Bones, Bones & Bonfires
Friday, October 30th, 2009 by madmags
The Mad Maggies’ mascots are a tiding of magpies and “Death” – our memento mori beanie baby.
As you can imagine, Death especially enjoys this time of year. He suggested I post these fascinating celebrations of things skeletal.
• The oldest instrument discovered is a flute made from the wing bone of a griffon vulture some 40,000 years ago!
• 7 Wonders of the (Un)Dead World: Global Ossuaries — very large assemblages of bones. Part kitsch, part morbid, part profound commentary on the mysteries of existence.
• The offical website of the Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic. Don’t miss the chandelier made from all the bones of the human body!
This is a short tourist’s youtube of the Sedlec Ossuary:
• Bonfire is a translation of the Irish “tine cnámh” (CHIN-e kuh-NAW*V) meaning bone fire. The farmers slaughtered at this time of year in preparation for the long Winter. On Oiche Shamhna (EE-HUH HOW-NA), October 31st, each village built a large ritual fire on which the animal bones were thrown. All household fires were extinguished and then each household took from the village bonfire to restart their hearths. We’d call it a community building exercise 
• Death is always on stage with us, sometimes sitting downstage by the tip basket, sometimes up high on a speaker. Check him out next time you come to one of our shows.
