Mysterious blog.

Hi Katarina,I presume you're thinking of all the health benefits, due to their antitoxins, flavonoids , helping to prevent cancer, stroke, heart disease, and several more serious diseases, etc, Derek.

Absolutely, Derek! But this relates only to 1-2 of the photos. The rest is on different legends...do you know which? And what they have to do with apples?

Hi Katarina, I know 1 is the legend of the sun god, passing his power into the wheat, or is it the corn, but I don't know what it has to do with apples ?, Derek.

Which one do you mean? What is the number of the photo you relate to?

I am really intrigued! I await the answer! I do know that eating an apple a day is very good for you.

...I usually have mine with a small piece of cheese! :))

I see the film poster for Troy. Orlando Bloom played Paris, who had to judge who was most beautiful - he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena, because she bribed him with Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. Thus started the Trojan War, which brought about Paris's downfall. The point of all this is that the prize in the beauty contest was a golden apple!

And does your final picture represent the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, which is generally represented as an apple tree? And the roses in the vase are your favourite Eden Rose, I think!

I can't think of an association with King Arthur, though. Is the picture after the round table one of Avalon?

Perhaps the round table was made of apple wood?

Got it! The word Avalon might come from the old Welsh word for apple. But I cheated.

I seem to remember one of the knights of the round table was poisoned by a poised apple on the round table, it was aimed at killing Sir Gawain but got one of the others instead

Be interested to know how you are preserving those apples Kat?

Looks like someone scrubbed their colon squeaky clean! P.S. Congrats! No lesions, polyps or diverticula! There's nothing there to take a nip at! An apple a day does keep the doctor away! But in any case for this colon it would be a good idea to have another look in ten years. A request for all GOY members. If you have not yet had a colonoscopy , GET ONE. There's another saying; An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Thank you K for bringing the subject up.

Loosestrife@lol, your first sentence made me laugh, thank you. I had a really honest laughter after some time :-)) Yes, you are very close...An apple a day does keep the doctor away...do you have the same saying as we do? Wow. In fact, everybody is afraid of colon cancer and so relates that picture automatically to that diagnosis. In fact, apple has several benefits on bowels, which are very common, so it would be great, if you find which ones. Otherwise, that colon picture was almost completely "discovered" by you, thank you Loosestrife.

Melchiseded@Very, very good, girl :-)
Original Greek legend says, that all Greek gods met at the wedding of Peleus and Thetida. Goddess of quarrel, Eris, casted among them a golden apple, on which there was written "for the most beautiful woman in the world". Hera, Pallas Athene and Aphrodite claimed their right for the apple. Paris, the prince of Troy, was asked to judge among them. Hera wanted to corrupt him with absolute power and wealth, Athene promised him wisdom and fame, but the trial was won by Aphrodite, who promised him the most beautiful woman among mortals - Helena. Her kidnapping started the Troy war...
And you are right, the word avalon comes from the Welsh name for apple - "afal". According to legend, which you know better then me, when king Arthur was deadly wounded, he was taken on a magic shuttle to Isle of Avalon (Island of Apples). In ancient world it was the name for the other world after death.

Hi Steve@I add two slices of lemon, two cloves and a stick of cinnamon. This altogether preserves apples very well, prevent the change of colour due to oxidation, but more, it all gives a very good taste to it. In a large pot, like this one, I use double quantities.

Steve@I do not know that story about poisoning of Sir Gawain by an apple. Where do you have it from? I know the story of Sir Gewain and Green Knight. This is medieval English tale, but in fact (and I found wikipedia doesn t say that in English) it was taken to Europe by Crusaders and they got it as a legend in Qur´an (Al-Khidr was a green man in Qur´an who had meetings with Moses three times in order to test his virtues. Both men are depicted as "knights", as they both are teachers of men with high virtues.

Snoopdog@I think, Steve was referring to this (pasted from internet):
"After the Grail Quest, Sir Launcelot soon falls to his old adulterous love again, despite his good intentions. But the queen, irrationally jealous because of his long absence from her on the Grail Quest, banishes him. To show that she is not grieved by his departure, she has a feast. There a knight is poisoned. Guinevere is falsely accused of the murder and condemned to burn: no man there will take her part. She goes to Launcelot's friend Bors, who agrees to be her champion provided no better knight can be found; he then tells Launcelot, who comes to fight for her. He overcomes Sir Mador and frees the queen. Nineve, the Lady of the Lake, reveals the true murderer, Sir Pinel, who intended the apple for Gawain as vengeance for the murder of Lamerok."

I'm into making chutney with apples.....(and plums ) so will watch this blog with interest?

I like to dip apple slices in honey( a Jewish tradition I believe) I don't think there are any beneficial aspects to this but it tastes great.

excuse my typo lol : ) but poisoned apple with a coiled spring might have looked suspicious snoop.

just googled it, ''Patrise, cousin unto Sir Mador'' took the poisoned apple hence Mador wanting revenge.

I assume the rest is water as well Kat?

Pamg@Slovakians are not chutney nation, so I have no experience with chutney you mentioned. Can you add recipe of the one you mentioned here, please? :-)

Loosestrife@it is not Jewish recipe, I am afraid. It is part of old medical tradition in Europe. I know several folk remedies as a doctor, which I have heard from patients and historical books and some of them I tested. For instance, if you have fever and sore throat (angina), folk medicine recommend to cook one sliced off apple, till it is soft. Then drink that water with honey (as tea). Baked apples or steamed apples were served with honey in all sorts of sore throats. Fact is, that is is soft and cooling, so people like it. Honey has antibacterial properties. We often make rabbits or poultry with baked apples.

Steve@ of course. I forgot on infusion: 0,5 kg of sugar: 1 liter of water (boiled shortly together).

Some refreshment...:-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD4o26HcHi0

Don't forget the Snow White and the poisoned apple, lol. What kind of scarifies a girl has to go through to get the Prince Charming, lol.
Do you remember that:
Queen: Magic Mirror, on the wall, who, now, is the fairest one of all?
Magic Mirror: Over the seven jewelled hills, beyond the seventh fall, in the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs, dwells Snow White, fairest of them all.

Hi Katarina, the 10th photo down, happy Lammas, Derek.

You evidently didn t visit Russian party in England or Austria, Kasy. I won´t recommend you to drink anything from the bottle. Tea-cup with radioactive isotopes is another story.

Hi Derek@Celts started harvesting of apples on holiday Lughnasa (1st September?)by drinking "Lammas wool", which was spicy must with beer with pieces of roasted bread or apples in it. It was gven in one cup and all men around the table drinked from it. Its name has nothing to do with "heating" of alcohol, it comes from Gaelic La Mas Nbhal, e.g. holiday of apples harvest.
Is this drink available in the UK?

Derek@Pentagram on the picture has nothing to do with Jewish david´s star. Pentagram is typical arrangement of apple seeds, if you cut it into the same halves.Pentagram is symbol of many societes and is a sign of immortality.
In Slovkia we have very old tradition in valleys (maybe Celtic), that people on Christmas cut the apples and if they see pentagram in it, they believe, that they will be happy and healthy next year.

Hi Katarina, I honestly have no idea, I've never seen it on sale anywhere, but there are lots of drinks around, that I have never seen or tasted, { I only drink the odd lager, but I like Scotch whisky :-) }, Derek.

I like Scotch whisky, too :-) I drink occasionally. During the summer I prefer to drink non-alcoholic black beer, we have very good beers.

Katarina - as for Lammas I found some information here - check that link
http://ancientdawn.tripod.com/lammas/lammas.html

Hi Kat, very interesting blog, I was too late to participate as you seem to have all the answers but still went through all the various pages on the Arthur Legends, I also like Greek Mythology so kept me occupied for quite some time......

Lincslass@Thank you, but please, let´s join us, as there are still photos, which were not explained (No. 3,8,13...).

Thanks, Kasy for interesting link. So it was on the 1st August.

you're welcome. Did you check the recipes on page 2? Plenty on apples :)

No, I didn t do that, yet, I am now busy with changing webpages :-)

There is no rush - but I think they are worth having a look - whenever you'll be not too busy :)

Thanks, I will!

Is 13 a colon before and after?

Steragram@lol, I had to count it down again. You are right, I was wrong. No 13 is colon before and after (lol), but I meant No. 14. Thank you for notification.

Now I remember. The eating of apples dipped in honey was one of the ritualistic foods eaten to symbolize a " sweet new year" in the traditional celebration of the Jewish new year- Rosh Hashanah.

OK. I doesn´t know this tradition.

Spiced apple chutney
2lb apples peeled cored and chopped
8oz onions chopped
4oz sultanas
12oz granulated sugar
3/4 pint distilled malt vinager
as to spices I use mixed cooking spice
about 2 or 3 teaspoons you can use whtever you particularly like

put all ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil until the sugar had dissolved then simmer stirring regularly to prevent it sticking
continue simmering until so thick you can watch it move in behind your spoon, not liquidy
this takes at least an hour, maybe longer.

While its cooking sterelise the clean jars and when ready carefully pour in the chutney.
Cover and seal, date and label
now be patient!
leave it two to three weeks before trying......it mellows with age
store in a cool dark dry place or refrigerator

I like it with cheese and cold meats......especially turkey!

Hmmm, sounds like delicious food :-) I will try it. Thank you for sharing with this recipe.

Loosestrife, I'm sure you have my best interests at heart, but a colonoscopy is not at the the top of my wish list ! Although we do have a screening process in place now in the UK. I do have an apple a day, though!

:-)
This is out of the topic now, but I have to mention it now. I watched TV this evening and they showed there, that a new sort of lessons for secondary/grammar schools started in the UK and they are dedicated to improve financial management of young people. This will teach students to a better money management and hw to make less debts. I think this is EXTREMELY useful topic in the current times. It should be introduced in all European schools.

I couldn't agree more, Katarina. I think any lessons in life skills are an extremely good idea.

Right, they are coming out of school with a good grasp of algebra but they don't know anything about compound interest in a bank account or how to get a home mortgage or what's involved in renting an apartment or interest on credit card debt. They don't even know how to make change on a purchase. Im not talking about grammar school kids, I'm talking about college graduates.

Dear M, a colonoscopy is at the top of no ones wish list.

Loosestrife@ I am one of "those college graduates". And do you know why is that? Because I studied the most complex and fast developing entity as medicine, I didn t have time to study tricks of banks on clients. That should be the matter of interest for other institutions. Banks make agreement with you, you can read it 100 times, and you will find anything wrong. Then cartel of banks makes decision on increasing payments for accounts and your agreement turns a piece of paper. That is what are making banks and insurance companies in Slovakia. I made agreement, that I will not pay for my payments with credit card and internet banking, but since my Austrian bank was sold to Russian bank, just from a sudden my expenses for internet banking and credit car payments (which were declared in my agreement with the bank) increased from 3 to 20 euros per month. College education or FBI/CIA/Mossad education is for nothing, here. This is large scale game of banks, which made homeless from millions of Americans. No matter, if they have college education or not. Everbody is worried about pharma business, which evidently helped now in Ebola infected people, but nobody takes care, who is runnng banks and their interests. Anyway, if nobody restricts them, they will finally end as Uroboros.

Ok, kiddo, whatever you say:)? I always thought the brain was more mysterious than the blog.

In this case you are right, Loststrife.

Ah yes the biggest crime in the history of the planet, the banks and the corporate takeover of our lives.
But, heres a happy story I saw recently about a chap who had paid off his mortgage and the bank trying to steal his house,
he put out a video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WedSGlpSSO8

and this was the response from people he didn't even know
http://www.nottinghampost.com/Tom-Crawford-vows-fight-hundreds-strangers-help/story-21942100-detail/story.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2704178/Moment-200-strangers-joined-forces-stop-cancer-sufferer-63-evicted-bank-lost-battle-mortgage-payments.html

Uff, a very long story (the guy has rhinitis, I would probably test him, lol), Steve. I watched just the first story.
And again I must agree with Thomas Bata, the founder of Bata shoemaking company. He comes from Czechoslovakia and my grandfather was responsible for all machines in his factory during WW II.
Tomas Bata built up his shoe empire during the worst world crisis in thirties. He once said, that he didn t believe in economic crisis and its cycles. He said, that everything always started as moral crisis, economic crisis is just its consequence. Moral crisis means state support of bancrupting banks, high salaries of state employees who do not produce anything valuable for society (byrocracy), etc. etc. This short video reminded me that essay.
P.S. It was not a surgeon, who made wrong diagnosis of his cancer. All over the world such diagnosis must be proved by 2 pathologists. Surgeon can just suspect, but pathologist always has the final word.