Genghis Khan - SmithWritten by Robert Bruce Baird
GENGHIS KHAN: - My father told me that he was a red head among a dark-haired people as I grew up. It made a lasting impression on a freckle-faced boy. Many other 'red heads' became subject of my scrutiny including Jefferson and Jesus (according to Grey Owl in an interesting legend) as my life and studies progressed; but I have never found a definite entry to support what my father said about Temujin although pictures of Mongols with red hair from 10th century AD were something I noticed. Now, perhaps I can confirm his statement as we see Elizabeth Wayland Barber writing book The Mummies of Urumchi. She says following under photos of a painting from Cave 20 at Bezeklik near Turfan. "Note reddish hair and pale eyes of man at right, as well as typically Caucasoid features of both (big nose, round eyes, heavy beard). The early mummies are of this same type, as are many of current inhabitants of region." (22) The work of Mircae Eliade on roots of alchemy called The Forge and Crucible had clued me in to 'smith' origin of Genghis Khan. These 'smiths' were shamanistic alchemists and his family was from a long line of them just as Solomon and Jesus are known to be, in scholarly circles who care to track how knowledge has come down to us in present day, this means something; but few other places.
| | Homeschooling with LiteratureWritten by Lorraine Curry
Literature School Even some elite colleges employ literature-based learning. Their tools are Great Books; their principal technique, discussion. The Literature School is not only a successful school, it is ideal multi-grade family school. Books can be read aloud together, with each child processing information on his own level. The youngest child can narrate, middle-aged child can write, high schooler can report—after doing additional research about topic, era or personality. Processing will create more lasting knowledge. I have found this easiest by requiring a written summary of day’s reading. In narration, child “tells back,” in his own words, a chapter, a short book or a poem. This technique is a trademark of + Charlotte Mason method and is explained fully in her books as well as in Karen Andreola’s A Charlotte Mason Companion. Narration is a particularly good technique to use with a younger child who does not yet write fluently. It is also effective for building English and speech skills and securing information firmly in child’s knowledge repository. History and Literature Histories, philosophical works, handbooks and other non-fiction works are literature only in such cases as an appeal is made to universal emotions common to mankind. That into which no feeling can enter is not literature. History is record of what man has done, whereas literature is record of man’s thought and emotions. The literature of a period portrays that period in lives of characters. Because of this, history should be learned through literature not textbooks. Literature should have greater emphasis because one only really knows a time by knowing thoughts and words of people who lived at that time.
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