by the presence of criminal gangs. In 1993, gang members were involved as suspects or victims in about one-third of all homicides and historically, between 1980 and 1989, the homicide rate in Los Angeles was more than double the rate for the State of California (Meehan and O’Carroll). Los Angeles has been a focal point for many studies conducted regarding the phenomenon of gang activity. As noted, the gang phenomenon has been a focal study of criminological researchers. Various research theories have been employed in an attempt to identify social origins and the implications of gang activity. There is an abundance of facts that pertain to gang crime and the related byproduct of this type of criminal activity. But what are the explanation(s) as to how and why these facts became measurable and accountable? In other words, what are possible causes and explanations to the creation and survival of gangs and its members respectively? Many different scientific theories could be employed to propose answers about the relationships between observable events in gang phenomena. To provide an explanation to this phenomenon, a review of gang related issues found in Celeste Freman’s â€Å"G-Dog and the Homeboys† is coupled with the contention that such issues are the result of a cultural imbalance between the socially accepted pursuit of wealth and the less desired value of hard work, honesty, and education. Such an explanation is most appropriately found when applying the criminology based Strain Theory. This theory is derived from exploring the social structures in America and the accompanying opportunities available to pursue socially supported norms like the pursuit of wealth or status, often referred to as the American Dream. Ultimately, the result on individuals to acquire wealth or status creates undue stress propelling some to seek results through non-institutionalized means. This is a practice and a sub-culture that is readily accepted within gang phenomenon. The Strain Theory, originally presented by Robert K. Merton, has been used in various studies to support the premise that the American Dream concept and the pressure to achieve some resemblance of it serves as a causation of crime. It is not uncommon to see reporting of individuals resulting to unconventional means like crime to obtain what they cannot through conventional means. The Strain Theory makes an effort to justify factors found in low-income and industrial neighborhoods. It presents these factors as barriers to opportunity and directly attributes them to crime and the formation of gangs. The Strain Theory is part of the Positivist School of Criminology thought and supposes actions are observable and not socially created. Strain Theory consists of elements from social disorganization and an individual lack of norms, termed â€Å"anomie†. The social disorganization and anomie theories are derived from different research platforms but all have common arguments. The proposed thought is that the less there exists of solidarity, cohesion, or integration within a group, community or society, the higher will be crime, the rate of crime, and deviance (Akers and Sellers). What drives someone to commit such unconventional acts in pursuit of wealth or status? Merton’s position concerning an individual pursuing non-institutional means is derived from a person’s â€Å"attitude† toward the pursuit of cultural goals such as wealth and status. Merton presented manners that an individual may resort to from undergoing strain caused by the limited access to resources needed to obtain these institutional goals. The way an individual responds or the adaptive manners is dependent on their acceptance or rejection toward social goals, the American Dream and status, and the opportunity available to attain them. Not having available resources and opportunity will directly attribute to gang association and membership recruitment. A study of Strain Theory regarding attributing factors of gang membership identified the stigma of poverty status to have a positive effect on gang membership and may even aid to the perception of blocked opportunities (Vowell and May). A neighborhood that is ripe with social problems, low income housing, and little opportunity offers a higher potential for juvenile delinquency and assimilation of like minds such as gangs. Evidence to this is noted in the study of Strain Theory which found evidence that living in a neighborhood where social problems and physical deterioration were perceived to be a problem and was positively related to delinquency. Additionally, this study noted that general strain leads to delinquent involvement by weakening the conventional social bond and strengthening the unconventional bond with delinquent peers (Paternoster and Mazerolle). This presents the likelihood of individuals finding similar non-institutional means to obtain social goals from gang membership. Gangs do offer knowledge of non-institutional means and in many cases offer the peer support to an individual pursing what they desire, often it is a derivative of the American Dream. The Strain Theory provides a plausible reason why most crime is fixated in certain areas of urban cities, supported by the assertion that social culture and structure must be weighed as equal parts. The theory by Merton emphasizes that society places more importance on the success of an individual achieving wealth or status than on the socially accepted means by which this success is obtained. All classes of American society have been inundated through the media, politics, education, and marketing that success is the most important social value. Yet, the opportunities to attain this success are limited in the lower-class of society and thus provide a breeding ground for gang creation and advancement. When these opportunities are pursued, they are expected to be sought out in truthful and socially accepted ways. Unfortunately for our society, more emphasis is placed on obtaining the American Dream and the success of wealth than the manner in which it is accomplished. There is a dominant belief in the American Dream or social status and this belief is one that encompasses all classes of society. However, equal opportunity, the socially recognized need to attain the American Dream or status is unfortunately distorted among the lower-class of society. There is an outcry from these citizens who consider resources available to capture their goals as distorted when compared to other classes creating a springboard of stress. Even though all citizens of our society believe and measure their success by obtaining some portion of the wealth and status, some are not provided the standard resources to meet the expectations demanded to acquire it. Building on the strain theory, Albert K. Cohen pursued a position where male deviant behavior was in response to â€Å"blocked opportunities† and was an assimilating attribute of the lower-class subculture produced from social structure strain (Vowell, & May). The deviance provoked behavior was due to the inability to gain social prominence. This is similar to Merton’s variation of Strain. However, Merton centered on material wealth rather than a position in society or status. Middle-class citizens are accepted and supported in work and education environments because of they typically are able to meet social expectations required of them for status or of wealth. Unlike the middle-class, the lower-class populous finds it difficult to meet socially accepted standards due to the limited access to available resources and result to deviant behavior. This is often materialized by the formation and acceptance into the social subculture of gangs where the rejected find common ideology and share in access to unconventional means such as crime. It is in this subculture of gangs that the unconventional measure to achieve a certain status or respect is found. The Strain Theory proposed that the deviant assimilation is carried out by identifying the opportunities that are also legal means, not just the illegal ones. In essence, the premise is made that an individual is not driven to conduct criminal behavior solely by the singular desire to acquire wealth or status but also there is a learned behavior of criminal means and acts derived from the social environment they are reside in and ultimately exposed to. This can be expounded on within a gang environment producing criminal acts of different sorts to foster the pursuit of status and wealth. As mentioned, the issues of gang activity in Los Angeles present an overwhelming constraint on positive social development brought on by criminal activity. The criminal acts carried out by the likes of gang members within the Los Angeles neighborhoods highlighted in G-Dog and the Home Boys are a result of the absent non-supportive family structure needed. Employment opportunities, when provided by Father Greg (G-Dog), are ridden with social hurdles. To even pursue the opportunity, they must first escape beyond the concrete island their gang resides on and â€Å"trespass† into those areas marked as enemy territory. Such enormous impediments can seem overwhelming and result in an individual retreating into the fold of his fellow â€Å"homies†, dismissing the potential of an opportunity. This hurdle is secondary to the perceived reprisal waiting in the wings of the Los Angeles Police Department and the subsequent sentiment fellow gang members have of abandonment. The various gangs, primarily Clarence Street Locos, viewed by Fremont over the shoulder of Father Greg all were comprised of members who were predominately juvenile, from a broken or deteriorating family structure, out of or were recoiling from school and education, jobless and possessed little belief in the prospect of a future without the support of their fellow gang members. Whether the East L. A. Dukes, Capones, The Mob Crew, East Coast Crips or another Latino or African American gang, the predominant make-up of its membership were part of an unskilled and poor community searching for a sense of belonging and a way for survival. Members like Dreamer, Turtle, Ghost, Droopy, Ghost, Oso, Silent, etc. , all battled a daily routine of gang life in and out of the projects. Members of the community of gang ridden neighborhoods of Pico Gardens and Aliso Village had little to offer its inhabitants. These predominately Latino immigrant ommunities possessed little in way of educational or employment opportunities. There were little options for jobs and instead the community youth found themselves marketing the gang arenas for membership. Most of the Clarence Street gang members became role models for their siblings and continuously offered â€Å"veterano† advice for participating in gang life. This type of life was all that seemed to be obtainable, due in n o small part to the lack of opportunities. This then became the only way they knew to get what they wanted in life. The lack of opportunity is magnified without a solid role model and father figure in their home. This was a constant variable throughout the insights collected by Freeman provided by individual gang members. When there was a father figure present, it was one that showed little compassion or even interest into their life. The lifestyle as a gang member was the opportunity that was available to them and is what filled the void of family and acceptance. Their daily struggle is evident in the simple but deadly decisions they had to make; visible in determining a roundabout path to a party or through an enemy’s territory. The homicides that occur, the decisions to â€Å"hit back†, the dishonorable choices made when confronted by another gang, the fear of police, the need to find employment, the hopelessness of education, the constrained choices to sleep in cars or homeless shelters, etc. , all are attributing factors of stress that result from a lack of opportunity when pursuing a life of normalcy. â€Å"Gangs come into existence and flourish because the needs of the young people in a neighborhood or culture or family are not being met. The gang, in essence, fills the void† (Gardner). The American Dream and the need for status present the same â€Å"needs† often sought after by unconventional means through gang activity. No doubt Father Greg’s commitment witnessed by his numerous attempts to help over and over again through mental and economic support created opportunities otherwise unavailable. Not to mention his eventual creation of Homeboy Industries and the overwhelming economic advantage it offered in reducing negative employment and neighborhood induced stress. Gang Phenomenon is a socially adaptive instrument that offers the mechanism to fill the needs, such as the wealth and status, of the deprived juveniles. The gang and its members discussed in G-Dog and the Home Boys sought nontraditional means that were socially unacceptable but filled the emptiness caused by the lack of opportunities in the lower-class communities they resided in. As long as there is apparent or perceived blocked opportunities and unequal resources in the lower-class, gangs and their related criminal activity will be a continuing issue for America. BIBLIOGRAPHY Akers, Robert, & C. S Sellers. (2009). â€Å"Criminological Theories, Introduction, Evaluation and Application†. New York: Oxford University Press. Fremon, Celeste. (2004) G-Dog and the Homeboys: Father Greg Boyle and the Gangs of East Los Angeles. University of New Mexico Press. Gardner, Sandra. (1992). Street Gangs in America. Franklin Watts, New York, NY. Meehan, Patrick and Patrick O’Carroll. (1992). â€Å"Gangs, Drugs, and Homicide in Los Angeles. † American Journal of Diseases of Children 146. Paternoster, Raymond and Paul Mazerolle. (1994). General Strain Theory and Delinquency: â€Å"A Replication and Extension†. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. Volume 31. The National Gang Intelligence Center. (2009). Product No. 2009-M0335-001. â€Å"National Gang Threat Assessment. † Vowell, Paul and David May. (2000). Another Look at Classic Strain Theory: â€Å"Poverty Status, Perceived Blocked Opportunity, and Gang Membership as Predictors of Adolescent Violent Behavior†. Sociological Inquiry. Volume 70.

Leiningen Versus the Ants Essay

In any story, characters are made from an author, but they actually living in the story. They have their own particular traits that human has. People can be describe as many type of people by the traits they has, and just like the characters in the story can be describe as a type of person. In story â€Å"Leiningen versus the Ants† by Carl Stephenson was an example of shown that Leiningen a characters could be describe as a intelligent, respectable leader and a brave person. This story was basically about the battle between the human and the ants which can eat any thing up. It shows the human versus the nature too, Leiningen as the human, and the ants as the nature. Any way, one trait Leiningen has was intelligent. In the story the quote â€Å"Even here in this Brazilian wilderness, his brain had triumphed over every difficulty and danger it had so far encountered. †(p#1) shows Leiningen was smart because this quote had simplify he use his brain to limit to come of a plan and use it helping people. Also the quote â€Å"When I began this model farm and plantation three years ago, I took into account all that could conceivably happen to it† (p#1) exactly saying he is intelligent, because he made a model farm that mean he already have a plan three years ago, it hard for anyone to come of a plan so he is smart. Also he use only his mind to imagine out any thing could happen, he think of any possibility and add it to the plan. Another trait Leiningen been describe is respectable leader. In the story the quote â€Å"But so great was the Indian’s trust in Leiningen, in Leiningen’s words, and in Leiningen’s wisdom, that they received his curt tidings, and his orders for the imminent struggle, with the calmness in which they were given†(p#1) demonstrates because of Leiningen’s hard work on the plantation and receiving the challenge of ants. He has successfully amassed the support of the most resulting in his role as a leader for his people the Indians. People listen to him, they trust him, so in the quote they were calm. Also another quote show he was a respectable leader is â€Å"Such, indeed, was his aura of confidence that the Indians forgot their stupefied fear of the peril only a yard or two away. † (p#4) because Leiningen change the fear of his people, made them forgot the fear of the peril very near. If someone do that it only the one who lead the group. The Indians follow Leiningen even the feeling, this prove they trust in Leiningen, and start to being into one unity group with Leiningen as the head, the Indians as the other parts. The last trait describe Leiningen was that he was brave, in the story the quote â€Å"You’re insane! They’re not creatures you can fight—they’re an elemental—an ‘act of God! ’ Ten miles long, two miles wide—ants, nothing but ants! And every single one of them a fiend from hell; before you can spit three times they’ll eat a full-grown buffalo to the bones. †(p#1) phrase that scariness and dangerous of the ants, and how many of them. Also tell that Leiningen not afraid of them, still plan a plantation to stop them, he is brave. I beg any one heard of that much of ants be scared but not Leiningen, his brave get his way, he is brave enough to fight god. Another quote is â€Å"The moment I’m over the ditch, set fire to the petrol. That’ll allow time for the flood to do the trick. Then all you have to do is wait here all snug and quiet till I’m back. Yes, I’m coming back, trust me† (p#10) say that Leiningen has decided a very hard choice to scarify himself to flood away the terrify ants. But he stilled did even though it might lose his life, but he is brave enough to do it. In conclusion, story â€Å"Leiningen versus the Ants† by Carl Stephenson shows an example of characters in a story actually living in their, by their own personality, in a story character is a living person. Just like Leiningen, in the story he been described as a intelligent person, a respectable leader, and a brave person supported by his actions and thoughts. With all these traits he also could be view as a heroic person, because all he did is not a normal person can do. We should follow his footsteps to becoming a better person, to protect your love.

Tunnel connection

An ethical hacker is a person who performs most of the same activities a cracker does, but with the owner or company's permission. T 2. Even though the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CHIPS) certification is not geared toward the technical IT professional, it has become one of the standards for many security professionals. F 3. To retrieve e-mail from a mail server, you most likely access port 119. T 4.An octal digit can be represented with only three bits because the largest digit in octal is seven. T 5. A hex number is written with two characters, each representing a byte. 6. Macro viruses are hard to create. 7. Computer crime is the fastest growing type of crime worldwide. 8. To limit the amount of information a company makes public, you should have a good understanding of what a competitor would do to discover confidential information. _F 9. The HTTP CONNECT method starts a remote application-layer Lubbock of the request message. 0. A Entries name does not ne ed to be unique on a network. Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. C 11. Hacking Security testing b. Cracking takes penetration testing to a higher level. D. Packet sniffing A 12. Some hackers are skillful computer operators, but others are younger inexperienced people who experienced hackers refer to as script kiddies packet snifters repetition monkeys crackers D 13.The International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (SEC- Council) has developed a certification designation called . A. Compact Security+ CUSTOM professional security -rested (POST) Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CHIPS) Certified Ethical Hacker (CUE) A 14. The Stamina,Audit,Network, Security (SANS) Institute offers training and IT security certifications through Global Information Assurance Certification (IAC) can be created that welcomes new users Joining a chat session, D 15. A even though a person isn't actually present to welco me them. . Byte switch packet boot can replicate itself, usually through an executable program B 16. A attached to an e-mail. A. Shell Kellogg virus retrofit _C 17. Which of the following provides the most secure method of securing a company's assets? A. Rotary locks card access combination locks deadbolt locks D 18. Can be used to gather information useful for computer criminals, like many phone directories, financial reports, interoffice memos, resumes of employees, etc. A. Shoulder surfing Piggybacking Footprint Dumpster diving _C 19.In an JACK scan, if the attacked port returns an REST packet the attacked port is considered to be † open unfiltered closed unassigned Completion Complete each statement. 20. In the TCP/IP stack, the _ Transport_ layer is responsible for getting data packets to and from the Application layer by using port numbers. In addition to a unique network address, each network must be assigned 21. A(n) _subnet which helps distinguish the network address bits from the host dress bits. Mallard is malicious software, such as a virus,worm, or Trojan program, introduced to a network for Just that reason. 3. Antivirus software compares signatures of known viruses against the files on the computer; if there's a match, the software warns you that the program or file is infected. 24. In computer Jargon, the process of finding information on a company's network is called _footprint_; 25. The HTTP HTTP(S) method is used with a proxy that can dynamically switch to a tunnel connection, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL). 26. What makes the _ Opens_ tool unique is the ability to update security heck plug-ins when they become available. 27.To determine what resources or shares are on a network, security testers must first determine what services footprint. Is being used via port scanning and 28. Nesses can be used to enumerate Windows Joss, as well as Linux systems. 29. RPC stands for Short Answer Remote Procedure Call . 30. How can DNS be used fo r footprint? DNS uses name servers to resolve names. After you determine what name server a company is using, you can attempt to transfer all the records for which the DNS server is responsible. This process, called a zone transfer, can be done with the Dig

Exploring the Myths of Minoan Bull Leaping

Fletcher, History 111B Minoan Bull Leaping Throughout Ancient History, many different animals are glorified and made â€Å"sacred† by cultures, often for religious reasons. We see everything from the ritual burials of cats in Ancient Egypt to the worship of Ganesha, the Elephant goddess of wisdom in Hindu traditions. The Bull is one of these historically revered animals, its use as a sacred symbol seen as far back as the Stone Age. Because it is such a common and useful animal, it was seen again and again in everything from astrology to folklore. Eventually, historical texts show reverence of the Bull reaching into Minoa.The Minoans were fascinated by the Bull, and created myths, symbols and religious ritual to give the Bull praise. One of the ways they did this was through â€Å"Bull Leaping†, a ritual in which an individual would stand head to head against a charging bull and proceed to vault over the animal using its own strength against it (Figure 1). Many researche rs have attempted to decipher what the ritual meant in context, but ultimately the rituals cultural significance has been lost to the ages. Assumptions have had to been made, and ultimately what is presented might be closer to hypothesized fantasies.To begin with, it is important to know why the Minoans became interested with the Bull in the first place. At the time, the Bull had been a sacred symbol for some 2300 years, and there are several possible explanations why the Bull continued to be so revered. One theory developed after examining the ancient mythologies and histories presented by Diodorus. Diodorus  hypothesized that some animal worship, including that of the Bull was a result of religious myth in which the gods, being threatened by giants, disguised themselves as animals.People then began to worship the animals that their god had transformed into, the Bull being one of these animals. Another theory deals with the religions of Minoa. The Minoans believed heavily in fema le goddesses, so much so as to referred to as a â€Å"matriarchal religion†. There was just one major male god represented in this society, known as the â€Å"earthshaker†. This god was astrological in nature, represented by a bull and the sun; He would die each autumn and reincarnate each spring. Through the astrological component of this theory, we can deduce that the Bull never stopped being revered since the finding of Taurus in the stars.Still, we cannot be sure why exactly the Bull was worshipped. There are dozens of theories, but many hinge on Greek mythology that might be embellished. German historian Walter Burket's constant warning is, â€Å"It is hazardous to project Greek tradition directly into the Bronze age. † With no absolutely definitive answer to explain the Minoan’s interest in the Bull, the next logical question to ask is what the jump signified, and why the Minoans did it. Some scholars seem to think that the jump was a religious rite , while others believed it to be a mode of entertainment and a show of superiority.The item in Figure 2 gives some context to both theories. Those supporting the religious motivation for Bull leaping cite the size of the bull, exaggeratedly large to show the Minoans’ respect for the power of the animals. Unfortunately, the same evidence works in arguments for the contrary. The exaggeration in size could be a display of how small the challenging human was compared to his counterpart, making the Bull leap an act of technical skill, displaying brains over mighty brawn. These two theories both fit, but ultimately the physical evidence discredits both of them. Both Figure 1 and Figure 2 display anatomically impossible vaults.In Figure 1, the Bull charging at full speed would never offer such a stable platform to vault from. When bulls charge they also lower one horn, aiming to impale. In Figure 2, the jump itself is impossible. The figure in the picture is perpendicular to the bul l, facing upwards, with arms stretched back. The physics of this vault are non-existent, and this clay piece was likely just an artist’s embellished portrayal. Bull Leaping, despite faulty evidences and no sure knowledge as to what it represented did occur in Minoan times. The actual event of bull leaping is still around today, in several European countries.From this, we know that at least the physical jump was possible. We must assume the idea to Bull leap came from somewhere, and Minoa presents the earliest depictions of the even. Frescos (paintings) can be found throughout Minoa, including the palace of Knossos, a well preserved port city in Minoa. One fresco (Figure 3) clearly shows a man leaping over a bull. The idea that it is a man doing the leaping is determined by skin color, as the Minoans, as did many ancient cultures of the time, color-coated males and females. That being said, there are two females in the picture.Scholars are perplexed as to what the women repres ent. They could indicate that women participated in the Bull leaping rite, or perhaps they symbolize some of the spectators. A personal suggestion is that the women are goddesses sent to protect the leaper. However, none of these hypotheses have any solid basis, and are all best-guess interpretations by scholars. In sum, there are many hypotheses to explain what Bull leaping was, what it meant in context and who participated in it. Many of these interpretations are loosely solidified in archeological evidence, but much of it is pure speculation.One thing we can know for sure is that because of the significance of the Bull in ancient culture, specifically to the Minoans, the Bull Leap was a true event to see. It would have been done with some skill, and perhaps with the grace of an athlete. It might have been a show of superiority over a wild animal, or perhaps a religious right to prove oneself to a god. Ultimately the true meaning of the event may be lost. Without more evidence, Mi noan Bull Leaping, a great spectacle once with a definitive reason behind it, may be reduced to just a few people jumping over bovines.Works Cited â€Å"A History of the World in 100 Objects. † BBC. 2010. http://www. bbc. co. uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/eU0DV7kOQ5inxmklD__YIw; (9/25/12) Brennan, Marie. â€Å"Bull-Leaping in Bronze Age Crete. † 2005. http://www. strangehorizons. com/2005/20050124/bull-leaping-a. shtml; (9/25/12). Bull-Leaping Diagram. â€Å"University of Kentucky Archives† , ND http://as-houston. ad. uky. edu/archive/Classics/aegean/fresco/fresco-Pages/Image31. html; (9/26/12) Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. English Edition. Basil Blackwater Publishers. 1985 Lubbock, John.The Origin of Civilization and the Primitive Condition of Man. Kessinger Publishing Company. Whitefish, Montana. 2005. Mlahanas. â€Å"Bull Mythology†. 2005. http://www. mlahanas. de/Greeks/Mythology/BullMythology. html; (9/26/12) Marinatos, Nanno. Minoan Kingship and the Solar Goddess: A Near Eastern Koine. NP. 1993. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Mlahanas 2005, par. 3 [ 2 ]. Lubbock 2005,  252 [ 3 ]. Marinatos 1993, 167 [ 4 ]. Burkert 1985, 24 [ 5 ]. â€Å"A History of the World in 100 Objects† 2010, par. 1 [ 6 ]. Brennan 2005, sec. 4 par. 1

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 29

Assignment - Essay Example This gave me more chances to listen to other songs and become more critical about music. Moreover, my readings enabled me understand deeper what have been discussed and to discover other materials that are helpful in understanding harmony, melody and rhythm. I also learned to listen more carefully and become more observant about instrumentation. For instance, when I listen to a song, I try to identify the instruments used without looking at the performers. In this manner, I also learned to distinguish what instruments are vital and what could be a good combination of instruments that could be used to create beautiful melodies. I learned to become more observant not only in the music that I listen to but also on how musicians perform. Movements indeed are essential as it has been observed in most successful performers because body movements help to relate the message of the song to the listeners. Today, I am not just able to enjoy music but I also have the confidence to attempt to cre ate my own music with the understanding I have gained in the