Carolyn E. Tate
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195380040
- eISBN:
- 9780199869077
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380040.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, World Religions
Among the earliest monumental sculptures of the Americas were depictions of the human fetus. Along with representations of the human embryo, sculptures of the fetus were important subjects in the art ...
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Among the earliest monumental sculptures of the Americas were depictions of the human fetus. Along with representations of the human embryo, sculptures of the fetus were important subjects in the art of the Olmec of Mexico, 1400–400 BCE. This chapter explores the crucial roles of these images in the earliest known narrative—a visual one—of the creation of the world and the origins of human beings in Mesoamerica. The monumental fetus sculptures of La Venta, an archaeological site in the State of Tabasco, Mexico, were players in a underworld ball game. In this context, the fetuses, as metaphors for “life force,” battle the chthonic forces that would usurp that precious vitality. Images of fetuses and embryos in ancient Mexico emerge as metaphors for the ineluctable processes of metamorphosis that life entails.Less
Among the earliest monumental sculptures of the Americas were depictions of the human fetus. Along with representations of the human embryo, sculptures of the fetus were important subjects in the art of the Olmec of Mexico, 1400–400 BCE. This chapter explores the crucial roles of these images in the earliest known narrative—a visual one—of the creation of the world and the origins of human beings in Mesoamerica. The monumental fetus sculptures of La Venta, an archaeological site in the State of Tabasco, Mexico, were players in a underworld ball game. In this context, the fetuses, as metaphors for “life force,” battle the chthonic forces that would usurp that precious vitality. Images of fetuses and embryos in ancient Mexico emerge as metaphors for the ineluctable processes of metamorphosis that life entails.
Richard Holt
- Published in print:
- 1990
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780192852298
- eISBN:
- 9780191670541
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192852298.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Social History
This chapter examines the traditional sports in Great Britain from the early 18th to the mid-19th century. Contrary to popular belief, a remarkable range of popular games and contests were played and ...
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This chapter examines the traditional sports in Great Britain from the early 18th to the mid-19th century. Contrary to popular belief, a remarkable range of popular games and contests were played and enjoyed in Britain even before the advent of modern sports. Even before the Victorian era, each town or village had its running races, ball games, and a variety of fighting and animal sports. Some of the most popular pre-Victorian sports included football, stow-ball, cudgels, shovelboard, and pitching the bar.Less
This chapter examines the traditional sports in Great Britain from the early 18th to the mid-19th century. Contrary to popular belief, a remarkable range of popular games and contests were played and enjoyed in Britain even before the advent of modern sports. Even before the Victorian era, each town or village had its running races, ball games, and a variety of fighting and animal sports. Some of the most popular pre-Victorian sports included football, stow-ball, cudgels, shovelboard, and pitching the bar.
Michael J. Zogry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807833605
- eISBN:
- 9781469603940
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807898208_zogry
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
Anetso, a centuries-old Cherokee ball game still played today, is a vigorous, sometimes violent activity that rewards speed, strength, and agility. At the same time, it is the focus of several linked ...
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Anetso, a centuries-old Cherokee ball game still played today, is a vigorous, sometimes violent activity that rewards speed, strength, and agility. At the same time, it is the focus of several linked ritual activities. Is it a sport? Is it a religious ritual? Could it possibly be both? Why has it lasted so long, surviving through centuries of upheaval and change? Based on work in the field and in the archives, this book argues that members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation continue to perform selected aspects of their cultural identity by engaging in anetso, itself the hub of an extended ceremonial complex, or cycle. A precursor to lacrosse, anetso appears in all manner of Cherokee cultural narratives and has figured prominently in the written accounts of non-Cherokee observers for almost three hundred years. The anetso ceremonial complex incorporates a variety of activities which, taken together, complicate standard scholarly distinctions such as game versus ritual, public display versus private performance, and tradition versus innovation. This book provides a striking opportunity for rethinking the understanding of ritual and performance as well as their relationship to cultural identity. It also offers a sharp reappraisal of scholarly discourse on the Cherokee religious system, with particular focus on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation.Less
Anetso, a centuries-old Cherokee ball game still played today, is a vigorous, sometimes violent activity that rewards speed, strength, and agility. At the same time, it is the focus of several linked ritual activities. Is it a sport? Is it a religious ritual? Could it possibly be both? Why has it lasted so long, surviving through centuries of upheaval and change? Based on work in the field and in the archives, this book argues that members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation continue to perform selected aspects of their cultural identity by engaging in anetso, itself the hub of an extended ceremonial complex, or cycle. A precursor to lacrosse, anetso appears in all manner of Cherokee cultural narratives and has figured prominently in the written accounts of non-Cherokee observers for almost three hundred years. The anetso ceremonial complex incorporates a variety of activities which, taken together, complicate standard scholarly distinctions such as game versus ritual, public display versus private performance, and tradition versus innovation. This book provides a striking opportunity for rethinking the understanding of ritual and performance as well as their relationship to cultural identity. It also offers a sharp reappraisal of scholarly discourse on the Cherokee religious system, with particular focus on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation.
Michael J. Zogry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807833605
- eISBN:
- 9781469603940
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807898208_zogry.5
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
This chapter contains cultural narratives that feature anetso and the ritual transmission of cultural narratives. It includes a discussion of core cultural narratives, basic cosmology, and ...
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This chapter contains cultural narratives that feature anetso and the ritual transmission of cultural narratives. It includes a discussion of core cultural narratives, basic cosmology, and significant other-than-human process, and notes that the inclusion of anetso in several Cherokee cultural narratives of different genres is one facet of its cultural cachet among members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation. The chapter explains that key Cherokee narratives include the ball game, either literally or as a figure of speech to indicate a contest or battle of some kind. It illustrates this embedded importance by reviewing the received scholarly classification of narratives along with explication of the Cherokee mode of oral transmission of knowledge.Less
This chapter contains cultural narratives that feature anetso and the ritual transmission of cultural narratives. It includes a discussion of core cultural narratives, basic cosmology, and significant other-than-human process, and notes that the inclusion of anetso in several Cherokee cultural narratives of different genres is one facet of its cultural cachet among members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation. The chapter explains that key Cherokee narratives include the ball game, either literally or as a figure of speech to indicate a contest or battle of some kind. It illustrates this embedded importance by reviewing the received scholarly classification of narratives along with explication of the Cherokee mode of oral transmission of knowledge.
Anna R. Beresin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781604737394
- eISBN:
- 9781621036654
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781604737394.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
This chapter explores three games played by the children in the Mill School yard: handball, hopscotch, and the Fighting Game. It notes that all games involve peer negotiation and demonstrate the ...
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This chapter explores three games played by the children in the Mill School yard: handball, hopscotch, and the Fighting Game. It notes that all games involve peer negotiation and demonstrate the adults’ misunderstandings of the importance of play. It points out that the games fell under the control of the adults, who could allow, disallow, ignore, or sanction games, which rendered them unplayable by children. Additionally, it shows that children love ball games, and even imagine that they have created them themselves.Less
This chapter explores three games played by the children in the Mill School yard: handball, hopscotch, and the Fighting Game. It notes that all games involve peer negotiation and demonstrate the adults’ misunderstandings of the importance of play. It points out that the games fell under the control of the adults, who could allow, disallow, ignore, or sanction games, which rendered them unplayable by children. Additionally, it shows that children love ball games, and even imagine that they have created them themselves.
Max Harris
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801449567
- eISBN:
- 9780801461613
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801449567.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This chapter examines the liturgical ball game that was popular in some French cathedrals during the twelfth century and its connection to the Feast of Fools. Both the ball game and the Feast of ...
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This chapter examines the liturgical ball game that was popular in some French cathedrals during the twelfth century and its connection to the Feast of Fools. Both the ball game and the Feast of Fools were mentioned by John Beleth in his Summa de ecclesiasticis officis, written between 1160 and 1164. According to Beleth, in some churches during the Christmas season, “it is customary for archbishops and bishops to play with their subordinates in the cathedral close and even to indulge in a ball game.” William Durand described the same custom in his Rationale divinorum officiorum, written while he was bishop of Mende (1285–1295), and added that the ball game was also observed at Easter and involved dance and song. A more positive early reference to the ball game is found in a document from the Vienne cathedral. This chapter discusses the ball game in more detail and how it relates to the Feast of Fools, Christmas, and Easter.Less
This chapter examines the liturgical ball game that was popular in some French cathedrals during the twelfth century and its connection to the Feast of Fools. Both the ball game and the Feast of Fools were mentioned by John Beleth in his Summa de ecclesiasticis officis, written between 1160 and 1164. According to Beleth, in some churches during the Christmas season, “it is customary for archbishops and bishops to play with their subordinates in the cathedral close and even to indulge in a ball game.” William Durand described the same custom in his Rationale divinorum officiorum, written while he was bishop of Mende (1285–1295), and added that the ball game was also observed at Easter and involved dance and song. A more positive early reference to the ball game is found in a document from the Vienne cathedral. This chapter discusses the ball game in more detail and how it relates to the Feast of Fools, Christmas, and Easter.
Jeffrey Spivak
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813126432
- eISBN:
- 9780813135663
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813126432.003.0013
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
Whatever instigated the ugly argument that sealed his fate with Warner Brothers mattered little to Buzz now. The trades in May revealed that Esther Williams was named by MGM to play the leading role ...
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Whatever instigated the ugly argument that sealed his fate with Warner Brothers mattered little to Buzz now. The trades in May revealed that Esther Williams was named by MGM to play the leading role in its newest film, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, which was to begin filming the following month. Arthur Freed was the producer of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Despite the fallout suffered during Girl Crazy, Buzz contacted Freed and told him he wanted to direct again. After getting the approval of his old boss, Loius B. Mayer, Buzz directed Take Me Out to the Ball Game. In October 1948, Buzz was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. After a few months of inactivity, Buzz was focused on two fronts: bringing Annie Get Your Gun to the screen and the troubled Judy Garland into the fold. Both tasks were unsuccessful.Less
Whatever instigated the ugly argument that sealed his fate with Warner Brothers mattered little to Buzz now. The trades in May revealed that Esther Williams was named by MGM to play the leading role in its newest film, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, which was to begin filming the following month. Arthur Freed was the producer of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Despite the fallout suffered during Girl Crazy, Buzz contacted Freed and told him he wanted to direct again. After getting the approval of his old boss, Loius B. Mayer, Buzz directed Take Me Out to the Ball Game. In October 1948, Buzz was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. After a few months of inactivity, Buzz was focused on two fronts: bringing Annie Get Your Gun to the screen and the troubled Judy Garland into the fold. Both tasks were unsuccessful.
Neil J. Sullivan
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195331837
- eISBN:
- 9780199851607
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331837.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
Timed to be released at the start of 2008 spring training, this book chronicles the entire history of a stadium that was home to the greatest dynasty in sports history, a stadium that saw its final ...
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Timed to be released at the start of 2008 spring training, this book chronicles the entire history of a stadium that was home to the greatest dynasty in sports history, a stadium that saw its final Yankees game in 2008. As a part of the cultural history of baseball and of New York City, this book offers an account of the history of Yankee Stadium and its position at the intersection of sports, business, government, and society. The author tells how Yankee Stadium came to be built in 1923, at a time when the Bronx was a burgeoning borough that held middle-class housing for immigrants as well as hunting lodges for wealthy Manhattanites, an era when small children could ride the subway, alone, to the ball game, and when many of the ballplayers themselves lived on the Grand Concourse. As the city and the Bronx changed, Yankeedom changed too, and the stadium is now surrounded by parking lots, symbolic of the team's suburban fan base and the decline of the South Bronx. In recent years the team has threatened to leave New York City, prompting extravagant proposals for keeping it there, including a billion-dollar new stadium in Manhattan to be financed with public money. The resulting stadium controversy tells us much about the public's changing views of government and the changing nature of professional sports.Less
Timed to be released at the start of 2008 spring training, this book chronicles the entire history of a stadium that was home to the greatest dynasty in sports history, a stadium that saw its final Yankees game in 2008. As a part of the cultural history of baseball and of New York City, this book offers an account of the history of Yankee Stadium and its position at the intersection of sports, business, government, and society. The author tells how Yankee Stadium came to be built in 1923, at a time when the Bronx was a burgeoning borough that held middle-class housing for immigrants as well as hunting lodges for wealthy Manhattanites, an era when small children could ride the subway, alone, to the ball game, and when many of the ballplayers themselves lived on the Grand Concourse. As the city and the Bronx changed, Yankeedom changed too, and the stadium is now surrounded by parking lots, symbolic of the team's suburban fan base and the decline of the South Bronx. In recent years the team has threatened to leave New York City, prompting extravagant proposals for keeping it there, including a billion-dollar new stadium in Manhattan to be financed with public money. The resulting stadium controversy tells us much about the public's changing views of government and the changing nature of professional sports.
