‘Frieze Frame' Review: The Case of the Parthenon Marbles
Keats's 1817 visit to the British Museum, where the Marbles had been recently installed, inspired his rapturous sonnet 'On Seeing the Elgin Marbles' ('My spirit is too weak—Mortality / Weighs heavily on me like unwilling sleep'). His companion at the museum, the history painter and diarist Benjamin Haydon, encouraged the British government to purchase from Elgin the portions of the Parthenon frieze that he had acquired, and it is not unreasonable to suppose Keats agreed. He returned to examine them 'again and again,' his friend Joseph Severn remembered, 'and would sit for an hour or more at a time beside them rapt in revery.' Keats's reflections on mortality were not merely for effect—his death, of tuberculosis, came four years later.
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Fox News
12 hours ago
- Fox News
Would you donate pets for zoo to feed to its predators? Some say 'yes'
A European zoo is asking for donations of healthy pets to feed to its predators as part of a controversial policy that has sparked international outrage. "Did you know that you can donate smaller pets to Aalborg Zoo?" the Denmark zoo posted on social media late last month. "If you have a healthy animal that needs to be removed for various reasons, you are welcome to donate it to us," it continued. The zoo, located in the northern city of Aalborg, said in Facebook and Instagram posts that chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs are "an important part of the diet" of some predators, especially the European lynx. The wild cat "needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild," according to the zoo. On its website, below a picture of a tiger tearing into a furry animal, Aalborg Zoo explains that it accepts animal donations from individuals and businesses for euthanasia and slaughter because its predators need whole animals – including fur, bones and organs – rather than butchered meat. "In zoos, we have a responsibility to imitate the animals' natural food chain – for the sake of both animal welfare and professional integrity," the zoo, which houses about 1,200 animals and a research and conservation center, said in its posts. The zoo accepts no more than four small pets at a time, and, under certain conditions, also takes horses, according to its website. It does not accept dogs or cats. Donors are not paid, though the zoo says the contributions are tax-deductible. The practice drew swift criticism, and the zoo later disabled the comments on its posts, citing "hateful and malicious rhetoric." "How disgusting," one woman commented on Facebook. "Having your healthy pet killed." "Feeding pets is absolutely unacceptable," wrote someone else. "How is putting a dead pet on a plate for a caged animal anything close to reenactment of nature," one person asked. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said in a post on its website that there is nothing natural about feeding companion animals to predators. "It's not 'natural behavior' for predators from Asia, who roam and hunt for their meals, to be fed companion animals who originated in South America," the anti-zoo animal rights group argued. Guinea pigs, for example, are native to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and parts of Colombia. "Companion animals are never needed to 'imitate the natural food chain of the [zoo's] animals,'" PETA added. Another online critic said the policy spreads a "terrible trend of indifference with animals in Denmark." The Copenhagen Zoo was the focus of protests in 2014 after it put down a healthy 18-month-old giraffe because its genes were too similar to other breeds at the zoo, raising concerns about inbreeding. A veterinarian shot the giraffe and performed an autopsy in front of an audience, according to reports at the time. European zoos often allow animals to breed freely and then euthanize any surplus, while American zoos more frequently rely on contraception to control populations, The New York Times reported. Researchers from the University of Zurich argued in a recent report that contraception changes the age profile and welfare of zoo populations, and deprives animals of "one of their most basic evolutionary drives." Some social media users also agreed with Aalborg Zoo's policy, calling it the "circle of life." "It's better for the animals to enter the food chain rather than being thrown into the wild," one woman wrote. "It is a dignified end for a pet that has had a good life," another Facebook user said. "Horse owners have known that you can donate to the zoo for many years – and it is often seen as a good solution," said someone else. One woman said she donated a rabbit to the zoo and described it as a "super nice and professional experience." Fox News Digital has reached out to Aalborg Zoo for comment. In statements to other outlets, a spokesperson said the practice has been in place for "many years." "In Denmark, this practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute," the spokesperson said.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Medieval knight 'Lancelot' and his stunning stone tomb found under ice cream shop in Poland
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists were surprised to discover the exceptional tomb of a medieval knight underneath an ice cream shop in the seaside Polish city of Gdańsk. The 13th-century burial includes a rare carving that probably depicts the knight himself. "We discovered a large limestone tomb slab carved with the image of a knight in full chainmail armor," Sylwia Kurzyńska, an archaeologist with ArcheoScan who co-directed the excavation, told Live Science in an email. The carved slab is rare in medieval Poland because "only a few featured images of the deceased," she said. Kurzyńska and her team found the monument in the historic center of Gdańsk in July, when they were excavating the grounds of a stronghold used from the 11th to the 14th centuries. Within the stronghold were the remains of a castle, a church and a cemetery. The carved tombstone has been preliminarily dated to the late 13th or early 14th century, Kurzyńska said. Roughly 59 inches (150 centimeters) long and made out of limestone imported from Gotland, Sweden, the slab shows a man standing upright in full armor and holding a sword and a shield. "Given that it was made out of soft limestone and lay buried for centuries," Kurzyńska said, "the preservation of the slab is remarkable — the carving, the armor and the shield are still well-defined." Shortly after their discovery of the slab, the ArcheoScan team removed the stone and dug deeper. They found a well-preserved male skeleton but no grave goods. Related: 600-year-old amethyst 'worthy of a duke' found in medieval castle moat in Poland "All evidence suggests that the person commemorated was of high social standing, most likely a knight or someone holding a military function," Kurzyńska said. Although the date and location of this burial coincide with the rise of the Teutonic Knights, researchers found no inscriptions or symbols to definitively link him to that order. The discovery is an important one in Gdańsk, Kurzyńska said, as it represents "a direct link to the city's formative years, offering a rare glimpse into the lives and burials of its medieval elite." RELATED STORIES —Medieval gold ring found in castle in Slovakia has rare purple sapphire imported from Sri Lanka —Medieval crowns of Eastern European royalty hidden in cathedral wall since World War II finally recovered —Remains of 14th-century gauntlet discovered in Oslo's medieval harbor Additional work on both the tomb slab and the skeleton is already underway. Researchers are documenting the slab using high-resolution 3D scanning, with the aim of reconstructing and preserving the unique carving. In addition, a chemical and genetic analysis of the bones will help them better understand who this man was and what his life was like. "We also plan to create a facial reconstruction based on the skull," Kurzyńska said, to figure out what the knight, which the public has dubbed the "Gdańsk Lancelot," may have looked like in life.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
German Kids Go To School With Giant Cones. Here's Why.
Back-to-school season in the U.S. involves a number of fun rituals, like shopping for classroom supplies, picking out a special first-day outfit and taking photos with a personalized sign. On the first day of school in Germany, however, you'll see an even more striking sight. German children mark the transition to school by carrying large paper cones on their first day of classes. The cones — which seem larger than the kids themselves — are brightly colored and sometimes have ornate decorations. But what's the deal with these cones? What's inside them? And where did they come from? We turned to some German cultural experts to find out. What is the school cone? 'A Schultüte ― also known as a 'school cone' or 'cone bag' in some parts of Germany ― is a cardboard container in the form of a pointed cone that schoolchildren carry with them when they start school,' Amrei Gold, head of public relations for North America at the German National Tourist Board, told HuffPost. She noted that German children receive these cones from their parents on their first day of elementary school, which typically occurs around age 6. The Schultüte is very large and can be fully rounded and cone-shaped or appear more like a pyramid on a hexagonal base. 'The school cones are usually filled with sweets and small gifts such as crayons or other school supplies,' Gold explained. 'The name 'sugar cone,' which is common in some areas for the school cone, comes from filling it with sweets.' She joked that perhaps the idea of having to attend school every day for the next 12-13 years requires 'sweetening' with treats and gifts. The Schultüte is also a big photo opportunity, as many kids pose with their cones and sometimes a sign reading 'My First Day of School.' 'The cone has been a tradition for a long time and is an important part of the very first day of school for children in Germany,' said Kirsten Bencker, who works in the language department at the Goethe-Institut in Munich. 'The point of the cone is to highlight the transition from one status to another. This transition is connected with many changes for the child and for the family and this is to be emphasized through a ritual.' Where did this tradition come from? 'The custom of giving school starters a Schultüte on the first day of school has been practiced in Germany since the 19th century, but the roots go even back into the 18th century,' Gold explained. 'Historically it has its roots in Saxony and Thuringia, but is well-known across Germany today.' She pointed to early evidence from the autobiography of Saxon theologian Karl Gottlieb Bretschneider, who began school in 1781 or 1782 and recalled receiving a bag of candy from the schoolmaster. 'Twenty years later, when Johann Daniel Elster started school in Benshausen, Thuringia, in 1801, it is even said that he received a large bag of sugar from the cantor 'according to old custom,'' Gold added. 'Further evidence comes from Jena in connection with the city cantor Georg Michael Kemlein in 1817, Dresden in 1820, and Leipzig in 1836.' Early versions of the tradition involved telling kids that there was a special 'school cone tree' at their teacher's house or on the school grounds. Once the school cones grew big enough, it would be time to pick them and start school. 'The custom became widespread not at least because of a children's book called 'Zuckertütenbuch für alle Kinder, die zum ersten Mal in die Schule gehen' ('Sugar cone book for all children going to school for the first time') by Moritz Heger,' Bencker explained, noting that the 1852 book suggested that teachers pick the cones for their students from this special tree. Edible treats were the dominant contents of school cones at that time. 'In his childhood memories, 'When I Was a Little Boy,' Erich Kästner describes his first day of school in Dresden in 1906 and his 'sugar cone with the silk bow,'' Gold noted. 'When he wanted to show the bag to a neighbor, he dropped it and the contents fell on the floor: He was 'up to his ankles in sweets, chocolates, dates, Easter bunnies, figs, oranges, tartlets, waffles and golden May bugs.'' Although the Schultüte started as a predominately central German tradition, the practice caught on elsewhere. 'Berlin was the first big city outside of the original areas in which school cones became common ― although they were still rare before the First World War,' Gold said. 'Only gradually did the custom catch on in the south and west.' Following the division of Germany after World War II, traditional round cones around 28 inches long were the standard practice in West Germany, while those in East Germany opted for hexagonal Schultüte around 33 inches long. 'Nowadays, the tradition is a widespread tradition in whole Germany and also Austria and the German-speaking part of Switzerland,' Bencker noted. 'The central German regions where it began are also the areas where a very distinctive custom has developed around this school cone ― big family parties, ordering cakes with the name of the children at a bakery for the first day.' How do you put together a school cone? 'While you can buy prefabricated cones at the store, many parents make their own school cones, with or without their children,' Bencker said. 'Generally speaking, children can be very creative in decorating their sugar cones.' Indeed, there are many online tutorials explaining how to make a Schultüte with thick paper products like poster board ― though cardboard and plastic can also be used. These days, there are also more sustainable school cones made of fabric, which can be turned into cushions. 'If the parents are not going to make the school cones, they are either bought ready-made or made by the children themselves in kindergarten,' Gold said, adding that in the past, godparents were often the ones giving kids their school cones. 'The largest manufacturer of school cones in Germany is Nestler GmbH Feinkartonagen in Ehrenfriedersdorf. It produces over 2 million school cones a year.' In addition to the traditional sweets, cones these days may also be filled with school supplies, books or something to play with. Some schools even have guidelines for the maximum size of students' cones, and there might be a designated enrollment day before the first day of classes when children receive their cones and take photos. And the tradition is no longer explicitly limited to the beginning of primary school. 'Today, small cones of candy are sometimes handed out at the transition from elementary school to secondary school or at the beginning of an apprenticeship or study,' Gold said. 'However, they are still primarily associated with the beginning of school.' Of course, if you want to make yourself a Schultüte for no reason whatsoever, who's to stop you? Related... 33 Vintage First-Day-Of-School Photos 21 Hilarious Comics That Sum Up Back-To-School Season 35 Hilariously Real Tweets About Back-To-School SeasonSolve the daily Crossword
