Hello, blog friends ~
Today I'm sharing a mystery, and if you are a history buff, perhaps you can solve it for me. I'll explain.
In earlier posts, I've shared that I grew up on a farm. We had little but laughed much. Above the kitchen sink, there was a hanging votive. Mom often prayed there while she washed dishes. Sometimes she lit the candle, but most of the time, the votive was flameless.
This past week, I opened a box and found the votive. Mom had given it to me before she passed, but I had lost track of it. All I know about this vigil light is that a Catholic nun gave it to my mother. For the first time, I really looked at it.
On the sides of the cup are two-headed eagles with their wings pointed down. The chain has a couple loops that appear to be crosses, and the outer edge of the votive has a design that suggests little crosses. Otherwise, nothing indicates a Christian object, as one might expect.
I've spent several hours researching two-headed eagles, and I'm more baffled than ever. The object appears to be from the Middle Ages - at least in design. But why would a missionary nun have this object?
I've mailed the mystery votive to my sister, who is a brilliant researcher. We both recognize that the object resembles the two-headed eagles of Byzantine Russian Orthodoxy, Freemasonry, and the emblem of the Kingdom of Mysore. There are other possibilities, but these three are the most similar to the votive. After my sister does her deep dive, I'll share her findings.
Intriguing, don't you agree? Here are my two cellphone photos:
Today I'm sharing a mystery, and if you are a history buff, perhaps you can solve it for me. I'll explain.
In earlier posts, I've shared that I grew up on a farm. We had little but laughed much. Above the kitchen sink, there was a hanging votive. Mom often prayed there while she washed dishes. Sometimes she lit the candle, but most of the time, the votive was flameless.
This past week, I opened a box and found the votive. Mom had given it to me before she passed, but I had lost track of it. All I know about this vigil light is that a Catholic nun gave it to my mother. For the first time, I really looked at it.
On the sides of the cup are two-headed eagles with their wings pointed down. The chain has a couple loops that appear to be crosses, and the outer edge of the votive has a design that suggests little crosses. Otherwise, nothing indicates a Christian object, as one might expect.
I've spent several hours researching two-headed eagles, and I'm more baffled than ever. The object appears to be from the Middle Ages - at least in design. But why would a missionary nun have this object?
I've mailed the mystery votive to my sister, who is a brilliant researcher. We both recognize that the object resembles the two-headed eagles of Byzantine Russian Orthodoxy, Freemasonry, and the emblem of the Kingdom of Mysore. There are other possibilities, but these three are the most similar to the votive. After my sister does her deep dive, I'll share her findings.
Intriguing, don't you agree? Here are my two cellphone photos:
This week's Tanka Tuesday is brought to us by Robbie. She invites interested poets to compose a poem that uses onomatopoeia -- "a type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetically imitates, resembles or suggests a sound that it refers to."
My poem is inspired by the mysterious votive:
My poem is inspired by the mysterious votive:
bellowing brightly
flames enfold prayers and dreams
whispered in the heart
the present talks to the past
hope pirouettes with the flares
flames enfold prayers and dreams
whispered in the heart
the present talks to the past
hope pirouettes with the flares
Have a wonderful week, dear friends, and if you have any insights on this mysterious vigil light, I'd love to hear them. ❤️
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